While Courtney doesn't argue that her current setup can be tiring, it pays off in spades when her whole squad is spending time together.
"Some of the best parts of having a large family include all the excitement we experience at Christmas, birthdays, and during family trips," she explained. "Life is truly a party at those times! My favorite time of year is Christmas. Some of the benefits of having so many kids close in age is that many of them are on the same mental/physical level. Because of that, they usually play well together and enjoy the same things."
"Sure, there will be days when you feel like a failure, but there will also be days you'll feel so proud and blessed."
As for useful hacks that help her keep her family on track? Naturally, Courtney has a few up her sleeve for long road trips.
"Our traveling hacks include using individual duffel bags for the children, which are monogrammed with their names," she said. "It may sound organized, but I mainly do it to make packing a breeze. I just toss stuff in each bag as I'm sorting through clean laundry. As the kiddos get older, they carry their own stuff and it's not complicated when we're split up in different hotel rooms or while staying with relatives."
"We also pack a ton of bottled waters and snacks for our road trips," she added. "Not only is it much cheaper than the service station, but you can pack what YOU want instead of hoping the next exit has what you need. Truck stops are our favorite stops. Just unbuckle all the kiddos ONCE for bathroom breaks, diaper changing, and whenever we want a hot meal."
