"The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched- they must be felt with the heart." Helen KellerI normally "end" with a quote but thought I'd start with a quote today.  Switching things up.  My day started with trying to get as many "things" done as possible by noon.  Running errands from store to store, whipping through my house to get it clean, squeezing in a much-needed mani/pedi session (yes, as a runner, this is not a luxury but rather a necessity!) and then thinking to myself I could have a relaxing afternoon with my two sons.What was I thinking?As I type, my cozy little home of two boys has grown to 6 boys before I knew what was happening.  Temporarily.  Maybe for a fleeting moment I thought the day would be quiet and relaxing, but is that really what I want or need (or more importantly what my almost 15-year-old and 10 1/2 year old boys need)?The chaos that envelops my family room is what I want as a mom.  To have my children happy, surrounded by friends, and feeling comfortable to invite their friends over to hang out at our house.While my kids incessantly remind me they want our basement finished (the house was built-in 1923.  Charm and renovation challenges come with a 90-year-old house)- complaining they don't have space enough to hang with their friends....I'm intrigued how often they- along with their friends- manage to squeeze into our family room taking over our...well entire house....despite it not having all the cool updates they remind me we "need."Interesting.Perhaps it isn't the "things" in life that really make us happy & bring us peace?  The gadgets o plenty that fill a house of boys matters less than knowing you're loved & being able to be loud & clumsy & silly & accepted no matter what.I hope I do that for my boys.  I hope I do that for their friends.  I hope I do that for everyone who crosses my path.So....my afternoon that was fashioned in my head to be a peaceful respite to a rather busy morning of getting "things" done is instead a chaotic exclamation point filled with  Xbox playing- Mountain Dew/Coke slurping (and burping....they're boys), Doritos eating, and very boisterous laughter.  I couldn't be happier.  Or more at peace.  In my sweet chaotic home.Peace & Happy Chaotic Saturday afternoon.