Always Hungry

Last night was really wholesome. We went to King’s Buffet for my son’s very belated birthday dinner. Everybody ate way too much, but it was so much fun. My mother-in-law and my sister-in-law came along, and we just hung out, enjoyed good food, and spent time together.

After dinner, we headed home in our Ford Transit. It was just my husband, me, and the six kids, so eight people total. Our seven-seater Sienna is a little cramped for that many people, but the kids really enjoy the Transit because they can spread out. They aren’t all crammed into the back with two car seats in front of them and my oldest in the front seat. Everyone has their own space, and it makes a big difference.

I remember intense amounts of laughter on the way home. I have no idea exactly what was happening back there because it was really dark, but they were giggling, playing with a little red ball, and just having a good time.

Then my five-year-old pipes up, “Mommy, I’m hungry.” I was in disbelief. We had just eaten at a buffet, and I asked him to repeat himself. He said it again, and I turned to my husband and asked "what?". My husband just shrugged, and suddenly the whole car broke out in laughter.

Then it escalated. My eight-year-old boy says, “I’m kind of hungry too,” and my fourteen-year-old chimes in, “Yep, I could eat.” I was sitting there in disbelief. I had just sucked on a spearmint peppermint to relieve some of the bloated feeling from all the food I had eaten, which to my credit was mostly vegetables.

But these kids are bottomless pits. On the way home from eating at a buffet for an hour, they decide they’re still hungry. I couldn’t stop laughing, and honestly, it made the night even more memorable.

The bottomless pit analogy? Proven.

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Think about every photo you’ve taken of your children, every memory you’ve preserved for them. You deserve that same love and attention. Come to Kristian Hutchings Portraits, let me pamper you from start to finish, and leave with portraits that show the beauty, strength, and grace you give the world every day. Motherhood is part of our legacy and we should leave our children and grandchildren a true reflection of our beauty to remember us by.

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Kristian is a mom of six, Program Manager by day, active Professional Photographer by trade, and a big believer in finding beauty in the everyday chaos.

Life in our house is loud, messy and full of literally everything. Love, noise, laundry, laughter, and definitely could use a bit more grace. I'm happily married to my best friend, grounded in my Catholic faith, and fueled by five to six hours of sleep per night and adrenaline.

I try to find joy in the everyday — even when it's wild, because without the little bit of joy, this life would be unbearable. This space is for the moms in the middle of it all: the ones juggling family, faith, work, and wonder. The ones that need someone else's messy life to make their own seem better or somewhat normal. You're not alone, and you're doing better than you think.

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