Way behind

and to tell you the truth right now I'm so rushed and buried I can't even think. So I'm thankful that I got off work early and will have time to clean before the appraiser comes in the morning.

Lord, thank you for small favors.

Now... time to clean.

Babys who can sleep through mayhem

Title says it all.

Thank you Lord for helping him sleep, I know all that havoc was a little overwhelming to him.

Being popular

There is nothing in the world like walking in a door and having a bunch of little kids run up to hug you. I wasn't popular in school, not in the least, but I'm making up for it now.

Lord, thank you for the tiny tots and their hugs.

Good books and lots of pillows

Last night I borrowed Tali's library book, Tuck Everlasting. It was very good, and I very much enjoyed the descriptive language. I love imaginative writing.

Today when Joe got up for the day I made the bed and cleaned the room. My sister gave us pillows for Christmas which has ended the pillow stealing. I arranged them nicely, Stacked up like big thick envelopes, invitations to come and rest. It's funny how some things just make me smile.

Lord, thank you for good books, and for a mountain of pillows to rest on while I read them.

Gratitude itself

I spent some time on Babycenter today, something I haven't done in months. There was a troll, of course, again, someone pretending to be what they aren't. It's awful being lied to, and it made me feel icky to even see people posting to the troll's thread.

So I clicked on another thread "How many kids did you have by 28? Would you change anything?" Responding to that question brought back a lot of memories, of my babies, and the ones I lost. My heart filled with gratitude for what I have, for the joy and pain that I've gone through that has made me so much better, kinder, more understanding.

So carrying that forward I started a thankful thread, and my inbox has been dinging with new posts ever since. Good women are posting away, feeling the spirit of gratitude, which is the Spirit of God.

Lord, thank you for the power of gratitude and the effect it has on the whole soul.

Life done right

I worked this morning with an amazing woman. She is so humble and sweet I think people overlook her, but every time I spend time with her I leave thankful that I know her. Just talking about our schedules and lives while waiting for the kids to show up I realised that she is really doing things right. God didn't hand her a silver platter life, but she loves her life, she loves God, and she lives her life for God and her kids.

Lord, thank you for women like that, who set such an example for me.

Brilliant smiles amid the tears

I met this little baby today. She was so cute. It upset her to be away from her family, but if you could get her to smile it was this whole face thousand watt kind of smile.

Lord, thank you for those smiles and the joy they brought me.

The industrial revolution

Sometimes I wonder, do machines really make life better?
Naturally I don't mean the centrifuge or what ever other machines doctors use. Those are no-brainers in the life-bettering area. And, yes, I understand that technology has built upon itself so that each new device is the culmination of the ones before and the ones before are vital links in the chain of progress.
I just... I think our lives are too complicated, too automated, too saved by "labor saving devices." It's like we are liberated to the point where we have nothing to stand on and nothing to hold on to. Oh I could think about this for aged if I let myself, but I won't.
I will however state that the washing machine is a must in my book. I've washed clothes by hand, and I don't know how on earth women who had to do it all the time ever got anything else done.
Lord, thank you for bringing me to Earth at a time and place, when I can have a washing machine. I really do appreciate it.

Going to Church, Insurance, Experience, and Perspective

Wow I really am behind on this... sigh. Life is crazy.

Sunday I was so glad to be back at church. It's crazy how much you miss in such a short time. Church is something that re-fills my cup, so I'm so glad the kids were well enough to go.

Monday was manic, I went to work, came home and worked on the house. Then went back to work, then put a dent in the car on the way home. I'm fine, and it's only a car. The insurance will pay for most of it. I just wish the yellow pole had been taller. But yeah, it's only a car.

Tuesday was more work, and I'm still sore from it. Amazing how the motivation of an appraiser coming can get you through your to-do list. I thought, half way through the day that it's a good thing we've learned all these skills and that we have the right tools. There is no way we could have done all this without the backgrounds we have.

Today has been another long day, but right now they all feel that way. While driving down the road I remembered passing the same place this fall and bright yellow leaves were twirling and spinning down from a tree, gilding the street in fall brilliance. That moment had been deliriously happy. I remembered that in that moment I thanked God for allowing me these wonderful times between the stressful times. I knew life would take another turn, I know very well that life is about growing, but those moments between are so beautiful, and I'm thankful that I know I'll have more of them soon. This is just a moment.

Lord, Thank you so much for the chance I have to go to Church each week. Thank you for Insurance to make up for my blunders. Thank you for the experience that I have gained in my mere 31 years. Thank you for perspective, and the peace it brings me.

Everyday heroes and Conversation

Last night after work I stopped by the church for the ward Valentine's Day party. For the first part I mostly just danced with the grandkids of some friends that were there. The teens, for some reason, think standing in a circle and slightly moving to the beat qualifies as dancing... sigh kids these days. So I had fun anyway. The whole ward knows I'm a nut, so it's not like I had to be embarrassed to be dancing with a six year old, a four year old, and a nine month old. Sister Xob Liam does crazy stuff like that. In fact a friend even came up and asked me to teach her the country swing that I had been showing the six year old. So I dance with her too.
I was about to give up however and go home. It had been a long day, I'd worked a double (kids were at Grandma's), and I can only do just so much to try and help the poor teens. Just then they announced a game of musical chairs. While they set up I said a few goodbyes, but caught the end of the first round.
The music stopped and a 4 year old boy was left without a chair. I smiled with pride as a young man who didn't even know the boy quietly got up and stepped to the side while the others excitedly showed the boy to the chair that was vacant, like he still had a chance to win if he hurried.
I resumed my goodbyes and the next round started, and when the music stopped again there was that boy, out again, except that the young man who had beat him to the last chair scooped him on to his lap and another young man snuck away to the side. Now I was interested, so I lingered, watching.
From then on the little boy was right by his new friend's side. When the music stopped they were there, stacked two deep in a chair the others made sure they got. Round after round the chairs dwindled, until it was one chair, and three boys.
That round lasted an eternity, and we all laughed and cheered over the antics of the two teens and the 4 year old. Suddenly the music stopped and, before he even realised it was time to sit, the boy had been scooped up by both teens and planted in the victory seat.
I love that there are still heroes in the world.

Today I have been able to spend quite a bit of time with Joe. That doesn't happen often, between our work schedules and life in general we are like two ships, rocking on each other's wakes. Today he stayed up really late. We got some work done at his Mom's house, went to lunch all seven of us, then the kids went home with her and I brought Joe home to sleep. Instead of sleeping like he should he sat and talked with me for a while, about art and fences, and who knows what else, you know just talked. It wasn't a power meeting about how to handle the hurdles we are up against, it wasn't catch up time on all the information the other doesn't have. It wasn't strategy planning for handling the kids. It was just talk. It was nice.

Lord, thank you for everyday heroes, and for for long conversations with my husband.

Dave

I haven't seen him in years, but today I'm thankful for Dave. He was our Doctor in Ohio. The first time we met him he saved Tali's life. After that I didn't want to see anyone else, and it was a good thing, because he took such good care of us. He was in his residency at the begining, but when he set up his own practice an hour from hour home we gladly made the commute.

He just listened so well, not like any Doctor I had ever known. He also thought about us when we weren't in the room, like we were family and not just patients. He delivered both Jay and Jordi, beautifully I may add.

I'm afraid that for the rest of my life I will forever hold every medical professional up to him, and they will all fall short.

Lord, thank you so much for putting us in the right place, at the right time, and in the right hands.

Cute little boys

I was surrounded by them today, and these little guys were just so cute and sweet. The two girls were sweet too, but the 9 little boys were a lot of fun today.

I was holding a baby boy in the hall, letting him watch the people in the pool away from the noise of the other kids for a while. A co-worker walked by and said, "You have the best job in the world." I heartily agreed.

Lord, thank you for all of those sweet little moments with little boys today.

The Moms of My Readers

Sometimes I think my writing is no good. It's usually just a moment when I give into the nagging fear all writers have at the back of their mind.

There are moments though, that I can use as a ruler, even if they don't give me an accurate measure I can slap that nagging fear across the knuckles and continue with my writing. I cling to those moments, they mean the world to me.

Last night I met the mother of a friend. She came into my work and when I realised who I was talking to she smiled and said of course she knew who I was, her daughter spoke of me so often and read me so often.

Naturally I blushed and ducked my head. She must be a very good mother to keep track of the names of people in her daughter's life like that, but the way she said it, it was such a compliment. I love it when people express to me how much they like my work, but for them to turn around and talk to their families and friends is HUGE!

Lord, thank you for the mothers of my readers that so very kindly let me know that my work is truly enjoyed.

Yearly CPR training

One class down, one more to go and I'll be re-certified for the year. I'm so glad we have this available to us at work, and that K is there to answer questions and patiently teach us.

Lord, thank you for a job where one of the perks is that I get to sleep a little better at night.

Netflix, blankets, and people to pick up the slack

Wednesday afternoon Jordan came home with a fever. Thursday afternoon James came home with a fever. Friday afternoon Talitha came home with a fever.

Sure we have Tylenol, which relieves the aches and pains and fever, but then I've got three kids feeling just good enough to irritate each other, and feeling just bad enough not to want to focus that energy on anything productive.

So Netflix has been on almost constantly, the stack of snugly blankets has been in use, and thankfully I've been able to miss work and stay home with them thanks to kind people who pick up the slack.

I'm just praying I don't get this.

Drugs are not a part of my life

I was thinking today, as I cooked, about the different trials we face in our lives. Some are given one weakness, others are given another.
Today I'm thankful that drugs have never been a weakness of mine. I've had very close friends hooked on them. I've spent a lot of time watching drunks. I've known a lot of people that have done drugs at one point or another.
It's funny because I was never really tempted to even try them. Not that they weren't offered, but somehow I just wasn't interested.
My own personal brand of trials has lead me to rock bottom an back, but drugs? No, and I'm thankful for that. I've seen what they do to a person, and I would never want to loose myself like that.

Lord, thank you for giving me that path I've had.

Little miracles

The person who is teaching me to make fried rice called to postpone by a day, and then Jordan came home with a fever and I wouldn't have been able to go anyway.

Lord, thank you for looking out for me.

Things are back in place

I am so sore and so tired. I've been painting in the kitchen all day. The wall that Joe made me paint back to white, well it's really white now and not just primer over the red. The nook for the washer, dryer, and fridge is done now too. All white.

Joe got up after I had moved the appliances back in the nook and took a long look. He asked me what I thought, I told him I would have been happier with it red. He shrugs and says, "So paint it red, I don't care."

Yeah... the look of death happened. Somehow he survived.

Lord, I thank thee for getting me though this day and that I won't have to move the appliances again for a long time.