My sisters and mom write group update emails randomly (an idea started by my wonderful sister Saydi). We miss each other and it’s so good to hear snippets into each other’s lives sometimes. Since I haven’t been able to sneak in much time for blogging lately, I’m just pasting one of my little emails in here so that I can remember a tiny bit of the ruckus that’s been going on around here 🙂 This is from a few days ago.
Last night it rained HARD again. So hard that it woke Dave and I up at 3:00 and we didnt’ go back to sleep until nearly 5 because once we wake up in the night these days our heads cannot stop swirling with what needs to be done on the house. Dave even got up and went to check the new house again, because it has a leak and we got all our hardwood delivered this week. Luckily the wood was fine, and he did NOT climb up on the roof again.
I feel like I am in a washing machine these days. I am just swirling around getting bashed by those thingys that stick out every so often at random times. We have a big, huge problem every single day on the house. Everything from a big leak under one of the sinks to scrambling to get the heat on so the wood can acclimate and having a big problem with the way the gas is hooked up to the walls being so crooked the tile guys can’t make the tile look normal against it…oh and the gray paint that I agonized over for a couple weeks but felt SO great about after our painter painted a whole wall with it now looks tan when they FINALLY started painting. Oh and they painted our back porch wrong three times. Dave is so stressed about all this since our builder is kind of non-existent and his back is still really hurting him. We are trying to figure out insurance so he can go get an MRI.
I haven’t bought one single gift for Christmas and we are leaving on Tuesday. I have visions of this trip being so meaningful and beautiful for our family {a service trip we are doing for Christmas…more on that later} which means I need to step back and at least THINK about it for a minute, but life sure is getting in the way.
BUT, it is GORGEOUS here right now. The trees are so beautifully Fall I don’t think it’s ever been this glowingly beautiful here. I wish I had stopped long enough to take some good pictures the other day. It was one of those days when you can see the actual sun rays hazily filtering through the gorgeous-ness of the colors flitting on the trees.
I hope my kids will remember things like the prayers we say together and the quick hugs they get from me or that I stopped to take a picture of them in the leaves and showed up to Lucy’s class party with a pin-the-nose-on-rudolph game (scribbled out on a poster at the last possible second) and that they’ll forget things like the fact that I have been non-existent after school because all the emergencies seem to happen then.
I hope they will remember scripture reading mornings like the one we had this morning (the spirit was so strong and everyone was so happy) rather than the ones that are crazy and everyone is grumpy, tired and short with each other. Claire gave me hope this morning because when Dave asked why we haven’t been doing our reading under the Christmas tree as regularly as usual she piped up and said “We DO! Mom and Lucy and I do it all the time!” Her “all the time” must mean the few nights when everyone else was gone and we did snuggle up under there with those lights twinkling above us.
Maybe somehow Heavenly Father helps the spirit we felt those few nights spread out and encircle those children all month because He hears my prayers and He knows I’m trying my best.
If you get a minute, say some special prayers for Max and Elle who are in their last finals as I type and who are both working their guts out to get straight A’s. The fate of their report cards lies in the hands of two of their tests today.
I’m off to hit the last school parties for a few minutes each on my way to get Grace to a Christmas breakfast and then to run full-speed to wrap things up on the house before school gets out half day and my world combines with theirs again until after New Years.
From there it just goes into some mushy stuff about how much I love those girls. Boy, I’m lucky to have them!
There you go…life in a nutshell.
Happy Christmas prep!!
I love your blog. I've read it for a few years now and you continually inspire me to be a better mother, wife, sister, and friend. Thank you for that.
If you happen to be going to Rocky Point, Mexico on that service trip, you'll have to watch out for my 16-year-old daughter, Cami. She is heading there tomorrow with my aunt and uncle and family.
Wherever you're heading…have a wonderful time!
Wishing you and your family a Happy Christmas. Hope you have a fun filled day.
Happy Christmas
I hope Elle and Max did well on those tests
Happy Christmas to you & your family. Have a lovely time.
Thank you for a great blog. You inspire me so much.
I'll be thinking of your children tonight as they exchange their pressies with each other. That always touches me.
That's a beautiful picture of autumn.