Busy is an understatement!

At around 9:30 am yesterday morning I had a sudden revelation that this week is utterly and ridiculously chock full! I knew I had a lot to do...but it was still scattered in my head, in different little pockets.

I knew I had to take Seth and a carload of student council members to camp on Wednesday...and pick them up on Friday...in the San Francisco area. Looking forward to this, actually. A carload of 14 and 15 year olds has GOT to be entertaining.

I knew that Friday was Seth's birthday...although it hadn't really dawned on me that he was going to be 15. I thought he was turning 7. But...the fact that he wrote DRIVING SCHOOL on his birthday wish list snapped me out of that fantasy REAL quick. Driving school? Whatever.

Anyway...

I knew I was going to have my nephew on Wednesday night for a sleepover...and all day Thursday for a play day.

I knew I had a Belgium meeting on Wednesday night. And that Ian had baseball practice on Thursday night. And that Chris had worship practice on Friday night. I knew that Seth had a birthday party to attend on Friday night for a friend...on his birthday, no less. I knew I had to get a gift for this friend who's having a birthday...and his twin sister, too...both of whom we've known since they were all 5.

I also knew I had school work. But what I didn't know was that it was my last week..? I thought next week was the last week. So I wasn't fully aware of what this week's work load was going to entail. Until I wrote all the assignments down on paper, that is. Holy canoli! I'm in for it.

The bottom line? This week is going to be CUH-RA-ZY. But...I can do this. Especially if I stop blogging and facebooking and start homeworking! Which is what I'm going to do RIGHT NOW. I have a lesson plan to finish...!

What's your week looking like? If it's a little empty...call me. I've got a list a mile long I'd have NO problem sharing with you!

and just like that...

...summer is almost over. School starts in three weeks. The summer has gone by like a flash. The boys have held down the fort while I've gone to work...they've gone to church camp...they recently went backpacking with their dad...and of course, lazed around the house. Seth is off to Student Council Camp this coming Wednesday...he returns Friday, which is also his 15th birthday. 15. FIF-TEEN. This blows me away. He is ONE YEAR away from DRIVING. It renders me speechless. And trust me...not a lot can do that to me.

I've always really tried to live in the moment with my boys...appreciating them for where they're at in their lives. I have loved every stage...even the sassy, talk-back stage. It lets me know they're getting minds of their own. And I like that. And so, because I love watching them grow and learn and become young men, I have always thought that I would really be OK once it's time for them to leave the nest. But I tell ya...the closer it gets, the more I'm not so sure! I mean, I will be OK. Do we have a choice? And honestly, wouldn't it be worse for them to never leave the nest? Uh. Yeah. I think it would be. What's that called? Failure to launch? We don't want that. We want them to launch. But still...it will be change. And I am really not good at it...no matter how much I try to tell myself I am.

Either way...summer is coming to a close. School is getting ready to start. And in two short weeks I will have a 7th grader and a 10th grader living under my roof. Where does the time go...

In other school news, my classes are going really well. I took three...which is one too many. But...I'm doing it. And I'm keeping up...pretty much. Luckily, I've been given grace from my instructors on some late papers. That helped. And I am really hoping that I will be able to pull A's in all three. I'll know in about a week...this is the last week of the term. Really? I guess in this case, time flying is a good thing! Trade-offs...life's full of them.

All in all...life is good. Things are humming along at a fast pace, but also a good one. My kids are growing...I'm growing...and ultimately, that's what we want, right? Growth. Movement. Change...

do you ever find yourself with nothing to say?

Or maybe it's more that you have so much to say that you don't know where to start. Or even know if any of it is worth saying, anyway? Or...it is worth saying...but sometimes it's more like a "note to self" type of thing. Like I'm the only one who's going to know what the heck I'm even talking about.

Or maybe what I have to say is just about day to day stuff...and I start to write and find that I'm boring even myself. So I delete the whole thing and go harvest a crop at Farmville. Life. Right?

So...not a lot to say. I'm in my head right now. Decisions to be made...work to be done...prayers to be prayed...life to be lived.

xoxo

a lot can happen in a week.

I haven't been here since last Thursday! How does that happen? I'll tell you how...kids returning home from camp, road trips to potential retreat grounds (yes, it's "the one"), work, work, work, homework assignments and late assignments and assignments just completely forgotten about! Oh...and chickens and kittens and vacuums and dust rags and laundry...oh, the laundry...still not done with camp stuff!

The boys made it home from camp safe and sound...and had a BLAST! It was so fun to hear all about it...the speakers, the new friends, the cabin pranks, the girls...I wish I could have gone! But I'm sure it would NOT have been as much fun. They said they didn't miss us..at all. And...they didn't want to come home. And...while I tried to have hurt feelings about that, instead I decided to take that as a good sign that we are raising them to be confident, adventurous, self-sufficient young men. (Hey...it works for me...) Either way...they're already counting the days until they go back next summer! Love that...

As for me personally...life is the same. Busy. School is proving to be a LOT. But it's good. And somehow...I am keeping up with only one or two assignments missed. Luckily, I've been good about turning in assignments and getting good scores...so the instructor had pity on me and let me turn in a forgotten assignment VERY late. That was so nice of her...

I missed Wednesday in the Word yesterday...I thought it was Tuesday for a good part of the day! Even marked Tuesdays date on all my paperwork at work...oops! But...I will tell you the verse God gave me yesterday, anyway...

Jeremiah 29:11-14

11 For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. 12 Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. 14 I will be found by you," declares the LORD, "and will bring you back from captivity. [b] I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you," declares the LORD, "and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile."

The bottom line? God knows. He KNOWS. He knows my situation. He knows my concerns. He knows my worries. He knows my frustrations. He knows my struggles. He knows me better than I know my self. He knows what I can and can't handle and He won't give me any more than that. So if He has faith that I can persevere...who am I to think otherwise?

With that in mind, I will continue to plug away each day...one day at a time. I will pray...and I will seek. And when I do, He will find me...

so far...

Is it really Thursday already? For real? Wow...this week is just flying by! I don't feel like I've done much. It might be because of that migraine that sneaked its way (snuck its way?) into my life on Tuesday. It ended up taking over Tuesday and part of Wednesday. But...it's finally subsided...mostly...and I'm getting back on track.

The boys will be home Saturday. I miss them. A lot. When we were filling out camp paperwork and deciding which extra activities the boys wanted to do and all that, there was an option for a one-time email communication for an additional $5. I asked the boys if they wanted to do that...or if they just wanted to have a blast and let us know all about it when they got home. Of course, because they're independent boys and love to be away from us (I try not to take this personally and instead believe that we are raising healthy, confident, well-adjusted young men who don't need their mama for every little thing...but it's not working...I should have kicked down the five bucks and threatened them within an inch of their lives if they didn't write to me!!) they opted to just let us know all about it when they get home. Why?! Why didn't I insist?! Either way, I'm sure they're having an amazing time and I can't wait to hear ALL about it...when they get home.

Because of the unexpected migraine (do we ever expect them?) I haven't done the boys' rooms...yet. I plan to do them this afternoon when I get home from work. I want to wash their bedding and gather up the trash. What is it with boys and Slurpee cups and Nerds boxes and candy bar wrappers that they can't manage to get them into the trash can? And what is it with boys that when I say, "Tidy your room, please", said items are left as decor on dresser tops? I don't get it. They say it adds to the whole "man cave" effect. I say, "NO". So, I'm infringing on the man-cave and getting rid of the questionable decor. Ick.

I'm heading to Occidental with my friend tomorrow...we're going to check out the retreat grounds for our churches women's retreat. I'm excited about the retreat. I was involved with the women's retreat for years at my old church...like 8 years to be exact and I learned a lot. I love retreats. And I think this one's gonna be good. The gal I'm working with, my new friend Tiffany, is awesome. She's young and has a heart for God like you wouldn't believe. And when it comes to the retreat...and the women...and our vision for what we want the retreat to be...we see eye to eye in almost every way. And I have to say...this makes the planning so much fun. And so exciting. I can't wait to see how it all turns out! So...tomorrow...road trip! We went on one a few weeks ago to look at a potential retreat location and it was a total bust. The place that is. NOT good. But the road trip was fun...and we found the most darling cafe to eat at...it was called Wren. And I wanted to live there amongst all its shabby, vintage goodness and eat Avocado Gazpacho every day for the rest of my life.

But...in the meantime...today awaits. Laundry. Bathroom. Work. School work. And plans to make a good dinner for two.

Wednesday in the Word

Luke 12:22-34

Do Not Worry


22Then Jesus said to his disciples: "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. 23Life is more than food, and the body more than clothes. 24Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds! 25Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life[b]? 26Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?

27"Consider how the lilies grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 28If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today, and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, how much more will he clothe you, O you of little faith! 29And do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink; do not worry about it. 30For the pagan world runs after all such things, and your Father knows that you need them. 31But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well.

32"Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom. 33Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will not be exhausted, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. 34For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

a different kind of week.

My kids are gone at church camp this week. For the whole week. Both of them. We sent them off yesterday directly after church...they piled in the pastor's 12-passenger van with a group of other kids from our new church and off they went. Keep them in your prayers this week, won't you? And me, too, please. I'm more anxious than I thought I'd be about them being gone! Such a nervous Nelly mom. I know they're going to have a blast...they're at one of the best camps around. God is good...and I know He's going to touch their hearts this week.

So...to top off the "empty nest" syndrome going on here this week, Chris went to do a job in another town this morning and decided to stay the night at his dad's rather than commuting back home. So he'll be gone tonight, too!! For today and tomorrow it will be just me. How weird is that? It hasn't been just me for over 15 years! I almost don't know what to do with myself! But...you can rest assured I'll figure something out...

Like...

• homework.
• And cleaning the boys' rooms. Wash bedding, dust, gather trash. (Wish me luck on that one!)
• Scrub the tub with a cleaning tip my friend gave me...Comet spray, let sit, scrub with a brush, finish off with Soft Scrub. Sounds easy enough!
• get that pedicure I've been waiting for using the gift certificate I got on Mother's Day! And trust me, these puppies NEED it!
• return the Red Box movie. Have you done this yet? Red Box? It's a DOLLAR to watch a movie! It was kind of cool. I'll admit...I will miss video stores. I'm not liking how automated we are becoming. It's scary to me. But for now, I'll appreciate the convenience.

There's more. But Adult ADD kicked in and now I'm bored with bullet-points. This time will fly by so I better get going. I've gotta get the boys' bedding in the washer...I think I'll dry them in the sun. Sounds good, eh?

Have a great day my friends...be good to yourself. Stop and take a few minutes to breathe some deep breaths...to close your eyes and think on something good. Read your Word...write in your journal. Don't keep a journal? Start one. You won't regret it.

And just because...

The LORD is my strength and my shield;

my heart trusts in him, and I am helped.

My heart leaps for joy

and I will give thanks to him in song.

~Psalm 28:7