Today was busy. What’s new! But I believe I was productive. Did a few things here at home. Met my folks for lunch then went to their house and drove my momma like a pack mule as we sorted and made decisions about stuff (love you mom!). Unloaded some furniture I had listed on Craigslist. Met another neat Christian family via selling furniture!

My nieces are sleeping over. There are four very tired children asleep on my living room floor as I type this. Tomorrow I get to take my 9yo niece out for a birthday date!

I wanted to post a few pics yesterday but forgot so I am going to do it now even though it is 11:53pm!

I made donuts for breakfast yesterday morning. They were delish! I was a big fat cheater and used canned biscuit dough but hey, we all loved them and it made for a very quick and fun breakfast.

“cinnamon sugar donuts”

My mom is celebrating my birthday by giving me little giftys she has created for me for 37 days (because I turned 37). She calls it my birthday season or month or some such thing. I am not complaining! She made me a neat crocheted basket that folds down for durability. I plan on using it when I travel for my books etc. My daughter thinks it makes a groovy hat. I found her on my bed wearing my basket while she had her quiet time. What I want to know is, will I ever get to use my basket as a basket? 😮

“Kait”

Now that it is 12:06am, I had better get myself in bed. It is way past my bedtime!

We really are going to move. It is for real. I am packing boxes and listing and selling things on Craig’s List! If I think too long about it, I get a little anxious! Primarily because I have roped my parents into this adventure and I am fearful they are being held against their will! So I immediately turn these thoughts off for fear of having an anxiety attack. :o) I will attempt to take a photo of my progress and download it here tomorrow.

Speaking of anxiety, I read a post on a blog today that contained a very, very brief (1 or 2 sentences) account of a gal who was a 7 year breast cancer survivor and was recently diagnosed with it again but having metastasized to her lungs. Yikes. That sobered me quickly. The thing is, I know the things I am and am not supposed to do in order to reduce my chances of a reoccurrence,  yet it is as though I live in denial. And the denial isn’t along the lines of I’ll never get cancer again but more like I can’t do anything about it so why bother, which is such a lie! I stick my head in the sand. I do not want a reoccurence. DO NOT. Why, if I had a reoccurence at the 7 year mark my sweet kids would only be 14 and 11. They still need me! So why am I so foolish? Once again, I say to myself, ” I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.” Romans 7:15 For real. What is my problem?

My God is not a God of fear. He says that He is my God, that he holds my right hand and says “do not be afraid for I will help you.” (Don’t know the location of that verse exactly. Psalms?) Do not be afraid. That sounds like a command. Don’t be afraid of dying. Don’t be afraid of leaving your kids while they are so young. Don’t be afraid of treatment. Don’t be afraid of what will happen to my husband. Don’t be afraid of my family falling apart if I die. Don’t be afraid of my kid’s future. Don’t be afraid of who teaches my children or how my children will be taught. Don’t be afraid that there will be no one to love my kids like I do. Don’t be afraid of my children’s sorrow or fear. Don’t be afraid about my children’s relationship with Christ if I am not there to teach them and guide them and point them to Him. Don’t be afraid that there will be no one to love my kids like I do. Don’t be afraid that there will be no one who understands my kids like I do. Don’t be afraid that there will be no one to love my kids like I do. Don’t be afraid that know one knows my kids like I do. Don’t be afraid that there will be no one to love my kids like I do. Don’t be afraid that there will be no one to nurture my kids like I do. Don’t be afraid there will be no one to love my kids like I do. DON’T BE AFRAID THERE WILL BE NO ONE TO LOVE MY KIDS LIKE I DO! Don’t, don’t, don’t.Yet sometimes I am scared to death.

So here is Matthew 6:25-34. I am replacing any reference to me with my kids.

“For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your kid’s lives, as to what they will eat or what they will drink; nor for their bodies, as to what they will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are your kids not worth much more than they? And who of you by being worried can add a single hour to his child’s life? And why are you worried about clothing? Observe how the lilies of the field grow; they do not toil nor do they spin, yet I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these.  But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe your children? You of little faith! Do not worry then, saying, ‘What will my kids eat?’ or ‘What will my kids drink?’ or ‘What will my kids wear for clothing?’ For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that your kids need all these things. But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. “So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”

Thank you Father. Remind me not to me anxious for tomorrow. That tomorrow will take care of itself.

My sweet son is just that. Sweet. So sweet. I could just eat him up. He brings me so much joy each day. He is tenderhearted but can be rowdy as all get out. I often have to walk away when the boys are wrestling because it causes me to wring my hands and cringe with fear.

Today I am reflecting on CJ’s tender side. He loves stuffed animals (so much like his Uncle Jon at that age). He has about 75 Webkins and knows them all by name. He worries about them being warm and comfortable; I often find them covered up or laying on pillows.

We went to a birthday party Friday night at a kid friendly pizza franchise. CJ is a bit competitive so he is pretty driven to win as many tickets as possible at these kinds of places. He is astonishingly good at these games! And as usual he walked away with a boat load of tickets all of which he squanders on a million little items like bouncy balls, tatoos, plastic creatures and sticky reptiles you throw at walls and windows. When it came time for us to leave, Ceej had a handful of creatures and before I realized what he was doing, he had put them into the tiny zipper pocket of my athletic jacket. Without thinking I zipped up the pocket and he cried out then unzipped my pocket halfway. “They need to breathe.” says my son.

He is so cute.

Day 5! I chose my best friends daughter as the subject for my picture today.

Introducing Halle.

“Halle holding her new American Girl doll.”

You’ll have to pardon her ruffled appearance. She was freshly showered but had not had her hair fixed yet.

We have Hal at our house often. We are in the same homeschool co-op. Her mom has been my best friend for over 11 years. We are all together often. Field trips, hanging out, celebrations, camping, vacations, church functions. Hal is an only child. She loves and adores her Kaity and Ceej (Ceej-o-ramma). They all get along famously although CJ sometimes can only handle so much femininity. Hal sleeps over once, sometimes twice a week. She is my third child and is a lot of fun! She is energetic, bouncy, imaginative, an animal lover, strong willed, bossy, obedient, intelligent and well behaved. Her mom and I parent so much alike that discipline, expectations and rules at my house are a no brainer for Hal. She helps with the kids routines, clears her dishes and knows where her shoes go without being asked. If she does need correction, she takes it well and usually does a great job adjusting her behavior and/or attitude. Hal is Kaity’s best (5 year old) friend. There is a 6 year age difference but they manage to have a lot of fun together. They are both Narnia lovers and play Narnia on the trampoline every time they are here. They have invented their own games like Dreams and  Mix. 

We love Hal. We love having her with us. She is so much like family that I hardly remember she isn’t mine.

“Behold, children are a gift of the Lord, the fruit of the womb is a reward.” – Psalm 127:3