Sarah ran around all evening like this.  Sometimes I don’t bother asking why; I just get out the camera. 

Hello internet friends, how in the world are you?  I’m so glad to sit and type a little something here before the babysitter comes to watch Seth and Sarah for the day.  It’s been one of those busy weeks and this morning I was frazzled and close to tears and I thought “oh I wish” and “but I don’t want to be a bother” and “ye have not because ye ask not” so I took a deep breath, picked up the phone and asked.  She said yes!  I love my friends.  Erinn will be over after her dentist appointment and her mom said I could keep her for the day and I’m planning on doing just that.  Oh, for some alone time, I dearly love my children but sometimes you just have to take a step away now and then, yes?

I haven’t been sleeping well, last night was better, thankfully, but I have to tell you what happened the other night.  The kids all slept fine but the animals were crazy.  I woke up to barking.  Non stop barking.  The kind that means “I’m stuck somewhere and I’m gonna bark until someone comes to save me.”  I got up, thinking I would have to go outside to the garage (the dog sometimes gets shut in there by accident) but then realized he was downstairs.  I opened the door and found out that he wasn’t stuck at all, he was in a corner, with his head down, barking at a tiny gray mouse, which promptly ran as soon as Parker was distracted.  He ran after it, grabbed it in his mouth, and ran upstairs past me to the livingroom where he let it go.  The mouse ran off somewhere, Parker forgot about it, and I ran in my room and shut the door, hoping it didn’t follow me in!  As soon as I got into bed, a cat began meowing (the three cats didn’t even notice the mouse!) so I got up to let him out, then the dog was whining…and so on, you get the idea!  LOL  I can laugh now that I have a babysitter coming.

Seth was adorable the other night.  He was overtired and kept calling downstairs to me about how he didn’t like the dark, he was afraid of foxes, etc.  Finally I said, “Seth, you need to pray and ask Jesus to make you cozy and happy to be in your bed.”  And would you believe, the dear boy  instantly began praying out loud.  I couldn’t hear the words, but I could hear his tiny trusting voice.  He slept that night and into the next morning better than he has in DAYS.  When I asked him the next day what he prayed this is what I got:

“I said.  Please God.  Make me warm?  And kill the wild animals.”

Yesterday was Community Bible Study day.  On those days, we are gone from 8-2:3o.  It’s a long day but the experience is proving to be a big joy-builder in my life.  The ladies are wonderful, we are over our initial shyness and having FUN, laughing, working together to be a blessing to our groups.   The core leaders stay after to eat lunch together, pray, sing, and do our lessons for the next week.  Each week a different lady gives a devotional that she writes, based on one of our Bible verses that we are studying.  Yesterday was my turn, so I thought I would share my devotional here:

O Lord our God, You have only begun to show Your servants Your greatness and Your mighty hand.  For what god is there in heaven or on earth Who can do such works and mighty acts as Yours?  (from Deut. 3)

We all struggle now and then, and for me the biggest personal trials of my life have been with depression and anxiety, specifically with Post-Partum depression after six of my babies were born.  Although every trial has the potential to be a beautiful learning time, it can be easy to worry and dwell on our problems until they seem overwhelming and terrible.  God, at those times, can seem small and distant.

As a Christian, I have learned that a wonderful antidote to tough seasons in life is to purposefully meditate on the greatness, might, and BIGNESS of God.  There is so much to contemplate in His attributes, His Holy Word, His creation, and even the amazing ways He answers prayer.

The verses I chose from Deuteronomy remind me of the greatness of God.  There is no one in heaven or earth that can do what He does.  Everything about God is amazing and abundant.

Practically speaking, if we could set aside some time every day to think about concrete examples of how big and mighty our God is, we would find our souls elevated in such a way that daily struggles become smaller and more manageable.  We would experience more joy and contentment because we realize that even our biggest fears are like a helpless kitten compared to Him.  My challenge to us all this week is to think of specific ways that God shows His tremendous greatness in the Bible, His general goodness to all humanity, and to us personally as we go about our daily lives.

They just called and are 10 minutes away!  Must go brush my teeth.

Have a blessed day, friends!

I bought Seth and Seth’s costumes at Costco over a month ago and didn’t let them try them on or anything, they were beyond thrilled when Halloween finally came.  They wore their costumes for half the day.  Sarah’s Snow White skirt sprinkled glitter all over the house.

She loved her magic wand.

Those bare toes!  The day was cloudy and damp, but mild, in the 60’s.

Rich got home around 5:30 and I went to get Jacob from school.  Jacob dressed up as an Army guy for Halloween, he was so excited to go trick or treating.  David and Caleb wanted to be Ninjas.  I ordered their costumes from amazon but they were allowed to wear theirs last week to a school event and a party.   Of course, in the meantime, Caleb lost his mask so we resorted to painting his face.  They also lost their belts.  They were happy, regardless.  It was finally time to go!

David and Caleb carried pillowcases to collect their candy in and the little ones carried McDonald’s buckets that the Happy Meals came in last week.

We drove to the school to get Grace from drama rehearsal.  Ethan stayed home because he thinks Halloween is ridiculous.

The only sad thing that happened was Jacob kept getting ignored at the doors.  He finally gave up trying to be a kid just out to have fun trick or treating, took his military stuff off,  and my heart ached……he ended up with a little bit of candy, but it’s just not the same when you’re 16 and six feet tall trying to go around with younger siblings and people are giving you dirty looks (so he thought).  Sometimes it’s hard to grow up.  Maybe next year he can go with a bunch of friends his own age?  I don’t know, how old were you when you stopped trick or treating?

Grace didn’t have a costume and spent her time helping Sarah Joy and talking my ear off.  She decided she was dressed as Sarah’s “nanny” and we all laughed when someone asked her what she was dressed up as and Caleb said, “She’s our little sister’s granny.”  LOL  “Nanny, kid.  Nanny.”  she corrected.

It was fun to be outside walking the dark streets with the children, they were perfectly satisfied after about an hour and came home with enough candy to last at least a couple of days.

Once in a young lifetime one should be allowed to have as much sweetness as one can possibly want and hold.  ~Judith Olney