Many Blessings

Today was a day of many blessings. It started this morning, when I woke up and got the kids breakfast. My heart had been heavy since I hadn't made it to church the last 2 weeks due to sick kids. I'd been lacking in my bible study and felt like I was "lost." As I was dragging myself through breakfast and dishes, tired from lack of sleep again, my prayers were "If I only had one more hour I could make it to church." I went in the living room and sat down... dejected. Jason asked me why the time on the cable box was different from his watch. Then it hit me... Daylight savings! It was that moment, when I realized God had just answered my prayers. I knew where the next hour would take me! That was my first blessing.

As I got the kids ready for church, Jason called them in and asked if they wanted to go down to Cedar Park and visit their grandparents. Of course they wanted to go, and I began to think... once again my plans are being changed. However, I was in for a pleasant surprise! Jason took ALL 4 KIDS to Cedar Park and gave me a "day off!" Talk about a BLESSING!!! I haven't had a break in TOOOO long! Sure, I've had 30 min to an hour without kids over the past 3 years or so, but a whole day to myself... I honestly didn't know what I was going to do! I helped get the kids ready to go, packed myself in the truck (without carseats!) and was off to church. Even running late I was still able to make it on time since I didn't have to spend the extra time getting kids settled. After church was a different story though... I was honestly LOST! I didn't know what to do. Do I go home and clean? Work in the house? Sleep? Go shopping? I was at a loss for what I should do with so much time on my hands. How do people do this everyday??? I ended up going to lunch (which I got to eat when they brought it, not AFTER the kids were settled) with my parents, then went to the mall (no strollers, no kids begging for food, unbelieveable!) and then went home and watched a movie I can't watch with little eyes around! I still felt guilty for doing NOTHING at the house, but decided I clean and work when they are home, I was going to take a DAY OFF!! I LOVED it, but not sure I could do it day after day! (Yeah right!)

The kids came home and I felt rejuvinated! Jason and I had talked about rearranging some furniture in the house to make it work better and I actually had the energy to do it! We "upgraded" everyones beds, so tonight we moved them around. Brodie was so excited about her bunk beds she couldn't wait for bedtime! I still have more work to do tomorrow to make it all work, but the hardest part is done at least! And I have the renewed strength to do it.

It's amazing what a little "me" time does. I need to find more of this for me on a regular basis so that I don't have to scrape rock bottom in order to start the climb up. I can't be the parent I know I can be without taking care of myself in order to take care of them. I always tend to put everyone else first and take what's leftover for myself. You can only live on leftovers for so long before you start to suffer from what's missing.

I am thankful for my husband realizing I needed this chance to recharge. I am thankful for the kids being good on their trip so that it didn't end up being a stressful trip. I'm thankful... really.

Oh.. and I'm even more thankful that TEXAS TECH beat UT yesterday!!! GO RED RAIDERS!!!
Elaine... did you go to the game??? Was it as amazing in person as it was watching it on TV??? I MISS those games! I still watch the band and think "I actually did that!!!" and then somedays I think "I actually did that????" What good memories! Oh and of course, EOIF!!!!