The Past Two+ Weeks...

...have been a whirlwind of travel.

On Saturday, February 7th, Phil and I left for the M15 conference in Kansas City.  We returned home on the 13th.  On the 14th, Caleb and I went to the EMD February District Quiz.  The 15th, Phil's birthday, we spent together as a family.  The 16th I dropped Grace and Caleb off for their guitar lesson and then picked them up and dropped them off at home, where my teenagers babysat my little people while Phil and I went to a funeral.  The 17th, Phil, Seth, Grace, Caleb, and I took a trip to Indiana for piano lessons and Junior Festival practice.  We returned home on the 18th in time to pick up Ian and Miah and drop all of the kids off at home, while Phil and I went to lead our young adults small group.  On Thursday, February 19th, I stayed in my pajamas all day long and watched movies with Miah and Ian.  Then on the 20th, we dropped them off again, and Phil, Seth, Grace, Caleb, and I (along with our friend Rachel) left for the Sterling Invitational Quiz.  We picked Ian and Miah up, today, Sunday, February 22nd.

In case you don't want to do the math, this means that my youngest two children have spent at least part of 12 of the past 16 days with their grandparents.  Honestly, when I dropped them off this last time I said, "We brought your kids back.  Thanks for letting us have them for a few days."  On two of the other days, I also had to leave them for part or most of the day.  This is not how I do "Mommy".  And the truth is, I've been feeling kind of sorry for myself...

I was going to say that the word for my life for the past two + weeks has been "distracted".  But when I stopped to think about it deeply, that's not quite right.  The word for my life is still, "blessed".  I have certainly been blessed with a lot of friends and family members who have made these days possible.  

I really mean that, but I have been distracted, and I do need to find a better rhythm of life again.  Not that I've ever "arrived", but I had better rhythms than this... in what seems life another lifetime...

I'm not sure what's going to happen next.  No one ever is, really.  What I do know is that something is happening.  May it be what God wants.  May I join God in that work.  Can we ever ask for anything more?

Well... maybe just one more thing...  If you're one of those friends who is dropping your kids off at guitar at the same time as mine tomorrow, if you could just avoid looking through my window and noticing my sweatpants and baseball cap, that would be fabulous...

L.