Back On The Wheel..........and Grateful!

Yesterday was a very busy day. It was back to school, back to work, back to sports.....back to life on the wheel!

Up at 5:00 a.m. getting everyone in their showers. Get Gregory his breakfast and ready to catch the bus. In the car before sunrise for the 1 hour one way drive to Fridley to get Kyle and Justin to school. Dropping snowboards off at Jay's and getting everyone where they need to be. Talking to 10 different wedding vendors and 3 brides on my journey back from Fridley to New Richmond. This was all by 8:30 in the morning.

Holiday vacation is officially over. It makes me sad.

I love having the boys home. Enjoying their company, listening to their stories, spending the day with them. I love not having to run everywhere, do everything, please and organize everybody. I love holiday vacation.

It made me sad on Sunday evening knowing it was coming to an end. I even checked all the school calendars (the second time I had done this) just to make sure it was tomorrow they went back. That I hadn't read it wrong and they really didn't have to be back until Tuesday or Wednesday.

I know some parents look forward to the "going back to school". It gives them some "alone" time. Gives them a "break". I have never been like that. I figure when my kids are grown and gone I will have too much alone time and will be wishing for their company. Wishing for all the chaos and disorder we have now. If I miss it now, when I am in the thick of things, I cannot imagine how I will miss it then.

I had a very productive day yesterday. Was planning 4 different weddings and filled each one with lots of fun and creative ideas. I can see a big item this year in our weddings is going to be cupcakes. Two of them I was working on yesterday involve cupcakes. I got invitations ordered, save-the-dates ordered, maps and direction cards designed and ordered. Spent time getting schedules straight with Justin and Kyle for snowboarding and wrestling tournaments this week and weekend. We brought Gregory to wrestling practice last night and watched him learn more new moves that he will attempt to incorporate into his first tournament in a couple of weeks. Planned our time schedules and preparation of food donations for a New Richmond Wrestling Tournament this weekend.

It was a very busy day. It was full and I went to bed tired. As I lay in bed I still felt like something was missing. I missed just "hanging out" with the kids all day. Why do we have schedules, why do they have to go to school, why do we have to work?

(Isn't the pouting and self-pity just plain pitiful?!)

This morning as I got on the computer to check emails, send emails, and post about the busy day yesterday and my "pouting" of having to be "back on the wheel", thru a series of different channels I ended up on someone's blog. I had never been there before, and not exactly sure how I found myself there this morning. It contained the most heart-wrenching words I have ever read. It is a story about a couple that have 3 daughters and they were pregnant with their 4th. 20 weeks into the pregnancy they found out the daughter she was carrying, Audrey Caroline, was not going to live. The mother's words take you thru their story, the pregnancy, the birth of Audrey, the death of Audrey. The strength, courage, and above all ~faith and love of God that is displayed is earth-moving.

Before I could even get to my blog to Post about my "saddness" for not being able to spend every waking minute with my kids "hanging out" and my complaints about all the other "stuff" we have to do.........God stopped me in my tracks. He soon had me on my knees repenting, praying and giving thanks for any and all time I have with my children. Thanking Him for the time spent getting them ready in the morning, the time spent with them in the car going to Fridley, the time spent figuring out schedules, watching new wrestling moves. Every single moment. Thanking Him for their ability to participate in activities, for my ability to work, for the priviledge of them going to school and ability to learn. Thanking Him for each and every moment I have with them, however that is spent and however short it may seem.

God has a way of speaking to us and this morning he was very loud and clear to me.

As I lay in bed tonight feeling tired from the days busy activities instead of feeling cheated by the busyness of the day, I will be thanking Him for it. Instead of complaining about the lack of one on one time with the kids, I will be thanking Him for any and all time with the kids or about the kids.

I am back on the wheel and happy and grateful to be so. This is His plan for us.


(If you care to check out the blog it is: http://audreycaroline.blogspot.com/2008/11/seven-prayers-day.html)