Thoughts on the Week Ahead

Hey, Long Lost Blog-Friends!  This morning I have more to say than can be condensed into one status update.  So here are some Monday morning thoughts on the week ahead.  Forgive the disjointed (status-like) nature of it all. 

I got a really good night's sleep last night.  Why don't I always go to sleep on the 10 o'clock hour?  I think it's funny (annoying funny, not, 'ha,ha funny'), that I used to get straight faces on my first grade progress reports for, "using time wisely," and it's still one of my greatest challenges in life.  Should I resolve to get to bed earlier this week?  It sounds like a great idea, but I have those pesky 6 classes to teach tomorrow, and I'm not yet prepared for them.  On Tuesday night, I may be up late tagging clothes.

It's time for my semi-annual consignment sale.  My goal is to make more than I spend on clothes for the kiddos.  I typically spend $50 -$75 and make $100 or $150.  At the most recent sale, I even bought a few Christmas presents.  Anyway, I'm working at the sale on Wed. morning.  I could possibly make another drop-off on Thursday morning.  The preview sale is Thursday night.  On Friday morning, I head to Atl. to drop the kids at my Mom's house.  On Friday evening, I head to Helen for the women's retreat.  Yay!

It is always with great anticipation that I look forward to the women's retreat.  I've agreed to give my testimony, and I'm excited to do so.  But I'm also nervous and wondering when I'll find the time to prepare.  Maybe I could speak at the END of the weekend.  Pray for me, if you're the praying sort.  I don't love to get up in front of 100 people, but I have the nagging feeling that there are a lot of people who could relate to all that God has been teaching J.J. and me through financial struggle in the last few years.  Seriously, pray. . .right now.  :)

Last night we ate football-shaped ice cream cake for Luke's 4th birthday.  I can hardly believe that my "baby" is 4 years old.  January's end concludes the White-house insanity of a birthday a week, for 5 consecutive weeks.  We survived, and the little girls are looking forward to a "friend party" the second weekend in February. 

On a separate note, someone might need to take my computer away and keep me from reading articles about Haitian babies who need adopting (just sayin').  I always talked about adoption (and have an adopted sister and nieces), until we ended up with 5 children of our own. . .in a small house.  Our relative, lower-income existence is absolute wealth compared to most of the world.  Haiti is certainly a poignant reminder of that.

Love to all you Xanga Peeps.  I hope you have a great week!

Pictures and Stuff

I just made the blog below public, because there's some interesting follow-up stuff, that will make more sense if you've read the first part of the story.  Also, my friend brought her one and half pound puppy over today, and the kids enjoyed him tremendously. :)

Why are the ones at the bottom tiny?!

Unwritten Status Expanded

"Erika Mortensen White thinks that sometimes Christians miss out on some of the joy by refusing to acknowledge the struggle."

It's a status that floated through my head one day last week, but never made it onto facebook.  Today I'm acknowledging the struggle.  I thought about renaming myself the Grinch this year.  It's really not about a lack of Christmas spirit, so much as a lack of Christmas funds.  My head always spins at the thought of Christmas presents for 5 kids, when the budget doesn't quite accomodate the every-day stuff.  It's the marathon of the thing:  another Christmas, another year that I try to figure out how we'll survive until the end of the year, until tax return money comes and bails us out. . .most of the way.  

I can answer my own frustrations with facts about the faithfulness of God's provision.  Despite my frustration w/ lack of "maintainance" funds, we own a house.  It doesn't makes sense on paper, but we're working our way out of a heck of a lot of debt.  I've seen the way people live in Bolivia, South America, and we live in absolute wealth compared to most of the world.  These things are true, but the struggle is there.

Decorations are supposed to be fun, right?  I get 3 large boxes of clutter out of my attic and bring them into an already small space that accomodates 7 people.  Call me crazy, but it sounds like a bad idea to me.  Additionally, for the first time in 6 yr. of having a cat, we have been seeing fleas here and there.  I always have a sense of, "We can't put the tree up until. . ."  You know, shouldn't I wipe down the baseboards and clean the fingerprints off the walls.  This year (TODAY), I have to bomb the house with flea spray. . .after schoolwork and writing this very important blog. ;) Maybe it'd be easier to burn it down and start over. 

Then I remind myself that God has blessed me with a creative almost-13-yr-old who LOVES to decorate things.  A couple pregnancies ago, she decorated the tree herself, when I collapsed on the couch after getting the thing upright.  It's been her thing ever since.  She even delegates responsibilites, and lets the younger guys put non-breakables on the bottom half of the tree.

Then there's the really overwhelming stuff:  sweet, little Patrick spending Thanksgiving in the hospital with lukemia.  I just think about it and get teary.  I cling to the notion that this is where the rubber meets the road with faith. 

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That's all I had written on December 3rd (unedited).  I was going to say something profound (and borrowed) about how Christianity is the only faith that really faces the crap straight on.  You're not asked to close your eyes and pretend that the hard stuff is gone.  There is hope in the midst of hardship.  C.S. Lewis said, "The leaves of the New Testament are rustling with the rumor that it will not always be so.  Some day, God willing, we shall get in."  As I get older, I embrace more fully all of the joys and beauties which are juxtaposed so strangely against the pains of life in this world, because I really believe that they are just the tiniest glimpse, a faint reflection of the goodness of God, which we will know more fully on the other side.  And in the meantime, I'm thankful that Jesus said this: ""I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."

Recent and Up-Coming Goings On

Hey Xangans!  It's been too long to try to back-track, so I'll just let you know what's going on now.  I have next week off from my Tuesday classes; it's fall break at Master's.  My kids will be doing schoolwork as usual, since they took a little time off, while I was on my cruise.  Oh yes, did I mention the cruise?  Short version:  I went on a cruise for $39. . .on 3 days notice.  God bless all the Grandparents, who made it possible by watching my children.  Oh look, I back-tracked!

We've had a fun, busy weekend so far -- friends coming and going all day yesterday.  Julia and Natalie had a friend from the neighborhood spend the night last night, and Caleb spent the night with her older brother (kid swap).  Anna also had Brooklyn spend the night.  The house is still relatively quiet. . .just three little girls watching cartoons.  Yes, I need to go wake the night-owl 3 yr old. 

Next weekend will be exciting with the father/son campout on Friday, Halloween on Saturday, and Caleb's birthday on Sunday.  11yrs old.  In case I don't get around to saying it next weekend, he's such a great little guy: kind-hearted, easily-entertained, deeply thoughtful, and wicked smart.  I love that kid.  Happy Almost Birthday, Buddy! :)

Better than Nothing

Hi Long Lost Xangans, Will you be offended if I post a "note" from Facebook.  I used to do it all the time, but it seems kind of wrong considering how I've been neglecting the 'ole blog.  I'm just going to assume you'll get over it. ;)

It was supposed to be a big deal to answer the questions honestly, but none of them seemed like a major revelation to me.  So here goes:

1.What was the last thing you put in your mouth?
Water

2.Where was your profile picture taken?
At my in-laws' house

3. Can you play Guitar Hero?
Never tried

4.Name someone who made you laugh today.
Luke and Natalie, playing "pets." Luke said, "Her name is Sawah, and she's my gullfriend."

5.How late did you stay up last night and why?
1:30, I think. Watched some t.v. with Anna early. Then watched a movie and hung out with the husband. . .hard to keep his crazy hours.

6.If you could move somewhere else, would you?
Nope

7. Ever been kissed under fireworks?
Not that I recall

8. Which of your friends lives closest to you?
Angie Stumbo, I think. Several friends on that street, but she's around the corner.

9. Do you believe exes can be friends?
Don't really know

10. How do you feel about Dr. Pepper?
Love it . . .unfortunately

11. When was the last time you cried really hard? 
A few weeks ago, I think

12. Who took your profile picture?
My sister-in-law, Angela

13. Who was the last person you took a picture of?
Probably Luke (Anna takes most of the pictures)

14. Was yesterday better than today?
No, Tuesday is my really busy day. Today was pretty good.

15. Can you live a day without TV?
Sure

16. Are you upset about anything?
Not at the moment

17. Do you think relationships are ever really worth it?
Yep

18. Are you a bad influence?
Not that I know of

19. Night out or night in?
Both are nice.

20. What items could you not go without during the day?
I spend too much time on the computer, but I can quit whenever I want to! ;)

21. Who was the last person you visited in the hospital?
Um, probably a friend who had a baby

22. What does the last text message in your inbox say?
I don't text.

23. How do you feel about your life right now?
Pretty good

24. Do you hate anyone?
Nope

25. If we were to look in your facebook inbox, what would we find?
Messages from friends? . . .Am I missing something?

26. Say you were given a drug test right now, would you pass?
Yes

27. Has anyone ever called you perfect before?
Um, don't think so. If they did, they were mistaken.

28. What song is stuck in your head?
This morning I had one called, "Sick of It All," stuck in my head. . .not reflective of my mood. 

29. Someone knocks on your window at 2 a.m., who do you want it to be?
No knocking please!  All my people are in the house by then. 

30.Wanna have grandkids before you’re 50?
Let's see. Anna will be 28, and Caleb will be 26. Sure!

31. Name something you have to do tomorrow?
Take the girls back and forth to Master's (after breakfast, Bible, math, and some work on personal narratives)

32. Do you think too much or too little?
Sometimes I can be unproductively introspective. . . On those occasions, too much.

33. Do you smile a lot?
Yes, I do. :)

*Not tagging anyone. Feel free to copy, and let me know!

And just because I'm more thoughtful on the blog, than I am on silly, inferior facebook, I've decided to change my answer to number 18.  I always joke about my kids being complainers, like their Mama.  And sometimes it concerns me that I model poor time management and a lack of discipline.  I just have faith that, by the grace of God, the influence for good outweighs the bad.  ;)