Surviving Along

Life is busy. Mitch worked 59.5 hrs the week before. I don't think he's had less than 50 hrs all summer, except for our TX trip. We had one date this summer, to Chicago. One date in September. Christian doesn't nap. Our toilet leaked under our lanolium and reaked of urine so this would-be recovery weekend turned into Mitch tiling our bathroom floor. He was up till 2:30 am Friday. And if you know tileing, he finally was done around 6 pm on saturday night,he mowed the front lawn after that, he still has the trim to put back up. Church this morning, which was worth going to forsure, mowed the back lawn, raked leaves, but then yippee a business meeting tonight at church, which I don't go to because we end up getting home at 9:30, with kids... then he has to go to a church library meeting tomorrow night that I'm begging him to get out of, it's a half hour drive to church. so we are both beat, Mitch is run into the ground and I feel like a single parent when he works so much. So pray for us as we consider what God would have us to do to shift into a more simple life and have my husband home more so he can feel like he isn't living to work. NOBODY works harder than this man, nobody. If there was a give it your all, all day, all evening trying to squeeze in time with the kids, still bring your wife flowers guy, he's it, but nobody can stay on a pace like that, it makes us all tired. So we're looking into options and I will update as updates become available, I just want to be right where God wants us and living within the funds that a regular human who works 40 hrs or heck even 45 can provide. Souls last, people last, we'll never get this time back with the kids and there is so much more to life that always working to get more because when you die, you won't think, gee I had a lot great stuff. Give me the simple life any day. A nice supper at the end of good days' work, relaxing and enjoying family time.
Through all the possible changes and current stresses though, God is so faithful and the peace He has given me is wonderful. I want to look at the whole mountain but I try to remember the wisdom that Jesus spells out in Matthew 6, the Lord knows you need these things, sufficient for the day is it's own trouble, who by worrying can add one day to his life's span?? It has helped not to unnessessarily overburden myself with future things and things that may not happen. Do I plan?? Heck yeah! Do I obsess? I try to reign my natural tendencies in. The past couple months I've had a couple small anxiety attacks that were short lived, about an hr in the middle of the night and they've been during my period. Naturally when they occur, I want to start worrying, because everything seems overwhelming when you just don't feel right, but trying to take my thoughts captive and think ok, I wasn't worried about this during the day so I'm not going to worry about this now. I know it's corny but I visualize gathering up my pressing issues that concern me and giving them over to the hands of Lord. We sang In Christ Alone, not the one you'd think, it was written in 2001, anyway that song made me cry today to in church when in the first verse it talked about peace because I'm so thankful to the Lord for the peace He's given me.
In other news, Isabelle wrote her name this week, as in, really good, in a line, and I didn't have to tell her what letter came next. It's a big deal for us anyway!! She loves doing school lessons and we've done one so far this year... one... sigh... oh well, getting it one way or another still make s a difference I can tell, she loves one on one attention. I told Mitch if she could scoop poo with you she'd love it because she's doing it with you.
Christian pottied on the potty once this week, our pastor's wife said she just sits her little boy on the potty 4 times a day or so and I thought well i 'll just sit Christian on a few times a day and expect nothing. So once is better than nothing. He will tell me, " I poo pooed (which means all pottying and stinky means poop to him, don't know why) on tweety bird mommy. I poo pood on cinderella."(can you tell we're using Isabelle's old pullups??) He answered me today with " yes, definitely" Other quotes " you're the best mom, you're the best" " stop it Mom" stop it Isabelle"I quit!!!!" " do you want to play with me mommy?" ok..."you do?" " I want some bacon, that's what I like"
"Mommy, hold me, I scared"
what are you scared of?
" I scared the train"
why?
"it's looking at me"
"waaaaaaaaaa" I laugh at him he says " I crazy Mommmy"

And the words to In Christ Alone:

In Christ alone my hope is found;He is my light, my strength, my song;This cornerstone, this solid ground,Firm through the fiercest drought and storm.What heights of love, what depths of peace,When fears are stilled, when strivings cease!My comforter, my all in all—Here in the love of Christ I stand.

In Christ alone, Who took on flesh,Fullness of God in helpless babe!This gift of love and righteousness,Scorned by the ones He came to save.Till on that cross as Jesus died,The wrath of God was satisfied;For ev'ry sin on Him was laid—Here in the death of Christ I live.

There in the ground His body lay,Light of the world by darkness slain;Then bursting forth in glorious day,Up from the grave He rose again!And as He stands in victory,Sin's curse has lost its grip on me;For I am His and He is mine—Bought with the precious blood of Christ.

No guilt in life, no fear in death—This is the pow'r of Christ in me;From life's first cry to final breath,Jesus commands my destiny.No pow'r of hell, no scheme of man,Can ever pluck me from His hand;Till He returns or calls me home—Here in the pow'r of Christ I'll stand.

awesome