~Free Girls~

I'm sitting here completely blank but I actually have a little time all to myself.
I wandered into our office/school room that is so nicely tucked away in a quiet part of our house. I have my amazing heater fan plugged in so I may never leave.

~Bills paid and Ballard catalog sufficiently flipped through.~
I'm on the hunt for patio furniture and found a set I like at Costco for the price of one piece in Ballard.
Wondering if the quality is any different.....Can't imagine that it is. Especially since we're talking about the Walls. The Walls have four kids and a cat.....so I'm thinkin' decent is good enough for the next 10 years or so.

Emma has a nasty cough and was such a trooper today. I drug her around the world.
We have an agreement that she will only suck her thumb at home so as you can imagine, being the addict that she is, is all of a sudden quite eager to get back home after a couple hours out and about.
"Mommy. I'm goin' to wash my hands so I can suck my thumb, okay? It needs more sucking."
She is happily on my bed, thumb in mouth, watching Paw Patrol.
Big three are upstairs playing.

I've been reminded this week how critical it is for me....for us (women in particular) to really deal with our issues.
I mean really do our absolute best to dig up the roots of the stuff in us that is not in the likeness of Christ and get it out.
My mom reminded me this morning of an old teaching that in summary is:

"If we don't slay the giants in our lives during our youth, 

we will still be fighting them in our old age."

For the sake of growth, which is way more attractive than stagnant immaturity. 

For the sake of our husbands, who deserve a better woman at 40 than they had at 20.

For the sake of our friends, who need support and unconditional love.

For the sake of our sons, who one day, will choose a wife.

For the sake of our daughters, who pick up on way more than you may ever think, 

.......we should be striving every day to be the women we hope for them to be.

~Free~

~stacey

~My "Pathetic-o-Meter"~

My "pathetic-o-meter" is about to hit an all time high:

Brad and his buddy…..and occasionally buddIES, meet in our basement to work out at the ungodly hour of  
wait for it……..
5:00.
Not 6:00, not 5:45 but 5 O'CLOCK.
Which means he rolls out of bed at 4:45.
I told him the other day,
"Honey, if my being in good shape was dependent on my getting up and sweating it out in the basement at 5:00 AM, I'm going to choose chunky. Just so ya' know."
I have complete admiration for his dedication and honestly wish I had a smidgen more.
This has been an every morning occurrence for the last several weeks which brings me to my point of my pathetic-ness.
Every night, after kids are in bed, dinner and baths are done, and before I stop, and before I sit-down, I think. (because once I stop, I don't start again until morning)
Ugh. The work-out bandits come through the side door which leads STRAIGHT through my kitchen and keeping room, AKA: The Most Lived In Part Of The Entire House.
I'm forced to get it spic and span a little more than I might would otherwise.
Maybe it's pride.
Maybe it's just a deadline.
Deadlines are things I resist but ultimately thrive on.
Whatever the reason, I secretly like those weirdos coming through my kitchen because I'm guaranteed an extra dose of motivation to clean up a little better before bed.
Which brings me to a funny blog that my dear friend, L, sent me regarding:
"If you are going to clean up before I come, then we can't be friends."
Find it here It's really great and worth a read. I love it and love my friends who fall under this category.

Ridiculous Rant:

I feel recently, as I have for a number of months now, that life is swallowing me up.
I can't deny that there are times, one day last week was the most recent episode, where I actually feel like I'm suffocating and for about five minutes, consider a move to Montana.
About 10 acres, surrounded by nothing but more acres is all I would need.
To live.
To grow a garden.
To have a simplified lifestyle.
To burn all electronics.
To have a town 20 minutes away for a church and for a movie theater, and preferably a Target.
Life is short, and I'd be lying if I said there were never moments when I question the whole way we do it.
I want to matter. To make a difference in whatever way God sees fit.
I want to be as busy as God calls me to be in order to further His kingdom here on earth.
I happen to believe that if you're not careful, you can work, work, work, and spin your wheels for the approval of man. Working for human approval does not bring good fruit or reward.
Do not want to be guilty of that.
I do not want to swim downstream.
I want to be that salmon….swimming up stream.
Going against the current~working hard to get where I'm going~even when it looks abnormal~
Whether that is Montana (it's not), or home-schooling my kids, or saying no to "good" things, or saying yes to volunteering for everything, then so be it.

It's Friday and it's sunny and it's warm and we are almost through with school.
~very thankful

~stacey