Dear Future Me

I have so much I want to say to you I don't even know where to begin.  I have desperately wanted to meet you, but it seems that I can't catch up to you.  I know so much about you even though we have not crossed paths yet.  I often think about what I would say or ask you if I were ever given a chance...

How do you manage to meet every adversity in your life with such grace and poise?  You never worry about life, always dealing with problems in such a way that seems seamless.  Your children are so well behaved and full of joy, a tribute to all of the ways that you have perfectly taught, mentored, and reared them throughout the years.  You discipline them with great calmness without mistakes or regrets, always knowing the perfect way to discern every problematic situation.  Your children are never without manners and always obedient to you and God's word.  Each child is so well behaved and filled with kindness at all times, never fighting or arguing with each other.   

 How do you manage to keep such an immaculately clean home while homeschooling your children?  Everything is always in its place and so well organized.  And yet some how you still have to time to create amazing and engaging lessons that always excite your children.  I will never understand how you are able to not only keep up with all of that laundry but have time to remove every stain as well.  And please tell me the secret to keeping your little ones closets, drawers, and rooms so neatly organized.  Probably one of your most impressive abilities is how you manage to get everywhere on time with your children dressed to perfection.

And you always look so put together, never tired or run down and wearing the perfect outfit.  With all that you do, you never miss a workout and stay in fantastic shape.  Each and every day you prepare perfectly delicious healthy organic meals that are enjoyed by your ENTIRE family without complaint.

 You also amaze me with your ability to know just what to say to a friend in need, and you are always available if ever someone should need your help.  It must be because of your diligent and uninterrupted devotion time that you spend with the Lord; nothing ever stands in the way of your Bible studies.  The Lord must be so proud of you and your NEVER wavering faithfulness.

One of your most impressive feats is your ability to keep all of your children so healthy.  You rarely if ever have to take them to the doctor, therefore you aren't in need of enlisting the help of your friends to watch your little ones. Oh, how I wish I knew your secret!!

The truth is I am not sure we will ever actually meet, but if we should please go easy on me.  Try not to judge the mistakes that I have made because although I fall short of my expectations, I give each day the very best of me.  You and I are so different... I long to be you but reality tells me that the chances of us ever catching up to each other are very slim.  At times I think we may be close, but then life takes a turn, and once again you seem light years away.  Please know that I think of you often with such great fondness, you are living the life that I dream too.  But for now, I will be content with being "imperfect me," living in my "imperfect life," learning the lessons that each day has to offer.  Hopefully, each lesson will bring me closer to meeting you, and one day, I may sit upon the pedestal that I have placed you upon with such reverence.

But if not... then I will anxiously await the day when we have our long over due introduction on the other side of heaven.

Until then all my love,
Me

Romans 12:2  "Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will."

A Day In The Life...

So I decided it might be fun to record the events of an entire day in our wonderful little life.  I mostly decided to do this because I want to be able to look back one day and remember our perfect little chaos, as I sit in my quite home longing for the sound of little voices.

Here is your "this may be really boring to everyone else" warning label!

May 16, 2013

5:00 AM  ~ Wake to make a special birthday surprise for Todd, Monkey Bread......yum! (He leaves for work at 5:30)

5:15 AM ~ Todd tells me something is cooking..... I informed him it was his birthday breakfast and assume that he ate it before leaving for work.

7:30 AM ~ Feed little bullfrog...again (we are at every two hours again since he can't have solids).

8:00 AM ~ Get the rest of the gang going and eating.  That's when I realized that the birthday boy never ate his special breakfast that I made just for him...... at 5:00 in the morning.

8:10 AM ~ Text birthday boy to question him about not eating his special breakfast.....that I made for him at 5:00 in the morning.  He said that he didn't know that I was finished with it.  Huh............ so much for the special breakfast....the kids and I enjoyed it!

8:30 ~ Pass out all medicines to four of the five children (Reese is the only one not on anything at the moment).

9:00 AM ~ Have the older kids start some of their school work because we have to leave early today for an appointment.

9:30 AM ~ Begin getting ALL of the kids and myself ready for the dentist appointment, this includes dressing everyone, brush all butterflies hair and both bullfrogs as well, inspect all teeth, find shoes, and nurse littlest bullfrog (this is usually where we do our morning devotions, but I failed at this task this morning.)

10:25 AM ~ Leave for the dentist office

10:45 AM ~ Realized while sitting in the dentist office that the two little butterflies are suppose to have their yearly eye exam tomorrow.  Without hesitation I call to cancel the appointment because we are thankfully still outside of the 24 hr cancellation window.  I just can't seem to muster the strength for another appointment...we have had one everyday this week and another one tomorrow!

12:00 PM ~ We leave the dentist's office with out a single cavity, once again!!  Wooo Hooo!
We head on over to Wal-Mart to get some food for daddy's birthday dinner and to look for protective eye gear so that my big bullfrog will be able to play in his soccer game later today.

12:30 PM ~ Still walking through the store with one five year old screaming she is starving.  We decided to buy daddy a new "cheep" wedding ring since he has lost the last two.

1:30 PM ~ Finally we make it home with five very hungry children. We all work together to get groceries unloaded, lunches made and baby fed (well that last one was all mine).

1:45 PM ~ Another round of medicine for T.C.'s eye.

2:00 PM ~ Little ones are down for naps and I start to clean up lunch (with the help of my big kids) and get ready to make daddy's special ice-cream cookie sandwiches.

2:20 PM ~ Littlest bullfrog decides he doesn't want an afternoon nap today, so big bullfrog tries to entertain him while my biggest butterfly and I make cookies.

3:30 PM ~ Start to make daddy's special dinner... clams in red sauce over linguine and bruschetta.

4:40 PM ~ Start the search for soccer gear for my three little players.....shin guards, soccer socks, soccer shorts and t-shirts.....and of course soccer cleats (which are never where they left them).

5:00 PM ~ We head out the door once again.

5:30 PM ~  Time for game number 1, my middle butterfly scored three goals, yeah!!

6:30 PM ~ My two oldest are excited and on the field for their highly anticipated game.....when lightening strikes in the distance.  Sadly, their game was cancelled.

7:00 PM ~ We head back home to get things ready for the birthday boy (who still hasn't left work yet.....ugh)

7:20 PM ~ Home again....( we all run as fast as we can to keep from getting soaked in the torrential downpour) Then time to feed little bullfrog again (and boy was he starving by this point and not afraid to let us know it, looks like he is starting to back off of his every two hour feeds...thank you sweet little man).

7:35 PM ~ Back in the kitchen to get dinner ready and help the butterflies make a happy birthday daddy pennant to hang up for the big party.

8:15 PM ~ The man of the hour finally arrives and the kids hide and turn out the lights to surprise him (it never occurred to them that there were actually suppose to be people in the house and therefore the lack of lights was a dead give-a-way to their plan).

8:30 PM ~ After jumping and yelling surprise and scaring daddy (wink...wink), we all sat down to eat a "better late than never" dinner.

9:00 PM ~ Bring out the gifts and present him with his giant ice-cream cookie sandwich and then we proceeded to, against all better judgment, allow the little ones to have half of an ice-cream cookie sandwich.

9:10 PM ~ Daddy hugs the middle butterfly and realize that she is wet around the bottom area.... upon questioning, that started out with, "Daddy will you be mad at me if I tell you this?", and followed with a confession of peeing in the corner while waiting to yell surprise to daddy.  Hum.....sure glad daddy discovered the wet pants!

9:11 PM ~ I promptly get up and go to the site of the crime and clean up the mess.....really??  In her defenses she just didn't want to miss out on yelling surprise (wish I would have know that little pause in the fun would have been well worth it

  

9:15 PM ~ Daddy reads our devotion while the kids eat their birthday yummies.

9:30 PM ~ Last rounds of medications for the day, teeth brushed, and off to bed!  I begin the dinner clean up and straighten the living room as well.  Time to start a load of laundry in attempt to diminish the growing mountain.

10:00 PM ~ The littlest bullfrog is fed and drifting off to sweet dream land.

10:15 PM ~ The whole house is deafeningly quiet.

10:30 PM ~ I sit down at my computer to write this blog and contemplate the punishment that I will receive in the morning for allowing my little ones to have such a late night.  I am also painfully aware that we have another appointment at 9:30 AM and I don't have anyone to watch my butterflies, nor have I even begun to prepare their clothes for the outing.  Looks like my day isn't over just yet!

And believe it or not I really wouldn't trade it for the world....

11:00 PM ~ Looks like it's time to get back to work....lol!

Philippians 4:13

¹³ I can do all things through him who strengthens me.