Monday, April 30, 2012

Return to Normalcy

Here it is Monday morning, I am completely overwhelmed by what needs to be done, so of course, I'm blogging.=)
Today got off to a rousing start. I got up at 4:30 to swim, arrived at the pool at 4:52, and saw a nice hand written sign on the door, "pool closed until 6:00 for maintenance." Great. I was wide awake, but did the rational thing-drove home and went back to bed. When Mr. Hippie tried to rouse me with a hot cup of coffee at 7:15-I was NOT awake. He left for work, and the rest of us slept until after 8:00. Whew! I think we all were tired from the weekend. Consequently, (since I re-slept in) I have been playing catch up-devotions, studying, unpacking, laundry, de-dirting children, making a grocery list, and...And trying to figure out when I can fit in a run. I didn't do it before I went back to bed because it was raining. And it only just stopped. Sigh...
cinnamon rolls ready to rise
baked
Unpacking...yes, on Saturday we took off for a weekend Bible conference in the Chicago area. This is the same conference that Mr. Hippie and I have taught hours and hours of children's meetings the past several years. But, thankfully, they didn't ask us this year. And we still decided to go. It was a great decision. We drove down earlier on Saturday morning, got there around 11:00. It was an encouraging time. We got to be fed (spiritually and physically), our kids were taken care of and got to hang out with friends, and we were able to yack it up with fellow christians. It was so encouraging! And refreshing! It seems like we are never able to go somewhere and just sit. Every ministry we are in, almost all of our activities-we have to do something. Teach, contribute, work. All the time. This weekend we didn't have to do anything. Nothing! We were able to sit in the sessions and just listen. We ate, and didn't have to cook or clean up. We could talk to friends without having to rush off to do something. No responsibility. Well, except for our own kids. But they were in their own sessions, and then, during the breaks they played outside with their friends. Except for occasional check-ins, we didn't see much of the three oldest. Meres even found her niche in the nursery. She split her time between us in the meetings, and other toddlers and gracious ladies in the nursery. It was such a blessing! On all fronts. I realize that much work went in to this whole weekend-though none of it was mine-and I very, very much appreciate it. Thank you, bros and sisters, for feeding my soul. I feel refreshed and renewed. Reconnected and encouraged. (which is why I had to take time to blog about it, so I could remember the blessing in the midst of the mountain of to-do's.=))
frosted, and taste tested=)
Here's the bottom line. As we were driving down to Chicago, Freckles asked if were were teaching the kids meetings. We told him that we weren't. His reply, "So, you are just going to be normal people this weekend?"=) That can be taken so many different ways, but yes, we were normal this weekend.=)


happy to go, happy to go home

Freckles

I have no idea...

Now, no more avoidance tactics...=)