Tornadoes, Chickens, and Missions. . . OH MY!

I've meant to sit down and catch up here for. . . oh. . . awhile, now.  But then something ELSE will happen and I think, "Well.  There's that."  How do you begin?  How do you explain?  How do you describe?

My last post was right after the Coach made it back from DC.  Now he's off somewhere down in Haiti with Daughter (#2).  School is out (We barely made it.  Barely.).  Summer has begun.

I'm eversoproud of my students.  Since it's my blog and I can say what I want (sort of), I have to mention that all six of them got straight A's/Honor Roll.  They get their brains from their daddy, no doubt.  And my homeschooler?  JUSTSOGRATEFUL!  Ask anyone that's watched her this year.  We've come a long way, Baby.

But between the horrid severe weather - one night missing us by only 2 blocks and another night hitting so many dear friends to the South and just last night having to flee to the farm house and the basement with all of our kids and grandparents and sibling's family. . .

I'm over it.

How do I talk about the crazy that's going on HERE when nearby we have friends who lost EVERYTHING?

How do I say how much I miss my Coach (so much. . . ) when over 30 people have lost their lives in the last two weeks in our city?  And so many family have loved ones who won't be coming home.

How do I tell you how RELIEVED I am that we survived the last few weeks of school (it was a close call)?  Honestly, Jen does it better than I ever could.  I sincerely felt like I'd run a marathon by the time we finished all of the end of the year activities/snacks/cookies/gifts/assemblies/graduations.  Whew.

My kids had 36 different teachers this year.  Bless them.

They deserve SO much more than cookies!

And at some point in the whole thing I threw a big-time I'mnottwobutIcanstillactlikeit FIT.  The Coach had been gone so long and we were all so tired and my leg just kept hurting and I couldn't catch my breath.

But God, in His faithfulness, sees only His righteousness.  And the Coach, with eyes of love, is willing to forgive.  Again.  Even if he is a little too quick to agree with me that I've been a jerk.

I don't know that Summer is less crazy.  It's just a different crazy.  We sleep later (well, except that basketball camp for Daughter #5 was every morning last week).  I have more help around the house, but also more bodies to make messes.  We spend more time at the pool.  More time reading.  Eventually, more time out in the yard (although tornadoes, torrential rains, and hail do not a lovely yard make).  The kids are already turning a lovely shade of brown (in spite of my OCD sunscreen applying tendencies).

OH!  And the kitchen floor is fixed.  As of the last Saturday of the school year.  Because we didn't have anything else going on.

Tonight?  I'm grateful.

For the Psalms.

For library books.

For sweet friends who call to check on us and text when there are tornadoes and come over to laugh with us and make the time go faster.

For my parents - who are gracious, generous, and always willing come over, take us to dinner, let us hang with them, and fill in the gaps when I'm beyond tired.  And they may have attended more end of school year activities than any grandparents in history.  Just sayin'.

For my Coach and Sweet Girl - who are sharing the Love of Christ in Haiti this week.  Miss them.  Proud of them.  Can't wait to have them home.

For my big boys here at home.  Who run errands, and rearrange the garage to get another car in when it's hailing, and take out the trash, and decide to raise chickens (??), and make me feel safer when their daddy is gone.

For my little girls who help clean and fold laundry and do the dishes and still play dolls and watch American Girl movies and laugh.  A lot.

For Little Man, who (the last week of school), lost a tooth, learned to ride his bike without training wheels, and tested for Kindergarten next year. . . then told me, "Wow!  I've had a big week, Mom."

The fact that his monumental "first lost tooth" picture was taken in the car

SHOULD give you an idea what our last few weeks have been like.  Ha!

And for a night without severe weather warnings.  Thank you, Jesus.

My bed is calling.

Happy Saturday!