Sometimes, your kids have a knock down drag out screaming fight in the hall at 11:00 PM over who is in the bathroom and who needs to be. Because the "boys" bathroom is under construction and they think that sharing a bathroom is the pits even though I keep reminding them they can come use our bathroom and that we only HAD one bathroom in our previous home and they are dumbfounded. Of course they were all 10 and under which is not quite the same. They took up much less space.
Sometimes, the gas company turns the gas off and tells you it *might* be back on by the end of the week so you all 10 of you can take hot shower and dry the laundry and run the dishwasher. Thank heavens the weather is beautiful so no heat is needed or we would have moved out for the week. But when you have running water and flushing toilets and electricity and FOOD and grandparents who let you use their showers, it's all quite bearable (except on the occasions mentioned in paragraph one).
Sometimes, a friend sees your name and address on the gas company repair schedule and takes the time to do everything they can to move it up from Monday to Friday. Bless him. I think I will make him some cookies.
Sometimes, when this 40 year old mom gets woken up at 11 PM by screaming kids and slamming doors thinking that quite possibly someone has broken in the house and is trying to kidnap her children, I can't go back to sleep. Go figure.
Sometimes, navigating my kids through life's frustrations and difficult relationships. . . Not protecting them from everything but helping them work through things, BUT protecting them from more than I probably should and doubting what I do and what I don't do and wondering if they will need extensive amounts of counseling (like the rest of us) and oodles and oodles of grace not to hate us later on.
Sometimes, when you have a son who is graduating from high school (and others following right behind), you find yourself asking the Lord where is the best place for your son to be and where will he be pushed to work hard and stand strong and grow and learn. And be safe. And close enough to drive home on holidays. And when I miss him. And you remind yourself that he WILL BE FINE wherever he goes because he belongs to Jesus and no where he can go will be out of His hands. Even if it's too far away to drive home to see his mama (see the above paragraph).
Sometimes, someone who has known you since before you were born and loved you so well and been there when you needed them to pray, to encourage, to make you smile and laugh and feel LOVED, leaves this earth and meets Jesus face to face and you are SO HAPPY for them and the end of their journey on this fallen earth and the beginning of their FOREVER with Christ, but you are still so sad.
Sometimes, the Coach snores and I love him, anyway.
Sometimes, my legs ache at night after a longish run, but I'll go out and run again, anyway, even though I feel old and fat and tired. Maybe not tomorrow, though.
Sometimes, the sound of my hammering away on the keyboard wakes my Little Man and he comes stumbling in, all bleary eyed, asking me to rub his back. He's getting so tall.
Sometimes, life is WAY more than I can handle and God's grace is WAY more abundant than I can imagine and my husband is WAY more patient than I deserve and my kids are WAY more amazing than they would be if their development solely rested on my shoulders and not on the goodness of the Lord.
And look. It's Wednesday, already.
Sometimes when I can't sleep and its the middle of the night and I'm concerned about my kids and their relationships and the schedule tomorrow and how long the gas really WILL be off and when the bathroom will be DONE already (this is week three). . .
I still have so much to be grateful for.
