How is it that a week has passed since I've checked in on my little space in the world? So much life being lived, the computer desktop chair has been empty. There was a time that I would not be okay with that. Not too long ago, I would have been disappointed with myself for not meeting my own expectation I set for myself as it pertained to blog writing. Thankfully, that day has passed. It needed to. I needed to let up on the (sometimes) too high of a standard I set for myself in order to eat, drink, and be merry.
I had a long chat with the husband last night. It followed the type of day that NEVER seems to happen. Ness and I went on a field trip with her class where she painted up a storm. As we drove to the mall, she fell asleep so I took that as a sign to head home. Instead of putting her to bed and rushing around trying to accomplish as much as I could while she napped (Remember she seemed to give up naps over a month ago), I wrapped myself in a nice blanket, pulled out a great book, This is my Daughter and read for two hours until it was time to pick up Bubba from school.! It was a glorious, restful afternoon! Of course, craziness ensued once Lene came home and we got to work on homework and her research report that is due Friday. I headed off with Jonathan at one point for our Faith Formation class that I lead, and I called out behind me, "Leftovers are in the fridge."
For the first time in a long time, I didn't feel guilt about my lackluster dinner or the few accomplishments of my day. My brain and body needed rest and I listened and obeyed. God lined things up to ensure that I got exactly what I needed--what a blessing! When I came home from class, I was surprised to find, dinner waiting for us, dishes done, coffee ready for the morning. . .it hit me. For the past year, my husband has been running on fumes. His hour and a half daily commute plus ten to fifteen hour days had been stealing his energy. Here we are three weeks in and we have a new normal to adjust to. I am not complaining, but I realized as we chatted that part of the reason I decreased my contract even more was due to the insanity of his schedule. With this new kind of crazy, I need to readjust the expectations for myself and let him find his way into our nightly routines and practices. It won't be hard to do. He works hard outside of our home and inside as well--we just need to find our new rhythm.
E is home more often now, Little is working hard at two jobs and deciding whether or not to enroll in college, Nessa is in school two and a half hours/two days a week, football season is over but volleyball will soon be upon us, as is a new show in Lene's future. The season has changed, a new one is upon us. I count my blessings as I look to the the future--even if it's only at the week ahead!
These photos were taken last week by Shawna. We love them--even Little is happy with how they turned out! That's a compliment for you!
LOVE these pictures!!!
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