And That's the Reason for my Blog Name

It's so hard to believe summer is really over, although the temperature outside and the quiet inside go a long ways towards convincing me.

I have such mixed emotions. On the one hand, as I move from room to room, surveying the total devastation and realizing that I may actually get some work done now that the children are gone all day, I feel elated at the prospect of a clean house (which it hasn't seen since April in preparation for my nephew's wedding). On the other hand, I feel like I'm moving through a dream and, once I wake up, things are going to reel out of control.

I've been starting to write things on my calendar again - Monday - PE for one child; Thursday - PE for another. Speech therapy, Social, volleyball games, soccer practice, allergy shots, giving rides home . . . it all seems overwhelming right now. I've gotten 6 invitations in the last 1 1/2 weeks to baby showers and bridal showers. This weekend is my dear friend's baby's baptism (a event we would not miss as a family), next weekend Don and I will be on retreat, the following weekend is his birthday and my 30th high school reunion (with a baby shower smack in the middle of), the next weekend is Deanna 13th birthday.

The pace of life is staggering. Even thinking about the pace of life is staggering. The thing about it is this: I can't live my entire life with the attitude "If I can just get through this day (or this weekend, or this week) . . ." Entirely too much of my time is chalked up to "just getting through". Where's the "living"? Where's the quality of family life. Two of my children deal with stress-related stomach ailments. Is it any wonder?

We all feel the need to slow down, but I'm no longer sure I even know what that means. I know my life is not a testament to peace and order. But where do you start? And I only have 3 children - how do families with 6, 7, or 8 manage?

Once again, I have lots of questions and very few answers. I'm praying that this month will bring clarity to my life and unfuzz my mind so I can get at the tasks at hand with focus.

I'm praying for God's grace, once again. I need his mercy, a whole torrential downpour of it. Come, Lord Jesus. Fall on me like raindrops. Let your mercy flow.

Going Out With a Bang

We had the most awesome day yesterday. Don decided he really needed to work, even though it was a holiday, so I decided to have one last hoorah of summer and take the kids to the beach. My mother and sister went along.

We chose Tybee Island, which is Savannah Beach. The weather was perfect, the water was cold, and there was a lovely breeze. My good friend, Fr. John, who has just been transferred to Savannah, joined us and we spent two hours huddled under beach umbrellas watching the children and visiting. It was glorious.

On the way home, we ate at the Crab Shack, which John recommended - a most delightful experience.

I told the children in the afternoon, "This beach trip is the reason I love the beach so much." It was absolute perfection and the perfect way to spend the last, final day of summer.

It's back to school and the doldrums of eternal busyness. But I'm already beginning to dream of next summer.