Overwhelmed and Other Updates

Does the fact that I haven't blogged in about a month, and that my blog background is still covered in fall leaves tell you that my blog is way low on the priority list?  Which isn't a bad thing, since there are many other things that should come first.  It just makes me sigh because I would like to be able to get it to it much more often than I do.

Some days (like today), I really don't know how I will ever get everything done.  Like...raising 4 children, meeting their physical, spiritual, and emotional needs and being the wife God has called me to be.  Thankfully, I have a God who doesn't ask me to do it all, but instead calls me to be completely dependent upon Him.  However, I struggle with how that looks practically.

I feel confident that God has called me to keep my children at home (at least for now-we will pray about it each year).  But I will be honest-next year really scares me.  I will have a 3 month old, a 2 year old, and a 5 year old when we get started in first grade.  How in the world???  Again...I know the answer, but have to ask God to show me daily how that needs to look.

So, obviously, I'm a little overwhelmed on this day, but it CERTAINLY is not the first time.  And the reality is, my children have been provided for today.  Their needs are met-not perfectly-but there has never come a day when God has not been faithful to provide and meet my every need.  Not always how I think it will look, or how I want it to look.  And the times I get most overwhelmed is when I am looking to the days, weeks, months, and years ahead asking..How?  When all I need to do is trust.

Okay, so that is where my head is today.  As for what we've been doing...Lots.  We've made two trips to Chattanooga to visit Steven's parents, who are now living there.  Wayne is pastoring at Woodland Park Baptist Church again.  Same church he pastored for about 18 years while Steven was young.  We're thrilled to have them back near us-especially Ellie and Luke.  They have already spent one night away.  It was a great treat for them and us.  We enjoyed one night with Andrew by ourselves.  Until he woke up a little after midnight throwing up and then again 3 more times after that.  Thankfully, no one else has gotten the virus yet.

I think Andrew read my last post about him not really having the "terrible twos".  He realized that he is now two and should start acting like it.  We had a head-to-head, toe-to-toe battle last night in the bathtub over him putting up a toy.  I soooo did not want to spank that cute, little bare bottom twice.  But it had to be done.  If those battles aren't won now, they will get much harder to win later.  Also, his favorite words are "Top!" (stop) and "Mine!". He takes it especially hard when I don't let him have food or candy that he wants and
usually ends up face down on the floor, legs kicking and screaming.

My mother has been so kind to help me strip a very polyurethaned (sp?) dresser in Luke and Andrew's room.  That was a process, and then the easy part was painting it red.  It looks so, so good.  I can't wait to show pictures.  I have what seems to be an attainable list of things to do before this baby arrives.  And that was probably the biggest one.

I feel as though there are many other things to report on, but that will have to be all for now.  The little two year old I mentioned earlier is asking for chocolate milk and he has been patient for just about as long as a two year old can.  One of those tantrums might be coming and I would really like to avoid it.