Late Night Ramblings

It's late and tomorrow is super full, but for some reason I've got too much energy to sleep. This energetic feeling is nice though, not to mention rare. The house is quiet and I can hear several of my kids mumbling in their sleep. They are all sick with soar throats or coughs, and tonight it became evident that we've also got a case of pinkeye on our hands. So at this point, I'm not sure if tomorrow just got busier with a trip to the Dr.'s office in the morning, or if we'll have to scale back our involvement to avoid exposing others. Guess we'll see in the morning.

Several weeks ago we were asked to submit a family picture, and since I didn't have a recent one we decided to head out and take some one afternoon. It was in our usual DIY style with a tripod, sense of humor, and low expectations!

A sense of humor is always key! The boys badly needed haircuts, so Michael and Jacob were going to wear hats. Of course they both forgot their hats in the garage and Jacob forgot his shoes. You know, I could plan and prepare all day long (and sometimes it feels like I do), but the best preparation always comes in the form of a good attitude!

I had trouble with my tripod and my camera kept slumping to one side, so many shots are cropped funny... No matter. These pictures make me smile.

Yes, a sense of humor and flexibility are essential to mothering. Essential to life. I find that as I get older, I am finally beginning to let go of perfectionism. In many ways I can get stuck doing nothing because I know I can't do it well. Doing something is better than doing nothing, even if it's not done the way I'd like it to be. Ha! Like this blog-- all the spelling and grammar errors I fail to see, all the ways I get misunderstood because my wording was weird, all the ways it shows my life and my house and my family are not perfect...

There is freedom in learning what really matters in life. Perfection is a pointless and proud pursuit, and robs so much of our joy.

OK, I feel a rabbit trail coming on. Moving forward.

Another school years is wrapping up. I thought that this year we'd have trouble finishing up by the end of May, but after looking more closely we are set to finish up without trouble. Summer still feels like a long time away to me, but I am looking forward to the fun times ahead. It has been a good school year and I am thankful. Looking ahead to the next school year always seems daunting, but I am always encouraged when I look back and see God's faithfulness and provisions. We take homeschooling one year at a time, and though I have felt it to be a good option for our family, I am praying for the Lord to clearly lead as we move forward. I don't expect to make any radical changes, but I don't want to hold on to any method with tight fists. There are many options available to us, and I am in constant need of wisdom.

(Ha, ha. I just noticed Jacob's shirt is not even fully buttoned. And Andrew's poses cracked us up!)

We had a garage sale last weekend, which was a first for our family. It's nice to have a little extra space in the garage; hopefully there will be even more soon since I also have some items posted on Craig's List. Andrew sold some origami boxes last Saturday; he was delighted with his earning of $12.

Jon's truck is also for sale. I'm going to miss it, but the cost of gas for two big vehicles is killing us! It was either the truck or my wedding rings. Just kidding.

(Setting up the camera while the rest stand around produces "real life" poses and expressions...)

Jon and I did a juice diet last week and I think that's why I'm bounding with energy this week. I never thought I'd be the type to forgo eating for a week, but I decided to give it a try after a friend mentioned doing it herself. I wouldn't say it was fun, but rather interesting. I've always found human physiology fascinating, and this was definitely an interesting experiment with unexpected results. We were fully nourished since the juices were freshly extracted vegetables and fruits. It was more of a "re-set" and detox diet, an opportunity to super load on vitamins and nutrients, and to exercise self control over cravings. 

Anyway, I suppose I could say way more. It wasn't easy (withdrawal during the first few days is rough, not to mention the fact that I still had to cook for the kids), but it was sweet of Jon to do it with me even though I repeatedly told him he didn't have to. I'd like to think I'd do something like that for him, something that I think is crazy just to show my support.

 (Well-traveled shoes! It's always a nice feeling to take those off!)

 It's 1:26 and a bird has started chirping loudly in a nearby tree. It seems too early for even the earliest of morning birds, and it is making me nervous about the fast approaching sunrise. I may not feel super chirpy when my alarm sounds...


~Katherine