My brains on random

So, how are things with you?

Enjoying your summer?

My oldest loves to check the calender and remind me "it's not summer yet, it's still spring"

But it sure feels like summer to me.

The heavy air all sticky with heat -

Friends all busy with travel and VBS-

School, bible study, dance class all on summer break.

Phone and e-mail still and quiet.

Camp is over, we had a great week. We always have a great time at camp. Truly I can not imagine our summer without it. To me that is the beginning of summer. It was super Hot this year and our afternoons were spent in the water as much as possible. A, remembered everything she learned last year and after the first day Nana had her doing handstands in the water. The girl LOVES to swim! B surprised everyone with a brand new confidence in the water, and as soon as she realised she could touch the bottom of the pool she took off in the water and became little miss mermaid. (followed close by Momma who more resembled a whale)

So now I am dreaming of a pool in the new house.

As refreshing as that was, it was the time to just sit on the porch and pray or just sit and watch the girls at play that was like water in the desert. To be still and rest and see God.  

Being away for a week ended up being the best thing for me and for all of us really. 

The day before we left we had a moving sale- things are getting serious now. There was a strange emptiness afterward in the house, big gaps where furniture was missing and things all out of place. It wasn't hard letting go of the stuff, it was hard swallowing the reality of leaving and the chaos of packing up a family.

Chaos has become normal, it seems - our living room looks like an explosion of clothes, furniture, books, and art stuff.

We are beginning to pack things away in boxes. We are trying to find boxes.

I took down the pictures, the walls look lonely without them. 

I bought paint - so strange picking out colors that were chosen for me instead of ones I chose for myself.

There is still no sign in the yard, there is more that has to be done first. 

I had a huge burst of energy on Wednesday and tackled our bedroom - it felt so good to check that off the list, but the next day I was so weary I couldn't do anything.  

Baby pumpkin grows bigger every day and I know she is not long in joining us , funny thing is she is now about the size of a pumpkin or a leek depending on where you look. The waiting never does get easier, we are all eager for her to come. She has no nursery, she has no crib, she has very little in the way of "stuff". Not at all what I had planned or dreamed of, but it's all good. She will have many arms to hold her and love her, she will have a little bassinet next to our bed and sisters who will never leave her alone. What else can a new girl want for.  

Everything seems to be hanging on her arrival-

We do things, we piddle at our lists but our plans all revolve around

"After the baby comes"

After the baby comes we will:

Finish the to do list

Get a storage unit

 put the house on the market

Start looking at properties

........

 The girls are handling all of this in different ways
The past couple days I've been trying to make a conscious effort to relieve some of the stress, I see it's been effecting them.  A especially has been really sad and kind of lost.
I've tried to think of some special things to take us out of the house and away from the chaos. We did a surprise donut run one morning, visited a new library, family walks, game time, making things in the kitchen, and just some snuggling.
Last night I realised what a difference a simple smile can make.... today I am making the effort to smile at them whenever they catch my eyes. I'm finding it makes me feel better too.

With so many big things going on in our lives, it's been so easy to overlook the little... but it's the little things. Like chocolate donuts and family walks that make the big things we are going through bearable.

One day at a time -
That's really hard for me to do.
I keep reminding myself of that silly saying
"how do you eat an elephant?"
-One bite at a time-

Some photos from camp week....