The invasion

Getting ready to be invaded by the World Changers! Yes, today we get our new fence put up. Hopefully it will go smoothly. I'll take before/after pics and share later. Having the World Changers come is like being invaded by youth camp escapees. They are happy, everywhere, and loud. My poor poor neighbors. I guess it's getting even for that time I wanted to nap but they were practicing their dance routine at high volume.

Summer To Do List

It's not summer until I get a list of things I want to accomplish worked out. Let's see what it looks like...

1. clean out master closet (oh snap!) - I can't even get into the closet and it's the size of a small bedroom
2. get a new car - yes please!
3. clean out garage (oh double snap!) - it's scary.. there's stuff living in there.. Stuff larger than me
4. get storage unit - this list is not in chronological order, btw
5. retile master and upstairs bathroom - woo hoo, oh contractor, why aren't you returning my e-mails??
6. make pool passes a financially responsible decision - we have to go 7 times to make it worth our money, I think we can make that happen
7. read a lot of fun books
8. work on/finish the uber puzzle - it's time - I've had it for 3 years

That's what comes to mind right now.. let's see how it goes!

This is the Wall

This is the wall, and I have hit it. The long week(s) has(have) finally caught up with me and I am exhausted. I want nothing more than to crawl into bed and sleep for a day. I want to speak with no one unless their express job is to make me happy. I am ready for the hamster wheel to stop spinning and the demands of home, ministry, family, and friends to diminish. I am weary of being pulled in 37 directions and needing to smile as I am yanked. I want to feel like being gracious instead of wanting to strangle the next person who shares their opinion. I want to have a train of thought make it to the station. I want to have no one needing me to do something. I don't want to wait on you or him or her to finish their 95 things before I can go do what I had planned to do. I want my life back. MY life. Not someone else's crisis dressed up like my ministry opportunity. This is my wall, and I have hit it. I think I hit it with a really large battering ram. And I feel better for venting. I think that wall needed a door anyway.

Return of Summer Wife

Summer has come. I am forbidden from going to the school until August. The blessings of major renovations. Yay! And for my first full day of summer.... youth group working on our house! AHHHH!

Well, they are being helped by the tool man ministry. And they have devolved into being Mighty Wasp Hunters and wood workers. God Bless teens and power tools. So far they have demolished our sad sad rotting fence and taken down some of the rotted boards on the house. The tool man team has started sinking posts for the new fence and is making a list of supplies for Chris to get at Home Depot. Gotta love free labor.

VBS starts tomorrow night for The Big One and Monday AM for the Little One. That goes all week. One in the am and one in the pm. Then next Sat we are meeting up to send them to their g-parents for a week plus. Then it's off to youth camp for  a week. I think I'll be home to relax in  Mid June some time. :)

So, that's the life of Summer Wife. Oh yeah, I have big plans for the house and garage... More on that later.. Pizza is arriving for the workers soon, so I'll tell more when I get a few minutes.

We're not in Kansas anymore Toto!

Whew! What a whirlwind of a week. (Like that alliteration??) We had something happening every night this week. On Wednesday Chris's boss announced his resignation. Josh had a grade level program. There was a fun catch up meeting with a friend. So we took Friday off. Yep. Willingham Family Fun Day was ennacted. Ryan decided to go on his field trip, so the 3 of us who were left went to a movie, had some ChickFilA, boys got toys, Mama got her toes done (it's been a lonnnnng time) professionally. A nice nice day. And then we woke up today in the bliss that is Saturday with nothing planned. It's the last one for a while.

I am ready for the summer, except for that crazy job of mine that assures me I have 2 weeks left. The students are certainly ready for a break, but there are projects to create and boxes to be packed and books to read. Ooops! I think I packed them. Note to self: find books for children to read.

And Chris has gotten busier in his day to day work. See, the resignation of his boss means he got a huge promotion. Of course, it's interim for now, but the work is still the same as if he were the head guy, because he is. A lot more responsibility. A lot more decisions. A lot more people time. A lot more meetings. And he is loving every minute of it. It is so good to see the man thrive in his work.

So, our summer plans are firming up. It looks like this: Kids and I play at the pool. Chris works very very hard and comes home to a happy family. God's blessings continue to astound me. Yes, yes, I know, that's rather simplistic and we'll have some things to do around the house and other activities to do, but I really like the sound of that.

And that is the lesson I am learning. God's blessings are significant and larger than I can imagine and reflect His joy and are humbling and make me stop and praise Him. I think I understand King David more and more the older I get. Perhaps I'll muse on that a while and write it up. :) Happy day to all!

5 years in 5 days

Whew! So much is happening in life right now. Years of work and planning and hoping and hurting and dreaming and maintaining seem to be coming to fruition.

It starts with Chris's graduation. OH, how happy I am. So proud of his accomplishment because I know what a journey it was. I lived it with him. Under the same roof. Day in and day out. For 14 years. Of course, he wasn't in school all that time, but when he wasn't he was wanting to be. He completed his coursework in January, but the ceremony was a true culmination. To see him in cap and gown, walking the stage, receiving the congratulations he deserves is a  beautiful thing.

Then there's the cruise. Yeah, we've wanted to go on a cruise for about 5 years. Relaxing time away doing something different, away from our normal life. With buffet included. Tee Hee. Getting to surprise him was a great thing too. He didn't see it coming. A surprise gift is my favorite kind to give. Especially when it has been longed for.

 There's more to tell. I'll write about it when I can. But timing is everything. Right?

In case you missed it..

It's teacher appreciation week! Ryan wrote this to his Language Arts teacher. That is definitely a keeper. I know she will love it. I just wish my kids could spell. Just a little bit would be nice.

Just sailing through..

I've got a whopping 5 minutes before I am off to another "event". My mother just IM'd me and I'm looking grand in my spring "IT" outfit. This is what I wear to most look nice events this spring. School is hopping and church is full of busyness. The good kind, all. But it would be a lie to say I could wait a long time til summer. I am actually ready for it NOW.

This weekend is Chris's graduation from Seminary! Amen and Amen! It's also Mother's Day. I think I've got it all under control. Right.... believe that? If so, I've got some lovely oceanfront property you should purchase. But, I'm hanging in there. And I really have to go now.