Rolled Into One

This month is flying by for me. I can't believe Christmas is next week. Crazy. Here are the past couple weeks rolled into one post-

 My Aunt Carol (my dad's older sister) died a couple weeks ago. Owen, my mom and I went to the funeral. She was a tiny, spunky lady that would definitely tell you what was up. I liked learning more about her life, they showed a great video of pictures. She really loved her family....and vacationing on a beach. It was fun to see my dad and sister there too. At the funeral home Owen made himself right at home among the display caskets and beautiful urns. He never lets me rest.

 This is how I've turned on my dryer for about 18 months. The old thing squeaked, burned clothes (especially sheets, baby onsies and white church shirts) and survived 10 years with our family (5 years with someone else before us). Some days I really had to find my zen to not let the squeak bug me and every time it ruined another church shirt, I swore it was the last shirt it was taking down. But then I'd run another load and call it good. The washer had to be turned on with this great wrench too and for the most part I didn't care. That is until my trusty washer started leaking water. I was getting some water damage along the baseboard and it was time to find a new set. The thought of shopping for them gave me serious anxiety.So I ignored my need for new ones week after week.

My mom knew this was what I was doing but one Saturday she coaxed me into 'looking' at the sales. I took the bait and once she had me out shopping, I was ready to buy. She generously helped me get a new washer and dryer. Big, huge thanks Mom! She took care of Christmas and Birthdays for the next 5 (10?) years. I am SO grateful to have a bigger washer that wont leak and a trusty dryer that wont burn clothes/squeak. I don't even mind laundry yet! 

I helped in Dane's class one day while they made graham cracker houses (bless all teachers everywhere!). They each had their own box of crackers and they went to town building four and five story houses. There was a little boy much smaller that everyone else and he struggled getting his house stable enough to build taller. I knew he had challenged though at the time I didn't know with what (Dane told me later- legally blind and deaf in one ear). I helped him get his first floor down and went on to help other kids. While I walked around, I watched at least five or six different kids go up to this little guy and cheer him on. They would stoop down to his level and tell him his house was awesome. They would say he was doing a good job and that they were proud of him. No surprises, I was weepy every time I saw such sweet 4th graders reaching out to someone different. It was very sweet.

 It was really cold here for 10 days or so and the river closest to our house, froze. It was amazing. The water was frozen in big white caps, not a spot was smooth. It stayed frozen for days.

 I took the kids down to see it too. They were awestruck. If it wouldn't have been so cold, I could have sat down there and watched ice sparkle. It was that beautiful.

 This guy. Oh this guy. He is SO SO busy right now. If he isn't watching TV (which I try to limit) or hiding with his binki somewhere, he is probably getting into some major trouble. Most days it's exhausting and overwhelming. I can usually end up laughing about what every he has done but It takes a couple days to be funny. Tuesday I had a couple afternoon haircuts and then went onto making cookies for Nathan to take to young mens. Nothing about it was crazy. Kids were doing homework, no fighting/yelling, no frantic pace, etc. Things were good. Until....

 I found his mark everywhere. Oh! This is just a small sampling of what Owen colored on with a thick permanent marker. In total he 'tagged' three closet doors, three bedroom doors, two hallways, my yellow dresser (where's the respect?) and a couple random wall spots. No clue where he found the marker either. I wish I knew! I didn't feel defeated right away but the feeling definitely came as I looked at my graffiti'd walls. My friend helped me clean most of it up. Should I keep a couple marks around to humble me? It's a very good thing he's cute and likes to cuddle.

This guy is officially in glasses. He had them for exactly 24 hours and we had to take them back in for major adjustments. I'm glad he's cute too. Said cuteness helps when I have to add Walmart to my list for the second day in a row with a two year old in tow. That's true love right there.

I did it. I finished my first semester with Pathways tonight. This picture is from the beginning of the semester but the only one I have of all my new friends. I have learned so much from these people! It was challenging but I had many blessings along the way. It has been a few months of growth and it feels good to be stronger than I was in September. I had two specific instances that I wanted to quit. Even though it wasn't hard school work, it was still hard work. Can I say it? I'm proud of myself. Tonight our Pathway missionary summed it up perfectly for me. He said, 'What it took to get you here, will help you get to there.' I have no idea if he's quoting someone else here but this resonated with me. What it took for me to get through my first semester (after 19 years) will help me finish my education one semester at a time. Isn't it great to know that all through our trials we can choose to become stronger to face the bigger and harder challenges down the road? I love this class and all it has taught me. Even still, I'm looking forward to break as much as my kids. No discussion boards, yeah!