Success!

This is how I measure a successful day.  I got everyone fed-all day.  I did a couple of loads of laundry.  It is the end of the day and my house isn't a bomb and all my kids, except one, are in bed.  They are clean, including their ears, and fingernails and toenails clipped.  Oh yeah, and my kitchen is clean!  Yesss.  Now that is a successful day.

June is coming...

I have made it through most of the birthdays in the house...we just have Jack left. We are anticipating the arrival of our new nephew/cousin any day! We are on our last week of school and SO grateful for that. Things are winding down or up I'm not really sure. We have a big family reunion coming up but before that we have the wedding and we also added a trip to the Oregon Coast for June! Casey is going to be doing some art stuff down there and we are super-excited about that opportunity! I am very hopeful that it will be something that opens some other doors and that brings him some cosistent income. But that remains to be seen. We will just continue to hope and pray that it is worthwhile and that God does have a plan for Casey in his art. Even though we aren't really sure what that is yet.

 On the flip of those fun things some people we dearly love are struggling and that is always really hard. But it is very close to me this time. I really feel like I got set up by God...do you know what I mean? That so many things just lead me right into this. That God was growing in me and preparing me and my heart for service to these people. That maybe my burden for them is because he had lined all this up ahead of time. I am just really hopeful that in all of this I can do what I need to. That I really can be of service to them and to their hurt. That we can connect and I can be used to help. I have realized in the last couple of days, though, just how critical hope is to our souls. You have to have it. If you don't have hope than what do you have? You probably live in a really sad and dark place. Hope is critical for life.

 Hebrews 10:23 Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.

 Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.

Quick update...

My life has been a little crazy and I am hopeful for summer laziness...cause that is what people like me want most in the world-justified laziness! But in the meantime I am excited to say that my dear friend Sara has had her baby and we (me, lucy and Hank) will be headed to Lake Stevens for a few days in a week or so. Also, we are almost finished with school for the year and wrapping up 4th grade and kindergarten. Jack can read and is playing soccer and scored his first goal today! Daisy is flew through fractions and is pretty well a hold of multiplication and division. They could tell you most anything about anything that lives in the water and Daisy is ending the year by doing a large report and presentation on George Washington-her pick-who knew! Lucy is a handful to say the least. She keeps me on my toes and is constantly checking to see who is in charge of this operation me or her. She won't let anybody do anything for her except me and she loves to kiss her "Hank the Tank the Dank". She is also constantly talking about her debut as the flower girl of my cousin Emily's wedding in a month. She thinks everyone we know will be there to watch her. Can you say 'self-centered'? Hank is walking like crazy and eating like crazy and we are all getting a huge bang out of how much more he walks every day. He will be one in just 11 days! How did that happen I do not know but I am thrilled with him every day. Having kids is a blessing and watching them grow and discover just blesses my soul constantly.