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Forest Home Away from Home

The bags were packed. Everyone was on the bus ready to go. Everyone, but Carter. My little guy stood in the doorway for one last good bye. “Bye Mom. Bye Mom! Bye Mom!!!” There was a hesitation. In that split second, I wasn’t sure if he was gonna jump off the bus and give up on his week of adventure, or turn and go back to his seat. So I shouted back with all the excitement I could muster, “”Bye Buddy! You are gonna have such a GREAT time!” My voice cracked. I was fighting back tears. The look Carter gave me broke my heart and almost made four other moms cry! But then he turned and bounced up the stairs back to his seat on the bus and we waved excitedly as the campers pulled out of the lower lot headed for Forest Home.

My little babies, now 4th and 5th graders, were off for their first week of camp far from home. There was no way I could talk to them or be with them. I did my motherly duty of flooding them with packages and postcards. But I think that was mainly to help myself feel better in their absence. I originally thought this would be such a fun week for them, but I would also be “on vacation” having two out of the house and only two at home. Boy, was I wrong.

I have been sleeping horribly since my boys have been gone. The nights have been hard; going to sleep with them far from the safety of our home and somewhere out of my reach and control. And for some reason the Lord brought to mind verses in Psalm 121.

1 I lift up my eyes to the hills- where does my help come from? 2 My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth. 3 He will not let your foot slip- he who watches over you will not slumber; 4 indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. 5 The LORD watches over you - the LORD is your shade at your right hand; 6 the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night. 7 The LORD will keep you from all harm - he will watch over your life; 8 the LORD will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.

I love the idea that God neither slumbers nor sleeps. And laying awake at night praying for my boys it was comforting to know that God was watching over them. He is their shade by day. He won’t let their feet slip. He watches over and comforts. When I am limited as their earthly mother, their Heavenly Father intercedes and fills my boys with peace.

We do not have these precious treasures forever. Time away brings perspective and appreciation. But, oh I am so glad we have a King who promises to keep our little ones from harm. We have a Lord who will watch over their lives. And we have a God who will watch over their coming and going both now and forevermore. As a mother, that is where the true comfort lies. Thank God for his mercy and his blessing on our children!

OMG it's July!

Ok...so YES I have been THAT busy!

Here's the latest:

Big news: we are adopting a baby/toddler from ethiopia. So that consumed ALL of May and most of June. We have a completed homestudy and are waiting on the glorious USCIS for approval before the Ethiopian govt can approve us and we are officially added to a never ending waitlist. So sometime in the future (maybe distant) we will adopt. But because of that we have been laering some really cool things and went to the best restaurant ever! Messob in Little Ethiopia.

School is over and no sooner can I clean my screens and sweep my floors do I feel like I need to bust my butt to get ready for next year. UHHH! Momma's gonna have a summer break if it kills me!!!!!!!!

We have family coming in town for the entire month of July. Make of that what you wish. Good times will be had. Legoland. Beach. Building a pirate ship in the backyard.

Never enough time...

I've been reconnecting with the most bizzare people I NEVER thought I'd hear from again on facebook. So that has been great! And a little easier to maintain.

And I've chosen to use my "free" time to read. Well, what free time I have here and there...so that is good...but I think I have the eyeballs of a 50 year old...so I'm probably screwing myself over.

I've been watching the HBO John Adams Miniseries with my older boys. Excellent. Really supurb! Go watch it and feel good about our independance and the men (& their families) who REALLY sacrificed for us. They had some balls! I think I would've gotten along well with the founding fathers. And Abigail Adams...my kind of lady.

That's all for now.