And Then He Reminds Us That Life, Indeed, is Good

I've been in a tizzy about some things. Could you tell by that last post? :) There's Jeremiah's schedule, which left me being exasperated with my children/feeling like an evil stepmother to them. Then, I have been having some body (insert butt) issues, with summer approaching and the realization that things aren't as I would like them to be. I actually wrote a funny post about this particular issue, but I am afraid it got filtered by my husband. Then there was this underlying worry I had about my sister Taylor, who was trying to finish the last weeks of Architecture school and was having a genuine nervous breakdown. There wasn't anything I could DO for her, really, and that was a weight. Finally, there was my home. I love our house, but it is old, and the plummer has had to visit us not one but FOUR times in the last couple of weeks. Not to mention my Dad and Jeremiah spending a Saturday making repairs of their own. Couple that money drainage with the fact that I read all these books about houses and their timeless beauty...I've been itching for a makeover (or overhaul) and the money to do it with.

So there they are. The issues that have been plaguing my mind for the past month and turning me into an all-around grouch. Turning me into one of those people you ask innocently, "How are you doing?!" only to be answered with a laundry list of negatives that you didn't want to hear. But today, as I was cleaning my kitchen, my heart was tranquil, and I felt like God spread before me the sweet ways He has been addressing each of my silly little grievances.

The evil stepmother issue: I received one of the most sincere and beautiful letters from my friend Aubrie that encouraged me in my role as a mother. Although I don't feel like a lot of it is true, it was the type of letter that backed each compliment with personal observation and just made my heart sing.

The body issue: On Friday morning I took a shower at the gym after my run. There was an 80-something-year-old woman, half naked, putting her make-up on beside me in the mirror. She was 80, and so was her body, but she was at home in her skin (much more than me who would never step out of the private shower without being completely dressed), standing there in her undies talking to me about my babies and my husband and her own life. It made me happy to see her confidence. It made me realize that this body I've been worrying so much about, is really just a shell to get the real me around in the world.

Taylor: The picture above is my family celebrating Taylor's graduation in true Auburn style--a tailgate with good BBQ. I am SO SO proud of her, and thankful that it is O.V.E.R.

The home issue: I got out of my car today, and my neighbor/friend Ashley (Noah's Mom for you faithful readers) called from across the street, "Can I come over and start trimming your bushes?" I called back, "I'll watch your boys. Come on!" You know it's bad when your neighbors are so tired of looking at the undergrowth consuming your house, that they offer to come over and take care of it themselves :) No seriously, she is just a very sweet friend who swears she ENJOYS yard work.

While Ashley was the catalyst, and the hardest worker, there ended up being a crew of three woman (Ashley, my sister Taylor, and me) in my front yard, with four babies running wild in the flying brush. It was hard work, but it was fun to do together. It was especially fun to see the immense progress we made. Here is a before and after, and a picture of all the bushes/vines/TREES we conquered.

Today was exactly what I needed to give me a jump start on wanting to make more affordable, doable progress on this old house. The trimming...along with the discovery that the Mr. Clean magic erasers take grime off my baseboards, cabinets, and floors that I had signed off on as permanent long ago. As hard as I'm nesting lately, I just hope I'm not pregnant. :) (I'm not.)

I hope God taps your heart with reminders of the ways He takes care of even the silly things that tax you. And tick tock, tick tock we find out TOMORROW!!!