Up early...

It's Satuday morning and I'm up early again. I'm already starting to experience hot flashes! Ugh! Time to research herbal remedies for heading off menopause, I guess.

The rest of my total body, mind and soul cleanse is going pretty good. Baby steps, baby steps so I'm not going to beat myself up for having an occassional coke or piece of meat. I'll get there...eventually.

But I do feel a need to confess something...

The last few mornings I've been feeling like God has woken me up because there is SO MUCH I need to pray about and yet...I'm irritated. God KNOWS what's in my heart. Sometimes it really gripes me that He still wants to hear it from me. Anyone else ever feel that way?

I also confess that I get irritated waiting on His timing for everything. I KNOW He knows best and believe me, I DO trust Him. I just don't like not knowing--I like to have everything planned out and in place. This is a hard lesson for me to learn. So please pray that God is VERY VERY patient with me!

I met with Dylan's counselor this week and she was a lot of help. She was my teacher in high school and was always one of my favorites. She was very encouraging to Dylan so I think he's coming to terms with his low 26 on the ACT (yeah right--26 is still AWESOME to me. Most people would kill to make that. But my little Einstein has very high expectations of himself) So we begin the journey of scholarship searches. Wherever he wants to go, whatever he wants to do, Jeff and I have told him, we WILL make it happen (somehow) but we DO want him to get as much as he can from other sources and I feel like he'll be able to do cover most of his costs. I just wish he knew how much he has going for him and how proud we are of him. We tell him all the time but it just doesn't seem to sink in. Why are people so willing to believe negative things they hear about themselves but not the positive?

Jeff's jeep has died again and I cannot tell you how BEYOND frustrated I am. It needs to go in the shop or be traded or something and though I really don't want to go into debt, I don't know what else to do. Driving all over creation is really wearing me out!

I submitted my first grant proposal for my dream of opening a preschool. Please pray!!! I know that it WILL happen one day, I'm just ready for it to be NOW. Again, this is one of those areas where I just have to trust God's timing.

I also received some information from an adoption agency but that is well on down the road for us. I just want to go ahead and learn everything I can until the time comes but I know it WILL come. Again, gotta wait on God!

We still have family drama going on on both sides but I'm tired of relenting. I'm standing my ground this time so please pray for me. And pray for my other family members--it's really THEM that needs the prayers!

Apparently God has said that it is not the right time for us to buy a house. I don't understand His reasoning--we'll be missing some good deals and tax credits that would certainly help but I trust Him.

But we are cramped and I'm not liking the recent changes I made to our household structure. If you don't remember, we halfed our living room to create a room for Brooke to aleviate some of the sibling squabbles between her and Kayti. Well, it really hasn't worked and now that our bedroom has become the "family room"...well, it's just not good for my marriage! So I've proposed a new setup that so far everyone is on board with except Jeff. What is it with men and change? That's a whole 'nother post though! lol

But I want to give the girls the "master" bedroom (and I use the term loosely, it's really not all that "masterly") because it's bigger and it will give them more space as well as their own bathroom for all their primping. Two girls and a boy sharing a bathroom just makes for a lot of frazzled mornings. Jeff and I will take Kayti's room and though it's small, it will enable us to reclaim our "sanctuary"! I don't mind sharing a bathroom with Jeff & Dylan. I am VERY low maintainance and can be ready in 20 minutes or less--shower & all. And we also get to reclaim the living room as the "family room". Like I said, everyone is fine with it except Jeff. He hates all this "moving around". I am just trying to make the most of what space we have and give us a comfortable home.

Another thing he's not excited about is that I want to repaint! It's been several years since we painted the living room and bathrooms and bedrooms and actually the "master bedroom and bath" has NEVER been painted since we moved in 7 years ago. It's time. Much as he may not like it, we need to.

After we get everything moved, I want to get new living room furniture--which we have not had in 20 years and there are some good deals out there right now. I've even tried to bribe him with a big screen tv and satelite in the Fall for football games. I think that may have more influence than "reclaiming our bedroom"! lol

But it may be a few weeks before we can even get started. May is one busy month for us!

Next Thursday is May Days with the homeschool group and since we've never been, I told the girls we'd go this year. Then Friday is homeschool day at Six Flags. Mia is going with us and so is Abby since Dylan has to stay behind for an AP test. But we get free return tickets and since Chris is unable to go this time as well, he, Mia & Dylan will go again sometime during the summer.

Dylan is still looking for a summer job--hopefully he'll get one soon.

And recital is this month also. That I am REALLY looking forward to this year. For the first time in 11 years, I will NOT be a stage mom. I will NOT even have to be backstage to help them get dressed! I'm not sure that I will even miss it. I think I'm going to enjoy just sitting in the audience and watching the show this year!

And with only three more weeks of school and finally having finished assessments for my class, the school year is winding down. I cannot believe how fast it has flown by and I am NOT looking forward to saying goodbye to my babies. Oh how I love them so much! We have had such an awesome year! But I won't have time to get too teary, we still have so much to do and graduation/end-of-the-year party to get ready for.

So I guess I better get off here and enjoy my weekend...whatever it brings! Have a blessed week!