Sweet thangs. {day 8}

Today is Monday, day 8.

On Mondays I wake up with a to do list a mile long.

{the weekend always takes a toll on my house}

This Monday was especially busy.

Laundry, ironing, bathrooms, vacuuming, grocery store, bank, vt report at the church, dishes, make dinner.

I knew if I timed everything perfectly, it MIGHT all get done.

{then my darling kids woke up}

I quickly realized that my plans may be in peril.

{dangerous, serious peril}

Macy wanted to be held, or cry, or both.

Tate and crew wanted to dump and destroy everything.

Ash and Hal were in Monday morning mode.

{aka slow}

I did my best to hold macy, do the girls hair, and contain the destroying.

{while encouraging one and all to dress and make beds}

But I really wasn't getting anything done.

After dropping the girls at school, I was optimistic that morning cartoons may entertain the boys for an hour {or two} and macy might play next to them.

My phone was ringing when I got home.

A friend needed me to watch her kids for a few hours later that day.

{of course I will}

Another friend was worried about life and wanted to talk.

{i felt blessed she knew she could call me}

My mom called to reassure me that the camp trailer I had damaged had already been fixed.

{phew}

then Jake called just to say Hi and ask how my day was going.

{bless him}

He could tell by the way I answered that I wasn't my usual chipper self.

I told him about my to do list, about my worries for my friends and our children.

He, in his wisdom said, " It looks like you need to forget about everything else and just sit and play with the kids for a few hours, nothing else matters. Everything else will get done when you put everyone else  first."

{i laughed at how easy that sounded}

So we ran to the store before my friends kids came.

After that, I sat and held my baby girl while talking to my friend.

I helped the boys clean up their mess{es} so they could play a game.

My friends kids were super well behaved and actually helped my boys calm down a bit.

Macy went down for a nap and I ironed, cleaned bathrooms, folded laundry, and planned dinner.

{all while kids slept and 4 boys played nicely}

After macy woke up, I loaded all the kids in the car and went to the bank, picked up cherries I had ordered 2 weeks ago, and got the girls from school.

My friend came to pick up her kids right when we got home, so I could help my girls with homework, while finishing details of my vt reports to take to the church computer.

Jake walked in after picking up the last thing I needed for our dinner

{and a friends}
{wow, he is amazing}

I ran to the church to submit my report while jake babysat and mowed the lawn.

I came home, started dinner, delivered dinner, served dinner, and cleaned up dinner.

Kids bathed, dressed, a little macy barf {maybe thats why she was grumpy today? },FHE, prayers and bedtime.

As I sat down to look at the list I had made this morning, I realized that somehow I had gotten everything done.

How could that be?

I added in several things that weren't on the list.

{the list that was too long for one day}

It was a huge tender mercy from the Lord.

He knew I was doing my best and somehow helped me be more than I am.

On day 8 I am grateful.

{very grateful}