No Coffee and a Drowned Cat

Days in the Life...

Monday was very standard. Honestly, nothing exciting happened, other than that we all agreed Cize 5 is not our favorite. 

This is my kind of winter!

Tuesday, Kate came nice and early. After breakfast, she helped me with some baking and then asked, using her little words and pointing, to dance. 

She took great naps, which allowed me to enjoy my coffee, Bible time, and get some school and blogging done. 

Several people were under the impression that I am addicted to caffeine. I decided to not have any coffee for a week and survived just fine. This week, I only had one cup, that being the decaf one above. The main reason for that, though, is our french press broke, and now we need to order a new one before I can drink coffee again. I've been mostly fine this week as well. (I also had one other decaf one at Starbucks.) 

She decided to tear up her bread and drop it on the floor. 

Happy to dance. 

Mom and the littles went to the orthodontist and then to bubble land with friends. 

Mom loved holding baby Audrey. 

That night, I made dinner. Nana, Grandfather, and a guest of their's came over for the evening.

Wednesday morning at 7:00, Sofia (the baby I went to care for Tuesday nights for a while in December) arrived. Mom offered to care for her for the next month while her mommy finishes up some things at work. The littles are beyond excited to have a baby in the house. 

I left to care for Calvin at 8:00 as usual. 

Very soon after I arrived he fell asleep on me. 

During his first nap I studied.

The idea was to keep him awake until his mom got back around 2:00, but at 12:30 I looked down at him in my lap and... 

So I turned on some music and stayed in my seat to rest with him. He slept for over an hour, and if I had not gotten some texts during that time, I would have fallen asleep too. 

Baby Sofia left our house around 3:30, after having a very good day with Mom and the others. 

I got home and showered, made dinner, and turned around again to leave at 5:30 with Christian. 

We actually left at 5:40, but it wasn't because I wasn't ready on time. On the way, we got gas, then we hit traffic, but we still arrived at our destination on time. I have no idea how. 

While Christian was at his guys' Bible study, I went to Starbucks to work on my own stuff. 

Chloe stayed home with the littles and they watched Star Wars (probably), while Christian and I were gone, and Mom and Dad took our car to be serviced in Dallas and went to dinner. 

Thursday morning, Dad and I both woke up having gone to bed with headaches, sleeping horribly, and then still having our headaches when we got up. Neither of us said anything about it until that night, though. I wonder if it was related to the weather..? 

I was dragging all day, and ended up even taking a little nap in the morning after taking painkiller, which only took the edge off. 

I finally finished another drawing. This one I ended up working on for almost two months. 

Dad took Chloe and Christian to debate that night. I took the littles to the library and then they ate dinner and watched Star Wars. 

Friday morning, Dad, Mom, Christian, and Ava all left at 6:30 to take Mom to the airport. She is spending the next 5 days in Virginia helping Aunt Amy, and visiting a friend. 

After they dropped her off, Dad, Christian, and Ava got breakfast and then went to the orthodontist. 

Meanwhile, I received Sofia for the day. I got the carrier figured out and she slept in it for a while. Ava and Gabe were up early too. 

Tummy time. 

She fell asleep when I wasn't looking. 

Milk drunk. 

Sofia had fussy moments, but was good for me for the most part. Ava was happy to take charge of her some in the afternoon so I could finally shower, as my workout took place before Sofia arrived at 6:45. 

The littles got to play most of the day, and Chloe and Christian did school. Dad tried to get his workout in several times but kept getting interrupted. I studied during nap times. 

Dad left for a meeting, and then went to go get our car at 2:30.

Sofia left at 3:30, and I went to get ready for the evening. 

At 5:15, Aron came to pick me up so we could go to a Holy Spirit Party. It's something you cannot prepare for, and can not predict, but you leave encouraged, exhorted, and comforted. 

His friend cooked us, and the 5 other guests, dinner and then we merged into whatever the Lord lead us to do. It was truly amazing. 

The kids were happy to watch more Star Wars while Dad and I were gone that night. 

Saturday morning, we were unable to have our girls' Bible study. 

The littles played happily all day with their legos, and Dad worked hard. The rest of us did whatever we needed to do. I know Christian went to help Aunt Cendei and made brownies to take to church. I had cleaning and writing to do. 

A poem came out of my afternoon. That all of You

Our gorgeous mom enjoying time with her friend. 

Dad was pretty worn out by the time we all went to Costco and got to church. The service and time of visiting afterwards was exactly what each of us needed. 

The couple who lead worship that night were visiting America from South Africa, and were getting married the next morning. I found that incredibly special. Instead of going out to party, they came to us to spend the night before their wedding in worship. 

Sunday morning, we all helped Dad with a few chores, and then made brunch. Aron joined us for the day. 

Before we ate, Mia, Gabe, and Aron showed off their impressive pull-up skills. 

After clean up, "the committee" (Aka, Chloe, Dad, Aron, and me) departed to another room in order to form a plan for the reminder of the day that would allow Dad to have a quiet house to rest in. 

We decided to try to check off every idea mentioned, and do it all. It was a "risky UGS move." 

First order of business was to get everyone loaded in the car, to head to the Haslet park. We checked the weather, and although it was cloudy, there was little to no chance of rain, and it was suppose to be at least 70 degrees. 

On the way we told jokes and sang "The Eye of the Tiger" and "When Can I See You Again." 

Ready to leave the house. 

I think something was wrong with our phones... It drizzled on us the entire 35 minutes we lasted at the park. (I think Aron would have toughed it out and played disc golf a lot longer than we did, but the rest of us were cold, and he had only brought one sweat shirt, that one being for me.) 

The cute, wet, bedraggled, cold mess. 

Aron pointed out that he looked the same. 

We got on the highway and made a pit stop (118 seconds, the kids counted) at Aron's apartment to pick up a game for later. 

Then we arrived at Target. 

The boys went one direction, the girls another, and Aron and I went to the Starbucks inside to check off "sit in a coffee shop." 

Ice cream and hot chocolate were purchased for later in the evening, along with whatever the kids found to spend their gift cards on. 

At home some of us showered (others said the rain was enough), and then the littles watched tv and read with Dad before having some quiet time.

Meanwhile Aron, Chloe, and Christian (the ones who said showers were unnecessary) set up "Firefly," which is a ginormous board game with endless ways to win depending on which "story card" is selected in the beginning. 

It was only slightly complex. 

We started the game at 4:00 and took a break at 7:00 to eat dinner. 

As I was walking to the kitchen, someone with the initials Christian accidentally tried to run trot quickly around me and knocked the glass I was holding out of my hand. It shattered, going everywhere and I could do nothing but laugh. 

Aron, Christian, and I worked together to sweep, vacuum, and wipe up all the tiny pieces. 

Over dinner, we decided to cut short our game in favor of also squeezing in a movie before 10:00. Because of how we adjusted, Aron won, but I was definitely a very close third. 

Dad and the littles watched some Star Wars until the littles' bedtime. The rest of us got hot chocolate, ice cream, and settled down to watch "The Adjustment Bureau." I actually followed it way better than I expected to! It was really good. 

I've Been Pondering...

I find this picture incredibly precious. 

I know, I'm slightly biased, as this is my aunt and uncle

 introducing my little cousin to his new brother, 

but it goes beyond simply the capturing of a sweet moment.

• Sweet Rowan has been handed a large bundle. He is unsure what to think, and it's clearly too large for him to handle on his own. The responsibility of supporting his baby brother is beyond his two year old abilities. 

  
  

  But whose hands are really holding baby Eli? And whose arms are around Rowan? 

  
  

  Their father's. 

  
  

  Uncle JC knows that the burden he is placing in his son's lap is far too heavy for him to accept. So it is his hands that he uses to hold up both Rowan and Eli. 

  
  

  Often times God will give us burdens we are unable to carry alone. But our good good Father does not leave us to struggle in confusion, defeated by the weight of something beyond us. He lifts us up in His arms and He places His hands under that burden and He carries both. 

  
  

  God never ever gives us something that He can not carry us through. Maybe it will seem like we are alone sometimes and His arms are not there supporting us, but they are. 

  
  

  Trusting, even when we don't see the big picture, is not easy, but it is simple.

That Moment When...

You almost fall on the stairs while carrying a baby. Heart attack moment. 

You wear shorts all day in February. 

You give up and decide it's Spring. 

You want the smallest brownie at church and so start getting one of the middle ones and then realize you are using your used fork to serve it. 

You realize you were actually holding your fork in your other hand.

The Herd: Quoted 

"Did I say something funny yesterday?" -Me

"We are stuck in traffic in Denton. We are not pulled over somewhere making out." -Mom via text Wednesday night.

"I didn't know baby Sofia would be so fussy. I don't like it." -Mia 

 

"This does not make me want to have another baby. I remember this very well." -Mom 

"I had no idea we would be out so long." -Dad, making a classic UGS comment.

"I think I'm growing a beard." -Gabe 

 

"Just close your eyes." -Gabe 

"Yeah, because that's why we have eyelids." -Mia 

 

"Are you going to eat?" -Dad 

"I could live without something, but then I'd be super hungry tomorrow..." -Gabe 

"I didn't have a crush on him, guys, I just liked him. I've never had a crush. Well..." -Mia 

"I feel like a drowned rat." -Gabe leaving the park.