Not me! Monday

Oh, yes...I have returned! Well, sort-of. I don't know if I'll ever be back to my real old self again, but at least, my new self is here!

I'm going to share a few things I certainly have NOT done over the last few weeks. Others are happy to tell you what they haveN'T done over at MckMama's blog.

When I found a small bug on the floor while I was mopping with the swiffer wet jet, I DID NOT simply douse it with extra half a cup of wet jet juice and mop over it. I would never be that wasteful just so I don't have to bend down. I also did not leave a clump of cat fur sitting next to the trash can for 2 days because I would have to bend down to get it and it was too gross to pick up with my toes. NEVER, that would be disgusting.

I have NOT made my kids watch several musicals this summer, including Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, Sound of Music, Newsies, or have them watch several old Muppet shows. Nope, I would NEVER use the television as a babysitter and if I did, I would let them choose for themselves. I would NEVER be so selfish as to choose myself so I didn't have to listen to something I didn't like.

I have NOT resorted to bribing my 3 year old with stickers to behave appropriately in the store. Nope, she HAS NOT thrown several embarrassing fits recently that have completely exhausted my pregnant self. She is always the perfect angel.

My children have NOT invented a new game to play with swords. They do NOT run around the deck fighting "all the pharaohs dead."

I also have NOT been playing 80s pop music like "Footloose" or "We built this city" while we do our chores and jobs. My children do not have their own signature dance moves to these songs. I have NOT be unable to record their "rehearsals."

I am NOT hoping the baby comes tomorrow so that it would be a convenient birth date to remember. The kids DO NOT start school 3 days after my due date, so I am of course NOT hoping the baby comes now or next Friday. I am all natural and know this baby will come whenever it wants. (I, of course, have NOT been induced with my 3 other kids!)

Have a great week!

Chase, the 80 year old, again

Chase: "I don't think I got through the whole sleep cycle. I only got through stages 1,2,3, and 4, non-R E M sleep."

Seriously had to pretend to cough to keep the laughter from spilling out.

Smiley Stuart

Chase, the 80 year old

Reading my bible and Chase comes out of his room.
"Mom, I'm sore."
"Do you think it's from sleeping hard or working in the yard yesterday?"
"Oh, working yesterday, definitely. I don't think I even had R-E-M sleep" (spelled out, not said like a word)

Sassy Molassy Sabrina

Finally an update

I know, I've been completely remiss with my blog. I just feel like if I blogged it would be sad and crabby! And then we didn't have time. So here's the digest of the last 8 weeks.

Our house wasn't selling so we offered money for people to put in a half bath or main floor laundry. Still not an offer.
Baby was still coming, so we needed to get out. We felt like God was directing us to rent for ourselves, keep our house on the market, and lower the price again.
We found a rental, lost the rental, found another, but too expensive. Landlord came down on price and we moved on July 2! The house is amazing-3x the size of our old house. It's really amazing provision and we can stay for a long time.
Our house, still not selling, listed on Craig's list for rent, not a bite, lowered the price. Had 4 requests in 2 days, lease & deposit signed 3 days later, inspection, re-inspection, occupancy permit & rent payed 3 days later. They moved in yesterday, Samantha moved in with us yesterday.
Been having lots of contractions, but baby still not due for 2 weeks, but kinda wishing it comes today or late.
Got class lists this weekend, school supply lists, Chase starts 1st grade, Stuart Kindergarten, and Sabrina 3K. Exciting and scary...what in the world am I going to do the first week of school if this baby comes on time?
Discovered I'm going to have to ask for more help than I'm used to.

God has provided and He is amazing!

So there's the stream-of-consciousness update. I promise funny stories & pictures soon!

Update or rant...however you want to see it

So this is basically a stream of consciousness vent.

I've really been avoiding the blog for a while, mainly because I feel like a broken record. In many ways I'm not much changed since this post in May. At the same time, God is doing things.

After a lot of prayer and seeking council, we've decided to move out of our house and rent someplace to live even though our house hasn't sold. For us, we're feeling like this is a real step of faith and a bit of a sacrifice to live somewhere where we can use our home in the way we feel God's called us to use our home. I vacillate between elation at a fresh start and a new place to bring the baby and dejection because everything we've done to our house and it still hasn't sold.

Much of the time I just feel sad for the baby. We've been focused on preparing and selling the house since before I was pregnant. So now, 9 weeks away from my due date, I still forget that I'm pregnant. We're bring a new life into the world and basically it's been ignored. I've not spent time talking to the baby, playing music, preparing the kids, hardly anything that I did do for the others. No one's going to throw a party for the baby because it's number 4. It's not being celebrated. Much of what we used for the other kids is expired, worn out, or can't be repaired. At the same time, we're kind of rearranging our whole lives in order to have room for the baby. I'm actually fearful about not bonding with the baby. I've never felt like that!

I know God hasn't left us. I don't doubt his timing is perfect; I just currently don't like it. Realtors come through the house and say, "I can't believe this house hasn't sold." or "Oh this house is darling. You'll sell quickly." I want to scream and say 3 years is a long time! I know it's not officially been on the market for 3 years, but when we tried to sell it in 2006, it was six months of the same thing. Then we waterproofed the basement and remodeled the kitchen and replaced windows among other things. And now here we sit again; rearranging everything in our lives to show the house, breaking rules we have for the kids about naps and TV time and going out to eat, just to hear people say, "Oh it's so cute. It shows beautifully." and then we never hear from then again.

And then on the other side of my multi-personality disorder, I am so amazed at God's provision for a rental. It's more expensive than we wanted, but it has everything we need and want. Bedrooms for everyone, kitchen big enough for a family of 6, a basement playroom, room for action track plus many more bathrooms and an attached garage! It's on a cul-de-sac close to school for the kids and the interstate for Michael. God has something for us there.

So I guess, this is my rant. I'm discontent with half my life and thrilled with the other. Mostly, I'm clinging to the truth that I don't know the beginning from the end, but my great, good God does. And in these circumstances, He is still on His throne, working for His glory and my life is wrapped up in that.