this is NOT how I planned it....

I spent the night in the camper last night with the younger kids. The princesses went to a pretty pink party in their friends' camper while I unpacked and set things up in the camper. Then I moseyed on down to visit with my friend Linda. I got to hold her baby, and sit by the fire and talk for a bit. When the girls were done with their party, they skipped back to our camper, chatting about doing the limbo and having snacks. They were so happy to be there they snuggled right into their beds and went to sleep. I must say, it was too easy. I appreciated it, too. I think that because I had so many years of bedtimes being so much work, that now...well, I appreciate the simplicity.

Not that I wouldn't do it all over again. I miss those babies!

Anyway. Margaret stayed at the camper with the kids while I went out shopping for the rest of the stuff for our church grill. Aldi, Wegman's, Walmart, the dollar store, BJ's. Out to the church to put stuff away, a stop to bring some things to the camper, dropped Kim off with all of her groceries...then home. Home, to Sam, who just got home from work on his 18th birthday. And home to...no water. It had been running just a trickle, then stopped all together. I had to leave after just a short while to pick Paul up from the airport. Welcome Home, Hon! We Have No Water!

And so he is working on it.

We have the house almost to ourselves. Joseph is sleeping already, he stayed up the entire night last night so he could get back on a sleeping-at-night schedule, he had turned nocturnal again. I guess he draws better during the night. Anyway, Aaron will be home from work soon, but that's it. The rest of the kids are at the camper. Mirielle so nicely agreed to be in charge of them so I could spend some time with Paul, who has been in Louisiana all week.

So here we are.

Paul is trying to fix the pressure switch, he doesn't even know if that is the problem.

I can't really make us a nice dinner with no water.

But, I know Paul. He will make the best of things, and if we have to jump in the pool out back instead of our nice hot showers, it won't be the end of the world.

Life is one big series of trials. Tests. Learning experiences. God has so much to teach us, if we care to listen. I think Jesus just plain jumps up and down with joy, up in heaven, when we learn that we have been too proud, when we acknowledge we have been too mean, too right, too rough. When we forgive, and when remain patient when we are sorely tempted to complain and lose it. This is a good fight, one that yields the fruits of the spirit.

So. I have some things that people forgot to pack, to gather up, Paul and I are leaving in the morning to go to our church conference. I probably won't be writing for a while, until maybe Wednesday, and probably not even then, as I will be unpacking the camper and packing for going camping in the Adirondacks, in tents....shopping, preparing food, packing....phew. You can bet I will be glad when we get there and I can sit on that beach with my feet in the sand!