in which she writes in the quiet....

This is how my day started...a nice walk down our country road...

Aren't they just too cute? They think I bought this rug just for them to sleep on. Suri is actually quite clean, since she just had another bath, since she rolled in something yuck. again.

I did ask, as I swept up a glass Camille had dropped, if there were any other messes I would have to clean up.

I brought Paul to the airport today, all by myself. After saying goodbye, I stopped for coffee, then went to Aldi for spaghetti squash. I also got 14 pumpkin yogurts, some pumpkin tortilla chips, fresh spinach, frozen broccoli, burger, and some chocolate.

Then...since I was all by my lonesome and it sounded fun and there was no one with me to protest, I went to Kmart. This is the very same Kmart my mother worked part time in when I was in elementary school. I love/hate Kmart, but part of me just wishes them well. They haven't stood up to Walmart well, and their days seem numbered. Sears/Kmart....boring, old, stuffy, dusty...the merchandise doesn't change and turn over like Target stuff. Today, though, the clearance toys were 50% off. I won't say what I got, just in case my little kids read this, but I got some Christmas presents, and a few birthday presents for Camille, who turns seven on November 7th. I also perused the $2 racks. Yes, two dollars. I found myself two shirts and a skirt, and a cute shirt for both Char and Cam. Camille got new sneakers, too...$4.99. I got the new rug, and a few new potholders. I meandered and dawdled, and had a nice time, all by meself.

Home...ah, home. The little girls had made themselves a fort in the living room, complete with furniture rearranging. I bought a few gray baskets for the dvds, the lime green ones were getting frayed, and I didn't like the color anymore. So I sorted through the movies, and got rid of most of the VHS tapes. It was hard, I don't like to throw perfectly good stuff away, but seriously? We haven't watched these movies in years, with dvds now, and Netflix.

Mali stopped over to show us her new car, and to return the car we had bought a few years back for the college students....Mirielle, Aaron, Mali....they are done with it now, and have brought it back. They all have their own cars. Of course there are over a hundred thousand miles on it now.

I had hardly gotten the place in order, and Emily texted and invited us over for dinner. Her house was hopping. Abigail and Mirielle were with her, Aaron stopped over, Margaret, Kathryn, Evelyn, Suzanne, Sonja, Jonathan, Char, Camille, me...plus a few cousins (3), and one of the other girls who lives there...were all there at different times. We had Em's homemade chili, Mirielle's yummy tossed salad, and some kettle corn.

Benjamin called me when I was driving to Emily's, so I called him back when I got there. The kids got out and went in the house, I stayed in the van and talked to Ben for a bit. He is almost out of the Army! He is staying in Washington state for a while, he is apprenticing in the HVAC program (heating and ventilation, air conditioning). He has been diagnosed with mild post traumatic stress disorder. Fireworks will probably never be much fun for him, and sudden loud noises are no picnic either. He survived his "tour" in Afghanistan, but living in stressful, challenging, and frightening conditions for months on end definitely have an effect. (it's called "tour", as if it's a sightseeing event.) He is doing well though.

Jonathan called Samuel while we were at Em's, to tell him about playing Airsoft. Several of us got a chance to talk to him, talking to him for a few hours. He doesn't have much to do on weekends sometimes, and chooses not to go out partying with the other soldiers. He is a good boy, and it isn't easy for him to say no to things that appeal to a young man, but he has a good heart, and wants to keep himself pure.

Home again. The house is finally quiet.

Tomorrow, I have to work at the Dome for the field band competition.

It has been a busy day.

Here are the things I am thankful for:

My older kids.

Emily is taking Margaret to Norway in March for a sisters' conference.

Abigail is taking Jon with her tomorrow to babysit for my nieces' twins, so my niece can work at the Dome.

Mirielle is taking Kathryn and Evelyn to Norway next summer for a conference.

I am thankful for Benjamin and Samuel, I am proud of them for their Army service, and for staying humble and true to who they are, and remembering where they came from.

I am thankful for Aaron and Mali, my 21 and 20 year old nurses. They are both all grown up, moved out, have their own cars and their own health insurance.:) When they stop in to see me, my heart is just happy.

Joseph....oh, the things he creates! He is amazing.

And the younger ones...they bring me joy, and of course some frustration, as they can be stubborn and silly and they do this thing where they slap each other recreationally. The other day in the store, I realized they were doing that, and making quite a spectacle of themselves, laughing and slapping and smacking and being loud and crazy.

I am thankful for Paul, and that I miss him so much when he leaves. I mean, wouldn't it be a tragedy if I was jumping up and down happy when he left?

Sometimes reading the news about Ebola and ISIS(why do they hate us so much?!) and school lunches and random clown sightings and drive by shootings, I really wonder about this world.

My thoughts are really jumbling, I need to get some sleep....