getting ahead, getting behind, and getting tired...

 There's a thing in life, an invisible something we call getting ahead.  It's the American dream on steroids, the house and two kids, then better and better cars maybe, a good retirement plan, going from the apartment to the starter home to the nice big house, back to a small but luxurious empty nest residence.

But things don't always go on this linear pathway, and sometimes we're blindsided by large events, or a series of small ones, and we realize that we are actually getting behind.  When this happens, when a rug has been pulled from beneath, and there is uncertainty, insecurity, you might realize that your trust was mistakenly placed in earthly things.  

But we arrived in this world naked and poor, and we're all getting out of it the same way.  The only thing we can take with us is our pile of heavenly treasures, the oil in our lamps, those things are precious.  Those things are what we amass during our daily struggles.  

Yesterday, I brought my beautiful new car up to the collision place.  

The matching duct tape job is quite impressive, but the collision guy said we shouldn't be driving her too much at this point.  The parts have to be ordered, so it's looking like a few weeks before she's beautiful again.  I told the guy that this is the nicest car I've ever had.  He assured me that when he's done, one will never be able to tell she's been in a crash.   There is a five hundred dollar deductible.  I asked him if he could try to cut a bit of that out, because ouch, but we'll see.  

Anyway.  It's always something, isn't it?  

I certainly don't mean to complain, we have so much!  We have our home and our vehicles, which are grand to us, we have plenty!  

Yesterday, sweet little Tennyson and Wulf came for the day with their mama, Margaret, so she could work from here.  I got this train, new in the box from the thrift store, for four dollars.  Wulf was impressed.  He filled the cargo car with Hershey Kisses.

Lydia came over in the afternoon and stayed for dinner, and went to activity club with us.

(Wulf was hiding)

It was a busy day, we went for a walk, we played some board games, we read our favorite book:

In my regular daily life, I forget how challenging it is to be with small children all day.  It's rewarding and wonderful, but it is tiring.  It isn't just that it requires patience and sacrifice, but there's no sitting around!  A day is like a mini marathon!

By the time I sat in my chair and put my feet up last night, it was after nine o'clock, and phew, I felt old.

Emily and Mariel are on vacation in Utah, they are visiting Zion National Park to hike.  I stole a few of their pics..

Two beautiful girls, two beautiful pictures.

Today, my agenda is much more open than yesterday's.  I have to look into getting a rental car through our insurance, if possible, as we have a little trip to Connecticut this weekend, and, the collision guy said DO NOT DRIVE THAT CAR ON ANY ROAD TRIPS.  

Here's a story as old as time:  Mom talks to teenager...teenager hears everything completely wrong.  Mom tries to reason with teenager, teenager stomps to room, slams bedroom door.  harrumph.  Mom sits in her comfy chair wondering WHAT THE HECK, that came out of nowhere!  

So my life isn't all sunshine and roses, now is it?