where on earth have I been?

Let's see...Tuesday I went out and about with Kathryn and her little ones.  We had to get a birthday gift for a sweet friend turning 12, so we went to Marshall's, then to Walmart because Paul needed...suspenders.  He said, "for hunting".  okay.  I got the suspenders.  

We had a nice pot of tiki masala for dinner, with some tortillas browned up in a little olive oil, and quartered...because I didn't feel like making naan bread, and also because I cannot say no to naan bread, probably because it takes a bit to make it, and I deserve to eat it ha.  The girls also had some rice, it was a nice cozy dinner.  I had to leave and go to Activity Club, stopping first at the Dollar General because the big bag of dog food I ordered hadn't arrived yet, and the dogs were happy to make due with a $14 bag of Kibbles and Bits.  

Yesterday, I brought a friend to the hospital for a surgery.  I picked her up at eight, then went to visit Margaret and the kids.  Wulf and Tennyson are so much fun.  They fought about a set of toy keys, because when one boy has something, it's a hot commodity.  Tennyson wanted to hear all about the whiptail lizard a few times, and about donkeys and wild horses, Wulf wanted to talk about the scorpions.  

We brought them to the Dollar Tree, they each carried a shopping basket.  I'm still laughing at Tenny, he found a Dracula lawn decoration, and yelled, "That's my dad!"  It does resemble Adrian, ha, so I bought it for him.  He carried it happily in his little basket.  They were actually really good about not putting everything in them, although there was one little ghost plaque that almost got through the register. 

We went through the drive through at McDonalds, then they had a picnic at home.  They begged to use their new silly string.  Out on the back deck they went, their mama said no leaving the deck, no spraying each other.  When Tennyson came in with silly string in his hair, Margaret asked Wulf, he said, "I can't help it if he walks in front of me when I'm spraying."

Oh dear.  I got to hold little Miss Blythe Margaret...

She's still a tiny newborn.  She opens her eyes and looks around and is on the verge of a big smile, holds her head up, she's little but mighty.  I do love holding a small baby:)

My friend's surgery was done, and it was time to pick her up.  She needed to pick up some meds, so we stopped in a Walmart, then got her something to eat, as she hadn't had anything since the day before.  I brought her home, and came home to...Mom, what's for dinner?   I had picked up a pizza dough in Walmart, but it was still frozen...so bacon and eggs it was.  

Life is full of details, of small things not worth mentioning, boring chores and little struggles.  But this is our life.  This.  Not what might happen, or what's going to happen, this.  Today.  Cleaning up the dog pee in the hallway.  (ugh!).  Finally washing the two beach towels that somehow were still on the deck.  Digging out the slippers because the floor are cold, I miss bare feet already.  

I read a post recently written by a mom who was overworked, overwhelmed, a day late and a dollar short. She was tired of apologizing to her kids for not being able to do things, tired of never having enough...one person commented to look at it from a different angle:  start being thankful for what she does have, and doing fun things that don't cost anything, with thankfulness.  I thought that was brilliant.  To be content and thankful is priceless.

Yes, this is our life, this is the one ride through it.  There is no going back, no re-do.  Each day is a gift, and the more we think of others and genuinely ask God for grace and help and wisdom, the happier we'll be.  It's super easy to backbite and gossip and argue, but it's ugly and it's hurtful.  If I wake up each morning and envision the day I'll be standing before Him to give account,  I'll be much quicker to have my priorities in order.  No grudges, no getting back at anyone, no one-upping anyone...being tempted is one thing, but we don't have to give in!  

So yes, this is a good day.  :)