State of the House ~ May

I kicked off May with a half marathon, held right in my town. It certainly wasn't my best time but it accurately reflected the training that I put into it. The addition of the girls has been mostly wonderful, but it has greatly shortened my "me time" in the mornings as its a 2.5 hour project to get everyone out the door for school, beginning with me driving the first kid to the bus stop at 5:30 each morning and walking the last batch at 8:00. I've always relied on that morning time and routine and its been an adjustment to have it disturbed.

Our family message center has taken on a life of its own. Color-coding is my friend. :)

The flowers and trees really showed off this spring...what a blessing to have new life!

I celebrated 23 years of marriage with this guy. My eyes begin to water involuntarily when I think about him and the love we've shared.

The year we celebrated 20 years I compiled a slideshow. I loved the song "Together" by Steven Curtis Chapman, but didn't use it because it seemed a bit dramatic for the ups and downs we'd been through. Just four months later I was diagnosed with cancer, beginning a two year journey that would challenge us and grow us in ways we couldn't have prepared for. 

Here we stand, here we are
With all our wounds and battle scars
From all the storms and all the wars we've weathered together
We had no way of knowing when
We started way back there and then
How the road would twist and turn and bend
We just knew we belonged together

We've climbed up mountains higher than
Were ever in our hopes and plans
We've held onto each other's hands
Watched miracles unfold together
And we've crawled on our hands and knees
Through valleys cold and dark and deep
Sometimes not even sure if we could make it out alive together

And if it wasn't for God's mercy and His grace
There's no way we would be standing in this place
But because He has been faithful
Every step along the way
Here we are together, together

Now here we are, alive together and we don't spend a single day taking that for granted. As Shaun says multiple times a day...I'm so thankful you're here, doing life with me.

We went to NYC on our anniversary. I had a scan in the morning and then we were free until the next morning of appointments. Shaun made all sorts of wonderful suggestions for what to do with our time together, but we ended up just spending the afternoon in our hotel room, watching a old movie on TV, commercials and all. We were so tired and battle worn and it was so great to not have to supervise, feed or taxi six children. Shaun took me out to dinner and we sat and talked for hours. My twenty-something self would not have believed that there could be love and romance in that, but seasoned, weathered love is truly where its at. 

 May was Foster Care Awareness month and for sure, we were well aware of foster care {wink}. We don't believe God has called us to a comfortable life but just to trust him. We've asked him to interrupt our plans and desires. We've asked him to "steal our show" so that he can do something far greater with our lives than we ever could.

We are decidedly imperfect and inadequate, but God just needs us to be willing. It often amuses (and puzzles!) me to think that God chose me to be a mom to many. Me, the girl who spent most of her life wanting to be a mom to NONE! But God.

I don't want my life to be explainable without the Holy Spirit. I want people 

to look at my life and know I couldn't be doing this by my own power.  ~Francis Chan

Or, better put:

You must serve a Risen Savior who is on a first name basis with you. ~my Uncle Lee

The days can be hard, but God's grace is all-sufficient.