Updates on This' N' That

Well, we've heard from the Grand Canyoneers a couple of times. They've hiked and helicoptored into the Canyon; they have survived and will have many a tale to tell, I'm sure! We're eager to see them both soon.

This morning the kids and I attended Rez, our sending church, instead of driving to Wisconsin, and several friends there asked me how I was feeling. I was so happy to realize that I haven't had any nauseau in almost a week! I'm feeling more stable emotionally as well. I'm still fighting the Everlasting Cough & Head Cold, so I'm not 100% yet, but definitely feeling a lot better overall. Thank the Lord--and those who were praying for me.

Things are still progressing slower than I'd like on our house--now I'm waiting on our carpet cleaner guy to come this week, our handyman guy who fixed the water damage around the shower to come back and put new trim on, and then we have to paint the trim after we somehow get some matching paint. And Yours Truly still has a lot of organizing and decluttering to do!

Meanwhile I am in a frustrated funk over how little attention I've been able to give to my homeschooling this year, especially my high schoolers. It's not the end of the world, but it's not been what it could or should be (in my opinion), either. I keep wondering what eternal purpose all this time spent on my house is serving. I just wish I could have put all those hours into my kids' education instead!

On a happier note, since we don't have our house even on the market yet, we're going to go ahead and audition for our children's theater group's next musical--it's Oliver! A great show for Bantams9 and 12, of course; I will freely admit that our hopes are high, since Bantam9 is the perfect age to be considered for either Oliver or the Artful Dodger. There will probably be 30 or 40 girls vying for the role of Nancy, but Blondechick15 would make an excellent Nancy, we think--you should hear her Cockney accent--and it's always better to go into an audition aiming high. Auditions are this Friday, so stay tuned!

Finally, I can't believe we only have one week left of Lent. On the one hand, I've been too preoccupied to observe it in any significant way (other than giving up desserts!), but on the other, I feel like the last year has been one long Lent--of waiting on the Lord, of sacrificing our time and energy driving three hours to church every Sunday and in a sense, I've been fasting by giving up many hours with my husband, who's commuting three hours a day, working a full-time job, and pastoring a fledgling church. I've also just had my own Lenten experience of the pregnancy and miscarriage.

I know God is working in my heart and in my life through all this, and I've blogged about this journey as I've walked it. But Lent is usually a season when I take time and make space to submit myself more intentionally to the Lord and to the Spirit's conviction, and that hasn't happened this year. I am hoping to find a little time before Easter, at least.

...in between decluttering my house and figuring out grades for my high schoolers...

...and writing blog posts. (Which is much easier!)