The Long Weekend (that doesn't seem long enough)

So, I've not been doing so well at blogging daily.  I guess maybe because I've talked to Katie more often and therefore don't have much to tell you that's new.  Let's see, since Thursday...

Friday we had the Karen girls over but not until 1pm so that gave me time to walk and make food (soup, rice, brownies) before I picked them up.  We went swimming in the Fuller's lovely pool.  I'm so thankful for generous neighbors who let us use their pool when they're away.  It made the day so much more fun for the girls.  They LOVE to swim and stay in for hours.  Except for poor Eh Ler who is allergic to cold and had to get out.  Her skin swells up from the cold pool water just like in winter when she gets snow between her coat and glove.  We ate dinner, they played outside for awhile.  Abby and Hannah went all over looking for a big bag of rubber bands for them to use to make a new rubber band rope for their game they play.  Finally found them at Staples.  That was before they got there, so while the younger girls were still swimming, Hannah, Hser Ler Moo, and Eh Ler made another rope--the old one was brittle and the rubber bands kept breaking.  So they played that and sidewalk chalk, bubbles, and I read a couple of chapters from Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle's Magic. 

We watched Beverly Hills Chihuahua which was actually a pretty funny movie.  Talking dogs...what's not to like about that?!  Especially ones dressed in little outfits!

The girls went to bed fairly early and with little fanfare which gave the Yackleys a little time to talk since Dad didn't get home until during the movie.  We talked about a blog that Abby had a conversation about with someone.  Good for thought-provoking discussion.  Along with the book she had me read:  The Irresistible Revolution by Shane Claiborne.  A lot of good stuff that has made me think and question and wonder.  I think that's his desire, so I guess he accomplished that.  All about living in such a way that really fleshes out what we say we believe about helping the poor and causing change in the world--not through government, but through the church and Christians doing small things to help real people.  We may have done that to a very small degree with Urban Vision and the Karen girls, but there is much more we could be doing.  It's a process I guess and that means being sensitive to what God asks US to do.  It's easy to compare and feel like we're not ever going to be able to do enough and feel perpetually guilty.  But that's not what God would want either.

Saturday we basically waited until everyone got up and ate breakfast and then we went for a walk with them all.  They weren't thrilled with that I don't think.  Walking for exercise doesn't really make sense to them, but they went, and since it was supposed to get hotter, I didn't want to wait and miss my chance to walk.  So that's the price they pay for coming to Mrs. Melissa's house. :)

Jeff and I took them home and then he helped Abby re-bunk her beds to make more room for her to have a bean bag in her room.  She and Hannah had moved all the stuff out to make it easier.  I re-cleaned everything I had just cleaned on Thursday which was hard to do with a good attitude.  I feel sometimes like I never make any progress.  I just re-do all the same things and never have time to do a bigger project that feels like I'm accomplishing something.  But I couldn't stand not to, so I just did it.  We went to Wal-Mart and got a lamp--very cool with 5 colored lamp shades and a storage unit for Abby's room--which Katie will get to share when she comes home.  I told Abby after everything was done, that I like it so much, I'll be hanging out in there with her all the time!  :)  She LOVED that idea!

Hannah's been working on going through stuff in her room--kind of like a pre-college clean out.  She'd like to re-arrange stuff in there too, but the pieces just don't fit very many different ways.  And she'll only be in there a lot for another few weeks...boo hoo...time is going too fast...and yet we're excited for Katie to come home, but that means only a few weeks until school starts...there's just too much to wrap my head around.  I guess I just need to focus on enjoying each and every day since that's all we really have anyway.

That was brought to mind again this weekend when Carol Reynolds called and said that Linda's niece, Amy, was taken to the hospital with a brain bleed and had to be taken to the Cleveland Clinic for a procedure to stop it.  They have 4 young children--we saw them at Kevin's grad party--and she's only late 20's, early 30's.  We've been praying a lot for her and their family.  For 100% recovery quickly.

Saturday night Abby and Jeff went to fireworks, and Hannah and I stayed home.  She watched Toy Story 1 & 2, and I had a quiet time.  I just felt too tired to go and then get up early on Sunday for music.  They took pictures, and I got to go to bed!  We saw a few out our window from some brave (or foolish)soul shooting them off nearby.

Sunday they all did music, and I made coffee.  Good service with Carol talking about her dad and then Rick tying in all the spiritual applications of what she shared about her dad's life.  And at the end of the first service, Kyle proposed to Lisa much to her surprise!!  Our first GSCC proposal during church!!  Very sweet and exciting!

We came home and ate leftover pizza, then Jeff and I went to the thrift store.  Party to look for a little night stand for Abby's room and partly because I was thinking they were having a 20% off sale--they usually do on holidays.  They were, but we really didn't find much except some golf shirts for Jeff.  I did get a pair of shoes ($2) and a sun-blocking hat for LT.

Hannah was still working on her room and Paige was over.  We watched UP with Paige and Abby and went for a walk late since it was so hot.  Oh yeah, can't forget that we got Taco Bell for dinner!  So patriotic of us on July 4th!  We had coupons for 4 free drinks--special slushy ones.  We fed four of us for less than $8.  But it didn't seem very July 4th-ish.  Maybe that's been my deal this weekend...it's a holiday weekend and we haven't done anything very holiday-ish.  It was good to get Abby's room done and to have the Karen girls over, but no cook out or having friends over...seems lonely or something.  The old "we don't have any friends" feeling.  We didn't invite anyone I guess because it was last minute and I thought everyone would have plans.

Today we walked first and then I showered and that always seems to take all morning.  But it was 80 by 9am so it was good we went when we did.  At one point, our thermometer said 100.  It was 90 in the garage, so that's a pretty accurate idea of the temperature.  We went to see "How to Train your Dragon" at the dollar theater, which on Mondays with 3 or more people was only 75 cents.  We thought about going to see Toy Story 3 in 3D but that would have cost 8.50 each...hmm...$3 total or $34 total?  We opted for cheap, and actually it was a good movie.  Kinda weird how it tied in with the Shane Claiborne book.  He talks about using creativity to come up with new solutions to war, poverty, violence, etc.  And the main character in the movie did that.  Vikings had always killed dragons, but he used creativity to find another solution.  Funny how those things often happen...books, movies tie in to each other just when you're reading/seeing them.

We came home, and I made sloppy joes for lunch with sweet potato fries (and a few waffle fries for Hannah), strawberries, and baked beans since Hannah had to go to work and Jeff was going golfing and neither would be here for dinner.  Jeff read a BOOK (Irr. Rev. since I talked so much about it), Abby read blogs, Hannah went to work, I had a quiet time, am blogging, and not sure what else I'll do this evening.  Whew! Now you're caught up!

We also had a meeting between services and after the second service about LT.  Can't believe it's almost here.  I wish I felt more excited about it.  I think because it's going to be different and I'm not sure what to expect exactly, I have some concerns.  Also, we have to take 3 vans and leave at 6am so I'm not looking forward to that either.  Even though I don't have to drive all the way, I still haven't been doing so well lately on little sleep and getting up early.  But God has always given grace in the past and I've always loved LT and been refreshed by it spiritually, so I know I need to trust God in that way again.  There area 15 of us going--11 kids and 4 adults:  Scott H. and Janice and us.  Staying in dorms will be different too, but I'm sure we'll survive for a week!

Well, I guess I should go and do something productive with yet another day that is slipping away from me!  Problem is, by this time (5pm) I don't feel like starting anything too big.  Maybe I'll prepare for my tutoring with Sarah on Friday.  We're going over "fighting scientists"!  And I should look at what I have to do for UV tomorrow morning too.  Our last week of that.  The van is getting the brakes fixed tomorrow too--glad to have that done before our trip.  So, I guess that will be all for now.

Loved skyping with Katie this weekend!  Looking forward to chatting face to face in August!!  Mwah!