Of Paint and Donuts and Babies

It's been a busy week. Okay, who am I kidding, it's been busy for weeks on end. With no sign of vacations and balmy beaches and lazy sun-bathing anywhere on the horizon. But this past week I tackled a few projects on purpose to help pass the time while Jason is gone. He took off for the prison crusades in South Carolina for a week, and took 2 of my kiddoes with him. They, of course, will not be in the prisons, but they are having a totally grand time at their Uncle Jerold's place. I've called to chat with them, and they can barely pry themselves away from games of King & Queen, dress up, or running barefoot outside to spare their mother a few moments. I'm not sure if I should feel awful that they don't even miss me, or proud that they are so well-adjusted that they can handle time away from me without a problem.


Anyways, the first project on my list this week was to overhaul the boys' room. Jason had built them a new bunk bed which got finished last week {didn't he do an AMAZING job??}, and I needed to paint it. I figured, hey, their whole room could really use a face-lift, so I tackled the whole thing. Had a few minor glitches along the way, but over all I am tickled with how it turned out. This is how it looked before ... nasty blue carpet, completely ripped wallpaper border, and baby-blue walls that I was long wearied of. And the old bunk bed ... which is now in the girls' room.

And after ... with the new bunk bed. And new curtains that I sewed.

Another thing I really wanted to do this week was to get to "spoil" my three remaining offspring with extra-fun mom-time, doing things that I often do not have time to do with all 5, a hubby to cook for, and the busy school schedule. And did we ever have fun!! Lunch at the Panda Express at the mall { their Orange Chicken & Fried Rice could be my daily diet and I would not complain!}, half-price day at the second-hand shop, sleep-overs & slumber parties, special movie nights with some fun new movies from the library, playing games, making mini-donuts from little tube-biscuits for supper, days at Grandma's house, and lots of story-reading. Micah told me the other day that this has been the best week of his life, and he wishes it would last forever. So I guess I have been at least somewhat successful.

But the highlight of my week was just last night when I was able to have the privilege to be labor coach for a friend of mine. What a beautiful labor & delivery, with a gorgeous baby boy born a little past 1 this morning. No matter how many babies I have delivered {or coached the delivery}, I never lose the marvel of birth and the miracle of new life ... there is nothing else like it and I LOVE it.  


So yeah, it's been a great week, and it has gone really fast, but all of a sudden I am wishing for my man. It's been long enough now. Tomorrow night can't come fast enough. I am at an amazing place in life right now ... littles needing me at every hand ... school to teach ... my man to stand beside and bless ... Amazingly full and it takes all I've got, but it's amazingly satisfying. I'm trying to enjoy each day, each moment, because truly these moments do slip through my fingers like sand.