Clearly if I am going to blog it should be in the morning when my spirits and my energy level are high...or at least high-er.  After re-reading last night's entry I have to laugh at myself.  I still feel all those things...like I wish owning stuff was less work.  I wish I owned a lot less stuff.  But, truly, in the light of day...I am thankful that our family of almost 8 has plenty of room to live.  I just don't want my life to be about stuff and managing stuff.  I do wish I was all the things I want to be...but with the Lord's help today...I will be obedient to what He asks of me.  Obedience.  That really is my prayer for today.  Oh Lord....let me obey what I clearly hear You asking me to do today.  Let me be busy.  Not idle.  You'd think with five boys there'd be no idleness but...it creeps in and takes the place of the important stuff.  This blog can be idleness for me...but it is also a journal...a growth chart if you will.  So, I keep it up and try to keep it and reading others' blogs to a reasonable place.  But so far this morning I have accomplished much.  Moved a lot of piles to their rightful places...mostly the garbage.  Balanced our checkbook...yay.  Paid some things...yay.  Just those few things make me feel better.  Why didn't I just do them yesterday?  Hmmmm.

Anyway, it is a new day.  I feel good.  My friend Leslie talked most of the women in our community group into joining Curves.  So, being 13 weeks pregnant...I drag my ever-growing self down to the Curves that sits at the entrance of our subdivision and work out at 6:15am each day.  I love it.  It is nice knowing I will see friends there each morning to talk to while I work out.  It is a very gentle exercise...one that will easily adapt to my pregnancy as it grows.  If you have never been to a Curves...go take advantage of their one week free trial.  TAKE A FRIEND.  It is so much more fun with a friend.  I never thought I'd like it.  But, I do like it.  I don't know that I will see any measurable results while I am pregnant but I figure it will keep me strong and disciplined and feeling better anyway.  30 minutes a day...that's it!

Well...the day is full.  I must go.  I am sure by tonight I will be dragging again...but I suppose getting to the end of each day completely used up is the way it is supposed to be.  I have been sleeping well.  That is a great thing!  Love, ~M.

The noise.  The noise.  The noise.  Calgon take me away.  The middle of summer here is like the middle of winter in the north.  My kids don't want to go outside.  I don't blame them.  But five boys in a house is LOUD.  And what starts out with laughter ends almost always in tears.  Someone always gets hurt.  Gannon is now in the climbing phase.  If a chair is available...he'll climb it...if it is close to the table...onto the table he goes.  No longer content to be on the floor he now must perch in high places.  He is presently sitting next to me on the desk.  Yes...the desk.  At least right there I can watch him carefully and know he isn't on something else that I can't see.  I just took him down...to screams of protest.  Oh the fun of a one year old.  The temps here are close to 100 and the humidity is high.  What's worse is that we saw no rain for the past couple weeks.  The land is parched.  I should have been watering but we had so much rain in the beginning of the month that I got out of the habit and personally hate the chore.  So, I have checked the weather and if all goes well we may see rain on Wednesday.  Oh please please please send the rain.

On a lighter note I got out of the house today for a couple of hours to meet Keith for lunch.  We met the next couple we will be coaching through raising financial support to come serve at FL.  Very nice couple.  Three kids with one more coming soon after ours.  It was fun getting out for a while and speaking in adult conversations and eating without protests.

Tonight we have the awards banquet for the swim team.  Should be fun.  We will have pizza and then get trophies.  Then we will have the pool to ourselves for the evening which is fun.  The water feels like a bath but oh well...still better than being in the heat!  OK...chaos is truly ruling here.  The baby is screaming.  The big boys are ignoring him and wrestling...probably on the sofa which is not allowed.  So off I go to referee....or ruin their fun...whichever way you want to look at it!  Love, ~M