Week Reflection

Weekend Reflection

Well it has been a whirlwind of a week. We were gone from home last weekend which always makes me feel behind going into my work week on Monday and then I find I don't have time to be online much which makes me feel behind with my blog friends! Last Saturday we enjoyed a very early airport breakfast visit with Kerry's brother, wife and two adorable daughters. They had a lay over at SeaTac on their way home to Minnesota from visiting their older brother in Hawaii. And when I say early, I mean early! We met them at 6:00 a.m! After spending time with them we packed up our car and drove 2 hours north to Bellingham to visit our oldest son, Andrew who is in college up there. We saw his apartment for the first time and it did not surprise me much--definitely furnished in the college age male style!!!! I do have to give him credit though, he cleaned it up for us--including the bathroom! We had a nice time with him--took him out to dinner to a nice Italian place, my younger boys then enjoyed time in the hotel pool with daddy. Sunday we took him to the mall, shopped around and bought him a new pair of jeans and lunch out. We headed out for home about 3:30 and took a different route home to avoid road construction on the intestate. It was a rural route that took us through some absolutely gorgeous areas that I never new existed. My younger two boys miss their big brother a lot and it was special seeing them hang out with and hang on him. Man I love my 3 sons.

Work was.....work. The week started out sad with the news that one of our long time office staff was fired ---which makes two firings in 1.5 months! Yikes! Doesn't make one feel much job security. Since my co-worker has been on medical leave for cancer surgery I have been hanging on until she comes back. I think I have 2 more weeks until she is back part time but doing part of her job and mine is getting exhausting. I am hoping that I don't get sick as they will really be scrambling to cover the phones. I have felt a bit sniffley today and hope whatever it is, I can fight off. The good news is that her cancer had not spread so she will not need further treatment. I really miss her.....

My boys are doing well---getting good grades, loving their saxophones and getting lots of extra opportunities to play. Austen's bright spot in his school schedule is his zero hour jazz band class. This is commitment for you--the class meets from 6:30- 7:20 in the morning! Sam is participating in before school chorus (2 mornings a week) and a before school Terra Musica program for 6th graders (2 mornings a week). Terra Musica's focus is music from around the world. They each made a diggerydoo. Theirs are made out of P.V. pipe and then they each painted theirs anyway they wanted. They play in rotating groups, diggerydoos, recorders and various kinds of drums. The teacher also adds in special parts for kids who play in the band, so right now Sam is working on a Sax solo to play with this group. I am looking forward to the first concerts of the year coming up here in the early part of November. Austen will be wearing a tux because of jazz band-I am looking forward to seeing THAT!

Halloween is quickly approaching and Sam was quite excited when I took him shopping on Thursday night and bought him a Knight costume--pictures to come! Shopping for that was the most stressful experience for me--The store was small, unorganized where it came to the dressing room situation, and apparently I picked a night when 100 other parents did also. It was crowded and hot and chaotic and I was already tired from a day of work. I prayed like crazy during that trip that I would remain graceful and patient and kind! :) I really wanted this to be a fun experience for Sam.

Today we are going to the movies with Sarah and her husband and am looking forward to that. Kerry has decided that Thursdays will be designated as time to spend with the boys individually. The first Thursday of the month will be spent with Austen and they will discuss a book they will be reading--Wild At Heart. The 2nd Thursday he will spend hanging out with Sam and the 3rd Thursday will be spent with our son-in-law, Jesse. I think the 4th Thursday will be spent with me!! We are finding that carving out quality individual time with family is difficult so hopefully this new plan will work out as it is launched this first week of November.

I am thankful for:
**Sunlight on an Autumn day
**A loving committed husband (who told me how particularly beautiful I was this morning)
**The love my boys have for each other
**My cozy house on these cold Autumn nights
**A daughter and son-in-law that want to spend time with us
**A God who loves me enough to send His Son to die for me