not yet Au Revoir America.... but soon....

10 days till we leave for Lyon.......
just 10 days.
There is excitement in the air,
suitcases stacked everywhere,
clothing piled,
tried on,
discard piles,
what fits
what does not
what needs to be cleaned....
lists of things to buy,
to do
Dr notes needed
medicine to be picked up,
and lines forming in my brow, that look a bit like wrinkles....
tomorrow Rob leaves for a business trip.......
yes
tomorrow.....
too much to do
too little time
and there are I ADMIT moments I don't FEEL like starting
don't KNOW where to begin,
and am overwhelmed with the sheer magnitude of what it is we will be embarking upon....

The bunny has a home to stay in.... HURRAY
Susan said she can come and help me clean... HURRAY
I have a hair appointment with the BEST stylist (Tiffany) THIS Thursday night!
suitcases are finally purchased

Things that went wrong....
we thought Princess broke her nose... Praise God it isn't.. but it took HOURS today at the immediate care center to KNOW for CERTAIN that it was OK and just bruised....( yes another gray hair!)
I fell down the stairs Friday and hurt my back and tailbone, but couldn't go to the Chiropractor... because I was stuck at immediate care (see above)
Rob is going on a business trip tomorrow..... (really it IS ok... just a touch of panic on my part... just a touch)
the dryer is broken
the dishwasher has a part that was recalled for starting house fires .... so .... YES i am still using it! but not when I leave the house.... let's be reasonable!

I still need to find a lawn service....
I did get my INTERNATIONAL drivers licence.... I studied thinking they would test me... NO, just hand over the cash baby! $ $ $

so here, in my little world, life... it is really moment by moment.... I plan on hanging out w/Oma the next couple days, at her house, take her to radiation and stuff. :) (avoiding life HERE.... no, just want to spend LOTS of time with my mom! :)

I do plan on blogging while in France, I will probably blog better while there than when I am here :) so, stay tuned, for some regularly scheduled BLOG from me :)

In the midst of the madness, there have been some great moments of serenity
in the trial, triumph...
In the panic, peace...
I am feeling yet again...
like a walking
oxy moron
yet somehow, I am ok with that.....

It is hard to think of leaving my beloved mother right now.... yet there it is.... staying here would be difficult too.. being away from Robert for so many months would be so hard..
with either path, challenges lie before me.... so for NOW I must continue on the path set, and if things change than they change..........

sometimes in life, all our options are hard, no one ever said life would be easy.... walking the hard walk is full of wonder and surprises beyond your wildest expectations!!!!!!!!!

A little over a week ago, I was blessed to go to a Chris Tomlin concert, with Rob, Caspian, Princess Ki, and my wonderful Friend and neighbor Michele and her daughter Kristin! It was an extreme joy in the midst of extreme trial!

Fridays with my mother, are extreme joys in the midst of watching her experience extreme trial!

Recently I was invited to attend a conference with my pastor and elders and after we went for brunch.... it was in the midst of a very challenging week, emotionally, and physically I was exhausted, and yet God met me in this place and so ministered to me through the fellowship with these fine men of the faith! extreme blessing in the midst of extreme trial....

One of my very, very dearest sisters in the Lord, who I can say is closer to me than most of my friends, and has known me now for many years, is also going through some trials, and yet in the midst of our mutual struggles, balancing family, home school, domestic responsibilities, finances, and so much more, we have been able to meet, and walk, and pray, and the time together, has been EXTREMELY wonderful, helpful, and a delight, recently shared with me, she may have to move, very very far away, and our times together, our weekly walk/accountabilty time together....it may becoming to an end.... which is so hard to think about, but I am so thankful for this time together!

hard, yes,
wonderful, yes
LIFE can be so hard
but it is so wonderful!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
so beautiful!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
and I thank the Good Lord for it!!!!!!!!!!
amen!