It’s been busy around here.  It’s January and in our CPA firm that means getting all the annual and fourth quarter payroll reports done.   This year it seems not to be the easiest thing, we keep running into problems left and right.   My typical 20 hour work week has now been almost 40!  That’s a huge adjustment for us.   Thankfully Wonderful Walter steps up and takes over where I am so lacking.  

I’m wondering why January is such a blah month.   Maybe it’s because we’ve come from the busy season of Christmas and vacations are done, school has started back up and for me – it’s busy at work.    I have to adjust from working the same hours that Ben’s in school and being home with the family in the afternoon to coming home at 5:00.   I do miss my kids and I’m so thankful that I’m able to normally work a flexible job and that I don’t have to work full time.

I guess part of the problem is up here in the “Ville” if it’s sunny its too dang cold to be outside and if it’s overcast, then it’s probably raining or snowing.   It just leads me to want to stay in bed and read a good book, escape to some far away place in my imagination.

In other randomness -

Potty training – I think we have it pretty well down at home.  I think she’s getting better at Michelle’s while I’m at work.   We just have to get her to do it without her soft little toilet insert.  I can’t be carting that thing to church on Sundays or to Walmart.  

Ben and I have started watching American Idol.   I’ve DVR’d it during the week and we are watching it on the weekends.   Somethings during these auditions I’ve had to fast forward through because I didn’t want little 5 1/2 year old eyes to see, but for the most part it’s fun watching it with him.   The other night when we watched he asked me “Do they know Jesus, mommy?”   I answered that some of them did to which her replied “Are they worshiping Him?”   It was just nice to know that he thinks about such things.   He then told me that one day he was going to be on the show.  Yes, he’s already a rock star in the making.

No, I’m not talking about the theme for my Senior prom in 1990, I’m talking about that moment in time where I pledged myself to Walter, vowed to love him and I think even obey him.   Today we are celebrating our 7th wedding anniversary.   

I look at a scared younger version of myself.   I was 28 1/2.   I had just came out of a time where I had looked for love and significance in others and in poor choices.  Walter was my last hope.  I prayed that maybe, maybe, maybe he would be different. 

You see, I had walked away from my first true love.  My Heavenly Father.   I had always wanted to be married, to have a family and someone to love and treasure me forever.   But when I kept on seeing all my friends get married and being passed by I acted like a spoiled brat and walked away from what I knew was true.   There’s about a two year time that I don’t really remember, or maybe it’s that I don’t want to remember.  

But on that afternoon in Las Vegas, surrounded by my parents, sister, nephew and our friends Brian and Michele, I took a leap of faith that just maybe Walter was different.   

Today sitting in church with Benjamin between us I realized this was the life that I wanted when I walked away from the Lord.   I wanted a husband who loved me passionately, whole heartily, I wanted children to love and who loved me and I wanted to serve the Lord.   How awesome is our God that even in my disbelief and rebellion He chose to still bless me when I turned my heart back to him.    This morning I was surrounded by God’s Grace, just like I am everyday.   I also realize that the only way that I have this is because I turned my heart towards the things of God. 

That moment in time when I said “I Do” led to the many blessings I have today.   That moment not only did I say “I Do” to Walter, but I said “I Do” to the Lord and He graciously with arms open wide welcomed me home.  

**Updated:   Michele and Brian finally have came into the 21st century and now have a blog. So I added their link.

Tomorrow Walter goes back to work and Ben goes back to school.  Our routine is returning to normal.   It’s been a wonderful few weeks with Walter off and with me only working a few days of that time, but reality is setting in (along with end of the year reporting and tax season). 

Lunches are made for all of us.  Clothes are laid out and dishes done, coffee all set to just brew in the morning.   The official start of the new year!

Ben got both Walter and I teary-eyed today.    Becca had just thrown up and was sitting on the couch watching a movie.   Ben had just came inside from playing with the snow (more on that later).   He noticed that Becca wasn’t ok and we told him that she was sick.   He went straight into the living room and sat next to her and started praying for her.   Tonight at dinner he also blessed the food before we ate and during our regular dinner time question “What was the favorite part of your day?”   Ben said “Praying for my family”.  

As parents who are trying to bring their children up to know God’s goodness, His provision, His ever presents in our lives – it does my heart wonders to know that we are doing something right with our children.    He has just a tender heart that blows me away sometimes.  

Another good example of this was last night.   He had just talked to my mom and he had a conversation about his cousin Cole.   My sister is doing an amazing job raising her son without his father in his life.  He’s just a delightful boy.   Cole is two years older than Ben and Ben thinks Cole walks on water.   Last night he said that Cole needs a dad, just like his (Ben’s) dad.   I asked Ben how he plans on getting a dad for Cole.  He replied that we just need to start looking, maybe going to Reno would be a good place to look.   It just touched my heart that he was so sensitive to others needs.

So I think we are up to about 6 to 8 inches of snow so far.   We are supposed to get more tonight along with thunder storms.   Who knew you could have thunder and lightning while it was snowing.  They are saying for awhile tonight that we could get 2 to 3 inches an hour.   Seeing will be believing!