The Moment You Realize Just How Blessed You Are...

For starters, folks, I've done it!  I've gotten up prior to my family for 5 straight days!  


I decided that I couldn't face Jillian and her 30-day-shred at the crack of dawn every day, so I've spent my 20 minutes on the treadmill instead.  "Slept in" a little today because I never heard the alarm, but between me getting up a little early and my kids sleeping in a little (hallelujah for the grandparents' wearing them out last night!!), I still got to do my Bible study and plan my day.  Every single day has been just as painful as the first to get my feet on the floor, but I'm still loving the gentle start it's giving to my day.


Enough of that...


Last night (and probably the reason I missed the alarm this morning) we had a rather unconventional date night.  We still keep in touch with a friend of Hubby's from high school who lives down the street.  They've got five kids, one of which was born on our Little Man's due date.  Their youngest is about to turn one and has had a myriad of health problems, beginning when he was 10 days old.  He's been diagnosed with Denys Drash Syndrome which, to make a long story short, is an extremely rare genetic condition (200 diagnosed cases in the world--yes, WORLD--since it was defined in 1967) that affects his kidneys.  There are multiple medical problems involved, but the most critical issues are early kidney failure (usually by age 3) and the development of Wilms' tumor (kidney cancer) with a median age of onset of 12.5 months.  His mommy is expecting to be a living kidney donor as soon as possible.  


For our date night, we participated in a "celebrity waiter" fundraising dinner for this family.  Each waiter was responsible for decorating a table, decorating themselves, and, of course, providing dinner service to his tablemates.  Since our group was made up of high school buddies, we chose the 80's as our theme.  We decorated the table accordingly with Cabbage Patch babies, Nintendo games, records, Star Wars paraphernalia, and magazines from the decade.

And we decorated ourselves with big hair and blue eyeshadow.

We had a great time, raised some money for an absolutely wonderful family.  Hopefully, we added a little levity to an otherwise somber situation.  

But most of all, we came together as a family and as a community to pray for this little man.

Is he not just the cutest thing?  I just want to squeeze him!  

Today, take a minute to squeeze your own babies.  Completely healthy, booger-nosed, spitting up, runny diaper, or life-threatening genetic disease.  Pick 'em up, squeeze 'em tight, and thank God for the days He's given you to be their Mommy.  

And then, take a moment to pray for Shafer and the Daves family.  They are a tough family facing tough times and have chosen to be shining examples of God's love through it all.

The Moment You Take a Break...

Don't you just need a break sometimes?  Okay, now I sound like a Kit Kat commercial.  Or maybe a weekend.  I don't miss a lot about my career woman days, but weekends were nice.


For once, this past weekend felt like a break from the grind.  We had some good family time on Saturday morning with Little Man's soccer game--"I hustled a little bit!" says he.  Then I spent a little quality time at Starbucks with my sister while best-hubby-ever took the kids home and got them in the bed for naps.  After naptime, he shocked me with the request to go to the grocery and pick up food for dinner--and LEAVE THE KIDDOS AT HOME!  Ahhh...the beauty of rolling the aisles in complete freedom from the obnoxious race-car cart!  


Hubby headed off for a long-overdue round of golf with his buddies Sunday morning, and the kids and I took an impromptu trip to the zoo.  We didn't make it to church, but we talked a lot about all the animals God made for us.  After naptime Sunday (which I enjoyed by napping with everyone else!), Little Man and I headed out to the Praise Chamber.  We've meant to go for so long, but it's just never been the right time.  Hubby agreed to watch Little Lady and we lit out on our own for an evening of praise music like I haven't heard in the longest!  Little Man must have told me 10 times, "It's just you and me, Mommy!!"  


I really felt like we had a weekend.  We played.  We rested.  And then this morning...


I did it!  I actually got up at 5:55, a mere 5 minutes after my alarm went off.  I snuck down the basement and spent 20 minutes on the treadmill (and it was moving, albeit slowly, the entire time!), did the first day of my new study in Judges (even more excited about it now!), and got my thoughts together for the day. I certainly won't say the actual rolling-out-of-bed part was easy--far from it.  But it was SO worth it!


I was afraid of this.  I was afraid I'd like it.  That means now I have to do it again.  Humph.

The Moment You Decide to Change Your Routine...

I am a routine driven kind of gal.  I like routines, I like order, I love schedules.  Since becoming a mom, I rarely have any of the above any more.  


Well, that's not true.


I have a routine.  Get woken up by kids.  Feed all children, the dog, and, if I'm feeling especially peppy, the hubby too.  Plop kids in front of movie/Disney channel to zip through the shower.  Etc.  Etc.  You get the picture.


I don't like my routine.  I function SO MUCH BETTER if I have a few moments of quiet to get my thoughts together before I have to be at someone's beck and call.  Hence the morning sprint to the shower to get a tiny bit of peace and quiet.


Enter the Maximize Your Mornings Challenge.



I'm starting Monday, with an ultimate goal of starting my days at 5:30.  With a usual kid wake-up time between 6:30 and 7, that will afford me an hour to an hour and a half of alone time to exercise, do Bible study (just picked up a study on the book of Judges), and plan my day.  Alone time...every day!  What a concept!  


Now I've just got to figure out how to get my tail out of the bed...