Gusty Winds

When we get gusty winds in our area, which often happens -- usually in the afternoons and sometimes into the evening and night, I can feel the wind even from inside our sturdy house.

I sense the push on the windows, hear the howling at the doors, and practically feel the walls standing firm against the tremendous gusts of wind.  In these winds, I do not doubt the strength of our home.  In face, when I see the tress blowing outside or our recycling flying down the street -- yes, that happens, I am overcome with gratitude for our strong house and sturdy home.

I will frequently say to the children, "We are so fortunate to have this strong house to protect us from these winds."

Yet, when strong winds blow in my life -- uncertainty, job loss, unsure of what to do in parenting, I do not look to God in the same way I have gratitude for my strong house amidst gusts of wind.  So often, I timidly ask God for his Will to be done, but then cower in fear of what His Will might be, because it might be a disaster.  Or, I pray to God to fix a situation, then I still am wrought with stress as I try to solve the problem myself.  I would say I rarely, if ever, feel the winds of life blowing around me and simply say, "I am so fortunate to be in God's Will to protect me from these winds and guide me through these winds."

Do I have more faith in my home than I have in God who blessed me with this home?

I surely hope not!!!

He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, [my safe home when gusty winds blow], in whom I trust.

Psalm 91:2

10 On the 10th

If by 10 on the 10th, you mean 20... then here we go.  I like doing this every month because it makes me take pictures of our every day, simple, crazy wonderful life right now.  These are the days I know I will miss someday.

3:55am and double-checking the weather for the day so I will know that I planned the kids and my outfits and coats and shoes accordingly.

Made sure to post a photo collage of my dad to facebook and instagram to wish him a Happy Birthday.

 

4:55am and summary of my 38:11 workout

What, doesn't everyone take a daily post-workout selfie to text to their mother to show that you did your workout?  Oh, that's just me?  Well, thanks, Mom!  :-D

All clothes for the kids ready to go...

Tracey flipping through the American Girl catalogue while I did her hair

7:10am and everyone lined up at the door ready to go

Headed to school

Every day, we drop  Tracey off at her classroom, then Howard off at his classroom -- he waves to us from the far window, and then Caroline walks to her classroom -- backwards.  Every day... she walks across the toddler playground from Howard's classroom to her classroom backwards.  When I try to join her walking backwards, she says, 

"No copy me, Mama!"

Beautiful rainy Autumn weather

And a few hours later it was sunny and chilly

After work, Lee Lee and I ran to the grocery store, just the two of us.  Addallee babbled and chattered through and around the entire store.  :-D

I had to text this picture to Hubby to find out what kind of camping take he wanted to take hunting/backpacking this weekend.

A little playtime with just this little lady before Daddy came home with the big kids.

Caroline and Addallee amidst the groceries.

I snuck up to the nursery to grade some college assignments... which lasted about 5 minutes before Caroline found me and insisted that she would sit quietly with a book while Mama worked.

About five minutes of "What's this Mama?" as I was trying to grade assignments before Tracey and Howard found us, and also wanted to join the party while Mama graded papers.

Potato soup in the instant pot for dinner... and a very messy kitchen.  Our house gets very messy from Wednesday-Friday when I work every day and the kids are in school every day.

Family dinner of potato soup and rolls.

Caroline and Addallee had a bath and Tracey and Howard had a shower.

Finally in bed with my feet up and a cup of tea.

 

Friday!

This week has been a doozie!  All the rain has been hard on our kids and extra work for me.  And Hubby has been preparing for a hunting trip on top of regular work obligations.  

We took everyone to get flu shots yesterday MORNING before school (we were at the location at 7am... so out the door dressed and ready for the day at 6:30am)... that was quite a way to start the day.

Howard and Caroline have pink eye, which isn't a big deal... just a little extra work.

I've still been doing morning workouts... which are EARLY, but I always feel great when they're done. 

Then, while the forecast was for rain all day yesterday (and every day this week), on the way to the kids' school yesterday, the rain turned to snow, and we arrived to find HUGE snowflakes sticking to the ground at the kids' school.  There was about 3 inches accumulating... not that they had snowpants or winter coats with them.  They were outfitted for rain -- galoshes and rain coats with extra socks.

So... yeah, we're happy it's Friday.

 

Addicted to Outdoors

Our weather has officially changed to fall, which is awesome.  It feels like fall and we need layers and coats and sometimes hats.  However, this year, the colder weather has been accompanied by day after day of rain.

So, last week the kids were still outside every day at school (very muddy...and in multiple outfits every day) and then we were outside a few times on Saturday.  But we haven't played in the yard at our house for about a week and today, it was ALL our kids were asking to do.

Forget the fact that I took them up to a "Tumble Time" in Glenwood Springs to try to run and jump some energy out... nope, after we got home all our kids were asking to do was go outside.

Now, I LOVE that they want to be outside, and they insistently ask to play outside.  I love that they don't care about how wet or cold or muddy it is outside... but it does not make for a clean house.

We officially have kids addicted to the outdoors... so we bundled up and played outside.

 

They're Ready

Our temperatures dropped and we got a lot of rain and several storms this week.  It was so nice to have cooler weather and hopefully a sign that a wet fall, and snowy winter are on the way.

As I got the kids ready for dance class on Tuesday, as soon as I got our the rain coats and long sleeves, they insisted that they needed winter hats.

Apparently all their heads have grown and their tastes have changed because Caroline insisted on having the Tiger, Tracey wanted the blue, and Howard could not be talked out of the pink.  Meanwhile, I could not take a picture fast enough to see the cute hat on Lee Lee's head.  She pulled that thing off so fast every time.  I guess she's not quite ready.

The cold weather can come... they're ready.

 

Keep In Mind

We are living with some very strict fire ban policies in effect right now... on a pile of tinder called Colorado.

Please pray for rain and a lot of precipitation this winter. 

 

Sticky

Tracey:  Grammie, my dress is sticky.

Grammie:  Oh, did you spill something on it or touch it with sticky hands?

Tracey:  No, its sticky inside my dress.

 Grammie:  Inside your dress?

Mama:  She means she feels sticky.  She doesn't know what humidity is.  Tracey, that sticky feeling is called humidity and we don't have it in Colorado.

Colder

It's getting colder as of late... and Howard and Caroline are learning that its hard to move when Mama bundles them up.

 

1000 Words

1000 Words

 

Cuties

These cutie-pies are learning what humidity is while we're visiting Grammie and Papa in Michigan.

Have You Ever?

Have you ever tried to take a picture of three children ages two and under?

Well... I have now and I intended to post some of the hilarious results, but there is a storm here and the internet is way too slow to upload pictures... I've been trying to get one picture up for over an hour.

These funny pictures will just have to be something you look forward to seeing in a few days...

Friday Letters: Busy Weekend Ahead

• Dear Hubby, You were my hero this week.  I am so lucky that you are mine!
• Dear This Weekend, My To-Do List for this weekend is a MILE LONG!!!  The things on the list vary from work projects, to Christmas cards, to college football games, to reorganizing our bedroom to make room for Baby, to packing our bag for the hospital (better early than late)... and more.  I am SOOO excited for our weekend projects!
• Dear Little Baby, You are either growing like crazy, or in a different position... or both because your movements have been SOOO much stronger this week, and right in the FRONT of my stomach, instead of off to the side by my ribs.  Some of your kicks have even made me giggle.  As they get stronger, I think they will be less ticklish, and a little less adorable than they are now.
• Dear Winter,  You have officially arrived, and I don't mind.  I moved to Colorado for winter, so you won't hear me complaining.  I will say, 10 new inches of snow overnight, and waking up to -17 degree temperatures is quite a cold dose of reality, but you make me so grateful for our warm little house and how blessed we are.
• Dear Lloydey,  You were so adorable this week playing in the snow.  I will post that picture when I can.
• Dear Michigan State, BEAT OHIO.
• Dear Miller Family Christmas Card, I love to see how our family has progressed and changed over the past three years... and its all right there in three pictures.
• Dear This Weekend, I AM SO HAPPY YOU ARE HERE!!!
• Dear Hubby, I am so excited for our weekend together and all that we can get done together... and all the snuggles and hugs and fun together.

Husband Jackpot!

Ladies, I have to confess something.  I am married to the most wonderful man in the world.  When it comes to a husband, I hit the JACKPOT!

 Yesterday morning we had 10 inches of snow overnight, and I was up and ready to do what I had to in order to get to my students 90 miles away.

I was up at 4am and ready to leave the house at 5am.  My amazing hubby was up at 4:30am (without my asking) to brush off my car, warm up my car, and shovel a path for me to get to my car.  We were saying goodbye at 5:05am and he was giving me all sorts of last pointers for my snow, icy, windy drive, when he got a call from his school district that school was cancelled.  His first Snow Day in four years of working in the mountains!  This district has had 3 snow days in 40 years.

As soon as he learned he had a snow day, he informed me of the new plan -- he was driving me to all my schools for the day, and we were taking his truck.
It took another half an hour for us to brush off and warm up the truck and for Hubby to get ready to go, and then we were off on a romantic day of driving.

Hubby drove me to 5 schools, all 75-90 miles away from Rifle in 14 hours.
Someday Hubby will tell our child about how he drove through 2 school districts that had cancelled school to get Mama to work in the one district that still had school.

I have the most amazing husband in the world!

Treasuring the Present: October 1

I LOVE OCTOBER!!!

via

October doesn't have my favorite holiday, it doesn't have a big event in my life, and it isn't even my favorite season... but I LOVE OCTOBER.  October is definitely my favorite month of the year.

• I love the weather -- crisp fall is in the air.
• My hubby loves hunting, and he is in his element in October.
• Summer heat is gone, and autumn rain/sleet/snow begins to threaten.
• Clothing can be worn in layers, jackets are needed, and blankets come out of closets.
• College football is in its prime -- every game counts and anything can happen mid-season!
• Baseball playoffs are underway... and the Cardinals and the Tigers are working their way to the 2013 World Series!
• Halloween is in the air -- not my favorite holiday, but it ushers in the holiday season.  I really love Thanksgiving and Christmas, and Halloween is the sign that these are coming.

I have loved my Octobers in Michigan, Virginia, Nashville, and Colorado... and I am very prayerful that my love for October is not geographically dependent.  My first ten days of October will be in Austin, TX, and I am very prayerful that I will love October here just as much as my other locations.

WELCOME, OCTOBER! 

Gratitude: Day 18

Day 18... I'm getting there.

Today, I am grateful for mechanics... and mechanics who can serve my car immediately.

Yesterday the air conditioning in my car died.  I heard a weird sound in the morning, but didn't notice a difference in the temperature.  In the afternoon, however, OH MY, I NOTICED A DIFFERENCE IN THE TEMPERATURE!

With the help of a few locals, I was able to find an air conditioner repair place that was able to get my care serviced IMMEDIATELY!

Within two hours my air conditioning was fixed.  It cost plenty, but I am SO Grateful for a working air conditioner.  Not only do I need it to survive in Tucson, but Hubby and I will definitely need it this weekend as we journey from Tucson to Michigan on a very long road trip.

17 days down -- 3 to go!

Gratitude: Day 7

Today, I am grateful for rain.

Tucson has a LOT of heat... but it also has these beautiful rainstorms.  Not every day, but just about every day and a half, Tucson gets a HUGE thunderstorm.  It may not last very long -- maybe 15 minutes, but it is BIG complete with thunder, lightning, wind, sheets of rain.  It's called Monsoon Season.

Apparently, as a city, Tucson isn't very equipped to deal with heavy rain, and has flood warnings posted all over the city... but as a Coloradian for the past 4.5 years, I LOVE rain storms.  We don't get rain storms -- REAL thunder storms.  I can think of maybe 3 big  thunder storms in my 4.5 years in Colorado.  We get big snow storms, little rain showers, and plenty of droughts... but we don't big, beautiful thunder storms.

I am LOVING the Tucson monsoon season.  It is a nice trade-off to the insane temperatures.

I took these pictures yesterday during a storm, and accidentally labeled them "typhoon" instead of "monsoon" -- clearly, I'm not from around these parts.

6 days down -- 14 to go!