dancing...

nora was teaching james how to dance like a prince...

i woke up in the middle of the night last night with the worst sore throat.  i couldn't swallow.  i couldn't talk.  it was AWFUL!  i would have sobbed, except it hurt too bad.  i exchanged a few emails with david (since he was going to bed), and texted my mom.  i even got to chat for 2 minutes with a friend.  and went back to bed.

i woke up feeling a little better, and ran to whole foods to get some necessities.  we stopped by a friend's garage sale on the way home and my kids played for a minute.  she asked if my kids were always this good, so impressed with them.  i told her i wasn't sure who these kids were, but i was keeping them!

i really felt, today, like i had the grace when i needed it.  my kids slept in a bit.  they were wonderfully behaved.  i got to nap, after putting everyone in their bed.  i woke up to them playing, quietly and sweetly, in nora's room.  i don't think they napped.  but they were angels about it!

we went to a party for church tonight.  i got there, and someone jumped to grab the carseat for me.  someone else jumped to hold christopher.  dads played with the older two.  (it was one of those parties like i remember growing up.  the kids just played.  hard....)  christopher was passed around so i could mingle, eat, etc.  i didn't hold him for two hours!  people kept offering to help.

and others asked how they can help me in life.  what can they do.  i almost started to get a complex, like i looked like i was a hot mess!  (i did get home to mascara smudged under my eye, but i don't think that was it!)  i just felt so loved and taken care of.  one of the moms commented how impressed she was that i was there with three kids and no husband.  how hard it can be, even with her two and a husband.  i started crying.  i don't think i had even thought about it.  we were just going to go.  but everyone around me made it feel so easy!

i think because so many are military families, they get it.  they want to help, because they have been there.  and, those that aren't, just love us.  i have really been praying about where to be involved in the fall, as a family (not church, but like Bible studies, etc).  i got to chat with our pastor about it tonight.  again, i felt like God answered prayers.  ones i had been praying and ones i didn't even realize were on my heart!

and, it's 8:30.  i am going to bed.  and praying that this sore throat goes away.  but, feeling wonderfully loved and taken care of by the family i have here!