Blogless

Not to say I no longer have a blog. Just that I am "less" anything to blog. Can't think of a thing. I hate it when that happens.

The only news of consequence is that I am now the director of Ladies' Retreat in Alabama. I've actually known that since sometime in December, but in the past week or two I've really been trying to focus on it and get some direction. I've just been trying to hone in on a theme and a guest speaker, figuring that would be the starting point. So far it's yielded no results whatsoever. Ha! I'm already starting to feel some excitement about it... just no direction. :-) It's tricky, too, because I don't know anybody in Alabama. So trying to think of who to use for staff leaves me a little dumbfounded. That means that the few people I know are doomed. You know who you are. ;-)

We had a house showing today. One of those really frustrating ones. Jason called and said they'd be here in 45 minutes. The house was NOT show-worthy, so I spent that time running in circles getting things put away and floors mopped and vacuumed and all that stuff. I was still at it when they arrived--though things were looking good by then. I opened the door and saw three men. A realtor, the client, and a friend. Men. Three men. I went on a mad cleaning frenzy for three men!!! They were in and out pretty quick. Jerks. Ha! Who knows though. There have been plenty of people go through the house and take their time and declare how much they loved it, and nothing has come from it. Maybe the jerks who breezed through with smirks on their faces and had no questions about it whatsoever will surprise us with an offer, right?! Ya' just never know. I can't very well pray and ask God to send people to look at the house, then be skeptical when He answers because they don't fit my mind's picture of the kind of people who would like the house! Ha!

In other news, Brother Chris is now finished with the roof and it looks terrific. He replaced the boys' broken winder (I caught that typo, but thought it appropriate to leave it since we'll be Alabians soon--ha!) a few days ago and now he's staining the house, office, and shed. We're so used to having him outside here it's going to feel a bit strange when he's not there anymore! :-) He's doing a great job and it's fun to watch him work because he is SUCH a perfectionist. And the kids just love having him around. They spend lots of their day outside talking to him and (probably) harassing him. Most days we're able to talk him into coming in for lunch so we all get some fellowship time. :-)

James is in the market for another vehicle. We've been without a second vehicle for over a year and a half now, if I remember correctly. Most of the time it's been okay, but it's certainly not ideal. Since it's looking like James is going to have to take one more trip to Alabama before taking the whole family with him (bummer), it seems like it would be a really good time to get another vehicle. We went to town and looked at a few things this afternoon and James will be going back in the morning to do some haggling over the one or two that he's got his eye on. We'll see what happens. Praying for God's will on that one.

We're doing something a little different with our morning devotions now. I'm doing one of those read-through-the-Bible-in-a-year things with the kids. I read to them from the New Testament, the Old Testament, then a couple of verses from Proverbs, then Katie and Joe get their Bibles and go to their rooms to read the passage from Psalms and pray while Sam and I read it together and pray. I'm loving it and the kids seem to be enjoying it, too. I have Sam do as much reading as he can in the Psalm and he's doing great. So far it's a hit with all of us. :-)

The Charles is doing well. We now leave him in The Box (his little dog crate) when we leave the house. I hate doing that, but he totally spazzes out when we lock him in the bathroom. He shreds the pad I leave out for him--or toilet paper if he can reach it--and just makes a royal mess of the room. It's like he panics when we leave him alone and decides to tear up jack. I'm sure he panics just the same in The Box, but he doesn't have anything to tear up in there! He cries when we put him in, but I'm supposing he gets bored quickly and gives up a lot sooner. He's always quiet when we come home, so that's a definite plus. The house training is going well. He had that one terrible lapse last week, but has done terrific since then. He's jingling the bells (yes, I left them up when I took the Christmas stuff down!) to go out most all of the time and has been perfect in the house for several days now. Good puppy. Aside from that, he is a MESS! That dog cracks me up. He has just discovered Sam's hacky-sack and thinks it's the best thing ever. He "fetches" it when you throw it, then darts around you and retreats to his bed with it. Right at this moment he wants to play in a serious way and is driving me nuts. I've stopped several times and wrestled with him and let him chew on my hands and thrown him around the room, but apparently it's not enough. I've given him a ball, a slipper, a cardboard tube--all of which have held his attention for about 30 seconds, then he wants me again. Right now he's jumping up at my chair and giving a "woof" every 10 seconds or so. Pitiful. But, of course, he'll win and I'll pick him up momentarily. He has me well trained. :-) This means he's almost ready for bed, thank goodness. He always gets really hyper and wants to play a LOT just before he crashes at night.

Rats. There I go again, rambling on about the dog. He commands so much of my attention--even on my blog! Ha!

Back to the house thing, Jason told James today that the market is starting to pick up again now that the holidays are over, so we're trying to have high hopes that it will mean good things for us. I am soooooooooooooooooooooooo ready to be in Alabama. Beyond ready. God knows. So help us pray, pray, pray! I want to be where God wants us to be. :-)

That's it. I would check to see if I have any new pictures, but my camera is at the other end of the house and it's just not worth it. Maybe next time.