Men's Retreat Weekend

Men's Retreat started yesterday. That means that right now there should be a house full or two of wives and children partying away. Nope. Didn't happen. ~sigh~ How sad. NEXT YEAR! Unless God throws us a curve ball, I'll have the perfect house for it. I thought of the Girl Party at Jamey's house in Colorado all weekend when I knew their Men's Retreat was going on a week or two ago. I never heard anything about it, but I know them well enough to know they did it and they had a terrific time. I'm just going to have to teach the girls around here that that's what Men's Retreat is really all about. Ha! ...Next year.

This year is just WAY too crazy. I am feeling a little more sane than I was a day or two ago. I had one day that felt so out-of-control for me. Things weren't out of control, it just felt like it. In the process of moving out of the Powells' house into the Monstrosity while still using Sister Fender's house as the company and laundry house I just started feeling LOST, like I don't know where to find anything anymore! Where are my black dress shoes? Which house did I leave my overnight bag at? Did I remember to bring my Sunday School stuff with me back to this house, or leave it at the last one? Even now, I'm typing on Joe's computer because I forgot my laptop at House #3 when I left to come back to House #1. My little brain is just smokin' and whirlin' and about to blow a fuse trying to keep everything figured out! But like I said, things feel much better today than they did before. Everything is good and I'm sooooo thankful for all of the houses that God has provided for us to use at this point in time as well as the generous people who have made them available to us. Still, for my mental stability, it will be best when we can start living in just ONE house again. Ha!

After leaving Sister Fender's house yesterday the kids and I stopped to try to help a lost dog that almost got hit on the highway (he made it home okay), then stopped at the store to pick up milk, cereal, bread, lunch meat, and Totino's pizza--our complete menu for the weekend in Brierfield! We got here and I got busy right away. I can't remember the sequence of events, but since yesterday I've been able to get everything upstairs FINISHED. All of our belongings have been vacated and everything is sparkly clean. I made the new rules sufficiently clear to the children, I think: Anyone who steps foot on the stairs dies. HA! Sam got the message loud and clear. He posted a sign on the stairs that says: KEEP OUT! MOM'S ORDERS. It also has a picture conveying exactly what will happen if the warning is not heeded. ;-) I wish I could post a picture of it, but Joe's computer doesn't have a slot for my camera card. There are several things I'd like to post, but can't!

Hhmmm. What else... Sam called his buddy Isaac tonight. Made him very, very happy. Katie and Joe were able to talk to the Clarkson kids last week, so Sam figured he should have a chance to talk to his friend, too. Our kids very seldom get to talk on the phone, but it cracks me up listening to their oh-so-important conversations when they do. Sam was telling Isaac how crazy he is that he lives so close to Texas but he's only been there once. He actually lives 10 or 12 hours away from Texas (the part Sam refers to), which folks out here would think is a trip to the moon and back, but to our kids it's "only" 12 hours.

I've been too busy and mentally stretched to be able to do school with the kids the past day or two, though Katie and Joe sometimes pull their computers out and do school without even being told. I'll have to sit down and get things all sorted out and graded and revamped sometime next week, that's for sure!

All of the kids have been enjoying the great outdoors as much as possible. They're really going to miss this place. They've walked down to the lake a time or two, fishing rods in tow and Brady wagging along beside them. Today they all went leaf sledding. Ha! It still makes me laugh... then feel like crying! So sad. The Dudley's gave us a terrific old sled, but with no snow the kids just pick a good slope covered deep in leaves and go at it. They come in all bloody and bruised sometimes (it's tough to do that in the snow, even if you crash), but I guess you've gotta do what you've gotta do.

We've enjoyed pizza parties last night and tonight--the closest thing to "partying" during Men's Retreat that we could pull off this year. Last night we watched some Wanted: Dead or Alive (one of our favorite old black-and-white westerns, starring Steve McQueen) and tonight they picked Wall-E.

After the movie we had devotions and the kids went to bed I worked some more on rummaging through the kitchen trying to find anything of ours that might have gotten mixed in with the Powells' stuff. There are several cabinets that I never did explore in the year we've lived here. I always intended to empty them out and clean the cabinets real good, then organize them nice and neat for Sister Powell. It's one of those jobs you never have time to do, so I was going to do it for her. Hahahahaha! Apparently I don't have time either! Oh well. It was a nice thought, right?! I feel bad knowing that the Powells will have a hard time finding what they're looking for when they get home. I tried to keep everything marked--even had post-it notes on little totes saying "Drawer #1," "Drawer #2," etc., so I'd be able to put things back where they used to be. I found the totes, but the notes are GONE. Oops.

It's nearly 11:00 now and I'm tired. I'm a little worried about oversleeping in the morning. I packed up the last alarm clock today (good thinking, right?) so I tried to set the alarm on my phone, but I've never done that before. I hate trusting things that I haven't tried out! I probably won't sleep well anyway since I'll be sharing Katie's bed with her. The upstairs is off limits, remember?! ;-) She kicks. And flops. And flails. And gets angry if you disturb her, right, Mom? Ha! In any case, I'd better try to get some sleep. Looking forward to Sunday School, and then the beginning of our Revival with the Shulers tomorrow night. Pray for us! :-)