Wild Week!

It's going to be one of those eventful weeks! Steven's week has been filled with tests, career fairs, meet-and-greets, and interviews (please keep him in prayer!). Last night I had a beautiful experience at the Catholic college students' praise & worship. It was so nice to have half an hour alone to praise the Lord in song! I really miss that form of prayer. It was like I went from wanting to jump out of my skin from a stressful evening of planning for the week, cooking, fussy kids, and a dead bird in the backyard...to an immediate sense of grace and peace. Just what I needed! Then this evening was another of those crazy Mass times, with my lovely 3 year-old running (stomping) all around the balcony during the Consecration. I think it took over the award for worst Mass behavior. Still working on discipline issues there, but I've seen some (small) improvements :)

Afterwards, while driving to get a bite to eat with our friends who were visiting, we noticed that lots of stoplights weren't working. Then we realized that half the town was out of power! Thankfully we were able to find a place to eat, albeit without air conditioning. We cheered as we arrived home to a power-on house, only to go black about half an hour later.

But we had fun in the dark with flashlights and a lantern playing with the girls. The college students across the street were all in the yard visiting. Then they started watching a movie projected on the side of their house! Can't say I've seen that before! I remember reading a reflection about how times like this make you realize just how little time you spend uninterrupted with your family, without TV, computer, or radio. So true. I also watched the movie "RV" the other night (after Lillian's recommendation). It had a similar theme about spending time as a family and how you realize what's most important during the times you are forced to be close. This year living a little bit farther from family has definitely helped me to grow as a wife and mother. It's been such a blessing and I'm trying right now to bask in this wonderful little "yearlong retreat" as I call it. Thank you Jesus, for such a grace and blessing! Hope you are all having a week filled with God's wild love for you!

Here are a few pics from the weekend...

Mary Clare at her cousin's birthday, her first experience of a pottery-painting place (so fun!). Then Ellie after the party hugging a pole, so sweet! And the girls playing with Daddy's new Australian hat from their Godfather who took a business trip there. Steven's mom in the background: