Possessing Two Hands

I don't blog much anymore.  Okay... I don't finish a blog post very often.  I start a lot of posts... in my head.  Yep.  I've blogged at least two dozen times in the last few months... in my head... normally in my shower since it's the only semi-quiet place in my house between the hours of  7 a.m. and 8 p.m.  You know the frustrating part about blogging in your head?  No one reads it.  No one relates to it.  It's not really blogging.  Blogging requires two hands working together.  I really don't possess two hands.  I'm pretty sure that my daughter has commandeered my left arm.

I'd love to get these posts down.  There are so many moments of these days with little Laura that I want to capture for all time.  Like today when she rolled herself under her brothers bunk beds because her ever-responsible parents were wrestling with her brothers like a pair of hooligans.  And she was not happy when I had to fish her back out of the dark kingdom that is the underside of her brothers' bed.  Or the fact that she loves her daddy.  I mean, flat out, LOVES him.  Smiles when he comes in a room.  Leans for him to grab her.  Falls asleep in his arms just cause he's holding her.  And I'm all like, "Seriously! I spend hours trying to get you to sleep and you just drift off for your dad!?  Where is the justice in that?!?"  There is no justice for parents in parenting.  That's hard for me.  Really hard.

Tonight Miss Laura is five months old.  FIVE.  Yep.  We've had our beautiful daughter for almost half a year.  I'd like to share with you now how I have become some kind of amazing warrior mother who can simultaneously cook, feed a baby, answer a phone, and speak calmly to the misbehaving children who are beating each other with Thomas trains; but here's the truth: I have discovered that there is a limit to how much I can multi-task.  There is also a limit to the amount of chaos I can currently handle before I blow my top.  I'm proud to say that I can take a lot more than I could five months ago, but there still is a limit.  And when I'm about at that limit with no reinforcements in sight, Amazon Prime becomes my best friend.  Mr. Roger's Neighborhood, anyone?  That's the truth.  Anyone out there feel better now?

That said, life with three children is immeasurably rich.  Watching them love each other.  Listening to the boys making Laura laugh in the back of the van.  Spying on my sons' secret plots via the baby monitor.  Hearing Ben sing his own version of "Old McDonald/Mary Had a Little Lamb/BINGO."  You didn't know those could be made into one song did you?  They can. Having Ben pray for God to change his heart.  I wouldn't trade any of them for the world.

You might ask, "How is she blogging now?"  Well, we are just entering a new phase of life with three.  Laura is far more independent and sleeps much more predictably.  And (da da da daaaaa) Teacher Man is home for the summer!!!  I'm pretty sure that the entire neighborhood heard me cheering when he came home for the summer to help with the monkeys... I mean, children.

The next few weeks start a new journey.  Our Family... under construction.  That's right.  We're going to be tackling several demo projects at the new house over the next few weeks... new flooring, a bathroom remodel, a closet remodel, etc.... You get the idea.  Several plates all spinning at the same time. My brain feels like it's going to explode, but a month from now I hope we're really glad we took on all these crazy projects.

I just wanted to have this moment of honesty with you.  There are dirty bottles in my sink.  Small toy cars all over my kitchen floor.  Paper shreds in the family room.  And laundry waiting to be put away throughout the house.  The boys room looks like a toy store exploded, and I have no idea what's for dinner.  These are jobs to tackle in a normal week, but the next month will be anything but normal.  So normal standards are gone, and a new normal is beginning to take shape and to shape us.  May it transform us into the image of Christ.  May we reflect the love of God rather than the selfishness of this world. And may this season of change reveal the Kingdom to us in a new way as we remember Who is truly in control.

Because we needed more going on around here...

A few weeks after the birth of our precious little girl I casually mentioned to a friend that the inn was feeling a little full.  With two little boys running around making messes and a little girl making her presence known by a variety of pink items spread throughout our home, the walls felt like they were closing in on me.  Who would have thought that that casual conversation would have led to some of the most life-changing months I have experienced?

Because that same friend called me back a few days later and asked if we would be willing to sell our house to her and her husband.

Because we started looking for a home to house our growing family.

Because we found a house... our dream house... within a few blocks of our current home.

Because we did it all while also parenting three children under the age of five and getting Teacher Man through the end of the school year.

Because meanwhile, Baby Laura GREW!  And she has forever changed our family.

Because now I am feeding a baby and packing a box and making dinner and packing a box and making phone calls and packing a box... Are you sensing a theme?

So, if you've missed the updates on our family, rest assured, we are still here.  And also know that I miss this ongoing conversation in my life.  I frequently think of posts that I want to write while in the shower (the only quiet moment of my day) or perhaps in the .002 seconds I have between when my head hits the pillow and when I fall asleep.They are great posts and will eventually be written, but until we are settled in our new home, my two hands will probably be holding our precious baby girl, playing another game of Candyland, or (you guessed it!) packing a box.

For those of you who know our family personally, we will be publishing our new address soon so that we don't miss any updates from your sweet families!  We will officially be residing in the new house in August.  Until then, would you pray?  Please?  For a smooth transition.  For God's blessing on our new home.  For grace as we take on this moving project while also loving the little movers in our care.

And to those of you who have asked about the blog, thanks. It's nice to be missed.  The feeling is mutual.