Rest....

Well, the title of our blog is "Our Crazy Life" and there is a reason! Let me share with you the last 48+ hours of our life....
Sunday, 6:30am
We woke up, showered, got dressed and started packing for our weekend in Dallas.
Kids woke up, fed them breakfast, and let them play while I finished gathering all our stuff.
Loaded some stuff in the car, helped Maddie get dressed, and fished a dirty diaper out of Maddie's toilet that Mack decided to dispose of.
Got Mack clean, dressed. Got Maddie clean and dressed.
Fished Mack out of the Guest bath toilet. He was splashing with his hands.
Finished getting me dressed. Fished Mack out of my toilet...he was about to throw the toilet paper roll in there.
Michael and I got everyone loaded in the car and we headed out.
Got to Lindale, had to stop at the Brookshires because I forgot to get the six flags tickets.
Met Momo and Papa. Maddie rode with them to Dallas and Mack slept. (ahhh....some grown up conversation for Michael and I)
Got to Dallas with Papa barely making it to a potty in time.
Checked into the hotel. Went to our room. Unloaded our stuff.
Jumped back in the car and went to eat.
Momo and Papa dropped myself, Maddie and Michael off at the Ranger game.
We stayed for 7 innings. Had great seats, but nearly passed out from heat exhaustion.
Went back to the hotel. Cleaned up.
Headed to the mall. Got to the mall. It was only open for another 30 minutes. Plenty of time for me to do some damage.
Left, ate supper.
Went back to the hotel...got the kids ready for bed.
10:30pm....Mack still not asleep. Maddie still not asleep.
11:00....finally. I can now shower the funk off of me. I was starting to smell myself.
11:30...bed.

Monday....
2:00am...Can't sleep. Michael can't sleep.
3:00am....Mack keeps moving and keeping us awake.
4:00am...Last time I looked at clock. Finally, some rest.
7:00am....Kids wide awake.
Time to start the day...Breakfast, baths, clothes, etc.
Head to Six Flags....
Ride EVERYTHING that Maddie was tall enough to ride. Some rides many times in a row. Parachutes, Bobsled, Mine Train, Kiddie Rides, Log ride, Splash Water Falls, Roaring Rapids. She LOVED standing on the bridge at Splash Water Falls and getting soaked. It was like 100 degrees or something!
6:00pm--Park closes.
In car and ready to head back to Longview.
9:00pm...arrive home.
Mack is so excited he doesn't want to sleep. He just wants to play! Read Bibles, say prayers. 10:30 everyone is in bed and asleep.
Do some work on computer.
Finally, another shower. Yeah! Bedtime. Yeah.

Tuesday...
12:00am...Michael is sniffing like crazy...he has allergies. I can't sleep.
2:00am...Last time I looked at clock...
7:00am...Everyone is up. We do the usual. Get breakfast, get dressed, get Maddie off for school. Do some work on computer.
Try and get Mack ready, I have to pick Maddie up early today for her school party.
Get dressed, get Mack a bath and get him dressed. Put him in the crib to fall asleep while I get everything loaded in the car for the party (bicycles, stroller, snacks, lunch, diaper bags, etc.).
Do some work on the computer.
Hear Mack shrieking. Walk in and see explosive poop all over the bed, his arms, his legs, his face (yes, he layed down in it).
Clean Mack up and race out the door.
Get to Maddie's school. Pick her up. Drop off teacher gifts.
Go to Dollar Store. Buy class gifts.
Go to Target...Feed Mack his lunch, get Maddie a snack.
Buy stuff at Target.
Head to the park for another school party.
Sweat in 100 degree weather again for another 2 hours.
Head to the furniture store. Do some work. Send Michael and Mack home.
Head to the softball field to coach Maddie's softball game.
Sweat again in 100% weather.
Head home. Get the kids ready for bed. Read Bibles. Do some work.
Type this blog...bed!
Finally. Some rest.

I love my crazy life! All you moms out there with more than 2 children...I admire you!

Police Escort...

Tonight, Maddie came home in a police car!! Yes, you read it correctly. MADDIE CAME HOME IN A POLICE CAR!!!

Luckily, it was just our neighbor. Maddie went over for a birthday movie night with her best friend, Mattie. She left a 5 year old and came home 15. She announced when she got home that she was tired and going to bed and we didn't need to lay down with her.

We were heartbroken. You see, after Bible and prayers, one of us lays down with her EVERY night until she falls asleep. I'm sure the doctors would tell us this is a bad habit, but its our nightly ritual and we love it.

Apparently, being able to stay at her friends house until the late hour of 9:30pm made her feel like a BIG girl. And then, to top it off, Mattie's daddy (who is a policeman) drove her home in the police car. She thought she was so cool.

After she announced she was going to bed, Michael and I were crushed. Then, came the call we hoped for...."Mom, will you come lay with me?" Hallelujah, she still needs us.

Hopefully, this will be the last time she ever rides in a police car!!

Peace in the Storm

Wow! What a morning we had yesterday! As Michael was heading off to work, I turned on the news and much to my surprise....tornados had touched down in Canton and were heading this way. I continued to watch for the next half our and saw that it was right over Tyler. Maddie heard the weatherman say that "if you live in a mobile home, take shelter immediately." She said Momma....we have to warn Momo and Papa! I assured her that they were at work and watching and God would take care take care of them. We continued to watch as I tried to get Mack down for his nap. We saw that it passed over Tyler without incident, but was now just west of Longview and the rotation was reforming. The sirens went off and I began to think were we would hide. Our house has only two inner rooms...a tiny blanket closet and the pantry outside the kitchen. I had Mack asleep in my arms because I was afraid to lay him in his bed, so I had Maddie (who was home from school because she had strep throat by the way) start pulling stuff out of the bottom of the pantry and get some pillows. I watched the news and continued to look out the window to see grey clouds swirling above. They said the storm was weakening, but the winds started picking up and I could see the clouds swirling, so we got in the closet anyway.

Praise God, Mack stayed asleep until just before we heard the weatherman give the all clear and we reemerged from our hiding spot. Maddie and I snuggled up under the pillows with a flashlight and told silly stories. It's actually been on of my favorite memories with her.

I'm so thankful that God knows me. He knew that had Maddie been at school today, I would have been in a panic. He knew to schedule our doctor's appointment just late enough that we wouldn't be out on the road when this occured. He knew to send the storms through during Mack's naptime or we would have had a long 15 minutes in that tiny closet.

I'm so grateful that God provides us shelter in the midst of our storms. We are thankful everyday as we continually see His hand at work even in our every day lives.