Untitled Blatherings

With a new opener like that, how can anyone resist this post?!

Sadly, I was unable to come up with something exciting, funny, or inspiring for today. Blame it on brain overload. I've heard that sometimes it helps to talk about things, so here's what I've been up to lately (obviously, not blogging)...

- I got a call from a lovely woman asking if I was available to do some contract administrative work; I said yes. (Feeling introspective, I pondered why I responded this way - when I clearly don't have time. Several incidents over the past year came to mind, where I've felt driven to apply for - and interview for - various jobs that I thought I'd like. I'm beginning to suspect that I suffer from 'fear of losing all your skills and abilities while being a stay-at-home mother' syndrome - also known as FOLAYSAAWBASAHMS.)

Time and again, God has made it clear that my #1 job is to raise these 5 children He's sent my way to know and love Him. But, being the slow learner that I am, I needed to try out His 'theory' for myself a few times. Guess what - God really does know best! That being said, I cannot wait for this project to be done, so I can get back to bloggin'!

- Ministry life has been B-U-S-Y! I'm sure you've noticed me mention our women's retreat once or twice. ;) There's also a women's coffee morning that I've been working pretty hard at. To define 'hard' for you, here are a few examples - spending all Tuesday afternoon at my computer, on the phone, and/or in prayer preparing...spending Wednesday morning running around slightly harried but smiling (I hope I'm remembering to smile) setting up this and that, troubleshooting the other, meeting with such-and-such and so-and-so...spending ALL Wednesday afternoon on the phone debriefing and troubleshooting, encouraging and mentoring - round and round it goes!

The funny thing is, as much as I dreaded the 'duty' of taking on this role, I am finding joy in it. And more so, I have noticed excitement growing within me about what we can do for next year, and the team that will work together for the next year. Which is a really GOoD thing, because I have felt (and been affirmed by my team) that I am supposed to continue leading this particular area next year, mentoring the new group of girls in how to 'do ministry' in a big Church while still ensuring that the focus is less on doing ministry than on honoring God.

- Our family took off to West Edmonton Mall for the weekend to finish off our spring break. We had a super-duper fun and exhausting adventure! I took lots of pictures (which are finally here!).

On Saturday we went to the waterpark (a relative of mine, well if we were getting technical I guess she'd be an ex-step-cousin, gave us a family pass that she had purchased at an auction but couldn't use b/c they live waaaay over in Manitoba). The waterpark experience was worth the $14 we spent for the additional family member, but would never have been worth the full $100! Our kids are still too young and requiring too much supervision - the one time we decided to take a break from supervising the lifeguard had to rescue 3 of them from the waves (totally kidding, I wish we could've taken a break)! My entire body ached by the end of the day from carrying around an 18-pound squirmy mass of grumpiness who hates the water. And what in the world?! Our family loves the water! What is with that kid? (Three times swimming, three times screaming. Sigh.)

They sure are a cute bunch of cold, wet urchins, aren't they?




We stayed in a hotel, which I'll tell you about in a separate post (it's worthy of it's own post), and ate dinner at the Old Spaghetti Factory in downtown Edmonton. I don't know which was the greater adventure, attempting to dine out with five utterly exhausted and LOUD children or navigating our way for 1/4 block of homeless men (which probably wouldn't have been too scary, with the exception of the angry man who spoke to himself and shouted profanities our way a few times - yikes!). As I re-read this, it sounds like I am terrified of homeless people and have never really seen any before - not the case at all! But I can't recall a time when my children would have seen such a person up close, and new experiences can always be a little frightening. And the guy yelling at us was a tiny bit terrifying.

Surprisingly, everyone was asleep by 9:30pm, including the grown-ups! Though the night was not without incident. At 4am, responding to Shea's crying from the fold-out sofa, I went running and stubbed my toe on our luggage - twice. The cause of the trauma - apparently Shea was putting her feet on Megan while they slept (this clearly falls into the category of 'unacceptable intrusion into Meg's personal space'), so Meg punched the sleeping 2-year-old in the gut! Aw, what a sweetie.

Sunday, we planned to shop a bit at the mall, watch the sea lion show, and head home. But, plans change. Someone got suckered into buying passes to Galaxyland (note: mom never gets suckered in by big doe eyed children). So we rode, and we rode, and we rode. My own bed never felt so good as when I crawled into it at 8:05pm that night!

Wheee! "This boat tickles in my tummy!"

Phew. See, this is why I temporarily disappeared. It's exhausting just to type it all out!

BTW, in case you were wondering, I have NOT been spending my time losing weight. Oh no! Why lose weight when it's so much more fun to gain back every flippin' pound you've lost in the past 3 months (over the course of only 3 weeks)! Why not, right?! Yuck.

Here's a bunch more photos for ya!

















Here we are waiting for our (very expensive) lunch in the waterpark. Next we're hanging out in the mouth of a big whale. Weird, I know. A whale in the mall....

All tuckered out.




This exact car was driven by this exact boy for exactly 8 turns in a row.

That's a pretty big smile for a girl who thinks the merry-go-round is for babies.