Another Chapter

As I've shared before, in my "One Word" bible study this year, my word is Resilience.  I knew I was asking for it when I picked a word about being stretched.

Sometimes, we are stretched to help us grow and sometimes we are stretched because we aren't listening to God.  Sometimes it is a little bit of both.

For four years I have worked as a Closing Coordinator for a real estate team, similar to work I did prior to getting married/having kids.  When I started, Mac was not yet in school and this work was less than 15 hours a week.  I could do most everything from home and it was the perfect job for me.

The team I work(ed) for has expanded, and expanded.  During the off season I work about 30 hours a week and last Summer I averaged about 50 hours a week - often juggling 30+ contracts at one time.  Still all from my home office, which is awesome, but a lot for a Momma of five with many different school schedules to keep up with.  With my phone buzzing at all hours, paychecks not consistent and a differing opinion of responsibilities, it was time for me to turn in my notice and pray about what was next.

I love this job.  Real estate is what I know.  I am really good at this job.  Clients like me.  Lenders and title companies rely on me.  I LOVE having a home office.  This is my comfort zone.  But, the Lord had made it clear there was another chapter ahead in my life.  Another chapter that I did not know about yet.

I fought with myself for awhile, for months even.  But the Lord made it very clear and when I turned in my notice two weeks ago, a burden was lifted off of me instantly.

Today was my last day.  My last day with my dream job that I've had for four years.  It was an emotional day for many reason that I will not get into here.  But, as I move into this next chapter, I am asking, no I am begging the Lord to help me be resilient during this time.  My income paid bills, it wasn't just extra, and things were tight already.

I know the Lord has not forgotten me and I must remember to trust Him.

As I sit here this evening, unemployed, I know he has a plan - he just hasn't chosen to reveal it to me yet.  I must be patient.

And I don't do patient very well.  *sigh*

Greenway Late Lunch

With two days left at work, I was trying to finish some files and then do something fun with the kids on their first day of Spring Break.

We took Jason lunch at 1:30, saw him a few minutes and then picked up lunch for ourselves and headed to a park near his current work site.  The weather was beautiful and it was a great was to burn some energy and enjoy the sunshine!

Puzzle Family Night (and games)

 Finally Finished!

Capps' First Soccer Game

It was COLD!  The week has been so warm and nice and sunny!  And today has been cool and tonight was C-O-L-D!  And windy!  Very miserable for a bunch of 11 and 12 year olds, but they stuck it out and they won!

Jason says Capps was a lot more aggressive in practice, but it was probably a mixture of first-game jitters and freezing temps.  I got a few pictures...

The Tale of a Mattress

When you have a big family, you get hand-me-downs, and you gladly accept them.  I came from a family of eight and I know we survived on them.  I now am the mother and organizer of a family of seven and I am thankful for many things I do not have to purchase.

If you know me, I am also a little bit of a no-nonsense mother when it comes to my children and "ridiculous" behavior can drive me batty.  Cruel, I know, but if something taste bad - you eat it anyway and think of the starving children everywhere.  If something feels uncomfortable, you wear it anyway and be thankful for clothes.  If something seems unfair, you can have different rules when you have your own mortgage.  You get the point?

Our four boys share a room.  When they started to share, Mac was probably two.  We were given bunk beds by two different families and Mac, of course, was given the thin mattress because he was a little guy and it didn't really matter.  Well, that was six years ago.  A mattress possibly used by a previous family for many years?

We've noticed that Mac has ended up in the den sometimes when Jason has put Omar out for his final potty break.  He's been asleep on the couch and Jason and has taken him back to bed.  Then, Thursday morning, Mac had made a bed of blankets on the floor and was sleeping on that when I woke the boys up for school.

Keep in mind, he has never complained about his bed.

"Buddy, what is going on?  Why are you not sleeping in your bed?"  I'm thinking bad dreams.  The boys talk too much (which has been a complaint).

"Because, no matter where I move, a spring pokes me...and I can't sleep."

So, I laid in his bed.  Something, I haven't done in a LONG time.  It was terrible.  Absolutely horrific!  Poor little guy!!!

So, he and I went mattress shopping after allergy shots yesterday and got him a mattress.  Brand new, no hand-me-down.  For Mac!!!

This morning, he came to breakfast and said:  "Mom, I didn't know you could lay down and BOOM, it could be morning, just like that!"  no tossing and turning

I'll just chalk this up to character building and plan on happy, well-rested Mac at the breakfast table from now on.

A Random Visit From Papa

Papa walked down today.  Without his cane (apparently without telling Grandma he was leaving too).
He shot the BB gun.  Hung out for 90 seconds.  And left.

Mac get stitches

Trampoline -1, Mac - 0

Capps' First Soccer Practice Ever

(with Daegan)

A Confessional Post

Remember when I said that for Daegan's OCD/anxiety therapy, there was going to be one more parent session and then we would be done?  Well....

I met with the doctor and you want to know what he said?  He said he didn't think Daegan was OCD at all (which I suspected). He said that he was under the impression that Daegan's mother *cough*cough* was very OCD and since Daegan was a people-pleaser, he appears OCD at times, just to make mom happy.

*sigh*

Guilty as charged. And, makes total sense.

We still have some anxiety to work through, but OCD is off the table.

Daegan's 12th Birthday

Friday Night with the Browns at our house!

 A compass and a gift card for Academy, and a shopping trip with Mimi 

 Sunday lunch with the Caines

 J.R.R.Tolkein book collection 

 And, since his birthday fell on Sunday, we celebrated with "us" on Sunday afternoon.

 Omar enjoying the party! 

Peter's 1st Birthday with us!

3rd Birthday, but 1st Birthday with us!

 Never lacking in people when cousins are involved. 

 Daddy had trick candles that Peter couldn't figure out - after he blew them out five times?

 

Tavis' First Game - 7th Grade

We are very excited about this season.  Not so excited about the first game in a downpour.