The Plan

The plan was to do nothing today. The plan was to lay around, eat left-over chicken spaghetti for lunch and lay around some more. But as often happens in our house, the plan fell through. What actually happened was this:

Gracie woke me up at a 6:15 am and was promptly sent back to bed. We finally rolled out of bed at 8:20 am, and I was feeling pretty confident that my relaxing day was off to a good start. Until I made it to the kitchen and remembered that Kaben had spent the night and heard Gracie clamoring for pancakes. So, I pulled out the recipe I've been using since I was about 8 years old and made a batch of pancakes for breakfast while Trevor made a big pot of Community coffee.

Just as I was taking my pancakes off the griddle, the kids were finishing theirs so I cleaned sticky fingers and faces so they could get down to the business of playing. By the time I sat down with my breakfast, the best rating I could give it was lukewarm but at least the coffee was strong and hot. After I ate, I figured it was time to start relaxing in earnest so I took my dishes to the kitchen and started back to the living room to read a few blogs and check my email.

Trevor went outside to do some work on the vehicles and after some time on the computer, I decided that I needed to go ahead and take a shower and get dressed in preparation for all the laziness I had planned for my day. I was drying off when Trevor came in to tell me Charly and Nick were in the living room (Trevor's brother's wife and their son), so I spent the next 30 minutes or so talking to her but still attempting to live the dream of rest and relaxation.

Charly went to gather Nick to go home, but he was having such a good time that he didn't want to leave. I said that he could stay while Charly finished running (a completely separate story of insanity in this heat) and so she left and Nick made four. Nick wanted to hold the gerbils so I took Lucky out of the cage, and noticed that the cage was getting a bit ripe. I put the gerbils in their exercise balls and cleaned the cage. While I was dumping the bedding in the trash can in the utility room, I noticed that the laundry was taking over the room. And so it started.

After the cage was cleaned and the gerbils were repatriated, I retired to the utility room where the clothes were calling. I put a load on to wash and then noticed (do you see a pattern here?) that there was a mound of Gracie's clothes that needed to be ironed. So, I began to iron in between quelling rebellion and strife in the playroom and running outside to make sure that Gracie and Nick weren't drinking the bubbles. Before long, it was noon and my day of "relaxation" was half gone.

As I was slathering bread with peanut butter and jelly, Charly came back. The kids ate at the counter, and I fulfilled part of my plan by eating left-over chicken spaghetti for lunch. It was quite tasty and Charly undid all of her hard work and sweat in roughly 10 minutes by eating with me. We took Nick and Gracie outside to swing, visited for awhile and then based on the exponential increase in whining, determined that it was nap time for the kids.

I finished the ironing and put another load of laundry on, and then ran to the store for a new dress and a few items for our trip to Florida next week. By the time I got home it was 4:30, Gracie was up from her nap and my enchanting friend Kellye had picked Kaben up.

I guess the point today is that the way we plan things is not always the way things turn out. I was irritated at the time that my day was filling up with chores and responsibility, but now as I reflect on it I realize that God sent so many blessings my way and I completely missed them in the midst of my chaotic life. I had the opportunity to share breakfast and coffee with my family, to see my nephew and visit with Charly, and to have some alone time while I was shopping.

Lord, please open my eyes so that I can drink in the blessings that You give me every day. My very life is a blessing...my soul has been purchased by the blood of Jesus Christ and I rely on You to renew me each morning. Your grace is sufficient for me.