the JOURNEY of fall...

My last post has been two months ago and even then if was attempting to catch up on all the pictures and events of the summer that I so wanted to share with you! Well with school starting for everyone but Addyson this fall, we have had a lot of adjustments to make to life, our schedules and just what everyone needs and expects from each other! It has truly been a journey! Everyone went through their rough patch with me being back in school....rob, the girls, myself! And in the past few weeks I feel like I have really hit my groove with knowing how to provide my family with the things that I need and still be able to study well and get done what I need to for school.

I ran the Chicago marathon a couple of weeks ago (still hope to blog a little on this ;), XC is coming to an end this weekend with the conference meet (hopefully we will have some runners head on to Nationals at the end of the month!) and I only have three labs left to teach for the fall!!! Things just continue to look up and up! I just have lists of things I am wanting to do with all of my free time...scrapbook, make plans for dutch costumes for the spring, catch up on all my blogging....the list is endless--paint a couple of rooms, organize the ominous corner in my bedroom, make plans for finishing the basement...and that list would even come after coloring with Gracie, making up songs and reading stories with Karys, and playing babies and reading books with Addyson ;)

People come up to me all of the time and ask me how I am. So many of them make comments such as, "I don't know how you do it all!" "I really look up to you for balancing things so well" And I 99% of the time respond with "I don't know how I do it either...and this is a season I would never choose to repeat (merely for the sake of not being able to be more devoted to being home with my family).

There came a time a few weeks ago where Rob and I just had to sit down and really ask each other if this was worth it? Is there hope that we are going to survive this and if there is is it worth the fight to make it to May? We both decided that it was...and we both decided that the only way through it was to trust God for His strength and His provision....PROVISION....He will provide everything I need! Not necessarily what I need for next week, but manna and grace for each day. I wake up every morning thanking him for another day to walk hand in hand and praising Him in advance for filling in in the places that I fall short. I don't think there has ever been a season of life where I have ever trusted God's provision and His guidance in my life more! So I continue on the journey, not making lists or placing expectations on myself...I am never going to be caught up on this blog or my scrapbooks, I may never complete the sewing project I had such good intentions of starting...but I will continue to be the best Mom I can! That is something that I know God has called me to...he showed me that mission field when I was pregnant with Addyson; and makes sure to remind me often that that is my priority!!! So as we anticipate the birth of VL #4 I will continue to trust God for that manna and daily provision, and I PRAISE Him in advance for all He has done and is yet to do in my life and the life of my ever-growing family :)