Chocolate Baklava, Green Beans, Reading Contests, Schedules... My Life

DISCLAIMER: This blog post may make complete sense, or no sense whatsoever. Good luck following my train of thought.

Wow - who knew that another airing of our EMHE would put my life in the spin cycle again? (Don't answer that, I'm sure many of you predicted it.)

I've had thousands of emails, contacts, and phone calls. It has been amazing how many wonderful people have helped us, encouraged us, provided new cooling products to try for Kayla, and blessed us with smiles and cards -- And then, how many people we've been able to help by encouraging them, pointing them in the right direction, or helping with medical questions and sources of information.

All of that in and of itself - made me think that there really should be about ten of me to keep up. But wait - it gets better.

I also challenged my readership to a reading contest (see the blogs about our new reading contest)just a couple of weeks prior to all of this. Hundreds of people have entered and are asking their friends to join. And I have wonderful authors who have donated incredible books for the prizes. (I promise I will get to your email about the contest if I haven't yet!) :)

AND - I'm a wife and a mom. Twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week.

AND - I homeschool my kiddos. (And another child.)This year is major, with lots of dificult work, and lots of teaching and planning on my part. (I say that every year... and each year it keeps growing...LOL)

AND - I'm writing several books.

AND - last week we canned hundreds of jars of blackberry jelly, strawberry jam, and salsa.

AND - after the Olympic Trials, we had a lot of encouragement for Kayla to be on a swim team, since her dream is to swim in the Olympics. She is so excited about it, too!(Let's see, that adds only eight more hours to our already eighteen hours/week swim schedule.)

AND - I've lost my mind. (This should need no further explanation.)

AND - I'm NOT superwoman. Or supermom. Or superwife. Or superkim. I've tried, but sad to say, it hasn't happened. (Maybe I need to make myself a costume, with a cape --- oooh and I need boots, too! ...then again, maybe not.)

SO, yesterday, Kayla was having a little bit of a "down" day. We're all exhausted from the day-in/day-out crazy schedule. Everyone needed a little pick-me-up, a little encouragement, a little of Mom's "love." AKA - mom in the kitchen baking something sweet.

Kayla asked for chocolate baklava. i.e.- Eighty layers of ooey-gooey, buttery, sugary, flaky, yummy, don't-want-to-know-the-calorie/fat-count, chocolatey goodness.

Josh asked for green beans. i.e. - green beans. (Both of my kids love vegetables, don't get me wrong-- it just made me laugh!)

I made both :)(I know, quite a combination, but I promise there were things other than just baklava and green beans.)

And as we finished yet another grueling week of school, we talked about family - and how we stick together, work together, play together, and sacrifice together.

Life is hard, and crazy, and fun, and distracting, and sad, and adventurous. But GOD is still God - and HE is good.

So-- I may not be superwoman, I may not be able to swim as fast as my kids anymore, but - I love them dearly, make a mean baklava, and am ready to face what comes each day.

My Life-- I praise God for it. Moment by moment and day by day.