Whirlwind

This guest post is by my friend from church, Sara. She has some of the cutest kids I've ever seen (apart from my own kiddo, of course)! And Sara is so pretty, too. When I first met her, I never would have thought that she already had three kids! Her family has a blog here. And she also has an Etsy shop called SoLilly that has some of the most adorable kids clothes I've ever seen. (You should especially check that out if you have daughters. It seriously makes me want girls!) Enjoy Sara's hectic weekend lament:

Have you ever had something happen, even something little, that just kind of stops you in your tracks and really puts you in your place? Well, that was my weekend.

I have mentioned before that I run a tight ship staying at home with 3 little ones. I always have a packed schedule and I keep up with it and I wouldn't have it any other way.

I love serving. I love people. I love making new friends and catching up with old ones. I think I find every opportunity (or opportunity finds me) to do whatever I can possibly squeeze in to do good and be productive.
So it has to happen on a week when...
You are taking a meal to someone having a baby,
Going to a funeral and bringing rolls and dessert for the family's lunch afterward,
Participating in your calling at the church on Wednesday night,
Going out with the Sister Missionaries to teach,
Having a girl you visit teach over for lunch because she is leaving for college,
Going to your sister-in-law's at home party,
And then a friend from church's party the next day,
Watching a good friend's sweet little boys so she can work while her sister is in the hospital,
Buying all the school supplies because you procrastinate and wait until the last week,
Preparing a solo for Christmas (later post- no tome now)
Yearly check-ups at the pediatrician office,
Getting a scrapbook put together for your Dad's 50th birthday,
Not to mention the hours sitting in front of the sewing machine...
That you wake up Saturday morning and realize that 2 out of 3 kids have horribly broke out with POISON IVY!!

So even though we missed the primary activity that I was supposed to help out with, and spent the day at the doctors and filling prescriptions and applying gunk on Lilly's face and Nick's leg, arm, hand, face, and neck... I was actually thankful for the opportunity to just spend the day with my own kids and not running around caught up in this whirlwind I find myself in. (We were still able to make it to church so I could sub for singing time in nursery:)) A friend of mine recentlywent on an extra service hiatus for a month. Although I don't think I would be able to commit to that, an entire morning can sure have lasting effects:)
I keep thinking it will slow down, but it seems every week on the calandar is more filled in than the last. It's moments like these when you remember the quote "No success can compensate for failure in the home." Not that I think I will ever "fail" in the home, but I was grateful for the reminder that my most important service is within the walls of my own home.
I am so so grateful for my wonderful husband and kids that just sort of hold everything together while I do my calling and serve others. I am thankful for that little slap in the face realization that it might be ok to slow down and take a deep breath every now and again.
I am grateful also for wonderful friends. While attending the funeral Friday and setting up tables and chairs and food for the family's lunch afterward, a friend was watching the kids. I leave them all the time with Nick, a few times with Nick's grandma and with my mom, once with Nick's sister's Celia and Emily, and (first time for everything) now with Michelle. Andrew cried 4 times for me but got over it. It was so refreshing to know that he knows her well enough that I could have my phone on silent during the service and I didn't have to worriedly run home. (My house was somehow miraculously clean when I arrived home too.) AND- when I called another friend at church to say I wouldn't be able to do my station at the primary activity, she actually offered to take Andrew to the primary activity so I could take care of the other kids without bringing him along and exposing him to the poison ivy. Buuuut... I kept him with me.
So thank you to every one who knows exactly where I am coming from and thank you to all who do kind acts of service for me and my family.