Our "Normal"

Packin' silly string for Rebekah's birthday bash

You know when you have several children, you must have "systems." They gradually develop over time and expand themselves with the addition of each child. So by the time you have more than the "normal" number of offspring (which I think is down to 1.25 children/family now), it looks like you are an efficiency expert. You're not, but it's definitely easier to bluff by that point. 

It has been funny to see our lives from the perspective of our new, and only son-in-law. Hannah told us the other night that he asked her again how we manage "so many things" all the time after our visit to Lubbock a couple of weeks ago. He thinks we are amazing. Have I told you how wonderful he is? (Just a heads up to future prospective "suitors" of our daughters: Jeremiah has set the bar very high so consider yourselves forewarned.)

I don't know what he is so impressed with. Here is just a little glimpse into our Antbed for the last week or so:

Mackenzy and I came home from Seattle on Friday, but not before Kregg left with Elizabeth and Rebekah on a "daddy and girl-only-fishing-trip." Since the boys get to go on so many Scout trips, Kregg decided he would take just Elizabeth and Rebekah and no smelly boys. They came home on Saturday, but not before Hannah and Jeremiah arrived from Lubbock for the day. Before Hannah and Jeremiah arrived, Caleb got home from his retreat in Junction where he camped, fasted, and prayed for Spring Break. So we all went out for dinner that night. I had no idea what groceries we had in the house since Kregg had been a single parent all week. Plus, it is rare to have all 11 of us (including Mackenzy's "friend") together so we celebrated at one of our favorite Mexican food places. 

Sunday was the normal church schedule in the morning and then we had to clean house because we were hosting a cook out/birthday-party-for-Rebekah for our Bible study group. The house was a wreck. You can imagine the chaos of Mackenzy and I unpacking from our trip, Kregg and the girls exploding into the house after a fishing trip, Caleb's jeep vomiting it's camping contents into the house and garage, and Hannah and Jeremiah arriving with their dog!

Monday was back-to-homeschooling day, and laundry day, and catch-up on everything else day, plus Boy Scouts is on Mondays, so we eat an early dinner and then Kregg and the two youngest boys are off to Scouts. Josh was elected Assistant Senior Patrol Leader which is one more thing on his checklist for Eagle Scout. 

Tuesday was more school and "catch-up", and then this happened:

It's hard to tell from this picture, but there was a large grass fire. We had finished school around 4 and Joshua went outside only to come back in and inform me, "Mom, there's a bunch of smoke at the end of our street!" We all went outside and could see flames from our driveway. It is so terribly dry here. We haven't had any measurable precipitation to speak of since September. The humidity was 5% and the winds were very strong, straight out of the west. So even though the fire was less than a half mile from us, it never came our way and the wonderful firefighters were able to keep it from burning down any houses. It got right up to the back fence of a couple of houses. The Lord protected all of us. That is the only explanation. We stood in my neighbor's yard and watched them fight it. And prayed. When we were certain our area was out of danger, we headed on to our meeting for shepherding couples that night and then dinner with friends after the meeting.

On Wednesdays, we help with two small group Bible studies during the evening. Since it was just going to be girls at the first Bible Study, I took it because Kregg had to be out of town. The second one was canceled because the teacher was sick. Kregg had to make a quick trip two hundred miles north for his aunt's funeral. He hopped on the company plane which, thankfully, was already heading to Oklahoma City but was willing to stop in the Texas Panhandle long enough for him to go to the funeral of his aunt. He is coming home today. This afternoon, I am hoping to go visit a young man in jail. And then we have a funeral visitation tonight.

Tomorrow Kregg, Josh, and Ben will head out on a Boy Scout camping trip for the weekend. That's after we have a lunch meeting.

Isn't that about how your week has gone?