A new alignment.

You know when your car is out of alignment and it rubs everything wrong?  Well, my children are out of alignment.  It has been a gradual thing. Isn't that always the case? We get busy, we function on cruise control and break for extreme emergencies (like when you might crash!).  I've been there.  Last night I wrote down the things that had gone on in our last two weeks, in my last two weeks and it looked like this.....

Sarah married her love Paden.

     Caleb flew in from Germany and flew back.
        
 Chelsea and Bo were here to enjoy the wedding weekend…

     Samuel got suspended from Alternative School…who does that???

Doug and Stuart’s mother died.

     We took Rosie to MO to a girls academy.

We struggled with money issues.

        We had an appraiser come to my house (my need to be clean house and look ALL though it!)

Those were the big things….little things…

* School
*Thump at our house
*Harvest Festival
*Fifth quarter
*parent teacher conferences
*Last football game
*Kids at Gillis Mills
*Area wide youth devo
*Service Project tonight
*a baby sip and see
*Seth’s last football game, championship game at that
*Meeting at Second Creek with Wes

We’ve had meetings and plannings….
We’ve eaten three meals a day and way too many snacks….
We’ve played and enjoyed one another…
We’re fussed and had disagreements…..
We’ve see pure joy and great sorrow!!!

I know I know...such is life....but for me?  It was too busy.  I had too much going on.  In the midst of all that hustle and bustle (and in truth the weeks leading up to this two weeks were crazy too) I did not invest time in my family.

Yikes, are moms allowed to say that??  I mean, I just did.  And I really did mean it.  I haven't even been far from home, I've been with my children the whole time, and yet I have not stopped.  That whole "be still and know"?  I haven't known because I hadn't been still.  Or I did know, but I sighed and moved on (as though all of it was hopeless).  Humm.  It is not hopeless ya know?  It can all change. 

Over the last few days, which have been really hard physically and especially emotionally, Scott and I have talked.  We had 8 hours together in the car without and audience to talk about about our household.  We talked about successes and weaknesses. We talked about where we want to be and were we actually are.  We made some decisions.  Some people would say it's a grass roots movement:)  What was successful in the past can be again.  Scott even brought out the "home school" word, talk about sighing!!!  But, we are in agreement. 

Our older kids did not have rooms to themselves until they were pretty big. I think Chelsea's room came only about the time she went to college.  Chelsea and Sarah shared a room and it sure never hurt (haha...well not in the long run) either of them.  They are good friends and even more important strong sisters in Christ.   My boys all shared 4 rooms (10 of them) and they seem to be pretty neat guys.

So, in case you didn't follow, my children are all getting room-mates.  No one (except Sam) of school age is exempt.  They will begin the moving process this weekend.  You might should all pray for my grass roots movement:)

Also this weekend John is moving home.  He and Scott have had the long talk and all is well.  Stuart graduates next month and is moving home this weekend until he has a job.  It's been 4 1/2 years since he has lived at home, it will be a joy.

That said, I will have 7 empty bedrooms (NONE of which am I planning on filling except with occasionally company).   When my movement quits moving you can come visit!

There's lots more I can say about our decision, but I will likely blog it in small pieces as I hopefully see success.

We need no mechanic for our new alignment, just a bunch of strong backs and good attitudes.