I'm still standin'

no matter that I look almost exactly like this portrait that Lucy drew of me with my hair all over the place, and my head about to roll off.  

May has not proven to be the relief I was hoping for.  

It's still early though. 

 After a really rough morning, I did get to go on an awesome field trip with Eleanor.  Win!

This afternoon while Lucy was resting I decided to gift myself with my own rest.  I heated up a some leftover coffee and retreated to my bedroom.  I never do that and I was so excited!

 Our windows are open to enjoy some fresh air.  And as I crawled into my bed I realized that along with the fresh air our windows were also bringing in the sounds of KSHE, the classic rock station, and nail guns. 

The house across the street is getting a new roof. 

Defeat is not in my vocabulary.  

I got into my bed.

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While I rested and rocked out I thought a lot and prayed.  

Grace kept coming to mind.  Then in my inbox I got this .  Oh man did I ever need that.  

I thought about the kind of weekend I'm hoping to have and the kind of people that I hope show up.  Me included.   I decided the only thing to do was to  give a huge slice of grace to myself and my kids.   

I taped up this little message in the van and when I picked the older girls up from school we headed straight to Ted Drewes.

 Not a single one of us deserved it.

We talked about love and grace and making choices in life.  

And we laughed so hard on the way home over wrong turns, and goofy statements and two people shaking their fists at us.  

Then we got home and I made what was undeniably a rousing speech about pitching in and working together.  And Lucy promptly shredded a piece of Emma's homework, threw it on the floor  and ran outside to chase a bird.  

Love is spoken here

Joy is chosen here

Grace is given here