Simply Life::

::Yesterday I turned sod for about an hour and a half total (this was not non-stop, of course, as coming by a whole hour without one of the kids needing something is pretty much impossible). Today, I have a blister on my hand and my left shoulder is achy-- I think at this point in my life, the only truly strong muscles I have are in my forearms from carrying children around on my hip-- but getting some of the sod turned for my intended flower garden was lots of fun, even if I only made a little progress when all was said and done. It was a chilly day and the black flies were thick, so keeping Aubrey out of doors much longer than that just didn't seem like a smart idea.

::I made homemade chocolate pudding before dinner since we had a gallon of milk that was on the edge of going bad. Yum. Some extra cocoa and plenty of vanilla really are the keys to good chocolate pudding, if you ask me.

::Today we ran errands: Walmart and Aldi. While it's kind of nice to have a supercenter in the area now, mostly I miss the smaller store since it was much easier to get in and out of. Not to mention that one cart just isn't enough to hold groceries and all the other stuff we buy at Walmart (like sprinklers and lawn chairs and bug spray and brooms).

One thing I have to say positively about Walmart: they are cheap. I refrained from buying strawberries there even though they were $1.24 because I like to buy my produce at Aldi (typically better prices and an overall preferable shopping environment, in my opinion), but when I got to Aldi they were $2.50. Ugh.

::Tonight Daniel has worship practice and then we'll watch the AI finale together. Based on last night's performances, I think David A. should win, but I hope David C. does. I think he's way better overall, even if he wasn't amazing last night.

::I'm almost on week three of fuzzi bunz for Jackson. I was kind of vacillating about what kind of cloth diapers to go with for him, but I've found myself so in love with fuzzi bunz for Aubrey that I decided it was worth trying for him, too, particularly because it's risk-free. So far, so good, though-- as predicted-- his diapers are way grosser to deal with than Aubrey's. I predict that I will keep them. Now I just have to time things so that he's getting potty trained at the time Aubrey outgrows her smalls and needs his mediums.

::Daniel is really gracious with and kind to me. I watched him work on the fence yesterday and was struck by how that fence was my idea and my desire, but he's the one making it happen. Last night, he stayed home to spend time with me instead of playing tennis, which happens to be one of his favorite things to do. During these days off, the constant from him has been, "What can I do for you? Do you want me to vacuum? Do you want to play a game? Do you want me to work on the fence? Can I do something to make dinner simpler to prepare?" Unbelievable and totally undeserved.

::I've been thinking about a couple things this week:

1. Priorities and how I make time for the things that are important to me. I wonder how many things are important to God that I excuse myself from because I tell myself I don't have the time. I also wonder how many things I am currently making time for that God wouldn't necessarily have me spend myself on.

2. How casual I am with my speech so much of the time. This is not new to this week, as in the past few months I have made more than one phone call to others apologizing for things I said, but I am feeling even more pressure from the Holy Spirit in the last few days to think before I speak. It's humbling and uncomfortable to feel the heat of conviction so frequently after I say something, but it's also amazing to know that He's committed to helping me change and grow.

3. Blessing. I am so blessed! And I want to be more intentional about blessing others. Not only give when somebody presents a need, but to the point that I am anticipating needs and hopes and wishes. I remember reading one time on Kathy's journal about how we usually buy new things for ourselves and then give the old things we have away, when maybe it ought to be the other way around at times. I want to do that more.