Growing Weary...

...but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint" (Isaiah 40:31)

Well, yesterday was a weary day. I'm glad that when I look up I can be encouraged, its when we forget to look up and get dragged down that things can really start to slide...so the cool thing about God's promises are that the truth of His words will bless us when we keep our end of t he deal. And life without hope is pretty bleak.

So, several things made yesterday a weary kind of day, and it would have been really easy to get discouraged.

• It was the first day of school, and the years just are flying by faster and faster. Tianna took the bus, which is a choice she made, but also simplifies things for us on the logistical end significantly. The stop does require that she cross a busy road. I know that its the law to stop behind the flashing red lights of a school bus, but some people are just nuts. I won't embarrass her by crossing her over, but I do wait to make sure she gets safely across. We are also getting up earlier than we have in the past which adds to the weariness, but it was more of an emotional weariness.
• I spoke to Matt and the two living situations he was pursuing in Ithaca for the fall fell through. It's his deal to get a place, but I just cant' totally divest myself of "mom". There have got to be better options than a year lease for a place that he only needs for four months. This is a lesson in see what happens when you wait till the last minute. Unfortunately the last minute has typically worked for him...
• I took my mom for her MRI last night. It is difficult to see your parents age, and I have a feeling there may be some significant lifestyle changes coming down the pike. She is very strong willed (maybe that is where Nicole gets it from...) and I question how compliant she will be....but we'll see.
• I have been missing exercise since June, so I went to spinning class today, and that made me physically weary :)
• The girls arguing after school also made me weary.

And I could probably add a few more...

So soaring on wings of eagles is sounding pretty good right now...as does not being faint. So I ended my day after the girls were in bed and after Howie and I had a chance to catch up by talking to my dear friend Katy until I was so weary I had to go to bed. But I went feeling hope and at peace with the world.

The Bittersweet of Back to School

Tomorrow is the first day of school...I don't know if moms are still doing this, but for as long as I can remember there has been a back to school coffee gathering where collective sighs of relief, or snotty noses being blown can be heard. The sighs of relief seem to outnumber the snotty noses ten to one. Summer vacation is long. Personally, I would rather have year round school and three week breaks every three months or so. But no one asked me. I also have to admit that there were times in the past when I was more than ready for school to start so I could get on with whatever it was that I thought was more important than spending time with my girsl, and my sighs could be heard loud and clear, too.

But not this year. It's snotty nose time for me. My daughter, Tianna, who it seems just yesterday was in preschool pressing her hand prints on construction paper to make special cards for me, is now going to middle school. Middle school...She is growing up into a young lady who will want to spend more and more time with friends and less and less time with me.

And Nicole, who is going into fourth grade, but still enjoys a long cuddle at bedtime, and I am not in such a hurry to get to bed myself because those days are numbered also. She came into my room this morning and I had coffee in bed while we watched some TV together. She wanted to know how to make and upload a video that she had heard about on the Disney channel, and instead of "later, later" we looked it up on the spot, plugged in the video camera to charge the battery and she happily went off to pick her wardrobe and rehearse her son. I imagine I will be the camera man, except maybe not. Matt's girlfriend Carolyn was a film major at Ithaca and if she is here (and I think she will be Wed/Thur.) can shoot it and put it together for her.

So I am sad. Sad the summer is over. It is full of good memories:

• Hiking at Zion National Park, which some of us liked better than others...


• A triathlon in South Carolina.


• Two wonderful weeks at the lake in Virginia with lots of water tubing and even some water skiing.


• Time with Matt and Carolyn.


• Tianna playing on the All Star Softball team.


• Having my mom with us.


• Playing with the kittens.


• Long evening talks with my friend Katy who came to Va. We saw lots of shooting stars!


• My visit with my elementary school friend in CA.


• And so much more...
  

But now it's back to school, and while routine is nice, I will miss the time we have together. I guess I need to go blow my nose

Peace.