What a week!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I could write for hours about how I feel tonight. I won't however because I'm just plain drained. This week was CCCCRRRRRAAAAAAZZZZZZZYYYY! It started off with a huge bang last Friday night. Literally. Jeff, Emmitt, Dad and Tom ended up at the Royals game while the girls did some shopping therapy. However, it stormed really bad that night and the guys didn't end up watching said game until almost 10:00 because of the rain. When us girls got home from the mall around 10:00 we came home to no electricity at the house. Lovely. So I sent the girls home with mom and dad and Angie and I sat and chatted via candlelight. When the power came back on Angie and I started working on Mia's blog. Only to discover that the hard drive that had ALL of our pictures on it got hit by lightening. Not the computer, not the monitor, but the most precious part of the computer to us. All of our kids birthdays, Christmas's, any and every picture was GONE!!!! We have backed them up before, but just not recently. So we tried not to completely freak out. (Okay I did freak out, but I tried not to).

Anyway, then Saturday was Mia's birthday. It was a busy day for us because Emmitt had a football game that morning and Carleigh had practice for an upcoming dance performance that afternoon. I cried on and off all day, but held it together better than I thought that I would.

The rest of the week thus far has been filled with Appointments, Field Days, End of the year parties and Kindergarten Graduation. Talk about an emotional week. I wish that I was one of those moms that is happy as their children get older and like to watch them "grow up". Me, however, I cry at almost everything. I want to keep them little FOREVER. God's working on me about that. The longer I have them, the more I understand that they are just on loan from above. It's almost Friday and I'm happy to say that we have almost made it through.

With all of the business of the week, Jeff and I have also had a few upsets. I don't understand why when you are down, and hanging on for dear life, everything around you seems to go wrong as well. Our finances have been hit this week, our dreams have been hit this week, and we find ourselves just trying to "make it". I don't want to just "make it". I want more! I want beauty for ashes, hope for despair, gladness for mourning, strength for fear. I want it ALL. (Now I'm singing that song from HSM...I want it all!). We're still clinging to the HOPE that we have in Jesus Christ.

Thank God that children are so resilient. They keep going which keeps us going. Many have asked how Jeff and I's relationship is after loosing yet a third baby. The truth, we are closer now more than ever. If I would have known as a teenager all that we have gone through in our marriage I don't know what I would have done. We have been through some STUFF! But we truly love each other, he still gives me butterflies and we agree more than not about how to raise our children in a Godly home, yet keeping them "normal" . (Don't know if that makes sense to you?) I love the fact that when the kids are in bed Jeff and I sit and chat and laugh about things that only he and I would get.

The kids have had a great week non the less. I look forward to what summer holds for our family. I'm thinking Popsicles on the swings, catching lightening bugs, hanging out in our tent, late nights, BBQ's, lazy days at the pool, lots of movies, trips to zoos, museums, and parks, fireworks, golf, and soaking up the SON. Jeff's already working on his patriotic music CD for July 4th. It's hard to be sad when you have that to look forward to. Right? God BLESS America!

Ni-Night for now!

Marsha

P.S. We were able to recover all of our pictures. God is good!