A Week, Briefly (4/9/18)

We've kind of had a spring break . . . and kind of not.

Symposium--5 days

Academy--3 days

Co-op--1 day

This is Nature Angel's canvas.

Individual School--hit and miss, but probably only 1 time per kid

Dance-- 1, our final community service show of the year for our biggest audience, numbering over 80!

Grandma and Grandpa--1 afternoon/evening visit

New winter beanies--6, all of them handmade by Grandma

Outside time--a lot!  It crossed 80 degrees this week, but it is now back in the 30s, and snow is expected overnight.

College/Career interviews--1 for Pixie (just with me); 2 for Rose Red (1 at Concorde Career College, and 1 at the local community college)

FAFSA forms filled out--1.5  (Rose Red's is done; Pixie's is the half.)

Calls from Doodle for Google--0  And that is disappointing because Nature Angel really, really, really thought her drawing was a potential winner.
 

Chicks--no more losses; 14 alive and thriving

hours spent working on the coop--20? 

lettuce--hundreds of tiny sprouts

peas--dozens of medium-sized sprouts

loads of laundry--well over 20

hours spent folding laundry--4+

Bonfires--1, the teens had a handful of friends over, and they laughed and talked for hours around the fire.  When the rain started, they came inside and watched a movie.

Baseball games--1 major league game attended by Sir Walter Scott and our brother-in-law.  It was a good night out for these 2 faithful husbands and fathers.

Tantrums, melt downs, emotional outbursts, tears, and other tough behaviors--too many to count (and it wasn't all just the kids!)

But . . .

I am incredibly proud of Super Star.

She had the opportunity to audition for a rather prestigious youth choir.  She was terrified, but she practiced, and she did it. 

Half way through the audition, the judge stopped her.

Super Star's heart sank right to her shoes.

Then the judge said, "Your voice is amazing!  Congratulations!" And she handed Super Star her acceptance form.

I think we all cried.

And then we cried again when we saw the performance dates.

ALL of them were on Sunday.

We are firm believers in honoring the Sabbath.  With an aching heart, I said to Super Star, "It's your choice.  No matter what answer you bring us, we are 100% behind you.  Please ponder and pray and let us know your answer."

"Nooooooooo!" she moaned half laughing, half crying.  "Don't make me decide!  Why won't you just do it?!!?!"

I just looked at her.

She knew it was her decision to make.

Less than 24 hours later, Super Star came to me with tears in her eyes as she said, "Mom, I can't do it.  I just have an awful feeling when I think of saying yes.  I really don't think Heavenly Father wants me to do this, and I think that He'll bless me for saying no . . . kind of like Eric Liddel refusing to run on Sunday in the Olympics."

(We just finished studying Chariots of Fire.)

It was several days before we both felt enough peace to truly send the email notifying the choirmaster that she would not be joining.

But, oh!  How proud I am! 

And I'm proud of Pixie for keeping the Sabbath in spite of honors offered by her dance school.

And Sir Walter Scott has been deeply blessed for getting his schoolwork done ahead of time so that he can keep the Sabbath as well.

We're feeding the missionaries tonight; right now the teens are shopping for ways to make their prom dresses modest (shrugs?  lace?  silky tops?); tomorrow Grandma and Grandpa are coming over again, along with a handful of cousins and my sister and brother-in-law.

Will I ever not feel tired again?  Ever?

Probably not. :)


(linking here)