So close….

If you come here often, you might notice I take a lot of random sunset photos.  I have always done this, even when my mother would complain about using up all her film.  If I am obsessed with sun sets, it stands to reason I would also be obsessed with sun rises too right?   Yesterday morning was a real beauty!   I was thinking about a conversation I once had with Jim’s dad.  He told me he didn’t feel like he started off the day right unless he saw the sunrise.  I think I was sleep deprived, and although I was probably up early enough to watch the sunrise, I told him that I rarely took the time.  He told me I should reconsider, take a few seconds and it might change my life.  At the time, I think I had about 8 kids living at home, a husband who would do anything for me except for mornings, and about 10,999 things going on at every moment of my being.  I might have rolled my eyes.  Who knows.  A few years later, I took a job throwing the newspaper.  I had to start my day at 3:00 am every single day. I was always tired, and I purposefully tried to get back home before the sunrise because driving east on the way back, when you are exhausted, and having to look straight into the rising sun was a killer.  Currently, I drive a bus, and have hit the point in my life where sleeping in just doesn’t happen that often.  I see the sunrise almost every single day. Most days from behind the wheel of the bus.  I smiled a little bit remembering the conversation I had with my father-in-law.  He was right.  My mindset is better with a little bit of time each morning to enjoy the sunrise.  Incidentally, this is also about the only time I have a few minutes alone. I use it as a time for gratitude, a time to reflect, and a time to ask God for guidance and the gifts of patience, wisdom and intuition.   My days are a little less crazy now, with 5/8 of my kids living outside of our house.  The three I have left at home are all incredibly self-sufficient.  I do help them with the morning chores, but then I turn them loose to get themselves ready for school.  I am happy that I have more time for sunrises, but a big part of me misses all of the kids living under one roof.  (Jim is still most definitely NOT a morning person - he will have to stick to sunsets I guess!).  

Mallory made one of her “come visit at mealtime” visits last night.  I am thankful that she does this.  I like cooking, but Quincy generally eats at work, and Saige rarely likes anything I cook.  I appreciate Mal eating whatever I cook, never complaining about it, and me not having to eat as many lunches out of leftovers!   It does make me laugh how even dogs who are just visiting know that when Jim is here, it means snacks.  What you cannot see in the picture I snapped is there are actually 2 more dogs and 2 cats all sitting patiently, waiting for him to hand over the goods.   And he certainly does not disappoint them!  It makes me giggle how they all line up and wait when they see him head toward the kitchen.  He goes through bags and bags of dog snacks.  All our dogs and cats are getting rather chunky.  I think it secretly makes his whole day, I’m not about to stop him.  

This girl is having a sleepover with her friends at our house tonight.  They will have fun, but we weren’t home much last weekend, so we spent a pretty good chunk of our night cleaning the house.  It wasn’t really fun.  By Thursday, we are all tired and done with the week.  Cleaning was not really what any of us were in the mood for.  We did get done with our list though.  

My sweet grandkids are growing up so fast!  Evelyn is on birthday party high.  Yesterday she tried to get me to buy her a new dress for her upcoming party.  We looked online at dresses, but before I bought one, I texted her mother, because I didn't want to get something if she already had it.  Madison texted back to say that Evie had already conned grandma Rachel out of a new dress to wear to the party!  Needless to say, she is a little bit of a turkey!  Wrenley is growing so fast!  She is stinkin' adorable!    

Today, I am thankful that I do not have to work this weekend.  I am looking forward to a couple of projects.  I am pretty devastated that the quail project was a complete disaster and disappointment.  Somehow they escaped. In the cage yesterday morning at chore time.  I fed them, watered them and went to work.  Not in the cage when we went to do the evening chores.  Gone.  Vanished into thin air.  Gate shut, nothing broken, no visible signs of a struggle.  It was a terrible, mildly expensive lesson.  I am sticking with rabbits and chickens from now on, quail are too small, too flighty and too heartbreaking.  My only hope is that they escaped and are someplace living life as wild birds now.