What happened to the fall???

The weather here turned cold quicker than it usually does.  It was a fast enough change that I started the process of changing regular sheets to flannel sheets, and exchanging summer wardrobes for winter ones in a rushed fashion.  Usually I take it a step at time, but one day of out with the old and accepting the new, colder version was what I got this year.  We also had another thing happen sooner than we had anticipated and that was changing up Zeke’s bedroom furniture. 

The other day he was standing on his bed when he decided he would jump up and land on his bottom on the mattress.  Now, I should clarify that we got our kids a small, indoor trampoline in order to discourage jumping on the bed.  Zeke generally complies with this.  However, one jump was all it took and he cracked the board under his mattress right in half!  We had planned on moving our guest room furniture (2 twin beds and a closet) upstairs for the boys sometime this winter when Ethan would be nearing the transition time from crib to big boy bed, but after a week of Zeke sleeping on his mattress on the floor we decided to take the plunge and do the big job of moving the furniture from the first floor to the second.  The biggest part of this process is taking apart the big closets and then reassembling them.  Take into consideration the fact that in addition to keeping track of what screw goes where and the direction of each board that the closets are made of very cheap materials and you have a recipe for a complicated process.  However, we accomplished our goal and their room looks great…although very grown up!  I have gotten used to tiny, little boy furniture and now it seems the furniture is getting bigger, along with the boys!  Both Zeke and Ethan are growing and changing right before our very eyes!  Is it weird to be nostalgic over the years when their little while they are still little??? J  It is my attempt at enjoying these moments while I have them.  I even got to get some good cuddles in with Ethan last night when he was having trouble falling asleep and that was good for this mama’s heart.

We just finished a week of celebration here.  It was the time for the feast of sacrifice.  This time is commemorating the story of God calling Abraham to sacrifice his son.  The story here goes a little differently than it states in the Bible, but what it all boils down to is friends and family visiting one another and neighbors bringing over bags of meat to share from their family’s sacrifice.  We had a great week.  Usually we maximize every day of the week, visiting every single person we know.  However, this time we chose a few special people and kept it more simple due to the fact that we have been running a non-stop schedule all fall long and we were in desperate need of some down time.  One fun thing for us was that we had more visitors than we usually do.  Generally our very closest friends might come and see us at our own home since it isn’t our holiday, but this year we had several friends and some students from the center come and see us.  Its nice to be able to serve people in our own home and celebrate with them.  

Tonight classes start back up at the center and we begin our last big push until we break for Christmas.  Something that God has been teaching us in the midst of all of this busyness is the need for a Sabbath day.  What gets us through most weeks is knowing that there is one day that we choose to prioritize rest.  Some weeks that day doesn’t happen and we generally pay for it!  However, I believe that God has been blessing our family through prioritizing His commandment to us to rest one day every week.  It also helps you to find energy you didn’t know you had to work hard during the rest of the week when you know you have a day off to look forward to.  Anyhow, just something to think about in this busy world of ours.  It takes intentionality and commitment to make it happen, but the truth is that it is God’s design for us to rest  and I am happy to be at a time in my life when stress is probably near  maximum, yet I can feel healthy and rested because He is breathing new life into me everyday!