What you do in your house is worth as much as if you did it up in heaven for our Lord God. We should accustom ourselves to think of our position and work as sacred and well-pleasing to God, not on account of the position and work, but on account of the word and faith from which the obedience and the work flow. ~ Martin Luther

Thursday, March 28, 2013

{P.H.F.R} Disorderly

I am linking up for Pretty, Happy, Funny, Real but you aren't getting 'em in that order.  'Kay?  Kay.  There is just no way PRETTY could come first this week. 

This week has been a whopper.  I mean, the WORST possible week I have had in.....probably ever.

Let me tell you about Monday and you will see what I mean.

Monday I had some SERIOUS grocery shopping to do.  It had been WEEKS since I went for a REAL trip and since Easter is this Sunday and it was in the works for ME to HOST this year, I had some real shopping ahead of me.  I got the brilliant idea, that instead of going to my usual haunts, I would go to surprise my husband at work for lunch and then do the shopping afterward in that town...it had all the places I needed to go anyway.  So, I excitedly drove the hour trip (instead of the 35 minute trip) and happily anticipated surprising him.

Only- about 10 minutes from my arrival the car started acting funky.  I don't have a cellphone, one of the last remaining few- so my only option was to keep chugging along.  Five minute before my arrival, I was having a hard time steering it.  Then, at the light at the busy intersection two minutes before my arrival- the car wouldn't BRAKE.  I slowed enough by pumping the brakes and gliding slowly halfway through the intersection to stop before it was too late and we were all killed.  I finally made it to his work and barely got myself into a parking spot in the super-full parking lot (naturally) though without any good steering capabilities.  Turned off the car and buckets of smoke poured out of the front tire.

So much for a happy surprise.  He was happy to see me- for the minute of ignorant bliss that he didn't know what was happening.

Instead of enjoying one anothers' company during a peaceful and happy lunch break, we had to lurch our way into an auto place and pray that there was something that could be done.  They said, they could work on it but didn't know WHEN so we would have to leave the car all afternoon.  Would we?  Well, since we have no other option.

Matt went to work and I bundled up the children with random hats/scarves that were tucked in between seats and in the trunk and we walked to the nearest mall about 1/2 mile away and through crazy busy traffic/intersections.  And then we shopped.  I bought a cellphone so that Matt could call me to let me know when the car was ready to be picked up and a huge water so that we could all have something to sip on.  Then, we waited.  For SIX hours.  Four children who had to skip their rest time and a Mama who was constantly thinking about all the REAL shopping that needed to be done and that wasn't getting done...walked the mall, over and over and OVER.  For six hours.  (I hate malls.)

At one point, during a fit of inward stress and exhaustion, I sat down at the food court and the children bombed the empty arcade with pent up energy (but no money- sorry, arcade owner) while I sat at a table outside of the door and  I wrote this list.  (Yes, I carry around a clipboard in my car) I needed this list. After I started thinking about all the mercies that were shown to us that day, and started focusing on the wonderful providences of the day, I realized just how blessed a day it was.  Things could have been SO much worse.  What if I would have been stranded on the hill, 10 miles (all up hill) from ANYTHING?  What would have happened if the car hadn't finally stopped at that intersection?  What would have happened if it were freezing cold and my children, all with lingering coughs, had to walk for miles?  God is so good.

An exhausting, stressful, horrible day~ but still full to spilling of blessings.

{Happy}
 

Of course, NOT BEING KILLED would have been a good one to write as well-but my brain was pretty fried at this point. 

 We got home right at bedtime and ate a hurried dinner and then, after I was nearly zombie-like from an overwhelming day, I went straight to bed after tucking the children in bed. But in the middle of the night.... I was awakened by a torrent of puke.

{Real}



Puke.  The cherry on top.

I was up all night, holding back hair and washing her face and scraping off blankets.  I won't lie- one of my first thoughts was of that huge cup of water we all shared during our shopping experience.

I think my PUKE-filled days are far from being over.

Which means, Easter partying is officially canceled.  And I even bought a pineapple for the occasion!

{Pretty}



 Meanwhile~ Andrew gets mauled by a tiger.

{Funny}
 



round button chicken

11 comments:

Unknown said...

Oh my word. BLESS.YOUR.LITTLE.HEART. My heart was starting to race just READING this, let alone LIVING it! :P Hopefully, the car fix wasn't too pricey! :(

(((((((((((((((HUGS))))))))))))))

Miranda Hupp said...

Oh you poor thing! I hate to admit it but I have had days like that. Its one thing after another. I'm glad that your family is safe!

We have all been sick for almost 2 weeks. Just when I think we are on the mend someone else starts puking! Today....so far, so good.

lydia.purple said...

Wow, that you would sit down in the middle of that day and count your blessings! Inspiring. I hope next time i have a desaster day i will remember that. Because it is true. Well i hope that you will have a blessed easter weekend without any puke.

Hope said...

Oh, that is a whopper of a day/week. Thankfully you are all alright (except for the puking--we just went through that--ugh!).

The bright side is that you can have the pineapple all to yourself. Lots of B vitamins! :)

Pippajo said...

Wow, and I thought my terrible day the other day was bad. But there was no near-death or puke in it. I take my hat off to you. You win.

But I am encouraged by the list you were prompted to make. What a change in perspective!

Popped by from Like Mother, Like Daughter, glad I stopped in!

Pippajo

Full of Grace said...

I am so sorry Rebecca you had to endure all of that, so sorry Adele got sick and I am also so sorry I was at a store when you called so our conversation was cut short. I am so thankful that you and the kids are safe and that they were able to fix your vehicle. I hope things are looking up now~~ :)

Julian said...

Oh mercy! Yes,I DEFINETLY know how thoes days go. You are so very blessed that you weren't killed. There are so many things to be thankful for,and you were wise to recall them. Our lives would be pretty dull without excitement Eh?
;) Christina

Abigail said...

Hm, let's see.

Our last bout occurred last Tuesday morning, Matt showed up Wednesday night...five day incubation period...gee whillikers! I wonder where on earth the bug came from?

If it makes this awful event any less so, only 3 of us 8 got it, and it didn't last long-- only a few hours for each sufferer before going away for good. I really, REALLY hope that you picked up some mutant germs at the mall, though, or a minor case of food poisoning, or ANYTHING that will lesson the guilt I feel right now. Sigh.

At least there's not the slightest chance that our car gave yours germs, though. (At least I don't think there is...)

Hoping your car's back on its wheels and praying that it's over soon, for your sake and the Littles. Adele' looks so sweetly pitiful in that photo. (It makes me want to cuddle her, puke and all.)

fondly,
The Abigail Who Used to Be Your Friend Until You Cut Off All Contact Forevermore And Amen

Anonymous said...

first and foremost, amazing blessings, to be sure - and that you so quickly realized them!

And secondly, sorry to chuckle at any of this, but this phrase is a classic:

"awakened by a torrent of puke."

Oh my. I vividly remember those days...

Wishing your family a healthy, joyous Easter ~

beth

Rebecca said...

Thanks to all for the sympathetic/empathetic ears. It will be a joyful Easter but full of the joy that runs down deep- not on the surface. The surface pretty much stinks right now.

Julian- your comment made me chuckle- not because it isn't entirely true- but because reading "such a blessing you weren't killed" sounded funny. But, it's true and I am thankful. I am also incredibly thankful I didn't have to walk for miles with four children to get to a phone. Buckets of blessings in that day.

Abigail- These sickies are not from you I am pretty sure- Adele' has been at it for going on four days now and still feels crummy. Plus, Christiana got sick right after the baby shower so----there you have it. But even if the pukes HAD been wrapped up in red ribbon with a tag that read FROM OWENS- your children could get mine sick for the rest of their lives and it still wouldn't make up for the pukes we gave you when you were moving into the gypsy-wagon. My guilt will never wane. In fact, I am more than surprised you would ever want contact with a girl who would do that to a girl ANYWAY.

Abigail said...

Phew. You have my sincere empathy, though, if not my guilt.

Are you sure you gave us the Gypsy Wagon Bug? If so (which I doubt; how could you even prove it?) I never knew and have missed out on YEARS of blame! Guess I'd better start making up for it now...

Actually, scratch that. The next time our germs make you miserably sick-- because that unfortunate day will come-- I'll just say, "We owed you one." :)