That your joy may be full

We are having a special stake fast tomorrow. Our stake president has asked us to hold a special family home evening this week (which we have done) to prepare for this special fast tomorrow. If you would like to join us in fasting for rain for our region (and for all those that need it), we would welcome your faith and prayers.

While much of the US has had rain for the past few months (more than they want in some areas), the central Texas area is experiencing one of the worst droughts in the last 150 years. We've had the driest 2-year period since 1856. There have been 67 days over 100 degrees since June 1st. Lake levels are more than 30 feet below normal.

Where did the day go?

After this week - I need a vacation (not a trip - a real vacation. The kind where you don't have to watch kids or do anything you don't want to do.) Here's what I've done in the past 7 days:

1. We school-supply shopped.
2. We went to the doctor for booster shots - that really hurt - Made my big girl cry...after the nurse left he room. She tried to be brave.
   
3. And really big grocery shopped (I haven't really shopped for over a month).
4. Picked up the dog from the vet (where she was boarded while we were gone.)
5. All the kids (except Hazel) started school last week.
6. FHE - back to school blessings from Nate.
   
7. Gave Toby a hair cut.
8. Gave Isaac a hair cut.
9. Met the new neighbors.
10. Toby started seminary - at 5:00 AM. Ouch.
11. Schedule changes because Aspen had no classes with her friends.
12. So now she is on the tennis team so she can be in one class with her best friend.
13. Which meant we had to go back to the doctor for a sports physical (because it was just a little different than the well-child check we did three days before when she got her shots and cost another $25).
14. I had beginning-of-the-year parent-teacher conferences with Isaac's teachers.
15. Emailed all the teachers contact information and signed a ream's worth of papers from the school.
16. Created a new schedule and started school stuff with Toby for the new year.
17. Answered email.
18. Had a couple play dates for Hazel.
19. Clean out the girls' closets to figure out what clothes the need/don't need for fall (which won't happen for a couple more months, but the hand-me-downs will go to someone who might need them sooner).
20. Bought new Sunday shoes for Isaac.
21. Store returns/ birthday gift for friends/more school supplies that were requested after the start of school.
22. Laundry/laundry/laundry.
23. Taught all the kids to iron their own Sunday clothes.
24. Still have Nate's ironing to do. (maybe I'll hire the kids to catch that up.)
25. Finally got the house clean, the car vacuumed out and inside windows washed, (still needs to be washed from the road trip).
26. Filled in the new calendar for the school year.
27. Fill out application to volunteer at Isaac's school (yea, you have to apply! and get a back ground check.)
28. Returned all the borrowed things I've collected or that have been left at my house over the past few months.
29. Sewed a bag for Aspen.
30. Weeded the garden.
31. Cooked breakfast 4 of the past 6 days for the kids.
32. And cooked dinner 5 of the past 7 nights (ordered pizza one night, had left overs another night).
33. Took all 4 kids to the dentist to get their teeth cleaned. Found out every single kid had cavities. Not happy. Now I need to take them all back - one at a time - to fill the cavities.
34. Refill prescriptions.
35. Sewed patches on Isaac's scout shirt.
36. Went to pack meeting.
37. Went swimming with Hazel's friend.
38. Picked up Aspen early from a birthday party due to inappropriately rated movie that was about to be shown.
39. Have not been successful yet at the earlier bedtimes I planned.
40. Went to a movie with Nate.
41. Went on a date to IKEA with Nate. And sampled the new dishes at Chuy's Green Chili Festival.
42. Took some family pictures before church this morning (because I had curled all the girls' hair, and mine, and we all looked nice).

Here's what's on the list for this upcoming week:

• I still have to get Hazel's shots,
• doneMake kids dentist appointments.
• doneFind out when the boy's doctor appointment is scheduled for next (I misplaced my reminder card).
• make 3 (1 down, 2 more to go) more various doctor's appointments for myself,
• visit teach,
• iron Nate's shirts,
• donedrive to Fort Worth tomorrow for a follow up appointment with the doctor that did my surgery last month - and then turn right around and make the three hour drive home so I can pick up the kids from school,
• donereturn mail order stuff,
• doneFHE on fasting - requested by our stake president
  
• plant flower pots,
• dig up and weed front flower beds,
• get my car washed,
• donedrop stuff at Goodwill,
• visit my friend who just had a baby,
• do the mending,
• Go throught the 5 file boxes of stuff that was on my kitchen counter over the past 3 months that I just shoved in a box to clean up and there is probably some important stuff in there that I need to find.
• donersvp for a wedding.
• Wash the dog.
• done get my hair cut,
• donetrim Hazel's hair,
• drop off the paperwork for Hazel's school,
• need to make some freezer meals and banana bread,
• done mow the lawn,
• donemake eye doctor appointments for the boys (I think they need new glasses - Isaac left his in Utah),
• donebuy Isaac new school shoes,
• sign Hazel up for dance or something,
• donelook at tennis lessons for Isaac,
• buy tickets to the Peter and the Wolf ballet for Hazel and I
• doneGo to the Scout store for a webelos book for Isaac
• doneLook for materials for a Nacho Libre costume commissioned by my friend's husband
• Mail packages to various people
• Put away all the stuff sitting in the garage that doesn't belong there
• call my family
• plan holidays to work out travel arrangements - vegas for thanksgiving! small day trips maybe during christmas break?
• Axel's birthday is coming up.
• Need to call to make an appointment to go to the temple
• doneGet some family names from Aunt Joan for family baptisms next month with Aspen and Toby
• Start making Christmas idea list
• donelook for dresser, coffee table and new lamp (our's all broke over the summer).
  
• Workout A LOT!
• donePooper-scoop - or assign the job to one of the kids.
• Thank you notes.
  
• Work on my anniversary idea
• donePlan ahead for homeschool stuff for Toby
• Catch up on DVR'd shows
• Charge my ipods
  
• catch up on all my magazines
• catch up on blogs
• go through the 2222 photos the I just barely got around to downloading off my cameras. (I was 150 pictures from filling my memory card. Never done that before.)
• so I can BLOG!
• done for nowSLEEP
• donegive myself a pedicure - really really need one.
  
• Not to mention do all the fun and relaxing stuff I really want to do.

Pleeeease can I go on vacation? I really wasn't ready for summer break to be over.

photo via - just liked this one and i don't have time to go through mine right now...it's after midnight. Where did the day go?