Another crazy day in the neighborhood!

Today was CRAZY!!!!! It all started with another phone call, from my mom this time, and not quite as early as the last one, about 7:20 a.m. Mom asked if Jeff and I could give her a hand because she needed to go to Quick Care and get her cough/sore throat/congestion/sinus-mess checked out. So, she wanted me to watch the 3 boys (my brother's kids) and Jeff drive her to Quick Care. We headed over that at 8:30 so Jeff could get her to QC by 9:00 when it opened. I was already tired because we stayed up late, playing games at Trisha and Ben's the night before, and plus I have the same crap as Mom. But, I've been praying for ways to help out my poor family, because they are so far down in the depths of "ick" (for lack of a better term right now) that I don't know how to help them. They really need to turn their lives over to God, so He can help them, and the only way I know how to help them do that is to show them the love of Christ. So whenever they ask for help, we give it, even in the small things. Jenny, my sister-in-law, was in the hospital for Gall Bladder surgery, which is why Mom especially needed our help today.

Let me tell you, those boys are wild! The two older ones specifically. They are not disciplined, have no structure, and don't listen to anyone. So, while I was in charge of them, I didn't put up with anything from the get-go. The oldest of the two, Cory, is 4. He is in pre-school. He went to time-out 4 times, 4 minutes each. The younger one, Gary, is 3. He went to time out twice - once for 3 minutes and once for 5, because I had to add 2 minutes because he A. wouldn't go in time out to begin with, and B. when he was in time out, he kept pointing his finger at me, and telling me no. Then there was Tyler, who is 8 months old and he isn't feeling good either, so he wants to be held all the time, and then of course right in the middle of all that, my own kids call me because they had gone to church with Brandon and Chelsea, but couldn't get a ride home because Chelsea had to work at noon, so they were "stuck" at Trisha's, and Karlie wanted to go to Old Navy and Kohl's to return some clothes she got for Christmas, and Brandon wanted to go skiing. I was like, "sorry, I will get to you when I can, right now I can't". They were all okay with it and Trisha ended up being able to give them a ride to the house.

And then poor Jeff was running Mom all over from the Dr's to Wal-Mart and they had to wait for the pharmacy to open so Mom did some shopping. Then I guess Jenny was ready to come home from the hospital, so Jeff dropped Mom off at the house, took her car (because we had the truck) and went to pick up Jenny and Cory. When Jeff got back from all of that, I informed him that Kara and Alyssa were coming to our house to stay, because he was planning on taking her to Alyssa's two week appointment anyway, and I think Kara just needed a break from all the chaos. So, Jeff had to drive the truck home and pick up the van.

Finally, about 3:00 we were home. I'm exhausted, and still not feeling well at all, and I can barely talk. Brandon made tacos and nachos, and Karlie and Briana cleaned the kitchen, thank goodness. I got a little snoozy in with Ethan on the sofa, but was so starving because I had only had a bowl of cereal at Mom's all day. So, I got up and ate. That energized me somewhat, because obviously I am blogging...lol.

I ask for prayer for Jeff and I to be able to handle all of this and everything else. And for my sister-in-law Jenny. She's finally coming to the realization that Cory is not going to change and she's sick of being treated like crap. As soon as she is healed from this surgery, I think she is going to try to get a place of her own, with just the boys. She's realized how much my brother has run her self-esteem into the ground and she's ready to rise above it. I'd really like to see her in church and know that God can transform anyone, if they will let Him. I'd love to see the kind of woman and Mom she can be if she will let God in. So, please pray for her too.

God bless!!!!