The best present ever received on your birthday is you

We had a wonderful day today celebrating Hannah's Birthday. We went to the Buffalo Zoo, had a picnic lunch using her new tea set. She also took her new doll along and carried her, nursed her, and gave her piggy back rides. Hannah is such a happy, social, cute little girl. Where ever we go with her we always get lots of compliments on her. We thank God daily for her and pray she will continue to grow in stature and in love for the Lord.

Whoa what a week! It has been a busy one, and it's not over yet tomorrow Larry's family is coming for Hannah's birthday. I don't feel ready, my house is not in the state I would like it to be, but today as the poem says I choose to be a mother so the eyes of my children would shine over that of a housekeeper. Now the challenge is to give myself permission to let go of the state of my house and enjoy tomorrow with my children, too. Being a perfectionist this is very hard for me to do. But what is important is not the state of my house but the state of my family.

Anyway, Monday is another day, it will take a couple weeks to get in the routine of having all the children back, but I do enjoy it. And the mess of this house will not go any where. You know I have this novel idea: instead of having a barn raising the way people use to, we should have house cleaning, organizing and fixing days. One day a year a small group goes to each home and spends a day together getting things done you never have time to do. Anyway as I said it will all be there Monday and I better find my bed so I have the energy to keep up with the children tomorrow.

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