Praying for Clouds

We're taking our daughter on another college visit tomorrow. It's an exciting time in her life...and ours! It is fun to see her hard work in high school pay off.

Can it really be that next year at this time she will have been out of our house for a couple of months?

We're not new to this. We've been through it before.

I remember when our oldest son went off to college. Even though we couldn't imagine life without him in our home, we just adjusted to it one day at a time until it was hard to remember what it was like to have him there every day.

It's sad really. When we are forced into change, we just do it. What once seemed weird...becomes our new "normal".

There was a day not too many years ago when we had four children home and we thought we would never, ever get them raised. It seemed we would be raising them forever. But next year life will change for the second time in this way.

Our babies will never all live at home with us again. There's no obnoxious heavy metal music blaring from the basement every morning...and soon there will be no corny British pop tunes floating up from there either.

(Oh wait...she's trained her younger sister well.  I don't think McFly will be out of the picture quite yet.)

Why didn't I enjoy those days more when they were younger?

Don't get me wrong. I want them to grow up and be self-sufficient. I don't want them to rely on us but to find their own way.

But I'm sad tonight. And I regret the times that I was too busy, too grumpy, too selfish, too preoccupied, too frustrated, too tired, etc., etc., to just enjoy them. To play, talk, laugh, snuggle...as much as I should have.

They grow up fast and we don't get that time back.

Even tonight, as I've written this, I've been impatient with my kids. I suck.

I hope that my kids' memories of growing up with me as their mother are clouded by grace, because I've certainly not been the mom they deserved.

Tracking the Changes

It was a relaxing day around here.  In fact, I stayed in my PJs until about 1:00.

This afternoon I took my girls both to Claire's because they decided to get their ears pierced a second time.  We were thrilled that while we were there, McFly's UK hit "I Got You" started playing over their speaker system.  This is the first time we've heard them in the US other than on a song they wrote and recorded with Taio Cruz. Pretty exciting!

McFly is a pretty big deal in our house since one of my daughters began listening to them 5 years ago.  This is a older song.  I feel like I've got to watch those boys grow up!

This evening we had friends and family over for dinner.  I filled my folks in on the project...and they handled it better than I expected.  They responded as if they were thinking, "Now what is she up to?"  I guess I'm kind of a boundary pusher.

Although it was tough to enjoy my one daily serving while they gobbled burgers, broccoli/Craisin salad, and pumpkin bars, I finished it off and my tummy was satisfied.

Today I also enjoyed working on an improved website to provide my readers with more information.  In the next few days you will see website change.  However, right now you can access the new website at:  onedailyserving.weebly.com.

It was a bit out of comfort zone to put all of the information on there that I wanted to provide for you...because I included my weight changes.  (The information from my blood lab work will be coming soon.)

I have issues with food.  Like many people, I use food for comfort and entertainment.  I eat when I'm down, when I'm celebrating, to socialize, when I'm bored, etc.  It's not a healthy relationship with food.  Part of what God is teaching me through this project is to view food in a different light.  To see that I can comfort and entertain myself in many different ways.  Again I come back to theme of turning outward toward God rather than turning inward.

These food issues have made this journey all the more challenging because I am not only dealing with the physical aspect of hunger but the emotional aspect as well.  I think that has probably been evident through my posts.

Yes, I'm ashamed of the data that I had to post for the world to see.  Believe me when I say that those numbers have went up and down many times throughout the years.  It was an eye-opener to reflect on those numbers today and come to terms with my own obesity.  Why can't I see this when I look in the mirror?  It's a strange thing.

I have many things to learn throughout this year.

Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies. (1 Corinthians 6:19-20)