Help Has Arrived!

Our first wave of up help came last Friday when my mother took our 5 kids in exchange for 1 of her own, my brother Micah. Micah is 17 and LOADS of help! He spent Friday night and 13 hours on Saturday working with Don. Don's boss was out again working on the electrical. It's soooo nice to have someone heading up that project!

I was able to get some organizing of thoughts and house done in the absence of kids. I walked with my good buddy Shannon, and did a supply run for Don. After fixing lunch on Saturday I ended up working with the boys until 10:30PM. Micah and I built a retaining wall, which was nice to see done. Sadly in filling it, it got covered with dirt and doesn't look as pretty as it did. All in time.... Sunday night Don and I were ALONE!! It was bliss to have quiet and fall into bed with out having to get 5 kids thru the night time routine first.

We now officially have a toilet at the house. There is no water hooked up indoors, but thanks to having our well hooked up, we have a bucket we can use to fill the back of the toilet to flush it. This is HUGE!!!! Not having a bathroom on site was hard enough, and with the local gas station closing down after the flood, it's been even harder to "function".

We also got the pump hooked up on the well so we have running water!!!! (out of a hose) I had to laugh when I saw Don so delighted to have running water, he was washing..... a tree stump!

This week found me EXTREMELY overwhelmed. I am trying to fill 3 roles.

#1~Normal mom/wife stuff

#2~Packing expert

#3~Construction worker

I was drowning. The discouragement of constantly having things to do, and doing them, but yet never seeing any progress had taken a strangle hold on my heart. I was lonely. I cried, a lot. The more I cried, the less I got done and the worse I felt.

Looking upward was what I knew I needed to do, but felt like another thing on my "To Do" list, but I did it anyway.

Many thanks to all who pray for me. Special thanks to a precious "almost sister" Trisha. She followed God's prompting and gave a day to me. Her help was great, but just having her here was even better. Her presence was a soothing balm to my frantic heart.

Attending Bible study was another "hurdle" in my week. I so wanted to just call it a night and crash, but I picked up our sitter early, took a walk, and went. This group of ladies is a lifeline for me. Another evidence of God's care in my life.

Finally, Don's parents (from MI) were talking of coming out Tuesday. Tuesday rolled around and there was some uncertainty as to whether they would be able to come out or not. ( one of the times I cried, and cried, and cried, and cried, and ....... you get the idea

But JOY they made it out at 2 AM this morning. There are now 3 people for the 3 jobs, and Don's burden has been eased as well. My dishes got done, my kitchen cleaned, my floors swept, muffins made, laundry folded, and my youngest entertained WITH OUT T.V., and all this while I was having Devotions and organizing our building finances! And that was just this morning!!

Oh, and I even have a few minutes to blog!!

(why won't blogger give me paragraph breaks in the 2nd half?!!!)