crazy.busy.life

So the last couple of months of my world have been crazier than usual.  We often have busy days, even busy weeks, in our life.  These past two months have been {as I've told a few people} almost unmanageable.  We work hard and play hard around here, but we love to enjoy time just being with each other as well.

I'm a major fan of downtime, even if that means I'm cleaning, doing laundry, or reading with the girls during what I consider "downtime".  I like not being rushed around from place to place. 

Weekdays for us always include school from 9ish-12ish and again from 2-3.  And weekends always include church on Sunday morning.  Insert grocery shopping, school planning, laundry, dishes, cooking, cleaning {just the parts of the house that people see, of course}, at least one spillage of something per day, wiping a 3 year old bottom, feeding a sweet baby, {and then} cleaning up all of her spit up, and the typical 693 questions per day that I get from my three oldest.  I barely answer the phone anymore. :) 

Now, add August, September, and October 2011.  What a whirlwind of a schedule!  I'm documenting this mostly for myself as a kind of mini-marathon of life.  When the beginning of August arrived, I knew I'd make it through to October, but I wasn't quite sure what everything would look like. 

I'm here to say that I don't think I had any emotional meltdowns because of the stress!  Impressive coming from me.  That being said, there were plenty of days that the laundry sat piled high {right alongside the dishes}.  The toilets sat scummy {except when people were coming over...I totally roll like that sometimes}.  My bedroom was/is still a complete wreck, but I finally changed my sheets last week.  Progress.

I know most of you are as busy as me, but I seriously have not experienced this much for such long periods of time!  So, amuse me as I write this woe-is-me post...will you? :)

Now, for a look at my calendar...

August
1: Claire dentist
2: meet with Deanna; plan co-op
3: dinner at some friends' house {blessing!!}
4: Josh works late
5: Olivia's 4 month shots; Josh golfing late with a rep
6: Josh auction in morning; golf outing for work at noon
7: family reunion out of town; bridal shower for Josh's cousin
8: laundry, laundry, laundry...Josh is leaving town tomorrow
9: Josh leaves for Colorado
10: Claire dentist
11: phone consultation with a potential buyer of my business
12: Josh comes back home {praise the Lord!}
13: meeting with a bride; work with a fellow wedding vendor
14: graduation party
15: Jackie out with a friend {sanity saver!}
16: the girls and I at the lake with Josh's parents {they were on vacation}
17: meeting with potential buyer of business
18: go to my sister's house for our garage sale
19: garage sale
20: garage sale; head home
21: breathe.  plan school
22: first day of school; Eric; birthday celebrations with Josh's family
23: Delia
24: praying. praying. praying.
25: Jill
26: Eric; wedding meeting
27: enjoying my last saturday at home for weeks to come; counting blessings
28: planning school
29: pictures with friends
30: trip to Hobby Lobby {I'd been telling Claire for weeks that I'd take her!}
31: new babysitter at the house to meet the fam
September
1: sign paperwork for transfer of business {yay!...more on this later} 
2: house appraisal; visit our friend Eric in the hospital; baseball game with Josh's work
3: lake day for Labor Day with my family
4: lake day for Labor Day with my family
5: lake day/birthday celebrations for Labor Day with Josh's family
6: swim class starts for the girls
7: send out info for toddler activity boxes {ask myself why in the world I volunteered to lead this}
8: watch a friend's kids in the morning, drop off books to a friend, go to Josh's work to look at some items that we're considering purchasing; get everyone's hair cut
9: Josh trimming lanes here for hunting
10: baby shower; new freezer arriving at the house
11: Josh trimming lanes at his friend's house
12: co-op starts; teach at co-op; dinner for Eric's family
13: swim lessons
14: prayer meeting for Eric
15: stranger danger program with girls; 2 wedding meetings in evening
16: wedding rehearsal
17: wedding
18: nephew's baptism out of town
19: teach at co-op
20: Olivia 6 month check up; swim lessons; pick up clothes from a friend; toddler box swap at my house
21: prep for weekend extended family vacation with Josh's family
22: grocery shop for family vaca; leave for vaca
23: vaca
24: vaca
25: vaca
26: teach at co-op; wonder where all this stuff that we unloaded from vaca should be put {I'm considering the burn pile}
27: swim; Josh leaves town
28: Josh back home late
29: prep for weekend wedding
30: rehearsal
October
1: wedding
2: host Dad's birthday party at our house; lesson plan for the weeks that I'm in charge at co-op
3: teach at co-op
4: swim; double date night with some of our best friends {soooo needed!}
5: wedding meeting
6: Josh out of town; prep for our family to join him
7: leave to join Josh for the weekend
8: out of town
9: travel back home with girls
10: Josh back home late
11: swim
12: wedding meeting
13: blank
14: blank
15: blank
16: is this really happening???
17: blank

We actually have NOTHING written on our calendar until swim lessons on Tuesday.  I couldn't be more excited!  I am seriously exhaling.  As crazy as the house looks, it doesn't seem so overwhelming. :)  I know that I can make some progress several days in a row.  Yay!! 

I knew I could make it, but I just didn't realize how completely exhausted I would feel.  On the flip side, though, I'm so extremely grateful to have survived.  I just want to hang with my kids.  I just want to lay on the couch with my hubby.  I want to have people over to our house again {one of my favorite things to do!}.

So, if you'll excuse me, I'm off to enjoy the blank pages of my calendar. :)