Wow. This life. It's crazy.
My usual routine is wake up, run around like a chicken with my head cut off ALL DAY LONG, get all of my people to sleep, and then start my second life. Oh, and occasionally I slip in a few hours to sleep too.
Tonight, as I was working I had an epiphany. I actually have two lives. By day, I'm a wife/mother and at dusk, I'm a night owl/librarian. Many times, the two lives cross. That's when the madness really begins to settle in.
But anyway, that was my epiphany. I have a crazy life, which often sends me to the brink of my sanity, but I love it just the same. As for us, here's the latest and greatest:
Emme - about to turn 2, going on 15. She's totally become our little Miss Bossypants, as of late. Equally enamored with Gru & the Minions, Mickey & the gang, and the Frozen sisters. Can usually be found sporting a tri-pigtail hairdo, dragging the combo of a dolly, blanket and binky everywhere she goes, dancing like a diva to "Happy", getting some good air with her hoppy jumping, and eating everything we give her - as well as random bits off the floor. Loves milk, nuggets, all kinds of fruit and anything with sugar. Sprinkle donuts and any kind of juice are two of her all-time favorite things. She laughs like a hyena, but in an adorably, wild way. And she has suddenly become quite the talker - people besides me can even understand her now! 
Benj - he is quite the kiddo. His pediatrician told us (at 2 days old), "this one's going to keep you on your toes". Truer words have never been uttered. His 5 years have been - well, to be honest - a chaotic, nonstop and often joyful learning experience for us. The kid. still. loves. trains. Like love-loves them. Favorite ice cream is a toss up between mint chocolate chip and "fruity sherbet". He totally adores his sister, when he's not pummeling her. Learning to ride a bike; slowly, but surely he'll get there. Almost, almost potty-trained (this topic could encompass about 50 blog posts, but anyway.) Pre-K starts in a couple of weeks; he still on the fence if that's a good thing.
Dave - is amazing. He has had quite a year. Last summer he rode the STP (Seattle-to-Portland) 210-mile bike ride in about 10 hours... months later, we found he accomplished that with a broken rib! This July, after months of preparation and training, he took some of his Young Men up Mt. Baker. One of the boys's mothers told me the experience was life-changing for him. So, yeah, that's pretty awesome. So proud of him for making such a difference in people's lives. He's also our consummate clothes-folder, dish-doer, lawn-mower and guitar-playing dynamo. In the last few weeks, he's experienced some significant health challenges and while those physical issues have been difficult, he still does things to make me smile. 
Me - With everything going on in our crazy life, I'm surviving... but thriving too. I've found it's incredibly easy to get down in the dumps when life continually pummels you with a bushel of lemons. But I found sources of sweetness along the way that have made me realize that my life is beautiful. Lately, I've ramped up my prayers. Namely, praying for other people - so many I know are struggling with very heavy loads lately. With my 'two lives', I get few hours of sleep. Down the road, I'm going to find a way to squeeze in more because you know, I've realized I really love to sleep! Catnaps have been a happy medium in this wild, wild world of mine. Also, I've been woefully bad about reading my scriptures, but in the last few weeks I've been making amends. It may mean listening to them while doing dishes or driving in the car, but random words or stories will jump out at me and remind me that this life is a blessing - and a Test.Other random things:
- Books I'm Reading: "Gone Girl", "Five Days at Memorial" and "My Story by Elizabeth Smart" (I've found the last one particularly compelling)
- Fun Places We've Been This Summer: Hiking in Paradise Valley (pic at left); a gazillion trips to area parks; the library; Manzanita, OR; and Benjamin's idea of heaven - Remlinger Farms.
- Coolest Discovery: the best chocolate-chip recipe ever. Seriously.
- Major Accomplishments: getting Benjamin out of diapers. I should win a Nobel Peace Prize for this. It's been an epic battle. I've researched. I've experimented. I've gone back and done more research. Hours of my life spent in the pursuit of training someone to successfully use a toilet. Sounds crazy, but I'm giddy at the thought of not having to change a 5-year-old's diaper. Also, I sang a solo in church a few days ago. Yes, you read that right. Me. Solo. Me. Mind-blown. That little accomplishment was my version of summitting Everest, folks. It's the little things that matter most.
Life is indeed beautiful, and oh, so sweet.
"Find out where your joy resides, and give it a voice far beyond singing. For to miss the joy, is to miss it all." -Robert Louis Stevenson
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