Nine Things I Learned in August

I keep meaning to do a St. Louis post. We had such a fun weekend. But here I am a week later, still just mentioning our family’s weekend getaway. {I did share one of my favorite stories from the weekend. And, you know, my boy is still sleeping with that baseball.} Thing is, the trip embodied so much of this month, and really this summer.

In no particular order, things I learned {or maybe remembered} in August …

1. Sometimes you have to step back, stop focusing on individual details, and consider the whole picture. I literally had to do this to get my kids in the picture with the entire arch. I’ve also had to do this with all sorts of other scenarios this month, including our adoption process that is stagnant and frustrated, raising a boy who is always moving and making noise, and realizing I’m not in control of what actually happens.

2. Even on the hard days, there is laughter and beauty. I’ve never been pregnant, but I feel like just getting this adoption process off the ground is creating in me pregnancy-like emotions that cluttered my head. And make me cry. {I’m not assuming to know what it’s like to be pregnant, just to be emotionally sensitive.} Last night we had plans on the calendar for weeks with friends. I honestly wanted to stay home. But, you know, going was good for my soul. Plus my kids are good entertainment for the soul, even when my heart is heavy.

3. Boys will be boys. And sometimes they split open their legs on a rock and have to get stitches. Well, really, at least one boy I love dearly did that. Stitches are out. Leg is healing. And my boy is still going strong.

4. The anticipation of changes gets to me more than the actual transition. Kids are in school. All is well, despite my crazy momma emotions.

5. Friends sustain me. I’m a people person. And even when life is exhausting, I need my people to help me through.

6. God’s timing is perfect. Whether it’s a text from a friend or a family trip to St. Louis that has been on the calendar for months, God knows what we need and when we need it. I do need to remember this applies to bigger situations, like adoption. Y’all, he does hear our prayers and he’s working even when we can’t see the movement.

7. I like to make music playlists for seasons in my life. Right now, there is the adoption journey playlist being perfected. It got started this time with these songs.

8. My daughter really will learn to tie her shoes. This morning for the first time, baby!

9. My boy will pick up frogs, try to catch a mouse, but screams if he sees a spider, even a daddy long legs. Thankfully, said mouse was caught in a glue trap that my cleaning lady at the lake house disposed of the next day. But, really, Ben wanted to catch it himself. With his bare hands. Too bad his strategy of beating the side of the refrigerator with a broom while yelling, “Hey, mouse!” didn’t prove successful.

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Continuing this listy series that helps me remember, I’m again linking up with Emily Freeman at Chatting at the Sky like I did with the things I learned in June and July. 

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