~Yesterday~

Even though everyday is worth savoring,
yesterday is a day I'm still thinking about. 
The Lord gifted me with it.
I am grateful.  

The kids and I left early to go to the ARC for my Friday morning devotions.  We arrived about 6:40am so they could eat a breakfast of waffles and sausage.  And.... I unlocked the soda machine so they could have soda (1 glass only) with their breakfast.  Aren't I baaad??  They were thrilled!  And I got to get out some of my rebellious energy ;)    Elijah chased the baby in the foyer while I led devotions. 
I had a wonderful phone call with my friend, Stacie, from The Dalles.  Ann got to talk to her daughter, her friend too.  I always feel uplifted after talking with her.  I know it's not often enough, I'm not much of a phone person, but after talking with her, I kick myself for not doing it more ;)

Ann, Hannah and I did our nails, with fake nails that I got on sale and thought would be fun to try.  It was an absolutely horrible experience and I will never do it again.  Hannah took hers off right away, Ann tried to bear it, but took hers off about 20 minutes after Hannah.  And I took mine off by the afternoon.  They drove me insane.  I couldn't work because my nails were always in the way- and I got the short version.  I guess I'll just have ugly hands-  hard-working though.

  I got all the beds washed, dried and re-assembled. 

Kitchen scrubbed, meals made, washed and ironed ARC polo-shirts for Paul's golf tournament (among other laundry), vacuuming, and worked on my sermon for Sunday about Redemption while the girls watched Tinkerbell.

The girls did their learning- reading, penmanship, math, creation

(Yes I know it's October, not September, I just can't seem to find my October bulletin board sign.  November's coming anyway ;)  )

After picking up the boys from school, we came home and had snacks and de-briefing. 

Then we walked about a mile to the Chinese store with all kinds of wild, crazy food.  We watched them catch live fish from the tanks with their nets and then club them to death to hand to the smiling customers who would feast on them.  Hannah was quite bothered by it so I turned her attention to the live Conch in the bucket underneath her.  While we were standing in amazement watching the fish get clubbed for the crowd of customers, Mary had wrangled up for herself a large squid (dead) from the tub sitting at arms reach next to her stroller.  I didn't even notice she had the squid until the frozen food section. You should've seen us freak out! It was so funny! And of course nobody else would touch it to put it back, so I had to do it.  We always have a really good time at this store.  There are so many animal parts and different kinds of food.  I will usually remind the kids to be respectful with their words in the store because people really eat this stuff and like it too.  After we leave is when we talk about the "gross" stuff like turkey heads, chicken feet, pig feet, etc. 

Next we went to the park the next block over.  San Francisco knows how to do parks.  This particular park is fun for all the ages of the Chouinards.  Everything was soaking wet from the earlier rain.  But owell, it just meant that the normally crowded park could be all ours.  We all had soaked bottoms by the end of the evening.  I hung upside, arms dangling,  from the monkey bars a few times.  I felt 10 again (instead of my usual 12).  At one point the boys and I were all upside down, which really upset Mary.  She didn't like seeing us upside down.  I put her on the bars and she gripped it and held on for dear life.  Then she kept asking to do it again, and again, and again...  We were at the park until it started getting dark.  Laughing, playing, chasing.  It was so GOOOD!  I take the girls often, but it is so much better when the boys are there too; chasing their sisters, pushing them on the swing, putting sand in their hair, giving them a shout of "good job!" when the girls are hanging or spinning, yelling, "look at me!".

We got home late and still needed dinner.  So I was heating up leftover pizza and cutting apples in the kitchen while I listened to all the children playing in the living room with a ball.  Nothing makes my heart want to burst from joy more than when I hear my children loving all over each other. It makes up for the squabbling that's been going on since our move. 

I was so pleased. 

I wonder if that's how God feels when His children are loving all over each other.

I wonder if  that's why it's SO vital to Him that we love our fellow man  

freely and deeply.

After I tucked in and kissed the girls goodnight, I sent the boys to their room so I could sit on the couch and watch my new DVD Laugh Your Way To A Better Marriage .  And boy did I laugh, gaffaw, snort and almost pee my nightgown!!  I only got through the first sesssion last night.  I'm looking forward to the rest and to watch it with Paul when he can.  Not only could I relate it to my man, but also my sons!!   

And then, after I was snuggled in bed all warm and cozy, done flipping through my Family Circle magazine, done praying, and well into dream land, I rolled over, eyes half open, and saw
Paul was finally ~home~ from his four day business trip.

What a wonderful ~yesterday~.