Entering the Next Chapter

Dear God,  I know that I usually end my letters with a note to you, but today I wanted to start with your letter because it is all I can think about. You are just so cool. I am always in awe of just how great and loving you are. Thank you. Thank you for blessing me with an amazing husband. Thank you for blessing me with two beautiful loving daughters. Thank you for this beautiful day. Thank you for answering my prayers little and big. Thank you for always comforting me and not letting me stay lost in my little world of stress and self-pity. Thank you for opening my eyes to all that you have done, are doing, and are about to do. Thank you for giving me an avenue that I can communicate my thoughts and feelings. Thank you for all the provisions you have made for me. Mostly, thank you for not giving up on me. There were so many times that I give up on myself and yet you were always right beside me.  Dear Elizabeth,  I think it is adorable that you are so ...

Dear Friday, Where did you come from? I guess it must have been Halloween that threw me off. Although it doesn't feel like a weekend... I am sure glad that you are here. Dear Manager Who is Interviewing Me At Noon, You make me nervous. I get that anxious and inadequate feeling when thinking about how the interview will go. I don't know why I am nervous. I am more than qualified and if I don't get the job I would honestly be ok with that. So, today I have decided to not allow you to scare me. The God in me is bigger than the job there, I will have to trust Him to provide. Dear Girls, I will miss you this weekend. I don't know how long it has been since I have been child free for a whole weekend... Anyway, I love you both and will be missing you.  BTW... I really don't mind if you get sugar highs at Grandma's house, so feel free to take all your candy with you... better her than me, better her than me. Dear Ibuprofen, Please work. Dear Kitchen, Tod...

Dear Friday, Thank you for bringing the Fall weather with you. Thank you for bringing pay day with you. Thank you for bringing my hubby with you. Dear Minty Gum, Thank you for keeping me from cramming handfuls of chips and popcorn in my mouth. You have saved me from so many calories and on top of that you make my breath minty fresh. I think I will keep you close by for a while. Dear School Year, I am so glad that we have finished first quarter and I still have my sanity... well at least most of it. Dear Girls, Thank you for being so well behaved and sweet. You are the best daughters in the world... not to mention the cutest... I might be a little biased though. :) Dear Hubby, I have missed you so much when you work nights, but I am glad that we get to have a date tomorrow and next week. Also, thank you for knowing me so well... and for watching the girls for me tonight. Dear Erika, I am so excited to go to see Les Miserables with you tonight. I am super excite...

Dear Friday,  Today feels like a lazy day. I can't believe you are already here and with you, you bring the end of August.  Dear Hubby,  I am so thankful that you are stepping up and getting a second job. I will miss the time we get together and fear that we will be passing ships in the night. I love you.  Dear Financial Struggles,  I don't think that you will ever go away, but at least you could back off a little bit. I am trying to give you to God but often find myself picking you back up, along with the anxiety you bring.  Dear Abbie,  We found out so much about you health that we didn't know, but don't let it cause you fear. God is in control. He made your body and He will protect it. I am so proud of how much you have been learning. I also love spending so much time with you and teaching you.  Dear Elizabeth,  Thank you for sleeping through the night last night. You have been so needy and jealous of your big sister but it wi...

Dear Friday, I am so glad to see you again. Tomorrow is our anniversary. Today is also payday and you know I love that. Dear Pay Check, Please be enough to cover most of the bills. At least the important ones like internet.. I don't know how long I can survive without the ability to blog. Dear Ion Television, Thank you for playing so many of the shows I love. Especially the way you play multiple shows in a row. Dear Criminal Minds, I think you are becoming one of my new "go to" shows.  I am very confused by the obvious sexual harassment. I guess it isn't considered sexual harassment when it is Shemar Moore doing it. Need I say more? Dear Eb, I am so tired of you refusing to sleep and crying all night. Dear Hubby, Happy Anniversary baby.

Dear Friday,  This week has been amazing. I am glad you are here and feel like time will go much faster.  Dear Abbie,  I am so proud of you. You have done amazing at school this week. I had so much fun homeschooling. I don't know why I was so nervous. You are an amazing big sister. I love watching you cuddle with Elizabeth. She is so lucky to have you.  Dear Weather,  Wow... all I can say is thank you. It has been so much nicer outside. It gets warm but I can't complain about it. I was told that we were done with the triple digits.  Dear Sonlight Curriculum,  You are amazing. It is so complete and well organized. I am also glad that you discuss God in each subject.  Dear House,  I told you I would take care of you. I have kept you in order for a couple weeks now. I still need to attack the basement but still I am so proud to show you off now.  Dear Eb,  I think it is so sweet that you are starting ...

Dear Summer, While I enjoyed the time, I am so glad that you are over. The faster you left the sooner we can get back to my favorite weather, anything not hot.  Thank you for going quickly. Dear Jenaye and David, I had so much fun watching you guys this summer. You are both so well behaved. I feel like I have adopted another daughter and son. I hope that we get to spend more time together. I am so proud of you both and know that you will do great in school this year. Dear House, I told you I would work on you. Don't you feel so much better now that you are nice and clean? I know that I will have to keep up the cleaning but I am up for the task. Dear Abbie, I am so excited about starting homeschool on Monday. I know that you can focus and work and will learn so much. I am excited about all the time we get to spend together. I love you. Dear Eb, How was your first week as a one year old? I hope you enjoy your party tomorrow. As for these little fits, you can stop the...

Dear Friday,    I am so glad you are here again. When I see you, I feel like I have seen an old friend. I can let my hair down and relax. I can breath again and just enjoy the day. At the same time I realize our time together will not last forever. I have missed you. Sadly next time we see each other will be the end of summer. Today is a big day for us.  Dear Elizabeth,   Happy Birthday baby girl. I love you so much. One year ago today we got to meet you face to face. I am so proud of how much you are learning and how obedient you are becoming. Your personality is shining through. You are loving and yet so independent. I know that you think that you are five years old just because you have an amazing seven year old sister. I hope we can have a great day today. I love you so so much.   Dear Abbie,     I love you. I am so proud of what a wonderful big sister you are and have become. You are the best helper in the entire world. You help me with...

Dear Friday, Thank you for going quickly. I love when we come to part but sadly that only means that the summer is going more quickly.  Dear Annie and Mom, Thank you for the night off. The girls will love the quality time and the sleep overs. I look forward to the peace and quiet and the opportunity to sleep in.  Dear Hubby,  I love you and if you are ever in question just remember... I watched the olympics with you.  Dear Olympics,  I know it sounds a little anti patriotic, but I hate you. I find no interest in you and wish you did not take up the time slots. Why must you last so long? I wish you could only last a day or two.  Dear God,  Thank you for leading my love into your arms. Thank you for your grace and your provision. 

Distant... so distant. Trapped in my own head. Isolated... so isolated. Laying alone in my bed. Dear Hubby, I am so sorry. I don't know what is going on. I feel so disconnected. So overwhelmed by the day to day of life. Thank you so much for trying to make me happy. How sweet of you to run out just to get me a tea. I don't like feeling like this and hope to be back on my game soon. I just constantly feel exhausted. I wish I could stay in bed for a few days, but I know the world won't stop just because I did. I love you so much and am so thankful for you. Dear Eb, Baby, my poor baby. I wish I could take the pain of your teething away. I wish I could make you feel more comfortable. I know that you are trying to communicate as best as you can. I am sorry I can't just hold you while you scream. Please, get some rest and be a strong girl. Please, give mommy a break from the constant crying. Dear Abbie, I am sorry I have been so distracted. I have not forgotten a...

Dear Friday,  Thank you for coming so quickly... please end just as quickly.  Dear New A/C Unit,  You had me at hello. I love you, especially that you are the quiet strong type.  Dear Spin Class,  You are a literal pain in my ... booty. It is still hurting which makes me fear going back again, but I will. Dear House,  So I know I tell you each week that you will be cleaned and organized but please don't be mad... we do now have three rooms completed. I will work on you more this week.  Dear Body,  Thank you for not giving in yesterday when I pushed you to your limits. You have done so well at the gym and with the diet. I know you can make it just one more week.. We will take it a week at a time.  Dear Hubby,  I love you. Thank you for putting up with me. Don't take this note as weakness, I will still kick your booty at this weight loss contest... your booty will hurt so bad you would have thought that...

Dear body, Please don't hate me. I know that while I sleep you may decide that I was mean to you by forcing you to do a sudden workout. It was all worth it, trust me. Dear house, The sorting and cleaning is coming along quite well, but it seems like the mess stacks up when I am not looking. I plan to focus on you a little more over the weekend. Dear heat, What did I tell you last week? I believe I had already warned you that you need to stop being so dangerously high. Dear hubby, I don't know why I have been a little distant this week. I just feel so tired all the time. Please don't feel that this is your fault. I love you as the man you are now, and the man God will bring you to be. Thank you for loving me as the woman I am now and the one I long to be. Dear Eb, I really don't like this, "I know how to take off my diaper, so I will be a nudist," attitude. I know that it is hot out but you still need to have something covering your but. Dear Abb...

Dear VBS, I have enjoyed spending the week with you. I love all the kids I had a chance to teach and loved the cool crafts I had a chance to create. I am also so glad that you are finished. I am exhausted and need another 51 weeks off until I see you again.  Dear Daughters, Mommy loves you so so much. I really need you both to sleep in tomorrow morning. I would prefer that you all sleep in till noon but I will accept ten or eleven in the morning. I am so lucky to have you girls.  Dear Hubby, Please don't wake me when you come home. You will be the most awesome hubby in the world if you would sleep on the couch and take care of the baby in the morning.  Dear Homeschooling project, I will read over your curriculum more tomorrow. I also plan to clean out a room in the basement and set up the classroom.  Dear Money, You aren't very nice to me. You aren't there when I need or want you and you are always burning holes in my pockets.  Dear Hea...

Dear Hubby,  Congratulations on your interview. I hope that God opens the doors that will lead you to your future career.   Dear Friend,  Thank you for meeting with me to catch up and to talk about homeschooling. I have really missed our conversations.  Dear Children, Please help me by being peaceful today. I have been so blessed to spend time with you all and am excited about our day tomorrow.  Dear A/C,  You still suck. That's not all, this time. What really sucks is you pretending to work then changing your mind.  Dear My Future Self,  Whatever is going on when you read this... God is good. God is always good. His grace is sufficient.  Dear House,  Please don't be mad when you are still a mess tomorrow afternoon... it takes a little time to get in the habit of organizing.  Dear devil,  FU** YOU!!! Dear God,  Please protect the hearts and spirits of my family. The devil is scheming and  I can s...