Wow, it's been a while. Where has the time gone, where have I been? Let's see. At last entry I was feeling very ambitious about getting to work on straightening things up and getting on track...well, that hasn't much happened. I haven't totally abandoned the plan, just put it on hold for a bit. In the mean time Griffithgang Mom has been one busy lady.
September brought the busyness of back to school. Trying to get back to routines and schedules from a summer of leisure can prove a difficult task. Cubscouts started back mid September, where the cat was let out of the bag about our surprise trip to Disney World. We had worked hard to keep the trip a secret from the kiddos, but hadn't taken great pains to make sure everyone knew it was a surprise. Oh well, as one friend said, Luke and I both were surprised with the way the trip was announced. September threw another twist my way...an opportunity. A family friend Tim Carter decided to start up a theatre group in Mercer County. After mentioning my fascination with drama to him he cast me to be part of the play. I reluctantly agreed and began memorizing the bazillions of lines that I had.
Our trip was fantastic, as always. Mom, Dad, Matt, and Parris accompanied us making it an extra special time. It's rare that you can get everyone together for a trip like that. Luke and Macy enjoyed every moment. Macy was in awe of the princesses and Luke again was blown away with Star Tours. That place just never gets old to us.
A busy month welcomed us home in October. I began my late night rehearsals nearly every evening after work, scouts picked up full force, basketball evaluations, and church kids play practice began. It seemed like there would be no end in sight. I suffered much Mommy guilt. I felt sooo badly about doing the play and being gone from the family for rehearsal. I missed the fall festival for opening night of the show. Why would a Mommy with zero extra time commit to such a big endeavor? Lord only knows. The show went on for two weekends and sold out nearly every night. It was a very rewarding experience that showed me that I have not moved beyond learning something completely new. My brain appreciated the stimulation and vacation from the day to day that it has grown much too accustomed to. So many of our friends and family came out to show support us and cheer me on. I think they were just as worried that I would flop as I was. They all seemed to be pleasantly surprised.
That brings me to present day, we had dinner a chick-fil-a last night to help raise funds for scouts, we will be decorating outdoor for Halloween today and carving pumpkins with the family this evening, tomorrow will be church play practice for the kids, Saturday is lifegroup, and so on and so on. It doesn't really slow down...and what would I do if it did. I am thankful for all the business.
In the middle of all my craziness I heard a story that touched me. It was that of a little boy named Tate. He was 5 years old and lived nearby the Princeton area. He was diagnosed with a brain tumor this fall and passed away last week. I had been following his story on facebook through a friend of his family. I couldn't help but to think about that family, especially that Momma. How different their days were than mine last week. My busy work versus the daunting tasks that laid ahead of them. It just amazes me how our lives can change course in a matter of seconds. That family must have had no idea that things would take this turn for them, that they would lose their precious baby boy. How does life go on? I had fussed at Luke all day that day about his laziness with doing chores. He had laid down to sleep and I had a few minutes of peace and quiet. I couldn't stop thinking about how that Momma would give anything to love on her baby boy again. At that moment I climbed into bed with Luke and held him for a long time. He asked me what I was doing and I told him about little Tate. We cried together. We never had the pleasure of knowing little Tate, but he touched our hearts just the same.
I hope all of you are having a wonderful autumn. The leaves seem to be extra beautiful to me this year. Before long they will blanket the ground and soon be covered with sweeps of snow. So enjoy these days of sunshine and warmth and enjoy your loved ones...that's really all that matters!
