I spent many hours (no exaggeration) putting the laundry away this morning. It just kept coming and coming like it was yeast that was getting a little out of control growing in the glass bowl as you prepare to make bread. You become a little edgy and not sure what to do with it all. But I am glad to report this evening that the laundry is entirely caught up, folded AND put away in their proper locations. And I feel at peace. Oh, how these little and seemingly silly things soothe me and make me feel happy.

This summer I am all about dresses. Wrap dresses and cozy cotton summer dresses (which I am pretty sure Clinton and Stacey might not approve because I might say the “C” word (“comfortable”) when describing these dresses. Dresses are so easy. And I feel a little more dolled up then in some grungy work pants or Capri’s that are too tight in the ass. Today I wore a well fitted cotton sleeveless dress in shades of burnt red and a warm salmon like color swirled in. My sister found it for me at some thrift store in Iowa City. It works.

I left Ivan and Audrey napping this afternoon and Scarlet and I went to run a slew of errands. All those ones that you ignore and forget about but it would feel [oh so good] to get it off the “to do” list, you know. Like returning library books, taking back the DVD’s, picking up prescriptions, taking the dry cleaning in, picking up those last minute gifts for people. But I got it all done including heading all the way out to Grayslake to my favorite yarn shop for another skein of the cozy yarn I am using for Scarlet’s comfort blanket. [I am having an eery feeling that Scarlet might not find this little blankie so cuddly as I hope she might. Alas...]

We are heading out to Iowa City (for those of you Chicagoans who aren’t familiar which way Iowa is (and you are out there), we are heading due West and a bit South for about four hours until we hit my Alma mater and the home of my parents, Kevin and Trudi Anne. First stop will be a joyous celebration with my ol’ chum Alina who recently brought home her second son from Ethiopia. I am confident I will weep. I get weepy when I hear her story and see the photos of her glittering peaceful face. God is good in providing all these babies.

And lastly, what I have been avoiding for about two weeks now I finally plunged into and just dealt with it: cleaning off my desk and paying the bills. Yuck. Let me say it again: YUCK. But it wasn’t as bad as my denial prone insides were thinking it might be. Somehow, someway we keep paying our mortgage, having food on the table to feed our children, cars that have very little maintenance, and all the other little amenities we might feel we need. It continues to settle in that we are going to be okay. Somehow, someway. But mostly because He cares about us and sees us and is vested in our welfare.

A funny I leave with you…
Last night Ivan and I were partaking in a regular routine of oozing with endearment for our two daughters. It usually starts with something like this: “Scarlet is so cuuuute.” And it is said in a cutesy, cuddly and mama/papa sort of voice. And this starts us off in telling stories of what are children did today to further endear us to them and what funny thing Audrey said. Last night it started as it usually does and then Ivan starts talking about how Scarlet always kicks like some professional swimmer swimming for dear life from a ferocious shark. And then he calls her, “Scarlet Phelps”. And I just bust a gut laughing. I had an image of her seemingly constant smiling face photo shopped over Michael’s body, standing there in his speedo with all his gold metals around his neck. And I guess it just hit a really large funny bone. I guess you have to see Scarlet do her “Phelps” moves on the changing table and it might strike you as funny too. Just maybe…

I love my daughters, very much.

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