Happy Spring

Hello all,
I am finally taking a couple of minutes to sit at the computer.  It has been very neglected for the last month, because we have been very busy around here.  We have worked against all odds and five children to finally get our house on the market.  It has been listed for 1 week and 3 days and we have had 3 families look at it.  The realtors seem to think it shows well, so we are going to just sit and wait for a bit.  I know God has this part of the plan figured out already, and I am praying daily for the faith to believe that.  I have been struggling with my unbelief lately.  We have seen God's hand working during this time, and I still can't believe that he would have it all worked out for his Glory already.  I am clinging to this belief that He doesn't know what he is doing.  I get scared and anxious and stressed out, knowing that I should be walking in faith and trusting that God's plan for us is perfect and is worked out already.  Why am I so quick to carry this burden, pretending that I have any control at all?  Maybe that is what the problem is.  I may have control freak tendencies.  Um, OK I will be honest, I like to be in control.  I like to know how we are going to get from point A to point B, and C and D and E, and well, you get the picture.  I don't know how to just hang loose and go with the flow.  God may be doing this for a reason.  Could it be, He would like me to learn to trust Him?  When I am telling the kids about God and how amazing He is, and that He has a plan for their life, am I being the world's biggest hypocrite?  I am so glad I am saved by grace and not by works.  What a mess I am, but what a glorious God I serve.  I am rejoicing in that knowledge tonight.
As far as how life is going, well, it is going.  We try to stay as busy as possibly in order to avoid being home.  It is much easier to keep a house clean when you are not in it.  So, we take drives and sit in parking lots, and watch many practices and games and gymnastics and dance.  I look for any excuse to jump in the car.  I can't wait until our house sells so we can start living in our house again.  So far the kids have been pretty good about helping out.  What I really mean is, they haven't torn it down yet.  I have to gently remind them regularly to keep their fingers and mouths off the walls and windows.  We also moved our table out of the kitchen to help maintain the newly refinished hardwood floors.  Because of that, we have picnics at every meal.  Here is Ainsley enjoying breakfast on the floor.  Good thing we are still young, and can all get up off the floor when the meal is over.

 Because we have to have our house ready to show, we were taking down Grace's portable crib every morning and then after her nap.  It was really a hassle to put it back up when Grace was ready to go to bed, so I just decided to move her to her big girl bed.  As you can see, she seems to do just fine on it.  This was her first nap in her big girl bed.

 Ainsley turned 5 last week.  Not sure where the time has gone, but it is so fun having a little girl, and watching her grow up.  I am so blessed to have two.  Ainsley, Grace and I joined two other mother/daughter pairs for a trip to the American Girl Doll store at the Alderwood mall.  It was so fun.  Ainsley added to her collection and had a wonderful time with the girls.  We also took her to dinner when we were back home and Grandma was able to join us.  Ainsley had a great day.

 Mike and I haven't seen each other much these last few weeks.  He is gone a lot more than normal right now, so when Grace's palate surgery got canceled because she had a cold, we took advantage of a free day.  We started out with a coffee date.  I just love Grace's pigtails.  We think her surgery will be rescheduled for sometime in late April.

 Auntie Gaye got Grace the cutest sunglasses, and I think she wears them very well :).

 On Sunday, we had to kill some time, so we went to the local outdoor show.  All four of the big kids and their dad lined up for an electronic skeet shoot.  It was so cute to watch each of them wielding a gun, even the princess down at the end.  Brandt was our sharpshooter for the game.

Life continues to move on.  We are waiting anxiously for our house to sell, but in the mean time, we are just living, and watching our kids grow and change.  We are blessed by amazing, thoughtful friends, and we are going to miss them so much.  I think I am beginning to accept the fact that we are moving, but I do manage to slip back into denial when I need to.