Wake Up

There are so many posts that I want to write.  Some of them have been swirling around in my head since June.  I want so much to be able to preserve these memories and thoughts which are all too fleeting.  But with so many demands on my time, I've been having trouble squeezing in any composition time.  Which is also my downfall, in a way.  Because I don't want to post just a jumble of memories and thoughts.  I want to write something that is as much fun to read as it was for me to write.  Because I love writing.  It brings me joy.  It takes a weight of my shoulders because I don't have to try to hold it all in my head--I know it will be there in the future when I, or someone in my family wants to pull it out of the blog archives and relive it.  But trying to write like that takes time.  Time that I just don't have.

A few weeks ago, my Bishop (a leader in my church congregation) asked me to give a presentation to the youth about my missionary service.  I spent a year and a half teaching anyone who wanted to listen about the Mormon faith.  That was 15 years ago.  So I had to tear apart my garage and my bookshelves, trying to find all my old mission materials.  And as I was looking at pictures and reading my journal and letters, it felt like I was pulled back to that time in my life.  It was really amazing.  And unbelievably time consuming.  I wanted what I said to get through to the youth.  I wanted them to really understand just how much I LOVED being a missionary and what an all-around amazing experience it was. 

So I read, and planned, and scanned photos, and fretted, and prayed until I finally came up with something that seemed like it would fulfill the Bishop's request.  I gave the presentation last night.  And it was really fun.  I even made my girls stay up way too late last night because we were sitting around the table with Shaggy looking at photos and I was telling them mission stories.  In a way, it almost felt like a dream.  Like I was taking a mini vacation from my current life in order to go back and reminisce.

Unfortunately, it is now time for me to wake up.  Just in time to make some invitations for a birthday party that we are supposedly having in a couple of weeks.  After that, I  have to actually PLAN said party and design a cake.  I also have to clean up the disaster that my house has become because I was using ALL my non-child-care moments to work on my presentation.  And because I'm watching a couple of kids for a friend this afternoon.

Oh, and let's not forget that Halloween is upon us.  I have exactly 9 days to create a robot costume (candy bot to be exact), find a store that sells stage make-up to create a mime, get over to the fabric store to buy something gypsy-esque. 

And did I mention that the cupboards and fridge are bare?  My bedroom is piled half-way to the ceiling with stuff we have decided to get rid of.  So I have to prep it all to sell on ebay.  I hate ebay.  At least right now.  The fall clothes need to be stuffed into drawers and the summer ones pulled out.  And I have a list of 47 errands that need to be run.  We have to reorganize the garage to make everything fit back where it's supposed to.  And I have to get it all done within a month because we're having family come for Thanksgiving.  And we all know what comes after Thanksgiving and how much prep work it takes to keep those Christmas traditions alive and well.  Oh, and I better not forget that I am in charge of the Sunday Christmas program for my church.  You know, because I am SO musically talented.  I was supposed to have it done by September.  Only running a little behind, here.  Phew!

So while B is napping, I am, of course, not doing any of these things.  I am writing a blog post.  But really, what I REALLY want to do is flip through pictures and tell my kids stories of my life once upon a time, before they came along.  It's sooo much more fun than housework.