I can't even begin to describe to you how happy I am to be HOME. July was a month full of travels and I loved every single minute of them, but there's nothing like your own space. The past two weeks took me to some beautiful parts of our world, but I was elated to sleep in my own bed, drink coffee out of my own mug while sitting on my own couch with my people surrounding me.
Jet-lag is no joke and I'm feeling it more this time around then I did last year when I went to London. Sunday and Monday were pretty much a day of weeping and sorrow. I wasn't even sad, but I just cried. I think I was just plain tired. Worn out. Although my kids have been in school for two weeks now, yesterday was my first day to do the mom thing while they were gone all day. Because of my weepiness and weirdness, I spent a lot of time just doing laundry, and sitting on the couch with coffee. I didn't say one word all day and that was just what I needed. I wasn't ready to talk to a single person and that did my soul good. I'm an extrovert, but after two weeks of non-stop people this girl needed some silence.
Montana was quite possibly the most beautiful place that I have ever been. The mountains were enormous and beautiful. In fact when I use the word beautiful about them it seems ridiculous. As if there is some word out there that would be better to describe them, but that word hasn't been invented yet. Everywhere around us was beauty. We did a water rafting trip and that might need to be crossed off my bucket list now! If you ever get a chance to visit Glacier National Park I highly recommend you doing that. Breathtaking.
While we were there, our kids all started school. Story to kinder, Amos & Deacon to 2nd and my big boy, Cayden, headed to 4th. I'm not even sure how this all happened, but all of a sudden my baby is in kindergarten and my first born is in 4th. Ugh, they get too big too fast.
Story stayed with Meghan & Tiffany before her first night of big-girl-school, and let me tell you they treated her right. She got her hair done the day before, fingernails painted and a special breakfast. She even took flowers to her teacher on her first day! How precious.
From Montana I headed straight to London with a group of girls from our church. All year long I've been involved in a development program and our final activity each year is heading to London to work with an organization there and local churches. It's a lot of fun, and this year I was fortunate to go again with the girls I have been leading all year long.
While I was in London, Aaron was home with the kids and at least they had one parent with them. I knew he would be great, but I've loved hearing how things went last week. He keeps saying it was pure survival mode around our house. I for sure don't like leaving my family, but I love when I do get to go, that it reminds Aaron how much he needs me – ha!! He has said a few times since I've been back how much smoother our house runs when I'm home. Rumor has it the kids were late to school a few days last week, and so I took the teachers a mug and some chocolate yesterday as a peace offering for our kids first two weeks of school being so crazy!
I hope you enjoyed the guest posts that I had for the past two weeks. I loved them all and knew that you guys would as well. I'm excited about finding a groove these next few weeks while I adjust to a new way of life now with all my kids in school. I'm kinda liking it so far!
Tomorrow is a giveaway for something here in Austin that you are going to want to attend, so check back in. I also have another guest post next week that I'm super excited about. A friend shares her journey towards forgiveness to her husband while he fights sexual sin. It will be so good.
I'll leave you with these two pictures from London. One is of great friends and the other shows the lengths that I will go to for the gospel. Enjoy and try to not let this image haunt your dreams tonight.
