Beautiful Genius Mom Seeks To Hire Interesting Title Writer

Today was jam-packed, mostly with good stuff.

We got some schoolwork done at breakfast, and then got out of here crazy early (for us), just after 9:30.  We dropped off the camera for repairs (two to four weeks, bleh), browsed Target (yes, browsed... I have no idea how I pulled that off with three small kids), and got lunch at Firehouse.  They usually take good care of us there. And we go so often that my meal is very often free because of our rewards cards.

After naps we headed out to church.  We ate our pbj's in the church dining room.  I thought we got there plenty early (because I tried to have us leave early enough to run another errand, but didn't quite make it, so we headed straight to church), but they took their sweet time eating so I got to service just on time.  I was only disappointed because I brought my Apples lesson to work on while I relaxed.  Relaxed, ha!  What a concept.

I'm not too frustrated by that issue of no relaxation lately, but I was pretty psyched to just sit and chill.  It's all good though, because the sermon was really good.  Because the Word is so so good.  It was on Ephesians 5:3-14.  Very powerful stuff.  As God so often works it, it went right in line with our Apples lesson from last week: Purity.  What a sweet mission, to seek to be pure in every possible way, starting with our thoughts... to be like our Father, to please our Father, and just plain be happier!  And it's only possible with His help, by being in His Word and consciously in His Spirit's presence all the time.  Our teaching mentor this week put that part this way:  We get our hands and feet dirty by touching the world around us, which we must do as we live our lives each day, so we need daily to go to the Bible to bath in His Word, to wash it all away.

There Richard, I didn't even mean to give in to your demand for bits of Applesauce, but you're welcome.

Then satan tried to take the shine off the evening by tempting me to freak out when Baby Bear screamed the whole way home.  I was definitely tempted!

One of the goals of our Target shopping was to finally wrap up the Operation Christmas Child boxes we did this year.  It's been so fun to pick up various little tidbits to put in our boxes.  I decided we'd do two girls' boxes, aged 5-9. So fun!  I wish I'd taken a picture of them before I turned them in tonight.  I think I can remember most of the items:

• Headbands and hairclips
• Socks
• Toothbrush and toothpaste
• Crayons
• Coloring book
• Stickers
• Mini stuffed Smurfette
• Spiky-squishy bug-eyed toy (wow)
• Notebook
• Lollipops
• Note from our family

I always remember the joy Brandon and I got out of doing a box for a small boy our first Christmas we were married.  We could not afford it at all, but we had a great time really thinking about what to put in there and "splurging" on a sweet little boy out there.  It was such a sweet time.  I highly recommend the experience.