I spent half the morning getting all the kids belongings back where they belong.. why? I guess so they can just pull them out again! argh! it's so frustrating! and if it's not all cleaned up and perfect, Rich hobbles around on his bad foot picking it all up.. which makes me feel bad! :( I'm not a nut about keeping everything perfect, but I do like their toys organized to make them more fun vs. hunting down pieces all the time. I am looking forward to the day that I can say clean up your toys! and the job will be done.. right now I still have to remind them to keep working, threaten, discipline, and basically tell Abby everything she needs to pick up one thing at a time and where it goes. oh does this get old! Sometimes I want to scream JUST DO IT!!! and remember to keeping doing it till the job is done!!!

Luke ended up at home again today.. just as we were going out the door he had another bout w/ diarrhea. :( I thought it was all gone and had sent him to school yesterday! :( We ran over to school and picked up some of his school work. At home the kids have been begging for me to let them to mix colors w/ paint. I decided today was the day.. since most everything was cleaned up. ( I could handle one more mess!).. they had fun guessing what colors would be made when I gave them 2 drops of paint.We had some more "love mail" come home yesterday. I think it's so cute! I've been busy working on preparations for Abby's 3rd birthday party! I can't believe my baby is going to be 3!! :( and she doesn't even wear ANY diapers anymore! We gave up day diapers before 2! but now she's been wearing undies at night for the last 2 weeks! yeah!!! go Abby!! Luckily... knock on wood! we've had no accidents at night.

I'm slowly moving along in my "read through the Bible". I try to read a little each night even if I'm really tired. Mom and Dad these comments are for you, since your reading it too.. I was thinking last night about the "Cloud Above the Tabernacle" in Numbers 9:15-23. I always think of the people from the Bible as very "serious"and different from us. I stopped to think about what this might have been like for them last night and I just kept laughing to myself to think these people must have been somewhat like us? Were they laughing amongst themselves saying"there goes that cloud again!" Did they wake up and run out of their tents and gather together to see where if it moved or not? I would love to be a "fly on the ummm sand?" watching them experience this. Did the children just marvel at the colors of the fiery cloud? and stare and stare? or did the people just get use to it and follow it w/out thinking twice of the miracle they were witnessing?? Did the people talk about it after it was gone and say "man, I wish God would make things as clear as that "cloud!"?!!

well off to scrapbooking.. I've been trying to get myself caught up when I have time! -Beth