Weeks like this

Some of you may be aware of the awesome week we had last week. Less sarcastically, ;we got a little overwhelmed by life.

1.With too much (stressful stuff) on the calendar 
2. A mountain of dirt to contend with 

3. A heat wave (and the accompanying hit to the bank account)

4. Sick little dudes

Michael said, "First World problems." I know. But still.

A brief explanation:
Last Wednesday everything hit the fan on the same day.  If it weren't for my wonderful in-laws who literally showed up at my door step at the precise moment I was desperate for help, I don't know what I would have done. (My own parents were in the Uintas during the week...I had to keep reminding myself every time I had the urge to call my mother.) With the AC guy working on our fried compressor unit outside, the neighbor dumping trailer-loads of dirt on our driveway, the baby sick, Mike at work till 10 PM and me needing to be at the church activity I had organized that evening - we were short-staffed, so to speak. Very short staffed. I tossed my check book to my father-in-law, and turned my children over to my mother-in-law who cooked them dinner in an 85 degree house. (Saints.)
When I returned home, exhausted, a few hours later I found my neighbor and father-in-law shoveling/dumping more dirt on the driveway and my mother-in-law walking the sick/teething baby in the stroller down the sidewalk. The verdict on the AC was that it had breathed it's last. We wrapped things up for the night, I hugged Mike's parents as they left - and I went in the house and cried. And when Mike got home I cried some more. Because I was exhausted, the baby was still sick, there was a giant mountain of dirt & boulders on the driveway waiting to somehow be moved into our canyon of a backyard, the house was hot & would remain hot for 6 more days until they could fit our install into their schedule. And of course, that new system was going to put us out A LOT of otherwise allocated cash. OUCH.

Anyway, we've spent a lot of time in the basement this week, or away from home - keeping cool.

Walking around Silver Lake at Brighton

Staying on the shady side of the house - much cooler than inside.

Outing to the Planetarium

Splash pad and snow cones at Gateway while we waited for Mike at his office.

And, somehow things work out. I learned some new lessons. I actually had some instructive dreams this week (isn't that weird?) that helped me work through a few things, and come to a better frame of mind.

We went to the funeral of Mike's Mission President Monday. And that was also good for my perspective. It made me want to be better. More full of LOVE. Not so focused on just this life. Because the reasons we are really here are so much bigger. I want to live that kind of FULL life. Full of love for others, full of service, full of simplicity, forgetting myself to find myself. Then, I think, a week like last week would seem like a small challenge filled with many opportunities for good.

Life is about GROWING.

It's Wednesday again.
The AC guys came yesterday. I wanted to run out and give them all high-fives. I was so excited to see them. (Monday had been a scorcher.) By about 2 o'clock we had a fancy new AC unit outside and cold air flowing from our vents again. The dirt and boulders are still there - but another group project day is in the works for the near future. The baby is almost totally over his cold. Also, Jessie's dented cheek checked out with the plastic surgeon yesterday. He said it might always be slightly more flat, but otherwise ok. He gave his guarantee this way: "If she can't get a date to Senior Prom, give me a call." All is well. Or will be.
What a difference a week makes.