Soak it up.

If you're like me, there are certain things that I just have to experience for myself.  Someone can say to me, oh, don't waste your time going there, but if I have my heart set on going there, no one is going to tell me different.  I go, it stinks.  Shoot.  I should've taken their advice. 

When you have kids all you ever hear is, Don't wish your life away, Some day you'll wish your kids were young again, etc.  But at the time you're hearing all of this great advice, you're thinking, Ha, I just want them to sleep through the night, be able to walk or stop crying, it'll be so much easier when they're five or ten or 16, and on and on.  Each new age or phase brings about a new stage that we beg for.  Vicious cycle!

School is out, summer has begun.  Both kids are in summer league ball, which means we have ball games a few nights a week.  Madolyn is involved in a few other things.  Lane's not super busy yet, but we're already constantly on the go.  (I can only imagine what it's like with more than two kids!)  And I don't necessarily mind it because I like to be on the go.  Sometimes staying at home makes me crazy.  Sometimes I can't wait for one night, one night where I don't have to leave the house after work, and then I'm 'bored' and I have to force myself not to go somewhere.  Every now and then I wish that I had some alone time; only when I get the alone time, I don't like it...at all. 

I know this is the phase of my life that I am in with busy, active kids and I don't necessarily mind it.  I look forward to the different seasons of volleyball, football, basketball, baseball/softball, fairs, church camp, etc., we will go through.  (Maybe it will help keep young!)

As I was visiting over my lunch hour with my grandma the other day, she said something that I just can't quit thinking about, and it's nothing mind-blowing, it's nothing I haven't heard before from several people, it's nothing that took scientific research.  I was telling her about the four ball games this week, the cheerleading clinics and all the running, her response, without hesitation, was, "Soak it up, Sarah.  Soak it up.  Let everything else go."  For some reason hearing those words from my almost-94-yr-old grandma clicked with me.  She went on to tell me not to worry about the house and all, just to run and do for the kids.  The house will wait.  I know that she's right.

I have heard this advice from others, I've read devotions about it, I have read tips on how to live through these busy seasons, but hearing it from a lady that always had a neat and tidy house and seemed to have everything in order meant something.  She has almost 94 years to base that bit of advice on.  I'm quite certain that my mom and my mother-in-law (and many other mothers and grandmothers out there) probably would have the same bit of advice.  I'm thinking I may actually try to follow it...instead of waiting until this phase is over and realizing they were right.  (And it's just what I needed to hear, an excuse not to do so much housework:)  Soak it up, my friends.