Rest for the Weary

With the coming of November there has been a sudden realization that most of my major projects have been completed, that my day to day hustle and bustle is cut in half, and my "to do" list has shrunk considerably. I also have rapidly come to the conclusion that when my usually overbooked life suddenly calms down, I feel as if there is something wrong, as if I am being lazy or something because for a moment I can move at normal speed rather than "the speed of life", to quote Steven Curtis Chapman.

This respite is no doubt needed, and coming as it has with the change in daylight savings time, life will be slower, and hopefully I can find time for the things I want to do...play more games with the kids, work on slide shows and photo projects, write long overdue emails and letters to those I care about, go for walks, and maybe read a book or two. It won't be long before the winter work season will be upon us, and we will find ourselves thrust into a life of passers by as we all go willy nilly in different directions, scrambling to keep up with all that is on our daily agenda.

In the meantime, I have time to reflect, time to breath, time to sit. We have some friendships that are blossoming and need nurturing, we have worries to be put aside for now, we have anticipation for the months to come that needs to be placed aside for the moment. So much is coming down the pike that this time of rest isn't making me uncomfortable as it might otherwise do, but instead is helping give me time to regenerate. I have never really understood why I feel this drive to go 90 miles per hour at all times, as I see myself as a very lazy person in many regards. My brain, sadly, always seems to be thinking way too far ahead of myself and I need to learn how to live in the moment.

So in the month of November I vow to:

1) Read at least 10 new books that I have stacked up calling to me
2) Listen to music more
3) Finish my Christmas shopping (I am over half way done!)
4) Visit with my closest friends more
5) Have at least one date with Dominick
6) Blog more, but I am not sure about what...any suggestions?
7) Smile and laugh more
8) Begin working on a couple of photo albums :-)
9) Take a nap at least twice this month
10) Go for walks in the crisp fall air
11) Take my camera out far more often
12) Snuggle in bed with the kids more in the mornings, giggling and talking about silly things
13) Have more "camp outs" on our bedroom floor at night
14) Fall asleep in front of the wood stove
15) Listen to the geese as they fly overhead migrating south, it is my single greatest pleasure of fall
16) Go geocaching with the boys, who have bugged us recently to go again

In addition to the above "for me" things to do, I will plan more Scout meetings, purchase giftware for our cafes, plan a couple of older youth meetings, plan a younger youth get together, and have Kenny's birthday. But that all seems minor compared to all that has been on my list for the past few months.

Dominick usually has down time in November as well due to weather...not very conducive to car washing. I vow that for this November, I will not worry about the financial aspect of that and will just enjoy having some much needed time together when those rained out or snowed out afternoons occur.

We will NOT tackle tiling our floors or painting our family room as we did the past two falls.

I WILL try to find God in the small things each day, I will try more to appreciate all that is ours to enjoy that comes from Him...which often in the day to day rush gets overlooked.

I hope your fall will be as restful as I hope mine will be!