The what I have been up to lately, with pictures, post will occur in a day or two.  This is more about the everyday stuff.

Well, it was going to be anyway.  I started to type it up and realized how ridiculous it all sounded.  One of the things I plan to do before January is to figure out why I am busy...or at least feel so busy.  That sounds stupid, too.  I think that the reality is that I am involved with many small to medium sized things, and my brain is not sorting it all out well.  Today I am fairly un-busy.  I set my alarm for 6:30 and woke up Lauren so she could get ready for school and then she practiced violin, which is a another post in the making, because she and I have been struggling, so it wasn't the most fun morning activity.  Luke took the girls to the bus and I got dressed and sorted through a few things to get ready for my day.  I went to downtown at 9:15 for a meeting for the children's museum that we are trying to build, until about 11:30.  I went and grabbed Jimmy John's for Luke and I and stopped by someone's office at church to talk to them about their other job, for which I wanted to hire them on for a children's museum event.  I then went to an hourlong meeting at church.  At 1:30 we were done so I headed to a part of town with lots of little shops and tried to Christmas shop.  I gave up and went to a coffee shop, where I am now.  I will leave soon to be home in time to meet the school bus.  Normally on Wednesdays, we are off to church for dinner and children's choirs, but we are don for the semester, so this is why I can relax this afternoon, instead of prepared and I don't have to hurry the kids with homework and instrument practice after school today either, which is nice.

I guess I envisioned generally freer days than I have.  I am just involved in a lot, I guess.

Children's Museum (2 hours a week or so)
Little Job (2 hours a week or so)
Choir (included driving time, 7 hours a week normally, more than that around holidays)
Children's Choir (3-4 hours a week)
Bible Study (3 hours a week or more, depending now much study I do)
Help at school (1.5 hours a week)
Helping Lauren practice/lessons (3-4 hours a week)

Five years ago

December 2006 Julia, Lauren and I flew home from NY, where Lauren and I had been since September with Nathan.  I took this picture of Julia and Lauren probably before going to church.  Lauren is wearing that dress now.  How time flies...

October 2011 Pictures

I really need to recap, so, briefly:

Lauren lost her two top teeth ("lost" being not quite correct because Luke pulled one and I pulled the other when they were so loose they had to come out.  Lauren wasn't terribly happy with us but got over it quickly)

We went on a "hike", which was more of a walk, with our friends and took some family pictures.

I went to California to visit my sister-friend Lisa.

Luke was gone for a week on business.

Halloween!

Oh - and I forgot to do Sept. pictures though there are not many - see them here.