On Sunday Mara headed up North to camp with my sister Anna and her kids. We missed her around our house a lot! Sometimes she can be pretty quiet and spend most of her time reading but I came to realize how much I count on her for helping around the house.
On Tuesday evening Ken headed South to take some continuing education classes in the cities. Most times we go with him and stay at Anna's , but I had a wedding to do, Anna wasn't there anyway and the boys had baseball so we stayed home. We missed Ken a lot. I am so incredibly thank-ful that I am not a single mother (and I am so impressed with those of you that are able to do that job)! Whenever Ken is gone is certainly reminds me of how needed a Father and a Husband are in a home.
While Ken and Mara were away we were pretty busy, the boys had ball (and I had to take them to all of the games since Ken wasn't home), I had music lessons to teach, church class to prepare for and Wedding flowers to do plus trying to keep up with being a mother and homemaker. It was going okay but Thursday was one of those days.
I was working away on Flowers downstairs and the boys had been having fun working on a wood project in the garage and Megan was playing inside. I went upstairs and I thought I heard footsteps on top of the roof. It really sounded like that but I told myself, "No" there is no way that anybody would be up on the house. (We have a 2 story house and I couldn't imagine how or why anybody would be up there.) I thought the boys must have moved out to play on the deck and be stomping loudly and that is making it sound that way.
I checked the deck. Silent. No boys to be seen.
Then I hear them say something, it sounds like it is coming from outside Mara's second story window. I had better find out where the boys are quick.
I go out to the garage. Dark. Quiet. No boys. I open the back door of the garage and there they are. Jonathan is on the ground watching Aaron carefully climb down the snow scoops to the ground. They had climbed up the snow scoops to the garage roof and from there went on top of the house!
"We are supposed to play on the roof?!? We had no idea!"
Normally the boys are quite trustworthy. They are fairly responsible and don't get into lots of trouble. But they are boys and a discovery of a way to go on to the roof was just a little hard to pass up.
Later that day as I was again trying to get flowers done and they were supposed to be working on chores, I go upstairs to find in the hallway the piano bench with a stool balanced carefully on top and above that the attic door pushed up.
"You mean we aren't supposed to try to get in the attic? Why not?"
That evening left me pouring out my heart to God in desperate need of His help and grace. It was a clear reminder that my kids are not perfect and I am a long, long ways from being the person I need to be. I need God's help and grace or I will never make it! Thanks be to God that he generously provides both!