Hot Stuff & I'm Sorry Carol

Okay, first of all I'd like to begin by stating the obvious, it's been really, really HOT here.  I thought I'd mention that because I've noticed that hot weather is like the price of gas; everyone's got something to say about it.  So yeah, it's been hot, and as a result I was kinda grumpy the past few days, and I think my poor Lorelei had heatstroke today because she had a fever and was really lethargic.  But don't feel sorry for us, we're all okay.

Uncle Darin and Auntie Carol (Dan's older sister) flew out from Washington on Thursday and stayed with us 2 nights.  So here's the amazing thing about Carol.  When I married in to the family, she had 4 kids under 4 just like me (set of twins included, except she had 2 boys & 2 girls).

Anyway, in those early years, Dan & I would fly out to Washington, and I'd see her with all of her little toddlers running around, & I'd think to myself, how cute, and then I'd ramble on to my other in laws about me, me, me, my teaching job, my new clothes, me, me, me, etc.  At the time, it never even occurred to me to offer her any kind of help with her kids, nor did it ever occur to me that her life was probably really, really hard, and stressful.  

So here we are, a decade later, her kids are all now wonderful, sweet, independent teenagers, and I now am living the life she once lived; buckling car seats, wiping noses (and other body parts), refereeing fights over baby dolls, and lugging strollers through our local zoo.

So let me now just say this: Carol, I'm so sorry that I was so incredibly self absorbed!  I never could have imagined what you were going through, but the Lord has graciously changed my life so that I could be HUMBLED and finally grow.  Five years ago I would have said that my heroes were Kelly Ripa and I don't know... contestants on Survivor.  And even though I still have to say, I really do love Kelly Ripa, Carol, you are definitely my present day hero.  I now realize how much you have sacrificed and all you have done to love and teach and home school your kids.   You rock, and we had a great time this weekend with you guys.