A Whole Lot of Catching Up to Do

What the heck happened to the last three months?! When I got off the plane from D.C., I think I must have stepped onto a hyperspace time machine that has fast-forwarded my life. I vaguely remember some pretty significant events - almost too many to list in one blog post, but here are the highlights:

1. A birthday. Mine. I turned 52. Ugh.
2. A Joint Commission survey at work. Major stress.
3. An Easter performance. Hannah danced.
4. Attending softball games dressed in winter coats and wrapped in blankets.
5. Begging, pleading, and bribing one said 18-year-old in order to get the necessary work done to meet the requirements for high school graduation.
6. A trip to Las Vegas for work.
7. Attending softball games dressed in rain ponchos and hanging onto umbrellas for dear life.
8. Another Joint Commission visit. Even more stress.
9. Piano recital and band concert. The addition of a tenor sax to Hannah's musical repertoire.
10. More begging and pleading. And to be brutally honest, some hefty "assistance" with the completion of one composition class.
11. Darrin and McKenna's one year wedding anniversary (Can it possibly be a year already?)
12. Attending softball games dressed in shorts and tank tops.
13. David's GRADUATION!

14. Memorial Day weekend in Kansas City (Yes, more softball!)

15. Sandbagging around Warren and Sarah's home in preparation for the 'Revenge of the Missouri River' flooding.

16. Our 32nd wedding anniversary. Good Lord, how can that be?!
17. Dad's 16th cardioversion.
18. Graduation Open House.

Wow! By anyone's standards, that is a full spring! No wonder the blog has taken a back seat.

In the midst of all of this chaos, I've done some reflecting. As John Lennon sang, "Life is what happens when you're busy making other plans." I'm afraid I've been all too guilty of worrying so much about "the next thing" that I miss the joy in the moment I'm in. So here are some of the things that didn't make the list above that, in hindsight, have contributed to some moments worth mentioning.

1. A new iPhone - I really like the silly thing, even if it is - as Al puts it - "a short leash." It has opened music up to me again in a way I haven't experienced since the days of cassette tapes. And did you know you can read books on an iPhone? IF you have functional eyes, that is.
2. A long walk (actually, more than one) to clear my head after one of many conflicts with Al, Brent, or David. Sometimes I feel like I can't say anything right, so a long walk and a bit of prayer is my self-therapy. And this helps too (taken with the iPhone mentioned above.)
3. Hannah's rendition of Over the Rainbow on piano. She's actually very good, and this is one of my all-time favorites.
4. Cute little Scotty McCreery winning American Idol. Even though I don't really like country music, I'm going to keep an eye on that one. I'm guessing he will be a big country star someday soon.
5. Darrin taking James Winterbottom under his wing and playing some wonderful guitar duets at David's graduation open house. James and David waited together for the bus on the first day of kindergarten, and every first day of school since. James' mother, Cyndi, was there with her camera and I think I saw a tear in her eye. Definitely a moment.
6. Darrin leading the DTC band as they opened for someone more famous (even though I have forgotten his name!) They were hands down better than the famous guy. 

7. A conversation with Brent during which he actually demonstrated some insight into where his life needs to go. I praised God so hard for this glimmer of hope that I thought I would burst!
8. A night out with Dad, watching the seniors dance the night away to big band music. They put me to shame, and gave me something to look forward to. (Do I see a music theme going here?)

Hopefully now that summer is half over and some of the frenzy has slowed just a bit, I can keep up with the blog a little better. Hopefully.