I should be excited, but.....

So, B and I are leaving in a week to go to San Francisco. I've never been to California, so I am looking forward to getting to see it, but to tell the truth, I would rather just stay at home. I am so stressed right now, trying to make sure I have everything in order for the girls and the cats and everything else while I'm gone. B's aunt and office manager are staying here with the girls. I don't doubt that they are capable of taking care of the girls, I just don't want to overwhelm them with all the everyday things that have to be done. I'm going to pack their lunches ahead of time and label each bag with the day they will take it (their school is so small they don't serve food there, so they have to take it every day....) I'm going to lay out their clothes for each day along with any hair accessories or anything else they may need. I need to type up a routine about bedtimes and when to feed the cats and scoop the litter box and change the tadpole water- etc etc etc. It's really bearing down on me at the moment and I have to wonder if seeing San Francisco will even be worth all this stress. B is going to be at a medical conference all day and evening the first 4 days we're there. Since I can't find my way out of a paper bag, I think I'm going to hang out in the hotel and study for this next course I'll be enrolling in. Actually, sleeping in and being in a hotel room by myself with a TV, room service and peace and quiet sounds really good to me right now. Is that pathetic? I am having brunch one of those days with a good friend of mine from high school, so I'm looking forward to that. Anyway, after his 4 days of conferences, we will have 3 days to sightsee and drive around and all that, so I'm not feeling too bad about just wanting to hang out in the hotel the other days. And still- I'd just rather not go. I would rather just stay here and take care of everything myself. I told B not to ever schedule another conference trip during the school year. He doesn't understand why I'm stressed- probably because he just has to book the flights and pack a bag and he's done. Oh, well. Feels stupid to be complaining about going on a trip to California- but I have my reasons..... On to tackle more of this stuff on my giant 'to-do list'!

Yes, I am still alive- and very slack....

So, this is a quick update about everything current in this crazy life of mine....
1.) Brian and the girls and I are all on the same page about moving back to Greenville- and we are all very excited about it. Cannot wait to finally be at 'home' now that we know where that is! Also can't believe that my dream house is a 1968 tri-level! :0)
2.) We are attending a church we used to visit back in Greenville, which happens to be about 3 minutes from our house we're going to move back to and we absolutely love it!
3.) Annelise got braces, and they made her look even older than she already did. Age 8 and she looks 13....
4.) I am now a certified grief counselor. Yay! But I still have 7 more courses to go before I get my Master's Degree in Grief Counseling. Gonna be tough. I can do it. Don't wanna, but I can.
5.) So happy college football season is here! Clemson's not looking so hot at the moment, but we'll see. Not expecting much, but gotta love em anyway. ;0)
6.) On a mission to lose 20 pounds. Not an easy task, especially when my rear will be in a chair writing papers most of the day, but I know I can do it.
7.) Thinking a lot about life- what I spend my time doing- whether I'm doing things that build people up or tear people down. I keep thinking about God's purpose for our lives- that we are to love others- not judge- and to show mercy. I am trying to keep that on my mind. It can be difficult, but once we make the choice to live that way, the drama just disappears and that is a very nice thing. I don't like drama and I have learned to stay away from people who like to cause it. Focusing on my girls and how I am impacting them and on my husband and the things I can do to lift him up each day. I want to be a blessing to others. I know I'm not going to do everything just right, but I am going to try.
8.) I think my parents are going to be putting their house up for sale soon and that they are seriously considering moving to Charleston. I hope they do because they really love it there. It will also make it a lot easier to tell them we are moving back to Greenville!
9.) Glad I'm not a worrier. Worrying is a sin because it means we are not trusting God to handle things like He promised He would if we have faith. With the thought of putting this house on the market next Spring and all of the stuff we are going to have to do to end up back in our old house, it could be overwhelming. But I'm not the least bit concerned. I truly believe God will sell this house for us because I am sure it is His will for us to move back. I think He has plans for us out there. I also know that He will get us through the stress of moving and renovating. It will be a long road with a lot of work but it will be so worth it to finally know that I am home. (Until we retire on Sullivan's Island, of course...)
That's about it for now. Brian and I are taking a week-long trip to San Francisco soon. He's going for a medical conference and I'm tagging along for the trip. I've never been to California, so I'm pretty excited about it. Our office manager and Brian's aunt are staying at our house with the girls that week. For the few days Brian is going to be in the conference, I will be in the hotel room writing papers, I'm sure. :0( But I should at least get a lot done.
One thought I'll close with tonight. I have a little sign in my kitchen that states "We will be known by the fruit we produce." It's a biblical saying. Wondering about what God sees when He looks at the 'fruit' I have produced. Some of it is not the greatest- I'll be the first to admit. But I am on a road that is telling me to constantly try harder to do better, so I hope to have a whole orchard by the time I'm done. More later....