We Can Swim!

...sort of.

The kids and I spent all of last week in Athens so the boys could take swimming lessons from a good friend of my family. They really did a lot better than I expected. (And I did take pictures with my phone, but for some reason my phone and my laptop aren't on speaking terms...) Anyway. We spent a lot of time hanging out with the family, and my good friend Hannah and her kiddos were up, too, staying with their family and taking swimming lessons with us. We stayed with my brother and sister-in-law, as usual. We drove up on Monday morning, just in time for swimming lessons (okay, so we were a few minutes late). Hannah and I took the kids to McDonald's after swimming lessons (and a trip to Wal-mart), then that night, we had a big family supper at my grandparents', and everyone was there except Jeremy and Tenleigh. Tuesday, after lessons, we went back to my grandparents' for dinner and then next door to my aunt and uncle's for more swimming. Wednesday, we took the kiddos to Chick-fil-A for lunch and playtime, then back home for a nap before time to get ready for church services. Thursday, I got to spend a little (but no where near enough!) time with Roxann and Macy Kae, when they came to eat lunch and swim a little with us. That night, we ate at my parents' with them, Chris and Christie, and my grandparents. Then, when we got back to Chris's, I got all of our stuff packed back up. After their last lesson Friday, we stopped back by my grandparents' for lunch again, then headed back for Horton! We were all missing Daddy. Ty asked me Friday morning if we could just go home instead of swimming lessons. Bless their little hearts. We were all glad to get back home.

Today, we took the kids out to our pool (which we finally got fixed yesterday! Whoo hoo!) and tried to get them to show Jeremy what they had learned at swimming lessons. Nada. Just would not do it. Lazy, perhaps? Who knows. All I know is that before we left Athens, Ty was jumping off the side of the pool beside the diving board and making it back to the ladder by himself, and today he just cried when we took his life jacket off. And Troy was almost swimming by himself just a couple of days ago, and he wouldn't even take his life jacket off. Gonna have to do some thinking on this one.

Frustration

This whole situation with the storms has made me feel a little helpless.

Not because I feel more vulnerable knowing what could happen.

Not because I have loved ones who have lost property or loved ones of their own.

But because I can't physically help.

OK, maybe if we weren't on such a shoestring budget I could help financially, or go buy things that are being requested. And I fully intend to do some cleaning out for clothes and toys and such to donate to those who lost what they had. But it kills me to not be able to leave and go where volunteers are needed for clean up, for searching, for something that needs doing. With three small children, one of them nursing, and no one to help me with them, I know it is next to impossible for me to do that right now. And I know how important it is for me to take care of them. And I am sure there will be opportunities for me to help in future times (although I pray not to this scale). But that doesn't stop it from being frustrating. I see Jeremy going out every day working. Granted, it is part of his job as an excavation worker, and most of the stuff around here is relatively minor - trees down, a few trees on houses or buildings and such - but he is still out there doing something. Grrrrr.......

At least I can sit here and pray.