A Most Enjoyable Weekend

My husband did not have to work last Friday so that meant a 4-day weekend.  Well, if we could finsih school.  Friday was originally our last day, but with Seth not having to work, we thought we should all be free to do something fun.  So the kids pushed hard and finished school on Thursday.  Some nights they were working on school until 7:00 at night, but they did it. 

It wasn't easy.

We all had Friday free.  And how did we spend it?  Mostly just sitting around being lazy and recovering from all our hard work.  It was much needed and well deserved.

Saturday we got up and went to several garage sales.  The kids brought along their own money and bought what they thought they needed.  Eventually we had to take their money and approve their purchases.  We also had a talk about bartering and knowing what is priced too high.  Unfortunetly this talk happened after K bought a very over-priced doll.  So she used our conversation to barter at the next garage sale.  The item she wanted to buy really wasn't a bad price but she walked right up to the person running the sale and said, "I'll give you $2 for this."  The woman seemed a bit shocked and reluctantly agreed to the price.  Then my daughter says as she's pulling out the $2 from her purse, "You really shouldn't over price your stuff."  Making me a completely humiliated mother.

We stopped at a friend's house and sat and talked for a while.  It was nice.  And their kids get along very well with ours.  Then we had some lunch and discussed what else we could do.  I really don't remember what happened the rest of the day, but it was nice to not have any pressing plans.

Sunday we went to church and I had 1 student in class with me.  It was quite fun.  We got through our entire lesson in one sitting.  Usually it takes 2.  But since it was just the 2 of us, we got it covered pretty quickly.  Sunday afternoon we spent getting ready to campout in our backyard.  We cleaned up the living room and kitchen too.

Finally, we all relaxed in our backyard.  We roasted hot dogs over our fire pit and then had some s'mores.  Rambo didn't know what to do with himself.  He kept going to the door and whining to be let in, but no one was inside.  Soon it was getting late and I was ready to crash.  I was ready for bed before anyone else and inside our tent while the kids were still playing.  It wasn't long before everyone joined me though.  And Rambo just didn't like what was going on.

I love our fire pit.

K showing off one of her garage sale finds.

Mmmmmm!!

I must say, I can roast a pretty mean hot dog.

Rambo....wondering why no one is going inside.

We all spent the night pounding out the lumps in the ground and listening to Rambo cry.  Oh, the neighbors behind us got a new dog so he was back there barking, too.  But I love it.  My family went on vacations every summer and we almost always slept in a tent.  I didn't mind at all.

The next morning, however, we were the crabby family.  Seth made us breakfast burritos.  Afterwards, we cleaned up our things from the night before, took down the tent, and got ready for company.  Seth was smoking some pork for supper and he needed to get started.  We had invited some friends over.  After some much needed naps, we cleaned up the house and got ready.

Rambo was just tuckered out from his long night in the tent.

We had a great time with our friends.  The kids ended up playing in the sprinkler and getting soaked.  We had watermelon and popsicles and just enjoyed good fellowship.  After they left, we cleaned up and just enjoyed the last few hours of our amazing weekend.

We didn't do a whole lot and it wasn't all precisely planned.  It was perfect.

Rambo's story

Hi!  I'm Rambo.  I am a 4 month old puppy and I was adopted by the Harrington family.  I love them.  Last weekend we went on a big adventure and I'm going to tell you all about it.

I could tell something unusual was going on when my kids and Mom were getting out bags and clothes and other things.  Mom seemed to be a little stressed.  She didn't like me hopping all over the clothes and the bags and trying to get her attention.  My kids giggled as usual.  I like it when they giggle at the things I do.

Friday started out differently that it usually does.  Most days, Dad gets up and leaves so I have to cry and whine until somebody lets me out of my crate.  On this particular Friday, Mom got up first.  She let me outside and then let me play while she continued putting things in bags.  I wanted to play with my kids but she told me it wasn't time yet.

I found other things to do until Mom opened those doors and let me in to see the kids.  They weren't quite ready to play with me but that's ok.  I don't mind just cuddling in bed with them.  Mom said they needed to get up and get their things done.  Dad got up shortly afterwards and left like he always does.  I made sure to tell him good morning though.

Then something strange happened.  My kids and Mom put my crate in the garage along with my food and water dish.  They locked the door to the outside and closed the door to the house.  They had never done this before.  I wondered what was going on.  I probably sat on the step and cried for a long time, but no one ever came to get me.  I was getting worried.

Finally, I heard Dad come home.  He came and rescued me from the garage.  I ran around the house trying to find Mom and my kids.  I kept crying to Dad asking where they were.  I didn't like that they were gone.  Dad gathered my things and put me in my crate.  We were going for a ride!  I'm not sure how I liked that.  I rode in a different car than what I was used to.  There was another man with Dad.  They call him Andy.  There was also another dog named Tucker.  He was ok, I guess.  But I missed my kids.

I slept for most of the ride.  I don't know how long it was, but it was very dark when we arrived at a strange house.  There were a lot of new smells I had to inspect.  Dad brought me in and showed me that Mom and my kids were there.  Whew!  I was so worried about them.  I was so glad to know they were there.

The next morning, Mom took me outside.  All the smells distracted me from what I was supposed to do out there.  Tucker was there, too.  After I went inside, I wanted to tell everyone good morning, but there were more people there than what I was used to.  I saw my kids and told them good morning and then Tucker's kids were there.  I had seem them before but I didn't know they belonged to Tucker.  I told them good morning, too, but they didn't like how excited I was to see them.  Mom made sure I met the others.  One was called Grandpa and the other was Grandma.  Mom's friend Lisa was there too.  She had come to see me at my house so I knew who she was.

Before I knew it, more people came.  There was Tim, Sara, Nate, Amanda, and even more kids!  I was so excited!  I love kids!!!  I played outside for a little bit but they put me back inside.  All of the people were outside lined up and smiling at some lady while Tucker and I sat inside and watched through the glass door.  It wasn't fair.

Mom and Dad tried to feed me but Tucker liked to eat my food.  I guess they didn't like that.  I didn't always eat when they wanted me to.  I snuck food from Tucker's dish anyway.  After everyone came inside, I got to meet a person called Grandma Lola.  Everyone was so nice and the kids were so much fun....at first.

Throughout the weekend, I spent a lot of time playing outside with all the kids.  There were 10 of them!!  Yes, I know how to count.  How else am I supposed to make sure everyone is there?  They liked to chase me and pick me up and carry me and put me down and chase me and pick me up and carry me and put me down.  I eventually got tired of their games and found a hole through the fence.  I wanted to explore other places.  I found some other kids close by but Dad came and got me.  Bummer.  They were nice, too.

Every time the people left, they put me in my crate.  I don't like it at first but once I realize no one is there to play with me, I'm ok.  I just look forward to when they all come home.  I have to tell everyone hi, or else it would just be rude.  Grandpa took me to the living room to play with me.  He got on the floor and we wrestled for a bit.  I bit at his fingers - nicely of course.  I don't like to hurt my people.  I also messed up his hair.  It was fun!  I liked that he played with me.

On Sunday, everyone leaves in the morning which is normal at home, too.  But when they all came home, I got to play with the kids again.  And, even more people arrived!!  There was Bonnie, Chandra, and Amber.  I really liked Amber.  I wanted to play with Chandra but she kept saying something about allergic.  I don't know what that means, but I knew she couldn't pick me up so I just licked her feet to tell her hi and moved on.

The kids kept playing that chase game with me and I got tired again.  So off through that hole in the fence.  I hid underneath one of the cars as they all came out to get me.  Mom came out too, but I know her tricks and I wouldn't fall for them.  Grandpa got me though.  I think the big people knew that I was getting tired of the kids playing with me and just wanted to do my own thing so they helped me out.

I saw that Tucker's family was putting bags in their car.  They must be leaving soon.  I found a wonderful place to roll around in under a tree.  It had a great smell.  But my people didn't think it was that great.  No one wanted to hold me and Mom held me at a distance but it was too late.  She started to smell like I did.  Soon there was talk of a bath.  Oh no!  What did I get myself into?  Grandpa had a bottle of green stuff and I heard Mom say ok.  My stuff at home is pink but I guess green works, too.  Grandpa filled up a sink with water and used the green stuff to wash me up.  Mom stood close by to help.  Then she held a towel out as Grandpa put me in her arms.  I really don't like baths.  They make me cold.  I shivered in Mom's arms wrapped in a towel.  She took me back upstairs where the other people were.  They all looked at me like I was suddenly cuter than I was before.  I don't understand what they see.  I look more like a drowned rat.  After a bit, Mom put me down and I ran around trying to dry out my ears on the floor.  I hate it when they are wet.

Tucker's family eventually left and others started to leave too.  Soon I saw that Mom and Dad were putting bags in our car - the car I normally ride in.  I hope they weren't going to leave me again!  They weren't.  I saw Dad put my things in the car and soon my kids were all in the car and I was in my crate.  It was time to go back home.

We stopped a few times and I got to explore new places with new smells, but we didn't stay nearly long enough for me to figure out the place.  Finally, we arrived home.  Ahhhh, the home I knew!!  I was excited to be home and excited to see that all my kids and Mom and Dad were all there with me!!

What a fun adventure that was!!  I sure hope I get to do that again someday.

Funny how that works...

I was getting into a good groove.  I'm not the best homemaker on the planet.  In fact I'm probably not even in the top 500.  Since I never wanted to be a homemaker, wife, and mother, it is a daily struggle for me to do this job that God has given me.  Nevertheless, when I choose to be joyful in my work, I can actually like it.

So, I felt I was doing a pretty good job.  I have been learning that it's ok if something doesn't get finished.  If I just keep at it a little at a time, it WILL get finished eventually.  I have been learning to not stress about what isn't done or what can't be done or what to do if we get thrown off schedule unexpectedly (really, when does that happen expectedly?).  I created a plan for the kids and myself of what should be done on a daily basis, weekly basis, and monthly basis.  Some things didn't get done, some things were harder to do than others, but I was feeling like something was getting accomplished and I was slowly putting my house together the way I wanted it.

And it always seems to happen when I'm doing so well in this area.  Something not only throws me off schedule but throws me completely out of rhythm to the point that I can't get back on in a day or two.  Often times it's an illness.  Not this time.  This time I decided to hurt my back.  Ok, *I* didn't decide to do this, obviously, but somehow, God thought this was a good time to allow my back to endure some sort of a charlie horse and keep me from doing my normal activities for a week.

Well, it hasn't been a week, but it might as well be at this point.  It will be difficult to catch up on missed chores and schoolwork, especially if I'm still not 100% yet.  Whatever God's purpose is in all of this, I completely trust Him.  If I didn't, I'd be really stressed out.  Letting go of whatever is on my mind and letting God handle everything gives me peace.  I don't have to be in control because He is.  I don't have to worry about how things are going to get done, because He knows.  I don't have to stress out about getting behind, because He already knew I would face this problem and has planned out my steps for me.  Isn't He just an awesome God?

Still, in my human thinking, this is just a bad time for me to be laid up.  Or not able to accomplish tasks to my full capabilities.  Starting Friday, my summer hits in full swing.  And my husband wants to add something else on Saturday - I'm trying to convince him otherwise.  It's not working.  That's ok, what's one more event that would force me into really cleaning my house in my current injured state?  From this weekend on, I will be running around with multiple things dashing through my head all at once until August.  Then, I can breathe.  For 3 weeks.  Then school starts again.  That's the usual routine for my summers though.

I just keep thinking, with all the stuff I have going on in the next few months, I don't have time to mess with a sore back.  But, it's not like I was already behind and my house was already a horrendous mess.  We were doing ok - I could almost accept drop-in visitors without embarrassment.  But, as it always seems, just as I get on a good roll, something disrupts it.  God just wants to make sure I'm still trusting Him even when things are going well.  Funny how that works.

Shopping, Shoes, and Me

I have never been a huge shopper.  I'm not one of those "girlie girls" who has to have a different pair of shoes for each outfit with a purse to match.  I don't feel the need to go shopping when I'm depressed.  In fact, I hated shopping growing up.  And that hatred extended into adulthood.

I'm sure my hatred for shopping started when our family's shopping trips for new clothes was an entire day of going from store to store in Des Moines which was an hour's drive away from home.  Oh the boredom!  Trying on shoes, trying on shirts, trying on jeans, etc.  And when I wasn't trying things on, somebody else was - which was even worse!  Long, slow, boring day ending with a late night arrival back home.  What made the trip a little worth it was that sometimes, my dad would decide to take us to Showbiz Pizza.  You know, what is now called Chuck E Cheese?

Even in high school, I dreaded shopping.  I didn't understand how other girls, including my sister, enjoyed going shopping.  I remember taking one of those trips to Des Moines while one of my sister's friends from college was visiting.  We arrived at a store and my mom told me to go pick out a pair of jeans to try on.  I walked into the jeans section and just stared.  I was completely lost!  I had no idea what to do, how to pick out jeans, what I liked, what would fit, how many to try on....too many decisions.  And I am just not great with making decisions and I often get overwhelmed when faced with decisions.  Thankfully, my sister's friend came to my rescue.  She helped me pick out jeans for me to try on.  I'm assuming the trip was a success, but I honestly don't remember what happened after that.

While in college, I still didn't enjoy shopping.  I never went out to get new clothes except once.  A few of us girls went out and picked out dresses for our banquets.  I bought a beautiful long black dress with a slit up the side.  But this didn't give me shopping fever.  My boyfriend at the time, now my husband, enjoyed shopping more than I did.  Oh the boredom!!  (Did I say that already?)  Yes, he dragged me shopping and I hated it.  I like to know what I want, go to one store, get what I need, and get out.  No window shopping, no looking around, no dilly dallying of any kind.  Ugh...just get me out of this store!

Would you believe my feelings started to change eventually?  And guess when that happened.  When I was pregnant with my first girl.  Funny how that works.  All of a sudden, I had this urge to shop.  Even though the doctor said it was likely a boy, I knew it had to be a girl because I wanted to shop.  This urge became stronger with my last pregnancy - also a girl.  And by this time, maternity clothes were pretty cute which made my desire to shop even stronger.  I started browsing maternity racks in every store...but still not enough to buy anything.  I was a newbie at this feeling and I really didn't know how to handle it.  This doesn't just apply to clothes.  I generally don't like to spend money on myself unless absolutely necessary.  It was while I was pregnant with my 2nd girl that I actually spent money on myself, on my own, with no one there to urge me to go ahead.  I stopped at a Wendy's and bought myself a Frosty.

Ok, stop laughing.

Yes, this was  a HUGE deal to me.  I would have never done this sort of thing before.  I was excited to tell my husband about it - my very first splurge on myself.  What did these girls do to me?!?!

Now that my youngest is 5, I still have that shopping urge in me.  Every year my sisters, mom, grandma, and I try to get together for a girls' weekend, which of course includes shopping!  And instead of dreading it or hating it, I'm excited for it.  I plan what I want to buy and where to buy it and I have fun when the others are shopping for what they want and I'm just watching - or giving advice.  I think that helps make it fun.  Because, well, being that I didn't start out a shopper, I'm not really keen on what's in and what's not.  My husband tells me what I look good in.  My sisters tell me what is in style and looks good on me.  I can't lose.

More and more, I am finding myself wanting to shop.  I stare at the clothes at Walmart when I'm there for groceries.  I even have a favorite store - Gordman's!  I LOVE that store!!  It actually takes effort not to try something on when I'm in that store.  I'm also realizing that I may be fascinated with shoes.  I want to try on more shoes and have more shoes!  Even bags and purses are becoming attractive.  Really, what is wrong with me?  And do you know what I spent my time doing this evening?  Designing clothes.  DESIGNING!  I think maybe watching Project Runway has something to do with that.  But, wow, that is fun!  And earrings.  Yep, I even designed some earrings.  I've had a couple of earring ideas in my head and I actually saw one pair of earrings at the Women's Fair that I was picturing in my head.  So, I didn't design them, but they were exactly what I was wanting - so of course I bought them!  I didn't even second guess it.  Can you believe that?  I don't even second guess some of my purchases any more.  Scary!  Ok, some I do second guess, but usually, I know what I want and what I like and if I have the money, I'll spend it.

Since I'm a fairly new shopping-for-fun convert, I hope I don't become one of those shoppaholics.  Yikes.  So, who's up for a trip to Gordman's with me?  I think I may need some new shoes.

His Purpose

Today, being Good Friday, I have been thinking about what Jesus endured on the day He died.  He knew He would have to die a horrible death.  There was no way out of it - unless He chose to not save His creation.  But He couldn't do that.  His love is much bigger than the pain He had to suffer.  He was born for one purpose - to die in order that we could be saved.

Fully God and fully man, Jesus chose to allow Himself to be beaten, to be torn, to be broken.  He endured pain that I, myself, cannot even fathom.  And that was just the physical pain.  He had to carry the burden of all the sins of the world.  The burden of my own sin is heavy enough for me, but He bore everyone's sin on that cross.  From the fall in the Garden of Eden to the end of the world, every sin was layed upon Jesus.  He suffered the guilt and shame as He carried my sin to that cross.  And His own Father had to turn away from Him.  God the Father could not see His Son covered in so much sin.  Jesus BECAME SIN.  God the Father, being perfect, had to forsake God the Son.  Jesus suffered physical, spiritual, and emotional pain for me.

Yet, He still showed His love.  "Forgive them," He said, as He hung on that brutal cross.  Slivers of wood punctured further into his back which was already raw from the bone-tipped whips of the soldiers.  He was unrecognizable.  Thorns pressed further into His forehead.  Large nails held His arms and feet in place.  And He hung there, in agony, barely able to breathe and He still said, "Forgive them..."  This is my God!  He had so much love for me.  He pushed aside the pain and chose to die in my place on that cross.

I deserve that punishment.  I deserve hell.  I am a sinner without excuse.  But Jesus chose to take that sin and bury it.  He chose out of His love for me to endure the punishment Himself so that I wouldn't have to.  Jesus took MY place on that cross.

This was His purpose.  He came, born as a baby, to die.  No one else can say that.  No other god has done that.  Jesus, my Lord, my Savior, my God, did.  I can do nothing but live for Him.  That is my purpose - to bring glory to God in all I do.  Do I fulfill that?  Hardly.  I'm still a sinner.  But, because I have chosen to serve God, I am forgiven.  Not because of my good deeds, but because I have let Jesus take the fall for me.

Why is today so "good" then?  Because if Jesus hadn't chosen to die, we would all be headed to hell.  I would go to hell.  It is good that Jesus died.  It was the joy that was set before Him.

His purpose was to die for me.  My purpose is to live for Him.

Hebrews 12:1-2 "Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God."

Facing our Fears

I don't have your "normal" fears.  There are 3 phobias that plague me.  One - stinging insects.  This is one of the reasons why I hate summer.  (Yes, I HATE summer!)  When I was about 5 years old, I was stung by a large bee on my eyelid while on vacation.  Since having children, I have tried to face that fear so my kids don't have the same phobia.  It hasn't worked very well.  Partially because I still panic when I see one.  This includes bees, wasps, hornets, etc.  I must say that I am doing better around them than I was 5 or 6 years ago.

My second phobia - people with rubber bands.  I don't trust them.  My actual fear is that they will shoot the rubber band and blind someone when it snaps in someone's eye.  I am not sure what this fear stems from, but I have a feeling it's something my mom said when we were kids.  (Similar to the popular "you're gonna shoot your eye out" from The Christmas Story).  You will not find rubber bands in my house.  If you do, I was either unaware that we had it or it belongs to a game.  I throw rubber bands that enter my house away.  I haven't even tried to face this fear.  I just get rid of the ability to shoot them.

My third phobia - holding hot drinks around active kids.  When my son was just over a year old, we went on a hayride.  Afterwards, hot chocolate was served.  I was holding J while drinking my hot chocolate.  As I lifted the cup to my mouth for a sip, J hit the bottom of the cup throwing the hot chocolate into my face.  I had blisters and spent the rest of the evening with a cold wash cloth on my face.  For a few years, I literally shook in fear whenever a small child came near me while I was drinking something hot.  Nowadays, I'm not quite as scared, but I'm still very nervous.

Yesterday, my daughter, K, faced one of her fears and conquered it.  There's a McDonald's with a PlayPlace that we sometimes go to for fun.  It wasn't my plan yesterday but Chick-Fil-A was way too packed so off to McDonald's we went instead.

Here it is: the PlayPlace.  See that meshed or netted area on the right?  That is what kept K from sliding down the yellow slide.  Crossing that mesh was the only way to get to the yellow slide.

It's not the height.  All 3 of my kids had no issues climbing to the top in order to go down the green slide.  You can see J up there here.

Little A was just fine with the height of the green slide and the mesh leading to the yellow slide. 

 As shown below.

I remember when Little A wasn't quite big enough to climb these steps.

She wanted so badly to climb them and go down the slides.  Little A has no fear!

We have been to this particular PlayPlace several times and each time, K crawls up to the mesh, tries a step, then backs out.  On this particular day, J was having a hayday with it, calling her a scaredy cat.  This caught on with the other kids who got confused and started calling Little A a scaredy cat.  She was a bit upset with this because it wasn't her who was scared, it was K.  After a bit, K became extremely frustrated as J wouldn't let it go.  I finally had to tell J to quit.  Once he did, the other kids quit too.  But, I think all this torment just pushed her to face her fear head on.

She climbed up, put her foot out there and...

...suddenly she was across.  But in order to get to that yellow slide, she had to cross not 1, but 2 mesh areas.

But she faced it and conquered it.  She was able to go down the yellow slide several times after this.

She is very proud of herself.  I'm proud of her, too.

Isaiah 41:10 "Do not fear, for I am with you; Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God.  I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, Surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand."

Isaiah 41:13 "For I am the Lord your God, who upholds your right hand, Who says to you, 'Do not fear, I will help you.' "

Sunday Funday!

Normally Sundays aren't so fun for me.  We get up early to go to church - which I really don't mind most weeks.  I love our church, so do my kids and Seth.  It's the AWANA club in the evenings, which my kids really enjoy going to, that kills Sunday for me.  In case you don't know what AWANA is, it is a club where kids come and learn Bible verses for prizes.  Of course there's games and singing and snacks and a Bible message.  But the club is for Bible verse memorization.

Anyway....

Since we live on the other side of town, it's really hard to travel 20-25 minutes to church in the morning, back home for a late lunch.  Have a short afternoon then back to church for AWANA.  By the time we get home from AWANA it's after 7:30 so supper is often late and bed time is late.  It's hard but it is well worth it to have my kids memorize Scripture.

Yesterday, there was no AWANA due to the fact that most of the area schools were on spring break.  We had a very restful afternoon.  It's started out with a yummy potluck at church and our Easter choir practice afterwards.  I always enjoy our fellowship dinners.

Seth needed to get some sleep so he took a nap.  It was a nice day...warm even, so the kids took our puppy out and played in the sprinkler.  I took the opportunity to get through some of bins that have been clogging up my laundry room.  I had been saving every kind of paper that came to our mailbox that looked remotely important.  Turns out, I didn't need to be.  I searched online and found a list of what to keep and for how long.  I printed it off and used it as my guideline as I sorted and sorted and sorted through all of my bins labeled "important papers."

As I was in the middle of multiple piles and a huge bin full of papers in front of me, Seth got up from his nap and said he was gonna go out to a friend's place to shoot his guns.  All 3 kids got their shoes on to go with him, which was fine with me.  This way I could get my project finished without being hassled by the kids.  I'd still get hassled by the puppy, though.

However, sweet little A realized I would not be joining them and was absolutely heartbroken.  I don't know the last time I saw her cry so hard, face covered in tears.  We didn't understand why she wanted me to come so badly but how could I say no to such a strong desire to be with her mommy?  So, I deserted my project and walked out the door.

Our friend was there with his guns and he, Seth, the older 2 kids, and myself took turns shooting the guns.

After a couple of hours, it was time to head home.  Actually, it was time to eat.  We stopped at Arby's for supper and check ourselves for ticks in the bathrooms.  We already caught 3 while we were out shooting and found 1 more in the bathroom.

As we were leaving the shooting area, we discovered why little A wanted me to come so badly.  We have gone camping there a few times and she thought that we would be camping there again.  When she realized we weren't staying, she became upset again.  Not crying as badly as before, but still very sad.  That explained why she was so heartbroken over me not coming in the first place.  She thought she was leaving me for an entire night and she wouldn't see me until morning.  Sweet little girl.

We enjoyed our meal at Arby's and came home.  We played with Rambo who had been fenced in all day (we have a small area where he has toys, food and water, and a potty pad next to his crate fenced off from the rest of the living room).  Then it was bath time for the kids and bedtime.

I got back to my project and made it through a total of 2 1/2 bins of papers.  I bagged up each of my piles and placed them in an empty bin while the other bin I had already cleaned out was now full of papers that need to be shredded.  I have a half a bin left then my paper trays full of the most recent mail piled up on my end tables.  Then I can file them appropriately and maybe stay organized as new mail arrives.  One can only hope.  :)