Don't worry mom!

Okay so today I had to go to the grocery store, which I don't really enjoy on a normal basis but when you take two kids that throws a whole new spin on it. You have a 3 year old driving a car hooked to the front of your cart which makes the cart amazingly difficult to navigate. Then, there is the obstacle of having a car seat to sit in the cart and the constant puzzle of placing groceries around the car seat as to not let them fall on the baby. Oh and then the part when your toddler is saying let's go get bread, over and over and over while your infant is crying bc they are hungry again so you are pushing this massive cart with on arm and your body while leaning over to feed the baby a bottle and trying to get your 3 year old to talk a little quieter bc you have these moms looking at you like go get the kid some stinking bread already.

So on to the bread aisle we go only to find out that wasn't the bread he was talking about.....he wants the bread guy.....you know the guy that hands out samples only that guy isn't working today. So here I am with a disappointed 3 year old bc the bread guy needs a day off and a cart full of strategically placed groceries, a baby who is hungry, and Elam exclaims, : Mom , I have to potty and I can't hold it. If we don't go now I am going to pee in my underwear.

So I rush off to the restrooms. Get him out of his race car, get her out of the cart. I'm holding her with one hand and trying to unbutton pants with the other. He potties and we wash up and then go reload everyone back in the cart.

Are you exhausted reading this yet. This is why I do not look forward to the grocery store. So anywho, we finish up the shopping and head home. Then, after lunch, I get the kids down for nap and my dad calls me. I can hear in his voice the exhaustion and I remember instantly, it's Wednesday.

See my dad calls me everyday to check on us and the kids but every other Wednesday when he calls I am reminded how fragile life is just by the sound of his voice. For those of you who don't know my dad was diagnosed with colon cancer this year and has gone through chemo and radiation, a 6 hour surgery, and now he is one his second round of chemo. He is a fighter and we have seen God perform a miracle on his body. However, with the chemo come side effects and one being exhaustion. On the chemo Wednesday, when he calls, he is actually sitting through the 5 hour chemo treatment. It's almost like, in his voice you can hear his body fighting. As hard as it is to hear his voice like that, I am also reminded that the victory for his life has already been one. That helpless feeling turns into a rejoicing feeling.

After my dad's chemo today he called again and said he wanted to come over after the kids napped. When they woke up, he came over and we took a walk (per Elam's request of course) and stopped at all the little neighborhood playgrounds. My dad was running with him and playing tag, swinging with him and sliding. It was in that moment that my irritation for the grocery store all seemed so petty. I was humbled as I watched my dad who had just undergone 5 hours of chemo running, laughing, and playing tag with his 3 year old grandson. Life is what you make it, grocery store and all. I am so thankful to have heard the laughter today of my dad and my son all because God had a bigger plan than the cancer that attacked our family. All because His name is above all!

After we got back from our little walk Elam said, "Poppy, can I go for a ride in your truck?" My dad has a diesel dodge extended cab with a lift kit. We are talking almost monster truck status. He likes to pretend he is driving it and my dad just takes him a few houses down and then turns in the cul de sac and comes back. Well today, instead of driving, Elam opted to be the passenger. My dad strapped him in and just about the time they were going to leave Elam yells out the window so loud I could hear him over the diesel truck running: "Hey mom, don't worry. If a cop comes I can just duck like this." Then he ducked his head and disappeared and I could not stop laughing.

So today I learned some very important lessons as a mom and a human being. Don't sweat the small stuff. Enjoy life because it is very fragile and life is what you make it. Every day, multiple times a day you are presented with a choice to chose joy or to let your circumstances determine you mood and the outcome. I need to make better choices daily and remain focused on what is really important.