Restoration

It seemed like a long week. Mark O kept waking me up at 5:00am, big round eyes peering up at me through the darkness. He likes to sleep in a swaddle, so when he's ready to wake up, you can watch him shrugging his shoulders and wiggling his hips to get out. He babbles now, "mmmm mmmm mmmm" and sometimes it sounds like "mom" and we all gather around and coo at him to make that sound again.

Aside from the bicycle accident, nothing really bad happened. But that was bad enough to leave a sour note on the whole week. By the weekend we were in deep need of restoration. My parents came over to watch the kids and M and I went to our friends' house, where they were hosting a concert.  Mike and Shellie put out an incredible spread of food, a nice crowd of people showed up (always good conversation with those folks) and when it was time for music, we all crowded into their living room and watched Mike June and Jon Dee Graham play acoustic sets by candle light. In a club show, there's always the din of crowd noise behind you. Glasses clinking, someone who is a little too drunk babbling to their friend. It never stops. But here, in a house with 40 or 50 people, there was absolute quiet in between the notes. They told stories in between songs and there were some enthusiastic sing alongs towards the end of the show. By the end, I had totally forgotten how tired I was and was just thinking about the big, sweet life I have.

There was also something incredibly refreshing about hearing two guys do what they love, what they are called to do in this world. It gave me some courage to think a little more about doing what I am called to do, instead of going with the easiest path or doing what I think I'm "supposed" to be doing. American Dream and all that.

Then M went out to the mountains and ran a 50K (and placed 9th! Go M!) and I took the kids to my parents' house, where we ate some delicious food and sat around a fire on Saturday night. I also took 2 naps. Which my mom friends will totally understand to be absolutely amaze-balls. There is no other word.

So now it is Monday and although I am more tired than ever (remember when Mark Oliver didn't cry ever? Not so much anymore...), but my Spirit was restored at least.