Busy

so, i'm lauren. and i'm fulfilling a personal goal by starting this blog. well, my goal wasn't exactly to "start a blog", but to do something to express myself creatively without ridiculously expensive trips to hobby lobby. it's also maybe a venue to discover more things about myself that i haven't had a chance to look at in a while. not that i have the time now. if i'm doing this, something else gives. chances are it's laundry.



first and foremost, i'm a wife and a mom. and i'm addicted to my family which consists of my husband marcus and our four children: sam, ethan, olivia and audrey. we are expecting our fifth bundle of busy-ness in october. and i think i can safely say he/she will be "the caboose". the last of the mohicans. the last stop on the maternity train. we can finally have one of those finely manicured family portraits where everyone is wearing jeans and white shirts, knowing full well our investment was worth it and all particpants were present.

let me catch you up. we've been busy. over the last six months marcus accepted a new job in colorado, i single parented in his absence for four months juggling soccer games, school projects and the dreaded dinner hour solo, sold our house in 23 days in the worst real estate market ever, did christmas, did new years, drove from illinois to our new home with four kids, my sister, a cat and a tortoise, got pregnant about five minutes after our arrival, managed to unpack all but four boxes, we painted a bathroom, laundry room and the boys room, settled three kids into three different schools, had the stomach flu run it's course with every single member of the family and ended up in the hospital on i.v. fluids after throwing up 15 times a day for 5 days straight.

am i loving colorado? let's just say i haven't had time to look up yet. but when i do catch a glance of the mountains (they're hard to miss), i get a sense of belonging and promise. i'm not at all sure what my journey entails here. i've never been one of those people who knew from the age of six what i wanted to "do". i'm not even sure i have one particular "calling". i recently prayed for god to dazzle me with what's next. to put it up in lights. to scream it so loud, i couldn't miss it. sometimes i can be so frenetic, i think i miss him. frustrating, but i'm learning to be still. what i do know is that i'm excited about the prospect of actively waiting. and while i wait, daily life is preparing me for everything from being a drill instructor to a manicurist. being a mother is certainly a calling, but i don't think i was put on this earth to solely repopulate the foothills of the rocky mountains. although, we've got a good start. i'm just going to do the next thing. live in the moment. look towards the mountains. listen for god's whisper. or wait for the light show.

so, follow along, if you will. i'd love the company. all journeys worth taking require somebody riding shotgun.