Grasping the wind and other thoughts

*We're all busy, and all our kids are growing up in the blink of an eye. I know that. But lately I have felt almost desperate about how time is flying by because of our busy-ness. I want to grab hold of time and make it slow down--make Jessica fit in my lap again, and Mikayla have chubby cheeks and not say her r's, and Rebecca...well, okay, she's still pretty little. :) But instead of slowing down, life just seems to speed up. Jessica will be in high school next year, and Mikayla will be in youth group. Thanksgiving and Christmas are right around the corner. The only day that doesn't seem to sneak up on me is pay day. So I'm trying to savor moments of peace, like our time in Conway a few weekends ago. I sat on the hay ride out to the pumpkin patch as the sun was beginning to set and just breathed. Looked at my beautiful daughters and nieces and the fall colors around me. I hadn't felt so relaxed in a long time.
*I have always loved this time of year. Halloween may not be my favorite holiday, and sometimes I'm even ready for it to be over, but watching Mikayla and Rebecca trick-or-treat the other night, and seeing my neighborhood filled with families roaming door to door just made me happy--gave me a sense of community. (But that didn't keep me from being scornful of the candy beggars who didn't even dress up or say trick-or-treat. If you wanna play, follow the rules.)
*Jessica's Algebra is making both of us pull out our hair. Maybe Mike should take over this subject...
*Tomorrow it will be 10 years since my Dad went to heaven. Sometimes his voice still echoes in my head. And the funniest things make me think of him. For instance, Wednesday night at "prayer meeting" we sang "Softly and Tenderly." Now, my dad was not a music minister but he was the "song leader" at our church in Virginia when I was a kid. And I grinned at the chorus when I heard "O ssssssssssssinner, come home." That always bugged him! He was so much fun. I miss him.
*One of the bad things about being such a sporadic blogger is that I think of things to write when I can't get to the computer, then when I get to the computer I can't think of the things I thought of. So I'll stop now and help Jessica made a pumpkin pie cake. And enjoy the moment.