My head is spinning- and my legs are hurting

There are so many things going on. Such opportunities and so many rabbits to chase. I pray that the Lord would give us priority in our lives to make our hearts align with His priority and his best. I don't even know where to start so I will just pick a day and tell you about that.

I woke up this morning trying to figure out why my legs hurt so bad. Then it came to me...the big sprint down the driveway, down the road, to the boat dock, then back up the hill to the house not knowing what awaited me.

Yes, here I am again, providing entertainment for myself and the neighbors. It was the morning or the Ladies Coffee and Tea-an outreach to the community by a local church (you can pray for people to come in and be fed the Good News). I had to get the kids together to get a birthday gift for one of Griffin's friends and then to the tea and coffee. HOWEVER... that was not the priority of my seven year old. Actually it was a priority just not an URGENT one. So between getting ready he would be doing anything but getting ready, leaving me to sound like the mommy I did not want to sound like. (I am sure my mom lost her patience but I don't remember it but once-that's a whole other story). So I got the car warmed up. Got the kids in the car seat and then realized I really need to go to the bathroom because I will not make it to the church (and public bathrooms are few and far between in Ireland).

So, I have the kids in the car, the front door open because we have to air the moisture out of the house while we are gone, the heat off in the house, the dog locked up in the wash room (or so I thought) and me in the restroom (or toilet as is said here). Then I hear pawing at the door of the washroom and whining of the dog. Since I was in a hurry (more information than you should or want to know), I was running out of the bathroom while zipping up my pants and buckling my belt. I got a sick feeling that the dog got out. I got out of the bathroom, saw the washroom door open, and the front door open.

The kids were sitting patiently in the car and Emily was actually not screaming. I told Griffin the dog got out to stay with the girls, I'll be right back. Well that sent both girls into crying and screaming. Later I found out that Griffin yelled at Ruth Anne to get her to stop crying (and she did) because he said "I could only deal with one child screaming at a time". (Gee, I wonder where he heard that!?).

So... Here I go running down the driveway as fast as I can (first time sprinting after having the baby), in my dress shoes, through the mud, past the neighbor's houses. It is lambing season here so the baby lambs are in the pastures. I was so worried about the dog chasing and harming the lambs since he is so big and fast. I was praying outload as I ran, "God please don't let him chase the sheep", "God help me to catch him"-over and over. Well thank God he did not chase the sheep. He is a bird dog and was more excited about the freedom and the water fowl commonly found in Lough Ree. I am not sure at this point if my pants are fully zipped.

The dog does not come when you call him when he is outside the house. Needless to say as I was sprinting and seeing him in the distance, I was yelling for him to come here anyway. I am sure the whole community could hear me.

I could not catch him and was worried about the children so I ran as fast as I could, breathless, back to the top of the hill to our house and got in the car. On the way home I saw one neighbor and I just said "I have 3 kids in the car and the dog is out", and kept running. Then I saw my sweet friend and neighbor Sarah, and almost in tears just told her the dog is out and the kids are in the car. She drove towards where he was in an effort to probably corral him. (God bless her).

Now back to the house, with the kids buckled in I barreled down my driveway. Going full speed down the road, I spotted him running back up the marina walkway. I also saw a farmer looking at the dog and at me driving at speeds unheard of in this area coming down the road. I got out of the car at the playground (looking like the Dukes of Hazard) and the dog kept running toward me. He then quickly turned at a right angle and ran away again. I got back in the car and Ruthie was saying over and over again, "I wanna play" talking about the playground.

Then we went to the point of the peninsula chasing the dog in the car. I think I was going so fast it scared him and he stopped and coward on the side of the road. (For a half second I just wanted to hit him with the car, but knowing that was not the right thing to do and the kids would be traumatized, I opened the door of the car and he hopped in.) At this time I looked up just in time to see another farmer standing in awe in the middle of the street (and I am sure thinking some thoughts of his own). I did not bother with the obligatory wave to either farmer and just got the dog back home.

I tried in my best Carol Ingalls voice, "wow wasn't that an adventure!" and managed a laugh with the kids. I can laugh about it now and what a sight it might have been but at that time I was about at my wits end.

We did not get the gift until after the coffee and tea but enjoyed the calm friendship and a cup of tea with the ladies. And instead of being rushed to get the gift, we just took our time strolling and getting the gift after the Tea which I don't think we've done in a LONG time! It was nice not to be on a schedule, or at least not a tight one. That in itself was a gift to me and the kids.