As we’ve struggled through the last several days, suffering with grief and unbelief over the sudden death of my cousins, we’ve been faced with so many decisions. 

It’s amazing how difficult it can be to even think rationally, much less make a good decision, when your mind is really elsewhere. And we didn’t even have to make the really difficult decisions about where to bury my cousins or what the service should be like. I can’t even imagine the difficulty of those decisions for all of the immediate family. I know God is just giving them strength beyond belief right now.

Matt and I were simply struggling with the decision of staying for the funeral or not. Even though there really wasn’t a decision to be made (I mean, of course we should stay)…there were several days between my cousins’ deaths and the day of the funeral. That ended up being a lot of missed days of work for Matt, not to mention all of the other loose ends that hadn’t been tied up before we left home in such a rush. Could we handle it financially? Should we go home so he could work a day and a half, and then come back? (With these gas prices?!) 

We originally assumed that the funeral would be in Colorado where the couple had been living, so we didn’t think it would really be an option for us to go. It was then decided to bury them here in Kansas. As we wrestled back and forth with our decision to stay, someone finally said,

“Laura, how will you feel about your decision a few years from now? When you look back on this time and think about how you went home and missed the funeral…or about how you stayed and were surrounded by family…what will you feel?”

Mm. What is three days of missed work in the big picture? Isn’t God going to just totally take care of us anyway? Isn’t family more important? Wouldn’t we for sure look back with regret that we felt like we just couldn’t stay away from home any longer? What’s really important? (Probably not the over-due library book waiting for me at home.)

I was really grateful for the wise words about making a decision. I plan on remembering that for many decisions of my future. Even the small ones. 

Step back from the situation and ask yourself, “How will I feel about this decision in a few years? Will I have regrets? Will I feel like I did the right thing? What is truly important?”

If I’ve learned anything in the past few days, it’s that life is short…and can end unexpectedly. Our life is a vapor. This world is not our home.

It is just so important to focus on what really matters.
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More Works for me Wednesday here.

At our house…we have a little arrangement. 

My husband does the taxes…I do the toilets.

It’s a nice arrangement. It works for me.

Since we are self-employed…tax time is not a pretty one around here. We never rush to get our taxes done early so that we can get our (what are those things called again?)…oh yeah… tax refund.

Yeah, we don’t get one of those. We always get to write a big check on April 15.

We’ve never had the benefit of our employer paying for half of our social security tax…so we get to pay the whole amount. (ouch) 

And, there are SO many crazy details to figure out…with mileage…expenses…supplies…what percentage of the house can we write off…

Oh, there’s so much fine print. And so many details. And forms. And details.

Therefore, I’m completely and totally thrilled that my husband is willing to read all of the fine print and details on all of the forms and figure out our taxes. 

I would MUCH rather clean the toilets. (And we have four little boys…so uh…well…you know…) 

So that’s our arrangement….Matt does the taxes…I do the toilets.

Now, he doesn’t think that’s fair…since he only has to do the taxes once a year…and I have to wash the toilets…well…more often than that.

But I’ve assured him over and over as he labors over the piles of forms and crunches numbers on the calculator until three in the morning for several days in a row…that I’m really okay with it. Really.

So, we got the taxes done and turned in yesterday…so his job is over for a while. 

As for me…our little tax write-offs have done a number in both bathrooms…and I’m gonna go grab the toilet brush.

(Huh. Is there any way we can use a percentage of the toilet brush as a tax write off? Yeah…probably not.)

Just curious? Which would you rather do…toilets or taxes?!

Today, I wanted to share a little tip that has been such a sweet thing that works for our family. And I can take NONE of the credit for it! 

About two years ago, when my husband would go in to kiss the boys goodnight, he began giving our oldest son three words to spell…just as a fun thing to do as he spent special time with each boy. 

Of course, the littler ones began asking Daddy for “three words too” and so, he adapted his lesson for them.

Even our three year old thinks he needs “fwee words” now! 

So, each night as Daddy makes his rounds, he gives each boy three words to spell, according to their spelling level. 

The really fun part is:  The three words he comes up with are all related in some way. So after the boys spell the words, they have to figure out what the common theme is. 

For instance, if he gives the words:  thunder, tornado and sunshine…they have to come up with the common theme of :  weather. 

He usually comes up with some super fun, and usually quite challenging words and themes. 

(And by the way…when Daddy’s not home and Mama gives the three words…they usually let me know that it just isn’t quite the same. I give words like kiss, hug and love…. They kind of raise their eye brows at me, sigh and spell the words like they are the most boring words ever. I guess Daddy gives better words like ammunition, weapon and artillery…you know, “fun” words like that.)  :)

It has been a wonderful, great, favorite bedtime treat. It is a special sweet time that is treasured for Daddy and boys.

I doubt the boys will let this tradition stop any time soon. 

(I wonder if their future wives will mind the nightly phone call of three spelling words before bed…)