We Made It!!!!

I don't even know where to start to describe the things swimming in my head right now.  Right now it's like 1527 feeling tabs are up in my brain right now and I'm trying to look at each one of them and analyze them.  Feeling tabs such as
Excitement
Awe
Surprise
Amazed
Relieved
Exhausted
Time to Plan
Make More Lists
.....and the feelings go on and on.  Let's start with last night....

We had a family movie night.  Between Hubby in Butler County getting that building ready and #2 with football, we haven't really been the "family that eats together" lately.  A few nights I didn't even eat dinner and two nights I had chips with cheese on them.  I gave the #s the choice of a sandwich or cereal a few nights....and they just looked at me....
#2:  Are you kidding me?  A sandwich or cereal?
Me:  Daddy's not home and we haven't gone to the store and we're not going out.
#2:  Seriously....you want me to eat a sandwich or cereal?  FOR DINNER?
Me:  When I was your age, I had cereal a lot for dinner.....or a tv dinner.
#2:  I'll gladly eat dinner in front of the tv.
Me:  Well, that's not gonna happen.
....see...I am a stickler for our family not watching tv while we eat.  The #s probably ask a few times a week if they can watch tv while they eat dinner and they know the answer is gonna be a big fat "NO".  I think that if I actually said yes, they would do a double take, ask who took my body and still be afraid to watch the tv.

So our movie night was Stars Wars....the fifth episode/movie/chapter....whatever you call it.  Hubby started this a few weeks ago with the #s as a "father/son" night and I went to the room and just chilled.  Last night I decided to watch it with them.  We laughed, held on to our seats, and made fun of the acting (let's get real....those Storm Troopers should have killed Princess Lea as she got onto the ship....they're supposed to be great warriors, they're shooting everywhere and can't hit her at all?  Seriously. ).

When the movie was off, we went right into "don't act like a crazy person tomorrow at the new campus at church because nobody wants to have a pastor whose kids are out of control and disrespectful" speech.  I think they were so excited about tomorrow (but didn't know how to put it into words) that they were all over the place instead of in their bed.  We finally got them settled and I just told God that I needed some sleep.  I didn't want to sleep past the alarm, but I needed some good, solid, peaceful sleep....and God totally gave that to me.  I had a few people say they were just too excited to sleep and I'm standing there thinking "dude, I got the best sleep that I've gotten in the last two weeks".

We got up and started getting ready.  We were all excited, but very calm.  I mean, something is bound to not happen correctly and it's gonna start with in our house before we leave.  #1 does pretty well....eats....gets ready....is on the couch ready to go.  He's older, I should expect that, right?  HA!  Must be another miracle that God has blessed me with!

So #2 comes to me to talk and he's wearing a big old t-shirt and shorts, he's got one sock on that's longer than the other one, his hair isn't even combed, and his glasses are sliding off his face....
Me:  I'd prefer that you not wear a t-shirt to church.
#2:  MOM...this is what I wear.  I want them to love me for me....not what I wear.
Me:  Well, today I want them to love you for what you wear.   CHANGE YOUR SHIRT.
....so after pouting and stomping and crying, he put on a red shirt.....
Me:  You are wearing red shorts AND a red shirt AND black socks!?!?!?!?
#2:  You're killin' me.
.....and I let him go.   I gotta let this stuff go.....ugh...that is sooooo hard for me.

And then here comes #3.....
#3:  I'm thinking I want to comb my hair.
Me:  Okay.....
#3:  I'm going to do it myself.
.....and yes, he did.  And he got frustrated.  And he pitched a fit.  And he changed combs three times thinking that it might be the comb's fault.  And then eventually Hubby combed his hair.....and then someone put hairspray in it.....cuz I could pick it all up with one piece of hair.

We get to the church building and it's like we're race cars....we all have a plan and we have to GO GO GO as soon as we walk in the building.  I think about all the things we got done just this morning and think "WOW......where did we get all of that energy, cuz I could use that tomorrow at 7:03am when I show up at school".

Now one of my biggest fears was about to prove true or false....Hubby and I made the first pot of coffee.  Seriously.....we don't make coffee, we don't drink it....but we had to make it...

....and we made it!  We made our first batch...pot....cup of coffee!   

8:37am we ask all of our volunteers to go into the auditorium for some last minute things.  And then I check my phone and get a text from one of my dear friends in Florida.  She sends me Philippians 1:3,4,6.....
Every time I think of you, I give thanks to my God.  Whenever I pray, I make my requests for all of you with joy......And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue His work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.
....talk about tears.  So I read that to our volunteers and I am tearing up because I am amazed at all God's timing in my life that led up to this moment.  This very moment.

And then the amazing thing happened.....PEOPLE SHOWED UP!!!  I can't even begin to tell you how this is a miracle to me.  When Hubby first took this position, I had a dream about not getting the coffee right....like, it wouldn't work and people were mad.

Then I thought "what if people don't come...what if they don't like us....what if they don't want to see our pastor on a screen....what if they hate children....what if they don't want a family with just three boys......what if they don't like a gravel parking lot....what if only people from Bowling Green and Glasgow come and then they all leave the next week and it's just down to the five of us....what if....".....yeah, the list goes on and on.  Can you tell that I over think things a little too much!??!?!?!

I started seeing familiar faces....then I started people that I didn't know....but with Crossland, you never know if you've just never seen them.  I looked at the two ladies beside me....
Me:  Do you know them?
H:  No.
Me:  Do YOU know them?
A:  No.
Me:  (thinking only)  WE HAVE VISITORS!!!  REPEAT....WE HAVE VISITORS!!!!!
....and they kept coming.  We had them filling out check-in sheets.  We were showing them to their classes.  We went around to classes to see if anybody needed anything.  We were so excited!!!!  We had a blast and I was just so stinkin' amazed at God's work.

But then.....I went into the auditorium.....talk about a flood of emotions.  And these emotions must have been inside of me for a while cuz they just came out of me today like a waterfall.  I saw our pastor's wife and hugged her and was a blubbering idiot.  The seats were packed...people were standing in the back.  Hands were raised.  Songs were being sung.  Tech was working.  Pictures were being snapped.  It was absolutely breath-taking.  This is where God shut my mouth, opened my heart a little bit more and made me realize that this is why I am here.  I absolutely loved getting things ready for this place.  I loved seeing the kiddos walk into their classes for the first time.  I loved getting hugs.  I loved helping our adults.  I mean, God knew....HE KNEW....this was where my family was going to be at this time.  He knew years ago that Crossland...a community of refuge and hope for all people...would open a campus in Butler County with Hubby as the campus pastor years before we knew.  He knew that the valleys that we have been through would lead us to this mountaintop experience today.

At one point, we "Facetimed" the BG campus and showed them our facility during the service.  And we were watching our FaceTime call on the screen....we were watching BG watch us in Butler County.  WHAT!?!?!??!  This tech stuff is crazy awesome!!!!!!

After service, we had a cookout for our family....our fabulous church family.  It was amazing to see all the kiddos getting along and loving the bounce houses.  The food was delicious and the company was great!  And meeting people....I met a ton of people.  Then it hit me....I've got to remember names.  People were calling me "Kelley" all day and I would smile......I have GOT to find out a trick to remember names.

We eventually got back to BG and took the trailer full of bounce houses back and ran by the church building to drop off tubs and then to Sonic to get the #s a milkshake....because they said they deserved a milkshake for all that they did today....yeah kids....playing, learning about Jesus, jumping in bounce houses, and eating took a lot out of you today.  :-)

And because we don't know how to relax, Hubby cut the #'s hair this afternoon.  And then #1 hit his nose on the counter and had a massive nosebleed.  And then #2 had a major meltdown cuz he hasn't had a nap today.  Yeah, that's right friends.....we're back to normal in our life by numbers!