going going going (and a prayer).

this month has been way busy. not just the normal exhausting that comes from trying to wrangle my boys day in and day out, but some days,literally, leaving the house in the morning and not getting home until bedtime kind of busy. those are of course the exceptionally busy days, but we are just not used to that level of activity. and even our regular at home days have been quite full catching up on the things that don't get done on the "going" days.

i'm again working part-time, so that ties up at least one full day and two mornings a week. i also watch a niece and nephew two other mornings a week. that schedule leaves us with two open days a week, which had been working pretty well for us, keeping us from getting stagnant at home and on each others' nerves, while allowing time for necessary tasks like laundry, cleaning, etc.

but september feels like it hasn't had any free days. the first week of september a dear friend welcomed a sweet, chubby babe into the world, so we were helping out their family on our free day. the second week of september the boys were sick, but i was still getting things ready for the party i hoped they would be well for. they weren't, but since it was a joint party for our whole family, food still needed to be made and delivered. last week we had a garage sale with several families. this week we had an end of the month goal we needed to make, so there was some extra push at work. our family was also blessed with another handsome little guy this week, so i've been working to get some extra food made so i have an excuse to go snuggle him.

all of that is a very long explanation for something that (if it weren't completely impossible for me to be brief) equals...i've been too busy for writing.

there have been so many things that i've wanted to share, and maybe i'll get around to them yet, since i'm fully expecting october to be lazy and peaceful and full of long stretches of uninterrupted time ; )

in the meantime, i'll leave you with this prayer. my brother introduced me to it and we start each workday with it. this last week, he invited the other people in the office to join us and it's truly beautiful hearing our voices join together in petition to St. Joseph. we've prayed it enough that i've started to memorize it and when i'm feeling exhausted or discourage or becoming too prideful, i remind myself, "all for Jesus, all through Mary all in imitation of thee oh Patriarch Joseph."

Glorious Saint Joseph, patron of all who are devoted to toil, obtain for me the grace to toil in the spirit of penance, in order thereby to atone for my many sins; to toil conscientiously, putting devotion to duty before my own inclinations; to labor with thankfulness and joy, deeming it an honor to employ and to develop, by my labors, the gifts I have received from Almighty God; to work with order, peace, moderation, and patience without ever shrinking from weariness and difficulties; to work above all with a pure intention and with detachment from self, having always before my eyes the hour of death and the accounting which I must then render of time ill spent, of talents unemployed, of good undone, and of my empty pride in success, which is so fatal to the work of God. All for Jesus, all through Mary, all in imitation of thee, O Patriarch Joseph! This shall be my motto in life and in death. Amen.