I’m busy, busy, terribly busy

(Anyone singing along with me?)

I have a confession to make.

In the midst of all of this blog transfer stuff, and multiple things going wrong, and a deadline for 5 photo books I bought approaching tomorrow (which I didn't adequately plan for being able to complete), and still keeping the house in some semblance of order, I have just not been able to keep up with everything.

Worst of all, my husband and children have seen far too little of me, or at least, an undistracted, face-not-glued-to-a-computer me. Yes, we took a bit of time to spend together last weekend, but that was a rare break in the midst of what has been non-stop working.

I know that I could just keep puttering along on my blog, trying to get everything hunky dory (my husband might intervene at this moment and say "you mean, perfect?"… ahem, well, yes), pretending that my life was going on as normal and that I was a superwoman, able to keep my house clean and laundry done, manage 25+ hours a week on a web business (no, that's not usual, but only because of the transfer and subsequent issues), maintain a regular quiet time with God, get my seedlings and garden going, participate in healthy family, church and friend relationships, host people for dinner and caregroup, cook nutritionally and from scratch, mother and homeschool a preschooler, care for a teething baby, and lovingly serve my husband.

But I'd be lying.

I am simply not perfect (oh, not even close!). I am overwhelmed at times, this being one of them. We bloggers are not quick enough to point out our flaws, our inconsistencies, our mistakes, or our struggles, but are often content to allow you to think the very best of us, myself included.

If you notice a little bit less of me over the next week or two, please know that it is because I want to have integrity when I speak about being a keeper of my home.

I cannot continue to post with great gusto, about all of the wonderful things going on, and all that I want to share with you, when my house desperately needs vacuuming (among other things), my kids need more attention and discipline, and my husband needs his wife's love and affection. Taking a step back for just a little while is my way of doing what I need to do to get my home, relationships and priorities back in order.

Do you relate to this somewhat? Do you feel like you've gotten too busy, too overwhelmed, and your priorities aren't in order? Try taking this short, but revealing quiz I took last week at The Motherload. Or asking yourself a few of these questions that I've been asking myself:

1) Am I really hearing what people say, or just quickly answering in a distracted manner?

2) Am I requiring first-time obedience and disciplining my children with consistency?

3) Have I spent any time just sitting down and talking with my husband, while doing nothing else? Have I made a point of connecting with him on an intimate level at some point every day?

4) Is my house running in an orderly manner, or are things feeling a bit chaotic? Am I sticking to my schedule or has it gone out the window lately?

5) Am I screening my calls or avoiding relationship because it feels like just one more thing to do?

6) And perhaps most importantly, has my time with God been pushed aside due to being "too busy"? Am I meeting with God and reading his Word in a purposeful way for some period of time every day?

If you don't like the way that you answered these questions (as I don't), then perhaps it is time for you also to take a step back from your busyness and reassess your priorities, and decide what needs to give, what needs to go, and what need to stay and receive full attention.

As for me and my house, we are going to get back to basics a little more. Tonight my patient husband is going to help me work away one last time at some of the issues at hand, and then tomorrow we will begin afresh.

I will use start by using this as a guideline to get my house more back in order, and my primary focus for the next several days will be as follows: priority time with God each day after breakfast, lovingly and consistently disciplining my children and meeting their needs (including some time playing and just being with them), spending quality time each evening with my husband, and preparing basic (but nutritious) food. If I blog, it's a bonus (I probably still will, but probably not every day).

Thanks for your understanding!