A Place of Yes

I was raised to come from a place of yes.  You always accept callings, you volunteer to bring people meals, volunteer to help with...whatever.  Well, I will always say yes to callings, and will always volunteer to help when I can, but I am going to have to learn what my limits are and to say no to something every once in a while.  For the past month (and the next three weeks), we have had something to do Every. Single. Day.  I had a slight stress induced panic attack tonight and was telling Jeremy I will probably cancel plans with friends I had on Saturday.  I already will have company in town and Shelby's gymnastics meet that day, I was feeling like it might be too much to try and do something else that day as well.  Well then Jeremy got all mad at me and told me the "plans" were really a decoy so he could surprise me for my birthday.  It's kind of funny because he calls me Nancy Drew and I always figure out birthday/Christmas presents, but I really wasn't even trying to this time!  I was just stressed, and he had no idea just how stressed until tonight. 

My energy levels are dropping pretty fast and I know I need to slow stuff down.  We can't do stuff during the day, obviously, because of work.  That means that we are driving around like crazy people every night trying to get things done.  We've eaten at Subway more times this month than probably in the past year (at least it's not McDonald's!), but the real problem is that after-work time is supposed to be family time.  The girls are couped up in the house all day, we don't need them to be couped up in the car at night.  I just need to learn that I can't do everything and that sometimes it's ok to say no.  It is such a hard lesson to learn, but so important- not just for my health, but the health of our family.  (Not to mention wallets- pretty sure in the last month we have just about covered our sitter's tuition!)  So if I say no to plans, I promise it isn't because we don't like you.  We just need some quiet time!