Sundays: Chaos, Happiness and Nap Time

Sundays are long for me.  I feel like my 'day of rest' is the busiest day of the week. My day of rest is a day of chaos. Getting everyone fed and ready for church by 9:00 is a task.  I try to get as much as I possibly can done on Saturday night, but sometimes it just doesn't happen.  Or it does happen, but then all goes wrong on Sunday morning by 8:50: Cohen spills juice on his only church pants, Elliot rubs syrup all through her freshly-bathed hair, and the only skirt I have ironed now has snot smeared all down the front of it from a two year old whining that he wants to go to church NOW!.  No matter how early I get up, and no matter how prepared I think I am for Sunday morning, I'm never prepared enough.  I feel defeated before we even sit in our seats at church. I feel like Joe and I run a marathon, then have to entertain two very wiggly and impatient kids for an hour and ten minutes to get through sacrament meeting. I look around in church and it seems no one else is flustered, no one else has kids that won't stop throwing a fit on the  ground, no one else has to bring 5 bags of snacks to keep their two year old in his seat, no one else seems tired, and no one else seems defeated.  They all seem to be listening attentively, reverently, relaxed and rested. And even though as I type this I know that isn't true, it sure feels like it is on Sunday.

After church we come home, eat some lunch, and take a nap. Finally, my friends, THIS is when I get my rest in.  THIS is when I get my 'Sunday' in. Even if it's just for twenty minutes, I get some time to look around at what I have and be so grateful.   I have two happy, healthy kids and a husband who loves and supports me every day.  I look at my kids sleeping and quiet, and remember that one day I'll be bored at church. I'll be watching the young moms wrestling their toddlers and miss the days that I was needed like that.  I'll miss the chaos of Sunday morning getting everyone ready and fed and out the door.  I'll miss my two year old running at me with open arms at the end of church with something he drew just for me that says "Families Can Be Together Forever" on it.  Right now, this is what Sundays are all about.  Chaos and happiness.  And nap time.