Gotta keep this quick – I’m leaving for She Speaks today! EEEEK! And it’s 8:20 am and I’m leaving in just three hours to drop off the kids with Greg and then head on my way. And I still have to shower and pack. (Because naturally, I haven’t packed in advance. Doing so wouldn’t be true to who I am…a procrastinator.) And I still have to do a quick hair treatment. Nothing like pushing it ’til the last minute, no? (My poor mother-in-law is probably having heart palpitations right now. She’s been calling and emailing me about packing all week.)

But at least everything is printed off and tucked away nicely in my bag. (Confession: after I printed everything off, I did not look at it one more time. Not one. Because I’m deathly afraid there is a glaring error, and if I find it, it’s too late anyway. So I’m just trusting it’s fine and moving on.) (Ignorance can, indeed, be bliss.)

My short and quick thankfuls list this week:

1. A Good Night’s Sleep. I finally slept last night — I went to bed at a normal hour and didn’t wake up once. I feel like a new woman. Maybe I just need to take three Advil PM before bed every night. Is that the trick? Maybe it was just the freedom of having everything done, I don’t know. But I do know that the nauseous feeling I’ve had for the past 48 hours due to lack of sleep is gone. Praise the Lord.

2. Proofers. I had some amazing people jump in to help offer another set of eyes on my proposal, and they all brought unique skills to the table and helped me catch some important changes. Y’all are amazing.

3. Naps. I took two naps this week, due to the “I can’t sleep” random phenomenon that took over the past couple of weeks. They were good.

4. A 3-Hour Drive. I’m driving to the Charlotte-area for the conference. Alone. Just me and my thoughts and dreams and phone calls I get to catch up on. No Veggie Tales playing as the soundtrack of the trip, no bickering and tattling. I. Can’t. Wait. If I have your number, I’m calling you. Just because I can. In between listening to new music I downloaded and praying, natch.

5. Reminders. Paxton had some of Greg’s birthday cake the other day and left a huge mess everywhere. “Paxton, you sure are messy!” I said as I cleaned him up. And he said, “That’s okay, Mommy. It’s okay.” And you know what? It was okay. And I love him for reminding me not to get caught up in the mess but to enjoy the moment. (That’ll preach right there. Take a selah moment if you need one.)

6. Concerned Husband. I just love Greg. Is that clear from week-to-week? My car had a ridiculously bald tire on it, so much so he was worried it would blow up driving to the conference. I told him I’d just drive his car instead, because really, who wants to throw out money for a new tire right now? Not me. But he insisted that we get the new one before I left. Because he wanted me to be able to drive in my car (knowing I adore my car) and have a nice ride to the conference. I love that man.

(Just took a break for a quick do-it-yourself highlighting touch up.)

(Hair Guy is going to kill me.)

(I live three hours from him and just couldn’t fit in a trip before this weekend.)

(Don’t judge me!)

7. Office Supplies. To prepare for the conference, I had to get a few things at Office Depot. Office supply stores are a sanctuary for me. (Does anyone remember J.K. Gill??)  I could spend hours just slowly meandering through aisle after aisle of presentation folders, mechanical pencils and pad folios. It brings me peace. So does Nordstrom. (What can I say? Retail therapy works for me.)

8. Dum-Dums. Paxton threw up a few weeks ago driving to church, after complaining, “My tummy hurts.” And now, every single time we go anywhere, he says, “I fink I might frow up.” I have a feeling the poor lad is developing carsickness, which is awesome since we live in the mountains. My remedy is to throw a Dum-Dum at him. He hasn’t thrown up since, but it might be because it’s a ploy for him to get a lolly. I’m sure we’ll be paying for it in dental bills in a few years. But at least I haven’t had to disassemble the carseat to clean it since.

(It’s now 10:49 am and I’m packed, showered, and my hair is alright but Hair Guy is still gonna kill me.)

(Now just gotta get Paxton changed and lunches made and car loaded.)

(All in a day’s work.)

Alright. That’s all I got. Yes I could find two more things to add, but I have to leave the house in 30 minutes and I’m shaking with that adrenaline-rush feeling and Mickey Mouse Clubhouse in the background is just stressing me out.

So now it’s your turn! Let me know what you’re thankful for this week and share the love. Leave a comment by clicking the bubble at the top of the post. It’ll bring more peace than office supply stores. And almost as much peace as Nordstrom. True dat.