Missing old friends!

Well, since I last wrote, it has been nothing but sort, sort and sort in storage. In addition to that, it is hot here. I really have been struggling. The kids are bored out of their mind and have been really good at doing all the boring things with me. I am tired of pulling boxes out of the 100+ storage to sort it in the hot sun and throw the moldy stuff away and wipe the salvagable stuff down with bleach wipes and squeeze as much as I can in the car.
I am exhausted because at night, when I really need to be asleep, I am overwhelmed with all the stuff still to do. This week I really struggled with just wishing we could have gone back in time and still lived at "home" in St. Joe. I miss Brett, Amy, Abram and Sophie more than ever. Living with them was "home". We could be ourselves and have a good time and there was someone to confide in and lean on and share cleaning advice and fireworks with and we all could sit outside and enjoy the racoons. :-).
I miss them more this week than ever. As much as I am thankful God has given us a nice place, I am so exhausted from the trials that He has allowed to come our way. I thought it would bring our family closer together, but in actuality, once again, it is me doing all the hard work and feeling frustrated that I am the only one interested in making this a place where people can come and hang out. I think at this point, I would buy the lot next to us and buy a house to put there if I could have Brett, Amy and their family here with us. I guess they were so much like family to us than anything we have ever experienced with friends. And with all that has happened so far this summer, I don't know when we will see them again. We had hoped to see them this summer and spend more time together than we did over spring break.
Anyways, please be praying for us, especially me. I am afraid of what my exhaustion and overwhelmed feelings will do to my family. We are still eating on the floor and sitting in lawn chairs. I need help checking the huge furniture over to either toss it or wipe it down but I can't do it alone. I tried to tip the couch over the last time the kids and I were in storage and I about flipped it on myself.
I wanted to do something fun with the kids yesterday to reward them for being so patient in all this. We were going to spend the entire day at the Tuttle ice cream festival. We went to the parade and saw it with Josh and Misty and Dacia. Then we headed to the festival. Nathaniel entered the ice cream eating contest for the boys 6-8 category and won 4th place. He was really proud. Then they played in a huge pile of sand they had there and we rode on a little train for free and they both dunked a police officer in the dunk tank. Then we watched the turtle races, which was really cool. Off and on during this we kept getting phone calls from Chris that his truck tires were popping. First one, then another. We had the debit card, so we rushed to Norman to "save him". After that, there was nothing to do before the huge fireworks, so we came home and did more stuff around here, which was a bummer, considering we were hoping to goof off all day and do nothing that had to do with the house. By the evening, I was horribly depressed.
My parents have volunteered their time this coming weekend to help out, which I will really appreciate. I am looking forward to their being here, even though they have done so much. They always seem to be there when I really need them. Maybe we can do something fun with them too!!
Well, I need to get some laundry done. Please keep us in prayer and Brett and Amy, if you guys check this, WE MISS YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Till next time!!