Stretched

This whole week, I've been completely overwhelmed. I am stretched. Thin. Just now, while searching for an image of a rubber band, I was thinking, "What happens when a rubber band is stretched?" The tension is eventually released, either because it flies away or because it breaks. I'd say that right now I'm just praying that I don't break, but that really sounds a bit dramatic. But, either way, I'm really just waiting for that release.

I'm not sure how it happens, but sometimes there's this phenomenal overload in which WAY more things land on your plate at once than you feel like you can handle. I definitely don't put myself in this situation on purpose, but sometimes it just happens. Life, I guess. Anyways, Zach and I were both feeling rather defeated and it caused me to really go through everything that's on my calendar/plate this month:

• turning 30
• refinancing our house
• broken dryer
• HUGE laundry backlog
  
• a necessary trip to the MVD
• a nightmare of a bookkeeping client
  
• Quarterly Payroll Reports
• Gross Receipts Tax Reports
• selling an investment (finally!!!)
• LOTS of battles to fight to get things done
• hosting a new doula client for dinner
• and, therefore, having to get my house cleaned
• Caleb's 5th Birthday (how could that be?)
• staging/decorating a home that's for sale (two more in the cue)
• dentist appointment
• meetings and dinners
• and the grand finale, a wedding that will truly be THE event of the season!

Okay. Listing it out didn't really make me feel any better, but that's only because I was already fully aware of everything that's going on right now. No surprises. But, I think it was necessary, if only to justify the basketcase-edness that I've been experiencing for the last several weeks. Surely a list like that would inarguable justify a few breakdowns and fits of tears, right? Wow, I sound whiny right now. This is not to say that any particular thing that is happening is bad. Compared to the trials that some people are experiencing, this is actually an overload of good things, and for that I am truly thankful. I just have to keep reminding myself of that in the midst of the day-to-day battle of getting it all done.

I think the only real struggle is that I haven't been able to sleep. Those of you who know me well know that I need sleep. Like 9 hours. Every night. As you can see by the time-stamp, though, I'm posting in the wee hours. This is my 4th night in a row of not-enough sleep, like 4 to 6 hours. Once or twice is fine, but this is getting to be a large enough deficit for my taste, thank-you-very-much. I thought I'd finally be able to sleep tonight because we closed on the sale of our investment house this evening - a HUGE answer to prayer. Nevertheless, there's still so much on my mind that here I sit in the pitch black, wide awake. I think insomnia is probably worse than Chinese water torture, although I can't say that from any real, first-hand experience. But, it seems like a reasonable comparison. So, pleeeaase pray that I can get some sleep!

Okay. Enough for now. Thank you for letting me indulge in a pity party. I don't know that it really accomplished anything. They rarely do. But, sitting here typing is definitely better than laying in bed and NOT sleeping. I guess I'll go try (more) soft music, (more) prayer and (more) reading. And probably a good dose of Tylenol. This not-sleeping business leaves me with a headache!

Goodnight...

PS - I've already received a HUGE amount of help in getting things done. Zach, Mom, Dad, Jennie... Thank you SO much for bailing me out. I really needed it and, honestly, couldn't do it without you.