Why I Look Forward to Sabbath Rest

The following rundown of the last few days, though while a little busier than normal, is still pretty typical:
Thursday
6:45 a.m. wake up feeling the worst of any day since beginning to suffer from a cold on Sunday, shower and get ready, eat breakfast, make 3 lunches, make sure 4 children are dressed and ready for the day (with husband's help)
8:00 a.m. say goodbye to husband and 2 older children
8:25 a.m. say hello to friend and her son, who is dropped off for carpooling to preschool
8:35 a.m. buckle 3 children into van and drive to preschool
9:00 a.m. drop off 2 children at preschool, proceed to do errands, drive around until youngest child falls asleep, park and take a nap, wake up, and grocery shop
12:00 p.m. pick up children from preschool
12:25 p.m. drop off one child at his home
12:30 p.m. arrive home and unload groceries, eat lunch, let 2 youngest children watch nature movie, check email and then try to coordinate last-minute pick-up of a silent auction donation, try to rest, putter around house tidying up, check Facebook and email some more (let's be honest)
2:45 p.m. walk to school, pushing stroller and guiding 3rd child, to pick up 2 oldest children (raining)
3:10 p.m. return home, supervise snacks, playtime, try to nap on couch (feeling very sick now)
3:45 p.m. second child's violin teacher arrives for lesson
4:15 p.m. violin teacher leaves
5:00 p.m. begin making dinner
5:30 p.m. husband arrives home early having canceled usual Thursday evening plans to stay home with sick wife [that's me]
6:20 p.m. eat dinner, clean up
7:30 p.m. get children ready for bed
8:30 p.m. finally get all kids in bed, pull out Silent Auction gift certificate display sheets and start mounting on colorful paper and affixing logos and clip art while watching a movie (same events as previous 2 nights)
12:59 a.m. turn out light, put head on pillow, and immediately fall asleep
Friday
6:09 a.m. wake up when 3rd child comes in bedroom; notice youngest child is in bed next to me; try to fall back asleep
6:45 a.m. get out of bed feeling surprisingly better than the day before, shower and get ready, eat breakfast, make sure 4 children are dressed and ready for the day (with husband's help)
8:10 a.m. say goodbye to husband and 2 older children, sending husband out the door with his two homemade apple pies for the auction
8:35 a.m. leave house with 2 younger children and drive 10 minutes to drop them at friends' house
9:00 a.m. finally arrive in school gym with all my supplies, having made birthday phone call to sister-in-law; begin my portion of silent auction set-up: hanging up the approximately 250 gift certificate display sheets that I have cropped and mounted in the previous week
2:00 p.m. sit down for the first time since leaving the car
2:15 p.m. stand back up
2:55 p.m. pick up 2 older children (plus a few more) in front of school and return to gym
3:25 p.m. leave school to pick up 2 younger children at friends' home; express extreme gratitude to friends for watching children all day; enjoy about 45 minutes of visiting while sitting on their floor
4:40 p.m. arrive home, change youngest child's and my clothes and freshen up
5:05 p.m. arrive at school, rendezvous with husband in parking lot, deliver 3 older children to their parties (Dr. Seuss, Earth Day Celebration, and Button Bracelets), walk into fully decorated and set-up 20th Annual Whitson Silent Auction and begin bidding, eating pizza, visiting with friends, and trying to keep youngest child happy and out of trouble
7:15 p.m. bidding ends; send husband home with children; get in line to pay for won items (Soup of the Month from the principal, 10-swim pool pass, 3 Rivers Grill gift certificate, 1-hour horseback riding [for oldest child--shhh! it's a surprise!])
8:20 p.m. arrive home to find husband and four children raking dirt in front yard [another story]
9:20 p.m. finally get all children tucked into bed
9:30 p.m. watch Tuesday's "Biggest Loser" episode while relaxing on couch with husband
11:00 p.m. turn off light and immediately fall asleep

Saturday
6:50 a.m. children wake me up, say goodbye to husband [off to help install cabinets at one friend's and then help other friends move], read Sabertooth book to two youngest children (son practically has it memorized), get dressed, make sure 4 children are dressed and ready
7:50 a.m. leave house
8:05 a.m. arrive at Underwood Fire Department Pancake Breakfast and rendezvous with friends (1 fireman and his wife), eat pancakes, chat with a few friends and husband's boss
8:50 a.m. leave Underwood with friend and return to White Salmon for annual plant sale fundraiser, buy 3 varieties of tomatoes, many annuals, and 1 perennial
9:30 a.m. drive up the street and drop off plants, let children use bathroom, put youngest child in stroller, walk back down the street 1 block
9:45 a.m. arrive at the most crowded garage sale I've ever attended, a fundraiser for a local woman with cancer
10:25 a.m. leave garage sale with 2 tennis rackets, binoculars, 4 books, Cabbage Patch Kid, and plush bugs in a bug catcher (cute kid toy), say goodbye to Underwood friend
10:35 a.m. make phone calls to coordinate playdates
10:45 a.m. drop off 2 middle children at friends' house, return home and put youngest child down for nap, watch Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone with oldest child and her friend, pausing to pop popcorn and slice apples, and eventually get youngest child from bedroom
12:45 p.m. say hello to husband
1:15 p.m. drop off oldest child's friend, pick up middle children, drive to Hood River and buy grass seed and fertilizer [that other story], return to White Salmon, get ice cream cones
2:45 p.m. arrive home, direct 2nd child to make birthday card, wrap birthday present, and plant flowers in window boxes while husband, full-time missionaries, and children spread dirt and plant grass seeds
4:00 p.m. put two youngest children in bath, clean up pools of water on bathroom floor spilled by youngest child [which 3rd child did try to clean up], shampoo, scrub, rinse, dry, and dress children
4:45 p.m. babysitter arrives while full-time missionaries are heating up leftovers in microwave and husband is showering
5:00 p.m. missionaries leave, husband takes 2 oldest children to birthday party while I get in shower
5:19 p.m. drive to Hood River with husband
5:28 pm. go into restaurant/movie theater and get in line to order food while husband parks
5:32 p.m. husband sits down with friends in theater while I order food
5:35 p.m. sit down with husband and friends to watch the traveling Banff Mountain Film Festival and eat yummy calzones
8:30 p.m. leave theater after excellent entertainment and friend giving me backpack he won in drawing
8:40 p.m. get ice cream cones (2nd time in one day!)
9:00 p.m. arrive home to find babysitter has mopped the floor, emptied the dishwasher, cleaned up all toys, and tidied the living room; pay her extra; listen to oldest child (only one awake) tell me about the reptile man at the birthday party
9:30 p.m. clean up more water on bathroom floor, vacuum family room
10:00 p.m. sit at computer to relax and reflect on my busy couple of days

I love the principle of the Sabbath. It is a joy to have a day to rest from my daily labors. Even though my full-time job is being a mom, which means I don't really get a day off, I do look at Sundays as my day off. On that day I don't worry about housework. I can lounge on the couch completely guilt-free. I can really enjoy playing with my children without the nagging feeling that there's some task that needs accomplishing. Most importantly, I can attend church where I can worship the Savior surrounded by my family and by good friends. I'm looking forward to tomorrow morning.