Our last day of 2019

Another year...wow.  I vividly remember one year ago today being at our friend's house and talking about how quickly the year had gone, and how we knew this past year would fly by as well.  We discussed how Catherine and Cameron (our friends' son) would be seniors when we gathered together again.  It's all true.  This is absolutely crazy.

Overall, it was a good year.  My father-in-law and grandmother have had some health issues, and we lost Aunt Cathy.  Those things make me sad, but on a regular, day-to-day basis, our year was pretty good.  Not much drama, and lots of fun memories were made.  I am so grateful for the days we all had together.  They are blessings beyond words.

Thank you, 2019 for all the wonderful moments, and for being a good year!

Such sad news to end the year

We learned today that a high school student was killed in a car accident last night.  Neither Andrew nor I knew him.  Anytime he was in a class for which I was subbing he was absent.  I do know from knowing an older sibling that the young man's home life could not have been worse.  It's all so very sad.

I also know the other students in the car, and at least two of them are critically injured.  The driver is a graduate, and I think very highly of his sister.  He is one that is critically injured.  I am so sad for the families that are dealing with this news.  My thoughts and prayers are with all of them.

We reached the end

Tonight, our family finished the last episodes of The Big Bang Theory.  It kind of felt like saying good-bye.  I hate the last episodes of shows.  I'm not sure I've ever seen the complete final episode of M*A*S*H, and I really don't like watching the last episode of Friends.  It's like saying good-bye to friendships.  I am especially grateful how our family was brought together to watch the episodes.  I am so grateful for the memories our family shared.

Lost power in the night

I wasn't sleeping particularly well anyway, but at 3:30 I was awakened.  I'm not sure if it was a crashing noise from outside because of the wind (very possible) or the if it was the lack of noise coming from my fan.  Regardless, the power had gone out.  It was no surprise given the wind noises outside.  Andrew got up to get his cell phone and set an alarm (the kids have swim practice this morning), and he also called the power company to make sure they knew about the outage.  I couldn't go back to sleep, and when I checked it was 5:15.  I still had over 90 minutes until I had to get up, but I was still awake at that point.  I did finally fall back to sleep, and of course now I feel a little crappy from the lack of sleep.

I am very grateful for the temps yesterday though.  The house was still plenty warm, and overall the power was only out for about three hours.  No damage done really...other than to body clock!  Thank goodness there is no school and work today!

Not quite accurate

Catherine decided to make a list of her Christmas gifts so that she could send thank you notes.  She asked me to look at it to be certain she was correct in who had given her what.  I laughed out loud when I got the item my sister had given her.  Catherine had listed it as "Bob Jovi" tickets.  Oh goodness!  I pointed out to her that first of all, the artist is "Bon Jovi", and secondly the ticket is for a Billy Joel concert.  Thomas was pretty appalled at her.  Very comical!

Post-holiday anxiety

I'm having a very anxious day today.  The biggest part of it is that Andrew is traveling to take his parents back today.  That alone can really cause me to be anxious.  Then this evening, he is going out with friends to a place with which he is unfamiliar.  I know that he is safe, but the circumstances cause me great anxiety.  It's just who I am and how I function.  I also don't love the fact that he isn't coming back until Sunday, and that trip will be almost entirely in wet weather.  Not good for my anxiety.

It also doesn't help that Catherine is still struggling with her pleurisy.  I know it was this way last time too, but I hate seeing my girl, who is usually so tough, struggle.  I also know that sleeping on a cot in her brother's room for the last four nights has not been great for her.  It will be good for her to get back into her own bed tonight.

Watching my father-in-law's mental and physical decline this week, along with that of my grandmother, has been tough.  It makes me sad, and it makes my heart hurt, not only for them but for everyone around them.  My mom is still grieving her sister and my grandmother is challenging on a good day...and she isn't having too many of those lately.  My mother also took a terrible fall this week and we are hoping she isn't too terribly injured.

And there is the end-of-year stuff I need to do at my church job.  When I went yesterday to do it though, the administrator with whom I share a desk was still there, even though she was supposed to be done 90 minutes earlier.  That was pretty much the only time I could get there, but I might try to squeeze in a few minutes this evening.  We'll see.  I know that there is a lot to do before the end of the year, but I don't want to miss family time that feels more precious than ever these days.  That is made all the more evident by watching our friends who lost their child this summer as they try to navigate this Christmas and still carry on for their other two children.

I know that there is really absolutely nothing wrong in my life, and this is all manifestations of my over-active anxiety.  I'm just struggling today, and could use some prayers for peace.  I am grateful for so much!

Ready for some quiet time at the holidays

My in-laws are here for today, and then Andrew takes them back tomorrow.  I'll be honest, I am getting ready for things to get a little back to normal.  It's been very nice having them here, but it's much more difficult than last year.  My father-in-law is way out of his comfort zone, and I don't think he loves being here either.  We are all grateful we can make this happen though.  Tomorrow is never promised, and I'm grateful we spent Christmas together.

The house is all picked up, and I'll be honest, I am looking forward to a couple of quiet days without much on the schedule.  Yes, swim resumes tomorrow, and Catherine has to work this weekend, but generally speaking, it's going to be a quiet weekend.  I would love for Andrew to be home, but he'll enjoy a couple of extra days with his parents.  I plan to spend the time allowing myself to recharge, as well as soak up memories with the kiddos.  Maybe we can even play some board games!

Merry Christmas 2019!

It really was a lovely, lovely day.  I'm not used to the day being over so early, but I knew this would most likely be the case with family wanting to drive home before it became too dark.  We had way too much food, and the fact that it was in the upper 60's today is ridiculous, but it was a very nice Christmas Day.

I had some concerns about how things were going to go knowing that my grandmother isn't doing very well, and that Andrew's father can be easily overwhelmed.  My mother took a very nasty stumble yesterday that has resulted in her being on crutches at the moment, and her face is pretty beat up.  And my sister arrived with the announcement that she felt lousy from her cold.  It turned out that everyone really enjoyed their time together, and it was just the right amount of time.  And I'm looking forward to a very nice evening hanging out with Catherine, Thomas, Andrew and his parents.

The only downside is that we never heard from Robert today.  I can't say that I'm overly surprised.  Andrew had texted him a couple of times yesterday, but never got a response.  I had asked him to contact us (our phones can't call him but he can call us) while the family was here today, but it didn't happen.  It is what it is, and it doesn't change the blessings that we had today, and have every day!

Merry Christmas everyone!  I hope your day was as full of a family, love, and blessings as ours was!

Christmas Eve 2019

Christmas is almost here again.  For the most part, we are pretty much ready.  The upside to having my in-laws here to stay with us is that the house was picked up before they got here yesterday.  That means we got to sleep in this morning!!!!

It's very nice because I certainly didn't sleep well last night.  Because Andrew's parents are here, the house is hotter than Hades.  We are sleeping in a full rather than queen size bed, and the dog is there also.  It wasn't the best night of sleeping.

Things are a little different today.  We had an egg and meat casserole for breakfast, and then we will have our "formal" Christmas dinner this evening.  We weren't sure how to make that happen between Andrew taking his parents to Mass at 3:30, and us wanting to be at church for our services by 6:30.  I suggested to Andrew that it would be best if we all just went with his parents.  He isn't pleased because it is our church in our town, but since coming with us isn't an option, we will just do it this way.  I am looking forward to being home early evening and not needing to leave again.  I love Christmas Eves with us at home.

It is a little weird not having Robert around, but we know this is military life.  He will be in our hearts and our thoughts!

Enjoying a few moments of quiet before that all comes to a screeching (mostly likely) end

Andrew is at his parents and they will be home much later today.  Hopefully around 4 or 5, but we'll see when they make it out the door and head this way.  Praying for safe (and uneventful) travels. 

Catherine and Thomas are at swim practice.  They practice twice a day today and Friday, and still have workouts those days as well.  Clearly, Catherine woke up on the wrong side of the bed.  She's in a mood, and of course her mood affects those of us around her.  We have plenty of work to do today, but I just don't feel like it is going to be peaceful and quiet.  I certainly hope I am wrong though.

In the meantime, I am sitting here enjoying a few silent (almost, the dryer is running) moments before the kids come home and we really get to cleaning!

I have enjoyed our Christmas celebrations so far

We have had two Christmas celebrations so far, and they've been so much fun.  Yesterday we drove an hour to near my hometown.  It was my dad's cousin's house.  All together, there were 36 of us there.  I loved that relatives from Massachusetts, Virginia, New York, and Kentucky were all there.  Andrew and I had not made it to this particular celebration, and there was no way I was going to miss it, especially with all of the out-of-town family there.  We loved it.

Today was Christmas with my Dad's more immediate family.  There were 16 of there today.  We were only missing Robert.  The youngest family member is turning four in February, and she did a great job of entertaining all of us.  We had a blast watching her open her gifts and then look at her books.

It's been a great beginning to our celebrations, and they are just the beginning!  Andrew has gone to get his parents and I'm a little overwhelmed with things to get done here, but they will get done!

I could not have been more proud

Swim meets began this week.  Because Catherine has pleurisy, she did not swim in Tuesday's meet.  I was able to get to see Thomas swim in two events before I had to leave for a church meeting.  Normally I would stay and miss the meeting, but that isn't really an option with budgeting this time of year.  One of Thomas's events was the 500m, and he did really well considering it was the first meet of the year.  I didn't get to see it, but he was really pleased.

Last night was another meet.  Catherine hadn't been able to practice all week because of the pleurisy pain, but the doctor had said she could compete.  I was a little astonished when the coach put her in four events since she hadn't been in the pool all week.  I was further astonished that they were not all 50m races...she had a couple of 100m swims to get through.  Oh heavens!  After her first event she said she was fine, and after her second event (both of these were 50's) she said she was feeling some twinge of pain.  Her third swim was a 100m, and I could tell in the second half of her race that she was in pain.  She could barely get herself out of the pool, and even when she did she just sat on the edge of the pool.  When she finally stood up, she was doubled over.  I wanted to run to her, but she seemed to be handling it okay.  As she walked along the pool deck she was holding her side, but you know what I noticed?  My girl was smiling.  She is tough.  She was in pain, but she had finished and she was pleased and she was smiling.

I was again astonished (and frankly, pretty damn annoyed with the coach) when I realized that she also had to swim the final event...which was the next event after the one I just wrote about!  Ugh!  I looked at Andrew and said, "Oh my God!  She has to swim again right away!"  I was not at all certain that she could complete the race, and as a relay that is rough on the team to lose those points.  She was the third leg of the event, and again, it was another 100m.  The second 50m of her leg she was breathing on nearly every stroke, and I could tell she was struggling.  I could tell as soon as she got out of the water that she was really in pain, but my girl was smiling again.  I'm not sure how I didn't cry as I sat there being so proud of her.  She was in pain, but she pushed through.

I remember once talking to a classmate of Catherine's about Catherine.  Maggie's statement about Catherine is that she is "a tough cookie".  Maggie meant it as a compliment, although sadly, most high school students don't see that as an admirable trait.  My girl is a very tough cookie, and there truly aren't words to describe how proud I am of her always, but especially how proud I was last night!

Winter break eve

Break begins in this house tomorrow, but this evening is a pretty good warm up to it!  No swim practice, no evening commitments AT ALL.  We are so close to having much time off!

Technically, Catherine and I have already begun our break since Catherine didn't have to take final exams and I haven't worked since Tuesday.  Tomorrow, Thomas only has one final, and it's for his English class.  Kind of a tough one to study for since it is more skills based rather than memorizing facts or processes.  Andrew only has one final to give tomorrow, but it is the toughest one for him to grade.  He will get them done though.  We are so close...almost off for two weeks, and getting to celebrate holidays with loved ones!

A week before Christmas

I can't believe Christmas is in just one week.  I can't believe Catherine has finished the first semester of her senior year of high school.  This is all true though.  This is our reality...and it's lovely.

Yesterday I only worked in the morning, and then I should be off until school begins again after the new year.  In fact, I'm not scheduled until Thursday of that week, so maybe I will be off for three full weeks!  Regardless, I know that I am off the rest of this week, and I'm so grateful. 

Catherine doesn't have finals so she is home with me as well.  The band has to perform for the elementary schools in town though, so she just left to head to the school.  The morning finals are almost done, so Thomas only has four of those left as well.  I am sitting in my quiet home with our trees and a candle lit, and the sense of peace I feel is one I can't even begin to describe.  I am NOT leaving my house today, and it's just a day to be cozy.  The kids have swim work out and practice later, and Andrew won't be home until mid-afternoon, but for me, it's a day of coziness at home!

Joy

This past Sunday in church was the third Sunday of Advent...all about Joy.  Pastor's sermon was about joy, and the things that bring us joy.  I couldn't help but think about the fact that although Robert is clear across the world, the two kiddos that are still at home were sitting right there in the pew with us.  That hadn't happened since sometime this summer.  The second thing that I thought about was the weekend we'd had, especially our Friday evening.  Honestly, those memories will bring me joy forever.

Another thing that brought me great joy was this morning.  Andrew and I both had our vehicles full of Christmas packages from our church for three families in the school district.  And when I say full, I definitely mean full!  Each of us could only transport one child because the trunks AND back seats were full.  What an incredible blessing!  It brings me great joy to know we have a small part in making a difference for these families.  Andrew "borrowed" a colleague's Honors students during his own plan period and I happened to be off at that time as well.  It brought me great joy to see all of these students, about 25 of them, all with arms full of gifts being carried into the school.

It is definitely the season of joy, and I'm so grateful for it!

The rest of our weekend

Friday was definitely the best part of our weekend.  I absolutely loved it, and it is a memory I will always hold close to my heart.

Saturday Andrew began with a two-hour baseball practice, and Catherine had to work.  Thankfully, it was only a 5-hour shift, because I am fairly certain she has pleurisy again.  Her cough is absolutely awful, and the symptoms are pretty much the same as they were when she had it three years ago.  I had several band errands to run, and then I was home for the rest of the day.  Andrew had to work at an away basketball game that evening, and I convinced Thomas to go along to keep him company.  I spent the evening wrapping gifts, and I'm almost finished with everything except the kids' gifts! 

Yesterday was church, and Catherine enjoyed being there.  She hadn't been able to do that since July or August.  It filled my heart to have all four of us file into the pew.  More band errands happened in the afternoon (yes, in fact it is getting a little old!), and then we had dinner with my best friend.  It's been entirely too long since our families had been together.  We got home last night when it started snowing and watched the Steeler's game.  Some of us watched less than others, but still we watched.

It was busy, but not an overwhelming weekend.  It was full of many holiday opportunities, and it was lovely!

The last week of school before Christmas

It's going to be a busy week, but I'm reminding myself that in a week we will be getting ready to celebrate Christmas.  I will work most of the day tomorrow, and then I should be off until after the holidays.  Not sure when it will pick up again, but I'm going to enjoy the days off in between!

The kids have three swim meets this week.  Tomorrow and Friday are at home, and Saturday is all day about 90 minutes away.  I hate that they will be gone all day, but that might be the day we get the presents wrapped!  Andrew and I are required to volunteer at the home meets, and as soon as my volunteer shift is over tomorrow evening I have to attend the monthly church council meeting.  It's budget time and that is my job.  This evening Andrew and I need to finish the work required for our church's Giving Tree, but it will wait until after Andrew takes Catherine to the doctor (I think another head cold has lead to pleurisy).  Saturday evening we have a very extended family Christmas gathering (second and third cousins) and then Sunday is my large family Christmas at my Grandmother's house.  Andrew will leave from there to drive to his parents' house and stay over Sunday night.  And then they will be back shortly after this time next week.  I am so grateful to be sharing these days with so many people we love!

It was an incredibly gorgeous drive to work

According to my ruler and the picnic table, we received 4" of snow overnight.  It stopped snowing early enough though, that we got to sleep in two hours but still came to school.  In my opinion, that is absolutely ideal.  A little extra sleep, but still a full paycheck!  I'm especially grateful since my Wednesday morning job was cancelled.

Anyway, the two-hour delay also means that we get to leave for school in the daylight.  Oh my goodness, there are not words for how absolutely gorgeous it is outside.  With the fact that Christmas decorations are out, it was even more beautiful.  It has been such an awesome beginning to our last week before Christmas!

The snow is so pretty

It is really snowing here right now.  We are expected to get 2-4" overnight, with a possibility of freezing rain mixing in around 3AM.  I am pretty much banking on a delay at this point, and a pretty good chance there will be no school at all.  I am scheduled to work but I'm not going to lie, I would love a day to sleep in.  Also, tomorrow's jobs are mostly going to be just "babysitting" since exams begin on Tuesday.  Unstructured days of subbing are my least favorite.

Anyway, it began snowing, very lightly, while we were driving home from dinner about 90 minutes ago.  I hadn't looked outside again until about ten minutes ago and it is really coming down and covering everything.  With a wooded neighborhood with Christmas lights, it is absolutely gorgeous!

One of my most favorite evenings

This evening was exactly what I had hoped it would be.  Everyone was home by 5:30.  Christmas lights are on, and a Christmas candle is lit.  Frozen pizzas were made (and almost burned), and we watched not one, but two Hallmark Channel Christmas movies.  The channel is not offered on YouTubeTV, but for a monthly fee you can subscribe to it separately.  I decided it would be fun to have it here at Christmas, and through the colder winter months.  It was worth every penny this evening.  All four of us sat together and loved the two movies.  I am so grateful fo this awesome evening.  I was full of gratitude while watching, and it was just an awesome evening.

We finally arrived at Friday

Woohoo!!!  It is Friday!  Yes, I am excited!

It's been a long week.  Andrew was gone for two days at the beginning, and it just never felt like I could every really recover.  I actually went to bed BEFORE 9:00 last night.  It was awesome.  I almost feel rested today, but that might also just be the Friday adrenaline kicking in!  Both Andrew and Catherine aren't feeling the greatest either, so a little bit of down time this weekend will be good for everyone.

Originally my plan for today was to go home when I am finished at 2:30 and not leave my house again until tomorrow.  That changed yesterday when I couldn't make the trip to the middle school because the band director was home sick.  Not a problem.  It will delay me about 25 or 30 minutes, but still plenty of time to enjoy my Friday of nothingness!

Then of course, I learned this morning that we are OUT of cat food.  Not running a little low, which is when the kids should inform, but just out.  Okay, well that means I need to go pick some up at the grocery, which isn't a problem except that today is mass exodus for students AND winter commencement activities.  Way too much traffic in our small little town today.

I'm still grateful though, that our evening is activity free.  We are trying to decide which Christmas movies we want to watch, and I'm so looking forward to hearing some laughter and just hanging out.  I would love to try and get two movies in, but we may all fall asleep during the second one if we try that.  I am so looking forward to our time together!

It's beginning to remind me of my wedding day

When it was decided that we would be hosting Christmas this year, I somewhat braced myself for my sister to make sure I knew how wrong I do things.  I knew that things would need to be done a little differently than we had done them at her house, but was hopeful we could all be flexible.

One of the things I talked to my mom about was that I thought we should do more of a mid-afternoon "open house" rather than having a formal sit down meal.  The only family members who really worry about making sure we have a formal meal is my sister and my in-laws.  We can have a traditional meal on Christmas Eve with my in-laws, and my sister is making sure we have a traditional meal on the Sunday before Christmas at my grandmother's house.  My mother and I discussed that by having something mid-afternoon my cousins who have evening commitments are more likely to join us, but it would be easier to have more of a finger foods kind of meal since it would be earlier in the day.  And of course, I have a house full of people for the week so I can't just focus on nothing but the food for the entire day.  Further complicating things is that my mother doesn't want to leave her dog for more than 5 or 6 hours, and it will take over 2 hours of that time just in travel...and more since she is most likely transporting her mother as well.

My mother informed me that invitations needed to be sent, so I ordered them and mailed them out this week.  Sure enough, I've received several texts from my sister this morning.  She's not flat out telling me she is unhappy, but her tone is clearly displeased, and she has told me that she's not sure she'll be there to exchange gifts since we changed the order of things.  Ironically, if we had done it her way, we would do gifts at 2:00 and eat at 4:30.  This way we are eating at 2:30, and will exchange gifts whenever everyone leaves...probably around 4.  So it's the same time frame, just a different order.  I even offered that she and Mom could come down earlier.  I explained the only "set" plans were the food at 2:30, and that we were flexible about the rest.  She curtly informed me that I was missing her point and she would do what she felt she had to do.  I didn't even respond to that.

At first I was sad and starting to feel stressed.  But then, I reminded myself that it will be Christmas Day, and I'm not going to let her attitude ruin the day.  I hope she come and enjoys herself, but I can't control that.  If she wants to spend the entire day irritated, so be it.  I will not let her ruin my Christmas.  It reminded me a great deal of my wedding day.  She was irritated by absolutely everything I asked her to do, and my best friend (who was also my matron of honor) has told me she couldn't believe how calm I remained towards her.  I remember feeling strongly that I was not going to let her upset me on my wedding day.  And I feel the same way about Christmas.  She can be difficult and make the holiday challenging for herself if she wants, but I'm going to do my best to enjoy the day and my family!

Things are winding down

Things are beginning to quiet and wind down around here.  It is finals week at the university, so the students are not on their normal schedule and are even beginning to leave town.  It's becoming more peaceful driving through campus and around town.  It will be really crazy Friday afternoon and evening as the major push for departure happens, but generally speaking it is quieter.

The high school is also winding down the semester.  Most classes are strictly in review at this point, although there are a few tests today and tomorrow to try to finish up before the end.  For Catherine, things are especially winding down.  As a senior, she is not required to take final exams as long as she meets certain requirements.  She will have no more than two exams, and may end up meeting the requirements in one of those classes.  So next week for her is pretty relaxed.  She has worked very hard this semester both at school and at work, and she deserves a little time off for that.

We also have a fairly unscheduled weekend, and even a possibility of a snow day on Monday!  I love all of this down time!

I know people

I have a high school class mate who was in a September issue of People Magazine.  How cool is that?  She is an amazing woman.  She adopted the infant daughter of a woman who was dying (and passed) from breast cancer.  Just a couple of months later, she herself was diagnosed.  She fought her battle and has been cancer free for ten years.  She then founded a non-profit organization to offer support to women who are battling any kind of reproductive/gynecological/breast cancer.  It has become a national organization, and she is absolutely amazing.

There was also a guy from my high school who appeared as a dancer on Saturday Night Live last month.  I was friends with his older brothers in high school, but he is significantly younger and I didn't know him very well.  I saw the episode though, and there he was!

I'm amazed by what people from my little town can do.  Someone else I know from my high school founded a local non-profit that gives Christmas gifts, Valentines, and back-to-school supplies to children in foster homes each year.  It's really grown into something amazing.

I'm in awe of these people who have done so much, and especially the women who are truly making a difference in the lives of others.

Two weeks until Christmas

Two weeks from right now I'll most likely be waking up on Christmas morning (8AM is our traditional wake-up time).  I am really looking forward to the holidays, as are many people, I'm sure.

I'm feeling more in the spirit, and more calm about the holidays than I have in many, many years.  It's going to be weird not having Robert home at Christmas, but hopefully we'll get to chat with him at some point that day.  It's also going to be different having the entire family at my house for the day, but I am looking forward to not having to be out that day myself.  Mostly, I am just looking forward to being together and making memories.  I am grateful for today's sense of peace.

A full week...in many ways

Next week the kids only have half days Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, so this is the last full week of the calendar year.  It's also the last week of the calendar year where I will be working all five, full days.  I don't mind, especially since the last pay period included not only days off for Thanksgiving, but two extra days off to prepare for the holiday and then a sick day as well.  No pay for any of those days.

It's also the week that final payments are due for the band fundraiser so I know what I'll be doing this evening...and tomorrow evening, and the one after that most likely!  It's worth it though, if the sale looks as though it will go as expected.  The kids have pep band tomorrow evening.  It's the only one they can attend this semester because of the swim schedule.  Andrew will be back from his school trip tomorrow afternoon, but has a meeting right away, and another one after school Wednesday.

On the upside though, we have a fairly unscheduled weekend coming up!  I don't know how we got so lucky!  The kids only have swim work out on Friday, not pool time.  Catherine immediately announced it needed to be Christmas movie night.  I suggested going to see some lights, but she might be on to something.  Maybe we could do both, or maybe we will catch some lights early Sunday evening (Andrew has to work Saturday evening at an athletic event).

I'm having a super tough time with my emotions lately.  Not only is Catherine graduating, but there are a few other things happening with the kiddos.  Everyone is fine, and I just need to learn to let them live their lives.  I want to protect them from any hurt, but I know that isn't possible.  I also need to accept that sometimes, my desire to avoid any risk in an effort to protect, is actually keeping them from something that isn't harmful, and could even be positive.  In other works, I don't always know what's best.  As a control freak, that can be tough to accept.  I've talked to so many parents who are going through so many things.  It's the toughest job ever.

Overall, I'm so looking forward to these holidays.  I'm looking forward to popcorn, and Christmas movies, and awesome scented candles, and fun food and beverages, and friends.  I want to soak up each event, each moment, big and little, and store it as a permanent memory in my heart.

Eleven years of blogging

I created this blog eleven years ago.  Oh my goodness, I am so grateful all the years of memories that posted here.  Without a doubt, each year flies by more quickly than the one before.  I am so incredibly blessed to be living this life, and I'm so glad I posted so many memories here.

With 2-1/2 weeks to go, I am actually almost finished with my shopping!  We have a few more things we need to pick up for Thomas, but we have some pretty good ideas for that.  Everyone else is pretty much finished.  The plan is to get the package for Robert in the mail tomorrow.  I hope to start wrapping gifts for family members who don't live here later today.

The next two days are pretty much my least favorite of the year.  Andrew is on a school trip.  In some ways, this trip is the least stressful for me because he is only going two hours away and is on a school bus which is a tremendously safe mode of transportation.  However, most of his trips are on weekends, but this is today, tomorrow, and Tuesday.  During the school week makes it really tough.  We'll get through though, and the kids are certainly old enough to be helpful with things.  I get to sub for Andrew for the next two days while he is gone.

It's hard to imagine where life will be in eleven years.  I certainly hope it will be as blessed as the last eleven!

I don't like this movie

Today, I am required to watch the movie, "Dumbo" in two classes.  I don't like this movie.  I hate any movies where animals could be hurt, and I don't like circuses.  I don't like movies where children are in danger.  I don't like this movie.

It's been a tough week with drama at home and drama at school.  I'm learning to try very hard to let go and have faith.  I've been doing lots of praying this week.  Honestly, I was convinced there was a full moon, but that isn't until next week.

It's a tough weekend ahead too.  Catherine works 20 hours just this weekend.  Thomas has two volunteer shifts for a fundraiser, and most likely since they are short handed Andrew and I will each take a turn.  Andrew also leaves Sunday morning for a school trip and doesn't return until Tuesday afternoon.  To be honest, I hate this trip.  It annoys me that it takes him away in December, but I will never tell him he can't go.

I know this post seems a little down, and I wasn't feeling that way until we got to lunch today.  I guess I'm just tired, and I started feeling beat down.  Most of the time I recognize that I have more blessings than I can count.  I think I just need a good cry and a good nap.  I plan to find time for that nap this weekend!

Stayed home sick today

I haven't cancelled a job for being sick since I started subbing here over three years ago.  Today though, I couldn't do it.  I woke up with a migraine.  Normally I can do what I need to do and push through, but today wasn't one of those days.  I almost cried while brushing my teeth because I hurt so badly.  Finally I called in, and then curled into bed and just tried not to move.  I hate losing a day of pay, but I am very grateful the pain has eased.  I still don't feel great, but I feel much better.

I need to be productive.  I can not just sit around and do nothing.  There are MANY things I can do while sitting at home, and that is exactly what I plan to do!

I felt like it was Monday about four times

Yesterday was a Monday.  Oh boy, was it a Monday!  In fact, I'm grateful it all happened on a Monday, because...well, it was Monday anyway.

For the privacy of my children, I am not going to go into details.  I will also tell you that all of my children are okay.  It was just a day full of emotions, consequences from choices, and more emotions.  There was also work stuff for both of us, and church stuff, and band stuff.  It was just a day full of drama.  It has been a long time since we have had a day that dramatic.  I am glad it is over. 

And today is a new day.  As my husband said this morning, we can't let yesterday carry over into today.  That's good too, because my sub job is challenging again today, but we'll get through!

We made vacation reservations

Yesterday, after trying for a while, we finally made a vacation reservation.  We are headed back to our favorite place on earth, the Outer Banks.  We are staying in the same resort community in which we stayed last time.  I am so excited.  With Catherine graduating this year, there was no way we were not going to the beach this summer.  It will have been three years since we were there, and I know it will be great.  I will not wish away the school year, but I certainly will enjoy this trip when it arrives!

Thrown right back in to the thick of things

It's been an overwhelming morning...and it's only a little after 9:00!  I knew I would be working all five days this week, but I didn't really know what I was walking into this morning.  Apparently the teacher I am in for today and tomorrow will not be returning this school year.  I don't know the whole story yet, and I'm glad.  I hate having to lie to the students when they ask what is happening.  On the upside, there are only eleven days remaining in the semester, so the kids don't necessarily need to be starting any major projects.  This particular teacher is also my neighbor and it's all just awkward.  Ugh.

I also received a text from the mother of Thomas's girlfriend, and she is not a happy woman.  Thomas didn't actually do anything wrong, but his girlfriend made a poor choice that involves Thomas.  We need to have a conversation with him, although again, he didn't actually do anything wrong, so it's a fine line to walk.

Also still dealing with junk from the band fundraiser.  I feel like all of the peace and relaxation of the last week has just completely evaporated.  It sure feels like a Monday!

That sure went fast

This past week sure went by quickly.  It was wonderful having an entire week off work, and even better having those extra days with everyone off school.  It suddenly dawned on me how rested I feel...and now it's time to go back.

Other than dealing with a lot of crap with the band fundraiser, it really was a wonderful few days off.  I work every day this week, and there are several evening commitments, so I know it's going to be a crazy week again.  I am so grateful that our house is pretty much put together.  Our trees are up, and most decorations are in place.  I am very grateful that we managed to make that happen.

Only fifteen days of school until we have to weeks off for Christmas.  I absolutely don't want to wish away my days, especially since this is our last school year with our sweet girl, but I'm not sad that a big break is on the horizon!