Our favorite day as a family

As we do every year on this date, we celebrated our family today.  Catherine was especially excited about it, and brought the sweetest gifts and wrote us the most thoughtful notes.  I will treasure it always.  I am always grateful beyond words to be their parents, but as each year passes and we reach this date, the gifts and blessings of being our little family seem even more amazing.  I'll never know how we got so lucky!

This has been a rough day

Today was one of those Wednesdays where I knew I would be working all day.  The Head of School was out which also meant I would be doing a VERY wet carline.  My co-worker and I sat down shortly after carline to begin a meeting about some HR issues, when suddenly there was a knock at the door, and my heart sank as my teary-eyed, 20-year-old son walked in.  I asked what he was doing there, and he informed me he had just been fired.  Oh my goodness, my heart absolutely broke for my sweet son.  He really, really liked his job, but the manager had left about a month ago, and Thomas hadn't really gelled with the guy who was the supervisor.  The manager had really gone to bat for Thomas on several occasions, but that was no longer a level of protection Thomas had without the store manager.  Did Thomas make mistakes?  Of course he did.  He's 19/20 while working there, and is not only new to the industry, but is working his first full time job.  His dismissal "cause" was given that he didn't complete his tasks.  For example, there was a time when hoses were frozen and he couldn't do what he had been asked to do.  He let the supervisor know verbally, but of course, there is no documentation/paper trail.  If my child perfect, was he a perfect worker?  Of course not.  But he always showed up to each shift 20 minutes early, never called off, and seemed to have a good rapport with his co-workers and customers.

My co-workers were wonderful and gave me as much time as I needed with Thomas.  It was such a blessing that the timing of this happened to coincide with Andrew having a plan period, so I was able to call him and put him on speaker phone.  We both told Thomas how proud we are of him for getting a job right after his classes finished and for how hard he worked.  My heart broke for my son, but I was so grateful that we have the relationship we do and that he knew he could go to his mom at a time like that.  I also pointed out to him how proud I am that he didn't go into debt with big dollar signs.  He has lost this job and it stinks, but he's not on the hook for a car payment or anything major.

Later in the day, Thomas received a phone call about the car he purchased the day his job started.  Andrew had gone with him to handle everything, but a month ago it had started making a strange noise.  We had it towed to a dealership because it is still under warranty.  Sure enough though, they are trying to claim neglect on the part of Thomas, which is crazy because he had the vehicle only 60 days before it stopped running right.  He is upset because they are telling him might be on the hook for a MAJOR repair, and he just lost his job.  We've assured him we are here to help, and that is what parents are for.  He didn't just buy a vehicle willy nilly and show up and surprise us.  He researched what he wanted, found a decent deal, and involved us in each step of the way.  Basically, his day has just completely sucked.  Did I mention his fish died also?

As I drove home from work to spend the evening with my kiddo, I really wanted to cry.  Andrew voiced it best when he called (he's working a basketball game this evening), we are so tired of seeing our kids struggle.  They struggled with classes and they've struggled to make friends.  There are times they have struggled with dating choices.  Maybe all parents feel this way, but it sure doesn't feel like it.  My co-worker told me we were so awesome as parents for guiding, and that our kids know they can come to us.  Honestly, it doesn't feel that way at all.  There are so many times it feels they just get dumped on, and I feel like an absolutely lousy parent.  I feel like I haven't helped them figure out how to be successful, and just when I think we are on the right road, a roadblock happens.  I know not every day is going to be rosy for my kids, and I know it isn't my job to fix everything for them.  I just love them so incredibly much and I want them to feel their lives are as blessed as mine has been.  As my mother says, tomorrow this will feel better, and I 100% believe it when I tell Thomas this will all work out.

A peaceful weekend

This weekend was a very peaceful weekend, and it began with a great deal of productivity on Friday!  I had decided earlier in the week that if we had Friday off, I would spend the day cleaning my bedroom.  My bedroom is where I store Christmas gifts, and it is also often where things go when I decorate for the holidays.  It didn't take nearly as long as I thought it would, and having things decluttered and put away makes it peaceful, not only in there, but throughout the house.  And it didn't stop there!  I was able to get things picked up all around the house.  It really helps with my stress level to have a calmer environment.

Yesterday, Andrew and I made a trip over to pick up some clothes, and we enjoyed taking the backroads home.  We stopped to have Mexican for lunch and were home in time to watch the football playoffs.  Thomas went to spend the night with a friend, so we loved having a quiet evening.  I received a photo scanner for Christmas, and I was able to get some photos scanned last evening.  I really appreciate how much faster it goes since it is specific to photo scanning.  I'm also working on redoing the photos that are on display throughout my house.  Hanging some on the walls will help to make surfaces less cluttered.

Today was church and a major trip to the grocery.  And of course, more football playoffs!  I'm spending some significant time working on genealogy and I've made a lot of progress on it this weekend.

I truly needed all of this extra time off this past week.  I'm so grateful for the opportunity to get some many things accomplished and to help find peace.  I'm ready to get back to work and get at it!

Friday snow days are the best

We'd been watching the weather forecast, and by yesterday it was very obvious we were going to have a snow day today.  Not a significant amount of snow, but falling at exactly the right time to get us a day off.  Both my school and the public school went on a delay last evening because the snow wasn't beginning until the middle of the night, but it was wonderful going to bed last night knowing that we were sleeping in today!  The official call came about 5 this morning with the closure.  The best thing about a Friday snow day is that it leads right into a weekend!

On the other side, this was the first snow day EVER where my children still had to go to work.  They both texted us to let us know it was pretty awful, and Catherine even asked that we all be careful.  I appreciate those subtle signs of maturity that we see occasionally!

A day that is really just for me

It is still frigidly cold here.  Some schools were closed, and almost all the others were on a delay.  Not where I work though!  We were all reporting at the regular time, and the windchills were negative as we unloaded kids from cars.  Weeks ago, I had scheduled a sub to be on standby for today.  She is awesome, and wants to work as many hours as she can during this month before her classes begin.  As it turned out, she wasn't needed in any classrooms, so I took the opportunity to have her in the office and I took the day at home.  It helps with the car situation as well, because Thomas's car hasn't worked in a month, and yesterday my vehicle developed a VERY flat tire.  I was able to get home before Thomas needed to leave for work.  The Civic is also having some battery issues, but we need it to keep plugging along until we have other vehicles working again.

I've picked up a couple of things, and I've read the newspaper, and I'm probably going to take a nap.  I appreciate being alone with my feelings and thoughts today, and I'm trying so very hard to feel at peace.  I read an article though, about a man who delivered motherless pups to an animal shelter.  He'd been feeding the mother when he could and found her dead along the side of the road after being hit by a car.  He knew there had been puppies, so he searched and found them, and left a note asking that he not be judged for leaving them, but because he was homeless he couldn't care for them.  Oh my goodness, I cried.  It makes one wonder how a man with such a heart could be in such a situation...how could God allow that?  While it's beautiful, it's a story that tests my faith, as have so many things these days.  Again, I've been hoping and praying for peace in my heart, and hopefully it begins with today, and a day for me to just be.

I spent my weekend with memories

This weekend, I was able to spend my weekend not making memories, but feeling surrounded by them.  I spent most of the day Saturday working hard to get all of Christmas taken down and stored away (not in the attic because it's WAYYYY too cold, but in tubs).  I loved thinking about my great-uncle as I put away the Santa that he carved, and that had been a gift to my grandmother and I now have.  There were so many decorations that had been gifts from my paternal grandmother, and even a couple of gifts from my mom.  My aunt usually gives us a decoration each year as well.  I cherished putting away the tree that I had given to my grandmother one year that contained the names of her (then nine) great-grandkids, and I love the photos from many year that we've had in various frames, all displayed together on shelves.  There were a couple of decorations I've had since my childhood, and an entire ceramic village hand-painted by Andrew's grandmother.  There was also the Department 56 village pieces we have that my maternal grandmother collected.  We were each allowed to choose one, and we add them to the few that I already had.  I thought back to her opening one each year, and I thought about how she must have so enjoyed putting them out each year.

I also spent some time with a wonderful gift our family received at Christmas.  Andrew's cousin sent us digitized copies of dozens of photos.  I spent some time last evening going through them and organizing them.  Additionally, I've been wanting to re-do our photo wall in our hallway, so I've been thinking about what photos I want to put where, and what frames would look best in doing so.  I'm looking forward to adding photos of Andrew's family as well as some of my favorites of the kiddos.  I enjoyed those thoughts.

I am so grateful for this weekend.  It's been absolutely frigid, and we've been able to stay in so much.  We've had several beautiful fires in our fireplace, as well as enjoying the scents of lit candles.  I won't lie, I had hoped for a snow day tomorrow because I'm so motivated to organize, but the snow never really happened.  The windchills are going to be negative in the morning, but not cold enough to keep us from being in school on time!  We've been able to enjoy decent football games (ugh, Steelers, c'mon!), and this weekend has just been so good for my soul.  Additionally, Andrew and I even booked a weekend get-away for next weekend.  I am working on feeling peaceful.

Really been looking forward to this!

I have been looking forward to today, and this weekend, for quite some time.  Don't get me wrong, the 2+ weeks we had off at Christmas was very nice.  But, it was also very busy and scheduled and just overall a bit chaotic.  Today, neither Andrew nor myself have anywhere that we have to be.  AND, we get an extra day to our weekend.  It's bitterly cold here, and going to be through most of the next week.  A day at home, with no schedule, and LOTS of good football all weekend is exactly what I need.

Yesterday was a rough day, which makes this weekend all the better.  The weather was miserable, with cold winds and hard rain all day.  In many ways, the weather was a perfect metaphor for our day, as we were all attending the visitation and/or funeral of the mother of our student.  Andrea was an incredible woman.  We'd had many conversations with her, even in the just short two years her family had been a part of our school.  After I came home last evening, I gave Andrew a huge hug.  I'm so grateful we get to go through this life together.

I hope everyone has a wonderfully safe and blessed weekend!

She got to walk across the stage

Tonight was a graduation ceremony for Catherine's program.  It was a combined graduation ceremony with the other adult ed medical programs at her institution.  We hadn't realized the magnitude of the event.  There were even caps and gowns and everything.  It was a lovely ceremony.  As we met up with Catherine after, she mentioned that she finally got to walk across the stage.  I hadn't even thought about that, and my heart broke a bit.  It's been a really tough 12+ mos for our sweet girl.  I'm so hopeful that this ceremony marks a wonderful new beginning!

Early January

My grandmother turns 93 today.  I wrote a year ago that I was fairly certain she would make it.  My feeling about her reaching 94 is less certain.  She's just not the grandma I've always known.  She know it too, and it bothers her.  She has mentioned that it may just be time for her to go.  She's perfectly healthy, but I do know if something happens, she isn't going to want to fight.  I completely get it.  I'm sure she would tell you her 93 years have flown by.

There has been a tremendous amount of sadness in the new year.  On Friday, a classmate of Catherine's passed away from cancer.  He was a wonderful young man.  I knew him, although not well, but I did know his sister well.  While I know there is gratitude that he is no longer suffering (and suffer he did), my heart is broken for them and I just can't imagine.  No parent should bury their child.

We also had a student lose her mom yesterday.  She'd been diagnosed with cancer 20 months ago.  Again, it just shouldn't happen this way.  My heart is broken for their family.  In addition to the husband and young daughter she is leaving behind, I've been able to know her parents and as I said, no parent should ever bury their child.

January is a busy month.  I've got lots of school work, and lots of church work.  I was able to get the Christmas trees down, but everything else is still up.  I didn't feel a lot of holiday joy, but I'm working really hard to be grateful for each day and to remember nothing is guaranteed.  January is always a month filled with so much reality.

Happy 50th to my awesome husband

Today is the day my amazing husband turns 50.  I can't believe we are both this age.  I'm so incredibly lucky to go through life with him.  It's not that every day is perfect, but overall we have far more good days than not-good.  We had a gathering with a few friends last week, and we had lunch with the kids yesterday.  Today I had to work at church after school, but we plan to have a drink on Friday.  He's amazing!

How we spent our break

The last two weeks have been awesome in that I rarely had to wake to an alarm.  Sadly, it was not good sleeping most of the time.  Due to some scheduling snafus, I ran out of my maintenance medication.  Not being able to regulate my thyroid really took a toll.  I've been able to resume my medication for about a week now, and things are going slightly better.  I spent two days traveling to pick up my mother-in-law and she was here for nine days.  I enjoyed having her here, but it's also tough at times.  There was also drama with my mother and sister on Christmas, and that made the day particularly challenging.

As my children are adults, I understand that they won't be at each and every holiday event anymore.  I had hoped for a bit more of some compromising when it came to Thomas and his girlfriend, and that is also made some times challenging.  Andrew and I are struggling with having the young adults living here, but who want to live here as though they are still teens.  They need to be responsible and they need to pick up after themselves.  The attitude was bit much at some times.  Those are the drama we could do without.

The first Saturday of break was the extended family gathering.  Last year there were over 30 of us, this year there were only 16.  I was the only one from our house there, and that was the case with many others as well.  Hopefully next year there will be more able to make it.

There were good things, though, and I do want to remember those.  The Friday night before Christmas, Catherine arrived and was here for a week.  We had a lovely dinner with the five of us, and then drove around town through various neighborhoods looking at lights.  It was a fun evening.  We also had an evening where Thomas's girlfriend joined us for dinner, and then we played a fun trivia game.  We laughed a lot, and it was one of my favorite memories of the break.  I'm also really grateful that my mom made an effort to get us together with my cousin and her family.  I'm so glad the kids could have some time together.

We also had a lot of fun on New Year's Eve.  We stayed over at our friends' house, and we laughed so hard that my muscles still hurt today.  We really needed that evening.

In twelve hours I'll be back at work.  I'm ready for a routine again, but I'm not super excited about early morning wake up times.  I'm grateful for the opportunity to have a great year!

The first day of 2024

Typing this title was the first day I've used "2024".  Another year has arrived.  It is so hard to believe.  I am fifty years old, so last evening was my fifty-first NYE.  Wow.

As a child, New Year's Eve was always so very special.  My parents hosted a gathering every year, and my sister and I would spend the night at my paternal grandparents.  My grandmother retired when I was very little, and my grandfather retired when only 11, so most overnights were at their house.  My mother always took us to the bulk nut factory in town, and we were allowed to pick out snacks for the evening.  Peanuts and other nut assortments, and always jelly beans, were served as evening snacks.  We would eat dinner at Long John Silver's, and then we would undecorate my grandparent's tree.  As I got older, those weren't my plans, but even my freshman year of college, I stayed at my grandparents.  The very first NYE I remember was 1983, and I remember walking into the bedroom where my sister and I slept thinking, "I can't believe it is 1984."  I was ten years old, and that was forty years ago.

This was a tough break, although I'll write about that another in a different post.  Today is always one of my favorite days of the year, and this year is not an exception.  I'm especially grateful as the last two years have been less than spectacular.  This year, this day has been exactly as I hope it would be.  Andrew and I spent the day in our pajamas and our meals were leftovers.  Right now I am watching Michigan play Alabama (ugh) and enjoying the candle with a lovely fire in the fireplace.  Catherine spent the day at her apartment, and Thomas had to work before going to spend the evening with his girlfriend and her family.  We are still off tomorrow, and although I have A LOT to do, but for today, I'm just enjoying the peace and quiet!