Random Wednesday thoughts

Everyone is back at school again today, although it is early release day.  I, as always, should be productive, and yet here, again, I sit on the computer.  It is called denial...and I am currently okay with it.

Our washing machine has stopped working.  This in itself is a pain, but the stoppage occurred with a leak...or more like a gushing as the entire drum of water ended up all over our laundry room floor.  Not good!  The service man is coming out on Friday.  We should be able to hold out on laundry until then, and if for some reason we can not, the students are leaving town this week so the laundry mat should be less crowded.  There is also my aunt's house if I get really desperate.

I currently have the TV on the other room...to some children's cartoon that Thomas was watching before we caught the bus (and man is it COLD out there!).  Normally I prefer silence, but today I find goofy little voices to be comforting.  Ever since my dad died, my mother has had the TV on and her days seem to consist of NCIS marathons.  She isn't watching them, but she enjoys the noise in the house.  It was also my dad's favorite show, and I think it's what she's used to hearing during the days.

Two weeks from today is Christmas.  For the most part, I am ready, but I have just a few more gifts that need to be purchased.  I had thought about venturing out today, but clearly it is going to be an on-line day if anything at all.  And tomorrow will be colder so I definitely won't be going out tomorrow.  It will all work out...I refuse to allow myself to worry about it.

I am so grateful that Andrew's commute is now only ten minutes.  It is one less thing for me to worry about, and these days I just seem full in the worry and stress department

A very unexpected snow day

We are all home again today.  Apparently Andrew and I need to learn to pay more attention to the weather because we were rather stunned.  We aren't complaining though...as we've said before...snow days are like having the gift of time!

I really should be productive, but to be totally honest, I tend to be much more productive with an empty house.  Laundry, however, is not optional today so I better get started!

Feeling blessed...and praying

I have been doing lots of extra praying right now.  I know that God never gives you more than you can handle, but I just don't feel that I (or several people I know and love) have a lot of extra emotional reserve right now.

Early last week the mother of one of our very dear family friends entered the hospital.  At first it didn't seem to be a big deal, but by Wednesday she was diagnosed with pneumonia and transferred to the ICU.  She seemed to be progressing, little by little, and we were grateful for any progress regardless of how little.  Yesterday though, wasn't as good, and I'm a little worried.  Not only is it the holiday season, but losing my Dad was so hard on all of them, especially since it was the second dear friend they lost that week.  I can't imagine losing Granny right now as well.

I've just learned about another family member though.  My (paternal) grandmother's sister was admitted to the hospital yesterday with congestive heart failure and fluid in the lungs.  I understand that she is 86 and has lived a good life.  However, my grandmother just buried her son three weeks ago (which no mother should have to endure).  She should not have to suffer another great loss so soon, and again, not here at the holidays.

While praying for these extended family members, I've also felt so very blessed, and extremely grateful.  While I miss my dad a lot, I'm also so very grateful that he is no longer suffering, and I'm grateful that he passed peacefully.  I am grateful that experiences over our lives allowed he and I to have conversations that helped me to know how he would want us to live on, and I'm grateful to know that we were absolutely loved unconditionally.  Our move has been so beneficial for the kids (even if tough on me, it's been very good for Andrew & the kids, and I am grateful for that), and our new home provides many advantages over our old one.  I am truly amazed at how things have come together over the last six months, and it has strengthened my faith tremendously.  I have no doubt that we are exactly where we are supposed to be, and I'm grateful for that feeling of peace.

Counting today, only nine more school days until Christmas break.  Goodness, it's all gone so very fast!

Five years of blogging

Five years ago today I began this blog.  I love that there are so many fun little memories recorded here.  It's fun to look back and read them.

Friday was a fun day in this house.  We were the "big winners" according to the local news with 7" of snow.  The kids played outside for hours.  I wish I had taken some pics of them having so much fun.

We found out this week that our buyer's loan has been approved.  We had a few things still at the old house so we borrowed my uncle's truck and made the trip over.  We got almost everything out, and I'm confidant it will work out in the next nine days to go get the rest, although it won't be today as it is flurrying again and we are all going to stay home.

I am pretty sure that life if feeling as peaceful as it possibly can right now!

Our first snowday in this house

At 5:00 the phone call came that there would be no school today.  I was very pleased!  It actually wasn't that bad at that time, but it was supposed to get much worse as the day progressed.  Even trying to get a day in and having the kids go home on a two hour early release would mean Thomas was on the bus until at least 2:30.  Based on the conditions now, still four hours prior, I am very grateful that everyone is home!  The snow is really starting to pick up, and I will admit, this is one of the nicer things about not living in town...it is very pretty here!

The downside, of course, to not living in town is that we can no long walk to the nearby diner for breakfast on snow day.  Andrew is hoping to make pancakes, but honestly, no one is really in a hurry to start the day.  I can't blame them.  The nice thing about a snow day on Friday is that it leads right into the weekend!

Waiting for the storm

We are under a winter storm warning here...the first of the season!  We are forecasted to receive anywhere from 1 to 12 inches of snow.  You read that correctly...that is exactly what the local meteorologist told us at the 5:00 news!  It all boils down to at what point the freezing rain/sleet turns over to snow.  Regardless, I am optimistic there will be a snow day tomorrow.  My family could certainly used some unscheduled down time.

I went and visited my mom again today.  I am trying to make sure that I see her once a week or so.  She is an incredibly strong person, and I know that she is surrounded by friends and family, all of whom are very supportive.  But I want her to know that I'm here too, and I am enjoying sharing memories of Dad.

I think we both had a bit of a rough day.  She is mired in the chores/errands that are required in terms of delivering death certificates, etc.  I just sometimes don't know how I'm supposed to feel about things.  I visited the cemetery, and was somewhat sorry that I did.  My faith tells me that my Dad isn't really there, and yet the thought that he was buried under that pile of dirt made me want to vomit.  I think it will be easier as grass grows over it and time has passed.

Since we've known this storm is coming, I got LOTS of Christmas shopping done this week.  I am almost completely done and am looking forward to moving onto wrapping and enjoying the season!

Weekend family fun

We had a very nice weekend here.  Friday after my in-laws left my husband spent hours getting an antique toy Lionel train to work.  He was finally successful (after three trips to a hobby store) and we got the trees put up that evening.  With my horrible head cold, that was all I could manage and we called it an early evening...until we realized Garth Brooks was on TV.  He is pretty much my all-time favorite singer!  The kids stayed up with us and we all sat and watched the show...I loved sharing it with them.

Yesterday was our favorite football game of the year...Ohio State vs. Michigan.  We expected a blow-out and got exactly the opposite.  OSU won a one point game when Michigan elected to go for the win on a two point conversion at the end and didn't make it.  I thought that was a great finish until I was watching the end of the Auburn vs. Alabama game.  HOLY SH*T!  As OSU fans we are almost as happy as Auburn fans!  The BCS just got interesting!!!

Today Andrew is leaving for school trip.  I was livid when I realized (just last weekend) that it was this weekend.  Who takes people away from their families at the end of the holiday?  I always thought it was bad enough that they did it in December, but this is ridiculous.  The fact that there was a miscommunication and didn't learn until last week that it was this weekend made it tremendously much worse.  As I've explained to Andrew, there just isn't a lot of leeway in my emotions.  I'm not constantly sad, but I just don't have a lot of emotional stamina to deal with other things.  He's been gone 45 minutes and I'm ready for him to come home.

My cold is better, and the house is mostly decorated.  Time to start putting stuff away and getting back to reality of school days!