Twenty years of parenting

Twenty years ago today, Andrew, the kids and I stepped off of a plane in the Dayton airport and began our lives together as a family.  The kids' caseworker and Thomas's foster mother joined us as well.  It was a very long day of flying across the country.  In fact, when we first got on the airport, Thomas was having some breathing issues, and they weren't sure he was going to be allowed to get on the plane.  At the last minute though, they got on, and we all arrived home to friends and family who were waiting at the airport for us.  I'll write about our first week over the next several days.  It's actually a bit of a doozy of a story!

Tomorrow, we are sharing a meal with the kids, my mom (possibly my sister), and our dear friends who shared so much with our since the very beginning and are the kids' godparents.  We've decided this will be the last really big celebration we do.  This date will ALWAYS be a blessing to our family, but my kiddos are living their own lives in their own homes now.

The rest of our lives are moving right along.  Our Thursday and Friday were normal, but Andrew had delays both of those days.  It's been absolutely frigid.  Today Andrew had to work at 8am, and won't be home until about 10.  Tomorrow is our rescheduled annual church meeting, and then our family dinner.  This is the time of year I prefer to just hunker down and hang out at home, but life doesn't work that way.  Regardless, I'm so grateful for this life, especially today!

I had to go back to school

I mentioned to my co-workers today that this weekend felt as though it was our reward for surviving our first semester.  We knew Saturday afternoon that church was going to be canceled for Sunday morning, we knew by Noon on Sunday that we would be home all day Monday, and we knew early afternoon Monday that we would be home Tuesday.  It was an amazingly wonderful gift of time.  On Sunday, I completed my entire puzzle.  It was an easy one, and I loved, loved, loved it.  The entire day was spent watching the snow fall, watching football, and doing the puzzle.  It was a day that was much, much needed.

Monday and Tuesday were spent being much more productive.  Lots of laundry was done and I was able to do some cleaning and get other things done.  At the same time, there was time for reading magazines and catching up on other things.  It was really just such a wonderful few days.

Yesterday, Andrew and I drove out into the country to see how the roads were.  While some streets in town, were fine, most were okay, but the country roads were not.  I wasn't thrilled about having to spend 15 minutes out in morning carline at -9 windchill (even with a 2-hour delay), and with the drifting in the country I really thought closing was the way to go.  It wasn't my decision though, and we were in today while the public schools remained closed.

It's going to remain very, very cold here for at least a week, and we might even get some more snow.  I don't know how it will all play out, but I am so very grateful for the few extra days off, and for the gorgeous scenery it gave it and the ability to relax!

Twenty years ago today I met my children

Twenty years ago today, I met my children.  As I explained recently, my children are an adopted sibling group.  We flew across the country twenty years ago today and were to spend five days getting to know my children and their routines and needs.  My children were adopted out of the foster care system, but were not in the same foster home.  Robert and Catherine were together, and Thomas was in a different home.  When we went to the house where Thomas was living, we had been told he didn't like men.  But as we left that day, Thomas reached out and wanted my husband to hold him.  I think he knew Andrew was his dad.  When we met Catherine and Thomas, Catherine stood at the top of the stairs and I'll never forget seeing this little girl yelling, "Mommy, Daddy" when we walked in the door.  It was an overwhelming few days, but the last two decades have been full of so many blessings!

It wasn't overstated!

This storm has been something!  It started snowing at about 5 or so last evening, and hasn't stopped.  I measured early this morning and we had over 9", then when I measured early this afternoon, it was nearly 11".  It slowed down for a bit, but is really coming down again.  The first school closing was mentioned about 9:40am, then our local public schools closed about 11.  My school closed about 12:30 this afternoon.  Given that temps are going to be in the teens with subzero lows (not to mention wind chills), we aren't terribly optimistic about Tuesday either, and we'll just have to see about anything beyond that.

I was finally able to start a puzzle.  It's a Christmas puzzle, but I don't care.  I've decided it's okay to have a bit of Christmas whenever I want!

It's going to be a monster

We've been waiting for the weekend all week, and it's finally here.  Woohoo!  And what a weekend it is going to be.  We are forecasted to receive a monster of a storm.  Most of the weather stations are calling for 8-12", but an online guy I follow is saying 9-15", and he said he may have to bump up the totals after the model runs tonight.  The temps are already brutal and they are going to become more so.  The university in town has already cancelled classes for Monday.  Churches have started cancelling for Sunday.  It is something!  As a snow lover, I'm pretty excited!

More changes

This weekend, Catherine officially moved in with her boyfriend.  If I am being 100% honest, I don't love cohabitation without an engagement, but I understand times are very different now and this is rather normal.  She went through an official application process and has been added to the lease.  Andrew and I are officially empty-nesters, and not just on certain days of the week!  I'm hoping to rearrange some furniture as well, so there are definitely going to be changes around here.  I'm also hoping that decluttering and pitching things is part of this process.  To be honest, it feels a little bit surreal.

Overall, Andrew and I enjoyed our weekend, but January is a tough month.  The church responsibilities are a little out of control, and there are so many this time of year.

On the upside, today the sun is shining (although it feels like negative temps with the windchills), and overall, I'm thankful for this life I am living!

A Monday at school

Today was a school day.  This isn't really notable, as most Mondays of the year are indeed school days!  In our case though, the last four Mondays we haven't had school.  Our Winter break had three Mondays off, and then the Monday before break was a snow day.  And even six weeks ago, it was a Monday where we were pretty sure we might have a snow day the next day.  I'm able to take some solace in the fact that next Monday is another off day.

Don't get me wrong, I'm very grateful that I'm able to work the schedule that I work and have days off.  I'm also very grateful that the second semester is much less stressful than the first one.  One might ask how I can judge this on only the fourth day of the semester, but by day three of last semester things were brewing, and on day four I spent nearly the entire day in meetings figuring things out.

I also worked on church things this evening, but I'm happy to report after three hours I was able to submit the final info needed before our annual meeting (my least favorite Sunday of the year).  It's nice to have these things handled.  Now maybe I can actually get Christmas put away and my house back together!

Lunch with Grandma

For the fourth year in a row, we brought pizza in for lunch with my grandmother.  This year, my sister asked me to see if my aunt wanted to join us, and she did!  It's really hard to go see Grandma alone, because she just really doesn't understand what is happening around her, she can't really carry on a conversation, and she doesn't have the TV on so it's either a monologue or awkward silence.  I'm sure my aunt appreciated having us all there and not having to make the visit alone.  I'm sure it's also really hard on my aunt to see her mother that way.  And the fact that my uncle is in failing health is also tough for Aunt Connie as well.  It was nice to have the afternoon all together, and my aunt and I had travel time to chat as well.  We are all aware that this is almost certainly Grandma's last birthday lunch, but it was a nice afternoon.

Relaxing on Friday evening

Today was a working Friday.  That is certainly not at all notable, except that the last three Fridays were not working Fridays.  The Friday before that was a 2-hour delay, and six weeks ago was the day after Thanksgiving.  So, in the last six Fridays, I only had to work a full day on ONE of them.

It was a good week at work.  We are starting this semester with great optimism that things will settle.  I'm not at all sad about that!  It would be nice to not feel the stress and emotions that we felt in the first semester.

I'm enjoying this Friday evening of relaxation.  Andrew brought dinner in for us.  One cat is asleep next to me, one cat is asleep next to Andrew, and Janey, our sweet new pup, is also asleep with Andrew.  Janey had quite a day today!  Andrew arrived home to find that she had completely chewed apart the bed that is in her crate.  Oh my, it was quite a sight!  Overall, we are so absolutely thrilled that Janey has joined our lives.  She has a lot of similarities to our precious Abby, but she is her own girl.  She keeps us laughing and brings us a lot of joy!  I've started taking down our Christmas, but it's quite a process.  Tomorrow is lunch to celebrate Grandma's birthday, and then hopefully I'll get some more Christmas put away.  

I'm grateful for this relatively quiet weekend!

My favorite Christmas decorations

As I'm getting ready to put away the Christmas decorations, I find myself thinking about my favorite decorations.  While there are so many that are filled with memories, and there are plenty that are over 40 years old, my favorite decorations are the photos.  I have 16 frames filled with Christmas photos from various years.  Obviously, not every year is represented, but I love not only looking at the memories, but I love the decorative nature of the frames.  I added this year already.  I've actually run out of room on the shelves where I keep them, but I've worked it out to expand a bit.  It makes me so incredibly happy when I get each photo out each year.

I undecorated the trees this evening.  I needed to separate Catherine's ornaments this year.  It seems like our trees might be pretty bare next year!  As I was putting the ornaments into their own bin, I couldn't help but think about how much I'm going to miss them next year.  I thought it wouldn't bother me because we've already had Thomas take his.  But, I realized this evening that some of the memories were still there because seeing Catherine's ornaments would make me think of the memory.  For example, one year, all seven of my grandmother great-grands visited Disney.  She made each of the kids a Disney related ornament that year by making them cross-stitch ornaments.  Those kinds of memories are so dear to my heart.

And speaking of my grandmother, today she turns 95.  My sister saw her today and said she is definitely fading cognitively.  My mom, sister, aunt and I are going to see her Saturday and bring in lunch.  I am nearly certain this will be her final birthday.  I am so, so grateful to have had her in my life for so long, but I know this is not how she wants to be living.

An entire week into 2026...time is still flying!

This break is officially over

Even though none of us had students yet, we've all been back to work.  I'm grateful I took the morning off and allowed myself to ease back into things, although the last several days I've been working hard.  I'm responsible for compiling, editing, saving, and sending the narrative progress reports that we do twice a year, and it keeps me plenty busy.

This break felt much busier than I would prefer.  The days leading up to Christmas involved trips to help my mom and days picking up our house here, and of course getting ready for Christmas itself.  I'm a little embarrassed by our bedroom as that just kind of became where I decided to throw things.  Thomas stayed over Christmas night and was here all day the next day until we went north for a family wedding gathering.

On Saturday the 27th, our dear friends son got married.  There were only 12 of us present, including the bride and groom.  It was important to them that we be there, and it was such an absolute honor to know they consider us family just as we do.  We were gone literally all day, but again, it was such an honor.

After that, things began to settle down, but I had done no work on the reports at all.  I'm grateful I have those things to do because if I didn't, I wouldn't be getting a paycheck this week.  At the same time, I'm a little sad that I didn't get an opportunity to do a Christmas puzzle.  I don't think I'll let that stop me though...it just extends the holiday!

This week is busy, but tomorrow is already Wednesday.  I get to go and finalize the adoption of our sweet pup, Jane, and she has been the best thing to happen to us in a long time.  2026...here we go!

These last six weeks

Six weeks ago, it was the Sunday beginning our Thanksgiving break.  Andrew arrived home with his mother, and we were kicking off the beginning of the holiday joy.  There are only two of the last six Mondays where I had to work the next day, and on one of those, I was pretty sure it would only be one day before a snow day (I was right).  In the last six weeks, we have had 12 school days.  That feels pretty darn good.

We still have tomorrow off, but then Tuesday we go back to work and the students will arrive on Wednesday.  There is no snow in sight, so it will be all in.  To be honest, I'm not terribly sad to be going back to work.  I love my job (but I'm just NOT a morning person...and ironically I have the earliest report time at the office), and of course I need a paycheck.  I think what I'm most sad about is that the holidays are coming to an end.  It truly is the most wonderful time of the year!  My MIL wasn't here as much as she has been in past years, and at age 86, we can't ever be certain that next year she'll be here.  I loved having all the kids here.  Catherine has let us know that next year, her boyfriend's family is planning a week-long trip.  And of course, it is nearly certain that this was my Grandmother's last Christmas.  Oh, the memories of Christmas with her are so treasured, but I suspect she will love Christmas in Heaven next year with her parents, all her siblings, and of course Grandpa and my dad.

Life is good.  I do not fail to see that.  I love my job, and I am grateful for it, but there is a big part of me that still wishes it was six years ago.  I would love to get to do the holidays all over again.  I am so grateful for the time we had together and the memories we made!

The first day of 2026

As I've written many times before, January 1 is often my favorite day of the year.  And this year is no exception!  We've been watching the College Football Playoffs, (after the Buckeyes awful loss, we are now Hoosier fans).  Andrew and I have both been doing a lot of school work today, but we haven't left our home...just the way I like it!  In fact, I informed Andrew this morning that I wouldn't be getting out of my pajamas, although in my defense I actually put on clean pajamas this morning.  I gave myself a new set for Christmas, and they are incredibly comfortable.  I also put on my comfy Christmas socks for the last time this season.  It's been a great day.

NYE was spent at our good friends' house last night, and it was especially fun to share it with other friends and even some of the kids.  There were twelve of us together at Midnight, and we left shortly after.  I told Andrew that I know I'm getting old because although I love our friends and I especially had fun watching the game, I'm to the point that I almost prefer to stay home and just hang out ourselves on NYE.

Our sweet new pup, Jane, has been so much fun today.  After insisting it would NOT happen, she slept in our bed last night.  Beagles are just absolutely the best!  She and the cats are coming to an understanding.  There are so many little traits that remind us of our dear Abby but she looks different than Abby and I'm glad about that.  I'm so, so glad that she has come into our lives.

This break had a lot of crazy, but I'm so grateful for the last few days.  It's very nice to end the old year and start the new one with a sense of peace!