Solving problems by creating new ones

I feel that is the way things are going in our house right now.  Every time we solve a problem, I feel as though we create a new one.  For instance, we bought our new hutch cabinet, which we absolutely love.  The problem was that we had to move our baker's rack out.  We found a place for it by deciding it could hold things on our porch and it would like fine there.  But it would mean finding a place for everything that was on the rack.  We did manage to do that for the most part, after some books were moved around, etc., etc.  I am excited that our house is going to be even more functional and livable in just a couple of days, but we aren't quite there yet!

Don't want to forget about last weekend

I certainly had intended to write about last weekend before we hit this weekend, but it is what it is.  I loved having a long weekend, and it was exactly what I wanted it to be.  We got so much done on Friday   I'm determined, more than I can even explain, to make our house as it works best.  We got a lot of things pitched and donated, and simply just put away in our garage and made some headway in our sunroom.  Saturday, Thomas had to work all day.  Andrew and I set out early in the morning to visit our former town to shop for some a new cabinet for our kitchen.  While they didn't really carry any of that, we did decide to purchase a recliner and a new loveseat.  We then headed south to visit another store, and also grabbed a quick lunch.  By the time we got home, it was time to go get Catherine from her apartment.  I've been offering to make the trips to get her, and she appreciates not spending her gas or putting the wear and tear on her vehicle.  Honestly, I appreciate the opportunity to chat just with her.  We made frozen pizzas for dinner, and just hung out.

Sunday was the best!  We went to church and Thomas even brought his girlfriend.  We then headed to one of our family's favorite restaurants.  Love those pub fries!  Thomas and Catherine spent some time doing some shopping.  That evening, we played a trivia game I found, and we all laugh so hard when we play.  We love it!  It's one of my favorite ways to spend an evening with my family.  When we got up Monday, Andrew made the kids a decent breakfast.  Thomas went off to work and I took Catherine back to her apartment.  Catherine had some drama that afternoon that made Monday challenging, but overall it was such a wonderful weekend.  I'm so grateful we had fun and made memories!

Our house

This summer, my goal has been to really make the house like I want it, at least as much as I can.  While I would love to gut the kitchen and rebuild it, that isn't happening.  Many things can be done though.  I settled on a new color for the front door, and it has been painted.  I've gone through many things in my bedroom and really made a difference in that room.  Same with the garage, and honestly in just about any room I've been working in.  I've gone through boxes, drawers, cabinets...and I've been happy getting ready of a lot of things.  For one thing, I finally feel that we are in a place financially where if I find I need something after a few years of not needing it, I'll be able to afford to purchase it.  I've also decided to purchase a new kitchen storage cabinet, and can't wait until it arrives, as well as some new furniture to replace old furniture that has seen better days.  Andrew and I work hard, we are going to be here for at least the next seven years, and I want to enjoy our days here and be comfortable.  We love our house, and I'm grateful we are able to to do this!

Taking a long weekend

I am taking off work tomorrow and Monday, which gives me a four day weekend.  This is really my last laid-back weekend of the summer, and I'm grateful to have taken a couple of extra days.

I've really been using my time this summer to get our house organized.  I really want us to enjoy the space we have, and I want home to feel relaxing.  That means we don't just have piles of things everywhere.  Things have a place, and I want people to be able to come over and our house doesn't look like a storm just came through.

I am looking forward to having a fabulous long weekend!

Summer weekends are fabulous

I really enjoyed this weekend.  The nicest thing about weekends in the summer is that Sundays aren't awful, because the weeks are lovely as well.  Our Friday evening was spent hanging out, and sadly, watching the Reds lose.  The Brewers have been rough on them.

Yesterday we did a few things around here, and then drove to our former town to spend the evening with friends.  Our dearest and closet friends were there, and I always appreciate the opportunity to get together.  We laugh so much, and these friends are so dear to us.  One has had a horrible year with some health issues, and after a couple of hospitalizations, I'm so grateful she can join us.

Today, Andrew, Thomas and I decided to drive a bit and visit some antique shops.  It was a shop that my parents and I visited frequently when I was a kid.  I hadn't been there in twenty years.  The last time I was there was Mother's Day of 2003, and my dad drove us over.  Lovely memories filled my heart today, and I enjoyed making a couple of more with Andrew and Thomas.  

It's been a fun weekend.  I"m so grateful.

The wedding unexpectedly got to me

Last evening Andrew and I attended a wedding.  I had really been looking forward to it as it was a colleague of Andrew's, and I knew it would have a lot of people I would know and hadn't seen in a while.  It was a really lovely ceremony.  I was thrilled to see that we had been assigned to sit with exactly the people I would have chosen if I had been allowed to choose.  This was a younger colleague who was also a grad of the district about ten years ago, so there were truly many people of all ages that we knew in attendance.

I found myself being a little emotional about seeing all of the other teachers.  Andrew has awesome co-workers.  Part of my heart will always be at that school.  I love my job though, and I'm very grateful that it is MY job.  I'm not just filling in for someone else.

The end really got to me though.  Andrew and I were chatting with a classmate of Robert, and this young man had also joined the Navy.  This young man had not had an easy childhood.  Although his mother is a very nice person, she'd had drug issues and has been incarcerated on more than one occasion.  He recently finished his enlistment and is back in town and helping to coach a couple of sports.  As we were leaving, we chatted, and Andrew and I reminded him that if he ever needed anything, we'd be happy to help.  I walked outside and began to cry.  I couldn't help but be sad and emotional about the person my son is.  He is my son, and he always will be, but I also know (and I do accept) that he doesn't want to be.

The emotions caught me off guard, but I didn't let it ruin what had been a really fun evening.  We have four weddings this year, and they always make me grateful for my own wedding twenty years ago!

This has been an amazing week

This week off has been absolutely amazing.  It feels like it has been a long stretch of absolute nothingness.  As I had suspected, in many ways I enjoyed this even more than our week of vacation, although I am incredibly grateful for that week as well!  It's especially nice that the office is closed so there is absolutely no obligation to go in or be doing anything.  I had almost nothing at all scheduled, and while I could have been more productive, the way I spent this week was exactly what I needed.  I feel so recharged and I'm so very grateful.  I'm even looking forward to heading to the office on Monday!