There have been a bunch of times when I wanted to come here and put "pen to paper", but didn't. I've always loved writing, I have diaries when I was younger and journals when I became too old for a diary. Writing is therapeutic so this is a long time coming.
Where to start... I guess I'll start with the obvious. The initial phase of cleaning the MILs stuff went fairly quickly, but then sort of stopped. It was all too emotionally draining, but I know I need to get back over there and finish. I have her craft room left and it's a daunting task. One I'm really not looking forward too. Sigh... Not too long ago, I was over spending time with the sFIL trying to get the bills organized and into some sort of system for him. That was craziness. There were bills/papers dating back 4-5yrs! In the end, I think I did a good job cause I got a text one evening from the sFIL saying he went through his filing cabinet and it hit him how much work I'd done and that it meant a lot to him.
My handsome furry boy went to Rainbow Bridge a few weeks back. Dexter was a long haired dachshund and true to their nature, he hurt his back. He had no feeling in his back legs, was essentially incontinent, and depressed. I had no choice but to have him euthanized. It was a heart wrenching and agonizing decision. He was my shadow for the last 5yrs and I miss him terribly.
The girls were crushed about Dexter and loosing him so soon after loosing their Grandma. The Littlest Duckling still comes downstairs at night crying and saying she wishes Dexter was still with us.
On a positive note, we officially made it through our first week of homeschool! The first day was a tad rocky, but only for the first 20min and then it was smooth sailing. The Littlest was having a hard time with the changes (again, so much has happened in such a short time so I wasn't surprised), but with a little pep talk and an extra cuddle she was ready to go.
I found an awesome bible app and have been using it for my daily devotions! The app has different devotions that you can choose from ranging from 14dys to year long devtions. I've already finished several 14dy devotions, started a year long one, as well as started two other short ones. It's been great to be in His word and learn!
One night while praying for my Ducklings and their grieving hearts, I remember thinking how I'd give anything to be able to take their heartache away and bear it for them. Then it hit me, Jesus felt the same way about me when he chose to take on my sins and die on the cross! See, I've always struggled with understanding how God could love me despite my massive flaws, major screw ups, and sinful self. I am a *child* of God so, of course, His unconditional love would be a thousand times greater than the unconditional love I feel for my girls! It was such a small thing, but a major breakthrough for me. <3
I've done a little it of scrapbooking lately and really enjoyed it! I didn't realize how much I'd really missed being creative. I even made some DIY magazine holders for the Duckling and myself. I used the controversial USPS priority boxes and covered them with a kraft wrapping paper.
I finally made a small step towards the girls room. It's going to be fun (and interesting) to try and combine the First Ducklings love of lemur stripes (black and white) and blue with the Littlest Ducklings love of yellow, but I think I've figured it out! Black, white, grey, and yellow! The first thing we did was replace light and dark pink storage cubes for grey and yellow ones. Next up is fabric. Ikea has the best black and white stripe fabric! The stripes are bold and won't give you a headache. My plan is to use the B/W stripes as a valance and then have a yellow/grey main curtain... or maybe the stripes on top and yellow on the bottom, but one complete panel instead of a valance. After the curtains will be new bedding, accent pieces, and art work.
I think I've gotten a lot off my chest so I leave you with random iPhone photos!
