So Much Time Has Passed...

I haven't blog ANYTHING in soooooo long! Too much has happened over these years but I'll give just a few highlights (and lowlights). Let's call it a Top Ten List...

1. The picture to the right of the three kiddos is a far distant memory! Colbey turns 21 in January and is still working at Sprouts. Landon is looking forward to 15 in April and loved every minute of football this year. He has some serious talent. Ryleigh just turned 11 and is finishing her last year in elementary school. She is looking forward to middle school in the fall when she can spend time each day doing her real passion, art. (Colbey was about Ryleigh's age when that picture was taken. Time FLIES!)

2. I graduated college from BYUI and am considering (maybe, possibly) looking into a Master's program. I still don't know what I want to do when I grow up....

3. After working in the schools for the last nearly 8 years, it turns out I love teaching in the middle school the best. (I used to think they were the absolute worst grades to teach!) I feel blessed to have taught middle school choir and although I'm not teaching this year and am loving being a stay at home mom for the first time in forever, I do miss the up's and even the down's that come with teaching. I definitely don't miss the crazy amount of time it takes up or the stress of concerts/productions.

4. In April, Scott was laid off work, not because they wanted to, but because of something Obama put into law about contractors not being allowed to work for more than three years. Scott's three-year time limit was up and the company was forced to comply with the law. Less than three days later, the company called begging Scott to come back and they literally created a position for him that is permanent instead of contract. This was wonderful because now we have health insurance again.

5. Also in April, mom was diagnosed with cancer. She assured us that it was not a big deal and we didn't need to worry. We spent most of July with her in D.C. She was being taken care of at Johns Hopkins in Bethesda, Maryland and we felt blessed that she was receiving the very best care available in the country.

6. Not even two weeks after Scott was made an employee of Verizon, we were given a two-day notice that he would be moving to Manhattan to cross picket lines and do work he was never trained to do in the field climbing poles and working with the elements for an indefinite amount of time. Scott's a genius but the atmosphere and the age of the existing wires in Manhattan was hazardous. Although the picketers from the Union were legally not supposed to touch or harm Scott, they were angry and got more physical than they should have. We felt so grateful when he returned home safe two days before school was over. We found out he was coming home that day. (A lot of notice for each direction!)

7. Colbey's newest apartment is in Prosper which is nice having him so much closer. Not that we see him much more than before, but knowing he is close (literally just down the road from our house, less than three miles away) gives me some comfort in case he needs us.

8. Mom's battle with cancer ended in September. Five months of extraordinary pain finally came to an end on the 20th. I was by her side for the final six days and holding her hand as she left this mortal sphere. Although I still find myself in tears at odd moments, and generally trying not to think about it or the fact that she was so young, I am grateful that she is out of that pain. All of us kids had two days together around her bedside where we were able to cry, talk, sing, laugh, play games, eat and comfort each other. Although she was not conscious during those days, we feel sure that she could hear us and it would have brought her great comfort knowing our bond to each other was so strong.

9. Our house has become very quiet and peaceful. We are down to just the four of us and the two cats. I am not constantly trying to beat a deadline for my schooling (I can say right now that taking 5 online classes at a time is pure insanity and don't do it!!!) nor am I frantically trying to keep the house running and a school choir program functioning. Let's be honest here, the house running hasn't really been happening for the last three years. With the extra people and animals on top of everything else, the house has been in a constant state of frenzy for three years and only once did any Christmas decorations go up during that time. (My poor kids!!!) But now, I have chosen to slow life down and pair back. Our home has a greater sense of peace with much less clutter. Christmas has finally bloomed in the house. It is the first year that I've realized we don't have little ones anymore and all of the decorations in the house are grown-up and subdued. Apparently, Ryleigh prefers a more mature look and rolled her eyes at the one cutsie Santa I hung up. This is probably his last year.

10. This last one is really more selfish than the rest... In the last three year, (three really hard years on me) I have been told by at least half a dozen people not connected to each other or bound to me in any significant way, that I look like I am between 26 and early 30's in age. Of course, I tell them that they are my absolute favorite people on the earth because they are so willing to lie to make me feel good. : ) Losing 15-18 years off of my age makes waking up with aches and pains, or looking at something and knowing that I am physically not capable of doing it anymore, easier not to get depressed by. So I'll take the younger looking age even if I know it's just a facade. : ) Perhaps it's because I STILL don't know what I want to be when I grow up.... my body is waiting for my mind to mature.