Freckles 'n' Family: The Last 5 Months

When do we realize our lives are fleeting moments of love, laughter, joy, days that fly by, days that seem to go slower than a snail's pace, hard days, good days, sad days, and even, those weird, Meh days! If we are honest with ourselves, we all experience days like that.

Me... Sheesh ...Yes, all of those days mentioned above, I have lived and will continue to experience for the rest of my life of that I am sure. We should allow ourselves leeway and grace when any of those days come, and give ourselves a pass to not feel guilty on the days we feel like MEH...

This brings me here and I'm again playing catch up. If I am honest, when I started this blog it was to keep myself from losing the last marble of my sanity when at the age of 42 we moved cross-country with 2 young children ages 4 & 2, and into a 600 sq ft student apartment when Jason went to WI to get his master's in computer science. I know, I shouldn't complain about the size of the place we lived in back then - I know there are many out there who don't even have that, and that breaks my heart. It breaks my heart to see anyone on the street corner asking for help. At times I have given money, I even went and bought food for them and I hope I never have to be in that position. However, what I'm trying to get across is that being in a second marriage, already having 5 children, having two more little ones, and the prospect of what in all reality was pretty much me being a single parent while Jason went to school full time, studied then came home around 6-8pm ate dinner then did his part-time job... And me juggling the rest.

My blog became my new way of journaling. To try out new ways to craft, bake and cook, and to improve my keyboard and writing skills. I've noticed life since moving back from WI has changed and for me, my writing took over. Yes, I still bake and cook, go to church, plan activities for the church, move cross-country again lol, and these past 5 months, we have taken a family holiday to Walt Disney World, fly back to Utah In August to see Backstreet boys in concert, and September started the new year of kids school, October came and Halloween, our first in MD, then poof November and my 52nd birthday! Yep.....I said my age - and if I am honest, I can't quite believe that I am 52. Yes, some days my body and its aches remind me of my age and this morning, I noticed on my right, forefinger knuckle! UGH... It is looking like the beginnings of the stupid arthritis knuckle! EEK. Don't like that - Like what in the world right. Aging. I don't know if we ever are 100%with it lol.

I, also, got to go see Richard Marx for my birthday gift :) Which was amazing! I got to meet him too :)

Then December came and our kitchen remodel - done by Bray & Scarff finally got finished, well not 100% because we are ripping out the floor on the main floor so the contractor still needs to come back and put the toe-kicks and legs on the island in. So, for me, December which is normally a month when I can't wait to decorate for Christmas was a little out of whack but then morphed into sadness and loss. A day my sisters knew would come at some point, however, are any of us ever ready for when that point in time happens and we lose a parent. Our only remaining parent. *I'll do a separate post for my dad.

Also, the day I got back to Wales was Carys' first gymnastics showcase - which Jason and Seren attended and kindly videoed for me.

Anyways, this brings me to gosh, a new year! 2023. Feels weird saying and even weirder reading it like it should be a year in a futuristic movie lol. But, nope, here we all are in a new year and I hope one in which we should not take for granted, a year in which we allow ourselves to grow, be it mentally, emotionally, physically, personally, or spiritually. I know I want to be more focused on finishing the second book in a series I'm writing* one that continues to nag at me lol. I need to continue to work on a stand-alone book that is itching at the corners of my mind too. Then, being in our church Relief Society Presidency means I am in charge of overseeing and planning activities. Thank goodness our Jan one is an easy one - Cocoa, Cookies, and Chit-chat.

Anyhow... Below are some pictures of the past 5 months.