And Just Like That... {Week 1 Update}

Dan is gone.

He's been gone a full week, and several things have already happened.
1. I am a big helpless baby after being married to Mr. Fix It for nearly 19 years. I can't do anything for myself anymore. This is both a blessing (hooray for a handy hubby) and maddening (I need help with EVERYTHING, and I don't know anyone else handy, because Dan does everything)
2. Patrick and I are incom-PAT-ible (no pun intended) We have not had one conversation yet that didn't end with him screaming and slamming the door in my face. Boo.
3. I miss him like crazy, which is interesting since we've been *enjoying* a small rough patch this past month or 6 weeks. Too much stress, too much work, too many people, too many responsibilities, plus not enough boundaries will do that to you. *sigh* At any rate, it's been great to actually miss him so much, as I sorta thought I'd just heave a sigh of relief that he was out of my hair for a few minutes. (not trying to be ugly, just honest. If you don't personally know Dan, let me just say he's simply amazing...my poor attitude about things is more about me than him.) So missing him, while painful, is actually a good sign. We're doing better than I thought.
4. Sleeping alone after sleeping next to someone for nearly 19 years is the PITS! I can NOT sleep until I am completely exhausted. So I'm falling into bed at like 3 am, which is not good for anyone when Mama doesn't get enough sleep. 
5. Dan has been calling or texting me every single day, which is outstanding growth on his part. I am tickled pink!
6. With all the *extra* time I have in the evenings, I've completed nearly everything that's been on the back burner of my to do list for the last 6 months. Not any huge projects, but the little things that linger and never seem to get done due to a lack of time...those things. Clean out the fridge, vacuum the air vents, mending my skirt, file your office paperwork, trim the roses, etc. So, I'll count that as a victory. :)
Overall, things are going as well as can be expected. P never does well with change, so I'm hopeful that this anger won't last forever. I will live and in theory learn to sleep by myself. I'll try to check in next week again.
~K~

It's the Little Things

I've discovered as I make this journey through life that it's not the huge things that make or break your day, week, month or life. It's the little things. So in honor of the little things, list a few with me that made your day, week, month or life brighter or sweeter.

• It's an hour to blog after DT goes to bed. AND an hour to read if I want.
• It's watching movies with the BIGS that we can all enjoy.
• It's having time for the first time in 6 months to paint my nails
• It's a dishwasher full of CLEAN dishes
• It's a tween that willingly cleans the bathroom.
• It's a teenager that reads his little brother bedtime stories is a silly French accent until they are both giggling like crazy.
• It's pulling a loaf of home made bread out of the freezer and having the people that eat it all the time still ooh and aah over it and beg for grilled cheese sandwiches.
• It's friends that offer to come to your house and make you dinner so you can relax a little bit. (Yes, I do know how ridiculously blessed I am)
• It's new recipes from friends.
• It's remembering that I was a person in my own right before I was married and before I became a mother, and nurturing that person isn't selfish or bad. (OK, so that's a bigger thing, but still) 
• It's a pair of great fitting jeans.

I like the idea of this style of post. If you like it too, add your little things! I'm making it a goal to focus on the positive this year...Join me!

Happy Middle of July :)

Just waving a hand to all my readers. Welcome to those of you who are new, and hello to my long time friends. Because everyone who comes to this blog is welcomed with open arms.
I'm just feeling like I'm living the dream today.
Church with my boys, cleaning the house while the boys entertain their friends, and now just hanging out at home with DT while the BIGS are at the movies. A nice day. Un-rushed, no scurrying about from this place to that at top speed, and just enjoying being at home. Life is good.
So, welcome to friends new and not-so-new. Come, look around, read some old posts, dig through Wordless Wednesday pictures and enjoy yourself. Leave a comment if you're so inclined. See you again soon!
     ~K~

And Just Like That....

Dan is gone. He got into his little blue Honda and drove away this morning. 

Before you all freak out, he isn't leaving ME, he's leaving the state for a new job. This job will take him to Iowa for the next 8 months or so while he completes the addition on the University of Iowa Children's hospital. 
I am empty, bereft, void of feelings and a bit unglued at the notion of him going away for 8 months.
This is uncharted territory for us. We are rarely apart, the 2 longest times before this were the 7 weeks when he came to Cruces ahead of us to procure a job and a place to live 8 years ago, and then when he worked in Washington for a friend for 6 weeks 5 years ago. Both of which were torture. And the boys were much younger then, not even teenagers, so I am a bit nervous about parenting (largely) alone for the next phase of life.
I am excited about the opportunities that this job will bring him professionally, and for us financially as there is a decent pay increase and this job pays per diem (a daily pay bonus to cover food and housing, plus say thanks for being away from your family) Dan is busily making plans to pay off the Honda, plan his dream garage and possibly remodel the kitchen upon his return. Time will tell if any of those things happen, but it sure is fun to dream.

Joy Journal 2015

Hi Friends!
Over at Ben and Me, I found this great printable to journal my joy this year. I printed it out, 3 hole punched it and put in multi-colored book rings to make my journal complete, and placed it next to my laptop on my desk so that I can record something from each day that brought me joy. I guess that makes it Grati-Tuesday every day this year. :)
Come along on the journey with me and add a comment about something you are grateful for this year.

January

1. A Fresh Start
2. SNOW!! In Cruces
3. A perfect BLT
4. A tidy junk drawer
5. Completed House Paperwork
6. ---
7. Time spent with Dan at the end of a busy day
8. A quiet evening at home
9. 7 Wonders (new game for Game Night)
10. A 'Welcome Home' card from the previous owner
11. Family Photos :)
12. Our credit score went UP, thanks Bob!
13. The check from Dan's retirement came in today!
14. A love note from Love Monkey
15. The B-Bunch's Buick
16. A delightful chat with 'Shua and Tony
17. Packing helpers
18. Patrick (Happy 16th birthday)
19. A day off
20. A great day of school with Derek
21. Dan's boss bragging about him to me
22. WE BOUGHT A HOUSE!! (in a blizzard...in Cruces. Weird)
23. 1st Game Night at the new house (no, we haven't moved in yet)
24. David's 1st meet of gymnastics season
25. MOVING DAY! Best move ever
26. We found Thunder, who had become lost in the move
27. Kitchen is set up *enough*
28. Bedrooms are set up completely except for the master
29. Bathrooms are fully set up
30. Snake Atrium completed
31. Fish tank here safely

February

1. I met with Jesus at home while the Man Crew attended church. Jesus is easier to find when the house is empty of boys. ;)
2. ---Lost To---
3. ---The Move---
4. ---Aftermath and---
5. ---Ensuing Exhaustion.---
6. ---Good things happened, I just didn't record them in time to remember them. Oops---
7. Dan built me a spinning DVD rack. SCORE!
8. SEEK series started at church. Fasting, anyone?
9. Mike Eorio came to visit the new house.
10. Sister-Girl Night
11. Derek is nearly caught up in school after the move and subsequent mayhem
12. Autumn Rose (great niece) was born safely this morning.
13. Manicure with Grace for the Father/Daughter dance at MPCC
14. David's 2nd meet
15. Lunch with Doug and Amy.
16. A day spent at home.
17. A coffee date with Myra and Amy
18.  Being productive!
19. Road trip to Phoenix which included a sing-along <3 li="">
20. David's 3rd meet
21. Safe drive home
22. Setting up Game Room with Dan
23. Back to 'normal'
24. Happy birthday MOM
25. Happy 40th birthday Dan
26. Great chat with 'Shua
27. Met Autumn Rose. I have died and gone to great-auntie heaven!
28. David bought a car :) 92 Nissan Pathfinder...with his own money

March

1. HELLO SCREEN FREE MONTH!
2. David got his driver's license
3. Science experiments with Derek, thanks to Magic set from B&N
4. MORE science experiments
5. Free pecan firewood, just come and get it
6. GAME NIGHT
7. Pig Roast at Bobby and Julie's house. Good times!
8. Started 'GOD IS..." series at MPCC
9. ON schedule to finish school before July
10. Finally back to the library, and paid my enormous fine. Oops. LOL!
11. Dan got a new chainsaw and chopped all the wood for the fireplace this year.
12. Happy Birthday Lizzie!
13. Hanging pictures in the Living Room and new friends at Game Night
14. I remembered the time change, hurray!
15. A relaxing Sunday anticipating the WHOLE WEEK OFF of work
16. Hanging my star lights with Dan on the patio
17. Jodi's Learn for a Lifetime 5 year anniversary celebration
18. Rachel is arriving today for a visit!
19. Reviving my long neglected blog :) Hi friends!
20. Relaxing day off before Super Fun Game Night
21. State Meet with David in Abq
22. Church at R2R
23. Spent the day baking and hanging out with Rachel
24. Jay and Rachel cooked dinner for us. 
25. ---
26. ---
27. Dinner with Bobby and Julie (new friends through Dan's work)
28. Rachel arrived safely back home
29. Hercules and Ricky had such fun together working on RC cars
30. I had breakfast and a nice chat with Ricky before he left
31. Back to Sister-Girl Night (alone)

April

1. GoodBYE Screen Free Month
2. Hello NO Pants April
3. Good Frieday
4. Many compliment about NPA attire
5. Resurrection Day
6. Took my first ever decent selfie
7. Funny comment from Pat (him: Mom, when are you doing haircut? Me: Why? Him: Because my unicorn is dead, of course. Me: Bwuahahahah!)
8. More compliments on NPA
9. Road trip for Regionals with David and Karen: Hope to see Andy-Boy as well
10. Arrived safely in Co Springs, CO
11. REGIONALS!!
12. Home safely
13. Coffee with Karen
14. Thrift store SCORE: 6 new-to-me pieces for under $4
15. TAXES were paid months ago. Woot!
16. Keeping up with my blogging
17. 2 more new-to-me skirts for $6
18.  Created a fire pit in the courtyard: Thanks Hercules!
19. Started the 50 Shades of Black and White series at MPCC. GOOD STUFF!
20. David got new glasses
21. A great day of school!
22. Dinner out with the Benson ladies
23. Catch up on blogging
24. Birthday Game Night: Alex, Art, Charlie, Cody and David G.
25. Gymnastics Banquet
26. Homemade pizza and movies with the whole family
27. ---
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May  

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June 

1. Happy birthday G!
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6.  Happy birthday, Boss Man
7.  Happy birthday, A
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July

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2. Ricky arrived :) I knew he was coming this time. 
3. Ricky + Game Night = too much silliness for this old lady. Good times
4. Happy Independence Day America! We relaxed at home. Alone. Perfection, even without a bbq, fireworks or multitudes of people at our house.
5. Lunch at Cracker Barrel with all the men, plus Ricky
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7.  Started a Squats Challenge with the CEO Moms group on FB
8. Lazy day at work. 
9. Wrote some letters (way ahead on this yearly goal)
10. RAIN! In the desert
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12.  Big Batch Cooking day, and free peaches!
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14. Wet-N-Wild with D, P, DT, A and Merrick. Short but FUN!
15. Happy birthday Z
16. Chatted with 'Shua
17.  7 Wonders played at the new house. FINALLY! Woot
18.  David hosted a MtG Tourney. Fun was had by all
19.  Dan and Bobby arrived safely in Iowa City for their new jobs
20.  Mean Machines Camp for DT
21.  Long chat with Karen by phone
22.  Pat and Gracie attending Project Jerusalem
23.  Made a new friend (Melody) while preparing lunch for the Project Jerusalem kiddos
24.  Breakfast with the BossLady
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August

September

October

November

December