My cup overfloweth

My word has it been five months since my last post?  How's that for inconsistency.  So much has happened in those five months.  Let's take a walk through my memory.

I celebrated my 30th birthday in May.  It was very nice to have all my loved ones celebrate with me.  My mom threw me a party (not a surprise), and fun was had by all.  I am truly blessed.

My Poppop went home to be with the Lord in June.  He was the closest representation of Christ I have ever experienced in my life.  He was truly a man of God.  He would literally give you the shirt off your back.  In fact, that was his ministry.  He would wear Jesus shirts, and if you said you liked it, he would ask you if you would wear it.  If you said yes, he would take it off and give it to you.  We handed out shirts at his memorial service with a wonderful poem telling others to do the same.  I am so glad he is with my Grandmom again, both of them in Heaven yukking it up.  But boy, do I miss the heck out of him.  I didn't glean everything I should, or could, have from him, and for that I am regretful.  I can only take that regret and turn it into something good - really buckling down and digging into my Bible.  I cannot wait to see them again, and I am so thankful I know I will.  I am truly blessed.

After seven months of squatting with my in-laws, we settled on a house at the end of July.  This house is perfect for us.  The previous owners kind of took a bath when they sold it to us, but yay for us!  It was completely done - all the way down to paint - so all we had to do was move in.  We are thankful to Oak's family for taking us in, and we are thankful to have a house of our own again.  I am truly blessed.

We moved into the new house in the beginning of August!  Moving day was so awesome.  We had so many family members help us; we were like a well-oiled machine!  My sister-in-law was fantastic in the days after too, helping us get things out of boxes.  She unpacked the entire kitchen and front room, not to mention the other things I am forgetting.  I am truly blessed.

Let's see... With September came the onset of Apricot's two-year molars!  I believe September 20 was when we started seeing something poke through.  We were glad to discover those little buggers because it's kind of been a nap time-nightmare around here lately.  Not napping, sometimes napping, short napping, needing to be rocked to sleep to make the napping happen... not super fun times.  Also, Miss Apricot was moved from her crib into a big-girl bed!  I saw that she could get her leg (easily) over the top rung of the crib, and it was starting to worry me.  I know a few kids who have fallen out of the crib and broken their arms, so I was concerned for her safety.  Into the big-girl bed it was (which is just her crib mattress on the floor with a slide-under railing).  God gave us a few great days that were smooth.  She laid down and didn't budge when we put her in.  I can't say it's been like that since.  But we're figuring it out.  Other than that, though, Apricot is just a gem.  She is so smart; it's a little scary.  She can count to 20 (if you don't mind missing 13 and 15), recite the days of the week, tell you the sound of the first several letters of the alphabet, sing several songs, recite several nursery rhymes, and is pretty much daytime potty trained.  All of this, really, in the month of September.  She is a light that just shines and makes people smile.  I am truly blessed.

September was also a big month for my siblings!  I am the oldest, and from there we have RobinHood, AirForce, Blue and Twig.  RobinHood made a great life decision and decided to get treatment for a long-time addiction.  He's been through detox, rehab and is back home now.  He's doing daily meetings, and truly seems to have done a 180.  I love spending time with him, and I am so glad he's back!  AirForce, if you couldn't tell, is in the AirForce!  It was great life decision he made quite a few months ago that made us all proud.  He left for bootcamp early in September, and we have been writing letters since.  We are so thankful for his sacrifice!  He has such intelligence, we know he will do well.  Blue started college again.  I believe it is going well, albiet hard.  I don't talk to her much; that is something I have to work on!  And Twig got braces!  She lives with her mom, and I cannot wait to see her.  She is supposed to be coming to spend the weekend with us, and we are super excited.  I am so proud of all of them.  I am truly blessed.

And now it's October.  Wow.  Oak and I are chatting about several things - hoping to do them in the coming months:  visit my dad later this month; hand out glow sticks in lieu of candy for Halloween; go on a date (or two) after Apricot goes to bed; figure out our budget; complete some things on our To Do List; get our dining room table (that we just ordered the other day - we are so excited!) situated, along with extra dishes and silverware to complete the sets; go to VA in November for my grandparent's memorial in Arlington; Christmas decorations... Lots of things.  I am truly blessed.

So now you're all caught up.  Hopefully I won't have another five-month-long dry spell.  But don't hold your breath.  What can I say?  I've got a lot going on.  I am truly blessed.

Scattered thoughts

Well, it's been nearly three months since my last post.  So much for my very consistant once per month thing I had going on...  Life is scattered.  Well, I guess not life in general, just my brain specifically.


We are house hunting like the dickens.  We are still squatting at Oak's parents, and we are ready to be on our own again.  They're great - his parents.  They really are.  It's not them.  It's just not my house.  It's not my house, it's not my kitchen, it's not my stuff, it's not my room, etcetera etcetera...  I am thankful they are putting us up, but I am very ready to have this be a place I just visit again.


My birthday is this month.  Right now it is still the truth to say I am in my 20s.  I don't care *really* about turning 30... I really don't.  But gosh it is hard to not remember when I thought 30 was ancient.  I don't feel ancient.  Actually, I don't feel old enough to have half the responsibility I have!


Apricot is a wonderful, beautiful, growing, smart SMART little girl.  I know every parent thinks their child is smart, but my goodness this child is smart.  Also, she is defiant.  Love her.

Mouth full of teeth - and walking!

I am writing on reserved battery power.  That is kind of like "fumes and a prayer" for the computer, I suppose.

Just wanting to say how wonderful my little Apricot is.  She has three new teeth as of today, bringing the count up to a whopping 14!  No wonder our nights have been full of interrupted sleep.  What a trooper!

Apricot also officially started taking steps last month - the 17th of January, but Oak and I did not catch it until the 19th!  What terrible parents are we...  But she has been trucking along full-force for about 4 days now, since the 20th.  It's pretty amazing.  She did not want to have anything to do with walking, really.  Kind of scared of it actually.  Then one day she just started taking a few steps from here to there, and poof!  Now she's trying to run.

We are settling into a routine here...  still work sometimes, still kind of feels like we are on an extended sleepover, still not home but is at the same time, still weird...  But we are managing!  God IS GOOD.

Perhaps if I repeat it enough it will rise from my heart to my brain

Well, it is January.  My little girl turns one this month.  I cannot believe how fast this year has gone.  I have tried to soak in all of the moments, to savor and cherish them, yet they still seemed to have zipped by me at lightening speed.  Time is funny like that.  It is like trying to catch the wind.  Apricot is growing and flourishing right before our eyes.  She has such a personality on her; it is amazing.  I am still amazed at the miracle that is her.


We moved into Oak's parent's house on January 1.  Let us just say we are still in transition.  Our house (which we now lovingly refer to as 'our shore house') is half packed and vacant of bodies.  We went there last weekend to pack some things, and it was creepy and depressing.  Creepy I guess because no one had been there for a week, and it was just Apricot and me at first - no Oak or Kitty.  Depressing for more than one reason.  I wanted equally to both never see that place again and never leave again.  We still have a lot to do.  If we methodically chip away at it, it really should not take us too long.  As long as we are consistently doing something productive.


On the bright side, we may have found renters!  Holla!  We met, and liked, them.  They have a 3-week-old boy and seem very nice.  They cannot move in until April 1, but that is okay because now we do not have to rush to get our stuff packed.  It stinks a little because we have to carry the mortgage for two months more than we had anticipated, but we think it is worth it.  We are really hoping they work out to be great renters.  Only time will tell.


God is in control of all these things in our lives.  GOD IS IN CONTROL OF ALL THINGS.  God loves us.  I will keep telling myself this.  Romans 12:12, Ephesians 5:20 and also Romans 8:28