Perfectly Said

February 3rd, 2019

It’s 2019.

I have found myself in a situation I never imagined in my wildest dreams.

I have a nephew.

This nephew now lives with us.

Raising children is no small task. Raising someone else’s kid…well, that’s a trick. We, let’s be honest it’s Adam too, have found that on some levels it is easier to raise someone else’s child, in the same breath, it is also harder. Especially when they come to you at 16. You don’t know how they are wired, what trips them up and off, how they learn, what they love or hate. They also don’t know your family dynamics, how you parent, how to deal and live with siblings and what the family rules and expectations are (written and unwritten).

Big D has been here for nine months. He is a lovely kid. As with all kids, he has his “things”. For the first time since he got here, we got “into it”. I showed disappointment and frustration over some of his choices. It was much more of a motherly reaction then a calm, mild, auntie reaction. Let’s just say, my response had a higher degree of upset associated with it.

The tension still lingered in the air as he opened the door to get out of the car and head into his appointment. I looked at him, gave him a hug and said, “Hey, I love you.” He looked at me and said, ” I love you too…sometimes.”

As he hopped out of the car, I rolled the window down and yelled, “DITTO!”

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WHAT THE WHAT?

January 27th, 2019

I randomly stumbled across my old blog posts a few days ago. It instantly threw me back into the time of my life where things seemed simpler and very difficult, all at the same time.

So much time has past that I can now send old blog posts to PJ. She can read them and get a glimpse of her own crazy, fierce self. And, by the way, not much has changed for her in that regard. She sat at the kitchen table laughing so hard tears were streaming down her checks. It made me joyful to be able to share that with her. I’m so glad I spent the time to jot those things down.

Now, I find myself in a much different set up than in those days gone by. I am working full time, CT has flown the coupe and is off at college and we have three in high school.

Somewhere between my last post in 2013 and today, life has changed dramatically. Like anyone’s would in that handful of years. There has been so much growth, happiness, our share of sadness and even some betrayal.

Life is rich.

I think it’s time to start jotting things back down.

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One year later…

April 1st, 2013

Ohhhhh and Happy Easter!

The kids have grown (some much I think CT has turned into a man), life has been a whirl wind (I can’t tell you how many times I have recently uttered, I am so glad I am not training for an Ironman this year) and my hope is to take it down a notch (literally have a moment to breath deeply) and find a little more time to jot our life’s adventures back down.

I guess we will just have to wait and see.

Filed under CT, Family, KP, PJ | Comment (0)

My Father In Law

March 13th, 2012

Dennis

I was taking head shots of this amazing man today for the U of M.

We took 12, then it was a wrap and THEN he made me choose the best one.

I liked this one.

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Summer 2011: Day 75

August 20th, 2011

Late night at my brother and sister-in-laws cabin…I was told to “commit”!

After dusting the kids off from the rodeo and putting them to bed, the adults hung out by the fire. There was lighting many miles to the north and a couple lightning bugs lighting up the lake for us.

As we sipped margaritas by the camp fire with our post rodeo Bud Light buzz on, my brother determined it was time.

Shan, “I think it’s time to commit!” he said and looks at me. “Sis, you ready to commit?!!!”

He walks into the dark and then emerges again with a bottle of I DON’T KNOW WHAT THE HELL IT IS. Then they kept telling me whatever the hell was in that bottle was fortified, which wasn’t making me feel any better because I am sure that didn’t mean it was packed full of vitamins.

He cracks it open, chucks the cap into the fire and announces it must be finished by passing it back and forth swigging from the bottle like steal away hobos on a train car.