The amazing kindness of others...

I got an "email" on facebook yesterday from someone that distantly I am related to, I've never met personally (at least that I can remember), and I really don't know too well other than being on facebook together but it truely brightened up my day!!! She wrote
"I hope you don't think I'm strange for saying this, but I really enjoy seeing/hearing about all the things you do with your family. You have a wonderful family and seem to be such a great mom. I love seeing the things you say about your husband too, and the comments he makes to you.. it's so sweet."


There was more to the email but it was a little more personal and I do not wish to upset anyone or reveal anyone, but..long story short, it made me realize that...while I'm not hearing it from the person/people that I WANT to be hearing it from, someone that I barely know sees how hard I've been trying as a mother, and a wife and it felt extremely wonderful to read these words.

I realize by no means am I a "perfect" parent, but the changes Brad and I have made recently are really paying off. I do not want to grow old and have the thought of "I did not spend enough time with my children," or "I should have done this more with my children," etc, I am very comfortable right now with the amount of time I've lately been spending with the three kids. We've done things this summer that I will cherish forever, we've also been bored a lot together, but we've been doing it TOGETHER too, and I think that's important. FHE is getting back on track, we've had two very awesome lessons so far, and I plan them each week and the kids really enjoy it. It may not be on MONDAY, or at a reasonable time of the day even, but we get it done. We have read The BFG, The Magic Finger, The Fantastic Mr. Fox, The Witches, The Twits, George's Marvelous Medicine, and are now currently on Charlie and the Chocolate Factory as a family!!!
I may not have gone back to school after HS, but my life is not over, I am doing what I am supposed to be doing right now and it feels good. I may go back to school later, for what I have no clue... but for now...I am perfectly content with this path in life. I am very thankful for sweet messages like this and though she may never realize how much it meant to me, she has indeed touched my life and I am thankful for that awakening :)

Summer so Far

We haven't really done anything too exciting because of lack of funds, but we HAVE been to Marymere Falls up by Lake Crescent, which was absolutely gorgeous!! We've also been griling out a lot, which is tasty!!! We don't really have a sit down place indoors to eat as a family so we've been enjoying the picnic table outside a lot. Our garden is coming along quite nicely, I have what I think to be a few cucumbers growing and a majority of my tomato plants have tripled in size since we planted them in the ground a month or two ago. The kids have enjoyed going to the parks on nice days/evenings or the few times that they were able to enjoy the sprinkler/slip n slide. We are trying to plan a small family trip for the middle of September, but we have not discussed our plans with anyone yet because we do not want to get our hopes up and then have something stupid happen like the last time we tried to plan something. Way too late to be up now, goodnight hehe.