Avoiding Skunks, Wasting Time, And Other Stories

Avoiding Skunks, Wasting Time, And Other Stories

Many of my fabulous blogging friends are well known for doing their “Lately” posts that share a bit about what is going in their lives. I do not think I have ever done a post like that. So today I am going to share with you some of my updates with a few of the pictures from our family camping trip we took this week.

OK, so the word camping might be a bit of a stretch, because we “camped” in a cabin with beds, showers, hot water and all, but we had to do all of our cooking out in a pit fire. So it was my kind of camping, Glamping at it’s best! Look at how cute our cabin was!

Realizing I Don’t Have As Much Time As I Thought I Did

My daughter Samantha just turned 14 last month in September and recently I woke up in the middle of the night in full panic attack mode. With the realization that I only have her at home with me for another 4 years and then she will be off to college and onto other adventures! Somehow the last 14 years went by so very fast. I imagine the next four won’t be any different.

I know there is still time to teach her as much as I can, but I kind of wish we could rewind the “life tape” back a few years to give me just a little more time with her. But that isn’t possible. I know she isn’t a little girl any more, but she will always be my little girl no matter what. And as she has grown and matured I am so impressed by the young women she is today.

Being Sandwiched In The Middle

I am a member of the sandwich generation. If you are unfamiliar with this term it is a person who is caring for both young children and elderly parents. It’s a hard and exhausting job. Luckily I have a completely supportive family that helps to care for my elderly mother and pick up the slack when I just can’t give anymore. If you have a friend who is going through this, please make sure to hug them often. They are having to help navigate the changes in their own lives, that of their children AND their parents. Sometimes feeling like they are parents double over.

Skunks Really Do Stink. Most Other Animals Don’t.

My kids have been on Fall break from school for almost 2 weeks. It has been amazing! We have gone to family run farms and ranches, been in some of the most gloriously beautiful places ever and had our fair share of animal interactions. If you missed it last week here is the farm we visited.

On the ranch where we glamped, best to just admit that is what it was I think, my husband Jen’s Guy did indeed prove that he is a Lord of The Fires as well as showcasing his superb camping guru-ness.

Anyways back to my original point, on the ranch the owner had so many animals and I think my children became magical animal tamers, because every time I turned around there was a herd of animals following them.

This beautiful husky was the sweetest guy ever. He loved Anneliese and I would really like to know what they “talked” about, because he was a very attentive listener. On our last night there he was unfortunately sprayed by a skunk. I am happy to say I am glad that all members of my family avoided that same outcome.

Going Out With Your Boots On

I say that all of the time. Because when my time to go comes, I hope I do so “with my boots on”. Having lived a full life, no matter how long it was. We took our dog Zoe up to the ranch with us and although she is 15 years old in human years, which is like 100+ in dog years, she was like a puppy up there. Enjoying every moment of her time. I want to be like that. I think we can learn quite a lot of from animals. Someday she won’t be with us, I think sooner than later, but somehow I think I will always remember her like she was on this trip. Running with a herd of dogs through fields, horse pastures and mountains.

Gratitude Is Always In Style

I have been so supremely blessed in my life. How grateful I am for these blessings.

There have been hard times, nights spent on my knees in prayer and mornings full of miraculous blessings I did not expect to come way. But all of these experiences have helped me to grow and find beauty in the calm and even in the middle of the storm.

I feel humbled by all that has come my way and want to say thank you to all of you, my blogging friends and readers who continue to come back here to support and encourage me through all of it. I love you guys! Seriously.

This week I also realized was the gathering for my 20th reunion from High School. Not surprising, but somehow I had missed all of the invites and Facebook chatter. I saw updates on Facebook for this gathering as I was sitting in the ER with my oldest daughter Samantha for the following reason.

Luckily we got the ring off, thanks to some serious power tools and an amazing doctor.

But that same night I also discovered that one of the young men I knew from my college days, who had become a great adult, had just died from a heart attack. His now widowed wife, who was also a college friend, is now left with 4 beautiful children to raise alone. My heart weeps for her as this is not what she would have planned to have happen to her, but how she must now live her life. Her words of strength and the quiet moments of grief she has publicly shared since her sweet husband passed has shown how she plans to weather this, with quiet strength and determination.

Life can change in the blink of an eye and we never know when it will happen. I have always chosen not to focus on the unknown or to live in the darkness that fear can give you. Instead I will look forward and up, looking for the surprises and joy that can come my way.

I am much changed from that young girl I was 20 years ago in High School and even college. That young girl is still with me, but I am stronger, wiser, more humble and living a life more full of joy than I could have ever imagined 20 years ago.