Another page...

I beat the plane to the gate. It gives me peace to be EARLY when I fly.

And today's flight is so out of my comfort zone, the earlier the better...













I was 12 when the nurse had me wait awkwardly while everyone else got their scoliosis check and then lined up to go back to class. They were already heading down the hall when she was giving me a second look - put your fingers together in front of you and bend forward. My, I've done that pose many times since that day. Something was not right and I was off to the orthopedic doctor, referral and failed scoliosis screening in hand.

The story is quite long from there...I will tell it another day. At the ripe old age of 38, today I head off to a two-week boot camp, created especially for those of us with meandering spines. I'm spending my summer vacation in Green Bay, WI. I've rarely taken the straight path to anywhere I've gone, and this is no exception.

Leaving my kids and husband for 12 days is probably the scariest part, that and traveling alone. Being alone at all is rarely something that a wife-mom-teacher does...especially not in another state, doing something completely new.

It's an adventure and the only way I know to process it is to write it down and see it in words. Somehow reading it back makes it real.

Here I go - I'm going to sit here for the next 75 minutes and try to wrap my head around this.
Here I go.


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WORDS of the week

One of the hats that I wear is TEACHER.

I teach young adults with disabilities from the ages of 18-21. We work a lot on learning the requirements of adulthood. We work A LOT on soft skills.

At some point this year, we got into the habit of having a 'word of the week', which gave us something to work on. I then wrote the previous week's word off to the side and the new word on the board each week. We have a long list now, of our words. Today I was typing them up to keep them safe for another year and it occurred to me, how many of these words do other adults in my life know? Do they display any of these skills or characteristics?

It's a lot to be an adult. But it's not all that hard to be a decent person. At least I don't think that it is. Take a look at this list and see if there are any here that you need to polish up. I see a few for myself. It's a good review, anyway.

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Words of the Week

2015-2016

·      Flexibility

·      Acceptance

·      Healthy habits

·      Kindness

·      Self-awareness

·      Respect

·      Honesty

·      Perseverance

·      Self-control

·      Joy

·      Thankfulness

·      Believe

·      Generosity

·      Listen

·      Peace

·      Friendship

·      Energy

·      Considerate

·      Motivation

·      Ready

·      Calm

·      Mature

·      Diligent

·      Cop out/Show up!

·      Communication

·      THINK before you speak

TEN

Pieces of the life we've been living for the past decade have been falling away for a while now and I've barely noticed.

Suddenly, I realize that everyone in the house is capable of eating, bathing, dressing and completing numerous other tasks on their own. No assistance needed.

There are less and less little toys found laying around in random places. I smile a little when I do find the odd Lego here and there, I'm not ready for it to all be over!

There is no need to go to the baby aisle unless we are shopping for a friend. No need for diapers, bottles, rattles, or binkies. Those things have been long gone for quite some time. I feel the toy aisle becoming less and less of a draw. I know our days there are numbered too!

I rejoice in each new milestone and in each step we make.

But, at times, like the eve of my baby's tenth birthday, I step back and see where we are and think about where we have been. The Hubs and I are now parents to two very capable kids. Kids who are growing tall. Kids who are smart, funny, loud, quirky...and ours.

The countdown is on, we have passed the halfway point for having kids at home. It is beautiful...but can also make the heart ache a little...

Images like this one don't help with the melancholy...but the nostalgia sure feels good!

On the eve of a new year...

Our year comes to a close and I think there is one word to sum up where we are.

Content.

Our little family enjoys time together and we each also have things we enjoy to do independently.

Two weeks off at the end of the year always gives us a chance to recharge. The first week was spent celebrating Christmas with family and this week we have been quietly resting and hanging out at home.

When we start school next week, our school year is half over and we will be making plans for spring...

It was a wonderful year and I am so ready to look ahead to 2015!

11/8

Last Saturday, I took some time to put away the Halloween decorations and bring out a few things for Thanksgiving.

When I do this each season, I like to change the words on our piano too. It's a fun routine and I enjoy choosing new words to match my heart at the time. I have a lot of "Give thanks" and "Gratitude" going on right now, so I chose different words for this spot.

When we got to church on Sunday, "Grace Upon Grace" was the topic of our music and message for the service. This happens so often,  when our devotions, our thoughts, and our prayers all come together beautifully as the spirit leads us.

So this month I remind myself over and over, it is by my faith and His grace that I continue to go about my day to days. Each time I feel myself getting overwhelmed or negative, I just say it to myself "by faith and by grace".

It is all any of us need.

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10/25

Busy, full fall. 

We are content, happy, blessed. 

10/2

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My favorite month...