Kidless and Reflecting

Man, this has been an incredible month.

As I finished up my Master's Program mid-December, I have become reacquainted with the silly, more carefree part of myself.  I know Jonathan and the boys are certainly thankful for that.  I have enjoyed sitting on the floor playing with the boys and evenings filled with relaxation instead of paper-writing.

About the same time I turned in my last assignments, we packed up and went to Florida to visit Jonathan's family.  That was two weeks slammed full of family, fun, laughs, and incredible memory-making experiences.  We had a lot to celebrate with family. Martha, Jonathan's mom, was cancer-free and also celebrating a milestone Birthday!  So we headed to Disney to celebrate.  We all had so much fun during our day at the Magic Kingdom.  Both boys loved every minute - and we even made it through without a single meltdown.  What?!  

After Disney, we started on the Grandparents' tour: we visited my grandparents and two sets of Jonathan's grandparents - all living in Florida - in two days.  It was so wonderful hugging their necks and spending precious moments together.

We also got to spend some warm moments together with the Lowrys.  What a beautiful place they have - lots of wide open space!  And, man, those kiddos have both grown a foot!  The boys loved seeing the chickens, and Jacob even got to ride a horse; we tried to get Zeke to ride but he wasn't too sure about that big "puppy"... Sweet moments together.

Jacob also got to stay in Florida an extra week.  They made the most of every moment, visiting the zoo, the beach twice, and the Children's Hands-on Museum.

This week the boys both started going to daycare full-time.  This has been a piece of my returning-to-work puzzle that fell into place beautifully and effortlessly.  Jacob has been going to Mother's Day Out with an in-home care provider for two years (since I started my Master's program).  This has been great for him and our family.  It has allowed me to have some quiet moments to work, and has been especially nice to steal some special one-on-one moments with Zekers.  Jacob has loved going to Ms. Jennifer's!  From the moment I met her and walked into her home, I knew I couldn't ask for a more caring and safe learning environment for Jacob.  So, as my Master's program was winding down and returning to work was on the horizon, I was hoping she would have availability to start both boys full-time in January.  At the time I asked she didn't have any vacancies for full-time care.  Wouldn't you know, though, that shortly thereafter, she had an opening - at just the right time - for the boys to start the first week of January.  All of this has certainly eased the sting of missing my boys and feels like confirmation that I'm headed in the right direction.

Monday after dropping the boys off, I sat down with my To-Do List and mapped out a plan of attack.  I wanted to get as much done as possible this week in hopes that I can hit the ground running when I find a job.  It's amazing how much I can tackle when I have free hands and a quiet house.  But, boy, I am ready for 5:00pm when I can squeeze my sweet babies!!

So, here I am, striving to live in the excitement of change.  Not sure what the future will be like; not sure where I will land.  Praying that God would be clear so I can be obedient.  And resting in peace, knowing that the Maker of the Universe who loves us so much, came for us and is with us.