I haven't been blogging as much as I used to lately, though I am keepin tabs on all my bloggin friends:-). My boys,(including my husband) made a comment a couple weeks back that they 'missed me'. I looked at them and said, "how could you miss me.....I haven't gone anywhere lately." They said, "yes, you've been here, but you've been spending a lot of time on the computer and we miss spending time with you." I had to take an honest look at where I was spending my 'free' time, and honestly, too much of it has been with the computer.
I was up early this morning, and figured I'd use this quiet time to update everyone on what's been 'going on' with us. So, pull up a chair, grab a cup of coffee, tea, or maybe a glass of wine( depending on the time of day you're reading this;-) and stay a bit ....here it goes.....
*We're making what SEEMS slow progress on the job hunt, but we ARE moving forward. John has his resume out there, and he's been doing a lot of networking. Getting back into specialty pharma is a bit challenging as many companies hire from within, but it's not impossible. There are a few opportunities that look very promising, including one in the specialty he enjoys the most. We'll just have to continue to pray, do what we can, wait, and see how things progress.
*We have been trying to make the most of this unemployment thing! I guess having John out of work over the summer, is as good a time as ever, to have some free time! We've been spending a lot of time as a family, concentrating and enjoying being 'in the moment'. We're doing things that don't cost money, or at least too much money;-). We've been taking family walks, spending time at the beach ( we're so happy to live only 15 minutes from the ocean!), playing board games, hiking, spending time in the pool, gardening, simplifying our surroundings, enjoying family and friends, and most of all, trying to stay close and trust in God.
*Nathan made the All Star baseball tournament team, so we're still doing the baseball thing until the end of July.
*This is the first year we put a garden in, and we're so excited, it's been doing great! We've already enjoyed salads with our own romaine lettuce. The kiddos devour the salads like it's candy!! We've planted corn, pumpkins, watermelon, red, yellow, orange and green peppers, carrots, cukes, tomatoes, and pole beans. I even have a small herb garden with basil, parsley, oregano, and rosemary. The kids have really helped out with planting, weeding and of course, picking!
*For those who have followed the Robins....I'm sure you'd be pleased to know Mama Robin used the nest again, and laid three more eggs! We've been able to watch another three baby birds grow, and they should be leaving the nest soon!
*John's been able to spend some 'guy' time with the boys, resulting in some extra mommy time for me ...I've been spending said time simplifying and organizing the abode. It feels so good getting rid of 'clutter' and things we just don't need or use anymore. Truth be told, it's probably a control thing, with so much of what's been going on lately out of my control. We've been donating, and selling things on Ebay. Gotta love it!
*I turned 41 on June 29th! Most of the day was filled with baseball, but John and I were able to go to our favorite Sushi place for dinner the night of the 28th, and had the best Toro (fatty tuna) I think I've ever had! The night of my birthday was spent with just the 4 of us, and the boys sang Happy Birthday to me as John walked in with a decadent chocolate cake, lit with 3 candles.....1 for the past, 1 for the present and 1 for the future. I'm so happy he didn't try to fit 41!! I was definitely able to blow out the 3 no problem, don't know if I could have done the 41:-)....we'll see if my wish comes true;-).
A special friend; one that I don't get to see as much as I'd like, took me out for dinner a few days after my birthday, and we had a fabulous time catching up. Thanks so much Laurie...a wonderful time as always....you're a sweetheart!
*We all(including the dogs) went to the White Mountains of NH on the Fourth of July and hiked Falling Waters Trail in Franconia Notch State Park. It was a beautiful day, and we had a wonderful time. We packed a picnic lunch, and spent the day 'convening with nature'. It's about a 4 mile hike to the large waterfall and back. The trail follows several scenic cascades on Dry Brookwater, and The trail ends near the summit of Little Haystack Mountain at the Franconia Ridge Trail. Our two labbies had a grand ole time in the water, as you can imagine. My camera wouldn't work, so the pictures I'm posting are from the web....
On the way home we stopped at the Basin, which is an awesome site. The flowing water has carved out a large 'bowl' in the rocks over the last 25,000 years. Take a look...
*John and I have had extra time to enjoy just being together. Through all this, we've grown closer to each other, and to God, and that in itself makes all the difficulty we've been going through for GOOD. During a walk on the beach, I found my first piece of 'pink' sea glass, among a few other very pretty colors. John found this rock shaped like a heart, and handed it to me, saying "you'll always be the only one with the key to my heart." I think I'll keep him:-).
