Clearing Webs

The Best In-Laws in the World

Now how many people are blessed enough to say that? Dana and Joan, Andy's parents, read about my lowness and got busy finding me a "substitute gramma". They found a reputable company that provides support services for sick folks and as of today at 2:30 I will have a lady coming in to help with anything I need her to do! Of course the mind reels at this thought but for now I think I'll have her help me clean and do dinner. I'm so relieved to have this help this week, especially as Andy has to finish up the final touches on his thesis despite not having heard from his adviser recently. His defense is in three weeks! Thank you Dana and Joan for finding a way to meet our needs from thousands of miles away. I'm continually grateful for what a blessing it is to have been given y'all as in-laws.

I had a nice little break down and cry last night, realizing a lot of my lowness is loneliness. It's hard to make close friends with the needs of three little guys taking up the majority of my energy and time. I've been missing friends in Atlanta during this sickness. Amy, who's getting to experience her first year as a stay at home mom (she's finally home all day and I up and leave!) and is now expecting her third baby in three years (hmm, sounds familiar). Katie, who's going through so many changes herself. Chana, who was in the process of adopting when to her great surprise she found out she was pregnant - with twins! Jess, who needs to trim my hair and whose new little girl I still haven't seen. Sylvia, whose bruiser of a thirteen pound boy (that's right - at birth! - and completely naturally delivered) is I'm sure making waves in her family of now eight. Hillary and Katie, who are due with their first kids soon. And of course I miss all my family - my mom who drops everything to come clean, watch my kids and take up all the slack and my sisters who are always there with good advice, tested experience and a group of kids to drop mine off with. I miss my church support: Donna, Miss Rachel, Miss Mary, Leroy, the Ulms. So, last night I finally realized part of my problem is loneliness, allowed myself to have a good hard cry over it, recognized God's plan in bringing us here and had a great night's sleep. Thank you all for your comments and emails of encouragement. What a blessing it is to have the internet. I can't imagine how much harder it would be to move thousands of miles away without the net as an outlet and way of keeping in touch (Amy, post more pics of Owen!).

Now, on with the good news. I am a week and a half into a Starbucks refurbishment. We've got a pretty hefty student loan and a goldendoodle in my heart, both of which dearly want my money. So the money budgeted each month for Starbucks have been severely cut to get thrown at student loan debts. When we reach a certain point in paying those off my dear sweet goldendoodle will come join our family as a reward. How severely cut have the Starbucks funds been? Well, this sister's been a daily addict for quite some time. I've determined to give up the ol' coquettish mermaid except for Sundays. And only one each Sunday, yo.

A goldendoodle who, if you get the right one, can have the personality of a golden retriever and the low-shedding, less allergy irritating hair of a poodle (I'm allergic).