The Week We Had a Baby Shower

The week has been stressful and busy. Last week I made a decision to stop a legal battle over my house. This week, we've been searching for a new place while trying to pack, make appointments, and deal with the everyday tasks of life.

It hasn't worked very well.

Finding a new home hasn't been easy.

I know I won't be able to find another home in my lovely little forest town. This is the sort of town where there are several generations of a few families. No one moves, leaving nothing available for sale or rent. The only reason I was able to buy this home is because the elderly lady who owned it passed away.

I've been looking in other places. Unfortunately, those places will take me even farther away from my adult children. I'm not sure I like that idea, especially with another grandchild on the way. We'll see what turns up. In the meantime, I'm packing.

Memories are the worst part of having to move.

I thought this would be my forever home. That was the plan. That's always the plan when you buy a home, right? Maybe not for some, but it was for me. 

My mind has been racing with the memories of the last year. All the lovely times we've spent here. I thought every winter would be like last winter - Lorelai and I hauling in wood for the fireplace and building fires while watching Doctor Who. We were "memory-making" as Lorelai is fond of calling it. 

She's all about special moments that will last in our minds. 

That's not to say we can't make memories elsewhere. I just thought it would be here. On the positive side, I suppose if we were going to be scammed out of our home, it's better that it happened after only a year or so, rather than a few years down the road.

We had a baby shower.

On Saturday, we had a baby shower for my daughter. I wish I could post the many photos here, but for the safety of one family member, I rarely share photos of anyone except Alexis and Lorelai. Maybe that will change one day, but not today. 

There were so many friends in attendance and all went beautifully.

"A person's a person no matter how small."

One daughter honors another at her baby shower.

Two of my daughters were pregnant at the same time. They were due the same week. One daughter miscarried. 

The daughter who was still pregnant posted this on her Facebook wall: 

"Tonight, we mourn the loss of a child. Although you barely had time among us, we will miss you greatly. And even though we didn't get to welcome you into this world properly, we will always remember you as part of this family. Each year when the air gets cooler and the leaves change, we will think of the life you should have had with us. I am so sorry for the mother who won't ever have the chance to hold you."

A couple of days later, the daughter who miscarried changed her Facebook cover to Horton Hears a Who - "A person's a person no matter how small." 

My daughter used her shower to honor her sister, the mother who won't meeting her child in a few weeks.

My kids are incredible. Their love is intense and I'm so proud of who they are.

I'm looking forward to the fall season.

Although fall in Florida is a bit different than what others experience, it is my favorite time of year. It's coming early this year. I can feel it in the air and the thought lifts my spirit. My mind keeps drifting to all the things we'll do, the traditions our family keeps, and I can't wait for it to be here.

I'm looking forward to the Chili cook-off, which we've been attending every year for 10 years, and attending the bear festival, a tradition we began just last year. There will be a new grandbaby arriving, too.

Maybe I'm just wanting to feel better. Fall always does that for me.

  

1. Guess the baby food. (unpleasant little game)

2. My Water Broke! - (the winner is the person whose ice melts first)

3. What happens when cake pops go wrong? That's right. You call it 'baby poop.' 

We had a family photo shoot with my friend Kristen at Pregnant and Barefoot Photography. These are some sample photos.

I wrote three chapters in The Big Book of Homeschool Ideas including 

• Navigating from High School to College with a Dyslexic Child 
• Homeschooling the Bipolar Child and 
• Transitioning from Elementary to Middle School Years. 

Be sure to check out these and all the other great ideas! Click the image for details.

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Happy Homeschooling!