Blog-slacking was too easy for a while because I didn't know anyone was still reading but after emails and even a phone message questioning the abandonment of the blog I decided I better get back to it! Thank you for the interest and the accountability.
Well this month is full of news. Earlier this week my sister and brother-in-law signed papers on their first home, finally after months of delays! So the next weeks will be busy helping with Nephew and painting, etc. We are excited to be a part of making this house a home for Nina and Matthew and Jude.. though we will miss having them in very-short-walking-distance. Congratulations on your new home, Horns!
March 26th will mark five years of marriage for Ben and I. Five, wow. Seems significant. After all we have been through in those five years we are such a tight team it is hard to imagine we were ever not together. We don't exactly finish eachothers sentences, thats just not our style .. but we definitely finish eachothers chores, projects, messes, ideas, plans. And this month we finished something we started together five years ago. On our honeymoon on the Oregon coast five years ago we bought three art prints. We budgeted to have them framed by our one year anniversary. Well babies and medical expenses trumped frames for budget priority and five years later we still had three prints in rolls, such a waste! So, with a portion of our tax return (once a year it pays to be poor!) we finally had them framed! Well we had two of them framed.. and one of those we don't like so well anymore, but on principle, we finished what we started! Well nearly anyway. ;) It really feels good to do something for us, for our home, that is not simply a reaction to what life is throwing our way. We plan to stay in this home for at least the next five years and putting art on the wall feels like a declaration of our intention to stay. I suppose in some way we are also celebrating our "new home". ;)
The other thing we are doing for ourselves this anniversary is going away for our anniversary weekend.. again something we always intended to do but had to postpone for sick newborn or my cancer treatments. We are SO excited to finally be honoring our anniversary. We need some time and space to really be together, fully present without other cares.
Eden Enjoyed her dance class the past six weeks so much we signed up for 3 more months. At the end of this month she will start a "Sleeping Beauty" themed class with a performance in June. It is enchanting to watch her dance, she has a gift for sure. I hope she always find joy in dancing as she does now. Lately I have had trouble keeping up with Eden, she is growing and changing again and seems to move so quickly from one interest to the next, learning so much but always wanting to know more.. I am thankful for dance as her constant love which needs no explaination! She is also becoming quite the teacher as she literally plays "teacher" with Mila and is very patient when her student confuses a demi-plie with an eschape!
Mila is my little helper lately, realizing more and more of her independence, She decided the next step is to use that independence to help Mama. It is endearing, even though much of the "help" makes more work for me! Can I just say Mila is ADORABLE? She is. I can't get anough of that little munchkin. I think she may be in danger of "can do no wrong" in her mother's eyes! Mila has strong emotional intelligence and seems to be aware of and able to adjust to the needs of others so well, and while maintaining her personal boundaries. I like to wonder about how this skill might serve her in a career. I envy her.
Well Ben has a week off for spring break and I think he will be working on journal orders when not helping with the Horns house. I know he is glad for the break, work at CTP is taking a toll on him lately. It will be good for him to get some hands on relief with journal work. I will help. I am able to assist with all stages of custom journal-making now except the stitching. Ah, new goal for this month, learn to stitch journals. It is so good to be productive again! I am also able to earn a bit of money each week as a nanny. This work is a huge blessing! And please, keep the journal orders coming - it is such a wonderful experience for our family to be making journals together. The girls even made their own and of their own accord did some marketing to family, $2 for Eden's and $3 for Milas. Not sure if the supply can meet the demand, they get bored fast, so better order one of Ben's if you are counting on a timely delivery. ;)
I am writing this from Nina and Matthew's apartment as I sit while Jude sleeps. The Horns are over at the house assessing and planning, cleaning and preping for painting party weekend. Jude is stirring.. better go check on him.
