Learning to Play Soccer

It is 2:47am and I am wide awake yet exhausted. I actually have another post that I am working on from the beginning of last week but felt like sharing this as soon as possible.

Today has been one thing after another after another. First, a sweet woman who used to attend my church went to be with Jesus last Tuesday. Her memorial was this morning. Due to various reasons (primarily, the fact that I don't know how to budget my time), I was unable to make it to the service. I had already left before I realized that 15 minutes until the start, I could not make a 30 minute drive and be late. Frustrated, I turned around and came home and did the most logical thing: took my frustrations out on my husband. After arguing over nothing really, I broke down crying because I was so angry at myself for not being able to pay my last respects. I prayed about it and sent a message to Ms. Judy via Jesus. I had planned to see a co-worker after the memorial for a bit of shopping to decorate her home. So I got myself together and met with her. While at Kirklands, I received a phone call from my brother-in-law that my father-in-law had yet another stroke (this man defies all odds, thankfully). I left in order to go home to get my husband and travel to my in-laws' home (since he is in in-home hospice care, doctors come to him instead of him going to the hospital). It was thankfully not a high grade event and within hours, he was recognizing faces and talking with us all. We spent the greater part of the day with them.

Around 11pm, my husband and his brother were watching the Alvarez-Trout boxing fight while I was upstairs, monitoring our cat who was in full labor. By 12:30, 5 kittens had been born and I could not have been more ecstatic (these are my grandkittens). However, there was a problem with one that Mega was not paying much attention to. I automatically went into panic mode. I have been reading every article and watching every video about the pregnancy, labor and delivery, and weeks to follow for these little babies to come so I was ready. I pulled on some gloves and massaged its back with a warm cloth, took a dropper and sucked any mucus from its nose and mouth, patted it on the back with my finger to loosen anything obstructing its airways, placed it in a cloth and the on a heating pad on low to keep him warm, put him next to my heartbeat to he could feel my skin and my heart rhythm. He would take gasps of air every minute or so but after about 30 minutes, my mom said that he was probably gone. So I held him a little longer and realized that he wasn't breathing. So I cried my eyes out. My mom found a little business card box (yes, they are that little) and we put him in there. We placed the box in a ziplock bag and will bury him tomorrow in the back yard on the hill with my two other dogs.

Why did I say I was learning to play soccer? In soccer, a change can come from out of nowhere. You can be completely blindsided by an opponent which can either be a good thing, if you manage to keep the ball in your control, or a bad thing, if they steal it from you. Today I'd have to say I feel as though  I did not do a very good job handling these interruptions. I became angry, frustrated, and extremely sad. These emotions would be expected given the circumstances but the way in which I carried them out was not with the best poise. Picking a fight because of my own frustrations? Ignorant. Becoming angry because my shopping trip was cut short by someone's illness? Selfish. Engrossing myself so much in one kitten that I ignored the 4 others completely? Inconsiderate. I am working on a better me and one of the tricks to a better me is holding myself accountable. So hopefully during this next week, I will have a better report on how I have become better at soccer

Slipscream, our little fallen decepticon 

Energized

I can admit and my track record can show that I am not the best at this whole blogging thing. there have been many times before that I have said that I am going to start writing everyday or that I am going to post more pictures. The truth of the matter is that the fact that life became too busy for crafts and I felt like I was not being true to the reason that I began this blog to begin with. But then I started thinking about the fact that this blog is not just about being creative but also about me (the "little" part of the title). So if there are other things on my mind, I should not feel like I am doing any sort of disservice or staying from its purpose but that I am just naturally following the route I should.


Whew! That felt good1 Now, on to some updates!

Let's see...where to begin. Well, I guess there have been some lows. My sweet, sweet father-in-law, whom i am unsure if I have mentioned before, has been placed in hospice care. This man is such a fighter! Since 2007, he has suffered 8 strokes, a heart attack and numerous other illnesses. In October 2012, he had to be placed on a feeding tube. The fact that he is now in hospice care is more for his comfort, not that his health has taken such a decline that the end is at any moment. But it did make our family think and begin for his reunion with Jesus. This has been tough on my husband, his biggest fan. For those that do not know, my husband is 6'1" and about 230lbs. He's as tough as they come except when it involves his family. His father's decline in health has been so difficult on him but he has been such a wonderful support for his mother. The coming together of our family during this difficult time has made it that much more bearable.

I have been having terrible headaches and stomach issues for the longest and finally decided to get a check-up. Turns out, I have a few peptic ulcers which stinks. I am taking medication for them but it also calls for me to change my diet, such as taking out foods that are high in acidity. Does my tummy really want me to cut out all of the delicious citrus fruits that I love to eat?! Yes...yes it does. SO it has been an adjustment but I cannot complain because it could have been something worse.

The in-between. my husband's job as a contractor with Quantico Marine Base came to an end on March 1st, the morning that the government furlough was put into effect. While this was not only unexpected and unwarranted, this blow knocked us back but not down. We have been through this before: my husband was without a employment for two and a half years about a year and a half into our marriage. But the difference this time is starkly different. My husband has thrown himself into his side project (now turned full-time career) launching his Trust No One brand. He has done such an amazing job that we are headed to Florida at the beginning of next week for him to hand-deliver and setup his clothes in a store (much more posts on this to come).

I completed my probationary year with my new (well, year old) job and have been promoted to a new position which I love! Things have been going pretty well for my little family. The downs have been bad they are an opportunity to strive to do better, focus more on Jesus, and bring us closer together. The good times have reminded us how hard work and faith pays off.

I am sure I have bored everyone to death with my ramblings so I'll end for tonight.