hello, hello, hello...

I cannot believe that it is March 18 and I have not blogged for two months. Much has to do with having no real routine since retirement which I have so much enjoyed thus far. It is refreshing to have to do nothing in the course of a week and I must say, I'm okay with having nothing pressing on my plate. I'm not bored and my mind is not consumed with non-sense and it's been a fun 10 months.

A lot has happened since the start of the year...

• Baby Anthony Clark arrived at the beginning of February. He is named after his great grandfather on his father's side and grandfather on his mother's side and this little nugget is absolutely gorgeous. Ava is soon to be two and she is just the sweetest thing ever.  She is talking so much now and loving her brother and just funny to watch. (I have always loved two year old.)
• Penny just turned 6 months old and her sweet brother is already her hero. She watches him like a hawk and Graham is wonderful with her; watching him play with her is heart warming.

• The moms and dads of our "Mighty Four" continue to be amazing; daily juggling their careers and kids and spouses and lives which is no easy feet.
• My family is doing well after losing my dad in November. We have worked together to keep my mom the primary focus. She is a strong woman who has been through much over the past months; the life she lived for the past 65 years changed the day my dad died and that is big, my friends.
• Nick is soon to finish his first year of trade school in Oregon and thinks a lot about buying a place now. I don't thing he'll ever return here. He does miss family; he misses his brother and sister very, very much and he has shared he finds it hard not knowing his nieces and nephews. I did, however, recently tell him that I don't know many families that do not have someone far away and how I think that is such a good thing. I have always wanted to raise our children to become adults who follow their dreams, take risks, love the risks they take and work hard to make their risks work. To me; that is what parentling is; working to raise courageous children and actually, all of my children are courageous. I am so very fortunate. 
• Brian is well; working on getting healthier daily and enjoying his new life.. He laughs hard these days and looks "stress free". Sometimes, as I watch him spend his week being totally unproductive, I am truly happy as this is a first for him, being unproductive daily, and he deserves it!

As for me, all is good. I sleep and laugh more than ever and sew and crochet and listen to podcasts and cook and read. I'm looking forward to warm weather and seeing my family on the west coast and enjoying the next few seasons before we need to make some decisions about where we are going to live and settle down or if we are going to settle down. I just don't know at this time. I'm wanting to do something I love soon,  but I don't know what that is yet, either, which is fine. I can do that now, I don't need to worry about what is facing me when I turn the corner. How lucky am I?

Well, it was fun catching up and tomorrow, I'm sharing a recipe. Until then...