And Just Like That… A Year Goes By

I know… I know what you’re thinking. It’s been a year! Where have we been?! Let’s just say it’s been a chaotic, whirlwind of a year with many wonderful and amazing blessings and changes. This will be a long one, folks, but it’s full of everything you’ve missed out on this past year!

 

 

 

Let’s start with me… I started classes through the online program at Appalachian State University last fall, and I’ve been working hard ever since! I made the Chancellor’s list last fall, and the Dean’s list this past spring (I was SO close to the Chancellor’s list again… argh). I’m currently finishing up two classes for the first half of the summer semester, and will be starting two more in two weeks, then taking my last four classes this fall with the anticipation of graduation in December! I’m incredibly excited and so proud of myself. It hasn’t been easy with everything we’ve had going on — not to mention just the normal stuff of homeschooling, appointments, errands, church activities, and a crazy toddler running around! I was officially diagnosed with ADHD and started on medications for that and my anxiety disorder, and I have no shame in sharing that with you. It has changed my life. I can think more clearly, and concentrate better, and I feel like a new person.

 

 

I celebrated my 36th birthday in March with a day out with my best friend and soul sister, Ashley — and she treated me to a nose piercing! Then we celebrated her 40th birthday with a night away in a sweet little cabin in Yancey County, NC. It’s been a fun year, to say the least!

 

 

J has worked really hard this past year as well. He’s still in school part-time and he got a new job! A job we’ve been hoping and praying would fall into his lap, and God made that happen this year. As most of you know, he’s been working as a Food Service Director/Certified Dietary Manager for years, and while he liked what he did, the stress of being on call and working long hours took a toll on not only him but our family as well. He was missing a lot and wasn’t able to be at many of the kids’ appointments that we wanted him to be there for. This past Spring he got a job offer to be a dining room manager for a Christian conference center, and it’s been such a blessing. He is working a lot this summer, but he will be home so much more during the rest of the year. He’s so happy, he’s loving his new job and thriving. He’s hoping to take some extra classes this fall since his workload won’t be as intense.

 

 

Boogie is becoming a beautiful young lady, and if you can believe it… she turned 13 this past winter. She’s making new friends, thriving at our homeschool co-op, reading everything she can get her hands on, writing/illustrating her own comics, and as always, she’s an amazing big sister. She astounds me with how smart she is, she is very interested in forensics and anthropology at the moment, so that’s been a huge focus for her in her extracurriculars for homeschool. She got to attend an amazing Christian teen girls camp this summer and is loving her time with the youth group at our (new) church. I’m so proud of her.

 

 

Bubby is growing like a weed, he’s so tall and will be 12 this fall — I can’t believe it. He’s had many struggles this past year as we figure out how to best parent him and guide him as we figure out how his brain works. However, despite the hard, he’s had a pretty incredible year himself. He really enjoyed co-op this year and made some friends, his art continues to improve and he astounds us with his talents. I’ll share more about this further in this post, but he also rescued some kittens from under our house this past spring, and the love and care he has for those babies is beautiful. He’s an amazing young man with a bright future ahead of him.

 

 

Bird is growing up on us, she’s feisty and our family clown. She is always the one to slyly sneak in a joke or a silly face to make us smile, and she loves her family BIG. She turns 10 this winter and is reading so well now and has been almost as “bookwormy” as her big sister (though Boog is a tough one to catch up with when it comes to reading!). She’s so incredibly smart, always willing to step up and help with whatever I need, and she’s been such a big help when it comes to me needing time to get my school assignments done. She has also enjoyed co-op, and while she loved it… it was also a hard time for her as she lost her friend she made while there. He passed away in a terrible accident at the end of the co-op year. It was a first for her, and I was devastated for her, but as always, she’s so resilient and strong.

 

 

Bear is seven and catching up in height and size to his siblings if you can believe it. Our tiny little man is no longer so tiny! He’s superhero-obsessed and most of the time you’ll find him wrestling around with his baby brother.. those boys are ROUGH! He’s had some struggles with his learning/reading, but we have some upcoming assessments that will hopefully help me know how to best teach him so that we can get him to where he needs to be. He is still a quiet guy, pretty shy and reserved, but he opens up once he feels comfortable with his surroundings. He’s also a bit of a homebody, but who can blame him? He has grown so much and I can’t wait to see how he soars as he grows.

 

 

Boo… oh Boo. This kid is the epitome of joy and crazy all rolled into one. I gave him his first haircut a few weeks back and I am regretting it so much! I was hoping his curls would stay, but unfortunately, he really needed a cut because he was getting so hot and sweaty, and we were having a time with tangles. Looks like we may be getting a real big boy haircut soon. I might cry… He’s definitely a toddler with a mission of getting into everything! We are constantly finding him in crazy predicaments, and he keeps us on our toes. I call him feral… because truly, that’s what he is… a feral toddler. He’s stubborn, independent, feisty, strong-willed, and goofy… so very goofy. He’s obsessed with Transformers Rescue Bots, tractors, and Paw Patrol. He refuses to potty train… even though he’s very capable, he’s just stubborn! He gives the best hugs, and has the best giggle… and while I adore him, I might be very ready for him to turn four this fall!!!!

 

As for our entire family, we started going to a new church closer to home last fall. It has been an incredible blessing to us, with the most welcoming people and true community. We are actually joining officially this coming Sunday! Beyond that… we’ve added a few new members to our family. We started fostering puppies in our home for a local dog rescue, and we might have decided to keep one! We fostered a sweet pup named Mondo, he was a shepherd mix that was recently adopted by a young man who loves to hike. Then we brought home two tiny pit puppies, originally named Leo and Lucy. Lucy was recently adopted… and Leo is now Boone, our foster fail. Oops! He’s precious. He’s mine, I adore him. He has the sweetest temperament, and Libby is slowly getting used to him.

I mentioned before that Bubby had rescued some kittens from under our house. Well, Nymphadora Tonks and Remus Lupin are now officially members of the Mustard Seed Adventures family, much to the chagrin of J, haha!

They are super sweet and currently living in a giant, three-story cat crate in my office until they’re big enough to not get lost in our house! Lupin (the boy) settled in very quickly and has been so content. He loves to snuggle and get in my way when I’m trying to work or study. Tonks (the girl) took a little more time to settle, but she recently started snuggling and purring. They’re adorable and I can’t believe J actually let us keep them!

 

 

Other than that, we’re just living our lives. Homeschooling, adventuring, and doing the normal day-to-day stuff. I’m hoping we will get back to more regular content on our social media soon when things slow down a little, and I’ll try to be better about updating on here as well. Until then… God Bless!