Amazing July

If I thought June was weird, July was way more weird... but in a really good way.

It started out with my parents leaving for 2 years for their LDS mission to Panama. And we've said good-bye and hello to Nana and Papa roughly 2 trillion times since we don't live anywhere near them... and it was hard to feel like it was any different. I knew in my head it was but my heart just refused to accept it. Now that they've been gone a month and I haven't gotten any calls as to when they will be visiting in the Fall/Winter, like I usually do, it's just starting to ache a little more. It's hard for me to wrap my brain around the fact that when they get back, Gavin will be 13 and the little-boy-days that we still catch glimpses of here and there will be gone. Gone. And, yeah, the very good daughter part of me is so, SO thrilled they are fulfilling a life-long dream... and the very, VERY selfish part of me is grieving the years of my children they will miss out on.

So, then, we had to give back Jace's company car and with it came car shopping. We ended up with a Jetta.. which I love... but it's kind of funny because that's how we started his career. With a Jetta. I guess it's fitting - and a little ironic - that we just went right back to that.

But then, we got the call that he wouldn't start his new job until August 5th. Which, meant, of course, we would spend ALL of July ALL together.

So, he's been around to taxi Gavin to swim practice and I haven't had to get out of bed before 7.(Heaven). He's been able to attend soccer practices, help with dinners/lunches/breakfasts... and I'm, all of sudden, living in a 2-parent twilight zone. I mean, I'd HEARD such things existed but I'd never actually seen it with my own two eyes. I actually get my swim-team work done without having to simultaneously parent 3 kids. Bizarre.

THEN, we had to reorganize my house because the home office stuff arrived. Syd did NOT want to get rid of the play-kitchen (I was so relieved - I LOVE that thing) and preferred to get rid of about 1/2 her toys. And Aj wanted in on it, too - asking if he might be able to have the Lego cart in his room... which also required major toy-purging. No fights - no tears - no drama. I know, I KNOW!! if I hadn't been there to see it with my own eyes, I wouldn't believe me either.

And THEN! Gavin qualified for long-course state championships and he raced his backstroke in those. He did great. However,  I've noticed that Gavin is starting to compete... and not with just himself. Usually, he will compete to best his own time. Which is awesome and wonderful and I love that about swimming. But now he is really wanting to win... it's new and so unlike him. And he's not so concerned about swimming that perfect race. He's starting to get in there, have some fun and RACE. it's exciting.

He turned 11 (*sigh) on the 31st of July and his birthday was so fun. We went to the fish market in Seattle and then the Pacific Science Center. We got awesome parking spots on the street for both and then we showed our SLC Discovery Gateway pass and to our surprise, it also worked for the PSC. Free admission. Woot!

Jace and I are back in Utah... my kids are still in Seattle with grandparents. It's awfully quiet around here and there is no anxiety about the job that Jace starts tomorrow. Where Sundays used to cause massive anxiety as to the week ahead with scheduling/work/kids/sports, etc., today is different. I'm excited for tomorrow. I'm excited for this new start to our future.

Where everything fell apart in June, everything came back together in July and I feel, deep down, that it's going to be ok. We have each other... like we've always had. I think this is good. This calm, this peace, this contentment - only bodes well for our future.

So, it's weird. It's weird because I don't know how this story ends. I don't know if this job will work out and if my husband has found a new career. There are a lot of unknowns that would normally cause a lot of anxiety for me... and him. But, for once, I'm okay with the not knowing because sometimes the best things happen when you let go, trust and believe that good things are possible.

I'll keep you posted.