Um... how long has it been?

Apparently I haven't been on here since January! Yikes!

 

Life is busy. That's all I have to say.

You all know that! Your lives are busy too!

 

I will see if I can condense our year into a few short sentences. Probably not!

 

McGyver's oldest brother, Ricketty, had been struck with rheumatoid arthritis since he was 8 years old. Ricketty had a rough 2012... lots of new pain, new types of pain, etc. In January, he started having respiratory problems and was in and out of the hospital. McGyver had been his ft caretaker. In February, he was in and out a few times. He had a harder time breathing and the pain was getting worse. Long story short, he passed away, surrounded by family, on Feb, 25th. We had the Memorial Service the next week.  It was very hard on my kids. During his service, McGyver read letters written by our 2 oldest, Sailor Boy and Missions Boy, who could not make it back for the service. Guitar Boy came forward (before the letter reading) and spoke a few minutes about his uncle. It was at that time I realized that he, Guitar Boy, had lost his best friend. My husband had lost his best friend. My boys' had all lost their best friend.

Uncle Rick was always there... would let them get away with most anything... and would purchase particular items that we just would not... just so our kids could use them.

He took care of his family and his friends.

 

March brought Chicklet's birthday and an attempt to find the new 'normal' in our lives. We still have Grandma - who Uncle Rick lived with - to take care of. She is going to be 86 and this was the first time in her life she had lived alone.

 

April brough Missions Boy home from Cambodia!  His trip and work were amazing. He did several medical outreaches, even performing minor surgeries! Soooo proud of him. In May, he moved in with Grandma. He started working full-time and is taking Bible classes.

 

May brought a big change!  Guitar Boy and Survivor Boy left for BoyScout camp in Arizona... 9 weeks and 5 weeks respectively! Wow... talk about quiet!

Sailor Boy came home a few days later for a spur of the moment visit! 

June took Sailor Boy to Hawaii for his sub cruise and snorkeling. Rough!

The end of June brought Survivor Boy home.

July was rough on me. The heat, my hip, the heat, my hip, etc. It made me another year older, as I spent my bday in the E.R. for my hip. No fun. Guitar Boy came home a few days before my bday and we could celebrate his bday here at home!

August ... we finally made it out of town to Colorado. Took us 24 hrs and a auto breakdown, but we made it! Had a nice, quick visit - just enough to score some produce from all the neighbors

 gardens. :)

It also brough school. We had a pretty sad semester in the spring... not much schoolwork was completed, except for Guitar Boy.

 

We are back in the  groove, relatively. Our homeschool group started a co-op and I am teaching Latin, Shakespeare, and upper-level science. YIKES! We had our first day last Wednesday and it was great!

The kids are being challenged with some of the classes there!  I love it!

 

 

See - couldn't do it in a few sentences, let alone a few paragraphs!

There's so much more I missed, trips to Colorado and Philadelphia.... a family trip to the beach in August when... for the first time in 569 days, ALL my babies were home!

It was beautiful!