Where I've Been

Um...I don't really know where to start.

I haven't been writing lately. Part of it's because I just haven't felt like it. But I suppose a bigger part of it is that life's just been kinda tough lately. I know all the arguments for writing during the good and bad times, and I agree with them...I think. But I also know that when I go to read stuff online, all I need is something to drag me down a little! Life's hard enough without hearing about other people's problems too! But I'm home, kids are in bed, and frankly I'm lonely, so I suppose I'll tell you about it.

First, I have made basically no extra money for us since a month before we moved. I had been making money from piano lessons, 2 different online freelance jobs and Maeve. In addition, we have recent additional bills - school loans, dental bill we're trying to pay off before they send it to collections, and things related to moving (our house had almost no window coverings, for example). That has made for a ridiculously tight money situation the past 2 1/2 months. There is nothing like money issues to wear you out FAST.

The Jetta is still broken. It has some sort of coolant system issue, but it could be a whole host of things and (see above) we can't afford to just start replacing stuff, hoping it'll fix the problem. So I've been without a car for literally three weeks now. Nick drives 25 minutes each way to work and could technically bring me the car and I could drive him back to work and then go pick him up again...but the thought of trying all that with two little kids wears me out too.

We still have not received our deposit back from our old house. We moved a week before the lease was up, and the landlord had in the lease that she didn't have to send the deposit back until 30 days after we moved out. So on the 30th, Nick called her and she sent him a text saying she'd sent it that day. Thanks for that. Now it's 2 days later and we still don't have it. Um, that's only 10-15 minutes from here. Is there any reason it should take more than 2 days? Not that I can think of.

In the midst of all this, we've moved out of the Maeve office to cut our costs, had company for a week straight, tried to celebrate birthdays for me, Nick, my dad, and my sister, and had Father's day. My kiddos are going through a stage where they're fighting a lot and I'm trying to work with them but my patience is just thin from everything else going on. Audrey has been getting hurt a lot while playing outside...can't figure out if she's just getting used to being outside, or if her blood sugar is low a lot (I almost have to force-feed this child protein 90% of the time), or what. Her knees are all skinned and bruised up though. I can't carry an almost 3 year old everywhere she goes!

And because our small group is on a summer schedule, I haven't seen any of you guys lately and I'm lonely and don't have a car to come see you. Sigh!

One thing I can say, I'm feeling really good. I'm already at 15 weeks and time is flying by. It's a world of difference being pregnant now that I'm off gluten. With my other two pregnancies I had to adjust to just having a stomach ache nonstop. At this point my energy is good, I'm not sick, and I'm doing well.

I know it will all get better eventually. But I wish there was a quick fix. I am really glad my kids have a big house and huge backyard to play in so they have stuff to do while I work through all of this, even if I do have to still break up fights every 10 minutes...

So there ya go. The honest truth.