I’m sharing less these days, which I’m sure you’ve noticed. In previous years, I shared a lot with readers – photos, stories, thoughts. There are nearly 2,000 posts on this site (though most have been archived and made private.) It was a joy to open up our world to birth families, extended family members, and friends and spotlight how our life was moving along wherever we were living.
But, as the boys got older, there was less to share on account of keeping their lives a little more private. It would’ve been unfair to them to continue posting photos and stories about their lives without a good measure of sensitivity.
So, this blog will continue to be a scrapbook of sorts as I can’t imagine not posting about our trips or the boys successes, but the blog will also continue to be less frequently tended to. Once a month maybe, since that seems to be the trend I’m on.
The end of 2022 was marked by two things: Jeremy came home for the first time since leaving for Boot Camp, and Jackson started driving entirely on his own (though he’s had his license since September). Both events were big for our family.
If you are a grown person, then you likely remember the first time you came home for a visit after being on your own a little while. Chuck and I have tried to walk the line as parents who aren’t actively parenting, and Jeremy has tried to manage his time between seeing friends and spending time with us. It’s a careful dance!
Jackson couldn’t be more pleased with himself for how well he’s handling driving independently. Granted, he doesn’t go far to work, but the freedom to come and go on his own has filled him with such pride. We couldn’t be prouder! In fact, he finished the fall semester with all As and Bs, has continued to work 15-20 hours a week, and now is driving on his own around our little town. So many positives for Jackson this year!
Chuck and I are doing well too. His job is great and that’s about all I can say about that. I continue to love teaching (though 60+ students pushes my workload too far sometimes), and I’m still the editor of a local magazine that seems to be on a lovely upswing. I hope that trend continues for 2023. Chuck and I have more time together than we’ve had since before Jeremy was born, and we’re loving that so much.
As I look back through 2022, I can see that it was indeed a good year. Losing Major tops the list of Things I Wish Didn’t Happen, but we all know that we’ll outlive our pets. I still miss him terribly, and if I think about it for too long, I’ll start crying.
However, there were so many good things: Chuck and I went to Lambeau last January for the Divisional Round game and attended the wedding of one of our dearest friends. We enjoyed Jeremy’s last soccer season followed by his high school graduation, a monumental feat for a homeschooling family, if you ask me. We took the boys to Grafenwohr, Germany, where I lived for four years. It was something I never anticipated, but it ended up being more special than I can put into words. We also took them to the Alps in Switzerland and then Paris (among other places).
By June, Jackson turned 16 and got his first job! (I still remember hearing him hoop and holler after getting off of that phone call that he’d been hired.) Then, Jeremy joined the Navy, and that meant it was just Jackson and me on the first day of school in August. By September, the three of us were off to see The Killers in Nashville (Jackson’s first concert). So thrilled, I’d been waiting to see The Killers since buying the tickets nearly 15 months prior. Autumn trucked along, and soon we were off to Chicago to see Jeremy graduate from Boot Camp. With Jeremy in Texas, Thanksgiving was a bit quieter, but we were thankful nonetheless. Winter break couldn’t come soon enough for Jackson and me, so as soon as the last class finished on December 15, we were slugs in pajamas.
The holiday break has been enjoyable with Jeremy home and a quick visit from family. There is always a little melancholia in the air because I’m turned that way, always thinking about Dad not being here, my in-laws not being here, my boys’ childhood being over, my own childhood being over… I could sit and ruminate about all the things that upset me, so I have to actively work to realign my thinking and focus on the good.
I didn’t take a lot of photos this week, but these two make me happy: Grandma trying Jackson’s Oculus and all the adults working a puzzle at the kitchen table.
We’re missing Jacob in this photo, but I’m glad my sister snapped it anyway!
In between the events I listed, there were Girls Weekends, date nights, and lots of F1 and football. Chuck had a successful hunting season, and I read a handful of exceptional books. (I’m bad about posting book reviews here, but you can follow along on my public Instagram account for book-related news.)
Cheers to a healthy, productive new year where we all manage a little easier, get a little wiser, and work hard towards the lives we want to live.
