I was looking back on my list of blog titles that I've published and realized that the last time I actually published a blog post was on the 15th of last December.
Yikes.
So... perhaps I should summarize this year. Here goes...
January:
I don't have anything saved on my calendar that I did during this month so... on to:
February:
I drove home to Colorado for my friend Michelle Keller's funeral. It sucked.
A lot of re-surfaced memories greeted me as I arrived at the church for her funeral on the morning of. This was the same location of her little brother's funeral 9 years earlier. A lot of the same people attended also. Mixed bag of emotions. But there is no way I would have not attended. I was there for Michelle, more than anyone else.
Of course I was there for her family (parents and little sister) also. But primarily I was there for Michelle. She and I shared a connection post Ryan's death that nobody else shared with her. We spent a handful of times together in college in deep conversation about life, God, etc. And these moments will forever be only mine and hers. Private conversations that I think only she and I could understand.
The only other thing I remember from February was that I actually bought some Valentine's cards for my kiddos to have/use/give away, but forgot where I put them, and thus, they were not delivered to anybody. Oops.
March:
The 4th hit me harder this year due to Michelle's funeral. I didn't call my family to share in the Noah's Arc joke due to my depression truly isolating me from the world. I hated that day.
April:
Got diagnosed as being a BRCA1 gene mutation carrier.
I forgot it was my oldest sister's birthday on the 16th. My other sister reminded me (thankfully) so I did get the chance to call her. But yeah... totally spaced that one. Still in depression head fog. Nothing outside of my own universe was truly noted/acknowledged by me.
May:
I called my little brother on his birthday and chatted for a half hour or so.
Mother's day was kind of a drag (I hinted at what I wanted by reading a book about mother's day to the girls & Jay a few days in advance... but it didn't lead to anything truly).
My birthday was ok. We went out to dinner at Red Lobster. But it didn't feel like a celebration.
June:
I forgot my anniversary because I was super distracted by having Jury duty on the first week of the month.
I also baked/decorated/served a wedding cake that weekend. They ordered custom made legos to represent all their family members atop the cake (including their two dogs and cat).
With both of those priorities encompassing my brain I literally forgot.
Jay got me a 1/2 spa day package and some roses. I was surprised to realize that it was, in fact, our anniversary and I had forgotten it.
Ward picnic.
Lydia & Naomi Hellewell's birthday party.
My daddy's birthday.
Jay's/McConkie family's reunion/Father's day. Lots of fun activities with this side of the family. Met a lot of new people and truly enjoyed how warm they all are as a family.
Went and saw "Inside Out" in theaters. It was pretty good.
Hosted a Pampered Chef party at my house. It was busy, but fun.
July:
Started seeing a psychiatrist for my depression/medication.
Autumn's "princess" birthday party. I dressed up as Elsa from Frozen. I also made her two different birthday cakes.
We also hired a magician/balloon man for her party. It was pretty cool.
I worked a shift at the Boise cannery (pears).
Autumn had her annual doctor's appointment.
August:
Camping trip with my family in Colorado. Lots of anxiety about traveling alone with my kiddos (roughest trip yet). It ended on a positive note even though the start to it was very rough on me.
Classroom visit and parent orientation at Autumn's preschool.
Autumn really liked the look/feel of her school.
I felt completely overwhelmed with all of the new information.
It's a cooperative preschool - so there's a lot of parent involvement, so it's forced me to come out of my comfort shell quite a bit, which truly has been a big help out of my depression mode.
September:
My mommy's birthday.
Another cannery assignment (peaches).
Preschool started. (I cried like a baby when dropping Autumn off).
Started EMDR psychotherapy.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eye_movement_desensitization_and_reprocessing
Stake international night.
Preschool field trip "soccer tots."
1/2 day spa package.
October:
Attended a Tupperware party.
Preschool field trip to Linder Farms.
Autumn was moved into an older class at preschool and now attends 3 days a week instead of 2.
Went and saw the Pollocks in Heyburn and celebrated an early birthday for Tori there with a Minion cake.
She got a Wonder Woman costume from them that she absolutely loves!
My minivan was rear-ended/totaled by a school bus.
I only have slight whiplash from the crash. Tori was in the car also - but is 100% ok.
Kaylie Cleverley (my 3rd cousin, twice removed) received her endowments and I attended. :)
Preschool harvest party. On Tori's actual birthday (she keeps telling everyone that she had a birthday at preschool).
Tori's birthday party with friends. Complete with Minion cake #2. It was completely minion themed.
I had a low blood sugar that required Jay injecting me with glucagon (first time ever required in my life). It was not pretty - I bit my tongue pretty bad. From Autumn/Tori's description I must have had a seizure.
Halloween! We were cops & robbers!
And last but not least, many, many trips to the chiropractor post this car crash.
November:
Purchased a "new" (to us) minivan. No pictures taken of it yet, ironically.
Preschool field trip to Boise Rock School.
Stake pie social. My sister's recipe that I prepared for black bottom banana creme pie won in the "cream pie" category.
Jay's birthday.
And still more to come like....
Stake conference.
Oncologist appointment (because I'm a carrier for BRCA1 gene mutation I am being monitored by a breast oncologist every 6 months to ensure that if I develop cancer we catch it super quick giving me more treatment options and a better prognosis).
Thanksgiving.
December:
Trip home to Colorado.
Christmas!
So yeah, that's it for me as for now.
Let me know if you want any fill-ins, or details about anything mentioned above (or that you're aware I left out).
