crazy busy T I M E

I'll eventually {maybe} finish telling about Italy, Sweden, Poland and other trips we have taken in the last six months. This week, I'm going to work my hardest to document a crazy busy last two weeks.

The timing could not have been more perfect for my mom and her dear friend, Marine to come to Germany for a visit. She is now known as my Tante {aunt}- it was just easier to introduce her to people this way. She is family.

It was planned kind of last minute for them to come stay with me and help while Jim has been in Alabama for his seven-week academy.

What I did not know is how much I really needed them. I like to think that I am quite self-sufficient and independent. I can usually hold things together.
Not perfectly, but I usually do ok.

With what we have gone through this last month, our world has been rocked.

I have been shaken to the core.
The tears flow more easily than they have my entire life.

Knowing how difficult this has been on me, I can not even imagine the anguish and pain my dear friend is experiencing having lost her daughter.

I was supposed to start work two weeks ago today. Working as a sub last year in the elementary school, I was placed from February until the end of the year in one of our special-education preschool classes.

I absolutely fell in love with the little ones and was hired to work a permanent full time position this year.

I was super excited. Super excited up until the happenings of this last month caused me to re-evaluate priorities.

After planning and making it through Josie's Memorial Run, I asked to be put back on the substitute list and gave up my job.

I need the flexibility. I need to go see Justin play in Kansas. I need to be here for my family.

I really needed time to recuperate.

Grateful for an amazing staff at school, I was shown so much compassion and open arms assuring me that it was fine for me to substitute and take some time off now.

It was an immediate weight lifted from my shoulders at a time that I was quite depleted.

This time off also enabled us to travel quite a bit, laugh, play, work, cry and enjoy the time together.

Oh, what an adventure it was...

First up: Our Rustic Cabin