Arthur Adventure: A Revival in the West

Monday, October 6, 2014

A Revival in the West

So we are here. Home. In Colorado. And have been for 4 months. But I don't count two of those, because we were in a rental condo furnished with grandma couches and trinkets without our stuff while our real house was being worked on and THAT didn't feel like home. In fact, I don't remember big chunks of that. Think I've blocked it out.

Home feels more and more like home, speaking both about the physical house AND the city/neighborhood. Right now we have visitors who are helping me grow a pair and get nails in the walls to hang stuff (why is it that that process scares me so? perhaps it's because i've never had FRESHLY PAINTED, blemish-free surfaces and they seem so easy to screw up). Prior to this, the place was was looking a little bare and impersonal. So THAT makes it more homified. Said visitors are also working with me on refining my decorating scheme: tilting couches just so, buying accent tables that are just right, matching colors for shelf knickknacks with just the right hugh. Thank you, Aunt Vianne and Uncle Jim.

Now, on to the reason for the out-of-the-blueness of this post (given that the last one was a million years ago). Even though in the depths of my brain I KNEW I had cousins in Colorado (TWO!!!), it took us landing on Colorado soil to actually saturate that knowledge and get excited about it. I HAVE FAMILY IN COLORADO! Cousin Ben and cousin Katie (both my dad's brother Tommy's kids) both live within an hour of me... married, kids... doing life kinda the same as how we're doing life. I finally set up a time to visit Ben and his family during the time they had their parents, Uncle Tommy and Aunt Pat (from TX) visiting. I WAS WITH MY PEOPLE. I HAVE PEOPLE. Can't express how unexpectedly comforting it was to be amongst blood relatives... albeit ones I hadn't shared life with in several years (annual family reunions came to a halt awhile back), but ones with whom it didn't take long to get reacquainted.

So Aunt Pat, who is a dear, dear aunt and lady says to me, "I really wish you would keep up with your blog. It was a way for me to stay connected with you family." I didn't make any promises, but I at least agreed with her that it did provide connection with distant friends and family. And that I am a fair-weather Facebook updater... MUCH prefer the therapeutic writing of the blog.

Here goes, Aunt Pat! Here goes, everybody.

I know I've relaunched before (pretty much every time we move). But here's to hoping it sticks.

By the way, I'm pregnant. 4 months pregnant. Due March 23, 2015. So, expect the posts to disappear again then. And then reappear when we move again. And then disappear after we have another baby. SIKE!!! (But there does seem to be a pattern of relocating and getting knocked up). We are ALL in agreement (even sweet 7-yr-old Jackson, who reminds us of our over-commitment: "I can't BELIEVE we're going to have another baby in this family... it's awesome because I get a new brother/sister but it is not awesome because it's going to mean even MORE work for me." Tell me about it, brotha) that this completes our family. And we will make SURE of that, if you know what I mean. Scott says he is skipping the V procedure and going straight for castration...

And I will leave you with that thought. :)