a blended life

I don't want the year to end without a few thoughts. Me and the girls are in Utah while Jacob is in Miami studying for a shelf exam (internal medicine blah blah). They came to visit their dad for a week. They didn't want to go, even after 5 months of not spending any time with him or his new family. It was a very emotional few days leading up to the trip and the plane ride to SLC was intense.  We love our kitty: We played Cranium and I could NOT believe no one guessed my sculpture for pancakes. CLEARLY.  I wanted to show an honest picture of how I look most of the time. I'm tired, but most of my weirdo health issues have either resolved or put themselves on a back shelf for a while. My back stopped hurting on Christmas Day (miraculous!). I joined the Jewish Community Center gym, which is a nice as Sports Academy in Logan. Really lovely place. After talking with a friend and enduring much analysis from Jacob, it...

I didn't post this last week, but this was taken in Virginia Beach on the boardwalk. There is a law against swearing.  Before we got married, I knew that Jacob would be a good dad (or stepdad or whatever you feel like calling him). I knew he would be able to handle the daily grind and would bring a lot of strengths to the table. I wasn't prepared for the ways that he was a superior parent than myself. Not that I think I'm great, which I don't, just that I've been the one calling the shots for their whole lives and now there is someone who does some things better. Like homework and getting good grades. I have a laissez-faire attitude about school and both girls have really needed Jacob's help with study habits, turning stuff in, talking to the teacher, etc. As a side note, both kids received an award for Citizenship (being well behaved) and are hoping for honor roll next term. Yes, second graders are given letter grades. School here is the real deal. N...

*cue Jimmy Fallon's thank you note music* Thank you, Jen, for coining a very appropriate phrase for what happens when your birthday falls on Thanksgiving. Thank you, South Carolina, for showing me that there are worse drivers out there than Miami, Utah and Texas combined. (Florida driving, as a whole, isn't that bad. Miami is terrifying.) Thank you, decrepit, aging, malfunctioning body, for barely letting me make it through a 37 hour car trip to Virginia. Thank you, Mom and sister, for the package of delightfulness that was waiting for me when I got back. ******************************************************************************** I'm not sure how to describe or even narrate our week long road trip. It was long. The kids did an amazing job of handling it and I am so grateful. I started having back pain on the way there and the back pain is still excruciating, so much that I can barely leave the house anymore. It was important for us to go. I know we reall...