maritalbliss86

Ok so maybe this can be part of, "growth," (?) .... I thought I had blocked my poor MIL from being able to text me, but a text of hers got through today, thanking both of us for the pictures we sent of the kids (the professional ones came in not long ago and I thought it was a good idea to send them a box of 5x7's of the whole session). I had sent them a link earlier once they were available to purchase online so that they could buy bigger ones, and alerted them that we would be sending them the box when it came in. So when she thanked me of course I replied back... it just feels rude to ignore her, even if she has done that to me several times in the past. And in the other journal I just couldn't bring myself to reply to her Mother's day text when she'd treated my husband like she has for months now... ugh 😬 It would be nicer though if they just didn't contact me at all, constantly pulling me in to their dramas, which was why I had blocked her because even her nice texts were coming across as fake and an irritation considering how she acts toward my husband. It's like I'm this in between link she has to him, without having to really fix anything with him on her part. But I am glad nevertheless for trying to be kind and send them pictures... I have no idea how it's going to pan out when they realize they're not in our life anymore really 😞 I imagine they'll try to include me in their dramatic group texts 🙄 but I'll ignore those. I think my rule moving forward is going to be to reply to polite things, ignore drama. That sounds sensible.

This simple statement is profound. I think a lot of kids respond better to that approach. ❤️

"The process of shaping a child... shapes also the mother herself. Reverence for her sacred burden calls her to all that is pure and good, that she may primarily teach by her own humble, daily example." Elizabeth Elliot ^This growth that happens as you have more children, there's just nothing like it. AND it helps morph my ability to see younger moms and understand where they're at in feeling desperate or overwhelmed at times. It really does change you spiritually, emotionally, and mentally (and obviously physically) to become a mother ❤️ and it's a deep, permanent change, the kind where you realize the stunning fact that you'll never be able to go back to your old self! *** Grateful for my amazing, handy husband!!!! He spent a lot of time building me a solid wood laundry organizer where 8 bins can fit into a beautiful bookshelf-like gift he built. Even my mom was amazed at how beautiful it is... the natural wood and everything, and just so nice and heavy/solid. The real deal and so practical... both words fit who he is, too LOL.

Sour grape vines!!!! I had those growing up... can't remember the name (it's probably different in Texas anyway), but they grew like crazy and tasted sour/not worth it. Wow that adventure sounds so awesome!!!

That is so sweet, Jilbralta. I love knowing people take in animals or show kindness in things like this. Makes the world a better place. And you get so much out of helping them.

The baby is having a very difficult couple of days... teething and maybe an ear infection, will be taking him tomorrow if it continues this way. But overall I'm kind of amazed at how good it feels to let the guilt go. How interesting that it passes away so quickly 🤔 It's like a breath of fresh air, and life is so busy anyway, we're just moving on, there's so much to do and enjoy and love and be involved in. I heard a Dr. Laura segment on some poor lady bemoaning her and her daughter not having a relationship with her parents and Dr. Laura kept reminding her continually that you should never feel bad about you or your child not having a relationship with unkind people. [There you go, to my inner guilt that is fading fast!] And the lady kept bemoaning it... like me in the other journal for sure... and Dr. Laura finally said, "You're supposed to get on with your life, not drive your car forward looking in the review mirror!" "At what point are just going to say, "Gee, too bad I didn't have the kind of family I wish I could have had..." "It's yesterday, and you've got a chance to build today. You've got a chance to build TODAY and you're minimizing the importance of that and maximizing the importance of what you didn't have/don't have." The caller kept bemoaning the lack of relationship with her parents etc. [I do get it that this is really hard for people... very thankful my husband seems to be dealing really well with it] Dr. Laura said, "Can you focus in on that - on your wonderful life, kids, husband and never call anyone else or me about your family?" "Yes! It is in the rearview mirror, and I need to leave it there." (Caller) "One more point I need to make... In spite of those crappy parents, look at what a nice person you are and look at the nice life you've built. "If anything you should be throwing parties for yourself every day. Let's have an appreciation of [Caller's Name] party tonight, and bake a cake and tell everyone there, "You know... I had crappy parents and I look at my life now, I have a wonderful husband, wonderful cat, dog, parakeet, kids, friends, wonderful home and life... I want to celebrate that in spite of all that, I'm here with all of you. Tonight is celebrate [Caller's Name] night." It was an 8 minute long call so I've left some stuff out, but I get it now... I shouldn't feel any guilt... if anything looking back or feeling bad is taking away from being in the moment with my kids or husband or friends or family. I need to focus on Today... on building Today ❤️ it makes total sense.

Doves do have good posture don't they? LOL

It is the greatest pleasure, living long enough to annoy your own children 😂❤️😂

I knew this was probably true, just based on other types of coronaviruses and what we know about immunity lasting (once you've been infected) for 10-20 years, sometimes more. Vaccines don't provide that kind of protection, not for this kind of virus, which is why they'll be pushing boosters. Apparently our city/area has had around 200 "breakthrough," cases, meaning people have gotten the virus even though they were fully vaccinated. But if you've had the virus, you're going to be immune with almost certainty... and for a long long time.

The intermittent fasting can mess up female hormones, too. Although I don't think all women are affected by that, some can get away with it. Keto can also mess with female hormones, yet if a woman is very overweight, keto can actually bring them more to a balance with their hormones (make them fertile again even). But that may also be due to them tracking their food and eating in a deficit 🤷‍♀️. Good advice though, Dias... I wish more people would think like that.

UGh!!!! SOOOooo grateful for all this time my husband is off!!! It's been so fun getting to do things we normally wouldn't, he's done some projects he's wanted to do for awhile, and yet he's still enjoying time to relax and just chill. Grateful we have so much wildlife, even with the scorpions and bugs... we saw a firefly while together outside last night ❤️ usually we don't see any here. It was just so perfectly romantic. I told him he's still the man of my dreams... it's annoying that he's STILL in them... literally, with me craving him sexually while I'm asleep!!!! Not fair!!! ... There's actually this feeling of annoyance that I want him so bad 😂. He loves this of course LOL. Of course our kids make it exhausting at times, but still our life feels like a fairytale much of the time. We had another day date today... it was really just for some regular doctor checkups, but being out like that alone together, without all our kids, it was so much fun in a peaceful way. It rained the whole time, but it was a beautiful rain.... Thankful for the rain and how it looks against the backdrop of a river with mature trees, blossoms and lights everywhere.

That's so sweet, Cherylyn, I love the sound doves make, too. This is what our momma dove looks like A couple of years ago, a dove built her nest so low in the branches and yet over my husband's truck, that a baby dove fell out and was just sitting there on top of his hood. We took it in and raised it ❤️❤️❤️ ugh!!! Best experience ever!!! Our older two boys trained it to fly from head to head, and it grew really close to us, it was a VERY loving bird. We ended up setting it free and it seemed really happy Our oldest still talks about it all the time, they named him, "Wally."

Grateful for the change the seasons bring. For all the butterflies, hummingbirds and ladybugs in our yard.

Hopefully... I came across Bella Donna's old thread the other night, I always wondered what had happened to her. Anyway, you just never know what someone is really like I guess.

Wow that's awful 😭. I have a similar story from childhood as well where there were these boys who threw spear grass at baby birds and eventually killed them. It was so horrible and I remember wondering how they could allow themselves to do something like that to such innocent creatures. The main boy ended up growing up and I saw him again as adults in a church group. He never knew who I was even back then,we were different grades and everything but he was burned into my memory. He has a wife and two little kids. Made me wonder if he's still a monster like I'd remembered, or if he'd corrected his character and was actually a good dad/husband. You just never know.

A momma dove bird built a nest too low in our front yard. I love that the kids can see into it and gaze at the beautiful little delicate eggs, BUT yikes!! Any storm may blow the eggs or babies out of this nest. We'll keep an eye on it... my oldest is excited because we've rescued a baby dove before and raised it till it was ready to fly. ❤️ All these wild life experiences 😬 giant snake, dove with future babies, found a scorpion yesterday (killed it and collected it in a glass jar like my dad taught me... the kids like looking at it) ugh! I love living near/in the country, but the wildlife in the hotter months are crazy critters!

Sure, that would be great!!! Thank you.

I've been thinking about starting a new journal looking forward to new things . There's so much that will be happening next year for our family, so I want to end that other journal where I was questioning and ruminating too much. I think I've got it now. ❤️

I hated being a teenager. I'm sure I loved some things, but so much is out of your control, and you feel so constrained or restricted. Getting older has been something I've truly relished. We are building our life and our family and seeing all these dreams come true. And it's been through years of hard work, too, so there's so much satisfaction in it. So much better than the teenage years imo. Glad you love getting older, too.

I think the pandemic made or broke a lot of relationships. If a couple can survive being together under the worst circumstances, make a happy, peaceful ( even forced under lock down LOL) home together in the midst of them, they are set!

I could have said it more simply like this: Polio vaccine provides lifelong immunity. Covid not so much. Contracting it will probably have better immunity than the vaccine, if you look at studies about the flu viruses.

Different vaccines are different, and none are 100%, but in general, ones for polio or measles work by making the population generally immune, otherwise more kids would be contracting those, becoming paralyzed, dying, etc. Those vaccines have proven they do work. The flu vaccines created every year are different though. Sometimes they prove not to work effectively. Those viruses, like covid, are a lot more unstable and mutate, plus the scientists creating them are literally guessing which ones will work. Sometimes they guess wrongly. I get it though with her health failing already, she needs to be quarantined.

Yes, that's what I was wondering if she'd be able to handle it overall. Technically, a fully vaccinated person shouldn't be able to contract it. I know there are cases in Florida where it's happened, but if the vaccine works, the vaccinated person should be protected when/if they're exposed. Otherwise it proves the vaccines don't work.

So she's not vaccinated then, right? If she was, then she should be mostly protected, but I understand her health may have made it impossible.

((Hugs)) I think it's hard when it's his mom pressuring him probably. Sometimes showing someone respect about their decision, makes them eventually reconsider ❤️ I'm sure there's going to be yearly vaccines, boosters or something along those lines. So if he misses this, it's not really the end of the world you know? He may decide to get one a year or two from now. And it may be more updated. People don't seem to realize their vaccines aren't going to last usually beyond a year. 🤦‍♀️ It's similar to the flu vaccine, and then there are other worse factors that could happen with the need for newer ones a year or two from now anyway. So he'll more than likely have more chances down the line. But sending internet hugs! ❤️.