Life has changed -- a lot -- since I was regularly blogging.
The gap years of our life -- with one child in big school and one in preschool -- were so busy. They were wonderful and special; it was great fun to experience big school with Fawn and to have the back-end one-on-one time with Small Fry. But there was lots of running here and there with two different school schedules, and in the time I had with the boys blogging was the last thing on my mind.
So here we are, fall of 2017 and we are to our new normal. A new normal of four years -- both boys in the same school and on the same schedule. I am so very excited for them and for us. We absolutely love BWF, and I can already feel our life pacing itself on a consistent rhythm.
So what are we up to?
Well, we finished our basement this summer. That space downstairs that has been unfinished and basically useless except for doggie-living since we moved in in 2006. It was a process -- and there were times it tried my patience. The dusty footprints ALL. OVER. MY. HOUSE. (Ha! When someone else messes it up, it's definitely MY house.) Scheduling days around the presence (or lack thereof) of subcontractors. Making decisions -- so not my strong suit. But it looks better than I could ever imagine. It makes our house feel not only bigger, but much more livable -- and I know the space will grow with us. And it makes me feel proud -- Buck and I have hours of sweat equity (mostly in the form of endless painting) in the house. I'm proud of us for the work we put in and for doing something so big together. We are not quite "moved in" down there yet -- we still have the conundrum of finishing the stairs leading to the main staircase and we are waiting on upstairs furniture so we can move older furniture downstairs.
We made a major church move this summer. After years of unrest at Covenant, we officially joined Cahaba Park Church this August. I think Buck and I both felt pinpricks of uncertainty at Covenant for years, which culminated in the last eighteen months and it became very clear to us that it was not where we were supposed to worship as a family. It is sad to close a chapter -- to leave wonderful friends. But most heartbreaking for me as a mom is not attending the church where my babies were baptized. God has graciously assured us that we are now where He wants us to be. It was a long journey, but He was faithful and we are looking forward to our new chapter with a new church body.
Buck is continuing to be the excellent provider and leader of our family that he has always been. He is busy at work and superb at what he does. He gets awards and honors all the time -- people tell me "congrats to Hughston" or "aren't you proud of him?" and I have no clue what they are talking about because he is so unassuming and humble. (And I live in a kid-centered bubble!) He's also busy with community commitments -- he's on the board of Mountain Brook Athletics, the commissioner of Small Fry's age group for baseball, and he coaches Fawn's grade. It's definitely his calling and his mission field. He's still a farm-loving fool, and their is no doubt in my mind that Pickens County is his favorite spot on this planet. I have to brag on him because he's doing a much better job of taking care of himself and setting a good example for the boys. He's always been thin and eaten decently well. But he's stepped up his exercise game since his latest shoulder surgery last November.
I am figuring out who I am now that I don't have a preschooler in the house. Honestly, it was so easy for my identity to get wrapped up in being Hughston's wife and Hughston and Jack's mom when the boys were little and time was at such a premium. It took every second of preschool time to keep the wheels on the bus of the Nichols family -- just the basics -- food, a clean house, clean clothes. And I loved that time -- I love being a caretaker. Now I have what looks on paper like a lot more time. It still goes so fast! The beginning of the school year has been so busy with doctor's and dentist's appointments, hours of PTO commitments (Ranger Run, grant writing for Ranger Park and all of my head room mom duties), and basement finishing tasks (more painting and furniture shopping). But I still have chunks of time that I've never had as a mom. I am actually tackling some of the house projects that I've been saving for the year (the attic, the preschool art, the kitchen cabinets, carpet cleaning). I have a pinterest board titled "Mom To Do" that I am working my way through. And my house is cleaner -- I've been able to clean it each week instead of every other week. I've started working out during school hours instead of trying to get several workouts in at the ungodly hour of 5:25 am. And I've even given myself the freedom to go on a walk instead of always running -- it takes so much longer that I would always choose to run for efficiency's sake. But the house is oh so quiet from 8-2:30 when I get in carpool line. I keep music, sports talk radio, or podcasts playing at all times. It's lonely -- thank goodness for my sidekick Gracie. I'm supposed to be integrating back into work at Bradley but having to be patient as projects open up for me and they find the right fit. I have been praying that God would only open the doors He wants me to walk through (see terrible decision making skills above). And I have to trust that He has a plan for what my work life will look like even if it's slower than I would like to get there. I think this slow work start to the year has been a little blessing to get my footing and our new normal at home before work has to fit in. My favorite podcast right now is Jen Hatmaker's For the Love. She always asks what is saving your life right now? Coffee (I do the early morning shift with the dogs and Buck handles the evening duties -- Gracie's yipping can start EARLY!). Exercise -- I feel the most alive when I am running, some might call that addiction but I can assure you there are worse things to be addicted to. I also love exercising with my friends at boot camp -- those days are a lot less lonely because I've started them with good friends. Community -- boy do I love the mamas I'm doing life with. I have found some like-minded women that make life so much sweeter. My boys -- the big one and the two littles. Their smiles and laughter light up my life like nothing else.
Fawn is almost NINE. Oh my word how did that happen? He is the coolest kid I know. He is thoughtful and considerate and so very kind. When he was really little I thought his "thing" was being smart. And it is -- the kid is brilliant. He's a great reader and a sponge. He started enrichment this year which he is loving. Then I thought his "thing" was sports. And he's great at baseball -- he's pitching and catching this year. And he loves to run with me. But you know what his "thing" really is? Music. Fawn seems most at peace and most confident and most himself when he's playing the guitar. Not only does he love it but he's good at it. It's comforting as a parent to see your child grow into their own and start to learn who they really are.
Small Fry, oh Small Fry. A spunky, fun-loving, joy-spreading FIVE year old that is the spark in our house. He's our glue in the cutest, funniest way. (And I just burst into tears typing because I miss him so much now that he's in kindergarten. But, I'm going to eat lunch with him today and I can't wait.) He's having a hard adjustment to kindergarten which makes me sad -- our mornings are tough because he's exhausted and just wants to stay home. Of course I wish I could let him, but he needs to soar. And he's ready to soar -- we're just going to have to work through the change to get there. He's a smart cookie, but he's so funny he hides his smarts well. He's reading amazingly well for his age. He's playing baseball this fall and loving it. He's got one foot in the big kid world and one still in the little kid world.
So that's us here and now. Thankful for all of God's provisions and blessings to our family, willing and waiting for the paths He chooses for us in the months and years to come.
(Now, I'm going to sneakily start backdating blog posts so my children have memories from childhood.)
