Crazy Whirlwind Called Life

Life is so crazy right now it is unbelievable!! Sometimes life is so hard to keep up with and if you aren't careful it can feel as though you are drowning.
We have spent the past month cleaning Shane's mom's house out, filling up two huge roll-away dumpsters and having a garage sale. People tend to accumulate a lot of things over the years and eventually things need to be cleaned out and gone through. Most people do this when loved ones have gone and it makes it hard for the loved ones left behind to have to sort through. As much work as it has been, it has been nice to have his mom there to help guide us through the process and let us know what she wants to keep and what needs to be thrown away. Now that all the hard work is done, we will move on to other things such as cleaning, making home improvements and deciding what to sell on e-bay and craigslist. We will work on this over the summer, makes me want to do the same to my home and helps me understand the importance of purging things every few years.
Damein has decided to go to the University of Missouri as of this week and was invited to go on a float trip with Phi Beta Theta in July. He is quite excited to continue through the next journey of his life. He has picked up some applications for summer jobs and is going to open his first bank accounts tomorrow. He is learning to understand a few things about responsibilities of adulthood and I am very proud that he is asking questions and asking for guidance throughout this process. It shows that even at the rebellious age of 18 he still respects his parents' opinions and guidance which makes me feel good about the adult he will become.
Darein is doing well with her brace and wearing it for the full time of 18 - 20 hours a day. She goes for a hearing test, lab research for her geneticist, orthopedic appointment and gastrointestinal doctor appointment in June. Damein also has MU orientation in June and will get set up with housing and set his schedule for his first semester, etc. I really need to schedule an appointment for Damein to get his wisdom teeth pulled and I need to get a tooth pulled as well as need an eye appointment. However, my time in a day is running short so we will have to take it one day at a time.
My parents' health is starting to deteriorate some and they are reaching a point where they are needing some help so me and Shane will start working towards helping them with a few things as well.
Life gets a little rougher the older we get. So many responsibilities and trying to find that right balance between "the changing of the guards", if you will...that point in life when your children get older and start moving out of the house, your parents' health starts deteriorating and because of all of the changes in life your marriage changes to a new level as well. None of it is bad, just learning to adjust to life and relationships as they change. The older I get, the more I understand my responsibilities to others in my family besides just my own. I started out being frustrated that I was always busy, then moved to just being tired from the new lifestyle and have now progressed on to understanding that if I wasn't busy I would be bored and that it is nice to wake up every morning now with a purpose to fulfill for people that I love. Made me grow up a little more quickly than I would have chosen but understand now what a blessing it is to be able to repay someone for all that they have done for you. Life is kinda funny like that...you just have to roll with the punches because you never know what it will surprise you with. I have grown so close with Shane's family as well as mine over the past few months and learned a new respect for life and family. None of us are perfect but it is nice to know that your family and friends closest to you are always there for you no matter what! Makes the journey much easier to endure when the tribulations occur :) We could never get through all that we do without the support of our family!! My mom called and asked me to go with her to Tulsa this Friday as she needs a riding partner for the day and I told her I would go with her if I could and asked that she go with me to St. Louis with sis as Shane has to work and she has agreed. My sister also offered to go with me to MU in Columbia if I need her to though I think Shane is going to be able to go. I could not do all that I do with my kids if it weren't for all the help I receive from my family and for that, I am forever grateful!!
I know my blog tonight is a little mushy but I hope that you are able to take some time to appreciate the people in your life because they are the ones that make life a little easier to get through. We all need family and friends to laugh with, cry with and to help us throughout life in general. This has been my lesson for this month and I hope that you reading this will realize what the people in your life mean to you and take the time to let them know.