Before I jump into this post, I want to let everyone know that you have all been on my mind. This post was actually written quite a while ago, but I just haven’t had the time to publish anything. So this post, as well as the next couple of posts will be catching everyone up on what has been going on around here, and some lessons I have learned along the way.

The saying seems so cliché. April Showers Bring May Flowers. I’m actually writing this as a metaphor, instead of referring to it as the traditional weather reference.  I’m afraid, my friends, that I haven’t written in so so long, because we have been busy. 

Unfortunately, not just with “every day busy”. Rather our hearts and lives have been filled with many blessings, many losses, milestones and memories alike. Honestly, I wasn’t quite sure where to start with this, so I suppose I will start at the beginning. 

Working From Home Has Been A Dream Come True

The last time I wrote, I announced that I was going to be working from home full time in the post “Big Changes for 2021”. If you are new to my blog, I am pleased to let you know that I am a full time freelance Ecommerce Virtual Assistant. The road wasn’t easy, by any means, but it has most definitely paid off! In many more ways than one. 

Unfortunately I got the opportunity to take advantage of the freedom I needed and wanted when I was trying to make freelancing my reality. 

**Edit** Since I have written this post, my main freelance contract has ended, and it was hard. However, I have recently accepted a full time remote position with a company that does exactly what I have been specializing in for the last eight years. I am beyond excited for this opportunity, and will still get to enjoy the freedom I wanted while I was freelancing, with more benefits including job security and benefits!  

Lots of Loss in April

Many of you that follow my blog, know that I lost my mom two years ago in April. I talk about the experience, and what I went through in the post A Mother’s Love is Immortal, Even Though She Isn’t. The month in general is hard on my emotions, and there’s not a whole lot I can do to control it, yet. Unfortunately this April, we also lost Bub’s dad. The relationship that Bubs and his dad had was very complicated. But that doesn’t mean it wasn’t a hard loss. 

The first weekend of April, we took a trip to visit his dad, because he wasn’t doing very well. (So it wasn’t an unexpected loss). We had a nice visit, and Bubs and I got to make a weekend away out of the whole situation. Then about a week later, we received the bad news. 

In The Middle Of A Memory

It just so happens that as we received the news of his dad passing, we were right in the middle of prom festivities for our oldest daughter. Junior Prom. Most definitely kind of a big deal. We had lots of plans already in motion, and since his dad was in a healthcare facility there wasn’t anything that we could actually do until Monday, anyway. So, we continued with prom! 

It was most definitely a time to remember. The morning of her prom, Cassidy and I got up early (really early) to do hair and make up. Then we had a nice lunch with Bubs, Cassidy, Khalub, Jos, Cassidy’s boyfriend, his brother and parents as well! It was such a nice time. 

• 

• 

• 

• 

After that, we headed back to our house, where Cassidy and Dre got dressed. Then we headed off to take photos at the park by our house where we were met by a lot more family that we didn’t know was going to be there. It was chaotic, and hectic, but made for a great memory! A day that I will never forget. 

Here, they have a tradition of “Grand March”. This is where before prom starts, all of the parents take a seat in the bleachers of the gym, and they announce couples as they walk across the floor, and we get to take photos. Kind of like royalty. There are various backdrops set up in all of the corners around the perimeter of the gym. I never heard of that, because I went to school with thousands of kids. It was absolutely beautiful! Another tradition is for the Junior parents to chaperone post prom. After the grand march was over, we got just a tiny bit of free time to go home and get something to eat before going back to the school. We were at the school from 11pm – 4am. It was absolutely exhausting, but we had a good time and enjoyed ourselves. The kids had a lot of fun, and were even entertained by a hypnotist! 

Travel Time! 

After all of the festivities the day of prom, the following morning we were exhausted! We were finally able to get home and get some sleep. Then just a few short hours later, we had to get up and pack our bags to head to Minnesota. It was a long drive, but we got there safely. By the time we got there, it was also pretty late. We had just enough time to enjoy the pool for a little bit before heading back to the room to get ready for bed. 

The next couple of days were filled with family, traveling, and chaos. Lots of food, and lots of emotions. As you can imagine, we never really got any time to catch up on our sleep, let alone catch our breath with everything going on around us. Our stay actually got extended by a day because we had to wait for his dad’s ashes. By this time, all of Bub’s siblings and mom had already left to return back to “their normal”, and get back to work and their immediate families. It wasn’t such a kid friendly trip. 

• 

• 

Once we checked out of the hotel, I noticed a nice little shop across the street that makes and sells their own homemade fudge. We stopped in, to kill a little bit of time before our appointment to pick up the ashes. I am so glad we did! It was the cutest and sweetest little shop I have seen in a long time. I wanted to get something for all of the kids, and before we stopped there I wasn’t quite sure what to get them. This little shop had just the thing – for each of them. 

Life Realizations

Then, we made our journey back home, the Tuesday after Easter. Once we got home, we had only a teeny tiny bit of time to breathe before our next endeavors took place. It was really hard on me emotionally. During the month of April I had to face a couple of realizations. The first one being that my mom passed two years before all this had taken place. I was still grieving for my mom, and now I had to comfort those around me for their loss. All while trying to be strong dealing with my own grief. The second big realization was that my babies are all growing up. I don’t have much time left with all of my kids, including my nieces and nephews. Within a very short timespan of three years, five of the kids I have been nurturing and loving will be all grown up and leaving to go out on their own endeavors and journey’s. The very first being my niece Ari, who graduated this year and is soon to leave for the military.  

Many other things came up in April leading into May, but these are the most significant. Life is changing for me, in tons of ways. I am excited, but nervous and a bit sad. I hope that any of you reading this will relate. 

Tell me how your life is changing in the comments, I can’t wait to hear from you!