A Full Friday

 Allie and I had a later start than normal in honor of Christmas Break. We did find our way to breakfast study. 

I had an hour and a half between getting home and needing to leave again. I dusted and swept in the new guest room. I also moved boxes I could manage from the closet in the guest room and I located all the linens for the bed. 

Michael had lunch with Alex. He ran a couple of errands and came home. 

I spent the afternoon with CoRielle's boys so they could go out to celebrate their anniversary! We had a hot chocolate party, played games, played in the gym in their garage, got out the costumes and Benny proved to be an excellent hider. 

table fellowship

Mario Tower

Swing, balance boards, mini trampoline -punching bag not seen

Charles told me he was Jesus - but Benny was having NONE of that. "Charles, you are a PIE-RATE." Charles immediately responded appropriately with a hearty, ARRRGGGH!! ::snort:: 

Charles makes a great pirate

I got home to see a Prius in our driveway. It was either Jamin or Jenni. Our day had been busy enough that I wasn't in the loop. LOL 

Stacia, Michael and Jenni 

It was Jenni...cribbage has become a thing in our home again. Someone suggested a new board but turns out this is Grandpa G's cribbage board...so we'll get some pegs to replace the toothpicks and keep the old board. ::snort::  We played and had pizza.

GG has been enjoying puzzles. He informed me as I walked in the door, he had finished 2 puzzles. This means Michael and Stacia have sat and worked on puzzles with him. 

 Allie was out at a school banquet/dance...Stacia didn't have the emotional bandwidth to attend a school banquet and dance. Still too much pain...Josiah is the one she has memories of dancing with...she has a very busy weekend coming up and we were happy to have her at home. She did a bit more work on play props and we watched another silly Christmas Movie. Though I am liking the true meaning of Christmas which makes it into the Christmas movies from Great American media movies. 

Counselors, books and friends all assure me its normal for grief to be exhausting and distracting. For a high-energy, fairly focused person this new persona is alarming. They assure me my energy will return...and someday I'll be able to be in a group again and not lose my focus or train of thought... that day is not today! I love to burn a pillar and a couple of taper candles in the morning when I seek Jesus for daily grace.  Last night I discovered I had left the candles to burn all day. The tapers were gone, and the pillar was still burning. I put in two beeswax candles I had and lit them yesterday morning. I found them tonight...again.  The pillar has maybe an hour left in it. I may have to swear off flames for a bit. 

On the grief front, I did not tear up or cry in the morning. That was a welcome pause. I didn't make it all day...but you know...ups and downs. 

GRACE NOTES

1. Still very thankful for the margin in our lives which allowed us to serve CoRielle, Alex in addition to our homefolk today. 

2. Chickens keep laying 2 dozen eggs each day! I have no clue WHY? I suspect they saw the 12 new chicks and decided they'd better up their game this winter. We hoped for 6 - 9 a day through the winter. WE HAVE A FRIDGE FULL OF EGGS. 

3. Games and pizza with Jenni.