Yes, I am alive!

I know it has been a ridiculous amount of time since I have written a blog.  For those who have noticed the absence, I am sorry.  I hope it makes you feel better to know that Brian has been hounding me to write one since July.  :)

So, you are probably wondering what life has been like since Brian has been off Break-In.  To sum it up...busy!  He is loving his job!  He has been working weekend graves, and it has not been that bad.  It is a little harder to make plans with friends who work "normal" hours, but it is not impossible.  I feel like we are getting used to this schedule, and of course that means that it is changing soon.  In October his office is switching to ten hour shifts and Brian will switch to swing shift.  Brian is happy about this change, but to be honest, I am not so sure.  Like all shifts, it will have good things and bad things, I am just hoping the good is in a larger quantity.  I know I shouldn't worry.  Especially since I know at the end of October it will hit me that I am surviving the dreaded change.  I will say to myself, "Huh, I am living through the dreaded change. Guess it was not that bad".  Yes, I talk to myself, usually in my head, but not always.  Don't judge. ;) 

The girls are doing great!  A just had her 8th birthday, and invited all the girls in her class to the party!  It was CRAZY! There was also a slumber party, but with only five girls. (THANK GOODNESS!!)  She is now a big 3rd grader!  H just started 1st grade, and is, so far, loving it.  M is going to all day preschool two days a week, which leaves me childless two days a week!  The first day is already filled up with working at the Pregnancy Help Center.  The other day happens to be one of Brian's days off, which means DATE DAY!!  Date day is sometimes spent doing not so "date" things, like cleaning out the garage, but still, NO KIDS! :) Both A and H are playing soccer, luckily on the same team.  Brian has only been able to make it to one game, but he takes them to practice the majority of the time and let's M tag along.  Which is nice, because it gives me a break and him Daddy daughter time.  My girls have such a great Daddy!  :)

As for me I am as busy as ever. Besides all the normal stuff and being a taxi for the girls, I have been working more at the PHC!  I also met a new friend a couple months ago who just happens to be a Chippy wife!  She fits right in with the BFF and Bestie at the play dates and movie nights!  My kids love her kids! Our husbands have stuff in common.  So her family has become apart of our family.  Both Brian and I feel very blessed to have the friends we have, and we are happy to have them join the family.  Plus, it is nice to be able to have "my husband is working/ the kids are driving me bonkers/ I don't want to be by myself" play dates with her.  I really feel it was a God thing that I met her.  I was beginning to think I was not going to find a friend that was 1) in the CHP family, 2) was local, and we could actually do things together, 3) had similar beliefs/ lifestyles.  Don't get me wrong, I love my friends that I already had.  Each one is special, amazing, and unique; but, according to the books and the people who ran the spouse panel, it is important to have friends inside the CHP.  I already had my friends I made during the academy, but none of them are near me.  When I mentioned to Brian how I was feeling, he told me to pray about it.  The next day she came into the PHC to interview to be a volunteer.  COME ON! Isn't that awesome!  It is not often that I get and answer to a prayer that quickly!  THEN, a couple weeks later, I ran into a friend from high school who is also a CHP wife!  Now she comes to the "my husband is working/ the kids are driving me bonkers/ I don't want to be by myself" play dates. I don't know if you can tell but I feel very blessed lately!

That is about it!  Things are going good.  Blessed and busy!!  Hopefully, I get the chance to write again soon.

Blessings,
~Cara