August 2022 Family Update

What a non-stop month.

So. Much. Adulting.

So. Many. Appointments.

So. Many. Places. To. Be.

It’s a miracle I got any work done at all, honestly.

Our closing for the BFF got pushed back to the 5th of this month but it’s finally done. It was so bitter sweet. I picked the garden one last time and took the flowers to my sweet neighbor, Ms. Barbara. Mike was working out of town so I did the closing by myself. I will always love that little house and I’m so thankful for the 5 years we spent there. We were supposed to be there forever, but sometimes life doesn’t work out the way we plan or expect. I never thought it would end the way it did. It would be so easy to be bitter and angry, but I have too many happy memories there. Whenever I think about the Bishop Family Farm house, I have such a tender attitude towards it.

The new house is coming along. We’ve put together lots of furniture including new beds for both me and Skylar. We finally made it to the point of putting things on the wall, which makes it finally start to feel homey and put together. My tool kit is getting quite the workout. But, my favorite “room” of the house is the back porch. It’s so lovely and with the evening and morning temps – feels amazing out there!

Skylar’s activities have started back in full force. She’s had hockey practice and scouts and even went camping for the OA Induction weekend. She also started 10th grade. This will be our last year at LFA. Skylar is wanting to transition back to public school for her 11th and 12th grade years. I’ve always said I would follow her lead when it comes to her education and we would homeschool as long as it made sense. So, I think next year will look a little different. As for this year, she doesn’t love her classes but she’s powering through and doing well. I’m really proud of her but British Literature might be the death of both of us.

Ace graduated from his board & train program with Heather Pope and we are so proud of the progress he has made. He’s MUCH more chill and has much better listening skills. We are continuing to try and build on his training but I’m beyond grateful for the foundation that Heather has given us. It has made a huge difference in our experience at home.

Some of you may remember that last November, Onyx developed a sudden limp that would come and go and then eventually stayed constant. We did x-rays, anti-inflammatories, steroids, and even crate rest with no improvement. We were told our options were surgery or a new type of radioactive gel for dysplasia. But first, she would need an MRI to the tune of $2500 to identify the affected area. Ouch! I continued to look for alternatives and decided to try chiropractic just to see what would happen. We had her first visit with Dr. Vear and it went very well. I really like his approach! He doesn’t think it’s her wrist, elbow, or shoulder. He thinks it’s her neck. There wasn’t much improvement after her first adjustment but I have noticed some changes after her 2nd visit. We have some daily stretches to incorporate but I’m hopeful we are on the right track and can avoid surgery.

Now that we officially live in Wilson County, Skylar was able to enter some things into the fair competitions. We were so excited that she received two 3rd place ribbons, one for her charcoal art and another for her crochet toy. I always enjoy walking around the fair, seeing the exhibits, and eating yummy food. This year was no different but it was definitely a little more exciting walking into the Exhibit Hall and seeing a ribbon pinned next to your kid’s name!

At the end of the month, Skylar and I popped down to Birmingham to celebrate K-Diddy & Mimi’s 25th wedding anniversary. Those two have had dinner at the Bright Star every anniversary since they’ve been married. This time, we had around 20 guests (close friends & family) join in for dinner and cake. It was a really special evening and I’m so glad we were able to be there.