Summer of Change

Life is never stagnant and is always in motion. Therefore, it is always and ever-changing. Sometimes it seems as though nothing is really happening and then one day you wake up and realize that everything has changed!

This summer of 2009 has definitely been full of big changes. Confirmations, Proms, Graduations, Birthdays, College, Babies. Probably some of the most significant of those changes are the additional titles that I have been blessed to receive.

My newest one will be Nana by way of our oldest daughter's first baby! Or Grandma, or whatever this sweet angel who is set to make his/her appearance in early 2010 decides to call me. For now, I will call myself Nana because that is what my mom was to my children, and my grandmothers were to me. It just seems to fit.

Bean has completed her journey as a homeschooler/highschooler and is set to embark upon a new career as a Freshman at Franciscan University. We also celebrated her 18th birthday in June which seems to open up a whole new world merely because of a number.

I know that she is going to be just fine out there in the world, but I can't help but worry. It's just how I am made! The quote that keeps popping up in my mind as I travel this new path is, "You pray, let God worry!" I like that. I think I'll keep it! Will I practice it? That is yet to be seen.

Bean and I will leave next week to travel to Ohio and get her settled into her dorm. While I look forward with great anticipation to some cooler temperatures with less humidity, I am not very excited about leaving one of my children behind as I come back home.

My 44th year started with great celebration. I love being surrounded by my family and friends. I realized this past weekend that I am not only going to miss Bean terribly, but many of her wonderful friends that I have come to know and love will be heading off to various locales as well and the ones that will stay close to home probably won't be visiting as much anymore. I wish I could adopt them all as my own! I will miss each one of them and pray each day for them.

My running has been a total sham this summer so far. I think with all that is preoccupying my mind, my heart just isn't in it. I've battled scheduling issues, sick children, and my own lack of motivation. I am running some, but not the amounts that I need in order to properly train for anything at this point. I am hoping that September will provide me a shot of spunk to get it in gear.

Another change we have made around the F-Troop home is that we have decided to go Vegan to try to clean up our diets and hopefully put an end to the never-short-on-supply allegies that some of us seem to be plagued with. It has been interesting preparing different foods, shopping in areas of the grocery store that we never knew existed!

We have been following The Engine 2 Diet and plan to stick with it for the suggested 28 days. Some of us will continue with it past the 28 days, others may decide to add in a few of the old favorites from time to time.

I suppose the goal of all change is to find the lessons in them that we can take away with us. Change brings us closer to the person we strive to be, and that which changes will most probably change again.

Enjoy the ride!