Picture catch up

 I'm so proud of Nick.  He and Mike have found a HUGE (used) fish tank about 2 hours from here.  Mike wants to hire movers to simply get the fish tank out of the basement.  Nick has been calling movers to find out if any company would move the tank from the basement and into Mike's truck.  I give him a lot of credit!  He is polite, articulate and asks the right questions.  Sadly, however, he still hasn't been able to find movers to take on this small of a job.

 Ausili's came out a week ago.  As I write this Faith is feeling SO much better, but on this night she was still not feeling the greatest so she cuddled up on the couch and got some love from Jay, Cole and Curt.

 Basketball ended for Nick two days ago.  Hallejah!  It was a LONG season.  It always is, but sadly this season presented some challenges for Jay and Nick.  Challenges aren't a bad thing and I believe they will overcome them, but it was challenging enough that it made for a very long season.  The picture above is of Nick and his friend, B.

 Nick is number 55!  I did see Nick improve through the season and I saw the most progress the last two weeks.  Also, on a positive note Nick displays exceptional sportsmanship, which is noticed by many.  Good job, Nick!

 I am really behind in blogging.  We had Luke's bday party about two weeks ago.  I look like death but it's because I was just getting over from being sick - like really sick.  Kim had breakfast for dinner for Luke's party!

Happy 7th Birthday, Luke!!

Catching our breath

I admit I've been in a sour mood this entire week.  I am trying to slowly recover from last week.  I'm trying to absorb the news that Ausili's are leaving, and it's really hard.  I've pretty much walked around the house with a Kleenex in hand and puffy eyes.  But through all the sadness I see light.  God is good at that.  Last night Sarah, Jenny and I had dinner together.  When Jenny got up to use the restroom, Sarah reached across the table, grabbed my hand, with tears in her eyes she said she hoped that even though Jenny was leaving that it wouldn't change our friendship.  With tears streaming down my cheeks I told her this common hurt we share will only make us stronger & closer.  As usual God has continued to bless me with amazing friends.  The news continues to be dominated about the school shooting in Parkland, FL last week.  As a parent of a middle schooler and high schooler, my heart is broken over the devastating loss of the 17 precious children & teachers who lost their lives senselessly.  Then Billy Graham died this week, although it's sad, it's also joyous.  Reverend Graham was 99 years old and loved Jesus Christ.
I am committing to blogging more.  My goodness I haven't even posted a picture of the boys lately.  In regards to the boys, they are good!  Jay is done with basketball.  It wasn't his best season personally, but his team won games, which was refreshing.  Jay will be having more private basketball lessons.  Whether or not he decides to play his junior year remains to be seen, but he was interested enough to continue his private lessons, so we'll see.  Nick has his final basketball tournament tomorrow.  His season was just okay also, and I don't know if he'll play next year or not.  His biggest challenge will be whether or not he can make the team.  I want to spend the next several months just trying to catch my breath.  I'm so thankful for so many things.  Mike's business continues to do well.  My boys are healthy and I'm surrounded by family and good friends.  Life is good, even during times of change.

What the heck happened this week?

What the heck happened this week was a question Nick asked just last night after a week of disappointments, illnesses, a car accident and the straw that broke the camels back, Ausili's are moving to Dallas.  Not to mention the absolute sadness I feel over the lives lost in Parkland, FL from yet another school shooting.  This was when Nick finally asked the question in his big booming voice, "What the heck happened this week?"  It was like this week literally blew up in our face.  Some weeks are just like that but this week tested me in every way. It all started with illness.  Mike got sick about 3 weeks ago and this week was so sick he missed an entire day of work.  Mike has to be near death to miss work, so yes he was near death.  This was no joking matter.  I forced him to go to the doctor and as I write this blog he's turned a corner and is slowly coming back to life.  I was sick all last week, like super sick, and haven't felt like myself since before I got sick.  It's like I've been walking around in a fog, which leads me to first big hit this week.  We had such gloomy, foggy weather that Faith got in a car accident this week.  She is okay and so were the others involved in the accident.  All I know for certain is God's hand protected her and the others, and in the midst of my heartache and disappointment this week I have a thankful heart.  I hugged her so tightly today that I thought I'd strain her already strained neck.  Life is precious, friends, as if I even had to tell you that.  Several weeks ago I learned that my dear friend, Mary, was moving "back home."  In fact she had put an offer in on a house (and they had accepted) only 20 minutes from me.  I was elated, but I also knew there was a chance the Ausili's could get a transfer with Mike's job at any time.  I pushed it out of my head as I could almost feel God saying, "Amy, I'm taking the Ausili's, but I'm giving you Mary."  And I've learned that I know nothing.  God is God and I am not.  Mary texted me this week and the sale on her house that was only 20 minutes from me fell through.  That's not to say she is not moving back home, but things are up in the air for her and John right now and it most definitely means she won't be living 20 minutes from me.  This news came from Mary on the day after Faith's accident.  Then last night I learned that Ausili's will be moving to Dallas.......13 hours from us.  I don't even have the words to write articulately at this point.  I only write to document.  I am not thinking clearly and my only laughter comes from my friend, Sarah, who loves Jenny as much as I do.  Her and I are joking that we'll have Sieb make us a She Shed and we'll drive it down to Texas and we'll make Sieb be our bartender!  In every situation I try to see some humor and I've certainly learned to be thankful in all things.  I am thankful for Sarah.  I am thankful that although things are up in the air for Mary, that house she was going to buy was not the right house for her.  There will be another house for her, in fact it will be "the house" and it will be just right for her and John.  I am thankful, oh so thankful, that Faith is okay.  I am thankful for my mother who feels every bit as sad over this news as I am, and sees the Ausili's as an extension of her family.  I will continue to pray that Dallas is where God wants the Ausili's to be and that He uses them for His glory.  In the meantime I will allow myself to feel just a little broken and devastated over the changes that are sure to come.  My husband is losing his brother, as that is what Mike Ausili has been to him, a brother, who not only was his childhood friend, but who stood by him during his job loss, prayed for him for years and then baptized him.  In putting a positive spin on this, there are good times to be had in Dallas and there is a direct flight from our local airport.  I've already promised Jenny that on the day she leaves I will never touch another cosmo again, unless I'm with her, as that is our cocktail!  I promise in the months to come I will have a more coherent blog filled with wisdom and encouragement.........Or at least I'll try anyway.

Pulling Staples

I have a new appreciation for my husband and the work he does.  Last night the boys and I assisted Mike in pulling staples out of a floor and it was awful.  The boys had done this work for Mike before and were "pros" at it.  Me, not so much.  After 3 hours my hands, wrists and shoulders were on fire, and even though I only had maybe another 30 minutes of work, I quit.  That's right, I quit!  I threw my tool down and said I was done!  Then I confronted Mike about this whole staple pulling business.  Was this something he did consistently?  He smiled and patiently said that it wasn't something he did consistently, but when he does floors (which he does a lot in my opinion) the staples have to be pulled.  I asked him how long that takes him, on average?  He said depending on the space it can range anywhere from 4 - 6 hours!!  Four to six hours, that insanity, I exclaimed!  He said he puts his ear buds in, plays music and pulls away.  Mike also does things ergonomically correct, so there is very little strain to his body, although he tells me his body feels pain everyday.  There was nothing ergonomically correct in the way I was pulling those staples.  Nick and Mike took every opportunity to tell me I was putting way more strain on my body than I needed to, which after awhile their well intended advice got annoying.  In any case, my point is, Mike works hard, literally, and although I have always known this, I had to experience it to fully appreciate it.  It's kind of like being a parent.  No one can tell you what it's like until you actually do it and experience it.  The reality is I didn't even get to experience the full extent of Mike's work but it was enough for me to know, I never want to pull staples again!