Blessings

 All last week after coming home from Hawaii I was in a funk.  I know a big part of it was physical as I was trying to adjust back to my central time zone but the other part was all mental.  It was kind of depressing to come back to reality.  I wasn't able to ease back into reality either.  I literally dove in head first but such is life, right?  If it sounds like I'm complaining....I am.  Keep reading though.  Two days ago which just happened to be Sunday morning I woke up and gave myself grace.  I didn't worry about getting in my 11,000 steps and I ate what I wanted.  I slept in.  I relaxed.  I called Jenny and we caught up on my trip and her upcoming trip to TN.  I sternly told myself that I was going to wake up on Monday morning and get back into my routine and then the glass is half full girl within myself came out.  God reminded me in that moment of all my blessings and they are plentiful.  

#1 - Mike and I were able to take our boys on an amazing vacation.  We created memories that will last a lifetime. For me personally, our trip will forever remain a sweet spot in my heart.  I loved having my boys go with us, especially Jay, knowing he might not have been able to go because of work or choose not to go.  He is 19 after all.  I loved seeing Nick snorkel and doing Nick things which is pretty much anything and everything.   

#2 - Mike is fully engaged in home inspection.  I will blog more about this in another blog but when I look back over the last five years I have to pinch myself.  I won't say it's been easy but doors have been opened for Mike that God has blessed immeasurably.  

#3 - Nick's leg recovered.  He is now back to life on two legs.  He hasn't been cleared for football yet but that's his only restriction.  His break could have been so much worse and I know God's hand of protection was over him that day.  He wasn't able to work this summer as he had planned but the minute he recovered and we got home from Hawaii jobs have literally fell into his lap and he's working like a typical Siebert boy.  Ha!  He's working so much that he'll have saved what we require in order for him to buy a car.  It's hard to believe we'll soon be car shopping for him.  

#4 - Jay really seems to like his plumbing job.  It's funny how life comes full circle.  Jay works for my friend, Philip.  Philip and I worked together for years and I would come to work, sit in my cubicle day after day and he would have me in gales of laughter.  He made work fun.  Philip is an all around good guy.  My prayer for Jay during his senior year and after was that he would work with godly men with good character.  Talk about a prayer being answered.  Jay comes home and shares funny stories with us. Philip is patient while Jay learns and makes the job fun.  My prayer is that Jay continues to gain more confidence in his trade/career.  

#5 - As for me.  Life is good.  While it's true my job has been a thorn in my side since being thrown into a new territory almost 18 months ago I feel like I'm slowly coming out of the fog and into the light.  I'm blessed to have the job I do and I continue to love working from home and having that flexibility. 

#6 - I live in America and I'm a proud American.  

All of these blessings were a good reminder of the sweet season of life I'm in. I give glory to God for all of my blessings.  

Reality

 To say I'm having a hard time "settling back in" this week would be an understatement.  I'm in a  Hawaiian vacation fog and the five hour time difference has taken it's toll on me.  Before I left for Hawaii I was getting up every morning at 5:30 a.m. and taking an invigorating walk.  Even when I was in Hawaii I met my 11,000 step goal nearly everyday.  Since I've gotten home I've gotten up zero times in the morning to walk.  This morning I slept in until 6:45 which is pretty much unheard of for me, even on the weekends.  Somehow I'm still managing to get in my 11,000 steps but I've been sluggish.  My legs feel like lead weights when I do walk.  I decided to give myself some grace.  I need some time to get back into the reality of life when for 8 days I literally lived in paradise.  Not that I'm complaining or anything.....wink, wink!  I'm confident by next week I'll get my groove back.  I've continued to fall short of my weight loss goals.  I was within 3.5 lbs of meeting my goal before I left for Hawaii.  Clearly I need to re-evaluate that next week and prepare myself mentally for my continued health goals, even though all I really want to do is lay on the beach, laugh with my family and drink the Hawaiian vodka Mike bought for me.  Reality has a way of really biting you in the you know what. 

Our Hawaii Vacation

I'm writing this while still being on my Hawaiian high!  This vacation was no joke.  It was truly amazing.  Clearly I am in love with Hawaii and so is Mike!  The boys loved it too but their hearts are still with the cruise we took in 2019.  Don't get me wrong, that was an awesome vacation and it's not that I liked this vacation over the cruise.  In fact we all had different things about the cruise and this vacation that we liked or wished we could change.  For example the great thing about the cruise was our food was always taken care of.  We never had to think about.  The not so great thing about this vacation was our food was not taken care of and since Hawaii had just opened up from Covid there were huge staffing issues.  We found it impossible to get reservations and to make it worse our fridge in our condo didn't work.  We never starved (ha) but coming up with ideas on what to eat and then actually trying to eat it was challenging.  What I liked about this vacation was the slower pace and there weren't crowds.  I would get up nearly every morning and walk with Kim or Mike.  I loved, loved, loved every minute I got to spend with Karen and my cousins.  Lauren was an absolute joy and I so enjoyed spending the time with her and Kim. I am truly blessed by my family.  Everyday we would do our own activities and in the afternoon we'd meet up at the pool with our cocktails and laugh and talk for hours.  The weather was absolute perfection.  One day we drove the Jeep into the mountain and got 10,000 feet up.  Another morning, 1:30 am, to be precise Mike and I star - gazed.  We all snorkeled and loved it.  Nick adores snorkeling and would have snorkeled all day if we let him but my children being in the ocean tends to give me a heart attack!  Mike and Jay took a helicopter ride one day and boy was it memorable for them.  Jay was literally speechless afterwards and Mike couldn't stop talking about it.  One afternoon Kim and I sat in the pool and chatted with Jay about Jesus.  My heart was so full to learn he was a believer - that my hope when I was taking him to church all those years which he remembered vividly - even the early days of going to the little church in Danvers.  Kim and I were giddy with excitement to learn Jay's hope had been placed in Jesus and not the influence of our culture.  And speaking of Jay, Mike and I were so aware this might have been his last vacation with us.  I just felt very strongly this was our last vacation as a family of four.  It's not that I don't think Jay won't go on vacation with us again but next time he may bring a girlfriend.  Nick may bring a friend next time also. All of these future changes are wonderful and part of life.  I welcome and look forward to more family vacations with daughter in laws, friends and additional family.  There was just something so sweet about being together in Hawaii as a family of four.  Time changes everything and my boys being ages 19 and 15 is a clear indicator of that.  Check out the adorable picture I took of them above.  I could write so much more but to put it simply my heart is full.  My family filled my cup this week and this trip will be one for the memory books.  

One last thing I should mention: Traveling to Hawaii is like childbirth.  It's so painful at the time and you swear that after you do it once you won't ever do it again but then years go by and you forget about the pain and decide to do it again because you just love it so much!  Ha.  Mike and I love Hawaii and although the flight is miserable I'm pretty sure we'll forget all about it and venture to another island in the years to come!  
 

Our 4th of July

My friend, Erin, had her annual shrimp boil yesterday.  I look forward to it every year.  About six families started this tradition years ago.  In thinking back I believe Mike and I have been going with our boys for 7 years.  It has changed through the years.  We started in Minier and now Erin hosts.  Sadly we've lost a few people to divorce.  We were also formed together because of our older kids (Jay's group) and those older boys have all grown up.  Once they started driving they would show up for the food and leave which pretty much still happens.  Yesterday only Jay, Reece and Jeremy were there.  The weather was great and the food was delish!  

Nick and I ended the night by watching fireworks from our county road.  

Nick was able to take his boot off and play volleyball in the pool.  He had a great time. 

 The look of this is always kind of gross to me but let me tell you it truly is so good!  My favorite is the shrimp.....the crawfish though, not so much. 

Our summer....so far

 We had horrible rain last weekend and mom's basement flooded.  As always, Mike came to the rescue and this time so did Jay.  He used his plumbing skills and installed a new sump pump for his Nana.  Just yesterday I coordinated a group of Nick's friends and they helped Mike tear up all of mom's carpet.  It worked out well.  Mom paid the boys and Mike didn't have to do all the work himself.  Jay is with his friends this fourth of July of weekend.  We hardly see him on the weekends and this weekend is no different.  Nick is back and forth also.  He fishes, he swims, or he's going to a friends house.  Every Saturday night gives Mike and I a taste of what empty nesting looks like.  Nick also got his cast off a week ago!  He is in a boot but getting around on two legs with no pain.  I am beyond thankful to God for his goodness and protection over Nick.  

Glory Be - Ausili comes to IL for a visit

What a week it's been!  I have to many things to write about and update my blog about but first things first.  Mike Ausili came back for a visit this week.  It's his first visit since he left 3 years ago.  Sadly the visit wasn't for pleasure, he came back to visit his sweet Nan who is not doing well.  It was a spur of the moment trip.  He booked a flight on Monday, June 28 and Sieb picked him up at the airport at midnight on Monday night.  He was with us Tuesday and Wednesday and left on Thursday.  We loved every second of his visit.  It was just like old times.  We laughed, we ate and Sieb and Mike drank whiskey together every night before bed.  Nick was over the moon to see Mike!  The picture of the three of was taken by me on Wednesday night.  Mike got Sieb to take a walk - a miracle - so I had to document with a picture.  Jenny and the kids were missed but we were thankful for our short but blessed visit with Mike.  And Mike's Nan is holding her own.  I am glad he was able to spend time with her.