Spring cleaning...

I couldn't take it any longer... Saturday I HAD to clean out our pantry! I was gross! It needed a good wipe down, clean out, sorting and organizing! Badly! I wish my niece were here, she is the pantry organizing queen and I needed someone like that around. It has been such a painful process. Not exciting and revitalizing like I thought at all.

The teenager took everything out for me... no before shots, it was really that bad!!

I didn't think I was going to fall into my "Type A" personality over the unload, but when he got done and every surface in my kitchen and dining room was completely cluttered. I became type A woman again! Uggg! I hate it when that happens.

It wouldn't have been a huge problem if I would have been able to get it all done in one day. But that didn't happen... I went into type A overdrive and decided since everything was out of the panty, it might be the only time ever I had to paint the inside of it.

Again, not a big deal except, that took me all afternoon Saturday, I was at church meetings from 9am - 530pm on Sunday... so nothing got done and I wasn't able to finish painting until Monday.

Then it needed time to dry. So for 4 days my kitchen was out of commission. That has been rough.

Now everything I want to go back in the pantry is back in there and sort of orderly (I hate big ol' deep shelves)... and my kitchen and dining room is still a disaster area. I am not sure what to do with some "stuff" that came out, that doesn't belong back in there. So it is like I just opened a big ol' can of worms and it's growing amd I can't get it done and over with! Eeeeekkkkk! It hasn't been the good clean nice refreshing new feeling I had hoped for when I started.

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The good news is... my spices are in alphbetical order now... that is cool! And there is no grody syrup or soy sauce dripped on the shelves anymore, or dog food and cereal spilt on the floor amongst grubby boxes of misc jars I kept meaning to unload. That part is really good!

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I thought pushing myself to finish a project that had been on my mind for a long time would be a good thing. I thought just making time to do it was a good way to push myself. But sometimes it is better to wait for a good opportunity for these things and plan them out.

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Bottom line, it is done... kind of. And even though my strong silent mysterious man never understood why I would paint the inside of a "closet"... I am glad I did.

Winter snuggle...

I caught these two snuggling! Rudy has been cold all winter, so he is resorting to letting the big dogs let him snuggle up to them. Yes, that is right... he is allowing them to love him. It is always his way; no highway option when he is around.

As a result, I think it is softening him and his nurturing instincts are coming alive!

He keeps cleaning their faces.... Morgan is really tolerant of him, but she does make gurgling sounds and grumbling noises... like she is really having to endure! She makes those same noises standing at the side of our bed when the teenager has sprawled out and she can't get in his bed at night. Like she is really trying to let us know, she is mistreated. She talks back and murmmers almost as much as the teenager these days, she has become really vocal.

It's so funny.

Taylor won't sit still this long like Morgan does, she will roll over and try to get him to play.. and lately he is feeling really spry; so it kind of works for her. Then it goes from a nurturing session to an all out rip roaring run through the house.

We just love our dogs!

Re-Entry...

Re Entry is a good way to imagine all of the many the challenges that occur when one of our family members has been pulled from the home and their regular course of living into a different lifestyle for a period of time, and then is thrown back into the regular course of living and all of the trials and adjustments for everyone that happens during the period of time afterward.

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We have experienced this in the past when I have gone to girls camp for a week at a time. Me, surrounded by girls all week, and teaching the gospel, and out in nature... and the boys with their freedom from Mom being here to enforce all the responsibilities of home.... totally different for both us, and then re entry back into our regular responsible course of living...

it is difficult for EVERYONE, and can be intense at times!

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There are many different worldly ways to understand Re Entry:

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Atmospheric reentry is the movement of human-made or natural objects as they enter the atmosphere of a planet from outer space, in the case of Earth from an altitude above the "edge of space". It involves high velocity, extreme heat, things will break off from the vehicle during re entry. It sounds really intense!

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There is also Prisoner Re Entry which involves the use of programs targeted at promoting the effective reintegration of offenders back to communities upon release from prison and jail. The process for them can involve re teaching of life skills needed to succeed in the community and become law-abiding citizens using tools like drug rehabilitation and vocational training, and work programs, and implements accountability. Very intense as well!

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Then have you ever heard of Wave Re Entry?

The "backside re-entry" in surfing is a fairly basic move, but it requires excellent timing and body positioning to be completed effectively and avoid severe injury. Extreme intensity!!

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I also heard about a program that teaches Re Entry from Study Abroad... I had never even thought of that! But having a friend that recently did this in England and returned... I could relate to the challenges that re entry would provoke. Going abroad and having a powerful experience and so much potential of great personal growth, mobilizing social skills and activating civil engagement, and all the enhancement for a future professional life and the knowledge you would gain in every aspect of your life from this kind of adventure... and then how to apply that back into the world you lived back home. More intense than I had even thought about!

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Depending on your perspective, Re Entry can mean different things, with different experiences, and challenges, and levels of difficulty and varying degrees of danger.

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But rest assured, we are living it here and now... and it is INTENSE!!!