Virtual Vacation

Welcome to February. How did we get so far into the new year so fast?

I know why it went so quickly for us, but it is still hard to believe that it is almost the middle of February. The last several months have been a roller coaster. Since December, we have taken on an 11 year old boy through foster care, dealt with 7 weeks of adjusting to being a family of 4, one week of which included a hospitalization for our foster son, and finally yesterday we said an emotional, tear-filled good-bye.

None of this was easy. We did not expect to say good-bye so soon. I cannot begin to describe the number of completely insane experiences we have had or the amount we have learned about children who have been abused and neglected.

With our foster son gone, it is strange to be back in open waters again so-to-speak. My brain has been in crisis mode for 7 weeks and is now relaxing. Creativity, while it has been stifled, is now flooding my mind again. It is almost crippling how many ideas have overpowered me in the last 24 hours just knowing my life has returned to a state of normalcy. I am sleeping better, I am relaxing, but I am unsure how to proceed. We are still dealing with the loss of someone very special to us. We know as he moves on, his life will not be as easy as ours is (or has ever been). And there are still things to do. Boxes to pack. Budgets to reconcile. Bathrooms to disinfect. Family time to have. Church commitments to fulfill.

I want to shut down, but can't. I want to go on vacation, but that would be unwise.

So instead, I am giving myself a couple of hours today to let the creativity in my brain to flow. No commitments. Just blog reading, pinterest surfing and idea-writing-down. None of which I have done in months. Later on today I will do what I have to do, but right now I am taking a mental vacation.

It feels good to be back. I have missed you.

Love,
Rachel