Sis and I just finished another stint of house/critter sitting for I believe the fourth year in a row. It's always nice to just get out of your own place for a while and have some adorable yet sometimes rambunctious pooches just love on you while you love on them right back. Our only living grandparents aren't in the best shape either. Granted they're 89 and 90 and I think it's finally starting to show. It's been a few years since I've seen them, but judging on the conversations I've had with my folks, it's evident that times are changing. They're changing, we all are, and a lot of what's been going on is something new we've all had to learn to navigate. How fast this month has gone has been a reminder of how quickly time just seems to get away from us, and suddenly those little things we take for granted are gone and then we realize how much we miss them. Let that be a reminder for all of us; be thankful and grateful for right now. But all things considering, we're doing all right. The weather is MUCH cooler and sis and I are looking extremely forward to some family time in Ohio this weekend for 4th of July.
Holly: I do a lot of blog/newsletter writing for work and for an earlier blog I wrote, "Hi, can anyone tell me what happened to the month of June?" Time just flies, and we are already halfway through to what's, for me, been a pretty great year!
Speaking of work, I've been doing quite a bit of traveling. One of the components of working for GA HQ is partner site visits. This year all of our partner sites are divided up into regional groups, as much by geography as possible (we have a few outlying sites), and so my group comprises our sites in Floyd, Wolfe, Breathitt, Owsley, and Menifee County, all in Kentucky. Yesterday I was in Wolfe county, earlier last week in Menifee, and Floyd at the beginning of the month. This is my first year making site visits and it such a rewarding component of the job! It's so refreshing to put faces to names, to put faces to numbers we spend a lot of time crunching, and to hear firsthand from the families we serve just how much of an impact this program is making. Very affirming, especially when the "daily grind" feels sort of like a grind. Mid July I'll be wrapping up my visits.
Things between my Aussie/the boy/J are going quite well. It's hard to believe it's been almost 6 months, and every day his heart and who he is as a person just continues to win me over. He was baptized last weekend, the 26th, and it was a powerful and beautiful moment. The Lord has really made Himself known to us as we continue getting to know each other, and I've learned so much about myself and what it means to be a caring and supportive partner. We have had some "serious" conversations and are looking forward to the future, but ultimately we're both praying for patience and wisdom and asking HIM how we fit into the plan He has for us. Oh....and he is coming with us to Ohio this weekend :)
Yoda and Wiley continue to delight us with goofy antics and plenty of cuddles and purrs. They're such joys!
Here, look at some pictures! It'll likely be after the 4th until y'all hear from us again. So be safe, tell your loved ones you love them (to their faces, not to Facebook), eat lots of yummy food, laugh, and hug someone.
