A lot has happened in the last two weeks. On Monday, of the week prior, our family experienced a "banner day." We got our second grandchild, born healthy and strong, our third son got three job offers in one day and our daughter sent a very lovely text, communicating her reflections on going to rehab. An odd sort of mix but wonderful, nonetheless!

My DIL was a trooper, giving birth to an 8 lb.8 oz baby boy, receiving Pitocin but no pain meds. Geesh! We love that they live only a few hours away so we will be able to partake in many of his childhood milestones. I stayed in their home while they were at the hospital and that proved a very satisfying experience. Seeing the mundane of your grown-up kid's lives feels very rewarding, especially if they are doing well. I love how they keep their home and their commitment to a balanced life is obvious by the things they have placed in it.

Son number three graduated from Auburn last December. Due to his over-exuberance for band life, his GPA took a few hits. This made finding a job a bit more difficult. While he stood head and shoulders above his peers in leadership qualities, his academic marks placed him lower on many recruiter's lists. Finally a top notch company fully appreciated his role of head drum major for a band of over 350 and gave him an onsite interview. Results are in and he will move to Phoenix sometime after the first of the year.

About this time, two years ago, our daughter returned from Remuda Ranch, a residential treatment facility for eating disorders. Never fully understanding how the experience effected her, it was nice to receive a recent "thank you." She expressed her gratefulness for our sacrifice of sending her there. Having her acknowledge this was priceless.

These are the things that make a heart sing!

Add in a wonderful Thanksgiving with family and a couple of good colitis days under my belt and I would wear a "Life is Good" t-shirt if I had one!

In case you are wondering how I navigated thru the dietary land mines of Thanksgiving dinner, here is a brief report: I took my own dairy-free mashed potatoes. Ate dressing, my most favorite thing, and knew I might suffer the gluten consequences later. Everything else I ate was legit except the pecan pie and the pizza we had the next day after family bowling time. I can't help it but pizza is my all time favorite food item. I can't and won't consume it as I did before but I know that I will continue to eat a piece or two now and then. I know you can make a gluten-free crust and use non-dairy cheese, but not when you order from Sugar Bear's, in Lancaster! All in all, I fared well. Thank you, God!

Enjoying the happiness,

Caroline

Labels: babies, new jobs, pizza, Remuda Ranch, Thanksgiving

This entry was posted on Wednesday, November 30, 2011 at 6:08 AM. You can skip to the end and leave a response.