Negligent Ninny

That's me.  Negligent Ninny.  Not at everything but certainly at some things!  The blog being one...

I'll keep it brief, but all is well here in the Junction.  Life continues to tick along at a pace that, although less "city-fied", is still brisk for my short, stubby physical legs as well as my "soul" legs.  You know what I mean, don't you?  The fitness your soul has that can carry you just so far and just so fast without it starting to gasp for air, for space, for "soul rest"? 

Well, we have been on a bit of a marathon around here, and either I'm getting better at handling it, or you caught me on a good day...

Spring Break has come and gone - two weeks!  I LOVED IT!  Not the part about the kids being home.  Don't get me wrong, I love my kids - but two weeks of sibling crap makes me feel like bungee jumping without a rope.  But what I do LOVE is the break from routine!  Oh, the glory of all of us waking when we're ready and having nothing to get to by a certain time.  Mmm Mmm Mmmm.  Of course, there was the little detail about the fact that I was on my own with the kids the entire time...

A couple weeks before the break we found out that Mom Symanski was scheduled for a major surgery.  And with Mom being 81 years old, surgery of any kind poses all kinds of risks.  It wasn't a hard decision to make - Ken needed to be there.  Thankfully it was during spring break and he could go for more than a few days to help out and spend time with her and the rest of the family (he was gone three weeks).  She was doing well and to make a very long, convoluted story, short, they cancelled the surgery altogether after they looked at more of the results of further testing they did.  She has an aoertic anuerism in her abdomen that is just too risky to operate on.  Overall the best decision, although difficult.  And overall the BEST decision to have Ken go there to be with everyone.  Not only was it valuable time spent with his mom, I know he was a huge source of encouragement and laughs for his siblings.

And we survived Daddy being gone (and no, I did not do mind-altering drugs).  We laid low for a bit, went to Whitehorse for a bit, and then took a fantastic (albeit brief) trip to Skagway, Alaska where we hopped on the Alaska State Ferry to Haines, Alaska. Breathtaking. We spent the night there and then went beachcombing the next day.  Haines is a lovely place and only 2 1/2 hours from the Junction.  It's on the coast and when your heart laments that maybe spring will never come, it is just the medicine.  No jackets needed, sunny blue skies and very little snow.  And scenery that makes your heart stop.  Stunning really.  But, just in case I've lulled you into thinking it was picture perfect - remember I was travelling with three kids infected with that serious and troubling illness, "Sibling Intolerance Syndrome" (S.I.S. for short) and three dogs.  One of which gets carsick.  Need I say more...

When we left Haines we met up with friends in "the Summit" which is way up in the mountains on the way home and is a snow machiners/tobagganners paradise.  We had a hoot!  The kids sledded down these massive hills and then our friend Dave would go down and pick them up with the skidoo (they are the little specks at the bottom of the hill in the pic on the left) They loved it!  They dug and played in the snow for hours!  And then as the sun was setting we made our way home.  A good time was had by all.

The "marathon" includes more but I said I would keep this brief.  For my sake.  I need to go get some of that "soul rest" that I need in order to keep from becoming the hideous, grouchy bear that takes over my being when I start to tire out.  It's not a pretty sight.  It's the kind of thing epic horror flicks are made of. 

Jesus,

You sustain me, intrigue me, calm me.  I love you.

'til next time,

Dianna