It's Like This...

Strangely, I've been in kind of a disconnect lately...
Disconnected to the people in my life who are
important to me, from myself, from my priorities.
And I wouldn't say I've been very in touch with a
genuine sense of peace either. Not consistently
anyway. So, I've very deliberately been trying to
take a step back and return to basics.

You know, do the things I know will help me
feel focused and centered. Over the past couple
weeks, I have taken a lot of deep breaths, set
boundaries for myself and a few different areas
of my life. It feels like it's beginning to work.
I've also completed some things I'd procrastinated
on -- an effort that always seems required!

Ah, mental clarity. If I could only have it
tattooed on like permanent eye liner.

For these and a few other reasons, spring break
and a visit from Sandy and Jim could not have
come at a better time. It was like I was mentally
holding out for it, saying to myself, 'Don't have a
break down. You'll have time to get your head
screwed back on in two more weeks. Just hold on!'.
I think it worked...

We've had a great time with David's mom and Jim
during their two week visit. So nice to catch up and
hang out. The first week, we did some shopping,
sunning and the road trip. Then, during the second
week David's parents met up with their friends who
live here half the year. Jim and Sandy got back in
time to get repacked and to spend a relaxing evening
with us on Friday night. We went out for a delicious
dinner at Roy's Hawaiian Fusion. (Love that place).
The whole visit was really good.

We were sad to see them leave.
There's never enough time, as Anita says.
It's been amazing moving around and living
in Texas and then here. I'm so happy that
has been our experience together, and
Arizona has been good to both of us. Still,
I sometimes wish we lived closer so we could get
together with everyone from home more often.

Alas! We live here and they live there. So, we
were really excited they took their travel time
and money to come to sunny Phoenix. That
does not go unappreciated. David has wonderful
parents. We love all of them very much!

As much as I would have loved for them to stay
for another week, I was really glad to have some
time alone with D the rest of the weekend. We
were totally in need of us time. Life and other
things seem to be taking away the time we
normally spend together. So, we're trying to be
more proactive about putting each other first
again. That feels better than anything has in a
long time. (I think it's a big part of the reason I've
been able to feel myself relax in the past couple
of days.) We had a little date Saturday evening
and just let Sunday happen. It was perfect and
so nice to be together.

Classes are going better. I was so stressed during
the beginning of the semester -- just couldn't
seem to get it under control, but I'm thrilled to
report things are improving in that department.
I love what I'm learning, and I'm totally enjoying
being on campus and in class. Balancing an actual
life along with school and my two nights a week
at work is going better. I just feel more relaxed,
generally. Something really had me messed up
for a while there -- I was being a total stress ball,
but I can feel myself unclenching and enjoying each
day more...feeling more centered and complete.

I scheduled my summer and fall semester classes
a week or two ago. I'll be taking French in the first
summer session (5 weeks) and National Security
and International Terrorism in the second one.
(Really excited for that course!) Then, in the fall,
I'll have French, public speaking, media research
methods, and minority groups in politics.
Honestly, I'm not thrilled about the last class.
There are so many other interesting 300 to 400
level poli sci classes out there that I'd love to take,
but these two are the only ones that satisfy
two requirements. Cultural diversity and 3/400
level political science at the same time. It saves
me from having to take two classes, and since I'm
29 and hoping to graduate before I'm 60, I've
opted for the shorter version. Who knows?
Maybe this class will surprise me and be a favorite!

Things are good for both of us in the work department.
No complaints there. For me, I feel like it's actually
gone better in the last three weeks than it has since I
started. I had to work on detaching emotionally a little
bit from the situation there, and I think the person
I work with has gone through some kind of mental
relax himself. All in all, I feel much less stress when
I'm there now. So, I'll take it!

Work for David is changing up a bit -- Nothing major,
but he is starting to spend some time at their main office
as opposed to being out at the Intel site all the time since
the project that they had there is coming to a close.
There's a good chance he'll be back to Intel before too long,
but in the meantime, he has a change of scenery, which I
think is a good thing. It's been a bit of an adjustment --
another work environment change for him -- but I think
it's going to be very positive overall. Kind of give him a
chance to reconnect with the group there and work on
getting to know the drywall end better (in addition to the
clean room end, which he is more familiar with).

Killian is, of course, as cute as ever and the love of our
lives. We are still seriously considering adding a little
baby girl (in the form of a puppy) to the family. If that's
what we do, it won't happen until this semester ends and
I switch to summer schedule. We're thinking she'll either
be a yellow lab or a bloodhound.


How cute is this little guy? Just melts my heart!
P-r-e-c-i-o-u-s. Look at his yiddle belly!
So darling. I've already started the research
phase. I can't wait to actually begin looking --
ah, that puppy smell! My favorite.

Anyway, busy week ahead. Lots of good stuff
planned. So, I'm excited.
Hope your week is a good one too!