A Very Good Sunday ....

I went to church this morning with my three campers. The other two sons are still in Oklahoma, though they return tomorrow.

I went to Dallas today to with my "new" sister to visit her sister for her birthday. And the best gift of all? Her sister, wrote me over a week ago and asked me if I would be her sister, too. I cannot believe how blessed I have become because of this family. Nor how blessed my children have become.

It seems that my "brother's" parents visited camp last weekend and visited with Son #1. They asked him if he was an Eggers, and when he answered in the affirmative (I guess we all all look alike?!), they told him that since I was now their "daughter" that would make him their grandson. And one of my "brother's" sisters introduced herself to one of my daughters and informed her that she was now her "aunt". They have all accepted us .... both sides of this incredible family, lock, stock and barrel. And I am speechless. Yes ..... T.A.N.W.

So, my sister and I drove to Dallas today to meet my newest sister. And the drive was good. We talked about my peeling off the masks yesterday for my children .... among other things. And when we arrived in Dallas I felt at home immediately. I had nothing to prove .... nothing to do to "make" them like me ..... they already did. I was accepted the moment I arrived and treated as a sister.

I am amazed.

And very, very blessed.

We went out to dinner to a fabulous small Mexican restaurant (frequented by the Bush family, because we are very, very close to SMU). And now we are home, relaxing and watching "Iron Man", which I could watch over and over because I have a "thing" for Robert Downey, Jr. Of course, nothing like my "thing" for George, but there you go.

Tomorrow we will hang out and relax together, until it is time to drive back to Houston.

My two manly hunters will return from Oklahoma tomorrow night.

Daughter #3 will return from camp on Tuesday and she and I will go to Austin to set up her apartment. We will return on Wednesday.

Daughter #1 is in her last few weeks of her vow of French. In case I forgot to mention it, she is in a French immersion program in Vermont. They had to take a vow that promised they would not speak, hear, read, write, or go into town to listen to English while in this 3 month program. She has done very well. She sends e-mails and texts me only in French. Luckily my 3 years of French have gotten me mostly through this. We did have a one hour phone conversation that left me with a migraine, but I got over it. It's easier for me to understand it, and to write it, than to speak it. I have, however, noticed that her French is really improving. so that's a good thing.

Hopefully mine is, too.

So .... the weekend that started off so badly .... has turned out much better. I was able to take off my "strong mother" mask in front of my adult children and they handled it quite well. It seems they'd rather know the real, honest me, than know that I'm trying to pretend to be the "strong, I can handle it all Mom".

I wish that all of my friends could handle the same me.

I look forward to going to Austin with D3 on Tuesday, but this means I don't know what time I'll be back on Wednesday, which also means that I may miss our Circle time on Wednesday. Fortunately, I have very patient Circle friends. Who like me without my masks.

Yes, I still have days of waves ... and days of wishing it had been me, instead of Jim, but I now have more days of feeling healing, of feeling secure, of feeling cared for, because of much larger my family is becoming.

And this my Peeps, is a God-thing. Of this I have no doubt.

I know that I am on a slow road of healing, but at least I know that I am healing.

One breath at a time.

And I am blessed beyond belief to have people who love me unconditionally .... and forever .... no matter what.

God did indeed take something huge out of my life ... something irreplaceable and something that will leave me, and my children forever changed.

But He has also added so many new things into my life ..... from you, my Peeps, to new friends who totally get me, to amazingly awesome family members .... who will never leave me .... no matter how they watch me heal.

And so I am blessed.

Beyond belief.

Yes, some days I feel the blessings ..... some days I do not.

But I am noticing that I am starting to feel them more now that I am not.

And that is something.

Indeed.

So thank you my family, my friends, and my Peeps. You are all helping me to take one step forward at a time.

One breath at a time.