Family Routine

I started thinking tonight about my family routine and the way we live. I see a ton of commercials lately on sitting down as a family at the dinner table. I grew up this way. My husband grew up this way. But when he became a single parent to two very young girls, his dinner routine changed. He began to allow them to all have dinner watching T.V. I can understand in some ways it's probably the only way he could get them to sit for a bit so he could get a moment to rest after a long day at work.
I have tried a few times to get us to have dinner as a family at the table. This has not worked due to 1) we are creatures of habit and it is hard to change 2) our dining room table just sucks and we really need to find a new one, but haven't gotten around to it.
We do sit at the table together when we have company over for dinner.
But with all this not "proper" family routine of pulling out our TV tables and eating in the living room watching T.V. I find comfort in it. We do often still talk during our dinner, and no one amazingly mindlessly eats. I am proud to say I feel comfortable with my family and know a good amount of what is going on in there lives. My girls are preteen and teen, so I would be crazy to think they told me EVERYTHING. But they are good kids. I see it in the daily choices they make. They can be aunory (I am sorry but I just can't think of anywhere near the right spelling of that word toinght), and I am still dealing with my youngest and her acting up every year at this time of year (will she EVER grow out of it?). And my oldest is more into her phone and music than her school work. But both are polite, don't fight with me, and share a great deal with me. They could both do better with their grades, but they are not bad and when pushed to work a little harder on a certain subject they do it.
In other words I am feeling warm and fuzzy about my family and the normalcy of our life even if it is not what is ideal for raising kids these days.

Peace

Today I have felt a major peace about me. Life has been very stressful for a few months now. And I know there will be plenty more of those, but today I feel good!

I know a lot of it has to do with the finding of my aunt. We are not able to have complete closure until (and there is huge hope that is to be an until and not an if) the person who took her from us is caught. But with the finding of her and saying goodbye, we do have some relief.

I also am back to being happier at work. Since she was found and I had to go into sudden planning for taking off from work for the service, there has been a lot of stress. And more on top when the date for the service changed. This time of year is CRAZY in a pharmacy, so my boss was stressed. But now that it is over and I am back, I could feel her relaxation again. I am still majorly learning things, so I don't think I'm a super strong tech yet. But I guess I am stronger than I thought for her to be so stressed at my being gone.

I also am enjoying time more dearly with my family again. And I am trying to make time for things I want to do. Such as creative things again. I have yet to get into much except reading a little here and there, but still it's a step.

With all this I just feel happy and had to share.

And since it's been so long since I've posted a picture, here is one of my and Larry on the way home after my aunt's service. You can tell there was relief from it all.

Since

The day after my last post my aunt was found. But it was only her shell. Her spirit is with our Lord. I have just returned from a 3 day (2 days of driving to and from) trip to Mississippi to celebrate her life. She was an absolutely wonderful woman and will GREATLY be missed. I am thankful we no longer have to sit in worry or wonder for where she is, but I do wish we still had time with her here on earth. She was taken from us too soon. We love you, Wenda. And we are so thankful that we were allowed to have you in our lives as our family!