Change happens.. 😰

It’s here.

The season is changing yet again.

School should be here (if it weren’t for our teachers striking ☹) and the sunshine will soon vanish in the Pacific Northwest.

I, along with many others, will be spending lots of time indoors. Yay. 😬

It’s welcome at first, but I am always worried about that moment when it feels like the rain will never stop. Like I have been trapped inside with kids and pets for too long.

That’s what we should expect when living here though, right? That’s what makes it so beautiful and green.

Yeah, yeah..I know.

Soon, I will be walking in that rain with my kiddos along side me. They love to jump in muddy puddles and the animals track mud into the house adding to an ever-growing laundry pile. Laundry.. my favorite. 😫

Then the colds will hit.. who will it be? How many of us will it take down before we can rid our household?

I know its coming, the only question is..when?

Motherhood. You begin to think about things so much differently. The season changing brings a mix of nervousness and excitement. New is usually fun… at first. Until the excitement wears off and the cold sets in.

The problem is that one day, I will miss it.

ALL of it.

Yes.. even the laundry.

Over the weekend our family experienced a change in our lives that we weren’t ready to accept, but that’s how life works.

Change happens no matter how many things remain the same, life changes whether you want it to or not. If it didn’t, we wouldn’t grow.

So brace yourself.

This weekend was rough for our family because we had to make a heart wrenching decision based on the continual declining health of our pup, Elvis.

Our hearts hurt. Badly.

We couldn’t let him continue to live in pain… so we made that dreadful decision and he went to sleep. He was 4. 😭

…change.

When we didn’t welcome it.

We did what we could to document our boy in our family before taking him in.

Turkey for his last meal🦃, painted paw prints🐾, and family photos 📸..

That didn’t make it any easier.😰

As a family, we were with him in his final moments and none of us knew how difficult that would truly be. 💔

Looking back, I try to remind myself how blessed we were to have a dog that got into trouble too often for jumping our six foot fence to go visit his friends around town.. he was such a lover.

Change is hard, and not always good.

As a way to take our minds off of saying goodbye to our fur baby, we completed a pathway in front of our home.

More change.

..but needed, and welcome.

My point-

Live in the moment and remember that every irritating thing will become a memory, and typically you won’t remember it badly… instead, you will tear up like I do thinking of all the times I had to run out of the house in the pouring rain looking for our runaway dog.

I would be so upset with him, and with the weather! Wishing for time to pass quickly so I can enjoy summer sunshine again making life easier.

Now, all I can think about is how much I wish I could be searching town for him in the rain right now.. our explorer.

If only I had enjoyed those rainy days a little more, last fall.

The sayings that come to mind..

• “You never know the value of a moment until it is gone.”
• “Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything.” -George Bernard Shaw

Couldn’t be more true. Perception is key. We have been laughing about our memories and thanking God for the time we had.

Don’t always wish to the future for brighter days because life will always bring both good and bad change.

God has given us this day, and each one is a blessing.

Even the cold, rainy ones with muddy prints everywhere and an endless pile of laundry… taking care of the ones you love.

Change will always come. Enjoy now. The good and the bad. The gift of today!

Be grateful, and grow. 😊

Good change is on the way.

🍃🌧

❤ -Mama Katie

“For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.” -2 Corinthians 4:17