71 days

How do you start a blog entry when you've been absent for over 2 months? Yeah, I'm not sure either.  Why don't I just jump right into why I've been absent? OK, sounds good to me too.

I haven't blogged for a several reasons: The first being I've had a lot of emotional ups and downs over the past couple of months, and it's been hard to process through everything.  Usually writing helps with the mental sifting, but when it's an extremely private situation, you don't necessarily want to broadcast it to the world, right? Right. 

The second reason is that, quite frankly, I was having a bad case of the "who cares".  By that I mean, I would think to myself, "who really cares about my everyday, stay-at-home, mother of two woes? Who cares about the silly things that go on in our family or the worries I have constantly?".  After being told by several friends and family members that they missed my entries, I started to to realize that maybe I was being hard on myself.  I also realized that this is not just an online journal for all to read, but it is an open flow of communication that has provided me with some wonderful prayers, laughs, advice, and insight.

When you're in a spot where you cannot vent publicly and have a case of the "who cares", you just have to take a step back...and that's what I did.  I won't say I'm in a good place now (it's hard just coming off an anti-depressant that you've been on for years and getting slammed with a crisis), but I'm in a much better place.  I am seeking the Lord daily, reading His word, and coveting prayers.  I know that this too shall pass.

So, moving forward, I'll give you a brief recap of the past 71 days in pictures:

 I got a great picture on Thanksgiving with my two little brothers

 William finished his first soccer season and got a cool trophy!

 All smiles with his trophy!

 We visited (and climbed, minus Mady) the Hatteras Lighthouse.  God and William got me through that one because I am terrified of climbing tall things.  

 I got to take some gorgeous picture of Hatteras Island.

 William played a shepherd in his school play (and had a speaking part!)

 We tortured Madelyn with a visit to see Santa at Busch Gardens Christmas-Town

 I attempted to get them both to smile at the same time on Christmas Eve.

 Santa came!

 Madelyn got pampered on her 2nd Birthday

Can you believe that? A 2nd Birthday?!

And, finally, I'll leave you with (but not for 71 more days) Madelyn's Birthday video: