WOW!!!! It has been four months since I have written! I took two college courses during the last four months and got my Associate Degree in Liberal Studies. My youngest daughter turned 3, in April, on the 1st anniversary of my older brother's passing. Also in April, my oldest brother moved home from Oklahoma after 25 years! In May, my older two girls finished Kindergarten and 2nd Grade, and construction on the spiral staircase for the loft progressed! We also celebrated my mom's 70th birthday, my parent's 50th wedding anniversary, and my niece's High School Graduation! It's been a busy four months, but especially in May!
There has been a lot of landscaping around the yard to actually HAVE a yard! We've got some perennials, planted last year, that are budding. We have some new flowers planted and a few vegetables! Our yard also includes a new swing set, made by my dad, with some help from my brother! Currently, we have three swings (for three girls), a slide, and a playhouse in the works! We have been very busy!
Plus we FINALLY are getting reliable internet hooked up to our house. I emphasize "finally", because we tried to do this when we first moved in, but the internet company actually unhooked internet, at our neighbor's (who use the same internet), and hooked it up again at their address, but charged us! So, we currently have internet that uses a cell tower, which in the Winter works well, but once the leaves grow in, our coverage suffers! We are planning to do online school for our two older girls, again next year, so reliable internet is a must!
For those of you wondering or needing a reminder, this yurt home was not built for off grid purposes, but because it was an affordable way to build a clean space, free of mold. After my detox in December it seems that the clean space has been paying off. Although, I'm not exactly where I want to be, health-wise, I am feeling much better than I was this time last year! Summer of 2023 had me reeling from the recent loss of my older brother, suddenly, from an overdose. Not to mention, I was also still nursing my 2 year old, needing to detox mold, and watching my blood sugars skyrocket to new highs! It was a terrible place both physically, and mentally to be in, and I'm grateful things are looking a bit better.
Having my oldest brother, Jason, home has been both good and emotionally draining! It has been over 30 years since we have lived in the same place, and over 5 years since we actually had seen each other in person, so we are getting to know each other again. It takes a lot of mental effort to be intentional, but I am grateful for a growing relationship with him. There is a seven year age gap between us, so we never really knew each other very well. It is also nice to have that brother/sister relationship with him ... Jeffrey and I were very close growing up, but grew apart because of his addiction issues. I had always hoped for a closer relationship again, but of course, that is now not possible. Jason has had some personal issues recently, and has moved home to help with my parents and to get back on his feet. He has been getting settled in nicely, and my girls seem to really like him! For both of these things, I am very grateful!
As mentioned earlier a lot of joyous occasions happened in May, but one in particular was bittersweet. My niece, Jeff's oldest daughter, graduated High School. She graduated with honors, and it was an incredible privilege to get to watch her graduation ceremony, but there was some sadness. It was hard not to think about how my brother should have been there! It's hard when these milestones come along and we are, once again, reminded that he is gone! It's even harder when I have these feelings, but know my parents, especially, have no desire to talk about it, so I keep my feelings to myself! They later spill out onto Matt's lap, but after 11 years of marriage, he is used to this!
As I always promise, I truly will try to blog more often, and would love to answer any questions you might have about yurt living. This is a space that I really want to be more intentional about, and put information out there for anyone curious about yurt living, and the nuances of family life while learning to homestead. Until next time, I hope you are all well and that I have given you some interesting things to think about!
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