Giving Thanks... Sorta.

Happy Thanksgiving to my American family and friends, both IRL and URL. I hope your Turkey Day is spectacular and your Black Friday is full of savings and sweet deals!

I'm a bit swamped at the moment. Work is busy. Home is busy. I'm just busy. But I'm hanging in there.

For the record, I am thankful for the blessing I have with Petite. For friends, near and far. For an incredible family who are thoughtful, loving, caring and giving.


But I'll be honest, 2011 has been a pretty shitty year:

From family health issues with my family at home at the beginning of the year.

To tumultuous times having a teenager move in part-time, shortly after the new year started. (We loved having her, but any change in the nuclear family dynamic is always somewhat tumultuous.)

To finding out about severe problems with said teenager.

To Hubby's not making it through his courses... and a subsequent frantic job search, fraught with much uncertainty.

To adjusting to Hubby's new job... which essentially makes me a single mom to Petite, except for two days per week when Hubby is off. It should be noted, his days off aren't necessarily my days off.

To more severe issues and grief with said teenager.

To trying to resolve those issues, and having her move in full-time.

To problems between me and Hubby.

To health problems (again) with my family back at home. This always makes me nervous; I wish I could be home. I wish I could find a job in my hometown.

To needing to protect our family and having to remove the teenager from our home entirely. We're still not sure where this is going. To be determined.

Honestly, I'm tired. I'm exhausted. That wasn't at all what we wanted out of 2011 when the year started. Not at all.

I am just biding my time and waiting patiently for Christmas and the New Year, in the fervent hope that 2012 brings us, all of us, better things.

I have to have hope.