What kind of shake?!

Warning - this post is about bowel movements (no, not mine!). Keep reading at your own volition (Thanks for the great word, Sid!)

I was reading someone's blog this last weekend, (Thanks LM and Exvestigator!! ) and found a couple of posts about their DD not being able to go to the bathroom for a couple of days due to a camping trip (8/27 and 9/09 were the posting dates). After having been home for a time it became apparent that the child needed to go to the ER to help her out. Everything came out all right in the end, (sorry, I just had to do it) but it reminded me of the 6 months or so that we struggled with our oldest child.

He had a bowel movement (BM) that was large enough to make him tear and bleed a bit. I figured he'd heal up and be fine, but over the course of the next couple of weeks it kept tearing a little and bleeding. And, of course, hurting. Eventually he started to get scared to go and he went 4 days without going. I called the dr. and they said to go get children's suppositories. By the time I got back from the store he had gone, but he had been rolling on the bed and screaming because his abdomen had started to hurt from holding it in. This started a horrible cycle that took months to get out of. (knock on wood, I hope we are out of that cycle!) We'd spend 2-4 hours trying to get him to go. This became a daily battle because if he waited even one day it might hurt the next day because it was too large or hard. Or he'd be so scared that it would hurt that he'd hold it in. I won't go in to details here, but it was hell.

I was talking with a friend about this and she told me what she does (her DD is still having problems and it has been going on for years. They finally have an appointment to go see a specialist). Anyway, what she does is give her homemade strawberry lemonade and a shake. I don't remember the exact recipe I used for the lemonade, but I do remember there was a lot less sugar and only real lemons could be used (for the diuretic affect), but I still use the shake. I'll post the recipe I use for anyone who may need to use it to help keep things flowing for their little ones.

"Caca" Shake - makes about 12 ounces of shake (I think, I've never really measured. I just know it's about the right recipe for my two boys)

1/4 -1/3 of a can of canned pear juice (make sure you buy the canned pears that are canned in pear juice not syrup)
1-2 tsp wheat germ
1-2 pear halves
1-2 tablespoons of vanilla yogurt (the less sugar the better, of course)
2 frozen peach slices
1-2 frozen strawberries
4-6 frozen blueberries
1-3 frozen raspberries
1/6 of a banana to tone down the tartness of the berries. Don't use a lot of banana because it can help stop things up, if you know what I mean. To make thing easier I usually cut the ripe bananas into 6-8 pieces and then pop them in the freezer to use as needed.

At first I gave this to him every day. Then, after he started having BMs regularly without any physical pain or emotional struggle, I would give it to him every other day. Now I do it 1-2 times a week. Sometimes less than that.

I know most of you out there will say "duh" to this, but I'll say it anyway. Remember to increase water intake along with increased fiber intake and, if possible, take the child to the doctor if things continue to go badly. The psychological problems can take months, or longer, to get over if things aren't taken care of quickly.

One choclate universe on a sugar cone coming right up

I have been thinking a lot about the emptiness I feel and how paralyzing and overwhelming the questions in life have become for me. It's like a toddler with way too many choices. What kind of ice cream do you want? Chocolate, vanilla, strawberry, orange sherbet, cookies and cream, oreo, chocolate fudge, pecan, toffee, coffee, green tea, neopolitan, etc...Ok honey, now pick which one you want.

I was told growing up that there was One True Ice Cream and now I have the opportunity to find the ice cream that I chose to be the best for me. That entails finding out what kids of ice creams exist and that can be daunting. Unlike most ice creams shops, the ice creams I can chose from are not in one location. Part of me feels tired and just doesn't have the energy to figure out what I believe, and another part of me is tired because I don't have much of anything that I believe in anymore.

Because of you

You may have noticed, for those few who still read my blog, that I haven't really posted in awhile. I'm not sure where to start really. So much has happened that I haven't written about that I want to write about. I think I'll start with what has been going through my head today.

The first time I heard Because of You, by Kelly Clarkson, it was her duet with Reba McEntire (who I sometimes like) on TV and I flipped the channel 5 seconds after they started. Eventually, over time, I heard more and more of the song from flipping radio station channels and it started to grow on me. Then, about a month ago, I heard it on the way home and started to cry when I realized this song applied to me. I will post all of the lyrics but I'll only comment on those that really struck home with me.

I will not make the same mistakes that you did
I will not let myself cause my heart so much misery
I will not break the way you did
You fell so hard
I've learned the hard way, to never let it get that far

Because of you
I never stray too far from the sidewalk
Because of you
I learned to play on the safe side
So I don't get hurt

Because of the church I learned never to stray from the sidewalk
and I learned to play on the safe side so I wouldn't get hurt.
Sounds like a good thing, right?  Sort of.  I wish I had been taught to
stay in places where I would be safe, or how to be safe if I left the
sidewalk, for logical reasons, real reasons.  Not ones that would make
me so afraid to stray from the sidewalk that I would have a difficult time
walking at all.

Because of you
I find it hard to trust
Not only me, but everyone around me
Because of you
I am afraid

Because of the church I find it hard to trust myself or anyone else and I am
very afraid.  Of everything.  I had a hard time trusting God so how on earth
do I trust someone who isn't supposed to be perfect?  How do I learn how to trust?

I wish I had been taught that people will hurt me and I will hurt others, sometimes
knowingly and purposefully, other times accidentally, and that is just a part of life.
People make mistakes and that's ok and no one is going to hell or will be kept from
their most beloved family members because of it.

I lose my way
And it's not too long before you point it out
I cannot cry
Because I know that's weakness in your eyes
I'm forced to fake, a smile, a laugh

I faked so much hoping and believing it would make it so.  I think I even felt that
faking it did make it so because it would eventually happen.  I had been given that
promise in General Conference talks, so that meant  if I faked it the way they said
I should that it would eventually come and that made it as good as done.   I also
faked it because I felt that if I wasn't showing happiness then others would know I
was unhappy and think/see me as the unrighteous person that I felt I was.

Every day of my life
My heart can't possibly break
When it wasn't even whole to start with

Because of you
I never stray too far from the sidewalk
Because of you
I learned to play on the safe side
So I don't get hurt
Because of you
I find it hard to trust
Not only me, but everyone around me
Because of you
I am afraid

I watched you die
I heard you cry
Every night in your sleep
I was so young
You should have known better than to lean on me
You never thought of anyone else
You just saw your pain
And now I cry
In the middle of the night
For the same damn thing

Because of you
I never stray too far from the sidewalk
Because of you
I learned to play on the safe side
So I don't get hurt
Because of you
I tried my hardest just to forget everything
Because of you
I don't know how to let anyone else in
Because of you
I'm ashamed of my life because it's empty
Because of you
I am afraid

I worked very hard to not question or to make the round peg fit in the square hole.
I didn't listen to reason unless it fit within the church's doctrine or cultural
beliefs.  I did what they told me to do and was critical of the world and other
religions, but I did my best to “strengthen” my “testimony” in every way I could.
I tried to forget everything and everyone that didn't fit.  I don't know how to
trust anyone, most especially myself, and right now I just feel a black whole in
my heart.

Because of you
Because of you

If Reba McEntire gets on your nerves and you want to watch it with just Kelly Clarkson, you can go here.

The answer you've all been waiting for (drum roll please)

Why, the man of course!

Riddles and Piddles

There is a man and a dog by a tree in the city of Los Angeles and one of them is peeing. Which one is it?

Yay!

I think we might get to see Sideon again on Friday as we move all of our junk down to CA. I'm soo excited to see him and Scott again! Yay! I know, I know, I haven't even blogged yet about the first time we got together. I think about doing it often, does that count?

Anyway, we have been really busy throwing stuff out and even having a garage sale. It has been really hard but very healing. Some of the things really rip my heart out, like finding Father's Blessings we had written down afterward (which I kept), while others aren't quite so hard to see again, like The Garden music CD (we did toss that one - I never did listen to it). Either way it has been a healing process for both Gluby and I.

P.S. I love getting letters in the mail, especially when I'm not expecting to. Thanks FFG, it made my day!

I ca-an't hear you!

I deny it vehemently.

All I have to say is, "That's not my dog, I don't have a dog, my dog doesn't bite." *blowing a raspberry at Gluby*

Reality Bites

When I thought my kids had lice I really appreciated my sisters frank, honest answer. Basically she said it would be hell (though that was not the specific word she used) and then she gave me specifics on how her three month ordeal went. I loved it because I felt prepared.

I don't know if there is anyway to prepare myself for the emotions I am having at leaving Oregon. Or more specifically, Amber. Amber and I have talked this last spring about the impending move but neither of us could really grasp the reality of it. That reality hit today as I stopped on over for a moment to giver her some blackberries from the bush in our backyard. We talked for 10-15 minutes and then I said, "you know, ironically enough, or appropriately enough, I heard 'Lean on me' while I was pulling into the parking lot and it really made me think of how we have been there for each other." Of course I started to get teary and then we hugged and both started to cry. Then we talked for a few more minutes and then started to cry and hug more (you'd think I was leaving today and that I wouldn't be seeing her tomorrow). I said goodbye and walked to the car bawling. I am still emotional from the impact of reality finally hitting me square in the face.

She has been my rock and comforter over the past18 months. When I couldn't talk to Gluby I could talk to her. When I wanted to get away and giggle about everything and nothing I went to her house (or she to mine). When I had important questions about whatever I'd ask her or bounce them off of her. I had no idea the first time I met her or the first time we really started to talk just how important, influential, and stabilizing she would be in my life. I feel like I am leaving half of myself behind.

Sometimes in our lives we all have pain
We all have sorrow
But if we are wise
We know that there's always tomorrow

Lean on me, when you're not strong
And I'll be your friend
I'll help you carry on
For it won't be long
'Til I'm gonna need
Somebody to lean on

Please swallow your pride
If I have things you need to borrow
For no one can fill those of your needs
That you WON’T let show

you just call on me brother, when you need a hand
We all need somebody to lean on
I just might have a problem that YOU’LL understand
We all need somebody to lean on

Lean on me, when you're not strong
And I'll be your friend
I'll help you carry on
For ,it won't be long
'Til I'm gonna need
Somebody to lean on


YA just call on me brother, when you need a hand
We all need somebody to lean on
I just might have a problem that YOU’LL understand
We all need somebody to lean on

If there is a load you have to bear
That you can't carry
I'm right up the road
I'll share your load
If you just call me
call me (if you need a friend)
call me (call me)
etc...

...and (finally) back again

We are finally back home now (we got in around 7:30 last night) and it is really nice to be back. We are going to be moving in 2-3 weeks so we have got tons to do (rental truck, packing, finding a job, school stuff for S, packing, hopefully throwing out half of our stuff, packing, cleaning, packi......) so I don't know how much energy I'll have to write at the end of the day. I want to write about our trips in some detail, but I don't want to make a promise I don't know if I can keep. So, to keep you all in suspense and ensure that you will check back often I'll just say that I hope to tell you all about it very soon. :)

I will say this. You know how when you have really high expectations for something and then it doesn't meet those expectations? Like a movie you have heard really was the best movie of the year by people you know and they have seen it like 10 times and then you go and see it and say, "meh, whatever"? Well, meeting Wry Catcher, Sideon and Scott, and Bishop Rick was definitely not like that. I LOVED meeting them and had a WONDERFUL time with them, albeit waaaaay to short of a time. I hope to be seeing them all again soon. And maybe the next time we do my kids won't be so wound up from 12 hours of driving that they literally jump on top of Wry for an hour while we chat.

Journey to infinity and beyond......

Gluby and I are leaving for out trips so we will probably not be posting too much until we get back. If I can, I hope to post while I am visiting family, but we'll see how that goes. I hope you all are doing well and that you will not forget about us while we are gone!

I'm waay excited because we have plans in the making for meeting up with Wry Catcher and Sideon. Yay!!

See you all when we return!

Bullseye

Ok, I've been tagged again (I love it - makes me feel important) by Liseysmom (I know, long time ago, but I've been lazy, I mean busy.)

Here it is - "I quickly write 8 random facts/habits about myself, and then tag 8 people. If I tag you, you had better play".

1. I can't exercise with dirty teeth, so I always brush before I go for a walk, run, bike ride, etc. I also enjoy my food more if my teeth are clean. I guess because my mind is so focused on the grit that I can't focus on the chocolate?

2. I have a small scar on my forehead from my second case of chicken pox - I didn't have it bad enough the first time so I got it again. I used to notice the scar a lot more when I was younger (maybe I just had a lot more time to look at my face before I got married and had kids), but I hardly ever think about it any more.

3. I have quit the habit of popping my knuckles three times over the last 20 years. I actually went 5 years w/o popping them again the first time, about 2-3 years the second time, and only a couple of months the third time. My knuckles were really sore and it hurt to do anything, especially mow the lawn, so I started popping them again. Ugh.

4. My hair used to be straight when I was younger so I would get perms every so often to get some body and wave. The last perm I got was my sophomore year in high school and my hair never lost all of the wave. It's slightly wavy on the bottom and straight on the top.

5. I have dry eye syndrome, which I found out about on my mission. My tears dry up in about 2-3 seconds instead of the normal 15ish. I guess I'll have to wear glasses until I die as contacts are out and so is Lasik (for now anway, maybe they'll come up with something in a few years and I'll have it done when I'm 50 and it's no longer experimental)

6. I used to love to daydream ALL THE TIME! I didn't mind going on long car trips because I would spend the whole time daydreaming. I loved doing boring, mindless jobs at work because I could fantasize that some cute famous actor would see me walking down the street and be mesmerized by my inner and outer beauty. Pfft, ha, anyway.

7. I love to make spreadsheets and piles. Organized piles (I call them organized, to others they are just piles). Gluby says that explains how I can love playing Solitaire so much, I'm just making more organized piles.

8. I listened to Pink Floyd's "The Wall" for the whole summer before my Senior year of High School and didn't get that it was a story and not just a whole mix of songs like you normally hear on an album, er cassette (so now you all know I am over 25 - at least I didn't say 8 track; that would have been Neil Diamond's "Coming to America" ).

I'm going to tag Bishop Rick, JOOM, FFG, Supernova, Gluby (love ya , babe!), Degenerate Elite, T. Wanker (miss you!), and JulieAnn. Sorry if you've already been tagged and I missed it. That means I need you to do it again so I can read it and get caught up! :)

Thank you

Thanks everyone, for you advice and support in the comments on my last post. It helped me to stop and think, which, despite what Gluby may think, is actually a good thing (ha, just kidding - ahem, ok I'll be serious now) Even with all of the anxiety I have been experiencing I am excited to see my family, and Gluby's as well.

I haven't been around as much because I have no homework to avoid and I spend all of my time with the boys now (yes, that includes Gluby - for some weird reason he wants to spend time with me after we put the younger boys to bed) which leaves very little time for me to read up on blogs or post on my own. I miss you all and thank you for reading and commenting (especially commenting) and I do hope to post a bit more before we leave. But, please don't hold your breath. I don't want to be responsible for anyone's demise.

Socks - check; Shoes - check; Anxiety - check

I will be visiting family and friends within the next month and am starting to feel very anxious about it. I haven't told anyone except my parents, siblings and my grandmother. My parents have visited twice since I told them, one planned and one very unplanned, but both of them happened here.

Now I will be venturing back to where I grew up and where most of the people I know are TBM (at least as far as I know) and I am getting very anxious about it. Part of me wants to shout out from the rooftops that I don't believe anymore so I won't have to deal with the shocked expressions over and over again in individual situations when speaking with friends, or even family, who haven't heard yet. Mostly friends though, as I think most of the family I might see on this trip will already have heard.

Do I send an email to my old pack of friends, none of whom I really write or talk to more than once or twice a year yet still consider a friend because we were friends for so long? Do I pretend I am not in town and just not call them? I know at least one, if not more, of these friends will feel hurt if she doesn't hear this from me because we used to be very good friends. I just hate to open that box. Though I know I have to, especially as it may already have been pierced by rumors. At least if I tell them all myself they will have more of the "facts." (though obviously not much more than "I don't believe anymore" will be included in the letter as I don't think they would take well to reading the impossibility of certain biblical and B of M stories)

The Beginning of the End

Gluby and I had been married for 16 months when I finally pulled it out of him that he was having doubts. I knew something was up because he was always upset, angry, or aloof after church or "fulfilling" his calling as the ward mission leader. One day after church I sat down at the table and basically said, "hey, I know something is bothering you and I want to know what it is. You are always upset on Sundays. Why?" He said nothing was bothering him, he was ok, he was fine. I said, "No, you are not fine. I can tell something is upsetting you. Please tell me. Please talk to me." He was silent for awhile and then he said, "I have been having some doubts about the church."

My stomach dropped to my feet and my heart started pounding. In my head I minimized it by saying that these must be just regular doubts that everyone has and everything will be ok. It's just a bigger deal to him because he's only been a member for 2 1/2 years and this must be the first real trial of his testimony. I asked him what his doubts were about. He said that he didn't want to tell me in case they caused me to doubt. I, of course, was above doubting enough to cause real problems, so I urged him to tell me. He again stated his worry about causing me to doubt. At the end of the discussion we both felt like this was something he could overcome by reading, praying, fasting, and continuing to go to church. I also felt he should go talk to the bishop about it to maybe get a blessing or answers to his questions. He didn't get along too well with the bishop so he felt uncomfortable doing so. I, of course, "knew" that whatever differences they had would melt away as the bishop followed the promptings of the Spirit to help him. But, I didn't push the issue because I also knew Gluby needed to want to go.

The next 18 months were a roller coaster ride. We felt hope, Gluby even had what I considered to be a spiritual experience where he "definitely" felt the Holy Ghost and I thanked Heavenly Father for giving him that to help him overcome his doubts. I knew that we were back on track. But he still struggled with so many things, very few of which he felt comfortable telling me. He didn't want anyone to know, and we both felt things would straighten out soon, so we didn't tell anyone.

This period of time was very difficult because it seemed every time we took a step forward we took 5 steps backward. I started to fear he would become "inactive" someday. I subconsciously felt the need to become a super Mormon to make up for his doubts and to be an example to him to help him overcome his doubts and to get blessings in heaven so God would bless him with a testimony and to bring an extra special spirit into our home and and and and and......

I did everything extra mile because I knew we would be blessed and that if I just lived worthily that he would be ok. Or, if he did become inactive, that he would eventually come back. Then he read a quote by Brigham Young condoning the slavery of blacks. Then President Hinckley basically stated his support for war after September 11. Then he went in and talked with the bishop. I vacillated between believing that God was giving us these trials because we could overcome them and believing that Satan was putting these things in front of him and that all was lost. That Satan was out to get him and he was winning.

I remember when Gluby left for the appointment with the bishop that I felt lighthearted and hopeful and I just knew things would improve. I was happier and more hopeful than I had felt since he told me over a year earlier. When he came home I was dumbfounded. Gluby was angrier than I had ever seen him before because of the way the bishop had treated him. I will let Gluby write more about this if he wants to, but the parts that stick out in my mind are that the bishop kept asking him if he was living the law of chastity and then asked him if he ever left would he be able to leave the church alone. He was livid that the bishop would accuse him of having an affair or looking at porn and have that be the reason he had these doubts; that he must be sinning otherwise he wouldn't be having these problems. And then not believe him when he told him he was living the law of chastity as to ask him this question three times.

My hopes were crushed. I was angry that the bishop had treated him that way and I was angry that he had acted in a way that had pushed Gluby further away. Why hadn't the Spirit prompted him to say things that would help Gluby? We were both doing everything we could and yet nothing was changing or improving. Was I not righteous enough to be a good influence on my husband to help bring him back? What was I doing wrong? I was so confused, hurt, angry, helpless and hopeless. And I couldn't talk to anyone about any of it.

Absence makes the heart grow fonder

Yikes, I didn't realize how long it has been since I last posted (if you can actually count a two liner as a post). Things have been busy around the house in LemonLand. I finished the term, had my parents out the next day for the weekend (Gluby was jumping up and down with joy at that one), and trying to catch up on things I have left to pile up. Things which are more than laundry and dust. I have been in lurker mode for a bit, just not able to put my heart into much more than a quick hello. I hope that I'll work up the motivation to write a post about what it was like for me as an inbetweener while I was TBM and Gluby wasn't, as well as one about Christopher Columbus. He was actually the issue that allowed me to open the door to questioning my beliefs about the church.

Now that I have you all curious I'm going to go play. Bye!

You gotta love a good snarky remark

I stopped by FMH again today and the most recent post is about praying to Heavenly Mother. The second comment made me laugh.

1. But how can you be sure you get the right mother in heaven?

   Comment by Anonymous — May 30, 2007 @ 12:31 pm

Just a shout out to family

I just wanted to say a big "hi!" to the family members who know about this blog and hop on over. I am glad you stop by to read it!

Now, just to let the frequent commenters and lurkers know, these are NOMs, ex-mormons, or never-mos who know about it, not my TBM family members. I don't think that I'll ever tell my TBM family about it because it would just be too hard for them to deal with.

Things are going ok. I am up and down a lot and have anxiety attacks sometimes, but I have been feeling better these last couple of days. I talked with both of my sisters today and nothing about the "situation" came up while we were on the phone. Can anyone say "Fun!"?

Something dumb this way comes

This is what I wrote on FLAK about my conversation with my younger sister. Obviously this was written before I had talked with my older sister yesterday. My conversation with my younger sister didn't go quite so well. I mean, overall it did, but I started to babble and drool. I so wanted her to not feel threatened by me that I basically said that she should feel open to sharing spiritual experiences with me (please, please bear your testimony to me!) and that she needn't worry about me "mocking" her (she actually said that word) or casting "pearls before swine" (that last one was me. What?! I'm comparing myself to swine now?!? Get me off the phone NOW!) Sigh. I know my sister doesn't really think I'll mock her, but that she used that word anyway, and had the guts to say that she isn't sure she'll feel open to sharing her spiritual side with me, was hard to take and I just fell flat on my face. Fortunately she is less TBM than my older sister and my mother and I think I will be able to "straighten" things out over time. I haven't talked with my older sister yet and really dread it. Overall, right now I know I did what was best and what I needed to, but I wish it would all go away. I am so tired and depressed. I feel no relief of stress or "happiness" or anything like I had hoped I would after sending the letter. I keep picturing myself handling everything with confidence and dignity. That conversation proved I lack both right now! I think that those things will come with time, but that I am just dealing with a lot of difficult emotions and I have never really learned how to assert myself with dignity or confidence. I hope I get it fast before I really do something stupid.

Family reactions

In rereading this post I decided to delete for the sake of privacy for all of those concerned. For anyone reading this for the first time, my family handled it better than I had hoped and things are going well. I have saved all of the comments for my personal records and say thank you to everyone who posted one. If you have questions you'd like to ask me about anything, please feel free to email me.

Oh, that elephant?

Gluby and I had an interesting IM conversation this afternoon while I was trying to study and just kind of comprehend what I did last night. glubyglobglob: you there? lb: yes glubyglobglob: Try and think of one really stressful thing I could tell you. lb: um, one of the kids is hurt and needs to go to the dr. lb: or they are dead lb: bleeding to death glubyglobglob: How about something like, your parents are in the living room. lb: you want to spend $1,000 lb: ha lb: ok, now that made my heart jump glubyglobglob: That would be funny, wouldn't it? lb: um, no lb: really lb: my heart is still pumping glubyglobglob: If your mother was on the floor sitting with 2 looking at blocks. glubyglobglob: If your father was sitting on the fireplace bricks. glubyglobglob: Now that would be ... lb: please tell me you aren't serious glubyglobglob: They're here, honey. lb: because my heart is seriously pounding glubyglobglob: I am dead serious. lb: what? glubyglobglob: No jokes. glubyglobglob: No playing. glubyglobglob: They drove. lb: please lb: please glubyglobglob: Sweetheart. lb: please tell me you aren't serious lb: please glubyglobglob: No jokes. lb: I know glubyglobglob: I would NEVER play with you like this. glubyglobglob: Not for longer than an instant. lb: I think I am going to faint glubyglobglob: So much for waiting til Sunday. lb: do they know that you have talked with me? glubyglobglob: About the church? glubyglobglob: No. glubyglobglob: I just told them I would check on something. lb: did they ask where I was? glubyglobglob: I told them you're out studying. glubyglobglob: What do you want me to tell them? lb: that I am still out studying glubyglobglob: Not coming now? lb: and I am never coming home Ok, so I obviously did go home, but not before I hyperventilated and tried calling A. twice (using someone else's cell phone - what a nice person). While I was Instant Messaging Gluby I considered having him tell my parents that he wasn't able to get a hold of me and then I could take an hour or two to avoid them, but we realized that it would just drag things out for everyone and that I needed to be honest with myself and well as with them. I did drive to A.'s house so I could share my woes with her, but she wasn't home, so I decided I had just better go home. It was probably better this way anyway because I have to do this on my own and crying to A. would just make me feel even more like I didn't want to face this alone (well, of course Gluby is there, but you all know what I mean). This is what I wrote on FLAK about today: Thanks everyone. This is one of those things I'll laugh about later, right? Well, so far things have gone better than I imagined. By the time I finally got home I was as composed as I could be. I walked in the door and gave my 5 yr old a hug and saw my dad. I gave him a big hug and then walked into the front room where my mom was playing with our 2 yr old. We hugged for about 2 minutes and we didn't say anything. We just hugged and it felt loving and nice. We haven't talked about anything dealing with the church or the letter yet. Partly because we went out to eat and ended up going to the store for necessities and didn't get home until after 10:00. By the time the kids were in bed, and their bed was put up, it was pretty late and everyone was tired. So, if anything is said it will be tomorrow before they leave. The nice part about tonight has been that we all know there is an elephant in the room that will be acknowledged, but that it isn't uncomfortable. Part of me wonders if we will talk about it at all before they leave. I can actually see my parents coming out here (a 9 hour drive) to let me know that they love me, that they understand things have been hard and just want to be with me. Of course, I can also see them bringing it up as tactfully and lovingly as they can. And if they overstep any boundaries I want to have up I'll kindly and lovingly let them know. Another nice thing is that none of this is fake, not on their part and not on my part, though we all know that they wish I still believed. I know that there will be times of frustration, with passive-aggressive, angry crap that will come my way, but today wasn't that day, and for that I am grateful. So, wish me luck, fellow bloggers, and that things will continue to go well for all of the involved parties. P.S. Gluby did get a smack for playing with me at the beginning of the conversation. Obnoxious little sh......