I came home from our meeting the other day and lo and behold the kitten from the summer was sitting in front of our house. We haven’t seen him (her?) for close to two and a half months since camp ended and then he was just there. I stayed in the van and took a picture of him and then recorded him making his way from the corner by the woods toward the other side of the house where I imagine he was heading toward the food. I sent the video out to everybody instantly.

Before he could get to the food another cat scared him away and he ran back into the woods. I haven’t seen him since but none of us could believe he was still around. I had a talk with my Hope director this afternoon and told her that I was basically fairly sure that I was needing to leave there. I said the best way I could describe it was that I had a head reason and a heart reason. Conversations like this are never easy to have. It wasn’t an official notice it was just letting her know where I was at.

I’m really upset about it but I also feel peace. I am also wanting to fully let go of my nursing job. I was trying to hold onto it and wanted to make it work but I just have too many other things that I am wanting and trying to do, and I don’t need it anymore. I made it to my five year mark which is something that I wanted. I will keep up my nursing license but I do not have a desire to do that job anymore. I’ve been enjoying the cooler weather and bright blue skies which come this time of year.

I think I’ve started making my exit plan for leaving Hope. If someone asked me now, I’d say the biggest reason is because I am not built to cycle through that many people. I have met some really great ones who I think would come over with me to my other place. But three and a half days of doing this is not sustainable the way it’s going. I could work half the time and make just as much money, or I could at some point if I wanted work the same amount of time for twice the money.

This hasn’t been a total waste. Like I said, I’ve met some really great clients and built good relationships with those people. I’ve seen relationships improve and become more steady and stable. Whatever the issue was with my original NPI number uncovered a whole slew of other issues that they’ve been working for months to get straightened out. I’ve met some really neat coworkers which I think is going to be the hardest part about leaving there. I don’t want to try to do both.

So I think I’m going to tell them I’m going to be done at the end of the year. I know I’m fickle and change my mind about things but I feel pretty sure I want to do this. I want more time to be at home, to not be tired, to be able to spread my time out more to go on walks or be involved more at church or with kids or with grandkids. Right now I’ve been using a certain office at the other place but I’m considering asking if I can have the other student office with the window. I’d like the light.

Today was a really nice day. We heard from Ethan and Laura that Lila had her first day of school. They pushed her in the stroller from their apartment to the campus. Laura had a few friends sit with her outside of the classroom to be in charge of tending to her if she needed something. She slept most of the time and I imagine them pushing her around the school building with her in her stroller but I don’t know that for sure. I’m glad they are making it work so they can keep going to school.

The boys had a meet this afternoon at the new school property. People keep asking about when they are going to rebuild. I tell them that the insurance coverage was no different or more than the insurance amount that is designated for a house. So some people have this happen with the mine subsidence and they get a brand new house with enough money to pay it off and have more leftover. Our school received their $750,000 insurance reimbursement which is not enough to build a new school or pay off the still outstanding mortgage of the school that no longer exists.

So I never really sound that optimistic when I talk about it. But anyway, the boys had their conference meet and won conference. My two boys finished within a second of each other which made me tear up because I don’t like when one is doggedly trying to beat the other. I wish they could just let each other win and be happy for each other which for the most part they are with the happy part. With my own issues I decided I wasn’t going to be upset and just be happy that we were okay now.

It was another afternoon of sitting in the district president’s office. I don’t and didn’t even want to talk about it. It’s like I’m sitting in the middle of an episode of “How is This Even Your Life?” I am supposed to be a counselor now who has moved on from this episode and is now helping other people. There’s supposed to be all this redemption and learned lessons and hard earned wisdom to share with others so they do not repeat your own mistakes or end up like I very unfortunately did.

It is not even worth recounting all the times I’ve asked for help. Why now in 2026, five years after I first reluctantly went to a district president, almost six years from when I disappeared from our life due to being crippled and permanently injured and utterly crushed in my spirit, why people are finally getting wind that there was something not right, I’m not even angry anymore. That’s a lie, I’m still mad, but it’s like a diffused kind of mad. I’m not resembling a bomb anymore. I just inhale.

And eventually exhale. He made us pray for each other at the end of our meeting. He went first. Once it was my turn it was like I was mute or had a lump in my throat that did not want to move. I told him I would eventually get it. After I don’t know how much longer I apologized to God for having to pray for myself first, for him to increase my hope and my faith that this is all still for our good. I thanked God for my husband and for all of the wonderful qualities that God has imprinted upon his soul that has allowed him to love us so well in such wonderful ways. It was the God’s honest truth.

This morning we picked up Danny for church. He had texted me the day before to tell me that he had something special for me. When we pulled into his driveway he was sitting in his chair as usual, but this time he was holding a store bought bouquet of flowers. I stepped out of the passenger seat and he handed the flowers to me. He said they were because he could see I hadn’t been happy lately and he wanted me to be happier. I gave him a hug and climbed into the middle van seat.

I held the flowers in my lap all the way to the church. They did make me happier. Later when we dropped him off I thanked him again for the flowers and asked him what made him think of me. He tried to explain it in the best way he knew how and said it’s because he sees things and that he had a feeling. His mom changed the battery in the garage door opening system and ever since then he’s been able to get back into his house just fine. I cut the stems and put the flowers in a mason jar.

Later in the afternoon I went down to the lake. There were several Mennonite boys playing and fishing on one of the docks. Eventually all of them left except for one. I was there to read and get some sun but did not feel threatened or bothered by his presence. He came over to the dock where I was reading and cast his line several times before I looked up at some point and realized he was gone. I’d thought about telling him to try moving closer to the shade but I didn’t want to disturb him.