Side by Side

It’s been almost four months since I have blogged. That is substantially longer then any other blog break that I’ve ever taken since I started my first blog over 16 years ago. It’s really quite strange because writing has always been a coping mechanism for me. It’s one of my healthy coping mechanisms because I have too many unhealthy ones. But since my mom passed away, since the reality of not having parents on earth while being a single mom, and since several other significant relationships have changed for the worse in my life, I just don’t want to write. I have tried several times and tossed it in the trash. Maybe it’s because it’s so hard to explain grief. Maybe it’s because there is just way too much to write. Or maybe because the mere fact that life continues to go on holds its own grief and writing it all down makes it more real. 

Whatever it is, I am forcing myself to write because although I am carrying such heavy grief  there is also so much goodness and beauty in my life. That is probably one of the most significant lessons I have learned in the past four months. I’ve learned beauty and pain can co-exsist in my life, side by side, both present almost entangled. My joy and my sadness are overwhelming and so woven together in what I hope is making a beautiful quilt like my mom used to make. Sometimes they bleed together so much that I’m not even sure where one ends and the other begins. Because with the joy of creating a new memory comes the pain of old ones or the knowledge of people missing. 

It’s heavy and it’s happy. It’s messy and it’s life. And no matter what it is, it’s a life worth living and I’m beyond blessed to be doing it with the two most incredible girls I’ve ever known who happen to be teenagers now since I blogged last. So yes my life is full of grief and joy working side by side. But I am facing it head on with Keagan and Riley side by side with me which leads me to believe the joy is always going to win. So I will try to condense 4 months of busy lives lived and well over two hundred pictures into a reasonable post of just the highlights. 

Our summer highlights were visiting both the Chicago Ginns and the Austin Ginns. In Chicago we did fireworks on the 4th of July, went to Chinatown and a Cubs game, played games, rode the subway, tried Philippino food, spent some time at their country club, drove to Wiscounsin to go boating with the Lowe’s, and had quality time together. In Austin we went to the theater to see The Adam’s Family musical, went to McKinney Falls, went to church, played games and did virtual reality, went to Uncle Kirk’s office, went sight seeing, had lunch at the Dulaney Hotel, went bowling and played laser tag. Seriously all SO much fun!!

The girls had a Christmas in July party and lots of other hang outs. 


Both girls drove Wanda the Honda for the first time late at night in the Klein parking lot. Yes they are way too young. 


Keagan went boating with Dax, Claire, James and Junior.




Riley had doctors appointments of course. 


Keagan got to go to the temple with friends. 


As always we spent as much time at DPAC as possible. 


Claire had a birthday party.


Once I went back to work before school started, Maddie Strader watched the girls and they had a blast with Sydney and Emory coming over with her. 





The girls had their very first sleepover ever with Claire. 




They got their nails done with their besties Claire and Laynie the day before school started. 


And they started 7th grade at Doerre Intermediate Schhol. 










We had DPAC performances 



We got to briefly see Uncle Todd and Addie moved in with us. Now we are a dysfunctional sorority house of 5 girls since Kellie was already here. 


We had an incredible whirlwind bucket list item trip of 32 hours total to Dallas with the Whitney’s to see the musical Wicked! It was absolutely amazing! We had a fun Italian dinner before the show, and went to the science museum and had lunch before coming home the next day. We love those Whitney’s, musicals and an adventure! 


































Something weird happened in the neighborhood and we didn’t have power for almost two days. The first night we kept thinking it would come back on soon so we did homework and played on our devices in the car with lights and air conditioning until we were tired enough to go to bed. Luckily the power came back on right before bed the second day but we still lost everything in our fridge and two freezers which was painful! 




More DPAC performances and we are also all working on the musical Once On This Island. Keagan was thrilled to be cast as Ti’Moune, Riley is the cutest villager ever and I’m the stage manager. 










Football games with friends. Keagan has also been to several Doerre games this year. At the Doerre vs Kleb football games the advanced girls choirs combined to sing the national anthem and did beautifully. 

At school the girls had so many dress up and spirit days and worked hard to both get all A’s and B’s the first 9 weeks. Riley is also working really hard with her communication device and they had their school photos taken which I never buy. 










Choir social at Itz and a choir concert for Keagan. She did great singing her small solo and Gramas and her friend Dax came to support her. It didn’t work out for Riley to be in choir this year eventhough I tried and tried. Mrs A is so sweet though and she is still an honorary member until she can be back in choir next year, 














We spent a significant amount of time at the Whitney’s and did a whole lot of this- laughing! One night we attempted Carmel apples and it was quite the process! 

We had a Friday and a Monday off school in October for fall break so we had the girls birthday party then. They did axe throwing and a bunch of games at Geronimo Adventure Park and had such an amazing time! Definitely a party to remember with their closest friends. 





























On their actual birthday we hung up our traditional birthday decorations, opened presents before school, got the most amazing balloons from Mrs Roxanne, had a family party of pizza and cakes with Kellie, Addie, the Whitney’s, Gramas and coach, and went to the Klein football game with all the youth in our ward which is some of the girls favorite people. So turning 13 and becoming official teenagers was very fun and memorable despite me not knowing how they could possibly be this old! 


























I got to go to the temple for sweet Adri’s very first time and Keagan and Dax have been working on a musical number of Peace in Christ to perform in sacrament meeting soon. 

Another DPAC Ovation performance at our first trunk or treat of the year. 




For Halloween Keagan and Claire have been planning a group costume for months. A whole bunch of friends wore different animal onesies and then we got party hats and noise makers so they were all party animals. It was SO cute! Keagan took the costume seriously and before Halloween went to four trunk or treats and a party at Callie’s house! Riley made it to one trunk or treat and then unfortunately got sick with a double ear infection. Keagan was the cutest giraffe I ever saw and Riley was the most incredibly adorable fox! Chelsea and I even accidentally matched so we said we were dressed as twins. 























On the Friday before Halloween the kids actually got to wear their costumes to school! Keagan decided her giraffe was too hot so we made an impromptu m&m costume that morning and I was pretty proud of it! 


And finally we had a super fun Halloween day to close out all the partying! We all said it was the most fun Halloween we’ve had in many years! After church we made pumpkin monster cookies and then took them to the McGlashans for such a fun themed food dinner with them and the Whitney’s! After dinner we drove over to Gleannloch to go trick or treating where there are sidewalks and street lights. It was absolutely perfect weather, great company and not crowded so the kids got WAY too much candy! We stayed out late but still made it home to see the Astros win! Big successful Holliday! 





















Besides all of that we’ve done work, school, DPAC and church. We’ve watched survivor, BYU football and the Astros. We’ve teased eachother too much, driven around like we do, cuddled and sang so much that Keagans voice coach Mrs Laura put her on vocal rest this past weekend! We’ve tried new foods, hung out with friends and FaceTimed Sa and Todd a lot. I have sold so many things on Facebook! We’ve done homework and housework, got new passports for Keags and Rys, have finally all been vaccinated against COVID-19 and all gotten a cold. Keags has done Tik Tok dances and taught Riley and I some. Her and I have made and posted two funny Tik Tok like (neither of us actually have it) videos and made so many people laugh. We went thru a Rice Krispie making and taking to friends phase. The girls have attended many youth activities and stayed after to better learn how to play basketball with friends. I got a new church calling to teach the 7 turning 8 year olds and it is awesome. We celebrated lots of friends and family’s birthdays. We’ve all had too much screen time and I’ve gone to therapy. And I’m sure we’ve done so much more that I’m forgetting. But I won’t forget we did it side by side.