Has Time Really Gone By THIS Fast?

How did my life go from this:

To this?

Where have I been? Obviously in some kind of a demented time warp.

I've gone  from having three kids in school, running around destroying my house with their friends here helping to eat up all my food, to sitting here alone. At least I still have three pups standing (well laying) by me. My kid's are scattering  away from me way too fast.

My oldest is living on the other side of the world in Australia. My youngest is in Orlando on Spring Break and my middle one is in Texas. (Not really, he's just at work at Texas Roadhouse) but he's still not here and saving up money to move out next.

When you hit the skids in a bad economy, it takes twice if not three times as long to recover but I'd say we're way over the halfway mark. I'm proud of our progress and prouder of Tim. It isn't easy  for a man who has always been  the provider to be a man working  two jobs for minimum wage but he did it and  we survived with the help of God and many others.

We are THIS close! I'll admit I have enjoyed these past two quiet nights alone but can't even imagine what I will do when they are ALL three gone.

Seems like just last year I was going to TJ's tee ball games while pregnant with Zach. Then Massey came along  and the years simply flew by.

Now I am over half a century  old. How the heck did THAT happen?

After all my family went though, my oldest pup went through his own debacle and once again the love came pouring in. Ham is healthy now, thanks to many friends and dog lovers. If he hadn't had  the outpouring of help he would probably be dead by now. Instead he is curled up by my feet every night while I blog. He's still blind but he's healthy. I'm still working on the eye surgery but just grateful  to have him still around.

For over two years I worked ten, twelve and sometimes fourteen shifts a week to make ends meet. I'm not meaning to sound like a hero but simply a mom  that does what a mom has to do.

I got offered a job  two days a week from a high school friend selling furniture. It's much less physically demanding and is nice to have a break from  the physically demanding job.

So my crazy life has come full circle.I started carefree and  young. Paid $225 a month for my first  apartment including utilities, spent everything else on myself and had money left over.

Now I have  three kids who have grown up (without my permission) and a husband who has stuck by me for some unknown reason but appreciate the fact he did.

Looks like I was right to believe in Karma. "What goes around comes around."

I feel like my next move will be the nursing home but hope I can put it off a few more years.

I was supposed to do housework tonight but after changing two light bulbs and dragging out a bag of trash my friends on facebook told me I had done enough so I decided  to blog.

It still hurts to realize all three kid's will be gone in a few short months. For  those of you with young children, enjoy every minute, even the bad ones. (The bad ones can be used as ammunition in their teen years or when they want to move back in...and trust me it happens  more often  than not)

You know... we've  not had it easy these past few years and I'm down to under a hundred pounds but still swinging and if I had it all to do over again wouldn't change a thing. I have learned lessons and had many blessings. My kids have learned early that life doesn't come with a guarantee. I think it's the greatest lesson we could ever teach them.

Only time will tell.

Housework be damned...I'm headed  for the couch with some spinach dip and crackers!

Til next  time...COTTON