Snow, Soul Balm, and Big Life Changes

Last Tuesday’s sunrise, painting the sky in warmth before winter’s chill set in. Today, the clouds are brooding, the wind is biting, and the snowflakes are refusing to be fluffy—but at least I have this reminder that beauty always circles back.

The island is in a mood today—gloomy, brooding, and dramatically tossing out tiny ice shards instead of the dreamy, fluffy snowflakes I was hoping for. Come on, Mother Nature, give me a Hallmark moment! Snow is rare here, but when it happens, it’s downright magical—the towering pines dusted in white, the ocean stretching out in the distance, all of it looking like a Bob Ross masterpiece. And honestly, my soul could use that kind of picturesque peace right now.

My brain, however, is doing its best impression of a malfunctioning browser—too many tabs open, none of them loading properly. Chief among them? The countdown to July, when my mom’s addition to the house should (fingers crossed, knock on wood, throw salt over my shoulder) be finished. Right now, she’s living in a travel trailer on our property. Travel trailers are fine for weekend adventures, but as a full-time home? That’s a hard pass—especially when you’re used to having, you know, space. But she’s handling it like a champ.

Before we moved, she lived right across the street from me in Iowa, which was perfect—I could mow her lawn, shovel her driveway, and generally keep an eye on things. She stayed behind for a year while we got settled here in Washington, and now that she’s back, our little family unit feels complete again. She and Hayden have always had a special bond, so having them back in the same zip code feels like setting a wobbly puzzle piece back into place.

Speaking of Hayden, I’m finally taking the plunge into something I’ve wanted to do for a while—sharing our journey with adoption and raising a gender-divergent kid. Everyone’s experience is different, but if writing about ours can help even one parent or kid feel seen, it’ll be worth it. I’ve toyed with the idea of writing a book, but the thought of tackling that all at once makes me want to lie down and stare at the ceiling indefinitely. Breaking it into bite-sized blog posts? That feels doable. Plus, with my usual sanity-saver (quilting) on hold until Mom’s addition is done, I need something to channel my energy into before my brain self-destructs.

So, here’s to snow (hopefully), sanity (eventually), and starting something new (definitely). Stay tuned!