Life And Loss

A lot has happened in this past (almost) year. 

We lost our oldest dog in January, and believe me when I tell you that devastating just isn't a strong enough word for that experience. She was a few months shy of her 16th birthday when I accepted I couldn't wait any longer. It wasn't fair to her anymore. I am fully convinced she had decided she was ready months prior, and her siblings, too, seemed to understand what was happening remarkably well. 

We're coming up on a year of home ownership. I love my house with all my heart. We have adopted the cutest, grumpiest long-haired black cat. We've redone one bathroom almost completely. I genuinely cannot keep track of how many house plants we've added to the mix, and the outdoor ones are even worse. We've planted at least 4 new trees. Our vegetable garden (technically I think it's plural) is absolutely ridiculous, especially the peppers and celery. 

I currently go to three different aestheticians, which sounds bonkers to me. I get my eyebrows and lashes done at one place, my facials another, and my hair and nails done at a third. I'm also on the botox train, though that's mostly due to the migraines that like to pop up. 

We pick up our nieces from school once a week, partially to help out their parents, but mostly as an excuse to spend time with our favorite people. I cannot believe how fast these girls are growing up, how much I love them, or that I'm lucky enough to have known them their entire lives. It still feels so surreal. In the past year alone, they both went from little kids to unpacking their own lunchboxes without being asked before I could even think of it. I'm incredibly proud of them, as well as their parents, who also became first time home owners this past year.