Friday: 8 Things

I cannot for the life of me escape these numbered posts.  I just can’t.  My brain is maxed out frazzled to even come up with coherent blog post titles, so numbered posts F.O.R.E.V.E.R!!!!!  Let’s begin.

1. Have you seen Black Panther or Wrinkle In Time yet?!?!?!?  If not, please do.  We rarely go to the movies because, cough cough, 7 people costs a lot at the theaters, but I did the unimaginable and went to two movies in two days.  WHAAAATTT?!?!?!  And it was every bit worth it.  Incredible movies…gorgeous movies…thought provoking movies…vital to our society movies.  Harper and I went on a ladies date one night.  Hello Chilis and Wrinkle In Time and snacks.  And then Josh and I took our very own Big 3…thanks Jack and Rebecca…to see Black Panther the next day.  5 stars from everyone.

And yes, semi newish tattoo ^ Got it back at the beginning of November for Everett and could not love it more.  Now I’m the lady with a snake tattoo 🙂  Bonus: Solomon’s laughing face.  I could seriously kiss his face off.

2. Amon at Jump Rope for heart means my heart almost burst into a 1000 pieces right there on that gym floor.  Watching him jump rope with so much expression and sweat and gusto while knowing what an amazing and brave heart he has beating in his chest…and the journey he’s been on to get to where he is now, well, just scrape my mama’s heart up off the floor.  I teared up approximately 74 times.

3.  I’m looking up more now.  I use to always notice the sky and clouds.  I basically engrained it into our kids’ heads, but then Everett died and I quit looking up…I quit noticing for a while.  Lately my eyes have been drawn upward again.  I’m seeing the beauty in the skies again.  Thank you Kroger and Dollar General parking lots at 5:55am.  You’re doing my heart a solid.

4. I’ve been creating again.  I’ve started small with some requests from friends and frequent customers.  It’s been good and not overwhelming.  I even did some hand-lettering for Harper’s birthday invitations which was fun and nice and quick since we simply photocopied them.

5.  Josh Kelley just doing his thing.  I would be quite lonely and quite extra overwhelmed without him in this grief and in this life.  We’re the luckiest to have him as ours.

6. We changed out our shamrock art for Easter art.  This has been such a sweet and fun thing to do each month.  The kids love it so much and so do I.

7. Need at nap?  Just head to the cemetery.  Easy as that.

And 8.  She calls it her Everett Jacket.  She wears it every day.  She loves it and misses her FuShuai something fierce.  She still cries almost everyday about him being gone.  When she sees his photo on my phone she always says, “See our boy.  I miss that boy.”  She asks the hardest questions and cries the loudest tears.  I had a really hard moment in our doctor’s office last week and broke down crying something awful.  It was just me and her.  She grabbed my face, looked me right in my tear filled eyes and said, “Everybody misses him so much.” and then squeezed my neck.  She makes me feel seen and I am beyond grateful to be the recipient of her love and empathy.