It’s springtime around here, and I feel like I haven’t been able to get my “ducks in a row” all year!

I’ve had such an interesting and unpredictable year so far, and I’ll admit that it’s thrown me for a bit of a loop. I’ve clued in that life is just that way, but it has all been a little crazy lately.

Around Here:

• I’ve been taking both of my parents to many doctor appointments as we all learn how to help them navigate some health challenges.

• I’ve also been taking myself to several doctor appointments as I am trying to keep on top of my own health. I’m mostly recovered from surgery, but I do have some lingering pain, and I had to deal with an infection in one of my incisions. That was a setback. I also have my own challenges to manage with diabetes and general checkups to keep myself healthy. I tweaked my ankle earlier this month, which has been frustrating. It does seem to be healing, and I have an appointment to see my ankle doctor soon.

• We spent more than a month in our daughter’s town in late March and throughout April. It was so great to be there for our second grandchild's birth and help their family adjust to a new dynamic. It’s pretty remarkable that we could be away from home for that long. I’m so grateful for the flexibility that technology gives us. We can work from almost anywhere and keep in touch in so many different ways. Still, it takes a lot to be gone for that long of a time, and we are still reacclimating to our usual routine. I literally just finished unpacking everything yesterday.

• I FaceTime my daughter Riley and her two little boys (Calvin, 21 months, and Caleb, 1 month) almost every day. It’s such a great way to keep in touch and be a part of their lives. I wish we lived closer to them, but we make it a goal to see them in person once a month, and that helps a lot.

• I’ve still been designing (even though I haven’t released anything for a few months). I’m in the middle of a big collection that I decided should all be released at the same time. I’ve also been taking an online course from Stacie Bloomfield, and I’m learning so much! It has helped me gather together some dreams and goals I’ve been mulling around, and I love the growth I’m experiencing.

• We (Jeff, Alex, and I) were originally going to be heading to Europe at the end of this month for a big trip, but we canceled it back in February because of everything that was happening with my surgery, my parents’ health, and we realized that it would be hard to be gone for a long time with a brand new grandbaby in the mix as well. It was the right decision, and we don’t regret it. We are going to take a much smaller and shorter trip in June. I’ve been working on planning that trip and researching gluten-free food options. This is the life of someone with Celiac (Alex has it too). You can’t just hit the road without a plan!

• It seems that we have spent the past year in a constant state of home and life improvement, working on multiple projects at once. We also end up helping my parents and our daughter with their respective house projects. We don’t mind because we enjoy it, but it keeps us busy.

• Add in tax season, meetings, work, family, and social events, and the layers pile up. Not to mention just trying to keep up with the news these days. Is anyone else feeling that is all too much?

• I’ve spent much of my recovery time reviewing old files - photos, documents, blog posts, social media posts, etc. I’ve been trying to consolidate, organize, and make a plan of attack to pull everything together so I can accomplish the goals that are so important to me. I want finished albums and completed projects. I also want to clear my mind and to-do lists so I can focus on enjoying this time of my life. That’s important!

Are your ducks in a row? Spoiler alert - nobody has them in a row. Even actual ducks struggle to keep their little ducklings gathered behind them. But just like those mama ducks, we keep trying, and it all works out somehow. Just be sure to take some time to enjoy what’s happening at this stage in your life. That’s my plan!