Finally! My family needed a lot of care these past few years, but I’m finally in a place of rest. I’m almost an empty nester, and it feels good–REALLY GOOD!

If you read my last post, you know I had a house full of people during Covid, and we’ve been doing nonstop renovations on our home since we moved here from Atlanta five years ago. I unexpectedly found myself in a caretaker position, and I had to set my writing aside. Now that I’m finally in the clear, I know I owe my loyal readers and writing peers an update on my sudden absence.

My oldest daughter has struggled with severe depression and anxiety since middle school. Her teenage years were rough, but I’m proud to say she’s finally in an amazing place. She took a job in Florida and has a wonderful boyfriend. He works as a math teacher at a Christian private school, and him and his friends and family have embraced my daughter. She has a healthy, active lifestyle and is growing into a beautiful, young woman. She calls me multiple times throughout the day to fill me in on her life.

My other daughter graduated a year early, and after a year at home, we sent her off to college. She got accepted into the Theta Tau coed fraternity for engineers, and she’s thriving in every way. We’re rewarding all of her hard work with a new truck on order. Now that I don’t have to fuss at her about a messy room, she texts and FaceTimes me every day to share her life with me.

My youngest son started his freshman year of high school and is in honors band. He’s always been an easy child (but worst pregnancy and baby). He got accepted to spend a day to play with the band at my daughter’s college (and my husband’s), and he’s thriving in every way.

My oldest son nearly died last December due to blood loss. We learned he suffers from Crohn’s disease, and we took him in until he regained his health. He’s now out of our home and thriving as well.

My last post explained that our granddaughter and her mother had moved into our home, and I became a full-time Mimi as we helped her mother out financially. Without going into details, things got too dangerous for the child once they moved into their own tiny home, and we had to take custody of the child. Things quickly escalated, and my entire family had to deal with an Amber Heard situation. I’ve spent the past year dealing with nonstop slanderous allegations (even against my children), vicious texts, and court dates. We found out that everything this woman had ever told us was a lie. Her mother informed me that we weren’t her only victims, as she had lied about being pregnant for six months while living in her boyfriend’s parent’s home. She’s a serial manipulator. She stalks old posts on this blog and my author Facebook page, and she and her family are constant drama (the Jerry Springer kind).

Thankfully, we’re nearing the end of the saga, and I expect our last court appearance to be in February. If it takes her hating me to get her sober and to start acting like a decent mother to her child, I have no problems being the bad guy. As for the constant slander, I based Alissia and Luke’s personality off mine. We’re Challengers on the Enneagram scale, so we really don’t care what people think of us. However, integrity is everything to an Enneagram Eight. This woman burned everything she had with my family the moment I found out about her lies. She moved here to get away from her family, but she and her mother are just alike. Chaos breeds chaos, and I don’t want any part of it.

Finally, after nonstop renovations on the inside and outside of our home, it’s starting to come together. We downsized from our home in Atlanta, looking forward to our empty nest years. Then everyone moved here, and this house got a bit cramped. With only my son and my granddaughter now here part-time, I can finally get my house back to normal. Both of my daughters each moved almost all their belongings with them, and I gave them furniture. Instead of decorating my house for storage for all the people, I can finally decorate my home with art. If you know me, you know I LOVE art of all kinds. I actually have a pottery and handmade jewelry addiction.

This month I’m busy shampooing carpets and moving furniture around, now that I have open rooms. I got my game and workout room back. We just had sod put down in the back yard. It has a massive oak tree that shades the entire back area, and I plan to have someone hang tiny lights on it. Remember the Medicians’ living area? Lots of hammocks and tiny lights. Yeah, that’s what I’m going for.

Next month I expect our temperatures to drop a little, and I’ll be able to sit outside without becoming drenched in sweat. I’ll have a beautiful new yard we’ve worked on since we moved here. It even has a kitchen area with a smoker and griddle, and I’m excited to try new recipes. I expect the only drama in my life to be with the squirrels over the bird feeders. And, no, I’ll never win that war. I’m just completely outnumbered!

As a caretaker of a home full of people, I’ve had to suppress my creative side the past few years. Oh, how I’ve missed writing, painting, and baking bread. I’ve even missed gardening–even though I pretty much kill most of what I plant. I’m really enjoying this new season in life. Empty nesters can actually hop on a plane and travel any time they like! I’ve been parenting for over thirty years, and I’m finally reaping the benefits of all the hard work.

Here’s to empty nesting, and here’s to Alissia’s adventures continuing. Y’all know a war is brewing. I’ve got a lot of surprises in this one–a LOT! Stay tuned while I get back into being a full-time author. I’m finally free to create again! Oh, how I missed my creative side. It’s been TOO long!

Stay tuned for more updates as I write. With all the political drama online, I pulled away from social media years ago. (I really do hate unnecessary drama.) I’ll try to start posting again on a regular basis. I just don’t spend much time scrolling anymore. I also know blog posts are out, and videos are in. However, I’d rather focus on finishing Unexpected Legends than trying to keep up with video posts. Now that I’m back, feel free to reach out to me. I LOVE hearing from my readers!