Day 9

Bereaved Parents Awareness Month. Day 9.

When Matt and I got married 17 years ago,we were what I like to call a “blending ” family. He had three sons, I had two sons, and together we made seven.

A “blended” family is the more common term but it felt like we were constantly in this big blender of life.

Figuring out everyone’s very different personalities, how we each reacted or responded to different situations, getting to know each others children, likes, dislikes and anything and everything in between!

Shortly after we were married our son Robbie was born and 14 months later, Virginia joined us and we became a blending family of nine!

We bought our first home two months after Virginia was born.

It is unique and economical and built into the side of a mountain. What that means is we actually mow the grass on top of our roof!

Ever since Matt and I have been married, I host many holiday meals.

Some of our families of origin make it with their families and we have a big  family gathering.

I learned early on that someday, once our children start having children we are going to need to figure out a way to make everyone fit!

About 12 years ago I thought, what if we put a garage addition on our home and turn our existing garage and kitchen into a huge kitchen and dining area! One that our big family and their families and their families would fit into!

At that point we already had two grandsons!

Phase 1 would be building the garage addition.

Matt and I agree to disagree on who came up with the idea,but I’m pretty sure that I put the thought in his head and after he thought about it for a long time, then it became his own. (love you babe)

We went through the process of obtaining the permit to add the garage onto our home and construction started January 22nd 2018.

Billy was murdered January 27, 2018.

The builders paused during our week of planning Billy’s memorial service, and burial, and everything else that entailed.

I am glad that we chose to do the garage addition when we did.

We were building something even though part of our family had died.

Phase 1 is just about complete.

We’ve been utilizing the garage and parking our vehicles inside for well over a year.

We just finished the drywall in the room above the garage and it’s ready for my husband’s perfect paint job!

We’re still waiting to start phase 2 of our existing garage. We have the plans drawn up but an awful lot has happened between the planning, and execution of the project.

It makes me feel sad that Billy will never get to sit down for a meal with us when our kitchen and dining area is complete.

It makes me happy that we will have that space for the rest of our family and their families to eat together,be together to reminisce and make new memories.

I am sure that Logan will bring his own family someday and we’ll still be telling stories, looking through pictures and talking about Billy, Logan’s Daddy.

I believe that Logan will always refer to him as Daddy no matter how much time goes by because Daddy is all he ever got to know.

When I think of our home and how it’s built into the mountain and the history we have here and will continue to make here, this scripture verse has always come to mind;

“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.” ~Matthew 5:14