Going through the motions

Have you ever felt like you were just going through the motions in life?  Has the daily grind ever become the norm?  I very much feel like that is where we are in life right now.  And it's got me down.  It seems like many of the things that bring me joy have been missing, the things that give me purpose are lacking, that the things that drain me have taken over.  I thrive on freedom, independence, and control over my life, and too many outside factors seem to be taking them away from me.  So every day, the daily grind continues, work and other responsibilities take over, and the ability to do things that really bring me joy take a back seat.  

The last year and a half with changes to my job, more work travel, and everything we went through with my dad last year, missed vacations, and lots of other little things have all built up to where we are today.  Starting the year off with 3 weeks of work travel within 5 weeks and a week of being sick in the middle of it all didn't help either.  But we've made it through, and I'm hopeful that things will improve soon.

I'm sure everyone has moments like this in life.  It just stinks when you're in the midst of it.  It's frustrating and exhausting.  Luckily, I have four girls in my life that make every day better and always make me smile.  And life is too short to dwell on this for too long.  Plus sometimes it helps to share.  Thanks for listening.

The daily grind was in full force this week and my work days were exhausting, but the sun was shining and the snow was sparkling, and the daylight hours are getting longer each day.  February is one of favorite months and, despite the cold, I've really been enjoying our real winter weather this year.  We can't get out for any big adventures, but the girls have been really handling it well.  We do what we can each day to keep them entertained and happy.  I think I must be doing something right.  

After a boring day at home on Monday, I was excited to get out of the house on Tuesday with the girls. 

After work, we headed to Lansing Shuffle to meet up with some fellow geocachers.  Mina and Peaches were both very happy to be out getting love and attention from someone other than me.

We stayed for awhile visiting, and after everyone left, I bought dinner from one of the restaurants there.  The girls enjoyed watching me eat, and of course, I shared some bacon with them.  We walked around both inside and outside, before I ate and after, but didn't go far because it was bitterly cold and Mina's paws got cold.  We all enjoyed the outing, though, and a little change of pace was nice.

Wednesday and Thursday were long, exhausting days.  The weather was cold but the days were sunny.  The girls enjoyed spending some time outside during the day for some short periods of time while I was working.  They ate lunch and dinner out of their puzzles and had fun playing fetch inside.  It was fun to get a chance to just be silly and play with them for a bit.  We spent our evenings snuggling.  

We were all happy when Friday finally arrived.  Mina and Peaches slept in while I started my work day.  I had several meetings, and boy was I glad when the day was over.  One thing that made the day tolerable was the beautiful sunshine and blue skies.  That and a nice talk with my daughter.  She always brightens my days.  Fiona did not want to talk to me, but just hearing her in the background, playing and talking, makes me smile.

I had to get a picture of the beautiful day and the piles of snow in the yard.  It's crazy to think under that pile of snow, my crocus are just waiting to bloom when the time is right.  They had already peeked through the ground by this time last year, but I'm glad we actually had winter this year, and I know they'll be here soon.  That makes me smile. too.

After work, I decided to make the drive to Durand for the Eagles Friday night Fish Fry because their walleye dinner is one of the best I've had.  The girls were happy to make the drive with me.  I got my food to go so I could sit in the car and eat, and of course, I shared a little of my fish with them.  

Finally Saturday morning arrived.  I was so excited for this weekend because I had no commitments.  This allowed me to finally get out to the shelter for our Saturday morning Dog Walking Club.  This is one of the things I've really been missing lately.

Due to some staffing issues at the shelter, we haven't been able to hold our Wednesday walks for a few months, and I'm not sure when we'll get back to our regular Wednesday evening schedule, so Saturday mornings are our only opportunity to get out as a group with the dogs.  Because of other commitments and the weather, we haven't been able to hold walks regularly on Saturdays since before the holidays.  This was only our second walk this year, and I really miss the dogs.  

It was pretty cold, with a frigid wind, but not too cold to get the dogs out and boy did they all enjoy themselves.  It always makes me happy to be able give them this little break from shelter life.  It was a great start to our Saturday.

While I was at the shelter, I finally renewed my pass for Soldan Dog Park, then I stopped at the Holt Farmer's Market to pick up a few things on the drive home.  After I got home we had lunch, and then we got ready to go to the park.

I love this dog park in the woods and so do the girls.  While it was a cold day, the trees blocked the wind in most spots and we stayed very comfortable. 

Mina found a tennis ball so we were able to play fetch while we were there, and she made a couple of friends who were happy to chase her as she ran at top speeds, zooming around through the woods.  She loves being chased.

We spent nearly an hour and half enjoying the woods.  I love watching the girls run and explore.  It was exactly what we all needed today.  

After we left the dog park, I made a couple of stops for a little geocaching, then we made the drive home.  The girls made a quick trip outside, got a special treat, and then both of them curled up for a nap.  Surprisingly, they slept through their normal dinner time and I just let the sleep.  I knew eventually they'd get up, ready to eat.  They had a late dinner and quick potty break and then settled back in for the the night.  I think we all got something we really needed today.  

Our Sunday will be spent doing a combination of chores around the house and getting out for a little more fun.  Then I'm hoping to have a relaxing afternoon to recharge and relax.  I hope you all have a nice Sunday too.

The weather over the next week will be above freezing almost every day, and even into the mid-40s for  a few days.  I expect the snow to melt a lot, I'm just hoping the yard doesn't turn into a muddy mess.  It's really hard for me to believe that we've reached the final week of February, we're just two weeks from Daylight Savings Time, and we're less than a month from Spring.  I love this time of year!