Happy Summer!
(, , bed swing)
It’s been a while since I’ve had time to blog, so I guess I’ll start by catching you up to speed. In decorating news- I had fun whipping up a summery little display above the fireplace mantel in June:
(3 hats on the right: , , )
The older (and more perimenopausal- ha!) I get, the more I seem to crave a quieter space. Less visual noise, less stuff. More me and mine…less this and that and the other thing, collecting dust here, there and everywhere.
And speaking of “the change of life”…Y’ALL. What the actual heck? Crazy hormones, crippling anxiety, hair loss, insomnia, hot flashes- WHEW! I feel like there should be mandatory seminars to prepare women for this stuff. And can we talk about the super fun spike in anxiety that comes, like clockwork, preCISEly three days before a cycle starts? The struggle is real. I recently read that the average age of menopause is 51, but that it can start sooner for women who don’t give birth. So yay for being on track, I guess. 😉
In other (less TMI) news…Steevenson learned how to play Squares and he’s been giving his Granmè a run for her money lately…
And speaking of precious kiddos, we’ve been mentoring a 17-year-old Haitian gal who loves to play Squares too! We met her at Camp Hope (a foster care-related event) and we call her by her nickname “Meme”. We’re fixing her a bedroom in our (unused) home office space so that she feels more comfortable whenever she stays with us. We’ve got a bunch of fun bedding & decor items on the way this week, so hopefully it’ll feel a little more comfortable by the next time she visits (this Friday!). Here’s a photo I snapped before we brought in the rug last week:
And here are a couple of photos of the rugs we chose. We layered this one…
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…on top of this one:
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And to make that space feel more like a dedicated bedroom, we’re adding (lined) french doors and creating a separate entrance into our side of the house so we can enter/exit the house without using the door that cuts through Jim & Katie’s eat-in nook. I’ve got a cute and cost-effective plan to camouflage the door (while still making sure we can access it if necessary too), but I’ll have to snap a pic when everything is finished because it’ll be easier to show you than to explain. 🙂
And in related news…
Kevin and I are about halfway through our Deciding Together classes with Agape. We meet with the gal that’s training us every two weeks and hope to be licensed to provide foster care by the end of the summer. And I’m not going to sugarcoat it: because the classes involve processing a LOT of tough information, they often leave us totally mentally and emotionally exhausted. If you’ve been through TIPS or Deciding Together or another certification process, I’m sure you know exactly what I mean. And that Imaginary Journey exercise in Book Two…whew! That one really rocked us. Our trainer had us do it (and asked us all of the questions) with our eyes closed (vs. just reading through it ourselves) and it was so impactful to do it that way. I feel like it’s one of those experiences I’ll be thinking about for a long time.
As usual, we feel completely unprepared, unequipped, unsure and uncomfortable when it comes to wrapping our heads around what God is calling us to, but there’s also a very distinct kind of “propelling” that comes along with following your heart, ya know?
Anywho…I’m glad to “see” you again and I look forward to blogging about the bedroom as it progresses too!
Layla
I absolutely LOVE the hats above the mantel! I love seeing Steevenson enjoying grandparent time. One of my favorite actvities is to play games with our grandsons. Thank you for the idea of playing squares!😊
God bless you following the foster care path! Thanks for allowing us to follow along. I’m so excited for ya’ll.
Your boy is adorable and you look great with the new haircut. Please tell us about the printed rug – are you happy with it? Does it look as good in person as in the photo? Is there any sort of a funny smell or off-gassing? I worry about ordering decor items from China unless I can get more information first. Thanks, Layla!
We are LOVING the rug. What a fun find!! I didn’t notice any funny smell…thank goodness!
I love the daybed. Can u share the brand?
Yes! Here’s another link:
We’re loving it!
I’m thankful that you are going to be foster parents, and what a blessing you must be to the 17 year old young lady that you mentor. Thank you for being the hands and feet of Christ.
As far as menopause/perimenopause, hot flashes, weight gain, and maybe mood swings were the only symptoms that I had ever heard of…
But now, at age 53, I have anxiety/depression, and no hot flashes. When I mentioned anxiety and depression to my doctor, she said, “those aren’t typical menopausal symptoms.”
Plus, my ability to read is shot by about 4:00 p.m. (At night, it takes lots of good light and glasses.)
So, yes, being a woman is not for wimps!
I’m with you, friend! 😉
Love the hat collection! And they make great mantel decor!!!
I went through menopause at 47, I remember thinking it should be called “ meanopause”. Short temper, being tired and those “ tropical moments “ thankfully it just a phase us women have to endure!
The guest room is lovely, even unfinished!
Fostering, whatever children come to you, will be so lucky to come into such a kind and loving home!
I have to tell you, that I can’t go into Home Goods, without thoughts of you coming to mind! Little visions of items you would assemble start coming into my mind as I wander the aisles! Like a 5 year shopping old with an imaginary friend ☺️
Best wishes to all of you!
It’s so great to hear from you! I always love reading about your son, and seeing your latest decorating inspiration. I’m sorry to hear about your yucky female issues. I’ve struggled on and off with the same issues the past couple years, and it’s so unnerving. I just turned 47, and was tested to see if I was beginning menopause. I don’t know if it’s fortunate or unfortunate, but the results said I’m not. That means this could drag on. Not fun!
Good luck with your fostering! I think God definitely knew what he was doing when he put you on this path. Best wishes!
BTW…Where did you find your daybed? I was just online shopping for one for my cabin this morning, I really love yours.
Thank you, Angie! And here’s a link to that bed:
We are loving it!
I always enjoy reading your blog posts.
The mantel looks great – – never thought of the summer hat idea!
Aging is a real struggle – – I am mid-50s and now focus on healthy living more than ever!
I am thankful for loving people like you exists to love and nurture children. God Bless YOU!
peri-menopausal = fluoxitine just a small dose, talk to your Doc… It helped me not to feel like I was jumping out of my skin!
Oh, I tried that but didn’t sleep for 9 days straight! :-/
Love the home decor and that you are following God’s calling for your lives.
Thank you, Amber!
Layla, just very kindly giving you a heads up re: being hot and flashy in your future! 🙂 One of the things that’s been hard is the feeling of complete depression that whooshes through me with every hot flash. I’m sure it’s hormonal (I don’t have anxiety or any health probs) … and I don’t even have a good reason to feel terrible! But hot flash, and I do. Ugh! So I’m just putting it out there in case it helps you or anyone else to feel prepared. I tell myself, “It’s okay — this is hormonal and not “real” and it will pass.” And it does. But it doesn’t feel great. I have to remind myself every single time. (Hope this won’t be your experience! But in case, thought you might cope better if prepared…)
Thank you for the heads up, Catherine! I sure do appreciate it!
Love the decor and your spirit. Where did you buy your bamboo blinds and are they custom sized?
I got them here:
https://theletteredcottage.net/woven-wood-window-shades-wood-shutters/
We LOVE them!
I hit menopause full force at age 41, it’s been 10 years now and I am through with the hot flashes but there are so many lingering things that seem to be permanent. Crazy dry,uncontrolable hair, my eyesight is shot, a sudden intense fear of heights, weight gain, bouts of depression. I feel like it isn’t talked about enough-everyone jokes about it,even older women and I don’t understand, it is not at all funny,this has been the worst ten years of my life.
Same! :-/
So happy to see you blogging again as I’ve missed you! I’ve gone through the whole peri-menopausal thing and it is not fun! The hot flashes day and night along with the heavy monthly’s can send you over the edge at times. It’s tough to be a women! 🙂 Love your rug choices and the mantel décor that you did with the hats! You and your husband are special people to share your home and hearts with foster children. Thank you for sharing your journey with us.
Hi Laya…so good to see you blogging about your TLC! I went through menopause at 45 and I my anxiety is still through the roof!!! Totally random question but to this day my husband I hunt for vanity with a tall mirror like your with that beautiful blue patina paint….I have asked you this before when you were selling some thing in Prattville…but do you still have it…would you selll it? Name your price!
With Love,
Stacy Lovoy
Oh how I loved that piece too! We sold it several years back. I can’t remember to whom? 🙁
I went through menopause at age 47 and essentially had no symptoms other than my skin became oilier and my anxiety has increased a bit. As someone who had horrible cramps, I’m so happy to be done with that part of my life! Anyway, welcome back! It’s great to hear from you.
As a foster parent for over 5 years now, I can attest to the mental and emotional work involved in the training to be a foster parent. It’s good preparation, because it’s an enormous amount of mental and emotional work on this side, too! This is coming from a mama who gets, especially today (it’s been a tough one).
BUT! It is so, so worth it. Every sacrifice and anxious thought and sleepless night. Absolutely worth it.
oh how I’ve missed you on FB. So happy to read the update on your life, home and sweet plans to expand your hearts and home.
So happy to see an update from you. I missed you. Thanks for putting yourselves out there as foster parents.
The anxiety is real! I have woken up from sleep in a complete panic attack many times. Talk about scary. Doctor put me on Bio-identical hormone cream which helped so much. Getting older is not for the faint of heart! It is nice to know others are experiencing it too but it is not fun when you are in the midst of it. Glad you are back!
Dear Layla,
Find a doctor that prescribes very low dose hormone creams that you can rub on your wrist (made by a compounding pharmacist). They worked amazingly at reducing the symptoms of menopause. My symptoms were so bad it felt like I was getting the flu every hour.
It also makes you realize that anything you rub on your skin is absorbed into your body, it make you think twice about what kind of lotions and sprays you use.
Layla, we are close to being in the same boat, it’s so funny. My husband and I have been going through resource parenting classes too in our state. It does seem overwhelming, but YOU GOT THIS ALL DAY LONG! And a menopausal tip for you… When I stopped drinking sodas, the hot flashes all but stopped. Cheers to ya!
I have missed your blogs!! As for menopause, I had an early one at the age of 35 right after my son was born. My TMI moment is that I had to undergo surgery 6 weeks after my son was born to remove a growth in my ovary which turned out to be larger than expected. It destroyed my tube and ovary to the point that they had to remove both and tie my remaining tube. It through me into menopause!! My son was 6 weeks old and I was dealing with becoming a first time mom along with the symptoms of menopause! I am surprised I even survived!
Glad to see you back and I look forward to the journey you will share with us on fostering!
How do you have even begin to pick out a rug on Amazon? I’m always afraid that colors and undertones won’t be the same as they appear online.
I don’t! I search Google, blogs, Pinterest, and Instagram for images of rugs and sometimes they just happen to be available on Amazon. 😉
Layla,
I went through my 30’s with all kinds of issues and kept asking my Gynocologist if I was in the early stages of menopause – he kept assuring me NO, I was too young and healthy. Flash forward to my 42nd birthday and two months later I was done completely. I had 6-pregnancies (3 boys made it) and started having my periods very late (13-years old). Keep seeing medical professionals who will listen to you and believe what you are experiencing as real. Look at medical folks who will work with your thyroid as many of you symptoms sound a lot like it might be a root cause. Look up Hashimoto’s disease. Keep all of the lovely loving people surrounding you close as they know you best and love you for you.