Life Update

 The summer just flew by this year. Life seems to get faster and faster. I am so grateful for my health which has allowed me to keep up. I will start with the negatives of the summer. Elijah suffered a very difficult depression this summer which has simmered down with three medications but is still ongoing. He was faced with crippling anxiety that crushed him. Unfortunately, when his probation period ended at the packing job he had, the boss let him go. He was somewhat relieved because it really wasn't a great fit. She micromanaged the very small business to an extreme degree. His stress level has made it impossible to get him back into the work force in the last 7 weeks or so. Instead, we have concentrated on driving. Dear husband took it over and they are driving 6 days a week. He is very close to taking the test and has made great progress in the past few months.  We are praying that this will help to build his confidence. 

The other negative is Rebekah's car died and we haven't yet found a replacement that will  meet her demanding travel needs. She is currently sharing Grandma's car. 

Rebekah has had a splendid summer. She went to multiple summer dance intensives and had a great experience with each and every one of them. She liked Sarasota and Joffery NYC the best. She was invited into the training program of Carolina Ballet in Raleigh, NC and Joffery NYC, but decided to decline the honor because they were tuition based. She did however accept a contract from Carolina Ballet Theater in Greenville, SC. She received an apprenticeship with this small ballet company and is stipend with ballet shoes. The commute is a grueling 1.5 hours each way ( with lots of construction and three highways with mountain driving) and she needs to travel it 3 to 5 times a week depending on rehearsals. However, she loves the company. She has lots of opportunities to perform on large and small stages. Her first performance is next weekend. Because it is a small company every one is very much needed and an apprentice gets to dance in every show right along side the fulltime company members. She even has some solo roles already. On top of  dancing, she is still plugging away at college and works with Tim two days a week. 

Rebekah in the dorms at Carolina Ballet in Raleigh

This Rebekah statue was stunning at the High Museum in Atlanta

David and I made a quick weekend trip down to Atlanta with Elijah  one weekend so that he could visit and online friend. It was a nice experience for him and David and I had a quick retreat of our own. We visited the High Museum and the Atlanta zoo. They were both delightful. 

My darling little nanny child is three now and off to preschool. I only see him occasionally now. His mother is pregnant though, so we might work out childcare for the new little one in the future. I am trying to figure out my life and what I want to do in the Spring. 

Tim and I went for an overnight to Duke for all of his cardiac appointments. We had a gap between appointments and went to the North Carolina Museum of Art. It was lovely and fun to get out and have  one on one trip with Tim. His appointments went well and he is good for another year of cardiac health. 

I will be posting about NYC separately. Our last hurrah of the Summer was an overnight trip to Atlanta to see Green Day. Elijah once again visited his online friend. Dear Husband was our great supporter and enjoyed his down time eating junk food in the hotel and watching the history channel and Tim, Rebekah and I went to the concert. It was great. Rebekah and I had about 6 hours of sleep in the hotel before we had to head out to get Rebekah back to Greenville for her ballet rehearsals. It was a whirlwind, but fun. 

One of her summer intensives was a contemporary studio and they did an photo shoot. She got some great shots for free. They were included in the intensive program. 

We are already racing into fall. I hope Elijah turns a happy corner in the next few weeks. 

Blessings, Dawn