Thoughts for the day!

Today was a fantastic day! It was so quiet at work today, I read my newspaper and checked my email most of the day. Then there was the spotting of a monster alligator about three feet from where I park my vehicle everyday! Our retreat center is basically on an island in the middle of swamp land! While you may get very ugly images of it, I tell you it is one of the most restful and beautiful places in LA. It was actually a day filled with lots of wildlife. One of the ladies saw the one of the foxes that live on the property. I only got to see them one time, but they were gorgeous! At one time in the year, they will bring their young out into the open spaces to run and play and it is always right at dusk. The only thing about knowing about all of this wildlife is that now I am not so sure about walking on the nature trail anymore! One time we have someone walking on the trail and a wild boar was running through the woods and she did not know what to do, so she just stepped out of the boar's way and he just barreled past her! I don't know how she managed to keep breathing and find her way out of the woods! We have also been having some of the most beautiful birds all over the courtyard right outside my office. I can't wait for the rabbits to start moving about again. We don't see them too much until spring.
Well, I really did not intent to talk about the wildlife, but I just started remembering it all when I was saying that I was having a great day! My boss even let me leave work about an hour early, so I was able to beat my hubby home, start dinner, and do tons of housework! I have already washed the sheets and put them back on the bed, did 3 loads of laundry, and cleaned out a few cabinets - this was all while the dinner was cooking in the oven! I am so glad things were productive today!
I am on cd 34 (12 po- I think). The reason I am unsure about my peak day is because the fertile cm made me a little confused and I really question if I correctly identified my true peak day! I was extremely stressed out this month around my peak time, so I really don't know if I should be hopeful that a real pregnancy is possible or prepare myself for a terribly timed arrival of cd 1. I am allowing myself to hope that I could be pregnant, we definitely tried to make the most of our chances! I still have not heard back from the nurses at PPVI on my p+7 blood draw. Hopefully they will call soon.
I have been doing some real soul-searching lately (probably thanks to Sew's book :)). It is really having a postive impact on my attitude and my marriage and I haven't even finished chapter one. Good things are happening! The only thing that is really bothering me right now is knowing that one of my little cousins is suffering terriblly from neglectful parenting and is now going to have to go through another social service agency to get help. I really feel it is his mother that needs more help in parenting, but we have been trying to teach her this since he was 2 years old and now he is 11. He stays in trouble at school and the teachers have not been very helpful. Last year at this time, he was living with us and J and I tried for six weeks to help him give him a fresh start. We literally had to do it all. We met with teachers, counselors, principals, social workers, etc. We did 4th grade homework every night and worked really hard to keep him from failing in school! Luckily he did pass 4th grade! He is a very smart kid, just had no routine at home. At home, he was the adult. He had a brother at home, but he stayed at his grandparents. Both boys were very young when their dad died unexpectantly at the age of 31. My aunt was a widow at 29 with a 3 year old and a 23 month old. While my aunt went through her grief and recovery, the boys spent almost all of their weekends with us! M spent more time with us bc his brother would spend more time with the other side of the family. M is now given a few adhd meds and depression meds. It is greiving my spirit. Well, anyway, M finally went to live with his mom and the Social Services got involved and it looks like he is the starter of problems, but I just think he needs love and discipline, not a probation officer is what his mom is trying to get for him. He has never done anything illegal. He has a tough time in school and does not get along with his mom. When he is with us, he is generally fine. I am asking for you to join me and J in prayer for him and whoever it is that will determine his fate on Friday. I don't think that he will ever be able to live with us or any other family member because I think he will be so resentful to not be with his mother! While he does not get along with her, he desperately seeks her love, approval, and acceptance. Please pray! He still loves to come to our home, but I think that he thinks we gave up on him. I guess I should ask your prayers for my heart, that I would be given the grace to know that we did the best that we could for him. My husband and I are suffering so much right now about this. All of our friends know this whole story, bc M has always been with us on the weekends for the last 8 1/2 years and it is only now that he is not a fixed part of our lives on a regular basis. I have been praying for the last 9 years for my aunt to get her act together and enjoy her children, but it is just not happening. Now my prayer is that he will survive the next seven years and be a healthy adult with as little resentment as possible.
I have been saying special prayers for all of my blog friends on my way to work and way home each day! Hope you are all doing well and are filled with God's grace today!
Now, I am off to reading some more of that phenomenal book!