The boys and I are going to my parents for dinner tonight. It's sort of a birthday thing for me. I'm actually pretty okay with that. 😀 I have a shit ton of things on my mind and I'm still stressed out but I'm in a really decent place today. I'm feeling like things are going to be okay, at least in the short term.  The kids have been great and any of the problems that did arise, were easily dealt with.  So yeah, my birthday hasn't been the emotional black hole ai was afraid it was going to be. 😀   

Today's been pretty okay so far. The boys have way too much energy but everyone is getting along just fine. That's a largely positive thing.  We have zero plans for today and I'm okay with that because frankly, I'm pretty tired. I slept kinda strange last night and woke up feeling like I hadn't really slept at all.  It's fair to say that I have a lot on my mind and I'm preoccupied with Gavin's trip to the Cleveland Clinic in the morning.  Either way, I'm going to make the best of today. I want to start the first day of my 37th year on the right foot. 😀   

When things get tough emotionally and/or physically, it's easy to want to give up but it's so important that you don't. Today I turn 37 years old and will be doing so without my wife being by my side for the first time in almost 15 years. That's a bitter pill to swallow, at least for me it is.  Yesterday we celebrated the August birthdays in my family with a cookout at my parents house. Truthfully, I didn't really want to go because I knew I wouldn't be in the mood to be around people but the kids weren't going to pay a price for my mood so we went.  It was a rough start and I avoided contact with everyone I could.  Eventually though, things got a little easier…