Time with SIL

SIL came home this week to bring her dad a diesel pick-up she'd found him at an auction, and also to help with sugarbeet harvest. I was nervous at the beginning of the week because I didn't know exactly how things (conversations, mostly) would go with her here. Lord knows they've been stressful and emotional with her NOT here! On Tuesday night, she invited me to ride in the semi with her while she delivered a load of hay. It was nice to spend time with her and catch up. I told Conrad later that night that I don't think I've hung out with just her since before Conrad and I were even dating, if ever! It was great just to have the two of us chatting away. She brought up her marriage situation the last 10 minutes or so in the semi, and though I wish we would've had more time on that topic, it was a good conversation. Based on earlier conversations with Conrad and my emails to SIL and her hubby, she knows where I stand already, but we each shared more personally about the situation. There's something about face-to-face conversation that can't be conveyed over the phone, through the grape-vine, over the internet, etc.

Last night, just as I was settling in with some popcorn, laundry to fold, and a movie, she called to see if I wanted to go to Poky (ie the big city). I jumped at the chance and she showed up a few minutes later...in this family, you have to be ready for anything:) We met up with a mutual friend and her new hubby for dinner at Buddy's (YUM!). After a quick stop at Wal*mart, we were on our way home. There's something about car rides that facilitate good conversations. We chatted about this and that and I explained our infertility issues. At dinner, she had jokingly said, "I'm ready to be an aunt! When's it going to happen?". We've joked back at forth with her and her hubby about this since they got married, so it wasn't meant to be cruel or anything. I responded with, "I'm ready to make you an aunt, you'll have to ask God about the timing." I gave a brief synopsis of us trying for close to 3 years...our mutual friend has known about our issues, and has blessed me/respected my wishes with not telling my SIL until I was ready. Anyway, the cat is out of the bag, so to speak. I expect the rest of Conrad's family found out this morning:)

I rode with Conrad for a few rounds to and fro' the beet dump today. It's always relaxing, and my favorite farming thing to do besides riding in the combine. After two rounds with him, I jumped in with SIL and probably went 3 or 4 rounds? The lines got LONG this afternoon! We laughed a lot and were able just to relax and be ourselves. We really don't have a ton in common (she's career-oriented, I'm not; she doesn't like shopping/decorating, I DO!; she's independent in her marriage, I try to be interdependent), but we are both young adult women who like to have fun and care about our family and friends.

We spent about 4 hours together today, just the two of us, and it was great. I told a close friend later, that at the beginning of the week, I was sure there was going to be hard conversations because of focusing on SIL's struggling marriage, and I was praying for guidance and wisdom in how to approach them. I thought there'd be a lot more marriage talk than there was. At first, when I left the beet truck tonight I was wishing I would have brought more things up about a healthy marriage, working it out, etc., but like I told Steph, I think it's been great for SIL and me just to build on our own relationship. The rest will come. It was a blessing just to be "pursued" by her this week. This will open the door to more phone conversations and more below-the-surface conversations when we do see each other in person. Thanks for your prayers about my in-law situation. They are working!!