Unpleasant tasks

Yesterday I crossed some things off my to do list that I had been dreading for months. I cleaned the guinea pig cage yesterday while the kids were at Camp Good News, but that's not what I'm referring to, although cleaning their cage definitely qualifies as an unpleasant task in my opinion given the icky smell involved. Last summer Paul and I went to the lawyer and revised our wills and power of attorney documents. Unfortunately, we had Maurice listed on both. I really don't want to go to the lawyer again this summer, but I knew we needed to at least change our contingent beneficiary as he was listed in that capacity on all of our retirement accounts and life insurance policies. I had been dreading it, but I finally completed the task yesterday. It was really hard emotionally to click "delete" by his name on the screens related to our beneficiaries, but it really makes zero sense to have someone who is in Heaven listed as a beneficiary on a retirement account or life insurance policy. This week I believe I also finished the task of contacting the businesses who had been sending him bills in the mail. Most of them wanted a copy of the death certificate. The lab

I contacted this week actually didn't require anything of me, which was appreciated. Since I had to soldier through those tasks, I figured I'd also power through making a photo book while I was at it. It was hard not to burst into tears. I kept reminding myself of how Wendy and I just focused on accomplishing the task at hand when we cleaned out his apartment a few days after we learned of his passing. Now the next time I have a code for a free photo book, I can start ordering copies of the photo book about Maurice for my siblings, my kids, etc. just like I did three years ago for my mom. I'm hoping NOT to be making another "in memory of" photo book for a while. Oh and speaking of death certificates, in hind sight ordering ONE would have been plenty. The funeral home suggested I order a few of them, so I did because I had zero idea how many I'd need. In every instance I only needed to submit a copy of the death certificate, so I still have all of the original death certificates.

Originally I thought I'd be filing the estate paperwork in Philadelphia. Yvonne, Dad, and

Wendy had a form signed and notarized so the court could appoint me as his personal administrator. Then I found out I would have to go to the court in Philadelphia in person. I called them in May, and I found out that I didn't need to file any paperwork. The only problem I could see was that I knew from when I tried to file his taxes in April that I needed something from a court to file his taxes. I also did research into that issue yesterday and found that because he made a VERY tiny amount of money in 2018, his taxes don't have to be filed. He's technically deserving a small refund from the IRS, but it's not worth the headache to go to a court and have one of us appointed as his representative (since we couldn't locate his will) just to get a tiny refund from the IRS. So I think my duties as executrix are done. Speaking of the passing of loved ones, as of today mom has been in Glory for three years. It's hard to believe that much time has passed since I heard her voice or wrapped my arms around her. She experienced multiple miscarriages plus Maurice was reunited with her a little over four months ago

so she has some of her children with her in Heaven. Her three daughters still on earth miss her very much though!

I enjoy organizing things. That is not an unpleasant task for me. However, I don't enjoy seeing something go back to a state of disarray shortly after I organize it. Yesterday I tackled the craft cabinet again. I don't want to try and count how many times I have done that over the years. I am trying a totally different system this time around, and hopefully it will be more successful! Nadia and Ian do not enjoy taking their Legos off the dining room table. The last time they did it was around the first of the year when I switched from a Christmas to a winter tablecloth. I think I have been rather patient as it's July 12. Normally I would have switched to a spring one and then to my patriotic one. This morning I asked them to take the Legos off so I could take off the winter tablecloth. Although they hated taking them off, they did enjoy rearranging them as they put them back on the table.

I haven't been taking pictures this week. I nabbed all of these from the Facebook page of the church where the kids attended VBS this week. Oh and Oliver actually gave me an idea for what to get him for his birthday. Problem solved. Thank goodness. I love that he rarely asks for things, but it does make it challenging to come up with ideas at Christmas and his birthday!