Writers Write and Other Blether

New year - new hope!

So that I can get this first-blog-post-in-over-a-year published (!!) it's going to read more like a travel log than anything else.

This year has been great and hard:

*Had a once-in-a-lifetime cruise around the Hawaiian islands in March with Erick's parents, his siblings and their spouses.

*Took a medical leave from work in May/June for almost 6 weeks - loved the time with my kids to re-center and get better.

*Sold our cute house in Rigby. What an ordeal that was...

*Bought our cute house in Idaho Falls. Ripped out overhead-and-outdated cabinets in the first week, painted the front door a cute blue in the first month, revamped the entry closet to be a hall tree in the first 8 weeks, organized the garage and parked two cars in it in the first 4 months. :P So impatient to get cracking on painting kitchen cabinets, installing board and batten details, wall paper and chair rails, french doors to the patio, overhead lighting in the dining room, a new island, counter tops, fridge and gas range oven in the kitchen... So much promise. :)

*Making progress on our debt snowball. (!!!)

*Feeling energized to get back into blogging, work on my manuscript and start a daily walking routine on our hardly used treadmill. I've been feeling a lot of inspiration lately and watched things fall into place - pointing me in a new and exciting direction.

*My kids are adorable, becoming great human beings and discovering this world and their own personalities and traits more and more as time goes on.

     Bubba is a great helper, continues to pick up new skills and concepts quickly and is doing better with friends at school. He wants to be a Lego engineer when he grows up and is currently begging for an art easel and paints of his own - a la Bob Ross.

     Boo Boo is still adjusting to life with Type 1 Diabetes. He still loves to learn EvErYtHiNg he can about dinosaurs, is expanding his already-impressive vocabulary all the time, and he's still my little sunshine even though some of the challenges with his health get us all feeling a little down from time to time.

     Sweet P is a whipper snapper not to be underestimated. She wants to craft anything and everything she can all day long - which I of course LOVE. She has started to write on her own, sounding out the words and doing a great job! She's reading like a champ. She is stubborn as a mule, and very, very determined when she sets her mind to something. She's also a perfectionist. We have our work cut out!

     The Boy Scout is also doing great. We've grown a lot closer in the last year than we've ever been, and it's been an awesome journey of endurance, understanding, unconditional love and discovery together. He's still the best man I've ever known, and I don't expect that will ever change. :D

Life is good. I don't have all the answers - I don't have nearly as many as I once thought I did - but I have come a long way in embracing uncertainty. It makes life exciting, opens new opportunities and keeps me more humble than I would be otherwise. :)

I hope as you read this that you're well and happy. <3

Kathy

Ya take the good, ya take the bad

Those are the facts of life, Tootie!

This year...  I tell ya what... 

Craziest of learning curves at work after a beautiful 8 year break bringing to the planet - and then introducing - my littles to this awesome life.

Saddest of losses in my life - losing my brother, BJ.

Second saddest loss of my life - losing my religion. But we'll get to that. (See what I did there? I'm such a tease!)

Third saddest loss of my life - having my 6yo diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes a week before school got out. Seriously - that. was. rough. (But rougher on him than anyone and he's a total champ!)

Most challenging thing of the year as a mom - watching my oldest struggle with being assaulted at school. The feelings of helplessness and frustration and desperation are awful. I want his every happiness - but that comes from great mental health, and this year has not been good for him on that front. 

Most uplifting thing of the year? Getting awesome feedback in my day job. I love what I do. It's stressful, sure. But it's also a TON of fun getting to meet new people all the time - especially people who are so excited to be buying their first home. Those closings are my fave.

It's been a bumpy road here and there - adjusting to balancing a day job and a home life. Don't underestimate how much workplace tech has changed in the world since 2009, let alone in Real Estate. Don't think that it's an easy thing going from being the mom who loves to take her kiddos to story time every week and as many trips to the zoo, and library, and museums and parks as she can squeeze in. And don't under value the loss of being able to volunteer every week at the school, and see my kids in action, and get to know their teachers and friends. Also, losing my 8:30am gym routine with super fun, super strong women - that was a doozy and I'm still not over it. It's no small thing to go from having the same chores day in day out - to having no time to get anything done... It's crazy. But getting kudos at work when I've worked my bum off?! It makes it worth what I'm sacrificing. I know my family is making other sacrifices of their own. But we are doing great, and very blessed. So many pieces continue to fall into place, and we have the BEST friends and family playing supporting roles. Seriously - it's ALL good. :D

As for losing my religion - at this point it's hard even knowing where to start. I haven't completely found my feet after having everything turn sideways on me. I haven't made any declarations outside of my immediate family. I don't know how to be general about it, without ending up giving a laundry list. It's tricky, ya know? Stay tuned...