It's Been A Long Time

A LOT has happened!!

I can hardly believe it's been so long since my last post.

Elijah is 5 1/2. He started Kindergarten in August, just two weeks after we moved away from the Chicago area to west central Illinois.

Caleb is 27 months, or just over 2 years. He's showing off his terrible 2's in grand fashion and keeping us on our toes more than Elijah ever did at this age! Not sure if it's the move, transitions and adjustments, or what but it's been rough.

I turned 40 and Tim turned 41 this year. We've officially passed over the "young" years and are starting to feel old with each new crack in our knees, lol!

I went through a season after Caleb was born where writing and having time to myself just were not happening and mostly I was okay with that. I've not kept up with writing in his baby book or his memory journal, haven't printed pictures, and I haven't finished any scrapbooks. That is so unlike me!

Part of me gets saddened at that thought, but the other part of me knows why it's been that way.

It's been a really, really, really big couple of years for us.

When Elijah was born over 5 (!!) years ago now, life was slower. Was it hard adjusting to life with a newborn? Absolutely. Was I stressed out beyond recognition? For sure. But I worked at home half of my hours and in the office the other half. That meant 3 days at home with Elijah, juggling work in whenever he napped, when daddy was home, when Elijah went to bed, on the weekends, etc.

When Elijah was 2, that all changed. And after 6 months, it changed again. And it was that way until July when I resigned that job and am now working for a different organization, fully from home and just part-time.

Resigning from that job of 17 years was one of the hardest things I've ever had to do, but for the very best reasons. I did it for my boys... for a better life for them and with them. I was so burnt out on so much time commuting and them spending so much time at daycare. We knew with Elijah starting Kindergarten that some big changes would have to happen so after a lot of prayer for well over a year, God opened the doors for us to move to be near my family and to slow down the pace of our lives.

As we adjust to our new lives in a smaller city, we're just immensely thankful for the ways God is teaching us so much through every decision and change, every new experience and adjustment. We are loving being near my family-- my mom & stepdad are just 3 minutes down the road, my dad and my brother & his family are just 10 minutes away, and everything we need is so close. Elijah is in a very small, private Christian school that fits him and his current needs perfectly (his class combines pre-K and there's a total of 7 kids in the combined class!), and Caleb splits his days away from me between my mom and my cousin. It's FANTASTIC!!!!!

I've literally had to "detox" from all of the stress with lots of extra sleep and rest after we moved and settled in. It's still ongoing as we continue the transition, but we are so grateful for this new chapter!! Please pray with us though as we continue to nail down certain things like doctors, chiropractors, etc. That's been a bit of a challenge.

We miss our Chicago family, my bestie and her family, dear friends, our church, and being surrounded by a variety of activities and resources. BUT there's so much more here. Including a lot more time with our boys... and though that's also had its immense difficulties, we wouldn't trade it.

I know not many people blog anymore or follow along here, but I wanted to post anyway and use this again as a bit of a journal.

Many blessings to you & yours this Christmas season! Thanks for reading. :)