It Was A Very Hard Winter For Me.

I know that seems to be a common thing, seasonal effective disorder and all. And I know that when I stop working out, things are really bad. See winter of 2016-2017 and the extra 7-10 pounds that I seem to be carrying around.

After we got home from Bali, I tried my hardest to keep going with my normal routine, but after becoming quite accustomed to not working, my normal routine wasn't my normal routine anymore. I had to create a new routine off of a job that I didn't want. And then winter hits. Which is basically the ruiner of life.

I'm happy to announce that I came out on the other side, and even though it snowed today...in May (those poor brides though) spring has sprung and the sun has come out. And I can feel it. Feel it deep in my bones. I told Mike the other day that for me, that was probably the hardest winter I've ever had. He quickly reminded me of the two winters that I had as a foster mom...true, babe. It was the hardest winter I've ever had, in non-foster mom status.

So a few things that we've been up to.

In February, we took a quick weekend trip down to Moab. I hadn't ever been before, and the weather was slightly cooperating and hotels in Moab are cheeeaaapp in the winter. So why not?!

We borrowed a drum set from Mike's brother, and we've been having jam sessions almost nightly since. Initially, I was the one that wanted to learn to play, but Mike has been the one really getting into it! I have better rhythm than him, however he has a more spontaneous nature and is much better at fills (yes, I did have to Google the term).

My sweet sister lost her baby girl at 34 weeks. We've had the opportunity over the last month and a half to celebrate the joy that Felicity Grace brought us even though we never had the chance to meet her. My sister and her family have handled this sadness with such grace and strength, I'm amazed every day at the faith that she has.

Over the course of the last ten months of me working, we have paid nearly $50,000 in student loans! If there has been anything that has brought me pure joy over the past 10 months of working, it is that we will be out of student loan debt by the end of the year! I have already planned to quit my job in July, even though they don't know that yet. And yes, I will be returning to my very favorite job, which is a stay at home wife. I feel like I have never looked forward to anything this much!

Many of you know that we entered a contest to win a free IVF treatment back in December. We obviously didn't win the contest. I have been very private about our infertility struggles as frankly, it's none of anyone's business, and I am choosing to keep it that way. Foster care changed my entire perspective on becoming a mother, and I truly think that it was God's way of making me accept my infertility. I'm grateful for the infertility struggles that I went through. I'm grateful for the foster care struggles that I went through. And I'm grateful for the current freedom that I feel from knowing that parenting is freaking hard and that my infertility is currently a blessing. Talk to me about it again in 5 years.😉 Except don't, because I probably won't tell you anyway.