Almost Lost

*****Note before reading: I had originally posted this (without a title) and then was cleaning up my draft area of my blog when I accidentally deleted it. Cue mild heart attack. You see, once you delete a post in blogger there is no way to retrieve it via blogger. Thankfully, Google, yet again came to my rescue. In short I had to copy and paste from the old post to this new one and now have titled it "Almost Lost" as it is fitting for both the content and the post itself. *****

This blog has gone forgotten for quite some time. In all honesty, I wasn't even sure what I was going to do with it. Was it worth saving? Do I have the time? Blah, blah, blah. The truth is that I couldn't bring myself to delete it. There is too much on here that my mind fails to remember otherwise, but does that I mean I can maintain it? I can only hope to be as good, if not better than, I once was.

Now that BOTH girls are older, mostly the baby, I am finding myself with more time or maybe I'm coming to realization that a little "me time" is needed. I am still teaching full time and working my way through my graduate classes for my Master's, AND there is the ever growing list of hobbies, interests, and commitments.  During this break from work, I've come to the realization that somewhere along the lines of all that I was/am doing I've lost touch with who I am. There has been a weight that has been slowly lifted off my shoulders over the past few weeks commencing with the submission of my grad class final and continuing on with the break from work. I wish I could articulate the freedom that I feel and the profound changes in my dispositions as a result of this, but I don't believe I could do it justice. What I find amazing is that in one week I've become more in touch with myself than I have been over the past year and a half or more. My only fear is of losing it and racing back into the whirlwind of deadlines, pressure, and idiosyncrasies. My hope is that I can hold onto a piece of this moment, via the resurrection of the blog. I'm not sure which direction the blog will be heading in other than documenting my life as it plays out with every bit of randomness thrown in.

Please be patient with me and this blog for time has moved on, things have changed, and so have I (for the better I hope). There is so much to catch up on. Some things can be summed up in short, while others will require a post (or two!). In short here is what you've missed:

1. Fritz (the newest nickname my loving husband has adopted) has had multiple jobs. Some that were even out of state (VA). He FINALLY was accepted into THE UNION as an ironworker (a dream and long time goal of his) only to discover that while the money was good, the time away from family was not. He made a HUGE career shift and is now assistant manager at a local welding/gas store and enjoying it very much
2. Both Fritz and I have grown spiritually and in our faith. Fritz more-so than I, but we continue to support each other in our decisions and beliefs as we define them. .
3. We were seriously considering moving down south (VA) and had even looked at houses down there AND fell in love with one. 
4. We sold some land and bought a house staying local but off the dirt road.
5. I changed jobs within the organization I work for but am still teaching.

Of course there are some other things intertwined in there, but these are the major events. You can expect more details to come on most of these, as they will require a post of their own to do any sort of justice to them.

And what's an update without the girls?! Enjoy some recent photos of them: