hello?

Anyone still out there that follows this very neglected blog?!? After a very long hiatus, I've decided to pick this back up again. Now to catch you up...how could I possibly sum up the past 1+ years in one post? Well, I'll try :) Two words come to mind though...WE SURVIVED.

Last summer, we moved out of our first house together...the home we got married in...brought our baby boy home to...the place I called home for nearly 6 years, Joe for 7 years.

We learned there are some really ugly people in the world and grew a little bit thicker skin because of it. We learned how to cut our losses and move on and how to say goodbye.

We became landlords for the 2nd time. Not what we had planned but that's the hand we were dealt. At least we have positive cash flows on this one!

After we moved out, we moved in with Joe's mom and stepdad. We lived there for 6 months in their basement, with most of our belongings in 5 different storage locations. We learned how little you really need to survive and as long as your family is with you, that's all that really matters...everything else is just stuff. We learned humility, grace and how adaptable we could be.

We celebrated Mason's second birthday...and survived the terrible twos, with the terrible threes already rearing its ugly head.

We had to say goodbye to my Grandpa in October. He was such a great person who always made me laugh. He took a little piece of me with him, I miss him every day. It's hard to believe it's been almost a year now. It's even harder to believe how long my dad's parents have been gone. Time is a thief I would rob. Seriously, I hate time. I'm always battling with it and always wanting more of it.

We survived potty training with a very stubborn little boy. Our first attempt was a disaster but when we tried a few months later, he was finally ready!

We survived a daycare switch and learned that following your gut should always win. Even when you are told that something is "normal" but your gut is telling you otherwise, LISTEN.TO.IT. And listen with no reservations or questions.

We built our dream house. And we made it in before Christmas, with just days to spare. We celebrated my favorite holiday Charlie Brown style with only a bare pre-lit tree and boxes everywhere. It didn't matter though, we were home and that's all I cared about. In this building process, we learned how to compromise and that patience is a virtue. We are still in love with our house (and each other, which I'm thankful for each and every day!) and it really is our home now. There is no other place I would rather be and I know I'm exactly where I'm supposed to be.

We bought a camper and lot at an RV resort. My parents bought one right next to us. It's 40 minutes from our house and is the perfect summer weekend get-away. I feel so blessed this opportunity came our way. I have such wonderful memories of camping with my grandparents when I was growing up and I'm so glad Mason is going to make those same memories with my parents.

All in all, it's been a pretty good year. It was filled with a lot of love, fun and laughter, along with a few tears. But we learned a ton. And most importantly, we survived in one piece :)

Here's to much more frequent updates from life in a northern town!