HUGE Changes!

It has been over a year since I last posted.  I've missed this space as a place to connect with other moms, record my life with my boys, and to vent.  I have received so many great suggestions from fellow bloggers and blog readers over the years (the best two were the suggestion to read Glennon Doyle's Carpe Kairos post and to listen to Brene Brown's Gifts of Imperfect Parenting), and benefited from kind words and support when I was struggling.  It's so fun to read through the posts and comments now, so many years later.  Amazing how much I've forgotten!

I've connected with some of you on Instagram - if you're reading this and are on IG, follow me and shoot me a message so I know who you are!  But as much as I love IG, it's not the same as this space. Unfortunately, like others have said, it no longer feels like this story is my story alone, and I've not felt comfortable sharing my boys' stories now that they're older. 

However, there's big news that I felt I wanted to share here; it always helps me process things to write them down. 


I quit my job.

I've been with this practice, my first job out of training, for almost 15 years.  I have patients that I adore, patients who I consider friends, patients who mean the world to me, and that's kept me here.  But I've never loved where I live, and I really don't love where I work.  So early last summer I started looking for jobs.  And right before we went on a family vacation to Oregon, a job popped up that sounded amazing.  In Oregon.  We managed to stop in the town for lunch during our two week trip, drove around a bit, and really liked it. So I called them up after we got home for vacation, and interviewed with them in early October.  I accepted the job less than a month later, then kept it a secret from work until February, when I finally had the joy of telling them I QUIT. 

These past few months of goodbyes to patients has been so much harder than I feared it would be.  Especially when I had to be the one to tell them, that was the worst.  So many tears - from me and from patients.  It got easier, or at least faster, when they sent a letter out last month so most patients now know I'm leaving before they come in.  But I still have at least one patient cry every day.  I am so emotionally depleted right now, and so ready for my last day of work - just 14 days from now. 

We sold our house in record time and are living in temporary housing while most of our belongings are in storage in the Pacific Northwest.  Our apartment is dark and noisy and we all miss having a yard, but we're surviving.  The boys get out of school in early June, and we'll drive down to visit my parents for a week and a half in Florida before flying out to Portland.  We'll stay in Portland overnight that first night, then drive to our new hometown and move into our new house a few days later. 

Everything has fallen into place so well it feels like the universe approves. 

(pics from our summer vacation last year)