A new year, a new start

It’s feeling really good to have a fresh start to the new year. Daily living is less stressful. It’s not just one thing, but a combination of many factors.

Having your own home vs being a renter: This is a big one. We finally have a home that is ours as a family. Doug and I have been married 7 years, and this is our first home together that is ours. We hung our first towel rack, and I know it sounds silly but after 7 years of renting, it was a great feeling to know we could hang a towel rack if we wanted to. I think we’re going to paint a wall and room too! I know, stop the presses… we’re painting a wall.

Living in a suburban vs urban neighborhood: We narrowly escaped the “driveway of death” from the last house we lived at in California. We lived in a fun, urban neighborhood where we could walk to lots of things, but also lived off a busy street with a driveway that was a 3 way intersection for not only cars but also a heavy pedestrian 3 way intersection/walkway. Every trip out of the house was a stressful adventure in dodging cars and people. Now, we just pull down a driveway and out into a residential neighborhood. No stress. While we miss parts of urban living, a lower stress environment for right now is perfect.

Having family near-by: This was the main reason for the move (to have help) and it’s definitely one of the shining gems about it. It is SO NICE to live near family, watch your kids get to know and develop deeper relationships with their grandparents, and have help when you need it. We feel very blessed.

Feeling free when I travel: Traveling before for me for work was very stressful for all of us because we were always walking on pins and needles hoping that Sydney wouldn’t get a bug from school that she passed to Jenson that turned into a fever and meant a trip to the ER and potential admission to the hospital. Now, if that happens we have family as back-up. That means all of us feel freer and less stressed (except at times Doug who has main responsibility for the kids when I'm out of town).

8 weeks of no viruses/fevers!!!: Enough said. Being virus/fever free is a BIG deal in our household and means less emergency hospital visits. Keep praying for more healthy days.

Also keep praying for healing for Jenson. He's still fighting this disease and hasn't conquered it yet.

Kristin