It's been a
I've sat down to write this catch-up post for quite some time now. I didn't know what to say. I didn't know how to say it. I wasn't even sure if anyone was still listening. But this weekend something changed that. My grandfather died. He was married to Linda, who passed away almost a year ago. They were probably my only readers. Ever. They followed this blog religiously. And now they're both gone. My two best readers are gone and I'm left truly sending these posts out into the abyss and wondering, "Is this thing on?"
Huge changes have happened since we last chatted. I can't and won't attempt to write some huge lengthy post detailing them all. But here's a run down. Maybe (...hopefully...) I will expand on them some day.
1. I have a toddler. Elayne is a running, independent, moody, and absolutely fun toddler. We chase her everywhere. She talks as much as she thinks. We are about to start potty training.
2. We bought a house. Yes. Our lifelong dream of owning a home has come true after three years of getting everything in order. We just moved in this past weekend after a couple of weeks of renovations. Unpacking is a pain but I'm thankful it'll be the last time for many years, if not forever.
3. I am going to be a doctor. Not that kind of doctor. I have been accepting to the Doctorate of Education in Higher Education program at the University of North Texas and I start this fall!
4. To follow up with that, I receive my Masters in a month! It's been a hard journey, especially last semester and this one (read: I haven't posted in 8 months). But I've excelled and have learned so much. Excited to cross that stage and walk into a career in lifelong learning.
5. I lost Ronnie. Like I mentioned, my grandfather passed away last weekend. It was rough and rough timing. I've gone from four grandparents to two in less than a year. My mom has lost her brother, her mother, and her father in a two year span. It's been hard. But we'll make it through.
6. We no longer have Murphy. It was a very difficult decision and one we considered for months. Lots of talking. Lots of crying. Lots of being grown up in deciding to take him to the Humane Society. It was even more difficult when we were told he wouldn't go out on the "floor" for adoption since he had an aggressive history. Nope. Our dog who was two days older than our marriage would go straight into the euthanasia line. It was so hard. We had so much time and emotion and money invested into keeping him around. But at the end of the day, we had to do what was best for Elayne and our family and friends. And as much as it has pained us to give him up, our lives have been so much simpler and less anxiety-filled.
7. Work is still great. I still work at Parker. I got a new boss. And I am loving where things are headed.
There. A snippet into my life the past 8 months. Let's get back on this journey together.
Keep reading from heaven, Linda and Ronnie, and I'll keep writing.
