I'm Back!

I feel like it's been forever since I posted a blog. Well, it kind of has been forever since my last post was in February!!!! It seems like a lot has happened since then. . .

• Work has been scary with people getting laid off, and with budget cuts. The hours are longer, the pay is less, the workload is more, etc. I still love what I do - my role has just changed, and it is taking some adjustment. There are more frustrations and tears, but everything happens for a reason.



• Daniel continues to balance work and school, and it makes me realize that I wouldn't have the patience for that anymore. I am so proud of him.



• I am finally, thankfully, getting better with managing money. This has been a weakness of mine for a long time, and Daniel has really helped me with this.



• Church is becoming a bigger part of our lives as a family. Daniel and I have been going to mass, and I am going to start taking classes through the church in August. I feel like it brings us closer together. I am also excited to share this experience alongside my brother and sister in law. Isn't it interesting that Ryan and I both married Catholics? :)



• Our nieces and nephews continue to grow (too fast!) and make us smile all of the time. We love watching them do new things, and enjoy getting to see their little personalities. It is hard to believe that Brynn is now 8. Daniel and I attended her baptism in February. What a wonderful, emotional day. We are also excited to meet our new niece this summer!!



• We are preparing our home for a new baby!!! Okay, it's a puppy, but it feels like we are adding a member of the family. We had some heartbreak waiting for a female German Shepherd to be born...unfortunately it didn't turn out like we wanted. Again, everything happens for a reason - so we are on to the next step. Stay tuned!



• We have a yard! This is a big deal for us because we were tired of all the dirt in the back, and Daniel has always pictured himself working in the yard on the weekends. We saved up wedding money for curbing, sod, and gravel. It turned out so well! The next step will be trees, plants, etc. It's gotten much longer since then, but here are a couple of pictures: