Ch-ch-ch-changes

Wow!  A whole lot has changed since the last time that I checked in here and blogged last (not that people really blog anymore anyway).  This is my way of trying to be intentional about writing and getting my thoughts out there even if no one ever reads it.  The biggest change around here is that I met my husband in August of 2016.  We had a quick period of dating and engagement and were married just over a year later.  We had a wonderful small-ish mountain vineyard wedding that was just perfect followed by a fabulous honeymoon in Costa Rica.  Delicious food and drink, amazing adventures including kayaking with humpback whales (granted I did not know this at the time or you better believe I would not have been in a tiny kayak), and relaxing with my new husband in one of the most beautiful places on earth.  Seriously, if you know me you know I've travelled around the world a lot, and I highly recommend you add Costa Rica to your bucket list.  So, I returned home to life with a new husband, new step daugher, and new full time job all at once.  Life was a little challenging to say the least adjusting to all the NEW even though all of it was good.  It was just so very different from my single-do-whatever-you-want life from before.  My stepdaughter is with us a little less than half of each month.  She is an adorable 6 year old who is always joyful and full of laugher.  She has special needs and receives physical, occupational, and speech therapy and participates in adaptive swimming and ballet classes.  As a physical therapist I hope to blog in the future about her progress and how we incorporate play therapy at home to help further her fine and gross motor skills.  I'm currently working in a nursing home setting which is a big change from my background working for so many years with neurological diagnoses and then most recently a few years with outpatient ortho.  I'll be honest this setting is not my passion and sometimes it can be discouraging to be surrounded by so many people near the end of life.  From a PT perspective I sometimes think my therapy is just a nusisance and if they've lived this long they deserve to just sit and do whatever they want.  It has been helpful in a season of so much transition to have a job that is not super demanding with a flexible schedule.  So, for that I'm very thankful. 

Other changes....

We have two new pups.  One a year and a half and one about 5months old.  Both are rescues from a local rescue group.  It has helped having two.  I feel like they help entertain each other and love playing together.  They are both great with Harper, well at least the oldest.  The youngest is still learning to be gentle.  He is getting quite big and has almost outgrown the oldest.  He grew up on a farm with lots of big dogs and horses and sometimes doesn't know his own strength or realize that everyone doesn't always want to play.  

I'm no longer an ambassador with Noonday or a Sseko Fellow but still very much support these brands and purchase from them often.  Things just became too busy around here all at one time to juggle all the things.  I'm still very passionate about ethical fashion and creating sustainable job opportunities in the developing world and would like to continue sharing that with you here.  

I'm continuing to try and switch to clean beauty and sustainable options around the home and cooking lots more and experimenting with new recipes so I hope to share products I'm loving and blog about lifteyle things from time to time. 

We are starting to talk more about plans for house renovations! This makes me excited but also stresses me out.  I've lived in the house for 12 years and have had so many ideas about renos but never actually done them.  We are not opposed to moving out of state at some point, but for now we are staying here so we're starting to think through ways we want to change this house.  We have bathroom, kitchen, and the addition of a master suite as ideas for now.  And, of course I'll chronicle all of those updates here.  

I've always said I'd love to write a book and though I have no direction as to what that book would be about I would like to try and blog with more regularity and structure to get in the rhythm of writing.

Thanks for joining me in the journey!