After the dumpster fire that consumed most of 2020 and 2021, I was surprisingly optimistic about ringing in the year 2022. I know every one of us have spent the last couple of years approaching New Year’s Eve with extreme caution; not sure whether we should celebrate or resent the act of resetting our calendars.
For a reason I couldn’t pinpoint at the time, 2022 just felt different. After celebrating my birthday in the beginning of March, that feeling grew stronger. It was only month later, we decided to take a huge leap of faith and put our house on the market. We were leaving Colorado and headed to Tennessee.
I’m sure some of our family and friends thought we were crazy. We had no intentions of making big moves like this; at least not for a couple more years. But the older I get, the easier it is for me to trust my gut and go along for the ride. Even if in my head, it sounds a little crazy.
Looking back now I can proudly say 2022 was our best year yet.
We are Home
Shorty after getting to Tennessee, the whole housing market seemed to take a huge turn. What was once a very competitive market became strangely quiet. I am no real estate guru but even our realtor that helped sell our house said, “If there was a perfect time, you guys hit it square on the nose.”
There were many times in the process that I wanted to listen to the devil on my shoulder. Were we moving too fast? Are we doing the right thing? What if we fail? Maybe we should just wait until the kids are older, or until we have more money in savings, or when our credit scores are better.
But then, there was the angel on my other shoulder saying, “take the risk or lose the chance.”
We are in total awe of Tennessee’s beauty and it’s southern charm. Taking a chance led us to some incredible people and the relationships we have developed with them make it feel like we have known them our whole lives.
We belong here. This is home.
Welcoming Our Baby Boy
Just when we thought moving was enough excitement for one year, we found out we were pregnant with our sixth baby. After having a boy, followed by four girls, we were shocked to find out our kids were finally getting the baby brother they had always hoped for.
After a fairly easy pregnancy, he came into this world wanting to making a lasting impression. At a whopping 10 lbs 4 oz, we were overjoyed to finally be holding sweet baby Brayden.
Coming home from the hospital and finally feeling like our family was complete was a something I had been waiting for for a long time. Here we were, in our new home, our kids crowded around their baby brother and everything about that moment felt so right.
Look Out 2023
2022 was a pleasant surprise for our family. But with all of the big changes that took place, there was a lot of personal goals I placed on the back burner. I’m really looking forward to refocusing some of my time and energy into this blog and hit major milestones in my own health and wellness. After all, six kids requires me showing up as my best for them everyday.
So in true new year fashion, I have chosen a new word for 2023. Ambition. To be ambitious means to have or show a strong desire and determination to succeed. There is no doubt that I have a strong desire to be successful! But this year, I’m going to make sure my goals and dreams finally come to fruition. I want nothing more than the same for you this year!
