Bittersweet

Reading the old posts that were on this blog was rough! Looking back through some of the hardest parts of my life was bittersweet. So many lessons learned and growing experiences. Some, at the time, felt hopeless but turned out wonderfully. Others, turned out just like I thought but the lessons learned are invaluable. All in all, I have no regrets. I spoke the truth, overcame some major obstacles, learned so much about the world and people, made some awesome memories, experienced new things and got to see myself grow and mature. I am so thankful to be able to look back and see how far we have come.

In some of the past posts I had mentioned goals that I was working towards and Michael was working towards. It is so rewarding to know we have achieved so many of those goals and, if they haven't been achieved, we are taking the proper steps towards that goal. I do not like the feeling of being stagnant in life. Stagnant has nothing to do with physical location or your surroundings. It is a mental state. We have made the mental decision to not just waste away but to make an effort everyday to better our lives right here. No amount of running will allow you to avoid personal responsibility and the need for self control.

I am happy to say that Michael has started his own air conditioning business that is doing wonderfully. He continues to keep his full time job and benefits while running a full time side business. His strength and abilities amaze me everyday and I am so thankful that I was given the opportunity to watch him grow into a man! He is taking a break from men's rec softball due to a knee injury. He and a friend are talking about joining a hockey league once the knee is healed which we are all excited about...AIR CONDITIONING!!!

Real Estate is treating me very well! I have made some major moves that have landed me with my own real estate team. That has been a goal of mine for years so it was a very exciting day when I was approved. The past few months have been my best few months yet thanks to a couple distractions removing themselves. These past few months have really been life changing for us and have afforded us the ability to get ahead, enjoy some new experiences and work on building important relationships. My career is on track and I am thrilled!

Oh, Michael is now my FIANCE!!! A few days before Thanksgiving he popped the question during a normal night of us making dinner together. It felt natural and was just so us! We had plans for a ring but he completely surprised me with a ring that he designed with a jeweler. It's beautiful and the thought put into it means so much! No wedding date or plans yet haha we dated for 7 years so we can be engaged for a few ;)

Our doggies are doing wonderfully! We have transitioned all 3 to being free roaming. We no longer have to put our big dogs up when we leave which means we have our master bedroom back! Tex, has happily taken up residence on our love seat where he sleeps except for the 4 times a day he wants to go potty. He is also the only dog we can let out in the front yard with us not on a leash. He stays right by us and runs to the front door when he's ready to get back to his couch. Zoey is hilarious! Once I stopped trying to control her and started trying to understand her, things have been amazing! She has such a big personality. She loves chasing flies(anything that flies really), cars, planes and Tex haha! Her and Maddie have started playing a lot now that Maddie goes outside when the big dogs do which they all love. Zoey loves having her belly rubbed and, if she's laying down, if you walk past her, she rolls over and grunts so you know it's time to rub her belly. They have all found their place in the pack and are all very comfortable now. How anyone could keep a dog outside or in a crate all of the time is beyond me!

There's the update! Lot's of big changes are still happening and on the way. That's part of the reason I want to start blogging again. I enjoyed reading back and seeing how far we have come and what we did to get here. So many steps that I didn't remember but are valuable to know and to share. With so much going on, I want to have the ability to look back. Happy reading :)