Virtute.org

In the midst of reminiscing about where we were a year ago, more than just the season has me feeling reflective. Zach was contacted by a job recruiter a few weeks ago and as a result he sent his resume out to a few additional companies. He is now interviewing with several companies in different parts of the country. It feels much different this time.

Last time not only did we know we had to move, but I was expecting our fourth child in just a few months and we didn’t have the luxury of waiting out all of the interview processes. Now the pressure is gone. We could reject every offer and still be ok to stay here, or we could get a really great offer/opportunity and move somewhere new. Another difference is that last time I wasn’t sure if I’d survive without the family support that I had in Utah. I still miss all the help and the family, but I know that life goes on and I can still get up each day and do much of the same things I could do before, they’re just often harder and there are less chances for relief. I’ve even figured out how to get a few more hours of sleep at night than at first.

So why has this year seemed so incredibly long? Probably because there have been a lot of changes, some good and some not so good. We had a child, lost a cat, totaled a van, replaced a van, broke a leg, got 30 stitches in a head, went to the beach, had some tonsils and adenoids removed, joined a gym, learned to read, learned to write, had a very lonely Christmas and Thanksgiving, and a not so lonely family reunion, learned more about gemstones and jewelry than we ever expected to, increased a vocabulary, learned to roll over, sit-up, and crawl (after a fashion), started piano lessons, and took trips to Ohio (repeatedly), DC, Alabama, Florida, and North Carolina. It’s been a year that we’ll never forget and I wonder if next year will find us still in Knoxville, or in Atlanta, Boston, Memphis or some other place.

The kids just before we left Utah

Our family now