During My Absence ~ Some Life Updates

    Last year was a difficult year for many reasons.  I was glad I had taken a blogging break before so many trials had transpired, as there was no way I could have written about them or through them with a clear mind.  It would have been so gloomy, I don't think you'd want to read about them anyway!  I have shared a bit since then, but I thought I would take a little time to update you further on our current situation.  I suppose it is every blogger's dilemma when it comes to deciding how much of our personal lives we share online, but I think this update will be helpful in understanding some of my future writings. 

    As some of you may remember, we had been living with and taking care of Colton's grandfather in his house for about 6 years.  Sadly in the last couple of years, his health declined to the point that we can no longer provide the level of care that he needs at home.  After a bad fall last March, he went into the nursing home.  There are still a lot of fresh emotions around this for all of us.

    When Colton and I moved in- almost seven years ago now- we had sold nearly all of our things, including our house.  We brought only what furniture we could fit into our bedroom, plus a special piece or two.  Some of my décor and house things are still up in the attic, but I have since whittled that down, too, in order to make room for baby gear and hand-me-down clothes for the boys.  (When we moved in, we thought we couldn't have children.  After six years of infertility, I was pregnant within three months of our move.  Talk about a surprise!)  For the years that Colton's grandpa was with us, we happily focused on outside projects and, except for some necessary rearranging to accommodate the merging of two households, we largely left the inside of the house alone out of respect.  Now it feels like we are starting over from scratch in terms of setting up house.  We have gone from basically two bedrooms and a loft to an entire house that is much bigger than our last.

    The future of my blog is going to reflect this in several ways.  In addition to the outdoor projects that have always been on our list, we are adding some home projects, as well.  You may also see me doing more shopping than is usual for me.  I'm sharing these things because I don't want you to think I am contradicting my own frugal advice!  Twelve years of saving and living a frugal lifestyle, as well as recently becoming debt-free (whoo hoo!), are what make these projects possible.   So now that I have that disclaimer out of the way, I'd love it if you would continue with me on my journey as we endeavor to be good stewards of what we have been given.  I appreciate you being here- this blog has been a blessing to me and I hope it is to you, too.