Hello blogging world!
Looking back, it's been over a year since my last blog post. Yikes, that is way too long. Since it's New Year's Day, I'll catch you up on what is happening in my world!
LIFE: In May 2012, D and I moved in with Mom and Meema. It came as an offer to make our lives a little easier and help save for a house. We had financially hit the wall where we were being penalized for not owning our own home...we have a rental, but that counts differently for tax purposes. Trust me, getting our taxes done for a few years was painful. I think if we drove near a cliff after our tax appointment some years, I would have veered off it! It was a challenge to move back into my old (tiny) bedroom with my husband, but we made the sacrifice. It was rough at times to be an adult, but under the scrutiny. For the most part, though, it took some stress of us as we got our lives in order and ready to become homeowners.
Finally, in the Spring of 2013, we had saved enough to start our search for a home. It was the most stressful time in my life for a lot of reasons...D and I don't argue, but this process challenged that repeatedly. We put in a few offers and were rejected. We looked at one house (that D didn't like the outside from the photos) and found our home. After a few back and forth moments, our offer was accepted. The escrow process was so smooth and the back was ready to fund our loan in less than 2 weeks. We closed escrow on Friday, May 17 (while I was in Indianapolis) and moved in on May 24. D had to coordinate the move as I was taking care of my mom with her outpatient procedure. We love our house...we each have our own office and it's a great place to entertain. It's nice to be in our own space and makes us both feel settled.
As part of the settling in process, we adopted Archie. He is a boxer, terrier, pit bull mix. We adopted him from the Escondido Humane Society on August 18 (the day after our housewarming). He is a character, a love and so much fun. I joke that he is a daddy's dog...he spent a lot of time with D when we first got him due to my schedule, but he is happiest when both of us are home. He loves people and is quite the social butterfly when we take him on our "Frosty Friday" outings to the local micro breweries.
JAY OH BEE: Well, this is a little more complicated. In the summer of the 2012, I took a "voluntary" (not really, but in the name of the budget) demotion. This was so hard to deal with and really hurt. I had a supervisor title, but neither of my bosses (current or retired) ever gave it any credibility. This title and opportunity was the reason I took the job in the first place. Anyway, when one of the Nastys moved to another position, my boss decided to replace the position at a higher level. It meant needing to make a cut somewhere (me) to do so. The person would take on some of my responsibilities giving me the chance to do other things. Our first hire was there a year...she was young and looking for work to be a social connection. We got along well and worked well together. After she left, we hired someone older, which I thought would be a good idea because she would stay out of the drama...wrong! Anyway, not much has changed in the jay oh bee situation.
SORORITY: Wow, this was a challenging year for this part of my life. In the Spring 2013, social media (Instagram) was the challenge...photo that sparked controversy. Multiple meetings, phone calls and education took up my time. In the fall, it was an unsanctioned event. I love what I do and the impact I feel I make, but let me tell you, there are times that I just want to say forget it. Then, something happens to make me realize that I am where I should be. This year, the Chapter gave me an award (normally reserved for members) for the Biggest Heart! Also, I've become more involved at a national level. It feels good to give back to the organization that has given me so much!
Well, so long 2012 and 2013...here's to more blogging!
