Back to our Roots...

When my husband and I first moved in together (9+ years ago), our first apartment was in the town he grew up in.  Then when we bought our first house, it was in that same town.  When we sold that house (3 years later) and moved 30 minutes south to be closer to both of our offices, my mother-in-law bought the house from us simply for the view (3,000 acres of state land in the backyard).  After living in our 2nd house for 4 years, we gave that up as well and moved even closer to my husband's work...which put us about 1 1/2 hours from our family and friends.

Do you ever feel unsettled where you are...whether it's at home, about life in general, your current situation?  That's how I've felt for quite awhile.  When we first moved closer to my husband's work early this year, I was fine, but once all of that happened with my diagnosis and all of that...I no longer felt content with where we were.  I just ignored this feeling and figured it was from being off work, out of my routine, and not feeling well.

Since I've been staying with my mother-in-law for almost 2 months while being back to work, I've been such a happy girl.  Not necessarily happy about being back to work, lol, but happy again like I haven't been in years.  I finally feel like my old self again and recently discovered it's from being back in our hometown and surrounded by the people we love.  However, we knew that we couldn't continue living like we were, with me and Meadow living with family during the week and only home on the weekends...but my work was still refusing me a transfer.

About 10 days ago, I started telling my husband how happy I was again and how much I'm enjoying being back "home."  I told him that I felt like we should move back if the opportunity should prevent itself (since his job is in limbo and all).  At first he resisted...a lot.  So this past Monday, I had started looking into typing up a resignation letter for work and found out who it needed to go to.  I was going to hand this in the very next day.  The whole situation didn't feel "right" and I didn't think it was what we should be doing...but I knew it was what our family needed because we just couldn't go on the way we'd been.

Later, that same day, my husband called me at work and told me not to do it.  He'd had a change of heart and he'd decided he'd give up his job so that we could move "home."  I was SO excited I thought I was going to jump out of my skin!  Ecstatic doesn't even begin to describe it.

Of course, making this decision changed everything...but I'm ok with that.  It means that if nothing happens at my husband's work by the end of January (he's waiting for a transfer to their new sister company but the relationship between management at the two companies has become strained and is an issue) he will be quitting...unless he's laid off before then, of course.  Since he will no longer be at his high paying job, this means we can no longer afford for me to think about staying home with Meadow.  I'm ok with this.  I will be staying at my job, that pays relatively well for what it is, and my husband will find something with better hours in town because once my hourly restriction falls off, my hours are going to get crazy.

It is a complete role reversal...he'll be the one doing all of the school pick-ups and drop-offs while I'll be the one working more but I think this is going to work for us.  We are really enjoying the idea of going back to a "simpler" life and not having so much stressors.  Plus, we'll be by our family and friends again - our support group - the people that really make us happy.  So we feel like it's a worthwhile exchange and are very much looking forward to the change of pace.

Even better news...after only a week of looking, we found the PERFECT house for us to rent.  In the future, the owner said we could even do a land contract if we still love the house.  My husband and I have always been huge water people...so this is fabulous.  We found a house on a lake in the "lake town" we are moving back to.  We are beyond ecstatic.  When you drive up, the house is nothing special...looks like a plain old ranch that happens to be on a lake.  When you step inside, you are AMAZED.  It has a huge, open living room and kitchen with vaulted ceilings and huge beams running across the ceiling.  It has 4 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, and is about 2300 square feet with windows all along the lakeside of the house, providing an amazing view.

So...that's what I've been up to.  Sorry I've been so distracted and absent, but I've had good reason.  We are very excited about moving back to our roots and where we've always been happiest so I'm sure you will hear more about it in the next few weeks as things start to wrap up.  It feels so good to finally be following my heart again!
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Currently Listening To:
Beautiful Day by U2