It's funny how the the more difficult times in life can make you more grateful. I do my very best to live life with gratitude, which is one reason why I enjoy journaling and blogging. By documenting my feelings and sharing my experiences, I hope that I can learn and grow from them.
When we got news that my husband's job position was going to be eliminated, I didn't feel much gratitude. I was, quite honestly, an emotional wreck (thank you pregnancy hormones!) and felt sad, scared, even angry. I know that Brian did too, but he always does a good job of downplaying those emotions and seeing the positive. Afterall, he had been discontent in the job and was already searching for new opportunities since it had become clear that the start-up he joined 2 years ago was not growing enough to offer a long-term career.
With my upcoming maternity leave, a new person joining the family soon, and my hope to scale back my business a bit for the next year while adjusting to two kiddos, the timing for unemployment at first seemed devastating. But, we'd been through this before....ironically while pregnant with Isabelle. And when I remember that time we all spent at home together during Isabelle's first months, I think only of gratitude. So now I wonder, maybe this is God's way of reminding us what's really important in life. Once again, we have this amazing, miraculous "distraction" of new human life. The baby that we will meet in less than a month, our flourishing daughter, the friends and family surrounding us with love and support, our faith, our health, and the strength of our marriage are the true essentials in our lives right now. Those are all things I have no worry of lacking.
Brian recently had a birthday, not a "milestone" year, but just 2 years aways from one (begins with a 4!). I don't think he felt very excited to turn another year older, but I know that with another year under his belt he should feel wiser, fuller, and more confident. The wonderful thing about getting older is the gaining of experience(s). I searched in my handy thesaurus (an odd hobby that I partake in frequently), and was interested to see that the first synonym for "experience" is knowledge. It might not seem fun to get a few more wrinkles or gray hairs, but it is a wonderful thing that growing older means gaining knowledge, which I think makes one a better person.
For his birthday, Brian wanted to have a small celebration with family at our home. We decided to make homemade pizzas down in the bakement (this is when it's great to have 2 kitchens!). The girls had a ball topping their pizzas.
Cute cousins eating at the table together.
I made homemade ice cream sandwiches for dessert (sometimes I get tired of making cakes for birthdays!). Of course the girls had to be right there when it was time to blow out the candles.
Brun and Betsy Grace trying to console Isabelle after she was told she couldn't have a 2nd ice cream sandwich!
After dinner and bathtime, the real fun began when the girls discovered the dress up clothes. Isabelle proudly displayed her favorite accessories.
Sutton is the accessorizer of her family...
...but Betsy Grace eventually joined in as a necklace wearing shark!
Another day of "accessorizing". Isabelle loves her hats!
And the latest craze is helping daddy make fires. She carried whole logs into the house herself!
(Looks a little worn out from it!)
But Crockett's favorite toy of all is Isabelle!
A few weeks ago Brian decided to run the Charlotte marathon that was this past Saturday. Yes, that's right, a few weeks ago! He runs long distances, and had run 2 marathons before (10 years ago!) but I didn't quite believe he was ready to go through with it until I heard him leave bright and early that morning.
My parents joined me and Isabelle on a wild goose chase to find Brian at a few points during the race to cheer him on.
We caught him just in time at mile 11, and then found him again at mile 16 where he had joined his buddy, JQ. They look way too happy to be on mile 16!
I know I don't tell Brian enough how proud I am of him, but I am. And I am grateful for all of the paths in life that he has chosen. While most of his friends were applying to business school or climbing up the corporate ladder, my husband decided to take advantage of being in his 20s and traveled around the world for almost a year. When we met 9 years ago, he had a secure job at a bank, but he didn't drive a fancy car or try to wine and dine me. These were things that attracted me to him...he was smart and practical, and he cared more about people and life experiences than he did about appearances, his job title or the money in his wallet. I loved that he was adventurous, and most importantly a good person. These are all reasons why he is my husband today!
Shortly after we met, Brian decided to break away from corporate America, and since then he has worked for several small (trying to grow) businesses in a tough economy. He has taken some risks, and it hasn't always been easy, but I know that through all of these different employment experiences he has grown smarter and more well-rounded than he ever would have been if he sat in that same chair at the bank for all those years. We don't know what is next, but I know that someone will soon be lucky enough to hire this wonderful guy.
Pride might not be considered a virtue. But I am ok with saying that I am proud and grateful.
For this right here, and for so much more.
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