Seasons come, seasons go

I'm back! I had to put this blog and basically all social media on the back burner for awhile. Something was seriously wrong, and I couldn't put my finger on it. Even though we just bought a house and I should be happy, I had never been more depressed in my life. Well...on a routine blood test to check my thyroid levels, it was discovered that they were low and I needed to go back on medication. It's scary to step out on a limb and share this so openly. But, it's also such a relief to know that my depression wasn't onset by anything other than my thyroid. Can you believe it? I should have known. But I was in such a fog that it didn't even occur to me at the time.
It didn't help that I had a complete weight loss stall in January due to these levels, as well. I was really letting negative thoughts take hold of my mind, and I wanted to throw in the towel so badly. I can't tell you that things are perfect now. But I'm slowly coming back to my normal and finding a new routine that works for us.
Since moving in, we got a boxer from an animal shelter. I kid you not when I say that he's one of the best dogs I've ever had! Here's a picture:

Landon also got the flue, Influenza A to be exact. We found out because he had hives, which I didn't even know was a symptom of the flue.

After that,  Connor caught the flue and Wyatt caught a cold. Then, Josh, Connor, and Landon all caught the tummy virus roughly a week later. February was a rough month for us!

We had some good times, too. We went to Disneyland with our friend Alexis.

Josh, Connor, and I visited our local apple groves while our older two boys were out with some family.

We went to the LA Zoo, and honestly we realized that we like the Aquarium more. Sorry zoo lovers!

Wyatt and Landon had career day at their school meetup.

And, despite downgrading our passes, we still went to Disneyland a couple more times.

Josh and I made a lot of goals for 2019. If I haven't already mentioned it, Josh wants to become a pastor. We returned to a church I went to as a teenager. My desire was to be around people who knew my mom after her passing, and that was more than fulfilled. Little did Josh and I know the opportunities that would arise. The only downside to moving has been that Josh has had less time to do school. We are in the midst of a promotion opportunity that has presented itself at Josh's job, meaning he would work straight shifts instead of splits. This would open up many doors for us!
Secondly, we found out that the laws in our city allow us to have chickens and a rooster. So, our plans are to start saving up to get some. We are hoping the investment will help us to save money and eat better. I never even dreamed this would be something we could do!
Thirdly, Josh and I would like to finally have our honeymoon. 10 years later? I know...sounds kind of silly. But, we have never gone on a nice vacation. The furthest we've gone together is Nevada, and that's to spend quality time with family that live there.
Last but not least, our main goals have been to spend more time as a family and serving in and out of church as much as we can. We are also striving to focus on our health this year, so that we can live longer and happier lives. Because of that, we have decided that we don't want any more children right now.
We signed up at our local YMCA and have been working out as much as we can. You can see more about my weight loss journey on my new Instagram account bless_this_journey

The theme of the year is definitely hope! I always think of my mom and wonder if she would be proud of our accomplishments. I miss her a lot, but I can finally see myself finding joy again. Healing mentally and emotionally, to me, is a huge part of our health journey. I can't believe I can actually say that I've added meditation into my prayer time. It's really helped! Scripture memorization has also been a saving grace. Whenever I have a negative thought, I just hold on to scripture and it helps me to feel so much better. God is sovereign and in control! All this to say, I am glad the season of grief is ending, and the season of joy is beginning.
Anyway, if you're reading this I would really like to know what your 2019 goals are. What are your dreams and aspirations?