Saturday, January 3, 2015

Tourist in our hometown



I've started writing this blog three times. I keep changing my mind about what I want to say. What I keep coming back to, is how grateful I feel. Everyone should move away from home and come back as a tourist! I have a whole new perspective and I feel so lucky to be me. 
    Three weeks ago, Ian passed his journeyman lineman exam. It was a rough week leading up to it. Our kids got the flu. One . By. One.   I told Ian he should stay in a hotel. I was so worried he would get sick on his test date and this years stomach flu was a doozy. But he didn't catch it and he passed. Instead of partying it up all weekend, we took care of sick kids. On Monday he went to work and worked 36 hours and then he said " that's it, I'm done, screw this weather, we're going home." So we did. We drove back to California with our trailer in two days. Two days that I had that cruddy, sinus congestion, cough thing that everyone's been having. We made in to weather in the 60s and the nicest RV Park, I've ever stayed in. 
Now it feels like the whole apprenticeship was a dream. We spent our holidays with a different family member or friend every night. We took our kids to the beach. While California's temperatures dropped into the 30s and 40s , we marveled how we could still go outside! Then we went to the beach again , and went in the water with all the other tourists. Things that I took for granted before are so special to me right now. I went to a church that I've been listening to online  and I loved it and my kids liked it too!
   There are still so many uncertainties. Ian hasn't started working yet  and we're still in our trailer but we are having a great time . We're spending time as a family just hanging out. I get to see family and friends almost every day. But most importantly, I feel like I invested these past years into my family and I'm proud of that. I feel like I do have something to show for it. Maybe not physically but I am so proud of what we have accomplished as a family in the past 2 1/2 years. 
That's pretty much all for now. Not a whole lot of New Years resolutions over here. I think it's going to be an exciting year . I'm looking forward to getting back into a house, even though I don't know when that's happening. For 2015 my goal is to relax more. These past few years have been a lot of work. I'm really enjoying being a tourist in my hometown. As one of my favorite bloggers says " I've got a new pair or perspectacles on." And life is good.