A Things-Have-Been-Going-Really-Well Blog Post

So I've wanted to write this post for a couple of months now, but I have been afraid it would come off as bragging.  But I have written about the challenging times our family has faced, and I feel I would be ungrateful (and a little bit of a liar) if I didn't mention when things seem to be going really well for us.  It's times like these that I actually start to almost worry, because things are TOO good.  I start to realize my time is at hand for a big trial and I make it a point to say extra prayers of gratitude, hoping maybe being super, extra grateful will mean difficult times will never come our way.  Of course, that's not how it works, and life has an ebb of flow of good times and more difficult times, and I just want to be sure I'm on record of appreciating when life is really great.

Jordan has been doing extremely well at work.  He recently took his career to the next level and is a certified ASA, which basically means he's a credentialed actuary.  He still has a couple more exams and some classes to take before he's a fully credentialed FSA, but we've been working towards the ASA for a long time, and it's very satisfying to have reached it.  He put in long hours of study (in addition to long hours at work) and just really worked his tail off, and I couldn't be prouder of him.  In terms of his career, we are in a very advantageous position.  If we wanted, we could get  a different job fairly easily.  His skills are highly marketable and we have excellent job security.  He has also made a great impression on his currently boss and they have made it clear that they value the good work Jordan does.  Even though Phoenix isn't my favorite place in the whole world, we find that we are comfortable staying a few more years.

Speaking of Phoenix, we are feeling more and more comfortable here.  I still don't love the heat or the landscape, but there are a whole bunch of different reasons to love it here.  I love all the things there are to do with little kids.  Having a second vehicle and Lucy dropping her morning nap have finally created great conditions for us to explore all the cool stuff for kids. I also feel like I'm making good friends and it's starting to feel more like home.

The kids ARE a challenge.  As my father in law said, they are at ages where they are "sucking vortexes of need." Ha.  I'm actually really happy he said it, because it makes me feel less crazy.  There's a reason I hit burnout!  Anyway, I have two toddlers and they are a lot of work.  But they are a lot of fun.  Clara is talking so well and keeps us well informed with what's going on.  Lucy is starting to talk, and she's so cute I could die.  They play reasonably well together and they seem to really like each other.  Every day is a new challenge, but it's kind of exciting.

When life is going well, I really feel it's important to acknowledge it and appreciate it.  I feel like I've been tasting the sweetness of life, and I really am beyond grateful.