During that time I've thought over and over that I would start writing again. I enjoy writing. It's therapeutic for me. I have a much easier time expressing thoughts, feelings, and emotions this way than actually verbalizing them.
But life gets in the way and every time I would think "ok, tonight is the night I sit down and start writing again" something else would come up and delay it a few months. A few days ago on my way home from work I told myself "TONIGHT IS THAT NIGHT"! And here we are!
A lot has happened since February of 2015 and my life looks different than the last time was here. So, here's a reintroduction to me, my life, and a Cliff's Notes version of the last 4 years.
If we go back to that last blog post, I was a month away from 27 and getting ready to move back in with my parents. No job, no prospects, no boyfriend, also no prospects, no income
2015:
In late May/early June, I received an email from the same manager I interviewed with the day before I lost my job. He asked if I would be interested in coming back in for a refresher interview, and, trying not to sound as desperate as I was, I said I would appreciate that opportunity. 3 weeks later, on June 23rd, I started my job! It was a demotion in every sense of the word: lower position, lower pay, and an hour commute. I didn't care... I had a job!
The last "job" I had that paid me any amount of money was an offer to clean the house of a close family friend for $500 before they put their house on the market. I was at my lowest around this point. It was a very humbling experience, but one I am grateful for.
So, back to the job - It's still socks, and I'm ok with that! I have now been at this company for 4 1/2 years and have been blessed by the people who have crossed my path while I've been here. There have been a lot of laughs, some intense tears, 2 promotions, and some incredibly hard goodbyes. I have learned a lot about myself in the time I've been here.
3 months after starting, I would meet the man I would end up marrying! Ryan and I were both encouraged by people in our lives to give online dating a shot. We did, and we are here to say it can actually work! We started dating in September of 2015 and never looked back.
 |
| Our first picture together at the Dixie Classic Fair in early October 2015 |
 |
| The first time we went out for me to meet his friends in November 2015 |
The receptionists at my then Rheumatologist's office asked me every time I came in: "Got a job? Got a man? I'll keep praying for both of them!" I was so excited to finally be able to answer yes to both of those questions! (I'll do a separate post about my Rheumatological journey!)
2016:
2016 is a year we don't look back on fondly. Ryan unexpectedly lost his job in January and took a job that made him miserable until something else came up. It was an incredibly trying time early on in our relationship. It didn't make things easier on him when I was encouraged to apply for a position on another team at work and got the job. Ryan was miserable, and I got a promotion I wasn't even looking for.
Taking that new position was one of the best decisions I've made. It challenged me professionally and I loved the team I joined. By November Ryan had found a job better suited for him and has been there for almost 3 years.
 |
| Our first of many weddings in April 2016 |
 |
| Mt. Vernon, VA with my sister in May 2016 |
 |
| Halfway through a 5 mile strenuous hike we thought was only going to be about a mile...we took the wrong trail! |
 |
| Great afternoon spend with 2 of my best friends |
 |
| 3 of my great co-workers |
2017:
Ryan and I had made it though a rough year and were now of the up side of things. We were growing more and more serious and the 'M' word started popping up. We looked at some rings, he talked to my parents, and then he lied to me.
We had a stone cut down specifically for my ring, so it took some time to have the ring remade to fit the stone. He told me the jeweler was sick and it was going to be a few more weeks before it was ready.
Then he said he had the ring. I broke down and couldn't even look at him. I had resigned myself to the fact that this moment might never be a reality for me; that marriage wasn't God's will for my life. He got down on one knee, said some beautiful things, then asked me to marry him. Through my sobs, and with my eyes still closed, I said "I can't believe this is happening". I finally said yes, he grabbed my hand off my face, and put the ring on my finger!
I then proceeded to ruin the moment by drawing attention to the massive snot bubble hanging out of my nose. Ladies - when you talk about snot bubbles and then how you just ruined the moment in the middle of your engagement and your man laughs...that's when you know its right!
 |
| Right before he proposed |
 |
| My parents showed up as we got back to the parking lot and had my sister on FaceTime! |
The wedding planning began and we set a date for April of the next year. The rest of the year was pretty routine: trips to DC, work trips, weddings, beach trips, my bachelorette weekend, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.
2018:
This is one of my favorite years ever! I turned 30 that March and celebrated my birthday weekend by taking my bridal portraits, and looking at a house that would end up being our home. The week leading up to the wedding was a bit of a blur. The Tuesday before we got married we closed on our house and got our marriage license.
We had a beautiful wedding surrounded by family and friends. I wish I could relive that day over every day of my life.
 |
We came home and settled in to our new house and started our life together as The Southards. It's been an amazing year and a half being married to Ryan and growing together.
The Thursday before we got married my sister and brother in law gave us the amazing news that they were 8 weeks pregnant! They had been struggling with infertility for a few years, so this news was an incredible blessing to hear. It's crazy to think their daughter will be 1 year old in a few weeks!
In November of 2018, we finally met our niece and have enjoyed watching her grow. My sister documented their story on her own blog and it is a beautiful story of God's perfect timing for each of us.
 |
2019:
For about 6 months Ryan had been consistently bringing up the idea of getting a dog. I grew up with dogs and wasn't opposed to getting one, I was simply very aware of how selfish I still am and wasn't ready quite yet. All of that to say, in early February we drove up to Danville, Virginia and came home with a 10 week old black lab. Since then, Duke has made himself quite at home and we wouldn't have it any other way.
The rest of 2019 has been standard with nothing crazy going on. 2018 had enough excitement, so it's been nice to have a "normal" year! We celebrated our first anniversary in the mountains, have spent time with family, celebrated exciting times with our friends, and watched our niece grow!
So, that's the past 4 years, 8 months, and 29 days in a nutshell.
My goal is to do a better job of writing more regularly, so hopefully I'll be around more often. I'm working on a list of posts to write about, and I'm sure more topics will come up as life happens, so stay tuned!
-b
No comments:
Post a Comment