Quick re-cap of our crazy life since April.
April
- Find out I am pregnant with baby number 2.
- Daniel begins looking for a new job (knew job with Heritage was coming to a planned end).
- Choose not to renew our apartment lease in Alexandria, VA.
May
- Daniel's job with Heritage ends.
- Job opportunity in Columbus, OH falls through.
- No job, lease ends in 1 month.
June
- Job opportunity in Austin, TX falls through 2 days before our lease ends.
- Pack up and move all our belongings to Daniel's parent's house in Ohio.
- No job, no house.
July
- Fishing vacation in Minnesota with my family.
- Find out we are having a GIRL!
- Daniel returns to Ohio to keep up the job search.
- Logan and I go to California to regroup and spend time with my family.
- No job, no house.
August
- Logan and I return to Ohio.
- Logan turns two!
- Our 6th anniversary.
- Daniel's birthday.
- No job, no house.
September
- Daniel gets a job!!
- We buy a house!!
October
- Moving
- Unpacking
- Baby girl is arriving in 2 months.
This summer was really a trying time for our family, especially Daniel. Unemployment is really one of the most soul crushing things either one of us has ever experienced. The uncertainty, guilt, doubt, and fear that you experience is unlike anything you can imagine, and you can't really prepare for it or know what it's like until you have lived it. You can see why I didn't really feel like writing cheery blog posts about crafts, park visits, making friends, recipes, and going out and living your dreams while my world was falling apart right before my very eyes.
There were so many times, I asked myself, "Why?", "Why our family?", "Why is this happening to us?" Looking back, the reasons are so apparent. It strengthened my faith in God, in His timing, and in His plan for my life, unlike any other experience ever has. It has made me about 1000x more sympathetic, empathetic, and understanding of those struggling financially or suffering from unemployment/underemployment. It made me more appreciative of all the great blessings I have: an amazing, hardworking husband, a beautiful, happy son, a healthy, active little girl on her way, wonderful, giving, loving parents, warm, inviting in-laws, a place to sleep, food to eat, the Gospel of Jesus Christ, etc. It made me more humble, and taught me to except help when I thought I could do it all by myself. It gave me an opportunity to spend a ton of time with my parents that I never would have been able to otherwise, making my relationship with them stronger, and making wonderful memories. I could go on and on.
What I'm trying to say is, the bad in life is not all bad. It may seem all bad at the time, and cause you to ask, "Why?" but if you stop to reflect from time to time, there really can be a silver lining to any situation. I'm still amazed by everything that has happened to us in the last month. It doesn't seem real. God has blessed our family beyond, way beyond, anything I could have ever imagined. But the new job, the new house, none of it would have ever happened if we hadn't been in the right place at the right time.... if we hadn't been unemployed for 3 months. God is so good, and really does know what He's doing, even if there are times that we question Him. "All these things shall give thee experience, and shall be for thy good" (Doctrine and Covenants 122:7). I know this now more than ever.
So now that life seems to be back on track, look forward to many more blog posts to come, including:
new 10 things posts, new crescent roll recipes, new stay at home mom moments, new Amanda vs. Pinterest, new mommy dating posts, and of course lots and lots of picture dumps and updates about the most adorable 2 year old on planet earth. I'm also going to be starting a segment on surviving unemployment, and a new weekly post on Sundays with a spiritual thought. I'm getting my blog in order, and I couldn't be more excited!! Thank you, thank you, to everyone who reads these ramblings- your support and love mean the world to me! I'm looking forward to sharing more of my life with you in the months to come!
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