A year ago...

It's hard to believe it's been a year. A year has past since Austin and I were put through some things. A year has past since we made some hard decisions. A year has past since we've been at some of our lowest points. A year has past since I've really tested my trust in God.


A year ago this month, Austin and I went through some hard times. I didn't discuss the details on this blog back then and I'm not going to now. A lot of things happened and every event that took place tested us in a variety of ways. It tested our personal strength, our marriage, our jobs. It's hard to image what things were like a year ago. I really try not to think about it and not to focus on it. We've moved on. We're past it. But I also believe it's good to think back and reflect on it every once and a while.

I went back and re-read the blogs I had written during that time. Reading the struggles I was having brought them back to the surface. I remember the anxiety. I remember the pain. I remember the sadness. I remember worrying. I remember wanting everything to be okay but not having any idea how to make it be okay.

Leaving my job a year ago was both the hardest and the easiest thing I've ever had to do. It was hard to give up a good paying job, one that I enjoyed and had friends at. But it was easy to give up for my husband. For my marriage. And that was what mattered in the end. Like the verse from our wedding from Ruth - "I will go where you go." I meant that. Unemployment was hard. I was questioning God a lot. Did we make the right decisions? Are we doing the right things? It was hard to believe things were ever going to get better.

And now here we are, a year later. I ended up finding a job - one that I love and enjoy doing so much. And while yeah, I did take a pay increase, I'm now doing something I've wanted to do since I graduated from college - working in college admissions. I know that this is what I'm suppose to be doing - and it wouldn't have happened if it weren't for what happened a year ago.

Austin is enjoying his second year so much better and is really getting to know his kids and getting to know the community. We love living in Oakland and are trying to get involved however we can. We are grateful the community and the school district have accepted us as much as they have in just a year.

I also believe that our marriage is in a much better place. We are in a better place because of what happened a year ago. Those events tested our marriage. But we endured. And we are stronger because of it. We are closer as husband and wife and have a better understanding of things now. We have learned to appreciate the little things in life and not take them for granted. We have learned a lot. We've made a lot of changes throughout the year and I think we're better because of all of them. And yeah, we still have some ups and downs but everyone does. But we are in a much better place now overall. We have recently celebrated two wonderful years of marriage and we know there are going to be several more years to celebrate as well.

In the end, I guess God does know what He's doing. :)