change

I'm 100% sure I already posted this picture on here, but alas- it's a good picture, and posts without pictures are lame. So there ya go.

I've been thinking a lot lately about everyone's journey, etc... I know that sounds vague, but it's true. From family members, to dear friends, to random blogs I follow, etc... I keep seeing these people change before my eyes! It happens sometimes quickly when something drastic or major happens in their lives, or just very slowly and subtly over the last few years. And i've been thinking about me and how much I have changed over the last few years. Especially these last couple years we have been here in Minot. We're truly planning on coming back to Minot in the fall, so I have no idea why I am getting so nostalgic up in here... but I am. So there ya go. I think just with the job change, etc... Change is in the air. It already has started, and I think it will only just keep going. Until things stop. Then we'll settle down again until the wind blows us somewhere else. But that's life isn't it?

I was just reading my blog posts about us announcing we were moving to Minot, North Dakota, and the first few we lived here. I had such a positive attitude and was determined to make this place work! Haha- I knew we were stuck here, and I knew that I was so sad especially for my sweet Lucy to leave her grandparents and good friends and cousins. So I did something hard! I went out of my comfort zone completely and invited a LOT of strangers from church into my home for a birthday party for Lucy. I called people, and invited people to do things, I went out of my way to have conversations with people I didn't know, I started going to the gym- when I had never been before! I signed Lucy up for activities where she could play with kids her age, and we could make friends. And it worked! It took some time, but it worked! You guys, It's really really really really damn cold up here, and expensive, etc... etc... but it's so worth it! I know this is where we were supposed to be, and it has been so good. I am SO glad we left Utah! I love Utah, but it was the best decision to move away. I'm so glad we left our families. Yep! I said that- but it was so good for us to learn how to be our own family. No heading to grandma's every. single. sunday. afternoon. ever. We learned how to enjoy our little family- just the 4 of us. And we created our own extended family! We had never branched out of our high school friends until we moved here, and now we both have made lifelong friends/family = framily. 

Doing hard things is good. It really is. My testimony has grown so much over the last year, and it has grown because of the simple things. Because of the love of our savior for all of us, for the truth of the book of mormon, the peace and clarity I feel when in the temple, for charity and service, friendship, kindness, faith, and laughter. That is what is truly important. 

It breaks my heart to see some people's journeys take them farther away from peace, but I have also watched so many bring their lives more joy and happiness. And mine is one of those! And that's such a wonderful thing. The past couple of years have no been easy, but I will always look back on them as some of the best of my entire life. Here's to hoping I can add this year to that list! ;-)