I'm a California girl whose life changed forever when she moved to NYC with her husband and then-18-month-old-son. 5 years later, my now-pastor husband and I are back in my home state with THREE sons in tow!
Welcome to my blog!
I was born and raised in Northern California, where I lived until 1999, when I married the love of my life, T., and moved to San Diego.
Our first son (affectionately nicknamed the Shookie) was born in February of 2002. He was born 5 weeks prematurely when I developed HELLP Syndrome.
2004-2006: In February 2004, we moved to the NYC area for my husband to pursue his Ph.D in History. We fell in love with our neighborhood (Park Slope), and NYC in general. We were also part of a church planting team for a new local church at that time, one of the most exciting and fulfilling things we have ever been involved with, and also a time that completely changed the direction of our family's future.
It took us two years to conceive our second son. After two miscarriages, fertility testing and waiting for my next cycle to start so that we could begin fertility treatments, we received the shock of our lives when I discovered I was pregnant again! With the help of daily injections of blood thinners and MUCH prayer, we welcomed R in December of 2006.
Since then, our lives have been joyfully crazy. Six months after Ronan's birth, we packed up our things and moved to Maryland, for my husband to go through a pastors college affiliated with the family of churches we are a part of. Upon completion, he went through an abbreviated internship in the Phoenix area before we made our final move here, to San Francisco.
In June of 2009 we received the REAL shock of our lives when, 4 days after being told I was "definitely peri-menopausal, if not completely in menopause" (quoting the doctor here), I saw the most positive + I've ever seen on a pregnancy test. 9 months later our 3rd miracle boy, K, joined us.
In the months that followed K's birth, I went through the darkest time in my life to date, struggling severely with postpartum anxiety and depression. That time has changed me permanently and profoundly. I wouldn't have wished for it in a million years, but I don't think I could trade the lessons it has brought me either. I have learned to live in the moment, to be thankful for God's ever-present grace to get through each day, and that I am not alone in this struggle.
reading books, reading about/cooking/eating really good food, spending time with family and friends, our church, movies ("the lord of the rings" trilogy, "the godfather", and "when harry met sally" being some of my favorites).