I'm back, baby!

Guess who's back... back again... 

Not sure if I am doing this as an outlet, as an escape or as a new avenue in life, but here we are! Happy 2024! It looks like I haven't written anything in 3 years. That's a LOT of time with a LOT of happenings in between. 

A brief overview... still married, going on 12 years and 15 years together with my Ryan. Our oldest is 19, in his second semester at college getting ready to start his first collegiate baseball season. Second up is 17, in his junior year of high school and has become a wrestler. He is in the middle of his second season and so far has a winning record. Yay! Third and middle is 12, in 6th grade and now in the Jr./Sr. High school. He is starting to change, and we aren't thrilled with him growing up in front of our eyes. While he is still a little boy in some aspects, he is turning in to a young man and the best person. Last are the twins, who will be 9 in 2 short weeks. NINE. Our babies, our little baby birds who came into this world weighing at a combined 9 pounds will be nine. Loving life and starting basketball. It's so wild to think about how fast time is going, how much our boys are growing and how they navigate through life. But God knows that no matter how old they are, they still can't aim and there's STILL peed on the seat. 

Almost a year ago, I left the Healthcare field after 17 years at a Pediatric office. The pandemic changed a lot of people, in more ways that anticipated. While some positive came out of it, it went from people having utmost respect for healthcare workers to being so cruel and mean and demanding of their time. I was, by no means, a front line worker. I was in a cozy office of my own within a Dr office setting. But because Healthcare was considered an "essential" position, we stayed open with no days off. We tried to limit and screen as much as possible before we let anyone come through with a highly contagious diagnosis, but even then it happened at times and we were somewhat at risk. But boy, the disrespect and downright rudeness took it's toll on us mentally. My last straw was when the owner's of our office made the decision to merge with a college-based Healthcare system. It was a great idea and I still support it, the best case scenario for them as well. I was so excited! I was the biggest hype person for this decision, as it meant so many different things to me personally, access to specialists within the area, free tuition for my eldest to attend the college, so many more positions and opportunities and growth. But the stress of the merge, the stress of it happening in December, the stress of parents lashing out and treating us so crappy, the stress of personal life... it was all too much. I was in a management position with billing and coding emphasis before the merge, but was answering phones and making appointments just like the other girls. I felt like I had an identity crisis, like I didn't know who i was anymore or what I was supposed to do. It was all a LOT. And it took its toll. 

Cut to January 2023, I saw a position opening at our local school district for a position in the Superintendent's office. I knew the Superintendent, have known her for years through family members. I was mentally at a point where I thought "why not!". So I emailed and submitted my short resume (Drs office and Iggy's <3 ) and got a call to schedule an interview. I was so nervous, I felt like I was cheating on my boss, I felt like a fraud, but I knew I had to take the chance. And I am so glad I did. I got a call back offering the position, which was a pay cut from my old job. I hated leaving my boss, as I was her right hand for years and years, and we had created a special bond, leaning on each other is the hardest of times, celebrating the best of times. Friendships made for life with some of my co-workers who I miss dearly, who cared for my kids like they were family, who knew more about me than some family even! But I am so proud of myself for taking that chance on me. My mental state it so much better, I am happier, I am 0.3 miles from my house and my kids are at the school right next door. My current co-workers are laid back and very supportive of my ideas and the Superintendent could not be easier to work for. It has been a blessing. 

... So much so that I decided to go back to school, at FORTY, and get a college degree, an Associate's degree in Business with a certificate in HR. So while my college freshman child is earning his Bachelor's in Business, I am there right along with him. It's not the same, but at least we can commiserate together! This will only help me in the future and the timing is perfect. I bit the bullet back in August, took a chance and am holding steady going in to my second semester with a high GPA, re-learning about American Government and Training Concepts. It's definitely a lot and time management is key, but I have the best support system and am determined to keep it going. 

So, that's the refresher and update on us. I hope to continue to do this more regularly with more fun, more personal experiences with life and kids and more witty comments. Stay tuned!