Happy New Years!

This past weekend marks the one year anniversary of our move to Small Town Canada.

A year ago I wasn't thinking about anything but just getting here and unpacking. The whole thing seemed kind of surreal. It was less three months from the time we decided to move until we were sleeping in our new house, an hour and a half away from our hometown. Things happened so fast that I didn't really have time to think about anything but the actual logistics of the move.

It wasn't until school started a couple of weeks later that I really thought about what this move really meant to all of us. Sure the job and work environment was better for Mr. Awesome and the schools were overall better for the kids but we also had to give up a lot.

We left a tight knit community, our friends and our church. We lost the convenience of having family close by, of knowing where everything is and of having Starbucks just around the corner. We had to, for better and for worse, let go of familiarity, reputation and comfort of the life we had built and step out into this new adventure.
Not knowing what to expect and having no real plan for our new lives in Small Town left us open to a world of possibilities and I think that for the most part we made the most of every opportunity. We all jumped in with both feet and I have to say that I am really proud of my Random Family. The kids put forth their best effort at school and they each finished the year strong. They all matured some, learned a lot and made some really great friends ... in fact, we all have.

This blog started off, a year ago, as a way for me to chronicle our move and the daily antics of The Wee Ones for my pals and a year later it has evolved and so have I. I started writing this blog as a way to hold on to everything I was leaving behind but it has become a measuring stick of change. Over the year I have changed how I view motherhood, wifedom and my role in my own life. I have become more comfortable in my own skin, in my own shoes and for the first time since leaving university I feel as though I see a future for myself, apart from being some random mother.

I want to thank you all for reading, for commenting and for encouraging me. Knowing that you are taking a few minutes out of your busy day to check in with this Random Family blesses me. And hearing that you are getting something out of my rambling words blesses me even more. I love reading your comments and emails, I am so encouraged to hear that the lessons I am learning make you laugh, think or inspire you to learn a little something new, too.

Thanks for being my pals for the past year and I look forward to the year to come ... Happy New Year!