It's been quite some time since I've written words on this page...or written words at all for that matter. I've had a busy couple of years as you could imagine. I've missed expressing myself on this blog and am hoping to get back into it.
Let's see, where do I begin? I married Brian on Sept. 26, 2009 and it was the most amazing day of my life. We had about as perfect a day as you could hope for. Sunny, warm, comfortable. We had a little more than 100 guests at our home for the ceremony. It was short and sweet and all about us. We were fortunate enough to have one of our best friend's serve as our JP and Brian and I wrote our own vows. The ceremony was under 15 minutes long but in no way short on emotion. Plenty of laughter and tears. Our words to each other were from the heart we both still reference them often. As to be expected, the reception was a blast. We are fortunate that many of our friends and family already knew each other so it was a great party. And it was clearly evident how good a time they all had when they came strolling into our house for brunch the next day hiding under hoods and sunglasses!
I'm a full-fledged step-mom to three young boys. Stephen 12, Anthony 10, and Drew 8 are the lights of my life. Each uniquely different I couldn't love them more. We have a great relationship and I'm so happy they were brought into my life. Even though it's something I never really aspired to do, I've really enjoyed being a parent to these boys. Brian and I are a great parenting team and I generally believe the boys are very happy when they are in our home. Dare I say, I think they'd like to be here much more than they are. We're probably not too far away from the "why can't we live with you?" question.
But it hasn't all been sunshine and roses the last few years. In 2009, my father was diagnosed with colon cancer. After a long, two-year battle, we lost him in December of 2011. He was only 57. I miss him everyday. We do a good job of keeping his memory alive, though. I'm always telling stories about my childhood with him and we rehash some of the times he had with the boys too. It's important to me they realize that no one is ever really gone.
Almost a year after my father's passing, my mother informed me she had been diagnosed with breast cancer. I was shocked and terrified to say the least. I just couldn't handle the thought of being without both of my parents. Mom's battle spanned almost a year and I am beyond happy to report that she is healthy and cancer-free!
It's been a challenging time career-wise for me as well. When we moved to Framingham in 2009, I made the decision to leave my Sports Editor job and bartend in the city full-time. It made sense at the time. It was an opportunity for me to make great money while looking for a new job in my field. But I got a little comfortable with the laid-back schedule and big wallet and didn't really look much for work. "Differing opinions" led to me and a host of other bartenders being let go. But if I'm being honest, it was clear they were cleaning house. So I had a nice summer off with my husband and children, taking up golf and enjoying our time together. I had a goal of having a job in my field by Sept. 1 and unfortunately that's come and gone. It's been a long, difficult process but I'm certain something will come along soon. I'm just grateful to have the love and support of my wonderful husband during this difficult time.
Well, that's about it. All caught up. I'm going to try to be better about posting as it was something I really did enjoy for many years. And it will certainly help me get back into the swing of writing!
