So fall, so good

What a stark contrast this fall has shown in comparison to last fall. Last year at this time Adam and I were getting ready to step out of the fog that had taken refuge in our heads while pondering the news that Adam had a blockage in one of the main arteries to his heart. Should he have surgery? Should he not? Should he do it before Eli was due or should we wait until later? Could he wait until later? Should he exercise or be super careful about getting his heart rate too high? And of course, the ability for us to deal with the answers to all of these questions hung on the fact that the remainder of my pregnancy needed to be text book. No bed rest (as I had with Ethan), no early delivery, nothing beyond the perfect pregnancy with Eli arriving on (or after) his exact due date. The tears, the anxiety, the fear of the unknown, and even worse, the fear of the known. It permeated everything we did last fall. A shadow seemed to cast itself on everything we did.

So now that our life has returned to a delicious and wonderful normal, I can begin to turn my back on those sad thoughts and have been savoring every moment of this fall. Fall, for our family, is a season full of traditions...the state fair, the pumpkin patch, Halloween parties, Thanksgiving weekend at the cabin with friends. To be doing these same things, these exact same things as last year, reminds me how I felt 12 months ago, how vulnerable we were just a year ago and what a different way my life could've turned. It takes my breath away. I am ever so thankful that we are able to be having such great fun and galavanting with our complete family in tow all over the city.

Pictures of the recent festivities to follow...

I am also pleased to announce that it looks like I may be a college student again! Though I have not received the official word, it seems (by unofficial records) that Kennesaw State University has accepted me! Once I complete a few more prerequisites at the school, I will then be able to apply to the nursing school, so while that will be the REAL celebration, I'm still rather excited that at least one of the obstacles is checked off my list! Going to nursing school has been a (VERY lofty) dream of mine for quite a while so knowing that I am all that much closer to a goal that I never thought I would fulfill is exciting to say the least. I guess I will have to cancel those voice lessons now...(more on that later!)

I'm giddy...if you'd asked me at this time last year that I'd have myself and my (our) life together enough to even be able to think about applying to school again, I'd have laughed myself silly. That my husband would be healthy enough to help me, that I would be feeling great and no longer hopelessly exhausted from taking care of all (three) of my boys solo, that my children would be so happy and good natured that taking care of them would be just a little more than effortless...I wouldn't have believed it. Wouldn't have believed it at all. So, life is good, my friends. Life is good.