The last 5 months

Wow, has it really been 5 months since my last post? Actually now that I think about this year...5 months is sounding about right. I will start this post off by saying that although I was a little sad to fall off the blogging train, it's been good for me. To not worry about posting, and just plug into my family. So here's a little bit about what we've been up to. December 29th Ned was honorably discharged from the Navy. I was overwhelmed with a lot of emotions. I was so happy that he was never going to deploy again. I had done so much on my own the last few years that I had almost forgotten what it would be like to have my husband home for Christmas and other special occasions. But the other side of me was terrified!! I had no idea what lied ahead for us and after 7 years of the comfort of Navy life, I wasn't sure how things would work now that Ned and I got to make decisions! But here is what we have come up with so far...

I have mostly taken a break from cake. Oh, how I love cake. I really do. The last cake I made that I spent a ton of time on was this one:

I made this cake in Indiana in honor of my wonderful Grandmother, Dorothy Neilson. Every year for YEARS AND YEARS she would make homemade Christmas cards. I decided to re-create the cards and make them out of fondant to decorate a cake and her Christmas Tea Party. Ah, my family is fabulous. I really have the most fabulous Aunts who are so creative and amazing. It was a great event. I have made a cake or two here and there since but I just simply don't have the time that I used to have. I love going back through my cake pictures and look at the cakes I created. But for some reason, I just feel that this isn't the time right now to keep pursuing cake. It just seems a bit off to me, and that's ok. To everything there is a season. Which brings me to my next update...my JOB!

I am working for CHG in the CompHealth Locum Tenens division. And, by the way...I LOVE IT and it's amazing! I was so fortunate to get the job. I emailed an old friend/roomate when I was driving to Utah and she told me about a position on her team. I immedietly submitted my resume and sure enough...I had a job a week later. I assist the credentialing process for the largest Locums company on the planet. It is my dream job, really. I absolutely love it. It has been an adjustment leaving my babies during the day but I am really comforted knowing that they have Mom and Dad home right now and that is worth a lot, too. Oh, and did I mention....Ned got a job at CompHealth too?? He works getting our Doctors hospital privalages and he LOVES it there, too. We commute into work together, take our lunches together, call each other a ton during the day and of course...give each other a hard time. I absolutely love it. My friend pointed out something...she said "don't you think it's crazy that you and Ned once worked oceans apart from one another. Now you're 100 feet. I love it, love it, love it.

oh and for the fun part....We bought our very first house!!!!! This is a picture of a couple of my favorite rooms...

We love living in our own house. It's such a blessing. We are so grateful to have gotten a fair price, low interest and are enjoying the benefits of a VA loan. (NO mortgage insurance!) So to wrap up this post, I guess I would just say that life is really what happens to you while you're busy making other plans. But if you can find the strength and the faith to just go with it, amazing things are in your future. I love where we live and already have such amazing friends at work and in my new neighborhood. Of course, I still love and cherish my Washington Penn Cove ladies. But it's different now. I feel like I am progressing. In the Navy I felt so trapped by the next deployment. The next PRT. The next eval. I don't know, I just think we got to the point that we were done with that chapter. I am so grateful to have had that experience. I will NEVER forget or regret the time we spent dedicated to our Country. Truly a blessing. I guess I'm just grateful for second chances and for new begginings. It works for me. The kids are doing so good. I fall in love with them a little more each day. Tatum is going into first grade....strange! Carson...is still a charector. And my sweet Raegan is growing and becoming independant. Well this is me signing off for now. I love you all and will try to be better about posting. I have felt like a break was needed from trying to portray my life as an interesting story. Now that we've kind of settled into our identity here a new chapter has started. I will do better and sharing it. Love to you all. Kerstin