2013

Yes, it has been a year and a half since I updated. I hate it when bloggers do that. Much has changed and there are new happenings on the horizon in Peoria. I think of writing often, but the honest truth is that I haven't been all that happy for a long time and it was just depressing to document Henry development and not mention anything else, or to complain about life when things were not truly that bad in the grand scheme of things. It's just been a tough year. We are generally lonely, without a lot of forward-looking events going on. The last several months have given us back a child with newborn sleep patterns and tempers and horrible words that depress us as parents. We're not impressed with his daycare or what happens there, we're tired, I'm not enjoying my job or the heavy responsibilities around it, and we miss our family and St. Louis friends. The Newtown shootings rocked us and we have tried to do small actions and yet feel like nothing matters and that such violence is an inevitability for our child. That vulnerability, frustration, and grief has lasted most of the winter. Rob feels behind on his professional responsibilities, namely getting his dissertation turned into a book, and ongoing health issues plague him. Add all that to a very long, cold, icy winter, and without much social outlet we have some serious cabin fever. Writing didn't really seem like a fantastic idea at any point recently.

BUT I'm going to turn the corner. Spring is brewing, the snow is melting, and we have some good things happening. We have to make a conscious effort to pull out of the fog here and nicer weather and anticipation of new things should be helpful.