Much like my journals, this space is sporadic if anything.
There is no catching up on the past year plus in a blog, but I'll try to do something of the sort in Christmas letter fashion :-)
*The gym was the driving force of this past year. We searched and found a building to buy. We took possession in April and had our first event on Memorial Day. The spring and summer of 2018 was loaded to the absolute max or so it seemed. We had 4 weekends of travel in a row amongst the demolition and renovations of the new space. We had countless people helping us along the way and I'm not sure I'll ever fully be able to articulate how thankful we are for them.
We are currently in a holding pattern with the space without any major projects in the near future.
It was a trying few months with the transition. Once again, we learned that being in the service industry is not an easy pursuit. We are often humbled by the incredible people who trust us with their health and wellness while struggling to maintain relationships that are strained by owning a business.
It's a balancing act, certainly.
*Elijah and Autumn left for school too soon this summer/fall. Elijah is on his final year of high school. I am sorting through photos and albums in preparation for his graduation and it's so surreal. It often makes me cry. Mostly happy tears, but my goodness, these little people we raise just go on growing and becoming and we eventually spend most of our time watching them do it. We're navigating college visits and trying our best to give him the best advice we have without pushing him in one direction or another. He plans on playing basketball in college and pursuing sports management or kineseology. He is such a fantastic person who is earnest and driven and kind. I cannot wait to see him fly these next years!
*Autumn continues to prove that she is a bright, beautiful light to us all. This year has had some added challenges and choices and I'm always amazed with how she moves through these challenges. That girl can quite frankly do or be anything she wants and that is both exhilarating and terrifying. She talks of jumping out of airplanes and joining the military or adventuring and I recognize the adrenaline seeking piece of her. She is both pieces of her dad and of me and also all her own. I have to often swallow my own fears and encourage her to pursue whatever she feels passionate about, even if that takes her across the world.
*Cory is at such a fun stage. I genuinely love middle school age. He is becoming funnier by the day and finding his passions and personality. It reminds me a bit of a toddler when they start to talk and walk and you find new little parts of them each day. Not unlike having a teenager become more himself. He took up guitar this last year and a half much to all of our enjoyment. He is improving quickly and entertains us all upon request. He also is taking piano, played football and basketball and still finds time to create and develop amazing creations of art.
*Caleb has made some magical shift the past year. We don't quite know if it's nutrition or maturity or routine or what. He is still completely himself, but doesn't have the bite that he use to. It's been a glorious development. He is 100% into Harry Potter and is on his 3rd or 4th time reading the series. He excels in school, particularly math and loves his group of friends. His friend, Julianna, who he calls his BFFN(Best Friend For Now), is most often the topic of adventures during school. Breaks and summer are still hard, but we can see him working to adjust and manage his words and emotions. He has taken up piano the past few months and really enjoys it. He also played tackle football this fall and is playing basketball this winter. His analytical brain and desire to excel are a powerful combination. Middle school will be interesting next year.
*Amessaminthe and Nickson are every bit our children, yet we don't have them here. In fact, we are still not matched with them. I don't even have a good explanation for why except this ridiculous process is beyond understanding. Same as every year, we hope this is our last Christmas without them. My parents are going to Haiti in a few months and I may tag along. It's been too long.
*Chad is still working at Williams and we are thankful for it's security. It's not something he wants to do forever, but it allows us to do things we couldn't otherwise do. He works so crazy hard for us and we love him so much.
*I am pouring my heart and soul into the gym most days. It's an enjoyable "job" and I love the combination of business, people, relationships, development, and fun it provides. We have some big plans for the coming years and I'm learning as I go on how to develop and implement programs to provide more for our current and future people.
Well, that was as much a Christmas letter as any, I suppose. Maybe now I can get to writing about our day to day. Wishful thinking, maybe, but here's hoping.
