2020 check in

i need to get something jotted down really quick because i don't want my blog to just become something i get around to when we undergo a huge life change.
i gave a talk the other day and remembered how much i like writing.
i haven't had the writing bug in a very long time. things were so stressful at home for probably 2 solid years i think if i'm remembering properly.
brad started getting overworked the summer before bea started kindergarten and then started his weekly NC commutes and then we moved to NC, his mental health deteriorating all the while, which, in hindsight, really affected us all; i just couldnt tell because i was operating (pretty successfully!) in survival mode. that really takes a toll on a family. i wasn't inspired. i was over tired.
it took a while for brad to ease in to his new job (gun shy) but he is finally realizing and remembering that a healthy work environment is actually possible and it's making everyone feel much better. he is home by 6 each night again! it's awesome!! we chose a house with a close ish proximity to work while still in a good school district and we kind of nailed it. but since we still own our house in NC, and seattle is super expensive, we are staying frugal and are therefore in an older neighborhood. the house is like 60-70ish years old but it has been gut renovated and has amazing bones so it's really nice, even though it's teeny tiny (1200 sq ft!). but we love it. and we're on a cul de sac which is AWESOME and have great yard so we get outside to play quite a bit. the neighborhood is undergoing changes too, as most of the original owners are either moving to nursing homes or (yikes) dying, a lot of the houses are being renovated like ours was, either for rentals or for young buyers. the neighborhood should be close to our demographic within the next 5-10 years. but who knows how long we'll be in this house. our lease is two years and i think we'll like being here a lot, so who can say? the tenants before us were here 7 years!
the weather hasn't bothered me that much either. they say you go through every season in a day here and i think they're right. most days we see the sun for at least an hour, then it goes back to overcast, mists/drizzles for a bit, and then rains all night. we actually play outside more here than anywhere else because the second the sun comes out each day, it's like "GET OUTTTT!!!!!" so it's nice. the beach is fun for shell, rock, and driftwood hunting, the woods are great for hiking and exploring. it's pretty great.
school is nice. we don't have our darling ms lowe or ollie's special miss debbie, but i think we'll manage. their teachers are sweet and bea is actually ahead in school! her teacher says she helps the other students a lot in math. that girl loves math. she asked for a calculator for her birthday lol
oliver loves preschool and comes home each day saying "that was just the best day of my entire life!!". it's sweet.
we have an aquarium pass which is also nice, it's a great little aquarium and it's by the market in the city so it's fun to go.
our ward is SO nice, we have been to someone's house for dinner at least once per weekend since moving in. i can't wait til we finally finish settling in so we can return the favor.
we were completely unpacked by day 4 here but we are still tying up loose ends each weekend so we are still pretty busy.
hmmmm what else. oh! i found a great little yoga studio within 15 minutes of the house! it's not suvita and i don't consistenly LOVE every single class but it's challenging and calming and strenuous so that's all i can really hope for i guess. i just wish it was a little more intense.
that's all i can think of for now. it's been a pretty good first month and i think things will only go up from here!
that's all i can think of for now! stay tuned i might actually be consistent again!