Where have I been this past year?

I started this blog back in January of last year, as attempt to give myself a place to journal and share family life. Since then, so much has happened and I just didn't keep up. Hrm, shall I tally the excuses?

Let's see, first there was the influx of Norovirus in mid-February, followed by everyone in the family getting sick every two weeks with a new bug for the next three months. Several minor visits to the emergency room. DH and I could barely balance our jobs and sick time, much less find time for blogs. Oh, and we also moved at the same time - we moved in to our new home at the end of March, and didn't finish the process until mid-May when our lease ended. Some point in there the girls learned to walk, turned one year, learned to climb stairs and much more.

By that point, the balance of two jobs and two kids was getting to be too much for me - so I told DH to set the date that he would give notice, or I would give notice. By the end of May, we were a reverse-traditional family, officially: A family with a SAHD (stay at home dad). The next few months were culture-shock for Dh and I. Life was easier overall, but there was a new source of friction in the family as responsibilities shifted. Keep in mind that only 6 months before DH quit, I had been staying at home while he supported the family.

Then we started into autumn, and I was nearing the end of my contract at work. My job would end November 30th, and I needed to find another job before then. I found it - a full time position at Microsoft testing Internet Explorer 8. The job search was time-consuming, and then I spent the holidays trying to balance ramping up in a new job that I love against family obligations.

And that's where I've been this past year.

Edited to add: Forgot to mention going car-free. Our car broke down back in April, and we borrowed cars for a couple months before finally realizing that we didn't need a car at all. We quit using cars (except Flexcar) back in August, and finally got around to donating our car in December.