Digging Out

While the majority of the country is being pounded with one of the biggest storms of the year here in South Dakota the snow has stopped falling. We even saw a bit of sunshine.

It looked great this morning. If you didn't look at the thermometer. Or the snow drifts.


We are fortunate that our rental provided snow removal. It sometimes takes them a bit to get through all the homes.

Which is just fine with the boys. They LOVE to scoop snow.
They even did a pretty good job. For 5 year olds! Someday I'm sure I'll have to bribe them with something more than hot chocolate.

I have to say Thank You to the many e-mails, texts and phone calls I've gotten in the last few days. They really mean so much to me! I know I've been awful about keeping up the blog in the last few months.

This is a difficult thing to admit: I have a hard time writing when I'm not happy. Those close to me know that 2010 was really a roller coaster year for me. I struggled in so many ways.

When the kids were about 18 months old I started developing anxiety. I'd have awful paralyzing panic attacks. I was blessed to never have suffered from post partum depression and I was so confused when I started to struggle with anxiety.

As my doctor told me, "Sometimes you run on Autopilot and you just can't do that forever." I was able to greatly improve things in my life then with lots of prayer, exercise, medication and support from family and friends.

I spent the first half of 2010 not really believing that we were moving to South Dakota. Not believing that we were leaving our home, ending our business and changing so many of the things we had dreamed and planned for.

I spent the second half of 2010 in disbelief that we were actually here in South Dakota.

It's been a huge adjustment for me. And for the last year I was on autopilot in so many ways. Living half the time in a fog. Like a helium balloon the day after a party. Only able to stay afloat part of the time.

And I didn't write. I just didn't have the energy for it.

But life isn't about me. This move was not about me.

In January I made a consious decision that I need to make the most of life wherever I am.

Today that means South Dakota with a temperature of Zero and wind chills of -40. Next week it means Texas and hopefully some sunshine.

So I've been trying to write more, exercise more, laugh more, play more, pray more and believe more. I know we are all where we are for a reason. Even if I don't always know what that reason is each day.

I have so much to be grateful for in my life. I have the best reasons in the world to keep digging myself out of the deepest darkest parts of life. Even on awfully cold days in February in South Dakota.

It's so comforting to know that I don't have to do it alone. A huge thank you to all of you who have helped me shovel. And to God and my husband for coming in with a snowblower.