Something about getting through the holidays and starting a new year gets me itching for some new projects. 2025 kicked off with updated desks for the upstairs. Pro tip: get a small sized child (Andrew) who loves to build things and can fit inside most of the IKEA flat pack furniture. He’s my right hand man!
Next came a more serious discussion of built in cabinets. Of course discussing leads to designing, which leads to bids, and by spring break we had built in cabinets in our living room! This project was so much more satisfying than last year’s basement bathroom remodel. Don’t get me wrong, the basement bathroom has been a lifesaver with tween boys needing to shower, but the built in cabinets are so much prettier to look at and decorate! This project wraps up 13 years of projects identified when we bought our house in 2012. Sort of the end of an era if you will. Although I will always have projects in my back pocket, this is the last BIG one that was identified within the first year or so of owning our home. I wish I’d kept track of the gallons of paint I’ve personally applied and am definitely happy I did not keep track of the thousands of dollars we’ve spent. We sure love this house however! (My sketch, the cabinet maker’s sketch, our living room before and after).
After a long break from travel, we decided to load the boys up and head to Las Vegas for a few days during Spring Break. The boys are old enough to enjoy some shows so we treated them to Blue Man Group and “O” by Cirque du Soleil. We splurged for a suite in one of the MGM Signature buildings and explored the stores on the Vegas Strip. It was the first week of April, but Las Vegas was having its first hot spring weather (in the low 90’s) so lounging by the pool was rather enjoyable and it felt MUCH warmer after Utah winter. In perfect Las Vegas fashion, our first morning stepping out of the hotel, the boys were treated to a naked man on the lawn being detained by police. As we walked we could see the trail of clothing the man had presumably taken off while running from the police. I looked at the boys and just told them “stay in school and don’t do drugs”. They were mildly traumatized, but thankfully that was the only nudity we experienced during our stay.
After the built in cabinet project and trip to Las Vegas April continued to be bonkers! After totally skipping any birthday celebrations in 2024, I managed to pull together a group birthday party for the boys this year at Get Air. Last time we had a party there the boys got trampoline park themed birthday cakes. This year I put together a birthday cake designed to match each of our 3 cats. The guests enjoyed them and I think the boys did too. Thanks to everyone who came out. I am so happy that our kids have such great friends!
In BIG news, April 22nd was my last day of work for the foreseeable future. After a year and a half working at the family practice clinic, I decided it was time to part ways and intentionally spend the summer job-free with the boys. I still love the practitioners there, but there are certain things you need from work as a 40 year old that you didn’t need in your 20s, and I’d been unhappy for quite some time. Not working is a HUGE shift for me. I think I’ve been working (or had the next thing lined up) since I had my first jobs in my teens. My first day of unemployment I planted my dahlias and the first weekend of unemployment was the boys’ birthday party, so it’s not like life immediately slowed down all that much. The next week was filled with teacher appreciation door decorating for PTA. Those of you who know me might know I’m not real good at sitting still/not having a project to work on, so we’ll see what I get myself into in these next few months.
In other news, this spring marked one year since I started a bit of a health journey. Backstory: I moved to Utah 20 years ago in 2005 as fit as I’d ever been, then had my first depressive episode in 2007 and was the “skinniest I’d ever been”. Got married in 2009 during what I refer to as my “fat and happy” stage. My 30’s brought 3 babies each 2 years apart and that was a rollercoaster of hormones and weight (gain 
and loss). In 2017-18 I got fit again and underwent a breast reduction in late 2019—still such a great decision. Then the pandemic and perimenopause came knocking and by 2023 I was probably the least healthy I’ve been in my life. Why am I sharing all this? Because life really does go in seasons sometimes, so anyone that sees me right now and thinks I look fit and happy, doesn’t know that last spring I was having massive anxiety attacks and heaviest I’d ever been. So what changed? Lots of little things, and a few big things. The anxiety attacks got me out and walking (sometimes at 5am because I didn’t know what else to do), and back into therapy. My job at the family medicine clinic gave me insight into some tools that could help me out–the big ones being a GLP-1 and HRT for perimenopause. Summer of 2024 I started showing William some workout things and got back into working out a little more seriously myself. For me this was initially a lot of walking, a little lifting, and some yoga, then transitioned to add indoor rowing in place of walking during the colder months. This summer I transitioned to reformer Pilates and 3 days a week at the gym with William. If anyone wants to know more about the details I’d be happy to chat, but no matter what you’re doing, do it for YOU and just know that future you (a year from now) is thanking you for what you’re doing TODAY.
