Let's GO!!

 

I'm Back!!!

I have missed writing.

I have missed sharing our funny stories, our travels, our family life, and what it is like raising kids while living abroad.

After having kids, I threw myself into loving and nurturing them, and somewhere along the way, I slowly started finding myself again too.

The boys are older now, and as they grow, we want to be more intentional about their privacy. From now on, we’ll call them O and A, and we won’t be posting full-face pictures of them.

Don’t worry, though.

They are still hilarious.

And they are still my whole world.

But I am also back to working full-time, back to living my dream, and slowly finding pieces of myself again.

I’m not quite back to my thinner body yet, but I’m working on it because, as someone very wise once said:

“Your life is only going to be as big as your excuses let it be.”

Okay, fine.

I said that.

In an old blog post.

When I finally reached one of my weight-loss goals.

Apparently, past me had some good advice.

So, let’s hit some highlights.

Nick

Nick still has ADHD.

HAHA.

Some things never change.

He is also an amazing teacher.

This year, he is teaching ESL and two IB MYP classes, so he is SUPER busy.

He is also the official chauffeur of our household and takes the boys to all of their extracurricular activities: drums, piano, gymnastics, and whatever else we somehow manage to squeeze into our lives.

Me

Well...

The last few years have been hard on me.

I was diagnosed with papillary thyroid cancer. For now, I have chosen to monitor it rather than pursue treatment because it has remained very low-risk and stable.

I also desperately wanted baby #3.

That didn’t happen.

And I am slowly coming to terms with that.

I guess after TWO miracles, maybe I shouldn’t push my luck too much.

Acceptance has become a very important word for me.

I also learned something significant about myself: I identify as a compulsive eater and sugar addict, and I finally found a program that works for me.

And professionally?

I LOVE my job.

I am currently working as an English Curriculum Specialist, and it feels like I am finally doing the kind of work I have dreamed about doing for years.

O

O loves Kirby, Minecraft, Luigi, crabs, and the colors red and orange.

He is wicked smart and has some genuinely good jokes.

Cucumbers are his favorite food.

He loves bugs and pretty much all of God’s creatures.

He loves to run and ride his bike, and he is completely convinced that certain shoes make him faster.

It is adorable.

A

A is adorable, sweet, and growing so fast.

He is definitely a lover, not a fighter.

He loves chocolate.

He is a little more hesitant when it comes to all of God’s creatures, but put that kid near water and he has ZERO fear.

The boy is a fish.

He also loves riding his bike, and people are always shocked when they see such a little dude riding without training wheels.

Honestly?

We were shocked too.

And Us?

Our family is still living in Hanoi, Vietnam, and we have just started our fifth school year here.

FIFTH.

Sometimes I can’t believe we have been here that long.

Life looks very different from when I first started this blog.

We have grown.

We have changed.

We have gone through some really hard things and some really beautiful things.

And we have had A LOT of adventures.

So I think it’s time to start writing again.

I want to share more about our travels, living abroad with kids, family life, funny stories, the hard stuff, the good stuff, food,
and whatever else happens along the way.

And trust me...

We have stories.

I’m back.