New House, New Job, New Adventures!

Gosh – it’s been a while since I’ve written an update post, but you’re about to find out why! There’s been a lot going on, and the title of this post explains it. Let’s dive in because I know you all are dying to know what’s going on with us! I’ve been remaining consistent on Facebook as usual, but here are the details…

We Moved!

I let everyone know we were moving about a month ago, but I was fairly vague on the situation. Here are more specifics…

Matt and I bought a beautiful home in the summer of 2016. It was my dream home. Big, a resort-style backyard and in a great location. I wanted lots of house and yard for my animals, despite truly thinking about the maintenance. Well, fast forward to a year and a half later and that house was simply a cause of stress. Yes, I loved the house. It WAS gorgeous, but man, it was waaaaay more than two people need. Originally I thought it was a good idea to get a huge house because “I have six animals! We need space!” But when I realized that my animals literally hang out in whatever room I’m in, it became apparent that we really didn’t need the space. That formal dining and living room were never used. All they did was collect dust and give me anxiety when I walked passed the unused space. I couldn’t keep up with all of the cleaning.

The yard? To. Die. For. I mean, you saw the photos. But the pool was a pain because the equipment was outdated and it was expensive to maintain. We had to spend money on landscaping month after month because Matt didn’t have time to work on it and I can’t do much physical work with my impending hip surgery. At first the yard was amazing to look at, but toward the end I couldn’t bare to look at it, thinking about all the money and time being drained into it.

So it was time to move.

It was time to downsize, eliminate the stress and stop wasting money. And that’s what we did.

We bought a beautiful new house. It’s 600 sqft smaller (our current house is 2,000sqft.), so we only really got rid of the formal dining and living room. Our new house is set up much better, so the space is more usable and it doesn’t feel as big. I have a super cute new home office, which I absolutely love. It gives me access to both sides of the house so when I’m in a lot of pain, I don’t have to go far. Our backyard is much smaller, but we still have a pool. The pool is also smaller so it will be less to take care of. The backyard needs work but once we put a little bit of money into it, it’ll be wonderful. The nice part is, we have extra money to do those sorts of things since we’re not throwing it at house maintenance.

Overall, the change is SUPER positive. We sold our other house after only two weeks. I already feel less stressed out, which means I know we made the right decision. At first I was sad to leave the other house, but now I’m realizing how much anxiety it was truly causing me. We’re still getting unpacked, but luckily there’s no rush!

And I got a new job…..

Surprised? Yeah, me too LOL! I wasn’t looking for a job, as being a full time pet blogger brought me satisfaction. However, I had been keeping my eye out for something stable for quite a long time. When I woke up to an email one day about an opportunity to still work from home in the pet industry doing public relations and social media management, I was like…sign. me. up. The idea of working for a stable company and getting a consistent paycheck was attractive. Although working for yourself has perks, there are still some unknowns. So I applied for the position immediately with my resume and writing portfolio. Three interviews later, I got the job!

I’m now the account executive for FWV Fetching. I’m basically managing social media for several pet/veterinary clients! It’s amazing because obviously I have the pet and social media experience, so the biggest learning curve will be the agency part of it. I cannot wait to bring my blogger expertise to the table, as I feel like I’ll be a valuable asset to the company. I’m looking so forward to being helpful to pet brands with my knowledge of pets and social media strategy.

I’ve been at my new job for a week and although it’s a lot to get used to (I’ve been working on my own for years now), I enjoy the routine and schedule. My team is brilliant and I love being able to interact with people who share my passion. Wynston still stays next to me when I work, so he doesn’t know the difference 😉 I’m extremely grateful and blessed to be in this new position. I look forward to doing my best to be an important part of the Fetching team!

Wynston’s Surgery

Some of you have been asking me about Wynston’s lipoma surgery. It was supposed to happen this past week but due to getting my new job, I postponed it. His new surgery date is March 12. Don’t worry – I will absolutely keep you all updated as we get closer and on surgery day!

My Best Friend’s Dad

Many of you are familiar with my best friend, Andria. She walked Wynston down the aisle at my wedding and she was my matron of honor. Well this morning, February 18, her dad passed away. He had been having heart problems for a while and this morning he earned his wings. Larry was way to young to leave this Earth. Andria and I have been friends for almost 20 years, so this is a big loss for me. Please pray for Andria and her family as they grieve.

Man, it’s already been a year! Some positivity, some stress and sadness. The most important part through all of it is love, family and friends. *takes a deep breath* Thanks for hanging in there with us! We love you all!