Early January, 2023. I’ll just say it — this week has been a total nightmare. All 3 of the humans in this house have been sick. We’ve muddled through congested days, sleepless nights, and the anxiety of dealing with a super sick toddler. We thought we all had Covid (thankfully we didn’t), so we quarantined…
journal
Life Lately: Summer 2020 to Now
SO MUCH has happened. Let’s just start with that. Writing has felt like such a daunting task; there was just too much to say. I have always lived my life in absolutes — good or bad, love or hate, all or nothing. I didn’t feel like I could say it all, so I just didn’t…
Running for Mental Health: A short experiment.
Things have been rough for the Stosicks lately as they have been for many people. A few weeks ago we found out that Brett would not be returning home from deployment on schedule and around the same time I lost all three of my sources of income. We’re very aware that, thanks to COVID-19 and…
Not Everything Happens for a Reason.
Recently I learned that an old friend of mine had given birth to a healthy baby girl. She and her husband have been trying to conceive a child for many years, but were never able to. They were in the process of adopting when they learned they were pregnant with their daughter. I messaged her,…
Sunday Intention: Steadfast.
I spent months getting ready. Journaling and planning and worrying and making sad playlists. We were ready for “D-Day” — our first deployment. At least as ready as a family can be for an event like this. Along with the usual deployment anxiety and general sadness, the guilt also rolled over me in waves during…
Tips and Secrets for a Healthy Military Marriage
For months, I have been reading in Facebook groups, blogs, and other articles online about the failure rate for military marriages, the unique difficulties military families endure, and the heavy sadness of spouses who just don’t think their relationships will survive. I find it overwhelmingly upsetting to constantly be surrounded by stories like this. So,…
Life Lately: March to July 2019
It has been a very long THREE MONTHS (wait, almost four?!) since my last post. I never intended to be away from my blog for that long. To my (few) dedicated readers, I’m sorry for the long hiatus, but let me explain why I’ve been away. At the very end of February, we moved to…
Sunday Intention: Exhale.
Throughout the month of February, I worked through the family trauma of a major work disappointment for my husband and the excitement/fear of a sudden impending permanent change of station (PCS). I attempted to maintain some sense of normalcy in my life, even though everything felt like a total mess and my routines were thrown…
The Guilt of Leading a Happy Life
The thoughts currently running through my head: I should be doing so many other things right now… running or trying to finish my book or practicing yoga or going to fitness classes. I should be looking for a full-time job and contributing more to our household income! I should be busy and moving and cleaning…
9 Tips for Prepping your Creative Space
For me, some days are easier than others when it comes to writing, and if you’re reading this, I’m sure you can relate. I have specific goals I want to meet for myself in terms of what I create. However, the constant ebb and flow of ideas, motivation, and creativity can really get in the…