Hello and Happy Monday!
Long time, no talk. I’m sorry I have been a little absent from my blog lately. There has been a lot going on, which I will explain below. I have also been trying to figure out exactly what I want this space to be. So without further ado…
Welcome to my new blog! I mentioned HERE awhile ago that I was planning to change things up in this space and that time has finally come. You may notice that my blog doesn’t look a whole lot different, except for a few details like the header I added.
The main change you will see on my blog is in the content I will be posting. I have read ALL of the blog advice over the last year about what you should and should not be doing as a blogger. I tried to follow every piece of advice which ultimately led to me feeling overwhelmed and uninspired.
The reason I started this blog in the first place was as an outlet. I love to write and I wanted a space I could do that in and hopefully connect with other people. That is my goal in all of this. I want to share about my life’s journey and hopefully build some connections along the way.
So, who am I? My name is Amanda. You probably know that already. I was born and raised in Texas, then I moved to Southern California after college. I married the love of my life, Chris, in May 2016, which was one month after we moved across the country from California to Texas. Talk about crazy timing! Since then we have bought a house and added another dog to our family. We are total dog lovers and we can’t imagine life without our two pups: Lyssa and Levi.
Four months after we got married, Chris was diagnosed with IgA Nephropathy which is an autoimmune disease that attacks the kidneys. The only chance of remission was Chemotherapy and sadly those treatments failed. Chris went into kidney failure a few months later and we had to move forward with the only remaining treatment option: a kidney transplant. That was a truly heart breaking time in our lives, but on September 22, 2017 Chris’ brother, Justin, gave him the gift of life and selflessly donated his kidney. It was a true miracle and a gift that we never take for granted! It’s been a year since their surgery and Chris and Justin are both doing very well. We are so thankful!
We had hoped for smooth sailing after all of that, but a short time later Chris and I learned that it was unlikely we would ever have biological children on our own and we needed IVF. I have not blogged on this topic yet, but I will soon. Chris and I have been going through our first IVF cycle and it has been another roller coaster ride to say the least. I’ve been writing throughout this process and I will share those posts when I am ready.
The last few years have not been easy, but I have tried not to lose myself in everything that has happened. I am still ME. I love to travel and explore new places. I love food, trying new recipes, and meal planning. I am a total numbers person and I am a little over-the-top about our budget and finances. I try my best to maintain a healthy lifestyle. I love my family and friends. And I absolutely love the life Chris and I have built together. I am my happiest when I am home with Chris, Lyssa, and Levi.
Those are the topics you can expect to see on my blog in the future. It may not be “niche” specific, but it is authentically me. And that’s what I want this space to be. A true representation of me, my life, and my journey.
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