Doing The Next Right Thing

We happened to win some Celebration Cinema gift cards at a family party, and decided to go see Frozen 2! The title of this article is a refrain from the movie, which was surprisingly good. We were very encouraged by this theme of doing the next right thing, even when you don’t know where you’re going.

Our Home

We’ve enjoyed settling into our home more and more this past month. It feels like we’ve been here forever and a week at the same time! Things are finding more permanent homes and we’re happily settling into a regular routine.

Our Pet Family

Sadly, our pet family no longer includes a dog. Lovely Lyra, while very dear to us, had to go back to the shelter to find a more suitable home situation. One where she doesn’t have regular interaction with cats, and where she has more opportunity to run and be crazy (and not destroy important belongings, like bills and couches…).

We dropped her off last week, and it was one of the hardest choices we’ve had to make together. Honestly though, once we came back to our dog-less home, we breathed a sigh of relief. We’ve both grown up with really chill dog breeds, and Lyra was just not a good match. We look forward to hearing of her new forever home from the shelter who was very supportive. We had to do the next right thing for us and for Lyra, Cheddar and Agnes.

Will we try again? Probably. We’re truly dog people, but we have cats to consider as well. Someday in the future we’ll run into a dog that’s a good fit, but we won’t actively search again until we’ve sorted more out with our health.

A Hannah Update

Hannah’s writing this post, and I wanted to share with you all some news I’ve received from my doctor, and something that’s been going on in the background for some time now.

I’ve been diagnosed with a hormonal disorder called Insulin Resistant PCOS. I really started to suspect it while Andrew was just wrapping up with chemo, and my doctor agreed that was most likely what was happening. With this, I’m working to make lots of big life changes in my diet, in the products I use, and in my activity level to help my body grow healthier in a natural way. My long-term goal is to manage the symptoms of PCOS without taking medicines. This is going to take a lot of small battles and choosing the next right thing, even when I can’t know for sure it will work in the end.

I’ve gotten a lot of feedback from people who read our blogs saying that the transparency is appreciated, which is why I’m sharing this next part. Between Andrew’s orchiectomy and his chemo (we decided against sperm banking), and my PCOS, it’s unlikely we’ll be able to have a successful pregnancy. While this wasn’t something we were planning on anytime soon, it is saddening to have the door closed. When the time comes, we’ll do more research and decide what our best options are.

A Note: please don’t fret about us. This is something we’d always wondered about and it’s not a huge surprise or shock or disappointment at this point, so please don’t try to convince us it is. The day I received my official diagnosis, I had a dentist appointment and the hygienist spent the whole time sharing about this blogger she admires who has had NINE failed pregnancies. Nine! Can you imagine? And while I feel for her, that’s not my story. Let us figure this out in our own time, and PLEASE don’t ask when we’re going to fill our three bedroom home with little ones.

And Now: A Cancer Update

Ha. Sorry, we don’t actually have more information to share with you. Andrew has been increasingly active. He’s back to his full-time work, and about to officially launch Visten Creative, more coming soon there! He hasn’t had too many side effects other than needing to keep an inhaler on hand for when he gets too rowdy with his nieces and nephews.

We’ve had a wonderful Christmas, and we’re hoping to receive sound advice tomorrow on our best steps in identifying the spot in his lung. We’re expecting it will be a slow process, but we’re thinking he’ll most likely undergo a biopsy or surgery as those seem to be the two options that have been shared with us. Prayers appreciated that we may choose the next right thing!

Thankful

We’re so thankful for the community that has surrounded us, both in person and from far away. Thank you for all you’ve done. We wish you the merriest of Christmases and the happiest of new years!