I have loved getting settled here and it has been hard at times as well. Yes, it would be much easier to be closer to family, to have someone to call at any moment to come over and help. It would help to have someone to call or visit when Sean is working every hour possible during a given week. It would help to have a few more weekends off together, not me working every weekend he's not working during certain months. And yes, it would be great to see everyone more, much more. I loved watching my nieces and nephews grow up and miss that people won't see that with my kids on a regular basis.
But then I look around and remember a day like we had on Tuesday. It was a perfect day. We got a foot of snow so we started shoveling bright and early. Liam had to move the snow to find that patio and exclaimed with great excitement to me when he found it. We then came in for a wonderful pancake breakfast and some play time before lunch.
After lunch it was time to play in the snow some more. Everyone got bundled up and after a few tears, we geared up and went outside. Liam was excited to snowshoe this year like a big boy. He said that a few times and it was so sweet. Then we walked through our yard for Sean to find a good place to snowboard down the front yard. He made a track for Liam to snowboard and sled. Cora just snuggled up with me as we walked through our winter wonderland backyard. Liam laughed and giggled, ate snow, giggled some more and had so much fun. I loved watching him have so much fun, he really just enjoying being outside, more than I even knew possible. I mean, I love being outside and being in the snow, Maybe it has to do with us being December babies, but whatever it is, we love the snow. There is nothing better than a snowy, sunny day, a day to play in the snow, frolic, laugh and fall down and enjoy the day. Then we hit our end point, the point where it was just too much for him, nap time and he was beyond done. We had a great day, a perfect day, according to him. There was nothing we did that was about us, he was in charge, he was the guy showing us what to do and he was having fun. And he napped - hard, it was great! We had a nice afternoon with friends, had chili and a fire, a perfect snow day. 
And I was reminded why we moved, why we did what we did, jumped across the country. Yes, we could have had nice days where we were, but honestly, there is something in the air here and makes me smile. Looking out the front window and seeing a magnificent winter wonderful is heavenly to me, I almost feel like I don't deserve to have the view I have. I feel like all the hard work we are doing is worth it, the extra hours, the time where we are alone, it's all worth it.We made one of the hardest decisions of our lives to this point 2 years ago to pick up our life, our work, our family. We have struggled at times, I've cried plenty about being on my own with Sean working too much, especially at first. But each day we spend here, we get stronger. Each night I am alone with both kids, fighting dinner, bedtimes and everything in between, we all hug tighter those nights. I spend an extra few minutes kissing Liam at night, maybe harder than usual without a worry to wake him so I can tell him how much I love him. And I smile and now we made the right choice - the hard choice, but the right one. He belongs here, we belong here and 2 years have provided us with so much - so many chances to live our dreams, to explore the new land we are in. We get to call the mountains home and that makes me smile inside and out - and that smile a little bigger for my kids, who just love being here, being outside and living this life.
