New Town, New Season, Who Am I Now?

I'm back! Finally returning to the blog, figuring out fresh routines to include writing time, and honestly, I've been wrestling with myself to figure out what life looks like now.

My last blog post went something like this: "I'm too busy, so I'm taking a break from writing," and believe me, I don't like taking a break from writing! But June-July-August involved nannying full-time for 4 children plus taking care of my own baby. I hired an assistant for the month of July - a young woman who stayed in our home and accompanied me to my nanny job to help me out. August involved transitioning out of my 6 years of nannying, and training my replacement. (My last blog post can be found by clicking here.)

Then my husband, infant daughter, and I moved an hour up the road to another state. Starting fresh in a new home and a new state means many changes in documents (drivers' licenses, car registration, insurance, to name a few). Moving is stressful, and moving with a 4 month-old (who wanted me to hold her or nurse her frequently) was quite tiring. I kept telling people that I planned to spend the first month in our new home lying on my couch. Unfortunately my favorite blue couch where I spent countless hours resting after a long day of nannying, the couch that was my cozy place when I was too pregnant to move, the very sofa where I spent days cuddling my newborn and learning to nurse - my favorite piece of furniture could not be squeezed through the entryway to our new living room. (We're selling it if anyone wants a comfy couch! It was so good to me - and my living room décor revolved around that blue sofa. Like the time I bought this cool print and hung it on the wall to discover it was a world map!)

So now I savor the times when my daughter will nap without my snuggles, and I sit on my new-to-me couch, determined to write. That's a key step to being a prolific writer - sitting down and writing, regardless of the situation. I've struggled to find the emotional or physical energy to write.

But here I am. I find myself here again, the new girl in town. Six years ago we made a major move, and a friend told me that moving can be good because you can reinvent yourself each time. I'm not setting out to "reinvent" myself, but there is truth in her words.

When I moved from my college town in Tennessee to North Carolina, I was a new single girl at the large church I attended. (I also had an e-harmony membership at the time, and the months following that move led to more dates than my usual dateless self had experienced. It all worked out, because I met my husband at our church, and was married within 18 months of being the new girl in town. We're celebrating our 10th anniversary this week!)

After 5 years in North Carolina, my husband and I moved to Virginia. There I was no longer stuck in a cubicle, and I enjoyed the adventures of being a full-time nanny! There I also experienced more years of infertility, but thankfully infertility kickstarted my writing career with my book Embracing Hope During Infertility. My life spun around last year with my miracle pregnancy, and now that we've moved to our new town I realize that... I'm a mom.

Photo Credit Jessica Burdge Photography

I'm a mom - that's my identity now. I know that my identity is ultimately found in knowing that I am a child of God, loved by God. That's the foundation that has taken me through all of life's seasons. Yet people here will know me as a wife and mom. (Jessica Burdge Photography even featured me in a motherhood story on her blog! Wow! Here's the link: http://jessicaburdgephotography.com/2018/09/betsy-story-of-motherhood/) Currently, I'm "living the dream" as a stay-at-home-mom.

By living the dream, I mean that I wake up and try to figure out what to do all day with a baby who doesn't want to be bored, a house that needs to be unpacked, and a postpartum body that needs some exercise... when really I'm feeling oh-so-tired and thinking about napping on my blue couch that's stuck in the garage. And don't try to sell me supplements because I said I was tired, thanks.

So here I am, in a new town, in a new season called motherhood, with all of my routines, my living space, and my type-A plans feeling all jumbled. Here I am, adoring this baby God gave us, focusing on life as a family of three. Here I am, trying to figure out how to be a mom and a writer. Here I am, wondering how to contribute to our family's finances in ways other than book sales. (And no, I don't want to sell your supplements either.)

Thanks for sticking with me through this dry spell on the blog, and I invite you to continue following along!

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Hi, I’m Betsy, married to Mike since 2008, delighted that our long-awaited baby girl has joined us in 2018. We live in the Washington, D.C. area. We enjoy exploring new cities together on foot and doing life as a team. My first book, Embracing Hope During Infertility is intended to infuse hope into your heart! Seasons: A Picture Book, although written for children, can point readers of all ages toward the goodness of God, even in the darkest times. This year I published Write Your Story for new authors or people who dream of writing a book. I hope that it helps you finish writing publishing your own book as well. Thanks so much for reading this post!