This week’s prompt:
change is hard, change is good

I couldn’t decide on just one photo this week for the prompt from Simple Scrapper. If I hadn’t used a photo for childbirth for {the silver lining}, I probably would have gone with that for this theme… but since I did, I decided to showcase a {few} BIG Changes… that were {hard} and {good}!

1. Marriage…
change is hard, change is good
As any of you that are married know… it is a wonderful change… but it is nothing if not {HARD} and {GOOD}. This photo was taken on our wedding day {6.24.00} on the porch at my aunt and uncles house. We were married in the front yard and had the reception in the back yard. It couldn’t have been {MORE} perfect! We’re working on year 11 of marriage, which seems amazing. The time has gone by fast, but not without its own challenges. Thankfully, there is always enough {good} to out weigh the {hard}!

2. Becoming a Momma…
change is hard, change is good

This little {Punker-Do} has been an amazing addition to our lives! It’s hard to remember what life was like before her arrival. Becoming a parent was definitely {hard} but it was most definitely {good}. Each day we are faced with new challenges and new rewards. I’m sure for quite a while, our journey will continue to be filled with changes: {hard} and {good}. Especially as those teenage years approach.

3. Buying a house/moving…
change is hard, change is good
Before our trek out east, we moved often… As leases in apartments came up, we moved. Sometimes somewhere cheaper, sometimes to a bigger place, sometimes to a different location. Leaving San Diego for San Francisco was a big move though… one that was {hard and good}. We moved from SD to SF the {day} after we got home from our honeymoon! We literally drove to our wedding with a car full of {stuff}. After our plane landed from our honeymoon we drove back to my aunt & uncles to pick up everything we left there, then headed to our new place in {the city}. [Yes, I said {the city}... this Cali girl seemingly can't let that go! ] We got married. We moved. We both started new jobs. Definitely a time where “change is hard, change is good.”
Our next big move came when we left San Francisco for New York City. Talk about a {big} move. Initially we didn’t want to go… we tried to find jobs so that we could stay in San Francisco. It was, however, a time where you couldn’t be choosey… and you went where the job took you! Living in NYC was a HUGE {change}. It was definitely fun… for the year!
SO glad that we ultimately left after a year and moved to Hoboken. Although… the move was largely inspired by #2 on this list, we wanted more space for our little one, it turned out to be yet another wonderful {change}. As of now… that was the {longest} place hubby and I have ever lived together. We were there for four years before moving here. That was in September of 2008… I’m sure we’ll quickly pass that four-year mark here. I can’t believe we’ve already been here this long. Boy, time certainly flies! It was tough leaving some of our friends, but we knew we’d still see them… we only moved an hour or so away. Not to mention that most of our “besties” were also leaving town for the suburbs. Most hit the suburbs… we hit the {beach}, obviously west coasters at heart!
Our move here was definitely a big change… it has been {hard} and it has been {good}… in so many ways! Moving to a large house brought on its own set of challenges. There is A LOT to take care of here! But the rewards are all worth it. We {love} our house… we {love} the location… we {love} being here. It definitely proves that change is hard, change is good.

For many reasons, I was unable to get this up yesterday… but I still wanted to participate! I’m loving this concept!

The idea is simple! Strip away the extras for a small moment to center yourself on what is most important in your process. Find the photo, tell the story, and be prepared for more authentic scrapbooking later in the week.

This week’s prompt:

my heart soars

Less than thrilled to be spending her Valentines Day at home because she was sick, my little pumpkin ultimately decided to make the best of it… She found the energy to make me this gorgeous {valentine}. Immediately, it made {my heart soar}! I adore the phonetic spelling and the meaning behind the message! We ARE all a family! And Punker-Do… {I LOVE YOU}, too!

What makes your {heart soar}??