Hey friends! Today I’m opening up my heart to share a little more about our move, an important decision about fertility treatments and how a pair of figure skates is turning that decision into a blessing.
Our recent move to Florida was very unexpected and happened rather quickly; we had around three weeks to find housing and relocate to Orlando. And if I’m being honest here, I didn’t even think that Orlando was on the radar for us. I knew we would eventually have to say goodbye to our friends, my doctors, and we’d have to start fresh in our new permanent community but I never thought it would be so tough.
Peter started working at his hospital within 72 hours of our move, so we didn’t (and still don’t) have a whole lot of time to spend together. And while I love to take Walter to Disney World multiple times per week, I realized after a few weeks that I was getting lonely. I had no friends here. I felt like I didn’t have a purpose because I don’t have the photography clients that I used to have in Oxford. The fertility clinic here in Orlando that was recommended to us was going to charge us $600 per visit (every two weeks) before fertility medications and treatment costs, and it wasn’t going to be covered by our insurance. It wasn’t a decision that Peter and I even weighed the options on; this financial commitment is something that we can’t, well, commit to right now. Things started going downhill fast, and I just felt so lost.
And just when I thought I had hit rock bottom, everything began to fall into place last week. We found a wonderful (did I say wonderful?!) school for Walter, and I had called last week at just the right time- a family is moving and a spot opened in a classroom the morning I called the school. It couldn’t be more perfect! And to make it even better, one of the teachers at the school used to live in Oxford; we must’ve talked about Ajax Diner and Bottletree Bakery for twenty minutes! This school is turning out to be just as good of a fit for Walter as it will be for me, too.
Peter and I joined an incredible gym right around the corner from our home the other week and when we signed up, the enrollment agent mentioned that the facility has ice hockey and figure skating rinks available. Ever since I was a little girl, I wanted to figure skate but team sports kept me busy in school and I never had the time to pursue it. Peter knew this was something that I always wanted to do, so he surprised me by including ice skating in our membership package. He encouraged me to find a figure skating coach to work with, and as of yesterday, I have one. Lessons start tomorrow afternoon, and I couldn’t be more excited! I purchased my Riedell ice skates the other day, and they are everything that I could’ve wanted as a little girl. I never knew a pair of ice skates could make me so happy.
Everything is falling into place. If we were continue with treatments, I wouldn’t be able to pursue skating. And while we would love another baby, it isn’t our time yet. It’s a new season for us and I feel like this was His way of telling me that ending treatments doesn’t mean that my life stops. Yes, it’s sad that we aren’t continuing on, but I have something that I am really looking forward to focusing on and I know this will be good for me emotionally. I know this will make me a happier wife, a happier mother, and in turn, I think this will help Peter and I both to have a happier and even stronger marriage than before. These pretty skates already have so much invested in them, and they haven’t even hit the ice yet.
Tomorrow is the start of a new season with a beautiful new pair of ice skates, and I couldn’t be more excited. Wish me luck!
