You guys! This is it – the final Friday of January! I’ve seen every meme floating around this month talking about how eternal January is, and they’re not wrong. January is a long month. Part if it is because we’re unwinding from the holidays. Part of it is because we’re so busy grasping at the joys of a new year that we don’t realize we have to find our footing here and now, too. Nevertheless, here we are, and it’s time for another round of wins for the week. This is a big one because, as we close this month, it brings us one step closer to our big move this summer. Here we go…
Wins for the Week – End of January
1 // My parents’ first vaccines are scheduled
Regardless of how you feel about vaccinations, this one has been such an elephant in the room for so many. I’m so incredibly grateful that my parents are getting so close to having their first round of the vaccine. Whether it’s 100% or not, this feels like the first step to some semblance of easy and normalcy, and that just lifts my spirits. I look forward to the day they can travel again safely and maybe even visit us in Korea!
2 // We bought the kids chopsticks
I know this sounds frivolous, and maybe it is, but we’re determined to teach our kids a little about Asian culture before we go. We bought these learning chopsticks from Amazon, and I couldn’t be more impressed with their quality, as well as our kids’ penchant for using them! The boys took right to it and ate dinner with them right away.
3 // I’m wrapping up my last week of full-time employment
It’s bittersweet. When I first lost my job of eight years back in April of last year, I thought of only one thing; finding another job to replace that source of income…and I did. I found an incredible new challenge, but with the changes coming in our lives, priorities shifting, and needed to prep for a huge move, there was no space for full-time employment anymore. Instead, I’ll be diving back into freelance and continuing with my photography.
4 // We scheduled our third hike of the year
As I shared in our 2020 wrap-up post, we didn’t plan to slow down our hiking or love of the great outdoors anytime soon, and we’re excited to continue hiking (regardless of the weather!). We kicked off the New Year at Barclay Lake Trail, and we reached new heights at Heybrook Lookout Trail a couple weeks ago. This weekend, we’re embarking on another wet climb, and we’re excited!
5 // We renewed our ChildCare Aware for the final time
This may seem super obscure for those who don’t know about it, but ChildCare Aware (CCA) is a government subsidized childcare program for military families who seek childcare off post when on-post care is full. Complex, right? Well, when we moved here, there was no childcare available, and we chose a great place off post, but the price is astronomical compared to on-post care. So, CCA allows you to submit documents showing proof of income, provider eligibility, and more, and then gives you a period of enrollment in which they lower the cost off post to that of on-post. Only caveat is you have to renew frequently. But this is the last time!
I feel like some of my wins for the week in January may seem trivial, but they feel momentous. We’re making big moves (literally) soon, and everything is sort of pushing us in that direction now. We’re cramming as much good into all this chaos though, and we’re soaking up time with great friends nearby while we can.
Tell me – what are some of your wins for the week?
