Life Update! {Transitions, Loss and New Found Joy}
August 04, 2025
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I can't even remember the last time I shared a life update here on the blog!
It's been years!
It's been 17 years since I started Thrifty Decor Chick -- since our now
18-year old was just a toddler. I know so many of you have been reading for
quite some time, so every once in a while I think a little update is due!
I've kept most of my personal life off of this site over the years, mostly
because I just like to focus on the DIY and decor content. Also, I share so
much about our home (and myself at times), I like to keep my family private.
(And have never regretted it!)
But it has been a YEAR! It's about time I gave filled you in on what we've
been up to, and what's to come. 💗
This year has been a whirlwind, as our son finished up his high school
journey. I asked his permission before sharing these pics, but wanted to
share how much he's grown over the years:
This is a heads up for any of you with kids in high school...brace yourself
for senior year!
It was the busiest, most expensive, most wonderful and emotional and did I
mention busy and expensive?? year ever.
His extracurricular activities didn't help, but wow, I wish someone would
have warned me. After the meetings, college visits, concerts, performances,
school events, celebrations and parties (breath), it was quite the
year.
It was a beautiful time and we could not be more proud of him.
The week of his high school graduation, we also had his two day college
orientation out of town and graduation party at our house. It was a crazy
and I was seriously questioning our timing of things 😂, but we had a
blast.
When it was all done I felt like we could all start to relax for the for the
first time in forever.
Pet loss
Back in March we had to put our beloved dog Peanut to sleep. He suffered
from a collapsed trachea and it was excruciating to decide when we should
say goodbye to him.
We had someone come to our home to do it, and it was an absolutely beautiful
experience. Saying goodbye to him in that way was the best we could have
hoped for, and we were so thankful.
We had our Peanut for more than 14 years, and it was still not enough time.
Losing him was crushing grief we were not prepared for.
I expected to be sad, but the devastation hit us hard. My husband told me
then that he didn't want to even think about a new dog for at least a year,
and I was fine with that.
New Found Joy
Remember when I mentioned that the craziness of the past year was all done?
The graduation parties had ended, there were no more college visits or
school appointments...just FREEDOM.
We talked about how wonderful it was going to be to get to relax for a few
weeks. This was the first summer our son didn't have band for the first time
in six years! I was going to dive head first into this site and catch up on
posts and DIY projects! Maybe we could travel a bit before the college prep
started?
Well the calm lasted for less than 48 hours. 😂
I saw this face on an adoption site I follow, and sent it to my family with
"Should we meet him?":
My husband had already been talking about looking into a dog (which I knew
would happen sooner than he thought, but I was waiting until he was ready).
And I was realizing that when our son was away at college and my husband was
traveling for work...I wasn't going to have my Peanut with me.
It was hitting me hard.
I kept saying I didn't want a puppy...we had been there and done that. :) I
wanted to get a slightly older dog that would be a slightly easier
transition.
But then I saw this two-month old face and fell. in. love.
Thankfully my family was all in. We met him at the foster parent's house one
evening, and by the next day we had him in our home for a trial visit. By
that night we texted the foster parent to say we wanted him to stay.
:)
We name him Boomer and he is an absolute PRECIOUS BABY when he's not being a
psycho landshark:
We are 99 percent sure he is a Carolina Dog breed, which we had never heard
of before now. I'd like to do a doggy DNA test to check, but we think he's
full bred.
It sounds like a breeder dropped him and his brother at a shelter, and the
organization we adopted through found them there. I can't imagine how he
wasn't scooped up immediately, but I'm so glad he wasn't.
He was a squishy ten pounds when we got him:
And now (about eight weeks later), he's 26 pounds!:
And still growing!
He has brought so much life and happiness into our home again. We are so in
love with him. The cats could take or leave him most of the time, but
overall they're all adjusting well.
It was bittersweet bringing a new pup into our lives, but we are so thankful
for him. He was born exactly one week after our Peanut passed away, and we
feel like Peanut lives on in him in a lot of ways. So many little things
have happened that make us think of him.
Big transitions
We're about to be empty nesters. It feels so weird to say that! It seems
like we just brought him home from the hospital a few years ago.
And now we are less than two weeks away from dropping our son off to
college. I am going to keep this part short and sweet so I don't start
crying, but we are SO excited for him. He got into a prestigious school at a
local college that he worked SO hard for.
Thankfully he will still be in state and won't be far away. This puts my
heart at ease for sure!
It is such a bittersweet time, but that's what all of parenthood is, right?
It's letting go of them a little bit at a time, but rejoicing in it because
thank God they are growing and happy and you're so proud. I've always said
every stage of his life has been my favorite, but this one
for sure is.
UGH. This is going to be tough.
I am looking forward to diving back into blogging full speed again. I always
take it much slower in the summer (the heat drains all of my mojo), but this
summer especially I've let myself focus on family. (And cleaning up dog
pee.)
I appreciate you all so much and am so thankful to you -- whether this is
the first time you're reading or the hundredth.
My favorite season is approaching and I'm looking forward to working with my
tools again and updating you here more frequently.
Thanks for listening, your patience and letting me share some life
updates!
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Hi, Sarah! Thanks for sharing an update. I’m in a similar stage of life and just wanted to send you good vibes, peace, and joy! Best wishes to your son as he starts his journey to college and ENJOY your sweet pup. We have one that looks very similar!! His name is Indy and his DNA test revealed he is pitbull, American Fox Hound, and about 20 other breeds! lol
ReplyDeleteGood luck for this new phase of your life Sarah !
ReplyDeleteSuch a moving post about your past months...
I've been following you for years and love your creativity, design, it's all so inspiring !
Wishing your son a great time in college, and a warm welcome to Bloomer that we'll probably see in the corners of some diy posts !!!
Hugs from France !
Blessings to you and your family as you navigate these new beginnings! ❤️
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for sharing! I know you will enjoy this next chapter in your life😍.
ReplyDeleteLooking forward to the fall and holiday season, so I can enjoy all of your great ideas!
How wonderful!! Congratulations to your son and you both. It's so great to see our children grow up and accomplish their goals. Also, congrats on the new puppy. So hard to lose them and yet we do it all over again because there's nothing like being loved by a fur baby.
ReplyDeleteLooking forward to new DIYs.
Thanks for sharing a little of your family with us followers. It's always so nice to see to see family updates as I feel I "know" you through your blog. <3
Congrats to your son! Wishing him a happy and successful future. So sorry about Peanut. Many of us have been through that loss and it is devastating. When I lost my 13 year old Shih Tzu, Charlie, I swore I would never have another fur baby. Said I could not go through that loss again. 2 months later we got Louie, an 8 week old shih tzu. He is now 4 yo and is a joy. My daughter said, 'Mom, you just needed a little friend.' She was right. Our pets hold such a special place in our hearts. Glad you found Boomer!
ReplyDeleteWow, you and I could be twins!!! We became empty nesters in 2019 and I hated every minute of it. I was so sad that phase of my life was over. I have three children so it was gradual, but when the last one left it was hard. We also put down our little Dachshund/Beagle, Izzy, after 13 years and it just crushed me. I couldn’t get out of bed for a few days and I didn’t think I’d ever be the same. We went 6 months without even looking at adoption cites. Then we found Oscar. Another Dachshund/Beagle mix who has filled our lives with love and silliness. He’s the opposite of our Izzy but just adorable.
ReplyDeleteAbout 10 years ago I started to really get into the DIY thing and subscribed to as many blogs as I could. Yours is the only one I still receive and love. Your style is classic, comfortable and beautiful. Thanks for sharing with us your ideas, hints, tutorials and your lovely family.
I know all those feelings well. Lost my precious pup of 13 years in January. Adopted a new one in February who was born on my furbaby's birthday. She was in a shelter for 120+ days. My son also went off to college. Yikes where did the time go? You will adjust. By the way I have been one of your silent readers for many many years. I love your home and decorating ideas and have made some changes in my home following your advice. Thank you for all your inspiration.
ReplyDeleteI have been here for a long time and can’t believe you are sending your baby to college! Congratulations on all of the many achievements and welcome to your new pup! Can’t wait to continue to see how you share your home and inspire us! Hugs in this time of transition!
ReplyDeleteI remember the empty nest days. The day we dropped off my daughter for college (only a few hours away), I came home and "re-cleaned" her room. It helped me realize that she is only a car ride away! Best of luck with this transition, your family and new pup got this!
ReplyDeleteBeen following along since the very beginning! So fun to hear how you’re doing. Love everything you do!!
ReplyDeleteFamily life is wonderful. The puppy will be a great diversion. Blessings to you!
ReplyDeleteWhat an exciting time for your family! My oldest is about to start her senior year of HS and I'm bracing myself. Congrats on Boomer! As soon as I saw the first pic, I thought that he looks like my brother's dog, who is a Carolina dog! She's about 2 now and she's a sweetheart. Such a pretty breed!
ReplyDeleteSenior year is like no other!!!! (thank goodness! lol)
ReplyDeleteCongrats and good luck with this next life phase!
ReplyDeleteLove the life update! So much change! Like every life stage, you will adjust, but it’s a tough transition at first. I think the anticipation is worse than the actual drop off. He will thrive and you’re close by, so that definitely helps. Hang in there and I’m glad you have a new pup to keep you company as you transition, even though losing a pup is the worst. Hugs on all fronts!
ReplyDeleteThank you for the update. We have been through all of the above that you have mentioned. Congratulations on your son’s graduation and entering college. We have two children and it was difficult when each of them went to college. Now they are well into their careers and we are enjoying two wonderful grandchildren that light up our lives. We had a dog and she was with us for 16 wonderful years. We still think of her often. My husband and I have been fortunate to be able to spend time with our children and grandchildren, work on projects around the house, and travel. Enjoy the next phase of your life.
ReplyDeleteAw your new dog is so cute!!!
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on your graduate! Such an exciting time!
ReplyDeleteSo happy for you for cute, cute Boomer! It will be fun to follow along and watch him grow. He’s really beautiful. Chrissy
Wow, I guess I didn't realize just how long I've been following you ... but I go back to the days when your son was little, and you were sharing toy storage ideas! I always love following along with your projects. Congratulations to the new graduate!
ReplyDeleteI am less than two weeks from dropping my kiddo off at college and at the tail end of life for one of my dogs. Ooof this is a rough season. So glad your son earned a spot in the college he wanted and I look forward to your blog posts in the coming months! We can do it!
ReplyDeleteThank you for the update! Felt very relatable - I have a rising senior and junior and am in denial :-( We also lost our almost 17 year old most perfect angel baby doggy ever and I said not doing this again. Well of course I was bullied into changing that mindset lol and we got another puppy who exhausts me and drives me crazy and is SO FREAKING SWEET AND CUTE lol.
ReplyDeleteEmbrace all the feelings! Cry when you need to, the best tears comes with life's transitions.
ReplyDelete