At the beginning of October, Aubri and I were talking on the phone, and she shared with me good/bad news. I say good/bad because both of us each feel a lot of different and strong emotions. And this news means a HUGE change for The DIY Lighthouse, so I felt it was appropriate to share it with you all and give an explanation.
Aubri has decided to leave The DIY Lighthouse.
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The Good News
Why is this good news?
Aubri’s Side of It
Aubri has felt her life pulled in too many directions lately, and she is making a conscious effort to refocus her life and concentrate on what is best for her and her family.
Here are just a few of the things going on in her life right now:
- Her husband is an extremely busy medical resident in a demanding program at The Mayo Clinic. Being the wife of a cardiothoracic surgerical resident is not for the faint of heart. This means Aubri is almost always solo-parenting her little girls and will be for the next six+ years. Aubri is a fantastic mother and puts her family first!
- Aubri runs a successful business (aubrirobinson.com) doing brand development and website design. When she has a break from being “mom” (when the kids are napping or in bed for the night), Aubri is often hard at work designing and developing for her clients.
- As a type-1 diabetic, Aubri is proactive about taking care of her body. She exercises for over an hour every day, not to mention all the other day-to-day tasks required to stay on top of her current and future health. Her health and well-being takes dedication and time.
- Recently, Aubri was asked to serve as the Young Women President in her church congregation. Part of her new voluntary duties include attending (and sometimes planning/running/teaching) the Sunday meeting for young women ages 11-18 and a weekly Wednesday night activity, meeting with and overseeing the other young women leaders, supporting the dozen young women in her group and ministering to their needs, etc. Realizing the important role she can play in these young women’s lives, Aubri has decided to give her all to her new responsibility.
With all she has going on, leaving The DIY Lighthouse is happy for Aubri because she has one less thing on her plate, and she can focus more on what brings her joy and gives her energy.
My Side of It
That list above is just a few of the demands that have been pulling at Aubri’s time and attention, especially lately. So, honestly, her decision to leave came as no surprise to me. I am truly happy for her because I know she feels a burden has been lifted from her shoulders by finally deciding to let go of The DIY Lighthouse.
The Bad/Sad News
Why is this sad news?
Aubri’s Side of It
Well, for Aubri it is sad because she poured her heart and soul into something for over four years that she finally had to step away from.
During her first years as a mother, The DIY Lighthouse helped her be “Aubri” when she felt like she was losing her identity to “mom.” It gave her a creative outlet that was also full of purpose and joy.
Leaving was a tough decision, but she thought it was best for her and her family.
My Side of It
For me it is sad because I no longer get to work as closely with my twin and bestie. It was exciting to celebrate the successes together, comforting to work through the challenges together, and fun having a buddy throughout this blogging journey.
She was definitely our strongest link when it came to design and website development know-how. So, I’ll greatly miss her expertise.
What Does this Change Mean for the Blog?
You will still see weekly blog posts, there will just be one face behind the scenes. I must admit, I’m a little nervous about taking on all of the responsibilities from here on out. That said, I am excited to see what the next chapter holds for The DIY Lighthouse!
I have recruited my amazing husband, Jake, to help me with some of the business management aspects of the blog. Plus, you may be seeing more appearances of him and the rest of my cute family.
Aubri has promised to be my biggest cheerleader. <3 And this isn’t the end of Aubri and me working together…. We have an exciting side project that we’ve been working on that we hope to reveal sooner than later.
In Conclusion
I am proud of Aubri for making the difficult decision to discontinue doing The DIY Lighthouse. Life is about learning what good things to let go of so we can focus on the best things for our time and situation.
Cheers to Aubri! I’m forever grateful for the fantastic time we had building this blog together!
XOXO, Amber