Monthly Archives: November 2013

Nov30

30 Days

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I tried my hardest to participate fully in NaBloPoMo but of course I missed a day and definitely phoned in more than one picture post. I do feel like it was a great reminder to put my blog closer to the top of my priority list and if for nothing else than that, I’m glad I made the effort.

Over the last 30 days I have seen the regular posts on Facebook documenting something my friends were thankful for each day. I didn’t participate but now I would like to take the time to fill in my 30 days of thankfulness.

1. The Lord. I would not be who I am without my service for the Lord.
2. Gabe. He is truly my other half and makes me better than anything I would be without him.
3. Aiden and Olivia. I would normally list them separately, as they are so individual, but they made me a mother and fill the piece in my heart so completely that I never knew was empty before they came along.
4. My grandma. She is truly the only mother I have ever known and taught me what it is to love and nurture a family. I am thankful she is healthy and happy and enjoys my children so fully.
5. My aunts. Without my mom in my life I could have had something missing but there never was because of my aunts. Linda and Cheryl brought more love to me and my brother than one person ever could and spoil my children beyond belief. They love it!! 🙂
6. My in-laws. There are a million horror stories out there about terrible in-laws and I’m glad to say I don’t have that. I have in-laws who treat me like their own and have given me the chance to have the sisters I never got to have growing up.
7. Friends. There aren’t words enough to say what my friends mean to me. I have friends who I’ve known for YEARS (I’m looking at you Brandi!), friends who I feel like I’ve known for years (Kimmie!), long distance friends I’ve never met in real life (Jenn and Dawn!), and nursing friends who walked with me through our battle and came out on the other side (too many of you crazies to list!). Each and every one of them has meant something important to me and filled a place in my life that would have been harder and emptier without them.
8. My career. I worked so very hard to earn my career and become a nurse. It means something to me that I can say that I’m an RN.
9. My job. Yes, it’s different than a career. I love my job. I just became full-time this week and could not be happier. In this economy a job is not guaranteed, even with an education, and I feel immensely blessed to have mine.
10. Our home. It is our sanctuary from the world and I am glad for it every day. I love coming home and relaxing at the end of the day and having a little private place that is just ours.

Ok, those were all serious things, now for the silly.

11. Coffee. I LOVE COFFEE. It makes me happy and it tastes like heaven and it is my friend.
12. Chocolate. Right up there with coffee.
13. Purses. I love a beautiful handbag. I love new ones and old ones. I love when the seasons change and it’s time to bring out a different purse.
14. Shoes. Gabe doesn’t like it (there’s just too many of them!) but I love shoes. The more the better and multiple pairs for every occasion. Love. Them.
15. Shopping. Even when I don’t buy anything I love to look and try things on and consider the possibilities.
16. Books. Finding an adventure in the written word is a gift.
17. Movies. My imagination can only go so far and seeing the creations that come alive on the big screen is more than my tiny brain could ever come up with.
18. Technology. I love computers and tablets and phones. Pretty much anything with fancy lights and whistles gets my attention. I think I get that from my dad, I still remember the first dial-up modem he brought home.
19. Dogs. Specifically our dogs. I love animals and our dogs are big sweeties.
20. Good pens. I have worked in offices for so long that good pens mean a LOT to me. Mine are pink so that they stand out and I can nab them if someone else picks them up.
21. Holidays. Whether it be Thanksgiving or Halloween or Labor Day, I love taking time and slowing down and recognizing different moments in life.
22. My car. Long story short, our car died and we had no idea what we were going to do. Our car came at just the right time and at just the right cost.
23. Gabe’s truck. Yep, they’re separate because they were two separate blessings. Gabe now has an extended can and it makes it so much easier with the kiddos.
24. Naps. Enough said.
25. Slippers. When you’re on your feet a lot during the day, having soft fuzzy slippers waiting at home is fabulous.
26. Christmas lights. It’s that time of the year and I’m like a kid when it comes to driving around to see them.
27. Music. I love almost all genres and can sing along to almost anything. Cranking up the sound in my car and shouting out lyrics is a huge stress reliever.
28. Breakfast. It’s my favorite meal of the day!
29. Restaurants. As much as I love to cook, having it brought to me is something to be thankful for.
30. Pictures. If you can’t tell from this space, I take a lot of pictures. I have a strong need to document and capture moments.

So there you have it. The month of November is done but I have no intention of abandoning this space in December. We shall see!

Nov26

School Breaks Are Rough

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My kids are creatures of habit. They know what we do and when we do it. They know that they get up, eat breakfast, get cajoled in to getting dressed, and get on the bus to head to school. From there the school takes over the routine. When school is out they get on the bus, get home to their dad or myself waiting (or both) and get inside for an afternoon snack. Homework usually comes next, then dinner, play time and bed.

None of this is ridiculously rigid or timed to the minute but it’s pretty basic and happens Mon-Fri. But not during a school break. School breaks are different.

I still have to work and so does Gabe. That means the kiddos go to grandma’s house or a babysitter. They are both wonderful options but it’s not the same as what they do all other days. When this happens, tiny humans get grumpy. They are off somehow, not quite the same and definitely more irritable.

While I think school breaks are a good thing, I also think they’re rough on working parents and rough on kiddos that are off their routines. I’m ready to sleep in on Thursday but of course, that will probably be the day the kiddos decide earlier is better and my internal clock says I need to be up no matter what l would like to have happen. Ugh, apparently I’m a creature of routine too.

Nov25

Remembering Them All

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It has been almost a year since the tragic events in Newtown, Connecticut ended with 28 people dead, including the gunman*, and many questions left unanswered.

I remember being at work and then at school when the details of the events began to be passed around. I remember talking about school safety and questioning the possible motives. I remember being overwhelmingly afraid while trying to finish the day as if the mom in me didn’t want to race to my son’s school to see that he was safe. I remember hugging my children extra tight that night and thanking God that they were safe in their beds when I couldn’t turn off my mind and got up multiple times to check on them.

School shootings are a terrible thing but this school shooting hit far too close to home. The faces of beautiful, bright and smiling 6 and 7-year-olds were shown and all I could see were the faces of my babies. One of the little girls shared my daughters name and my heart broke for all of their families.

Today reports were released as to the verification of only one shooter and, sadly, reminding us that the motives behind all of this will probably never be known. Many of the stories I read listed the victims of the shooting as 26, 20 children and 6 adults. I do understand this to some extent, these were the people that were killed in Sandy Hook Elementary.

What bothers me is that the shooter took the life of his mother before he made his way to Sandy Hook. She too was a victim and it bothers me that she is not included in many of the articles and reports. I have no idea what was going on in that house or why the gunman made the decisions that he made. I do know that as a mother, it bothers me that she is excluded so easily when she too was a victim.

I remember Sandy Hook and hope that when others also remember, that they include the shooter’s mother in the victim count, as he took 27 lives that day.

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*I purposely chose not to list the gunman’s name here, as I don’t want that to be the focus of this post. I want it to be about the lives lost that day, the people that should be remembered.

Nov24

Quote of the Day

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While watching the original The Wizard of Oz this evening we were discussing why Dorothy was singing “Somewhere Over the Rainbow”. Gabe was trying to explain that Dorothy wanted an adventure instead of staying in her boring life.

Aiden responded with “and she wants it to be in color!” Laughs were had by all and we didn’t try to correct him. It was too sweet to set straight.

Nov21

Sick of Lies

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*I want to preface this post by making this statement. This is my space. I appreciate and welcome mature, honest feedback and conversation. I will not tolerate rudeness or name calling or profanity in my space. That is all.

I have wanted to say something for a while but I have kept my mouth shut for a long time about it. I usually keep my politics to myself and to people I’m close with. Today I can’t keep myself from saying this.

I am SICK of the state of politics in this country. I do not agree with the decisions our president is making and I think our country is only going to be harmed by them.

Above and beyond the decisions, I am sick of the lies. During campaigns we heard about how amazing the insurance for all would be. Now we have a website that we can’t use, people losing their insurance that were told would be able to keep their policies, and my family is no closer to insurance than we were before. People are told their insurance will be more expensive than ever and that they have to have coverage they will never use. Lies.

We also heard about troops coming home, getting out of countries we should have never been in, and yet yesterday the news came out that troops may remain in Afghanistan for another 10+ years. Lies on top of lies.

I want to hear from politicians that don’t want a career but want to see real change. I want to see people who care about the working poor that are trying to get by and not worried about securing yet another term. I am sick of the lies we are being fed and sick of the politics in this country. It’s shameful.