48 hours

August 11, 2011 by · 2 Comments

My family makes fun of me a LOT because of my infatuation with the latest and greatest in technology. I super big puffy heart my iPhone, and by the time this posts, I will have been without it for 48 hours. After 24 hours, my brother made the comment that he was surprised I was even surviving! I own a Macbook Pro, a Nook color, and I love them all. I really want an iPad but hubs doesn’t think it is a necessity….

Truth be told, it has been tough being without my phone. I have a written planner but I keep a lot of information in my phone as well. I use it as a watch, to keep up on e-mails when I am out and about all day, morning conversations with my bff, and to keep Brayden entertained if we are out to eat.

The worst of it has been that a lot of other things in the house have gone out (the oven element, the HD channels, our desktop computer) so when I am home, I can’t even handle those things because we don’t have a land line. And by the time Brandon gets home from work, it’s too late to call! Luckily, I did remember to call about the oven yesterday- I am still waiting on that. But the TV thing will just have to wait.And I am ok with that.

Slowly but surely this week, I am starting to be ok with the cards life has dealt. And in the big scheme, these are very, very insignificant cards. I am really having to rely on God this week to keep my attitude in check, my emotions in check, and my words carefully chosen.

Luckily, Brayden has been an absolute angel through this week and has been TONS of fun- I am soaking it up, and knowing in the back of my head that THESE are the things that life is made of. I can’t wait for more moments with him.

Filed Under: life, random ·

Did you hear?

April 18, 2011 by · 3 Comments
I am going here….

THIS THURSDAY!!!!
My college roomie, Sheana, and I have been writing to The Oprah Show for around 6 months I think. It seems that every time we are together, we are applying to go on The Oprah Show. 
And with less than 30 shows left until Oprah is off the air? We weren’t getting our hopes up too high.
That is, until Friday night!
Sheana called me after work to tell me that she had been invited and she could bring a guess and to PLEASE tell her that I could go with! I took one look at Brandon and he said “well, this is your last chance!” and immediately called my mom who said she would definitely keep Brayden so we could go. 
We are still ironing out the details as far as getting there- but trust me, you will get a full recap once I get time to blog about it! It’s going to be awesome!
Filed Under: life, Oprah ·

the age old question: a vicious cycle

January 9, 2010 by · 5 Comments

It’s the age old question when you begin dating someone seriously. “When do you think he will propose?” I don’t know HOW many times I was asked this when Brandon and I were coming up on 4 years of dating. And how many women really know the answer to this question anyway? I mean, Brandon and I discussed getting married someday, but I didn’t want to know when he would propose. I had mentioned to him one that our anniversary (December 15) was on a Saturday in 2007, but that was the only time I had ever mentioned a date. We were getting constantly nagged about it, to the point where I started to feel bad for Brandon. It put him in a very awkward position.

Fast forward to November 22, 2006- THE proposal. 10 minutes later, people are asking “Have you set a date yet?” Now, I know that this is just the answer that everyone wants, but I didn’t even have time to THINK about that. I was just enjoying my evening, being newly engaged to my fiance, keeping the perfect date to myself.

We set the date for December 15, 2007- but even that would not suffice friends and family. “What are your colors going to be?” “Who is your DJ?” “Are you doing a buffet dinner or a plated dinner?” “How many people are on your list?” It was incredibly overwhelming, and I had to learn very quickly that I could not please everyone. Brandon and I had to do this our way, even if it meant that not everyone else was pleased. It was very, very hard. I always try to listen to other people’s advice knowing that I can just take it or leave it. But when it was about our wedding, it was a lot harder to say “well, we’ve decided to do it this way.” I felt like people expected my etiquette in dealing with these questions to be perfect, but I felt completely caught off guard and almost couldn’t answer those questions without feeling flustered.

Fast forward again to 10 days after the wedding: Christmas Day. Next question on everyone’s mind is “So, when are you going to start a family?” I almost spit out my wine! What? Really? I mean we just had a very elaborate wedding with 200 plus people, and we just flew in from Mexico yesterday! I was just glad the wedding stress was gone! I still had a semester of college to finish! Brandon and I were not even talking about children yet. But why is that the next question? What if we would have said that we didn’t think we wanted children? Then what would the next response be? When is the “right” time to ask this question? And is it appropriate to assume that just because we were newlyweds that we would rush right into having children?

Once we found out we were pregnant with Brayden, I really thought the questions would stop. I mean, we got engaged, got married, and now are expecting, what else could there be? “Are you planning to breastfeed?” “Are you going to keep working?” “How will you afford a baby if you stay home?” Finally, Brayden was born, and I thought to myself, “phew, this will stop now.” Boy, was I ever wrong.

Imagine my not-so-surprised face when not too long after Brayden was born, people were already talking about baby #2! Even my own husband made a comment about baby #2, and I had to tell him to stop. I didn’t want to even think about it. I mean, I was just getting used to this whole mom thing. I had enough going on in my head. I am not against having more children, but even thinking about it now makes my C-section scar hurt.

I guess people think that the most natural thing to do after a major life event is to ask about the next one. Sometimes I catch myself doing the same thing. And then I stop and think about how it felt when others persistently questioned me and my life plan. It was not a pleasant experience and I would never want to do that to someone else. It’s very hard not to when its not YOUR life events, but it is something I think we all need to work on. I think that everyone should have the opportunity to do things their way, not on everyone else’s timeline or for their convenience. So, from now on, I am being very cautious of my words to others and using my experience to better myself in this way.

Do any of these situations sound familiar?

Filed Under: interesting items, just for fun, life ·

wants and needs

January 4, 2010 by · 2 Comments

In addition to our financial goals for the new year, I made a list of wants and needs as far as big item purchases for 2010.

Needs:
-Dyson Ball Animal Hair Vacuum. I borrowed my moms and it is amazing. With Brayden becoming more mobile by the day, this will be a must with our two kitties.
-Decent pots and pans. The ones I currently have were a shopper bargain at Macy’s that my mom bought me two years ago. Cheapies- they are falling apart. The non-stick part is coming off and rusting already. Boo.

Wants:
-A DSLR. It is no secret that I LOVE photography and want to capture all of Brayden’s moments.
-A Kindle. I am tired of my bookcase being overrun. Time to move to the electronic world of reading.

Brandon didn’t have much on his needs/wants list. He is still thinking about what will come as far as farming goes this year, and deciding on what home projects to tackle. He knew I would have no problem making my list and is totally on board when it comes to the vacuum. He loved my moms as much as I did.

What is on your big purchase list this year?

Filed Under: life, money ·

what a week.

December 5, 2009 by · 3 Comments

Admittedly, I am pretty down this week. Mopey, not myself, etc. I am missing my husband, I am sad that my house isn’t all fancied up for the holidays, and it’s been a week of hard news.

I am SO glad that Brandon has been able to work to get this crop out, but it has been some long hours. I don’t know how he does it, but he hasn’t complained once, and I admire him for that. Waiting in line at the elevator at 3:30am surely isn’t ideal, but he loves farming, and I love him for that. They are down to 280 acres I believe, and I just keep praying that the weather holds out for them to finish.

He was so tired when we finally saw him Wednesday night, but he insisted on helping me with Brayden’s bathtime (where he gets him undressed, dries him, gets his jammies on, combs his hair) because he hadn’t spent much time with him lately. I told him he didn’t have to, of course, but he insisted. I could tell how happy Brayden was so get some smooches from his daddy!

I can really tell that God is working in me this week. This is the first time that I can remember not having Christmas decorations out the weekend of Thanksgiving. Brandon and I love this time of year, and generally go all out. This got worse when we got married and had our own house! We had planned to do it Sunday, but the weather cooperated and they worked in the field. No big deal. But now I keep seeing lights and trees in other’s houses, and I want to get my stuff out. (Note, it is clear up in the attic above the garage and Brandon has given me strict orders to stay away. He doesn’t want me to hurt myself. Can’t say that I blame him. The first time I was ever up there, I fell out of the attic.) But at the same time, that is not what is important right now.

My aunt in Nebraska just found out that her cancer has returned, and from what I know, it sounds like more chemo is in order. I haven’t spoken to her or my cousin, so I don’t want to say much, other than they could really use your prayers. Also, my college roommate had some bad news this week, so I really have just been praying a lot these days, and thanking God for showing me the TRUE reason for this season.

I know we will eventually have a Christmas tree, and all of the gifts will be wrapped, and I won’t have to do it alone. I am excited to share in those times with Brandon soon because I miss him SO much, and it’s Brayden’s first Christmas- we can’t wait. But for now, I need to be focusing on what is imporant- the health and well being of those around me.

I have also started a new Bible Study with my mom and sister called “Calm My Anxious Heart” and I am already in love, and have only read the first chapter. I am a big worrier, stressor, etc, so this Bible Study is really helping me find ways to just trust God and know that HE will take care of me.

Filed Under: holidays, life, prayer ·

blog award

November 21, 2009 by · 1 Comment

Thanks to the lovely Sarah for awarding me with the Honest Scrap award! I stumbled upon her blog after Leah started doing Wedded Wednesday’s. I love Sarah’s honesty in her posts, her wedding story is such a great one, and she is truly an amazing woman of God.

Here are the rules:

  • Thank the person who gave you the award and link to their blog. (check!)
  • Share 10 honest things about yourself.
  • Present this award to 7 other blogs that you find brilliant in design and/or content.

10 Honest Things About Me

  1. I have ALWAYS wanted to be a stay-at-home mom. I went to college as well because I wanted to get a degree, but my passion is motherhood. How many kids? At first, 4. Now? I am not sure. My scar hurts just thinking about it.
  2. Brandon and I are absolutely obsessed with 3 television shows: The Office, Glee, and CSI: Miami. I really look forward to when Brayden has bedtime so we can cuddle up in front of the tv and watch our shows.
  3. I think my younger sister (by 3 years) actually looks older than I do (well, a lot of people SAY that), but when we were little, we used to get mistaken for twins.
  4. My family moved to from Nebraska to Illinois when I was 12 so that my dad could pursue his love of aviation. 12 years old is a rough age to move (jr. high) so I hope I never have to do that to my children. I never held a grudge to my parents though, it was just hard moving into a public jr. high school when I had been at a private school up until that point.
  5. I was a cheerleader in high school and also played the piccolo in the band. My shining moment? Playing the piccolo solo in “Stars and Stripes Forever” my junior year and receiving a standing ovation. I never practiced it in front of my family or friends, and they were all blown away.
  6. When I was pregnant with Brayden, I was sure we were having a girl. I wasn’t disappointed by any means, but it took a few minutes for it to register.
  7. I never thought I would actually marry someone I dated in high school. That is, until Brandon came along. Just a few months into our relationship, I knew he was The One. We waited almost 5 years to get engaged, and it was the best thing we ever did.
  8. I was a Family and Consumer Science major in college with an emphasis in Human Development. I loved my classes and if I would have had the opportunity, I would have loved to work in adoption placement. Sadly, our area is pretty grim for jobs in that field.
  9. I love food. All of it, dessert, soups, pasta, pizza, etc. I am pretty open to trying most things too, and just recently, I have been getting a little more brave in the kitchen.
  10. I love fashion but I am mostly a jeans and sweatshirt kind of girl. I love to get dressed up, but I normally don’t have an occasion to. Most days when I am home with Brayden, I am in sweats and a tshirt. Brandon still says I am sexy and that is what counts. When I have time, I like to put on one of his favorite shirts to surprise him when he comes home, and it lets him know that I am taking care of myself as well as Brayden.

The 7 blogs I would like to present this award to are:

  1. Life Accounts
  2. Starbucks and Sippy Cups
  3. Life with B&A
  4. Jacinda at the adventures of
  5. Laura
  6. Leah
  7. My cousin Kate

I love your blogs, girlies! This was so fun, thanks again Sarah! I look forward to many more blog related discussions :)

Filed Under: about me, life, random ·

a wild ending to a wonderful day

November 19, 2009 by · 4 Comments

Today, after Brandon had a meeting, he decided to help me get the house ready to host Thanksgiving next week. Meaning, organizing some things in the kitchen, getting the pantry stocked, and helping me with groceries. Normally, I do all of these things on my own, so having the extra help was great! He was a great sport at the store (one chore he loathes, and therefore RARELY does, which is fine by me!) and organized my pantry to the nines. What a guy, right?

So, we get home, unload and organize, I fix dinner, and we are just settling in to watch The Office when suddenly, I see a blur go in front of the fireplace.

And I hear Brandon say a bad word.

It’s a mouse.

In my freakin’ living room.

I put Brayden in our room on the floor where I can see him and go get my shoes and Brandon’s. I also grab the broom for good measure. If Valium would have been in this house, I would have grabbed that too I think! I was so nervous and grossed out, I thought I could just puke. I HATE MICE. They are so gross and seeing one just running around in my HOUSE was unbearable!

After cornering it under the entertainment center, I grab the vacuum and plug it in for Brandon. He sucked it right up into the bag. I know, it’s gross, but it’s better than stepping on it! He took the entire vacuum out into the driveway, found the now dead mouse, gave it a whack with the shovel for good measure, and I finally have just started to relax an hour later.

Phew. On tomorrow’s agenda: mouse traps.

Our quality time these last couple of days sure is getting entertaining! :)

Filed Under: life, random, the hubby ·

my latest project

August 26, 2009 by · 1 Comment

Don’t get too excited….


If anyone finds the top of my desk, please let me know…thanks!

Filed Under: just for fun, life ·

perspective…

August 24, 2009 by · 2 Comments

So, my mom and I were chatting today about my little brother starting college today, and my sister starting massage therapy school. (My brother moved an hour away and has an apartment, and my sister will commute from home.) Anyway, my mom said “It is so weird without your brother here.” At first, I was like oh boy, here we go…sappy almost empty-nester speech. But then she goes on to say “It’s weird because this is the first time in 20 years that I don’t have to make sure someone is up for school, to make sure they have a lunch or lunch money in their account, or write out checks for athletics.” I asked her if it was a relief, and she said definitely!

Then I got to thinking…this is the first time in 20 years that I haven’t had to go back to school, as a student OR teacher. I don’t have to worry about lunch money, athletics, or being somewhere at a certain time. It really is nice, but it sure is weird that my mom and I would have that in common.

Filed Under: life ·

spring cleaning

April 27, 2009 by · 1 Comment

Yesterday, B and I were like cleaning machines around here! Here is a list of everything we accomplished, and we didn’t get started until 9:30am…and had to be done around 3 to go to family dinner…

  • washed all windows, inside and out
  • hung screens for all said windows
  • cleaned out front porch
  • put together crib (B had to customize it a bit, but hey, it’s together and sturdy!)
  • put changing table together
  • hung all new blinds in the office and baby’s room
  • bought solar landscaping lights for the sidewalk and put those up
  • opened the house with all the new screens for a wonderful spring feeling
  • cleaned curtains

We were busy, but it sure does feel good to get all of that done and out of the way! The house feels so much different now that it can be “opened up”!

Filed Under: life ·
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