- We discovered that Luke had over $2,600 in his accounts from his teaching job, tax free money, that could transfer into my HSA account to cover health care costs for this year for me and the boys.
- I ran 5 miles in 47 minutes in a Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving morning. Yep. I pretty much rock.
- Jacob has recovered from his ear infection and is back to his happy, bubbly self.
- I got to have date night with my husband TWICE this week. First time in over 2 months!
- I saw Breaking Dawn and it was amazing. Skeptics, shush your mouths.
- We saw Breaking Dawn for under $10 dollars. $3 tickets, $2 popcorn and $1 pop. I LOVE SMALL TOWN MOVIE THEATRES!
- I was told "I love you" and "You're family" by my father-in-law and my brother-in-law this weekend. Pretty cool.
- I got to spend an afternoon with my mother-in-law and found some awesome alphabet books for Colt at a thrift store for $2.00!
- Christmas music is playing on virtually every radio station right now. Enough said.
- I'm really excited to talk and learn more about becoming business owners for MB&Boys, Inc.
- For the first time in a long time, I finally believe Bob Marley when he sings, "Every little thing is gonna be alright...."
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
It's So Good!
ELEVEN Awesome Things That Happened To Me over Thanksgiving that I have to share because I'm feeling pretty good about it...:
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Oswald Chambers
And once again, Oswald Chambers speaks amazing words today in this devotional. Even if you're not sure about the Christian faith, the bible, Jesus - whatever - today's lesson speaks wonders and for me, it's a friendly reminder that once again, I am no better than the person to my left or right, we get too caught up in our own problems and put ourselves first too often and of course, that God is in control... Hope you enjoy this even half as much as I did, and yes, I am passionate about sharing the words of God that speak to me with others, something that I'm new to...
If you're interested in learning more about Oswald Chambers and his ministry you can visit his website "My Utmost for His Highest" at http://utmost.org/. Oswald died back in 1917 at the age of 43, but his ministry lives on and is an inspiration to many.
11-22-2011
Whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God —1 Corinthians 10:31
Beware of allowing yourself to think that the shallow aspects of life are not ordained by God; they are ordained by Him equally as much as the profound. We sometimes refuse to be shallow, not out of our deep devotion to God but because we wish to impress other people with the fact that we are not shallow. This is a sure sign of spiritual pride. We must be careful, for this is how contempt for others is produced in our lives. And it causes us to be a walking rebuke to other people because they are more shallow than we are. Beware of posing as a profound person— God became a baby.
To be shallow is not a sign of being sinful, nor is shallowness an indication that there is no depth to your life at all— the ocean has a shore. Even the shallow things of life, such as eating and drinking, walking and talking, are ordained by God. These are all things our Lord did. He did them as the Son of God, and He said, “A disciple is not above his teacher . . .” (Matthew 10:24).
We are safeguarded by the shallow things of life. We have to live the surface, commonsense life in a commonsense way. Then when God gives us the deeper things, they are obviously separated from the shallow concerns. Never show the depth of your life to anyone but God. We are so nauseatingly serious, so desperately interested in our own character and reputation, we refuse to behave like Christians in the shallow concerns of life.
Make a determination to take no one seriously except God. You may find that the first person you must be the most critical with, as being the greatest fraud you have ever known, is yourself.
(Ahhh.... Such humbling words!!)
To be shallow is not a sign of being sinful, nor is shallowness an indication that there is no depth to your life at all— the ocean has a shore. Even the shallow things of life, such as eating and drinking, walking and talking, are ordained by God. These are all things our Lord did. He did them as the Son of God, and He said, “A disciple is not above his teacher . . .” (Matthew 10:24).
We are safeguarded by the shallow things of life. We have to live the surface, commonsense life in a commonsense way. Then when God gives us the deeper things, they are obviously separated from the shallow concerns. Never show the depth of your life to anyone but God. We are so nauseatingly serious, so desperately interested in our own character and reputation, we refuse to behave like Christians in the shallow concerns of life.
Make a determination to take no one seriously except God. You may find that the first person you must be the most critical with, as being the greatest fraud you have ever known, is yourself.
(Ahhh.... Such humbling words!!)
If you're interested in learning more about Oswald Chambers and his ministry you can visit his website "My Utmost for His Highest" at http://utmost.org/. Oswald died back in 1917 at the age of 43, but his ministry lives on and is an inspiration to many.
Monday, November 21, 2011
Let Your Heart BE Light
The holiday season is upon us. Whether you are a holiday lover or a holiday hater, it's the time of year where family comes together, we give gifts and we are (or try to be) thankful for another year.
For those of you that are "ba-hum-bug's" (and I know you're out there), I challenge you to take a new approach to the holidays this year and like the song says, let your heart BE light.
Now, before you go accusing me of being all goody and cheery and holiday merry-like, let me tell you, this year the holidays are met with great difficulty for my family. In the past year, Luke and I have lost 5 family members near and dear to our hearts and have faced financial hardships that are not uncommon to those in the middle class, but difficult none-the-less.
The first was my Uncle Doug (married to my dad's sister). Doug was a sweet, kind-hearted man. He used to play his guitar for us and we'd sing Christmas carols. He also made the best pancakes.
The second was my Grandma Cook (ma-mah). This loss came with such great sadness because not only did she pass away, but she passed away 2 weeks before I was due to have Jacob and I couldn't go to her funeral. Basically, I haven't really had any closure with her death yet and this time of year has been so hard and she's been in my thoughts so much. I miss you, Mamah.
The third was my Grandpa Steve. He wasn't my "real" Grandpa. But, he married my Grandma Cook when I was really little and he's basically the only Grandpa I've ever known. He was an army colonel and was a great, loyal and wonderful man to my Grandma. I miss him dearly. He always used to hug me so tight it would take my breath away! What a sweet man.
The fourth was Luke's Uncle Todd. This loss was extremely unexpected and a major loss for our family. He leaves behind his beautiful wife, Vicky, and two sons, Chase and Cole. I didn't know him well, but felt like I was just starting to really enjoy his company. Todd is greatly missed.
The fifth and I sure hope final, was Luke's Grandma, Val. There are not enough nice words in the dictionary to describe the kindess of this woman. She loved her family and she loved the Lord. She will forever be in my heart because when we got pregnant with Colton we had a world of judgement on our shoulders from family, friends, colleagues, you name it. When we came to tell them, Val brought out a picture of their wedding day and she said, "You see there, I was 5 months pregnant with Tammy (Luke's mom). The same thing was happening 50 years ago!". They were so happy and excited for us. I will never forget her and her kindness and I hope that I can be more like her.
On top of the losses, this year is tough because even though we're "home" with my mom and dad, we don't have our own home. Our Christmas decorations are packed away in our storage unit. Even though the boys are too little right now to remember where we are for this Christmas, in my heart I ache and long for a place of our own!
And as always with the holidays, the gift buying is always a challenge to do on a budget. But, we find a way to make it work.
2011 was tough. We lost loved ones. We lost our own home. And we've had financial hardships that are finally starting to come around a bit. But we were blessed with our healthy baby boy and that alone is enough to make it all better and all worth while.
So friends, I challenge you this holiday season to BE LIGHT. Forgive. Love. Forgive. Love. And let me warn you, this won't be the first holiday blogging....
I just enjoyed a holiday chocolate truffle. 120 calories down, only a few million more to go...
Happy Holidays!
For those of you that are "ba-hum-bug's" (and I know you're out there), I challenge you to take a new approach to the holidays this year and like the song says, let your heart BE light.
Now, before you go accusing me of being all goody and cheery and holiday merry-like, let me tell you, this year the holidays are met with great difficulty for my family. In the past year, Luke and I have lost 5 family members near and dear to our hearts and have faced financial hardships that are not uncommon to those in the middle class, but difficult none-the-less.
The first was my Uncle Doug (married to my dad's sister). Doug was a sweet, kind-hearted man. He used to play his guitar for us and we'd sing Christmas carols. He also made the best pancakes.
The second was my Grandma Cook (ma-mah). This loss came with such great sadness because not only did she pass away, but she passed away 2 weeks before I was due to have Jacob and I couldn't go to her funeral. Basically, I haven't really had any closure with her death yet and this time of year has been so hard and she's been in my thoughts so much. I miss you, Mamah.
The third was my Grandpa Steve. He wasn't my "real" Grandpa. But, he married my Grandma Cook when I was really little and he's basically the only Grandpa I've ever known. He was an army colonel and was a great, loyal and wonderful man to my Grandma. I miss him dearly. He always used to hug me so tight it would take my breath away! What a sweet man.
The fourth was Luke's Uncle Todd. This loss was extremely unexpected and a major loss for our family. He leaves behind his beautiful wife, Vicky, and two sons, Chase and Cole. I didn't know him well, but felt like I was just starting to really enjoy his company. Todd is greatly missed.
The fifth and I sure hope final, was Luke's Grandma, Val. There are not enough nice words in the dictionary to describe the kindess of this woman. She loved her family and she loved the Lord. She will forever be in my heart because when we got pregnant with Colton we had a world of judgement on our shoulders from family, friends, colleagues, you name it. When we came to tell them, Val brought out a picture of their wedding day and she said, "You see there, I was 5 months pregnant with Tammy (Luke's mom). The same thing was happening 50 years ago!". They were so happy and excited for us. I will never forget her and her kindness and I hope that I can be more like her.
On top of the losses, this year is tough because even though we're "home" with my mom and dad, we don't have our own home. Our Christmas decorations are packed away in our storage unit. Even though the boys are too little right now to remember where we are for this Christmas, in my heart I ache and long for a place of our own!
And as always with the holidays, the gift buying is always a challenge to do on a budget. But, we find a way to make it work.
2011 was tough. We lost loved ones. We lost our own home. And we've had financial hardships that are finally starting to come around a bit. But we were blessed with our healthy baby boy and that alone is enough to make it all better and all worth while.
So friends, I challenge you this holiday season to BE LIGHT. Forgive. Love. Forgive. Love. And let me warn you, this won't be the first holiday blogging....
I just enjoyed a holiday chocolate truffle. 120 calories down, only a few million more to go...
Happy Holidays!
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
You Are My Sunshine(s)
Jacob Mark (J, Ja-Co-B, Jake, Jakey) - Jacob is 7 months old and is known to many as a "mini-Dave" (my dad). I truly believe God gave us Jacob as a way of always keeping my dad with us because he knows that life without him will be too hard for all of us : ) Jacob is just like my dad. Always happy. Accepting of anyone. Loves to be loved, hugged, kissed. Adores his mama best of all. He is the sweetest, happiest baby. Hardly ever fusses and loves to eat and sleep.
Both the boys love the song "You Are My Sunshine" - I sing it frequently to both of them and they just stare into my eyes and smile. Colton will give kisses while I sing and say "Again!" when I finish, and Jacob just touches my face and giggles.
The song really says it all:
You Are My Sunshine
My Only Sunshine
You Make Me Happy When Skies Are Grey
You'll Never Know Dear How Much I Love You
Please Don't Take My Sunshine Away
Friday, November 11, 2011
Fun, Healthy Note
For those of you that don't know, at the time I became pregnant with our first son back in December of 2008 I was "living the dream" as they say. I was almost done with college. Loved my boyfriend. Partied every weekend with friends. Life was good.
Then bam. Along came Colton and life as we know it was never the same and we could never be more greatful for the blessing God gave us with the gift of both our sons.
Not what I came to blog about.
Anyway...
At the time I became pregnant with Colton I was 137 pounds. Some of you may say that sounds "normal", but I'm 5'2" - to me, that's a little on the hefty side. Needless to say, I was quite the curvy gal. I only gained about 12 pounds when I had Colt. Not because I wasn't eating, but I wasn't drinking, wasn't drinking fatty caffeinated beverages, wasn't eating junky food and I was walking constantly because it felt so good to walk and be healthy when I was pregnant! After he was born, I was down to 125 pounds. 12 pounds lighter than I was pre-pregnancy!
I kept up the same lifestyle after he was born. Tried to eat healthy, enjoyed PLAIN coffee vs. lattes, mochas, frappachinos and I started getting back into running. I even ran a 10 mile race with my brother in law! Go mama!
Then a few months later, I discovered I was pregnant with our second son, Jacob, just before my 25th birthday. We had just begun having discussions about trying for another child and my husband was thrilled, but in all honesty, I was selfish and terrified when I discovered we were pregnant again. I was loving going running all the time, enjoying a glass of wine or drinks with Luke on Friday nights after a long week... But, I managed to stay healthy throughout my pregnancy with Jacob. I got into Yoga and I physically and mentally enjoyed being pregnant so much more the second time around.
Same thing, I only gained about 18 pounds with Jacob. Not because I wasn't eating, but because I just wanted to BE HEALTHY!
Had Jacob. Beautiful, sweet baby J.
I am now a happy, healthy 118 pounds, 5'2" mama of 2 sons. I find that they make me want to be better. They make me want to be healthier. I want to keep up with them, run a race with them someday and show them that being healthy IS a lifestyle and taking good care of your body is important because it's the only one you've got.
Quote on my Green Tea bag today: "Books have the same nemies as people: fire, humidity, animals, weather and their own content" - Paul Valery.
Then bam. Along came Colton and life as we know it was never the same and we could never be more greatful for the blessing God gave us with the gift of both our sons.
Not what I came to blog about.
Anyway...
At the time I became pregnant with Colton I was 137 pounds. Some of you may say that sounds "normal", but I'm 5'2" - to me, that's a little on the hefty side. Needless to say, I was quite the curvy gal. I only gained about 12 pounds when I had Colt. Not because I wasn't eating, but I wasn't drinking, wasn't drinking fatty caffeinated beverages, wasn't eating junky food and I was walking constantly because it felt so good to walk and be healthy when I was pregnant! After he was born, I was down to 125 pounds. 12 pounds lighter than I was pre-pregnancy!
I kept up the same lifestyle after he was born. Tried to eat healthy, enjoyed PLAIN coffee vs. lattes, mochas, frappachinos and I started getting back into running. I even ran a 10 mile race with my brother in law! Go mama!
Then a few months later, I discovered I was pregnant with our second son, Jacob, just before my 25th birthday. We had just begun having discussions about trying for another child and my husband was thrilled, but in all honesty, I was selfish and terrified when I discovered we were pregnant again. I was loving going running all the time, enjoying a glass of wine or drinks with Luke on Friday nights after a long week... But, I managed to stay healthy throughout my pregnancy with Jacob. I got into Yoga and I physically and mentally enjoyed being pregnant so much more the second time around.
Same thing, I only gained about 18 pounds with Jacob. Not because I wasn't eating, but because I just wanted to BE HEALTHY!
Had Jacob. Beautiful, sweet baby J.
I am now a happy, healthy 118 pounds, 5'2" mama of 2 sons. I find that they make me want to be better. They make me want to be healthier. I want to keep up with them, run a race with them someday and show them that being healthy IS a lifestyle and taking good care of your body is important because it's the only one you've got.
Quote on my Green Tea bag today: "Books have the same nemies as people: fire, humidity, animals, weather and their own content" - Paul Valery.
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
Health Care Reform - A Much Needed Post
Briefly let me explain what it is I do and why I'm blogging today about Health Care Reform (which, actually, for those who don't know, it is called The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and was signed into law back in March 2010). I work at an insurance brokerage. I know I just lost some of you because I simply said the word insurance and nobody wants to talk about insurance (including my husband), but bear with me. Our brokerage focuses most specifically on disability insurance, long-term care insurance and employer sponsored ancillary benefits (lamen's terms: disability and life insurance products for EMPLOYERS to offer their EMPLOYEES). I personally work in the sales and marketing division and focus on employer sponsored products AND I also am now heading up our business development to try and grow our business as much as possible. Our company is the "middle man" between the insurance agent/financial planner/certified public accountant (CPA) and the client (you). We help agents find the very best solution for their client's needs and help them sell insurance coverage. That in a nutshell is what our company/I do.
Although my company doesn't have much to do with the health insurance industry, our agents do and we have to stay informed. I try to attend a seminar about changes to The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) every 2-3 months. I come home and tell my family about what I hear in these seminars and it is A M A Z I N G to me that most of the time they have NO CLUE about what's happening and my own mother even thought that Health Care Reform wasn't made into law yet!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Newsflash: It's been implemented for almost 2 YEARS now.
In mid-October, the government decided to drop a critical portion of the ACA called the CLASS (Community Living Assistance and Services) Act. What the heck is this? Put simply, the CLASS Act was a long-term care program that the government was plannig to set up that Americans could pay into to receive a daily benefit should they ever need long-term care services (nursing home, in-home care, etc.). This portion of the ACA was the government's attempt to address the care of our aging population and to encourage Americans to plan ahead for their future financial needs as they get older. Although the benefits were minimal ($100 per day or less, the national average cost of care per day is somewhere around $200) it was still a starting point. Not surprising to those of us in the industry, the program was deemed unsustainable by actuaries (Actuaries are individuals that study a financial product to determine its purpose and pricing model).
Kathleen Sebelius, Health and Human Services Secretary, sent a letter to congressional leaders indicating that she saw no way to implement this program. She states: "Despite our best analytical efforts, I do not see a viable path forward for CLASS implementation at this time. The challenge that CLASS was created to address is not going away. By 2020, we know that an estimated 15 MILLION AMERICANS will need some kind of long-term care." In other words, the government can't afford a ton of long-term care claims.
FACT: 70% of Americans will need long-term care after the age of 65. With limited coverage available with public programs, there is a good chance cost of care will come from our personal income and savings. The average cost of long-term care services in the United States in 2010 were:
Encourage those around you to stay informed. Read. Watch the news. Attend a seminar. Or simply visit this website: http://www.healthcare.gov/law/timeline/index.html (Note: It is government sponsored, so it will be all "happy and fluffy" regarding health care reform).
I mean, what if something happened to your mom or dad tomorrow? Could you afford to quit your job or relocate to take care of them? What if something happened to YOU tomorrow and you couldn't work anymore? How would you pay for your mortgage? How would you pay for childcare, or simply put food on the table?
Nobody wants to think about these things, but they're questions that need answers. We're all living for longer with illnesses that may not have cures, but do have treatments.
Hopefully I've given you something to think about...
Although my company doesn't have much to do with the health insurance industry, our agents do and we have to stay informed. I try to attend a seminar about changes to The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) every 2-3 months. I come home and tell my family about what I hear in these seminars and it is A M A Z I N G to me that most of the time they have NO CLUE about what's happening and my own mother even thought that Health Care Reform wasn't made into law yet!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Newsflash: It's been implemented for almost 2 YEARS now.
In mid-October, the government decided to drop a critical portion of the ACA called the CLASS (Community Living Assistance and Services) Act. What the heck is this? Put simply, the CLASS Act was a long-term care program that the government was plannig to set up that Americans could pay into to receive a daily benefit should they ever need long-term care services (nursing home, in-home care, etc.). This portion of the ACA was the government's attempt to address the care of our aging population and to encourage Americans to plan ahead for their future financial needs as they get older. Although the benefits were minimal ($100 per day or less, the national average cost of care per day is somewhere around $200) it was still a starting point. Not surprising to those of us in the industry, the program was deemed unsustainable by actuaries (Actuaries are individuals that study a financial product to determine its purpose and pricing model).
Kathleen Sebelius, Health and Human Services Secretary, sent a letter to congressional leaders indicating that she saw no way to implement this program. She states: "Despite our best analytical efforts, I do not see a viable path forward for CLASS implementation at this time. The challenge that CLASS was created to address is not going away. By 2020, we know that an estimated 15 MILLION AMERICANS will need some kind of long-term care." In other words, the government can't afford a ton of long-term care claims.
FACT: 70% of Americans will need long-term care after the age of 65. With limited coverage available with public programs, there is a good chance cost of care will come from our personal income and savings. The average cost of long-term care services in the United States in 2010 were:
- $205 per day or $6,235 per month for a semi-private room in a nursing home.
- $229 per day or $6,965 per month for a private room in a nursing home.
- $3,293 per month for care in an assisted living facility (for a one-bedroom unit).
- $21 per hour for a home health aide.
- $19 per hour for homemaker services.
- $67 per day for services in an adult day health care center.
Encourage those around you to stay informed. Read. Watch the news. Attend a seminar. Or simply visit this website: http://www.healthcare.gov/law/timeline/index.html (Note: It is government sponsored, so it will be all "happy and fluffy" regarding health care reform).
I mean, what if something happened to your mom or dad tomorrow? Could you afford to quit your job or relocate to take care of them? What if something happened to YOU tomorrow and you couldn't work anymore? How would you pay for your mortgage? How would you pay for childcare, or simply put food on the table?
Nobody wants to think about these things, but they're questions that need answers. We're all living for longer with illnesses that may not have cures, but do have treatments.
Hopefully I've given you something to think about...
Monday, November 7, 2011
Old Friends Vs. New Friends
We all have them - friends that we call "friends" because we've known each other forever and have managed to stay in touch through high school, college, boyfriends, 21st birthdays - you name it, they've made it through with you.
Then, there are our new friends. Those we either met in college and have stayed in touch with or those we've found through the workplace.
The question I've been struggling with lately is not necessarily who is better, but more importantly, who is more loyal?
True - the tendency is to assume the old friend because well - they're an "old" friend and have been there with you through it all. Well, no offense here but, who the heck cares? Honestly, lately I've been pretty disappointed in my relationships with my oldest friends. We aren't making time for each other, haven't called to talk to each other, or even send a text to see how each other is doing. In fact, I've flat out not returned calls and vice versa. Question is: Why is this happening?
I think there is a lot more leniency with the "old" friend. Well, we can just see each other another time, we always manage to see each other at some point! OR, I or he/she is more likely to be understanding because we've known each other for so long. There is no one willing to plan a meeting ahead of time anymore - where as, new friends tend to want to schedule - even a month in advance! Which works better for me personally since I have a husband and 2 children...
Regardless, friendships are work. Just like any other relationship. And they take two. Or three or four or however many friends are in your circle, clique, whatever.
I feel useless sometimes as a friend too because honestly, my life is boring. It's routine. I have no drama, no cool stories, nothing interesting to report - Sometimes I feel like my days are like the movie "Groundhog Day" and every now and then, it gets to switch up if I do something special with Luke or a fun activity with the kids.
I feel like newer friends are more accepting of my boring life. Sometimes I feel like old friends still expect me to be who I once was or my "old" self, which just isn't the case.
I don't know - Life, once again, you continue to show me things that sometimes I don't like, but I also know that everything happens for a reason.
I guess this saying says it all...
"One loyal friend is worth ten thousand relatives."
- Euripides, Greek playwrite
Then, there are our new friends. Those we either met in college and have stayed in touch with or those we've found through the workplace.
The question I've been struggling with lately is not necessarily who is better, but more importantly, who is more loyal?
True - the tendency is to assume the old friend because well - they're an "old" friend and have been there with you through it all. Well, no offense here but, who the heck cares? Honestly, lately I've been pretty disappointed in my relationships with my oldest friends. We aren't making time for each other, haven't called to talk to each other, or even send a text to see how each other is doing. In fact, I've flat out not returned calls and vice versa. Question is: Why is this happening?
I think there is a lot more leniency with the "old" friend. Well, we can just see each other another time, we always manage to see each other at some point! OR, I or he/she is more likely to be understanding because we've known each other for so long. There is no one willing to plan a meeting ahead of time anymore - where as, new friends tend to want to schedule - even a month in advance! Which works better for me personally since I have a husband and 2 children...
Regardless, friendships are work. Just like any other relationship. And they take two. Or three or four or however many friends are in your circle, clique, whatever.
I feel useless sometimes as a friend too because honestly, my life is boring. It's routine. I have no drama, no cool stories, nothing interesting to report - Sometimes I feel like my days are like the movie "Groundhog Day" and every now and then, it gets to switch up if I do something special with Luke or a fun activity with the kids.
I feel like newer friends are more accepting of my boring life. Sometimes I feel like old friends still expect me to be who I once was or my "old" self, which just isn't the case.
I don't know - Life, once again, you continue to show me things that sometimes I don't like, but I also know that everything happens for a reason.
I guess this saying says it all...
"One loyal friend is worth ten thousand relatives."
- Euripides, Greek playwrite
Thursday, November 3, 2011
Routine
5:31 A.M. Wake up in a cold bed. Alone.
Push snooze once, maybe twice.
5:40 A.M. Jump out of bed. Freezing.
Quiet! Don't wake the baby!
Shower.
Warmer.
Lotion.
Make-up.
Hair. Ugh. Forget the hair. Twist. Up.
Quiet! Don't wake the toddler!
Tip-toe downstairs.
Dress in the dark.
Quiet!
Turn on the lights. Wake the baby.
He stretches. I change him. Dress him. Happiness.
Upstairs.
Wake the toddler.
He stretches. Whines. I change him. Dress him. Happiness.
Everybody downstairs.
Coffee. Lunch. Jackets. Mittens. Carseat. Purse. Keys.
Into the Car.
Carseats.
Seatbelts.
Gone.
Daycare.
Jackets. Mittens. Carseat. We need diapers. Mental note.
Car.
Drive to work.
Enjoy my coffee.
Enjoy the silence.
Sometimes prayer.
Work.
Climb the stairs.
Emails. Meetings. Phone calls. Polite conversations. Thoughts. Spreadsheets.
Lunch.
Emails. Meetings Phone calls. Polite conversations. Thoughts. Spreadsheets.
4:00 P.M. Go Home.
Daycare. Jackets. Mittens. Carseat. More polite conversation. Kisses. Hugs.
Car.
Drive home.
Jackets. Mittens. Carseat. Purse. Bags.
Into the house.
Play. Play. Play.
Make dinner.
Eat dinner.
Play. Play. Play.
Bathtime. Bubbles. Laughs. Hugs. Happiness.
Play. Play. Play.
Bedtime. Bottle. Books. Songs. Kisses. Hugs. Happiness.
Silence.
T.V.? Movie?
Silence.
Relaxation.
Into Bed.
Don't forget diapers.
Repeat Daily.
Starting to wonder where you are in all this.
Miss you. Love you.
Push snooze once, maybe twice.
5:40 A.M. Jump out of bed. Freezing.
Quiet! Don't wake the baby!
Shower.
Warmer.
Lotion.
Make-up.
Hair. Ugh. Forget the hair. Twist. Up.
Quiet! Don't wake the toddler!
Tip-toe downstairs.
Dress in the dark.
Quiet!
Turn on the lights. Wake the baby.
He stretches. I change him. Dress him. Happiness.
Upstairs.
Wake the toddler.
He stretches. Whines. I change him. Dress him. Happiness.
Everybody downstairs.
Coffee. Lunch. Jackets. Mittens. Carseat. Purse. Keys.
Into the Car.
Carseats.
Seatbelts.
Gone.
Daycare.
Jackets. Mittens. Carseat. We need diapers. Mental note.
Car.
Drive to work.
Enjoy my coffee.
Enjoy the silence.
Sometimes prayer.
Work.
Climb the stairs.
Emails. Meetings. Phone calls. Polite conversations. Thoughts. Spreadsheets.
Lunch.
Emails. Meetings Phone calls. Polite conversations. Thoughts. Spreadsheets.
4:00 P.M. Go Home.
Daycare. Jackets. Mittens. Carseat. More polite conversation. Kisses. Hugs.
Car.
Drive home.
Jackets. Mittens. Carseat. Purse. Bags.
Into the house.
Play. Play. Play.
Make dinner.
Eat dinner.
Play. Play. Play.
Bathtime. Bubbles. Laughs. Hugs. Happiness.
Play. Play. Play.
Bedtime. Bottle. Books. Songs. Kisses. Hugs. Happiness.
Silence.
T.V.? Movie?
Silence.
Relaxation.
Into Bed.
Don't forget diapers.
Repeat Daily.
Starting to wonder where you are in all this.
Miss you. Love you.
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
The Other Half
Not surprising to most, but I happen to be one of the youngest employees in my office and in my industry. I had the opportunity yesterday to go out to lunch with a sales representative, one of his team mates and my own "boss". All of which are 5-15 years old than I am and have also been married 5-15 years longer than I have. Exception: I have been a mom longer than one of them, but, that still makes me "more immature" I suppose in their eyes since it's probably blatently obvious that at least one of my pregnancies was unplanned (which hey, since we're being honest here, it was).
The conversation got on the topic of marriage and being comfortable in your marriage. Comfortable enough to "not care" what your in-laws think about you. It's been a long time since I genuinely cared what others thought about me. All those cares seem to go out the window at some point in college I suppose, but in truth, I still REALLY care how my in-laws perceive me.
Why is this?
Maybe it's because deep down I know they will never think I'm not good enough for their son? I know I will probably feel that way when our sons bring home "the one" for the first time. I mean, is anyone ever going to be truly good enough for your child? I don't know. I guess I'll find out when the time comes.
Or maybe it's because they do SO MUCH for our family. They give their love, their time, their money and their everything basically into loving us and caring about us.
I like the second option better.
Honestly, I don't ever want to stop caring what my in-laws think of me. Because when I do, or when anyone does stop caring, I can bet that they definitely don't care what their spouse thinks of them anymore... Am I right to have this assumption? I guess I'm in no shape to tell someone else how to live or how to act or how to be, but I just know that I never want to be someone that stops caring about anything or anyone that I marry or marry into.
You can bet if Luke started acting disrespectful toward or disregarding manners and basic courtesy toward anyone in my family he would hear about it. Pretty sure I'm expected to show the same towards him and his family...
But - yesterday when I voiced this I was perceived as "you're just not there yet". Well, newsflash for ya'll - I hope I never get "there". Because "there" didn't look like it was was a very good destination to be.
Oh, life - how you continue to teach me and show me new things that I don't always want to know or see....
The conversation got on the topic of marriage and being comfortable in your marriage. Comfortable enough to "not care" what your in-laws think about you. It's been a long time since I genuinely cared what others thought about me. All those cares seem to go out the window at some point in college I suppose, but in truth, I still REALLY care how my in-laws perceive me.
Why is this?
Maybe it's because deep down I know they will never think I'm not good enough for their son? I know I will probably feel that way when our sons bring home "the one" for the first time. I mean, is anyone ever going to be truly good enough for your child? I don't know. I guess I'll find out when the time comes.
Or maybe it's because they do SO MUCH for our family. They give their love, their time, their money and their everything basically into loving us and caring about us.
I like the second option better.
Honestly, I don't ever want to stop caring what my in-laws think of me. Because when I do, or when anyone does stop caring, I can bet that they definitely don't care what their spouse thinks of them anymore... Am I right to have this assumption? I guess I'm in no shape to tell someone else how to live or how to act or how to be, but I just know that I never want to be someone that stops caring about anything or anyone that I marry or marry into.
You can bet if Luke started acting disrespectful toward or disregarding manners and basic courtesy toward anyone in my family he would hear about it. Pretty sure I'm expected to show the same towards him and his family...
But - yesterday when I voiced this I was perceived as "you're just not there yet". Well, newsflash for ya'll - I hope I never get "there". Because "there" didn't look like it was was a very good destination to be.
Oh, life - how you continue to teach me and show me new things that I don't always want to know or see....
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