Sweet Nothings & Random Thoughts

My intern is gone today and I'm selfishly upset about it. He unfortunately had a death in his family and will be gone for the next two days. You mean I actually have to make copies, respond to emails, run errends and return phone calls myself? What? With all the bitching and moaning I've been doing about this intern and his lack of common sense, he seriously does so much for me and I, like a jerk, don't realize it until he's gone. I plan to do something nice for him when he comes back and let me him know how much I appreciate what he does for me on a daily basis (in a non-creepy way). I'm open to suggestions on how to do this (in a non-creepy way).

I also got in a fight with my husband last night. Nothing major or anything, just a little spat. And it was my fault, which is so hard for me to admit, but it's true. I even admitted it was my fault and said I was sorry, so we're fine now. It all started because Luke was checking out houses online. The housing market around our area is dirt cheap for HUGE houses that typically have a sizable amount of land associated with them. Example: 4 bedroom, 3 bathroom home. Fully finished. 4 acres of land. All hard wood floors, yadda yadda yadda, some other nice stuff too, goes for $135,000 - $175,000. For those that don't know squat about the housing market, that's dirt cheap right there (why I just mocked Larry the Cable Guy, I don't know, but it just works because that's how folks talk in Wisconsin).

Long story short, Luke thinks it's possible for us to buy a house and I was being really negative about the whole thing. I get nervous when we talk about spending large sums of the money we've worked hard to save. But, naturally, it makes sense to invest that money into a home and some land. DUH. In hindsight, I understand why he got frustrated with my negative attitude. And I get it, we should consider it and we most likely will. I think I was just negative because both boys were "in a mood" last night (aka - didn't take good naps at school or daycare) and there were a million things to get done around my house. Had Luke approached me after the kids went to bed and had I finally had a chance to sit down and relax, the conversation would have been much different.

I also plan on getting hubs something to show how much I love and appreciate him. I love that he wants to grow and achieve and get a home and is thinking about the future for our family. Why was I being so negative?!?! How crappy of me.

Basically the point of my conversation today is that I need to appreciate the people in my life a little more. I need to slow down and smell the friggin' roses (literally and metaphorically).

So to get things started on the right foot, here are five things I'm grateful for today:

1. I got to spend the morning with my children. They drove into work with me and my mom picked them up to take them for the day. I got to hold them, kiss them and hear their voices for longer than a normal day. It was fantastic.
2. My husband already said "I love you" to me 3 times today. And meant it.
3. I got to spend quality one-on-one time with my boss talking about important issues and constructive ideas, rather than rushing through and not having his full attention. Seriously priceless - His insight is amazingly helpful and useful for professional growth.
4. I remembered my niece's and brother's birthdays and am sending them little cards and gifts in the mail today!
5. I have amazing friends. 

I will also end with this quote I came across in my readings this week:

Lisa Jackson, "To be a strong woman, you don't have to give up on the things that define you as a woman. Empowering yourself doesn't have to mean rejecting motherhood, or eliminating the nurturing or feminine aspects of who you are."

Amen, Lisa. Amen.

My Cup Runneth Over

This story stems from here.

I couldn't sleep last night after hearing this story. A man killed his own young daughters. His own flesh and blood. His own children. My mind cannot comprehend this and my heart is refusing to accept it. Tears swelled my eyes the moment my husband told me this story yesterday. People, this is just too much.


The policy chief of River Falls was quoted saying in his 34 years with River Falls, he has never witnessed a more unimaginable crime, nor has he ever dealt with a crime of this caliber.

I could go on and on about the tragedy of this event and I know most of you can agree this is completely awful.

If you're a mother like me, the thought of losing even one child is something I cannot ever fathom. And this mother lost all three. And so, my cup runneth over for this mother, her family, the friends of these three girls, and the community of River Falls, Wisconsin.

It is River Falls Days this weekend (town festival). Our family will be attending and you can bet we will be donating funds to this mother for her loss.

Some days I just can't bring myself to watch the news - To see the tragedies taking place in this world. To see man kind's hate, rage, vengeance, especially if it is against young children. Today is one of those days.... T.V., radio, and electronic silence in honor of these three angels.

Weekend Fluff.

I don't know about you guys, but our weekend was amazingly awesome. We spent so much time with family and friends and best of all, each other, and everything felt right in my world.

Friday my parents had Jacob (our youngest) for the day, then they picked up Colton (our oldest) from preschool, which was a surprise for him, he loved it. They then treated us all to dinner at Pier 500, which is this amazing restaurant on the St. Croix River. It's your typical American restaurant - Indoor and outdoor bars with lots of indoor and outdoor seating. Outside is more casual and inside is fancy. There just so happened to be a carnival right across the street too, so we took the kids over there after dinner for some fun and rides. Needless to say, everyone was pooped out when we got home - We were all in bed by 9:00 PM!

Saturday morning I was up at 6AM and went for a run - 4 miles was enough for me, it was already so hot and muggy! The kids were still sleeping when I got back, so I showered and started breakfast, french toast and sausage, YUM! And strawberries and bananas too... A trip to Target and a little outdoor playtime outside completed our morning. We took a trip to Stillwater, Luke got a new cell phone, then we went home, had lunch, took naps, then were off to a birthday party for our little cousin Eli. The birthday party was SO FUN - The kids swam, played in the sandboxes, went down slides, played on swings, jumped on a trampoline, went on a hayride and watched fireworks - Needless to say, everyone was pooped out when we got home!

Sunday was a lazy bones day - We all took naps - The kids slept for 5 HOURS!! Mommy and Daddy slept for 4 hours and we stayed in the air conditioning all day. I did a little cleaning and made dinner around 6:00. The kids were back in bed by 8:00 PM and Luke and I stayed up and watched The Dark Knight. I'm terrible at staying up to watch movies - I have good intentions, but I typically end up falling asleep on Luke. Last night was no exception.

I hit snooze this morning about 5 times, Monday mornings are SO TOUGH! I find myself conflicted every Monday morning... Should I quit? Become a SAHM? Then I get to work, start rockin' away at my emails and phone messages and realize this is awesome too - My job. My career. My work peeps. It is important to keep things in balance.

What was the highlight of your weekend??? I'd love to hear...


xx

Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA or ACA Since 2010)

Unless you've been living under a rock with no access to radio, television or phone, or even earshot of other people, you're well aware of the Supreme Court's decision yesterday regarding three parts of the PPACA.

1) Does the law overstep federal authority in the "individual mandate" requiring most Americans to purchase health insurance or pay a financial penalty?

2) Must the entire PPACA be declared if that key provision is unconstitutional (or, in contrast, are the offending provisions "severable" such that the constitutional provisions may stand without them)?

3) Are states being "coerced" by the federal government to expand their share of Medicaid costs and administration, with the risk of losing that funding if they refuse?

Most notably being covered by the press is parts 1 and 2 - Rightly so since number 3 was ruled out (5-4 vote, by the way).

First of all, I'm incredibly irritated by everyone referring to this law, including news reporters and radio announcers, as Obamacare. Yes, yes, I understand that is the nickname of the law and they most likely refer to it as Obamacare so the general public will readily understand what they are referring to. HOWEVER, it is their DUTY to keep the general public informed - So, can we please start referring to this law by its name and/or abbreviation which, if you haven't figured it out by now is - The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act or PPACA or ACA or PPA.


I'm also concerned for the fact that I bet most people believe the PPACA has not gone into effect yet and it was being "held up" by the Supreme Court. I hope that I'm wrong, but I have a feeling most don't know that this law went into effect back in March of 2010 (March 23, 2010, to be exact). It's going into effect in "small parts" - The law is incredibly, seriously super long - Our states take direction from the Federal Government on how to put these "parts" into effect, which, by the way, as a result of this law going into force has created a substantial amount of jobs, which, in my opinion, is a good thing.


Fun Fact: The Federal Government is using/has used Minnesota as its example on how to put many parts of this law into effect - Our state has the best healthcare system in the nation, however, I must point out, we pay into this program in our taxes - it. is. not. free.


I consider myself to be a person who remains "moderate" when it comes to political parties and all things political and I was honestly shocked the individual mandate passed through the Supreme Court. And it passed through because of congress' ability to imply a tax - which by the way, President Obama argued strongly and ruthlessly that this was not a tax, it was a penalty. I find it somewhat humorous that the fact it is  a tax, no matter the synonym you use, is what got the individual mandate through the Supreme Court.

I know the viewpoint above does not sound moderate, but I do believe the government should not FORCE any American to do anything they cannot afford to do. Obviously this is a loaded statement, but we are the land of the free and the home of the brave and to me this is crossing the line. And as a result of individuals not being able to afford it, they have to pay a penalty - Really, Uncle Sam? Come on, now.

That being said, I also do not like the fact that for individuals who choose not to have health insurance, even though they can absolutely afford it, when BAM something happens to them, guess who pays to help that person pay for the healthcare costs they cannot afford because they chose not to buy their own health insurance? If your answer is the government pays for it, you're wrong. You do. You pay for it in your taxes and your health insurance premiums (which are expected to keep rising FYI).

You know who really benefits from all this at the end of the day? The insurance companies and you guessed it, the government. The insurance companies benefit because everyone is being FORCED to buy coverage. The government benefits because if you choose not to buy coverage, you have to pay a penalty (tax) to Uncle Sam.

Unfortunately, this law is not a good thing for the insurance agent and financial professional community. Because of the states being allowed to create their own health insurance exchanges (again, they will receive instruction from the feds on how to do this), they are hiring a lot of employees for these programs. Part of those employees will be "advisors" to help individuals pick which plan is right for them and their families. These "advisors" do not even have to be insurance licensed professionals. Why? Because the government says they don't have to be. However, anyone else in the insurance or financial community will need to maintain their licenses and pay for continuing education - Strange. I know. Also, as a result of the "penalty" in the PPACA, companies will also pay a "penalty" of they do not offer health insurance to their employees. This "penalty" for bigger companies is actually cheaper than offering their employees benefits - So, as a CEO, what would you do? Pay the penalty and send your employees out into the exchange or continue to break your bank offering benefits? Hmm. Tough choice. The financial community will be taking a hit for this - They will lose clients to the exchange - No doubt about it. Especially if health insurance is their bread and butter. And let me tell you, they are fired up about this and are concerned for their clients well being.

I personally don't believe the PPACA does not address the real issue at hand with healthcare in our country - The issue of the lack of primary care. Our country does a fantastic job of instituting programs and initiatives and federal and state programs for those that are chronically ill. What are we doing to prevent people from becoming chronically ill???? Our country does not do a good job of taking care of its healthy population and most of all, KEEPING US HEALTHY and LIVING INDEPENDENTLY. And that, ladies and gentleman, is what is/and is going to continue bankrupting our country.

YOUR HEALTH IS EVERYTHING. Who are you without your good health? Heck, I complain even when I have a minor cold or sinus headache. Can you imagine being chronically ill and the amount of time you have to take off work, away from you family, and how quickly that BREAKS YOUR BANK.

Or how quickly you become mentally certain or sorry for my lack of etiquette with this next phrase, but brainwashed into believing you are unable to work or stay independent and anxious to have others take care of you or take advantage of state and federal programs - I understand not everyone does this and again, it's another loaded statement, but we have to have more programs and companies HELPING people stay financially independent for as long as possible. We need more companies like Lifesprk - check them out.

Don't get me wrong, I like the idea of everyone having access to healthcare. I don't, however, like the idea of government forcing Americans to buy health insurance coverage, especially those that do not have the means to do so or those that may have religious implications. I don't like the negative effect of this law on the financial community because it is one I work in and one I am passionate about. I also don't like that the PPACA does nothing to solve the primary issues at hand with the healthcare system in the United States, which is lack of primary care and lack of efforts to keep our population healthy and financially independent.

Phew. End rant. For update on what's next for the PPACA VISIT THIS SITE.

Tuesday Quote and Thoughts.

I've blogged about Oswald Chambers before, you can find that entry here.

I wanted to share with you a quote from Oswald Chambers that truly touched my heart today...

"The most important aspect of Christianity is not the work we do, but the relationships we maintain and the surrounding influences and qualities produced by those relationships. That is all God asks us to give our attention to, and it is the thing that is continually under attack."

I'm never out to push my beliefs on anyone or anything, but faith has been the one thing that has gotten be through some tough times. It's what I cling to when everything else goes wrong and I feel very small and out of control. And you know what? Almost instantly when I feel that closeness and presence of faith and God in my life, I feel better. No joke.

I believe it is important to talk about your faith, give credit to it and share it with others, but I don't think it's right to force it on other people or make them uncomfortable.

I hope you're all having a fantastic Tuesday and feel free to leave a comment on what gets you through life when all seems wrong (or better yet, when all seems right, who are you thanking?).

xx

Gratitude.

Colton - 2 Years. 9 Months.

Jacob - 1 year. 2 months.

I'm so grateful for my beautiful sons.

They light up my life and give me more joy than I could have ever expected.

In so many ways they have made me a better person.

I never knew my heart was capable of holding so much love.

Lucas & Nicole

And it all happened because we met, feel in love and come what may, will get through it all together.

Monday is a great day to name all the things we're thankful for. What are you most grateful for?

Randoms & Tidbits

I was driving into work this morning (which by the way has been averaging an hour and a half on the road because of summer road construction) and it occurred to me... My 27th birthday is in exactly two months.  TWENTY SEVEN. For anyone out there reading this that is older than me, I know you're rolling your eyes, but holy crap, I suddenly felt old, wondering when the hell my life started flying by so fast.

One of my close friends is about to have her second child. I'm anxious and excited for her. I'm thankful I will finally have a friend that has two children and someone that will really know and understand what I go through every day. I also feel like we're on a similar level when it comes to motherhood. If you're a mom, you know what I mean by this statement...

Being off  Facebook has been one of the best decisions I've ever made for my professional and personal life. I realized Facebook was making it difficult for me to look forward instead of backward. I'd be sucked into old pictures, thoughts of old flings, old habits and old friends - frequently wondering "what if" and feeling haunted by my past choices and feeling incapable of letting go - sometimes good, sometimes bad - but mostly just keeping and holding me back. Needless to say the freedom from all of this nonsense is freaking fantastic.

I've been reading a lot lately. Plowing through the books. I've read three books (700 page books) in the past three weeks. Not to mention I've been gobbling up magazine articles at work (mostly financial and work related materials). I love reading again. I love the house when it's completely quiet (after the kids go to bed) and I sit up and read. Luke usually stays by me too, sometimes it's nice to enjoy the quiet with your mate - there's something about it - it's just you two, alone, in the quiet, it's nice. More than nice.

I've also managed to make time for my friends and girl time. I'm surrounded by men all the time, at work and at home. Girl time is NECESSARY for me and flat out mandatory at least once a month, if not more.

My kids are getting easier and easier everyday. It hurts me that we don't have any little babies anymore - we have little boys! Luke and I have kicked around the idea of having more children someday, probably just one more. However, we also like the thought of being in our early 40's when our kids head off to college... And I have a hard time deciphering in my heart if we're meant to have more children... Time will tell.

Enough about me... What's been happening lately in your life that's given you freedom, relief or gratitude?