2014: Let's Recap

I don't like blogging but I do like doing a year in review post! 

1. What did you do in 2014 that you’d never done before?
We bought brand new furniture! Last January, we finally got to live in this house as a single family unit and it was the best thing ever! This summer, we finally go around to cleaning up the upstairs to make it our space and we painted, cleaned, put in carpet, had the hardwood refinished, and bought new furniture. 
2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
Last year I wanted to work out more, find some time for myself, and buy a house.  I did manage to work out more until it got cold out, I did not get more me time, but we are getting closer to buying the house. For this year, I want to get back to going to church, reading more, and sewing more.
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
My sister in law had a baby this August! 
4. Did anyone close to you die?
No.
5. What states did you visit? (I changed this one, as I will never get to visit one country a year.)
The only place I visited was Las Vegas, again for work.   6. What would you like to have in 2015 that you didn’t have in 2014?
  Financial freedom? We had to get into a little bit of debt to get out of a bigger debt, so it's already looking up for us but we need to stay on track.
7. What dates from 2014 will be etched upon your memory, and why?

August 18th, when Jacob started his first day of public school.
8. What was your biggest achievement of this year?
I've been a single parent for a large part of the year when Chris took on a new(old) profession to help end our cycle of poverty.  Some things were hard to handle alone, but it wasn't miserable!
9. What was your biggest failure?
I totally failed at Christmas presents this year because I got sick.
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
This Fall and Winter have been brutal on Elise and me. We just seem to get sick every other week and it's been miserable! 
11. What was the best thing you bought?
 A new truck for Chris. I don't like the payments, but it sure makes him happy.
12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
 Chris, for being willing to work away from home and when he got laid off two weeks ago, for finding a new job right away, even when it's not something he enjoys doing.
13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
 The Ferguson responses made me pretty sad and angry.  
14. Where did most of your money go?
Sallie Mae and Ford Credit.(same as last year! But, next year, we do not owe a single dime to Ford!)

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
 Going to Vegas! 
16. What song will always remind you of 2013?
Shake it off, Blank Space, All About That Bass
17. Compared to this time last year, are you: a) happier or sadder? b) thinner or fatter? c) richer or poorer?
Happier
Thinner, but not by much.
Poorer. But without a giant debt over our heads. 
18. What do you wish you’d done more of?
Playing with the kids with their toys.(same as last year, darn it.)
19. What do you wish you’d done less of?
Yelling. I hate it but sometimes I get so frustrated. (Ditto)
20. How did you spend Christmas?
At home in the morning with just Chris and the kids. Then we went to Chris's parents for the rest of the day. My mom was out of town, so we didn't celebrate with my side until Saturday.
21. What was your favorite TV program?
Nashville, House of Cards, Orange is the New Black, Black Mirror
22. What was the best thing you learned? (I changed this question.)
How to make earrings. Honestly, I'm drawing a blank on new things. 
23. What was the best book you read?
Outlander, although I haven't been able to start book three yet.
25. What was your greatest food discovery? (I changed this question.)
I didn't have to cook much when Chris was gone and it was amazing. But I did start using zucchini and spaghetti squash instead of pasta. 
26. What did you want and get?
Tall black boots. Uggs!
27. What did you want and not get?
A fire pit (again!)
28. What was your favorite film of 2014?
 We watch so few movies, I don't even think I saw a new one this year. Silver Linings Playbook was the only one that comes to mind.
29. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I turned 31. We went to Manitou Springs and let the kids play arcade games and then waiting for ever for dinner from one place I thought would be amazing and it was only so-so.
30. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Having a contract on our house would be nice, but it would be even better if Chris could make good money locally.
31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept of 2013?

I bought my first pair of nice jeans. And now I want more!
32. What kept you sane?
My mom and having a good network of friends to help me when I need it. 
33. What political issue stirred you the most?
The Ferguson issues and the issues it raised.  
34. Who did you miss?
My grandma in PA. 
35. Who was the best new person you met?
Sandra and Nicole!
36. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2014.
Garnishments on your wages are a never ending cycle. Don't buy shit you can't or won't pay for!
37. Show us one of your favorite photos from the year. (I changed this question. It used to be about music. Which I don’t really listen to.)

Eleven Things

Back before I even knew what blogging was, I had a Xanga account, just like all my other friends in college.  We all wrote posts and commented on each others and had serious conversations about two other Xanga pages when they started stalking us and making crazy comments on every thing we wrote.  Of course, those two crazy people turned out to be one person pulling the wool over our eyes in a genius manner! 

But the other thing we did all the time was memes. MySpace was also a good place for those, and while I do not miss MySpace at all, I do have a fondness for memes. 

So because Leah tagged me here, I'm playing along! 

1. What is your favorite type of cheese? 

I like most cheeses (except goat cheese. I've tried it many times. It tastes like a goat's pen and I just cannot) but my favorite would probably be brie.  Baked, cold, room temperature, with cranberries, or pears!

2. What are you excited about?
That summer is almost here! I know having kids around with no agenda is stressful for many, but for me, it's more of a break. No rushing to get to school and back to work.  I can send Elise and Jacob out to the backyard and let them play in the sand or with the water. Eating lunch on the patio and letting the bunny roam around the car port! Summer means a lot more freedom for us, and we have a great neighborhood for kids. 

3. How did you celebrate your last birthday?
We didn't! Which is fine, end of summer tends to be a bit busy for everyone.  I worry more about how Jacob will feel if the same business gets in the way of celebrating his day. 

4. What is on your bedside table? 
A lamp with a classy silicone potholder on top to keep the room dim at bedtime.  A Bible, which I am terrible about opening and reading. A pair of headphones for the iPad when I was watching Breaking Bad in bed every night.  And a corn warmer for my feet, although it's nice enough now to leave the windows open at night.  Finally! 

5. What do you order from the movie theatre's concession stand? 
Popcorn and a soda. But we split it between all of us, although I do think that the popcorn has gotten to be terrible. Fake butter of the past was much better than the new fake butter. 

6. Do you have a garden? What's growing?
We do have a garden! But right now it's only growing weeds.  Chris decided that he wanted to pour a concrete curb around it this year, rather than our signature mark of neon orange plastic fencing.  It took a very long time to get the trench dug, but it's finally finished and we just need to rotor-till the ground and plant the seeds.  I don't see us getting much of a crop this year, but that's ok. 

7. Any summer plans? 
Getting the kids in swim lessons as soon as possible. Working in the afternoons is very hard in the summer because the pool opens at one.  So if we can do morning lessons, I feel better about missing out on pool time.  Chris really wants to take a trip to Yellowstone, so we are trying to work that plan out in the next week or so.  At least we won't haul a boat that far, unlike last summer's trip. 

8. Which TV couple's are you rooting for? 
Well, I have a very large backlog of TV to get through. I'm behind on Nashville, Scandal, Mad Men, Modern Family, etc. Mostly because I've been reading (The Passage series! OMG, scary.) and because I hardly have time to sit down to watch it alone. It's not very fun to start a show at 11 PM. Although I will start a sewing project that late because I'm crazy. 

9. What's the last thing you bought?
We went to the mall last weekend and I got new undies and 2 new shirts. And fabric to make an apron for a gift.

10. What is one thing you are passionate about?
This one is kind of tricky.  I love my job and my kids and my hobbies and usually my husband. But sometimes I get burned out by work, and I yell at my kids too much. I really neglect my husband as I have a lot of jobs to do and as the other adult, he get's the shaft of my attention.  I know things will calm someday, but for now it feels like I don't have enough time to be passionate about anything. 

11. What are you grateful for this week?
That we've had rain, my kids are happy to be outside, I can go running, and it's a payday week!

Bullet Post

1. I got a Fitbit for Christmas from Chris's parents (I asked for it, just FYI. They don't think I need to get in shape.) I think it's awesome, but then I put it on my jeans one day instead of my bra and I WASHED IT. Luckily, so far it's working but I'll grab the receipt just in case it starts acting up. Also, I feel bad for my poor little flower shrinking when I sit down at my desk everyday for work. 

2. It wasn't too cold and windy out today, so I brought the kids outside to play. Elise speeds around the yard like a little bullet and I realize how hard winter is on her in our tiny little space.  I've been trying to take some time everyday and play with them. There are so many things I can be doing in the house at any given time and I don't always make toys the priority. But right now, we have so many new ones that it would be a good habit to develop. 

3. I went to Ikea last week to finally use the gift card I got the year before and the silverware set I needed to buy was out of stock. So I consoled myself with some meatballs and a new pillow. And .99 plastic containers.

4. Hunter ran away on Christmas Eve.  It was all my fault, because I let him out to go pee and I forgot to let him back in. I even commented to Chris about how strange it was that he isn't around, since he's been sleeping in Jacob's room on a foam couch. I had no idea the reason I didn't see him was because he was outside. Had I not gone into Jacob's room to turn off the computer, I wouldn't have realized he was gone until morning.  Chris drove around looking for him at midnight for almost an hour.  I left his bed outside, in hopes that he would find his way home, but we've always found him before so I wasn't sure he knew how to get home.  I woke up at 5 AM and checked outside and found him.  He was a bit chubby and he moved pretty stiffly from the cold, but he was home. 

5.  I love the holidays for the time off, but so much of it gets filled up with obligations. However, I did get to go see the Hobbit with Jacob and my aunt and uncle.  Jacob told Chris before we left that he "was going on a date with your wife." It was pretty special. 

2013: In Review

 I know I haven't posted since MAY, but these are always fun to do and pretty much the only way I'm keeping track of my year at this point. 



1. What did you do in 2013 that you’d never done before?
Got MARRIED! June 22nd, and officially on July 1st. Went camping with the children (never again).
2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I did not make any last year, but this year I am striving to be more active, find time for myself again, and buy a house.
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
No, we all had babies the year before.
4. Did anyone close to you die?
No.
5. What states did you visit? (I changed this one, as I will never get to visit one country a year.)
Nebraska! It's really hard and expensive to travel with a baby and a small child. 
Las Vegas for the ABC Kids show with my job. It was so wonderful to hang out with my co-workers. That is the downside to working from home. 
Pennsylvania to visit my grandparents. It was over too fast but I really love my Grandma Pat. 
6. What would you like to have in 2013 that you didn’t have in 2012?
I'm still waiting on a place to call our own, but the light is at the end of the tunnel. Finally!
7. What dates from 2013 will be etched upon your memory, and why?
June 22nd, because we got married!

8. What was your biggest achievement of this year?
Convincing Chris that we should finally get married. I've been waiting for about 5 years now. Managing to take care of all of us AND work with an active toddler.
9. What was your biggest failure?
Doing too much. I can't do it all but I can certainly try and wear myself out.
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
I had two bouts of a stomach bug this Spring. One was so bad I had to send Elise and Jacob to Chris's parents and Chris had to come home from work to help me that night. The weight loss was nice but not the helplessness.
11. What was the best thing you bought?
I didn't buy it but I got a leaf blower for Christmas and I am super jazzed about it.
12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
Jacob for being a pretty stellar big brother. Elise for being so adorable and hilarious.
13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
Christians. If you aren't spreading the love of Jesus then you are doing it wrong.
14. Where did most of your money go?
Sallie Mae and Ford Credit.

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Going to Vegas! And getting married, but I had three whole nights of not taking care of the baby for Vegas.
16. What song will always remind you of 2013?
Two Black Cadillacs, Whistle Baby, Springsteen
17. Compared to this time last year, are you: a) happier or sadder? b) thinner or fatter? c) richer or poorer?
I can't say I'm happier or sadder, but it's about the same.
Thinner! Baby weight be gone. Almost.
Poorer.
18. What do you wish you’d done more of?
Playing with the kids with their toys.
19. What do you wish you’d done less of?
Yelling. I hate it but sometimes I get so frustrated.
20. How did you spend Christmas?
At home in the morning with just Chris and the kids. Later we went to Chris's parents and then my mom's. It was a good day.
21. What was your favorite TV program?
Scandal, Breaking Bad, Orange is the New Black, House of Cards, Nashville, Modern Family.
22. What was the best thing you learned? (I changed this question.)
How to make pretzels.
23. What was the best book you read?
I Know This Much Is True.
25. What was your greatest food discovery? (I changed this question.)
I can make Patty Melts and they are the best.
26. What did you want and get?
A FitBit
27. What did you want and not get?
A fire pit
28. What was your favorite film of 2012?
I really liked Catching Fire, but that is the only movie I saw in the theatre.
29. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I turned 30 this year. We didn't do anything special though!
30. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?

Buying the house we live in currently.
31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept of 2013?

I was really happy to be back in my pre-Elise clothing. Nothing new, but my body is going back to normal.
32. What kept you sane?
My mom, and sometimes Chris but his idea of talk therapy isn't really the same as mine.
33. What political issue stirred you the most?
It's not political, per say, but I was very upset about the response that the Duck Dynasty comments about homosexuality received.
34. Who did you miss?
My grandma and now that they are gone again, I really miss my brother and sister in law.
35. Who was the best new person you met?
I don't think I made any new friends this year.
36. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2013.
Don't judge people. Easier said than done, I know, but it's really not our place.
37. Show us one of your favorite photos from the year. (I changed this question. It used to be about music. Which I don’t really listen to.)

Easter Was Last Week, Right?

 No, not it was not. But yet, those are the most recent photos I have.

Two kids, one almost husband, one wedding, a job, a dog, and a house take up all my time. Although I have read a few books in the last few weeks (Sookie, Robin Hobb's last dragon book, something else that I thought was important and forgot)

We planted our garden last Monday and already the corn, cucumbers, and squash are up. Flowers are starting to bloom and our grass is getting greener. Winter seemed to never end this Spring and suddenly, it's summer and we spent yesterday afternoon at the pool. 

Time seemed to go so slowly before I had children. Suddenly, it's 3 days until June and my baby girl is going to be a whole year old. I hear Jacob is turning 5 this Fall and I'm choosing to ignore that. Surely, he's only 3, maybe 4?

Naked on a Snowy Day

 The other day was cold and snowy, which meant we stayed in almost all day. It also made my bedroom super bright and the perfect place to take a few photos of Elise for a little work project. 

Her eyes here are the very best! I mean that more from a photo point than a beauty one, since I've never been great at capturing eyes in my pictures.

 Always chewing on something, the little biter.

Points to you if you can spot Jacob's shotgun...

9 Months

 So this is where we are at nine months. She is almost to the age where she's been outside as long as she was inside and I have never been more aware of how fast the days go by. 

Not only can she pull herself to standing, she has 8 VERY, VERY sharp teeth, and she can say "dada", as well as crawl across the room now. 

Jacob may as well have hung the moon for her, despite the fact that he bit her the other day. Yes, he bit her! Because, and I quote: "She almost bit me, so I bit her." I think the key word in that there sentence is almost, my little friend. He also managed to knock a Demdaco angel onto her head this morning when he was trying to throw a Cheerio into something on the mantle and knocked it over. I was blow drying my hair for all of 30 seconds and maybe this is why I should start attachment parenting. Since the 4 year old is proving to be a bit crazy on some days. 

But then he proves himself when I need someone to entertain her after she wakes up too early from her nap, and they both sit in the car patiently when I'm gathering all the items we need for an adventure out of the house. He can't wait for her to get bigger and play with him and I can't assure him enough that those days are coming. So much faster than I'd like.