I can't believe how quickly the year has gone by. October is almost over and then before we know it, Christmas will be here and we'll be celebrating a new year. This is mine and Matt's first holiday season together. I at least, am excited to start our own traditions and rituals with our kids. Christmas is my favorite time of year, I love the songs, smells, food, having family around, the meaning, giving gifts...it's a wonderful time of year.
What are some of your families traditions for holidays throughout the year? New Years, 4th of July, Birthdays...you name it. I am waiting for your ideas. :)
October 30, 2013
October 29, 2013
when you wish upon a star
I mentioned in my last post that I have been reading more blogs on various topics. One of them I first noticed on Facebook, some of my friends kept liking his posts, and after reading a few of them I started following his page. He has written some amazing things about Stay-at-home Moms, Obamacare, Deadbeat Dads as well as other things. (Those are all titles he uses, you can find him at The Matt Walsh Blog)
The link below is his Happy Anniversary wish to his wife of two years. What I love about it is what he says at the end, that his wife has been completely supportive of him and encouraged him in his endeavors and dreams. Everyone needs this! Whether you're a man or a woman. My husband is starting a business, that is scary. There's no guarantee of a paycheck when you own your own business, sales fluctuate, the economy effects it like crazy, but I am not scared because I trust my husband, and I know that he is talented and hardworking and will do what it takes to support our family. I want to be supported, so why wouldn't my husband? my kids? my employees? my sibling and parents? No one wants to have their dreams shot down, no one wants to be told they can't do something.
Matt Walsh Blog
This post is for the dreamers; you can do it! Whatever IT is, you can do it. If you put your mind to it, you can do anything.
This post is also for the naysayers; you can do it! You can change, and reach for your dreams. You can learn to be supportive of others in their dreams.
The link below is his Happy Anniversary wish to his wife of two years. What I love about it is what he says at the end, that his wife has been completely supportive of him and encouraged him in his endeavors and dreams. Everyone needs this! Whether you're a man or a woman. My husband is starting a business, that is scary. There's no guarantee of a paycheck when you own your own business, sales fluctuate, the economy effects it like crazy, but I am not scared because I trust my husband, and I know that he is talented and hardworking and will do what it takes to support our family. I want to be supported, so why wouldn't my husband? my kids? my employees? my sibling and parents? No one wants to have their dreams shot down, no one wants to be told they can't do something.
Matt Walsh Blog
This post is for the dreamers; you can do it! Whatever IT is, you can do it. If you put your mind to it, you can do anything.
This post is also for the naysayers; you can do it! You can change, and reach for your dreams. You can learn to be supportive of others in their dreams.
October 26, 2013
moments that matter most
I've been reading a lot more blogs lately. Various themes and messages come from them, some of them rub me the wrong way while others I agree with 100%. These have started me thinking what exactly I'm aiming for with my blog. What is the purpose? Am I doing writing it as a journal - which is kind of what it's been for the last little while - or do I want it to have a bigger purpose?
I would love for someone to read my blog and think, "I am going through that right now!" or, "I never thought of it that way." or maybe, "Well I know I don't want to do what she does!" I think deep down I want to make an impact with my words. I think we all have that ambition, to change lives and help other people in some way.
As a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints I lead a somewhat sheltered life. Growing up I was not exposed to swear words (until I got to middle school), my parents rarely fought (that I remember), I had both parents present in the home and we had a fairly close family despite having 7 kids spanning 18 years, I had friends who were also members of the LDS church and who believed the same things, we did not watch rated R movies and didn't even have the internet until I was in middle school. Back then pornography was not a worry like it is now (you had to really look for it then) I didn't even know what marijuana smelled like until I was a senior in high school. Now that I have grown and experienced the world in some ways I see both the good and bad in my upbringing.
Don't get me wrong, this is not a "rail against my parents" type of post, I love and admire my parents and I have had conversations with them as to what I wish they would have done. I guess my point is that we experience things and then we learn from them. If we don't learn from them, then the whole experience was wasted. There is ALWAYS something to learn.
From my experiences I know what drugs and alcohol do to the body, and I know the signs of them, my kids will be able to get away with very little because of that. I have seen both sides, living in a very active LDS environment, and the complete opposite of living in a house where the occupants do drugs on a daily basis. I know that swearing has a spiritual impact on those that hear and say it, for this reason I will not tolerate my children using such language. I learned how to work as a child; whether it was through dishes, helping with dinner, vacuuming, or cooking; my parents made sure their kids contributed to the family. That is something I will pass down to my children. I learned respect, one time I talked back to my mom...well my dad heard, and I learned quickly that that type of behavior would not be tolerated.
The experiences I'm having now are harder. Saying your going to do something and actually doing it are two different things. Especially when it comes to raising kids and marriage. I think we all have a "picture-perfect" family in mind (at least I did). I will be honest and admit that my family does not fit what I had in mind when I was 16. That is okay, I have grown as a person and my idea of the "perfect" man is nowhere what it used to be. I have been blessed with a wonderful husband who cares for and provides for his family. He helps around the house, he cleans, sweeps, does laundry, goes shopping and anything else that needs done. Our kids are amazing; they are smart, funny, loving, forgiving, patient, helpful and so much else.
I guess I'd like to challenge whoever reads this to think about what they can learn from the day to day experiences they have. To look for the positive in whatever situation you're in. To be more loving and kind to those that we love, since that is usually who we are the harshest towards. The world is full of good people, we just need them as individuals to realize they are good people, and the impact that a kind word can have.
I would love for someone to read my blog and think, "I am going through that right now!" or, "I never thought of it that way." or maybe, "Well I know I don't want to do what she does!" I think deep down I want to make an impact with my words. I think we all have that ambition, to change lives and help other people in some way.
As a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints I lead a somewhat sheltered life. Growing up I was not exposed to swear words (until I got to middle school), my parents rarely fought (that I remember), I had both parents present in the home and we had a fairly close family despite having 7 kids spanning 18 years, I had friends who were also members of the LDS church and who believed the same things, we did not watch rated R movies and didn't even have the internet until I was in middle school. Back then pornography was not a worry like it is now (you had to really look for it then) I didn't even know what marijuana smelled like until I was a senior in high school. Now that I have grown and experienced the world in some ways I see both the good and bad in my upbringing.
Don't get me wrong, this is not a "rail against my parents" type of post, I love and admire my parents and I have had conversations with them as to what I wish they would have done. I guess my point is that we experience things and then we learn from them. If we don't learn from them, then the whole experience was wasted. There is ALWAYS something to learn.
From my experiences I know what drugs and alcohol do to the body, and I know the signs of them, my kids will be able to get away with very little because of that. I have seen both sides, living in a very active LDS environment, and the complete opposite of living in a house where the occupants do drugs on a daily basis. I know that swearing has a spiritual impact on those that hear and say it, for this reason I will not tolerate my children using such language. I learned how to work as a child; whether it was through dishes, helping with dinner, vacuuming, or cooking; my parents made sure their kids contributed to the family. That is something I will pass down to my children. I learned respect, one time I talked back to my mom...well my dad heard, and I learned quickly that that type of behavior would not be tolerated.
The experiences I'm having now are harder. Saying your going to do something and actually doing it are two different things. Especially when it comes to raising kids and marriage. I think we all have a "picture-perfect" family in mind (at least I did). I will be honest and admit that my family does not fit what I had in mind when I was 16. That is okay, I have grown as a person and my idea of the "perfect" man is nowhere what it used to be. I have been blessed with a wonderful husband who cares for and provides for his family. He helps around the house, he cleans, sweeps, does laundry, goes shopping and anything else that needs done. Our kids are amazing; they are smart, funny, loving, forgiving, patient, helpful and so much else.
I guess I'd like to challenge whoever reads this to think about what they can learn from the day to day experiences they have. To look for the positive in whatever situation you're in. To be more loving and kind to those that we love, since that is usually who we are the harshest towards. The world is full of good people, we just need them as individuals to realize they are good people, and the impact that a kind word can have.
October 4, 2013
baby picture :)
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| One of my favorite pictures from the ultrasound. :) |
Come to find out that I am 15 weeks along, a week longer than I had thought. My due date, according to the doctor's, is March 29th.
Now on to the rest of life...where to start though.
Last week I was in Park City, UT for a Manager's Conference for work. It was great, I learned a lot and got some great information to pass on to my team. My boss(es) are coming to visit my store in a week, that will be interesting. Christmas is coming, as it usually does at this time of year in retail. I spent my day today putting out and organizing Christmas product. We are getting ready for Ladies Night tomorrow night, which is a crazy night. We're trying to figure out how to fit all of the product we have received onto our sales floor and in our back room.
Matt's business is doing well. He has worked a lot on networking with local businesses. Not only businesses though, he's reached out to several County's in the area as well as various organizations. He is doing a great job and loves what he does. Sometimes a little too much, I occasionally remind him that I need attention too. :) He has been amazingly helpful around the house since I've gotten pregnant; laundry, dishes, dinner, vacuuming...he helps with it all.
The kids are doing well, all things considered. I am continually amazed at how resilient they are, with everything they have come up against in their short lives.
Jack enjoys school, he's so smart and sometimes has a hard time focusing because he knows it already. I'm trying to show him how fun reading can be, right now he's working on "Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator" by Roald Dahl. He likes it when I read to them, I'm encouraging them all (but him especially) to use their imaginations when I read.
Emma LOVES school. She cracks me up with the different things she says. The other day I dropped her off at school, she gave me a hug and said, "Bye Mom!" then looked at my stomach and said, "Bye baby!" I showed them the ultrasound pictures today, she was asking all sorts of questions...hopefully I didn't confuse or cause any damage. ;) I guess we'll know if her teacher sends a note home mentioning something...
Eva loves to be my shadow. She would follow me around all day if I let her. She is almost always happy. (I say almost because she gets frustrated...with things that seem little to me.) She LOVES to dance, I'll put on music and she will move her body in ways that I didn't know until I was a teenager. I have no idea where she learned it. It's kind of amusing.
All in all our little family is doing well. We have our struggles, our breakdowns, and our crazy moments...but we love each other. We laugh, pray, eat good food, play and get on each other's nerves.
October 2, 2013
baby bump
I know this isn't the best picture to show it, but I felt like it was EXTREMELY noticeable. We have our first ultrasound tomorrow, I'm very excited to hear the heartbeat. :)
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