Time To Catch Up

I have been on a blogging hiatus of sorts for the last 9+ months. It used to be that my blog was one of the most important things in my life, second only to my children. I would stay up late at night working on posts and get up early and do it again all day the next day. This blog was my baby. 

When Chris and I got together, I slowly did a 180 and my blog became less and less important. Eventually, I stopped posting all together. I didn't realize it at the time, but I needed a serious break from blogging. I put a lot of pressure on myself when it came to my blog because it was my business and I wanted to be successful. The last post that I published was on January 4th of this year, my birthday. I quit posting on social media except for personal use and even that tapered down to a trickle. I just shut it all off and enjoyed what was going on around me. For months, I didn't even log into my blog. I didn't drown myself in stats, PR inquiries, design, posts, editorial calendars, etc. I just didn't care about any of that anymore. 

Over the last few months, I have found myself missing this space, this community. I made so many friends while blogging, became a part of this community that is pretty fantastic. I miss that, a lot and I miss expressing myself in this space, writing about whatever the hell I feel like writing about. I miss my readers (and I'm hoping there are still some of you hanging around!), and I miss the great opportunities that I was presented with because of my work on this blog.

I'm approaching blogging a little differently this time around; I have to remember that this blog is my part time thing and not my full time, only thing. 

So much has happened in the last 9 months and I can't wait to catch y'all up!

February: I accepted a job in the oil and gas industry. The company I work for is only a few years old and is growing like crazy. The opportunity was a really exciting one that I just couldn't pass up. I love being a part of something that is developing and expanding all the time. I currently supervise the most awesome team of billing coordinators and I sincerely L.O.V.E. my job! 

May: Chris graduated from UTI! Oh, what a long road that was! I am so proud of him; he worked so hard and stayed focused. He pushed through, even on the days that he didn't want to and he finished. It was definitely not easy most days, but we made it through together.

Also in May, we got married :)  I'll be doing a full post on the wedding at a later time, but y'all, it was perfect! 

June: In June, I had surgery. I'll be doing a more detailed post on my surgery at a later date, but for now I'll say this: I'm fine. 

July: My company moved it's headquarters to the Greenway Plaza area of Houston. For those of you who aren't familiar with Houston or where I live - that's a 45 minute drive from where I live, on a good day. I had to change my schedule in order to avoid major traffic issues so now I wake up at 3 a.m. in order to make it to work by 6 a.m. The struggle is real y'all. I'm learning to love it and the area that we work in is pretty hip. Also, I do have this awesome view from my office: 

August: I became "softball mom" to the cutest little 8U softball player I've seen! 

We made a big move in August also! We moved into our "for now dream house" (because our real dream includes a lot of land in the middle of no where!). We really  lucked out with this house; we love our neighborhood and our neighbors, the kids have tons of friends on our street and within the neighborhood, and our home is pretty much amazing! Chris and I still look at each other sometimes like, "Is this real?"

Then, our "baby" started his first year of "big kid school" and our little lady started 2nd grade!

The kids are both doing fantastic in school and they are loving every minute of it! I was worried that James would not adjust well because he is more on the shy side, but he has done so awesome! 

October: Our beautiful little girl, who is not so little any more, turned 8.

She's so sassy! :) 

There are so many other moments over the last 9 months that I would love to share with you, but it would take me another 9 months to recount them all. I hope you'll be satisfied with the highlight reel! I'm so excited to be back in the writing "saddle." A big thanks to all of you who hung on while I was on my little break!

A New Title.

Fiance. 

Chris popped the question on Christmas Eve! He really caught me by surprise; I knew that he was going to ask me to marry him, but I had no idea when!

It was the four of us, Chris and myself and the kids. I remember every single word he said and the look in his eyes while he said those sweet words. I can hear his voice asking me to be his wife. 

His proposal was sweet, sincere, and honest. I won't deny that tears were shed and my smile was so big that it didn't take long for my face to start hurting!

Chris chose a beautiful ring that I am completely in love with. It is so beautiful and photos just don't do it justice. 

We are both so excited about pledging our lives to one another and becoming Mr. and Mrs. We've waited a very long time and now, finally, it is our time. We haven't set a date yet, but hopefully soon!

The holidays were a total whirlwind this year and because of our engagement, held a special significance. I've always thought getting engaged on Christmas or Valentine's Day, or some other holiday is kind of cheesy, but Chris has proven me wrong once again. Our engagement was completely perfect and I couldn't imagine it any other way. 

Life Lately

Man Alive! Life has been so busy lately; it seems like summer is flying by (actually, this whole year has flown by) and I've been caught up in a million and one things. So today I'm gonna get y'all caught up on our life lately. 

At the end of May, Chris and I traveled to Baton Rouge to see the King of country music, George Strait, perform the second to last show of his final tour, ever. We had a fantastic time but we've both agreed that we will probably never go out of state for a concert again. We barely made it to the stadium in time because we sat in traffic for like, 4 hours. It was awful. However, it was totally worth it! George was amazing and I'm so grateful that we had the opportunity to see him on his last tour. 

Our baby girl graduated from Kindergarten! When we sat down and started comparing her pictures from her first day of school to her last day of school, we were blown away. We realized how much she had changed and how grown up she looks. Father Time, please slow down!

Chris is still going to school and he started a new job several weeks ago. He landed a position at a great shop and is gaining valuable experience as an entry level tech. The best part? He actually loves his work there. The second best part? He is home at a reasonable time every night and he no longer works weekends! He also started the motor swap on his Mustang. My garage has officially been taken over by car parts (but I don't mind!).

I've been extra busy lately too; I've put my photography business on the back burner a little bit - mostly because I like to shoot outside and right now - it's hot! No one wants to be a hot sweaty mess in pictures and I'm assuming no one wants a hot sweaty  mess of a photographer either. 

Recently, I took a position as an assistant editor for a local online publication. It's been a great experience so far and I love that I'm able to use my knowledge of blogging and social media marketing at a higher level. 

I'm also looking for a full time, outside of the home, job. I just can't seem to sit still! I've been on 5+ interviews in the last two weeks and I"ve got two more lined up this week. I'm kind of holding out for the "perfect" job and just seeing what is out there right now. Wish me luck on my search!

I'm back on my weight loss bandwagon again (imagine that!) I've done well not to gain any weight but I kind of hit a plateau and stopped trying to lose. I'm planning ahead for an elective surgery in the not too distant future though and I'd like to be in the best shape possible going into the procedure (more on that at a later time). 

Father's Day was amazing! The kids and I worked hard on our gifts to Chris; we were so excited that we ended up giving them to him a day early! 

The kids made Dad this awesome candy card and you can see it all over his face - he loved it! They were so proud of the work they did and they felt great knowing that he was so excited about his gift!

My surprise for Chris really floored him; I knew he was going to love my gift for him but I didn't expect the reaction I got. It was obvious to him that my gift meant a lot and that it truly made his day, which was exactly what I was going for. He is an amazing Dad and he deserved the best Father's Day ever. I feel confident that the kiddos and I definitely accomplished that with Father's Day at the Houston Astros game! 

Lately the kids have been hounding me to let them do chores around the house. Who am I to deny a child the privilege of housework? So, we made out a chore chart and put them to work. They are loving every minute of it and I'm enjoying it while it lasts. Cause we all know it won't last!

So that's the gist of it, we've just been busy, living life and enjoying our summer! 

What have y'all been up to?

 

Tips for Managing Stress

The amount of stress in my house this week has been completely through the roof; I've been hiding out (not blogging) because I can't seem to focus on anything. Chris and I have been faced with some hard decisions as parents and trying to navigate our way through it all has been hard. Actually, hard is a complete understatement. Through it all, we have been and will continue to be by each others side - and without him, I'm pretty sure this week would have devastated me. We've managed to help each other reduce our stress a little bit at a time, day after day. 

I'm not one who typically gets overly stressed out, but after this week I've learned some new coping skills and I thought that it might be beneficial for some of you if I shared them. 

Stay Connected

In stressful times it is important to stay connected to those who are close to you. Reach out to your partner or family and friends. Seek advice from a trusted source or just chat with a close friend. Sometimes it helps to just have someone who will listen. It's best to express your  feelings instead of bottling them up. 

Avoid the Stressor

If at all possible, avoid the source of your stress. If a person at work is causing you undue grief, stay away from them as much as possible. If it's a situation in your life that you have to face, do so head on but try not to dwell on it for long. Do what needs to be done and move on.

Stand Your Ground

Make your decisions and do not falter. You know what is best for you and those around you and although some decisions are hard to make you must do what is the most beneficial for yourself and/or family. Be assertive. 

Don't Try to Control Everything and Don't Worry Unnecessarily

Unfortunately there are times in life where you just can't control every  aspect of a situation. You shouldn't spend too much time analyzing, worrying, and trying to figure out every little detail. This is easier said than done but if you can focus on the here and now you will be better off. 

Take a Deep Breath and Relax

Take a hot shower, go for a walk, laugh, enjoy the company of others, write in your journal or sweat our your stress with a good work out. Do something that will relax you and center your focus elsewhere beyond whatever is stressing you out. 

Everything I've mentioned above we've put into play this last week. I've stayed connected with Chris, my mom, his mom, and other family and friends. They've listened, given affirmation that we're doing the right thing, supported, and given advice. Without them I would still be second guessing our decisions. I've avoided the situation as much as possible when I could and I've stood my ground and will continue to do so. I will not waiver in my decision. I am guilty of over analyzing and worrying about things that I have no control over. I'm trying to let go of that and focus on the things that I can control. Chris has really helped me to relax. Hot showers, coffee on the porch (our favorite), couch cuddles, and late night talks have helped to soothe our souls. 

Friends, if you are dealing with way too much stress I hope that these tips will help you. If you need a friend to talk to, I'm available. Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers as we navigate through this trying time. 

A St. Patrick's Day Anniversary

Happy St. Patrick's Day y'all! Are you wearing your green? I hope so; wouldn't want to get pinched!

I wanted to tell y'all a little story today; a little insight as to why St. Patrick's Day is important to me. Growing up, I never paid much attention to St. Patrick's Day. It was just a day where I had to make sure I wore green (or purposefully forget to) so that I wouldn't (or would! ha!) get pinched. It was always a fun day, but it came and went every year and I never gave it too much thought.

Rewind to St. Patrick's Day, 1998. My mom tells me that she is going out for drinks with a coworker and that she was taking me to her coworkers' house and I'd be hanging out with her 3 children for the evening. Oh, great - this ought to be good thought my 14 year old brain. I'd never met these people before and now I was going to be expected to socialize with them for God knows how long and this is going to be awkward! I had no idea how that one night would change the course of the rest of my life.

It's been 16 years since I was first introduced to those crazy (and I can say that because we're family!) people. Four people who have been incredibly important to me for over half of my lifetime. It's hard to believe that it's been 16 years.

That night I met an amazingly strong woman who has seen me through some tough times and who has been there for me any time I've allowed her to be. A woman who can make me crazy in one minute but whom I still admire and respect and turn to; a woman who has been a second mother to me.

That night I met my best friend. A girl who was shy and reserved and who I honestly thought I would never get along with. A girl who probably thought I was a total bitch at the time (I'm pretty sure that's accurate, right B?) and to be honest, I probably was. A girl that I eventually got to know and grew to love. A girl that has been my sister through it all.  A girl who grew up right alongside me and now is an amazing woman. We've been through hell and back together and in life in general but we always make it through to the other side. My best friend, of 16 years - where would I be without you?

 

 

That night I met two boys; both of whom have taught me some life lessons, both of whom I've loved like family since day one.  I had no idea that one of them would turn out to be the love of my life. That we would grow up as friends and eventually realize that we are soul mates. Never could I have imagined that the man I would someday fall in love with - that would someday be the father of my children -  was in the room that night. I would have never imagined that the annoying kid with a sling shot slingin' pennies at his sister would end up being my dream guy!

 

 

So you see, St. Patrick's Day isn't just a day about luck or wearing green - not for me. Although I'd have to say, luck was definitely on my side that day back in 1998. St. Patrick's Day is an anniversary date that I will never forget.

Through the good times and the bad - I love all of you guys! Happy Anniversary!

When Your Body Freaks Out On You

Has your body ever just freaked the hell out on you? Mine has. I'm pretty "in tune" with myself and I typically know right away when something is up, but about a month ago my body threw me a total curve ball.

It was right at Christmas when my body started screaming at me. You're pregnant! I figured that being pregnant was highly unlikely considering I had my tubes tied back in 2009 but I also knew that there was still a small chance that it could happen. I was experiencing every pregnancy symptom you could imagine. My breasts were sore, I had a constant headache, I could smell anything and everything. The thought of Mexican food made me gag (which is unheard of) and I puked after every meal. My super straight hair even went curly. 

Chris and I were convinced that I was pregnant. He ran out and bought a home pregnancy test and made me pee on a stick. It was negative. However, I wasn't discouraged because I knew from my previous two pregnancies that I don't get a positive from home pregnancy tests until around 8 or 9 weeks because my body is slow to produce HCG. 

My symptoms persisted and worsened. Chris and I spent hours on Google looking up symptoms and reading pregnancy forums. I took more home pregnancy tests and they all kept coming back negative. We'd had enough so I called my doctor and she ordered a lab test so that I could have blood work done. Because I had a tubal ligation, if I do get pregnant, I am at high risk of having an ectopic pregnancy which can be extremely dangerous. The blood test would tell us if there was any HCG in my body & would determine once and for all if I was pregnant. We were so ready to finally have an answer!

My lab work came back & my HCG level was at a 2 - anything under a 5 is considered to be a negative result. I wasn't pregnant. So what was the deal with all of these symptoms and where did this little bit of HCG come from? Even though a baby isn't in our immediate plan, to be honest, Chris and I were devastated. We weren't pregnant and we had no idea what was going on with my body. 

We felt as though we had waited forever (a couple of weeks is a long time!) for answers and yet we still didn't have any. After further discussion with my doctor it was determined that my hormones were completely whacked out and that caused me to have all of these pregnancy symptoms. I still have a hard time processing how it all worked because my symptoms were so strong. Finally, 12 damn days late, my cycle started and my symptoms are slowly dying down. Feeling pregnant when you really aren't seriously sucks! 

The last several weeks have been quite the emotional roller coaster but thankfully we made it through; I'm hoping and praying that I don't experience my body freak out like that again any time soon! Chris and I learned a lot through the whole situation though - like how important it is to us that we grow our family. Hopefully the next time I go in to see my doctor it will be to talk about a tubal ligation reversal surgery!

Has your body ever freaked out on you?

We Will Grow {2014 Word of The Year}

Last year I adopted a new tradition for ringing in the New Year. Instead of making a list of resolutions that I likely wouldn't keep (I still made the list and I still didn't keep the resolutions) I decided to choose a "word of the year." 

My word for 2013 was Change and boy did the year bring some changes! Some bad, some good, and some that were life changing. I could have never foreseen some of the events that took place last year, but I am very excited for the place I'm at right now and for what 2014 will bring. 

My 2014 word of the year is GROW.

While I was considering what my word of the year would be for 2014, Grow seemed most appropriate. I've started over in so many ways and I'm growing and rebuilding myself, my relationships, and in general - my life. 

When I told Chris that I'd chosen the word grow we ended up having a family pow wow (kiddos included!) about how we'd like to grow in 2014. 

Here is what we came up with:

~ As a Family

•  We've talked about adding to our family this year. We're considering adopting a dog ;) 

~ As A Person

• Our Education - Chris is doing excellent in school and *fingers crossed* I'll start back to school next week! I've worked really hard towards my degree to just not finish it and the time has come to get it done!

• Our Fitness!  We've both been pushing ourselves to get into the gym a couple days per week and we've been doing okay. However, we both have lofty fitness goals and we're ready to reach them. I'm super thankful we have each other for support on this one! 

~ Our Sea Monkies!

• We got the kiddos "sea monkies" for Christmas and Addison made sure that I knew she wanted to grow her sea monkies in 2014. We're working on it kid, we're working on it!    

~ Relationships

•  Although my relationship with Chris is not a new one, we are starting over and rebuilding after being apart for so long.  We are both looking forward to growing closer together in 2014. We have some big plans and we are excited to put them into motion! 

So what about y'all? Do you make New Year's resolutions? Do you have a word of the year?

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Life Update ~ Where I"m At Now

I've been quiet lately and y'all know what that typically means. I've got something on my mind. I've got a story to tell - something personal. I've been pondering on what and how much to share. I've gone back and forth over the details trying to decide on how much is too much - something I know a lot of bloggers struggle with. I tend to not share a lot about my relationships on this space; before now it has been because I really didn't have much to say. Now, I"m being protective over what is mine. I know that for me, I can't keep writing here without telling this portion of my story. 

In October of 2012 I wrote a post about taking a trip down memory lane. A lot of you didn't understand what it was about because I was very vague. Today, I'm going to explain that post & so much more. 

In 2006 I fell in love with a man that I have now known for 16 years. At the time, we had been friends for almost 10 years - really we were more like family. Falling in love with Christopher was completely unexpected - he likes to joke with me that "I never saw it coming!" He is right - I didn't! He texted me out of the blue one night and asked me when I was going to let him take me to dinner - it was so random! I put our dinner date off but invited him to come over and watch a movie a few days later. I fell in love with him that night; he showed  me a side of himself that I'd never seen before. He showed me his heart and how much he cared for me with just a few simple words - he was so honest and sincere. I was a total goner right then and there. 

We eventually made it to that dinner date and 7+ years later I can still point out the table at that Chili's where we ate that night. I can still remember so many of our firsts as a couple - our first kiss, our first Christmas, fireworks on New Year's Eve (he is such a pyro), our 21st (his) and 22nd (mine) birthdays (we're both January babies and there is a damn good story behind his 21st!). We had so many fun times while we were together.

Things between us moved very quickly but being that we'd known each other for so long we really weren't concerned. Besides, we were young and in love and well, you know how that goes! We dated for awhile but then mistakes were made and misunderstandings happened and we went our separate ways. We were both brokenhearted but too stubborn to make amends.

A little time passed and I found out that I was pregnant with Chris' baby and that he was leaving for the military. For a long time I thought that this is where our story would end - but it didn't. I like to say now that someone just pushed pause on my heart.  

I tried to move on with my life and to outsiders looking in - I did. I got married, I had a second child. I lived my life and I pretended to be happy as best I could. However, I never could get Chris off of my mind. I missed him terribly almost all of the time and just when I thought I could stop thinking about him - something would creep in that would remind me of the love we shared. 

The post I wrote in October of last year was about Chris. We started dating in the Fall and ever since our separation that time of year tends to bring me down. I wrote that post because I was missing him and reminiscing over memories made and the things that we shared. I had my little break down moment, picked up the pieces and kept moving forward. 

August 11, 2013

I get a random-out of the blue-completely unexpected facebook message from Chris (YAY FB!). My jaw hit the ground, for real, but that is besides the point. We spent hours, days, and weeks talking and texting back and forth. He was in the process of moving back to Texas after getting out of the army. We decided that we had to see each other immediately and once he got into town, that is exactly what we did. My nerves were so bad that day and I found out later that he had been extremely nervous too. We hadn't seen each other in a long time and even though we still felt really connected to one another we were afraid it would be different in person. All of those nerves were for nothing! The moment we laid eyes on each other it was as if we'd never been apart - and we've been inseparable ever since. If you follow me on instagram or facebook you've probably seen pictures of us and you may have been wondering who this hunky guy is..

So - now you know - that sexy man on my arm is Chris. He is the love of my life - my best friend and my soul mate. My heart is so full of happiness and joy that some days I look around and wonder if this is really my life. I have everything I've ever wanted and I honestly never thought that we would get back to this place. We are building our lives together and the feeling is indescribable. I have the man of my dreams, my daughter has her Daddy, and James has a man in his life whom he looks up to and cherishes. 

Life isn't perfect folks, mine certainly isn't - for a long time I thought I'd have to live forever with my regrets and the consequences that came along with them. I was jaded. While I still have plenty of what ifs in my head, I also have restored faith.

"Good things come to those who wait."  

"If you love someone, let them go. If they return, they were always yours. If they don't, they never were."  

"True love never fails."

No, this isn't every detail of our story - there is still plenty that I've kept to myself - but what I wanted y'all to know is this: 

I'm in love and I"m happier than I've ever been. 

"He's more myself than I am. Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same."  

- Emily Bronte, Wuthering Heights

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Hiatus

Howdy my friends! I know it's been kind of quiet around here lately but I'm trying to get my writing groove back. I've been on a bit of a hiatus ever since going to BlogHer. Chicago was such an amazing experience and I think it overwhelmed me when I sat down to try and recap it all for you guys. Reason #1 why you haven't seen a BlogHer post from me yet! :) Beyond that, a lot of things have been changing around here lately!

I wrote quite a bit about change at the beginning of the year; in fact my word for 2013 was change. I was hoping and looking for a lot of things to change in my life this year. Up until recently, that hadn't really happened but all of a sudden it seems like I'm getting slammed with change every direction I turn. That's okay, I asked for it - right? 

While I"m not really ready to divulge in all of the happenings of my life as of late - one HUGE change happening right now is that my oldest starts Kindergarten on Monday! *This is where you realize I"m totally FREAKING THE EFF out!* How in the world did this happen anyway??? It seriously seems like just yesterday that she was born. True, I"ve been looking forward to this day for awhile, cause let's face it, Mom needs a break, but y'all I realized tonight - I'm not ready! 

We had Meet The Teacher tonight and she was so pumped!!! I was too, until we entered the school and started walking down the Kindergarten hallway. She was traipsing through like she owned the place and I started to feel the tears welling up in my eyes. Don't worry, I held myself together - barely. However, I know Monday is not going to go as smoothly for 'ol Mom here. Little Brother is having a heard time coping as well. He didn't even want to go  to meet the teacher night, let alone enter sister's classroom. He kept telling me, "I don't want her to go - I miss heeerrrr." Break my heart why dontcha! 

Do you have kids going back to school next week? Are you handling better than I am?

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My Husband Broke Into Our Home

Are you scratching your head saying, umm, WTF?? Yea, join the club. If you follow me on instagram you may have seen this when I posted it late last Saturday night:

Here's the back story:

Saturday evening the whole family loaded up and went to the car dealership. We'd had our Ford Fusion for just over a year but after our car accident last year it was never the same. Hubby & I both wanted to trade it in so we decided to go look around and see what we could come up with. 

We were there for FIVE HOURS. With both kids. We were all exhausted, irritated and hungry. When it was finally time to leave at around 9:30 we were eager to get going, to say the least. We hadn't finalized all of the paperwork on my new car yet but the dealership wanted to let us take it home over the weekend. Hubby cleaned all of our belongings out of the Fusion and moved them over to the new car. I asked him at least twice if he'd gotten everything and he assured me that he did. 

Awesome. Off we go. We pulled through and grabbed something quick to eat and then headed home. As I am pulling into our driveway, I look over at him and say, "Hey, did you remember the garage door opener?" 

Guess what? He didn't remember the garage door opener. Also, my house keys were sitting on our dining room table. Want to know what is funny about this? He did the same thing when we bought the Fusion! 

Anyhow, long story short - he had to break into our house. It was locked down tight too. I"m not gonna tell y'all how he did it, for obvious reasons, but I will say that I'm super glad that we have dependable neighbors we can count on. It's nice to know that we can ask our own neighbors to help us break into our home without having to worry about them coming back later and breaking in for their own reasons. It took him awhile and I was sweating it. I didn't want to sleep in my brand new car over night! 

I was super irritated over the entire situation at the time, hence the instagram post, but now it just makes me laugh. I'm pleased to announce that not only do I have a brand new SUV but I also have my garage door opener as well! Score!

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