Welcome a New Year: 2013

HOLY SMOKES! It has been almost a year since my last post on this.  I guess i didn't anticipate life would be so extremely busy with two little ones, the hubby, work, friends and family.  It is amazing how much your life changes once you get married and decide to have lil ones.  Its truly amazing and most of the time trial by fire.  I have learned so much about who I am and who I want to be in the past 5 years.  So much so that I am super reflective now that it is a NEW year again.  Some are good, some are quirks or some think faults of mine but... its me, now.

I used to be a perfectionist.  I mean everything would have a place or order.  My idea of perfection has changed dramatically now!  Back in the day, I would clean the house every Saturday, go shopping every Sunday  and try my hand at cooking dinners at night.  I was so bad that i wouldn't let anyone step on my freshly vacuumed carpet!  BOY how this has changed.  Now, I very rarely clean one day out of the week.  I have made it so that I clean as i go during the week (bath time is clean the bathroom time, etc)  Saturdays I do a morning quick clean.  How do y'all get your cleaning done??

I used to be very self centered.  It was all about me.  Now, my kids take center stage, all the time.  I have gotten over the guilt of having to ship my kids off to daycare (sort of).  I know that they do well there and  I trust the staff.  I do know that I put them first NO MATTER WHAT.  Once I get them home from school, i do my best to give them my undivided attention.  I am only with them 3.5 or so hours a day on school days.  Get down on their level and play.  That is my number one priority. Let them know that I am there for them. Double edge sword though, right?  I do this so much so that the hubs gets frustrated.  Understandably but its that whole balance thing.  Still something I need to work on.

I was an extremely judgmental person.  I have learned that I cannot judge others situation, as you are not in the situation yourself.  You know the saying, "walk a mile in somebody's shoes..." I learned this lesson a couple of different ways.  I was always saying I would do things differently if I were in a certain situation.  Then when really presented with the situation I would go with my gut many times it is what that same person I judged did.... now I keep a more open mind with others.

OK there are a couple of mine....Are any of you reflecting this time of year?  Maybe of who you were and who you are today??

Happy 2013 Everyone!

Baby Love - Teachable Lessons

My Babies...

So, due date was January 10, 2012, and baby girl just could not wait.  She was anxious to come into the world.  December 29, 2011, Briella Marie was born.  Water broke the night before but I went to sleep for the rest of the night and then at 5am called my mother in law to the house to watch Jake while Hubby and I went to the hospital.  She was born @ 1pm.  She is all smiles and has a great disposition about her.  Something i hope she keeps as she gets older.  What an amazing addition to our little family.

Since that day we have been adjusting to life as a family of 4.  Jake has been amazing with her.   He is such an amazing big brother.  I was so worried and sometimes still worry that he will feel left out.  He has been my only child for the past 3 years... the only one i would spend my time with (besides hubby) and now i have to split my time between the 2 of them.  I have always, from the start asked him to help me with her, putting together her room, grabbing her towel for tubby time, or holding the garbage can open while i throw her poopie diaper in (he loves this job, lol).  At the hospital, I made sure I had a pic of him in the delivery room and when he came to meet her for the first time, i had a bag of small gifts from Bri to Jake. I think it made him feel like he was a part of it and that she wasn't invading his territory but she was here to share it with him.  I just hope that he understands as he gets older that I love both of them with all my heart and soul and want them to always remain close.  He needs to protect her... always be her rock when she needs it.  Give her space to grow but always teach her what he has learned as the older brother.  I'm sure they will be close and its too soon now for me to see it but it just gets me thinking about the things i want my kids to learn as they grow up.  What i want to teach them... here are a few...

I always want them to recognize that family is extremely important.  Always remember that you will always have your family, no matter what.

I want them to always look at life as a journey, enjoy it for its ups and downs and learn from your mistakes because you will make them.  Its normal and natural to live and learn.

You can do anything you put your mind to.  My dad always told me this one and i ALWAYS rolled my eyes but it is true, if you work hard enough, you can accomplish your dreams.  Reach for the stars!

Make sure you treat others the way you want to be treated.  SO true although, growing up i didnt follow this one, i want my kids to make sure that they think about their actions before the act and be kind to others.  Everyone has their own story, struggles, etc.

Live in the moment, but have your eye on future goals.  Sounds tough to do but always

Money cannot buy happiness, nor does it grow on trees.  Mom and Dad work very hard to give you the life they want you to have but by no means does it allow us to buy our happiness.  There are much bigger things out there to make us happy.

I think this is a living list.  As i grow and go through life i will be able to add to this and teach my kids the lessons that i learned going through this crazy thing called life.

I ask you: What do you hope your children will learn from you?  What will you strive to teach your kids?

Please comment.

Pregger Crazies and Raised Ranch Remodels

Ok, so it has been ages since I have written.  I have had a case of the pregger crazies.  Not sure if any of you ladies have experienced this but it is an intense feeling of anxiety of not feeling ready.  So as I mentioned we do not have the room currently in our home to welcome another bundle of joy.  SO we, my hubby, Lil man and I have had to do some serious organization and re-organization of our lives and space we live it in.  What exactly do I mean?  Well where to begin...

Our Humble Abode

Not sure if you remember, we had our home on the market for a year but our timing was right in line with the housing crash so now we are going to make the best of the situation and with what we have. We are extremely lucky to have a handy family member that handles crazy well.  My father in law (FIL) has taken on the task of working to make our home a place that works.  Keep in mind we have a Raised Ranch style home that's about 1500 sq ft. Not much wiggle room...

 



Master bedroom before

When we moved in, we made the three bedrooms into two (a large master, pictured on side & a spare, which is now my sons). We have since added an additional bedroom to the bottom level to the house so that we had a bedroom for guests when they came (and hey, its easier to try to sell a three bedroom than a two).  It was what worked for us at the time.  Now with our quickly approaching due date, we are working to create a bedroom for Baby Girl.  How you ask????  We are giving up our roomy master bedroom with large closet and dividing it into two rooms.  One for my hubby and I and one for Baby Girl. Yes, no closet in our bedroom. 

Master bdroom before

What are you going to do with all of your stuff you ask???? Well, we had to get creative with this. We had a coming to Jesus actually, realizing that we are NEVER, ever going to workout in our home and took the wasted space of our "workout" room and converted it into a huge walk in closet (Picture to follow).  Phew, worked that one out.  FIL is working on that as we speak so it can be done and I work on getting what we need for Baby Girl because that should have started long ago. LOL. 

 



Workout Room Before



Next plan?  A playroom located downstairs, closing in my fav of all time screened in porch.  This will allow the kids a space of their own to play and be while not overwhelmnig the rest of the house with toys and arts and crafts as it is now.  FIL will work on that when bedrooms are complete. Pictures to follow on this one...