Successful Saturday

I had one of those fantastically successful and productive Saturdays.  The ones that don't stress you out, but the ones that you go to bed and think, oh now that is how I like to spend my day. 

We started off by going to the super cute coffee shop and walking to the farmer's market.  At the farmer's market we found all kinds of goodies.  I just love the farmer's market so much.  I must have walked up and down the aisle at least 5 times surveying each booth's wares.  The first purchase I made was a little jar of eczema cream for poor Munchkie's face.  She started with these patches of eczema this summer and I was so excited to find something natural to try on them.  We are planning on making some tomato sauce with the tomatoes and basil to freeze and slightly replenish our frozen sauce.  The kale will make great kale chips for some healthy snacks and the peppers never made it past the raw stage because we snack on them like apples.  The delicious yellow honey tomatoes.  Oh they're gone.  Have been since an hour after we got home.  Now that is what a tomato is supposed to taste like!

 On the way from the coffee shop to the farmer's market we passed by a tag sale that had a few items that caught our eye.  The first was a dog kennel.  Both of our dogs' kennels were in bad shape and we recently bought a new one at Walmart for one of them, but couldn't handle paying the price for a second kennel.  The kennel at the tag sale was much better quality than the cheapest ones at Walmart and she accepted our offer of $5.  Amazing!  As we were walking away we both stopped and saw this trunk.  Oh my goodness.  We both turned and looked at each other and said, "I've always wanted a trunk."  The seller finally accepted our offer of $21 after some negotiating.  I can not wait to fix it up a little bit.  What perfect storage!  It's not too big and can hold all kinds of things inside of it.  With a little refinishing, paint and new hardware, I think this can be a very beautiful piece that will find the perfect place in our new home.  I was so excited after this find that I wanted to go look at some things for our new apartment.  We went to Ikea to get some ideas on making small spaces work.  Then  I went to JoAnn Fabrics to look at a few things, Home Depot for paint samples and found a great deal on a mirror at Goodwill for another project.  I really enjoyed the time with my family, but also a few hours by myself meandering through stores thinking and creating in my head.

The perfect ending for our day was a date night after Munchkie went to bed.  We had wanted to spend one last date night out while we still had people around us that we knew.  Unfortunately our plans slightly fell through and so we spent the date night in our own living room with Munchkie sound asleep upstairs.  Some Thai take out, a few candles and a movie really made it feel like a date night.  We had a good time together talking and enjoying each other's company without thinking about all the things that needed to be done around the house.  We were able to truly focus on each other.  I look forward to date nights and believe that they are an essential part in a healthy relationship.  Even though we spend quite a few nights together in our living room, it's completely different when you have a mindset of sharing a date night together.  You are able to mentally push all other things aside and truly focus your energy and attention towards the person you love.  It makes a huge difference to feel special and loved as you do during these times.


And so, after a movie, dinner, creative thinking trip, tag sale, farmer's market and coffee shop I had an incredibly productive and perfect day. 

Absent Blogger Apologies

I have been quite the absent blogger lately.  We have had a lot going on and every time I sat down to blog something would come up.  Besides having to type of 12 pages of instructions for Mimi while we were away, we had work and preparations for our trip.  Since my last blog, I have celebrated my third Mother's Day, 27th birthday, 5th wedding anniversary and for good measure, my 5th nursing week!  Needless to say, we've had a lot going on.

I learned a very important lesson this week while spending some amazing quality time with Munchkie's Daddy.  It is ESSENTIAL to take time for your significant other.  No matter how busy you are or how much time you think you spend together on a day to day basis, you need to set aside time just for the two of you.  We had such a wonderful time together and realized that while we may not need to leave the country frequently to spend time together, we need to set aside more time to spend together.  Doing more than sitting side by side on the couch responding to emails, wasting time on Facebook or reading.

I am now a huge advocate of getaways.  Whether they be for a couple hours to catch a movie, overnight an hour away, or a week vacation somewhere, getaways are essential!  Munchkie's Daddy and  I decided that we are going to make a huge effort to spend more time together as a couple.  We are also going to make the time and set aside the money for more vacations.

I think this is how you keep a relationship going, take time to focus on the other person.

On This Day of FairyTale Romance

I worked last night and my fellow employees, females of course, were counting down the minutes to The Royal Wedding.  I know that this is an important moment in history and the world has joined together to watch these two people in love, so I feel like such a weirdo because I'm just not into all the details.  I think that it's sad that so many celebrity couples just don't last and I feel that only time will tell if the money spent for this one day was actually worth it.

Tonight Munchkie's Daddy showed me this clip he had DVRed for me and this was so touching.  This is true love.  This is what we should strive towards.  The words "for better or worse, in sickness and in health" are way more important than the thousands of dollars spent on the dress the words are said in.

The Story of Danny and Annie

I hope that it touches you as much as it touched me.  This is a real fairy tale romance.

A Day in the Life

I wrote most of this in the car on the way to my inlaws for Easter. I thought I would share a day in the life of Munchkie's Mama. And then I wonder why I'm tired.....

4:45am Alarm goes off, press snooze
4:47am Feel guilty for pressing snooze, so put glasses on.
4:50am Get out of bed and go downstairs
4:55am Take preassembled French toast casserole out of fridge, mush up defrosted fruit and put on top and sprinkle crumb topping over. Put in the oven.
5:05am Go back upstairs to Munchkie’s room and administer nebulizer treatment.
5:15am Put on exercise clothes and get DVD ready to go.
5:17am Put scrubs in dryer on wrinkle release setting because they were wadded up in the bottom of a laundry basket.
5:20am Begin torture aka Jillian’s 30 day shred.
5:35am Pull casserole from oven, resume work out.
5:55am Dripping in sweat, grab apple and quickly eat while getting ready for shower.
6:05am Take shower, dry hair, get ready.
6:32am Finish packing suitcase for Munchkie and I.
6:3 5am Run upstairs, flip lights on to wake Munchkie’s Daddy up and yell, “I’m late I’m really late get up get up get up!”
6:37am Come back downstairs, grab lunch, put on scrubs, sweep bathroom and kitchen for anything missed or left behind.
6:39am Put shoes and jacket on.
6:41am Dash out door with casserole, work bag, and tote with change of clothes.
6:58am Arrive to work and make it upstairs as fast as I can.
7:01am Swipe into work one minute late.
8:32am Have already realized that I forgot something, call Munchkie’s Daddy.
12:45pm Sit to eat a salad.
2:10pm Call Munchkie’s Daddy to see how things are going.
6:23pm Realize that I told Munchkie’s Daddy to bring the eggs, but not the egg decorating kit. He says he’s already got it.
7:33pm Get out of work, change clothes and walk out.
7:38pm Do some slight rearranging of car to fit self and more stuff into the car that already has two adults, two dogs, one toddler, two suitcases, three Easter baskets, Easter basket contents, medical supplies for the wheezing toddler, and several storage tubs to store at inlaws.
7:39pm Insert “Elmo’s Potty Time” into DVD player.
7:40pm Ask Munchkie’s Daddy about everything you can think of that might have been missed.
7:49pm Resort to fast food for dinner because there aren’t many options.
8:35pm Give Munchkie blanket, doll and Elmo and say it’s night night time.
8:53pm Realize that the Easter dress your mother in law made is hanging on the back of Munchkie’s bedroom door.
8:57pm Call work to laugh about it, because what else can you do.
9:01pm Tell Munchkie she’s not funny and that it’s night night time.
9:03pm Explain to Munchkie that we can’t go home yet to go night night because we have to go see Nana and Grandpa.
9:04pm Explain to Munchkie that her Uncle is away at college and will not be there.
9:10pm Tell Munchkie it’s night night time.
9:13pm Put pillow inbetween driver and passenger seat to form a wall.
9:15pm Tell Munchkie to go night night.
9:17pm Realize that Munchkie is dripping in sweat in her fleece pjs.
9:18pm Turn on cold air and start shivering.
9:20pm Begin to ignore Munchkie.
9:45pm Search gps for area stores.
10:08pm Arrive at Walmart.
10:16pm Try to hold back tears when there are no dresses to be found.
10:17pm Find dress on way out of store and figure out which is the lesser of the evils while envisioning the beautiful pink and white checked dress hand made with love.
10:18pm Join what seems to be one of many never ending lines.
10:34 Listen as the cashier states “You would think people didn’t realize that stores were open tomorrow” and reply “Well my excuse is that 2 hours into our trip to my inlaws we realized that my daughter’s Easter dress my mother in law made is sitting at home” then have cashier say “What is your problem mom can’t get things together?” Tell cashier “My problem is that I woke up before 5am, worked all day until 7:30pm and then started on the road” Cashier replies ”Ok, well you probably should have gotten it ready for your husband ahead of time.”
10:36pm Finally get out of Walmart feeling like the worst mom ever and resume travels.
11:25pm Soothe a crying Munchkie back to sleep.
11:55pm Soothe a crying Munchkie back to sleep.
12:24am Soothe a coughing, crying Munchkie back to sleep.
12:49am Tell Munchkie that it’s ok, we’re almost there the neb treatment is coming soon.
12:58am Arrive to inlaws. Run inside, set up neb machine.
1:03am Administer neb to a very cranky and sleepy Munchkie.
1:17am Literally fall into bed.
6:15am Alarm goes off, wake up and shower.
Happy Easter

The Stress of Uncertainty

I don't deal well with uncertainty.  I don't like when I don't know what's going to happen, whether it be plans for a weekend or the next five years of my life.  I have been trying very hard to calm myself down and not allow myself to get caught up in the stress of not knowing, but it is very difficult.  Our lives are in such an unstable place right now that it is wracking havoc on my ability to be in control.  Throughout the entire application process for PHD programs I have chanted "God has a plan, God has a plan" to remind myself that sometimes I am not always the one in control.  However, when the decisions started pouring in, and they weren't the decisions that I had planned on, it wasn't easy.

After several days of hardly getting a word out without crying, I am finally at a point where I can go about my daily business without Munchkie coming up and putting a hand on me saying "Mommy ok?  No crying Mama."  She is so sweet!  While our future is still completely up in the air and we have quite a few difficult decisions to make in the upcoming months, I have to remind myself that "God has a plan" and so I need to move on and pray that we can make the best decisions based on what his plan is.  We didn't plan on Munchkie, but what an AMAZING blessing she has been in our lives.  I can only hope and pray that we continue to be bestowed with more blessings as amazing as she (without there being more kids involved, haha).
I found the lyrics to this hymn tonight and it really spoke to me.

I Know Who Holds The Future
~Ira Forest Stamphill

I don't know about tomorrow,
I just live from day to day.
I don't borrow from it's sunshine,
For it's skies may turn to gray.
I don't worry o'er the future,
For I know what Jesus said,
And today I'll walk beside Him,
For He knows what is ahead.
Many things about tomorrow,
I don't seem to understand;
But I know Who holds tomorrow,
And I know Who holds my hand.
Ev'ry step is getting brighter,
As the golden stairs I climb;
Ev'ry burden's getting lighter;
Ev'ry cloud is silver lined.
There the sun is always shining,
There no tear will dim the eyes,
At the ending of the rainbow,
Where the mountains touch the sky.
Many things about tomorrow,
I don't seem to understand;
But I know Who holds tomorrow,
And I know Who holds my hand.
I don't know about tomorrow,
It may bring me poverty;
But the One Who feeds the sparrow,
Is the One Who stands by me.
And the path that be my portion,
May be through the flame or flood,
But His presence goes before me,
And I'm covered with His blood.
Many things about tomorrow,
I don't seem to understand;
But I know Who holds tomorrow,
And I know Who holds my hand.

Pancakes make my day

After a pretty busy day at work I really appreciate not having to think.  Really about anything, but especially about dinner.  I think it's because I have been organizing, planning and picking up messes all day that having to do it at home puts me over the edge.  Today was especially emotionally draining after receiving some not so great news on our time of waiting, so coming home to dinner ready to be made was wonderful.

I had to get over the fact that I hate Valentine's and appreciate the incredibly thoughtful, kind and selfless act Munchkie's Daddy did by making me dinner tonight.  Not only was it dinner, but it was breakfast for dinner, my absolute favorite kind of meal, and his absolute least favorite meal.  Now that is a complete selfless act.  I can even somewhat appreciate the V-day sprinkles in and on the pancakes.

I think that it what Valentine's Day is truly about.  Not all that ridiculous sappy love crap that is thrown in your face everywhere, but the selfless and unconditional acts of love.  Completely putting yourself aside to do something for someone else, even if you don't like it.  That is what love is about.  Not about how many flowers, how expensive the chocolates or how fancy the dinner, but unconditional love expressed through something simple and sacrificial. Whether it be your mom as I appreciated for so many years, a beloved pet, or your romantic interest, unconditional love is the ultimate gift to receive.

I'm No Damsel

A few weeks ago I heard something that I can't stop thinking about.  It had to do with females being the weaker sex which I usually get very fired up about.  I like to think that we are completely equal and can do things just as well as men.  The verse in the Bible that says for wives to be submissive to their husbands gets taken out of context so often and this is what starts the fire in me.  Some people think that this means women should have no voice, do whatever the male sex tells them and basically be human doormats.  I tend to disagree with this.

Over the last few years we have had some role reversals in our house and it's caused a little bit of conflict.  It's very hard for me to be the primary breadwinner, wife and mother. At the same time it's hard for Munchkie's Daddy to stay home, taking care of Munchkie, doing dinner and picking up some cleaning/laundry. I'm learning that maybe there is something about this difference between males and females.  I don't think that it means we as females have to be damsels in distress, but we are created differently.  Somewhere recently this is what someone told me, and it makes a lot of sense.  They asked me what I do when I walk alone at night in a parking lot.  I of course answered that I look all around me and try to be aware of my surroundings.  Then they asked Munchkie's Daddy what he does when he walks alone at night in a parking lot.  He answered, nothing, he just walks to his car.  I found this pretty interesting.  No matter how hard we try to be strong and self sufficient we are still vulnerable.  The person who told us this example said that women are the weaker sex, we cannot change this, but it doesn't mean we have to be a doormat.  It just means that we live our lives differently and experience situations differently.

As the vulnerable and weaker sex I realize that I really do want someone to take care of me and protect me.  I guess if I was to add to the example, I would want to have my husband walk with me in the parking lot.  If he walked with me, I would still look around me, but not feel my heart racing because there is someone there to protect me and fight with me.  This is what it means to me to be the weaker sex.  I now understand that I am not necessarily a damsel in distress by being a vulnerable female, but I am a female who doesn't like to feel the pressure of holding the family together on my shoulders.  
Yes, I can be the breadwinner, wife and mother, but I will still check behind me in a parking lot.  It doesn't make me a weak person, it just makes me a female.