Saturday, January 31, 2015

Busy Career Week

I was lucky enough to get away for the weekend to visit with friends in Cincinnati. 2 days jammed full of friends, food, and drinks! I was lucky enough to get to see 7 friends, and have Astid spend two nights with me in the hotel, and Kim a night too!! Wahoo!
Girls Night Out in Over the Rhine
We spent Saturday getting books signed and listing to a talk by the author Karen Marie Moning.


I came home on Monday and have been non-stop since then, 
but busy is good in my world!

This week was Career Week in the Elementary School. I talked to both Logan and Melina's classes for career week and Michael came and talked with Logan's class. 

They each got to dress up as the profession of their choice on Friday.

I have a tiara wearing teacher, a football player and a dancer.

Carson had a busy week too! 
He has Dress Like a Pirate Day and a Snowball fight!

Aaarg Matey!
Ready, Set...
Throw!




Best Buddies!

Such a GREAT group of Kids!





Tuesday, January 20, 2015

Bell Bell...Simply the best


Yesterday the kids had off school for MLK day, so we took a road trip with some new friends! About 40 miles SE of us is a Blue Bell Ice Cream Factory. For those of you northerners who don't know what it is...its reason in itself to come visit me...TRUST ME!! 


They didn't let you take any pictures inside the factory. In fact, we didn't get to go "inside the factory." It was more of a window tour. But the kids enjoyed getting to see and they learned a couple things too!

Last night at dinner when the kids were going over what they learned, here is what they said:

1. Workers can eat as much ice cream as they like on their shift.
2. They have 345 workers and work from 7-3.
3. It takes 20,000 cows to produce the cream for that factory alone for 1 day!!!
4. They can fill more gallons a minute into 3 gallon tubs than 1 gallon tubs.
5. They rotate flavors every 3 months.
6. Every worker know how to do every job and the rotate every 15 minutes.
7. They turn the tubs upside down after packaging to ensure the lid stays on.

I would say they learned a thing or two! 



Included in the tour price was a free scoop of any ice cream flavor you like. Fresh from the factory!   YUM!!!


 Afterwards, these new friends got a whole day of playing together! 

 Such a FUN crew!!
Melina, Luke, Meeka, Jake, Logan, Andi & Carson

Monday, January 19, 2015

Self Motivation


Melina Jo has THE MOST self-motivation of any child I know! 

She constantly amazes me!!




Dance is her passion. She practices most every day and has the desire to better herself and the willpower to do it!


She even made a stretching and core work calendar to work on it!

Sunday, January 18, 2015

Friday, January 16, 2015

Struggling Through

Moving is hard. Period.

I know; I have done it a lot. Moving from city to city, where you have to pick up and leave your friends and your life, as you know it is just plain hard. BUT it’s a new adventure with new experiences, people and places. I have made wonderful friends because of our moves, truly the best!! I have amazing friends all over the world now, which I would not have if we had not moved like we have. And for that I am thankful! 

I'm going to be honest and bear my soul here; moving is never easy. Sometimes it’s easier than others, but there is always transition. But this move has been hard. Not the actual move itself, but the transition. We have been here 6 months and I am struggling. Yes, I know, it takes 2 years, or so I have been told countless times, but there have been times we have not even been somewhere for 2 years. I don't want to wait 2 years. I can't spend 2 years struggling to fit in, to make friends, to feel comfortable. 

As the kids get older, yes they are in more activities, but that just means it’s busier. I run more and wait in more car lines. There is no walking your child into school so you can meet the other moms. No playgroups, where you are all going through the same things. No mommy and me classes or preschool swim time, etc. You are thrown out there on your own to make your own way when they kids are older. So yes, the kids are all involved, but the parents are not involved. Which just means my kids are doing much better than me.  Do they have a best friend yet, no, not really? They do however have friends and feel comfortable in their environments. I'm grateful for that. I don't want them to struggle. 

It’s hard for me to be the mom, wife and person I want to be when I am struggling inside though. Sometimes the tears come out of nowhere; when I am home alone cleaning and they are all at school, or I am in the car. But I feel like I can't struggle. I have to be the rock. So it’s a battle sometimes, an inner battle.


Will it work itself out? Yes, it will. It takes time. I know that, I do!! But does that mean its not hard...nope! It’s hard. It's really hard at times. But thank goodness I have all those awesome friends from all those other moves that I can count on; that I can share with, and cry with, and be happy with!