The other day my husband and I were talking about our relationship. It was so great because we reminisced on how we met and the course that our relationship has taken since then. Just to fill you in so you know our history, it started like this:

I had just gotten out of a 4 year relationship and was working at a place that went on strike. I had to cross the picket line everyday and so a guard service was brought in to protect us as we crossed that line. Well, there was this very handsome guard with dimples that I looked at everyday and I was trying to figure out how to ask him out without seeming like I was too needy or forward. So, the guard that actually worked at my work, got this man's phone number for me at the hotel he was staying at. i was not supposed to know that information, but I told him I would keep a secret.

This man's name was David. At the time, I did not know that Don and David were two different people. They looked about the same when I drove by at 45 mph and both had great dimples. I went on a date with David and all he did was talk about his friend Don and how sad and depressed he was etc. It was an odd evening, one I was not sure I wanted to repeat. Anyways, the next morning, I received a call from David on a cell phone. Don's Cell phone. When I called later that day to tell David that I didnt want to go out that night, Don answered, and his voice was so sexy and he was so easy to talk to, not at all sad and depressed like David talked about. After work, I did some of my errands and then I went up to that hotel to see Don and we stayed up all night talking. It was the most fulfilling time I had had in a long time. My initial thought was that he was going to be a one night stand for me. I am the type of person that is very committing and faithful and did NOT do one night stands, ever. However, after the breakup of the previous relationship, I wanted to try not having feelings. That did not work at all. After spending several hours talking, (poor Don got no sleep and had to work the next day) I felt so refreshed and new again, and that one night stand thing didnt pan out that way.

In talking with David on the night we went out, he said his friend Don was visiting from California and that he would be moving back there when the guard contract was over. So, when I was talking to Don, I told him I would be his " present" until he went back....but he said he lived in Oregon now and would not be going back. This was good news to me as I could see this relationship going pretty far. We continued to see each other every day for several hours after work and talked and really got to know one another. When he was done at the guard job, he moved in with me and then a few weeks later proposed to me. We had known each other for 9 weeks when he proposed. No one thought it would work out, but it has been the best thing next to my children that has ever happened to me. We married 7 months after we met and will be celebrating our 7th anniversary this year.

What we honestly can say about our marriage is how great we flow together. We have our issues as all marriages do, but we laugh when we fight because we know that fighting means there is growth to be had in our relationship. The one thing I can say that my husband has helped me with is growth. He has shown me what it means to have an open mind about things. He comes to our marriage with an open view of things so when we do have a disagreement, I am able to look beyond that at the big picture. He is a great father to both of our girls and he is good at surprising me with the little things when I least expect it. He is such a strength for me when I need it and we laugh alot together. I can honestly say he is my best friend.

We both strive for that true "intimacy" in our relationship. That is when we get down to the nitty gritty in talking and we do that almost weekly. It is such a gift that he is so sensitive and a great listener. I am truly blessed! 7 years has gone by so fast, here is to many more to come!

Another Year Older

Well, I am officially 29! And I felt it this weekend. My birthday was Sat, Valentines Day. I love having my birthday on that day because even though it is a holiday (sort of) it is still my day. I made a hair appt and went and got some color. Then Don and I went to dinner at a new restaurant in Albany, called Cascade Grill. It is a fantastic steakhouse and the service and food were excellent. We came home and played Candyland with the kids, then after they went to bed watched "Fireproof". It was a good movie. Unfortunately, the great day didnt last through the weekend. I got the nasty stomach bug going around and that kept me up Sat night so I slept Sunday away. When I woke up today, not only did my house still look like last week, but I was not very prepared for the week ahead. I try to keep up on things throughout the week in order to have a mostly relaxing weekend and get prepared for the week to come. But, sometimes, mom gets sick and life at home kind of stops. I have to say, My hubby did as much as he could for me while I was down. He took care of the kids and made sure I got my rest which is important and picked up the house of the clutter. The only thing that was not done, was dinner and laundry, but I didn't feel that hungry anyways.
So, Monday is done and now we have the rest of the week to look forward to. Nothing exciting happening with us - just low key:) Have a great week, everyone!

Accomplilshed weekend

I finally got my mound of never ending laundry all caught up. I am trying to enjoy it for right now because it will start over tomorrow. It is washed, folded and put away. The girls room's got painted this weekend also.
Bella's room used to be the office and it was an olive green color. Not suitable for a little girl. She loves yellow, so we painted it yellow and now just need to add some decor on the walls. Syd's room was pink and green and she was ready for something a little older. So, she got a taupe color that has a lavender undertone. Very sophisticated and we are working on getting her walls decorated as well. As soon as I can finish that part, I will show the before and after photos. It was a very busy weekend and I am ready to rest now, but Monday is right around the corner and so we will be starting over. It is a pretty busy week ahead. Same old day to day - work, school etc and then Friday, Syd has a school Valentine party that I am taking off work early for, and then Sat is my birthday. I am pretty excited about that because Don and I will have a date without the kids that night :) It is overdue for us.
So, that is all for now- I got a break from all the caught up laundry and thought it was time to catch up the blog!

Time to update

OK, it really is time for me to update this blog. I log in everyday to look at all the updating everyone else has done, and yet, I dont take the time to update mine. And I am tired of looking at the same old thing. So, here goes.

Since my last post, I have started selling Scentsy, made it through Christmas in California and New Years, a round of colds, An ear infection for Bella, a case of fake Strep for Sydney, a Sinus infection for Don, a dentist appt and the Inaugeration that took place today.
Our life has not slowed down one bit since the holidays, and I would not trade it for the world.

Here is a typical day in our life.

Up at 5 am. Get kids breakfast, get them dressed, teeth brushed, bag packed for Syd to go to school and bag packed for Bella to go to daycare. While they are eating/watching cartoons, I am showering and getting ready for work. Don gets dressed, gets them their medication and out the door he goes. Once I am ready, I grab my coffee, drop them at daycare and head into my full time office job. I work from 7-330 or 4, Don works the same hours, give or take a few. then it is pick the kids up, make dinner, do homework, baths and bedtime. Catch up on laundry, do the dishes, prepare lunches and dinner for the next day, fold some clothes, place a Scentsy order, read a chapter in whatever book I am reading and then go to bed to start all over. If time, check Facebook, the blog and email. No wonder I cant find time to update my blog.

Tonite was the same routine, but the kids were fighting more than usual. I overheard them in Bella's room shouting at each other. It went like this:

Bella: " I hate that"
Sydney: "Why?"
Bella: "Because, I hate that" (and throws something)
Sydney: Also throws something
Bella: "Oh my God"
Sydney: starts laughing
Bella: Breaks out in laughter too

How can you not love a fight that doesnt turn into them crying and tattling on each other. It was nice.

They are sleeping now as 5 does come pretty early and they get up at the first sound of my alarm.

So, that is about all with us for now. Hopefully, I can make a record and post again before the week is up :)

Thankful part 2

Wow, I hope everyone had a fantastic Thanksgiving. We were very busy with many things. My husband and I both had a 4 day weekend so we planned a trip to Bend once Thanksgiving was over to spend some much needed family time together.
If you dont know, Bella was diagnosed with Asthma 3 weeks ago and we have been battling what meds to put her on and what will help her cough so we all can get some rest. The first medicine they tried was singulair which she is still on and it worked great. But only for a few days. That is when they decided that she needed an inhaler. Albuterol was added. That quit working so a steroid was added. The only problem is, the pharmacist told us we did not need a spacer so because of that, Bella ended up ingesting most of the inhaler instead of it going into her lungs and she became sicker than a dog while we were in Bend. So, instead of playing all weekend in the snow, we were taking care of her in a hotel. Poor Syd didnt get to do anything, so we will have to make it up to her soon.
Anyways, I took her off that steroid and let it work its way out of her system and then Monday night we started all over with the coughing. Yesterday, the doctor called us and said she should have never been on the first steroid because it is not for anyone under 4 and she is only 2. They now have her on Symbacort and it is working well. She ate double of everything today and has so much energy and is NOT coughing. I am so thankful that she is ok and that there are knowledgable doctors out there that listen and help.
So, that is where we are at now. The kids are already asleep and I am headed that way myself, but here are a few pics of our few minutes in the snow in Bend this last weekend!

Im a bad Blogger

I have been gone a while from blogging....it seems like life has just taken over - literally everything. Our house was so messy, we took this weekend and re-organized EVERYTHING. We tried to deep clean and d-clutter everything in sight. I can say that we did well on the kitchen and living room. Redecorated a little and moved things around. As the holidays are starting to approach rapidly, Im trying to do too many things and what I really need to do is slow down and enjoy every moment.

I have to say that alot of blogs that i read really inspire me to decorate and get into the spirit which I have been bad at doing in the past. The kids are really into the holidays this year as they understand what it is all about. Last week I visited a store called Real Deals in Corvallis and found an awesome sign that reads, "Thankful hearts gather here." I hung it on my mantel so it is the first thing we see everyday. It really inspires me to stay positive and be thankful for everything, including my daughters Asthma which she was just diagnosed with.

I didnt really want to hear that she has Asthma, she is only two. But, the thankful part to it, is now I dont have to run to the doctor at every little cough and wonder why it hangs around for 4-5 weeks when she has no other symptoms. Now, we know what to expect and what to do for her. That is a blessing instead of always questioning what was wrong with her.

So, that is all for now. Time for us to have dinner and finish this mess that was created in order to be more organized !

Blessings

Can I say, WOW?!! As busy as we have been, we have been abundantly blessed.
A little history so you understand. One year ago, my husband was laid off from work. He was home for 4 months with our girls while trying to look for a job, trying not to think about how he was going to provide for our family, trying to be our rock while I worked and also tried to figure this all out too. The first blessing was that he was able to cash out what retirement he had and that paid our bills for 2 months. We then were at a point we qualified for WIC and this is our last month - they certified us for a year because we were at the income qualifications. The first blessing of the new year was that he was able to get on at the hospital where I work which at the time we did not know what great things that would bring. He has been working there for 10 months and we have had our struggles. There have been sacrifices of him having to work weekends just so we can afford part time daycare and gas. We have commuted on all the days we could together, and done as much as we could to make our schedule normal when we were all together. And the entire time I kept praying, asking God to keep taking care of our family. Whille Don was off, we still had a roof over our head, food to eat, and warm clothes to wear. Times were tight, but we have been so thankful to just have that. As I have prayed, things have gotten rough at times, but we have already been taken care of. Well, last week my husband became the Assitant Manager of the department he was hired in. Because things have been tight, we have alot of bills to catch up on and the kids were in need of some clothing that we have not been able to buy. Well, two different people from my work, randomly asked if we needed clothing and both girls got some hand me downs, which are like Christmas for all of us. Of the things we received, there were dresses in them, which is another thing I wanted to get for them so they could wear them to Church. It was just so much - almost like overload. God is Good- and is taking care of our family in so many ways. I just wanted to share those blessings:)

For Jill, I love the Barnes Yard. Sorry I didnt participate, but that is great. Any ideas for us?? Williams House seems so plain - which we are not, but I didnt really put alot into it when I started my blog.
For Melanie, Love that you are current on your blog. Little Nae Nae is a doll - love her pics.
For Jasmine - Preston is so adorable and a fan is the best white noise there is - our kids cant sleep without it and they sleep better with it and then we dont have to be quiet:)
For Natasha - you need to update your blog :)

For me - everyone is asleep and I am catching up on Greys, ER and Army Wives. This week has been so crazy busy that we have not had a chance to watch anything, so that is what I am doing now all alone :) Mommy time is good. I should be doing laundry or something, but relaxing is the best energy booster.