A Picture is worth…..

A few weeks ago, my wonderfully talented friend, Jessie took our family photos.  We went to a local educational forest to have them taken and did they ever turn out gorgeous.  Jessie always gets great shots, even if you feel like you didn’t look your best or the kids weren’t cooperating, the pictures turn out great.  She has an amazing way of capturing you and your family at its best.  Here are a few of my favorites, and yes, I had a very hard time picking just a few to show. Here is a link to her blog and her facebook page.

 

Window Shopping

Remember in Pretty Woman when Julia Roberts walks down Rodeo Drive to do her shopping or in all those Christmas movies you watched as a kid, someone always rushed to a mall to do their shopping. Man, have times changed.  If you are like me and need that retail therapy, we don’t go to our local mall for it, we do our window shopping online.  It is a quick and easy way (and cheaper!) to get that retail therapy in.  Just click “add to shopping cart” and your done. Then when you feel your therapy session is complete,  just exist out of the window. No time or money wasted driving from store to store.  This is how I get my therapy done, when I know that I am actually going to purchase things, I physically go to the store. There is nothing like seeing and holding that item in your hands!

Here are some items that I have sitting in my “cart”

As I have stated before, I have a thing for coffee cups. I am loving these. They’d make a great wedding gift. Purchase a few of these and your favorite bag of coffee, place in an adorable basket. Great personalized gift on a budget!

This cup speaks to my soul, my eighty-at-heart soul 🙂

When ever I window shop, I almost always shop for the home, not clothes. I am not sure why that is? Found here.

This hand crafted beauty is found here.

All Wrapped up!

One of my favorite “trends” happening still is scarves. I can’t get enough of them.  There are so many different patterns and fabrics to choose from.  They add so much to an outfit and keep you nice and cozy.  One of my struggles at first with this trend was knowing how to tie a scarf.  I have found a link, here,  that was helpful and gave me new ideas.

Now with it being fall, I have the need to go purchase more scarves that are in the warm color family.  Here are a few of my favorites.

I adored this one so much that I purchased it a couple of weeks ago. This one is from Francesca’s.

Leopard print is a neutral to me, so I like to use it spice up a solid top.  This scarf is found here.

This scarf is next on my list to get. There is something whimsical about it that I like. Found here.

We all have a pattern that we are drawn too and plaid is mine. I could own nothing but plaid and be completely happy! Found here.

Strive

Most people have that person that they strive to be or be like.  Someone who is intelligent but not egotistical, kind but not so much that they get walked on, funny but not in an obscene way (unless you like that sort of thing). That person is my mom. She is all of those things and more.  She is my best friend. She is always there when I need her. She is there for advice, even if I don’t want.  Sometimes it is nice to get another opinion.  Or if I really don’t want advice, she is there to listen. She is there to hear me complain or to hear about my success. She is there for me to cry or to mend me when I am sick. And yes, I may be 26, but who doesn’t want there mom when they are sick!  She has been there to encourage me every step of my life.  I can remember her coming to my sporting events when I was in high school. And she never missed a band or choir concert. She was there when I graduate college, when I got married, and when I had my first baby (and second).  She is the one person in life that has stood by my side, not in front or behind me, and encouraged me to be my best. 

 Thank you mom for all those things!  I cannot express how lucky I am to have a mother and a friend like you.  And how lucky I am for my children to have a grandma, or as we call you, nana, like you.   Happy birthday!!!

Mom and me

Mom and Sammie

Mom and Mason

Melts My Heart

I had the most heart warming moment with Sammie this morning.  Oh my gosh, it was the best. Let me rewind….I have been working overtime for two weeks now. I come in early so I can pick the kids up from daycare and spend time with them and Brad at night.  I don’t see them in the morning because I usually leave the house by 5:30am.  On Wednesday, I also have school after work so I don’t see them at all. It ends up being almost 48 hours without seeing them. It breaks me heart. I text Brad while I am at school, “I miss my kids!” this way he sends me a picture of them. Of course this doesn’t help any; in fact, it makes me miss them more.  This morning I decided to sleep in till 5:30. Mason decides to wake up at that time too. I get up with him so Brad can sleep in a little longer.  After I got him fed and happy, I lay him on his play- mat, get ready and figure I have still have a few minutes till I have to leave. I go in to get Sammie up and she immediately says “daddy”. I go a little close, lean over her and she reaches up and puts her hand on my cheek and says “mommy”.  If you only could have been there!! She was ridiculously happy to see me. The look on her face was pure love. It made me cry to see that my baby girl was that happy to see me.  Melts my heart!

Hero

Today is my Pa’s birthday. Not dad, father, daddy but Pa. I don’t know when I started calling him pa but it has been many years. I feel like it is more of a term of endearment.  He is turning 54, not that he wants me announcing that to the world. I have known him for 26 years :).  He is one of the strongest people I know. He has been through so much. Much more than anyone will know or understand.  I know that I don’t tell him this nearly enough, but he is my hero. He has always been there for me. And I know that he will always be there for my children. He is a family man. Family comes first. No ifs, ands, or buts about it. I just want to take a moment to give a shout out to him.

Thank you Pa for always being the man I could count on. For always believing in me, that I can do anything I want to. Thank you for standing strong when everyone else can’t. I love you and happy birthday!

Pa holding Sammie on the first day she was born!

Pa holding Mason on the first day he was born!

Your Niche

As I stated in the previous post, I went back to school to get my coding certificate. Last semester was Disorders and Diseases. And believe me on this…there are an obscene amount of disorders out there. Not to mention all the “drugs” that are associated with them. And yes, I did have to memorize them. Nothing a little photo memory and flash cards couldn’t handle.  This semester I am enrolled in ICD-9 class and loving it.  You know how when you start something new and think why haven’t I been doing this all along. That is how I feel.  I think I found my niche!  Don’t get me wrong, I did have a minor freak out last night when I thought I was coding everything wrong. Only to get reassurance from some gals at work.  It has been difficult working full-time and going to school all the while maintaining the household and taking care of a two-year-old and three-month old.  I only get to see them for a little while in the morning on Wednesdays. That is not enough. I know they are in great care with their dad, but nonetheless, I miss them like crazy.

The Best Motivator

I am currently working as Medical Coder for Hudson Hospital. I am only in my eighth month of this, with 12 weeks of that being on maternity leave. And with this new position came going back to school. I originally went to school for my Medical Administrative Specialist degree and got hired right after graduating. I was very lucky.  I love paperwork, I enjoy learning new things. I had work in that position for 3 1/2 years when, last december my boss called me into her office, closed the door and ask if I would be interested in the coding position that they had open. First off, what a relief to hear her ask that and not tell me I was fired!  Secondly, of course I had thought about, I had thought about it for the last three years.  After getting my degree in MAS and had always wanted to continue on at get my coding certificate. All I had to do was take four more classes. I guess I just needed that extra little push. I told her I needed a few days to think about it and went home to talk to the hubby. After much encouragement from him I accepted the position.  I signed up for class and the job was mine.  And let me tell you, I was super nervous having to work full-time, go to school one night a week, take care of my two-year old, all while being pregnant.  But you know what…it was and is still very hard, but I have the most supportive husband you could ask for.(no sugar-coating it here!) I am currently enrolled in ICD-9 class and loving it.  There is just so much to learn and every day is different. And in healthcare things are changing all the time.  I am set to graduate this coming May with two more classes and take the test to get my CCA by mid-summer.  I am so proud of myself and my family for supporting me. And of course my boss who believed that I would rock at this. And I do! Not only is this a better “fit” for me, but I am providing a better life for my family. And that my friends is the best motivator.

Summer Vacation

Since I had Mason right before summer started, I got to take a summer vacation enjoying my beautiful children.  It was amazing! I got to spend lots of time with them, trips to the zoo and the Aquarium at MOA, time reading/playing in the sunshine. Here are some pictures of us enjoying our time together!

Minutes after giving birth to Mason.

Fun day at Como Zoo, Mason’s first big outing.

Sammie and Nana at the zoo.

What a multi-tasker, cooking dinner and mowing the lawn!

Fun at the cabin with cousin Maddie.

 

Mason at the cabin.

 

Swimming!

 

Get together with Nana and the cousins, Maddie and J.J.

Exhausted from being so cute!

Enjoying corn on the cob from grandpa’s garden.

Eighty at Heart!

I am in LOVE with this coffee mugs.  I follow a blog and she wrote a post about these and gave the link to where you can purchase these. And the instant I caught a glimpse of these I thought I was going to die.  Seriously. I have this need to have a electic collection of coffee mugs. I don’t know why but I have never wanted my mugs to match. There are so many beautiful coffee mugs out there, I want to collect them all. My hubby has agreed to get me new dishes this year and while this collection is a little (and by little I mean a lot) out of my budget I think I could still convince him to let me purchase a few of these. He has a weakness for my smile! 🙂  I want one in every color.

Here is the link!

http://www.mackenzie-childs.com/Sale/Flower+Market/Flower+Market+Enamel+Mug+-+Green.axd

My mom already thinks that I have “old person” style, but who couldn’t want these! And while they do have a classic look to them which might remind you of my “old person” style you have to admit they are gorgeous.