Thanksgiving 2010

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Thanksgiving 2010

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One On One With Josh Hamilton « CBS Dallas / Fort Worth – News, Sports, Weather, Traffic and the Best of DFW

Awesome interview with a true sports hero!!One On One With Josh Hamilton « CBS Dallas / Fort Worth – News, Sports, Weather, Traffic and the Best of DFW

Las Vegas 2010

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Two weeks down...

I hit a brick wall this week... Emotionally anyway. Not only did I come face first with the reality that I don't have a job, we are broke, insurance ends next week, and there is absolutely NOTHING we can do about it.

Yesterday I get a call that knocked me even further into my despair. It was the lovely folks at the unemployment office. See I thought I had done the right thing by filing as soon as I got home on the 1st. Well little did I know that on that afternoon as I was being fired and bullied to sign something, I was being bullied to sign a severence!! YEP! $8,000 (which we got in the mail) and after the government took out $3,000 in taxes that barely covered our mortgage are already overdue bills for this month.

See silly me thought the $8,000 my A$$ hole of an old boss was talking about as he kicked me out the door on the 1st was the bonus I had worked so hard for to get that property up to 97%. Oh but silly me I was wrong...

So now here we are at the end of the month. BROKE and BROKEN!

As if our lives couldn't get any worse, I mean how much harder can it get on us? I can only climb the hill so long before I fall and just start rolling! I am ready to be at the top and start the climb down the other side. It just feels like we haven't been able to be on our feet in a really long time.

You're Fired!!

That was what I heard on September 1st. Those are 2 words I never ever thought I would hear in my WHOLE life. I had worked so hard since starting this job that it literally feels like I have been stabbed in the back. If this company can't see how much I have done and why the percentage of occupancy was 10% higher than laster year and at 97% when they fired me then they have a serious problem.

I wasted so much of my children's summer doing overtime (that I didn't get paid for) helping them achieve a goal that I won't even get the awesome feeling of reaching and that hurts so bad!

Now that I am slowly removing the knife from back I am having to figure out once again what I want to do with my life and I have to do it quickly because I was the job that paid the bills. I had the steady job with insurance, now I don't have that!!

I applied for unemployment and have also applied for a few jobs. I just really pray that God guides this family in the direction He desires. But gosh it is so hard to feel like you are being knocked down all the time. We just were starting to get our sea legs and here we are again out in the ocean without coast guard...

Long busy summer!

I have been working so hard this summer. This new job has me working some crazy hours! It is rewarding to be aiming for a goal of 100% but reaching this goal can be exhausting! I work for student housing an apartment community and right now I am in the midst of leasing season. We are super busy all the time. Almost every night I call Travis and say I am not going to be able pick up the boys. But I still enjoy this crazy job and all the excitement it brings!

The big wedding in Oregon

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Big change...

So I have now been in my new job for about a month and it has been eye opening! Life in the world of student housing is nothing like life in student recruitment.

I currently feel like I am on a life boat in the ocean just waiting for someone to come and save me. Everyone at my current workplace is leaving. They say change is good, but I have quickly come to realize why they are all leaving, there is some MAJOR micro-managing going on from the top. And one thing I have learned in the world of higher ed, is no two colleges/college life are alike.

I intend to stick it out as best I can, at least there are Resident Assistants who are stable to help me since I am still learning but, what can I do. Hopefully someone will throw me a paddle!!

Talk about neck breaking!

So I have never seen anything like this in my life! These shoes go beyond anything in my comprehension. I have worn heels for 2 days in a row and I am about to die. These shoes could literally kill you! I mean seriously. There is nothing beautiful about them!

To everything, turn.. turn.. turn..

Well the wind is blowing and the times are changing...

I have a new job! And I am officially leaving UTA. It was a bittersweet decision that I did on a whim but I knew it was time. I started here 5 years ago on March 1st. I was 7 months preggo and now I have an almost 5 year old who will begin kindergarten in the fall!

My time had run out. Cleaning out my office has been a huge endeavor for me. I think I am becoming a hoarder. Who knew I had such a hard time throwing things away. This is my last week here. And now I am learning all the things like, Oh yeah you will need COBRA for a month.. UGH been there done that still paying the bills for Cole's birth! (Not really but it feels like it!)

But before I begin my new adventure as Director of Sales and Marketing at Centennial Court Apartments I first have to jump a mommy hurdle of a tonsil and adenoid surgery for Logan this Wednesday and I am scared. Ok not really scared but NERVOUS... How is going to do? He says he knows it it going to hurt. But hurt does not describe the pain and discomfort!

Growing Up!

It is really hitting me that my babies really aren't babies anymore!

My sweet little 7 year old just lost his 4th tooth!! He looks like a Jack-O-Latern!

He begs me daily for electronics that I don't even own. Can you said Ipod touch or Iphone??? I told him when he has someone to call then we will think about a phone (actually he will probably get one when he goes to middle school but don't tell him!)

My sweet little 4 year old is almost 5!! We will be registering him for kindergarten next month! YIKES! His birthday is in 2 months. Everyday his vocabulary grows to sound more grown up like an elementary school kid and less like a preschooler. Sigh...

Like I said they are growing up!

Money UGH!

I really think it is supposed to grow on trees... Insurance is nice. The surgery for Logan will cost $69.16 but.... here is the kicker there is a facilities fee of $452.40!!! SERIOUSLY! Is that even legal??? So Logan's surgery will cost us $521.56 and it has to be paid in full 2 days before the surgery. So here we go putting more debt on the credit card bill. UGH....

I found this from A Charity Mom's Blog...

Instructions:
Copy the list, bold the ones you've done (with explanations if needed), share with friends.
1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii (My parents took us when we were younger).
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland (Just took the boys in 2008 now they are begging for World!!)
8. Climbed a mountain (Nothing record breaking but I have climbed a few!)
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo (Some say I have talent!)
11. Bungee jumped (Something that may never get bolded)
12. Visited Paris (This is a beautiful city)
13. Watched a thunder and lightning storm (I live in TX. 'Nuff said)
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch (Singing counts here)
15. Adopted a child (Another one that may never get crossed off, unless you count a dog as a child!)
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty (Only seen her from afar)
18. Grown your own vegetables (A couple of pumpkins and tomatoes!)
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France (We didn't go in the Louvre)
20. Slept on an overnight train (Yep I have slept in one in the US and one overseas.)
21. Had a pillow fight (Who hasn't?)
22. Hitch hiked (Too risky!)
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort (Doesn't snow enough here)
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping (Uh no thank you!)
27. Run a Marathon (I always say that running is against my religion!)
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice (My grandparents took us on a tour of Europe when I was in college a gondola ride in Venice was part of it!!)
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run (On the field of an elementary school!)
32. Been on a cruise (My honeymoon!)
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person (Maybe someday)
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors (Yes I have been to Czechoslovakia!
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language (Pig Latin and Spanish!)
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied (Are we ever?)
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David (YES!)
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa (I really hope to someday!)
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance (Don'r really remember the ride!)
47. Had your portrait painted (stealing her response--if those caricatures count)
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris (Just saw it)
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling (Snorkled in Hawaii)
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business (Helping my hubby right now)
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving (Another one that I will probably never complete)
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp (In Austria, very sad!)
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter (I hope to one day)
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy (I have a few)
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial ( I LOVE Washington DC!)
71. Eaten caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone (Hope to never fulfill this one!)
78. Been a passenger on a motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person (Came here after Disneyland as a kid, not nearly as exciting!)
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car (Bought a 2002 Dodge Ram when we found out we were pg with Logan, that was 8 years ago!!)
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Kissed a stranger at midnight on New Year’s Eve
86. Visited the White House (As press and shook hands with Pres Clinton at the time)
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous (Have met a few famous folks)
92. Joined a book club
93. Got a tattoo (Christian fish on my big left toe)
94. Had a baby (2 beautiful boys!)
95. Seen the Alamo in person (too many times to count)
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee

Awful people in the world!

This has been all over the news, please be careful what you post in your Facebook or Twitter, there is now a website that pastes your status and if someone knows where you live it is an opportunity for someone to rob you!

http://pleaserobme.com/

Let it Snow...

Here is the view outside my window at work...

And it is only supposed to keep snowing!! This is INSANE!!!

Great weekend at our house!

Well who knew I could actually pull it off??? I surely didn't... Weeks ago, Travis and I decided to host a Super Bowl party. Well I realized that the Super Bowl would coincide with his 30th birthday! It happens to be this Thursday. I had already sent the evites to a small group of folks (him included) so I decided to pull off a covert operation. I then sent out another email inviting other folks and included the ones that had already received the evite (excluding Travis this time) just letting them all in on the secret.

It worked! No one slipped. We have burgers, hotdogs, tons of sides. A great game and then at the end of the 2nd quarter I brought a cake and we sang Happy Birthday! He was SHOCKED! I loved every minute of surprising the man I can never surprise! It was AWESOME! I truly think he was appreciate to how much thought I had put into that day. (If only he knew!)

That night after everyone left he opened his gift. A driver! He is in LOVE! He has been asking for one FORVER! And I hadn't let him buy one, too expensive. I happened to get a great deal! He couldn't believe that I actually remembered. I also got him 3 private lessons at Golf Galaxy. I haven't really purchased them yet. But he knows that he has them...

All in all it was a great weekend. The Saints won the Super Bowl and I surprised Travis for his Birthday!!

So you had a bad day....

Ok you ever just have such a bad day you need to take the whole evening to recoup and then can look back and think, it could have been SO much worse. Maybe I was overreacting!

Maybe it was the hormones... Gosh being a girl can SUCK at times. It is like an emotional rollercoaster that even we don't understand. It isn't even worth it for me to go into what happened yesterday because it was so petty that sleeping on it made me realize the goofiness of it all. Well sleeping and some wine! :)

So last night I woke to myself making kissing noises in my sleep! Yep you read that right! Nope it wasn't some awesome sex dream. It was me calling the dog. For some reason he was like a dog turned cat and was jumping all over the tables and counters trying to eat everything and I was calling him to get off of everything and me kissing in my sleep woke me up! WEIRD!

This morning I woke up after asking my boys to take a shower. Which they did without a fight. Making this morning 1,000 times better already. We are about to head to Logan's 1st bball game of the season. It ought to be an adventure. The day will be packed with excitement. We will have some meltdowns along the way. We always do!

But like I said I am fortunate, I don't live in Haiti or some other place where awful things are happening, my boys are sharing the Wii right now. Things are good!

This was GREAT!!!

Great Movie!!

We saw a great movie over the weekend. Well actually 2. One had an awesome meaning and the other made your heart race and want to cheer at the TV... The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe can on and I watched it with the boys. It was great!! I had read the book many years ago when I was in school, had wanted to see the movie and now I am glad I waited to watch it with my kids. Follow the link and you will see why!

What are the Christian themes in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe?

The other movie I watched was Taken. Wow what a great movie. I only hope that if I was ever kidnapped someone would try that hard to find me!! This movie had me interested from the beginning. It was one I thought oh man another kidnapping movie. But think Boerne Identity all grown up!! EXCELLENT!!!

What is wrong with me?

It has got to be the weather. I can't quit eating!!! Everyone in my office on Weight Watchers so they are counting points like crazy but I am putting everything I see in my mouth... I mean seriously. Today for example this is what I ate:
1 Special K breakfast bar
1 Sausage bisquit from Micky D's because I had to go their drive thru because I was craving their Hot Chocolate
1 Hot Chocolate
1 Hash Brown
A few peanut M&Ms
1 Wurther's Original
1 donut

And it is just now 11:11... I am going to gain all the weight that everyone in the office is trying to lose! HELP ME!!!!

Happy New Year!

Welcome to 2010!
It was 10 years ago when the world was freaking out because it was Y2K and I was newly engaged and we were chilling in Ruidoso. Now here we are Travis and I have been married for 8 and 1/2 years! We went from having 2 dog to having 2 boys, Logan who just turned 7 and Cole who is 4 and 1/2! We also live out in the DFW area, a place we said we would NEVER live!

Travis owns his own insurance agency through Allstate. It has been quite a rollercoaster ride but with God by our sides I know we will prevail. I work two jobs to keep us on top, I still recruit students to go to college but now I do it for a larger school, the University of Texas at Arlington and I also teach communication for Tarrant County Community College. I LOVE IT! I have met some of the most interesting students! I think I have learned more from them, than they have from me.

Things haven't been easy but the last 10 years have flown by and I don't know how much of them I would actually change...