Ben the grinch

So I beat ben hm tonight and was gonna start decorating the house but made the mistake to sit down on the couch...now I cant move =)

I didnt end up working last night b/c of low census at wk and im thankful for two nights in a row seeing ben and sleep!

Tom while bens at wk im gonna decorate so he can come hm to a house full of holiday and perhaps hell not be a grinch then lol!

Oh btw he isnt for me decorating cuz he says I take too long to take it all down!

I am pretty much done Christmas shopping and Im really excited for what all I got ben. One is a gift certificate and im trying to find creative way to give it to him, ideas r welcome!


Steaks r marinating, potatoes & sweet potatoes r in the oven just waiting on hubby to get hm to bbq! Have a good night all!

Ben cleans ceiling fans!

So ive been quite the slacker again! Sorry!

So ben was helping me around the house the other night and decided to clean the ceilimg fan in the living rm. he was standing on a chair holding up the vaccuum! =) see pic below!

I couldnt say anything cuz he was helping so i just took photos!

On akother note private prayer request. If u could just keep us in ur prayers as we make a few decisions wed appreciate it! Night all!

Lalala

Last night was the first night since ive been on nights that I slept over 10 hours without eating a bowl of cereal or watching tv in the middle of the night!

This weekends been a pretty lazy one. We were lazy yesterday aftetnoon and today went to church, lunch and dillons. Now were lazying around the house.

Were currently watching snapped on tv...there r a bunch of odd people in this life!

Not much to post bout this weekend, hope everyone has great weekend!

Thanksgiving, prayer and patience

So yesterday I had this thankful post that i was allready to write, but I was not feeling well at all, so im gonna write it tonight.

Once years ago i heard a sermon on being thankful and that thankfulness goes hand in hand with prayer and patience. He said we are always thankful for stuff in life, but true thankfulness comes with being thankful for what God gives us, no matter what form it may come to us in. Now I totally agree with what that pastor said, when I heard the sermon I did not and I think its cuz I didnt fully understand what he was saying.

Ever since I can remember Ive always wanted and prayed for a caring husband and a life full of children and love...not too much to ask for right?!?!

Its no secret that Ben and i have been trying to conceive for a number of years and have not had much success. At the time that I heard this sermon we werent even married yet and I allready knew that we would have trouble conceiving on my end but I had figured since God knew what I wanted Id get it...little did i know what these last five years would of been like.

At the beginning or our marriage I prayed we would get prego despite our problems and truely believed that we would. After a year or so of that I realized that wasnt going to be the case so I started doctoring with almost anyone who would see me to find the answers I thought I was looking for.

About 3.5 years into our marriage I was sooo lost in life...I was no longer teaching, I was very homesick and heart broken that God had not given us a baby. I couldnt understand why other people who didnt even want kids could have ten and we couldnt even have one!

I was a mess! During all of this I was always thankful for ben and everything else I had in life, but sooooo much of me was mad, depressed and so confused as to why God let me down!

After awhile its like God smacked me in the face and said wake up crazy lady! I didnt wake up overnight it was definitely a long process but now I understand what the pastor was saying.

I have an amazing husband who is very loving and caring, I have more love in my life than I could of ever imagined and allthough I dont have my ownkids I am surrounded by kids all around me!

You see, life is a great mystery and God hears all of our prayers He just gets to them in His own time and in His own way! God has given me all that Ive asked for but in different forms.

I may sound crazy and naive, but Im tired of hurting and coveting so badly for what others have. I want to feel peace and true thanksgiving for the things God has given me in the here and the now!

I will never stop praying and hoping for us to have kids of our own, but until then I will be thankful for what I have in the now.

With all that being said, in this time of Holidays and Thanksgiving I just want to say thank you to all who are in my life. Thank you for being there with me through the last couple of years...thru the phone calls, dr appts, crazy rants, crazy hormones, etc. Thank you for loving me and being supportive thru it all.

Thank you God for the amazing hubby, friends and family I have (no matter how crazy we all make each other)...Please continue to give me (and those around me) the patience and strength to accept life as it comes in Your time and not my own. Please help me to continually grow and to be thankful for all that I have!

Happy turkey eve!

Happy Thanksgiving Eve!

Im thankful beyond words for all of the amazing blessings that have been given to me and that are in my life!

Im thankful for the freedom that we have been given living in this country and especially thankful for the men and women who make this freedom possible! My thoughts and prayers go out to those who are seperated from loved ones this holiday season!

God bless and happy Thanksgiving!

Movie day

Today was a nice lazy day...slept til one and watched tv all day!

I watched rock of ages....diff musical type movie but i enjoyed it. It was a fun role for some diff actors.

Last night i went to yoga with a friend and i forgot how much i loved it! Im hooked again!

Today im thankful for a few days off!

Are you ready for the holidays?!?!

Christmas is quickly approaching...is everyone ready?

Im thankful that we both have jobs this year so we can get each other and friends and family fun presents or go see them! Im especially really stoked for a vaca with the hubby!

Im thinking that i wanna make a few homemade gifts this year and still trying to figure out what it is i wanna make. Any ideas?

Im gonna decorate for Christmas this week whether or not Ben's ready for it!!!! =)

Benjamin...

I know that I have been greatly blessed with the husband that I have, but I have felt even more so lately!

Since I have been working nights Ben has been helping picking up the slack at home, in fact I think that he makes a better house-husband than I do a house wife! =)

Benjamin has often been helping with the cooking and cleaning and even the DISHES! 

So, new plan in life...when debt is paid off and we have a house full of kiddos (if God goes along with the plan) Ben will stay home and I'll work! :)

Today, I'm thankful for a job I love, a husband who is an equal partner (most of the time!) and for being blessed with almost 5 years of marriage.

Sleepy friday

Happy friday all!

The last few days ive been sleeping alot and getting ready to work this weekend. For some reason nights r kicking my butt lately. Perhaps its that point in the adjustment period where exhaustion is sitting in...who knows.

We just booked a trip to florida and ohio...i can hardly wait!

I hope everyone has a good weekend!

Steak and sleep

Today i slept most of the day and much later than i had planned but guess i needed it.

I went to second job tonight and came home and we made steak and roasted potatoes!!! Mmmm!!!

Last night ben and i booked a vacation and im so stoked!

Short post tonight its bed time

Tonight im thankful for sleep and a warm house to lay my head down in.

John 3:16

Today is a good day...

Tonight as I was getting ready for work, I get a phone call from Ben saying stay home, I'll be there in one minute...he rushed home from work so that he could spend a few minutes with me! It made my night to get to see him before I headed to work! =)

For the last couple of years it has felt like alot of my family has been struggling with different medical conditions, types that aren't necessarily terminal rather ones that are continually a struggle that carry a heavy weight on all involved.

Today we got some good news, news that someone close to us is healthy right now and news that has lifted a "heavy" feeling off of alot of our shoulders.  (I would share more, but not sure if this family member wants it public. And for now I will just keep a more generalized reference.)  

I have always loved the holiday season, but I am entering into this holiday season more excited and grateful than I have been in a long time!

I know that I have said it many times over and over again, but I will say it again, I am blessed. I am so unbelievably blessed and grateful for the family and friends that God has blessed me with.

To this special someone, "For God so loved the world that He gave his only begotten son, that who so ever should believe in Him shall have everlasting life ~ John 3:16." I'm glad today was a good day, love you bunches!

Today, I am thankful for the little moments in life, for people who take the extra mile to make you feel special and loved, for childhood memories that may be trivial to some but mean the world to others and for family and friends!

Trip to Denver

Well I am a little delayed getting back to blogging, but I crashed last night and spent some much needed time with Benjamin!  =)

Thursday night when I came home from work I found Heather Joy in my bed! She had flown into DC instead of Denver just to spend one evening with us in KS. I wish she could of spent a few days in KS, but it was nice to have her even for one extra night than before! 


On Friday morning Heather and I made breakfast and ate with Ben before he had to leave for work. He left for work and around 830 am, we first attempted to head out from my house, Liz and Brandi (and Terri her co-worker) were all at my house, car packed and all ready to go by about then. We were all loaded up in the car and then realized that Heather's cell phone was in my house!

We attempted to get back into my house realizing that I had locked my keys in the house so that Ben could have keys to my car, and we did not have a hide a way key stashed anywhere around the outside of the house. So, we called Ben tried to convince him to come to the house, but he was busy working, attempted to break into the house, with no luck! So, on the flip side, my house is next to impossible to break into...well for amateurs! 

So, Heather and I headed up to the farm (30 miles away) to get a house key so that she could get her cell phone! :) So, we were FINALLY on the road for Denver at about 10 am. 

While driving we stopped a few times to eat, gas and use the restroom.  We got to the hotel, and Teri left with a friend that picked her up for the weekend.  We decided to go to 7-11 and get some snacks and then get dressed for the evening. 

On Fri night we had reservations at this dueling piano place that we had been to before. It is allot of fun. You request music and there are two pianos, and now a drum set and guitars sometimes, that play their own rendition of the songs. It is a fun place to go to.  Before going to the dueling piano place we went to an Irish pub for supper. It was fun, the other girls got to try some dishes with boxty (potato dish) in it. 

Friday night we were back in the hotel and dead asleep by 1130 (old people)! =)

Sat we went and ate breakfast at a yummy local place that the concierge recommended (and was amazing), went shopping at a thrift store and some outlet malls in Castle Rock and went to supper at Olive Garden.  The weather decided that it wanted to snow, so the drive from the outlet malls to Olive Garden was a little scary, but we safely made it and enjoyed lots and lots of delicious food.  We had an amazing shrimp appetizer, pasta dishes, soup & salad and share dessert. 

After Olive Garden we tracked back to the hotel, freshened up and went to a restaurant where there was a Jazz band, which was sure a fun little adventure! The "jazz" music seemed to be a mix of reggae music, jazz and some ska music.  There were about 10 musicians on  this tiny little stage ranging from trombone player to key board player (with 3 keyboards). Brandi and I also enjoyed some spicy but way yummy chicken wings!  I was amazed that we were able to eat them after all of the food that we ate at olive garden! It was fun music to sit and listen to and to people watch.

On Sunday, we went to Chipotle for brunch, did a bit of quick shopping, got coffee and hit the road to the airport and then to KS. 

Overall it was a great trip, and I had allot of fun!

This weekend I am reminded that we should make sure that we have EVERYTHING before we lock the house door (and that I should make copies of the house keys).  I am also reminded that I have amazing friends and family and I am so completely blessed and thankful to have them all in my life!

"There are icicles on the bicycle," said Heather when we were heading to get a cab after listening to Jazz music! =)

Brandi and I at the hotel room.

All four of us girls eating yummy food at the Irish pub.

Ben thinks my lips look like clown lips, but I like the lipstick for once! :)

 

Liz and I!

our plate of finished chicken wings at the jazz place

 

 

 

Happy weekend!

So i came hm from wk today from wk to find my good friend at mi casa!!! I knew we were going to denver this weekend and thought we were gonna pick her up there and to my suprise she came here!!!

I wont be posting for next few days have a good weekend!

1,000 Views!!!

WOW! Can't believe it I have 1,000 views! Thanks to all who view my blog!

I have been surprised how much I have enjoyed blogging the last couple of months, and I am hoping that next year I will look back and enjoy re-reading all that I wrote about and the last year that I had.

So, on Monday morning after I got off work, Ben made me go vote with him...which I am kind of embarrassed to say, it was my first time voting. So, I knew that I needed to go with him.  I like to use the excuse that I have never voted b/c it wasn't something that was very much discussed in our household growing up since only one parent could vote...which honestly has allot to do with it.

Voting is something that is an amazing privilege that we have been given and call me narrow minded or unAmerican if you wish, but for some reason there just isn't something inside of me that has a large desire to vote.  Since I don't vote, I tend to avoid political conversations or just sit and listen to what others have to say.  I feel that since I don't actively vote, I don't have room to comment much on politics and I certainly don't have room to complain about anyone who is in office. 

But, as an adult and as a US citizen it is my right as much as it is my duty to vote for our leaders, so I voted this week. Well, Ben and I both learned that I need to sleep next time I attempt to vote!  I was a mess! I didn't have an updated drivers license, fell asleep/nodded off while voted, continually was giggling b/c of lack of sleep and because of my stupidity and who know what else went wrong!  We both had some good laughs on the way home.

Sorry I didn't blog yesterday, I was working last night and got completely sidetracked and totally forgot about it. 

I'm quite tired after 3 nights in a row and a really busy weekend last weekend, so I am hoping that I get some RR in this weekend! :)

Tonight, I am thankful for the strength to deal with life and all of its crazy mishaps.

60 posts and almost 1,000 views!!!

WOW...I have 60 posts and almost 1000 views! 

I can't believe that my blog has been viewed that many times...perhaps allot of them are from me, not sure, but any hoot, almost 1,000, that is kind of exciting.

I have a close friend who is getting married next June, and I have had allot of fun looking up ideas on pinterest and other avenues to help her plan a fun and inexpensive wedding! If anyone has any good ideas for a kind of shabby chic/back yard wedding please send them my way!

These last couple of weeks sure have kicked my fanny. I am exhausted from working nights and trying to adjust to having a normal life still during the days off, but I am sure that will all come with time.

In the mean time, I have decided to rely on my good ole' crock pot for some help with keeping us eating at home and not eating out. So a friend at work found a website on pinterest for me that had some crock pot recipes and I tried one last night (Sunday) http://dainty-chef.com/2011/03/slow-cooker-chipotle-beef-chili.html.  It was for a chipotle beef chili. The only thing that I would do diff next time is to put some of the chili/adobo sauce in the crock pot but not the chili itself or I would take the seeds out. I cut the recipe in half, so only put one chili in, but it was a little hot for us all, especially Liz. She literally coughed for a few from a few spicy bites...weeny! =)

Here is the entire website with all of the recipes on it http://www.eightbyfive.com/2012/10/30-hearty-fall-crockpot-meal-dessert.html.

Instead of posting my thankfulness on FB, I have decided to put it on here. Hope everyone has a good week. 

Today, I am thankful for parents who are always there for me and support me in all I do.

Why fix what isn't broken?

Well the other day I had planned on sticking to a VERY tight budget for this grocery trip, and didn't go as planned. There were HUGE sales at Dillons, and I went way over budget cuz I stocked up on stuff...but that means that the next two trips will be very quick and cheap!

Sorry didn't blog yesterday, I slept til about 1 (after getting off work at 7am), then ran with sister and went to work at other job. Well, I stayed at other job for 4 hours, it got kinda crazy there last night.  So, needless to say, I took bath when got home, ate frozen pizza, watched silly TV and went to bed!

Today, we went grocery shopping after church (Ben and I) and then came home, then Liz and I headed to Sam's club. Let me tell you I will NEVER EVER shop again at either store on a Sunday if I don't have to!  The shopping trips took like 2x at least longer to shop b/c of all of the people, and we live in SW KS and not in a big town!

On top of the # of people, dumb Dillons decided that they needed to "renovate" their store this summer, which fine I get you want it to look prettier...but why in the world does that mean that you have to move EVERYTHING around in the grocery store and not just move it around, change the category of where some stuff is located to places you wouldn't even think of!   I don't get it why people change things when they work perfectly FINE!

Okay enough venting...although it has been a crazy weekend, and will be a very busy week, I am happy that next weekend I will be heading to Denver with my sister and a few friends for a girls weekend! So, needed and looking forward to it! I hope everyone has a good Sunday.

Today I'm thankful for husbands who go grocery shopping with me, family suppers (in a few hours and with yummy new recipe) and that Christmas is 8 weeks away!

Cutting back...

I am usually pretty careful and planned out with my grocery shopping lists...so detailed to the point that I have an excel spreadsheet that tells me my totals before I even enter the store! =)

Well, this month I am going to see how tight I can make the grocery bill, use all that I buy every two weeks and how yummy I can make the meals while trying to do it all in the crock pot!

I have $160.00 to spend on groceries for the next 2 weeks, so tom I'll finish my lists and head to Garden City and start my shopping and let you all know how it goes.

Hope everyone has a good weekend!

Where has the year gone?

Today my head is in a million different places....so I am not sure where to begin to even blog tonight.

I can't believe that it is NOVEMBER, where has this year gone!?!?

Tomorrow a friend's baby turns 1, and her and I were talking tonight that we can't believe where a year has gone! 

There are only 8 weeks and 4 days until 2013! Crazy!

Good night all!