I'm baaack!

Goodness gracious it's been a long time since I've sat down to catch up!  Like months actually!!  Soo much has happened!  The kiddos have started back to school {1st and 2nd grades!} so it feels like a good time to sit catch up on a few of the bigger things...

I just moved into this office last week, so I'm still getting settled {those shelves need some work & I need a printer stand :} but I'm super excited about my new space. 

• I quit my job at the hospital in Des Moines {after nearly 10 years!} to take a position as the Finance Director for the little city we now live in.  It's so different from my former job, but I am learning SO much and it feels so good to use my brain in a different way!  The job change with 100% a God thing.  I had heard about the opening, but when I finally sat down to apply {on a Sunday} it had closed the Friday before.  I let it go assuming it wasn't meant to be.  Fast forward about 10 weeks, I woke up out of a dead sleep super early one Sunday morning and was hit with the urge to check on the job {I had never done and/or experienced this before}.  Low and behold, the position had been opened back up for applications.  I applied and although it's been a stretch position {I haven't done actual accounting since college 10 years ago} I got the job.  It's like God knew I needed to be closer to home {I get to drop the kids off for school each morning -- I hadn't ever been able to do that before!} great benefits, not too, flexibility, autonomy, etc.  It's just been such a blessing.  So I quit my job the beginning of February, took a trip of our lifetime to the British Virgin Islands with friends, and started my new job the very end of February.  Whew, the rest will be shorter--I promise! :)
   
• We traveled to Colorado as a family, South Carolina {the kids and I}, and road tripped to St. Louis, Tulsa, and Kansas City.  I think my sweet MIL has spent more weekends with our Lola girl than we have! sigh.  Speaking of Lola, she turned 2!  She's such a good pup and is officially out of her kennel {except post lake when she's all wet from swimming}.
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Cullyn's photo from 2015 went viral.  He came home from his cousin's house and said, 'Mama, do you know I was fame today?' It was pretty adorable!
   
• I started running again.  I've had this goal to run a marathon for so long and I just can't get it out of my head!  It's been on my Bucket List for years and I just can't shake it.  Now that the kids are older {and the previously owners of our house left us a --crappy, but working-- treadmill} I decided this is the year.  If all goes as planned, I will be able to cross this off the bucket list by the end of October.  {please throw up some prayers if you feel inclined!}
  
• I stepped away from photography.  It was a hard chose, but was necessary.  It's just hard to step away from something you've been building for so long.  With Adam's new job he's home less, so I'm just not able to dedicate the time it needs right now.  I will shoot my last wedding in September and close that chapter...for now.  I'm hoping this decision will also allow me to start taking photos of my own children again!  :)
  
• Not only has school started, but alllll the other things have as well.  Taekwondo {Cullyn} and gymnastics {Jordyn} both started this week.  Piano, for both, will start next week and Clover Kids {4H} and church group will start next month.
   
• Summer was so good to us! {I documented a lot of our bucket list on Instagram} but I'm super excited for fall!  I would say I'm ready for things to slow down, but I know better! :)  This weekend alone we have a going away party, a 90th Birthday for Grandma-Great, Adam's band is playing at the local street dance, I have a long run, church, I'm hosting a bridal shower with my MIL, SIL, and niece for another one of my nieces, my parents both have birthdays, we're having a family day at my BIL & SIL's house, and an outdoor movie night.  That's all in 2.5 days, so I'm hoping Monday involves decorating the house for fall, soup on the stove, some football with the windows open {the weather here is so good right now!}, and a family movie night in the theater room to prepare us for the rest of the week!

PS...I got a tattoo last night!! :)

Daycare Goodbye

The end of April we said goodbye to two of our favorite girls.  Kylee & Cameron spent so much time loving and molding my kids and I will be forever grateful we found them.  I don't know another family that loves like them.  Thank you for being part of my tribe girls!

An Overdue Update

Life is going at full speed this month!  Here's the full scoop on everything that will hopefully answer some of the questions I've been getting...

ANKENY HOUSE | SOLD {in 11 days - woo hoo!} with a few ups and downs, but we're super excited for the new owners {fellow Cubs fans and owners of a Great Dane & Lab -- what a coincidence!}  We're moving next weekend!

LOLA | Oblivious to everything!  She's finally potty trained -- can I get an amen!  She's the happiest person in this house -- always!  She's a lover of the kids, digging in the mud outside, and eating allll the bones!  She's gotten huge!  Last I checked she was 53 pounds! 

311 HOUSE | Also known as the current lake house.  We had several buyers interested in this property before we put it on the market, but they all ended up falling through for one reason or another.  We thought for a bit we would be moving into this house until it sold, but last week a pre-approved buyer came it and bought it.  We're still waiting on an appraisal of this house, but Lord willing, that will be complete and good to go by the 23rd/24th.

CULLYN | Celebrating a birthday next week {so bittersweet!}  This boy is the biggest lover--so kind to everyone, except maybe his sister! ;)  He's super into spiking his hair and wearing cologne.  Oh, and Pokemon cards {much to his father's dismay}.  He's a little sponge in school and the biggest rule follower they've ever seen.  Perhaps a future police officer? ;)

275 HOUSE | Believe it or not, it's just a few houses down {on the same street} from our current lake house {which can get pretty confusing when you're having a conversation}.  I'll go into more details of the house once it's a done deal, but Adam and I couldn't be more excited to be moving into this house.  So.Much.Space! And Light!  They've accepted our offer, so we're just waiting to close on the other two houses so we can close on this.  If all goes well, we'll be sleeping in this house on May 2nd.  Please say a prayer for us!  

ADAM | More excited for this move than I could ever explain!  He will also be much closer to his work territory once we're in the new house.  He's also been having so many band gigs this year!  Other than that he's just been seeing how much he can watch on our Firestick. ;)

ME | Been purging and packing and like a mad woman!  Ridiculously excited to decorate and design a new house!  This is a long-term move, so we're hoping to make this space exactly what we want for the next 30 years!  Other than that I'm just anxious for the weather to warm up so we can get outside!  I've also been on a mission this past year to detoxify our house, so I've been researching natural replacements for all the toxins.  Other than that, I'm just dreaming of becoming debt free and replacing my Jeep with a minivan. :)  Oh, and our RV trip this summer!!  Last thing, my mama and I are headed to Texas {Dallas, but Waco for a day!}.  Send me all of your favorite spots if you have any!

I think that's it for now.  If I missed anything feel free to ask in the comments!

Saying Goodbye

A couple weekends ago, we said goodbye to my sister and brother in law as they packed up all of their belongings and headed for South Carolina.  Brad completed his education and will now start practicing dentistry in South Carolina and Alicia will continue teaching, at a new school, while finishing her final year towards a graduate degree.  

They're renting a beautiful brick home in downtown Greenville, a community that serves their interests {biking, hiking, kayaking, camping, etc.} perfectly.  I am so anxious to go visit them!  But while we're all excited to see their dreams come true, it's also bittersweet as they're the first to 'leave the nest' if you will.  I completely underestimated how difficult it is to tell your baby sister goodbye.   I know she'll love it and it's the best move for her and Brad, but she's also the most sentimental person in our family, so I know this is incredibly hard on her.  As soon as I got home, I hoped on Etsy in search of the perfect gift for her.  Something that would remind her of home just when she needs it most. I came across Salvaged Studio's personalized heart maps and knew this was exactly what I wanted!  Our hometown is on the left and her new home is on the right...so fun!  I chose the 'close together or far apart, my family is always in my heart' quote, but you can pick whatever you want!

The best part is that Rachael is offering a discount when you use promo code 'MMAMA10' you'll receive 10% off any order from her Etsy site from now through August 31st.

New Year | 2016 Goals

Last year I had a pretty structured set of goals and I'm happy to report that with the exception not hitting not making my health goals, and not has much travel as I would have preferred, I did everything on that list!  We stayed in more, spent more time with family, I cooked more in 2015 than I did in all 29 years combined before that.

The awesome part is that most of those goals were less of the 'checking off' nature, and more in the realm of making 'better life choices'  Things I hope to continue doing despite the flip in the calendar. 

So after a great 2015, I don't have a ton of things I want to change, but rather a few big ones...

I want to become more healthy in 2016.  Now that we're settled in our house, I'm anxious for Spring so we can be outside more as a family.  Softball in the back yard, family bike rides, more swimming, etc.  Adam and I reactivated out gym membership now that we're in town again, and it's crazy how much it felt like coming back home. We all picked off just were we left off and it's feeling great!  A huge goal of mine would be to run a full marathon this year.


I want to play with my kids more in 2016.  I'll admit, working 4 10 hour days at the hospital, plus running a photography business, plus being a wife, and working out, and be a friend/sister/daughter/etc. leaves me tired and short on time more than I would like to admit.  It seems like no matter how much pre-planning as organizing I do, Monday through Thursday are tough.  After work, picking the kids up from daycare, going to the gym or taking a kid to an activity, dinner, & baths, there isn't a ton of time for playing.  So I'm going to be extra intentional with my time and leave 30 minutes before bedtime each night to actually play or talk with my kids.


I want to travel more in 2016.  We worked hard to save money to pay off Adam's car and be able to get out of our condo last year, so traveling got pushed to the back burner more than I would have preferred. We did get to Kansas City for a long weekend, and I went to Texas with my mom, but other than that, we didn't leave Iowa at all which is a total shame when I think of all the places I want to see.  With the new house, I may be dreaming, but I would love to take a long weekend and go Skiing somewhere in February.  Adam and I will be going to the Turks and Caicos in April and I'm planning to take a girls' trip to New York this August for my 30th birthday.  I'm photographing a wedding in South Carolina in October, so I'm really hoping to take Adam and the kids and make a little vacation out of it.

Other than that, I want to stick with blogging to document our life {it's so awesome to have this to look back on}, and monthly dates with each of the kids' and Adam {I found these to be so valuable, no matter how small the 'date' was}, and giving back to the community in some way each month {I did these with the intent of teaching the kids to give back, but I think it's had as much, if not more, of an impact on me.  It's incredible the feeling you get when you're able to help someone else out.  I also found I valued my life and the people/things/experiences I have it in even more after these events. It's a good reminder of perspective}.  Once we finish decorating the house, I really want to work on saving as much as possible, so that will be a big focus for us in 2016.  This will help us make the upgrades we want.  The only other 'goal' I have is to catch up on the kids' photo albums.  I obviously have plenty of photos, but I need to go through them and choose my favorites, and get them into a Shutterfly book.  I only made it to 18 months with each of them!  So my goal is set aside some time to get them completed.  It's a task I dread so much, until it's over, and then it's the biggest sigh of relief!  Totally worth it!

Oh, and one more thing.  It's not really a goal, but rather a reminder to keep working on myself.  I want to slow down and really soak up life's moments.  I want to treasure every Friday, Saturday, Sunday with my family.  More picnics, Jeep rides around the lake, catching fireflies, camping in the backyard and pushes at the park.  I'll have all kinds of time to sit and read my book when I'm 50 and missing having my kids at home.

2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015 resolutions and Bucket List

Our housing situation & a catch up of sorts...

My sister {Auntie Esha} returned from her vacation to Rome, Venice, & the Netherlands!  Now we just need to get her husband {Uncle Brad} home safely and we'll be happy!  {He's doing a rotation for school overseas until the end of the year}

I survived the busiest two months of my life, but am currently rocking an infection of sorts, so I look like I've been abused.  Jordyn has her 4 year well check today and both kids will get their annual flu shots.  The weather has been just fantastic this Fall {like consistently in the 70's--it even hit 80 on Monday!} but it's currently thunderstorming, so tonights session has to be rescheduled.  Last night Adam and I took a drive around the lake in the Jeep, just the of us, and it was so relaxing.  We except when I drove.  It was my first time driving a stick shift {manual} car since I was in high school, so I was a bit rusty, but I will say, it drives smooth {& I didn't kill it at all!} ;)  Adam and I are celebrating our Anniversary {a few weeks late} tomorrow night and I am so excited already!! :)  And lastly, a house update...

We strongly considered living at the lake and commuting back and forth for two years because we really don't mind the drive {1 hour each way} and really enjoy living at the lake.  Small things, like having the neighbor lady stop over yesterday because she hadn't seen much of us and wanted to make sure we were okay--plus she bought a box of animal cookies for the kids for Halloween that she wanted to give to them.  Or being able to call a guy to fix the breaks on our Jeep and he came out and got it and fixed it and left it out for us to grab that night {before we paid him for it} -- you don't find that in a larger city.  

But two things left us looking for a house in Ankeny.  1. We didn't feel like it was fair to keep driving our kids 175 miles on the highway every day {many days they're awake at 5:30 or 6a, sometimes 5!}and we're nervous for when the snow arrives.  So we felt like if we were going to continue the commute, we needed to switch daycare providers {which we really didn't want to do} and preschools {they don't even offer 2 yo or 2 yo preschool in our lake town}.  2. We really miss living in the Des Moines area.  We love the variety of children's activities that are offered from art classes to gymnastics to swimming to the zoo/science center.  And we miss all of the dining options.  Let's face it...you have no dinner options in a small town.

So we kept looking.  We looked at hundreds of houses online.  And a dozen or so in person.  We tried to make offers on 3 that ended up selling less than 24 hours after listing for over the asking price.  Eventually one came across again and we jumped on it.  I will say, it's a bit scary putting an offer in on a house that you've only looked at for 5 minutes, but we're just praying that this is the right next step for us.  It's less than 5 minutes away from daycare and my sisters house and about 1 mile from our old condo.  So, if all goes well {paperwork-wise} we will be moving into this house the middle of December.  Say a little prayer for us! ;)

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We're In...

It was a little stressful...

But we're here!

We moved into our temporary home {the lake house} in Montezuma at the perfect time!  We are welcomed with the most beautiful, colorful leaves every night.  We got to watch our nieces play volleyball, nephews play football, & niece cheer.  The kids are officially Montezuma Braves, like their daddy, for a while. 

It's SOLD...

I'm an emotional basket case these days. Our life is in a constant state of crazy..  The top 3 things consuming us right now are dealing with the sale of the condo/moving/searching for a new house to buy, Jordyn not wanting to go to school, and having my van in the shop for over a week {two weeks ago it was in the shop for 3 days for the same issue}.  When my mind is going a million miles a minute, I find it's best to write, so here goes...

It's sold.  The boxes are gone.  We no longer own our condo in Ankeny.  We took a $17k hit on it. Seventeen thousand dollars. We ended up doing worse on it than we thought, so at this point, I speak for both of us when I say we're just happy to be out.  I will not miss the parking issues.  Or the 18 steps to get inside.  Or a detached {one stall!} garage.  Or dealing with neighbors being that close.  But it's still hard.  It's our first home.  It's where Adam and I lived when we dated, planning a wedding, decided to adopt a puppy, and brought our babies home.

I wanted nothing more than to spend out last evening there, gathered on the floor as a family around a take out pizza from a local joint sharing memories.  When we had roommates.  When I spent the night puking in the guest bath after a particularly rough evening at 'our place' that involved karaoke & Vodka/Redbulls.  When Adam got mad that we didn't have enough cupboard space and crumpled a cookie sheet like a piece of paper and threw it across the house.  When Jordyn learned to walk.  The kids playing with snow in front of the fireplace. When we played Cribbage almost nightly.  When I sat in the hall trying to make Jordyn 'cry it out'.  When I ate too many crab legs for the first time and thought perhaps I was having a baby & didn't know I was pregnant.  When Jordyn sat in the chair and sang her ABCs, and two years later sat in the same chair and recited the Pledge of Allegiance. When Adam and Mark practiced at the condo every Tuesday for an entire summer.  When the power went out and Adam and I spent the night drinking all the wine in the house and playing Monopoly by candlelight. When Cullyn climbed on the table, or fell off the couch, or permanent markered a mustache on his lip. You get the idea.

Sadly, it was rushed, like most everything in our life right now.  Jordyn and I picked up a pizza on our way home from dance at 6:45p.  The house was a mess of last minute items needing to be packed.  Adam sat on the couch eating his pizza while working on work and watching the cubs.  The kids were crying because they didn't want to eat pizza {Seriously?  What kids cry about that?!} and instead thought I should let them eat the taffy her dance teacher gave her.  And I was mad because the night wasn't how I visioned and therefore snapped at everyone and went to bed before the kids.  Happy last memory!

I want to say the first night in the lakehouse {as a temporary, permanent home---have I confused everyone yet?!} was better.  However, much like the night before, it was a shit show.  No cheers-ing to a new beginning while roasting marshmallows and watching the sun set.  We got to the lake around 6:30 and grabbed some stuff {the last from the condo} from the van {my MIL's since mines in the shop until next week!} and threw it in the door.  I unpacked the refrigerator items and got the kids some dinner while Adam went into his parents house to unload the last of the stuff from the condo.  I was rushing the kids to eat their dinner so we could go outside and make s'mores around a campfire while racing against the sun setting.  The sun won.  By the time Adam got home it was completely dark. Cullyn was sobbing about a leg ache and I was drinking a glass of wine & crying about how nothing goes our way.  Adam insisted on a fire anyways, so we went outside for s'mores.  Cullyn ate one bite, giving Adam the rest. Jordyn ate a plain marshmallow {not roasted} and then some chocolate.  I managed to finish mine.  Along with a bottle of wine. Don't you dare judge!  Afterwards we hoped into the Jeep in an attempt to put the kids to sleep.  It didn't work.  We came home and put the kids to bed, and then I put myself to bed. #RealLife

We started our 67 mi. commute {each way} today. 

As Frankie Ballard says, 'the bad times make the good times better', right?

It Takes A Village

If their is one thing this year has taught me, it's that it truly takes a village to raise a family.

I didn't believe it at all when I got married.  I was all 'whatev's!' I got this!  We had our friends, but we didn't really need anyone.  Life was easy, we we're good!

And then I had my first kid, and I let my mom into the teeny tiny little village, but many of the friends went.

Since then, we've added a second kid.  We've started preschool and added extracurricular activities.  We've lost more friends {life is busy, some friends are needy, some aren't don't hold the same values, etc.} We've found our groove a bit.  Our 'new normal' if you will.

And since then, I've wised up a bit.  It took me about five years, but I now know that while we can survive by ourselves, it's really much harder and more stressful than if we let a village help.  And we thrive with a village.

This year alone we...
Switched Sitters
This involved canning our babysitter, interviewing a thousand dozen+ potential nannies, hiring a nanny, let her go, hiring our niece, starting at our current sitter.  And over this 6 months?  My mom watched the kids {24/7!} for a week each month!  And my MIL drove to Ankeny and watched the kids.  And my youngest sister watched them for a few days.  And my other sister took them a day.  Yes, we could have taken all of these days off work, but I probably would have ended up loosing my job!

Borrowed Vehicles from my In-Laws
Thanks to the transmission going out in my van, I've put more miles on my MIL's van than she has this month!  And we've borrowed by FIL's truck at least 3 times this year.  Yes, we could have rented cars for all of this, but it gets expensive to rent large vehicles from rental companies.

Moved
My parents, in laws, sister & BIL, & friend Jesse helped us move everything from the condo to the lakehouse.  This is probably a given, but we could have done it ourselves or hired movers, but then we would have probably ended up divorced, been moving for 3 years, broke!  We didn't even have to ask our parents, they just stepped in and help do the work.  My MIL also swapped cars, took my kids so they didn't have to endure moving day, made dinner for everyone help move, and then cleaned the entire lake house because I had to leave before they were done and she knew I would like have a clean house when I arrived late last night.  And she did all of this without being asked.  I am so thankful that my kids' lives are filled with such positive examples!

Dealt with Preschool Issues
I haven't shared much about it, mainly because I just haven't had time to sit down and write it, or because we haven't really found the 'solution' yet, but we have the best daycare providers and preschool teachers on the planet!  They care so much about her and her happiness.  Jordyn has recently been crying that she doesn't want to go to school {like crying the day before, the night before, and all morning from the time she wakes up until she goes to school}  Once she is there, she does great.  Her sitters have done anything I ask including talk to, prepare her for what's happening, ignore it, sit with her, etc.We've tried it all and I'm just not convinced that 'it's a phase' Her teacher is willing to do anything find the right fit for her.  Academically she's above her class, but she doesn't speak to anyone {except the teachers} the entire time!  Not even play time or gym time.  My heart can't handle that!  She is naturally shy, but she doesn't have any issues making friends at her daycare, or with our friends' kids, or when she goes to my mom's daycare, etc.  So we're going to try switching her to the class ahead {4 y/o} since it doesn't work well with our schedule for 3 afternoons a week, they said it's okay to send her just 2 afternoons a week.  And because our sitters already have 2 pick ups at the same time, her teacher is going to take her to daycare after class!  And because Cullyn needs picked up at 11:40a on Fridays and Jordyn needs dropped off at noon, they're going to take her 20 minutes early every.single.day.  Seriously, we could not be blessed with a better village.

Some friends come and go, and lives change.  We no longer have 50+ friends, but I'm so blessed to have a rock solid village right now. Even if that only consists of my family {including my mother & father in law}, our  kids' sitters & teachers, the a dozen friends. Life would be so much harder without these incredible people.  When you find people that love your babies like your own?  Grab on and don't let go!

On my mind...

Now that we're not selling {for now anyways.  We're throwing around the idea of listing it now that this all went down} I thought I would post this as it's a fairly significant blurp in our story of 2015...
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I'm writing this at 5a on July 12th.  I've been awake since 2a
This is one of those rambling posts, mainly for me, but to catch everyone up as well. 

On the 4th of July, Adam got a call from his cousin asking if we would be willing to rent our condo.  The lakehouse full of family, without hesitation, I smiled and said 'yep!'  Afterall, we have talked about moving out of the condo since before Jordyn was born, so it only seemed natural to agree and move forward with the process.  We gave them the code to the house and they looked through it.  They text afterwards saying they were interested.

After a little more thought and a discussion with Adam, we decided we would only consider renting our house if there was an intent to buy.  The market for condos in our town is low, so the thought of them renting for a few months {just long enough for us to get everything moved out and get settled somewhere else} and then moving somewhere else is something is just not worth putting my family {me?} though.

So we offered to sell to them for what we owe.  Backstory...Adam bought the condo as they were building them.  Went upside down in it when the housing market crashed & they put up tons more condo units in town.  We finally are in the positive again, so we feel like it would be fair to both to let them basically assume our loan {we could get to walk away from it and they would be starting with some equity} 

They walked through the house yesterday with Adam and verbally agreed to everything.  So Monday we begin the process of selling our condo. 

I know that this is the next step for us and that it's the best thing right now.  I also know that this news would have been much more joyful last year, when I hadn't yet embraced the condo.  Over the last year I realized how nice our condo is.  Granted it's not practical for a family of 4 {5? Murd!} but it really is a nice place.  I love the tall ceilings.  And that everything is on one level.  Plus we have huge closets!

I guess I'm just a bit overwhelmed with emotions right now.  I can't say that I'm blindsided, because I know this is a big life event, and I assumed I would be sad.  Afterall, this is the first home Adam and I ever lived in.  We decided to adopt Murdock at this condo.  Plus I brought both of my babies home from the hospital here.  They learned to walk on these floors. 

So bare with me.  I'm a little nervous to get my hopes up.  I little anxious of the new possibilities.  I lot overwhelmed with logistics - packing, moving, transferring everything {doctors, mail/bills, preschool/daycare/activities} Terrified to move back to a small town.  Excited for the opportunities for our children.  Sad to leave the house, the town, the city, our friends.  Wondering what this means for our jobs.  And totally unsure how much to push and how much to leave up to Him.

I'm sure many of you have questions.  Feel free to ask, although the truth is, it's likely I don't yet know the answer.  There are so many questions I still have...

Will I keep working at the hospital?  Should I find a job closer to the lake? 
Could Adam transfer to the location closer to our lakehouse {even for the winter}?
Do we start looking for another house now? 
Do we wait for a year, 3, 5 so we can pay more debt off?
Where do we want to relocate to?
Do we want the kids to go to a small school?
Should we try to find a new sitter near the lake {& lose the one we were so very much looking forward to starting in August?}
Is this the leap to staying home/pursuing photography full time that I've been praying for?
Can we transition our insurance, flex spending, investments, etc. right now?
How long can we handle the drive?  Will I have to change my work hours?
What city should we rent storage space in?
Can we keep driving 60+ miles for our favorite providers? {physicians, pediatrician, dentist, ophthalmologist, etc.}
Should we pull the kids from their preschool and find a different school to enroll in?
Don't forget to...cancel the gym membership, transfer the cable/internet/utilities, etc.
Do we let Jordyn start dance like she was enrolled in?  Is there even a dance studio near the lake?

Moving

I have to tell you guys, I've been almost begging Adam for the past year or so, to sell the condo & lakehouse, pack up, & relocate.  There is something about breaking free from the mundaneness of the only life we've ever known…exploring a new city, a warm city, maybe even a costal city {???} as a family of four {well 5 w/ Murdock}.  I know it seems like a cop out, afterall our lives will surely be busy no matter where we live, but I kind of feel like we'll want to make the move before the kids start school, so now is our time to move around and try something new.

While I'm still team break out of Iowa {as much as I love this state more each year & would seriously miss the change in seasons} I can't imagine how 2015, thus far, would have played out if we hadn't had family in the same state.  I mean, I know we would have figured it out, but my mom, sister, & mother in law have saved us countless times this year between the two week sitter transition, my work trip to Texas, Adam and my trip to Arizona and Adam's huge health scare, and days that our nanny has needed off.

I guess there isn't really a point to this post other than God works in mysterious ways and the older I get the more I learn that as much as I try, nothing is really on my time, but rather his time.  While I'm still praying we get to try out another city, there are just many things that need align for that to happen {jobs, schools, daycare, etc.} and I don't want to push it and risk regretting it. 

So for now, we'll wait it out and be thankful for close family and friends.  Because I'm very thankful we're not alone with a 2 year old, 3 year old, & a large dog, in an unknown city with no help.

Life Update

No photos.  We're pretty much in survival mode over here.  The kids haven't been served veggies in almost two weeks, we don't even have milk in the house, and we're all pretty much surviving on delivery...

Murdock | Is in heaven this week!  He's never slept in our bed so much.  I'm learning what life like a dog is like--how can anyone sleep that much?!  Healthwise, he's doing really well again.  It's crazy that we're about ready to see his 7th Birthday {in June}!

Cullyn | He's definitely getting better, in fact, he's probably the healthiest of all of us, excluding Murdock.  He's taking his meds better than ever before.  We transitioned him from his crib to a trundle bed and it didn't phase him at all, in fact, he's sleeping {knock on wood!} better than before!  He's such a lover and definitely doesn't like seeing mama sick, he's giving me plenty of kisses! :)  Also, he'll be two, one month from yesterday {!!} so I've started planning his party! :)

Jordyn | She had a rough start to the week, matted eyes, {nasty} sinus infection, and infected ear.  She's feeling much better.  Happy to be taking Amoxicillin, but putting up a pretty good fight with every dose of cough medicine or eye drops.  We transitioned her from a toddler bed to a twin bed.  While she loves her new bedding, she still wants to sleep with mama. :)  So far, she's spent one night in her bed {until 2a when she came to ours}, another night I slept with her from 8p to 1a, and last night I didn't even fight it and let her come to bed with me.  So we aren't batting very well this week, but whatever.  I don't have the energy to get too worked up about it.  I know she'll eventually stop sleeping with her mama. She's finally feeling better, I know this because she finally less emotional {she gets it from her mama}

Adam | He's mostly trying to stay away from all of our sick germs, but I don't think he's going to escape.  He started getting some of my early symptoms {lots of drainage, sore throat, chest congestion, etc.} yesterday and there is no sign of it going away anytime soon.  I'm trying to get him to go to the doctor instead of waiting like I did, because it clearly did me no favors to wait it out!  He recorded a few {original} songs with the lead guitarist in the band on Tuesday night, so that was fun to experience.  I love seeing him in his element.  :)  Other than that, he's been pretty busy been working, which is a good thing.

Me | I'm sure you've seen me complaining all over social media.  I've been {really} sick since Tuesday.  {severe body aches, high fever/chills, terrible headache & sinus pressure, tons of drainage, ears, throat, etc.}  I skipped work on Wednesday and Thursday, I'm praying to go back on Monday.  I have wasted so much of my PTO on sickness this year, I swear I've been sick nonstop since Thanksgiving! :(  LONG story short..since Wednesday morning I've been to the doctor twice.  Two strep tests {negative}, two blood draws, one Influenza A test {negative}, one antibiotic {not working}, one pain med {causing vomiting}, and one shot {of antibiotic} later…I'm finally feeling good enough to get out of bed!  They're still running tests to see what I have.  I think my fever finally broke {for good} last night.  I had to skip my charity bowling event today {I just didn't have the energy and I think the noise would have absolutely killed me} but I'm hoping to be able to make it to my session that is scheduled for tomorrow morning--we'll see.  

Also, as much as it pains me to write this, but I have officially dropped out of the marathon.  :(  I hate even writing that, but I think it's the best choice right now.  There really were many factors in my decision, but a few of the main ones were the fact that I was starting to resent running, on Tuesdays I was lucky to see my kids for 1-2 hours all day, and the biggest factor of all, I feel like my body was failing me--telling me to slow down and get healthy first.  {Since Thanksgiving I've had severe strep, Influenza, bronchitis, sinus infection, ear infection, two colds, and now this}.  I'm so disappointed, but I'm hoping I can get myself together and run one next year around my 30th birthday!

Other than that, I have a huge project due at work in a few weeks that I am so far behind on!  {like would totally lose my job if I don't get it done--so say a little prayer for me there!}.  I've already booked 3 wedding for 2016 which is super exciting!  And my website is this close to going live!!!  And quite possibly our most exciting news of all…after hours and hours of interviewing…we've found our nanny!  She's been over a few days for shorter amounts of time, but she starts full time on Monday so please say a pray for all of that!

I feel like there is more going on {because it's absolutely crazy over here} but that's all I can think of right now, so there you have it.  Our life update in 5 minutes!  

Again, HUGE thanks to my parents for taking the kids all of last week, my MIL for watching the kids a few days this week, and my sister & husband for taking the kids yesterday -- we could NOT have do it without all of you!

It was a good year! [2014 recap]

Since I'm wide awake at 1:30a, I figured I might as well finish this post up and publish it.  
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I can't help my smile when I look back through our year.  I'm not saying we didn't have stress {both financially--I've mentioned before that 5 years of double daycare is brutal and logistically--Four people plus a large dog in a small condo is anything but easy!} but man did we have a lot of fun this year.  Not only were the large things like family vacations incredible, but the small things like afternoons spent splashing in mud puddles, evenings watching our nieces/nephews  play sports, Fridays spent exploring the city with the kids, & weekends hanging out at the lake.  I will forever be grateful for living close to family and having a job that provides flexibility for our schedule.

Here are a few of our many highlights in 2014....

January 
We relaxed and caught up from a busy December.  Our sitter took a week off, so the kids spent a week with my parents, giving Adam and I several days to focus on each other again.

February
Adam & I attended Baconfest for the first time.  We also attended the Balloon Charity Classic again.  And, we traded in our Hyundai Santa Fe for a Dodge Grand Caravan.

March
Jordyn & I went shopping for bridesmaid dresses with my sisters and mom & started planning their showers.

April 
We celebrated Easter in Montezuma with the Hubbard family & took family photos, but most importantly we celebrated Cullyn's 1st Birthday!

May
Adam & I took Jordyn to Sesame Street Live.  Both kids started Swimming Lessons.  We celebrated Ashley & Myles' Bachelor{ette} parties.  We sided the Lakehouse.  I co-hosted Alicia's Bachelorette party at the piano bar & hotel.  Adam went to Rocklahoma with the guys while I hit up Minneapolis with a girlfriend!

June
I ran a 1/2 marathon for the first time. We had an outdoor movie night with the Hubbards. We spent Father's Day at the lake.

July
We spend 10 days in Florida, watching my baby sister & Brad get married.  We also took the kids to Walt Disney World for the first time!  I traveling to Mexico to photograph a wedding.  We watched Adam's band play at the annual Balloon Festival.

August
Adam and I had an 'adult boating day' and casino/mini golf date.  We took the kids to the state fair, I spent my 28th birthday at the spa and then photographing another wedding.

September
Was spent in Mexico celebrating the marriage of my sister & Myles and my mom's 50th birthday!  We went to the Apple Orchard & watched Iowa lose to Iowa State. :(  Jordyn also started Preschool & Adam turned 34!!  Ashley & Myles also had a reception back home.

October
We took the kids to a couple of pumpkin patches and got professional family photos taken for the first time ever!  I ran a marathon relay with Alicia, Ashley, Katie, & Myles. And most importantly, Jordyn turned 3!  We celebrated Halloween & Adam & I celebrated our 5th Wedding anniversary.

November
I volunteered with my sister for the final time in 2014.  We hosted our first {& possibly last?!} friendsgiving.  We attended Thanksgiving at my sister & brother in laws, and I got a bad case of strep throat, causing me to cancel a photography session for the first time ever.

December
We celebrated Christmas all month long, with several parties & family get togethers!  I got sick again.  We rang in 2015 while listening to Adam's band play at the marina with friends.

Of course, throughout all of this we celebrated nieces/nephew's birthdays, anniversaries, did over 100 photoshoots, worked out, read over 100 books, and worked full time. It was a busy year, but it was filled with amazing memories!

Real thoughts on Blogging {& why I do it}

Since this is my 1000th post {for real!} I thought I would blog a little bit about blogging...

I started blogging New Year's of 2010.  Crazy!  We were just married.  I was a nanny for four adorable children and Adam worked for a staffing agency.  We had our healthy, young pup, Murdock, but no kids of our own.  Fast forward 999 posts later and we've got two kids {two and under}, we'll be celebrating our 5th wedding anniversary this fall, we have a lakehome in addition to our condo, a minivan, and a photography business.  I am now the coordinator of Student and Continuing Medical Education for physicians at a hospital and Adam is a GPO specialist with an IT company {don't even ask me to explain what that means!} Unbelievable how much has changed since this all began.  And yet, I love dreaming about where we're headed from here.

I read blogs long before I started writing, and to be honest, I don't even think I knew I was reading 'blogs.'  I just came across a few families that had 'websites' and loved reading along.  Pretty soon I wanted to start one of my own.  To write our thoughts and journal about our life.  It helped my sort things out when I was still finding myself as a newlywed.  I write about small things that happen on the daily and big things that are milestones in our life.  I have learned I'm much better about writing small things, sometimes overlooking the largest things of all, but I love looking back to see what I felt was important enough to write about at that time.

I didn't tell a soul {except Adam} about this blog for over a year I think.  Since then, I've told a few people, to be honest, I don't even know who knows about this blog or not.  {I think more family knows about it that I think}  I'll admit, there are times when I still wish I was totally private so I could really say some things that are on my mind without hurting people, but as a whole I don't really care who knows about it.  At the beginning I think I wrote for others.  I even did giveaways and reviews.  I was really worried about getting new followers.  Now, I mainly write for myself and remembering things about my family.  Sometimes I'll do a product review if they are giving something that I think my family would like, b it's more about documenting my kids' life since I'm terrible at baby books and printing pictures!

I love the friendships that have come from this blog.  I've never met any blog friends in real life, but it's amazing to me the community that bloggers create.  Other than blogging for me and my memories, that's probably the best thing that's come from this blog.  I know lots of people {like my husband} laugh about blogging and think it's weird, in fact I always giggle a little when I say it, because even though I blog, I don't consider myself a 'blogger.'

I LOVE reading blogs and wish I still commented on blogs like I used to.  I'm going to blame this one on my kids.  I used to read and comment on blogs nightly.  Now that my nights are filled with babies until I go to bed {which I love & and am so fortunate for!}, I read blogs over my lunch hour, but rarely comment due to time.  I do however, make a point to reply to all comments {that are real & have reply email addresses}.  If someone takes the time to comment on my post, I think it's important to take a couple of minutes to reply back to them.  I used to bother me that 'big bloggers' never commented, but now I  understand it would be a full time job to reply to all comments.  Also, I understand why blog friends quit blogging {not only does it take time, but kids grow up life gets crazy} but I always wonder what those friends are doing now.

I know there is lots of drama about the pressure that blogging {& Pinterest} makes for moms, more specifically being the 'perfect mom.'  But I really think blogging helps me to be a better mama.  I get tons of ideas of things to create, books to read, and memories to make with my kids.  In fact, I think it helps be stive to be a better person overall.  Support more local {small} businesses, makes me more aware of life events, encourages me to spend more quality time with my loved ones, reminds me to give/be more involved with my community, etc.

Anyways, there is my rambling on blogging.  I love it.  I'm so happy I started it.  If you're thinking about starting one, I would encourage you to do it.  They're super easy and you won't regret it.  I do want to take the time to get my blog made into books {some posts, not all}.  I would be heartbroken if I woke up and my whole blog was gone!

Are You Done? {having kids that is}

From the day I delivered Jordyn, I was asked 'so, when will you guys try for your second?'
And then the second we shared that H2 was a boy, people I started asking 'so is this your last?'

So…here is my attempt to answer the infamous question, 'Will you guys be having more children?' 

I'm always nervous to answer this question.  It's like if our plans change I will be called a lier or something!

The short answer, we don't know.  Maybe?  Hopefully not!

There are just so many factors that play into the answer of this question.  Would we love more? Yes!  Are we so very blessed to have two healthy, happy children when so many others struggle to have any at all? Yes.  Are we deathly afraid of losing the 'man to man defense' as we like to call it? Yes!  Sometimes there just isn't enough of us to go around as it is, so adding another one, two?  Three?! to the mix is a little scary.  And of course we have the practical factor which is the cost of children {daycare, college funds, monthly experiences}.  And lets not forget that we live in a little condo and drive a small SUV {which would require the purchase of a larger home and a minivan/large SUV}

If we're being 100% honest right now, Adam is perfectly content with the two wonderful children we have now.  He feels like they complete our family.  And we both feel like we will be able to provide them with everything we want.  Mainly time, but assets {car, college, etc.} & experiences {yearly vacations, sports camps, etc.} as well.  But me?  I would like to wait a couple {maybe three} more years and have two {or three?!} more {close together like Jordyn & Cullyn}.

So for everything I just mentioned {& more} we have decided to love and enjoy the two little blessings we have right now and discuss our options again in a few years.  I'm certain God will lead us in the right directions when the time comes.  Who knows?  Adoption my even be in our future.

Update!

Here's an update on the 10 most consuming things going on in our life right now...and yes, they're alphabetical! :)
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The Babies
The babies are doing great...growing like weeds!  Cullyn turned 6 months on Saturday & Jordyn will be 2 on Wednesday.  Cullyn is still teething like crazy and starting to get everywhere {rolling/semi army crawling to get where he wants}.  We had J's Birthday Party yesterday afternoon.  Both kids have well checks on Wednesday.  Jordyn had a follow up appointment with the ENT last Friday where they confirmed she still has an ear infection in her right ear :(  So we have another follow up on Thursday to see if it's improving at all. Poor baby!

The Blog
I currently have 27 drafts started, but I struggle to find the time to finish them.  I try to take at least part of my lunch break to get a post together, unfortunately lunch breaks {when you get them} post babies are filled with appointments, responding to emails, updating my Photography Facebook page, writing a blog post, scheduling appointments, making things for daycare/birthday parties, etc.  Nevertheless, I love this blog & want to continue with it because it's fun and I love looking back and reading things about life that are so easy to forget.

The Body
Adam and I have started working out, we aren't seeing many results yet, but we both feel better, which is what matters most.  I know we're developing good habits & getting stronger which is what matters most.  I want to write a full post about this soon, but I'm really starting to like the whole gym thing.  I mean they have a sauna, a tanning bed, & a daycare...what's not to love?! :)

The Car
We're throwing around the idea of trading my car {small SUV--Santa Fe} in for a minivan.  I know, I know...90% of you are laughing your asses off...I'm okay with it.  In fact, I remember very vividly the time I laughed at my cousin and his wife when they announced the purchase of their minivan and even followed it up with a very dramatic {imagine that--me being dramatic!} 'I will N-E-V-E-R own a minivan!'  Well the truth is there are a lot of factors that play into it, but it just make the most sense for us to look further into the minivan option.--More to come!  PS…never say never!

The Dog
Ugh!  I swear...just when I say he's doing great he takes a turn!  I really don't know how much more Adam & I can handle.  Unfortunately {fortunately?!} we just love him so much.  He was our first baby!  So the latest...he has a 2 inch cut {?} in the tip of his tail {running the same direction as his tail}.  I'm not sure why, if an occurrence caused it, or if this means something more?  We noticed this after coming home to what looked like a murder in our house {specifically down the hallway, but definitely not limited to!}.  We're talking blood swooshes from the floor up to 5 feet high, down the halls, around the walls, on the doors...  We wrapped it {which lasted all of like 10 seconds}, cleaned the walls, and continue to deal with it daily.  I'll keep you posted.

The Holidays
I can't believe I just mentioned the 'h' word…how is it possible we're talking about the holidays again, already?!  At Jordyn's party yesterday, one of our pregnant friends {due at Christmas} said she only has 8 weeks left and it hit me…8 weeks from now the holidays will be over and we'll be prepping for another year, where does time go?!  We did the apple picking/pumpkin patch thing.  We're planning to take the kids to a trick or treat type of thing at the zoo on Thursday {still undecided about the real trick or treating thing this year}  We've already made our Thanksgiving plans for the year, the party invites exploded last week {I swear everything is on the first weekend of December--ugh I hate missing out!}, & I'm already planning our December {stay tuned for details!!} :)

The House {condo really}
A hate to even type this out because it's that depressing.  I should really do a whole post on it, but again, who wants to talk {or type} about depressing topics?!  The truth is, we hate our condo.  I mean there are things we like, the 14 foot ceilings, newness of it, etc. but having no yard, the 20 {cement} stairs to get to our front door, detached garage, etc. make be hate it.  I know, I should be blessed.  It's truly a first world problem, I get it.  Which is why I try not to complain.  Sadly, we're {very} upside down in it {Adam bought it brand new before our city build 9393908503984 more of the same units all over town } & now we're kind of stuck.  Unfortunately we don't have $20k laying around to dig ourselves out and get another house.  We have talked about renting it out for a while and living in the lake house full time for a year or two, but honestly the amount of money we would get to rent it {plus our gas back and forth everyday & extra wear and tear on our vehicles} wouldn't really put us ahead at all.  Another option is to sell it and live at the lake house for a while, but they are going for so low right now & there are so many units available that it would take forever and we would have to take a huge hit.  Plus, again, driving back at forth 60 miles {in an Iowa winter} each day is not favorable.  The other {more practical} option is to sell the lake house.  We don't really want to {since we love it there so much!} but really since we've moved down there we have hardly seen our lake friends.  I find us squeezing in time to go down there.  Everyone is just so busy.  If we really wanted to hang out with everyone, we could always plan it and stay with our in-laws.  So for now…we wait.  sigh  I've been praying about it a lot.  Hope God will lead us in the right direction.  I know we're just in a rut right now, but it's hard.  It's hard to see all of our friends will amazing dream homes and not be jealous.  It all takes time, and patience, right?

The J.O.B.
My job is crazy busy right now.  I got a new boss a couple of months ago, which really is better than I thought it was going to be.  I lucked out at got another great person.  She's very nice & not a micro manager {thank God}.  Our student numbers {& therefore my workload} have quadrupled since I started this position.  That along with our new computerized charting has made for a very busy couple of months for me.  The flexibility of this job is amazing {I really don't know how I could work without it}.  Unfortunately, I'm pretty much maxed out at my position, so I really should be applying for other jobs to further advance myself.  However that take time & energy, something I just don't have much of these days.
As for the husband's job…he's loving it.  He's finally working with a great group of people {for the most part}.  He's getting busier & better with his time management, so hopefully we'll start seeing that reflected in his commission checks! :)  He really is wonderful with people {his clients love him & he has the best customer service with each of his accounts so I know it's going to do great!}.  Unfortunately, as with most {all?} sales jobs, it takes time to build your accounts, so I know he's feeling stretched in a lot of directions most days.  I pray he finds a good balance soon.  Luckily we're both busy, so we both boot up our laptops to work after the kids go to bed at night.

The Marriage
We're getting ready to celebrate our 4th Wedding Anniversary {why is it that some days I feel like I've been married to this man for 034095839 years and the next second I cannot believe we've known each other for 6 1/2 years!} Where does the time go.  Considering how much change we're going through {have gone through in just 4 years} I feel like we're doing really good.  I'll admit, not everyday is bliss, but we really are blessed.  We have 2 homes, decent jobs, a loving pup, & two healthy kids.  I couldn't imagine going through life with anyone else by my side.  I feel really good that we get along so well even when the times are tough, it makes me really excited to be with him during the good times.  I know I don't say it enough, but I appreciate the husband and father that he is.  Juggling two kids under two and a sick dog is not easy, but he does it really well {each morning!} :)

The Photos
Photography has been booming.  I have about 13 family sessions that need edited and sent out!  I'm not as busy with client photos this year as I was last year, but we have so.much.going.on.all.of.the.time that I honestly don't know how I would find the time to do as many shoots as I did last year.  It's more important to me to 1. spend quality time with my family and 2. put out quality photos for my clients than it is to schedule a ton of sessions and half heartedly edit them. I really enjoy photography, but it isn't my livelihood {at this point anyways} so I'm doing what feels best for me and my family right now.  In the future, I would love to schedule 2 days a week and 2 weeks a month with photography clients, but right now that just isn't practical.

Okay…how is that for a 15 minute life recap?  I tried to talk about most things that people have been emailing and asking about.  I hope to put out some more quality {& photographic!} posts soon, but this is what you get for now!  :)

PS…sorry…no time to proofread.  please forgive me! ;)

Closing the Door...

After 25 years, my mother & father in law have decided to close the doors of their restaurant.  On Friday, June 14th at 2pm, Hometown cooked and served it's final meal.  It was bittersweet as it has been a labor of love for the entire family.

A letter written by my MIL to her customers...
Oh where do I even begin...February 29, 1988 (Leap Day) seems like such a long time ago! My how my life changed on that day over 25 years ago! I went from being a stay-at-home Mom to my three amazing children to being an owner of a business which took me out of my home 7 days a week. What a drastic change that was! 
This whole journey started when my dad, saw Dean and I purchasing the restaurant as an opportunity for Dean to get out of the factory. However, we soon realized that if we wanted to stay married, he needed to go back to the factory! Interesting that my dad encouraged me to do this, considering he would never allow me to work at the “Maid-Rite” because I was a “farm girl” and had chores to do. Looking back, I truly had no idea what I was getting myself into.
After several years of being open 7 days a week, we finally decided we needed some family time, so we opted to close on Saturday nights and Sundays. Being able to worship the Lord every single Sunday has always been incredibly important to me. In hindsight, that was one of the best decisions we have ever made.
Owning and running a restaurant is like what my dad used to say about milking cows, “You have to be married to it.” I had no idea how much I would have to sacrifice in order to make this endeavor a success. For example, when my daughters went to Prom, I couldn't be there to help them get ready, I was at Home Town. When my son scored his one and only touchdown playing for the Montezuma Braves, I was at Home Town. When my daughters cheered for the Montezuma Braves and Bravettes, I was at Home Town. I have been blessed with 8 wonderful grandchildren and I do not want to miss out on anything because I am at Home Town. Those are just a few of the things I have missed out on and I don't want to miss anything more.
On the flipside, I have some amazing memories and wonderful times because of Home Town. I have made wonderful friends and established some pretty great relationships. I have been able to share the joys of my children's weddings and the blessings of becoming a grandma with many of you. We received so much sympathy from many of you when both Dean's and my parents passed away. Lucky for me, I got to celebrate all of the milestone birthdays between the ages of 35 and 60 with all of you! Never in a million years did I think I would still be here to employ my own grandchildren. What a blessing that has been! Not many Grandma's can say that!
It is with a very sad but excited heart that I am telling you that June 14th, 2013 will be the last time I will unlock these doors at 6:00 A.M., start brewing coffee and frying bacon, and wait for your orders to come in. Thank you so much for the wonderful memories and if you need me, I will be enjoying the company of my husband and, more than likely, at Montezuma Community School watching my oldest 6 grandchildren or in Ankeny cuddling my youngest 2!

Although she closed the door to Hometown last week {and an entire chapter of her life}I couldn't be more excited for her to have the opportunity to spend more time with the people the mean that most to her {her grandchildren & kids}during her next chapter of her life.

>>Sometime in July 2013, the building will be demolished and a gas station will replace it.  Ironically, long before Hometown was built, a gas station sat on that very lot.  I guess we could say 'full circle.'