The Reasons Why

So Seth is still asleep and here I am. My mind started going this morning and would not stop, so I decided to do something productive and blog. I've had a pretty good weekend, but I am SUPER excited that I still have one more day to go. YAY LABOR DAY!!!!! Ok, now that that's out of my system.... ;) I decided to blog about my hubby. I blogged about my kids awhile back and the reasons why I think they're so awesome, so now I'm going to do the same for Seth.


He makes me a stronger person. By nature, I just avoid confrontation and pretty much let people walk all over me. But when Seth came into my life, he showed me that it is ok to stand up for myself. And it's not ok for people to take advantage of me. So over the years, I've learned to say what I think (in a tactful way, of course) and to not be that person.


We balance each other out really well. I'm a hopeless optimist and he's a hopeless pessimist. I try to see the best in people from the start, and he sees the worst. I like meeting new people, he would rather hang with people he's known for awhile. It's not about who's right and who's wrong, although we both do enjoy being right, lol....it's about what makes us comfortable and what makes us who we are. We force each other out of our comfort zones, and I think that's good for anyone. It makes you grow as a person as well as your character. And you discover that you can do things that you never dreamed you could do before.


He loves me more than I thought anyone ever could. I used to have really low self-esteem when we first met. And I still feel traces of that these days, but nothing like it used to be. But Seth has always told me that I'm beautiful and to never compromise who I am. And after years of being with him, I finally was able to accept that and see that things just aren't as bad as they seem. And I'm SO thankful for this b/c now I can teach my daughter how to love herself from the beginning and hope she never has to go through that personal hell.


The other day he told me that he appreciated me and everything that I do. What woman doesn't love to hear that?! And yes, Seth and I have had our hard times. We have hit rock bottom together and struggled through when we saw no light at the end of the tunnel. But the point is that we made it through and here we are standing at the end together. We're married with 2 beautiful children and the vast future in front of us, full of all kinds of possibilities. I support him through everything and he does the same for me. I am truly blessed with my family, and I make sure that I thank God for that everyday :)

What I Would Rather Be Doing...

What I would rather be doing on this boring Saturday night is hangin out with some of my girls at TGIFriday's. Yep, it would be WAY better than being bored at home. But it's all good, right? We can't always get what we want; it's a simple fact of life. So instead of whining and complaining about my evening, I'm going to steal an idea from my friend, Rachel, and just post some random facts. It's always interesting and fun to see what people will put :)

1. I need a hobby. I think if I had one, then I wouldn't think about work so much at home. The only thing is, I have no idea what a good hobby for me would be. And I'm not talking boring either. I want a hobby that I can be good at AND also benefit from, know what I mean? I'm not very crafty, I'm no good with photography (although I LOVE looking at it), and I don't have the patience for scrapbooking. So please...give me some ideas!!

2. I am by nature a very shy person. Sometimes it still gets the best of me, but I seriously force myself to be outgoing on a daily basis. I'm actually really thankful for my job in that department. It forces me to step outside my comfort zone and grow as a person.

3. I never really liked kids until I had my own. I never babysat, never had any younger siblings or cousins. So I was just never around them. At one point I was pretty sure that I didn't even want kids. But that wasn't God's plan, I suppose. Now I can't imagine my life without them. They are truly amazing, and I'm blessed to have 2 awesome ones of my own. And my job...wow. Yes, sometimes I want to pull my hair out, but I love it. It is so rewarding in so many ways. But I think I'll save that for a blog post in and of itself.

4. When I was growing up, I always wanted blonde, silky hair. Instead I got this frizzy brown thing stuck on my head. However, these days I don't mind my hair so much, but I do still wish it was more silky. But my best friend is a straightening iron, and that's as close as it will ever get :) As for the color, well...I'm pretty content with it these days.

5. Sometimes I wish that I wasn't so tall. I think that short, petite girls are so lucky. Can I explain this? Not really. But those of you out there that would love to be tall...think of it this way. At least you don't tower over everyone in the room! And you don't always hear, "Wow, you sure are tall for a girl." It's annoying, trust me :)

6. I've really gotten back into cooking new things lately. My summer schedule has been super nice b/c I've been getting off work most days in time to cook dinner. I didn't realize how much I had missed it. So now I'm kinda bummed b/c this will be my last week of being able to do it. It will be back to cooking on Wednesday and Friday nights during the week.

7. I have some pretty awesome friends :) I would just like to thank all of you listen to me whine, cry, complain, and anything else I need to say. You guys rock my world!

Looking Up....

Life has been rather difficult lately. Seth lost his job about a month ago, and our stress levels have been out of control. I have been trying SO hard to be supportive and keep my mouth shut, but it's so hard sometimes! I must say I was successful at all attempts, but sometimes I would just get in the truck to go somewhere by myself, and vent. Yes, I would talk to myself but it got it out of my system so that I could continue to be a good wife. I've been doing extra little things for my grandmother to earn extra money, just to get us through the weeks. Thank goodness she loves me enough to let me do it :) And I know what you're thinking....don't you work too, Jen?! Why, yes I do! However, I only get paid twice a month and that's what we use to pay our bills. And normally, it's enough with a little left over. But this month has been hard b/c work slowed down for me as well. I was going to Shelbyville on Thursdays to teach gymnastics at a daycare center there, but they wanted to take the month of August off. And I also had Wednesdays off for the summer b/c that was SUCH a long day for me. And then they hired someone new for the office, so they took my Saturday hours away. A blessing and a curse at the same time. I really didn't mind working Saturdays, but then again it's nice to be able to sleep in. I just wish it hadn't happened when it did. Anyway, enough rambling...

Seth got a call yesterday to go do some work with a guy he used to work with to do some painting. So he calls a little while ago to say it may turn into full time work!!! THANK GOD FOR THAT! Hopefully it will happen b/c he HAS been looking for the past few weeks and doing side jobs when they pop up, but something steady is seriously what we need. My fingers are triple crossed on this one.

The kids are doing fabulous! Willie is loving preschool and looks forward to going everyday, and Brooklyn and also doing awesome in 1st grade. I'm super proud of both of them, as well as relieved. And blessed that I have such awesome kids who don't get in trouble at school ;)

My new schedule for work starts the first week of September, so I can't wait for that, even though it has been nice having some days off. But I'm subbing some next week, and that will definitely help out for the next paycheck. So yeah...things are looking up finally. Good thoughts and tons of prayers later...yes, I'm completely thankful, blessed, and happy :)

Something To Think About...

I found this on my old blog and thought I would share it. I loved it 2 years ago when I first read it and I love it now. I'm all about inspirational things, though ;) Anyway....read it, enjoy it, think about it.


After awhile you learn the subtle difference between holding a hand and chaining a soul and you learn that love doesn't mean possession and company doesn't mean security. And you begin to learn that kisses aren't contracts and presents aren't promises and you begin to accept your defeats with your head up and your eyes ahead with the grace of an adult not the grief of a child. And you learn to build your roads today because tomorrow's ground is too uncertain for plans and futures have ways of falling down in mid-flight. After awhile you learn that even sunshine burns if you get too much so you plant your own garden and decorate your own soul instead of waiting for someone to bring you flowers. And you learn that you really can endure that you really are strong and you really do have worth and you learn and you learn...

My Pepa

So my Pepa is my hero. I've always had a soft spot for that man, and he has the same for me. I have SO many great memories from my childhood with him, and he's giving the same to my children. Unfortunately, in the last year he hasn't been doing so well. And I am not going to go into details about b/c call me crazy...I'm a little superstitious about things. I'm afraid that if I talk about it too much, the worst will happen. And I just can't deal with that right now. So instead, I'm going to blog some of my favorite things about him and some memories. And I also posted some pics of my grandparents from the wedding (pictures by Erica Foley).

1. First of all, we always had a special thing b/c our birthdays are so close together. And then Brooklyn came along, and all 3 of us get to have a family birthday party every year. My b-day is June 9th, Pepa's is the 12th, and Brooklyn's is the 14th. But as a kid, my grandmother would always try to have separate ones for us, but I would not have it. It was SO cool to get to share that with my grandfather, and he loved it too. Plus we liked the same kind of cake ;)

2. He can be kinda mean...to everyone but me. He won't take crap off of anyone, and can cut you down before you can blink. But never with me. He was always gentle and kind, and I LOVE the way he smells! Old Spice does not smell good on anyone other than him, I swear. But I would love to hug him just to breathe in that smell.

3. My grandparents owned their own business for over 20 years. We called it "The Shop". And man, I thought it was the coolest place ever! Whenever I was out of school sick, I would get to go to the shop with my grandmother. She was in charge of all the books and business side, and he was the repairman/boss. He would go out on calls and stuff, and work in the shop fixing microwaves, refrigerators, air conditioning units...pretty much any kind of appliance. Sometimes I would get to help take calls or load up microwaves when people would come to pick them up. I thought I was oh so cool ;) Anyway, so I would be sitting there on those days, helping Grandma do whatever or watching the little portable TV, just waiting for Pepa to come back from a call. I would watch the time b/c sometimes he would come in and ask me to go to lunch with him. He would clear out the passenger side of his truck so that I could fit in there. And his truck smelled great too. I don't know why b/c it was really nothing special, but it just smelled like Pepa. Actually, it still does. Anyway, he would eat at a place called Linda's (which is now known as Stones River Grill) b/c "They always cook my food the right way" he says. But we would sit there and eat and do the crossword puzzle from the newspaper. I loved those days.

4. He would do anything for me. I was in the 3rd grade and we were studying hummingbirds. Well, my Pepa is a hummingbird fanatic! So he scheduled me in one day and came to my class to teach us about them. He was in his work uniform and everything! And we also had Grandparents' Day every December at my school. All the classes would sing, and if you had a grandparent that came, you got to go eat some special refreshments after the program. He, again, would always be there with my grandmother and my Granny.

5. He has had an amazing life. I used to love to hear stories from his days in the Air Force. He even got to fly President Eisenhower once. He also had great stories from his childhood as well. But these days he says all of that is a little fuzzy for him.


I could go on and on about him, but unfortunately I don't have time for that. I've got to get the kids in the bathtub and get them ready for bed. Thanks for reading my memories :)

Showin Some Love To My Kids, Part 2

Yesterday was crazy, so I did not get a chance to do Wil's blog. But I'm bored right now while Seth plays xbox with his friend, Matt, and also while I wait for it to be time to get ready to go out with my peeps. Anyway, so I freakin love this kid. He rocks my world, just like Brooklyn does, but in a different way. If you have more than 1 kid, you understand. And if you only have 1 kid right now, quit worrying about there being enough love for another one! There really is plenty to go around, and you'll love them just as much and in a completely different way :) OK, off my soapbox now.....

I love that he's so lovable. That kid LOVES to give me hugs and kisses, tell me that he loves me and that he thinks I'm pretty. And when he REALLY wants on my good side, he says, "Mommy, I think you're the best." He likes to hold my hand and lets me baby him every now and then. But recently he has started not wanting to give me kisses in public, and that really sucks. But he still gives the hugs out, so I'll take it and be happy with that.

He has a huge heart. He's not nurturing like Brooklyn is, but he can't stand to see anyone upset. I remember when he was a baby, probably a little under a year old...you would look at him and pretend like you were crying, and his little bottom lip would quiver and stick out b/c it would upset him. I know, I know. What parent does that over and over again for entertainment? Well, that would be me. It was so stinkin cute that I couldn't help it! And when I'm upset or crying and he sees me for some reason, he'll rub my back. I know, he's going to make some woman really happy one day ;)

He's smart. The kid taught himself the freakin alphabet! We got him one of those v-tech toy laptops a couple of years ago and it has tons of learning games on there. Well, now he can recognize all the letters, uppercase and lowercase, as well as his numbers. It's pretty crazy, and all that started when he was 2 years old. But sometimes I also think he has a photographic memory. But anyway, it makes me happy.

I love that he loves spending time with me. He loves going to Walmart with me. I guess it comes from the last couple of years of dropping Brooklyn off at school and then heading there for grocery shopping. But I would let him pick out a doughnut, and we would sometimes just look at the toys. And he definitely has his own on opinion on everything. He's not afraid to tell you if he doesn't like something ;)


So there's my Willie lovin post. He had a lot of problems as a baby, and bless his heart, he tried SO hard to be happy. But there was always something going on that was making him uncomfortable. Anyway, so I felt like it took me longer to bond with him than it did Brooklyn. Yes, even typing that out makes me feel like a horrible mother. But we're super tight now and that's all that matters. He's my little man :)