20 Facts About Me!

1. I love floor care, haha, seriously though, I love new vacuums and new mops. They make me so happy. I am seriously nuts about keeping my floors clean!

2. I never thought that I wanted to be a mother. Yup, totally true! However, when I met my husband I could not see ourselves without kiddos. I knew he was the man that would make me a mother and I am thankful for that every day. I absolutely love being a mother, more than anything in this world.

3. Currently I am trying to become a teacher, I feel it is my calling. 

4. I am obsessed with my cuter than ever ugly Boston Terrier. I mean, truly obsessed. I love that ugly mug so much!

5. My sisters are included in my best friends, I am so blessed to have the sisters that I do, seriously, BLESSED!

6. My husband works harder than any man I have met. It is admirable to see how much he does to provide for his family.(This one isn't really about me but that's okay)

7. I hate eating out, I know, it sounds silly; but I truly hate paying high prices for food when I know I can cook something even better in the comfort of my own home.

8. I have become increasingly forgiving. It took me a while to grow out of my Irish ways but I can officially say that I am a VERY forgiving person.

9. I am VERY select about who I let into my little peoples lives. I feel it is my highest duty as a mother to ensure that I guard their hearts.

10. I am TERRIFIED, I mean TERRIFIED of months! I have a totally irrational fear of them, it's really sad.

11. I wish I lived closed to my bestie, she is like the other half of me. I love our time together but I wish we had more!

12. I am always cold, always. It can be 90 degrees outside and I will be reaching for a zip up hoodie.

13. I hate that we have a new frozen yogurt place right down the road, I blame them for my gain of 5 lbs! Haha!

14. I love the feeling after a good workout, I feel refreshed and motivated.

15. I contemplate getting rid of Facebook often. Is it just me or is it become more or a site about one-upping other people? Sometimes I am even guilty of this, not intentionally, but after I read some of my posts, I think to myself, " Does this sound like bragging?"  

16. I love how different my son is, Aspergers and all. Seriously, the kid is amazing!

17. My dream truck is a Toyota Tundra, maybe some day when my kiddos are grown but right now I love having the third row seating in the Expedition.

18. I love the old shows like, Full House, Step by Step and Family Matters, yup I am dork.

19. I have no idea who is cool in the music world anymore. I listen to KLOVE, I love the music and love that my kiddos are hearing encouraging songs.

20. Jesus is my Savior NOT my religion.>>>>This is huge for me.

31 Day Blog Challenge: Introduction

I am following my besties lead and giving the 31 Day Blog Challenge a shot. So here goes:


I graduated with my BA in May (Go Cougs!) I went through a very stressful few weeks deciding what was the next step for me, work? more school? I was going to become a social worker but after seeing the horrible side effects that it has had on my mom, I decided that maybe it wasn't the job for me. So with A LOT of soul searching and reflection I have decided on becoming a teacher! I hope to teach at the kindie up to third grade level. These ages are my ideal ages to teach, I love the little ones so much that I know I would enjoy this age group.

So I applied to the Masters Program and last weekend I traveled to Spokane and took my West B exam. This exam is for those in Washington State that want to be teacher, it is required that you pass all three sub tests, math, reading, and writing. Sadly I do not think I passed the writing because I ran out of time on my essays. What does this mean for me? I may have to push out starting grad school :( Total bummer! I am holding out hope that they pass me anyway...fingers crossed.

Wow, I totally did not plan on this post being entirely about my teaching plans but I guess you can see what I am passionate about.

Other than my future school plans, I spend a incredible amount of time with my children, I love it! I am not going to lie there are times where I feel as though I am losing it but I am so thankful for all the time I get to spend with my little people. My husband is my greatest support, we have married 11 years this coming Aug. We spend as much time together as possible as well, he truly loves me for who I am and who I am not, for that I am thankful.

I have sincerely calmed down over the past 2 years. I am not as much of a hot head as I once was. I have learned to see the positive in people and can honestly say that I am so much less judgmental that I once was. Let's be honest, sometimes we can all be a little judgey judgey, but I am trying really hard to acknowledge when these moments happen and stop myself. It, along with most other things is a work in progress. I can say that I have become a much more positive person since realizing that being judgmental gets you no where and seeing the good side of everyone makes your day much better!

Okay that's it, this is super long and boring I am sure haha! See you soon!

A important update....

I have stopped blogging here due to creating a new blog. Our boy was diagnosed with Aspergers a few short months ago. I have decided to focus my blog on that, because truthfully, I really need the outlet. It has been very difficult for my family at times but there have been joyous moments as well. Please join me on my new blog and follow along our journey. Hope to see you there.

Stephenie

Changes...sometimes good!

Living in Wyoming has been such a wonderful change for my family. We have become closer than I ever thought possible. Slowing down life forces you to reflect on what is important. I have learned that the small town life is so much better for us.

Ben is working a Monday thru Friday job, no weekends. This is a huge difference considering when we lived in Washington he was working every weekend, due to how much work his company had. Here he works in a shop that has a total of four people. They are family oriented and really in small town, there is no hurry.

I found a job the second week we were here but a few weeks ago I applied for a state position. I interviewed and on Tuesday I received and accepted the job offer. I will be working for Wyoming State Child Support Enforcement. It is a Monday-Friday 8-5 job so that means Hannah will be in daycare/preschool. I am nervous about that considering she has never not been in my care, but I know that this will be good for her. Half of the day is fun and the second half is strictly preschool.

I am a little nervous about my new job just for the fact that I alone have 650 cases that I have to go through each month. I suppose this will make the work day go by very quickly. Lol. I am however, so excited to start this new journey. This is the kind of work I have been seeking for some time. My education fits it perfectly. I am so humbled to have this position.

Jerimiah and Hannah are loving it here. They spend a lot of time with my sister and her husband. They have no children so they enjoy having little people around. It gives Ben and I chance to go out for dinner and have some adult time. This has brought us so much closer, I didn't realize how much we were missing out on in each other lives by hardly ever having time to just spend quality time together.

I will admit the first time they stayed there, I called every 5 minutes and when that wasn't good enough I drove my butt over there and tried to convince them to come home....haha! Now, I am doing much better, and I know that one night is not going to hurt us. I also know that my sister deserves to have that time with her niece and nephew. I figure the closer they are with my sister and her husband the better off they will be. Lets face it, the more people involved in raising a child the better off that child will be.

Life is good and we are blessed.

Stepehenie

Settled In To Small Town Life

We have been in our new home for about three weeks now. Truthfully we are happier than we have ever been. I am loving the small town life. We went to Cheyenne (40 miles away) this past weekend to go to the mall and I hated it! I have become so in love with no crowds that when we got there my anxiety increased 10 fold. Kids screaming, crying, people bumping into you...ya I don't miss these things a bit!

Ben and I went out for the first time by ourselves last weekend as well. We had a good time, walked through a few different breweries, had dinner and did some shopping. Here we are, of course this is a iPhone photo so the quality sucks but hey...aren't we so cute? ;)

Also good news I had two interviews last week and was offered both jobs. I accepted the one that has the most room for growth and more closely matches my degree. I will be starting next week and because I am working evenings we do not even have to have childcare, except once a month, that is where my totally blessing of a sister comes in.Best of all, I am working 10 hours two days a week and that is it. I love that!

The kids and I made an incredibly fun art project....melter crayons! This is Hannahs finished project, we are doing Jers tonight.

 Jerimiah was clearly in the middle of telling me something very important...haha

Hmmm...what else is new? Oh Ben and I have officially started planning our 10 year wedding anniversary. We will be renewing our vows, so my sister and I will be checking out some venues this weekend. I know that because of the distance, very little people will be able to attend but what matters most to us is that our children will be part of our ceremony. I know that with our two little ones by our sides it will be an incredible day for our family.

Okay, that is it. Life is good and we are blessed!

Stephenie

Welcome Home!

Well we are here...the great state of Wyoming!

The kids and I took an early morning flight on the 17th and Ben and his brother showed up with the moving trucks the following day. My sister and her husband live 2 miles from us so they were here to help unload the huge truck! As we were unloading I got a call from my dad, he just happened to be driving right through our town on his way back to Washington for work....Lucky us..another set of hands to help out. It was really strange seeing my dad here though lol

On that following Monday my little guy had his testing at a top school, I was so nervous. There academic program is ahead of the other public schools. In first grade they do second grade math, so while he was testing I was full of anxiety. If your child is not going into the school as a kindie they require testing to be sure they can handle the tough curriculum.


It took two days before we heard anything but I finally got the call that he had made it in. There was only one spot open so the timing could not have been better. As soon as we heard the wonderful news, I ordered his uniforms... (pictures to come) I had them shipped over night and oh...my...gosh does he look so cute! Yesterday we met with his teacher and she said he is doing wonderful! The best part....he LOVES it, he is so excited about school each morning. He even gets to go on his first ever field trip on Friday...to the Ballet :)


Hannah will start kindie there next year, she is guaranteed a spot since Jerimiah is already enrolled, we are thankful for that.

Ben starts work on Monday, his company has a total of 4 people (including him). They are a family business and Ben will be their only welder which is nice.

I just started the job search yesterday...the good news? Every where I go I am told they are hiring. This is such a contrast to where we were living before and there was no job openings. I have my eyes set on a facility for troubled youth, there my degree will be utilized...we shall see.

We are just loving it here. I thought that it would be a huge adjustment but really, I am in love with how small it is (30,000 people). Every where you go the people are so nice! I love that everything is within a mile from my house and love that my sister and brother-in-law are here. The only issue I have is that the wind is insane! We had 50 mph wind, I thought our windows were going to blow in, in fact the wind gets so bad that they close the highways! Crazy!

Well I hope everyone is doing well, I do miss my family and friends. However,we certainly made the right decision for us. We are so happy to call Wyoming home.

Our Big News!

No we are not pregnant! But we are moving! Yay!

In three short weeks my family and I will be relocating to....Wyoming! Yes, I totally just said that! Ben and I have thought long and hard about this decission. We spent months deliberating on what was the best thing for our family. So what inspried this huge move?

Small town...the town we will be moving to has a population of about 30,000 which is something that both Ben and I love. I love that everyone knows everyone, I love that no one is in a hurry (this is something I will have to work on).

Jobs...Ahhh, gosh I have already had two employers call me and I am not even in the state yet. I am hoping to land a position at the college. (I am currently under consideration!) It's a great position with good pay and great benefits. Ben will transfer his apprentiship and already has a job lined up. He will be going to Denver for his military mumbo jumbo, the good news? I will be going with him most the time! Yay! A weekend a month to just us...really?

My sister Christy.....I am so thankful that she lives there! She has made the process so much easier on us. I have sent her to look at rentals, sign contracts, make payments and even buy me a new garbage can Lol. I am so excited to live within miles of her....I cannot wait! My brother-in-laws family is great and have already embraced us and demanded that we show up at family functions. It feels wonderful to already be included before we have even arrived.

Quality of life- this is the most important reason for our move. We are ready to slow down, focus on our family and for Ben to have a normal schedule. Don't get me wrong I am incredible thankful and grateful to his employer here, he has blessed our family by giving Ben steady employment. However, he works so much that both he and I feel like he is missing out and frankly we are both exhausted. He of working non stop and me of not being able to work due to his variable schedule. We are totally outdoor people so being in the Rockies is going to be amazing! Camping, fishing, hiking, and boarding yay!

Bens family....being in Wyoming, we will be much closer to Bens family in Iowa. Visits will be much more possible and I know that it important to us and his family. I think it is important that our children know both sides of their family. 

Now the ugly.....
I have truly agonized over the fact that I am taking my children away from their grandarents and aunt. This was an incredibly difficult desission to make, knowing that sadness that this will bring  my children,my parents, my grandparents and my sister. I have spent many hours crying over this and angry at those who have put up a fight. Now, that everyone has gotten used to the idea I have been able to see past the anger and know that it really meant, "Please do not leave, I love you and will miss you and your family." I think about how it would feel if my children moved my grandchilredn so far away that I would rarely see them.....it would break my heart. The good news is, my mom recently told me that she knows we have to do this, she knows we have to give it a shot. So we have decided that we will Skype once a week so that she can stay in contact with the kiddos. My dad drives through the town we are moving to all the time for work so thankfully we will still see him often.

My sister Angie, uh.....what can I say? This has been really challenging for both of us, for various reasons. She was the one person that I had the most difficult telling, I knew it would hurt her and it did. My heart still aches over it and I hope she forgives me. There is no easy way to tell your sister..."Hey we are moving 1700 miles away." However, we will get through this and since we have always taken our family vacations with her and will continue to do so, I know we will be okay.  My relationship with her is one that I do not take lightly. It is incredibly important to me to remain close and to have her in my childrens life, and if it takes everything I have, I will make sure it happens. Loving some one so much makes telling them your moving so much more difficult. I am so thankful for everything she has done for my family, blessing us with her home and being the best darn landlord ever ;)

My best friend Lindsi.....what can I say to you to express my gratitude for everything you are and are not. Thank you first of all for being so supportive even when I know it was hard for you. Thank you for carrying my emotions through this, thank you for grounding me when I got irrational and upset and most of all thank you caring so much about my families happiness. I love you and your family like my own. I know that regardless of the distance between us, we will always share a bond that very few people experience. You are so wonderful to my family, and we are so thankful to have you guys as our best friends. 

Okay here are some photos of our new place! I love it...even though I have never see it lol. It's good size, 1600 sqft, kids have their bedrooms down stairs and there is small play room down there as well. Everything is new, updated and my sister says its beautiful. It even has a huge detached garage/shop. The owner of the house was selling his hottub, I told him if he gave me a discount on the deposit I would buy it....so We have a hot tub! Yahoo! Our landlord is wonderful, he is easy going and even called us just to wish us a Merry Christmas...once again small town folks are so nice. :)

Kitchen

 Hot tub

 View from the house..this is the detached garage and shop

 Back deck

 View from the street, there is also a attached small garage

So that is it...our big news. Thank you to everyone for your support even when it was challenging. We appreciate more than you will ever know. <3
Stephenie