A Snowflake Update

I've been trying to avoid anymore negative posts. Things in many ways have improved, especially on the health side - other things are not so good...I guess such is life - you get the good and the bad. As the book I'm currently reading states "it's all about what you focus on though" (RAPT). So for an update..

To start with the good...I'm feeling MUCH better. I'm still coughing some and part of my herniated rib is still...herniated..but so much better now. The long Thanksgiving weekend (and my muscle relaxers prescribed by the urgent care doctor) aided so much in that. I really appreciate that my husband finally saw that I needed the time and my sister was such a big help with my obligation to get the house decorated for Christmas for the kids.

I think that mine and Mr. S's marriage is more on track again. We needed focus (again...focus on that which is most important to your life), we NEED date nights and I think we're getting there - we're going to take the time to focus on each other and close out the "bad" or "stressful" that consumes us. I think that for the last few weeks we've both been much more happy with where we're at together and that's a good thing.

Also good...the girls and I got to spend the weekend together and had a lot of fun together. Mr. S and the boys were all deer hunting this weekend, so we spent Saturday shopping and going to lunch. I was SUPPOSED to be Christmas shopping, but I think I spent more money on buying the girls new clothes and LMS's fish. So, needless to say..I'm WAY behind on Christmas shopping. Sunday we spent most of the day watching movies and catching up on Glee together. Such a nice relaxing weekend. Now I need to find Mr. S something else to hunt so we get more "girls" weekends and less wrestling matches :)

Speaking of LMS's fish - we had a death in the family...Taylor Fish..our beta from Mr. S's cousin's wedding in June died. LMS was SO distraught last Sunday, but by Monday she was ready to flush him with the promise of a new fish this weekend. We've welcomed two new members to the family, Goldie and Firey, a couple of large fan tail goldfish. So, a happy/sad story.

For the bad..hmm..where to start...

What a difference a day makes

Friday was my day from Hell.  All week I'd been "slow" (not really that I didn't have anything to do - just not at the hurricane pace I'm used to), Friday had a ton of deadlines though. My biggest one was this 6-in thick Construction Quality and Assurance document that has to be filed with Iowa DNR on Monday AM. So between racing to get that ready and needing to go to work at my second job - I was under a lot of pressure. Ultimately, I didn't get my final files until after 3 (I had wanted to leave at 2:30) and still had to finish printing, assembling and burning electronic versions. Around 4 I couldn't decide if I was calling in to second job or not, but no matter what I was working late (my other option was to go in Saturday or Sunday to finish - but in my mind - that was NOT an option) also, my job at Large Engineering firm comes WAY before my second job - if I lost my main one for not completing it (not that it would happen, but..) - second job is NOT going to pay the bills. I finished at 5:35 and was getting nagged by the shuttle drivers to get my butt downstairs or I'd have to walk to my car - not really something I wanted to do with all of the crap I had to carry for the conference today. I made it home, changed and got to my second job by 6:30...of course we were swamped and I think all the waitresses were mad at me.  Whatever....When I got home after 9:30 (over 14 hour day) finally - I was tired, stressed, not feeling good (I've been sick/had allergies or something since Wed night) and I was kind of annoyed with Mr. S (not going to spell it all out here - he was (is) in the doghouse). Anyway...bad day.

Saturday didn't start off very well, I was still tired, sick and stressed out and Mr S started nagging me about getting my car in (it's had a check engine light on all week). We got it dropped off, he made breakfast casserole, we all cleaned house and then went to JrMrS's last football game of the season. I got a call from the dealership about my car while we were watching the older kids play their game - I had a stupid evap warning (basically because Mr S put gas in my car and then didn't screw the cap on tight - the engine didn't like that it didn't have the "pressure"). Luckily it was an easy fix and they didn't even charge me for the time/labor! I have dropped LOTS of money with them - so they're nice and give me breaks every once in a while (nice thing about living in a small town). Anyway, that relieved a TON of stress and I was able to enjoy the game (except for my throat killing me). JrMrS's team won the game and then I was finally able to get some pictures up close in his uniform.

A kid one day..(gulp)..a pre-teen the next..

We've been super busy around the Snowflake house lately.  Between work, work, and um..more work, starting our school schedule, the two Jr's sports and everything else, we've also been in a three week process with the kids purging and cleaning out rooms and then moving everyone around.  I'm SO glad it's over!!
The twin Snowflakes have officially moved into JrMrS's room (they've slept down there/played down there alost EVERY night since Mr. S built that room) and we've split the girls into their own rooms.
This weekend was our final chore - painting JrMsS's new room.  Changing it from a nursery to a pre-teens room was not as easy as I thought.  It was nice I was able to go shopping so soon after college dorm season - lots of clearance items. 

100th Post!

I thought for my 100th post (yippee!!), I'd list 100 of my favorite things.

1. My husband, family and friends (listing all those people could be 100 by itself)
2. My wonderful children
3. Random hugs and kisses from my kids.
4. Holding hands

5. Slow dancing
6. Giggling (myself, kids, babies)
7. A fun date with my hubby
8. Christmas (all holidays but especially Christmas)
9. Parties
10. Having people over to the house

The most joy I've felt in a long time

This post has so many themes going on with it.  I have to tell you a story from last weekend, that I had not gotten around to writing this week.  If I could love my husband anymore than I already do - this was the week that I found out how much more that is. 

Mr. S is very much a "boy" person.  He gets boys, relates to them, and is closer to his sons than I've ever seen a dad.  When he and I met he had a hard time relating to the girls and their drama.  Getting into their activities was a whole new experience since he's only ever done the boy-stuff.  Over the last three years he's really tried to support the girls and be there for them.  It's the best gift of all that he could give me.

When I got separated/divorced, it ran through my head over and over how sorry I felt for my daughters that they didn't have their dad full time (I was very close to my dad - I was the apple in his eye) - I thought he was an "okay" dad and they seemed to really love each other.  Once Mr. S came into our life - I really saw the dad I wished my daughters had.  It's a relationship that none of us can force though and I think we've gone about it the right way - we've just let it meld into what it would be.  Over the last year my ex has become completely absent in my daughter's lives - it's sad - but I think it's been for the best.  They've flourished in the last year and I know as kids grow, they change, but we've seen a SIGNIFICANT change in the girls.  LMS more so though.  She loves his support in her sports and the one on one attention she gets from him when he helps her with things.

Fill in the Blank Friday

Life of a busy wife hasn't been doing Fill in the Blank Friday for a couple of weeks - so I went to her source "the little things we do" and pulled her questions...
1. The strangest thing I've ever eaten was I’m not sure – I’ve never really ate anything weird, except for maybe my Subway turkey-I mean jalepeno-sandwiches.


2. My best friend is the greatest. He's funny and sweet and pretty darn cute. Oh yeah...and by the way Mr. S...it's you :) .

3. If I could live in a different era it would be the 1950's because I really like the idea of cooking in heels and pearls, plus I feel like things were probably simpler then...not perfect, but simpler .

100 things that make me happy - the weather edition

Since the weather is crappy again (and school is out again), I thought I'd try to put a positive note on things and think about happy things.  Since all I'm thinking about is the crappy weather, I thought happy weather thoughts would be a good theme for today.
Here's my ten weather happy things:
1) Snow – in Colorado – while skiing.
2) That first warm spring morning when you walk outside in a jacket and realize you don’t need it.
3) When the sun is coming up or already up when I wake up in the morning for work.
4) When the sun is still up for hours after I get home from work.
5) The breeze that comes through the house when we get to leave the windows or deck door open.
6) The smell and sound of a nice spring rain.
7) Lightning
8) Watching the fireflies in the summer come out while sitting on the deck with my husband.
9) Snuggling by the fireplace
10) Sunshine

I'll take any kind of sunshine right now - even if there's snow in the picture
What makes you happy?