Saturday, November 7, 2015
Some Life Lessons
Thursday, May 31, 2012
It is just about over...
Well now my job is coming to an end. With the continuing slump in the economy and the newly raised rent, the owners can no longer afford where we are located and can't guarantee they can re-open elsewhere. I never thought it would happen, but not long after I found all this out (can you say stressed out!), my hubby got back on with the company that laid him off 3+ years ago...full time! So financially, we will be fine. In fact I have been blessed with the chance to cut back my hours tremendously to be home once again with my youngest...I have missed her so much.
I will miss our wonderful customers, many who are now good friends, and my awesome co-workers. We have shared good times and bad and will hopefully continue to bless each others lives for years to come. I hope to find a new "schedule" that includes regular blogging and creating (that will be shared on my creative blog www.jenalihdesigns.blogspot.com). I'm so excited to see what the summer brings, especially getting to spend time with my kids again!
Sunday, May 15, 2011
Clearly working takes it's toll...
I decided I need to go back to school, I'm technically not qualified for anything but retail, and I'm not as happy as I should be in a job. Atleast being happy in a job seems like a reasonable goal. I know my husband loved his job before the economy killed it. I really miss those days. We were still broke, but in a more secure way, knowing what we could handle or change. Working for me was more of an option to give us the extra to enjoy life, and I always worked at something. But it was my choice of when and where and who.
I am grateful I have a job, don't get me wrong...some income is better than none. I'm just worn out. I'm not used to the stress of being the sole provider and bill payer. I give my all to my work to be the best employee possible, to give the customers the best possible experience.
I'm tired.
Thursday, February 25, 2010
My third ATC
Monday, February 22, 2010
Never too old?
As far as dear A is concerned, she will never be too old to take baths in the sink. She barely fit in the sink and yes the other side was full of dirty dishes. We had bathed the guinea pig and the rabbit and A decided she had to have one too! I did my best to keep these photos clean. I just couldn't resist taking them... I have a decent size kitchen sink, but she is 2 and barely had room for even a little water in there. After being forced out, I sneakily removed the plug so it would drain, all she wanted the rest of the night was to get back in. It is moments like these, those ordinary wonderful moments, that I hope to remember.
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Better late than never...
These are some I designed for a friend. I had a great deal of fun doing them and would love to design things like this for a living some day.
My very first ATC card!
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
New Year, New Opportunities
Mark is going to try to have his own company, and hopefully make money at it. He passed all his tests and should have his license to practice as an Architect around the middle of February.
Our teenagers will be going on a week long pioneer trek in August and need to train/conditon themselves for it. Therefore I will start the "couch potato to 5k" training program with them so we can all do a 5k in May and then continue to increase our distance and time up to their trek. They will need plenty of strength and stamina to get through 10 to 15 miles a day during that trek and we all need to get in better shape. Yes, round is a shape and I'm very round...but I have decided that it is time to try out a new shape. I'm hoping that after the trek we will continue to work together and find other things to train for. It is time for this family to get active and be healthier.
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Waaaaay behind on everything these days.
I am thankful for the work we do have and the little bit of money it brings in. I am also thankful that we have managed to keep up on our utilities, house and such so far. I am thankful my oldest son was able to visit us for the holiday break, it has been the best visit yet. Most of all, I am thankful that my husband finally passed all his tests and can get his license next year. That should help us in the employment area.
Monday, November 2, 2009
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
October 20, 2009
In thinking about my life so far, I realized I have done most things I set out to do. My life took a slightly different path than I imagined in high school, but heck what do you really know as a teenager. Life has been hard, but it has also had some great rewards. I'm thankful for my wonderful husband, who I love even more now than when I married him. I'm thankful for my children, though they may drive me crazy...they really are wonderful human beings. I'm also very thankful to all my friends and family past and present...each of you has brought something I have needed in my life and my life is so much richer because of you.
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
She's a little bit.....(and more)
Big girl.....
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
A Sentimental journey...well maybe a very short walk.
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Retreat and more!
Then we had the last day of school, glad it is over but I'm almost ready for school to start again...these kids are too darn grumpy.
Then my oldest ds came to visit the next weekend and managed to coax my baby dd into trying walking again...now she is all over the place! I knew she was holding out on us! Sorry they are sideways, I couldn't find a program to help me fix it.
Well, I best be off to fix us some dinner.
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Less than 63 hours to go!
Monday, May 25, 2009
Card swapping again...
This is not the best picture of it, but it will have to do ... my scanner refuses to work these days. It is for a Get Well swap and the image is from a free coloring page I got online. My friend Bob came up with the great idea to use free coloring pages as digi stamps and it works great! She made a card with the same image, she has it on her site here. Now I just need to get my second set of swap cards done. I have to color the images and mount them on my cards (all my background stuff is on and ready), then I need to set a bunch of eyelets (challenge tied to the swap). I will get it uploaded asap for all to see.
Here it is...it was a pain and the color looks like crap, but in real life it is quite nice. She was another freebie image I found online, wish I could remember where. Her tiny details nearly did me in and the eyelets didn't like me very much, but in the end she was worth it. Hopefully the gals in the swap will like both of these, I've had fun making them.
As for my household, we are both still unemployed but hanging in there. I'm thrilled but dreading the end of school, only 8 more days of semi peace left. The only good part is that the older kids can help with baby dd all summer.
Best get to my other set of cards......Just one more image to color and glue on the card.....I can do this.....if my hands will hold out just a little longer. *Sigh* Gotta love carpal tunnel syndrome!
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
May 12, 2009
As for me and my house, we are still unemployed and I think I might be getting used to the stress or atleast learning to live with it. LOL The kids have mentioned their worries to us...mainly asking if we are going to lose our house. I keep telling them, that would be a last resort, because that is the main thing we are committed to making sure gets paid every month. I can't promise we will have heat, power or even water...but we will have our home. I can tell they are still worried/stressed, it is showing in their lack of commitment to school but I don't know how to help. I have told them it will be ok, we are doing everything we can to keep things as close to normal for them but yet let them be involved with choosing some of the things we have to change.
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
In 16 hours...
I hope we manage to do everything we have planned...and we have planned as much as possible in the few days she will be here. Sushi lunch, shopping, swimming with all the kids, shopping, playtime with the kids somewhere fun, shopping, scrapbooking, and more shopping (we have better shopping here in Boise than she does in her town).
We are also notorious for staying up until all hours of the night talking, sleep is never much of a priority. We figure we have to make the most of our time together, because we just don't get to be together very often and we know how precious our time together is... (2 of our sisters passed away several years ago).
I am so very excited I just had to share it...now to get back to all my cleaning and visitor prep...so much to do before they get here!
Sunday, April 5, 2009
Tooth Fairy problem
2 months...15 months
It is still amazing to me how quickly things can change. I have been home for all of my baby's small life and I'm floored by how much she has grown. I swear it was just last month that I brought her home from the hospital. She is such a light in our lives and I can not imagine what our home would be like without her in it. She delights me in some way every day. I feel so very lucky to have her.
Hubby has interviewed for a job and taken another of his tests (tests to become licensed). Back to the waiting game...I'm going nuts waiting. We should hopefully hear this next week about the job and who knows about the test results (they love to torture us by taking their sweet time).
I know, I know boooorrring. Well that is my life right now, stress, waiting, and normal life stuff. I'm looking forward to this week though.
My little sis is coming to visit me! I haven't seen her since August 2007 when I was preggy with my baby girl and my son and I went to her house to help out while she had some surgery. Now she is preggy with a baby girl and coming to see me...just for fun! I only wish we didn't have kids to deal with and could get some really good sister time in...well we are going to try to squeeze it in anyway.
Carp! (trying not to swear so much) I just remembered I forgot to take picts of baby girl yesterday/today (I haven't gone to bed yet so it is hard to call it yesterday). Oh well, hopefully I can remember tomorrow.
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Can't sleep.......
For some reason just as I was getting comfy, all I could think about was dying and wills and what would happen to my kids if hubby and I just up and died. well after an hour and a half, I couldn't take any more and had to get up. I read my email, checked a friend's blog to see if she had her baby yet (way behind on blog reading...she did and the baby is so cute!) and now you are caught up.
As I get older, death seems to be more of a real thing to me, yet we have never really talked about wills before. We don't have worldly possessions that would count for much, but when I really think about it, there are things I do want spelled out very clearly (concerning my children). I think it is time to see about getting some wills drawn up, for our children's protection.
As for things in our house...we are both still unemployed. Over seven weeks since that fateful day and hubby finally has a job interview this Wednesday. We have mixed feelings over it because we know he won't get offered wages even close to what he was making and their are so many in his field unemployed, that the competition is going to be fierce.
For me, I apply to places all the time and I'm even looking into possibly going back to school. It is frustrating though. What I really want most is to be home and enjoy my last baby while she is still a baby. I just have a hard time with all the guilt...guilt if I don't work and guilt if I do.
As for the kids, this week is Spring Break and we are trying to find fun and cheap things to do. They really wanted to go visit relatives or have their brother come here, but they have to suffer with good 'ol mom and dad this break. We are also dealing with major illness right now. There is this nasty cold/flu thing going around and a couple of us already have it and the others are starting to get it. My poor nose has never been so sore, I cry when I have to wipe my nose...I'm not exaggerating...it is really that bad.
I think I can try to sleep again...maybe another dose of meds will help too. Goodnight all, I hope.
Friday, February 27, 2009
Over 3 weeks and counting...
I'm certainly getting a glimpse of what retirement could be like...he has totally disrupted my schedule! I just hope I don't get used to a new schedule with him around, otherwise I will totally have to adjust yet again when job(s) come around.
So far we have given up our dog, cancelled our cell phones, prioritized our bills, divided up our tax return into categories of what to pay the next 2 months and hunted long and hard for affordable health insurance. The health ins hunt has been the most nerve-wracking. Cobra is beyond what we can even get from unemployment, and there are lots of scams out there saying they are health ins, when they really aren't. It has been so stressful to find something before our ins runs out, but we have...it isn't nearly as good as what we used to have, but it is better than nothing.
My self confidence is really tired of the stress acne, it just doesn't help me to feel confident...not good when you are trying to find work. My schedule has been way off (dang hubby...and we are busier than ever!) and my weight has creeped right back up. I'm determined to get back to my accountability on SparkPeople as of today...and stay with it. I know it works when I do it. I also need to get back into keeping up with friends...all of you are my link to sanity. I admit I have somewhat been in a hole for a couple of weeks and it is time to come out and re-join the world.
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Another week over
As for the weight war, I was terrified to weigh in and was given the OK from some friends to skip wieghing in for a week, but well, I just couldn't. It is part of my accountability...I need to know where I am, no matter what is happening in my life. So I weighed in, not too bad...I'm up a half a pound, (could have been so much worse if I had given up tracking my food all together through SparkPeople.com), I'm so glad I didn't lose touch with SparkPeople.com, I just know that that is what lessened the impact on my rough week.
Friday, February 6, 2009
Having a rough week
I'm still tracking my food in SparkPeople, but I now officially know what I go to in cases of heavy stress...fatty stuff. My fat ratio has been way off, I'm trying but somewhat failing right now. I think I'm still trying to adjust to everything. Life as we knew it is gone, and not for the better right now. I believe my counselor is right, I'm grieving for what we lost...our security, our sense of normalcy, our income, etc.
I don't know how to get through this. I'm trying to focus on working a plan for our bills, but food-wise???... I'm finding it so much harder to deal with.
Monday, February 2, 2009
Acne
If any of you have great ideas on how to cut way back, or how to save money on everyday stuff...please let me know. We have a lot of debt to deal with...hey do you think our credit card companies would take pity on us and reduce our APR, even a little?
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
The Davids and more...
Love Song David
Rock-n-Roll David
His "softer side"...not bad, but I like him better doing his Rock-n-Roll.
I found this one too...I have never heard it before but I like it-it speaks to me.
Monday, January 26, 2009
Weigh-in day once again
Friday, January 16, 2009
Time for a change...
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Rest time...?
Monday, January 12, 2009
Healthy Living
For me, I choose to eat anything I want, I just have to be accountable for it and know what it does to me. I'm finding this thought process is helping me to make better choices over all. I look at something and its calories and fat and such and make a decision based on if I think it is worth it or not. I'm not depriving myself of anything if I truly want it, but I am having much smaller portion sizes and filling my days with many more veggies and fruit and such. I have learned that I was probably eating atleast 4000-5000 calories and way too much fat before (gotta love depression and all that comes with it). Now I'm eating between 1750-2300 calories and I'm balancing my carbs, fat and protein better.
Just 10 months ago at my baby's blessing, I was down to 282...my lowest in a long time. Then post partum depression struck and my regular depression joined in to stay. (I miss that hormone high *sigh*) Last Monday I weighed in at 314 which is heavier than before I got pregnant. Today my good choices this past week have paid off...I weighed in at 308. I know I have a very long way to go, and I still need to work on motivation for exercising, but I'm feeling I have made the right choice for me.
My Long Term goals are:
1) become my friend's running partner by the end of this year
2) Be my best self: strong and healthy and active with my family
My Short Term goals are:
1) Make good eating choices
2) Work up to 30 minutes of exercise a day, 5 days a week
3) Get 7 to 8 hours of sleep a night
4) Drink 5 to 8 20 ounce bottles of water a day
I will share my journey in hopes that I can motivate someone else and some of you can motivate me as well.