I'm sure I've overemphasized this point at many times during my short blogging career, but it is truly the little things that can make or break your day. Granted, I LOVE the big things - things that you look forward to every day when you wake up, such as a trip or a fun party you plan to go to. But in reality, the little things added together make a much bigger difference on our day-to-day lives.
Take a sneak peek into what I mean by looking at my past 24 hours. Yesterday I woke up to cold and rainy weather. I came to work and had a long day. But thankfully I had a date night planned with my hubby that I was looking forward to for over a week. Well, we had to change plans and needed to skip our romantic dinner so we could go pick up lighting for our basement, strike one. We went out in the pouring rain to two different stores only to walk away with one item, strike two. Finally, we came home soaking wet, enhaled some pizza as a late dinner and went to bed, no kiss goodnight, strike three. While those things may not see like a big deal independently - when you put them all together, they added up to a less-than-enjoyable evening. Just one tiny change could have made a difference. But as it was, I was done and shut down - three strikes and I'm out.
But the little things can also make your day so much better! Perhaps it's a sweet 'good morning' greeting from your spouse, or an email from a long lost friend who just wanted to check and see how you were doing. Those little things can make my grouchy mood turn around! The best thing I can think of is what happened this morning, when I woke up to get another dark, cold and rainy day, strike one. Then drove to work only to meet several accidents and about cause one myself, strike two. But when I got to my desk, I was greeted by a huge pan of homemade apple crisp made by a friend because she heard I was craving it. It literally made my whole day turn around, that someone was so thoughtful and it just happened to be on a day where I was about to give in and give up yet again.
Perhaps it's just the stress in my life that has me so "sensitive" to the little things. But those bad little things can really add up if they happen over and over again, and it can put any one of us in a terrible funk. But if we can just throw a few good things in there, it has the potential to change the way the other person feels, as well as feel better about yourself! I think it's good to take time and realize that a quick love note to your spouse, or surprise treat for your best friend could go a long to them. I know I don't take the time enough to do little special things for those I care about, but hopefully I have learned my lesson.
Friday, October 23, 2009
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Tis Not Yet the Season?
First off, shame on me for letting so much time go by between blogs. Thankfully, I'm back on the wagon and so excited to announce that Eric and I are expecting a BABY BOY!! We continue to pray that he is healthy and growing strong each day, and although the boys were hoping for a little sister, I think they are really excited about a little brother. What a great addition this little guy will be to our family and extended family! I mean, he'll have two brothers and five cousins to play with (four of which are boys). What fun he'll have!
In addition to that great news, we also were lucky enough to be the grand prize winners of a dream nursery from the Mercy Stork Affair event we attended! We were blown away. It is the largest thing either of us have ever won, and considering we were only at the Stork Affair for about 45 minutes, I'd say it was a good investment of our time! We are being treated to a brand new crib, dresser, hutch, glider/rocker, crib bedding and even money to use on a local artist to come paint a mural or provide artwork! It is truly unreal and I personally feel so grateful (and a little undeserving at times). I'll post some pictures once we get the room closer to complete.
So, since my last post our life has pretty much been non-stop. We are still unpacking boxes and find where we put everything, but we have added a variety of other activities to the mix. Orrin is in flag-football again which requires two weekday practices and a game every week, Eric plays softball which takes up an additional night each week and I am still working my second job, but thankfully that will be coming to a halt in a few weeks. In addition, we have needed to take time for contractors to come fix minor "new house" repairs, and get companies in to give us bids on finishing our basement, and the weekends have been dedicated to working on the house, traveling to Iowa games, etc. October is probably the busiest month I have experienced in a long time. Now, we are also adding in baby classes, weddings, parties, etc. I didn't think it was supposed to get busy like this until the holidays? But regardless, everything that keeps us so busy are ultimately great things that have helped us enjoy our fall season even more.
The rest of October will continue to be busy - no doubt about that. But I have to say, I'm really looking forward to November 1st, when we may be able to get a few months of down time before this little bundle of joy turns our world upside down in new and unique ways!
In addition to that great news, we also were lucky enough to be the grand prize winners of a dream nursery from the Mercy Stork Affair event we attended! We were blown away. It is the largest thing either of us have ever won, and considering we were only at the Stork Affair for about 45 minutes, I'd say it was a good investment of our time! We are being treated to a brand new crib, dresser, hutch, glider/rocker, crib bedding and even money to use on a local artist to come paint a mural or provide artwork! It is truly unreal and I personally feel so grateful (and a little undeserving at times). I'll post some pictures once we get the room closer to complete.
So, since my last post our life has pretty much been non-stop. We are still unpacking boxes and find where we put everything, but we have added a variety of other activities to the mix. Orrin is in flag-football again which requires two weekday practices and a game every week, Eric plays softball which takes up an additional night each week and I am still working my second job, but thankfully that will be coming to a halt in a few weeks. In addition, we have needed to take time for contractors to come fix minor "new house" repairs, and get companies in to give us bids on finishing our basement, and the weekends have been dedicated to working on the house, traveling to Iowa games, etc. October is probably the busiest month I have experienced in a long time. Now, we are also adding in baby classes, weddings, parties, etc. I didn't think it was supposed to get busy like this until the holidays? But regardless, everything that keeps us so busy are ultimately great things that have helped us enjoy our fall season even more.
The rest of October will continue to be busy - no doubt about that. But I have to say, I'm really looking forward to November 1st, when we may be able to get a few months of down time before this little bundle of joy turns our world upside down in new and unique ways!
Friday, August 28, 2009
Never Again
Ok, so I know EVERYONE who has ever moved from one house to another has probably said "I'm never moving again." Therefore, I will simply say, I am not going to move again for a very long time!
We finally closed on our house and were able to move out of that wretched apartment we were living in for the past two months. The move was not easy, there was so much up in the air in terms of when we would close, when we could move in, etc. The fact that we had to move two times made everything twice as difficult, which I did not expect. We had to do 2 different changes of address, we had to clean both our house when we moved out, and now an apartment, and we had to cancel all of our utilities only to turn around and sign up for them all over again.
In addition, because we were moving into a newly-constructed house, it has presented it's own challenges... including buying blinds for all the windows, learning how to properly water fresh sod, convincing the post office that our address really DOES exist, trying to find out why there are no phone or internet providers that will service our area, and the unique problem of how to deal with frog overpopulation in our yard (thanks to our pond).
Monday I have an ultrasound that will allow Eric and I to confirm once and for all, whether little Baby K is going to be a boy or a girl (although I know already). It really helps put things into perspective....why we moved in the first place. We want this to be a new start for our new family. A chance to truly settle in, make friends with our neighbors, be comfortable in the environment and raise our family. We loved our old house and have so many fantastic memories of our time there. But this new house is a chance for us to grow and evolve, without the nagging "need" for something more.
I can't wait to enjoy this house for a very, very long time. We continue to be so blessed.
We finally closed on our house and were able to move out of that wretched apartment we were living in for the past two months. The move was not easy, there was so much up in the air in terms of when we would close, when we could move in, etc. The fact that we had to move two times made everything twice as difficult, which I did not expect. We had to do 2 different changes of address, we had to clean both our house when we moved out, and now an apartment, and we had to cancel all of our utilities only to turn around and sign up for them all over again.
In addition, because we were moving into a newly-constructed house, it has presented it's own challenges... including buying blinds for all the windows, learning how to properly water fresh sod, convincing the post office that our address really DOES exist, trying to find out why there are no phone or internet providers that will service our area, and the unique problem of how to deal with frog overpopulation in our yard (thanks to our pond).
Monday I have an ultrasound that will allow Eric and I to confirm once and for all, whether little Baby K is going to be a boy or a girl (although I know already). It really helps put things into perspective....why we moved in the first place. We want this to be a new start for our new family. A chance to truly settle in, make friends with our neighbors, be comfortable in the environment and raise our family. We loved our old house and have so many fantastic memories of our time there. But this new house is a chance for us to grow and evolve, without the nagging "need" for something more.
I can't wait to enjoy this house for a very, very long time. We continue to be so blessed.
Friday, August 7, 2009
Apartment-Hell
We had a great life in our first house for 3 years, and when we decided to pack up and live in temporary housing - a lot of very basic conveniences that I would have never thought of, suddenly disappeared. I never really thought we were living in luxury before, but going from a house back into a tiny 2-BR apartment for two months has been the most humbling experience I've had in a while. Building a house has been amazing and I wouldn't trade it for anything. We are very blessed. However, with that said, I think next time I'd choose to live at a hotel where I could at least get a free breakfast and housekeeping each day rather than the POS apartment we have had to rent (for lack of better options).
I apologize in advance to all of my friends and family who have had to listen to me bitch and moan about our apartment for the last month and a half, but sadly it has to be said or I'm going to lose my sanity. And yes, I am being a whiner....I blame it on the pregnancy hormones.
So without further delay, here are the top 10 things I hate about apartment living vs. our house:
10) The lovely one-finger greeting by other apartment dwellers when trying to leave the complex on the virtually one-lane drive in and out.
9) The lack of cleanliness around the complex - nothing better than garbage blowing around when the dumpster hasn't been emptied in 10 days.
8) The utter absence of sunlight and space in our apartment that makes me feel like I'm living in a beer can (but without the beer).
7) The horrendous screeching noise we hear in the apartment when any neighbor decides to shower.
6) Such a complete lack of space in each room that the dogs have to back up like a dump truck in order to move out of our way.
5) Boxes piled 8 high in every room of the house with things that we didn't "think" we'd need. Thank God I found my underwear and pillow!
4) The fact that everything I touch is on the verge of breaking - loose door knobs, leaking sink, squeaky drawers, etc.
3) The nearly 2-mile walk from the parking lot into the apartment, following the daily cussing ritual that there are no parking spots left.
2) The tiny fridge that can barely hold a gallon of milk and tub of butter; and you have to remove 3 items in order to get the one in back, out.
And the number one reason I hate living in an apartment.....
1) It's not our home.
Now that I have that out of my system, I am pleased to announce that we are a mere 3 weeks away from moving into the most beautiful house I could ever imagine. It seems surreal, and will definitely feel like we are living the high-life compared to our current residence! All the more grateful we'll be!
I apologize in advance to all of my friends and family who have had to listen to me bitch and moan about our apartment for the last month and a half, but sadly it has to be said or I'm going to lose my sanity. And yes, I am being a whiner....I blame it on the pregnancy hormones.
So without further delay, here are the top 10 things I hate about apartment living vs. our house:
10) The lovely one-finger greeting by other apartment dwellers when trying to leave the complex on the virtually one-lane drive in and out.
9) The lack of cleanliness around the complex - nothing better than garbage blowing around when the dumpster hasn't been emptied in 10 days.
8) The utter absence of sunlight and space in our apartment that makes me feel like I'm living in a beer can (but without the beer).
7) The horrendous screeching noise we hear in the apartment when any neighbor decides to shower.
6) Such a complete lack of space in each room that the dogs have to back up like a dump truck in order to move out of our way.
5) Boxes piled 8 high in every room of the house with things that we didn't "think" we'd need. Thank God I found my underwear and pillow!
4) The fact that everything I touch is on the verge of breaking - loose door knobs, leaking sink, squeaky drawers, etc.
3) The nearly 2-mile walk from the parking lot into the apartment, following the daily cussing ritual that there are no parking spots left.
2) The tiny fridge that can barely hold a gallon of milk and tub of butter; and you have to remove 3 items in order to get the one in back, out.
And the number one reason I hate living in an apartment.....
1) It's not our home.
Now that I have that out of my system, I am pleased to announce that we are a mere 3 weeks away from moving into the most beautiful house I could ever imagine. It seems surreal, and will definitely feel like we are living the high-life compared to our current residence! All the more grateful we'll be!
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