So this blog may be a little different than most, but I've decided, after some wonderful comments from others, that I want to start blogging again... and more. So here it goes.
The past month I've experienced one of the greatest days of my life and one of the hardest. I've gone from 100 to 0 in one split second and have been in the most beautiful place in the world to the scariest room in a single plane ride. The joy that I had and the sorrow we all experiences was terrifying but now, that I sit here and think about it, I know what I am capable of. I know that I can't be scared of life and what may happen, I must embrace it. Trying times are going to come and I can't imagine more trying, but I have my family (now my two families), I have my friends, and little did I know, because I abandoned it for time, I have my faith.
So from this past month I've just solidified what I've been talking about for the past year on this blog... I will make every day my favorite day. No matter how busy or how frustrated or sad I am, it will be my goal to find something that is my favorite... and share more with you!
Monday, August 8, 2011
Saturday, July 16, 2011
For Byron...
My memories of Byron go way back to the day we were in the same field trip group in second grade, all the sporting events where I cheered for him on the sidelines, and all the laughs we shared in our special group of friends. I feel so blessed to have been a small part of that large group, but it is nothing compared to how I feel to be a part of the Hartman family.
Trust me, it wasn't easy trying to make my way into a family of three boys, but eventually we meshed, and they even let me be the fourth player in all the board games. Dan, Byron, and Justin never let me get away with anything. A simple game of Monopoly or Scrabble could quickly become overtime of game seven. These boys taught me about competition.
All these memories I will cherish forever, but I will especially hold this summer and all of our celebrations close to my heart. Byron made so many trips up to see us this summer. We got to spend his 24th birthday together where we bough him his first martini and showed him how much fun a Frank Sinatra impersonator could be. Rick, Dan, and Byron got to play golf that weekend and when they came home I asked Byron how he played. He gave me his sheepish little grin and said, "pretty good." Dan later told me that Byron played the game of his life, that's always how Byron was. The most humble person I've ever met, but the most special.
Dan was so proud of Byron, he'd tell me everyday how great he was doing and how much fun he was having, "Just Living the Dream," as Byron would say. And we had so many plans for Byron. Dan's dream was to get Byron to come stay with us and get him a job in the city so that he could be Dan's wide receiver coach... and of course, their athletic trainer, and I wanted Byron to find a nice girl to bring home so that Dan, Byron, and Justin would have someone else to tease and make fun of.
So we are going to take these plans and live for Byron. We are going to take him with us every day and I know that because he's with us, we'll be stronger.
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
When I Grow Up...
... I want to be Bethenny Frankel.
I love this woman. I know most people cannot stand the lady, and she makes a lot of people cringe (like my sister), but every time I watch her show I can see myself in her. It might be because she overreacts to almost everything. The episode where the turkey is under cooked for her first Thanksgiving with her in-laws and she stomps off into her bedroom... soooo me! It might be because she has no filter on her mouth, much like myself, and she started as a foodie... something I aspire to be.
She honestly has the life I would love. She has the most beautiful family. She has the most wonderful apartment in the city. She has an amazing office in her home. She has an assistant for crying out loud. She has a nanny who is also a hairdresser. Her husband loves her more than life itself. She was so frightened to have a child and she is the funniest, most loving mommy ever, something I hope I will be. And she has made her career on cocktails!
She's so brutally honest it makes me laugh. And she is so kind. But I think what I really admire is she made the most wonderful career just being herself and working incredibly hard. She is now at the point her in her life where she can do anything, dream anything and make it a reality, say anything she wants on her show and people with laugh, and I am so jealous.
I want to be Bethenny Frankel when I grow up. Okay, okay, I most likely will not have a very successful line of ready-made cocktails with a matching tour bus. But, I know that I am as big of a nutcase as Bethenny, but I hope to be as kind, loving, and absolutely hilarious as she is.
I love this woman. I know most people cannot stand the lady, and she makes a lot of people cringe (like my sister), but every time I watch her show I can see myself in her. It might be because she overreacts to almost everything. The episode where the turkey is under cooked for her first Thanksgiving with her in-laws and she stomps off into her bedroom... soooo me! It might be because she has no filter on her mouth, much like myself, and she started as a foodie... something I aspire to be.
She honestly has the life I would love. She has the most beautiful family. She has the most wonderful apartment in the city. She has an amazing office in her home. She has an assistant for crying out loud. She has a nanny who is also a hairdresser. Her husband loves her more than life itself. She was so frightened to have a child and she is the funniest, most loving mommy ever, something I hope I will be. And she has made her career on cocktails!
She's so brutally honest it makes me laugh. And she is so kind. But I think what I really admire is she made the most wonderful career just being herself and working incredibly hard. She is now at the point her in her life where she can do anything, dream anything and make it a reality, say anything she wants on her show and people with laugh, and I am so jealous.
I want to be Bethenny Frankel when I grow up. Okay, okay, I most likely will not have a very successful line of ready-made cocktails with a matching tour bus. But, I know that I am as big of a nutcase as Bethenny, but I hope to be as kind, loving, and absolutely hilarious as she is.
Friday, April 29, 2011
Bunnies Don't Lay Eggs?
Someone, please tell me, why are Easter Bunnies associated with Eggs? I just don't get it, but I'm sure there is some story behind it. Rabbits don't lay eggs and that very thought just went through my brain while I was home for Easter. It's so silly to me, but I've always just thought of one and the other came to mind!
Other than this revelation that I came to, it was a wonderful, wonderful weekend. Full of egg dye, egg hunts, and yummy candy. I think out of two dozen hard boiled eggs only about 12 of them survived between all of us dropping them before they even got into the dye. We all got plenty protein in the process! Mom was not happy because she just kept hearing things crack while we were suppose to be dyeing.
Of course, I pulled into my parent's driveway on Friday night and didn't leave. We played and laughed and ate and napped. It was a lovely weekend. Dillon is getting so big and brave. He has quite the attitude and is very particular about things which just makes me laugh. He may have gotten that from me. He loves candy and was so disappointed when he ran out of jelly beans. He is so into Dora the Explorer and was sure to tell us that his candy was Delicioso! He practiced walking down the aisle with his ring bearer's pillow and just kept throwing it back and forth with David. We have to go make sure he is out of Dillons site on the short walk down the aisle!
We got to see all of our cousins and eat wonderful meals. It really was a great weekend besides the pouring down rain and tornado warnings. But, it was 40 degrees warmer at home than in Chicago, so I was sure to spend every minute outside that I could.
Can't wait to go back in 2 weeks for the Fiesta!
Other than this revelation that I came to, it was a wonderful, wonderful weekend. Full of egg dye, egg hunts, and yummy candy. I think out of two dozen hard boiled eggs only about 12 of them survived between all of us dropping them before they even got into the dye. We all got plenty protein in the process! Mom was not happy because she just kept hearing things crack while we were suppose to be dyeing.
Of course, I pulled into my parent's driveway on Friday night and didn't leave. We played and laughed and ate and napped. It was a lovely weekend. Dillon is getting so big and brave. He has quite the attitude and is very particular about things which just makes me laugh. He may have gotten that from me. He loves candy and was so disappointed when he ran out of jelly beans. He is so into Dora the Explorer and was sure to tell us that his candy was Delicioso! He practiced walking down the aisle with his ring bearer's pillow and just kept throwing it back and forth with David. We have to go make sure he is out of Dillons site on the short walk down the aisle!
We got to see all of our cousins and eat wonderful meals. It really was a great weekend besides the pouring down rain and tornado warnings. But, it was 40 degrees warmer at home than in Chicago, so I was sure to spend every minute outside that I could.
Can't wait to go back in 2 weeks for the Fiesta!
The Wedding Room
It started as a little pile, it then become the spare bedroom's closet, it's now the spare bedroom... yes, I'm talking about the storage area for wedding related items.
And it just keeps growing. Gifts and placecards and favors and invitations and shoes and jewelry and table numbers and picture frames and vases and ribbon and a flower girl's basket, oh my! This month I've made so much wedding progress I don't even know where to begin... I'm just glad so much is done!
As we speak I'm staring at a heaping stack of invitations to take to the post office tomorrow! I just have to go through every single one of them AGAIN before I seal them up because, by my count, I've left out a directions page in exactly ONE of them!
Thank goodness, my muse, Jesika has only been a phone call away while I've been making all of these wedding purchases. I know what I want and what I like, but I always just need her to bounce my ideas off of. I believe I was standing in the middle of Michael's with my arms full of things, having a tiny meltdown because they don't make gray pens to address letters with... she's absolutely the only person that would understand my concern, telling me she only uses charcoal eyeliner because black to too harsh... "Hello, that's what I'm trying to say... I can't address my wedding invitations with harsh black pen!" But I did, and they are fine.
And everything else is fine. Coming along quite nicely actually. I think we are at 65 days, and if they go as quickly has this past month has... holy smokes! I'm going to be a married lady soon!
And it just keeps growing. Gifts and placecards and favors and invitations and shoes and jewelry and table numbers and picture frames and vases and ribbon and a flower girl's basket, oh my! This month I've made so much wedding progress I don't even know where to begin... I'm just glad so much is done!
As we speak I'm staring at a heaping stack of invitations to take to the post office tomorrow! I just have to go through every single one of them AGAIN before I seal them up because, by my count, I've left out a directions page in exactly ONE of them!
Thank goodness, my muse, Jesika has only been a phone call away while I've been making all of these wedding purchases. I know what I want and what I like, but I always just need her to bounce my ideas off of. I believe I was standing in the middle of Michael's with my arms full of things, having a tiny meltdown because they don't make gray pens to address letters with... she's absolutely the only person that would understand my concern, telling me she only uses charcoal eyeliner because black to too harsh... "Hello, that's what I'm trying to say... I can't address my wedding invitations with harsh black pen!" But I did, and they are fine.
And everything else is fine. Coming along quite nicely actually. I think we are at 65 days, and if they go as quickly has this past month has... holy smokes! I'm going to be a married lady soon!
Champagne on a Wednesday Night
Dan's been on the job hunt for quite some time. Doing my own job search was emotional enough. I'd get so excited after every single job interview and I'd start to picture myself in that job, just to get the disappointing call that I didn't get it. Now, that was my own experience, but being on the other end and watching someone go through that was even harder.
Week after week we'd anxiously wait to hear from the schools. Things just weren't looking that great and we'd thought that he would just stay put for one more year.
Then the morning came when Dan called me at work at 8:00 am to tell me that he received a pink slip and if the referendum didn't pass he'd lose his job. At noon he called me and told him he was going to apply for a job back home, and at 3:00 pm he called me to tell me he was just offered a Head Coaching position at an Illinois school close to our house.
Talk about an emotional Wednesday! And trust me, we definitely celebrated.
We've been celebrating all month. We celebrated the night when he came home from signing his contract, we celebrated when the principal called him last night to tell him that the he was approved by the School Board, and Dan says the next time we will celebrate will be when they make it to the playoffs! I told him there will be a celebration after each individual win... he told me, "I think you just like drinking champagne!"
I'm just thrilled for him. I'm excited for our new adventures. I'm excited to start converting our spare bedroom into his office, and I'm starting to get ulcers thinking about his first game in August, but I'm thrilled.
Oh, and the most exciting part... No More Red! We're moving to a school that is emerald green, have I mentioned that green is one of my favorite colors to wear! Go Mustangs!
Week after week we'd anxiously wait to hear from the schools. Things just weren't looking that great and we'd thought that he would just stay put for one more year.
Then the morning came when Dan called me at work at 8:00 am to tell me that he received a pink slip and if the referendum didn't pass he'd lose his job. At noon he called me and told him he was going to apply for a job back home, and at 3:00 pm he called me to tell me he was just offered a Head Coaching position at an Illinois school close to our house.
Talk about an emotional Wednesday! And trust me, we definitely celebrated.
We've been celebrating all month. We celebrated the night when he came home from signing his contract, we celebrated when the principal called him last night to tell him that the he was approved by the School Board, and Dan says the next time we will celebrate will be when they make it to the playoffs! I told him there will be a celebration after each individual win... he told me, "I think you just like drinking champagne!"
I'm just thrilled for him. I'm excited for our new adventures. I'm excited to start converting our spare bedroom into his office, and I'm starting to get ulcers thinking about his first game in August, but I'm thrilled.
Oh, and the most exciting part... No More Red! We're moving to a school that is emerald green, have I mentioned that green is one of my favorite colors to wear! Go Mustangs!
What April?
As I sit here tonight I am thinking to myself, "Where has April gone??" The month started harder than most, but ended better than a lot others. I can't even begin to describe all of the ups and downs of the month, but I've grown because of them, I've learned a lot of lessons because of the things we've been through, and for as many times that I've cried, I've smiled and laughed even more.
I'm thankful for these experiences, and excited for what lies ahead for Dan and I. I'm sick of the rain, tired of wearing a coat, and definitely ready for April to go out like a Lamb.
I guess I just can't describe everything that has happened in the past month in one blog post; so this weekend I've decided to get back to some blogging... some good stories are sure to follow. I just can't decide where to start!
I'm thankful for these experiences, and excited for what lies ahead for Dan and I. I'm sick of the rain, tired of wearing a coat, and definitely ready for April to go out like a Lamb.
I guess I just can't describe everything that has happened in the past month in one blog post; so this weekend I've decided to get back to some blogging... some good stories are sure to follow. I just can't decide where to start!
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