Musings on June

I can't believe that June is about to come to an end!  This past Friday we got back from our vacation with my folks in South Dakota, and boy was it great to get out of Omaha for a week!  We did everything from visiting the Badlands, the Black Hills, Flintstone Park, Custer State Park, riding the 1880 Train, horseback riding, visiting Mt. Rushmore, and many many more things!  Emma was such a trooper!  The first day we drove halfway to Hill City, which happened to be Mitchell, and we visited the Corn Palace, swam, and just relaxed.  She did pretty good on the drive, considering how long we had to be in the car and how boring riding can get, no matter how many Elmo dvd's and toys you bring!  On the drive home last Friday, we drove the full 8.5 hours and she did A.M.A.Z.I.N.G.  I was so proud of her!

Then this week it has been a matter of getting back into the groove here at home and getting all of the vacation crap put away :)  Yesterday I had a phone interview for a temporary position that sounded good, and then today I got called for an interview on this coming Tuesday for another position that sounds like it could be a good one.  We are keeping our fingers crossed that something works out.  We're not needing the money, but if I do get a job, then all of that money would be going towards our mortgage so that we can lower it and have a better chance of selling it before we have to retire ;)  Anyhow, I know God will lead me down the path that he has planned for us, so I have no worries! 

Now, here's just a taste of what our vacation was like :)  Enjoy!

Thoughts on Life

A blog I aboslutely love to read is by a woman I went to high school with.  She recently (okay, 2 months ago) gave birth to a beautiful little girl named Blythe.  One of the reasons I love her blog is because she writes so eloquently and creatively, a trait that never fails to grab my attention.  Another reason is because of the beautiful baby girl of hers, and getting to see her grow and change!  You see, when I had Emma, I ended up struggling with post partum depression for a few months before realizing that my "baby blues" were something more and that it wasn't something I could take care of myself.  Therefore, I feel like I ended up not really appreciating the first few months of her life as much as I could have.  It was really hard living so far from home with a newborn and a husband who had to work long hours, and so I tended to just get swallowed up in a sadness that blinded me to the beautiful little miracle that God had entrusted us with. 

Looking back, this deeply saddens me and I can't help but feeling like I have lost out on some precious time that I'll never get back.  I think maybe that's why I enjoy Kelsey's blog so much.  Because I can see her little lady growing and thriving, and this really puts a smile on my face, because it helps me to remember things about Emma's first months that I thought I had forgotten.  Also, I am reminded at how much I L.O.V.E. being a mom, and how I feel I am ready for another little one.  I have decided that after I do have our next baby, that I will probably start some anti-depressants very soon after that so that I can really focus on and enjoy the new baby and his/her interactions with Emma, rather than plummeting into a crippling depression from the horomone levels being totally out of whack.  Anyhow, I guess this post was kind of a reminder to myself to enjoy every minute I have with her and to remember just how precious life is!

Late New Year's Resolution

Today I am making a resolution to try and be more patient and caring, especially with Emma.  This past weekend was a rough one for us, and I just want to make myself try harder not to lose my temper, because this little lady is the light of my life, and I never want her to doubt how much I love her!  So, now I expect my readers to hold me to this resolution and ask how it's going occassionally!  :)

Back to the Starting Line

Today I emailed the principal of the school where I interviewed twice for a Teacher Assistant job, and he emailed back saying that all but two of the positions have been filled, and those have been offered :(  I am kind of disappointed because I had two interviews, and I thought the first went really well, but not so much on the second.  I just feel like the questions they asked at the second interview were too specific to the teaching profession because I hadn't encountered the situations that they posed me with, and don't feel like I answered those questions very well.  Anyhow, I just have to keep my chin up, keep looking for jobs, and know that God will put me where I am needed most...but that's kind of hard sometimes....

Wonderful Week

Well, this past week in Missouri is truly the best time I have had in quite a while!  Mom and I had a wonderful time garage saling and found all sorts of goodies!  In fact, my Uncle Greg had to meet us at our hotel and take a toddler bed and several other bigger things back to my folks' house so that we would have room for the next day...and it's a good thing he did because we filled the van right back up!  Also, I got to spend some much needed time with my family and grandparents, and it was just nice to be back with them, if only for a week.

This week Emma is still down in Missouri and I'm back in Omaha.  Mom and Dad have been wanting her to stay there for a while now, and so it worked out good this way because they will be coming back here on Saturday so that they can see her be baptised on Sunday :)  It was kind of hard leaving her this time because I feel more attached to her now than I ever have.  However, even though I miss having her to snuggle-bug with, I am trying to enjoy my week to myself and the extra time with Nick!

One thing I am looking forward to this week is going to the Dermatologist.  It might seem silly to some, but could be a big thing for me because I have struggled with facial redness (sometimes severe) for several years, and I'm hoping they can give me something to help with that.  Somedays it literally looks like my head is on the wrong body because my body/neck is so fair, and then you come to my face and it is six shades of red :(  Sometimes it even shows through the makeup I wear, and so it's like there's no relief.  I just want to be able to go out without makeup and have everything look uniform and not weird, like it does now.  Anyhow, enough of that!  How about some photos of our trip to Missouri!?  Enjoy!

And The Excitement Builds!

A quick note:  This will probably be a boring post for most, but I'm so excited, and it's the best way to keep from going crazy tomorrow.
In two days Emma and I will be heading for a glorious week (well, two weeks for her!) back in Missouri!!!  Every year around this time I go back to Mo, and the first weekend of May Mom and I go garage saling in Liberty because that's their time to have lots of neighborhood-wide sales :)  Every year Nick is hesitant to see us go, but every year I remind him that this is our "deer hunting" time, and he eventually understands how this is just as important to me, as hunting is to him (thank God!)

Along with garage saling, I am REALLY looking forward to getting to see a few wonderful women because it's been way too long since our last visit!  Monday after arriving "home" I am getting together with a high school/lifelong friend and we are taking our munchkins to the park to let them play, which could be interesting :)  Then on Tuesday evening I am getting together with a great friend of mine from college whom I haven't seen in over a year!  She has a little boy who is two months younger than Emma, so it's going to be fun to see them interacting!  Finally, before our big finale on Friday/Saturday, Mom and I are spending Wednesday in Kansas City at Union Station seeing a Titanic exhibit! 

So, now that you are thoroughly bored, how about a few more recent pics to liven things up!  Enjoy :)

Update

Interview went good! Hoping to hear back in the next few weeks if they're interested in me :) That is all....