2015 Highlights

It is honestly hard to believe that 2015 is almost over. Time flies as we get older and especially after we have children. I am still in shock at how big my kids are getting because I swear I just gave birth to them yesterday! Do you ever feel this way?

Today I wanted to take some time to reflect back on a few highlights of our year in our family. As 2015 rung in we were still working on our marriage and building up our relationship not only with one another but also with God. We had strayed so far from His path, that we had a huge wreck in the intersection! We continued to go to counseling and meet with our pastor on a regular basis because we knew we needed it.

As Spring came around, the kids are just growing and growing. Daddy had went out of town for a week in March so that was when I decided to do a photoshoot of the kids in their Easter outfits. We had a blast creating these pictures to show daddy when he came home. The pictures we were taking were actually just for fun (as you can tell with my backdrop being wrinkled and what not, but I had just got the backdrop and really wanted to use it)

Then can you believe that Summer is here?? Yep, Summer just flew on in and Weston is coming close to turning a year old! A year? Say what?! We celebrated his birthday with a potluck at my grandma's (Nanny's) house with all our family. It was great having our friends and family there to share in this amazing milestone of Weston's. We had a lot of fun during the Summer months as we gardened, played outdoors, and spent time together.

Here comes the Fall which is my favorite time of year (weather wise). We didn't do much except for October 7th, I was advised that I was terminated from my job at KDHE Laboratories. Although it was a shock in a way, it was also a blessing because there was a lot of things happening and about to happen that I truly did not want to be a part of. As I walked out to my car that early afternoon, I got in my car and just told God that I was laying it all at His feet and that He was in charge. I laid my full trust in Him; He is the only one that can provide what is needed.

I was unemployed for a month and my sister in law told me about a job fair that was going on at Westaff, so I got up that morning, gathered my things and was hired for a Registration Specialist at Maximus - KanCare. I was pretty stoked and couldn't believe it. I figured I would be waiting for a while to hear anything, but they proceeded to put me through the paperwork, testing, and all that other fun stuff.

So I have been working for Maximus for a month almost and absolutely love it. The atmosphere thus far has been superb compared to any other place I have worked at.

December, well the last month of the year and we have had a busy one for sure. My birthday came and went. It wasn't a big deal, just another day. My mom did make me a great dinner that weekend and we went over and ate with her and my immediate family. I requested BBQ Chicken, potato salad, and mac and cheese. She made it wonderful. Then my cake was the Texas Sheet Cake or as my family calls it, Chocolate-Cinnamon Cake. Christmas has just completed and decorations are down. From Christmas Eve until Sunday the 27th, we had a Christmas or two each day. I was so ready to just stay home but it was back to work on Monday. Although Monday was a delayed start until 10am because of the sleet and snow we were getting but I still made it to work at 8am.

Now it is New Year's Eve and not much planned here with our family. We will more than likely all be in bed before the New Year comes, which is fine with me because I don't want crabby kids the next day.

Happy New Year (almost), and tell me what you have planned.

Christmas 2015

We had a good Christmas with all of our family's and I just wanted to share some pictures of the memories we embraced this Christmas season...

 The kids had a lot of fun at each Christmas we attended. On Christmas Eve we headed out to my grandma's (Nanny) and enjoyed an evening filled with family, food, and gifts. This side of the family, each child draws another child's name and that is the person they get to buy a gift for. This year Reba got her cousin Hudson, and Weston got his cousin Hannah. Reba gifted a Paw Patrol dog with a tractor and Weston provided $20 for Hannah to go shopping at Hobby Lobby (which she specifically asked for). It was a lot of fun.

We left Nanny's that evening and as we returned home, Weston went off to bed, Reba and I baked a batch of cookies so we could spend a little one on one time; which is always needed around here:) Then it was time to get her off to sleep so mommy could finish getting the house ready for the immediate grandparents to arrive for Christmas morning. Before she laid down with daddy in the recliner, she placed a tray of our fresh Spritz cookies, milk, and carrots for the reindeer out for Santa. After she went to sleep (along with daddy), I put her in her bed, I proceeded to head downstairs to wrap presents. Mommy didn't end up getting to bed until 2:30am, awoke around 6amish to start our family tradition of "cufon" (German tradition of basic bread dough, baked with heavy cream mixed with sugar and cinnamon). This has always been in my family and I continue to make each and every year. It seems like I am the only one that makes it though which is sad because it was always a must with my mom and Nanny. But I continue to bring this tradition to our family each year and I am glad that I do.

Everyone arrives, we have our Christmas, breakfast and then mommy is dying for a nap! I really wasn't able to get motivated after everything, I just continued to go. I couldn't rest because I had so much work to do, plus we were going to his Dad's side that evening.

At 4:30pm on the 25th, we arrive at Maria's house to enjoy more family, food, and gifts. The kids had fun running around with the other kids. Then it was time to head home because mommy was still dragging. As we returned home, we headed off to bed. On Saturday we were having Christmas at his Mom's side at the Farm that evening. So on Saturday, I proceeded to putter around the house working on a little of this and a little of that. We headed out to the Farm, which was a very rainy and cold night. Had family time, ate, then I was asked to photograph everyone's family. Grandma Judy had asked if I would take the pictures and then provide everyone a disc of all the photos. I gladly agreed (since I am in the process of building my photo biz). After photos, we opened all our gifts. The kids at this point have just been overwhelmed with coolness!

After we left there, we headed to my mom's so we could have the kids open their gifts from her. They both received pop-up tents (Reba a ladybug and Weston a Seal). I had pointed them out to mom and the kids LOVE tents, so it was perfect. Elsa doll was also received because that was the ONLY thing Reba asked for. We stayed at mom's until midnight. Her and I played dominoes while the kids ran around the house having a blast. Daddy laid on the couch playing on his phone (sometimes I just wish phones were obsolete!!)

Lastly, our last Christmas gathering was after church on Sunday. It was our immediate gathering at Uncle Bret's house. We arrived, ate our lunch, then gladly opened gifts. Once we cleaned everything up, everyone was ready to head home for naps. We returned home, I began putting everything away, put Weston down for a nap, Reba played quietly and daddy fell asleep in the chair.

To put our Christmas 2015 in short form, we were very blessed with each and every item received by all.  We are so blessed for all the family we have in our lives along with our friends. I pray you all had a great Christmas as well.

Tell me about your Christmas, did you enjoy the memories you made?

Christmas Ornaments

Do you have traditions in your family that you do at this time of year?

Ever since our daughter was a year old, we started making Christmas ornaments for family members. They were the greatest gifts we could offer since we were on a tight budget (and still am). We absolutely love creating these once in a lifetime gifts/moments with our kids. Now that we have both Reba and Weston, they love getting paint all over, but I have learned not to care about the mess because that is what makes our memories and I can take care of that mess after they are sound asleep.

We continue to make these amazing gifts, sharing them with all of our special family and friends. It became a lot more fun when Weston arrived last year and we were able to place his little foot on one side and Reba's hand print on the other.

So this year we made them again, but this time we used a hand print from each. Weston has just grown so much and he is so tall. His hand print and her's are virtually the same size!

This is our yearly tradition. Not only does it make memories for us as we create them but they are also keepsakes for all those who receive them as gifts.

I would love to hear about your traditions in your family.

Memories Embraced Photography

Say hello to my blissful side hobby. I started Memories Embraced Photography back in 2011 as just a fun thing. Then as I began to take pictures and post them on my social media sites, I began getting compliments, which then turned into people wanting to know if I would take their pictures. Well I thought heck, this might be something that I could really do!

How it started was talking to my good friend about what I should call my "business". I did a little looking and thinking, when I came up with Memories Embraced Photography; embracing memories for a lifetime. Because we all know that pictures last a lifetime, plus they say so many words without even talking! I shot my idea over to her to hear what she thought and it was a success. I began to practice with my Nikon D3100 (bought on eBay) and practiced, practiced and practiced. I certainly don't know everything, but definitely getting better and better at what I am doing!

Now looking at my current position with photography and working on getting out of debt, I have decided to really market this business of mine. I have a good friend's husband assisting me with marketing. He is such a great help with all of his knowledge, marketing skills, and boosting my business as much as possible. Photography isn't just a job to me, it is a passion that I absolutely enjoy with all my heart. I love working with children, babies, couples, weddings, etc. Anything and everything!

So I am here not just to tell you about how Memories Embraced Photography came about, but also to promote my special for the winter season. I am offering a one hour photo session, all pictures placed on a disc with rights, all for $40. Offer expires January 31st, 2016. Normal pricing is $75 for one hour photoshoot, pictures with rights on a disc. Each additional hour is $10. Traveling costs depends on location.

I look forward to working with you and meeting you. Please contact me today for this great offer. I would love to book you in my calendar.

Have a Merry Christmas.

New Adventures

Monday I started my new adventure with my new job out on the floor with real work. It was definitely a bit scary but as the day progressed I felt more and more at home. So let's start the story...

I now work with Maximus-KanCare of Topeka, KS as a Registration Specialist. As I began my training two weeks ago it seemed easy, then the second week it began to get "real" and harder. I wasn't sure I would make it because I felt like I just wasn't getting the process. Well now that I am certified (passed my understanding test) and on the floor, I'm feeling so at ease. Do you or have you ever started a job and wasn't sure if it was the right fit?

Tuesday, I am here and getting a deeper into the flow and knowledge of what I will be working on for awhile. The atmosphere is absolutely amazing, the people are great and the management is AWESOME! GOD IS GOOD! He has definitely placed me here for a reason; there is so much I want to learn and grow here and move up especially!

Wednesday was definitely a crazy day. Our system was down statewide and we did absolutely nothing all day. 

Tell me about a new adventure you are or have experienced!

Hello!

Today's post is based on a response to Joyfully Smitten 's blog post from yesterday about life updates and how it has been a long time since she has done a post on "sitting with you and having coffee" kind of talks. So please enjoy and check out my "coffee" talk/post about our life updates!

Well hello @joyfullysmitten! It definitely has been a long time since we have sat and drank coffee/tea (a year to be exact!) There have just been so many things that have happened within that year. So let's begin our chat.

Daniel and I have went through a lot for sure, but by the grace of God we are still married and growing closer to one another along with closer in our faith. God has blessed us with so much and I am overwhelmed with all the blissful things He has provided in my life. Just a month ago or so Daniel and I took a leap into our walk with God and proceeded to get baptized, which you can see here. It was definitely a great way to begin our walk fresh, not just with God, but with one another. Feeling all that junk that weighed us down drown under that water and coming up with a new feeling was absolutely amazing. I can't imagine life without my lovely man and without Him in our lives leading us.

As you know we were also blessed with our little Wessy Doo July 2014, so we got to celebrate his 1st birthday few months back. It just makes my heart break to see how fast these precious kids of ours grow. Weston received the nickname Wessy Doo and Doo from daycare and I have always called him Doo (apparently that is what my mom-in-law called Daniel too!) and watching him change within this past year has been remarkable. He is virtually trying to run, he talks with several words, he is just a smiley boy, and he's just so dang cute! Recently he has started wanting to cuddle with momma on certain nights and how can any momma say no to that!? I may wake up at first with a cranky attitude but when he sees me and I pick him up and he snuggles right in, I just melt and enjoy it. I will sit with him until I feel he is comfortable and ready to lay back down.

Reba, man has she just blossomed! She went from Unit 1 a year ago to now in Unit 3 in her little preschool/daycare! She has become the smartest gal her age! She just absolutely amazes me each and every day at how much she learns and has learned. Just like A, she loves being creative with her hands along with taking care of her baby dolls! I wish we were closer because our kids would just have a blast together.

Another event that took place that most everyone knows is I lost my job with KDHE in October of this year. Although some people think it was bad, I truly believe God had it planned all along. Things were better for me elsewhere and I just needed out to find them. I gave everything to Him that day as I walked out the door, I was not going to let anything affect my emotions, heart and spirit because He is the one with the plans, not me. So here we are in December and I have just finished my second week of training with KanCare (Maximus) working as a Registration Specialist. I passed my certification today and start out on the real floor Monday! In a way it is a little scary but I have been working with many others these past two weeks so I don't feel too scared. We have all grown as a team already and the atmosphere is amazing.

I have started blogging again and working on joining the blog community and other blog communities out there to establish a rep here in the blog world. Plus a friend of mine's husband is working on marketing my photography (Memories Embraced Photography) because I have so much passion for embracing memories via a photograph. I am slowly learning different techniques, editing tools, etc. Excited to see where this business goes!

There are so many things we could talk about I am sure, but I will cut it off for now. I had a great time and look forward to chatting again!

If you would like to join in on the fun, please come on by and express your stories! I would love to read them.

Happy Holidays!

Plan with Me

Plan with Me videos on YouTube have become my favorite obsession lately (actually watching one on my phone while writing this post!). I know, I am weird, but I just love watching and listening to others plan their planners, plus decorating them. I have become one of those planners as well because I have always been one that loves planners instead of using my phone for my calendar due to the fact that I love writing everything down.

So I have used an Erin Condren for the past couple of years and I have the horizontal one for this coming year plus a recent one I received was the Happy Planner from Michaels. I absolutely love both but I am sharing my spread I created for the week of December 7th - 13th. I have just started with creating planner spreads so please bare with me with how disorganized it looks. I can't purchase many planner stickers but I do have some that I have printed. There are so many planner sticker shops on Etsy that I couldn't even begin to sit down and decide on a small haul of stickers so I just keep looking and adding to my wish lists and favorite lists. I would love to hear your opinions or favorites that you use or own.

Many things happen this month, not only is it Christmas, but it is also my birthday along with others' so I am making sure that everyone and everything is accounted for within my planner.

Hello December

Can you believe that it is December already? I can't! Well today is the first of the month and I started my new job today with KanCare (MAXIMUS) and I am so far having a great opinion on enjoying this new job. Although I would still love to be able to stay home with my kids but unfortunately I have financially screwed up that dream. I am still feeling blessed with what I have because God has definitely blessed our family with all that we have.

December is of course my favorite month not only because it's Christmas, but it's also my birthday. I don't really do anything for my birthday now that I have kids because it's more important to take care of them. With a new month, the last month of the year, I have felt the need to make some public goals and wishes or tasks that I want to see if I can accomplish. Will you assist me in accomplishing my plans ahead...?

To start, I would like to be here for you guys more and provide you more posts that will provide you with some information about me, tips, tricks, encouragement or all around laughter! I have been really planning out my blog and what I want to accomplish from it so I hope you will start following or subscribing to see us grow together. I used to blog on and off years ago, but never was as into it as I am today!

Next, I want to make my home more organized. I am an organized individual when it comes to my job, but when home is involved somehow I have lost that sense of organization. I want each room to be less cluttered and organized from top to bottom. I would love to hear your tips for organization!

Becoming healthier, well that seems to always be on my list. I am an individual that just can't do it on my own. I always need that motivational push, that support from others. If you want to join me on this journey I would love to hear from you.

Well these are a few of what I am planning to work on this month. What are your plans or goals for this month?