I received my diploma in the mail today!!!
I still need a frame. Any suggestions are welcome as to where to get a nice one with a mat or a floating frame
It even came with a wallet diploma, courtesy of the UNLV Alumni association.
Yes, I did blur out my middle name. I figure this is a public site.
Last night Eden was having a rough time sleeping so I brought her into rest with me while I held her. For those moments awake I had a lot of thoughts go through my mind. I don’t remember exactly all of them, but two stuck out.
The first thought. I have a lot of dreams. Now this sounds good, but my dreams all require money. Buying a new car, redoing the counter tops in the kitchen, redoing the girls bathroom almost completely ( we’ve already bought a new toilet so that’s the one thing that doesn’t need to be done). Then there’s painting the inside of my house and buying a new mattress Jon and I both agree on. Plus maybe some real furniture for the girls and our room. (like new dressers :)) Plus I want diamond earrings and my mom wants to sell me her $3,000 quilting/embroidery sewing machine for a small fee each month, (She’s getting a new one that’s worth about $9,000 for around $4,000). Plus I just like shopping in general. Then there’s paying off the smaller mortgage. Well paying off the mortgage company. (We’ve used about 14,000 in student loans to pay it off, which will start being due this July, but $10,000 is at the low rate of just 2.8 %).
So the main dilemma is the car. I’ve made a deal that we will not buy a car until the small mortgage is paid off. Which looks to be about December if nothing major comes up. The problem being I want to do around $1,500 in remodeling which will then make it more around March of next year. ๐
My thought is to do this nanny service my sister does. Well babysitting is what I would do, about once or twice a week.They cater to the hotels and wealthy families in town. The problem being is while filling out the application I felt so under qualified because I have no professional training and haven’t worked for nearly 4 years. I’m very qualified by life experience, I am a mom, but they want employment for the past 10 years and references that have known me for five. (Amber you’ll probably be one ๐ ). I worry about not getting the job because who will want a stay at home mom to babysit, though I do have a college degree.
I guess it’s just a little scary entering a work type field and filling out an application when you haven’t worked for so long. I’m tempted not to do it just out of feeling incompetent. (I know I can do it, it’s will they hire me with just the life experience of taking care of my own children.) I’m glad that I don’t have to do this job. Really it’s just so I can fund these extras. Which also brings me to the next dilemma, should I be worried about these extras or should I be happy that we are happy and fed with a roof over our heads? I guess I also want to enjoy these extras while we’re here, not 6 months before we leave because we’re thinking about selling and they’ll help sell the house.
I guess it’s also “Do I mind having the mortgage debt while having a car?” One reason I want the mortgage to go away is so I can get a slightly nicer car then if we had the mortgage. I feel a little greedy but I also feel that working one night a week is okay. I went to school twice a week during my schooling, and once even three times a week when I was pregnant with Eden.
So there’s my dilemma. I’m too scared to fill out a job application for fear of being rejected because I haven’t worked in so long. Then I also worry about working for the wrong reasons.
I really want a nicer kitchen and bathroom, and I really want a car by next year. I’ve made lots of sacrifices and I feel that this is an okay one for my family.
We’re told so often that having the mom work is terrible. Though plenty of Mormon moms do things like home businesses, so I feel that this is okay. I work and come home. Or I don’t work that night if they don’t need me. Rather then I work and do party or show and have to continue to work while at home doing phone calls and everything else that come with home businesses. Lots of moms do those jobs for their extra money or to do their hobbies. This money is for myself. I really want a new guest bathroom and a nicer kitchen. So my family benefits as well. ๐
Next thought. Last night we watched the Disney movie Cars. I love this movie. We always watch the extras and they tell how the animators and writers traveled the entire Route 66 to get a feel and appreciation of the movie. Every time I watch the movie I want to go on Route 66 and see the land and heart of America. Every time they tell the sad story of interstate travelers bypassing the small fictional town of Radiator Springs I want to first cry and then take a road trip with my girls. Jon and I are fans of small businesses, along with big, but if we have the money we like to help those who are doing what they love because they love it, not because they make money. Jon wants to do a road trip this summer, but I don’t think we’d be able to financially. One we’d need to buy or rent a car, two we’d need $1,000 just for room and board along with gas. So my goal is next summer to have a road trip with my girls. Maybe along a part of Route 66. I want to travel to forgotten places. (Though I don’t know if I want to stay a night in a forgotten hotel, unless it has been newly refurbished. ;))
I want to see the history and experience some of the old towns of America. I love car rides. I love looking at the landscape and watching the road go by. I enjoyed that as a girl. So this movie makes me sad for those who have been left behind in the wake of advancement. I want to visit quite places with nothing to do other than enjoy the fresh air and run through the sprinklers.
We got some promotional tattoos in the mail from Disney. Jon decided it would be fun to put them on him and Lilah. Luckily there were three because Eden wanted one also. They’re Pirates of the Caribbean tattoos.
Here are my rebels.
The funny thing is Lilah had a stake Primary activity today so she went wearing this outfit, which clearly showed the tattoo, which I was fine with. But the funny thing is it was a missionary activity so she was a missionary with a skull tat.
Oh well.
Well this week is my 5th year wedding anniversary and today I received some beautiful flowers from my hubby. As I said in my valentine post we don’t worry about valentines and just really focus on our anniversary. (I got two non-valentines gifts. Chocolates that were bought and not really given to me on Tuesday night, the day before Valentines. Then their were red roses that my husband got very cheaply on Saturday, the day I got back form my trip. )
Anyways, I saw the Fed Ex guy coming to my door and I thought, “We haven’t ordered anything, all our packages got her yesterday.” Well it was for me, and the box had ProFlowers on it so I knew exactly what would be inside. A beautiful bouquet of lavender roses.
It was fun because I got to arrange them myself. (It had instructions and a vase.)
I enjoyed cutting each stem and finding a spot for each flower and then foliage. It was sent with love and arranged with love. I didn’t even finish my lunch before arranging! (Besides the fact that I knew they needed to be in water, but I was just so excited to get them. I love lavender roses!)
The best lighting in my house is in my kitchen so I placed them in the doorway and took a picture. This one shows the color well and the next the flowers.
I love anniversaries. (They also had a beautiful note/ poem with them. Oh how I love my hubby.)
They are beautiful.
The first bouquet Jon ever sent to me were lavender roses. These were long stemmed, large, beautiful lavender roses. (They looked more like this variety.) They were sent to my office on our five month anniversary, which was just a month before we got married. They were so beautiful and the scent was so intoxicating. I had them on my desk, which was near the employees and lawyers in boxes, so all day long I heard how beautiful and what wonderful scent they had to them. Then I brought them home. They bloomed and died within four, if not three, days but oh were they worth it. We’ve yet to find lavender roses that stand up to those, but I enjoy any roses from my hubby.
Happy five year anniversary! Even though you are a pain I love you. (You’re only a pain because you’re such a free thinker ;))
You are such a help to me and the girls and I know you love me with your whole self. Thank you for accepting our differences, even though I’m still trying. Thank you for your patience, even though I get mad that you are so patient and I’m not.
I hope to grow closer to you. At times is seems impossible because we are so close, then at times it seems impossible because of the changes. I love you still and I hope to love you as Christ loves you. ๐
I know ever since you’ve known that I went on my trip you all have been waiting for the inevitable photo blog. ;)Here it is.
So we brought a bowl and a towel just in case Eden decided to throw up.
I looked back sometime between Mesquite and St. George to check on Eden and this is what I saw.
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I have no idea how long it had been on her head.
รย But she had fun with it.
Friday we went to the park despite the throw up incident that morning by Eden.
Then onto the wedding that night.
On the tables they had confetti. It started with Lilah just putting it in my hair but then I started sticking it to the girls faces.
Lilah dancing with my cousin Brittany.
Here’s the cake my mom made.
The bride and groom.
My Aunt Glenna and Uncle Leonard.
There’s a sum of the trip
I didn’t take any pictures on the way back because we had two sick girls. ๐
All are well now. I’m even babysitting my two niece’s and nephew right now.
So I went on the trip.
Eden had a small fever on Wednesday night, but she only puked once that day. Thursday morning she was her normal happy singing self in bed so I decided to go. I had folded all the clothes I washed for the trip so it would be fairly easy packing. We were all set and then at 10 am when I started to think about getting everything in my mom’s car I realized we’d left the car seats in our car. Jon was a doll and dropped them off for us so we left about 11:15.
Both girls seemed normal on Thursday. It was very happy traveling and we didn’t use the DVD player my mom brought because they were quiet the whole time, napping or reading books.
They didn’t eat very much Thursday night, though they ate well at lunch. (We went to Chuck -a-Rama’s in St. George, one of the reason’s I so badly wanted to go on the trip in the first place.)
Friday morning Lilah was great, Eden ate hardly anything but drank a lot of orange juice. We stayed at the hotel while my mom went and decorated the cake for my cousin’s reception.
Eden threw up about 10:30 am. I was able to clean it up easily, luckily the carpet was hunter green. She seemed fine after that so we took a walk across the street and played at a little play ground that we found. The maid came while we were gone, I warned her about the throw up, and our room smelled like cinnamon when we returned.
We walked to a diner for lunch and just had it to go since I was alone and Eden was sick. I felt like a single mom. Why you ask? Well I was there with my girls alone and two Jon had my rings so he could get them checked for our extended warranty plan. So I was without my wedding ring. I felt like everyone saw that I had kids, and saw that I was not married because I had no rings.
Lilah had her drink while we waited for our food and she spilled it. 16 oz of soda and ice on the bench. Her and Eden thought they were helping by running their hands in the soda and wiping the bench but without any napkins. I got mad at Lilah because she continued to do this and she started to cry. Luckily we had our food so I was able to usher them out as she cried and Eden tried to give her a hug. I felt like people were thinking, “Oh the poor single mother can’t keep her temper when her child spills her drink”.
I just felt single the whole time. Anywhere we went really. I was there with my mom, two girls and without a wedding ring. Of course I know I was more self conscious then others really noticed, but being in Utah I felt more judged for some reason.
We all went to the reception. Eden seemed to be doing better, even though she had a diaper blowout, and Lilah was still fine.
My cousins, Brittany (16) and Celeste (14) kept holding Lilah and Eden. I had to remind them that Lilah had legs and she could walk. Eden was very cuddly and she liked just being with me that night.
Here’s another reason I felt like people thought I was a single mom. At the reception people noticed I had kids, but never asked about my husband. (The the groom’s family.) So I felt like they thought I was single or maybe thy didn’t want to ask in case I was single.
Saturday neither girls ate much of anything at breakfast. Eden had a pretty good day, but Lilah did not.
We stopped at Beaver for lunch and right after we ordered Lilah started coughing, which has been pretty normal for the last two weeks. Then she threw up right there by the registers at Wendy’s. Luckily she hadn’t eaten much so it was just watery, not chunky. She threw up a little and I thought it would stop but then she threw up a little more and I tried to rush her to the bathroom where she threw up on the way and just a little in the toilet. The girls shared a banana and we ate lunch.
They both slept a lot on the way to St. George.
We stopped in St. George and Lilah went into a store with my mom for some knitting needles. Once inside the store she threw up again. ( I asked her if she felt okay and she said she did, but we think the walking made her sick.)
The rest of the trip was fine, but neither of the girls ate or drank much.
Saturday night Lilah coughed and threw up once,and then throughout the night felt like she was going to threw up anytime she coughed.
They stayed home Sunday and slept all day.
Eden threw up on Jon Sunday night right after I canceled dinner with Carolyn for tonight, Monday.
Today has been more sleep and slightly lethargic girls.
I hate having sick girls. Luckily today is a holiday and Jon has it off. I may make him stay home tomorrow, but well see.
Eden seems to want food, bit she won’t eat the applesauce I give her. I think she’s sick of applesauce.
Lilah just wants cuddles and she eats a little.
I hope they get better soon. They did have a good time on the trip though. Lilah didn’t want to leave the hotel. I think she liked all the soda’s and restaurants we were visiting.
So we don’t do Valentine’s Day very much. Mostly because our anniversary is later this month, so to do two romantic nights in one month is hard. Really it’s over doing it because we don’t even do one romantic night a month. I also prefer doing something extra special on a day that actually means something to me.
Today has been a bad day though. Eden is sick. I mean diarrhea and puke sick. (She’s only puked once, but the night is still young.) This makes me extra sad because we were suppose to go to Utah tomorrow with my mom. Even if she has a good night and doesn’t puke again there’s no guarantee that she won’t tomorrow while on the trip. I’m still tempted to go if she has a good night, but I would feel soo bad if she didรย end up puking in my mom’s car.
Most times these things are just one day, but will it only be one day is the question. We’d be leaving around 10 am….which is just too early to tell.
I really wanted to go. It was for a cousin’s reception. I’m not close to this cousin or even this aunt and uncle. I just wanted to get away. I also wanted to show support because they’ve come down for weddings and blessings, and we haven’t been able to go up for the two weddings they’ve have since I’ve been married.
Really I just wanted to get away and change my routine.
I’m so very disappointed.
(Jon’s coworker has been gone and if it were just Friday he could take the time off, but it’s Thursday and Friday, which makes it hard for us.)
SO I was told I could revel my secret. Well it’s not so much a secret as I didn’t want to spill the beans before other people found out, but she said it was okay when I called her this afternoon.
CAROLYN IS ENGAGED!!!
There’s my secret.
Well we were at my parents last night when her and Derrek came over. Glenn, Carolyn, Jon, me and our girls were sent upstairs so Derrek could ask the parents.
I’m way excited for Carolyn. He’s a great guy and very nice.
No, He’s not Mormon, but I know that whether or not he ever becomes Mormon does not matter. One because I’m in sorta the same boat, two because I think he is a decent guy and respective of us who are active LDS members.
Her ring is a cross between these two and it’s very sparkly.
This one because it’s princess shaped and the diamonds around the main ring curve around the corners, though it doesn’t have the two bands on the side.
This one because it’s sparklier (my made up word) and reminds me of hers and two because the diamonds cover three sides of the band, not just the top like the other one, but it still only has one band leading to the diamond, not three.
No they did not buy them on amazon….but this was the easiest place to find similar rings.
I know a secret. Well it’s only a secret for a little while longer, or until this person decides that I can tell. Ooohhhh it’s soo good.
Also this is what I discovered about my couch this morning. (I’m using wordpress to post this picture, usually I do a different long process.) It’s not easily noticable when you just look at the couch, hence why I think it took me so long to notice.
We’ve had it since July 2005 so I’m not sure if the store will do anything about it. (Ashley furniture by the way.) I’m nervous to call. We bought microfiber so it would last longer. We got a five year scotch guard protector on the fabric and the couch frame itself has a lifetime guarantee. So why in less than two year does the couch start coming apart at the seams!!! I also have two daughters that are not that hard on furniture. I’m just worried that they won’t do anything because it’s been over a year but it’s definitely a manufacturing problem. It’s not like we cut a hole in the couch. At least we bought it at only 60 % of the original price, but it was still a lot!
