Dahling Bag

My internet besties are amazing.  We've been connected for well over a year now and we talk regularly.  We celebrate our joys and we commiserate our troubles together.  We also share about our obsessions, from bags to planners and everything in between.  They've been a wonderful group to be with.

Today, I received a generous surprise in the mail.  A wonderful card and a beautiful bag that I will treasure.  I was so blown away by the thoughtfulness.  I had to get online and share with them my surprise and my gratitude.  Then I sat down across the table from The RacDad for lunch and we had this conversation.

Me:  I am so grateful for these amazing women.

RacDad:  Yep.  They're pretty awesome.

Me:  Why is the word grateful spelled g-r-a-t-e?  Shouldn't it be g-r-e-a-t?  Because grate is to cut something into small pieces by running it over a slotted sharp object.  Great is good.

RacDad:  Well, grateful is derived from the word "gratitude".

Me:  Oh, yeah.  Well then shouldn't it be gratiful?  That would make more sense.

RacDad (with a suspicious look on his face):  Yes dear, you're right.  It should be gratiful.

This is a common type of conversation around our house; random tangents that have nothing to do with the actual conversation.  I call them our "squirrel moments".  And I guess this is my way of saying "Thank you so much" to my wonderful ladies that I treasure.  And I look forward to the adventures I'll have with my Dahling new bag.....starting with graduation next weekend.  This will be fun to document and share with you all.

The Month of Thanks

November is a really fun month.  It is when there is a start to a chill in the air.  The leaves change their colors.  Quilts and snuggles are to be had on the couch....along with a little hot chocolate.  It's after my most favorite day of the year and is the start to months of celebrating with family and friends.

As the years progress, I am saddened more and more by the pure disregard for the celebration of Fall and more importantly, Thanksgiving.  It seems that more people gloss over this wonderful time of reflection to fawn over the bobbles and presents that accompany Christmas.  So, this year....I protested!  I was not going to have any part of snowy hills and tinkling bells....at least not before December.

200 Posts!

Can you believe that it has been that long?!  I can't believe that I've had enough to say in 200 posts.

In 200 posts, I've been able to talk about cloth diapering, baby wearing, sleep schedules, eating habits, breastfeeding, birthing stories, cool products for parents and babies, car maintenance, health concerns, local issues, trips, tips, how to's, and more.

Overwhelmed

I do not normally complain about the goings on in my life.  I figure that there are other people out there that have it worse than I do, so why complain about my trivial things.  But, I am feeling a little overwhelmed right now and would really love to share it with all of you.  We have had an intense six months!

Raconteur Daddy lost his job on Thanksgiving....yep that's right, nice boss huh?  So, it has been a very stressful time for us.  We have been doing OK by utilizing all the resources we could from assistance to unemployment, help from family and using what little savings we had.  Plus my mad budgeting skills came into play.  During this time, we also found out that we were unexpectedly expecting our third child!  It seems no matter how hard we try to be careful, we never get to decide when our children will come.  I guess God likes to keep me on my toes!  We are so very excited to be able to have another baby though.  Through this time, RacDad and I have really relied on each other.  We have turned to our faith to help us through, especially when it seems like too much.  I just keep remembering that God will never give us more than we can handle.  This time has been precious too.  It's been a blessing to have RacDad home to watch Little Man grow and change as he becomes a toddler.  He's also been able to appreciate our Sweet Pea and the wonderful young lady she's becoming.  We've had the time to be more active in our community and our church.  Even though our pocket book has been tight, we've been able to help and contribute with our time and work to help others.  We've been able to sit back and view our path and really take a deep appreciation for each other and our wonderful kids.  I don't know if I've ever been more in love with him!

Now, we are leaving our house to head back home to South Dakota.  This is bittersweet for everyone because we finally feel like we belong here, but we are excited to be closer to family too.  We will miss our closest neighbor and her family, and our friends from church and school.  We will miss our house, church, school, doctors and dentist.  On the other hand, we are looking forward to reconnecting with our friends and family in South Dakota.  We are looking forward to the new job that RacDad has and the exciting opportunities there.  We are overwhelmed by the thought of finding a new house, but we know that it's just another hurdle to jump to get back to being settled in.  I look forward to day trips to the zoo, hanging out at the Falls, going hiking in the Palisades, and allowing my kids to experience a childhood like I did.  Being around family and close friends is what is priceless in this transition.

So, Sweet Pea is on her way to Nashville to visit my brother and his family.  This is her birthday present this year from her Grandparents.  I still can't believe that she's going to be a Tween!!  Nine years old is quite the milestone....her last year as a single digit.  RacDad is starting his job.  Little Man and I are putting finishing touches on the house and it will be listed on the market within the week.  Well, I'm trying to get finished and Little Man is getting into the boxes.

We are blessed to have a family that supports us through this transition.  They have been wonderful to remind us that everything is going to be OK.  The most important thing is the emotional support that they give, not what they can provide.  That hope and optimism is what gets us through the day.

Thank you so much for also helping me through this too.  Being able to write and have something to focus on has been a great outlet for me and I appreciate each and every one of you that follow my journey.  I have made some wonderful connections and learned a lot of new things.  I'm looking forward to the exciting things that are going to happen this summer and in the future on OTTW.

The Versatile Blogger Award!

Wow!  I never would've thought that anyone would've been paying attention to my blog to notice that I like to talk about different things.  Then I got a message from Manager to Mom AND from FTM  that they both have given me the Versatile Blogger Award!  I was so surprised that they liked me enough to think about me!  They are both bloggers that I just love reading and connecting with; so I give them a big Thank You!

Here are the official rules:

• Thank the person who gave you the award and link back to them in your post.
• Tell your readers seven (7) things about you.
• Give this award to fifteen (15) recently discovered bloggers.
• Contact those bloggers and let them in on the exciting news.

So, here are seven things about me.

1. My guilty pleasure is Cake.  I love cake...just plain vanilla cake (no frosting).  I could eat it everyday for every meal and be the happiest person in the world.  I'll even let you in on a secret.....My main motivation to go to weddings and graduation parties.....is for the cake!
2. I spent most of my life thinking I could never have kids, so I dedicated my time to work.  I've worked as a professional in many different industries.  I've worked in the Automotive Industry, Jewelry Industry, and Architecture/Construction/Engineering Industries.  I loved being dedicated and learning as much as I could about each.  It was very fulfilling.
3. I am a trained Opera singer.  Yep!  I also was a professional Jazz Singer for years.  Singing and music is a major part of my life, but at this point it is also a very private part of my life.  I sing in church in a very limited capacity; they don't even know the full extent of what I can do.  My kids know that I sing and love to do it.  I love helping my budding artists learn new things, but I'm determined to not 'train' my kids until they're in High School and want to learn.  I prefer to let them be their own people and explore their own interests.  (I have also played classical piano for 26 years, but I don't usually let people know that.)  I also can't wait to make my 'comeback' once the kids are old enough.
4. I live in a whirlwind romance with the love of my life.  He started out as my best friend and confidant and has turned into my Prince Charming who swept me away and made me his bride.  We are more in love with everyday that passes.  Even after 8 years of marriage and 12 years of spending time together; we constantly talk to each other and connect everyday.  I couldn't live my life without him.  We have two kids and I'm expecting number three to arrive around Halloween (my miracle babies!).  I love being pregnant so much and I love my kids.  I never knew that life could be so fulfilling just by having those little people to share it with.  They ground me and challenge me everyday.  I am a better person because of them.
5. I grew up in a very small town.  My Great Grandmother lived across the street from my Grandmother, who lives on the other corner of the block from my Mom.  (We always joke that my Mom was told she had to hold hands to cross the street, and that's why she lives next door to her Mom.)  My Aunts and Uncles all live just down the street in different directions, the farthest one being 7 blocks.  And we aren't even the biggest family 'clan' in town!  We had 5 Generations living in town before we moved, and we just recently lost my Great Grandmother in March.
6. Growing up in the atmosphere that I did, I learned how to be compassionate and helpful.  This surprises people and they think that I'm crazy at first, until they realize that I don't have an ulterior motive, I just really want to be helpful.  Because of this, I also come off as nosy although I try hard to not be.  When I get really zealous about a topic, it's because I'm genuinely concerned and worried.  That is the reason that I started this blog, so I could share these helpful ideas, information, hints and tips without accidentally saying to family and friends, "You have to do this!"
7. I am a huge rule follower; it's almost OCD how intense this gets.  This often annoys my husband (especially when driving).  I have a mindset that if there is a rule, no matter how obscure, it is there for a reason and the world would be much better if people would follow them.  It is especially frustrating to me when people admit that they know the rules, but think that they can 'get around them' for what ever reason.  It makes me want to scream, "You are no more special than anyone else!  You are not smarter than the people who made the rule and you will get caught.  So stop being an idiot and follow the rules!"

Here are 15 other blogs that I just love and would be honored to pass this award to.  It was very difficult to pick just 15 because I have many that I love to read and connect with.  So in no particular order:

1. Mummies Nummies
2. The Raconteur Daddy
3. Jewels and Treasures
4. Little Baby Bug
5. Maple Leaf Mommy
6. Mummy-land and Loving It!
7. One Praying Mommy
8. leaves of my tree
9. Ramblings
10. According to Jenny
11. I am not Superwoman
12. Cooper Avenue
13. Adventures of Mommy 'S'
14. Him, Me and Wee Three
15. The Mommy Goods

Thank you so much!