A Year in Review

This year was a real change for us. So here it goes...a quick summary!!

January~ Hubby accepted his new job in Minneapolis, MN. We knew we going to move away from our family and friends. So we started off with a good-bye party for Hubby! Here are some of the kids with Grandpa (Hubby's Dad).My favorite girls! (or some of them)

Hubby and his best bud

Hubby left in February to live 377 miles away from us. So, of course before he left we had E's birthday party. She always says that was the worst birthday ever because her Dad left on her real birthday. So we tried to make it as special as possible.

E and her bud MJ...they have such a special bond.

E turning 8!

In February my kids took their first airplane flight to Minneapolis to visit their Dad. He lived right downtown and right by the Mississippi..thought I would share the first photo I took!




March came and went....(couldn't find any photos...bad Mom). One great thing is that hubby came home every weekend to see us. He earned plenty of air miles!

April~ I took the kids to Spring Break in Florida. Hubby started a new job and couldn't take the time off. It was hard for him, but I knew that the kids needed something to take their mind off of this sad time for them. So, I booked a flight and we went to Fort Myers and Cape Coral for the week and spent the week with my family in a Condo. We missed hubby a lot and now are looking at a family vacation for the upcoming Spring Break.

At the end of April, E made her First Communion. We are still looking for a Catholic Church up here(Twin Cities) that we can join.


May~ A great Mother's Day weekend. We also took another trip to Minnesota to see Hubby for Memorial Day weekend. The kids third airplane trip in 3 months. We were getting good at going through security and becoming good travelers!!

June~ It was one of the hardest months for me. I resigned my teaching position I had for 16 years. I must of cried for a week straight. I sometimes still cry because that was my second home for so long. I made so many friends and became a very confident and well respected teacher in the district. I felt like someone kicked me so hard that I was never going to get back up.


In the midst of sadness we did our annual Brewer outing. So here is A enjoying a little tailgating!!

July~ Cheers to our week long camping trip! It was a great week with family and friends! We even had a huge storm that didn't bring us down...spite the fact that we hung out in the bathrooms while the tornado went by.

We sold our home in Wisconsin and found our new home in Minnesota. It all happened so perfectly.

August~ Had our final good-bye bash at our home in Wisconsin. It was a lot of fun. It was also a very emotional night saying good-bye to everyone.

The movers came at the end of August and packed our entire house up and shipped it to be unpacked in our new home in Minnesota.

As we drove away I must of cried until we stopped at the hotel for the night. I cried the next day and the next. I think I cried everyday for quite sometime.

In September we took the kids to the Twins Baseball field and had some fun taking pictures. My parents came up Labor Day weekend. It was nice to have family around.


The kids started their new schools and I did not. That was the first time in 16 years I didn't have that same jittery feeling! And I MISSED IT SO MUCH!!!! I again cried and cried because all I wanted was my career back and a purpose! Being a mom and wife is a purpose, but I missed my passion. I didn't get any interviews all summer for positions I was applying for and I almost gave up hope. I decided not to give up and so glad I didn't.

Because October came and I got an interview! The first one wasn't a success, but the second one was and I got a long term teaching position teaching first grade for 12 weeks!!!!!!

In October our best friends came from Wisconsin for a visit. We went to the apple orchard and just enjoyed their company!!




November~ We were blasted with our first snowfall of the season. I started my long term teaching position. I made some friends. I didn't feel so lonely anymore and my crying has almost stopped. I still have some tears now and again, but nothing like I use to. I have actually really started to like it here. I think Zena does too!!

December~ We were blessed to have more snow and tons of it. I feel more like myself everyday! I miss my friends and family like crazy, but I also am looking forward to next year and feeling hopeful that I will find that teaching position. I will pass all of my tests that I need to take for my permanent license. My friendships that I've started here will grow and my life here will be great and normal and feel like home should feel.

Cheers to a Happy New Year!!

We were all good this year! Our family has grown together and really bonded together. So Raise Your Glass and Cheers once again!!!

Just in Time

Winter Fun! We went tubing with a great group of friends and of course my wonderful family!! It was a great night for this winter fun. Just as we were there some drizzle started and the hills were really icy which made for some serious speed down the hill! Little Miss E waiting her turn to go down all by herself!

It was fun when we tied our tubes together and went down!

Here comes E....when with a big group of people, those stoppers didn't do much, we flew right past!

The girls getting ready to go down!

They she goes again!

Hubby and A

The boys...they are red not from cold but the sweat they probally had going up and down the hill faster and faster each time! They opted for the walk up and not the magic carpet ride up.

Thank you my Minnesota friends for introducing us to this really cool place!

Some of the snow melted because of the rain we had, but I am sure it will snow soon and then who knows, maybe we will try skiing or snowboarding!

Another Snow Day...

This has been a crazy blizzard filled day in Minnesota. I have never seen this much snow in my life or that I can remember. Snowdrifts taller than me. It is so bad interstates are shut down for miles and miles (like 3 hours worth of driving miles). B is all bundled up and ready to shovel!
E being silly and making a bed in the snow!

Things got so bad, the plow even got stuck! The front loader came a short time later and dragged him out.

In the meantime....the kids thought they would go with their shovels and help him out!!

The Little Things

Back to work for me! I love it, but trying to get back into a routine!

This morning my son was getting ready for school and says " Mom, I don't have any pants to wear to school, no jeans or sweats!" I looked and there wasn't any clean. He had no pants or sweats in his dresser. I couldn't believe it, I just did laundry on Sunday, however, my son is known for not ever putting his stuff in the baskets where they belong. So, thank goodness for the pair of jeans I bought him for Christmas. He did have pants to wear afterall!! It also doesn't help that he is constantly growing. I guess I better get him some new clothes and SOON!!

Welcome Winter

The weather forecasters didn't miss this one! A winter storm has rolled in and boy did it deliver! The kids had fun today and so did Zena! Welcome to our winter wonderland...in Minnesota!!

Doesn't look like it will melt anytime soon! The temps are not looking to warm up this next week... so, this white stuff might just stick around!

I Flaked

My little E was awarded with the Citizen of the Month award and yesterday they had a short award ceremony at school and I missed it!! I flaked and thought it was at a different time!! I am so thankful that my neighbor was there taking pictures because her son was also awarded with the Citizen of the Month award. I am so proud of her!!!

Showing off their medals of honor!

Monster of a Day

Monster Dash was a success! It was a crisp morning. I believe it was in the 30s when we started. The hardest was trying to stay warm until it was time to run. Hubby and I before the race!

We were waiting to start! Again freezing!!

My sister and I at the finish! We all ran the 10 mile race. I finished in 1 hour 41 minutes. I was the last of the group to finish. I was happy with it. I would of liked to do better, but there is always next time!!

We were warm after the race, but with the winds blowing, we didn't stay warm for long. We would of been fine if we didn't have to wait almost 1.5 hours to get on a shuttle to get back to our car. That was a disaster!! I think I was frozen for the whole day. My stomach even hurt from shaking so much.

I will run it next year, but will dress up like a whole bunch of people did. There were so many cool costumes and creative ones too!

Too Long!

I finally pampered myself for the first time in seriously like a year!

What did I do? I made a haircut appointment and today I went in and cut a GREAT cut! But the best part was that part of this wonderful haircut was a head massage, shoulder rub, and hand massage. That was such a welcome treat.

So onto the chair for the hair wash and conditioning treatment. While in the chair enjoying my hair washing experience, I had a feeling this may happen. The stylist asked me if I have ever gotten my eyebrows waxed ( I must of looked like a unkept house wive or something) and yes I have and I may have not had them professionally done in a year, but I have plucked them and shaped them and no I didn't have a unibrow, I just was lazy.

I will post a photo tomorrow because right now I am getting ready for a day of work tomorrow. I haven't worked in so long, I am actually excited! It is just the start of the full time gig I will be starting in a few weeks.

But with this new look and a really cute new sweater I am confident that I will NOT look like an unkept house wive anymore!!

Oh and the hairstylist told me I had ponytail damage! How crazy is that!

Wild and Crazy

What a crazy week!! I am talking about the weather.

Winds blowing so hard that it felt like your house was going to blow over. It wasn't just a few hours of high winds, it was 48 hours of high winds. Houses in our neighborhood damaged, trees fell, and many power outages. So thankful that these winds have stopped. Not only because I had a young girl who couldn't sleep, but I am running the 10 mile Monster Dash on Saturday!! I am running with my husband, sister and brother in law! I am hoping for a PR...I am keeping my fingers crossed. I've trained hard this fall. I had a lot of time on my hands to do so.

My days of lounging, exercising, facebooking, shopping, reading, and watching TV are soon coming to an end. I am very excited about my upcoming job opportunity. I will get a taste of my new class in November by subbing a few times before the teacher I take over for has her baby. Did I tell you that I am so happy!! I know it is a temporary fix, but it is a start and I hope to have a full time gig next year!

Weekend in Wisconsin

One of the birthday girls!
Sisters acting silly!

B....always trying to figure out how to smile for the camera!

My niece and daughter

My mom and nephew having fun!

The table hard at work. Playing a serious game of banana something or another!



Went to Wisconsin to visit family! What a great weekend. My brother was in town from Florida, we got to meet his girlfriend, we celebrated birthdays, we played games and boy do they get crazy!

My sister figuring out her game...i think the game was called banagrams or banana peel or something like that. So much fun!

My brother trying to figure it out!

My little E helping her uncle.

My Foot is In

I got a job!!

I was so down on myself on Monday and today I got the call and I will be a long term sub for a teacher going on maternity leave. It is a 12 week position teaching first grade. The other bonus, the school is about a mile from my house!

Off to celebrate with Wine Wednesday while I watch Survivor and Modern Family!!

Happy Hump Day!!!

Obsessing and ....

I posted something last week about interviewing...and I deleted it. Not sure why...just did.

So anyways, I did have another interview on Friday. I thought it went well. I'm interviewing for long term subbing positions for primary elementary grades.

I am trying to wait patiently for an answer, but it is so hard. Finalists will be contacted today. I am hoping I get a call. Waiting is so hard. My stomach is in knots and my mind is obsessing over what I said and what I should of said.

I did get a call back from my first interview, but it wasn't a yes, but please apply again, you were so close. I did get very positive feedback, but I wasn't the one.

So here I sit...obsessing over my phone...hoping it rings. And everytime it does, my heart skips a beat.

I am trying to stay busy. I've done laundry. I've washed all the sheets in the house and made all of the beds. I've cleaned the kids bedrooms, went to the Y and did a cycling class. I am going to take the dog for a walk.

I haven't had to deal with this type of feeling since I was like 25. Was it as hard back then? I just feel like I am beating myself up. I can't wait until today is over and if I didn't get the call, it just wasn't meant to be.

Teenagers!!

Teenagers are the best!! Thanks for showing me how to do this! I am so excited. Now I will be a picture taking machine and editing like crazy!

The Girls

My oldest is now 14. How did that happen. She was just a baby, a toddler, a pre-teen....life just flies by. She is the best daughter, she is so easy going and thoughtful. She has her moments...we all do, but I am a proud Mom of this beautiful girl!!

Silly E....I wanted to get some cute pics of her before she ran out the door for the bus...picture day and her hair looked cute. She just wanted to be silly....

She has an amazing personality! She knows what she wants and go after it! I love that about her.

She loves her new layered hair cut.