Runs for Cookies: What's next?

By blogging this I am gaining an additional entry to win $500 in Under Armour Gear!  Check out Katie's post below for more info!!


Runs for Cookies: What's next?: Well, marathon training is quickly coming to a close. Can you believe it?! Jessica and I have been training for nearly 17 weeks for ONE rac...

After a 2 am wake up call

Each time the fire pager goes off and my hubby gets quickly out of bed I say I love you and be careful but in reality I say the following:

AGAIN
The pager makes it's beeping noise,
The scanner comes to life.
You see excitement on his face
As he goes off to fight.

No matter what you're doing
Or whatever the current plan,
All you can say is "Later Hon"
As he gets those keys in hand.

You say a little prayer
That God will keep him safe,
That with all the pride and bravery
No one will make a mistake.

You know those men are Brothers
And fiercely will protect
The lives of each other and others--
They will truly give their best!

You and your "man's best friend"
Are both loyal and true.
You keep each other company
Waiting for him to return to you.

And when that front door opens
With "Honey I'm home" again,
You thank the Lord he's back OK,
Your brave and strong Fireman.

Submitted by:
Sherer, Donna, BCARE

I know that him getting home means I can sleep a deep sleep again and not worry about if he is okay.  Although he's an engineer and running the pump you never know if or when he will need to go in a buring home or building.  I grew up in a house of volunteer firefighters and continue to live with one today.  It's always in the back of my mind when the pager goes off I just hope he comes home.

_____________________________________________________________________________

Not to much going on with us.  I've been trying to Launch my Norwex Business which hasn't been hugely successful, but I love the products so I"ll continue to work at it. Contact me if you would like to try some products or host a show :)

Sunday we took a trip to Starved Rock State Park and hiked and had fun!

We are still working on the spare room.  We haven't gotten much done lately because we've both been really busy on the weekends, eventually it will get done.

Something to pass the time

I give you money and send you into the grocery store to pick up 5 items. You can only pick one thing from the following departments. What do you pick?

Produce: spinach

Bakery: Crusty French bread

Meat: Boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Frozen Foods: mixed veggies

Dairy: 1 gallon of 2% milk

Let's say we're heading out for a weekend getaway. You're only allowed to bring 3 articles of clothing with you. So, what's in your bag?

3 articles-sun dress and 2 pairs of undies.

If I was to listen in on your conversations throughout the day, what 5 phrases or words would I be most likely to hear?

• "uh huh"
• "yea he's not really smart"
• "Kuba, lay down"
• "How can I help you?"
• "It's 5 o'clock!"

What three things do you find yourself doing every single day? What things would put you in a bad mood if you didn’t get to do them?

Every day I don't want to get up to go to work.  I turn on my kindle and check the news/weather/facebook.Check job postings.

 

If you had a three hour block where no one was around, what 5 things might we find you doing?

1. Cleaning 
2. Watching trashy TV
3. Reading
4. Running 
5. Sleeping

You are headed to the zoo, but it looks like it might start raining. What three exhibits do you rush to see first?

I love to see the lion and tigers, and giraffes.

 

What four (live) television shows do you wish would gift you free tickets?

1. The Price is right
2. The Voice
3. Let's Make a deal
4. ?? 

If someone offered to buy you a triple dipper ice cream cone, what three flavors would you choose?

I’d pick mint chocolate chip, chocolate chip cookie dough, and vanilla

Imagine you lost your purse at a retail store. When you go to pick it up, the cashier asks you to name five things that are inside it to prove it is yours. What do you say?

1. Zebra print wallet
2. Old Navy gift card
3. 3 tubes of carmex 
4. Kindle fire with pink cover
5. set of keys with County Market Tag

Imagine you are at a job fair. You’re asked what careers you would like to pursue. Assuming you had the talents for said careers, how would you respond? (List four.)

1. Teacher
2. HR Rep
3. Stay at home mom 
4. Business owner of sewing boutique

If you could speak with your 16 year old self, what four things would you say?

1. Running is a great work out- deal with the pain!

2.  Fast food is horrible for you!

3.  Enjoy your time when you don't have to work all day every day

4.  Friends come and go but those who stick around are the real thing.

 

Dreams...

Most people can figure out there life dreams while they are little.  Many have something they want to do when they are older, love doing that job, find a location that suits them well, have a few great friends, etc.

For me all of my life I wanted to be a nurse.  So off to college I went, I got accepted to nursing school, went 2 semesters- hated the teaching staff and the clinicals we had to do!  I did an internship after that year and really found out that I don't think nursing was what I was supposed to do.  So I went to community college to figure out my life.  Well that figuring lead me to business school.  I completed a 2 1/2 year program in a little over a year, while working full-time.  I worked at a gymnastics facility and at the time thought I needed something different.  Looking back- I loved the people I worked with, loved having all of the interaction with the kids, and loved the freedom and responsiblity of the job.  After working at the gym I entered "Semi-corporate" world as I refer to it.  I am a desk monkey for 8 hours a day, except for one week where I never sit behind a desk.  During that week I work 100+ hours in 7 days outside in the heat.  Before working this job, I thought I would love what I was going to do- little did I know that it would be something that made me very unhappy.

Looking forward some things I have realized:

• I love working with kids, always have, probably always will
• I need interaction with people- not just someone on the telephone
• I am not a person to sit and have nothing to do
• Commuting sucks!  (think 45 minutes each way)
• I love being able to go outside and get a little refresher and not sit in an office all day
• Doing what you truely love is good for the soul

Now I have no idea how I will do all of these things and still pay my student loans and have money to live on, but ideally there is a career out there for me.  Does involve me going back to school at somepoint? Maybe, but not necessarily.  Would I love to figure all of this out and have a grand master plan- heck yes- I'm a total planner!

For now, I deal with my job and dream of someday loving what I do and not lying about how my jobs is.

Until then....lets all wish we were here:

http://couples.com/negril/

We spent 5 days there and would go back in a heartbeat :)

Struggle

Lately, I have felt that I am at a place in my life that I struggle to fit in.  I say this for a variety of reasons including work, family, location, and many more.  I feel like I struggle to fit in at work because I hate being tied down to my desk everyday.  With only a few people in our small office, I feel like I sit at my desk all day, answer phones, file papers, and do menial work.  Granted I have days that involve never sitting at my desk, but I just don't feel that I fit in.  I want to be challeneged by my job and am basically rarely challeneged now.  I've contemplated started as a direct-sales rep for a company such as thirty-one or pampered chef.  I would work to fulfill my goals and dreams and not just the wants and wishes of my employer.

I feel that the hubs and I struggle to fit in with our families too.  We married relatively young, and moved into a home that hubs had bought 2 years prior.  We both work decent jobs, are trying to remodel, save money, and pay my student loans.  We live in his hometown, an hour from mine.  My parents frequently tell me they've been my brothers or been to their houses but rarely visit us.  I'm the odd ball in my family because we are the only ones without a child/children.  Hubs family just rarely acknowledges we are around.  I'm the only one with student loans in the family- I was told we'll help you pay them back after school-never got any help thanks.  His family is a farming family that owns a decent amount of land and a small business.  Hubs would love to help with the family farm, but when he offers he's shunned with the "we've got enough help."  What did we do to deserve this really?  We work a lot, try and spend time with friends, and still get our own goals met.

We've contemplated if where we live is where we really want to be.  Is there more opportunity somewhere else that we would love, would we be happier there?  So many options that WE need to figure out.

I've decided that I made myself a list of things that are frustrating to me and/or goals I want to surpass in the near future.  Does anyone else have one of these or feel like you are stuck in your current situation?   Any advice is appreciated.....

Our Remodeling

Finally I am getting around to posting our remodel project.  About a month about we completely gutted our spare bedroom.  We have all of the drywall up and are now waiting to finish that and get the new windows in.

Before:

The pup staying out of the way :)

 Drywall is hung, now we just have to finish it and get the windows in, pick paint colors, pick carpet, put up trim, refinish doors...okay the remodel has just begun :)

Happy Birthday!

It's no secret that I love me some Dr. Seuss!  And tolday is his birthday, well would be his birthday.  In honor of his special day he gets a post.  I say it's no secret that Dr. Seuss is one of my favorites because our minister even incorporated Dr. Seuss into our wedding ceremony!  When I heard it I was so happy :)

Here is a portion of the sermon our minister created:

I meant what I said and I said what I meant.

An elephant's faithful: one hundred percent.

So thank God for Jesus, so patient and kind,

who gives us the love that in each other we find.

So you see, it is not the brains in their head, nor the feet in their shoes,

that causes the Grinch or Horton to move.

It is the love that God places way deep down in the heart,

the same love that God gives you to make your big start.

It is a love from above, the gift our God sends,

a gift meant to share because love never ends.

Paul wrote to Corinth of a gift with no end,

this sermon however is over - Amen!

 

Our minister used some quotes from Dr. Seuss books and added biblical wording in as well.  It was very fitting to us and was extra special.  He realized my love of Dr. Seuss from the quote I send on all of my emails

 

"You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself, any direction you choose. "- Dr. Seuss

 

I love the meaning in Dr. Seuss books as well as the inspiration in his words.  My favorite book by far is- "Oh the places You'll Go"  I even got this book for my high school graduation.  The meaning in the book is great for littles and adults. 

 

I can't wait to one day have a child to buy all of the books and read to them and pass on my love for Dr. Seuss!