Well, more than one night actually. This weekend was not so much a "family" weekend for me as it was a "me" weekend.
I had my office party on Thursday night from which I did not come home until late Friday morning. Yes, it was THAT much fun!!!
Friday I treated myself with some time at the salon and spent the rest of the day recovering from Thursday night.
Saturday I had a wedding to go to and Dustin took the kids camping. I took advantage of the opportunity to go out with some girlfriends on Saturday night and spent the next morning nursing my stomach. My punishment was four miles on the treadmill. :-)
So...needless to say, no pictures from the weekend will be found on this blog.
I'll see if I can catch some this week for all of you. I know how you depend on it! ;-)
Tax Day!
The day has come! It is April 15th and tomorrow at this time I will feel like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders. This has been my tenth tax season! TENTH!
Spring has an entirely different meaning since I've been working in public accounting. For instance, you have no idea what excitement birds chirping can bring. The first morning I hear birds chirping when I wake up I get excited because it means that we are out of winter and THAT much closer to the 15th. And there is a smell that comes with Spring. The first day I smell it I start to get excited for the end.
This year included 256.5 hours of overtime, thirteen Saturdays, two Sundays, four trips to the ER, two breakdowns (okay...three), hundreds of returns, thousands of emails and several caffeinated drinks.
Two hundred fifty-six and a half hours. What could one accomplish in that amount of time? And what did I miss in that amount of time? Think of all the cleaning, laundry, playing, sleeping, hugging and laughing I could have done in that time. It's sickening at the thought and I ususally spend the rest of the year trying to make up to my kids what I missed out the first four months of the year.
This year has been difficult for so many reasons - some professional, some personal. When you have two parents working so many hours it's hard to find time to fit in things like kids and household responsibilities, let alone time for each other. And when you add stress from work on top of everything else it tends to make the few moments you get together either venting sessions or a time to catch up on sleep.
It usually takes us a good week or two to recover from tax season and this year it may take a while longer.
We have both vowed that we cannot have another year like this. And if that means we have to give up on UPS, reluctantly, we will. Most families wouldn't survive the stresses we have faced these last three years and I think it is a testament to our relationship that we've held it together for so long. I had said at the beginning of this year that 2010 was going to be the year of UPS, what I left out was....."or else"!
Spring has an entirely different meaning since I've been working in public accounting. For instance, you have no idea what excitement birds chirping can bring. The first morning I hear birds chirping when I wake up I get excited because it means that we are out of winter and THAT much closer to the 15th. And there is a smell that comes with Spring. The first day I smell it I start to get excited for the end.
This year included 256.5 hours of overtime, thirteen Saturdays, two Sundays, four trips to the ER, two breakdowns (okay...three), hundreds of returns, thousands of emails and several caffeinated drinks.
Two hundred fifty-six and a half hours. What could one accomplish in that amount of time? And what did I miss in that amount of time? Think of all the cleaning, laundry, playing, sleeping, hugging and laughing I could have done in that time. It's sickening at the thought and I ususally spend the rest of the year trying to make up to my kids what I missed out the first four months of the year.
This year has been difficult for so many reasons - some professional, some personal. When you have two parents working so many hours it's hard to find time to fit in things like kids and household responsibilities, let alone time for each other. And when you add stress from work on top of everything else it tends to make the few moments you get together either venting sessions or a time to catch up on sleep.
It usually takes us a good week or two to recover from tax season and this year it may take a while longer.
We have both vowed that we cannot have another year like this. And if that means we have to give up on UPS, reluctantly, we will. Most families wouldn't survive the stresses we have faced these last three years and I think it is a testament to our relationship that we've held it together for so long. I had said at the beginning of this year that 2010 was going to be the year of UPS, what I left out was....."or else"!
It arrived today!
The husband of a friend of mine got her a beautiful necklace after the birth of their third child. I hinted to Dustin SEVERAL times about how much I'd love one JUST LIKE HERS for our anniversary.
But he didn't get it.
I started Round #2 of Operation Get Necklace around Christmas and thought FOR SURE he'd hide it under the Christmas tree.
But he didn't get it.
So I was having a bad day at the office a few weeks ago and decided that it's the age of the Modern Woman. And I make my own money so I can SPEND my own money. So I bought it myself.
It came today. And I love it!
But he didn't get it.
I started Round #2 of Operation Get Necklace around Christmas and thought FOR SURE he'd hide it under the Christmas tree.
But he didn't get it.
So I was having a bad day at the office a few weeks ago and decided that it's the age of the Modern Woman. And I make my own money so I can SPEND my own money. So I bought it myself.
It came today. And I love it!
Out of the mouths of babes
Last night we were coming home from gymnastics and Josh was putting on a show for Ella. Ella was laughing so hard that she was having a hard time catching her breath and then Lauren and I were laughing at how hard Ella was laughing.
Josh: Mom...you've got one crazy kid, huh?
Me: Yes, I do, Josh. I have one crazy kid.
Josh: Probably two crazy kids.
Me: Yes, probably two.
**silence**
Josh: Possibly three.
Me: I was thinking the very same thing, Josh!
Josh: Mom...you've got one crazy kid, huh?
Me: Yes, I do, Josh. I have one crazy kid.
Josh: Probably two crazy kids.
Me: Yes, probably two.
**silence**
Josh: Possibly three.
Me: I was thinking the very same thing, Josh!
Struggles
VALPARAISO | The Valparaiso University campus was in mourning Thursday following the death of Darlene Grega, the university's first female pastor.
Grega, with the university since August of 2008, apparently died in her home Wednesday night. In a statement to the media Thursday, VU President Mark Heckler said Grega was "someone who cared so deeply for the members of this community."
"She will be remembered for the many relationships she built, the lives she touched and the myriad gifts she shared with our community," Heckler said. "In particular, she provided significant counsel and support to women on our campus and built relationships with our international students to help them feel welcomed here. Pastor Grega provided leadership for the university's residential ministry and the Fellowship House. She counseled many others."
Students and faculty were invited to a night prayer service Thursday night at the lower Gloria Christi Chapel of the Chapel of the Resurrection and to a morning prayer service today at 11:15 a.m. In a message sent to faculty and students Thursday, Heckler said chapel and counseling services staff would be available at both services to offer support with the grieving process.
The university will hold nightly prayer services through April 16 at 10 p.m. Tonight's service will be a silent prayer vigil organized by the Residential Ministries, Valparaiso International Student Association and Alliance.
"The silent, interfaith prayer vigil, with lighting of candles and incense sticks, commemorates how Pastor Grega often brought comfort to us and activated our conscience amidst human tragedies, such as the bombing in Mumbai, India, and the Haitian earthquake," said Mark Schwehn, provost and executive vice president for academic affairs.
The Sunday candlelight service will be held in the main chapel. Grega is survived by a son.
"We must now care for one another and those loved ones she leaves behind," Heckler's message to the university community stated. "May God bring comfort and peace to all who mourn and may God's boundless grace and the promise of Easter extend to our beloved sister."
Grega was affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America branch of the Lutheran faith.
This is just one of the many articles written this week about the passing of an amazing woman, Rev. Darlene Grega. She was many things, including my Godparent.
My parents each found out about her passing within minutes of each other and called to pass along the news. We were all in shock at the loss and after a short discussion we quietly said our good nights. At that point we did not know what had happened so I spent most of the evening thinking of all the possibilities. Then I thought of her son, I thought of my own parents and of my own mortality, I thought about all the college students at Valparaiso who were mourning and thought about how the world had lost such a strong and influential woman.
The next day I was notified that it had been determined a suicide.
My heart aches. What level of pain must she had been feeling to believe that this was her only way out? How desperate must she have been? Even with all her education in counseling, even with all her available resources and all her colleagues she still chose this. I kept saying, "I just don't understand." And to be honest, I still don't and probably won't ever.
I'm just at a complete and utter loss and have this pit in my stomach each time I think of her and what she must have been going through.
I pray she has finally found solace. I pray that her son finds comfort in knowing so many people are sharing in his pain. I pray that her death brings about change on the campus of Valparaiso. I pray that people continue to do the good which she has done. And I pray for those who are contemplating the same measure.
Today the sun was a bit brighter and the breeze a bit cooler than yesterday. Each day is a gift and Darlene's life is a good reminder of that.
"This is the day the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it."
Grega, with the university since August of 2008, apparently died in her home Wednesday night. In a statement to the media Thursday, VU President Mark Heckler said Grega was "someone who cared so deeply for the members of this community."
"She will be remembered for the many relationships she built, the lives she touched and the myriad gifts she shared with our community," Heckler said. "In particular, she provided significant counsel and support to women on our campus and built relationships with our international students to help them feel welcomed here. Pastor Grega provided leadership for the university's residential ministry and the Fellowship House. She counseled many others."
Students and faculty were invited to a night prayer service Thursday night at the lower Gloria Christi Chapel of the Chapel of the Resurrection and to a morning prayer service today at 11:15 a.m. In a message sent to faculty and students Thursday, Heckler said chapel and counseling services staff would be available at both services to offer support with the grieving process.
The university will hold nightly prayer services through April 16 at 10 p.m. Tonight's service will be a silent prayer vigil organized by the Residential Ministries, Valparaiso International Student Association and Alliance.
"The silent, interfaith prayer vigil, with lighting of candles and incense sticks, commemorates how Pastor Grega often brought comfort to us and activated our conscience amidst human tragedies, such as the bombing in Mumbai, India, and the Haitian earthquake," said Mark Schwehn, provost and executive vice president for academic affairs.
The Sunday candlelight service will be held in the main chapel. Grega is survived by a son.
"We must now care for one another and those loved ones she leaves behind," Heckler's message to the university community stated. "May God bring comfort and peace to all who mourn and may God's boundless grace and the promise of Easter extend to our beloved sister."
Grega was affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America branch of the Lutheran faith.
This is just one of the many articles written this week about the passing of an amazing woman, Rev. Darlene Grega. She was many things, including my Godparent.
My parents each found out about her passing within minutes of each other and called to pass along the news. We were all in shock at the loss and after a short discussion we quietly said our good nights. At that point we did not know what had happened so I spent most of the evening thinking of all the possibilities. Then I thought of her son, I thought of my own parents and of my own mortality, I thought about all the college students at Valparaiso who were mourning and thought about how the world had lost such a strong and influential woman.
The next day I was notified that it had been determined a suicide.
My heart aches. What level of pain must she had been feeling to believe that this was her only way out? How desperate must she have been? Even with all her education in counseling, even with all her available resources and all her colleagues she still chose this. I kept saying, "I just don't understand." And to be honest, I still don't and probably won't ever.
I'm just at a complete and utter loss and have this pit in my stomach each time I think of her and what she must have been going through.
I pray she has finally found solace. I pray that her son finds comfort in knowing so many people are sharing in his pain. I pray that her death brings about change on the campus of Valparaiso. I pray that people continue to do the good which she has done. And I pray for those who are contemplating the same measure.
Today the sun was a bit brighter and the breeze a bit cooler than yesterday. Each day is a gift and Darlene's life is a good reminder of that.
"This is the day the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it."
A walk n' the park!
Yesterday I excitedly left the office - on my last official Saturday during tax season - and met the family for lunch at our normal place to celebrate the beautiful day and the upcoming week, in which I get my life back.
It was absolutely beautiful out so Dustin and Josh took the opportunity to take down our Christmas lights. :-) I mean, come on...it's ONLY April?
After dinner the family decided to join the neighbors on a walk. Lauren insisted that we didn't need to take the double stroller as she would, "walk wit' you guys". So we buckled Ella into the single stroller and took off.
It started off good. Everyone was happy and we were all having a great time.
And then Lauren didn't want to walk anymore...and Ella didn't want to be carried.
It was pretty slow moving after that. I took the older kids and headed home and Dustin and Ella followed. I got home and did some cleaning and the phone rang.
Me: Hello?
Dustin: Uh, Ella won't let me carry her but she's completely worn out and just sat down in the middle of the sidewalk.
Me: **laughing**
Dustin: It's not funny, Beth. We are still three blocks away!
Me: **laughing**
Dustin: At this rate we should be home by tomorrow morning.
Then this morning we had promised the kids to have lunch at the park after I walked and we did some laundry. Oh, what a beautiful day it is! Everyone got to run off some energy and eat lunch outside. And to top it off we ran into another daycare family at the park!
It was absolutely beautiful out so Dustin and Josh took the opportunity to take down our Christmas lights. :-) I mean, come on...it's ONLY April?
After dinner the family decided to join the neighbors on a walk. Lauren insisted that we didn't need to take the double stroller as she would, "walk wit' you guys". So we buckled Ella into the single stroller and took off.
It started off good. Everyone was happy and we were all having a great time.
And then Lauren didn't want to walk anymore...and Ella didn't want to be carried.
It was pretty slow moving after that. I took the older kids and headed home and Dustin and Ella followed. I got home and did some cleaning and the phone rang.
Me: Hello?
Dustin: Uh, Ella won't let me carry her but she's completely worn out and just sat down in the middle of the sidewalk.
Me: **laughing**
Dustin: It's not funny, Beth. We are still three blocks away!
Me: **laughing**
Dustin: At this rate we should be home by tomorrow morning.
Then this morning we had promised the kids to have lunch at the park after I walked and we did some laundry. Oh, what a beautiful day it is! Everyone got to run off some energy and eat lunch outside. And to top it off we ran into another daycare family at the park!
To serve
A little over a month ago a woman from our congregation got up during announcements and talked about a local organization called Mission of Hope. The woman talked about how a group of members had been going there every other month and serving meals to the less fortunate and was hoping to get a few more volunteers so we could serve a meal every month.
I didn't say anything to Dustin but I thought I would go ahead and contact her as it's close to my office and figured I could easily get away for a couple of hours once a month.
After church we piled into the truck and Dustin said, "I thought we could go help serve together at the Mission of Hope. What do you think?"
I was ecstatic! What a way to spend time together and serve the Lord!
Well, last Thursday was our first time serving and what a wonderful program! Aside from serving meals they have a shelter, bible studies, worship services, jail ministries, a food pantry and an emergency clothes closet. That day we served 129 meals between noon and one.
I encourage all who read this to give to this program and you can do so from their website. We had a great time, met some amazing people and had another opportunity to be reminded of how blessed we are.
I didn't say anything to Dustin but I thought I would go ahead and contact her as it's close to my office and figured I could easily get away for a couple of hours once a month.
After church we piled into the truck and Dustin said, "I thought we could go help serve together at the Mission of Hope. What do you think?"
I was ecstatic! What a way to spend time together and serve the Lord!
Well, last Thursday was our first time serving and what a wonderful program! Aside from serving meals they have a shelter, bible studies, worship services, jail ministries, a food pantry and an emergency clothes closet. That day we served 129 meals between noon and one.
I encourage all who read this to give to this program and you can do so from their website. We had a great time, met some amazing people and had another opportunity to be reminded of how blessed we are.
Gymnastics
Twisters is one of the local gymnastics, cheer and dance studios. They started a monthly program two months ago called Little Lunchers in which younger children get to come to the gym for a few hours and get exposed to gymnastics, have some fun and run off some energy. They typically don't allow kids younger than three to be in the program but since Lauren is potty trained and only a couple months away from three **insert tears** they said we could give it a try. Well, Lauren had gone to the first session and absolutely loved it! It was all she talked about for days afterwards and I told Jaime, our daycare provider, that if they had it again we would most certainly sign her up.
When I signed Lauren up for the second Little Lunchers they were also accepting registrations for their regular gymnastics classes. So, I talked to her teacher and asked if she thought she would be ready for something like that even though she's not three. The teacher encouraged me to do so and we started our first class a week ago Monday.
Now anyone who knows Lauren knows that she can be quite a bit of a shy bug. I fully expected me to spend all this money for a class only to have her collapse in the foyer of the gym and refuse to go into class.
I was SOOOO wrong!
The first night we got there late so she had to hurry up and get ready. She ran right into class and didn't even look back! I was shocked and thanked God she had made it past the foyer. Then, I watched her through the window and expected that at some point she would see me and come running for me. But she did not. I figured after class she would say she didn't ever want to go back. But she did not.
It had to be a fluke, I thought.
And then it was time for this week's class. And she was still excited. In fact, she couldn't wait to go. And I was all, "Huh?", "Who is this child?", and "What have you done with my Lauren?"
This week she was hanging upside down from the uneven bars and hanging from the rings. Seriously! My Lauren!
The change I've seen in her after just two classes has been amazing. She's come out of her shell a bit and I can see such a change in her confidence. My whole goal for this was that it would help her get ready for preschool this fall and if she just so happened to like it then that was just going to be an added bonus. We have eight more classes and I just can't wait to see what benefits she may get from this!
When I signed Lauren up for the second Little Lunchers they were also accepting registrations for their regular gymnastics classes. So, I talked to her teacher and asked if she thought she would be ready for something like that even though she's not three. The teacher encouraged me to do so and we started our first class a week ago Monday.
Now anyone who knows Lauren knows that she can be quite a bit of a shy bug. I fully expected me to spend all this money for a class only to have her collapse in the foyer of the gym and refuse to go into class.
I was SOOOO wrong!
The first night we got there late so she had to hurry up and get ready. She ran right into class and didn't even look back! I was shocked and thanked God she had made it past the foyer. Then, I watched her through the window and expected that at some point she would see me and come running for me. But she did not. I figured after class she would say she didn't ever want to go back. But she did not.
It had to be a fluke, I thought.
And then it was time for this week's class. And she was still excited. In fact, she couldn't wait to go. And I was all, "Huh?", "Who is this child?", and "What have you done with my Lauren?"
This week she was hanging upside down from the uneven bars and hanging from the rings. Seriously! My Lauren!
The change I've seen in her after just two classes has been amazing. She's come out of her shell a bit and I can see such a change in her confidence. My whole goal for this was that it would help her get ready for preschool this fall and if she just so happened to like it then that was just going to be an added bonus. We have eight more classes and I just can't wait to see what benefits she may get from this!
No eggs, only candy
We are in the last days of tax season and unfortunately at this stage in the game work consumes my thoughts. If it's not me thinking about everything that needs to get done at work, it's me thinking about the fact that I get my life back pretty soon. Both of which make me jittery and excitable.
I barely had time to get the kids their Easter outfits this year so you know I didn't have time to anything else like dye eggs or help the Easter Bunny fill the Easter basket. I didn't worry too much about not dying eggs because let's be honest...the only thing they really missed out on was the colorful egg salad that always seems to follow Easter.
Dustin helped the Easter bunny on Saturday night by making a midnight run to Wal-mart. I took that time to collapse into bed and never thing twice about Peeps or jelly beans. On Sunday morning I woke the kids and told them to check out their basket while I hopped in the shower. About five minutes later Lauren came running into the bathroom and screamed, "MOM!! THE RABBIT CAME!""
I got out of the shower and went down to see all the excitement and looked at the basket. Dustin came around the corner and I said, "Well, Dustin. We not only had a very lazy bunny...but he's a thief, too!" And Dustin just laughed.
He literally bought six bags of candy and threw them in the basket. Unopened. Well, I take that back. Dustin's favorite candy was open and two of them were missing.
**shakes head**
I barely had time to get the kids their Easter outfits this year so you know I didn't have time to anything else like dye eggs or help the Easter Bunny fill the Easter basket. I didn't worry too much about not dying eggs because let's be honest...the only thing they really missed out on was the colorful egg salad that always seems to follow Easter.
Dustin helped the Easter bunny on Saturday night by making a midnight run to Wal-mart. I took that time to collapse into bed and never thing twice about Peeps or jelly beans. On Sunday morning I woke the kids and told them to check out their basket while I hopped in the shower. About five minutes later Lauren came running into the bathroom and screamed, "MOM!! THE RABBIT CAME!""
I got out of the shower and went down to see all the excitement and looked at the basket. Dustin came around the corner and I said, "Well, Dustin. We not only had a very lazy bunny...but he's a thief, too!" And Dustin just laughed.
He literally bought six bags of candy and threw them in the basket. Unopened. Well, I take that back. Dustin's favorite candy was open and two of them were missing.
**shakes head**
