" I DO"!!!!!

3 years ago today I married my best friend and love of my life! My wedding day was such a magical day. I found the perfect dress that made me feel on top of the world. I was able to have almost all of my family and friends there to celebrate my perfect day. Everything looked beautiful, My Uncle Chris had the reception hall looking amazing! (his website http://progressiveevents.com/) We had great food and music! It really was the best day!

Shane and I go WAY back. I know have known him almost my entire life, at least the parts I remember. I met him in Jr High at a YMCA dance. I asked him to be my "boyfriend" that next Monday with a check yes/no note that my Friend Angie helped me deliver. I am pretty sure I just chucked the note at him and ran off. He of course checked YES and chucked the note back at me. Little did I know then that would be the man I would marry.

We shared our first kiss together, and I had to teach him how to do it. Little did I know then I was teaching the man I would marry how to kiss me for the rest of my life!! My family moved to a smaller town about 30 miles away and of course to kids who cannot drive it might as well been different states. I wrote him a dear john letter to Whitney Houston's song I will always love you breaking things off.

We stayed friends and reconnected when we were 16, 18, 20 and then I moved to Arizona to be with him when I was 23. We both knew by that point we had something really special and worth risking our friendship to see if was something more. We have never looked back and it has been the greatest time.

In the 3 years we have been married we have moved 6 times, 3 states, 2 kids, 2 miscarriages, bought a house and lost Julie his mom. It has been a whirlwind 3 years but I would not want to go through any of it without him!

I am so blessed and really lucky to have found my Mr. Right!!!

It fits!!!!

OMGosh it FITS!!!! That is what I yelled when my wedding ring slipped into place! I have not been able to wear it in over 2 years and we have only been married 3 as of tomorrow. I am really embarrassed to say this but its too exciting to keep quite about it.

I never thought it would be so hard to lose weight, I have never had to do it before. After my first miscarriage I gained 20 pounds by eating non stop comfort food. When Tristen came I did really well till the last month and because I took off work early thinking he would come early I had raging hormones and the only cure for them was ice cream sandwiches and mac and cheese. I was not one of the lucky woman who lost weight just by breastfeeding, I actually gained weight. I was very proud of myself with Connor gained 10 pounds and lost it all and then some the week he was born but like clock work I gained while breastfeeding. After my second miscarriage and eating my emotions for 3 whole days I said ENOUGH! Its time to get healthy and buckle down.

I want to be active with my kids, live a long healthy life and be able to keep up with my grand kids one day. If I don't start now it will never happen. So as some of you know I started the herbalife program which is a meal supplement (shakes for breakfast and lunch) program. I know skeptics have alot to say but I feel so good about it. I feel healthy, losing weight and have never felt happier.

And now my beautiful wedding ring fits....IT FITS!!!! I was wearing a very sentimental ring but it was so tiny and made me feel weird because I had such a beautiful ring sitting at home that I could not put on. But now I can!

I am excited about this journey and can't wait till I say I hit my goal...being happy with the way I am! I know that day is coming soon :)

I have turned into my Father!!!

I have always known I was going to be just like my mom. I look like her, I laugh like her and in almost every way I am just like her. I was prepared for that and not shocked when I started doing and saying the same things my mom said when I was growing up.

What I was not prepared for was turning into my father as well. We all used to cry in the car when he wanted to listen to the oldies station....and now what do I listen to in the car....yup you guessed it OLDIES!!! We all used to make fun of him for buying how to books, every project he wanted to do he would go buy a book about how to do it, read up on it and then attempt it.....what did I just buy yesterday.... A how to book on decks...SERIOUSLY!!! When did I turn into my father!!!

Not that it is a bad thing it just took me by surprise! I was not prepared to do the things he did as we grew up. I know there are going to be times I say one of his catch phrases to the boys and just hope I can keep a straight face when those words come out of my mouth.

We're Back!

Wow that feels weird to say...."We are back in Nebraska". A phrase I vowed I would never say, that was before kids and before my priorities changed. It has been 6 years almost to the day since I left Nebraska. I never thought about where I wanted to raise my kids all I knew is I wanted to leave Nebraska and make a life for myself.

Little did I know I would marry my first boyfriend from Nebraska, have kids in California and move back to Nebraska. It is funny how your priorities change. When it was just Shane and I we didn't care about the school system, owning a big home and saving money for college. Now that is all we think about. Making sure we live in the best school system we can, owning a big home for them to grow up in and being in a place were the cost of living was low enough so we can do family trips, be debt free and save for two college funds.

We have only been back a week and I am sooo happy. I am excited for my boys to grow up with family and friends that we have grown up with. I have met more neighbors here than AZ and CA combined. And yes I have missed all the waving LOL if you don't know what I am talking about, everyone in Ne waves at everyone walking or driving. I used to think it was so stupid but I have missed it.

I will be posting lots of adventures in house remodeling and all the fun things the boys and I get into :)

When you say goodbye....I say hello!!!

It still feels surreal that this time tomorrow the boys and I will be on a flight back to Nebraska. It sometimes feels like a step back, Shane and I said we would never move back, there was no reason to...until we had our kids. It's funny how your priorities change when you look into those little eyes and know you are responsible for these little people.

Nebraska was the best choose for our family. We were able to buy a house, save money, travel, send them to great schools and raise them in the manner we value. There is something about the Midwest that feels right. I am sure when the boys look back at their baby pictures and see the beach and sun they will ask "What the heck were you thinking!!!". I know its the right thing but it is sad leaving paradise.

We have had such a fun time here, they weather is amazing, we have met some amazing people and done some really fun things. It will be bittersweet that is for sure.

I have felt a little lost out here without family to help with the boys. We will have friends who are family and support in Nebraska that we don't have here. There are people I trust to leave my boys with so Shane and I can have a night off. There are people who will love my boys like I do. Although Nana and PopPop are not there we do have adoptive grandparents that can help out which will be so nice! And Nana and PopPop always visit their boys.

So I don't say goodbye.... I say Hello. Hello to a better life for me and my family! Hello to old friends and to new ones and Hello to date night with Shane or a night out with the girls...FINALLY!!!!!

SAHM

For those of you who don't know what SAHMis, it stands for Stay At Home Mommy and that is what I am. I am a mom who stays at home with my children to spend every moment with them but that does not make who I am.

I think one of the biggest lessons I learned about being a SAHM is that it can't be my whole life. There has to be something I do on a daily basis that is just for me. I did not realize how dealing with tantrum after tantrum, stinky diaper after stinky diaper and mess after mess would get to me. You could easily go insane if you do not take time for your self. I know I have and I know many others that do.

Before I became a mommy I had all of these fantasies of what type of Mom I would be. My house would be sparkling clean.... because I would have all of this free time, Dinner always on the table.... because I would have all this free time and I could run all the errands... because I would have all this free time. Now looking back I have to laugh at my poor little naive self. I didn't have a clue what being a  SAHM was really all about.

I had no idea that it would be the hardest job I have ever done, and I have done some really hard jobs. What I also didn't know was although being exhausted  its the most rewarding job and I never seem to run out of energy to make sure my boys are happy. I didn't know truly what a blessing being able to spend every moment with them was going to be.

Looking back at all of the tantrums, diaper changes and messes I had to clean up it will be totally worth it and I am sure one day I will miss all of it.

Where were you?!?!?!

So yesterday was one of those days people ask, "where were you when Bin Laden died?". I am not really into all the politics, I avoid getting involved in debates and most of the time hate expressing my opinions because it will usually spark a debate.

I am happy for the ones who lost lives in 9/11 and those families in the military. I feel like yesterdays confirmation of Bin Laden's death gives them some closure and justice. I feel kinda weird celebrating someones death, even though he was a horrible person. It just feels weird to me, maybe its because I am not really involved. I didn't get personally involved with 9/11 either. I cried at the memorial and watched all the news coverage but it didn't affect me personally. So with Bin Laden's death I do not feel personal justice.

I am lucky not to have had anyone die in 9/11 or anyone affected by the war but I know so many people have been and I am happy with them. It is funny the things in your lifetime you want to remember. Princes Di's death, 9/11, William and Kate's marriage and now Bin Laden's death. Will be interesting to see the rest of the "Where were you?" questions over the next 60 years.