2009 in Review

January
First trip to Shipshewana, IN. Loved the waterpark!! Has named every pool and large bathtub a waterpark now!

Feruary
First pair of subglasses!

March
First tri-city blackout while I was at work. Luckily, uncle Rob and aunt Jen kept her occupied!

April

Easter and the March for Babies...Emily walked 3 out of 4 miles...I was so proud of her.

May

After 2 years of being stubborn, she was finally potty trained on my birthday! And we took our last trip to Chicago for Mother's Day weekend.

June
Uncle Rob bought the kids a slip n' slide so they could have some fun outside and cool off!

July

Visit from nana and papa!!!

August
Emmy and I finally got our own apartment!

September
Frequent trips to Meijer resulted in many pony rides!

October
Nice weather and living within 1/2 mile of the park, we would walk to the park on my days off and spend many hours there!

November
Reading to nana over the phone!

December


A month of many changes for us: Emily's 4th birthday, moving back to Oregon and Christmas at nana and papas in the morning, and then great grandma and great grandpa's house in the afternoon where she had tons of fun playing with her 3rd cousin.
This year has been challenging in many aspects, but it has been a great learning experience. That which does not kill us makes us stronger so they say. I am hoping that is true! I know the future holds many more challenges for me, but I am ready to embrace them and grow from them. I am so blessed to have Emily in my life. Without her, I am not sure if I would have made it through some of the challenges in my life thus far. She keeps me going and makes me want to better myself. It still amazes me that such a tiny person could make a grown adult melt. Goodbye 2009, hello 2010...let my new journey in life begin.

Quite Content!

Playing in papa's wheelchair

Emmy's new nightly tradition: sitting with papa and watching cartoons!

Christmas morning!

Emily's new dollhouse she got from nana and papa for her birthday! Furniture followed for Christmas!

It has been an interesting transition around here, but we are all adapting rather smoothly I think. With the limited amount of jobs over here right now, I am praying that my unemployment comes through, which has been an uphill battle thus far. It has been great catching up with my friends here in Oregon, but missing a few of my friends back in Michigan. I am heading over to Salem for New Years to catch up with some friends and have fun. Leaving little miss Emily with her nana and papa for the evening! Looking forward to Sunday when I get to catch up with another great friend that I haven't seen in over 2 years! In the mean time, I am so grateful that my parents are able to help me out right now. Without them, I don't know what I would do.

Back in Oregon

Just wanted to make a quick post since it has been forever and a day since I have bothered to get online! I love having a blackberry where I can access Facebook and Myspace from it, but it doesn't let me post blogs from it...oh well!

Emily and I are officially back in Oregon. We arrived Tuesday night around 9pm PST. We were delayed over 2 hours in South Bend, IN, which in turn caused me to be late for my connecting flight by 15 minutes. Luckily, when we landed in Chicago, I turned on my phone, looked up my flight number and seen that my next flight had been delayed. Big sigh of relief as I also found out that my next flight was in the same terminal I flew in to, so I didn't have to walk over a mile to get to my next gate. However...when I arrived at my next gate, they were already boarding. Thinking for a minute that this was just so freaking awesome, I then arrived to the counter to let them know I was there. When the lady informed me that the flight was full and I would have to get on standby, I about freaked! Since I was not there 30 minutes prior to boarding, they gave away my seats...AGH. Luckily, there were 2 seats and miss and I got on the plane. We arrived at PHX 4 long hours later and had some issues with seating there...but eventually made it to PDX. Emily did so well the entire day. By the time we arrived in PDX, we had been at airports or on planes for 12 hours and only encountered one rude person...not too bad!

Readjusting to being back home and going to start the job search next week. This week I am going to focus on getting settled, getting Emily adjusted and catching up with friends. I don't think that Emily realizes we are staying here because she still talks about seeing her uncle and cousins, but hopefully with time, she will adjust. She will be going to school the first week of January, so that will be fun!

Making Progress

Just a quick update while I have a few moments on the computer before jetting off to meet a few friends...
I have officially booked our airline tickets back to Oregon. We have decided that it would just be easier to put all of my stuff into storage back here and fly home for now. And then a good friend of mine and I will be driving out here with a truck and trailer next June to get my stuff. With it being December and roads might not be ideal for driving once I hit the mountains, to put my mom's fears of me crashing somewhere in Wyoming, I am just flying home! We will be flying out on the 22nd. Have a late birthday celebration for Emmy and be there in time for Christmas...which I am completely excited for because my mom got her this amazing dollhouse with all of the furniture! My dad is putting it together next week, so when we get home, Emmy just has to uncover it and she will have her dollhouse for her late birthday!!
In the mean time, I am packing and trying to spend as much time with my friends here in Michigan before I leave. Luckily, I don't have that much stuff to pack...sadly enough it is mostly toys, books and my kitchen stuff!! I am giving my car to a friend because my parents purchased a car back in Oregon for me...which I will be repaying them for. But my car here in Michigan isn't that great and wouldn't make it back to Oregon I don't think! The joys of being a poor single mom!!
Oh, and a random thought I have to share...I will admit, a friend of mine in high school got me hooked on listening to Tom Petty...so not my era, but I love him! Any ways, I was listening to a Chicago radio station the other day and a song came on that I hadn't heard before, which is not uncommon! But, when the chorus came on, I recognized the lyrics...it was Tom Petty's song "Free Falling". And not only did this artist remake it, but it is now a rap song!!! Ok, I like rap...some of it. But you NEVER turn a Tom Petty song into a rap song...it is just so taboo!
And while finally watching the movie Cars with Emily for the first time the other day, I have learned a new line and I am going to start using it whenever possible..."I'm happier than a tornado in a trailer park!" Completely random, but so very funny! Living in tornado country right now I have come to realize that when you hear of things being destroyed by a tornado, it is ALWAYS a trailer park...I have not the slightest idea as to why it is, but maybe the trailers give off some signal to the tornado or something!! (That was sarcasm by the way!)

Adventures of Emily and Mommy!

Saturday night my very good friend Jessica wanted to go het her tongue pierced, but didn't want to go by herself. Well, obviously I have little miss with me all of the time and didn't think that I would be able to go into the tattoo shop with her. But then I remembered the tattoo shop that I go to in South Bend and realized that they have their kids in the shop with them while they work. Took a chance and drove down to South Bend!! I couldn't remember exactly how to get there, but I knew that it was by the airport and you had to go around 2 loopty loops before you got there. Well, let me tell you something I learned that night...never loook for two loopty loops when the city has more than one set of two loopty loops!! We got rather lost when we found our first set of loopty loops...however they were the wrong ones! We eventually found the tattoo shop. Luckily, Glen...the shop owner...did allow children in the shop! After him giving me crap about not being into the shop for over a year, he got to the piercing for Jessica! Emily had fun looking through all of the pictures. Had to take a picture of her in her first tattoo shop...my parents would be so proud...NOT!!

Now that I have come to terms with recent events in my life I will share what has been going on. On November 9th, I was terminated from my job. They said that another employee told them that I was "verbally abusing" a resident. HUH? I know, whatever, right?! Me of all people!! But, after the anger and hurt subsided and I was able to think it through, I realized that it was probably a blessing to be fired. I know, you are probably wondering where I am going with this! I will admit, since turning 18 and trying to find out who I am and what I want in life, I have given up going to church. I mean, I went every Sunday from the time I was a baby. I went to church 6 days a week while in high school...twice on Wednesdays! I just needed a break, but I didn't lose my faith nor my knowledge of what I learned in church. I know that God knows what a person can and cannot handle and never gives you more than what you can handle. Before I got fired, I was EXTREMEMLY stressed. I was having difficulties finding babysitters because my friend who was watching her came back to work and was needing to get to bed earlier. It was just stressful. Trying to figure out when to move back to Oregon next summer, dealing with my best friend going off into the Army, and trying to find that balance of home time and work. Being fired not only settled the babysitting issue, but also gives me the opportunity to get back to Oregon sooner than planed and to be home for Christmas...fingers crossed!!! I am waiting to hear back from unemployment right now. Once I hear back from them, I am able to leave. Until then, I have to stay here just in case they need anything from me or I have to go in person. I did find out that I can move to another state and still receive my unemployment. So, I will be moving back to Oregon and moving back in with my parents until I get back on my feet. I have missed my friends and family dearly back in Oregon, but I am going to miss my friends here in Michigan too. It will be nice to be home though! God always knows what you need, what you can handle and what is best for you...He just has His little ways of making things happen for you...even if it seems horrible to you at the time.

Yup, a very long winded blog...gotta love them! I have enjoyed my time at home with Emily so much...probably a little too much...I wont want to go back to work when I get back to Oregon!! Luckily she will be in school 3 days a week, so I won't miss out on too much time with her when I go back to work!

Finally Better!

I finally went to the doctor a week ago Friday to find out what was wrong with me...mind you...I hate doctors!! Probably why I procrastinate so much with going! But, come to find out that I had bronchitis and needed antibiotics! Guess it was good that I went! Emily had a cold as well, so last Monday night after working my two 12 hour shifts, getting off of work at 7am on Monday morning and turning around to be back at work at 3pm that afternoon, I was exhausted and feeling my worse! So, I managed to get off of work early Monday night, got Emmy and went home and collapsed on the couch! Emmy, being so sweet, didn't argue about pajamas that night and curled up on the couch with me! We both feel asleep here until I woke up around 11 and we both went to bed!

She LOVES to help in the kitchen. I was grating cheese one night to make some enchiladas and she wanted to help. She took over that part for me while there was still a big enough brick so she wouldn't cut herself! I got these letters for the fridge so we could practice the alphabet more. I would ask her what letter it was and she would tell me the color! I guess I should be happy that she at least knows her colors!!

It has been really warm here the past few days, so Saturday Emily and I walked to the park to get some fresh air! It was in the 70s all weekend and was so sunny...I loved every minute of it. It was nice to be able to open up all of the windows and let some fresh air into the apartment too. Sadly, today it is back to being really cold and I am regretting not wearing a coat!

Fun Weekend

My friend Jessica and I hung out this past weekend and had so much fun. We took Emily to the mall on Sunday and they have this awesome play area. Sadly, they were closing like 15 minutes after we got there, but she still had fun!! We will have to take her back on our next weekend off!

After playing, shopping and dinner, she was a tired girl!!! When we got back to my place, this is how she was in the car!! Looks very uncomfortable, but still cute!!

Continuing to make plans on moving next summer...have a good family friend who is going to be Emily's pediatrician and hoping to get her into the preschool at the high school where my mom works! Fingers are crossed!!!

A Few Things Learned!

Emily has really been into all of her books lately...so much that it seems like every night after she goes to bed, I am putting every single book that she has back on her bookshelf!! It is cute to watch her try to read them!

She has also been into drawing a lot. She has been trying to draw people and I think that they are so cute! She drew this the other day and said that it was her uncle Rob!

And while going through Emily's scrapbook the other night, I came across this picture! I forgot how stinking cute she was!! I remember my boss, who was male obviously, said that I need not worry about her eyes and that she would grow into them! I LOVED her big eyes! I still can't get over how much she has grown...I miss that stage so much, but am loving this age with her being independant...and potty trained!!! Still amazes me at how fast time goes and you don't even realize it.

In other news, after having my own place now, I have come to realize a few things!! (1) Bagless vacuums aren't so nifty!! While attempting to clean my apartment one day...which leads to the next thing I discovered...(2) I have ADD and OCD when I clean! I start off in one room, and in the middle of cleaning that room, I have to go to another room for one reason or another and start cleaning in that room, which then leads me to another room in mid clean...and so on and so forth! Needless to say, cleaning is an all day project for me! Any ways, back to the vacuum...while attempting to vacuum, I discovered that the filter was dirty, so I thought that I would clean it! Upon taking one filter out, I discovered another filter!! So, I took that out and cleaned it...and then I discovered a 3rd filter!! REALLY...triple filtration...seriously?! So, instead of vacuuming that day, I cleaned all 3 filters and let them air dry overnight...UGH!! I think that I like the old fashioned vacuums that require bags!!! (3) That when you cook, you have TONS of leftovers and there is absolutely no need to cook for at least 3-4 days! Go me!!! And (4) living on the 2nd floor in a 3 floor apartment complex...I stay pretty warm and rarely need to turn on my heat...which in turns saves me money! Thank you neighbors for keeping me warm!!!

It snowed here last week, but thankfully melted as soon as it hit the ground. I am not ready for winter...I hate the snow! I know, why live in MI, right?! Which also leads me to write that I am more than likely moving back to Oregon next summer. I am still having a hard time with leaving my job and friends back here in Michigan, but it would be nice to be around my friends in Oregon and my family. We shall see what the future holds, but until then, I am keeping myself busy back here!!

A Month Already?!

Obviously life has been CRAZY!! I can't believe it has been a month already since my last post! Agh!

Emily is doing amazingly great. She is going to my friends house now while I work and I have NEVER seen her this happy! She loves it to say the least. Everyday she asks to go over to her house! Luck for her, I work 44 hours each week this month, so she gets to spend a lot of time there!

I am supposed to start the 2nd job next month. They had their final inspection and they found out that there was something missing from the fire system. So, they had to not only order the part, but the part had to be custom built! Once that is built, they have to install it and then wait for the last inspection...AGAIN! Needless to say, I don't mind the extra time with Emily right now! But will be happy to start in November because I will be needing the money for her birthday, Christmas and fingers crossed for a much needed new car!!!

Things with the apartment are great! I took pictures of it...however I have left the digital camera at home!! Gotta love it!

Emily and I have been going to the park at least 4 times a week...weather depending. She LOVES it. Now that it is really cold out already and raining, we haven't been able to go as much. But tons of pictures of her playing. She even decided to make her "king" aka papa a birthday cake in the sand! It was cute!! Had to take a picture of it on my phone for papa and send it to him. She even put 3 sticks on the top and said he was 3! It was cute!

That is about it for now....gotta run yet again, but I will hopefully be posting more than I have been!

Fun Times

I decided that I had enough of listening to the TV, so I turned it off and turned on a CD. Emily LOVED it!! She danced around the entire living room, I just had to remind her not to jump since we now have people living below us!

Greatest thing ever...at Meijer they have a horse ride for one cent! I know, awesome, right?! Now when we go to Meijer, I have to make sure I have 2 pennies on me so she can ride twice! I freaking love it!

Busy Weeks

Been EXTREMELY busy lately! Between moving, working both 2nd and 3rd shifts and trying to get situated in my new place, there is hardly any extra time left!
The good news is that I am completely moved...have been since the 23rd! Emily had TONS of fun unpacking...even when I wasn't ready for the things to be unpacked! She loves having her own house...I am just allowed to stay there obviously! There is a pool at my apartment complex, but we have yet to have time to use it!
My job has been keeping me crazy busy between working 2nd shift and 3rd shift. I work every other weekend, and instead of working the normal 8 hour shift, I work 12 hour shifts on my weekends. Which, in a way is nice because then I only have to work 4 days a week now! However, now that I am financially on my own now, the stress has been added. So to solve the problem, I went out and got a second job! Out of 1000 applications, I was 1 of 16 people hired! I will be a nurses assistant for my second job as well. So...the plan? I will be working 2nd shift at the new job and 3rd shift at my current job! Luckily, I only work 4 days a week at my current job, and I am really hoping that the new job keeps me under 30 hours a week so I can still enjoy some time with Emmy.
Speaking of Emmy, she is doing wonderful. Adjusted very nicely to the new place and going back and forth between our apartment and her uncle's house.
That is about all that is going on over here...just work, sleep and work! Adulthood is such a joy! Maybe one of these days I will just find a rich man and wont have to work anymore! Fingers crossed?!

New Couch!

I have NEVER owned my own couch. When I lived in Oregon, I could only afford a futon...which is not the most comfortable thing! This time, I had time to save my money to afford a nice couch...which I plan on keeping for a VERY long time! I went yesterday and ordered this couch and I can pick it up tomorrow! I even paid to have it treated and protected for the next 7 years. Moving this weekend and will try to post pictures of the new place!

Singing

Emily has recently decided that it is ok to sing in front of people, so I was finally able to capture it on camera! I am not sure what she is singing, but she sure has fun! I took the first video and Kenneth took the second one with her "playing" the guitar!

Quick Update

Been a tad on the chaotic side over here and no time to really do much online these days. My job has been keeping me REALLY busy. They had to lay off some people for different reasons, which has led us to being EXTREMELY short staffed. I have to work a few nights of 3rd shift, which is 11:00p-7:00a. It isn't so bad until you get off at 7:00a, and only get an hour of sleep before your 3 year old wakes you up and you can't get back to sleep and have to return back to work at 3:00p! Lack of sleep and crazy hours at work have added up. And on top of that, I am moving 2 weeks from today and I feel like I have so much to do!
Anyone who has ever moved with a toddler understands what I am going through right now! I have saved all of Emily's things to pack until now. All of my stuff is basically packed for the most part. But I have left Emily's books and toys alone because she needs those. Wanting to feel less overwhelmed, I decided to pack the toys and books that she doesn't play with. (Yup, most of you are probably seeing where I am going with this and are laughing at me!) I started with the books while she was playing barbies with Tina. As I was placing the books in the box, Emily came over and was taking a book out every time I would put one in stating that they were her books! By the time I emptied off her two shelves of books, half of the books were in the box and the rest were surrounding her on the couch while she was carefully looking at each and every one of them! So, then I decided that I was going to start packing some toys that she doesn't play with anymore while she had herself surrounded in books! (Ok, continuing laughing...you see where this is going!) I had a GREAT start on packing the toys! And then she looked up from her books and saw what I was doing! Off of the couch she came and to the box of toys pulling out each and every toy that she had to have at that moment! I tried to explain that she NEVER plays with these and that I was packing the to go to our new house for her to play with. She didn't want to hear it, she wanted her toys! I was finally able to actually pack everything when she went upstairs to play with her cousins. And then....she came back downstairs and seen the boxes!!! She opened the boxes and proceeded to unpack EVERYTHING! I have now managed to keep her stuff packed for 24 hours now....we shall see if it will last for another 2 weeks!
Today I have the day off(fingers crossed) and I am going to out couch shopping finally! Hoping to find a good deal on one. Never realized how much furniture is required for an apartment! AGH!! Will try to post some pictures of Emily soon...when I find time to even take pictures!!!

REALLY?!?!

I am quite the procrastinator...this I cannot deny! Even in high school I would do an entire research paper the night before it was due! (Yeah, that didn't work out so well, those of you who were in Mr. Sollers AP Communications class know what I mean!) Any ways, I have noticed this fact and I am REALLY trying to work on it, especially since becoming a mom. So....last week I decided to go through Emily's clothes and see what she has outgrown this summer in preparation for fall and winter! I know, I know...I am finally thinking ahead! I want to start buying clothes a little bit each paycheck so I don't have to buy them all at once. Well...I guess I must be blind because I didn't think she had grown that much this year...that is until I went through her clothes! 10 pairs of jeans, 2 skirts, 6 pairs of shorts, 4 sets of pajamas, and over 20 shirts! AGH!!! First of all, I had no idea she had that many clothes! Second of all...REALLY? She fit into those jeans in June!! This is insanity I tell you!
And then to make matters worse, yup...worse! I went to Meijer Saturday and decided to try to figure out what size Emily would wear now. BIG MISTAKE! I knew she was too tall for the 5T, so I headed straight to the little girls department. Asking Jen what she thought, she quietly told me she thought Emily needed the size 6 pants!! I am going to have to cinch those pants in as far as they will go, but she does fit into the little girl size 6! Then it hit me...she is up to her cousins shoulders almost...and she is going to be 9 in October! My child is going to be so tall!

Family Reunion

Getting ready to eat a piece of aunt Jen's red velvet cake! Yummy!!!

She made a friend....how cute!!

Playing BINGO!! And she actually won a game! She got to go pick out a prize...which was a coloring book with crayons!

Learning how to jump rope!

She had so much fun. This obviously is not her actual family, it was Jen's family reunion. I had to work, Rob had to work, so Emily got to tag along. Jen's mom and grandma have unofficially adopted Emily, so it wasn't a problem. Jen said she had tons of fun and had to take pictures so I could see how much fun she had while I was yet again stuck at work!!!

Last Day with Nana and Papa

LOVE this picture! Had to get a picture of her with the lake in the background...just love the added butt crack shot!!

Building sand castles!! Of course I thought of the shovel and bucket AFTER we got to the beach!

Friday was my parents last full day here in Michigan. We had to do the tourist stuff because it wouldn't be a full trip to Michigan without it! We left in the morning and headed to lake Michigan. Emily had so much fun! Ever since we left, she has been asking to go to the beach...which she just asked upon seeing the pictures!! My mom realized how I get my ocean fix at the lake. You can't see any land when you look out and it is just like the ocean...except warmer! Emily even decided that she was going to attempt to put all of the sand on the beach back into the lake...I took a video of it because it was just too cute!

After the beach, we were going to go to lunch at the Olive Garden, but then thinking about it, I realized that there are Olive Gardens everywhere and my parents could go to one in Oregon! So, I opted to go to one of my favorite restaurants back here....Quaker Steak and Lube!! The have the BEST hot wings! We had to drive to Portage, IN to get there, but it was so worth it. I think my parents loved it.

After lunch, we headed over to the famous Notre Dame. Now, having lived here for nearly 3 years, I have yet to step foot on or near the campus! We had fun looking around at everything and my dad was in heaven when he seen the stadium!! We finished off at the book store and got a few things. My dad got a hat, my mom a shirt, and then little miss had to get a pink Notre Dame shirt...which her uncle Rob was just thrilled over...NOT!!! We are Michigan fans out here!! I got some magnets so when I move into my apartment on August 26th, I will have a start to magnets to hang up Emily's drawings!

My parents had to leave Saturday and Emily decided that she was going to help take down the air mattresses!! I took the cutest video of her rolling across the bed to get the air out!

The time flew by, not helping was me having to work so much while they were here, but they got a lot of time with Emily at least. Emily is still asking to go see Nana and Papa...aka the king!! She has the greatest imaginary play. She and my mom were the princesses one night, and my dad was the king. From that night on, it just stuck that he was the king and would correct me if I called him papa! I am praying that I get to go to Oregon in March...I am already missing my parents!!