Halloween

Let me tell ya...having 3 children who have never carved pumpkins before all by myself became a "we'll start them, but mommy gets to finish them" project! They were all excited to carve pumpkins, until I took the top off and the realized that they have to clean them out! Good times! Luckily, Halloween I got the night off and was able to go out with the kids. We went to the outlet mall and then the elementary school where they set up a huge thing for the kids. It was so much fun. We also hit up one of the main streets in town and there was a police officer there that pulled over and was handing out glow sticks to all of the kids. It was such a neat idea.

Seattle

We went to this amazing Korean Grill with Greg's brother and sister-in-law. I can't wait to go back. There was so much food and it was a fun dining experience.

Of course we had to go to Pike Street Market and the Space Needle. We even went up top and got to see the fabulous view. Wish we would have went back and night to look at the city at night.

And of course...the game...the whole purpose of going to Seattle! We were in the nose bleed section, but still had a great time at the most controversial game in history!

First Day of 1st Grade!

Ok, ok...I know it's a little late, but hey...it's been slightly busy! Emily is loving 1st grade and her new school. Last year she attended Oceanlake Elementary in Lincoln City. We moved to Neskowin, which is only 10 miles north of Lincoln City, but puts us in a different district. Greg and I decided it was best to just let her finish out the year at Oceanlake before transferring her to the new school with his kids. She was very shy the first couple of weeks, but has since adapted well. Just went to her parent-teacher conference last Thursday and she is learning quickly and doing quite well. Only issue...she talks too much! I wonder where she gets that from?! The only issue as I parent that I am having is that the state has made some changes to education and now have all of the schools on an accelerated learning program. GREAT...if your child is just now starting in kindergarten! However, everyone is S.O.L! Not only are the students having a hard time learning, but the teachers are having a hard time adjusting the curriculum to the students level of understanding so that they can learn. For instance: 1st grade...just grasping the whole reading thing. Putting sounds together to form big words...last weeks C.I.M. assignment for them was to read a 2 page story and then answer multiple questions about the story. HELLO...they are just grasping the idea of sounds to make big words and you want them to read a story and then answer questions like, "how did the mother really feel about the birthday cake?" I am at a loss of words for the whole education system. All in all, I am thrilled with the school and love her teacher. They really are there for the students and not just the paycheck. What more can you ask for?!

Life Lessons

I feel the need to capture this moment, so bare with me: Life has been chaotic to say the very least this year. Between moving into our new home, going from just 2 of us to 6, opening a business, starting a new job, balancing schedules and trying to maintain some sense of normalcy...I feel like life has been wrapped up in work. And as much as I feel as I have lived at all 3 of my jobs this summer and spent very little time at home or with our children, I feel like there is this constant financial strain and we can never get ahead. Something always seems to come up and I feel myself drowning. OK, maybe you feel like I am overreacting, and maybe I am. But as much as we have worked and are still working, I feel as though we should be far more ahead than where we are. As I am venting to a coworker who is sensing my stress, she conveys the same problems she is personally having. We wallow in each others pity for a few moments and we move on. The very next evening as we are at work, and homeless woman walks into the lobby. Mind you, we work a very upscale boutique hotel right on the ocean. As most people would be mortified that this woman is coming into our hotel, my heart just sinks for her. It made me feel about an inch tall. Here is this woman who has no home, no food, no car...etc and I am sitting here frustrated because I can't get ahead with bills. This woman is in our lobby asking to use a phone to call a friend to see if she could come over for her weekly a shower. A shower...not food, not clothes...but a shower. I so desperately wanted to let this woman into one of our rooms and use the shower. She gets in contact with her friend and is denied the use of the shower until the following day. She hands back the phone with a look of disappoint and frustration. She thanks us for being so polite and walks away. It took all I had to hold back tears. This poor woman couldn't even get a simple shower. Here I am wallowing in self pity over stupid things when I should be appreciating what I have. Nope, some months a few bills will be late, but they will be paid. I have an amazing home, heat, water, food, a car and a great family. Some people have nothing. I'm not saying that I won't get upset or stressed out over money, because it is inevitable. But I will take more time to appreciate the simple luxuries that I am blessed to have.

Time...

It's official...we are going to the Seattle vs Green Bay game!! Greg's all time favorite team are the Packers. For Father's Day I got him an Aaron Rogers jersey. And for his birthday, I got him and I tickets to go to the game! It's even a Monday night game!! We are so excited to go!

I feel as if my time with Emily is so very limited with her lately and I am really missing her. It seems like if I am home, I am sleeping. She has been so well behaved for me and just lets me sleep. I couldn't have been blessed with a more well behaved child if I had tried.

My time with Greg has even been very limited. We usually see each other in passing most days. I am getting off of work when he is leaving for work. When he gets home, I am getting ready to go back to work. Luckily, I am officially moved to day shift!! I am working one graveyard a week until they can get someone hired at the other hotel (long story) and then I can have all day shifts. It is going to be 12pm-8pm which works out perfectly with Greg's schedule. He closes the deli at 7pm and is usually done cleaning at 8. We are both very excited for the change.

WOW!!

First of all, I would like to start off with saying that these past couple of months have been full of madness!! Adjusting to a family of 6 and opening up a business has amounted to more than I ever imagined. It has been quite the adjustment, not just for me but for everyone. A lot of changes have transpired this year and I'm not sure where to even begin. At the beginning of May I was demoted to just the front desk/night audit. I was thrilled..not for how it all went down, but that I only had to go to work and when I left, I was done. No more phone calls all night long, no more having to work when someone called off and no one would cover the shift, etc. It was truly a blessing. When I took my 2 weeks PTO, I came back to being fired. Why? My "inability to adjust to management changes." Ok...I am not sure how I wasn't adjusting...I was thrilled with the changes, but ok. Unemployment sounded nice...I needed time to be home with the kids and help out at the deli. Well, that changed the next day! I was working at the deli when I received a phone call. It was the Coho Oceanfront Lodge asking me to come down immediately for an interview. They had heard that I was no longer employed at the Ashley and wanted me to come work with them. This left me a bit confused. I was elated to have time off and collect unemployment (I know, that sounds horrible but I was burnt out!) or do I take this job and think long-term. After much thinking (Greg didn't care what I did, he just wanted me happy) I decided to take the job. Bad thing...it is night audit. Good thing...it is 3 nights, 10 hour shifts getting paid more than normal. As of right now, I am working at three places-the Coho, Gymboree (part time) and the deli any spare moment I can to save labor costs. I am averaging about 60-80 hours a week and I am burnt out. In other news...Emily and I both got our hair cut!! Mind you, I didn't want to cut Emily's hair at all, but she was insistent on short hair...so here are the final products!

It's been a very long time since I have had short hair, but I love it...getting ready is a piece of cake! Things are going great with Greg and I. We've had a few bumps here and there, but what relationship doesn't?! We do have a little bit of stress in our lives! I do enjoy being able to work alongside of him at the deli. Sadly, that is how we get to see each other most of the time. Kids are bonding quite well and adjusting well. I love being a step mom. And as much as I wanted to have another baby one day, I am quite content with the 4 kids we have. Fingers crossed that there may be wedding bells next summer :)

Quick Update

Quick post since it seems like it has been forever! Where to start... In April, Greg was finalyl able to open the deli. The last two weeks were nothing short of chaotic. We lived and breathed the deli. We have since settled into a nice routine. We have cordinated our schedules so that we both have Wednesday's off and Thurday's I work at the deli with him. I only run the register and clean...it would not be wise to have me making sandwiches. As simple as they may seem to most people, there is quite the technique in building them and I would more than likely mess it up royally! We are finding that the little time we do get to spend with each other is very rare and precious. Wednesday morning's is our time while all of the kids are in school, and then most Saturday's because my mom has been having Emily spend the night with her since they go to church together Sunday morning's. We look forward to our date's...even if it is just dinner and watching a Netflix movie. Emily is adjusting well to not being the only child any more. For a while there, I was worried! It has been an adjustment for all 4 kids, but they have all settled into everything quite well. We get the kids Wednesday-Saturday and I am finding myself just as excited as Greg to Wednesday's to get them! I have implemented a chore board and it is actually working out well. The kids don't even look at it any more. They know their chores and don't even complain about it. As for me, I have gone through a few changes. Some recent changes at the hotel as taken me out of the manager position and back to just being a front desk agent. As hurt as I was with how the changes took place, I am more than thrilled with not having the responsibility and the stress of managing the desk 24/7. I get to just do my job and go home...period! I will post some pics soon. Have done a lot of fun things and have caught a lot of great pictures!!

Beach Day

A few weeks ago we actually had some sun! We took complete advantage and went to the beach for a few. The wind picked up shortly thereafter, but it was still nice. Got to watch some crabbing boats off shore as well.

Backyard Adventures

Greatest part about our backyard...it connects to a wildlife refuge!! We took the kids on an adventure one day...the kids were "fighting off the enemy" with their nerf guns while having bull elk run 10 feet away from us! The picture of the bull elk was literally 10 feet away from the girls...scared them to death!

New House

This blog is a little late (we've been in our home for 4 weeks now!) but better late than never, right?!
The moving day was crazy busy. Got the Uhaul at 10am, went to my moms house to get my stuff, stopped off at our friends storage unit to get a refridgerator, washer and dryer, moved on to Greg's apartment and stopped at his ex wife's house to get the last of his stuff there (only took him 2 years to get it!) and finally ended up at our new home at 4:30pm. Off to unloading the Uhaul! Let me tell you, when you have to move basically 3 places into a 4 story home...it takes all of the energy out of ya! I was burnt out by the time we got to our new house. Finally finished around 7pm and that is because I was done and told Greg and his friend Jason that we were just going to throw everything that was left into the garage and call it a day. I still had beds to put together and make so all of us could sleep. Mind you, we decided that it would be best to have his three kids there that night so they could experience the first night in the house with us, so I literally had to put ALL of the beds together! Luckily, Greg's parents offered to go get pizza for us to have for dinner that night (one of themany perks of having them live right down the street part time!)
We are all settled in now. Even have the garage unpacked. We get this kids 3-4 days a week now, which is the best part. Trying to keep up with cleaning the house, laundry, 4 kids, dishes, etc is a balancing act for me right now while working full time, but I am sure I will get the hang of it soon.

This and That

With Greg being a chef, I have been experiencing a lot of new food. One of my new favorite loves...SUSHI!! Who knew!!
Just a random picture of Emily and I taken yesterday. I had picked her up from school and had to get her lunch before dropping her off at daycare. Having only 5 horus of sleep the night before, I was exhausted and didn't think to pack a lunch. So, she got a treat...Burger King!!

Amazing Dad

One of the things that I love most of Greg is that he is a very involved dad...and that includes Emily. He adores all of his kids and spends every moment he can with them. He has stepped up and been the greatest dad to Emily. She even calls him dad occasionally, but has recently informed me that he can't officially be her dad until we're married!! Love her thought process!!

Emily's Changes

Had to take Emily in to the eye doctor because her vision test at her 6 year well child check up was really bad. Turns out her vision is only 20/25, but she has a stigmatism (sp?) in her left eye. She gets to wear glasses full time and an eye patch for 3 hours a day in hopes that it will correct it. Fingers crossed.
She lost her very first tooth!!
Finally got her crown fixed!!! She finally let a dentist get close to her, which was amazing in itself, but to actually let him fix her crown is a huge accomplishment in itself!!
You know you are working a lot when your daughter covers your computer screen with post its so you can't see the screen!! Subtle? I think so...

Lately, I have been having issues with Emily wanting to jump on the beds. Then she decided that it was ok to walk on the beds as long as she wasn't jumping. So, I had to tell her that there is absolutely no jumping, walking or even standing on the beds. One evening Greg went to get Emily for dinner and this is what he discovered! In all fairness, she isn't standing on the bed...which is almost exactly what she said! I think that I am in trouble when she is a teenager!!

Sleeping?!

A few weeks ago I had put Emily to bed. I had gone into work to help with some computer issues. When I returned about an hour later, this is what I found!! Greg and our friend Josh playing with Nerf guns and Emily showing Josh how it is done! I about died laughing!

Quilt

A very close family friend made quilts out of my dad's clothes for my mom, Emily and I. We absolutely love them. Emily and my mom sleep with their's every night. Emily's reaction to when she got the quilt, "I get to hug papa every night and he gets to hug me." I love that girl!

Weekend Getaway

With both Greg and I going in a hundred different directions with work, Greg opening up his own deli, working on the new house, etc, we decided that we needed a weekend away with the kids before our lives become ever more hectic next month. So, after talking with my GM about taking the weekend off after working almost 40 hours in 3 days over New Year's weekend, he gave me the weekend off with a mutual understanding that I was still on call and could log in remotely if need be. I got off of work at 11 on Friday, picked up Emmy from schoo, swung by and got Greg (who had just gotten off of work at 8 that morning), snagged his kids out of school early and off we went for a fun filled weekend. We stayed at his mom and step dads house in Neskowin Friday night and let the kids run wild! Greg and I both were exhausted and were both running on about 3 hours of sleep and retired early! The next morning we got up and off to Portland we went to explore OMSI. We managed to go on the submarine tour (which was so much fun...if you have the opportunity to go, you need to!) and toured the exhibits. After OMSI, we were Vancouver bound! There, we stayed at his mom and step dad's condo (took total advantage of them being in Hawaii and having total access to both places...with their approval of course!) Greg, Liam and I watched movies all night downstairs while Emily, Fiona and Quinn watched movies and played upstairs.
The next morning, we cleaned up the condo and ventured back to Portland to hit up the famous Voodoo Doughnuts. I have heard they had amazing doughnuts...quite honestly, I thought that they sounded disgusting! VERY happy that I gave them a try. Probably the best doughnut I have ever had!
By this time, the kids are all exhausted and ready to go home...and I must say, I was pretty worn out too. Keeping up with 4 kids is A LOT of work! Took the kids back to their mom's and then headed to Greg's place. We both collapsed! It was a great weekend. Always so much fun to get all of the kids together and worth every moment of insanity!!