February 29, 2012
Seriously, America?
Sometimes I am just in shock that some of the GOP candidates have even a single follower, much less thousands. How is that more women are not raising hell with Rick Santorum? Have you heard/read about his feelings towards women, birth control, health care? What a douchebag! I fear that too many people are blindly following this man strictly due to his appeal to evangelicals. I can't believe this guy is giving ANY other candidate a run for his money. If you are my friend...and a woman...and are considering supporting this crackerjack, please let me know so that I can knock some sense into you.
February 28, 2012
In case you were wondering...
Yes, I took my old, worn-out Tano bags to the cobbler last month and had them redyed (both are now different colors than they were originally)- they look great!
And no, I'm not pregnant.
And no, I'm not pregnant.
February 27, 2012
Our First Tradition....Valentine's Day Cards
I do not come from a family with a lot of traditions. In fact, I can't think of a single thing that we did on an annual basis at all, which I find sad. I love traditions! I don't know why, but it makes me feel like I am a part of something bigger...and I really enjoy that.
For years now, I have been thinking of all of the traditions I am going to start with my kids once they finally decide to join us. I want to:
1. Buy new/cute pjs for the family and have them open them and wear them on
Christmas Eve
2. I want to volunteer, as a family, at least twice a year
3. Family vacations! Can you believe that I never went on a family vacation
with my parents and siblings? We did travel to AR about once a year to
visit our grandparents, but I don't count that
4. My friend does a very cool tradition with her son that started when he was
somewhere around one I think. They put him in a plain, white, button-down
collared shirt (Men's) and take his picture. Obviously the shirt is WAY big
on him....but they take the photo EVERY year and you can see how their son
has grown and changed and filled out just a little bit more of that shirt.
I'm not sure why, but I find this facinating and unique.
These are just a few things. Maybe most of you already do these things or something simliar, but I never have and am looking forward to it! The one thing that I do know for fact will happen very single year, is that I will receive a hand-crafted..thoughtful...adorable...loving Valentine's Day card from my husband.
There are many Valentine's Day haters, and that's just fine. The day isn't a big deal to me at all (considering my b-day is the day before, and I like to put the focus on that lol), but I do like the thought of setting aside some extra time that day/week to ensure that you show the people in your life that you love. You should show this all the time, yes, but there is nothing wrong with the extra attention. =) Chris and I don't do big gifts or anything (well, sometimes I have have been known to go a little overboard...but I love giving gifts!), but we do always do cards. I buy one for him (he doesn't care much for cards, honestly) and he always makes one for me.
The first card he ever made me was my favorite. We were not living in the same city, so he mailed me the first card below. On the outside it says "This card expresses how I feel without you." Then you open it, and the inside has a blue piece of construction paper torn up and glued all over it and it says "All torn up and blue." ARE YOU KIDDING ME? How could I NOT fall in love with this guy? So sweet. A few years later he did another version of this card...it was the same on the outside, but the inside had the blues pieces all fit together properly and it was "how he felt WITH me"- meaning full/whole/etc.
Chris gets creative, and often does a card that goes with the gift he has gotten me that year. On year, he tracked down the old porch swing that my grandfather had made that had been left at a house owned by strangers. He went to the house...offered to buy the swing and when they said no ended up going and buying a new one and going back and offering to switch theirs outs (all in the rain). That year, he gave me the below card.
The year after we got married and got our first pet together (Suka), I got the below card-
And one year I even got a pop-up card! AMAZING!
There are many more. Are you all impressed? I am. Daily. I am one lucky lady, that's for sure. I love you, Chris!
For years now, I have been thinking of all of the traditions I am going to start with my kids once they finally decide to join us. I want to:
1. Buy new/cute pjs for the family and have them open them and wear them on
Christmas Eve
2. I want to volunteer, as a family, at least twice a year
3. Family vacations! Can you believe that I never went on a family vacation
with my parents and siblings? We did travel to AR about once a year to
visit our grandparents, but I don't count that
4. My friend does a very cool tradition with her son that started when he was
somewhere around one I think. They put him in a plain, white, button-down
collared shirt (Men's) and take his picture. Obviously the shirt is WAY big
on him....but they take the photo EVERY year and you can see how their son
has grown and changed and filled out just a little bit more of that shirt.
I'm not sure why, but I find this facinating and unique.
These are just a few things. Maybe most of you already do these things or something simliar, but I never have and am looking forward to it! The one thing that I do know for fact will happen very single year, is that I will receive a hand-crafted..thoughtful...adorable...loving Valentine's Day card from my husband.
There are many Valentine's Day haters, and that's just fine. The day isn't a big deal to me at all (considering my b-day is the day before, and I like to put the focus on that lol), but I do like the thought of setting aside some extra time that day/week to ensure that you show the people in your life that you love. You should show this all the time, yes, but there is nothing wrong with the extra attention. =) Chris and I don't do big gifts or anything (well, sometimes I have have been known to go a little overboard...but I love giving gifts!), but we do always do cards. I buy one for him (he doesn't care much for cards, honestly) and he always makes one for me.
The first card he ever made me was my favorite. We were not living in the same city, so he mailed me the first card below. On the outside it says "This card expresses how I feel without you." Then you open it, and the inside has a blue piece of construction paper torn up and glued all over it and it says "All torn up and blue." ARE YOU KIDDING ME? How could I NOT fall in love with this guy? So sweet. A few years later he did another version of this card...it was the same on the outside, but the inside had the blues pieces all fit together properly and it was "how he felt WITH me"- meaning full/whole/etc.
Chris gets creative, and often does a card that goes with the gift he has gotten me that year. On year, he tracked down the old porch swing that my grandfather had made that had been left at a house owned by strangers. He went to the house...offered to buy the swing and when they said no ended up going and buying a new one and going back and offering to switch theirs outs (all in the rain). That year, he gave me the below card.
The year after we got married and got our first pet together (Suka), I got the below card-
And one year I even got a pop-up card! AMAZING!
There are many more. Are you all impressed? I am. Daily. I am one lucky lady, that's for sure. I love you, Chris!
February 13, 2012
Time with PawPa...
When we are young, very few of us take the time to really get to know our grandparents. Sure, we know their names....their kids....where they have lived for as long as we've been alive...etc, but we don't REALLY know who they are/were outside of being our grandparents. Or at least I didn't.
Sadly for me, my grandparents on my dad's side passed away when I was in high school. My grandpa (Jess Anderson) had Alzheimers and passed away when I was in the 10th grade. He was the hardest-working man I ever met! There were many weekends when I'd show up and he'd be chopping wood out back at 80 years old. He was incredible. He never had money to speak of, but every time I saw him he'd try to slip me a dollar or two. He was very sweet and loved me very much.
Grandma Anderson (Sophena Zuma Anderson) died from pancreatic cancer. She was an Avon lady for at least 20 years, and she was a great seamstress as well, luckily for me. Every Christmas I'd receive a bunch of random Avon products (such as roll-on deodorant, cheap jewelry, etc) and a quilt. When I was younger, I didn't look forward to these gifts at all....but now, I have 11 quilts in my house, keeping my loved ones warm...and I love it! For as nice as Grandpa Anderson was, Grandma Anderson was the opposite (to me).
It wasn't until a few years ago that I realized why my grandparents were like they were. First of all, they never had any money to speak of. They worked hard their entire lives...never went on vacations...never put kids through school, always working as hard as they could just to manage. Secondly, they had a little girl, Barbara, who died when she was 18 months old from pnemonia. She was their second-born, and from what my parents have told me it doesn't seem like Grandma every got over this. I can't imagine. Then...their first granddaughter died at 18months old from falling out of her high chair. After that, my Aunt Paulette (their only daughter) died at middle-age from MS. No parents should have to see their child die....and to lose 2 kids and a grandbaby so young?? So sad. I don't live life with many regrets, but I do regret not truly getting to know my dad's parents more than I did. I would have loved to have heard about them falling in love....about the war my Grandpa fought in...about my father as a little boy, or even a young adult...but I never had those conversations. If I'd known more about their lives, maybe I'd have been more understanding of Grandma's lack of emotion...who knows. I wish I could do that over again.
My mom's parents have lived in TX their entire lives. My grandma (Bernice Eloise Beers)..."NeeNaw" to us grandkids, died on my mom's birthday 2 years ago. She had cancer. My grandpa (James Colin Beers) is living in Bogota, TX, and is 83 years old. I didn't know either of them very well until 3 years ago, when I started my new job and realized that my corporate office is 1.5 hrs from their house in TX. I'm not kidding...the first time I drove to TX for work I literally drove by their house (which is so random, as their house is in the middle of nowhere!) on my way to work. Talk about a sign!
I stopped by their house the first time I drove by and surprised them. This was the first time I'd ever been their without my mom with me...the first time I'd really been there as an adult. I was acutely aware of how much they had aged since I'd seen them last. I stopped by their house every 2-3 weeks for several weeks before NeeNaw took a turn for the worse. She ended up coming to AR and staying with my parents for a while so that she could go through some surgeries and have a caretaker for recovery. Unfortunately, she never got to go home. I was there for her the whole time...and there for my mom. It was hard. Being in the room with her while we took her off of her machines was by far the hardest thing I've ever done. It was so sad and I still start bawling every time I think about it.
I try to see PawPa at least monthly, although the past few months have been crazy. He sooo looks forward to me coming to see him, and I look forward to just being around him. He can't get around much, so I generally show up and clean for a few hours, then spend the next day or so just visiting with him. I've made a point to ask him to tell me stories..such as the birth of my mom (and her siblings)...how he met Grandma....where he use to work....anything I can think of. And he gets so excited to tell me! I feel like...for the first time...I have a sense of who one of my grandparents is...and he's awesome!
Every time I leave Pawpa, I cry. I think of the missed opportunities I had with my dad's parents....and with NeeNaw. I think about how sad Pawpa is that the love of his life is gone. I think about how it must feel to be elderly and alone. I wonder if...when I'm 80...will my grandkids want to know who I am or who I use to be? Will my stories bore them? Will I even remember any of the details that I am constantly obsessing over in my current life? It's sad to think about. But on the upside...Pawpa sure did enjoy my visit this weekend!
This first picture is a family picture of my PawPa and NeeNaw and their kids. My mom is on the far left. The second picture is my PawPa and NeeNaw in their 70s, and the last picture is of them in their 20s. How good lookin' were they? WOW!
Sadly for me, my grandparents on my dad's side passed away when I was in high school. My grandpa (Jess Anderson) had Alzheimers and passed away when I was in the 10th grade. He was the hardest-working man I ever met! There were many weekends when I'd show up and he'd be chopping wood out back at 80 years old. He was incredible. He never had money to speak of, but every time I saw him he'd try to slip me a dollar or two. He was very sweet and loved me very much.
Grandma Anderson (Sophena Zuma Anderson) died from pancreatic cancer. She was an Avon lady for at least 20 years, and she was a great seamstress as well, luckily for me. Every Christmas I'd receive a bunch of random Avon products (such as roll-on deodorant, cheap jewelry, etc) and a quilt. When I was younger, I didn't look forward to these gifts at all....but now, I have 11 quilts in my house, keeping my loved ones warm...and I love it! For as nice as Grandpa Anderson was, Grandma Anderson was the opposite (to me).
It wasn't until a few years ago that I realized why my grandparents were like they were. First of all, they never had any money to speak of. They worked hard their entire lives...never went on vacations...never put kids through school, always working as hard as they could just to manage. Secondly, they had a little girl, Barbara, who died when she was 18 months old from pnemonia. She was their second-born, and from what my parents have told me it doesn't seem like Grandma every got over this. I can't imagine. Then...their first granddaughter died at 18months old from falling out of her high chair. After that, my Aunt Paulette (their only daughter) died at middle-age from MS. No parents should have to see their child die....and to lose 2 kids and a grandbaby so young?? So sad. I don't live life with many regrets, but I do regret not truly getting to know my dad's parents more than I did. I would have loved to have heard about them falling in love....about the war my Grandpa fought in...about my father as a little boy, or even a young adult...but I never had those conversations. If I'd known more about their lives, maybe I'd have been more understanding of Grandma's lack of emotion...who knows. I wish I could do that over again.
My mom's parents have lived in TX their entire lives. My grandma (Bernice Eloise Beers)..."NeeNaw" to us grandkids, died on my mom's birthday 2 years ago. She had cancer. My grandpa (James Colin Beers) is living in Bogota, TX, and is 83 years old. I didn't know either of them very well until 3 years ago, when I started my new job and realized that my corporate office is 1.5 hrs from their house in TX. I'm not kidding...the first time I drove to TX for work I literally drove by their house (which is so random, as their house is in the middle of nowhere!) on my way to work. Talk about a sign!
I stopped by their house the first time I drove by and surprised them. This was the first time I'd ever been their without my mom with me...the first time I'd really been there as an adult. I was acutely aware of how much they had aged since I'd seen them last. I stopped by their house every 2-3 weeks for several weeks before NeeNaw took a turn for the worse. She ended up coming to AR and staying with my parents for a while so that she could go through some surgeries and have a caretaker for recovery. Unfortunately, she never got to go home. I was there for her the whole time...and there for my mom. It was hard. Being in the room with her while we took her off of her machines was by far the hardest thing I've ever done. It was so sad and I still start bawling every time I think about it.
I try to see PawPa at least monthly, although the past few months have been crazy. He sooo looks forward to me coming to see him, and I look forward to just being around him. He can't get around much, so I generally show up and clean for a few hours, then spend the next day or so just visiting with him. I've made a point to ask him to tell me stories..such as the birth of my mom (and her siblings)...how he met Grandma....where he use to work....anything I can think of. And he gets so excited to tell me! I feel like...for the first time...I have a sense of who one of my grandparents is...and he's awesome!
Every time I leave Pawpa, I cry. I think of the missed opportunities I had with my dad's parents....and with NeeNaw. I think about how sad Pawpa is that the love of his life is gone. I think about how it must feel to be elderly and alone. I wonder if...when I'm 80...will my grandkids want to know who I am or who I use to be? Will my stories bore them? Will I even remember any of the details that I am constantly obsessing over in my current life? It's sad to think about. But on the upside...Pawpa sure did enjoy my visit this weekend!
This first picture is a family picture of my PawPa and NeeNaw and their kids. My mom is on the far left. The second picture is my PawPa and NeeNaw in their 70s, and the last picture is of them in their 20s. How good lookin' were they? WOW!
Day 10, people! Day 10!
I'd say that the clomid did its job! Until this week, I'd been ovulating around day 30-40. Five days on clomid, and what would you know...DAY 10! I was so excited... and frankly I couldn't believe it! Let's just say it's a good thing that Chris came on this work trip with me. =) We, of course, won't know if we were able to get pregnant this round or not for a few weeks yet, but the fact that the clomid worked so well this first round makes me feel like we are getting much closer....
February 7, 2012
Let's see if this thing works....
Today is day 5 of taking Clomid- the last day. I'm sure many of you (especially you, TJ...and you, Brad) are curious about what clomid is (is it a shot? a pill? a kick in the ass?), so Dr. Hottinger is here to tell you everything I know so far.
My vast google research says that...pretty much...clomid is a pill that induces egg production. It comes in a small, white pill (see below) that you are suppose to take at the same time every day for 5 days. Most women start taking their dosage on day 3-5 of their menstrual cycle. If everything works like it is suppose to and you are someone close to the 'norm,' then you should ovulate about 2-7 days after finishing your 5th clomid pill. I have been very lucky so far in that I have not felt any of the side-effects that many of my friends warned me about- hot flashes...tenderness...pain during sex....severe cramps...etc. Lucky me.
So yes, let's see if this thing works!
On top of taking clomid now, I'm still taking my prenatals (I buy the gummy vitamins- love them) and my iron supplement as well. I've been on the prenatals/iron for about 14 months now and although I have been surrounded by sick people VERY often, I have been very lucky as far as my health goes. I blame it on the prenatals.
I'm leaving town today (in about an hour) and will get back on Sunday. More on that later...
My vast google research says that...pretty much...clomid is a pill that induces egg production. It comes in a small, white pill (see below) that you are suppose to take at the same time every day for 5 days. Most women start taking their dosage on day 3-5 of their menstrual cycle. If everything works like it is suppose to and you are someone close to the 'norm,' then you should ovulate about 2-7 days after finishing your 5th clomid pill. I have been very lucky so far in that I have not felt any of the side-effects that many of my friends warned me about- hot flashes...tenderness...pain during sex....severe cramps...etc. Lucky me.
So yes, let's see if this thing works!
On top of taking clomid now, I'm still taking my prenatals (I buy the gummy vitamins- love them) and my iron supplement as well. I've been on the prenatals/iron for about 14 months now and although I have been surrounded by sick people VERY often, I have been very lucky as far as my health goes. I blame it on the prenatals.
I'm leaving town today (in about an hour) and will get back on Sunday. More on that later...
February 2, 2012
My favorite picture from last weekend
Last weekend we went out to the Brooks family cabin to celebrate Ashley's 31st b-day. I met a lot of very nice folks and had a great time. Although a lot of great picture were taken that weekend, this is my absolute favorite (I could be biased).
I love my job
I am very lucky- I work for a smaller company out of Texas, running their number 1 and number 3 accounts here in Northwest Arkansas. I've been here for 3+ years and it continues to get better and better all the time! And I know when it's good, because in 6 years of vendor experience I have seen the bad and the ugly as well.
My first job was pretty much a financial analyst/marketing coordinator role with a very large company based out of San Francisco. This quickly developed into an analyst and then senior analyst role within a year or so. This company was fun to work for- we had no limit on our expenses...we went on amazing trips for sales meetings and market checks...we received great gifts once or twice a year...and the booze flowed like water. Being young and new to the vendor world (having just finished my masters and having worked on campus for 3 years at the U of A), I was elated! Plus, the money was a huge difference from campus paychecks...which was nice. I was at this job for like a year and half before I left. I would have stayed longer, but there was a lot of drama/craziness between my manager and director (long story short they were having an affair with each other for over a year and it ended and they both ended up getting fired) and I wanted in a better environment...so I started looking. Also, since I came in as a FA and not a senior sales analyst, I was underpaid for what I was doing . I got a raise to start the SSA role, but it was nowhere near what other companies were paying for the same role.
I started working for another large company out of the Denver, CO area in 2007. This company seemed like the perfect company for me! It was a small office...the company was very focused on sustainability and various environmental initiatives...the home office was in a place I would have loved to have moved to...my boss was a blunt, direct person who appreciated the same...it was a great fit. Sadly, this perfect fit began to unravel rather quickly. Within a few months, my boss (whom many hated, but I gelled well with) was promoted within and moved to CO. A month or two after that he asked me to come work for him there in CO, but I was not financially or emotionally in a place to go yet (we had just bought a new house at the top of the market and then the market tanked, so no getting out of that one so quickly....PLUS we were talking about starting a family and both sets of parents are local) so I turned that down. Immediately I regretted it, as I was stuck now in an office with a new boss that I wasn't fond of and a VP who seemed to all of a sudden have a bad taste in his mouth for me. This was a depressing time for me- I was sooooo excited about this company and what it stood for, yet I could feel it almost slipping away from me. Sadly, I only ended up staying here for a little over a year due to the VP over the office being a total douche-bag and making my life miserable.
People say that things happen for a reason, and in this instance I feel like that is what happened with my transition from my last company to my new one! I was brought on as a senior sales analyst, but within a few short months I was managing two of the company's top three accounts. Talk about a promotion- lol! At a large company you generally have to work YEARS to get to manage a top retailer...and here I just lucked into it. That's not totally true....I have worked my tail off over the past few years...but a lot of where I am now is due to timing and opportunity. Things were bumpy at first, with me reporting to 4 different bosses within 3 years and the company changing hands, but overall I am blessed. I have freedom. I have control over my business. I have reachable opportunities with each customer. I have a great boss (now). I get credit for my work. I get respect.
I love it!
My first job was pretty much a financial analyst/marketing coordinator role with a very large company based out of San Francisco. This quickly developed into an analyst and then senior analyst role within a year or so. This company was fun to work for- we had no limit on our expenses...we went on amazing trips for sales meetings and market checks...we received great gifts once or twice a year...and the booze flowed like water. Being young and new to the vendor world (having just finished my masters and having worked on campus for 3 years at the U of A), I was elated! Plus, the money was a huge difference from campus paychecks...which was nice. I was at this job for like a year and half before I left. I would have stayed longer, but there was a lot of drama/craziness between my manager and director (long story short they were having an affair with each other for over a year and it ended and they both ended up getting fired) and I wanted in a better environment...so I started looking. Also, since I came in as a FA and not a senior sales analyst, I was underpaid for what I was doing . I got a raise to start the SSA role, but it was nowhere near what other companies were paying for the same role.
I started working for another large company out of the Denver, CO area in 2007. This company seemed like the perfect company for me! It was a small office...the company was very focused on sustainability and various environmental initiatives...the home office was in a place I would have loved to have moved to...my boss was a blunt, direct person who appreciated the same...it was a great fit. Sadly, this perfect fit began to unravel rather quickly. Within a few months, my boss (whom many hated, but I gelled well with) was promoted within and moved to CO. A month or two after that he asked me to come work for him there in CO, but I was not financially or emotionally in a place to go yet (we had just bought a new house at the top of the market and then the market tanked, so no getting out of that one so quickly....PLUS we were talking about starting a family and both sets of parents are local) so I turned that down. Immediately I regretted it, as I was stuck now in an office with a new boss that I wasn't fond of and a VP who seemed to all of a sudden have a bad taste in his mouth for me. This was a depressing time for me- I was sooooo excited about this company and what it stood for, yet I could feel it almost slipping away from me. Sadly, I only ended up staying here for a little over a year due to the VP over the office being a total douche-bag and making my life miserable.
People say that things happen for a reason, and in this instance I feel like that is what happened with my transition from my last company to my new one! I was brought on as a senior sales analyst, but within a few short months I was managing two of the company's top three accounts. Talk about a promotion- lol! At a large company you generally have to work YEARS to get to manage a top retailer...and here I just lucked into it. That's not totally true....I have worked my tail off over the past few years...but a lot of where I am now is due to timing and opportunity. Things were bumpy at first, with me reporting to 4 different bosses within 3 years and the company changing hands, but overall I am blessed. I have freedom. I have control over my business. I have reachable opportunities with each customer. I have a great boss (now). I get credit for my work. I get respect.
I love it!
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