Thankful on Saturday

So I talked about Florida yesterday (or matter of fact Tuesday, because I felt like there was a lot to talk about, so I just prescheduled posts for this week : ) - and here to thought  I was being responsible and timely and posting every day )

So today we will do my much missed thankful for post....

I am thankful for:

- A husband that wants to do his best at everything; being the best husband he can be, and the best at his job, to succeed for all of us (ruby and I, and himself).

- Friends that are ever so helpful when I need them - with the traveling to California (oh yeah, that happened last week) and to Virgina - making sure I wake up and get to the airport, picking me up when I get back, and taking the up most care of Ruby while I am away, I can not say say enough about how grateful I am for them - Its a huge weight off my shoulders to have this help.

- Wonderful co-workers that challenge me at work, and keep me smiling and busy while my husband is away.

- Having the credit cards completely paid off! (yes that happened this week!) and before tax season or Short Term Incentive came around. - allowing us to start saving money with these things this year!

- My family. As weird as each member of my immediate family is (mom, dad, sister 1 and 2) they are all amazing and I am so thankful to have been able to spend time with them, and with Kristopher. Kristopher and I continue to learn so much from all of them, even without them knowing it. And you can't trade time with your family, no matter how weird, for the world.

PCS (permanent Change of Station)

Alright, so I have mentioned it here and there recently. However - The orders have officially been changed! And I am ever so excited. Although traveling and living abroad would have been an amazing opportunity, I am delighted with the location we will going to.

Take a view and I am sure you will understand why....

This is the kind of place you end up at when you are in the Air Force (well or probably similar locations when you are in the Navy) Because Kristopher received a slot for EOD school, which is a pretty high accomplishment/honor to receive this opportunity. - we will be heading to an Air Force Base due to the training for all branches being in one location. Thus we will be moving to Fort Walton Beach or Destin, Fl at the end of April/Beginning of May. I know I will be working, and he will be working hard and studying and learning (its a very difficult program that requires a bunch of studying and long hours during the week). It may turn out to be more of a working vacation. 

I have old family friends that live in Destin and they say the water is clear as bath

water most days and the same is white and soft as baby powder... and its warm. I can not wait (as I sit here in the dining room with a heater blasting my legs to stay warm. ) for sun, warmth through to my bones, and well being with my husband.

I also realize that I best enjoy it because Army bases are not typically located in such 'beautiful' places, so the next move may very likely be in the middle of no-where or even back in the pacific-northwest (can we say ft. lewis, wa) Which wouldn't be terrible, but it won't be like the pictures above. 

We will be there for 7 months. (Eglin AFB that is) and I plan to enjoy and soak up that sun as much as possible. (and invest in some great sun screen while I am at it)

Health and Running

I need a running buddy...

I miss mine (yes thats you Kristen)

its truly more of an accountability buddy. When Kristopher is in town, or we are in the same town, we get each other out the door and moving. Much like Kristen getting me out the door, and me keeping her going once we get out the door.

I feel as though I am great at instilling a sense of enjoyment and balance from exercise in others, but then lack the self motivation of it. How is that possible.

I don't think I need to loose weight. Once I finished college and stopped drinking so much and eating at crazy hours (a sure correlation between the two) I have balanced out weight wise (no pun intended : ) ) And I am happy with that. Its the mental stability, the feeling of strength and energy that I get from it. But its cold here in Beaverton, OR. and gloomy, and I just feel like stamping and staying inside on those days, sipping coffee and creating. - And that does not equal getting outside and running, or going to the gym and wasting away time there (because once I am there, I can get myself to just stay around for a set amount of time, weather I am running, or riding the bike for 10 more minutes, or climbing stairs for another 5).

I am hoping with the move to Florida I get back in the swing of things.. although it would be nice to get there ready for swim suit season.... I am struggling to find that motivation when it's wet and cold outside.

Stampin'

So besides everything else in life I have been balancing, I started a new adventure in October/Novemeber this past year - I may have mentioned it, but anyhow. I became a Stampin' Up demonstrator. Now originally the push was because my dear friend Kristen was not a demonstrator anymore and thus becoming one made ordering my Christmas supplies easier, and cheaper for myself; that and I got a few extra items I was drooling over simply because it would be covered with the demonstrator start up bundle. 

3 months later, 2 workshops, and I have a customer base! It really has become about sharing what I love with others, and using the sales skills I have (something I am learning I do have, even though I have a hard time grasping that I am a sales person by day) to make something of it. 

I am setting targets and reaching them (or more like reaching achievement goals set by stampin' up)

Now I would be kidding us all if I said I was making money out of it. However, I am funding my hobby/habit, or at least greatly reducing the cost to me. And that is wonderful. It has brought me closer to co-workers who now love making projects as much as I do, and that is also something that I value out of it, it has given me something to do while Kristopher is away, and gives me something to call my own. 

I dont' know that Kristopher understands that it can become something more than a hobby right now (but bless his heart he loves the cards I send him (probably more for the thoughts inside than the card itself - but thats not all bad either)) But he is adorable and bought me a few punches a month or two back so that 'I could keep making him cards'.

He does realize that is something I enjoy doing, and its similar to how he has his bikes, and boy stuff he likes to do. And honestly, who can't help but love a husband that buys you crafts supplies (even when they aren't stampin' up branded ; ) ) 

With the husband's understanding of enjoyment I get from it, and a customer base excited about making things, I feel like I am off to a decent start, there is still more work to be done to maintain this - especially as we (Kristopher, Ruby, and I) begin to pack up and prepare to move in late April/early May, to make sure that this branch of business keeps up with the excitment that is Stampin' Up. but that is another aspect of the business to learn and utilize - a downline.... now just to work on convincing my 'biggest spenders' to become demonstrators, and to inspire them to create their own small business (even if its just to fund the hobby) or just to get a good discount on some items for awhile and then return to purchasing through me. 

Who knows what stampin' up will hold for me for the future, but its a constant in my ever changing and exciting world. I can take it with me. And may actually flourish better because of what may become regular moves.

Alright enough babbling. Enjoy your day - and go stamp a card or two ; ) I am sure you may be itching to after reading about it for a few paragraphs. 

bad day...

Ever had one of those days where you leave the house, because you had set an appointment for an oil change, and then you are half way there (well actually you pull up to where you think you are suppose to be) and realize that its not the address you googled and set the appointment for, so you ditch the whole idea and drive across town to get to the place you have gone to the last 4 times, because you just don't want to go to a new place anymore.... and then you tell them you get a military discount, and they say ok, sure we will do that, and then you get home and realize they didn't do that, and it seems a whole lot of hassle to have them fix it for $5.

But before that happens you are on the way home you realize its rush hour and you aren't in the correct lane to go north, and then when you try to turn around you get behind the person triyng to turn left out of the parking lot at rush hour, and can't sneak past them to turn right... so you sit there for like 5 minutes while they wait to turn left....

Then you get home and talk to your significant other and no matter how well intentioned the conversation is, and no matter how much the conversation does not have to do with you, you take what they say as a backwards insult (the whole, you should do it this way, because they way you are attempting to do it is silly, and then a generalization about the majority of people is said, and you correlate that to the earlier statement about you being silly about how you think it should be done) and even in your head you realize you are upset, but not directly at them, but that its just that you are having a bad day --- that you don't know anything that they could say that would make it better, but you are hoping they will. And then you finally belt out that you are just having a bad day, and then they don't understand, and then you melt down that you just wish you where in the same place.... bc having a bad day and missing them and saying that, doesn't make it better... and that you are overwhelmed with what needs to get done, but there isn't anyway they can be here to make that easier...

Yeah, that was kinda my day....

It wasn't all bad, but it was a rough day today....

And the truth is, I know I signed up for this, and I know its tough, and I have to buck up and deal, but I am allowed to have bad days, and hate it all the same some times (not all the time, just some times)

(I did finally clean out the fridge though, and I mean deep cleaned the fridge, and I feel a little bit better, funny how elbow grease cleaning can help when having a bad day --- and I have a beer in front of me, because opening a bottle of wine seemed like a bad idea, so I took a beer instead)

Life and Balance

Hello!
 
So I was thinking about this life/work balance thing this morning. I use to be so good at managing many many things (well I think I was) and I feel as though maybe its time and age that makes it more difficult, or just that its different things to balance.

It may just be that I balance differently now. Being married and living apart brings a whole new challenge, which is manageable but demanding in different ways. Having a jack russell that wants to come along and doesn't understand that I don't work a job I can take her to, or that by leaving her with friends when I fly - that its better for her (as I imagine kids sometimes feel a lack of understanding too).

I weigh the options between taking a full weekend, or trying to work a bit here and there at the old job. Honestly I feel as though at this point my time and energy to play with the dog, clean the house, organize life, and balance working out - I am best to call it quits at that job (for my sanity and theirs of wondering if I am ever going to pick up enough shifts each month - the short answer being no)

But then its nice to have the option to work more if needed. I think maybe it would be different if Kristopher was here and Ruby had someone to entertain her and stimulate the brain cells - and I had someone to split keeping up the house with. Is this an excuse? As truly I am managing a house only I am living in? Not sure... however taking at least one day to myself and the house and the dog has become a standard I am willing to sacrifice a work day for. (I am also realizing that I truly have ended up with a actual 2 day weekend 2 times in the past month due to putting weekends together to be able to travel to see family/ have Kristopher visit and spend time with him, etc) so in reality I am having 1-2 weekend days a month still, regardless of working extra - and thats a balance all its own.

Bless my job though - it has given me the income I need to make ends meet and afforded me the time I need to take care of life, love, sadness, family, and maintain employment, which is not something I can say for other jobs I have had.

New Year, New Things

This year is already off to a speedy start. I will be leaving the bitter cold NW Wednesday and heading to Sunny (warmer) southern California for a week at the parents house. Super excited to spend time with them since we were not together for Christmas. I booked the ticket in a fit of anxiety of "omg, we are heading to Korea soon, they aren't here for Christmas, its going to be at least a year or two before I see them again", and when Alaska had their ticket deals. Ruby will be going to a friends house here in Portland, as it was more expensive to fly her down there then me. (go figure). The best part is that Kristopher will be flying from Virginia on Friday and will be there until Monday as well!

Should be a wonderful weekend with the family.

Then I am back to work for a week, and then off to Virginia! Kristopher is graduating officers school (seems like just yesterday we moved him there in September) and so I will be flying out for that, and my dad rearranged his return flights from a trip to make it as well! (very excited he will be there for this too!). I am staying nearly a week, so I will finally be able to see where he is living, and the area around it, hopefully sight see some too.

Then he begins EOD school. Oh, did I mention my smart husband got slotted for EOD (explosive ordinance division). Yup, super proud - although I am trying to convince myself that I know he is super super smart and won't get injured along this portion of his career path (you know, disabling bombs and all - he tells me he will be the one on the radio telling people how to disable them, but I think this is a piece of mind thing). Only a very small percentage of people get the opportunity to go to this school-ing, so I am a proud wife.

The other portion of what that EOD slotting means, is that we are no longer going to Korea, at least for the moment. We will be headed to Florida! (which sounds extremely nice as I sit with a space heater in a house that is 56 degrees ; ) ) The first  portion of the class is still in Virginia, so I will remain in Portland for another few months, and then at the end of April/beginning of May will be moving to Florida. We will be there for around 7 months, and then he will be completed with that - sending us to some other unknown location to be stationed for a few years. (can we say Christmas move?!?)

This also means I will be able to most likely transfer with Verizon, attend Ms. Kristen Calderwoods wedding shower, and the wedding! (I hope, I hope!) among other things.

Lots to look forward to this year.

As far as goals for the new year, I really want to work on getting to another step up in Verizon, which may or may not be possible with all the relocating that may be in store this year.

I also want to start my Masters (as long as I am at a job that will pay for it) - this means getting my butt in gear and first off fixing my transcripts (started this last week) from Cuesta that apparently got altered unbeknown to me until last spring).

I also am thinking about getting my butt moving again as far as running goes, need to look at half marathons, but considering another full. Since Florida should be a warmer, easier place to train year round. (although we will see my body reaction to humidity!) This may work out well.

I also have been working really hard to balance my debt-income ratio... The credit cards WILL be paid off in a week here... I want to keep them that way and start saving towards an emergency fund, and savings. I want to be able to just use the debit card - its a habit thing, I started using the credit card and transferring from debt to credit so I got the credit points, between that, emergencies in college, and wanting to ski/snowboard a lot, I acquired a 'small' rolling balance on the credit cards. I have finally gotten it down to zero, and I want to be able to keep it that way, even when emergencies emerge.

Kristopher has helped me rationalize this a lot this year, and all things considered I had it paid off awhile ago from the rolling balance, but we have bought a few plane tickets in the past couple months - so thats what has 'remained' on there... now it should be beautiful.

I want to grown a downline for stampin' up. I enjoy it, and even if its just a small downline for now- starting something on my own that travels with me and sustains a hobbies cost, or just supplements it greatly, would be wonderful. I am realizing I have learned a lot of techniques over the last few years, and I can share that excitement with others. I hope it continues to grown here in Oregon when I leave, and flourish in Florida when I get there. Lets see what happens!

I want to really have the 'honeymoon' phase (even if we don't actually honeymoon this year - would love to though) of living together come May (go figure - on our 1 year anniversary we will most likely be mid way across the US with a Uhaul, talk about romantic ; ) ) I can not wait, and hope it picks up where we need it to, 2012 held a lot of emotion and intensity in all realms, lets let 2013 be  joyous and lovely for us.

cheers to 2012 being wonderful (I will post my wonderful and bitter sweet recap of last year soon) and hopes of 2013 being more than we could ask for.