I've neglected you once again, my beautiful blog. My apologies. I'm aware not many will see or read this. Maybe its more for myself to look back on and reflect? Regardless, here I am 3 years and many life changes later.
Where do I even begin???
Texas only lasted a year and a half for us. To be honest, I was miserable there. I was depressed. I was lonely. I felt like I didn't fit in... While I met some pretty great people there, it wasn't ever my home. My husband got a promotion and that moved us to Arkansas.
I wasn't excited for Arkansas AT ALL. However - both kids started school and did well. I found an amazing part time job that fit our schedule and the people there instantly became like family. Our house was beautiful and I really did enjoy my time there. After about 5 months we were moved back to Indy, which WAS home. I look back on our time in AR with such joy and I still miss it.
Not long after moving back to Indy the pandemic hit. We barely had time to spend with family and friends before settling in for almost a year of staying home. We were - and continue to be - extremely careful. We dont see many people. We don't go anywhere. I hate everything about it. Well... almost everything.
In true R family fashion we couldn't keep or hands off each other on the 4th of July and BAM. New baby R is coming in just a few weeks! This is literally 3/3 on July 4th babies for us. I'll need to dive deeper into the night we found out because its a hoot, but let's just say that this baby was a total surprise. And everything about this pregnancy is different than the last two. It took some time to get used to the idea, but we are so excited to meet him! (Yes, it's another little boy. Two girls and two boys is a perfect mix for us and we are so blessed.)
During our time in Arkansas we have also added two feisty felines to our family. Chief Jim Hopper and Moody Monroe drive us insane but we love them. While I hate what they've done to our carpets (in our rental!) I think they were always meant to join our family and we wouldn't be complete without them.
So... there you go. Those are the major life changes in our (growing/not so little) family. Id like to get back into blogging a bit more. I do enjoy it. But I cant make any more promises. As it stands right now this little guy is slated to make his appearance in about 30 days. And if I can get off my butt without having constant braxton hicks contractions I may even start washing his clothes today. And if I'm feeling REALLY ambitious I'll make his coming home outfit like I planned! (Oh yeah, I like to think Im minimally crafty now lol)
So I shall see you all when I see you all... be well!
Holy crap, what a year! I know I'm shit at updating... bear with me. I'm busy... whatever that means.
My husband got offered a promotion at his job at with that came a big move. Indiana to Texas. Talk about culture shock! Everything is different here. Not bad - just different. We're adjusting well. The kids are making friends and loving it. The weather is usually pretty amazing.
As for me? I like it here. I'm homesick. I miss my tribe back in Indiana. They got me. Out here I'm afraid to be myself because I'm sure to offend someone. I say things sometimes that make old ladies clutch their pearls. Everyone here is so nice. Like... sickeningly nice. And I've been trying to be overly nice as well. And that IS me. I'm nice. Maybe even a little too nice.
But I also have anxiety that causes me to overthink and question every single word that comes out of my mouth. I'm constantly wondering if I said something to upset someone or if I said something I shouldn't have. I worry that nobody will get me. And I worry that I'm destined to spend every day in my house with my kids (who I love but could use some time away from). Or maybe I'm unintentionally trying to compare people here to the amazing people I had back home. I don't know... I'm just getting impatient and hoping and praying for a local bff to wander into my life.
It’s been 21 years now. 21 long years without my mom. And I miss her. GOD, do I miss her. I miss the smell of her Vanilla Musk perfume. I miss the sound of her high pitched “witchy” laugh. I miss the feel of her extra special motherly hugs. I just miss everything about her.
I’ve spent many of the last 21 years alone. Many times I’ve stayed in bed in tears… probably drowning my sadness in junk food and crappy movies. Only since I’ve had children of my own have I started to view this day as different.
Case in point - that was an impromptu message from my son while I was brewing my third cup of coffee today.
As I was saying… since I became a mother my entire outlook on life (and beyond) has changed. While I certainly have my days like anyone else, I no longer want to stay in bed and sulk. I want to talk about her. I want to educate others. I want her story heard. Her death was not in vain. Not if I have anything to say about it.
What better way to honor my beautiful mother than to share her story. So if you see this and feel so inclined, please consider sharing with those you know. Maybe you know someone going through a hard time - for whatever reason. Maybe someone needs an ear - or a shoulder. It can be as easy as a genuine smile. Or a warm embrace. Or just letting them know you’re there for them and you care.
Her name was Dee Wilson. She was 42. She had 5 children. And I will not let her be forgotten.
Hello there! It's been a while.. again! I've missed this blog. And I've thought about writing many times. And yet I haven't. But I'm here now. That's all that matters now, yeah?
It's been what? 3 years? Holy crap. Quick rundown - in those 3 years my little Sprout has blossomed into a 2.5 year old awnry little boy. We'll call him J. D is not a sassy 6 year old and M is a beautiful 16 year old going on 35. I worked for little under a year when I first had J, but things happened and I became a SAHM again. A few months ago I felt the itch to go back to work and meet more people - so I got a job at a daycare. That's where I am now. I enjoy it and I love the kids - and my kids go there and love it. Today is my day off and I'm sitting here on the couch with an awful sinus infection and both kids nose deep in their respective electronics. (Moms sick day = kids free day) Oh, and D is on fall break. Sooooo there's that.
Wow! Talk about a super long break! I can't believe it's been a year since I've blogged! Oops!
Let's jump right in - shall we?
The past year has brought some changes, both big and small. For the most part, things are going great! This post doesn't really have a focal point, so it might be all over the place. Try to stay with me.
I've spent a lot of this last year trying to think about what I wanted to do and where I wanted to be in my life. Obviously my main focus is on being the best wife and mother I can be. But in addition to being "just" a mom and a wife (I shudder at the word "just") I'm a woman. I had to think about what Tabitha needed to do to make Tabitha a better person. Seriously - how do I expect to take care of a family and encourage them to be the best they can be if I'm not doing the same myself?
So I went back to school.
I went in with the dream of becoming a nurse. That's a dream I've had for years. I'm a carer (Is that a word?). I love to take care of people. It just made sense that I aim to be a nurse. I actually changed my major interest to imaging sciences, because after some research, it seemed like a better fit for me. I'm not debating switching back to nursing. I'm very conflicted exactly where I belong, but I know that I want to be a boo boo fixer. So - we'll see where that ends up.
I finished the Fall 2012 semester and the Spring 2013 before taking the summer off. Well, we all know what happens when you take time off......
Well hello, there!
SURPRISE!!!!!
Meet Sprout, the forth and final member of our family. (Until we get a pet someday. I'm holding out for a doggie someday when we have a nice house. With a big yard. And a fence.) This little one has already wiggled their way into my heart. I am so beyond excited to meet them! I say "them" because I don't like to call my child an "it". Please know that it's been confirmed there's only one little sprout in there!
Cute, right?!? Our family will grow in the Spring of 2014.
So after taking the summer off I started to feel pregnant. I was so tired and sick I could barely be bothered to shower and get my butt off the couch - which was hard enough with a 3 year old. So I took the Fall 2013 semester off, too. I'm debating on the Spring 2014 semester. I know that in the middle of it I'll be dealing with a newborn and a c-section to recover from. (I didn't heal well with my last one!) Unless I try to squeeze in an 8 week class or 2. Hmmmm......
That's the idea anyway. That's what's going on.
I'm getting the itch to go back to work, too. I want to still stay home with the kids - but I want to work, too. I feel extremely blessed to have had the opportunity to stay home for the bulk of Laneys life thus far. And I don't want to miss out on the beginning of Sprouts life. But I miss the social aspect of working sooooooo much. So I'm digging to find a compromise. Possibly a 3rd shift job. Who knows. I just think I need to get myself somewhere that I can be productive and talk to other people who aren't 3.
So I'm adjusting to life as a mom of a toddler and a teen. Macey moved in with her mom and stepdad last winter and is thriving in many ways. She's grown into quite the young woman. I'm so proud of her and it's amazing to see her grow before my very eyes.
Delaney is a princess. A sassy princess. She makes me laugh everyday. She can be shy at times and the star of the show others. She amazes me with how much she knows and understands. She's telling us that she wants to go to preschool. That may need to happen before Sprout comes.
Joe and I recently celebrated 5 years together and we're gearing up to celebrate our 2nd wedding anniversary. I couldn't imagine my life without him. I'm aware of my mushiness - maybe it's the hormones, but I appreciate and love him more than I ever thought possible. I'm one lucky chick.
To wrap things up - I'm going to aim to blog more. Mostly because I like to talk about myself. Deal with it. :)
So... I know I haven't kept up with my Thankful posts... But worry not - I'll continue them soon. I promise. You should know by now I'm not reliable when it comes to .... not procrastinating. So - yeah. Forgive me. Sue me. Whatever. Lets move on to my favorite thing right now..... THE HOLIDAYS!!!!!!!!!
I am SO excited for the holidays. From Halloween to Thanksgiving and the big one - Christmas. I've been prepping for this time of year since June. I knew Delaney would understand more about the holidays this year, so I wanted to familiarize her with all of it beforehand.
She knows about Santa and promises she's gonna sit on his lap and not cry. If last year is any indication, she's lying.
I'm sure I'll update you with details after we go see the Big Guy.
But what I'm here to tell you about now is the newest member of our family, Elf.
I hadnt heard of Elf on the Shelf until a few years ago. I initially thought it was a midwest thing (I grew up in PA, now live in IN), but later found out its a new twist on an old tradition and it was created by a mother/daughter duo in 2005.
The basic story is that the day after Thanksgiving Santa sends an elf to your family. There is a nice book that comes with it that you are supposed to read first. This explains the story. Then you are to name your elf. It can be anything. Delaney decided to name her elf "Elf". (We've got a creative one here, folks!) Once the elf is named they have earned their magic. They watch the child(ren) all day and then fly to the North Pole every night to give Santa a naughty or nice report on the kids. They then fly back home and hide in a different area every night. The children get up every morning and have to find their elf.
Some elves stay in a certain area, like the living room. Some can be anywhere in the house. Some elves can be found just sitting every morning and some elves like to get into trouble (after all - Santa wont need to know if they're a bit mischievous!)
The most important thing is that elves CAN NOT be touched. If they are, they will lose their magic and renturn to the North Pole. They won't be back... my 2 year old won't touch hers and will yell at you if you get too close to it.
Since this was the first year for us having an elf, I was confused about how to introduce our elf into our family. I ended up wrapping it up and including a letter from Santa. Delaney found it under the tree.
The note from Santa was fun! I used some special Santa stationary for the letter (you can right click and download this image or find it where I did, here.)
After getting ready for the day we found Elf out of her box and on top of our closet!
(My husband is a big Apple fan, obviously)
This all began the day after Thanksgiving. On Saturday when Delaney woke up, Elf was hanging out with our Patriots Santa...
And Sunday she was hiding behind my picture.... (she leaves a note every day... these will go in a book Im making for her)
And this morning, she was crafty.... (I think shes going to get into trouble this week! Haha!)
You can use anything. Ive heard of people having Trolls, barbie dolls, stuffed animals.... you dont have to use an "elf". But if you want to, you can order one here. (If you're using mPoints - which you can learn more about by going here - you can use any gift cards you earn to get this. Ours was free - along with our ENTIRE Christmas. Again!)
If you want to find creative ideas you can google "Elf on the Shelf ideas" or go visit my holidaaaaaaaaaaze Pinterest board. Theres lots of fun ideas for all Things Holiday themed there!
One cool thing I stumbled upon was the Elf on The Shelf Magical Recovery Kit. Sometimes elves can be touched on accident. By downloading this kit, reading the poem and following all instructions - your elf will be back and better than ever in no time. (And it's FREE to download!)
You can choose a boy or girl elf of various colors and eye colors. I chose the cheapest one (hellooooooo!) which was the girl with brown hair and blue eyes (plus Delaney requested a girl elf." I was a bit disappointed to see that she didn't come with a skirt. But to build onto their empire - they now sell the skirt for a hefty $7.50 on Amazon. Call me crazy - I ordered it. It should be delivered in the next day or 2. You can get your own by going here. Keep in mind theere are 2 different patternss. If you know your way around a sewing machine you can easily make your own. Im not.
Also - there is a tv special on the Elf on the Shelf that airs every year on CBS. this year it will air on December 14th. If you can't wait - you can order the dvd for $9.99 here.
OR - if you're cheap (like me) and patient (unlike me) you can preview the whole thing for free on Youtube....
By watching the movie first Delaney really got an idea of the concept of the elf story. I highly reccommend watching the movie first.
I hope this is something you all consider and it makes your holidays even more special. Remember, you dont have to have an elf... customize it. make your own book, use a stuffed animal - you can do all of this for free!!!
You can take it one step further and download the Elf Report app to your smartphone. You can find it for iOs (apple products) in the iTunes store here. You can find it for Android in the market here. You can review the reports your elf sends to Santa every night and make a wishlist for your kids.
There is also an official app you can visit by going here.
Let me know in the comments if you already have an elf or want to try it. What does your elf do?
I've decided to participate in the 30 Days of Thanks this year. Basically this consists of taking time everyday to tell others what you're thankful for. I tried this last year, but fell off the wagon after 3 or 4 days. This year, not only am I going to stick with it on Facebook, but I am going to blog every day this month!
Day 1: Today I am thankful for My Family.
My family and I have been through a lot. From the family I was born into back in Pa (and over onto the east coast in MD and DE) to the family I chose here in Indiana. But no matter what comes our way we always push through and come out stronger.
My husband and children are my backbone. They are the reason I strive for anything. I love them more than life.
I don't know where I'd be without my family. Each and every single person means the world to me and I am forever thankful for them.
