Resolutions

I have thought a lot about making honest resolutions for the year.  Yes, I need to lose weight.  Yes, I need to get in shape.  I don't want to resolve to do those, they should be done regardless of a new year. I am really going to make a lifestyle change this year but I am doing it for me, not for 2014.

So what will be my resolution?  I have thought about a few that will not only be for me but for my family as a whole.  

First, I want to capture the kids over the year.  I will take one photo of them a day then at the end of the year put them all together in a video montage to show how they change so much in a short time. 

Second, With Chris' late work night we have gotten into a horrible habit of the kids eating at the dinner table and the parents eating in the living room.  I hate it, I really do.  My second resolution is to eat dinner at the table every night and Sunday breakfast.  Chris still works late, but I can still eat with the kids.  He has been making more of an effort to get home by 6:15 and I have pushed dinner back 30 mins to accommodate him.

Third is meal planning/grocery budgeting. This is something I did every week but for some reason, during flag football season, this started to dissolve.  It is so much easier to plan meals ahead of time and make sure I have supplies than to figure it out that day and struggle with limited groceries.  This also leads me to my fourth...

Fourth resolution is to make 4 or 5 frozen meals a month for the days when life just gets too busy.  I will have something I can quickly toss in the oven or slow cooker without any prep.  Extra batches of spaghetti and meatballs, a lasagna, some soup, even pre marinated chicken pieces would be great.  

So that is my plan. Easy ideas to make my life a lot easier and a lot more enjoyable.  

Oh and a small #5... Blog again.  I miss it! 

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Time?

Some days, I feel like I could blog for hours. Of course these are the days I'm no where near my computer or the timing is completely wrong(like 1am when I should be sleeping but can't). When I finally get a chance to sit down and speak my mind.. it is blank. Blogging isn't suppose to be a work of art. Who gets writers block from the thoughts in their head? Apparently, I can blog about not being able to blog!

I have been thinking of directions I want this blog to go in. Photography, children's theme parties and cooking are my passions but I really just don't have the time anymore. I need more hours in the day. I need more time.

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It is kinda funny...

Life. It is weird. It is complicated and the journeys you go on can be just plain funny. This blog was a big part of my life a few years ago but now maybe I should rename it "Bran is too busy..." Or perhaps "Bran does Walgreens" As that is what my life seems to be lately.

November 26, 2010 Our lives changed. Chris came home from work, the day after Thanksgiving. I made spaghetti and meatballs that day. I can still feel the lump in my throat when he told me. I wish I never asked the question "How was your day, babe?" The words still echo in my head. He twirled some pasta and stabbed a meatball, looked at me and said "They fired all the managers today."

It took a minute to process... Chris was a manager. He didn't really mean ALL of them did he?

Over the next few weeks, with Christmas looming, The roller coaster of emotions was never ending.

Fear.
Fear of being evicted from our home. How will we feed the kids. How will our marriage survive this? We were already on shaky ground as it was.

Denial.
Nah, this can't really be happening can it? He will find another job in NO time and we will be fine! We can use this time as a vacation for him, he needs it!

Love.
The outpouring of love for us and our kids from my parents but also from people I've never met but love as family. If you don't believe in Santa, well you weren't at my house for the month of December. Packages came for the kids. Packages came for US! Gift cards to help us buy groceries. I cried a lot of sad tears that month but double in happy tears.

Over the next few months, Chris and I did our best. We were home together, the kids in school, the bills piling up. Tension was there but we pushed it back and tried to just make the best of it. It lasted until March.. then the built up tension blew.

Chris and I never fight, but when we do, the balls go flying (metaphorically, of course, Chris doesn't actually let his balls fly but it would be a neat trick if he did)

We screamed, we cried. The kids were at school so we didn't hold back. By the end, we were holding each other and we came to an agreement. Since the job force wasn't knocking down Chris's door.. I would try. Pointless, of course, I though. Who would ever hire a 7 year Stay at home mom!? I filled out some applications. I didn't hold my breath at any call backs.

The first interview I went on was for Subway. Ok well this might work out.. I worked at subway before. And it did. I was hired and started the following week. Then another call. Walgreens. Oh well, I'll go to that interview and see. I was hired and started the following week. Two jobs? Are you shitting me? I tried to work both for about a week but Walgreens won. It was full time, steady and .50/hr. Damn, I got a job!

Those who know me, know I'm about as shy as they come. I have social anxiety and hate talking to people. I don't know what happened to me but as soon as I started at Walgreens.. I changed.

I worked until June as a cashier before being unofficially promoted to the photo department. I was making friends and for the most part, really enjoying my job. By July, there was an opening for another promotion. STL(Store Team Lead). Manager on duty two or three days a week and SIMS (Inventory) two or three days a week. I got the promotion and a nice little pay raise! Wow, how the hell did that happen??

We made it through the summer, spending our free time at the lake. Bills were mostly being paid(ehh ok so half paid), we were getting the kids ready to start school. The big K for Christopher and 2nd grade for Elizabeth. We were doing ok, not great but surviving.

In October, Chris went on a few promising job interviews. A few turned out to be a bust but two looked really good. Then the call came in.. He got a job! The pay was decent and included commission. Parts Manager for a company that sells and repairs snow plows and dump beds.

Our schedules had to be rearranged. The kids started going to Kids Korner, an after school program. Things were starting to fall into place. We were busy, we were tired but hell, we were doing it!

We have been in this routine for a few months now. It isn't always convenient but life rarely is. We had another wonderful Christmas, Santa was very good to all of us. We are setting up for our next big day, Elizabeth turning 8! We may not have two cars, or a big house with more than one bathroom(ohh how I want that though!) but we are enjoying our family, we have wonderful friends who I adore and our fridge has fresh vegetables. Chris and I are more in love today than we ever were. It is kinda funny...

Who knew losing a job would be the best thing for us.

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