A Little Catch-up~

Although I have a couple posts I'm currently working on I'm just not quite ready with those yet but I can still do some quick hits to catch everyone up. So what have we been up to?

• Brad got a new job!! He is moving over to Corporate South to be a Manager in ESA. What is that exactly? I don't really know. What I do know is he will be managing analysts. That really explains it all, huh? The important thing is he knows what he will be doing. He has also been accepted to Leadership of McLean County. It's a program for people in McLean County. For those who work for State Farm they have to be nominated and supported by the Executive office and go through an interview process. He will be doing a variety of projects within McLean County with other McLean Countians (new word) every other Friday. I'm very excited for him and very proud of him!! He is doing a lot of great things!

• Ainsley was chosen as Student of the Week on Friday. They pick one student for each grade each week. They announce them at their Friday assemblies, they get a certificate, a gift certificate for a Kid's Meal from LaGandola and their picture displayed in the hallway. Ainsely's certificate said she was Student of the Week for showing responsibility. She is doing so great in school and absolutely loves it. We are so proud of her and all of the great work she is doing!

• Kaylee is doing well in school thus far too. She had a hard week this week. The Student Council elections were this week at school. Students in 1st-5th Grade are eligible to run. The 5th Graders run for actual offices. They do posters in the hall and speeches in front of the whole school. The other grades read speeches to their own classes and they vote 1 boy and 1 girl from each class to be their representatives. Last year Kaylee was elected. This year she wanted to run again but some of her friends were discouraging her from running because they said she won last year and they thought she would win again and they didn't think that was fair. Kaylee was torn because she wanted to run but didn't want anyone to be mad at her. We had lots of talks about why it's important to follow you heart and that we knew it felt bad to feel like your friends would be mad at you. She thought about it for a night and decided she was going to run. She worked on her speech and turned it in. Friday she went to school to give her speech. Friday was early dismissal so I went to pick the girls up from school. I found Ainsley and soon enough Kaylee came out, saw me and started crying and running toward me. I knew that meant she didn't win:(. She was heartbroken! I felt so bad for her. I told her how proud I was of her for following her heart and doing her best. We got in the van and headed into town to run some errands. The whole way in she cried and cried. We did a lot of talking and got to the mall. I got the girls smoothies and a new pair of shoes. Retail therapy seem to work. She was still bummed but was feeling better. Sigh.

• Me? I'm keeping busy keeping up with the above mentioned people. This year I'm co-leading Ainsley's Daisy group and am again chairing the Deck The Halls event at the school for the PTO. Work is good but crazy some days. Change! Change! Change! It's a coming our way. Some things we know some things we don't. It's an interesting time and I like aiding in the planning, implementation and training. 

Life is good. We are keeping busy and loving the weather. We had a great family weekend this weekend. We participated in the Autism walk to help support our buddy Satchel. We did some shopping and even cooked a big turkey for Sunday dinner. Yep, life is good!

I'm tired, I'm torn....I'm blessed

I'm tired. Lately, just tired. Working full time. Getting up early to go to work so I can be home to meet the bus. Meet the bus, snack, clean out backpacks and lunch boxes. Some days try to fit in a workout, do dinner, showers/baths bedtime.

I'm tired.

Light cleaning of the house during the week and maintain by keeping picked-up, our laundry during the week, the girls laundry on the weekend and deeper cleaning on the weekend. Don't get me started on the dog:)

I'm tired.

PTO meetings, chairing school events, Co-leading Ainsley's Daisy troop, taking Kaylee to her Brownie activities, getting girls to tumbling class. Soon dance class will start too.

I'm tired.

Seeing all of the political posts and cartoons, listening to commentary and speeches. Exhausting!

Seeing people at the store using their Link cards to buy high priced items and junk food and then using their money to buy the all important alcohol and cigarettes. Annoyed!

Listening to people blame their life choices on others and not taking accountability. Annoyed, again!

Why so annoyed? Because I'm tired. I'm working and doing the best to keep a good life balance. Cooking healthy meals for my children, keeping them on routines and teaching them things like accountability. I've worked hard to get a good education, I've overcome obstacles in my life and although I still have things I personally battle that have been done and over for many years now I am responsible for my choices and my actions. I'm doing the needed things to support my family and yet each paycheck money is removed to help pay for someone else. Not to say that all of those receiving assistance are not worthy and shouldn't be helped but on some days it's more than I can take.

This leaves me torn. I'm torn because I believe in helping others. We are involved in St. Jude, we support cancer and autism and many other great programs and organizations. We donate canned goods, toys, clothes and other items of needs to local organizations. So I'm torn at times when I see people utilizing services that have been afforded to them.

I'm blessed. I'm blessed because of all, well most, of the reasons I'm tired. I'm blessed because I have a house to clean and healthy children to take care of. I'm blessed because they have a great school I can be involved with and a job that makes it very easy for me to be involved and allow me flexibility to be here when they get home from school, and Brad to be here to get them on the bus, and to be home with them when they are sick.

I'm blessed because I've had parents who afforded me the opportunity to go to school and get a good education. They supported and encouraged that in my life.

I'm blessed that my girls are willing to help me with chores by clearing the table, help doing dishes, cleaning their rooms and putting their clothes away. I'm blessed that they only complain sometimes and that they feel pride in helping and accomplishing things. I'm blessed that they enjoy school and have nice friends.

When all is said and done I love my life and I love my family. The three people that I start and end each day with, and even the dog too:), make it a VERY happy and blessed life.

I know in my heart of hearts my struggles are nothing compared to what others are going through. So even when I'm tired, and feeling torn, I try to put things in perspective, sometimes it's easier to do this than others, and remind myself of how blessed I am.