Girl Named "4 years ago today..."

Dear Kylie,
   4 years ago today, your dad and I were preparing for you to enter the world and change our lives forever. We had no idea what it was going to be like to have a baby. When you finally came, we couldn't believe it! You were so beautiful and we instantly fell in love. Since then, you have grown into a beautiful, SMART, funny, caring little girl. You are the best big sis, you are always taking care of Claire and worrying about her. You love reading, and you can already read some books! You are quite the little artist, always drawing elaborate pictures of dinosaurs, flowers, and your family. You are SO smart, you are always asking questions about things and using reasoning I didn't know a 4-year old would have! You are very cautious in every situation - you think things out and you don't like to take risks or do things that scare you. Once you have made the decision to try something though, you always love it. You act like you like watching movies, but you usually only  make it through about 30 minutes. You love playing on the iPad, and would literally play for hours on the computer if we'd let you. You have a zest for life that most adults wish they had. You are always excited, and always learning. You love playing on the playground, going to Jump Mania and the Discovery Center. You like to pick out your own clothes (even though mommy doesn't always agree with your style!) You love princesses and dressing up. My favorite thing you do right now is put on a "rock & roll show" - you dance around and say "Oh ya! Oh ya!" You don't like most foods - you will mainly eat "chips and cheese" from Mexican Villa, Totino's pizza rolls, and sometimes chicken and fries. You will not try a new food, you absolutely refuse - even if you will get ice cream afterwards! Your best friend is Aaron, but next week you will start your new preschool, so you won't see Aaron every day. But I know you will make a lot of new friends, and you will learn so much! You are really excited to start your new school, and I know you will love it. 
   I am so lucky to be your mommy. I love you more than anything, and I am so proud of the sweet smart little girl you've become. I can't wait to see what the next years hold for you! Happy Birthday sweet girl, I love you!


Love,
Girl Named Mommy

P.S. I can't get the pictures to line up, so they're all wonky. :)

Girl Named "My baby is 2!"

Dear Claire,
   I can't believe 2 years has passed since you were born! I fell in love with you the second I saw you, and fall more in love each day. You are so cute, and so smart, and so funny. I can't imagine my life before you. You are such a big girl now - you're favorite phrases are "I do it!" and "I did it!" - you're VERY independent. You ask "why" after everything we tell you, and you want to do everything big sis does. You can count to 5, and say MOST of your ABC's. You know that you're "2" and you tell everyone. You have no fear, you will slide down the biggest slide into the pool or at the playground, you will climb something 10 feet tall without hesitation. Both of your knees are scarred and constantly have scabs on them, but you don't care. Nothing phases you. You will eat almost any food, and try anything once. You love baby dolls, and you LOVE dressing up! You wear a necklace almost everywhere you go. You aren't a big fan of reading books yet, you have too much to do and would rather be running and playing than sitting and reading. You love Dora (you call her "Bore"), and you love watching "TB" and "mobies". You are getting ready to start your new school next week, and I can't wait to see how you grow and learn, and how many new friends you make! You are almost potty trained, and I think when you start your new school you will learn quickly. Kylie is your best friend, and you follow her everywhere and do everything just like her. As soon as you get up, you look for her and you kiss and hug her every night before bed. You are so loving - I call you my monkey because when I try to put you down, you wrap your little arms and legs around me like a monkey! You love to cuddle and be held (by mom), and I love holding you! You give hugs and kisses all the time. You would rather sit on my lap to eat dinner, and eat off my plate instead of yours. You love "chips and cheese" from Mexican Villa, and we go there once a week, and get mints afterwards! You love the slides at White Water, and floating in the wave pool. 
   I can't wait to see what the next year brings, and how you change and grow! You are pretty small for your age right now - you are much smaller than Kylie was at your age, which has proven difficult when trying to recycle clothing! You are my little girl, and you will always be my baby, no matter how old you are. I am so blessed to have you, I love you more than anything! Happy Birthday sweet girl! 


Love,
Girl Named Mommy

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Girl Named Exhausted

 Well we have had quite a busy weekend! Friday I drove down to Rogers, AR to have a few meetings for work, then met Heather Z. (we had a race there Saturday morning) for dinner at P.F. Changs (favorite place ever!) and did some awesome shopping at the Pinnacle Hills Promenade. We stayed at a hotel then got up bright and early for the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure!

Me and Heather before the Komen race!

 This was the biggest race I've ever done, there were probably 10,000 people there! There were so many sponsors, and they all had tents giving away samples and cool stuff - I came home with 2 bags of swag! The actual 5K was no good - it was SO hilly, one hill was impossible (for me) to run up - I checked my elevation change afterwards and it was 121 feet! My final time was 42:28, which isn't my worst time, but it's also not my best. I had really hoped for under 40. I just know that one of these races I'm going to feel super-good and run it in 35:00! (36:00 is my fastest time, but I think that course was only around 2.9 miles long) I had to start taking Amoxicillin on Thursday, when I finally went to the dentist for my toothache and found out it's infected. The Amoxicillin gives me a few undesirable side effects, including dizziness, so the 5K did not go as planned and I am really proud of myself for just finishing it at all! After it was over, and we visited all the tents, I drove back and picked up the girls at my moms, came home, showered, then went to Heather C. and Andy's house for Avery's 4th birthday party! She had a "fiesta" party, and it was a lot of fun (but there were A LOT of kids there, and I think if there hadn't been margaritas there I might have went crazy!) 

Claire wearing a super-hero mask at Avery's party!

 We came home and ate dinner and the girls crashed. Today we got up and cleaned the house until lunch, ate Mexican Villa (of course), went to Walmart, came home and I ironed all the curtains for the basement (16 total, 4 windows with sheers!) and we got them hung up (our furniture should be here soon, and I can't wait for it to be finished!) and I organized both the girls closets, and did 7 loads of laundry. I just sat down for the first time at 7:30 pm, and I am exhausted! We accomplished a lot though, so it was a good weekend! Now, back to work tomorrow - I have a Director of Marketing from an Ashley store in Mississippi coming this week to shadow me, and learn how I do everything. It is very nice because my boss told her boss that I do such a good job, so he's sending her up here to learn from me! I've only been here 3 months, so I hope I can teach her something and not bore her!


Neutrogena Review

I'm a BzzAgent, and received my first kit yesterday! It is Neutrogena, and it included 3 different shades of Revitalizing Lip Balm, an Eye Brightener, and an eyeliner. I was so excited! You can read my review up top (it's part of the agreement of being a BzzAgent, to share my reviews and thoughts on the products I try). I've always been a fan of make-up, and Neutrogena, so it was perfect for me!  

Girl Named Not Ready For Monday

Well this was a very fun and eventful weekend! 

I started Saturday morning off with the Pitter Pat 5K, it was a great course but I only ran it in 40:12. I was a little disappointed because my goal was under 40, and I had to walk 3 times because of these pesky side cramps. My next race isn't until April 28th in Rogers, AR, and I just downloaded a new training program, so I'm really hoping to run a lot faster in that one. After the race I came home and showered, then got my hair done (and it looks fabulous, thank you Shannon!). Then we took the girls to Rutledge Wilson farm for their Easter celebration and had pictures with the Easter bunny, saw the animals, went on a hayride, it was a lot of fun! 

Then last night Heather and I went to eat at Ophelias (we've made a commitment to go once a month to eat someplace we've never eaten, an "adventure"!) then went to Big Whiskeys and sat on the patio and talked. It was so much fun! 
   Today I was woken up with a phone call that my grandma was in the emergency room, with heart problems (she's had issues before and is on medication). I anxiously awaited news from my mom, to see if they were going to admit her and if I needed to go to Monett or not. They ended up increasing her medication and sending her home, so hopefully that will help her and she won't give us any more scares. So then we went to Walmart and to Mexican Villa (of course). Then came home, Claire took a 3 hour nap so I got in some good cleaning time (while Pete was playing golf). We grilled for dinner, and after that is where our night got interesting...right after dinner we went in to start baths. Claire was in her diaper and she sat down on her potty. So I took her diaper off and put her back on it. About that time, Kylie came in crying and holding her mouth. We were asking her what was wrong (thinking she bit her tongue or something) and she proceeded to throw up ALL over the bathroom. So she's crying, Claire is crying, Pete gets Kylie in the bathtub as I try to clean everything up. Claire gets up off the potty and slips in the puke (disgusting) and falls, so she cries even more (I might add that I also threw up while trying to clean everything up, I can't stand puke!) I get everything cleaned up and get Claire in the tub, and notice that she peed in the potty for the first time! Well, 10 minutes later is too late to praise her and get excited, so we missed out on that first. We asked her if she peed in the potty and she said "ya", so we acted excited and gave her a piece of candy, etc. but I don't think it had the same effect as if it were immediately afterward. Now I'm afraid she'll think every time she uses the potty, Kylie will throw up! Oh well, at least maybe she's ready to start potty training!
   I can't believe it's already Sunday night, our weekend went by so fast, as always. So back to work tomorrow (at least for a half-day, we are keeping Kylie at home so I'm going in a half-day then working a half-day at home). Next weekend is our 5 year anniversary, so I'm sure it will be fun too! 

Girl Named Excited

     Apparently once a month is all I'm writing! Oops! I've been busy, blah blah blah. I'm approaching the 3 month mark at my new job, and I still love it! Andrew made a decision on our office situation, and signed a lease tonight! For the next year and a half we will be in an office building at 777 E Battlefield (across from Buffalo Wild Wings). Heather (Cotter) and I met Andrew to look at the offices yesterday, and they are special. They were built in 1987 and from what I can see haven't been updated since! But it's space, and it will work. I am still sharing an office with Andrew, and I think he's getting sick of me being in there! I am so excited - Heather (Cotter, I don't want you to get confused with Zoromski!) and I picked out my office furniture (working at a furniture store has it's perks!) and it's going to be awesome! Our offices are right next to each other, so we'll get to see each other and yell around the corner (reminiscent of my time at CMN!). We are hopefully moving in in the next 30 days, and I will have my OWN space! Then after a year and a half, we will begin building our new warehouse on MM and James River, with custom offices attached (I'm hoping for a much bigger office and a window at that point!). I'm learning things every day, and every day I'm there I feel more at ease and more like I know what I'm doing. I have a long way to go, but I'm getting there! I'm even taking a Photoshop class, and tomorrow is my second class, so that is exciting too. Andrew even has a lake house with 6 bedrooms, boat, 4-wheeler and 3D movie theater that he lets us use in the summer when we want to, so I can't wait to go there in July! I am just so blessed and so thankful that God gave me this opportunity, and it truly makes me realize how an employee can and should be treated. I couldn't be happier right now! Plus, I have all the furniture picked out that I want in the basement, and dining room, so as soon as my discount kicks in in 2 weeks, I'll be set!
     The girls are getting so big - I can't believe they will be 4 and 2 in June! 

 There they are before we went to Branson last weekend, so cute! (Kylie kind of looks like a pirate in this picture) Now we are trying to make a decision about to have or not to have a 3rd kid... the first two were a no-brainer, but the 3rd is a bit of a decision! Time will tell...
     I've gotten back into running, Pete and I ran a 5K 2 weeks ago (it was his first!) and I didn't do too well. I have one this weekend with Heather, and I know that I'm going to do much better. Heather and I are also doing one in Arkansas the end of April, and Pete and I are doing the All-Star 5K in Kansas City in July. My goal is to run the July race in under 35:00. I think I can do it! Pete has been running for 2 1/2 months now, and has lost 20 pounds and is running an 8 minute mile, and 4+ miles each run. I'm pretty sure I hate him :)
     That's about all I have going on right now, I think. Busy busy as always! I will try to write again before a month. :)
    

Girl Named Busy

Oh. My. Word. I have been SO busy, I haven't posted in over a month and a half! My new job is still fabulous, but I have so much to learn and so much to do. Since I've started I've learned how to use Photoshop (and I'm taking a class to learn more!) and designed a lot of signs, flyers and mailings. I've written scripts for radio and TV spots and gotten them produced, I've booked charities for the next year for our community nights, I've paid (what seems like) one million invoices for advertising and printing, I've helped to plan the next 4 months of events for all 4 stores, I've met with what seems like every media outlet in Springfield, I've given away 50 beds to kids in need through our Beds for Kids program, I've made 3 trips to Memphis (and enjoyed seeing my awesome friends I've made down there, and gone to do a lot of fun things with them!), I've doubled our Facebook fans, created a Pinterest page and a Twitter account...and that's just what I can think of right now! I am learning SO much, and still have SO much to learn! I previously had no idea how financing on furniture works, from this side, but now I've learned! It is so exciting, and kind of scary at the same time. I am not a person who likes to not know things, so this career change has definitely been a humbling experience for me! Last week we were honored with the title of "Fastest Growing Company in southwest Missouri" by the Springfield Business Journal, so that was super exciting for us, and it's exciting for me to have gotten in on the start of what is going to be a very successful growing company! 

The girls are getting big so fast! Claire all of a sudden started talking, and now says all kinds of stuff. Her favorites are "Awww, man!",  making the monkey noise, and singing "e...i...e...i...o". Kylie can read short sentences now, and spell a LOT of words, and count to 100. I just can't believe how fast they get big! It sounds cliche, but it's so true. I always say "the days are long but the years are short", and it is so true. I can't believe their birthdays are coming up in 3 months and they're going to be 2 and 4! And 1 month from today is Pete and my 5 year wedding anniversary, and in 3 months we will celebrate the 10 year anniversary of the day we met! I can't believe it's been that long. The days are long but the years are short. We've both been dieting and he's started running, and of course he has the willpower of an ox (or something with a lot of willpower...) and has lost like 20 pounds, and I've lost a couple... But I'm so proud of him for deciding to make a change to be healthier and be with us for a long long time! We are running a 5K together for the first time next Saturday, and I'm pretty excited! I'm sure he will smoke me at the race, but we will start together and see each other at the finish, and that's what matters. We are also doing the All-Star 5K together in KC this July, and I'm REALLY excited for that one (we get an All-Star finishers medal!).

Hopefully I will find time to write more often now that I'm more settled in with my new work-life!