It's ICE

It is 22 degrees outside here in Texas and we are going to have another ICE day which means no school for the kids for day #2. Yipee!

My first experience to a big storm in Dallas happened the first year we were here. I had Kendyl enrolled in a little Mom & Tots class at the Rec Center and the two of us didn't think twice to adventure out for class. When we walked in there was only Kendyl, myself, the teacher and one other mom & tot. Turns out we were from Utah, and the teacher and other Mom & tot were from Colorado so some slush on the roads was nothing to us snow driving crazies. I thought these Texas folk were big ole' babies hold up in their homes. Well little did I know that that day wasn't an ICE storm. Here in Texas it rains and then freezes leaving a sheet of ice on the road and sidewalks, freezing power lines, trees, cars, and so much more... And I thought driving and walking in snow was tough, this ICE stuff is impossible and crazy dangerous (I am watching news coverage right now and lots of car wrecks). Thank goodness it doesn't happen to often and should be thawed out by later this afternoon. I hope early enough for Riehle to be off to work today...he was out in this yesterday and all the gym junkies made their stop for a workout of course! They even lost power last night just before 9pm and had to kick out a bunch of muscle heads that wanted to keep working out in the dark. Idiots! All I know is Rand and I were very relieved when the garage door opened and in walked our oldest safe and sound.

I had to share the picture above that a friend emailed us, it is really of an ice storm in Switzerland in a city near a lake but that is ICE. Of course we haven't seen anything like that in Texas...but we all had a good laugh when after numerous pictures of this extreme Switzerland ICE storm the email ended in...
Now Quit complaining that you're Cold!!

Back to the Office

Good Bye slumpy housewife...hello working mom! It's a new beginning and I am very excited...
No more waiting on calls to substitute and wondering if you are working on a day by day status. Now I get to set a regular schedule, go off to my office (that has a window with a view!) and show myself and others what I can accomplish. Beginning the first week of February I will start as the Regional Administrator for a brand new Aflac Region. Since it is a brand new Region there is all this excitement and it should be fun to watch the progress through the first year. The greatest thing about this position is I can still do my most important job of being Mom first, which was my biggest concern about going back to work. But my office is close to home and my RSC (boss) is very much a family man who stressed that as still a big priority too.

Rand and the kids have been so supportive to mom going back to work. I think they just want mom to find some purpose and do something that would help her find her smile again. So far so good...I even was able to keep Kendyl happy by finding a position that would still allow me to kiss her off to school and welcome her home in the afternoon. It is ALL GOOD!

Routines are Good

Things are finally back to normal...All my kids are tucked safely back in school for a while and we can get back to their routine!! Riehle has been on Winter Break and I forgot how long that actually is for the college life. They get SIX weeks off and just went back yesterday. The poor kid couldn't wait to get back to a regular scheduled life either. He has been working crazy hours in his new job at the gym and with the New Year Resolution crowd he is very happy with the big increase in his wallet. It was tough with all his friends in town from college and trying to work and spend time with all of them. Wore him out. I think ALL the college kids were looking forward to getting back to a regular schedule too after such a long down time.

We made it through the long weekend with all my wits in tack. Kendyl and Nic were so laid back and content in playing quiet games on the XBox and Wii or just hanging in their rooms. I was so shocked that there were not any more concerts in the game room this weekend. I think the kids were worn out from their Semester Exams and mentally needed just chill time. YEA for my nerves and the fact that I was able to spend time finishing up the Killian school newsletter too.

Well I finally came to the decision that it is time to move along and get myself a real life too and quit waiting for the phone to ring for substitute jobs. I sent out resume's to several job openings and even got myself a couple of interviews. Should know the outcome of that in the next couple of days. Crossing fingers & toes!! Please let it all work out and give me a regular daily routine to stroll along with.

The Never Ending Concert

The kids are home AGAIN! Yes, already...I know they just went back from the loooonnnnnng Christmas holiday break! Our school district has scheduled another holiday break and my two school kids are home Friday AND Monday for MLK holiday. I love these kids but I don't know if my nerves can take 4+ days of the endless Rock Band concerts that take place upstairs. It already began yesterday with the kids early school release and Nic's friends firing up the tunes at 1pm and entertaining me until after 6pm. We really have enjoyed the Rock Band game it is fun to play, and keeps the kids entertained, but some days I wish I could sound proof the concert room or hit a mute button.

The Best Motivators

As some of you know Riehle went to work for LA Fitness to sale memberships and of course one of the first memberships was sold to his dear old mom. I had tried to get my big butt moving and walked many mornings through the neighborhood after I got Kendyl off on the bus, but with the cold weather it got to be a great excuse to just walk back inside the house. So after whining about how run down and tired I am all the time my boys got to work on getting me to commit to trips to the gym and they have been the ultimate motivators! Nic's goal is to get stronger, build some girl attracting muscles, and find his mom's smile. The two of us have a goal of 5 days a week in the gym and so far so good... Not only am I feeling every muscle in my body some days I ache the most in my abs from laughing at Nic, he is such a fun workout partner. Nic did have a few first day issues with everyone staring at this kid and the older lady...he even mentioned getting a t-shirt that read "she is my mom". Riehle oversees our technique and updates us on any tips to help us reach our goals even quicker. He has taken off on his new job at the gym, his boss has been so thrilled and amazed at this young salesmans ability, and Riehle really is liking his newest challenge to conquer.

What is Kendyl up to while we are off at the gym you ask...We have been coming home to her and her dad rocking out on Rock Band or jumping around playing Wii. It seems their father daughter bonding has got them as active as us gym junkies.

Our Word for 2009

I saw a post on Tip Junkie a couple of days ago that said many bloggers have a word of the year that helps them to sum up their goals and resolutions for that year. LOVE IT! A new way to pick something to improve on without the endless resolution 'to do' lists that usually get tossed after a few guilty months of trying and not succeeding. I surfed many of the blogs she had posted that shared their words for 2009 and here is one post that really hit home...

Recently, I overheard a mother and daughter in their last moments together at the airport. They had announced the departure. Standing near the security gate, they hugged, and the mother said, "I love you, and I wish you enough."

The daughter replied, "Mom, our life together has been more than enough. Your love is all I ever needed. I wish you enough, too, Mom."

They kissed, and the daughter left. The mother walked over to the window where I was seated. Standing there, I could see she wanted and needed to cry. I tried not to intrude on her privacy, but she welcomed me in by asking, "Did you ever say good-bye to someone knowing it would be forever?"

"Yes, I have," I replied. "Forgive me for asking, but why is this a forever good-bye?"

"I am old, and she lives so far away. I have challenges ahead, and the reality is - her next trip back will be for my funeral," she said.

"When you were saying good-bye, I heard you say, 'I wish you enough.' May I ask what that means?"

She began to smile. "That's a wish that has been handed down from other generations. My parents used to say it to everyone." She paused a moment and looked up as if trying to remember it in detail, and she smiled even more. "When we said, 'I wish you enough,' we wanted the other person to have a life filled with just enough good things to sustain them."

Then, turning toward me, she shared the following as if she were reciting it from memory.

~ I wish you enough sun to keep your attitude bright no matter how gray the day may appear.
~ I wish you enough rain to appreciate the sun even more.
~ I wish you enough happiness to keep your spirit alive and everlasting.
~ I wish you enough pain so that even the smallest of joys in life may appear bigger.
~ I wish you enough gain to satisfy your wanting.
~ I wish you enough loss to appreciate all that you possess.
~ I wish you enough hellos to get you through the final good-bye.

I couldn't quit thinking about this post and how the word 'Enough' took on a whole different meaning. I have used that word with the kids for things like "we don't have enough money for this or that"...but as we recently found out Kendyl was under the assumption that we were poor. WHAT?? We have a great life..the kids don't go without...I don't buy unneccesary things, and yes there are times we need to stretch our money. But we had to take a moment and explain to Kendyl all the things we DO have and how many other people go without so much.

So after pondering the word that would enrich our family the most this year we are going with the word...

~APPRECIATE ~

It is time to quit taking the things we have in life for granted, notice that we have 'enough', and take time to APPRECIATE the many blessings that our family has been given.

We wish you enough this upcoming year in 2009......

A Texas Christmas Pic

December 2008

Our Christmas was wonderful and one of the most memorable moments was trying to get this picture taken of the kids.

Rainy cold weather would be an issue one day then on a clear day one kid would be gone during daylight hours. But never fail the Simkins family got it together and I got the reaction that I had hoped for. Amazement of how quick they all have grown and how fast time flies.