Thursday, March 29, 2012

When it rains it pours...

I always start to worry a bit when things are getting too perfect...I wonder when the rain will start...

A few weeks ago, I got a surprise phone call from my husband. I excitedly answered the phone in my "sexy voice" to mark the special occasion, it turns out he was calling with bad news.

For some reason his security clearance was denied (we still don't know why and neither does the company he works for.) Now it has to go through a secondary appeals process that can take anywhere from 2 months to 2 years (or longer)...

This is scary for 2 reasons:  If it doesn't go through one of two things will happen he could be reassigned to a non-secured site (if there is room- Jeff isn't even sure they even exist but someone at work told him its a possibility) or he will be fired....If Jeff lost his job in 2 months we would be in a lot of trouble financially...stuck in a lease we can't afford and without medical insurance...and with one baby to take care of and another one on the way- the job, the insurance that comes with it, and the money it brings is invaluable.  The second reason this is scary is that we could end up being in limbo for up to 2 years...Jeff is already going crazy...he needs to work! He hates sitting in a warehouse all day with nothing to do but play video games, be on Facebook, and watch shows on Hulu....I know a lot of people would consider it a dream job, but my man is what my definition of a true spiritual being is- he wants to work, he wants to be useful. He HATES wasting his time...

So of course, after hearing that we've had to re-evaluate our budget a bit and we've had to have some serious discussions about what is next...if he doesn't have his clearance by the end of the year (when our lease is up) do we stay in the Henderson/Vegas area and keep waiting, or does Jeff need to start looking for other jobs in October or November so that we have a confirmed job to move for at the start of the  year again?

This was already a lot to take in...and then the car....oh the car...

Sophie was my grandpa's baby. It was the first brand new car he'd ever purchased off a lot. When my grandparents found out that I had moved off campus year before I graduated and that I had no transportation they offered her to me and I accepted with a very grateful heart.

Now...she's 22 years old- for a car of her age she's holding up well, but we've found that there is a lot that needs to be done...a week before the bad news from work, we spent $400 to get the fuel filter replaced and a tune up. Turns out she still had the 22 year old factory spark plugs. The mechanic had no idea how she was firing up and we believed the problems we were having with her were solved...fast forward to the week of the bad news...we'd gone to the temple on Saturday and received a lot of answers about what we were to do about our current predicament. We picked the little diva up at my friend's house (her oldest daughter babysat for us- it was a huge blessing) and later that evening went out to get formula so we wouldn't have to buy it on Sunday....

Well...remember that friend that was supervising as her oldest daughter babysat? Well, she and her dear sweet husband ended up going above and beyond the call of duty of friendship that night...

Sophie wouldn't start! We thought we'd fixed that problem the week before- but no...here we were, with a screaming little diva in the backseat (it was WAY past her bedtime) and the car wouldn't start. Jeff looked like he wanted to cry...all he could say was, "We can't afford this."  I reminded him that technically we could since we'd put all his extra paycheck into savings. We said a prayer asking for the car to start, but if it wouldn't, that the repairs would be inexpensive and that we would be able to afford it.  Well...the car still wouldn't start...

I pulled out my phone and followed a prompting...Call Melissa....

Her husband was already on his way out to drop off a Redbox movie. He came and picked us up and when we reached a tow truck agency about coming to pick the car up, he offered to drive Jeff back so he wouldn't sit there waiting for them.

Well..that tow truck agency ended up causing the next big trial of the night...apparently, they didn't have the resources to handle our tow so they outsourced it, but made it seem like they were the ones handling it.  Finally...after waiting for 4 hours (it was 12:30 AM by the way) my husband had given up. I took his phone- I was not giving up! A) they had our credit card number, and I wasn't about to be charged for a service we didn't receive and B) I was PISSED and felt like biting off a few heads. A tow that we were told was supposed to be 45 minutes away shouldn't have taken 4 HOURS!

I called...I was mean...but I will say I was exhausted but unable to sleep because of the stress of the situation. Jeff had given in to exhaustion and had fallen asleep a few hours before. I definitely scared the dispatcher, I even surprised myself with my level of sass and spite...He finally admitted that they had outsourced the tow and gave me the number to call the other company they had sent it to...

When I called the other company. They blamed the first company. Apparently, the number had been given incorrectly (or taken incorrectly) to call us to let us know that  driver was being sent to the location and the first company didn't answer their phone when the second company called...at this point, I was irritated and didn't care who was to blame. I cut the dispatcher for the second company off mid-sentence and said, "Okay- now you have the RIGHT number. Can we please get a tow now?" I had to go through the even more irritating steps as she took our information again about where the car was "Didn't the other company give you this info when they handed the tow off." The dispatcher said that she wasn't the one that had taken the info down and whoever did hadn't completely filled out the form...UGH...she promised us a tow in 45 minutes (I wasn't about to hold my breath...) I texted my dear friends that had been up waiting to take Jeff back to Target to meet the tow truck to tell them what was up. I told them to go ahead and take a power nap because I wasn't holding out much hope..

Well...an hour and a half later...we finally got a call that the tow truck was on its way...6 HOURS...6 HOURS we'd waited...

The next morning, a very sleepy Jeff walked to the mechanic's shop around the corner where we'd towed it and had them fix it...we are very lucky that this shop is not only inexpensive, but VERY honest. Jeff told them that we thought it was the fuel pump and they gave him a quote to fix that, but about an hour later we were called and told it wasn't the fuel pump, it was the starter and were given a new quote...we are lucky, a lot of other auto shops would have replaced the fuel pump and when that didn't work, they would have called and said, "Well, you owe us for a new fuel pump, but after that we found out it wasn't the fuel pump, it was the starter...so your bill is now $700..." Not these guys...yes, the starter was a more expensive fix...but at least they were honest and didn't replace parts that were functioning perfectly.

Well..another almost $400 later, we now have a functioning car again...and have started another new debate about whether or not we should buy a new car and sell Sophie to a family looking for a car for their high school student or a family that can only afford Sophie and the transportation she has to offer...but that also requires new revisions of the budget, and, if we stick to Jeff's new budget (and with a new baby on the way, I'm not 100% convinced its feasible, but I'm willing to try...) we should have $12,000 saved by the end of the year...enough for a move and a down payment on a house where ever we move to...

Fast forward to this week...because bad things happen in threes, right?  I closed my computer down and went to reboot it...and it wouldn't start up...I tried all night to fix it (good thing I was already up with food poisoning...yuck!) but to no avail...Jeff took it to work and tried to fix it, but with no luck. A friend at work thought he could fix it, but it turns out that it will cost almost as much to fix it as it would to get a new laptop...

So...I guess Jeff gets his wish. He's been wanting a new laptop for a while. I told him he could have the new one and I'd take his old one (even though I hate it! I can't type on this stupid thing very well. It isn't a full sized keyboard and I'm always hitting the wrong button! This blog may not make it seem that way, but it really is annoying.)

I'm also sad because my novel that I had been writing for the last 4 years is on my stupid, broken laptop, the novel I only had 3 chapters left to write of, the novel I was hoping to send to publishers this year...along with all the pictures I have of Faith from the time she was born, her baby book that I had been procrastinating printing off, and my copies of my engagement pictures...

I guess that will teach me to back up...

But, I've decided not to have a pity party...when it rains it pours, right? Well...it may pour but when it rains and pours it also refreshes everything and makes it new, the rain brings new life...

So...these trials, as difficult as they've been (and some continue to be) will bring a new life, a better life. I have faith in that.

Sometimes we have to deal with a series of really crappy events so that we can appreciate the new and wonderful things that are headed our way.

We ask for friends and family, if they feel so inclined to pray for us and possibly fast if they're up to it. We're asking that people pray that either Jeff's clearance will go through or that we will be sustained in this job through to the end of the year so we can be out of our lease and so that the birth of baby #2 will already have happened and have been taken care of through our insurance company. We know that we will find the right job and place if this job and this place aren't where we belong. We have faith that God will guide us as long as we're doing all we can in the meantime to find the path for ourselves.

Faith is to hope for things that aren't seen, or so I'm told, so while we can't see what the future will bring for our little family, we have hope that if we're doing everything we can to be righteous and follow the commandments that God has laid out, that we will have a blessed and wonderful future, that we will find where God needs us to be.

Bad things happen, but, if you know where to turn, they aren't so bad.

God has been so good to us, and in spite of the struggles we may be called to face in order for His will to come to pass, if we keep looking around us, we will be able to see that he is still there, blessing us, and helping us through. He will not leave us without comfort.

I love you all, I thank you for your prayers and support. It means the world to me that I have a little family of friends out there in the world who care about me and my little family. Thank you for being so wonderful.

Hugs and loves until next time darlings!




Sunday, March 18, 2012

Cheesy Chimiladas

What oh what, do you ask, is a Chimilada? A Chimilada is my own brainchild- it is what would happen if a crispy delicious Chimichanga and a saucy, succulent Enchilada had a love child.


I love to cook, but I'm not one to crave foods very often, even when I'm pregnant...but I do crave "tastes"...I will crave the tastes of different herbs and spices combined together, and then I go look for recipes that will fulfill my needs...this usually results in my finding 4 or 5 different recipes that I like bits and pieces of, so I put the bits and pieces together. Sometimes its just okay, sometimes its a disaster...and then there are nights like tonight when I hit it out of the park...

My husband isn't a big fan of Mexican food and he said, "Wow, this is actually REALLY good." (I'm not surprised he was surprised, when I'm on my weird taste craving kicks dinner in our house can be really interesting.)  When my husband says something is good, I know I have a keeper!

So- here for your viewing pleasure (and possibly your tasting pleasure) I give you Mexican 'a la Brittany- the Cheesy Chimilada!

For the filling you will need:
1 lbs ground beef
1/2 to 1 onion chopped (onion can be put in to your taste)
2/3 cup salsa or picante sauce
1 tsp of cumin
1/2 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup shredded cheese (I use Colby Jack)

 Put the onion and ground beef into a fry pan, cook until the meat is browned.
 
Then, add the salsa, cumin, oregano, and salt. Simmer until most of the liquid has cooked away. 
 Remove from heat, then add the cheese.
 
 Stir until the meat becomes a cheesy, gloppy mess (ie the cheese is evenly distributed throughout the mix)

Heat oven to 475 degrees

 Warm six 8 inch tortillas in the microwave (to make them more pliable). Butter one side of the tortilla.
 Place it butter side down on a small cookie sheet. Spoon on the filling and wrap, leaving the seam side down (Yes, your hands will get buttery or margerine-y depending on what you use, life and cooking are messy...you'll be fine!) See the wrapping steps below:


tuck and roll!

You're the master of the burrito wrap!

Once all 6 are wrapped, place in the heated oven and bake for 10-13 minutes (check at 10 minute mark, some ovens heat faster than others, I know in mine they are done after 9 minutes or so) You want the tortillas to be crispy to the touch and lightly browned.
See the brown, crsipy edges?



For the sauce:
In a blender blend:
1 can diced tomatoes (drained)
 Then add:
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp oregano
1 tsp Cumin
2 tsp sugar
3-5 tsp Chili Powder (to taste, I find that 3 heaping tsp fulls is plenty)
2 tsp onion powder
Blend again- taste test to see if you need to adjust the spices
 Then put into sauce pan and simmer for 10 minutes
Once the filled tortillas are crisped up, spoon the sauce over the top and then cover with cheese. Don't use all the sauce! You will need it for plating! I usually find that I use about half to sauce for this part- By the way, this part turns a Chimichanga into a Chimilada...so if you don't want to use the sauce, you can always just top it with salsa, sour cream, guac, etc. and be done with dinner for the night....but why not take that next step into the realm of deliciousness? 



 Put the Chimiladas back into the oven until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
Spoon a "nest" of sauce onto the plate and place the Chimilada over the top and voila!
You can at this point add guacamole (I wish we'd had avocados- I so would have made some!), sour cream, olives, etc...whatever your general Mexican fare toppings may be in your house...and then enjoy. This would go great with a traditional beans and rice combo- or you can have it like we did, with a lovely green salad (with cucumbers and pears! Yummy!)

Jeff actually said that it tasted like I'd put refried beans into the tortillas, I didn't, but that was about the consistency of the meat after the way it had been cooked. It was PERFECT to feed the cravings I was having tonight.



Hugs, deliciousness, and cooking adventures until next time darlings!


Thursday, March 15, 2012

Greek Chicken Gyros with Tzatziki Sauce

I have a deep love for Greek food...

Don't ask me why...

Gyro night when I was growing up was always silly. My dad always made the most amazing Steak Gyros, and it was one of the few recipes he didn't allow us in the kitchen to watch him make.

In hindsight, it was likely because he knew he would get complaints as we watched him massacre beloved cucumbers and throw them into a bowl of yogurt as he made Tzatziki (to be honest, cucumbers had an almost holy status in our house growing up. We usually only got them in the summer when we had them in the garden or when they were super cheap at the store...we would have much rather eaten them doused in vinegar, salt and pepper than in a mixture with yogurt. When I figured out what was in Tzatziki when I was older, I figured he had the attitude of what we didn't know wouldn't kill us...)

After he died, there was a little whole left in my heart where my dad, Gyro night, and Greek food should have been.

For years I have tried to duplicate his recipe- always getting close, but not all the way there.

Tonight, I am proud to say, that I think I have duplicated at least his famous Tzatziki...of course, as our Gyros were chicken, I still have to work on the steak...but the chicken was delightful. The only thing I would change would probably be to add less oregano (its a personal taste thing...too much oregano and dishes start to taste dirty and bitter to me.)

You can try the recipe yourselves and do it as written or add more or less oregano- its up to you!

For the meat (its a traditional Greek Lemon Chicken BTW):

Cube uncooked chicken (its easiest to do this after its been in the freezer for about 15 minutes, or when its still frozen in the middle as you're waiting for it to thaw.)

In a cup mix:
2 TBS oil (olive oil or vegetable oil will work for this one- the oil is basically to make frying easier)
2 TBS lemon juice
1TBS dijon mustard (1 TBS mustard powder would work as well, I like Dijon because it gives a little kick)
2 cloves garlic minced
1/8 tsp pepper
1 tsp oregano
1-2 tsp sugar
1 tsp apple cider or red wine vinegar (either will work- heck, try regular vinegar if that's all you have.)
(My rule of thumb with marinades is this: Adjust the sweet (sugar) to sour (vinegar) ratio until you have a mixture that you would use as a salad dressing. If I wouldn't eat it on its own, then I won't like it on my meat.)

Pour mixture over meat in a bag. Marinate 3 -24 hours, flipping back periodically to make sure that the marinade is evenly distributed.

Now you have two choices:
You can do what I did and put the chicken onto skewers and grill it on a grill pan or on your grill or you can spray a fry pan and pour the chicken mixture into it and fry the pieces. In both methods, you obviously want to cook the pieces until the juices run clear and there is no pink.

Tzatziki Sauce:

1 single serving portion of plain Greek yogurt or plain yogurt (8 oz/ 1 cup)
1 clove of garlic minced as fine as you can get it
1/2 medium cucumber or 1 large pickling cucumber, peeled and deseeded, then diced small
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 to 1 tsp vinegar (this will be to taste. Start with 1/2 tsp and add the other 1/2 if you feel you need more of that punch that the vinegar gives)
1 1/2 TBS oil (again vegetable or olive oil will work)
1/4 tsp of dill (okay, traditionally this would be mint- I personally find mint to be too pungent. Dill is a nice cooling substitute with a not overpowering, pleasant taste)
milk to thin

take cucumber dices, toss them in 1/4 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp of pepper- allow that mixture to sit for 10-15 minutes before adding to the rest of the ingredients. This will seep some of the water out of the cucumbers and flavor them a bit, making your sauce less runny later on and more flavorful initially.

Mix the rest of the ingredients except for the remaining salt and pepper and the milk. Once the cucumbers have been added, add the salt and pepper to taste (meaning you may not need the rest of the 1/4 tsp of both) THEN thin the sauce using the milk. This way, if you manage to get it a little too salty, the milk will help to spread the salt flavor around and fix your boo boo!

For the Gyros:

Use a pita, put a bed of leafy greens (we used a spring mix), diced tomatoes (if ya dig 'em), chicken, and then Tzatziki (the less you use, the drier your Gyro will be...I almost wished I'd put more on mine, the Tzatziki was the bomb diggity!)

I wish my camera wasn't dead, because I would have taken pictures of the succulent deliciousness!

OPA!

Hugs and deliciousness until next time!

Monday, March 12, 2012

Motherhood

Its so hard to think that my little baby is 5 months old...
Everyone comments that she is so tiny, but I remember her when she was like this:
So tiny, so fragile, but she ended up being so strong.  I remember crying when the nurse in the NICU told me that I would likely have to leave her there alone for a whole week...She was off the oxygen much faster than they expected she would be, and she was discharged only 1 day after me (and could have technically been discharged with me, but since we hadn't had a chance to have her in my room overnight yet, the doc wanted us to have one night that we took care of her assisted by the nurses...)

With baby #2 on the way, of course I have my worries. Mostly because I love this little girl SO MUCH and I worry that she won't understand why I won't be able to pick her up right away when she wants to be held or that she will start to think that she doesn't matter...because she does...she matters more than words can say.


This picture from Valentine's Day is so her...she is so happy, content and chill. She just loves to snuggle up in your lap and play with the keys on your keyboard with her hands and feet (buttons are her new "thing")...she loves to play with her hands and she loves bright colors and loud patterns...she is so gentle, so loving. Her biggest thrill in life is making new "friends" she smiles at everyone and makes their day better. Case and point- the nurse at my OBGYN's office is kind of a cranky pants- one smile from Faith and she is the most agreeable, kind person on the planet...she just LOVES, there is no expectation, just the hope that you'll smile back and say a kind word to her. Let her play with your hands and she's your friend for life!

I read a blog the other day that rang very true to me. I wish I could remember the link so you could read it too...the major gist was this- everyone seems to have this negative idea about parenting. You hear things like, "Sure, she's cute now, but just wait until she's older...then she won't be so cute." I hear that all the time! I kind of get sick of it. They go from loving my baby and smiling at her to accusing her of being a horrible terror in the future.

Motherhood isn't meant to be easy, I'm learning that it takes tough choices, tough times, and that it can be messy- I learned that the day she was born when I had to wait 6 hours to see her little face in person, I learned that even more when I thought I'd have to leave her behind at the hospital, I've learned that through sleepless nights and the gallons of spit-up that cover my wardrobe on a daily basis. I know only 5 months doesn't make me an expert but I do know a few things for certain:

I'm getting to know my daughter's spirit. She is so loving and kind that I believe that any bad behavior later on is going to come from a place of confusion or misunderstanding. I think in many ways she is like me, which makes my heart ache for her at times. I spent so much of my youth being in pain emotionally, but not saying a word because I was afraid of hurting the people around me or making them sad. Faith is a peaceful soul, she is an old soul. She wants so badly to be doing "big girl things" already- you should see her desperate attempts to crawl. Her little legs get going and it looks like she is trying to swim on the carpet, she just hasn't figured out yet that her arms need to be in on the action- but once she does, look out! She also tries to talk to me, I can see the frustration in her little face as she babbles and tries to get me to give her a toy or make her a bottle- sometimes I can't figure it out fast enough and that is when my little diva shows her "diva" side. I can tell that I am going to have to help guide her to see what is appropriate and when, I can tell that, like me, she is going to have a problem with patience and will have many lessons to learn along the way. I can tell that I am going to have to give her wings and let her fly a little sooner than I might like...but I also can already tell how smart she is. She gets such joy out of figuring things out herself. There is a snack tray (that has yet to be used) on her little Bumpo-esque activity chair. The snack tray has 2 removable cups...her favorite thing to do when she sits in the chair is to take the cups out and put them back in the holes...and of course, she has the biggest smiles when we're cheering her on or telling her that she did a good job when she's figured something new out.

I love her so much (in case I don't say that enough on this blog...) I've had friends and former teachers ask me how I like being a mom- I can honestly say I love it...

My overall reaction to the hard times we've had thus far can be summed up in one story. We were at church for the first time since she was born- we'd recently made the switch to formula and Faith spit up every ounce she'd just eaten (I swear, EVERY ounce) it was all over me and her. I whisked her to the bathroom, so wise, sage mothers from the ward had witnessed the catastrophe and followed me into the bathroom from the chapel. I grabbed paper towels (as the burp cloth was SOAKED) and began to clean her up, ignoring myself for last, I looked down at my sweet baby's face and chuckled, "Good job baby...nobody can say that you're not an overachiever." I said jovially, and laughing. The sage mothers that had followed me into the bathroom didn't quite get the reaction they'd expected apparently. They all laughed and one said, "All I can say is that when something like this happened with my first baby I cried and had my husband take me home. I was definitely not expecting to hear you laugh and joke with your baby about it."  I said, "Why not laugh- its pretty funny...look at me, I'm covered- this is sitcom worthy right here."  We all chuckled and they started cleaning me up while I finished wiping down my sweet baby (who was now asleep) with wipes out of the diaper bag...

I'd rather laugh than cry- that's my motto.

I read blogs of other mothers that have been parted from their sweet babies in this life and my heart aches. I cannot even fathom not seeing her happy, smiling face in the morning...hearing her scream and cry because she wants to fight nap time (even though we both know how much she really needs it), the smiling, knowing glances up in the wee hours of the morning as I feed her a small bottle to get her to sleep just a little bit longer... I read their stories and I am reminded to cherish every moment, to take a mental picture and store it if, heaven forbid, we end up being parted in this life too soon. I see news stories of parents who hurt their children, who are the cause to the end of their sweet, little lives, and my heart aches again- How? That is my only question... All I can do is wrap my sweet baby up in my arms, breathe her in, and pray that we will get lots of time together here on this earth.

I  know...I know...Right now, I only have the one- I don't  have the experience of many little rugrats running around my house and destroying everything in sight...but the honest to goodness truth is that I don't think my attitude will change. I LOVE being a mom...even on days when I'm getting cabin fever because we're here without a car, even on days when my little princess is being a holy terror because she's sick, or teething...in all the bad there is SO MUCH GOOD! So much to smile and laugh about...so why not choose laughter? Why not choose to not let yourself be overwhelmed and choose instead to just...be...

Be in the moment, be a mom- be the best darn mom you can be...show your little ones the kindness and love that they deserve.

I won't claim that I'm perfect at it...I have my moments- fortunately, my dear husband is there to take baby and tell me to go lay down for a minute...but it doesn't take long until I want her back in my arms, I want to smell her smell, to make her smile and hear her laugh...even hear her cry if she is in a "mood" and needs a little mamma love as opposed to daddy love.

I will admit it- YES I am overwhelmed at times, especially with the thought of having to do this with two under the age of two...but then I remind myself that I am not alone...

I have a wonderful husband, who is the most amazing father. Faith loves him so much- when he gets home she follows him with her gaze until he swoops her up and gives her a hug. She will reach out for him if she is sick of plain old mamma...and I can't wait to see another little one do the same thing.

I also have a loving Father in Heaven, who answers prayers and will never leave me without comfort or help. ..more importantly, it is the same Father in Heaven who blessed me with the opportunity to be a mother- something that only a few short years ago I believed would never happen for me. He trusts me enough to let me take care of some of his children, to raise them, to teach them right from wrong, to make them a part of my eternal family...I have friends that haven't been blessed with this opportunity, I see how it breaks their hearts to be single, or even married and waiting for the blessing of an adoption or to have infertility treatments work to grow their family, and the calling that I have been blessed with becomes all the more precious to me. I had once been told by a doctor that I would never be able to have children because of PCOS (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome), and here I am lucky enough to be on the right medications to make it possible for my body to do what it needs to do so that I can help create life...this is a HUGE responsibility and blessing- one that much of the world takes so lightly...if every woman and man thought about the fact that not everyone is blessed with the ability to have their own children certain medical procedures that shall remain nameless wouldn't even exist... (of course, that is part of this life, agency- the right to choose...but in making a choice, perhaps this should be something they are reminded of...)

Being a mother is such a blessing. I have brief moments where I think of the "what if's"- I miss being on the stage and performing, but I also know that good things come to those that wait. I know that if I want those opportunities, the Lord will bless me at the right time to find the right place to share my talents again (outside of church...LOL)...in the meantime, I can be so grateful for them and the opportunities that my education will help afford for my family. I have a built in "at-home" career...I can be a mom and a voice-teacher/ local celebrity (once I find the right outlet! LOL). My education also gave me the experience and know-how I needed so that my husband and I can make the choice of homeschooling possible for our children, and a far less daunting thought for us...(before you nay-sayers get your panties in a twist, we WILL be giving them the option to go to high school, but with the current state of the public education system, we'd rather have a little more control over what they're learning earlier on, homeschooling will give us the ability to allow them to work ahead if they need to, or to focus more and stay behind in certain subjects if they need to, we also feel that they will have more creative outlets this way, as many public elementary schools are cutting P.E. and Music out to save their budgets. I have taken many education classes, and I can assure you that, for an aware parent, there are plenty of other socialization options for your children outside of being in a public school if you're willing to look for them.)

I love my 24/7 job. Friends can attest to the fact that I have a problem leaving Faith for even a few short hours to go to Relief Society activity...I don't want to miss a thing...all the prima donna roles that I could have on the stage, or awards that I can win would NEVER be able to hold a candle to those precious, extraordinary moments that you find yourself in during the day as a mother...you have to be looking for them, but I promise that once you do- you will see that there are too many to count...

Besides- who wouldn't want to see this face all day every day?



Lots of hugs and slobbery baby kisses until next time darlings!

Saturday, March 3, 2012

When is an A-line not an A-Line or why I miss Molly and Sammy

So...

I did it! I went and chopped off about 6 inches of hair.

Let me preface this by saying that the stylist did a really good job cutting my hair. So far it looks like everything is even and blended well...there's just one little problem...

The haircut I left with wasn't REALLY the one that I had asked for.

See...its cute...I will tell you the story, because you're all dying to know...but first...let me show you the pictures I showed to the stylist...


Can you see why I'm a little disappointed?
photo credit and original stylist of this look here...if she wasn't in Utah I would have looked her up...*sigh* maybe someday on the way through Utah we can visit her and she can work her magic on my head. Check out the rest of her blog, she's really talented!

Our initial consultation seemed to go well, she seemed to understand what I wanted...but looking back I think she only heard one phrase...

I'd mentioned that I had been trying to grow my hair out and had been afraid to cut it but knew that I needed to because I had baby #2 on the way...I needed to get real with myself was I think the way I'd put it.

I think all she heard was "grow it out" and "afraid" and didn't hear the rest...I don't think she even looked at the picture. When I told her I wanted a "rooster tail" (the little spikey pieces at the top of the head) she said, "Wow, that's going to have to be pretty short." and then she just kept cutting (notice that the rooster tail is NOWHERE to be found in the cut that I got...). I'm also convinced that the stacked a-line I described is more of a stacked bob with a-line tendencies...another small disappointment.

Don't get me wrong, like I said, it really is a nice cut, just not the one I asked for. She spent a lot of time cutting it and getting it perfect (in her eyes)...A LOT...I was kind of surprised by how much, she was double and triple checking everything, which I really appreciated (because I am so particular about my hair) but that also ended up being a double edged sword in the end.

I don't think she had managed her time very well...she spent a lot of time on the haircut, and I was paying for a shampoo, cut and STYLE...well, apparently running some leave in conditioner and then blow drying the hair with a round brush counts as a style...I was really disappointed... 

I won't lie, I'm never very thrilled with the way that stylists style my hair, I'm very particular about how I like things. I think I've only ever had 2 stylists style my hair and had me not walking out of the salon itching to get home and fix it. Needless to say, I came home and immediately plugged in my straightener and found my teasing comb. (The after pictures of me above are pictures after I had fixed the styling.)

I think next time (if I decide I like the shorter hair thing) I will go ahead and try to wait to make an appointment at this salon  in town a friend recommended. I tried calling for an appointment but I would have had to wait two weeks...when I'm amped for a dramatic change haircut, I have to go with it before I change my mind...I didn't want to wait 2 weeks and then go in for what would basically be considered a trim...totally not worth the $35 it would have cost...Its too short to be turned into what I'd wanted in the first place...I'll just have to let it grow out and when its time to trim it up I will try the other place to see if I get better results.

Over all...the stylist I saw today did give a good haircut...I just wish it had been what I asked for...

Oh well, my hair grows fast, Its not like its a disaster, its just not what I'd been expecting...

C'est la vie...in a week I'll either love it or hate it...

Hugs and loves until next time darlings!