We need to have hope. We need to have something to look forward to when things seem to be going rough.

I always hope for the best but prepare for the worst.

Be hopefully and humble, friends.

I am so blessed! These two are quite amazing and bring me so much joy! Love them to pieces!

Oh who me?

Oh no, I don't need sleep. I'm beginning to believe I'm no longer in a normal functional state of mind, but of survival now. I am beyond exhausted.

My sweet Lincoln has come down with or is fighting something and had a few rough nights. I am wondering if it's a reaction to his shots the other day. Regardless, he's definitely not himself and disruptive towards his routine.

He's been awake or restless all night! It's 3am and I've yet to sleep a full hour. I mean, obviously, I will do anything to make certain he is okay, but I am to the point where I am getting sick myself. Lack of sleep does that to me. :(

I'm hoping this weekend we can fight it off and get some much-needed solid rest.

On the bright side, my Bri is doing well. Had her dance recital tonight! She's definitely a shining star and put on a fantastic show! Love her!

I'm off to potentially get some rest. Enjoy your weekend my friends!

Trial run for prom makeup for this lovely 17 year old! I was excited to get my hands on my brushes and play with my pallets. She battles acne and I was able ton nearly make it disappear! I used Graftobian, Ben Nye, Makeup Forever, Smashbox, and Kryolan. Makeup is a passion of mine and am so thankful for the education I received at Faces Etc. Of Minnesota.

I have several more events/weddings coming up and am so excited to glam up some beautiful ladies!

Blog challenge: talk about cattiness in women.

This is one of those touchy subjects...but something I simply don't understand.

All my life I've struggled with other females and I have no idea why. I may appear to be unpleasant and come across as unapproachable, but that means nothing. I wanted nothing more than to have solid friendship with other girls. Apparently my demeanor has a lot to do with that. Granted now I do have a few close female friends, there are still moments of cattiness among other females.

I'm nearly 27 years old and am in awe that women my age and older are still so catty. I spoke of work, no one wants to mind their business. They seem to get joy out of trying to make others feel bad. My reaction is always to kill them with kindness. It works. ;)

When I hear catty, I think of three opportunities I had to confront women who over stepped boundaries into my marriage. Three times I spoke to them and respectfully asked them to back off, and three times I became the bad guy and they moved in even further. Not once did they step back and realize I wasn't the bad guy. I was simply fighting for my marriage. Needless to say, their catty behavior lead towards an end of a relationship. How did they not see where I was coming from? To see the pain and hurt it caused my family. The new movie coming out, the other women, portrays what should have happened. The girls team up to put the unfaithful husband to shame. But that's not reality. Women don't comfort eachother. It's such a forbidden territory that we degrade eachother instead.

We need to empower eachother, give eachother the confidence to strive and support to be better. Stop trying to put a woman down because she's different than you. And for goodness sake, own up to the ridiculous behavior of being catty for no reason. Let's create a movement: take care of eachother! Be the women we were meant to be. Be happy for another's achievements. Give credit where credit is due. Show respect!

Checked another thing off my list of something new: riding along in a milk truck.

So my dad drives for a friend on occasion and I decided to tag along. #1-i always feel like a badass in big trucks and #2-im fascinated by the dairy industry. Though I would probably never have my own cows, they play a huge role in our food chain. Plus, I love milk!

We picked up a large tank from East Dublin Dairy. They have over 5000 cows that are in a constant milking rotation. They have a large rotating platform that holds 80 cows and takes 6 minutes for a rotation. The amount of milk they produce is insane!

When we took the milk to FDA, they take a sample and when u go to unload, they let u know if your tank is clean or contaminated.

I'm glad I got to experience this process and spend some quality time with my dad. I'm definitely a daddy's girl! Can't wait for my little farm girl Bri to experience it too.

Celebrating the bride-to-be at her shower! Delicious mimosas and mini cheesecake! I'm so excited to be a part of her big day as her personal attendant & makeup artist! Next up: bachelorette party! :)

Thoughts...

I have so many thoughts lately. So much to do. So much to think about...its to the point where I'd rather take a nap then worry about that stuff...

Had a little shopping day today, #1- I hate spending money. I'm already feeling financially weak and shopping doesn't help, esp when there are things I do actually need. #2- I cant seem to drop this baby weight for the life of me and it took an emotional toll on me in the changing room. I feel disgusting and hate that nothing fits right anymore. :( I'll continue on my journey to lose weight, it's going to be hard, but it's something that has to be done for myself. Asap! #3- i can't shop with other people. I have my own style that can be very different from others. I tried on several items only to get a face of disgust...granted I dont care what anyone thinks, its frustrating when u ask 'how does this look' and u get the look of death. Regardless, I didn't buy the dress (super cute maxi) and am bothered that I realized I am sooooooo awkwardly different from everyone I know. Yes,
its totally okay to be different, but sometimes it's nice to have someone to relate with.

I'm over it though. On to a brighter day tomorrow! Helping out a friend for her bridal shower and spending some much needed time with my littles!

I need a vacation. Stat!

Its the middle of April and we just got over a foot of snow! Wtf!!!!!!

I think this winter has further encouraged to move out of the north! I'm spent. Im so over getting stuck, being cold, and the gas bill! ;)

Spring needs to hurry up and stay a while!!

Little bit of everything...

My amazing sister is home!!! She's been home since Wednesday and we could not be happier! She's currently 18 weeks pregnant with her first! I am beyond excited for her! We even threw her a Star Wars themed baby shower yesterday!

I'm so thankful for the bond we share And the fact that we can talk about EVERYTHING under the moon and laugh at eachother's ridiculousness! We have no shame.

She's been my rock and always there for me. In a sense, she's my protector and my go-to. As I am all of those to her, we are truly lucky have eachother.

Im schooling her on motherhood while she's here. She's already great with Bri and Linc so she's just getting to know the little details no one tells you about motherhood! Like pee and poop...it never ends! Spit up becomes a fashion accessory and you should wear it proudly! ;)

Our family is already so close, and adding in little ones has and will continue to keep us close. I am lucky to have a family who isn't quick to judge and is willing to drop everything to be by our side in a time of need.

I am ecstatic to travel to Florida when sister moves there in a few weeks! And if things work out in my favor, I would love to join her! The only thing keeping me here is my parents and if they move, I'm moving too!

Speaking of traveling, I am hoping to take the littles to Colorado soon for a mini vacation to see their dad and his new puppy! Bri is so excited to see the pup that she asked if we could go tomorrow! She's going to have lots of stories with all her travel plans this summer. She's one lucky lady!

I do have a busy work week but excited for my 3 day Easter weekend with my fam and shopping on Friday with the girls!

Hope all you lovelies have a fabulous week!

It's also called being an adult. Respect is rare in today's society. I have an admiration for those who can be respectful regardless of the situation they may find themselves in. And for those who can't, I am sorry for you. Your foundation needs strengthening.

The pits & peaks

The pit: so a while ago I got some news that irritated me. I asked questions with only the intent to get the truth. That was something I never received. And to this day has made me extremely bitter. I've done everything I can to be fair when it comes to sharing my littles. However, I have not received that fairness in return. I had one request: do what u say and say what you do. How hard is that? Why am I the one who has to bend over backwards to accommodate someone else? Why do they get to up and leave with no repercussions? Annoyed...

The peak: date #3 was a sucess. So many laughs and great company! If I can make him laugh, my job is done. :) we've been talking for about 2 months and its nice to finally feel a sense of joy and excitement! I'm not in any rush to get into a relationship but I am excited that I've slowly made a real connection with him! Date #4 planning in the works!

I hate the pits...but climbing up has brought me to the peaks!

PSA

To everyone who thinks it's 'funny' to secretly take and post pictures making fun of others: grow the hell up.

We live in a society that lacks common sense and compassion. Posting such pictures can nearly destroy someone completely. Who do you think you are thinking such behavior is acceptable?

Parents, teach your children respect and compassion towards others. And for goodness sake, punish them for their disgusting behavior.

I was not a victim of this, but someone very close to me was. And for what? To have .2 seconds of instagram fame? Grow up! And you better believe that Karma is a bitch.

Ugh, I'm so upset by this! I feel so terrible that it happened to someone I love, and there is nothing I can do to fix it. I can only hope the picture was removed and the person who posted it gets the punishment they deserve.

The big and the small...

It's time to set some goals and chase dreams! I have some small goals to achieve and some big dreams to chase! And I am 100% dedicated to accomplish them all!

A few small goals:
Arrive to work 10 minutes early everyday
Spend 1 on 1 time with my kiddies daily
Do one thing everyday that is new or scary

Fitness goals:
Lose 13 lbs by summer
Pass my PT test in June with an 80% or higher
Run a half marathon this summer

Chasing dreams:
Get my promotion to Sergeant this summer
Start pursuing/finish my BA degree
Pursue a full time job opportunity with the DoD

I have more, but these are current and things to work on and accomplish in the near future.

What are you going to do to become a better you? Don't be afraid to start small and go big. I am living proof that you can hit rock bottom and work your ass off to the top!

With an amazing support system, family, and friends, I was and will be able to accomplish so much to be a better me and give my kiddos the best life possible.

It's your turn.

New Things

So I've been forcing myself to try new things...new things such as food. Tonight's menu included Mayan (central American food). I tried cow tongue tacos and tamales for the first time. So spicy!!!!!!!! But not bad actually!

-amen.