Friday, August 28, 2009

First Day of Dance Lessons!





Aspen LOVES dancing. She gets so excited about it and looks so cute. I'm excited she is finally old enough to start lessons. Here she is on her first day of dance lessons. I didn't try very hard for great photos. She wasnt' in the mood to model and I was lucky to get what I did.

Inadequacies...beware. Long post.

It's a long post. Don't worry about reading it. It's for venting.

Here's my post finally about how I was feeling the other day. I was having a bad day. Period. I feel tired, not good enough, not smart enough, not quick enough, not fast enough, not creative enough, you name it, I've probably been feeling it.

I usually try not to complain about it, because I know I put it on myself. Or at least in other people's eyes I put it on myself...and I hate to play the "poor pity me" game. so I keep it to myself. But then my family gets it taken out on them, so I will spill it all here (even though hear me out...NOT looking for sympathy...just venting) Here's what my week looks like:

Monday: take aspen to dance lessons, sit in the car and make phone calls for an hour and hope I get them all done for my boss before the hour is up and I have to pick aspen up, and put on my happy face for her, and sound excited and thrilled even though I've just been on the phone for an hour. Come home. Put Aspen in front of the T.V. amidst feeling of severe guilt for not having the time to sit and read her books, or play games with her, or take her outside (heaven knows this child has hardly seen the outdoors all summer poor thing) Get more work done...while more is pilling up. Ignore the dirty house and the fact that Ashton will be home in a couple hours and I still haven't even thought of anything for dinner...which means I'll be asking him to pick something up on his way home, which means I'll feel guilty for spending the money, and for not taking the time to get some dinner made. Be chipper when Ashton gets home so he knows I love him, eat, get aspen ready for bed, and go back to work...usually till midnight or one in the morning so I can get it all done. Did I read Aspen even one book? Probably not. Did she watch t.v. most the day? Probably. Feel guilty as I go to bed that my baby is growing up and I've hardly had the time to be with her and watch her grow.

Tuesday: School from 9am - 10pm. One hour break between classes at noon to one. I have to make business phone calls during this time, so I'm lucky if I grab a bite to eat. All my other classes are 10 min apart the rest of the day so that I don't have to do school every day of the week and only have to find a sitter for Aspen 2 days a week. I get home at 10:30, finish any work needing done that day, and climb into bed exhausted. I have no clue what Aspen even did all day, because she's asleep before I even get home.

Wed: Homework, more business, at least I get in a LITTLE time with Aspen and can maybe get dinner on the table. It's probably Cold Cereal. If we are lucky. More work, then to bed so I can get up for school the next day.

Thurs: repeat of Tuesday. I get to be home by 7:30 instead of 10 though...so I get a couple hours in with Aspen ...though by this time I'm exhausted, and yesterday I laid down to rest and fell asleep at 8...leaving aspen watching t.v. in the living room. Guilt again.

Friday: ah!! Thank goodness for Friday's. I don't have school, and my work load is usually a little less...but I have a LOT of homework to do now. And aspen is laying on the floor by a pile of crayons, because I've promised myself we are doing at least ONE day without T.V.! (well, more like one morning) So instead she lays on the floor by my chair whining about wanting to watch t.v. since I'm finishing up homework and work, and trying to decide if I should shower or not...instead I'm blogging. I'm exhausted. But I did make breakfast this morning. yay for me!

I have no idea what Saturday's will be like yet. Maybe I will get a break. But Ashtons classes are so hard, I don't even see him. He studies non stop. And when he's not studying, he's working. It's a bummer. We miss him. Saturday's he works. Or studies. OR both.

Here's the problem. I know people look at all I do and say "well, she doesn't have to do school", or "she only has one kid (by the way, that comment never helps since we've wanted another child for a long time and that in itself is another post all together...), or "she could let her husband work and stay home..." I've heard them all, but it's not that easy. I feel guilty every time I read the new era or ensign and it says mothers should be in the home. But I prayed about going to school and I felt VERY strongly that it was something I needed to do. When you marry an Army boy, you NEVER know what your future holds, and I feel very strongly that I need to have some kind of education. I'm not smart. It doesn't come naturally to me. I struggle with every school subject I take. And as for ashton being the bread winner. His classes hardly leave him any amount of time to work, he has harder classes then I can imagine taking, and I know he is trying hard to get a good education so he CAN support us someday. Without me working right now, we can't pay all the bills we need to, so we both have to put in any extra amount of time left over to work.

I also want another baby. I've felt strongly that I'm supposed to have another one, and I get depressed and frusterated that we've tried so long to get another one with no success. My baby will be 4 this next year. That's a big age difference to me, and no matter how many times people say to me that it will make it easier to have them far apart, it doesn't make me feel better. But thanks anyway.

My feelings are jumbled and I rarely have time to put them into a structured sentence, so sorry if this was terribly annoying to read. I want to feel upbeat all the time, and I try hard to, but it doesnt' happen very often. I'm sure someday I will learn.

Wednesday, August 26, 2009

AHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!

Just needed somewhere to scream out my frusterations, my tiredness, my annoyances, my "dont' feel good enough's", my grumpiness...

this seemed like the best way to do it. Spare my family the non fun day with me.

Friday, August 21, 2009

Catching up

Gosh, I really need to post more often. I had all these things I wanted to post about and now I can't remember any of them. Let's see. We had my families "Peck Family Reunion" that I had to plan. And of course, the only day it chose to not be sunny, was the day we held the reunion. We went to Minnetonka Cave and Bear Lake. Boy did it rain. Kinda a bummer. It was cold, so it wasn't exactly a "Day at the beach" but we did what we could with the day and it turned out fine. All but 3 of my siblings made it. We had a lot of fun together. I love my family so much.

Aspen is starting dancing on Monday at Tuellers. She is totally excited. She's been begging to take dancing for a while, and finally asked me the other day if I'd signed her up for dancing yet. (I don't know that she knows what "Signed me up for dancing" means, but she's heard enough people say it...funny girl) So I bought her darling little dance shoes today. Ballet and Tap. So cute! I'm excited for her.

Work has been busy. School starts Monday. Summer went too quickly. So much for a "Break"

Yesterday I went to lunch with two of my best childhood friends. Lisa and Charlotte. There are very few I have kept in touch with from highschool, but I think these gals will always be in my life. We've been friends since we were in nurshrey together as far as I know. LOVE them. Charlotte has always been more of a sister to me. Love that girl.

Ok, back to busy soon...hopefully I will find some time to post here and there. Wish me luck!

There were so many pics, I had to make a collage of them to share instead of post individually. You will have to enlarge it to read the writing probably...

Wednesday, August 12, 2009

She said it...and other things

Today we were watching a movie with Aspen, when all of the sudden, she realized her "kitty was on the ceiling" (she has this pretend kitty she takes with her everywhere.) she was trying to find a way to "get it down" which was rather humorous since it is a pretend kitty. And all of the sudden, she says...uh! (she does this in an exasperated sigh sounding thing) this is FREAKIN me out!

Out of the mouth of babes. And seriously I don't know where she picked that one up from. I don't remember saying "Freakin me out" lately. But we had a good laugh about it. She says the darndest things.

as for the "other things" I feel like I'm lost in space right now. I'm making a lot of crazy business decisions...that hopefully will work out and be for the better rather than the worse...but it's hard for me to change things. Change is always hard for me. The other thing making me feel lost. And stuck. Is that my husband keeps changing his mind. He thinks he wants to do army full time, then he changes his mind and decides to stay here and finish school. So until an official choice is made, I will be here...staying put with one foot in the house and one foot outside the door. At least that's how I feel lately. Ugh.

Such is life. Good thing I have Aspen around to say things that crack me up!

Wednesday, August 05, 2009

At the End of the Day

First off, thanks Erika for checking out my blog! Sorry for the personal shout out, but I can't get onto your blog, and I don't have your email address, so add me!!

On to my post. We went to Bear Lake with Ashton's family on Tuesday and had a lot of fun. Aspen LOVED the wave runners, and the boat. My mom came with, and she RODE ON THE BOAT AND WAVE RUNNERS!!!!!!!!! I was laughing so hard, because if you know my mom...you would laugh too. She doesn't do stuff like this...she sits on the beach under the shade and watches. She didn't want to do it, but everyone talked her into it, and she was so scared the whole time, she would let out these little squeals of fear. And I would be laughing so hard. She did smile a couple times. It was fun to watch her. I had a fun day with her. I'm sure my older siblings saw her do stuff adventerous, but I didn't get that chance. She had me when she was about 43 or so, so when I came along, she was tired and didn't do many fun things like that with me.

We had a good day. Aspen was fantastic. She LOVES playing in water, and would ask to ride on the "water motogycles" (wave runners - she calls them water motorcycles) On the way home she was completely OUT. It was a long, good day. Obviously the last picture with me in it Ashton took. Aspen was so tired when we got home she just wanted me to lay down and sleep with her in her bed. She's my sweetie! And check out how sometimes her eyes are more green then brown. I love those days. I always pictured her with green eyes, But she's always just had both green and brown. They change daily and I got this picture for the proof.

Other good, fantastic, great news! I got a Nikon D700 this week!!!!!!!!! ahhhh!!! It's normally a very pricey camera, but I got it for 1K off. I'm using my school money for it, and it is my birthday, christmas, new years, anniversary, mothers day gift, for probably the next two years. But it's so nice!!!!!!!!!!! It takes such great photos, with great quality and colors! LOVE IT! You have to enlarge my pics to see how great it is. I'm starting to get more nervous about having my site unprotected, when I post pics, because of all the idiots out there that still peoples work. So I've started putting my name on everything in hopes it distracts people from that...stupid people you hear about on the news!

Also in the works of our busy life...Ashton has decided to look into signing up for Army full time. Which means moving. To a Base. In some other State. so scary for me. I've never been anywhere but here. But he loves the army so much, and I want him to be doing something he loves, so I'm happy for him. I hope he can get in. He wants to fly Helicopters, but it can be hard to get in. And we'd have to move to Alabama. FAR from home. Anyway, I LOVE him and appreciate the hard work he puts in for our family.

At the end of the day...I'm happy the day was so memorable, family makes me happy, and nothing beats a little girl wrapping her arms around your neck and giving you a big, happy kiss!