Slowing Down

After 5 weeks at my bank job, I quit.  It was something that had been on my mind after the first painful week of sitting around with not much to do, and also why I should have trusted my gut before accepting the job.  In the long run I think it will be for the best.  It's hard to explain, but the best way is it just wasn't the right fit.  I realized quickly it wasn't accounting enough for me and after having awesome flexibility at JCCS, being confined to banking structure was really hard.  The best part was realizing all these things and knowing then what I was looking for.

Also after being home for the summer and getting into some routines I also realized how content I am to slow down. Its really been an interesting journey so far.

I did however have something lined up before I quit and I am really excited about it. I am really hoping it works out how we are envisioning it and will be the start of many good things to come.

This week we are gearing up for my sister's wedding and another round of cake baking.  A little colder for this wedding than the last but I am sure we will be fine!

Go Wildcats!!!!

October-ness

I am slacking in the posting department but that is mostly because I have been doing some pondering as of late.  My new job isn't quite working out like I had hoped and its hard deciding what to do about it.  On the bright side, it has made me consider what I want out of my work, the type of environment, the people, the flexibility and just some good realization of how I want to live out my life.  I think I will be stepping outside my comfort box, but am hopeful it will be a good step.  A shout out to JP for being an awesome shoulder and sounding board.

Willa has been loving her new school more than ever as of late.  They have taken some fun field trips as of late and now they go to a gymnastics center every other week on top of her weekly class so she is in heaven.  Her sign language skills are also expanding.  Her and B seem to add to it everyday and she loves spelling words.

Fall is finally here and it is my favorite season of all.  I do love my sweaters.  I have already decided to Thankful November again on this blog in hopes it will jump start my posting again.

September Flies

We are just cruising right along through the month of September and just having a little blast.  The weather has been extremely warm and poor B is still training.  He is also recovering from a horrible sinus infection so he complains his runs aren't up to snuff.

Willa has been having a ball doing all kinds of fun things.  Her preschool has been going to a gymnastics center, she went to the local Air Show, Powell Gardens and the Circus.  Does it get any better for kicking off her birthday month.

Her party is the weekend after birthday week and I am glutton for punishment since I am also hosting my sister's bridal shower the following day.

I helped out B's cousin at his first BBQ cook off and it was a lot of fun but exhausting.  I slept half the day today and am already ready to go to bed tonight.

Also for the last few weeks I have been interviewing for a new job.  I had initially applied for a different position but they felt I was better suited for a job they were getting ready to post.  After meeting with 4 people and waiting a week, I was selected as their new Mortgage Lending Officer.  Talk about taking a new road down a career path.  My accounting background will be quite helpful and I am very hopeful that this will work out for everyone.  I am a little sad to be giving up my days at home,  but excited to try something new.

Holy Jeeze!

I really didn't mean to almost completely skip August in my blogging, but alas I pretty much have.  We have stayed busy but there have been some lulls of just loungey-ness going on.

Willa started at a new preschool 3 days a week.  I know they stay busy there because she usually naps in the afternoon.  But I am totally loving it.  The info sheets we get everyday just make my shy self so happy.  It gives all the information that I would normally ask about or wonder at out old school.  I did adore the Great Falls Center and I hope as time goes by we will get to know the ladies here just like we did there.  We did have one day of unhappiness with some little boys being not very nice, but she has since got over that.

I spent a weekend in Arkansas with my favorite college roomies.  We went canoeing, to a minor league game, played tons of pitch, did some shopping, tried different beers, and toured "Matt's Park."  A completely successful weekend that was topped off by finding the Minion blimp.

I also picked blackberries for the first time with my Grandma Jo, Mom, Sis-in-law and Willa.  Totally fun and we just keep adding things we want to Mimi and Poppy's garden.  I feel like we are bound and determined to can our way through the year.  I keep waiting for the fun add-ons from Bountiful Baskets to do some more fun canning.

I know there is much  more we have done over the last few weeks but these were some of the highlights for sure.

Fair Week and more peaches

Another busy week around these parts.  Willa and I bought another case of peaches and we let them ripen up on the kitchen table a few days.  On Monday they were ready to go so we packed up and headed to Grandma Jo's on Tuesday.  We made a pie filling type of concoction that we have liked on ice cream and yogurt.  It is also fair week so we have spent some time at the fairgrounds.

I have been helping out a gal that is expanding her restaurant into mobile vending as well.  So now I can add some food service to my repertoire of skills.

Willa made her pig showing debut and it was a combo of comical and tragedy.  They were a few too many people and too many pigs for her liking.  She kept trying to keep up with her pig but was not real happy when other pigs got in her way.  She thought they were "Wild Pigs."  Her Baby Q was socializing a little too much and wasn't keeping up to well. :)  She was more nervous than I thought she would be but there was a lot of people so that is to be expected.

We have Chiefs Cheerleading Camp this weekend and if she likes it as much as her tumbling class she will have a blast. 

Finding our way

We have been racking up the miles along Highway 50 it seems and it confirms to me that driving it not my favorite thing to do in this world.  But we are starting to figure out keeping the car stocked of fun things for Willa and packing gets easier.

As I have been figuring out the best way to organize our rental, I had some little storage bins that Willa had used in her old bedroom.  We have many duplicates of coloring books, crayons, flashcards, stickers, and other little things so I took two of the buckets and filled them with those things and put one in each vehicle.  We no longer have to round up a bag each time we get in the car.  Seems so simple and yet took me so long to figure out.

This weekend just Willa and I went to KS to piddle around and we ended up canning more beets at Grandma Jo's and then on Sunday I got some sewing time in with Aunt Marcy and my cousin Stephannie while the little girls got to play.  We made them little dresses and Aunty Marcy helped us with our sewing machines and gave us plenty of fabric to keep playing around with.

Willa loves her new tumbling class and so do I!  Her favorite is the trampoline and the tumbling track.  I think she would go to a class everyday if we would let her.  I discovered they also have a little preschool dance class so we may investigate if that will work for her too.  I met some other moms there and one that I have a lot in common with.  She has been filling me in on the activities and things around here.

We keep trying to find our routine and groove around here, but a lot of days we just like to veg out and for now I am ok with that.

The Best Laid Plans

I had really intended on blogging more in June but when we would come to KS for the weekends we just didn't spend much time on the Interwebz.  Or I would think of something to blog about during the week and never get around to typing it out.

But since this is the long weekend I figured I should do some catching up.

The Glow Run 5k
The whole Fam participated and I actually ran most of it.  B has sort of sucked me into this whole running thing and I have been trying to get out in the evenings to run a few miles.  Except I am a baby and its very hot and our road is very hilly.  But Baby Q was going to run with me for this and I thought that would keep me motivated and it did help except he left me in the dust.  My goal for July is 20 miles. I have 2 so far....

The all night Royals game

We planned on going to the game on the 3rd and it was beautiful all day....until we were about 2 miles from the stadium when it downpoured for 2.5 hours.  Game started at 9:45.  We did however extend our streak of watching a ball game on the 4th and the following fireworks.  7 years and going.

Canning
I am learning the ways of Grandma Jo and assisted her and my mom in canning some beets.  I do not eat beets but it is kind of fun.  I was able to order a bountiful basket this week and we ordered 75 lbs of peaches, 20 lbs of grapes, 15 loaves of bread and 3 baskets.  I canned my peaches and got 35 pints.  I am however, no where near fast enough at peeling. 

Willa and I have been organizing our weeks a little more.   We go to the library, get groceries, make our meal plans and lists.  This week she will start a preschool tumbling class and I hope it means we will start meeting some new friends.  The library moms must not think we are cool yet, though one did say we looked just alike.  We have been having fun doing her library bingo and reading for Papa Murphy's cookie dough.