Day 22: How have you changed in the past two years

A lot has changed in the last two years. I went from working full time at a veterinarian clinic, to becoming a full time stay at home mom. The transition was easy, the hard part was not contributing financially anymore. I was so use to paying for half of everything, and it made me feel good, like I was doing my part. 

I wouldn't change anything, I love being home with Ruby. I do feel bad sometimes like I don't do enough. But that's just me, Josh is 100% onboard with me staying home with Ruby. 

I have a lot more patience now, and I don't get as much sleep as I use to but I'm ok with that. :) 

Day 21: One of your favorite shows

I have a couple of shows that I love; Modern Family is hilarious every single episode. I really think that it gets better and better every week. I could watch reruns of that show forever. The same goes for the Big Bang Theory. Two great 30 minute shows. I find that sometimes I don't have a lot of time to catch up on my shows and these are perfect quick belly laughing shows :)

If I do have, by some miracle, an hour to myself I will catch up on Once Upon a Time or The Vampire Diaries. Once Upon a Time is a great show if you love fairy tales. It's got a great story line. Fairy tale characters stuck in a modern day world, and don't remember who they use to be. Once you start it you get sucked in big time! I recommend it to anyone that has about 70 hours straight free to watch all the episodes in a row, because you are going to want too :) 

Day 20: How important is education

Oh where to begin... Education is the most important thing, especially when you are young. Every child should be in school and learning new things all the time. If they have a solid foundation of education then that will help them immensely in the future. 

Ruby is learning new things everyday, and I will continue to teach her things. I want her to have a head start with learning. I have heard that ABC mouse is a great program so we will try that when she gets old enough. For now we will keep reading, playing and growing. 

Education is great for everyone, young and old. I believe that everyone should always continue learning. If it's going back to school to get a degree or taking some continuing education classes, everyone should keep learning. 

You can never have too much education. It never hurts to be smart :) 

Day 19: Disrespecting your parents

When I was younger I put my parents through some not great stuff. And now that I am older I can't believe that I did the things I did. But I have come to the realization that it does happen and all you can do is apologize until you are blue in the face.

I have nothing but respect and love for my parents. They are the reason I am the person I am today and I am thankful for everything that they have done. I had a bad phase at a hard time in our lives and I am sorry everyday for the way I acted. Something's you have to learn by doing and getting in trouble. 

I am sure it will happen with Ruby when she gets older and we will get through it. I will never ever disrespect my parents again. They are the best! 

Day 18: Your Beliefs

I have lots of different beliefs. We've already talked religion so I'm not going to talk about that. 

I believe that everything happens for a reason, and that karma will eventually catch up with you. Good or bad. You get what you put there, you treat people how you want to be treated. I mean isn't that common sense. You want respect you treat people with respect. 

I really dislike people who think they are better than others. I had people in my life like that and now they are gone and life is so much better. People like that have a hard time finding happiness. 

I believe that there are always two sides to a story and you should never judge someone or act, before you hear both. 

I believe that laughter can make the pain go away. And having good friends and a close family is all you really need in life. Well and animals. A house is not a home without animals. I will never not have a dog or cat in my home. They are a lot of work but so worth it. I believe that dogs know when you are sad and they know exactly how to make you feel better. At least every dog I've ever had knew. 

I believe that sometimes you have to cry it out. You can't keep it in forever and it's good to let things go. 

Communication is key in an relationship. Sometimes it's hard to talk about things but I find once you do you feel so much better and less stressed. 

I live by this saying....everything happens for a reason. 

Photo via alexandani.com

Day 17: Your highs and lows of the past year

It's been a busy few days so I haven't had a chance to write. But it did give me a chance to figure out what I wanted to say. 

There have been so many good things happening in the last year, and a few things that are frustrating and challenging. But we get through it all as a family.

Some highs from last year are everyone is healthy in my family. Ruby is learning lots of things quickly and I get to experience all of these firsts with her. I am so lucky to be able to stay home with her.

I had a great health check in November which is always good. 

Josh has got to travel to Europe a handful of times and see things that I could only dream of seeing. 

Some lows of the past year, well there is always some stress that comes with having a step child. Ryan is great it's just challenging and stressful at times with too many hands in the pot.

Another low would be trying to get pregnant and not being able too because of travel, and stress. But it will happen when it's supposed to. 

But all in all the year was great, and this year will be too! 

Day 16: Your view on mainstream music

Day 16: Your view on mainstream music

When it comes to music I will listen to almost anything. I don't have just one type of music that I like. I do like listening to upbeat music when I'm energized and happy, but if I'm feeling down I'd rather listen to slower songs and ones that I can relate too.

So I guess I listen to different types of music depending on my mood. 

But to answer the question of what my view of mainstream music is that if I like whatever's on the radio I will listen to it and if not I'll change the station. But most of the music that I hear on the radio I like! 

Day 15: A day at the race track

So today was supposed to be you favorite Tumblrs. Well I have no idea what that is...so I'm going to write about my day yesterday at the race track.

Yesterday was the first track day of the year for my husband Josh. He got up and left by 6am to be there for check in, inspection, and safety meetings. I decided to let Ruby sleep and meet him up there. We left the house around 9am and got there with plenty of time. Josh's first run wasn't until 10:30, and we arrived at 9:45. While we were waiting for him to go I caught up with my mother in law who was there with my father in law and my step son Ryan. (She takes him on off weekends to not take time away from us.) So Ruby got to hang out with her brother, which was an added bonus. 

There was also a Make A Wish event going on which I got to partake in because I have had a wish. 10:30 comes around and we went and watched Josh go around the track. He's good :) He gets 4 runs during a track day and he rocked them all. 

The Make A Wish event started at 12:30, and I got to go around the track with my father in law because he's an instructor. The drivers were not aloud to go over sixty but it was still cool to see the track and be a part of something so cool. Ryan even got to go around the track because he's part of my family. He loved it! Ruby slept through the entire thing, and some of the cars were crazy loud! 

We had lunch after the wish runs and then the guys had to get ready to go back out. Josh had 2 runs in the afternoon, we stayed until he was going out for the last one. It started to pour so Ruby and I decided to call it a day. We watched Josh go around the track once from the car and then we heading out to go make dinner. 

It was a great day. Everyone had a blast. 

Day 14: Your earliest memory

Day 14: Your earliest memory

The first memory that I can remember is when I was 5 years old. I was riding my bike around the cul de sac that we lived in and I fell off. I scraped both of my knees and cried all the way home. My mom put band aids on both of my knees and made it all better. Later that afternoon I went to a friends birthday party and their mother drew smiley faces on my band aids. And that's all I remember.

That is my earliest memory :) 

Day 13: Somewhere you'd like to move or visit

Day 13: Somewhere you'd like to move or visit

There are lots of places that I would love to visit. To start I want to go to Bora Bora and stay in a hut over the water. Maldives would be another good place for that. Josh and I still haven't gone on our honeymoon so maybe some day we can go somewhere tropical for that. We need to start saving our pennies, because all these places are very expensive to visit. 

Hawaii would be a beautiful place to visit as well. You see the theme here??? Warm weather, beautiful water and beaches :) 

I don't like the cold but I don't think I'll be moving to a warmer climate anytime soon. I do like the 4 seasons and not having to deal with bugs in the cold months is wonderful! Maybe when we retire and the kids are all married and settled down we will move down south. So we have plenty of time. 

Coral Island in Maldives. Picture via gloholiday.com

Day 12: Bullet Your Whole Day

Day 12: Bullet Your Whole Day

6:30 - woke up late. Finished making Josh's lunch, made coffee and got Josh off to work

7:00 - fed all the animals and cleaned the litter boxes

7:30 - straighten my hair, get dressed and made our bed

8:00 - get Ruby out of her crib and get her breakfast

8:30 - get myself some breakfast, pay bills, balance my checkbook and read stories as Ruby brings them to me

9:30 - got Ruby dressed and headed out to run errands

9:45 - got to Walmart

10:45 - leaving Walmart and heading to Mom and Dads house

11:15 - home putting groceries away and making lunch while Ruby watches Bubble Guppies

12:00 - lunch time and planned the dinners for the next 7 days

1:30 - nap time for Ruby. Clean up from lunch, and data entry for me.

2:00 - exercise 

3:00 - relaxing on the deck having some me time :)

4:00 - Ruby wakes up. Feed the animals.

4:30 - read books and play with Ruby 

5:15 - start dinner for Ruby

5:45 - start dinner for Josh and myself

6:15 - Eat dinner

6:30 - Ruby bath

7:00 - bedtime stories and brush Rubys teeth

7:30 - get Ruby in bed

8:00 - clean up from dinner, do dishes, clean kitchen, pick up toys and books

9:00 - give the animals their bedtime treats

9:30 - get Josh's lunch started, check what's going on tomorrow

10:00ish - brush teeth and finally bed! 

That's a typical Thursday. Most days are this hectic and nonstop :) 

Day 11: Put your iPod on shuffle and write down 10 songs that pop up.

Day 11: Put your iPod on shuffle and write down 10 songs that pop up.

I don't have an iPod so I'll just do this on my phone. I must confess that I don't listen to music on my phone and haven't updated it in a while. So we will see what we get! 

Ain't No Rest for the Wicked - Cage the Elephant (no idea why that's on there haha)

Wide Awake - Katy Perry

Domino - Jessie J

All of Me - John Legend

Scream - Usher

Home - Phillip Phillips

Prayer in C - Robin Schulz

Let's Go - Calvin Harris

A Thousand Years - Christina Perri (our wedding song) 

Don't Stop Believin' - Glee Cast

Day 10: Describe your first love and first kiss

Day 10: Describe your first love and first kiss.

I know I thought I loved people in the past but that wasn't what it was. So this one is hard for me. I remember my first crush, well my first crush that wasn't JTT haha. His name was Matt, we were in 5th grade and friends. He had no idea that I had the biggest crush on him ever, and I never said anything. He was a really nice guy, very cute, good at sports, and had lots of friends. Totally out of my league. And then we moved and I never saw him again. 

My first kiss...you would think I should remember this clear as day, but I don't. I think it was my first boyfriend but I'm not sure. That is so bad. Mind you I only dated my first boyfriend for a month and we were in 7th grade. I'm sure it was very G rated like on the cheek. Maybe I told my Mom about it, I'll have to ask her. You'd think that would be something that I would remember forever... Whoops :)

Picture via kirtsy.com

Day 9: How you hope your future will be like.

Day 9: How you hope your future will be like. 

This one reminds me of Day 2. I hope my future is full of joy, happiness and good health for myself, my family and everyone I love. Everything else I said on Day 2. That's really all that we need! 

Today is a beautiful day! We got to be outside in short sleeves! You can't ask for much more on a Monday morning! 

Day 8: A moment you felt most satisfied with your life

Day 8: A moment you felt most satisfied with your life 

This is a hard one. I've had a few moments where I have been genuinely happy with how my life was going. The first time I felt that was when I got the call from an insurance agency in Boston that I had interviewed with. I was working at TJMaxx at the time and had just finished my Associates in Business. They were calling to offer me the job! I was so happy. Felt like I was moving in the right direction. 

Another time was when I was about to marry Josh. It was a feeling of pure joy, walking into the living room at my in laws house and seeing him standing waiting for me. After the year I had had prior it was surreal being there at that moment about to marry the man I've loved for years. 

And the last one that comes to mind is the day Ruby was born. It didn't feel like 20 hours of labor, it felt like a minute. It went by so fast. And there she was, so perfect. She has changed my life forever, for the better. 

Day 7: Your zodiac sign and if you think it fits your personality

Day 7: Your zodiac sign and if you think it fits your personality

My zodiac sign is Cancer. I've never really gotten into the horoscope thing. So I just looked up the traits of a Cancer. Some I agree with and others not so much. It says they are creative, generous, loving, emotional and protective. All of which I am. Some traits aren't that great like moody, pessimistic, born nagger, and overemotional. I think everything can be all of these at some point. It seems pretty general. 

Day 6: 30 interesting facts about yourself

1. I was born in Canada

2. I've loved my husband since 9th grade

3. I hate spiders, they totally creep me out

4. I love being a stay at home Mom

5. I had cancer when I was 15

6. I got my drivers license on my way to my first radiation treatment

7. I've been in remission for almost 15 years

8. I didn't like high school very much

9. I have a perfectly round head

10. I'm an over thinker

11. I plan things far in advance

12. I'm super organized

13. I love my spending time with my friends and family

14. I have a big heart and sometimes care too much 

15. I looooove animals

16. I have 7 animals now

17. I sometimes like animals better than people

18. I've been doing the Jimmy Fund Walk for 8 years to raise money for childhood cancer research

19. I really started sewing a year ago and love it

20. I love chocolate, it should be its own food group 

21. I love reading, just don't have much time for it lately

22. I love the smell at the bookstore and library

23. I don't like the cold at all

24. I love writing, hence the blog :)

25. I don't like my natural hair color.

26. I have the most beautiful daughter in the world ❤️

27. I have a step-son who is 6 years old

28. I love swimming

29. I write everything down, if not I would forget it

30. I would do anything for my family

Day 5: Suicide

Day 5: Suicide

This is one that I am going to switch up a bit. The writing topic was "a time you thought about ending your own life. 

I can honestly say I have never thought about ending my own life. No matter how hard things got (and trust me they did get hard on more than one occasion) I never thought about suicide. Life is too valuable to just throw away. I find it selfish because your pain is now gone but you have left so many people that love you. And that is not a pain that goes away. So many questions unanswered and what ifs. 

I understand that people feel like there is no way out, and this is the solution but there are other ways to deal. I do get that this is the last straw for some, the last option. I just wish that they would have asked for help. 

I learned at a young age how precious life is and I will never take that for granted. 

RIP Kelly, Jennifer, and Ed. You are missed everyday. 

Picture via firstcovers.com

Day 4: Your views on religion

Day 4: your views on religion

I don't have much to say on this. I believe that everyone is free to believe whatever they would like. I would never judge anyone. This has become a very touchy subject over the years, so we can leave it at that. 

Happy Wednesday! Ruby and I are off to the trampoline place with her friends :) 

Day 3: Your views on drugs and alcohol

Day 3: Your views on drugs and alcohol.

This one is kind of a no brainer. I have seen drugs ruin a lot of people lives and in turn ruins their families lives. So drugs are useless. There have been way too many people that have died from overdoses in the last year. It seems to be getting worse and worse. I understand that they are addicts but they aren't born with a needle in their arm or straw up their nose. It all starts somewhere. I wish people could find another outlet for their sadness, stress or boredom. It's so sad that so many lose their lives so young. That's my take on drugs, don't start, or get help if you need to get off it. No point in hurting your loved ones because you want to get high. 

Alcohol on the other hand is perfectly fine if used in moderation. There is nothing wrong with having a glass of wine or a beer once and a while. I completely understand having a drink with dinner, or going out for drinks with your friends. Once you get to the point of getting trashed every night you are abusing it, and should probably get help to save your liver. 

Day 2: Where you'd like to be in 10 years

Day 2: Where you'd like to be in ten years.

In ten years I would like to be living in the same area, near my family. I will still be married to my amazing husband Josh. I would love to have 3 children, and be able to stay home with them until they are in school. So we will need a bigger house so everyone will have their own space. Then I'd like to go back to work doing something I enjoy. Not 100% sure what that is yet, but I have time to figure that out. 

That's my ten year plan. 

Picture via Pinterest

Day 1: Your current relationship

I am married to an amazing man named Josh. We have been together for 3 years and married for 2. I have known Josh for 16 years and we have been friends the whole time. I know that he is the one for me, as corny as that sounds. Sometimes you just know. 

He has helped me through some hard times and I know I can always count on him for anything. 

Josh can always make me smile, and he makes me unbelievably happy. And to top it off he is an amazing husband and father. I really could not ask for anything more. 

Happy Easter

Happy Easter! Hope everyones day was amazing! 

Our day started off a little rocky but it turned out great. Had a wonderful brunch with my family, and then finished up the afternoon with my in-laws. I must say I'm stuffed! 

We are so lucky to have such a close family. 

Here are some bunnies I made for my family for Easter. My Grandmother that passed away had a box of fabric and patterns in it. My mother gave it to me and these were in there :) 

30 Day Writing Challenge

While I was scanning Pinterest this morning I came across this...

and thought this could be fun. I don't think I will be writing everyday because life is crazy busy. But I will do my best. Also there are a few days that I will be switching out for different topics. I'm going to make it my own. This would be fun for anyone who likes to write. Take ten mins a day and write about each topic in a journal :) I'm up for the challenge are you?

Picture via Pinterest