Fill Me Up

*Sigh*

It's been a difficult few months.  Between the stress of moving/getting settled in Kansas and Jon being away at NTC/preparing for deployment, I was starting to feel a bit drained.  Kansas started losing its initial "sparkle" and I began feeling more and more "Michigan Sick". (MS is like homesickness, but it's where you miss Michigan so much, you begin to tear up every time you see a Pure Michigan commercial.)

Just when I thought I couldn't take one more day of Kansas, we were able to go on leave from the army for about 10 days.  We first drove back to Chicago to see my family for a day and then made our way up to Michigan so Hubs could see his friends and family before he deploys.

This trip has already been extremely uplifting.  Spending time with friends and family has refreshed my tired soul.  I was able to spend some quality time with friends and realized that I am not alone in what I've been feeling lately.  I learned that a lot of people my age struggle with the transitions of moving and making new friends--even if they didn't have to move all the way to Kansas.  I also realized that I probably need to make a better effort in keeping up with those friends.

When I went to staff worship at SpringHill yesterday, I felt like God was trying to tell me to really trust in His plan.  I am realizing that there is a reason He sent us to Kansas.  There's even a reason why Hubs has to deploy in September.  God has a perfect plan and I need to trust that He knows what He's doing...easier said than done.  Lately I've been holding on so tight to things that I really have no control over.  I need to just hand them over to God and say, "Ok.  Here you go.  I trust you."

So even though it's going to be really hard, I am going to give this year to God.  I have to have faith that He will take care of both Hubs and me.  

Summary of June

Wow...I don't even want to look at the date of my previous post.  It's been so long since I've written an update.  For that, I apologize.

June in a nutshell:
1- Hubs left for NTC...saying goodbye sucked
2- Worked at the Buckle
3- Mom and Sister came to visit and it was wonderful
4- Started rewatching How I Met Your Mother on Netflix again
5- Missed Hubs a lot....a lot a lot a lot
6- Worked at the Buckle some more
7- Missed Hubs some more
8- Realized I needed a teaching job in order to keep me sane during Hubs' deployment
9- Hubs came home on the 28th!!!
10- Secured a teaching job at Fort Riley Middle School for next fall!!

NTC prep

I've officially worked my first week at the Buckle.  I love this job!  I've met lots of wonderful employees and have helped some pretty cool customers too.  I think this job will be this perfect thing to give me a routine and keep me busy while Hubs is away at the NTC.  Speaking of the National Training Center, Hubs leaves this week.  While he is away, he and the rest of his battalion will be simulating what it's like to be deployed.  They will receive lots of excellent training that will make them all the more ready and capable for when they leave for deployment.  They will be gone for about a month and they will not be able to communicate with their families during this time.  It will be hard not being able to talk to Hubs every day, but we've done this before.  I'm sure we will be able to do it again.  In the meantime, I plan on keeping myself busy training for my first 5k (see this post), working at the Buckle, building my Mary Kay business, hanging out with my new friends, reading some good books, and crafting my life away.  As long as I stay busy, I am sure the month will go by quickly!

Please keep Hubs and the rest of the 1st Engineers in your thoughts and prayers as they prepare for NTC and deployment.

Love,
Kait    

P.S.  I'm trying to come up with some cute/thoughtful ideas as a going away gift to give Jon before he leaves.  Any ideas?

I heart my Mary Kay

So much has changed since the last time I published a post on my blog.

I am officially FINISHED with my online classes.  That means I am officially FINISHED with college.  It's about time, I know.

Two weeks from today, Hubs and I will be moving to Fort Riley, Kansas.  This will be our "permanent" duty station for the next 2-3 years.  I'm excited.  I promise.

On March 4, 2012, I made my debut as an Independent Beauty Consultant with Mary Kay.  I know, I rolled my eyes at myself when I started considering this in February.  However, I cannot believe how much fun I'm having, not to mention I'm actually earning money!  It's great!

Mary Kay is an amazing company.  I am so thankful that I get to be a part of such a company.  Not only is it founded on the principle of the Golden Rule, Mary Kay Ash also believed that our lives needed balance.  She believed that God needs to be first, family needs to be second, and work needs to be third.  I love that I work for a company that encourages me to keep my priorities in order.  For the next few days, I am going to be sharing my experiences at my first parties and the conference I attended this weekend.  I hope to share the reasons why I joined the company, my fears, my accomplishments and my goals.

I'd also like you to check out these videos:

Wish me luck!!

Kait

*Sigh of Relief*

Ok so I talked to my supervisor.  She wasn't as understanding as I had hoped.  I explained my situation with the hours and told her if we couldn't work together than it wouldn't work for me to be on staff.

Honestly, I am happy to be free.  Many of the other partners (or employees) were very kind and helpful.  Learning how to make delicious caramel macchiatos and frappaccinos was great.  But the environment wasn't the best.  I wasn't really challenged (except in the area of hours) and many of the partners spoke negatively about one another.  I am much happier now that I have time to spend with Hubs.  I no longer have to feel guilty about going to work and not grocery shopping, doing laundry, cooking, etc. etc.  I know Hubs missed me the few days I was working.  He was extremely supportive in these past days as I was deciding what to do.  I am so thankful I have such a wonderful husband.

Welp, I guess it's back to working out in the mornings and doing chores, preparing dinner, walking Othello, and doing homework in the evenings.  Life is good.


peace out.

Barista...yay! 30 hours...no!

That's right!  I am officially a Starbucks Barista.  I'm learning a lot.  I even made drinks for customers today!  Finally.  I am working at Starbucks.

I am truly happy about my job.  I love learning how to make good coffee.  I love making people's day with coffee.  It's definitely nice to have extra spending money.

The only thing I am struggling with is the amount of hours.  Now I realize most of you guys who read my blog have fulltime jobs.  That's amazing.  I applaud you for that.  I just can't do it.  It's just really a challenge for me to work 30 hours a week.  I am working 1-8pm shifts.  It works out great for my workout schedule.  It doesn't work out so great for seeing Hubs.  He usually leaves around 4:30 am and doesn't return until after 6:00pm.  Because he has to get up so early, he goes to bed around 8:30pm...the time I get home from work.  It would be fine if it was only 2 or 3 days a week, but it's every day.  I now struggle to find time to finish my final online class, do grocery shopping, and run errands.  The poor puppy has to be locked up for the majority of the day now.

I just started so I don't really want to complain either.  I'm just going to have get used to this whole working thing.  I'm hoping to talk with my supervisor next week about scheduling me for fewer hours.  I'm a total people pleaser and hate confrontation of any way shape or form, so this conversation is already making me nervous.  Please pray that I have the right words to say and that my supervisor is sympathetic and understanding.  When I agreed to the job, I was under the impression that part time meant 15-20 hours a week, not 30-35.  I just hope she understands.  

Where has the time gone?

Well, it's about 5 days before New Year's and it seems appropriate that I am wondering where the time has vanished to.  Thanksgiving has come and gone.  The "Holiday Season" scurried by faster than I ever could have imagined.  I realize that I haven't posted since the day before Thanksgiving, and for that I apologize.  Life got in the way.  I became a full time army wife, a friend, and a workout fanatic.  So let me give you a brief summary of what's been happening.



Thanksgiving was amazing!  We had my sister, two friends from MI, and two guys from Hubs' EBOLC class come over for the meal.  We had so much food it was borderline ridiculous.  Still it was wonderful.  My kitchen was mass chaos and there often wasn't one speck of counter showing, but we had fun.  I was very proud of my first attempt as the Thanksgiving Hostess.

I was very proud of my candied sweet potatoes

Hubs and Dave made the best stuffing I have ever tasted

Trying to keep Hubs away from food is impossible

So that was Thanksgiving.  The month of December was filled with insanely long hours for Hubs, lots of working out, quite a bit of Christmas shopping, and a general feeling that I was starting to fall in love with Fort Leonard Wood.  I never thought I would like it there.  But I can't help but miss the amazing people I've met while I am at home for the holidays.  I like that I can make my own schedule.  I love that I found a friend that likes to work out as much (if not more) than I do.  It really has become a home and I will be sad to leave in April.  

Next came Christmas.  We spent 3 days up in MI visiting friends and family and then came back down to IL to spend Christmas with my family.  Our visit to MI was short, but wonderful.  We were able to see and spend time with all of our friends.  It was a little bittersweet because we were missing Hubs' best friend who is currently serving in Afghanistan.  Still, I was very thankful to spend time in MI.  I miss the mitten state and can't wait to return. 

We are still in IL until Sunday morning.  Christmas with my family was great as usual.  Lots of laughs, lots of presents, lots of love.  My mom does a spectacular job of being the Christmas hostess.  She does an even better job of picking out the perfect presents for every member in our family.  She does so much in the midst of working full time with pre-schoolers and baking full time for Pat's Perfect Pastries.   It's always so good to be home for the holidays.  

Tonight Hubs and I will spending the night at the Fairmont in Chicago.  We didn't get to celebrate Christmas with just the two of us this year and that greatly distressed me.  I love the holidays, especially holiday traditions.  I wanted to make sure Hubs and I started our own traditions because we are our own immediate family now.  It's important that we do what's best for us both in the midst of holiday hustle and bustle and in our every day decision making.  Because Hubs decided that we should leave early from MO to go to MI, we didn't get time to celebrate with just us.  After he realized how sad I was about not celebrating, he suggested downtown Chicago and I agreed excitedly. 

I hope you all are enjoying the holiday season.  May you experience the peace of Christ this Christmas, and every day after.  

Love,

Kait

A typical week for Kait

Well, my interview with Starbucks went very well.  The interviewer told me I was p-e-r-f-e-c-t for the job.  Unfortunately, they didn't have any openings at the moment.  She did say, however, that she would call me as soon as something opened up.  Let's keep hoping that something opens up soon!

I feel like I should share what my day-to-day life looks like.  I workout everyday.  I go to Anytime Fitness almost everyday and lift, spin, run, take classes on demand, do yoga or zumba.  Yoga has become one of my favorite things.  When I am really sore from a step class, nothing feels better than doing 10 downward dogs and sun salutations.  I also go to classes at the fitness center on post with the other wives.  I think I've done zumba 6 out of 7 days this week.  I'm a zumba fanatic.  I should be an instructor.

When I am not at the gym, I can often be found at Wal-Mart or the Commissary.  The Commissary has amazing prices and saves us a lot of money on groceries.  If I can't find something there, I head over to the Wal.  It's a really nice Wal-Mart and has plenty to satisfy my DIY and crafting needs.  

I have a chore chart and do different chores everyday so I don't spend a whole day cleaning on the weekend.  My vacuuming day is Thursdays, but I'm pretty sure I've vacuumed the past three days in a row (stupid white-ish carpet and black-haired dog).  I also make dinner every night.  I've tried lots of delicious recipes including chicken enchiladas, pizza pot pies, Thai pineapple chicken stir fry, and lots of other yummy things.

My next kitchen challenge will be cooking Thanksgiving dinner.  My lovely sister, and two friends are driving down from the Mitten State to celebrate with us.  I can't wait!  I'm going to start my preparations today.      

What are your Thanksgiving plans?

A day in the life of the Chews

It's beginning to feel a lot like fall--cool, crisp mornings, yellow leaves on the lawn, the smell of delicious pumpkin desserts in the air--I really love this season.

So lots of people have been asking what Hubs and I have been up to while we're living at the parents' house.  Well here's is what our typical day looks like:

8:00 am: Wake up, take out the dog, eat breakfast and watch an episode or two of Boy Meets World
9:00am-11:00am: Hit the gym!  Hubs lifts every day and does spinning on Tuesdays and Thursdays.  I attend Zumba, Step Cardio and Sculpt, BodyPump, BodyCombat, Pilates Mat, and any other class I can fit into my schedule.
11:00am-12:00pm:  Come home, shower, eat lunch, play with Othello
12:00pm-4:00pm:  Hang around the house--I usually work on my online classes during this time, Hubs can be found watching Sports Center, playing COD, or sometimes helping me with my homework.
4:00pm-6:30pm: Prepare, eat, and clean up dinner
7:00pm-11:00pm:  More homework/watching "my shows" (Glee, Grey's, Gossip Girl--this one is a guilty pleasure--so trashy--but addicting)
11:00pm:  Hit the sack!  Bedtime!  We will do the same thing tomorrow.

Our life isn't very exciting right now.  Occasionally we will break up our monotonous schedule by painting a bedroom or doing some projects around the house.  Yesterday I pulled out my sewing machine and made some things for my mom.  Today I plan to work on some pillows for our new home in Missouri.  Oh yeah, that reminds me, we still don't know where we will be living after April 13.  We leave for Missouri November 1 and will be there until April 13ish.  The army people still haven't told us where we will be heading after that.  Trust me, as soon as I know, you will know!  I am getting rather antsy and can't wait to find out.

love,
kait

Dreaming of Pizza and FroYo

Welp, these past two days have been interesting.  My parents have been on vacation for the past week, so my sister, Hubs and I have been trying to hold down the fort.  This has been easier said than done.  Aside from the house looking like ten tornados blew through it (Hubs and I really have nowhere to put our belongings and furniture), we've been on full time Grandma duty.  Yesterday she had scheduled a colonoscopy, so we woke up at 6 am to bring her to the hospital.  Thankfully, the doctors didn't find anything so that is a relief.  Unfortunately the prep for the test took a toll on Gram.  She felt terribly sick yesterday before the test and continued to feel nauseous ever since.  Finally today she called us and asked if we'd take her to the ER.

So that's where we are right now.  In the ER.  For 4 hours so far.  No one has visited us in over an hour.  ERs really are terrible places.  They're slow and inefficient.  It's pretty much empty tonight and it's still slow.  I try to avoid going to the ER at all costs.  It's one of those places that makes you grouchy immediately because it's slow...kinda like the DMV.  I hate going to the DMV, which is probably why I haven't changed my name on my driver's license yet.  I hope they speed things up around here.  Hubs and I didn't eat dinner.  We're hungry.  I think healthy eating is out the window for tonight.  Right now I am dreaming about Sanfrantello's deep dish pizza and some froyo for dessert.

Dear St. Margaret's ER, please hurry up so Grandma can feel better and we can get ourselves some dinner.  Thanks,

Kait


UPDATE on Grams:  We finally were able to leave around 10:30 tonight.  We didn't get our pizza and froyo but we did get McD's and a Wendy's vanilla frosty. They decided to keep Grams for observation because her sodium levels were so low.  Apparently that could be affecting the nausea and dizziness as well.  Grams has been feeling nauseous and dizzy since February and has had countless tests done and trips to the emergency room to figure out the problem.  Maybe now we're getting to the bottom of things.  Anyway, it's expected that she will be there for a couple days. My parents decided to come home early from their trip.  They will arrive tomorrow (only a day earlier), so Hubs and I will be getting back up, which is really nice and much appreciated.   K, I will keep you posted.  Prayers requested.

love.

K