My New Addition {Raw}

Knock, Knock...anyone home?
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How you doing?

Long time no see, huh?

Well I am not going to come up with some long winded, sappy, nor exciting reason as to why I have not been around these parts.  It really is...I just haven't had much time, interest, and been going through lots of stuff...quite frankly, in all honesty, that stuff that has been going on...has been going on for awhile, I just chose not to talk about it...but now I will because it is part of my new addition...


Now I know what you are probably thinking, the obvious....a baby, but nope certainly not that since Hotel Uterus has been closed as of this past August when I had a Hysterectomy.  I actually got really sick last spring into summer where I had to have weekly iron infusions because of my low iron counts and well being a women, losing lots of blood every month was not very helpful so...had that sucker removed in August...now alas, it is supposed to be a routine procedure but leave it to me to take a detour. Ha!  I had some complications and ended up in the hospital for almost a week.  That was fun! I was out on short term disability from work for about 8 weeks.  Fast forward a couple months later and the company I work for got bought! (I do still have a job under the new ownership however I have been struggling with the work-home balance since I have taken on a totally new role in said company) So "stress" has been my middle name for awhile.....oh and did I mention, it is my second oldest senior year so throw in all the senior stuff, last football games, last basketball games, college visits, college decisions....and you have one crazy, mad women...which leads me to my next confession so to speak...


My husband and I separated, I actually filed for divorce at the beginning of the year....went through some pretty crazy stuff for several months while we were separated and ultimately have come back together to work on our marriage.  Quite honestly, you know how people have those "aha" moments? Well I had one with regard to my marriage.  You see I was the one that filed and I was adamant that our marriage was not working.  We argued and fought ALL.THE.TIME. , on any given day, it was like a roller coaster.  And the littles.  My heart broke everyday because there were obvious times when their was tension between he and I that of course impacted the littles.    I had to get off the ride, so I did.  I filed.  He moved out.  We had joint custody.  He had them every other weekend.  He would have them on no school days until he went to work.  The kids started getting used to the back and forth and their parents, they were happy, so they thought.  But honestly, we were both miserable but to proud to admit it many times, to proud to take accountability for our own issues/actions that led us here, to stubborn and prideful to admit we were both wrong...it got pretty ugly for awhile there because of the hurt, the resentment, the words that were said by both of us...it was painful.  It is still painful.   BUT, with determination, with respect, with the love we know we once had for another, we are rebuilding our marriage, our family ONE.DAY.AT.A,TIME.

My "aha" moment came on a Friday, March 10th, early that morning, as I laid there in bed, by myself, thinking about all that had been transpiring around me....and I was still.  I listened. I am not going to say that I heard GOD "speak" to me per se...  I mean I clearly believe in GOD and I know he can move mountains and heal hearts but I just had so much clarity that morning that this, the divorce, was not the right path for us; I know GOD had a plan and first "pushed" me to choose to separate (I know that probably sounds funny) only for us to both hit rock bottom and then come back together; Stronger. More Determined.  You know the saying, you don't know what you got til it's gone...well yeah, that.  We need to fight for one another, for us, as hard as it might be at times; for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do us part.


I have seen this quote several times now and it sums things up pretty good.

Now of course, a couple months back into mending our marriage, we still struggle...but it is different.  It is not the anger, resentment, roller coaster....we are a work in progress, every single day.  We are learning to love unconditionally, trust wholly and communicate more effectively.  It is not easy and in all honesty, I have caught myself a few times doubting things again, as I am sure he has too BUT....our story is not over. I know it takes two but I will continue watering our grass because the grass is greener where you water it.


And the new addition I keep referring to:

Hope you have a fantastic day!

The Dreaded "G" Word

.......Come on ladies or maybe a few of the men out there...You know what I am talking about.  Something we all have to do but if you are like me D.R.E.A.D it....GROCERY SHOPPING!


We have to eat so it's not like I can't buy groceries and since I don't live on a farm to raise my own meat, grow my own vegetables, milk my own cows, etc...the only option I have had is to go to the grocery store....And man, there is nothing more than I despise then going to the grocery store.  You see I am not your typical women, quite honestly I don't like shopping for anything....never have and I think it is safe to say, never will.  If I have to go to a mall...well I would rather poke my eyes out with needles.  If I am shopping out of necessity, I want to get in, get out and move on...It's not like I am anti social or anything, I just don't like the crowds, the smells, peoples behaviors (probably including mine) Ok, maybe that does sound a little anti social but really I am not....it just gives me anxiety.  And the only time I have gone shopping when there is very minimal people is either super late at night or early early morning when quite frankly I would rather be sleeping.  I am the type of customer that online shopping is made for and let me tell you, I am taking full advantage of what is now available on the world wide web.

Of late, I have been grocery shopping online and as long as this option continues to be available, you can bet on me, that I will be using it EVERY.WEEK.  After your first order on Fred Meyer Clicklist (or Kroger in some areas) the additional orders are easy.peasy.  Even my first order was pretty easy but it just took at little bit longer to navigate a bit.  Now each time I order it knows what I have ordered in the past so it is readily available on "My Recent Purchases".  It literally takes me max all of 10 minutes to order my groceries and no, I do not order the same things every week although of course I get eggs, bread, milk and such on a weekly basis but all the other stuff changes.  Once ordered you can select same day pick up if available (depends on when you submit your order) or next day.  I typically place my order on Friday and pick up first thing Saturday morning.  If you do next day pick up, you can make changes to your order up until midnight.

When all is said and done, it probably takes me longer to drive to the nearest Fred Meyers than to order and pick up.  Once you go to pick up , you drive up to a little speaker box, select call, it rings to the staff in the pick up area, and they tell you what bay to pull in to.  Once in the pick up bay, they come out, go over your order, advise of any out of stock or substitutions which you can request no substitutes but I have found on the few items that have been substituted, they are a better product but they match the price and then you pay.  You can use paper coupons and rewards coupons that you download.


If you are on the fence about online grocery shopping don't be.  Even the meat and produce that I have selected has been on par.  They have an area where you can put specific notes in , for example, if you want your bananas to be green rather than totally ripe.

I can't say enough positive things about the service.  I have yet to have a bad experience and hope I don't but even if I do, the worse would be what....they left an item off the list?

Give it a try, you won't be disappointed.

**This is not a paid endorsement, although it should be.  This is based on my own personal experience with this service.