Thursday, December 8, 2011

Could It Be? MORE Good News?!?!

The same week we were told about Charleston and my new job we received the BEST news of our lives...
Sweet Baby C, debuting June 2012!

Those of you who have followed our infertility journey through 3 rounds of IVF are familiar with the pain and the struggle in getting to this point. Little did we know the good news was just the beginning. To say the last few months have been a roller coaster would be an understatement. I'll explain more soon, but for now, the good news. God is so good!

"He settles the barren woman in her home as a happy mother of children. Praise the LORD." 
Psalm 113:9

Wednesday, November 9, 2011

More Good News!

The same week I find out about my awesome new job, we also found out where we will be moving next summer!







Charleston, SC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You know what they have there?



You know how long it will take to fly home?
2 hours! (Not 24!!!!!!!!!!!)

Can you tell I'm just a little bit excited? Have you ever been to Charleston? Tell me all about it!

Sunday, November 6, 2011

New Job

A few weeks ago I was a little caught off guard when the local school principal called and suggested I update my application for a library job. (An application I hadn't touched since moving to Germany in 2007.) I did as she asked and was deemed "qualified" thanks to my recently completed MLS.

Side note: Did you know that you must have a Master's degree (in Library or Information Science) to be considered a librarian? Did you know that to be a school librarian you also have to have been a teacher for at least 2 years?

A few days later I had a job offer in my email. The job literally fell into my lap. Isn't that an awesome blessing? Many of my recently graduated librarian friends in the states are unable to find jobs due to budget cuts, and here I am with one handed to me on a platter. God is so good.

And you know what else? It's part time. AMAZING. This means I can still keep up with my volunteer work, Zumba, and coach cheerleading.

Now I just need to get...


Saturday, October 29, 2011

Just in Time!

Whew! I'm back. I know I keep saying that, but the last few months have just been so busy. A new job, new volunteer responsibilities, a trip to the states, and just general business. Luckily I made it back just in time to tell you about how Snapfish is supporting breast cancer awareness and research this year.

With an aunt and a grandmother who battled breast cancer, this cause is especially close to my heart. I hosted a Zumbathon Party in Pink, I like to participate in 5Ks and other events, and now- I can shop online!

All you have to do to support the Susan G. Komen foundation is visit Snapfish.com/PinkGives and choose from the selected products like...

And Snapfish will donate 30% of the proceeds to Susan G. Komen!

Snapfish members can also showcase their support for Breast Cancer Awareness Month by sending a note to pinkgives@snapfish.com about their involvement in the cause – whether you are participating in a local Susan G. Komen race, organizing a fundraising campaign or related party – for a chance to receive Snapfish-funded support as an official photo sponsor for their event. Snapfish will select four winners and will donate up to $1,500 to each event in product.

What are you doing to raise awareness and/or support research?

Thursday, September 22, 2011

Ooops

So I took a tiny blog break. Well, one I thought was tiny anyway. As I check back in today I see it has been a month. Well dang.

The trouble is I kind of got into a Turkish funk. The rose colored glasses of travel and culture shattered as I drove downtown and nearly died as a car came toward me and the driver gave me a dirty look like it was my fault he was on the wrong side of the road, twice. It appears I'm not alone. Here's an exert from an email that goes around...

"Stage 4--Apathy--Last 180 days--Nothing works here. You hate the Alley, hate Turkish food, and hate the Turkey Trots or cholera or whatever it is that constantly has you doubled over. You're sick and tired of cats, construction sites, power outages, and the name Abi. You find yourself constantly humming "God Bless America" and can't wait to run from the Patriot Express in Baltimore and kiss the tarmac. Whenever you hear a horror story about someone being locked up in Turkish jail or being extorted by the Turks you just shrug your shoulders and say, "Welcome to Turkey." You want to throat punch the new people who just got here and are in Stage 1. You start spending time sending out joke e-mails like this one. You have to be restrained by 6 SF personnel at Pass and ID when Mr. T tells you it is going to cost you $50 to DE-register your car. You realize that its not worth your sanity to try to get anything else accomplished here, so you settle on doing absolutely nothing except looking at your donut of misery and counting the seconds until you can be released to go home."


Typically feelings like this are not my style. I'm usually positive and can find something good about a situation. A few weeks ago? I was ready to throat punch everyone. (And, I wasn't even on hormones then!) This place can really get the best of you. The level of ridiculousness is beyond what you can imagine. Truly. Jordan sometimes calls it Narnia. I think that's pretty accurate. Don't expect anything to make sense, and whatever you do, don't eat the Turkish Delight.

Anyway, I think I'm moving out of the grumpy stage now. Don't get me wrong, I'm still ready to go home, but I'm at least a little more pleasant to be around. More soon...

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

I LOVE this stuff!

Clearly a lack of grad school work now leaves me with time to get back to blogging. I know you are just so excited about that. Anyway, here is my current list of loves...
(This is not a sponsored post, just sharing my opinions.)

1. Soma Vanishing Edge Underwear
 These underwear will change your life. Not even kidding. They are like the holy grail of undergarments. They don't leave a panty line (even in pants as tight as yoga pants) AND they have a gripping material inside the leg that makes sure they stay in place. No panty lines, no wedgies, pure awesomeness. Trust me on this, you won't want to wear anything else after you try them. The put VS to shame.
Courtesy of Soma.com

2. Tervis Tumblers
 Hot drinks, cold drinks, to go drinks, these cups do it all. You can put them in the dishwasher. They don't sweat, even when you take them outside is 115 degree Turkish heat. The largest size has a thing bottom so it still fits in a cup holder. Drop them? No worries, they don't break. These are the best cups ever.


3. My Keurig
 I'm a coffee drinker but my husband is not, hence the need for something that does not require making an entire pot. The Keurig fits that bill and does so much more! I make iced tea, hot chocolate, iced coffee, chai lattes, and all kinds of coffee. It's super easy to use and takes very little maintenance in the cleaning department. Some of my favorite K-Cups are: Island Coconut Coffee, Newman's Own Extra Bold, and Southern Sweet Iced Tea. (If you don't have a brewer and want to buy one on their website send me your email and you and I both get 2 free boxes of K-Cups!)



4. Erin Condren Life Planner
 Clearly with a degree in Library Science I'm into organization (and a tad bit nerdy). Planners are on of my favorite things to buy in the organization department. In fact I often buy a few a year because I find one I like better. I'm pretty picky about my planners, I need both month and week view, note pages, birthday calendars, and easy to find pages. This planner has it all and more! It's an inch thick worth of amazingness. With tabbed months, colorful weekly pages, note pages, a zippered pouch, a pocket page for receipts, a birthday calendar, important information pages, colorful stickers, and coordinating personalized gift tags- it really is the best planner. PLUS, it's personalized, so my name is on the front. My southern self LOVES anything personalized.





5. Sweaty Bands
While teaching Zumba I am constantly battling with headbands. I either have to pin them on, and sometimes even then they don't stay, or they squeeze my head so tight I feel like my brain my leak out of my ears. Not so with Sweaty Bands. Some how these super cute things stay on your head without squeezing your brains out or using bobby pins. In fact, just this past week I ran a 7K and forgot I had on the zebra one. It didn't move an inch! Must have for anyone who works out.




6. Photo Albums
I don't have the patience for scrapbooking in the crafty sense, so these photo books are the perfect option for my travel photos. Recently Snapfish had a buy 1 get two free deal so I finally got around to scrapbooking our three years of travels from Germany. So glad to have these memories put together in super cute books!

7. This Blog Post
This post on IF etiquette is one of the best I've seen. It's honest, it's thorough, and it left me saying AMEN! after every line. I highly recommend that anyone who is dealing with IF/Loss, or is close to someone who is, check out this post.

Winner!

And the winner of the $50 Snapfish credit is....
Comment Number 7....

Kelly!

Email me at bluestarblogs (at) gmail (dot) com to get your credit code (or I think you may have my personal email, you can email me there too)! Congratulations!