Happy Birthday Raeleigh!

Okay, okay, so her birthday is still over a month away.  But she got her present early for a couple reasons.  1. It looked like prices were starting to increase.  2.  It was actually on sale and had free shipping.  3. The earlier she gets it, the more she gets to enjoy it this summer.

I took pictures of the assembly process which I will post later.  It's almost done but you will notice it's still missing the rock climbing wall.  Raeleigh stayed with my parents this weekend.  When she came back she really needed a nap.  So we laid her down, but then it was time to get her up for dinner and for the big reveal.  Here is the video we took of the occasion.  

 

Since she was so sleepy when she first saw it.  I decided to video tape her again a little later so you could see how super stoked she really is.  Yes we changed into swimsuits because it was hot out there and we were playing in the water.

And now enjoy some pics! 

Helping Daddy with the rockwall

 

Oh ya know, just bein' cute.

LOL, she did that all on her own.

We were blowing raspberries at eachother.

She thought it was funny.

[Shout outs to Granny(she went in on it with us), Greg and Bobby(for helping build).  Also to Korey and Myra (for lending their husbands for a day).]

Me Time?

Well, the office is fully painted and I love it!  I've got a lot of the junk organized too.  So the progress is exciting.  I don't have a picture yet but I plan to take pics this weekend.  I was even considering a video house tour...  But back to the office, I'm so pleased.  It's a very in your face color right now though because there are no curtains to soften it and there is nothing on the walls to break up the color.  But I can envision it and I'm happy!

To deviate from house stuff for awhile I thought I'd discuss life stuff today.  First, I wanted to talk about the lesson I learned from Home Improvement this morning.... you read it right, Home Improvement.  The TV show starring Tim Allen and my childhood crush, Jonathan Taylor Thomas.  (Getting visions now of my old bedroom... his picture was everywhere! Glad my decorating style has changed, lol.)

In this episode Tim is worried about his daily routine being thrown off when Jill wants to get in the shower before him.  She asks him to change his routine for one day and he responds, "well then it wouldn't be my routine would it?" She tells him his routines are starting to get annoying and he said he doesn't complain about her routines.  Then Jill says something that really caught my attention. She says: "I don't have the luxury of a routine I have to stay flexible so I can deal with everybody else's problems."  Isn't this so true of women and mothers?  Wow.  (I start picturing myself trying to gt ready in the morning and I think of all the times I have to leave and return to the bathroom mirror because something always pulls me away.) Then the episode shows glimpes of their future where Jill is still in college in her 70's desperately trying to get her degree.  She's been so busy helping and catering to her family she hasn't taken time for herself. 

I do put my family first, ahead of myself.  That's not something I want to change.  But does that really mean I shouldn't treat myself to a little "me time"?  I have had a gift card to go tanning since last Christmas!!  Something I enjoy doing from time to time.  A little color boosts my confidence so much.  I tell myself almost every day... I'll go tomorrow.  Then after Raeleigh's gone to bed and Jake says "You going tanning?" I always say "No."  It's not that I don't want to go, it's a mentality thing.... How can I go somewhere to just lay there and do nothing when there are so many more productive things I can get done here at home? 

Also, I've had some serious neck and shoulder issues for over 5 months now.  I did take the time to go to the Chiropractor but it didn't help.  And I think a nice relaxing massage would help ease up whatever is going on in there.  I don't know that it would fix the problem but it would at least give me a brief moment in time where I wasn't in such awful pain.  And get this... I even have a gift card to go get one!  I've had it since the beginning of May(thanks to my hubby).  But I still wont go? 

So like I said this TV episode was my eye opener.  I don't need to be selfish with my time, and I don't think I could be if I tried, but I need to force myself to make time for me and not worry so much about how it affects Jake and Raeleigh's schedule.  Because Jake is there to keep Raeleigh on her schedule.  And I think he'd be willing to be flexible with his own schedule so I can have that time once in awhile.