Welcome to the world, 2014!

Happy New Year, friends! 

Does anyone still read this blog?  What a bore it’s become, I wouldn’t blame you for moving on… I keep hoping to come back, but alas never seem to quite make it.  Every day I sit at my computer for work, and stare at the screen, and type the little keyboard, and use the {awesome} cordless mouse… All. Day. Long.  Then I go home and spend time with my little man, whom I have missed so terribly during the day, and I try to find some time to unwind, all while doing a bazillion chores that didn’t get done during the day because I was, you guessed it, at work.  Working. 

Luckily for me, I really enjoy what I do and the people I work with.  Dad often told us growing up that if we like what we do, we will never work a day in our life.  Well, I do feel like this is true, but I also know a lot of days I am working, even if I do love it.  The end of the day can’t come soon enough, not because I dislike what I am doing, but because I want to get my arms, hands, kisses all over that sweet boy of ours.  

What does that have to do with this blog?  Well, quite frankly this is my venting session to make myself feel better about having no blog posts lately.  I doubt any readers have made it this far anyways…

There is so much to catch up on, really… Max turned one; we celebrated both Thanksgiving and Christmas.  And New Year’s too.  So maybe not that much, but it’s a lot to me.  I finally treated myself to a new camera (a “starter” DSLR, if you will) and I have loads of pictures to post!   So while I am nowhere near promising to post again soon, or to actually cover all of the above mentioned events in our lives, I do want to stop by this place of mine more often.

What I will leave you with today is something that made me melt into a puddle yesterday – Max can blow kisses now!!  Seriously, can’t stop asking him to do it.  Melts. Me.  I love being a momma. 

Make it a great day friends! 

 

 

Confessions of a Working Momma {2}

Remember my last confession where I talked about finding balance?  Yeah, neither do I.  Turns out this is a daily battle I will fight for the better part of, well, forever.  Or, more like that kid in the Sandlot... Forrrrrrrrr. Evvvvvvvvvv. Errrrrrrrrr.  Seriously. 

Balance is a tricky thing.  Just ask Nik Wallenda...  

 source

No, I did not watch his walk because it would have given me a heart attack. 

I am super impressed with his ability to hop on a two-inch wire and trust in God and in his God-given talents to get him across a 1,400 foot canyon.  SERIOUSLY.  That is over 4 football fields. On. A. Wire.  

"It took every bit of me to stay focused that entire time..." Wallenda said.

What a reminder to all of us who are walking a "wire" of our own.  No wonder I am falling off, I am not using every bit of me to stay focused.  I allow myself to get distracted, or worse yet, to convince myself that I can't ever stay on in the first place.  Walking through life takes focus, and being a working momma requires a lot of it.  At the end of the day however, it's really not about working, it's not about laundry, it's not about grocery shopping {and being the perfect couponer}, and it's not about having a good baby.  At the end of the day, it's about staying focused on the One who made me and bringing glory to HIS name alone.  Whew, that is freeing to say.  It's not about ME.  It will be a lot easier to walk my wire knowing I have a huge safety net of grace around me.  I am going to make mistakes, my balance is going to be off some days, but if I receive God's grace I will get right back up on that wire and continue moving forward towards the finish line.  In the end of it all...at the end of my wire here on Earth...I just want to know that I did everything I could to do everything I do for His glory. 

On that note, it's time to go flip some laundry; this working momma has a few loads to catch up on.

Make it a great day, friends!!

Confessions of a Working Momma {1}

Before you read this I would just like to leave a disclaimer... I don't know what it is like to be a stay at home mom ("SAHM") and I am in NO way implying that working is harder than staying at home.  Staying at home is work too. Being a mom is tough, and no one has it 'worse' than the other...we all have our own version of "hard" and this is NOT about the comparison game.  It's about where I am right now... That said, you've been warned...read on if you so choose...

Being a working momma can be tough.  If there is one word that makes any of it easier, it's BALANCE.  I have to remind myself every day to keep things in balance.  The burning question is how do you balance the career-driven side when the baby-lovin' side just wants to take over?!  Followed by the other questions in my mind... how do you balance family life with friends and how do you balance rest with getting housework done?

Very carefully, that's how.  I have to let go of the expectation I place on myself.  

One pitfall I (all too often) fall victim to is trying to be Super-Mom!  I want to be perfect.  I want to have a successful day in the office and come home to my perfectly well behaved child, who never has spit-up on him, and prepare a gourmet decent meal for BL in a spotless moderately clean kitchen. 

Reality is that sometimes work is tough and I don't get it all done.  Reality is that sometimes my baby has gas and is really fussy.  Reality is that sometimes frozen waffles will do for dinner (as long as I add some protein for my calorie-hungry husband). 

Sometimes I feel like my house will never be clean again.  Dust bunnies in the corner, mail on the table, dishes in the sink.  They all pile up and they all drive me crazy!  There will never, ever, be enough hours in the day to complete a full day at the office and then a full day in my home. I am exhausted, I am cranky, and I am sad.  I want perfection, and yet, I realize it's just not possible.  

Spending time with my son is way more important than those dishes, and I keep it in perspective.  I have set a goal for myself to do one thing each day.  Monday I may vacuum, Tuesday I may sort the coupons strewn on the table, Wednesday I may clean the bathrooms.  Not everything has to be done in one night.  BALANCE.  

Like I said, being a momma is tough business and not for the faint of heart.  I am so blessed with my growing family and at the end of the day I just want to lay my head on my pillow and give thanks to the One who has given me way more than I will ever deserve.   He alone can sustain me to keep the balance...

In closing {for now} I want to share a little joy with you.  Little man Max loves tummy time {most days} and has awesome neck strength {isn't it amazing what moms get excited about?!}...Enjoy {the baby, not my "mom voice"}.

 

Make it a great day friends.
XO

First Day Jitters

To say I was nervous about going back to work would be a HUGE understatement!  I was not nervous about seeing people at work, or getting back into my projects, or even fitting into my clothes (ok, maybe a little); I was nervous about leaving this adorable fella' all day long.  

We are so blessed to have family watching him all 5 days during the week, but even still, I knew I was going to miss him like crazy and feel guilty for getting back to the {work} grind.  About 3 weeks before I headed back I started to panic.    

How was I going to do this? Getting up early and leaving him somewhere else, with someone else!   

What if he forgets who I am? We have formed such a great bond, what if this breaks it?   

Is this really worth it? Can't we just go live in a tent on the beach somewhere and call it a day?!  

Each day led to new thoughts and new reasons to get upset and worry about the future.  Luckily for me, I was {and still am} surrounded by encouragement.  Family members and friends alike who prayed for me, encouraged me and talked me off the ledge.  What I am doing right now is exactly what I should be doing.  Where I am right now is exactly where I should be.  How we're choosing to look after Max is exactly how we should be....regardless of what anyone else thinks. 

So this past Sunday night, as I packed Max's bag, my lunch, my work bag and my pump {a whole other post of it's own...}, I knew what I was doing was right.  I held my sweet boy extra tight all evening, and gave him even more kisses than usual.  He reassured me that the bond we have could not be broken, not even by 8 hours spent by him at someone else's home while I worked.

When I woke up Monday morning, I knew I was covered in prayer, and I felt it.  I cried a little on our way to my sister's and then again after leaving her home, and that was it.  He was beyond happy to be with his Aunt Ash & cousins all day, and we are SO blessed to have them to watch him!

I arrived at work and was warmly welcomed by my friends...

And was provided awesome updates by Aunt Ash throughout the day...

When 4:30 rolled around, my awesome husband brought my sweet little man to me at work so I could show him around to my colleagues, and I was in heaven.  We can do this, I thought.  This is our new normal, and we can {and will} make it through! 

And at the end of the night, all we did was snuggle on the sofa.  This is a bond that can never be broken.

Guess Who?

I'm back!  
for a minute...

Back home, back to the routine, back to my seemingly normal schedule...

What a crazy few weeks this has been!  On both a person and professional front, I have been challenged and pushed to the edge; needless to say I am happy to be home :) 

 

 

Final Four was a blast and certainly a successful program with a happy client!  We stayed at The Houstonian Hotel and it was outstanding!  If you're in Houston and need a beautiful place to lay your head, this is your spot!  Staff was great and super helpful, rooms were wonderful, beds were cozy (if only I actually got to enjoy sleeping more hours here!) and guests have access to one of the top 5 fitness clubs in the US while you stay!

While in Houston I had a lot of great food, and by a lot, I mean A LOT including this lovely BBQ feast!

yes, that is half of a chicken on my plate!

One of the very best cupcakes I have ever had, in fact my mouth is watering just thinking about it.....


...NUTELLA :)

However, there was one food item I did not try, and although I love this food I can't think eating it in this fashion is really to my liking.  Maybe it was the price for something so simple or maybe the fact that MAYO was their topping of choice?  Either way, I did not shell out $5 for this.

Is this common where you live?


It was a really special treat to have seen both my parents and my husband while I was on program!  This made the trip so much better!

We arrived back home late Wednesday and headed out again Thursday for Bobby's aunt's wedding.  Stay tuned for pictures of that trip soon...

Make it a great day!

Where am I?!

Two words that change my world this time of year....March Madness.  

It's not the brackets, not the teams, not even a single game result.  Nope.  For me it's what happens before the games.  Our 32 pre-game events keep me very busy this time of year, making sure all guests receive their tickets, all of the food is yummy and in abundance, and all of my staff don't go crazy with the details...  

Annnnd just when you think it's over two more words make it impossible to get back to normal.....Final Four.  

Stay Tuned.....

long week...welcome to my busy season!

The annual NCAA Summit was this week in Atlanta, which meant that I only had to travel by car! It was a brief summit, compared to past years but it was insightful and great time spent with colleagues and clients.  Did I mention that I met Charles Barkley?  He was hilarious and gave us quite a show before dinner.  My boss had him sharing all sorts of stories after all of the other 180 attendees had gone into dinner, which meant it was pretty much like a Charles Barkley comedy hour for just 8 of us...

I heart my job :) 

Can you believe it's already January 21?!  Where has the time flown off to?  This is my busiest time of the year, so I have no doubt that April (and the Final Four) will be here before we even know it....YIIIIKES!  I can relate to all of the accountants out there who are just chomping at the bit for May to be here so they can take a day off.  

***sigh*** 

...a girl can dream ;)

At least it's Friday & I have the weekend ahead.  Boy, do I have something fun lined up for Sunday!  It's Pie Day (pie the food, not pi the math term)....that's all I'm saying!

Before I sign off I'd like to ask a special request for you to say a prayer for my sweet cousins and aunt and uncle, who lost their grandfather/father this week.  I know they are hurting right now, and my heart is broken for their loss.  They can find joy in knowing they will see him again one day, but it doesn't take away the sting of losing someone you love. 

Life is short folks....hug the people you love and TELL THEM how much they mean to you.

Hope you all have a blessed weekend!  Make it a great one :)

New Website, No Venue, Never Been There

I updated our Knot website last night...it's still not final but it's getting there :) You can view it here.  Like I said, it's a work in progress, but so much fun to have it going!  I will update as we have more information.  Which leads me to my next point...


We have no ceremony venue!  I have fallen in love with a reception site that does not have enough space for our guests for the wedding.  They offered us a 'gathering' for the ceremony, but I personally don't want any of my guests standing for the ceremony.  Thoughts?  Now I am in search mode for any and all churches nearby.  Not an easy task, and I am not a fan of churches who do not allow non-members to get married there.  I am a member of A church, just not YOUR church.  Ugh.  More phone calls today & fingers crossed we will find somewhere.  The good news is that I have an excellent plan B venue in downtown Atlanta that has both ceremony and reception space, so we'll use it if we need to.  I just reeeeally have my heart set on plan A.  Any suggestions?


In other news, Delta.com just told me I leave for South Africa in 19 days....what?!? Good news is I was finally able to switch to an aisle seat.  I used to prefer a window, but having to ask two people to move just so I can walk or pee is frustrating.  Especially on a 16 hour flight!  And other good news is that I depart back to the states in just 66 days.  Wow, I don't think I am ready mentally to be away for 47 days.  I won't get into this now because I will get emotional.  After all, I am a wimp have never been gone for this long.  I will be blogging as much as I can so family and friends (blogger friends too!) can keep up.  Truthfully I am really excited about seeing not only a new country but a new continent!  I am very blessed to have the job I have and not a day goes by when I don't realize that...this trip to the World Cup, albeit long and hard, is amazing and I am thrilled to go (and equally as thrilled to return)!


 Did you watch Betty White on SNL this weekend?! She was great, and I was thrilled that the Lawrence Welk sketch made another appearance...see below :) 







XOXO, Chrissi

2010 Final Four...Indy Style

...just got back from the Final Four in Indianapolis...what a week! Better yet, what a season...March Madness and Final Four are my biggest responsibilities for the year, so preparing for these takes over my life, and now that they are over I can have my life back. While I was there I got to meet some really neat people...most famous would have to be Mr. Scottie Pippen. Dang, is that man tall or what!? He was at an event our client sponsored, and when he was introduced to me, he looked down and said "how are you doing pretty little lady?" to which I replied "little is an understatement right now, you're huge!!" He got a good laugh and smiled for the picture. I love it when famous people actually interact with you. I was not star struck, but I was impressed. This was a fun moment...

Here are some of the US Paralympic Basketball Team members with the Bob Cousy Award winner Greivis Vasquez. What an outstanding kid (he is younger than me so I guess it's ok to say kid?!)
The next few pictures are from a clinic The Hartford hosted with the US Paralympians. This was one of the most humbling experiences of my life. 6 wheelchair athletes and 27 kids (a few adults too) as young as 5 who are in wheelchairs. I must have praised God 1,000 times that morning for the blessing of being able to walk. These folks don't let anything hold them back. What a great life lesson.....

(what an adorable 5 year old, Brayden...he stole everyone's heart that morning!!)

Our Friday welcome event features two familiar faces to the sports world, Dick Vitale & Jay Bilas...these guys were outstanding & entertaining to listen to. I still don't understand how anyone can know so much about so many athletes. It blows my mind (and also makes me wonder whether they know the latest gossip from People magazine like I do?)!

(this is me with the actual championship trophy that was awarded to Duke Monday night)

Now on to something very exciting that I have been waiting to post about....I found out a few weeks ago that I would be spending 45 days in the country of South Africa for the World Cup this summer. I am so excited to get to work such an exciting event & will certainly be using my blog to keep everyone updated on how things are going. Being away for 45 days will be tough, but I will put my big girl panties on & deal with it...it is so exciting!!

That's all for now folks. Hope you're having a great week & your car isn't too yellow from that nasty pollen!

xoxo,

Chrissi

Land of the Golden Gate

I arrived in San Francisco just a bit ago, and I am getting some work done from my friend/co-workers apartment while she is still at work. I will go into the office tomorrow, but when you sit on a plane all day, going straight to the office isn't always the best idea. I would feel the need to shower, and change, etc....anywho, I digressed. I am staying with Molly (pictured on the left next to me in the picture below) and she has an amazing apartment in the city. Don't believe me? Well, that picture above is from her roof. Yes, it's awesome! I will be here until Sunday when I move to a hotel closer to the office, and then in a hotel near the airport so I won't miss my early flight next Wednesday when I will sit once more on a long Delta flight across the country. Until then I will run by the water & under the bridge, eat too much food (CA food is yummmmy!), enjoy my work friends that I never get to see, and work. Work a lot. Did I mention working? I am ok with the working though, because even when I am stressed, I still love my job. That is what I am out here for, after all.
xoxo from SanFran