Still so busy!

August is over and this is the first time I've come back to post again. I've still been super busy...mostly working on editing photos. I'm almost finished with the first batch...I'm just cleaning up some edges a little bit. This is largely why I stopped doing photography professionally...because I'm way too much of a perfectionist and I have a hard time just leaving them alone and saying they're good enough. And especially with these photos...I didn't actually take these pictures. A wonderful photographer who has been taking the girls' pictures since Aubry was just a few months old took them. So I really want them to look good. Really it's just the marks on the white floor that are the most time consuming part. I want it all to look natural and smooth. I'm getting there...it's just taking awhile. The later pictures in the batch are all right...but in the beginning I wasn't doing as much so I'm going back to clean those up more now. Total there are 155 pictures...but luckily not all of them are on the white background. 

But...Johnny and I did take some time for ourselves on our anniversary! Our anniversary also happened to fall on National Fajita Day...so Johnny and I cooked fajitas together for dinner, cuddled up with the pups and watched some documentaries on Netflix. We always enjoy our Netflix and chill time. :) I'd much rather spend time curled up at home together than going out. I love our quality time together. My favorite part of the day is when we sit down to eat dinner and either catch up on our shows, watch a new documentary or stand-up comedian on Netflix...or if it's a weekend we'll watch a longer movie together. 

Ashlyn is doing well in school so far this year. If she passes all her classes this semester, she doesn't have to attend class next semester...so she's been working hard to keep her grades up. It's still hard to believe that she's already a senior! We're getting her senior pictures taken in October (the same photographer that I'm editing photos from now). We'll have to order her graduation invitations, tassel, and some 2023 clothes and accessories like we got for her sister in 2020. 

Speaking of...Aubry is doing well at WSU Tech. As of last week she was still getting all As in her classes. She's passed most of the online coursework and then she will have the lab work to do. She is really enjoying her college experience. Of course, she's also really looking forward to the job--and paycheck--that she'll be getting after she finishes the program. ;) 

Other than that, I've also been keeping busy with CandiMaker stuff. I started selling sublimation ready-to-press transfers in addition to sublimation designs. I haven't had as much time as I'd like to create new designs...but hopefully things will calm down and I'll have more time to devote to it. :) 

Happy Anniversary to us!

Johnny and I just celebrated 10 years together and 5 years of marriage. :) 

Ten years seems like a long time...but it doesn't feel like a long time. I mean...we've experienced so much together and we've shared so many moments over the years...but it just seems like the time has gone by so fast. 

I love our relationship though. It just comes so easily. I know you generally have to work to make a relationship work...but I feel like we've put in that work and now it just feels effortless. 

Had Johnny and I stayed together the first time we dated, we actually would have celebrated 17 years together this year. But...so much happened in our lives in those seven years we were apart. I think we both grew and became the people who could make such a successful life together now. I've always believed that everything happens for a reason...and I think that's especially true of all the things that had to happen for us to end up working at the same place at the same time, meet and fall in love, fall apart and then come back together...to end up happily ever after. 

We've both had very volatile relationships in the past. Speaking for myself, I know that I have had a history of being VERY stubborn, saying everything I think (often complaints or criticism), and honestly just focused on a lot of the wrong things. But...I was with guys who were the very same way. Like with XH...both of us were very stubborn, fought constantly, and always focused on what the other person was or wasn't doing...and the way we wanted things to be. It was never a partnership where we worked together. There was a lot of, "well if you're not going to do X then I'm not going to do Z." There was too much resentment and no appreciation from either of us. 

Even in the 6-year relationship I had right before Johnny and I got back together...it was a very different kind of relationship. The first four months of the relationship we were truly dating...but after that it was far more of a long-term "friends with benefits" arrangement than an *actually* relationship. We enjoyed each other's company and I stayed at his house when my kids were with their dad...but I had my own place and we weren't planning any sort of exclusive future together. So it became a situation where...if one of us got pissed off, I just went home. We'd either get over it...or not. It was pretty inconsequential. Don't get me wrong...we loved each other and care about each other very much...but it was in a much different way. I just understood him more than most people and I let him be who he is without trying to change him...and he appreciated that. But we were still two very strong-willed and mouthy personalities who clashed often.  

But things are totally different with Johnny. I'm definitely not as stubborn, I've learned that silence really is golden, and we focus on appreciating each other instead of criticizing each other. Johnny and I are just *nice* to each other. We say nice things and even use cutesy pet names. We say please and thank you. We say "I love you" every time one of us leaves...whether it's just leaving the room or leaving the house. We also do nice things for each other...even when it's just little things like making a favorite snack or doing a chore around the house so the other doesn't have to. That's not to say everything is perfect 100% of the time. We're human and sometimes we get annoyed or cranky or just have a bad day...but those moments are few and far between. Johnny and I are also a lot alike in a lot of ways...from our thoughts on religion and politics to the things we like to see and do. 

But even the things that are different about us...we still complement each other in a way that works so well. For example, Johnny is good cop and I'm bad cop. I have no problem telling the kids no...while he's usually the "nicer" one who is more lenient. We're like that in so many ways. 

Ultimately we're in it together, forever. I really enjoy our life together. :) 

Here's to 10 years...and a lifetime of many more! :) 

August already?!

I can't believe school starts this week! It's hard to believe that Ashlyn will be a SENIOR this year! She met with her guidance counselor last week to make some adjustments to her schedule. She actually only has to go to her classes during first semester to graduate (as long as she passes all of her classes). She'll still be able to go to prom and graduate in May with her class...she just won't have to attend classes during the spring semester. Hopefully she will have a great senior year! 

Aubry started her first day of college yesterday! I talked to her off and on throughout the day and it was nice to hear her enjoying it so much. Despite Johnny and I telling her that it's so much different than high school, I think she thought we were just telling her that to try to convince her to go...but she found out that it actually *is* different than high school. ;) She liked the instructors and the fact that the courses she's taking are hybrid...meaning partially online as well as in-person coursework. The sheet metal program she is taking is just one semester long and she'll earn a technical certificate that she can use to get a job in that field. :) I'm so proud of her for taking this step and I'm so glad that she's excited about it and enjoying the experience so far. 

I've still been working on editing photos. I just have two photos left to finish the first "batch" of pictures my mom is going to order. I've also been focusing a lot on my Etsy shop. I have a set of school designs that I finished and uploaded to my store. I added them later than planned but I'm pleased with how they turned out. And they're not specifically "first day of school" designs so that helps a bit. I also decided to create a bundle for these designs since there are 9 similar designs all together. Since Etsy limits the number of files and the size of the files that can be uploaded, I am actually utilizing Google Drive for the bundle. I still have so many ideas I want to make happen for CandiMaker and I'm excited for the future of my little business. :) After I finish this batch of photos, I'm going to spend some time really focusing on my Etsy shop for a week or two and then get back to editing more pictures. There's a lot of pictures to get through! 

In other news...we had to take Bozley to the vet on Friday. Thursday morning he didn't eat much of his breakfast and he didn't want to eat any of his dinner at all. He's a horribly picky eater...and sometimes he's less inclined to eat than others. But he kept eating grass and throwing it up. He was still drinking water and urinating fine so I just watched him overnight. Friday morning was much the same. We got some ground turkey, turkey breast, pasta, and pumpkin...and he didn't want any of that either. He wasn't even interested in his favorite duck treats...which is when I decided to take him to the vet. At first they thought he might have an obstruction...but 4 different vets pressing on his belly and looking at the x-ray...and they couldn't definitively say if it was really an obstruction or not. They wanted to keep him overnight but not only is it expensive, but I don't like our pets staying overnight at the vet unless absolutely necessary. They aren't staffed overnight plus Bozley has anxiety so much as it is...I wouldn't want his stress to cause even more/other issues. So I asked the vet if there was anything that we could do at home for him. He suggested omeprazole and keeping him hydrated. He kinda moped around throughout the evening. The pups were laying on the couch with Johnny and I while we were watching movies. Johnny went to bed and I stayed up a little longer to work. I grabbed the container with the cooked ground turkey to see if Bozley would eat anything...and he snatched a piece right out of my hand! I got him a bowl of turkey, pasta, and some pumpkin and he ate it all! He didn't throw up anymore after taking the omeprazole, either. And that night before we went to bed he finally had a bowel movement...so we were happy about that as well. Luckily, it seems that Bozley was just constipated instead of obstructed. We fed him the easily-digestible ground turkey, pasta, and pumpkin through the weekend and yesterday we started gradually adding his regular food in as well. Now he's all back to normal. :) 

I really like our animal hospital here in town. There are multiple vets that work in the office and most of them are really great. I do have a favorite, though. He goes by Dr. Q and he's always so great with the animals. He's seen our dogs as well as our cats and he is always caring and knowledgeable. We saw him on Friday and he said that he was going to be worried about Bozley and he wanted me to call back on Saturday to let him know how Bozley is doing. And then Dr. Q even called me yesterday to ask how Bozley was doing after the weekend. I just really appreciate such personable care. 

Well...I better get back to work! 

July is almost over?!

I can't believe July is almost over! School supply displays are back up in the store. I enrolled Ashlyn for her SENIOR year of high school a couple weeks ago. We scheduled the appointment for her senior pictures (same photographer who took Aubry's). Then...soon it will be Christmas and before we know it...Ashlyn will be graduating high school! And then...that's it! Our last kid in school! Well...through high school, anyway. 

Next week, Aubry is meeting with her advisor and attending an informational meeting for the sheet metal program that she's wanting to take. The program she originally signed up for isn't being offered anymore, but there's an 8 week program that she's looking at now. And I think Ashlyn is planning to start out at a local community college first (which is what I did) and then transfer to the same university that I went to. That's her plan so far anyway. 

This week the girls have been on vacation with XH's mom and their younger sister. Their family owns property in southern Kansas so they usually go out there every summer for fishing and enjoying the great outdoors. So Johnny and I have had the house all to ourselves. Well...with the cats and dogs. ;) 

I was working on transcription files over the weekend. Johnny still hasn't been working overtime on the weekends so I worked in the bedroom again. The adjustable Tempur-Pedic bed is SO comfortable! The dogs seem to think the bed is comfy too. ;) I took this picture when both dogs were in the bedroom. Bozley was in the lower part with his head up on the raised foot of the bed and then Nova was basically laying with her butt on my shoulder and her head on Johnny's pillows at the top. 

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Speaking of things that are hard to believe... it's already been two whole years since we brought Bozley home and a year since we brought Nova Lee home! In July 2020, we drove more than 8 hours roundtrip to pick up Bozley from a breeder we found through Facebook. And in a spur of the moment decision in July 2021, we drove about half an hour away to pick up Nova from a Facebook post by someone that -- as it turns out -- I went to high school with. I think they're definitely two of the best decisions Johnny and I have ever made in our relationship. :) Boz and Nova have brought so much joy to our home. They're both such sweet (and funny) puppies...they always keep us smiling! 

Anyway, I got my last file turned in on Monday and then I created new listings in my Etsy shop for ready-to-press printed sublimation transfers of some of my designs. I'll be adding more designs as transfers in the future as well. I really want to get back to making some more designs and working on new products for my Etsy shop, but I have to spread out my time between my Etsy shop, finishing transcription files, and editing all these photos. I think once I get the photos done it'll be a lot better. I'm already used to managing my time between CandiMaker and my transcription files, but the photo editing was an unexpected task that popped up and is taking a bit longer than planned...but it's going well. :) 

We tried a new recipe the other day...but it wasn't really my favorite. I used crescent roll dough...but I think I'll try it again with pizza dough sometime. It tasted alright I just think it could be better. So I'll make that change and we'll see how that goes. Then I'll post the recipe if we like it. :) I've been so busy lately that we haven't tried many new recipes...but this one is pretty quick and easy so I'll probably try it again soon. I was going to make roast beef salad with leftover roast that I made before that...but we ended up not actually having leftovers. :P 

Well...I better get back to editing photos! 

Busy, busy!

I've been pretty busy lately. 

I had five transcription files due last week. I've enjoyed working on transcription files over the weekends now. Johnny hasn't worked overtime on Saturdays lately so on Saturday and Sunday I've been going in the bedroom and raising the head and foot of the bed and typing in there. It's SO COMFY! :) The dogs were napping on the bed off and on while I was working. They'd go in between hanging out with me and then hanging out with Johnny in the living room. During the week Johnny is working in the bedroom so I usually work on transcription files in the living room on my rolling laptop desk that I bought last year. 

I also worked a little bit in my office this weekend. I finally moved the garage sale bins out of the office and got them taped up and stored away. I also moved some of the drawer organizers that I previously had in Aubry's room that I need to find a place for in my office. I haven't yet decided where they're going to go or what I'm going to put in them...but I'll definitely think of something. :) I love organization! 

After I get this first batch of photos edited, I'm going to work on my Etsy shop some more. I still haven't listed my printed transfers yet. I'm still hammering out the details. I also need to work on some new designs...and I also want to work on some planner sticker digital downloads and other printables to list in my Etsy shop as well. June and July have been pretty slow on Etsy for a lot of sellers...and I've kinda let my shop take a backseat to my other obligations at the moment and just doing a little here and there when I can. But by the end of the month, I really want to get it going full-swing again. 

Last weekend Johnny and I took the dogs over to my grandma's house for a little while. Grandma loves seeing the puppies and they enjoy playing over there. They'll explore the backyard for awhile and then they'll just relax at our feet in the house while we're chatting. Johnny replaced Grandma's garbage disposal and I changed the filter on her air purifier (she got the same one we have in our living room). Then this weekend Aubry stopped by and I helped her fill out her application and FAFSA paperwork for WSU Tech. She's interested in their sheet metal programs. So we got that all set up...which is exciting! :) We also scheduled Ashlyn's senior pictures for October. I can't believe our last baby will be a senior next year! 

 Well...gonna get back to work for a little bit before bedtime. Hope everyone has a good week! :)