Update

Hello friends!
It has been a while since I last updated this blog. Gosh - so much has happened! So many changes, but all for the better. I wanted to let you all know that due to these changes, I have started another blog, where I will be focusing my activity. I am happy to announce that I am going to become a mommy in March! I am incredibly excited, so I want to share that new chapter with you in the form of a new blog. There I will not only share baby and family updates, but also what is currently relevant in my life; my hobbies, opinions (on probably less controversial topics hehe), what I am passionate about and the occasional review, DIY or tutorial. I find the new blog a bit more fitting now, so I will be posting there exclusively. I will be keeping this blog around for the time being, but if you'd like to keep up with me, check out my new blog! 

http://sahmiam13.blogspot.com/

Hope you are all doing well. See you over there!

- Elle-Belle

Tombstone

So as most of you know, in October, Mike and I moved into our first apartment. Not only did we have more space and a place of our own, but we got to have Mike's cats back, who had been living with his sister for a number of years. At the same time, I adopted Tombstone, one of her cats. I swear, this cat has been such a blessing. I have always loved cats - man this guy just took to me. I don't know what it was, but we immediately bonded. He snuggles with me and he will complain when he can't sit on the bed with me when I am typing away at my computer. He will meow for hours until I get home from work and when I am home, he follows me everywhere. Having him around has brought me so much joy, that I felt the need to dedicate a post to him and post some of my favorite pictures. :)

Welcome 2013...4 months late xD

Hi friends! So one of my many New Year's resolutions was to get back into blogging. It is now April 8th and I haven't blogged once yet this year, so so much for that plan. xD The reason I am actually taking time to sit down and write, is because I am sick and have lost my voice, so this is the only way I can communicate at the moment!

Back when I left off in November, I was talking about my job hunt. It turns out that two days later, I went in for a job interview at Hobby Lobby, and was hired on the spot! I was just hired on as a seasonal part-timer, but after the season, I was one of the few employees who was chosen to stay. In the beginning, they made it clear that it was basically up to me whether or not I'd be kept or not. If I did a good job, I'd stay, if I slacked off, I'd be let go after the season - simple as that. I really like working at Hobby Lobby. I can't say I am a huge fan of retail, because dealing with unfriendly and rude customers constantly tends to take my mood down from a +50 to a -10, but my coworkers and managers are all very friendly, cool people who are very easy to get along with. I have been at Hobby Lobby for a little over 4 months now. 

I can't say for sure where I will be in a year - maybe even half a year. All I know is that if I don't take it one day at a time, I will eventually drive myself up the wall. So I am just playing it by ear. Mike will be graduating with his Associates in May and we will just have to see where we go from there. Who knows where we will end up!

On February 10th, my brother moved here to Farmington to go to school. So he has been living with us for nearly two months now. My dad came with him for a week to help him get settled in, then headed back home for work. Even though the visit was very short, it was wonderful to get to see my Dad. My brother is currently taking GED classes in order to get his diploma and start college in the fall. As of today, he is working at Advantage Dodge as a mechanic. Dodge will put him through the auto mechanics program at the college while he works - pretty good deal. So right now, I feel a bit like a parent; driving him around, buying groceries and cooking and teaching him how to drive, but it sure is nice to have my brother around, especially with my parents living half a world away. 

I have pretty much gotten my anxiety under control. I occasionally have a bad morning and struggle with panic attacks, but it's not near as bad as it was last spring. I have come a very long way and I can truly say that I am happy with where I am at. :) 

I am strongly leaning towards cosmetology, but I haven't completely tossed the idea of teaching. That's why I just want to work for the time being - so that I can give myself some time to decide. It really helps that I am working right now anyway, since I am currently our only source of income. And poor Mike's lousy paycheck is barely enough to cover a week's worth of gas - maybe too if they give him enough hours.

Hmm....other than that...not too much is new! I am still trying to paint a pair of shoes a week for Peach's Neet Feet (the job and extra responsibilities have taken some of my spare time from me) and I am also trying to paint a little on the side, just to keep my creativity going, now that I am no longer in school. I've also been trying to pick up the guitar more often, but I need to slowly get my calluses back! I also need to replace my bow so that I can start playing violin again. :) Well, now I am just babbling. xD 

Hope you all are doing well! I hope you all are enjoying the beginning of spring!

Elle-Belle