Wanted: Nanny

Family searching for Nanny for 2 days only--Thursday, Feb. 12 and Friday, Feb. 13--while our Nanny is on a much-needed vacation. Girls, aged 3 and 10 months. Must be healthy, have patience, and enjoy combing curls and reading books! $50 each day, your lunch included, and probably a few hugs, too! Please call Cara today if you can help out!

We did it!

We made it 5 weeks on just my s****y salary! I am definitely ready to go shopping again! ;) Josh is trying to make a case for never needing to work again--ha ha.....

What A Weekend!

Jared & Leighan
Mr. & Mrs. Clark

I have another sister! ;)

Kisses for the bride and groom!

Papa and Ems at the "reception"

Squish and Grandma

Sisters (in-laws!)

Eva loves her Uncle Jon!

The Siblings!

Josh, Me, new sister Leighan, Jared (Josh's brother), Jon (Josh's other brother), Megan

A soon-to-be-soldier and his new bride!

Josh and Eva at Jared's Going Away Party.....

Emma crashed with Papa!

Eva and MooMoo

Caite(my sister) and Montae came for the Going Away Party too!

Jared and Leighan cutting their cake!

Montae--the life of the par-tay!

Eva wasn't so fond of the Dora party hats.....

Emma enjoying her birthday lunch! When we are home, we have every function at the restaurant where Josh and I met. It seems so fitting.....

Birthday girl hanging out with my Mom while our car was in the shop (yes, again!)

Birthday girl enjoying her party!

Em blowing out her THREE candles!

Opening a butt-load of presents!

Eva wants to help too!

Giant Dora doll!

Attempt at a family picture after everyone was over-tired!

We have just returned from a whirlwind trip home from Chicago! We were able to see lots of family this weekend as we celebrated the marriage of Josh's brother Jared to Leighan, saw Jared off as he joined the Air Force, and celebrated Emma's 3rd birthday! Here are some pictures to display how much fun was had by all!

Tiny Dancer!

Emma had her first dance class tonight! This is her all ready to go to the studio!
Dancing with all of her friends!

Twirling fun!

Anal Emma.....

Josh found this in the bathroom after Em "washed" her "B's." She may have a touch of OCD.....

My Little Fishies!

A Blessed Christmas

We have finally put all of our Christmas gifts away. We were blessed with gifts! Seriously, people, where are we supposed to put all of this?!?

It's Not Every Day.....

It's not every day that you get to have a lengthy discussion with Jesse Ventura (former governor of MN) about The Young & the Restless in clinic.

And, it's not every day that the nursing home that you see patients at calls and tells you not to bother coming because the patients are enthralled in watching Obama take office, and would not show up for care.

AND, it's not every day that you get to celebrate your baby's 3rd birthday with your combined families (Chicago, here we come this weekend!).

Finally!

Last night, Eva slept for 11 hours, in her own bed, without waking up to nurse. [Translaion: Mommy slept through the night for the first time in over a year.] She has technically been sleeping through the night since she was 6 weeks old ("experts" say that 6 hours is sleeping through the night). She consistently sleeps from 8pm-7am, but consistently wakes up to eat at 4am EVERYDAY, but recently, she has been waking up FOUR times to nurse. [Translation: Eva has literally grown in front of our eyes this past week.]

Let's hope for another sleepless night tonight!

The Facts.....

So here is the goings-ons at our house lately:
~ It is now official. Josh has changed careers. He has worked so hard to take the classes, obtain licensure, interview with companies, and ultimately land a job that not only "believed in him" to become an insurance agent, but also saw his potential--American Family is making him a full-blown agent when he concludes his training in March. I never thought he would be a business owner before me (!), but I am SO PROUD of him. Our dream is to purchase a building, and have both of our businesses in one location.....
~ On a different note, Potbelly "caught wind" of his upcoming career change, and even though Josh intended to work diligently until starting his training with AmFam in February, they needed their GM's on board for the new year, and fired him 2 days after Christmas..... This ultimately led to more vacation time with family around New Year's, but also left us without Josh's paycheck for 5 weeks. We have learned to trust God to provide [and eat what is left in the cupboards]!
~ Josh has been an amazing House Husband. He has picked up ALL of the slack at home, as my schedule is crazier-than-ever this term. I come home every night to a meal, chocolate cake, folded laundry, and a welcoming hug. He is enjoying extra time with the girls, and is doing what he can to find odd-jobs to make ends meet.
~ All of the aforementioned facts have done nothing but draw us closer together, and to God. Enough said.

Happy 30th, Angela!

The Girls--Tami, Ang, Bess, Me, Caela
Caela, Josh, Ang, Me

Today is my friend, Angela's, 30th birthday! I had the honor of throwing a SURPRISE party for her on Saturday night at The Bulldog in Northeast. Ang thought her best girls were taking her out for dinner & dancing, when actually a crowd was there waiting for us!

Ang and I met on our first day of Chiropractic school 6 years ago. We have been through so much together--Board exams, cadaver lab, boring seminars, an internship, my disc herniation, etc.--and have grown together professionally because the other was there. She is not only my friend, but also an awesome auntie for our girls. In fact, she is Eva's Godmother, and is currently employing my hubby! We have grown so close over the years, and I just know that she is always there for me.

Ang, here's to 30 more YOUNG years.....

[Check her out at www.healthwise-chiro.com]

Names.....

Josh: "Emma, what is your name?"
Emma: "Emma."
Josh: "No, what is your full name?"
Emma: "Crazy Emma Borgen."

Yep, that's about right.....

This is it.

Alot has been going on in life, and in my head, since my last post. More priceless time was spent with my family, and a new year brought a new term with my job. Josh and I have experienced new scenarios in life. I pulled a 14-hour day yesterday, and now it is time to start another day. I am being challenged in ways I never thought possible, simultaneously, in so many different areas of my life right now. I have honestly never been so busy or felt so overwhelmed in my entire life. The pressure is on at work as I am carving out my future in the final months of my residency, and learning the appropriate balancing act of being a successful chiropractor yet an effective mother has never been more important. I have to play my pieces strategically.

I must lean on Him..... I can't possibly do this on my own.