Nina and Pops have arrived!

They are here!  I tried to post pics but my laptop is on its way to technology heaven. Pics will have to wait.  Glad to have Nina and Pops here!  They are great!

a realization

I have realized in working quite a few hours lately (as a preschool sub) that it's nearly impossibly for this mother of 5 to work outside the home and also do a good job inside the home.  That's not to say that there are not super women out there that can do that, but I am definitely not one of them.  There is just too much to juggle on the homefront for me to be working even part-time in the next year or two. I'm not saying I'm not going to try it (I was offered a preschool job a month ago and almost took it...and most likely would take it next year with Logan in Kindergarten), but I came to the realization this week that my full time job is and should be for quite some time, being a mom of 5.  This takes lots of sacrifice (we don't buy many new clothes or shoes (you should see Logan's holey ones...both jeans and shoes...mine too)...we don't have a nicely decorated house (and honestly I'm ok with that...no window treatments at all on my main floor and hardly anything on the walls and we've lived here 2.5 years). We have to make lots of sacrifices for me to stay home...but I am grateful every day that Kev is ok with this...and that God provides....and that I can be here during the days for my kids.  I realized also that as tired as I am usually, I am doubly tired when I work for 3-4 hours every morning.  I can't be that worn out consistently.  But the one good thing about working outside the house, is it makes you appreciate the down time and time at home that you do have.  Not sure what all these realization mean, but just that I am grateful that I've been able to stay home for over 10 years now (wow, a decade!) and that I am able to get some very part-time work in the wonderful church environment.  And that it's interesting the road God leads you on.  20 years ago I was in college thinking I'd be this awesome nurse forever. Thinking maybe I'd get married and have a couple kids then go back to school and be an nurse practitioner.  Ha!  Never would I go back to school now and not even sure I love nursing that much.  It's interesting what twists and turns God puts in your life.  You just never know what He has in store. 

First day back after vacation is always a drag

Ugh...what a long day.  Lots of good in the day, but at the end of the day, sometimes even too many good things make for a long day.  I am tired and probably shouldn't have subbed today, but in the end I enjoyed it and it was good for my soul...but then a playdate for the entire afternoon and then not getting home til dinner time...it was just too much....and I am irritated by Cyber Monday.  I had hoped to put a good dent in my Christmas shopping tonight, but just no energy.  Wish I had one more day to get good deals....but I guess that's the story of my life...never enough time.  Something has got to give or I am going to cave in and lose it completely.  Maybe I already have.  I need a post vacation-vacation.

Home and not ready to jump back into things

Well, after a long day of driving, we are home.  Minus one again, but that's our reality.  It was a wonderful turkey day break and I was grateful to have our family whole again for 3.5 days.  I'll take what I can get at this point.  We had our ups and downs this vacation, but it's a never a Steg vacation without some kind of adventure. :) Thankful every day for the gift of family, health, travels and blessings.  I take none of it for granted.  And very grateful Hays will be home in less than 3 weeks, that we can spend Christmas in Fl and that Nina and Pops arrive in 4 days.  Lots to look forward to in a month that is usually not my fav. Hopefully those future lights will bring me good cheer!

A delightful day in DC :)

What a delightful day in DC.  Beautiful weather, lots of historical touring and fun family times.  It's all better told through pics which hopefully I can post at home next week.  Started off the morn with a tour of the capital building.  Such a neat place.  Then the library of congress.  Then walking the National mall, seeing the smithsonian air and space museum and the museum of National history.  Then off to the White House. The one bummer if our dc trip is that the White House was closed for tours this week.  We had permission from our Indiana representative, but they can't really do much about it closing.  But at least we got the capital tour.  And it'll give us a good reason to return to see the WH.  Then we headed to all the awesome monuments--the Washington monument, Lincoln and Jefferson. We ran out of time to do more but I think we covered a lot in one day with a family of 7. We learned to use the metro too and the bus system.  And ate some food cart food, museum food and more shake shack!  I have a fondness for DC.  Love that all the touring stuff is free.  Though the food makes up for it. Not super cheap.  But still a fairly cost effective trip.  Now off to bed so we can head home early tomorrow.  Sigh.  Steg Tday trip 2017 almost done.

Bye bye NYC, hello Washington DC!

Well, we prob should have gotten rolling early this morn, but we all needed the sleep and I wasn't feeling well.  So we slept in. Hit Dunkin' Donuts on the way out of manhattan and then were on our way to our nation's capital.  Sadly we got into town right at 2pm as the bureau of engraving was closing.  So D missed seeing paper money being made, but just another good reason to visit here again.  We then crossed the border to VA and saw the pentagon memorial and Arlington national cemetery. Both very memorable. We got to see the tomb of the unknown soldier and changing of the guard.  The kids thought that was cool.  And we were the last ones to leave the cemetery. Then headed back to dc to have dinner at a yummy pizza place and dessert at shake shack of course!  So we really didn't do anything in dc but eat, but we did enjoy that. :) Oh and this hotel is gorgeous!  The kids have insisted this is the nicest place ever.  And the pool and Disney channel don't hurt!  Tomorrow is a full day of touring. Gotta get to bed.  Kev is downstairs printing our congress tour passes and planning our day.  He's awesome.

Happy turkey day....so bummed about our parade mistake :(

Been a long day and I'm too tired to type on an iPhone. Just very bummed we got up at 5am and secured what we thought was a great parade spot at 645 only to find out at 830 that the parade bipassed Columbus Circle.  I was crushed. Had looked forward to this parade and a good view for so long. We ended up moving right before the parade started and half the kids couldn't see much at all.  Just such a huge bummer. And had we stood where we first went by Central Park at 630 we would have had a front row seat.  I guess you can't win em all. Just sad though.  We did make the best of it and had a pretty good afternoon.  Took the girls to see the rockettes and had a great Trader Joe's turkey meal cooked by Kev and hays in her dorm kitchen, while the kids and I set up the sab kitchen for our Tday spread.  I loved our thanksgiving NYC style.  Just so disappointed about our parade mistake.  I guess ya win some and lose some. :(