So I accepted the job! This morning as I was going to work I was crying because I just didn't want to be away from the kids so much. So I talked to my mom who calmed me down by telling me how normal and instinctual it is to want to be with your kids. I knew God wanted me to take the position but I was just having a hard time obeying. So I went in and told them I would accept the position. I then asked if there was anyway I could work 28 hours instead of 30...and she said sure! I know that sounds stupid, only two hours less, but that means I can work four days of seven hours rather than have two days where I am working eight hour days. Praise God!
I Go to The Rock!
I have been offered a promotion at work. It is a definite vertical jump for my resume and will help me down the road when I am ready to go full time. The problem is that it is more hours, only six, but more hours. My future boss that I talked to said I could even work only four days a week so my mother in law can still have a day open. I keep praying about it and keep saying "okay if she says I can work only four days I'll know" and then that happens but I still doubt. I've talked to Nick, my cousin Jaime, and my mom, and they all kind of gave me that look of "why wouldn't you take it?" and muttered "idiot" under their breath in a Napoleon Dynamite kind of way. I know what I am supposed to do and yet why am I still hesistant? Because I am scared to take the leap of faith and trust God will work it out. For 30 hours a week, four days a week, I will work 2 eight hour days and 2 seven hour days. Not so bad in the grand scheme of things and yet I am dreading this. I will have to be at work at 6 every day which seems awful now but I suppose when I am used to it, it won't be so bad. Does anyone have any advice? Sometimes I try to make my doubt in God out to be God not wanting me to do something. Please pray for me as I think I may be crazy!
Its like I'm a Real Life Woman
So last Friday I felt like a woman, and not just a mom. After work I went for a pedicure...can you believe it? It was amazing with a food mudd bath, massaging and a parafin dip. HEAVENLY! Then later that night my fav cousin and I went out for drinks to Trios, a new jazz club...how swanky are we? We had so much stinking fun munching our snazzy appetizers, and just getting caught up. Wow...there might be life with kids...who knew?Yes They Match because I'm a Dork
Seeing as how Easter has come and gone now, I thought I would talk only briefly on the kids' outfits. They too are frugal finds...yeah me! Their matching outfits came from Pottery Barn...bet 'ya didn't know they sold clothes did ya? Ha! They were actually winter outfits that were on clearance but seeing as how it is always so stinking cold here until May I figured wool would work out just fine. And lo and behold I was right! Calvin's pants were $14.99 and Emma's dress was $24.99. I know the pants are kind of pricey...that's about my max amount I would pay for pants for myself, but I was dead set on matching outfits and figured I would be hard pressed to find matching anything for that price. So I ordered my little heart out and joyously clicked checkout when I realized I also got free shipping! Calvin's sweater and hat combo I already had; I purchased that set from a consignment shop when he was still in the womb, and that started the cable knit craze! Emma's sweater I got at the Burlington Coat Factory for only $9.99...a lesson to look high and low as they didn't have it in her size but I was so desperate I tried on the 6-9 month sweater on her and sure enough, it fit...weird! Emma's shoes I believe were $5.00 and they also match her Birthday outfit so we will get lots of uses out of those. I am trying to not go nuts in spending when clothing these children. Its hard having cute kids...they should look cute all of the time if they are cute, right?Speaking of dressing kids cute, I wanted to share a site with you I found. Its Gaga's and it looks amazing!!!! For around $14.99 an outfit you can rent a dress or outfit and keep it for about three weeks! Then you return it to them and they clean and sanatize it for you! For fifteen bucks you'd be hard pressed to find an outfit for an occasion, especially of the quality that they have. Plus you can get matching outfits for the kids. I always swore I wouldn't do this because my mom always had my two sisters and I dressed alike and its not cool when you are fourteen by the way. So I figured since I've had a change of heart I might as well do it now before they begin complaining. Anyway, I am planning on doing this for Christmas time or Calvin's dedication so I will let you know how it works whenever I use the site.
Sisters!
The Bean and I have known one another for a long time now. I realized when I was looking at these pictures...its like we both have grown up in the past six years! The Bean by the way is Nick's sister. So since Nick and I started dating in 2001, that means I have known her for seven years! Wowee! Doesn't the time fly? I am so happy to be able to call her a sister! I love her so much and she's just so darn cute!My Sweet Prince
Isn't he just the cutest little thing you have ever seen? Calvin (or Kevin as my Grandma calls him) has completely won my heart over! Couldn't help but post this picture of our cutie pie. The funny thing about this little man is how much he is Nicholas' mini-me. Not only is he a dead ringer of Nick but he acts like him too! He is so laid back and already a charmer. We are going to have our hands full with this one if he is as funny as Nick too! Did You Have a Hoppy Easter?
The official Witwer Family Easter picture...that's right, they are in matching outfits!
Emma unpacking Easter baskets
OOOH...found an egg!
Mommy and the boy...doesn't he look so "toughguy" in this picture?
Laughing! I love it!I know that we did and it is still continuing! I guess that we are just going to Jesus celebrate rising from the dead all year long...but that's the way it should be right? Easter was celebrated by going to my parents' church and then out to eat at Bonefish Grill...yummy! Then we went back to my Grandma Jean's house for an Easter Egg hunt and Emma (and Calvin) opened all of their baskets. It was so much fun! This Saturday we are going to Nick's Mom and Dad's house for their Easter, which I am super excited about! I am planning on making a cherry crumble from cherry's picked from our very own back yard! I will have to let you know how it is. It will be so great to see everyone and the kids love, love, love Auntie Bean and Uncle Mark. Plus we keep forgetting to give Emma her easter basket from us. I know, I know, how bad would it suck to get your Easter basket two days late, but thats the way the cards fall I guess when you have us as parents. So how was everyone else's Easter? Awesome? When I was at work on Friday before Easter, I noticed how pathetic our world is, even us Christians (at least me). Someone told me to have a Good Easter and I found myself surprised that they said Easter. Isn't that sad? Hardly anyone gets Good Friday off even though that's the day Christ died for us. DIED people. And when I was looking around at church I noticed how sad it was too. What happened to the days everyone wore new gloves, shoes, and hats because it was Easter and Easter is such a big deal? Everyone looked the same. Again...Jesus ROSE FROM THE GRAVE!!!! Let that sink in! Okay, I am done venting. I just think it is so sad Christmas and Easter are being swept under the rug. I think we as Christians should put up some type of fight.
A Whale of a Deal
So I went to Goodwill, armed with my 50% off coupon. I needed to get a basket for a friends shower and look for baby clothes. Nick and the kids went with me but by the time we got there, they were asleep. So I went in by myself (silent YES! to myself). I found this cute sweater with matching shirt underneath from Gymboree for Emma and snatched that puppy up. The cool thing about this sweater is that when you take the ruffly shirt away, its something that Cal will be able to wear when he is old enough. I got up to the counter with the basket and sweater/shirt combo and found out my basket was marked 75% off! Score! Then the sweater was only $2.00 and they didn't charge me extra for the shirt. So I saved my 50% off coupon for another time. Iwas fine paying $2.93 for my items today. Chalk another one up to God and Goodwill!I’d Like To Thank God and Goodwill
So I have been needing to go to Goodwill. Like a good finance girl who does her taxes, I recorded all of the items I have to donate to Goodwill in an excel spreadsheet and listed their condition as well. I got them in nice pile by the foyer door to take to the store. The only problem? I never made it to Goodwill this past weekend. So there they sit for Emma to rifle through at her own free will and for Nick and I to trip over, seemingly every 15 seconds. I know I could just take the items to a drop box and chucked them in, but I have this microwave to contend with. The microwave seems like a nice microwave until you get it going and then 30 seconds down the road, sparks are flying within…not such a good microwave after all. I would hate for someone to pick it up and then set their hair or house on fire when using it. So we need to take it to an actual donation center with someone speaking some form of English so we can stick a little disclaimer with it. But the other dilemma is, why am I going to drive all they way to the donation center if I am not going to buy something? And since it is not a half off day, I would feel weary to buy something. I know, I know, its goodwill and its cheap, but its also like the Gap…when you know that eventually everything is going to be on sale, you don’t buy at regular price. But what should be in the newspaper today? but lo and behold a half off coupon for Goodwill. Now maybe I have been under a rock for quite some time but I have never seen one of these coupons before, and what good timing it should have to emerge from its cocoon of savings. Thank you God and Goodwill for this miracle today! Now I can shop and drop at the same time!
Coloring the Eggs
Sunday my parents and sister came over for some good old fashioned easter egg coloring. We had so much fun. Emma loved coloring the eggs, especially the part where you put the eggs in the color, or should I say where you plop them into the color and then laugh at the water splattering. I boiled two dozen eggs and I think we may have just over a dozen now...who knew the child had man hands when it comes to eggs? I think this picture is a good example of what I am talking about: 
Calvin basically had this bored, "what in the world is with you people?" expression on his face when he wasn't sleeping. I couldn't help but look forward to the Easters when they both will be splashing Easter water everywhere.
Here is Emma using the metal egg holder thingy. I was surprised at how well she did...well how well she tried I guess you could say. She would get the egg on the metal thingy and then it would take a nose dive off. Oh well!
Happy Saint Patrick's Day!
Check Out This Site
While being a blogging nerd, I happened across an ultra cool website, Fun Being Frugal. She always has the coolest freebies and samples that you can find listed together on the web. Some of the neat ones I found today included this Garlic Gold oil, which apparently is olive oil infused with organic garlic. Now does that sound super yummy or what? I also signed up to get this free charm from Lean Cuisine. If its cute enough to merit a place on my charm bracelet, then score! Otherwise I bet it would be super cute as a necklace! There are tons more so be sure to check it out and tell me what you think. I mean do I have good taste or do I have good taste?
Easter Egg Hunt
Today was our neighborhood's Easter Egg hunt. We took Emma and Calvin out early this morning to hunt down some eggs. Emma was very cold and still sleepy and not in a very good mood. There was this look on her face when she was not out and out crying:
On the verge of tears.
Then she decided that it would be cool to start hunting for eggs before everyone else...not so cool, but instead of hunting for them she enjoyed picking them up with her mitten hands and then tossing them to rearrange them...alright I decided, we'll let that pass. 
Once the hunt did start though, she was a machine, sometimes picking two up at a time. We then went back home and warmed up. We had had so much more planned for today including watching the river being dyed green and craft time at Michael's. But with how chilly it turned and how Emma liked to cry so much we decided to just stay home. We did however get to the library and I made it to the Superette for some ingredients for Chicken Parmesan. Yummy! That's all for now; tomorrow is dying egg day so I will post pics of that!
First Stroll Around
Exploring the park
Wheeee!
Here we are!
At the little kid slide
Loving the big kid slideYesterday was beautiful around here...how is it around you? So we decided to head to the park before making dinner. It was one of those times when you just decide that you love your life...point blank. Emma enjoyed playing and feeding the geese. I can't get over what a little girl she has become! I also realized how wonderful my husband is and what a great daddy he is to our little ones. At the end of the day as we began the walk home I just kind of hung back from Nick and Emma and fought back tears as I looked at them and hugged Calvin and thanked God for all of it...He is amazing isn't he? He has given me such a gift in my family, gifts I never could have expected or deserved. I think we may go to the park tomorrow too...especially since it helps me to see everything I have to be thankful for.