Personal
Never ones for the ordinary, we’ve surprised many with the news of our newest addition. Outside of our close friends and family that we’ve told in person, we didn’t make a peep on social media about our growing family.
We moved our oldest to college in August, and the following month brought home the sweetest baby boy we could ask for. Yes, that means I started a new job just shy of 29 weeks pregnant. The company I left did not offer any paid maternity leave since I had not been there a year, yet my wonderful new employer provided me with eight weeks paid to snuggle and bond with our little boy.
Without further ado, here he is.
Our little guy arrived on September 19th, at 5pm.
Our biggest adventure
Monday, October 15, 2018
Never ones for the ordinary, we’ve surprised many with the news of our newest addition. Outside of our close friends and family that we’ve told in person, we didn’t make a peep on social media about our growing family.
We moved our oldest to college in August, and the following month brought home the sweetest baby boy we could ask for. Yes, that means I started a new job just shy of 29 weeks pregnant. The company I left did not offer any paid maternity leave since I had not been there a year, yet my wonderful new employer provided me with eight weeks paid to snuggle and bond with our little boy.
Without further ado, here he is.
Our little guy arrived on September 19th, at 5pm.
Sometimes when the grass seems greener, you get closer and
realize it’s just fertilized with different manure.
At the beginning of this year, I left the safe harbor of a
company where I had built a career for the open water of a growing company that
wanted my help to breathe new life into their training program. The leadership changed within my first month
in the role, and the future vision I had signed up for no longer existed. Suffice it to say, I was disappointed to not
get the opportunity to build a program from the ground up, let alone dealing
with the micromanagement and 180 degree change in direction from the new
leader.
It would have been really easy to be discouraged, and to be
honest, I was for a time. I spent a few
days really bummed with myself; how could I have walked away from a job I loved
for so long, just to find an organization where on the best days I had an hour
of job satisfaction? Eventually I
realized I was mourning a job that didn’t really exist anymore. My beloved manager had left a month or so
before I did at my previous job, the role had continued to evolve and the group
I supported only had one or two (out of dozens) leaders still around. That realization helped me determine that I didn’t
necessarily make a mistake in leaving, but that didn’t mean I had to stay, so
my job search began in late April.
As the next opportunities began to appear, I realized I
needed to be more thoughtful and intentional in my career decisions. Asking better questions in the interview
process and understanding the short and longer term goals of an organization
were now much more important. After a
former leader shared an opening at her company – a large employer in our city that
many former coworkers now call home, and the experience with the recruiter and
hiring manager created a confidence in this being the right spot for me. I received a generous job offer from them in
June, turning down a couple of other opportunities in the works, and started in
mid-July.
From the moment I walked in the door on my first day, I’ve
been overwhelmed by the kindness and team spirit by those on my team and in the
office. After primarily working from
home for the past four years, I’m spending more time in a local office, working
with teammates around the globe.
I’m so grateful to call this place home, and to build the
next phase of my career here.
That greener grass…
Wednesday, August 1, 2018
Sometimes when the grass seems greener, you get closer and
realize it’s just fertilized with different manure.
At the beginning of this year, I left the safe harbor of a
company where I had built a career for the open water of a growing company that
wanted my help to breathe new life into their training program. The leadership changed within my first month
in the role, and the future vision I had signed up for no longer existed. Suffice it to say, I was disappointed to not
get the opportunity to build a program from the ground up, let alone dealing
with the micromanagement and 180 degree change in direction from the new
leader.
It would have been really easy to be discouraged, and to be
honest, I was for a time. I spent a few
days really bummed with myself; how could I have walked away from a job I loved
for so long, just to find an organization where on the best days I had an hour
of job satisfaction? Eventually I
realized I was mourning a job that didn’t really exist anymore. My beloved manager had left a month or so
before I did at my previous job, the role had continued to evolve and the group
I supported only had one or two (out of dozens) leaders still around. That realization helped me determine that I didn’t
necessarily make a mistake in leaving, but that didn’t mean I had to stay, so
my job search began in late April.
As the next opportunities began to appear, I realized I
needed to be more thoughtful and intentional in my career decisions. Asking better questions in the interview
process and understanding the short and longer term goals of an organization
were now much more important. After a
former leader shared an opening at her company – a large employer in our city that
many former coworkers now call home, and the experience with the recruiter and
hiring manager created a confidence in this being the right spot for me. I received a generous job offer from them in
June, turning down a couple of other opportunities in the works, and started in
mid-July.
From the moment I walked in the door on my first day, I’ve
been overwhelmed by the kindness and team spirit by those on my team and in the
office. After primarily working from
home for the past four years, I’m spending more time in a local office, working
with teammates around the globe.
I’m so grateful to call this place home, and to build the
next phase of my career here.
Just over twelve years ago, I interviewed for an entry-level job I didn't think I wanted. When I was offered the job, I figured I'd work there for a couple months until I figured out what I really wanted to do when I grew up. That job was filled with opportunities and with hard work and luck, that job turned into a career as I figured out 'what I really wanted to do' without having to grow up too much.
In many ways, I did grow up in that company. Personally and professionally; I entered as a 21-year-old who was lacking direction in life, and earlier this year I left as a 33-year-old professional who helped build a world-class team around the globe. So many of my friendships were made there over the past decade. Almost all of my 400+ flights, I owe to my employer. They sent me around the globe, trusted me with projects before they were public knowledge, and gave me an opportunity to flourish. I relocated a couple times, purchased a house, and built a life thanks, in part, to my career.
My next opportunity landed at my doorstep thanks to some kind words from a dear friend to the company's CEO. I'm excited to bring my skills and experience to this growing company and will forever be grateful for the opportunities given to me since 2005.
The Next Big Adventure
Friday, March 23, 2018
Just over twelve years ago, I interviewed for an entry-level job I didn't think I wanted. When I was offered the job, I figured I'd work there for a couple months until I figured out what I really wanted to do when I grew up. That job was filled with opportunities and with hard work and luck, that job turned into a career as I figured out 'what I really wanted to do' without having to grow up too much.
In many ways, I did grow up in that company. Personally and professionally; I entered as a 21-year-old who was lacking direction in life, and earlier this year I left as a 33-year-old professional who helped build a world-class team around the globe. So many of my friendships were made there over the past decade. Almost all of my 400+ flights, I owe to my employer. They sent me around the globe, trusted me with projects before they were public knowledge, and gave me an opportunity to flourish. I relocated a couple times, purchased a house, and built a life thanks, in part, to my career.
My next opportunity landed at my doorstep thanks to some kind words from a dear friend to the company's CEO. I'm excited to bring my skills and experience to this growing company and will forever be grateful for the opportunities given to me since 2005.
Three years ago today, I married my best friend. He's an amazing partner and father, and I often ask myself how I got this lucky. In celebration of our third anniversary, I wanted to share the story of our unconventional backyard wedding. Enjoy!
On a rainy summer day three years ago, my best friend and I exchanged vows and rings in front of our friends and family in our backyard. Never ones for the ordinary, our celebration was actually a surprise, as our guests thought they were attending my 30th birthday party!
Let's rewind a bit, shall we? When the topic of marriage came up, we both wanted something simple and wanted to avoid the big to-dos that come with big weddings. After recently combining houses, the last thing we needed was another toaster or crockpot, so we wanted to make sure we wouldn't get any gifts. Drawing some inspiration from one of our favorite television shows, a surprise wedding ceremony seemed like the perfect idea for us.
One of the first calls we made was to Woody's Smoke Shack for catering. Several of our early dates were at Woody's and their award-winning barbecue made it the easiest decision. One minor drawback; the owners are family friends of my parents! After swearing Cheryl and Woody to secrecy, we picked out our favorite foods and enough to feed a small army.
We sketched out plans to transform our backyard into a wedding venue, adding a privacy fence and ordering tables and chairs. Since the cover for the party was a surprise party celebrating my 30th birthday, we had to be creative with invitations. Most of our friends were invited via Facebook event, others by email, and a others received an actual invitation for the surprise birthday party.
A week before our big day, we needed to apply for a marriage license when we remembered our county publishes them in the local paper. With our newly-ordained friend as our witness, we drove to the next county over, and told them about our surprise wedding. We were nearly busted a few days before the wedding when James returned to pick up the license and he ran into a friend who works in the county courthouse! Making up a somewhat-plausible excuse, the friend offered to accompany him in the recorder's office - uh oh! He was explaining his false reason to the clerk, (who was thoroughly confused) until the friend was out of earshot and he whispered what he was really there for, and the clerk discretely found the license for him. It was a close call!
The week of our wedding we finished up a few backyard projects, printing programs, purchased flowers from Trader Joe's and drinks from the grocery store. The forecast looked more and more like rain, so we added a jumbo tent to our order from AtoZ Rental. My best friend since childhood was expecting her second baby, and I asked if she'd stop by after work on Wednesday, and I let her in on the secret and asked if she'd stand up with me. Tracey and I shared happy tears and it made me even more excited - it seemed so real to tell people! James, his daughter, and I spent the night before putting together center pieces and making bouquets. Around midnight we went to bed, taking time to write our personalized vows to each other.
Saturday morning, we woke up and got a jump start on our to-do list. As we started setting up, our dear family friend Judy stopped by with flowers and a balloon, so we quickly scrambled to hide everything. My sister had been tasked with taking me out to lunch - remember, she thought it was a surprise birthday party! My mom had asked what I was doing on my birthday and I lied, telling her that Meredith and I were going out to lunch and that James wanted me out of the house while my birthday present was delivered, and that I thought it was a hot tub. Oh the tangled webs we weave! So a little before noon my sister arrived to take me to lunch when I asked, "Will you be my maid of honor?" She squealed "YES! Are we going to Vegas?" and I replied:
"The wedding is tonight. I know about the surprise party,
and we've got hair appointments in twenty minutes."
She was overjoyed and asked what to wear, so we went to her place to grab a black dress. In true little sister form, the dress she picked was actually one of mine, she had stolen it! Then it was off for our hair appointments followed by lunch. My friend Melissa had been in on the plan for about six months and by some miracle happened to still be in town, and she joined us briefly at the salon before heading home to get ready as my third bridesmaid. Meanwhile, James and his daughter set up the tent, tables, and centerpieces before cleaning up.
After a couple quick stops, we collected my future bonus kid and met up with Tracey for manicures as the caterers and guests arrived back home. James kept a close eye on the weather from our home office and he kept the tent structurally sound by clearing the rain that had collected. Our friend and photographer Sarah Franczyk captured all the details, with special instructions to capture our parents' expressions at the big announcement.
All photos provided by Sarah Franczyk - Sarah B Photography.
Our guests mingled inside our home as they waited for the rain to pass. When the time came, we made the drive back to the house, and I was full of excitement. James greeted me in front of our house with an umbrella and we made our way around to our side gate. Everyone shouted surprise and I pretended to be shocked - trying to hide my giddiness at what was going to happen next.
After a few minutes, James took the microphone and thanked everyone for coming and announced that we were liars because they weren't here for a birthday party, they were here for a wedding! My mom's reaction was absolutely priceless! My parents had returned from vacation a day earlier than they originally planned after James had visited and told them about the birthday party.
Without a rehearsal, I had made a list of the order we'd process in. As the rain changed to a slight mist, I queued up the music and our short ceremony began. Our guests stayed huddled under the tent and umbrellas, we exchanged our vows and rings and said 'I do' and then the party started! We ate, drank and danced until long after the sun went down. Our first dance as husband and wife was to Etta James' At Last, fitting for this moment after a decade of friendship. Despite the rain, it was an absolutely perfect day. Enjoy these photos, courtesy of Sarah B. Photography.
Happy Anniversary to my best guy!
Our Surprise Wedding - June 2014
Wednesday, June 28, 2017
Three years ago today, I married my best friend. He's an amazing partner and father, and I often ask myself how I got this lucky. In celebration of our third anniversary, I wanted to share the story of our unconventional backyard wedding. Enjoy!
On a rainy summer day three years ago, my best friend and I exchanged vows and rings in front of our friends and family in our backyard. Never ones for the ordinary, our celebration was actually a surprise, as our guests thought they were attending my 30th birthday party!
Let's rewind a bit, shall we? When the topic of marriage came up, we both wanted something simple and wanted to avoid the big to-dos that come with big weddings. After recently combining houses, the last thing we needed was another toaster or crockpot, so we wanted to make sure we wouldn't get any gifts. Drawing some inspiration from one of our favorite television shows, a surprise wedding ceremony seemed like the perfect idea for us.
One of the first calls we made was to Woody's Smoke Shack for catering. Several of our early dates were at Woody's and their award-winning barbecue made it the easiest decision. One minor drawback; the owners are family friends of my parents! After swearing Cheryl and Woody to secrecy, we picked out our favorite foods and enough to feed a small army.
We sketched out plans to transform our backyard into a wedding venue, adding a privacy fence and ordering tables and chairs. Since the cover for the party was a surprise party celebrating my 30th birthday, we had to be creative with invitations. Most of our friends were invited via Facebook event, others by email, and a others received an actual invitation for the surprise birthday party.
A week before our big day, we needed to apply for a marriage license when we remembered our county publishes them in the local paper. With our newly-ordained friend as our witness, we drove to the next county over, and told them about our surprise wedding. We were nearly busted a few days before the wedding when James returned to pick up the license and he ran into a friend who works in the county courthouse! Making up a somewhat-plausible excuse, the friend offered to accompany him in the recorder's office - uh oh! He was explaining his false reason to the clerk, (who was thoroughly confused) until the friend was out of earshot and he whispered what he was really there for, and the clerk discretely found the license for him. It was a close call!The week of our wedding we finished up a few backyard projects, printing programs, purchased flowers from Trader Joe's and drinks from the grocery store. The forecast looked more and more like rain, so we added a jumbo tent to our order from AtoZ Rental. My best friend since childhood was expecting her second baby, and I asked if she'd stop by after work on Wednesday, and I let her in on the secret and asked if she'd stand up with me. Tracey and I shared happy tears and it made me even more excited - it seemed so real to tell people! James, his daughter, and I spent the night before putting together center pieces and making bouquets. Around midnight we went to bed, taking time to write our personalized vows to each other.
Saturday morning, we woke up and got a jump start on our to-do list. As we started setting up, our dear family friend Judy stopped by with flowers and a balloon, so we quickly scrambled to hide everything. My sister had been tasked with taking me out to lunch - remember, she thought it was a surprise birthday party! My mom had asked what I was doing on my birthday and I lied, telling her that Meredith and I were going out to lunch and that James wanted me out of the house while my birthday present was delivered, and that I thought it was a hot tub. Oh the tangled webs we weave! So a little before noon my sister arrived to take me to lunch when I asked, "Will you be my maid of honor?" She squealed "YES! Are we going to Vegas?" and I replied:
"The wedding is tonight. I know about the surprise party,
and we've got hair appointments in twenty minutes."
She was overjoyed and asked what to wear, so we went to her place to grab a black dress. In true little sister form, the dress she picked was actually one of mine, she had stolen it! Then it was off for our hair appointments followed by lunch. My friend Melissa had been in on the plan for about six months and by some miracle happened to still be in town, and she joined us briefly at the salon before heading home to get ready as my third bridesmaid. Meanwhile, James and his daughter set up the tent, tables, and centerpieces before cleaning up.
After a couple quick stops, we collected my future bonus kid and met up with Tracey for manicures as the caterers and guests arrived back home. James kept a close eye on the weather from our home office and he kept the tent structurally sound by clearing the rain that had collected. Our friend and photographer Sarah Franczyk captured all the details, with special instructions to capture our parents' expressions at the big announcement.
All photos provided by Sarah Franczyk - Sarah B Photography.
Our guests mingled inside our home as they waited for the rain to pass. When the time came, we made the drive back to the house, and I was full of excitement. James greeted me in front of our house with an umbrella and we made our way around to our side gate. Everyone shouted surprise and I pretended to be shocked - trying to hide my giddiness at what was going to happen next.
After a few minutes, James took the microphone and thanked everyone for coming and announced that we were liars because they weren't here for a birthday party, they were here for a wedding! My mom's reaction was absolutely priceless! My parents had returned from vacation a day earlier than they originally planned after James had visited and told them about the birthday party.
Without a rehearsal, I had made a list of the order we'd process in. As the rain changed to a slight mist, I queued up the music and our short ceremony began. Our guests stayed huddled under the tent and umbrellas, we exchanged our vows and rings and said 'I do' and then the party started! We ate, drank and danced until long after the sun went down. Our first dance as husband and wife was to Etta James' At Last, fitting for this moment after a decade of friendship. Despite the rain, it was an absolutely perfect day. Enjoy these photos, courtesy of Sarah B. Photography.
Happy Anniversary to my best guy!
I wrote this on my late night flight home last Friday.
There was a time in my life where traveling for work gave me an escape from reality. Escape from unhappy relationships and escape some realities of life that I didn’t want to face. Work would ask if I could go to a warmer city for three weeks or even six, and I’d gladly pack my bags, planning adventures for each weekend. I made friends in both cities; a little support network of dinner companions and road-trip passengers. Meanwhile my life back home was stagnant; treading water but far from making any progress - and that’s exactly how I wanted it.
There came a point in my life where I was ready for more. I had begun a romantic relationship with my best friend and I no longer wanted to escape. Traveling got on my nerves as I dealt with the TSA and flight delays, and found myself counting down the hours until I was back home. Sometimes date nights were burritos at the 24-hour mexican restaurant after my flight arrived at 11pm. Sometimes watching movies together over video chat from the other side of the globe. Hardly ideal, but we made it work.
After we married, my amazing boss helped me transition to a client who would require shorter, less frequent trips and I settled into life in Des Moines in the house James and I have made into a home. It is amazing how homesick I feel when I travel now. Even four nights away from James, my bonus kid, and our dogs seems too long.
My role is changing again and there is more travel in my future. This week was the first of two weeks in Phoenix, Arizona, and I’m currently somewhere over Kansas as I fly home for thirty-six hours. I’m sure he and our friends are at Friday night trivia, and hopefully will have a big win to report when he picks me up at 11:45 tonight.
Thirty six hours is enough time for two photoshoots, a bridal shower, and a wedding consult, plus a date night Saturday before I fly out again midday Sunday. I know this is my first trip for the year, but I’m already exhausted thinking about how hard the back and forth can be. And I’m super bummed because my bonus kid is on a roadtrip for a school extracurricular and won’t be home until a few hours after I fly out again. But traveling home is always worth it to see the wonderful guy whose support makes my busy life possible.
Home for 36 Hours
Tuesday, April 11, 2017
I wrote this on my late night flight home last Friday.
There was a time in my life where traveling for work gave me an escape from reality. Escape from unhappy relationships and escape some realities of life that I didn’t want to face. Work would ask if I could go to a warmer city for three weeks or even six, and I’d gladly pack my bags, planning adventures for each weekend. I made friends in both cities; a little support network of dinner companions and road-trip passengers. Meanwhile my life back home was stagnant; treading water but far from making any progress - and that’s exactly how I wanted it.
There came a point in my life where I was ready for more. I had begun a romantic relationship with my best friend and I no longer wanted to escape. Traveling got on my nerves as I dealt with the TSA and flight delays, and found myself counting down the hours until I was back home. Sometimes date nights were burritos at the 24-hour mexican restaurant after my flight arrived at 11pm. Sometimes watching movies together over video chat from the other side of the globe. Hardly ideal, but we made it work.
After we married, my amazing boss helped me transition to a client who would require shorter, less frequent trips and I settled into life in Des Moines in the house James and I have made into a home. It is amazing how homesick I feel when I travel now. Even four nights away from James, my bonus kid, and our dogs seems too long.
My role is changing again and there is more travel in my future. This week was the first of two weeks in Phoenix, Arizona, and I’m currently somewhere over Kansas as I fly home for thirty-six hours. I’m sure he and our friends are at Friday night trivia, and hopefully will have a big win to report when he picks me up at 11:45 tonight.
Thirty six hours is enough time for two photoshoots, a bridal shower, and a wedding consult, plus a date night Saturday before I fly out again midday Sunday. I know this is my first trip for the year, but I’m already exhausted thinking about how hard the back and forth can be. And I’m super bummed because my bonus kid is on a roadtrip for a school extracurricular and won’t be home until a few hours after I fly out again. But traveling home is always worth it to see the wonderful guy whose support makes my busy life possible.
After a February with highs in the 60s and 70s, the last thing I wanted to see mid-March was this.
When I traveled more, it seemed that September/October/November and January/February/March were my busiest travel months. When it was 26 degrees outside and my boss would ask if I could go to Texas or Georgia, it was an easy yes. As my flights headed south, it was fun to watch the last of the snow disappear as we crossed to warmer weather.
It's spring break around here, in case the weather didn't give that away. In December it looked like I might be in a warmer climate this week, and we planned on my husband and bonus-kid flying down to meet up, but alas, business needs changed. So the bonus-daughter picked up a couple extra shifts at her part-time job, plus a concert this week, and we're trying to sneak away for a quick trip to Kansas City for some shopping and R&R. In the meantime, you'll find me snuggled up on the couch with the pups, watching the pretty snow turn to grey slush as the cars drive by. And praying the sun comes out and clears off our driveway...
No Thank You
Monday, March 13, 2017
After a February with highs in the 60s and 70s, the last thing I wanted to see mid-March was this.
When I traveled more, it seemed that September/October/November and January/February/March were my busiest travel months. When it was 26 degrees outside and my boss would ask if I could go to Texas or Georgia, it was an easy yes. As my flights headed south, it was fun to watch the last of the snow disappear as we crossed to warmer weather.
It's spring break around here, in case the weather didn't give that away. In December it looked like I might be in a warmer climate this week, and we planned on my husband and bonus-kid flying down to meet up, but alas, business needs changed. So the bonus-daughter picked up a couple extra shifts at her part-time job, plus a concert this week, and we're trying to sneak away for a quick trip to Kansas City for some shopping and R&R. In the meantime, you'll find me snuggled up on the couch with the pups, watching the pretty snow turn to grey slush as the cars drive by. And praying the sun comes out and clears off our driveway...
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