I Quit My Job

I quit my job....

Yup, I finally did it. I have been gainfully (or sometimes, just employed) since I was 14 1/2. I had to get a work permit from my high school. I remember my first job...Charlie's Sandwich Shoppe. The owners were some close family friends of ours. I loved working there! I worked every Saturday from 10-4..it was awesome. I actually took a few life lessons from that job. "Waste not want not" is one I can't get out of my mind. Even to this day, if I squeeze every last drop of ketchup out of the tube and hum "waste not want not!" in my head. From there I launched my career in retail and bounced around a few shops. My look changed with the retail...Wet Seal to a Skater girl when I worked at the newly launched skate shop/skate park in the mall (man I was so cool and ubber hot then =)). I transitioned into the real world of work at a great company run by my then best friend's father. He taught me a TON as well. I learned a lot from him, in fact I think I learned the most from him. There were a ton of rocks in my working road and they all lead me to the legal experience I have gained. I have loved my unexpected career path. It has been awesome working with some of the most educated people in the country. I have worked at one of the top law firms in the country and now the top legal placement agency in the country. Which leads me to this last move...move out of my longest lasting job...Operations Manager with Lateral Link. I spent five years of my life devoting so much energy to this company. I honestly think I grew the most while there. I learned a crap load about how shitty people can be and how money can wreck partnerships. I also made a great deal of friends, some who will be friends for a lifetime. After a few months of discussing and financial planning and worrying, my husband and I decided it was time. Time to step away from my 50 hour a week work weeks and to take a deep breath to focus back on my family. 

This has been a whirlwind...this has been crazy...but I am so confident in my decision. I am so confident that God has given me the peace to take this huge leap into my future. 

St. Patty's Day

HAPPY ST. Patrick's Day!

These two are truly my little lucky charms. They may carry an Italian last name 

but they have my Irish in them.

Today was spent at a birthday party for one of Emma's classmates, venturing to a new eatery on the Southeast side of town (watch one episode of Portlandia...there we were) and then a stroll through neighborhoods to look for our "forever house."

Funny story, Matt and I had both been searching online for homes over the last week. I found one I loved and he ran over to me this morning with the IPAD in hand with a photo of the house he found.....Guess what?? Same house!!! Unfortunately, it went pending in one day so we missed out. Wasn't meant to be. 

More rain was in store for us today. We are expected to receive some snow tonight...which I am excited about.  

Gray & Grey Days of Portland Living

Let's start off by defining both spellings of the color which seems to now be "the" color of the season...ala (Pinterest):

Grey is the combination of black and white and is the most neutral of all the shades. It is a conservative color and good for use as a background color.

Gray (also will take on qualities of its colored undertone) Neutral, Non-committal, cold sophisticated. 

Grey can also signify psychologically gloominess, sadness, ghosts, ashes, cobwebs, and the dust of a haunted house and other scary things.

So I guess for this post I am both tones of Gray/Grey......

Matt and I had both agreed when we moved here to never speak of the gloominess of this weather. We were mainly excited to come to a town that offered seasonal changes, a chance to wear a heavy coat/scarf/rainboots. I took it upon myself to purchase a multitude of all...including three different color rainboots, hats galore and more scarves than I really need. Did I mention I also have a ton of boots...and I can actually wear them here. This So-Cal born and bread girl was mighty excited to experience a real winter. 

Enter March....or the ides of March if you will. It has been Grey for 7 days straight and I am crawling out of my skin. This weather can really do a number on your psyche. I used to scoff at the folks who went all crazy in Seattle or other ugly weather regions for complaining...I mean really, what is the big deal? Well I will tell you what the big deal is! It's freaking depressing!!! 

The shinny new penny feeling of this move to Oregon is slowly starting to wear off. The realization that we have zero family around, no real friendships made and are just here....alone ....is starting to creep in. Matt is still floating on cloud nine and is in his dream job so for him, this is not the case. This girl however (pointing at self) is sitting in a coffee shop working and has had enough. For those that know me, know full well what a socializer I am. Welp, here, that has almost been reduced to a zero on the socializing scale...only counting the daycare drop off/pick ups as my time to chat it up with the kids teachers. The parents in the kidlets classes are not overly eager to make a new friend. No play dates have been set, no "let's grab coffee" offers have been thrown out there...nada. Don't get me wrong, I am TRYING. I have met a couple of really cool women but they have their own lives and have "their" group that they cling to and as we get older it just seems like there isn't much time to add in another really cool girl (referring to myself) into the mix. I find myself clinging onto my FB timeline for any updates on my ladies in Sactown and So Cal...finding out what everyone us up to and living vicariously through their ladies nights and weekend gatherings. It's pathetic! 

Don't get me wrong, I really like Portland. This move was crucial for our family and was a blessing that I won't nay-say...but man...I really miss people...I really mis MY people. The people who know me, who love me, who laugh at/with me....who share bottles of wine with me. 

So in closing...today is a Grey day...and I am allowed to say it's Grey...but being the ever optimist...maybe tomorrow the sun will shine a little. Maybe a new friend will be met and maybe I will find MY place here. 

xo

DM

Family Movie Night....

....and there is no place I would rather be on a Saturday night....look at my two loves. 

HAPPY NEW YEAR

The lovies and I (plus Dad and Nana Tina) stayed awake until 12:00 am to ring in the New Year together! It was lovely. Some of the highlights: The kids and I drinking Pellegrino out of champagne (Q had a wine glass) glasses. Emma kept wanting to engage in conversation like we were at a 'real' party. She also kept 'cheers'ing' me....I loved every minute of those last moments of 2011. The year left me a lot different than it joined me....I was surrounded by so much love. We all anticipated the stroke of midnight with as much excitement as waiting for Santa's arrival. We all silently knew in our hearts that this would be our year. This would be the year our family flourished (the kids included). I sat quietly, moments before I bid adieu to the 11's and relished all that was surrounding me. It was in that moment that I thanked God for his unwavering strength, love and blessings. 

ROCK IT 2012!!

Untitled Video 

check this video...cool!

Recap of 2011

"The worst thing you can possibly do is worry about what you could have done."
~ Author Unknown ~

1.      January started out in a haze and was rocky. January can be best described as a whirlwind of confusion.

2.     February was the month my life would change forever. What I thought to be real was not and shock would be the state I chose to live in.

3.     March was a month of numbness….I don’t remember anything about March.

4.    April I went to Corona Del Mar on a whim with my two lovies in tow. Rented an amazing beach cottage and recovered from the previous months. In April God placed his hand upon my families life and began to save us.

5.     May was all about a dear friends wedding. It was full of love, hard work and excitement.

6.     June I turned 30. I turned 30 and can say without a doubt that I was a different person than I was in my twenties….oh yah, and I also turned 30 in Mexico on a white sandy beach starring into the ocean…Amazeballs! In June God’s hand was shown and our lives were immediately changed again.

7.     In July, Matt and I took a trip to Oregon to find a new home and to create a new life thanks to the swoosh.

8.     In August we moved from our beautiful neighborhood of East Sacramento and began our summer of being vagabonds. In August, I had two amazing Weddings to coordinate and they both were wonderful!

9.     In September, my wedding business had it’s final wedding. It was wonderful it was beautiful it was the perfect end. In September the kids and I joined Matt in Oregon and began our adventure.

10.  October was a month of exploring and learning and adjusting about our new home.

11.     November was a month of giving Thanks. We did so in Northern California with our family.

12.   December was beautiful. December was when I decided that Oregon is quite possibly the most beautiful place to live. There are so many amazing things to see and so amazing things to learn about. I can’t wait to have my children grow up in this new land. I am grateful for this new place to call home. 

My beautiful friend (and sister from another mister) Sarah is realizing her dream of being a flight attendant and has been stationed in Seattle. I grew up taking care of Sarah and her sisters and brother as we lived next door to each other. I have been so fortunate to watch her and her siblings grow and become fantastic young adults. Sarah and I have had a particularly close relationship. What a co-ink-ee-dink that I move to Portland this month and she gets a job flying Alaska Airline's friendly skies, stationed in Seattle the very same month. This makes the transition for both of our mothers so much easier. I can keep a watchful eye on Sarah and we can have our own family dinners, Pac Northwest style. 

I am so proud of Sarah for pursuing what she wanted and obtaining that goal. I am glad she and I will be discovering this new part of the country together (leaving both of our safe little bubbles). 

Cheers!