2-22-22 Tuesday

 I always say that everything happens for a reason and I truly believe that. Today is a special day because it's a palindrome which the date reads the same forward and backwards. I feel like it's a new beginning for all of us. I saw on one of my groups to write 22 things you are thankful for today. There is so much that I am thankful for especially what happened yesterday with Chris' accident. 

1: I am thankful that Chris is ok and he is all in one piece. 

2: I am thankful that things work out the way they are suppose to like with my job. Chris needs the SUV for his job. He does Doordash for a living. So I am thankful that I work just around the corner. If I still worked at Target in Riverdale it probably wouldn't of worked out.

3: I am thankful that we are all healthy

4: I am thankful that everyone was ok in the accident. It could of been a lot worst.

5: I am thankful for my pets. They give us all comfort when we need it the most.

6: I am thankful for the wonderful people in our lives. You know who you are!!

7: I am thankful for God and all of our lives ones on the other side that always look out for us and want the best for us.

8: I am thankful for our roof over our heads

9: I am thankful for the air that we breathe

10: I am thankful for the sun because on the days that I have to walk to work I can get some Vitamin D. And walking is good for you.

11: I am thankful for me and Chris' everlasting love for each other. It doesn't matter what is going on in our lives we always show our love for each other and always there for each other when the other one is in need of more of it. 

12: I am also thankful for the love for our children and for each other in our house.

13: I am thankful for the right to choose how we feel and react. Me and Chris couldn't reacted so much differently yesterday but we remand calm and just had to do what we had to do.

14: I am thankful that we have a little bit of history in our recent family photos. We will always remember that day and that moment because it was a beautiful day and everything went well that day. We should always feel thankful for our good days and even the bad ones.

15: I am thankful for the clothes on my back. I always seem to get clothes left and right from people in my life.

16: I am thankful that we still have one car. We just have to deal with what we have right now. 

17: I am thankful that our insurance company is going to take care of all of the lady involved in the accident's damages. That is all that matters to me. Her car isn't too bad.

18: I am thankful that the kids are doing so well in school and are thriving. 

19: I am thankful for flowers. I always enjoy when my husband gives me flowers; they seem to brighten our house up. I still have my flowers from Valentine's day.

20: I am thankful for comfort. I always great to find comfort in everything that you do in life. I think being comfortable is important. 

21: I am thankful that we can still provide for our family.

22: I am thankful for technology to be able to connect with people and love ones. 

Channnages!!

 There is changes and new journeys in the Harmon household. Rocky is really enjoying his new job. He says it's really easy. I am also going to be starting a new job. I am so stoked and on Cloud 9!! I really didn't think I got the job because it took her a little over a week to call me back. But I got that call today; not expecting it. Blessings come when we least expect it and I for sure wasn't expecting it today. I am now the Salon Coordinator/Receptionist at Avalon Institute just right around the corner from my house. I am so excited to start this new adventure. Happy 19th Dating Anniversary for us tomorrow and Merry Christmas to me!! I start tomorrow. I have been wanting to leave Target for a while. I don't talk too much about it because no one really understands what we go through there unless you are there. It has been going down the toilet really fast; you can say that we were on the Titanic and it was slowly sinking. I didn't want to be on there once it sank. I felt like I was taken advantage there because I knew everything up front. Team members were quitting left and right and we weren't getting any help up front. There were few sales floor team members that were helping us but they were even getting burnt out because they were doing all the work like us up front. It was getting to the point where no one was responding to me on the walkie when I was up at Guest service calling abandons out and trying to transfer over calls. No one would even answer the phone; like I said there were a few and they know who they are and I appreciate them dearly because they were sweethearts. That is the one thing that I am going to miss is my team members. We really enjoying working with each other for 3 years. Style (clothing) was a hot mess; most of the time there was no one in that department to grab their abandons or they were all minors and had to leave by 9:45. I always say how can we do our jobs fully up at guest services if we weren't getting the help from the sales floor team members. We all have our jobs to help the store run smoothly and when one person isn't doing their job it shows. We weren't a Team! I felt like certain team members would get away with murder per say and some would not get away with anything including me. I felt like I had to work my ass off and couldn't slack off and others could. It was exhausting. There were times where I would get home feeling like shit and there would be times that I would be crying and felt like walking out because I couldn't take it anymore but I stuck through it because of my family; I couldn't quit because of them. I told myself just to make it that day and the next and never think too far ahead and just think that eventually I would leave. After many weeks and many interviews I finally feel like this happened at the right time. I feel like we have no leaders in that store. No store manager, team leads are leaving left and right. One team lead up front left and another one is leaving at the beginning of the year. They now have an opening for a team lead up front and that has been the talk lately. Everyone told me that I should of applied. I was thinking about it but it wasn't what I wanted. I felt very honored that my team members saw me that way. I already felt like a leader because everyone would always come to me for this and that the whole time I was there. I feel like I am respected by my front end cashiers. We are like a big family up front!! Before I got this call today I try to apply for the team lead position because it doesn't hurt to apply right by for some reason it wouldn't let me log in to fill out the application. I couldn't remember my password and it never sent one to my email. Once again someone was telling me that something better was coming up and that everything happens for a reason. Look what happened today!! I hated to do this to Target and my ETL (executive team lead) but I had no choice; they wanted me to start as soon as possible. She apologized to me for taking so long to get back to me they just had to get everything approved; I thought for sure that I didn't even get the job. Not a lot of people knew I went to this interview. I left work early and told my ETL that I had an appointment that I had to go to but it was totally worth it. It was a group interview and I usually don't do good on those but apparently I made a good impression because then she called me for a second interview and now I have the job. I finally told my co workers because I couldn't hide my excitement today. I am finally out of retail and it feel so good!! I was miserable and everybody at work knew it. Target was falling apart and I didn't want to be there to see it. On top of everything else there is only one person at Optical there and they haven't had a doctor in there in forever. Alex that works there knew how bad I wanted to leave and he was so excited for me today!! Even though he is at Optical he sees what is going on around him. I just hope my other co workers figure out what they want to do and that everything works out the way it is suppose to. I wish everyone good luck and can't wait to start this journey! I feel like I can be a so much happier person, mother and wife. I wasn't happy because I dreaded going to work. Now I am looking forward to what my future holds! It's a new beginning for all of us! I am so proud of me and Rocky for not giving up!! I hope everyone else can be happy for us because this is so good news all around!!

Happy 6th birthday to Daisy!

My baby is 6! We no longer have any kids in our house 5 or under. It's kind of bittersweet

Her pretty cake from Smith's.

She wanted a flower theme party. I am glad it was great weather. Since her birthday was on a Tuesday this year we had her party on a Sunday. She had a Piñata.

She had pumpkin carving with the family. Which was a great idea!

Thank you to everyone that came. She said that it was the best birthday ever! I think it went really well!! I am glad that the weather was decent for us. I love having a birthday so close to each other. These are the people that came: Nana, Aunt Jordan, Miranda and Kevin; Landon and Karalina were working (kids are getting too big) Johanna and Everest; Isaac and Avien and their dad were riding, Aunt Trena and her family. It was small but perfect! She has such a cute personality and makes everyone laugh with all the things that she comes up with especially her teachers. She has been big in barbies lately. She loves soft leggings like her mommy. She prefers to have me home instead of working all the time so this week has been really nice for all of us. She always thinks ahead and I am trying to make her appreciate things in the moment but it's kind of hard to teach a 6 year old that. She didn't understand that she doesn't get two celebrations since we didn't celebrate her actual birthday on her birthday so on her actual birthday she was asking where her presents were and if we were going to celebrate it. I tried to tell her that is why we went out to eat for her actual birthday. It sucks when your birthday is on a weekday. We love Daisy so much and our lives wouldn't be the same without her!!

 

Sienna is 9!

 

Sienna Jeanne Harmon is 9! She is so independent! Every since we cut her hair she has been brushing and doing her own hair. She even won't let me touch; that shows that she is growing up. She is definitely a summer baby and loves the pool and loves to be outside. She had a growth spurt just recently is now in size 10 clothes; I think she is going to be tall like her brother. Her interest changed from a little girl to a big girl; it's crazy how fast she has grown up. She no longer wears leggings and loves and prefers skinny jeans and doesn't like care bears and hello kitty anymore; when we cleaned up her room she got rid of all of those kind of stuff animals. I can't wait until we get a house so she can have her room; she is in that stage where she doesn't want her little sister playing with her as much and wants to be with her friends all the time. I am looking forward to what 4th grade has in store for her! She is becoming such a beautiful lady!!

Her cake was so cute! One of my favorites from Kent's

 She finally got her bunny party!

We had her party at a cool park called Grayhawk park. I wished that I took a picture of the kids playing but they were everywhere and seemed to be having a lot of fun despite it being so hot. I am glad that we brought drinks and ice because it helped us survive. We are going through a heat wave right now and it was hot hot hot.

Her loot

I want to thank everyone that came despite the heat. Aunt Jordan and her family, Aunt Johanna and her family, Nana Heckert, Sienna's friends Alana, Sara, and Gabe. Everyone were all good sports. It seemed like just my family came which is ok. She is one loved kid that is for sure! 

My oldest Rocky is 16! Can't believe I have a 16th year old!!

What can I say about Rocky? He is a great big brother! He helps out so much!! His teachers always say how much of a pleasure he is to have in class. He is always trying his hardest. He works hard but also plays hard. He is taller than his mom lol, which I don't think is allowed lol. His favorite color is Red. He wants to be a NASCAR Driver and or a chef when he grows up. He is always willing to cook his mother something or always thinking of his mother when he makes some food at school. He reminds me so much of his dad. He can even unlock his dad's Playstation with face recognition lol. So Chris can't get away with anything haha! He wants to get a job this summer; he is taking about getting a job at Target lol. He is going to try to get his learner's permit and we are going to try to get him to get into Driver's Ed this year in school in the fall. He doesn't let anything stop him. He is just an around great kid and I am proud to call him mine! 

 

Rocky turned 16 on Friday! It still blows my mind. We went to a new place called The Colosseum; it used to be Dartside. We had Brody's birthday at Dartside one year. It is the same concept but a little bit different. It was a great time! Everybody that we invited came. Everyone had a blast! These are the guest that came us of course, Jordan and her family, Justin, Johanna and her family, Nana, Trena, Taylor and Shane and their grandson, Brandy and her family, and Rocky's friend Lucas. While the big kids played laser tag Taylor took the little kids to Seaquest. I was really appreciated of her. Daisy had so much fun with her grandson Ryker. They got along so well! 

Daisy is 5!

 

Where did the time go! Daisy is already 5!

She had a pumpkin theme/Halloween. The cake was so good but so tiny. Just like her. It was a challenge trying to feed everyone but at least it didn't go to waste lol. Cake was from Target.

We had it at home with all of her cousins and family and friends. All that came was Aunt Trena and cousin Aaron, Nana Heckert, Uncle Justin and his girlfriend Sebrena a.k.a Aunt Sebrena, Aunt Jordan and her family, Aunt Johanna and her family, Us of course and our friends Thomas and his wife and his little boy. She had a blast and so excited that her birthday was finally here!

What can I say about her that I haven't already? She just started school and she loves it. She has such a positive attitude about wearing a mask and everything. I feel like she was born to go to school. I know that she spoke to us even before she was born. I remember when I was pregnant with her we were trying to figure out a name for her and my father in law was sitting on the patio and the name Daisy Lynn came to him and he asked us if we had a name for her and we said no so we used that name. I felt like she told him what her name was suppose to be all along. I love telling people that story. Every since that day her and my father in law has always had a special bond. I also remember that every where I would go when I was pregnant with her Daisies would just show up out of nowhere. She kept reminding us that was her name and that she wasn't going anywhere. And the name fits her because she is really dainty and small but very beautiful and smart! I love this little girl! She is like my little sidekick. 

I haven't taken a picture of all her presents in a long time but I felt like I needed to because she was so fast I had a hard time taking a picture of her opening all of the gifts lol

Sienna's 8th birthday party!!

Sienna is 8!

What to say about Sienna that I haven't already said? There is so many good qualities about her. I can't wait to see what she does in 3rd grade. I know that she had an amazing birthday. Her 2nd grade teacher Mrs. Thompson called her today. What are the odds of that? She still wants to stay in contact with Sienna even though she doesn't have her for a teacher anymore. I guess Sienna made that much of a impact on her that she wants to stay in contact with her. Everybody that gets to know Sienna wants to be around her and have constant communication with her. She just has that effect on people. She is one sassy girl and we love her!!

She had a Frozen 2 party!

We had it at Centennial park in Syracuse. A nice big beautiful park that has a nice playground. The splash pad wasn't opened but we had water balloons instead.

The kids had a blast!

She got some great stuff! She loved all of it!!

This is all that came to her birthday Nana Heckert, Aunt Jordan and her family, Aunt Trena and Aaron, Aunt Johanna and her boys, her friends Esther and Alana. I am glad that she had some friends come. It was a great day to have a party! A little windy but not too hot!! It turned out great!! I am glad that everyone was able to come.