2013 in 1 Picture

This 1 picture sums up a lot of our 2013.

We spent the first 4 months and 4 days of 2013 planning our wedding.
That day changed not only our lives but the lives of a few others forever.
It was the first time that I left my home, my parents, my brother and our dog.
It was the first time both of our parents handed off their children to antoher human for care,protection and love.
It was the first time that we officially became "adults" buying a home, furnishing and decorating our home,getting married, adopting a pet, making a life together, cooking and cleaning, learning how to live with each other and not kill each other

I like this picture because it shows a lot of the important people in our lives together with us in this 1 photo... front and center is me and the Mr., next to me is my maid of honor, my sister in law, a dear friend and my cousin. Next to the Mr. is his best man and next to him is my brother. Behind me you can see my parents and catch a glimpse of several of my grandparents. (Sadly we didn't have the wide lens to capture Ryan's side) but they are all there. This photo was taken in my childhood church; I went to school here K-8th grade and had an amazing foundation in God and the Lutheran church built there. So many years I took part in events right there in that church (singing in church services, participating as an acolyte and usher, Christmas programs, witnessing and confirmation services) and on this day I stood in that church and had my childhood dream come true. Our future baby Norman's will be baptized in that same spot one day.I feel so blessed to have such a great church, pastor and ministry in my life.

2013 was an amazing year and 1 FULL of life changes! I am sad to see it leave because it was a year that I SO looked forward to!... but I take joy in knowing that 2014 and beyond will continue to be year's worth writing about. Our story has only just begun!

Thank you for taking a look at my 2013!

HAPPY NEW YEAR - WELCOME 2014!

2014 Goals

A bad habit I'm going to break:
Complaining about the things in life that I am not happy with - I do it a lot and I do it often.

A new skill I'd like to learn:
Knitting and I would like to learn more about wine, football and hockey! (I hate sports; primarily because I don't UNDERSTAND them, my husband LOVES sports- so I figure I should try to learn them and participate in watching and cheering on his favorite teams.

A person I hope to be more like:
My husband - he is patient, understanding, and typically (almost annoyingly) positive on all things!

A good deed I'm going to do:
Random acts of kindness

A place I'd like to visit:
San Francisco and Napa Valley with my husband in April for our 1 year anniversary!

A book I'd like to read:
Not sure yet - I will have to scour the book lists and find one! I am hoping to find a good author or a good series to read. I love to read books that continue through a few books or books by the same author that have the same theme and general idea...

A letter I'm going to write:
If all things with a job interview go as I hope and pray - I am going to write a letter to my current employer explaining why I am leaving!

A new food I'd like to try:
I try almost everything at least once - if I don't like it, I wont try it ever again. Not sure what I haven't tried YET - I'm sure something will come up!

I'm going to do better at:
Thinking positive and saving money!

Frankenmuth, MI

Hubs and I just got home on Tuesday night from a few days to Frankenmuth, MI for a work trip. The office that he works for has a company in Frankenmuth that they work with - his office takes a few days a year to go and visit the office in MI and learn a few new things. The best party?!...they take the wives on the trip to spend the days of work/training out shopping! Me being the new one this year didn't really know what to think or expect; but we've heard a LOT about this trip and I was totally looking forward to going!
The wives spent all day Monday at an outlet mall where we all scored some really good buys! Normally, this trip is in October but it was pushed back to December this year. We drove through snow to get up there and it was pretty freezing while we were there but it was the perfect time of year to spend some money and blame it all on Christmas shopping! I scored some good buys! I came home with a gorgeous new all leather Coach bag, my first ever Bare Minerals makeup kit (LOVE IT), bought an adorable Santa candle and some peppermint hot cocoa, found Christmas gifts for the Mr, the MIL and his boss;plus tons of new clothes for the Mr,and the last purchase of the trip, a Birthday gift for my dad!

We at at the German themed and famous Bavarian Inn for dinner on Monday, followed up with some more shopping (where I bought me some Holly Nog WINE!)YUM! and then wrapped up the night with some drinks at this cute little bar near the hotel.

Tuesday the guys headed back to class and the wives headed to the Worlds Largest Christmas store, Bronners. I managed to pick up a 1st Christmas in our new home ornament, a Frankemuth, MI ornament, and a special one for our loved ones celebrating Christmas in heaven. The guys finished up early and went to the hotel to pick up our things and the ladies made a run to the outlet mall for some more shopping... the guys met up with us and shortly after, the shopping ended and we were munching on some lunch.

Overall, it was a fun trip and I am already looking forward to heading back next year! If you get the chance to visit Frankenmuth, I would say GO! it's an adorable little German town settled in the middle of "no-where" Michigan (right before the thumb). There's not a lot to do around there but that's part of the beauty of the town! Its charming, quiet and fun!

We're Married, We Have a House, We Have a Cat!

Well shame on me!... It's been A LONGGGGG time since I've posted!
But a LOT has happened since I last spoke! So give me a break OK! :)
- New Job April 2012
- New Job August 2012
- New Job August 2012 for the Mr.
- New Job February 2013
- New House March 2013
- Married April 2013
- Ruby Sue May 2013
- New Job August 2013 for the Mr.

In April 2012 - I left Medieval Times to go work for a hotel. I was hired by a great boss and GM and I must admit I am lucky to have been able to work for such a wonderful team of management. In August 2012, both my boss and GM were offered a position at another hotel property, they moved me there with them and I spent another 6 months working with them and making a life-long mentor/friendship with my boss. Stupidly, I decided that the position wasn’t something that I enjoyed and I looked for a job and accepted one with Little Caesars. (I loved the hotel, the staff, and the event hosting/booking/busy work of the position, but hated the sales calls/driving and the feeling of accomplishment).

Which brings me to February 2013 - I started a marketing position with Little Caesars. Almost here for a year, I will admit that I have had some awesome experiences including, trips to California, Detroit and Vegas, growth in my career and skill set, but overall; its a position that I despise and cannot wait to leave. I drive 600+ miles a week and I really don’t see what the point in me doing this is?! It's not "my home yet". I don’t know what I want to do for the rest of my life and I really don’t know what position/company will be my "home" I feel like I missed the boat on what I should have really done with my life, but that's ANOTHER story for Another day!

March 25, 2013 - after about 4 months of HEAVY searching, 10 offers, many heartbreaks and stressful moments - Ryan and I finally became homeowners of our DREAMHOUSE! This house made every NO worth it. Our home is everything we want and more and we've had an absolute blast making our house - home. Painting, furnishing and decorating our home together has been so much fun, and a new hobby and relationship building experience for us! We've done a ton of work on the house and still have more (always will have more) to do. I would have to say that we love being homeowners!

One of the best days of my life to this date was April 5, 2013. That day, I married my best friend and my partner in life and in crime ;). It truly was the most perfect day! Everything was exactly as I had planned it and I wouldn’t have changed a single thing. It was amazing to have our closest friends and most importantly our family there with us as we tied the knot. My pastor (since I was 5) was the efficient of the
service and he provided the most meaningful sermon and service. We are blessed by God to have such an amazing pastor in our lives. As much as this was a wonderful day, it was also a really hard day. For the first time in my life I was "leaving" my parents. My dad and I had a really special walk down the aisle, followed by a surprise speech when he gave me away, a tear-filled dance at the reception and another speech which brought the room to tears. I think I realized on that day how much I’ve grown up, how much my parents have done for me, and how quickly life passes us by. I sobbed during our slideshow (both making it and watching it) because you literally watch your life flash before your eyes. The song for our slideshow and theme for my dad during the wedding process was "Don’t Blink" by Kenny Chesney (look for another post on this in the coming days) but I truly think that song captured that day and our lives past, present and future perfectly.

After getting home from our amazing Cruise Honeymoon it was time to settle into our home and begin our lives as the Norman family. It didn’t take long for us to realize that we needed to make our home a family of "3" and it May we adopted our first furry baby - Ruby Sue. She’s out kitten and I love, adore and cherish her to pieces! One of the things I REALLY missed from my parents house was my dog Dixie and I knew that I needed to fill that void in my heart with a pet of our own. Not being much of a cat person, I was hesitant to adopt a cat, but I can honestly say at this point in my life, I AM SO HAPPY WE HAVE HER! Ryan and I often talk about what a pleasure it is to come home every day to somebody that is waiting for you to get there. I cant keep my hands off of her (which I’m sure drives her crazy) but for now she’s my baby and I want to love her as much as I can! She has really made our home happier place :)

In August Ryan was offered a position that will change our lives FOREVER! I am so grateful that this opportunity was given to him/us. I have made no secret of the fact that I hope and plan to be a stay-at-home mom someday in our soon future and with this new role that Ryan took on, I think that dream is really a possibility for us. I am so proud of him because he took this position for us. In order for this to happen he had to take a test to become licensed and he studied his butt off and passed that test! Since then he has been working just as hard to increase sales. My unhappiness with my current position hasn’t made things easy - there have been many a days that I cry and complain about how much I hate my job and I want to quit and the person that hears this the most is Ryan. I know this puts some added pressure on him because he knows my goal is to work at home as a mom and then the main source of income would be through him. I am a lucky lucky lucky girl to have a man like him that is willing to work to support our someday family.

Ok - Well I think that is something of a caught up version of our lives! I am hoping to get on here to post more often so things are much more current and up-to-date! Thanks for reading and stick around for more.

We're.... ENGAGED!

It happened on SuperBowl Sunday February 5, 2012.

Ryan and I were ice skating downtown at Millenium Park in Chicago.

We had been skating for about an hour and 1/2 and my legs were just killing me. As I announced that I was calling it quits and ready to head home, Ryan pulled me into the center of the ice rink, where he announced, "I have an important question to ask you".

I remember thinking, oh gosh, is he kidding? Is the question that I think it is? Am I ready for this?...

"Kyla will you marry me?" and there's Ryan as cute as can be, on bended knee with a BEAUTIFUL ring.

I remember questioning him, for real? are you serious, for real?

As he shook his head and nudged toward me the ring box, I smiled and said YES! of course, and put on my new ENGAGEMENT RING!

Dont ask me anything that happened after that becasue I was so stunned that I dont remember even getting off the ice.

To my surprise, my brother had been upstairs above the ice rink on a balcony filming and snapping pictures of us the WHOLE TIME! I heard him yell our names, I looked up and there he was; dressed in black hiding behind his coat, camera, and hat.

The next thing I remember is sitting in the ice skate rental building smiling at the new sparkley ring on my finger.

My brother, Ryan and I went around downtown and took some "engagement" photos. We got some really awesome shots!

We headed back home to see our parents. Ryan's mom and sister bought me a "Mrs Norman" basket with all kinds of wedding magazines in it.

Ryan and I went to show my grandparents my ring.

We ended our night by going to Ryan's grandpa's house and sharing the news with Ryan's grandpa, aunts and uncles.

We're so excited to finally be engaged! Excited about our wedding and excited about our future together!

2011 Wrap Up...

I honestly cant believe that 2011 is already over. Where did the last 12 months go, SERIOUSLY?! I feel like it was just last week that I sat on my couch December 31, 2010 to ring in the New Year and I made my wishes and my goals and plans for this year. Im not sure how many of my goals I managed to fulfil... I know 1 of my biggest wishes came true in 2011- and hopefully the other one will happen in 2012?? Here's a recap of my year.

January 2011
Nothing too monumental happened in January. We just started a new year, with some new goals.

February 2011
The blizzard of 2011- the first blizzard I have ever lived through. It was AWESOME! I hope we have another one this year! :) Call me crazy, but I LOVED it!

Mom and I went to Florida to visit grandma, grandpa and great grandma. It was time for the annual trip to Florida to celebrate great grandmas birthday. She turned 91 this year! It was a beautiful birthday and I am SO happy we made the trip and that we were able to spend such great time with my great grandma and grandpa. Sadly, this was the last time that I saw them both. We didnt know, but I "knew" as we pulled out of their driveway on our last day visiting, that it was probably the last time I would see either one or both of them. I had to hold back my tears as we drove away waving and saying "See you Later".

March 2011
March 16, we received the news late that night that my grandpa had passed away. We knew a few days prior to this that he was very sick and that his days left were few. When we got the news of his passing I was so happy that we made the trip to Florida only 3 weeks before he passed away. We got to spend some really nice time with my Papa Puppies. He was really proud and loving of my mom and I. I knew that he passed away loving and feeling loved.

March 17, I received the worst phone call of my life so far. My great grandma to had passed away, she unexpectedly in her sleep. I will never forget that phone call or the way that it made me feel. That was the worst moment followed by the worst day of my life. My great grandma was so very very very special to me. She and I had a lot of moments over the last few years that I will treasure very much. She was one of the most special women in my life and I want nothing more than just to see her again. I am so thankful for the years that I was able to spend with her and especially for our most recent trip to Florida to visit her. I just wish I had one more day with her. Just one more.... Loosing her was the single worst thing that happened to me all year. I never got a chance to be at the service for my great grandma or papa and it makes me sad- I was never able to get final closure to really say goodbye. I just want to be able to have a place where my grandma is so that I can go and talk to her and feel close to her. I just want a day of closure finally. I know that I will get that someday, eventually. My life has been changed forever from this day forward.... I will never be the same.

April 2011My diploma came in the mail.... finally sealing the deal that I am officially a COLLEGE GRADUATE!

May 2011
Indy 500 time! For my 6th year in a row! This year's Indy 500 winner was Dan Wheldon, who was sadly called home to heaven only a few months later in October when he died in a fatal racing wreck. It was a sad time for race fans. I am happy I had the opportunity to attend this race and to see his winning! He will be missed in 2012.

My interview at Medieval Times was the day before we left for the Indy 500- That interview CHANGED my life! :)

June 2011
On June 13, I started my "big girl job". This was one of my biggest wishes of the year and it came true! After 6 months and 500+ resumes; my prayers were finally answered and I was blessed with the opportunity to be hired to work for a great company and the opportunity to work with some really great people. I am thankful for this job. I know its not the end of my careers but its a great place to start!

July 2011
On July 4, I was able to make a BIG check off on my Bucket List. I went to a HOME game Crosstown Classic at Wrigley Field and my CUBBIES WON THE GAME!!! I went with Ryan, my dad and my brother. It was a great day and I am happy that I am able to say I attended the game! Bucket List CHECK!

August 2011
On August 31, we celebrated my mom's 50th Birthday. My dad, brother, mom and I went to Chili's for dinner and finished up our evening with cake and my moms' gift at home. We bought her her very own pair of diamond earrings! She had some very happy tears! It was a great birthday for my mom.

September 2011
On September 21, I turned 24 and Ryan and I have been dating for 3 years. My parents, brother, his girlfriend, Ryan and I went to On the Border for dinner and went home for caramel apple cheesecake and presents. It was a great birthday. I must admit, I am dreading my Quarter of a Century Birthday in 2012- I cant believe I'm "that old".

October 2011
Nothing too exciting happened in October; day at the Morton Arboretum, Halloween, fall, the same ole stuff...

November 2011
I was in the McDonalds Thanksgiving Day Parade downtown Chicago with work. We celebrated a nice Thanksgiving with Aunt Cindy, Aunt Karri and her family, Aunt Sue and her clan, grandma, my parents, brother and Ryan. I woke up at midnight to go to Target to snag my parents Christmas gift- but lines were too long for me to wait. On Saturday Mom and I went to see Shrek the Musical (another perk from working at Medieval Times)...later that day mom and dad went out Christmas shopping and I went to the Immediate Care since I had been sick all weekend and thought for sure I had strep throat. Turned out to be nothing more than a pesty sore throat. We started decorating for Christmas and getting ready for the most wonderful time of the year.

November 30, Ryan's cousin Courtnie welcomed Kazmir the most beautiful (handsome) baby boy into the world! I am so happy for her and her mom, dad, Tyler and the family. We have a new addition to love and adore! :)

I was awarded Employee of the Month at work- after only 5 months of service! What a great honor!
December 2011
Christmas was quite this year but just the way I like it. We didnt have ANY snow which was a real bummer! It was in the high 40's all Christmas week. We had a nice celebration at the office. Christmas Eve mom and I watched movies, I went out with Ryan and his parents for dinner and presents, and we ended the night with the most beautiful 11PM church service. What a great way to welcome Christmas! Christmas day we opened gifts- I got a KINDLE and the Coach Tote I had been eyeing and thought they sold out of! We went to Ryans family for dinner and gifts and then made our way to my side of the family for gifts and socializing. Christmas is my favorite holiday, I am truly sad that its all over...until next year.

December 29, was my Dads 50th Birthday. The day was quiet for him and I felt really bad. It wasnt the best of birthdays for him, but I know that he knows how much we love him and tried to make his birthday good. We bought him a golf GPS Sky Caddy- which he had been wanting for months! Now he just cant wait for golf season to come around so he can use it!

The 29th was our first REAL icy day of weather. Dad told me to leave early and allow myself time- which I DID! I left 15 minutes earlier than I usually do and I still made it to work at the same time I ALWAYS do- thats how careful I was! It was a fine drive until I made it into my work parking lot where I lost control of the car and slid into the curb (pretty hard) and broke the wheel right out of my car. I'm not very auto technical, but I know I did quite some damage. Thank God my dad was awake at home and he made his way out to my work to survey the damage and get my car a tow. Its going to cost me a $500 deductible to get Colby fixed (which sucks) but I'm happy that the only damage was to parts and not to the body of the car. What a horrible way to start a day and to end a year.

I am so sad that this year is coming to an end. It makes me sad that I grew up and lost so much this year. It makes me sad that the closer we get to a new year, the further I get from my Great Grandma. In only 1 month it will be the last time that I ever saw her, in 2 months it will be a year since she passed away. My heart still aches as if she were taken away from me yesterday.

I know I often complained about NOT having a "big girl job" and I really grateful everyday that I have been blessed with such a thing; but there are some days that I wish for my "student" days back. I missing being home all the time, I miss sleeping in, I miss being able to request any day off, I miss having a schedule that was more compatible with Ryans. Now that I get up at 7:30AM and work a 40 hour work week, I am like an old lady- tired by 10 in bed sleeping by 11; I miss seeing Ryan like I used to!

2011 was a good year; not better than any previous year. I did get the official graduation documentation and I was able to find a nice paying full time job; I did lose 2 of my loved ones and I've learned some things in life that are hard to learn, hard to deal with, and hard to cope with.

God only gives us what we can handle and 2011 was another year that we handled and have now gotten through.



Goodbye 2011 and Hello 2012...

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Kim Kardashian and Kris Humphries- DIVORCE

Let me clarify- I am writing about this because I am DISGUSTED- not because I am interested. This post is going to be a bit of a rant, so I apologize early!

DISCLAIMER: I do watch the Kardashian's on a weekly basis, as a loyal fan; I find their lives fascinating, but I DO NOT what-so-ever admire them or look up to them... I just wanted to get that out there!

It has been released today, that Kim Kardashian and husband Kris Humphries have filed for a divorce after 3 SHORT months of marriage.

This irritates me for 2 MAJOR reasons, which you will read below:

1. Money, MONEY, Money!---The wedding has been surrounded in money from the HIDEOUS and over sized $2 million engagement ring, the $50,000 his-and-her Vegas bachelor/ette party, the overpriced shower, the expensive engagement party, rehearsal dinner and the $10 MILLION dollar wedding!!!!! Plus they are rumored to have received a whopping $1.5 million dollar check for selling their wedding pictures to the smut magazines!

Dont get me wrong, every girl should have the wedding of her dreams, but come'on folks- there's a limit here and this Kardashian-Humphries wedding went WAY WAY WAY beyond that limit!

Arent weddings supposed to be about first and foremost, the joining of two lives into one! It's all about the bride and the groom, love and celebrating that love with their loved ones!

It's not about money and how much we can put into throwing an extravaganza!

This wedding was a complete and udder waste of money! Isnt our country in a recession? Arent major corporations filing for bankruptcy? Arent people loosing thier homes, cars, jobs and more due to financial strain?... YES YES YES! and here you have the Kardashian's who have made their fame and fortune- by acting crude and inappropriate, like imbeciles- on TV making millions of dollars, to never life a finger or put in a 9-5 day of hard work! I'm sorry but I work for my money, I put in my time sitting at a desk- doing WORK! Not "playing" on TV. There are thousands of American's out there whom are either 1. Willing, able and looking for work  and 2. Working their butts off just to try to keep milk and bread on the tables!

To see a wedding which in the end when all is said and done, cost $15 MILLION dollars upward wasted and over in 3 months is horrible, shameful, and a disgrace. Ms Kim Kardashian ex Humpries should be ashamed of herself for this! What a childish, selfish and self absorbed brat she is! Isn't there something ELSE that she could have done with that money? Like built a new homeless shelter, donate to struggling families, donate to the working class, hospitals, fire departments, police departments- ANYBODY other than thrown out the window into a wedding that she couldn't even make the marriage last a year?! UGH DISGUSTING!!!!

2. Weddings aren't just for the party they are there to celebrate LOVE, UNITY and MARRIAGE!!!!!! This whole situation made it very apparent that Ms. Kardashian/Humphries was in it just for the big princess wedding. If she were in if for the marriage, she would have realized that her and Kris were a BAD pair- which was obvious multiple times throughout the latest season of Keeping up with the Kardashians. There were so many times on the show that as a viewer looking from the outside in, you just knew that things were wrong. There were so many signs that things were wrong, the biggest sign- if your family whom you are the closest with do not like you boyfriend/fiance, then maybe they know something more than you do. If you FIGHT (everybody fights in the weeks leading up to a wedding) and argue constantly- up until the night of you rehearsal dinner- then you are in TROUBLE! If you say, "I hate him" at your rehearsal dinner, about your husband to be, then you are in TROUBLE! 

I dont know it yet, but I ASSUME that weddings are pretty stressful and I'm sure that the weeks and days leading up to the big day have to be among the most stressful...I'm sure its natural to be nervous, to argue and to just be scared- but to be mad at each other the way that Kim and Kris were the days before their wedding= BAD NEWS!!!

Then we have the issue of Ms. Kardashian NOT wanting to change her last name and Kris 1. not knowing about this and 2. not agreeing with this.... UMMMMMM isnt this something that you two should discuss before your wedding is like 2 days away?! Isnt marriage supposed to be the merging of 2 lives into 1. I know that the one thing that I look forward to when getting married would have to be taking the last name of my husband. THATS MARRIAGE! You start a new life together, you become one, a family, a unity- you take on the last name!

Sorry for the long rant, but this Kardashian situation just really pisses me off! It's not right! I seriously hope that she goes to bed thinking about the horrible choices that she's made. I think she's and idiot and hopefully the rest of the world will too....

You can bet that when I get married someday, its going to be for the RIGHT reasons, wedding or no wedding, I just want a day with my family to celebrate the unity and the sacrament of our MARRIAGE! No matter what life throws at us, we're going to work on things. I'm not a quitter, marriage is the long haul and I'm ready to take it on head first!