Amy Jo On The Go!

Archive for the ‘family’ Category

I can’t remember if I told you about our DIY wedding photo booth.  Actually, I know I haven’t told you because my sister reminds me about it quite often….Thanks Rach! 

After getting engaged I went to my first-ever Bridal Expo!  It was so overwhelming….But, nonetheless I walked out of there knowing I wanted a photo booth at our reception.  Well, come to find out…photo booths are freaking expensive!!  And then I fell upon the following pictures and knew that a custom photo booth was the answer.

Having a photo booth at our wedding reception is going to be a fun way to get guests to interact with each other.  And since there was no room in our budget we had to “do it ourselves”.  I bribed…errr, I mean begged my brother in law to help me and we (he) was able to bust out this project in one afternoon.

We simply purchased a piece of plywood and made a freestanding wall to be used as the photo booth.  It will be covered in Damask fabric and the frames will then be (re)attached.  Voila….

A big thank you to my sister, brother in law, brother and nephew for assisting with this project….I think it’s going to be my favorite part of the wedding

So, I had my first wedding dream (nightmare) last night! Don’t you think it’s a little early for me to be dreaming about the wedding? Most likely it’s because there has been nothing but wedding talk around my house for a couple weeks now. As soon as the clock struck twelve and it was 2010 we realized we need to get on the ball and start moving. We get married in 186 days so the checklist has been brought back out along with a to-do list that’s a mile long.

Anyway, back to my story. So in my dream I woke up the day of my wedding to find that I had slept in my wedding dress and it was all wrinkly. Well, as always, my sister Rachel was there to save me. She had a “spare” dress that was identical to my dress and she simply slipped the new dress on me and away we went.

I know it doesn’t seem like much to those of you who don’t know me, but that dream just solidifies the fact that I could NEVER face anything as big as my wedding day without my sister by my side. She has been, and always will be, my saviour.

I’ve been having a crappy week….okay, I’ll be honest, I’ve been having a crappy few weeks. But today, I feel happy!

My sister called me today with some very good news and since our phone call I can’t stop smiling. I am so happy for her. It is the best feeling in the world to know that someone you love is so happy, so excited, so full of life! She has always been my inspiration and today she inspired me to be happy!

I couldn’t be more proud of my sister and I hope she knows that.

CONGRATS RACH!

My fiance has a 14 year old son and let me be the first one to tell you…parenting is not easy. And step-parenting is extremely difficult. And step-parenting a teenager….even harder!

Teenagers are rarely without something to argue over, worry about, or be annoyed with. Talking back to their parents becomes second nature and questioning authority seems effortless for them. Now don’t get me wrong, I know that teenagers go through changes that are both understandable and expected. However, when these behaviors are no longer what we, as parents, consider “normal” the family goes into crisis mode.

In this uncertain and dangerous world, it is the parents’ job to protect their child until they acquire the common sense of adulthood. And when you, as the parent, feel you have failed in this area, you experience a myriad of emotions – frustration, fear, disappointment, anger and hopelessness. And let me make it very clear that none of these emotions are good for making informed, well-reasoned and thought out decisions.

Parenting is definitely a full time job without any benefits at times. We try so hard as parents to teach our children between right and wrong and it hurts when they make poor decisions for themselves when they should know better. It is hard as a parent to know that teens are going to make some bad decisions, but it is the adults job to stop them any way they can when that bad decision can change the course of their childs life.

I’m doing the best I can…given the crisis we’ve been faced with, but I’m wondering if any of you have any advice on parenting with both head and heart, responding with wisdom and love when children need it most.

I heard some disturbing news this morning……..we have 49 schools in our district that are closed due to illness (swine flu). I’m really starting to get a little scared.

This has got to be the largest disease outbreak that I have ever experienced. My fiance’s son has been sick for almost a week now and to be honest, I’m terrified to keep him this weekend. The way I see it, he’s already exposed his mom’s household to whatever he has, so maybe he should just stay with her until he is healthy and we will make up our weekend with him some other time. Why should my fiance and I be exposed?? Not to mention that I get so nervous that my fiance will get sick. He only has 1/3 of his lung capacity as a result of the accident, so if he gets this swine flu then it could be very critical. He will be on a ventilator, I’m sure!

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention upgraded Michigan to widespread H1N1 influenza, the most pervasive level possible. And the worst part is that they are calling Southwest Michigan (where I live) the epicenter. How lucky am I?

And you wanna know the thing that is ticking me off the most? Since the students are not going to class due to cancellation, they are hanging out all around town. The malls, skateboarding parks, the arcade….the local news is basically “begging” parents to keep their children at home, whether they are sick or not! This is serious people….Social gatherings should be the last place anyone should want to be right now. Parents, I’m begging you “Please keep your children at home”.

And here’s another question for you….Is just closing the schools down for the few days left this week going to be enough? I’ve heard this swine flu usually last for about 2+ weeks. Most people feel ill for about a week but then they can pass along the virus for another 7-10 days after that.

I think I might be scared enough that I might try to get the H1N1 vaccination. I originally didn’t want it, due to the fact that it’s so new and I don’t know if there has been enough testing done yet. But, this morning I read getting the flu is far more risky than getting the vaccine. That might be the push I needed…now if I can only convince my fiance.

Today is my baby brothers 23rd birthday.

July 4th isn’t necessarily one of my favorite holidays, but I can’t tell you how excited I am for the holiday this year. I will be surrounded by family and that makes my heart skip a beat. My mom’s brother and his family from Ohio will be here tomorrow along with my grandmother, my sister and her family and possibly a couple of my brothers. We will watch fireworks, watch the hot air balloons, cookout, swim and just be together hanging out! Who could ask for a better weekend?

As most of you know, my fiance is a paraplegic as a result of a car accident. The accident happened before he and I knew each other so I’ve been lucky enough to only know the man he is today, the man that I am deeply and totally in love with. We have briefly discussed the accident, but more about the details and never really about the emotional aspect of it all. For some reason, lately he has been discussing with me more and more about the emotional aspect of his situation. About the accident itself and how his brother will always live with the fact that he was the one driving, how his family, especially his mom, coped during the months he was in a coma, about the emotional state he was left in when his wife couldn’t deal with the situation and divorced him, how every aspect of his world was turned upside down and inside out.

I know those memories are not easy for him, but the fact that we can finally talk about them after all this time brings a smile to my face. This may sound weird, but I am so thankful for that accident. It has made him stronger and I truly believe that there is nothing in this world he can’t overcome. No matter what life throws at him (or us), we will be able to come out on top.

And as I’m driving to work today I reminded myself how lucky I am. I am so thankful for all the happiness he brings to my life, but most of all I am thankful for him!

I just found this blog today and I couldn’t help but to compare my story with hers. Obviously the characters are different and the exact details aren’t similar, but the way this husband and wife are still so much in love after such a tragic accident leads me to believe that my love for my fiance will withstand the test of time…..and only one word describes my feeling about that…..THANKFUL!

A couple years ago I was seeing a therapist, for many reasons, but stress was a major one. Today I was going through some old paperwork in my office and I came across a folder the therapist gave me and inside was the following information about stress……There is someone very dear to me who I think could use this information so i thought I would post it.

Modern life is full of hassles, deadlines, frustrations, and demands. For many people, stress is so commonplace that it has become a way of life. Stress isn’t always bad. In small doses, it can help you perform under pressure and motivate you to do your best. But when you’re constantly running in emergency mode, your mind and body pay the price.

Stress is a normal physical response to events that make you feel threatened or upset your balance in some way. the body’s defenses kick into high gear in a rapid, automatic process known as the “fight-or-flight” reaction, or the stress response.

The stress response is the body’s way of protecting you. When working properly, it helps you stay focused, energetic, and alert. In emergency situations, stress can save your life – giving you extra strength to defend yourself, for example, or spurring you to slam on the brakes to avoid an accident.

The stress response also helps you rise to meet challenges. Stress is what keeps you on your toes during a presentation at work, sharpens your concentration when you’re attempting the game-winning free throw, or drives you to study for an exam when you’d rather be watching TV.

But beyond a certain point, stress stops being helpful and starts causing major damage to your health, your mood, your productivity, your relationships, and your quality of life.

Because of the widespread damage stress can cause, it’s important to know your own limit. Your ability to tolerate stress depends on many factors, including the quality of your relationships, your general outlook on life, your emotional intelligence, and genetics.

Common external causes of stress
Not all stress is caused by external factors. Stress can also be self-generated:

Major life changes
Work
Relationship difficulties
Financial problems
Being too busy
Children and family

It’s important to learn how to recognize when your stress levels are out of control. The most dangerous thing about stress is how easily it can creep up on you. You get used to it. It starts to feels familiar – even normal. You don’t notice how much it’s affecting you, even as it takes a heavy toll.

The signs and symptoms of stress overload can be almost anything. Stress affects the mind, body, and behavior in many ways, and everyone experiences stress differently.

You may feel like the stress in your life is out of your control, but you can always control the way you respond. Managing stress is all about taking charge: taking charge of your thoughts, your emotions, your schedule, your environment, and the way you deal with problems. Stress management involves changing the stressful situation when you can, changing your reaction when you can’t, taking care of yourself, and making time for rest and relaxation.

I hope this is helpful for those of you with “too much on your plate” right now.

I’m curious, what causes stress in your life and what do you do to control it?