Unemployment Woes

Oh how I hate being "unemployed." I search for graphic design positions, but here in Phenix City, AL/Columbus, GA... there's just no such thing. There's a few small "mom and pop" graphic businesses, but none of them are hiring because there's no need for more staff in such a small town with little graphic design needs.

When we left Vegas, I had every intention of finding a job out here - but it hasn't worked the way I hoped, so I've just doing "whatever I want"as a stay at home wife. I was going to the gym to keep busy for a while, but since the pregnancy, I slowed it down to just doing yoga during the first trimester. Second trimester came and I just stopped working out all together (I admit, because of just pure laziness...) I was going to start going back to the gym, but the whole gallbladder surgery happened. I think when third trimester hits (in less than 3 weeks) I'll start back up with yoga again.

Anyway, yeah.. as far as being employed, my "job" right now is just cooking for my husband and making sure all of our bills are paid. I do love having all of this extra time to spend with my husband when he comes home from work... it's just that I would like to have some money flowing from my end too. This is only temporary, I know this. Vegas will have more opportunities for me when we move back. For now, I'm thankful that Mike has a steady income being in the Army. We both just REALLY really REALLY want to be financially secure so our future can be set!

Fingers crossed for a WONDERFUL future job,
Tiare

P.S.
Happy Halloween!

The First 25 Random Thoughts...

I saw this on another blog and thought it was a good idea.

1.) I'm in love with my husband, it's real, and it's REALLY amazing. He's everything I've ever wanted, and so much more.
2.) I love my parents! :)
3.) I want to see Zero Dark Thirty.
4.) I want a puppy. An English or French bulldog.
5.) I have the best sisters. I'm just saying.
6.) It's cold and windy here in Phenix City where the HIGH today is 62 degrees and the low is 33 degrees.
7.) I am excited to get out of Phenix City and move back to Vegas. :)
8.) I just can't wait to be closer to our families.
9.) My favorite candies right now are: peanut M&M's and Twix.
10.) I don't like coconut.
11.) I'm excited for the baby :D
12.) I like Moscato, it's my favorite wine.
13.) I'll own you at Flip Cup.
14.) Groceries never last as long as I think they will.
15.) I love going out to restaurants.
16.) I don't know what I'm going to do with my life after Fantasy Football is over.
17.) I'd rather watch TV show marathons, rather than movies.
18.) I really want a nice big kitchen, new kitchen stuff, and more home decor.
19.) I miss Hawaii!
20.) I want to learn how to play the guitar.
21.) I love to sing, especially in the car (because no one can hear me).
22.) I love flowery scents.
23.) My husband wants a 100" TV. (Why? Sigh, smh).
24.) I want to work, I need a job so I can help out with the bills.
25.) My belly button looks like Frankenstein, I can't wait to get these stitches out.

Love,
Tiare

Because Why Not?

Finish the sentence:

Hi, my name is: Tiare.
Never in my life have I been: unloved. or sky diving :)
The one person who can drive me nuts is: hubs. in a loving kind of way.
High school: Eldorado.
When I'm nervous: it's hard for me to look you in the eye, haha.
The last song I listened to was: "Princess of China" - Coldplay & Rihanna
If I were to get married right now, my best man/maid of honor: already married, my maid of honor was Jamie - one of my best friends.
My hair is: short, black/brown.
When I was 5: I liked to play outside.
Last Christmas: I celebrated with family.
I should be: living in Vegas. Phenix City sucks.
When I look down I see: my bare feet!
The happiest recent event was: WEDNESDAY - Mike & I got Starbucks after my OB appointment!
If I were a character on 'Friends' I'd be: I don't know, I never really watched that show.
By this time next year: I will be 25 (scary), and living in Vegas.
I have a hard time understanding: people who hurt others on purpose. and the way people drive down here in the south.
You know I like you when: I make time for you.
If I won an award, the first person I would tell would be: Mike and the rest of my family. I can't just choose one!
Take my advice: laugh as much as possible, believe in your dreams, marry the one you love, and listen to your parents!
The thing I want to buy: I don't know, there's so many! :)
If you visited the place I was born: you would see what paradise looks like.
I plan to visit: I don't plan to visit anywhere anytime soon.
If you spent the night at my house: hmm, I don't know.
I'd stop my wedding if: I didn't love the significant other.
If I could marry the last person I kissed, I'd: already married him, and I'm seriously happy and very lucky.
I'd rather lick the belly of a cockroach than: well, that's pretty disgusting. I don't know.
Most recent thing I've bought myself: a delicious Starbucks drink. Yum.
Most recent thing someone else bought me: I'm not sure. My friends bought me flowers after my surgery.
My middle name is: awesome.
In the morning I: love waking up next to him and love when he cooks us breakfast, because that's rare.
Last night I was: feeling GREAT! Doug Martin got me 32 points for my fantasy team!
There's this guy I know who: is awesome. (Mike, duh.)
Tomorrow I am: chilling at home with Mike!
Tonight I am: chilling at home with Mike! Lol.
My birthday is: in June!

Love,
Tiare

Dear Baby.

I am thrilled to announce the baby's name (in case you haven't been reading my blogs. I have slipped his name a few times, ooops) Anyway, we are calling him...

Caleb Amana Johnson

Caleb was a name that we both loved (although I was kind of on the fence about it, but Mike made me grow to love it). We went through tons of names, it kept changing. We were this close to choosing Ethan or Nathan. Amana, is after my great grandpa's first name, & my dad's middle name. It means "warrior" in Hawaiian. He truly is our little warrior.

Okay, back to the real intention of this blog post. I wanted to write a sweet note to baby Caleb!

Dear Baby,

Caleb, in a few short months you will be here and that is almost hard to believe. I have waited to meet you, and now it's nearly time. I hope we are everything you could have ever imagined in parents. I know you will be everything we have ever in a million years dreamed of. 

I hope you learn - that mommy and daddy will try our best. We love you and your brother more than anyone else in the entire world. No matter what.

I hope you aren't afraid of - taking chances, no matter how big or scary they might be. You can do anything you set your mind to. You're never alone.

I hope you love - yourself and every piece of who you are, no matter what anyone could ever say to you or about you. You are perfect; in your own way. There will never be another you. Oh, and I hope you love football (especially playing football) as much as your daddy does. He's already thinking about the high schools and colleges you could possibly play for.

I hope you get - to see every inch of this world, with or without us.

I hope you laugh - at the hard times and struggles you may endure. Never let them crush your dreams.

I hope you never forget - to enjoy every aspect of life - beautiful or not.

I hope you ignore - and steer clear from all the evils in this world, along with the people who will bring you down just to watch you suffer. Choose your friends and actions wisely, young one.

I hope you become - exactly everything you ever want to be.

I hope you respect - that even though you may not always agree with me and daddy, we love you more than anything in this universe and will always be here to protect, guide, love, and see you through anything.

I hope you grow - in every possible way a person should.

I cannot wait to meet you (when you're ready), love you, and watch you grow. I have never felt such overpowering love inside of my heart since I was pregnant with your brother. You are the only one who knows my love for you, you are the only one who has heard my heart beat from the inside. You are my baby, you'll always be my little boy - no matter how old you may grow, may you never forget that.

Love,

Mommy

5 Things I've Learned From 5 Years of Marriage

I have learned many things since I got married. Some of them small and simple and others life-changing. Every day we are learning more about each other and about how to navigate our marriage. Part of the beauty of married life is the learning and adapting process. I don't think that ever stops as new seasons of life bring new challenges and surprises.

Today I will be sharing five of the more simple, yet incredibly valuable things I have learned so far in my marriage. Some of them are things you hear about a million times before you get married but don't truly appreciate and understand until after the fact. It's funny how it works. Beforehand you're like "yeah, yeah, yeah I understand that's how marriage will be.." and then you get married and you actually have to navigate through it.

5 Things I've Learned From 5 Years of Marriage

1. Love is a choice. We choose it every day. Good times or bad. We made a promise and intend to keep it. Mike and I still choose each other, even when times are rough. We trust that there is a light at the end of the tunnel if we both choose to work at it.

2. Selfishness kills relationships. Being selfless is hard work. It's not easy. But sometimes the best way to show your spouse how much you love them is to give something up simply for their happiness.

3. People receive love in different ways. Reading The 5 Love Languages, we discovered that we had entirely different love languages! The things that make Mike feel loved are not the same things that make me feel loved and so we had to adapt and learn to speak the other person's language.

4. Dating is still important. There is something so exciting and romantic about planning special times out together. It's easy to stop the dating once you're settled into married life, but it really is important to vary the routine to keep the relationship exciting. 

5. Not all couples fight about money. We have always been warned that money is one of the biggest causes of marital problems. So far I don't think we have had one argument revolving our finances or spending habits. We do have different approaches to handling money. I respect him when it comes to the finances and I think that has played a big role in our avoidance of any issues.

Love,

Tiare

24 Weeks

Pregnancy Highlights

How far along: 24 weeks 4 days

Total Weight Gain/Loss: +8 pounds (because I lost 4 lbs after the surgery).

Maternity Clothes: Just the jeans!

Best Moment this Week: Getting Starbucks after my OB appointment today! :)

Gender: Still a boy!

Movement: Yes! :)

Food Cravings: Pretzels and chocolate.

Food aversions: Anything fried or greasy.

What I Miss: Being able to breathe normally!

Sleep: I go to bed between 10-11pm! I usually get about 12 hours a night! Crazy, I know!

What I am looking forward to: I have an ultrasound appointment tomorrow! I can't wait to see our baby again!

Love,

Tiare

Surgery a Success!!

I haven't posted in a while because it's been a rough few days. I had another gallbladder attack on the 13th and 14th. It was pretty bad. I was really hoping that the attacks were gone because my last one before this was back in March.

I had to go to the ER. The doctors said that surgery to remove my gallbladder would be the best option. Of course, there were many risks, considering that I am pregnant. My family, friends, and I were super nervous, but all had positive thoughts, wishes, and prayers. It was a laparoscopic procedure, so here I am, 3 incisions (belly button, upper abdomen, & upper right abdomen), 5 days after surgery but I feel like I can finally be up and about.

Anyway, my surgery did go very smoothly, thank God. I am at home and recovering well. The baby is doing well. I'm no longer taking the Tylenol with codeine, because I feel a lot better, plus I don't want Caleb to be dependent on the drugs. I did have some leftover gallstones stuck in the bile duct, but the doctors couldn't do anything for that but let those pass. (They believed those were small enough to do so.) I feel like they have finally passed, hopefully. The tightness in my chest and back are gone. I am very glad I had the surgery, and I am very glad that the baby is fine. I was so nervous about the surgery, more for Caleb though. I also know it's early, but I haven't had any side effects yet. That may change as I add more foods back in, but for now I'm loving it.

I just feel so blessed, especially this past week. I thank the Lord for my husband, family, and friends, for being there for me, not only during moments like this, but every single day! My husband has taken such good care of me the few days I was in the hospital, and recovering at home. My family and friends have been texting me, asking me how I'm doing. They live hundreds of miles away and they're still here for me! My friends even sent flowers to me in the hospital after my surgery, it was such a sweet and thoughtful surprise. I really didn't expect that at all. Just so many things I'm thankful for. Now all I'm hoping for is the rest of this pregnancy to go well with no more complications! I can tell he's growing everyday, I love feeling him kick and move around!

Love,
Tiare

Things On My Mind...

On my mind:
First and foremost... I could not be happier it is the WEEKEND. I have been waiting for this, well, since last Sunday!

I want to see my friends, so bad! I don't get to go out here because I don't have any friends... my husband gets to go to the bar/club every once in while, it's not fair! I don't even want to go to a bar, obviously, since I'm pregnant... but even if I wasn't, it would still be nice to just have dinner with friends or something.

I want to see my family! Sometimes I get stressed out or just feel sad and I want to be home in Vegas with my family. Just makes me homesick :(

Love,
Tiare

Top Five

Top movies I want to see!
My husband and I really enjoy seeing movies. The last movie we saw was Taken 2 with Liam Neeson. I enjoyed the movie and would highly recommend it!

Here are the top five on my radar right now!

1) Hotel Transylvania

2) End of Watch

3) Finding Nemo 3D

4) Brave

5) Breaking Dawn - Part 2

Love,

Tiare

22 Weeks

Pregnancy Highlights

How far along: 22 weeks

Total weight gain/loss: +10 pounds

Maternity clothes: Yes, my pants are very tight in the tummy! I bought 2 maternity jeans and the other times I use my belly band that I bought to go over my unzipped non maternity jeans.

Best moment this week: Hearing baby's heartbeat on the Doppler.

Gender: He's a boy.

Movement: Yes, I love feeling our little one move!

Food cravings: My current crave is oreos.

Food aversions: None anymore.

What I miss: Not having to go to the bathroom every 5 minutes!

Sleep: I'm not as exhausted all the time as I was in the 1st trimester, so I'm sleeping normally.

What I am looking forward to: Cooler fall weather! It only feels good in the mornings and nights, but afternoons it's still hot!

Love,

Tiare

Day 13: Goals.

1. Find a job in the graphic design industry.
2. Be the best wife I can possibly be.
3. Get back to working out (taking it easy though, since I'm pregnant).
4. Go to Miami to watch a Heat game.
5. Buy our first home.
6. Raise a family.
7. Be a wealthy person.
8. Grow and learn new things.
9. Age gracefully.
10. Have my dream body after Caleb pops out.

"You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream." -- C.S. Lewis

Love,
Tiare

Day 12: What you believe.

I believe in Jesus.
I believe in God.
I believe laughter is the best medicine.
I believe in cherishing friendships.
I believe in love.
I believe family comes first.

"I believe that laughing is the best calorie burner. I believe in kissing, kissing a lot. I believe in being strong when everything seems to be going wrong. I believe that happy girls are the prettiest girls. I believe that tomorrow is another day and I believe in miracles." -- Audrey Hepburn

Love,
Tiare

Day 11: Favorite TV Shows.

1. How I Met Your Mother

2. Dexter

3. Entourage

4. Weeds

5. Modern Family

6. Boy Meets World

7. Fringe

8. The Walking Dead

Love,

Tiare

Day 10: Something you're afraid of.

I'm just going to tell you, I'm not afraid of the typical things like: snakes, spiders, or heights. I think mice and other rodents are DISGUSTING, but I'm not scared of them. Actually I take that back. They may scare me a little.

There is one thing I am afraid of: the dark.

I am 24, and it feels childish to admit. When I am anywhere alone at night, I feel like a child. My mind races with images and thoughts. Shadows scare me, as well as sounds. I think it's from watching horror films. When I'm with someone and it's dark, I'm fine. Otherwise, it's a problem. I thought I'd grow out of it in my earlier years, but it seems to just worsen overtime. I can't control anything if I'm in the dark, I can't see anything, I don't know what's there. Maybe that's why it's so scary.

Love,
Tiare

Day 9: A Picture(s) of your friends.

In my 24 years I have made some WONDERFUL friends. I do not get to see them as often as I like. For this post I'm just going to tell you about my very BEST friends. These five girls mean the world to me. I know no matter where life takes us, they will always be my dearest friends.

Chantelle Marie Berasis

I met Chantelle in 1995 at a neighbor's party and we have been (almost) inseparable ever since. She has been my friend for seventeen years now and is like a sister to me. She still lives in Hawaii. I don't think she ever plans on moving off that island, lol. We're not as close as we were as childhood best friends, but I know our friendship will always be there.

Heather Ann-Marie Dolson

Heather & I met in 1999 when we started middle school at O'Callaghan. She is one of my dearest friends and I am so thankful for her. The memories that I have made with her are irreplaceable. I know she will always be there for me whether I need a shoulder to cry on or someone to drink with! Lol. I love my sweet friend! :)

Jamie Michelle McGarran

I met Jamie the summer after 6th grade but we did not become close friends until our sophomore year in high school. We became friends over the years because of our love of black guys, lol. We also have the same birthday, so we like to think we're Gemini twins. :) We have laughed and cried together and when I look back at all of my wonderful memories at Eldorado High School, she is a part of almost all of them. We had the best times together! She has been there for me and I am so thankful for our friendship.

Jamie-Rio Miko Zarza

I met Jamie when we started middle school in 1999. We have made some awesome memories together! She is always there when I need to talk and she can always put a smile on my face. She is seriously like the big sister I never had, there to annoy me, shop with me, give me advice... just everything. I have fun no matter what we're doing, even if it's just being lazy at her house, eating junk food & watching tv.. lol. I love her dearly and I am so blessed to have her in my life!

Shanna Audrey Wesley

I have known Shanna since our junior year in high school. I can't imagine my grad summer without her! :) Shanna is a beautiful person inside and out. She has always been there for me when I needed her, even when she moved back to Alaska. I cherish all of our wonderful memories together and I hope to make more when baby Caleb arrives. He and her 4 year old daughter, Harmonie, can play together! Who knows, maybe when we move back to Vegas.. she'll move back too, lol. I can wish, right!?

I am VERY thankful for the friendships with these girls and ALL of my other friends as well.

Love,

Tiare

  

Day 8: A place you've traveled to.

This past weekend we traveled to Atlanta for the Falcons/Panthers game. It was just us two (along with baby). It was a GREAT game! We had a blast. Great quality time. :)

Falcons running out of the tunnel

That was just a few of the pictures we took. Our first Falcons game was so much fun! I hope we get the chance to take a trip there again! Go FALCONS :)

Love,

Tiare