Misconceptions of being a Nanny

     Yesterday, a well respected Christian radio personality asked me what I do for a living, I responded "I'm a nanny" to which he replied, "That's great! I've always respected nannies." I was shocked. I'm glad he looked away, so that he didn't see my jaw dropping face. I was waiting for the usual response, especially from such a successful person. But that's not what I got. There was no "so are you in school or something?" or "so what are you actually hoping to do?" or "so you're not using your degree?" or "so you're a babysitter?" or general disproval and judgement. Yes. I have heard all these responses. Sometimes I do get a "that's cool!" but never genuine respect. So let me make 2 popular misconceptions clear:

                        

Misconception #1: That I am not using my degree.

     I chose a "change the world" degree. I am a certified health education specialist. It is like one of the most practical professions in the sense that as humans, being healthy will always be necessary. I know that fitness and diet is all that people think of when they think of health, but that's just not it. The knowledge and degree I earned is over all 7 dimensions of health: Emotional, Intellectual, Spiritual, Social, Environmental, Occupational, Physical. I am literally certified to teach people how to be a WHOLE person. When I chose my degree and to be honest when I graduated,  I didn't know what I wanted to do. I did know that I wanted to impact people. I wanted to make their lives better. I get to do that everyday for two adorable, patience testing 3 year olds. I'm helping in making them a whole person in every dimension of health. I AM living out my passion. I'll admit, I didn't see it that way when I first took the job. I was burnt out by school and ready to just see my husband. Not to mention I had loans to pay. The steady "normal" schedule and good pay drew me in. I was following God's leading in it, and I wasn't sure why it's where he took me. Then (and not right away), I knew he was using me and my passion. And through it came great joy. So don't feel bad for me, I AM using my degree. And someday when I have my own kids and stay home with them...I will STILL be using my degree. Basically whatever I do for the rest of my life...I will still be using it. Not everyone can say that.

Misconception #2: Being a nanny is not a real job. 

     First of all, being a nanny is NOT like being a babysitter. During the hours that I am with that child, I am being substitute mom and dad. No, it's not the same amount or type of love and nothing can replace a parent. However, I must do my best in that time to give them love, protection and education. So I am not just making sure they stay alive...in fact in my one year of being a fulltime nanny with my current family, I can count on maybe 2 hands how many times they have watched tv on my watch- if they did, it was because I did at least a 10 hour day. Do you consider a teacher a real job? Because that's what I am. I have to have planned educational activities and help them grow in their abilities. 

     If all the nannies fit the misconception that they are uneducated or not mature enough (or whatever thoughts are out there), could you imagine how awful society would be (not that it's in tip-top shape)? Nannies along with stay at home mothers are growing and teaching little brains that make up the next generation. Holy cow! And don't think that it's an easy peasy stress free job. For the first 6 months of this job I was in great fear and drowned in stress of something bad happening to these two kiddos that a mother and father gave me the ultimate privilege of helping to mold. I still say a prayer when I get in the car with them. Next to something bad happening to my husband or family, this is my greatest fear. I also am basically at the family's becking call, (this isn't a negative thing) it's part of the job. I am there as an asset to the family and sometimes it requires tall orders with a short amount of time. I guess there is one valid arguement why it's not a "real job"...I am unbelievably loved and respected by my nanny parents. They are my 3rd family. So even though I don't get benefits or a retirement plan, I am getting something else that is so valuable. 

      

I have learned not to judge others based on their career and job choice or financial situation. I have definitely judged, but I've learned that you never know what's going on. However, encouragement is always welcome. Thank a nanny or stay at home mom. They are making the world go round. 

                                                

                                          Peace, love and Mickey Mouse,

                                                        Jennie Hartwig

     

     

     

Life simple

Life simple. That is what i have been enjoying of late. I've had so many plans for blogging right after graduation, but on the last day of my college career my laptop died. haha! It worked out because David surprised me with an IPhone for graduation :) He is too good to me. Now I'm making use of my brother Zach's laptop while he is away at work (he's staying with us again this summer). SO to fill you in on my life, there isn't much and I am absolutely LOVING it.

 

I graduated this year with my Bachelors in Arts in Health Promotion...and couldn't be more excited. I'll admit, throughout this past semester I was VERY scared. What to do next? If it tells you anything, I considered going back to school since it's the only I know how to do right now. hahahha! BUT I came to a point the last few weeks of school, where I realized that God had a plan, and that's the beauty of being a Christ Follower. I have been released from the bondage of worry, because God has it all lined up. Currently I'm nannying, and just taking a break. I could not be more at peace where God has me, and am trusting him whole heartedly to see me through. I have to admit, having my husband at such a great job that he enjoys is such a blessing, especially since I don't have a fulltime all the time job. Thanks babe for working so hard! I'm praying daily for a job this fall, if you think about it pray with me! 

     When I look back on my college career, I wouldn't have changed a thing. I so enjoyed living with my best friend Melyssa for 2 years and keeping the pact we had made as freshmen in HS :) I could not do life without her, and am so glad we had each other throughout some of our most challenging times. I loved my time at faith and gained a great support system of friendships there.

 Although my year at DMACC was INSANE due to the crazy hard (for me) classes that I took, being engaged, and flipping our house...I will always enjoy that time David and I shared going to the same school again :) (and Leah ;) ). Grand View University was no doubt in God's plan for me. It was the absolute PERFECT place for me. It was just 10 minutes away from home and had the small private school feel that this spoiled girl has always been blessed with :). My professors were a gift from God. They loved Him and were not afraid to show it. I gained some fantastic friends that helped me get through those two years. Love you ladies :). 

     One person I can not thank enough is my mother. While both parents were very supportive, my mom helped me on this college journey starting as a Sophomore in HS. She helped me understand what my skills and passions were and made sure I was totally set for college academically. She attended EVERY transfer meetings as I decided what schools were best for me and what my time there would look like. She saw to it that I would graduate in FOUR years no matter what. She is a rock star. Thank you mom, I could not have done it without you. 

   

 In other news, David and I celebrated our second Anniversary, and I am amazed how our marriage just keeps getting better and better...and those petty "get-used-to-living-with-this-man/woman" fights are becoming more and more rare :) Marriage is very sweet. I love that man. David planned our mini weekend getaway in Des Moines, which was so good for us. We want to make our Anniversaries a BIG deal...because they are! I could talk all day about how blessed I am to have him, but I have eternity to do that :)

   If you want to get ahold of me, I'm either crafting at home, chillin by the pool with the kiddos, fellowshipping with my Gospel Community, missing my sister, or at one of the NINE weddings we are invited to this year. thanks for listening. xo jennie h.

Write-Me-A-Love-Note Frame...DIY

And for my 2nd Valentine's pinterest project:

Write-Me-A-Love-Note Frame!

So, I originally nabbed this idea from (once again) pinterest (naturally). It's a pretty popular one. I just kinda took the concept and did my own thing with it...
SO, David's love language is Words affirmation. (Don't know the love languages?? Find out about them here!) And, I know I need to work on being a better words of affirmationer (haha!) with him especially. SO I thought this might be a handy tool! We want these frames to be a place to go to either laugh or feel very loved. And I gotta say... I love 'em!

SO...here's how I made 'em!

Directions for "The Green One"

What you'll need to clone this guy:

-a garage sale frame...literally I pulled this from my very own garage sale pile.

-felt ($0.29 a sheet at Michaels)

-Ribbon

-Buttons, confetti- anything you want to decorate with :)

-Glue Gun

HOW TO:

Take your garage sale frame, find the where the most scratches are...and that is where you will put your decoration :) That's what I did at least! I made three felt rosettes- which you can find a tutorial to make them here! I also added a button and some curled blue ribbon to them :) In the opposite corner, I put a piece of ribbon that fit nicely over a scratch :) I jazzed it up with some vintage buttons from my stash and a confetti piece from my wedding :) I used a glue gun for attaching it all :)...Stay tuned for directions for the paper insert!

Directions for "The White One"

What you'll need to clone this guy:

-a garage sale frame...literally I pulled this from my very own garage sale pile.

-felt ($0.29 a sheet at Michaels)

-Twine

-Buttons, confetti, ribbon- anything you want to decorate with :)

-Scrapbook Paper

-Glue Gun, adhesive

HOW TO:

For this one, I made some penants :) Which I LOVE. I cut out each triangle, then using the glue gun- I attached it to the "back" of the twine. I then attached the whole bunting to the frame. Using a glue stick, I decorated my penants with ribbon, scrapbook paper, confetti, and a button :) The most fun part of course :) Next, I added a little tag down in the corner using scrapbook paper and a little cardboard applique. It says "My favorite person". I backed it with a piece of felt so it would pop! 

FOR THE PAPER INSERT:

What you'll need: Notebook Paper, Stamps, Ink, Dry erase marker :)

HOW TO: easy peasy. I just cut  a piece of notebook paper, and using stamps and ink, I wrote the Dears and Loves :) (which can definitely be done using a sharpie!)...of course I added a heart :) yaaay!

I love finding a new message on my board :) I just love them in general!

Thanks for stopping by Peace, love, and dry erase :) Jennie.

52 things...DIY

Hello friends :) Well, if you read my most recent blog post about my Valentines day, you'll see how I used some of my pinterest powers :) As promised here are directions for:


52 ways to show my spouse I love them
    I originally found this idea off pinterest, and you can find the original tutorial here :) I used the same concept, just "packaged" it a bit differently. So, basically the idea is to provide your spouse with ideas of ways they can show you that they love you :) I've only been married now for 1 year and oh 9ish months, so I'm no expert on marriage. BUT I do know that it's been hard enough to figure out this marriage thing and how that works into our relationship- and it is difficult to keep "dating" one another, and really showing one another our love in ways we understand it. And not to mention, there are still things we haven't figured out about eachother! Shocking, I know. haha...

SO I decided that this would be a good tool. Here's how it goes: Each of us had 52 slips of paper. On each paper we wrote a way that we would like to be shown that we are loved and thought of by the other person. Examples of mine were: Clean out my car, make me a treat, write me a note of ways I have improved as a wife since we first got married, pray with me everyday of the week, give me a neck/scalp massage, etc. We also made sure that we hit all 5 love languages so it didn't just become a honey-do list :) But obviously, there were more requests that emphasized the love language(s) that speaks the most to us. P.S. Don't know the love languages?? Check it out here! SO Sunday, we will pull a slip and then we have all week to accomplish it. By the end of the year, we will have 52 ideas tucked in our brain!

"PACKAGING": I did NOT want to spend much on the packaging, but I still wanted it to look cute and be able to withstand the war zone of the top of a dresser for a year :) SO...I went to Michaels, and got these cute PLASTIC (for durability) take out containers for $0.99, and then went scrounging through my own scrapbook paper and found this cute "pet name" paper...which I had no plans for :) I simply cut it, and taped it to the inside. I then attached the cute monogram stickers to one of the papers. The D stand's for "David's requests" and the J stand for "Jennie's requests". Easy as Pie!


* We're one week into it, and I can already tell that my "requests" might be a little more extensive then his.haha! good thing he loves me! Thanks for stoppin by! Let me know if you attempt this little diddy :)

A Cliche Valentine's Day

Hello! So because David's birthday is exactly one week after Vday, we never really done much for hearts day. BUT this year, I requested of David a "Cliche Valentine's Day". Yup! I wanted all the standard. Don't judge me, I'm always looking for new dates to go on...and we've never done the commercial valentine one before...so why not? haha...I will take you through our day, because my life is so incredibly exciting (ha!). I will say, it was fun!...Let's be honest what girl does not enjoy all the goods (no matter the amount of thought actually put into it...ha!) Ok, so here is how our holiday went...


1. First off we started out with a Dinner. Lovely idea....not so lovely idea: going ON hearts day. SO we opted for a pre Vday dinner on Sunday! We planned for Latin King...only to drive there to discover it is closed on Sunday. bummer. so naturally we went for the next romantic spot on our list:

Romantic right? haha...good none the less :)

2. On hearts day, I woke up to this lovely arrangement on the kitchen table:

Yessss....He said he wanted corny but still impresseive...he added the 3 roses for cliche's sake (2 for 2 married Vday's so far...one for our engaged Vday that he forgot to get me flowers for...which I still hang over his head.haha) AND the "impressive part" was the hydrangea's and Symphony bars...my faves :)

3. We spent the evening with a million other couples (most of which were in HS...ahah) watching: 

Fan-freakin-tastic movie! & it really is a great date movie too :) After you watch it..you have to watch this clip of the REAL couple behind the movie! 

4. So I'm always thinking of ways to help my marriage for the long run. What can I do now to make life easier down the road?...For hearts day, I wanted to do something that could impact our marriage in that way. I decided to put my pinterest powers to some good use, and did these two projects that I hope will uplift my marriage: I found both on pinterest, but tweaked them to my liking. Here goes: **Excuse the awful photography, I've lost my camera...so i'm down to an awful phone cam.

  Pinterest Project Numero Uno: 52 ways to show the other person you love them.

I'll soon post directions for this project: But in a nutshell...I wrote on the yellow slips 52 ways that David could make me feel loved. He did the same on the green strips. Then we switched containers. Every Sunday (for one year) we will  pull out a slip, and we have all week to complete it. I decided to do this particular project, because lately we had been discussing how we needed to do a better job of "dating" each other. With all the transitions that marriage has brought, we've had to work so hard on getting that down. So these are ways/ideas we can use not only this year, but down the road! 

 Pinterest Project: Numero Dos: Write me a note Frames :)

Ok...so I'm not gonna lie, I LOVE these! I've been wanting to do it for a while...but just wasn't sure what exactly I wanted. Yaay! I love them! David's top love language is words of affirmation. I hope to use this to fulfill that language the best I can :) I will post directions soon!

I loved my Heart's day....but I'm thinking next year...we're gonna save our pennies. We'll at least a little more than this year ;) How was your Vday?? What unique things do you do to impact your marriage/relationships? Do share :)  Happy Hearts Day! Jennie <3

H&W Wednesday...Support

I thought of this topic before I realized how well it coordinated with Valentine's day! So that works! Yesterday at work, I observed 2 different scenarios of how married couples support and work with each other to achieve health. One couple struggled supporting each other, there was issues on both sides. It was sad to see how a couple are living with serious health issues pushing each other away. The other couple, who have quickly become my favorite- are a gleaming example of not only supporting each other reach health, but also how they work in their relationship. The husband has serious health issues that would make him appear to be in a weaker state in his life...which in some ways he is-physically. But oh my goodness, 3-5 times a week his wife takes him to the Healthy Living Center to work out and strengthen his body. Due to health issues, he comes across very emotionless and quiet. His wife, however just keeps him going. She is smiley and energetic. She shows true unconditional love. I couldn't imagine looking at your husband who has led and protected you for so many years, in such a state. And for the husband to see his wife be able to lift her dumbbell higher than him, must be such a discouragement.  But through this I can see a great amount of humility the husband displays. The way they work together is amazing. 

Do you have support in your health? How are you showing support in someone else's health? You may have to pick up a couple extra characteristics such as humility, patience and will. But we live in a sinful world, and our bodies ARE deteriorating, but let's help each other live to our max! 

Peace, love & cutest old couple ever, Jennifer

H&W Wednesday...New Year's Resolutions

It's February 1st! How are those New Year's resolutions coming along??? At the work we are booming with memberships as people are trying to lose weight...come Aprilish they will most likely start dropping. This is typical at any fitness center. People lose focus, effort and energy (and maybe even the mula!). If you ask me...they made a Resolution...but NOT a GOAL. I have learned so much about health behavior change and there are different stages of change, which I will talk about sometime. But today, my goal is to help save some of those quickly (or slowly!) dwindling resolutions. So no matter whether your resolution is health or not, it IS behavior change...and setting a "SMART" goal will be of MUCH help! A SMART goal is...

How do your resolutions match up with the smart goal "rules"?? I highly suggest you revamp those resolutions! It will help organize it in your brain and actually give you a PLAN, rather than an IDEA.Just so you have an example, I will give you my current goal!    

Starting Friday, February 3rd, I will do a cardio workout consisting of :

• 5 min warm up on the treadmill
• 5 min of warm up stretching
• 15-20 min on the bike
• 20-25 min on the eliptical
• 5-10 min of stretching and yoga

 for 45-60 minutes every Mon/Wed/Fri at 10AM at the GV fitness center until the end of February. 

Let's pick it apart:

Specific: CARDIO Workout and what it consists of

Measurable: the specific #s 

Attainable: After I make the goal, I should have a feeling of "yeah, I can do that"...for me making it to the end of Feburary makes me feel like it's possible...all about the baby steps :)

Realistic: I chose the days and times I did b/c they are the absolute most convenient times for me. I COULD workout before my 8 am class...unfortunately I know I am not a morning person and it would just not be realistic for me.

Time specific: Start date/ End date and time of workout

I guarentee you putting your resolutions into SMART goals WILL help...and like I said, this can be used for ANYTHING! ...WHAT is your SMART GOAL?????

Always Keep (your) HeART (strong!)....later gators...jennifer :)

Introducing "Health & Wellness Wednesday"!

Welcome! I have decided that the knowledge I have gained over my past college career (so far) is too important not to share! SO, every Wednesday, I am going to do my best to post a blog about Health & Wellness. My degree (Health Promotion- emphasis on fitness) and thus skill/knowledge set is very broad concerning H & W, so there will be much variety! Much of my training is in preventative medicine, but I have also gained much knowledge in disease management (which is one of my favorite parts :) ) I would also encourage any topic requests or specific questions! In turn, I would love to hear your comments! Remember, every one is different, various things work for various people. If you have requests/questions please feel free to leave them in a blog comment post, or facebook me! Of course if you have any questions you would like me to answer to only you, then facebook msg me or email me (jlhartwig29@gmail.com) and I will do my best to get back to you! Hopefully this is something you enjoy and will find helpful! If not, it's my passion, so bear with me :) Thank ya!

Always Keep (your) HeART (strong!) ......Jennifer :)

Christmas Crafting :)

One of the funnest things about starting a family (yes, you can start a family without having kids...haha) is that we get to start our own traditions! One tradition for us is having a picture Christmas card :) Part of it, is the fun of actually being able to send a christmas card....but I just enjoy being able to show how we have changed...meanwhile sending some love to our closest family members. I wanted to be able to display these in my home every year to show how our family has grown and changed! So, I came up with this little diddy...

It says "A Very Merry Hartwig Christmas" On the back of the "hanger/plaque" thing, I have attached a long piece of twine. You can't see the bottom, but I simply knotted it up, this way I just let some of the twine out as I add to it with more cards :)...Also I'm planning to get the mini clips and adding the year on each one!

This was quite simple to make. The background is a fan...of which you can find the directions to make Here! Then I simply decorated the scrapbook paper and glued it on! OOBER simple..and now I have something to display MY family at christmas...not just everyone else's lovely faces, although one of my favorite things is opening up all the christmas card that come in the mail! 

Anyway, thanks for stoppin by! Always keep HeART...and Christmas faces :)

Rollercoaster of Career Paths...

Hello! You know you haven't blogged for a long time when my goggle chrome doesn't recognize it right away. ha! Due to my senior year, I haven't kept up with this here blog. Might be time, but probably more because after writing papers all the time, it's the last thing I want to do.Anyway, I thought I would share with you what's been going on in our career paths as of the end of the summer. It's been quite the rollercoaster!


*Let's go back a little further. During our first year of marriage, life and careers took turns and twists and we both found ourselves starting the summer of 2011 in our original summer jobs that we swore we would never return to. But God worked. David was able to bring Zach on at Agri-tech, which was a real blessing for him. I was able to help a new boss get going at faith, plus I made two very good friends! Tashika and Liz! Scratch that-3... Ceceilia (my new boss) of course!In the end, we were both thankful God put us where he did.


*SO, At the beginning of the summer I received a phone call from a friend asking if she could give David's number to someone who was in need of a Property Manager for his rental business. I of course said yes! David met with the man, and they temporarily agreed but David couldn't start til the end of the summer. SO basically we were stoked out of our minds that David would get such an amazing opportunity and that God showed us this at the beginning of the summer, so David wouldn't stress out about having a job for the fall.


*David ended his summer at the end of August, and had quit Lowes permanately that spring, and was ready to become a property manager! Then the thing that you never want...He could not get a hold of the man for 2 weeks. He finally met with him, they agreed to a 6 month plan where David would slowly take over the business and made it "official"...but didn't sign anything. Over the course of the next two weeks, we started our management company, we decided to keep the truck for work purposes -even though we had originally decided to sell the truck when we get a new car. I say two weeks, because it happened again. We couldn't get a hold of him. David fiinally did, where they met at 7AM for breakfast, contracts in hand. David came home a half an hour later. Business deal officially off. The man no longer needed him. I will never forget the feeling of my heart falling into my stomach when I heard that door open at 7:30AM. 


*We bummed out for a few minutes than we started talking about how God must be protecting us from something. We were also wary of a few small but potentially big issues with the person, so we could see how we may have dodged a bullet. But we were left answering the question, WHY?? The entire time, we felt like this experience was such a GOD thing. He orchestrated it to fall into place. We found out at a great time, as to eliminate stress on David. We made decisions we wouldn't have done otherwise. But our greatest issue was wasted time. Not only did we miss out on a months worth of pay, but it meant more days without pay while David searched for a job. We just don't understand it all. Yes, God definitely could have used this blimp in our life to perfect timing, and to help us make decisions we wouldn't have otherwise. But still...why this? Why get our hopes up to a level I never thought existed...then this??? I know there's a reason...but for now I wait and trust my God.


*Where are we now? Well David got a job at Wells Fargo as a Loan Document Specialist and just got home from his 3rd day. Insurance, pay we need and great hours. Praise the Lord! I am even more thankful for his summer job that carried us this fall while he didn't work. The week we got our new car (a week before school started), God worked it out for me to get a nanny job! It has worked out perfectly! It has been such a blessing. In other news, BIG news, I just got offered an internship position with the medical programming director at the YMCA Healthy Living Center of DSM. SO stoked. God really worked in that too. My dad is really good friends with the Head director there, who is a Christian. Come to find out he is on our board for my major, so I snagged him when it was time to do mock interviews. Thankful that my Dad was kind to the man! Here I am...an intern :) I start next semester!


*Thanks to everyone for praying for us as we journey through this part of our lives! Have you been through a time you didn't understand and asked God "WHY?"...How did you handle it? What did you discover? I would really appreciate your input!

"Money,money,money, MONey"

oh money. How I hate you. Have you ever had one of those moments---or for us, a month where you feel like all you do is dump a couple bricks of money here, a couple more there...? If you're a college student, since it's august you are probably experiencing the same thing. In addition to the financial demand of college all my technologies/necessities decided to poop out on me. 1st I had to get contacts and glasses..ya, with no insurance and being used to my parents paying for it...eye problems can be oober expensive! And I only have one eye thats bad! I can't imagine the rest of you who have to fix two eyes! The same day my phone crapped out.lovely...
{the tale of God's gift...aka..my escape :) )----continue reading beyond for my marriage question!
When we had gotten our income tax return this spring, we had decided to use part of it to buy a "new" car. Well, David hadn't had much time to look for cars, and we weren't desperate, so we just did some online looking once in a while. The 2 weeks work has slowed down so we were able to do some more looking. Not to mention the past month or so every week there has been a problem with either one of our cars. So this became a little more of a motivation-ha! Last weekend, my brother bought a car from COUNTY LINE in Grimes, Ia. This is where Faith gets their cars, and if you have any connection with Faith, he gives great discounts. Just being a Christian probably will help! He is a Christian, and goes to Maranatha, and loves being a help to people in the ministry. I would highly recommend it!! So anyway, while I was with my brother picking up his truck, I spied this silver escape...and decided I should make it mine.haha...So I brought David out, and God provided it to us for the right miles and price! Praise God!


Oh, Did I mention that my laptop is showing signs of elderlyness, and also my ipod's battery is barely alive. So, I'm just praying that they will hold out!! 


* I'm told that money can be a huge issue in a marriage. The Bible supports that theory....money is the root of all evil. David and I handle money differently. I buy in small increments here and there. A $7 scarf here, a $5 cute decor item, there.you get the picture...now david, he penny pinches, penny pinches, then BAM he dropped a few hundred on whatever. Drives me crazy. In the end, I know its a wash...but man! And in most cases a husband and wife will have different priorities with money. I know we do! So I'm just wondering how you ya'll have dealt with money in a marriage. Any pointers!?  I'm quite excited to spend eternity in a moneyless heaven :) Thanks for stoppin by!...even when money weighs you down...always keep heart!

"I Spy God in a Big Way" at Camp Fairwood.

On Friday, the 15th, my boss was telling us that the upcoming week we didn't have a lot of work to do so we would probably have to take time off...while she was telling us this I got a call from the Director of Camp Fairwood asking me if I would be able to be a counselor the same week. Um...I really don't think God can make it more clear. David said it was alright, considering he's never home anyway. So I told Pastor Brad that I was able, but I would need transportation. A couple hours later, God provided that also!! So just when I thought I would never get to camp this year, God sent me to Fairwood. I had never been there before but had heard it was incredible! So I took off a couple days before camp started. I had a blast getting to know the place and the people. They were so open to me and by the end of the week, I felt like I had been on staff all summer. There are some truly amazing and fun ladies there! I love them! Camp started monday, the age group was 5-6th graders. IT WAS HOTT. OH my. no airconditioning. But God still worked! 

                               

These are my girls :) Even though this age can be a handful and at times..annoying...I love working with them because this is the age where there eyes really are opened. They have lots of questions and things start making sense. At this age doubt of salvation has usually been in there mind, and this is often when they choose to make God theirs forever, either through rededication of life to God or assurance of salvation. That's at least the age I was when I came to that point. I got the amazing opprotunity to lead two of the girls to Christ. Specifically the one in the middle with the writing on her shirt, and the one on the far right with a red shirt :) It was amazing to watch as they dug into God's word to read truth, and then to come to the saving knowledge of Christ!! I had two girls decide to get baptized! 4 girls committed to spending 20 min for 20 days in their Bibles and through prayer. One girl was just so excited about what God is doing in her life and one night she shared a verse that she calls her "I spy God in a Big way" verse. Her family is going through a hard time financially but she shared in the Bible how God will always take care of you. It did my heart good to see her loving God and being so blown away by him, even at 12. I did have 2 very homesick girls, but both made it to the end of the week and did admit to having fun :) So that was exciting! I love how God always has a plan. For some reason, he decided to send me there. And he sent the girls he did. I spy God in a Big Way at Camp Fairwood!

According to the Dove wrapper...

...I'm suppose to make a list of my dreams.So here goes...

1.Graduate with a four year degree.
2.Save companies money by making people healthier...or just help make people healthier.
3.Decide my "niche" within my passion (see #3)
4.Be a small group leader in our Youth Group.
5.Get my massage license.
6.Have children.
7.Massage out of my home.
8.Live on an acreage in our dream home with a wrap around porch.
9.Take the whole family on a short term missions trip.
10.Help my hubby get to his longterm goal being a fulltime property management/rental business OWNER.

While we're on the subject....goals for the summer...

1.blog more.
2.blog at least once a week about what i'm learning in my devotions.
3.Help my mom with a garage sale...and get rid of alot. :)
4.Watch the entire series of friends.
6.Get to know the girlies in my life better.
7.Spend time with my little brothers doing things we haven't done before.
8.Be a better housekeeper.  (eek!)
9.Try new recipes...which is any recipe.
10. Spend time with the Lord.

Not much...huh? Well...my life is kinda boring right now. the best boring EVER! Ugh...I love it so much...minus my hubby being gone :(. You might not care but I wouldn't mind you asking me how my dreams/goals are progressing...maybe not the having children part...that question gets old. I'll have them when I want to have them! and I don't know when that will be! Have you thought about your dreams lately...it's easy to forget and lose track of them! I know along the way they change...in the meantime pick yourself up a bag of Dove...life can always use some more chocolate :) Thanks for reading and always keep HeART.

Where in the world have the Hartwigs been!?

WHEW! I NEVER thought life could get as crazy as last year when I had my wedding...turns out it can be. School ended the end of April and David graduated :) :)!! Then may started out with Faith's graduation where alyssa & melyssa (and many more friends) graduated! The next day my bro in law was commissioned into the airforce as he had graduated from ISU. Way cool! The next day...haha...I had my first road trip with the eichelberger fam as they dropped me off to spend a whole week with Alyssa as we planned and organized her WEDDING :) that following weekend! Which...my oh my...that will have to be another blog entry. It was the first wedding I had coordinated.ya...another entry for sure. The wedding was amazing despite rain and I'm soo utterly happy for my dear friends & blessed to have helped them! The next week I jumped back into work with a new boss...which was a tad diffcult. Praise the Lord, it has gotten MUCH better! I then helped my mother throw my brother's open house...oh ya! My brother graduated from highschool!The next day I took my cousin Tia shopping to celebrate her graduation which i had missed the weekend of alyssa's wedding :( We had SO much fun!That night Zach graduated!.then the the next day...you guessed it... (story of my life) we took off to burlington to attend yet another cousin Aaron's graduation. Came right back to attend my longtime friend Meredith's shower!! Then...hmm...what else did we do.Seems like there was something big.oh ya...we went to ORLANDO :) For our 1st anniversary!! Ok.rewind.My amazing inlaws gave us-as an anniv gift- points from their vaca timeshare to go anywhere...on the "last minute" list. aka the resorts that need to fill up. We originally thought it wouldn't be a good idea since we were so busy and we had spent SO much obviously.haha...but after that first rough day of work in the summer, i was bound and determined to leave this place with JUST my husband. So we booked it about a week before we left! It was fantastic...another blog entry :) It was just what i needed and i feel so rejuvenated!aww..such a good feeling. we came back and david started Agritech...his summer job.The first weekend in June, I had Leah's Personal Shower.SO fun and SO relaxing for the bride to be! The following week was filled with wedding festivities such as my very first pedicure :D...awesome btw. SO on June 11th Leah my lady became a MRS. I had such a fun weekend spending time with her and the other girls being a bridesmaid! So excited for them. So here I am....blogging and catching up on the bachelorette. bentley is such a jerk btw...and william isn't my fav either. I have some very exciting news too!...I'm NOT pregnant....BUT my husband did just get an opprotunity for his dream job!...once again.another blog entry.So basically that's what i've been up to for a month and a half. I have a bunch of shows to catch up on, a beautiful stack of every season of friends thanks to my bff and nothing to look forward too until August. SO if you're bored call me :)...I'm now available!

Life Unaccommodating

     It's 3:37 am and Davids alarm goes off. He goes back to bed. I remind him that he actually has to get up. (he's turkey hunting). He fly out of bed, gets ready, the room gets a little darker, and the door shuts.I can hear our (not so small) puppy Briggs whining.Her best friend just left her (to go hunting none the less).My stomach drops because I realize this will once again be life this summer.

Bff's. Wish she was still this small :'(

     Our life does not accommodate for time together. We have 4 entities that choose it for us: Lowes, Grandview University, DMACC, and Faith. After that we put our schedules together and pray for time. Don't get me wrong, we find it, but it's never consistent. Oh consistency, how I long for you. I dream of the day it can all fall into place and be a some kind of "normal"...but i feel like thats not going to happen fffooorreeevveerrr. Oh, and what I was talking about before, about summer...well, david is returning to his summer job (that he's had the past four years.) He works for a crop dusting company, driving trucks and mixing chemicals.He's paid by the acre sprayed, which means that a "good" day is him going to work before 6 am and getting home after 11or...for him not to come home for a day or two. uggghh. I hate it. BUT that job kept us alive this year, and because life didn't go exactly as my "perfect (kind of unrealistic) plan" was, we decided for him to do it one more year. I was totally ok with this decision, as i am currently feeling the sweet benefit of it, but lately i've been just burnt out by time (or lack there of). Now as I think about this summer, it just sucks. I can fill my time with friends (or my master plan of watching the whole series of friends and boy meets world), but in my heart i'm screaming "I just want my husband home.with me." Oh, did I happen to add that one of my very close friends will be gone all summer, along with my sissy (in law), and my BROTHER is living with us (as he will be working with david)??? YEAH.yeah. 


     So there it is. I know some would say that I have it good compared to military life, or having a husband that is required to be gone for weeks. BUT I believe that God has placed everyone in their position based on what he believes we can handle (with some room for stretching). I've wondered why I am struggling with it so much...I managed to get through so far! Why now? Could it just be a pity party? Am i just exhausted or burnt out? I know, I know I asked for this life. I got married in college. If I would have waited until late 20's, early 30's to settle down (like the rest of the world-well the secular world, ha) then we wouldn't have some of these issues...but God put me in THIS place. SOO...now what?


     I know there are people out there who have done or am doing the same thing. HOW??? What are tricks you have to strengthen in the time you do have together? OR can you think of some scripture that would shed some light on the subject??I am in desperate need of it.


Thanks for reading, and please pray...that I will always keep heart.

April Showers Bring May Weddings

Bridal showers (and baby showers!!) are bustin up all over the place.I love 'em.It's like never ending christmas, and since my love language is gifts, I still enjoy them fully :).SO i thought i'd give some tips for the bride, and the generous givers!

1. REGISTER.OK, so current brides have probably done that, but for future someday brides and post-shower brides, this is for you! 

• This should be done like 1-1.5 months before the shower at the very least. 
• TIME SAVER: Sign up yourself online beforehand so you don't have to do it before.
• If you have the time, and a patient fiance, register for EVERYTHING.even cleaning supplies and food staples.It might trigger in people's heads to give essentials like that. 
• Also, I registered for everything at every store...ya never know where people will shop!!
• Registering for stuff online= it not being in the store your guests go to=you not getting it.see?
• EDIT.EDIT.EDIT.unless you decide to make it a surprise and never check your registry...(good luck,ha), keep editing and deleting!! I was quite dedicated to mine....i only had to take back 3 items out of ALL my showers and wedding!HOlla!
• FEED YOUR FIANCE BEFORE YOU GO. guaranteeing a better experience.

2. STORES: Target: LOVE IT.best thing. Bed, bath, and beyond. Budget 3ish hours if you go straight through (and do everything), can be intense and a place for tears (so i've heard.) BUT it really is an essential place to register and you can save time through allowing an employee to register for everything in the brand you want! Walmart: in my experience, not worth it. Kohls: fun and pretty easy to register at.

3. When people ask you or your mother what you may want, be honest! If I were you, ask for essentials! Like cleaning supplies or food staples. That stuff adds up sooo much! 

• INSIGHT: after the wedding this is how much we paid for stuff. Cleaning supplies: $200-250ish (with a $100 vac). Hyvee: $250ish Target: $250ish. Bed, Bath, and Beyond: $500 (all our "sets" were there...bathroom, bedroom, plates)

4. Do your Thank you's asap. don't wait. my mistake.

5. At your shower, make sure you give your love story and a thank you, it's just straight up etiquette! 

6. Gift cards: If you have something big you need like a vac or your bedspread, dedicate it to that until you get it! That way you don't blow it.

7.GUESTS: Unless you are buying something you are pretty certain is safe, stick to the registry 100% easier. BUT, you should think outside the box, like using essential-themed gift baskets! 

SO this was my experience anyway.

THOUGHTS!?!?!?!

Bridal DeSTRESSification

MARCH.For all you ladies with late spring/early summer weddings...you are chompin at the bit to get stuff done.You can finally start putting your orders in...which you may not have decided on yet???I only know this because I may or may not have recently, as in today, gave a pep talk to a bride who was going through what I call "Wedding Syllabus Shock". Up til now, you've had ideas, ideas, ideas. Now it's time to get it D.O.N.E.and you're freakin out.Well, if you're like me...this time last year, I was planning a big wedding on a tight budget, going to school full-time, working part-time, and flipping my house/future home on a short deadline with my fiance who had a broken arm. NO? Well, we all have our own stressing stories. First and foremost you need to remember that God will never give you more than you can handle. He has given you you're situation and your future spouse, because he knows that that is the mix that works for you and you can handle.BUT...unfortunately we are humans and girls.So here are some tips that worked for me for Bridal Destressing. (I also happen to be a health promotion major so that's handy) :


*Oh...and I added some pics that was not shown on facebook...you are not alone.


1. PRAY.Tell everyone to pray for you.

2. JUST DO IT. I am a chronic brain-stormer with 0 action. Everytime you have an idea, follow it up by asking yourself when you are going to do it."Later" is not an answer. It can happen later, but literally write down on the pocket calendar in your purse what day you will do it. This will help MAJORLY.


3.Set planned times aside that are just FUN. I always am motivated best by incentives!Make goals!That way you can have things accomplished and feel good while having fun. EX: my roommate and I would have a night in, watch a movie and eat chili's chips, salsa, and ranch :).Don't have time?? Oh yes you do, because if you don't, I promise you WILL snap.So please, save everyone else from that experience.

4.TANNING & WORKING OUT! I know you are all doing one or another, but seriously.it will rock your world. Doctors orders: a 2-3 times a week: 30 min to 90 minutes of tanning and some simple work out (running,jogging, walking, jump rope, my choice: eliptical :))....Unless if you already have a work out plan, DO not exceed more than this, you will have an excuse that "you don't have time".This releases a TON of endorphins, making you happy and giving you energy to kick wedding planning butt!


5.EAT HEALTHY! At least get your fill of fresh fruit and veggies!! They are packed full of nutrients and vitamins that provide energy!


6. SLEEP PROPERLY! Just go to bed, please.No one wants a grouchy bride or fiancee.


7. TALK IT THROUGH!! 1)never stop communicating constantly with the primary person you are planning with (EX: Mom). always stay on the same page. 2) When you feel accomplished, call a friend up and let them know everything you got done!! 3) Have a few different people that you can call, that will bear with you as you go on and on about things you need to get done. Talking about it locks it in your brain, and the other person can help you think stuff through.

8. DATE: If you need one, tell you're fiance. Don't let him play the guessing game (that goes for anything!). Allow him to plan a stress free night!

9. SHOP for honeymoon clothes! It's so much more fun than shopping for the perfect color and width ribbon for the pew bows.AND you are getting something done!

*My Camp Girlfriends helped me pick out this shirt...yes this is in mexico!

10.  Just REMEMBER: In the End...

YOU WILL BE MARRIED!!!!!

OK! What have you done?!? What did you do?!? What have you heard?!?...I think I've covered all readers :)