I've had 2 experiences with pregnancy brain that are worth sharing.
My first experience happened when I was about 12 weeks along. Micah and I were out somewhere, but we had both of our cars. So, after he walked me to my car he said he'd call me (so that we could finish the conversation we were having.)
As I'm sitting in my car, getting ready to back out, I notice him reach into his pocket and pull out his phone. I immediately think, "hmmm, I wonder who he's calling?"
And then my phone rings. :)
The other experience that is note-worthy happened on Micah's birthday, when I was right at 20 weeks.
We were at a friend's house after going out to dinner with them, and I notice a box for a Christmas tree they just bought, sitting in their living room. As I was reading the outside of the box it struck me as odd that it listed, "682 tips" as one of its features.
I turn to my friend and say, "Who needs 682 tips to put up a Christmas tree?!"
And as soon as the words were out of my mouth I realize the error in my thinking! :) But, it gained them a laugh at least, so that's good, right?
I hope you enjoy your day, no matter the current state of your brain.
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Friday, December 25, 2009
Merry Christmas!
Hope you're all taking a moment (or the whole day!) to remember the sacrifice God made on our behalf by sending His son, Jesus to earth as a baby, to be a living example for us.
We serve a loving and merciful God. :)
We serve a loving and merciful God. :)
Monday, December 21, 2009
Link Love
Remember my last link love post? Where I had spent quite a while reading a whole year's worth of posts on this blog?
Well, I've done it again. Only this time, it was another friend's blog I'd been neglecting so badly.
Some of the highlights:
- Her daughter dancing around the living room.
- Her daughter singing her ABC's and Jesus Loves Me.
- Her PARKING LOT delivery! If this is the only one you read, it's definitely worth it!!
- A story about a pelican.
- A horrible poop story for all you moms out there.
It was definitely a delight to be able to catch up on so many of her posts! Hopefully I'll keep on top of them now!
Well, I've done it again. Only this time, it was another friend's blog I'd been neglecting so badly.
Some of the highlights:
- Her daughter dancing around the living room.
- Her daughter singing her ABC's and Jesus Loves Me.
- Her PARKING LOT delivery! If this is the only one you read, it's definitely worth it!!
- A story about a pelican.
- A horrible poop story for all you moms out there.
It was definitely a delight to be able to catch up on so many of her posts! Hopefully I'll keep on top of them now!
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Week 12
The fun week!!
We told my parents first, on Friday, August 21st. I told my mom by showing her the e-mail I was planning to send my co-workers the following Monday. She had started trying to read it out loud to my dad and brother, but couldn't make it through without crying. Hehe...so she knew what was going on, and I'm pretty sure dad and Justin were confused! But, Micah helped them out by finishing reading.
They were all super excited, to say the least! My brother's wife Ashley was expecting a little boy due in September, so it was fun to think about the cousins being so close in age.
As soon as dad figured it out, he called his mom (who lives just a few minutes away) and told her to get over there RIGHT NOW! He told her he had some news for her, but that she needed to hear it in person (he made it sound so serious!) She put up a fight, but finally came over (in her night gown!) to hear our news. :) Though, dad did try to convince her that he was moving out of state, before he'd let us spill the beans.
Next up: calling Micah's parents and siblings. We even got to go over to Joe and Jessie's house and tell them in person. We also called all of our closest friends that night (or tried to - Joy wouldn't answer her phone!) but swore them all to secrecy, especially where Facebook was concerned. We were so nervous that our church body and co-workers would find out before we got to share our news!
Saturday we continued to call the people we weren't able to get a hold of Friday night.
Then, Sunday morning at the end of service, Micah made an announcement about our children's ministry program, and "oh by the way, my lovely wife is pregnant!"
Monday was fun too. I sent the same e-mail I let my mom read to my co-workers, which announced that not only was I expecting, but that I'd also be leaving at the end of August. Micah sent his e-mail, which made most people laugh - but some send us sympathy replies, offering prayer and meals and so forth! :)
I must say - it was well worth the wait! It was super fun for Micah and I to have a secret that no one else knew for a short time. And, it was also super fun to tell all of our friends!
I'm sure other things happened this week, like my first experience with pregnancy brain, but those were by far the most fun! I'll post about the pregnancy brain soon!
We told my parents first, on Friday, August 21st. I told my mom by showing her the e-mail I was planning to send my co-workers the following Monday. She had started trying to read it out loud to my dad and brother, but couldn't make it through without crying. Hehe...so she knew what was going on, and I'm pretty sure dad and Justin were confused! But, Micah helped them out by finishing reading.
They were all super excited, to say the least! My brother's wife Ashley was expecting a little boy due in September, so it was fun to think about the cousins being so close in age.
As soon as dad figured it out, he called his mom (who lives just a few minutes away) and told her to get over there RIGHT NOW! He told her he had some news for her, but that she needed to hear it in person (he made it sound so serious!) She put up a fight, but finally came over (in her night gown!) to hear our news. :) Though, dad did try to convince her that he was moving out of state, before he'd let us spill the beans.
Next up: calling Micah's parents and siblings. We even got to go over to Joe and Jessie's house and tell them in person. We also called all of our closest friends that night (or tried to - Joy wouldn't answer her phone!) but swore them all to secrecy, especially where Facebook was concerned. We were so nervous that our church body and co-workers would find out before we got to share our news!
Saturday we continued to call the people we weren't able to get a hold of Friday night.
Then, Sunday morning at the end of service, Micah made an announcement about our children's ministry program, and "oh by the way, my lovely wife is pregnant!"
Monday was fun too. I sent the same e-mail I let my mom read to my co-workers, which announced that not only was I expecting, but that I'd also be leaving at the end of August. Micah sent his e-mail, which made most people laugh - but some send us sympathy replies, offering prayer and meals and so forth! :)
I must say - it was well worth the wait! It was super fun for Micah and I to have a secret that no one else knew for a short time. And, it was also super fun to tell all of our friends!
I'm sure other things happened this week, like my first experience with pregnancy brain, but those were by far the most fun! I'll post about the pregnancy brain soon!
Saturday, December 12, 2009
Psalm 70:4
It always delights my heart when I'm reading God's word and come across a portion of scripture that I learned a song for at camp. I love that the Word is truly hidden in my heart to be drawn upon whenever God triggers my brain to remember it.
Then, once the song/verse has been brought to my mind again, I'm able to meditate on it through out the day and continually ponder - am I rejoicing in the Lord? Am I giving glory to the God of my salvation for all of life'scoincidences blessings?
Let all who seek You rejoice and be glad in You;
And let those who love Your salvation say continually,
"Let God be magnified."
Then, once the song/verse has been brought to my mind again, I'm able to meditate on it through out the day and continually ponder - am I rejoicing in the Lord? Am I giving glory to the God of my salvation for all of life's
Tuesday, December 08, 2009
Week 11
This is the week we went to my husband's family reunion! It was so much fun to see a lot of his siblings and various other family members I've never gotten to meet before. My mother-in-law planned all the meals for the reunion, which was nice. We got to play games, sing songs, and I got to spend some time in the kitchen with my sister-in-law Michelle.
Once again - SO HARD not to share our news!! But, soon. Very very soon!
The company my husband works for (and that I still worked for for another week or so) had a couple company wide soft ball games on Wednesday the 19th and Thursday the 20th that I went out to enjoy. Though, I ended up leaving because I wasn't feeling well.
I think this was the week that I figured out I could fight queasiness by just eating lots! :) I hadn't eaten regularly enough that day, which I'm sure is why I wasn't feeling the best.
Once again - SO HARD not to share our news!! But, soon. Very very soon!
The company my husband works for (and that I still worked for for another week or so) had a couple company wide soft ball games on Wednesday the 19th and Thursday the 20th that I went out to enjoy. Though, I ended up leaving because I wasn't feeling well.
I think this was the week that I figured out I could fight queasiness by just eating lots! :) I hadn't eaten regularly enough that day, which I'm sure is why I wasn't feeling the best.
Friday, December 04, 2009
Making Laundry Soap
Thanks to my friend Shawna, I made my first 5 gallon bucket of laundry soap a while back.
She was kind enough to provide me with all of the ingredients I needed to make the soap, and this link for directions. All I had to do was spend about $6.50 on a 5 gallon bucket with a lid. Not too bad for 5 gallons of laundry soap.
And, the next 5 gallon bucket won't be that expensive either, because the only things I'll have to buy that go round are a bar of soap and some washing soda. I won't even have to buy borax, cause she gave me plenty for my next batch too!
This is quite the money saver, which is very helpful right now because I seem to be going over my grocery budget pretty regularly, though I'm trying to be better at that.
If you're not already making your soap - consider giving this a try. I think it'd cost you about $15 to get started (including all ingredients and the bucket) but the ingredients should last you for 4 or 5 batches (5 gallons each). And, if you already have some of the stuff laying around - even better!
She was kind enough to provide me with all of the ingredients I needed to make the soap, and this link for directions. All I had to do was spend about $6.50 on a 5 gallon bucket with a lid. Not too bad for 5 gallons of laundry soap.
And, the next 5 gallon bucket won't be that expensive either, because the only things I'll have to buy that go round are a bar of soap and some washing soda. I won't even have to buy borax, cause she gave me plenty for my next batch too!
This is quite the money saver, which is very helpful right now because I seem to be going over my grocery budget pretty regularly, though I'm trying to be better at that.
If you're not already making your soap - consider giving this a try. I think it'd cost you about $15 to get started (including all ingredients and the bucket) but the ingredients should last you for 4 or 5 batches (5 gallons each). And, if you already have some of the stuff laying around - even better!
Monday, November 30, 2009
Week 10
My week 10 started on Friday August 7th, and on Saturday August 8th I got to go to a shower for my sister-in-law Jessie. (Have I mentioned before that I had 3 sister-in-laws due in September?! It's definitely a fun place to be!) It was fun to day dream about having a baby of my own to hold sometime in the not too distant future, and him or her having lots of cousins around to play with!
On Tuesday August 11th, I had my first appointment with a midwife that can practice in both hospitals.
From what I could tell, I'd gained about 5lbs since when I first found out I was pregnant. (Is this a sign of things to come?!) We also got to hear the heart beat, but it just sounded a lot like a ceiling fan to me!!
The on the 12th, I gave my 2 week notice to my employer. It was kind of weird to do this, when none of my co-workers knew yet that I was pregnant, let alone our parents or any of our friends! I made my manager promise not to share either piece of news for another couple of weeks.
My manager's response was like you'd expect. She was sad I was leaving, wanted to make sure I wasn't just leaving for another job - that sort of thing. But, one thing I didn't expect, was her very first question after I told her my due date of March 5th: "Is 2010 a leap year?!"
"Ummm...what?" Hehe...it took me a minute to figure out what she was getting at, but she was wondering about the possibility of our baby being born on leap day.
Leap year is not in 2010, so that's not an issue this go round. But, what do you think? Would you like having a baby on leap day? Or, not? I think it might be kind of fun and unique for the child, and it's not like they'd not get to celebrate it on the 28th or something - but who knows! Maybe that's something awful to wish on a kid! Any thoughts?
Anyway!! We didn't plan on me quitting that soon. I had intended to work at least a few more weeks than I did. But, I was sooo emotional at work! I didn't think I could handle it anymore. That, and it was kind of like "senioritis". I knew I was quitting soon - so why not get it over with?
It was definitely exciting to think that in just over 2 weeks, I'd be a stay at home wifey.
On Tuesday August 11th, I had my first appointment with a midwife that can practice in both hospitals.
From what I could tell, I'd gained about 5lbs since when I first found out I was pregnant. (Is this a sign of things to come?!) We also got to hear the heart beat, but it just sounded a lot like a ceiling fan to me!!
The on the 12th, I gave my 2 week notice to my employer. It was kind of weird to do this, when none of my co-workers knew yet that I was pregnant, let alone our parents or any of our friends! I made my manager promise not to share either piece of news for another couple of weeks.
My manager's response was like you'd expect. She was sad I was leaving, wanted to make sure I wasn't just leaving for another job - that sort of thing. But, one thing I didn't expect, was her very first question after I told her my due date of March 5th: "Is 2010 a leap year?!"
"Ummm...what?" Hehe...it took me a minute to figure out what she was getting at, but she was wondering about the possibility of our baby being born on leap day.
Leap year is not in 2010, so that's not an issue this go round. But, what do you think? Would you like having a baby on leap day? Or, not? I think it might be kind of fun and unique for the child, and it's not like they'd not get to celebrate it on the 28th or something - but who knows! Maybe that's something awful to wish on a kid! Any thoughts?
Anyway!! We didn't plan on me quitting that soon. I had intended to work at least a few more weeks than I did. But, I was sooo emotional at work! I didn't think I could handle it anymore. That, and it was kind of like "senioritis". I knew I was quitting soon - so why not get it over with?
It was definitely exciting to think that in just over 2 weeks, I'd be a stay at home wifey.
Cyber Monday
Remember my post on Alice.com a couple of weeks back?
Well, today only, you can buy gift cards on their site for 15% off. But, if you announce it on your facebook page first, you can buy them for 30% off.
So, if you buy a $25 gift card, it'll only cost you $17.50. A $50 gift card will only cost you $35! :) It's kind of a fun way to save on toilet paper and shampoo just for "pre-paying".
Well, today only, you can buy gift cards on their site for 15% off. But, if you announce it on your facebook page first, you can buy them for 30% off.
So, if you buy a $25 gift card, it'll only cost you $17.50. A $50 gift card will only cost you $35! :) It's kind of a fun way to save on toilet paper and shampoo just for "pre-paying".
Thursday, November 26, 2009
Happy Thanksgiving
I hope all of you are enjoying your Thanksgiving with family and friends, and remembering to thank the God who gave you that family and those friends - not to mention providing for all of them!
I find myself very thankful this year.
- My husband does a great job of showing Christ's love to me in our marriage.
- My God is, even now, growing a little one inside of me for Micah and I to love on.
- We have a huge family in which to enjoy lots of blessings from this life.
- We are members of a body of believers that truly seek to live for the Lord.
- We have all that we want, and even more than we need in terms of money and possessions.
God is good. I hope you enjoy this day, set aside to remember all the wonderful things He has done.
I find myself very thankful this year.
- My husband does a great job of showing Christ's love to me in our marriage.
- My God is, even now, growing a little one inside of me for Micah and I to love on.
- We have a huge family in which to enjoy lots of blessings from this life.
- We are members of a body of believers that truly seek to live for the Lord.
- We have all that we want, and even more than we need in terms of money and possessions.
God is good. I hope you enjoy this day, set aside to remember all the wonderful things He has done.
Friday, November 20, 2009
Week 9
Week 9 was from July 31st until August 6th. On August 1st my mom and I threw a family and friends baby shower for my brother Justin and his wife Ashley.
I had SO much fun planning this shower! It was a couples shower/BBQ with very few of the traditional baby shower games.
My favorite part was coming up with a baby related menu. We had baby back ribs, "newborn" potatoes, Bahama Mommas, Slippery Nipples, and Baby Ruth brownies, to name a few!
This pictures is one of my favorite - who knew that blue hangers could be so exciting?! Especially for a dad who just minutes before complained that baby showers were for girls!
Monday, November 16, 2009
Alice.com
I just recently made my first purchase on Alice.com. It's a shopping site where you're able to look for and buy household items you use every day, and they'll ship them to you for free. I made the order on a Wednesday evening and received it on Monday. I bet it'd be even faster than that, if I hadn't ordered mid-week.I should mention that there is an order restriction: your first order you've only got to buy one item but in subsequent orders, 6 items is required. Though, I think once you start playing around with it, you'll have no problem finding 6 items to choose!
One of my favorite parts (keeping in mind that I've only made one order so far!) are the coupons they have to correspond with the products. If you choose to purchase a product, they go ahead and apply any coupons that are available, so you don't have to clip and worry about your coupons expiring.
What I got in my first order:
| Qty | Item | Price | Coupon | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Baby Diapers Luvs | $6.78 | $1.00 | $5.78 |
| 1 | Baby Diapers Luvs | $6.78 | $1.00 | $5.78 |
| 1 | Dish Liquid Joy Dishwashing Liquid/Antibacterial Hand Soap | $1.15 | $0.30 | $0.85 |
| 1 | Disposable Razors Bic Shavers | $2.96 | $2.00 | $0.96 |
| 1 | Facial Tissue Kleenex Tissue | $0.98 | $0.15 | $0.83 |
| 1 | Facial Tissue Puffs Facial Tissue | $1.05 | $0.10 | $0.95 |
| 1 | Shaving Cream Old Spice Moisturizing Shave Cream | $1.61 | $0.50 | $1.11 |
| 1 | Toilet Paper Angel Soft Bathroom Tissue | $4.07 | $0.50 | $3.57 |
This is just a slightly differ
ent break down of the cost:- Subtotal $25.38
- Coupons - $5.55
- Other Discounts $0.00
- Tax $1.58
- Shipping Always Free
- Total $21.41
Oh, and an account is completely free. So, feel free to sign up here and look around, even if you're not sure you'd like to buy.
Let me know what you think!
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Week 8
This is the first week I took a belly shot - though there isn't a belly, nor will there be for several more weeks! (The belly you see is the one I gained after being off of the South Beach diet for a few weeks, or never lost in the first place!) But, it's still fun to have pictures to go along with this journal. And, hopefully, with the scrapbook/journal/baby book I'm hoping to make!On Saturday we took 4 of our nephews to the 4-H fair in Micah's home town while their parents went to a get together with friends.
It was a lot of fun! We took them to pet several animals and to look at projects their aunts and uncles made. They got their hands painted, had balloon animals made for them, and got to eat pizza rolls for dinner!
Then the fun
really began: carnival rides!! There were so many choices to be made for those 5 and 6 year olds, because Uncle Micah and Aunt Magen limited the fun to 2 rides each (the tickets were like $3 or $4 a piece!)Then to top it off, cotton candy was had by all! :)
It was a fun day! And, it definitely got me thinking about all the fun things Micah and I will some day do with our youngins. We'll definitely have to plan on family outings to take them on.
And, including the cousins will definitely be a must!
Saturday, November 07, 2009
Cheap contact solution
Do any of my readers wear contacts? Money Saving Mom keeps mentioning Renu Contact Solution coupons. The travel size bottles are $1.54 at Target, and with the $1.00 coupons I've been getting all the time, I thought 54 cents was a pretty good deal. I don't need the stuff, but I've picked up one or two.
So, any takers? If you live in my town, I'd be happy to drop them by anytime!
So, any takers? If you live in my town, I'd be happy to drop them by anytime!
Tuesday, November 03, 2009
Week 7
A very uneventful week. This week started on the Friday that we were still in Vegas. Mom and I flew home that Saturday, and our husbands drove and got home on Sunday.
Micah and I both had Monday the 20th of July off work which was nice to get to relax and get some laundry taken care of.
I think the only thing I had scheduled that week was a Women's Ministry Leadership meeting. It was still really hard not to spill my secret. Especially while telling my fainting story!
Micah and I both had Monday the 20th of July off work which was nice to get to relax and get some laundry taken care of.
I think the only thing I had scheduled that week was a Women's Ministry Leadership meeting. It was still really hard not to spill my secret. Especially while telling my fainting story!
Friday, October 30, 2009
Link Love
I've been trying to catch up on this blog lately. It's written by a dear friend of mine with 6 kids, and is always good for a laugh - and some scriptural encouragement.
Some of my favorite posts from this year (Yes, I was THAT far behind):
- A list of 12 things that keep a stay-at-home mom out of the house (AND the kids happy).
- A list of "How things change" going from one kid to six. Probably this was most funny to me now, on the eve of my first child, trying to be realistic about all my new parenting goals.
- A list of things she appreciates about her husband.
- A list of questions continually rolling around in her head regarding parenting.
- A list (surprised?) of how she knows school has started.
- The difference between boys and girls in kindergarten.
Can anyone tell I REALLY like lists?! If you get a chance, definitely stop by and read a few posts. I think you'll be glad you did!
You can even tell her Magen sent you, though, I'm pretty sure nothing will be gained from it. :)
Some of my favorite posts from this year (Yes, I was THAT far behind):
- A list of 12 things that keep a stay-at-home mom out of the house (AND the kids happy).
- A list of "How things change" going from one kid to six. Probably this was most funny to me now, on the eve of my first child, trying to be realistic about all my new parenting goals.
- A list of things she appreciates about her husband.
- A list of questions continually rolling around in her head regarding parenting.
- A list (surprised?) of how she knows school has started.
- The difference between boys and girls in kindergarten.
Can anyone tell I REALLY like lists?! If you get a chance, definitely stop by and read a few posts. I think you'll be glad you did!
You can even tell her Magen sent you, though, I'm pretty sure nothing will be gained from it. :)
Monday, October 26, 2009
This week's menu
This makes 3 weeks in a row! Go me!
Monday:
Micah's Lunch - Chicken Pot Pie leftovers
Dinner - Grandma cooks
Tuesday:
Micah's Lunch - White Chili leftovers (Thanks again, Carrie!)
Dinner - Chicken and Rice Soup
Wednesday:
Micah's Lunch - Salad
Dinner - Tacos
Thursday:
Micah's Lunch - Chicken and Rice Soup leftovers
Dinner - Breakfast (We STILL haven't done this yet!)
Friday:
Micah's Lunch - leftovers of some sort, probably White Chili (Hehe...the only reason I even bother listing these out is so that I'm sure I'll cook something that will be good for him to take for lunch!)
Dinner - Chili Frito Pies again (yummy!)
Saturday:
Lunch - Anything that's left! :)
Dinner - Rudy's Birthday party at Mom's house
Monday:
Micah's Lunch - Chicken Pot Pie leftovers
Dinner - Grandma cooks
Tuesday:
Micah's Lunch - White Chili leftovers (Thanks again, Carrie!)
Dinner - Chicken and Rice Soup
Wednesday:
Micah's Lunch - Salad
Dinner - Tacos
Thursday:
Micah's Lunch - Chicken and Rice Soup leftovers
Dinner - Breakfast (We STILL haven't done this yet!)
Friday:
Micah's Lunch - leftovers of some sort, probably White Chili (Hehe...the only reason I even bother listing these out is so that I'm sure I'll cook something that will be good for him to take for lunch!)
Dinner - Chili Frito Pies again (yummy!)
Saturday:
Lunch - Anything that's left! :)
Dinner - Rudy's Birthday party at Mom's house
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Week 6
Week six started on Friday July 10th through Thursday July 16th. This was the week that we went to Vegas, and was definitely the hardest as far as symptoms were concerned!
Mom and I flew out on Sunday the 12th. I normally get pretty car sick but I knew I wasn't able to take anything for it. The plane ride was so miserable. Did you know that it's common for pregnant women to experience sinus issues while flying? My nose was soooo runny! I only had a few tissues, and couldn't figure out why I was having such a problem. It wasn't til after, when I was able to look up my symptoms, that I realized that was pretty common.
I wish the flight had been the end of my motion sickness, but unfortunately getting around the streets of Las Vegas isn't exactly smooth traveling. My dad does really good driving in big cities, but I wish he'd use his brakes a BIT less. :)
I believe it was Wednesday night when the real scare came for my honey. That evening, we took to the strip with several people who'd never seen it before. We started at one end and walked clear to the other side. At about 10pm or so, we were standing outside of the Treasure Island, waiting for their free show to start. It was so hot (I think Micah bought me at least 2 bottles of waters from the street venders along the way) and I was so tired from the long walk. Then, we got crammed in around a bunch of people who were also hot! Oh, and did I mention that we hadn't had dinner yet?
My poor mom felt the affects of this awful combination first. She was getting very dizzy, and almost fainted. Dad went to take her inside the casino to sit down and get something to eat. I tried to follow after him, since I wasn't feeling well either, but he asked me to stay with everyone else until the end of the show so I could tell the rest of our group where they'd gone.
That worked until about half way through the show. I'm not sure if it was the smoke from the show, or just all the standing, but I started feeling very dizzy. The next thing I knew, I was sitting on the ground and Micah and another guy that had come with us were helping me up. I think I chose to sit down, but I'm really not sure.
My poor honey! He was the only person at this point that knew I was pregnant. And, I'm sure there were so many worries going through his head.
By this point, EVERYONE was ready to go inside for food, so we skipped out on the rest of the show, and went to go eat. We found my mom, who told me to drink some orange juice that she had. I was feeling so hot, but then started shivering! (Mom said that was a stage she went through too, and told me to just keep sipping the O.J. She's a smart lady.)
We got food, took a cab back to the hotel (dad went and fetched the car), and fell into bed exhausted.
The rest of the week Micah was continually making sure mom and I had enough to eat!! He's quite the trooper.
I was so ready to be home. I would say that this has been the worst week of my pregnancy so far! :) So much for a vacation, right?
Mom and I flew out on Sunday the 12th. I normally get pretty car sick but I knew I wasn't able to take anything for it. The plane ride was so miserable. Did you know that it's common for pregnant women to experience sinus issues while flying? My nose was soooo runny! I only had a few tissues, and couldn't figure out why I was having such a problem. It wasn't til after, when I was able to look up my symptoms, that I realized that was pretty common.
I wish the flight had been the end of my motion sickness, but unfortunately getting around the streets of Las Vegas isn't exactly smooth traveling. My dad does really good driving in big cities, but I wish he'd use his brakes a BIT less. :)
I believe it was Wednesday night when the real scare came for my honey. That evening, we took to the strip with several people who'd never seen it before. We started at one end and walked clear to the other side. At about 10pm or so, we were standing outside of the Treasure Island, waiting for their free show to start. It was so hot (I think Micah bought me at least 2 bottles of waters from the street venders along the way) and I was so tired from the long walk. Then, we got crammed in around a bunch of people who were also hot! Oh, and did I mention that we hadn't had dinner yet?
My poor mom felt the affects of this awful combination first. She was getting very dizzy, and almost fainted. Dad went to take her inside the casino to sit down and get something to eat. I tried to follow after him, since I wasn't feeling well either, but he asked me to stay with everyone else until the end of the show so I could tell the rest of our group where they'd gone.
That worked until about half way through the show. I'm not sure if it was the smoke from the show, or just all the standing, but I started feeling very dizzy. The next thing I knew, I was sitting on the ground and Micah and another guy that had come with us were helping me up. I think I chose to sit down, but I'm really not sure.
My poor honey! He was the only person at this point that knew I was pregnant. And, I'm sure there were so many worries going through his head.
By this point, EVERYONE was ready to go inside for food, so we skipped out on the rest of the show, and went to go eat. We found my mom, who told me to drink some orange juice that she had. I was feeling so hot, but then started shivering! (Mom said that was a stage she went through too, and told me to just keep sipping the O.J. She's a smart lady.)
We got food, took a cab back to the hotel (dad went and fetched the car), and fell into bed exhausted.
The rest of the week Micah was continually making sure mom and I had enough to eat!! He's quite the trooper.
I was so ready to be home. I would say that this has been the worst week of my pregnancy so far! :) So much for a vacation, right?
Monday, October 19, 2009
Meal Plan
Monday:
Micah's Lunch - Leftover Pad Thai (Thanks Carrie!)
Dinner - Grandma Cooks
Tuesday:
Micah's Lunch -Salad with grilled chicken
Dinner - Skillet Chicken and Dumplings
Wednesday:
Micah's Lunch - Skillet Chicken and Dumplings
Dinner - Spaghetti
Thursday:
Micah's Lunch - Leftovers
Dinner - Chili Frito Pies
Friday:
Micah's Lunch - Leftovers
Dinner - Breakfast
Saturday:
KC all day with mom and dad!
Nothing new on this menu - I knew I planned way too much food last week. But, that means no trip to the grocery store this week. Which, is a really good thing, since I spent twice as much this last pay period than our normal budget! Time to get back on track!
Micah's Lunch - Leftover Pad Thai (Thanks Carrie!)
Dinner - Grandma Cooks
Tuesday:
Micah's Lunch -Salad with grilled chicken
Dinner - Skillet Chicken and Dumplings
Wednesday:
Micah's Lunch - Skillet Chicken and Dumplings
Dinner - Spaghetti
Thursday:
Micah's Lunch - Leftovers
Dinner - Chili Frito Pies
Friday:
Micah's Lunch - Leftovers
Dinner - Breakfast
Saturday:
KC all day with mom and dad!
Nothing new on this menu - I knew I planned way too much food last week. But, that means no trip to the grocery store this week. Which, is a really good thing, since I spent twice as much this last pay period than our normal budget! Time to get back on track!
Friday, October 16, 2009
My hubby is an old man...
But, I don't mind!
How could I, when he's just so cute?
This is him a few weeks ago at our Children's Ministry program (That he created!), Manna March. He is the commander, and he gets so into serving these kids. He loves them so much, it's really encouraging to me.
For instance, do you know how weird it feels to him to be without a beard? And, he shaved it off (half way at first!) just to celebrate crazy hair night with them. He's a good man.
On his birthday, I find myself thinking back on all the things we've done together, and all the reasons I have to love him, and I find myself in awe that God would provide such a wonderful man for me. (Though, I guess that's not a very good testament to my faith - I was praying for that for years before. But, I like to think of my awe as thankfulness, not doubt!)
Did you know that he considers my dad one of his best buds? In fact, he truly LIKES spending time with my family. I know to most of you reading this, you're probably thinking "duh!" but it's not as common as you might think. There were more days than I could count that I left work feeling so sad for the people who were so bitter towards their in-laws, or who complained that their spouse didn't like their family. It's a very sad life, I'm sure.
Did you know that he truly wants me to do whatever my little heart desires during this time between work and a baby? Honestly! One morning, about a week ago, he suggested I pack up and go to Panera for the morning, knowing full well that the dishes, laundry and house in general needed some attention. And, it's not unheard of for him to come home and do those things, even when I've been out gallivanting around the town! He's pretty selfless in his love for me.
I could make this post forever long, but I realize that you all probably aren't as fascinated by this man that the Lord has given me, nearly as much as I am!
So, let's just suffice it to say - God is good, and I'm wishing That Wonderful Man of mine a fabulous day today (and the weekend too - why not?!)
Love you, dearest.
How could I, when he's just so cute?
This is him a few weeks ago at our Children's Ministry program (That he created!), Manna March. He is the commander, and he gets so into serving these kids. He loves them so much, it's really encouraging to me.
For instance, do you know how weird it feels to him to be without a beard? And, he shaved it off (half way at first!) just to celebrate crazy hair night with them. He's a good man.
On his birthday, I find myself thinking back on all the things we've done together, and all the reasons I have to love him, and I find myself in awe that God would provide such a wonderful man for me. (Though, I guess that's not a very good testament to my faith - I was praying for that for years before. But, I like to think of my awe as thankfulness, not doubt!)
Did you know that he considers my dad one of his best buds? In fact, he truly LIKES spending time with my family. I know to most of you reading this, you're probably thinking "duh!" but it's not as common as you might think. There were more days than I could count that I left work feeling so sad for the people who were so bitter towards their in-laws, or who complained that their spouse didn't like their family. It's a very sad life, I'm sure.
Did you know that he truly wants me to do whatever my little heart desires during this time between work and a baby? Honestly! One morning, about a week ago, he suggested I pack up and go to Panera for the morning, knowing full well that the dishes, laundry and house in general needed some attention. And, it's not unheard of for him to come home and do those things, even when I've been out gallivanting around the town! He's pretty selfless in his love for me.
I could make this post forever long, but I realize that you all probably aren't as fascinated by this man that the Lord has given me, nearly as much as I am!
So, let's just suffice it to say - God is good, and I'm wishing That Wonderful Man of mine a fabulous day today (and the weekend too - why not?!)
Love you, dearest.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Meal Plan and Cooking Day
I was so inspired by Money Saving Mom's Baking Day Posts last week, that I decided it's time for me to get back into meal planning, and hopefully stock up my freezer for days that I'm not feeling up to cooking.
So today in between my hanging out time with one of my sister-in-laws, that's just what I did! This morning I cooked some chick peas that I'd soaked last night, and made these cookies. Then just a little bit ago I started some pinto beans soaking, put some brown rice in the oven to bake, and cooked up some chicken for meals this week.
I even have a menu plan:
We probably won't end up eating all of these things, we're kind of bad about eating out, and I'm never a good judge of how far leftovers will stretch. But, I still have makings for "Breakfast for Dinner" and also tacos. It's kind of an odd week as far as meals go because all said it only required 3 things from the grocery store! I'm trying to use our pantry (instead of organizing it - cause I'm lazy) so that I can re-stock it with ingredients, not crud.
I had a few pictures of the chick peas and cookies and such, but they were boring, and I haven't figured out how to upload from my new camera yet, so maybe next time!
So today in between my hanging out time with one of my sister-in-laws, that's just what I did! This morning I cooked some chick peas that I'd soaked last night, and made these cookies. Then just a little bit ago I started some pinto beans soaking, put some brown rice in the oven to bake, and cooked up some chicken for meals this week.
I even have a menu plan:
Monday:
Micah's Lunch - Leftover potato soup
Dinner - Grandma cooks
Tuesday:
Micah's Lunch - Leftover crab linguine
Dinner - Skillet chicken & dumplings
Wednesday:
Micah's Lunch - Leftover Skillet chicken & dumplings
Dinner - Micah's hamburger and chick pea concoction
Thursday:
Micah's Lunch - Leftover Micah's hamburger and chick pea concoction
Dinner - Friend's house?
Friday:
Micah's Lunch - Leftovers
Dinner - Chicken Alfredo
Saturday:
Lunch - Leftover Spaghetti stuff
Dinner - Chili Frito Pies
We probably won't end up eating all of these things, we're kind of bad about eating out, and I'm never a good judge of how far leftovers will stretch. But, I still have makings for "Breakfast for Dinner" and also tacos. It's kind of an odd week as far as meals go because all said it only required 3 things from the grocery store! I'm trying to use our pantry (instead of organizing it - cause I'm lazy) so that I can re-stock it with ingredients, not crud.
I had a few pictures of the chick peas and cookies and such, but they were boring, and I haven't figured out how to upload from my new camera yet, so maybe next time!
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Week 5
There wasn't a lot to report on this week. Very few symptoms.
It was VBS this week for our church, and so I saw a lot of my church family every day this week. It was SO SO SO hard not to spill our secret!!
It was VBS this week for our church, and so I saw a lot of my church family every day this week. It was SO SO SO hard not to spill our secret!!
Monday, October 05, 2009
Proverbs 12:11
He who tills his land will have plenty of bread, but he who pursues worthless things lacks sense.
-Proverbs 12:11
I have 18 things on my to-do list today. All of these things have worth:
- Having a quiet time
- Cleaning my kitchen floor
- Planning meals
Everything in its place, right? I'm focusing first on the Lord, then on being a good steward of the things He has given to Micah and I by keeping up on house work, and being frugal in what we spend, even at the grocery store. They're all good things.
But, I was struck today with the fact that, if I don't seek the Lord, and His will for my day - then I won't know which things HE considers to be "of worth."
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Week 4
I found out I was pregnant somewhere in the middle of week 4. (I believe it was Monday June 29th).
Day 4 - I had had an inkling all day that I might be pregnant, despite the fact that I had had one minor time of spotting the previous Friday. So I went home after work and took a pregnancy test. It was one that if you weren't pregnant, the window would stay blank, but if you were, there would be a blue line. Well, I had a VERY VERY VERY light, VERY VERY VERY thin (was it even blue?!) line. So, as you might imagine, I was excited, but not entirely convinced!
So, before my honey got home, I ran to CVS, and picked up a digital pregnancy test (one that would say PREGNANT or NOT PREGNANT) so there'd be no question. Micah called while I was waiting the customary 2 minutes to look at my results. So then, my heart started racing! I had a plan for how I wanted to tell him - and tonight was not the night!
So, I rushed him off the phone, knowing I had about 10 minutes to hide the evidence. I quickly discovered I was pregnant, sent up a short prayer of thanksgiving, snapped a picture, and stashed everything in my night stand!
Day 5 - Do you know how hard it is to keep a secret from your best friend?! Especially one this big?! I went to work, practically DYING in anticipation of the end of the day!
Once 3 o'clock rolled around, I headed off to Walgreens to have my picture developed (on a disposable camera; how convenient.) The kind lady at the desk informed me that they probably wouldn't be able to have it done in an hour, but if I wanted to check back at 5, they'd probably have it completed. I sure hope she didn't misread my disappointment as annoyance. I thanked her, and went home, settling in for another evening of NOT SHARING THE NEWS I WAS BURSTING WITH!!
Later that evening, I was able to go back (I believe Micah was babysitting some of our nephews that night) and pick up my pictures from Walgreens. To my major disappointment this time, the picture didn't really come out. You could tell it was a pregnancy test, but the result was not obvious.
So, I headed home once again, armed with a second disposable camera, and attempted to take yet another picture. But, when I pulled out the stashed pregnancy test - it was blank. Apparently digital tests only hold their result for 24 hours. This is when I decided to give up and make use of the picture I already had. I probably could have tried to take another test, but there was no guarantee that the next picture would turn out any better.
Day 6 - FINALLY!! The day is here to tell my honey! I run off to work, super excited to get my picture and note to the dad-to-be into an inter office envelope by the earliest mail run of 6:30am. If all goes as planned, he'll have it sitting in his chair when he gets to work at 8:30am.
But, all does NOT go as planned (has anyone caught on to a theme in this story?!). The day goes sloooooowly on, and still no word from my honey. Surely he'd call after receiving such a package. Surely he wouldn't leave me hanging ALL DAY. He can't ge THAT busy.
As I'm walking out the door at the end of my day, I can't stand it anymore. I call him, and must have seemed really frustrated. "What do you MEAN you haven't gotten any mail today?!" "I sent you something at 6:30am this morning, are you SURE you didn't miss it?"
So much for the surprise factor! :)
So, my sweet, completely caught off guard hubby, (I'm sure he was wondering why I earth I was so frustrated!) chased down the mail room attendant, and begged him to look for anything that might be addressed to him. He found it, and called me back super excited like 3 minutes later. FINALLY!!
So, on July 1st, 2 whole days after I discovered the news, my hubby is finally let in on my little secret, and I add week 4 to one of the longest weeks of my pregnancy, thus far!
Day 4 - I had had an inkling all day that I might be pregnant, despite the fact that I had had one minor time of spotting the previous Friday. So I went home after work and took a pregnancy test. It was one that if you weren't pregnant, the window would stay blank, but if you were, there would be a blue line. Well, I had a VERY VERY VERY light, VERY VERY VERY thin (was it even blue?!) line. So, as you might imagine, I was excited, but not entirely convinced!
So, before my honey got home, I ran to CVS, and picked up a digital pregnancy test (one that would say PREGNANT or NOT PREGNANT) so there'd be no question. Micah called while I was waiting the customary 2 minutes to look at my results. So then, my heart started racing! I had a plan for how I wanted to tell him - and tonight was not the night!
So, I rushed him off the phone, knowing I had about 10 minutes to hide the evidence. I quickly discovered I was pregnant, sent up a short prayer of thanksgiving, snapped a picture, and stashed everything in my night stand!
Day 5 - Do you know how hard it is to keep a secret from your best friend?! Especially one this big?! I went to work, practically DYING in anticipation of the end of the day!
Once 3 o'clock rolled around, I headed off to Walgreens to have my picture developed (on a disposable camera; how convenient.) The kind lady at the desk informed me that they probably wouldn't be able to have it done in an hour, but if I wanted to check back at 5, they'd probably have it completed. I sure hope she didn't misread my disappointment as annoyance. I thanked her, and went home, settling in for another evening of NOT SHARING THE NEWS I WAS BURSTING WITH!!
Later that evening, I was able to go back (I believe Micah was babysitting some of our nephews that night) and pick up my pictures from Walgreens. To my major disappointment this time, the picture didn't really come out. You could tell it was a pregnancy test, but the result was not obvious.
So, I headed home once again, armed with a second disposable camera, and attempted to take yet another picture. But, when I pulled out the stashed pregnancy test - it was blank. Apparently digital tests only hold their result for 24 hours. This is when I decided to give up and make use of the picture I already had. I probably could have tried to take another test, but there was no guarantee that the next picture would turn out any better.
Day 6 - FINALLY!! The day is here to tell my honey! I run off to work, super excited to get my picture and note to the dad-to-be into an inter office envelope by the earliest mail run of 6:30am. If all goes as planned, he'll have it sitting in his chair when he gets to work at 8:30am.
But, all does NOT go as planned (has anyone caught on to a theme in this story?!). The day goes sloooooowly on, and still no word from my honey. Surely he'd call after receiving such a package. Surely he wouldn't leave me hanging ALL DAY. He can't ge THAT busy.
As I'm walking out the door at the end of my day, I can't stand it anymore. I call him, and must have seemed really frustrated. "What do you MEAN you haven't gotten any mail today?!" "I sent you something at 6:30am this morning, are you SURE you didn't miss it?"
So much for the surprise factor! :)
So, my sweet, completely caught off guard hubby, (I'm sure he was wondering why I earth I was so frustrated!) chased down the mail room attendant, and begged him to look for anything that might be addressed to him. He found it, and called me back super excited like 3 minutes later. FINALLY!!
So, on July 1st, 2 whole days after I discovered the news, my hubby is finally let in on my little secret, and I add week 4 to one of the longest weeks of my pregnancy, thus far!
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Lions and Tigers and Bears...
...and Alligators and Giraffes, oh my!
These are a few pictures of the crib bedding I got a couple weeks ago for a whole $8.60! I was super pumped!!
Now all I need to do is register for solid colored sheets, and find cute wall hangings and accessories to go with my "zoo" theme. Those of you who are good at craigslist or window shopping online, keep an eye peeled, if you don't mind! :)
These are a few pictures of the crib bedding I got a couple weeks ago for a whole $8.60! I was super pumped!!
Now all I need to do is register for solid colored sheets, and find cute wall hangings and accessories to go with my "zoo" theme. Those of you who are good at craigslist or window shopping online, keep an eye peeled, if you don't mind! :)
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
A sign of the times
Would you believe that our biggest concern when we were telling people we were pregnant was that the news would make it out onto Facebook before we had a chance to tell everyone ourselves?
It's so weird to have to worry about that! But, we told our family on a Friday, our friends Saturday, and our church body on Sunday. Then, we wanted to send a few funny e-mails to spread the news at work on Monday, but we didn't want our co-workers to have already heard. So we actually begged the members of our church body not to congratulate us on Facebook until Monday afternoon! :) Isn't that pathetic?
Anyway, I thought you might like to read the letters my dear hubby Micah wrote to our co-workers! They're pretty entertaining!
To my co-workers:
To Micah's co-workers:
It's so weird to have to worry about that! But, we told our family on a Friday, our friends Saturday, and our church body on Sunday. Then, we wanted to send a few funny e-mails to spread the news at work on Monday, but we didn't want our co-workers to have already heard. So we actually begged the members of our church body not to congratulate us on Facebook until Monday afternoon! :) Isn't that pathetic?
Anyway, I thought you might like to read the letters my dear hubby Micah wrote to our co-workers! They're pretty entertaining!
To my co-workers:
Dear co-workers,
My husband and I recently found out we are expecting a very important guest, who plans to arrive in March and will stay with us indefinitely. We have a lot to do to get ready for our guest, so we'll be very busy! Because of this, I have turned in my resignation notice, and my last day will be Friday, August 28.
I have really enjoyed working with such a wonderful group of people, and I will miss you all. As the day of our guest's arrival draws nearer, though, I'm sure I will be very busy with getting things ready. We are planning on preparing a special room just for our guest, and we will also be trying to do other things to create a homey atmosphere (this guest doesn't get out much and probably won't be used to spending a lot of time with people, so we will have to ease into our relationship). I have also heard that the guest may have trouble sleeping through the night, so we are going to try to make the room as comfortable as possible in order to establish a regular sleep schedule.
There will be a lot of stress, and I bet I will start eating more to help me handle the strain. In fact, I'm afraid I might start gaining weight at the rate of about a pound per week until the visit, but I have heard of a great weight-loss plan that allows a person to lose about 15-20 pounds in less than a day, so I am planning on trying that around the time the guest arrives. As you might imagine, it can take a few days to recover from such a strenuous weight-loss plan, so I am planning on some bed-rest right after the arrival.
We appreciate all the support you've shown us, and we'd like for you to keep us in your thoughts and prayers as we prepare for this big event in our lives. It's a little bit intimidating to be welcoming a new person into our home, especially when we don't yet know the guest's name, or even if it will be a boy or a girl, but one thing is certain: we will love him or her very, very much. We'll be sure to let you know all about our little guest just as soon as (s)he arrives!
-Magen
To Micah's co-workers:
Team,
I just wanted to let you know before you hear elsewhere that Magen has been diagnosed with a medical condition which has made it necessary for her to terminate her employment with our company.
The medical condition is known as primigravida. Essentially, it involves a microscopic organism that nests in an unsuspecting host and grows gradually more and more powerful over time. The host often experiences nausea, mood swings, and inexplicable cravings (all of which are driven by the chemical imbalances caused by the organism). As the organism develops, it begins to sap the vital nutrients from the host’s body and even hampers the host’s immune system. The organism’s growth is almost exponential, causing the host to gain weight at a phenomenal rate – especially toward the terminal stages of the condition.
The prognosis suggests that the next few months will be full of most of the above symptoms. However, there is some hope. Our specialist anticipates that around the beginning of next March, Magen’s body will naturally expel the organism, leaving her in some pain, but with a lovely little bundle of joy to make the whole thing worthwhile.
Thank you for your thoughts and prayers as we deal with this life-changing event.
-Micah
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Link Love
I have thoroughly enjoyed (and will continue to for several more days, I'm sure!) catching up on all my friends blogs! I've never really been completely caught up since before I gave up the internet for lent. And, because I'm a weirdo, I've had a LOT to read.
Some highlights:
Joy posts weekly pictures and updates on her little girl, Hannah. She's pretty stinkin' adorable!
Rachel always makes me laugh, but recently it's been because she posts about her hatred of movies A LOT. This has got me wondering about myself. I can probably count on one hand the movies I've not liked. Is this because I'm just that much less picky? I don't think that's true. I think it's probably more realistic to say that I'm much MORE picky - and that I don't sit down to watch a movie unless I KNOW I'll like it. So, what does that say about me? Do I use my time wisely? Or, am I not very adventurous? It's at least something to think about!
Money Saving Mom has been fun to catch up on, as well. I don't go back and read every one of her posts since they're mostly outdated if you don't get to them right away. But, lately, I've been intrigued by all the free samples you can get and have recently tried out paper towels and toothpaste. It's like Christmas getting little packages in the mail all the time!
Some others are favorites to catch up on because they always have fun things to share about their kids. So, if you feel like giggling, hop over to: Michelle's, Jessie's, Shawna's and Rachel's!
I've got lots more to catch up on, but I sure don't mind!! :)
Some highlights:
Joy posts weekly pictures and updates on her little girl, Hannah. She's pretty stinkin' adorable!
Rachel always makes me laugh, but recently it's been because she posts about her hatred of movies A LOT. This has got me wondering about myself. I can probably count on one hand the movies I've not liked. Is this because I'm just that much less picky? I don't think that's true. I think it's probably more realistic to say that I'm much MORE picky - and that I don't sit down to watch a movie unless I KNOW I'll like it. So, what does that say about me? Do I use my time wisely? Or, am I not very adventurous? It's at least something to think about!
Money Saving Mom has been fun to catch up on, as well. I don't go back and read every one of her posts since they're mostly outdated if you don't get to them right away. But, lately, I've been intrigued by all the free samples you can get and have recently tried out paper towels and toothpaste. It's like Christmas getting little packages in the mail all the time!
Some others are favorites to catch up on because they always have fun things to share about their kids. So, if you feel like giggling, hop over to: Michelle's, Jessie's, Shawna's and Rachel's!
I've got lots more to catch up on, but I sure don't mind!! :)
Friday, September 04, 2009
Cleaning Marathon results
Well, I didn't quite make it.
By noon, I had finished my quiet time and completed the closet, family room, and packing. I also had the kitchen mostly done (waiting for the dish washer to finish), the bedroom almost complete (waiting for the sheets to come out of the dryer) and the bathroom was only lacking a clean floor.
So, after taking a much needed break for lunch, I jumped back in!
And, I would say everything went pretty well! Within another hour, I had the kitchen, bedroom, bathroom, fridge and basement floors done. The only thing that is not complete are the upstairs floors, but those are technically on my list for Wednesday, so I'll get to them.
Overall, I consider this a success!!
Enjoy your long weekend!
By noon, I had finished my quiet time and completed the closet, family room, and packing. I also had the kitchen mostly done (waiting for the dish washer to finish), the bedroom almost complete (waiting for the sheets to come out of the dryer) and the bathroom was only lacking a clean floor.
So, after taking a much needed break for lunch, I jumped back in!
And, I would say everything went pretty well! Within another hour, I had the kitchen, bedroom, bathroom, fridge and basement floors done. The only thing that is not complete are the upstairs floors, but those are technically on my list for Wednesday, so I'll get to them.
Overall, I consider this a success!!
Enjoy your long weekend!
Cleaning Marathon
I have a goal this morning, as I prepare our house for visitors, and pack up for a weekend at camp.
I would like to:
The trick is: I'd like to have all of this done by noon! I'll report back! :)
I would like to:
1) Have my quiet time
2) Reorganize my hall closet (b/c until last night, it was covered in dust from our living room project)
3) Clean up the kitchen
5) Straighten our bedroom and wash our bedding
5) Straighten the family room (which currently holds all the contents of our hall closet)
6) Pack for the weekend, and load up the car
7) Clean the bathroom
8) Clean out the fridge
9) Sweep and vacuum the floors
The trick is: I'd like to have all of this done by noon! I'll report back! :)
Monday, August 31, 2009
My first day at my new job....
and I'm loving it!!
I've had a few moments of extreme giddiness already. One happened around 4pm on Sunday when I was kind of dreading the end of the weekend - until I realized I wasn't going back to my old job! Then I just got really excited about starting my massive to-do list. :) What should I call this 6 months when I'm not working, but not too occupied with mothering? Something like "The Indianapolis 500" comes to mind, but I think that's been done before. :) Any ideas?
My second moment of giddiness came when I woke up at 5:45 this morning and had to restrain myself from jumping out of bed to start my list! I'm sure the newness will wear off in a matter of days, but it sure is fun while it's here.
Hope everyone is enjoying their Monday.
I've had a few moments of extreme giddiness already. One happened around 4pm on Sunday when I was kind of dreading the end of the weekend - until I realized I wasn't going back to my old job! Then I just got really excited about starting my massive to-do list. :) What should I call this 6 months when I'm not working, but not too occupied with mothering? Something like "The Indianapolis 500" comes to mind, but I think that's been done before. :) Any ideas?
My second moment of giddiness came when I woke up at 5:45 this morning and had to restrain myself from jumping out of bed to start my list! I'm sure the newness will wear off in a matter of days, but it sure is fun while it's here.
Hope everyone is enjoying their Monday.
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Back in the saddle again!
I was going to post these pictures with a date and break down of the stores and how much I paid for each thing - but, I seem to have forgotten. I started couponing again a few weeks ago...but blogging didn't follow as fast as I thought it might!
Anyway, I think I spent around $7 or $8 on all of this stuff - so I happy to be back in the swing of things!
How has everyone been?
Sunday, April 19, 2009
I'm Back!
I didn't really get a chance to tell my blogging friends that I'd be giving up the internet for Lent. So, sorry about that. But, I'm back, and hope to be blogging more regularly in the near future.
Being off the internet was a little bit easier than I imagined. But, one thing that I didn't expect was to find other things that fill my time - even now that I can be on the internet more. I'm not sure when I found time to read everyone's blogs before I went on my internet fast! It seems that now I can't find more than 5 minutes to string together to work through my inbox!
But, I have over 300 e-mails to sort through, and countless entries in multiple blogs that I'd like to catch up on! So, hopefully I'll find time soon.
Not now, however. I'm off again, to cheer my dad on to victory in his bowling league championship!
Enjoy your Sunday!
Being off the internet was a little bit easier than I imagined. But, one thing that I didn't expect was to find other things that fill my time - even now that I can be on the internet more. I'm not sure when I found time to read everyone's blogs before I went on my internet fast! It seems that now I can't find more than 5 minutes to string together to work through my inbox!
But, I have over 300 e-mails to sort through, and countless entries in multiple blogs that I'd like to catch up on! So, hopefully I'll find time soon.
Not now, however. I'm off again, to cheer my dad on to victory in his bowling league championship!
Enjoy your Sunday!
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
52 firsts, revisited
Well, it's probably no surprise to you: but, once again, I bit off more than I could chew.
Way back in Dec 2007 I committed to doing 52 things in 2008 that I'd never done before.
Well, the last time I've posted anything about that was in May of 2008. I doubled my list of recorded firsts!! Of course, that jumped the total up from 5 to a whopping 10! Thrilling, I know!
And though I know the year is over, and there's nothing I can do to make my failure any more un-faily, I still thought I should share with you the other firsts I did accomplish. Cause, believe it or not, there were more than 10, and I want credit for them!!
So,
11. My first time playing Wii. I think the first time I played it was over at my friend Melissa's house. They had Mario Cart, and that was pretty fun. Sadly though, I was forced to play it like 3 or 4 times in the next week, at one person's house or another. Am I the only one who doesn't like video games of any sort, even if they are the newest and hottest? I thought so.
12. Getting a pedicure. My dear mother had surgery this year and was very concerned. Very concerned, that is, about someone seeing her in such a vulnerable state WITHOUT HER TOE NAILS PAINTED. I, of course, understood the horror this would cause not only to her but also to all of our future generations. So being the good daughter I am, I could not let the surgery come even a second closer until we got our toe nails done. How is that for being emotionally supportive?
13. Spending $100 on a pair of shoes. It hurt to even type that. Yes, the coupon wierdo, the accountant, the frugal freak went out and willingly paid $100 for a pair of dress shoes. But, not just any dress shoes. Doc Martins. Because, let's face it, Doctors have to pay their student loans some how...or something.
14. Making meat loaf. And, it was a yummy meat loaf indeed. Most of my readers have probably had it already as a part of Shawna's freezer meal get togethers. But, if you haven't, I'd suggest you try it TONIGHT!
15. My first time making pancakes. This one is pathetic and sad, but also true.
16. Getting a REAL job. Not one that pays minimum wage. Not one that I work at only part time. But, a full blown real job, complete with insurance and 401(k). I know, weird, huh?
17. Quitting a REAL job...without a 2 week notice, and within 2.5 months.
18. Mailing stamps. It's a weird feeling to put a stamp on postage so that you can send it to someone. Take my word for it.
19. Getting my finger prints taken. If your mind is now running wild with the reasons I might have had to do this particular first - you can prepare to be disappointed. One of my firsts is NOT having been in jail....though, this list would be a lot more interesting if that were the case. This was actually just part of a routine background check for my employer.
20. Cooking beans (as opposed to buying them canned). I lead a very interesting and daring life.
21. Being told that my wedding ring is flawed. And, not just that - but also that in mere days the main stone will crack in half and fall out of my setting. That was fun! :) As it turns out, the company that sold me my ring is no longer in business. But, it also turns out that my ring is still perfectly in tact - go figure.
And finally:
22. Our first home improvement project. - Our tile floor.
This list didn't turn out nearly as bad as I'd thought when I first started writing this post! Hehe...I'm practically half way to the 52 I'd originally wanted.
Anyone know of any firsts I did last year that aren't listed already?
Way back in Dec 2007 I committed to doing 52 things in 2008 that I'd never done before.
Well, the last time I've posted anything about that was in May of 2008. I doubled my list of recorded firsts!! Of course, that jumped the total up from 5 to a whopping 10! Thrilling, I know!
And though I know the year is over, and there's nothing I can do to make my failure any more un-faily, I still thought I should share with you the other firsts I did accomplish. Cause, believe it or not, there were more than 10, and I want credit for them!!
So,
11. My first time playing Wii. I think the first time I played it was over at my friend Melissa's house. They had Mario Cart, and that was pretty fun. Sadly though, I was forced to play it like 3 or 4 times in the next week, at one person's house or another. Am I the only one who doesn't like video games of any sort, even if they are the newest and hottest? I thought so.
12. Getting a pedicure. My dear mother had surgery this year and was very concerned. Very concerned, that is, about someone seeing her in such a vulnerable state WITHOUT HER TOE NAILS PAINTED. I, of course, understood the horror this would cause not only to her but also to all of our future generations. So being the good daughter I am, I could not let the surgery come even a second closer until we got our toe nails done. How is that for being emotionally supportive?
13. Spending $100 on a pair of shoes. It hurt to even type that. Yes, the coupon wierdo, the accountant, the frugal freak went out and willingly paid $100 for a pair of dress shoes. But, not just any dress shoes. Doc Martins. Because, let's face it, Doctors have to pay their student loans some how...or something.
14. Making meat loaf. And, it was a yummy meat loaf indeed. Most of my readers have probably had it already as a part of Shawna's freezer meal get togethers. But, if you haven't, I'd suggest you try it TONIGHT!
Mini Cheddar Meatloaves
1 large egg
3/4 cup milk
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup quick-cooking oats
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1 teaspoon salt, pepper and garlic pwd
1 pound lean ground beef
2/3 cup ketchup
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons lemon juice or white vinegar
1. In a bowl, beat the egg and milk, stir in cheese, oats, onion and spices. Add beef and mix well. Shape into eight loaves; place in a 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking dish.
2. Combine ketchup, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce and lemon juice; spoon over loaves.
3. Bake, uncovered, at 350*F (175*C) for 45 minutes or until a meat thermometer reads 160*F (70*C).
Makes 8 servings.
15. My first time making pancakes. This one is pathetic and sad, but also true.
16. Getting a REAL job. Not one that pays minimum wage. Not one that I work at only part time. But, a full blown real job, complete with insurance and 401(k). I know, weird, huh?
17. Quitting a REAL job...without a 2 week notice, and within 2.5 months.
18. Mailing stamps. It's a weird feeling to put a stamp on postage so that you can send it to someone. Take my word for it.
19. Getting my finger prints taken. If your mind is now running wild with the reasons I might have had to do this particular first - you can prepare to be disappointed. One of my firsts is NOT having been in jail....though, this list would be a lot more interesting if that were the case. This was actually just part of a routine background check for my employer.
20. Cooking beans (as opposed to buying them canned). I lead a very interesting and daring life.
21. Being told that my wedding ring is flawed. And, not just that - but also that in mere days the main stone will crack in half and fall out of my setting. That was fun! :) As it turns out, the company that sold me my ring is no longer in business. But, it also turns out that my ring is still perfectly in tact - go figure.
And finally:
22. Our first home improvement project. - Our tile floor.
This list didn't turn out nearly as bad as I'd thought when I first started writing this post! Hehe...I'm practically half way to the 52 I'd originally wanted.
Anyone know of any firsts I did last year that aren't listed already?
Thursday, January 01, 2009
These are a few (hundred) of my favorite things...
This is my 200th blog post! I thought I'd give you a list of 200 of my favorite things just in case you're having trouble sleeping later tonight. Happy New Year!
1. God (First things first!)
2. Micah
3. family
4. friends (The rest are in no particular order!)
5. rainy days
6. showers
7. painted toe nails
8. chocolate
9. spin dip
10. going out to dinner
11. getting flowers
12. curling up with a good book
13. my bread maker
14. flex days at work
15. sleeping in
16. listening to the rain while sleeping in :)
17. chips and salsa
18. crab legs
19. playing games
20. having freezer meals ready to eat
21. grocery shopping
22. crossing things off a list
23. my agenda
24. hugs
25. nieces and nephews to spoil
26. St. Patrick's Day
27. my marriage
28. down comforters
29. taco salad
30. tilapia
31. stationary
32. collecting scrapbook supplies
33. pretty dishes
34. sending snail mail
35. receiving snail mail
36. back rubs
37. tickling my husband
38. being productive
39. string cheese
40. Dr. Pepper
41. getting a bargain
42. organizing things
43. watching movies
44. my birthday
45. Christmas fondue
46. wearing my pedometer
47. all office supplies
48. chocolate chip cookies
49. mint chocolate chip ice cream
50. making lists :)
51. having people over
52. road trips
53. Kansas Bible Camp
54. setting goals
55. cooking for others – not necessarily my own family!
56. Romans 8: 38-39
57. learning/hearing about pregnancy
58. egg burritos
59. Micah rubbing my head
60. chocolate ice cream and milk
61. guacamole
62. Lawrence
63. Date night
64. Nebraska Furniture Mart
65. stickers
66. eggies in a basket
67. rewarding myself
68. blogging
69. taking links off our paper chain
70. bread with dipping oil
71. sidewalk chalk
72. Excedrin Migraine
73. river rocks
74. terry cloth bathrobes
75. salad bars
76. calla lillies
77. world map shower curtains
78. Edgar Allen Poe
79. Redeeming Love, by Francine Rivers
80. Qdoba
81. strawberries
82. a new notebook
83. swing dancing
84. pocket sized kleenex packets
85. Old Navy flip flops before they changed and became sucky
86. jean skirts
87. a clean house
88. Kool-aid
89. Mike's Hard Berry
90. a detailed car (done by Micah!)
91. The Franz Family
92. Long Island Ice Tea
93. pillows
94. Maraschino cherries
95. sushi
96. Using coupons at Bed Bath and Beyond
97. tulips
98. having people shop at my house
99. mac and cheese with lots of milk (so it's runny)
100. Sonic ice
101. Sonic Happy Hour
102. $12 dates to The Texas Roadhouse
103. elliptical machines with TV's attached
104. HGTV
105. Numb3rs
106. Spades
107. burning candles
108. Jason's Deli
109. Chicago
110. Wicked, the musical
111. fabric softner
112. body spray
113. Rich Mullins
114. lunch dates
115. green
116. flower pens
117. Suduko
118. Dirty Dancing, the movie
119. Pretty Woman, the movie
120. cuddling
121. laughing until it hurts
122. M&M's
123. the $2 theater
124. deviled eggs
125. Mom's potato salad
126. sweater weather
127. Spring
128. candy pumpkins
129. Aerosmith's Janie's Got a Gun...sung by Matt
130. making worms out of paper straw wrappers and water
131. small group
132. crock pots that don’t burn things
133. steamed veggies
134. my friend Nicole
135. Operation Christmas Child
136. Getting out of Debt
137. Hearing my phone ring
138. Girls night out
139. blue
140. my husband’s baldness
141. cocoa almonds
142. The book of James
143. not having to fill up my car with gas (my hubby does it!)
144. 1960’s mustangs
145. cheese dip
146. the word fungible
147. giving fun gifts
148. Boo Mama
149. My hubby’s writing
150. beating Micah at games
151. going on adventures
152. free wireless internet
153. chicken chimichangas
154. Panera
155. my new hair cut
156. comfortable shoes
157. Big Macs
158. Dave Ramsey
159. Getting paid over time
160. surprising people
161. a bug-free house
162. holding babies
163. Scripture songs
164. hot pink clipboards
165. my kitchen floor
166. watching election day results on TV
167. potato cheese soup
168. Super DG
169. Mocha Kickers
170. Google Chat
171. Scotland Yard, board game
172. If You Say Go
173. Recycling
174. Purses
175. Jewelry
176. Bandanas
177. inside jokes
178. wedding cake
179. potato cheese soup
180. dry erase boards
181. my 8’ bamboo ladder
182. books on tape
183. fun checks
184. going on walks
185. ski-ball
186. French onion dip
187. Post-It Notes
188. caramel
189. Chick flicks
190. really buttery popcorn
191. Richard Gere
192. Hugh Grant and Sandra Bullock together
193. Crayons
194. Business Law
195. fun stamps
196. reading blogs
197. my husband’s sense of humor
198. my house
199. my dad’s barbeque
200. Being done with this list
1. God (First things first!)
2. Micah
3. family
4. friends (The rest are in no particular order!)
5. rainy days
6. showers
7. painted toe nails
8. chocolate
9. spin dip
10. going out to dinner
11. getting flowers
12. curling up with a good book
13. my bread maker
14. flex days at work
15. sleeping in
16. listening to the rain while sleeping in :)
17. chips and salsa
18. crab legs
19. playing games
20. having freezer meals ready to eat
21. grocery shopping
22. crossing things off a list
23. my agenda
24. hugs
25. nieces and nephews to spoil
26. St. Patrick's Day
27. my marriage
28. down comforters
29. taco salad
30. tilapia
31. stationary
32. collecting scrapbook supplies
33. pretty dishes
34. sending snail mail
35. receiving snail mail
36. back rubs
37. tickling my husband
38. being productive
39. string cheese
40. Dr. Pepper
41. getting a bargain
42. organizing things
43. watching movies
44. my birthday
45. Christmas fondue
46. wearing my pedometer
47. all office supplies
48. chocolate chip cookies
49. mint chocolate chip ice cream
50. making lists :)
51. having people over
52. road trips
53. Kansas Bible Camp
54. setting goals
55. cooking for others – not necessarily my own family!
56. Romans 8: 38-39
57. learning/hearing about pregnancy
58. egg burritos
59. Micah rubbing my head
60. chocolate ice cream and milk
61. guacamole
62. Lawrence
63. Date night
64. Nebraska Furniture Mart
65. stickers
66. eggies in a basket
67. rewarding myself
68. blogging
69. taking links off our paper chain
70. bread with dipping oil
71. sidewalk chalk
72. Excedrin Migraine
73. river rocks
74. terry cloth bathrobes
75. salad bars
76. calla lillies
77. world map shower curtains
78. Edgar Allen Poe
79. Redeeming Love, by Francine Rivers
80. Qdoba
81. strawberries
82. a new notebook
83. swing dancing
84. pocket sized kleenex packets
85. Old Navy flip flops before they changed and became sucky
86. jean skirts
87. a clean house
88. Kool-aid
89. Mike's Hard Berry
90. a detailed car (done by Micah!)
91. The Franz Family
92. Long Island Ice Tea
93. pillows
94. Maraschino cherries
95. sushi
96. Using coupons at Bed Bath and Beyond
97. tulips
98. having people shop at my house
99. mac and cheese with lots of milk (so it's runny)
100. Sonic ice
101. Sonic Happy Hour
102. $12 dates to The Texas Roadhouse
103. elliptical machines with TV's attached
104. HGTV
105. Numb3rs
106. Spades
107. burning candles
108. Jason's Deli
109. Chicago
110. Wicked, the musical
111. fabric softner
112. body spray
113. Rich Mullins
114. lunch dates
115. green
116. flower pens
117. Suduko
118. Dirty Dancing, the movie
119. Pretty Woman, the movie
120. cuddling
121. laughing until it hurts
122. M&M's
123. the $2 theater
124. deviled eggs
125. Mom's potato salad
126. sweater weather
127. Spring
128. candy pumpkins
129. Aerosmith's Janie's Got a Gun...sung by Matt
130. making worms out of paper straw wrappers and water
131. small group
132. crock pots that don’t burn things
133. steamed veggies
134. my friend Nicole
135. Operation Christmas Child
136. Getting out of Debt
137. Hearing my phone ring
138. Girls night out
139. blue
140. my husband’s baldness
141. cocoa almonds
142. The book of James
143. not having to fill up my car with gas (my hubby does it!)
144. 1960’s mustangs
145. cheese dip
146. the word fungible
147. giving fun gifts
148. Boo Mama
149. My hubby’s writing
150. beating Micah at games
151. going on adventures
152. free wireless internet
153. chicken chimichangas
154. Panera
155. my new hair cut
156. comfortable shoes
157. Big Macs
158. Dave Ramsey
159. Getting paid over time
160. surprising people
161. a bug-free house
162. holding babies
163. Scripture songs
164. hot pink clipboards
165. my kitchen floor
166. watching election day results on TV
167. potato cheese soup
168. Super DG
169. Mocha Kickers
170. Google Chat
171. Scotland Yard, board game
172. If You Say Go
173. Recycling
174. Purses
175. Jewelry
176. Bandanas
177. inside jokes
178. wedding cake
179. potato cheese soup
180. dry erase boards
181. my 8’ bamboo ladder
182. books on tape
183. fun checks
184. going on walks
185. ski-ball
186. French onion dip
187. Post-It Notes
188. caramel
189. Chick flicks
190. really buttery popcorn
191. Richard Gere
192. Hugh Grant and Sandra Bullock together
193. Crayons
194. Business Law
195. fun stamps
196. reading blogs
197. my husband’s sense of humor
198. my house
199. my dad’s barbeque
200. Being done with this list
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