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 different break down of the cost:

• Subtotal $25.38
• Coupons - $5.55
• Other Discounts $0.00
• Tax $1.58
• Shipping Always Free
• Total $21.41

Not too bad for 92 diapers (size 1 and 2) and a few other things we were needing.

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!

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!

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!

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!

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. :)

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

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?

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!

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.

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:

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!

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!!

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."

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!

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! :)

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:

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

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!! :)

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!

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:

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! :)

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.

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?

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!

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!

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?

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

I found a link on my husband's blog recently that took me to Dale's blog (which, I've never actually read yet, sorry!) that took me to this link, which I really enjoy!


Go check it out, and that'll explain that first sentence. :) Also, I cannot promise the absence of off-color content, though I've not seen any.

House Projects, revisited

A little over a year ago, I posted this list about the things I wanted to do around our house. First off, can you BELIEVE it's been a year (and a third!) since we moved into our house? Craziness!

Of the list I posted, the things we have finished are:
Buying a new couch and love seat set for our front room
Replacing the kitchen floor
Painting the kitchen

But, the list of things I never got to is even larger!!:
Buying end tables/coffee table for the living room
Buying end tables/coffee table for the family room
Getting electrical work done (like updating outlets, and adding a few outlets and fixtures)
Buying a new kitchen table
Painting the livingroom
Painting my scrapbook room
Painting the stairway

What have I learned from this?

To be content. There are some things, like the end tables and stairway that I really wish would have been done a long time ago.

But just think how excited I will be once they get finished - how sweet long-awaited gifts are!

Also, now that I've had a year to think on it, there are some things that I've realized aren't really that important. For instance, I don't really need a coffee table in either of our living areas. In the upstairs one, we have a huge ottoman, and I have a piece of furniture that would work perfectly for a coffee table downstairs.

Also, I'm not really in a hurry to paint my scrapbook room or the livingroom - maybe the eggshell color is beginning to grow on me!! (Which, those of you who know me personally will agree, is a blessing all in itself - since I could use a bit of color! ;-))


All this to say: I have a new list but I definitely won't be disappointed if the progress is slow in coming.

What things are you gals working on lately?

To quote Alan Jackson...

"I'm not a real political [wo]man...", but, did you know that the leader of our country is being chosen today?!

I very rarely watch television. In fact, the only time I watch anything is when I'm at my mom and dad's house because we don't have cable at mine! But, I LOVE watching as all the votes are tallied, and the new totals are presented. So, Mom, I guess I should tell you that I'm planning on being over at your house this evening! :)


Please pray about which candidates (for the big and small offices) the Lord would have you vote for. Then pray that regardless of who gets picked, they would be open to the Lord's leading in their lives.

Happy Election Day!

Are you needing a pick me up?

I was sick last Sunday and missed my grandpa's 80th birthday party. I had been looking forward to getting to see all of my mother's family. But instead, I spent the whole day in bed alternating between reading and sleeping - and that was nice too.

One of the thing I really enjoyed doing was getting caught up on reading some blogs I had gotten behind on.

There was Laurel and her honest plea for prayer as she learned to be still, followed by a post about a discovery that blessed her heart.

There was Rachel and her sweet posts about her 2.5 year old, and her teaching (Rachel, I know you probably wouldn't call that post "teaching" - but for someone who couldn't make it to church, it really met a need) on the mundane moments in life.

And, if you're needing to gain a perspective on where you are in life right now, I suggest you head on over to Mama M's Place. This dear mother of 6 seems to look at every busy day, every crazy "uh-oh" as just another blessing of motherhood.


Thanks ladies, for making a sick day not so bad after all.

How do YOU compute?

I've only had my laptop for about 2 to 2.5 years, and already the battery is shot, it has a line down the screen, and it regularly overheats.

So, as much as I hate it, I'm looking into buying a new computer so that when this one dies I'll know what I want to replace it with.

But, I can't get passed the Laptop vs. Desk top debate in my head.

Price really isn't the issue, cause I feel like we'd spend about the same amount on whatever computer I get. But, what if you compare the cost to the amount of time it will last you? Desk tops last a lot longer than laptops.

But, what if it's the portability that I want?! There are very few things I love more than curling up in bed with my laptop to chat and catch up on blogs.

What's a girl to do?

What do you use? What would you suggest? I've done another poll. Please let me know what you think the best course of action is! :)

Please pray

My cousin Amy just found out recently that she is pregnant with her third child. She's only about 10 weeks along, and went in for a check up on Friday. At the check up, they realized that she's partially dilated.

If you could, please pray for her family and for this little one.

I'll update you with more information as I get it.

Thanks, and have a wonderful Tuesday evening!

My most brilliant and offensive idea

Did you know that you can make human corpses into diamonds? It's true! I wouldn't joke about this sort of thing.

Ok, so I totally would, and do, joke about this all the time...but it's still true that it can be done!

So, naturally, my dear hubby and I have talked about turning his body into a diamond for me to wear after he's gone.

And, not for the normal sentimental reasons that you might think.

No, it's much more brilliant than that!

In 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17 (compliments of Biblegateway.com) it says:

15According to the Lord's own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.

Did you catch that? And the dead in Christ will rise first. In that line lies my whole argument.

You see, if my husband precedes me in death, and then is made into a diamond for me to wear, then I will know before every other living being (if only for a split second) that Christ has returned.

Of course, this whole argument falls apart if you read this verse to mean what I think it probably means, which is that all the living will probably know that the dead are being raised because of the "load command."But that doesn't fit very well with our joke, now does it?

So, there you have it, my brilliant hole-ridden and horribly offensive idea!

*Please note that this is a joke, and not a post to encourage large theological debates.

"And He walks with me..."

This devotion appeared in the October e-mail from Kansas Bible Camp, and it definitely found me right where I am. It's a great way to look at our christian walk. Hope you find something to take from it and apply to your life.

A message from God's Word
There are three expressions in the Bible concerned with our walk that may be helpful to think about.
1. Deuteronomy 13:4, "Ye shall walk after the Lord your God." Walking AFTER God tells us we have a leader; Someone walking ahead of us. In the New Testament we are admonished to become "Followers of God as dear children," He is our example. The expression "walking after the Lord" is found three times in the Old Testament.
2. "Walk BEFORE me and be thou perfect" said God to Abraham. David commented: "I will walk before the Lord in the land of the living." Walking BEFORE the Lord reminds us that God is our interested observer. We are always in His sight and He is interested in what we do. He observes us, not as a critic, but as a loving parent observes his little toddler. Every step is observed with love, pride, and gentle care. Every improvement is noted and encouraged.
3. Noah and Enoch are said to have walked "with God". We can only walk WITH people with whom we agree: Can two walk together except they be agreed? Two can walk together only if they have the same goal, take the same path, progress at the same speed, and adjust to each other.
You and I are also called upon to walk with the Lord. Our lives must conform to His plans for us. Our path must conform to His word. Today, more than ever in the history of the church of God, we need youth who will walk after the Lord. We need youth who will walk before the Lord and youth who will walk with the Lord. How are you walking?
- Richard Burson, KBC Intercom January 1973

To Load or Unload...

That is the question.

I've put up a survey to the right of this post, because I'm curious to know:

Would you rather unload the dishwasher, or load it?

I HATE loading the dishwasher, but I don't mind unloading it. My mom is completely opposite. She would rather load.

I always thought this was a strange, but handy, difference between us. But, I was never under the illusion that it was normal until I read this post of Brooke's.

What about you? Do you love unloading? like loading? hate both equally?

Let me know!

The gift that keeps giving

Micah and I are been married for 3.5 years now! Micah says he cannot believe it's been that long. He says it feels like it was only yesterday.

I, on the other hand, feel like we've always been married. Don't get me wrong. That's not a joke about "the longest years of my life," but more a realization that it feels so right to be married to Micah, that life before being married to him pales in comparison.

So, imagine my surprise, when I find these:


Along with several other wedding gifts while going through stuff at my mom's house. I didn't even know we had these!

So, thanks to whoever gave these to us over 3.5 years ago. They have brought me such joy!

And, thanks, Micah, for spending the last 3.5 years with me. I know it may seem hard to imagine at times, but you bring my even more joy than my pretty striped dishes!

The Lord's Provision

I've blogged a few times about things I've found in my textbooks back in my school days. But, I've never got around to this one.

In McGraw-Hill/Irwin's Legal Aspects of the Business Organization I found another one of these such things on page 992 that was truly a gift from the Lord.

The topic at hand is incorporation. There's a term called "corporation by estoppel" which basically means that if someone holds them self out to be acting on behalf of a corporation, then the court will "estop" him from denying the existence of the corporation. This is to protect third parties from thinking they're dealing with a corporation, when really they're not, or vice versa.

Anyway, the funny part comes when the book starts discussing liability for defective incorporation. It states:

If people attempt to organize a corporation but their efforts are so defective that not even a corporation by estoppel is found to exist, the courts have generally held such persons to be partners with unlimited liability for the contracts and torts of the business.

And, all I've got to say is, if people who want to be incorporated can't even MAKE THEMSELVES OUT TO BE incorporated, then they deserve full liability!

Hehe...I realize most of you won't think this is funny - but I sure do!

Have a fabulous Saturday!

Everyone should know someone

Like our friend Nicole.

Several months Micah and I got a chance to play Apples to Apples with a few of our friends. One of these friends is a 13 year old named Nicole, and she is HILARIOUS!

I realize that Apples to Apples is the type of game that is only funny at the time, and only to the people who are playing. So, I'm sure this won't be funny to all of you. But, to those of you who know Nicole, I hope this brightens your day!

Here are a few of the quotes from the game:

"Does it make you as hot as poodles? That is the question."

"Oooo eeee! Nama nama nama! 1,2,3,4,5,6!" - Nicole in reference to Boyfriends

"That's fake...not unless they put a bomb in your underwear...that's fake." in reference to Spontaneous Combustion

"The bust up word" - later on in reference to Spontaneous Combustion. She can't actually say it correctly, but Spontaneous Combustion is her new favorite phrase.

On the Challenger Explosion card, there is a poem that reads: "Without a wish, without a will, I stood upon that silent hill and stared into the sky - Ralph Hodgson" and when I finished reading it out loud, Nicole chimed in with: "and blew up"

"The Bumb up word...I'm gunna have to learn that one"

"It's my favorite word now, But I still can't say it"

"This is going to be a nasty one...but it might be tasty to some people." in reference to olive oil

And the last one I'll leave you with:
"The dump? Now, what kind you guys talking? The trash can kind?...Micah, you're over there turning purple!"

Photo O.O.T.T.W.I.L.A.T.Q.A.Y.A.Y.H.T.F.I.T.A.B.C.A.P.I.A.N.D.A.E.T.T.Y.F.S.A.H

Laurel did this thing on her blog a LONG while ago. I don't normally like these O.O.T.T.W.I.L.A.T.Q.A.Y.A.Y.H.T.F.I.T.A.B.C.A.P.I.A.N.D.A.E.T.T.Y.F.S.A.H things. Mostly it's because I never know what to call them!! :) But also because they're all the same.

But, this one is kind of cute.

Here's how it works: Figure out your answers for each of the below questions. Put your answer into a Google image search. Grab the first interesting image for each answer, and post the images on your blog. I won't be tagging anyone cause if you wanted to do ityou probably would if I tagged you or not!

Hope you enjoy!

1. The age you will be on your next birthday
2. A place to which you'd like to travel

3. Your favorite place
4. Your favorite person

5. Your favorite food

6. Your favorite animal

7. The town in which you were born

8. The name of a past pet

9. The first name of a past love

10. Your favorite color

11. Your first name
This is a picture of MAGEN's Bay. Spelled "right" and everything! Isn't that cool?!? :)

12. Your middle name

13. Your last name

The view from my front porch

OK. I am aware that it is totally lame to talk about the odd trees you have growing in your yard on your blog (Or anywhere for that matter!).
And, I am aware that twice merits loss of readership, but I can't help it!

Today, I found the most interesting thing when I looked out my window!

I don't aspire to be a great photographer like my friend Rachel, so you probably can't tell from this picture....But, there is a branch growing out from the middle of this huge long trunk! You're probably thinking, "yes, Magen, tree branches normally do grow from tree trunks," and you'd be justified in thinking this. But, this is a very old tree. And, all the other branches that bear leaves are WAY higher than this new, small twig. And, there are no other small twigs like this. It's very odd to me.

But, if you look closer at the twig...Its leaves have already started turning!!

Did it just sprout out with autumn leaves? This is very perplexing to me. One day, there's no sprout there at all, and the next day there's one that's already dying!!

But, at any rate, I love fall. And, in my yard at least, it's beginning to look a lot like fall, ya'll!

My dear friend Joy...

has a grandma who lives in Texas. Her name is Gloria and a few weeks ago she was attacked in her home. You can read the initial post, and also a couple updates on her blog. Please keep this dear lady in your prayers.

On a much happier note, Joy also has some super fun stamps for sell on her site, Apple Blossom Studios! AND, she has several very talented scrappers showing off her wonderful products regularly on her blog. Go check it out!! To get there, just follow the super fun link that I just added on the right hand side of my blog!

OH, and while you're there, check out her stamp called "Inksy Daisies"...I named it myself!

2 Days shy of a month!

Seeing as how we're rapidly approaching the one month mark since my last post, I figured I'd give you a nice Labor Day treat!

I am laying in bed with my computer and The Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey and alternating between it and blogs. What a wonderful Labor Day!

Anyway, I've been trying to catch up on reading my friend Joanne's blog when I came across this post. And, I have to say, you're not going to believe this, Joanne!

But, I too use a NASB Study Bible (in burgundy bonded-leather).
And, I too have my first and middle name on it.
And, I too bought it when I was 18.
I too knew that I would be marrying my dear hubby.
I too thought it would be too early to put his name on my Bible, but thought it was a waste to put my maiden name on it when it'd soon be out of date.

Isn't that weird?! :)

It made my day! Hope you have a good holiday!

I don't know about you....

but I pride myself in celebrating safely and with class!!

This past year when the Jayhawks went to the Final Four, Bill Self himself (hehe, yes, I meant to do that) sent this e-mail out to all the students:

Dear Jayhawk fans:

Thank you for all your fantastic support again this year. Jayhawk fans are truly the greatest and there is no place better to play basketball than Allen Fieldhouse -- although San Antonio on Saturday will be close!

We wish you all could be with us Saturday, but we know you will be there in spirit. No matter where you are, please look out for each other, know your own limits and be safe.

Show the world that Jayhawks are class acts on and off the court! Celebrate safely.

Then later, after they made it to the championship game, we all received this e-mail:

Dear Jayhawk fans--
We heard you in San Antonio! The team played a really great game and
back in Lawrence and Allen Fieldhouse, Jayhawk fans were equally
incredible. It was terrific that so many people cheered us on and
afterward celebrated safely.

Tonight, we know you will be with us in spirit when we take on Memphis.
And again, please look out for each other when you go out tonight, know
your own limits and be safe.

Let's show the nation again why Jayhawk fans are the greatest.
CELEBRATE SAFELY....AND WITH CLASS!

These e-mails struck me as pretty hilarious. I wasn't one to party and drink and drink and party while in college (But now that I'm out...just kidding!). But I imagine that if I were the type, a mass e-mail from Bill Self (or more likely, his secretary) telling me to to act responsibly would not have changed my actions one bit.

But, they're still fun to read.

Tax Class

Here's yet another post I've been meaning to make for an eternity, but am just now getting around to doing! :)

In my tax textbook, (I told you it was old!!) Prentice Hall's Federal Taxation 2008 for Individuals, it has a paragraph on the bottom of page 13-7 that reads:

Step 3: If a net Sec. 1231 gain is the result of Step 2, determine if the taxpayer has any nonrecaptured net Sec. 1231 losses. Nonrecaptured net Sec. 1231 losses are the excess of aggregate net Sec. 1231 losses for the preceding five years over losses previously recaptured as ordinary income due to the recapture provision of Sec. 1231. Net Sec. 1231 gains to the extent of any nonrecaptured net Sec. 1231 losses are treated as ordinary income. Sec. 1231 gain that is unrecaptured Sec. 1250 gain is first treated as ordinary income to the extent of nonrecaptured net Sec. 1231 losses. Any net Sec. 1231 gain in excess of nonrecaptured net Sec. 1231 loss is treated as a LTCG.

And now you know why I had a semester-long headache!

Hope you're week is going well!

It's amazing what people can find....

when Google leads them to me!

I have a site meter on this here blog, and one of my favorite Saturday morning pass times is to look through the "referral pages" to see how people got to my blog. One of my other favorite Saturday morning pass times is eating the delicious breakfast my husband made! But, that's neither here nor there.

Since I haven't blogged in MONTHS, the majority of those referrals come from people who have googled in hopes of finding something useful.

For instance, one person googled "Christmas Trees 2007" and saw this! I'm sure that person has added my family to their prayer list.


Others have googled "tile floor" and have been greeted with a tile floor picture I posted for you all as an example of what I was wanting. This is kind of funny to me, because I got that picture through a Google image search, and it's humorous to think that now I've stolen the traffic that someone else used to be getting.

Then there are things I find that really hit home. Like, this post about 1 Corinthians 15. It's such an encouragement to my heart.

I hope you all are encouraged this Saturday morning with whatever it is you're up to!


I'm off to clean my disorderly house, but before I do: does anyone else find it funny that we can now use the word "google" as a verb and no one thinks anything of it?! :)

My 2 cents

In the last few weeks of school, I was needing to study every waking moment.

I stopped meeting with the women's leadership in our church. We stopped having social time with our friends. Micah even made me stop doing housework of any kind so that I could completely focus on school.

One of the bottle necks is my studying was finding a good place to study. I can't study very long at home because I get distracted with the other things to do there, including sleeping! So, I thought the chain bookstore here in town would be the perfect solution. They have plenty of tables to study at, there is a coffee shop attached, they're open late, and they have wireless internet.

So, I went one Sunday afternoon, and started to settle in for what promised to be several long hours of studying. Only, I couldn't connect to the internet.

Most people would probably say that I don't need the internet to sit and study for hours, but they'd be wrong. Sure, I may not need it for the actual work. But, I most certainly do need internet for my SANITY.

You see, if I can't have some sort of distraction (in the form of a chat client or a blog to read) I wouldn't last more than an hour. But, give me wireless internet, and I could sit and be VERY productive studying for hours on end, because I would get interaction with other people at regular intervals, which I crave.

So, imagine my shock and dismay when I realized that the bookstore charges $3.99 for 2 hours of wireless internet! 2 hours is NOT going to cut it!

I should clarify, that I'm NOT against spending money. They provide a service, and I'm more than willing to pay for the ability to sit in their establishment and get things done. Normally, I would spend anywhere between 3 and 10 dollars on drinks and food in order to feel like I wasn't treating them unjustly.

But, I am not willing to pay for internet usage when I could pay the same amount and enjoy a tasty coffee drink for the same price and get free internet usage to boot!

So, while I would have liked to have the variety in my studying, I decided to stick with the local coffee shop instead.


Oh, and have I mentioned lately that I'm DONE WITH SCHOOL?! It's SO nice to not have to study!

But, I do enjoy a place to sit and work on projects from time to time. In fact, I am sitting at the local coffee shop right now enjoying a blended mocha and wireless internet, and it's wonderful.

Pictures of my IN HOUSE work station coming soon, compliments of my friend Shawna!

You know you're a grown-up when...

A man in our church met us at our car this past Sunday morning when we pulled up at 8:30am. He greeted us with, "we just said the closing prayer!" I think he was joking that we missed church, when really he was referring to the prayer group that meets at the church every Sunday morning from 8:00-8:30am.

It reminded me of something I meant to post about a long while ago!

Micah and I were late for music practice at the last Day Light Saving time change, not because we forgot to change our clocks, but because NO ONE TOLD US TO.

I couldn't even believe it. Normally everyone and their moms, and I do mean OUR moms, remind us.

I guess this is just further proof that we're expected to be a self-sufficient unit.

Bummer! :)

Please show the audience what's behind door number 3

A couple of months ago my car was making some funny noises.

I'm sure you can imagine me on the phone with a couple of car places trying to replicate the sound for the man on the other end of the line.

I'm sure each of them mocked me later.

I eventually got the problem fixed in exchange for a pretty penny or two, but what struck me was the difference in my options of auto-repair places.

Option 1 was Chain Guy. This is the company that you could find in most any American city. Their price reflects the name recognition that they hold, but you know what you can expect from their work, much like how you know the McDonald's across the nation will look exactly like the one down the street from your house. It's predictable.

And, it's convenient. It's close to your home and they provide rides back to your house while your car is being worked on.

Option 2 was Dealer Guy. Normally, your best bet is to steer clear of these places because they tend to be quite a bit pricier than even Chain Guy. But, something I discovered is that, the price difference is all in the labor. The ideal situation would be to buy the part (assuming you know what part you need - which is a big assumption in a story involving me!) from Dealer Guy and take it elsewhere for installation.

Option 3 was Local Guy. Whenever possible, I'm a sucker for the local business over the chain business. And, because Local Guy isn't paying franchise dues, you can bet that his price for labor is cheaper. However, one thing that surprised me in my research is that his price for the part was also cheaper.

So, it's a win-win situation. Option 3 would be picked every time, right?

Only, imagine that you went to Option 1 for an oil change, and they've already got your car torn apart, know exactly what's wrong with it, and could potentially charge you a portion of the labor
in payment for figuring what was wrong with it.

Further imagine that Local Guy is a fair distance from home, and it the problem could be made worse by taking your car on the trek across down. Oh, and also, you would need a ride because Local Guy's shop isn't the best place for a 20-something girl to hang out in.


So, what's a girl supposed to do? Clearly from the facts, we chose to go with Chain Guy, because in this situation, the dice were stacked against us. And, even though I would probably rather go to Local Guy 9 times out of 10, I got REALLY good service from Chain Guy.

In fact, I got such good service from Chain Guy, I'm inclined to go back for each oil change, even if it costs me a few extra dollars.

How do you guys handle this situation? Do you have hubbies that do all that work themselves? Do you have a favorite place to go?

New Furniture

Our church has 2 teams this year for a sand volleyball league! They met for practice this last week, and it was great fun to hang out with everyone while I watched!

This is my mommy in her new outfit for volleyball. Isn't she cute?!


You may be thinking, "what on earth does this have to do with new furniture?!"

And, if you are thinking that, you probably don't know me very well. Cause, those that DO know me well know that when I tell a story I have to start WAY back at the beginning.

I've been promising to post pictures of my furniture so that people could help me figure out how to arrange it in our living room. But, as it turns out, it's taken me so long to get pictures up, that I actually know how I want it.

Which is totally due to the fact that our friend Jonathan volunt to come over and move 2 pieces of furniture after volley ball practice on Wednesday.

This is him (in red) next to my hubby (in orange) at practice.

NOW do you see the connection? Hehe...OK, there's not really a connection at all.

That's all the pictures I'm going to post of this last week of volleyball, but my dear friend Rachel has posted a few more pictures of the actual volleyball action, if you're in to that sort of thing. ("That sort of thing" being pictures that actually relate to the topic at hand.)

Anyway, back to the furniture situation! Jonathan brought his wife and kids to our house after volleyball practice so that he could help my hubby move furniture.

At the time, I thought I only had a book shelf and a T.V. stand to move from downstairs, but
as it turns out, I also had a shelving unit and a hope chest that would work better downstairs, and "needed" to move my living room around at least 3 times before I got something I liked.

I kept brainstorming out loud thinking the other adults in the room could tell me whether a certain configuration would look right. "What do you think it would look like if we moved the couch against this wall, the love seat in it's place, and then the bookshelf on the other wall...and..."

And, Mr. Cheerful (Jonathan) would simply say, "well, let's just see what it looks like!" It was really funny to his wife and I, but Micah was a bit worn out! Which, I'm not all too certain, wasn't Jonathan's motive. :)

But, all is done, and I think I like the arrangement. You'll have to use your imagination on the pictures; I couldn't quite get it all in. And, my video camera doesn't have a flash.

And now, I can cross "posting furniture pictures" off my to-do list. How's that for taking the title of my blog to heart?!