My husband is in denial, but most of Charleston is preparing for a huge snowstorm! We could get up to 10" of snow...and I've never seen that much, so I'm pretty excited. The little snowflakes on my phone's weather app are very pretty, too.
Even if we do just end up with the lower estimate of snow - or a dusting, as Troy is convinced we'll get - I am super excited it's happening on the weekend so that I can get Lauren out and playing in it. She has a snowsuit, hat, and gloves - we need to get snow boots tonight! We also have a sled, so if we don't get the 10" they are predicting, I can take her for a ride on her sled.
I'm not a fan of driving in the snow, so unless Troy's class is cancelled tomorrow Lauren will be skipping soccer. :) Unless we get a dusting or not much...but, the anticipation of the storm is pretty exciting!
Plus, it looks like we *may* have a White Christmas!! Hooray!
Friday, December 18, 2009
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
New Routines
Last week, one of my co-workers informed all of us that her husband had accepted a job in Texas. They had been hoping for this when he lost his job over the summer due to a mine closure and I'm happy for them that it came true. I know they are excited about this new opportunity - it's like they are newlyweds again, setting out on a new journey.
This opened up a spot in the office, which my manager approached me to see if I'd be interested. So, a week later, my schedule has changed significantly! While there is still paperwork to complete and a formal offer to be made, I'm currently transitioning into my new position as a claims examiner. This means full-time rather than the part-time I'd been used to for nearly a year! I now work until 4:30, which means I don't get to see my angel until 5. Yesterday was the first day, and I think that we both adjusted well. Once I picked her up, she clung to me at home. We had a dinner to attend, then by the time we got home it was time for her to go to bed so I didn't get much time with her at all. Tonight, I can't wait to go home, make "roni and cheese" for her, and then play Little Peoples and baby dolls all night. She seems to understand well when I tell her what's going on, which helps me out. She's such a smart one. :)
I'm still planning on doing the Lia Sophia, too. In fact, I have my first party on Sunday and a catalog party going on right now. My mom is hosting a party when I go back to St. Louis after Christmas, and I'm hopeful to have another party booked the second week of January. This new position with my job is definitely going to make me rethink how much time I put into Lia Sophia, just in that I won't want to do as many parties as I originally had thought I might do. Of course, that was on the assumption that a bunch of people would love the jewelry and book parties. :) I'm still hopeful that it goes well because I am loving the jewelry (and so is Lauren).
In with all this, Troy's working on his MBA and session will start soon! We are going to be a busy family in the upcoming months, but I think that it makes us truly enjoy our time together that much more. Last night, driving to the dinner, we sang "Up on the Rooftop" (one of the two carols Lauren asks me to sing) and she sat in the backseat and just giggled. It was such a sweet moment. Lauren and I always have our mommy-daughter Saturdays since that is when Troy is in class, and I think now that I'm working full time, I will enjoy that time with her so much more. We have a nice little routine, including her soccer which she loves.
I'm fortunate to have the opportunities that I do given the economic state. The job I am going to accept is both interesting and rewarding. I work with a great group of women and for a family-oriented company that understands the familial obligations that arise. If I can't be at home with my baby doll, then I am happy to be working where I am now. Before I had her, I worried that she'd have a stronger bond with her caregivers than me - one of the reasons I really hated the thought of daycare. In fact, we have such a strong bond that I can't imagine it being different. She has bonded with her caregivers - especially two in particular that are sadly going to be leaving within the year. She enjoys playing with her friends and likes to talk with me about them.
Great things await us, I know. With the added income, we will probably be able to seriously look for a house we like with a yard for Lauren. We can continue to save and get into a position we are comfortable with. We can put money into Lauren's college fund. We will spend quality time together as a family. Hard as some days may be - especially the days when Lauren clings to me and tells me 'no school' - I know that our situation works for us. And, I'm going to end this year with a week off with Lauren - a great present!
Happy Holidays to all - who knows if I'll get a chance to blog again before Christmas. Hope everyone has a wonderful week! More snow possibly awaits us here! :)
This opened up a spot in the office, which my manager approached me to see if I'd be interested. So, a week later, my schedule has changed significantly! While there is still paperwork to complete and a formal offer to be made, I'm currently transitioning into my new position as a claims examiner. This means full-time rather than the part-time I'd been used to for nearly a year! I now work until 4:30, which means I don't get to see my angel until 5. Yesterday was the first day, and I think that we both adjusted well. Once I picked her up, she clung to me at home. We had a dinner to attend, then by the time we got home it was time for her to go to bed so I didn't get much time with her at all. Tonight, I can't wait to go home, make "roni and cheese" for her, and then play Little Peoples and baby dolls all night. She seems to understand well when I tell her what's going on, which helps me out. She's such a smart one. :)
I'm still planning on doing the Lia Sophia, too. In fact, I have my first party on Sunday and a catalog party going on right now. My mom is hosting a party when I go back to St. Louis after Christmas, and I'm hopeful to have another party booked the second week of January. This new position with my job is definitely going to make me rethink how much time I put into Lia Sophia, just in that I won't want to do as many parties as I originally had thought I might do. Of course, that was on the assumption that a bunch of people would love the jewelry and book parties. :) I'm still hopeful that it goes well because I am loving the jewelry (and so is Lauren).
In with all this, Troy's working on his MBA and session will start soon! We are going to be a busy family in the upcoming months, but I think that it makes us truly enjoy our time together that much more. Last night, driving to the dinner, we sang "Up on the Rooftop" (one of the two carols Lauren asks me to sing) and she sat in the backseat and just giggled. It was such a sweet moment. Lauren and I always have our mommy-daughter Saturdays since that is when Troy is in class, and I think now that I'm working full time, I will enjoy that time with her so much more. We have a nice little routine, including her soccer which she loves.
I'm fortunate to have the opportunities that I do given the economic state. The job I am going to accept is both interesting and rewarding. I work with a great group of women and for a family-oriented company that understands the familial obligations that arise. If I can't be at home with my baby doll, then I am happy to be working where I am now. Before I had her, I worried that she'd have a stronger bond with her caregivers than me - one of the reasons I really hated the thought of daycare. In fact, we have such a strong bond that I can't imagine it being different. She has bonded with her caregivers - especially two in particular that are sadly going to be leaving within the year. She enjoys playing with her friends and likes to talk with me about them.
Great things await us, I know. With the added income, we will probably be able to seriously look for a house we like with a yard for Lauren. We can continue to save and get into a position we are comfortable with. We can put money into Lauren's college fund. We will spend quality time together as a family. Hard as some days may be - especially the days when Lauren clings to me and tells me 'no school' - I know that our situation works for us. And, I'm going to end this year with a week off with Lauren - a great present!
Happy Holidays to all - who knows if I'll get a chance to blog again before Christmas. Hope everyone has a wonderful week! More snow possibly awaits us here! :)
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
My New Adventure
Starting next month, I am going to be an advisor with Lia Sophia jewelry. I am so excited for this, but also a little nervous and anxious. Lia Sophia is a beautiful line of jewelry that is sold exclusively through advisors - you can't buy it in stores. I've received a few pieces as gifts and loved them. It wasn't until a few weeks ago that I started looking into being an independent contractor with them. I will be doing this in addition to continuing to work at Minnesota Life, so hopefully it will be a fun thing to do to meet more people and earn some extra money. My advisor has been great and just having her to help me keeps me excited about the opportunity. She's only been doing this since September and she loves it.
I never strongly considered anything sales-related after my first job in sales. My first job out of college sounded like a great opportunity until I actually started doing it. It was your old-fashioned, door-to-door sales. Not residential, but commercial. I sold water. WATER. Yeah. Not fun. I have a vivid memory of the day I decided it was not for me. I had gone into my third or fourth business and received my third or fourth dirty look. People are not excited about salespeople. And the company wanted you to be pushy - which I'm not. You either want it or you don't, I'm not going to try to talk you into it. So I sat in my car in tears, hating that now I would walk in somewhere and instantly people didn't like me - just because they knew I was going to try and sell them something. I stopped at one last place before I left - and met a woman whose name I don't remember, but I will never forget how she helped me. I asked if there was someone I could speak with and she politely told me that they didn't have a need, but asked me to tell her my pitch anyway. She said to me that there was no reason for her to be skeptical or rude to me because I was trying to sell something to her, and that she wanted to hear what I had to say even though she knew she couldn't help me. She was the nicest lady I met during those sickening weeks. The next day, I drove back to St. Louis (I was in Indianapolis) to talk with my parents about it. My trainer had told me before I left to leave my books with her, then called me once I was back in St. Louis. They knew I was having a difficult time. I told her that it wasn't for me and I wouldn't be back. I think she was fine with it. The job had the potential for me to have my own business and client and I wouldn't have to do the door-to-door sales...but I had to do it in order to get there. I decided in the end that the monetary potential wasn't worth going through the degrading motions of having people look at me like I was a horrible person. I didn't want to make money like that.
I've not even entertained the thought of sales since then. Until now. But, I remember how awful that experience was and I know that this is going to be completely different. First of all, I'm selling jewelry - beautiful, quality jewelry. I am going into this knowing that it's not for everyone, but the few people I've shown the catalog to have fallen in love with the pieces because they have something for everyone. Also, I am going to basically help the jewelry sell itself. The jewelry does - it's that beautiful. I am going into this with the idea that I am going to help people who like this jewelry get it at the best price possible - which is by hosting a party, because the hostesses get amazing deals. I'm excited about this. I wasn't excited about water. I don't even drink water unless it's flavored. Even though I'm excited, I'm still nervous and anxious because there will be a sales component to this. There is great potential - and I control that.
Long-term? Well, I think it would be awesome to really hit the ground running and build up a clientele base to where I could eventually stay home and focus on this. I don't expect that to happen for a while, though. If I did this full-time in a few years, I could also focus more on my writing. More than anything, I just want to share this jewelry with others who enjoy jewelry. It's not well known in this area, but it will be in a few years. Everyone will have a piece of Lia Sophia. People probably already have pieces and don't know it!
If you would like to hear more about the jewelry, see a catalog, or even host a party - let me know.
I hope everyone is having a great week - just another one to go and it'll be Thanksgiving!
I never strongly considered anything sales-related after my first job in sales. My first job out of college sounded like a great opportunity until I actually started doing it. It was your old-fashioned, door-to-door sales. Not residential, but commercial. I sold water. WATER. Yeah. Not fun. I have a vivid memory of the day I decided it was not for me. I had gone into my third or fourth business and received my third or fourth dirty look. People are not excited about salespeople. And the company wanted you to be pushy - which I'm not. You either want it or you don't, I'm not going to try to talk you into it. So I sat in my car in tears, hating that now I would walk in somewhere and instantly people didn't like me - just because they knew I was going to try and sell them something. I stopped at one last place before I left - and met a woman whose name I don't remember, but I will never forget how she helped me. I asked if there was someone I could speak with and she politely told me that they didn't have a need, but asked me to tell her my pitch anyway. She said to me that there was no reason for her to be skeptical or rude to me because I was trying to sell something to her, and that she wanted to hear what I had to say even though she knew she couldn't help me. She was the nicest lady I met during those sickening weeks. The next day, I drove back to St. Louis (I was in Indianapolis) to talk with my parents about it. My trainer had told me before I left to leave my books with her, then called me once I was back in St. Louis. They knew I was having a difficult time. I told her that it wasn't for me and I wouldn't be back. I think she was fine with it. The job had the potential for me to have my own business and client and I wouldn't have to do the door-to-door sales...but I had to do it in order to get there. I decided in the end that the monetary potential wasn't worth going through the degrading motions of having people look at me like I was a horrible person. I didn't want to make money like that.
I've not even entertained the thought of sales since then. Until now. But, I remember how awful that experience was and I know that this is going to be completely different. First of all, I'm selling jewelry - beautiful, quality jewelry. I am going into this knowing that it's not for everyone, but the few people I've shown the catalog to have fallen in love with the pieces because they have something for everyone. Also, I am going to basically help the jewelry sell itself. The jewelry does - it's that beautiful. I am going into this with the idea that I am going to help people who like this jewelry get it at the best price possible - which is by hosting a party, because the hostesses get amazing deals. I'm excited about this. I wasn't excited about water. I don't even drink water unless it's flavored. Even though I'm excited, I'm still nervous and anxious because there will be a sales component to this. There is great potential - and I control that.
Long-term? Well, I think it would be awesome to really hit the ground running and build up a clientele base to where I could eventually stay home and focus on this. I don't expect that to happen for a while, though. If I did this full-time in a few years, I could also focus more on my writing. More than anything, I just want to share this jewelry with others who enjoy jewelry. It's not well known in this area, but it will be in a few years. Everyone will have a piece of Lia Sophia. People probably already have pieces and don't know it!
If you would like to hear more about the jewelry, see a catalog, or even host a party - let me know.
I hope everyone is having a great week - just another one to go and it'll be Thanksgiving!
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Transitions
Hard as it is to believe, my beautiful little girl is now officially 2. No longer a 'baby' - although she will always be my little baby - but now a toddler. I can't believe how fast the time has gone, yet it feels like she has always been here, with us. One of the strange ironies of motherhood. :-)
Becoming a mother was a transition - a very, very great transition. In a matter of a few minutes - the time it takes for the pregnancy test to shout PREGNANT - I experienced my first transition. No longer did my decisions just affect me - my decisions affected me and my new child. I tried to be healthy - when I could eat - and everything I did seemed to revolve around the pregnancy. The second transition came at 6:28pm on October 31, 2007 - the exact minute I went from being pregnant to being an actual, real mom. I had felt like a mom during the entire pregnancy, but motherhood took on a new meaning when I first held beautiful Lauren. People try to prepare you for what your life will be like when you have a child. I heard, "your life will never be the same" so many times it made me sick during the pregnancy. Yes, I knew my life would change. And I try not to pass on that advice to other pregnant women. But until that moment happens, you cannot comprehend just how your life changes. I never knew I was capable of such intense, unconditional love for a little being I had just officially met. When Lauren and I looked at each other for the first time - she was born with her eyes open, taking in the world - I could feel our connection. We knew each other. We loved each other. I knew in that moment that no matter what, I would do anything I could for her.
For the past two years, I have a been a mom. I love my role. I love being Lauren's mom more than I could have ever imagined possible. Having her changed me. We have experienced everything together - her first smile, her first laugh, her first time sitting up, her first foods, her first time crawling, her first steps, her first illness, her first fall, her first time using silverware, her first time pouring a bowl of Cheerios for herself. Everything. And it's been an amazing journey.
Admittedly, I am a hover-er. I always held Lauren, preferring that to putting her in a bouncy. I rarely put her down for naps - which then became a hard habit to break when she had to lie down for naps. I've not always made the right decisions, but I've made all of my decisions right. I have made mistakes, I'm not perfect. Through all that, Lauren has thrived and become such a beautiful little girl.
Now, I'm experiencing another transition. Lauren no longer needs me for everything. For the past two years, I have dedicated myself to helping her, caring for her, and teaching her. Now that she is older, she is becoming more independent. It's a transition for me because I have to let her do this, which means I have to re-learn what to do! That probably sounds weird, but it's hard for me to not feel guilty doing a household chore or even reading a book while she plays by herself. I have to give her that space though. She is like me, she likes time for herself every now and then. She's very good at letting us know and I am so proud that she can entertain herself. I am trying to let go of the guilt I feel when she plays by herself - I feel guilty because I think she is lonely, but really she loves it. She lets me know when she's done and wants my attention.
The next year will bring even more transitions. I never really thought about how we can divide our lives up by the transitions we've been through: graduation from high school, attending college, graduating from college, moving out for the first time, getting married, having a child. The transitions keep getting better and better the older I get. There are many times I think back on being younger and how great it was then. It's even better now though. I cherish each day with Lauren and Troy and look forward to our future transitions together.
Becoming a mother was a transition - a very, very great transition. In a matter of a few minutes - the time it takes for the pregnancy test to shout PREGNANT - I experienced my first transition. No longer did my decisions just affect me - my decisions affected me and my new child. I tried to be healthy - when I could eat - and everything I did seemed to revolve around the pregnancy. The second transition came at 6:28pm on October 31, 2007 - the exact minute I went from being pregnant to being an actual, real mom. I had felt like a mom during the entire pregnancy, but motherhood took on a new meaning when I first held beautiful Lauren. People try to prepare you for what your life will be like when you have a child. I heard, "your life will never be the same" so many times it made me sick during the pregnancy. Yes, I knew my life would change. And I try not to pass on that advice to other pregnant women. But until that moment happens, you cannot comprehend just how your life changes. I never knew I was capable of such intense, unconditional love for a little being I had just officially met. When Lauren and I looked at each other for the first time - she was born with her eyes open, taking in the world - I could feel our connection. We knew each other. We loved each other. I knew in that moment that no matter what, I would do anything I could for her.
For the past two years, I have a been a mom. I love my role. I love being Lauren's mom more than I could have ever imagined possible. Having her changed me. We have experienced everything together - her first smile, her first laugh, her first time sitting up, her first foods, her first time crawling, her first steps, her first illness, her first fall, her first time using silverware, her first time pouring a bowl of Cheerios for herself. Everything. And it's been an amazing journey.
Admittedly, I am a hover-er. I always held Lauren, preferring that to putting her in a bouncy. I rarely put her down for naps - which then became a hard habit to break when she had to lie down for naps. I've not always made the right decisions, but I've made all of my decisions right. I have made mistakes, I'm not perfect. Through all that, Lauren has thrived and become such a beautiful little girl.
Now, I'm experiencing another transition. Lauren no longer needs me for everything. For the past two years, I have dedicated myself to helping her, caring for her, and teaching her. Now that she is older, she is becoming more independent. It's a transition for me because I have to let her do this, which means I have to re-learn what to do! That probably sounds weird, but it's hard for me to not feel guilty doing a household chore or even reading a book while she plays by herself. I have to give her that space though. She is like me, she likes time for herself every now and then. She's very good at letting us know and I am so proud that she can entertain herself. I am trying to let go of the guilt I feel when she plays by herself - I feel guilty because I think she is lonely, but really she loves it. She lets me know when she's done and wants my attention.
The next year will bring even more transitions. I never really thought about how we can divide our lives up by the transitions we've been through: graduation from high school, attending college, graduating from college, moving out for the first time, getting married, having a child. The transitions keep getting better and better the older I get. There are many times I think back on being younger and how great it was then. It's even better now though. I cherish each day with Lauren and Troy and look forward to our future transitions together.
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Wow. October.
I absolutely LOVE this time of year! I think that because I was born in October, it's my favorite time of year. I love being able to wear jeans and long-sleeves, sweaters and sweatshirts. It's great being able to take Lauren to the park and not be a sweaty mess when we leave - I think she even enjoys it more. This time of year leads me into my favorite holiday season: Christmas. I'm already ready for it - I actually listened to Christmas music the other day, no joke. I've always loved Christmas, but I'm more excited this year because of Lauren. She loved the tree last year and this year, she'll be able to help me with the decorations! I also think she'll really like going and looking at Christmas lights. I know she'll call the blinking ones "sirens"! It's just a great time of year.
That being said, we've been keeping busy and I haven't been updating this as much as I planned initially. Most days there are just other things to do besides get on the computer and blog. I also blame some of it on my new phone - now that I have my email and facebook on my phone, I rarely get on the computer unless I get on specifically to do something, such as balance my checkbook or blog. Our days are pretty routine: get up, go to work, come home and get a few household things done if I get off work at 2, otherwise quickly change and go get Lauren, go to the park, come home and play, eat dinner, play, put Lauren to bed, then spend time with Troy. Usually it's 9:00pm before I have downtime and since I don't stay up late, I try to use that time to relax, catch up on my shows, and spend time with Troy.
I mentioned in Lauren's blog that I am blessed to have the job I do. And I truly am. I work 8-2 most days, although I do work later when it is needed. I work with great people, the job is interesting, and I get paid well. Due to the structure of Lauren's daycare, I often don't pick her up until 3 or 3:30. The times that I show up earlier, she doesn't want to leave because they are either eating a snack or doing a craft. This gives me an hour to get chores done around the house - which is what I end up doing. Put in laundry, vacuum, sweep, wash dishes, clean bathrooms (today's project if I get to it), etc. Sometimes I feel guilty when I don't rush straight to get her, but by getting stuff done then, I have even more time with her because I'm not doing it while she's home. And then I still get her earlier than the other kids are picked up. We have more time together, I have time to get stuff done to try and keep the house in order, and I'm still making money. I will be grateful if my job turns full-time, which hopefully in the next year it will, but until then, I am going to enjoy my part-time job. I hate when people try to make me feel like I don't have a "real" job or make me feel bad for not working until 5. I am fortunate that this situation works for our family. If I can't be a stay-at-home mom, then this is the next best thing.
I still have some projects I want to work on, but haven't really started them yet. I would like to get back to writing, but it's hard to find the time to do that. When I get home from work before I get Lauren, there are things to be done around the house. By 9:00pm, I'm too tired to try and be creative. I actually had a good start on one project and am hopeful to revisit that and work on it more. I know I need to make the time.
Troy and I have a date on October 17th - the WVU/Marshall game. I'm really excited about that and I know Lauren will be excited to spend the night with her Grandma Lorrie and Grandpa Steve. I have high hopes of sleeping in on the 18th, so we'll see if that happens. I will be cheering on WVU, although I really could care less who wins because, well, I'm not from here. :) But, we'll be in the WVU section and I have a WVU shirt from the basketball game we went to last year, so that trumps Marshall.
Lauren's 2nd birthday (::tears::) is coming up fast, so I've gotta start getting that planned. We have the location, the invitations are written and nearly out, so all that's left is getting the stuff for the party and, well, having it. And shopping for her presents!! I had hoped to have a costume party, but in the end we are having her a princess party. I think she'll love it, last night I worked on the invitations and she really wanted them. She loves her princesses. My birthday is also coming up - ugh, I'm so old. I can't believe I'll be 30 in two years. My parents are coming in late Wednesday, the 28th, and then hopefully they'll meet me on Thursday for a late lunch to celebrate because that evening we'll be Trick-Or-Treating with Lauren!! I can't think of a better way to spend my birthday.
That's what's going on here, not much exciting to report but, well, that's my life. :) Not exciting to most, but the greatest for myself. I have a great husband, a beautiful child (not baby anymore!), the perfect job - who could ask for more?
That being said, we've been keeping busy and I haven't been updating this as much as I planned initially. Most days there are just other things to do besides get on the computer and blog. I also blame some of it on my new phone - now that I have my email and facebook on my phone, I rarely get on the computer unless I get on specifically to do something, such as balance my checkbook or blog. Our days are pretty routine: get up, go to work, come home and get a few household things done if I get off work at 2, otherwise quickly change and go get Lauren, go to the park, come home and play, eat dinner, play, put Lauren to bed, then spend time with Troy. Usually it's 9:00pm before I have downtime and since I don't stay up late, I try to use that time to relax, catch up on my shows, and spend time with Troy.
I mentioned in Lauren's blog that I am blessed to have the job I do. And I truly am. I work 8-2 most days, although I do work later when it is needed. I work with great people, the job is interesting, and I get paid well. Due to the structure of Lauren's daycare, I often don't pick her up until 3 or 3:30. The times that I show up earlier, she doesn't want to leave because they are either eating a snack or doing a craft. This gives me an hour to get chores done around the house - which is what I end up doing. Put in laundry, vacuum, sweep, wash dishes, clean bathrooms (today's project if I get to it), etc. Sometimes I feel guilty when I don't rush straight to get her, but by getting stuff done then, I have even more time with her because I'm not doing it while she's home. And then I still get her earlier than the other kids are picked up. We have more time together, I have time to get stuff done to try and keep the house in order, and I'm still making money. I will be grateful if my job turns full-time, which hopefully in the next year it will, but until then, I am going to enjoy my part-time job. I hate when people try to make me feel like I don't have a "real" job or make me feel bad for not working until 5. I am fortunate that this situation works for our family. If I can't be a stay-at-home mom, then this is the next best thing.
I still have some projects I want to work on, but haven't really started them yet. I would like to get back to writing, but it's hard to find the time to do that. When I get home from work before I get Lauren, there are things to be done around the house. By 9:00pm, I'm too tired to try and be creative. I actually had a good start on one project and am hopeful to revisit that and work on it more. I know I need to make the time.
Troy and I have a date on October 17th - the WVU/Marshall game. I'm really excited about that and I know Lauren will be excited to spend the night with her Grandma Lorrie and Grandpa Steve. I have high hopes of sleeping in on the 18th, so we'll see if that happens. I will be cheering on WVU, although I really could care less who wins because, well, I'm not from here. :) But, we'll be in the WVU section and I have a WVU shirt from the basketball game we went to last year, so that trumps Marshall.
Lauren's 2nd birthday (::tears::) is coming up fast, so I've gotta start getting that planned. We have the location, the invitations are written and nearly out, so all that's left is getting the stuff for the party and, well, having it. And shopping for her presents!! I had hoped to have a costume party, but in the end we are having her a princess party. I think she'll love it, last night I worked on the invitations and she really wanted them. She loves her princesses. My birthday is also coming up - ugh, I'm so old. I can't believe I'll be 30 in two years. My parents are coming in late Wednesday, the 28th, and then hopefully they'll meet me on Thursday for a late lunch to celebrate because that evening we'll be Trick-Or-Treating with Lauren!! I can't think of a better way to spend my birthday.
That's what's going on here, not much exciting to report but, well, that's my life. :) Not exciting to most, but the greatest for myself. I have a great husband, a beautiful child (not baby anymore!), the perfect job - who could ask for more?
Friday, September 11, 2009
I'm Still Here
Despite my lack of posts, I am here - alive and well!
First - I am planning on updating Lauren's blog this weekend about our adventure to St. Louis and the lake. I have a few pictures to post, once I upload them to my computer at home, and can't wait to share how awesome she did on the plane, at the lake, and just how wonderful and fantastic she is in general!
Second - I don't know why, but I feel like I have so little time these days to focus on blogging! I will try to be better, but honestly, after work and playing with Lauren, eating dinner, then playing some more or going out with the family, I just want to relax at the end of the day. :)
Third - I am very excited about a project that I am going to start working on. It's a long-term project that came to me last night, and after doing a little research, I am confident that this idea could turn into something as long as I have the focus to work towards it. As such - Jen, please please read my facebook note and respond when you get a chance!! We were on the same floor learning the news of 9/11 back at ol' Mizzou and I would really appreciate your thoughts and any thoughts of your family members. Hope Audrey is well!! She's such a doll baby!
So that's what's going on with me in a nutshell...just staying busy! One of these days I might get to clean my house...but we'll see about that.
Hope all is well with everyone, and again, I will post pics of Lauren and blog about our St. Louis adventure! :)
First - I am planning on updating Lauren's blog this weekend about our adventure to St. Louis and the lake. I have a few pictures to post, once I upload them to my computer at home, and can't wait to share how awesome she did on the plane, at the lake, and just how wonderful and fantastic she is in general!
Second - I don't know why, but I feel like I have so little time these days to focus on blogging! I will try to be better, but honestly, after work and playing with Lauren, eating dinner, then playing some more or going out with the family, I just want to relax at the end of the day. :)
Third - I am very excited about a project that I am going to start working on. It's a long-term project that came to me last night, and after doing a little research, I am confident that this idea could turn into something as long as I have the focus to work towards it. As such - Jen, please please read my facebook note and respond when you get a chance!! We were on the same floor learning the news of 9/11 back at ol' Mizzou and I would really appreciate your thoughts and any thoughts of your family members. Hope Audrey is well!! She's such a doll baby!
So that's what's going on with me in a nutshell...just staying busy! One of these days I might get to clean my house...but we'll see about that.
Hope all is well with everyone, and again, I will post pics of Lauren and blog about our St. Louis adventure! :)
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
It's the middle of August.
This summer has gone by too quickly. I'm kind of ready for fall - it's my favorite season! I'll miss the warm weather come January, but I really enjoy the cool temperatures between September and November, and then snow between Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Anyway - this is what's been going on in a nutshell.
1) Working extra this week to help prepare my co-workers for benefit fairs they are attending.
2) Troy and I went to a wedding in Charlottesville, VA last weekend - nice wedding, missed my baby.
3) Lauren has been learning SOOO much lately. She's such a big girl, I can hardly believe it.
4) Her 2nd birthday is coming up - I'm uber excited for a costume party on Halloween! The kiddies will be adorable!
5) Still having some 'female' issues and am considering a second opinion. But, I don't think there is much they can do and I don't need the extra medical bills, so I probably won't go see another doc.
6) Very excited for BB tonight as Chima the Drama Queen and Bad Example of a Strong Woman is being evicted. NANANANA NANANANA HEY HEY HEY GOODBYE!
7) Haven't written in ages. Wish I had more time in the day to do that. Still have ideas in my head, but can't make the time lately to do it.
8) Haven't Wii Fitted in a week. OOPS. This, again, is due to lack of time. Although I could be doing it now while Troy and Lauren are having some daddy-daughter time....
9) Excited for a trip to St. Louis over Labor Day to take Lauren on the boat. She also gets to go on a plane. I think she'll love me forever.
As I write it out - it doesn't *seem* like I've been busy, but chasing after Lauren takes up my time. I normally blog at work (shhhhh!) but I haven't had the time to even read the blogs I follow let alone actually blog. By the time she goes to bed, Troy and I just pass out on the couch.
And now I will end this randomness because it's time for Lauren's bath and I have no idea where the two of them ventured....
Hope everyone is well!
Anyway - this is what's been going on in a nutshell.
1) Working extra this week to help prepare my co-workers for benefit fairs they are attending.
2) Troy and I went to a wedding in Charlottesville, VA last weekend - nice wedding, missed my baby.
3) Lauren has been learning SOOO much lately. She's such a big girl, I can hardly believe it.
4) Her 2nd birthday is coming up - I'm uber excited for a costume party on Halloween! The kiddies will be adorable!
5) Still having some 'female' issues and am considering a second opinion. But, I don't think there is much they can do and I don't need the extra medical bills, so I probably won't go see another doc.
6) Very excited for BB tonight as Chima the Drama Queen and Bad Example of a Strong Woman is being evicted. NANANANA NANANANA HEY HEY HEY GOODBYE!
7) Haven't written in ages. Wish I had more time in the day to do that. Still have ideas in my head, but can't make the time lately to do it.
8) Haven't Wii Fitted in a week. OOPS. This, again, is due to lack of time. Although I could be doing it now while Troy and Lauren are having some daddy-daughter time....
9) Excited for a trip to St. Louis over Labor Day to take Lauren on the boat. She also gets to go on a plane. I think she'll love me forever.
As I write it out - it doesn't *seem* like I've been busy, but chasing after Lauren takes up my time. I normally blog at work (shhhhh!) but I haven't had the time to even read the blogs I follow let alone actually blog. By the time she goes to bed, Troy and I just pass out on the couch.
And now I will end this randomness because it's time for Lauren's bath and I have no idea where the two of them ventured....
Hope everyone is well!
Sunday, August 2, 2009
The Weight Game
Ugh. I hate gaining weight but love eating junk food. That is NOT a good combination.
I have to start holding myself accountable and start (again) exercising and eating better. That means no more boxes of swiss cake rolls. HA. Seriously, today was kind of like hitting bottom for me. I am tired of feeling blah and honestly, Lauren is nearly two. It's time to take care of those last few pounds I gained during the pregnancy. My most recent excuse had been that if I have another baby soon, why work to lose the weight to gain it back? Well, having a baby may not be in the near future and I am no longer going to use that as an excuse to be lazy and eat crap.
I got stuff ready for a garage sale last week. When I was going through my maternity clothes to get things ready to sell, I actually found FOUR - yes four - shirts that I then brought upstairs so I could wear. Granted, they don't look "maternity" but the fact that I am going to wear maternity shirts because I want to have the material loose around my belly is a statement in and of itself. Before Lauren, I wore totally different clothes. Now, I can't stand any kind of shirt that clings to my belly. My closet totally reflects that. I've decided it's time.
So, while Lauren napped I pulled out Wii Fit, created a new Mii - which I made a little chunkier than my last, haha - and worked out for 25 minutes until the batteries on the Wii board died. It's a psychological boost - I felt better after doing it. I am going to try to do it every day - if I get off at 2, I'll come home and do my workout before I get Lauren. If I don't get off early, I'll force myself to do it after she goes to bed. Wii fitting with Lauren is not an option. She likes to use the board as a chair. I may try to get up earlier and walk, but we'll see about that. I just have to resolve to do this and stick to it.
I hate healthy foods - seriously. I love junk. I need to moderate things rather than going extreme. Here's an example - after my workout, I wanted a snack so I ate peanuts and chocolate chips. Normally, I would just dump a bunch in a bowl, but I actually measured out the serving size. I'm going to start doing that with my foods at home, and then just make healthier choices at work. And stop eating fast food. Well, not eat it a lot anyway.
Fortunately, Wii Fit was encouraging today. My goal is to lose 2.1 pounds so I'm at my ideal BMI. That still puts me about 5 pounds heavier than my pre-pregnancy weight, but I think if I can tone my thighs and belly I'll feel better about myself - even if my actual weight is higher than I'd like.
So, hopefully on August 16 I will happily post that I achieved my goal! Good luck to myself on eating healthier and exercising!
I have to start holding myself accountable and start (again) exercising and eating better. That means no more boxes of swiss cake rolls. HA. Seriously, today was kind of like hitting bottom for me. I am tired of feeling blah and honestly, Lauren is nearly two. It's time to take care of those last few pounds I gained during the pregnancy. My most recent excuse had been that if I have another baby soon, why work to lose the weight to gain it back? Well, having a baby may not be in the near future and I am no longer going to use that as an excuse to be lazy and eat crap.
I got stuff ready for a garage sale last week. When I was going through my maternity clothes to get things ready to sell, I actually found FOUR - yes four - shirts that I then brought upstairs so I could wear. Granted, they don't look "maternity" but the fact that I am going to wear maternity shirts because I want to have the material loose around my belly is a statement in and of itself. Before Lauren, I wore totally different clothes. Now, I can't stand any kind of shirt that clings to my belly. My closet totally reflects that. I've decided it's time.
So, while Lauren napped I pulled out Wii Fit, created a new Mii - which I made a little chunkier than my last, haha - and worked out for 25 minutes until the batteries on the Wii board died. It's a psychological boost - I felt better after doing it. I am going to try to do it every day - if I get off at 2, I'll come home and do my workout before I get Lauren. If I don't get off early, I'll force myself to do it after she goes to bed. Wii fitting with Lauren is not an option. She likes to use the board as a chair. I may try to get up earlier and walk, but we'll see about that. I just have to resolve to do this and stick to it.
I hate healthy foods - seriously. I love junk. I need to moderate things rather than going extreme. Here's an example - after my workout, I wanted a snack so I ate peanuts and chocolate chips. Normally, I would just dump a bunch in a bowl, but I actually measured out the serving size. I'm going to start doing that with my foods at home, and then just make healthier choices at work. And stop eating fast food. Well, not eat it a lot anyway.
Fortunately, Wii Fit was encouraging today. My goal is to lose 2.1 pounds so I'm at my ideal BMI. That still puts me about 5 pounds heavier than my pre-pregnancy weight, but I think if I can tone my thighs and belly I'll feel better about myself - even if my actual weight is higher than I'd like.
So, hopefully on August 16 I will happily post that I achieved my goal! Good luck to myself on eating healthier and exercising!
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Angry Fighting Bananas
Totally random, but that's kind of what this blog is...
First off, if the Big Brother house evicts Casey I may stop watching. Seriously. Every season that show irritates me because the players are stupid and don't do what I want them to do, yet I continue to watch. This season, I truly can't help it. It's like looking at a bad car accident. It's awful, but you are curious.
Okay. Now that's off my chest.
I was thinking on the way to work today about what I'd do if I didn't have to worry about money. I know that Troy and I would both be doing very different things career/job-wise from what we are doing now. Don't get me wrong - I am fortunate to have the job that I do. If we hit the lottery (and I'm not being greedy - a couple hundred thousand would be fine!), I know for a fact that I would want to stay at home. Not permanently, but until Lauren goes to school. I'd then want to get my teaching certificate/degree, that way when Lauren went to school, I could teach and be on her same schedule. When Lauren is older, I'd love to pursue an actual career - I've always wanted to do research and would love to work for some type of foreign policy think-tank (i.e. Brookings Institute). If possible, I'd also really enjoy getting my PhD in either history or political science/international relations. I'm a total nerd, I know. On a side note, I'm very excited about adding the Foreign Affairs blog to my blog roll so that I get daily updates. Did you know that in Shanghai, they are going to relax the "one-child" rule? I did not know this because I watch Blue's Clues, so it was great.
I think that sometimes I probably come off as "unmotivated" but that's not the case. I just have a different set of priorities. My number one priority is being a mom. I want to be able to participate in activities with Lauren, I want to be able to be home with her in the summers or when she gets home from school. I want to go to every event she's ever a part of. Some careers don't allow that flexibility.
I'm still attempting to pursue my dream of writing a novel. It's hard for me to carve out the time to do so, but if I get off work at 2 I try to go home and write for an hour before I get Lauren, as that seems to be the only time I can focus on it. Given that, I haven't gotten very far. And the past week I have worked until 3:30 or 4, so I just get Lauren right away instead of writing. I'm hoping to reach that goal.
The rewards of being a mother are more than I could ever have imagined. When Lauren holds out her arms and says "hug", I melt. She tells me she loves me and gives me kisses, wants me to play with her but also has grown to be independent and able to entertain herself. The past few nights I've been lying on her floor to tell stories. She starts out in bed, then comes and wants to lie down just like me - so we are there on the floor, both of us on our bellies and supporting ourselves on our elbows, and we talk. THAT is my motivation in life.
First off, if the Big Brother house evicts Casey I may stop watching. Seriously. Every season that show irritates me because the players are stupid and don't do what I want them to do, yet I continue to watch. This season, I truly can't help it. It's like looking at a bad car accident. It's awful, but you are curious.
Okay. Now that's off my chest.
I was thinking on the way to work today about what I'd do if I didn't have to worry about money. I know that Troy and I would both be doing very different things career/job-wise from what we are doing now. Don't get me wrong - I am fortunate to have the job that I do. If we hit the lottery (and I'm not being greedy - a couple hundred thousand would be fine!), I know for a fact that I would want to stay at home. Not permanently, but until Lauren goes to school. I'd then want to get my teaching certificate/degree, that way when Lauren went to school, I could teach and be on her same schedule. When Lauren is older, I'd love to pursue an actual career - I've always wanted to do research and would love to work for some type of foreign policy think-tank (i.e. Brookings Institute). If possible, I'd also really enjoy getting my PhD in either history or political science/international relations. I'm a total nerd, I know. On a side note, I'm very excited about adding the Foreign Affairs blog to my blog roll so that I get daily updates. Did you know that in Shanghai, they are going to relax the "one-child" rule? I did not know this because I watch Blue's Clues, so it was great.
I think that sometimes I probably come off as "unmotivated" but that's not the case. I just have a different set of priorities. My number one priority is being a mom. I want to be able to participate in activities with Lauren, I want to be able to be home with her in the summers or when she gets home from school. I want to go to every event she's ever a part of. Some careers don't allow that flexibility.
I'm still attempting to pursue my dream of writing a novel. It's hard for me to carve out the time to do so, but if I get off work at 2 I try to go home and write for an hour before I get Lauren, as that seems to be the only time I can focus on it. Given that, I haven't gotten very far. And the past week I have worked until 3:30 or 4, so I just get Lauren right away instead of writing. I'm hoping to reach that goal.
The rewards of being a mother are more than I could ever have imagined. When Lauren holds out her arms and says "hug", I melt. She tells me she loves me and gives me kisses, wants me to play with her but also has grown to be independent and able to entertain herself. The past few nights I've been lying on her floor to tell stories. She starts out in bed, then comes and wants to lie down just like me - so we are there on the floor, both of us on our bellies and supporting ourselves on our elbows, and we talk. THAT is my motivation in life.
Friday, July 24, 2009
BB - Oops
Well, my DVR didn't record BB last night because it's set up to record Bones and Samantha Who, and apparently they were all on at the same time. Troy informed me that Laura was evicted (shocker - please read the sarcasm) and that there was only one vote for lil' miss Jordan. Jessie won HOH which really sucks because he's annoying. But, I didn't see any drama unfold so I don't have much to say.
Correction - Troy informed me I misquote lil' miss Jordan. I'm not sure exactly what she said about how many quarters are in an hour, but it wasn't correct and still funny. Sorry, Jordan.
I'm with the times now, joined Twitter yesterday and have tweeted already. I feel old just having signed up, but it's kind of interesting...we'll see...don't have any kind of data plan on my crappy phone (new one next month, whoo hoo!) so I won't update it much. But, I'm "cool" now. HA.
Hope everyone has a great weekend! I'm off to Indiana!
Correction - Troy informed me I misquote lil' miss Jordan. I'm not sure exactly what she said about how many quarters are in an hour, but it wasn't correct and still funny. Sorry, Jordan.
I'm with the times now, joined Twitter yesterday and have tweeted already. I feel old just having signed up, but it's kind of interesting...we'll see...don't have any kind of data plan on my crappy phone (new one next month, whoo hoo!) so I won't update it much. But, I'm "cool" now. HA.
Hope everyone has a great weekend! I'm off to Indiana!
Thursday, July 23, 2009
BB - Drama Tonight!
First, let me say I'm so happy that Ronnie's Reign of Power ends tonight. He is an idiot. Yes, he's playing the game 100%...TOO OBVIOUSLY. Come on. In past seasons, those who have fared the best in the outcome played the game, but did it under the radar or used their own persuasion techniques. I'm not impressed with the current National Persuasion Speaker Champion or whatever his title is. In fact, he's letting the power go to his head and, to America, just looks like an idiot. His poor wife and child...
Ronnie once again succumbed to the pressure of the bullies - more than likely repeating his high school days, thus the season's theme - and put up Jordan. What? Okay. What? Really? If you vote Russell out, guess what? He can't kick your ass. Anyway, there is a strong "no fighting" rule in the house where if a houseguest assaults you, they will be kicked out as we have seen in previous seasons. Anyway, he's just a dork and I don't like him.
Stalker Laura is actually growing on me. I still don't *like* her, but she's definitely a smart player and in all honesty, the house would be smart to get rid of her. If they don't, she will definitely make some pivotal moves. I don't think she's the only one who's onto Ronnie, though. I wanted her voted out initially, and now that it's going to happen, I'm not sure it's the best move.
Jordan, on the other hand, I'd rather see stay than Stalker Laura. She's just hilarious. I mean, really...there are 45 quarters in an hour? I cracked up over that conversation with Jeff. Kudos to Jeff, by the way, for his great strategy that won him POV. Sorry Russell. You can't win all the competitions.
Russell, by the way, is going through some drug withdrawal or something. What's up with his random outbursts at innocent bystanders? I know, we only see a small portion of what goes on in the house because I have too much of a life to purchase and watch them 24/7, but still. That's a little crazy and it's not going to work in your favor. Eventually, they will turn on you because you seem to pose a physical threat in the house. You are weird.
Casey is still my pick. He is just funny and he's a good player. He's not making himself a target, which is IDEAL in this game. I'm not sure I'd want him for Lauren's 5th grade teacher, however...
Diva Kevin will be in the game for a while unless he does something stupid. Right now, it's the "athletes" - being the Russell, Jessie, Natalie (with some Chima thrown in) clique going after Laura, Jordan, Jeff, and Casey...although I think the others are targets more than Casey. Jeff has seemingly diassociated himself - rightly so - from his 'clique'. Lydia, Diva Kevin, and Michele are kind of just there.
I still HATE the way the game is being played with the cliques. One person wins and 3 people are safe? No. Not fun, BB! Especially since Chima was just a total BI-OTCH at the luxury competition. Boo Casey for giving in, but really, he just wanted to watch the movie. I felt bad for him having to sit with her. I also am wondering if Casey is the player with a 10-month old baby...it very obviously wasn't Ronnie. If it is Ronnie, I'd be pissed that they gave me bubble wands and play-doh instead of pictures of my child. But that's just me.
Tonight could be interesting. Jessie most definitely wants Laura out, and I kind of think she's going. But, more surprising things have happened. Look for Laura to campaign hard while Jordan (who's probably still not sure if she's *really* on the block) goes for the sympathy votes: 'why me? what'd I do?' I think she's a fighter, but she may not be intelligent enough to know that she kind of needs to fight...like now.
Ronnie - you are SCREWED unless Jessie, Russell or Natalie win the HOH, or a member of your team. The others will vote you out because you are just weird and have proven to the house to be playing both sides. Should've done it under the radar, freak-o.
Ronnie once again succumbed to the pressure of the bullies - more than likely repeating his high school days, thus the season's theme - and put up Jordan. What? Okay. What? Really? If you vote Russell out, guess what? He can't kick your ass. Anyway, there is a strong "no fighting" rule in the house where if a houseguest assaults you, they will be kicked out as we have seen in previous seasons. Anyway, he's just a dork and I don't like him.
Stalker Laura is actually growing on me. I still don't *like* her, but she's definitely a smart player and in all honesty, the house would be smart to get rid of her. If they don't, she will definitely make some pivotal moves. I don't think she's the only one who's onto Ronnie, though. I wanted her voted out initially, and now that it's going to happen, I'm not sure it's the best move.
Jordan, on the other hand, I'd rather see stay than Stalker Laura. She's just hilarious. I mean, really...there are 45 quarters in an hour? I cracked up over that conversation with Jeff. Kudos to Jeff, by the way, for his great strategy that won him POV. Sorry Russell. You can't win all the competitions.
Russell, by the way, is going through some drug withdrawal or something. What's up with his random outbursts at innocent bystanders? I know, we only see a small portion of what goes on in the house because I have too much of a life to purchase and watch them 24/7, but still. That's a little crazy and it's not going to work in your favor. Eventually, they will turn on you because you seem to pose a physical threat in the house. You are weird.
Casey is still my pick. He is just funny and he's a good player. He's not making himself a target, which is IDEAL in this game. I'm not sure I'd want him for Lauren's 5th grade teacher, however...
Diva Kevin will be in the game for a while unless he does something stupid. Right now, it's the "athletes" - being the Russell, Jessie, Natalie (with some Chima thrown in) clique going after Laura, Jordan, Jeff, and Casey...although I think the others are targets more than Casey. Jeff has seemingly diassociated himself - rightly so - from his 'clique'. Lydia, Diva Kevin, and Michele are kind of just there.
I still HATE the way the game is being played with the cliques. One person wins and 3 people are safe? No. Not fun, BB! Especially since Chima was just a total BI-OTCH at the luxury competition. Boo Casey for giving in, but really, he just wanted to watch the movie. I felt bad for him having to sit with her. I also am wondering if Casey is the player with a 10-month old baby...it very obviously wasn't Ronnie. If it is Ronnie, I'd be pissed that they gave me bubble wands and play-doh instead of pictures of my child. But that's just me.
Tonight could be interesting. Jessie most definitely wants Laura out, and I kind of think she's going. But, more surprising things have happened. Look for Laura to campaign hard while Jordan (who's probably still not sure if she's *really* on the block) goes for the sympathy votes: 'why me? what'd I do?' I think she's a fighter, but she may not be intelligent enough to know that she kind of needs to fight...like now.
Ronnie - you are SCREWED unless Jessie, Russell or Natalie win the HOH, or a member of your team. The others will vote you out because you are just weird and have proven to the house to be playing both sides. Should've done it under the radar, freak-o.
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
BB July 14
I want to apologize for calling one clique the "Out Casts" they are actually the "Offbeats."
Seriously, these people are just weird.
First, Laura - the people aren't jealous of your looks or your fake boobs. You really aren't even all that pretty. I think people haven't talked to you because you are annoying and kind of stalkerish and weird. It's great that you've "given them the chance to talk to you", but maybe you should approach them and actually talk, rather than just sit and look at people. I wish you'd go home and I hate that the steroid boys felt sorry for you and picked you up for an alliance. Since Jessie thinks you are weird, I hope that doesn't last.
The funniest moment was when Offbeat C had this "WTF" expression on his face while Laura was talking about how pretty and awesome she was and that others in the house were jealous, then his comments in the diary room made me laugh out loud. Truly.
Okay. So I didn't like how anyone played the POV competition. Hilarious that Jessie ended three minutes early and spelled his word wrong. Continuously is too big of a word for Jessie anyway. And really - why go in with this set word in your head? Unfortunately, Russell did have the best strategy and I hate to admit that because I think he's just crazy. Russell and Jessie are trying to be Dr. Will and Boogie. Whatever.
Then Russell goes on this rampage making fun of Jeff (his teammate, hello) for trying to spell "technotronic." There was actually a yelling match over spelling. SPELLING. Seriously? If that's all you have to call Jeff out on, just leave it alone. The point was to "embarass" him, but I kind of was embarassed for Russell because it was so random. And who cares if he likes Lydia and was getting "too close" to Jordan. No reason to embarass him. Especially when you end up using the POV to take Lydia off the block!!!!!
Ronnie - who we learned is the National Champion in Persuasion Speaking (don't you want to be on his team?!) - is trying to create drama. He's actually bringing more attention to himself and his DORK shirt than he would if he'd just sit back, shut up, and let things happen. He's not a target. But he should be. For being odd.
Diva Chima, still can't stand her and hope she goes home. She tried to call others out by spelling "superficiality" - which, by the way, she knows how to spell because she is a freelance writer and has a big vocabulary - when she is probably THE most superficial contestant in the house. GO HOME.
Braden is on the block. I kind of feel bad for the weirdo. I mean, most of the time he's on another planet and he's being attacked. He doesn't even know what's going on. I hope they vote out Chima. I'd rather hear weird ramblings from B than Diva Chima talk about how awesome and beautiful she is. Her and Laura should be sequestered together. They'd rip each others' throats out.
All in all, weird episode. Surprised the POV was used in the FIRST week, but I think Russell and Jessie are on a power trip and that's their way of flaunting it. We'll see what happens tomorrow...
Also, not a fan of Natalie anymore. I still kind of like Lydia, since she stopped crying, but I have to say I have no favorite right now. Hopefully someone grows on me. Makes it more fun to watch when you are rooting for someone and coaching them along. OH, okay. My pick is Offbeat C. He's hilarious.
Seriously, these people are just weird.
First, Laura - the people aren't jealous of your looks or your fake boobs. You really aren't even all that pretty. I think people haven't talked to you because you are annoying and kind of stalkerish and weird. It's great that you've "given them the chance to talk to you", but maybe you should approach them and actually talk, rather than just sit and look at people. I wish you'd go home and I hate that the steroid boys felt sorry for you and picked you up for an alliance. Since Jessie thinks you are weird, I hope that doesn't last.
The funniest moment was when Offbeat C had this "WTF" expression on his face while Laura was talking about how pretty and awesome she was and that others in the house were jealous, then his comments in the diary room made me laugh out loud. Truly.
Okay. So I didn't like how anyone played the POV competition. Hilarious that Jessie ended three minutes early and spelled his word wrong. Continuously is too big of a word for Jessie anyway. And really - why go in with this set word in your head? Unfortunately, Russell did have the best strategy and I hate to admit that because I think he's just crazy. Russell and Jessie are trying to be Dr. Will and Boogie. Whatever.
Then Russell goes on this rampage making fun of Jeff (his teammate, hello) for trying to spell "technotronic." There was actually a yelling match over spelling. SPELLING. Seriously? If that's all you have to call Jeff out on, just leave it alone. The point was to "embarass" him, but I kind of was embarassed for Russell because it was so random. And who cares if he likes Lydia and was getting "too close" to Jordan. No reason to embarass him. Especially when you end up using the POV to take Lydia off the block!!!!!
Ronnie - who we learned is the National Champion in Persuasion Speaking (don't you want to be on his team?!) - is trying to create drama. He's actually bringing more attention to himself and his DORK shirt than he would if he'd just sit back, shut up, and let things happen. He's not a target. But he should be. For being odd.
Diva Chima, still can't stand her and hope she goes home. She tried to call others out by spelling "superficiality" - which, by the way, she knows how to spell because she is a freelance writer and has a big vocabulary - when she is probably THE most superficial contestant in the house. GO HOME.
Braden is on the block. I kind of feel bad for the weirdo. I mean, most of the time he's on another planet and he's being attacked. He doesn't even know what's going on. I hope they vote out Chima. I'd rather hear weird ramblings from B than Diva Chima talk about how awesome and beautiful she is. Her and Laura should be sequestered together. They'd rip each others' throats out.
All in all, weird episode. Surprised the POV was used in the FIRST week, but I think Russell and Jessie are on a power trip and that's their way of flaunting it. We'll see what happens tomorrow...
Also, not a fan of Natalie anymore. I still kind of like Lydia, since she stopped crying, but I have to say I have no favorite right now. Hopefully someone grows on me. Makes it more fun to watch when you are rooting for someone and coaching them along. OH, okay. My pick is Offbeat C. He's hilarious.
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Big Brother 11
I have watched Big Brother since college. My roommate and I were in love with this one guy from BB4, jokinginly arguing with one another why we were the better match for him.
So this season, I'm going to blog about the show. Why? Because this cast SUCKS, but I'm kind of obsessed with the plot. Can't help it, love the game. Not to the point where I pay to have live feed 24 hours a day (seriously, who does that?!) or even watching BB After Dark. But, I will continue to watch each episode and consequently talk to the television.
I missed the first episode, sadly. Not that I missed much. Honestly, where did they find these people? And I'm not a fan of the whole "clique" idea - really, it's a show where you play for yourself, not for a team. I do not like the team element to this season. So, here's where I stand. If you don't watch this, I apologize that this won't make sense. The "cliques" are: athletes, brainiacs, populars and out-cast.
Athletes: I like the only female member - but I don't know her name. I'll call her N. She seems smart and is already playing the game. You go, girl! Why in the WORLD did they bring steroid-man Jessie back (and I thought spelling jessie with an "i" made it feminine...)? He's already annoyed me to the point of no return. He does, however, have a huge crush on N. Anyway, in one of the "twists" this season, the athletes won the HOH competition, which brought back Jessie and made him the first official HOH. BLAH shoot me now. He's already spent an episode trying to get other people to tell him what to do. And what REALLY made me mad was that he listened to the other steriod-infused athlete, Russell (I think?) and nominated a brainiac (pawn, which means she will be sent a-packin') and Lydia (see below). I can't stand when people get in there and don't play the game for themselves. YOU ARE WEAK.
Brainiacs: A mostly unmemorable group, with the exception of Chima (I think?) who is a total diva. Divas do not belong on BB. With the exception of Kevin the Diva, a member of the Out Cast clique. Seriously, she threw a fit because she had to sleep on a slab. The "worst room ever" in BB history - I expected like, I don't know, spikes sticking out of the beds so that you could only sleep in one position. It's basically just a plain room with no mattress. It's camping. I don't like camping, but I wouldn't cry and whine over that room. YOU ONLY SLEEP IN IT. So what does Diva Chima do? You got it - she goes to bed early to avoid the other houseguests. Seriously? You just cried and said that you are basically too much of a princess for this show because you have all this material crap at home and shouldn't exist in such a situation, and then you GO TO BED EARLY. Don't like you. At all. Go home. Please. Fortunately, she was the pawn. Which, if you watch BB, know immediately will send you a-packin'. Don't volunteer to be a pawn. I'm also pretty sure that the male brainiac is the contestant who left his wife and 10-month old daughter home to play the game. And then complained to the others about how much he got picked on in high school while wearing...get this...a shirt that says DORK. You think?
Populars: Okay. Braden, worshipper of multiple gods, I have no idea what you said. You talked three separate times, and I'm pretty sure you were high. You should not speak the rest of the game. That is your game-plan. Do not speak. And you kind of look like Brendan Frasier. Then there's the dark-haired, big boobed girl - I don't know her name, so I will call her Stalker, as that is what she is. She pretty much stalked Jessie. And then just sat there staring at him. Can we say C-R-E-E-P-Y? Go home. Just go home. You are too weird for the show. I miss Janelle. She was hilarious and you are just weird, Stalker. My favorite part was when she said in the diary room that he just didn't seem to want to talk to her. Then get the message, move on. The other popular girl, she's a blonde, seems equally as weird as Braden. Look for a hook-up between the two. They are both spacy.
Out-Casts: The old guy (where else would he belong), the tattoo-freak Lydia, and Diva Kevin. I like the old guy - he hasn't annoyed me too much YET, and he actually did an awesome job in the first "food" competition, although I guess now it's Haves/Have Nots competition. Diva Kevin, gotta love the token gay guy on the show. He kinda laid low, complained about Jessie, but didn't really do anything to make me want to yell at him. Gotta say, really liked tattoo Lydia until she started crying after Jessie nominated her. SERIOUSLY?? It's the first week. Don't cry. It's just not worth it. Sure, you gave Jessie a back rub, but if you've watched the show you know it doesn't mean anything. I hate that Jessie wanted to nominate Stalker but since athlete Russell and brainiac Michelle wanted Lydia to go, he put her up. Should've put up Stalker. She's truly obnoxious and I can't stand seeing her on the television. But Lydia, it is just a game and the Veto competition is coming up. If you want to cry, do it when you pack your bags and walk out the door.
The cast is seriously boring and I'd like to see another All-Star game. Or at least go back to a normal format with normal people - these people are just odd. Really odd. Game time tonight, we'll see what happens....for those of you who don't watch the show, tune in Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays for the action! CBS!
So this season, I'm going to blog about the show. Why? Because this cast SUCKS, but I'm kind of obsessed with the plot. Can't help it, love the game. Not to the point where I pay to have live feed 24 hours a day (seriously, who does that?!) or even watching BB After Dark. But, I will continue to watch each episode and consequently talk to the television.
I missed the first episode, sadly. Not that I missed much. Honestly, where did they find these people? And I'm not a fan of the whole "clique" idea - really, it's a show where you play for yourself, not for a team. I do not like the team element to this season. So, here's where I stand. If you don't watch this, I apologize that this won't make sense. The "cliques" are: athletes, brainiacs, populars and out-cast.
Athletes: I like the only female member - but I don't know her name. I'll call her N. She seems smart and is already playing the game. You go, girl! Why in the WORLD did they bring steroid-man Jessie back (and I thought spelling jessie with an "i" made it feminine...)? He's already annoyed me to the point of no return. He does, however, have a huge crush on N. Anyway, in one of the "twists" this season, the athletes won the HOH competition, which brought back Jessie and made him the first official HOH. BLAH shoot me now. He's already spent an episode trying to get other people to tell him what to do. And what REALLY made me mad was that he listened to the other steriod-infused athlete, Russell (I think?) and nominated a brainiac (pawn, which means she will be sent a-packin') and Lydia (see below). I can't stand when people get in there and don't play the game for themselves. YOU ARE WEAK.
Brainiacs: A mostly unmemorable group, with the exception of Chima (I think?) who is a total diva. Divas do not belong on BB. With the exception of Kevin the Diva, a member of the Out Cast clique. Seriously, she threw a fit because she had to sleep on a slab. The "worst room ever" in BB history - I expected like, I don't know, spikes sticking out of the beds so that you could only sleep in one position. It's basically just a plain room with no mattress. It's camping. I don't like camping, but I wouldn't cry and whine over that room. YOU ONLY SLEEP IN IT. So what does Diva Chima do? You got it - she goes to bed early to avoid the other houseguests. Seriously? You just cried and said that you are basically too much of a princess for this show because you have all this material crap at home and shouldn't exist in such a situation, and then you GO TO BED EARLY. Don't like you. At all. Go home. Please. Fortunately, she was the pawn. Which, if you watch BB, know immediately will send you a-packin'. Don't volunteer to be a pawn. I'm also pretty sure that the male brainiac is the contestant who left his wife and 10-month old daughter home to play the game. And then complained to the others about how much he got picked on in high school while wearing...get this...a shirt that says DORK. You think?
Populars: Okay. Braden, worshipper of multiple gods, I have no idea what you said. You talked three separate times, and I'm pretty sure you were high. You should not speak the rest of the game. That is your game-plan. Do not speak. And you kind of look like Brendan Frasier. Then there's the dark-haired, big boobed girl - I don't know her name, so I will call her Stalker, as that is what she is. She pretty much stalked Jessie. And then just sat there staring at him. Can we say C-R-E-E-P-Y? Go home. Just go home. You are too weird for the show. I miss Janelle. She was hilarious and you are just weird, Stalker. My favorite part was when she said in the diary room that he just didn't seem to want to talk to her. Then get the message, move on. The other popular girl, she's a blonde, seems equally as weird as Braden. Look for a hook-up between the two. They are both spacy.
Out-Casts: The old guy (where else would he belong), the tattoo-freak Lydia, and Diva Kevin. I like the old guy - he hasn't annoyed me too much YET, and he actually did an awesome job in the first "food" competition, although I guess now it's Haves/Have Nots competition. Diva Kevin, gotta love the token gay guy on the show. He kinda laid low, complained about Jessie, but didn't really do anything to make me want to yell at him. Gotta say, really liked tattoo Lydia until she started crying after Jessie nominated her. SERIOUSLY?? It's the first week. Don't cry. It's just not worth it. Sure, you gave Jessie a back rub, but if you've watched the show you know it doesn't mean anything. I hate that Jessie wanted to nominate Stalker but since athlete Russell and brainiac Michelle wanted Lydia to go, he put her up. Should've put up Stalker. She's truly obnoxious and I can't stand seeing her on the television. But Lydia, it is just a game and the Veto competition is coming up. If you want to cry, do it when you pack your bags and walk out the door.
The cast is seriously boring and I'd like to see another All-Star game. Or at least go back to a normal format with normal people - these people are just odd. Really odd. Game time tonight, we'll see what happens....for those of you who don't watch the show, tune in Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays for the action! CBS!
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Brand New Woman!
Is how I am hoping to feel in a few hours!!
I am getting my haircut, and I am really really hoping that it turns out like I would like. I have really not been happy with my hair for the past four or five months and am ready for something new. Even though my hair is "short", for me it's long. I had it SUPER short back when I was pregnant with Lauren, then attempted to grow it out.
On top of the fact that I truly truly hate my hair right now, I left my hair dryer and straightener at the hotel in SC, sooooo it has been air-drying, which means I have to put gel and scrunch it to attempt to get it to have a pretty curl/wave rather than just looking like crap. But, it does, in fact, still look like crap.
On the suggestion of two people, I'm going to a new place today at 3:00pm. I printed off a picture of Victoria Beckham's haircut and will be very happy if it turns out that way! Keep your fingers crossed for me. Getting a great haircut always makes me feel better and prettier - a bad haircut will put me in a bad mood. :)
I'm remaining positive that I'm going to love my new hair style and will feel pretty again!!!
I am getting my haircut, and I am really really hoping that it turns out like I would like. I have really not been happy with my hair for the past four or five months and am ready for something new. Even though my hair is "short", for me it's long. I had it SUPER short back when I was pregnant with Lauren, then attempted to grow it out.
On top of the fact that I truly truly hate my hair right now, I left my hair dryer and straightener at the hotel in SC, sooooo it has been air-drying, which means I have to put gel and scrunch it to attempt to get it to have a pretty curl/wave rather than just looking like crap. But, it does, in fact, still look like crap.
On the suggestion of two people, I'm going to a new place today at 3:00pm. I printed off a picture of Victoria Beckham's haircut and will be very happy if it turns out that way! Keep your fingers crossed for me. Getting a great haircut always makes me feel better and prettier - a bad haircut will put me in a bad mood. :)
I'm remaining positive that I'm going to love my new hair style and will feel pretty again!!!
Friday, June 26, 2009
Summer-itis
When I was in school, I'd always - ALWAYS - become much less motivated with school work and more interested in lazy days outside around May. In college, I worked my butt off during the year so that when finals came around, I didn't have to really study so hard. I knew I wouldn't. I'd make the study guides, read over them, but inevitably a pretty, sunny, warm day would occur and I'd blow it off. It was always my summer-itis kicking in.
Now that I'm a *laughs* grown-up, I should be more focused on my career - errr - job, but I'm not. I'm sitting here, inside on a beautiful FRIDAY and cannot get motivated for anything besides going home, getting my daughter and playing until we drive to Charleston to meet Troy for Blues, Brews and BBQs tonight. I should write some more, but I don't wanna. I should be making my lists - if for no other reason than to give Troy something to make fun of me for (as if he needs more ammo) - because we leave for vacation on Tuesday. I should be working.
I need to be a teacher. I just decided this, like, two seconds ago. It's something Troy has suggested and something I've thought about on my own, but today makes it definitive. I am destined to be a teacher because I don't want to work during the summer. I'd rather go to the pool or the park with my daughter, go on walks, read on the couch with the windows open while Lauren naps. I don't want to be sitting in an office. **Sidenote, I actually really do enjoy my job...summer-itis is just really kicking into full gear today**
It's just one of those days where I'm actually sitting here and minutes will pass and I have no clue what happened. I'm very spacy today, my mind filled with thoughts about what I should be writing. What I want to do with Lauren when we get home. What I'm going to wear tonight. What I'm going to wear tomorrow night. I told Troy I was bored and he told me to blog. So I am. And it's random and about nothing because that's what happens to me on sunny, pretty Fridays when I'm stuck inside a building daydreaming about what I could be doing rather than actually doing what I should.
I love that I get to leave in a half hour. I know that today will repeat itself Monday and Tuesday. Those days, I will be suffering from vacation-itis, which occurs in the days before one physically goes on vacation but mentally is already there. My mind will be at Hilton Head, on the beach, watching Lauren throw sand. And I will be mentally preparing lists. And not focused on work.
Now that I'm a *laughs* grown-up, I should be more focused on my career - errr - job, but I'm not. I'm sitting here, inside on a beautiful FRIDAY and cannot get motivated for anything besides going home, getting my daughter and playing until we drive to Charleston to meet Troy for Blues, Brews and BBQs tonight. I should write some more, but I don't wanna. I should be making my lists - if for no other reason than to give Troy something to make fun of me for (as if he needs more ammo) - because we leave for vacation on Tuesday. I should be working.
I need to be a teacher. I just decided this, like, two seconds ago. It's something Troy has suggested and something I've thought about on my own, but today makes it definitive. I am destined to be a teacher because I don't want to work during the summer. I'd rather go to the pool or the park with my daughter, go on walks, read on the couch with the windows open while Lauren naps. I don't want to be sitting in an office. **Sidenote, I actually really do enjoy my job...summer-itis is just really kicking into full gear today**
It's just one of those days where I'm actually sitting here and minutes will pass and I have no clue what happened. I'm very spacy today, my mind filled with thoughts about what I should be writing. What I want to do with Lauren when we get home. What I'm going to wear tonight. What I'm going to wear tomorrow night. I told Troy I was bored and he told me to blog. So I am. And it's random and about nothing because that's what happens to me on sunny, pretty Fridays when I'm stuck inside a building daydreaming about what I could be doing rather than actually doing what I should.
I love that I get to leave in a half hour. I know that today will repeat itself Monday and Tuesday. Those days, I will be suffering from vacation-itis, which occurs in the days before one physically goes on vacation but mentally is already there. My mind will be at Hilton Head, on the beach, watching Lauren throw sand. And I will be mentally preparing lists. And not focused on work.
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Reading
Sometimes I am amazed at the randomness of topics that come to me while I'm at work.
Today, while I'm doing nothing even remotely close to reading I think, wouldn't it be fun to blog about book reviews? Which from there went to I think it'd be really great to have a book club. Well, as anyone with small children knows, finding the time to do that now would be difficult...unless I got involved in a book club with women who also had small children and realized that it may take a month or two to read a book.
But I digress.
When Troy and I were flying to Mexico, we were not seated together due to the last minute change to our flight. I don't know why this came to me today, but it did. I'm sitting there, reading a book that I had been wanting to read for months but had saved specifically for this trip, knowing that I would finally have the time to sit and read a few chapters without either falling asleep or feeling like I was neglecting my husband. Kathy Reichs - Devil Bones. Kathy Reichs is an AWESOME author. She's a forensic anthropologist and uses a lot of big words that I really don't understand sometimes, but she has the ability to incorporate that into her writing in a really interesting way. I've read all of her books and am anxiously awaiting the release of 206 Bones this summer. (Also how I was able to answer a random question at the Moon Palace Resort in Cancun) So anyway, I'm putting my book away because we are getting ready to prepare for landing when the gentleman seated next to me (and another side note - I'm not a talker on airplanes. I like that downtime for myself unless I'm sitting with Troy) and says, "It's great to see a young person reading something other than those Twilight books. Every young woman I've seen lately has been reading those" to which I replied, "Yeah, that's a good series - I already read them."
I'm not sure what his point was, but the impression I got from that small interaction was that he felt that series was just not worthy reading material. You know, who cares what the content of the book is as long as people - especially young people - are reading? I always hated hearing about schools that wanted to do away with Harry Potter because it promoted witchcraft. WHATEVER. I would love to live at Hogwarts and know all the spells, but I know that it is fantasy - it's not real. It doesn't make me want to go join some Wiccan cult. Young people are not going to turn into witches because they read Harry Potter. Young people will not want to become vampires by reading the Twilight Saga. In fact, if anything, I think the Twilight Saga is anti-vampire. None of the vampire characters want to be vampires - Edward doesn't want Bella to change over. Rosalie is jealous of human girls because they can do things she can't. My brother who has not read an entire book since he was probably 10 and reading the Goosebumps series by R. L. Stine turned ME on to Twilight. I figured if he read the book, and continued to read the whole series, it must be good. And it was. So why do you, random airplane man, care if young people are reading Twilight instead of some epic novel? The point is they are reading. Using their imaginations. Not playing video games.
That's my rant for today. I'm currently reading "Promise in Death" by JD Robb (aka Nora Roberts) and it is sooo good. I'm about 20 pages into it (and I started it three days ago), but it is going to be just like her other "In Death" novels. Very good.
I read to Lauren a lot. I want her to enjoy reading because I think it is a good thing. I'm kind of picky with the types of books I read and often get stuck on certain authors. Fortunately, through those authors I find new ones, and will try to read every book they've written. I have read every book in the JD Robb series and every Kathy Reichs book, every Sophie Kinsella book - although I do have one more to read where she is using her alias Madeline Wickham, and am working through Lisa Gardner's books.
One day, I'll read Harry Potter with Lauren. I'll pass on Twilight to her. If she reads, I am happy.
Today, while I'm doing nothing even remotely close to reading I think, wouldn't it be fun to blog about book reviews? Which from there went to I think it'd be really great to have a book club. Well, as anyone with small children knows, finding the time to do that now would be difficult...unless I got involved in a book club with women who also had small children and realized that it may take a month or two to read a book.
But I digress.
When Troy and I were flying to Mexico, we were not seated together due to the last minute change to our flight. I don't know why this came to me today, but it did. I'm sitting there, reading a book that I had been wanting to read for months but had saved specifically for this trip, knowing that I would finally have the time to sit and read a few chapters without either falling asleep or feeling like I was neglecting my husband. Kathy Reichs - Devil Bones. Kathy Reichs is an AWESOME author. She's a forensic anthropologist and uses a lot of big words that I really don't understand sometimes, but she has the ability to incorporate that into her writing in a really interesting way. I've read all of her books and am anxiously awaiting the release of 206 Bones this summer. (Also how I was able to answer a random question at the Moon Palace Resort in Cancun) So anyway, I'm putting my book away because we are getting ready to prepare for landing when the gentleman seated next to me (and another side note - I'm not a talker on airplanes. I like that downtime for myself unless I'm sitting with Troy) and says, "It's great to see a young person reading something other than those Twilight books. Every young woman I've seen lately has been reading those" to which I replied, "Yeah, that's a good series - I already read them."
I'm not sure what his point was, but the impression I got from that small interaction was that he felt that series was just not worthy reading material. You know, who cares what the content of the book is as long as people - especially young people - are reading? I always hated hearing about schools that wanted to do away with Harry Potter because it promoted witchcraft. WHATEVER. I would love to live at Hogwarts and know all the spells, but I know that it is fantasy - it's not real. It doesn't make me want to go join some Wiccan cult. Young people are not going to turn into witches because they read Harry Potter. Young people will not want to become vampires by reading the Twilight Saga. In fact, if anything, I think the Twilight Saga is anti-vampire. None of the vampire characters want to be vampires - Edward doesn't want Bella to change over. Rosalie is jealous of human girls because they can do things she can't. My brother who has not read an entire book since he was probably 10 and reading the Goosebumps series by R. L. Stine turned ME on to Twilight. I figured if he read the book, and continued to read the whole series, it must be good. And it was. So why do you, random airplane man, care if young people are reading Twilight instead of some epic novel? The point is they are reading. Using their imaginations. Not playing video games.
That's my rant for today. I'm currently reading "Promise in Death" by JD Robb (aka Nora Roberts) and it is sooo good. I'm about 20 pages into it (and I started it three days ago), but it is going to be just like her other "In Death" novels. Very good.
I read to Lauren a lot. I want her to enjoy reading because I think it is a good thing. I'm kind of picky with the types of books I read and often get stuck on certain authors. Fortunately, through those authors I find new ones, and will try to read every book they've written. I have read every book in the JD Robb series and every Kathy Reichs book, every Sophie Kinsella book - although I do have one more to read where she is using her alias Madeline Wickham, and am working through Lisa Gardner's books.
One day, I'll read Harry Potter with Lauren. I'll pass on Twilight to her. If she reads, I am happy.
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Tuesdays...
Randomness, totally.
Pills - NOT WORKING. Very frustrated by this. I've talked with the doctor's office and gotten the PA, who I really really dislike because she is ignorant. I've been on the pill since April 24. That's three months. I'm on my second type of pill. Still not working. I think the hormone levels in the pills do nothing for me. I am exhausted and for the longest time couldn't figure it out because I was doing SO well for a while and I realized that it's because the plan my doctor laid out for me is not working. I will finish out this month and attempt a second month on this pill, but if things continue like they are, I am going off of them. It's not worth it. Hopefully in the next few months we'll decide to have another one and hopefully that will correct the endometriosis. If not, I may be signing up for a hysterectomy unless we feel there is a strong chance we'd like to have a third child. This whole medical issue frustrates me, more so in the summer because I feel limited in what I can do with Lauren. Right now, as I'm sitting here, I am struggling to keep my eyes open. No exaggeration. And I had a Coke to try and wake me up this morning.
Working Out - Yeah, not so much. BUT, I feel like I've lost some weight. Go figure. I was all paranoid before Mexico and since I've stopped obsessing about trying to get a totally flat belly, I've lost some of the baby-weight flub (yes, nearly two years later...). I've been taking Lauren on walks usually twice a day in her wagon up the street, which has a BIG hill and I think that has helped me.
Eating Healthy - Again, not so much. For example, this morning I stopped at McD's for my Coke and cinnamelts. Had McD for lunch yesterday and Wendy's for dinner the day before. Typing that actually makes me feel ill. I need to be better about that. I have a Healthy Choice meal for lunch. BLAH, but I didn't have the energy to make PB&J haha!
Writing - I've kind of fallen off this wagon. I have 50+ pages of material, all of which I have printed off so that I can easily review it. I still have my storyline, and there are a few things I want to change, but I haven't made the time to focus on this. Hopefully over the next few days I'll be better, and definitely over vacation I'd like to write some. By the time Lauren gets in bed, I just want to snuggle on the couch with Troy instead of spending time apart from him writing.
Vacation - Whoo Hoo! Hilton Head! We leave in a week. I'm very excited about this. Lauren will love the ocean! I just hope we can keep her out of it and she'll play in the sand. If it's a repeat of January (yes, when the air was 50 degrees and our little exploradora was in the water) then we're in for some screaming fits as we carry her from the beach back to the room. But, it'll be fun.
This weekend will be fun. Blues, Brews and BBQs is Friday night, and I think we're going to attempt to take Lauren in the hopes that she'll sleep in on Saturday (which means she'll wake up at 6:00am but I think she'll like the Blues part of the night) and then on Saturday we are hopefully going to head to the Wine & Jazz Festival. No word on whether or not we are volunteering, and if not the plan is to again take Lauren. She loves music. Sunday will be a relaxing day, with me trying to catch up on laundry in preparation for our mini-beach trip.
July will be a BUSY month. We are on vacation July 1-5, my brother, his girlfriend and their friend are coming to visit July 9-12 (hooray for white-water rafting on July 11!), July 18 is my Longaberger party, and July 24-26 we'll probably head to Terre Haute, Indiana (where?!) for a family picnic/reunion. I think my grandma is kind of excited about that. Hopefully Troy will make it, but work stuff always pops up the end of July.
And that's enough randomness for now. I need to find something to work on. Happy Tuesday - just 3 more full days to go until the weekend!
Pills - NOT WORKING. Very frustrated by this. I've talked with the doctor's office and gotten the PA, who I really really dislike because she is ignorant. I've been on the pill since April 24. That's three months. I'm on my second type of pill. Still not working. I think the hormone levels in the pills do nothing for me. I am exhausted and for the longest time couldn't figure it out because I was doing SO well for a while and I realized that it's because the plan my doctor laid out for me is not working. I will finish out this month and attempt a second month on this pill, but if things continue like they are, I am going off of them. It's not worth it. Hopefully in the next few months we'll decide to have another one and hopefully that will correct the endometriosis. If not, I may be signing up for a hysterectomy unless we feel there is a strong chance we'd like to have a third child. This whole medical issue frustrates me, more so in the summer because I feel limited in what I can do with Lauren. Right now, as I'm sitting here, I am struggling to keep my eyes open. No exaggeration. And I had a Coke to try and wake me up this morning.
Working Out - Yeah, not so much. BUT, I feel like I've lost some weight. Go figure. I was all paranoid before Mexico and since I've stopped obsessing about trying to get a totally flat belly, I've lost some of the baby-weight flub (yes, nearly two years later...). I've been taking Lauren on walks usually twice a day in her wagon up the street, which has a BIG hill and I think that has helped me.
Eating Healthy - Again, not so much. For example, this morning I stopped at McD's for my Coke and cinnamelts. Had McD for lunch yesterday and Wendy's for dinner the day before. Typing that actually makes me feel ill. I need to be better about that. I have a Healthy Choice meal for lunch. BLAH, but I didn't have the energy to make PB&J haha!
Writing - I've kind of fallen off this wagon. I have 50+ pages of material, all of which I have printed off so that I can easily review it. I still have my storyline, and there are a few things I want to change, but I haven't made the time to focus on this. Hopefully over the next few days I'll be better, and definitely over vacation I'd like to write some. By the time Lauren gets in bed, I just want to snuggle on the couch with Troy instead of spending time apart from him writing.
Vacation - Whoo Hoo! Hilton Head! We leave in a week. I'm very excited about this. Lauren will love the ocean! I just hope we can keep her out of it and she'll play in the sand. If it's a repeat of January (yes, when the air was 50 degrees and our little exploradora was in the water) then we're in for some screaming fits as we carry her from the beach back to the room. But, it'll be fun.
This weekend will be fun. Blues, Brews and BBQs is Friday night, and I think we're going to attempt to take Lauren in the hopes that she'll sleep in on Saturday (which means she'll wake up at 6:00am but I think she'll like the Blues part of the night) and then on Saturday we are hopefully going to head to the Wine & Jazz Festival. No word on whether or not we are volunteering, and if not the plan is to again take Lauren. She loves music. Sunday will be a relaxing day, with me trying to catch up on laundry in preparation for our mini-beach trip.
July will be a BUSY month. We are on vacation July 1-5, my brother, his girlfriend and their friend are coming to visit July 9-12 (hooray for white-water rafting on July 11!), July 18 is my Longaberger party, and July 24-26 we'll probably head to Terre Haute, Indiana (where?!) for a family picnic/reunion. I think my grandma is kind of excited about that. Hopefully Troy will make it, but work stuff always pops up the end of July.
And that's enough randomness for now. I need to find something to work on. Happy Tuesday - just 3 more full days to go until the weekend!
Sunday, June 21, 2009
White-Water Rafting
Today, Troy and I went white-water rafting!! It's something I've wanted to do ever since I moved back here in 2005 but we never got around to doing it. We got invited to go with a group and it ended up being a free trip (except for the $21 photo and $50 shoes). I have to say, I was petrified. More so than before ziplining, as I very much considered backing out. The team leader kept emphasizing that the waters were higher than normal and that if you weren't a strong swimmer he strongly advised you not go. I'm thinking that I don't swim like Michael Phelps, so maybe I'll die. Plus, in the back of my head kept running the very sad story about the kid from Hurricane High who drowned in the river about a week or so ago. He knew how to swim, and he still drown. Troy was awesome through the whole thing, telling me that we didn't have to go if I wasn't comfortable. When I told him my fears, he reassured me that we'd have life preservers on and there were plenty of people watching out for each other.
I grew up on the water. The water isn't what freaked me out so much, it was the thought that if I fell out and got caught in a current maybe I wouldn't make it out. Even though I thought about backing out, I knew that I would hate myself for it and also let Troy down because he really wanted to go. I was a nervous wreck the entire time we were getting our equipment and would nearly panic when they would *again* emphasize the importance of being able to "take care of yourself" out there and being able to "aggressively swim." The 40-minute bus ride was calming because we sat behind a guy who invited us to raft with him. He is a like, 20-some year veteran and used to be a guide. He had talked to the team lead and asked if he could be with a guide named Dave, who had actually trained him back in the '80s when he became a guide. Stroke of luck! Tracy is the guy's name and hearing him and Troy talk about everything other than the trip calmed me down. They know a lot of common people - not shocking since Troy knows pretty much everyone - and before we knew it, we were unloading the bus at the put-in site.
I had the BEST time ever - it was so much fun and I am so proud of myself for pushing back my fears that tried to envelope me. The first half of the trip was very relaxing and not very intense. We floated a lot - we actually got to spend quite a bit of time floating along the raft in the water. There were a couple Class 1 and Class 2 rapids, but nothing major at all. The first rapid we went over was kind of intense, but I had a lot of fun. We hit a Class 3 rapid right before we stopped for lunch. After lunch, things got a LOT more interesting!
The rapids were mainly Class 3 and Class 4, with a few Class 2 thrown in there. The rapids came much more often than before, so we really got a workout with the oars. I did not fall out of the raft once - actually no one in our group did - and only felt like I could twice. Sometimes we'd hit the rapids so hard that I'd lose my "bracing" but quickly got it back. My favorite part of the trip was when Troy and I (along with a couple other kids in our raft) bailed and got to float through a swimmer's rapid. Troy held on to me so we didn't get separated and it was soo much fun. It is unreal how fast those currents go!
Toward the end of the trip, we floated under the New River Bridge and it was such an amazing site to see from the water. I've been down there before - pretty much on the water bank a few years back when my brother and his ex-girlfriend came to visit. It wasn't as much fun because a) I was pregnant and still having severe morning sickness and b) I wasn't in the water. It was simply amazing.
The worst part of the day was spending Father's Day away from Lauren. We made sure to spend yesterday together and had a very awesome day. Daddy liked his new Garmin, we took Lauren to the pool and swam, walked around the mall and had dinner at Chik-Fil-A. Lauren was very happy to see us tonight when we got home, and she attached herself to daddy towards the end of the night before bed.
I am pumped to plan another trip down there. My brother, his girlfriend, and his roommate are coming in July 9-12, so we are going to hopefully plan a trip down to NARR on July 11th. Troy and I both agreed that we'd like to do the Lower New River one more time, then try one of the Gauley River trips. Those both include Class 5 rapids and are a little more advanced than the one we were on today. I DEFINITELY recommend NARR and the Lower New River trip for anyone wanting to go who hasn't ever been before. Lots of downtime to learn and prepare mentally, but towards the end the rapids can get pretty intense. Watching the video afterward, I saw just how crazy some of the rapids were! You get in such a zone while you are going through them, focusing on doing your part to get through them, that you really can appreciate how big they are. Apparently there were like, 5' and 6' waves!
I have to brag on myself. I really did push myself today. I wanted to bail and take the easy way, but I didn't. I don't want Lauren to have my fears, so if I push myself now to overcome them. Even though I've been nearly sick both times I've done new things - ziplining and now this - I have had so much fun doing it. We also learned that Class VI has one of the best ziplines in the country and I'm hoping that we can go down there and do the zipline and then another rafting trip. I think Lauren would be really proud of her mommy for white-water rafting today. Troy and I can't wait until she's 5 to take her!!
I grew up on the water. The water isn't what freaked me out so much, it was the thought that if I fell out and got caught in a current maybe I wouldn't make it out. Even though I thought about backing out, I knew that I would hate myself for it and also let Troy down because he really wanted to go. I was a nervous wreck the entire time we were getting our equipment and would nearly panic when they would *again* emphasize the importance of being able to "take care of yourself" out there and being able to "aggressively swim." The 40-minute bus ride was calming because we sat behind a guy who invited us to raft with him. He is a like, 20-some year veteran and used to be a guide. He had talked to the team lead and asked if he could be with a guide named Dave, who had actually trained him back in the '80s when he became a guide. Stroke of luck! Tracy is the guy's name and hearing him and Troy talk about everything other than the trip calmed me down. They know a lot of common people - not shocking since Troy knows pretty much everyone - and before we knew it, we were unloading the bus at the put-in site.
I had the BEST time ever - it was so much fun and I am so proud of myself for pushing back my fears that tried to envelope me. The first half of the trip was very relaxing and not very intense. We floated a lot - we actually got to spend quite a bit of time floating along the raft in the water. There were a couple Class 1 and Class 2 rapids, but nothing major at all. The first rapid we went over was kind of intense, but I had a lot of fun. We hit a Class 3 rapid right before we stopped for lunch. After lunch, things got a LOT more interesting!
The rapids were mainly Class 3 and Class 4, with a few Class 2 thrown in there. The rapids came much more often than before, so we really got a workout with the oars. I did not fall out of the raft once - actually no one in our group did - and only felt like I could twice. Sometimes we'd hit the rapids so hard that I'd lose my "bracing" but quickly got it back. My favorite part of the trip was when Troy and I (along with a couple other kids in our raft) bailed and got to float through a swimmer's rapid. Troy held on to me so we didn't get separated and it was soo much fun. It is unreal how fast those currents go!
Toward the end of the trip, we floated under the New River Bridge and it was such an amazing site to see from the water. I've been down there before - pretty much on the water bank a few years back when my brother and his ex-girlfriend came to visit. It wasn't as much fun because a) I was pregnant and still having severe morning sickness and b) I wasn't in the water. It was simply amazing.
The worst part of the day was spending Father's Day away from Lauren. We made sure to spend yesterday together and had a very awesome day. Daddy liked his new Garmin, we took Lauren to the pool and swam, walked around the mall and had dinner at Chik-Fil-A. Lauren was very happy to see us tonight when we got home, and she attached herself to daddy towards the end of the night before bed.
I am pumped to plan another trip down there. My brother, his girlfriend, and his roommate are coming in July 9-12, so we are going to hopefully plan a trip down to NARR on July 11th. Troy and I both agreed that we'd like to do the Lower New River one more time, then try one of the Gauley River trips. Those both include Class 5 rapids and are a little more advanced than the one we were on today. I DEFINITELY recommend NARR and the Lower New River trip for anyone wanting to go who hasn't ever been before. Lots of downtime to learn and prepare mentally, but towards the end the rapids can get pretty intense. Watching the video afterward, I saw just how crazy some of the rapids were! You get in such a zone while you are going through them, focusing on doing your part to get through them, that you really can appreciate how big they are. Apparently there were like, 5' and 6' waves!
I have to brag on myself. I really did push myself today. I wanted to bail and take the easy way, but I didn't. I don't want Lauren to have my fears, so if I push myself now to overcome them. Even though I've been nearly sick both times I've done new things - ziplining and now this - I have had so much fun doing it. We also learned that Class VI has one of the best ziplines in the country and I'm hoping that we can go down there and do the zipline and then another rafting trip. I think Lauren would be really proud of her mommy for white-water rafting today. Troy and I can't wait until she's 5 to take her!!
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
It's been a while...
I get so caught up in keeping my family updated about Lauren that I don't spend much time on this blog.
I finally started doing something that I have wanted to do for the longest time - write. A goal of mine is to write a book and get published someday. I hesitated forever because I hate to fail and worried that if I wasn't able to do it, I'd be terribly disappointed in myself.
Two events changed my line of thinking: the Get Motivated conference and our first Sunday back at church in nearly two years.
At the Get Motivated conference, the first two speakers talked about finding your purpose and your gift. During one of the speeches, I wrote down in my workbook "write! write! write! write!" But, after the conference, other things got in the way and I didn't make the time to do this. We had a few trips to prepare for and I have a hard time taking myself away from Lauren to do something for myself. In fact, I rarely do this. If I'm not spending time with Lauren, I'm either doing chores around the house or she's asleep.
Two and a half weeks ago, Troy, Lauren and I finally went back to our church. There are numerous reasons why we had not gone in a while, none of which are important. The homily given by the priest spoke to me. I got two important things out of it: I need to focus on my gift and it doesn't matter how long I've been away from the church, I can always go back and will be forgiven.
As a result of those events, I finally started writing. If I get a spare minute here or there, I try to write. If I can't work on the actual storyline, I have a little notebook that I have started to carry with me and will jot stuff down. In fact, a major urge hit me yesterday on the way to work and I hate to admit that I actually jotted stuff down while I was driving.
It is amazing to me how easily my ideas are coming now that I am open to them and focused on this project. I have written nearly 40 pages of material in two weeks - which may not seem like much, but it is when you work, have a toddler and husband, and a million things to do before focusing on yourself. I am trying to remain positive and hopefully after this is all said and done, I can find a way to get published. If not, my motivation now is that I want to be able to tell Lauren that I accomplished one of my life long goals. I want to teach Lauren to set goals for herself and to do whatever it takes to reach them. For me, it may just be a typed story on plain white paper in a binder - but the important lesson that she will get from that is I didn't give up and I stuck with it.
It would be pretty awesome to get published. :)
Now that I have started, it's very difficult for me to focus at times on other things. My storyline constantly runs through my head and I am inundated with new ideas. I'd always reach a certain point - coming up with an idea - and then I'd jot a few things down and would get stuck. So, rather than pushing on, I'd just give it up and tell myself there were other important things to do anyway. Not anymore. I believe this is my gift and it is my passion. I look forward to completing it and dedicating it to Lauren and Troy.
I finally started doing something that I have wanted to do for the longest time - write. A goal of mine is to write a book and get published someday. I hesitated forever because I hate to fail and worried that if I wasn't able to do it, I'd be terribly disappointed in myself.
Two events changed my line of thinking: the Get Motivated conference and our first Sunday back at church in nearly two years.
At the Get Motivated conference, the first two speakers talked about finding your purpose and your gift. During one of the speeches, I wrote down in my workbook "write! write! write! write!" But, after the conference, other things got in the way and I didn't make the time to do this. We had a few trips to prepare for and I have a hard time taking myself away from Lauren to do something for myself. In fact, I rarely do this. If I'm not spending time with Lauren, I'm either doing chores around the house or she's asleep.
Two and a half weeks ago, Troy, Lauren and I finally went back to our church. There are numerous reasons why we had not gone in a while, none of which are important. The homily given by the priest spoke to me. I got two important things out of it: I need to focus on my gift and it doesn't matter how long I've been away from the church, I can always go back and will be forgiven.
As a result of those events, I finally started writing. If I get a spare minute here or there, I try to write. If I can't work on the actual storyline, I have a little notebook that I have started to carry with me and will jot stuff down. In fact, a major urge hit me yesterday on the way to work and I hate to admit that I actually jotted stuff down while I was driving.
It is amazing to me how easily my ideas are coming now that I am open to them and focused on this project. I have written nearly 40 pages of material in two weeks - which may not seem like much, but it is when you work, have a toddler and husband, and a million things to do before focusing on yourself. I am trying to remain positive and hopefully after this is all said and done, I can find a way to get published. If not, my motivation now is that I want to be able to tell Lauren that I accomplished one of my life long goals. I want to teach Lauren to set goals for herself and to do whatever it takes to reach them. For me, it may just be a typed story on plain white paper in a binder - but the important lesson that she will get from that is I didn't give up and I stuck with it.
It would be pretty awesome to get published. :)
Now that I have started, it's very difficult for me to focus at times on other things. My storyline constantly runs through my head and I am inundated with new ideas. I'd always reach a certain point - coming up with an idea - and then I'd jot a few things down and would get stuck. So, rather than pushing on, I'd just give it up and tell myself there were other important things to do anyway. Not anymore. I believe this is my gift and it is my passion. I look forward to completing it and dedicating it to Lauren and Troy.
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Thoughts Today
Happy 3 Years, Troy!! Three years ago today, I was getting ready to head to my hair appointment and then to the church to get ready for the wedding! I wish we could re-live our reception because it was awesome - we had the most fun! It's hard to believe it's been that long....
So, this is kind of just a really random post about different things I was thinking about on my way into work.
First, I failed to mention in an earlier post that I witnessed something very awesome on our flight from Dallas to St. Louis when we came home from Cancun. The flight wasn't very full, and there was a soldier on board who got upgraded to first class. I thought it was really great of the stewards on American Airlines to do that for him. The men and women who serve in our armed forces work their butts off every day to ensure our rights and freedoms are protected, and I will forever be thankful to each and every one. It was very classy for American Airlines to do what they could to show their appreciation for this man.
That memory was sparked by my great-uncle's facebook post this morning. He served in the military and his son, Gregg, is also in the military. Gregg has served MANY tours of duty, including two tours in Iraq and a tour in Bosnia. He has been in the States for a while, after serving over in Germany when he first got married. Two of their three children were born in Germany, I believe. My great-uncle posted about how he was looking forward to the visit with his son, daughter-in-law, and grandchildren this weekend before they went back to Germany. They will be going there for at least 3 years, and I know they are excited about it. I'm so proud of my family members who have served, including Uncle Tommy, Gregg, and my cousin Josh. Josh did a stint in South Korea working on some kind of missile. I remember him telling me stories about how unstable their situation was, as he was near the border, and would be on lockdown for days at a time. Iraq gets a lot of heat because most people don't agree with us being there, and I'm not even going to get into that because I have VERY strong opinions that are not the "popular" opinions, but we have men and women serving in hundreds of countries and face danger daily. Just because it's not on the news doesn't mean they are safe - they risk their lives each and every day and for that we should ALL be thankful. Because of these men and women, people are allowed to have whatever viewpoint they wish. I will always support the armed services and I hope that Gregg, Meredith, Jacob, Sam, and Daniel have a great time in Germany.
That led to my third line of thinking this morning. I am determined to visit Germany while they are stationed over there. I wasn't able to go during their previous tour, which is okay because I know I wouldn't have appreciated it as much. Now, having studied the world wars and foreign policy, I think it would be amazing to go there and see all of the sites. They have more meaning to me now that I have an understanding of the events that took place. I definitely want to take Lauren, even though she may not remember it. If I go in a few years, she'll be 4 and may be able to retain some of the memories - I just think it would be amazing to take her. If Troy is unable to go over, then I will have to persuade my parents into going over - which shouldn't be difficult as I know they wish they could've gone last time as well. So, hopefully before 2012 I will have Germany stamped in my passport!!
Then I heard "Love Story" on the way into work. I love that song - it's just cute. It made me think of different songs that have meaning for me. I know that sounds really corny, but there are songs that I hear on the radio that just take me back to a memory I associate with it. Here are a few (the song titles may not be correct, I'm just guessing...lol):
"I Saw God Today" - George Strait
This song reminds me of Lauren and when she was born. During part of the song, it says a time when the fictional child was born, and I always change the words to "6:28" when I sing it in the car because that is when Lauren was born.
"Raise Me Up" - Josh Groban
I walked (ran) down the aisle to this song 3 years ago today! Every time I hear it, I think about our wedding!
"Inside Your Heaven" - Carrie Underwood
This was our first song, and we picked it because we had watched the American Idol finale together and I loved the song then. It just suited us, and we danced to it for our first dance as a married couple.
"Our Song" - Taylor Swift
This song really got overplayed on the radio, but I still love it. I would sing this to Lauren when I was pregnant, because it was the only song that I knew all the words to. I have memories of singing this to her after she was born and we were driving in the car. It would usually calm her down. Also, when I would get ready in the mornings for work, I'd have Lauren in her bouncy by the shower and if she started fussing because she couldn't see me, I'd just have to sing this and she would stop crying.
"Ain't Going Down" - Garth Brooks
Ahhh...the college "getting ready to go out" song. My freshman year at Truman State, my roommate Meghan, my friend Jill, and I would play this REALLY loud when we were getting ready to go out. We didn't do it all the time, but I do have memories of this. One time I think Meghan even had on a cowboy hat while it was playing.
"Missing Missouri" - Sara Evans
I listen to this song when I'm homesick. I think I first heard it when I was living in Indianapolis, and it would remind me of home. The other day I was kind of sad, missing my family and friends, and played this song.
"The Bible Song" - Sara Evans and "Small" (?) - Carrie Underwood
Songs that get me through tough times. Enough said. :)
And all of that got me in to work today! I'm very much looking forward to my date with Troy tonight!
So, this is kind of just a really random post about different things I was thinking about on my way into work.
First, I failed to mention in an earlier post that I witnessed something very awesome on our flight from Dallas to St. Louis when we came home from Cancun. The flight wasn't very full, and there was a soldier on board who got upgraded to first class. I thought it was really great of the stewards on American Airlines to do that for him. The men and women who serve in our armed forces work their butts off every day to ensure our rights and freedoms are protected, and I will forever be thankful to each and every one. It was very classy for American Airlines to do what they could to show their appreciation for this man.
That memory was sparked by my great-uncle's facebook post this morning. He served in the military and his son, Gregg, is also in the military. Gregg has served MANY tours of duty, including two tours in Iraq and a tour in Bosnia. He has been in the States for a while, after serving over in Germany when he first got married. Two of their three children were born in Germany, I believe. My great-uncle posted about how he was looking forward to the visit with his son, daughter-in-law, and grandchildren this weekend before they went back to Germany. They will be going there for at least 3 years, and I know they are excited about it. I'm so proud of my family members who have served, including Uncle Tommy, Gregg, and my cousin Josh. Josh did a stint in South Korea working on some kind of missile. I remember him telling me stories about how unstable their situation was, as he was near the border, and would be on lockdown for days at a time. Iraq gets a lot of heat because most people don't agree with us being there, and I'm not even going to get into that because I have VERY strong opinions that are not the "popular" opinions, but we have men and women serving in hundreds of countries and face danger daily. Just because it's not on the news doesn't mean they are safe - they risk their lives each and every day and for that we should ALL be thankful. Because of these men and women, people are allowed to have whatever viewpoint they wish. I will always support the armed services and I hope that Gregg, Meredith, Jacob, Sam, and Daniel have a great time in Germany.
That led to my third line of thinking this morning. I am determined to visit Germany while they are stationed over there. I wasn't able to go during their previous tour, which is okay because I know I wouldn't have appreciated it as much. Now, having studied the world wars and foreign policy, I think it would be amazing to go there and see all of the sites. They have more meaning to me now that I have an understanding of the events that took place. I definitely want to take Lauren, even though she may not remember it. If I go in a few years, she'll be 4 and may be able to retain some of the memories - I just think it would be amazing to take her. If Troy is unable to go over, then I will have to persuade my parents into going over - which shouldn't be difficult as I know they wish they could've gone last time as well. So, hopefully before 2012 I will have Germany stamped in my passport!!
Then I heard "Love Story" on the way into work. I love that song - it's just cute. It made me think of different songs that have meaning for me. I know that sounds really corny, but there are songs that I hear on the radio that just take me back to a memory I associate with it. Here are a few (the song titles may not be correct, I'm just guessing...lol):
"I Saw God Today" - George Strait
This song reminds me of Lauren and when she was born. During part of the song, it says a time when the fictional child was born, and I always change the words to "6:28" when I sing it in the car because that is when Lauren was born.
"Raise Me Up" - Josh Groban
I walked (ran) down the aisle to this song 3 years ago today! Every time I hear it, I think about our wedding!
"Inside Your Heaven" - Carrie Underwood
This was our first song, and we picked it because we had watched the American Idol finale together and I loved the song then. It just suited us, and we danced to it for our first dance as a married couple.
"Our Song" - Taylor Swift
This song really got overplayed on the radio, but I still love it. I would sing this to Lauren when I was pregnant, because it was the only song that I knew all the words to. I have memories of singing this to her after she was born and we were driving in the car. It would usually calm her down. Also, when I would get ready in the mornings for work, I'd have Lauren in her bouncy by the shower and if she started fussing because she couldn't see me, I'd just have to sing this and she would stop crying.
"Ain't Going Down" - Garth Brooks
Ahhh...the college "getting ready to go out" song. My freshman year at Truman State, my roommate Meghan, my friend Jill, and I would play this REALLY loud when we were getting ready to go out. We didn't do it all the time, but I do have memories of this. One time I think Meghan even had on a cowboy hat while it was playing.
"Missing Missouri" - Sara Evans
I listen to this song when I'm homesick. I think I first heard it when I was living in Indianapolis, and it would remind me of home. The other day I was kind of sad, missing my family and friends, and played this song.
"The Bible Song" - Sara Evans and "Small" (?) - Carrie Underwood
Songs that get me through tough times. Enough said. :)
And all of that got me in to work today! I'm very much looking forward to my date with Troy tonight!
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Cherish Each Day
I received a phone call this morning from my friend Missy. Missy and I worked at Retina Consultants together, and since we've both left the office we still keep in touch. She called with some really hard news this morning.
One of the girls we worked with at Retina, recently had a stroke. She is recovering and from what Missy had heard, is expected to fully recover. This update really hit me hard, and I cried a lot this morning over it. Bad things should not happen to good people, but unfortunately they do.
J is an amazing person. She and I only worked together for about a year. As things happen, we lost touch over the past year. I really enjoyed working with her, and loved hearing her stories about her son. J is a single mom, raising her son who is probably 5 now. Her son's dad wasn't in the picture much, but J did her best to make sure that her son got to spend time with him if he wanted. She worked full-time to support herself and her little boy. A few months before I left Retina, she had started a nursing program in order to open up more opportunities for her. I remember her studying at work and talking to me about how difficult it was working and going to school, but that she was doing it for her son. He would "study" with her and support her in his own little way.
Missy informed me that J had just finished up her program and had gotten a full-time position with Retina (she had to cut down to part-time while she was in her program). Apparently she had gone to Charleston Town Center to do some celebratory shopping and the next thing she remembered, she was in the hospital. I was so happy to hear that she was able to walk across the stage, with the help of a walker, to receive her nursing diploma. She is such a strong woman and had already overcome many obstacles. This is another one, and it breaks my heart that it happened to her.
When situations like this occur, it makes me remember that I'm not in control of everything. None of us know what is going to happen day to day. Do you remember the last thing you said to your loved ones when you left, or ended a phone conversation? Sometimes, in the hustle and bustle of life, we take forgranted that our loved ones know how special they are to us and just how much we love them. I know for certain there are days in the past where I would not have wanted the last thing I said to someone before leaving to be the last thing I said to them period. We don't know how long we have. I don't mean it to sound depressing, it's just truth. Sometimes we need that reminder in order to evaluate the way we are living our lives. I tell my daughter every day, multiple times, how much I love her. I don't always do the same for my other family members and loved ones. Live each day to its fullest, cherish each moment - good or bad, and always tell the people you love how much they mean to you.
Please keep J in your thoughts and prayers. I pray she has a speedy recovery and is back to playing with Tyler, working, and being an awesome nurse in no time.
One of the girls we worked with at Retina, recently had a stroke. She is recovering and from what Missy had heard, is expected to fully recover. This update really hit me hard, and I cried a lot this morning over it. Bad things should not happen to good people, but unfortunately they do.
J is an amazing person. She and I only worked together for about a year. As things happen, we lost touch over the past year. I really enjoyed working with her, and loved hearing her stories about her son. J is a single mom, raising her son who is probably 5 now. Her son's dad wasn't in the picture much, but J did her best to make sure that her son got to spend time with him if he wanted. She worked full-time to support herself and her little boy. A few months before I left Retina, she had started a nursing program in order to open up more opportunities for her. I remember her studying at work and talking to me about how difficult it was working and going to school, but that she was doing it for her son. He would "study" with her and support her in his own little way.
Missy informed me that J had just finished up her program and had gotten a full-time position with Retina (she had to cut down to part-time while she was in her program). Apparently she had gone to Charleston Town Center to do some celebratory shopping and the next thing she remembered, she was in the hospital. I was so happy to hear that she was able to walk across the stage, with the help of a walker, to receive her nursing diploma. She is such a strong woman and had already overcome many obstacles. This is another one, and it breaks my heart that it happened to her.
When situations like this occur, it makes me remember that I'm not in control of everything. None of us know what is going to happen day to day. Do you remember the last thing you said to your loved ones when you left, or ended a phone conversation? Sometimes, in the hustle and bustle of life, we take forgranted that our loved ones know how special they are to us and just how much we love them. I know for certain there are days in the past where I would not have wanted the last thing I said to someone before leaving to be the last thing I said to them period. We don't know how long we have. I don't mean it to sound depressing, it's just truth. Sometimes we need that reminder in order to evaluate the way we are living our lives. I tell my daughter every day, multiple times, how much I love her. I don't always do the same for my other family members and loved ones. Live each day to its fullest, cherish each moment - good or bad, and always tell the people you love how much they mean to you.
Please keep J in your thoughts and prayers. I pray she has a speedy recovery and is back to playing with Tyler, working, and being an awesome nurse in no time.
Saturday, May 30, 2009
What Makes YOU Feel Grown Up?
I haven't had much time to work on this blog lately, oops!
I still feel like I'm 18 sometimes. In fact, when people ask me how old I am, I seriously have to think about it. Often times I have to actually do the math: "2009 - 1981 = . . . 28. . . which means I'm 27?" If Troy's with me, I just ask him. I don't just freeze my age, I also do it with all my cousins. My youngest cousin just attended her junior prom, but in my head she's 10. My twin boy cousins just completed their first year at Indiana University, and I'm still surprised they can drive.
Little things every now and then make me feel grown up. When Troy and I got our townhouse, I felt really grown up to have a mortgage payment. I felt grown up having a student loan for my master's degree. Geez - I have a KID?? That one really gets me sometimes, still. Love her more than anything in the world and can't imagine life without her, but I still have my "wow" moments where it hits me that she's really MINE. Well, ours, but you know what I mean. They let me take this child home! Side note: Based on recent stories in the news, I do NOT believe that a 9-month pregnancy entitles you to being a qualified mother. She makes me feel grown up, but at the same time makes me feel like a kid again. I LOVED coloring, and now she's getting into that, so I get to do it all over again. And watching her experience new things makes me feel like a kid. Tonight, she was soo happy to see our neighbor's puppies. Then she got excited today at Capitol Market just smelling the flowers and looking at the food.
The thing today that made me feel grown up (got sidetracked there for a minute!) was working on what little landscaping we have. A few summers ago, I tried to plant flowers and make it look nice. I was shocked that these flowers kept coming back, despite my neglect. So, tonight we really worked on the landscaping. We tore out one bush that was just ugly, and picked weeds and dug up the other flowers. We planted a really pretty flowery plant - that is it's real name, I'm sure - and then re-did the mulch. We only got one side done, and tomorrow we're going to get more flowers to plant. I also got some flowers to plant in pots and put them on the concrete wall by our garage. Making the house look better made me feel grown up.
Am I the only one who has these moments, or are others also frozen in time?
I still feel like I'm 18 sometimes. In fact, when people ask me how old I am, I seriously have to think about it. Often times I have to actually do the math: "2009 - 1981 = . . . 28. . . which means I'm 27?" If Troy's with me, I just ask him. I don't just freeze my age, I also do it with all my cousins. My youngest cousin just attended her junior prom, but in my head she's 10. My twin boy cousins just completed their first year at Indiana University, and I'm still surprised they can drive.
Little things every now and then make me feel grown up. When Troy and I got our townhouse, I felt really grown up to have a mortgage payment. I felt grown up having a student loan for my master's degree. Geez - I have a KID?? That one really gets me sometimes, still. Love her more than anything in the world and can't imagine life without her, but I still have my "wow" moments where it hits me that she's really MINE. Well, ours, but you know what I mean. They let me take this child home! Side note: Based on recent stories in the news, I do NOT believe that a 9-month pregnancy entitles you to being a qualified mother. She makes me feel grown up, but at the same time makes me feel like a kid again. I LOVED coloring, and now she's getting into that, so I get to do it all over again. And watching her experience new things makes me feel like a kid. Tonight, she was soo happy to see our neighbor's puppies. Then she got excited today at Capitol Market just smelling the flowers and looking at the food.
The thing today that made me feel grown up (got sidetracked there for a minute!) was working on what little landscaping we have. A few summers ago, I tried to plant flowers and make it look nice. I was shocked that these flowers kept coming back, despite my neglect. So, tonight we really worked on the landscaping. We tore out one bush that was just ugly, and picked weeds and dug up the other flowers. We planted a really pretty flowery plant - that is it's real name, I'm sure - and then re-did the mulch. We only got one side done, and tomorrow we're going to get more flowers to plant. I also got some flowers to plant in pots and put them on the concrete wall by our garage. Making the house look better made me feel grown up.
Am I the only one who has these moments, or are others also frozen in time?
Monday, May 25, 2009
BIENVENIDO A MEXICO!
These didn't upload in the order I wanted, but oh well...this is a picture of the resort we stayed in. Moon Palace - Cancun, Mexico. We had a fun time, but by Friday I was ready to get home to Lauren. A week away was incredibly too long! I cried when I saw her at the airport...but I digress...I picked a few pictures to post about. 
Troy and I are waiting on the hotel transportation to come and take us to the "hotel zone" so we can check out Cancun. We had a really fun time. I decided to try and look cute rather than be comfortable, though, so we ended up purchasing some flip flops at a store in order to continue walking to another mall. :) It was kind of fun to see peso bills. I was a total tourist when it happened, but oh well. I kind of stand out as a tourist anyway. No worries. We ate at a place called Chocolate City - it had good food, but there were NO people. Why? Because everyone is terrified of Mexico and the swine flu. It was nice to have the resort essentially to ourselves, but I hate that the people down there are suffering as a result of the panic over what is nothing. We went to two malls, got Lauren some clothes - after Troy bargained with a woman, which I would never do, but he saved $3 so whatever. They had a Dora shirt that said "Vamanos, let's go!" but they didn't have her size. We got her some cute stuff anyway. I admired some Coach bags, but figured there were pretty expensive...or seemed that way in pesos!
Troy and I got burnt the first day on the beach - I covered my burn with makeup in this pic, so he looks worse than me but it was about the same...despite our base tans and application of lotion. Well, it was SPF 15. The 30 spray worked much better and we were fine the rest of the trip. This picture is taken on our balcony. I must admit, it's not bad waking up, looking at the window and only seeing the ocean. I could get used to that, so long as my little peanut was along! We were dressed up to eat at Bambu this night, which was an Oriental restaurant. It was one of the better places to eat...but that doesn't say much because all the food was bad. Except Los Tacos, which I would still eat everyday. We had a few good things, and I liked my sweet 'n sour chicken at Bambu as well as my dinner at El Caribe - Troy enjoyed his dinner at the Brazilian restaurant. The food was hit and miss - but more miss. There were some things that we enjoyed, but overall the food was the "most disappointing" (to quote Troy on his survey turned into the resort) aspect of our vacation. :)
An awesome picture of the sunrise. We naturally woke up early and took a walk on the beach on Tuesday. It was really nice - the beach was beautiful, and the water was pretty too but there was a lot of seaweed. We only got in the ocean once, as the pool was EMPTY and gorgeous as well. The grounds of the resort were really pretty - lots of beautiful flowers and plants. There were lots of critters, too. We saw lizards - many, many awesome looking lizards - and some kind of night critter...maybe a possum? Not sure, just saw the eyes. We also saw signs for crocodiles, but never got to see them. In fact, at one of the pools we hung out at, there was a guy that told one of the girls in our group that we needed to stay away from the wall of the pool (it was an infinity pool with the "forest" behind it) because crocodiles could jump 12 feet. Not because of his warning, but later on we moved and the poor man finally rested.
We brought rain to the resort, and I like this picture of Troy carrying me piggy-back. I wore jeans and sandals, and was soaking wet. It was difficult to walk because my jeans were weighing me down, so he picked me up to speed things along!
All in all, we had a great vacation. We missed Lauren terribly, and I'm pretty sure we won't leave her for that long ever again. She missed us, and about panicked when we were packing up the car to leave St. Louis today because she thought we were leaving her! She talked to us every day on the phone, and it is awesome being back with her. She's a sweetheart, and we love her dearly. Hard to believe that after counting down for months over our Mexican vacation that it is actually over! Fortunately, we have lots of pictures and great memories to entertain us while we head back to work tomorrow!
Friday, May 15, 2009
The Awesomeness of Troy
I'm not sure what sparked this horrible, awful gut feeling of mine regarding Lauren and my parents traveling from Louisville to St. Louis on Sunday, but I've had it for a few weeks. I have been trying to overcome it, but it persists. I'm pretty sure it may have been the storyline on Grey's Anatomy last night that pushed me over, or maybe it's my line of work, but I had horrible awful images in my head and literally felt sick to my stomach over Sunday.
Because of that, this morning I asked Troy if instead of meeting my parents in Louisville tomorrow, we could just go all the way to St. Louis to drop her off, then drive back to Louisville on Sunday to catch our flight Monday morning. Being the wonderful, awesome, understanding, loving husband that he is - he agreed. All because of this gut feeling I have. And let me tell you, a weight has been lifted from my shoulders. I'm not longer in a near panic.
He has been insanely patient with me these last few weeks as I get more and more nervous about our impending trip. We've made a great team - he reassures me that Lauren will be fine when I need it, and I do the same for him. He just rocks. I love him and am happy that he puts up with my little bit of crazy about stuff like this, and I know he doesn't fully understand this "feeling," but I am glad that he is humoring me and adding many extra miles in order to make me feel more comfortable about our vacation.
Since I'm bragging on him, I want to brag about what an awesome daddy he is. Lauren adores him. ADORES him. She wants to see him first thing in the morning, and their interactions are the best. He dances "getting strong" with her, reads to her, changes poopy diapers, and has conversations with her. She likes to cuddle up with him at night, and if he leaves for work, she usually spends a few minutes while we're getting in the car asking about him. Last night, Troy was on the 6:00 evenings news, so Lauren and I watched. Then she was going "daddy, daddy" and would sign more, so we watched this 30-second clip for probably 10 minutes over and over again.
I <3>
And in 2 hours, I am OFFICIALLY on vacation!
Because of that, this morning I asked Troy if instead of meeting my parents in Louisville tomorrow, we could just go all the way to St. Louis to drop her off, then drive back to Louisville on Sunday to catch our flight Monday morning. Being the wonderful, awesome, understanding, loving husband that he is - he agreed. All because of this gut feeling I have. And let me tell you, a weight has been lifted from my shoulders. I'm not longer in a near panic.
He has been insanely patient with me these last few weeks as I get more and more nervous about our impending trip. We've made a great team - he reassures me that Lauren will be fine when I need it, and I do the same for him. He just rocks. I love him and am happy that he puts up with my little bit of crazy about stuff like this, and I know he doesn't fully understand this "feeling," but I am glad that he is humoring me and adding many extra miles in order to make me feel more comfortable about our vacation.
Since I'm bragging on him, I want to brag about what an awesome daddy he is. Lauren adores him. ADORES him. She wants to see him first thing in the morning, and their interactions are the best. He dances "getting strong" with her, reads to her, changes poopy diapers, and has conversations with her. She likes to cuddle up with him at night, and if he leaves for work, she usually spends a few minutes while we're getting in the car asking about him. Last night, Troy was on the 6:00 evenings news, so Lauren and I watched. Then she was going "daddy, daddy" and would sign more, so we watched this 30-second clip for probably 10 minutes over and over again.
I <3>
And in 2 hours, I am OFFICIALLY on vacation!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)