this is me...

SO excited!!

2010-05-09T20:12:00.003-05:00

I have never really been a crafty person, in case you didn't know. My mom is mad awesome quilter and my sister can think up any craft idea and stitch it together in no time. Then, there is me. The one who has to call Mom or Clare anytime I get an inkling to do something even remotely crafty. They both are very good at decoding my questions when I don't know the technical names for any of the items I need to purchase, and they can always tell me which type of fabric I need for each project. Apparently, over time, somethings are starting to stick! I'm in the process of putting together a couple birthday gifts and I am SO stinkin' excited to share them!! Unfortunately, I can't post anything on here yet because one of the gifts is for my friend Elise's daughter Emory's upcoming first birthday. (I know you said no gifts necessary, but deal with it. We are coming and bearing a super cute little gift!!)

So, basically, I can't tell you anything about what I'm up to...but if I have peaked your curiosity at all, just text me and I'll send you a picture of what I'm working on! (O: (Elise, this does not go for you...you'll have to wait~!) (O:

These things are EVERYWHERE!!

2010-05-05T11:50:00.002-05:00

I'm not sure if this is due to living in the country, the field across the street, or a recently vacant house now full of life...but we have a problem. A Spider Problem. This is serious business. I'm not talking one little guy here and there...I'm talking killing at least 5 A DAY!

I am overly, irrationally afraid of all 8-legged stalkers and HATE that creepy crawly feeling I get when I've seen one. Even after I have smashed him into oblivion and I have his guts in the papertowel to prove it, I still feel icky all over and will swat at myself for hours, feeling phantom spiders crawling on me. (to add to this...Jason just came in to tell me when need to also watch ourselves and Zeke for ticks...as he just plucked one off his knee after his run. AHH!!)

I guess this post is rather pointless too...seeing as there isn't anything anyone can do about this dilemma...but I had to get it off my chest! I am now scanning every corner and the ceiling of every room upon entering it to see if a new "friend" has taken up residency. Hopefully after a little while, we will kill enough of them that they will spread the word and move on...

Oh, did I mention that our vacuum cleaner broke so I can't even just suck them up anymore...we actually have to get physical. Gross.

Paid off = BROKEN

2010-04-29T11:05:00.001-05:00

That is what I kept telling Jason...we paid off our van loan with part of our tax return and I knew that meant something would break on it. Isn't that always the way? As soon as you pay something off, it breaks. Or, as soon as you get some money built up in savings, something major happens and wipes your savings back out. It's like, Murphey's Law or something!

To be fair, we have been having a little trouble with the van for several months now...but it just started getting worse and worse. Let me set the scene for you:

Yesterday, we drove to Granite to have lunch with Jason's mom and his grandparents. We weren't intending on a long visit, just chat at lunch, hit a real-sized Walmart for groceries and head home. If only it were that easy...after lunch, the van wouldn't start. I don't mean a problem with the engine or anything like that (thankfully). The key just will not turn. At. All. Same problem as usual...but, usually we can get it to turn after some serious jiggling. Nope. Nada.

Jason calls a friend who is a tow truck driver (Ugh, I'm already thinking about THAT bill...) But luckily, this nice man told us a little trick to try. His oldest daughter used to have the same van, and apparently Chrysler makes bad ignitions. The trick works and we are able to drive the van to the local repair shop (Jason's entire family all uses the same place, so it was kind of lucky that this happened while nearby!)

This little adventure turned our "Short and Sweet" lunch trip into a whole day ordeal. We sat around for a few hours at Jason's parent's house with the whole family, which was nice. But Jason apparently wasn't planning to stay for dinner, so I asked WHY we were still there...we still needed to get to Walmart and hopefully make it home at a decent hour. That didn't happen either. We made it to Walmart around 6, and Emilia did pretty well for being hungry and missing lots of her nap...then the drive home and Emilia was in bed by 9:30! We have been getting her to bed by 8, most nights...

We are still waiting to hear how much this will cost us, but Jason thinks it will be rather pricey...to fix it they have to take off the steering wheel and something else just to get to the spot to look at it. So, Jason just gave them a list of a few other things that we wanted to have checked out anyway...I have a bad feeling! (Don't we always when dropping a vehicle off for work...it's never cheap!)

Moral of the Story: Don't ever pay anything off unless you're ready to have it break down! (O:

First and LAST time...

2010-04-28T07:27:00.002-05:00

Several weeks ago, my (now ex) co-worker told me about some great deals JC Penney had online. And seeing as I still had a $25 gift card from our work Christmas party, I thought maybe I could find something to spend it on. I found a couple items for me (cute white top, plain white tank top undershirt, AWESOME pink polka dot robe) and even found an awesome deal on some clearance bedding. I ended up spending well over my $25, but I thought they were all worthy items (the robe was for fun, but I've been wanting one forever and this one is adorable!!).

So, I waited....and waited....and checked the tracking information....and waited. Finally, yesterday I called because the tracking info hadn't been updated since April 16th. I know I live in the boonies now with only a PO Box for an address, but come on people! That bedding is for our guest room and who knows when I may have a guest "stop by" (HAHA). The nice man told me something about just cancelling my order and reordering/reshipping. Something about the order being considered lost bc the tracking was never updated. OK, fine. These things happen, and I'm not in any *real* hurry.

Later that day, Jason went to check out mail. He came back with a "Item too big for mailbox" slip, but couldn't pick up whatever it was because the Post Office was closed for lunch. (Yes, we are that small...I'm very glad we actually HAVE a Post Office, but they only have one employee, so you better get there before 11:30 or after 1:00) I went by later in the afternoon to pick up whatever was waiting (I assumed something from Ebay)...but it was a box. Too big for Ebay, but not big enough for my bedding...so now I'm confused.

I get it home and open it. It is EVERY single item I ordered EXCEPT the bedding. There were a bunch of papers in there too...something about there was a loose mailing label floating around without a package and a package without any mailing instructions, so they had to figure it out. My packing slip was still with the items, so I assume that's how they solved that mystery. Everything was marked off except my bedding. And another slip said to contact my Post Master if any items were unaccounted for. Great. (Side note, the box also had the wrong PO Box number on it and a special little note from my postal worker, Sue, asking to please inform my sender of the correct number to avoid possible return of package in the future...apparently she runs into this a lot because it was a preprinted note. AND, my packing slip HAD the right number...whoever matched my items to my mailing label wrote the wrong number down! I just hate looking stupid.)

So, what do I do first? Now I have to call JC Penney Back Again and explain this fiasco. I also have to talk to Sue and find out what to do about the bedding part of the whole ordeal. I guess I'll talk to Sue when I get our mail this morning and go from there. But come on! All this for some bedding?? Ugh.

But hey! At least it's something to blog about (haha, I'm so boring still!)

Hope your day is less annoying than mine. (O:

Not quite settled...

2010-04-26T23:03:00.002-05:00

Hello friends! (And Woah! Hello new friends, I'm glad to see you here. Please introduce yourself, I would love to meet ya!) (O:

I know I've been completely silent for almost a week...and I am sorry. I'm still working on balancing stay-at-home-Momma duties with wifey duties and unpacking, organizing, living, eating, showering, and me time (somewhere in there!) But, I don't feel nearly as overwhelmed as I did last week...and I haven't cried any(more). Only once last week.

I think I didn't prepare myself enough for how vastly different my life out here in the country would be. Yes, I knew it would be different, but how can one understand HOW different when this world is completely opposite of everything I once considered normal?? I really do like it here and I am starting to work through missing all the comforts of my old "home".

One perk- more lists! We have a little notepad up on our fridge once again...because there is no "running to the store" anymore. Each trip needs to be planned and made the most of. So, we keep a running list of things we need- groceries, Emilia-proofing items, a new iron, etc. That way, when we head into Town to The Walmart, we *hopefully* won't forget anything. The trick is to REMEMBER THE LIST...we have already forgotten it twice I think when going to The Walmart. Oh well, it just gives me a chance to look forward to getting out again relatively soon. (O:

Oh, and I now make a daily trip to the Post Office...where I've already had one package returned to sender because it was made out to my Real First Name and my Maiden Last Name...whoopsie! Probably should have warned the Post Office Lady about my E-Bay addiction and the fact that I still haven't changed it over to my married name...but Come on! E-Bay wants you to send them a copy of your marriage certificate and fill out some form...Seriously?? I don't really find that necessary when everyone else will do it without. So, I'll just be a pain in everyone's side. Haha.

Well, like I said- I'm boring right now. I am sorry for wasting your time on this post...I promise to make my next post one of substance and with at least a somewhat coherent thought process...but until then, Good Night! (O:

Early Anniversary

2010-04-20T11:10:00.002-05:00

Last night, Jason and I went out for a 3 year anniversary. My mom stayed home with Emilia, and it was really nice to have a night to ourselves. We ate at Lone Star Steak House...because it was the least chain-ey chain restaurant we had to choose from in Effingham (BIG CITY, Holla!) Back in Granite, Lone Star would have been our last resort, but it was either that or Ruby Tuesdays or TGI Fridays.

After dinner we went to a movie- The Hot Tub Time Machine. SO not worth anyone's money. It was stupid and not funny. This coming from a girl who loves stupid, funny movies. So, don't see it unless you hate yourself.

I also had my first experience at a Menards...which apparently is like a Lowe's or Home Depot, but BETTER! They have a little bit of everything- even food. Still not as good as The Wal Mart (everyone around here adds "The" to Wal Mart's name, what is that about??) I already find it humorous that we have to make sure we write a list of items to get while "In Town" since we don't have any where near our home...but so far, we have done pretty well.

Oh! On our way to Effingham we drove past these Mansions. And I mean MANSIONS! They were like mini-castles and gorgeous!! The funniest part was when I comment that they still had their Christmas tree up (I've turned hillbilly already to even THINK a place as beautiful as this would be so tacky)...he was quick to correct me that it was a chandelier. Whoopsie! (O: I hope we drive back out that way soon, I would love to gawk some more at house ridiculously massive these houses were.

That's all for now. My life is boring- we are still unpacking. Yay moving! (O:

H-Town, Day 1 Down!

2010-04-18T21:39:00.004-05:00

Hi friends!

Today was a crazy, busy, overwhelming, satisfying day. Today was our first full day in our new home and new town and man, was it jam-packed! For the first time in probably a month and a half, we got to sleep in on a Sunday! We had been waking up around 6:00-6:30 a.m. on Sundays in order to be out here by church time. Well, this week was different! Not only has church been pushed back to 9:30 a.m., but we literally live next door now and so we didn't have to add 1.5 hours to our morning schedule. Somehow, we still ended up only getting to church right on time...but next week will hopefully be better (since we now know where towels, soap, etc. are located...)

Service was great, Emilia made it all the way through again (with a little help from some kind ladies sitting near me!) J and I decided before we left this morning that if anyone invited us to lunch this week, we were going to respectfully decline because we needed to get cracking on unpacking and putting junk away (And BOY! Do I mean J-U-N-K!!) Luckily, no one offered so we didn't have to even worry about it...(side note- the only reason we even discussed this is because every week we have been here so far, some one has offered to take us to lunch...it's not that we expect it from them, it has just happened that way so far)

So, we went home, put out work clothes (or PJ's in my case) back on and got to work. My love for unpacking and re-organizing was quickly squashed a little when I realized it is MUCH harder with a busy, curious 1 year old always at my heels....and when she wasn't at my heels I *really* had to worry. (haha). But, we made it for a few hours and then she went down for a nap. I, too, took a short nap. (aaaaah, naps! How I have missed you!!) My mom got here early evening and WHAT A BLESSING!!!! We got about 5times as much done with her following E around as we did before she was here. We almost have the dining room cleared of boxes!

This doesn't mean we are done unpacking...oh no...it merely means we decided to shove all the non-essentials into storage for now (and by storage I mean one of the unused Sunday school rooms at the church bc we don't have a garage yet...) We felt it best to get the house into some sort of order- living room, dining room, and kitchen under control and then I can bring a couple boxes back over at a time and decide whether to keep, store, sell or pitch. You guys better pencil me in for the beginning of May...H-Town's Community Sale, baby!!! (O:

Anyway, this is the first time I've been on the computer in dAYS (I was starting to get the shakes, haha)...but, I wanted to keep you updated. Thanks for the texts of encouragement...it's nice to hear from you and I'm so thankful you're thinking of me!! (O:

Here are a few "Before" pictures of the house...I mostly took these so the "After" pictures will really WOW you! (O:

The view from inside our front door

Living Room

Living Room leading into Master Bedroom

Where all the magic happens

YAY for double closets!!! (Once we can get to them, that is!)

Hello kitchen that more than one person can fit in at a time!! (O:

Dining Room currently Box Land

Guest Bath- First room to be cleaned and put together, for my lovely mother! (O:

Guest Bedroom (Yes, we took the plastic off the bed for her) (O:

Emilia's Room (Grandma and Emilia playing!)

I hope you all are doing well...I miss everything already, but I can tell I'm going to like it here! More updated to come! (O:

Week of LASTS

2010-04-14T12:15:00.002-05:00

I am having a lot of “This is the last time…” moments this week as our final week before The Move continues. Some of them are repetitive and not really that important, such as “This is my LAST MONDAY/TUESDAY/ETC. of work”, “This is my last week of wearing scrubs”, “this is my last week of setting my alarm clock for 4:45a.m. each day!” (That last one is pretty stinkin’ exciting!!)

But last night was a "Last" that I don't think I had fully prepared myself for. Last night was my last night with my small group. I have known it was coming, and for some reason, I didn't think it would be hard or sad. Maybe I can been subconciously telling myself that since I'm only 1.5 hours away that we will all stay in touch and be as close as ever. But, the reality it that the dynamics of each of these friendships is about to change dramatically. That is what hit me last night. I will no longer be able to look forward to Tuesdays for running, girl talk and Bible study.

Even when I hate the thought of running, there was something almost exciting about getting together with my girls to encourage each other as we ran....that is no more. And, I always thought it made us "hard core" that we went straight from running to small group. 8 smelly, sweaty women sharing couches and oversized chairs to dive into God's word. Lucky for me, I don't smell well at all...but the rest of them- Serious Business.

We made it pretty much through the night without anyone mentioning too much about it being my last night. That is, until prayer time. I didn't say a word because I knew I would cry...but as my friend Katie prayed our closing prayer, she thanked God for me and prayed for our safe travels, etc. At that moment, it all hit me. As Erin leaned her head on my shoulder, I lost it. I have spent the last 5(ish) years of my life with these girls. They are as much my sisters as my real sister and my heart is broken over leaving them.

On the way home, I started running through each one of their faces and thought about what each lady meant to me. I love how God puts certain people in our lives for exact reasons, and I really love when I realize what those reasons are. Each of my dear friends means so many things to me, and they all are unique and special. I can't go into much detail right now because I'm at work, and Jaime has already made me cry once today while at my desk...but, let me just say that if you are reading this- you are one of the most important people in my life and I thanked God for you last night. I will miss you more than I can say, and I am so thankful for everything each of you has taught me in our time as friends.

Love.

525,600 Minutes!

2010-04-08T09:29:00.007-05:00

A year ago today I was sitting in a hospital bed cuddling my newborn baby girl. She was only one day old and she had already stolen my heart. We celebrated Emilia’s first birthday yesterday and I couldn’t stop thinking about this past year of my life and how much we have all changed.

I suffered from mild PPD right after E was born, so most of my earliest thoughts weren’t too cheery. I thought “What have I gotten myself into??”, “I can’t do this, I won’t be a good mother”, etc. Right. Not happy thoughts. I’m sure most first-time mothers have some of these thoughts, if ever so fleeting. But, I remember even once we got home, I still wasn’t completely convinced that I was going to be able to handle it all.

Fast forward a year to today, or yesterday actually. Now, I could not imagine life without my funny, smiley, courageous, friendly little girl. She loves to laugh and to make others laugh. She gives the world’s best hugs and kisses (even when they are more like licks…) She will shake her groove thang to any beat, at any time. She is independent. She loves to read (or at least look at books, that is). She says gack instead of quack. (haha, that’s new and I love it!) She is stubborn and fiery and won’t do anything you want her to- even though she knows how. She is a brute and isn’t scared of anything. Last night, for instance, she was climbing in her baby bouncer (which we keep out for cousin Law), she leaned forward too far and rolled out head first. She got up, laughed and climbed in to do it again. No fear. She loves her family and friends dearly. The happiest moments each day are when she first sees a loved one, or realizes someone she loves is home. She lets out a squeal of excitement and charges off crawling in their direction.

At her birthday party I had a picture collage on the gift table- a picture from each month of her first year of life. I’m sorry in advance if you don’t care about looking through them, but I just can’t believe she is a year old and I love looking back and watching her grow. (O:

Emilia Grace Warren

First Smile (O:

April 2009, Newborn

Emilia on her first day of Daycare, May 2009

June 2009, 2 months

Emilia at her first wedding, July 2009, 3 Months

August 2009, 4 Months

September 2009, 5 Months

October 2009, 6 Months

November 2009, 7 Months

(Taking pictures for Christmas cards...obviously!)

Emilia's First Christmas!

December 2009, 8 Months

January 2010, 9 Months

February 2010, 10 Months

First Spaghetti Experience (O:

March 2010, 11 Months

Emilia Grace Warren

April 2010, ONE YEAR OLD! (O:She was more interested in reading this book

than taking a Birthday Picture, as you can see...That's my girl! (O:

I have let myself go...

2010-04-05T10:47:00.004-05:00

In the bloggy world, that is. I kept meaning to get on here and update the goings-on of my life, but life kept going ON! To try and catch you up on every detail would be virtually impossible and a REALLY long, probably somewhat boring read. So I’ll fill you in on one very big, super exciting piece of news and then recap a very special 1st birthday party. (O:

First, JASON GOT THE JOB!! (I know most of you already know this since you’re among my bestest of friends, but just in case someone else out there is reading…) Jason has been offered a preaching position at a small, country church about 1 ½ hours from where we live currently. We are excited and a little sad all at the same time. This is such a great opportunity for him to finally get into a church and start doing what he loves. Add to that the fact that I will get to STAY HOME with Emilia and be an at-home momma/wife! Woo hoo! I am so looking forward to this. I know it won’t take long before I start going stir crazy in the house all day, but I am already thinking of ways to get involved in the community, setting up play dates with friends, taking a Zumba class, etc! Also, my momma is giving me a hand-me-down sewing machine and I’m intending to learn to make some cutesie baby dresses and continue working on baby quilts. We are really looking forward to a slower pace of life and cannot wait to get to know our new church family! We won’t be moving out there until April 17th-ish, because I decided to give my employer 3 weeks notice. A group of men from the church came last Friday and helped Jason move the entire contents of our storage unit to the new house. This weekend, we ordered living room furniture, dining room furniture and office furniture. It was a little bit expensive of a weekend, but we had to get all these rooms filled because we had none of it! At least now we have items we love and will use until the die (seriously, forever).

Also this weekend was EMILIA-PALOOZA! It was a wonderfully fun party extravaganza! My FIL counted roughly 70 guests! We had a cupcake decorating table, an arts and crafts table, an Easter egg hunt, oodles of snacks and a whole table devoted to sweets (cupcakes and brownie bites!) Emilia was given so many awesome gifts- books, clothes, stuffed animals, you name it, she probably received it. I am still working on getting a good picture of her to use with the Thank You notes, which I will be writing for weeks to come! (O: It was just the best day. What is better than being surrounded by one’s family and friends to celebrate the completed first year of my baby’s life!? As with any party of 70ish people, I didn’t get to spend nearly as much time as I would have liked with any certain person. But, I know they all understood and I was just so glad to share the day’s excitement with each one! Three favorite pictures from the day (the rest can be seen on none other than, Facebook!):

Thankless acts...

2010-03-26T09:29:00.001-05:00

(Note to reader: This post may be pretty vague as to protect the identity of those I will be writing about…and I’m sorry if my rant offends you, but I’m frustrated and tired of trying. Also, this rant has nothing to do with any one of you- so please don’t feel like it does.)

There are only a couple of people in my life that cause me any stress. Mostly, I consider myself extremely blessed to have such an amazing group of friends and family who support me and encourage me daily. This morning, however, I can’t stop thinking about the few that leave me in almost a constant state of frustration and hurt feelings.

Do any of you have someone in your life that never shows appreciation for hard work you do on their behalf? Or for a well-thought out gift you give? I know that the point of gift giving is NOT about how well or how much the recipient thanks you, but it can be hard to work so hard on something and then have no appreciation shown whatsoever. I am a pleaser; there is no doubt about that. I try hard to give thoughtful, meaningful gifts and I love having the ability to be generous as much as possible.

Until now. I am tired of straining over finding or making the perfect gift for someone, only to have it be set aside without so much as a thank you. I honestly don’t think it would bother me nearly as much if I weren’t already expecting to be disappointed. It’s like I am always hoping that “This time” it will be different. Don’t get me wrong- It’s not like I get upset if I don’t receive a thank you card for a gift given to anyone else. (In fact, I would never expect such a thing- gifts are most fun when they are surprises and my intention is not to receive credit but merely for the excitement of giving someone something I know they will love). (So, please don’t think I’m saying I NEED you to write me a thank you note, that’s not my point at all. Rather, I am saying that I would just like some sort of appreciation from only these certain few…only the ones I know I’ll never get it from. If that makes sense. I know the rest of you appreciate my friendship…).

I think I’m just more upset with myself than anything. I continue to strive and give something I think this person, or persons, will really love and maybe, just maybe, this time they will show some emotion- ANYTHING! So, why do I keep trying? Today I explained it to a coworker as the “Wanting my daddy to love me syndrome”. Instead of focusing extra attention and love on those I know appreciate thoughtfulness and friendship, I keep banging my head against the wall trying to squeeze an ounce of gratitude (or SOMEthing) out of these few.

As I just reread what I had typed so far, it became increasingly clear to me that one of my “love languages” is gift giving. It is pretty evident from what I’m writing that I give gifts as a way of trying to show my love. So, maybe that is why it hurts so much to not get that love in return.

Well, the buck stops here. I am done with that. No, I’m not saying I am casting these people to the curb and out of my life. I am just saying that I am done killing myself trying to win their approval. I want to spend my time and energy on the rest of my friends and family- the ones I already know love me and “approve” of me. I want to “commit random acts of kindness and senseless beauty” on those who will at least smile as I do so. I have been blessed with SO MANY great people and I want to use my time to show them how much they all mean to me. And that includes YOU friend (whoever might be reading this). Today is about YOU! However God can use me to bless our friendship, or brighten your day, so be it! I’m ready!

The Weight of Uncertainty

2010-03-25T12:02:00.001-05:00

There are a lot of possible changes in my new future and thoughts of what might be are starting to weigh me down. As most of you know, Jason has been interviewing for positions in churches. He has been called back out to one church, in Herrick, IL, several times now. In fact, this coming week they will have a congregation vote on whether to hire him.

This is a very exciting time for us, for many reasons. First, Jason has been striving to find a church family for us to work with for some time now. I could see him starting to get very discouraged at how responses had been going. But now!! We might actually have found the place God wants us to go.

With that, though, comes a certain amount of stress. I am not typically one who worries about the unknown- especially in instances such as this, I know God is in control and that He will provide as long as we do what He is calling us to do. This time is different, I have to admit.

There is A LOT swirling through my head- health insurance, bills, budgeting a new(smaller) salary, moving, leaving friends, leaving family, the list goes on. Amidst all this, though, I have one very happy thought- if all works out as we hope, I will be able to stay home and raise Emilia myself!!! Man, I can’t tell you how excited I am about this!!! I have always wanted to be able to stay home with my kids and take care of them myself, as well as take care of the house, cooking, etc. It looks like if Jason gets the job at this church, this dream will become a reality!

And while I am beyond ecstatic about this, it has stresses of its own. This means quitting my job to move. I love my job and I love the people I work for. I hate feeling like I’m letting anyone down by leaving. (I know they won’t be mad or anything, because they all know that Jason has been sending out resumes). It also means leaving behind the life I have known for the past 18+ years. I grew up in the church we are currently attending, and even though I may not agree with everything that happens there all the time, it is still my home. The elders of our church, and one minister in particular, looked over my as a child as if I were their own daughter. Rick has been more of a father to me at times than my own. Add to that the fact that I still get to see most of my childhood friends on a weekly basis and then all the new friends I have made along the way and you’ll see how this place is practically my whole life. I always knew I would eventually be leaving with Jason for a new job, but it doesn’t take away the sting.

I am scared of being lonely. I am scared that I will struggle to find new people I can call friends, or even just people I see every so often that I enjoy and that enjoy me. I have already started researching local MOPS groups and even thought about taking a Zooma class as a way to meet new people. But, let’s face it, I’m not the world’s greatest at meeting new people. I am also thinking of getting myself a sewing machine, in hopes of maybe picking up a hobby to help me cope with a new, slower, less people-oriented lifestyle. (And yes, I know I will be part of a new church. But, this congregation’s median age is probably close to 70. And while they are all lovely people, and I look forward to getting to know them, I cannot see deep friendships blossoming in large numbers there. This is more about me needing to redirect my energy and work on being OK with some “alone” time)

I feel like I need to apologize, I think this might be getting a tad whiney. That really wasn’t my intention. I was merely trying to relate my feelings of nervousness, stress and uncertainty. I hope you aren’t too annoyed by reading this. And also, I hope you still know that I am completely thankful that God is bringing this (possible) opportunity our way!

Reading AND Dreaming??

2010-03-18T12:35:00.001-05:00

These are two things I rarely (if ever) do.

Most of you probably already know that I am NOT a reader. The closest I come to reading is picking up the occasional gossip magazine, and that is usually only when one of my favorite people happens to be on the cover. I’ll pick up Jennifer Aniston every time. Aside from that, I have never really cared for reading as a hobby…I think it is mostly because I have a short attention span and would end up having to read each page at least a couple times before I could remember anything. (annoying.)

Recently, this changed. My friend (and now coworker) LeeAnn was telling me how she was so excited to read “The Last Song” before the movie came out. Well, I had watched the commercials for the movie and (aside from wishing someone other than Miley Cyrus was the lead actress), I really wanted to see it. So, that is when an idea was born! Why not give this “reading” thing another shot? Jason seemed rather excited for me to be actually saying the words “I think I want to read a book…” So, he made sure to point it out the next time we were at Target. $6.99 special, not bad.

I have to say, I am actually enjoying this! Instead of sitting mindless in front of the TV for an hour or two before bed, I find myself anxiously waiting until I go upstairs to pick up with the story again. I am still a little slow (as far as reading is concerned), but I am truly enjoying it. The book is *really* good! It is a sweet little love story. Completely predictable (so far), but what love story isn’t? Boy meets girl, girl either loves him or hates him, and eventually they re-love each other. The end, *tear*. (Don’t get me wrong, I am eating this UP! I don’t care how predictable parts of it are)…and I have no idea how the last 100 pages are going to go…I’m so excited to see what happens (although I’m pretty scared it won’t be a happy ending)

And the more I read about Miley’s character (Ronnie), the more I can see exactly why she was cast. Ronnie is spunky and full of personality, as is Miley. So, I think that is another great benefit to reading the book first- now I won’t be sitting there, watching the movie, the whole time thinking that I don’t really like her for this role.

So, I’ll be sure to let you know how I like it once I’m done…I am *hoping* I can finish it tonight…but Jason and Justin are playing in an alumni volleyball game…so we shall see.

If you remember my subject line (from so long ago….geezo, I am long winded!!), it says reading AND dreaming. That’s right, I am also dreaming now! What?? I haven’t really dreamt since I had Emilia, and before my pregnancy, I wasn’t really dreamer either. I really like my dreamless sleep, it’s so nice and relaxing, and I don’t feel exhausted when I wake up. But ever since I started reading before bedtime, I dream Every.Night. Some nights aren’t so bad…but last night wore me out!! Of course, I can’t remember anything from my dreams, except that I wake up several times a night, tossing and turning and completely engrossed in whatever is happening in dreamland. It is nuts! Good thing I’m not reading a suspense thriller book or a murder mystery…who knows what that would do to me!

Naked for Easter

2010-03-11T12:30:00.002-06:00

Today, my plans for my lunch hour were to run to Target for a return and then shop for an Easter dress. I had already looked online, so I had an idea of what I wanted. I grabbed up a couple that were cute and headed to the dressing room…

This is the little beauty I knew I loved before I even tried it on.

This was the only dress that I didn’t even check the price tag before grabbing it up (don’t worry, it was only $40- same as all the rest of them pretty much). Anyway, I grabbed the last size 16 and looked for a size 14, in case the 16 was a little baggy. No 14. Well, let’s just hope this one will fit. It was HUGE! (Side note- of course, this is awesome because it means I was too small for a size 16!!)

So, I kindly asked the dressing room attendant to check the other stores for either a 14 or a 12(thought I could maybe squeeze into it and just not eat for a week or so!). While she scanned the item, called other locations, etc., I couldn’t help but notice her AH.MAZ.ZING booby tattoo…she had two eyes and the words “All eyes on me”. That’s “Really Nice”.

Anyway, no luck for Annie. No stores in our area had Either size. MAN! I knew this dress was too perfect to be true. The color was beautiful, the cut was nice and it made me feel pretty.

It only gets worse- I thought I would just bite the bullet and order the dress in both sizes online, then return whichever didn’t fit. They don’t even HAVE it on there anymore!!! They have it in lilac and in black. I don’t need any more black dresses and I’m not crazy about purple.

I know this post is not fun, encouraging or uplifting, whatsoever…but I just needed to share my misfortune with someone. I am sorry it had to be you. So, that is it. That is why I will be naked for Easter. (No, I'm not really this pathetic- I'm sure another dress will come along...it just stinks that I found the "one" and don't get to wear it!)

Exclusive Sneak Peek (O:

2010-03-04T12:19:00.004-06:00

I'm not sure if you guys are tired of hearing me go ON and ON about Emilia's upcoming 1st birthday party, but here's something else. (Also, I'm not really sorry...but I do feel a little bad when I don't have anything else to post about that you might find more interesting...)

Anyway! Last night I finished her TUTU! Yayy for cuteness! I snapped a quick picture of her onesie (with the buttons finally attached) and the tutu. I will probably put either jeans or some sort of leggings under the tutu on b-day too.

PS- I think the reason I get so excited about this stuff is because I am actually *enjoying* some craft stuff! It is rare that I want to do anything crafty, and even more rare that I actually enjoy it. So far, I am really enjoying all these little projects that are taking her party from fun to over-the-top awesome! (haha) (O:

Eyebrow Invasion of 2010

2010-03-03T11:25:00.000-06:00

Do you ever hear those commercials for Laser Hair Removal? Unless you never listen to the radio, I am sure you have (if you’re in the STL area). Every time I hear one, I think about what “body part” I would have done, if I could afford it. Today, I decided it would be my eyebrows.

My eyebrow saga dates way back to high school when they were thick, curly and out of control. I never knew this, but I had a friend tell me I had to get them waxed, plucked, trimmed, etc. before prom. Well, that definitely made a difference. They really did look a lot better- I had no idea I needed such help!

Ever since then I have done my best to keep up with them. This is not a small task, seeing as mine grow like weeds. I can pluck the heck out of them one day and swear that they are completely cleaned up only to find a bunch of new ones the very next day! Add to that the fact that I am a sissy and cringe with each pluck. It takes me forever to get them done because I go so slowly. (Such a baby!)

Anyway, I am sorry for this weird post. I know you don’t really care about my eyebrows (except you Jaime…I feel you judging me for them not being manicured properly). But, I can’t stop thinking about them because they need some SeriouS work. Maybe this weekend.

So, where would YOU get laser hair removal? ;-)

The Little Joys...

2010-03-02T10:27:00.002-06:00

One of my favorite things about myself (sorry if that sounds self-centered) is how easily I find joy and entertainment, even in the smallest of things. I sincerely consider it a blessing that the smallest thing can brighten my day or change my mood. I am also easily excitable. I love this very much! This morning, while getting ready for my day, I kept having new thoughts pop into my head and I was getting more and more excited and joyful!

First, today is Tuesday! Even though I always say I don’t like Tuesdays because I don’t think I look good in my olive scrub top (Superficial, yes. Honest, also yes.), there are a bunch of things I am excited for today. We have our Tuesday running group tonight!! I am so glad this seems to be sticking for us. (We can sometimes tend to be a group that starts something and doesn’t keep up with it for very long…) Last week I was pumped- hoping to run at least 2 miles. Sadly, I made it only one mile before giving in to the cold and my heavy legs. I was a little disappointed, but also tried to encourage myself because I haven’t been running much lately. So, how could I expect to just pick right back up? But THEN (!!), this past Saturday, I blew myself away! My hubby went running with me at the park near our home and I smoked my old PR by 6 minutes! We ran a full 3.1 miles in 38:00! Woo!! So, I am excited to get out there tonight and push myself, since I KNOW I can do it. I need to give myself an extra boost of encouragement and discipline because I have a race this Sunday!

Along with my love of our running group comes my next small excitement! Tie Dye T-Shirts!! Most of our small group is running together in a 5k in April, as part of the GO! St. Louis weekend. So, we decided it would be super fun to have matching shirts made for the event! (Can I just say how much I L.O.V.E. matching tshirts!!) I actually remembered to bring them this morning, so I can distribute them tonight! They are awesomely tie dye! Hot pink and yellow, with navy letters that say “You don’t have to be fast…you just have to be movin’!! -Jon Gibson”. This is the perfect quote for our group right now because we have runners of all different speeds and levels. Also, I think it’s super funny that we have the quote of one of our (Jaime’s) husbands! The best part is, the dots over the i’s are little hearts and instead of a dash before Jon’s name, it’s another heart. So it looks like we really love Jon. And if you know Jon, you know he isn’t exactly the lovey dovey, hearts and flowers kind of guy! Hahaha. I’ll make sure to post a picture of our group whenever we all have our new shirts on! (O:

On to my scale…it said 182 this morning!! While this isn’t exactly a weight to be proud of, nor excited over, I am. I am excited because that is down 3 pounds from this time last week! I know my weight tends to fluctuate a bit, but it’s the small victories that keep me going! (O:

Now…Let’s talk hair! None of you know this (except Elise), but I haven’t been styling my hair so far this week. With Emilia waking up several times at night and just not doing well right now, I am getting less sleep. This leads to my daily decision to reset my alarm for a later time. In turn, I don’t have enough time to fix my hair before E wakes up and it’s time to go. Something about working at a doctor’s office and wearing scrubs every day makes it easier to “let one’s self go”, so to speak. There are mornings where I really don’t care if my hair is done or if I have makeup on, because, let’s face it, no one will know anyway. No one has to see me except my officemates, who look about the same as I do. But, that wasn’t the point of this JOY. I was feeling poopy this morning about not fixing my hair for the second day in a row…because I just figured it looked messy and people could tell I was just being lazy. Enter, ELISE! She paid me a very nice complement on my hair this morning, with no prodding from me at all. She said she actually thinks it looks cute, kinda wavy, etc. Yay for not being as big of a slob as I thought!! (O: (Thanks again Elise, you made my morning!) (O:

Lastly, in one short hour I will be picking up the invitations for Emilia’s 1st Birthday Party from Walmart!! I had a friend, Chrissy @ Christina Studio Designs create these adorable invitations based off something we found online and I love them! They are perfect and I am so excited to get them shipped out. If you ever need anything created, Chrissy is your gal! (She also has a great etsy site with so many cute cards, etc.)

So, that is where I am at so far today. It’s going to be a great day!

Freedom Friday!

2010-02-26T14:24:00.003-06:00

I didn't go to work today. I had a good excuse. I AM FREE!!!

Honestly though, my morning did not start out well at all. I had all my running gear set out and my alarm set for 3:57a.m. I was going to run, shower, get ready for work, etc. Well, instead I was awoken around 3a.m. to my little girl, crying hard. I knew that meant she probably filled her diaper with more runny poo and it was hurting her sore bottom. So I changed her, gave her a bottle (because when she wakes up between 3or4, she is hungry and won't sleep without eating...) and put her back to bed.

40 minutes later, I heard her again. Same cry, same poo. Only this time she was pretty much hysterical. She didn't want to lay down, she didn't want to sit up, nothing helped. So, I had a new clean diaper underneath her and was letting her sit there for a minute to dry off before I lathered her up with aquaphor and put her diaper on. Then the flood gates opened and she threw up Everywhere! All over me, all over her, the changing table...everywhere! Then, she was just sitting there in her own throw up, crying. I almost didn't know what to try and do first.

So, I just grabbed her towel, carted her into the bathroom and hosed her off. Came back into her room, stripped the changing table cover off and laid her on her towel. After getting her into new pj's, we rocked and cuddled for a while. It was really nice, even if I would have rather been fast asleep.

That is when I decided we would be staying home today. I didn't know how much of this would continue throughout the day, and I definitely didn't want to leave that mess with Elise. That wouldn't have been very kind. She has actually gotten a little better, except for the dirty diapers which are still bad. But, still, didn't want to chance anything.

And even though my reason for having to stay home wasn't great, I am so glad to be here! We put away laundry, vacuumed, played, and are just having a great day! I am free from work until Monday and I am free to do whatever I please with my family! (O:

Here's a picture of E, playing in her room (O: Have a lovely weekend!

Project Weekend!

2010-02-19T12:05:00.003-06:00

With Emilia's birthday and birthday party creeping up on me (only a little more than a month away!!), I really need to get crackin' on all the wonderful ideas I have swirling in my head. This weekend will be the first Project Weekend, with many more to come!

First up for this weekend, a birthday shirt for Emilia. I spent some time googling different party ideas a while back and came across this great website (http://www.polkadotbirthday.com/). Awesome website with oodles of great ideas! This lady also has another great website (http://www.isaiah43project.com/). I really love what this project is all about. I have seen other shirts like hers with kids names on them, but I liked being able to link it to Scripture and putting a message of God behind it. So, that is when I decided to make Emilia a shirt like this for her birthday party! (O: I'm going to the fabric store after work to pick out the perfect fabrics and then tomorrow is a sewing day at my Momma's house to get 'er done! I am so excited I could pee!! I'll make sure to post a picture of the finished product. (O:

The second product goes along with the birthday shirt...a TUTU! Last month I made a tutu for my best friend Jessca's 3 year old daughter Brooklynn's birthday. I was nervous because I had never done anything like that before. But, luckily for me, there are plenty of good tutorials (on just about anything!) out there, so I survived. It turned out really sweet and sealed the deal on making one for Emilia too. (O: I will be picking up the tulle for E's tutu today also and will probably start on it this weekend and maybe finish at our Girls Night on Tuesday! Woo!! (O:

Here's a picture my friend Elise snapped at the bday party of Brook with her tutu (Thanks Elise!) (O: (It was a dress up party...that's why Brook is in an even fluffier dress than her new tutu)

Third, polka-dotting plates and cups! Originally, I had priced out what pink and orange plates, cups, napkins, etc. would cost and had planned on biting the bullet to purchase them all. Then, I had an epiphany in Target...why not just get white plates with wide edges, find some paint daubers and polka dot my own plate edges?! So, that is exactly what I am going to attempt. This is an experiment and I have no idea how successful it will be (I came up with this one on my own...no google...aren't you proud??) But, if it works, it will have saved me about $20 in plates and cups. If not, that is OK too. I'll let you know when I find out! (O:

And one project on Jason's list (if I can convince him to get it over with instead of waiting until the last minute...)- spray painting the white baskets orange. The centerpieces of the party tables are pink and (will be) orange baskets with sugar cookies on sticks in them (standing up by the help of potting styrofoam).

And yes, I realize this party is waaaaay beyond "precious" at this point and is on its way to over-the-top. But, it's her 1st birthday party and we don't plan on throwing on every year, so I'm making this one big!

I hope you all have some creative things happening this weekend! (O:

Today is a new day!

2010-02-15T05:32:00.002-06:00

Alright, now that yesterday has passed! Whew! I woke up this morning with a refreshed mindset. Emilia woke up around 3:30 and so around 4:00 I gave her a bottle and back to bed. I noticed yesterday that she has shot up again. Before, her pj's were a little long, but fit everywhere else. As of yesterday-ish, the length is perfect and they are almost baggy everywhere else. So, I think part of the craziness of this weekend can be attributed to a growth spurt. She is getting so big! (O:

Anywho, as I sat here this morning checking some items on ebay (yes, I'm still addicted and no, I do not feel bad about it), I made the decision to make today a great day. A day is only as good as you allow it to be. My brother-in-law used to always say, "You're only as happy as you decide to be". While we don't always see eye to eye, I completely agree with this one! Being happy and enjoying life starts with making a decision to do so. Will work still be stressful? Yes! Will there be people whose bad attitudes will and try to bring me down? Of course! Do I have to power to choose how these outside factors affect my day? Absolutely. So, here's to a great start to a great week! Hope each of you decide for a great one too! (O:

Ugh is the word of the day.

2010-02-14T14:08:00.003-06:00

I just want to say that I have been really excited about blogging lately. I have even stopped to jot down some thoughts for future posts once or twice (I have an awful memory and jotting notes it the only way I accomplish anything). I have been so glad to see comments from all of you, my friends. It has helped encourage me to keep up with this, once again. I even saw my friend Jaime last night, rocking the scarf look. Yes, I'm jealous.

Anyway, none of these things are lifting my spirits today. Emilia has been fighting this cold, or whatever it is, since Wednesday and the cold is winning the fight. Today has been to worst so far. Our day started at about 3:30 a.m. She has thrown up twice- like, spit up but gobs of it, mixed with snot and drainage...there's a lovely mental picture for ya. I'm pretty sure I still smell like throw up, even though I'm in different clothes. She hasn't napped all day. In fact, I hear her now...we thought she might nap this afternoon...we made it 30 minutes. (She must have just been rolling over, because it's quiet again).

I don't know why I'm typing about this, it's not like I'm even complaining. I know everyday isn't sunshine and rainbows with kids. And I consider myself extremely lucky and blessed because Emilia (when she isn't sick) is an absolutely wonderful little girl. She is joyful and fun, sweet and lovable. I guess I am just tired and felt like I should post something since it has been a couple days. Probably should have thought of something a little more happy, hm? Sorry to anyone that wasted time reading this. I promise to do better next time.

Scarves...The New Black?

2010-02-10T06:06:00.004-06:00

Yesterday I visited my sister's college to attend her Senior Chapel. It is exactly what it sounds like- each senior must organize, plan and execute a chapel service. It doesn't count for a grade, but it teaches them how to put together all the elements of a worship service. That isn't really what I was going to blog about this morning though...I want to talk scarves.

Yesterday, I was observing all these college students hustling and bustling, chatting and laughing, waiting for chapel to start...I couldn't help but notice all the scarves this kids were wearing. They were in all colors, lengths, etc. Did I miss a memo??

I knew there was somewhat of a scarf movement going on out there in the fashion world, but I didn't realize to what extent! And, apparently, these scarves don't even have to match one's outfit? Is it better if they don't match? I don't get it! I know this probably makes me sound like a fuddy dudd who knows nothing about current fashion trends, and that is exactly it. I am too plain to care about the newest, hottest style. I'm still wearing gap jeans and plain colored gap tees most of the time.

Also, it seems that these people leave their scarves on all. the. time. I am way too hot-natured for that...it would be like an everyday sauna for me to try and keep a scarf (of any sort) on once I have removed my coat upon entering a building. I could start sweating just thinking about it! (Gross, but true).

What's the magic? Do they cover up our unflattering body parts? (Can't say that wouldn't be welcomed!) Or is it just a college thing?

...I realize this post has nothing to do with anything, except helping me understand the scarf phenomenon I witnessed yesterday. Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against those who chose to wear scarves as often as their underwear. I just didn't realize how big of a deal scarves have become. Are you a scarf wearer? Can you fill me in?

Whirlwind Weekend

2010-02-08T18:08:00.003-06:00

Whew! Whoever thought traveling to 2 churches in 2 days for 2 separate interviews was a smart idea might need to have their head examined! But, that is what my last 2 days consisted of....that plus a 3 year old's birthday party and a super bowl party. Needless to say, I am exhausted.

While I did not enjoy being worn out and crabby today at work, it was well worth it for all the fun that was had. Both churches seem interested in Jason and we would be happy at either. He should hear back from them within the next couple weeks to see if they want to continue the interview process with him. Finally! We are moving forward!! (O:

Saturday, we got back into town around 2:30 (did I mention these churches were 1:30-2 hours away? Not bad at all, but still..makes for a long day in the van with a 10 month old!) We went directly to my friend Jessca's daughter Brooklynn's 3rd birthday party. It was a dress up theme and it was so cute! If I could get the SD card from the camera to cooperate with the computer, I would show you some pictures of the super fun tutu I made for her! But, alas, I fought technology, and technology won. Maybe another day.

Sunday, we got back about 3:00. Just enough time for Jason to nap for a little bit before going to pick up our snacks and head to the party. Jason insisted that we order 100 toasted ravioli instead of just 50, as I suggested. He kept saying that last year, they 50 we brought were gone too quickly and we should bring more. I conceded, only because he promised to call me out on it if we did, in fact, run out of them. I am a SUCKER. We had at least half of them left by the end of the night, and now I have 50ish toasted ravioli(s?) sitting in my refrigerator. Don't get me wrong, I love them enough to eat them for breakfast this morning (cold on the way to work) and again for dinner (reheated in the oven). But, come on man! I should have listened to my gut (figurative and literally) and only ordered 50. I learned my lesson. Anywho, the party was fun. The men were in the living room engrossed in the game and all the girls were in the kitchen chatting, playing fun games (that I STILL don't know all the rules to!! Margo, Jaime, Erin- I KNOW you're reading this!) (O: It has been a while since our whole fun-loving group has hung out together and it was a great time.

So, all in all, being worn out and crabby at work today was worth it...at least as far as I am concerned...my office mate may have a different opinion! (O:

Here's to a great tomorrow! (O:

God's Many Blessings

2010-02-05T21:07:00.002-06:00

You know when you let something go for way too long, and then it is too hard to try and catch back up? That is where I am at with this blog. I let it go to the way-side for months, through the holidays mostly and now it is February and I still have no posts to show for it. I kept thinking about all the things I needed to catch everyone up on. But, most of you already know the daily happenings of my life (the perks of most of my readers being my best friends/baby-sitter/work e-mail buddy/etc.) And those of you who read this who are not part of my daily life, I promise, you are not missing much at all!

I have been mulling it over in my mind for a couple weeks now how I would go about getting back into blog world. I still maintain that my life has nothing out of the ordinary or overly-intriguing to share with anyone, but I am working on self-reflection and taking time to think about how God is working in my life every day. So, tonight as I sat here, sorting/cleaning/folding 3 weeks worth of laundry, I started thinking about how amazing our God is and how immensely He has blessed my life. I am going to take a few moments tonight, on my first blog of the New Year (a little late coming, I know) and share with you some of the biggest blessings in my life. I hope this post will encourage you to take inventory of your own life and that we can all stop for a moment to thank our Creator for truly caring about us on a personal level and loving us enough to give to us generously.

God has blessed me with a perfect family. While we are not perfect individually, and we ALL have bad days, together- we are perfect. I thank God every day for my wonderful husband, who, through all his flaws (real and exaggerated in my own head at times), supports me fully, loves me unconditionally and is working his hardest to provide a great life for us. He is an amazing father and is my best friend. God brought us together at a point in both of our lives where we knew we needed to get things back on track, and through each other we were able to do so. We have made each other better people. Of course, the most recent blessing in my life is my daughter, Emilia. I smile every time I think about her. She has spunk, gumption and no inside voice. She will be 10 months old this coming Sunday, I cannot believe that! She has taught me patience I never thought possible, helped me laugh and smile more often than before, and breaks my heart in the best way possible.

God has also blessed me with the most amazing friends. I think if I could have made up lists of all the qualities of a best friend, or of several best friends, I would never have close to describing all the fabulous qualities that my friends possess. Every single one of them is a gift from God because they each mean something different to me and we connect on different levels. I have friends that I have know for (what seems like) forever, friends that I am just now getting to know, friends I know I can turn to at any moment with any situation, friends who always make me laugh. I have favorite friends to hug, make goofy faces at, make laugh, quote TV shows and movies with, the list goes on!

I am blessed through my life experiences in ways I never would have guessed. My mother is a pillar of strength that I continually look to for wisdom, courage and encouragement. She got us through some rough years and all the while, raised us up to fear the Lord. I know, by looking at her and where she came from to where she is now, that I can do all things through Christ. My life experiences prepared me for all the situations I have ever found myself in. I am thankful for all these things, even the times that hurt- for they were all for God's glory.

I am blessed because my God has a plan for our lives. While we are still waiting to find out what the next step of the plan is, I know He is in control. It truly is a blessing to "Let Go and Let God". I am not worried about what tomorrow holds, or where we may end up moving for Jason to work in a church. I know God will provide and I am super excited to see what He has planned for us. I am, of course, scared to leave my home. I have grown up with some super amazing people and have lived in the same area for nearly 17 years. It is hard for me to imagine my life without my friends and family only across town. It is hard to imagine not seeing all my favorite people every Sunday at church, or spending time with them at Small Group, girls nights, date nights, etc. But, those fears are so faint compared to the excitement and passion I feel for following God's calling.

As you can see, I am a very blessed person! Not because of anything I have done, and definitely not because I deserve any of it. All of this is because I serve an Awesome, Loving, Compassionate, Tender, Gracious, Forgiving, Generous God!

Who is the God you serve? I would love to hear how God is blessing your lives!

Officially vaccinated.

2009-12-17T16:07:00.002-06:00

That's right. I just got my h1n1 vaccination here at work. I have been tossing around my decision since the first time they asked me if I wanted it. You see, we get the flu shot for free and now the h1n1 as well.

I had never ever had a flu shot in my life, until last year. My OBGYN recommeded getting one since I was preggo...so, I caved. My reasoning has nothing to do with all the arguments for and against vaccines, I honestly don't know much about them. I am just terrified of needles. And I mean, really, seriously, hyperventilating, holding back tears, terrified. Yes, I know, I am 26 years old and they don't hurt. I cannot explain my irrational fear of a needle plunging into my skin. I have just always been this way.

Anyway, I'm still a little scared about it. I have seen some youtube video about that cheerleader who had the awful side effect...I don't know if it is really true or not, but it is scary nonetheless. So, I guess we will see what happens!

(Oh, and my very lovely coworker let me cut in line so I could get the GOOD nurse. I can honestly say she is the best shot-giver I have ever experienced. I keep asking her if I can bring her with me to the other doctors...I am pretty sure she thinks I am kidding.)

Have a lovely day!

Time to get ugly!

2009-12-10T11:43:00.002-06:00

I am spending my lunch hour today googling 'free Christmas applique designs'...why, you ask? I have been coridally invited by my good friend, Jaime (@fearfully and wonderfully made) to a First Annual Ugly Christmas Sweater Party (I added the 1st Annual part, but if we are all still here next year, I will pressure her into making it an annual event!)

Well, there must be A.LOT. of UCSP's this year because Goodwill had Nada. They had many ugly sweaters, don't get me wrong. But, their Christmas selection was seriously lacking. I ended up with an OK combo for Jason (part of his outfit is Definitely from the women's section- but who cares, we aren't going for fashionable!) But, for myself, I was coming up empty. That is, until I decided to just grab a regular little sweater (cardi to be exact) and decided I will doctor it up into an UGLY Christmas sweater. Which is why I have been googling for appliques.

My MIL has been hard at work fixing up my BIL's old baby quilt and it has involved mucho-applique (Don't ask my why I'm so Spanglish today...no se!) Anyway, I figure it I find some good designs/patterns, she might be able to help me get 'er done!

Unforatunately for you (because I know you're on the edge of your seats with excitement...), I cannot reveal what my final decisions will be...it would ruin the surprise for my friends that read my blog and will also be in attendance of this blessed event.

But, I would like to get some opinions! So far I have designs for Christmas trees, a snowman, gloves, a gingerbread man, a moose/reindeer (the site says reindeer, I say moose) and ornaments. What do you think I should do?? All of them look fairly easy, so your opinoins need not be based on skill level (of which I have little....)

Oh, and Jaime, (hopefully you're reading this...maybe I'll send you a text to make sure...) are there prizes involved at our Annual bash? Jason keeps saying something about wanting to win. I dont' even know what type of prize we could give away, but it we could come up with something ugly and fitting, it might be funny. (O:

Alright ladies! Have a great day!

Write That Down

2009-12-09T15:45:00.005-06:00

(I’m fairly certain I’ve used that title before, but if you don’t remember, neither will I…so let’s move on)

I want to tell you lovely ladies about the great time I had last night! Some of the girls in my small group and I had a Paper Party! Another girl from our church, Christina Watson, is a super talented graphic designer. (Check out her blog @Christina Studio Designs Right Now! OK, well, not RIGHT now…finish reading my post first and then check her out! If you love personalized stationary, you will not be disappointed!) Anyway, the first time I had the privilege of seeing Chrissy’s work was a little over a year ago when I coordinated her wedding. She created ALL her paper products- invitations, menus, place cards, etc. Amazing stuff! Then, about 6 months ago, I started following her blog, became a fan of her facebook page and <3'd her etsy site.

Let me just tell you that I Love. LOve. LOVE all things paper! I love post it notes, little cutie notebooks, note cards, greeting cards and the list goes on! So, when I approached my small group about having one of Chrissy' Paper Parties, I was super excited! Much to my surprise and definitely adding to my excitement- several of the ladies were just as in love with paper as me (or they just love us so much they still came and/or allowed the party to be held in their casa...thanks Erin!!)

Chrissy brought so many amazing products and really had countless options to offer! She does everything herself- draws everything out on the computer, prints all her own work and does all her cutting by hand! It's truly amazing what she does! I had a really hard time narrowing down what I wanted to order (of course I wanted everything she had!) Here are a couple of the items I ended up ordering...I cannot wait for them to be ready!! (O:

These are fabulous little note cards, perfect for a quick hello or special note. I love the whimsical design on the bottom and of course, I love the pink! I had her change the purple circle to green. (That's another awesome thing about Chrissy's work- everything is 100% customizeable!

I fell in LOVE with these cards the first time I saw them! What better way to encourage a girl friend than with these lovelies!! (O: (I had mine customized to hot pink bras and green accents. YAY! Is it bad to say I'm anxious for someone to have something sad happen so I can send one?? I don't want anything major...even just a bad day would do!) OK, that is a little mean...so someone just lie to me and say you had a bad day and you can be the first recipient of one of these awesome cards!! (O:(O:

This is another item I have been drooling over for months now! (I even put it on my Christmas list!) (O: I didn't order it last night, in the HIGH (and probably unrealistic) hopes that one of my family members ordered it for me...but, I will know in only a few short weeks...at which time, if it is not already in my possession, I will be chatting Chrissy up to get one in the works! Of course I want pink instead of navy blue and I think there are a couple of the tabs that I want to see about changing, but that's the beauty! She is willing and able to do whatever anyone might want! (O:

Thanks again Chrissy for a fantastic evening! You did such a great job and we all had a blast! Now, my dear friends, go check her out for yourselves! (O:

The time has come!

2009-12-04T14:01:00.002-06:00

That's right, Ladies and Gentlemen! The time is now here- the time for me to become a real 5k runner! I can't believe it has been 9 weeks since I decided to give the Couch to 5K Training a whirl. Looking back, I have definitely come a long way and I am very proud of myself. I actually stuck with it and made it to the end! While I'm not actually running 3 miles yet, I AM running 30 minutes straight. That is how I did my training. In hindsight, I wish I would have trained for mileage intead of minutes. But, I am still proud of myself and I am looking forward to tomorrow's run.

Last night I met up with Jaime for a trial run of the course. We did pretty good, if I do say so myself. We decided to cut part of the course out, seeing as it was 5:30 p.m. and already Very dark out. She picked up mace on her way to meet me, but even still, we didn't want to risk it. Overall, even with skipping part of the course, I think we feel better about the whole thing. I feel better prepared for what tomorrow holds and I am far less nervous. I think because we took the time to check it out before race day, all our nerves and insecurities were wiped away. Now we know what to expect and we also know that (for the most part) we can do this! I can actually look forward to tomorrow instead of dreading it. And I am so excited!!

I will make sure to let you know how it goes....if I survive. ;-)

This is the frist time...

2009-12-02T11:36:00.002-06:00

I haven't been excited about having lunch catered in. I couldn't believe it myself. I mean, HOW could I not be drooling at the mouth over twice baked potatoes, extra cheesy macaroni and caesar salad??

Well, I am glad you asked. The whole Warren family has decided to start Weight Watchers together. Our official start day was this past Monday. So, I'm only on day 3 and I feel like I am actually getting the hang of it. I stepped on the scale this morning and was down 5 pounds!! (Yes, I know this isn't completely accurate- I know my weight fluctuates daily and I also know there is no way I dropped 5 pounds in 3 days.) But, it was Super DUPER awesome be under 190, even if it was just for today. I've been sitting hard at 193 (eeek, I hate that I just admitted to this, again) and today the scale said 188!! I did a double and Triple check, I was so shocked.

That brings me to my distain for today's fabulously catered meal. I have been doing great again today, light breakfast, mostly water to drink, no snacking. I even passed by the world's best Friendship Bread and an ooey gooey pecan pie from Cracker Barrel. I didn't even really hesitate. I just said to myself, it's not worth the points and kept walking. (Look at me go!)

When the food was delivered, the aroma filled my entire office instantly (Doesn't take long when the kitchen is literally outside my door)...I went to investigate and found ribs, twice baked potatoes, extra cheesy mac n cheese, beans, caesar salad and garlic bread. I think it is very rude not to eat whatever a rep brings in, so sticking to a turkey sandwich and green beans was out of the question. I reluctantly went through the line, skipped the ribs, took a potato and a small spoonful of mac n cheese. I made a small salad and skipped the bread. I didn't even ENJOY the food. The mac n cheese made me mad at myself. (If you know me at all, you know that I practically LIVE for mac n cheese, so this was not only upsetting, but also very disturbing).

With each bite, I kept thinking, what a waste...and I don't even know how many points I just used up. I didn't even finish all the food on my plate. It's not that I am beating myself up for 'giving in'- I am actually angry that I had to eat that junk. I had no healthy options to choose from. But, I guess that is the price I pay for being polite. I will just really watch my supper choices.

All of that being said- Can you believe it?? Who would have thought it would only take 3 days to get me to WANT to eat better?! It's like each wise choice is a little victory and I always feel good about writing down what I have eaten because it is (for the most part) healthy. I am definitely goal oriented and this program seems to be for me. My goal is to stay under my 26 points, or at least not to go over, and it makes it like a little challenge each day. My secret, selfish hope is that after a few months of this once I start shedding some actual pounds, I will run into someone I haven't seen in a while and they will say, "WOW, you look great!" That and fitting into my old jeans. I would really love that. All my favorite pairs are too small right now and I can't wait until I can slide back into them! (O:

4 days left…

2009-11-30T12:10:00.002-06:00

Until my first official 5K race! Holy smokes!! I can’t believe only 9 short weeks ago I decided to start this training and here I am. I’m at the end! While I cannot yet run 3.1 miles, I am able to run 30 minutes straight at a decent pace. I am so proud of myself for sticking with this!

It has definitely been rough. A lot of mind games and a lot of wanting to give up. I still find it crazy that this actually worked. I was beginning to feel somewhat hopeless of ever getting into shape. But this really worked! While I still don’t LOVE running, I don’t hate it as much. I think of it more of a means to an end now, instead of sheer torture. If I want to continue to get healthy and drop this baby weight, I have to keep up with my running. 30 minutes at least 3 times a week? Definitely doable.

My friend Jaime and I did our first run together this past Sunday and even though we didn’t finish, we did great! We ran a 14:00 minute mile, a PR for both of us! That is something to be excited about! Also, we learned that we run at about the same pace, which will be good on race day.

I just learned by reading her running blog (@Jaime learns to run) that we have been thinking the same things about this training. The system is a little flawed. Actually, it just doesn’t take into account that some people won’t be able to run a 10-minute mile right away. So, by the end, you’re supposed to be able to run 3.1 miles in 30 minutes….that is just not the case for us. We aren’t up to that speed yet. But, I think as long as we kick booty on the first 30 minutes, everything else is just Whatever! We have been training to run 30 minutes, and I know we can at least do that! Anything after that, whether we can keep running or if we have to walk, that is all OK.

I just can’t wait to wear our matching hot pink running jackets! Haha (O:

A little catch up...

2009-11-30T11:46:00.002-06:00

I'm on my lunch break, so I don't really have time for a full catch up blog post, but here are the highlights:

Awesomely Wonderful, perfect relaxing weekend! I got all my usual weekend chores done Wednesday night so I could enjoy the next 4 days off and I certainly did! We had Jason's brother and sister-in-law over on Thanksgiving and had a great time. It was laid back and fabulous. It was my first attempt at all-foods-Thanksgiving and we rocked it! Let me just say, Baking Bags are from heaven! Also, I'm still bummed about not getting to make cheesy potato casserole...but I digress.

Friday was the traditional Black Friday shopping. It was less than average this year. I'm still mad at Wal-mart. This year they had all the good deals already out and open WELL before "Open time" of 5 a.m. There were just signs saying the sale prices wouldn't ring up until 5 a.m. So, anyone who knew this could get there at 2:00 a.m. or whenever, load up their cart and just WAIT until 5:00 to check out! All the racks were completely empty by the time we got there at 4:30. (Which in years past was more than enough time to get in and get where we wanted to be when everything was unwrapped at 5:00). BOO WALMART! J did get the GPS he wanted from Target...he ordered it online the night before! I was suprised they had their BF sale prices online the day before, but that worked out well for us!

Saturday, Jason's mom made a Thanksgiving dinner for all 6 (and 2 babies) of us and we also did some family pictures. Emilia didn't really cooperate too well, but hopefully a couple turned out well enough for Christmas cards! I'll post them once I look through them. (O:

Sunday was another special day...Jason preached the night service! I was so nervous for him I thought I was either going to puke or cry. Luckily, I did neither. and He was so great! I am so proud of him. We are using this sermon (which we had recorded and burned onto DVD's) to send with his resumes. I just keep praying that something comes along for him soon!!

The worst part of the whole weekend (and quite possibly my life, so far) came after church. I was picking Emilia up from the nursery and went to close the door to the room as we were leaving....not noticing that she had taken ahold of the inside part of the door. I smashed her sweet little hand IN THE DOOR!!! I instantly felt sick and she was in hysterics, with good reason! It took me probably 15 minutes to calm her back down. (Partly because it was already past her bedtime, but mostly because her mother injured her). I know these things are going to happen and I know she is OK, but man. There is nothing like the heartache of causing pain to your own baby. Nothing. I still see the whole tramatic event replaying in my mind and almost cry every time.

But, awful "Mother of the Year" moment aside, the weekend was so wonderful. I kept thinking about how amazingly lucky and thankful I am for everyone in my life.

Off my game.

2009-11-23T11:56:00.003-06:00

There is a definite funk in the air today. I woke up in a pretty good mood (even thoug I skipped my morning run to sleep in...whoopsie daisy!) but it has started to go downhill. I don't know what it is about this place, but people always seem cranky at work. There are a select few that *try* to remain in good spirits, but for the most part everyone is crabby. That is the worst part about working with all women. But, I just walk away and sit in my cave(office) and think happy thoughts. Like these:

I purchased a new top from Target yesterday and wasn't sure if it was cute or not...I thought it was super fun, but never know what others might think. The jury is back and it was a hit! I got several compliments at church last night! Yay!! (O:

Also, I experimented a little with the curling iron while getting ready. I am DYING for banana curls that look free-flowing and beautiful, but until recently didn't think I could do them. I have been googling the heck out of this, trying to find the best way to get the best curls. (You read that right, I GOOGLED it. I am officially a dork, but like you didn't know that already!) I've had my compiled list of instructions sitting in my email inbox for WEEKS, waiting for The Day. Well! The Day was yesterday (sort of). I didn't allow for as much time as I really needed (thanks thick hair!), but what I was able to do really added body to my hair. I felt so pretty and really liked it. The thing that drove me crazy about straightening my hair bone straight was that I was constantly smoothing out the back and running my fingers through it to make sure it was laying flat. Curled/body-licious hair is a whole new ball game! It doesn't have to look perfect and that was awesome. I can't wait until the next time I can play around with it! (Hoepfully I will remember the hair spray next time so the bananas will hold) (O:

Fleece rain boot liners!! Woo hoo!! They just came in and I'm going to try them on Right. Now. Awesome. They are wonderful. I will have to keep an extra lint roller at work now, because the cream color fleece fur has already left its mark on my black scrubs. But, they will be so worth it! Now, Target, please oh PLEASe send my rain boots!! I am so excited for them and promise to wear them almost everyday to work!

Working from home. While I would rather just take the day off to run Jason and Emilia to the doctor(s), I don't have any sick time left. So, I am greatly appreciative that I have a job where I can work from home and an employer that allows it. It is a huge blessing to be able to take some work home with me and get it done there, when something happens and I can't be at work.

Sprite Zero! Hello diet white soda that tastes good!! Ever since I found out I was pregnant, I haven't had caffiene. So, I'm going on a year and a half with no caffiene (the occasional sweet tea, though). Well, I do still love the yummy bubbles that a soda provides so I started drinking Sprite (and Sierra Mist at work). I realized that I am packing in the calories by doing so. I have started drinking diet caffiene free pepsi at work. I used to mock those who drank this, because I thought WHY BOTHER with no caffiene or calories. Now I know. I want the bubbles. So, I started hunting for a diet white soda that wasn't awful. Diest 7Up was an immediate no. I stumbled upon Sprite Zero last week and grabbed a 2-Liter to try. To my surprise, it really isn't that bad. It tastes very similar to regular Sprite (my fav white soda) and I am very pleased! I grabbed up a couple cases this weekend and I'm living the good life! Haha.

OK. This was a somewhat long, rather scattered random blog post. Please don't un-friend me over it. At least I feel happier. (O:

Stiff Neck, Day 2

2009-11-20T08:48:00.001-06:00

Ugh. Ugh ugh ugh. I am officially off schedule for running, thanks to a stinkin’ stiff neck! I was supposed to run yesterday morning, but first Emilia woke up around 2:20 and was up about 30 minutes…then my alarm went off at 4:05…and I couldn’t turn my neck to the right. So, I reset my alarm and went back to sleep for another hour. I was hoping I would be all better by this morning, and the signs were pointing to ‘yes’…my neck felt great last night and I got a good night’s sleep with no Emilia wake ups… But, when it was time to get up. Stiff Neck.

Now, I may have been able to ‘power through’ this morning and run it out…but there is just something about a stiff neck that affects my entire mood. (As if anyone actually enjoys a stiff neck). So, I didn’t run AGAIN. I am *hoping* that I can squeeze it in sometime this afternoon or evening, that way I’m not too terribly behind.

I got to thinking about it this morning and realized why I’m feeling like a slacker. All the weeks up until now were a challenge. Each week was harder than the last. Now that I’ve hit 25 minutes, I feel like I have accomplished something. So I think Satan is trying to trick me into thinking it would be OK to quit now…I’ve proven that I can do something I put my mind to- I’m running 25 minutes for crying out loud! But I don’t want to give up!! I want to keep going! After this 5k training is done, I want to continue running at least 3 miles a few times a week! Should I call this a hurdle I just have to get past? I’m not sure. But, as of right now, the stiff neck is winning…

Never a dull moment!

2009-11-20T08:46:00.001-06:00

As my good friend, Jaime has so kindly pointed out to me during a (these days) RARE email-athon, I haven’t been blogging lately. Well, let me explain why…ready?

Starting last weekend, I have been going 100miles an hour, non stop. Let’s start with last Saturday....

All was going well, the weekend was shaping up rather nicely and I even got to bed semi-early Saturday night. (Yes, I was excited about going to be early on a Saturday night…I am officially a loser). Jason was still on the couch, half watching tv, half sleeping (his typical weekend schedule…sometimes he makes it to bed, other times he sleeps down there all night). Well, about 2 or 2:30am he comes upstairs and flops down on our bed moaning (in pain). My first thought was annoyance, ‘why is he being so loud, I am SLEEPING!’ But, after a few minutes I realized he was actually in pretty severe pain. So, after a few more minutes of back and forth on whether or not to go to the hospital, I tell him we are going. I knock on his parents’ bedroom door (one nice perk of living with the in-laws) and ask if they mind listening for Emilia, we are going to the hospital. 4 ½ hours later and about 5-6 tests later, we find out he has appendicitis. By 8:00 a.m. they were prepping him for surgery. He had to stay the night Sunday and we didn’t get to leave until 4:00 p.m. on Monday. That made for a rough 2 days on very little sleep.

Now he is on ‘bed rest’ for at least a week, maybe longer. Then, he will have more at home recovery and cannot return to work for an additional 2-3 weeks! This is mostly because he works with contractors at a home improvement store, so he won’t be able to lift before then. Because of this, I have been taking care of Emilia pretty much solo. Of course, his parents help play with her and cuddle her, but it’s all me for bath time, bottles and bedtime. Usually we trade off. I am getting worn out.

Did I mention that this week and next week are J’s two weeks of vacation?? Poor guy! Also, J was scheduled to speak at our church this coming Sunday night. Of course, that has also been put on hold. There were a few church waiting for him to send that out to be considered for positions. So, we had to email them and explain the situation.

On top of that, it looks like we won’t be going to KY for Thanksgiving with my mom, as previously planned. We were going to leave out Wednesday afternoon and come back Thursday afternoon, as we usually do. I was actually excited to go and see my mom’s side of the family and to show off my sweet little girl. Mom had purchased a pop-a-tot for Emilia to try out and we even had a new stereo with ipod capabilities installed in my van. One of Jason’s first thoughts after hearing he would have surgery was that we wouldn’t be able to go. So, I don’t know if he’s just trying to get out of it, or if he really thinks he will be in that much pain. I am *HOPING* that the doctor will tell him he is fine to travel and J will decide to tough it out…but we will see.

Oh, and I’ve been sending out resumes for Jason like MAD this week. There have been new postings almost every day! He has even heard back from a few about filling out additional applications and even had one church say they would like to meet him! (That church is an itsy bitsy one in the hills of Virginia…so, he wants to ask some additional questions before trekking out there at the beginning of the year). We also applied for a position at a church in Edwardsville (15 minutes from where we are now)! I think that one’s probably a long shot since it’s a bigger church and they probably would prefer a little more experience…but I can dream! It’s not actually for the senior pastor, it’s for a small groups minister, so maybe he will have a shot. That would mean not leaving our friends and family.

OK, I feel like I’ve gotten off point. All that is left to say is that I am SO glad it is the weekend and I am Happy Happy Happy to have NO plans!! (O:

Bring on the snow!

2009-11-13T10:44:00.003-06:00

I am officially ready for bad weather!

Well, actually, I am *almost* ready for bad weather….I ordered my new rain boots online today!! Woo hoo!! After 700 visits to Target’s website, I had my choices narrowed down to three.

I liked these birdie ones because they were a neutral color and different than any others I have seen walking around.

This pair I loved because of the color combo- I am obsessed with pink and brown together and we all know I live for polka dots.

This pair stole my heart! I am all about Crayon Green and again, living for polka dots.

The first 699(ish) times I searched the site, only the first 2 pairs were in the running. Until today! They had a whole bunch of new ones listed and the green ones definitely went to the top of the list.

Unfortunately, my best email buddy, Jaime was “too busy working” to help me decide (booo hiss!). So, I called on another friend, Neely, who is a rain boot wearer (she is one of the main people that encouraged me to purchase rain boots in the first place) and I knew she would be honest. We agreed instantly, but just had to list the reasons why these were better than the other two.

And the Winner is......the lovely green! (O:

I read all the reviews, and am a little nervous…one said the dots that appear white online are actually a pale yellow. Then, another one said they were a light cream or off white color. SOOO, we shall see. I really wish they would be stark white dots, but I suppose off white or cream won’t be so bad. I just hope they don’t look awful with the white fleece liners I purchased for them.
My order confirmation says they will be delivered sometime between Dec. 3 and Dec. 21…come on!! What’s the hold up?? I hope they might come sooner…can’t wait!! (O:

Now it is getting harder...

2009-11-11T09:44:00.001-06:00

I guess I should recap the last few days of my Couch to 5K training…even though I do not want to relive parts of it. Hopefully I will look back at these posts someday, and say “WOW, Look at how far I have come!” But right now, I am finding it hard to press on.

The first few weeks, honestly, were kind of easy. I am in no way saying that I was in any sort of good physical shape. But, they were short runs. I could force myself to run for 3 and 5 minutes because they were short and I knew they would be over soon. But, as the weeks go on, (obviously) the runs get longer…and I get more scared.

Last Friday was a decent run. It was walk 5, jog 8, walk 5, jog 8. It was the first time I have ever run outside, so that by itself was a new (not so fun) challenge. I had several factors working against me that day. First, I noticed a bunch of school-age girls running the track. It must have been Girls on the Run, a big program in our area, because they even had a table of water set out and teachers at every corner of the track. But, I thought to myself, if these little knee scratchers pass me up, I am going to die. Luckily, that never happened. *sigh of relief*. Next, my outfit was all wrong. It was a breezy, beautiful day and I wore mesh athletic pants and a running top. Well, the pants are a size too big because I like the roominess for lounging and they are the only pair I have, so I had to wear them for running too. So, the pants kept sliding down and the shirt (for the first time ever) kept riding up. I don’t think my midsection was ever actually exposed, but I really hate when clothes Just Meet at the middle, so I was constantly pulling the pants up and the shirt down. Talk about distracting.

On top of all this, I was discouraged right off the bat. As soon as I started running, my knees started hurting (I have Bad knees) and everything felt different. But, I made myself push on. And I did it! I even ran a whole 6 seconds longer on the second 8minute run! I was so proud. (O:

Even with that great run under my belt, the 20 minute run coming up was still daunting to me. I was anxious about it the whole 2 days leading up to it. I didn’t get to do it until Sunday afternoon, which might have added to my issues. (I am usually an early morning jogger- during the week I wake up at 4:30 a.m. to get my run in before getting ready for work. That is SO NOT FUN, but I like to get it out of the way so I can’t come up with excuses later on for why not to do it. And most days, it actually energizes me and I end up having a great day.)

Anyway, I waited until a few hours after lunchtime, hoping to avoid cramping up. It did not go well AT ALL! By 8 or 9 minutes I felt like I was dying, and just knowing I still had 12 minutes to go was like torture. It was then that I realized that the long runs do me in because, unlike the short runs, they won’t be over quickly. I have to keep going and going and going. I made the mistake of turning the TV on while running, hoping it would keep my mind off what I was doing and make time fly by. No such luck, it ended up being a huge distraction- my breathing was off and I just wasn’t focused. Then, I tried to get a sip of water (I’m struggling with a bad cold and cough, so my throat is Always drying out)…and what do you think happened next? I flung my arms in despair and accidentally knocked the safety key off! So, the whole treadmill STOPS. At 12ish minutes, it stops. I am instantly ticked off. Even though I was hating this run, I didn’t want to screw up and not finish. So, I allowed myself 30 seconds of walking, and then ran out another 8 minutes. It was awful. I was so disappointed in myself, I felt like such a failure. I actually went up to the upstairs bathroom, locked the door, and cried in the dark I was so upset. I cried hard. It was a mixture of being so tired from the run, low on sugar and completely angry at myself.

After several minutes, I pulled myself together and got in the shower. I had texted a few of my fellow training buddies and they gave me lots of encouragement. I remembered something my friend Jaime sent me from a comment on her blog. It said something about ‘there will be good runs and bad runs’. This was definitely a bad run. And, in the end, that is what I chalked it up to. It was a bad run, and now it is behind me.

I learned that I have to allow myself be not always be great. Sometimes, I will fail. Sometimes I won’t be able to finish. And that is OK. I can’t beat myself every time I have a bad day. I just need to keep going.

(I kind of lost my train of thought…I had to get a couple things done at work, and now I’m back…I think that is all I wanted to say!)

Oh, and Jaime picked up our totally awesome, matching hot pink running jackets for the Gingerbread 5K! Can't wait to wear it! I have decided that I'm not allowed to wear it until the race. Well, maybe for the week leading up to the race, since those will definitely be outside and I'll be cold. Plus, the last week is all 30 minute runs, so basically, by then I've made it! (O:

iStock Update~

2009-11-06T12:56:00.003-06:00

Well, that was quick...not sure that is a good sign. Buuut, my application was returned again. The picture of Avery was rejected because it was too similar (Since I alread had one baby shot)...they told me "+++too many babies".

The good news though- Elise's picture was accepted!! That means I only need ONE MORE photo before I can actually upload pictures to be sold. It has to be something new and completely different from either of my other two. So, I told Jason I'm taking his camera and going for a long walk this weekend. I will shoot whatever I see that interests me. I am also hoping to spend a little more time online today checking out what does well for others. Maybe I just need to understand what iStock is looking for.

Anyway, I'm happy that so far I have TWO photos that are up to snuff. Maybe that means the hobby I enjoy so much can grow and I'm actually somewhat good at it. (O:

Breathing seems to be optional...

2009-11-06T10:50:00.001-06:00

Yep, I have a head cold. I am pretty sure my sweet, little girl gave it to me. She has been snot-nosed since Sunday and so now neither of us is doing too hot. Right now, I feel supremely congested, but there is nothing left to blow (thanks for sharing, I know). I really would not mind this congestion, well actually I do mind, I would rather be feeling well, but my point is- this darn congestion is interfering with my running!

Today is supposed to be Day 2 of Week 5, which entails two 8-minute runs with a walking break in between…I didn’t do it this morning because I wanted to sleep in a little (J is home today, so he was on Emilia morning duty). It was nice to get an extra 45 minutes of sleep this morning. I have plans to do my run this afternoon at the park. I can just see it now…huffing and puffing along, hocking lugees and snots dripping out my nose. What a lovely site! (You are welcome for the visual!)

I am still fully intending to run after work, but I am not looking forward to the not-breathing part. Breathing through my nose is next to impossible at the moment, and when it does happen, it is overly labored. At least I will be running alone- no one will have to witness this horrific event. (haha)

My oldest (# of years of friendship oldest, not oldest age) friend Jessca just finished week 3 of C25K this morning and asked me for a ‘Victory!' through texting. I smiled and obliged. We talked for a while last night on the phone and it was mostly about running…What. The. Heck. Has. Happened. To. Us??? We are two Nooon-Runners. I’m glad she is doing this training too- I am already researching 5K races in January for our whole runners group to do. Jaime and I will have to keep up with our running throughout December and Jessca should be done with her training by January and ready for a race! I see hot pink shirts in our near future…(O: (PS- Jaime, how are we going to do these shirts so they are visible for a December run?? Long sleeve dry fit with something else underneath? This will take some research!)

I don’t know who of you out there are runners already, but if not, maybe my journey can inspire you to do so. If you would have asked me 5 weeks ago to run 8 minutes without stopping and be excited about it, I would have punched you in the throat (not really). But now, I KNOW I can do this and I am so excited! I need to get healthy, and I have taken many baby steps, but I am on my way to a healthier lifestyle. Running is a big part of that. What a great way to stay in shape. You don’t need any big fancy equipment, just some clothes and a good pair of running shoes- Bing Bang Boom. At first when my friend Margo told me “If I can do this, You can do it”, I didn’t really believe her. But she is RIGHT! Anyone can do this program.

I’ll stop now, before you think I’m also drinking their Kool-Aid…which maybe I am, don’t judge me! (O:

iStockPhoto

2009-11-05T11:39:00.006-06:00

OK, I know I have been MIA for a WEEK (thanks Jaime, for pointing that out...haha)

I guess I have just been busy busy busy...with what, I don't know. But, since work has decided we have to restrict internet time to our lunch breaks, I haven't been on as much.

I have a little bit of my lunch break left and so, instead of emailing this to my friend, Jaime, as I was just about to do, I will post it here, for everyone to read and be excited about! (O:

As you know, I am working on getting into photography- learning from Jason, playing around with his camera and practicing on anyone who will sit still (or as she rolls, in the case of Emilia). Well, he is part of a website called iStockphoto. Basically, one uploads photos for approval and upon approval, they are available to the world for purchase. Mostly they are used for advertisements or in books or on the web. With each download of a certain photo, the photographer makes a little money.

There are a lot of people out there doing this as a full time job and making good money doing so. J only does it as a hobby, in his spare time. But he has made enough in the past few years to purchased the flat screen 42'' TV he wanted, both an HD and BluRay DVD player, new camera pieces, etc. So, he is doing pretty good for something he only does in his free time.

Well, I decided one step towards my own photography hobby should be to make myself a member of this website and see if I could be accepted to upload photos. I don't think I had high expectations of actually succeeding in this (don't we all love self-doubt...) but I tried.

Here's the deal- you have to look over some info about lighting, model releases, focus, etc. and take a quick quiz. Once you pass that, you then upload 3 images as part of the application process. These won't actually be uploaded to your page for purchase, this is just to be approved to do so. When I did my first application uploads, I only had Emilia's 6-month pictures to work with, so I uploaded 3 of them and said a prayer.

It takes a couple weeks to hear back, and when I did, it wasn't great news. It said something about my photos were too similar (which I knew would be the case). So, I figured all 3 had been rejected. Well! I just got back on today to look around (I keep researching what others are doing to try and better myself and to know what to do) and thought I'd look at my application again. ONE of my three pictures was actually approved!! They just sent back the other 2 because they were too similar to the first. But, one made it through!

This might not seem like any sort of big deal, but I'm excited. It means that what I shot was GOOD. Good enough for iStock! It gave me a renewed energy and excitement. So, I browsed through all the pictures I took at our Halloween party last weekend and put up two different pictures of two different people. (See below). So, in a couple weeks we will see what they think about these. If not, I'll keep trying.

(Oh, and side note- Jaime~~ your hard wood floors look great as the background on Avery's picture...I might be using them again soon!) (O:

(also note, while these may seem somewhat bland, that is kind of the point. You want to have pictures that also have room for the advertiser to fill up with words. At least, that's what J tells me, haha.)

*Special thanks to Elise (@elise is...content) and Avery for being so beautiful! (O:

Oh, and here's the picture that was accepted. (O:

Runner's Update (O:

2009-10-29T08:04:00.004-05:00

This morning I finished Day 2 of Week 4 of the Couch to 5K Training!! Whoot!! I definitely did not enjoy myself at all. But then, I started thinking (while counting IN 2 3 4, OUT 2 3 4 in my head) that exercise shouldn't be enjoyable. If I am feeling good and am not struggling at least a little bit, that means I am not pusing myself. I understand that some people actually enjoy this sort of misery (I call it self torture), but I am not one of those people. I do it because I need to. If 3 years ago you had told me I would gain 45 pounds between being lazy and having a baby, I could have punched you in the throat. But, that is where I am and so, here I go! (I am secretly hoping that you all went temporarily blind and couldn't read the number of pounds I just typed out...I cannot believe I did that...can I borrow the memory blipper from Men In Black, please??)

I know I do my fair amount of complaining about this whole running deal, but I am honestly getting to be somewhat proud of my self discipline. J told me a long time ago that he would help me with this...but seeing as I decided to get up before work (which means 4:30ish a.m.) to work out, he has since decided that I can probably do this on my own...(side note- I am a little bummed out that he hasn't been more encouraging of my efforts. I almost crave being told that he is proud of me. But, don't be mad at him- his mind is completely preoccupied with his current job, which he hates, his desperate hopes of trying to find a new job and also trying to finish school in the next 2 months...so I know it's not that he doesn't care, he just is going going going all day until he crashes at night.) *ahem* back to what I was saying...every time I finish a run, I feel like I have made a little accomplishment (yes, I still yell out VICTORY every time!) (O: I realized this morning that I don't really have anything that I do just for 'me', except for this. I have so many talented friends and family members in my life, and I have always been a little jealous of them. They have hobbies or things they enjoy doing and at the end of a project, they can see real live results. Before I started this training, I didn't have anything like that in my life. I like that with each finished run, it can be marked of the training sheet and I am one step closer to my end goal. It might not seem like much to you, especially if you are a routine exerciser. But, for me, right now, this is important and I am glad to be pushing forward!

Oh, and I can add another name to the list of people running the Gingerbreak 5K with me! I was telling my coworker last week about my training (I tell people bc it helps keep me accountable, I don't want to fail and have to admit it!). Well, she came into my office yesterday with the registration card in her hand! She said a friend of hers is doing it and told her about it. She told me that she figured since I was doing it, she would do it too! I feel like it is a revolution around here! Not that I think it is because of me, but maybe my decision is helping to spur on other people's decisions! If wasn't afraid of being called a complete dork (and because I wouldn't want anyone to be able to find me in the crowd on race day) I would say we should all get team shirts! I am thinking hot pink (shocker).... Luckily for me, my friend Jaime wouldn't allow this... (O:

In related news...I gave my blog friend Sonja some encouragement this morning about exercise and eating right...I told her that we should both commit to eating better because if we did, I might actually do it. I explained how my friend Jaime and I started the C25K training at the same time and the biggest thing keeping us both going is that we don't want to be the first to quit...so I figured this philosophy could hold strong with eating right too. SOOO, basically I am hoping she doesn't take me up on that...otherwise I'll have to exercise AND eat right and that is just TOO MUCH!! (haha)

Everyone here seems to be pretty crab-ay this morning...so I hope you are having a better mornig than they are! It's almost the weekend, woo hoo!! (O:

Oofta!

2009-10-27T16:44:00.002-05:00

That's right, I said OOFTA! I know I have been a little MIA here lately and I apologize!

My mind has been spinning since this weekend. We found out some less-than-wonderful things about the daycare we have (had) Emilia in, so I have been completely preoccupied with trying to find a new one. Luckily, our friend, Elise (@elise is...content) has agreed to watch our little girl, in addition to her own 2 kids and one other little girl she was already watching. Woo hoo! No more stress about if Emilia is being neglected! She starts there on Monday and I am so relieved!!

Now that I am not completely consumed with that...I have moved on to our Halloween costumes for this weekend's Halloween Part-AAAY! (O: As we already know, Emilia is going to be a duck...so Jason is going to be a duck hunter and I am going to be a hunting dog. (haha). Hey, it beats being farmers! Plus, we already have everything I need for these costumes and I could not find ANY flannel or overalls at Goodwill! So, farmers are out and hunter&dog are in! (O:

I am up to week FOUR in the C25K and I am still somewhat in disbelief. Today was 5min brisk walk, jog 3 min, walk 1.5 min, jog 5 min, walk 2.5 min, jog 3 min, walk 1.5 min, jog 5 min, VICTORY! I had to do some serious praying this morning to get through it. I wanted to give up before I even started. I guess my mood was just off today. But, I have to agree with something I ready on another blog- her name is Lauren and her blog is LiveLaughLove (wish I had thought to use that...we LOVE that saying in the Warren household! I might switch mine to something similar! ...anyway...) She is 2 weeks ahead of me and it has been such an encouragement to read about her training. It shows me that I CAN keep going. Even when I feel like I have made an awful, AWFUL mistake, I can keep going. Anyway, a few posts ago, she said that she has realized she doesn't love the running part, but she loves the finishing part. That is SO ME!! I pretty must Hate the entire 25ish minutes of the actual running...but getting to the end and being able to shout victory is so great! It really is what keeps me going at this point.

Well, now work is over (ha). I'll save more for another day!

Have a great night all! (O:

Watching the clock...

2009-10-23T12:56:00.002-05:00

Technically, that title is very uncreative and undescriptive because I could use it literally every. single. day. (Well, Monday through Friday anyway) But that is what I am sitting here doing...cleaning stuff off my desk for the week and gearing up for the weekend. We do not have too much going on, but enough to make me look forward to getting out of here.

I am getting off at 2:00 today (woo hoo) to take Emilia for her 6 month check-up (tear). I already have the Tylenol in my purse, to give her before we head over to the doctor's office. In case no one ever tells you, as no one told me, give your baby a dose of Tylenol before the doctor's appointment if she/he will be getting any shots. That way it can start kicking in before the horrible incident occurs.

I have been dreading today all week...I hate shots. I still get upset (and sometimes cry) when I know I have to get them and it is even worse when I know the pain will be inflicted on my little girl. The last time I took her, she just looked up at me in shock, like 'WHY did you let this happen to me???' It was awful. I cried, she cried. Awful. The next visit with shots, lucky for me, Jason took her. He did not cry, he was strong. But, he did tell me he felt really bad. Now it is my turn again and I am not looking forward to this. I am half minded to get a bottle ready and feed her while she is getting them...maybe she will be so distracte she won't be scarred for life. (Yes, I am dramatic. What else is new.)

After that, I am going to a Beth Moore podcast with my Momma at her church. I am really excited! I really enjoy hearing Beth Moore speak and I have been praying that I will be open to the messages she shares. It will also be some good time spent with my Momma. I do not see her very often (even though she only lives 20 minutes away) and I am always excited to squeeze time in with her whenever I can! The sessions are tonight and tomorrow morning. Wahoo!

Saturday afternoon is currently free and that would be exciting. Except I know it will be spent catching up on laundry and finishing the task of switching E's clothes from 3-6mos to 6-9/6-12 mos. We have been living out of the 6-9/6-12 month storage tub since last weekend and I am done with that. I am thinking that *maybe* I can convince J to take me to a movie that night...but we shall see. He almost refuses to go to the movies on the weekends because everyone is loud and rude and etc. (He is going to be one grumpy old man someday!) BUT, if I offer up something he wants to see, it might happen. *fingers crossed* (O:

Sunday morning will hopefully involve sleeping in a little before Day 3 of Week 3 of Couch to 5K! This week has been very encouraging. I was pretty nervous about the 3 minute runs, but they are not so bad. Yes, I am a sweaty, red puffy faced mess when I am done, but I am Doing It! Not breaks, no slowing down, no passing out. I decided this morning that I do not care how awful I look, as long as I am doing it. I am not completely dead, out of breath when I am done because I am keeping up with good breathing techniques. So, if my face is so splotchy red that it will scare small children and make newborn babies cry, that is OK. I just PRAY no one EVER has a camera near me after a run...that would be unfortunate for everyone involved.

Sunday evening, before The Edge is a friend's baby shower. I was in charge of (by self appointment, of course) getting the group organized and purchasing the gift. I think she will be pleased. The wrapping job is going to be pretty cute too, seeing as I had left over teal wrapping paper and brown ribbon with teal polka dots from my sister-in-law's shower...rock on! We have three boxes stacked on top of each other with a little lion toy, that I let Emilia pick out, on top. Cute cute cute. I just love baby showers and helping a new momma with the stuff she will really need! I remember my shower and how grateful I was to everyone for all the gifts, advice and love. It was truly overwhelming. I hope my friend's day is just as wonderful.

After The Edge, my weekend is over. (boo). BUT- the next weekend is Halloween!! I am *thinking* about doing some 'You've Been Boo'd' business at work next week for fun. At my old job we did this, but usually for the last 2 weeks before Halloween...so I am a little late. Oh well. It could still be fun! It will all depend on if I have enough time to go grab up some Halloween goodies before Monday! (O:

Have a great weekend friends! (O:

The one that did not make the cut...

2009-10-23T08:17:00.004-05:00

I hereby dedicate this blog post to Emilia's 'runner up' Halloween costume, my personal favorite.

It, unfortunately, will not see the tricks or treats of Halloween night. We are going to a bonfire party at my friend Jaime's house that night and everyone is "HIGHLY encouraged" to dress up. This means, if you do not dress up, Jaime is going to be on your case all night and probably call you mean names. (I am not kidding...)

Now, I may or may not have mentioned this before on here, but my husband can tend to be a fuddy dud about these sorts of things...and had no intention of dressing up (he has thick skin and Jaime's taunts would do him no harm). But, he asked if our whole family unit would be dressing up to a theme, and I saw my "in". I told him I had two costumes for Emilia and if he could come up with a theme to go with one of them, we would do it. So, on Halloween night we are dressing up as the ever-so-creative farmers to go with Emilia's duck costume. (Apparently we are duck farmers, ha).

This means my favorite costume, the one I purchased for $3 on clearance when I was only a few months pregnant and did not even know my baby's gender yet, the most adorable idea ever, lost. My dreams have been crushed and I no longer have a reason to live. (OK, reality check- I am not actually this distraught over it, but I think it makes for a good, dramatic opening. I have to keep my audience guessing and on the edge of their seats...are you there yet?)

Well, since I do not get to dress up my little stinker in this cosutme for Halloween, I took last night as my opportunity to dress her up in the costume and take some pictures!

I will not keep you waiting any longer...

May I present to you, Emilia the Skunk! (O:

I tried to get some 'tail shots', but she is big into rolling right now and was all over the place! But, you still get the idea. (O:

Wishing for Colorado!

2009-10-21T07:54:00.003-05:00

This morning's post is part of Kelsey @ The Seattle Smith's Wishful Wednesday series (O: Each week she posts a different topic and encourages everyone to share their wishes. This week's topic is 'I wish' .... I was going on vacation tomorrow, and I would want to go ______!

My answer, as made obvious by my title, is Colorado! It may not seem like anything glamorous to you, but if you know me outside of the bloggy world know this is my dream place. I spent 6 years of my childhood there and have been begging to go back ever since I was 8. Imagine growing up (ages 2-8) with a beautiful mountainous landscape in your backyard and then being shipped off (by the military) to Illinois, where nothing is abounding but cornfields. I literally cried when I realized there were no mountains. So, ever since then, I have wanted to go back.

My dream vacation would be to rent a log cabin up in the Rocky Mountains and hide away from the rest of the world for a while. I would, of course, bring my hubby and our daughter. We would spend lazy pajama days on the wrap around porch, sipping sweet tea, taking in the view and talking about anything and everything or nothing at all. When we felt like it, we would take long hikes, enjoying all that nature has to offer. We would grill for almost every meal- Jason loves playing with different spices and I love letting him cook! Our evenings would be spent, again, on the big porch- curled up together in a fuzzy blanket on a porch swing, with big glasses of sweet, red wine.

I feel relaxed just thinking about my imaginary vacation...maybe someday Jason will surprise me with this special trip! (O:

Dear Ebay...

2009-10-20T08:34:00.002-05:00

Please stop being so awesome!

It is officially official...I have a problem. Hello, my name is Annie and I am addicted to Ebay. "Hi Annie".

It is bad, *really* bad. So bad, in fact, that I have my MIL and FIL helping me by hiding the packages until I can open them so my husband does not see them. If I were to get technical, I do not consider this lying to him as I usually show him what I have purchased...but when he sees multiple packages sitting there on any given day, he tends to give me trouble about it. I try to remind him how much money I am SAVING by getting these good deals, but he is never swayed. He just rolls his eyes and tells me it is not just because Emilia needs clothes, but I really enjoy it and I am addicted. Well, YES, that is all true! But what is so wrong with enjoying a good deal and finding adorable clothes for our little girl?? So, I basically just ignore his contention and keep going strong! (O:

So, I think I will retract my previous request, dear sweet friend Ebay...never stop being awesome! (O:

Does anyone hear that fluttering?

2009-10-19T12:12:00.003-05:00

Well, today I am in a crummy mood. No reason, really. Just crummy. Last night I worked in the nursery at church and somehow managed to pull something in my back...so today has not been a fun day. The chiroractor managed to lessen the discomfort, but did not get rid of it completely.

Needless to say, I did not do day 1 of week 3 of C25K this morning and I never in a million years would have thought that I would be disappointed about NOT running...but I am! I really think this is part of what has thrown my mood off so bad. It is not that I am enjoying the actual running, but I do feel tiny little successes each time I finish a day's run/walk. I get excited when I think about toning out my yucky areas and the thought that I may actually lose this baby weight if I keep up with this and watch what I eat. So, when I could not run this morning, or bend over to dry my feet after my shower, for that matter, I was really bumming. I do not think I want to push myself to try and run tomorrow yet, either. Which is double disappointing. That means I will have to run Wednesday, Friday and Sunday for Week 3, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday for Week 4, then I can get back to the Monday, Wednesday, Friday that I love.

OK- I ended up typing a lot more about that than I had intended to...I was just going to say that I am bumming hard core today and so I was going to wait until later this week to tell you how Awesomely Fabulous the baby shower went (I am waiting for the pictures from one of the girls that helped). But, I did want to tell you a funny story from yesterday morning...

Emilia slept in until about 7:30 (I love her!!) and then I went in and was playing with her on the floor of her room. I kept the door to the room open in case Grammy or Poppy woke up and wanted to come play too...well, I started hearing a flapping sound from the hallway. At first I thought maybe a bird was just right outside the window in the office, across the hall...but the more I heard it the more it sounded like it was inside! And, being the scaredy cat that I am, I just shut the door to Emilia's room and waited for someone else to wake up or for Poppy to get out of the shower, whichever would be first...When I heard Grammy open their bedroom door, I cracked Emilia's door and asked if she heard that. She snuck over to the office and peeked in and sure enough! A BIRD had gotten into the attic and flown down the stairs (that darn attic door never stays closed!) We both waited in our rooms with the doors closed until Poppy got out of the shower so he could catch it. (Meanwhile, my husband is sleeping on the downstairs couch and told me 'what do you want me to do about it?' when I told him what was going on...NICE). Poppy caught him in a towel and handed him off to Grammy to take outside. We set him free and he flew off, grateful to be away from our cat and dog, I am sure!

So, that was our eventful Sunday morning! Anything wonderful or exciting happen to you? (O:

9 Minutes...

2009-10-16T14:53:00.003-05:00

That is exactly how long I have until my whirlwind of a weekend will commence...I know I have been rather absent the past few days (except for quick, nothing-to-them posts, I think I remember doing that...) My mind is a haze due to the all-consuming baby shower! I am excited for tomorrow to finally be here and I *REALLY* hope my sister-in-law loves her shower. I have done everything I can think to make it a day especially for her. I am nervous and anxious and a little scared, all at the same time.

I have been practicing my "Welcome" speech for DAYS now...you may think I am exaggerating, but sadly, I am not. I do not enjoy speaking in front of groups of people whatsoever, so I have been agonizing over the fact that as the shower-thrower, I will have to do so...I can see myself now- blotchy, red face and neck, sweaty armpits, racing heart, nervous bladder, the list goes on...I made myself nervous just thinking about it!

And now (after a quick run to the bathroom to change clothes...) I am off to set everything up!

I will try to take pictures and let you all know if I survive...(O:

Have a great weekend!

Arriba!

2009-10-14T13:37:00.002-05:00

Today we threw a 'Boss Day Fiesta' and it was wonderful! My coworker brought in a bunch of fiesta decorations and we hung sombreros all around. We had a yummy taco bar and lots of delicious cheese dip! This is a bad time to work right next to the kitchen because I keep meandering out there and grazing the leftovers. So much for pairing my workout with good eating habits! (O: (Yes, yes, I know. National Boss Day is not until tomorrow, but our big wig doctors were all here today, thus we celebrated early.)

Speaking of my workout...C25K Week 2 Day 2 was not too bad. I was fighting myself every step of the way, but I made it to the basement and turned the treadmill on. Then there was no turning back, I did not want to be a quitter (even though I really wanted to quit!) I started praying for strength and encouragement and I got it! I made it through and added a couple extra 'VICTORY'-s to my usual chant. (O:

I am getting rather excited (as much as one can be about running...) about the Dec. 5 Gingerbread 5k! I just found out about two more friends that are running also! I think that brings the Girls Club group to 5, and 2 husbands! That means I REALLY cannot fail, I do not want to be the only one that does not make it!! (O:

I am really starting to get excited for the Holidays! Halloween in a couple weeks, with a fun costume party and trick-or-treating. Thanksgiving with my mom's family in the backwoods of Kentucky (my cousin is my uncle and stuff like that, seriously...OK, not that bad, but close!) BLACK FRIDAY!!! (Definitely a Holiday!) Man, if there was ever a good time for a sale, Black Friday is it! I used to ask off for this day and now I am so lucky! We are closed that day so I do not have to use any vacation time! (O: We will see how it goes this year...maybe J will keep Emilia home with him... Then, Christmas! So many family things going on around Christmas, I cannot wait!! (O: THEN, after New Years...LASIK for Annie!! (Hopefully!) I get it for free at my work since I have been here over a year. I am waiting until the beginning of next year because the type I am having will probably require about a week of recovery time. I am so excited!!! (O:

What are you looking forward to about the Holidays? (O:

Wishful Wednesday!

2009-10-14T13:21:00.002-05:00

'I wish' .... I had one particular talent, and it would be to SING.

I am not talking about being a world famous, amazing singer or anything extravagant like that. I would really just love to be able to sing and not be embarrassed about it. I cannot carry a tune in a bucket! I probably do not have as bad of a voice as I allow myself to Think I have, but still. I love rocking out with my cell phone mic in my Momma-Minivan whenever I am alone, but I dread having to sing anywhere that the music will not be loud enough to muffle my sounds. I have even been known to mouth the words if I was worried someone might overhear me.

Is that not so sad? Do you feel sorry for the poor, pathetic, tuneless girl? Haha.

'Write That Down'

2009-10-13T13:16:00.002-05:00

Yes, folks, it is time for another giveaway! I entered this one because I l.o.v.e. paper products! Kristin @ .:.Miss-Kriss.:. is hosting a giveaway for some custom made post cards and a $25 Starbucks gift card (Jaime, I know your ears just perked up!) (O:

I really enjoy Kristin's blog and I am excited about her giveaway! You should go check her out- even if you do not want to enter the giveaway, you will enjoy her blog! (O:

Hello Monday.

2009-10-12T12:53:00.005-05:00

Well, that was a quick weekend. It was actually pretty good, I'm just in a little bit of a stinky mood this today, so I am having difficulty remembering the fun I had...

Saturday was a great shopping day! My mom and I drove out to Warrenton, MO to the some outlet malls. The Carter's store was not the best I have ever seen, but I still managed to spend a decent amount of money (haha). They had some good fall clearance and also some way clearance summer stuff that I purchased for next year. Gap was not that great either (sadly). BUT! They have these bags right now, their 'Eco Bags'. If you purchase one ($5, if I remember correctly), anytime you bring it in to use, now throuch Dec. 31, 2009- anything that will fit in there you get 10% off! Deal! ALSO~~ Nike did have some good deals! I purchased a couple dryfit tops for myself and 1 for J. I never thought it made a difference what I wore while running/walking...but man! Those babies are great! (O:

I spent most of the day Sunday washing all the new clothes I purchased for Emilia at the outlet mall and a couple presale yard sales...(O: Then, I tried to get through 9-12, 12-18, and 18-24 mos clothes to sort and make a list of what we have...I finished 18-24 and 12-18, but only made it about 1/2 through 9-12 before I needed to clean off the bed to watch Army Wives! (O: We did not make it to church Sunday night because J has been laid out sick all weekend! He is going to the doctor today at 2:10 because he still is not feeling better...So, instead of church, I worked on finalizing some stuff for my sister-in-law's shower, which is this Saturday. I *really* want to post pictures of the finished centerpieces, but I am paranoid that Amy may find this blog and it would ruin the surprise...so you will just have to wait until next week! (O:

This morning came too quickly and I definitely did NOT enjoy my run/jog/walk. Week 2 is OK so far...of course I only just did day one...so it may get worse, I suppose. Last week my friend Margo (the nonblogger) told me that the hardest part is putting your shoes on. She is so right! Once I had those dang shoes on, I knew I was going to go run even though every part of my being was screaming to go cuddle back into my bed. Even my victory chant did not work as well as usual. So, I am hoping Wednesday will go better...we shall see!

Did you all have a lovely weekend? Any big plans for the week?

Nice GLass! (O:

2009-10-09T12:37:00.005-05:00

Hi all!

My newest blog friend, Kelsey @ The Seattle Smith's is hosting a fabulous giveaway! I just spent a little bit of time (not too long since I'm at work...) checking out the etsy site for FUNctional Objects for Everyday Life by tannerglass and I'm in love! This lady is a true artist. All her items are handblown and handcrafted to perfection. I am completely gaga (yes, I said GAGA) over her magnets/push pins! In the land of organization and secretarial-ness (new word), one can never have enough push pins or magnets!

These are my Favs, in case you are just dying to purchase me a gift (O:

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=24499166

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=27184188

Go check out Kelsey's blog and tannerglass' etsy! You won't be sorry (O:

Unmatched but matching

2009-10-09T08:59:00.002-05:00

C25K Week 1 is done!! I did day 3 this morning, and it was not the most pleasant thing ever. But, it is done and I said VICTORY! (O: For some reason, a whole bunch of (probably unused) muscles started complaining during my jogging/walking this morning. I think maybe I did not get enough sleep last night, so I started off wrong.

So, to try and lift my spirits, I wore a cute matchy matchy running outfit! (O: I used to always pick on J because he had to wear all one brand of clothing...if he had Nike shoes, he had to wear Nike pants and shirt (running apparel). He would not mix brands and I told him he was a snob. I still do not match my brands to run, but I can see where he is coming from now. There is something nice about having everything match. But, anyway.

Even though my brands did not match, the colors surely did! My running shoes are white with light blue and little hot pink accents. So, today I wore light blue shorts and a pink shirt. It was glorious and I know my treadmill was impressed.

Today was also the day I realized I need some new sports bras...the girls must have grown after I had Emilia...it was a little painful running this morning in an old-me-sized sports bra. (I know you were just DYING to hear about that) (O:

I decided to wait for an outdoor run until I am doing a little more running and a little less walking. Maybe next week I will do an outdoor run. I just like spending these first few in the privacy of the basement...no one there to judge me (except the treadmill, of course. And he is still in awe of my fabulous outfit, so he does not mind).

I hope you all have a great day! (I have another post to do yet...but it was completely unrelated to my running adventures, so it will have to wait!)

6 Months Ago...

2009-10-08T12:15:00.003-05:00

I cannot believe that my little baby girl is already 6 months old! How did that happen?? It seems like just yesterday we were bringing her home from the hospital...man, time has really flown by! And it is only going to get quicker, I am sure!

Last night, I did a little impromtu photo shoot with her. ...OkOK, I guess it is not impromtu if I changed her clothes and added a hair bow, but whatever! She was in a great mood and we had a lot of fun. Enjoy! (O:

PS- I am thinking about entering her in the Gap Model Contest...do you guys like any of these for that, or should I shoot some of just her face? Thanks for the feedback! (O:

C25K W1D2

2009-10-07T08:00:00.004-05:00

Hello friends!

This morning was day 2 of week 1 of Couch to 5K and I did it! I am actually very surprised I had the energy bc I was up from 4:00-4:45 with a certain little girl who, at first, was not hungry and then was hungry. So, after feeding her a bottle at 4:45, I realized that my alarm would be going off any minute anyway and I didn't go back to bed. (WOW, I know!) I just grabbed my running outfit, socks and shoes and got ready.

Today was actually a little better than Monday. I am sure Monday was a little rough just because it has been ages since I have done any sort of physical activity...but I was glad all the same! I have to count as I breathe to make sure I breathe in my nose and out my mouth. (I know it sounds silly, but up until I was a junior in high school, when I had my tonsils removed, I could not breathe through my nose. So, once I could, I still did not....thus, I have to actively think about doing so. ...Like you didn't already know I was weird!) Anyway, the 60 seconds of jogging seemed to go by quicker than the last time and it was almost harder to walk after jogging than it would have been to keep jogging. But, I'm a rule follower, so I did as the instructions suggest. And I didn't cheat this time either! I was on that puppy until 25 minutes had gone by. (O:

I think I have developed a rather humorous habit too...on Monday AND today after I finished, I threw my hands in the air and yelled 'Victory!' Haha, isn't that crazy?! But, I kinda like it and I think I'll continue to do it. It is like a tiny little victory every time, right? So, there ya have it. That is that.

Oh and our running group is growing! My friend Jaime mentioned something about running on FB and I commented that Dec. 5 will be here before we know it...and she's had several comments following. Including one from our other friend Margo (a non-blogger, but she likes to read ours) (O: She has been doing the C25K training and is on week 8. She has her first run this weekend! I'm so proud of her and it has given me encouragement that I CAN do this! I think she's going to sign up and run with Jaime and I in December!

12 Weeks to Christmas!! (O:

2009-10-06T10:07:00.007-05:00

Thanks to Sonja @ For the Love of Stilettos for coming across and sharing this super fun idea! I am a Christmas LOVER and I think this TWOC idea is superb! What could be more fun than counting down the weeks to Christmas than sharing different parts of our holiday experiences with each other as we go! (O: You really should go check it out and join in the merriment!

Week 1's topic is Christmas List and Red Writing encourages everyone to be creative about what they choose to blog about. So, I have decided to make a list of all the "Firsts" of this Christmas! (O:

Of course, Emilia comes to mind with many Christmas Firsts, so I'll start there:

~This is, obviously, her first Christmas! That in and of itself is super exciting! I can't wait to see her interest in the Christmas tree and the sounds of crinkling paper when everyone is opening gifts. I'm hoping (PRAYING!) that our family doesn't go hog wild with stuffed animals or dolls....so maybe I should start dropping hints about educational toys now?

~I can't wait to drive E through Belleville's Way of Lights at the Shrine! My mom always took us as kids and I hope to continue the tradition with my little girl. (O:

~With Christmas (hopefully) comes snow! I love to imagine how Emilia will react to the cold, wet feeling of snow. I hope she loves it like her Momma!

~Santa!! I am really considering taking her to get her picture taken with Santa Claus at the mall! I know Jason will roll his eyes at the idea and I bet Jaime is already squirming in her seat (non-believer!), but I still think it would be fun! (O:

~The Christmas Stories. Yes, I said plural. I love the old Santa story and love to read that on Christmas Eve. But, I also want to read her the REAL Christmas Story, from the Bible. I want to make both of these part of our Christmas tradition.

~Her First Christmas Dress!! Haha, yes, I am actually this excited about this. I already have one or two to choose from and I can't wait! Don't judge me.

On to the rest of my "Firsts" list...

~This will be the first year since Jason and I were married that we won't have our own house. We sold our home in September and are living with his parents while we wait to see where J will get a job after he graduates. So, this is the first year I won't get to use all my wonderful SMORE'S ornaments to decorate our tree. I'm sure J is ecstatic about it (he doesn't like my SMORE'S, isn't that awful!), but I'm a little sad. At least I still have my mini-SMORE'S tree for at work!

~I actually know something I would like for Christmas in advance! I'm the worst at making a list for everyone to purchase from because I can't ever think of anything I'd like. I'm a pretty content person and so I struggle every year. Usually my list consists of State T-Shirts for my collection (I only need about 12 more to have 1 from every state in the US!) and scarves. BUT! This year is different! After careful consideration and many times of almost veering off the road looking for the right CD...I'm breaking down and asking for an iPod. HAHAHA. I know, I'm so lame and WAY outdated. But, that's what I want. I think J has already decided I'm getting to Big Boy newest one- the Touch iPod. He may be more excited about this than I am. (O:

~This is also the first Christmas in my entire life that I am not looking forward to the snow. *GASP* I know! In all actuality, I still am excited for the snow and the hustle&bustle that comes with it. The part I am not looking forward to is slipping and sliding around on black ice with a little baby girl in my arms (or in her pumkin seat, if she still fits). I'm worried about that and I'm worried about how bad drivers only get worse when the snow starts falling.

~This will also be our first family Christmas since Grandpa Oshall passed away. He is part of what kept us all together every year, we always made time for the Warren Family Christmas. I hope we will continue it in his absence. Also, before he passed away, he asked us to have a time at our family get together to sing some hymns. While I have never looked forward to this part of the Christmases past (I don't know very many hymns and no one wants to hear me singing anyway), this year is different. This year it's for Grandpa. I know it's going to be different this year. He won't be sitting in the rocker, watching his large, loud family enjoying each other's company. He won't be there to greet me with a smile and hug as every time before. Never again will he tell me that he's loved me from the first time we met, as so many times before. I know this will be an emotional Christmas for all of us. I hope we make him proud.

Whew....I'm sorry to have ended with a sad 'First'. Even though Grandpa Oshall is gone, I can still rejoice because I know he's in heaven watching us all the time. I wonder if he's met my Grams since he's been up there. *smiles through tears*

OK, seriously. Deep breath....

Now it's your turn! What's your Christmas List?? (O:

What's so wrong with the couch??

2009-10-06T08:47:00.002-05:00

Why do we need to go from couch to 5K? Can't I just stay on my couch? Or under the covers in bed? Man, 4:47 a.m. came too early yesterday morning...aka Day 1 of Week 1 of C25K. But, I did it! Hopefully I can keep this up, I'm signing up for a 5k run in Belleville, called the Gingerbread 5K Run. It's December 5th- exactly 9 weeks from now. So, pretty much I can't screw up or I won't be ready. (no pressure, haha)

Week 1 isn't 'so bad' so far- 5 minute warm up, 60 seconds jogging, 90 seconds walking, repeat for 20 minutes. And I think I may have accidentally cheated...I didn't have a watch on, so I was just looking at the time thing on my treadmill. I stopped when the timer got to 20 minutes, but I'm pretty certain I should have kept going until I reached 25 minutes, since the first 5 minutes were a walking warm up. I didn't realize it until half way through the day yesterday- I'm a cheater! I won't do it again, promise!

My dear, darling, trying-to-be-sweet husband told me this past weekend that the first 2 weeks are the easiest and I wouldn't even break a sweat during Week 1. Well, he is a liar! (haha) Not on purpose, of course, but it just wasn't true for me! I know he meant well, he was trying to be encouraging...but I definitely broke a sweat. This is coming from the girl that starts sweating just thinking about humidity or hot weather, so it's not really a shocker. Also, I could definitely tell it's been WAY too long since I've done any sort of exercise because I had all sorts of muscles that started to hurt a little while I ran...but I wasn't sore afterwards and I'm still doing OK today.

We'll see how I'm feeling after tomorrow!

Are any of you out there runners? Any advice you want to share with a newbie? Or even just encouragement to keep going! (O:

Black Monday

2009-10-05T08:55:00.006-05:00

That title doesn't mean anything dark or sinister...it's simply the color scrubs I have on today. (O: We switched over to our fall/winter scrub colors on Oct. 1 and so this is the first full week of the new colors. Here's our new schedule (I'm sure you are DYING to know!)

Mon-Black

Tues-Olive

Wed-Brown

Thurs-Wine

Fri-Any

Sounds rather drab, doesn't it? I was able to find a few patterns and bright colors to wear underneath to help spruce up fall/winter, but oh well. There is only so much that can be done to spice up scrub...but no matter what, I am just loving that I get to wear PJ's to work everyday!

On to the Monday Morning Recap...it was BUSY weekend! Fun was had by all, and I'm officially spent. Let's start with Friday, shall we?

Friday night, my father-in-law wanted to check out the Chili Cookoff in Belleville, but my fuddy-dud husband and my mother-in-law wanted to stay home...so J went to the store and did his own chili cookoff. It was delicious and he won, hands down! (Of course, he was the only one that made anything, but it still counts as a win!)

Saturday started off super early- yard sale day! Woo Hoo! This is the neighborhood sale that I look forward to every year and I was looking forward to a great day. I had printed out the list of what each house would be selling and highlighted all the houses I wanted to hit. Then, I printed out plenty of copies of the map and marked where the port-a-potties were and also highlighted to streets on which the houses I wanted to visit were located. I got up in plenty of time and had everything ready and loaded in the van before Emilia woke up (always great when that happens!) So, my mother-in-law, Treasa, and I headed out to arrive at 7:00 a.m. We were meeting my mom and my cousin Jenna there and it was already packed when we arrived! Unfortunately, it wasn't as great as I was hoping and I only found a couple good deals. I think the problem was that there were SO MANY people this year and every house was picked over by the time we got there. It was like if you didn't go straight to the house you wanted to check out, you would miss out on the good deals. We kept seeing people walk by with what looked like great stuff, but we found only a few...I found more clothes for my nephew on the way than I did for Emilia...but I did get her some good books...(Check it out- The Little Engine That Could, brand new! woo hoo!) (O:

My other great deal of the day was this super cute bedding!

Yes, I realize that Emilia won't be able to use it for a few years yet, but I just fell in love with the fun, bright colors. This set is originally from Target, and the nice lady I purchased it from said that she never used it and it has only been washed once. I decided to go ahead and spend my $22.50 (She had $25 on it, I offered $20. She started by saying no, but when she realized I was going to walk away, she asked if we could meet half way. I thought that was fair.) (O: I think this will look so cute and fun in my little girl's room. And there are so many different colors to choose from. So no matter what her favorite color is by then, we can use any of these as the accent color for the room! You can't really see in this other picture, but the tread on each color block is the other colors of the quilt. LOVE.

After spending 5 1/2 hours at yard sale mania (holy moly!), we decided to call it a day. Treasa had taken Emilia home early because it was pretty cold. So, I had a lovely ride home with my cousin Jenna. She just married into our family this past July and I've had a ton of fun getting to know her. It turns out we are a lot alike and have similar pasts. She is such a blast!

After a couple hours at home, we headed out to meet our friends Jon and Jaime at the zoo! That was a lot of fun! It had warmed up a little by then and it was the perfect weather! All the animals were out and moving around, which was great! I kept imaginig the movie Madagascar as we walked around because some of the animals really seemed to be putting on a show for everyone! (O: Emilia is still too little to care about the animals, but she loved watching all the people go by. Just like her Momma, she's a people watcher and always wants to see the action. At one point, we all stopped to look at an animal and we had her stroller facing the fence with nothing to see. That was the only time during the whole trip that she whined at us...and it was because she couldn't see anyone! As soon as I turned her stroller around to face the walkway, she was fine! (O:

After THAT, J and I decided to hit up the St. Louis Mills Mall- lovely outlet stores galore! We went to Nike and I grabbed up a couple pieces of running attire that were at great clearance prices. I used my new running shorts and running shirt this morning on Day 1 of my C25K training...but I'll save that for a blog post later today. (O:

My best deal of the day was an adorable dress for Emilia! I've been eyeing this dress from Carter's fall line for weeks, but I couldn't bring myself to spend $24 on it...she didn't need it that bad. BUT, the Carter's outlet was having a big 50-70% off sale this past weekend and I scored! It was on sale for $10! Whoo hoo! I grabbed it up for next fall and almost purchased one for her to wear this year too...but I restrained myself. (O: Here it is, ladies and gents! (On the left)

Here's a close up of the pattern...I am not sure why I love it so much, but I do! (O:

The purple flower dress is another cutie that was only $6! I play a little game with Emilia where I let her pick out what she likes (not that she really knows what is going on...) I hold up two items and ask which she likes the best. She usually cooperates and grabs one or the other. This being the case with the purple dress. There was another dress that was the same just in different colors. J liked the purple one and I was favoring the other, so we let E decide. It had a couple of people behind me smiling and laughing as I taught my 6 month old fashionista how to bargain shop. (O:

Whew! There's my weekend in a (rather large) nutshell! Hope you all had a great weekend too! (O:

Feelin' the Love!

2009-10-02T12:08:00.008-05:00

My new blog friend, Sonja @ For the Love of Stilettos has so graciously awarded me TWO (that's right, count 'em, TWO) awards! (First time being awarded, I feel so loved!) (O:

First, the fabulous blog award! Thanks girl! I, of course, think your's is super fabulous also!

According to the rules, I am supposed to tell you 5 things I'm obsessed with and then tag 5 more fabulous friends! (I don't think I actually HAVE 5 bloggy friends, pathetic I know, but I'll tag who I can!)

Soooo, here we go!

1. Lists! I love making lists- To Do Lits, Grocery Lists, any kind of list! In fact, I started a list yesterday of what I wanted to put as my obsessions...now That's obsessive! (O:

2. Bargain Shopping. I am definitely a bargain shopper and a good deal can make my whole day! This includes sales at retail stores, eBay shopping (absolutely addicted), and of course, yard sales! There's nothing like knowing I'm walking away with a steal of a deal! I also love when they tell me how much I "saved".

3. Reality TV...this is confession time. I love Reality TV and I can't help it! Until I got married, when my husband insisted on getting cable and DVR, I had never had cable and rarely watched TV. The only thing I watched were my FRIENDS DVD's (I'll get to that in a minute...) But now, I'm a hopeless mess. My current favs are America's Next Top Model, Survivor, and Project Runway! I have been known to also watch The Hill's, Real Housewives, etc...I just can't help myself!

4. The TV show FRIENDS! I have been over-the-top obsessively in love with this show since high school. I can quote basically any episode, line for line. Oh, and I can answer almost ANY trivia question about the show. I've actually been called by someone at a trivia night to answer the FRIENDS question round. (PS- Why haven't I ever been to a trivia night where FRIENDS was a round of questions?? I would actually know something for once!)

5. I L.O.V.E. Polka Dots! (Weird, I know...and probably not really an obsession, but it's the best I could come up with) I love them on purses, bows, shoes, shirts, clothes for Emilia, picture frames, etc. You name it, and if it's got polka dots on it, I love it!

On to my next award!

Here are the rules:

1. Thank the person who nominated you for this award. (Thanks Sonja!)
2. Copy the logo and place it on your blog.
3. Link to the person who nominated you for this award.
4. Name 7 things about yourself that people may not know.
5. Nominate 7 Kreativ Bloggers.
6. Post links to the 7 blogs you nominate.
7. Leave a comment on each of the blogs letting them know they've been nominated.

Alrighty, on to my list. *Caution* after reading this list, you will most likely think I'm weirder than you already think I am! ;-)

*When I eat candy, I divide it out and eat it by colors (Ex: Skittles, I eat all the greens together, reds, yellows, etc.)

*To make it worse, I always divide my food evenly on both sides of my mouth while eating. With candy, this means 1 piece on each side of my mouth at a time and with regular food I just make sure it's evenly divided.

*I enjoy people watching, and sometimes while doing so, I like to imagine what humming or singing noise each person might be making. Not like which theme song is theirs, but what humming noise (like, Dum da dum da dum...) (Sorry, hard to explain, but really weird.)

*Meeting new people scares the crap out of me. I love making new friends and getting to know people, but I stink at small talk and break out in cold sweats when I can't think of anything to talk about!

*When I was in high school and college, I was in several plays and even on the school's speech team. Now, I can't even address a group of 4-5 people without turning completely red in the face. What has happened to me???

*The giraffe is my favorite animal. Did you know they have the same number of vertebrae as humans? It's science. Write that down.

*My dream job is being someone's personal assistant. I would love to completely plan someone's day-to-day life, take care of their schedule and keep them on track. I know I would do a good job of it, so someone just hire me to do it already! (O:

Whew! That wasn't so bad! And I didn't even write down my list before I posted them, look at me go! Haha.

Since I have a select number of ladies to tag...I'll just tag you, friends, and you may decide which award (or both) you'd like to claim! Enjoy! (O:

~Jaime @ Fearfully and Wonderfully Made: My first official blog friend (and one of my closest friends in real life). She's the one who encouraged me to start blogging and for a while was my only follower...haha, thanks friend! (O:

~Jillian @ I still take out the trash: A life-long friend whom I love. She's so crafty and creative. She's my inspiration to *try* and be creative. (Ha)

~Erin @ Flasch'n & Laughin': This is my (real life) friend who can always make me smile! She just started her blog a couple weeks ago (at Jaime's prompting...she must be a blog recruiter or something!) and I'm really enjoying her posts.

~Jennie @ Diehl With It!: This is an old college friend that I came back into contact with thanks to Facebook (haha)! She's newer to blogging too, but I love to catch up on her life when she posts.

That's all for now, kiddos. Enjoy! (O:

To Quack or Le Pew?

2009-10-02T10:35:00.002-05:00

With Halloween quickly approaching, I am having to make a big decision!

Last year, when I was still pregnant, and before we knew our baby's gender, I purchased two adorable costumes- a duck and a skunk. I just figured I would dress her up in both for some pictures and take her to see her Grandma (the one we don't live with) and then call it a day.

But now, I'm helping throw a Halloween party where costumes are highly encouraged...

My husband isn't all about the merriment, and the only way I could get him to agree to dressing up was by telling him that we would go as a family theme. He knows what costumes we have for Emilia and suggested that he and I go as farmers with a little baby duck. My struggle is that I am in LOVE with the skunk costume, I just think it would be so CUTE...so, I need some help.

Should we be farmers with a baby duck or hillbillies with a pet skunk??? (Yes, I'm aware that neither of these ideas are very creative, but I don't really want to purchase a THIRD costume for E to fit a better theme...so work with me!) (O:

What's your vote? Quack or Le Pew?

Hello Girl's Night In!

2009-10-01T09:41:00.003-05:00

Jason's parents are going to be out of town until late tonight or tomorrow morning and Jason has class, which means...Girls Night for Annie and Emilia! Woo hoo!

I've already started planning out our evening (haha). It will include catching up on America's Next Top Model (LOVE IT!) and maybe a chick flick too! I'm also planning on putting together the centerpieces for my sister-in-law's upcoming baby shower. That's something I can work on while enjoying a night full of girly drama and skinny models. (O:

I don't even have to cook- I can eat cereal for dinner if I want! I know we've got leftovers too, so that's a bonus. Not that I mind pulling my weight and taking turns cooking dinner, but yay for not having to cook for anyone but myself!

In case you can't tell, I'm stoked about this. It's been quite a while since I've had any time without anyone else around and I have missed that! I'm surprised, because I'm such a people person, I never would have guessed it, but man, sometimes I just need to be all alone! (Emilia doesn't count, obviously) (O:

I've planned a busy weekend for my little family, but I'm looking forward to it! Saturday starts off early with another neighborhood yard sale (Yes, pink bags included!) (O: Jason's going to finish up some homework while Emilia and I look for great deals with some family and friends. Then, that afternoon, we have tenative plans to take E to the zoo. I know she's too young to have any idea what's going on, but she loves to watch people and is so curious about everything. So, I think she'll enjoy herself even if she doesn't know which is the giraffe and which is the zebra. (O: Our cousins have invited us to check out the Taste of St. Louis with them that evening, but since Emilia has trouble if we deviate from her eating/sleeping schedule, we will probably have to pass on that. :-( Everyone's been talking about this event and I was really interested in going. Oh well, maybe next year!

Depending on the weather, I may try and sneak up to the neighborhood park on Sunday morning with Emilia for a photo shoot. (O: She's the most fun and active in the early morning, so I'm thinking that might work. I've been browsing through photos online to get some ideas and these are the things I'm considering bring with us- some sort of woven basket that she can sit or lay in/on, a bright colored balloon, a blanket or two, a couple outfits and probably a few fav toys to keep her interested. The park itself is very pretty, so I don't really need all that much extra, but I like to be prepared. (O: I purchased a fluffy tutu at a yard sale last weekend, I think I may see if I can rig it to fit her (I think it's for a toddler, not a 6month old, if I remember correctly). Wouldn't that be so cute for pics!

Sunday night, is the Edge, of course. Last week we brought Emilia in for the closing songs and she loved it! Her little legs were kicking 100 miles a minute (which is a good sign that she's enjoying herself). I was worried it might be too loud for her bc she doesn't like loud noises. But, she did great! So, I might do that again this week.

That's our weekend, so far. Looks like a good one, ay? How's your weekend shaping up? Anything fun or exciting planned?

I need a PLAN!

2009-09-30T12:13:00.003-05:00

OK, I'm sure we all have days like this and today is just one of my days. I need to get my act together- start eating better and start exercising. It has been 6 months, SIX MONTHS, since I had Emilia and I'm still hanging on to part of my baby weight. I know that people say 'it took 9 months to put it on, it will take at least that long to come back off', but I'm stagnant. I haven't lost any weight in months- mostly because I haven't done anything about it. We've had a lot of life changes in the past couple months- sold our house, moved in with the in-laws, had a grandpa and two other older ladies who were close to our family pass away, on and on. But, I'm tired of the excuses and I'm tired of not liking what I see in the mirror.

I've been talking about doing the Couch to 5K plan for a loooooong time now and even have my new running shoes already...but that is as far as I have gotten. I am going to hassle my hubby (haha) until he helps me get our treadmill set up in the basement so I can start exercising in the mornings. I will have to keep a baby monitor with me down there, so I won't get to enjoy any nice, fresh, autumn air, but that's OK.

The eating right thing may take a little more work, since I also have my husband, father&mother-in-law that contribute to meal time preparation. But, if nothing else, I am in control of what I eat for lunch and what I choose to snack on. I need to load myself up with smart snacks so the decision is pre-made. Yes, this requires more effort on my part, but I believe it will be worth it. I have gone through the Weight Watchers book and looked at the Core Plan list of foods. I made a list of all the foods I like so I can try to only eat foods from this list (as much as possible).

I have a goal in mind, but I'm too embarassed to tell you what it is. I will try to update as I go, hopefully the bloggy-friend accountability will help me stick with this. I've already been encouraged by those out there that are turning their plans into realities and they are making good decisions, exercising and seeing real results. I want to be part of that group! (O:

Yard Sale Extravaganza~

2009-09-28T13:12:00.003-05:00

What a great weekend!

Jason's family was in town for the men's annual golf tournament and that meant much shopping for the ladies of the family!

Friday night was Fried Taco Night and a trip to Kohl's. It got pretty pathetic when almost every outfit anyone picked out to say 'this is cute', I had to reply that Emilia had it. Oh, how I LOVE Carter's clothing! (O:

Saturday morning was the much-anticipated Yard Sale Extravaganza. I purchased hot pink reusable bags for each lady (and smaller pink bags for the 2 younger girls). Then I wrote everyon'e name on their bag with a permanent marker and some cutesie dots on the ends of each letter. You can't see that in the photo, but here's our group anyway!

We had a blast! I'm still going through all my great finds...(O: Nothing major, but some good toys and clothes for Emilia, which is exactly what I was looking for. Oh, and we have this hideous doll that's the 'prize' for the best deal of the day. Newest Cousin Jenna won with a $20 brand new portable electric cooler (thing, I'm not exactly sure what it's called...but apparently they are usually $80!) Way to go and Sorry to Jenna! (O:

I'm already gearing up for this weekend, which involves an even BIGGER neighborhood yard sale, but with fewer family memebers. (A lot of our family is from out of town and won't be coming back up..)

Have a great day!

Squatternut Baush!

2009-09-25T07:50:00.004-05:00

If you didn't spend the better part of the 90's watching FRIENDS religiously, as I did, you will have no idea what I'm talking about...But, if you were totally awesome enough to memorize Every. Single. Episode (wow, I was kind of pathetic, eh?), you know exactly what I am referring to. (O: I won't explain the whole episode (not because I can't though, you better believe I still know them all by heart...again, pathetic.)...it's just an episode where Joey is trying to break some tension and tells the story about when someone was trying to say Butternut Squash and it came out Squatternut Baush. (haha, not funny I know...maybe you had to be there.)

Anyway, that really has nothing to do with anything except that my little Emilia has been enjoying her nightly oatmeal cereal mixed with Butternut Squash. That's right, ladies and gentlemen! Emilia has had her first veggie- hooooooraaaay. It may not seem like much, but in the past week she's gone from being completely disinterested in any form of rice or oatmeal ceral to not being able to get enough! I literally cannot get it into her mouth fast enough! This is very exciting for us because our ped recommended starting cereal and baby food at Emilia's 4 month check up (almost 2 months ago) and we've been trying it every night, with little luck. So, needless to say, this is great that she's all about eating it now! Last night was her third night on the squash and we haven't seen any signs of allergy (yay!) So tonight we will move on to either sweet carrots or sweet potatoes...I can just feel your excitement building (don't worry, I'll let you know which we choose!) ha.

In related news- Emilia slept ALL NIGHT! Double YAY! I have been praying and praying that God would just let her sleep through the night because our whole family needed it. So when I rolled over this morning and squinted to see the alarm clock (I swear I'm getting lasik someday!), I was suprised and ecstatic that it was 4:59 a.m.!! I know you're thinking, 'Annie, are you crazy- that's way to early to be waking up!' While you are absolutely correct, it also meant that I wasn't woken up at 1:00, 2:00, 3:00 and 4:00 like the night before! I was able to sleep until my alarm went off, get up shower and get ready all while my angel slept! I even did my hair. Haha.

I did hear Emilia start talking to herself around 6:3oish, so I went in to check on her. She was laying there, on her belly, looking around. When she saw me she smiled from behind her pacifier. It was adorable. (O:

So pretty much this day got off to a great start! And it only gets better from here...I'm leaving work at 11:00 to go shopping with some of the family that's in town. Tonight is Fried Taco Night with the whole family (I think only 20 of us, but that's still a good size group!) And tomorrow....Yard Sale Extravaganza!!!! WOO HOO!! I even puchased these cute hot pink reusable bags for each of us to carry. I spent some time last night writing our names on the bags with a black permanent letter and they are just so fun! I hope the other girls love them as much as I do! (O:

I hope all of you out there in bloggy world have as fabulous of a weekend as I intend to!!! (O:

Random Thoughts... (O:

2009-09-24T08:22:00.004-05:00

I just came across a new blog today, Living Live, you should check it out! This is one strong lady! I've only read the first few blog posts of hers and I'm already encouraged and inspired. She's definitely had some rough events in her life, but she is pushing forward and getting stronger every day. I'm glad I found her blog this morning because it put a few things in perspective for me and I've decided to MAKE today a good day.

I don't know if you have seen this floating around, I know I've already seen it on Facebook a time or two....but she posted this list of 'Random Thoughts of 25-35 Year Olds' and it makes me laugh every time I read it! I hope you will check out her blog and I hope you enjoy this list! (O:

Random thoughts from people 25-35 years old...

-I wish Google Maps had an "Avoid Ghetto" routing option.

-More often than not, when someone is telling me a story all I can think about is that I can't wait for them to finish so that I can tell my own story that's not only better, but also more directly involves me.

-Nothing sucks more than that moment during an argument when yourealize you're wrong.

-I don't understand the purpose of the line, "I don't need to drink to have fun." Great, no one does. But why start a fire with flint and sticks when they've invented the lighter?

-Have you ever been walking down the street and realized that you're going in the complete opposite direction of where you are supposed tobe going? But instead of just turning a 180 and walking back in the direction from which you came, you have to first do something like check your watch or phone or make a grand arm gesture and mutter to yourself to ensure that no one in the surrounding area thinks you're crazy by randomly switching directions on the sidewalk.

-That's enough, Nickelback.

-I totally take back all those times I didn't want to nap when I was younger.

-Is it just me, or are 80% of the people in the "people you may know" feature on Facebook people that I do know, but I deliberately choose not to be friends with?

-Do you remember when you were a kid, playing Nintendo and it wouldn't work? You take the cartridge out, blow in it and that would magically fix the problem. Every kid in America did that, but how did we all know how to fix the problem? There was no internet or message boards or FAQ's. We just figured it out. Today's kids are soft.

-There is a great need for sarcasm font.

-Sometimes, I'll watch a movie that I watched when I was younger ands uddenly realize I had no idea what the heck was going on when I first saw it.

-I think everyone has a movie that they love so much, it actually becomes stressful to watch it with other people. I'll end up wasting 90 minutes shiftily glancing around to confirm that everyone's laughing at the right parts, then making sure I laugh just a little bit harder (and a millisecond earlier) to prove that I'm still the only one who really, really gets it.

-How the heck are you supposed to fold a fitted sheet?

-I would rather try to carry 10 plastic grocery bags in each hand than take 2 trips to bring my groceries in.

-I think part of a best friend's job should be to immediately clear your computer history if you die.

-The only time I look forward to a red light is when I’m trying to finish a text.

-A recent study has shown that playing beer pong contributes to the spread of mono and the flu. Yeah, if you suck at it.

-LOL has gone from meaning, "laugh out loud" to "I have nothing else to say".

-I have a hard time deciphering the fine line between boredom and hunger.

-Answering the same letter three times or more in a row on a Scantron test is absolutely petrifying.

-Whenever someone says "I'm not book smart, but I'm street smart", all I hear is "I'm not real smart, but I'm imaginary smart".

-How many times is it appropriate to say "What?" before you just nod and smile because you still didn't hear what they said?

-I love the sense of camaraderie when an entire line of cars teams up to prevent a jerk from cutting in at the front. Stay strong, brothers!

-Every time I have to spell a word over the phone using 'as in' examples, I will undoubtedly draw a blank and sound like a complete idiot. Today I had to spell my boss's last name to an attorney and said "Yes that's G as in...(10 second lapse)..ummm...Goonies"

-What would happen if I hired two private investigators to follow each other?

-While driving yesterday I saw a banana peel in the road and instinctively swerved to avoid it...thanks Mario Kart.

-MapQuest really needs to start their directions on #5. Pretty sure I know how to get out of my neighborhood.

-Obituaries would be a lot more interesting if they told you how the person died.

-I find it hard to believe there are actually people who get in the shower first and THEN turn on the water.

-Shirts get dirty. Underwear gets dirty. Pants? Pants never get dirty,and you can wear them forever.

-I would like to officially coin the phrase 'catching the swine flu' to be used as a way to make fun of a friend for hooking up with an overweight woman. Example: "Dave caught the swine flu last night."

-I can't remember the last time I wasn't at least kind of tired.

-Bad decisions make good stories

-Whenever I'm Facebook stalking someone and I find out that their profile is public I feel like a kid on Christmas morning who just got the Red Ryder BB gun that I always wanted. 546 pictures? Don't mind if I do!

-Is it just me or do high school girls get sluttier & sluttier every year?

-If Carmen San Diego and Waldo ever got together, their offspring would probably just be completely invisible.

-Why is it that during an ice-breaker, when the whole room has to go around and say their name and where they are from, I get so incrediblynervous? Like I know my name, I know where I'm from, this shouldn't be a problem....

-You never know when it will strike, but there comes a moment at work when you've made up your mind that you just aren't doing anything productive for the rest of the day.

-Can we all just agree to ignore whatever comes after DVDs? I don't want to have to restart my collection.

-There's no worse feeling than that millisecond you're sure you are going to die after leaning your chair back a little too far.

-I'm always slightly terrified when I exit out of Word and it asks me if I want to save any changes to my ten page research paper that I swear I did not make any changes to.

-"Do not machine wash or tumble dry" means I will never wash this ever.

-I hate being the one with the remote in a room full of people watching TV. There's so much pressure. 'I love this show, but will they judge me if I keep it on? I bet everyone is wishing we weren't watching this. It's only a matter of time before they all get up and leave the room. Will we still be friends after this?'

-I hate when I just miss a call by the last ring (Hello? Hello?Dang it!), but when I immediately call back, it rings nine times and goes to voicemail. What'd you do after I didn't answer? Drop the phone and run away?

-I hate leaving my house confident and looking good and then not seeing anyone of importance the entire day. What a waste.

-When I meet a new girl, I'm terrified of mentioning something she hasn't already told me but that I have learned from some light internet stalking.

-I like all of the music in my iTunes, except when it's on shuffle,then I like about one in every fifteen songs in my iTunes.

-Why is a school zone 20 mph? That seems like the optimal cruising speed for pedophiles...

- As a driver I hate pedestrians, and as a pedestrian I hate drivers, but no matter what the mode of transportation, I always hate cyclists.

-Sometimes I'll look down at my watch 3 consecutive times and still not know what time it is.

-It should probably be called Unplanned Parenthood.

-I keep some people's phone numbers in my phone just so I know not to answer when they call.

-Even if I knew your social security number, I wouldn't know what do to with it.

-Even under ideal conditions people have trouble locating their car keys in a pocket, hitting the G-spot, and Pinning the Tail on theDonkey - but I’d bet you everyone can find and push the Snoozebutton from 3 feet away, in about 1.7 seconds, eyes closed, first time every time...

-My 4-year old son asked me in the car the other day "Dad what would happen if you ran over a ninja?" How the heck do I respond to that?

-It really pisses me off when I want to read a story on CNN.com and the link takes me to a video instead of text.

-I wonder if cops ever get pissed off at the fact that everyone they drive behind obeys the speed limit.

-I think the freezer deserves a light as well.

-I disagree with Kay Jewelers. I would bet on any given Friday or Saturday night more kisses begin with Miller Lites than Kay.

-The other night I ordered takeout, and when I looked in the bag, saw they had included four sets of plastic silverware. In other words, someone at the restaurant packed my order, took a second to think about it, and then estimated that there must be at least four people eating to require such a large amount of food. Too bad I was eating bymyself. There's nothing like being made to feel like a fat bastard before dinner.

Think Happy Thoughts...

2009-09-23T10:00:00.003-05:00

I'm not having a very happy morning...and it started last night. I can't really go into details but basically I'm getting walked over just a bit and I'm pretty ticked about it.

Soooo, in hopes of raising my happiness quotient for today, I thought I would blog about some things that fill me with joy!

** Emilia Grace, my beautiful baby girl. Even when I don't get to sleep through the night because she keeps waking up, I'm still so glad to see her in the morning. No matter how bad she has slept, she's always ready with a smile when it's time to wake up. She's talking (babbling) more and more and it's so fun! I love her smiles and her laughs. I love how she snuggles up into my neck when she's tired. I really love how her face lights up and she starts kicking her legs when I come to pick her up at daycare. Love. Love. Love.

** Jason, my wonderful husband. Just this morning he was encouraging me about my 'unfortunate issue' and he is just so great! He always knows exactly what to say to help and I love him for that! He's so driven and really excited about finishing school and getting a job where he feels like he's helping people. I cannot wait for that, he deserves it! He can always make me laugh and tells me he loves me every day. (O:

** Mis Amigas! My friends are also wonderful. Most of the time they call or text right when I need it most, without even knowing! I love that I have good friends that I can call on or vent to whenever I need to. They don't judge, they accept me for who I am and always encourage me. My friends are a constant source of happiness in my life and I love them so much!

** Fall weather! Man, I really love fall! I love when the leaves start changing from green to red, yellow and orange. Those trees make such beautiful scenery for my daily drive to work. I also love the chill in the air. Even though I end up thinking about how I forgot a jacket *again*, I love getting the goosebumps on my arms that tell me fall is here! I can't wait for bonfires and smores. I can't wait for Emilia's first Halloween. I also have plans to rake a pile of leaves and plop her in them for some photos. (O:

** Chocolate. It cures all things. (haha). It's probably slightly pathetic that a piece of chocolate can help turn my day around, but it's true. I'm enjoying a Dove Promises Chocolate & Caramel right now and it's heavenly.

** Yummy smelling candles. Even though I have an awful sense of smell and rarely can smell anything...I do enjoy a nice, freshly-scented candle. My office mate is burning a 'Washed Denim' candle this morning and it's so lovely. I can smell just a hint of it each time I walk into our office and it makes me smile. I also have a candle on my desk (not lit, that would be too many smells in this small room!). It's by Yankee Candle and it's called Sun & Sand. It is wonderful! When I light it, I like to close my eyes and imagine I'm laying poolside near a beach somewhere. It's fabulous.

** Small Group!! We met last night for the first time in a while and it was just what I needed! I really love all my friends in that group and it's great to see them starting to grow friendships with each other too. I'm so excited to see what God has in store for us this fall!

** Yard Sales!! Woo hoo yard sales! (O: I am definitely a yard sale fanatic- love love love them! I love a good deal no matter where it is, but yard sales are the best for baby items and other neat finds! This coming weekend is, what I have officially coined, 'The Yard Sale Extravaganza'! Every year, my husband's family (immediate family, relatives, extended relatives, 'adapted' relatives...you get the pictures) has a big golf tournament. The men golf all day and the ladies shop! A couple years back I mentioned yard saling instead of mall shopping, bc you can spend less money and get more deals! So, our yard sale group has been growing each year and it's so exciting! We've got a good group going this weekend, yay! I even purchased pink reusable bags for all of us to use! haha, I'm a dork, I know! But, yard sales, here we come!

OK, mission accomplished. I have definitely raised my happiness quotient. Here's to a great day! ;-)

Happy Tuesday!

2009-09-22T16:12:00.002-05:00

I've been thinking all day about what to blog about and for some reason I've got Nothing! The other day I had three or four blog ideas run through my head and apparently they are still out running somewhere bc I completely forgot what they were! (I blame Momma Brain Drain...)

So, I stole this from my new blog friend, Sonja @ For the Love of Stilettos! (Isn't that such a fun blog name!) (O:

A - Age: 25
B - Bed Size: Queen
C - Chore you hate: Washing dishes!!
D - Dog's Name: Zeke
E - Essential start your day item: SNOOZE at least twice (haha)
F - Favorite Color: Pink!
G - Gold or Silver or Platinum: Silver
H - Height: 5' 6.5"
I - Instruments you play: I played the drums in High School, but haven't touched them since.
J - Job Title: Accounting Clerk & Wedding Coordinator
K - Kid(s): Emilia Grace, almost 6 months old already!
L - Living Arrangements: Currently with the in-laws, waiting to see where hubs will get his next job and saving money for a down payment on a new house
M - Mom's Name: Bonnie
N - Nickname(s): Hilda?
O - Overnight hospital stay other than birth: 1, when I had Emilia
P - Pet Peeve: I call them interrupters.
Q - Quote from a movie: "You're killing me Smalls" - Sandlot (haha, I love movies, so I have MANY favorite quotes) <---what she said!! LOL <-----That is definitely a good one! I also quote "L for Love" from Dodgeball to Jason...he doesn't really care for that! haha.
R - Right or Left Handed: Right
S - Siblings: 1 younger sister, Clare, and 2 step-brothers, Wesley and Derek (and 2 brothers-in-law both named Justin and 1 sister-in-law, Amy)
T - Time you wake up: You mean during the night with Emilia or to get ready for work? My alarm is set for 5:04 and I usually get up by 5:34ish...
U - Underwear: Probably Wal-Mart (exciting, I know)
V - Vegetable you dislike: Lima beans, and any bean for that matter.
W - Ways you run late: Because my husband is running late
X - X-rays you've had: wrist, neck, shoulders and back
Y - Yummy food you make: Mmm, grilled chicken wraps- they are delish!
Z - Zoo Favorite: Giraffe!

Bringing my life to life!

2009-09-21T09:54:00.010-05:00

Our office is always stocked full of Dove chocolates (the caramel ones are my fav!) and these little treats have a 'Dove Promises Message' on the inside of the wrapper. Sometimes they are pretty corny, some even mean (I got one that said 'Quit a bad habit for today'...so basically I should have spit out my yummy chocolate! That is just not nice!), but sometimes they are somewhat thought-provoking for me. I've had one on my desk for about a week now that says 'Bring your life to life: stop planning, start doing'.

I kept this one because I am definitely a planner by nature and so I started thinking about the things in my life that I'm not DOING- the things I daydream about and plan out how I would do them, but never actually DO them. I started thinking about how I need to develop a hobby. I looked at my life and realized there isn't really anything that I do just for me.

I see all my friends/family who have certain things they love to do and I see them enjoying the time they spend doing them. I would love to have something like that- something I so enjoyed that I couldn't wait to work on it again and I was always proud of what I accomplished. One person I look to for this encouragement is my Mom. She loves sewing, quilting and working on different projects. She could spend all day on a Saturday (or any given day) just working on her latest project and be thrilled to be doing it. And she's really good at it! Another friend, Jill, loves crafting and is so creative and artistic. I love keeping up with her blog because she always has the neatest projects going. Then there is my husband. Jason started getting into photography a couple of years ago when we went to Rwanda. He had never picked up a camera before, but he is such a natural! He has a unique eye and captures images and moments in time that are beautiful and breath-taking.

Jason and I were on our way home from Southern Missouri yesterday afternoon and I told him that I would really like to pick up a hobby. I told him I wanted something I that I love to do and enjoy to do, but that I wasn't sure what it would be. He immediately said, 'You love taking pictures'. And he was right. It was neat to hear him say that because photography is really the idea I've been throwing around for a while now. It's true, I love to take pictures. I really love having moments captured in time with my friends and family. I love smiles and hugs and laughs that just seem to jump out of photos. I even spent some time researching about photography online last week.

This is where it gets scary for me, though. I'm scared of failing. I have always been the type of person that won't try new things if I don't think I'll do well. It's one thing that I really dislike about myself. Who ever gets everything absolutely right the first time anyway? It just doesn't happen. I read something the other day about that (if only I could remember what or where...)...basically, it made me feel a push inside that said it's OK to fail, as long as I try. Of course I won't get it all right the first time and I might not even be good at it. But, that shouldn't keep me from giving it my all. How can I live life to the fullest if I'm too scared to give it a whirl!

So, I'm almost ready to push myself out of the 'planning phase' of this new adventure. I think I've decided to ask my sister, Clare to be my first photograh-ee. As you read this, if you know me at all, that will probably be a big shocker! My sister and I aren't especially close. Not because we don't love each other, but because we are completely opposite in every way and rarely even have anything in common to even discuss. So, why am I asking her then? Because despite the fact that we aren't close and rarely talk, I trust her and know I wouldn't feel uncomfortable with her. Since I don't even really know what I'm doing yet, I wanted to ask someone with whom I can completely be myself and with whom I will be comfortable enough to give directions, etc. So, that should be fun.

Of course, life is so hectic and busy right now that I'm not even sure when we would be able to set a time to get together. But, that's a worry for another day! I'm moving forward with this...next step, ask Clare! (O:

Never alone...

2009-09-17T09:11:00.003-05:00

Since moving in with Jason's parents, life has definitely been changing. While I am extremely grateful to them for taking us in after our house sold, I'm really starting to miss my 'alone time'. If you know me at all, you know that I'm a huge people person. I L.O.V.E. spending time with my family and friends as much as possible. Apparently, that was only when I could also retreat back to my own space when needed.

It seems like there is always someone in the house now. And no, not just his parents (who are obviously always there), but they have a lot of people coming and going. For instance, this week, Jason's grandma Betty is in town having some dental work done. So, she has been staying with us since Saturday. Any time Grandma is up, the house might as well have a revolving door installed because there are always people stopping by to visit. Jason's brother and sister-in-law have been over every night and last night had even more guests for a fish fry.

I do dearly love all of these people, but I'm starting to struggle. It's hard to come home from work to a house full of people EvErY night. To top it off, I've been feeling a little less than great (I think it's a sinus cold) all week. So by the time I make it through the day, pick up Emilia and arrive home, I'm ready for my pj's and some relaxing. It's just not happening this week. Last night, in fact, I'm pretty sure my mood was shining through and I feel bad about that. Its not that I don't enjoy each and every one of the people who was over, but I'm just tired...tired of being sick, tired of not getting any alone time, tired of not getting all Emilia's cuddles to myself.

So, I'm sorry this post is so negative, but its how I'm feeling.

But, to try and put a positive spin on it (I just don't like feeling so negative)...I know God's plan is bigger than me and its bigger than Jason. We know selling our house before Jason has a church job lined up is scary and proving to be rather difficult, but everything happens in God's time. Before we put the house on the market, we prayed that it would sell if it was God's will and then it did! We know it will be so great that whenever Jason does get offered a position at a church, we won't have this huge financial burden that we must unload before accepting. It's just the in-between time that might be hard. I just keep praying that God will give us strength and that He will open a door for Jason soon.

OK, much better! Thank you God for your perfect timing and your perfect plan!

Yay for Tuesday!!

2009-09-15T16:18:00.002-05:00

Even though I'm feeling pretty crummy (headache, sinus pressure w/red nose, sore throat, etc.) and I'm sleepy, I am still so excited for today!! Today is the official re-start-up of our ladies' small group!! Woo hoo!!

We took a break over the summer (I don't know that it was on purpose, but that's what ended up happening...) and tonight we're getting together for a fun night. There will be ice cream sundaes, games and catching up. I can't wait! Even though I see most of these friends on a weekly basis at church, it's so nice to have this little bit of extra time each week to spend together.

My friend, Jaime started this group about a year ago (is that right?? yeesh) and it has be so great to see the awesome things God is doing! We've had a few ladies leave the group and we've added severeal more. I can just tell that we're all a part of this group for His master plan! We come from different backgrounds, different spots in our walk with God, different senses of humor, different stages in life, etc. But, I truly LOVE how God is using each of us to inspire and encourage the others. A group doesn't have to be made up of all Mothers, or Singles, or Teachers- we can all come together and offer each other different life experiences and different points of view. Our time together is NEVER boring! It is always full of laughs and smiles, with the occasional tears. We build each other up and sometimes, correct each other in our faults (not really during group time, but individually).

I know there is at least one new friend joining our group and I'm so glad for it. She and I have been friends for nearly 18 years (grew up in church together) and she's never really been a part of any group or anything other than spending time with her family. Not that there is anything wrong with family time. I'm just glad she's breaking out of her shell and is willing to meet new people and develop new friendships. She already knows most of the ladies, at least knows who they are, so hopefully this will go well.

There is also the possibility of maybe 2 other new girls too! We met them at our church's Ladies Night last month and they were both really fun! I hope we didn't scare them off by being too loud and crazy....we shall see! (O:

So, even though this post might seem boring, I just wanted to say how truly thankful I am to be a part of this great group. It is my prayer that God will continue to use us in ways we can't even comprehend and that we will continue to grow closer to Him and to each other!

Monday Morning Recap

2009-09-14T08:14:00.003-05:00

Whew! What a weekend! This post is going to be a little bit of everything, and I cannot guarantee that it will be in a well thought out, organized manner...

Jason came home Saturday- WOO HOO!!! His flight was delayed a couple of times, so he didn't arrive until about 2 hours later than scheduled, but it was great anyway! Emilia and I went to meet him at the airport and her whole face lit up as soon as he came around the corner and said her name! It was such a sweet moment. (O:

After a quickie trip home (yes, I mean a quickie at home) ;-) we were off to the Cards/Braves game with our great friends, Jon and Jaime. Those seats were great! I think I've only ever sat that close a couple of times, and it was when I was much younger. The nachos were delicious as always and I even made a new friend. There was an older man sitting next to me, half drunk in the 2nd inning, and we had some lovely chats. (O:

That night, Jason showed us ALL of his pictures from India. It was really neat to see where he was and what he was doing. He shared some of the testimonies he heard while he was over there, and each one was just as awful, but inspiring as the next. If I start explaining the stories, this post will become WAY too long, but just believe me when I tell you that these men have been persecuted for their faith and are praising our Lord for it! Jason said he really learned so much over there- these people has Nothing, but are so happy and praising God for what they do have. They are also completely souled out for God- they are witnessing to everyone they come into contact with and they are not afraid to spread the Good News! (I was reminded from Jason's stories that I need to work on living this way in my daily life...more on that in a minute!)

Other good news from Saturday...Emilia slept through the night!!! Ya Ya!! I've really been struggling with this because I didn't know what I was doing or what I should be doing to try and help it. so, I started an earlier bed time and a more structured bedtime routine, including cereal, bath, bottle, bed. It worked!!! I know her little life is changing so much with the move and all, so I think she just needed that structure (sooo her mother's daughter!) (O: So, around 8:00 a.m. (whooot whoot!) Jason went to check on her (he still gets nervous when she sleeps that late) and when he walked in, she rolled over, looked at him and grew a great big smile! He brought her into our room and we all 3 just layed together for a while. It was wonderful.

It was Grandparent's Day Sunday, in case you didn't know...so, Emilia and I ran to the store to get gifts for Grandma, Grammy and Poppy. Then, we all went to Logan's for lunch and it was great. I really love that my mom and Jason's parents get along well enough that we can all get together like that. It makes those events so much more enjoyable than having to scurry from one place to the next, so no one is left out. It was just a great day! (Not to mention, J and I went walking around the mall after lunch and the Children's Place had some footie PJ's on clearance for $2/piece!!! I bought every color and every size from 6-9 mos to 24mos for Emilia! Haha, but hey! That's a great deal!) (O:

Sunday night was the perfect end to the perfect weekend. I made it through the praise music and almost the entire message before Emilia was hungry and I'm really glad it worked out that way. Ian spoke about how Worship isn't just music, it's your whole life. I told Jason I was glad he spoke about that, because not only do I think it was good for everyone to hear it, I, myself, needed to hear it again. Of course, I already knew it, but it is always good to be reminded of things we 'already know'. Going to church on Sundays, smiling at visitors and singing some songs isn't 'Worship' unless I'm living the rest of my life to honor and glorify God.

I feel very convicted that I've let 'work Annie' become someone that's a little less encouraging, joyful and kind than she used to be. It doesn't matter what my circumstances are, or what's going on around me, I need to rise above it and still shine for Jesus every day! I think work is the easiest place for me to slip up because I'm rarely encouraged to be better. There are only a few people here that even claim they are Christians and none of them actually are. I think we've got some Catholics, but they are the Easter/Christmas variety and sometimes they don't eat meat on Fridays during Lent. So, it's very easy for me to get caught up in the gossip, slander and harmful joking that takes place daily. I have realized that this is an area I need to work on. While I'm ashamed to admit I don't spend much time in the Word on my own, I am so very glad that our ladies' Bible study is starting back up this week. Not only do I enjoy the social time with my closest friends each week, but I really am thankful for the time to grow together in God's Word. Can't wait!

OK- WHEW! I think I'm caught up! Have a great day! (O:

Wearing blue in a sea of purple...

2009-09-10T07:59:00.005-05:00

That's what happened to me on Tuesday and it doesn't seem like this week has gotten any better...

Tuesday is purple scrub day at work, and I showed up in Monday's ceil blue. I do that every time there's a holiday on a Monday...luckily I am in my cave in the back of the building all day, so no one really noticed (and it's not like I would have been in trouble, it just makes me feel stupid). Thankfully, after being off yesterday, I wore the correct color...ugh.

That's exactly how I've been feeling lately- just a little off.

I wouldn't have guessed it, but having Jason gone this past week has been really hard on me. Not that I didn't think I would miss him, of course I knew that! But, I guess I thought I would be able to handle everything by myself a little more easily. While I have GREAT in-laws that have been a huge help, it's just not the same without him here.

This might come off as a whiney post and I'm sorry in advance...but, I just need to get this off my chest and out of my head. I haven't really said anything to anyone about it because I know it's whining, but I don't want to keep bottling it up...so sorry.

Emilia isn't having the best week either. She hasn't slept through the night in WEEKS (except for the one night I blogged about when I used my freshly-worn tshirt, but it only happened once, sadly). She's waking up at least twice a night, usually somewhere between 12:30-1:30a.m. and then again between 3:30-4:30a.m. Sometimes she'll take her paci and roll back over. But, other times she cries this half-hearted whimper cry that makes me sad. When the paci won't work, I take her out and rock her back to sleep. I've been trying to just give her the paci and let her fall back asleep in hopes that she'll learn to sleep through the night...but, I've started losing my will power. Especially after Tuesday night's drama...

Tuesday night, 7:00 p.m., Emilia threw up- a LOT. She was fine when I picked her up from daycare, and she babbled and kicked the whole time we were in Walmart on our way home. But, as I took her from her Poppy to go upstairs and get a diaper change, the flood gates opened. I'm not kidding, it was like the exorcist- like turning on a fire hydrant! She has never done that before, so it kinda freaked me out. But, after it she just kinda smiled and resumed kicking. Poppy took her so I could go change my clothes (which were now covered in Emilia vomit). But as soon as she was handed off, she threw up again all over the stairs, just missing Poppy. So, I took her back while Poppy cleaned up the floors and we went upstairs. As soon as I laid her on her changing table and started to change her, she threw up AGAIN! 3rd time in less than 10 minutes! This is when it started to get scary.

We spent the next hour with Emilia throwing up every few minutes...and once there wasn't anything left, she would just wretch. Each time, her face turned bright red and she couldn't breathe. I knew when my mother-in-law looked worried that this wasn't 'normal'. So, I called the ped's exchange and left a message that was to be returned within 30-45 minutes. I didn't want to wait that long, so we called one of the ped's nurses who happens to be a family friend. She explained that it was probaby a stomach bug of some sort, since they are going around with cold and flu season, and as long as she wasn't dehydrated or running a fever, we should be OK.

Luckily, around 8:30 she stopped wretching. Her poor little body was so limp in my arms; she was completely exhausted. Her eyes were open, but she never lifted her head off my shoulder, never pressed her feet into my stomach to stand, never smiled or laughed. It was awful.

I knew I wasn't going to leave her in her crib all alone that night, in case she started throwing up again. So, we made a wall of pillows on the opposite side of my bed and let her sleep next to me, where Jason normally is. Every time she coughed, I woke up to check that she was OK. I slept the lightest I've probably ever slept that night- and I am usually a HARD sleeper. Besides being worried about her getting sick again, I was really concerned about her rolling off my bed. Now, I probably didn't need to be so concerned with this- we have a queen-size bed and I had pillows stacked and lining the edge of the bed. But still, I was worried.

Needless to say, neither of us slept well. So, we stayed home and cuddled yesterday. I wanted to make sure she was really OK. And she is. She is back to her usually cheery, loving self! We played and laughed all day, it was great. She went back to daycare today and I'm back at work....still missing sleep since Emilia's still enjoying her nightly wake-ups! But, I'm just so thankful she's feeling better!!

Leaves!

2009-09-08T09:42:00.002-05:00

I can't believe it, but on my way to work this morning I saw my favorite sign that Fall is on it way...beautiful leaves changing colors! The reds, yellows and oranges were just wonderful and lifted my spirits. There is a couple-mile stretch on my way to work that's lined by big trees and they are already starting to show off their pretty fall colors.

My favorite place to be during this favorite time of year is Tennessee. I spent a year there, going to Johnson Bible School, in Knoxville and loved it. My friends and I used to take long drives through the winding roads in the small towns outside of Knoxville. I used to love looking into the valleys and seeing the canvas of beautiful colors and flying down the road, tunneled by trees of orange, red and yellow.

There's something about when the leaves start to change colors that makes me excited. I think there's even a different smell in the air, the smell of bonfires to be had, hot dogs and smores to be made. Love Love Love Fall!! (O:

Oreo Challenge

2009-09-03T11:16:00.004-05:00

Hi all! I just finished reading the 'Cornerstone Daily Thought' (a daily devotion that is sent out by my church) and I wanted to share part of it with you. It's just something silly, so don't expect any great revelations about yourself. It's called the "Oreo Test". It basically says that how you eat an oreo says something about your personality. Let me know what type you are! (O:

How do you eat your Oreos:

-The Whole Thing at Once
-One Bite at a Time
-Dunked
-Twisted Apart
-I Don't Like Oreo Cookies

Here’s what your choice says about you:

The Whole Thing
This means you consume life with abandon, you are fun to be with, exciting, and carefree with some hint of recklessness. You are totally irresponsible. No one should trust you with their children.

One Bite at a Time
You are lucky to be one of the 5.4 billion other people who eat their Oreos this very same way. Just like them, you lack imagination, but that's okay, you're normal.

Dunked
Everyone likes you because you are always upbeat. You like to sugar coat unpleasant experiences and rationalize bad situations into good ones. You are in total denial about the shambles you call a life.

Twisted Apart
You have a highly curious nature. You take pleasure in breaking things apart to find out how they work, though not always able to put them back together, so you destroy all the evidence of your activities. You deny your involvement when things go wrong.

I Don't Like Oreo Cookies
You probably come from a rich family, like to wear nice things and go to upscale restaurants. You are particular and fussy about the things you buy, own, and wear. Things have to be just right. There's just no pleasing you.

I couldn't decide between 'One Bite at a Time' or 'Dunked'. If there is milk, I am a definite dunker, but if I don't have milk, I just take one bite at a time. So, basically I'm either boring and lack imagination (which I guess could be true, I'm not very creative...) or I'm always upbeat and sugar coat things (also true). Haha.

I know this was just a silly little thing, but I thought it was funny because the last line of each description is rather exaggerated. Like I said, let me know what you chose! (O:

Look out India- Jason's on his way!

2009-09-02T10:41:00.002-05:00

Well, today is the day. My hubby is leaving for India in just a few short hours...

I really feel like this whole thing just snuck up on me! But, it's more that we've have a non-stop, go-go-go life for the past few months. Between surgeries, deaths, moving and daily life with baby Emilia, time really flown by. It feels like it was just yesterday I was telling Jason that, 'Yeah, we should be able to make this work'.

I will admit (ashamedly) that I'm still a little jealous that I'm not getting to go. I know I should be glad for the group because God is going to touch their lives in ways they probably don't even realize yet...but, I'm just a little sad that I don't get to go. I guess it's OK to be jealous that I won't get to experience God's work over the next 10 days, it's not like that's a bad thing...right? But, I am continually reminded of my precious gift, Emilia, the reason I'm staying home. My little girl needs her Momma and I can't imagine being away from her for even a couple days, let alone 10! So, I am not envious of Jason for that. I just hope our little girl doesn't grow up too much while he's gone. He'll miss her 5 month birthday, but I'm planning to send pictures. (O:

I'm also completely excited for them! This will be Jason's second out-of-country mission trip and I can still remember how eye-opening our trip to Africa in 2006 was for him. He really has a heart for people, even though it might not always seem like it. He might not always show as much compassion for people in our country that have so much opportunity and just don't do anything with it. But, he definitely has a heart for people who are at the disadvantage. (I've found that sometimes these poor people from these 3rd world countries are so much happier with what little they have, and it's just amazing! I know Jason feels the same.) He has the opportunity to share God's word with several groups of people while over there and I'm so proud of him! I know he's nervous because he hasn't really 'preached' but just a couple times and this will be much more difficult due to using a translator. I've been praying for strength and confidence in God to fill him up while he is in India. I know God is going to use him in ways Jason can't even fathom yet, and I cannot wait to hear all about it when he gets back.

So, if anyone out there is reading this- I'm asking you to join me in praying for our group traveling to India. Please join me in praying for their safety during all their travels (to India and throughout the country). Please pray that their hearts will be open to God and they will allow Him to use them for His will at all times. Please pray that God will be with everyone they come into contact with, that these people, who are so different from us, will be open and willing to share the Word with them and just become their friends over the next 10 days. And PLEASE pray that God returns each person in our group home safely on September 12th.

Rice Cereal and a Worn T-Shirt

2009-09-01T07:30:00.002-05:00

These are the things I'm attributing to the success of last night's sleep! As you may already know, Emilia has been really struggling to sleep through the night these past couple weeks. She's been waking up 2-3 times each night.

My husband's Aunt Jill gave me some advice this past weekend about trying to put her down earlier and then when she wakes up to just give her the paci and see if she'll fall back asleep. She said she's done that with all 3 of her daughters and after a few nights, they were sleeping through the night with no problem. So, I gave it a try. It worked the two days we were out of town REALLY well, and I was so hopeful that it would continue. Then, Sunday night, back to screaming hysterically at midnight and 3:30.

I decided while sitting at work yesterday, half asleep, that it was time to bring out the big guns- Rice Cereal. There are mixed opinions on if feeding your baby rice cereal will actually make them sleep longer because their bellies are full or if it won't. But, I was getting desperate. (I should also mention that E's pediatrician said at her 4 month check up last month that we could start her on rice cereal whenever we wanted...) So, I picked it up on my way home and was pretty excited about starting my little girl on something new.

I got out her bumbo seat (the highchair is still in the box in the dining room...I'll tackle that another day...) and was going to feed her in the kitchen. I had Jason get his camera for some 'first rice cereal' shots (such a cheesy momma, I know!). Well, little did I know that Grammy, Poppy, Uncle Justin and Aunt Mimi (all hanging out in the living room) wanted to witness this event too. I was planning to do it in the kitchen to cut down on distractions for Emilia, since it was something new and I wanted her to be able to focus (even though the camera flashing with every bite might have also been distracting, haha)...but, I obliged the family and brought her into the living room for their viewing pleasure. (O: They were all really cute, oooing and aaaaing from behind me.

Emilia didn't seem to really enjoy this new experience...I think only a little of the cereal actually made it past her lips. She kept making the raspberry sound (that I think until now, she had forgotten she could make...we haven't heard it in weeks!) and most of the runny cereal would come back out. After several attempted spoonfuls, she started to gag a little (I think she stopped paying attention to what she was doing and let it run down her throat). That's when I decided we were done for the day. I'm not sure if we'll try again tonight, or if I'll give her a couple days and then maybe try oatmeal cereal...I hear babies like that better.

Anyway, that's the first half of why I think my baby girl slept from 8:30 until past 6:15 when I left this morning...

The other half is a very smart suggestion from my friend Jodie! She left it for me on facebook and I really appreciated her suggestion!! She said a mutual friend used to bring a used tshirt with her daughter to use during naptime...so, I thought 'What do I have to lose?' So, after the rice cereal experience, bathtime and nursing, I laid Emilia in her crib. I put a light blanket over her like always, and then took off the shirt I'd been wearing all night and laid it on top of the blanket.

I can't say whether it was the rice cereal or the used tshirt that helped my sweet baby, but whatever it was I'm so thankful!! When I woke up to my alarm at 5:17 (instead of Mia's cries), I couldn't believe it! I snuck into her room to make sure she hadn't got stuck under my shirt or anything and there she was. She was in the same position as when I put her down, with the blanket and shirt still neatly laying on top of her. She must have slept very soundly, because I can't remember the last time she stayed in the same position all night.

Yay for rice cereal and worn tshirts!! (O:

M 'n' M's and Hymnals

2009-08-27T11:59:00.006-05:00

This week has been a rough one, to say the least. I have had not only one dear friend pass away, but two. They both lived long, wonderful lives and have touched so many people through their witness for Christ over the years. I usually don't handle my emotions in a healthy way- I tend to hold everything in, pretending to be strong, and eventually break down over something unrelated and insignificant. I want to try and grieve for my losses in a way that's healthy and in a way that brings the glory to God, because I know that's what Dolores and Oshall would have wanted.

My first friend's name is Dolores. She passed away Sunday night after being ill for some time. I've already blogged about her a little bit, so some of this might be a repeat...I have so many fond memories of this wonderful woman. She was one of the friendliest ladies I've ever known. She would always welcome anyone into her home with a smile and a hug, no matter how long or short of time it had been since you'd last seen her. She loved to laugh. She had all sorts of silly cards, plaques or pictures of cartoons or jokes that made her laugh. Something else I (can't believe) forgot about was the M 'n' M's! Dolores always had a bag of those mini packs of M 'n' M's with her. She handed them out to kids and adults and anyone she could get to take them. I remember when I was younger and went through a phase where I didn't like them, she would carry mini bags of skittles to give me. Last night I attended her visitation, and right next to her casket was a small table with her camera and a big basket of M 'n' M's! I couldn't think of anything more fitting. One of her family members made sure I didn't leave without a bag, and I took them. In my mind, I could see Dolores pushing those M 'n' M's in my hand until I took them. (O: It will be sad without her, but I'm thankful she's no longer in pain. She's with her love, Frank, and they are whole again, praising our Lord!

The other friend I lost this week was Jason's grandpa Oshall. I call him my friend because that's exactly what he was. Of course, he was my grandpa (in-law) also and we were very close for only having known each other a few short years. Oshall has been sick for about the past 6 months and we all knew this was coming. He has had hospice care for 3 weeks now and so it's almost a relief that he has passed. I hate saying it that way, but it's true. Oshall has been praying everyday for several weeks that God would bring him home...and now his prayers have been answered and he's dancing on the streets of gold! I will truly miss my dear friend. We have always had a special bond. For as long as I can remember, he has told me every time he sees me, 'I've loved you since the first time I met you' and I so look forward to hearing him say that. The last time we went down to visit, when we knew his time was running out, he told me that again. I smiled and told me the same. It's hard to imagine only knowing someone for a few years and having such an empty space left after they are gone. He was such a stong man of God. He spent his last days witnessing to everyone that came to visit. And signing. Oshall loves to sing- hymns. Before meeting Oshall, I knew maybe 3 hymns well enough to sing along, but now that number has grown. He's right that there's beauty in those old hymns and I will always remember those times of singing fondly.

I love you Dolores and I love you Oshall. You will be deeply missed.

As I sit here at work, trying to hold it together, I keep thinking that neither of these wonderful people would want any of us to be sad- for any reason, least of all because of them. I know they would want me to remember that they are no longer in pain, no longer suffering in their worldly bodies. Today they stand before our God whole again, in the only place they have ever wanted to be. I know they have to be hugging the feet of our Lord, thanking and praising the one who has called them home. AMEN!

Long nights

2009-08-26T12:16:00.002-05:00

Poor Emilia is having a hard time and it's starting to wear us all down...

Starting this past Friday night, she's been waking up several times throughout the night screaming this high-pitched, ear-piercing, blood-curdling shriek. Our daycare provider put it best when she said it is like someone's trying to murder her. I've never heard her make this sound before and it's very, VERY unsettling.

Friday night through Monday night were the worst. It was about every 2-3 hours all. night. long. So, the first couple nights I just thought it was a growth spurt thing and she was extra hungry. So, I'd sleepwalk myself into her room and nurse her. She'd fall asleep and I would put her back in her crib. Sleep. Shriek. Repeat.

Well, come Tuesday morning I was starting to really look worse for the wear- blood-shot, droopy eyes, no pep in my step, etc. So, I was telling our daycare provider about it and she said Emilia had done the same thing during Monday's nap. She woke up during nap time screaming. But as soon as they picked her up, she was fine. That got me thinking that it wasn't just hunger.

I started thinking about how she would scream if she woke up laying flat out....like it might be an ear problem that was relieved, somewhat, when she was more upright. So, I took her to the doctor yesterday...nothing. The Dr. checked her lungs, ears, throat, everything...and E's perfectly fine. She doesn't have a temperature or anything. So, she told me to come back if she developed a fever or if it got worse.

So, last night Jason and I went to see 'Inglourious Basterds' (OK movie...VERY gorey) with our friend Jay. I was really worried about leaving Emilia with Grammy and Poppy. More for their sake, because I was sure Emilia would be cranky and uncomfortable. We got home around 11 and Treasa was still rocking Emilia in her room. She told me she ate around 10-10:30 and had just fallen asleep. Treasa (Grammy) said she tried a couple times to put her in her crib but Emilia would immediately wake up and start screaming again. So, Jason rocked her a while and I went to bed. (I knew it was going to be a long night and wanted to catch a few Zz's before she was hungry again...) I'm not sure when Jason put her down, but she didn't wake up again until 1:30ish. And it wasn't nearly as bad as it has been all week. She still cried, but not the mind-numbing shrieks from earlier this week. I went in there and got her out to nurse. When it was time to switch sides she started screaming that scream again, but calmed down once she started nursing again. After she started to fall asleep again, I pulled her off and was going to rock her. She started freaking out. But, she quickly calmed down, resting her head on my shoulder (how I miss those cuddles!!) I rocked her for about 15-20 minutes and she was OUT. I put her back in her crib, fully expecting to be woken up again very soon. Much to my surprise!! I didn't even hear her moving around until almost 4:30! And that was just kind of talking to herself (which is usually what she does when she wakes up). So, around 5:00, she started to sound like she was ready to have some attention and eat. I went in and was greeted with a smile. The screaming still occurs when we switch sides during nursing, but she seemed happier today.

I hope the doctor was right and there isn't anything wrong with her...but I think Jaime and my family might all be right that it's just stress. She's got a lot of changes in her little life right now and I'm sure it's a lot for a baby girl to handle. She's in a new house, new smells, extra people and no dots on her walls anymore. :-(

I hope today was a sign of moving towards adjustments to our new life. I'm just going to love on her as much as she needs until then. (I say with a yawn).

You'll be missed, Mrs. Dolores

2009-08-24T16:51:00.002-05:00

I found out this morning that an elderly lady from my church passed away last night. Dolores has been a family friend as long as I've gone to Cornerstone (17 years). She opened her home to the Singles Bible study group my mom started and took us in as family.

I remember going to her house every Friday night and all the yummy foods she would have for us. We would barely make it in the door before she's offering to fix us this or that. She was relentless- there wouldn't be an empty mouth in the whole house if she had anything to do with it. And you always had dessert. Not just cookies either- there was always a cake, ice cream with all the fixin's and anything else she thought up. She spoiled us like we were her own grandchildren.

She also had a big pool with a slide in her backyard that Clare and I thought was amazing! Even as we grew up and weren't always at small group, we were still allowed to come over anytime to swim or lay out or just to visit. Our youth group used to have Youth parties at her pool at least once or twice a summer and it was her joy to have us.

Dolores was never seen without a little disposable camera flashing away. In later years, someone did finally get her an actual camera, which she could turn off and on, but that was about it. She had loads of pictures of ANY event that ever took place at church, her house, or anywhere else she was invited. Anytime someone needed a picture of someone or from something specific, Dolores was the one to call! Most of the pictures I have from the time we moved here until I went away to college were from her.

I have such fond memories of Dolores and she will be truly missed. (I can't say much else right now because I'm trying not to bawl at work...) Today is a sad day for us, but a joyous one for her. She's in Heaven praising our Lord!!

Hooray for being homeless!

2009-08-21T12:35:00.002-05:00

(**Disclaimer: I know actual homelessness is no laughing matter and I don't mean to offend. I have just been referring to myself and my family's sitation as being homeless because we are, in fact, without a home due to selling ours. Thank you**)

WHEW!!! That's all I can say. I'm SO GLAD to have this house closing business over with! We packed and moved everything like mad men this past week (thanks to Mom, In-Laws, Audrey, Big Daddy and Kev Daddy for all the help!!) We have moved in with Jason's parents for now...well, I use 'moved in' loosely at this point...that house is in shambles bc we hardly know where to begin putting things away. But, it's there, we are there, and that's that.

The actual loan closing was 3-day nightmare! It was supposed to happen on Monday, so I planned for a doctor's appointment afterwards in hopes of only missing 1 day of work...they didn't have what they needed to close so we moved it to Tuesday. I still had to take a few hours off for the doctor's appointment, so I wasn't too pleased about that. But, oh well. Tuesday is filled with MANY phone calls from our realtor...still don't have what they need and it doesn't look like today's the day either. UGH. Finally, Wednesday rolls around and I don't hear anything almost all day...so I call her around 2. She said they have almost everything they need at the title company and it might happen today at 5:30p.m. Something gets caught up and that doesn't happen...she calls back to say we might be closing around 7, I'll let you know. And WOO HOO!! She actually calls and says come on over!

Those were 3 stressful days for me. I try to always be a positive person, always looking for the good of any situation but I was completely spent because of this. Tuesday and Wednesday were not good days for me. I was grumpy and cranky and a little rude. It made me glad I only have to really talk to one person (my office mate) unless I choose otherwise. I was pretty much holed up in here those days for fear of offending someone when I didn't care to hear their latest story or if I didn't laugh at their joke.

BUT, all is well! That part is done! Now, we move on to trying to find some sort of organization in a home that isn't our own. My in-laws are wonderful people and have done so much to make sure we feel welcome and at home. So, that is not what I'm talkign about... I mean more of the fact that there's just not that much space to fit two whole families' lives. There just isn't. We are cramped and crowded. Emilia's stuff is everywhere and there are boxes galore. Most of which I dread unpacking because I know I don't have enough shelf space for it all...But, that's OK. That's another day's problem!

Tonight I'm taking my second (hopefully final) load of yard sale stuff to Jaime's house and J's coming with me to bring tables in his truck. Tomorrow will hopefully be a fun day. I keep thinking that I should have just donated everything because I've got a lot of stress rumbling around in my brain. But, I love yard sales! And I love spending time with good friends. So, I keep reminding myself about those things. Maybe I'll even make a little money! (O:

Momma Bear rears her ugly head!

2009-08-19T13:00:00.003-05:00

Well, it's official. I'm a Momma and I will defend my baby girl no matter what.

It's really not as bad as I'm making it seem, but last night I had my first 'Momma Bear protects Baby Bear' experience. I was a little surprised at how quickly I rose into action. Being a mom definitely changes a person, that's for sure!

We were at Jason's brother and sister-in-law's house for roast with Grammy and Poppy. The evening was winding down and Poppy was holding Emilia on the end of one of the couches. Jason was seated at the other end and Justin (brother) was in a chair next to Poppy. Jason started smacking his hand down on their leather sofa, making a loud slapping noise. Emilia would get a little startled and look around like 'WHO is disturbing me while I'm relaxing on Poppy?!' So, J does this a few times and then Justin decides to join in the action. (Up until now I wasn't actually paying attention to them, I just saw it unfolding from the corner of my eye...)

Justin rears back and SLAMS his hand down on the armrest, right next to Poppy and Emilia. It was really loud! So loud that it scared Emilia into a sobbing cry. Poppy jumped up with her and started trying to console her. I instantly shot Justin a look and said 'WHY did you do that!' Jason said 'I was doing it too'. I said 'I know, but he's right next to her. You can't be that loud...it's not like with Jax where the loud stuff sometimes makes him quiet and then he smiles. Loud stuff scares a 4 month old!!'

So, I go over and take Emilia from Poppy (he was about to hand her off to Grammy, but I wanted to calm my little girl's fears). She buries her face in my chest and is really, really upset. I start doing all the normal things to calm her down, and they begin to work. You know that pitiful sigh sound babies and kids make after a good, hard cry? She was doing that, my poor baby.

Now, I realize that Justin wasn't intending on scaring poor Emilia into this crying fit, so I did apologize for the mean look and harsh words. I then explained that being that loud with her probably wasn't the best idea- saying it loud enough that hopefully Jason and everyone else was listening too.

So, that's my story. I'm officially a Momma who is protective of her daughter. I know it's only going to get worse from here...I can't imagine the day someone hurts her feelings at school or the first time a boy breaks her heart. Please don't grow up too quickly little girl. But, I'll be ready for Momma Bear mode at a moments notice!

Pop-a-Tot!!

2009-08-18T15:13:00.003-05:00

OK, so a coworker gave me a website to look up and I've been researching it for a couple days. It's called Pop-a-Tot. It looks pretty neat, as far as child containment merchandise goes!

It's basically a portable exersaucer-type thing. It folds up to about the size of a fold-up lawn chair, and comes with a carrying bag like one too. It looks to be made of the same type of material as one of those chairs and just pops itself open. There are 2 clips that make sure it doesn't fold back up with a kiddo inside. Also, there are 4 or 5 clips on it where you can attach baby toys and 2 cup holders for drinks or snacks or whatever. The are listed at $49.99 or $59.99 with an umbrella. I was giving serious consideration to getting one for Emilia.

And THEN!!

There was an interview posted on FB about it! An old highschool friend is a reporter for Channel 4 News and they had and interview the co-creator! My friend had her 10-month old son in one and he really seemed to be enjoying it! I'm also considering getting one for my sister-in-law for her baby, due in December. Justin plays a lot of softball, so she would probably LOVE it at those games!

Click HERE to check out the interview!

It's not gossip...it's TRUE!

2009-08-18T15:07:00.003-05:00

OK, so anyone who knows me knows that I do enjoy my fill of gossip...I'm trying to be better, but it's not always that easy. Take, for instance, my office. I work with the most un-stereotypical accountant I've ever met and she's a hoot! Her stories are always interesting and I would definitely sit by her at a party is there was an empty seat. She's sarcastic and real, just like me.

So, anyway. One of our bosses told her that she gossips too much and that in our new building our room is going to have all glass walls so we might get some work done. I don't see what the biggie is- everyone here spends part of their day talking or something other than 'work'. We would go crazy in here if we didn't speak all day. Too much number-crunching and data analyzing to be silent all day. Sheesh!

In other news, we will *hopefully* FINALLY be closing on the house tomorrow at 5:30...fingers crossed! This is one roller-coaster I'm ready to be done with!! But, still praising God for sending someone to purchase our home...that should make things easier when/if Jason is offered a position in a church somewhere other than GC! (O:

I love this crazy, tragic, sometimes almost magic, awful beautiful life!

2009-08-14T14:51:00.002-05:00

While not all of these words describe my life at the same time, I still love the lyrics of that song. Even when things are crazy and out of control (happy, sad, etc.), I can usually still say that I love my life.

Right now, life is CRAZY! We are smack-dab in the middle of a horrendously-unorganized move. Since we spent last weekend with Jason's family, we have found ourselves super short on time...of course, we wouldn't have it any other way. We were so blessed to spend those few last days with Grandpa Oshall, and I wouldn't trade them for anything.

That being said, this week has gotten increasingly stressful because everyone is worried about when Grandpa may pass away. This means that we have been busting tail all weekend, in case it happens. We are SO THANKFUL to our friend Jon and our family who have been hugely helpful. We couldn't have gotten as much done without them, THANK YOU ALL!!!

So, last night Jon and Jason got our living room, our bedroom and Emilia's room all moved to Mark & Treasa's house, as well as our fridge, washer and dryer to the storage unit. Woo Hoo!! Tonight will be so much easier with almost all of the big stuff taken care of.

Tonight I'm working on throwing more crap into boxes, without looking and taping it up. I probably won't even label the ones from the basement...isn't that awful?! That's how down-to-the-wire we are! Monday's closing day and it'll be here SO FAST!!

God is good, all the time. All the time, God is good!

Have a great weekend...I'll be packing and moving and unpacking! (O:

Funeral Clothes...

2009-08-13T14:04:00.001-05:00

So, this might be stupid, but I cannot stop worrying about what to dress Emilia in for Grandpa Oshall's funeral. He hasn't passed away yet, but we all know it's coming. And seeing as we're right smack dab in the middle of moving (as in, Jason and our dear, lovely friend Jon are packing and moving our junk as I type), I need to start thinking about what we'll all be wearing to make sure it stays accessible. Jason already has his suits ready to go. I think I've decided on my navy and white dress for the viewing and a black skirt/shirt combo for the funeral. But, they don't really make black dresses for babies...It's not that Emilia has to MATCH J and I, but I feel like I shouldn't be dressing her in bright polka dots or anything too cheery. Even though this really is a good event, we're all so glad Oshall is going to see Jesus, I just feel like I should be dressing her a little more formal.

I think I've let my mind concentrate on this silly little problem so much because it keeps me from thinking about the bigger issues. I can't cry about losing my dear friend if I'm caught up in Emilia's wardrobe. I also can't get too overwhelmed with life, because this is so important to think about.

So, even though that's boring and you probably don't care, it's what is on my mind and has been for days. And that's that. (My Grams used to always say that...) (O:

Let's Catch Up! (O:

2009-08-11T08:44:00.004-05:00

I'm sorry, I know I've been absent for a while...life has gotten pretty busy lately and I'm barely keeping up!

Jason's grandpa Oshall has taken a turn for the worse and could go any day now, according to Hospice. We spent this past weekend with the family at Grandpa and Grandma's house. Oddly enough, it was a good weekend. Thankfully, we all know where Oshall is going, so we were able to spend our last days together praising our Lord, laughing at old memories and also crying together. We spent some time each day singing old hyms (one of Oshall's favorite things to do) and on Sunday, we all shared in Communion in their living room. I know this is exactly how Oshall would have asked to spend his last days on this earth and I'm glad we were able to share in this time. From the updates I've been receiving, he is starting to get worse each day- taking in less fluids and only taking one or two bites of food. At this rate, it will probably be any day now that he'll be standing before his God, and he WILL HEAR "Well done, good and faithful servant". I'm so sad to see him go, but I'm so happy that he will feel no more pain and gets to praise our God forever.

Kind of in the middle of all of that- I had surgery on my right wrist this past Thursday...I had what is (apparently) called First Dorsal Compartment Syndrome. A lot of words to say that I have 2 tendons in my wrist that were rubbing on each other because they didn't have enough room...very painful and annoying, especially for a nursing mother. So, I decided to have it corrected (my only other option was more cortizone shots, which were only a temporary fix). I was told in my consultation that there was "No Recovery Time", that I would be able to use my hand immediately and that it would only be tender to touch where they cut me open...boy was someone WRONG!!! I couldn't use my hand at ALL Thursday or most of Friday! I had to keep it elevated or it would start throbbing and I couldn't move my thumb or I would have shooting pain in my wrist. So, Jason took care of Emilia Thursday and called his mom to take care of me and Emilia on Friday...it was pretty annoying. We all left Friday evening to head to Dexter, MO (Jason's grandparent's house). I was a little better with my hand by then, but still couldn't nurse or even really hold Emilia unless she just wanted to lay in my left arm. Have I mentioned yet that I'm right handed...and it was crazy hard to not be able to use that hand!! Jason was really great at helping me take care of Emilia and even took care of her night feedings and everything until Sunday when I was finally able to *sort of* manuever to feed her. I'm still not 100%, but it's a major improvement. It still hurts if I type too quickly...so after this post I might be on for a while because my hands can't keep up with my thoughts! (O:

Other than that, what else is there... OH! We are MOVING! Haha. We are scheduled to close on our house this coming Monday!!! Have we had time to pack with everything else going on? Not so much..Jason, luckily, stayed home yesterday and packed out the entire kitchen, which is awesome! Since our bedroom and Emilia's room at going to his parents house, we only have a little in the office, a little in the living room and the basement left! It shouldn't be too bad...but we're trying to get everything done now, so we are somewhat ready to move in case Grandpa passes this week...

Ugh. Too much to think about. I also have the September Ladies' Night and my sister-in-law's baby shower swimming in my head!

Maybe I can bury myself in work and forget about everything for a while...

Praying for Beki

2009-07-24T08:54:00.003-05:00

Our church did a really awesome thing. We have a group of high school students that went to a summer CIY (Christ In Youth) conference this week and I got to pray for one of the girls! They had a sign up list in the back of the church and were asking people to sign up to pray for each person daily while they were gone. I actually received an email about this the week before the sign-up list was out asking the same thing. I decided that I would wait to sign up so I could make sure to pray for someone that didn't have anyone else yet. So, this past Sunday night, I went to the back and looked the list over for someone to pray for. I knew I wanted a girl and there were only 2 people left! And only 1 girl! So that made my choice very easy. If I remember correctly, this little girl is the one I thought was SO CUTE at our Youth Group Trivia Night Fundraiser last Fall...I'm almost positive. Either way, it obviously doesn't matter...but, that's who I'm picturing when I pray for her.

I've spent a lot of time praying that she will be open to hear what God has to say to her this week. I asked God to break her heart of anything outside His will. I pray that she is having a great time and is building relationships with our group as well as others from all over the country. I can remember going on these trips every summer I was able and it was always such an awesome, God-filled experience. I've been praying that it's the same for her. I know once she comes home that I'll continue to pray for her from time to time because I know eventually the fire ignited inside her this week will start to dim...it does with everyone. So, I'll keep her in my prayers that she stays ALIVE for Christ and won't let all the excitement and enthusiasm she got during CIY to fade.

The email I received said they were going to try and set up a dessert meeting so the pray-ers can meet the pray-ees. I would LOVE that! I want to know how her week was and what she took away from it. I know highschool is a tough age and if I can be a positive example for this girl, I want to. I'll let you know what I find out and what comes of this. (O:

The Power of a Praying Wife

2009-07-22T08:48:00.003-05:00

I'm so excited about the new 'book group' I'm participating in. My friend, Jaime, always makes great suggestions for ways to deepen our faith and relationships with others and they always come right when I need them! My friend, Margo, gave me the book 'The Power of a Praying Wife' for my birthday last year and told me how much she enjoyed reading it. I put it on my bookshelf and thought I would read it someday. Then, recently, Jason and I started talking about how we watch too much TV and we need to start doing other things with our time, like reading (shocker, I know!) So, when Jaime sent out an email saying she wanted to read this book and asked if anyone else would be interested in doing a couple chapters a week and then having discussion via email, I was really excited! Anyone who knows me, knows I'm NOT a reader, but I really want to get better about that. So, I told her to count me in!

I read the introduction last night and I'm already really excited. It talks about how the 'evil one' tries to mess up God's plans for our lives/relationships/marriages through all these different things- laziness, abuse, alcoholism, infidelity, lack of affection, etc. As I read through the list, I was wondering what I might be able to pray for Jason about. It seems like such a drop from bigger issues like alcoholism, infidelity and abuse to a (what I consider) simple lack of affection or laziness. Those little ones are what we actually struggle with, but I always felt like a whiner for thinking they were of any importance. From what I've read so far, these are also serious issues and there are ways to pray FOR Jason about them.

That's the thing about this book- it's not teaching you to pray to get what YOU want. It teaches you how to pray for your husband and the result will be the lessening of these issues. The author struggled with her husband's problems with anger. So, she prayed that she would remain calm and ask how she could be better, etc. Because she didn't let the situation escalate, his anger bouts didn't last as long and eventually went away all together. Of course, it's a constant battle- she still prays for that, but it's not an issue like it was before.

I skipped ahead to read about 'lack of affection', because that's my biggest struggle. I didn't read the whole thing, but from what I did read, I know it's going to be hard, but helpful. The story was talking about a couple where the husband grew up in a family where there was no physical affection shown. So, he truly didn't need it and didn't know how to show it. The wife also came from a family of no affection, so she desperately needed. (My story is the same as far as Jason's family is concerned. But, my family has always shown affection, so I know what I'm missing and crave for the affection I've grown accustomed to.) Anyway, I can't wait to get to that chapter and see how I can pray for Jason in that regard.

I know this book isn't a cure-all. In fact, it's not even a 'how to' on relationships. It's really going to teach us how to pray for our husbands as their wives. What they need us to pray about for them.I know it's not always going to be easy and it's going to take a lot of hard work and earnest prayer on our parts. But, I can't wait to see what wonderful things God has in store for us as we start this. I know He's going to break down our walls and flood us with His blessings! I can't wait!

My comedy of errors!

2009-07-15T10:04:00.002-05:00

For my birthday, I asked Jason to take me to a running store called Big River Running Company in St. Louis. He got a pair of running shoes there last year and really liked the store because they watch you walk and then, based on how you walk, they will show you which shoes will work best for you. Now, I'm no runner. But, I am looking to at least start walking more regularly to help shed these last 10 baby pounds (for starters) and then eventually *maybe* work up to running or light jogging (the J is silent). (O: So, that's what I decided I wanted for my birthday, a good pair of walking/running shoes.

The plan was that I would call Jason when I pulled in our driveway so he would come out and we could go without having to take Emilia in the house then back out, yadda yadda. So, I pull up, call Jason and ask him to bring a bottle with him. I jump out, go to the passenger seat so he can drive, leaving my keys in the ignition. Jason comes out with a mistakingly dirty bottle. I hop back out, take his keys and the dirty bottle into the house. I come back out with a clean bottle (just in case Emilia gets hungry and we're stuck in the All Star Game traffic) and place his keys in the coin tray for him.

We get over to the store and I'm so excited!! I decide to leave my purse in the car because I know Jason has the debit card to pay. We go inside and spend about 30 minutes for the whole process. I'm having a hard time deciding between a pair of New Balance that are blue and white, super comfy, super light and pretty cute or a pair of Mizuno's that are all PINK, pretty comfy, light, but my heel slides a little. I, of course, really WANTED the pink ones (I thought they were cuter, not just bc they were pink either!) but I knew the New Balance were the better choice. I'm very happy with my decision and Jason pays for my shoes.

We are walking back out to the van...I get there first and turn around to him to get the keys. He says 'You have the key, right?' I give him a look bc I'm sure he's joking. 'I'm serious Annie, I don't have my keys. I put yours in your purse.' 'I didn't bring my purse in, J. Where are your keys?' 'Still wherever you put them after locking the front door.' Yep! Both sets of keys are safely locked INSIDE THE VAN!!! We have never, ever done this and we both kinda start laughing. So, we go back into the store to ask for a phone book, which they don't have. But the nice man googled local locksmiths. Jason calls 2, both say they will call when someone is in route. (You call an 800 number and then I guess they forward it on...who knew the locksmith business was so high tech!)

So, we walk down the street a block to this cute little cafe, Murdoch Perk, and order some dinner. I had the most delicious chicken salad sandwich ever and topped it off with a yummy strawberry banana smootie. The locksmith called back about 30 minutes later that he was there. Jason goes down to meet him, I finish eating. I tell Jason there's plenty of cash in my wallet- we are figuring around 50-80 bucks for the service... I see Jason start walking back to me, so I figure everything's done. I walk out with Emilia to meet him and we start walking back. Can you believe this guy charged us 179DOLLARS!!!!! Holy toledo, I KNOW my jaw dropped when Jason told me that! I couldn't believe it cost THAT MUCH for this...and you know what this polite, Indian man said to us?? You guys should really keep a spare key. We told him we DO have an extra key, but they are BOTH inside the van. He says, No, you should have a spare hidden at home. So, I guess we paid the extra money for his professional opinion on the matter!!

So, that was our evening last night...I'm so happy with my new shoes and all we can do it laugh! (O:

Sing, sing a song, sing OUT LOUD...

2009-07-14T11:02:00.003-05:00

OK, maybe I shouldn't be taking that so literally, but I can't help it today! My coworker/office-mate is on vacation (in Disneyworld, I'm hoping for Mickey ears when she returns), so I'm all alone in here. If you had any idea how much we talk All. Day. Long., you'd know exactly how lonely it is when she's gone. I'm actually being quite productive, but I've also developed a new habit...actually, it's an old habit that has resurfaced after years of suppression!

At first, I was just talking to myself, and only a little bit. Just when I did something stupid or just thinking out loud. Now, not only am i having full-on conversations with myself (yes, I'm even answering myself...) but I've picked up SINGING! I would never sing in front of anyone, but when I'm all alone, I have been singing up a storm.

The current songs I'm serenading myself with are "Big Papa" (I don't know if that's really what it's called, but it's from the movie Hardball-I think- and it's pretty stupid) and the theme music from Jeapordy (I had to ask a poor, passerby of my office what show it was from because I couldn't remember).

So, I'm officially going crazy and pretty soon I will be referred to as 'that weird girl in the back'...if I'm not already!

Sorry if you're bored Jaime, but leave me alone! Actually, please don't- I'm SO ALONE!!! (O:

Great weekend over, busy week beginning!

2009-07-13T12:26:00.002-05:00

Well, this weekend was pretty great! I had a wedding, so that meant the rehearsal on Friday night and the ceremony Saturday. The grandfather of the groom was officiating. This was my first time doing a wedding that wasn't performed by one of our ministers... It was definitely an experience! He didn't really know what he was doing, so I had to coax him through the rehearsal. Then, he forgot to tell the guests to sit down after the bride entered! Those poor people stood for almost the whole ceremony before he told them they could sit down, if they'd like. Haha, what a day!

While I was gone we had our whole house inspection and the termite inspection. We don't have termites and only have 2 little things to fix for the buyers (both easy, according to Jason)! Woo hoo!! That means things should keep going smoothly! Which means Annie and Jason are now in packing mode- all our free time will be devoted to packing...ooo lala. (O:

That night we had our friends over the a little b-day bbq and the fights. It was a great time! The guys hung out on our back deck grilling hot dogs and playing some bean bag game (the name is escaping me at the moment...) We had some great girl talk inside the house! I don't think we've ever really shared quite like that before...haha. (I can't elaborate, but it was fun!) I was surprised by more than a couple of those girls! (O: The fights were fine, I'm sure the guys will say they were awesome. All in all, it was a great night. I wasn't even to worn out the next day after staying up until 12:30ish! Whew!

Sunday was another great day. We met my mom for lunch at Ravanelli's so discuss what she needs done at her house in order to sell it. Jason is doing the work for her in exchange for a new camera. He's already ordered it using a credit card that doesn't charge interest for 12 months! He wanted to have it soon because we have so many big events coming up! (My dad and step mom coming to visit, friends coming home, remembering our first home, his trip to India, etc.) After that, we spent some time at home (I did laundry, E and J slept!) Then, off to church! We were asked to fill in as nursery workers, so I feel like I didn't get to talk to anyone. But, we went out to dinner with a select few and that was fun. The service was HORRIBLE, but the company was great. (O:

Oh, and yay for me!! Emilia slept 8 hours last night which meant 7 straight hours of sleep for Annie! It's been over a month since that's happened. I thanked her this morning. (O:

And now the start to a busy week! Tonight Jason's taking me to this running store in St. Louis to get an appropriate pair of running shoes for my birthday. Even though it may take a while for me to get up to running, apparently there are different types of shoes depending on how you walk on your feet. So, that's that. I'll be getting new shoes... "They was my magic shoes..."

Tomorrow night, our friends Dan and Erin are having everyone over for the All Start Game. I'm not sure if we're going, but we might be.

Wednesday...woo hoo! Presale at the McCraine's house! Sarah is having a garage sale this weeked and she has so graciously allowed me to come over early to root through her daughters' clothes! I know they've got some cute little dresses that I'm hoping to get my hands on! The smallest sizes she has are 12-18 months. That's about where I am in the shopping stage anyway, so I'm super excited!! (O:

Then, Thursday my Dad and Teresa get into town! They are only here until Saturday, so we're planning on doing a couple things and then just hanging out the rest of the time. This is their first time seeing Emilia in person, so I know they are super excited. The weekend's plans include grilling ribs, Imo's pizza, White Castle (gag...this was my dad's request!) and a trip to the zoo (weather permitting). It should be fun! (O:

Oh, I also have an appointment to see a hand specialist on Friday morning...I've been having a lot of trouble with my right thumb again, so I'm going back in...the last time I was there, I was told that if the injections I received didn't work, we'd have to do surgery. I'm praying there is another alternative, but there might not be. But, I can't keep having this ol' thumb lock up and in such pain. Plus, now all the joints in my fingers get stiff and lock up on occasion, so I need to get that all checked out. I'll let you know.

Have a great day!

What a way to start the day!

2009-07-10T12:47:00.002-05:00

I just want to say that I love my coworker, Kim and her whole family!

Before I can tell you the exciting-ness (new word) of today, I need to set it up. Last year when I started working here, I decided to start up a 'Birthday Club'. We had it in my old office and it was great. Here's what it is- all the people who want to participate write down their name, birthday and favorite cake. Then, each person draws a name and is in charge of bringing a cake on that person's birthday. It's just fun because everyone likes to be remembered on their birthday! So, everyone enjoyed it last year and wanted to do it again this year. (Yay! I love when ideas go well!)

Oh, I need to mention that everyone tells me whose name they draw so I can remind them when the birthday is coming up. (We didn't do this in the old office, but around here they all asked me to...so whatever.)

Well, my birthday is next Saturday. I know that Marie drew my name. I was mentioning to Kim that I won't be here next Thursday or Friday because my dad is coming into town. I knew if I mentioned it to her, she would mention it to Marie so that my cake would be here on Wednesday. (O: But, when I was telling Kim, she told me that Marie was having hand surgery and would be gone for 2 weeks starting today! Man, was I bummed out! I love cake and any reason to eat cake is good with me! So, I just told Kim that I'd bring in my own ice cream cake next week because that's my favorite. (O:

Wouldn't you know that she brought in an ice cream cake in for me today!! And, her 8 year old daughter made me a balloon hat! (She learned how to make it at summer camp, haha!) I just thought that was so sweet of them. I'd post a picture of the balloon hat, but I don't have the cords here at work to do so. Just imagine it. Haha. (O:

So, I guess if you complain loudly enough, someone will bring you in an ice cream cake! (O:

Can you imagine??

2009-07-09T10:23:00.002-05:00

I just had a discussion with a coworker (K) about another coworker (R), and I'm just so saddened now. (Yes, this was a little bit of gossip, but once you read it, you'll agree how sad this is...) I just can't imagine this being my life...

A woman who works with me (R) had a baby only a couple weeks after I had Emilia. But she doesn't seem to care about her little girl (I'll call her "O") as much or the same ways Jason and I care about E. When "O" was only a week old, she was already being dropped off at Grandma's house for hours at a time or even ALL DAY. This was something I decided to say "To each his own" about because I was trying not to judge...but it only gets worse.

She doesn't seem to care about spending any time with O. She told my K that she just has to have a clean house, so she doesn't spend much time with the baby. K tried explaining that this time flies by so quickly and not to miss it. K used to come home every night and sit with her kids and play. We are much alike, that we aren't as concerned about a perfectly clean house, but that we enjoy the time with our babies. O's mom just stared at K like "lalala, oh well". K compared her to a computer- void of emotions about it.

Can you imagine not caring about spending time with your precious little baby? R's baby is perfectly healthy and so beautiful and she doesn't even seem to feel blessed or thankful about it. I thank God daily for what a huge blessing Emilia is to me and to our family. I look forward to her smiles when I pick her up from day care and I love that she smiles first thing in the morning when she hears my voice. I can't wait to take her home and play with her and hear her laugh. How can anyone not look forward to these precious times? How can you look at your beautiful, healthy daughter as nothing more than an accessory?

It breaks my heart that poor little O will probably never have a close, loving relationship with her Momma. She won't grow up knowing how much she's loved. She won't have fond memories of her childhood to look back on. I can still tell you stories about doing things with my parents as a kid, and O will probably never have that. It breaks my heart that there are so many people (many of my close friends included) that would KILL for a precious little baby to call their own and this mom is more concerned with a clean house and shipping baby to grandma's than she is cultivating a relationship or watching her grow and learn everyday.

Honk honk, Ac-Hoo, Cough cough

2009-07-07T15:57:00.003-05:00

Yep, that's me today...I've caught Emilia's cold. Poor little thing has been snot-nosed, sneezing and coughing since Sunday. We feel so bad for her because she has trouble breathing and wakes up a lot at night because she can't breathe well. This, in turn, means that Jason and I are waking up with her more, so we're also tired. And now I've caught her cold. :-( I've been blowing my nose all day (I'm sure it's nice and Rudolph red...) and my head is pretty groggy...I feel sort of out of it.

Tonight we are going to a 'Simply Fun' party for my friends Margo and Erin. It was supposed to be Margo's 2nd party as a consultant, but at her 1st party, Erin signed up to be a consultant too! So, now tonight's party is Erin's 1st party as a consultant, and Margo will be training her. Those girls are so funny. Margo started doing this to help pay down some debt and I'm pretty sure Erin is doing it because 'it's so much fun!!' I knew she'd like all these games, and I should have guessed that she'd sign up to sell it. Tonight will be a blast with her as the consultant; she gets so excited about things and it's contagious! (O:

Oh, and today is Emilia's 3 month birthday. (O: That means I'll be doing my mothly photo shoot for her! I just put her May pictures in the album yesterday and I can't believe how different she looks from just a month ago! She is definitely growing so fast and changing all the time.

OK- I'm too braindead to think of anything else to update on...haha. *sigh*

Gearing up...

2009-07-02T12:41:00.003-05:00

For a GREAT weekend!

I know it's going to FLY by, but I'm super stoked about this weekend. Lots of fun stuff going on!

Tomorrow, Emilia and I are spending all day with my Momma. Now, ordinarily I wouldn't be as excited about this...not because I don't love my Mom very much, but because we really don't have that much in common. So, usually we run out of stuff to talk about and don't really have anything we both enjoy doing. But, tomorrow we'll be sewing all day- something she loves and I always need her help with. I'm still working on Jason's quilt...hoping to have it done by his birthday. She's been helping me with the design and I'm having to use her sewing machine, seeing as I don't own one... Tomorrow, I will probably spend most of the day sewing together the blocks we cut and laid out during our last sewing day. She thinks I'll be able to get the whole top put together tomorrow, that would be great! Oh, and Grandma and Emilia gets lots of cuddle time on sewing days. (O:

Then, Saturday is a busy busy day! Yay 4th of July! We're having a pool party/30th birthday party for Jason and his cousins (who are also turning 30 this summer). That starts at noon. Before that, I've got to pick up the cakes (one for all the 30-year-olds and one for their parents that says 'Congrats on 30 years of wrinkles and gray hair!' Haha, thanks for you help with that one Jaime!) (O: I also have to pick up ice cream and a steak for Jason to grill for dinner. Jaime, Jax and I will be eating hot dogs because everyone else is eating fried fish...It's going to be such a great day! I'm really excited that Jaime and Jax get to come play. There will be lots of Jaxon-aged cousins to help keep him occupied and maybe even wear him out! I'm also very excited that so much of the Warren clan is able to make it! More than I had expected, which is awesome. I love when the family all gets together. Even my soon-to-be-cousin, Jenna is going to stop by. Her fiance (Jason's cousin), James, has to work, so we didn't think she'd come. But, she is! I'm so glad because I really like her. She's really sweet and laid back. I'm enjoying getting to know her. The fireworks are that night, of course. This should be interesting...Emilia's first experience with loud booming noises during bedtime...we will see how it goes! (She does have the cutest outfit ready to wear for the day, I'm so excited! haha) (O:

Hopefully Sunday will be a rest day for our little family...I know we'll need it after a jam-packed weekend full of fun! (O:

I hope all of you have a wonderful 4th of July weekend as well! (O:

What are people thinking??

2009-06-25T12:48:00.003-05:00

Last night, after VBS, Emilia and I went to Target to try and find a new sundress for me to wear to Alyssa's wedding...it did not go well. In case I forget to mention, I didn't find anything that looked decent (darn post-baby body!!)

So, I had 9 dresses that I wanted to try on. I can only take 6 into the room with me, so I leave 3 with the dressing room attendant. Let's call her, Betty. After dress #4, Emilia starts getting fussy (she was fighting sleep...always fun!) So, I'm still in dress #4, I take Emilia out of her carseat to try and rock her to sleep. While doing so, I grab the first 3 dresses that brought attention to the areas I'd like to hide to change out for the last 3 with Betty.

I walk out there, Emilia spits out her pacifier and starts fussing some more. Betty starts cooing about how cute she is (which, she is, so I'll give her that!) Then she starts fluffing all over Emilia's head and touching her little feet. I'm trying to back away slowly before she reaches to hold her hand (I don't know what diseases this lady might be carrying!) (I'd also like to point out how annoyed I got by this stranger rubbing my baby's head...I have a hard enough time keeping it from looking oily without your help!!) Well, Betty doesn't take the hint...Emilia's getting louder as I walk back towards my dressing room...Betty follows me INTO MY DRESSING ROOM saying 'Oh here, let me hold her. I'll calm her down" (WHAT???) I just say "That's alright" as politely as I can. Betty says, "Oh OK. She just wants her Mommy. Is it a boy or a girl? Oh a girl, I see all the pink." All this time I'm slowly shutting the door to my room and she's just BARELY out of the way. She KEEPS talking to me once I shut it telling my how cute she is.

Now, I'm really not good at telling people no about stuff like that, but this lady really got to me! I'm sure she was just trying to be nice, friendly and helpful. But, did she really expect me to just hand over my 3 month old baby without batting an eye?? I guess maybe there are people out there that are more open to free-love-everyone-let's-hug-and-be-friends-I'll-hold-your-baby-while-you-try-on-dresses...but it's not me! I want to hold my own baby, please go away.

Ugh, I just worked myself up all over again.

Thank you Lord, for baby smiles!

2009-06-19T09:15:00.002-05:00

This morning on our way to daycare, I looked back and caught Emilia playing with some toys we have hanging from her carseat handle. As I peeked in on her playtime, I watched her smile and I realized how her smiles can make everything better! She has just started to smile when she plays with things and it was so fun to watch!

I love how she smiles when I wake her up in the morning. She closes her eyes so tightly when I first turn on her light, but as soon as she hears me say "Good Morning Emilia", her whole face lights up because she knows her Momma's voice. Those mornings when I wish I was still in bed, that smile brightens my face and I'm ready for the day!

I love how she smiles and coos at her mobile. She loves to lay and watch the funny colored animals go around in circles above her head. The orange animal is her favorite. She smiles at him the most. (O:

I love how she smiles in anticipation of tickles and kisses. This is pretty new too. Jason loves to give her lots of kisses on her cheeks. He will start out far away and zoom in to steal all the kisses. Just recently, she's started smiling and talking as he's moving back and zooming in, like she knows they are coming and she's excited. It's the same smile she gives when we kiss her cute little feet. (Shocking that I'm kissing yet, I know!)

I love the smile she gets when you first start peeling off her clothes for a diaper change or bathtime. This girl loves to be naked! She just kicks and talks and smiles. Then, after a diaper change, I'll stand her up and she gets a big open-mouthed smile and starts cooing and talking to me. I love it!

Oh, and I, of course, love the smile she has after filling up her diaper or passing gas! I have an extra funny memory in my head after last night- Jason had undressed her for bathtime and was holding her over the sink, giving her lots of kisses. She loves to "sit" on his chest: bottom on his chest with her legs and feet going up towards his neck. Well, last night she started smiling and Jason felt his chest getting warmer...he starts laughing because she is peeing on him! Then, it takes a smelly turn- she pooped on him too!! She's just smiling at him and he's laughing and telling me to help! I run and get the wipes, hold Emilia while he peels his shirt off and wipes her off. All the while, she's grinning so big. At least she felt better! (O:

So, thank you Lord, for blessing my life with such an unbelievable gift. I never knew someone so small could lift my spirits just by being her happy, little self.

"And a good time was had by all..."

2009-06-15T08:55:00.004-05:00

WHEW! What a whirlwind of a weekend! I had a great time, but I'm definitely worn out!

Friday night was Alyssa's bachelorette party at The Melting Pot. Yummy!! Mary and Erin met me at my house so we could all ride together. We had a lot of good discussion on the way there and had a so much fun eating yummy chocolate! It was Mary's first time there (!!) and she was a blast! That girl needs to get out more, she was cracking me up! It was a great night of friends, linerie and chocolate! (O: I got home around midnight- Jason and Emilia both already in bed. (O:

Saturday morning, we got up around 7:00 and started getting ready to leave for Dexter, MO for the Warren Family reunion. We had decided that we would just take our time with this trip, no rushing or trying to be on a schedule. It was really great. We didn't leave until around 9:00 a.m. We stopped at Sikeston because Emilia was getting hungry and I wanted to stop at the Carter's outlet store. They were having a great sale- 70% most items! The 5 packs of onesies that I love were only $7.40- down from $15-20!! And the 2 pack of pants were down from $10-12 to $5.20!! Woo hoo!! I loaded up on 3 and 6 month pants for my long legged child and got a couple packs of onesies too. She also needed more sleep 'n' plays since she's already too long for her 0-3 month ones we just bought a few weeks ago...haha. I found a long sleeved white sweater to keep in the diaper bag this summer in case it's ever chilly for Emilia. I've been looking for something to keep with us because it never fails that I dress her lightly thinking it's going to be hot and then it rains or gets cold...so my $5 sweater was a deal! Jason also grabbed a cute shorts and tank top outfit, an adorable blue dress with white fish (probably to be worn to Alyssa/Jay's wedding) and an orange onesie with a giraffe that says "I love long hugs" down the back of its neck! We ended up blowing more money than intended, but that's alright- most of it was actually things we needed. And the prices were great! (Even Walmart/Target prices couldn't compete)

Then, we kept on our way to the reunion...got there at 1:00 and everyone was done eating. We fixed our plates and sat down with the family. Jason's Grandpa Oshall was there, but only long enough to hold Emilia, hug us and then he was ready to go home. He's looking a little better, he's just so weak and wears out quickly. The reunion wasn't anything great, but it was nice to see everyone. I spent a while talking to Jason's cousin James' fiance, Jenna. (Did you follow that?!) She is so sweet! They are getting married next month, so we talked about her wedding (which is always fun!) And they are actually moving into a town house in Collinsville, not even 10 minutes from our house! We said we'll definitely have to get together for dinner and stuff. They are a few years younger than us, but I hope we all still have a fun time. They are getting married in a Lutheran church in Springfield (where she's from), so I don't know if they are planning on attending a Lutheran church in our area...I will probably at least invite them to join us at Cornerstone.

Anyway, that night we stayed with Mark's cousin, Karen. Their house is so wonderful! We stayed in a room that was off the garage- a workout/tanning bed room with a king size bed on the floor. The bed was ah-maz-ing!! Jason and I need a king size bed- we didn't even touch all night! We aren't 'cuddly sleepers', so it was awesome! Jason got bit by something while we were there and it's starting to swell on his leg...weird.

On our way home Sunday, we stopped to eat at Lambert's. My first time! It was fun! I really like the atmosphere of that place. They really throw the rolls! The guy threw one at a little boy (more like gently tossed, under handed so he could catch it) and the little boy then threw it at his mother! It was so cute. The food isn't really anything special, but it was good. Nothing like good home cookin'. (O: Oh, and they bring your drinks in these huge travel mugs! I mean, like 32 ounce jugs! I obviously enjoyed myself and I'm excited to go back. (O:

We took our time driving home too, and it was great. We stopped at some bargain shoe store and spent over an hour looking through rows of shoes and sun glasses. And! Woo hoo! I found a pair of sandals that I've been wanting for years! Take a look...(O:

We decided to stay home from church Sunday night to rest and I'm glad we did! It's now Tuesday (took me a while to get this all typed out...) and I'm still tired! But, it was a great weekend, filled with friends, family and lots of fun!

Victory, Thy Name is 'New Shirt for Alyssa's Wedding"!

2009-06-11T10:02:00.003-05:00

Woot woot! I *FINALLY* found a shirt that will work for Alyssa's wedding (and all other weddings I have to attend this summer)! This was my delimma- I didn't want to purchase a new dress to wear because it would prove to be problematic with feeding Emilia. So, I opted for a pair of nice black capri pants and set out to find a cute top to go with them...what an ordeal! I thought I found a couple a few weeks back, but Jason didn't like one of them and the other wasn't quite dressy enough. I kept it for when I coordinate weddings, but wanted something cuter for weddings I was attending as a guest.

So last night I skipped out early from VBS because Grammy had Emilia. I figured it was the perfect time to squeeze in a little shopping- it's always easier without my 11 pound princess. I went to JC Penney's on Jaime's recommendation and she was right- there were plenty of cute tops to choose from! At first I had some trouble, nothing was fitting quite right (stupid extra preggo belly still hanging around....) But then, it happened!

I had grabbed this dress that has black, blues and greens in a pretty swirly/big flower print design (it's cuter than I described, I promise). I thought that if it fit well, I could have my mom crop it into a top. It is great! I'm really excited, even Jason liked it! And the colors will coordinate with his suit! Yes yes, I know we're dorks. But, we like our outfits to at least be in the same color family. (O:

Now I just have to ask my mom to fix up the top and hope she can do it before the 27th!

Unlikely Pair

2009-06-10T08:03:00.002-05:00

Last night, after VBS, I met Jason over at his parents' house. Aunt Mimi and Uncle Justin, Grammy, Poppy and Jason were all having dinner with some other family friends. Daddy tried holding Emilia for a while, but she was cranky and fighting sleep. So, Grammy said 'I think she wants me to hold her'. She gave it her best shot, to no avail. Grammy handed her off to me and she calmed down right away. (There's still something so sweet about her just wanting her Mommy, I love it!)

A little later, Uncle Justin wanted to hold her to say goodbye because they are leaving for California today. Everyone said 'She's going to cry...' Surprisingly, she didn't cry at all. In fact, she started kicking off his chest and cooing at him. He played with her for probably 20 minutes like that! It was so fun to watch. She was having a great time and so was he.

The reason this is rather 'unlikely' is because Justin doesn't typically hold her for any amount of time and usually just wants to say hi and hand her off to Aunt Mimi. He hasn't ever really played with her. But, not last night! They played and played. He tried to give Aunt Mimi a turn, but Emilia just kept staring at Justin and even started whining until he took her back.

It was really fun to see him interacting with her. He was making silly faces and talking in a funny voice- and she was eating it up! Probably the best part was when Poppy wanted to get some goodbye hugs right before we were leaving and Emilia started to cry again. Here comes Uncle, 'do you need me to take her back?" with a big goofy grin on his face. He was so proud that he was the 'chosen one' of the evening. (O: