Fantastic Family Featuring: Anna and the Princess

My family is quite spectacular really. I'm pretty sure all 7 of us kids placed in the top 10% of our graduating HS class, and most were in the top 10 people. But did we stop with academics? Heck no. We have an award winning seamstress, pianists, orator, debater, vocalists, cellists, guitarist, bassist, and (for a time) a flautist. We had a scholarship pageant winner and runners-up, a published author, a garage band creator, teachers, marathon runner, amateur gourmet chefs, a business tycoon, and a tenured NYU professor (who also taught at Harvard).

I am just beginning, though I'll move onto my next point.

Throw the spouses in the mix and you have a whole new ballgame. An Oxford graduate, forest ranger/ avid hunter and fisher, computer software, social worker extraordinaire, ophthalmologist, amateur photographers, etc.

In the words of one of my brothers-in-law, "I believe that people who are smart, successful, and good looking should reproduce a lot." Because when you have two extraordinary people combining their genes, you'll get extra-extraordinary offspring. Especially when you're as good of parents as my siblings and their spouses are.

That really is holding true in my family. I have 15 amazing nieces and nephews. Here are a few examples of recent achievements:

1. One of my nieces (who was in first grade at the time) had read and re-read every Harry Potter available by herself. Including the 600+ pagers. I asked her if she knew at what level she read. Her response was, "Well, I really don't know. The tests I've taken only go up to an eighth grade reading level. So something above that." This is not an uncommon phenomenon among my nieces and nephews.
   
2. A different niece was just awarded an mp3 player for being the top AR reader in her whole school.
3. One of my brother's kids can name the people featured on every type of US currency. Can you do that? They were very excited to each receive a "Benjamin" for Christmas last year.
   
4. While playing the piano, my sister was practicing a song that had a really fast, hard part in it. Her son was close by, so she told him to watch her fingers, thinking it would inspire him to practice more or something. well, as soon as she started playing, he looked at her hands and started yelling, "CURVED FINGERS!!! CURVED FINGERS!!!" She stopped and he said, "Well, that's what you do to me when you are watching ME practice." HAHAHAHA.
5. One of my nieces got to do a runway gig with a clothed dog on Good Morning America.
   
6. Ok. ok. I could go on forever. So I'll skip now to the title of my post.

Anna and the Princess
Recently my niece Anna was chosen to represent her school at a region-wide art exhibit in NYC. She is an incredibly talented budding artist among other amazing things. Now, the fact that she was chosen as her school's rep. was awesome on its own. But it was trumped last week by another art accomplishment of hers.

"More than 100 entries submitted from across the United States were received in this special art contest for children aged 8 to 12 who were invited to create a 9” by 12” piece of artwork on the subject of how Princess Grace [Grace Kelly--Princess of Monaco] inspires them. The Grand Prize winner is Anna [my niece], aged 12 [who just turned 13], from New York City whose brilliant combination black-and-white pencil etching with colored-pen drawing juxtaposes a young Grace Kelly on the film set of Dial M For Murder with a regal Princess Grace in a formal, official setting.

Anna, a 7th grade student, wins a trip to the Principality of Monaco [France!!!] with a parent or legal guardian to view this summer’s The Grace Kelly Years exhibition at the Grimaldi Forum Monaco (open from July 12 - September 23). They will fly courtesy of SWISS International Air Lines and stay for three nights at the four-star deluxe Fairmont Monte Carlo."

Now that is pretty cool. Congrats Anna!!

Promised pictures

Here are pictures as promised. I decided to do a review as well so you can see the contrast. Don't mind the really bad picture in the green shirt. That's the whole reason I went to get a hair cut that day...

10 weeks

16 weeks

24 weeks

24 weeks
in a pre-pregnancy shirt to really see the belly

The Follow up and other short stories

Acceptance has come
Last week I was freaking out at the idea of being called into Primary again. This week was a good kick off, however. It was fun. The Jr. and Sr. Primary both meet together for the summer during Sharing Time, so I get to go to all but 10 min. of Sunday School. And because singing time is first, I get to go to the last 25 min. or so of Relief Society!

The kids were great! Plus, the fact that our primary is small enough to fit into the Primary room makes a huge difference too. The smaller space was so much more conducive to good flow and fun games than the chapel was. Also, I didn't feel bad when the kids got a little noisy like I did in the chapel. I've been given tons of good ideas and resources, so I am feeling much better about it all.

The End
My temporary tax clerk job has come to an end. I stayed 4 months longer than most and 2 months longer than any temp has ever stayed. The work had really slowed down to the point that I was scraping to find things to keep me occupied the last few hours of the day. It was sad because I love the people I worked with, and it would have been nice to keep my money flow coming while I can, but it was time.

I'm currently trying to make lists of things I need/should do while I have time before the baby is here. I'm thinking I ought to get started on some family history and get into a really good daily routine that includes set times for exercise, scriptures, cleaning, blogging (yes I'll try and blog more regularly!), meal planning and prep, piano practice, quilting/scrapbooking etc. I also need to figure out things like food storage and 72 hour kits. With all the rain and flooding in nearby towns, it would be prudent to get that 72 hour kit going.

I wish it wasn't bad to paint while pregnant. Our whole house (besides the nursery) could really use paint. I guess even if I could paint, it would be hard to talk Matt into any color other than white. He likes the stark, clean, sterile look. I don't particularly care for super dark or bold colors, but a little contrast and color would be nice.

Fabulous Fourth
Our 4th of July turned out really well. We had the first totally rain free day in weeks, but it was still a little cloudy and didn't break the 80's. Perfect summer weather in my opinion. I signed up to have the missionaries over for dinner, and we ended up getting two sets! They did give me warning the night before, so that was good. Apparently we have a set of traveling missionaries that are in a different city every day helping the missionaries and doing exchanges. It was quite enjoyable to cook for more than the two of us. Hamburgers, jalapeño and cheddar sausages, potato salad, green salad, and cherries. And for dessert, the candy grab bag. In the words of one of our elders, "this is WAY better than brownies!" They all were really easy to visit with and they seemed like great missionaries.

Fireworks. Nothing can top fireworks on the beach near Matt's house, but this year gave us hope for good pyro times in the future. Fireworks were illegal here in McKinney (not because they're a fire hazard, but because they are "a public nuisance"). We weren't even allowed cat poppers or any sort of noise makers or fireworks within 5000 feet of city limits! The penalty here was a $2000 fine. However, there were firework stands in towns 15 min. away, and we were able to light them in county territory. Finding county territory that wasn't considered to be within any city's limits proved to be a little difficult. We drove for about an hour and ended up asking a fireman that was giving warnings to people lighting fireworks. We only spent $12 on fireworks, but we had 3 packages of Roman candles, small mortars, and artillery shells. Next year we'll probably get bigger mortars because they were so cool. It was exciting.

Garden
It's doing quite well. All except the tomatoes. They don't like all the rain and minimal sunshine we've had the past few weeks. We have eaten one radish, we have 4 bell peppers close to picking size, and we have a little zucchini growing. Other plants are coming right along, and we'll hopefully have a good productive season. I am glad we put in the fence because rabbits are a plenty in our yard. I sometimes catch them sitting there, staring at our garden from the outside. Haha wascally wabbits!


I think I'm pregnant
My belly grows day by day. I look pregnant. I can't see my feet if I'm just looking down. I will post pictures later because Matt is occupied and can't take any at the moment. I have outgrown all but one pair of pre-preg. pants, one shirt, and my two pairs of shorts. I have come to despise panel pants, and I have decided the pants with the wide stretchy band that sit below the belly are far more comfortable for me. Otherwise it's just too much fabric making my belly super hot(especially since I wear a camisole or tank under pretty much every shirt I own.

I now have to go jolking rather than jogging. I will do a light jog for 1-2 blocks and walk 1-2 blocks. I don't like to just walk because I find my mind wanders far too easily and I mosey rather than get a good brisk walk.

A couple of nights woke up with major cramps in my calves. I've found that yoga stretches help relieve them well enough. Same with my rib cage aching.

Note to self: add more calcium to your diet.

And I think the baby is a little swimmer. I'm pretty sure he's been swimming to one end, doing a flip turn, and swimming back again. Just kidding. He is moving A LOT though. I can sit there and watch my belly move all over. I can't imagine what it will be like when he's bigger and it's really crowded in there!

Well, I guess that should be it for now! I need to leave SOME things for future blog posts this week. I promise I'll try to blog more frequently.

Acceptance: svithe time

First off, I wanted to direct you to Th.'s svithe today since I found it quite good. Quite good indeed. I used to bear my testimony all the time growing up. It has petered off considerably and I quite regret that. One reason I love, love, loved teaching in Relief Society was because it made me think and really study the subject I was teaching and reinforce my testimony. For some reason I didn't feel the same way when teaching primary.

Background Info:

• Although I was still in High School and although I loved the girls and leaders in Young Women's, I promptly "joined" Relief Society when I turned 18.
• I have absolutely LOVED Relief Society the last 8 years.
  
• I was called into the Primary as a teacher and pianist for the past year. It was ok.
• Our wards were rearranged about a month ago and it was quite pleasing to be back in Relief Society and adult Sunday School.
  

A new ward brings new callings.
While I've had some callings I've been less than thrilled about, I've never cried over a calling extended to me. Until today.

Transferring into a new ward made me very hopeful that I would have a change from Primary. Now, it's not that I hated teaching Primary, I just desperately missed Relief Society and Sunday School.

I soon came to find out that this ward is in dire need of musical people. Before I moved in there were only 2 women who played the piano, and one of them had a Stake Calling (as well as being the ward chorister) so she isn't able to help out in Relief Society much.

Guessing the possible callings doesn't always pan out
When I was introducing myself at Enrichment the first week in the ward, I threw out "and I teach piano lessons" thinking, hey, free advertisement, right? The R.S. and Primary Presidents both oohed and were quick to take note of my musical skills. The next Sunday I was asked to "sub" in R.S. since they don't have a piano player called. I didn't mind one bit. I found out later that they actually haven't had anyone fill that capacity (as a calling) in over a year. She said, "every time someone new comes in that can play, the Primary is quick to take them." Knowing that there were already music people established in Primary, I was very hopeful that I would obtain the R.S. pianist calling. I did not mind one bit, just so long as I could stay in Relief Society.

This week I got that "Sunday morning call" asking me to come in a little early so they could extend a possible calling. I still thought a music calling was very likely, however, I was not prepared for what he extended.

"The Young Women's Presidency is in the process of being rearranged," yes! I thought. I can handle Young Women's...at least it's not Primary. "and we ended up taking the Primary chorister to be one of the new counselors." No...not Primary....ahhhhhh!!!! "So we want to extend the Primary chorister calling to you." I found myself responding, "Ok. Sure. That should be fine. That's where I'm needed." Primary...primary...great.

Then he proceeded to tell me how much he wished he could be in primary, blah, blah blah. I shook his hand and left.

Acceptance does not always mean acceptance.
We sat down and waited for church to start. And then the water works started. I tried to go collect myself in the restroom. I know it's fast Sunday, but testimony meeting hadn't even started yet, so it looked a bit odd for me to be sitting there before church crying. Just as I thought I pulled myself together I left the restroom and had to pass by another ward's primary just as they were singing. It made me start crying all over again.

So I went back to my seat and fanned myself and tried to stop the tears. I cried off and on all through the rest of the meeting. I was peachy enough during Sunday School and Relief Society. But as I was leaving, the R.S. secretary stopped me and asked if I was ok since she'd seen me crying in Sacrament meeting. And I started blubbering and bawling again. "I just can't get over being put back in Primary. I wanted to be in Relief Society so much!"

Matt was being set apart for his calling (Elder Quorum Presidency's second counselor) and had some meetings, so I was just standing there in the hall waiting for that to be over. People kept giving me strange looks and I got a couple of, "are you ok?s". I had just about composed myself again when the R.S. Pres. asked me that question, and there I went again. Crying all over the place. I felt like a blubbering idiot and just hoped that people would just attribute it to my pregnancy hormones. I was still crying off and on about an hour after we got home.

I'm done crying, now, I think. I still have to figure out how to accept the calling in my heart and mind though.

Quasi-Epilogue
That nice R.S. counselor came over tonight with a plate of cookies and her husband. They visited with me for a very pleasant 45 min. (Matt was at an EQ meeting already.) It was very welcomed. Just another reason I love the Relief Society.

But I neeed it

Yesterday my 9 AM piano student asked me about half way through her lesson, "Do my eyes look different?"

"No." I said.

"Oh. Well I'm really tired. And this is how my eyes look when I'm really tired."

(Her again a few minutes later) "Do you drink coffee?"

"No." I said.

"I do." She said proudly. "I had to get up at 6 this morning. My mom told me I could have coffee later if I was too tired. I really need it today."

"Zoe, you're 9 years old. You don't need coffee to get you through the day."

"Some days I just neeed it."

SHE'S 9! and already thinks that the best solution to lack of sleep is coffee. It's summer. She doesn't have a job. Take a nap for heaven's sake. That's really what she neeeds.

Mexican Memories

Tonight as I was cooking up some flautas, making guacamole, and chopping up lettuce, different memories connected with Mexican food came to mind. Mexican food would probably be the closest thing I have to "comfort food", though I don't consider myself an emotional eater.

My most vivid memory of cooking with my mom was when I was somewhere around 8-10 years old. We were making tacos and I wanted to help. My mom handed me the lettuce and showed me how to core it by banging the end on the counter and popping it out. She then told me to shred the lettuce thinly. I distinctly remember cutting the lettuce very carefully, wanting to make the thinest most perfect lettuce possible for Mexican food. I think I succeeded.

When I lived in the Riviera apt. 90 some of my roommates combined food budgets and traded off making meals. I didn't always participate because I was still fairly vegetarian and I was quite afraid of having to eat (or not eat and offend my friends) meaty dishes. However, I have to admit that I could not resist their double decker tacos with homemade flour tortillas. Mmmmm...I still make tortillas with that recipe when I have a little extra cooking time. A conversation centered around the spicy salsa we had one meal still makes me chuckle.

One of us: "J@#$, I didn't know you liked spicy food."
J@#$: "My dad's from AZ." (in a tone that was very conclusive, as though that explained it all.)

And the final Mexican memory tonight was when I was making guacamole with one of my other roommates to garnish our dinner. It was customary practice at my house growing up to make guacamole by smashing up an avocado with salsa. I was just about ready to pour salsa into the bowl with the avocado. "NO! Don't put that in the guacamole! It'll ruin it." "What should I put in it then?" I asked. "You just need to smash the avocado with a little salt." I don't remember who won out on that one, but I remember thinking (and maybe saying), "That's not guacamole. That's just smashed up avocado with salt."

And now I make guacamole my own way. Avocados smashed up with fresh garlic, finely diced onion, lime juice, jalapeño salt, cumin and sometimes red pepper flakes and cilantro.

I'd never heard of jalapeño salt until moving here, but it is one of my most used spices.

Now I will remind you all that you do not have to let left over guacamole go to waste. Freeze it in a plastic zip bag or Tupperware. It keeps its color and thaws out marvelously.

How quickly we forget

Last year was horribly hot and dry here. We had record breaking heat streaks and next to no rain. We had to water our houses so our foundation didn't crack and cause structural damage. We were on a level 3 drought water restriction which meant we'd be fined for using over 10,000 gallons of water in a month, water any day other than our designated water day, wash our cars at home, or water any time 10AM-6PM. I sweat like CRAZY jogging at 7 AM.

We went ahead and splurged on a sprinkler system this year, anticipating it to be like last year. But we were wrong. And I guess I'm ok with that. Our sprinkler system can't hurt our home's value, and who knows what the future will hold for our weather.

It's been raining here quite frequently. Flooding in some places near us. I really don't mind when it rains during the week because it gives a little reprieve to the sweltering heat, means we don't have to water that much, and we don't have to worry about our garden. However, the weekend raining does put a damper on things like trying to mow your long grass that's actually grown because of the rain. It also produced a horrifying 2 years worth of flood water mosquitoes that are gigantic and aggressive.

Today as I was waiting for Matt to pick me up from work it was sprinkling again. I stood there and watched about 20 people pass me coming out of the building. Only 3 didn't have a comment about the weather. Some of the actual quotes that made me laugh were:

"Gosh, you'd think we're British!"

"Dagnabit! I'm not a duck! It needs to stop raining! I live someplace where it's not supposed to rain every day."

"The Ocean called. It wants its water back."

"Can it be any more balmy?"

Have they already forgotten the horrible cracks in our yards and foundations and the record breaking heat? Good heavens, it's true our water table is up from last year, but we're still considered in a drought.

I'll take the rain for now, even if it means a few mosquito bites and an overgrown lawn between opportunities to mow.

Looking for advice

If you missed it, I'm looking for advice on baby gear two posts down. If you have any, I'm soliciting it. I'm looking for what you've found to be good purchases or bad purchases. Brands, items, things you can't live without, things you've never used. You know. I've disabled comments on this post so I can keep all the ideas in one spot. So please visit my "uneventful" post to help.

Thanks to those who've contributed and will contribute...assuming that someone else will contribute...

Smoke your socks off youtube talent

Matt just had me watch these two youtube videos from Britain's Got Talent. I wonder why in the world America's Got Talent is one big freak show while they come up with these gems. Is it because David Hasselhoff is a judge? Or because Jerry Springer is the host?

You have got to hear these two though. They're amazing.

Just so uneventful

Wow. I almost started a post about 72-hour kits.

All I've really been doing the last couple of weeks is work, garden, quilt, make cards, and attend two enrichment nights. (One for the old ward and one for the new. One was on food storage, 72-hour kits, women's self defense, and wheat grinders. Hence the near post about provident living.) It's felt so uneventful and I'm having a hard time thinking of anything worth sharing.

My co-workers are throwing me a baby shower on Tuesday so I'm trying to register for stuff at Target. Problem is, I'm having a hard time figuring out what I need. Also, I know some things I need (stroller, car seat, high chair, etc.), but I don't know what brands are good/ a good deal. I don't really think I'll get those items, but I would like to have an idea of what I should purchase the next couple of months.

So here is my open thread for you parents out there who know more than I. Don't let me down. =)

Baby, baby, baby...is that all you think about?!

And the results are in!

We are having...














a baby.













boy.
















A baby boy that is. The data was conclusive.



This was the technician's first time getting a 3-D picture to resemble a baby, so I don't know if it's accurate or not...hehe. She was a pro at the regular ol' 2-D ultrasounds, but not so up to date on the 3-D. The 3-D tech left without training her and just gave her a few notes on how to get the image to come out correctly! She said she usually just winds up with a blob, so she was super happy to see this picture of our baby turn out.

And look at those lips!

So I may have already shared, but Dean and Edward are our two front runners in the way of names. I'm guessing Dean will be the final choice (because it's a family name and my favorite) and Calvin is my choice of middle name, though that's not set in stone.

Winds of Change: a svithe

If you recall, our ward was gigantic. When we moved in we had around 600 people. In the last year we've probably exceeded 700 people. I have been a primary teacher for the 6 year olds, of which there were 24 total (only 12 in my class). Our primary had over 200 kids in it. Not only was our ward huge, but our Stake is quite large too. There are now 16 wards and 1 branch in our Stake. Carrolton, our neighboring Stake, also has 16 wards.

It was time for a change.

We were a little surprised last Sunday, however, when they announced the wards would be rearranged and a new ward would be created this week. We're in the process of building a new chapel that will be done at the end of the year. I thought that'd be the time we'd split wards and Stakes so there would be enough room for everyone. But no. The time has come; the time is now. The Stake wasn't split, but our ward of 700 has been farmed out to a more manageable situation.

Rumors of the new boundaries were flying this past week. Our Bishop told the Young Men's President that it would be useless to speculate because it would be nothing like anyone would expect. Of course that makes speculations all the more enjoyable. Our mechanic told us that he'd been told by one "in the know" that the new arrangement would be "a test of faith" for many in the Stake. I studied the current ward boundaries coming up with all sorts of possibilities, wondering where we'd end up. My worst (and only) fear was that we'd end up having to drive to Sherman, 45min. north, since there weren't enough buildings here in McKinney. Luckily that wasn't the case.

In the end our Bishop was right, and I was surprised by the outcome. The Stake President said he was actually surprised by the final outcome. They've submitted suggestions to the First Presidency more than once in the past year, but none of them were approved until this one.

I don't mind change for the most part. I figure the Lord's in charge and things will work out how they're supposed to work out. I probably have an advantage over "homebodies" who have lived in the same place and same ward with the same friends their whole lives. In the past 8 years alone I have had membership in 9 wards! Today's change makes the 10th.

It's kind of funny that the group of friends we hang out with are totally split up. One couple is in the new ward. We happened to be a part of a little section that was transplanted into a different existing ward (3rd ward), and the other couple will remain in our old ward (1st ward). In truth, the person I will miss the most is our Relief Society President, but that's how it goes sometimes. A good time to meet new people and get new callings.

All 5 wards in McKinney were affected on some level. Not only that, but an Allen ward was temporarily kicked out of their building and they have to travel to Plano (which is actually a different Stake) until the new chapel is finished in McKinney so the new ward can have a place to meet until then.

It's always interesting to see how different the people are and how the same the doctrine is wherever you go.

Oh, and our new ward meets at 12:30. I guess it's a slight improvement over 2:30, but I don't think we should get too comfortable since they change times in August here. I'm betting at that point we'll end up at the 2:30 slot once again. I haven't had church before 12:30 in 3 or 4 years now. I have vague memories of Sunday afternoon naps...

One day. One day.

I hope its only MOSTLY dead.

Woo-hoo-hoo, look who knows so much. It just so happens that your [car] here is only MOSTLY dead. There's a big difference between mostly dead and all dead. Mostly dead is slightly alive.

Matt just got home from Young Men's with the news that our car is dead. It won't turn over. It wouldn't start with a jump. So hopefully it's just mostly dead and can be revived with a AAA trip to the car place in the morning. And hopefully that revival won't cast too much money. Because we weren't really planning on getting a new car. We had decided we couldn't even afford a used car. I mean we'll make it if we have to, but here's to hoping we don't have to.

Baby update

I want to document that I'm pretty sure I'm feeling the baby move for the first time today. It's very faint, but the more I pay attention to my body, the more I'm sure that's what it is. We get to find out the sex of the baby on June 5th. That's just in 2 weeks! How exciting!!!!!!

That's all for now.

A whirlwind review of a whirlwind trip

I feel like I should give a quick review of our trip since all I've talked about is the food. It turned out really well. We had a great time in Philly. We mostly hit historical sites, the Masonic Temple, and their Museum of Art. We got to hold and leaf through a first edition print of the Book of Mormon that Joseph Smith gave to the Masons. (He was a Mason.)

We drove to Reading to see Matt's mission. He was there in the same ward a whole year of his mission. The testimony meeting was cool since their ward is half Spanish speakers and half English speakers. It was nice to be able to understand them both. It was fun getting to meet/visit with 3 of the prominent families of Matt's experience there.

We spent the majority of our trip in Hershey with my sister Julie and her family. We had lots of fun. We went to Hershey world (a huge Hershey candy shop with a little ride talking about how chocolate is made), got to tour a potato chip factory (and taste test some of their delicious chips. yum), went to Gettysburg, celebrated my niece Becca's 4th birthday by getting the afore mentioned Gelati and lighting sparklers, we played Settlers of Catan, and went to Hershey Park. At the beginning of the day at Hershey Park I was a little mad that I couldn't go on the "cool" roller coasters, but I got over it quick enough. It was good when my niece Sarah came after school was out since I could ride her rides with her. It was fun to let Julie ride adult rides with Matt since she never gets to when she has the kids.

When we were in NY I got to go jogging with my brother in the morning before our walking tour of the city. We really enjoyed touring the city below the grid. You can't beat a NY historian as a tour guide. He knows soooo much!!! I was continually astounded by his knowledge. We got to meet up with my brother Nate after his class. After we went to Queens and got the Indonesian food for dinner, we got to hang out and visit at Bryan's while listening to some awesome records (and I mean vinyl) Bry picked up on the street for $1 a piece during our walking tour.

It was really great to see my family. Especially since we don't get to see each other but every couple of years.

The only drawbacks to the trip: spending money and getting a cold from poor little Becca. But I'm over it now. It was worth it!

It's about time!

I've always loved short hair. It's just so much quicker and easier to maintain and control. Plus you have to buy/use way less shampoo, conditioner, pomade, mousse, and hairspray. The cost of maintaining long hair adds up!

Until last Saturday, the last time I got my haircut was in UT for my birthday, April 2006. (first picture) A little over a year later I felt like my hair was out of control and too much to deal with. (second picture taken May 19, 07) So I called up my friend Kelly (I teach 2 of her kids piano) and booked an appointment with her for last Saturday. When looking through my past pictures I thought I might do an A-line bob, but after asking Matt what he thought, I changed my mind. This is what we decided on. (third picture taken today) She did a great job, and boy am I HAPPY! I'm also very lucky that I have a husband who likes my short hair too. I'd die if I had to keep it long for an extended period of time.




Plus I just LOVE drastic changes. I think it's because I love attention. And when you work with lots of women, they tend to notice things like this. Heck, even the men noticed this one! My 9 year old next door neighbor looked like she was going to cry when she saw my short hair. She's very much a princess-type girl and it was horrifying and shocking to her that I actually like and chose this short of hair.

Also, on a side note, I just bought 6 new shirts since all of mine are getting too small. Julie gave me lots, but they're for a little further down the road. I needed some in-between shirts, and you'd never believe where I found the best selection! Kohl's Jr.'s section!!! Since baby doll shirts and long shirts are in right now, I was able to find some really cute, cheap, and great stuff on the 60-70% off racks! (I'm wearing one in the last picture.) It worked out nicely since the Large shirts often are on the sales rack in the Jr. section. hehe. Most of them are pretty retro looking. When I tried on one of them for Matt, he said, "That looks like something my mom would have worn when she was pregnant with me!!"

Food of the East

I don't know if anyone will find this remotely interesting, so I won't be offended if you skim, but we were really looking forward to good eats on the East coast. Almost anything is better than TX cuisine, so we were not disappointed in our finds.

1. When in Philly you just can't leave without the classic: Cheesesteak.

We ended up getting cheesesteaks from two locations (one week apart). The first was #6 on the citysearch favorites, but we chose to go there because of its proximity to our touring. The name was Campos. The cheesesteak was top quality. The steak was cooked well. The bread was good. The cheese and onions gave good flavor. The only drawback was it was a little pricey. The second was Dalessandro's. It was #3, but a people's choice winner. So we took the drive (in Friday rush hour!) to the northern location. The best thing was you got a lot. And I mean A LOT of food. It was a huge cheesesteak with tons of meat. The meat seemed a little lower quality, and I thought it wasn't as flavorful as Campos, but it was a better deal overall if you're in the area.

2. Reading, the home of the Monopoly Reading Railroad, is also home to some dang good cubano sandwiches. We had to wait at a semi-ghetto corner store (Santa Barbara's) for 1/2 an hour to get this treat. It was a panini pressed hoagie roll stuffed with a shredded pork, ham, lettuce, cheese, pepperoncinis, and mayo. Delicious.

3. Rita's water ice. Well, in Reading and Philly it's called water ice. In Hershey it was called Italian ice. But I ended up getting a gelati. That was water ice (my flavor choice was tangerine) layered with the most incredible vanilla frozen custard I've ever tasted. YUM! I was almost convinced to buy a franchise and open it up here. YOU HAVE TO TRY IT IF YOU GET A CHANCE!

4. Kitchen Kettle Village in Amish/Mennonite Country was delightful. They had delicious (fresh) kettle cooked potato chips and even more delicious beef jerky. The best store there was the jam pantry. They had tons and tons of jams, and they had open bottles of each for taste testing. Their salsas were some of the best I've ever eaten, way better than anything found here in TX (sorry Pace commercials). And their pickles were down right tantalizing. Its amazing how much better and delectable fresh foods and preserves are. You just can't beat it.

5. Shady Maple Smorgasbord Grill. This place is a gigantic all you can eat buffet. Every night something different is featured on the grill with tons of sides and desserts. Unbeknownst to us beforehand, we unfortunately went on seafood night. It was the most expensive night, and our least desired of all the nights. Neither of us actually enjoy seafood, but we got to try lots of things we'd never have tried otherwise. The only thing we liked in the way of the seafood gill was the Cajun catfish. It was quite mild and the texture wasn't bad. In my opinion, the place was pretty cool but a little over rated, especially if you can't eat $20 worth of food (per person) in one sitting.

6. Probably the best food came from a hole-in-the-wall dumpling shop in NY's Chinatown. It was the cheapest food (3 adults ate for $10 total--including drinks!!!! We were STUFFED!), but dang it was good. We got both fried and water dumplings as well as these amazing stuffed "sesame pancakes". It was a delicious handmade dough cut open and stuffed with vegetables (though you could have gotten beef also). It was gigantic and just $1.50!!

7. If you're a Food Network fan like us, you may watch Throwdown with Bobby Flay. Well, Bryan doesn't watch that show, but he told us of a great doughnut shop near his house. When we entered the Doughnut Plant Matt recognized a picture of the owner on the wall from the doughnut throwdown with Bobby Flay. That was pretty cool. We got a PB&J doughnut (jelly doughnut with PB frosting) as well as the dulce de leche doughnut. My favorite was the dulce de leche.

8. We got our Saturday dinner from a cool Indonesian place near Nathan's apt. in Queens. Their chicken coconut curry was amazing. I also got to try jackfruit in one of the dishes. That was very interesting. It tasted a lot like artichoke hearts but was a little squishier. I'd never been to Queens and it was quite nice. I almost forgot we were in NY because the buildings were so much lower than Manhattan.

9. Lastly, I have to say that I also enjoyed eating at Julie's very much. It's amazing how quickly you can get sick of eating out and you just want a good home cooked, well balanced meal!!!

Hours in the day

There just aren't enough of them. Sheesh. Sorry for the delay in programming.

Thoth

When we went to Central Park I forgot my camera, so that last post I just did an image search for him. Apparently the host of the picture wasn't so fond of me using it, so I took it down.

So instead of a picture, I bring you a 4 min. video intro to his (2002?) Oscar winning documentary compliments of thoth444 on youtube. It really is great. You should watch the whole thing. You won't be disappointed. At least I wasn't.

Home again, home again

We made it. Mostly in one piece. We had a marvellous time with my siblings. The trip went very smoothly.

I will write about our adventures soon, but I am a bit too tired tonight. I've thrown up two dinners in the last two hours, and I'm hoping the strawberries I just ate will stay down instead.

Since NY was the last stop on our trip, I'll leave you with a picture of the most interesting street performer I've ever seen in my life. (Ok, so it's not like I've seen droves of street performers, but even if I had, he'd still rank among the most interesting.) His performer name is Thoth. He dances in his loin cloth, stomps and bangles, plays the violin, and sings in an amazing castrati sounding operatic voice. It was quite the show. Seriously, I hope anyone who goes to NY will have the chance to see his performance in Central Park. It's a quite a singular event.

How time flies.

Sometimes its weird to think about time. Its hard to believe its been 12 years since I took my first plane ride across the country to visit my brother in Boston. Or that I've been driving for 10 years legally. How about the fact that I graduated from high school 8 years ago and from college 3 years ago? I started dating Matt 7 years ago. And we come now to today's date.

May 3, 2007

Today makes 4 years of wedded bliss. And I'm glad we're not moving today. Since that's been the trend for our anniversaries. Though we are going on a 10 day trip to the East coast tomorrow. So I may not be writing all that much the next week. We'll see how I feel when I'm some place with Internet access...

I love being married.

PS

Oh, and Th., this new background color was out of love for you. Hopefully this one makes you think of chocolate rather than the dirty diaperness of the other one...

Is it too dark though? Does it hurt anyone's eyes? What do you think?

The End--PSYCH!

Well, Friday was supposed to be my last day of temping with the county. I had mentally prepared myself for the fact that I'd have a week without work before our East coast trip. I'd planned on looking for some more temp work that could last me through the summer when I got back, but I was looking forward to a little break.

Then one hour before The End on Friday, the acting supervisor (the true supervisor wasn't there that day) came and whispered to me, "This is for your ears only, but Sandy got permission to let you stay for the next month or so. Just don't say anything because the other temps won't have this chance." I thought it was kind of funny she'd say that because the majority of the temps had already been let go over a month ago, and it was down to just two of us. And the other one wanted to leave long before Friday, so I can't imagine her feeling jaded that I'd get to stay longer when she didn't.

When I spoke with our office HR lady to make sure my badge wasn't going to be deactivated, she told me that the time frame I'd be able to work was kind of indefinite. It almost sounded like I could temp there until I wanted to quit for baby reasons. This really is quite a blessing, though I'd already moved on mentally.

I'm sad I won't be able to exercise in the mornings, but I'm glad I can contribute to our savings as long as possible. Maybe we'll be able to get us a second car by the time we have this kid. That would be convenient. If not we'll make do. It helps that we only live 1 mile from Matt's work. Gotta love that commute.

Your Civic Duty: A letter to the lady

Dear lady at work,

I don't know who you are, but I've seen your dirty work. Have you no shame woman? Were you born in a barn wherein they had no running water? Good Heavens.

Your personal hygiene in your own home is your own deal. I don't care what you do there. It's you and your family who have to worry about that. But in a public place (as a public servant no less) you have a civic duty on your hands. Literally.

Let me tell you something your mother should have told you loooong ago. After you use the restroom, you wash your hands. Preferably with soap. Preferably about 20 seconds or so, but even a courtesy rinse would be better than nothing. NOTHING! I am still in shock. And while I was standing there watching you as you came out of your stall and immediately headed for the door with your grubby little hands! Did you feel no shame? Did you feel no embarrassment that I knew your dirty little secret?

Well if you didn't, you should have.

I'm not saying I'm perfectly clean, but hand washing in public is a given. I mean, think of how many people touch that door after you! Are you also the person who isn't such a sweety and forgets to wipe the seaty? Because that's sick too. I know you don't want to recognize the fact that you may have sprayed a little, but I don't want to sit in it. Nor do I want to have to wipe up after you.

I don't generally have germ issues, but it is people like you who drive others to become OCD about hand sanitizer and Lysol.

Please reconsider your nasty little habit. It does not become you.

What I should have written about this week

I don't know what it's been, but I've had a hard time motivating myself to write. I've been very, VERY hungry lately, my mind feels like it's left the building most of the time, and goodness I get so tired. So I'll give you an abbreviated version of all the post I should have written.

Monday
Hallelujah our sprinkler system is installed and working! Sure we have a Frankenstein yard right now (part of front yard pictured), but it should be ok by next year. It was a choice between this and a second car and we both chose this. With drought conditions and water restrictions we just couldn't keep up last year. Our yard is so big and our 6-hose-and-horribly-inadequate- sprinkler-heads-from- Walmart-system was just not up to the task. Our back yard was looking mighty sad and the weed situation was out of control because of it. We wanted to make sure our front yard didn't follow suit.

Tuesday
I had my first ultra sound! The baby is so cute. It has 10 fingers, two eyes, a healthy developing brain, knobby little knees, two legs, two arms, and a strong heart beat. This ultra sound was just to make sure everything looked normal and was on the right track. I had what appeared to be a fibroid, but the placenta wasn't on top of it, so the doctor said she wasn't even slightly concerned. I hope she's right! Matt couldn't come so I got to video tape it and let him see later that night. I'm only at week 13 so I didn't find out the sex of the baby yet. From crown to rump it was 6.5 cm. Approximately the size of a jumbo shrimp.

Also, I made an awesome chicken tortilla soup for dinner. This is a big accomplishment for me since I have been having a streak of bad, bad soup experiences. I think the key for me is to never make a crockpot soup.

Wednesday
Even once-semi-professional cooks have off days. And when I mean off, I mean off. Despite the fact that I was eating something almost every hour I was STARVING the whole day. When dinner rolled around, I was to the breaking point. We didn't have great food to work with, but I decided I'd steam some cauliflower and make a lemon pasta with artichoke hearts and olives.

Things started out fine. I put my steamer basket in my pot, chopped up the cauliflower and added it to the pot, put the lid on, and turned the pot on high. Anyone catch what I was missing? I sure didn't. After a few minutes I heard a "pop". The bottom of them pan was lopsided. I was so tired and hungry I still didn't catch on to what was going on. Then the bottom of the pot turned BRIGHT RED and it was melting down onto our burner. I still didn't know why this was happening, but I pulled it off the burner and made Matt come look at it. "Why is this bright red?!" "You didn't put water in it!" I pulled off the lid and immediately put water in to cool it off. The water was instantly at a rolling/spitting boil the pan was so hot. A horrible chemical smell permeated our kitchen and our cauliflower was ruined. I was super tired and hungry so I continued to make the pasta despite Matt's warnings that I shouldn't be in the kitchen with the chemical fumes.

I don't generally care for pasta anyway, and it was completely unsatisfying that night. I was still hungry after eating and we were out of vegetables. By about 10 pm I went back into the kitchen and started crying because it was so dirty, I'd ruined our only little saucepan, I was tired and hungry, and I'd made no headway on finding a hotel for our trip. Matt helped me clean up, and I continued to cry for awhile. I got over it after awhile.

Thursday
This day was fairly uneventful, though I had some trouble breathing. Matt thinks it was from the pot chemicals the night before. Probably.

Friday
TGIF! I don't even know what we did, but man I was ready for the week to be over and the weekend to start!!! Oh yes. I figured out where we're staying on our trip. We originally thought we'd stay at a hotel in Chester, PA since it was HALF THE PRICE of anything in Philadelphia boundaries and it was only about 15 min. out. But I started looking for reviews and it was horrible. People said they found dried blood and semen in their rooms, the location was in a rough part of town, and one reviewer even said their sister was killed there! So, we opted to not stay there. The place we booked didn't have SUPER great reviews, but it was nothing too bad, and it was just under $100/night. Man hotels are expensive!

Saturday
Matt was gone from 7am-9pm for youth conference. I had a nice jog, using my cool new birthday mp3 player. I had to stop a couple of times because the hunger pains were out of control!!! After I got back and fed this ravenous little baby, I began getting our garden in planting order. We're a bit worried since we're planting a little late. We couldn't do it until our sprinkler system was put in so they wouldn't ruin anything. I thought we had already bought our seeds, but we hadn't and Matt had the car. (That's when the second car would have come in handy! Doh!) So all I could really do was prep the rows. It's looking good and hopefully tomorrow evening I can get some seeds planted. I'm thinking onions, cucumbers, zucchini, herbs (basil, oregano, cilantro), bell peppers, green beans, and tomatoes to start. I may try a watermelon, cantaloupe, and/or pumpkin. I've heard these take up a lot of room, so I'll have to see how much space we have after I plant the others.

It just takes a moment

This weekend I was reminded that it just takes a moment for your life altering moments to occur.

Yesterday morning my mom emailed our family telling us that my brother was hit by a drunk driver while he was jogging with two friends. Two of them were hit, but my brother was the worst off.

He was knocked out of his shoes (literally), and his head went through the windshield where his hat was left inside the car. He was then thrown back from the car and landed on the ground. When his friends went to pick up Eric's shoes, the cops told them to not touch them but to leave them there. When they asked why, the cops said, "this is a crime scene." When the friends asked why it was considered a crime scene they said, "your friend's not going to live. This will be a homicide crime scene." His friends to the cops Eric would live.

He was taken to the hospital and had X-rays galore. Luckily, he did and will live. His face got pretty cut up from the glass and both the tibia and fibula of one leg were broken right at the knee. I was told he may have had a severed artery because he lost a LOT of blood, but I never did have that fact confirmed. But he did not have internal bleeding, nor does it appear he had any brain trauma, which was good. This happened yesterday morning and I was able to talk to him tonight for a few minutes. He is one of the strongest willed people I know, so I'm sure his recovery will be optimal given what has happened to him.

Two of my sisters commented that it seems so crazy for it happen to him since he seems like the invincible one. He's Army trained, runs multiple marathons every year, and it just plain solid in every aspect of his life. But "bad things" generally don't take exceptions for good people. We all live in a mortal world where people have agency, and sometimes good people are affected badly by other's poor choices.

All we really can do is try and live our lives fully, love people without reserve, and do our best to do what's right and good. Today in church our Stake President said, "Don't put off living your life." Because it just takes a moment for it to all change.

The emergence of a belly

I am officially past my 12 week mark and my belly is starting to bud. I am all for pregnant ladies wearing (nicely, not ill) fitted shirts and stylish outfits rather than trying to hide their emerging tummies.

Luckily I haven't really hit that awkward "they don't know I'm pregnant so I hope they don't think I'm just getting fat" stage since almost everyone I interact with regularly knows I'm preg-o. Today, however, is the first day I've had anyone comment about me actually looking the part. It wasn't only 1, but 3 co-workers who separately commented. I think it's part belly and part shirt choice. One woman was tactful, the other two not so much. But I know they all meant well, so I can't hold it against them.

8 AM "Oh, you're starting to show! How exciting!"
11:30 AM "Looks like you're starting to gain weight!"
3 PM "You have a pooch! Can I touch it?"

So it's been a little worrisome to me that I'll gain weight in places I can't blame on baby, so I'm trying not to obsess or stress. It doesn't help that every pregnancy book I've read has talked about eating enough (but not too much) and to gain weight (but not too much). They have ridiculous menus that, sure, would be good for anyone to convert to, but aren't all that realistic in my mind. Like sweetening muffins with juice concentrate rather than sugar, cutting out salt, etc. My mom suggested it is a swinging pendulum from the old days of "Eat on up! You're eating for two!!" or "You're pregnant, it's ok to eat a lot/ whatever you want."

I'll try and be smart, but I have to say it's been increasingly difficult to want to eat veggies other than cucumbers in my vinegar/salt brine and that delicious Olive Garden Salad.

Here's the "end of the 1st trimester" photo update so you can see for yourself.

Nasty little habits

Everyone (I'm generalizing and assuming here, and you know what happens when you assume...) has their own little list of pet peeves, annoying habits, or big time no-nos when it comes to interpersonal exchanges.

Since we all have our own personalities and our brains are all wired differently, our lists vary from person to person. This means our behaviors, personalities, and habits are likely to get under someone else's skin at one point or another. That's why I try to not get bent out of shape when someone finds that I'm not their BFF or their soul mate. Sometimes it's not just meant to be. And for every person who finds you more annoying than endearing, there's most likely someone who just "gets you". Now, there are people we love who have one or two "nasty little habits", but luckily our love outweighs our annoyance and we are able to get along 99.999% of the time.

I started thinking about this today when I checked my email to find 10 new messages in the last hour! "Holy emails!" I thought. I was hoping some spam distributor had not somehow hacked my account, rendering it useless and forcing me to change email. Luckily it was just one of my friends who I recently added to my contact list. She just sent me 10 forwards. And then I thought.

"Oh no! I have a forward frenzied friend! Must...stop...soon...before this gets out of hand..."

You see, this is on my list. I don't mind getting a forward on a very, very rare occasion if it comes from someone who knows me well enough to know what I'd find interesting. But how often is that really? Not very.

I very kindly let her know I didn't really care for forwards, but to keep me in her contacts because I care for to hear from her, about her. She was very understanding, and you know what?

She doesn't like forwards either.

Matt is great, he made me chocolate cake!

If you want to get technical, he actually made a "Better than Sex Cake." It is his long standing tradition for my birthday.

And what a good birthday it was (yesterday). I'm a whopping 26. More than a quarter of a century. Lol.

I don't mind getting older (not like 26 is old!). I notice I don't know much, and realize how much less I knew in previous years! Is that what makes you wiser? Knowing you don't know everything?

It was quite a pleasant day (except for the cold temperatures and a headache that plagued me half the day) that started with a testimony meeting/brunch with some Relief Society sisters. There were only 12 that showed up, but it was very nice indeed. Plus the food was great.

After that I went all over in search of a new Easter dress. I haven't bought church clothes in years and I really wanted to find something cute. I struck out at 5 stores and ended up finding 2 dresses at (where other than) Ross. They are very similar patterns and styles, but one is brown/white while the other is black/white. I'm happy. After wearing the new black/white one to church, I decided that "black and white" is the new Easter pastel. I imagined I'd see people wearing pinks, yellows, and purples to church today. But no, there were TONS of women in black and white patterned outfits.

Anyway, back to the birthday...we went to Blades of Glory (starring John Heder and Will Ferrell). It was funny overall. But if you're sensitive to sexual innuendo (not action, just talk), beware of Will Ferrell's character who's a "recovering sex addict".

Dinner was delightful. Olive Garden. I go there every couple of years for the salad dressing. YUM. I swear I could drink that stuff. So vinegary and salty.

Our after dinner party consisted of the afore mentioned cake and presents. It was one of the coolest years EVER for presents. Seriously. It was my first year making an Amazon wish list. I only could come up with 11 items to begin, but figured that was plenty to choose from and enough for me to be surprised.

My parents sent me some Isagenix shakes which were appreciated. They always leave me feeling nice and satisfied after drinking them.

To my surprise, my in-laws got me 3 items off my list.

1. The Cosby Show season 1
2. The Cosby Show season 2
3. Beatles Love album

I can't tell you how excited I am about all three of those. The Cosby show is one of my all time favorite shows. When we were kids we knew we were going to cut off the cable so we taped a season of The Cosby Show. Man those were good times.

I thought Matt would get me a CD or something from my Amazon list, but he REALLY surprised me with a SWEET new mp3 player. It's a sansa express and is supposed to give the IPOD shuffle a run for its money. It's small, light weight, awesome, and he also got me an athletic case I can wear on my arm when I run. It's the first "direct connect" USB mp3 in existence, so you don't have to worry about cables or chargers. It's 1 GB but can be expanded to 3 GB with an additional memory card. I've wanted an mp3 player for years, but always figured they're too expensive. This one just came out and it's very reasonably priced. But even better, Matt had a Best Buy gift card from work so it was essentially FREE!! Woo hoo!

After cake and presents we watched (or rather Matt watched and I partially watched while I was in and out of consciousness) Shaolin Soccer. It's such a funny movie but I was soooo tired.

What a good birthday though. I'm a lucky girl.

Just admit it already

When people ask me how I've been feeling, I generally tell them I've felt pretty well. Not sick, a little unsettled at times, but overall I've been just peachy.

But I think I've been fooling myself a little. I mean, for the most part I do feel fine, but I have my moments, or hours sometimes. For instance, it was unpleasant doing dishes tonight and the smells of certain things were very unsettling. Like I wanted to throw up, but didn't actually do it, unsettled. Some may call this nausea. Why is it so hard for me to admit I'm nauseous?

When people at work first found out I was pregnant, they were great. A little too great. Like, they wanted to pamper me and kept telling me not to lift things like a ream of paper! Come on people. I'm pregnant, not handicapped!

I have a strong, proud streak running through me. I like to do things myself. I like to mow the lawn. I string grocery bags up and down my arms trying to get everything in one fell swoop. I like to help move furniture. When pulled over for speeding, I made a conscious decision to not do the crying girl thing to try and get out of it. I don't like being told I can't do something because I'm short, a girl, pregnant, etc. Somehow I think if I admit I've been a bit nauseous it weakens me in others' eyes, that they'll baby me even more than they already are.

But I'll say it now. I'm nauseous. Just don't coddle me too much please.

General Conference

I love General Conference. This round seemed especially good. I only slightly dozed during one talk on Saturday afternoon and a prayer today. It was a long prayer. Sheesh.

Highlights:
Saturday
Elder Holland reminding us how important words are. Negative words about ourselves and others have a greater impact than we realize. I need to be better about criticizing less and keeping my speech KTN (kind, true, and necessary).

Elder Bednar relating becoming born again with making pickles. Boy did I want to make pickles after his talk was over. Seriously. It's a good thing we tilled up a garden area for us in our back yard last week. I'm going to grow me some cucumbers and make me some pickles. Oh, and hopefully I'll work more on saturating myself more in the scriptures and becoming a better disciple of Christ.

Sunday
President James E. Faust gave one of the best talks I've ever heard on forgiveness. I'm pretty forgiving by nature and I've only ever harbored black, angry feelings against three people that I can think of. But those didn't last, thank heavens, and I can seriously say I have no seething animosity toward anyone. Good thing since those feelings hurt us most in the long run. They distort our perception of reality and we are victims of our own anger. It also made me excited that I'll get to go to Amish country in May.

President Hinckley made me think again on the nature of God. I am continually amazed that anyone who reads and believes the bible also believes in the Trinity version of God as opposed to the Father, Son and Holy Ghost as three separate and distinct beings. Also, what an amazing and funny man. And 97 years old!!

Elder Eyring gave a great talk on procrastination. I can't tell you how often I think things like, "I'll be better about X when Y happens." Ok, ok. I get it. I need that someday to be today so I will be better for it tomorrow.

The little kumquat lives

There's no denying it. I received medical proof today that my little kumquat (that's how big the baby is right now) is real and not just a figment of my imagination. Yesterday marked 10 weeks into my 40 week hosting party. At the end of my visit my baby had its first karaoke party with the help of some gel and a special mic. It was a cute little heart beat. I called Matt and had him listen too.

My body's already changing. Though I'm not "showing" to an untrained eye, the once only flat spot on my entire body is not quite so flat. It's pretty exciting.

I've learned to never take a prenatal vitamin in the middle of the night if you wake up and remember you forgot to take it before bed. Not good at all. Unless you like throwing up in the middle of the night.

I nap during the day! I generally sleep during both of my 15 min. breaks at work and sometimes even during part of my lunch hour. I never knew I could be so tired and simultaneously sleep so poorly at night.

One thing I'd not expected was an aversion to sugar. Just hasn't sounded good at all. Except sour candy on occasion. But cookies, cake, ice cream, granola bars (except kashi), yogurt, and chocolate have sounded quite unappealing thus far. On the other hand, string cheese, artisan bread, eggs, potatoes and refried beans, and all sorts of fruit have all sounded pretty good for the most part. I get sooo hungry so frequently. At least I get full quickly now too. I eat about 6 or so small meals now.

Speaking of which, it's time for my second dinner. Or is this my third?

100 thing about me--on the installment plan: Part 4

This is the final installment. If you'd like to review the previous 3 parts, please see part 1, 2, and 3

76. The fist year Matt and I were married I made him handle all meat.
77. Then I got a job as a professional cook where I had to handle up to 8 lbs. of ground beef by myself at one time. Sick. But I got over it enough to do what I needed to do.
78. I hate sleeping with the top sheet tucked in tightly.
79. I often find myself complaining about systems and roads being poorly designed...a friend suggested I should have become an engineer. Maybe I should have...
80. On Hartman's color code personality test I am primarily blue with red as my secondary. I find that to be pretty accurate.
81. I bawled in Little Women but didn't shed a tear in Titanic.
82. I'll often start a baking project to find I don't have everything I need. I'm pretty decent at finding substitutes that work well.
83. I've never eaten more than 2 small bites of a steak.
84. I do believe in global warming and cooling.
85. I don't believe that humans are the primary cause (or even a true secondary cause) for that warming or cooling. I very much agree with this documentary. (It's long, but if you ever have time, it is very worth the watch in my opinion.)
86. I get annoyed when people say that anyone who believes in Christianity or a Supreme being is ignorant or stupid. Very annoyed.
87. I've always been wary of "empirical studies" and "peer reviewed material" as a definitive source of truth.
88. Mainly because I think data can be skewed to "prove" any desired result.
89. I think clowns are a little scary.
90. Maybe that's because I watched Steven King's movie IT when I was about 10. Freaked me out. I vowed to never again watch a movie of that genre.
91. I love the gingerbread from SouperSalad.
92. My hair was not curly until after I hit puberty.
93. The only movie I've ever walked out on was What Lies Beneath. The previews were enough to make me want to leave. I didn't make it through 5 minutes of the actual movie.
94. I love, love, love to be rubbed. (Shoulder rubs, head rubs, back rubs, foot rubs. You name it, I love it.)
95. I had bad migraines in high school.
96. It used to take me anywhere from 1-2 hours to fall asleep after laying down in bed. Marriage somehow cured me of that.
97. I dyed my hair red for 5 years. One time my mom forgot it wasn't my natural color.
98. I am very happy in my marriage, and I'm sad when other people are cynical about marriage.
99. My freshman roommate really disliked me and didn't talk to me the last two months we lived together.
100. I am very blessed to be a part of my family. I love my parents, siblings, cousins and grandparents. I only wish we could see each other more often.

I know this one!

I teach Sunday School to the 5 year olds who turn 6 this year.

Two weeks ago we had a lesson on Prophets. I had a lot of pictures of Old Testament, Book of Mormon, and latter-day Prophets. I'd give about 5 clues about the Prophet and say, "who am I?" The kids would then guess and point out the picture.

They found the right picture every time, but they didn't always know who the Prophet actually was. One kid continually guessed Joseph Smith (even on the clue "I was the very first Prophet. My wife's name was Eve. I was the first man on earth."). When I finally came to Joseph Smith's clues, that kid raised his hand and said, "Oo! Ooo! I KNOW this one!" Wanting to give him a chance to finally be right, I called on him.

"GEORGE WASHINGTON!!!!" was his enthusiastic response. It was so cute I couldn't help from laughing a little.

Me: "No, no.. your other guess Eddie."
Him: "But I know he was the first President."
Me: "You're very right. He was the first President of the United States. We sometimes call the Prophet the President of the Church, but he's not the President of the United States. Who was the first Prophet after the restoration?"
Him: "Joseph Smith?"

100 things about me--on the installment plan: Part 3

If you missed them and would like to know more about me, please see part 1 and part 2.

51. It makes me uncomfortable to watch people sing up close. Especially really sappy emotional singers that do a lot of weird stuff with their facial expressions and close their eyes a lot.
52. The summer after my senior year of High School I bought a photo enlarger and developing equipment thinking I'd one day have my own dark room.
53. That equipment is still sitting at my parents' house and I never have used it. If anyone wants it and is in northern AZ, I'm looking to give it away.
54. I submitted a portfolio for the BYU photography major but wasn't accepted.
55. I'm allergic to the cold. I get hives.
56. The worst job I ever had was working at a tomato farm picking suckers 9 hours a day. That lasted only 2 weeks.
57. The closest I ever came to getting in a fight was during an 8th grade city league basketball game.
58. I quit playing basketball in 10th grade because I didn't like how angry and intense I could get.
59. If someone tells me I can't/shouldn't do something I think I should be able to do, I set out to prove them wrong.
60. I was a frequent sleep talker and walker as a child.
61. I tend to freak out (unknowingly) if Matt comes to bed after I'm asleep. I sit up, hyperventilate, and/or speak rapid gibberish. I generally don't remember much of those episodes the next morning.
62. Sometimes I flip ahead in books I'm reading and read a random page or paragraph to see who's still important at that point.
63. I easily forget plots, twists, and outcomes of movies and books. I can re-watch and re-read almost anything at least once and still be genuinely surprised.
64. I've read every Mary Higgins Clark book. Some of them more than twice. I don't know what it is about her writing...
65. I generally like my body and have a good self-image.
66. I was going to get laser hair removal this year, but I don't think I can while I'm pregnant.
67. I would be happy with 11 months of temperatures ranging 65-75* and 1 month of sweater and hot chocolate weather.
68. Matt and I call each other by our names. We have no pet names. We don't even call each other honey or sweetheart. It's weird to even think about calling him that. lol.
69. I love adrenaline pumping activities like cliff jumping, fast roller coasters, and free falling.
70. I can get very fired up if I feel I or someone else has been belittled or unjustly berated.
71. I used to chew on pens until they were so bad I had to throw them away.
72. Once as a freshman I borrowed my biology teacher's pen and unconsciously chewed on the cap. I gave him back the pen without the cap and he freaked out. I think he swore at me if I remember correctly.
73. I participated in 2 scholarship pageants. (i.e. the county level of Miss America)
74. My parents were very sad when I chose to wear a 2-piece tankini the second year for swimsuit. I figured I'd rather people look at my tiny waist than my not so tiny thighs.
75. I was a mostly vegetarian for about 10-12 years. There is a little discrepancy as to whether I started that at age 7 or 9.

one more guys...I know you can't wait...To be continued

100 things about me--on the installment plan: Part 2

Please see part 1 if you wish to start from the beginning.

26. I chug rather than sip.
27. Room temp. water is my beverage of choice unless it's a really hot day or I am overheated; then I like a little ice.
28. At one family reunion I tried to get up on a wake board so long my hands couldn't grip the bar any longer. I never did get up.
29. The most torturous location in the mall is the perfume section of any department store. Sick.
30. The vast majority of my wardrobe comes from Ross. I swear I'm a walking advertisement for them.
31. I really enjoyed taking stats for my dad's JV baseball team in High School.
32. I was so obsessed with the idea of speaking at HS graduation I dropped a graphic arts class to take a physics class half way through my senior year to move up in the class standing.
33. It didn't really move me up much; I ended up 5th in my class and didn't speak
34. My mom said I stopped taking naps at about 1 year old.
35. I think my laugh is my most distinctive characteristic
36. Rachel Ray (Food Network) is VERY annoying and I get frustrated every time I watch her show. ("De-lish!" "We're making Fun-due today. That's what I call Fondue." "We just need a little EVOO. That's what I call Extra Virgin Olive Oil for those of you who don't know.")
37. If I'm retelling a conversation I had with someone, I like trying to imitate their voice. I'm not making fun of them, I just like to convey the whole experience.
38. Sometimes I'll tell people I agree with them even if I don't. I do this to avoid unnecessary squabble over trivial things.
39. I didn't own a pair of flat shoes (other than running/exercise shoes) from 1994-2003.
40. I always have dark circles under my eyes.
41. Once when I was a teenager, a dental hygenist jokingly told me I'd not need to floss since my teeth were spaced so far apart.
42. I took her seriously and I didn't floss once until I was 23.
43. I floss every night now.
44. I've never tried rubarb though I would like to.
45. Eating beets makes me feel like I'm going to throw up. It seriuosly made me gag.
46. In Jr. High I placed 2nd in regional shot put for my weight.
47. I had athlete's induced asthma in high school. I had an inhaler.
48. I can pass up sweets pretty easily.
49. Salty and sour foods are more temptatious for me.
50. Leno over Letterman hands down; it will be a sad day when Conan O'Brien takes over for him.

To be continued...

Journal Gems

Last night I was reading through a journal I had to keep for my 5th grade class. I was cracking up at my entries since most of them were notes to my teacher. My favorites include:

Aug. 28,1991
I have a poem for you.

Camels
Camels are strange anamals. [sic]
have you ever seen a camel?
Camels have a big hump.
It's like a water pump.
It can last for two days.
Maybe even two Mays.
One strange anamal is a camel.

Aug 29, 1991
I have another poem for you. =)

Waves
As I wait I watch and see.
The great waves as I sit there quietly.
I watch the great waves
Many watch them too.
Can it be the waves are saying peek-a-boo
The great waves pave the wonderful water.

Jan 27, 92
I have a game on Sat. at 2:00 pm if you want to come you can. I'll tell you where it is tommorow [sic].

May 8 (I was busting up over this one. Julie's only 3 years older than me.)
I read from 8:30 to 10 last night. Julie said she won't sign my assignment sheet anymore because it says PARENTS signiture [sic].

100 things about me--on the installment plan

I've seen a trend for my friends to post the "100 things about me" recently. I really enjoy reading the trivia, however, 100 in one sitting can be a little overwhelming. So I thought I'd do mine in installments.

1. I have been scared to tears by dogs. (within the past year even!)
2. I stopped wearing makeup on a regular basis about 4 years ago when Matt told me I look better without it. (easier, faster, and cheaper! That's how I like it!)
3. When Matt's gone, I like to crank up some music and sing while I clean.
4. I can't stand wearing nail polish of any kind. (toes and fingers alike)
   
5. I sweat more than most people, and I have since I was in 6th grade.
6. I only own a small "engagement ring." I was very specific about not wanting a second band or a big ring. I still very much like it that way.
7. I was extremely boy crazy from 1st grade until my sophomore year of high school.
8. Matt's the only boy I ever kissed after I was "legal" (over 16)
9. Matt was not the only boy I kissed!
10. Don't worry I can count them on one hand...
11. Cleaning the fridge has always been my least favorite chore.
    
12. Reebok is the only running shoe for me.
13. The TV is on in our house far more than it should be, even if it's on the Food Network the majority of the time!
14. I LOVE cooking but HATE figuring out what to cook
15. Math was my highest score on the ACT
16. I haven't taken a math class since high school
17. I love writing but have extreme difficulties placing commas correctly
    
18. Leadership and Self-Deception was the best/most life changing text I ever read for a class.
    
19. When I was little I often told people I'd be the first woman US President; I think I just wanted attention because I didn't know the first thing about politics.
20. Yangshuo China is the most beautiful place I've ever visited
    
21. I went through the Temple to receive my endowment at age 19. Unusual though it was since I wasn't getting married, nothing could have been more right for me at that time.
22. I love, love, love to dance--especially hot Latin ballroom dances like samba and cha-cha
    
23. I used to take pride in my arm wrestling abilities and arm strength
24. I now use that arm strength for sweet arm balance yoga poses rather than arm wrestling
25. In 5th grade, as a girl scout, I sold 150 boxes of cookies. For prizes I got a stuffed zebra, a shirt, a mug, and a patch. (And I only know this because of my journal.)
    

To be continued...

Svithe on my preoccupation: an explanation for my absence

I'll just spit it right out. I'm pregnant.

Wow that felt good. I've wanted to tell you ever since I found out last Monday, but Matt really wanted to wait till my first trimester was over. But who are we kidding here people? It's ME we're talking about! He does know, by the way, that I am writing this. I waited a week at least....

He and I have two very different ideas of communication. He likes to tell people things only when necessary. When it is necessary he keeps it to the very basics. He hates divulging personal information. I think he'd have a heart attack if he knew everything I put in our Christmas letters and my blogs. (But I'm not stopping him from reading them and editing out what he wants. He chooses not to read, so I choose to write what I want.) I try to restrain myself on very personal issues, but it is hard. I do that only because I love him. I, on the other hand, will tell my life story to someone I just met if I happen to feel a good vibe or connection upon our meeting. I don't like keeping secrets. I usually want everyone to know everything about me so they know what they're getting into.

Onto the svithe:
A miracle could be defined as "a marvelous event manifesting a supernatural act of God." Many people (Christians included) think miracles don't happen today. I beg to differ.

When we saw our specialist at the end of last year, we were told that it was highly unlikely that we'd get pregnant on our own; he said to get medical help rather than just pray for a miracle. I pretty much resigned myself to the fact that it would be a year, at the very least , before I'd be able to get pregnant. We took the necessary medical steps in the right direction, but continued praying all the while.

I've always had faith that things would work out like they're supposed to. I just got frustrated when I didn't know the plan. I knew we'd have kids, I just didn't know when, how, or what we'd need to do first to obtain them. God knows the plan for my life, but I wished he'd just let me in on the secret so I could get on with things.

I don't think the Lord really likes to be bossed around, so I kept the prayers to something like, "We're ready. Help us to know what to do. Thy will be done." I have faith the Lord can do anything. If it was His will, I'd have gotten pregnant immediately. "For with God nothing shall be impossible." (Luke 1:37) But it wasn't. So I just had to have faith that things were going the way they were supposed to. Some weeks were easier than others. I had a couple of cries. But overall I figured life would work out, and it is.

We got pregnant the week before any of the medical help. I think it was the Lord's way of reminding me He works miracles and that we need to pray for them when it seems most unlikely for them to occur. Such is the nature of a miracle.

Oh, and I'm due the last week of October as far as I can tell.