...till my husband comes home!! this week i've learned that i rely on mike for too many things. for example, i never really make decisions on my own--i always consult with him over every cent i spend & every choice i make. that's a big part of the reason i think this week has been so stressful for me...he's the rock i prop my big 'ole self on and when he's gone i fall over. he's never made me feel like i have to consult with him, but for some reason i always do. i'm slowly learning to live a little on my own, although this week has been one of the longest and lonliest in my life. i can't wait to get up at the butt crack of dawn on saturday to head down to lancaster to pick up my tired, dirty husband and his tote full of dirty laundry...it's true that time spent apart does make the heart grow fonder. even though he'll need to sleep most of the day it'll just be a relief to have his presence in the house.
i have a dr. appt. this afternoon...meeting one of the new docs in the office. i'll eventually meet all of them so that whoever is on call when i go into labor will be familiar with me (and i with him). mom's going with me because, once again, i can't do anything on my own (what a weeny i am!). whatever the case, i'm grateful i don't have to go by myself...i'm ready for the company of someone after being by myself all week!
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Monday, July 28, 2008
thoughtful thoughts
i've had a lot of time to think this week with my husband away & only my mind to keep me company...as i was drying my hair a thought came to me:
if i would focus on the 'what ares' instead of the 'what ifs' i'd probably have a life much more conducive to creating happiness
i'm struggling right now to release the worries that rattle in my head & to truly trust what God has in store for us as a family & me as an individual...i've always been the type of person that lets worry stir in my stomach...i can make myself sick over the littlest things. i'm working on this part of my character that causes me so much anxiety.
so tonight i was reading back through my prayer/thoughts journal & came across a list i made around thanksgiving time...these are some of the 'what ares' of my life that i focused on that day that i am still thankful for:
if i would focus on the 'what ares' instead of the 'what ifs' i'd probably have a life much more conducive to creating happiness
i'm struggling right now to release the worries that rattle in my head & to truly trust what God has in store for us as a family & me as an individual...i've always been the type of person that lets worry stir in my stomach...i can make myself sick over the littlest things. i'm working on this part of my character that causes me so much anxiety.
so tonight i was reading back through my prayer/thoughts journal & came across a list i made around thanksgiving time...these are some of the 'what ares' of my life that i focused on that day that i am still thankful for:
- for a faithful husband who loves me more than i love myself
- for Colby, who makes his affection scarce so that when I receive it, it is a truly special moment
- for parents who never stop loving, forgiving, or giving
- for Emma, who loves to love and be loved
- for my job, because I know I am making a difference
- for sisters who know when to cheer me up and how to be a friend
- for the hope and promise of eternity
- for a Father who never gives up on me
- that my list of things to be thankful for could go on for pages and pages--how truly blessed I am...
my baby this week...
i am over 21 weeks now & my baby is kick, kick, kicking along. he or she seems to be more active early in the morning & late at night...or perhaps its when i'm quiet that i notice he/she is active.
googled 21 week fetus to get an ultrasound picture for this blog of what my baby might look like & found something even cooler. in february 2007, a baby was delivered at 21 1/2 wks & survived...the first ever to survive when delivered so prematurely (under 10 ounces). i'll keep mine inside baking awhile longer, thank you, but what a miracle this little girl surely was to her parents...God's grace is amazing.
googled 21 week fetus to get an ultrasound picture for this blog of what my baby might look like & found something even cooler. in february 2007, a baby was delivered at 21 1/2 wks & survived...the first ever to survive when delivered so prematurely (under 10 ounces). i'll keep mine inside baking awhile longer, thank you, but what a miracle this little girl surely was to her parents...God's grace is amazing.
weekend woes
what a weekend...as i'm sure you know, andrea came home on saturday & is doing okay.
i was in a 'sorry for myself mood' so i decided to skip the birthday party of one of my dear family member/friends (sorry, levi--i regret it now but will come down when your present comes in) & went to ottumwa to look for work clothes for micheal. found out that jc penney was having radical sales & bought mike 3 pairs of dress pants, a dress shirt, black/brown belt, & a new wallet (his fell apart) for under $100! pretty proud of myself & my spirits lifted a little from being alone by myself for too long. then went to wal-mart to pick up a few groceries and other things...finally got through the crowds & stood in line for 20 minutes to check-out.
the kind cashier rang up all my purchases...as normal i swiped my debit card, typed in my pin &... REJECTED! WHAT!?..i'd just used it at jc penney, mike had just gotten paid, plus we have our checking & savings accounts linked at the bank so that if something would ever happen money can be taken out of our savings to protect us.
so confused...tried not to cry but didn't succeed. asked the kind cashier what i should do...she said if i thought there was money in the account i could try to write a check--they run them through like a debit and clear them before you leave....so, by this time very embarrassed, i wrote a check. it cleared. i had a separate purchase of supplies we need for sonlight--20 boxes of crayons, 20 bottles of glue, 20 pkgs of markers...was going to buy them after my groceries but pay separately so i could be reimbursed from the church...was so rattled that something could be wrong with my account that i left them...all 60 items sitting on the belt. so embarrassing..never had to do that before.
headed home...needed my hubby..he takes care of all the finances & i didn't know what to do. knew my baby sister (also in co) was down in colorado springs for the day & she would get reception. called her & told her tearfully that i must talk to mike...he stayed on the mountain but i needed him as soon as she got back up. didn't know how he was going to call...thought he might have to drive back down to town with lauren's phone (she has nationwide) to get reception, but bless her, she said she'd give him her calling card. could tell i worried her, but she didn't ask questions & told me it would be okay. got home & went to mike's office to look for any clues on what to do...couldn't figure out the password for our online banking but finally figured out the automated phone banking. called & did a balance inquiry..sure enough, money in both accounts. tried not to worry...tried to pray about it...was so anxious i couldn't eat. finally, a couple hours later, mike called (good job, lauren...found out later that as soon as she got to the mountain she tracked him down, handed him her phone card, & said, "call home, NOW...jenn needs you"...what a good sister i have) i lost it...cried so hard i was sick...didn't intend on doing that b/c i didn't want him to feel guilty for being gone. told him the situation...he calmed me, of course. assured me there was money...made me feel better...talked for 25 minutes. i can picture him in the canteen, calming a frantic wife for 25 minutes while the line behind him grows full of kids who want to call their mommies and daddies...he in his orange deputy/medic vest--an adult--monopolizing one of three phones. appreciate him for that...probably a little embarrassing (although not as embarrassing as being rejected at wal-mart).
so yesterday while i was in lancaster i tried to fuel with my card (pay at the pump) at casey's...same message. torked, i drove across the street to the bank & tried to do balance inquiries on both accounts. "no accounts linked to this card" flashed across the screen. okay, this is getting a little ridiculous. stayed at mom & dad's last night b/c about the time i went to leave it started storming...hard. tornado warnings...black clouds to the north (where i needed to be heading), etc...decided to stay put as it never let up. called the bank this morning to chew fanny about my junk card...bless the lady i talked to--she'd been rejected this weekend, too. seems like there are hundreds of customers whose cards quit working this weekend...head office is working on it. refreshing to know its not my problem--still didn't make the weekend any less traumatic.
on a positive note...i've sold enough $$ in books on amazon that all of the clothes i bought mike where like virtually FREE! (plus extra $$ left over from my sales)...the books paid for the clothes which is just pretty awesome. next, i have to buy me some more maternity dress clothes so i have enough to make it through a week of dressing up for work.
also, thankfully, my hubby has sensed how lonesome i am all by myself & how much i miss him so he's vowed to call home every evening to check on me & the baby. thanks honey...know you won't read this till you get home but i appreciate you!
i was in a 'sorry for myself mood' so i decided to skip the birthday party of one of my dear family member/friends (sorry, levi--i regret it now but will come down when your present comes in) & went to ottumwa to look for work clothes for micheal. found out that jc penney was having radical sales & bought mike 3 pairs of dress pants, a dress shirt, black/brown belt, & a new wallet (his fell apart) for under $100! pretty proud of myself & my spirits lifted a little from being alone by myself for too long. then went to wal-mart to pick up a few groceries and other things...finally got through the crowds & stood in line for 20 minutes to check-out.
the kind cashier rang up all my purchases...as normal i swiped my debit card, typed in my pin &... REJECTED! WHAT!?..i'd just used it at jc penney, mike had just gotten paid, plus we have our checking & savings accounts linked at the bank so that if something would ever happen money can be taken out of our savings to protect us.
so confused...tried not to cry but didn't succeed. asked the kind cashier what i should do...she said if i thought there was money in the account i could try to write a check--they run them through like a debit and clear them before you leave....so, by this time very embarrassed, i wrote a check. it cleared. i had a separate purchase of supplies we need for sonlight--20 boxes of crayons, 20 bottles of glue, 20 pkgs of markers...was going to buy them after my groceries but pay separately so i could be reimbursed from the church...was so rattled that something could be wrong with my account that i left them...all 60 items sitting on the belt. so embarrassing..never had to do that before.
headed home...needed my hubby..he takes care of all the finances & i didn't know what to do. knew my baby sister (also in co) was down in colorado springs for the day & she would get reception. called her & told her tearfully that i must talk to mike...he stayed on the mountain but i needed him as soon as she got back up. didn't know how he was going to call...thought he might have to drive back down to town with lauren's phone (she has nationwide) to get reception, but bless her, she said she'd give him her calling card. could tell i worried her, but she didn't ask questions & told me it would be okay. got home & went to mike's office to look for any clues on what to do...couldn't figure out the password for our online banking but finally figured out the automated phone banking. called & did a balance inquiry..sure enough, money in both accounts. tried not to worry...tried to pray about it...was so anxious i couldn't eat. finally, a couple hours later, mike called (good job, lauren...found out later that as soon as she got to the mountain she tracked him down, handed him her phone card, & said, "call home, NOW...jenn needs you"...what a good sister i have) i lost it...cried so hard i was sick...didn't intend on doing that b/c i didn't want him to feel guilty for being gone. told him the situation...he calmed me, of course. assured me there was money...made me feel better...talked for 25 minutes. i can picture him in the canteen, calming a frantic wife for 25 minutes while the line behind him grows full of kids who want to call their mommies and daddies...he in his orange deputy/medic vest--an adult--monopolizing one of three phones. appreciate him for that...probably a little embarrassing (although not as embarrassing as being rejected at wal-mart).
so yesterday while i was in lancaster i tried to fuel with my card (pay at the pump) at casey's...same message. torked, i drove across the street to the bank & tried to do balance inquiries on both accounts. "no accounts linked to this card" flashed across the screen. okay, this is getting a little ridiculous. stayed at mom & dad's last night b/c about the time i went to leave it started storming...hard. tornado warnings...black clouds to the north (where i needed to be heading), etc...decided to stay put as it never let up. called the bank this morning to chew fanny about my junk card...bless the lady i talked to--she'd been rejected this weekend, too. seems like there are hundreds of customers whose cards quit working this weekend...head office is working on it. refreshing to know its not my problem--still didn't make the weekend any less traumatic.
on a positive note...i've sold enough $$ in books on amazon that all of the clothes i bought mike where like virtually FREE! (plus extra $$ left over from my sales)...the books paid for the clothes which is just pretty awesome. next, i have to buy me some more maternity dress clothes so i have enough to make it through a week of dressing up for work.
also, thankfully, my hubby has sensed how lonesome i am all by myself & how much i miss him so he's vowed to call home every evening to check on me & the baby. thanks honey...know you won't read this till you get home but i appreciate you!
Thursday, July 24, 2008
travel update
talked to micheal a little after 7 & they had made it to castle rock, co safely. he said the truck & trailer traveled well...had an episode where they almost ran out of gas b/c they weren't watching the gauge close enough, but other than that everything went well. they stopped at wal-mart to buy some breakfast/lunch items for tomorrow & then were headed to sedalia & on up the mountain.
they'll stay in the lodge tonight & then get busy unloading and setting up tomorrow morning. i imagine tonight will be spent catching up with friends who are already out there--namely the spences. i'm there in my heart...if i close my eyes i can feel the cool mountain air & see the mountain peaks in the horizon. 
off to shower & change the jammies i wore all day...already feeling a fitful night of sleep in front of me as i never sleep well when mike's away.
they'll stay in the lodge tonight & then get busy unloading and setting up tomorrow morning. i imagine tonight will be spent catching up with friends who are already out there--namely the spences. i'm there in my heart...if i close my eyes i can feel the cool mountain air & see the mountain peaks in the horizon. off to shower & change the jammies i wore all day...already feeling a fitful night of sleep in front of me as i never sleep well when mike's away.
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
our new house
we signed a contract last night and paid our escrow--next step is appraisal (hopefully approval) & then closing...we hope to be moving within the next 4 weeks!
nursery walls--light gray on top, dark gray on bottom, white railing trim around the middle.
the new nursery floor going down. you can see the old floor that is hard wood but is painted brown...we may refinish it someday but not right now. the blue stuff is the safety padding & insulation & then there's the light wood flooring!
a finished corner--the red things are spacers that keep the floor from being right up against the wall so the trim fits right.
the downstairs potty room--you have to go through the nursery to get to it (but everyone always wants to see the nursery anyways, right?)!
the new flooring in the bathroom--the gray colors pull the walls together and make the blue countertop not look so blue (we're not replacing it--it's actually pretty new, just blue!)
my freshly painted WHITE kitchen--a little boring now but will come alive with the americana theme i have.
the other countertop/dishwasher in the kitchen--every one of those shelves used to be a different color (turquoise, burgandy, navy)
dining room windows--i just love this woodwork!
okay, don't look at the junk, look at the posts & the woodwork--view from the dining room looking into the living room.
office downstairs--beside the living room
the flooring in the office...stars are a little interesting but give the floor its own unique personality.
the stairs go up from the office--we'd love to be rid of the blue carpet but probably have to wait till next year...this blue was the color that was in the nursery (bleck!)--at least we got it out of there so our baby doesn't have nightmares!
part of mike & i's huge loft bedroom...i haven't had a room this big since i lived in the old farmhouse when i was a kid
another view of our bedroom...we'd also love to replace this carpet but next year, hopefully!
mike & i's walk in closet--he's going to put some 'real' shelves on that wall.
our upstairs commode--what a cute little privacy wall!
rest of the upstairs bathroom--it's pretty big. has a jacuzzi tub/shower & big space for shelves!!
post office workers
had to drop a note to just say how friendly post office workers are! i've been to 2 different post offices in the last 2 days & both times been helped & treated so kindly. i've listed all of my old college books on amazon & already sold 3 since monday. made over $60 already, which isn't a gold mine, but its not bad when its money made on junk that i had laying around & taking up space (& that i was going to have to move again!). stopped at the downing p.o. on my way home from a memphis meeting to mail my first book & the guy was so nice...went into bloomfield p.o. today to mail 2 more & the lady there was also sweet. i'll make more net profit when i buy my own envelopes from wal-mart--cheaper there, even though the ones at the p.o. aren't outrageous..just haven't gotten to wal-mart to buy any.
okay, off for lunch this time--honestly!
okay, off for lunch this time--honestly!
how nice to have a day off with my hubby today...we went and had our hair cut--his the same old ('cept the front's receding a little more every time he gets it cut), but i let tiffany chop my shorter than normal. i love it & love that i have a hairdresser that i just totally trust to do whatever! i simply told her i was hot, didn't feel like dealing with long hair, and wanted something new & snip, snip, snip...away she went.
we thought we were going down to finish loading the trailer for nyr, but when mike called to ask what time they were starting he was told they were done. nice that we don't have to go down but i'm wishing we would have known in advance so i wouldn't have busted myself so hard getting things done this morning thinking that we would need to leave right after our cuts. oh well...guess i have the whole afternoon to mess around.
made puppy chow this morning (5 boxes of chex worth of puppy chow!) to send out to friends at nyr that i'll be missing this year...still feeling sad that i'm staying behind but trying to deal with it the best i can. it hit me a little harder last night when everyone was packing--i felt like i just sat around being lost, but that's kinda how i felt. tomorrow morning won't be easy when i send my hubby off in the morning. he's leaving early with his dad & my baby sister (who's not much of a 'baby' anymore) so that they can get a jump start on setting things up. mike absolutely loves that lauren is going with (honestly, that's not saracasm)--she's a hard worker, easy going & has a sense of humor, which is important out there. we took her early last year and she was a blast & man, did she ever work hard...the older she gets the more i see the young woman she's turning into, which is pretty cool.
off to have a late lunch with my hubby...very late lunch (it's almost 2:30)...we were going to grab something quick on the way to lancaster but since we're staying home we made juicy burgers (my absolute favorite) & grandma betty dip w/ chips...totally not healthy for you...yummy!
we thought we were going down to finish loading the trailer for nyr, but when mike called to ask what time they were starting he was told they were done. nice that we don't have to go down but i'm wishing we would have known in advance so i wouldn't have busted myself so hard getting things done this morning thinking that we would need to leave right after our cuts. oh well...guess i have the whole afternoon to mess around.
made puppy chow this morning (5 boxes of chex worth of puppy chow!) to send out to friends at nyr that i'll be missing this year...still feeling sad that i'm staying behind but trying to deal with it the best i can. it hit me a little harder last night when everyone was packing--i felt like i just sat around being lost, but that's kinda how i felt. tomorrow morning won't be easy when i send my hubby off in the morning. he's leaving early with his dad & my baby sister (who's not much of a 'baby' anymore) so that they can get a jump start on setting things up. mike absolutely loves that lauren is going with (honestly, that's not saracasm)--she's a hard worker, easy going & has a sense of humor, which is important out there. we took her early last year and she was a blast & man, did she ever work hard...the older she gets the more i see the young woman she's turning into, which is pretty cool.
off to have a late lunch with my hubby...very late lunch (it's almost 2:30)...we were going to grab something quick on the way to lancaster but since we're staying home we made juicy burgers (my absolute favorite) & grandma betty dip w/ chips...totally not healthy for you...yummy!
Monday, July 21, 2008
flutter, flutter, thump!
woke up at 5 a.m. for a run to the latrine & when i laid back down there it was...flutter, flutter, thump....flutter, flutter, flutter, poke! like my baby was saying good morning, mommy. this is the first time i've ever felt the baby move and it is awesome...i'm sure if i would have stayed still once in a while in the last week i would have felt it, but there has been no time for still at my house.
phil called this morning and he finished the nursery floor for us...couple boards that needed cut lengthwise that he had to do and lay..god bless him for all of his help. dad is sitting down tomorrow with us (god bless him & his knowledge, too) and our seller so we can draw up a contract & get it sent in...then the biggest hurdle left is the appraisal..please pray it passes with no trouble so we can get this house closed & move in.
packing mike today for nyr...washer/dryer are chugging along to get his laundry clean so he can be ready to go...i'm trying to immerse myself in whatever i can so i don't think about how sad i am that i'm staying behind.
alright...off to waterproof spray mike's boots...
phil called this morning and he finished the nursery floor for us...couple boards that needed cut lengthwise that he had to do and lay..god bless him for all of his help. dad is sitting down tomorrow with us (god bless him & his knowledge, too) and our seller so we can draw up a contract & get it sent in...then the biggest hurdle left is the appraisal..please pray it passes with no trouble so we can get this house closed & move in.
packing mike today for nyr...washer/dryer are chugging along to get his laundry clean so he can be ready to go...i'm trying to immerse myself in whatever i can so i don't think about how sad i am that i'm staying behind.
alright...off to waterproof spray mike's boots...
Saturday, July 19, 2008
another long day was spent working on our house in lancaster. paperwork is still rolling, working on closing out--maybe we'll be moved by mid-august. i can't be thankful enough for phil and his sacrifice of himself & another saturday working on our home. our baby will be grateful (and so will mommy & daddy). the new nursery & bathroom flooring looks great...the painting is pretty much done, & i scrubbed a scanky bathroom tub today (although it will need more later). i have pictures but they are for another day...too tired to upload tonight.
i realized today how grateful i am that we are moving HOME! neighbors have rolled in and out of the house the past 2 weekends welcoming us back to the neighborhood...what a blessing...ulrichs, blomgrens, eggers, snowbargers, dixons, & cohagans have all stopped by recently!!!! can't wait till we're there to stay & not just to work!!!
i realized today how grateful i am that we are moving HOME! neighbors have rolled in and out of the house the past 2 weekends welcoming us back to the neighborhood...what a blessing...ulrichs, blomgrens, eggers, snowbargers, dixons, & cohagans have all stopped by recently!!!! can't wait till we're there to stay & not just to work!!!
Thursday, July 17, 2008
packing up
i absolutely hate packing, moving & unpacking! it's got to be the worst part of buying a house--worse than all the paperwork even! i've worked on boxing things up today...got the baby stuff sorted and boxed--outfits that we've picked up here and there, toys, yard sale finds, etc, mike worked on boxing the office this morning, & i got most of the picture frames & knick-knack stuff wrapped and packed. that said, i look around and feel like my house is more of a mess now then when i started & i think it looks like i haven't actually packed a thing! bleck...what a disaster. i also keep thinking about the classroom that needs put together but push it out of my mind, telling myself that august will be soon enough (hopefully).
our lancaster house is coming along...we got paperwork in the mail yesterday to read over and sign. i'm a little frustrated b/c i'm tired of this thing dragging on, but it seems that our agent is out of the office b/c when i call & e-mail to ask a few questions regarding the paperwork i can't get ahold of her. we've gotten most of the painting done--a little touch-up to do--& mike is laying new flooring in the nursery & downstairs bathroom this weekend before he leaves for colorado. if he can get that done & i can get the rest of it cleaned to my specifications (mostly just bathrooms & kitchen) then i think i'll feel better with him leaving for 2 weeks. i don't want to move things in until we have an insurance policy on it..just in case something would happen..but i'm anxious to get home to lancaster. hopefully by mid-august we'll close & get in..pray for that to go smoothly while we're both also starting new jobs. we'd like new carpet in our bedroom but it's such a big space that it'll be quite an investment, so it looks like we may have to hold off on that for awhile, but that's okay--at least the baby has fresh walls & new, clean wood flooring.
okay, on an off note..had a few people say, "where are your belly pictures?"...i'm not a naked belly person, but mike did take a couple the other night...i'm sure in 3 or 4 more months i'll wish to be back to this size, but right now i'm already hot and a little cramped & uncomfortable! tomorrow i'm exactly 20 weeks...half way there!!!
(anybody else concerned that my husband cut off my head in both pics?)
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
nursery prints
mike & i ordered a series of 3 8x10 pencil sketches of jesus holding infants that i plan on framing & hanging in our baby's nursery...i want our child to know that he or she will always be held in the hands of our creator and these are beautiful visual reminders of that.
the drawings are done by artist jean keaton...i've actually used some of her work in signs i've done for the church because i'd originally found out about her when i received an e-mail with images of her work. the images are easy to copy & paste & i could have had them blown up to 8x10 size at a photo place, but after realizing that they were copywritten & reading her story on her website, we decided to do the right thing & purchase them (esp. considering i'd already used them without permission on the church signs because i didn't know any better!).
thought i'd share her website with you...she does truly marvelous work & does a nice job of not protraying jesus in that 'old man way'. enjoy!
http://www.keatonprints.com/
to find the images i ordered go to the website, click on the 'prints' button on the left, & choose the 'as i have loved you' series. we ordered the first 3 from that series. many of her drawings from the 'for they shall be comforted' series have a story to go with them--the drawings are actual portrayals of real children, many of whom have passed on. perhaps the most touching to me is the 'five little angels'...top row, fifth from the left. click on the small image & it will bring it up in larger scale..underneath you can read the story...many other images are the same--if you click on them they will have a story to go with them.
the drawings are done by artist jean keaton...i've actually used some of her work in signs i've done for the church because i'd originally found out about her when i received an e-mail with images of her work. the images are easy to copy & paste & i could have had them blown up to 8x10 size at a photo place, but after realizing that they were copywritten & reading her story on her website, we decided to do the right thing & purchase them (esp. considering i'd already used them without permission on the church signs because i didn't know any better!).
thought i'd share her website with you...she does truly marvelous work & does a nice job of not protraying jesus in that 'old man way'. enjoy!
http://www.keatonprints.com/
to find the images i ordered go to the website, click on the 'prints' button on the left, & choose the 'as i have loved you' series. we ordered the first 3 from that series. many of her drawings from the 'for they shall be comforted' series have a story to go with them--the drawings are actual portrayals of real children, many of whom have passed on. perhaps the most touching to me is the 'five little angels'...top row, fifth from the left. click on the small image & it will bring it up in larger scale..underneath you can read the story...many other images are the same--if you click on them they will have a story to go with them.
nostalgia
the last few days i've been feeling a little envious of all the nyr packers that are getting ready to head back out to colorado next week. i hate not going even though i know i'm probably making the best choice for my body & my baby (the altitude does funny things to my blood sugar).
mike hasn't gone without me since the first year we started dating in 2002 & although i'm super glad he's going i want to be with him. the last few years both of us have stepped up in different ways and taken more active roles while we're at nyr. mike has been helping with security and this year will probably help with med services, while i've spent more and more time in our camp's kitchen. some people would wrinkle their noses at the thought of missing a service or two, or coming back early from them, but nothing is more rewarding then having a cold drink & warm meal ready for the kids in the afternoon when they come back from classes & a hot drink with a cookies after the chilly evening service.
there was never a time when i came up to our camp when i was a camper that someone wasn't there--whether because my blood sugar was acting up or because i needed to talk to someone. there was always a cheerful face in the kitchen (usually aunt marcia & the lady that has now come to be my mother-in-law), acting like they'd been expecting me & i'm so happy to be that person to the group of kids we take out now. for me its not a sacrifice to miss a class here or come up from a service early there--its an act of love...you see, nyr is about the kids (nationwide youth round-up)& i want them to have the most rewarding experience that they can have, so if that means that a class is skipped so lunch can be eaten on time so the kids can let their food settle and get to recreation on time then that's okay by me. i still get ministered to and my cup is filled by the services, but more than that i'm filled by the light and the passion that i see in our students' eyes.
crazy or not, mike and i are planning on taking our family out to nyr next year...we'll most definitely be going out early--another experience that makes nyr more worthwhile for me (nothing like the calm before the storm), so we can get set up & have the kitchen ready before the campers get there. i'll be excited to see old friends that i'll miss this year & to introduce my baby to the mountains. i'll also be ready to get back into the swing of serving those just like was done for me.
okay, enough rambling...to all of you going this year, have a great time! i'll be thinking of you!!
Monday, July 14, 2008
bottle babies
mike and i are keeping the kids tonight and they are staying with me tomorrow because andrea has a meeting in kirksville. i love keeping them and have felt so guilty this summer because we've been so busy that we haven't spoiled them like we usually do.
anyhow...shortly after andrea dropped them off they went outside to try to catch our wild yard rabbits that hang around...no such luck but that led into outdoor play of sidewalk chalk and bubbles. they are finally at the age where i am okay with them being outside in bloomfield without me right there as long as i can see them out a window & it was kinda nice because mike & i were fixing supper. emma had her dolly & her dolly's bottle out with her...we always let her fill the bottle with water because what harm can water really do? colby came in and asked if he could have a bottle, too & i didn't think much of it. i asked him what for & he said he wanted to play, too. me being the type of person that doesn't want a boy to think he can't play with dolls & bottles fixed him up...i kinda figured maybe they were playing water war instead of actually feeding babies, but who cares?--it's summer.
soooo, i look out the window to check on them and low and behold they are traipsing around the yard sucking on those bottles! emma might not have shocked me so much, but colby?? i thought about scolding, thought about teasing, & decided to laugh it off & take pictures instead...they were just happy as little clams out there drinking from their bottles. andrea, did you wean them too early or what's the deal?? i told mike we're likely to be hauled into dfs when the wrong person drives by & sees a 6 & 4 year old out in the yard drinking from baby bottles! needless to say, the bottles have been dumped & put away for the evening...they won't be going to bed with the kids! funny little creepos!!
i'm sure in about 10 years, it won't be so funny that we have pictures of them drinking from baby bottles at this age!
anyhow...shortly after andrea dropped them off they went outside to try to catch our wild yard rabbits that hang around...no such luck but that led into outdoor play of sidewalk chalk and bubbles. they are finally at the age where i am okay with them being outside in bloomfield without me right there as long as i can see them out a window & it was kinda nice because mike & i were fixing supper. emma had her dolly & her dolly's bottle out with her...we always let her fill the bottle with water because what harm can water really do? colby came in and asked if he could have a bottle, too & i didn't think much of it. i asked him what for & he said he wanted to play, too. me being the type of person that doesn't want a boy to think he can't play with dolls & bottles fixed him up...i kinda figured maybe they were playing water war instead of actually feeding babies, but who cares?--it's summer.
soooo, i look out the window to check on them and low and behold they are traipsing around the yard sucking on those bottles! emma might not have shocked me so much, but colby?? i thought about scolding, thought about teasing, & decided to laugh it off & take pictures instead...they were just happy as little clams out there drinking from their bottles. andrea, did you wean them too early or what's the deal?? i told mike we're likely to be hauled into dfs when the wrong person drives by & sees a 6 & 4 year old out in the yard drinking from baby bottles! needless to say, the bottles have been dumped & put away for the evening...they won't be going to bed with the kids! funny little creepos!!
i'm sure in about 10 years, it won't be so funny that we have pictures of them drinking from baby bottles at this age!
Sunday, July 13, 2008
God's humor
just realized that God primed me for the water heater flooding catastrophe this morning with the rain flooding/laundry catastrophe that happened wednesday...perhaps he had the rain thing happen first so that at least my laundry bins would be empty when the water heater broke!! good thing, too, because what would i have done with soggy, mildewed laundry & no water (which means no washer)? one word.....MOMMMMMM!
noah, where's the ark???
rolled out of bed at 7:30 this morning & headed to the potty room (cuz where else does a pregnant lady start her day?) & heard water running. nope, scratch that, pouring. mike & i always leave a box fan on downstairs b/c the basement gets wet when it rains. thinking it had rained a lot & i'd slept so heavy i didn't hear it, i went down expecting the water to be a little high & it to be getting into the box fan. well, there was water in the box fan all right!...4 inches...no way i could have slept through that much rain.
ran back up the stairs..."mike, up NOW!" was all it took for him to jump. hollering "whatsa matter," he followed me while i yelled, "did it rain last night?" i could tell as we got closer to the basement door that he heard it too. a chorus of oh, mans and holy cows followed as he headed down the stairs. he kicked off his slippers and went wading--wishing now i would have had my camera out, but at the time it wasn't as funny as it is now. i stood nervously at the top of the stairs waiting to hear the verdict. i realized that i'd never stopped to pee but thought maybe a pipe had busted & didn't want to flush pee water on my husband's head.
waiting, waiting...he finally hollered back that the water heater busted. it apparently was shooting out the bottom & wide angle spraying from a screw in the side. i stopped real quick to potty so i could flush before the water got turned off and then called the landlord. bless his heart, he was there in 5 minutes--enough time for us both to straighten up a little consider we were wandering around in our sleepwear.
bob (the landlord) went down & surveyed the damage with mike & when he came back up he told me he was going to go find a sump pump. shaking his head he said, "i've heard of hot water heaters busting, but i've never actually seen one." agreeing that i would have been happy to just believe it was a myth i started emptying boxes that mike was bringing up. you see, the thing about our basement is that we knew it leaked when it rains so we keep EVERYTHING in totes...except we had 3-4 boxes that we sat on top of a couple of totes thinking that there was no way water would ever rise high enough to reach them. what we hadn't accounted for was spraying water--lesson learned. of course, the stuff in boxes was mike's computer parts (i know, why wouldn't i put expensive computer parts in totes?) but luckily, although the box was soaked and soggy, the parts weren't damaged. i put them all in individual ziplocks this time & then put all the little baggies in a big baggy...not going to tempt fate twice.
bob came back and he and mike sumped for what seemed like forever while i continued to sort out boxes & throw away stuff. the good news is that some of the boxes needed to be sorted anyways--they had old papers from our college days in them & we'll be glad that we aren't moving them again.
so...this adventure prevented us from making it to church today...something we never do unless we're out of town. called and got my mother-in-law to pitch hit for sunday school nursery--thank-you, Sara--& called and put my family on stand-by for clean-up if the basement was more than i could handle. although the time would have allowed us to make it to church services we decided neither of us could be presentable without showers--least of all my husband who waded through scanky water. so instead, we're headed down to finish up the little bit we have on the new house so we'll be done before board meeting. then off to a family dinner tonight & back home to hopefully a peaceful evening (although tolietless b/c we still won't have water till tomorrow!). pray that the baby lays quietly tonight & doesn't play trampoline on my bladder!
ran back up the stairs..."mike, up NOW!" was all it took for him to jump. hollering "whatsa matter," he followed me while i yelled, "did it rain last night?" i could tell as we got closer to the basement door that he heard it too. a chorus of oh, mans and holy cows followed as he headed down the stairs. he kicked off his slippers and went wading--wishing now i would have had my camera out, but at the time it wasn't as funny as it is now. i stood nervously at the top of the stairs waiting to hear the verdict. i realized that i'd never stopped to pee but thought maybe a pipe had busted & didn't want to flush pee water on my husband's head.
waiting, waiting...he finally hollered back that the water heater busted. it apparently was shooting out the bottom & wide angle spraying from a screw in the side. i stopped real quick to potty so i could flush before the water got turned off and then called the landlord. bless his heart, he was there in 5 minutes--enough time for us both to straighten up a little consider we were wandering around in our sleepwear.
bob (the landlord) went down & surveyed the damage with mike & when he came back up he told me he was going to go find a sump pump. shaking his head he said, "i've heard of hot water heaters busting, but i've never actually seen one." agreeing that i would have been happy to just believe it was a myth i started emptying boxes that mike was bringing up. you see, the thing about our basement is that we knew it leaked when it rains so we keep EVERYTHING in totes...except we had 3-4 boxes that we sat on top of a couple of totes thinking that there was no way water would ever rise high enough to reach them. what we hadn't accounted for was spraying water--lesson learned. of course, the stuff in boxes was mike's computer parts (i know, why wouldn't i put expensive computer parts in totes?) but luckily, although the box was soaked and soggy, the parts weren't damaged. i put them all in individual ziplocks this time & then put all the little baggies in a big baggy...not going to tempt fate twice.
bob came back and he and mike sumped for what seemed like forever while i continued to sort out boxes & throw away stuff. the good news is that some of the boxes needed to be sorted anyways--they had old papers from our college days in them & we'll be glad that we aren't moving them again.
so...this adventure prevented us from making it to church today...something we never do unless we're out of town. called and got my mother-in-law to pitch hit for sunday school nursery--thank-you, Sara--& called and put my family on stand-by for clean-up if the basement was more than i could handle. although the time would have allowed us to make it to church services we decided neither of us could be presentable without showers--least of all my husband who waded through scanky water. so instead, we're headed down to finish up the little bit we have on the new house so we'll be done before board meeting. then off to a family dinner tonight & back home to hopefully a peaceful evening (although tolietless b/c we still won't have water till tomorrow!). pray that the baby lays quietly tonight & doesn't play trampoline on my bladder!
Saturday, July 12, 2008
i am thankful for...
...family willing to help us paint at the last minute:
- a mother-in-law who scrapes gank (yes, that's gank, not gunk) from what will soon be where i stack my plates & glasses
- a big sister who paints those de-ganked zones & who applies what seems like 25 coats of paint to the areas that used to be TURQUOISE!
- a niece who is content to sit in a closet with a paper cup full of paint and paint ugly shelves (she actually did a pretty good job covering up the colors on them), & who comes out of that closet with a white ponytail
- a mother who gloves up & gets the gross out of places that i can't stomach & who sticks her whole upper half in cabinets where no man has ever gone
- a father-in-law who scampers up and down the ladder to paint around the trim & woodwork of our nursery & who removes the dozen j-hooks in the bathroom
- a baby sister who pays attention to detail and makes things like railing & ugly cabinet fronts pretty, even after she's worked all day
- a husband who does all the things i ask and who paints all the high spots to the point where i know his arms are aching
Thursday, July 10, 2008
crazy 'tunias
Look at these crazy flowers...I DID NOT plant these...we planted petunias last summer & decided not to plant this year because we are moving...these nutty things came back from last year and are beautiful. I bet the ones in the back are 3 foot tall or better--they are just amazing to me--waaaay prettier than last year's! It's funny to me that they came back in a color scheme-when I planted last year I planted a variety of colors--obviously the purples & whites were the heartiest! 
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
ewwww
okay, the house we are renting has had a damp, floody basement ever since we've moved in. usually it's not too bad--when it rains the water runs in but it drains okay and we always keep fans going to keep it dried out so things don't get moldy & yucky. monday night, it rained & rained--torrentially--when mike went down at midnight he said there was 3 inches standing. everything down there is in totes so i'm never worried about my 'treasures', but i neglected to think about one thing.....
our laundry is also down there (washer & dryer are off the floor on palettes) & i sort into two 3 slot bins on wheels that i bought at wal-mart--they sit about 2 inches off the ground. i went down to throw in a load today & when i got down to the clothes on the bottom of the bin they were soaked...i was thinking, what in the world? then i remembered what mike said about the standing water..even though it drained right away when the torrential rain stopped, it had obviously gotten high enough that it soaked right into the bottom of the sorters--of course clothes are going to soak up water! so--since all 6 bins had clothes/sheets/etc. in them, all six are getting washed today.
i'm heading tonight to a bed & breakfast to be treated to a 'before baby' night of relaxation by a couple of friends from church, but it looks like i have a busy day before i get going. my washer & dryer are churning as we speak! i can't wait until we move and our basement doesn't flood when it rains!!!
our laundry is also down there (washer & dryer are off the floor on palettes) & i sort into two 3 slot bins on wheels that i bought at wal-mart--they sit about 2 inches off the ground. i went down to throw in a load today & when i got down to the clothes on the bottom of the bin they were soaked...i was thinking, what in the world? then i remembered what mike said about the standing water..even though it drained right away when the torrential rain stopped, it had obviously gotten high enough that it soaked right into the bottom of the sorters--of course clothes are going to soak up water! so--since all 6 bins had clothes/sheets/etc. in them, all six are getting washed today.
i'm heading tonight to a bed & breakfast to be treated to a 'before baby' night of relaxation by a couple of friends from church, but it looks like i have a busy day before i get going. my washer & dryer are churning as we speak! i can't wait until we move and our basement doesn't flood when it rains!!!
Sunday, July 6, 2008
these are a few of our favorite things...
have had a lot of questions lately about things we like & what the crib, etc. is going to look like...
just thought i'd share a little of our excitement with you about some of our favorite things...most are target & wal-mart items except for the travel system...
love to you for caring about our excitedness!
this was the first crib i saw & i can't love another! it is a transition 4-in-1, which means it will transform from crib to toddler bed to daybed, to the headboard & footboard of a full size bed. i just love the deep cherry & the sleigh bed style!
a simple something but an item we think we'll get a lot of use out of depending on how nursing goes...our bedroom is upstairs & this warmer stores 2 bottles (keeps them cool for 8 hrs.) & warms them in the time it takes to change a diaper. hopefully will save us a lot of trips up & down stairs in the first months while the baby is in our room (we're not brave enough to put him/her on a separate floor as us in the beginning).
we spent an hour comparing 2 travel systems in toys-r-us a few weekends ago...i think i love this one...huge wheels & a taller handle make it so comfortable to push.
i just wish they made these for big people...need i say more?
i'm not a 'theme' person when it comes to wanting all my baby gear to match but i do like the rainforest bouncer as well as the jumparoo. it just looks so gosh darn entertaining!
silly & simple but these baskets are the only ones i've found so far that fit the dimensions of our changing table when it comes to height & width.
okay, we listened to this thing in the store and the music is to die for...i love the sounds it makes--enough to put me to sleep.
just thought i'd share a little of our excitement with you about some of our favorite things...most are target & wal-mart items except for the travel system...
love to you for caring about our excitedness!
this was the first crib i saw & i can't love another! it is a transition 4-in-1, which means it will transform from crib to toddler bed to daybed, to the headboard & footboard of a full size bed. i just love the deep cherry & the sleigh bed style!
a simple something but an item we think we'll get a lot of use out of depending on how nursing goes...our bedroom is upstairs & this warmer stores 2 bottles (keeps them cool for 8 hrs.) & warms them in the time it takes to change a diaper. hopefully will save us a lot of trips up & down stairs in the first months while the baby is in our room (we're not brave enough to put him/her on a separate floor as us in the beginning).
we spent an hour comparing 2 travel systems in toys-r-us a few weekends ago...i think i love this one...huge wheels & a taller handle make it so comfortable to push.
i just wish they made these for big people...need i say more?
i'm not a 'theme' person when it comes to wanting all my baby gear to match but i do like the rainforest bouncer as well as the jumparoo. it just looks so gosh darn entertaining!
silly & simple but these baskets are the only ones i've found so far that fit the dimensions of our changing table when it comes to height & width.
okay, we listened to this thing in the store and the music is to die for...i love the sounds it makes--enough to put me to sleep.
Saturday, July 5, 2008
more baby pretties
i'm getting in the baby mode again after the ultrasound, so yesterday while we were at phil & sara's, mike & phil got down the old mattress and bumper pad from mike's cradle. i'm so excited to use the cradle...it's absolutely beautiful and there is just something about laying my baby down in the same bed that his/her daddy was laid in that is just exhilarating to me.
so today i got online and searched for a new mattress, sheets, and a bumper pad. i got a little frustrated because, although there were lots of choices, many were outrageously priced or had out-of-this world shipping. finally, i got on wal-mart.com and low and behold they had some cute things. I ordered the new mattress and little bumper pad/sheet/blanket set for way less than all the other places and the shipping was free (i had it shipped to store). the whole cradle set was less than just the bumper pad from any other store i looked at and it's a cute gingham green apple pattern that will look pretty up against the dark wood of the cradle (i just hope it's quality). mike gave me the go-ahead to just order it since it could only be purchased online (& i was excited). the other awesome thing about ordering from wal-mart online is that i can return anything to the store & get my money back, which is a relief.
mike and i have also worked on our wal-mart & target registries in store & i've gotten hooked on looking through those and updating & adding to them online. yay!
Friday, July 4, 2008
mike & i are being soooo lazy today! i had a great evening last night...my family threw me a graduation party for finally getting through college! we are going to mike's grandma's for supper, but so far all we've accomplished today is sleeping in, brunch & updating our computer stuff! lazy days are so much fun, sometimes!
HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY, EVERYONE!
HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY, EVERYONE!
in love
we went yesterday and got our one and only ultrasound (provided everyone stays healthy). i was a little surprised to see only one baby, but i'm not disappointed...how could i be disappointed with this sweet thing? we didn't find out the gender--we want that to be a surprise for us and our families (although Mike kinda wanted to know). mike says the baby has my nose...andrea says all babies have my nose because i have a baby nose! oh, well...i think he/she is adorable already!
a picture of the baby's arm and tiny fist balled up next to his/her head!
an upside down picture of the baby...it's spine is on the top
a view of the baby from the top...you can see his head, tiny arm, and tummy!
two short, but sweet little videos...push play & they'll pop up.
a picture of the baby's arm and tiny fist balled up next to his/her head!
an upside down picture of the baby...it's spine is on the top
a view of the baby from the top...you can see his head, tiny arm, and tummy!
two short, but sweet little videos...push play & they'll pop up.
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