Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Middle Name
Ok people, This baby is coming in a few weeks, and I still have no clue what I should use for a middle name. Chris loves Madison Rachel, but I'm not sold on it. Would you help me and throw some things out there? Maybe you'll be the lucky one and I'll use your name. :)
Monday, June 20, 2011
A Woman's Sacrifice
I read this article, and really liked it. I wanted to share it with you.
http://www.mormontimes.com/article/20831/A-womans-sacrifice?s_cid=search_queue&utm_source=search_queue
A woman's sacrifice
Author: Kathryn Soper : Guest Blog See all from this author
Source: For Mormon Times
14 May 2011 6:00am
I shifted my weight on the pew and sighed as the sacrament meeting speaker stood to begin his talk.
Seven months pregnant, I was swollen and sore, big-bellied and exhausted from the constant demands of my five young children. I wasn't sure I could last the remaining 15 minutes of the meeting, let alone the final months of the pregnancy.
I nearly let out an audible groan when the speaker launched into his topic: pioneers. The last thing I wanted to hear was heroic tales of mothers who kept walking resolutely to Zion no matter what they had to leave behind. I could barely drag myself from my living room to my kitchen.
I closed my eyes and drifted into half-sleep as the speaker droned on, only to be jolted upright by my toddler's stray elbow jamming into my abdomen. The baby inside began to kick in response, pummeling my bladder and ribs as he somersaulted in his watery nest. I bit my lip trying not to cry or scream as waves of frustration broke over me.
It's horribly cliché to claim that at that very moment, the speaker said the very words I needed to hear, but that's exactly what happened. He was reading the story of the Sweetwater crossing, the day that grown men and women sat down and cried on the banks of the half-frozen river because their strength was utterly spent, the day that three young men carried dozens of people through the chunks of ice and onto the continuing path west that waited on the opposite bank.
And as those words penetrated the hazy fatigue that enveloped me, the Spirit spoke. Not with words, but with a deep impression that I roughly translate here: "Your sacrifice is like unto theirs."
I sensed within myself and how there were spirits waiting on that bank needing to cross to the other side. And how I was carrying them, one at a time, to the opposite bank, so that they could continue along the path to Zion.
Paul's words sprang to my mind, words that had burned into me years before at the start of my fourth pregnancy, when I was wondering how I would ever manage another baby.
"I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service" (Romans 12:1).
Present your body as a living sacrifice. Sacrifice — the word comes from the Latin "sancire," meaning to make sacred. That's exactly what I was doing: offering my very flesh and blood to God, to meet his purposes, to fulfill the desires for children he had planted within me.
All the pain and discomfort and difficulty, I suddenly understood, was having a sanctifying effect.
It sure doesn't seem that way, I thought as I shifted my ample weight on the pew and rearranged the various limbs of my children. I didn't feel sacred; I felt bloated, achy, irritable — even desperate, but even so, I knew it was true.
A year later, I had a miscarriage. My first. In the aftermath I grappled with many difficult feelings— grief, anger, longing. Sure, I had only been pregnant for a few weeks, but I had already invested great physical, emotional and spiritual energy in this new life and for what?
A few weeks later, I spoke with a close friend of mine who had just suffered her second miscarriage. I confided my sense of emptiness and futility. But as I continued to speak, I heard surprising words coming from my mouth.
"It wasn't a waste," I said. "It wasn't a waste."
I wasn't quite sure what I meant. But I knew that somehow, my loss counted. It was known by God and would, in some inexplicable way, contribute to his work and his glory, as well as my personal holiness.
I felt better after that, even though it still took more time to recover, both physically and emotionally. I became convinced that when women offer their bodies as vehicles for new life, they are consecrating themselves to God's purposes, and God honors this offering, whether or not it results in live birth.
I realized that this is true for women in a variety of circumstances: women who try and try, but are unable to conceive; women who face the rigors of adopting a child; women who remain single in this lifetime, who must forego maternity as well as intimacy on a number of levels.
I came to this conclusion. Every woman of faith consecrates her body as a living sacrifice. Whether our particular burden is fullness or emptiness, each of us is pushing against the world's current with our eyes on the kingdom of God.
http://www.mormontimes.com/article/20831/A-womans-sacrifice?s_cid=search_queue&utm_source=search_queue
A woman's sacrifice
Author: Kathryn Soper : Guest Blog See all from this author
Source: For Mormon Times
14 May 2011 6:00am
I shifted my weight on the pew and sighed as the sacrament meeting speaker stood to begin his talk.
Seven months pregnant, I was swollen and sore, big-bellied and exhausted from the constant demands of my five young children. I wasn't sure I could last the remaining 15 minutes of the meeting, let alone the final months of the pregnancy.
I nearly let out an audible groan when the speaker launched into his topic: pioneers. The last thing I wanted to hear was heroic tales of mothers who kept walking resolutely to Zion no matter what they had to leave behind. I could barely drag myself from my living room to my kitchen.
I closed my eyes and drifted into half-sleep as the speaker droned on, only to be jolted upright by my toddler's stray elbow jamming into my abdomen. The baby inside began to kick in response, pummeling my bladder and ribs as he somersaulted in his watery nest. I bit my lip trying not to cry or scream as waves of frustration broke over me.
It's horribly cliché to claim that at that very moment, the speaker said the very words I needed to hear, but that's exactly what happened. He was reading the story of the Sweetwater crossing, the day that grown men and women sat down and cried on the banks of the half-frozen river because their strength was utterly spent, the day that three young men carried dozens of people through the chunks of ice and onto the continuing path west that waited on the opposite bank.
And as those words penetrated the hazy fatigue that enveloped me, the Spirit spoke. Not with words, but with a deep impression that I roughly translate here: "Your sacrifice is like unto theirs."
I sensed within myself and how there were spirits waiting on that bank needing to cross to the other side. And how I was carrying them, one at a time, to the opposite bank, so that they could continue along the path to Zion.
Paul's words sprang to my mind, words that had burned into me years before at the start of my fourth pregnancy, when I was wondering how I would ever manage another baby.
"I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service" (Romans 12:1).
Present your body as a living sacrifice. Sacrifice — the word comes from the Latin "sancire," meaning to make sacred. That's exactly what I was doing: offering my very flesh and blood to God, to meet his purposes, to fulfill the desires for children he had planted within me.
All the pain and discomfort and difficulty, I suddenly understood, was having a sanctifying effect.
It sure doesn't seem that way, I thought as I shifted my ample weight on the pew and rearranged the various limbs of my children. I didn't feel sacred; I felt bloated, achy, irritable — even desperate, but even so, I knew it was true.
A year later, I had a miscarriage. My first. In the aftermath I grappled with many difficult feelings— grief, anger, longing. Sure, I had only been pregnant for a few weeks, but I had already invested great physical, emotional and spiritual energy in this new life and for what?
A few weeks later, I spoke with a close friend of mine who had just suffered her second miscarriage. I confided my sense of emptiness and futility. But as I continued to speak, I heard surprising words coming from my mouth.
"It wasn't a waste," I said. "It wasn't a waste."
I wasn't quite sure what I meant. But I knew that somehow, my loss counted. It was known by God and would, in some inexplicable way, contribute to his work and his glory, as well as my personal holiness.
I felt better after that, even though it still took more time to recover, both physically and emotionally. I became convinced that when women offer their bodies as vehicles for new life, they are consecrating themselves to God's purposes, and God honors this offering, whether or not it results in live birth.
I realized that this is true for women in a variety of circumstances: women who try and try, but are unable to conceive; women who face the rigors of adopting a child; women who remain single in this lifetime, who must forego maternity as well as intimacy on a number of levels.
I came to this conclusion. Every woman of faith consecrates her body as a living sacrifice. Whether our particular burden is fullness or emptiness, each of us is pushing against the world's current with our eyes on the kingdom of God.
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Sunday, June 5, 2011
Are you ready For Kids?
Saw this on a friends blog and stole it for you all to enjoy.
11 Step Program for those thinking of having kids
Lesson 1
1. Go to the grocery store.
2. Arrange to have your salary paid directly to their head office.
3. Go home.
4. Pick up the paper.
5. Read it for the last time.
Lesson 2
Before you finally go ahead and have children, find a couple who already are parents and berate them about their...
1. Methods of discipline.
2. Lack of patience.
3. Appallingly low tolerance levels.
4. Allowing their children to run wild.
5. Suggest ways in which they might improve their child's breastfeeding, sleep habits, toilet training, table manners, and overall behavior.
Enjoy it because it will be the last time in your life you will have all the answers.
Lesson 3
A really good way to discover how the nights might feel...
1. Get home from work and immediately begin walking around the living room from 5PM to 10PM carrying a wet bag weighing approximately 8-12 pounds, with a radio turned to static (or some other obnoxious sound) playing loudly. (Eat cold food with one hand for dinner)
2. At 10PM, put the bag gently down, set the alarm for midnight, and go to sleep.
3. Get up at 12 and walk around the living room again, with the bag, until 1AM.
4. Set the alarm for 3AM.
5. As you can't get back to sleep, get up at 2AM and make a drink and watch an infomercial.
6. Go to bed at 2:45AM.
7. Get up at 3AM when the alarm goes off.
8. Sing songs quietly in the dark until 4AM.
9. Get up. Make breakfast. Get ready for work and go to work (work hard and be productive)
Repeat steps 1-9 each night. Keep this up for 3-5 years. Look cheerful and together.
Lesson 4
Can you stand the mess children make? T o find out...
1. Smear peanut butter onto the sofa and jam onto the curtains.
2. Hide a piece of raw chicken behind the stereo and leave it there all summer.
3. Stick your fingers in the flower bed.
4. Then rub them on the clean walls.
5. Take your favorite book, photo album, etc. Wreck it.
6. Spill milk on your new pillows. Cover the stains with crayons. How does that look?
Lesson 5
Dressing small children is not as easy as it seems.
1. Buy an octopus and a small bag made out of loose mesh.
2. Attempt to put the octopus into the bag so that none of the arms hang out.
Time allowed for this - all morning.
Lesson 6
Forget the BMW and buy a mini-van. And don't think that you can leave it out in the driveway spotless and shining. Family cars don't look like that.
1. Buy a chocolate ice cream cone and put it in the glove compartment.
Leave it there.
2. Get a dime. Stick it in the CD player.
3. Take a family size package of chocolate cookies. Mash them into the back seat. Sprinkle cheerios all over the floor, then smash them with your foot.
4. Run a garden rake along both sides of the car.
Lesson 7
Go to the local grocery store. Take with you the closest thing you can find to a pre-school child. (A full-grown goat is an excellent choice). If you intend to have more than one child, then definitely take more than one goat. Buy your week's groceries without letting the goats out of your sight. Pay for everything the goat eats or destroys. Until you can easily accomplish this, do not even contemplate having children.
Lesson 8
1. Hollow out a melon.
2. Make a small hole in the side.
3. Suspend it from the ceiling and swing it from side to side.
4. Now get a bowl of soggy Cheerios and attempt to spoon them into the swaying melon by pretending to be an airplane.
5. Continue until half the Cheerios are gone.
6. Tip half into your lap. The other half, just throw up in the air.
You are now ready to feed a nine- month-old baby.
Lesson 9
Learn the names of every character from Sesame Street , Barney, Disney, the Teletubbies, and Pokemon. Watch nothing else on TV but PBS, the Disney channel or Noggin for at least five years. (I know, you're thinking What's 'Noggin'?) Exactly the point.
Lesson 10
Make a recording of Fran Drescher saying 'mommy' repeatedly. (Important: no more than a four second delay between each 'mommy'; occasional crescendo to the level of a supersonic jet is required). Play this tape in your car everywhere you go for the next four years. You are now ready to take a long trip with a toddler.
Lesson 11
Start talking to an adult of your choice. Have someone else continually tug on your skirt hem, shirt- sleeve, or elbow while playing the 'mommy' tape made from Lesson 10 above. You are now ready to have a conversation with an adult while there is a child in the room.
Monday, May 23, 2011
Moooo!!!
DON'T CLICK ON ANYTHING HIGHLIGHTED. IT PULLS UP PAGES YOU DON'T WANT. I HAVE NO IDEA WHY IT'S DOING IT, AND I DON'T KNOW HOW TO GET IT TO STOP.
So we went to Steamboat springs this weekend with Chris's team at work. While we were there we decided to try out this yummy burger place that we'd heard some people rave about.
I looked looked at their menu ahead of time and was craving a grilled chicken salad. Fate had other plans apparently. A group of 10 of us showed up and were quickly seated. After some rearranging of tables we were ready to order, except that we had no menus.
Our waiter let the hostess know and what did she bring us? Not menus, but a printed piece of paper with 6 burgers on it. "This is all we're serving today" she said. I picked up the menu, very disappointed. I just wanted a salad. I looked at my friend and our two toddler boys, and we quickly realized there wasn't one kid friendly burger on there.
I called the waiter over and asked if what was on the paper were really our only choices. He said "yes".
Lame.
It wouldn't have been so bad if there were normal burgers to choose from, but these burgers were local creations. Who really wants a burger with apple slices and goat cheese? Or a mushroom and truffle sauce with blue cheese? Definitely not me. None of us were too pleased, but since we had already made them group tables together, and felt bad for our waiter who had spilled all of our drinks, we decided to stay. What's the worst that could happen right?
So To make a long story short, the waiter came back twice to make sure he had all of our orders, because he was somehow only counting 9 when there were 10 of us. 45 minutes later, everybody's food came...except mine.
No worries, I only have a two year old son that I've been trying to entertain while he starves to death and grows more and more cranky by the milisecond.
So 5 minutes after everybody else gets their food my burger arrives. I hear some light complaining around the table of the food not being cooked all the way, or literally soaked in grease, but I didn't think too much of it, and began to cut my burger in half.
When I pulled out the knife, I noticed something odd. There was a red substance on my knife. Not blood. It wasn't any type of sauce, so I inspected it a little. It looked like uncooked meat...? So I pulled my burger open and began to inspect it a little bit more.
My. Burger. Was. Raw.
When I say Raw, I don't mean a little pink on the inside. I mean R-A-W as in never been cooked, still Moo-ing piece of meat.
Really?
Everybody then cut their burgers open to find that many of theirs weren't cooked too well. One burger was had puddled grease on it and the bun had been saturated in grease so much so that it would fall apart when touched.
We sent back 6 of the 10 burgers, and didn't request that they be remade. Two people just left, and the rest of us were grossed out enough that nothing sounded good. We waited for the four people who's food was edible to finish, and left.
Those four people were sick that night.
You know, I know this sounds weird, but I would actually consider going back to that place, just to give them a second chance. That's how bad the overall experience was. :)
On a side note, I ate 3 pints of Ben & Jerry's ice cream this weekend and enjoyed every minute of it. :)
So to make a long story short, we all ended up ordering off of the
So we went to Steamboat springs this weekend with Chris's team at work. While we were there we decided to try out this yummy burger place that we'd heard some people rave about.
I looked looked at their menu ahead of time and was craving a grilled chicken salad. Fate had other plans apparently. A group of 10 of us showed up and were quickly seated. After some rearranging of tables we were ready to order, except that we had no menus.
Our waiter let the hostess know and what did she bring us? Not menus, but a printed piece of paper with 6 burgers on it. "This is all we're serving today" she said. I picked up the menu, very disappointed. I just wanted a salad. I looked at my friend and our two toddler boys, and we quickly realized there wasn't one kid friendly burger on there.
I called the waiter over and asked if what was on the paper were really our only choices. He said "yes".
Lame.
It wouldn't have been so bad if there were normal burgers to choose from, but these burgers were local creations. Who really wants a burger with apple slices and goat cheese? Or a mushroom and truffle sauce with blue cheese? Definitely not me. None of us were too pleased, but since we had already made them group tables together, and felt bad for our waiter who had spilled all of our drinks, we decided to stay. What's the worst that could happen right?
So To make a long story short, the waiter came back twice to make sure he had all of our orders, because he was somehow only counting 9 when there were 10 of us. 45 minutes later, everybody's food came...except mine.
No worries, I only have a two year old son that I've been trying to entertain while he starves to death and grows more and more cranky by the milisecond.
So 5 minutes after everybody else gets their food my burger arrives. I hear some light complaining around the table of the food not being cooked all the way, or literally soaked in grease, but I didn't think too much of it, and began to cut my burger in half.
When I pulled out the knife, I noticed something odd. There was a red substance on my knife. Not blood. It wasn't any type of sauce, so I inspected it a little. It looked like uncooked meat...? So I pulled my burger open and began to inspect it a little bit more.
My. Burger. Was. Raw.
When I say Raw, I don't mean a little pink on the inside. I mean R-A-W as in never been cooked, still Moo-ing piece of meat.
Really?
Everybody then cut their burgers open to find that many of theirs weren't cooked too well. One burger was had puddled grease on it and the bun had been saturated in grease so much so that it would fall apart when touched.
We sent back 6 of the 10 burgers, and didn't request that they be remade. Two people just left, and the rest of us were grossed out enough that nothing sounded good. We waited for the four people who's food was edible to finish, and left.
Those four people were sick that night.
You know, I know this sounds weird, but I would actually consider going back to that place, just to give them a second chance. That's how bad the overall experience was. :)
On a side note, I ate 3 pints of Ben & Jerry's ice cream this weekend and enjoyed every minute of it. :)
So to make a long story short, we all ended up ordering off of the
Monday, May 16, 2011
Finally Finished!
BEFORE:
This project turned out to be so much more expensive and time consuming than I had originally anticipated, but in the end totally worth it.
I realized before I could do anything with curtains I had to paint my wall. $42
I picked up these babies at Iron Rod Works for $8.95 each and the tie backs which all together cost $103. Ouch.
Found 118 inch curtains at IKEA for $24.99
Bought white blackout curtains for $24.99 at Walmart.
Discovered that the panels weren't big enough, so went back and bought a second set of panels for $24.99. Lame.
Realized that I should probably buy little screw jackets for the Knob thingys so went to Home Depot and bought screw jackets for $5.
I painted. It took forever, but glad that my room finally has a 4th wall to match the rest of it. Next time Chris is doing it, or I'm paying somebody to come.
I placed sticky tack on the wall so we could evenly space out the curtains and see where we needed to screw in the pegs.
My Wonderful mom came over and helped me drill holes for all the jackets, and even come up with creative ways to fix some that weren't working.
We began to hang the curtains. Stupid us, we didn't measure the pegs, or test them out and discovered we had drilled the holes to close to the ceiling and the wall, and couldn't get the pegs in without destroying the wall. Awesome.
Realized the straight cut curtains wouldn't work AT ALL because of the diagonal of the wall. More Awesome.
Measured the angle of the wall.
Cut the curtains.
Ripped out the seam at the top of the curtains and all the little loops.
Created a new binding using the old one.
Reattached the loops to the newly angled curtain.
Patched the wall.
Bought new jackets at home depot. $2. Luckily I only needed 6 this time, as some of the jackets were usable.
Drilled new holes in the wall.
Attached the fabric hooks to the inside of the curtains.
Hung the curtains.
Dropped the drill and dinged the wall.
Another patch job.
Hung the blackout liners inside the curtains.
Blackout liners are straight cut, so they weren't hanging at all the way I needed them to.
Used super awesome Command Strips to attach the blackout liners to each other.
Use More command strips to anchor the tie backs to the wall. I love those things!
Stand back and admire the work.
I know when the curtains are closed it still allows some light through. That's the best I could do. Also I should mention my mom is a sewing genius so she's the one who sewed. Not me. I did, however, help take out the seams and cut. :)
This project turned out to be so much more expensive and time consuming than I had originally anticipated, but in the end totally worth it.
I realized before I could do anything with curtains I had to paint my wall. $42
I picked up these babies at Iron Rod Works for $8.95 each and the tie backs which all together cost $103. Ouch.
Found 118 inch curtains at IKEA for $24.99
Bought white blackout curtains for $24.99 at Walmart.
Discovered that the panels weren't big enough, so went back and bought a second set of panels for $24.99. Lame.
Realized that I should probably buy little screw jackets for the Knob thingys so went to Home Depot and bought screw jackets for $5.
I painted. It took forever, but glad that my room finally has a 4th wall to match the rest of it. Next time Chris is doing it, or I'm paying somebody to come.
I placed sticky tack on the wall so we could evenly space out the curtains and see where we needed to screw in the pegs.
My Wonderful mom came over and helped me drill holes for all the jackets, and even come up with creative ways to fix some that weren't working.
We began to hang the curtains. Stupid us, we didn't measure the pegs, or test them out and discovered we had drilled the holes to close to the ceiling and the wall, and couldn't get the pegs in without destroying the wall. Awesome.
Realized the straight cut curtains wouldn't work AT ALL because of the diagonal of the wall. More Awesome.
Measured the angle of the wall.
Cut the curtains.
Ripped out the seam at the top of the curtains and all the little loops.
Created a new binding using the old one.
Reattached the loops to the newly angled curtain.
Patched the wall.
Bought new jackets at home depot. $2. Luckily I only needed 6 this time, as some of the jackets were usable.
Drilled new holes in the wall.
Attached the fabric hooks to the inside of the curtains.
Hung the curtains.
Dropped the drill and dinged the wall.
Another patch job.
Hung the blackout liners inside the curtains.
Blackout liners are straight cut, so they weren't hanging at all the way I needed them to.
Used super awesome Command Strips to attach the blackout liners to each other.
Use More command strips to anchor the tie backs to the wall. I love those things!
Stand back and admire the work.
I know when the curtains are closed it still allows some light through. That's the best I could do. Also I should mention my mom is a sewing genius so she's the one who sewed. Not me. I did, however, help take out the seams and cut. :)
Monday, May 2, 2011
Happenings
I did it! I'm done! I'm so excited to be done with school.
Last fall I almost quit, threw in the towel.
But with the support and encouragement of the people around me, I pushed forward. Looking back I'm so happy I finished!
Here are a few pictures of that glorious day!
My Support System
Me singing with a group at the convocation for the school of education. I actually had a solo part, and I was terrified. There were a lot more people there than I had imagined. But I made it through without my voice squeaking...too much. :)
I seriously could NOT have done this without my amazing family. I'm so blessed to have such an incredible support system!
Today was also Boston's Birthday!!! I can't believe my baby is two! I wish I could freeze him in time.
He was a little nervous when everybody started singing Happy Birthday. He got over it pretty quickly and was happy to blow out his candles.
He's obsessed with Cars (the Movie) and Tangled. I figured since Tangled wasn't as manly as cars we'd go with a Cars/Lightening Mcqueen birthday.
This is my attempt at a race car track cake. I had planned to make a heavenly cream cheese frosting, but failed miserably. Chris broke the sabbath and went to the store to buy frosting 30 minutes before everybody arrived to help calm me down and stop me from crying. What? I'm pregnant!
Boston gets so spoiled on his birthday since he is the only grandchild, nephew, etc. He got crayons, cars, coloring books, everything a kid could want! His favorite gift was a soccer ball, and pop up goals so he could practice his shooting.
He kicks the ball into the net, then throws up his arms and screams "GOAL!!!!" I love it.
Here is Boston, surrounded by his toys and watching Tangled. This kid doesn't know how good he has it. :)
Last night we moved him into his big boy bed. I burst into tears after we shut his door (remember, I'm pregnant). I was sad that he is no longer my baby, except that he is and will always be. If I'm not careful, I'll end up like Marie on Everybody loves Raymond.
Life is fantastic. I'm currently 28.5 weeks pregnant, and feeling like I'm 35 weeks pregnant. She's healthy, I'm healthy, and we're all looking forward to her joining us in July.
Last fall I almost quit, threw in the towel.
But with the support and encouragement of the people around me, I pushed forward. Looking back I'm so happy I finished!
Here are a few pictures of that glorious day!
My Support System
Me singing with a group at the convocation for the school of education. I actually had a solo part, and I was terrified. There were a lot more people there than I had imagined. But I made it through without my voice squeaking...too much. :)
I seriously could NOT have done this without my amazing family. I'm so blessed to have such an incredible support system!
Today was also Boston's Birthday!!! I can't believe my baby is two! I wish I could freeze him in time.
He was a little nervous when everybody started singing Happy Birthday. He got over it pretty quickly and was happy to blow out his candles.
He's obsessed with Cars (the Movie) and Tangled. I figured since Tangled wasn't as manly as cars we'd go with a Cars/Lightening Mcqueen birthday.
This is my attempt at a race car track cake. I had planned to make a heavenly cream cheese frosting, but failed miserably. Chris broke the sabbath and went to the store to buy frosting 30 minutes before everybody arrived to help calm me down and stop me from crying. What? I'm pregnant!
Boston gets so spoiled on his birthday since he is the only grandchild, nephew, etc. He got crayons, cars, coloring books, everything a kid could want! His favorite gift was a soccer ball, and pop up goals so he could practice his shooting.
He kicks the ball into the net, then throws up his arms and screams "GOAL!!!!" I love it.
Here is Boston, surrounded by his toys and watching Tangled. This kid doesn't know how good he has it. :)
Last night we moved him into his big boy bed. I burst into tears after we shut his door (remember, I'm pregnant). I was sad that he is no longer my baby, except that he is and will always be. If I'm not careful, I'll end up like Marie on Everybody loves Raymond.
Life is fantastic. I'm currently 28.5 weeks pregnant, and feeling like I'm 35 weeks pregnant. She's healthy, I'm healthy, and we're all looking forward to her joining us in July.
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Decorating Help with Curtains
Ok Friends,
I need your help.
Our bedroom window faces east and around 5am everyday the window gets lit up from the sunrise. It's driven us nuts for two years, and we've decided it's time to do something about it. Here's where you come in. I can't decide how to hang the curtains.
You see, in the day I love all the light in our room, but in the early morning it's waking me up. Also, since Chris is up at 3am for work he usually will come home and take a nap for a couple hours. If we could cut down on the light during those two times during the day it would be marvelous!
I've come up with three options for hanging curtains and cutting down the light in our room and I want your opinion on what you think would look the best.
Above is option #1. I would hang the curtains outside of the inset window. So when the curtains were closed it would be covering the entire cove. (I'm calling it a cove because I'm not sure what else to call it.) This would be a more dramatic effect, and I'm not sure about it. But I could open the curtains whenever and still let all the light of the full window in.
Above is option #2. With this option I would split the window into two parts. The arch, and the big window. I would hang the curtains inside the cove and just over the square window. The arch I would block out all the light by using a piece of white particle board and covering it with a white fabric. I could remove it if I wanted to, but in all honesty it will probably just stay there. I like the look of this option, but I don't like that the light from the arch would be blocked out all the time...so I'm torn.
Above is option #3. With this option their are two curtain rods hung parallel to the ceiling. I would put a small hook at the top to keep the curtains from sliding back down when closed. When the curtains are closed they'll block the entire window, but they won't hang parallel to the floor, like the picture shows. When they're open they'll allow all the light from the window, and hang at all the same length.
So there are my three options for hanging curtains in our room. Let me know your top choice and why you like it the best, and maybe why the other two options wouldn't look good/work. I know you are all much more creative than I am, so that's why I'm turning to you for your opinion. Also, if you think of a better way please let me know!
Also, below is a sneak peak of Boston's new room. We're still working on it, but we're excited what it's looking like so far. :)
And here's a picture of my little guy, busy at work. He's been super into coloring lately. He's very focused on staying inside the lines. :)
I need your help.
Our bedroom window faces east and around 5am everyday the window gets lit up from the sunrise. It's driven us nuts for two years, and we've decided it's time to do something about it. Here's where you come in. I can't decide how to hang the curtains.
You see, in the day I love all the light in our room, but in the early morning it's waking me up. Also, since Chris is up at 3am for work he usually will come home and take a nap for a couple hours. If we could cut down on the light during those two times during the day it would be marvelous!
I've come up with three options for hanging curtains and cutting down the light in our room and I want your opinion on what you think would look the best.
Above is option #1. I would hang the curtains outside of the inset window. So when the curtains were closed it would be covering the entire cove. (I'm calling it a cove because I'm not sure what else to call it.) This would be a more dramatic effect, and I'm not sure about it. But I could open the curtains whenever and still let all the light of the full window in.
Above is option #2. With this option I would split the window into two parts. The arch, and the big window. I would hang the curtains inside the cove and just over the square window. The arch I would block out all the light by using a piece of white particle board and covering it with a white fabric. I could remove it if I wanted to, but in all honesty it will probably just stay there. I like the look of this option, but I don't like that the light from the arch would be blocked out all the time...so I'm torn.
Above is option #3. With this option their are two curtain rods hung parallel to the ceiling. I would put a small hook at the top to keep the curtains from sliding back down when closed. When the curtains are closed they'll block the entire window, but they won't hang parallel to the floor, like the picture shows. When they're open they'll allow all the light from the window, and hang at all the same length.
So there are my three options for hanging curtains in our room. Let me know your top choice and why you like it the best, and maybe why the other two options wouldn't look good/work. I know you are all much more creative than I am, so that's why I'm turning to you for your opinion. Also, if you think of a better way please let me know!
Also, below is a sneak peak of Boston's new room. We're still working on it, but we're excited what it's looking like so far. :)
And here's a picture of my little guy, busy at work. He's been super into coloring lately. He's very focused on staying inside the lines. :)
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
I'm Lovin' It!
I love that I'm home now.
I love that when Boston wakes up in the morning we jump into my bed and just cuddle and hang out.
I love that I'm home with him so I can get huge hugs and kisses from him.
I love that he'll follow me around and just "talk" to me for hours. I love being able to play with him.
I love that I have time to make dinners again, and do laundry and a chore a day.
I love that Chris is happier since we can spend time together.
I love that I have time for projects, like making a quilt, or developing other talents.
I love that I can sit down and read a book.
I love that I can focus on things like my son and my husband with out being stressed or losing sleep because I still have homework.
I just love this time of my life.
Seriously.
I love that when Boston wakes up in the morning we jump into my bed and just cuddle and hang out.
I love that I'm home with him so I can get huge hugs and kisses from him.
I love that he'll follow me around and just "talk" to me for hours. I love being able to play with him.
I love that I have time to make dinners again, and do laundry and a chore a day.
I love that Chris is happier since we can spend time together.
I love that I have time for projects, like making a quilt, or developing other talents.
I love that I can sit down and read a book.
I love that I can focus on things like my son and my husband with out being stressed or losing sleep because I still have homework.
I just love this time of my life.
Seriously.
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
I'M DONE!!!!
I feel like a saga has come to an end! I started my quest to finish school at the beginning of 2003, and 8 years later, I'm finally done! Today, I finished my senior project and my portfolio! Everything is ready to go, tomorrow is my last class, and on April 7th I will have my exit interview.
I'm so glad I stuck it out. In the end it was completely worth it! I'm going to have a SUPER BIG CELEBRATION!!!!
Yay for being done with school and moving on with my life!!
I'm so glad I stuck it out. In the end it was completely worth it! I'm going to have a SUPER BIG CELEBRATION!!!!
Yay for being done with school and moving on with my life!!
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