wiggles, hair & travel

1. Baby B is getting wigglier by the day - still settles down as soon as I try for Mark to be able to feel it (li'l stinker), but it's really fun. "They" say that the baby is about 10 inches long right now, and is closing in on one pound. It seems so tiny and SO BIG at the same time.
2. I had a hair appointment yesterday - just a trim, since I want it to get a little longer. But I DID go for bangs. I've had them before (recently) and I tend to keep 'em for awhile, then grow them out again. For now, I like them. They help frame my face better. (And as it's getting bigger as pregnancy progresses - that's a good thing).
3. I'm traveling to IL to visit with the fam this weekend, and coming back Monday morning (took a vacation day to help with the solo traveling exhaustion). Mark will be gone until Late Thursday Night (in Washington DC for work), so I thought a little traveling would help keep me busy. It's been about a month since I've been home - it will be good to see them.
4. Enjoy your weekend!!

missing in action

It's been awhile since I've blogged (six days - SUCH a slacker!), and it's also been awhile since I've posted something substantial (i.e. more than catching up on sleep and freezer mishaps). So here goes.
This Sunday at 11:00am (give or take) found me standing in the third row at church with tears pouring down my face (I'm normally a front-row-lover, but we sacrificed the fave position to sit with some friends). We were singing Amazing Grace, and had just sat through one of those sermons that leaves you feeling overwhelmed by God's grace, completely unworthy, and ashamed of the small, selfish life it's so easy to get wrapped up inside. As if the stress and frustrations of my life (finding maternity clothes that fit, trying to get all the laundry done, fighting off a cold) are anything compared to some of the hurt and pain that is experienced around the globe every single day.

What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, "Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed," but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.

But someone will say, "You have faith; I have deeds." Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do.

You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.

You foolish man, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless? Was not our ancestor Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. And the scripture was fulfilled that says, "Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness," and he was called God's friend. You see that a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone.

I'm not quite sure what to do about this yet... but the impact of knowing that ultimately, God has saved us by sending Jesus, but on a smaller level, He is saving people by sending US... that's not something I can not respond to.

what a difference!

Yesterday I walked through my day in a fog. After the busiest weeks of the year work-wise, and weekends of traveling and late nights - my poor body was running into the ground. I could feel it in my bones.
Last night I did virtually nothing (except have a few more snacks than I probably should have). I laid on the couch, read a little bit, and fell asleep watching reruns of Friends (it never gets old to me!)
I feel so. much. BETTER. today!! One good night's sleep can definitely make a world of difference.
On another note - I'm having a blast doing all kinds of baby-related research (like any crazy new-mama-to-be). I've surprised myself with unanticipated interest in things like natural childbirth, cloth diapers (including cloth wipes) and making my own baby food. I'm soaking up everything I can get my hands on. If anyone out there (I honestly have NO idea how many "lurkers" I have) has any experience or insight with these things - I'll take it!! I've already pestered a few people I've "met" online, and am SO PLEASED with the wealth of information - from real people (not just websites that are trying to get me to buy their fabulous product!) Leave me a note - or if you have a LOT to say, just click the "Email me!" link over on the righthand side!

kicked around

I'm definitely starting to feel some movements, courtesy of Baby B. It's wild, incredible and a little weird all at once. I'm sure no one else will be able to feel anything for a few more weeks - but I'm enjoying this Mama-Baby connection!
As soon as I'm done with work today, we're headed out for the weekend - our annual trip with the Lansing area YoungLife leaders to do some planning and enjoy our lovely camp. It should be really fun, although my new sleeping schedule (10:00pm-5:30am) is not exactly compatible with college students (98% of the people who'll be there with me). We'll see how it goes!

I guess it needed to be cleaned...

We had a lovely weekend.
Lots of down time, and lots of deciding what we wanted to do on the spur of the moment.
Walking to downtown Mason for breakfast on Saturday morning, renting movies, eating ribs with the neighbors, visiting with family, running errands... oh - and cleaning out the freezer. (We discovered the door of the freezer was open after church on Sunday morning, which resulted in a mass-exodus of all the lovely frozen foods we'd been collecting. *sigh*)
Throwing away recently-perfectly-good-food hurts me a little. And after the purple-pen-in-the-dryer incident a few weeks ago, I feel like we've been throwing away a lot of formerly-perfectly-good things.
Maybe God thinks we need to de-clutter a little.
I can't really argue with Him.
At any rate - our weekend was incredibly refreshing - what did you do?

family ties

This picture was taken almost three years ago - Christmas 2004, I think. But aside from some shorter hair on my sister and I - we pretty much look the same.
These are my siblings. Both my big brother and little sister had birthdays this month - the 18th and 20th, to be exact. I just wanted to take a minute or two to tell you (who will, in all likelihood, never meet these people if you haven't already) why they're so cool.
My big brother has thankfully outgrown all of his treacherous-teenage-big-brother ways. He does great voices, accents and impressions (usually quoting some sort of Simpsons or Monty Python type of reference). He teaches middle school art classes and is working on a Master's Degree in K-12 administration. His hobbies of painting and cooking/grilling result in much pleasure for me - lots of good food to eat, and fun original artwork in my house. It's fun to like your big brother so much as an adult.
My little sister makes me laugh pretty much every time I talk to her. She has a great, quirky sense of humor, and is also incredibly talented at funny voices. She loves to read, and majored in English and Psychology in college - so she likes to use fun, big words in everyday situations. And while I'm not quite the English-nerd that she is (her words, don't worry) - I do appreciate fun vocab words. I like to call her after work and hear how her day is going. She's one of the people about whom I can say "I *know* she loves me." And I know she loves me a lot. It's actually really humbling. But I love her back fiercely, and wish she would move to MI so we could watch silly TV and eat junky food together. But wherever she is - I still think she's one of the coolest people I've ever met.
So there they are - happy birthday to two incredibly unique and precious people to me. MANY happy returns! :)

tiny bit jealous

My mom, dad and sister are currently in New York for the U.S. Open. (Tennis, for those of you who aren't ardent fans). And I have a confession to make.
I'm jealous.
I played tennis (with average ability) in high school, and loved it. And I still really enjoy watching tennis on TV (I know - it sounds like death to a lot of people).
My sister sent a picture to my phone this morning - up close on one of the courts. And I found myself wishing I was sitting on the sidelines, watching a fuzzy green ball zoom over the net - as opposed to being at work. Go figure. I'm really excited to hear their stories when they get back.
Meanwhile - we had a check-up on Baby B this morning - listened to the heartbeat, and all seems well. Next time we go back, it's time for the ultrasound! Even though we don't want to know what we're having, I'm still awfully excited to watch our little one wiggle around on the screen. Hopefully we'll get some good snapshots to post!!

this calls for a purple heart... or something.

I stapled my thumb this afternoon.
Inadvertently. I was actually trying to remove said staple from a stack of papers because I'm a wee-bit anal and the sorry-excuse-for-a-stapler that I used did a poor job. And I simply cannot settle for a half-stapled document.
So my thumb bravely, gallantly... sacrificed itself.
It still hurts a little.
I had a great, wonderful and VERY busy weekend. We traveled, we ate a LOT of really yummy food, and traveled some more. We celebrated birthdays of my two dear siblings (and I swear, I will soon write a post dedicated their awesome-ness) and played hours of Apples to Apples.
Another really busy week at work - but again, very productive. I like getting things done. And today has been a day for doing. Once 5:00 rolls around, I'll hit the gym, then go lay on my couch and DO NOTHING. I like that too.
Happy Monday!!

shake it off?

Normally, I'm a pretty stationary sleeper. If I wake up in the middle of the night (which happens a lot, as I sleep pretty lightly), I will probably stretch a little, roll over to my other side, and get right back to snoozing.
In the past week or so, every time I wake up (which is even more frequently now that Baby B demands a bathroom break once or twice a night), I stretch my legs, and realize that the muscles in my calf have mutinied.
They clench right up and leave me in need of a professional leg massage at 4:30 in the morning. A wee bit inconvenient.
However, my lovely husband graciously rubbed my legs for me last night before bed. It didn't keep me from cramping up, but it was delightful. There's a sweet sort of intimacy in laying on the couch after a long day, sharing our stories - with a massage being given and received. Mark is getting the short end of the stick lately, so I'll happily scratch his back whenever he asks.
In the meantime - if anyone has any great keep-me-from-getting-nasty-leg-cramps-in-the-wee-small-hours-of-the-morning tricks... I'm listening!

"boy, you're popping right out!"

People are just plain funny around pregnant women.
I don't mind, because I really actually adore being pregnant (yes, even though being sick for a few weeks wasn't much fun, it was totally survive-able, and I know will be worth it).
But people say things like:
"I thought you might be pregnant, but I didn't want to say anything, just in case you'd been eating too much lately."
and
"Wow, I didn't show AT ALL until I was at least four months!!"
They stare at my stomach as I approach.
Maybe someday I'll do a sociological study and write some sort of hilariously clever and witty book about this whole phenomenon. In the meantime - I'll just pretend that I have a widely read blog.
I just started my 16th week... I feel great - energy is up (well, it usually is - as long as my work day doesn't suck it all out before 5:00pm!), and I really like the belly popping out. Right now, I'm most anxious to start feeling Baby B moving around.
We have another doctor's appointment on Tuesday - I think Mark will be able to join me for this one. It should be quick - but I'm excited to hear the heartbeat again. I *love* that sound.

I'm busier than a mattababy!

What's a mattababy, you ask?
Nothing, Baby - what's a matta with you?
(slaps knees as she laughs at her own *bad* joke!)
Whew! I know it's only Tuesday - but work this week has been a whirlwind!! Lots of students, lots of emails, lots of projects and "To-Do's..." It's great to be back in the swing of things, meeting with students, helping answer questions and solve problems. And it's a *little* stressful/exhausting at the same time.
I went home last night and fell asleep on the couch at 7:00pm. Tonight may be a repeat-performance.
Anyway - if I don't post much in the next few days, it's just because I've fallen asleep standing up somewhere. I'll find my way back. :)

just what you never knew you wanted to know

And because I know you've all been waiting for just this very thing... here are five completely random questions my sister asked me via email. And my very random answers.

1) It's the zombie apocalypse. What's the first safety measure you take?
Well, I think most zombies eat flesh and/or brains. So I'd probably smear something really smelly and bad-tasting on myself and my loved ones. Then I'd lock the door (because that always keeps the bad guys out).
2) What are the odds you'll name Blasty (Blasty is a nickname for the baby) after me?
That all depends on what you consider "naming after you." I mean, I could call the baby "Silly" or "Goober" or "Shmugg" or "Pooeypooeybuttfacehead" (I'd be Mother of The Year if I did that, I surely would) sometimes, and that would sort of be like naming it after you. Odds are fairly slim that the baby would have your ACTUAL name. Especially if it turns out to be a boy.
3) Would you rather be bald for the rest of your life or have a permanent, thick layer of hair on your chest?
Yeah, um bald. That's not even a contest. Although I'd need a lot more SPF45 sunblock to cover my noggin in the summertime. And I do think there is a funny flat-ish spot on the top-back part of my head. It would be weird to see that out in the open.
4) If I move into your basement, can I paint it fun colors down there?
But of course! As long as it's not wallpapered - you can paint it to your heart's desire.
5) What's your favorite place in the whole world?
Well, I really loved Prague and Paris and Montpelier and Ireland and London and North Carolina and California and some parts of Florida and Chicago always feels like home and I like oceans and mountains and big fields and rolling hills and I really love our little house in Michigan. I don't really like deserts. But probably my most favorite place is wherever I can be with people I love who love me back.
Or my bed - because featherbed + flannel sheets = sooo good.

Go. Read. Laugh.

There are a bunch of blogs that I check almost daily. Some are listed under "Blogs I Read" and some aren't (because I've found them since setting up my "settings" and I'm too lazy to change them).
Here's a link to a hilarious place I visit every day: Confessions of a Pioneer Woman. I just love it. Go forth and enjoy, my friends.

crazy crave

As if the ever-growing expanse of my belly, actual ultrasound pictures, listening to the baby's heartbeat, surviving morning sickness, and experiencing here-to-fore unknown levels of exhaustion in the past 2 and a half months weren't enough... I have more proof that I am, in fact, pregnant.
In the past 3 days, I believe I have consumed over a gallon of skim milk. On my own. In cereal (Cinnamon Toast Crunch, thanks very much) or in a tall glass - always very cold (because even minorly lukewarm milk makes my stomach turn).
I know - most women crave normal things like pickles or Chinese food, or delicious things like chocolate malts and peanut butter cookies. And while I enjoy eating all of those items- it is the bountiful wonder of skim milk that I cannot stay away from.
Weird.
(On an aside - I'm a little perturbed that the picture of skim milk is from Kroger - because our milk either comes from Meijer or Quality Dairy. Always. But the only other milk pictures I could find weren't clearly labeled "skim." And heaven forbid anyone click on that picture and think I've been enjoying Vitamin D Milk all weekend long. Ick. Welcome to my world of Things I Care Too Much About That NO ONE Else Would Ever Notice.)

glowing

My drive to work usually consists of smallish back roads - some residential stretches and some farmland expanses sprinkled together until I reach the booming metropolis that is our campus.
The first part of the drive is through the farms that lie just west of our little neighborhood - there are corn, wheat and bean fields nearby. Today, the corn fields boasted stalks that rose above the hood of my car... but the wheat fields nearly took my breath away.
Normally, one of my absolute favorite summer landscapes is a blue sky, green trees along the horizon, and far-reaching rolling fields of golden wheat. We hit that stage of summer about a month ago, and I loved it. The fields have turned auburn now, and have been harvested, leaving very few stalks that are tall enough to wave in the wind.
However, this morning's summer sun fell on those fields in a way that made them look to be glowing - it was as if they were being lit from underneath. Genesis 1 talks about the "spirit of God hovering over the waters." There wasn't any water today, but it sure looked like the spirit of God was hovering over the wheat fields of mid-Michigan.
I wished for a moment for my camera, but I knew just as quickly that I'd never be able to capture that glow.
Maybe some things are too beautiful to be captured on film.

favorite things

I am easily pleased.
Today I was simply tickled by the fact that I was served a full-on turkey dinner. For lunch. And it was free. (Or at least, paid for by someone else).
Mashed potatoes, stuffing, turkey, green beans, salad, rolls...
The road to my heart is paved with these things.

parties and plaques

Every year, The Eli Broad College of Business at Michigan State University (where I work) hosts its annual Faculty, Staff & Families "Barbecue." Now, you know it's not really a "barbecue" when it's spelled "barbecue" instead of BBQ. Also, when it's held indoors at our fancy "Training Center for Executive Development". But that's okay. It's the College of Business. I guess we don't really do smoky grills and watermelon slices. Pity.
Last year, I was new to my position here at the C of B, and decided it would be good networking to show up with my handsome hubby and mingle with my new co-workers. And, oh my, it was dull, dull, dull. The food was good, although I don't recall anything actually being "barbecued." It's one of those work functions where nobody really really wants to be there, and we're all just waiting for the night to end. Or at least, for dessert to be served.
So I was really looking forward to staying home and, oh, I don't know - staring at the dust bunnies along my baseboards - instead. But alas, today I found out that the program I'm partially responsible for coordinating has won an award. The Lewis Quality Award, to be exact. (Definition: Lewis Quality Awards are given annually to individuals, organizations, work teams, or cross-functional teams within the Broad School that engage in innovative activities to further the mission of the Broad School. Nominations are solicited from faculty and staff. Current and former members of the Broad School's Alumni Association Board of Directors then select the four winners.)
And while I'm happy to be part of a team and a program that is receiving accolades and has done exceptionally well - I'm a little bummed that I have to ignore the dust bunnies and mingle, eat "barbecue" and wait for dessert again this year. But bless my husband, he's willing to come back one more time and keep me company.
I would say, "Pictures to come!" but I just don't think that would do anything to drum up readership. It might scare away the four or five regulars that actually visit here once in a blue moon.
I may not be able to save myself - but I'll spare you.

fantasy...?

I was strolling across our office earlier today(about 5 minutes ago), when I witnessed one of my co-workers bringing a magazine to another co-worker. The magazine contains detailed information on NFL players, as well as cheat sheets - so that when you draft your very own Fantasy Football team, you have all the best information at your fingertips.
They huddled together for a few minutes, discussing strategies and who is considered a "sleeper" and who is a high-injury risk.
I've never played Fantasy Football (mostly because my husband doesn't even watch sports on TV) - but I'm sure it's addicting and can be really fun. I don't judge. I just found it really funny that the two co-workers who were so avidly discussing their draft strategies were Shannon and Jayne. They're talking about what their husbands do, how competitive it can get around the house...
We all have funny little things that we do to use up our free time - and I love when I come across something a little unexpected.

how i spent my free time

Mark and I were home this weekend. For the first time in 6 weeks. We've had a busy summer - visiting the lake, going away for our anniversary, traveling to Chicago, weddings, camp... but I'm a homebody. It felt so good to be at home this weekend.
I cleaned my laundry room; washed dishes; washed, dried and folded much laundry; put away veritable mountains of said clean laundry (which means you can now see our bedroom floor again); slept in; made breakfast; went to the movies; recycled 3 years' worth of laundry detergent bottles (no, I'm not joking - it may have taken us awhile, but at least we haven't been throwing them in the trash all this time...) It was so productive, relaxing and regenerating all at the same time.
It seems a little silly that a weekend of chores and mild laziness would be so refreshing. I remember when I was a kid, and I thought that it would be absolutely terrible to spend your weekend cleaning the house or pulling weeds instead of running around outside or playing games. But I do really love taking care of our home - when I'm on top of things and the place is (reasonably) clean, I feel so much more peaceful. It makes me hopeful that in 6 months when I'm at home with our baby, I'll be able to find joy and satisfaction in keeping our home.
And still find some time to run around outside and play some games.

cheer, cheer for bolingbrook high...

Sometimes it's more fun (code: easier) to answer someone else's questions than to come up with anything original to write on my own. Today is one of those days. Here are my edge-of-your-seat thrilling answers to 23 questions about my life during the 4 years I spent at Bolingbrook High School.
1. Who was your best friend?
It changed pretty much every semester, depending on my class schedule. Whoever I saw the most, I guess. But Stephanie, Cory, Susan, and Jackie are high up on the list. Great gals.
2. Did you play any sports?
I played tennis for three years. My friend Anne and I played #3 doubles, and I think we usually won about as much as we lost (maybe a little more). I was propelled by fun more than talent, I think.
3. What kind of car did you drive?
A 1985 baby-blue Chevrolet Celebrity. The A/C was broken, the tape player didn't work, the felt-covered ceiling sagged enough to touch your head, the doors had rust-holes in them, and you had to open the driver's door by rolling down the window and unlatching it from the outside. Oh, and the right blinker was broken too. I loved that car.
4. It's Friday night. Where were you?
Out somewhere with friends - movies, bowling, stalking the mall, playing pool in someone's basement.
5. Were you a party animal?
Nope. We kept ourselves busy without alcohol, and I actually thought my friends that partied were kinda stupid - they ALWAYS got caught and ALWAYS got into major trouble. Isn't it actually more fun to do stuff that won't get you busted? Ah, the superior wisdom of the teenager.
6. Were you considered a flirt?
I don't think so. I have hideous flirting abilities. My husband will vouch for that. I tend to be oblivious to oh-so-subtle male advances. That, and I was way too self-conscious to risk the whole punching a guy on the arm, bat your eyelashes and wiggle your butt thing. Luckily, I married a great guy - and he really appreciates my complete inability to flirt, even when I try.
7. Were you in band, orchestra, or choir?
I was in the musicals and sang with the church choir. Didn't feel like singing for a GRADE though.
8. Were you a nerd?
Yeah, I think so. Not out-and-out, pocket-protector nerdy, but definitely sort of a nice-girl, school is important, stay out of trouble kind of nerdy. And I'm WAY nerdy when I'm comfortable with the people I'm with. (Face it - everyone is a nerd on the inside. It's just a matter of whether you're cool enough to admit it.)
9. Were you ever suspended or expelled?
Nope. See previous stay-out-of-trouble comments.
10. Can you still sing the fight song?
Actually, yes. Don't know why though - I was never a school-spirity kind of gal.
11. Who was your favorite teacher?
Shoot. I kind of loved Mr. Buss (he taught Chemistry) - but mostly because he just laughed at the havoc Jackie and I wreaked in his classroom. Constant giggling, creating our own experiments with hydrochloric acid and jellybeans, and drawing him pictures with scented markers. But he left up one of the pictures we made for him for years after. I didn't love Chemistry, but I enjoyed Mr. Buss.
12. What was your mascot?
We were the Raiders - a big ugly pirate guy with a knife in his teeth. Pretty darn tough.
13. Did you go to the prom?
Yes - junior and senior prom. Senior prom was significantly more fun, as I recall.
14. If you could go back, would you?
To prom? No. To high school in general? No. Even if I wanted to pass on pearls of wisdom to my younger self - I'm sure I would have been much too smart and mature to actually need the help. I did have it all figured out, after all.
15. What do you remember most about graduation?
I remember that my hair was fabulous that day - I had a fun, chin-length bob, and it was a good-hair-day. I remember that it felt kind of surreal - are we really OLD enough to be graduating??
16. Where were you on Senior Skip Day?
I think we hiked at Starved Rock. Or at the Brookfield Zoo. Or we may have been at Six Flags. I know I did all of those things at the end of senior year. And it was fun.
17. Did you have a job senior year?
Yup - I worked as a cashier/guest service desk gal at Target.
18. Where did you go most often for lunch?
We weren't allowed to leave. But my all-time favorite was chicken nugget day. Every Wednesday, baby.
19. Have you gained weight since then?
That's not really fair, seeing how I was about 115 pounds back then. But yes, I have. Gained, then lost. Now it's going back up - but now I can blame it on the baby and pretend I'll be back to my "old self" in no time. Ha.
20. What did you do after graduation?
I spent the summer working and hanging out with my friends, and then came to Michigan State University to become a Spartan. And I've never left. It's a good place to be, all in all.
21. What year did you graduate?
1998.
22. Who was your senior prom date?
Brett. He was my boyfriend for about half of senior year and the first year of college. A really good guy who I treated pretty crummy at the end - but I was 18 and I had just met my future husband. There was no sense of decency in my poor little head at that point.
23. Are you going/did you go to your 10-year reunion?
Yeah probably not. There are lots of people I'd love to see again, and reconnect with. It's just that reunions seem like such an awkward way to do that. Plus, there's NO WAY Mark would come with me, and I just don't feel like doing that solo.
That's all folks - I'll try to dig up some lovely high school pictures for you to add visuals to these riveting details of my life.
Just wait.
In the meantime - look back on high school and answer these questions yourself!

in good company

I'm a social person. Not always in the way most people would think of "social" - surrounded by lots of people, always in the thick of things, constantly "on the go." But I am social in the sense that I absolutely feed off relating to others - hearing and telling stories, comparing notes on life events, realizing that emotions and experiences are shared (but not the same - so there's a lot of wisdom to be gained in listening)... I soak that right up.
There's a gal in my office right now who is about 3.5 weeks ahead of me in her pregnancy. We both had doctor appointments this Monday. We both were fighting morning sickness together for a few weeks. Neither of can wear pants like a normal person. It's fun to share, and commiserate - and even more fun since this is her fourth baby. She empathizes, is going through the same things, and has the value of perspective and experience. I love chatting with her about clothes, labor/delivery (it's still far enough away that I'm not too stressed about it yet), and all manner of pregnancy-related issues.
I'm sure the conversation (much like this post) is absolutely uninteresting to the general population of the world.
But mostly, I'm reminded that God created me to share my life. It is good for us to sit with one another, share about ourselves and listen intently as others share about themselves. It is good to laugh, good to know you're not the only one going through life. God did a really cool thing when He made us that way.

too much for prose...

So I must resort to a list.
1. Camp at Timber Wolf Lake with our middle school friends was incredible! They are fun, funny, thoughtful, mature, childish, entertaining and encouraging. God was so faithful throughout our week - we had great conversations, beautiful weather, and lots of opportunities to stretch and grow in faith!!! (pictures to come!)
2. Katie and Brian got married this weekend, and we made it back from camp in time to catch some of their reception (including their first dance - which was part lovely slow dance, and part hilarious "evolution of dance" choreography). They seemed SO happy and relaxed - I like that.
3. We ate pizza with Brian & Katie on Sunday night (the celebrities of the weekend had time to picnic on our living room floor!!), and our friend Kelsey joined us not only for pizza Sunday night, but pancakes that morning too (she crashed at our place after the wedding on Saturday). It was fun to see so many friends.
4. I went to the doctor this morning and got to hear Baby's heartbeat again - the fetal doppler is an incredibly tiny machine! For a few seconds, I could hear my heartbeat and the baby's together - it was so cool. The rest of the appointment took about 7 minutes - all is good! Tomorrow I start my 13th week... time already seems to be slipping right by!
5. Mark and I are still making progress through the 7th Harry Potter book. Since I read it out loud, it can take 30-45 minutes per chapter. Slow but steady.
6. I can no longer comfortably wear my normal pants. I think it may be time for an upgrade. People told me I wouldn't show until 4 months or so, especially since this is baby numero uno. I guess I'm a little ahead of the curve. It's okay by me - at this point, I'm excited to sport a "baby bump." Ask me again in 3 or 4 months. :)
7. My energy is back up, and I feel much more "normal." I'm gonna try to take advantage while it lasts.
8. God is good. I read James 2 this morning, and really appreciated the connection between faith and deeds. It's easy to see the parallel after a week at camp.

absences: past and future

Mark and I had the pleasure of watching our good friend Brooks commit his life to his now-wife Abbey, this weekend. We traveled to Columbus, OH for rehearsal dinner, bachelor party, wedding, reception, and brunch with the newlyweds. It was a big weekend - full of funny people, laughter, and emotions. It's awfully cool to watch two people promise to love each other - to know that they will not always succeed at keeping each and every promise... but that if they are both sincere, humble, and graceful - God will honor their commitment.
We drove from Columbus to Plymouth (Mark's brother's new home) and visited with his family there. I got to meet our new nephew, Brody (only 8 days old!) and be shocked at how big our other 2 nephews have gotten. They really do grow SO fast!
Mark and I were able to *finally* read a few chapters of the new Harry Potter book last night - but tomorrow we leave for camp with our middle school friends, and won't be able to finish the book until we get back. I'm okay with waiting - I'm just terrified that someone will give something away in the meantime. No spoilers, people!
We'll spend Tuesday through Saturday at camp (great fun!) and head straight to a wedding when we get back Saturday night (we'll be pretty late, but at least we can show up and give a little support and love!)
I think I might sleep all day Sunday.
Or read Harry Potter to Mark.

end of an era?

Tonight is the last night our friend Brooks will be living at our house. He moved in with us last July and spent the year student-teaching at a nearby high school (chemistry - yikes!). He's getting married this Saturday, heading off on his honeymoon, then moving to Atlanta, Georgia to become a big-time high school teacher and (football?baseball?both?) coach. It's going to be a pretty big, life-changing couple of weeks for our good friend.
Tonight, in honor of our last night together as a trio - we'll watch hours and hours of TV. Sometime during the fall, we got started watching Scrubs on DVD - and wound up buying the first 4 seasons (all that was out at the time). We always watch them together. It's the rule.
Last week, Brooks brought home the newly-released 5th season, and we absolutely MUST finish the season tonight.
So we'll probably share a meal, and spend the evening in good company, laughing at a pretty darn funny show. I think it will be a good "last night" for us.
But we're going to miss him.

journey into the unknown

I'd like to introduce you to the person that's currently growing inside me. I don't know much about this person yet - no idea if it's a boy or a girl (or even if it's just one person). I'm not sure what he/she will look like, or what kinds of hobbies will be pursued, or what funny things he/she will say someday to crack the daddy and I up.
I do know that this is a true blessing from God; the giver of all good and perfect gifts. I know that it humbles me to my very core to think that I'm being entrusted, along with Mark, to provide care, love, and godly instruction for this precious child of the King. I know that this baby will be ridiculously loved.
And I know I'm thrilled. Baby B is due to join us in the middle of February. I'm sure the next seven months will fly by and drag along, all at the same time!

burley bakery

I think I've developed a new hobby.
Tonight, Jayne (a co-worker and friend) is coming over to help bake some goodies for a party we're having at work tomorrow (another co-worker's wife just had a baby, and we want to welcome her to our clan!)
We're making an apple-blueberry pie, and chocolate cake from scratch. I'm excited - even though it means heating up the oven (and the house) - I'm really enjoying spending time in the kitchen. And making things from scratch.
Maybe I'm nesting.

bed and breakfast

Mark and I celebrated our 5th anniversary on Friday with a weekend trip up to Ludington. We stayed at a log cabin B&B that was beautifully decorated and made me want to gut my house and put logs on the walls. We ate a lot of good food, walked along the water and through the state park, saw a movie, picked cherries, went to bed early, and generally enjoyed ourselves very much. It was so nice to get away for a weekend and just be in each other's company. We've been very blessed these five years.
Yesterday I made two cherry pies with the cherries we hand-picked over the weekend, and Mark and Brooks were happy to help me taste-test them last night (with a little vanilla ice cream, of course). Brooks is getting married in less than two weeks, and moving to the Atlanta area shortly after. We'll miss him a lot - more than we realize right now, I think. He surprised us with the 5th season of Scrubs on DVD last night (we've watched the first 4 seasons together this year), and we spent a couple happy hours watching some very funny episodes; again - just enjoying the company.
It was a good weekend.

small towns and big projects

The town Mark and I live in is home to approximately 7000 people. It has a lovely downtown area, complete with ice cream parlor, hair salons, a book shop, little restaurants, the local bank... and in the center of the square - a courthouse, complete with bell/clock tower. We l-o-v-e it.
Last night, we sat on the curb at the corner of Jefferson and Ash Streets, and watched the 4th of July parade.
We were pelted with candy, sprayed with hoses from the fire engines (somehow doesn't seem quite legal to me....), and we tried (but failed) to count the tractors that went by. It was a fantastic, fun, small-town parade - full of pride and a sense of community.
The parade was followed with ice cream, laughs, and watching the fireworks with some of our soon-to-be-in-high-school friends. Very fun (although fireworks that start after 10:00pm make Katie sleepy the next morning).
As for big projects - we've started (and I use the term "we" pretty loosely here) to finish our basement. We'll be adding a bedroom and a half-bath, and leaving the other side of the basement open for storage and flex-space. Hard to believe our little house will be a daunting, 4-bedroom, 2.5 bath masterpiece soon (ha!) Anyway - some of the walls are framed in already, and lumber, nails and sawdust abound. I'm really excited to see the finished result.

yum?

Smokey Bones is one of our favorite places to go for dinner on date night. Why, you ask? Well, there are three fantastic reasons.
1. Pulled pork that makes my mouth water thinking about it.
2. We get gift cards from our Discover CashBack bonus that let us eat there for free.
3. Pulled pork that makes my mouth water thinking about it.

The last time Mark and I were there (which was FAR too long ago, by the way), there was a family a few tables over. Mom, dad, young son (maybe 4 years old). I saw the little boy surreptitiously spit into his palm, then offer his hand to his dad as he said, "Friends?"
Now, as a good dad, he is of course suspicious of this offer to shake his young son's hand. Plus, I don't think son was quite as sneaky about the spitting as he intended to be. Dad graciously declined. But it made me laugh (in my head - I try not to laugh out loud at strangers in public places, especially when they don't know I'm watching them). The innocence (and not-so-innocence) of youth - learning some new joke or trick that is incredibly funny, and longing to try it out on your "unsuspecting" parents.
At what point (if ever) do we realize that our parents aren't actually clueless and unsuspecting? At what point will I become that parent to my kid?

sister time

When I tell people that my sister is coming into town for the weekend, they always ask me things like, "Ooh, that'll be fun. Will you go shopping?" or "Do you have big 'going out' plans?"
Probably not.
What will happen:
We'll go to the grocery store and get some snacks and whatever we need to make a pizza with extra cheese and mushrooms.
We'll rent movies - sometimes good, sometimes bad, sometimes one of each.
We'll giggle uncontrollably about highly unladylike and childish things.
I'll paint her toenails, then paint my own. She's a very talented gal, but completely unable to paint the toenail without painting the whole toe.
We'll take walks, read books, go to Starbucks, pick up some Arby's.
And basically have a lovely, we-really-didn't-do-much-but-look-how-much-we-got-done weekend.
I love those weekends.

what a week!

Well, life got busy, and things got away from me. But it's Friday afternoon, and my sister is coming to town for the weekend, and right now - that's all I'm thinking about. :)
I'll let you know how much unbelievable fun the two of us have when I come back to bloggity-land on Monday!

whirlwinds and such

I just came off one of those weekends that is crazy-busy and at the same time accomplishing absolutely nothing. Well, not nothing. Here are the major things I did this weekend:

* Held onto my willpower and bought nothing at the Mary Kay party I went to on Friday (and my oh my were there some tempting deals). I did walk away with a new lipgloss, shower gel, hand cream, and a bag of chocolate. All for free. :)
* Crocheted many rows on the blanket for our new nephew-to-be (he's due to arrive on July 11). I'm almost done!
* Listened to SchoolHouse Rock and Leapster songs until my head began to explode. Just a little bit.
* Sat in bed with a 6-year-old, discussing all the stuffed animals that reside in his twin bed. He named one of the kittens Katie. It was cute.
* Played wiffle ball in the neighbor's backyard (we were staying at their house, watching their 3 boys this weekend).
* Had a couple nice (if a little short and interrupted) conversations with my hubby.
* Took "naps" on Saturday and Sunday - the kind where you're laying down, eyes closed, and pretty much out of it, but still listening to and aware of what's going on around you.

All in all - it was a pretty nice weekend. Not exactly refreshing - but there were distinct moments of unexpected sweetness that I really enjoyed.

Oh - and free chocolate.

dwarfed

When I was in high school, 6 of my girlfriends and I decided that we needed to assign ourselves nicknames from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. I'm pretty sure the logic was infallible at 3:42am, surrounded by caffeine, chocolate, cake, and assorted chips/pretzels/cheetos - I just can't remember why right now.
At any rate - I was dubbed Happy (and was truly happy just to not be labeled Grumpy). I recall that Jackie was Doc (she was the valedictorian), Susan was Dopey(she had unfortunate -but darling- protruding ears), Stephanie was Bashful (not actually shy, but her face could turn an amazing shade of pink when embarrassed)... and I don't recall the rest.
Despite the fact that I have officially been "Happy" since the mid-90s... today (and for the past 2-3 days), I have been Sleepy. Constant yawning, fantasies of laying down with 4 or 5 (dozen) pillows... and I even went to bed at 9:15pm last night!!!
I should inform myself that I am actually not Sleepy, but Happy. I wonder if I would be awake and alert enough to listen...

mini-vacation

Every year, Mark and I try to take a mini-vacation for our anniversary. This year (the big number 5!), we are heading up to Ludington, MI to stay at a bed and breakfast and enjoy Michigan at its finest.
I'm looking forward to sleeping in, big breakfasts, walking around a quaint downtown area, enjoying Lake Michigan, and generally relaxing with the man I've been lucky enough to call my best friend for many years now.
We'll be embarking on our expedition on July 5th - so I still have to wait a little while... but days like today (sunny, 80s) make me think of vacations.

summer lovin'

Or, more accurately... lovin' summer. Here's why:
Watermelon
Sunny days
Windows flung wide open
The sun is up before I am
Long walks through downtown Mason
Dinner on the grill
Relaxed schedules
Cute skirts
Bare Feet
Painted toenails
Thunderstorms (once in awhile)
Ice cream
Fresh cut grass
Visiting the lake

What do you like about summer?

weakness

I allowed myself to be talked into buying a new skirt last night. I saw it, loved it, and was all set to resist it and endure the heartache of NOT walking away with the adorable, colorful, flowery wrap skirt... until the two other gals who were with me started in.

D: You should get it, it's so cute.
A: Yeah, I have one like it. I love it.
D: I have one too, because A talked me into it.
Both: Do it.

And since I wanted it anyway, I caved. I probably shouldn't have. But I'm a wimp, and it's lovely and I'll wear it a lot (and since it's a wrap, it will pretty much always fit me, which is a great quality to have in clothes).
No more spending for me. Done.
Until the next cute wrap skirt walks into my life and sweeps me away...

domesticity

Lately, motivations from a variety of sources have pushed me toward the land of the Modern Homemaker.
1. It's summertime, which means we aren't at meetings twice a week where dinner is provided for us.
2. Turns that it's not an absolute end-of-the-world-imposition to run the dishwasher daily.
3. We had two ripe (almost completely brown) bananas in our fruit dish... banana bread MUST follow.
4. Mark thought it would be fun to make a pie.
5. I have the cutest green apron from Crate & Barrel - I l.o.v.e. to wear it.
6. Someone told me somewhere down the line that it's cheaper to cook at home than it is to eat out every. single. night.

Anyway - In the past week, I've made broccoli & beef stir-fry, meatball subs, banana bread, an apple-blueberry pie (ALL from scratch), and a cheesy-chicken crock-pot dish. And it's been fun. I don't think I'm quite ready to be a 1950's poster-gal for homemaking... but we all have to have a goal.

ps. The apple-blueberry pie was SO. GOOD. I can say that, because ALL I did was follow the instructions. But if you ask nicely, I might make you one.

a time to learn

I'm back from my "vacation" - and it was incredibly refreshing to be away from work for 7 straight days. I'm a spoiled girl - but at least it's already Thursday!
Here are some things I learned during my time off:
1. If I stay at home by myself for too long, I eat. A lot. It's important for me to have errands, or company or some big project to work on.
2. It's surprisingly easy to leave all thoughts of work at the office. I missed the people I work with - but not actually being there. (I do enjoy my job - don't get me wrong).
3. You can get infinitely more done when you're not at work. I can sleep in, watch a half hour of TLC, go to Home Depot, Target, Meijer and JoAnn (and take my time at each place), eat lunch, watch another 30 minutes of TLC, plant and hang flowers... at it's not even 3:00pm.
4. The gym is easy to go to when I'm at work, and it's on my way home. If I'm already at home - it seems awfully far away.
5. The bullfroggies in our backyard don't stop gulping - all. night. long.
6. Sleeping with the windows wide open is one of my favorite things (even with croaky-frog noises).
7. Except when it starts to rain in the middle of the night, and you have to run around the house, half asleep, and close the windows.
8. I live a pretty charmed little life. God is good to me!

Vacation!

I'm not really going anywhere - but I won't be at work again until next Thursday. Right now - I have plans to hang out with my friend D on Friday, and I think we'll head up to Uncle Tom's Cabin (Mark has an Uncle Tom, and Uncle Tom has a cabin on Wixom Lake) for the weekend - but other than that, I have no plans. Just the kind that don't really count. Like:
-sleeping in
-getting the house cleaned/organized
-planting some flowers/pulling weeds
-working on my sister's birthday gift (I'm making a couple of throw pillows for her - she picked out the fabric and requested them, so it's not like I'm spilling the beans on my blog)
-going to the gym in the middle of the day
It should be fun - I had to use up some vacation days before they expired. I'll try to keep blogging, but there may be a dry spell in there. So, dear loyal reader (or two), hang on - I'll be back!

lessons from the park

On Saturday afternoon, Mark and I spent some time at Rayner Park with 4 of our middle school friends. We were playing Lava Freeze Tag most of the time (a game that involves a person to be "It" who chases everyone else around the playground - if you're tagged, you freeze, but the wood chips are "lava" so you can only take one step on it at a time. This means that you must leap, climb, and shimmy your way around the park, trying to simultaneously avoid being frozen and unfreeze your "chilly" peers. It's a fun game, but I was tired and wearing shoes ill-suited to the task at hand - hence, I spent much more time being frozen than actually leaping, climbing or shimmying around the park).
During one of my frozen sessions of solitude, I watched a man playing with his two sons. One appeared to be about 8 years old, the other was probably about a year old, and fairly new to walking. Older Son was hanging upside-down, jumping off things, and generally propelling himself around the park much as any young lad would. Dad was chasing Younger Son around, making sure he didn't toddle right off some steps, or inadvertently into the tornado-like path of Older Son. The conversation Dad had with Older Son while chasing Younger Son was kinda cool:

Older Son: Dad, check out what I can do! (does some sort of upside-down flip/leap thing off the parallel bars)
Dad: That's cool, buddy!
Older Son: I can do it every time! Watch! (does it again)
Dad: Great job - but you know, sometimes it's good to do things that are hard for us. If you can do it right every single time, then you're not learning. We get better when we're doing things that we can only do right about half the time.
Older Son: (is losing interest in Dad's motivational speech) Okay.
Dad: (watching Younger Son trying to climb up a slide, land on his rear end, get up, and try again) Toddlers are great at that. They're always trying things that are too hard for them. By the time we grow up, we're not very good at that anymore.

How true! I've always liked learning things - but as I've gotten older, I've grown distinctly more concerned with being "good" at those things immediately. Makes me wonder how much I'm missing out on by being worried I'll look "stupid."

wax on, wax off

I was at the salon Saturday morning, giving my hair some much needed love and attention, and it was lovely. I have just started going to see Jena, a fantastic gal with great big curls, a warm smile, and a really down-to-earth, open-and-honest personality that I enjoy. She actually scheduled my appointment for a half-hour before the salon opens, because she "likes to spend at least an hour with any new client, just to get a feel for what they want." Her salon just opened in November, and I know her daughter (an 8th grader) from WyldLife. I really love living in a small town sometimes!
We're in the back, shampooing my dreadfully split-ended hair, and chatting famously, when she pauses for a moment, looks at me, and says,

"Would you like me to wax your eyebrows for you while you're here?"

Now, to be fair - I've been wanting to get my eyebrows "done" for awhile now, and while I by no means have a unibrow or giant, fuzzy caterpillars sitting on my forehead... they are a little unruly and make me a bit self-conscious (in that crazy way girls get about things that no one else will ever really notice or care about.)
So I picked my pride up off the floor, and told her that yes, I would love to have my eyebrows done if she had the time. And I must say - she did a lovely job.
By the end of my hour, my split ends were no more AND my dream of having my eyebrows groomed by ripping hairs out of my face with hot wax had come true. And I couldn't be happier. Jena and I have started (what I hope will turn out to be) a long-term relationship.

Peace

My grandfather Rodney (aka Papa/Grandpa) got to go home and meet our Savior on Tuesday, May 15th. Mark and I went to Illinois for the visitation and funeral on Thursday and Friday. Mark was a pallbearer(all the grandsons were, with all the granddaughters as "honorary" pallbearers, which really means you just walk behind the boys carrying the heavy casket and kinda feel bad that you're not helping), and I read two passages of scripture in the service. Grandpa was a veteran of World War II, so he had an official military send-off at the cemetery - guns, flags, salutes... it was really cool.
Obviously, everyone was mourning - but it was so cool to look through old pictures and hear my grandma tell stories about how they met and when they were first married. Those kind of things need to happen more often. I found a picture of my grandma in 1947 (she was 22, I think) that looked almost exactly like a picture of me taken a few years back. It was really neat. I think we lose history a lot - old stories don't seem important when your life is so full of deadlines and projects and meetings. But our stories don't mean much without those who came before us - and it was good to remember that.
A co-worker told me this morning that I seemed really peaceful. I feel peaceful. My grandpa is kicking around heaven right now - and that's a very good thing.

pictures from New York

For those that asked (okay, just Julie)... Here are some pictures from our trip to New York (State, not City):










Joshua and Ashley were in a fort (the corner of the room) and a monster (Mike) was after them.









Maggie liked playing in the dirt at the park (and climbing on stairs and shooting off the ends of slides...) She's a tough cookie.










This picture of Timmy makes me laugh. It's his cross between the Emperor-from-Star-Wars and the Unabomber-look.










This is everyone - six adults, four kids, one camera on a timer... not bad!

angels and phones

I think my grandfather is getting ready to trade in his earthly body for a perfect, strong, heavenly body. I don't really think he'll look much like this little angel-guy right here - but I couldn't find a picture of an angel that looked much like my Papa.
He had a stroke nearly four years ago - it left him (for the most part) unable to speak, and completely unable to move one side of his entire body. He's been in a nursing home ever since.
Two things have been running through my mind since I got the phone call last night that it "wouldn't be long."
One - that my grandfather, who has been bedridden for nearly four years - will soon be in a magnificently glorified version of his earthly body. He will be strong, healthy, able to walk - and, of course - he'll be with our Creator, which tops everything else. I found myself praying for that last night - for his release from this world and the life he's been limited to these past years; and thanking God for the eternity that's waiting for him.
Two - Papa (what we all called him when we were little - he graduated to "Grandpa" a few years ago) always carried a knife in his pocket. Not a pocketknife - but one of those retractable blade doo-dads that carpenter guys use. Therefore, he was the one I took every toy to - you know how they package kids' toys in impossibly strong plastic that will sever your bones if you try to break through it yourself. Papa just had to pull out his knife - and that Care Bears CloudMobile was mine to play with ASAP!
It's funny what you remember.
In other news - our office got new phones today, and the funny beeping and new rings have given me an oh-so-slight headache. But it's cool to have fancy new phones.

you know you're friends when...

One way to know you've got a bosom friend:
(since most of you probably have no idea what I'm talking about - I'll provide this for you. You have to scroll down a bit to find the reference)
Kristen (my friend who lives in Rochester, NY) and I met up for a girls-weekend-out back in October. We both drove to London, ON (about halfway between our homes) for a weekend of eating out, shopping, and getting pampered. We had spa appointments (facial for me, massage for her) and then we both got our hair cut.
When I showed up at Kristen's house on Sunday, I commented on how long her hair was getting.

Kristen: Oh, it needs to be cut SO BADLY! I haven't gotten it cut since October, when we were together!
Me: (laughing) Me either.

I've managed to find a friend who is as delinquent in caring for her hair as I am. And for your information - I'm scheduled to get it cut/trimmed/chopped off (I haven't decided yet) next Saturday. The end (of split ends) is in sight!

back to life

Not back-to-life in the "I was raised from the dead" sense... just back to routine, work, and home.

Mark and I left Sunday afternoon for Rochester, NY for a visit with friends who have moved away. Mike and Kristen live in NY with their two boys, Timmy and Josh. Scott and Heather (plus daughters Ashley and Maggie) were visiting family in NY and all six adults and four children (under age 5) spent an amazing two days together. Here are some highlights:

1. Timmy (who will be five in August) writes in full sentences, does Sudoku (a children's version with colored fish, but STILL) and creates perfect pictures on his LiteBrite (yes, they still make those!). Just try to hang around him for four days and not crack up.
2. God gave us absolutely perfect weather for our entire visit - sunshine, breezes, almost 80 degrees... we ate outside at every possible occasion.
3. Ashley (turned four in February) is a lovely, sweet little lady with an angel face, who graciously accepts every SINGLE compliment you give her. It left me wondering when we stop agreeing with people when they say "You are SO good at that!" and start with the whole "No, it's really no big deal, I actually kind of screwed it all up."
4. We (just the grown-up girls) went out to breakfast one morning, and the guys went the next day. I love love love my friends' kids, but it's sooo good for us to spend time together just being friends. I wanted it to go on all day long.
5. Maggie (about 20 months old) is so expressive - smiles that squinch up her whole face, a pout like you've never seen before, and the best head-down-eyes-up-looking-over-my-shoulder-so-coyly look you've ever seen. I wanted to hold her forever.
6. We went to the park, took walks, jumped on the trampoline - and that was about the extent of our schedule (aside from naptimes, bedtimes, mealtimes, and all other manner of "times" that young children will fastidiously hold to)
7. Joshua (turned 3 in February) sang a song about his favorite color (pink) and his second favorite color (purple) - and then turns around and leaps without fear all over the trampoline, the furniture, and anything else he can climb. He's all BOY - with shoulder-length blond hair and a love for shiny, pretty things.
8. I love preparing meals with friends - three or four people make things go so quickly - and even chopping vegetables and washing dishes seems like fun when you're in good company.
9. I got a glimpse of family life - kids running around, minivans, diapers, and snacks. While it looks exhausting, my heart just reaches out for it. Spending time with 2 4-year-olds, a 3-year-olds and an almost 2-year-old may make some people run for the hills. Me - let's just say my heart is so full.
10. It's just so obvious that God is with these people and our relationships. Mark said it well yesterday - it feels like there is longevity and trust - and not so much that we've known each other SO long (although it has been years) - but that you can just tell that we have years and years to come.

It's good to be back to my home and routine - but I praise God for an encouraging, full-of-blessings break.

...not exactly

Here is a snippet of a phone conversation I had last night...

Me: Have you checked on my blog lately?
Sister: Erm... I think about two days ago.
Me: Ooh, you should visit again and check out the pretty picture I posted of the bruise on my leg.
Sister: (pause) You posted B@@BS on your blog?!?
Me: Nooo... it's a bruise.
Sister: Booze??
Me: BRUISE. You're not listening to me. At all.
Sister: (laughing) You're right, I'm really not. Bruise is much better.

Two things I would never am most unlikely to post about. Never say never, right?

pretty colors

To the left, you'll see the lovely flowers my hubby sent to my office on Tuesday. Blue irises and orange lilies - it makes the whole place brighter!!

To the right... this is what my right leg looks like today. The picture doesn't really do it justice - it's a lovely bruise (and a nice sized LUMP) that I gave myself yesterday when I closed the car door across my leg. Real swift, Kate. Just in time for skirts and capris.