Can ya feel the love?

I'm a lucky girl.

Well, kinda.

Aside from needing to puke every 2.1 seconds.

But other than that, I'm a lucky girl today.

I'm a lucky girl, because today of all days, for the first time ever, I am the proud recipient of not one, but TWO bloggy awards! AWWWWW.....

My newest blog aquaintance Kelly at Life with 3 boys gave them both to me! She must have known this girl really needed a boost today :) They both mean so much coming from her, because while she is one of my newer bloggy friends, she is always encouraging and has just the right thing to say. Thanks Kelly. :)

One is this:



and the other is this:


a nice little blog smooch. *sigh*

So excited to pass these on to a few worthy recipients!

I'm passing on the Mwah! to my mommy at Journey Blossoms because mommas are just the best at giving smooches just when you need them.

I'm passing on the 'Spread the Love' award to my friend Carey at Redhead in Vegas because we miss her everyday since moving back from Las Vegas and I just think she could use a little Oregon love :)

So? Can ya feel the love?

Gross.

I'm not going to lie...I am feeling like MAJOR butthole.

Sorry mom, if you are going to wash my mouth out for that one, could you consider using soap of the non-scented variety? Thanks...

I find myself making myself sicker over worrying that I'm going to throw up. I HATE throwing up. I know that throwing up isn't all rainbows and sunshines for ANYONE, but honestly the thought of doing it actually sends me into a bit of a panic attack.

Not kidding.

I would rather die than throw up. Ever.

Seriously.

Laying in bed last night (which seems in this pregnancy to be my sickest time of day-the evening time) I was just sure at any moment the chunks would start flying. I unwillingly flew into panic mode. I could feel my heart rate just soar and that panicky skin-crawling feeling set it.

Lord, take me now please.

Ok, fine. I gave in, and decided 'I'm just going to SIT in the bathroom for a while. Not throw up, but just SIT.'

So I sat.

And sat.

And choked back any feeling of upchucking continuing to arise. Yes, I'm sure that just throwing up and getting it over with would have made things must simpler, but this girl doesn't just throw up. I wretch. And gag. And It comes out my nose.

I just wasn't ready to give into that quite yet.

So eventually, with all tummy goodies still intact, I slowly made my way back to bed and nudged John and asked him to pray for me.

That precious man laid his hand on me and pleaded with God on my behalf to spare me of the dreaded sickies and tiredness and asked that PLEASE let THIS pregnancy be somewhat of an enjoyable one for us.

I just love that guy. *sigh*

I went to sleep *FINALLY*.

I dreamed that I was pregnant with twins.

Just to clarify....

There have been a few questions as of late that I felt the need to clear up for you, my dear and faithful readers.

Let's begin.

1. YES! We are pregnant!! Bun in the oven. A BUN IN THE OVEN PEOPLE!! Was it THAT hard to figure out?! *sigh*
Should I have just put 'KNOCKED UP' in big bold letters instead?? I'll keep that in mind next time.
HA.
Next time.
You wish.

2. REALLY?! My oven is clean?? hahaha Could be because I NEVER USE IT?! C'mon. Did I REALLY need to spell that one out for ya?? :) You should have known....
Actually, because I'm so lame in the cooking/baking/having anything to do with the kitchen area of life, I saw a few darks spots on the bottom of the stove before I took the blasted picture and immediately thought 'oh dear lord, these people are totally going to think that in addition to not being able to prepare food in any sort of way, I ALSO can't manage to clean my stove.' But in my quest to be more real with my fellow bloggers, I decided to leave those glorious spots right where they were. I guess I was wrong in judging your reactions, friends. So sorry.

3. Speaking of the good old stove again- ALAN!! Did ya REALLY have to mention the fact that racks are IN BACKWARDS??? crap...I've been found out. I actually discovered my backward racks when we first moved into this house....about six months ago....but as little as I actually use the friggin' thing, the only time I think to switch them around is when the oven is HOT AS H-E-DOUBLE HOCKEY STICKS, and at that point I have no desire to try and switch them around, as I am an extreme klutz anyways, and to combine that with a hot stove, well.....thats just not good common sense.....

4. No, the pouty faces that Liv and myself are making in that previous picture aren't due to her finding out that she will soon be competing for mommy and daddys attention. In fact, we haven't really outright told her yet-just in case the worst happens, seeing as I'm not very far along yet, I didn't want to try and explain THAT to her, so we are going to hold off on the news with her until we go to our first appointment next month, where we will take her, then we can surprise her with seeing 'her baby' on the ultrasound.

Hope I've cleared a few things up for you dear people. This momma is pretty spent now, so I'm going to go do....well....NOTHING.

A picture is worth a Thousand words....

I'll just let that one soak in a little for you all.

Just one of those kind of days

Not the brightest flower in the bunch....

Let's all say it together now: DUHHHHH!!

No longer a Meme virgin......

One of my newer Bloggy friends-Kim over at Life After...-tagged me for this bad boy, so here goes nuthin'...

HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN BLOGGING?
I believe that October? of 2006 I created my very first blog. After about 2 posts, I forgot my password, and became uninterested, so I restarted this one last year.

WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO START A BLOG AND WHO ARE YOUR MENTORS?
Ya know, I think it was my mom who started one first, then I copy-cat her. :) Thanks mom.
Let's see, blogging mentors.....
I get SO excited when AJ posts new blogs, because the way she writes is a lot of times how she talks in real life, it's so humorous, and often times insightful all at the same time!
I'd have to also go with my Melissa girl who I just love to pieces-she was my very first 'bloggy friend' and we 'met' through our unmistakable love for Diet Coke. :) She's real in her writing and has a love for God and others in her life that I can only hope to mirror someday!

ARE YOU TRYING TO MAKE MONEY ON-LINE OR JUST DOING IT FOR FUN?
Nope, this girl is all about fun. I signed up for AdSense at one point but then canceled it because I didn't feel like figuring out the tax stuff for it next year. HA!

WHAT THREE (3) THINGS DO YOU LOVE ABOUT BEING ONLINE?
1. That the world is my Oyster. Wait. Is that how it goes?? What I mean is, I love how I can be ANYWHERE in a matter of seconds, whether it's bloggy land or WebMD trying to figure out what the crap my daughter has NOW...

2. I love being able to 'chat' real time with people that I don't get to see as often as I would like. For instance, Mine and Emili's weekly American Idol online date night. We both get online as soon as the show comes on and chat about it while watching. It pretty much goes like this:
Emili: HAHAHAHAH
Abbie: HAHAHHAA
And so on...

3. With out a doubt, one of the things I truly LOVE about being online is all the new bloggy friends I would have probably never met had I not started my blog. I have never felt so encouraged, and so supported as I have by my bloggy girls online. You guys are truly an incredibly special group of ladies, and I love each of you to the moon and back!

WHAT THREE THINGS DO YOU STRUGGLE WITH ON-LINE?
1. Ooh, I'm totally going with what Kim put for her number one. Whenever I find a blog that I absolutely LOVE and totally connect with in that 'totally made me laugh' or 'I SO know what you are talking about' kind of way, I just MUST comment, then I get all nervous thinking that this person will totally see me as a weirdo stalker. yikes.

2. I struggle with that stupid USA TODAY daily crossword on their website. ugh. I like to think I'm A LOT smarter than I really am regarding these bad boys....but alas, I should probably just stick to the 'Easy Crosswords' book that you can buy at the store. Those easy three letter answers are ones I KNOW I can get every time. :)

3. To Buy or not to buy. Enough said.


Ok...let's see...which one of you lucky readers will be tagged for this beast of a meme??
1. Melissa - because I've had enough of looking at that picture of that HIDEOUS insect every time I peek at your page...TIME FOR A NEW POST.
2. Katie - because I'm just certain with 3 little girls running around and another little peanut on the way, you just have TOO much time on your hands. Thought I would be so kind as to give you something to do. :)
3. My Mommy Dearest - because I don't really think I've ever asked you why you started your blog. AND I can always use more info to hold against my mommy for when she's old and senile. :) Love you mom.
4. Aww shoot, anyone else that wants to do it :TAG! YOU'RE IT TOO! You know I just hate leaving people out. :) Let me know if you do this so that I can be sure to stalk/peek at your page! :) (like I won't anyways....sheesh....)

Cinderella

Grab your hankies and have a listen! *sigh*

Special Day

Thursdays are the highlight of every week for Miss Olivia and Myself.

Every Thursday we get in the car and drive the few blocks to our church for Womens Bible Study, where Livie gets to go play with all her little friends in the church childcare, and Mommy gets to fellowship with *GASP!* other adults for a few hours.

While getting to play with someone other than mommy for a few hours is fun, the absolute BEST part of the day for Liv is that afterward we walk over to the church office where we spend a little time visiting with Nana (my mom) who is the Church Bookkeeper, and 'Shewwy' (Sherry) who is the Office Administrator.

Here is a little photo documentary of our weekly visit:



Walking over to the Office


Giving Nana a big Hug


Gotta give our Shewwy a squeeze!


Picking out 1 piece of candy from the bowl.
(usually turns into 2 or 3)


Nana, Mommy and Livie

Kaylee and Livie

A few of you have told me that the pictures weren't showing up on my last post. Well, they were just too cute for you all to not see, so hopefully it works this time!

Plague: Avoided....for the time being....

So it appears for the time being Liv and I have avoided being body hosts for this nasty plague-type cold that has descended upon our home.

The only thing I have managed to contract as of yet is a coming and going sore throat right in that weird place between your nose and your throat and an off again/on again runny nose. yuck. And Livie had a little snot drainage yesterday and a weird cough this morning that seems to be getting a little better as the morning goes on.

Hmm. Maybe we haven't avoided it as much as I would have liked.

Score: Livie and Mommy-2
Nasty Plague Cold-0

Yesterday Liv and I got to meet up with our Bestest Friends-Megan and Kaylee. Megan and I have been Best Friends since the 4th grade and our girls are only about 6 months apart, so MUCH fun is had whenever we are together.
Megan is getting married at the end of this summer, so we went and met up with her and Kaylee at the big Bridal shop in the town over from us so that Meg could try on her dress and shoes again.

It's so much fun to watch our 'babies' play together: it's seriously like a mini-megan and mini-me running around. Kaylee is totally the more laid back of the two, just as her mother was, and Liv is more in her face, hamming it up, trying to make her laugh, just as HER mother was!
Kaylee is long and lean like her momma and Liv is a little more stocky, and built more like a football player, like....well.... her momma! haha
Oh man, it is such a hoot to sit back and watch. Unfortunately, we don't get to play near as much as we would like to, because we live a ways away from each other, so it's quite special when we are able to get together.

Emergency Alert System

Sound the alarms!

Remove any and all persons of the male persuasion from the immediate vicinity ASAP!

Note: THIS.IS.SERIOUS.

There is no mistaking this, my friends: The Man-Cold has officially made it's way into our home.

Pray for my dear husband as there is no telling whether or not he will make it through. And pray for me as I try and have the utmost compassion and understanding for him during this trying time.

*this has been an alert from the spouse of the most recent recipient of the Man-cold*

Drugs? Yes, please!

I've come to the conclusion that my daughters immune system is a tad bi-polarish.

Now, in NO way am I making light of a condition that I know full well effects MANY MANY Americans daily, but it just amazes me that one day she can wake up on the brink of death, laying on the couch ALL.DAY.LONG., moaning and crying, hardly able to open her watery puffy eyes, and then the very next day wake up and be her normal, chipper, makes-mommy-want-to-pull-her-hair-out self.

I'm SO happy that she's better-I HATE seeing my baby sick, but the oh-so-cuddly aspect of her being sick isn't so bad, so maybe could we find a happy medium and strike her with a 'cuddle cold' instead of the 'I'm pretty sure this virus is becoming her cold'.

On to other news on the home front:

I've been partaking in the Slim Fast meal bar diet. The extra ba-dunk-a-dunk that I've been carrying around as of late has become a bit much-a-much, so why not give my Slim Fast friend a try again?? For lunch I eat a Slim Fast meal bar, a handful of carrots and a Diet Coke.

Come dinner time I'm prepared to eat a small horse.

As of today, I realized by lunch time I'm a bit shaky, so I caved and made my self a nice Turkey sandwich and pringles and my glorious Diet Coke. I'll probably top that off with some yummy gummy bears.

Thats just how I roll.

I'll pick back up with my not-so-diet-plan on Monday. Until then, I'll just believe my hubby when he tells me how much he LOVES that extra jiggle on my behind as of late. Maybe.....

A little Stuart in your day

Caring for sickly toddler all day has left me a little 'outta gas' so to say. So, in order to feel as though I entertained you to even the tiniest degree, let me introduce you to my friend Stuart. I promise, you will hate him and love him all at the same time! Enjoy!

Our 'special' daughter

I guess I can't complain TOO much....it's obvious she REALLY is our daughter now.

I present to you the many faces of Olivia:




*EXCITED LIVIE*



*SPECIAL LIVIE*



*MYSTERIOUS LIVIE*



*GRUMPY LIVIE*



*EXHIBITIONIST LIVIE*

OH he's SO totally going to kill me for this.

I'm just the messenger. It was all Jennys idea. Right Jenny?? Right?!

I just had to see for myself.....yup, there IS some resemblance!! I see it mostly in the shape of the eyes, the pouty bottom lip, and maybe the nose??

Introducing John, I MEAN, Jason Earles or 'Jackson' on Hannah Montana.....




And John, my handsome hubby, being silly:

Oh the things we do to pass the time....

Just thought I would share with you all what happens when boredom encroaches upon the hubby and I. The scene is set somewhat like this:

Me: here, smile.

John: k.

both of us: HAHAHAHHAHAH

Repeat that exact scenario about 10 times and you get a series of pictures like these:








Oh man, this never gets old.....

My pooping pro

No, I'm not talking about my husband. Though you are a GREAT pooper honey, and don't let anyone tell you different. :)

It's my adorable daughter. I don't think I've ever been so excited about anything as I am for my daughters potty accomplishments as of late. I seriously feel like NO ONE elses child has EVER accomplished using the potty, and MY daughter is the bomb diggity where the bathroom is concerned. I have felt the need over the last two days of Livie's constant successful use of the potty to immediately call my mom and let her know that 'Livie just told me she had to go pee pee and then she did!!' or 'Livie just sat on the potty and pooped!!'.

REALLY? Why do I feel the need to let people know whenever my daughter goes pee pee (in the BIG GIRL potty mind you) every.single.time.? I really don't know. Probably because I thought the day would NEVER come. What I do know is that it won't be near as cute to tell people when she's a little older, say, 13. That would be just creepy. So, I'm stopping now. This will be my last post regarding this issue for a while. We still have quite a ways to go on our little potty adventure, but for now I'll leave you with this picture:

She officially pooped IN the potty today. And call my crazy, but I couldn't be more proud! :)

Patience is a virtue

Or in the case of my little adventure this morning, patience was the only thing keeping me from bashing my face into the wall.

Are you ready for it?

I VOLUNTEERED IN THE 2-YEAR-OLD SUNDAY SCHOOL CLASS.

Never in my life have I needed a Diet Coke and a nap more than I do now.

I came home resembling a sort of Medusa-like creature, snapping at everyone, scowling and rubbing my eyes like I had been up for 4 days.

I've always known my passion in life certainly isn't teaching/caring for/feeding/reading to younger kids. It's not that I don't think they are adorable, this age group just really isn't my cup of tea. I love being around older kids, and always thought being a junior high PE teacher would rock my world; And since being a mommy myself, I've come to realize that I think I'm just one of those people who will be a better mother to older kids. Not that I'm a horrible mother now, I just have a certain lack of patience that I know is absolutely mandatory when raising young children.

I remember when my Best Friend Megan and I were kids, we always planned that when I had kids, I would send them off to her when they were born until they turned oh 8 or 9 or so. Then I would take them back. I laugh at that now, but secretly wonder if thats still possible. hmm. I'm JOKING people, just joking. kinda.....

I've never had so much appreciation for what my daughters wonderful Sunday School teachers do every Sunday. They deserve 8.9 Trillion dollars....and a nice big bag of Chocolate covered gummy bears.

My Husband does NOT have a record....I swear.....

MyHeritage: Celebrity Collage - Family pictures

Not sure why this friggin thing wouldn't fit on here all the way, but you get the idea-My daughter STILL looks more like her father, even if I pick the most criminal looking picture of the bunch. *sigh* I promise, I really did push her out of my hoo-hoo, she really is mine....

Houston, we have a problem.

Just thought I would fill you all in on what I'm doing right this very minute:

Watching 'How to Look Good Naked' and eating chocolate covered gummy bears.

Hmm.

NOT.GOOD.

The diaper dilema continues

So a few days ago Liv FINALLY went pee pee on the potty after a few months of a long 'NO POTTY' stretch. Her peeing on the potty attempts are about as sporadic as her mothers bowels.

Yeah, thats right, I said it.

I was mentioning to a friend the other day that *surprisingly* Livie always seems to want to try and go pee pee when she's trying to get out of doing something else I've asked her to do. What is she going to do in high school?

Teacher: Please turn over your papers and begin your pop quiz.

Livie: *raises hand* Nope, can't do that, I've got to take a dump first.

I don't think so.

Well, last night it was bed time and we asked Liv to grab her blankie and baby and head upstairs and her reply (while stripping naked, because of course the ONLY way to effectively go potty is to do it in her birthday suit!)was: Nope, I need a try a go potty first.

*sigh* fine. I can't very well deny my child the use of the potty, because despite all the other potty failures we've had, what if THIS is the time when she'll go??

So, she's sittin, says 'I did it!', we look and no she didn't, she's getting off the potty, getting on the potty, unsticking her buttcheeks from the potty and laughing, she tells me 'I did it!', we look and no she didn't, shes asking for a book, wants me to watch, wants daddy to watch, wants me to close the door. It's a never ending cycle. But ANYTHING to avoid going to bed.

Finally I convinced her she doesn't NEED me standing next to her in the bathroom while she goes pee pee like a big girl. So I'm standing out by the couch and she comes racing out 'MOMMY!! I DID IT! I DID IT! I WENT POTTY!!' I think 'this HAS to be the real deal, she's obviously sure she really did it!'

I don't see anything.

me: Are you sure Liv? Are you sure you went potty?

Livie: YEAH MOMMA! LOOK! I GO POTTY! I GOTTA TELL DADDY! YAY!!!

Bless her heart, why would she be so convinced that she went when she really didn't? I didn't have the heart to tell her 'no, you didn't', because well, she tried, right?? So I, on the sly, gave John the just-go-with-it look and we praised her, told her good job, yada yada yada.....

I then lay her down on the floor to put her diaper on since it's now bedtime and as I'm lifting her little legs up, what do I see?

A little poop stuck right in between her buttcheeks!! *GASP* No WONDER she thought she went potty, it's because she REALLY DID!! It just didn't fall in the toilet as according to plan.

So, I'm happy to announce that my precious little girl pooped in the potty for the very first time last night!

It appears my plans of having to send Depends with her to highschool with her will be put on hold for the time being. We'll see if this little 'going on the potty' trend continues....

Pass the Pepto

Yesterday was one of those days.

One of those days where you are just sure your nether regions will just BLOW from the amount of pressure building in your intestines. It was one of those days for me where all day I would feel the thunder start to rumble down below, and I would drop whatever I was doing to race to the bathroom, just sure if I didn't make it in time there would be a horrifyingly embarrassing mess to clean up. One of those days where after EVERY race to the potty to settle my tuckus on what I like to refer to as the porcelain throne, there would be NOTHING. Not even a courteousy toot. *sigh*

Oh a day in the life of my unpredictable bowels.

I'm not mental. I swear.

Ok having gone back and read and re-read my last post from this morning, I realize I may have had a temporary freak out moment. Jenny left a calm-lets-look-at-this-from-all-sides comment, and may have put me in my place. Temporarily. :) No, I don't hate you my sweet Jenny, it's people like you that I thank God for bringing in and slapping my hand and saying 'hey, take a breath and maybe a chill pill while you are at it'.

While I don't necessarily agree with the fact that this mother thinks we should be encouraging our children to 'touch' themselves, I think this woman, like Jenny suggested, may have been just presenting the idea of not being so quick to act on impulse (like beating the crap out of our kids) when we see them doing something that we may feel might be less than kosher. While this is a bit of a 'touchy' (no pun intended) subject with me, I will take breath (and maybe a pill or two) and reconsider the idea of burning all my parenting magazines.

Thanks my sweet Jenny friend. :)

I must have missed the memo....

So here I was reading my new Parenting magazine yesterday when I came across the most terrifying note that a mom had written in to the magazine regarding a past article. In fact, this little paragraph upset me so much, I'm still contemplating whether or not I want to continue on with my subscription if this is something that this magazine supports/encourages. Thats big for me. I'm pretty good about looking past things that I may not agree with to be able to enjoy the things that I do agree with. Not this. I.WAS.HORRIFIED.

Here's the letter-

"It's nice to see healthy and progressive ideas about sexuality in your magazine ["Touchy Subject," Ages + Stages]. Instead of making kids feel ashamed for exploring their bodies, parents should encourage it. Society teaches us from an early age that our bodies are more "sacred" than what they really are: functional and enjoyable!" -N.G., New York

WHA??? I just about nearly had a panic attack reading that again. Of COURSE our bodies are sacred things!! Thats how our awesome God intended them to be! He also did intend for us to 'enjoy' them, but in a way that is honoring ourselves and our creator.

Now, in no way would I ever condone making your child feel 'ashamed' for any reason. There are more efficient ways to get a point across to your little one. I DO have to disagree with the fact that society pushes the idea of 'sacredness' of our bodies on people though. I think it's quite opposite actually, I think society has completely demoralized the beautiful act that God created sex to be. That makes me sad.

It's mothers like this that make me worried for what the future will hold. What are we teaching our precious children in preparation for the world and the issues and sins that they will without a doubt face??

I'm getting off my soap box now. This is starting to sound like a bunch of babble and thats the last thing I want.

I really think this all goes along with that Moms for Modesty thing. I think we need to teach our kids how important it is to present our bodies and care for our bodies in a way that is honoring God.

Enough said.

Bloggers not so Anonymous

60%How Addicted to Blogging Are You?

Find lpn programs near you

How often to you check each others blogs?? Are you constantly 'blogging' in your head like I am??
Do you change your layout 8.9 million times like I have? haha Oh lord I've definitely lost my mind.....

At least I only scored a 60%. Theres still hope for me, right? RIGHT?!

I'll get you my pretty!!

There is a small chance that Dorthy and her posse from the Wizard of Oz flew through here all day yesterday and last night. WOW! Talk about a wind storm.

Putting Liv to bed last night was nightmarish. No pun intended. Well, maybe a small one. ;)
After we prayed I gave her a hug and quietly sneaked out while Daddy gave his hugs and 'don't scream, don't get out of bed' threats, and I came downstairs to wait for him. Once I eventually heard him making it down the stairs, I could also hear Livie yelling for him. With a sigh he sat on the couch and said "the rain is MAJORLY beating on her window and she's scared".

Instantly my mind goes to 'ok, how can we make this NOT scary?'. How can we make her little 2-year-old mind understand the rain and wind in a not-so-scary way? Can't exactly tell her that the rain is God crying (why is he so sad?) or that God is peeing (eww). What about the wind? Sneezing??
I think I've got a grasp on the whole thunder thing-it's just God clapping because he's so darn happy!

*maybe I've just lost my mind and need to sit her down with a science book and give it to her straight*

What do/did you mothers tell your children at this age to calm their fears?

Got change for a dollar?

I can't believe this is actually my 50th post. Was there really 50 things worth posting about?? No. But at least I think I got a few giggles out of them and thats all that matters!
So, to celebrate this milestone, I will attempt to share 50 things about me that you may or may not already know. ATTEMPT is the key word here. I may steal a few from my 'About Me' section on my profile. Oh boo. YOU try coming up with 50 things about yourself.

*ahem*

1. I love cats. We weren't able to bring our kitties with us when we moved into this new house, so they moved in with the in-laws-and it breaks my heart to not have them with us anymore. Our kitty 'Gus' would sleep with me every night with my arm wrapped around him and sometimes I would wake up and he would be asleep on my head. aww. Maybe eventually when we buy a home they can come back to live with us.

2. This one is quite revealing and I can't believe I am sharing it, but here goes: there is nothing I fear more than a visit to my friendly Gynecologist. It is a horrible phobia I have had all my life. As you can imagine, child birth was a REAL fun experience.

3. I CANNOT get through the day without a drink of Diet Coke. It is quite possibly the most unhealthy thing about me, but I notice I actually need that little bit of caffeine, otherwise I become a little shaky with a head ache. Thats how used to drinking it my body is.Thats so terrible. But not terrible enough that I would quit drinking it as a new years resolution! HA!

4. Speaking of Child birth: I gave birth to a 8lb 14oz baby with no epidural or any other form of drug. NOT by choice. The anesthesiologist was called down but refused to come because he was 'preparing' for an ankle surgery. He showed up eventually as I was just 1 push away from Olivias arrival and he looked at me and said 'HAHA! Looks like you are a little late for my services! haha'. Needless to say, that SOB was fired the next day.

5. My favorite color is Red.

6. I LOVE a good book. I could literally lay in bed and read ALL.DAY.LONG. Unfortunately, there are diapers that need to be changed and mouths fed and a tiny mind entertained, so this isn't possible for me to do.

7. I'm not a fan of camping. There. I said it. I don't think I've actually ever said this to my husband. If there is no running water, forget it. I would choose a Motel 8 over camping any day. I'm so ashamed of myself. I'm quite possibly the only one on my hubbys AND my side of the family that feel this way. *sigh*

8. I just recently in the last year started to enjoy coffee. Or maybe I should say a creamer drink with a side of coffee. Hey, I'm learning people!

9. I have the cutest little girl on the face of the planet. No really, you didn't get the memo?? I really do.

10. I have a secret crush on Handy Manny. What a babe.

11. I'm a lover of IKEA. Love. It. They just recently opened one up near us and I'm truly in love with all that is Swedish.

12. Since I was a little girl I have ALWAYS wanted to 'do hair' for a living. I have always been fairly good at it and it's just something I truly truly enjoy doing. I even checked out a few cosmetology schools when we lived in Las Vegas and then another one after we had Livie. My ultimate plan is go once our child(ren) have all started school. Paying for school AND babysitter just isn't quite in the budget!

13. I'm ashamed to say that I smoked Marijuana once. It was right after high school. I threw up. A LOT. Happy to say that was my first and last time tokin' up.

14. John and I up and moved to Las Vegas about 6 months into our marriage and lived there for about a year and half. What great experiences we had there and we grew individually and as a couple immensely. It holds a special place in our hearts and we miss the WONDERFUL friends we made there like crazy.

15. Growing up in a small town you really had to get creative in finding things to do. We once threw a big firecracker down a port-a-potty at the beach and ran. Blew the lid right off that squatter. To this day, I still have not seen that much poo in my life. eww. It would probably make more sense if you knew I attempted this fete with a bunch of guys. Definitely NOT something a girl would think of doing all on her own. :)

16. My parents divorced my Sophomore year in College. It was the happiest and saddest day in mine and my sisters life. They are both remarried to wonderful people who match their personalities to a T.

17. I still have a giant white teddy bear that John gave me when we were in Junior High! My first kiss was John that same year when he walked me home from school in 8th grade. He stopped on the corner by my house and kissed me then turned around and walked away. I gagged.

18. Neither John or I had ever even been to Las Vegas before we moved there so we found our first apartment over there online before we moved there. Bad idea. Lets just say that our downstairs neighbor was a very sweet but crazy old guy who always wanted to show us his karate belts that he said he had in his closet. I might also mention that shortly after moving in our apartment there was a police chase with helicopters and spotlights right in front of our apartment. AWESOME. Did I mention I cried when we first saw our apartment after arriving in Las Vegas? Yeah. Cried.

19. I have 2 tattoos. One I got during my Freshman year in College-it's a japanese symbol that (I hope) means faith on my middle lower back. The other one is a tiny space needle on my ankle-John and I both have that one, we got it on our honeymoon in Seattle. I thought John was going to pass out-he's not much of a needle guy.

20. My Best Friend Megan and I used to talk about when we had kids I would send mine off to her from the time they were born until they were like 10 or so. Never have been one for younger kids-always thought if I was a teacher, I would LOVE to be a Junior High teacher.

21. At one time I had 7 piercings. I only have 2 in each ear now. I used to have my upper ear pierced which one of my friends did for me once when we were bored in yearbook class. ouch. Not recommended. I also used to have my nose pierced and my belly button pierced. I took my nose ring out right before I got married and my belly ring out about 6 months into my pregnancy. Belly ring holes don't look so cute once your belly has been stretched beyond it's limit.

22. My mom and Johns mom walked me down the aisle at my wedding. I wanted to do something a little different from the norm and I am so close to my mommy and Johns mom. That was pretty special.

23. I was sick all 9 months of my pregnancy. Between that and my childbirth experience, maybe you can see why I may not be TOO exciting about trying to get preggers again any time soon?

24. I'm not embarrassed to pick my nose in front of my daughter.

25. I LOVE scrapbooking. I just don't have the place or time for it anymore. I haven't even started one for Livie yet and she's almost three. What kind of mother am I?!

26. Garage sales and Clearance racks are my calling in life. I get so incredibly giddy during Garage sale season *grin*

27. I can't cook. I CAN'T cook. I really just don't like to. I think because it takes time to do, and I would totally rather be doing something else. I hate having to deal with food when I'm not hungry I think thats why I always am making quick things from boxes for dinner. I could never be a waitress-I would vomit from being around so much food all the time.

28. My heightened sense of smell never went away after being pregnant with Liv. I can smell some of the most revolting things that others wouldn't have even noticed had I not said anything.

29. I have suffered from Generalized Anxiety Disorder all my life. With a side of depression. I was only just diagnosed with it in 2001. It's not just bad anxiety that affects me, but also when I get really excited about something, I get a stomach ache. I can remember as a child the days before church summer camp I would literally be sick in bed because I had gotten myself so excited and worked up about going. My mom has said getting me to make any kind of a decision as a child was next to impossible, I would make myself sick from worrying so much. About ANYTHING. The older I have gotten the anxiety has become less severe (good old Paxil CR), but I have noticed that the depression has become the more prominent symptom.

30. I also have a major crush on Captain Jack Sparrow. NOT Johnny Depp, but his pirate personality. I heart him. I would sail on his ship any day.

31. I seriously, really do think that my husband is the most good looking guy on the face of the planet. No joke. Brad Pitts face looks like vomit compared to him. :)

32. I used to run track in high school. I was on the track team my Freshman year in college for a short time and was in the BEST shape of my entire life, but quit after a while because it was too hard to do school work and play on top of running. In high school I ran 100m, 200m, and did high jump.

33. I am 110% pro-life. No what-if's with me.

34. I despise the game Monopoly. It takes SO freaking long to play and it just gets old REAL quick. Unfortunately it is my hubbys favorite game-I USED to give in and play it once in a GREAT while, but now the thought of it just gives me hives.

35. Speaking of hives, I have crazy sensitive skin. Something my lovely daughter inherited from me. I have to watch what soaps and lotions I use and my laundry soap and dryer sheets have to be dye free/scent free. SO boring.

36. I used to sell Avon. Twice.

37. Italian food is my fav. I would be happy living in a box on the street so long as it is right in front of a little italian restaurant in Italy, where the off chance that someone may drop a scrap or so of that authentic little piece of heaven in front of my cardboard haven may be possible.

38. My favorite movie of all time is: 'Whats Eating Gilbert Grape?'. A close second is Legally Blonde 1 & 2. I could watch those over and over and over. And over.

39. Care Bears creep me out. I have yet to buy one for my daughter.

40. I thrive on sarcasm. Probably not the healthiest thing. But if you have any kind of sarcastic sense of humor, I will sit and laugh at you for hours and you will be my new friend.

41. Chocolate Ice Cream with Butterfinger chunks is pure heaven.

42. So is Velveeta cheese and Chili dip.

43. I grew up in a town that is known for its Cheese Factory. If you ever have the opportunity to eat cheese curds or 'squeeky cheese' as we call it, do it.

44. This town was also right on the coast. I was lucky enough to only have to drive 10 minutes if I wanted to walk in the sand. I had a special 'thinking rock' there that I loved to go and sit on and watch the ocean when things were really bad with my parents. What better place to go to be reminded that God hasn't left you in those hard times?

45. I grew up in a Quaker Church. My family started attending a Nazarene church in town at about my Senior year in high school, then once John and I got married we attended a non-denominational church. Since this last move we have begun to attend that same church we got married in which also just so happens to be a 'Friends' Church. I feel so at home and comfortable here, though the only thing I wish could be different was more upbeat music during worship instead of the traditional hymns.

46. I've never been comfortable taking communion. It probably has to do with the fact that I did grow up Quaker and we didn't practice the physical act of taking communion or baptisms. I still don't feel comfortable taking communion, I think because I don't fully understand the concept of it, but I would LOVE to be baptized.

47. I 'skipped' the first grade. I was more advanced than the others in my class, so half way through, they moved me to the last half of 1st grade. I guess I colored in the lines really well or something. But really, that was the best decision they could have made. I guess I just flourished and I remember making so many friends in my new class and just being overall so much happier.

48. I get nervous around extremely elderly people. That sounds terrible I know. Now, this doesn't include any of my grandparents-biological or married into-oddly enough. Maybe it's the fact I still see them the same as I did as a child. Like they never changed. I was unfortunate enough to marry a man who feels the same way. It puzzles me because my mom and sister and father genuinely love to be around them and keeping them company. And Lord knows they are probably so lonely. I remember as a child we went to a nursing home for thanksgiving one year and helped feed the people their turkey and stuffing and we kept them company for a short time-and I thought I would die of a heart attack.

49. I HATE FISH. I CANNOT eat fish. Even good old tuna fish sandwiches make me gag. *shudder* I have goosebumps right now just thinking of it.....

50. I LOVE playing volleyball. I could play it day and night. If anyone reads this who is local, please let me know if there are any leagues nearby. I will dominate. Ok no, not really, but I will have lots of fun and be a really good team mate! :)

*whew*
That was hard! Tell me something really odd/cool/crazy/embarrassing about yourselves now! If you aren't too weirded out by all my admissions, that is. :)

Wax on, Wax off.....hopefully

I receive this HILARIOUS yet horrifying story in an email from my mom quite a while ago, and then came across it again recently. HAD to share it. Get your tissues ladies and be ready shed some real tears. Whether you cry from laughing so hard or cry tears of sympathy pain, you WILL cry. I promise.
*note* I have no idea where this story came from, so I'm not able to give credit where it is due. But please know, it didn't happen to me, and now that I have read it, I have decided my who-ha is fine just way God made it. Therefore, I'm pretty sure I won't be experimenting with anything even remotely close to this anytime in the near future....Read on....


One Woman's Tale of Woe

All hair removal methods have tricked women with their promises of easy, painless removal - The epilady, scissors, razors, Nair and now...the wax. My night began as any other normal weeknight. Come home, fix dinner, play with the kids. I then had the thought that would ring painfully in my mind for the next few hours: "Maybe I should pull the waxing kit out of the medicine cabinet." So I headed to the site of my demise: the bathroom.

It was one of those "cold wax" kits. No melting a clump of hot wax! You just rub the strips together in your hand, they get warm and you peel them apart and press them to your leg (or wherever else) and you pull the hair right off. No muss, no fuss. How hard can it be? I mean, I'm not a genius, but I am mechanically inclined enough to figure this out. (YA THINK!?!) So I pull one of the thin strips out. Its two strips facing each other stuck together. Instead of rubbing them together, my genius kicks in so I get out the hair dryer and heat it to 1000 degrees. ("Cold wax," yeah...right!) I lay the strip across my thigh. Hold the skin around it tight and pull. It works! OK, so it wasn't the best feeling, but! it wasn't too bad. I can do this! Hair removal no longer eludes me! I am She-rah, fighter of all wayward body hair and maker of smooth skin extraordinaire.

With my next wax strip I move north. After checking on the kids, I sneak back into the bathroom, for the ultimate hair fighting championship. I drop my panties and place one foot on the toilet. Using the same procedure, I apply the was strip across the right side of my bikini line, covering the right half of my vagina and stretching down to the inside of my butt cheek (Yes, it was a long strip) I inhale deeply and brace myself....RRRRIIIPPP!!!! I'm blind!!! Blinded from pain!!!!....OH MY GOD!!!!!!!!! Vision returning, I notice that I've only managed to pull off half the strip. CRAP!!! Another deep breath and RRIIPP!! Everything is swirly and spotted. I think I may pass out...must stay conscious...Do I hear crashing drums??? Breathe, breathe...OK, back to normal. I want to see my trophy - a wax covered strip, the one that has caused me so much pain, with my hairy pelt sticking to it. I want to revel in the glory that is my triumph over body hair. I hold up the strip! There's no hair on it. Where is the hair??? WHERE IS THE WAX??? Slowly I ease my head down, foot still perched on the toilet. I see the hair.. The hair that should be on the strip. I touch. I am touching wax. CRAP! I run my fingers over the most sensitive part of my body, which is now covered in cold wax and matted hair. Then I make the next BIG mistake...remember my foot is still propped up on the toilet? I know I need to do something. So I put my foot down. DAMN!!!!!!!! I hear the slamming of a cell door. Vagina? Sealed shut! Butt?? Sealed shut! I penguin walk around the bathroom trying to figure out what to do and think to myself "Please don't let me get the urge to poop. My head may pop off!" What can I do to melt the wax? Hot water!! Hot water melts wax!! I'll run the hottest water I can stand into the bathtub, get in, immerse the wax-covered bits and the wax should melt and I can gently wipe it off, right??? *WRONG!!!!!!!* I get in the tub - the water is slightly hotter than that used to torture prisoners of war or sterilize surgical equipment - I sit. Now, the only thing worse than having your nether regions glued together, is having them glued together and then glued to the bottom of the tub...in scalding hot water. Which, by the way, doesn't melt cold wax. So, now I'm stuck to the bottom of the tub as though I had cement-epoxied myself to the porcelain!!

God bless the man who had convinced me a few months ago to have a phone put in the bathroom!!!!! I call my friend, thinking surely she has waxed before and has some secret of how to get me undone. It's a very good conversation starter - "So, my butt and who-ha are glued together to the bottom of the tub!" There is a slight pause. She doesn't know any secret tricks for removal but she does try to hide her laughter from me. She wants to know exactly where the wax is located, "Are we talking cheeks or hole or who-ha?" She's laughing out loud by now...I can hear her. I give her the rundown and she suggests I call the number on the side of the box. YEAH!!!!! Right!! I should be the joke of someone else's night. While we go through various solutions. I resort to scraping the wax off with a razor. Nothing feels better than to have your girlie goodies covered in hot wax, glued shut, stuck to the tub in super hot water and then dry-shaving the sticky wax off!! By now the brain is not working, dignity has taken a major hike and I'm pretty sure I'm going to need Post-Traumatic Stress counseling for this event. My friend is still talking with me when I finally see my saving grace....the lotion they give you to remove the excess wax. What do I really have to lose at this point? I rub some on and OH MY GOD!!!!!!! The scream probably woke the kids and scared the dickens out of my friend. It's sooo painful, but I really don't care. "IT WORKS!! It works! It really works!!" I get a hearty congratulation from my friend and she hangs up. I successfully remove the remainder of the wax and then notice to my grief and despair....THE HAIR IS STILL THERE.......ALL OF IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!. So I recklessly shave it off. Heck, I'm numb by now. Nothing hurts. I could have amputated my own leg at this point.

Next week I'm going to try hair color......

Yup, I did it again...

I couldn't help myself. I was just unhappy with my page. I needed something clean and simple-a little less chaotic-it just wasn't doing good things for my anxious tendencies. I can't promise that this will be the last time, but I am pretty sure. ;)

Boo resolutions

The end of 2007 left me exhausted. Completely at the end of my rope with myself. I'd had it. I had been totally overwhelmed with the idea that I had completely lost control of myself-my body image had hit an all time low and my depression was darker than it had been in years. I stomped my foot and said, 'Thats it! I am making a new years resolution (no matter how cliche' they are) to lose 15 pounds and be showered and clean with a smile on my face by no later than 11am at the VERY latest EVERYDAY even if it is just a cleaning day around the house!! I will do this and it will make me a happier person!' Then, I read my dear bloggy friend Jennys Blog. It absolutely touched me at the very core of my being. It hit me in the face like a sledgehammer. *OUCH!*
I realized it's not making me look nice and pretty and smelling nice and put together on the outside that will make me happy-it's about finding true, true joy. It's about being HEALTHY!! Oh how I long to be truly truly healthy for really the first time in my life.

I'm VOWING to make this year healthier in many aspects than past years. I VOW to not lose the 15 pounds but to just make a bigger effort to snack more gracefully. I VOW to try and cook more well-rounded meals for my family. I VOW to *gasp* put down the diet coke once in a while and pick up a glass of water. I VOW to put on our shoes and get out of the house more often with Liv, even if it is just a walk around the block. I VOW to seek help on those dark days when my depression is getting the best of me and I VOW to call the Doctor if I feel like a new medicine is in order. I VOW to go to God very first in my time of deepest need. After all, thats what the title of my blog really means-Just as I am. We don't have to look pretty in order to come to Gods feet. He loves us so much, tears and all, and expects us to come Just as we are! I VOW to take better care of my body-inside and out. It makes my heart ache to imagine what that would REALLY feel like! Of course those icky days will come, but they won't linger like a sickness that has infected my body. They will pass and help me to raise my chin a little higher instead of slumping my shoulders a little lower.

One of my biggest heartaches is my lack of patience with my daughter. Growing up I had a very angry father. There was a lot of yelling in my home-there was yelling and anger that I notice as I get older has slowly started to resurface after all these years in the form of an incredibly impatient attitude with my daughter. It brings tears to my eyes as I write about this-this is how raw this truly is in my heart.

This year I VOW (sort of like a marriage to my daughter), to show more love, and much less irritability. To let every precious word that she speaks make her feel like what she is saying is important and not NEAR as important as whatever show I am watching or whatever I am reading or doing on the computer. I VOW to make sure she knows I always have time for her and I VOW to make sure she never feels hesitant to talk to me/cry to me/laugh at me for fear that I will 'blow up'. I VOW to make sure she NEVER fears me or her father. I VOW that we WILL take more walks and watch WAY less TV and that I will turn up her music a little louder and boogie in the living room with her maybe a few minutes longer. I VOW to make God the very center of her sweet little life. What a wonderful and exciting God we have Liv, and I want you to be SO excited about him-more than I have managed to be in my own life. I VOW all these things because I love you, this beautiful little being who wiggled her way into our world and it's my responsibility now as a mommy to create the most healthy atmosphere possible, because I can't talk the talk but not walk the walk. I want Liv to grow up being truly proud of the way her mommy raised her and feel like her mommy always took care of herself to in the end be a healthier, happier person for the rest of the family. I will do this, Liv. I PROMISE.

I feel like this year was an incredible year for John and I. I feel like this last move to a new town was such a positive thing. I haven't seen John this happy at his job in, well, EVER. He comes home with so much energy emotionally and seems truly happy with where he is at career-wise. It's also so fun to finally live in a nice home instead of a crummy, stinky, little apartment that made us all sick. (another post for another time)
A few things that I do VOW to you though honey: I VOW on those days that I'm feeling lower than low to really cling to you instead of crawling inside myself and stewing in my funk. I VOW to really get a grasp on our finances and make it a priority to learn how to balance the checking account. I VOW to pick up those GORGEOUS new pots and pans that you got me for Christmas once in a while and hold my head up high and try to cook something new for dinner. I VOW to be completely open to the fact that it may not taste good and THATS OK! I VOW to also have a back up box of mac n cheese just in case my cooking experiment doesn't turn out. :) I VOW to take better care of myself so that in turn I can give you my ALL!
Most importantly my love, I VOW to try my hardest to make God the very center of our relationship. I'm so lucky to have a husband who truly loves God with all his being. I think if we meshed our spiritual lives together a little more often and made a point to prayer together/read devotions together the God that we love so much would bless us so richly! :)

And now to you my dear, wonderful bloggy friends:
I VOW to not hide behind my humor. I will make a point to let you in to what I may be feeling from time to time no matter how dark it may be. (not like, murderer creepy dark, just funk dark). I VOW to support you the best way I can because you were brave enough to open your lives to us all, the best thing I can do is to give you all a virtual hand to hold! Wouldn't it be a hoot if we all got to go to coffee someday together?? Or ice cream....

I too, like Jenny, am anxious to see what this year will hold. To get a grasp on what it means to have true Joy in my life. Here's to a new life and a new year, I believe in all of you girls to really achieve what you are wanting most in your lives. I just plain well wouldn't have added you to my blog list if I didn't think you could do it! haha :)