Greg heard a different story on the origin of Cinco de Mayo. He was told:
Most people don't know that back in 1912, Hellmann's mayonnaise was manufactured in England. In fact, the Titanic was carrying 12,000 jars of the condiment scheduled for delivery in Vera Cruz, Mexico, which was to be the next port of call for the great ship after its stop in New
York. This would have been the largest single shipment of mayonnaise ever delivered to Mexico. But as we know, the great ship did not make it to New York. The ship hit an iceberg and sank, and the cargo was forever lost.
The people of Mexico, who were crazy about mayonnaise, and were eagerly awaiting its delivery, were disconsolate at the loss. Their anguish was so great, that they declared a National Day of Mourning, which they still observe to this day.
The National Day of Mourning occurs each year on May 5 and is known, of course, as Sinko de Mayo.
08 May 2006
05 May 2006
Feliz Cinco de Mayo!
Where I come from (the central valley in California), Cinco De Mayo (5th of May in English) is widely celebrated. Lots of festivities that include great food, dancing, mariachi music and brilliant colors. Unfortunately, many people think that Cinco de Mayo is the Mexican Independence Day when in fact it's not. Cinco de Mayo commemorates the defeat of the French army by the Mexicans at the Battle of Puebla in 1862. With this defeat, Mexico demonstrated to the world that they would defend themselves of foreign intervention. Their independence is celebrated in October. Never-the-less, it has always provided a good reason to celebrate.
Now that I'm in the midwest, it's not near as popular. Last year at my office, I held a potluck and used a few minutes of our lunch time to provide a basic history lesson. It was lots of fun as everyone in the building made their attempt at bringing some sort of "mexican" dish. And this year, several of the women have greeted me with a "happy cinco de mayo".
*** The above picture is my little guy's celebration. No, he does not appear to be mexican but he is one-fourth. And becuase he's also half Dutch, I refer to him often times as my little Dutch burrito. Man, he's a cutie. Feliz Cinco de Mayo everyone!
Now that I'm in the midwest, it's not near as popular. Last year at my office, I held a potluck and used a few minutes of our lunch time to provide a basic history lesson. It was lots of fun as everyone in the building made their attempt at bringing some sort of "mexican" dish. And this year, several of the women have greeted me with a "happy cinco de mayo".
*** The above picture is my little guy's celebration. No, he does not appear to be mexican but he is one-fourth. And becuase he's also half Dutch, I refer to him often times as my little Dutch burrito. Man, he's a cutie. Feliz Cinco de Mayo everyone!
04 May 2006
My little yellow M&M wasn't scared of the grass this time. That's my boy!
I Thank God For...
This morning on the radio, they spent some time taking calls for people to share what they are thankful to God for. I'm not the type to call in to the radio station for games or things like that but I always participate. I thought this would be a good opportunity to list a few things that I'm thankful for.
I thank God for:
~ Breath. God created man and breathed air into his lungs.
~ Life. I'm especially thankful for life as I work with a man who's been diagnosed with stage 4 cancer and has been given 30 days to live.
~ Ryan. For a husband who loves me even when I'm not so loveable.
~ Mom and Papa. For their willingness to care for my child while I work. AND for keeping him late most nights without complaining when I'm late picking him up. AND for opening their home to us and feeding us when we drop in.
~ Children. Especially my own. It's so precious to see them express emotion.
~ Flowers. I love to see the fresh growth and brilliant colors.
~ Freedom. For those who have served in the past and those currently volunteering to protect that freedom.
~ My job. I know I complain that I would love to be home playing with my kid, cleaning my house and fixing meals during the day instead of working but I do appreciate my job. I'm especially thankful that I've been here for almost four years even though I'm expected to move around.
There is so much more I'm thankful for. But here's a short quick list. Now, I should get my butt otuside to work on my soil tests for the septic tank!
I thank God for:
~ Breath. God created man and breathed air into his lungs.
~ Life. I'm especially thankful for life as I work with a man who's been diagnosed with stage 4 cancer and has been given 30 days to live.
~ Ryan. For a husband who loves me even when I'm not so loveable.
~ Mom and Papa. For their willingness to care for my child while I work. AND for keeping him late most nights without complaining when I'm late picking him up. AND for opening their home to us and feeding us when we drop in.
~ Children. Especially my own. It's so precious to see them express emotion.
~ Flowers. I love to see the fresh growth and brilliant colors.
~ Freedom. For those who have served in the past and those currently volunteering to protect that freedom.
~ My job. I know I complain that I would love to be home playing with my kid, cleaning my house and fixing meals during the day instead of working but I do appreciate my job. I'm especially thankful that I've been here for almost four years even though I'm expected to move around.
There is so much more I'm thankful for. But here's a short quick list. Now, I should get my butt otuside to work on my soil tests for the septic tank!
03 May 2006
Mission Organization
I finally ordered a new palm. This is the first one I've actually ordered myself. I do have a decent one for work that is pretty nice but I needed a personal one that I can mess with. I've been looking at the Palm Tungsten E2 for a while through the Franklin Covey website. I really loved my FC planner and want one for a palm. But, I know that I can't afford to buy both. But yesterday I found my palm on sale. Sticker price is $249. Most places will give it to you for $199. Got that plus free shipping. But the good deal is that I get a 128MB expansion card for FREE. Plus, when I showed it to Ryan, he noticed the $100 savings with the 12 month audible subscription. Now, I didn't pay attention to that because I didn't need anything extra. But my husband is a bright guy. He figured since we already buy audio books for the car (~$20/each), this really was a good deal. For $180 spread out over 12 months (remember I just saved $100 on the palm so it really is only an additional $80), I can get 12 books. We think it's a pretty sweet deal for us. If you listen to audio books (we do in the car for long trips), check out this deal.
Hopefully now I'll be able to keep better track of what's going on in my crazy life instead of having it all on my work computer that stays at work. Busy season, here we come! And maybe for Christmas I can get the Franklin Covey planner.
01 May 2006
Out of commission
[Sick, sick and more sick]
I finally ended up with Ryan’s flu (plus whatever else). The symptoms started Tuesday and I did pretty good at keeping myself hydrated, fed, etc. Wednesday was a short day at work for me. I knew that I needed some rest if I was going to keep from getting totally sick. Thursday was another short day at the office but that was because I spent an hour at the dentist getting my teeth cleaned (a separate drama in itself when you’re used to having Dr. Paloutzian or your father-in-law clean your teeth). Thursday nights are bible study nights and we scheduled a BBQ in the park and invited other young couples in the community instead of bible study. I was excited about that except I wasn’t feeling so energetic. Seemed like everytime I ate, I had an upset stomach. I went ahead and made my awesome broccoli salad for the group with a little help from my honey. We had some new folks which was fun and of course the smoked chops were awesome. Before heading to bed that night, I called my work-out buddy and said I wouldn’t make it in the morning. Friday morning was not fun! Let’s just say I visited t
he toilet a lot and I wasn’t puking. Stayed home from work and lay in bed all day. Meals for the day included sugar free popsicles, club crackers, sprite and water. Saturday morning I was feeling better but had no energy. Scott stayed home with me and he zapped all the energy I had. I did manage to shower and head to the bakery with my parents for awesome pecan rolls. Except, the sweet food didn’t sound good and didn’t taste good either. I went home and was wiped out. That evening I tried once again to build my energy levels back up. We went to the Grand March for Valley Prom. [Okay west coast buddies, I so didn’t have a clue what Grand March was. The community all comes out to support this event. Each couple is introduced and walks in to the Prom. It was neat that the kids could show off their outfits and smile for everyone. But, how humiliating for those who went stag to walk in solo.] Small fry, with a little help from his momma, made a sign for Lauren for the grand march. It read: “Lauren, why didn’t you choose me? Love, scotch”. It was so cute, she had to take a picture with him. Went home and was once again wiped out! Sunday was back to normal for my energy levels and today I haven’t noticed my tummy aching at all! In fact, tonight we're planning a girls night out. I definitely need some girl time.
[bet with M]
I have a bet with one of the girls. We bet a penny. I’m hoping to find out who won shortly. I typically won’t bet unless I’m sure that I’ll win. This time I don’t know so I’m quite curious to see who wins this bet. More on this later.
I finally ended up with Ryan’s flu (plus whatever else). The symptoms started Tuesday and I did pretty good at keeping myself hydrated, fed, etc. Wednesday was a short day at work for me. I knew that I needed some rest if I was going to keep from getting totally sick. Thursday was another short day at the office but that was because I spent an hour at the dentist getting my teeth cleaned (a separate drama in itself when you’re used to having Dr. Paloutzian or your father-in-law clean your teeth). Thursday nights are bible study nights and we scheduled a BBQ in the park and invited other young couples in the community instead of bible study. I was excited about that except I wasn’t feeling so energetic. Seemed like everytime I ate, I had an upset stomach. I went ahead and made my awesome broccoli salad for the group with a little help from my honey. We had some new folks which was fun and of course the smoked chops were awesome. Before heading to bed that night, I called my work-out buddy and said I wouldn’t make it in the morning. Friday morning was not fun! Let’s just say I visited t
he toilet a lot and I wasn’t puking. Stayed home from work and lay in bed all day. Meals for the day included sugar free popsicles, club crackers, sprite and water. Saturday morning I was feeling better but had no energy. Scott stayed home with me and he zapped all the energy I had. I did manage to shower and head to the bakery with my parents for awesome pecan rolls. Except, the sweet food didn’t sound good and didn’t taste good either. I went home and was wiped out. That evening I tried once again to build my energy levels back up. We went to the Grand March for Valley Prom. [Okay west coast buddies, I so didn’t have a clue what Grand March was. The community all comes out to support this event. Each couple is introduced and walks in to the Prom. It was neat that the kids could show off their outfits and smile for everyone. But, how humiliating for those who went stag to walk in solo.] Small fry, with a little help from his momma, made a sign for Lauren for the grand march. It read: “Lauren, why didn’t you choose me? Love, scotch”. It was so cute, she had to take a picture with him. Went home and was once again wiped out! Sunday was back to normal for my energy levels and today I haven’t noticed my tummy aching at all! In fact, tonight we're planning a girls night out. I definitely need some girl time.[bet with M]
I have a bet with one of the girls. We bet a penny. I’m hoping to find out who won shortly. I typically won’t bet unless I’m sure that I’ll win. This time I don’t know so I’m quite curious to see who wins this bet. More on this later.
26 April 2006
Our little Easter bunny
25 April 2006
ER, company & too much fun for the weekend!
I tried to do the strike out font like fantastagirl does but it didn't work for me. Basically I showed the list of things that I did and didn't get accomplished over the weekend. Below is the reasons why:
Between the time I made this list on got home, I had 20 more things on it. I received a call that my cousin was coming to town. I knew that he was coming but it just hadn’t clicked before. All of a sudden it hit me, MY COUSIN IS COMING and MY HOUSE IS A PIT! So, I took Thursday off to get my house picked up. It was Dr. Honey’s half day at work so I had plans for him to do the boy chores. Dr. Honey came home feeling sick. He was hoping a nap would make things all better. Three hours later he informed me that he wouldn’t be going to supper, to bible study or anywhere else. The poor thing stayed in bed the rest of the evening. I went over to my folks to have supper and visit for a little while. Went back home to find a sick hubby. He was up during the night every hour visiting the porcelain king. Each time I was awake with him and our small fry. At 4am, he was not happy. Small fry was also awake and crying. Got the little guy calmed down and back to sleep and went back to bed. Chatted with Ryan for a few minutes before deciding to head to the ER. With child in hand (and a few diapers), we headed to the big town down the road. From 530 to 815 we sat in the ER. They ran lots of tests on Ryan, gave him some fluids, played with my kiddo and eventually sent us home. I stopped at the grocery store and got him some juice, soup and popscicles. I ended up staying home with him for the day. I piddled around the house (doing his boy chores) while he tried to rest and maintain hydration.
That night my cousin was coming to town for the weekend (which is a big deal when you’re 2,200 miles from where you were raised). Just before jumping in the shower, I checked on Ryan again. He wasn’t feeling good. And now he had the chills, was light headed, not holding down his liquids and feeling horrible. Called the doctor like we were advised to do in that situation and they thought he should come back in. I headed for a quick shower. Before I could even get the towel off my hair, Ryan said “let’s go”. I picked up the kid, his diaper bag, brushed out my hair and headed back to the big town. This meant that I wouldn’t be hanging out with my cousin at my mom’s house later on. So, I called my mom and let her know that we were headed back to the hospital and I wouldn’t be there for supper. We arrived at the ER for the 2nd time and once again my honey was dehydrated. After poking him a few more times, they left him alone for a while and he fell asleep. My small fry was in a good mood and making lots of noise so I went out to the waiting room. Next thing I knew they were wheeling my hubby past me to admit him to the hospital and take him upstairs. He got to have a pajama party with the nursing staff. Not too long after we got upstairs my folks met us there with my cousin to pick up Scott and take him so that I could attend to my honey without getting my kid sick. It was nice to visit with my cousin AND to eat some awesome enchilada casserole that my mom brought. It was now almost 9pm, I think, and I was super hungry. At 10pm, I went home and crawled in my own bed for some shut-eye.
The next morning, the doctor let him have some liquids. After keeping those down, he discharged Ryan at 11am. We headed home. In the mean time, my mom, Ralph and cousin were enjoying my kid and running around checking out the local sites like Pike’s Peak and visiting the big stores like Cabelas. Ryan was starting to feel a bit better by now and was even getting sassy with me. I was having a hard time encouraging and very stubborn and independent person to drink plenty of fluids. Saturday afternoon my family came over. I made shrimp scampi for supper while attending to a sick hubby upstairs. He still was feeling bad, running to the toilet and didn’t have any energy. Finally though he ate some food – he requested blueberry muffins.
Sunday was much the same although he was moving around a little. I left him home and went to church. After church I hung out with my family at mom’s house. Then I went home very briefly to check on hubby before heading back out the door to go fishing. We headed to a nice little stream to do some trout fishing. It was feeding time for the fish and we were catching trout every time we put the line out. It was really fun. They were all small fish so we through them back each time. Mom had a nice one though. Jimmy says it was 14” but it got off the hook at the surface of the water. We had bent the barb back on the hook to make it easier to get the fish off which made it easier for the big ones to escape as well. Three hours and two dozen worms later we headed back to town.
So, long story short, I didn’t have the weekend to get to my list of things. I had company and a sick husband instead. Maybe this week. I really need to get on the ball though. In other news… one of my buddies and his wife are expecting a baby in October. I won’t name names till it is super public information but until then a big congrats to THEM. And yesterday one of my co-workers (whose daughter works with my husband and he is there vet and we live in the same community) went into a diabetic coma. Good thing that the kids had a short day at school and Matthew was home early to find her. That could have been a super scary deal. That’s it for now. Still hoping to get some Easter pics up. I want to remove the red-eye first.
Between the time I made this list on got home, I had 20 more things on it. I received a call that my cousin was coming to town. I knew that he was coming but it just hadn’t clicked before. All of a sudden it hit me, MY COUSIN IS COMING and MY HOUSE IS A PIT! So, I took Thursday off to get my house picked up. It was Dr. Honey’s half day at work so I had plans for him to do the boy chores. Dr. Honey came home feeling sick. He was hoping a nap would make things all better. Three hours later he informed me that he wouldn’t be going to supper, to bible study or anywhere else. The poor thing stayed in bed the rest of the evening. I went over to my folks to have supper and visit for a little while. Went back home to find a sick hubby. He was up during the night every hour visiting the porcelain king. Each time I was awake with him and our small fry. At 4am, he was not happy. Small fry was also awake and crying. Got the little guy calmed down and back to sleep and went back to bed. Chatted with Ryan for a few minutes before deciding to head to the ER. With child in hand (and a few diapers), we headed to the big town down the road. From 530 to 815 we sat in the ER. They ran lots of tests on Ryan, gave him some fluids, played with my kiddo and eventually sent us home. I stopped at the grocery store and got him some juice, soup and popscicles. I ended up staying home with him for the day. I piddled around the house (doing his boy chores) while he tried to rest and maintain hydration.
That night my cousin was coming to town for the weekend (which is a big deal when you’re 2,200 miles from where you were raised). Just before jumping in the shower, I checked on Ryan again. He wasn’t feeling good. And now he had the chills, was light headed, not holding down his liquids and feeling horrible. Called the doctor like we were advised to do in that situation and they thought he should come back in. I headed for a quick shower. Before I could even get the towel off my hair, Ryan said “let’s go”. I picked up the kid, his diaper bag, brushed out my hair and headed back to the big town. This meant that I wouldn’t be hanging out with my cousin at my mom’s house later on. So, I called my mom and let her know that we were headed back to the hospital and I wouldn’t be there for supper. We arrived at the ER for the 2nd time and once again my honey was dehydrated. After poking him a few more times, they left him alone for a while and he fell asleep. My small fry was in a good mood and making lots of noise so I went out to the waiting room. Next thing I knew they were wheeling my hubby past me to admit him to the hospital and take him upstairs. He got to have a pajama party with the nursing staff. Not too long after we got upstairs my folks met us there with my cousin to pick up Scott and take him so that I could attend to my honey without getting my kid sick. It was nice to visit with my cousin AND to eat some awesome enchilada casserole that my mom brought. It was now almost 9pm, I think, and I was super hungry. At 10pm, I went home and crawled in my own bed for some shut-eye.
The next morning, the doctor let him have some liquids. After keeping those down, he discharged Ryan at 11am. We headed home. In the mean time, my mom, Ralph and cousin were enjoying my kid and running around checking out the local sites like Pike’s Peak and visiting the big stores like Cabelas. Ryan was starting to feel a bit better by now and was even getting sassy with me. I was having a hard time encouraging and very stubborn and independent person to drink plenty of fluids. Saturday afternoon my family came over. I made shrimp scampi for supper while attending to a sick hubby upstairs. He still was feeling bad, running to the toilet and didn’t have any energy. Finally though he ate some food – he requested blueberry muffins.
Sunday was much the same although he was moving around a little. I left him home and went to church. After church I hung out with my family at mom’s house. Then I went home very briefly to check on hubby before heading back out the door to go fishing. We headed to a nice little stream to do some trout fishing. It was feeding time for the fish and we were catching trout every time we put the line out. It was really fun. They were all small fish so we through them back each time. Mom had a nice one though. Jimmy says it was 14” but it got off the hook at the surface of the water. We had bent the barb back on the hook to make it easier to get the fish off which made it easier for the big ones to escape as well. Three hours and two dozen worms later we headed back to town.
So, long story short, I didn’t have the weekend to get to my list of things. I had company and a sick husband instead. Maybe this week. I really need to get on the ball though. In other news… one of my buddies and his wife are expecting a baby in October. I won’t name names till it is super public information but until then a big congrats to THEM. And yesterday one of my co-workers (whose daughter works with my husband and he is there vet and we live in the same community) went into a diabetic coma. Good thing that the kids had a short day at school and Matthew was home early to find her. That could have been a super scary deal. That’s it for now. Still hoping to get some Easter pics up. I want to remove the red-eye first.
18 April 2006
Pictures
I have downloaded my camera from Easter BUT my honey snagged it this morning. I hope to have it tomorrow to load some pictures. For now, here are a few non-Easter pictures of my small fry:
This is one from a while back that I was having fun playing with the contrast of colors. I wish I would have left his bright blue eyes but I thought about it too late.
I haven't quite finished playing with the color contrast on this one. It's cute though. We bought small fry his first soccer ball for Easter. We also bought him a toy TV remote. So, he got a gift that represents his mom and one that represents his dad and we didn't even plan it that way.
This is one from a while back that I was having fun playing with the contrast of colors. I wish I would have left his bright blue eyes but I thought about it too late.
I haven't quite finished playing with the color contrast on this one. It's cute though. We bought small fry his first soccer ball for Easter. We also bought him a toy TV remote. So, he got a gift that represents his mom and one that represents his dad and we didn't even plan it that way.
Things to Do
1. Put away clean dishes
2. Sweep and mop filthly floor in kitchen
2.5 Clean out refrigerator
3. Laundry (this one is kept up)
4. Remove wax from table cloth from Valentine's
5. Dust, Sweep and Vacuum living rooms
6. Run on treadmill or outside
7. Clean off desk
8. Vacuum stairs
9. Clean wood floors in upstairs bedrooms
10. Clean asian beetles out of window sills
11. Nag husband to clean his bathroom
12. Condition leather coat
13. Take hand-me-downs to Shepard's
14. Clean closet
15. Spray pasture to kill grass
16. Till killed grass for new garden spot
17. Buy garden plants
18. Do soil test for septic system
19. Get permit from county for septic system
20. Call one-call for septic system
21. Get loan from bank for septic system
22. Finish potting shed
23. Pot plants
24. Fix the goats zip lines
25. Bathe and trim Keller
26. Get baby bath out of attick for mom
27. Get other baby stuff out for Tera
This is why I need some time off. And these are the things I can come up with off the top of my head! I need some sanity days. And I just asked my boss this morning for 2 days off next week. Take a guess at what I'll get accomplished this weekend and 2 days next week.
2. Sweep and mop filthly floor in kitchen
2.5 Clean out refrigerator
3. Laundry (this one is kept up)
4. Remove wax from table cloth from Valentine's
5. Dust, Sweep and Vacuum living rooms
6. Run on treadmill or outside
7. Clean off desk
8. Vacuum stairs
9. Clean wood floors in upstairs bedrooms
10. Clean asian beetles out of window sills
11. Nag husband to clean his bathroom
12. Condition leather coat
13. Take hand-me-downs to Shepard's
14. Clean closet
15. Spray pasture to kill grass
16. Till killed grass for new garden spot
17. Buy garden plants
18. Do soil test for septic system
19. Get permit from county for septic system
20. Call one-call for septic system
21. Get loan from bank for septic system
22. Finish potting shed
23. Pot plants
24. Fix the goats zip lines
25. Bathe and trim Keller
26. Get baby bath out of attick for mom
27. Get other baby stuff out for Tera
This is why I need some time off. And these are the things I can come up with off the top of my head! I need some sanity days. And I just asked my boss this morning for 2 days off next week. Take a guess at what I'll get accomplished this weekend and 2 days next week.
14 April 2006
Life
It's been a rough week which is why I haven't written. I love to write when things are going well but I don't like to share the bad things and nag on people. So, I've been pretty quiet about things. But, today I'm thinking I'll write some things down:
Last weekend I spent Saturday with Michelle and my kiddo shopping in Waterloo. It was a good day, even though I spent major bucks. We had a good time together and it was nice to chat. We shopped for a friend who we through a pantry shower for. It was hard to buy groceries when we weren't sure what they liked. But, it was fun to be able to do for others. Wednesday night after work, I took all the pantry items over to the house, gave her a home-made card with some extra cash in it and visited. I was so excited to see her appreciation - for her to know that her church family loves and missed her.
Tuesday was also a hard day at the office. I've been in this mood where I hate work. I do enjoy my job, but I hate that it takes away from me being at home to be the full-time wife and mom that I need to be. Anyway, so Tuesday morning I come in late. And there was a client on the phone for me. Which was an ongoing thing from Monday. I expressed my irritation with the client not following the protocol that I gave him. And so, in a very irritated manner, I told my boss that he could give the information if he wanted to. That I wasn't willing to lose my job over it being it's against the law. Well, that was the first time in almost 4 years that I've seen my boss mad. Following the phone call, I chatted with my boss and we were in disagreement on how we could provide information to farm operators. He made a call to his supervisor who agreed with my boss. I couldn't believe it, I know what the law says. I've trained my area on this very subject and yet no one seems to remember, or care, about it. So, it wasn't good that I didn't respect my boss in an appropriate manner.
My honey was gone Tuesday and most of Wednesday. Usually we have one night together at home which is Tuesday. So, I was missing my honey this week.
Bad mood mom. I sat in my house and and felt completely overwhelmed - my house is filthy (according to my standards), I haven't read the mail in over a month (honey has paid the bills), I haven't completed the soil tests for my new septic system, blah, blah, blah. I figured out that I'm home 2.5 hours a night before I go to bed. In that short time, I'm supposed to be a full time wife, mom and maid. It just isn't working and I'm stressed to the max. I know my husband loves me but I begin to question that a little. I know that I don't get to sit and relax or do the things I want because I don't have the time. And it bothers me so much that he takes the time to sit, relax and watch tv when trash needs to be taken out, recycles need to be dealt with, etc. My mind wonders why he doesn't do those things to help me out when he KNOWS that a clean house equals sanity for me. So, that's been adding to the stress.
Last night was another fun night though. See, I'm having a good time being out and doing things for others which means I have no time for myself or my "to do list" at home. Anyway, last night we visited Hugo and Gladys. Hugo spoke in our wedding and is such a neat guy. His wife is adorable and I love to give her hugs. Six of us from our small group went over there and visited, listened to Hugo sing, shared stories, sang hymns together and ate cake. H&G are 92 years old and both have walkers now. They don't get to church hardly ever and so it was a blessing for us and for them to visit with them.
Today we head to PC for the weekend. We hope to hang out with some of Ryan's childhood friends and then spend Easter with Ryan's grandparents. I'm looking forward to a weekend off even though it will be a busy one. Next week we get our new help at the office and after he's here, I'm hoping to take a few days off to get things in order at home.
Christ died a brutal death on a cross for you and me, that's why we call it Good Friday. Three days later he rose from the dead, we celebrate Easter that Sunday. I hope you appreciate that Christ died for your sins, that He paid the price for you, as you celebrate Easter.
Last weekend I spent Saturday with Michelle and my kiddo shopping in Waterloo. It was a good day, even though I spent major bucks. We had a good time together and it was nice to chat. We shopped for a friend who we through a pantry shower for. It was hard to buy groceries when we weren't sure what they liked. But, it was fun to be able to do for others. Wednesday night after work, I took all the pantry items over to the house, gave her a home-made card with some extra cash in it and visited. I was so excited to see her appreciation - for her to know that her church family loves and missed her.
Tuesday was also a hard day at the office. I've been in this mood where I hate work. I do enjoy my job, but I hate that it takes away from me being at home to be the full-time wife and mom that I need to be. Anyway, so Tuesday morning I come in late. And there was a client on the phone for me. Which was an ongoing thing from Monday. I expressed my irritation with the client not following the protocol that I gave him. And so, in a very irritated manner, I told my boss that he could give the information if he wanted to. That I wasn't willing to lose my job over it being it's against the law. Well, that was the first time in almost 4 years that I've seen my boss mad. Following the phone call, I chatted with my boss and we were in disagreement on how we could provide information to farm operators. He made a call to his supervisor who agreed with my boss. I couldn't believe it, I know what the law says. I've trained my area on this very subject and yet no one seems to remember, or care, about it. So, it wasn't good that I didn't respect my boss in an appropriate manner.
My honey was gone Tuesday and most of Wednesday. Usually we have one night together at home which is Tuesday. So, I was missing my honey this week.
Bad mood mom. I sat in my house and and felt completely overwhelmed - my house is filthy (according to my standards), I haven't read the mail in over a month (honey has paid the bills), I haven't completed the soil tests for my new septic system, blah, blah, blah. I figured out that I'm home 2.5 hours a night before I go to bed. In that short time, I'm supposed to be a full time wife, mom and maid. It just isn't working and I'm stressed to the max. I know my husband loves me but I begin to question that a little. I know that I don't get to sit and relax or do the things I want because I don't have the time. And it bothers me so much that he takes the time to sit, relax and watch tv when trash needs to be taken out, recycles need to be dealt with, etc. My mind wonders why he doesn't do those things to help me out when he KNOWS that a clean house equals sanity for me. So, that's been adding to the stress.
Last night was another fun night though. See, I'm having a good time being out and doing things for others which means I have no time for myself or my "to do list" at home. Anyway, last night we visited Hugo and Gladys. Hugo spoke in our wedding and is such a neat guy. His wife is adorable and I love to give her hugs. Six of us from our small group went over there and visited, listened to Hugo sing, shared stories, sang hymns together and ate cake. H&G are 92 years old and both have walkers now. They don't get to church hardly ever and so it was a blessing for us and for them to visit with them.
Today we head to PC for the weekend. We hope to hang out with some of Ryan's childhood friends and then spend Easter with Ryan's grandparents. I'm looking forward to a weekend off even though it will be a busy one. Next week we get our new help at the office and after he's here, I'm hoping to take a few days off to get things in order at home.
Christ died a brutal death on a cross for you and me, that's why we call it Good Friday. Three days later he rose from the dead, we celebrate Easter that Sunday. I hope you appreciate that Christ died for your sins, that He paid the price for you, as you celebrate Easter.
07 April 2006
Story of the Day - not a fun one either!
Got pretty scared last night. Scott, the middle of the night, was fussing. Most the time, I'll let him fuss for a while to see if he'll go back to sleep. Last night I checked on him right away for some reason. Walked into his room and it was smoke-filled. Thought I was seeing things in my half-awake state. Nope, it was smoke in his room. He has a vaporizer for his cold/congestion. Water must have caused a short or something because there was smoke in there. I unplugged it, left the door open and took my kid to my room. I had Ryan go in to make sure I wasn't imagining things and yep, it was smoky. Not full of smoke like a fire, but enough to scare me. We close his door to keep the humidity in his room so the smoke wasn't able to escape either. If I would have waited, he could have very well passed out and I may have just thought he fell asleep. It was scary. Praise God for the prompting to check on him right away last night!!! Scott-R, I love you son!
05 April 2006
Story of the Day
[from monday]
On my way home, just a few miles up the road, I noticed something abnormal. In a newly terraced field of Kevin's (my office did the work), I saw heifers. Now, this field doesn't have fences so it didn't make sense for animals to be out there. Sometimes, people put up a single strand of hot wire for short term. I slowed down to look for that knowing that animals shouldn't be grazing in new terraces. My immediate thought was that they belonged to Dean. [I wouldn't typically know any of these people, but I did the cost share paperwork for Kevin's terraces and Dean is a neighbor to some of my friends]. I tried calling my friend to have them alert Dean. But there was no answer, so I turned down the gravel road to Dean's house. At this point the cattle appeared to have just crossed the gravel into the open field. As I drove, I noticed the top wire was down on Dean's fence. But, sometimes those fences are 30 years old and the top wire has been down for 20 of those years. I knocked at the door and was greeted by a confused Joanne. I aked her if they were grazing cattle in the field up the road and she confirmed that. I alerted her that the cattle were in Kevin's new terraced field and got back in my car. As I headed back towards the blacktop, I drove slow enough to assure that I didn't hit a cow or heifer in the road. By this time (less than 5 minutes later), the dairy animals had headed quite a way down the field. In this one big field, there is one long strip of grass. The cattle were biting on the tiny bit of green grass that is there. I imagine that Dean had quite the time getting his cattle rounded up and back into his own farm. I would've offerred some help except my mom was sick and was eager for me to pick up my child since I had already stayed 45 minutes late at work. Anyway, it was quite the entertaining story of the day - for me at least.
[little guy's attitude]
It has been bad this week. He goes from angel to heathen real quick. He's been throwing quite the little fits. I thought it was because he was sick but they're still happening. Maybe it's because he's teething and wants his mommy to hold him. I'm trying to teach him that bad behavior will not be accepted and that he won't get away with those little fits at our house. I don't like disciplining him but he needs it.
On my way home, just a few miles up the road, I noticed something abnormal. In a newly terraced field of Kevin's (my office did the work), I saw heifers. Now, this field doesn't have fences so it didn't make sense for animals to be out there. Sometimes, people put up a single strand of hot wire for short term. I slowed down to look for that knowing that animals shouldn't be grazing in new terraces. My immediate thought was that they belonged to Dean. [I wouldn't typically know any of these people, but I did the cost share paperwork for Kevin's terraces and Dean is a neighbor to some of my friends]. I tried calling my friend to have them alert Dean. But there was no answer, so I turned down the gravel road to Dean's house. At this point the cattle appeared to have just crossed the gravel into the open field. As I drove, I noticed the top wire was down on Dean's fence. But, sometimes those fences are 30 years old and the top wire has been down for 20 of those years. I knocked at the door and was greeted by a confused Joanne. I aked her if they were grazing cattle in the field up the road and she confirmed that. I alerted her that the cattle were in Kevin's new terraced field and got back in my car. As I headed back towards the blacktop, I drove slow enough to assure that I didn't hit a cow or heifer in the road. By this time (less than 5 minutes later), the dairy animals had headed quite a way down the field. In this one big field, there is one long strip of grass. The cattle were biting on the tiny bit of green grass that is there. I imagine that Dean had quite the time getting his cattle rounded up and back into his own farm. I would've offerred some help except my mom was sick and was eager for me to pick up my child since I had already stayed 45 minutes late at work. Anyway, it was quite the entertaining story of the day - for me at least.
[little guy's attitude]
It has been bad this week. He goes from angel to heathen real quick. He's been throwing quite the little fits. I thought it was because he was sick but they're still happening. Maybe it's because he's teething and wants his mommy to hold him. I'm trying to teach him that bad behavior will not be accepted and that he won't get away with those little fits at our house. I don't like disciplining him but he needs it.
04 April 2006
Great Photo Op
I just had to share a photo of the Buitenwerf siblings: Alise, Roy and Reva. They live spread out in the US but managed to get together recently in AZ. This picture is a treasure!
Pictured below would be our little guy's: Great, Great Aunt Alise, Great Grandpa & Great Grandma and Great, Great Aunt Reva
Pictured below would be our little guy's: Great, Great Aunt Alise, Great Grandpa & Great Grandma and Great, Great Aunt Reva
03 April 2006
Pictures
RJ - my little niece. She's so cute here and I love her smile so I wanted to share it.
Have I added this picture before? It was a while back. Scott was playing with Ryan's [wrapped] cigar.
Scott sporting his ISU jersey while taking a break from his favorite toy.
Scott eating prunes. He seems to like anything he can get in his mouth with the exception of peaches so far.
Our small fry. Caught this cute picture yesterday when Scott was relaxing on the couch with his dad. He is growing so fast.
31 March 2006
Is it 5pm yet?
I was so thankful that I woke up this morning and it was Friday. It has been a long week. I was home one night this week and used that time to make a cake for one of our JV helpers. Good cake - it was the Earthquake Cake. Oh, yeah, for those who want the secret recipe, here it is:
Bottom
1/2 bag of coconut - spread it on the bottom of the 9x13 glass pan to start.
Cake
1 moist chocolate cake mix
3 eggs
1 1/4 c. milk
1 stick soft butter
Mix the cake mix with the above ingredients (not how the box says to do it). Pour over the coconut.
Topping
1 8 oz. package cream cheese
1 box powdered sugar
1 stick melted butter
Mix the above ingredients for the topping. Spoon over the top of the cake mix (it doesn't pour).
Bake at 350 for 1 hour. The topping will end up at the bottom of your cake. It tastes great warm. If you serve it immediately after pulling it out of the oven, the topping will be runny and messy. Let it cool for 10 minutes or so before serving. It's so good! But for those of us trying to watch our figures, don't eat the whole cake (unless of course you have a pass for your Weight Watcher meeting).
So anyway, that was my Wednesday evening. After JV was over, I did actually have a few minutes to visit with my hubby before heading to bed.
Did I mention that I'm glad for Friday to be here? I have had a good week at work, home and in my quiet time. But, I'm really looking forward to the retreat I'm going to this weekend. I'm a little apprehensive about taking a sick-but-feeling-better baby. I know I won't have to hold him much since there will be plenty of volunteers but I'm hoping that he doesn't sneeze the green snot all over them like he does to me. And I don't like packing to be gone. I have to have so much of everything in case Scott spits up, explodes his diaper, etc. But, I know that my time there will be good. If the weather is nice spring weather, I know my son will love to be outdoors and look at all the new things.
[story of the day]
Yesterday morning shortly after waking up, we heard a cat's meow. We were confused because our cats were outside. In no time, Rum, our tabby, was in bed with us. I figured he snuck in when the JVers left. But Ryan said he through him out after that. Some time later Ryan left for work and checked the cellar doors to make sure that wasn't how the cat got in. The inside door was closed, so Ryan closed the cellar doors and headed to work. Last night when we got home from bible study, Ryan went into the basement to see if any water made its way in during the rainstorm an hour earlier. Upon opening the basement door, he found quite a mess. Keller, my deaf dog, must have gotten in along side Rum earlier that morning and then was locked in when Ryan left for work. Keller hasn't been an inside dog for 8 months. He had quite the mess downstairs (our JV room). He had the trash spread EVERYWHERE. Lots of little candy wrappers and cake plates. And because he'd been down there for 14 hours, he had to pottie. Unfortunately he'd pooped on the couch - several times! I felt bad when I got home and saw the mess since Keller is my dog. Fortunately, Dr. Honey cleaned up the poop while I took little guy upstairs to put him in bed. How's that for a surprise?!?!
Bottom
1/2 bag of coconut - spread it on the bottom of the 9x13 glass pan to start.
Cake
1 moist chocolate cake mix
3 eggs
1 1/4 c. milk
1 stick soft butter
Mix the cake mix with the above ingredients (not how the box says to do it). Pour over the coconut.
Topping
1 8 oz. package cream cheese
1 box powdered sugar
1 stick melted butter
Mix the above ingredients for the topping. Spoon over the top of the cake mix (it doesn't pour).
Bake at 350 for 1 hour. The topping will end up at the bottom of your cake. It tastes great warm. If you serve it immediately after pulling it out of the oven, the topping will be runny and messy. Let it cool for 10 minutes or so before serving. It's so good! But for those of us trying to watch our figures, don't eat the whole cake (unless of course you have a pass for your Weight Watcher meeting).
So anyway, that was my Wednesday evening. After JV was over, I did actually have a few minutes to visit with my hubby before heading to bed.
Did I mention that I'm glad for Friday to be here? I have had a good week at work, home and in my quiet time. But, I'm really looking forward to the retreat I'm going to this weekend. I'm a little apprehensive about taking a sick-but-feeling-better baby. I know I won't have to hold him much since there will be plenty of volunteers but I'm hoping that he doesn't sneeze the green snot all over them like he does to me. And I don't like packing to be gone. I have to have so much of everything in case Scott spits up, explodes his diaper, etc. But, I know that my time there will be good. If the weather is nice spring weather, I know my son will love to be outdoors and look at all the new things.
[story of the day]
Yesterday morning shortly after waking up, we heard a cat's meow. We were confused because our cats were outside. In no time, Rum, our tabby, was in bed with us. I figured he snuck in when the JVers left. But Ryan said he through him out after that. Some time later Ryan left for work and checked the cellar doors to make sure that wasn't how the cat got in. The inside door was closed, so Ryan closed the cellar doors and headed to work. Last night when we got home from bible study, Ryan went into the basement to see if any water made its way in during the rainstorm an hour earlier. Upon opening the basement door, he found quite a mess. Keller, my deaf dog, must have gotten in along side Rum earlier that morning and then was locked in when Ryan left for work. Keller hasn't been an inside dog for 8 months. He had quite the mess downstairs (our JV room). He had the trash spread EVERYWHERE. Lots of little candy wrappers and cake plates. And because he'd been down there for 14 hours, he had to pottie. Unfortunately he'd pooped on the couch - several times! I felt bad when I got home and saw the mess since Keller is my dog. Fortunately, Dr. Honey cleaned up the poop while I took little guy upstairs to put him in bed. How's that for a surprise?!?!
28 March 2006
quick update
[Dr. Honey]
out on calvings every night this week. poor guy, not getting a good night of sleep.
[me]
3 nights so far with a fussy baby and not much sleep. Was up again much of the night with him. Ryan was good to help both when he came home from calving calls and when he was asleep. Tonight is girls night out, I hope my energy keeps up so I can have a good time tonight.
[little guy]
has double ear infections = automatic antibiotics. Didn't even bother him about his throat since he was going to get meds anyway. No surprise there, he's been itching at them. Is constantly on a decongestant and tylenol to keep the fever down. last night at 11, he finally ended the streak of constipation. It was a fun mess to clean up. He will miss his mommy tonight - good thing he likes his dad!
[frustration]
good day. crazy busy but I haven't want to tell anyone how stupid I think they are! Yay me!
out on calvings every night this week. poor guy, not getting a good night of sleep.
[me]
3 nights so far with a fussy baby and not much sleep. Was up again much of the night with him. Ryan was good to help both when he came home from calving calls and when he was asleep. Tonight is girls night out, I hope my energy keeps up so I can have a good time tonight.
[little guy]
has double ear infections = automatic antibiotics. Didn't even bother him about his throat since he was going to get meds anyway. No surprise there, he's been itching at them. Is constantly on a decongestant and tylenol to keep the fever down. last night at 11, he finally ended the streak of constipation. It was a fun mess to clean up. He will miss his mommy tonight - good thing he likes his dad!
[frustration]
good day. crazy busy but I haven't want to tell anyone how stupid I think they are! Yay me!
27 March 2006
a much needed entry
[thank God]
I’m so glad for what I recently learned about finding joy and appreciating my situation instead of being grumpy. Yesterday in church, I was able to Worship rather than being irritated with someone. It was such a relief. I’m also thankful for Jamie and Steven for being in the nursery so I could leave my child in there during church.
[My small fry]
It’s been a blessing that my kid doesn’t poop all the time cause that means I don’t have to change stinky diapers. But there is a point where it gets to be a bad thing. He gets constipated. And I’ve learned recently that prunes/prune juice don’t seem to help. So, we’ve tried the dark karo syrup. Most people have it in their cupboard for baking pecan pies, I have it to help loosen up my kiddo! We recently dealt with the constipation thing and then he went once and decided not to poop again. So, back to the syrup added to breastmilk in a bottle. It was no fun to see him strain to poop and get no results. This started Thursday night. Sunday morning we woke up and it was worse. On top of being constipated, the poor kid has a cough, is super congested and sounds like kroup again. Yesterday, Scott didn’t want to eat, was real puny looking and fussy unless you snuggled him. No fun. He did take a lengthy nap with me which we both needed after being up much of Satruday night. I desperately needed groceries so I dragged him with me to the store. He’s such a good baby! Got home last night and his temperature was 100.1. I felt so bad for taking him out but we needed food. We put him to bed and did some reading before lights out. Of course, it was another sleepless night. Between Ryan getting called out for a calving and Scott being up coughing and crying, I didn’t get a night of rest. But, praise God, he did poop finally. So, that alone had to make him feel better. This morning, I asked mom to come to the house instead of dragging him out. He had the sweetest smile on his face when he saw her. And when he heard his Papa’s voice, I was instantly ignored. He’s too cute.
[sleep]
Did I say that I need sleep? Yeah, well it’s not happening. We had a full weekend and this week is just as busy. Tuesday night is girls night out. I’ve not had one of these since living here so I’m excited. I’m really looking forward to getting to know the girls here better. I’m eager to be 10 years down the road and feeling like I belong here instead of being the outsider. I also want to visit Paul. He’s one of our older (about 91 years) friends. He was a few hours away in the hospital for a while and now they moved him to a home nearby. It will be good to visit with him even though he’s hard of hearing and doesn’t remember a ton anymore. Paul let me get ready in his home the day of the wedding since he lives across from the church. He’s a sweet guy who loves the Lord dearly. I have the usual mid week activities (JV kids and then bible study). Friday night I’m going to camp. Yup, camp. I’m really excited to hear what Diane will be teaching us for the weekend. She’s a wonderful teacher (and also happens to be the wife of my pastor). That will be a full weekend and I’m taking my attachment – Scott – along with me.
[work]
I think I move my frustrations from one place to another. This week might be work. We’re super busy and it gets tiring. I love helping people and teaching them new things when they’re eager to learn. But, I don’t like helping and then going back and having to re-do the work anyway. That gets frustrating real quick. But, the sign-up will be over on Friday and things will begin to slow down after that. It’s never slow in our office, but it will at least be less stressful I hope. I like work and when I get to the point that I don’t want to come in, I’m usually beyond tired or stressed.
[Mongolia missions]
We were invited to go to Mongolia from the folks who Dr. Honey has worked with twice before. This news came the day after I had randomly mentioned to Ryan that we should go. That was cool that it happened the way it did. I would consider going IF we could make different arrangements for food for me. I have a sensitive stomach and just can’t imagine eating boiled goat head or drinking fermented mare’s milk and staying healthy. I’d have to carry along my PB&J, crackers, ramen noodles etc. I know that we don’t have the money to pay for a trip like this but I also trust that God will provide if it’s in His will for us to go. And so far, it won’t be provided via our tax return!!!!
[40 days]
I’m continuing to learn much from this book. I look forward to being done but I hope that I’ll take the time to go back through it. I know there have been several nights where I’ve fallen asleep while Ryan reads the last two pages. I have it on CD, so I’m thinking I might listen to it on my drive to work.
I’m so glad for what I recently learned about finding joy and appreciating my situation instead of being grumpy. Yesterday in church, I was able to Worship rather than being irritated with someone. It was such a relief. I’m also thankful for Jamie and Steven for being in the nursery so I could leave my child in there during church.
[My small fry]
It’s been a blessing that my kid doesn’t poop all the time cause that means I don’t have to change stinky diapers. But there is a point where it gets to be a bad thing. He gets constipated. And I’ve learned recently that prunes/prune juice don’t seem to help. So, we’ve tried the dark karo syrup. Most people have it in their cupboard for baking pecan pies, I have it to help loosen up my kiddo! We recently dealt with the constipation thing and then he went once and decided not to poop again. So, back to the syrup added to breastmilk in a bottle. It was no fun to see him strain to poop and get no results. This started Thursday night. Sunday morning we woke up and it was worse. On top of being constipated, the poor kid has a cough, is super congested and sounds like kroup again. Yesterday, Scott didn’t want to eat, was real puny looking and fussy unless you snuggled him. No fun. He did take a lengthy nap with me which we both needed after being up much of Satruday night. I desperately needed groceries so I dragged him with me to the store. He’s such a good baby! Got home last night and his temperature was 100.1. I felt so bad for taking him out but we needed food. We put him to bed and did some reading before lights out. Of course, it was another sleepless night. Between Ryan getting called out for a calving and Scott being up coughing and crying, I didn’t get a night of rest. But, praise God, he did poop finally. So, that alone had to make him feel better. This morning, I asked mom to come to the house instead of dragging him out. He had the sweetest smile on his face when he saw her. And when he heard his Papa’s voice, I was instantly ignored. He’s too cute.
[sleep]
Did I say that I need sleep? Yeah, well it’s not happening. We had a full weekend and this week is just as busy. Tuesday night is girls night out. I’ve not had one of these since living here so I’m excited. I’m really looking forward to getting to know the girls here better. I’m eager to be 10 years down the road and feeling like I belong here instead of being the outsider. I also want to visit Paul. He’s one of our older (about 91 years) friends. He was a few hours away in the hospital for a while and now they moved him to a home nearby. It will be good to visit with him even though he’s hard of hearing and doesn’t remember a ton anymore. Paul let me get ready in his home the day of the wedding since he lives across from the church. He’s a sweet guy who loves the Lord dearly. I have the usual mid week activities (JV kids and then bible study). Friday night I’m going to camp. Yup, camp. I’m really excited to hear what Diane will be teaching us for the weekend. She’s a wonderful teacher (and also happens to be the wife of my pastor). That will be a full weekend and I’m taking my attachment – Scott – along with me.
[work]
I think I move my frustrations from one place to another. This week might be work. We’re super busy and it gets tiring. I love helping people and teaching them new things when they’re eager to learn. But, I don’t like helping and then going back and having to re-do the work anyway. That gets frustrating real quick. But, the sign-up will be over on Friday and things will begin to slow down after that. It’s never slow in our office, but it will at least be less stressful I hope. I like work and when I get to the point that I don’t want to come in, I’m usually beyond tired or stressed.
[Mongolia missions]
We were invited to go to Mongolia from the folks who Dr. Honey has worked with twice before. This news came the day after I had randomly mentioned to Ryan that we should go. That was cool that it happened the way it did. I would consider going IF we could make different arrangements for food for me. I have a sensitive stomach and just can’t imagine eating boiled goat head or drinking fermented mare’s milk and staying healthy. I’d have to carry along my PB&J, crackers, ramen noodles etc. I know that we don’t have the money to pay for a trip like this but I also trust that God will provide if it’s in His will for us to go. And so far, it won’t be provided via our tax return!!!!
[40 days]
I’m continuing to learn much from this book. I look forward to being done but I hope that I’ll take the time to go back through it. I know there have been several nights where I’ve fallen asleep while Ryan reads the last two pages. I have it on CD, so I’m thinking I might listen to it on my drive to work.
20 March 2006
Needing a nap...
[good reminder]
Honesty is the best policy, right? Okay, so I’ve struggled lately with spending time with God – like praying and reading and being quiet. And that has affected my attitude so much. Yeah, I’m thankful for my life, the roof over my head, my family, etc but I’ve had a crappy attitude and it’s wearing on me. Specifically, one decision/issue affects so many facets of my life that it keeps me stressed out most of the time. But, I had a good reminder last week. I need to find joy in every situation. Many people think they’re day is successful if they learn something new, encourage a friend, make a dollar. I’m trying to judge my successful days on whether or not I’ve honored God. And one of those ways (there are many) is finding joy in my current situations. So, it hit me last week and since then, the stress is there, no doubt, but its not driving me crazy. My anger towards the person involved has subsided – some. Yeah, I’m still working on this whole process but it was such a great reminder. I appreciate the situation I’m in – this week – and hope that my better-attitude remains.
[purpose driven]
I’m on day 22 of 40 in the Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren. The book has some great thought provoking comments, bible verses and questions. Really, what on earth am I here for? I know what I’m here for but sometimes I get caught up in my wants and forget the big picture. This book has been encouraging for me to read. A chapter each day is easy. And some chapters, I should read every day for a week to really let the information sink in. I’m not much for doing what is popular – what everyone else is doing. And this book has been very popular but it’s been good and I’d encourage others to read it.
[Dr. Hottie’s birthday]
It was a success, a milestone, a fun day to make my honey feel the most special. Last year I made him curtains that didn’t work out. This year, I bought a gift to make sure he got something he liked. So, I had this great idea to buy him tickets to the new Cardinals stadium this summer. I was going to purchase the tickets and give them to him for his birthday. With his on call schedule, I had to share part of the scheme. Then we invited a few friends. So it got more difficult to plan. Knowing that I might not have the tickets in hand, I bought him a little Cardinals baseball player figuring thing. Just to have something to open. He saw that on my work desk and ruined that surprise (my fault). The tickets went on sale 2 weeks ago and already we can’t get the tickets we want. Grr. There goes another great idea. So, I went to the back up plan, I went to Eskimo Joe’s online and bought him some stuff. EJ’s is a bar/grille place in Stillwater that Dr. Hottie loved as an undergrad. I bought him a new tshirt (the old one is super worn and thin and has “air conditioning” in the armpits). I also bought him some new plastic cups since his old ones are slowly disappearing. And I bought him a nice glass so he could have his own special cup (since I have my own special glass). It arrived in just two days – the day before his birthday. That was a hit. And because he was there when the package arrived and it had the EJ logo on it, I gave it to him a day early. There’s more – yes I’m an awesome wife – I made him a cake. Not the typical box cake that you mix up real quick and toss in the oven. I made an earthquake cake. And while it was baking, I was watching and the topping wasn’t going to the bottom like it was supposed to. So, it’s done baking, I take it out of the oven and apologize to my honey for another failed project on his birthday. But, five minutes later when it had cooled just a bit, the stuff on top had been sucked down to the bottom like it was supposed to do. Yay!!!! The cake was a little dry so I will leave it up to mom to make the next time but I made an effort! So, happy birthday to Dr. Hottie, my wonderful 30 year old husband!
Honesty is the best policy, right? Okay, so I’ve struggled lately with spending time with God – like praying and reading and being quiet. And that has affected my attitude so much. Yeah, I’m thankful for my life, the roof over my head, my family, etc but I’ve had a crappy attitude and it’s wearing on me. Specifically, one decision/issue affects so many facets of my life that it keeps me stressed out most of the time. But, I had a good reminder last week. I need to find joy in every situation. Many people think they’re day is successful if they learn something new, encourage a friend, make a dollar. I’m trying to judge my successful days on whether or not I’ve honored God. And one of those ways (there are many) is finding joy in my current situations. So, it hit me last week and since then, the stress is there, no doubt, but its not driving me crazy. My anger towards the person involved has subsided – some. Yeah, I’m still working on this whole process but it was such a great reminder. I appreciate the situation I’m in – this week – and hope that my better-attitude remains.
[purpose driven]
I’m on day 22 of 40 in the Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren. The book has some great thought provoking comments, bible verses and questions. Really, what on earth am I here for? I know what I’m here for but sometimes I get caught up in my wants and forget the big picture. This book has been encouraging for me to read. A chapter each day is easy. And some chapters, I should read every day for a week to really let the information sink in. I’m not much for doing what is popular – what everyone else is doing. And this book has been very popular but it’s been good and I’d encourage others to read it.
[Dr. Hottie’s birthday]
It was a success, a milestone, a fun day to make my honey feel the most special. Last year I made him curtains that didn’t work out. This year, I bought a gift to make sure he got something he liked. So, I had this great idea to buy him tickets to the new Cardinals stadium this summer. I was going to purchase the tickets and give them to him for his birthday. With his on call schedule, I had to share part of the scheme. Then we invited a few friends. So it got more difficult to plan. Knowing that I might not have the tickets in hand, I bought him a little Cardinals baseball player figuring thing. Just to have something to open. He saw that on my work desk and ruined that surprise (my fault). The tickets went on sale 2 weeks ago and already we can’t get the tickets we want. Grr. There goes another great idea. So, I went to the back up plan, I went to Eskimo Joe’s online and bought him some stuff. EJ’s is a bar/grille place in Stillwater that Dr. Hottie loved as an undergrad. I bought him a new tshirt (the old one is super worn and thin and has “air conditioning” in the armpits). I also bought him some new plastic cups since his old ones are slowly disappearing. And I bought him a nice glass so he could have his own special cup (since I have my own special glass). It arrived in just two days – the day before his birthday. That was a hit. And because he was there when the package arrived and it had the EJ logo on it, I gave it to him a day early. There’s more – yes I’m an awesome wife – I made him a cake. Not the typical box cake that you mix up real quick and toss in the oven. I made an earthquake cake. And while it was baking, I was watching and the topping wasn’t going to the bottom like it was supposed to. So, it’s done baking, I take it out of the oven and apologize to my honey for another failed project on his birthday. But, five minutes later when it had cooled just a bit, the stuff on top had been sucked down to the bottom like it was supposed to do. Yay!!!! The cake was a little dry so I will leave it up to mom to make the next time but I made an effort! So, happy birthday to Dr. Hottie, my wonderful 30 year old husband!
17 March 2006
St. Patrick's Day
Wow, I'm so thankful that Friday is here. I'm so tired and un-motivated this week. I've picked up around the house a little but I'm definitely behind on laundry and cleaning. This weekend is my honey's birthday! He said that he just wants to work around the house and complete some of our un-finished projects. I have to finish the second coat of paint on a tiny wall in the dinning room. I need to put another coat of clear on my cupboards that I started back in November. And I need to do touch up work from when Ryan painted our bedroom. I'm pretty sure that I won't get it all accomplished like Ryan hopes. I also have laundry and basic cleaning to do, I need groceries and want to get my car cleaned out. Plus, it's Living Stone weekend so that shoots Saturday afternoon and Saturday night.
The past weeks have been busy and I'm exhausted by time I get home at night. A few things have added to an already stressful environment. There is a member in our church that I have a problem with and according to the bible, I should approach him. But the situation isn't my business, although it affects me on a daily basis. I see him in church and he steals my attitude of worship every time. So, that's been hard and frustrating. BUT, I learned - no, wait, I was reminded last night that I need to find joy in every situation and be thankful. So that has been good so far. Just focusing on what I have and be thankful for that has improved my attitude some. Another thing is this rash. I visited the Doc yesterday. He seems to think that it's just dry skin (that time of year here). But I've never had it quite this bad before and it gets really bad. Of course, it was hardly noticeable when I was at the doctor's office. He did recognize that it's likely hormone related and potentially a sensitivity to my birth control. I wish he would have pursued it farther and not just tried to cover up the issue. But, if this cream works, then I'll be happy and possibly a little more sane.
This past week, my little guy has been a blast. Scott has learned a few new things. He thinks he's a little bird - when someone holding him is chewing food, he opens his mouth wide and leans right in towards your mouth. The kid loves to eat! He's also learned to make little indian noises. As kids, we'd pat our hand over our lips while making a constant noise and the sound would fluctuate. Anyway, Scott will make the noise and let you pat his mouth. And when you stop, he makes quite a loud noise to let you know that he wants to keep playing. I've watched him push my hand away twice when he was done playing. He's growing so fast. His hair is coming in thick and is a sandy blonde color with his pretty blue eyes. Earlier this week, I woke him from an evening nap. He wasn't happy and would have slept all night except I needed to feed and change him. Anyway, he snuggled right up against Ryan and went to sleep. It was adorable. I was so busy watching them that I didn't think to take a picture until he woke back up. This morning wasn't all smiles. As I was buckling him into his carseat, he spit up everything he'd just eaten. I unbuckled and took him back in the house and changed him. Meanwhile Ryan is headed down the driveway and wondering why I'm not right behind him. When I got back out of the house and up the drive, he was at the top waiting for me. He wanted to make sure that I made it up since we got an inch or so of snow yesterday and the driveway was slick. I have an absolutely wonderful husband who loves me. I so appreciate that.
Yes, I said snow. It was less than expected, but enough to keep me home a few hours from work. We got sleet first and I was concerned that I wouldn't get up the drive. But, before I left, the snow was coming down good and I figured the driveway was safe. I made it to mom's before deciding that I didn't want to play with the weather. They were expecting lots more snow and wind which causes problems. And since I live on back roads, they're not a priority to get plowed. I didn't want to have a hard time getting home so I stayed at mom's and played with my son. It was a blast, I had him laughing up a storm. Finally at 11am, I decided to try the roads since the snow had slowed. The roads were slushy which meant slow driving but I made it to work by noon. Got to work late and left early for a doctor's appointment. Gotta love my benefits and flexibility in my job!
The past weeks have been busy and I'm exhausted by time I get home at night. A few things have added to an already stressful environment. There is a member in our church that I have a problem with and according to the bible, I should approach him. But the situation isn't my business, although it affects me on a daily basis. I see him in church and he steals my attitude of worship every time. So, that's been hard and frustrating. BUT, I learned - no, wait, I was reminded last night that I need to find joy in every situation and be thankful. So that has been good so far. Just focusing on what I have and be thankful for that has improved my attitude some. Another thing is this rash. I visited the Doc yesterday. He seems to think that it's just dry skin (that time of year here). But I've never had it quite this bad before and it gets really bad. Of course, it was hardly noticeable when I was at the doctor's office. He did recognize that it's likely hormone related and potentially a sensitivity to my birth control. I wish he would have pursued it farther and not just tried to cover up the issue. But, if this cream works, then I'll be happy and possibly a little more sane.
This past week, my little guy has been a blast. Scott has learned a few new things. He thinks he's a little bird - when someone holding him is chewing food, he opens his mouth wide and leans right in towards your mouth. The kid loves to eat! He's also learned to make little indian noises. As kids, we'd pat our hand over our lips while making a constant noise and the sound would fluctuate. Anyway, Scott will make the noise and let you pat his mouth. And when you stop, he makes quite a loud noise to let you know that he wants to keep playing. I've watched him push my hand away twice when he was done playing. He's growing so fast. His hair is coming in thick and is a sandy blonde color with his pretty blue eyes. Earlier this week, I woke him from an evening nap. He wasn't happy and would have slept all night except I needed to feed and change him. Anyway, he snuggled right up against Ryan and went to sleep. It was adorable. I was so busy watching them that I didn't think to take a picture until he woke back up. This morning wasn't all smiles. As I was buckling him into his carseat, he spit up everything he'd just eaten. I unbuckled and took him back in the house and changed him. Meanwhile Ryan is headed down the driveway and wondering why I'm not right behind him. When I got back out of the house and up the drive, he was at the top waiting for me. He wanted to make sure that I made it up since we got an inch or so of snow yesterday and the driveway was slick. I have an absolutely wonderful husband who loves me. I so appreciate that.
Yes, I said snow. It was less than expected, but enough to keep me home a few hours from work. We got sleet first and I was concerned that I wouldn't get up the drive. But, before I left, the snow was coming down good and I figured the driveway was safe. I made it to mom's before deciding that I didn't want to play with the weather. They were expecting lots more snow and wind which causes problems. And since I live on back roads, they're not a priority to get plowed. I didn't want to have a hard time getting home so I stayed at mom's and played with my son. It was a blast, I had him laughing up a storm. Finally at 11am, I decided to try the roads since the snow had slowed. The roads were slushy which meant slow driving but I made it to work by noon. Got to work late and left early for a doctor's appointment. Gotta love my benefits and flexibility in my job!
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