Goals

It is that time again...

That time of year where I start to think about what I need to do to better my life in the next year.

I like to set "goals" rather than resolutions.

Resolutions in the past have not worked.  Resolutions last until about mid-February.

"Goals" are more realistic.  I am a "goal" type of person. 

I like my goals written out like a list.

I am a list person.  I get an HUGE amount of satisfaction from striking a line through something on my list.

Sometimes I have multiple lists going.

Sometimes I write something on my list that I have just recently accomplished JUST so I can strike a line through it.

So here we go... My goals of 2012

1.  I would LOVE to put lose weight on here as a goal, however since I am just starting my third trimester that goal will NOT be a possibility until April.  This one I can actually procrastinate!

2.  Other than number 1... Try to procrastinate less.  I don't want to say "stop procrastinating" because that is an unrealistic goal.  If I say less...then that is something to shoot for.

3.  Delete old emails out of my inbox...and keep it cleaned out.

4.  Clean the kitchen each night after dinner instead of waiting until the next morning...or two.

5.  Fold laundry soon after it comes out of the dryer.  No more folding 8 loads of laundry in one afternoon.

6.  On the same lines as folding laundry... Do one or two loads of laundry a day instead of waiting 3 weeks and doing 8 loads of laundry in one day.  This one actually HAS to happen.  Apparently at our new home it is not recommended to do more than two loads of laundry in one day.  I'm hoping this rule will help me!

7.  De-Clutter and stay clutter free. 

8.  Get the baby room all set up and ready to go.

9.  Sweep/Dust my new wood floor at least once a week, if not more.

10. Finish ALL the unpacking.  Get rid of ALL the boxes.  (I am so tired of boxes...)

Christmas Chatter

A little about my Christmas break... (I hesitate to use the word break, but "vacation" or "time-off" doesn't fit either, so break it is.)

~  We closed on both properties on Friday the 23rd.  We were officially homeless for about 40 minutes.  I am so thankful that everything fell into place as it did. It is so nice to only have one home to focus on and one payment to make.

~ The closing date put a dent in our normal Christmas plans.  We were planning on going home to see my family on the 23rd.  That didn't happen.  So it was a quick trip home on Christmas Eve and then gone again on Christmas Day.

~  My mother out-did herself again with her Christmas shopping.  It is her thing.  She does it well :)

~  My father really out-did himself this year.  I think he made my mom tear up 3 or 4 times.  It was sweet to watch them.

~  We got some cute little outfits for our little girl.  They ALL involved pink.  Ethan was not that thrilled about the pink...

~  We left my parents at noon on Christmas in order to make it back for Ethan's family dinner.  We had a "Feliz Navidad" themed meal that was very good. 

~  All the kids and spouses chipped in this year and got Ethan's parents an I-Pad for Christmas.  I think they are really going to enjoy it.

~  They may enjoy the new Casino more...

~  I finally got all the boxes emptied upstairs (other than the spare bedrooms..) and out of the house.  It is finally starting to feel like our home.  Now if I can just get motivated to do the same in the basement and spare bedrooms.

~  My parents dropped off a crib.  It is the same crib that I used as a baby.  I have NO IDEA how to put it together.  There are no directions. 

~  I officially started my 3rd trimester this week.  I think very soon when the house is all settled, basketball is over, and the nursery is organized it will sink in how fast life is going to change for us.  We are so excited!

~  Our dogs are not impressed with the new house.  I'll post more about their transition later.

~  Our new furnace is loud.  It definitely takes some getting used to. 

~  I love fruit.  I have been wanting/craving fruit for some time now.  I bought probably 30$ worth of it today.

~  One good thing about not having Christmas decorations up...I don't have to be embarrassed when they are still up in February.  :o)

Wait...you mean it's Christmas?!?!

I woke up this morning thinking it was just another Saturday.  I was wrong on two accounts.

It is actually Friday.

And it is the first day of Christmas break.

It doesn't feel like it.

I have no decorations up.

We made no Christmas candy, cookies, or other type of goodies.

I haven't wrapped any presents.  Or done any shopping for that matter.

I don't even know where my Santa hat is.

It is funny when I think back to a couple months ago when I found out we would probably be moving into our new house the weekend before Christmas.  I had all these plans of going ahead and putting up at least one tree and a handful of decorations.  I even thought I might be able to squeeze a batch of cinnamon rolls in to take home to my parents. 

Yeah...didn't happen.

The only thing I have up that is Christmasy is a snow globe nativity that was given to me by our Priest. 

I'm still working on unpacking boxes and figuring out where everything is going. Changing my mind.  Then changing it back.  (I have a feeling that's going to be the theme of my break.)

Then realizing with a small since of panic that I still have to also pack to go home for a couple days.

And run to the mall (shoot me now...)

And call the lighting place

And get ready for the closing of both houses today

Wow...

This is definitely one Christmas I will never forget!

It Will All Get Done

• The cabinets will all be cleared
• The clothes will all get washed, folded, and packed
• The sub plans will get written
• The basketball game will get coached
• The boxes will be moved
• The boxes will be emptied
• The old house will get cleaned and ready for it's new owner
• The new house will have each room organized with everything put away
• We will sign the papers to close on both houses on the same day

It will all get done.

I don't really know how, but I do know that by this time next week I will be sitting in our new house, on our new couches, and enjoying that many of the things on this list will be behind me.

A Plethora...

Ethan and I are movie people.  We don't go to the movie theater very often.  We LOVE movies, but we are also fairly logical of the way we spend money.  We both agree that it is ridiculous to spend 20$ for us to go see a movie one time.  Instead, we wait until the movie comes out on video and we buy it.

We also have netflix.

Our most recent netflix move was "The Three Amigos"

Hilarious.

One scene in particular where Jefe is tells his boss, El Guapo, that there are many many pinatas for his birthday celebration.

The rest of the scene plays out like this...

El Guapo:  "Jefe, would you say I have a plethora of piñatas?

Jefe:  "Uh, Yes!"

El Guapo:  "Jefe, what is a plethora?"

Jefe: "Uh..."

El Guapo:  "Well, you just told me that I had a plethora, and I would just like to know if you know what it means to have a plethora. I would not like to think that someone would tell someone else he has a plethora, and then find out that that person has no idea what it means to have a plethora."

I love that scene. 

Does anyone really know how what exact number constitutes for a "Plethora?"

I do not.

However, as I was beginning the process of packing things for our big move into the new house in two weeks.  I started by packing up our DVD collection.

I brought in one good sized box.

Didn't even come close to holding all our movies.

So I got another box.

And another...


4 and 1/2 boxes later the DVDs are all packed and ready to move.


I would definitely say that we have a "Plethora" of movies!

Car Trouble...

I am an intelligent person.  I'm not a rocket scientist my any means, but I typically grasp concepts pretty quickly.  Except for one...

Cars.

I don't understand them.

I use words like "thingy," "what-cha-ma-call-it," and "dohicky."

Conversation on the phone with my husband as I was driving to work:

Me:  "Oh crap...what just happened!  One of those warning light thingies just flashed on and my car is doing some kind of jerky thing"

Hubby: "What does the light look like?"

Me: "uhhh...I have no idea"



Hubby:  "Well, what is going on with your car right now"

Me: "It seems to be ok now, but when that light turned on it jerked me forward a few times and then stopped.  Should I pull over?"

Hubby:  "Yes, pull over...  Ok, what does that light look like..."

Me:  "There is no shape in the known world that I can describe to you what this looks like.  It is kind of rectangle with a lot of different other pieces on it..."

Hubby:  "Does it look like an engine?"

Me:  "I don't know, maybe, I have no idea what an engine looks like.  I'm going to get out the manual to find out which light that is and what it means."

Now, do you think there would be an easy category in the back of the manual for warning symbols and what they mean.  NO!  It took me probably 10 minutes to just find a place in the book to tell me that yes, the symbol was the "check engine" light.  Seriously...why can they just have the words "CHECK ENGINE" or even the word "CHECK" under the picture to help me figure it out. 

We finally figuring out that the car would be fine to get to school and then we could try to figure out what was going on.  Once I got to school, I received numerous offers of help.  Have I mentioned that I work with some of the most kind hearted, wonderful people?!?  The mechanic teacher came down on his planning period, and with a very handy tool provided by my Principal's husband, we (ha...I mean HE) was able to figure out that the problem was with the crankshaft position sensor.

The what???

Crankshaft position sensor.

That means NOTHING to me.

Is the car ok to drive?

Is this fix going to be expensive??

(In case you have missed the last few previous posts now is NOT a good time to have expensive car trouble...we're building a house AND having a baby...I repeat...NOT a good time for an expensive car problem)

(PLUS...we JUST had some expensive car work done not even a month ago.  Brakes, timing belt, tires, oil, water pump, the works...this should NOT be happening!)

Turns out the problem with the crankshaft position sensor SHOULD have been something that was either looked at or replaced when the timing belt was changed...3 weeks ago.  So, in a very polite but firm voice that meant business my husband called the repair shop that did the work and told them what was going.  They said to get the car in right away and they would have a look at it. 

Hubby took the afternoon off work (he hasn't been feeling well, so he was planning on going home early to get some rest anyway before the fiasco with the car happened) and came to the school to pick up the car and take it in to the shop.  I followed him in with the truck, dropped him off at the house, and returned to work in time for my last class. 

The end result...the problem was with the crankshaft thingy and the shop fixed it at not cost to us because that should have been done 3 weeks ago. 

Thank goodness for honest mechanics! 

After a very long and humbling day I am proud to say that I have learned a few things with this adventure.

1.  My coworkers are AWESOME!
2.  The car has a very important part called a crankshaft position sensor.
3.  These little mishaps are really hilarious when everything is all said and done.  (It helps that we don't have to pay for the repair...I'm sure the story would not be near that funny if it came with a big price tag)

And probably the most important thing I learned today...
4.  That funny looking symbol is actually the shape of an engine. 

Light at the End of the Tunnel

The year 2011 did not start off on a real positive note for me.  I spent the majority of January, February, and March sick with a horrible combination of bronchitis, sinus infections, and probably pneumonia.  I went to 2 different doctors 6 different times and spent the majority of 3 months on any kind on antibiotic or steroid breathing inhaler to try and feel better.  Luckily for me the rest of 2011 made a HUGE turn around!

In April Ethan and I worked every night painting, cleaning, rearranging, and de-cluttering the house in order to try and get it ready to sell.  Mid-May...the house went up on the market.

By June we had our first offer.  It was low.  Too low.  We passed. 

In July we found out we were going to be parents!  Excitement filled us as we waited patiently (and a little nervously) through those first 12 weeks before announcing to family and friends.

August we started the process of building our new home.  Ethan went out everyday and took pictures of the progress.  It is so neat now to look back at when all we had was a hole in the ground...

October we found out we're having a little GIRL...right before E's birthday.  What a great birthday present for him :)

November has flown by so fast I'm not even sure what went on the first 3 weeks...but I do know that now we are about a month away from the new house being finished, the reality of possibly having two mortgages was starting to weigh on us more and more.  Clouding the excitement of seeing the progress of the house. 

We have had many showings over the last 6 months.  Many.  Most reviews of the house came back very positive, with a big fat BUT...

"We're going to look for a house with three bedrooms..."

Three bedrooms.  Ugh!  I know that you want three bedrooms.  So do I.  That's why we're building...we need more bedrooms.  There's nothing I can do about the fact we have only two bedrooms.  Whoever decided to only put two bedrooms in this house obviously was NOT thinking about resale value!

About a week ago we decided to drop the price...again.  We were a little reluctant this time because the price has never been a problem.  All the reviews coming back say that the house is reasonably priced and that has never been a deterring factor.  BUT as our Realtor pointed out, we needed to find a price that someone was willing to say "ok...I can do this." 

Finally...last Saturday, Ethan checked his email right before we were about to head over to some friend's house to watch some football, and there in the inbox was a message with the subject:  Contract for 151st!

YEEEEESSSSS!

My very next thought was..."Please be a reasonable offer..."

It was the same offer as in early June.  Same price.  Same person.

This time however, that number offered didn't seem so low. 

Everything is relative...when you've had the house on the market for 6 months with only one offer, a new house about to be finished and paying two mortgages hanging over your head, AND a baby on the way.  That offer seemed just fine.

We accepted.

And now wait patiently for inspections and pray for everything to continue to work out.

What a fantastic light at the end of the 2011 tunnel.  SO many things to be thankful for and so many thing to be excited for. 

Now, if I could only get excited about packing...

Turning 29...

I am about to embark on the last year of my 20's.

I am ok with it.

I am not bursting with excitement over my birthday, but I am ok.

I tried to explain it to some of my colleagues today.  I made the comment that I wasn't excited about my birthday this year.  Now this comment doesn't fair very well with the majority of the teachers in my building.  I am, and have been, one of the youngest teachers in the building.  So when I say that I'm not excited about turning 29 the other's moan and groan about how the WISH they were turning 29. 

It is not the number. 

29 is fine with me.

I think the lack of enthusiasm comes from the many other things going on in my life at the moment.

I am happy.  I am ridiculously happy.  There are times I sit and think that I should be more worried, stressed, and frustrated because there are definitely things in my life that could cause me to be overwhelmed with those emotions.  BUT I'm not.  I'm happy. 

My birthday has always been something I look forward to.  A day to celebrate, relax, and forget anything that might not be going the way I want.  But this year...there are many more EXCITING things going on in my life, that my birthday just doesn't seem all that big.

I could list for you over and over all the wonderful things in my life, but I think I'll try to narrow it down to a top 10.

In no particular order...

10.  We our building a house.  It is almost done!

9.  We are "building" a baby.  She is half way done!

8.  I am constantly reminded of what a WONDERFUL husband I have.  Not that I need reminded :o)

7.  The inside of the house is painted.  We will finally be able to see how all of the decisions we had to make over tile, carpet, paint, hardware, wood, and so many other things come together.

6.  I get to eat and not worry.  Habits are hard to break.  I still weigh myself every morning to make sure I'm not gaining too much to fast.  But it is nice to be able to have a second helping of mashed potatoes if I want to!

5.  I can finally fill out a bra!  (Yes, that makes the top 10.)

4.  Thanksgiving is only 6 days away.  I love Thanksgiving.  We will be heading home to my parents for the holiday.  We haven't been home since Labor Day.  I can't wait!

3.  I LOVE all the belly rubs I get from my husband.  He is so excited for the baby to get here so he can hold her.  He is going to be a GREAT dad!

2.  Baby is moving more and more, and I'm finally starting to feel her on a regular basis. Still stops me in my tracks and takes my breath away. 

1.  One of the perks of having a girl is the added estrogen.  For me that means my ridiculously spiky leg hair grows slower and softer.  Thank you baby!!!

So...as you can see.  There are FAR more important things to be excited about this year than a number.  Especially a number that represents the "last" of something, when there are so many firsts heading my way. 

By the Way...

In case I didn't mention it before...

Ethan and I are going to have a BABY!

A little bundle of JOY. A little PINK bundle. (Or purple bundle...E is struggling with the transition of pink into his life)

A GIRL with 10 fingers and 10 toes.

Our little DAUGHTER is going to come to us at the end of March.

In MARCH we will say hello to so many new and wonderful things. Life will change forever as we know it. Getting a full night's sleep will seem like a distant past. Spur of the moment trips to the store will no longer be "spur of the moment" due to taking a baby with me. I might have to get used to not being early and settle for just being on time, or even a few minutes late (gasp!). Grandparents will be coming to visit often to see their newest grandchild. So many wonderful and exciting changes.

Little baby...we are so ready to meet you and hold you!

Things that will never be the same

I have now been married for one year. Yep that's right...ONE YEAR. I can't believe how fast it has gone. It seems like just yesterday we were helping decorate the reception hall or celebrating with family and friends after the rehersal dinner. It has been an amazing year, married to an AMAZING man. I can't imagine my life any different than it is today. However, I can see after one year how there are some things that I will NEVER look at the same way.

Such as...

Volkswagon Beetle: Ethan and I play slug bug. Everytime we're in the car. It has now evolved to ANY slug bug ANY where you see it. Including TV, posters, and even little toy cars. I don't think I'll ever look at another Beetle and not want to reach out and punch someone in the arm.

"Moo Cows!"

Brazil: How can I not think about our honeymoon anytime someone mentions Brazil or Rio de Janeiro? I love anything that has to do with that country. Ha...we even went to a movie just because it was filmed in Rio. It turned out to be a great movie, with beautiful scenery!

S'mores: Ethan introduced me to the s'more with a Reece's peanut butter cup on it. Never.The.Same.Again!

Labradors: I was always a small dog person...until Ethan came along and his dogs became my dogs. Big outside dogs are definitely the way to go!

4th of July: This is our "Extra day." Since our anniversary is on July 3rd we will always get an extra day to celebrate. We're planners like that.

Colorado: Our first vacation spot, home of the Colorado Rockies, Ethan's ski destination...I wouldn't be surprised if the first thing we do when we win the lottery is buy a cabin/vacation home in the mountains in Colorado :0)

Happy Plate: Ok...Iwill admit. I never heard the term "happy plate" until I had dinner with Ethan's family. When I finished eating and someone told me I had a "happy plate" I had to ask what that was...

Jack and Coke: The drink I share with E's dad...

Brad Thor: Author of books Ethan and I really enjoy. He brought home one of the books on a whim one day, and we've been hooked ever since. We are currently waiting his next one due out this month!

The Office, The Sopranos, Alias: All shows that I started watching either with him or because of him.

Daisies: The friendliest flower and the main flower at our wedding.

Blue and Yellow: Color combination that we picked (I picked and he was VERY happy that I picked two of his favorite colors) for our wedding.

Is the Honeymoon Over?

The scene: Ethan just got home from work. I just got done getting ready for my very first BUNCO experience here in Wichita by the invitation of Ethan's cousin Dana.

Ethan (being silly) hit me in the head with a pillow.

Me: Ah! Don't mess up my hair...I just got done finishing it!

Ethan: Eh...it doesn't look that great anyway.

Thanks...

Now, knowing my husband, the only reason he was saying that is to get a laugh or some sort of reaction out of me. That is who I married. I knew that 100% before going in.

It worked, and I play into it, "fake" over-react just to give him what he wants.

They say that the "honeymoon period" only lasts the first 6 months to a year. I'd say we're still goin' strong.

In 20 years that comment might hit me a little different. (But I hope not!)

Sunday Chatter

~ Everyday I wage a battle with my "lazy" side and my "productive" side. This last week, the lazy side seemed to be winning more times that I like to admit. Today my "productive" side kicked it into high gear and somehow seemed to get all the things I kept saying I would get done all week done in a couple hours. I then felt ok about my "lazy" side taking over for the remainder of the day.

~ God continues to give me opportunities to learn patience...I guess He thinks I need a lot of practice.

~ My parents returned yesterday from an Alaskan Cruise. My mother has wanted to go on one for years and my dad took her for their anniversary (even though that was at the end of May...Close enough).

~ I think I have seen our dogs sleep in every funny position in every place in the yard, yet somehow I can't stop but stare at them when they are sleeping in the yard. I have the pictures to prove it.

~ I watched a couple of the first few episodes of British version of The Office. Interesting, but to me not as funny as the US version.

~ I gave Ethan a hair cut today. I was always so nervous to have to do that...but it's really not as hard as I thought. He looks good!

~ I found out this week that our school is going to cut 5 days off the beginning of the school year to try and conserve money. I don't know how I feel about this.

~ I got a sunburn two weeks ago (maybe three...) on the front of my legs. I am still peeling! Gross.

~ Ethan and I went out to dinner tonight. Applebees. They have really worked to re-vamp their menu. I enjoyed it very much and had a difficult time deciding what to get.

~ I want to go back to Brazil.

~ Ethan and I will have been married an entire year in two weeks. It's amazing how fast a year can go!

~ I am so excited about building our new house. I can't wait for that new adventure. We are so wonderfully blessed to be able to do this!

~ I have a WONDERFUL life!

"I have to live with a boy..."

There was this one Friends episode. If you watched Friends, you might remember it. It is the episode where Monica is helping Rachael pack her things to move out because Monica's relationship with Chandler has progressed to them wanting to live together.

In short the girls do what girls many time do, they argue, they cry, they make up. In the end, there is one line that makes me literally LOL (laugh out loud).

Through the tears and laughter Monica announces in a very scared, whiny voice "I have to live with a boy..."

I often think about that line, because it is something that most girls go through. They realize that they are no longer going to have the support and friendship of their female roommates. It can be a scary thought...living with a boy.

I have had, now for about 2 years, the opportunity to live with a boy, and there are things that I have come to realize will never be the same. Living with a boy changes things, such as...

~ Watching the few chick flick movies that I enjoy will happen only if A) I am watching it alone, B) I won a bet, or C) There is a certain actress in it who my husband will enjoy watching more than the storyline.

~ The decor is as neutral as can be.

~ He will never understand the intricacies of putting on eye make-up.

~ The words tampons and period are replaced with "girly things" and "red time"

~ There is no one to understand my need for another pair of black shoes.

~ If vegetables are served during dinner other than potatoes or corn. I have made them for myself.

~ There should be a fridge labeled "His" and "Hers"

~ I have no one to watch "Sex in the City" with...

~ I can't ask the question "Does this outfit look good on me?" True girl-friends will give you a straight answer. Boys will say it looks good to avoid saying the wrong thing.

I wouldn't trade it all for the world!

Burying St. Joseph

Ethan and I are trying to sell our house.

We want to build a new one.


A bigger one.

to hold our "someday" family.


Even before the house went on the market I knew that I wanted a little extra help from "up above" in order to help someone find our home.

The great thing about praying is the vast multitude of those to pray to. There's the obvious God, Jesus, Mary, and the Angels in Heaven. But of course you can't leave out the Saints.

There is a Saint for everything.


Need to find something you've lost? A quick prayer to St. Anthony will do the trick. He's helped me find my keys many times!

Need to sell a house. St. Joseph's your guy!

Praying to St. Joseph is a tradition that was started by St. Teresa of Avila who was a nun who prayed to him because he was the protector of the Holy Family and the patron saint of homes. When the nuns needed more land for convents she encouraged the sisters to pray to St. Joseph for help.

However, the tradition evolved from just praying to him, to burying him in the ground. That story is less pleasant. Apparently in the "old days" when burying St. Joseph, you were to bury him with his head towards the ground and facing the house. Then you were to threaten him and say "I will keep your head in the dirt until you sell my house for me."

That's a little harsh...

So, since I believe in the old saying "you attract more flies with honey" I decided not to threaten the saint, but rather to bury him feet first facing our home out by the FOR SALE sign. I pray to St. Joseph to help someone find our home as nice as we do and want to buy it in a timely fashion

We'll see how it goes!

*I have tried to edit this over and over. Everytime I add pictures to my blog it messes up the spacing all throughout the writing and I can't get it right. Anyone who has any suggestions for making adding the pictures easier that would be much appriciated!

Random Chatter

Here's a little of what's going on in my world right now...

~ Our house was officially put on the market last week. We've shown the house 5 times and it just hasn't been the "right fit" for someone. Seems that if the husband likes it, the wife doesn't, or there's not enough room to put a big shed next to it. Little things like that. Hopefully that "perfect fit" will come along soon.

~ Summer is here and was long awaited. Come August I'll be ready to go again!

~ A friend of mine shot a hole in one while golfing today. I'm happy for her and jealous of her at the same time!

~ I bought fresh fruit at the store the other day. Tastes soooo good!

~ My sister graduated from college. And enrolled again...

~ The house is clean ALL.THE.TIME. and I LOVE it!

~ My parents celebrated their 31st anniversary yesterday...what a great set of role models I have!

~ My dad turns 53 today. He doesn't seem 53.

~ In the last year Ethan and I have been given two Scentsy pots with some great smells. I am loving it! My favorite right now is called "snow." Definitely not season appropriate, but smells clean.

~ Ethan's sister, Beth, is coming with her kids to visit from New Jersey at the end of the month. I can't wait for them to get here. I have all kinds of things I can't wait to do with them.

~ Ethan and I got to go look at a house that has the same basic floor plan as we picked out for our new house. This one was a week away from the owners moving in. I was sooo excited after seeing it!

~ I love our dogs!

~ Those silly dogs give me a headache!

~ I got my toes done with one of my friends (who also happens to teach at the same building as I do...go figure). Mine are sparkly blue.

~ I'm into anything sparkly at the moment. Shirts, nail polish, head bands, flip flops, anything...

~ I watched the finale of all my TV shows... The Office, was OK...not my favorite episode. How I met Your Mother, was what I predicted. The Big Bang Theory was funny as usual. Bones, was great! I love that show :)

~ I don't often miss not having cable, but I miss not having the Food Network. It's great background noise.

~ The wheat is turning nice and golden yellow. I love how it sways in the wind.

~ I'm really REALLY tired of the windy days!

~ I'm far to white at this point in the year. I am in need of some major pool time! Hello Summer!!!

My Hubby the Photographer

Ethan has started a blog! A photo-blog to be exact. He loves to take pictures and has decided to challenge himself to become a better photographer. Each day he will post pictures that he's taken and explain what led to the photo and the technical jarbin (that I don't understand). Check it out!

Picturing My World

Favorite Things...

The other day I found myself humming the tune of "My Favorite Things" from Sound of Music. I love that movie and that song.

So here are a few of my favorite things...

~ A cup of warm coffee on a cool spring morning with the windows open.

~ The sight of golden wheat flowing in the Kansas wind.

~ School supplies. Pencils, pens, staplers, hole punches, paper clips, and anything that you can think you might never need, but are so glad when you do!

~ Sam's club at noon. Gotta love the taste tests :)

~ Cookie dough ice cream.

~ Tan lines in the summer.

~ Happy Hour at Sonic. What a time to get a great drink at a great price!

~ Holding Ethan's hand. I'm so glad I found someone who likes to do that!

~ A smooth lake in the early morning. So calm, so peaceful.

~ My dogs. Yes, they drive me up the wall, have cost us lots of money, but who can resist those cute faces and happy wagging tails always ready to love us.

~ Blue. Best. Color. Ever.

~ Our Church, St. Mark the Evangelist... the beauty of that church is a constant reminder of how good God is.

~ Diet Pepsi with Chinese food.

~ Ethan's kisses. :)

~ My sister's shoes. I'm jealous of her normal sized feet and how she can always find the cutest shoes in her size.

~ My mother's baked spaghetti. It has been way too long since I've had that.

~ Popcorn from the Stir-Crazy. Kicks the butt of that bagged stuff!

~ The Office. Hilarious!

~ Aladdin, Monster's Inc., Finding Nemo, and I'm sure Rio will be added to that list once I get a chance to see it.

~ The smell of my grandparent's house.

~ Daisies. They really are the friendliest flower.

~ Quiet evenings at home with my Ethan.

Life doesn't get much better than this!

Recycling...Why People Don't Do It

Go Green!

Every one's doing it.

It's the right thing to do.

And it's really not that hard...

Or is it...

One thing that I have learned in my life so far, is that as a majority people are lazy, and will do what comes easiest. Seriously. I've seen people hire someone to pick up dog poo out of their yard, hang up their Christmas lights, and do their grocery shopping. In general, people will do what's easiest.

Which brings me to my point. Recycling. We have all seen the advertisements to "go green" by using "green" products, "green" shopping bags, and "green" energy systems. And while I am impressed by those who do all of those things, the bottom line is that the easiest thing for most average people to do (without buying a whole new set of cleaning products) is recycle.

And yet, people don't even do that.

Why???

Again, because it's not the EASIEST thing to do. Yes, it is the easiest out of the list of "green" options, but when it comes to recycling or just tossing something in a garbage pail, tossing is easier.

For example: True Story.

Ethan and I have been cleaning out our house. I mean deep down clean. We went though the storage room and collected all the empty boxes of things that we have accumulated over the last few years (plus some we joined together when we got married), broke them down, and went to look up where we could take the cardboard to recycle it.

Guess how many recycling places in Wichita take corrugated cardboard?

TWO.

And only one of those had 24 hour bins available. So, we packed up the large pile of cardboard and set out to our destination. 15 minutes later we pull up to an empty looking warehouse at the address listed. After a couple circles of the place, we figured out that it was the correct location. Now, we just had to find the bins...

So we looked...

and looked...

and FINALLY found a place that looked like it was what we were wanting. There was tons of cardboard in it and a sign that told us exactly what was allowed.

But then...

We saw another sign that said "NO DUMPING!" "Violators will be prosecuted!" With a lovely video camera right next to it.

Uh...now what? Can we dump our cardboard there? Is it just talking about not dumping trash? What kind of prosecuted? Is it worth it?

Nope.

We turned around and drove out.


On a whim, I told Ethan that his mom had said one time that she thought that St. Francis (the church she attends) used to recycle cardboard in a bin out back, but she wasn't sure if they still did. We thought we might as well give it a try. Luckily there was a bin for cardboard.

After the events of that evening, I have come to decide that until recycling can be more convenient and easier, we won't see a huge increase in people participating. Why go through all the trouble when it is just easier to toss it out? Unfortunately that is the world we live in.

The Joys of Home Improvement

Ethan and I have been slowly remodeling different areas of our home. It started a few years ago with one of the bathrooms. Our house has two. One bathroom had a tub and no shower, the other had a shower and no tub. So E started in the bathroom with no shower, then moved to the bathroom with no tub. The first bathroom project was done with the idea that we would be in this house as long as possible. We would try to add on a master bedroom/bathroom suite and a two car garage. After getting that idea nixed by a contractor quoting a price WAY above what we wanted to pay, the new plan was to fix up the house in order to sell so we could build.

Throughout the last two years we have moved from project to project, not in any real rush. Now that we have come to the last few finishing touches before our house is put on the market, I thought I would share the "oh-so-wonderful-joys of home improvements" that Ethan and I learned...

~ If you are fixing up an older house that you moved in to you are subject to whatever the previous owner did...and will find yourself saying "what in the world were they thinking?!?!?"

~ Handy Dads who have creative "fix-it-up" ideas are life savers.

~ Hearing the words "Oh S*#t!" come from the other room is never a good sign...

~ Lowe's will be your home away from home, and you will know where everything is located and the fastest way to get there.

~ Beer is necessary to have around.

~ You never think you will get the smell of paint out of your house.

~ You compromise on everything from paint color to the type of brushes you use to paint with.

~ Everyone will have advise to give you on the best way to do something.

~ Sometimes they are right.

~ It is much more fun when you are doing all the changes for yourself. The fun wares off when the changes are just to sell the home.

~ If anything can go wrong it will... paint will spill, screws will be dropped never to be found again, measurements will be a millimeter off causing a multitude of problems, and nail guns will fall off the counter and poke a hole in the brand new vinyl flooring that you just put down (seriously...you can't make that up!)

~ The stain of the trim around the house will be impossible to match. The best bet it to get three different kinds and mix until you are close enough for it to pass.

~ Your dreams at night involve painting.

~ If the next owners of the house ever go to redo the bathrooms, they will find themselves saying "what in the world were they thinking?!?!" many times.

My Journey to Heaven

"Where are you on your road to Heaven?"

A question asked to me when I was a Freshman on my first day of CYO. CYO stands for Catholic Youth Organization, and it was how most high schoolers were involved with their Catholic Church.

After thinking for a while, I answered in my head "probably about half way."

You see, at that age, I had never really been tested in life. I was incredibly blessed to have a wonderful family, warm home, good food, success in school and sports, and many other reasons to be at peace with my life and my faith. I talked to God everyday and was incredibly proud to be Catholic.

I still believe to this day, that at that time in my life I was "half way." But being only half-way, I couldn't see the rivers to cross, mountains to climb, and valleys to try and avoid. That second half of the "road to heaven" is tough.

Somewhere along the way I took a wrong turn. I don't believe that I fell completely off the path, but I definitely took the longer route. I was very good at rationalizing and make excuses why I didn't make it to church every Sundays, why it was ok to do and say things I never did before, and why I no longer prayed at night.

It wasn't working for me. I was not happy.

Then, late one night, I returned a phone call from my brother that I had missed while coaching a basketball game. Little did I know that not only was that phone call going to change his life, but mine as well.

My brother was a Sophomore at Pratt Community College and was in the middle of a very exciting recruiting experience to see what school out of state would pay him to come play baseball, but all of that changed when he found out that he was soon to be a father. Unexpected, unplanned, and upsetting. We both cried that night. He was scared, sad, and disappointed. I was very sad for him and angry.

I was not angry at Joe. His life was going to change dramatically and suddenly. I was angry with God. All I had ever wanted was to be married and have a family, and I was doing things "right." Or what I considered more right than my brother was. He was getting what I wanted (not exactly, but at that time, it's what I thought of).

I prayed that night. For the first time in a long time. I talked to God and asked Him why things weren't turning out the way I knew they were supposed to. And then it dawned on me. Almost instantly...

If everything that is good happens through God, He can't be put on the "back burner" of life. He has to be upfront where your attention is focused. Once I came to that realization, my life started to change. I tried to make my way back to that path toward Heaven.

I started out by going back to church, every Sunday (I don't think I've missed more than two Sundays since that phone call from Joe). I started praying again...when I don't accidentally fall asleep before I finish. And you know what I found?

Life was better.

Not immediately, but slowly through the months, I was happier.

It was after that pivotal moment in my life. After that phone call, after returning to my path that I met Ethan.

Now I try to think often of where I am "on journey to Heaven." Now the challenge has become not only how do I get to heaven, but how do I help my life partner to get there as well. How do we work together to have a family and begin the path for each one of our children. I know there are many more hills, mountains, curves, and valleys along my path, but I truly believe staying strong in my faith and walking with my Husband, we will eventually make it all the way to the top. All the way to paradise.

Easter Fun!

They say you never stop learning, and after this weekend home with my family, I'd say that is true.

The things I've learned over Easter Weekend:

10. Sneezing with a mouth full of cottage cheese will propel it far enough to touch 8 people sitting at a table.

9. Ducks can be spanked.

8. It is possible to get 10 people, 4 dogs, 2 ducks, and one Easter Bunny in one house for a weekend.

7. We are loud.

6. The Easter Bunny is like Santa Clause, he sees you when you sleep and makes sure you are good before bringing you candy.

5. Baby ducks don't bite, but they do poop...a lot.

4. There are more slug bugs in Wichita than in Burlington. It's easy to get out of practice.

3. Belonging to a wine club is definitely the way to go. If you can't afford to join a wine club, make sure your brother does so he can bring home the wine.

2. In order to hold a fish, insert thumb into mouth, squeeze the rest of the fingers around it and hold up.

1. There's nothing like a weekend at home with the entire family...we are fun people. (I've known that one!)

Lost! Please Return if Found

I had a perfectly good lunch I took to school a couple weeks ago.

Yep, a couple weeks ago.

It was a breakfast burrito, yogurt, and girl scout cookies.

Yep...it was a breakfast sort of day. So I thought...

I walked in to school that day with the lunch sack in hand. Normally I walk straight into the teachers' work room, grab the newspaper out of my mailbox, put my lunch in the fridge and then walk down the hall to my classroom.

On that particular day, I forgot to put my lunch sack in the refrigerator. But no worries, I figured I would just take it back to the workroom when I went to make copies.

That's where the trail runs cold.

At lunch time I am very disappointed to find no lunch in the fridge, no lunch in my classroom, no lunch in my car, not even in the restroom...yes I even checked there.

No lunch. Anywhere.

Gone.

Audios.

Disappeared.

Me? I had to eat the school's lunch for the day. Beef stew, salad, and bread sticks. Definitely not the breakfast burrito I had my heart set on.

And today?? Still no lunch.

Gone.

Never coming back.

And by this time...the only reason I want to see it, is for my piece of mind.

"Hot Dog!"

We have two AMAZING dogs who are, at this point in time, our babies. We love them, their silly faces, how they love to play with the ball, go for walks, and give those "sad puppy eyes" when they want something.

They are wonderful!

Most of the time...

There is one thing that they do that continues to cause me grief.

They escape.

KC, the three-year-old black lab mix, has escaped from every single dog pin that we have put her in. She can squeeze through incredibly small spaces when she JUST HAS TO GET OUT! She HATES being put in the kennel alone, and will do anything to bust loose...

Breck, the almost-three-year-old yellow lab mix could probably leap a small building. Whatever kind of dog her full-breed lab mom got "mixed up with" HAD to have some awesome jumping skills. "Breckers" can leap up high enough to get her paws hooked over the top of a 6ft. tall dog kennel and that's all she needs to propel herself over the edge. CRAZINESS!!!

This causes me grief.

Why???

Because that means they have to be put inside at night or any other time we leave the house.

I hate that.

I hate them in the house...they are big, outside dogs, and they like it.

So...we finally broke down and decided to get an electric wire for our fence. Ethan and his dad just spent the afternoon installing the power box and getting the wire in place on a small section of the fence to try it out.

The result???

Awesome! It WORKS!!! It took KC one zap and Breck two in order for them to stay away from the fence! No more dogs escaping...no more late night searches...no more fear of possible "accidental pregnancies..."

Life is good!

Coupons...

I'm all about saving money. Who isn't?

Ethan and I do a pretty good job of trying to get the best deal when shopping, eating, or just buying anything. He is a very good comparable shopper, and that has rubbed off on me more and more.

One thing that I have always seen the advantage of and never tried is using coupons. I guess I never wanted to take the time to look for the coupons and cut them out or take up even more time at the grocery store checkout line while the cashier scans my hundreds of coupons. (You know you hate getting stuck behind someone like that in line).

However, things have changed. Groceries are getting more and more expensive, cost of living is getting more and more expensive, gas is more expensive...starting to get the picture.

As I look to the future, I don't see those costs going down anytime soon, and we would someday like to have a family. When I think about the amount of money my parents spent on groceries for us kids when we were all at home, I cringe when I think about our future store runs.

I am starting to come around to the idea of searching for coupons, clipping, and caring whether or not I make the person behind me in line wait a little longer to check out.

My "new" cousin Dana, sent me a link to another blogger who lives right here in Wichita and shops at the Dillons stores around me. She blogs about her coupon savings and shows that it can be doable without spending hours and hours. This blog has given me a reason to at least give it a try. Check her out at:

Money Saving Mommy

We'll see how this goes. I'm hoping to have some success with this!

"Unanswered Prayers"

That used to be one of my favorite Garth Brooks songs. One I grew up listening to, enjoying the melody, and singing along and wishing that my legs were long enough to touch the floor while I sat in the chair.

You know how sometimes you did things as a kid and didn't realize the importance of it until much later in life.

That was me, when that song came on the radio the other day and I began to sing along, just as I did when I was 8.

Now I get it.

I started to think about the meaning of the words "sometimes I thank God for unanswered prayers..." and thinking about my life and how many times I prayed for something that didn't come.

That my parents wouldn't be so "old fashioned" and let me do what I wanted...

That I was friends with the "popular group" that went to parties and had boyfriends/girlfriends...

That I was skinny like the other girls...

That I would be a archaeologist...

That I would find a college out of the state of Kansas...

That the guy I thought I loved would finally "come to his senses..."

Now that I sit here thinking of that song and how wonderfully Blessed my life is, I can't imagine what I would be like today if any of those prayers had been answered.

That song was a great reminder for me, as my husband and I start to pray for things in our future, to keep in mind that God always has a plan for us. He may not answer our prayers the way we think...but He always has a better plan.

Red One!

Whack! Someone just got "Slug-Bugged"!

Two and a half years ago, that someone was me. For the first time in our relationship Ethan had felt comfortable enough with me to punch my left shoulder as I sat in the passenger seat of the truck driving through Wichita. Could this be the same loving and caring man that I was falling for???

But then it dawns on me...This is exactly the man I'm falling for. Part of what attracted me to him in the first place is his joking, sarcastic personality. Playing the "slug bug" game like we are kids is exactly up his ally!

So it began. The next year or so I was getting slugged much more often than I was doing the slugging. Playing constant "Slug Bug" with a guy who can tell the make and model of a car from half a mile away didn't give me much of a chance. He even was able to find probably the one and only VW Beetle in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil...yep that's right, he even slugged me on our honeymoon!

However, as time has gone by I have become much more adept at picking out those little bugs and am now slugging him almost as many times as he gets me. It's an unspoken rule in our car...you sit next to one of us and you better be on the look out! (I even got my sister 5 times in one day while we went shopping!)

Sometimes I laugh when I picture us 40 years from now driving down the road scanning the road and parking lots just waiting for the opportunity to yell "Red one!"