So. Very. Tired.

'Night, 'Night!

This, That, and the Other

There isn't much to say today.

We had a wonderful weekend and thoroughly enjoyed the extra day off on Memorial Day. It was spent having fun as a family at the Donut Shop, Veteran's park, pool, and at home. I am so sorry it is over!!

Today, I have been trying to catch up on my household chores, reading to Caleb, exercising at the YMCA, and preparing for the arrival of Baby B into our house during the day. Hmmmmm. I've kind of forgotten what it requires to take care of an itty bitty baby.

I got two new books from Amazon.com today and I think I will be curled up on the couch reading them tonight instead of blogging. I hope to be back tomorrow.

Till then!

Finally Going

I am never one to be excited about going to the doctor. Who is? But, today I am beyond thrilled that I will be sitting in a sterile waiting room, questioned, and poked and prodded. I just have to wait till 2:45 pm. I just pray that this doctor's visit is the end of all these sinus issues. I am tired of walking around with a mucus head.

The only thing I am really not looking forward to today is the fact that the doctor will probably have to touch my nose. I HATE for anyone to touch my nose!!! That includes Chris. When Chris is giving me one of his coveted face massages (a life saver during these icky sinus days) he knows to steer well clear of my nose. I could be fast asleep and if he touches my nose I will wake up with a quick, "Don't touch my nose!" I don't know why I am this way...just am, always have been.

Another thing is interesting about going to the doctor. Have you ever made an appointment for an ailment because you can't stand it anymore and when it is time for the visit your ailment is pretty much gone?? "Does this hurt?" "Um, No, but it would've really hurt two days ago." The symptoms are gone so you think "Maybe I should cancel the appointment, save the copay and my time." But, you know the moment you cancel the symptoms will come roaring back and probably worse and then you have to wait a week or two for another appointment. Needless to say, my sinuses actually feel pretty good day. No pain. No mucus head. I am still going though. Oh no! I know how this goes. I will go and describe my "alleged" sinus pain to the best of my ability.

Please pray this will be WIPED out and I can get back to normal...whatever that is.

See ya! Details later!

IT IS SNOWING!!!!

We are still here in Atlanta and it is snowing like crazy. We are settled in for the day because it is supposed to be like this well into the evening. I think Chris and I are still going to try having a lunch date down the road before it gets really bad. Besides, there is something romantic about going on a date in the snow. ;-) Maybe that's just the southerner in me. Hopefully, it won't be too frozen over tomorrow when we are supposed to be heading home. The weather man said that the plummeting temperatures will freeze anything left on the ground. Hmmmm. In the meantime, it is fun to watch the snow come down and to hear my nephews running around the house saying, "Blizzard! Blizzard!" I think this is going to be a wonderful, cozy day with my family. I will soak in all this snow because I know I probably won't see it again for the rest of the year.


Graphic From AllPosters.com

I Miss Y'all!

Hey! I just wanted to pop in and say hello. I miss coming here on a regular basis. I thought I would be able to blog a whole lot more while I am here at my sister's house and Chris is in his class all day and everyone else is in school or working. Surely, I could take a moment and write a short post. Well, I have found that I am either disciplining Caleb because he decided to climb the stairs for the 100th time or I am referee-ing my dog and the other dogs. Geez! Eowyn is such a bully sometimes! I miss hanging out here on the blawg. Hopefully, things will slow down enough.

In the meantime, I also wanted to tell you that I will be hosting the Make It From Scratch Carnival here on Tuesday, January 22nd. Feel free to submit a post on anything you made from scratch and I will feature everything here on Tuesday. Be sure to have your posts turned in by Sunday. To submit a post, just click on the graphic below and follow the instructions. I'm looking forward to seeing all the cool things people are making from scratch!! See you then!

Just Like Everyone Else

Well, folks, it looks like my brain is zapped of all blogging ideas due to the Holidays coming up. I am currently trying to get my house under control once again before we leave town for the first time (my brother's Ph.D. graduation) in the next two weeks. After that trip is our trip to Illinois for Christmas with Chris' family. In the meantime I'm just trying to keep a-float and my house at least semi-nice. I apologize in advance if I am absent until the New Year. I will do my best to come by sometimes but no promises. If I don't see you....have a WONDERFUL and MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!

A Quick Reprieve...Sort of

I just thought I would pop in for a couple of minutes while I had the chance. Today has been something else! Caleb has been inconsolable a lot of the day and that has me worried. I'm wondering about his ear because he has been playing with it a lot lately. Needless to say the house and other duties have been greatly neglected and that has put me in a mood.

But, I am thankful for the lovely lunch at a local Mexican restaurant today with my Hubby and his Mom. Caleb was more or less good for that but it was AFTER a long dose of crying, tears, and snot. We came home afterwards, he took a very short nap, and the tears and snot started all over again. I started the phone calls to Chris' mom (a RN) and my sister. Do I call the doctor? Do I take him in? We were there two days ago and he had no ear infection. Who knows.

Finally, Chris' mom offered to take Caleb for a few hours so I could do a Blitz Attack on the house. I was in the car within 5 minutes. Zooom! I came home and it was Shock and Awe, Baby! After I put three loads of laundry away I took a nice hot shower and here I am. I just had to share the joy of it all. Who needs therapy when you can get a couple hours with no little one to clean the house, shower, AND enjoy a nice dinner with your Hubby? LOVELY!

The best part is that I can spend a lot of tomorrow doing the baking I've been yearning to do all week. That is a rather cheap therapy bill too. ;-)

Catching up Before It Gets Crazy Again

I am so glad to be home today and tending to my house. This past weekend has been a real blast but oh-so-busy. Friday evening was spent doing random things while Chris did the last mowing of the yard for the season, hopefully. Saturday, Chris went to church for a Men's Breakfast and then hung out with his guy friends. I spent the day with Chris' mom baking. That evening we went to church and then came home. On Sunday we enjoyed a breakfast out, playtime at the playground and relaxation at home. The craziness started in the afternoon.

My Dad and Step-Mom came into town for a surprise party for Chris' Mom's 50th birthday. We had a great time with 50's themed decorations, Mexican food, and a delightful Red Velvet Cake. Several of our friends came and it was a wonderful surprise. It was a time of fellowship enjoyed by all. Caleb, our guests, and I came on home and got cozy for the evening. After a little tv we were all pooped and headed onto bed. That time change totally threw me off this year.

This morning we got up early so we could enjoy a yummy breakfast out before Dad and Betty headed home. Caleb went down for a nap when we got back and so did Mommy. It was exactly what a I needed to get me going for the rest of the day. I have since cut Caleb's hair, bathed him, made two loaves of bread dough that are freezing now, eaten lunch, and done two loads of laundry. I still have put those clothes away, though.

My goal is to get the house under control and semi caught up today and tomorrow so I can use the rest of the week to prepare next week's eBay auctions and get ready for our camping trip this weekend. I'll have more on the camping trip later on. Caleb will be hopefully taking another nap soon and I can make some more bread dough (to get ahead on that), put away a laundry, and tidy the house. We'll go to the YMCA in the afternoon and then it will be time for Chris to come home.

Here's to a productive day!

Men and the Church Nursery

Chris, Caleb, and I wen to the Wednesday Night Praise Service last night. It was the Kick-Off for all the Wednesday night programs for the 2007-08 year. Caleb will be in Kids Town (the nursery) playing, eating snacks, and hearing Bible Stories. Chris and I will be up to our eyebrows in the verse-by-verse study of Romans they are doing for the adults. I love those studies, but my brain sure is fried aftewards. I'm sure I'll write more about that later. But, I digress.

While Chris and I were waiting to drop off Caleb there was a lady ahead of us and she seemed rather distraught about something. What is there to be distraught about on a Wednesday night in Kids Town. It is such a happy place. Well, it turns out her children were in the two year olds room and there was only a man taking care of them at that moment. Her children are potty trained and she does NOT want a lone man taking them to go potty. There must be a woman in there. The issue was settled quickly because, mainly, there has to be two adults in a room anyway. This experience left me thinking.

One thing I like about Kids Town is that there are men so willing to volunteer and take care of our littlest children. So many men are more than willing to teach the Middle School or High Schoolers. They are cool. But, to change diapers and take kids potty is not first in the minds of many men. BUT, we have a small group of Godly men who see their opportunities to train up our little ones to love the Lord. They are all Daddies and the less than desirable part of the job are just that...part of the job. They do it happily and just love on our children. I LOVE IT!

I was so sad to hear this mother's concerns. I am not criticizing the mother at all. Her insecurities were real and I don't doubt them. I just think that it is SO SAD that there is even reason for a mother to be insecure with leaving her children with a man at church. Shouldn't the church be one of the few places where we feel safe with our children? Where has our world gone??

I am very happy that my church has rules in place (two caregivers at all times, etc.) to prevent any appearance of evil. I am very confident leaving my child there and I can rest and enjoy my time at church. I just pray more people can enjoy those benefits as well.

I Am Whipped...

...and it is only Monday!

The past week and especially this past weekend has really sent us realing. To begin let me tell you the incredibly AWESOME news. Caleb is going to have a cousin!! Yeah!! Chris' "not so little" sister announced this weekend that she and her hubby are pregnant. Wheee! I am beyond excited. My sister has two boys but I was much younger when they were born. The youngest is already nine years old. (Geez..I feel old now). So, this is the closest to having a sister who is pregnant and I can really experience it with her and it amazes me that I'm actually the one who has "been there and done that." I am the "oh so wise" more experienced sister now. Chris' sister already said she will be calling with tons of questions. I feel honored and blessed by this. My head is spinning with ideas, suggestions, and just excitement. The next nine months are going to be a blast.

The weekend was also very busy running errands and such. On Saturday we hung out with friends and that was a great break. I had to leave early, though, to pick up my food from Angel Food Ministries and that was a nightmare. It wasn't the disributor's fault. There was a hiccup somewhere in the shipment process and when I arrived, ready to get my food, they were still unloading the food. It was in no way organized. So, I had to stand with everyone else in a hot house with chaos all around us. But, I got our food and it turned out okay.

I met Chris at our friend's house and we headed to church. I didn't have to serve that night. I had it all planned out. I was going to sit in the coffee area and work on my crocheting and just enjoy myself. Well, due to a ministry expo type thing they had moved all the comfy furniture out of the coffee area. I had nowhere to go except for back to the bookstore where I usually serve. I hung out with those ladies until one of the nursery workers walked in with Caleb who was quite red and whimpering. She said they had been paging me for the past 15 minutes in the worship service. I obviously wasn't in the service and she knew that. So, I took Caleb and it took a long time to calm him down. This was also the night that Chris and I figured we didn't need to bring the stroller into the church. I carried Caleb or let him walk beside me the entire first service until Chris finished with his small group. Chris showed up and I wanted to go home, but Chris insisted that we put Caleb back in the nursery and attempt the second service. Caleb was much happier and actually got through the entire service and came home...whipped.

Sunday, Chris had an important meeting with a friend and I took Caleb to the in-laws house. We hung out and had a blast. Chris arrived and we left Caleb there so we could attend a luncheon with some the Financial Ministry of the church. That was good too. We picked up Caleb after that and then went to Chris' sister's house for dinner. (Note: Caleb and I left home at 10:30 am and didn't get home till 7 pm). I figured once Caleb was down for bed Chris and I would have a movie date or something like that. Well, he spent it on the phone seeking wisdom on some stuff. We went to bed and here I am...whipped.

On top of all this we are looking at some potentially big changes for our little family. I don't feel comfortable explaining it all right now. Just pray that God gives us all wisdom on what to do and when to do it. So, our heads are spinning at a speed that heads shouldn't be allowed to spin. I will be going to my Dad's house next week and I am SO LOOKING FORWARD TO IT!! I need a change of pace.

What Happened To The ' Thank You's '

Caleb and were pulling into the Walmart parking lot today. We were ready for a big trip because I got my grocery money for the month. I pulled Caleb out of the car and headed into the store. There was also a lady getting out of her car nearby. A very nice guy was collecting all the carts near us and this is what happened.

Guy: (To me) Would you like a cart? (He obviously saw me carrying Caleb)

Me: Oh! Thank you very much!

Guy: You're Welcome.

Guy: (To other woman) Would you like a cart?

Other woman: Yes! Thank you!

Guy: That is the most thank you's I've heard in a very long time. Most people just snatch the cart from me and keep walking.

Wow! Where are the manners? Being courteous is not determined by who the other person is and what their job is. This guy was trying to be helpful and apparently he is terribly under-appreciated. I was touched by this guy's honesty and this situation has made me even more determined to be kind and courteous to everyone I come into contact with.

Not much today...

I am so sleepy today and of course, Caleb is wide awake and ready to play. That is when our overly hyper Jack Russell becomes quite useful. Chris' parents arrived yesterday from Poland. They stayed on for an extra week. I volunteered to pick them up at the airport last night because I was the only one who would not have to "work" today and I could always nap when Caleb naps.

The plane was supposed to arrive at 10:52 pm. That wouldn't be too bad. I would go ahead and row, shower, and do everything to get ready for bed but put on pajamas. I did wear comfy clothes, though. I even laid out my jammies on my pillow so all I would have to do is strip, put them on, and fall into bed. I wouldn't even have to turn on a light for that.

Chris and I were having our evening "date" when we received the phone call that the plane was delayed till midnight. Ugh! My bedtime is 10 pm. The original arrival time was already pushing it. I started eating some chocolate (not the best choice) to get my blood sugar up and wake me up. Chris went on to bed and I actually watched 11 o'clock t.v. I never see that time.

I left for the airport at about 11:30 pm. The traffic was practically non-existant. I was appalled at what is on the radio that time of night. I arrived at the airport, didn't have to pay for parking, and got a great parking spot. It worked out okay. The airport was FREEZING....very happy I wore pants. I grabbed a real estate magazine and sat. I sat and sat. Turns out the airplane was expected at 12:14 pm. Ugh again! I was very thankful too that the airport was rather empty and not hectic as usual.

Finally, my extremely exhausted in-laws stumble towards the baggage claim and give me a hug. Remember they had been traveling since about 1 am Eastern time from Lancut, Poland to Savannah, Georgia. They kept saying thank you for picking them up. Hey, we're family!! We waited and waited for the luggage. It came and we left.

I fell into bed around 1:45 am and I think I drifted to sleep around 2 am with the little dog, Tiny, we are dogsitting curled up in bed next to me. It was a hard night but worth every bit to bring family safely home.

Needing more sleep,

Overwhelmed

Well, I should've thought this would happen to me. I'm already feeling overwhelmed with all the things I want to accomplish this year. It is only the first week of 2007 and I am overwhelmed. My last post listed all my goals and resolutions for the year and it was A LOT. It is so much that I'm having a hard time even getting started. I haven't written here much. I haven't rowed at all this week. My house still looks in shambles...even though I did do laundry today. That is one thing.

I met with my friend to discuss how we want to handle me selling her pottery on eBay. She came over yesterday to help me with an oil change for the van. I hate waiting around the garage especially with Caleb, so I always ask someone to pick me up and we just hang out at the house while we wait. We talked about eBay and just had fun as friends. She is 16 weeks pregnant and there was plenty of baby talk. That was fun.

Okay, that was a brief bunny trail. I know I need to take my goals and resolutions one step at a time. I also need to PRAY more. Jesus is my strength and I strongly believe that many of my goals are from him and God-honoring. So, I just need to trust him to give me more strength and organizational skills to get this done. I also need to not be too hard on myself. I don't have to be a SUPER WOMAN or SUPER MOM. I guess I just want to move forward in each area at a fairly steady pace.

Thanks for listen to my ramblings as I think through a good strategy for not feeling overwhelmed and how to actually accomplish something this year. Y'all are great. If you have any ideas please leave a comment. I would love to hear what y'all do to get things done. Thanks so much!