Today started just as any other day in our lives: a screaming Ms. Bug, pleading to be released from the confines of her crib-like jail. I'm so grateful that she's started to sleep more at night, but the alarming wake up calls have yet to be outgrown.
I remember talking with Momma about me when I was a baby. She said that in the mornings she and Daddy would hold their breath as I "stirred the cookies". I was a happy waker. I'd chat to myself, my toes, my mobile. Why on earth did my child not inherit that lovely trait?
I was given, what I can only assume to be, the world's most tenacious child. This charter trait is something I know will serve her beautifully in the future... It does not serve her father and me now. For some reason she's able to leave her dad completely alone, no matter where he is in the house. He can sit in the floor with the computer in his lap and she wouldn't even care. If I try to sit on the sofa with nothing, she's on me like flies on honey.
I love her more than anything and wouldn't ever trade her for the world, but right now life is challenging. I'm her only playmate (aside from her rather old, grumpy, senile puppy). Daddy plays when he can, but Momma is here 24/7. Where we currently live, there aren't any Mom & Me playgroups or activity centers; the weather here in northern Arizona is such that as soon as it snows, the dirt turns to mud-paste and by the time it dries out enough to walk on, it snows again. Winter is obviously not the best season for an energetic toddler who needs to blow off some serious steam.
Alas, I didn't stay in bed today. Therefore, I must be mom and carry on. (Haven't we all seen enough of those little phrases on Pinterest?) Pity party over.
Hope all you out there in internet land are having a fabulous time in your lives!
21 February 2012
20 February 2012
Scripture Memory Verse 2012 #4
Well... I'm a few days behind. That seems to be the story of this month for me. I am just in a "lukewarm-ish" funk. I'm quasi-motivated parts of some days, but for the majority of this month, I've been kind of sloth-ish.
Upon this realization, I immediately thought of a passage of scripture. I know lots of people shy away from the book to which I was drawn, and it's understandable. Revelations isn't the most straight forward of all the Bible's books, but it is absolutely my favorite!
There's so much information about things to come and I kind of like knowing the end of the story before it plays out. To me, it's like watching a movie for a second (or third, or fourth, etc!) time and all I can think is how awesome it will all be! Sure there's a lot of negative things that will happen, but ultimately it's all for God's purpose to bless us and give us what He most wants for us.
I have absolutely no idea of when God will sound the shofar, but I believe that He will call us believers before the Great Tribulation. I don't think that I'll ever have to witness the seven seals that have been revealed to John. I find it all fascinating to study though.
The passage of Revelations that really started to speak to me was Revelations 3:14-18. Here, Jesus is talking to the church at Laodicea about how they are neither hot nor cold. He actually calls them out as being lukewarm. Exactly like how I've been feeling for the past couple of weeks. How apropos. I love how God will speak directly to us through His Word. He brought condemnation upon my heart. But He also brought hope.
After telling the Laodiceans they weren't making a passionate stand for or against Him, Jesus proceeds to tell them there is still a way to return to Him. And that brings me to this week's memory verse:
"Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent. Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me." Revelations 3:19-20 NIV
So simple, so perfect. I've already felt Jesus' knock upon my heart, calling me to repent for my sloth-ish attitude and demeanor. By repenting I am opening the door to him and inviting him in to fellowship with me once again. I pray that I am able (through the Holy Spirit) to get out of this slump and get back to the vibrant life that God has in mind for me.
How are you feeling this month?
Upon this realization, I immediately thought of a passage of scripture. I know lots of people shy away from the book to which I was drawn, and it's understandable. Revelations isn't the most straight forward of all the Bible's books, but it is absolutely my favorite!
There's so much information about things to come and I kind of like knowing the end of the story before it plays out. To me, it's like watching a movie for a second (or third, or fourth, etc!) time and all I can think is how awesome it will all be! Sure there's a lot of negative things that will happen, but ultimately it's all for God's purpose to bless us and give us what He most wants for us.
I have absolutely no idea of when God will sound the shofar, but I believe that He will call us believers before the Great Tribulation. I don't think that I'll ever have to witness the seven seals that have been revealed to John. I find it all fascinating to study though.
The passage of Revelations that really started to speak to me was Revelations 3:14-18. Here, Jesus is talking to the church at Laodicea about how they are neither hot nor cold. He actually calls them out as being lukewarm. Exactly like how I've been feeling for the past couple of weeks. How apropos. I love how God will speak directly to us through His Word. He brought condemnation upon my heart. But He also brought hope.
After telling the Laodiceans they weren't making a passionate stand for or against Him, Jesus proceeds to tell them there is still a way to return to Him. And that brings me to this week's memory verse:
"Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent. Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me." Revelations 3:19-20 NIV
So simple, so perfect. I've already felt Jesus' knock upon my heart, calling me to repent for my sloth-ish attitude and demeanor. By repenting I am opening the door to him and inviting him in to fellowship with me once again. I pray that I am able (through the Holy Spirit) to get out of this slump and get back to the vibrant life that God has in mind for me.
How are you feeling this month?
02 February 2012
Musings of a Momma
The other day I was watching the precious little life I've been given and my mind started to wander. It was a random stream of consciousness that started with the thought, "My kid is so cute!" She's pretty smart too... Yay! Then I started to panic.
... oh crap...
I know it's a great thing to have a smart and cute kid. But, I started to wonder, "When will she realize that she'll be smarter than I could ever hope to be? When will I cease to distinguish between her intelligence/adorableness and bad behavior?" It's so hard to not smile or laugh at a toddler when they do something they shouldn't.
They're just these cute little people exploring their boundaries and pushing the threshold with these cute little nudges with long bangs in their eyes because they refuse to leave their ponytail alone. Seriously, how can you be mad at a tiny little thing in polka dotted undies who is pulling all her clean clothes out of her dresser? Speaking of undies, why don't they make them in a 12-18M size? I know they do sell infant underwear online, but why can't a major retailer/discount store carry some too? 2T-3T is really just too big for a little bitty bug.
I digress... I have started to realize that my child needs more structure than the typical "go play with your toys" schtick. We've been going on "outings" (spending time out in our dirt patch of a yard, pulling weeds) as often as the weather/ground conditions have allowed. But that's just not enough.
Pinterest has fully inspired me to expand Ms. Bug's horizons and sensory experiences. I've started to collect a few items to begin sensory bins.
What's a sensory bin, you ask? It's a collection of items that are rather "everyday" to us boring adults, but these items are super fun to explore for young hands and minds. Our collection currently contains colored rice and some dry pasta that is awaiting a color bath. We use simple things like measuring cups, aluminum foil bread tins, whisks, and spoons. As Ms. Bug gets older, we'll add more interesting things for her to explore. There are a gazillion and one different sensory bin ideas out there, just check out Pinterest for proof!
I realize that by expanding my child's mind with different experiences I'm only speeding up the process of her becoming smarter than me... But I can't help it! These activities are just as much fun for me to set up as the are for her to investigate!
My new thought process about Ms. Bug is: Keep her mind busy and her hands busier. I think if I can do that, I'll do some kind of justice by her.
Lindsey
... oh crap...
I know it's a great thing to have a smart and cute kid. But, I started to wonder, "When will she realize that she'll be smarter than I could ever hope to be? When will I cease to distinguish between her intelligence/adorableness and bad behavior?" It's so hard to not smile or laugh at a toddler when they do something they shouldn't.
They're just these cute little people exploring their boundaries and pushing the threshold with these cute little nudges with long bangs in their eyes because they refuse to leave their ponytail alone. Seriously, how can you be mad at a tiny little thing in polka dotted undies who is pulling all her clean clothes out of her dresser? Speaking of undies, why don't they make them in a 12-18M size? I know they do sell infant underwear online, but why can't a major retailer/discount store carry some too? 2T-3T is really just too big for a little bitty bug.
I digress... I have started to realize that my child needs more structure than the typical "go play with your toys" schtick. We've been going on "outings" (spending time out in our dirt patch of a yard, pulling weeds) as often as the weather/ground conditions have allowed. But that's just not enough.
Pinterest has fully inspired me to expand Ms. Bug's horizons and sensory experiences. I've started to collect a few items to begin sensory bins.
What's a sensory bin, you ask? It's a collection of items that are rather "everyday" to us boring adults, but these items are super fun to explore for young hands and minds. Our collection currently contains colored rice and some dry pasta that is awaiting a color bath. We use simple things like measuring cups, aluminum foil bread tins, whisks, and spoons. As Ms. Bug gets older, we'll add more interesting things for her to explore. There are a gazillion and one different sensory bin ideas out there, just check out Pinterest for proof!
I realize that by expanding my child's mind with different experiences I'm only speeding up the process of her becoming smarter than me... But I can't help it! These activities are just as much fun for me to set up as the are for her to investigate!
My new thought process about Ms. Bug is: Keep her mind busy and her hands busier. I think if I can do that, I'll do some kind of justice by her.
Lindsey
01 February 2012
Scripture Memory Verse 2012 #3
It's February 1st and that means.... time for a new memory verse!
Let's get right down to it:
"Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone."
Colossians 4:5-6 NIV
I am a constant sufferer of not knowing what to say, much less when to say it. Especially as it pertains to the more difficult things of life. A few years ago, the Pastor of the church where we were members, and his wife were in a car accident. Pastor was in the ICU for a while and my in-loves and I spent some time at the hospital with him and his bride. We would each take turns going back to his room and sitting with him.
At one point, I found myself in that tiny, dark, sterile room with Ms. Patty (wife). I had no clue what to say; I was awkward, unsure of myself, at a complete loss. Finally, I spoke, "Ms. Patty, I don't know what to say." A simple, honest statement. She patted my hand and said "Right now it's just about you being here. You don't have to say anything."
I've since taken the late, great Ms. Patty's advice and kept quiet in those times when I knew not what to say. While that advice is great to heed when in situations where you may make things worse, I'm certain I took it to an extreme. (A common action on my part I'm afraid to admit.) I'm even more certain that this particular verse is not encouraging silence, especially when with unbelievers.
With this verse, I am encouraged to speak the truth, not just in love, but also in God's perfect timing. I need to rely on God's guidance when speaking to those (specifically in my own family) who are "outsiders". Only His grace will allow my words to pierce the heart of their need, and only His grace will allow their ears to listen and hearts to soften.
What types of things do you struggle with when sharing the gospel?
Lindsey
Let's get right down to it:
"Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone."
Colossians 4:5-6 NIV
I am a constant sufferer of not knowing what to say, much less when to say it. Especially as it pertains to the more difficult things of life. A few years ago, the Pastor of the church where we were members, and his wife were in a car accident. Pastor was in the ICU for a while and my in-loves and I spent some time at the hospital with him and his bride. We would each take turns going back to his room and sitting with him.
At one point, I found myself in that tiny, dark, sterile room with Ms. Patty (wife). I had no clue what to say; I was awkward, unsure of myself, at a complete loss. Finally, I spoke, "Ms. Patty, I don't know what to say." A simple, honest statement. She patted my hand and said "Right now it's just about you being here. You don't have to say anything."
I've since taken the late, great Ms. Patty's advice and kept quiet in those times when I knew not what to say. While that advice is great to heed when in situations where you may make things worse, I'm certain I took it to an extreme. (A common action on my part I'm afraid to admit.) I'm even more certain that this particular verse is not encouraging silence, especially when with unbelievers.
With this verse, I am encouraged to speak the truth, not just in love, but also in God's perfect timing. I need to rely on God's guidance when speaking to those (specifically in my own family) who are "outsiders". Only His grace will allow my words to pierce the heart of their need, and only His grace will allow their ears to listen and hearts to soften.
What types of things do you struggle with when sharing the gospel?
Lindsey
17 January 2012
Scripture Memory Verse 2012 #2
Hi All!
The other day wasn't such a happy-go-lucky kind of day on the home front. Everyday can't be all sunshine and roses. But on those days when no one can say or do the right things, the best thing to do is take a break and read God's Word.
When I first sat down with my Bible, I was frustrated, angry and upset. I was on a "silent treatment" kick and to be honest, I was acting like a hissy fit throwing 6 year old. After spending even just a few minutes in Scripture, I started to feel better. God puts all kinds of words in His book. I find most of them to be healing. I also came across a verse that convicted me of my behavior at that very moment. God, You really know how to bring us down off our victimized pedestals. Praise You!
I decided that the convicting word God presented me needed to be something I etched deeply into my heart. So I've made it my second verse for memorization:
"Each one should test his own actions. Then he can take pride in himself, without comparing himself to somebody else, for each one should carry his own load." Galatians 6:4-5 NIV
I know these two verses aren't full of super complex theological ideas. However, it was a word that spoke directly to my situation and heart. I'm praying that these simple words and this basic idea of looking into your own actions/words/thoughts can help me to speak with more gentleness, work with more loving actions, and listen without jumping to the conclusion that someone else is trying to push my buttons. I also pray that these verses can help me to not worry so much about what others do and be more focused on how my actions can help bring glory to my God.
Have any of you decided to join me on this adventure of memorizing the Word of God? More importantly, have you spent time in Scripture lately and been convicted of something in your life?
The other day wasn't such a happy-go-lucky kind of day on the home front. Everyday can't be all sunshine and roses. But on those days when no one can say or do the right things, the best thing to do is take a break and read God's Word.
When I first sat down with my Bible, I was frustrated, angry and upset. I was on a "silent treatment" kick and to be honest, I was acting like a hissy fit throwing 6 year old. After spending even just a few minutes in Scripture, I started to feel better. God puts all kinds of words in His book. I find most of them to be healing. I also came across a verse that convicted me of my behavior at that very moment. God, You really know how to bring us down off our victimized pedestals. Praise You!
I decided that the convicting word God presented me needed to be something I etched deeply into my heart. So I've made it my second verse for memorization:
"Each one should test his own actions. Then he can take pride in himself, without comparing himself to somebody else, for each one should carry his own load." Galatians 6:4-5 NIV
I know these two verses aren't full of super complex theological ideas. However, it was a word that spoke directly to my situation and heart. I'm praying that these simple words and this basic idea of looking into your own actions/words/thoughts can help me to speak with more gentleness, work with more loving actions, and listen without jumping to the conclusion that someone else is trying to push my buttons. I also pray that these verses can help me to not worry so much about what others do and be more focused on how my actions can help bring glory to my God.
Have any of you decided to join me on this adventure of memorizing the Word of God? More importantly, have you spent time in Scripture lately and been convicted of something in your life?
05 January 2012
Scripture Memory Verses 2012
Ok, It's been a year (or two) since I've tried to do this... But here we go again! I'm going to make it a goal this year to memorize 24 verses of Scripture. Two a month... I intend to start a new verse the 1st and 15th of each month.
I'll be writing my verses on index cards, carrying them with me, and truly committing them to my heart, mind, and soul. I'll share with you, world of internet cruising people, the verse and the version. Sometimes, I may share my thoughts on the verse, other times I may not. I'll let that be up to the Lord to lay it on my heart.
On to Verse 1:
"How great are his signs
how mighty are his wonders!
His kingdom is an eternal kingdom;
his dominion endures from generation to generation." Daniel 4:3 NIV
I'm praying that I can stick to this goal this year and that God will use this to bless my life and my family's lives as well.
Lindsey
I'll be writing my verses on index cards, carrying them with me, and truly committing them to my heart, mind, and soul. I'll share with you, world of internet cruising people, the verse and the version. Sometimes, I may share my thoughts on the verse, other times I may not. I'll let that be up to the Lord to lay it on my heart.
On to Verse 1:
"How great are his signs
how mighty are his wonders!
His kingdom is an eternal kingdom;
his dominion endures from generation to generation." Daniel 4:3 NIV
I'm praying that I can stick to this goal this year and that God will use this to bless my life and my family's lives as well.
Lindsey
04 January 2012
Welcome 2012!
Happy belated New Year, all!
Loads of things have happened in the past year, some good, some scary, some just flat out random. All in all, 2011 was a good year. I discovered just how blessed Jarred and I truly are.
Super quick rundown of what happened:
1. We bought our first house in July!
2. Daddy had quintuple by-pass surgery.
3. Daddy fell 8 feet off a ladder, broke 9 ribs, and landed in the hospital for a second time within a year.
4. Katelyn celebrated her very first birthday (my baby is a toddler...who ever thought I'd have a toddler!)!
5. Jarred changed jobs and is now an Air Ambulance pilot (job he's talked about for a long, LONG time).
6. We moved... again! This time to Arizona on a Navajo Indian Reservation. Talk about random. :)
This year promises to bring lots of new and exciting things.
1. We'll be joining a new church that's literally a stone's throw from our front gate! I've never lived so close to church, and I like it!
2. We'll be renting out our first house and hopefully selling it at some point this year (God-willing!).
3. We'll be doing plenty of hiking and exploring this year. There's a gazillion different mesas to check out with tons of neat old ruins just waiting to be discovered.
4. My baby sister will graduate from Texas Tech this spring (yay!) and we now live close enough that I'll be able to watch her walk across that stage. (Hopefully Jarred's schedule allows him to come too!)
5. My sister-in-love will be blessing our family with another nephew this coming May!
6. Two of Jarred's cousins are set to be married this year, along with a family friend (3 weddings, I'm exhausted!).
7. Katelyn will turn two! Hopefully, it won't be terrible :)
Ok. That's enough for today... Maybe I'll actually stick to writing on a more regular basis this year. I doubt it, but it's a nice thought right!
Hope y'all have had a blessed 2011 and I'm sure God will bless 2012 for all of us!
Lindsey
Loads of things have happened in the past year, some good, some scary, some just flat out random. All in all, 2011 was a good year. I discovered just how blessed Jarred and I truly are.
Super quick rundown of what happened:
1. We bought our first house in July!
2. Daddy had quintuple by-pass surgery.
3. Daddy fell 8 feet off a ladder, broke 9 ribs, and landed in the hospital for a second time within a year.
4. Katelyn celebrated her very first birthday (my baby is a toddler...who ever thought I'd have a toddler!)!
5. Jarred changed jobs and is now an Air Ambulance pilot (job he's talked about for a long, LONG time).
6. We moved... again! This time to Arizona on a Navajo Indian Reservation. Talk about random. :)
This year promises to bring lots of new and exciting things.
1. We'll be joining a new church that's literally a stone's throw from our front gate! I've never lived so close to church, and I like it!
2. We'll be renting out our first house and hopefully selling it at some point this year (God-willing!).
3. We'll be doing plenty of hiking and exploring this year. There's a gazillion different mesas to check out with tons of neat old ruins just waiting to be discovered.
4. My baby sister will graduate from Texas Tech this spring (yay!) and we now live close enough that I'll be able to watch her walk across that stage. (Hopefully Jarred's schedule allows him to come too!)
5. My sister-in-love will be blessing our family with another nephew this coming May!
6. Two of Jarred's cousins are set to be married this year, along with a family friend (3 weddings, I'm exhausted!).
7. Katelyn will turn two! Hopefully, it won't be terrible :)
Ok. That's enough for today... Maybe I'll actually stick to writing on a more regular basis this year. I doubt it, but it's a nice thought right!
Hope y'all have had a blessed 2011 and I'm sure God will bless 2012 for all of us!
Lindsey
13 September 2011
So Much For My Goal...
Well, I did not accomplish my goal of posting once a week through August. I have some excuses, namely my dad had quintuple (yeah, that's 5) by-pass heart surgery on August 18th. Life was pretty hectic for the last half of August.
Ms. Bug and I flew down to Mom and Dad's for the surgery and to aide in my dad's recovery. None of us knew what exactly to expect. Daddy is only 53 years old, not obese, in decent-ish shape and active. We certainly weren't expecting him to need his chest cracked open and 5 by-passes to keep his heart pumping...
Honestly, it's only by the grace of God that he never had a heart attack. It was also a huge blessing that he paid enough attention to his body to know when something was off and he needed to get it checked out. I'm so grateful to the doctors who were able to "fix" him, all the support that my dad received from friends and family, all the prayers from anyone who knew about his condition, and that I was able to take my "job" (Ms. Bug) with me to be able to go down and help Mom and Dad for a couple of weeks while Dad was unable to drive.
We've been home now for a couple of weeks, and we're getting settled back into our "normal" (if there ever was such a thing!). I must say that there is nothing like sleeping in your own bed in your own home. There's also much to be said for having a place for your things and doing things the way you want them done. I'm also glad to have my sewing machine back at my fingertips, whenever I get the wild hair to sew something.
Ok, enough for now. Time to get laundry into the wash!
Ms. Bug and I flew down to Mom and Dad's for the surgery and to aide in my dad's recovery. None of us knew what exactly to expect. Daddy is only 53 years old, not obese, in decent-ish shape and active. We certainly weren't expecting him to need his chest cracked open and 5 by-passes to keep his heart pumping...
Honestly, it's only by the grace of God that he never had a heart attack. It was also a huge blessing that he paid enough attention to his body to know when something was off and he needed to get it checked out. I'm so grateful to the doctors who were able to "fix" him, all the support that my dad received from friends and family, all the prayers from anyone who knew about his condition, and that I was able to take my "job" (Ms. Bug) with me to be able to go down and help Mom and Dad for a couple of weeks while Dad was unable to drive.
We've been home now for a couple of weeks, and we're getting settled back into our "normal" (if there ever was such a thing!). I must say that there is nothing like sleeping in your own bed in your own home. There's also much to be said for having a place for your things and doing things the way you want them done. I'm also glad to have my sewing machine back at my fingertips, whenever I get the wild hair to sew something.
Ok, enough for now. Time to get laundry into the wash!
13 August 2011
One Man's Trash...
I don't know about y'all, but I LOVE finding a good deal! Here lately we've been finding a boat-load of great deals!
Before closing on our house, Jarred and I discussed how we had very little in the way of furniture and we were going to have to "deal" for awhile. I figured we'd save our money and slowly purchase furniture one room at a time, with cash. Apparently, Jarred had other ideas. He "dealt" by hunting craigslist (an all time favorite site of ours!) and scored some amazing deals!
Through his dedication to the computer, he found us two bedroom suites, one which included a mattress (YAY!), a patio table with chairs and cushions, two chaise loungers for the patio, and the most gorgeous leather loveseat and sofa (it came with two end tables that happened to match my bookcase perfectly!).
This past Christmas, Jarred bought me an electric piano from craigslist. Our kitchen table came from craigslist, too. When I sit down to really think it through, there are very few pieces of furniture that were purchased new. I know the adage is "old" and possibly "passe", however, it is something we've come to fully embrace: "One man's trash is another man's treasure".
It's become a challenge and almost a game to find the best deal we can. What can I say, it's cheap entertainment!
Before closing on our house, Jarred and I discussed how we had very little in the way of furniture and we were going to have to "deal" for awhile. I figured we'd save our money and slowly purchase furniture one room at a time, with cash. Apparently, Jarred had other ideas. He "dealt" by hunting craigslist (an all time favorite site of ours!) and scored some amazing deals!
Through his dedication to the computer, he found us two bedroom suites, one which included a mattress (YAY!), a patio table with chairs and cushions, two chaise loungers for the patio, and the most gorgeous leather loveseat and sofa (it came with two end tables that happened to match my bookcase perfectly!).
This past Christmas, Jarred bought me an electric piano from craigslist. Our kitchen table came from craigslist, too. When I sit down to really think it through, there are very few pieces of furniture that were purchased new. I know the adage is "old" and possibly "passe", however, it is something we've come to fully embrace: "One man's trash is another man's treasure".
It's become a challenge and almost a game to find the best deal we can. What can I say, it's cheap entertainment!
05 August 2011
Bugs and Dirt... Ick...
I'm absolutely not a dig in the dirt kind of girl. I severely dislike bugs...with the tiny exception known as my daughter, Ms. Bug. However, I had to suck it up two days ago and dig in the bug infested dirt. I was so grossed out, but our little veggie patch was looking really pitiful.
When we bought this house, it came with a decent sized garden. We had a good 6 yellow squash vines, a couple of zucchini squash vines, a whole row (maybe 12 heads) of Romaine lettuce, a tomato plant, cherry tomatoes, and finally a little watermelon vine. We plucked our first yellow squash from the garden a day after we moved in and they were delicious! I loved being able to go pick our fresh veggies for supper out of the back yard as opposed to having to pre-plan our side dishes or make a trip to the grocery store. It was super easy and very satisfying!
After having picked 8 squash (yellow and zucchini) that were awesome, we noticed the garden was on the decline. Several of the squash vines started to wilt and die off, the others that had squash on them were starting to rot, our lone watermelon split open and became a feeding ground for the 4 million ants that called our patch "home", and the tomatoes were starting to get weird little rings around them. The garden was over run by weeds and these horrible little grey-ish bugs that really skived me out! And the only thing that was thriving (aside from the weeds) were the lettuce heads.
We really didn't want the garden to die off, so we spent some time weeding and pruning it. It took nearly all afternoon and I still didn't get all the weeds. But at least we were able to get rid of the dead squash plants and the slowly rotting watermelon. I'm not sure what's going to happen with the garden now that we've done all this. However, we've got high hopes that we'll continue to be rich in squash. I know I'll still have to deal with the bugs and dirt (I shudder at the thought!), but I suppose you have to get dirty to reap the benefits of having a garden. Wish me luck as we try to get our patch on the mend.
When we bought this house, it came with a decent sized garden. We had a good 6 yellow squash vines, a couple of zucchini squash vines, a whole row (maybe 12 heads) of Romaine lettuce, a tomato plant, cherry tomatoes, and finally a little watermelon vine. We plucked our first yellow squash from the garden a day after we moved in and they were delicious! I loved being able to go pick our fresh veggies for supper out of the back yard as opposed to having to pre-plan our side dishes or make a trip to the grocery store. It was super easy and very satisfying!
After having picked 8 squash (yellow and zucchini) that were awesome, we noticed the garden was on the decline. Several of the squash vines started to wilt and die off, the others that had squash on them were starting to rot, our lone watermelon split open and became a feeding ground for the 4 million ants that called our patch "home", and the tomatoes were starting to get weird little rings around them. The garden was over run by weeds and these horrible little grey-ish bugs that really skived me out! And the only thing that was thriving (aside from the weeds) were the lettuce heads.
We really didn't want the garden to die off, so we spent some time weeding and pruning it. It took nearly all afternoon and I still didn't get all the weeds. But at least we were able to get rid of the dead squash plants and the slowly rotting watermelon. I'm not sure what's going to happen with the garden now that we've done all this. However, we've got high hopes that we'll continue to be rich in squash. I know I'll still have to deal with the bugs and dirt (I shudder at the thought!), but I suppose you have to get dirty to reap the benefits of having a garden. Wish me luck as we try to get our patch on the mend.
02 August 2011
Commitment
It's amazing to me how a simple little thing, a blog post, can be so incredibly difficult to accomplish. It sounds easy enough to say, "I'm going to blog at least once a week this month".... False. I think it even sounds reasonable to say "I will post once this month". Yeah right. For some reason I have the ability to say things like this and then ignore it completely.
I have awesome excuses though! Check them out:
1) I'm exhausted... I have an almost 9 month old baby.
2) Ms. Bug has been exceptionally needy today and won't leave my keyboard alone.
3) She doesn't nap long enough for me to type something witty and interesting. Heck, she doesn't even nap long enough for me to think "I don't have anything witty or interesting to say"...
4) I completely forgot... I'll remember tomorrow! (I can't even remember to call back my best friend an hour after I told her I'd call her back!...)
There are about a million more excuses I could come up with, given a few extra minutes... but you get the gist. All in all, these excuses should add up to one glaring answer: I just didn't want to commit to doing what I said I would do.
Isn't that HORRIBLE! I commit to many things on a daily basis. I commit to waking up when lil' miss cries. I commit to taking care of the dog, the baby, and the husband each and every day. I commit to washing laundry a couple of times a week. I commit to taking baby to the potty countless times a day. And I guess you could say that I commit to dawdling and piddling away a good few hours each and everyday on multiple social sites, forums, and YouTube (iPhone is a blessing and a curse).
In order to make a commitment, I think you have to have more than an urge to do something. I think you have to have resolve. I don't mean the carpet spot cleaner. It also helps to put something in writing and have someone hold you accountable. What better to write down a commitment than in a blog post! And what's better than having anyone who reads this help to be an accountability buddy?
Ok, if you've stuck with me thus far, thank you. I promise I've got a point. I'm going to commit to posting something every week during the month of August. I can't guarantee that each post will be witty or interesting, after all I spend 24/7 caring for my baby and husband, but there will be something. Hopefully.
I have awesome excuses though! Check them out:
1) I'm exhausted... I have an almost 9 month old baby.
2) Ms. Bug has been exceptionally needy today and won't leave my keyboard alone.
3) She doesn't nap long enough for me to type something witty and interesting. Heck, she doesn't even nap long enough for me to think "I don't have anything witty or interesting to say"...
4) I completely forgot... I'll remember tomorrow! (I can't even remember to call back my best friend an hour after I told her I'd call her back!...)
There are about a million more excuses I could come up with, given a few extra minutes... but you get the gist. All in all, these excuses should add up to one glaring answer: I just didn't want to commit to doing what I said I would do.
Isn't that HORRIBLE! I commit to many things on a daily basis. I commit to waking up when lil' miss cries. I commit to taking care of the dog, the baby, and the husband each and every day. I commit to washing laundry a couple of times a week. I commit to taking baby to the potty countless times a day. And I guess you could say that I commit to dawdling and piddling away a good few hours each and everyday on multiple social sites, forums, and YouTube (iPhone is a blessing and a curse).
In order to make a commitment, I think you have to have more than an urge to do something. I think you have to have resolve. I don't mean the carpet spot cleaner. It also helps to put something in writing and have someone hold you accountable. What better to write down a commitment than in a blog post! And what's better than having anyone who reads this help to be an accountability buddy?
Ok, if you've stuck with me thus far, thank you. I promise I've got a point. I'm going to commit to posting something every week during the month of August. I can't guarantee that each post will be witty or interesting, after all I spend 24/7 caring for my baby and husband, but there will be something. Hopefully.
20 June 2011
My Best Friend's Wedding
My best friend got married on Saturday! She and I have been best friends since we were 13 years old. We've had our rough patches, shared some tears, tons of laughter, and an infinite amount of makeup!
The two of us have grown closer through heartbreaks, drifted when we needed some independence, and practically lived at every mall within 20 miles of home. We spent countless hours on the phone discussing everything and nothing all at the same time. Through it all, we've endured each other and shaped each other into the women we've become. While we've never quite been at the same life stage at the same time, we've always brought one another along for the ride (whether we've wanted to be drug along or not!).
I can truly say that I'm so happy that my best friend was able to marry her best friend on Saturday. Megan R. Grubb (now Rooney!), you are my (slightly older) sister and I will always love you and be there for you. Forever.
Lindsey
The two of us have grown closer through heartbreaks, drifted when we needed some independence, and practically lived at every mall within 20 miles of home. We spent countless hours on the phone discussing everything and nothing all at the same time. Through it all, we've endured each other and shaped each other into the women we've become. While we've never quite been at the same life stage at the same time, we've always brought one another along for the ride (whether we've wanted to be drug along or not!).
I can truly say that I'm so happy that my best friend was able to marry her best friend on Saturday. Megan R. Grubb (now Rooney!), you are my (slightly older) sister and I will always love you and be there for you. Forever.
Lindsey
07 November 2010
When Will the Rollercoaster Stop?
I woke up this morning around 3:30AM EST. I couldn't breathe out of my nose. After handling that situation, I opted to go to my bathroom and proceeded to have an emotional meltdown. Jarred was snoring softly in bed, I knew that Mom and Dad were sound asleep as well, and so I just decided to have a little cry fest in my bathroom.
You may be wondering why I was crying in the first place. No one had called me any names, taken the toy from my hand as I was playing with it, or even bit me. However, when you get past a certain point in life, you discover that occasionally you just have to cry. Well, this entire pregnancy I've been pretty good at the "not crying at every little thing" game and even better at the "I can't quit laughing, even if the joke is 12 days old" game. Until this past week.
For some reason, my hormones have been on a rollercoaster that finally hit the peak and is now plummeting to the bottom of the drop. I know hormones are to blame for this sudden drop, but somehow, I just can't seem to mentally over come the emotional effects of those blasted hormones.
The thoughts that caused the cry fest this morning are still pretty tender. Mom and Dad are here right now. Mom gets to stay until next Saturday. Dad has to leave today. His flight takes off around 5pm so we'll have to head out around 3-3:30pm to get him to the airport. No big deal, I knew, that with his job, he'd only be able to stay a weekend. The problem I have with all of this is simple. This CHILD has yet do depart my womb and make it's grand appearance. We really hoped that Dad would get to meet his first grandchild. Right now, things are not looking so good.
I know that this child will come in his/her planned time. But it's still really upsetting to me to know that this is the FIRST grandchild for my parents and Mom may be the only one who gets to meet him/her. Matt & Brenda already have 3 grandkids, so it's not nearly as special as getting to have my parents here to meet this baby.
It really breaks my heart that my dad won't even get to hold his grandbaby for the first time until he/she is nearly 4 months old. We knew there was a risk of this happening, but we were supposed to be due on Wednesday, for cryin' out loud! And now it's nearly 6AM and Dad is going to have to leave in about 9hours. I have very little confidence that this baby will pop out between now and 3pm.
I know God has His perfect timing and this child will come when it is His time. I just really hope that I can find the strength to hold on to that fact and not get too out of control over it. Blasted hormones just won't let me hang on to this with more than just my mind... My heart is what really needs the reassurance and that's where I feel like all the hormones are attacking me...
Lindsey
You may be wondering why I was crying in the first place. No one had called me any names, taken the toy from my hand as I was playing with it, or even bit me. However, when you get past a certain point in life, you discover that occasionally you just have to cry. Well, this entire pregnancy I've been pretty good at the "not crying at every little thing" game and even better at the "I can't quit laughing, even if the joke is 12 days old" game. Until this past week.
For some reason, my hormones have been on a rollercoaster that finally hit the peak and is now plummeting to the bottom of the drop. I know hormones are to blame for this sudden drop, but somehow, I just can't seem to mentally over come the emotional effects of those blasted hormones.
The thoughts that caused the cry fest this morning are still pretty tender. Mom and Dad are here right now. Mom gets to stay until next Saturday. Dad has to leave today. His flight takes off around 5pm so we'll have to head out around 3-3:30pm to get him to the airport. No big deal, I knew, that with his job, he'd only be able to stay a weekend. The problem I have with all of this is simple. This CHILD has yet do depart my womb and make it's grand appearance. We really hoped that Dad would get to meet his first grandchild. Right now, things are not looking so good.
I know that this child will come in his/her planned time. But it's still really upsetting to me to know that this is the FIRST grandchild for my parents and Mom may be the only one who gets to meet him/her. Matt & Brenda already have 3 grandkids, so it's not nearly as special as getting to have my parents here to meet this baby.
It really breaks my heart that my dad won't even get to hold his grandbaby for the first time until he/she is nearly 4 months old. We knew there was a risk of this happening, but we were supposed to be due on Wednesday, for cryin' out loud! And now it's nearly 6AM and Dad is going to have to leave in about 9hours. I have very little confidence that this baby will pop out between now and 3pm.
I know God has His perfect timing and this child will come when it is His time. I just really hope that I can find the strength to hold on to that fact and not get too out of control over it. Blasted hormones just won't let me hang on to this with more than just my mind... My heart is what really needs the reassurance and that's where I feel like all the hormones are attacking me...
Lindsey
The Visit!
Mom and Dad flew into PA on Friday night. I was so excited to see them! It seemed like it had been FOREVER since I had seen them last (even though it had only been since July). We spent a part of the evening just catching up and finally went to bed. Jarred had to work that night, so he didn't get to see them until the morning.
Saturday morning, we all got up; Jarred had been a busy guy from the time he came home until we were all awake. He had cinnamon rolls baking in the oven and a coffee pot just begging to have its "on" switch flipped! We spent a good hour and half just sitting around the dining room table chatting and hanging out. At several points throughout, my dad would look at me and say, "Well, bud? What're you waiting for?" We of course knew this was said in a joking manner as there was nothing I can do to "help" the kid come out...
We took Mom and Dad out and about through the big ol' town of Reading, PA. (P.S. For those of you who are not familiar with Reading, it is actually on the board in the game of Monopoly. We live minutes from the Reading Railroad...lol!) After checking it all out, we decided to get some lunch and then find somewhere for us to walk this baby out of me! Mom has only been to the Northeast a couple of times (literally, this is her second, thus making it a couple!) and hasn't seen much beyond Hershey PA. So, Jarred suggested that since Philly was only an hour away, we could go see Philly and "Have Lindsey run up and down the 'Rocky Steps' at the Art Museum a bunch of times." Wow. Really Jarred! Sigh...
Mom was all kinds of excited, and I don't blame her. It was about an hour to get over to Philly and we found a place to park. We then went wandering the streets to find the historical sites and see what all we could see. The Liberty Bell had a line about a mile long wrapped around the building where it was housed and so we opted to press our noses against the glass where you could look through and see the bell hanging out. We continued walking around and sightseeing until we had our fill, then made our way back to the car and drove to the "Rocky Steps".
At the Art Museum, there were quite a few people milling around. We checked out this statue of George Washington surrounded by random half naked people and animals. There was a statue of Rocky near the steps that people were lined up at to take their picture. And then we made the climb. I've got to be really honest here... the climb up those steps is really not bad, until you get a break in between every 12 steps... those landings between steps are killer! They tease you into thinking you are done. Then you reach the next section and lifting your foot up the 4 inches (give or take...) to make it from the landing to that next step is rough! Had the steps been continuous, I think it would have been easier. But then again, what do I know!
I'm pretty sure that most of the people we saw there weren't going into the Art Museum to gain cultural perspective. They were mostly there just to run/walk the steps and take random photos of them jumping into the air with victorious grins on their faces. It's amazing to me that pop culture has completely over taken this Art Museum. Yes, the Rocky movie has drawn a lot of attention for a long time to this place. But I can't help wondering if this has actually caused the museum to become more profitable, or if it has become just a place for people to run to and head home.
We decided that after all that walking and stair climbing it was time to head back. Once we made it back home, Jarred just about crashed onto the sofa. He stays up for so many hours in a row that he just ends up dead tired. So much for encouraging him to go to bed when he gets home from work. Oh well, he's a grown man and will do what he wants...We finally got a bit hungry, so we ordered pizza and ate some supper. Dad and I then headed to the Wally World to see if we couldn't encourage some "tummy cramps" to help my uterus along with "sympathy cramps" and hopefully cause some contractions.
We got back from our trip to find Mom playing on her iPhone and Jarred and Prince completely knocked out. I was able to "encourage" (read, drag!) Jarred off the sofa and guide him to the bed. Mom, Dad and I stayed up a bit longer and then I finally retired to bed. We were really hoping that there would have been some action last night... but alas, there was not. So we shall see what today brings as far as baby is concerned.
Until next time,
Lindsey
Saturday morning, we all got up; Jarred had been a busy guy from the time he came home until we were all awake. He had cinnamon rolls baking in the oven and a coffee pot just begging to have its "on" switch flipped! We spent a good hour and half just sitting around the dining room table chatting and hanging out. At several points throughout, my dad would look at me and say, "Well, bud? What're you waiting for?" We of course knew this was said in a joking manner as there was nothing I can do to "help" the kid come out...
We took Mom and Dad out and about through the big ol' town of Reading, PA. (P.S. For those of you who are not familiar with Reading, it is actually on the board in the game of Monopoly. We live minutes from the Reading Railroad...lol!) After checking it all out, we decided to get some lunch and then find somewhere for us to walk this baby out of me! Mom has only been to the Northeast a couple of times (literally, this is her second, thus making it a couple!) and hasn't seen much beyond Hershey PA. So, Jarred suggested that since Philly was only an hour away, we could go see Philly and "Have Lindsey run up and down the 'Rocky Steps' at the Art Museum a bunch of times." Wow. Really Jarred! Sigh...
Mom was all kinds of excited, and I don't blame her. It was about an hour to get over to Philly and we found a place to park. We then went wandering the streets to find the historical sites and see what all we could see. The Liberty Bell had a line about a mile long wrapped around the building where it was housed and so we opted to press our noses against the glass where you could look through and see the bell hanging out. We continued walking around and sightseeing until we had our fill, then made our way back to the car and drove to the "Rocky Steps".
At the Art Museum, there were quite a few people milling around. We checked out this statue of George Washington surrounded by random half naked people and animals. There was a statue of Rocky near the steps that people were lined up at to take their picture. And then we made the climb. I've got to be really honest here... the climb up those steps is really not bad, until you get a break in between every 12 steps... those landings between steps are killer! They tease you into thinking you are done. Then you reach the next section and lifting your foot up the 4 inches (give or take...) to make it from the landing to that next step is rough! Had the steps been continuous, I think it would have been easier. But then again, what do I know!
I'm pretty sure that most of the people we saw there weren't going into the Art Museum to gain cultural perspective. They were mostly there just to run/walk the steps and take random photos of them jumping into the air with victorious grins on their faces. It's amazing to me that pop culture has completely over taken this Art Museum. Yes, the Rocky movie has drawn a lot of attention for a long time to this place. But I can't help wondering if this has actually caused the museum to become more profitable, or if it has become just a place for people to run to and head home.
We decided that after all that walking and stair climbing it was time to head back. Once we made it back home, Jarred just about crashed onto the sofa. He stays up for so many hours in a row that he just ends up dead tired. So much for encouraging him to go to bed when he gets home from work. Oh well, he's a grown man and will do what he wants...We finally got a bit hungry, so we ordered pizza and ate some supper. Dad and I then headed to the Wally World to see if we couldn't encourage some "tummy cramps" to help my uterus along with "sympathy cramps" and hopefully cause some contractions.
We got back from our trip to find Mom playing on her iPhone and Jarred and Prince completely knocked out. I was able to "encourage" (read, drag!) Jarred off the sofa and guide him to the bed. Mom, Dad and I stayed up a bit longer and then I finally retired to bed. We were really hoping that there would have been some action last night... but alas, there was not. So we shall see what today brings as far as baby is concerned.
Until next time,
Lindsey
03 November 2010
Due Date... Any End In Sight?
Wow. Today I have officially reached 40 weeks gestation! What a crazy thought! I have a few other thoughts that I just could not contain... Therefore I will share them with you. Lucky!
It's hard for me to believe that on March 2, 2010 we got a big fat positive on a home pregnancy test. We tried for a LONG time before getting that (2 years!). Before we were pregnant, but still trying, I could never imagine what pregnancy would be like. My finite brain just didn't have the capacity to dream about how my body would change, how my hormones would effect my emotions, what the baby would feel like when it kicked! It was all just so impossible for me to see in my mind's eye.
Now that I have been pregnant for 40 weeks, I'm having the same trouble. I can't imagine what life is going to be like with a mini-me or mini-Jarred in our lives! As hard as I try, I can't see myself in labor, at the hospital, screaming for my epidural and then pushing this child out. I also can't comprehend what it will feel like to no longer have this little person dancing in my belly!
I have only just reached that stage of pregnancy that most women call "uncomfortable". I've been greatly blessed with many pregnancy symptoms, but have only just now, at the very end of the marathon felt slightly less than great. I suppose it's all the extra hormones my body's producing for labor and the lack of space for the child in my very short torso.
A few weeks ago, one of the ladies at church asked me if I was ready for it to be over... This befuddled me. I had a very rough first 19 weeks with morning sickness/giving back everything I ate like clockwork, but once all that had passed, I felt much better. I never truly got the 2nd trimester "energy surge" but I no longer felt the need to give it all back! Braxton Hicks contractions started at 20 weeks, but I fully expected those to happen. They weren't fun, in fact they were pretty uncomfortable for me, but it was all just a part of the process.
I have literally just taken this pregnancy one day at a time. I don't think any other way would have worked for me. I still can't imagine not being pregnant because I can't see past supper tonight. I could very well go into labor at some point today, tomorrow, with in the next week... but I can't see any of that! Perhaps that's why I never really reached the uncomfortable stage until now. I have always known there was an end to this stage, but I guess I just never really dreamed about the day it would all be over. Perhaps a curse, most certainly a blessing!
I think that's how I'll approach motherhood too. Just taking it one day at a time. Of course that's an easy task to accomplish when you only have one, who is not yet involved in school or extra curricular activities, and are going to be a stay-at-home-mom. I'll know that there will always be an end to the day/night and that a new dawn "should" bring a new perspective. Granted, I've never been a mom before. So more than likely this little strategy of mine will fly right out the window after the first week of sleepless nights and only grabbing 2 hours of rest at a time...give or take!
But for now, I'm going to be flexible. This baby is due today. I don't expect it to come. My gut has been telling me Saturday, November 6th since back in April. I'm not really sure why, other than at our first ultrasound my gestational age was dead on with a November 3rd due date, but the baby measured 3 days smaller. Who knows, I may be proven completely wrong within the next 18 and a half hours!
Ok, it's time to feed the belly.
Lindsey
It's hard for me to believe that on March 2, 2010 we got a big fat positive on a home pregnancy test. We tried for a LONG time before getting that (2 years!). Before we were pregnant, but still trying, I could never imagine what pregnancy would be like. My finite brain just didn't have the capacity to dream about how my body would change, how my hormones would effect my emotions, what the baby would feel like when it kicked! It was all just so impossible for me to see in my mind's eye.
Now that I have been pregnant for 40 weeks, I'm having the same trouble. I can't imagine what life is going to be like with a mini-me or mini-Jarred in our lives! As hard as I try, I can't see myself in labor, at the hospital, screaming for my epidural and then pushing this child out. I also can't comprehend what it will feel like to no longer have this little person dancing in my belly!
I have only just reached that stage of pregnancy that most women call "uncomfortable". I've been greatly blessed with many pregnancy symptoms, but have only just now, at the very end of the marathon felt slightly less than great. I suppose it's all the extra hormones my body's producing for labor and the lack of space for the child in my very short torso.
A few weeks ago, one of the ladies at church asked me if I was ready for it to be over... This befuddled me. I had a very rough first 19 weeks with morning sickness/giving back everything I ate like clockwork, but once all that had passed, I felt much better. I never truly got the 2nd trimester "energy surge" but I no longer felt the need to give it all back! Braxton Hicks contractions started at 20 weeks, but I fully expected those to happen. They weren't fun, in fact they were pretty uncomfortable for me, but it was all just a part of the process.
I have literally just taken this pregnancy one day at a time. I don't think any other way would have worked for me. I still can't imagine not being pregnant because I can't see past supper tonight. I could very well go into labor at some point today, tomorrow, with in the next week... but I can't see any of that! Perhaps that's why I never really reached the uncomfortable stage until now. I have always known there was an end to this stage, but I guess I just never really dreamed about the day it would all be over. Perhaps a curse, most certainly a blessing!
I think that's how I'll approach motherhood too. Just taking it one day at a time. Of course that's an easy task to accomplish when you only have one, who is not yet involved in school or extra curricular activities, and are going to be a stay-at-home-mom. I'll know that there will always be an end to the day/night and that a new dawn "should" bring a new perspective. Granted, I've never been a mom before. So more than likely this little strategy of mine will fly right out the window after the first week of sleepless nights and only grabbing 2 hours of rest at a time...give or take!
But for now, I'm going to be flexible. This baby is due today. I don't expect it to come. My gut has been telling me Saturday, November 6th since back in April. I'm not really sure why, other than at our first ultrasound my gestational age was dead on with a November 3rd due date, but the baby measured 3 days smaller. Who knows, I may be proven completely wrong within the next 18 and a half hours!
Ok, it's time to feed the belly.
Lindsey
Dearest First Born,
I have a few things that I'd like to share with you. You are our first born child and with that comes a huge responsibility. While you are not yet departed from my womb, you have already impacted your dad and me in such a way that you will only understand when you have your first born. Can you handle it!
You're responsible for making us two of the happiest people on the planet and we haven't even had the chance to hold you or even see your face. That is HUGE! Unfathomable, even! You are also responsible for causing our hearts to explode with a love that we never quite understood until we saw that little tiny window of the pregnancy test that said "positive". Don't worry, there aren't any negative consequences to these things; that responsibility comes with the consequence that we will always feel overjoyed and an abundance of unconditional love for you, however long we get to have you on this planet.
Now, with all that being said, I have a few things that I'd like to promise you, once you hit our atmosphere:
1. No matter what, your daddy and I will love you unconditionally until the end of time. As you grow older, you will learn that unconditional love does NOT mean that: a. we will let you eat ice cream for breakfast (except on the rare occasion that you catch me doing it), b. we will never discipline you for your actions, and c. it certainly doesn't mean that we will hand you everything your heart desires.
2. We will teach you all about what it means to be a responsible, productive member of society. You will have everything that you absolutely need, a few things that you don't, and you will never have everything you want. We love you and that's why we'd ever consider doing this to you. Again, it's a difficult concept to grasp, but you will one day.
3. Life is not fair. It's even less fair with siblings. We pray that we can give you siblings. I realize that means that we're helping to cause life to be "not fair". But in this world, nothing is ever fair. There is one man who knows this better than the rest. Jesus Christ laid down his sinless life for you, me, your daddy, and every single person in this world so that we could have a relationship with God. We will teach you all about Him, his Father, and the Holy Spirit all in due time.
4. You will fall down, you will have your heart broken, and you will fail. No matter how much it will pain my heart to let these things happen to you, I will let them happen to you. I will also let you learn how to stand back up, dust yourself off, and grow into a stronger person because you will learn that you do have the strength to carry on. Let it be known that I will want to fix it for you each and every time, but if I were to do that, I wouldn't be loving you to the fullest capacity I possibly can.
5. Your ENTIRE family is "quirky". I am probably the "quirkiest" of us all. Sometimes, you may interpret these "quirks" into "craziness" and that's okay. I can also admit that I am slightly "crazy". Some of your family members have quirks that you will come to love, others... not so much. But even through all of our craziness and quirkiness, we love you dearly and that won't change.
There are so many other things that I could promise you... but most of those things you will learn as you grow with us. I have loved you from the day we found out about you, and I will continue loving you for eternity.
Love,
Your Momma
You're responsible for making us two of the happiest people on the planet and we haven't even had the chance to hold you or even see your face. That is HUGE! Unfathomable, even! You are also responsible for causing our hearts to explode with a love that we never quite understood until we saw that little tiny window of the pregnancy test that said "positive". Don't worry, there aren't any negative consequences to these things; that responsibility comes with the consequence that we will always feel overjoyed and an abundance of unconditional love for you, however long we get to have you on this planet.
Now, with all that being said, I have a few things that I'd like to promise you, once you hit our atmosphere:
1. No matter what, your daddy and I will love you unconditionally until the end of time. As you grow older, you will learn that unconditional love does NOT mean that: a. we will let you eat ice cream for breakfast (except on the rare occasion that you catch me doing it), b. we will never discipline you for your actions, and c. it certainly doesn't mean that we will hand you everything your heart desires.
2. We will teach you all about what it means to be a responsible, productive member of society. You will have everything that you absolutely need, a few things that you don't, and you will never have everything you want. We love you and that's why we'd ever consider doing this to you. Again, it's a difficult concept to grasp, but you will one day.
3. Life is not fair. It's even less fair with siblings. We pray that we can give you siblings. I realize that means that we're helping to cause life to be "not fair". But in this world, nothing is ever fair. There is one man who knows this better than the rest. Jesus Christ laid down his sinless life for you, me, your daddy, and every single person in this world so that we could have a relationship with God. We will teach you all about Him, his Father, and the Holy Spirit all in due time.
4. You will fall down, you will have your heart broken, and you will fail. No matter how much it will pain my heart to let these things happen to you, I will let them happen to you. I will also let you learn how to stand back up, dust yourself off, and grow into a stronger person because you will learn that you do have the strength to carry on. Let it be known that I will want to fix it for you each and every time, but if I were to do that, I wouldn't be loving you to the fullest capacity I possibly can.
5. Your ENTIRE family is "quirky". I am probably the "quirkiest" of us all. Sometimes, you may interpret these "quirks" into "craziness" and that's okay. I can also admit that I am slightly "crazy". Some of your family members have quirks that you will come to love, others... not so much. But even through all of our craziness and quirkiness, we love you dearly and that won't change.
There are so many other things that I could promise you... but most of those things you will learn as you grow with us. I have loved you from the day we found out about you, and I will continue loving you for eternity.
Love,
Your Momma
09 September 2010
I'm An Enigma
I have been to the doctor, I have explained what I went through a couple of nights ago, and I have reached the conclusion that I am an ENIGMA.
When I explained all of my symptoms, Allison, one of our doctors, was befuddled. She said that some of my symptoms would suggest kidney stones, but then other symptoms totally negated that possibility. Other things suggested simple Braxton Hicks contractions. However, nothing alleviated the symptom and ended up in vomit, which is not a normal thing... Plus the tightening of my stomach/uterus shouldn't have lasted the entire time I was having the symptoms. It should have been more of a "come and go" tightening.
So, all in all, we're not really sure what the problem is. I am expected to call the doctor the next time that the symptoms start up again (remember, this has happened 3 times now) and hopefully they will be able to walk me through a series of questions to determine if I need to come into the office, go to OB triage, be admitted to L&D, or do something different at home.
Sigh, being an enigma has it's charms, just not when I'm writhing in pain!
Lindsey
When I explained all of my symptoms, Allison, one of our doctors, was befuddled. She said that some of my symptoms would suggest kidney stones, but then other symptoms totally negated that possibility. Other things suggested simple Braxton Hicks contractions. However, nothing alleviated the symptom and ended up in vomit, which is not a normal thing... Plus the tightening of my stomach/uterus shouldn't have lasted the entire time I was having the symptoms. It should have been more of a "come and go" tightening.
So, all in all, we're not really sure what the problem is. I am expected to call the doctor the next time that the symptoms start up again (remember, this has happened 3 times now) and hopefully they will be able to walk me through a series of questions to determine if I need to come into the office, go to OB triage, be admitted to L&D, or do something different at home.
Sigh, being an enigma has it's charms, just not when I'm writhing in pain!
Lindsey
08 September 2010
Major Pain Part 2 (Technically Part 3...)
I haven't really posted in a while... how completely normal for me! However, given my current facebook update, I figured I'd better at least explain what happened so people don't think that I was dying or something....even if it felt that way.
Last night started out rather normal. Hanging out with Jarred and Prince while eating supper and watching some TV. At some point, I fell asleep on the love seat (a completely normal thing for me to do) while we were watching the New Karate Kid. I don't know how long I was asleep for before the pain in my back began, but it kicked in around 10:30 or so.
Just like last time, I went to bed thinking I could reposition and make it better. After 10 minutes of flopping around, making my heartburn worse, I opted to get some milk for the heartburn and Tylenol for the back ache. The only thing that changed was the intensity of my pain and the pain was radiating forward to my stomach. I felt like my stomach was going to explode. No joke.
So I'm laid out in the bedroom floor, thinking that at least if I need to get up from here, I can crawl, and Jarred pops in asking if I'm ok. Well, I'm not ok, but there isn't anything he can do to help, so I tell him I'll holler for him if I need him. Then something hits me... maybe I need to go to the bathroom. So I go, and give that a try... Well, that changed something because as soon as I got off the toilet, I needed to vomit right away... Jarred rushed in as I was trying to "re-position" to a vomit stance and said "go to the other bathroom!"
I barely made it. Wow. For only having eaten about 3 ounces of chicken and half a cup of green beans, a whole lot came back. Finally, after the giving back of all things I never wanted to see again from that angle, I started to feel better.
Bless Jarred's heart. He was right there with me the whole time. I made a HUGE mess and went to start cleaning it up. He wouldn't allow it. He wanted me to rest, after getting cleaned up of course! So I followed my marching orders and finally headed to bed.
I've been reading a little bit on the internet and found a few things. These things sound logical to me but I'm going to ask my OB today when I see her. Some of the information I found was that in the 3rd trimester your hormones are changing, yet again, and that change can cause nausea/vomiting. Ok... I'll buy that, but I've noticed that I only puke when I'm having, what I can only describe as, back labor pains. I'm not really sure if an influx of hormones is causing the back pain, or what, but I do know that's the only time I end up puking.
I also don't think I'm in early labor by any means. Each site I check out has mentioned that the tightening of your uterus/stomach will be very irregular (i.e. 10 minutes, 4 minutes, 17 minutes, etc). I also don't think I'm in false labor; The sites have mentioned that if you can drink some water or juice, switch positions and the contractions ease up, you're probably in false labor. Well, last night, the pain only intensified over the 45-50 minute span of agony, so I don't think I meet the criteria for either of those. But once we see the doctor today, I'll hopefully have a clear idea of what is going on and if there is anything I can do to ease the symptoms.
Ok....Now that I've officially bored anyone who has chosen to read this, I'm going to wrap it up. OH! I almost forgot, this is actually the third time I've gone through this, not second. First time was August 12, second time was August 27, third was last night, September 7. The second time was rough, but not nearly as rough as the first and third.
Ok, now I'm done! Wish me luck on my appointment today and pray the doctor can give me some good advice!
Lindsey
Last night started out rather normal. Hanging out with Jarred and Prince while eating supper and watching some TV. At some point, I fell asleep on the love seat (a completely normal thing for me to do) while we were watching the New Karate Kid. I don't know how long I was asleep for before the pain in my back began, but it kicked in around 10:30 or so.
Just like last time, I went to bed thinking I could reposition and make it better. After 10 minutes of flopping around, making my heartburn worse, I opted to get some milk for the heartburn and Tylenol for the back ache. The only thing that changed was the intensity of my pain and the pain was radiating forward to my stomach. I felt like my stomach was going to explode. No joke.
So I'm laid out in the bedroom floor, thinking that at least if I need to get up from here, I can crawl, and Jarred pops in asking if I'm ok. Well, I'm not ok, but there isn't anything he can do to help, so I tell him I'll holler for him if I need him. Then something hits me... maybe I need to go to the bathroom. So I go, and give that a try... Well, that changed something because as soon as I got off the toilet, I needed to vomit right away... Jarred rushed in as I was trying to "re-position" to a vomit stance and said "go to the other bathroom!"
I barely made it. Wow. For only having eaten about 3 ounces of chicken and half a cup of green beans, a whole lot came back. Finally, after the giving back of all things I never wanted to see again from that angle, I started to feel better.
Bless Jarred's heart. He was right there with me the whole time. I made a HUGE mess and went to start cleaning it up. He wouldn't allow it. He wanted me to rest, after getting cleaned up of course! So I followed my marching orders and finally headed to bed.
I've been reading a little bit on the internet and found a few things. These things sound logical to me but I'm going to ask my OB today when I see her. Some of the information I found was that in the 3rd trimester your hormones are changing, yet again, and that change can cause nausea/vomiting. Ok... I'll buy that, but I've noticed that I only puke when I'm having, what I can only describe as, back labor pains. I'm not really sure if an influx of hormones is causing the back pain, or what, but I do know that's the only time I end up puking.
I also don't think I'm in early labor by any means. Each site I check out has mentioned that the tightening of your uterus/stomach will be very irregular (i.e. 10 minutes, 4 minutes, 17 minutes, etc). I also don't think I'm in false labor; The sites have mentioned that if you can drink some water or juice, switch positions and the contractions ease up, you're probably in false labor. Well, last night, the pain only intensified over the 45-50 minute span of agony, so I don't think I meet the criteria for either of those. But once we see the doctor today, I'll hopefully have a clear idea of what is going on and if there is anything I can do to ease the symptoms.
Ok....Now that I've officially bored anyone who has chosen to read this, I'm going to wrap it up. OH! I almost forgot, this is actually the third time I've gone through this, not second. First time was August 12, second time was August 27, third was last night, September 7. The second time was rough, but not nearly as rough as the first and third.
Ok, now I'm done! Wish me luck on my appointment today and pray the doctor can give me some good advice!
Lindsey
14 August 2010
Major Pain!!!
Last night I experienced something that I can only pray doesn't come around again... It was the most excruciating back pain I have ever experienced in my life, only about 100 times worse!
Jarred and I were sitting in the living room watching some SVU and around 9pm my back felt really sore. I opted to try and stretch out in bed to see if changing positions/locations would help. No go. It got worse... I was constantly changing positions from laying on my back, to hunched over the bed, anything I could think of to try and reduce the amount of pain I was in. Jarred had offered me Tylenol when I first went back to the bed, but me being the stubborn person that I am, declined the offer. Around 9:30 I was screaming for Tylenol and orange juice!
I consume said Tylenol and oj and then proceed to re-position over and over again for about 5 minutes. I finally decide to hop into the shower and see if the warm water will relieve the pain. About 5-7 minutes later I'm laid out in the shower floor, almost in tears, because I couldn't take it...
And then IT happened. I knew what I had to do ... I had to vomit.
So, I'm in the shower floor, leaning over to the toilet and give back everything I had eaten/drank for the past 6 hours. I don't know how Jarred heard me all the way at the back of the apartment with the bathroom fan (that sounds like a jet engine) whirring away, but bless his heart, he found me... Soaking wet, head in the toilet and there was nothing he could do for me... I felt so bad for both of us! Me for the pain/puking and him for the lack of anything he could do about it! What a pair!
So, I hop back through the shower to rid myself of the puke feeling, and endured the back pain for as long as I could. Once I couldn't take it anymore, I called the OB/GYN... The doctor was really nice, considering it was 10pm, and was asking me all kinds of questions... "How far along are you? Are you able to use the bathroom normally? What kind of pain is it? How long has it been there? Is it stronger on one side? etc. etc." Finally after all the questions, she tells me to take 2 more Tylenol and sip on water (I had let her know I vomited) and if it didn't get better within an hour to call her back.
Praise the Lord that it got better, because I was really scared there for a little bit! I had heard of women who have "back labor" and their description of the pain was the exact pain I was having. Here I am, 28w2d having what could possibly be "back labor" and I nearly had a meltdown! I can not imagine delivering this baby a full 12 weeks early! That thought scares me to DEATH!
Well, on to the remainder of the day. Hopefully it will be uneventful and Jarred and I can spend a Saturday just being together!
Lindsey
Jarred and I were sitting in the living room watching some SVU and around 9pm my back felt really sore. I opted to try and stretch out in bed to see if changing positions/locations would help. No go. It got worse... I was constantly changing positions from laying on my back, to hunched over the bed, anything I could think of to try and reduce the amount of pain I was in. Jarred had offered me Tylenol when I first went back to the bed, but me being the stubborn person that I am, declined the offer. Around 9:30 I was screaming for Tylenol and orange juice!
I consume said Tylenol and oj and then proceed to re-position over and over again for about 5 minutes. I finally decide to hop into the shower and see if the warm water will relieve the pain. About 5-7 minutes later I'm laid out in the shower floor, almost in tears, because I couldn't take it...
And then IT happened. I knew what I had to do ... I had to vomit.
So, I'm in the shower floor, leaning over to the toilet and give back everything I had eaten/drank for the past 6 hours. I don't know how Jarred heard me all the way at the back of the apartment with the bathroom fan (that sounds like a jet engine) whirring away, but bless his heart, he found me... Soaking wet, head in the toilet and there was nothing he could do for me... I felt so bad for both of us! Me for the pain/puking and him for the lack of anything he could do about it! What a pair!
So, I hop back through the shower to rid myself of the puke feeling, and endured the back pain for as long as I could. Once I couldn't take it anymore, I called the OB/GYN... The doctor was really nice, considering it was 10pm, and was asking me all kinds of questions... "How far along are you? Are you able to use the bathroom normally? What kind of pain is it? How long has it been there? Is it stronger on one side? etc. etc." Finally after all the questions, she tells me to take 2 more Tylenol and sip on water (I had let her know I vomited) and if it didn't get better within an hour to call her back.
Praise the Lord that it got better, because I was really scared there for a little bit! I had heard of women who have "back labor" and their description of the pain was the exact pain I was having. Here I am, 28w2d having what could possibly be "back labor" and I nearly had a meltdown! I can not imagine delivering this baby a full 12 weeks early! That thought scares me to DEATH!
Well, on to the remainder of the day. Hopefully it will be uneventful and Jarred and I can spend a Saturday just being together!
Lindsey
11 August 2010
Crazy Wild Life!
Wow! What a whirlwind of events! Life is just simply blowing my mind right now!
We moved into our new apartment about 9 days ago...and while we still have a sea of boxes to wade through in what will soon be the baby's room, we're making definite head-way! Prince is most assuredly pleased with his new dwelling and really enjoys having a big sliding glass door he can stare out for hours at a time! He's also extremely full of himself, what with all the extra room to run around! Even though he's past the 10 year mark, he acted like he was 10 months old the day we moved in!
When we left PA last fall to move to OR, we downsized drastically. We rid ourselves of much that wouldn't do anyone any good being packed up in boxes for who knew how long (at the time!). I had a garage sale that much to my dismay didn't go well... I used to work in retail and actually had the garage set up like a little boutique (totally made me happy!), but I think it intimidated many "yard salers"... So much of the stuff we opted to not keep ended up going to family, friends, and the Chambersburg Goodwill. I'm just glad that people can use the things instead of us having to sort through what is wanted vs. un-wanted at this point!
This past week, we took the gift card that my two aunts and grandmother gave us at the Baby Shower to go and get the travel system from Babies R Us! We had a coupon for 20% off any one item in the store that didn't exclude the system we wanted, so rest assured I JUMPED all over that! We ended up saving $40 on that thing! YAY us! My mom also shipped us the wonderful gifts that I received at the Baby Shower that was thrown for Baby Murphy back in Texas. It was too much fun getting to unpack everything and remember who gave the kid what and hang up the little clothes (even if I have yet to wash them... that's coming though) and put the books on the closet shelf! It's almost surreal... no, it is definitely surreal... to think in just a few short months (less than 3 now!) there is going to be a new addition to this little Murphy family! Crazy!
Speaking of Crazy and New Additions... We've been trying to get the RV sorted out for sale. Cleaning and a few small repairs were in order before we could post it on craigslist.org (p.s. who doesn't love craigslist.org!). Before Jarred begin the listing, he looked through the auto section to see what all was going on out there. He ran across the most crazy posting ever! A LITTLE BACK STORY INSERTED HERE: When driving across the country a month or so ago, we discussed at some point (4-5 years down the road) getting a Chevy Tahoe. I love the look of them, Jarred wanted an SUV that was a 4x4 that he could play with and possibly put a diesel engine in... But we both agreed that since we've got 2 cars that are paid for, we'd wait until the right time came along. BACK TO THE ORIGINAL STORY: This posting was for a 2001 Chevy Tahoe. Jarred is clicking through the ad and at the bottom the lister states "Willing to Trade for RV"
...
Jarred ran to get me so I could look at the posting. I had to laugh at it, there was no way that someone out there wanted what we had AND was willing to trade us for something we wanted! So I said to Jarred, "that's pretty incredible! If you want to go for it, send the guy a message!" Fast forward to the next day, Jarred gets up and lets me know that plans for the day had changed. (We were supposed to be in Reading at 10:30am for the cable guy to hook up our plan.) I was to go back to the apartment with the dog. Jarred was going to finish working on the RV and drive it up to Reading later that afternoon, and this guy was going to bring the Tahoe to the airport so we could all check each other's vehicles out and see if we wanted to do an even trade. An hour and a half later, Jarred and this guy come back from the tag agency and we now officially own a 2001 Chevy Tahoe and that guy owns a whole pile of headaches!
Tell me that's not totally crazy!!!
Plus, after all the trading vehicles business, we headed over to another craigslist poster's home to check out a dining room table! I loved it, Jarred loved it, we bought it, tossed it in the back of the Excursion and headed home... New (to us) table! New (to us) Tahoe! CRAZY WILD LIFE!
Lindsey
We moved into our new apartment about 9 days ago...and while we still have a sea of boxes to wade through in what will soon be the baby's room, we're making definite head-way! Prince is most assuredly pleased with his new dwelling and really enjoys having a big sliding glass door he can stare out for hours at a time! He's also extremely full of himself, what with all the extra room to run around! Even though he's past the 10 year mark, he acted like he was 10 months old the day we moved in!
When we left PA last fall to move to OR, we downsized drastically. We rid ourselves of much that wouldn't do anyone any good being packed up in boxes for who knew how long (at the time!). I had a garage sale that much to my dismay didn't go well... I used to work in retail and actually had the garage set up like a little boutique (totally made me happy!), but I think it intimidated many "yard salers"... So much of the stuff we opted to not keep ended up going to family, friends, and the Chambersburg Goodwill. I'm just glad that people can use the things instead of us having to sort through what is wanted vs. un-wanted at this point!
This past week, we took the gift card that my two aunts and grandmother gave us at the Baby Shower to go and get the travel system from Babies R Us! We had a coupon for 20% off any one item in the store that didn't exclude the system we wanted, so rest assured I JUMPED all over that! We ended up saving $40 on that thing! YAY us! My mom also shipped us the wonderful gifts that I received at the Baby Shower that was thrown for Baby Murphy back in Texas. It was too much fun getting to unpack everything and remember who gave the kid what and hang up the little clothes (even if I have yet to wash them... that's coming though) and put the books on the closet shelf! It's almost surreal... no, it is definitely surreal... to think in just a few short months (less than 3 now!) there is going to be a new addition to this little Murphy family! Crazy!
Speaking of Crazy and New Additions... We've been trying to get the RV sorted out for sale. Cleaning and a few small repairs were in order before we could post it on craigslist.org (p.s. who doesn't love craigslist.org!). Before Jarred begin the listing, he looked through the auto section to see what all was going on out there. He ran across the most crazy posting ever! A LITTLE BACK STORY INSERTED HERE: When driving across the country a month or so ago, we discussed at some point (4-5 years down the road) getting a Chevy Tahoe. I love the look of them, Jarred wanted an SUV that was a 4x4 that he could play with and possibly put a diesel engine in... But we both agreed that since we've got 2 cars that are paid for, we'd wait until the right time came along. BACK TO THE ORIGINAL STORY: This posting was for a 2001 Chevy Tahoe. Jarred is clicking through the ad and at the bottom the lister states "Willing to Trade for RV"
...
Jarred ran to get me so I could look at the posting. I had to laugh at it, there was no way that someone out there wanted what we had AND was willing to trade us for something we wanted! So I said to Jarred, "that's pretty incredible! If you want to go for it, send the guy a message!" Fast forward to the next day, Jarred gets up and lets me know that plans for the day had changed. (We were supposed to be in Reading at 10:30am for the cable guy to hook up our plan.) I was to go back to the apartment with the dog. Jarred was going to finish working on the RV and drive it up to Reading later that afternoon, and this guy was going to bring the Tahoe to the airport so we could all check each other's vehicles out and see if we wanted to do an even trade. An hour and a half later, Jarred and this guy come back from the tag agency and we now officially own a 2001 Chevy Tahoe and that guy owns a whole pile of headaches!
Tell me that's not totally crazy!!!
Plus, after all the trading vehicles business, we headed over to another craigslist poster's home to check out a dining room table! I loved it, Jarred loved it, we bought it, tossed it in the back of the Excursion and headed home... New (to us) table! New (to us) Tahoe! CRAZY WILD LIFE!
Lindsey
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