Unchained Melody

Thanks to my brother, John, for sending this to me . . .

It is the video from Katie and Cole's wedding reception program (November 2010). Katie is my niece. If you scroll to minute 7:30 -- that is when Charles and I do our little number. It was the FIRST time Charles had ever sung in public! I was SO PROUD OF HIM! Love it!

*Unchained Melody is "our" song from when we were dating. :-)

24 weeks . . .

And Growing Daily!
I thought I should document at least one image of this pregnancy. Maybe there will be more . . . but I have a feeling the next few months won't be too pretty. :-)

I have to say THANK YOU to Charles, for picking out my awesome shirt -- I LOVE IT! He surprised me with some new maternity clothes, so I don't have to wear my pink pajamas to church. :-)

*Notice the hair . . . I totally needed to go higher and lower on the braids! (View post below.) It ended up looking like crazy mermaid-hair! Oh well, live and learn.

Hair

I saw a new hair method that I just had to try . . .

1. Braid your Hair. As many, or as few as you would like -- it will make a difference in the amount of wave.

2. Flat Iron the Braids. Make sure your hair is DRY!!!! I had to go over my hair a few times, it was still a little wet, and my hair is REALLY thick!

Look at those cute chubby cheeks. :-) Yes, the prego chub is taking over. *Sigh*

3. Take out the Braids. And there you have it -- wavy hair, without having to wait overnight!

Note: My hair is super-thick and so it was pretty poofy (as you can see). I think it would work really well on "normal" hair, and especially kid-hair! Some hair-product would probably help, too. I also needed to start the braids up higher on my head, and continue them lower. Anyway, you get the idea! I would really be curious to see how it works on someone who has normal hair and not horse-hair like me! :-) But it was fun!

Another Note: It has been over a year since I have had my hair done. I am due for a cut, color, and thinning-out . . . I think I will wait until I am a little closer to my due-date, that way I can feel better during recovery time. I will deal with my poofy hair, and poofy cheeks, a little longer. :-)

13 Things . . .

That Freak Me Out!

In honor of Friday the 13th . . . I thought I would make a list of 13 things that I am afraid of:

(There are MANY more than 13 -- but I will limit the list for today's purposes.)

1. The Ocean. Whether I am on it, or just by it . . . I am freaked. (It is even worse if I have kids with me!) My fears may even be in the range of "phobic". I really can't explain it. I have had a few negative experiences (small boat, middle of the ocean -- waking-up rolling in my own vomit), but it does not explain my actual fear of the water. I often dream about the ocean, and drowning -- it was a reoccuring dream as a child. Yet, I have been on many boats (torture, by the way), and I lived in Alaska surrounded by ocean. However, I do NOT enjoy boats (of ANY kind) . . . I would rather go to the dentist and have my teeth pulled. No kidding. I wish I could enjoy the ocean/boats/water/beach, but I just don't know how? But, really . . . who KNOWS what is in there?? I have seen JAWS. Yikes!

2. Spiders. I was never afraid of spiders -- until I moved to a place where they are dangerous. In Alaska, my room was in a basement, and spiders were my friends -- nothing to worry about. I used to pick up Daddy-Long-Legs and pull their legs off (I know, cruel). But now, with Black Widow, Brown Recluse, and Hobo spiders as my neighbors -- spiders make me FREAK! Since living in Idaho, I have seen both Hobo and Black Widow spiders around my house. Ahhhhh!!!

3. Wild Animals. Pretty much any of them -- though bunnies are OK, most of the time. If I am outside, I am always on the lookout for some animal ready to pounce. Perhaps this comes from living in Alaska where you HAVE to be aware of what is around you. I had many encounters with charging-moose while walking home from school. I am particulary afraid of bears, mountian lions, and, of course . . . anything else that could eat me.

4. Driving in the Dark. I actually love riding in the dark, but driving -- not so much. I probably need glasses or something. I just feel like I can't see when it is nighttime? Yes, I do drive at night, but if you could see them -- my knuckles would be white.

5. Public Speaking or Performing. This is a tricky one for me. I actually love to speak in public, and I love to sing in public, too. However, it also freaks me out! After years of speaking and singing you would think the anxiety would disappear, but it hasn't. I really try to embrace my butterflies and my need to run to the bathroom . . . but, so far, no good. Blah.

6. Earthquakes. Again, it is an anxiety that stems from growing up in Alaska. I have not felt one since we moved away, and I am grateful. There was one time, as a child, we had a really strong earthquake, and I was in the shower. I ran out covered in soap and only a towel. After the ground stopped shaking, I did not want to get back in! The ground shaking was a common occurrence, and every time my heart would pound. Earthquakes would happened when I was at church, in school, at work, asleep. Every time I was sure it was going to be the next "big one". (Alaska has had one of the biggest earthquakes in history). In reality . . . it is just a matter of time. Scary!

7. Bridges. Not the kind you drive over in a car, but the kind you walk over. You know, the kind of bridge that is hovering, dangerously, above a deep abyss of doom? Yeah, that kind. I have been on one as a child and holy cow it was scary! I am not sure I could do it now . . . nope, pretty sure I couldn't.

8. Snakes. They, like spiders, are a newly aquired fear. (No snakes in Alaska.) But here, we have them . . . nice and poisonous. I have seen quite a few snakes while out and about, but so far none with rattles. Can you imagine being bitten by a snake? Yikes!

9. Opening a Biscuit Can. You know, the kind that pops? Yeah, I hate that. Freak!

10. The beginning of The Return of the King. When Smeagol turns into Gollum . . . yuck. I can't stand watching it. It is the only part of the movie-series that really bothers me. It does not "scare" me, but it makes me feel weird. I don't like it. Too much of Peter Jackson's horror-movie days seeped into that scene.

11. Fingernails on a Chalkboard. I know it is a common irritant, but wow it hurts me. Just thinking about it makes me cringe. EEEEoooowwwww!

12. Being called on, when I don't know the answer. Hate it. And most likely I won't know the answer, because I am not listening -- I am daydreaming. I am always daydreaming. So, please, just don't call on me. I got nothing! (Funny that I have been a teacher in church for the past 12 years, or so, in some form -- payback for not listening.) :-)

13. Offending Someone. This is complicated. I am not worried if someone disagrees with me and my opinion -- but I never want to hurt a person's feelings. I hate to think that someone is out there in the world, and they think poorly of me -- because of something I have done, or said to them. I know it is impossible to make, or keep, everyone happy . . . but I do NOT like having enemies. (Can't we all just get along?) I love people and I want them to love me. :-) Not being loved -- FREAKS ME OUT!

Happy Friday the 13th!

What are YOU afraid of???

The Best

There is no substitute for the best.

Last weekend, I was sent to the store to pick-up some ice-cream for movie night. I went to Albertson's (since it is so close) and I stood in front of hundreds of frozen-treat options. I knew what I wanted, but what I wanted was SO much more expensive then some other lesser brands. Because I knew what I wanted, I scooped-up the Tillamook ice-cream and put it in my cart. But after some thought, I just could not justify the extra cost. So, after starring hard at some sticker-prices, I grabbed some random, cheap, store brand ice-cream (it was on sale two-for-one).

I drove home thinking I had been wise going with the cheaper option. But as we gathered for movie night and ice-cream, I was very disappointed in my choice! The ice-cream was hardly worth it. It was almost . . . gross. I mean, if you are going to embrace the calories, it should be worth it, right? :-)

Anyhow, come to find out . . . THE BEST ice-cream (which is ANY flavor of Tillamook) is more than 2 dollars cheaper if you go to WinCo! So, from now on, I will not settle for cheap imitation ice-cream. From now on . . . only the BEST!

The absolute best: Udderly Chocolate. (Though Chocolate Peanut-Butter is a close second!)

Yep, perfection. (Could have really used some of it on my crying day!) ;-) wink!

Don't settle for less than what you really want -- you will be disappointed.

Remember: good, better, BEST!

Crying

Yesterday was a crying day. Water was freely seeping from my eyes, and my tears burned. I am not a big crier . . . not unless I am touched by music, or I feel the spirit, or I see powerful imagery. But to just cry about life? I just don't do that. Well, I just don't normally do that, but yesterday -- I did. The tears were like liquid fire pouring down my checks. I don't recall my tears ever being so hot?

I even cried in front of my children -- I could not help it. I tried to hide the water-works, but I know Daniel could see my cloudy eyes. I am sure he wondered what was wrong with his mom. I tried to explain I was just not feeling well. But that was not the complete story . . .

Life felt (and feels) heavy. Lately, I have started to really consider all of the choices to be made in the near future, and all of the decision-making that is about to land on my lap -- decisions begging for answers and solutions, that I just don't have, and I can't seem to figure out. I got nothing. No answers. And I hate that. I want to solve the puzzle.

There are some big choices to be made: What to do with our 2 bedroom, 1 bath house that has lost $50,000 in value? How to house my parents when they return from their mission in 6 months? What to do about a bigger vehicle for our growing family? What to do about the baby that will be born in a few months, with possible complications? What to do about our astronomical student loans? What to make for dinner? The list goes on and on . . . I will not bore you with details. The details just make me dizzy anyway.

Anyhow, I was spent. My mind had finally lost the battle that was raging inside (as I was trying to come up with answers to everything), I lost it and the tears began to flow freely and fairly violently. Again, not typical for me. I am strong. I am in control. I can handle anything. Right?

Sometimes it seems, that all of the decisions we have made have not seemed to work out for the best. At the time, the decisions seemed right, they felt good, we were "confident" in our choices -- hoping all would work out for the best in the future. (For example, buying our house 4 years ago.) To some degree, we have been a victim of the horrific economy, but I will also take responsibility for our own actions and choices. You make your bed and you sleep in it, right?

We have been frugal, for the most part . . . driving 20 year-old cars, and living in tight quarters together as a family, and keeping a tight budget. We are not extravagant in our spending -- though every once and awhile we will buy (or do) a nicety or two, after saving for it. We are not a family that needs "things" to be happy. We learned long ago things will never make us happy.

And now . . . we have before us challenges (mostly financial) to overcome. They may seem laughable to some, but to us, they are very real, and can be very intense (depending on my level of composer). As time and deadlines draw nearer, the intensity grows stronger. My desire to come up with solutions is forefront in my mind -- while awake and while dreaming. My mind swirls with ideas, but NEVER do I have a concrete answer for what to do. It is frustrating. The only answer I have right now: WAIT.

I believe in the near future we will see miracles -- I am not asking for them, but I am hoping for them. I feel like there is nothing we can do to change things right now, no obvious answers to our questions. Something else must be out there . . . another way, another path, perhaps something we have never even considered. Something unknown, and unseen.

Until I know which way to place our feet on the path, I will continue listening, hoping, praying, even crying -- and maybe we just might figure out which way we should go.

Ahhhh . . . waiting. One of the hardest answers of them all: JUST WAIT.

Weird Weather

On December 30, 2011 -- a big dark cloud rolled over our house. It brought thunder, lightning, wind and hail. It was crazy. One minute it was sunny and beautiful, the kids were playing outside, and then BAM -- in comes the storm. I grabbed my camera for proof. :-) It has been unusually warm this year and NO SNOW! My fear is some big snow-drop in the Spring! Let us hope NOT!

Confidence

Every now-and-again . . . I like to check-in with my kids to see how they are doing, and how they are feeling about life and things. It was Daniel's turn to give an update.

I asked Daniel: "Dan, how are you doing? How do you feel about yourself? Do you like yourself??"

Daniel's response: He put his hand's on his chest, and with a quirky smile (and without hesitation) he said, "What's not to like??"

After composing myself from laughter, I realized how great his answer was. There was no wishy-washiness about it, no wavering. He thinks he is great. And that is fantastic! If only we could all be so confident. Really, we should all be so confident . . .

Of course I like myself! What's not to like?! :-)

I should learn from him.

Out of the mouths of babes . . . and an 8 year old.

Snowy Owls

We were watching the news the other day . . . and one of the stories mentioned that there have been a couple of Snowy Owls spotted in Nampa, Idaho. Snowy Owls are not supposed to be in Idaho -- they live in the North and are far from their home. Many people have rushed out to see them and capture a picture or two. But the "experts" are uncertain of why they have strayed so far from their normal environment . . .

Sammi happened to be watching the news with me at the time, and unlike the "experts", she said she KNEW why the Snowy Owls are in Idaho -- they are coming for her, of course! The Owls are finally bringing her Hogwarts acceptance letter! :-)Hogwarts . . . Sammi is ready for her schooling.

Lazy

I have been in a kind of fog since we got back from our California trip. The whole last week I spent just hanging out at home and relaxing. I even spent time playing the new Wii with the kids, trying to improve my Mario-Kart skills (I stink at the Wii version!). I did not even feel guilty about my laziness (normally I would). Instead, I embraced it -- knowing that in a matter of time, there will be no such thing as sleep and relaxing. I figured, I might as well enjoy it while I can! And I did! I needed that time.

Now, I feel a little more motivated (just a little!). But waking-up is still rough! Did I mention that my new bed (we have had it a few months now) is like Heaven? It is SO HARD to get out of bed in the morning because I am usually so dang comfortable! I never knew sleep could be so fantastic. I am especially grateful for my comfortable bed while being pregnant -- it has made a HUGE difference. Who knew??

So, yeah, motivated . . . I did try and run this morning, it had been about a month. My goal for December was to stay healthy, meaning: no sickness. So I tried really hard to get lots of rest and to not go out in the cold, too much. I let my running slide . . . but I did not get sick for the holidays/traveling! And that was a first!

Running this morning was super-rough, it was like starting over -- which was extra hard because the last month I have filled-out quite nicely. My left leg wondered what I had done when I got home . . . I am working the kinks out now and I think walking first, might be a good idea. ;-)

Anyway, nothing profound today. But even just getting fresh air has pushed away some of the fog I was feeling. It is amazing what a difference it can make. My body craves fresh air. Sometimes I am mean to my body and I don't let my body have what it really wants. I need to do better.

I really believe that exercise is key to feeling good. I hear a lot of people complain about different ailments and I wonder if they have tried exercise -- it really can cure so many things: headaches, body aches, weight-gain, bad skin, depression, etc. It is amazing. If you can't run . . . walk. If you can't walk . . . crawl. If you can't crawl . . . wiggle! Do something and you will feel better! So glad I could get out and move, even if I looked like a hippo trying to jog . . . may I have the strength of mind to do it again, tomorrow. :-)