I Didn't Know But Now I Do

I had a dr appt early this morning. Thankfully Andy pulled his zombie body out of bed to watch Aiden. As I pulled out of the driveway, I glanced over all my control panels in the Yota (routine check - yes, I AM the daughter of a pilot!). What do I see?! Yep, that's definitely a negative sign in front of the single digit 8 on the outside temperature gage. Hmmm. Interesting. I thought it felt a bit cold. Shoot, running late! Really could use a hot Starbucks right about now!


















P.S. I looked it up and the words "gage" and "gauge" are formally used interchangeably in the American language. Betcha didn't know, but now ya do!

It's Not All a Fairytale

I hear phrases like this all the time: "Oh! You look so good. You MUST be feeling great!" Or, "Your life is just so wonderful, everything just works out perfectly." Let me start out by saying that I can't deny that the later is definitely true, but it's not because I made it that way, or that I have good luck, but that the Lord has immeasurably chosen to bless me in a positively physical way so far in my life. And even if He chose to take it all away (like Job), that wouldn't change the fact that my God is SO good. Ok, so that all being said, it's time to stop lying thru my teeth (perfectly straight from braces - thanks, Dad!) and say that I am NOT ok!!!! Actually, I feel ick! And since Andy has been working 16 hour days, you all get to hear about!

I am exhausted, but can't fall asleep because my pelvic bones are still realigning and they throb in pain. And falling asleep sitting up is out of the question because that kills my back and brings on the leg cramps. Then there's the omnipresent heartburn. And if I do manage to fall asleep, there are the crazy dreams. Like the one last night. Before I went to bed, I wound-down with a bowl of fruit salad (slight variation of Gigi's, but still super yummy!) and watched a special on the travel channel about the 10 largest bridges in the world. It appealed to my drop-out civil engineering mind, but I forgot one thing: my biggest fear in life is water; coming in a close 2nd are bridges! Combined with the hour of news I had watched about the plane that emergency landed in the Hudson River and that documentary, I dreamt of being forced to jump off a bridge into the Hudson. That somehow spiraled into having to take swimming lessons. Which, yes, you guessed it, was the most traumatic thing I had to endure as a child (followed closely by 6 years of piano lessons! Sorry to disappoint, Mom and Dad )-: )

And that's just in the evening! During the day it's my sciatic nerve acting up, hip pain, and the innevitable waddling! Did I mention the heartburn?! Even a glass of water brings it on! Braxton Hicks contractions (fake contractions) are cramping my style (so to speak!) and they make me feel nauseous. This sweet little bundle inside of me is quite active - always moving and kicking! So much so, in fact, that I can't tell if I have a tummy ache or just have feet stuck in my ribs! Little dude, do you ever sleep?!?!

And I am not even going to touch on all the things that I don't get done each day that just eats away at me. I hate not being perfect!

Well, I think that about covers it! If you made it thru all that - thanks! I feel better. And yeah, that really is ALL that is wrong with me. Andy is loving and supportive as ever, Aiden is sweet and honest, I get to stay home and choose how much or how little I "work" each day, and the economic crisis hasn't affected us one bit. So, I might not feel as good as I look or sound, but I am still SO blessed! I hope you can relate, if even just a little!

Too Busy

I am WAY too busy watching American Idol and eating Ben & Jerry's ice cream to make a new post! So, what's up with the 4th judge ... ?

"Pay" Cars

Because it has been so cold lately, poor Aiden has been stuck indoors quite a bit. But he has adapted well - creating a new obsession with his cars and car track/garage (which I found at a garage sale last spring, for only $10, thank you very much!). In the video, you will hear him say he is "pay"ing cars, which is his equivalent to playing with his toys.

Snow Bundled

Yes, it's cold here. To deal with that, we layer on the clothes (probably a bit more than the locals, but hey, we're from Arizona!). Aiden is so used to wearing "jam pants" under his normal pants, that he automatically lists them off as I dress him in the morning. He's going to be quite confused when spring arrives (sometime in June!).

Squirrel-ey Business

Let me just start out by saying that yes, I DO realize that squirrels are wild animals. However ... they are just so cute, and since they don't hibernate, and they look so pitiful, cold, and hungry ... ... ... Ok, so the reality is that I have been feeding our neighborhood squirrels our scrap bread and fruits since the summer. What began out on the back fence posts has now moved to the deck table, since it is within throwing distance from the glass sliding door. Visits from our furry friends have become a daily routine, and Aiden even insists that his leftovers go to the squirrels. See, I'm teaching compassion for the poor! LOL

Yep, that's a WHOLE apple that the squirrel is trying very carefully to take back to his little den (or whatever his clump of leaves is called). Needless to say, right after I snapped these pics, gravity won!

Play-Doh

Play-doh was one of Aiden's stocking-stuffers. After days of begging and pleading, I finally gave in, taped down the waxed paper, and let him have at it! He was most impressed that I gave him a knife to "play" with. He also enjoyed pretending the play-doh was different foods and "sqweeshing" it in between his fingers!

Happy New Year!

The Lord has blessed us with another year in which to serve Him and discover more of His great love and mercy for us! (And by "us", I mean you too!!)

Aiden running out some energy at the mall playplace

Lunching at our favorite sports bar (which is surprisingly family-friendly!)

Happy 25th Birthday, Andy!

My darling husband turned 25 just before the new year. Although he received many practical gifts (Babe, you really DID need new work shirts!), he "gifted" himself an XBox 360! Aiden enjoyed helping make the cake and unwrapping presents. Anz, you've completed a quarter of a century! I pray God will make the next 25 even better! I love you!


Aiden hopping on "pops" (aka: shipping packing filler)

Presents!

Cake!

A Few More Christmas Pictures

Merrry Christmas!

We celebrated the memory of our Savior's birth low-key style this year. We had a dinner celebration with Aunt Lauren and Uncle Nathan (Aiden's "adopted" aunt and uncle!), Xmas Eve with our realtor Jessica and her family, and then Xmas morning just the 3.5 of us at our house. Such a blessed time!

Dinos

Just like his dad, Aiden is into dinosaurs (actually, they are the SAME dinos from Andy's boyhood!). I don't get the obsession, but I do find it adorable!

Regarding Aiden's outfit: we had just come in from playing outside in the snow, hence the longjohns that don't match. No, we do not normally dress sloppy, even in the middle of winter!

Post-Thanksgiving Posting

I want to take a moment to give shout-out thanks to:

My parents for Aiden's LLBean snow suit. It allows the little boy in my life to escape from the house for at least 30 minutes a day, for which, I am ever so grateful!

My in-laws for Andy's long-johns and snow boots. I know Rick, that you never used them on your detail at the Olympics in Salt Lake City, but they sure are getting plenty of use now!

My Grandma and Fred for the double-lined socks expedited to us from QVC. Warm feet is a good thing!

My God for blessing our family with a 4Runner with 4-wheel drive. I had questioned this fall whether to downsize to a more economical, fuel efficient, budget friendly SUV, but now with almost 2 feet of snow on the ground and Andy having to leave for work at 10pm, I am more than grateful for the foresight the Lord gave us in purchasing the "Yota!"

Best for Last

And the best pic of the snow yet ... from floor-level in our dining room, looking out onto the deck!

Let it Snow ... and snow ... and snow ...

It's 4 days 'til Christmas and it's been snowing for at least 2, maybe 3 days straight (I've lost count). Today, according to our trusty weather peeps, we're experiencing a "nor'easter" (I have no clue how to spell that one!). I know it's not good for people who have to get out in it, but I just can't help looking out the window a million times a day and marveling at its beauty. God is so awesome in creating something so white and perfect.

Back Up and Running

I know it has been forever since I've posted on my blog. Most likely you forgot I even HAD a blog, but alas! I am going to start it up again! Maybe it's due to the cold winter weather that has been keeping me indoors and craving an outlet for all my thoughts. Or perhaps it's because I finished my 130 Christmas cards "project" and now I feel a void in my life. Well, no matter the reason, this blog is up and running again, so keep an eye on it every couple of days. Happy reading!