Day 5

I'm thankful for my husband.
He's a wonderful husband and father. Every day I'm happy we are together.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Day 4

Today, I'm thankful for our zoo membership. Sophie & I visited the zoo this afternoon and had a great time. We weren't in a hurry, and took the time for her to play in the kids' areas and enjoy herself. Most of the animals were out & active, too.

We're both tired now, but it was a great day.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Day 3

Day 3: I'm thankful for our community. I love our town. It's not very big, but not tiny. We have a beautiful lake and great parks. The people are friendly and supportive of each other.

Today, our vet hosted a Fall Festival at her office. There was food, face painting, balloon animals, dogs in costumes, games, a petting zoo, and animals for adoption. (For the record, I used great restraint. We are still a two-dog family.) Sophie had such a good time, especially with the chickens in the petting zoo. I am so glad we went.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Day 2

Day 2: I'm thankful for my daughters. I know this photo is blurry, but I still love it. I didn't even take it - I found it in my phone's camera roll. The fact that this was not a posed picture makes me love it even more. I love the love my girls have for each other.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

30 days of gratitude

I'm seeing lots of these 30 days of gratitude posts on Facebook. I decided to do it as a photo a day challenge. Enjoy!



Day 1: Coffee
I never was a coffee drinker, until we became a family of 4. Now I have it every morning. Yum.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Boo at the Zoo!

Dancing in the party tent

 Saturday we went to the zoo for Boo at the Zoo. It was our first time going, and it was lots of fun. Sophie was a little apprehensive of all the costumed people at first, but then we found the trick or treat trail. One stop, and she was excited and ready to go! She'd run to each booth, hold out her bag, then say "Thank YOU" to the person handing out goodies. Luckily we got more than just candy - there were little toys, too. Out of all her candy, she had one piece she could eat. Thank goodness we took some "safe" lollipops for her.

We saw a few animals, but since it was a night event many were in their indoor homes for the evening. We saw zebras, a penguin, a camel, and the biggest turkey I'd ever seen!  At the end of the trick or treat trail was a party tent and "haunted' carousel (it went backwards). Such a fun event!

Such excitement!

We took a picture of both girls on this tortoise over the summer. Sophie saw it, and called to her sister to come back and "Sit with me! Picture!"

More dancing

I made hair clips to match her costume!

"Tome on, Daddy! Candy!"

Fifteen years

"Have you heard from Chris? He and Jeff are missing."

That's how my mother woke me up fifteen years ago today. Imagine waking up on your wedding day to news that the groom and best man can't be found? Oddly enough, I wasn't as panicked as you'd think I would be. I guess deep down I knew he wouldn't have abandoned me. And I was right - they had just escaped and stayed in a nearby motel for the night and were back in time for breakfast.

That evening, we were married.

It doesn't feel like fifteen years. It feels like forever in that it's hard to remember him not being part of my life, but at the same time it feels like no time has passed at all. It's still surreal at times to think that we've been together so long, that our baby girl is a teenager and now a big sister, too. The time has passed so quickly.

I've learned that marriage is not a fairy tale, but it's not meant to be, either. We have had rough patches, but I think they make us better. How strong would our marriage "muscle" be if things were always easy and we didn't have to work ever? Through it all, though, one thing has remained true: We each married the person who is perfect for us.

For better or worse, in sickness and in health, we are together. We are content. We are happy.

Death by Neti?

So I tried to use a Neti pot tonight. I've had a bad cold all week, and the usual medications aren't helping at all. Three people recommended a Neti to me today, so I broke down & bought one at Walgreens.

I think it tried to drown me.

I had my husband come in the kitchen with me for moral support/encouragement. We read the directions, and he helped me mix the solution. I checked the instructions again, and started. I tilted my head like it said, and...

Nothing happened. I stood there for a minute or two, thinking I was more stopped up than I realized. Waiting... Waiting... Then, I thought maybe I wasn't tilted exactly right. It didn't seem like it. So, I moved my head a little.

That's when my Neti pot tried to kill me.

I had already been warned to breathe through my mouth. I was definitely doing that (in fact, that's the only way I COULD breathe, hence the need for the Neti in the first place). I still had a rush of saline in my nose, down my throat, and in my mouth. I choked and coughed, and it went in my EAR. From the inside! That was uncomfortable.

Oddly enough, once I blew my nose a few times, I could breathe a bit better. So I tried the other side.

Once again, it tried to drown me. More water down my throat. More in my mouth. I found that if I just held my breath, it was better, but I already had some water draining and it was making me cough. The more I fought it, the worse it was.


Clearly, I do not have the necessary coordination to cleanse my sinuses.

Christine 0, Neti pot 1

There may be a rematch. I'll keep you posted.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

I'm coming back

It feels like I haven't blogged in so long! And I suppose I haven't. But September was a month of ups & downs, and some things I don't blog about. It doesn't seem like it, I'm sure, but I do have some boundaries. :)

But I will be back to regular blogging soon. I have a couple posts in drafts that I'm working on. Just be patient with me please.

In the meantime, some photos.


















- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Sharing a delicious find

I found a box of these mint tea bags in my pantry, and took a couple to work to try out.


I thought "I bet that would be good cold," so I got busy brewing.
First I microwaved 2 cups of water, not hot but warm enough to melt a packet of Truvia and brew the tea. I emptied the Truvia into my cup and put in the tea bag, then poured the water over. I let it brew for a couple minutes, stirring to make sure everything was dissolved. After it looked like the yea had brewed enough, I filled the rest of the cup with ice.


It is SO good! Much better than I imagined it would taste, actually.
I'm definitely making this again.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Purple for Ethan

Today Sophie & I are wearing purple. So is my sister-in-law, and countless other friends and friends of friends. My Facebook feed is full of families wearing purple all for the same reason. Today, right now in fact, a lovely five year old little boy named Ethan is undergoing a major brain surgery.

Ethan has Doose syndrome, a rare form of epilepsy. His mother, Taryn, is also a member of the birth board I joined right after Sophie was born. Ethan's younger sister is Sophie's age. This post on Taryn's blog tells about the beginning of their journey leading up to today's surgery. I cannot imagine what this family is going through every day. Our own experience was terrifying for us, and Sophie only had one day of seizures and one hospital stay, and then a happy ending. I can't comprehend the strength Taryn and her husband have.

The family is surrounded by love and prayers today, and I hope you will add your prayers to ours. Pray the surgery goes well, there are no complications, and that it works. He will have a difficult recovery, but pray that it goes quickly. Ethan is a fighter, and he deserves this win. Their whole family does.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

34 lessons

Today, I am 34 years old. I'm now in my "mid-thirties." Part of me doesn't feel that old, part of me feels like my age has caught up with how I have felt for years. Getting married and having a baby at 19 made me grow up pretty fast. So far, my thirties have been pretty good. I still don't have everything figured out, but I'm more comfortable in my own skin. Earlier today, I was thinking about how I'm different now than I was ten or even five years ago. So, in honor of my 34th birthday, here are 34 lessons I've learned.

1. Life is too short to listen to telemarketers. No is no, I'll even give you another one just because I know you're simply trying to make a living, but then I'm hanging up.
2. Don't make yourself unhappy trying to please those who don't care about you.
3. I have more friends than I realized.
4. Just let it go. Relax.
5. When combined with enough chocolate or caramel, coffee is delicious.
6. But don't drink too much in a day... ugh.
7. Eating junk for a day is okay, but more than a day is SO not worth it. Eat good stuff and feel good.
8. You  ALWAYS have time for one more hug or kiss. Too many people don't get that chance.
9. Two days in the year I absolutely refuse to cook: Mother's Day and my birthday. I don't care if we stay in and someone else cooks and cleans up, or we go out - I'm not doing either.
10. Gifts are nice, but what REALLY makes me happy is togetherness. And if someone else wanted to do the dishes, vacuuming, and put away the laundry I'd just be ecstatic.
11. Sharpie WILL come off laminate furniture with enough scrubbing, but so far nothing gets plain ballpoint pen ink off the wall.
12. Sounds too good to be true = really is too good to be true
13. Check the source. No matter what the information, check the original source for the truth.
14. Technology is awesomesauce, but it's even better to get a real card or letter in the mail.
15. Family is everything
16. Money isn't.
17. Keep the receipt.
18. Nothing beats a great group of friends.
19. The main difference between a teenager and a toddler is height.
20. Your kids will argue, no matter what the age difference is.
21. Preview the book before buying. "First chapter free" is a wonderful thing.
22. Don't be afraid to look ridiculous.
23. No matter how cool of a parent I think I am, I'm really not.
24. When the knee pops and pain starts, STOP DANCING. Even if you did just post on Facebook thirty seconds earlier that you were going to kick your daughter's butt at Just Dance. The ability to walk trumps saving face.
25. Being a parent does not mean I can't be myself. My hobbies and interests are important, too.
26. Marriage is not a fairytale. But it is so worth it. Nothing beats going through life with the person you love.
27. Don't forget to love on the dogs.
28. Don't forget to bathe the dogs....
29. Fill the bathtub with water before caulking or else you'll be doing it again.
30. It's not hard at all to fix the toilet. Just Google the problem, get the correct part at the store, and follow the directions. Don't be afraid to try it.
31. Fresh fruit goes bad quickly. Eat lots of it and learn to cook with it.
32. Experimenting in the kitchen often has tasty results.
33. No matter what, stop to listen when someone is talking to you.
34. Some things can't be unseen.

(IN)secure

I did something unusual today. I spend at least five full minutes styling my hair. I know, that doesn't sound like much. But when you consider that my usual rotation of hair styles take approximately 30 seconds each, it's a lot.

I received compliments throughout the day. Several people told me it looked nice. I even used hairspray!

For some reason, though, I was self-conscious all day. I was afraid that the pieces would come unpinned without my knowledge and look terrible. I was afraid that it looked like I had tried too hard. I was afraid I looked ridiculous.

Why do I do this to myself? Why do I second (or third, or fourth) guess myself when I try something new? No matter what I project on the outside, on the inside I still feel like the girl from my childhood. Unsure, insecure, teased for being different, outright bullied. That girl is a scar imprinted on my soul, clouding my view of myself and my world.



- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Not funny - When whimsy crosses a line

In case you haven't noticed, I like Pinterest. A lot. But recently, I came across a pin that just wasn't funny to me. It's a hair dryer shaped like a gun. The caption and the comments were lighthearted and fun.

I don't find it funny.

Call me oversensitive, but when you lose two friends to suicide by firearm, things like this just aren't funny or cute. It's scary. Many look at this and see a harmless juxtaposition; I see violence. And I'm not anti-gun. I'm anti-suicide.

Did you know this?

Suicide is still the leading cause of firearm death in the U.S. In 2007, the U.S. firearm suicide total was 17,352 an increase from the 2006 national gun suicide number of 16,883.

Also, half of all suicides in this country are via firearms. 

Still cute? Funny?

 

http://www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org/

Happy Labor Day!

What I've been doing this weekend:




















I made the stool, necklace board, & bracelets. We've played outside & inside. Great weekend.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone