The End of a Challenge

Nearly a month ago, on November 1, I took on a challenge. It looked to be a tough challenge, and, to be honest, I wasn't sure I would be able to accomplish it. My challenge pushed me in ways I didn't realize. There were days I thought about giving up, but I didn't.  Now, here I am on the last day of my challenge, and I am happy to report that I met my goal.

For the last 30 days, I have been participating in NaBloPoMo, National Blog Posting Month. The challenge put out by BlogHer was to write a blog each and every day for the month of November.  Amazingly, I did it.  I'm sure I had some people out there wondering if I had nothing better to do with my time than blog, or even question why I was posting my blog on Facebook every day.

I met the challenge though.  Every day, I found something to write about. Even Chris became part of the process and helped me reach it. When I was stuck on a topic, he helped me to come up with one. He also would take pictures of things we were doing so I could add them to the blog. He read every blog and cheered me along. My wonderful husband has been an amazing source of support.

Today will be my last daily post, for a while.  I will still continue to post regularly to my blog, likely more often than I did before I took on the NaBloPoMo challenge. Now, I hope to post a new blog 2-3 times a week. I know I can do it.  In the last month, I've made some improvements to the blog--rearranging the menu, putting ways to link up with the blog for regular updates, and I even added a new regular page to the blog called "About Me".  During this challenge, I learned to take my blog more seriously and to have more fun with it as well.

I hope those of you who stuck along for the ride enjoyed yourselves.  While I may not blog about anything tomorrow, a blog will be coming in the next couple of days. Thanks for your support over the last month. It has been appreciated!

Road Trip to Florida, Day 2

Today was our last and final day of driving to visit my family in Florida.  We all got up nice and early, around 6 a.m. (although our bodies were telling us it was only 5 a.m.).  It no longer takes us only 30 minutes to get ready in the morning. Now, because we have a baby, it can take a full hour.  It is amazing how much a baby can change your life. I'm not complaining though.

We hit the road heading south (starting from Dalton, Georgia) a little after 7 a.m.  Our plans were to meet my friend Angela at 8:30 a.m. for breakfast in Atlanta.  Unfortunately, Atlanta traffic really sucks. The 80 mile trek to the OK Cafe took close to 2 hours. Along the way, I ended up calling Angela letting her know we would be a bit late. She understood, having lived in Atlanta for nearly 15 years.  

Angela, Ginny & I outside of the OK Cafe.

When we finally arrived, around 8:50 a.m., Angela was waiting patiently for us!  It was a great visit! I loved seeing my friend, and I'm glad we reconnected...even if it was only for the hour we spent there.  The food was excellent as well.  I dared to try something new--an omelet with avocado, tomatoes, sprouts, and topped with sour cream. Yum! 

The only downside to the visit was that the restaurant is not very kid friendly.  The OK Cafe does NOT have high chairs. They only had booster seats which don't work so great for a 7 1/2 month old baby, AND their bathrooms were small with NO changing table (or room in the bathroom to change a baby). I ended up changing Ginny in a booth.

From Atlanta, we left and headed for Jacksonville.  The drive was pretty uneventful, other than the fact that Ginny did not nap for more than 30 minutes the whole drive down.  

Around 4:40 p.m., we arrived at my parents' home. My parents were thrilled to finally see Ginny again. Ginny, however, is not too fond of anyone but Mommy or Daddy holding her. Poor Grandma and Grandpa!  I'm sure that she will adjust, eventually, and allow them to hold her. Hopefully, sooner than later.

For now, we will enjoy our time in Florida. Tonight, I just hope we get some good sleep. More importantly, I hope Ginny gets some sleep. 

Road Trip to Florida, Day 1

I adore road trips. Right now, my husband, Ginny, and I are on a road trip to visit my family in Jacksonville, Florida.  We spent about 11 hours on the road today (between leaving the house and getting into our hotel room). This same leg of the trip only took us 9.5 hours last year. Having a baby on a trip changes how long a normal road trip takes.  Now we need to make multiple stops for diaper changes and feedings. Between those stops and taking a long lunch break, it took us a while to get to Dalton, Georgia. Luckily, Ginny was a great little traveler. It was only in the last 20 minutes of the drive that she began expressing frustration.

Now, we are at our hotel for the evening. My right hip and back are sore. Chris is watching T.V.  Ginny is sleeping in her crib.  It is nice and quiet. We are resting up for tomorrow.

Early tomorrow morning, we will all wake up, get dressed and repacked quickly so that we can hit the road again. I really am looking forward to it.  We plan to be on the road no later than 7 a.m.  In Atlanta, we will stop for breakfast at the OK Cafe with my friend Angela.  Angela and I met our freshman year at KU in English 101. She and I reconnected on Facebook. This will be the first time we've seen each other in over 18 years.

The best part of tomorrow will be arriving in Jacksonville to see my family. Luckily, tomorrow should be a shorter travel day (especially since we won't have any time change like we had today), and the weather is supposed to be nicer. Instead of the cloud cover and rain of today, we should have sunny skies ahead.

Making a List and Checking it Twice

Very soon, Chris and I will be heading out on a long trip with Ginny.  It will be our longest trip with Ginny ever. We will be driving down to Florida for the first time since she was born (actually, the first time in 14 months) to visit my family.  My parents, my sister and her family, an aunt and uncle, and a couple of cousins live down there, with most living in the Jacksonville area.

I have been chomping at the bit to get down there. In the last 14 months, my parents have visited a few times, but I've only seen my sister twice (once for my baby shower and the other right after Ginny was born) and my niece and nephew once. We haven't seen my Aunt Nita and her husband Todd nor my brother-in-law Jeff for over a year now.  I miss everyone!  I can't wait to get down there and see everyone.  I can't wait for Ginny to spend time with this part of her family.  I'm quite positive that my parents are anxious to see her. They have missed her.  And, if I know my sister, she will be bouncing off of the walls until she sees her niece again.

There is one problem though.  We have to pack. Packing has typically been a non-issue.  Chris and I are laid back people. Normally, we pack fairly last minute--even for a long trip like this (about 16-18 hours).  Now, I find myself stressing and worrying that I will forget something. Because of that, I have turned into my parents, more specifically, my father.  I created a list with items we need to bring. How anal is that?  I fear, though, that we will forget something we need to have for Ginny.

Even as I am writing this blog, I am thinking of things we need to bring and adding them to the list.  I keep going over and over the list to make sure I haven't forgotten anything.

Do you ever get that feeling that you have missed something important? That feeling is overwhelming me as I look at the list.  I just know I have forgotten something important.  I KNOW that by the time we are driving through Paducah or Nashville, I will have a sudden revelation as to what I forgot.  I HATE that feeling.

So, my plan today is to pack up most of Ginny's things, start packing our stuff, and walk through the house to make sure nothing is forgotten. Hopefully, when we are driving past Altlanta and I suddenly realize something we forgot, I may relax knowing that where we are going is part of mainstream civilization.  You know, a place that has stores.

Until then, I should go over the list at least one more time.

Trimming the Tree

Every year, on the Saturday after Thanksgiving, my husband and I trim the tree and put up all of our Christmas decorations. We both love Christmas and want to get things up.

Now, I hear some of my more conservative Catholic friends muttering to themselves that I shouldn't have put up decorations now. That I should wait until Advent is over before getting ready for Christmas.  To them I would reply that putting up decorations is part of my preparation for Christmas, and isn't that what Advent is about? Preparing for Christmas?  It doesn't mean I don't celebrate Advent and enjoy that season as well. It just means that The lights and the tree and all the decorations are in anticipation of Christmas day.

Anyhow, I digress.  So, today, Chris carried up all of our boxes from the basement filled with our tree, ornaments, stockings, and other miscellaneous decor.  While my lovely husband diligently worked on putting up the tree (yes, we use plastic mainly because I am highly allergic to pine trees of any variation), I removed my fall table setting and put out the Christmas setting. We bought a wreath with lights on it that I decorated with ribbon and hung over the fire place.  I put out all the other little decorations, and then I helped finish up the tree.  The whole time we were working on this we had Christmas music playing in the background.


How I love this time of year!

A Happy Thanksgiving Meal

Normally on Thanksgiving we eat our meal around 1:30 p.m.  Since Chris was on overnight shifts and we have Ginny now, we had dinner at 5 p.m.  Honestly, I arranged it that way so Chris could help me, with either food or Ginny.  It felt strange to eat our meal so late, but worked out perfectly since the Packers football game started at Noon and wasn't over until sometime after 3 p.m.

Our meal was just for the two of us, but I made more food than needed.  We adore leftovers. Instead of making a whole turkey, I only roasted a turkey breast.  Chris and I are not fond of dark meat so it worked out perfectly.

Putting the herb mix under the skin.

For the last two years, I brined the turkey.  This year I decided not to brine it and instead try something new.  I put together an herb mix that included fresh sage, rosemary, thyme, and garlic.  I put half that mixture under the skin of the bird. The rest of the herb mix went on the skin of the turkey.

That turkey was so succulent, so moist, so delicious! Wow!  It was hard not to stop eating. Even my husband was loving it. He does not normally eat the skin. It does nothing for him.  But last night, he was nibbling on it with glee.

I did end up getting Chris to help with some cooking.  I'm not a big fan of dressing, so he made it for himself.  I also put him in charge of the corn and heating up the sourdough bread rolls (not homemade, just frozen).  One thing I did add to the rolls was butter. Years ago I worked at Popeye's chicken.  When they make their biscuits they put melted butter on the biscuits before putting them in the oven. Then, they put the butter on when they come out of the oven.  So, last night we did that with the bread. All I can say is "Oh my!"  Yummy!

Our Thanksgiving meal! Yummy!

Unfortunately, the turkey did not produce a lot of grease. Something I anticipated might happen. Instead of worrying about gravy for the mashed potatoes (a Thanksgiving staple), I made loaded mashed potatoes, filled with sour cream, cheese, garlic, and bacon.  Finally, I cooked carrots for Chris.  I love carrots, but only when they are raw. My darling husband loves carrots, but only when they are cooked.

While I was finishing up the potatoes, Chris was feeding Ginny something new. She ate beets for the first time, beets mixed with some potatoes.  She loved them! I think they are a new favorite.

Ginny enjoying her beets!

Last night was a fabulous evening. I wish it could have lasted longer. However, Chris left around 7 p.m. to go to work.

I hope everyone else had just as wonderful a Thanksgiving meal as we did! Our Thanksgiving was filled with food and love. Thank you, God!

Look at that lovely "beety" smile! :)

Thankful

On this day of Thanksgiving, I have much to be thankful for in my life.

I am thankful for......

• my beautiful angel, my daughter, Virginia. She is a light in my life that I thank God for every day.

• my wonderful, patient, loving husband, Chris. He is my partner in crime, best friend, and lover who loves me just as much as I love him.

• my parents. They have been through hell and back with me, in some ways, yet they still love me. They are my role models for what a marriage should be and who I want to be as a person.

• my sister.  We spent many years fighting and not seeing eye to eye. Finally, we realized we don't have to agree on everything. I know she will always have my back, and I will always have her back.

• my nieces and nephews.  They are all fabulous and special in their own rights. They bring a smile to my face when I am with them. I miss them when I am away from them.

• my aunts, uncles, and cousins! I love them all so much! They are amazing people who value family above almost everything else.

• my sister's husband, Jeff. He has now been my "brother" for 7 1/2 years. He makes my sister so happy. How can I not be thankful for someone who brings joy to someone else I love? :)

• all of my in-laws. They teach me something about myself when I am with them. I continue to grow as a person because of them.

• Daisy Mae, my adorable dog.  She brings humor and love to my life, in the way only a dog can. We have been companions for 8 years now.

• God. He has blessed my life in innumerable ways. Without Him, I might not be here anymore.

• my sistatwin, my BFF, Dawn.  I wish we lived closer, but she is only a phone call away. She reminds me of God's love for me, and she is an awesome friend!

• the National Weather Service and the people that work there. They do a lot for all of us, but also employ my husband (thereby keeping him out of trouble). The people that work there and their families are wonderful people who support each other. What an amazing community!

• my fellow Weather Widows! They "get it!" Enough said. ;)

• my Pinkies. They are an amazing source of support and humor.

• the fabulous meal my family will be eating today. I wish everyone out in the country (in the world too) could eat a wonderful Thanksgiving meal, too.

Our Thanksgiving Alone

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays, likely due to all the wonderful food. For most of my life, I have spent Thanksgiving surrounded by my parents and extended family.

Two years ago, I moved away from my family to marry my husband Chris.  Since we got married, we have hosted Thanksgiving at our home.  The first year, Chris's parents spent Thanksgiving with us.  It was my first time hosting Thanksgiving, much less cooking a turkey.  Luckily, there were no major incidents and the meal was a success.  Last year, my parents came up for a visit.  While I did a decent job with the food, I was pregnant at the time and still dealing with morning sickness (even though I was 5 months pregnant at the time).

This year, we are hosting no one. It will be our first Thanksgiving with just us.  It seems strange to me, but I welcome it.  We were invited to go on a cruise with my family for Thanksgiving, but since Chris has overnight shifts to work (his job requires odd hours) that wasn't possible.

I'm sure we will make way too much food, but we don't mind. We love left overs.  We also welcome the opportunity to start traditions with our daughter.

So, while my family (parents, sister and her family) will be spending time in Mexico tomorrow, we will be enjoying the fall temperatures here in Illinois, eating a home-cooked meal, watching parades and football, and being thankful for our day.  That is pretty wonderful, in my estimation.

Baking Pies

Thanksgiving is only two days away! I adore Thanksgiving, especially all the wonderful food.

My fave--Pecan pie!!! :) 

I spent a good portion of the afternoon baking two pies in preparation for Thursday, a pumpkin pie and a pecan pie!

I don't use any particular recipe for the pumpkin pie, just the recipe on the can.  But, for the pecan pie, I used my Grandma Scott's recipe!

Pecan pie is one of my favorites.  I have tried a lot of it from bakeries, friends, and other family members (not in the Scott family). No one else's pecan pie comes close to my Grandma Scott's recipe.  To me, it will always be the best and never topped.  It is a requirement every Thanksgiving and Christmas.

I love pie! I am so looking forward to eating it on Thanksgiving.  Now I just need to resist eating it before then. Sigh.

Pumpkin Pie. Mmmmm......
(The pie got covered before fully cooling and left a condensation mark.)

Breaking for Some "Me" Time

Since having Ginny, my days are filled with her 24/7.  I love and adore her.  I don't mind her occupying my time like that. Every once and a while, though, I need some "me" time.  "Me" time = I get away from her for a period of time without it being an errand.  I don't need "me" time that often, once a month or every other month is perfectly fine.

Let me clearly define "Me" Time.

"Me" Time = Getting my hair done
It is not going to Babies 'R Us or the grocery store to do some shopping.

"Me" Time = Having a massage
It is not filling my tank with gas.

"Me" Time = Spending some time at a library or bookstore to just browse and peruse.
It is not going to the bookstore to pick up something we need or take Ginny to story hour at the library.

"Me" time is important for all people, especially care givers who devote themselves 24/7 (most days) to those they care for.

Today, I got some "me" time. After Chris and I had lunch, I went to the movie theater all by myself.  I bought myself a bag of popcorn and a Cherry Coke. Then, I found a seat toward the front so I could use the railing as a foot rest.  I settled in to watch the newest "Twilight" movie, "Breaking Dawn."

One of my favorite parts of any movie are the previews.  I fully enjoyed all 10 minutes or so of them.  The previews drive my husband nuts.  I didn't have to worry about his groans.  I even saw a couple of previews that were intriguing enough for me to note them in my head as a possible future "me" time movies.

"Breaking Dawn" was fantastic!  It was very entertaining, and I fully enjoyed it!  I hate that I will have to wait a year to watch part two.

After the movie was over, my "me" time came to an end. It was nice being able to escape for a couple of hours into a different world. Reality came back though once I started the car and headed to Babies 'R Us. I had an errand to run on my way home.

Clearing the Front Garden

Before Chris and I married over 2 years ago, I had never been a home owner.  Until that day, I lived in apartments. When you live in an apartment, the last thing you need to worry about is gardening.  I didn't keep house plants because, well, I have a bit of a black thumb when it comes to house plants.

Two years ago, Chris and I bought our current home. I finally became a home owner for the first time and all the responsibilities that come with it--including gardening.  Of course, knowing that just by buying a house plant I should be arrested for attempted murder of a plant, I was nervous about how gardening would work out for me.

The front of our house about 7 months after we moved in. Little landscaping.

Now, two years later, I find myself working on our garden a lot.  My current goal is to get rid of some plants  in the front of the house, under the office window. The plants that were there when we bought the house are not the prettiest or nicest. I'm also not a fan of the edging. I think the scalloped bricks look crappy.  Chris insists that it could look better.  I believe him, but I've seen other ways to edge that I prefer.

The landscaping now. Weeds took over (despite efforts to quell them).
If you look close, you can see Daisy watching me through the window.

Yesterday, I began working on removing the plants and edging.  The biggest challenge will be the removal of a rose bush.  I had thought about keeping the roses, but it seems that two trees have begun to grow behind the rose bush (right along the wall).  In order to get the trees out, I will have to remove the roses.

The rose bush with 2 small trees behind it, along the wall.

Come Spring, I want to put in a few bushes, definitely a perennial or two, some annuals along the edge, and put in some new edging.

Unfortunately, I didn't finish digging out all the plants yesterday.  Hopefully, I will finish that project this week.



It will be a lot of work, but totally worth it.

The scalloped brick edging. (See how the grass tried to take over.)

Hard at work digging out plants.

What I was able to accomplish. Half done.

Looks good there! 

I cut back most of the roses so that it will be easier to dig out. Hopefully.

How Many Coats are Too Many for Ginny?

As the holiday season fast approaches, I realize that Ginny will soon be meeting Santa Claus for the first time. I'm not quite sure how that meeting will go, although I'm quite sure it will be eventful.

This morning as I was thinking about her first meeting with Santa, I also realized that she has no outfit to meet Santa in yet.  So, after Chris was awake and we had lunch, I ventured over to Just Kids, a consignment shop in my town.  I hoped to find a bargain and something I liked.

I found a lot of outfits I loved.  Not only Christmas related, but in general.  It was hard to get out of there without buying up half the shop.  Luckily, I have learned how to talk myself out of most purchases and don't usually spend outrageously.

Of course, while I found quite a few things I loved, some of the Christmas items I loved the most were 2T and above.  LOL! Oh well.  I did buy 2 Christmas outfits for Ginny.  One outfit has a cute tunic and red/white striped pants that would work great for meeting Santa.  The other outfit is in a dark red velvet (well, feels like velvet) with a collar that I feel will work great for going to Mass on Christmas day. I even found a pair of patent leather black Mary Janes.  Those shoes should work well for most dresses she wears to church.

Additionally, I got Ginny a pink hooded coat.  Ginny now has 3 coats. Overkill?  I'm not sure.  She has a beautiful red dress coat with matching hat and gloves that her cousin Melanie got for her.  We also got Ginny a snow suit for when she needs to be fully bundled.  The coat I got her today is a bit more casual.  I figure she will wear all 3 quite a bit in the next few months (or at least until she grows out of them).

Finally, I got Ginny a set of 3 socks.  They are really cute and fit the holiday season. And, I bought a used Dr. Seuss book, "Fox in Socks".

The total cost for 2 outfits, 3 pairs of socks, a pair of shoes, coat, and a book? Only $34.  Not bad.

My deals from the consignment shop!

I love shopping for Ginny, especially when I can get deals like that.

The T.V. to Myself

Before my husband and I married, we had lengthy discussions about his unusual work schedule. He does not work your typical 9 to 5, Monday through Friday schedule.  Chris is a meteorologist for the National Weather Service (NWS).

Weather never stops.  Weather is a 24 hour/7 days a week, 365 days a year occurrence.  As such, meteorologists across the country work around the clock tracking the weather.  These men and women of the National Weather Service are not the people you see on T.V.  The vast majority of the people "forecasting" the weather on T.V. get their forecasts from those who work for the NWS.

My lovely husband works three different regular shifts: 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., or 8 p.m. to 4 a.m.  Sometimes Chris works only 2-3 days in a row before a day off, other times 5, and quite often he works 7 days in a row.  Getting an actual weekend (Saturday and Sunday) off is an uncommon event that we treasure.

Tonight, Chris started his 8 p.m. to 4 a.m. shifts.  They are not fun for him because it is difficult to get enough sleep.  This year due to the shifts falling on a holiday, people in his office needed time off.  So, Chris has 8 of these shifts in a row instead of the typical 7.

I do miss Chris in the evenings, especially since we had Ginny. I am the only one getting up to check on her in the middle of the night.  I also miss cuddling with him before we go to sleep.

However....one thing I don't mind about his shifts is I get free-rein over the remote control! Yes!!!  Some of our biggest arguments after we got married and moved in together was what we would watch on T.V.  We have negotiated over time (now I watch most of my shows after taping them on the DVR).  Now, no arguments, no DVRing.  I get to watch whatever I want while he is gone on these shifts! Woo hoo!

I lead an exciting life, right?  While I will miss Chris's presence and our cuddle time before bed, I will fill that time with watching "Revenge" on Wednesday night (and other fun programs). That isn't so bad, is it? ;) I finally get the T.V. to myself.

Facing the Future

One of the things I try to do in my life is focus on the day-to-day.  Doing this keeps my stress level down and keeps me focused on the present instead of looking at the "What Ifs" of the future. Whenever I find myself looking too far ahead, I remind myself to take a step back.

Since Ginny came into our life, I have done a pretty good job of staying focused on the present and day-to-day life we lead.  However, there are moments when I look to the future.

The future can be a hopeful and wonderful place to imagine for Ginny.  I hope many things most moms hope for their children.  I dream that she does well in school, has lots of good friends that support her, doesn't have to deal much with bullies, stays out of trouble, and knows what she wants to be when she grows up (I still don't know what I want to be).  And that is only the short list of hopes and dreams I have for my beautiful, sweet daughter.

What gets to me most are the fears I face with her.  Last night I watched an episode of "Criminal Minds" that dealt with a character whose daughter was abducted 7 years before.  All of a sudden I found myself worrying about Ginny being abducted.  Suddenly I found myself a bit paranoid about all the bad things that could happen to my baby girl.

There are so many situations that can arise where Ginny may be hurt someday.  I fear that for her.  I don't want her to be hurt. As her mommy, I feel it is my duty to protect her as much as humanly possible.  I fear so many things: bullies, drugs, alcohol-use (too young), car accidents, abduction, rape, murder. I can go on.  The world can be very scary out there.

After going through all these fears in my head last night, I did my best to again refocus on the present.  Ginny is a bright light in our life.  I can only do so much, but I will do my best to love and protect her with God as my guide.  I will do what I can to prepare her for the world. Now, though, I need to focus on the day-to-day and not worry so much about the future. The future is too hard to predict.

All I Want for Christmas....

It is that time again. It is time for me to once again make a Christmas list.

When I was a kid, I loved putting together my list.  I would pull out the JcPenney Christmas Catalog and go through page by page writing down what I wanted that year.  Not once did I get everything I wished for.That wasn't possible. My list was always too long.   I'm still a bit bummed that I never got the chemistry set I asked for 2 years running or the Game of Life (asked for that multiple years).  ;)

Now that the JcPenney Christmas Catalog no longer exists, I feel a bit sorry for kids today.  How in the world can they know all of the possibilities and gifts they could possibly want?

As an adult, I still make lists for my family and now my husband and his family. My lists have definitely changed over the years.  No longer am I wishing for the perfect doll, Barbie clothes, or a new bike.  (Well, I wouldn't mind a new bike but the one I want isn't in the typical Christmas budget.)  Now I want books, gift cards (so I can pick out my own clothes), CDs, DVDs, kitchen supplies, and other random things that peak my interest.  If I don't get those things, I'm not as bummed any more as I was when I was a child.  I realize that I can always get it for myself later, maybe.

This year, though, I not only get to make a list for myself but also for Ginny.  Now I get to look through websites (I'd much prefer the catalog. Sigh.) and create a list for her so that Santa might deliver her something nice for Christmas.  I'm sure she will love the box anything comes in more than the actual gift.

Well, I need to get on Pinterest and other websites so I can formulate my list.  Creating the list can be fun, but I look forward to giving gifts more than receiving. I hope someone else asks for something good.

What is it that you want for Christmas?

The bike I want in case any of you decide you are in a giving mood. ;) LOL!

I Hate Being Sick!

I'm sick, and I hate it. It started with a headache, evolved into a sore throat, and now I have a scratchy throat, runny nose and an awful headache. Being sick sucks!

It isn't like being sick as a kid, either, when you could lay in bed and watch T.V.  I am now a mom, a stay at home.  Basically, that means I no longer get sick days.  I still have to do the "mom" job.  It is one of the best jobs in the world, even when sick.  Of course, Ginny decided not to take her afternoon nap.  So, my original plan of laying down this afternoon went out the window. Oh well.

I don't have much more to add to this because, again, I'm sick. Hopefully, I feel better tomorrow. If I don't, at least Chris has tomorrow off and I can get a sick day.

Lucky 7

Ginny turns 7 months old today.

She is......

Ginny @ 7 months

Bright


Beautiful


Happy


Sweet


Mine!





It is that last one that surprises me the most. I still pinch myself to make sure this isn't all a dream.

For years, I wanted to be a mom.  When I wasn't dating people, yet getting older, I contemplated adoption, sperm banks (ruled out immediately), and even fostering children.  I couldn't justify the adoption when money was tight for just me.

Then, God brought Chris into my life!  All things were possible with him.

After struggling with losses, God blessed us with Ginny. She is a blessing!When I look at her, I feel such love and joy!

It is hard to believe that 7 months have passed. I can't imagine my life without Ginny. She is the light of my life, the love of my life, my world. She is amazing! God is good!

Bathing Beauty

Ginny during her first bath ever!

Ginny loves bath time!  It hasn't always been like this. Her first bath in the hospital was filled with cries. Her early baths at home involved fussing.

Ginny's first bath at home. Doesn't she look thrilled?

When she was about 1 month old, Ginny discovered that baths weren't so bad after all. Ever since she could sit up, though, bath times have become one of Ginny's favorite activities ever! She loves to play in the water, splash and kick,  and eat her bath toys (well, she tries).  She will even put her head in the water trying to get to a toy.  (Poor thing hasn't made the full connection that using your hands is the best way to get the toy to your mouth). Soon we will need to move her baths to the bathroom instead of next to the kitchen sink.  All the splashing she does results in water everywhere.

Anxiously awaiting her bath!

"Diving" in for her toy

"I love bath time, Mommy."

I don't remember a time when I found bath time as joyous as Ginny does. For me a bath is about relaxation.  For her, it is all about play time!  Ginny is my bathing beauty and her baths bring a smile to my face.

Ginny's New Hat

Once Ginny was born, Chris and I happily became 2nd class citizens in our family.  After all, Ginny is the cutest and sweetest of the bunch.  She not only gets all of the attention now, and rightly so, but also all of the good mail.  She gets more letters, cards, and packages than us.  Ginny loves her mail too (apparently boxes are quite tasty).

Today, Ginny received a package from her Great-Aunt Gail and her Great-Uncle Dan. With great anticipation, Ginny opened it (with Daddy's help, of course).  Inside the package was a little note: "Keep your head warm, Ginny. Cold weather is coming our way. Love, Aunt Gail & Uncle Dan."  Inside some pretty wrapped red tissue paper was a lovely white knitted hat from The Women's Exchange in St. Louis with a cherry on it and ribbon.

Ginny in her new hat!

Ginny loves her new hat! Okay, honestly, she loved the tissue paper the most. However, Daddy and I loved the hat and took a picture of Ginny in it right away.  It is quite lovely! 

Favorite Friday

One of the many reasons I have fallen in love with Twitter is because it has me laughing out loud (you know, LOLing) most of the time! I thought today would be a good day to share most of my favorite tweets thus far.  Who knows, I may make this a regular feature on Friday's blog in the future.  I haven't quite decided yet. Most are funny (well, IMHO), and some thoughtful.  I find them all entertaining. I hope you enjoy them.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Me: 'What are your thoughts on euthenasia?' Her: 'Well, I'm more concerned about youth in America.' #FacePalm" ~Had2SayIt, 11/11/11

"If I ran Perry's campaign, I would eliminate three things: debates, his campaign and...wait, what's the third..um..uh..oh yeah, Rick Perry. " ~michelle_angus, 11/11/11

"Yesterday a Prof said I 'appeared to be a very intelligent woman.' I replied that he appeared to be very intelligent for noticing." ~highlyirritable, 11/10/11

"Changed my pet turkey's diet to high carb, high fat, milkshake diet. He thinks I love him..." ~tompapa, 11/7/11

"Can't stop eating candy. PMS + Halloween = Unholy union." ~TheSuniverse, 11/4/11

"Apologies to everyone I scared on the subway this morning. That's what happens when you put makeup on in the dark." ~Mom101, 11/3/11

"I thought about being motivated this AM. It seemed hard. I've just decided to drink more coffee instead." ~mouthybarbermom, 11/2/11

"If I were casting someone in the role of me during the past 2 weeks, I'd pick Woody Allen. Only neurotic and with bangs." ~annsrants, 11/1/11

"My husband will be growing a moustache this month for Movember. This means, for 30 days, I won't have to pick up a razor either. #equality" ~redneckmommy, 11/1/11

"I'm writing a cookbook...A Blonde's Guide to the Kitchen: How to be a gourmet chef when you have no clue what they're talking about." ~mkg81, 10/29/11

"For some strange reason, chocolate covered caramel apples keep ending up in my mouth. I blame Satan and his evil holiday!" ~joyunexpected, 10/21/11

"Overheard from Lily to the boys: 'The first one to cry, loses. FIGHT!!!' I don't even want to know." ~ScaryMommy, 10/20/11

"Twitter is my new 'back of the cereal box.'" ~Had2SayIt, 10/18/11


"The GOP debates are like a reality show where the contestants suck but no one is eliminated." ~BorowitzReport, 10/17/11

"I can hold my own hair when I puke. Someone holding a crucifix next to me making sure I survive the exorcism is what I really need." ~LittleWhiteLion, 10/17/11

"I just read last year 4,153,237 ppl got married.  I don't want to start any trouble, but shouldn't that be an even number?" ~qwertying, 10/17/11

"They just replaced Albert Pujols' bionic arm between innings. He's good now." ~rickgoldjr9, 10/16/11

"All I've ever attempted to do in this life is meet my dad's expectations. And for good and bad, that has made me the man I am. #NotPerfect" ~AJHohmann, 10/16/11

"umm, so 'Harrison' bought me a spa package for his birthday as a thank you for pushing him out of my vagina." ~10/12/11

"A real man doesn't make his lady jealous of other women, he makes other women jealous of his lady - Dad" ~Gracelisa, 10/7/11

"I play someone cool and interesting on twitter." ~driverminnie, 10/1/11


"I hate two faced people. It's so hard to decide which face to slap first." ~KhloeKardashian, 9/29/11

"Dear Treadmills, You remind me of a very large Jr. college campus..A lot of walking with little results." ~9/29/11


"The internet has changed my life. I can't remember how I was ever able to procrastinate without it!" ~Knadele, 9/26/11

"A partner's inability to recognize the importance of movie previews hurts a relationship way more than how he squeezes the damn toothpaste." ~dooce, 9/25/11

"If someone has to say something shitty about you to feel better, retort with 'Somebody need a hug?' (Be prepared to hug)" ~Nathan Fillion, 9/24/11

"You know how when there's an emergency on a plane they tell you to put your own mask on 1st & then help others? The US should do that now." ~WendyLiebman, 9/20/11

"Congratulations Melissa McCarthy. Somewhere in NYC, a Marie Clare writer is crawling into a hole. And she's hungry." ~anniemal, 9/18/11

"me: I feel like I should cancel my appt w/ my shrink. I feel very sane today. Victor: Really? Have you met you?" ~TheBloggess, 9/16/11

"I'm wondering if Gerard Butler would date me even though I'm married and would have to tell my husband @Gstephanopoulus" ~AliEWentworth, 9/15/11

"Whenever I fill out an application, in the part that says 'If an emergency, notify.' I put 'DOCTOR'. What's my mother going to do?" ~JillEBond, 9/10/11

"Ice cream for kids is not environmentally friendly because IT TAKE[S] 52 BABY WIPES TO COME OUT ALIVE." ~dooce, 9/9/11

"In Dictionary under 'MEDIA WHORE' See 'SARAH PALIN'" ~cher, 9/4/11

"Last beach day of summer-feeling the shark will get me today. My bikini is made out of meat." ~AliEWentworth, 9/4/11

Web Addictions

I will admit to loving the internet.  I have loved it for years.  However, I do have a tendency to get bored and move on.  Lately though, there seem to be more and more things to explore that feed my addiction.

Naturally, I'm on Facebook and highly addicted to games on there.  I do socialize quite a bit, but that doesn't keep me on long.  I play a few games that I enjoy.

Then, after trying it once, being bored by it, I went and tried Twitter again.  I am now a Twitter-Addict.  It happened very quickly.  It really appeals to my talkative nature and desire to be in communication with others. I'm meeting some interesting people.  I follow mainly other moms, but a couple of friends and family members, and a ton of funny people.  Twitter keeps me informed and laughing all at the same time.

Recently, I discovered two more websites that I am quickly falling in love with.  One of them is GoodReads.  I am able to mark the books I have read and want to read. It in turn suggests other books I may want to look into.  This website could become dangerous if I start buying all the books I am just recently discovering.  I'm hoping to keep that in check by using my local library!

A couple of days ago, I joined Pinterest (pronounced like interest with a "p" sound at the beginning).  OMG!  I'm hooked.  I want to create boards and more boards.  I find it strikes my creative fancy!  It also works as a way to stimulate ideas.

Now, how do I tell my husband that I'm hooked to something else? Maybe I can keep it our little secret. ;)

Sometimes People Need to Really Consider Spelling

The last couple of days, I went to Iowa with my husband and daughter to visit my in-laws.  One of the first things I ever notice, upon arrival, to Iowa is a convenience store that bothers me.  It isn't the store or the gas they sell that bothers me.  Rather, it is the name.

The bright owners of this store thought that "Kum & Go" was a clever name. I get that "Kum" is supposed to mean "Come".  However, it is too closely spelled to reflect a word of a sexual nature.  Every time I see the store, I'm struck by how inappropriate the name is.  If they wanted a "K" in the word come, couldn't they have used "Kome".  I mean, really.  What I find most disturbing is that the people of Iowa act as though this name is the most normal in the world.

I can only wonder what the owners of the chain were thinking or if they were thinking at all.

Happy Days Are Here Again!

A miracle has happened!  For the first time in over 7 months, I got 8 hours of sleep!  

Saturday night we put Ginny to bed at 7 p.m. like we normally do.  She fell right to sleep.  She did have a period of fussing around 10 or 11, but after putting the paci back in her mouth, she fell right back to sleep.  I was asleep by 10 p.m., anticipating being woken around 4 a.m. for her usual feeding.  Instead, I woke at 5 a.m. and realized that Ginny hadn't woken me.  I was in a bit of a panic.  I went to her room and saw that she was still sleeping (okay, I actually put my hand on her back to make sure she was alive).  Then, on my way back, I did a happy dance and said a silent cheer to myself.  

Ginny, sound asleep, with Elfie!

My baby girl slept the night through!  A first!!

Ginny slept until 6 a.m. Since it was the time change that night, it meant that she got 12 hours sleep.  Chris and I celebrated that wonderful Sunday morning.  It was a good day.

I fully expected that this would be a temporary situation, and that Ginny would resort to old habits and not sleep the night through again.  I have been pleasantly surprised.  She has slept at least 11 hours in a row every night since.  She does have a crying jag or two in the middle of the night but goes right back to sleep once getting her paci.  

While I'm sure we will again run into irregular sleep when the next tooth comes in or when she hits her next growth spurt, for now I will enjoy having sleep and no longer dealing with sleep deprivation.  After being spoiled with sleep, I now may reconsider trying for a 2nd baby in the near future.  

(Okay, I'm lying on that last part but I do love finally getting sleep.)

Daisy the Houdini Cockapoo

Daisy Mae, harnessed and ready to go!

We headed west this morning, after feeding Ginny, for a family visit in Iowa.  It has been about 3 months since our last visit, so we were a bit overdue.  Unlike previous visits, we brought Daisy Mae, our lovely cockapoo with us.  My in-laws invited us to bring her this time around.  Chris and I decided this would be a good practice run for a visit we will be making to Florida.  

Ginny, all excited by having Daisy with her on the drive! ;)

Daisy Mae loves going for a ride! Convincing her to come with us was not an issue.  I put her in her harness and attached her to the seat belt so that she wouldn't get hurt if there were an accident, and so that she wouldn't wander around aimlessly while we were driving.  I'm sure that Ginny was thrilled to have Daisy in the backseat with her as well.

Within 45 minutes, if that, Ginny performed a Houdini act by escaping from her harness.  Chris was fit to be tied.  Now, having raised 8-year-old Daisy since she was a pup, I knew she had this ability to escape a harness (which is why she wears a collar and NOT a harness).  I realized that it was likely that I needed to adjust the harness a bit, but was not concerned or upset.  Chris, on the other hand, was NOT thrilled.  

Chris prior to Daisy's 2nd Houdini act! See how happy he was!

After getting Daisy reharnessed and locked into her seat, we continued on our drive.  We were doing really good until we stopped at a rest area so that I could nurse Ginny, and Chris could walk Daisy.  As soon as the car came to a stop, Daisy again Houdinied her way out of that harness, eager to get out of the car.  Chris looked as though he might have a heart attack.  I reassured him and told him I would adjust the harness again.

Nearly 2 hours further down the road, we stopped at a gas station to fill up the car.  Daisy was going ballistic.  Doing her best to get out of that harness, but not succeeding.  Ginny and I left so I could change Ginny's diaper while Chris filled the tank.  When I got back to the car, I saw that Daisy was calmly laying in the back seat.  I remarked that she must have given up.  Chris told me that Daisy had not given up and had actually gotten out of the harness again. Looking at Chris, I could tell his patience was wearing thin.  I, on the other hand, was not concerned.  When the car was moving, Daisy was calm and good.  There only seemed to be an issue when we stopped, at this point.

Daisy expressing how much she loved the back seat

We went only 30 more minutes down the road and pulled into a rest area.  Ginny wasn't happy.  I decided I would nurse her again to see if it helped.  I also suggested to Chris that we could move Daisy up in the front, I would take over driving, and he could sit in the back with Ginny until we reached our destination.  He was up for that.  Once Chris was settled in the back, he said, in no uncertain terms, "Daisy is not coming with us to Florida."  I guess he had enough. So, now I need to book a kennel reservation for Daisy. 

Funny enough, the rest of the drive to Ames, Iowa went without incident. Daisy laid calmly in the passenger seat next to me and slept the whole time.  When we arrived at our destination, she did not try to get out of the harness, but stayed put, eagerly waiting for me to unharness her.  Now I am wondering if the issue was that she didn't like being in the back seat or if this was a secret ploy of hers to be kenneled when we go to Florida.  After all, she loves the kennel and all those who work there.  If only dogs could talk.

Bye, Bye Mizzou! Don't Let the Door Hit You on the Ass on Your Way Out

As the address of my blog may indicate, I am a KU Jayhawk.  While my family lived in St. Louis and was full of Mizzou fans, I decided to go to the rival, The University of Kansas!

During the fall of my senior year of high school, I went to visit 2 colleges: Mizzou and KU.  The moment we arrived in Lawrence, Kansas, I began to fall in love.  Once on the campus, I was able to take a tour and speak to the head of the journalism school.  In my heart, at that moment, I knew I must go to KU.  The next day, I tried to clear those feelings as I toured Mizzou.  Mizzou didn't do it for me.  Granted, it was rainy the day I visited Mizzou and the sun shined when I was at KU, but Mizzou didn't feel like the right fit for me.  First off, I didn't want to go to the same school everyone from high school was planning to attend.  I wanted to go some place where I would have a fresh start. My experiences in high school were not the best.  But, additionally, I didn't like how the campus felt. I was especially concerned at the size of the MU journalism school compared to that of KU.  KU's journalism program was a bit smaller, and I didn't feel I would be "lost" there.

There was no guarantee about attending KU because it was out-of-state and therefore, more expensive.  I was prepared to attend Mizzou if I couldn't pull the money together to go to KU. My parents watched as I worked hard to make my dream come true.  One day in the spring, they told me they found a way to cover the additional expense--that I could attend KU.  I was shocked but exceedingly happy!

I loved my four years at KU! I wished I could have stayed longer, but it wasn't possible.  While I was there, I made many wonderful friends, had some fabulous (and not so fabulous but more fab than not) experiences, and learned a lot.  One of my favorite things to do was attend all the football and basketball games.  I also went to other sports events, on occasion.

There are two huge rivalries for KU: the Kansas State Wildcats (KSU) and Mizzou.  The Mizzou rivalry, also known as the Border War, has been going on since before KU became a school.  The rivalry began just before the start of the Civil War.  Today, that rivalry, that has been going for OVER 100 years, was thrown away like a piece of paper because Mizzou got greedy (IMO).  They left the Big 12 Conference (a conference they helped begin in 1907 with the start of the Missouri Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Association along with KU and Nebraska) to join the SEC.

To be quite frank, this upsets me a great deal.  While I am not a Mizzou fan, I valued the rivalry that existed. The history between the schools in our conference.  Most of the schools in the Big 12 have been in the same conference for 83 years.  But, I guess money won out over history and tradition.  I was reading articles about this and someone blames the instability of the Big 12 for this decision.  I disagree with that assessment because it became clear last fall, when Nebraska became the first traitor to the conference, that Mizzou was trying to leave the Big 12 already.  They had been looking for a way out and found it this year.  Bully for them.

I hope this move bites Mizzou on the butt.  Bitter, I know, but it is how I feel.  I do think it will.  While the Big 12 conference has some decent football teams, it does not compare to the power of the SEC.  Mizzou will now have to regularly face teams like Georgia, Kentucky, and Tennessee in the East.  They'll also be facing the West Division with teams like Florida, 'Bama, LSU, and Arkansas.  It won't be pretty for them.  My guess is that they won't make it to any bowl games because they will be hard-pressed to win enough in this division to get there.

It is a sad day today.  Mizzou will now be subject to facing the other Big 12 teams in competition that they are thumbing their nose at.  I imagine it won't be pretty and that they will get booed.  Yesterday, they played Baylor and faced chants of S-E-C.  It won't get any easier.

There is one good thing in all of this.  West Virginia (WVU) has now joined the Big 12 as well as TCU. Hopefully, a few more teams will join as well.  I've heard rumors that BYU or Louisville might come over as well.  Only time will tell.

Rock Chalk, Jayhawks! Boo Mizzou!

I Want Some Gooey Goodness

One of my favorite treats growing up was Gooey Butter Cake. When Mom would bake it, it was a happy day at home for all. We all loved it. It wasn't until I got older that I discovered that the rest of the world had not heard of this sweet, delicious treat. Gooey Butter Cake is a St. Louis treat. If you are not from St. Louis, then it is likely that you have never had it unless you know someone from the area or have a friend who is friends or family with someone from St. Louis.

It is a cake I love to eat and it is easy to bake. Today, I decided to bake one up. Right now I'm seriously thinking of tearing into it before Chris gets home. Before I do that, I thought I would share the recipe (which you can also get from google, but my recipe has visuals. So there.)

First, you need your ingredients to get you started: 16 oz of powdered sugar, yellow cake mix, 8 oz of cream cheese (you'll want it out for a while before you start so it can soften), one stick of butter or margarine (melted), and 4 eggs (large is best).

All the ingredients ready to go.

Preheat the oven to 350.  Then, in a large bowl, mix the cake mix, melted butter, and 2 eggs.  Once it is fully mixed and sticky, you will spread it in the bottom of a greased 13x9x2 pan.

Layer 1.  I use a spatula to evenly spread it in the pan. The spatula is great, too,
because it won't have residual mix left on it.

Next, in a separate bowl, mix the powdered sugar (all of it) with the 2 remaining eggs and the cream cheese.  You will know it is ready when it is nice and smooth.

Layer 2.  Smooth as silk.

Once that is ready, poor the powdered sugar mix on top of the first layer.  Spread it evenly on top. Place the cake in the oven and bake for 30-40 minutes until it is golden brown in spots on top.

Before going in the oven

The cake is ready!! :)

You will want to wait until the cake fully cools before diving in and eating it.  I've heard of some people eating it while it is warm, but I prefer it at room temp (or even cool).

A piece of cake ready to be eaten!

Don't forget to eat some of the topping before cleaning your bowl.
It is yummy! Salmonella be damned! :)

For those of you who decide to try this, I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

Gooey Butter Cake

1 stick of butter, melted

1 box of yellow cake mix

4 eggs (large are best)

16 oz powdered sugar

8 oz cream cheese

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Mix 2 eggs with the cake mix and the melted butter.  Spread on the bottom of a 13x9x2 pan. Then mix the remaining 2 eggs with softened cream cheese and a pound of powdered sugar.  Pour the mix on top of the cake mix layer. Bake in the oven for 30-40 minutes until lightly golden brown on top. Let cool before serving.