A Day in the Life...

I can't believe the baby will be here in TWO months. It may sound like a long time but trust me- if you can count the weeks without using all your fingers- it's close. I am nowhere near ready! Worse- I'm not really sure what I need to feel ready. I mean, how does any mom ever really feel ready to give birth to a human whose well-being and development she's responsible for? Advice for those on the outside: maybe don't ask a pregnant woman if she's "ready." I think it's a question that just begs for an unrealistic answer! I'm waiting for that "nesting instinct" to kick in- from what I hear, expectant moms get this power or surge of energy to clean and organize incessantly. Maybe I would step into the baby's room and tackle the literal pile of stuff I don't know what to do with; or maybe I would actually scrub my tub, instead of considering Tim's idea of just buying a new one instead. Maybe this nesting bit comes at ...

Today at work a few of us watched this youtube video and it was awesome! Talk about looking past what's presented in front of you! It's also cool to see folks own up to first impressions and admitting they judged prematurely. The link to the video is on the column on the right- be sure to watch it!

I'm a fan of Marnie Pehrson, author of shelovesgod.com and Iamjoyful.com. Two very cool websites. I read the following quote of hers a few days ago and think it's great. A good reminder to be thankful for all we have and all that's coming our way! "Mark E. Mendenhall once said something that really resonated with me. He said, "Gratitude is a prerequisit to personal revelation." I have most definitely found this to be the case. If I devote some time to counting my blessings and thinking about all the "tender mercies" I've received from God in the past, it puts me in a positive and grateful frame of mind. This positive frame of mind helps me expect more answers and more guidance. If I think about all the ways God has carried me through difficult situations in the past, I relize that He will do so again. This expectant and grateful state of mind makes it much easier to receive answers and guidance. If I want to hasten inspiration, I spend some time...

This weekend I am having dinner with two friends (Candis and Denise) I've had for 27 years! Yes- that's 27 years. I think that means we're all 30, which is freaky and a bit hard to believe. Though, I think they'd agree, we don't feel the big 3-0 at all. At least I don't. It's likely I'll know what 30 feels like when I hit 40. Anyway, back to my point. We've been close since we were tiny three-year olds running around our neighborhood. We're getting together this weekend for our monthly catch-up-dining-experience and I'm excited to see them. As ki ds, we had absolutely wild imaginations: we could be, and were, anything we wanted to be! This picture was taken (I think) at one of Denise's birthday parties. I am in the middle, with my lovely bangs that started near the back of my head and a charming necklace that goes with nothing. Denise, sitting slightly above me with her head turned, and Candis- with her "grin and bear it smile- also ...

I came home to gorgeous roses last week and was so excited! Not only that, but a note that said, "I hope you had a great day. I love you and am overwhelmingly happy to be with you. Hope I can be as good as a husband as you are a wife to me." Tim is sticking to the "it wasn't me" story and is adament that "some guy" left them for me. He swears he would never bring me flowers. I don't understand his resistence in admitting his "good guy" stance. Whatever!

Finally I've finished the baby's blessing dress! Enough said.

This week my niece experienced her first taste of death. It came as a shock and sent her into hysterics. Literally. I thought it was an interesting experience to watch from the sidelines. Boy was she upset! Actually, when she called to tell me, she couldn't stop crying. From the sounds of her hysterics, I pictured tears streaming down both cheeks and shoulders that were shaking so intensely it affected her breathing. I thought it was interesting because it was only a fish. To adults, this is funny. To her, it's like a little piece of her died! Her grief softened, a little bit, after the burial ceremony, and I think it helped her grasp a little bit of what was going on. Flushing him down the toilet is no optimal burial for a four year old's fish- she had to have the burial in the garden. And the next morning, she asked to dig him up to see if he really went to heaven. It's a pretty common experience in life, losing a pet, but it really got me thinking about ...