Miscellany

• I love Christmas, but I'm glad it's over. It's like going on vacation but being glad to sleep in your bed when you get home. It's chaos, glorious chaos, but makes you appreciate the routine days throughout the rest of the year.
• I finally got all of my decorations put away. 
• I'm nesting. Bad.
• This is a good thing as Evelyn's room is finally getting some attention and our basement is getting more organized by the day.
• I'm a little freaked out by the fact that I'm having a baby in two months. That is not enough time to get everything done. I'm trying really hard, but not being very successful.
• Rob has been hearing yet another round of layoff threats. This one sounds legit, but when you hear them at least once every four months you begin to ignore them. God will take care of us.
• I don't think Rob would be disappointed to have to find a new job considering how much he dislikes his. Maybe this is God telling him to move on?
• I am finding my job harder and harder. My body is protesting sitting all day staring at a computer. I feel tired and frustrated. I miss teaching. I miss my baby. 
• Evelyn has begun with the tantrums. She's attempting to scream/cry and fall on the floor when she doesn't get her way. Fun, no? At this point, we are both just completely ignoring the behavior or telling her that when she is ready to be kind we can do an alternative activity.
• I'm struggling with the idea of Evelyn weaning (yes, she's still nursing). She is beginning to drop morning sessions and I've noticed changes in her habits as my milk changes back to colostrum (aren't our bodies amazing?). Outside pressures make me question how I'm handling it, but I know deep down that it's a positive part of our relationship and that someday she will wean and I won't have these moments anymore. This may be a whole other post in and of itself though.
• Parenting is hard stuff.
• How the heck am I going to handle two?
• I often feel like I don't devote enough attention to certain activities. I stink at remembering people's birthdays and sending cards. I want to take more pictures of life and keep my photos organized. I want to be crafty or keep my house cleaner but I feel like I can never keep up. I think this is common with moms. But, it's hard when others seem to make it look so easy. 
• Example: I'm 3 years behind on putting our family photos into our annual ornaments. Also, I desperately want to make a photo book for Evelyn's first year, but I feel like I have to be doing so many other things that I can't focus on it. I think the part of me that can't stand to start a project and not finish it in one sitting is my greatest detriment in this department.
• If people call me a procrastinator, I'm not sure what I'd label Rob. His incessant habits of procrastinating are grating on my every last nerve right now. I can't get going on Evelyn's room because his desk covered in his crap is still in there and I, obviously, can't move it. Also, him and trash is probably topping my list right now. Is it really that hard to take two steps to throw the wrapper of a piece of candy away? Also, when I ask you to take the trash out (because you yell at me when I do it - being pregnant an all) that means actually taking it outside and putting it in the can, not setting it in the garage for morning. And then not doing it in the morning either. I might as well have just done it myself.
• Thankfully though, when he does get motivated, there's no stopping him. He's been working hard on the basement and it's finally getting there!

Only in St. Louis

If you are reading and are from the St. Louis area, I'm sure you know what I mean when I talk about St. Louis weather. We can go from 6 inches of snow to 75 degrees overnight without batting an eye and while the weather this week wasn't that dramatic, it certainly isn't normal.

I'm a summer girl through and through so I jumped on this 70 degree December day to take a little trip to our neighborhood park. I thought the outdoors would do us some good since we are both recovering from a cold and fresh air always seems to perk me up. Warning: Picture dump! I even took my good camera and you can totally tell I'm out of practice...

{You may notice a theme here...}

{Concentrating...}

{A little ungraceful still}

{Checking things out}

{Loves the slide!}

{We're still battling with keeping the clips in her hair}

{All by herself!}

{Winking!}

{Love that she got my light eyes}

{Love the look she's giving Rob}

{Thinking hard about going down the slide}

{I love toddler bellies!}

{Can't we go up the slide too?}

{New fave of Evelyn and Daddy}

{Blurry but hilarious}

{Ladies and gentlemen, we have a tongue thinker on our hands}

{Trying to go back up}

{Escape!}

{She figured out how to get to the top by herself}

{She was counting before she went down! So cute!}

{One...}

{Two...}

{Eeeeee!!!}

She was so proud of herself when she got to the bottom. She got down and clapped for herself and then wanted to do it over and over again. Priceless moments. Some days I love crazy St. Louis weather.

WOW Sandwich

World of Warcraft, that is. I'm sitting on the couch next to my hubby and my neighbor, both of which are deeply engrossed in this game that is slowly abducting husbands across the world. Ladies, watch your men. Once they start, there's not turning back!

It all started during student teaching when I was spending HOURS after school working on things for my classes. Poor Rob needed something to fill his time so he decided to start "WOWing" again. The problem is, I'm not spending hours after school on work anymore and he's still playing his fun little game... hmm...

I suppose it gives me guilt-free time to read a book!

Which, by the way, I think I'll start posting reviews on my blog.... we'll see how it goes.

Sincerely,

Some Saturday...

:::SIGH::: This was quite a Saturday. I've been caring for my sick husband all day. :(

We're still not sure if it was the Chinese food last night, or a stomach bug, but -without going into detail - it wasn't pretty. I got quite a bit done though. My motives? The looming possibility that I might get sick... please, Lord, I don't want to get sick. When I wasn't caring for Rob today, I was getting caught up on housework all the while thinking about what wouldn't get done around the house that needed to if I get sick. I have so little faith, don't I? Maybe it's just the men in my life, but it always seems that when they get sick, everything stops for them (I'm not complaining about caring for Rob!). But when we get sick, it just keeps right on going. I think it's one of those rules of nature.

Though I didn't make it to the to the store today (for groceries anyway), I did manage to get a lot of my Christmas cards done. I'm doing two different groups, family and non-family. The non-family cards are some nice ones I bought at Target since I didn't think those at my church really cared to have a picture of Rob and I with the dogs staring at them. For the family, however, I made a little card in Photoshop that I'll be picking up tomorrow at Costco. Check it out:

I'm pretty happy with it. It took Rob and I several tries to get a decent picture in front of the tree with the boys. Oliver, for once, actually looks pretty good. I think Dudley, on the other hand, was too busy trying to eat Rob's hand... :) What do you think? Any suggestions for next time?

Next on my list, COOKIES!!!

We're also expecting some snow on Sunday night and Monday. Snow day? Mmmm... I hope so... :). I could do stuff I've been wanting to do for ages!! Can you tell I'm still basking in the glory of being done with school for the semester? I'm loving it!

Wow.

Yesterday was um, err... eventful. I took off work because I had my last final (woo-hoo!) and needed to get the paperwork signed for the class I tested out of. I also had to deep clean my house for the cookie exchange I hosted last night. So I got up and started taking care of the clutter (it kind of builds up when you don't clean it every once in a while, you know?). I hadn't really cleaned my house in a few weeks because I was up to my eyeballs with school work. I then wandered over to Lindenwood to take my final and take care of some last minute things. Afterward, I came home and finished cleaning (it really felt good!) and got ready for the party.

Well, at about 10:30 am yesterday, I got the following text from Rob at work: "Something is going down today at work... XXX said it isn't good. I'll know in about an hour. Try not to worry it may be nothing bad and I trust God to get us through whatever it may be. Love u!"

What???!!! Okay, here's the back story: Rob works for company X. Company X got bought by company Y (making company XY) who says they won't be doing major job cuts (right....). Now company XY is outsourcing all of their techinical support to the Philippines!!! HAHAHAHAhahaha! Ho. Ha. Ahem. Um, what? Are they morons? 

So, in one year my hubby is getting laid off. Yeah, it could definitely be worse considering some companies only give a day or two notice (:::cough::: A-B) but still, who likes to hear that their job is in jeopardy? Rob has a GOOD job. It pays decent and the benefits are great (okay, not great, but definitely above average). 

I can't say that Rob is disappointed. He isn't really fond of his job. You see, he supports a piece of software stock brokers use in trading. When it doesn't work right they get a little frustrated. Then they call Rob and he gets to fix their problem. It's slightly stressful work. I mean these people could be losing mucho money when the software doesn't work right, so he's under a lot of pressure. But it's a good job! 

Ugh... now the pressure is on for me to get a teaching position next year and Rob has to find something else. In this job market, I'm a little scared. Maybe by next year, things will be better. 

I'll tell you though, this economy isn't being nice to us. My dad's on temp. disability for his heart, my brother got laid off, my sister-in-law got laid off, my brother-in-law might get laid off, as well as my aunt and Rob's cousin. It sucks. I guess this is one moment I'm thankful to be a teacher - a little job security! If I can get a job.

I guess I'm just a little annoyed. Annoyed that these higher-ups in companies want to ship US jobs to the Philippines. Annoyed that our economy sucks. Annoyed that I'm not a millionaire and can give away all my money to people who need it (hey, a girl can dream, right?). 

Okay, vent over. I'm still working on my Christmas video, by the way. Stay tuned!

I know, I know...

Okay, I've been extremely busy. I know I said I'd post more often, but honestly, I just haven't had that much time. Here's the shortened version of the long story. I've been going through that little period at the end of the semester involving projects. I swear I've written 60-70 pages of reports in the past week. I'm done though!!! Except for studying for my College Algebra exam (I'm trying to test out of it... wish me luck). Aside from that I've been playing the role of supportive wife to my husband and his new business.

:::Begin shameless plug:::

Rob and his business partners - Matt (the idea maker), Andy (my brother), and Greg (our good friend) are starting a business called The Gamer Lounge. To start this business off they have teamed up with the Mid Rivers Best Buy (all you St. Charles folk know what I'm talking about) to host a Guitar Hero World Tour tournament. Let me tell you, it's gonna be awesome!! They've been working hard to prepare for this by making three of these babies:

Consisting of four 42" Plasma TV's and four XBOX 360's they are The. Bomb. That's right, we dropped a little under 13K one day on the electronics for these. Best Buy loves us.

So, that said, The Gamer Lounge will be hosting a Guitar Hero World Tour tournament on Saturday, December 6, 2008 at the Mid Rivers Best Buy. The entry fee is $20 for a chance to win your choice of a Wii bundle, a PS3 bundle, or a $400 gift card to Best Buy. We will also be raffling a Wii Fit. Come on out check it out! If you want to enter you can go here and pay through PayPal. Or you can enter the day of (if there's space available!). I hope to see you there!!!

Okay, I've done my wifely duty and placed an advertisement on my blog. ;o)

But seriously though, I'm super excited about this and so is Rob. Come support our new adventure!

P.S. If you can't make this one, we're planning another for December 28, details to come soon!

Married Life: The Good, The Bad, and the Superfabulously Ugly (and cuteness you can't deny!)

"So how's married life?" I love that question, because then I get to dwell on the fact that I'm married for a few minutes out of my day! I'm sure the question will get old, but for now I'm going to bask in all of my newlywed glory.

The Good.
If I said everything about being married is good, I would be a liar, and I don't like lying. I'm not going to sugarcoat things and say that marriage life is all rainbows and puppies. It definitely has its ups and downs. Sometimes its more down than up, but mostly its more up than down. I have to remember to cherish these times because they don't last forever. But, all in all, I LOVE being married. I love taking care of my own house. Cleaning, doing laundry, its all so fulfilling! I'm sure it will get old after a while, but knowing that I'm doing my job as a wife is such an awesome feeling. I also love the freedom we have. We are accountable to each other now. We go where we want when we want and our only real responsibility is our babies! Don't get me wrong, we definitely try and spend time with out families on a regular basis, but for me, never having lived away from home, I feel very liberated! I love not having so say goodbye to Rob every night, going to bed with him, waking up next to him. It's all so wonderful! So I could go on and on with all of this sappy stuff that your are probably ready to vomit at, but I'm gonna move on...

The Bad.
Ah... the bad. Did I ever mention how when I said my vows, I wasn't just agreeing to marry Rob, but all of his lovely friends too? Yes, I sometimes feel like the housekeeper for a frat house. Okay, a very tame frat house, but a house full of boys nonetheless. It's fun, sometimes. Others, it can be slightly annoying. Rob and I have had many a discussion regarding "us" time. But, marriage is a learning experience. We have to work hard on it and we are perfecting it every day.

Then, there's the business. Rob is definitely the entreprenurial type. He is desperately searching for a way out of the 9-5 business world. Can you blame him? Who doesn't wish they didn't have to wake up to an alarm and report to a boss everyday? Rob has wanted to start his own business since I've known him. So this summer has been a roller coaster of business meetings, loan applications, and me sitting on the edge of my seat with butterflies in my stomach at the thought of the bank putting a lein on my beloved house. Is scared a good word? I think so. Rob won't rest until he's tried. Whether he succeeds (please, God, let him succeed) or fails, I'll be standing here next to him.

The Ugly.
They grow them big out here. Spiders that is. From here on out I will refer to these disgusting eight-legged creatures as just that creatures. Because, I can't stand to even look at the word. It grosses me out. I've mentioned before my ridiculous fear for creatures. If I get surprised by one, I'll hyperventilate. So, living here has been a bit trying. Our house was built in a subdivision that used to be a farm field. Our house is somewhat alone over here in the new part and there is still a lot of open land. All of this land allows for unprecedented growth of creatures. They are large. Disgustingly large. Frightenlingly large. Rob stepped on a wolf creature outside our garage that was about the size of the palm of my hand. Luckily we have a pest shield system that seems to work well and we haven't found any inside yet. But, apparently Satan has discovered this little weakness of mine and is taunting me with it. I don't like it. I don't like it at all.

The Cute!
So, let's end this on a high note, shall we? Another thing I love about being married? My family. My own little family. Me, Rob, and the kids. My babies. They're the best! I love them and they have been awesome! Remember my post on them peeing in the house. I've discovered a solution that works. I pick up their food and water! They've only pooped in the house once or twice since then and haven't peed! Squee! My life is now perfect! Just look at Dudley, who can deny a face like that? 

I'm Baaaaaaaccccckkkk!!!

Ladies and gentlemen, I'm married!!! What an amazing week and a half it has been! The wedding went off without a hitch and our week off of work was way too fast. But, I'll start from the beginning.

The week of the wedding was crazy. We were so busy decorating and making sure everything was ready. The rehearsal and dinner were great as well. I was really proud of myself because I never really felt very nervous beforehand. The day of, however was a different story.

I took everyone's advice and made sure I tried to take everything in as well as stayed hydrated and kept food on my stomach. We all met on Friday at the church to get our hair done at about 8am. Deanna, who is AMAZING, was there bright and early and did everyone's hair. She was literally working from 8am until 3:30pm to get everyone done. I couldn't thank her enough! She did a great job on everyone' s hair and kept a beautiful smile on her face all day long! My only pictures from the day of the wedding are of us hanging out getting ready so, here goes!

Deanna (she's gonna hate me for this picture!)

Doing our hair

Playing spoons while waiting...

Doing my makeup

Steaming my veil

I must say, also, that God is good! I literally sat and stared out the window ALL DAY as it rained CONSTANTLY from 8:30am until Clary (our photographer) got there. It didn't stop!! I was pleading with God to make it stop! He did! So, we tramped out in the wet grass in the wooded area behind the church for some pictures. I'm anxiously awaiting these! I'll definitely let you know as soon as they're posted.

The week after the wedding was a great week off. Not exactly what I had pictured, but still wonderful. Remember how I said Rob hadn't moved anything yet? And he promised he would be moved by the wedding? Well, the day after the wedding he breaks the news to me that he doesn't have any UNDERWEAR! What?! So, we head back to his parents' house to get some of his stuff. We also had a LOT of company the week after. I was hoping for some more alone time, but I still had a good time.


One thing I really loved: spending some good quality time with my babies! I got a whole week to love on them and get them used to their new house. They're loving it here! As am I!


Unfortunately, I had to head back to work today... it was bittersweet. I missed my class and am anxious to establish our routine. However, I don't want to start up the day to day boring stuff. Such is life.

More to come later!

PHEW!

I'm so tired. Not that I'm tired for a bad reason. This weekend was a LOT of fun. But, I'm tired. Saturday I had my bachelorette party! It was a blast. Low key, which is what I wanted. We went to Ariake Steak House and then bowling at Brunswick Zone after which we went back to Casey's house (my future sister-in-law) and just hung out. I know it doesn't sound like much fun to some, but I loved it and I'm the bride, so there. ;o)


Saturday, Rob's dad threw him a surprise party. This was AWESOME! As much as his dad complains about Rob's friends coming over (being noisy and leaving a mess) he's gonna miss it when Rob moves out! So, Don decided to have a last hurrah and had a big poker tournament with all of Rob's buddies. Us girls hung out all night and ate pizza... :o)

Sunday, we took some groceries to the house and then a birthday party for Rob's little cousins, Max, Camille, and Alexandra. It was fun! James, Camille, and Sophia practiced walking down the aisle (hallway) for the wedding. They are going to be great!

On a side note, I went grocery shopping this week. I've definitely been worried about this. We're on a budget, obviously and I was really worried about how much money it was going to cost to get all of those basic things for the house - salt, pepper, vegetable oil, etc. But, I've been clipping coupons, and I went through the ads for the week. Overall, I think I did really well! And, I LOVE Super Walmart! As much as I really don't like shopping at Walmart, you can't deny it when their prices are lower than the grocery store's on sale with a coupon!


I'm going to end this post telling you that I'm getting married next week! AHHH!!! I'm super excited and super stressed. But, after the wedding I have a week off! For now I have to get through a week of a period-induced headache (yuck!!) that hopefully doesn't turn into a migraine, again. I don't need that teaching four year olds.


With that said, I can't say I'll be posting much in the next couple of weeks. I'll definitely make one last post before the wedding, but hopefully after all of this is over I can spend some more time on here!