We're Alive!

Pretty much every day, I say I am going to jump on and blog and pretty much every day, I decide to just sit and chill when we finally get the kids to bed. Nice on one hand, not-so-nice on the other...mostly when I put my blog into a book for us as a keepsake and I have nothing to speak of our lives for weeks at a time! :)

We're alive--getting through the madness of work the days before a holiday and we are excited to relax (hopefully) and enjoy some downtime Wednesday through the weekend.

Our house is decorated for Christmas really early this year though we are still "respecting the turkey." But, when you find an ounce of spare time with two toddlers, you RUN WITH IT. :)

More to come (with some pics) soon on our trip to Christmas Candylane on Saturday with the kids. As a summary: FREEZING.

Thankfulness

They're everywhere, those "30 Days of Thankfulness." I like to read them and often agree that I, too, am thankful for many of the things people are writing.

But if I'm being frank, lately I'm stressed and low on patience. Therefore, I sometimes find it hard to "be thankful in all circumstances." I'm not the first mom to have two toddlers but parenting has been especially tough lately for some reason. Mostly on those days where they gang up on us, fight non-stop, and get up at o' dark thirty (in Ran terms, that translates to roughly 4:53 a.m. I wish I was kidding). I find myself short with Seth, yelling more than I should, getting annoyed at the hundredth "mommy?" in a 10-minute timespan...you get my drift.

We've been convicted lately to work on our patience with the kids. Some days, I literally have to grit my teeth to maintain composure, and we're not perfect. I still lose my ever-loving mind sometimes (though who doesn't with small kids, a full-time job, a marriage, and a house....at the holidays?!?). :)

I read something a few days ago about making your home a place of safety--where you, your spouse, and kids can always go to feel safe. No "attacking." No rudeness. No opinions that aren't building someone up. If your home isn't "safe," there isn't a reason to seek refuge there, and that's downright scary when you're married and raising children.

I want to take time this holiday season to--first and foremost--slow down. I find that most of our stress comes from booking our weekends solid, always doing something or going somewhere, and generally just not being together. I literally cannot imagine my life without my husband and kids (on days when they're annoying to me or not), so it's time to kick up the thankfulness factor a bit and create a safe place for our family.

"So what" Wednesday

I always think these things are sort of funny, so I'm linking up to Life After I 'Dew' for So What Wednesday...a confessional of sorts.

SO WHAT if...

- We got our credit card number stolen on Thursday and then Seth lost the new card not even three days later.

- I haven't deep-cleaned my house in a month. At least.

- I sat in front of my children's tubs of outgrown clothes and got all weepy as I sorted through them for a yard sale, even though I want no more kids. So many memories! I can literally remember where they were and what they were doing when they wore pretty much every outfit.

- I sometimes tell my child that it's "the middle of the night" when he wakes up at 5:15. That's early, people!

- There are ZERO shows on TV right now that I even care about. We are thinking of canceling our cable and going with Netflix for shows. (Thoughts on that anyone?)

- I need a date night once a month (even though we don't do this). I firmly believe you can't be the best parents unless you focus on your marriage. Though hard to comprehend, it's to be the first priority.

- I want to rip my hair out between the hours of 4:15 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. right now. Teething SUCKS. It's sad to get the grumpiest hours of the day, but thankfully, teething is just a phase!

Happy Wednesday!

Life Lately.

I wish I had time to blog more, but life has been hectic. I have another entire vacation to blog about, plus who knows what else in between?!

I thought I'd do some "life updates" about what's up with us. I love looking back on these things down the road and remembering what life was like day-to-day and what our kids were doing.

1. Carter is growing up so insanely fast. He literally talks your ear off and goes from sun (son? ha) up to sun down, with a two-hour nap in between (thank you, Jesus!). He is losing so much of that cute baby-talk, which is good and bad at the same time. What was once "lellow" is now yellow, "ket-ku" is now clearly ketchup, and so on. BUT, one thing remains: chocolate chips are STILL "rocklate chips" and popsicles are still "pop-ick-els." The movie "Madagascar" is pronounced "out-of-gas-car" to little man. Precious. Oh, and he still calls anything stringy "ties." (think: hair, melted cheese, pulled pork, ribbons, etc.) He FREAKS if he gets a tie--in any of its definitions--in his mouth.

2. Addison is a teething monster. I mean that in the nicest sense of the word, but she is craaanky between 5 p.m. and generally 7:00 p.m. and has been crying out during the night and waking up freakishly early again. PRAYING those bad-boys come in soon or mommy and daddy might lose their ever-loving minds! (Sidenote: I'm pretty sure God makes babies so stinking cute between 12-18 months because they are terrors. Just sayin') :)

3. Seth is back to school so the insanity of every weekday morning has begun. But, he did quit his part-time job so we have FAMILY TIME AGAIN. It makes me incredibly happy.

4. I am majorly itching to re-do our kitchen and have gone on a full-fledge research mission to find something that is both cost-effective and nicer than what it is now (i.e. not super...sort of 1990s countertops). I will find a solution!!!!

5. It was four years ago this week that we found out we were pregnant with Carter. So crazy!

A few random things.

My brain is fried. Though I--for obvious reasons--did not announce it publicly, Seth was in Chicago this past week. And my kids were not the kindest to me. :)

So, here are a few random things from this week.

1. We were at a wedding reception on Saturday (they got married in HI but then had a reception back here in PA) when Carter told me to "shut up." Um? WHAT DID YOU SAY, little boy? I promptly picked him up and removed him to the outside of the reception place to have a little discussion. I told him that we do not EVER say those words to mommy or anyone and asked him if he thought Jesus appreciated him talking to his mommy like that.

I KID YOU NOT, he looked at me, rolled his eyes and said "Praise father and holy ghost" and started to walk back inside.

WHAT. JUST. HAPPENED??? For starters, he's obviously referencing a line from the doxology, which he knows well. But did my three-year-old really just say that to me?!?

He obviously got scolded again for the disrespect, but that ranks up there in the list of times I've had to hold myself from laughing while disciplining because seriously?? Where does he come up with this stuff?!?

2. Addison has a double ear infection (it has been 8 weeks since the last one, after all), which explains her MISERY for much of the time Seth was gone. I couldn't possibly leave the room without her freaking out and don't even THINK of even turning your back to stir dinner on the stove, lady. Holy cow, the screaming. I can still hear it days later. And Carter and Addison are playing so poorly together lately (lack of sharing much?) so it most certainly escalated all minor "anthills" into "mountains." I'm so old to say that.

At one point while Seth was gone, I declared that if someone offered me my full-time salary to be a stay-at-home-mom, I would say thank you, but no thank you. It's for some and not for all. I'm a better mom for working.

3. I need a date night. Of the overnight variety. (see #2).

4. Addison went from "sort of" walking to practically running. And I sort of love it. Sure, it means we'll never sit down again, but she's 25 pounds, so that part is nice. Plus, I've never seen anything cuter than chubby baby legs in brand new sneakers, booking it down the hallway, while accompanied by squealing laughter. I dare you to find something cuter.

5. We leave for vacation this weekend. Our neighbor is house and dog-sitting for us and we are excited to get away and maybe enjoy SOME relaxation. Please, kids? :) 

Have a great week!

Things I've learned from being a mom...of a toddler

Sorry it's been a year since we've updated. Life is hectic and I'm tired all the time and there just isn't that much you probably care about going on. :)

One of my favorite bloggers did a list of things she's learned from being a mom to a baby (and another one on the way!), and I thought it was adorable and funny. So here's my list of things I've learned from mothering a toddler (with another one on the way!):

- Always have snacks. I do mean always. At the grocery store, gas station, mall, car, anywhere - have something. You will pay if you do not.

- Go to bed at a decent time because chances are, toddler will not care that you went to bed at midnight, and they will be raring and tearing to go at 4:45 a.m. Hypothetically speaking, of course. And, it's true - putting them to bed later does not equal sleeping later. It equals a toddler with less sleep, because they WILL still get up at 4:45 a.m.

- When you are a working mom, toddlers want your undivided attention when you walk in that door. So expect a little lump hanging on your right leg while you stir pasta, mix up sauce, and simultaneously chop lettuce for salads. Give them "chores" to keep them busy. Handing them single utensils to "set the table" will help kill a few minutes of said toddler not hanging on your leg. :)

- ....which leads me to this. No longer plan on eating dinner at 6:30 or 7:00 p.m. 5:00 is the new "in" time because toddlers are famished after daycare where they received two healthy, well-rounded meals, and two nutricious snacks.

- Plan to get very excited about airplanes in the sky, big trucks driving beside you on the road, diggers in the parking lot, and the fish in the tank at church. And it's super cute. :)

- They will want to hold your hand all the time - and it will melt your heart. How is my baby almost TWO already?!?!?! I hope he holds my hand when he is 18. I don't think he will. But I hope. :)

- You need patience, and a lot of it.

There are so many more I could write, but I'll leave it at this: a toddler has taught me A LOT in life. I'm stressed and tired, but blessed and overwhelmingly happy. I love my little life and my little boy and I can't believe he's going to be a big brother in a few months!

A Crazy Weekend!

Wow, things have been fairly nuts around here. The past few days have been jam-packed with all sorts of things.

One of my best friends, Elizabeth, got married on Saturday. On Friday night, we had the rehearsal and the dinner afterwards. Carter surprised us by being pretty well-behaved for a tired, hungry little boy. Bravo, little man! After the dinner, Seth went home with Carter (Oma and Opa were almost there for the weekend), and I went and stayed at Elizabeth's house to help keep her calm before the big day. :)

On Saturday, we got up and began the festivities - hair being done, make-up...all the normal "works" before a wedding. My friends and I were joking around that if she wasn't our best friend, we'd "hate" her (not really) because she looked THAT gorgeous. Like, out of a magazine gorgeous. The wedding was lovely and we had lots of fun at the reception. Aside from the migraine I was rocking by 11 p.m. from my hairstyle (and my gobs of hair), everything was perfect. You looked stunning, Liz, and your day was so "you!" :)

On Father's Day, we woke up fairly early and headed out to breakfast with Seth's parents. Carter was in a serious mood...and not a good one. Seems as though the teething is finally starting to take its toll. After some Tylenol, things calmed down a bit. We headed up to my parent's house for swimming, fishing, shooting, and lunch. We made mountain pies for lunch and they were sooo good. I haven't had one of those since the last time we went camping.

For Father's Day, Carter gave his daddy a crayon drawing and a card, and I got him two magazine subscriptions (for hunting and fishing magazines) and a date night to a place he's been talking about in Reading for a long time! We might even have a babysitter for the little guy. We'll see. :)

I'm thankful that, on Father's Day, I can show Seth how much I appreciate him and Carter can show him how much he loves him. He's a great dad and I can't imagine parenting with anyone but him. I love you, Seth!

Now, it's back to the grind today - Carter started his new daycare, so I've been watching the clock and wondering when it will be socially acceptable to call and see how he's doing. And my car made a lovely squeaking sound the whole way to work. Happy Monday, right?

Have a good week!! :)

What We've Been Up To

Things have been fairly hectic around here the past week. I was in Jacksonville, FL for a marketing conference Wednesday through Friday, which left Seth in charge of the little guy most of the week. I prepped what I could food-wise and laundry-wise before I left, but Mr. Mom did a great job with him all week and really enjoyed the one-on-one time they got. I missed them a lot, but really learned a lot at the conference and also got to spend some time in the 75 degree sunny weather. It was a nice change of pace.

On Saturday, Seth's parents and Aunt Cindy came for the weekend. We hung out, played with Carter, had lunch and pretty much relaxed for the afternoon. On Saturday late afternoon/evening, Seth's parents watched Carter so we could go on a date night. We went to see a movie (which we had not done since Carter was born) and then out for dinner. It was so nice to get out for a bit and I think Oma and Opa liked watching Squirt. Thanks, Oma and Opa, for watching him!!!!

Carter seemed to be feeling not quite himself a lot of the weekend, but the poor child is teething so much it is almost to be expected. He had one pop through over the weekend (one of the top center ones) and he has about 5 more ready to come in (we can see the white ready to burst through any day now across pretty much the entire top gums). So, needless to say, there is some irritability, lots of drooling, lots of chewing on toys, and some trouble sleeping. I guess it could have been worse though. He slept from 7:30-6:20 from Saturday into Sunday but then fussed a bit throughout the night Sunday into Monday.

Oma stayed home with Carter on Sunday while Seth, his dad, and I went to church. I was on nursery duty at our church and Aunt Cindy and MK went to MK's church. Afterwards, we had lunch and some naps. A dinner out to Isaac's and some relaxation topped off Sunday evening. 

On Monday, Oma and Opa watched Carter while Seth and I were at work since Carter's daycare was closed for President's day. He had another semi-rough day with the teething, but things were much better Monday night after some Tylenol and dinner. Thanks for watching him Monday too, Oma and Opa. We appreciate it! Opa also spackled the drywall in the garage which was super helpful. Thanks!

And now, back to the swing of things. Carter had a fairly good night and is back at daycare for his last week in the baby room. Next week, he moves up to the "big boy room" with kids 9 months to 18 months. Big adjustments coming our way (though I think he'll enjoy it - he LOVES that room with the older kids).

Have a great week!

A Random Act of Kindness

On my way to a meeting at the main hospital this morning, I stopped at the Starbucks in the lobby to grab a hot tea. I was the third person in line. The woman at the front ordered her drink. When the cashier asked her if that was everything she said "no, and what he wants" and pointed to the man behind her, a surgeon.

I overheard her say "I like to do this once a week as my random act of kindness." He thanked her, took his drink, and put his money on the counter, turned to me and said "Enjoy your drink on me. We'll see how long this goes" and walked away.

I thought it was so cool! So I ordered my drink, and put down money for the man behind me.

Who knows how long the chain lasted, but it was a pretty cool start to the morning. :)

Cardboard Testimonies

You might have seen this already, but if not, take a few minutes to watch. It's incredible...

Simple pleasures

I saw this on another blog and thought it was a cute idea and a fun way to get out of my writer's rut.
Here are some of my favorite "simple pleasures":
* Seeing our baby on ultrasound or hearing his heartbeat at appointments.
* Feeling the baby kick.
* Coming home to this bouncy little puppy who seriously loves so unconditionally it can make your head spin. I love him!

* Cuddling with my love.

* Going on date nights, even if they are just going out for dinner and running and errand together.

* A Starbucks latte when it's freezing out.

* A warm bubble bath while reading the magazine that came in the mail that day.

* Baby toes. Seriously, cutest things ever. I feel like I will stare at Carter's toes all day.

* When the boss lets everyone in the office leave a few hours early "just because."

* The way the house looks/smells for 4 whole minutes after I spend the day cleaning.

* Snow when you have absolutely nowhere to go.

* Laying on the beach and knowing you have absolutely nothing else to do.

* When Seth gives me flowers for no reason at all. Like when I came back to my office on the day of the big ultrasound and saw a big vase of red roses and baby's breath, JUST because he knew I was nervous. I almost melted. Such a good husband.

That's just a FEW. What are some of your simple pleasures?

I've got nothin.

Pregnancy has sapped my brain of anything worthy of blogging about. It is writer's block to the max. Well, either that or life is just revolving alot around preparations for el baby, and that's all I have to say.

Here are some random things for now:

1. Seriously, the craving for cereal is so intense it made me salivate last night at the grocery store as I stood in the cereal aisle like a child. Cookie Crisp, Life, Kix, Cocoa Puffs, Apple Jacks...they all sounded SO AMAZING. Somehow, I have been transported back to when I was 6, because only kid cereals are appealing to me right now. Rumor has it I'm craving the calcium of the milk, but I'm not sure. I did look on my baby message board I am a member of and there is a whole post about women craving cereal. So I'm not alone. Mmm, what kind will I eat for a snack tonight?!?! Lucky Charms perhaps! I don't think I've ever, before now, heard of anyone craving cereal so bad.

2. One of my best friends had her baby last night - a little girl (which surprised us all since we swore it was a boy). Her name is Haylen Nicole and I am visiting her today. YAY! :)

3. Last night, I had an uncontrollable urge to clean the showers. It was weird, but wildly fulfilling to see it so clean afterwards (I only got to the one!).

4. Tomorrow night is the last night of childbirth class! Woo hoo! Good thing we're talking about the 2 things that freak me out the most -- vacuums and forceps. Nasty.

5. I still haven't found a diaper bag to register for. I love the Vera Bradley ones, especially the solid colors like black or brown, but wow, they are expensive!

6. My dreams are irrational and weird, and in real (awake) life, I have this unexplainable fear that something is going to happen to someone I love. Maybe it's the whole emotional hormonal mess thing?

What's new with you?

Some random thoughts...

A few random thoughts for the day:

- I think it's so fun that the baby is to a stage where, if he falls asleep, I can put my hands on my stomach and move them quickly and he wakes up! It'll probably be the only time in life I want to willingly wake a sleeping baby, but it's fun for now! :)

- My sister's friend, Mary Beth, gave me a huge bag of maternity clothing to borrow and I'm soooo excited! I've been needing some new stuff and everything is in my size and perfect for the winter season! YAY!!!!

- I have a pre-natal massage tomorrow, and I couldn't be more excited!! My grandma and grandpa got me a gift card for Christmas and, even though it's only been a few weeks, it has been burning a hole in my pocket. It's best to get them in the 2nd trimester so I figured I better get on that because I'm almost into my 3rd already -- YAY again! Also, the nurse I talked to at the ob/gyn's office said she doesn't recommend these massages because they aren't scientifically proven to be beneficial (um no, but RELAXING! haha). So I got all worried/sad and emailed my doctor as one last check and she said to "have a blast -- you'll love it!!!!" So now that I have her blessing, I will FULLY enjoy. :)

- Seth and I went on a date out to eat tonight. We went for Italian and I thought it was delicious. Baby, on the other hand, did not like it.

- I finished painting Carter's closet doors and touching up the rest of the doors in the house. We also organized the pantry. Tomorrow's project -- organizing the hall closet!

- 3 months and 16 days (hopefully sooner!) til I meet the cutie little baby boy whose ultrasound picture I stare at on my computer desktop every single day.

What's new with you? :)

A list...because my mind is wandering and has not come back yet.

Blogging has become almost non-existent because life has slowed down a bit over the past few weeks. Plus, when it is busy, I am far too tired or in "outer space" (if you know what I mean) to write something that others would comprehend.

So, for now, a list of stuff. Stuff that has been happening and a few of life's going-ons:

1. Carter kicks so frantically sometimes that it makes me feel nauseous. And one time when the baby is asleep right before I go to bed, I will probably come up with a terrible idea to be silly and do a funny dance to "wake him up." Which it will. Which will prevent me from sleeping because he'll kick me in the cervix. Hypothetically speaking, of course. ;)

2. I napped at 10:30 a.m. yesterday, the second I walked in the door from church.

3. We registered this weekend, which was fun and slightly overwhelming. Probably because I was hungry and thirsty (what, am I FIVE?!?) and there were too many people around me. And then when I came home, saw that things we specifically scanned "boy" came up girl on the registry. As in "2 pack pacifier - GIRL." No, no, no. We scanned BOY. All has been fixed now though, thanks to some handy-dandy registery updates from home.

4. We went to the farm show yesterday. So did 134,000 other people. Seriously, we waited in line to go up the steps to the second floor. It was crazy.

5. I have a new niece, Emily Lynn!!! She was born yesterday at 10:47 a.m. and looks EXACTLY like her big brother. Well, for now at least. We're very excited to meet her!!!

6. I am craving hot dogs and cheese fondue. Separately, of course.

That's about all for now! What's new with you? :)

Because I Want to be Sure you Laugh Today.

Disclaimer: The story I am about to tell would be SO much better if it had visuals, trust me. But I am going to try to make it as visual as possible for you to get the full affect.

We got pretty bad snow on Saturday into Sunday. We were up at my parent's house on Saturday celebrating Christmas with extended family and stayed at my sister's house overnight on Saturday so that we didn't have to drive back home in the bad weather. We had taken the Jeep because it is better in snow, and therefore the three of us (Bentley was along), his crate, his bed, the dog, our overnight bags, food from the party, etc. were literally stuffed like sardines into the small Jeep Wrangler.

As we pulled onto our street on Sunday afternoon, I could already foretell what was about to happen. We were the only people on the entire street that had not shoveled their driveway yet and the plow had come down the street and pushed the piles along the sides of the road, thus making a mountain in front of our driveway. Surely this would be a challenge in the Jeep. Seth drops it into 4 wheel drive and guns it up and over the pile of snow, safely to the top of the driveway.

As I pushed the door open to get out, I asked him to help me out by taking all of the things I was holding on my lap the whole way home. I look out the door and see about 10-11 inches of unshoveled snow and lo and behold, I am wearing my heeled black boots--by no means "snow shoes."

I kicked my right leg out of the passenger side and put it down, where it instantly sinks the whole way to the bottom, filling my boot with snow and soaking my socks. Super. As I go to swing my left leg out of the car, it got stuck on something--might have been my purse, the junk on the floor, or the seatbelt, I'm not sure--but I started doing the one leg hop on my right leg to get unstuck.

Seth, now holding the gads of stuff from my lap, is rendered useless and unable to help me gain my balance when I frantically start flailing and fall face first into a giant 11 inch thick bed of fluffy snow. I mostly fell on my knees for all of you who are thinking "oh my gosh, she's PREGNANT and fell!" Trust me, it didn't look graceful but I (and baby) was fine. The landing felt like I fell into a bed of cotton and I sort of fell on my lower legs...it was soft as could be and considering that the jeep's door was only a little bit above the snow it wasn't very far.

But we got the biggest laugh out of it. I seriously laughed until I cried and Seth was laughing so hard his wisdom teeth (or lack thereof) were hurting...

Good thing only my husband saw me because the neighbors surely would have gotten a kick out of it! :)

Getting in the Christmas Spirit

Because it is snowing and cold, and because it is Saturday and I am taking a break from cleaning, I thought I'd do this little Christmas thing I saw on someone's blog. :)

Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate? Never even tasted egg nog, so let's go with hot chocolate :)

Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree? He wraps them...or in the case of Christmas 2006, he put the gifts in my stocking and stuffed wrinkled wrapping paper around them because he didn't know that in our newly formed family, we wrap them.

Colored lights on tree/house or white? White, white, WHITE. I think I almost refuse to have any other color of lights. The ONLY exception is if the multi-colored lights all match...no orange-toned, then non-oranged toned. Know what I mean?

Do you hang mistletoe? Nope. I can kiss my love whenever I want. ;)

When do you put your decorations up? Usually as soon as Thanksgiving leftovers are safely stowed in the fridge. Or in the case of this year, a week before. We were going to be exchanging gifts with Matt and Erin the day after Thanksgiving and I wanted it to be Christmas-y and not a mess from the night before.

What is your favorite holiday dish? No idea...hamloaf probably.

Favorite Holiday memory as a child? Waking up on Christmas morning and coming downstairs.

When and how did you learn the truth about Santa? I have no idea.

Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve? When I lived at my parents I think we did. We don't anymore, unless you can't the exchanging of gifts with my parents, siblings, etc.

How do you decorate your Christmas tree? White lights and the ornaments from when we were growing up (ones our parents got us every year, homemade ones, etc.)

Snow! Love it or Dread it? Love it if I don't have to drive, hate it if I do.

Can you ice skate? Haven't ice skated in like 15 years, so I have no idea.

Do you remember your favorite gift? Honestly, no. I think there's a "real-meaning-of-Christmas" illustration in there somewhere...

What’s the most important thing about the Holidays for you? Spending time with family and friends and reflecting on Jesus' birth.

What is your favorite Holiday Dessert? Red velvet cake

What is your favorite holiday tradition? We don't have many traditions yet but hope to change that when little Ran enters the world. For now, probably decorating the tree together.

What tops your tree? Star

Which do you prefer giving or receiving? I like both, but I think giving people gifts is SO fun!

Candy Canes: Yuck or Yum? Yum, but only in moderation

Favorite Christmas Show? National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation.

Saddest Christmas Song? Christmas Shoes, hands down.

What is your favorite Christmas Song? Hmm, probably O Holy Night...Josh Groban style.

Step into Africa

Over the past 8 or so days, our church has been hosting something called the AIDS Experience: Step into Africa. Basically, the gym was transformed into an African village. Somewhat like the Holocaust Museum, each person gets headphones and as they walk through, are hearing a narrated story of a little boy or little girl who lives in a village overcome by HIV/AIDS. You are given the "real life" opportunity to see what life was like for them (all true stories and real props) before their lives have been transformed by World Vision, the sponsor of the event. We did this Sunday night for the first time.

As you end the tour, you are brought into a room with a long wall. On it was literally THOUSANDS of handwritten notes or prayers for these children in Africa. Seth wrote one for us, while I browsed the walls of children who are up for sponsorship through World Vision. We've always considered sponsoring a child, but never got around to it because apparently our privileged-go to work-eat a hot meal-sleep in a nice bed kind of life got in the way.

Being the way I am, I was immediately thinking that $35 a month is sort of high for sponsoring a child. But then Seth brought up a good point....we basically have to give up NOTHING to make up that $35 a month. Maybe it means we don't go out for dinner one single time. Or we don't buy a new shirt at the mall. Or go 156 minutes over our cell phone plan (hypothetically speaking, of course).

As I looked around, I was instantly drawn to a little boy named Henry. I have no idea why because they were all adorable. Maybe it was his little blue shirt that was clearly worn through. Maybe it was that he was from a country that this history-deprived girl has actually heard of (Uganda).

While we stood there and talked about it, I thought how could we not??? Knowing that our materialistic $35 a month was anything but materialistic to these kids and their families. That maybe, just maybe, they'd be able to drink clean water and wear a clean shirt--things we take for granted every single day as our clean laundry makes piles several feet high in the laundry room.

Now, if we were going to do this, we had to pick a child. As we walked around looking at them all, I wandered back over to Henry with Seth. And do you know when his birthday was? December 16. Our anniversary. Now we knew we had to not only sponsor a child, but this precious little boy. How cool is that? Just that final nudge we needed at the right time.

So Henry from Uganda is now our sponsor child. That night before we left the event, we were able to write him his first letter. I wrote every single sentence in a different bright color. Seth said I was going to overwhelm the poor 5-year-old but I tend to disagree. Kids love colors, and colors it had. :)

Do you sponsor a child? Or have you ever considered it?

Boredom Passer :)

The blog is feeling a little ho-hum lately. I'm not even sure if people are still reading to be honest!

Until I have something interesting to write, here are some questions I saw on a friend's blog...but you can only use one word answers. Kept me occupied for a solid 3 minutes! :)

Where is your cell phone? here

Your hair? blonde

Your favorite food? hamloaf

Your dream last night? None

Your favorite drink? tea

Your dream/goal? family

What room are you in? family

Your hobby? scrapbooking

Your fear? sharks

Where do you want to be in 6 years? happy

Where were you last night? home

Something that you aren’t? skinny

Muffins? Blueberry

Wish list item? porch

Where did you grow up? Pennsylvania

Last thing you did? tv

What are you wearing? PJs

Your TV? dying

Your pet? adorable

Friends? love

Your life? simple

Your mood? dreary

Missing someone? papa

Vehicle? Civic

Something you’re not wearing? socks

Your favorite store? Mall (I cheated I know)

Your favorite color? blue

When was the last time you laughed? today

Last time you cried? computer crash (can't answer that in 1 word!)

Your best friend? Allie/Liz

One place that I go to over and over? work

One person who emails me regularly? sister

Favorite place to eat? italian

Hello, I'm Danielle.

It's been so long since I've posted, it's almost like I need to start over. There hasn't been too much terribly exciting going on in my life, and I've been busy so it's been scarce on the blog front. When the babies (NOT MINE, my sister's) are born, there will be lots more to talk about and pictures to show.

In the meantime, I saw this on someone else's blog and it's a delightful way to kill time before I have to put the clean sheets on the bed (one of my least favorite of all time).

1. Have you ever been searched by the cops? nope
2. Do you close your eyes on a roller coaster? Not usually, but sometimes if the hill is really big I do in the middle of the hill when my stomach goes to my throat!
3. When's the last time you've been sledding? hmm, probably 2 years ago 4. Would you rather sleep with someone else, or alone? Absolutely with Seth. Weird and lonely without him.
5. Do you believe in ghosts? Hmm...not really.
6. Do you consider yourself creative? Yes
7. Do you think O.J. killed his wife? no idea...probably since he wrote a book called "If I killed my wife"
8. Jennifer Aniston or Angelina Jolie? Jennifer Aniston for sure.
9. Can you honestly say you know ANYTHING about politics? Very little.
10. Do you know how to play poker? No.
11. Have you ever been awake for 48 hours straight? Not that I know of
12. What's your favorite commercial? haha, no idea. But for some reason the Hefty garbage bag one where they go "stinky stinky stinky" in it cracks me up every time. Even Bentley turns his head sideways when he hears it.
13. Who was your first love? First REAL love...Seth
14. If you're driving in the middle of the night, and no one is around you, do you run a red light? No way, cops are sneaky
15. Do you have a secret that no one knows but you? Probably
16. Boston Red Sox or New York Yankees? I absolutely do not care but because I love my husband, I will say the Yankees
17. Have you ever been Ice Skating? Once. I fell 27 times. I counted.
18. How often do you remember your dreams? a lot
19. What's the one thing on your mind? Why did I let THIS many socks go unfolded for so long?!?
20. Do you always wear your seat belt? Yes, one because I don't want to get killed and two, my car makes an annoying dinging sound until I do.
21. What talent do you wish you had? Singing or playing the piano
22. Do you like Sushi? Ew, nasty. No way.
23. What do you wear to bed? T-shirt
24. Do you truly hate anyone? I don't HATE anyone, but I do hate some people's actions which makes me dislike them a bit
25. Do you know anyone in jail? No
26. What food do you find disgusting? tomatoes
27. Have you ever made fun of your friends behind their back? Sadly, occasionally. But I also do tell them what I need to say to their faces too :) hehe
28. Have you ever been punched in the face? no.
29. Favorite current tv show? Grey's Anatomy. I never watched it. Then I heard everyone gushing about the finale, so I started watching season one. No lie, I am OB.SESSED.
30. If you saw your best friend's wife/husband cheating on them...would you tell them? 100% yes; No one should have to put up with a cheater AND a liar.

Wow, that took all of 5 minutes. Now you waste time! :)

I Think I Have a Fan

Every day when I leave work, I always turn on one of the local radio stations right away. They have the best traffic updates, and it has saved me so much time by avoiding highways that are backed up. Lately, I've been taking the turnpike to avoid the traffic altogether.

Seth and I don't have an EZ-Pass, so I always pay cash. Pretty much every day--no matter which "cash" lane I pick--the attendant is this tiny 70 or so year old Asian man. He is always very nice and smiles from ear to ear, but he is very slow in his demeanor. Most grab your money and get you on your way. But this gentleman slooowly puts his hand out the window, says "hello," asks me how my day is going, and gives me the old man flirtiest smile. (You know, that just-a-tiny-bit-creeps-you-out smile...)

I'm always polite, but try to keep him on schedule as I'm sure the people behind me think I've probably just given the attendant a $100 bill to break every day he spends so much time on my transaction. In fact, some days, I feel bad that I'm so rushed and get a little weirded out by him.

Today, I left work a little later than normal and I was trying to just get home. So when I pulled in my usual lane and saw that it was a different person, I sort of let out a sigh of relief that a "thank you" would be good and I'd be on my way.

As I paid the attendant and got ready to pull away, I glanced over to say thanks and the little Asian man every so slowly peaked out from behind him, gave me a little "ah ha!" smile, and did the little single index finger wave.

He was so watching for me.

Let's EZ-pass, shall we?