Pregnancy Update

I wanted to post a new photo of me at 20 weeks, so here ya go! We have our ultrasound on Monday and I am SOOOOOOOO excited! I had a dream last night about the ultrasound, and it was really weird. There was one thing after another and they kept putting us off so we couldn't have it done. Plus it was my director at work who was doing the ultrasound. Weird! I am sure it will be different on Monday. So, the verdict is that we are going to find out the gender. I just couldn't bear to wait another 20 weeks!

Everybody's Doing It

I remember when blogging was first catching on. It took me a while to decide to create my own blog, but with a little help from my friends Steve and Peter, I managed to throw this together. Later I helped my friend Amy get her blog started, and now she is a blogging fiend! I love reading her posts. Now, even more friends have joined, like Shan, Sarah, and Jessica (sorry Jess, I can't seem to find the link to your blog). It seems to be a catchy trend, and I think it's so great that we can all stay connected this way even between hundreds or even thousands of miles.

Recently, I noticed that several of my other friends or acquaintances have also joined the blogosphere:

• Michelle, who also has her own online store
• Kellie, a friend from high school and college
• Katie, another friend from high school
• Marnie, another friend from high school

I love reading the posts when I have down time and enjoying the fun stories, etc. So, blog on, friends, blog on.

New Baby Stuff

Well today I had to say goodbye to my supervisor, since her last day is tomorrow, and I'm not there on Fridays. She is such a great supervisor and I have really enjoyed working with her. I hope that we hire someone at least half as good as her.

Anyway, as we were saying goodbye, she gave me a great little baby gift since she's not going to be around when they do a shower for me. So I absolutely love my gift! Here is a photo so that you can all see how cute it is. She got green items since we don't know the gender yet. But it's still super cute, and I especially love the onesies!

Parenting Gone Wrong

What has this world come to, when something like this can happen? I am just sickened by this kind of thing, and it makes me sad to realize that people continue to treat their children like their property instead of like a human being. This story makes me think of the book, "The Child Called It", and I can only imagine what else this poor boy went through before his final "punishment" when lead to his death. Some speculators are relating this to a possible "religious" issue or a "homeschooling" issue. No, I think it is a STUPIDITY issue. A complete lack of humanity on the part of the parents. They should NEVER be allowed to get their other 2 children back, but in this world, I wouldn't be surprised if they did...

Coming Along

Here I am at 18 weeks pregnant. Things are coming along. I am finally showing (a little bit), and I am now needing to wear maternity clothes, since now of my regular clothes are fitting. I went shopping with Sarah, who is about 5 weeks behind me, on Saturday and we scored some great stuff. The thing I am most excited about is the "belly band", which you can put over your regular clothes and hide the fact that you have your pants unbuttoned ; )

Anyway, the best part right now is getting to feel the baby move. I love laying there at night with my hand on my stomach, feeling all the little squirms and kicks. So cool! We will be having our 20 week ultrasound on June 23rd, which is actually my 21st week. So I think we're going to find out whether we are having a boy or a girl, which will be exciting... my guess is a boy.

Well I am off to youth group and hanging out with lots of kids!

Rant

Ok, I have a rant. What is one of the things that bothers me more than anything? When someone (or several people) make statements about things which they know nothing about. It seems to happen a lot online. See, I do some posting online to promote my business, and most of the time things go smoothly. But every once in a while, there is someone who thinks they are an expert but yet have no direct experience with the topic at hand. That has got to be the most annoying thing in the world.

That's about it. I just had to get that out of my system.

One of Those Days

Today I had one of those days. It was not good. It started with me being very emotional and getting into an argument with Scott, and much crying ensued. Then, after I was calm enough to eat breakfast, I felt a little better. I had a business call before going to work and that went well. Well, it went well and then it changed, and so that was another disappointment. At work, I had to talk to a DHHS worker that I have a hard time interacting with - it seems she says and does things to purposefully irritate me, like failing to mention that she changed the meeting time tomorrow. On top of that, my supervisor who I really get along with is leaving and that is a huge bummer. After all of this, I really just wanted to go home, crawl into bed, and go back to sleep. That way, I could just forget that I ever got up today.

Somehow, I managed to put my mind on other things and get some actual work done. It helped to talk with a friend and be able to focus better after that. After work, I came home and wanted to relax for about an hour before I had to go back to Bangor for a meeting. Moxie, however, decided that it would be fun to get wrapped around the tree in the pouring rain, which meant I had to go out and get him. Then he also decided it would be fun to crawl under my car and trample my flowers. URGH! Sometimes dogs can be so stupid.

I managed to lay down for about 20 minutes and then have some dinner. Then I went back to Bangor to meet with 3 classmates and plan our 10 year high school reunion. That was good because we were able to meet pretty quickly. Once home for good, I crashed on the couch and watched stupid TV shows for a while, and also talked with another friend.

One good thing of the day: My company that I work with for my business called today and said that they want to interview me! I was a little shocked, since my past few months have been slow (thanks to all my fatigue and morning sickness). But nonetheless, on Friday I will be interviewed and it will be put on the company training website. What an honor, and a nice pick-me-up after a long day.

Baby Thoughts

The reality that I am having a baby is starting to set in. There is a crib in my dining room, I've started to feel the baby moving (woohoo!), and people are always asking me how I'm feeling. For a while, I didn't really feel pregnant. I knew it in my head, but it just didn't seem real. Now, with the expanding waistline and the fact that I can feel the baby from time to time, things are setting in.

As I have read on my friend Amy's blog lately, it is important that we be honest with ourselves and others on these issues. So I have to say, the whole concept of motherhood is quite scary to me. I have, for a long time, loved working and playing with kids in the 2-4 year old age range. And even now, those ages are much more appealing to me than newborns. While I love newborns and they are so cute, I have never been the person to run over and oooh and ahhh over newborns. So the fact that I am going to have one on my own is a little scary. I know everyone says, "Oh, it'll be different when it's your own," and I know that is true. But the fact is, I will still be dealing with the screaming in the middle of the night, changing diapers, nursing, and needing to watch the baby every waking moment (and probably many sleeping moments as well).

I am thankful that God built in 9 months to prepare us for motherhood. I don't think I could do it if it was just 2 or 3 months. At this point, though, I am almost half-way there - 18 weeks now! So I still have time to adjust to this whole idea - but not that much time. I am thankful that I don't have to be perfect and that God will give us grace as we learn.

A Hiking Adventure

Earlier in the week, I asked Scott if we could go somewhere today. So, we agreed that we would go somewhere, do something fun today. It was supposed to be 75 degrees according to the weather reports earlier in the week, but it turns out it was about 65, if that. We overslept so we had a slow start, but we finally left our house around 10:15 or so. We had to stop in Ellsworth to get some food, since I am completely low on groceries. But finally we were at Acadia National Park in Southwest Harbor area. We decided to climb Beech Mountain, because it looked like a short enough hike. When we got there, we let the dogs out to to go the bathroom and they met another dog, which they were excited about. Right about then, it started to pour. Oh, lovely. So we got into the car and decided to have lunch. It is interesting trying to make PB&J in a car with two dogs and plastic utensils. But finally we were able to eat and then the rain lightened up enough for us to start out on the hike. We gave the dogs some food and water, and got ready to go. Scott let go of Mia's leash to get his backpack ready, so I let go of Moxie so that I could get my sweatshirt on, etc. Well Moxie decided to get a head start on the trail, and Mia took off after him. No amount of whistling, yelling "food" or "treat", or their names caused them to turn around. I headed up the trail after them, and Scott was still at the car. At one point the trail split but I was pretty sure the dogs went up. Finally Mia came back to meet me, but Moxie was still no where to be seen or heard. Scott caught up with me and we went on up the trail. About 10 minutes later, we finally caught up with Moxie. I was relieved because I just keep picturing us going the whole trail and Moxie being way off in the woods somewhere and us not finding him.

Anyway, after that we tried holding their leashes, but Mia was basically pulling me up the slippery rocks. So I decided to let go of her because she is usually really good about coming back to us. Then a little later, Scott decided to try it with Moxie again. The first time, he took a very long time to come back. But then we just kept giving treats every time they came back to us, and by the end of our hike, Moxie was hardly going ahead of us at all. Once we finally reached the top, we met a few other people, but the dogs were good after the initial barking episode. Scott started up the fire tower, and the dogs with him, until the both realized they could look down and go scared. But a second try with some treats allowed them to go up as far as we could (it was closed at the top). It was so funny watching them, because they were still nervous but they did it.

Overall it was a great trip with some pretty views, despite the intermittent rain. After the hike, I convinced Scott (with some arm twisting) to go to Seawall. Seawall is one of my favorite places in the state, but today's stop was a short one. One of my favorite parts was when Moxie slipped and fell right into the ocean! So funny!

On the way home, we stopped at LLBean and Cadillac Mtn Sports, at Scott's request. Then we stopped in Hampden at McLaughlin's for lobster rolls. I was so craving lobster after driving by all the lobster pounds, so I was very happy when we got home and ate our lobster rolls. Yum!

A good day. Very tiring, but good.

New Crib!!!

We went to our friends' Matt & Elisha's house on Thursday night. It was great fun, especially to see their two daughters be so funny and entertaining. Their youngest, almost 3, has recently transitioned out of her crib. So, they decided to give us their crib! Wow, what a huge blessing. Here are some photos. It is in practically perfect condition, and it is pretty much what I would have picked out myself.

Movie & Play Reviews

I realize it's been too long since my last update, and I do have many things to share. First I will start with reviews of movies & a play I recently saw.

1. Dan in Real Life starring Steve Carell was one of the best movies I've seen in a long time. I laughed, I cried, and I just really enjoyed the entire movie. Steve Carell (from "The Office") is a great actor, and in this movie he is a widower and single father of 3 girls. He is also a writer and writes a column called "Dan in Real Life." I don't want to give away the plot, but the movie is basically about family, love, and what's really important in life. The daughters are at times completely mad at their father for various reasons, and one even screams out "You are a murderer of love!" which is one of my favorite parts of the movie. But they also love him deeply, and they are truly a family. As for family friendliness, the movie is rated PG-13 and is a lot "cleaner" than most other movies with that rating. There is some sexual innuendo, and a bit of minor language, but overall I felt it was good. You can check out PluggedIn for a more comprehensive review. This will definitely be a movie I will purchase.

2. Expelled with Ben Stein was a documentary showing how the concept of Intelligent Design is not allowed into the "scientific" circles of how the world began. Ben goes through many examples of scientists with more letters after their name than you can imagine who have been "expelled" from the scientific arena because of their openness to even discussing Intelligent Design. It is informative and actually funny in some parts, especially at the end when one of the top "experts" on evolution and a self-proclaimed athiest tries to explain why he doesn't believe there is a God. Or, I should say, he's somewhere between 50 and 99% sure there's not a God - he knows it's higher than 49%, but he's not willing to put a number on it. Hmmmm isn't he going to be surprised someday? Anyway, this was an excellent film. I recommend it to anyone who wants to be informed on how closed minded our academia is in the US. Whether you believe in evolution, creation, or intelligent design, this is worth watching.

3. Alice in Wonderland, a play starring Kelsey Burt, was a fabulous production. We saw this in Brooks, Maine, and the theater was packed out. The costumes, the music, the singing, and the actors were all fabulous. Kelsey did a wonderful job as Alice, and was quite entertaining to watch. The many other students who played the other roles were also great, all using facial expression as well as creative costumes to play their parts. Definitely the highlight of last weekend!

Well there will be more to come, as I have much more to update, but I wanted to start with this.

Wow, wow, wow, what a weekend

This has been a tiring weekend, and I'm about to go to bed so this will be short. Friday night we went to the church to be there with 18 teenagers for the 30 Hour Famine. The famine started at 12:30pm on Friday and went through 6:30pm Saturday. We met at the church at 7pm Friday night and had 24 hours full of "Tribe Games", free time, devotions, movies, etc. The one thing that was missing from the weekend that is usually present in all youth activities was FOOD! (I did eat, of course, since I am growing a baby).

It was a great weekend, but it was very tiring! We finished off the weekend on Saturday night with a big feast which all the parents brought. After cleaning up, Scott and I were finally able to come home and crash. This morning we went to Sunday School and 2nd service, since we were so tired. Then we stopped at the store on the way home and got some food for lunch. We had my mom, Paul, and my gram over for lunch. We had salmon, burgers, hot dogs, corn on the cob, potatoes on the grill, salad, and more! It was delish.

After lunch, I spent time planting my flowers that I got at the perennial swap at church (oh yeah, that was also part of Saturday morning). While I was outside planting, I heard a beep and looked up and saw my wonderful friends Amy & Kevin!!! They drove in our driveway for a mere 5 minutes to say hi. It was SO wonderful to see them, even for a few minutes. Hopefully they'll be moving back to Maine sometime soon and maybe even live near us : )

So now, I've been totally relaxing, took a nap, and watched some mindless television. Although, Extreme Home Makeover was a real tear jerker tonight. Maybe I'm just more emotional...

Ok, now I'm saying goodnight.

Creative Memories FINAL Sale

Ok folks, I am truly getting rid of my inventory. All prices you see listed here are my cost - I'm not making a profit on selling these! Prices are negotiable, so I am even willing to go lower. This will be my final sale before they go on ebay or craig's list. This is a LONG list, and items will be first-come, first served.

12x12 Albums & Pages
Evergreen with Foil Wreath $26.60
Gold Dust Pages (2) $11.90
Natural Pages (2) $11.90
Baby Pages $16.80

8 ½ x 11 Albums & Pages
Cranberry Album $19.60
White Pages (2) $8.40

7x7 Albums & Pages
Bloomin’ Pink Album $14.00
Enchantment Coverset in lily pad (2) $11.90
Petal Coverset $10.50
Sky Coverset $10.50
Amore Coverset $14.00
Gold Dust Pages $7.35
Spargo Pages $7.35
Black Pages $7.35
Black ‘n Blue Pages (2) $5.00

PicFolio Albums
Cream Milestones (11x14) $30.80
Triumph Memory Chest (with tan $21.00
Minutes Album [6x7], Storybox
Metro, and storage box)

Organizers & Totes (40% off retail price)
12-inch DecoFile Organizer $10.80
File Mate $6.00
File Mate Folders (2) $4.80
DecoFile Decorative Supply Organizer with Folders $12.00
Makers Pocket $3.60
PowerSort Dividers (2) $2.80
NegCare Envelopes $4.80

Tools
Personal Trimmer (3) $13.65
12” Straight Trimmer (2) $13.65
Custom Cutting System (CCS) Mat & Blades (2) $16.80
Oval Patterns $9.80
Square Maker $14.00
Geometric Multi-Maker $18.20
Mini Square Maker $11.20
Corner Rounders (3) $5.60
Scissors $3.00

10x12 Paper Packs
Shades of Red, Orange, Amber, $4.20
Yellow, Green, Olive, Blue,
Purple, Pink, Black & White
Earthly Elegance $4.20
Garden Illusions $4.20
Coffeehouse $4.20
Rainbow $4.20
Asian Myabi $4.20
Ruled Paper - Black $.70

12x12 Perfect Fit Paper Packs
Perfect Fit… Oranges, $5.60
Blues, Purples,
Perfect Fit Baby Boy $5.60
Perfect Fit Baby Girl $5.60

Other Paper Packs
Short Cuts Cool $4.90
Groovy Girl Album Kit $4.20
Gizmos ‘N Gadgets Album Kit $4.20
Cottage Power Palette (Includes $41.97
2 packs Perfect Fit paper, 10 Jumbo
Great Lengths sticker strips,
4 Title sticker strips, Storybox set,
And Power Palette Book Volume 1)
Chalet Power Palette (minus $34.97
Storybox set)
Jewel Snap Pack $7.00
Neutral Snap Pack $7.00
Done With One Holiday $2.45
Done With One Party Time $2.45
Calendar Paper $2.45
Storybox Metro, or Paradise $7.00
Idea Books, Etc. (40% off)
Page Patterns Organizer & Tabs $5.25
Page Patterns Spring ‘02 (3), $3.30
Fall ‘03, Fall ‘05, Spring ‘06,
Summer ‘06
Color Confidence Fall ‘05, $3.30
Winter ‘05, Spring ‘06, Summer ‘06
Fast Formulas 4th Ed., 5th Ed., $6.00
Product Collection Ed.

Journaling Supplies
Basic Round Tip Pens (2) $7.42
Basic Fine Tip (2) $7.42
Classic Round Tip $7.42
Bright Fine Tip $7.42
Clarifeye Pet Eye Reduction Pen (2) $3.15
Clarifeye Red Eye Reduction Pen $3.15
Black Round Tip Pen (3) $1.96
Black Fine Tip Pen (5) $1.96
Photo Labeling Pencil (4) $1.35
Precious Element Round Tip Pen in
Patina, Copper, or Silver $2.10
Precious Element Fine Tip Pen in
Silver or Copper $1.96
Write Again Correction Paper in natural $.84

Adhesives
Tape Runner (3) $5.25
Mini Tape Refill (3) $2.60
Medium Photo Mounting Corners $5.25
Large Photo Mounting Corners (2) $5.25

Stickers
Kaleidoscope Arctic or Radiance $2.45
Holiday Tree Decoration $2.45
Fundamentals (4) $3.85
Festivities $3.85
Elegant Laser Letters $4.73
Heritage $3.85
This & That Sprinkle $3.85
Sun & Fun Sprinkle $3.85
Harvest Orchard Laser $3.85
Winter Medley $2.45
Baseball (2) $2.45
Wheels & Whistles $2.45
Soccer $2.45
United Kingdom Outdoors $3.85
Outback & Rainforest Fun $2.45
Sightseeing Europe $3.85
Australia Down Under $3.85
Jumbo Great Lengths Cabana $1.75
Spring, Birthday, Celebration,
Kids, Autumn, or Travel
Jumbo GL Blue & Aqua (4), $3.15
Red & Pink (3), Orange & Amber,
Yellow & Chamois, Green & Olive,
Purple & Eggplant, Neutral, Party
Time, Best Wishes, Holiday Sparkle
Holiday Fanciful Trimmings $3.85
Getaway Travel $2.45
Las Americas (3) $2.45
Decades 50s $2.45
Decades 60s $2.45
Pastel Dimensions $3.85
Rainbow Dimensions $3.85
Asian Myabi Great Lengths $3.85
Jewel Great Lengths $2.45
Bright Great Lengths $2.45
Lazy Days Album Kit (stickers & $4.20
Paper) (2)
HUGE Assortment of ABC/123 Stickers - Large and Small

Die Cuts
Bib, Bottle & Pacifier $.10
Baby, Buggy & Booties $.10
Pets $.10
Turkey & Acorns $.10
Pumpkins $.10
Scarecrows $.10
Apples $.10

Cool Discovery in the Garden

Yesterday as I was finishing up putting some organic soil in my flower garden when I encountered the strangest thing. I dug up a section of soil, and with it came a huge bee! This was seriously the biggest bee I've seen in a long time. It couldn't fly, so I managed to get it onto my shovel to take over and show Scott. Then I put it out on the grass. I went back to digging, and when I did, I found 2 more bees! Crazy! They were down under the dirt. I've never seen this before. That time, Scott was nearby so he came over and looked, and I ran in to get my camera. I am now trying to figure out what kind of bees these are. I think it's between a bumblebee and a carpenter bee. If anyone knows based on these photos, feel free to let me know!

Nearing the End of the First Trimester

Well I am now 13 weeks along, and I am looking forward to the end of the first trimester, which is officially after the 14th week. So confusing, I know. I am still learning. Anyway, this morning I was hit with some morning sickness and I decided to stay home for the morning. I am going to head into work in a few minutes, and thankfully I am feeling a bit better now.

Yesterday I went into Burlington Coat Factory to check out their "Baby Depot." WOW do they have a lot of stuff in there! It was fun to look through everything, but it was also overwhelming. I haven't the slightest clue what I'm going to need, other than a crib, changing table, and some clothes... Ok, I'm exaggerating a bit, but I definitely need some help on figuring out what the essentials are. I am thinking we will register at the Baby Depot and at Target, since they both have a lot of great stuff. Although, I am a little frustrated that practically everything is made in China. I don't want lead going into my little baby's mouth!

Well anyway, I still don't look very pregnant, although I want to start taking photos because I want to compare the various stages. I guess I'll sign off for now. Nothing else very exciting to report here, but feel free to post comments on what some of the "essentials" for having a newborn.

Gardening

Today I spent some time working in my flower garden. I am determined to not let it go unattended like it did last year. So I've been adding some organic top soil to the current soil, and then I'll be putting some fresh mulch. I've also moved a few plants and been pulling out a lot of weeds. Here are a few photos of how things are going so far:

Nursery Update

Well I decided that the best way to make my decision was to order something from each set so that I can see the colors in the room. It's too hard to tell online. Plus, I can return the items right to a Target store, so I don't have to worry about shipping back what I don't want. So, once I get the items I'll let you know what I've decided! Scott likes both sets so it really comes down to the color scheme and which one I like better...

Nursery Options

So I am starting to think about how to decorate our baby nursery. I have been thinking of an ocean theme, but I'm open to other ideas. We already have the room painted a nice aqua color - perfect for a boy or girl. Since I can't get the photos into my blog, I'll link to my top two favorite bedding sets. Please comment on which you like better!

Ocean Set

Safari Set

Sunny Days

I love sunshine. I love warm weather. This week, we've had both. We started the week a little cool, but then each day it got warmer and warmer. It topped out yesterday with 75 degrees!!! Yes, on April 18th in Bangor, Maine, we had 75 degrees. That is insane! Scott and I took Mia and Moxie for a walk up the road across the street, and they had a great time. We were both sweating because it was so hot, and the dogs were panting and couldn't wait until they got to the stream. The only bad part was when they met some other dogs near the end of the walk and it became very noisy because of all the barking!

Anyway, today is not going to be as warm, but it is still sunny and nice. Mia and Moxie are both outside right now and they are totally content. Ahhh, summer! I love it!

Today I have lots to do, since this week has been really busy. My house is a MESS, so this morning is going to be filled with lots of CLEANING. Last night, I encountered an ant infestation, so I need to really clean all the food off the counter and wash all the dishes and also locate where the ants are coming in and try to block them off. ICK! I vacuumed like 50 of them last night, and then sprayed some stuff to kill the ones that were continuing to come in.

Well I'm off to start laundry, one of the 700 tasks for the day...

The Big News

Well I suspect if you read my blog, you probably already know this. But now it's officially public: I am pregnant! Scott and I are expecting a baby and we are very excited. We have waited quite a while before doing this, but we finally decided to take the plunge.

So, our baby is due on November 3rd, so right now I am about 11 weeks along. It is all a new experience, but one I am trying to enjoy and be patient with. So far the side effects have been primarily fatigue (frequent naps and going to bed early) and a little bit of nausea. I am hoping that will pass soon, after I'm through my first trimester. But we shall see.

Anyway, to those of you who were keeping my secret, feel free to share!

Spring Is Coming!!!

Well I think Spring is on it's way. This past week, we had 3 days of close to 60 degrees! Woohoo! On Tuesday I came home and took a nice walk/jog with Mia. She loved it, and I enjoyed breathing in the fresh spring air. Then Friday morning I got up and it was beautiful, so I took her for another walk/jog in the morning. It was great, except this time, she decided to bark like crazy at the neighborhood dogs. She also spotted a pair of ducks in the stream near the end of the road, and she was quite interested in going after them. Thankfully, she did not decide to lunge for them, and they ended up flying away. Don't worry, I didn't forget about Moxie - he's just not that good at going for walks. But, he does love to play stick, so I spent quite a bit of time outside with him throwing sticks over and over. He's much better at fetch than Mia.

Here are some photos proving that Spring is on the way. My flower beds are not in very good shape, and I really didn't take care of them last year, but things are still pushing through the dirt!

Beginner's Luck

Yesterday I was introduced to a new experience: Basket Bingo. Now I want to preface this with two statements: 1. I don't generally support the concept of gambling and 2. I went because it was a fundraiser for my place of work, and given that I'd like to keep my job, I decided to support it. I also feel that playing Bingo to win some free Longaberger baskets is not necessarily wrong - basically I see it as giving a donation to a good cause (i.e. my workplace) and having the opportunity to get something free.

Anyway, for any of you who know me, you know that I am very competitive (watch out Amy and Sarah), but Bingo is a game of chance. There is really no strategy involved at all. However, it is still easy to get caught up in the excitement, especially when you are down to needing only one or two numbers. After I was informed of all the rules and how to actually play (it was confusing at first, but I caught on), I ended up getting into it. The first few games went slowly, and I didn't even get close. Then came the game where I just had a good feeling. I got down to needing two numbers left to make a Bingo. Then, both of my numbers were called. So I called out "bingo" and ended up winning a beautiful Longaberger Pot Luck Basket and a cream colored dish that went with it (valued at $93.00). Yay for beginner's luck.

Therein lies the reason that I have always chosen not to gamble - I can see how easily I could get addicted. Once you win, you just keep thinking, oh, maybe I'll win the next one. Or, if you're not winning, you keep getting excited that you might win. It's an interesting experience. So I probably won't play Bingo again until next year, if we have another fundraiser. But I was very pleased to come home with something nice that I never would have purchased for myself...

Scrapbooking Retreat

This weekend I had the opportunity to do something I haven't done in quite some time... going on a scrapbooking retreat. My friends Sheila and Julie were organizing it, and it was a "no frills" retreat - aka cheap! So on Friday afternoon I headed down to the Bar Harbor Inn, scrapbooking bags packed in the back. Once at the Inn, I met up with Sheila and the other ladies, and they helped me carry all my junk upstairs. Sheila then told me that the room we were supposed to stay in ended up having a pipe burst, so they had to change our room.... this could be really good or really bad. Well, it turned out to be wonderful! We had a 2-story room! You walk in and see the bed, sitting area, bathroom (with a tub with jacuzzi jets), and desk. Then, you go to the left, and there's stairs leading up to the next level, where there is a king-size bed, another sitting area, another bathroom, and an 0cean-view deck. We had a sweet suite!

After getting settled, we headed to the scrapbooking room to get started. I had not been able to get as many photos developed as I wanted to, but I did have enough to get to work. On Friday night I completed 20 pages (without journaling). Woohoo! That night I went to bed later than usual, but still early for a retreat weekend. Saturday we had a lovely breakfast and then headed back to the room where we were working on our albums. We had a great time working Saturday, and I completed another 18 pages in my Heritage album (no journaling). Then I got caught up on my journaling in my family album and also worked on journaling in my youth group album. I realized on Friday night that I had forgotten something very important - my paper!! Thankfully I had thrown in a few new packs which allowed me to do the heritage album, and I was also able to mooch off a few friends. But I didn't get caught up on the youth group album since I really wanted my brighter papers for that. Finally, today I completed a little gifty album for someone and caught up on last touches of journaling.

It was a very productive weekend, with lots of laughter, fun, but also scrapping. I told the girls when I got there that I was going to be serious, and I was! In total, I completed 38 pages (20 with journaling), caught up on journaling in 2 albums, and completed a small gift album. Plus we went out to dinner Saturday night at Geddy's, which was very yummy. And I took a bath both Friday and Saturday nights since I never get to take baths at home. Yay!

On the way home, I drove back with Vernelia and Sheila, and amazingly we fit all of our stuff in my car! We stopped for lunch in Ellsworth at the new KFC/Taco Bell. We probably waited 20 minutes for our "fast food". But it turned out okay, because we finally got to eat. I was really happy to finally be home, and Mia and Moxie were extremely excited to see me. It was quite cute. Then I snuggled on the couch with Scott while he watched a movie, and I ended up falling asleep. Finally, I woke up and did a few things around the house. Now I'm ending the evening watching "Extreme Home Makeover". Overall, a great weekend.

Blah

That is how I'm feeling today. I started the day by going to the dentist's office waaaay too early. Upon returning home, I read a little bit and then curled up for a nap. Then I was up to do some business for a few hours, although I don't feel that I accomplished very much. Then I ate some food, followed by some surfing the net. After this I convinced Scott to watch a movie with me, so we watched "Enchanted" which I got on netflix today. That was very cute, but I did start to drift off to sleep at the end.

I wasn't feeling that great today either, so I had to eat things that were pretty bland - oatmeal, soup, chicken and rice. Now I'm sitting here on my couch - I opted out of going to the Good Friday service with Scott cause I wasn't feeling well. I'm feeling quite lazy, but when I get up and move around, I feel pretty icky. So now I'm watching Jeopardy, which I don't even like, but there's nothing else on. Urgh.

So that's about it... blah. Sorry for the lack of posting lately, but my most recent posts didn't get many comments, so I was punishing you all! Just kidding. But come on, comment people!

Snow Camp Recap Part 2

Ok, I am a bit more awake than I was last night, so I'll try to finish this. I think I left off with Night Sledding, which was so much fun. We finally got done sledding at 11:30pm, so we didn't actually have lights out until 12pm. The next morning we were up for devos at 8am, followed by breakfast at 8:30am. After that, we had some time to get ready (for those who were still in pjs) and then we had our group worship and devotion at 9:45. I actually spoke this year for the first time, which was a little scary, but I think it went okay. Thankfully I've gotten a bit better at public speaking than when I was in high school.

After that, it was time for some more sledding outside!!! This time, we went on a trail through the woods instead of the road, because the road was getting very slushy due to the warm temps and sunshine. The sledding was tons of fun, as usual - I thought it was actually quite fast, and the trail was much narrower which made it harder to pass other people. I took some video of everyone on the last run, which you can check out at my facebook site. It started to rain and it was lunchtime, so we finally went inside (much to some of the kids' chagrin).

Lunch was great, and then we had some free time. I took a nap, or attempted to, during free time. Then some people went outside for snow soccer in the pouring rain (crazy!) and others stayed inside for a game of "Honey if you love me, smile". It was so fun watching the kids play the game - as usual, they were reluctant to play at first, but then they got really into it. This was followed by more free time, and then dinner. After dinner we had another devotional time with Kevin Smith speaking. Then we did another group game which DJ taught us - Signs. It was great fun, and people continued playing for hours (yes, hours) after it was officially "free time". Others did other games such as Cranium.

Saturday night we went to bed a bit earlier, but we lost an hour of sleep. All the girls slept in a bit more the next morning, and we started off again with personal devos. Then we had a breakfast of baked oatmeal - yummy! Then there was time to get ready/pack, and then we had our final worship time together. My wonderful hubby spoke and closed out the weekend. Then everyone got their stuff together, and then we had lunch. After lunch it was a bit of a waiting game, waiting to get everyone down the hill to the vans. The van ride home was filled with lots of mafia playing, which is quite funny to listen to in a van. Once back at the church, the students disappeared faster than I've ever seen - I think they were tired!! Scott and I returned the vans to Ford, and then went back to the church to get my car. Then Scott went to get Mia and I picked up Chinese food on the way home. Finally, at about 7pm, we settled in and had dinner and watched a movie. The end.

Snow Camp Recap Part 1

We are back. I know I've been kind of MIA in the blogosphere, but hopefully I'll do better soon. We left on Friday afternoon for Snow Camp with 33 teenagers and 6 leaders. We had 3 15 passenger vans plus a trailer for all the STUFF. We had a bit of a slow start, but finally got on the road by about 4:15. We arrived at Blueberry Mtn. Bible Camp by about 6:45, and then we had to park the vans and ride up with the staff to the lodge. Once inside, we had dinner which was wonderful - we were all so hungry!! Then we got our bags and took them to the rooms, and then we had our first worship and devotional time. After that was over, it was about 10pm. Time for Night Sledding!!! Let me just say, that is one of the craziest, funnest things I have ever done. Going down a hill in COMPLETE darkness (no moonlight or even stars out) at crazy speeds and not knowing when the next turn will come... yeah, crazy. There was a lot of crashing, a lot of screaming, and just overall fun. Scott and I went down together once, and I got so much snow on my face because everytime he'd use his feet to slow down, it would cause the snow to fly into my face. And we went super-fast when we were together.

Well I am so exhausted so I'll have to sign off for now. More to come soon...

Tag!

Ok, Amy started this so I figured I'd do it as well. You're supposed to take the letters of your middle name and tell everyone something about yourself. Mine is easy cause my middle name is short. And then you're supposed to tag the same number of people as letters in your middle name. But Amy tagged everyone that I would've tagged, so oh well. Here we go:

D - Daring. Yes, some people might say that I am daring, and I would also agree. I enjoy the adrenaline rush of jumping off a bridge into the water or rappelling off a cliff. Within reason, of course, but I do love a good dare.

A - Adventurous. This kind of goes along with the first one, but I love going on adventures. Traveling to exotic places, adventuring around Maine, or driving just for the fun of driving.

W - Worker. Ok, this is kind of a silly one, but I guess I am someone who works hard. If I am committed to something, then I will put my all into it in order to succeed.

N - Non-Conformist. I had to stretch on this one, as none of these words seemed to fit - nice, nifty, naughty, or normal. But I am definitely not a conformist. I don't like to just do what everyone else does - I try to be myself and encourage others to also be themselves.

Well I guess that's it for now!

Dunkin' Donuts

I recently got a gift card to Dunkin' Donuts from my boss for my exemplary performance at work. Ok, that's an exaggeration. She did give me a gift card, but it was just for what I consider doing my job. Anyway, I was SUPER excited because I love free stuff! Especially free donuts, coffee, and bagels. So today I headed to work and wanted to use my gift card. I drove up the drive thru, ordered my cinnamon raisin bagel, toasted, with cream cheese on the side and a french vanilla coffee - just sugar, no cream. I got my order, paid with my gift card, and pulled up a few feet to make sure they got my bagel right. Then I turned out onto Broadway and headed to work. That's when I looked down at my coffee, and saw a little "C" on the top. Then I looked and saw that they had put creamer in the coffee. ICK. And not just a little creamer, apparently it was EXTRA CREAM. So then I took a sip. NO SUGAR!

What the heck? Why can't they just get a simple order right. ALWAYS, always, check your order before driving away. I honestly almost drove back to complain and get my correct coffee. But I decided if I couldn't handle it, I would just get coffee at work. That was the nastiest cup of coffee I've had in a while - the creamer literally drowns out the taste of the coffee.

So, that was quite a frustrating experience. Thankfully, it didn't totally ruin my day. I had to drive a lot today but it was a beautiful drive - down by the coast and it was just beautiful! Anyway, now I'm gonna eat some yummy chocolate eggs that I bought at Target - that will DEFINITELY make up for the coffee escapade!

14 Things I Love

Ok, Amy did this so I feel that I should too. It's a fun little game. Since today is Valentine's Day, and it's the 14th of the month, you write out 14 things you love. So here I go:

1. My hubby! He is super-awesome and I am so blessed to have him. Tonight he warmed up a hot pocket for me and it was just so sweet. (We're going out to dinner tomorrow night so as to avoid the crazy Valentine's crowd).
2. My doggies. Yes, I do love Moxie and Mia. They add a lot of fun to our lives, and even though they (mostly Moxie) can be incredibly naughty, I still love 'em. It's funny to see them play together as well as get jealous of each other when we give one of them attention.
3. Can't forget my sweet kitty - Kira. She is snuggly and I love how she usually curls up against my legs at night to sleep.
4. Friends - Shan, Jess, Amy, Sarah, and many many more. I love the fact that each of you have impacted my life in one way or another. I feel blessed to have such awesome friends.
5. My family - Mom, Naomi, and all my other extended family. I am glad that me and my sister get along a lot better now. And my mom is a friend and business partner, and I love her!
6. Our youth group kids - I love all the students that come to Beyond Existence! They teach me a lot about life, about what's important, and about how to keep my life in balance.
7. My business - I have been so blessed to have been introduced to my company and business in November of 2006. It has been a lot of fun not only achieving my own wellness goals but also helping others achieve theirs. I also love my support team who have helped me achieve these goals and the fact that Sheila promoted to Senior Director today!
8. Being outdoors. I love going for hikes, spending time by the ocean, camping under the stars, and seeing all the beautiful sights.
9. Traveling. I love going to new places and old favorites as well. Particularly Guatemala, Costa Rica, and Cuba. I'd love to go to Colombia sometime, as well as Europe, New Zealand, the Caribbean, and Hawaii.
10. Playing games. Current faves are "Settlers of Catan", "Cranium", and "Scrabble." I also love "Mafia" which I was first introduced to on LASP.
11. My job. I really enjoy my foster care job - I love the flexible schedule, working only part-time, and my supervisor and boss. On Friday, I had to go in and help with a crisis, and that is usually my day off. My boss gave me a card on Tuesday that said "Queen of Everything" : ) and also gave me a gift card to Dunkin Donuts. It's nice to be appreciated!
12. Reminiscing. Sometimes it's fun to look back at the past and realize how much you've changed. Or just watching old tv shows, such as "Saved by the Bell" on netflix. Ah, the late '80s, early '90s. Those were some crazy years.
13. Yummy food. Yes, I am in love with food. I am trying to eat healthier nowadays, but I still love pizza, tacos, Italian food, and Mexican food (On the Border!). It's fun to eat. ; )
14. Life in general. I am thankful for the life God has given me. Although there have been some hard times, I feel that the good has far outweighed the bad. I am looking forward to continuing to live life to the fullest!

Happy Valentine's Day!!

I just want to wish everyone a Happy Valentine's Day! And what a day it has been... Let me share. I started out this morning by getting up at a decent time and getting ready for work. I had everything ready to go last night, so that helped. Then I started driving to work, and had to drive slowly on our road because it was covered in ice. People were tailing me but I didn't care as I wanted to be safe. Once I got out onto Broadway and it was much better - mostly wet. So then I was coming up on the Pushaw Road and realized that the car in front of me was braking. So I started braking, and then slipping, sliding, and swerving ensued. NOT FUN. All I could do was pray that I was not going to hit the back of the car in front of me. I came about 6" from hitting that car. I ended up sideways facing the stupid snowbank. Gosh, not a good way to start Valentine's Day.

At work, I had a crazy day that involved prepping for a team meeting that I was not looking forward to. Then I had an appointment, followed by the team meeting. That actually went better than I thought. But then I had to make tons of phone calls and my phone kept ringing, and yet it seemed that I didn't really get much accomplished. So after that, I finally got all my stuff ready to go and head home. As I was walking down the hallway, I realized that I forgot to call someone I was supposed to. So then I turned around to make the call, which lasted over 20 minutes - argh!

Finally I got to come home, and that drive home was much safer than the one to work. At home, Moxie jumped on me and snagged my coat, which was annoying. But then I saw Scott and he hugged me. Yay! Then I went to turn on my computer, and I found a lovely card from Scott inside. The card directed me to look under my pillow, where I found some lovely socks which look very cozy. Now, I am sitting next to him on the couch, being lazy and relaxing my evening away. We plan to celebrate Valentine's tomorrow by going out to dinner somewhere... any suggestions?

Update on Politics

I'm sure this is not news to you, but Romney has "suspended" his campaign. Which means McCain is going to be the Republican nominee. Unless, of course, something crazy happens. But there is no way that Huckabee is gonna get the delegates he would need. I know there's a lot of Christians out there who would like to see Huckabee get the nomination, but I believe you have to look not only at someone's religion, but also their political background and choices. Anyway, even though Romney won Maine with more than 50% of the vote, he's out.

So now I am faced with the same dilemma as many other conservative voters. Vote for McCain, vote for the 3rd party, or not vote at all? I would probably be leaning towards voting for McCain, simply because I don't feel that Clinton or Obama would be the right choice. Time will tell...

Good Movie

Scott and I watched "License to Wed" tonight. I had a free rental at the Movie Gallery, so I choose a chick flick of course. But Scott agreed to watch it with me. It turned out to be very cute and funny as well. I thought it was great - and Scott said it was the only movie he had seen with Robin Williams that he could actually stand - which is code for him thinking it was good.

Anyway, it's hard to find decent movies out there and I thought this one actually was quite good.

Politics, Politics, So Confusing!

As a child and teenager, I really wasn't into politics. I didn't understand it, and I didn't care. But once I got to college and then especially during my time in Central America, I realized that politics were important. Even so, I still agree with MXPX - Politics are so confusing!

On Saturday, I attended my first caucus. I went because I wanted to make my voice heard. With the Republican race so tight, I wanted to do my best to keep McCain off the Republican ticket. It was a very interesting experience. It started at 1pm, and much of the time was spent with announcements and people running for state office asking for our support. Anyway, once it finally came to do the caucus, we were supposed to be with our town. However, what ended up happening was a lot of standing around and waiting for someone to tell us where to go. Finally, I found the other Glenburnites and we all sat down. We realized that none of us had ever been at a caucus before, and therefore none of us knew what we were doing. Somehow I was elected secretary of the caucus, and therefore I ended up taking notes and I still have to type them up and send them in.

Well, after all was said and done, Glenburn actually had a majority for Huckabee (not me - I went for Romney), but Romney took the state with 52%. Of course, we get no national media coverage since we are such a small state, but I was still surprised with the vote, given that we are a very independent state with very "moderate" Republican Senators.

So now I'm sitting here on Super Tuesday waiting to find out who will end up with the nomination. Of course, it might not be decided tonight - in fact I hope it's not! It's looking good since Huckabee has actually taken a few of the southern states, with McCain even losing West Virginia with only 1% of the vote! Many people were ready to hand McCain the nomination, but perhaps the conservative voters are getting out and voting for Romney or Huckabee instead of the non-conservative McCain.

Well I think that's all the politics my brain can handle today. I am hoping that tomorrow will bring good news that McCain is not necessarily the nominee on the Republican side.

What the *&@%* are they thinking?

Okay, I know that's a bit of a drastic title. But I am just livid. Let me explain. I work part-time at a local foster care agency. I have worked in this field for about 5 1/2 years. I know that foster parents have one of the hardest jobs out there. They care for some of the most neglected, abused, abandoned children in our communities. They sacrifice a normal life for themselves and their biological children in order to serve the children who have had so many difficult experiences.

But that is not what I am upset about. I'm upset at Govenor Baldacci and the DHHS who are proposing DRASTIC cuts to the foster care and adoptive families. The state has a budget shortfall - I understand that. I also understand that there are a lot of ways to cut the budget, such as adminstratively and through unnecessary programs. But what the state is planning to do is to cut foster care reimbursement rates by 30%! Not to mention that they have already cut the respite and rec funds that took effect immediately.

Unfortunately, the state doesn't seem to recognize that cutting foster parent's reimbursement rates is going to do several things:

1. Foster parents will either not take new placements and/or have to relinquish their current placements. This is not because foster parents are "in it for the money". It is because it requires money to support these children, many of whom have several mental and physical health issues related to their previous histories of abuse and neglect.
2. As a result of the first event, more and more children will end up in residential, hospitalization, on the streets, or in correctional facilities. That, in the end, will cost the state hundreds of thousands of more dollars. The state says they will utilize kinship families more as well as "continue to support foster families" in ways other than financially. This falls on deaf ears when foster parents are experiencing the second cut within the past 4 years.
3. Children who do remain in foster homes will have less support and intervention since many foster parents who currently stay at home to take care of these children will have to go get a full time job to survive. That means that the children will end up in day care and other places that really can't meet their needs. The foster parents are highly skilled, trained individuals who give so much of their lives for these children. So now, they are going to have to go out, get a job, and only be able to work with the children 2-3 hours in the evening instead of being available whenever the children need them. (Note: most of these foster families have one parent working while the other parent stays at home with the children due to the number of appointments and services the children have).

Even if you are not involved in foster care yourself, you probably know someone who has been a foster parent or who has adopted a child. These cuts are also affecting people who have adopted and received an adoption subsidy. They signed a contract with the state and now the state is changing that contract by lowering the subsidy. I encourage everyone to speak up and contact the state legislators who will be voting on this budget soon. Tomorrow there is a hearing at the State House and there will be testimony from foster parents and others involved in this situation. But the more people speak up and write to the decision makers, the more chance we have of making a change to this ridiculous budget proposal.

Ever Have One of Those Weeks?

Have you ever had one of those weeks when nothing seems to go right? Yup, I have.

That's all.

Working Out

So in my quest to work out 3 times a week, I had it all planned out to go to Planet Fitness today. I had packed my bag of clothes, brought my Access bar, and my ipod. I even remembered my earbuds, which I always seem to forget so I end up just staring up at the tvs without any sound while I work out.

I had a long day at work involving a lot of paperwork. It actually went by quite quickly and I got a lot accomplished. But my shoulder was sore the whole day and I just wanted to work out to help loosen up my muscles! So I drove to the gym after work, got out of my car and started walking towards the doors. Then I looked in my bag, which felt a little light. Well, that's when I realized I had forgotten something incredibly important - my sneakers! And it wasn't like I was wearing shoes that could work for the gym - I was wearing my black dress boots. Not gonna happen.

So I promptly turned around and went back to my car. I drove home and opted for one of my workout videos. Not the same, but at least I did something.

Lesson learned: Don't forget your sneakers when you got to the gym!!

Moxie was lost... and now he's found!

Scott and I are at a marriage retreat this weekend, so our dogs are staying with other people. Mia is at my mom's, and Moxie is some wonderful people from our church's home. Last night, apparently they had friends over for dinner and Moxie had lots of fun playing with them. When they were leaving, Moxie and the other 2 dogs were outside. Well, when the friends started driving down the driveway, Moxie decided he had so much fun that he wanted them to stay. So he ran after them. And he ran and ran out the driveway. Ahhh!!

Scott R ran after him, but he was gone. Then Karen and Scott went looking for him until super late (or early in the morning). They called us this morning to tell us that Moxie was missing and they still hadn't found him. Well, I called home since our number is on Moxie's tag. Someone had called and said they found him, but it was not clear whether they were going to hold onto him or leave him by the road or what. So I tried calling the guy, but I couldn't reach him. We talked to Karen again and told her that, and she also called the local animal control to find out if anyone had turned him in.

Well, it was a rather emotional morning since I didn't really know if Moxie was okay or not - if he was out in the woods somewhere, laying beside the road, or safely inside someone's home. This afternoon while I was out in Camden, Karen called to say the guy had called back. Apparently they had taken him home and let him stay in a crate in their heated garage. They had also fed him!

I was soooo thankful that he is found!! Yay! I am so glad and now I don't have to worry anymore...

SNOW Much Fun!

Anyone who lives in Maine knows how much snow we have right now. But for those of you who don't live here, it's A LOT! Here's a few pics of the fun we've been having with snow lately. (Note: Fun does not involve driving in the snow, shoveling the snow, or paying to be plowed out every other day!)

My Best Christmas Present!

Well my friends, Christmas Eve was a good day. Let me share... we got up slightly late, but not too much, because we knew we had a big day ahead of us. I cleaned up the kitchen (it was a MESS) while Scott prepped the living room. Then I made us a big french toast and bacon breakfast, which we ate in bed, because that was the only place we could find to sit in our home!

After cleaning up breakfast, the fun began. We began installing our new laminate flooring in our living room. For those of us who know us, you know that we've been working on this remodel for several months (4 years actually, but this past 4 months we've been doing the living room and dining room). So it was really exciting to actually be able to put the flooring in. Amazingly, Scott and I didn't argue the whole time. We worked together and got it installed in about 3 hours! Then, we took a lunch break and relaxed a bit. After that, we got back to work with arranging furniture. It was hard to decide where to put everything, but we finally decided - for now.

Of course, the room is not completed. We still have to paint the top border and paint and put up the trim. But, it is SO WONDERFUL to be mostly done the room. We can now actually sit and relax in the room, and it looks so good! Anyway, here are some before, during, and after pictures:

A Christmas Song

Two days away from Christmas... wow, I can't believe this year has gone by so fast. I am so excited for Christmas - I love this holiday. But as our pastor pointed out this morning in his sermon, we have to remember why Jesus came to earth: to die. When you think about that, it makes you even more appreciative of the gift He gave us. In that light, I want to share some song lyrics from a song I heard this past week. It is becoming one of my favorite Christmas songs. It is by Flyfleaf, but it's one of their softer songs. Here it is:

Christmas Song
A frightened virgin teenage girl
Receives a message that defies the laws of this world
All she can do is weep and nod
She's to bring into this world the Son of God

God's angels sound their trumpets
And blow their horns
Tonight the long awaited savior is to be born
The goodness bound by Satan it has been torn
With this baby's precious brow ready for thorns

A star appears fulfilling ancient prophecy
There's an ounce of fear as wise men follow faithfully
The Virgin Mary brings forth the human savior
And this future king sleeps soundly in the manger
Soundly in the manger

God's angels sound their trumpets
And blow their horns
Tonight the long awaited savior is to be born
The goodness bound by Satan it has been torn
With this baby's precious brow ready for thorns

Tonight He is born so one day He can die
To heal hearts that are torn and live the perfect life
So He hang upon a cross and we can take His life
So we can live as sinners
And He can pay the price
Tonight He is born so one day he can die
But He will rise again

God's angels sound their trumpets
And blow their horns
Tonight the long awaited savior is to be born
The goodness bound by Satan it has been torn
With this baby's precious brow ready for thorns