Money Shots

Perhaps it's a violation of our babies privacy to post these pictures. But I feel it's a necessary violation. And really, since he's not here yet to argue with me, I think I can do what I want.

Here's our first between the legs shot. I'm not going to use any arrows because I think you all know what 2 legs look like (but for the newbies to ultrasounds, the 2 legs are sticking up in the air) As you can see, the picture is already bent because so many people have been studying and giving their own opinions! Sorry for the bad quality but I've been having to take pictures of these with my camera and it just doesn't turn out that well.

Here's a side shot. If you focus on the left side you will see some more evidence...
And here's just another picture of the baby. I thought this one was neat because you can see the hemispheres of the brain. It's amazing what technology can do these days.

And yes, because of the outpouring of emails I've received, we DO realize this could still possibly be a girl! But it is fun to have a good guess and nice to call our baby something other than "it" or "that kid we're having in October" :)

And speaking of that kid we're having in October. Man. We've been going through our extra bedrooms today and I cannot understand how we have accumulated so much junk. I was going through boxes of old books earlier and it was just heartbreaking to have to move some up into the attic. Seth told me I could pick my favorites to leave out on the bookshelf but that we couldn't possibly store 500 books in the baby's closet. And I guess if this is a boy, he definitely won't want to read my chic flicks...

Hopefully not at least!!!

It's A...

YEA!

At least we're about 80% sure it is. I made Angie (the best U/S tech in the world) promise that she would make a guess at our appointment yesterday. And this girl has an excellent track record of being right and being right early! She told me to consume lots of sugar or caffeine beforehand to make sure Baby Anderle would be moving around. So fruit juice and gummy bears in tow, we headed in the room. But there was no denying what we all saw on that computer screen. And it was definitely NOT a girl!

Unfortunately I don't have the money shots at work with me but I will share the few I have. We were so blessed to get a billion pictures yesterday (or only 20ish) plus a DVD of the ultrasound which wasn't quite as exciting when we watched it at home but still very cool nonetheless. (It needed some elevator music or something in the background...)

Here's baby boy sucking on his thumb

This one looks like he's smiling!

I promise to add the other ones soon and we're also going to see if we can somehow upload what's on the DVD. It's about 25 minutes so I doubt anyone would watch the whole thing but still...just in case!

Angie promised she would be able to make a 100% call at our next appointment. Which is still several weeks off. So don't worry, we're not painting any rooms (why do people keep asking us that??) or buying any bedding, but it's at least exciting to have a good guess!

Why So Cold??

It feels like this everyday in my office.

WHY?!

I wear my sweater...I use my illegal work heater...and still my teeth chatter.

I also feel like this at home. And I think we keep the A/C on 74! But it never fails, I always have pants, socks, and a blanket wrapped around me on the couch.

Aren't most pregnant people normally hot? Apparently I don't fit the mold (yet, anyway). Maybe I'm part-reptile...

A God Thing

You know...I was about to change the spacing of the lyrics on my last post...and I realized they formed the shape of the cross.

I love God things. And I'm not messing with that one!

To my knees will I fall...

I Can Only Imagine...

I can only imagine

What it will be like

When I walk

By your side

I can only imagine

What my eyes will see

When your face

Is before me

I can only imagine

I can only imagine

Surrounded by Your glory, what will my heart feel

Will I dance for you Jesus or in awe of you be still

Will I stand in your presence or to my knees will I fall

Will I sing hallelujah, will I be able to speak at all

I can only imagine

I can only imagine

When that day comes

And I find myself

Standing in the Son

I can only imagine

When all I will do

Is forever

Forever worship

You I can only imagine...

-Mercy Me

Not a Good Kind of Grub...

I think it's safe to say we're finally onto PHASE TWO of our big backyard project. If you remember, we had some extra slab laid about a month ago. Lord knows how many "phases" there will be of this project...I'm thinking somewhere in the ballpark of 14 or 15!!

We've picked out slate that we're (Seth) going to put on the patio to make it somewhat more presentable and then we can finally move the grill out there and heck maybe I'll even get a little firepit or something. Really, the sky's the limit. We have so much LAND.

Note: I am a slighly sarcastic individual.

So after church we begin the backbreaking work of tilling up the soil to attempt to lay some more grass. We found many treasures such as concrete, large nails, clay, big sticks, coke cans (thanks builders of our house, you guys did a stand-up job cleaning up outside!) and...grub worms??

I ran inside to google grub worms (i.e. take a break) and suddenly everything made sense. I KNEW there was no way the dogs could have completely ruined all the grass in our backyard! I mean yes, they are responsible for quite a bit of damage, but this was over the top. And lo and behold, we have a reason for our mudpit. Those darn worms eat up the roots of the grass until it dies. And after further research into "pictures of grum worm damage" I found several replicas of our backyard online. After another trip to Lowe's, our backyard is now marinating in some highly toxic 24 hour grub worm killer.

Maybe I'll have some grass one day after all!

Warning. I am about to share some pictures I probably shouldn't. But now that I can blame the damage on grub worms instead of my poor ability to discipline my dogs, I think it's semi-acceptable. And really serves as a warning to all of you...be on the lookout for those little rascals!
We took turns with this thingamijigy. I was obviously on break. As I was a lot this afternoon...
See? Told ya it was bad. Just imagine it on a wet day outside...


Seth must've gotten bored while I went to Lowe's. That can be the only thing to explain this bridge of bricks??

Our poor poor backyard.

I also think it's time for me to retire from yard work...

I cannot believe it's Sunday night already. I cannot believe we have to go to work in the morning. Blech!

Success and an Overdue Ode

Taxes filed. Taxes paid. I can go to bed tomorrow night!

Is it bad that sleep was my overall motivating factor?

I did tell my doctor the other day that I was generally a bump on a log. He informed me that no, I was an INCUBATOR! That will be my excuse from now on. When Seth asks why I can't get off the couch, I will simply respond, "Shhh!!! I'm incubating!!!"

I really had to write this because someone is far overdue on their ode. As you may remember, I came up with a fun idea to write weekly odes to friends and family awhile back. As you may also remember, I quit after about 3 weeks because really, it took a lot of energy.

Or I just forgot.

BUT, today I really have to give Garrett a big shout out! He was horrified when he saw the pictures we posted of Tucker's haircut earlier this week. Being the in-home dog groomer he is, he demanded we come over so he could tame that lion's mane. And tame he did!

Of course Tucker loved it.

What the heck?! He tried to bite our heads off when the clippers were around and he was practically in heaven when Garrett trimmed him up. Whatever. Kids always like other people better than their own family anyway I guess? :)

He also helped us paint our kitchen back in August. His wife, Kim received an ode and I thought that was sufficient. You know, community property. But I've never heard the end of it.

So here we go. An ode to GARRETT. And only Garrett.

(sorry you have to share your picture with Kim)

Garrett Erbele, you're a master of all trades,

You work all day and never play.

Actually, that's a lie because you love your Nintendo,

But at least you didn't drip any paint on my window.

(when you were painting)

Tucker is so happy about his new 'do,

We appreciate your help and definitely won't sue.

We will keep you in mind for future endeavors,

As long as you don't turn us down...ever.

Thanks for your help, just down the road,

I hope you're happy about your ode!

Taxes our Taxes

Something about preparing a tax return has always been exciting to me. Maybe it was filling in all the blanks (I'm easily entertained by that kinda thing)...maybe it was the feeling of success when I finished...maybe it was that nice check back from the government...

...or maybe it's just that I'm a nerdy tax accountant.

Could go either way.

Needless to say, I used to get so excited once all the tax documents started filtering through the mail. The first year we were married, I think I had our return filed by February 2nd. The year before that, it was in January.

Last year I was so anxious to finish up and file that I almost missed that small print on page 2 that was on the "You OWE" line.

Suddenly filing a tax return wasn't quite as fun.

I mean really, who has time for this stuff? I do taxes all day at work...why would I want to do them at home? And maybe if I put it off a few more weeks I'll brainstorm more deductions! I'll find social security numbers for the dogs! We'll come into lots of cash to pay the tax bill!

Sigh.

Fast forward to 2009. Same song, different verse.

I told Seth that nobody is allowed to go to bed on Sunday until this return is completed and filed! It's been on my to-do list one week too long.

On a more positive note, I was actually able to ENJOY some strawberry ice cream tonight!!!! After having to ditch the turtle ice cream we already had, and having to pawn off my thin mint ice cream after gagging through a few scoops (was it b/c I bought Dreyer's instead of Blue Bell? Or simply my picky pregnancy taste buds? The world may never know) I think I've finally found something that will work. I am all about fruity things right now. Popsicles, fruit yogurt, lemon cake (maybe I've made it twice in one week...whatever), OJ, etc etc etc

And on a completely different note, I am being lectured by my husband right now on how much time I spend blogging. He is telling me that in all the time I waste on blogger.com I could've already had my book written.

Look, I need time people.

I have one, solid page that is a fantastic start and may or may not be a fictional biography of sorts. It's not like it has to do with a girl tired of sitting at a computer all day or anything.

If only I could get an advance from a publishing company...and a promise to publish it...and then I could really get started! Right now there are just too many books to read...

Lead Me to the Cross

I love the new version of this song by Chris and Conrad! You might have heard it sung before by Brooke Fraser or Hillsong United but I love this one and the lyrics. It's so new they don't even had a video out yet but here's a taste of what it sounds like. And they're playing it all the time on KSBJ so listen in!

Savior I come
Quiet my soul remember
Redemptions hill
Where Your blood was spilled
For my ransom
Everything I once held dear
I count it all as lost

Lead me to the cross
Where Your love poured out
Bring me to my knees
Lord I lay me down
Rid me of myself
I belong to You
Lead me, lead me to the cross

You were as I
Tempted and trialed
You are
The word became flesh
Bore my sin and death
Now you're risen

To your heart
To your heart
Lead me to your heart
Lead me to your heart

11 Weeks Down...29ish to Go...

Here I am at 11 weeks. This is 100% no sucking in, for those of you who questioned the last couple of pictures! We just show it how it is over here. I have a feeling this might be growing in the next few weeks. According to the Anderle scale, I've put on a few pounds already...it's hard to tell...some days I am absolutely starving and other days I couldn't really care less about food.

The nausea is getting a little better but I still don't feel quite like myself. I've been able to eat a little more variety of foods, but cheese, other dairy products (except yogurt), chocolate, Mexican food, hot things (like temperature hot) kinda gross me out. The cheese thing is very disappointing. I was telling Seth the other day I'd really like some Lunchables but only the cracker and meat part!

Lunchables...one of the great inventions of our time.

The dogs are very excited about the arrival of their new sibling, obviously! Sometimes I wonder if Maggie can sense something because she spends a lot of time with her head on my stomach. Plus, she follows me around the house everywhere. She'll be a good big sister. Tucker will also be a great toy when our child is old enough to appreciate being pestered. :)

But otherwise, everything else is great! I was even able to run about a mile and a half today which felt really good. I've been getting a little more energy the past couple weeks so I hope that only gets better. For awhile at least.

This week starts a 3 week stint of doctor's appointments. Stupid, I know. I have a check-up this week, just with the doctor. We have our 12 week ultrasound next week, and then a follow-up appointment the week after that. Sheesh! I always said I loved doctors so now I guess my wish is coming true in full force!

Rachel also came to visit for a few days this past weekend. Ah, to be young and on Spring Break. No responsibilities. What a life! I mostly drug her around on errands with me, we got a pedicure, and took her to dinner before she had to head back to College Station. Thanks for visiting us, Rachel!

Ok, that's all. I had to post twice today because I felt guilty for lack of blogging. Perhaps we'll do some gardening next weekend and I can take pictures of that.

Lame. We are getting very lame.

Splotchy Sunburn

It's hard to imagine that just yesterday Tucker was a normal looking dog. Granted, wearing a shopping bag as a necklace might not mean normal to all of you, but this was a result of one of his many daily trips to the pantry.

He's like a teenage boy.

If ever we can't find him, his nose is in the pantry. Luckily he never really gets into anything but he must think it's the absolute best room in the house. He spends more time in there than anywhere else.
While giving Maggie a haircut yesterday we decided we'd try to pull a fast one on Tucker. We've tried before but he gets very angry and snaps at us. Usually we put our lives and scar-free faces above the haircut, but the shedding was getting so bad it was worth a shot. We got about 3/4 of the way through before we felt we had to run for our lives.

The result? A dog that looks like his sunburn is peeling off. Who knew he might be a different color underneath??



Note the difference between his head/neck and rest of his body.

It used to all be the same.

Sadly, we may never get to go back and "touch him up".

At least he doesn't spend a lot of time in the mirror...

At Least I'm Having a Good Hair Day...

I laughed it off this weekend when Seth told me I just couldn't seem to take care of nice things.

This was after I spilled a liquid air freshener in my new car, which proceeded to take off some of the finish of one of the storage compartments. This was also on the way to a wedding where I smelled like Glade all night. Talk about things to make your nauseous!!!

But this morning I'm afraid he might be right.

I set my oversized mug of OJ in the not-quite-big-enough cup holder, turned left out of the neighborhood, and well...you know the rest.

Talk about a sticky situation.

And when I look back, I realize this is a common trend in my life. I've dumped bottles of nail polish on the carpet, spilled one of those reed diffusers on the dresser (oil and wood do not mix), broken casserole dishes, we're on our 3rd (or 4th??) coffee decanter, and that just scratches the surface.

Sigh.

Oh Baby Baby...

Well it's probably about time to add our latest news to the blog...

...we are having a baby!

It's been so hard to keep this to ourselves (well, and to close friends and family) for the past 6 weeks. And actually, it was kinda nice to have a secret all to ourselves...until I had to start making excuses to get out of bike rides, that Friday night margarita, why I couldn't eat anything besides graham crackers...

I decided to have a little Q&A session with myself on here so that maybe I can answer several of the things running through all your inquiring minds...

Q: Was this planned?
A: OF COURSE! Do I ever do anything unplanned??? You don't mess with a girl and her calendar. Actually you don't mess with God. And through lots of prayer we were comforted that we were making the right decision and couldn't go by anyone elses timing except His.

Q: Are you going to find out if it's a boy or girl?
A: OF COURSE! I hate surprises. As un-fun as that sounds. We are both anxious to find out.

Q: Do you have morning sickness?
A: Yes! And I'd really call it "day sickness" instead. I'm slowly starting to branch out with foods but it's safer to stick with anything bland (who knew toast could be so good??).

Q: Have you had any cravings?
A: There was an instance where I really wanted a queso sandwich (I'm not even sure it exists, but it sounded good! Today that would make me gag). It's also bad for me to go to the grocery store because I've come home with foods I haven't had in YEARS. Oatmeal cream pies, Jimmy Dean sausage biscuits, cinnamon toast, sour cream & onion Ruffles?? I also really want some Whataburger chicken fingers but I've been able to resist so far.

Q: What foods gross you out?
A: Anything minty (yeah, goodbye gum, toothpaste, peppermints, BLECH!), Mexican food, Italian food, Chinese food, sometimes even desserts.

SHOCKER, I know. That has been the most disappointing thing so far - my PLAN was to crave ice cream 24-7 like normal!!!

p.s. this also includes cherry salsa. GAG ME. If you remember, I ordered 4 more jars of this stuff back in January. oops.

Q: Is Seth excited?
A: He is over the moon! He has probably shown outward excitement more than I have. He is anxious to start getting ready for this kid and I just want to lay on the couch.

Q: When is the due date?
A: We've been told 2 due dates actually...and I think we're just going to have to settle on mid-October! Seth's birthday is the 10th, mine is the 14th, and we've been told both the 12th and 14th. So regardless, it will be an eventful birthday month!!

Ok, that's all the questions I can think of right now. Now for some pictures!

This is me at 6 or 7 weeks (I've done a fabulous job of documenting things, haven't I?) And yes, these are the famous pj pants you might have seen me debut on the blog before. Yes, they're Halloween, and yes they're from high school, and yes I still like to wear them!!!

This is the 9.5 week picture. Sporting some springy pants. This was also taken after dinner so the stomach could be deceiving...baby or...pizza? You decide.

This is our baby at 9 weeks. Pretty cute, huh? We were a little concerned because at first it looked like a rabbit but hopefully we'll have some human-esqe features after all!

This is a shot of the new(er) 4-D ultrasounds they do now. Makes it a little easier to see the shape. Although I am convinced that is a second head in the background. If I knew how to make a pointer on here, I'd show you. But we have been assured it's only one baby.

Oh, and speaking of the doctor, everything is looking great! We have been blessed and this was actually our 3rd ultrasound (crazy, huh???). The first one was to check for cysts but I got to see a dot...then we had one at 7 wks, 9 wks, and will go back at the beginning of April for the 12 week appointment. So that puts me at 10 weeks today and I am hoping I'll feel 100% (ok maybe 90%) in the coming weeks. I'm ready for some ice cream...

So here's hoping we told everyone we needed to tell because I'd hate for grandma to find this out for the first time on the blog.

Kidding.

Please keep us and baby A in your prayers as we prepare for this scary, exciting, and unknown territory in our future!

They Call the Thing Rodeo...

On Thursday night we headed down to the rodeo to see one of my favorite country stars...Brad Paisley! I've seen him a couple times in concert before (including once at UTSA before he was a "big star") and he's always been fantastic. Thanks to our good friends, Matt & Georgia, we had ourselves some VIP gold badges to get into the event. Due to a minor ticket discrepency however, we ended up playing musical chairs several times throughout the evening. It sorta felt like we were teenagers sneaking into a rated R movie!

Not that I ever did that.

Anyway, even though it was freezing cold and rainy, we pushed on so we could get some of that yummy rodeo food (and we had this discussion...what is it about large public events that makes canned nacho cheese taste SO GOOD??) and enjoy the show.

Brad was waving to us!

We had to take the obligatory close-up bad picture. You know what I'm talking about...where one person always gets screwed because their face looks bigger than the others... :)

Garrett & Matt waiting on their brides to get back with ice cream

Ah, I love the rodeo and wish we could've gone back for more this year! Maybe next year they'll let me enter the calf scramble...

Bootleg Faith

I love the daily devotional I receive from Proverbs 31 Ministries. Lately there have been some that really hit home. I especially liked the one from today...if only I could write these words myself :)

by: Susanne Scheppmann

Examine yourselves to see if your faith is genuine. Test yourselves. Surely you know that Jesus Christ is among you; if not, you have failed the test of genuine faith. 2 Corinthians 13:5 (NLT)

A skeleton hangs in my family's history closet. It's very quiet. No one brings the skeleton to our family gatherings. It seldom rattles, but when it does, we all look at each other appalled. How can our family have a history of bootlegging?

During the Prohibition of the 1920's when the government forbade the making or selling of any type of alcohol, my forefathers saw opportunity. My great-grandfather and grandpa contrived a small distillery in a basement and bootlegged alcohol. The original term, bootleg, comes from the attempt to conceal something, usually whiskey in a flask, inside a high-top boot. However, during the Prohibition, the term "bootleg" was used to refer to brewing a drink that was a copy of the real thing.

So, our "family wealth" expanded from the illegal activity of making "liquid gold" in the form of moonshine. Though it may have looked like the real stuff - whiskey - it smelled like oil and tasted like acid, according to those folks who remember the brew.

Sometimes our faith is bootlegged. We try to imitate the appearance of faith we see in others. We copy or fake their faith so we can feel or appear spiritual. Or, like my "family wealth," perhaps our faith is passed down to us. "Family faith" feels comfortable, like a well-worn leather boot. We may participate in rituals, celebrations, and prayers that we don't understand or even care about. Bootlegged faith is never authentic growing faith. It's fake.

I want my faith to be genuine and not a hand-me-down, don't you? Let's pledge today to grow our own faith by reading God's Word, praying and attending a Bible-based church. Let's show our communities an authentic faith that glorifies God.

Dear Lord, help me not to "bootleg" my faith from others, but to walk with You. Grow authentic faith within me. Thank you for the privilege of glorifying You through my faith. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

1 Peter 1:6-7, In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith--of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire--may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.

Silent Clock

I think I might have cried for the first time ever during 24 last night. Now I won't reveal anything for those of you who haven't watched it yet, but one of our FAVORITE characters got the silent clock (i.e. died, blown up, gone forever)

Well, technically that may not mean gone forever because if he was given a secret injection prior to death so that he could be revived shortly afterward, ala Tony Almeida style, he COULD be back.

Doubtful though.

I was so upset. I told Seth at the beginning of the season, "He BETTER not die, I LOVE HIM!"

But nevertheless, tears were shed.

Oh the pain.

Like I have been saying for MANY seasons...WHY NOT CHLOE? WHY NOT KIM BAUER? Two prime candidates to be killed off. Instead, they chose to take the life of someone who was just trying to serve his country!

Ok, I'm over it.

Speaking of silent clocks, you would've thought ours was this morning. Who knew 7:30am could look so dark outside? My apologies to anyone who sees me today. Your assumptions are very correct...I did not have time to shower.

Zoom Zoom

Yesterday we lost a very important member of our family. She was old. She made inappropriate noises. She had a lot of miles on her.

Yes, we finally, finally, finally, said goodbye to the trusty 2-door 1998 Honda Civic and got ourselves a new(er) car!

::APPLAUSE::CHEERS::MORE APPLAUSE

After what felt like months and months of research, spreadsheets, heated discussions, and quizzing our friends, we finally made a decision to take the next step.

So...presenting...

ME! With my 2008 Mazda CX-7!



Now, I can comfortable tote around 5 people instead of 1. :) She has black leather, a turbo charged engine (I don't even know what that means, but it's got it), low mileage, and I can even play CD's!

The Civic didn't even have a CASSETTE TAPE PLAYER. So this is big folks.

I can name about 35 of you who are breathing a sigh of relief right now saying, "THANK GOODNESS WE DON'T HAVE TO HEAR HER COMPLAIN ABOUT HER CAR ANYMORE!" And good news - this one doesn't rattle on the highway! :)

This upcoming week is also Spring Break 2K9 for Seth! He has lots of wild and crazy things planned such as NOT spending his Monday and Wednesday evenings at school...and maybe even working on the backyard. Oh, how I remember those carefree days of yore. Good news is that by the end of summer he'll finally have all his pre-requisite classes finished and can finally actually start the MBA coursework (trying to think positive here people). That graduation in 2011 seems within arm's reach...

Well, for me at least.

I am tempted to complain about how it's already Sunday afternoon and I can't believe we have to go back to work tomorrow. But I am also thankful we have a job to go to come Monday morning. Scary times people.

"Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the Lord."

Psalms 31:24

Have a great week!

You Can't HANDLE the Drama!

I hate to admit it, but I've been a little uninterested in The Bachelor tonight. Perhaps because I've read 80,000 spoilers in the past week and really won't be surprised by anything short of a surprise pregnancy, Bachelor assassin, or an all-out brawl.

However, I do have one comment.

Is Molly wearing an old bridesmaid dress???

Really Molly? Is THAT what you wear when you're hoping to be proposed to on national TV? Maybe I'm being a bit cynical here but my first thought was not "wow...gorgeous!"

She should have consulted Jillian on style before stepping out of the limo in that purple number.

Now we're watching Jason and his gut-wrenching cry over the balcony. Boy, you better calm yourself down before you propose to Melissa...and then break up with her later tonight...and then hook back up with Molly!

Commercial break comments:

As a sidenote, you can sorta tell by looking in my pantry that I might have MAYBE gone to the grocery store hungry after work today. This is always a mistake. As a key, you should ALWAYS grocery shop after a meal. That way you don't come home with oatmeal cream pies, cinnamon swirl bread, turtle ice cream (thank you HEB for my free ice cream coupon!), and goldfish galore.

Back on. Here's Melissa. Pre-engagement/break-up drama.

AGH, PLEASE DON'T LET THE RUMORS BE TRUE!!!!!!!!

Musical Chairs

I just get the biggest kick out of this Chili's commercial and wanted to share!

Hmmm...Oops

So I came across an article this morning about things to never EVER feed your dog. I saw the first one and panicked because we are very guilty of it! So here's some info in case you didn't know. I think most of the others are common sense but grapes I did not know!

1. Grapes and Raisins. Contain a toxin that can cause kidney damage.

2. Bread Dough and Yeast. Can expand in the digestive system and cause severe damage.

3. Chewing Gum. Sugar-free gum sweetened with xylitol can be deadly. (Same goes for any food containing xylitol.)

4. Macadamia Nuts. Can upset the digestive and nervous systems.

5. Chocolate. Contains caffeine and theobromine, which affect the heart and nervous system and can be toxic.

6. Onions and Onion Powder. Contain sulfoxides and disulfides, which can damage red blood cells and cause anemia. (P.S. Keep garlic out of reach for the same reason.)

Let's Make a Deal

There is a reason I'm not a huge fan of shopping for cars...especially used ones. It's because of guys like this:

For real.

We spent part of our weekend looking for cars (finally - for ME) and it seemed like every place we went, before we could even get out of the car, some shmuck is knocking on the window ready to make a DEAL. And no, don't tell me a 2005 4Runner with 50K miles is a steal at $26,000. Because it's NOT!

And most of them, unfortunately, perfectly dress the part. Don't they get it? I don't want to buy a car from a sleazy pest that wears big shades and a leather jacket!

I digress.

Unfortunately, I did not drive home this evening in a new car. But I'm still on the prowl. We have a few more places to hit on our list before we make a decision. And to be honest, I'm getting a little sad about saying farewell to the Civic. We've gone everywhere in that thing! I get sick to my stomach when we have to make big decisions like this. However, if I got to come home showing off the SWEET Hyundai Veracruz Limited Edition I test drove yesterday...I might just get over that sick feeling...

And I just happened to google "used car salesmen" and came across a website that shows their 25 "top tricks". Number 5 "My Wife/Sister/Mother drives one". Dang - they got us with that one! The guy actually told us he just bought his fiancee the same car we test drove. I believed it at the time...now I'm not so sure...I'm a sucker!

We also saw Slumdog Millionaire last night and loved it!!! Now I usually don't like movies that win Academy Awards but this was the exception. Fabulous acting and a really good story line. And the theater was packed! Everyone else must have had the same idea as us and wanted to find out what the movie was all about.

Now we have to focus on catching up on 24 this evening. Embarassing, but we are 2 episodes behind. At least watching almost 3 episodes in a row will be better than waiting a week!

And who's ready for the finale of The Bachelor?? I just hope Jason makes the decision that is smart for him AND his son. Almost 24 hours left until we find out if the sleazy ABC rumors are true...

My Deliverer

I love Mandisa! I think I might have given up American Idol by the time she was on (the last season I watched was when Taylor Hicks won? BLAH), but she is just so cute. And I love when they interview her on KSBJ. Like this morning. She just has such a sweet personality and her music is so fun! I love her new song "My Deliverer" and wanted to share. I guess there isn't a formal music video out yet, so this was the best I could find.




I was so helpless
Where did the light go
I had no hope left
Deep down in my soul
I was watchin'
I was waitin'
I was prayin'
I was stayin' down on my knees
That's right where You found me

My Deliverer, You rescued me from all that held me captive
My Deliverer, You set me free
Now I'm alive and I can live
So every moment I will give you praise
My Deliverer
Ooh my Deliverer

There's no pretending
I can't do it myself
I'm so dependent
Lord I need Your help
I'll be watchin'
I'll be waitin'
I'll be prayin'
I'll be stayin' down on my knees
That's right where You'll find me

My Deliverer, You rescued me from all that held me captive
My Deliverer, You set me free
Now I'm alive and I can live
And every moment I will give you praise

La la la la la I need You
You know whatever I'm goin' through
I'll be watchin'
I'll be waitin'
I'll be prayin'
I'll be stayin' down on my knees
That's right where You'll find me

My Deliverer, You rescued me from all that held me captive
My Deliverer, You set me free
Now I can live
My Deliverer, I'm no longer captive
My Deliverer, You gave Your life that I might live
So every moment I will give you praise
Yeah my Deliverer
I'm gonna give You praise
I'm gonna give You praise
My Deliverer

Bachelor Quickie

I could talk about all the Bachelor drama. But I'm not. I think you've read what's all over the internet by now and have concluded that either a) ABC is scum and Jason is a sleazeball or b) dirty rumors spread fast.

HOWEVER.

Did we not LOVE Fred and Noelle??? I think they made the entire 2 hour WTA worth it. There was maybe even a tear in my eye because I absolutely loved her! Maybe this gives us hope for Jillian finding a lasting relationship one day...

Until next Monday...

We Love Westminster!

This has been a big TV week for the dogs. Although there was plenty for me to watch, Seth was convinced that nothing was on...thus, our watching the Westminster Dog Competition. And we weren't the only ones that were interested!

I have never seen the dogs so captivated by something. Except maybe a treat or squirrel. But still, this was big. They sat next to each other during the entire thing, with the occasional walk up to the TV to get a closer look.

How cute are they? Makes you forget about all the other bad things they do!

I did feel sorry for a lot of those dogs though. Not so much the normal looking ones in the sporting or herding groups, but gosh, the poor poodles, shih tzus, and yorkies are groomed more than I am!

I am working from home today while we are having some extra slab added to our back patio. Basically our patio (and entire backyard) is the most pathetic thing ever. So it's been a goal for awhile to attempt to spruce things up. And between the winter weather, dogs digging, and rain, it basically looks like we have a watering hole for hogs. So our new BFF Jaime is out there with his crew enlarging our patio, which we'll then cover in flagstone or slate. They even put up a new gutter for us. And I think they are singing right now. It's probably a song about laying cement! Glad it's them not me...

I will post pictures much later when this project is complete. Maybe the dogs will let me make a flower bed again. Then again, maybe not...

And the winner is...

The Fletchers at 7:34PM!

I think I might be an idiot with this random number stuff because I can't figure out how to PROVE to you she was the winner. BUT...just so none of you come after me, I went to www.random.org, put in the range 1-7 and whaddya know, #1 came up.

So congratulations! Your book will be in the mail shortly!

And don't forget to visit Marla's website for more information on this book and others...

www.marlataviano.com

Really??

Only FIVE people want to enter my give-away?

Did you guys fail to read the part that said "free book"??

Twitter?

I know I am completely bombarding all of you with blog posts, so I apologize. But I really have no other choice because my husband is in front of the TV watching a show on electomagnetic force and refuses to let me watch the addictive trash I like to call Desperate Housewives.

Anyway. I think I'm behind on this, but I'm really confused about what twitter is. I know it's the new thing. And maybe I'm just not important enough to need to use it?? But I don't get it. And I'll admit it, I'm annoyed with the facebook "status" feature and I'm thinking this might be the same thing. I can see how it would be fun for famous people. So maybe I just need to wait until I'm famous (going to start working on the 2nd page of my book eventually...) and then I can update on twitter all the time!

Can anyone enlighten me??

A Weekend of Love

This is been such a fun weekend! And lucky for me, it continues tomorrow. Thank you President's Day!

On Friday night the Bayles came over for a yummy dinner and a double date to the movies! Ben & Seth are the BEST husbands because they took me & Paula to see Confessions of a Shopaholic! It was really the boys who wanted to see the movie - they practically DRUG us in the theater. :)

I read the books in college and they are hilarious...and the movie was no exception. We definitely laughed it up...EVEN the boys occasionally. Isla Fisher did a fantastic job. And really, we learned a life lesson of how NOT to be shopaholics!

On Saturday, Andrea was visiting from Kansas, so I met her, Jessie & Sharon at Olive Garden for lunch. YUM. Nothing says mmm mmm good like some soup, salad, and breadsticks! It was great to catch up and they had just seen Shopaholic so we had to compare notes!

Saturday evening, several of us got together to do a "group" Valentine's Day celebration in attempt to avoid the ridiculous restaurant prices and set menus that you can't avoid on V-Day. Garrett, Sam, Matt, and Seth sent us girls off to see He's Just Not That Into You while they prepared dinner. Unfortunately, that was a popular movie for Valentine's afternoon, so we ended up killing time at Kim's house since it was sold out.

We walked in the door to find this good lookin' spread:

The boys went all out! They found the china, made shrimp cocktail, steaks, twice-baked potatoes, fresh green beans, sauteed mushrooms, and salad. It was awesome! We all decided to be casual though since we were staying in, so us girls donned our best velour and the guys wore their best t-shirts. Nothing says "I love you Honey" like comfy old clothes, right?

Matt, Garrett, Seth, & Sam

Thank you boys! We love you!

For dessert, we made 3 types of chocolate fondue. My aunt gave us a fondue pot for Christmas so we were able to break that out and figure out how to use it. I'm not sure why we didn't use this any sooner because it was delish!! We had pound cake, bananas, strawberries, pretzels, graham crackers, rice crispies, and marshmellows to dip in the fondue.

What a fun night. Unfortunately I forgot to get pictures of the girls. We were too busy eating chocolate.

I plan on resting, reading, taking a bubble bath, and maybe even going to test drive some cars tomorrow! Yes folks, this will be the year of the new car. I can't wait!

A Fabulous Book and an Awesome Give-Away!

Being the avid blog reader I am, I hear about all sorts of new products, books, styles, and more. I watch people's children growing up...and I don't even know them!

Admit it...you ALL do the same thing!

I happened to come across a blog that was having a book give-away a couple weeks ago. Unfortunately I didn't win, but I looked into the author and was intrigued. Marla Taviano (click on her name to check out her website and other books!) is an amazing Christian author, speaker, & mom who loves the Lord. She is running a FABULOUS deal - 3 of her books for $20. What a steal. And being the lover of books that I am...I had to order.

Even though I think I told y'all I was panicking the other week I had too many books I wanted to read...

Anyway, on to my point. I started with the first book, From Blushing Bride to Wedded Wife.

I'll admit it. I didn't plan on getting much out of this because I have been married for a LONG time already...it's not my first rodeo, folks :) 2 whole years of wedded bliss!

Boy, was I wrong. Marla has chapters ranging from loving unselfishly, adjusting to in-laws, faithfulness to your spouse, financial matters, and how God wants our marriage to be. I earmarked many pages in this book and wanted to share some points I thought were very important.

Marla discusses how tough the first year of marriage can be. You're floating on a cloud during your engagement and you think that after the wedding you will obviously be joyously elated and skipping around, holding hands with your husband...grocery shopping together, paying bills together and MORE! And never having a bad day at all.

Well, most of us know that as FUN as that seems, it's not really how it goes. Marriage is work. But that's not necessarily a bad thing. And the best part of her book is that you really feel like you're sitting down and having coffee with a good friend...realizing you're not alone. I particularly liked this passage:

"God never meant for His children to face anything alone. In His grace, He brings people into our lives who are walking in our very shoes. I love Romans 15:5-6. 'May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.'"

Marla walks us through how to be holy in marriage, not just happy. How to pray for, and take care of your husband to the best of your ability. Helps us work through our differences and see how fun that can be! Reminds us how important communication between each other is and how debilitating a marriage can be without it.

Basically I'm singing her praises!

And this is only the first book I've read!

I HIGHLY recommend this to all married women, young & old...newlyweds or old married couples :)

AND, I haven't even told y'all the best part. My blog dream has come true. I am having a...

GIVE-AWAY!

Leave a comment on this post. I'll use a random number generator to pick the winner and you will get a free copy of this book! Marla has also been so gracious to offer this book for ONLY $5...so if you don't win...you have no excuse because that's super cheap! Just click on this link for more details.

Reading this book last week blessed me and is already changing the way I look at marriage. I pray that all of you realize the incredible blessing God has given us in our spouses and pray for them continually.

And I know some of you are saying, "What, you emailed the author??". YES! Of course I did. How fun. And the best part is, it's another blog to follow!

Comment now because you only have until Wednesday at 9am!

5 Flights for Cookies?

Today was a big day in the office...

Girl Scout cookies were delivered!

And not being one to feed my own pet peeve, I decided to walk down the 5 floors in the stairwell...opting out of the elevator.

The lady offers me a box, which I turn down. But then she says, "Well honey, you ordered the most out of anyone, so you need the box!"

What???


How is 5 boxes of girl scout cookies a lot?? I already had to cut down from the 7 or 8 I got last year.

Think about it people. They need to last you a good 6 months!

So whatever. I got my cookies and realized I should probably walk back UP the 5 floors to my office.

...still trying to catch my breath.

So I do recommend taking the elevator if it's more than a floor or two. Just saying.

And although this is a whole other HUGE blog post in itself, I just want to point out that I ordered Thin Mints, Trefoils, Tag-a-longs, and Thanks-a-Lot.

NOT Thin Mints, Shortbread, Peanut Butter Patties, and Thanks-a-Lot.

Apparently it's a regional thing. I have the research. Because it seems that Houston and Ft. Worth use one set of names...Dallas and San Antonio use another. And it's all because of a little something we call competing girl scout cookie bakeries. Who knew?

They also call Samoas "Carmel deLites" here. Tragic and WRONG.

Pet Peeves and Salsa

An article happened to capture my eye on msn.com this morning. I groaned...said "oh brother"...and of course clicked on the link to get more details.

This got me thinking about my pet peeves. Unfortunately I probably can't even name them all, but this one thing in particular just really bugs me.

People who fake retire.

According to my internal dictionary, fake retire is defined as "retiring...not retiring...and then retiring again one year later."

Are you kidding Brett Favre? I don't get why athletes do this! Is it for the attention? Or can they simply not make up their minds?? I realize this happens in your everyday jobs as well, but somehow it doesn't seem to be QUITE the stunner when the school librarian retires, only to realize she is super lonely at home and decides "hey, I really do like working!" after all.

Now to be clear, I'm definitely not opposed to Brett fake retiring from the Wrangler ads. And I think my reasoning is obvious:

Since we're on the topic, I want to discuss a few other annoyances in my life.

1) People who take FOREVER to order their food.

I don't care if it's fast food or in a sit-down restaurant, you can feel my insides start to boil when the person in front of me takes FOREVER to decide on the hamburger...the cheeseburger...oh, or maybe the chicken fingers would be good...

I realize this is very silly. And it has to do more with my patience than anything else.

This also includes people who order for 10 other people at once. You know what I'm talking about. You're almost to the front of the line and then you hear, "I'd like 1 tall mocha...NO WHIP...soy milk, 3 cafe lattes, extra hot...easy on the foam, 2 blueberry muffins...ooh not that one...that one!, etc etc etc"

Makes me want to scream. I'll try to work on this.

2) People who don't use their blinkers.

I don't get it. How can you forget the blinker? It tells people WHAT YOU ARE GOING TO DO NEXT! How many wrecks could have been avoided had the blinker been utilized?? And it's not even difficult to use. It's second nature to me. Perhaps we didn't all have the same driving instructor but I think this is critical to safe driving. And I'm also talking to you people who forget to turn your blinker off. Then you just really confuse everyone.

3) Elevators. The most annoying of all for today. People who take the elevator to the SECOND floor when the stairs are just a hop, skip, & a jump away.

I think this is just plain lazy. Unless you have a broken foot, asthma, a heart condition that doesn't let you walk up stairs (I don't know??? Trying to be open-minded here!), why would you take the elevator to the 2nd floor?! What a waste of your time. You could be at the top at the stairs in the time it takes the elevator doors to shut, decide to start moving, settle, and open again for you at 2.

And who cares if you're out of breath? A little exercise is good for you people!

Wow. There really was a lot to get off my chest today! I'm sure there are more. In fact, I know there are. But that's another blog for another day. I don't have the energy to get into people that butt into conversations, people who drive too slow, or being told the same story 10 times (which I'm sure we're all guilty of, but still...)

On another note (I'm on a roll today!), I am SUPER EXCITED because Kim and I placed an order for MORE cherry salsa earlier this week! You surely couldn't have expected me to wait until this year's Nutcracker Market in November to get more. 7 jars are coming out way very soon and happiness will be restored to our households!

And you should really check out their website. It's not just about salsa. They have sauces, dressings (their cherry vinaigerette sounds fantastic!), cherry sangria, boxes of fresh cherries, cherry jam, and MORE.

All for now...

So I Promised I'd Take Pictures...

I've failed. Again.

Seth's uncle Mark got married this past Saturday. A wedding is a perfect place to take pictures! Unfortunately, the camera stayed in my purse. And trust me, this is very disappointing as there would have been some GREAT blog material.

Oh well.

So that's what we did. Packed up ourselves and the dogs and headed to LG. My feet are still sore because man, do those people like to dance. Even Seth's 80 year old Granny danced with probably every guy in the room (luckily it was a small wedding!). I, on the other hand, made the mistake of teaching our cousin Gwyneth that if we spun around in a circle really fast, she could fly.

I really suck with kids because I never realize how the things I say will affect them. I've made the rookie mistake (several times) of saying, "Hey! You wanna come over to our house to play?!" while not really meaning it.

Well...kids remember. And I mean I guess I mean it but I don't really have the means of transporting them around. And then I end up with a crying kid throwing me accusatory death stares when they just have to go home with mommy & daddy instead.

We're going to work on this.

SO...needless to say, Seth and I both spent the rest of the evening making her "fly". It was similar to riding the magic teacups at Disney World. Almost puke-worthy.

But hey, we made the girl's night so...

Tell Us How You REALLY Feel, Seth!

Here's a portion of an email with Seth today regarding our government. Sure don't want to cross this boy the wrong way...

"I am really pissed at our government; PLUS THEY ARE TAX CHEATS!
I THINK WE SHOULD IMPEACH EVERYONE IN THE HOUSE, SENATE, WHITE HOUSE, AND ALL THE CHIEF JUSTICES AND START OVER! THIS IS RIDICULOUS!"

:) Bless his heart.

Vote for Seth!

On another note, I realized I've barely posted any pictures on here lately. That might be because I have neglected to take my camera anywhere. Maggie's 2nd birthday is on Thursday so perhaps we can head on over to Olan Mills to capture some mother/daughter shots!

Dare me?

Seth also suggested that we "combine" Maggie & Tucker's birthdays (February 5th and April 1st) and instead celebrate on March 15th.

Is he crazy?!

He might be on to something for our children though...

Dave Ramsey's Thoughts on Obama's Plans

I received this excerpt from Dave Ramsey in a weekly email and wanted to share. And speaking of companies going out of business...I sure wish a car dearlership in the area would have to liquidate soon so I could get a great deal on a car! Is that bad of me?

Well, we the people have a new president. It’s an exciting time for Americans, whether or not you agree with President Barack Obama’s plans. My hope is that our new president will instill some confidence in people, not necessarily set out to fix everybody and everything.

There are some bogus government strategies floating around to stimulate the economy and "save us from ourselves." Just because they’re all everyone talks about doesn’t make them true! Here are a few of the big issues:


Tax Breaks

These aren’t bad, and I would never turn them down. But to think that tax breaks single-handedly stimulate the economy is laughable. Remember last fall? Those stimulus checks didn’t fix the problem, so what makes us think it’s going to fix everything this time? Did you know it was your money to start with? They’re just giving it back to you and making you feel good about it. If you’re looking for $1,000 to change your life this year, you obviously don’t have a life to start with!


It may help you today or this month, but $1,000 will do very little for you in the long run. To win with money, you've got to think long term.

Patriotic Duty

The government wants you to spend, spend, spend—and many Americans are taking this advice while still in debt! No matter what the talking heads say, it is not your patriotic duty to spend money you don’t have. Your duty is to take care of yourself and your household with the money you earn from an honest day’s work.


If you have your full emergency fund and are in a position to buy something, now is the perfect time! You can get some fabulous deals, but don’t let the deals entice you if you haven’t planned ahead and don’t have the cash!


National Deficit

The dog is still chasing its tail.


Debt started the problem, so what is the current plan to fix the problem? More debt!What really drives the economy? Is it D.C.'s programs or small-business people scattered throughout the country? This down economic time will begin to heal itself. Do we have to go $1 trillion in debt to do that? No way!

The good news is that our future as an economy isn’t coming out of Washington. Our future prosperity is coming out of the hopes, dreams and individual freedoms of the American people. When left alone, we have a tendency to prosper.

The healing of the economy will begin and end with you. Yes, you, the person you see in the mirror! You have to make your decision as to whether or not you’re going to take part in the recession.


As for our new president, if you’re not a fan, pray for him. He’s your president. If you are a fan, pray for him. He’s your president, not your savior. Your hope will be crushed if you wait for him and his administration—or anyone else—to fix your life and give you money.

25 Things about Yours Truly

Ok. I think I'm just going to have to face this and get it over with. When these things start going around I always think "oh geez, don't they have anything better to do with their time?".

And then I end up doing it too.

Hi, I'm Mary and I'm a victim of peer pressure!

So here we go. I will try to think of 25 very interesting, distinct, and unusual things about myself to share with all of you.

1. I could live on ice cream. Blue Bell, to be exact. None of that no-sugar, low-fat, skinny cow stuff! (Although Skinny Cow is actually quite good, but stay with me here). I rarely turn down a scoop (or several) of this frozen goodness. Want to know the trick to getting me in a good mood? Ice cream. Either plain in a bowl...or in a cup with milk, caramel syrup, and sprinkles! YUM-O!

2. I tried kiwi for my first time today. I've always been a little turned off because I thought it tasted like melon for some reason. But it's also YUM-O!

3. My husband calls me the mail nazi. I check the mail everyday, without fail. If we don't get home until midnight, I make him drive by the mailbox. This REALLY irritates him. I just love love love getting things in the mail!

4. I have a crazy memory. I rarely forget people's names, specific details about their life, social security numbers (scare ya?!), etc etc. I have several calendars but the best calendar is in my head - I don't really need to write things down. This is making me sound crazy.

5. When I walk by the elevator in the parking garage at work (I usually take the stairs), it often "dings" and opens as I'm walking by. As if it were opening just for me. And I always wonder if it's God wanting me to hop on in!

6. I'm not a fan of surprises. I don't think this is normal because you always hear girls on The Bachelor say, "OH! I love surprises!". I think it's a control thing. I have a very hard time not knowing what a gift, present, etc is going to be.

7. If, hypothetically, I ever found one of the above, it's not a big deal because I'm very good at acting surprised!

8. I've always wanted to write a book. I still do. I just don't have enough confidence to follow through with it. I don't want to deal with the rejection.

9. Before Seth and I got married, I had to sleep on my stomach with my head facing left. Now I can only sleep on my stomach or side facing right. He's got me all messed up!

10. Seth asked me out on an attempted first date on Valentine's in 2003. What a way to freak a girl out! We stayed friends and didn't start officially dating until October of that year.

11. I think Valentine's Day decor can get obnoxious. I am not ok with those lovey-dovey teddy bears. Think twice before you buy those for your wife, guys.

12. I wish I could read every book in the whole world. Whenever I'm in a bookstore I start to panic because there are so many books and I feel like I should have/read them all. And then I start thinking "there will never be enough time" to read everything I want to!

13. This will be my third year to ride in the MS150 from Houston to Austin. You'd think I absolutely loved bike riding. I still occasionally ask myself, "why in the HECK am I doing this???"

14. I must have a soda when eating hamburgers or pizza. It seems wrong not to.

15. I went through a small phase in college where I drank only diet soda. BLECH. I soon realized the error of my ways.

16. No matter what clothes, jewelry, shoes, and other accessories that I own, I never feel like I'm completely in style.

17. I don't think I tried salad until I was in college. My tastebuds have been opened up to many things in the past few years!

18. I used to only eat the turkey, green beans, and rolls at Thanksgiving. Can you imagine how upset I was when I found out what I'd been missing??!?

19. I'm a pretty decent snow skiier. I haven't been in 4 years so I wouldn't be able to prove this tomorrow but I don't think there's anything more fun than skiing down a big mountain!

20. I think I'd be the happiest person alive if I could live in the mountains. I'd just want to take everything and everyone I loved with me! Waking up....seeing that incredible view out your window...breathing in that fresh air with a cup of coffee...THAT'S the life.

21. I'm very good at making lists. Mostly because you get to cross things off, which can be exciting. Unfortunately I can't cross things off this one...

22. I think everyone would hate me if I were on a reality show. I hate to admit it, but I'd probably be the whiny one causing drama. And really...if you were stuck on an island having to eat bugs...or running around the US in an intense race for lots of $$$ wouldn't you whine a little too??

23. I love my dogs so very much. I cannot imagine our lives without them. I'll even go so far to call Maggie my best friend (you know, us girls gotta stick together). I wish I could take them everywhere with me! Work, shopping, out to eat...

24. I'm also a sucker and my dogs know they can completely take advantage of me. There's no messin' around when Dad is home but once he's out the door it's a par-tay! (For them, NOT me)

25. I still feel like there's a lot to cover. But I'm in a rush and the Super Bowl is starting soon. I really don't care about either team. I just want the chips & dip.

So there you go! I tag all of you to make your own list of 25 if you haven't already.

Overloaded

Does anyone know how hard it is to push a grocery cart at Sam's that has 64 bottles of Ozarka and a 55lb bag of dog food???

I don't know what's worse...sweating while pushing the cart around...or that the check out lady made me lift them up AGAIN to scan them. Good grief.

As a newer member of Sam's Club, I'm still testing the waters. Sure...I can get a great price on dog food and water, but I fail to understand how ANYONE would need 12 cans of cream of chicken soup or a 10 lb tub of mayo. Maybe when I have a house full of kids this will make more sense. Because who has room to store all that?? It's a frustrating dilemma. And I still had to stop at Kroger on the way home because I didn't need 3 lbs of spinach leaves and 5 lbs of shredded cheddar.

Hm. That's really all I had to say.

Bike ride #3 in the morning...I hear it's going to be fuh-reezing!

Chicken Nuggets +French Fries = Love

You can tell by my dinner tonight that Seth is obviously at school. Salad. Cereal. Popcorn. A totally nutritious meal of greatness! I relish in these evenings I don't have to cook. As much as I enjoy whipping up various entrees en la cocina de Anderle....it's nice to kick back, relax, and be lazy with my bowl of cereal and the Bachelor!

Since I haven't really commented on the show thus far, I decided to highlight my thoughts as I watch tonight's episode. And since nobody is here to steal the computer from me, this works out quite nicely!

Molly's Date:

-Another tank top and scarf ensemble. Molly...really? If this is the new style, this is going to take awhile to get used to. I'm just getting used to long-sleeves and scarves!

-I don't quite know if Molly is sincere. She's got that look...

-Very sneaky of Jason to schedule an overnight camping date. I can't wait to see Shannon lose it!!! And ABC, was the tent-moaning really necessary? I threw up a little in my mouth.

-She'll be a dark horse, but she's not the right match for Jason. In my opinion. Cute girl though!

Group Date:

-OMG ANOTHER SCARF. I'm telling ya, this is the YEAR of the scarf!

-Stories (excuse me...soaps) are the ultimate cheese. Did anyone else think the guy actor was kinda unattractive?? And who is Lulu??

-Could Shannon have attacked Jason's lips any faster? I bet she puts that on her myspace page.

-When is DD coming back?

-Nicely done with the strategic placement of the General Hospital commercial.

-I'm afraid Lauren is a closet-psycho. Well, second to Shannon at least. Could she be more obnoxious?

-An inkling of me feels sorry for Megan. Oh wait...no, not anymore. Man up girl!

-Yikes Naomi. You're going home soon!

-I pray Shannon is never ever ever my hygenist!

-Yikes...spoke too soon about Naomi. And yes, Lauren, you are an idiot.

Two on One, Tag Team Date:

-Initial prediction...bye bye Nikki. OR both girls.

-Nikki - WE GET IT! You don't like to be unprepared.

-Stephanie is a ballet teacher? Oh that makes me love her more! A real-live ballerina!

-Ah! I am loving this! It's almost like So You Think You Can Dance! A true dance-off.

-Explain to me how every single girl on this show feels "chemistry". I mean, really. Isn't there ever a girl who comes on and says "eh...not so much." Ok, maybe it did happen on one season but it is funny how every girl has an instant "connection" with Jason!

-YEA STEPHANIE!!!!!!!!!!!!

-What's with all these girls talking about how pretty they are? Did they really mean to apply for True Beauty??

Rose Ceremony:

-First of all, Ty is going to be so embarassed one day when he sees his dad making out with all these girls on national TV

-I feel sorry for Lauren's students. She is a big ol' bad word. She is completely lost in her own little world...

-WHAT IS SHANNON WEARING?? A knitted mumu??

-I'm still rooting for Jillian, Melissa, and Stephanie

And in the MOST DRAMATIC ROSE CEREMONY EVER...the roses go to:

Molly
Stephanie
Naomi
Melissa
Jillian

Ohhhhweee this is getting good, folks!

The Year of the Scarf, Starbucks, and The Bach

Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

Psalm 139:23-24

If you remember, I just recently had a post that contained this verse. God is funny because I feel like this verse has been "following" me around. Hmm...maybe I should listen! I got it in an email today, heard it on the radio the other day, and obviously blogged about it too. Does this ever happen to anyone else???

Anyway. I knew today was going to be fabulous because it was...you guessed it...my free Starbucks day! The Kroger Starbucks by our house is great because after buying a certain number of drinks (I don't know the magic number), you qualify for a free one. I had a feeling this morning was my golden ticket and boy was I right. It's like winning the lottery or something! And since I can only go once a week, I think I am fully justified in going tomorrow morning too...because today did not count. Am I right, ladies??

Um. Now I cannot remember what I really planned to write about. I'm sure it was good though. Maybe this is the "anxious thoughts" parts. My mind is going a million miles a minute and I already forgot what I was on here for anyway. :)

OH RIGHT...scarves! If you haven't noticed, scarves are a BIG deal this year. In fact, I received 2 for Christmas and I must admit my initial thoughts were, "Oh great, I can never pull these off."

But I so did.

If you follow Big Mama's or Angie's blog you might have seen their great debate on the scarf and how it must be tied. After thinking about it with intense scrutiny and taking many notes...I have mastered this skill.

Now, I'm probably the only person you know who takes pictures of themselves at work. And I truly truly hope nobody was walking down the hallway as I was doing this. But here is an example. And if you feel that I could be a scarf model, please submit pictures to your agent:

Do I rock at scarves or what??

I'm just sad it's warming up outside. Although that sure didn't stop Melissa on The Bachelor from wearing one with her tank top. Maybe I should invest in some classy, colorful, and light-weight ones to use for the spring and summer.

And speaking of The Bachelor, I really do have some thoughts. I've just yet to post them. And I'll tell you they start and end with "Will somebody out there please marry Stephanie, and soon, because we know Jason isn't going to pick her!!"

More later.

someecards.com

This is the funniest website! Now granted, it may not always be the most appropriate. And yeah, I probably shouldn't be sharing it with all of you...but regardless, these e-cards can really brighten my day. And hey, they give you something to laugh about!



I find myself saying "so true!" after reading each one!

Happy Wednesday!

Let Freedom Ring

I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone - for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.

1 Timothy 2:1-2

Today is a memorable day. Inauguration Day 2009 will be one to make the history books. Our children won't believe we were alive when our country elected our first black president! Do we all agree with the decision our country has made? Maybe yes. Maybe no. However, God commands us to pray for our leaders and those in authority. To get down on our knees, opinions aside, and pray fervently over them.

But the best part is that Jesus is our true king! He guides the president and he guides us. This is all part of His plan and He will ultimately take care of us and our country.

I want men everywhere to lift up holy hands in prayer, without anger or disputing.

1 Timothy 2:8


Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.

Romans 13:1

May God bless America and President Obama today!

p.s. I know it's probably a mistake that Seth & I never received our invitation to the Inauguration Ball? Very weird. I had pulled out my old prom dress and everything.

A Weekend of Randomness

You'll be thrilled to know I finally pulled out the ol' bike this weekend. Finally. It was a little embarassing because I had yet to take off all my numbers/stickers from the MS150 LAST year. Pathetic proof I haven't touched the thing since April.

But it is that time of year again so Erika and I, along with the APC team, rode 20ish miles around The Woodlands on Saturday morning...if anything, to make sure we still remembered how to ride a bike.

Luckily we did.

And it was really an eye-opening experience for me. I've been sheltered out here in Spring Trails. Who knew there was so much of this bubble I hadn't seen?? Did you know The Woodlands High has a 9th grade campus? And that there was another Wal-Mart back there?? Or that Seth and I could've totally afforded a home in Carlton Woods had we known it existed? :) We could've been neighbors with famous people!

But anyway, it was good to finally get out on the road and to remind myself that I stilllllll got it! And Erika did a fabulous job as well...this is her first year riding and I hope I don't scare her away.

Seth and I also had a very overdue, much-deserved (in my opinion) date night at Landry's. YUM. It seems like we go every few months and are both stubborn enough to always order the same thing. The Snapper Hemmingway is to DIE for! But it's worth it. We had a budget discussion awhile back and brainstormed different things to cut back on. But it was unanimous that we could still go to Landry's and (of course) still purchase Blue Bell ice cream.

I don't care what kind of recession we're in folks. I don't care how poor I might be. I will still buy Blue Bell. Because to eat any other brand is just plain wrong.

Things have finally slowed down a bit at work so I am very glad to get my free time back! It seems like life never quite slows down though...so we have a busy week and then will be heading out of town Saturday morning. Bike ride #2 on Sunday morning.

I want a vacation.

Psalm 139

I love the following passage and happened to stumble across it today. It is David's meditation on God's omnipresence and omniscience...and speaks to the all-encompassing love God has for us...


O LORD, you have searched me
and you know me.

You know when I sit and when I rise;
you perceive my thoughts from afar.

You discern my going out and my lying down;
you are familiar with all my ways.


Before a word is on my tongue
you know it completely, O LORD.

You hem me in—behind and before;
you have laid your hand upon me.

Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
too lofty for me to attain.

Where can I go from your Spirit?
Where can I flee from your presence?

If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.


If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
if I settle on the far side of the sea,

even there your hand will guide me,
your right hand will hold me fast.


If I say, "Surely the darkness will hide me
and the light become night around me,"

even the darkness will not be dark to you;
the night will shine like the day,
for darkness is as light to you.

For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother's womb.


I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful, I know that full well.

My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place.
When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body.


All the days ordained for me
were written in your book
before one of them came to be.

How precious to me are your thoughts, O God!
How vast is the sum of them!

Were I to count them,
they would outnumber the grains of sand.
When I awake,
I am still with you.

If only you would slay the wicked, O God!
Away from me, you bloodthirsty men!

They speak of you with evil intent;
your adversaries misuse your name.

Do I not hate those who hate you, O LORD,
and abhor those who rise up against you?

I have nothing but hatred for them;
I count them my enemies.

Search me, O God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts.

See if there is any offensive way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting.

-Psalm 139

Dream Come True