Thursday, December 30, 2010
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
Waiting Game
I am getting very anxious about our "big day" this week. I get to pee on a stick this week! It's crazy to think that we are about to go through everything again. Please pray for peace and safety of our baby. We know God will bless us with children in His time. We are praying that this time is His time!
PS as soon as we know you will know too!!!
PS as soon as we know you will know too!!!
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
God's Plans = Our Plans
The last year of my life has taught me the biggest lessons of my life. Sometimes God's plans are not our plans, and many times our plans are not God's plans.
Let me explain. We were not trying to get pregnant when we found out we were pregnant last summer. It just kinda... happened! Then we hopped on the God train and held on for the ride. When things turned out bad we were so mad at God for ruining our plans, when in fact that was His plan all along.
In the same way we were so certain that John's new job was going to change our lives. For the first time we would have cash inflow that was more than we could have imagined! We prayed and prayed and prayed that God would allow John this job. God said yes. Now that job is John's main source of anger and depression. He hates it. So our plans were not exactly what God had in mind; or maybe it was, because an excellent lesson has come out of that job. We now know money does not bring us happiness.
We are trying to focus the next step in our lives around God's plan. This is the first time that we have ever thought and planned this way in our marriage. For example, we have been finishing up the remodeling of our house. We had picked out a particular entertainment center for the living room. It is awesome! It has a fireplace in it and it is just perfect. A few nights ago John and I were laying in bed and he said, "Do you think we should spend that much on glorifying an idol?" I was floored! What??? You mean you don't think we should buy the one item we have been planning on for months?!?! At first, honestly I was kind of mad at him. I took a few days to realize what he meant. We have been planning on canceling our satellite service when our contract in up in November. Even though I had been looking at it as a way to save money, John had been realizing it is an idol in our life. We spend WAY too much time centered around our DVRed shows trying to "catch up." After a few days of prayer and asking God what He thought about me spending money on the perfect new entertainment center, the answer was so clear in my heart. There are way better things that we can do with that money. Then John mentioned today that he thought maybe we should sell the 42 inch tv and just have the 32 inch one in the living room. For the first time, I totally agreed!
Just about an hour ago, John dropped another bomb on me. He told me was was thinking we should sell his car and go to a single car. It would allow us to pay off a tremendous amount of our debt, and free up monthly funds to spend our money as God would have us spend our money. Again, I nearly fell on the floor when I read his email. I said there is probably no way we can make that work logistically. He said why.......? Umm... Uh.... well, I really didn't have an answer for him. So, tonight we are going to really sit down and talk about having a single car would look like for us and see if we can't make it work!
Whew, this ride is getting scarier and scarier as I take my trust out of my own hands and put it in the hands of the Creator whose blessings can exceed anything that I thought I could provide for myself. I actually feel like the "About us" section of our blog may have been foreshadowing what was about to happen in our lives!
"God, I am nervous about the things you are doing in our life and marriage. Yet, I am very excited to see the blessings that come from trusting you and allowing you to lead us where you want us to go. For the first time we are saying, where you lead us we will follow!"
I pray that God will speak wild crazy ideas into you and your family's hearts this week as well. Trust me when I say, if you don't listen the first time His voice will only get louder!
Let me explain. We were not trying to get pregnant when we found out we were pregnant last summer. It just kinda... happened! Then we hopped on the God train and held on for the ride. When things turned out bad we were so mad at God for ruining our plans, when in fact that was His plan all along.
In the same way we were so certain that John's new job was going to change our lives. For the first time we would have cash inflow that was more than we could have imagined! We prayed and prayed and prayed that God would allow John this job. God said yes. Now that job is John's main source of anger and depression. He hates it. So our plans were not exactly what God had in mind; or maybe it was, because an excellent lesson has come out of that job. We now know money does not bring us happiness.
We are trying to focus the next step in our lives around God's plan. This is the first time that we have ever thought and planned this way in our marriage. For example, we have been finishing up the remodeling of our house. We had picked out a particular entertainment center for the living room. It is awesome! It has a fireplace in it and it is just perfect. A few nights ago John and I were laying in bed and he said, "Do you think we should spend that much on glorifying an idol?" I was floored! What??? You mean you don't think we should buy the one item we have been planning on for months?!?! At first, honestly I was kind of mad at him. I took a few days to realize what he meant. We have been planning on canceling our satellite service when our contract in up in November. Even though I had been looking at it as a way to save money, John had been realizing it is an idol in our life. We spend WAY too much time centered around our DVRed shows trying to "catch up." After a few days of prayer and asking God what He thought about me spending money on the perfect new entertainment center, the answer was so clear in my heart. There are way better things that we can do with that money. Then John mentioned today that he thought maybe we should sell the 42 inch tv and just have the 32 inch one in the living room. For the first time, I totally agreed!
Just about an hour ago, John dropped another bomb on me. He told me was was thinking we should sell his car and go to a single car. It would allow us to pay off a tremendous amount of our debt, and free up monthly funds to spend our money as God would have us spend our money. Again, I nearly fell on the floor when I read his email. I said there is probably no way we can make that work logistically. He said why.......? Umm... Uh.... well, I really didn't have an answer for him. So, tonight we are going to really sit down and talk about having a single car would look like for us and see if we can't make it work!
Whew, this ride is getting scarier and scarier as I take my trust out of my own hands and put it in the hands of the Creator whose blessings can exceed anything that I thought I could provide for myself. I actually feel like the "About us" section of our blog may have been foreshadowing what was about to happen in our lives!
"God, I am nervous about the things you are doing in our life and marriage. Yet, I am very excited to see the blessings that come from trusting you and allowing you to lead us where you want us to go. For the first time we are saying, where you lead us we will follow!"
I pray that God will speak wild crazy ideas into you and your family's hearts this week as well. Trust me when I say, if you don't listen the first time His voice will only get louder!
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Friend, Babies, and Pasta!
Sunday night I went to spend some much needed "roommate" time. We still call each other roommates even though we haven't actually lived together for several years now! Our sweet Wyatt was born 5 weeks ago and we had not gotten to all be together since he left the hospital. Jaclyn and I meet and rode together and then we headed over to Laura's house bearing dinner!
When we got there we got to see this sweet baby boy!
So we held him....
When we got there we got to see this sweet baby boy!
So we held him....
And held him....
And held him some more!!!!
It was sooooo wonderful to get to spend such precious time together without any interruptions or men... who usually are the interuptions. :) It's crazy how we can go weeks without seeing each other but when we are together its like we still lve together! Man, how I missed this wonderful ladies and am soooo glad to have them back on the same continent!
Love you B.B.s!
And held him some more!!!!
It was sooooo wonderful to get to spend such precious time together without any interruptions or men... who usually are the interuptions. :) It's crazy how we can go weeks without seeing each other but when we are together its like we still lve together! Man, how I missed this wonderful ladies and am soooo glad to have them back on the same continent!
Love you B.B.s!
Monday, October 11, 2010
Pregnancy
So in a week we will be going for Gold! The funniest part of really calculating and getting ready to get pregnant is the way they calculate your due date. It starts on the first day of your last menstrual . So according to calculations I am already 5 days pregnant! Ha! Please keep us in your prayers over the next few weeks, and months for that matter. We are super excited and nervous at the same time! We are praying for God's blessings and healing.
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
St. Louis Camera 1
This past weekend John and I took off to spend a few days in St. Louis. We both took off Friday and Monday so that we could have an extended weekend! We left Friday morning and went to a baseball game Friday night. This post will be about the pictures from Camera one. For those who know us well, you know we took our "good" camera and the point and shoot camera that John trusts me to carry in my purse since I have lost 2 very nice point and shoot cameras since we have been married! :) These are from my crummy camera! 
More to come once I get the other camera! :)
We seriously ate $40 worth of food at the game! Then we bought ice cream bars at the hotel gift shop and spend the rest of the night being lazy.
Then Saturday we slept in and tried to go on a romantic paddleboat ride that I had planned. You see, John sanded through his wedding band while sanding the hardwood floors. So, I ordered him a new one and was going to surprise him on Saturday and give him his new ring. But then apparently everyone and their dog was also trying to spend the day at Forrest Park. I am not kidding you it is a HUGE park and we could not find a spot to park for 20 minutes. So we gave up and went to Union Station. I am not not a good secret keeper so his ring was burning a hole in my pocket!!!
We shopped around a bit and bought 3.5 lbs of fudge... yes 3.5 lbs! That is about 9 lbs of fat on your butt! Then we went and walked around the arch. John found it funny to take pictures of me taking pictures! Ha!
It was really sweet. The sun was starting to set over the river by the arch. We were walking around holding hands and taking pictures. Me, being the intellegent being that I am, forgot the ring in my other pants... so seriously perfect moment to give John his ring and I forgot it!
It was really sweet. The sun was starting to set over the river by the arch. We were walking around holding hands and taking pictures. Me, being the intellegent being that I am, forgot the ring in my other pants... so seriously perfect moment to give John his ring and I forgot it!
Sunday we went to a Rams game. Our original seats were so high that I was seriously getting ill. So I scouted us some better seats during the first quarter and we claimed them for the rest of the game. Which turned out nicely. We got expensive seats for the price of the nose-bleeds!
More to come once I get the other camera! :)
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Big Decisions
I am THE WORST decision maker! Plus my husband doesn't help much either. We have been trying to plan out when we are ready to "try again." There are just a few complications that are prompting us to wait another month or two.
First of all, we have managed to tear up EVERY room in our house at the exact same time. Currently our nursery needs to have the closet re-done, our bedroom needs the closet done and new base-boards put back on, and a door to our master bathroom. Our hallway and living room need the floors sanded and stained plus the ceilings painted and new trim done. Our kitchen, it's pretty much ok right now. Our office... well... I pulled up the carpet under the impression that it would have hardwood floors under it just like every other room in the house. Come to find out there is old nasty linoleum glued to the sub floor... no hardwood :( So, we are trying to take up the linoleum so we can build the walk in pantry and closet and lay new carpet. Really it sounds like a ton of work, but in reality we are just looking at a few weeks of dedication.
On top of our house, I have about 10 pounds to lose before I feel like I'm where I should be before we get pregnant. So I signed up for another half-marathon in order to shed the last few pounds. In April training for the half-marathon helped me shed about 12 pounds. I have actually kept it off which makes me very proud of myself. So we will probably be setting our baby making date for around Thanksgiving. Whoo-Hoo! I am so excited and anxious to try again!
In the mean time I am getting to spend sweet time with my BFF Laura and her new sweet baby boy. My sister-in-law will also be giving birth to our first niece at the end of the year. So that will have to hold over my baby fix for a few more months.
In case you were in need of a baby fix today hopefully this will hold you over too! :)
First of all, we have managed to tear up EVERY room in our house at the exact same time. Currently our nursery needs to have the closet re-done, our bedroom needs the closet done and new base-boards put back on, and a door to our master bathroom. Our hallway and living room need the floors sanded and stained plus the ceilings painted and new trim done. Our kitchen, it's pretty much ok right now. Our office... well... I pulled up the carpet under the impression that it would have hardwood floors under it just like every other room in the house. Come to find out there is old nasty linoleum glued to the sub floor... no hardwood :( So, we are trying to take up the linoleum so we can build the walk in pantry and closet and lay new carpet. Really it sounds like a ton of work, but in reality we are just looking at a few weeks of dedication.
On top of our house, I have about 10 pounds to lose before I feel like I'm where I should be before we get pregnant. So I signed up for another half-marathon in order to shed the last few pounds. In April training for the half-marathon helped me shed about 12 pounds. I have actually kept it off which makes me very proud of myself. So we will probably be setting our baby making date for around Thanksgiving. Whoo-Hoo! I am so excited and anxious to try again!
In the mean time I am getting to spend sweet time with my BFF Laura and her new sweet baby boy. My sister-in-law will also be giving birth to our first niece at the end of the year. So that will have to hold over my baby fix for a few more months.
In case you were in need of a baby fix today hopefully this will hold you over too! :)
Friday, September 10, 2010
The Conclusion.
We have been evaluated by three different doctors who have literally ran nearly a hundred tests on John and I, and our fertility doctor gave us her conclusion yesterday.
We just have bad luck.....
I am not sure that I feel any better, however, I am confident in her abilities. It may be that all along God was just waiting on us to trust Him with our pregnancies. To lay our cares down at HIS feet rather than run around looking into science for all of our answers. So we have decided that we are on God's time, (and the timing of finishing our hardwood floors!) and that He is faithful and will bless us with children when He is good and ready.
Please be praying for us as we are looking at the timing for our next pregnancy. We are both somewhat ready to try right away, but we have a few details that need to be worked out first.
:) Love you guys!
We just have bad luck.....
I am not sure that I feel any better, however, I am confident in her abilities. It may be that all along God was just waiting on us to trust Him with our pregnancies. To lay our cares down at HIS feet rather than run around looking into science for all of our answers. So we have decided that we are on God's time, (and the timing of finishing our hardwood floors!) and that He is faithful and will bless us with children when He is good and ready.
Please be praying for us as we are looking at the timing for our next pregnancy. We are both somewhat ready to try right away, but we have a few details that need to be worked out first.
:) Love you guys!
Thursday, September 9, 2010
To the doctor we will go, to the doctor we will go, hi-ho the dairyo to the doctor we will go!
John had his test last Friday, and today I am headed in for a SIS ultrasound. I am a little nervous but am staying pretty calm considering! Maybe I can get lunch out of the deal! I am just ready to get the show on the road!
Thursday, September 2, 2010
This Lady Rocks!
We had our first appointment with our new fertility doctor on Tuesday. It was awesome to say the least. Let's review the clinic that I am used to going to. Indian Hospital. For those of you that have been there... nuff said. For those of you that have not let's just give you a brief glance into what I am used to dealing with. Weird smells, grimy children, coughing children, and a new doctor each visit that has absolutely no idea who you are or what you have been through. Now, don't get me wrong I have been so blessed to be able to have this care, and for some it is their only choice. But let's take a look at where I am now.
I feel like I am walking into something from Private Practice! We were pretty early for our appoint (45 minutes!) because we weren't exactly sure where to go. We didn't have any medical forms to fill our because we did them last week online. We went to the bathroom and checked in. There were other patients there waiting to be seen but it was so quiet and peaceful! Since we were there early they went ahead and put us in a room and we met with the nurse. Then we were ready to see the doctor who was actually ahead of schedule! Honestly I didn't think that was ever possible! She was super friendly and kind and very optimistic! She pulled out all 60+ pages of my chart and told me she had read them all the night before and just had a few more questions. I could see where she had highlighted things and made notes on my chart. It was just what I needed!
Our next steps is a test for John and one for me. Hopefully after the next two weeks we will have definite answers! Praise God! Right now she has us on track to maybe start trying again in October...But we will have to have the rest of our hardwood floors finished first! :)
I feel like I am walking into something from Private Practice! We were pretty early for our appoint (45 minutes!) because we weren't exactly sure where to go. We didn't have any medical forms to fill our because we did them last week online. We went to the bathroom and checked in. There were other patients there waiting to be seen but it was so quiet and peaceful! Since we were there early they went ahead and put us in a room and we met with the nurse. Then we were ready to see the doctor who was actually ahead of schedule! Honestly I didn't think that was ever possible! She was super friendly and kind and very optimistic! She pulled out all 60+ pages of my chart and told me she had read them all the night before and just had a few more questions. I could see where she had highlighted things and made notes on my chart. It was just what I needed!
Our next steps is a test for John and one for me. Hopefully after the next two weeks we will have definite answers! Praise God! Right now she has us on track to maybe start trying again in October...But we will have to have the rest of our hardwood floors finished first! :)
Monday, August 30, 2010
Nerves Nerves and More Nerves!
Tomorrow is my first appointment with my new doctor. I find myself lying in bed wondering what she will be like and if we will get along. I worry about what we will talk about and how long we will wait to be able to try again. I am anxious to get the show on the road as far as a new doctor and that sort of thing goes. I am also SUPER nervous to be pregnant again for fear that we will have to go through what we have already been through 3 times. Please keep us in your prayers tomorrow as we head off to the doctor. Pray that God will guide our new doctor in the right path for us.
Friday, August 20, 2010
New Doctor & New Beginnings
Well, I am glad to see that I am not the only person who has not updated their blog in months! I haven't heard from any of you all either! We have just been trucking right along here in the Hasler family. School has started at my job and so that means the quiet productive working time from this summer is now back to its usual ciaos! I got a new promotion and a new position and a new office! It was busy week trying to re-arrange our office areas. We also got two new people in our office. Both are under 30 and guys! It add a nice mix to me and the two over 60 ladies!
We have gone round and round with Cherokee Nation and have decided to throw up our white flag! We are done... with them at least! We have an appointment at an area fertility clinic on August 31. I was very impressed so far. I have spoken with 3 different people on the phone and all of them have been very kind and courteous. Also another plus is I was able to log in and fill out all of my forms online as well. I was very impressed with that. It is a female doctor as well! So far so good! We will be starting from scratch with a new doctor and new beginnings! Hope all is well with you all and I can't wait to hear from you!
We have gone round and round with Cherokee Nation and have decided to throw up our white flag! We are done... with them at least! We have an appointment at an area fertility clinic on August 31. I was very impressed so far. I have spoken with 3 different people on the phone and all of them have been very kind and courteous. Also another plus is I was able to log in and fill out all of my forms online as well. I was very impressed with that. It is a female doctor as well! So far so good! We will be starting from scratch with a new doctor and new beginnings! Hope all is well with you all and I can't wait to hear from you!
Monday, July 26, 2010
Doctor's Appointment
So as I mentioned in my last post, I had my first doctor's appointment since my third miscarriage on Friday. I went alone because really it wasn't a big appointment. We were just talking about our next steps. I am not sure that I have ever mentioned that I go to an Indian Clinic for my pregnancies and miscarriages. The first one I did not and had to pay for my D&C with my own money (whatever my insurance didn't cover, which was a lot since I had not even touched my deductible!). When I had my second I decided to go to the clinic since I was still paying for the first. Anyway. If you are not familiar with how that works, if you are Indian, then your health care is billed to your insurance and then they pick up the rest. It is kind of like the Health Department. I will have to say that I have had pretty good experiences with the doctors and nurses there at the hospital, but there have certainly been some bad ones!
If you are special like me (not in a good way!) then they refer you to a high-risk doctor at OU medical center. They also pick up the tab for you when they refer you, however, you have to go through them every time which can be a hassle. I tell you all of this with a disclaimer. I am NOT cheating the system or trying to get a handout by no means! I am going through Indian Health Services because my insurance does not cover infertility. Which sucks.... That means for the rounds of tests that I have already have done, I would have had to pay almost $7,000 out of pocket. That's almost half of the cost of adoption! I plan to save my money just in case that becomes our next plan of action.
Ok, now that you are up to speed, let me tell you about how my appointment when. It was pretty good, however, I was a complete and total basket case. I had a pretty bad experience being passed between the clinic's OBs, ER doctors, and my high-risk doctor with my third pregnancy and I had not really had a chance to vent my frustrations to my case worker. She is a Nurse Practitioner and handles all of the referral paperwork. Anyway, let's just say the poor woman ended up holding my hand and hugging me because I was so upset. I know that it is easy to blame other people than to accept God's plan, but I feel like there was something else that they could have done besides pushing me off onto someone else.
I am rambling, so I will rap it up! :) Long story short, she is working to make sure I never "fall through the cracks" again. She gave me direct lines, and cell phone numbers for herself, the Chief of OB, and my high-risk doctor at OU. She is working on getting me another appointment set up at OU, but there is a ton of red-tape right now. I have decided that if by the end of next month she is unable to get me all straightened out I will be looking for a new High-Risk OB in the Tulsa area. So if you have any suggestions or recommendations, feel free to throw them my way! I have already had so many tests run that there may not be as much out of pocket expenses if I do decide to find a new doctor. Either way I need a doctor that is fully devoted to helping me! I promise to not call unless I think it is an emergency, but by George if I call you, you had better call me back!
If you are special like me (not in a good way!) then they refer you to a high-risk doctor at OU medical center. They also pick up the tab for you when they refer you, however, you have to go through them every time which can be a hassle. I tell you all of this with a disclaimer. I am NOT cheating the system or trying to get a handout by no means! I am going through Indian Health Services because my insurance does not cover infertility. Which sucks.... That means for the rounds of tests that I have already have done, I would have had to pay almost $7,000 out of pocket. That's almost half of the cost of adoption! I plan to save my money just in case that becomes our next plan of action.
Ok, now that you are up to speed, let me tell you about how my appointment when. It was pretty good, however, I was a complete and total basket case. I had a pretty bad experience being passed between the clinic's OBs, ER doctors, and my high-risk doctor with my third pregnancy and I had not really had a chance to vent my frustrations to my case worker. She is a Nurse Practitioner and handles all of the referral paperwork. Anyway, let's just say the poor woman ended up holding my hand and hugging me because I was so upset. I know that it is easy to blame other people than to accept God's plan, but I feel like there was something else that they could have done besides pushing me off onto someone else.
I am rambling, so I will rap it up! :) Long story short, she is working to make sure I never "fall through the cracks" again. She gave me direct lines, and cell phone numbers for herself, the Chief of OB, and my high-risk doctor at OU. She is working on getting me another appointment set up at OU, but there is a ton of red-tape right now. I have decided that if by the end of next month she is unable to get me all straightened out I will be looking for a new High-Risk OB in the Tulsa area. So if you have any suggestions or recommendations, feel free to throw them my way! I have already had so many tests run that there may not be as much out of pocket expenses if I do decide to find a new doctor. Either way I need a doctor that is fully devoted to helping me! I promise to not call unless I think it is an emergency, but by George if I call you, you had better call me back!
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Journey #4
I have been trying to figure out what the purpose of my blog is. I know it is just to update everyone on life and yadda yadda. But I mean all the really good blogs have a purpose. How to find the cheapest groceries, how to make the best meals, all about their children, and so on and so forth. My blog, as Megan and I have spoke about many times, is boorrring. It is just dull. It's usually poor poor pitiful me and I am sad. If you know me in real life, that is the complete opposite of who I really am. I am usually over the top in conversations, and a pretty optimistic person. So that leads me to the same question... what is the purpose of my blog?
Drum roll please.........
The purpose of my blog is.......
Hopefully you are drum rolling on that keyboard with me!.......
If not you better get to rollin!.........
The purpose of my blog is to share my life story of infertility and encourage those who have struggled, are currently struggling, or will ever struggle on their journey to become a mom. I also want to inform those that have never struggled with infertility on ways they can be there and support their friends and family members were are currently on their journey.
I want you guys with me every step of our journey to becoming parents. So in telling you that I must tell you that I have an appointment with my OB on Friday to discuss our next step. This OB is not the same as my High-Risk-OB because I have to coordinate with my regular OB to see my High-Risk-OB. I am going to attempt to cut out the middleman Friday at my appointment. If they are not agreeable, then I will be seeking a brand new doctor and in a sense starting all over again :(. However, I am willing to do whatever it takes to not lose another precious baby.
I hear it all the time that, "The third time's the charm!" Well we all know how that worked out for us last time! So here's to hoping, "The FOURTH time is the charm!" :) Our current plan is to start trying after the birth of John's neice/nephew in January. Since his sister and I told each other on the same day we were both pregnant, I really want to respect and honor her by waiting until she is through her pregnancy before we try again. However, you never know! We may sneak it in a little early! :)
Drum roll please.........
The purpose of my blog is.......
Hopefully you are drum rolling on that keyboard with me!.......
If not you better get to rollin!.........
The purpose of my blog is to share my life story of infertility and encourage those who have struggled, are currently struggling, or will ever struggle on their journey to become a mom. I also want to inform those that have never struggled with infertility on ways they can be there and support their friends and family members were are currently on their journey.
I want you guys with me every step of our journey to becoming parents. So in telling you that I must tell you that I have an appointment with my OB on Friday to discuss our next step. This OB is not the same as my High-Risk-OB because I have to coordinate with my regular OB to see my High-Risk-OB. I am going to attempt to cut out the middleman Friday at my appointment. If they are not agreeable, then I will be seeking a brand new doctor and in a sense starting all over again :(. However, I am willing to do whatever it takes to not lose another precious baby.
I hear it all the time that, "The third time's the charm!" Well we all know how that worked out for us last time! So here's to hoping, "The FOURTH time is the charm!" :) Our current plan is to start trying after the birth of John's neice/nephew in January. Since his sister and I told each other on the same day we were both pregnant, I really want to respect and honor her by waiting until she is through her pregnancy before we try again. However, you never know! We may sneak it in a little early! :)
Thursday, July 15, 2010
What do you want to do?
This has been an emotionally draining week! Our Superintendent's son was killed Friday night in a car accident. He was only 31. that has weighed on my heart all week. My father-in-law filmed the funeral for the family since his sons are only 3 and 5 and won't have any memories of the the day. That was hard. You would have thought he was my best fried the way I was boo-hooing. It just reminds me of how precious and short our time here on earth is.
One of the things they kept saying was that he had such big plans for his family. That is where John and I find ourselves. We have such big plans but aren't making many strides in making our plans come true. We have had a long chat each night this week and we are determined to not let each day pass with being grateful and working towards making a difference in the lives of others.
Before I die, I want to be a mother! To at least 4 children. Granted who knows if any of them will be biological, but either way I will have 4 children!
Before I die, I want to go to Africa and put in a water well for a village.
Before I die, I want to know all I can about my Cherokee hertiage. I am 1/8th Cherokee and since my grandparents have passed I feel like we are losing touch with our heritage.
Before I die, I want to buy a car and give it away.
Before I die, I want to work somewhere that I feel makes a big difference in peoples' lives.
Before I die, I want to take beauty pictures for women with cancer, facial deformaities, or other ailments that would make them feel less then beatiful.
What sorts of things do you want to do before you die? I don't mean own a classic car! I mean the big, real, important stuff?
One of the things they kept saying was that he had such big plans for his family. That is where John and I find ourselves. We have such big plans but aren't making many strides in making our plans come true. We have had a long chat each night this week and we are determined to not let each day pass with being grateful and working towards making a difference in the lives of others.
Before I die, I want to be a mother! To at least 4 children. Granted who knows if any of them will be biological, but either way I will have 4 children!
Before I die, I want to go to Africa and put in a water well for a village.
Before I die, I want to know all I can about my Cherokee hertiage. I am 1/8th Cherokee and since my grandparents have passed I feel like we are losing touch with our heritage.
Before I die, I want to buy a car and give it away.
Before I die, I want to work somewhere that I feel makes a big difference in peoples' lives.
Before I die, I want to take beauty pictures for women with cancer, facial deformaities, or other ailments that would make them feel less then beatiful.
What sorts of things do you want to do before you die? I don't mean own a classic car! I mean the big, real, important stuff?
Thursday, July 1, 2010
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Yucky Home improvement Projects!
Ok I have to admit I love home improvement projects! It is in my blood! We are really trying hard to get our house done before Christmas and so we have been working very diligently towards that goal. We recently discovered that we have beautiful hardwood floors under our carpets so we yanked them out and have been trying to re stain the floors darker than what they are. The first room we started in is the nursery. Let me just give you a little summary of what we have been through.
First I sanded them. Then John and I put on a coat of stain with a paint brush. It was probably 2 o'clock in the morning when we got finished and then I heard it thundering. I was worried that it would rain in the open windows and so I tried to "tip-toe" around the corners of the room and close the windows. This didn't work. So then until 3:30 in the morning I tried to fix my foot prints. It looked terrible. But before we could re-do it they had to dry. This took seriously a week to dry in this humidity. Then I re-sanded the floors. Then I got pregnant and John decided he could handle staining the floors. I bought this nifty floor staining mop that DID NOT WORK! It left the floors streaky and I was ready hire someone to finish them!
After the miscarriage I decided I would try to put on a second coat by hand to even things out. This actually seemed to work. Again it takes 3-4 days to dry! Then I put a third coat of stain and I am very pleased with the results! They finally dried last night and tonight I put the first coat of polyurethane tonight! So hopefully they will dry over the next day (fingers crossed!) and then we can put the final coat on them in time for them to dry before my in-laws stay with us this weekend! If not they are going to have to stay in a RV in our drive way! How very Griswald Family Christmas of us I know!
Here is what the nursery looks like tonight! Granted now I will have to re-paint because John got a little wild and crazy when I left him alone with the stain! And also note that we will have to put up new baseboards when we are finished!
Notice the Footprint on the wall!
They aren't as dark as they look in the first picture!
We have also pulled up the carpet in our bedroom.
So now here is where we are sleeping... in the office.... with the xbox.... and the desk.... and the couch..... and all of the furniture from our bedroom!
And Here is where our shoes are.... in the living room by the front door since we are stain the closets too!
Our house is a crazy crazy place to be! But boy will it be pretty when it is done!!!!
This weekend while my in-laws are visiting I plan to finish some projects outside!
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Happy Anniversary!
First of all let me give a shout out to my anniversary buddy Kelli! What John isn't your anniversary buddy? Ha! Nope! Kelli and Lane got married a year and a day before us! So Kelli and I are anniversary buddies! Happy 4 years to the Moss Family and Happy 3 years to us!
John's little sister is getting married in September and so we have been reminiscing quite a bit about our wedding the past few days. We have had a crazy ride since that day but I have held my hands high in the fun times and gotten white knuckles trying not to fall off in the not so fun times.
So now that I have been married such a long time I have become quite the "expert!" Ha! Hardly, but I do what to share some advise that has gotten us through the past three years.
__________________________________
Amy's Marriage Wisdom:
1. Don't get hung up on the little things.
My blood begins to boil when I get home late from work and find the kitchen a mess and John playing XBox. But I know that he needs time to chill after work too. Instead of harp, maybe it is best to chill for a few minutes with him and then suggest that after dinner you clean the house together. It usually works pretty good for me.
2. ALWAYS give each other a genuine kiss before bed.
Sometimes I can be really mad when we get in bed, but John refuses to let me go to sleep until I am un-mad enough to give him a "real" kiss.
3. Be real with each other.
If you are mad, then be mad! If you are sad or hormonal then be honest about it! But then you also have to be real when it comes to when you have done wrong to the other. This is the sucky part! If you are worried about something, no matter how small it it, let your spouse know! Chances are they will be glad you told them. Of course he may think you are a little silly when you make him go check to make sure there is not a homeless man living in your attic.... Yep, I made him check... in the summer... in Oklahoma! John told me unless he already died from heat exhaustion, there is no one living on our attic! Give me a break! I was pregnant and hormonal!
4. Act like you did when you were dating.
After our crappy week last month we spent a few days together celebrating my birthday. We snuggled in the movies, sat on the same sit of the booth together, and jammed to the radio in the car. We felt like we were teenagers again and I couldn't wait to get home because I was excited that I actually got to live alone with my boyfriend! :) It really renewed our relationship!
5. Little surprises can go a long way.
This morning John surprised me at 5:30 with donuts! It was early, but sweet! We laid in bed and ate our donuts together while trying to defend our breakfast from our sneaky puppy! It really made my day start off great! He is really great at doing things like this!
6. Fast from the world from time to time.
We had a period of a month that we didn't watch any TV. We were required to find things to do together. It was one of the best months of our relationship. Plus our house was really clean!
______________________________________
If you are married, I want to encourage you to surprise your spouse with something small today. It could be a great big hug when he walks through the door, or a big dinner under the stars. Just remind him of why you two are together!
If you are not married, I want to encourage you to wait for the right man comes along. No relationship is perfect, but make your "wish-list" and make sure your future man meets most of your criteria!
Hope you have a great week!
John's little sister is getting married in September and so we have been reminiscing quite a bit about our wedding the past few days. We have had a crazy ride since that day but I have held my hands high in the fun times and gotten white knuckles trying not to fall off in the not so fun times.
So now that I have been married such a long time I have become quite the "expert!" Ha! Hardly, but I do what to share some advise that has gotten us through the past three years.
__________________________________
Amy's Marriage Wisdom:
1. Don't get hung up on the little things.
My blood begins to boil when I get home late from work and find the kitchen a mess and John playing XBox. But I know that he needs time to chill after work too. Instead of harp, maybe it is best to chill for a few minutes with him and then suggest that after dinner you clean the house together. It usually works pretty good for me.
2. ALWAYS give each other a genuine kiss before bed.
Sometimes I can be really mad when we get in bed, but John refuses to let me go to sleep until I am un-mad enough to give him a "real" kiss.
3. Be real with each other.
If you are mad, then be mad! If you are sad or hormonal then be honest about it! But then you also have to be real when it comes to when you have done wrong to the other. This is the sucky part! If you are worried about something, no matter how small it it, let your spouse know! Chances are they will be glad you told them. Of course he may think you are a little silly when you make him go check to make sure there is not a homeless man living in your attic.... Yep, I made him check... in the summer... in Oklahoma! John told me unless he already died from heat exhaustion, there is no one living on our attic! Give me a break! I was pregnant and hormonal!
4. Act like you did when you were dating.
After our crappy week last month we spent a few days together celebrating my birthday. We snuggled in the movies, sat on the same sit of the booth together, and jammed to the radio in the car. We felt like we were teenagers again and I couldn't wait to get home because I was excited that I actually got to live alone with my boyfriend! :) It really renewed our relationship!
5. Little surprises can go a long way.
This morning John surprised me at 5:30 with donuts! It was early, but sweet! We laid in bed and ate our donuts together while trying to defend our breakfast from our sneaky puppy! It really made my day start off great! He is really great at doing things like this!
6. Fast from the world from time to time.
We had a period of a month that we didn't watch any TV. We were required to find things to do together. It was one of the best months of our relationship. Plus our house was really clean!
______________________________________
If you are married, I want to encourage you to surprise your spouse with something small today. It could be a great big hug when he walks through the door, or a big dinner under the stars. Just remind him of why you two are together!
If you are not married, I want to encourage you to wait for the right man comes along. No relationship is perfect, but make your "wish-list" and make sure your future man meets most of your criteria!
Hope you have a great week!
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
I was almost the Biggest Loser!
Since I have been the world's worst blogger and not updating (I hate when there aren't any new blog updates on my dashboard, but I am not doing my part for other people!) I almost forgot to tell you that before this whole pregnancy fiasco I got 2nd place in my work's biggest loser! My final weigh in was 159.0 so I had lost 14.2 lbs! That was on May 10. I was already preggo too! I haven't weighed myself in for the last few weeks, but I am hitting the ground running when I get off work today! My newest goal is 130 lbs by the next pregnancy! Wish me luck!
Let me also give a shout out to Mrs. Kelli Moss for completing her 5k last weekend! I was there! I witnessed it! Way to go Kel! Love ya! I will try to remember to post some pictures from our race this week! We raised over $3000 for our youth!
Let me also give a shout out to Mrs. Kelli Moss for completing her 5k last weekend! I was there! I witnessed it! Way to go Kel! Love ya! I will try to remember to post some pictures from our race this week! We raised over $3000 for our youth!
What now?
I have gone back and re-read my last post several times. It makes me sad. When you are a little girl you dream of finding your perfect husband, having a big beautiful wedding, honeymooning in paradise, then eventually making sweet little children. No where in this dream world are there miscarriages or pain. John and I have been been together 10 years this month. Wow! That is a freaking long time! We were laying in bed talking last night and we were thinking back on some of the things we have been through. We have held each other through some very dark times.
John's mom moved out the week before we started dating. I have watched such joy come from that situation. His parents are both happy and his mom married a guy that is the best step-dad to John. He introduces John as his son to people. Mike is very proud of John and that makes me smile.
My mom moved out of my dad's house 6 months after we got married. We struggled through 2 years of separation and turmoil in our family. There were tears and pain, but then they bought a new house together last summer and have now been back together almost an entire year.
By fair the darkest place we have been in our marriage has been this past year. I am so blessed that through every tear John has been there. Many times he was the only reason I was standing, simply because he was holding me up. He has undoubtedly been my rock. When I told him last night I was thinking about giving up and maybe just look into other routes to have children he told me no. He has refused to let me give up! It is our dream to have at least one biological child. I know many people will say there are lots of children that need good homes. I couldn't agree more! I cannot wait to have many of these children become my children eventually. However, I yearn to look into the eyes of my child knowing that he/she is a part of me. I cannot wait to laugh at how goofy our child is just like their daddy. John will be a fantastic dad! I am merely cool by association to all of the kiddos in our life. When I go visit my sister my nephew always asks me if John is in the car!
So what's next? I got the burden today of calling and cancelling all of my OB appointments that had been scheduled for the next few months. That was hard. The poor lady on the other end kept asking me when I wanted to rescheduled and I finally had to tell her that I would not be rescheduling because I was no longer pregnant. I hate having to tell people. They just feel so miserable and I feel miserable for them!
Our next plan of action is to schedule an appointment with our high risk doctor. I have seen her once before, but now she will be our permanent doctor. I am happy about that, because she is amazing! We will go to her in September and begin the testing process all over again. In the last round of testing I gave over 50 vials of blood within a week. So that really doesn't bother me anymore. Hopefully we will be able to try again within 3-6 months. Let me be the first to tell you, I am already nervous for the next pregnancy! I really don't mind other people sticking me with needles, but I have a feeling that daily shots of hormones are in my future. John informed me last night that if he has to give me the shots everyday, then he is going to sneak attack them. He is looking forward to poking me with needles when I least expect it. Did I mention he is one sick individual?!?
We have also decided to go ahead and finish decorating our nursery. That may sound strange to you, but eventually there will be a baby in that crib believe you me! I have had my nursery decorations picked out since the first pregnancy and by George I am going to move on with my plans! At least I won't have to rely on John to paint when I am pregnant! We all know how my bathroom turned out!
Well... I just realized that I wrote a novel.... so if you are still reading I'm sorry! It is just nice to get your thoughts out on paper...um.... I mean on the computer. So again... thanks for listening.... if you are still listening.... OK bye!
Monday, June 14, 2010
Where have I been?
****Warning***** May contain too much information!!!!
Well. Quite an interesting month has come and gone for the Haslers. Let's see. Where do I start?
We found out on May 18th that I was pregnant! Yipee! We were excited yet very cautious! Things we were going wonderfully. On June 3 I had been having a slight pain in my lower right side, so I went to the doctor just to be safe. I got to see a beautiful baby heartbeat! We cried such happy tears! We have had two previous miscarriages both of which we were told were blighted ovums meaning the baby probably never developed far enough to have a heartbeat. This time we had a heartbeat! We were thrilled! The doctor was thrilled as well. He said that I had ovarian cysts causing me the pain. This was no big deal I had had them many times before and would probably go away on their own in the next few weeks. They did however notice some slight bleeding between my uterus and placenta. Bad news. But we were optimistic that bedrest would take care of everything! So Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday were spent on complete bedrest! Friday was fun, but by Monday I was borrreeeddd! We went back to the doctor on Monday and got to see the beautiful baby again! Again we were elated! The doctor sent us home and said to take it easy, but things looked great. We weren't scheduled to come back until the 22nd! Then all hell broke loose.
Monday night I was sitting on the couch and smelled blood. (I had not bled a single drop the entire pregnancy which was also giving the doctors hope!) I went to the bathroom and thought whew! False alarm. There was nothing indicating any issues. Then suddenly I had a complete miscarriage. I was crushed but I knew right away what had happened. John and I went to the ER but really there was nothing they could do for us obviously. So they doped me with meds and sent me home. Life sucked again! We are now in the 3 miscarriages club! Never a club I thought I would have to join, but let me tell you it is a sucky club to be a member of!
We are doing really well. Considering I had a D&C with both of my last and this time I didn't have to have surgury I was thankful. The morning after the miscarriage I went in for another ultrasound and my only prayer was that it would all be over and no surgury or painful meds needed. My prayer was answered. The doctor was almost shocked at how quickly my body had recovered. My uterus was already pre-pregnancy size! I guess in all the bad that was at least one good.
Emotionally I am doing great. I didn't fall apart this time. I am not sure that is a good thing though. I think we are getting to the point that pregnacies don't really excited us too much and miscarriages are getting easy to deal with.
Thursday was my birthday and so we spent the whole day together shopping and eating away our sadness. Then we felt better, but our pocket books were much much lighter!!!
Please don't feel sorry for us. That makes it harder. We are very tough people and can pretty much handle anything that gets hurled at us. Our only prayer right now is that God would give the doctors the knowledge of what happened and how we can move on from here. We aren't ruling out another pregnancy yet, but adoption is looking better and better in my eyes. Physcially I just don't know how much more I can take.
Sorry to be a downer, but just needed to let you guys know what was going on!
Well. Quite an interesting month has come and gone for the Haslers. Let's see. Where do I start?
We found out on May 18th that I was pregnant! Yipee! We were excited yet very cautious! Things we were going wonderfully. On June 3 I had been having a slight pain in my lower right side, so I went to the doctor just to be safe. I got to see a beautiful baby heartbeat! We cried such happy tears! We have had two previous miscarriages both of which we were told were blighted ovums meaning the baby probably never developed far enough to have a heartbeat. This time we had a heartbeat! We were thrilled! The doctor was thrilled as well. He said that I had ovarian cysts causing me the pain. This was no big deal I had had them many times before and would probably go away on their own in the next few weeks. They did however notice some slight bleeding between my uterus and placenta. Bad news. But we were optimistic that bedrest would take care of everything! So Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday were spent on complete bedrest! Friday was fun, but by Monday I was borrreeeddd! We went back to the doctor on Monday and got to see the beautiful baby again! Again we were elated! The doctor sent us home and said to take it easy, but things looked great. We weren't scheduled to come back until the 22nd! Then all hell broke loose.
Monday night I was sitting on the couch and smelled blood. (I had not bled a single drop the entire pregnancy which was also giving the doctors hope!) I went to the bathroom and thought whew! False alarm. There was nothing indicating any issues. Then suddenly I had a complete miscarriage. I was crushed but I knew right away what had happened. John and I went to the ER but really there was nothing they could do for us obviously. So they doped me with meds and sent me home. Life sucked again! We are now in the 3 miscarriages club! Never a club I thought I would have to join, but let me tell you it is a sucky club to be a member of!
We are doing really well. Considering I had a D&C with both of my last and this time I didn't have to have surgury I was thankful. The morning after the miscarriage I went in for another ultrasound and my only prayer was that it would all be over and no surgury or painful meds needed. My prayer was answered. The doctor was almost shocked at how quickly my body had recovered. My uterus was already pre-pregnancy size! I guess in all the bad that was at least one good.
Emotionally I am doing great. I didn't fall apart this time. I am not sure that is a good thing though. I think we are getting to the point that pregnacies don't really excited us too much and miscarriages are getting easy to deal with.
Thursday was my birthday and so we spent the whole day together shopping and eating away our sadness. Then we felt better, but our pocket books were much much lighter!!!
Please don't feel sorry for us. That makes it harder. We are very tough people and can pretty much handle anything that gets hurled at us. Our only prayer right now is that God would give the doctors the knowledge of what happened and how we can move on from here. We aren't ruling out another pregnancy yet, but adoption is looking better and better in my eyes. Physcially I just don't know how much more I can take.
Sorry to be a downer, but just needed to let you guys know what was going on!
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Question/Answer
A Blog Buddy Megan that I read posted some really great questions:
Do you like Glass Plus or Windex better?
I use the cheapo depot for most of my "cleaning products" However I do use Mr. Clean Multipurpose Antibacterial Solution for many many things. I usually buy it and dilute it in a spray bottle for my bathrooms and kitchen. It is pretty cheap and lasts a long time when you dilute it! I have been toying with the idea of going natural. www.thesimpledollar.com has some great homemade cleaning ideas that are natural.
Do you prefer powder detergent or liquid?
I use liquid. I actually buy in bulk at Sams my Tide with Bleach. I like the bottle that it comes in from Sams because it has a spout and I can just store above my washer and push the button.
Which detergent do you think keeps colors and whites brightest?
I was born and raised on Tide with Bleach. It may be a little more expensive but I never use bleach or hardly any other stain remover and my clothes always come out clean.
What stain remover do you think works best?
I use Shout.
Is there a hair dryer or brush out there that really minimizes frizz or saves you time?
I bought a hair dryer that really saves me quite a bit of time. It is much more powerful than my old one and it cut a few minutes off drying my hair (it's super thick!). It is from Wal-Mart I can't think of the name right now. I also bought a large rolling brush that seems to let air flow through it well. Again not sure of the name right now.
What air purifier do you have and or like or don't like?
I have an air purifier than doubles as a fan in our bedroom. It is from Lowes and it has washable filters. This was very important to me so that I don't have to keep buying new filters.
Do you keep all your DVDs in their case?
Yes. They go in drawers in our buffet tv stand. We are a bit weird, they are in alphabetical order by type. For example all movies are together, all tv series are together, home movies, Wii games, and x-box games.
Do you wear shoes in your house or do you take them off at the door?
Shoes are unfortunately permitted in our house. The men in my life all have a tendency to stomp mud and grass through my house and it makes me so mad! I have been toying with the idea of getting two benches with cubbies to have at the front and back door and having a no shoes allowed house. Our hardwood floors are constantly dirty! I have to sweep nearly every day! I am just not sure how you enforce that in the beginning? Any ideas?
What do you think helps prevent freezer burn the best?
I don't know, but I would love to know! For our chicken breasts we buy steroid free, free range and so it comes in a meat package all together. I take each breast and wrap it in plastic wrap then store in a vacuum seal ziploc bag (which I reuse since no raw chicken ever touches). I like the convenience of having them individually frozen.
Do you drink bottled water or do you have a purifier on your faucet?
I am anti-plastic bottles! I recently went to the city land fill for the first time and it was an eye opener. Since then we recycle recycle recycle! We have always had a purifier on our faucet it makes life easier.
Do you use an address book or have an address book program on your computer?
No address book. I just bought a new day planner and I am trying to get addresses into it. I am always texting people and asking them for their address!
Any other household tips you have would be greatly appreciated!
Do you like Glass Plus or Windex better?
I use the cheapo depot for most of my "cleaning products" However I do use Mr. Clean Multipurpose Antibacterial Solution for many many things. I usually buy it and dilute it in a spray bottle for my bathrooms and kitchen. It is pretty cheap and lasts a long time when you dilute it! I have been toying with the idea of going natural. www.thesimpledollar.com has some great homemade cleaning ideas that are natural.
Do you prefer powder detergent or liquid?
I use liquid. I actually buy in bulk at Sams my Tide with Bleach. I like the bottle that it comes in from Sams because it has a spout and I can just store above my washer and push the button.
Which detergent do you think keeps colors and whites brightest?
I was born and raised on Tide with Bleach. It may be a little more expensive but I never use bleach or hardly any other stain remover and my clothes always come out clean.
What stain remover do you think works best?
I use Shout.
Is there a hair dryer or brush out there that really minimizes frizz or saves you time?
I bought a hair dryer that really saves me quite a bit of time. It is much more powerful than my old one and it cut a few minutes off drying my hair (it's super thick!). It is from Wal-Mart I can't think of the name right now. I also bought a large rolling brush that seems to let air flow through it well. Again not sure of the name right now.
What air purifier do you have and or like or don't like?
I have an air purifier than doubles as a fan in our bedroom. It is from Lowes and it has washable filters. This was very important to me so that I don't have to keep buying new filters.
Do you keep all your DVDs in their case?
Yes. They go in drawers in our buffet tv stand. We are a bit weird, they are in alphabetical order by type. For example all movies are together, all tv series are together, home movies, Wii games, and x-box games.
Do you wear shoes in your house or do you take them off at the door?
Shoes are unfortunately permitted in our house. The men in my life all have a tendency to stomp mud and grass through my house and it makes me so mad! I have been toying with the idea of getting two benches with cubbies to have at the front and back door and having a no shoes allowed house. Our hardwood floors are constantly dirty! I have to sweep nearly every day! I am just not sure how you enforce that in the beginning? Any ideas?
What do you think helps prevent freezer burn the best?
I don't know, but I would love to know! For our chicken breasts we buy steroid free, free range and so it comes in a meat package all together. I take each breast and wrap it in plastic wrap then store in a vacuum seal ziploc bag (which I reuse since no raw chicken ever touches). I like the convenience of having them individually frozen.
Do you drink bottled water or do you have a purifier on your faucet?
I am anti-plastic bottles! I recently went to the city land fill for the first time and it was an eye opener. Since then we recycle recycle recycle! We have always had a purifier on our faucet it makes life easier.
Do you use an address book or have an address book program on your computer?
No address book. I just bought a new day planner and I am trying to get addresses into it. I am always texting people and asking them for their address!
Any other household tips you have would be greatly appreciated!
Monday, May 10, 2010
Mother's Day
Yesterday was bittersweet in many ways. First of all let me give a shout out to the amazing women in my life.
First and for most. My mom rocks! She is spunky, creative, tender, and nurturing. She is one of my very best friends. I get much of who I am from my mom. She instilled in me the confidence of being able to do anything! I am pretty sure that is why I think I can remodel, rebuild, or redecorate anything! Nothing is too big for us! She inspires me. She worked so hard for over 20 years at a company to become a regional manager all without a college degree. Then when she felt they were treating her unfairly she quit and enrolled in school. That day! She makes me proud. Not much worries my mom and she is a strong believer in the "it wasn't meant to be" statement. Also, she firmly feels that everything will be ok no matter the circumstances. She has proven to be an amazing grandmother to my nephew and I can't wait to bless her with many more little babies!
My sister! She is my polar opposite except we are just alike! Does that make any sense? School was soooo important to me she was there for the friends and the fun! She always needed to use the phone when I did, yet I loved to sit in the hall and listen to the "big girl" conversations she was having. I just thought she was so cool! She hated to have to babysit me and have me tag along but always tried to include me! She has been my rock through my miscarriages and parents' separation. She is seriously one of the best moms. I never thought that would be the case, but as soon as my nephew was born she totally turned into a mother in all sense of the word! She loves to take care of her baby sister. In fact my wedding would not have happened without her! She is ambitious and strong. She is super intelligent and just fun to be around!
My Grandmother. She has been through many struggles. She raised three wild boys with very little money. She is gentle and likes to take care of everyone. When I was sick in school I would stay with her and should would pamper me all day while we watched hours of I Love Lucy! I spent many summers camping with her and my grandpa and she and I would go for walks and fish. She is a very classy lady at 83.
My Mother-in-Law. It's funny most people hate their mother in law. I really love mine! Let's be honest, we haven't always seen eye-to-eye but I imagine it's hard to see someone as strong-willed as me marry your baby boy. She is very inspiring! She went to school after her kids when to school and graduated Friday with her Masters Degree. She was the Oklahoma Teacher of the year which led her to an amazing job opportunity. John gets much of who he is from his mom. They are both all about following the rules whether it be in a parking lot or in school, they are both crazy organizers (in fact no matter what trip either of them plan, you are going to receive a detailed itinerary in your in-box!), and they always want to make sure everyone else is taken care of an happy! We are looking forward to making her a grandmother in the near future!
My Sister-in-Law Shannon. I was so intimidated by Shannon when John and I first started dating. She was in Miss Oklahoma one of the first times I met her. Here I was an awkward teenager meeting my boyfriend's beautiful sister. She and I were not really ever that close until the past 3 or 4 years. She really wants to do what is right and she is an amazing friend. She was so supportive and a great shoulder to lean on through my struggles. It's pretty freaky some of our similarities. Many times I will say, "I can't believe I am going to admit that I like this show (Kendra, Duggars, Guliana and Bill...) she will most usually say, "Oh! I watch that too!" She and I could probably laugh and talk to days!
My Sister-in-Law Caitlin. I have known Caitlin long before I even knew John. She was in my grade in school. We went to church camp together, and we played softball together for years. In fact, I didn't even know she had an older brother until middle school! We ended up getting into the same scholarship program in college which eased all of my fears knowing we would be going together! She is going to moving into a house 3 houses down from us this summer and I cannot wait to have her as a neighbor! She is a great friend and I love her dearly!
Yet there was one person missing yesterday. My Grandma Patty. She passed away 15 years ago from Ovarian Cancer, but it still feels like it was yesterday. She was such a fun and crazy lady. She would take me to the dollar store and literally buy me whatever I wanted. I was in heaven! She was an amazing grandmother to 5 grandchildren. I know it is hard on my mom and aunt to not have her around.
Yesterday, should of, could of, would of been my first mother's day. That was a little rough, but really knowing God's plan and purpose for me and my children quiets my aching heart. I know that I WILL be a mother. NO MATTER WHAT. Until then I still get to sleep in! Ha! I hope that yesterday was filled with joy no matter what your situation. Remember that whether you have three beautiful children, a fantastic mother, a mother who has passed, single, infertile, or estranged from your mother, celebrate the women in your life that have made a difference for you! Also, take the time to be a mother for those that need one. A mother doesn't have to be biological to nurture, love and care.
HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!
****EDIT******
After thinking about it I should most definitely give another shout out to my BBs! Laura and Jaclyn! Since really they are more like sisters than friends!!! Love you girls!
First and for most. My mom rocks! She is spunky, creative, tender, and nurturing. She is one of my very best friends. I get much of who I am from my mom. She instilled in me the confidence of being able to do anything! I am pretty sure that is why I think I can remodel, rebuild, or redecorate anything! Nothing is too big for us! She inspires me. She worked so hard for over 20 years at a company to become a regional manager all without a college degree. Then when she felt they were treating her unfairly she quit and enrolled in school. That day! She makes me proud. Not much worries my mom and she is a strong believer in the "it wasn't meant to be" statement. Also, she firmly feels that everything will be ok no matter the circumstances. She has proven to be an amazing grandmother to my nephew and I can't wait to bless her with many more little babies!
My sister! She is my polar opposite except we are just alike! Does that make any sense? School was soooo important to me she was there for the friends and the fun! She always needed to use the phone when I did, yet I loved to sit in the hall and listen to the "big girl" conversations she was having. I just thought she was so cool! She hated to have to babysit me and have me tag along but always tried to include me! She has been my rock through my miscarriages and parents' separation. She is seriously one of the best moms. I never thought that would be the case, but as soon as my nephew was born she totally turned into a mother in all sense of the word! She loves to take care of her baby sister. In fact my wedding would not have happened without her! She is ambitious and strong. She is super intelligent and just fun to be around!
My Grandmother. She has been through many struggles. She raised three wild boys with very little money. She is gentle and likes to take care of everyone. When I was sick in school I would stay with her and should would pamper me all day while we watched hours of I Love Lucy! I spent many summers camping with her and my grandpa and she and I would go for walks and fish. She is a very classy lady at 83.
My Mother-in-Law. It's funny most people hate their mother in law. I really love mine! Let's be honest, we haven't always seen eye-to-eye but I imagine it's hard to see someone as strong-willed as me marry your baby boy. She is very inspiring! She went to school after her kids when to school and graduated Friday with her Masters Degree. She was the Oklahoma Teacher of the year which led her to an amazing job opportunity. John gets much of who he is from his mom. They are both all about following the rules whether it be in a parking lot or in school, they are both crazy organizers (in fact no matter what trip either of them plan, you are going to receive a detailed itinerary in your in-box!), and they always want to make sure everyone else is taken care of an happy! We are looking forward to making her a grandmother in the near future!
My Sister-in-Law Shannon. I was so intimidated by Shannon when John and I first started dating. She was in Miss Oklahoma one of the first times I met her. Here I was an awkward teenager meeting my boyfriend's beautiful sister. She and I were not really ever that close until the past 3 or 4 years. She really wants to do what is right and she is an amazing friend. She was so supportive and a great shoulder to lean on through my struggles. It's pretty freaky some of our similarities. Many times I will say, "I can't believe I am going to admit that I like this show (Kendra, Duggars, Guliana and Bill...) she will most usually say, "Oh! I watch that too!" She and I could probably laugh and talk to days!
My Sister-in-Law Caitlin. I have known Caitlin long before I even knew John. She was in my grade in school. We went to church camp together, and we played softball together for years. In fact, I didn't even know she had an older brother until middle school! We ended up getting into the same scholarship program in college which eased all of my fears knowing we would be going together! She is going to moving into a house 3 houses down from us this summer and I cannot wait to have her as a neighbor! She is a great friend and I love her dearly!
Yet there was one person missing yesterday. My Grandma Patty. She passed away 15 years ago from Ovarian Cancer, but it still feels like it was yesterday. She was such a fun and crazy lady. She would take me to the dollar store and literally buy me whatever I wanted. I was in heaven! She was an amazing grandmother to 5 grandchildren. I know it is hard on my mom and aunt to not have her around.
Yesterday, should of, could of, would of been my first mother's day. That was a little rough, but really knowing God's plan and purpose for me and my children quiets my aching heart. I know that I WILL be a mother. NO MATTER WHAT. Until then I still get to sleep in! Ha! I hope that yesterday was filled with joy no matter what your situation. Remember that whether you have three beautiful children, a fantastic mother, a mother who has passed, single, infertile, or estranged from your mother, celebrate the women in your life that have made a difference for you! Also, take the time to be a mother for those that need one. A mother doesn't have to be biological to nurture, love and care.
HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!
****EDIT******
After thinking about it I should most definitely give another shout out to my BBs! Laura and Jaclyn! Since really they are more like sisters than friends!!! Love you girls!
Friday, May 7, 2010
Sad Day...
I ran over a squirrel on my way to work this morning.... I cried all the way to work! I am the person everyone else on the road hates. Yes I brake for squirrels, cats, dogs, birds and any other creature that has the courage to attempt to cross the road. I have in fact gotten out of my car and chased animals out of the road. I am just that kind of person. The Sarah McLaughlin commercials make me whimper like a newborn. Yet this morning, on MY street a squirrel literally came out of nowhere and THUD I ran over it! I looked back in my rear view mirror to see his four little legs reaching for the sky. The worst part of it all is I saw his little friend running after him! I now will have to drive past that thing many times a day until he... huhmm.... decomposes!!!! I called John to see if he would go get it and bury it, he said I was on my own if I was going to be scooping up roadkill to bring home. He's mean.
Hope your day started better than mine!
Hope your day started better than mine!
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
I'm a Survivor!
Well you will be glad to know that I survived the Half-Marathon! It was one of the coolest days of my life. It started veeerrrryyyy early. We stayed in OKC with John's mom and step-dad for the weekend. We got up at 4 am. Ate a little bit and headed downtown. We waited for almost 45 minutes to go to the bathroom and I missed the gun start! However, since there were 25,000 people all trying to start at the same time I really didn't miss much! To help things go more smoothly they had only a few entrances into the starting lane and finding them at 6:30 in the dark, with 25,000 people was pretty hard! I kept running into barricades. Finally some guy picked me up and threw me over the fence! I was really grateful!
It was a beautiful day! Slight cloud cover and a cool breeze. It was actually chilly at the beginning. I know it sounds crazy, but the first 10 miles were pretty easy. I ran them with no problem. I almost completed 6 miles the first hour! That was putting me actually ahead of schedule! Then I hit mile ten. I guess that was my "wall." It took me a while to finish the last three miles. I really felt like giving up! But I knew I had to finish and finish strong! My time was 2:52:14. My goal was just to finish under 3 hours and I achieved that goal! My time was by no means fast, but I finished!
John, Jason, and David completed the full-marathon in 4:00:12, 4:27:00, and 3:47:00 respectively. They were amazing! Needless to say we were all tired. Last night we all hung out and we are all very sore as well! We had a rotation going to soak and massage our feet!
Would I do it again? Absolutely! In fact I am toying with the idea of running again May 15. But I will have to wait until I can walk normally again before I even think about attempting that!
Finishing was very emotional for me. I had spent weeks doubting if I would even be able to attempt this race. And April 25th was also my due date for my first pregnancy. God had timed it just right for me. He took what would have been one of the saddest days of my life and turned it into one of the greatest! He's good like that!
I hope that my story will encourage you! If you want to give yourself a challenge June 12, 2010 is the First Annual River Country Rush 5k! I hope that you will challenge yourself to run, run/walk, or walk that race! Crossing the finish line is one of the most amazing feelings you will ever have!
Friday, April 16, 2010
Woweezowee!
Well I accomplished something great yesterday on my lunch break. However, John told me this was something I should never attempt again and that I shouldn't be proud of... but I am!
I have 13 gallon tank in my car and I put 12.97 gallons in it yesterday! I had been flirting with that cute little gauge for days, then I got a little nervous and filled er' up. I was uber excited! Hope you are too!
I have 13 gallon tank in my car and I put 12.97 gallons in it yesterday! I had been flirting with that cute little gauge for days, then I got a little nervous and filled er' up. I was uber excited! Hope you are too!
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Embarrassing
It is truly embarrassing when your aunt and uncle take you to the park and they each bring their big honkin cameras. Seriously, what's wrong with bringing the little cameras?
"Mile"stone
Yesterday was a tremendous victory for me on my journey to my half-marathon. Easter week killed my training. We were at the church 9 nights in a row. This meant there was very little time to eat right much less exercise. John, Jason, and David ran 23 miles yesterday in preparations for their marathon. I ran the farthest I have ever run before! How far you ask? Well I am not exactly sure because yesterday of all days my iPod died. So I was not able to track how far I had run. However, I can tell you that I ran for 1 hour 30 minutes! I only stopped to pee and get a quick drink at my sister's house! I hope your training for the church 5k is going good! If you haven't been training here's a quote for you to get you motivated, "I never regret the runs I do, I only regret the ones I didn't."
Thursday, April 1, 2010
Letter to my Senator
***Below is the email I sent to our senator this morning. I encourage you if you feel the same to write a letter to your congressman!
Dr. Coburn,
I am from ********* and I am very concern about our school lunch programs. When I went to school at ********** the lunches provided were less than nutritional at best. You had four choices.
You could go through the lunch line. This was usually the path least traveled unless you were on free and reduced lunches program in which case it was very obvious because you were one of the only students eating school lunch everyday! On this line you usually saw three main meals with others scattered within. 1) "Nug Day" consisted of chicken nuggets (and remind what part of the chicken is the nugget again?!?) mashed potatoes, and a roll. Mind you the roll was very delicious! We would often ask for extra rolls or potatoes rather than chicken. Since the lunch lady liked me she would usually secretly oblige! 2) Pizza was served in rectangle cut outs. There is just something not quite right about rectangle pizza. From my understanding this particular brand of pizza had almost 50 ingredients listed, although I have not seen the ingredients myself. Usually pizza was served with corn. Although not a great combination at least there were trying! 3) Beef Fritters. What are beef fritters you ask? Your guess is as good as mine! I have yet to see the fritter part of the cow. They really did try to provide a healthy salad, but failed. The salad was usually shredded brown lettuce and ranch dressing was provided by the gallons, defeating the whole purpose of a salad. It wasn't our schools' fault. I assure you this is a better lunch than some of the schools I interned at during college. They were simply doing the best they could with the resources given to them.
The second choice was vending. This is usually where I found myself. 60% of my middle school and high school lunches consisted of a Mt. Dew, some type of chocolate, and a bag of chips/cheese crackers. In my mind this was not really that bad. I had the right balance of salty and sweet washed down with the sweet nectar from the mountain springs.
The third choice was Mazzio's pizza. This was only offered 3 days a week if I remember correctly. I would sometimes forgo the vending room for this choice. I would get a slice of Pepperoni and a slice of Alpine (cheese with alpine dressing rather than tomato sauce). The caloric intake of the combination was well into 600s. However, this would also be combined with Mt. Dew and usually something chocolate. Putting the calories in the 800s at best.
The fourth choice for lunch was to bring your own. My family was not wealthy, nor were we poor; however, my parents worked very hard at their jobs and often were doing good to stop at the gas station for a donut for breakfast on the way to school and put hamburger helper on the table at night. My mother worked probably 50-60 hours a week and so there was little time for her to make our lunches. Most days my dad would leave my sister and I $5-$10. This was supposed to be to get a donut on the way to school and to split between us at school for lunch. Plenty of money to buy junk at school.
None of these choices are good in my opinion. As an adult now, my sister and I have both struggled with our weight, as well as my parents. No one ever taught us what healthy meals looked like. All of this on top of doing away with fitness in schools. (But that is a whole difference subject one of which would require another whole email!) I have completed college with a Mathematics degree, so I consider myself to be reasonably intelligent. It is simply that I learned too late in life the problem with eating this way. Living on campus during college did not help matters. We were required to buy meal plans, yet there were not many healthy choices offered at the school convenience stores, restaurants, or cafeterias.
The solution is as hard to swallow as the beef fritters were. We have got to allocate more money to the school lunch programs. It is a well know fact that over-processed high calorie food is much cheaper. I know this from my own experience. It takes money and energy to provide nutritious meals for your family. I commit hours each week planning and shopping for my family. I know money is not something that we have a surplus of right now, but look at it this way. The healthier we are as a state and nation the less money that needs to be spent on health care! It is a win win situation. So rather than spending time and money on health care lets get to the real root of the problem! Less crap food means less heart disease and obesity. Less heart disease and obesity means less of a need for health care! It seems obvious to me!
Thank you so much for your time and for being a senator who listens to his constituents. I hope that you will help take the lead in this matter and help our children before it is too late. When kids are healthier they learn better. When they learn better we all benefit!
Thank you again,
Amy M. Hasler
Dr. Coburn,
I am from ********* and I am very concern about our school lunch programs. When I went to school at ********** the lunches provided were less than nutritional at best. You had four choices.
You could go through the lunch line. This was usually the path least traveled unless you were on free and reduced lunches program in which case it was very obvious because you were one of the only students eating school lunch everyday! On this line you usually saw three main meals with others scattered within. 1) "Nug Day" consisted of chicken nuggets (and remind what part of the chicken is the nugget again?!?) mashed potatoes, and a roll. Mind you the roll was very delicious! We would often ask for extra rolls or potatoes rather than chicken. Since the lunch lady liked me she would usually secretly oblige! 2) Pizza was served in rectangle cut outs. There is just something not quite right about rectangle pizza. From my understanding this particular brand of pizza had almost 50 ingredients listed, although I have not seen the ingredients myself. Usually pizza was served with corn. Although not a great combination at least there were trying! 3) Beef Fritters. What are beef fritters you ask? Your guess is as good as mine! I have yet to see the fritter part of the cow. They really did try to provide a healthy salad, but failed. The salad was usually shredded brown lettuce and ranch dressing was provided by the gallons, defeating the whole purpose of a salad. It wasn't our schools' fault. I assure you this is a better lunch than some of the schools I interned at during college. They were simply doing the best they could with the resources given to them.
The second choice was vending. This is usually where I found myself. 60% of my middle school and high school lunches consisted of a Mt. Dew, some type of chocolate, and a bag of chips/cheese crackers. In my mind this was not really that bad. I had the right balance of salty and sweet washed down with the sweet nectar from the mountain springs.
The third choice was Mazzio's pizza. This was only offered 3 days a week if I remember correctly. I would sometimes forgo the vending room for this choice. I would get a slice of Pepperoni and a slice of Alpine (cheese with alpine dressing rather than tomato sauce). The caloric intake of the combination was well into 600s. However, this would also be combined with Mt. Dew and usually something chocolate. Putting the calories in the 800s at best.
The fourth choice for lunch was to bring your own. My family was not wealthy, nor were we poor; however, my parents worked very hard at their jobs and often were doing good to stop at the gas station for a donut for breakfast on the way to school and put hamburger helper on the table at night. My mother worked probably 50-60 hours a week and so there was little time for her to make our lunches. Most days my dad would leave my sister and I $5-$10. This was supposed to be to get a donut on the way to school and to split between us at school for lunch. Plenty of money to buy junk at school.
None of these choices are good in my opinion. As an adult now, my sister and I have both struggled with our weight, as well as my parents. No one ever taught us what healthy meals looked like. All of this on top of doing away with fitness in schools. (But that is a whole difference subject one of which would require another whole email!) I have completed college with a Mathematics degree, so I consider myself to be reasonably intelligent. It is simply that I learned too late in life the problem with eating this way. Living on campus during college did not help matters. We were required to buy meal plans, yet there were not many healthy choices offered at the school convenience stores, restaurants, or cafeterias.
The solution is as hard to swallow as the beef fritters were. We have got to allocate more money to the school lunch programs. It is a well know fact that over-processed high calorie food is much cheaper. I know this from my own experience. It takes money and energy to provide nutritious meals for your family. I commit hours each week planning and shopping for my family. I know money is not something that we have a surplus of right now, but look at it this way. The healthier we are as a state and nation the less money that needs to be spent on health care! It is a win win situation. So rather than spending time and money on health care lets get to the real root of the problem! Less crap food means less heart disease and obesity. Less heart disease and obesity means less of a need for health care! It seems obvious to me!
Thank you so much for your time and for being a senator who listens to his constituents. I hope that you will help take the lead in this matter and help our children before it is too late. When kids are healthier they learn better. When they learn better we all benefit!
Thank you again,
Amy M. Hasler
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Quick update.
Working out has been few and far between, but eating good has been pretty easy! I was laughing pretty hard when I got to girls night and no one had brought unhealthy snacks! Well except for Maggie.... but you know being preggo and all we will let it slide! Anyway, I weighed in Monday morning for our Biggest Loser Challenge at work and I weighed 165.6! That means that I have lost 7.6 lbs! That is including a trip during Spring Break! I am pretty impressed with myself! I plan to lose at least 2.4 lbs this week and then I will have lost 10 lbs in 6 weeks! I can really tell a difference in my britches. You know, when you get certain jeans out of the dryer and you have to "squat" into them. Those particular pair of jeans fit just perfectly Sunday morning. No squatting needed! Hopefully today I will get at least 5 miles in before I go to the church for play practice.
Adios!
Adios!
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
So....
So.... about me posting EVERYTHING I eat and the nutritional values.... Ummm... Well, maybe I shouldn't have said I would start that the week of Spring Break! I will post an entire post later with the details of our fabulous trip! Also, before I forget this Friday is girls night! It's at 6:30 at Haley's house! I am sending out an email with directions! Please being a snack and lots of laughter!
Anywho. This is what I made for dinner last night. Fusilli with creamed Leek and Spinach. And here's how you can make it too!
25 min | 5 min prep
SERVES 4
- 3/4 lb fusilli
- 1 1/2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 large leek, white and light green parts only, thinly sliced
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 4 cups packed baby spinach, coarsely chopped (4 ounces)
- 1/2 cup lightly packed basil leaves, finely chopped
- kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper
- Dash of Paprika
- Sprinkle of Parmesan
- Spoon of garlic
In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the fusilli until al dente (as per the instructions on the box), then drain.
Meanwhile, in a large, deep skillet, heat the olive oil. Add the leek and cook over moderate heat until softened, about 10 minutes.
Add the cream and simmer over moderate heat until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes.
Add a dash of Paprika.
A few twists of crushed black pepper.
Add a spoon full of fresh garlic
Add the spinach and cook until wilted, about 2 minutes.
Add the cooked fusilli to the skillet and toss over moderately low heat until coated with the leek sauce, about 1 minute.
Remove from the heat, add the chopped basil and toss. Season with salt and pepper and a sprinkle of Parmesan Spoon the fusilli into bowls and serve.
Hope you love this as much as our family did! The calories are a little over 500 per serving (this makes 4) but it tastes way worse for you!
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Inked!
So.... I had to get fingerprinted for my state teaching license (not getting a new job just more qualified for my current job!). I went down to our town's finest facility to get fingerprinted. I met a young woman probably my age who was going to fingerprint me. She was in this little room off to the side when you walked in. I thought oh, this is going to be quick and easy. Wrong. So she proceeds to empty my pockets and take me back into the jail. Great. So there is another room I have to go to. No big deal. Wrong. I have to go through 4 locked doors and past 5-6 men in the attractive orange suits. Then we get to the last room that is pretty much FULL of these lovely men in orange suits.
I am not sure that you are getting the full picture of this situation. So let me describe what I am wearing. I have on my open toe patent leather heels, my pencil skirt, a cute little suit jacket, and today of all days was a day I decided to wear my hair and big pretty curls. I was totally legally blond walking into the jail cell! They start hollering at me like a bunch of idiots! "Whatchu in for baby?" I, terrified, followed VERY closely to the woman (who I forgot to mention was probably a size 2 115 pounds!) who proceeded to yell, "Up against the wall!" to these men. Lucky for me, they listened!
She locks me into a smaller room and takes my fingerprints. I feel guilty for even being here! I am shaking like a leaf! I proceed to tell her I promise to never, ever, ever see her face again! She laughed at me and tried to make small talk, but I was too terrified! When she was finished I followed her (again so close that I kicked the back of her shoe!) back out past the men in the lovely orange suits and stepped over what I am pretty sure was a puddle of urine! I thanked for her time and literally ran out the door to my car! I poured an entire bottle of germ-X on my hands and breathed a sigh of relief! Let me just tell you jail is NOT for me! I promise to never even speed again!
Stupid teaching certificate!
I am not sure that you are getting the full picture of this situation. So let me describe what I am wearing. I have on my open toe patent leather heels, my pencil skirt, a cute little suit jacket, and today of all days was a day I decided to wear my hair and big pretty curls. I was totally legally blond walking into the jail cell! They start hollering at me like a bunch of idiots! "Whatchu in for baby?" I, terrified, followed VERY closely to the woman (who I forgot to mention was probably a size 2 115 pounds!) who proceeded to yell, "Up against the wall!" to these men. Lucky for me, they listened!
She locks me into a smaller room and takes my fingerprints. I feel guilty for even being here! I am shaking like a leaf! I proceed to tell her I promise to never, ever, ever see her face again! She laughed at me and tried to make small talk, but I was too terrified! When she was finished I followed her (again so close that I kicked the back of her shoe!) back out past the men in the lovely orange suits and stepped over what I am pretty sure was a puddle of urine! I thanked for her time and literally ran out the door to my car! I poured an entire bottle of germ-X on my hands and breathed a sigh of relief! Let me just tell you jail is NOT for me! I promise to never even speed again!
Stupid teaching certificate!
Friday, March 5, 2010
Weigh-In
I have gained over 30 pounds since John and I have gotten married in June 2007. Whew... there I said it! Most of those pounds have been over the past year during our pregnancy struggles. I eat when I am sad. I eat when I am happy! I eat when I am [insert any emotion here]. I am just an emotional eater. As you all know we are about to the point where we will be trying to conceive and I have vowed to get back to my fightin' weight! No, I will probably never be a size 2 or 115 pounds. Let's get real here! Baby got back! I am usually so embarrassed about how much I weigh or have gained, but the first part of recovery is admitting you have a problem. Right? So I think that it is time to get real with you. I weighed in last Friday for our work's Biggest Loser Competition. I weighed in at 173.2 pounds. The most I have ever weighed... ever! More than most of you have or will weigh 9 1/2 months preggo! So now that that number is out there you can be my motivation! I don't want to be embarrassed any more!
Initial Weight: 173.2 - February 26, 2010 (33.2 lbs to lose!)
Week 1: 169.8 - March 5, 2010 (-3.4 lbs, 29.8 more to go!)
Also as part of the journey I am going to give you some tips you can use! I am going to journal each meal I eat (including the nutritional value & cost!) and all of my exercise. I want to prove that you can eat healthy for a reasonable price! Right now our monthly grocery budget is around $400. Which is pretty high for two people, but that includes every meal and snack that we eat. (Plus Princess too, but seeing she only weighs 6 lbs I can't blame her for much!) We only eat out once a week. My goal is to cut that number down closer to $300 per month. So starting next Friday I will have weekly updates on my weight, what I ate, and how much I spent.
So gotta go eat some lunch now! Pizza buffet here I come! Ha! Just teasing. It's Wolfgang Pucks' Minestrone soup for me! .....But really pizza does sound kinda good!
Initial Weight: 173.2 - February 26, 2010 (33.2 lbs to lose!)
Week 1: 169.8 - March 5, 2010 (-3.4 lbs, 29.8 more to go!)
Also as part of the journey I am going to give you some tips you can use! I am going to journal each meal I eat (including the nutritional value & cost!) and all of my exercise. I want to prove that you can eat healthy for a reasonable price! Right now our monthly grocery budget is around $400. Which is pretty high for two people, but that includes every meal and snack that we eat. (Plus Princess too, but seeing she only weighs 6 lbs I can't blame her for much!) We only eat out once a week. My goal is to cut that number down closer to $300 per month. So starting next Friday I will have weekly updates on my weight, what I ate, and how much I spent.
So gotta go eat some lunch now! Pizza buffet here I come! Ha! Just teasing. It's Wolfgang Pucks' Minestrone soup for me! .....But really pizza does sound kinda good!
A day in the life!
Check out this cool lady's blog!
http://www.kellyskornerblog.com/2010/03/show-us-your-life-what-is-your-typical.html
Today is "Show us your life - A Typical Day"
Here is my ideal typical day.
6:00-6:30 - Wake up (depending on if I have to wash my hair ha!)
7:30 - Get to work
7:45 - Eat Breakfast at work!
Work til 11:00
11:00-11:30 is lunch. Some of the time I stay at work, but a lot of times I run errands
Work from 11:30-4:00 or 4:30 (Depending on what is on my desk!)
5:00-6:00 - Try to run or lift weights
6:00-7:00 - Cook dinner (or usually there is some meeting at the church)
7:00-9:00 - Work at home. (We don't watch t.v. very often so this time is spent on house project, laundry, video/photo editing or playing wii)
9:00-9:30 - get ready for bed
9:30-10:30 - laugh and giggle with John. We have to actually get into bed early because we usually end up talking and laughing for a good hour before we fall asleep.
http://www.kellyskornerblog.com/2010/03/show-us-your-life-what-is-your-typical.html
Today is "Show us your life - A Typical Day"
Here is my ideal typical day.
6:00-6:30 - Wake up (depending on if I have to wash my hair ha!)
7:30 - Get to work
7:45 - Eat Breakfast at work!
Work til 11:00
11:00-11:30 is lunch. Some of the time I stay at work, but a lot of times I run errands
Work from 11:30-4:00 or 4:30 (Depending on what is on my desk!)
5:00-6:00 - Try to run or lift weights
6:00-7:00 - Cook dinner (or usually there is some meeting at the church)
7:00-9:00 - Work at home. (We don't watch t.v. very often so this time is spent on house project, laundry, video/photo editing or playing wii)
9:00-9:30 - get ready for bed
9:30-10:30 - laugh and giggle with John. We have to actually get into bed early because we usually end up talking and laughing for a good hour before we fall asleep.
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Newest member of our family!
We are proud to present our newest "member" of our family!
Attached is a photo of Mufano Kazungu! He is our adopted Compassion International child!
Here is his info!
Birthday: February 1, 2003
Age: 7
Gender: Male
Region: Africa
Country: Kenya
Program: Victoria Baptist Church Child Development Center
Personal and Family Information:
Mufano lives with his mother. His duties at home include carrying water. There are 4 children in the family. His mother maintains the home.
Soccer is Mufano's favorite activity. In kindergarten his performance is average and he also regularly attends church activities.
If you would like to adopt a child like Mufano. Please go here http://www.compassion.com/
Your monthly contribution will provide:
* Ongoing Christian training
* Educational opportunities
* Treatment & training to maintain child health
* Development of self-confidence & social skills
* Key life skills & vocational programs
Friday, February 26, 2010
Be the Biggest Loser!
At my work we started our Spring Edition of the Biggest Loser. Everyone pays 5 dollars and the winning team gets the money. I have vowed to lose 30 pounds. (I know that sounds like a lot, but trust me I have it to lose! It's been a rough year! Ha! Look at me making excuses for myself!) But if you have made a commitment to lose weight join with me and pledge using the Biggest Loser's Pound for Pound Challenge. For every pound you pledge, 14 cents will be donated to the food bank of your choice. There is one in Tulsa! So get up off that couch and get moving!
http://www.pfpchallenge.com/
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
My Tiny Little Giveaway!
I have been trying to build a small photography company for the past few months. I have taken several senior pictures, a few weddings and one family. In order to get some more business going I am going to make you and your friends an offer you cannot refuse. If you post a link to this post on your blog and leave me a comment telling me you have done so, I will do a photo shoot and edit the pictures for you for FREE! That's right all you have to do is tell others about my business and I will give away one free photo shoot. Be sure to tell your friends about this offer! I will select the winner on Sunday at 8:00 pm central time. Good luck and get my name out there!
Monday, February 15, 2010
Happy Valentine's Day to me!
John and I stayed in Tulsa for Valentines Weekend. This is the second year we have done this and it may be one of our favorite traditions. It is just far enough away from home to feel like you are on a mini vacation but close enough that you can keep the cost relatively low. Friday night we stayed in and play a board game and ordered a pizza.
Then we attempted to watch the movie we brought on the DVD player we brought only to discover that we brought a BlueRay disc and a regular DVD player. We couldn't figure out why it wouldn't work. Duh!
We got up early on Saturday and ran the Sweetheart Race together along with our friend Jason. John and Jason wanted to know if they could register as a couple to get a better time than John and I would! I only ran the 5k but John and Jason ran both the 5k and the 10k. But they are weird.
Then the boys and I went to eat at Teds. Afterward John and I took a shower and a nice long nap. John had ordered us Kupcakz ahead of time so we stopped and picked them up on our way to the movies. We saw Valentines Day. It is the only time of the year I get to pick out the movie. :) Then we headed to Pf Changs for some yummy yummy dinner. Then it was off to the room for some more relaxing.
We slept in on Sunday (which is a rarity in our house!) and took our time heading home. We stopped by Whole Foods (which is my favorite place in the world!) and Fleet Feet for some new running shoes. Well, only I got new shoes. The poor salesman spent 2 hours fitting John for shoes to no avail. He has weird feet and he couldn't find any "perfect" shoes. It took me maybe 15-20 minutes. I am pretty easy to please.
Last night we had home group with some of our youth group kids and we celebrated Valentines Day with heart shaped Papa Murphys pizzas, cup cakes, candy, Crush soda, and a huge mixed up game of Compatibility. I love them. They are the best!
It is going to be an insane week at work so this may be all you hear from me for a few days. We are having our State Evaluation this week!
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