Getting to Know Me: A to Z

A different twist on the "Get to Know Me" survey. 
It's alphabetized!

A. Age: 30 years old. Someone asked me if I "felt" thirty.  I said, "Well, I've got 3 kids, several grey hairs, and a mortgage payment, so I guess I SHOULD be thirty!"  SO not a big deal. 


B. Bed Size: Queen. Not nearly big enough, since Nate likes the middle.


C. Chore You Dislike:   It used to be washing dishes, but I find it's a geat opportunity to pray, sing, and memorize Scripture.  Dusting, I guess, since I rarely do it.  I just can't be bothered to flit around my house with a little rag, picking up everything, wiping, putting everything back...  plus, there are always SO MANY other chores that scream loudly at me. 


D. Dogs:  Yes, one black lab named Trango.  He'll be eleven this spring, and he is sweet, funny, and extremely tolerant of the Littles.


E. Essential Start to Your Day:   Coffee.  At least two cups.  Paired with some quiet time with God, I'm all set!


F. Favorite Color:  Oddly enough, I don't have one favorite.  For clothing, I wear mostly black and tan, but I'm also a fan of green. 


G. Gold or Silver:  Mostly silver.


H. Height:  5'8"

I. Instruments You Play(ed):  Piano

J. Job Title:  Wife & Mother


K. Kids: Three.


L. Live:  Michigan, USA

M. Mum’s Name:  Mary.


N. Nicknames:  Just "Babe," which Nate calls me.  Olivia has called me Babe a few times, when she wants to get my attention and I'm too distracted.  Talk about FUNNY!


O. Overnight Hospital Stays:  Thankfully, only after childbirth. 


P. Pet Peeves:  I have too many, sadly.  Mostly my pet peeves involve selfish, lazy, or otherwise thoughtless people.


Q. Quote from a Movie:  Haven't seen a movie in quite a long time. 


R.  Righty or Lefty: Righty.

S. Siblings: Yes!  I grew up with one fiesty, squirrely younger brother, and I have come to know 2 lovely half-sisters in adulthood.  I have several other half-siblings, whom I don't know.


T. Time You Wake Up:  On a good day, between 6 and 6:15.  Of course, this hinges on what time I go to bed the night before, which depends on how much I've gotten accomplished that day, which depends on what time I get up in the morning.  As you can see, it's easy to get stuck in bad habits, which is exactly where I am right now.  Stuck.

U. Underwear:  Um, ... yes?  Please?  Preferably comfortable and clean?  (Weird.)


V. Veggies You Don’t Like:  Haven't yet met one!  I suppose okra, since I like it only if it's battered and deep-fried.


W. What Makes You Run Late:  My three little darlings.  In order to arrive anywhere on time, we have to begin getting shoes/coats/purses/diaper bags on twenty minutes before departure time.  Also, I always forget to factor in Unloading Time--5-7 minutes--once we arrive at our destination. 

X.  X-Rays You’ve Had:  Hand x-rays (It was broken).  Back x-rays (One leg is longer than the other.)  Seems like there were others, but I can't remember now.


Y. Yummy Food You Make:  Ricotta cheese, chicken noodle soup, chocolate-themed desserts


Z. Zoo Animal Favorites:  The polar bears are fun, if they're active.  I really like the monkeys, though.  They're just as funny as humans sometimes!


Your turn!

She comes by it honestly

A few weeks ago I called my mother, exasperated.  "Brienna is unbelievable!  She is into absolutely everything, and the worst thing is her CLIMBING!  We're always pulling her down from chairs, the window seat, the fireplace, the piano bench, EVERYTHING!  Every single moment of the day is a 'training opportunity,' and I'm exhausted!" 

Mom said, "Oh, I'm sure she's no worse than you were!" 

And I probably said something like, "Yeah, right!" 
(I'm so mature.)

Then, she & Dad came to visit, and she brought these photos of me, an 18-month-old Baby Karen, with her.

 (standing on my dresser)

(sitting on the table)

I guess God answered the wish that so many exasperated young mothers make:

 "I hope your children are just like you!"

Reading List: 2010

Thanks to a black-and-white Reading List, I was motivated to do lots more reading than usual this year.

Following are the books I read in 2010 (not including children's books):

1. The Excellent Wife (Martha Peace)
2. Secrets of the Baby Whisperer: How to Calm, Connect, and Communicate with your Baby (Tracy Hogg & Melinda Blau)
3. In Light of Eternity:  Perspectives on Heaven (Randy Alcorn)
4. Teach Them Diligently (Lou Priolo)
5. Don't Make Me Count to Three (Ginger Plowman)
6. John Bunyan (Kevin Belmonte)
7. The Jesus Storybook Bible:  Every Story Whispers His Name  (Sally Lloyd Jones)
8. Think No Evil:  Inside the Story of the Amish Schoolhouse Shooting... and Beyond (Jonas Beiler & Shawn Smucker)
9. To Train Up a Child (Michael & Debi Pearl)
10. Same Kind of Different as Me:  a Modern-Day Slave, an International Art Dealer, and the Unlikely Woman Who Bound Them Together (Ron Hall, Denver Moore, Lynn Vincent)
11. The Butterfly Effect:  How Your Life Matters (Andy Andrews) 
12. Love and Respect for a Lifetime (Dr. Emerson Eggerichs)
13. Outlive Your Life: You Were Made to Make a Difference (Max Lucado)
14. The Parents' Concise Guide to Childhood Vaccinations (Laura Feder)
15. The Total Money Makeover (Dave Ramsey)
16. On This Day in Christian History: 365 Amazing and Inspiring Stories about Saints, Martyrs, and Heroes (Robert J. Morgan)

How'd you do with your reading goals for 2010? 

Brain Dump

I'll just get right to it; it IS eleven in the p.m., after all, and this mama has early morning plans tomorrow!

1. We'll start with the food.  First, I am lovin' and cravin' homemade pizza lately!  Especially if it's got caramelized onions on top.  We had it tonight, and it's taking all my willpower not to go foraging for the 2 leftover pieces. 
2. Secondly, we had the opportunity to try a new breakfast cereal recently.  This seldom rarely never happens!   I love breakfast cereal anyway (who doesn't, I ask you???), but Oat Cluster Cheerios Crunch is goooooood. 
3. I'm gearing up for an early summer garage sale.  This week I straightened and rearranged and putzed around in the garage, and lo, I can actually GET TO THE THINGS-TO-SELL PILE.  Next week I aim to start organizing and pricing things in said pile. 
4. I painted my toenails on Thursday.  I know you're rolling your eyes, but I feel you should know the sad state of my toes before Thursday:  The toenail polish was completely gone from all but the big toes, and what polish remained bore a striking resemblance to the states of Texas and New York, respectively.  I am so embarrassed.  But they look good now, what with all ten toes sporting color and such.
5. I've added a new page to my Homemaking Planner,  "Spending & Saving," which I'll use to keep record of grocery, non-food, and diaper expenses each month.  Just for kicks, I'm also keeping track of how much money I save by taking advantage of sales and coupons. 
6. I'm doing a study of anger in my morning quiet time.  It hasn't been pretty, but it's been good.  I'll share more on that later.
7. I had a large To-Do List for today, but the weather was so lovely and the Jeep was so dirty and the girls were so stir crazy... so I ditched the list and we had a car wash instead.  Good move, I'd say.

This Brain Dump has been successfully completed.

Ten-four.

Brain Dump

Thanks to my new Method For Maintaining My Sanity, this Brain Dump isn't as lengthy as usual.
I am not complaining.

• It's Passion Week, which means I can't get this song out of my head. And even when I just sing it in my head, I cry. My poor girls are baffled by this phenomenon. Olivia keeps asking me, "Mommy, are you very very tired?"

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• Olivia has become utterly captivated by "Lady and the Tramp." It's one of my favorite kid movies, too. I still giggle at that beaver scene and the whistle in his speech. "Sixty-six percent, eh? ...How do you get the consarned thing off, sonny?" Oh forget it, here's the video.
• I have another addiction to confess: red onion. I don't know what it is about the red variety, compared to all the rest, but I'm putting them on and in everything.

• And another thing: Ken's Steakhouse Buttermilk Ranch dressing. I've been a Bleu Cheese girl for many, many moons. Like ten, I think. (years, not moons). But we recently ran out of bleu cheese & I had to resort to the buttermilk ranch, and OOOOOH MAMA but it's good! Between that and the red onions, I've been eating salads like nobody's business.

• My hair's too long already, which is my one and only pet peeve about having a short hairstyle. I refuse to spend $20 every 6 weeks to get a measly inch cut off, but that little inch makes such a difference. As in, the difference between 30 minutes of doing hair vs. 8 minutes. I guess I need to find someone who will barter services with me. (hello? anyone???)

• In 2 weeks the girls and I are going with my parents to KY, where my dad will attend a seminar. I can't wait. Hotel breakfasts, swimming pools, naps, shopping, and especially NO DIRTY DISHES. What could be better?

• Brienna is ready for a nap, which means I'll get one, too.

• This Brain Dump has been (nearly) successfully completed.

  As you were.

  
  

A Lovely Surprise

Kathy's mother surprised me with a spontaneous gift recently:

a gorgeous table runner!


I can't get over the beautiful embroidery work of my favorite winter subject, snowmen. This blue one is my favorite of the four.

I'm so thankful to have such a generous new friend, whom I still have yet to meet! Thank you, Mrs. B!

The Best of Intentions

Did you make New Years resolutions? I know many people don't like the idea, but I do. I think a new year is a great opportunity to start afresh, forming or renewing good habits. These ladies do a better job of expressing it than I.

I made a couple resolutions. Actually, Nate and I did them together this year. That is to say, we discovered we had many of the same intentions for 2010. Talk about keeping one another accountable! How 'bout that! Here are our joint resolutions:

1. Stop eating sugar. Now, we realize that sugar is found in a host of commonly used items--even ketchup has sugar! Basically for us, this sugar-fast means no regular soft drinks, and no sweets, candy, or desserts. We've both lost weight already, (bonus!) and I anticipate the other healthful benefits will start manifesting themselves very soon. At this stage of the game, I'm also including other sugar-laden things... traditional muffins and quick breads, sugary drinks like sweet tea (duh) and lemonade, etc. I haven't missed the stuff as much as I thought I would. The only times I struggle are when the off-limits items are right in front of me. We've decided to be extremely hesitant in making exceptions to our sugar restrictions. So far we've made one exception--we DE-VOURED a handful of chocolates that were sent to us from a friend in Austria. We decided that since Stacey had gone out of her way to send us such a lovely package, it would indeed be rude to give or throw them away, yea, verily. And the other exception? When we have company over to our home. That's a rare situation, unfortunately, but I intend to host more regularly. And it's not because we'll be allowed to break out sugar fast. Honest.
2. Go on more dates. With each kid, our dates have become fewer and farther between. We've faced this fact of life: during this season of our lives, dating opportunities will not just fall into our laps. They just won't! If we're to enjoy one-on-one time together, we will have to be planning, purposeful. We've committed to going on one date per month. (Goodness! When I look at that goal, actually typed out in black and white, it's almost laughable! Such a far, far cry from our dating and engagement days... even our pre-children days!) And I'd better get on with the planning and the purposefulness; otherwise we'll fail on this resolution before we've even begun!
3. Spend less. We're still paying on medical bills from Ellia's birth. Ugh. And a few others that we'd LOVE to be rid of. We spend very little for a family of 5, in my opinion, but we can do better--minding our nickels and dimes and exercising more frugality and wisdom with what God has entrusted to us.

Did you make any resolutions?

Will you keep me accountable?

Things and Stuff and Everything Else

Every once in awhile I have to do a brain dump; if I don't, the overflow is not pretty. Bear with me.

1. I'm totally into coffee. I mean, I've loved coffee for a decade or so (Whoa.), but lately I like to brew a cup or two at night. Late-night, like 10 p.m. I think it's just that time of the year.
   
2. I'm thinking about just leaving my remaining Christmas/winter decorations up until next year. We got the tree, stockings, and some other stuff put away, but I'm dragging my feet on the rest. Anyone else out there floating along in the same Lazy Boat?


3. Last weekend I watched Apollo 13. For the first time. Let me say for the record: I never want to travel to outer space. Just sayin'. By the time that movie was over, I was freezing cold and blind with fatigue. The actors are that good, I guess! Tom Hanks was perfect as the courageous Jim Lovell, and I even liked Kevin Bacon. Up until Apollo 13, I've never-ever-not-once liked Kevin Bacon in a movie. He always plays the bully or the scuzzball, it seems. But (except for the very first scene) he was good this time. I even went the extra mile the following morning and read up on Jim Lovell on wikipedia. Did you know that the real-life Jim has a cameo in the movie? Mmm hmm.

Here's the real-life crew saluting our flag, shown with President Nixon. (Why isn't Nixon saluting, I wonder?)

I still just can't believe that we've sent men to the MOON. I'm amazed at all the technology and the engineering, and my goodness--THE MATH, that goes into a space shuttle endeavor.

4. I came across a way to enjoy decaf coffee without all the chemicals! Enter the Swiss Water Process! I get mine at Wal-Mart; it's their Sam's Choice Organic Decaf. Care to find Swiss Water Process decaf near you? Just go here and enter your zip code.

5. I'm starting to go just a little bit crazy, because we don't have a 2010 calendar yet. I didn't realize how frequently I glance at it, until it wasn't there anymore. The frustrating thing: I've ordered about 5 of them, offered free from various companies. I just know as soon as I go out and buy one, they'll all show up.

6. This afternoon is installment number 4 of my Root Canal Adventure. Ugh. I don't care what they tell you--root canals are no walk in the park. I've been having it done at the Dental School at the U of M here, which is why it's taking so long. In exchange for my patience (ahem!), they charge about half of what a private practice would. So I have to grin and bear it. Well. I will not grin. But I suppose I can bear it.

I think I feel better now. This brain dump has been successfully completed. Thanks for your cooperation.

A Few of My Favorite (Random!) Things

Pardon the random-nicity whilst I unload just a few little tidbits from my overstuffed brain. 'Cause I know you're just dying to know about every little thing.

I'm loving this new deodorant. While I'm nursing, I don't like to wear perfumes or even body sprays. I don't want to irritate or overload Brienna's senses, so I just go without. But this deodorant has juuuust enough scent to make me feel pretty, without being too much.

On a related note, I'm really liking these homemade re-useable nusing pads. They're the easiest thing I've made to date, too! Cut circles out of flannel (I used a receiving blanket.) Place 3 circles together and sew all around the perimeter. Repeat, using a zigzag stitch, to reinforce. That's it!


For some reason, I really like this photo of Nate. Something about the broad shoulders, the muscle-y arms, the saggy jeans...






...and the toolbelt. Me likey.








I love this one, too, but for different reasons, obviously. Talk about sweet!
Can you believe his hair was this straight once upon a time?





And while we're admiring pictures, I like this one, too.
November 2004...seems like eons ago. I guess in a way it was: it was before The Offspring arrived, one right after the other, like teeny weeny troops swooping in for battle.





I'm also loving this body wash here. I'd like to eat it, to be very honest. I'm a sucker for smell-good stuff, though. Are you?

Pie crust, found on this site. I've never been a pie crust fan. At all. I always found it to be too tasteless, too dry, too crumbly, too tough, etc. But Nate's mom gave me some tips for pie crust, along with BH&G's recipe, and now I love it!

This & That

We're still here--taking one day at a time! Adjusting to 3 children has been much harder than I thought it would be. But we're hanging in there and doing the best we can!

Brienna is doing great! She nurses every 2-3 hours during the daytime and usually only once between midnight and 8 a.m. Hallelujah!





The other night we all trekked down to Justin's, where Nate is helping to remodel the bathroom. The kids enjoyed a snack in their PJ's.




Ellia is such a character--she makes us laugh constantly!











We built the first fire of the season this weekend; it was so cozy and lovely!

Five Years

It's my anniversary!

What a different sort of day it was today, than that of 5 years ago! But I wouldn't have it any other way.

Well, except maybe my midsection wouldn't be so slack.

I've had a pretty difficult week, so I didn't manage to get Nate so much as a greeting card, much less a gift. But his mother arrived today, and she watched all 3 little women while we ran out for dinner at Applebee's. Nice treat! Then, instead of paying $7 for dessert, we ran into WalMart for a $3 box of Klondike bars. Super nice treat!

Wanna see a couple photos of our wedding day?

My family










His family. Funny... there were only 2 grandkids at this time. Now there are (nearly) 11!






The wedding party







Me, a lean & tan bride. *sigh* Tonight I promised Nate (again) that I would indeed get back into my wedding dress, but that it may take another five years if he keeps getting me pregnant! :)







And call me corny, but I LOVE this photo! It's classic Prince Charming!









Happy Anniversary, Nate. You are one of the most patient people I know, which is why you haven't left me in these five years! I love you!

My New Best Friend

My friend Jenny recently shared with me a $10 gift certificate to Boca Java, an online coffee company. Ever the cheap--er, I mean frugal one, I naturally headed straight for the Buy 1, Get 1 page! There I found and subsequently decided upon a coffee flavor that sounded really interesting. Meet my new best friend, Coastline Creamsicle.
Here, the description:

"A mouthwatering swirl of orange citrus and sumptuous vanilla. Inspired by the decades-old ice cream confection, Coastline Creamsicle has a base that's full-bodied and complex, and it evokes carefree memories of the ice cream man on a hot summer's day!"


Now, I don't remember any ice cream man. I don't think I've ever had the pleasure of meeting one. But lemme just say... if I could show you how this scrumptious coffee tastes, it would be like this:



Mmm hmm. Definitely tastes like this.
This, too:






Or, oooooooh! Most definitely like this:











I'm in coffee heaven, Jenny. Thank you ever so much!

And hey, if you'd like $10 your own first order, just let me know!

Sorry in Advance...

...for the terrible photo quality represented here. Just a quick little hello before I head to my bed. Walgreens had 7 days of deals last week--just gotta share one freebie I came away with:

Darling, no?

And this one here is our gentle giant, acting as though nothing is amiss as he hangs out in the middle of my flower bed.
That is all.
Mom & Papa, I'm sending off a videotape for you tomorrow. Look for it middle of next week or so. We miss you.
Over and out.
Amen and amen.

Old School

Wanna see some baby/toddler/little kid photos of me? I knew you would!
My mom & my grandma send me old photos from time to time; I get a kick out of comparing them to my girls' photos. Let's do a bit of time travel, shall we? (just click on the photos to enlarge.)


Baby Karen @ 10 months. Why on earth my parents thought this tidal wave-looking mohawk was cute, I'll never know.




@ 14 months. I see Ellia here.










@ 2 years. My goodness, but I was cute! Sorry! Can't help it when I see this particular photo.





just 2 months later...
maybe it's the hairstyle, but it seems like a much older me.







Perhaps it's just the expression, but this one reminds me of Livvie.


@ 3 years (or thereabouts). I was the flower girl for my aunt & uncle's wedding. I was a perfectly behaved dolly, I'm told. Okay, actually I threw a pretty big temper tantrum partway through the photo session, in which I allegedly stuck the handle of my parasol into my mouth and stood with my hands on my hips.

Allegedly.




@ age 4. I love doing Livvie's ponytails this way, too.





@ age 5. Great dress, huh?










@ age 6.






And, just because I feel ornery, here's a shot of my parents from waaaay back. 1970, to be exact. This was taken at the Valentine Formal when they were in college, 18 years old. EIGHTEEN! I love dad's expression...


...but not his glasses! Yikes, Papa! I'd love to know what came over you! "Max, buddy, take another one, but wait a sec... I wanna put my sweet frames on!"

Goings-on

No time to wax eloquent now--too much to do!

Tuesday night Nate watched the girls while I went to Kathy's to sew. (I'm working on a dress for Olivia.) Ellia & Trango got quite friendly, I'm told.

Livvie went to spend the night with her cousins last night. Not sure when she'll be back; possibly not til after dinner. Wish I could really dive into my endless to-do list, but I'll probably end up snuggling Ellia instead. That's okay, too.

Ellia appears to be teething fiercely the last few days. Last night her temp was 104*! She wants only her bottles to eat and someone to hold her. Yesterday she slept most of the day. Poor, poor baby. Thankfully there aren't any other symptoms to deal with. I hope she's feeling better by party time Monday!

Just for you, Susie & Gabe!

Y'all better get your boots & parkas packed! You ain't in Texas anymore!

We've had LOTS of snow over the past week, and it's still coming. I guess we got what we wished for--a real live (cold!) Michigan winter for your visit in just 10 days!

A view of our house, street-side

and from the driveway

Don't mind the eyesore that is our garage. Trango's excited to see you, too. Be sure to leave room for him in your suitcase.
Icicles

Guess we won't be needing the A/C!

L-O-V-E love.

We attended a wedding Saturday; Meribeth & Tim are now husband and wife!


Meribeth's dad manages to give her away.










Tim & Meribeth pour their sand into one jar. (Unity candle sort of thing. Hers was brown; his was blue.)







The Kiss






Thrilled after the pronouncement!