Wednesday, June 27, 2007

Wednesday work day

I've got a wild hair and decided to clean up the festering rat's nest that is our basement. Wow, that description sounded bad, huh? It's just junked up. We have paths through the junk, but no rats that I know of, thank the good Lord!

Doing anything extra-productive or just out of the norm is very challenging with young ones around. I thought, "I'll just let them play right outside while I'm in here watching them with the door open, carting stuff out." Right! Every two minutes, right on my heels: "What's that?" "What are you doing now?" "I'm hot." "I'm thirsty." And me every two minutes: "Stop coming in and out!" "Stay in the yard!" "Don't go in the garage!!" I accused them of not knowing the English language. Finally after the 50th "I'm hot!" (and yes, it's a humid Kentucky summer day), I escorted them back upstairs for some ice water, fruit snacks, and Blues Clues. Nickelodeon is my hero. I was able to do a bit more while they were snacking and a bit more after I got them napping.

I now see why, though, that I've put this off for so long!

Tuesday, June 26, 2007

I'm Bzzing again!

Since the Off! campaign, I've joined another that I'd like to Bzz you about. In case you didn't read it before, I'm a BzzAgent, with a website called http://www.bzzagent.com/. They send me free product samples and I have to use them and tell people about them and report back the "buzz" or opinions about them.


On to the campaign! I received two cans of Coppertone spray sunscreen. One of them is Coppertone Sport Continuous Spray, SPF 30, that is a no-rub clear spray. The other is Coppertone Kids Quick Cover lotion spray, SPF 50. Those are the second and fourth cans from the left in the picture here. In my opinion, the PROS: Sprayed at any angle, covered well, and really worked well to prevent sunburn on me and the kids when we played on the playground a few times last week. They protect against both UVA and UVB rays too. The CONS: I didn't like the strong smell of the sport spray and unless I was either outside or standing next to an open window or exhaust fan, it went all through the air and what didn't get on me went all over the room. It also felt sticky on my skin, especially my face. The Kids spray smelled better and didn't get all over the room, but it required rubbing to get the skin covered. And after I rubbed, if I tried to spray it with any sunscreen on my hand, it was very difficult with the slippery lotion.
I received these samples after I had gotten back from our Florida vacation. Down there, I bought some Coppertone Ultra Guard Continuous Spray, SPF 50. It really worked well to prevent burning from those hot Florida rays. Also, I would recommend the spray when beach-going, simply because you're outside and have good ventilation and it feels much better to just spray on the sunscreen, rather than rubbing lotion into sandy skin. So, ultimately, I think the sprays, especially the no-rub ones are great when you're already outdoors, and super-great on the beach. For general playing on the playground, etc, I think I'll stick to the regular lotions.
Now, for you--I have coupons for $1.50 off any Coppertone Continuous or Quick Cover Lotion spray. I'll gladly mail you one if you e-mail me your address or give you one if you see me and remind me. And Bzz back to me--what do you think of Coppertone sprays or products in general? Let me hear the good, bad, ugly, or just neutral. Bzz away!

Sunday, June 24, 2007

My little swimmers

Not exactly graceful, but definitely uninhibited!

Zoe, the bathing beauty! We'll start swim lessons for her next year.

Saturday, June 23, 2007

In memory of a blog...

I've had to update my blog links to take off a couple and add one more. I'll try to add some more as I find them. So many blogs, so little time, you know :) However, one blog I'll particularly miss. My blog-friend Greg had a wonderful blog on Wordpress called "Poetry in Verse". He suddenly deleted it this week and I'm not sure exactly why. I liked it because I used to write a lot of poetry when I was younger. In my mommy years, I've had this brain fog that has kept my creative side from turning out poetry and this blog helped me connect to that.

I just had to post my little goodbye here since I didn't have a chance to say it there. Greg, if you happen to visit here again, just know your poetry and creativeness will be missed. Now, back to the show...

Friday, June 22, 2007

Friday's Quote to Ponder

"One swallow does not make a summer, neither does one fine day; similarly one day or brief time of happiness does not make a person entirely happy."
Aristotle
Greek critic, philosopher, physicist, & zoologist (384 BC - 322 BC)

I've had a great week at home with my girls. "Buddy" is on vacation with his family, and we've been sleeping in, hanging out, just doing as we please. Megan has had swimming lessons this week and is doing well. Last night, she jumped off the diving board for the first time. I'm so proud! I've never even done that! She still has quite a way to go, but she's making some progress, and isn't scared, so we're happy. I've been playing with Zoe in the kiddie pool while Meg's having her lessons. It's just been a fun week with them....a needed breather, I think. I love having a few days in a row like that just to relax and unwind.

I realized last night too, that I'm really lucky. I get to stay home and raise my girls, two of the cutest sweetest little people I've ever seen, I have an incredible husband who loves us and provides so well for us, I'm healthy and have a great home and friends and family who love us and whom I love. Aristotle had it right. It takes more than one day or moment to cultivate happiness. It takes alot of them, all added up, even between the valleys of life, to be happy.

Would you like deeper thoughts on the differences between happiness and joy? I think of happiness as "feeling good during happenings", more of a moment by moment thing and can be pursued daily (the "pursuit of happiness", eh?). Joy must be cultivated and learned. It's a feeling of contentment, a "spice of life", that can co-exist with hard times. Like the joy of knowing Jesus (like the old hymn "Joy unspeakable and full of glory...."). That kind of joy is hard to put into words. It's just there. Sometimes, one can lose it, or maybe just not feel it when times are really bad, but it can come back, independent of circumstances.

Whew! I'm tired now. Too much deep thought for my day. I'll welcome any comments you may share. Hope your weekend is great!!

Thursday, June 21, 2007

Thursday's Laugh Out Loud!

While putting away laundry this morning, I turned the bedroom TV on to keep from getting bored and "The View" happened to be on. I am definitely NOT a fan of this show. I'm not sure why anyone is, except that maybe it's like watching a train wreck. The first few minutes the ladies discuss "hot topics", and they all start yelling over each other and I guess maybe I was hoping for a cat fight or food fight or something. The most I get out of it is the sound of a bunch of hens laying eggs. Kinda like this:


Tuesday, June 19, 2007

Florida Vacation, Day 2

It's time to post some happy memories again. The Florida vacation that went by oh so fast! It's almost like, "Did we really go there?" Then I have the pictures to remind me. Click on the links to check out some of these places.




Lover's Key State Park, where we did our beach bumming. Quiet, clean beach. Wildlife abounding. Awesome place. It was Memorial Day when we went on this day, so it was busier than usual, but still not crowded.




Lounging on the beach. A small beach shack rents out the chairs and umbrellas for the day.






My bikini malfunctioned twice. First the back strap broke, then the neck strap. A nice lady on the beach had safety pins, thankfully.






My lunch at Flipper's Grill on the Bay at our hotel. It was an "Island Salad", with an added crabcake.




Thomas Edison's statue near the unbelievable banyan tree outside the Henry Ford/Thomas Edison winter homes in Fort Myers. We got there too late to tour the whole thing, but we saw the lab where Edison and associates researched alternate sources of rubber making and also the museum featuring many of Edison and Ford's innovations.




Matzaluna, the wonderful Italian eatery on Sanibel Island. We loved it last year and couldn't wait to come back this year. Awesome food!





It just so happened to be Memorial Day AND my hubby's 31st birthday! Here he is with his free piece of key lime pie at Matzaluna. We ended the day with full stomachs and a walk along the beach on the south side of Sanibel. A great day!



















































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































Wednesday, June 13, 2007

And then you were gone.

Hormone levels are fine today, so I'm officially un-pregnant now. We will wait out a cycle and try again. I made a scrapbook page today, a modified version of one I made the day we found out I was pregnant. Here it is:



Monday, June 11, 2007

Not meant to be...

Today's doctor visit seemed to confirm what we suspected. Early miscarriage. The ultrasound showed no pregnancy. I had blood drawn to check hormone levels and will have to have more done Wed to see if the levels are dropping appropriately. If they're still high, I'll likely need a D&C (dilation and cuttelage) to clear out any remaining tissue. I'm feeling ok physically, just having period-like symptoms. I can already tell that the pregnancy symptoms are going away. My bra is no longer well-filled. I'll miss that symptom :) The bloating feeling is diminishing.

Bryan and I are both sad and disappointed. We're not devastated, really. I had just gotten used to the idea of being pregnant again. The midwife said after 4-6 weeks and another cycle, we should be able to try again. I've heard a woman's fertility can often increase after miscarriage, so we might luck out.

After the appointment today, we ate a good meal at Tumbleweed and shared a brownie sundae. Chocolate makes everything a little better. A little rest for a couple days and I'll be back in normal mode, and hopefully back to some more uplifting posts.

Sunday, June 10, 2007

Watching and waiting

I'm having some bleeding today, kinda like a light period. Some lower back pain and slight cramps. I've never had a miscarriage before (that I've known about anyway), so I'm not sure if this is one or not. I spotted with both the girls, but not this much. So, taking it easy the rest of the day, waiting it out. I'll call the midwife office tomorrow to see what they suggest. Keep us in prayer. We'll definitely try it again if this one is not meant to be.

*Edit: This morning, I called the midwife's office and I have an appt. at 1:15 today. They seemed a little miffed that I couldn't come in earlier, but Bryan wanted to be there and he couldn't get away until after noon. Still bleeding today, a little heavier. I'm thinking it's miscarriage at this point. I'll avoid further discussion until after the appt. today though.

Friday, June 08, 2007

A poem for my brother

We grew up at home and granny's house,
We laughed because mama was scared of a mouse.
Mud fights, football, and hide and seek.
Catching the school bus together during the week.

Six years separated us, but I didn't care.
I looked up to my big brother bear.
He taught me how to ride a bike.
Though I was a girl, I liked what he liked.

Things changed as we grew through the years.
When he left home, I was in tears.
I chose one path and he chose another.
I still miss the good days I had with my brother.

He chose a rockier path than mine.
I pray that someday he'll walk the line.
Then maybe again we can sit down for dinner.
Until then, our love has grown cold as the winter.

Thursday, June 07, 2007

Yep, still pregnant/And please pray...

We took another couple tests last night and this morning. Just to be sure, I guess. Both still positive. We can take a look at my body just to find out, though. It's like, "Hey, I know this! Plump up!" The belly is already pooching, my let's just say my bra is well-filled. As it's gotten out to more and more people, I'm bracing myself for the inevitable "Maybe you'll get a boy this time", "I know so-and-so and they've got 4 daughters", "Bryan will be outnumbered", etc, etc. I didn't hear that as much with number two. I suppose it's a given when you already have two of the same gender. I have to say, we want a boy really badly. And this month's conception wasn't as well-documented as previous "Shettles method" attempts. So, I'm not sure if the timing correlated with the male conception. Whatever...I'm trying not to focus on that. We're happy. Our first appt is June 18. I'm not sure if we'll hear a little heartbeat that soon or not.

Now, for the yucky stuff. My brother has been incarcerated. This morning, a man found him sleeping in the bed with his wife in his house and beat the tar of of him with a gun. He's lucky he didn't get shot. He's been arrested for 1st degree assault and disorderly conduct. I've already had my cry over it and have prayed bitterly from my anguish (as Hannah did in Samuel, remember) that this will be the thing that turns him around. He has four children that will suffer from his example, especially if he doesn't change. I'm glad our mama isn't here to see this. She'd probably try to get money to bail him out. Money that they didn't have. She did it once before. I just can't understand why he's made the choices he has. So pray for him to turn around, for his children to be led to the light, not his darkness. If you want to ask me anything about it, just e-mail, don't call. I'm not in the mood to talk about it.



Tuesday, June 05, 2007

Our Florida vacation--Day 1





The only way to wake up when you head out at 6 am for a 10 am flight.








Yay! Waiting for our plane in Nashville.





A great way to pass the time on a flight--watching a DVD with earphones on a laptop.





A view from our connecting flight from Orlando to Ft. Myers.




Our very first stop was actually at the local supermarket, Publix. Grabbed a few things to keep in the hotel to snack on. I can't live without my Kashi :)




The first view of our resort, Lover's Key Resort, just outside Lover's Key State Park. We stayed here last year, and loved it, we came back.




A beach theater in Ft. Myers. We decided to see "Spiderman 3" there after we checked in. It was pricey, of course, since it was the only theater in close proximity, but it was neat in that you could actually order real meals with your movie and sit at tables with comfy theater chairs to eat. We opted for some drinks and a little candy to save room for dinner at our next stop.



After the movie, we ate dinner at Charley's Boat House Grill. We ate there last year. Good fresh seafood and an awesome salad bar, with about 55 choices on it. Highly recommended, though the fish could use more seasoning. Nice view of some boat docks on the bay, with little water birds and fish frolicking in the water near the big window area. Try it out if you are in Ft. Myers.

It's official!



Looks like number 3 is on it's way! The lines are light but they're there, which means positive. We didn't think we had a chance this month. The week of conception was the week that Megan was so sick. Our anniversary evening was spent with Meg between us sick on the couch. We got in a few "tries" that week, but it was more like, "Ok, let's do this *yawn*" I'd like to say it was more romantic, but that week was just yucky. Anyway, yet again, on our vacation (albeit the very last day and hour), we found out about another child on the way. Must be something about the prospect of vacation coming that lowers our stress and makes things "work" better...I don't know. I've heard people say that they're more likely to get pregnant when they're not really trying that hard than when stressing over temps and tests and all that.

I'm gradually getting more excited. It's a little bittersweet too, though, knowing that if all goes well, it'll be our last child. Our little girls have already grown up so fast. I'm going to do my best to document this experience as much as possible so I can keep more of it in memory. Physically, feeling fine...just a tad of queasiness and fatigue and up top, I'm a bit "poofier" :) Now if that symptom would hang around, I wouldn't mind as much!

Now, on to vacation posts. I've got all my pics downloaded now, so I can start posting soon.

Monday, June 04, 2007

I'm back from vacation!!

Yay! And I've found wierd comments on my blog, which means that now I've turned my comment moderation back on and you have to be a registered user to post--no anonymous posters. I don't know why people can't just be nice.

I'll be posting lots of vacation info this week as I get time between loads of laundry. Good to be back home.