Time Flies

I can't believe how quickly the end of the year has arrived! So many things have happened this year that we had been waiting for and anticipating and they have all come and gone. I am amazed at how quickly my pregnancy progressed and Ezra arrived. I marvel at how big Benny has gotten and how exciting is it to think about all of his accomplishments in his short life.

I had been thinking to Christmas for months and now its days away! I can't believe it, really. It just seems surreal how quickly it arrived. Patience is not one of my true virtues, so I'm grateful for feeling that things have come quickly.

This Christmas is going to be awesome! We have so many presents for Benny its crazy! I can't wait to see the look on his face when he plays with the things we got him. We got things on sale throughout the year for him and things that we had been wanting for him for a while. Oh, I just can't wait!

On top of all of these feelings of time flying and the excitement of Christmas finally arriving I also feel like I haven't gotten to enjoy the Christmas season much. I'm not complaining though! I'm just saying that I didn't enjoy it as much as I normally do-and that's that we put the Christmas tree up at the beginning of November! Usually by now I'm looking forward to putting away all the Christmas decorations because they've been out for a long time, but not this year. It seems like I want MORE Christmas, somehow.
Regardless, I will be glad when its over. It will be back to the grind, sort of. Planning the next big things in our family's life, ya know? It will be sad to put the Christmas tree away, though. Benny loves the lights and the decorations so much!
But that's the magic of Christmas, isn't it? Waiting for the special lights to come back next year-that will be great for Benny.

Well, happy weekend, my friends!

My first day alone was....

HARD!

Both boys cried at the same time and seemed to egg each other on.
Both had poopies at the same time.
Both needed to eat at the same time.
Benny didn't want to nap when Ezra and I needed sleep really bad.
We had takeout for dinner because I had no time to make anything, let alone even go to the bathroom when I needed to.

I have a list of things I need to get done. I didn't get to a single thing today.
Tomorrow should go better, though. And I plan on getting more sleep tonight than I was able to get last night.

It will get easier.
It has to!
Right?!
It wasn't awful, or terrible, but it was worse than I expected. lol

I have to add, too, that I woke up thinking my parents were downstairs and I was sad when I realized they were in their own home.

Anyway, I'm off to bed now!

I'm back!

My parents have gone back home this afternoon. Its now the four of us-our new little family. :)

Benny is fussy right now because he wants to get at a ball that's out of reach and Ezra is on me in his sling just happily sucking away at a binky that continuously falls out of his mouth. Smoochie (the dog) is running up and down the stairs being a little stinker-she's kinda going through hormonal issues right now, so she's crying all the time.

I have been thinking a lot about what I wanted to blog about and I have so many things I'd like to write, but I have chosen one thing to bring up for today.

Angels.
Yes, Angels.

I know that Angels are all around us. Spiritual ones that have no physical body and then those are are physically present with us. My parents have been the latter for us this week. The amount of help that they gave us these first two weeks since Ezra arrived have been wonderful. Yeah, I know I'm omitting the huge fight that my Dad and I had in the middle of the first week and the fact that some things got used that I didn't want used-but that's all nothing compared to the reality of the outcome of their presence.

My mother happily cooked all of our meals and took special care of Benny. She fed and bathed and changed him. My dad helped me reseal some huge boxes and moved heavy furniture for me while Ben was at work. My mom cleaned my basement-the unfinished part. It sparkles now-I kid you not. She helped me pack a bunch of boxes of stuff that was in the unfinished part of the basement. She threw out a bunch of trash and empty boxes that had been sitting on the basement floor for months.
She did all of our laundry. ALL of it-even comforters and sheets and pillowcases. Floors were swept and mopped. Dishes were washed, and even my fridge and oven were cleaned spotless. The microwave got a good scrubbing, the freezers got cleaned, too and even coolers that were outside on the deck got brought inside and scrubbed clean. My bathrooms are so clean I could eat off the floors. Even groceries were paid for. Babysitting was gladly provided for so we could go to doctors appointments, errand running and a work dinner.

The help that they gave us and the support they rendered was so incredible. Their generosity was so sweet and so loving that I just don't know what the right way would be to thank them for what they did. My load was so incredibly lifted! They left my house in much better shape than I could have possibly imagined. The work they did would have lasted me at least twice as long as it took them, especially with Benny to take care of and constant nursing of Ezra.

I'm sad my parents have gone home to Jersey. We're going to miss their presence. Their laughter, their kind words of support and unsolicited advice...lol. I think this is the most time I've been with my parents in one visit since I moved out of home. We had true angels staying with us these past couple of weeks. I'm so grateful. I love them. They are spectacular parents.

heres my new little guy! i promise to blog a real post really soon! i've got lots to "talk" about!

Hooray!

Baby Ezra was born on Saturday morning.

What a relief!

Hopefully soon I will post some pictures. With family being over and having to use the stairs to get to the computer, it might be a little bit.

He's beautiful, though!

Thanks for all the well wishes.

:-)

And the doctor says...

I'm dilated to a 4!
WooHoo!
Any day now....
He said he doesn't think I'll make it to the end of the week.
WooHoo!
Need I say more?

**happy dance**

This is my "Complaints" post

Complaints:

• I have a nasty cold and I want it to go away!
• I have a huge belly and I also want it to go away...hehehe
• I have a little baby inside my belly that I want very badly to be born-like NOW!
• Did I mention I have a cold? I can't breathe or sleep or swallow because my throat is so dry it hurts!
• My ligament pain is totally crazy out of this world painful.
• Did I also mention that I have regular Braxton Hicks contractions that make me want to cry?
• I did a huge load of dishes (by hand, we don't have a dishwasher) and when I was done I felt like my hips were going to collapse into a million shards of bone.
• I need chapstick 24/7 because of this cold.
• I'm hungry right now.
• My basement is cold (and I'm in it)
• I'm doing laundry that needs to get done, but I really wish I was asleep
• Benny just woke up from a nap that should have been longer than it was.

Thanks for reading my gripes. I'm sure its lovely to "hear" other people complain but I just couldn't think of anything better to blog about.

Baby Anticipation

I have been trying to come up with some ways that I can convince my doctor into inducing me. LoL I have concluded that no matter what I come up with it won't work. Hehehehe, so I just have to wait like every other mother to be out there does. Oh well. You can't have your cake and eat it, too, right? But I can dream.... hehehe

I'm excited for Baby Ezra to be born. I can't wait! I'm so curious to see what he will look like and what his personality will be like. I'm also very excited and curious to see how Benny will react to a new baby brother.

We took a tour of the hospital this last week and it made everything seem really "real" to me, if that makes sense. I was flooded with a bunch of memories from my first labor and delivery experience. I was reminded of the pains and the needles and the shakes, but also of the excitement!! We also took a birthing refresher course that night after the tour. It was a good class. We mostly reviewed breathing and comfort techniques. It was nice to get back massages from Ben without asking him. Hehehehe, the instructor told him what to do and I just sat there almost drooling because it relieved so much tension. :-)

Baby arrival seems so close now! I can feel it, almost. The day will get here before I know it and that's both a great thing and a scary thing. What will it be like to have two children? How will I share my heart? I know I will...I just wonder how it will work and what it will feel like. I'll have two little boys to care for and worry about and to love and hold. **sigh** Motherhood is just a wonderful gift-I'm so blessed and grateful to be able to experience it.

Can you believe that my super organized self still has not finished packing a hospital bag? I'm ashamed. lol I'm almost done, though. All I need is a going home outfit for myself and a change of clothes for Ben. Other than that its ready. I should finish that today. That way I can stop complaining about it to myself. :-)

Its getting closer and closer! I can't wait!!

moving business

My cold is just about gone, just so you know.

I counted all the boxes that I have packed. Almost 90 boxes. Isn't that amazing? We have stuff enough to pack into 90 boxes. And I still have a lot more to pack. I'm a good packer, though. I stuff boxes full to keep items safe and to keep the boxes sturdy. I can't imagine how many more we would have if I was careless about packing.

Our spare bedroom has become our box room. Boxes stacked from floor to ceiling and things are strewn about (things that I still need to go through and sort and stuff). I hope I can get most of this stuff done before the baby arrives. Its getting down to the wire!

My mom is coming in a few weeks for the arrival of her second grand baby. She'll stay with us for about 3 weeks and I am so thrilled! I'm going to need the help like nobody's business! My dad will fly in sometime shortly after my mom gets here. Double the help! Yahoo!

My basement is a mess, too! Things are piled, ready to be stored in their proper places and containers. Blankets are waiting to be washed and baskets are littered around waiting to be put into boxes big enough for them to fit in.

I need to make a path so that we can get rid of our couch that's downstairs and also the futon that already has a new home. I feel motivated, though, so hopefully things will go by more quickly than I'm expecting.

I need to clean the downstairs bathroom and the laundry room. My chest freezer also needs a cleaning, I think. Sitting here, though, typing this all out really makes me want to just get up and get moving on some of this stuff. Its waiting and I'm having energy right now, so I think that's what I'll go do now.

Hi Ho, Hi Ho, Its off to pack I go....

What a lame blog today. Sorry.

Letters

When was the last time you wrote someone a letter? Not an email, but a true and tried hand written letter?

I love writing; I love expressing myself with words. If you haven't noticed, my blogs are usually pretty long. Sometime I have to remind myself that someone might not read it, because its too long. So I try and limit myself. But I love writing things out. It helps me vent and clear my mind and ultimately it always makes me feel good.

Today I will be writing a letter to someone. Today I will express myself with words on paper, with ink in my own handwriting. I will tell how I feel and what I think. I am excited and a bit anxious to get started. I haven't written out a letter in a long time. I have, however, written out a lot of cards-thank you, happy birthday, congrats, etc., but its not the same.

Letters are so personal. They show interest, I think. In our e-world that we live in letters are becoming more and more sparse.

I have a suggestion today: Think of someone you care about, someone special and write them a letter. Not a 4 sentence note, but a true letter. One that begins with "Dear..." or whatever word you choose and ends with a "Sincerely" or "Love" or Truly Yours" or whatever floats your boat. Tell the recipient of the letter something nice. Let them know that you care, or appreciate them. Let them know what you're thoughts are, or share a memory that you have together. It doesn't have to be a novel (like mine will probably be). Letters can really help someone feel special and important. It's especially nice when your spouse does it for you. :-)

You'll feel good. I promise!

Miserable breathing

I am so sick!
I have caught an awful cold. I can't breathe, my throat dries up very quickly so I have to drink a lot of water, which makes me have to go to the bathroom a lot, even though I'm already going to the bathroom like every fifteen minutes because the baby has dropped. LoL I might move in to the bathroom tonight. Or maybe we should buy stock in toilet paper? Our choice is Scott brand. Its easy on the tush and easy on the nose, too! :-) I've already gone through one roll, and just on my nose!

Benny has a runny nose, too. He seems to be having trouble sleeping at night now, too, so he probably doesn't feel great.

Oh my gosh and my heartburn is seriously out of this world! Its comical to me, even though I feel like screaming. Last night I woke up heaven only knows how many times! I took 2 tums at least 4 times and woke up because I couldn't breathe, or because I couldn't swallow (dryness) or because I had to pee (at least 5 times during the night) and then poor Ben was snoring and that woke me up some and on top of that Baby Ezra was moving around like he was taking a karate class in there. **chuckles** and then Smoochie like somehow ended up laying on my face and Benny woke up crying like two times. Oh, it was a nightmare! No pun intended. Especially because I did actually have nightmares while I was actually asleep.

Tonight has been similar. I have already taken some Tylenol and I have a breathe right strip on my nose and I'm stocked up with tissue for my nose, water for my throat and some cough drops. I also took a Zantac pill (which my doc ok'd) for the heartburn. Benny woke up screaming and he wouldn't calm down so I snuggled with him until he was completely asleep and put him back in his crib. Its so hard to do things like that now, with my ginormous belly.

I finally laid down in bed and realized that we never changed any of our clocks for the end of daylight savings time. And Ben started snoring, so I decided to get up and change the clocks before actually attempting to sleep.

So now, off to change clocks and then hop in to bed (actually it will be more like ease my way into bed without cramping anything, although I probably won't be successful at the not cramping thing. hehehe)

Wish me luck!

I am a GENIUS!!!!!! (or at least resourceful)

We had decided not to throw the car seat out.

I kept feeling that there had to be a way to salvage it and truly disinfect it without damaging it, or without having to purchase a new car seat. We even went "shopping" for one last night and found some at decent prices. But what's the best price for us? No price at all! Trying to salvage it would be much more economical.

Anyway, I keep a very well stocked folder full of every owner's manual for every single item we have. I found the car seat's instruction manual and read that the canopy (which has mold on it) can be washed in the washing machine-therefore, it CAN be removed. I just had to figure it out.

I came downstairs and took the seat cover off (which I had previously known that I could) and then after closer examination of the car seat figured out a way to fully remove the straps!!! There is a black plastic part that attached the straps to the actual car seat that I couldn't remove successfully, so I will just pull those to the very end of the straps and make sure I don't submerge them into the bleach solution I will submerge the rest of the straps (plus, there wasn't any mold near those plastic pieces).

So, two down (the seat cover and the straps) one more to go (the annoying canopy)!

I looked on google for help on taking the canopy off. I found a cool site called www.fixya.com and found some tips on how to do it. One of the explanations didn't make much sense to me, because I couldn't figure out what parts the person was talking about, but I saved it just in case. I then called evenflo directly (because I couldn't find ANYTHING on their website to help me) and the customer service rep was very nice and explained how I could do it. I hung up and tried and of course I wasn't able to come even close to getting it off.

I examined the canopy attachments even more closely and put two and two together. With the not so very helpful help the evenflo lady gave me and with the info from www.fixya.com I figured out my own way to get it off. And I did!!!

So now, I'm off to make a bleach solution to soak the straps in for a few hours and then I will put the seat cover and canopy in the washing machine with hot water and bleach and I will have a clean and mold-free car seat! I am completely confident that I will be able to get it safe for baby Ezra.

My bean bag is lost forever, though. No biggie. We paid about $10 for it and have had it for about 5 years, if not more. We can always get another one. And its one less bulky thing we have to move across the country, right? :-)

The play mat is also a goner. But we found some for under $20 at Walmart and I can probably find some on ebay or craigslist, too. Maybe one of Ezra's grandmas will get one for him this Christmas! (hint, hint...lol)

The playpen is also gone, BUT!!!! We have a spare playpen in NJ-its a few months newer than the one we just threw out, so no biggie there.

I'm grateful for my brain power! That and some definite divine intervention/inspiration!

When it rains, it pours

Why does it seem that when one little thing goes wrong it becomes the start of a domino effect and then every other little thing come crashing down, too?

Its not the end of the world, but I'm still annoyed and a bit upset. The finished part of the basement has always been sound and we've never had any issues. Our computer is down here and we feel completely comfortable that its safe (from humidity and such).

Yesterday as I was doing some major packing and major loads of laundry (we hardly had any clean clothes left) I decided that I would close the playpen and have Ben take it upstairs into our storage room. The playpen has been down here since the summer, when my niece Heidi used it. As I went to move the playpen I noticed that there was something sort of fuzzy on the bottom. Lo and behold! It was mold!

It was disgusting. It seems that something must have spilled in there (like maybe from a sippy? Benny has used it a couple of times while I've been on the computer). Anyway, mold everywhere on that playpen. I examined everything else-the floor, some blankets on the floor, but everything else was fine. I continued with my tasks for the day and started emptying out my downstairs pantry-moving all my food upstairs, since its no longer going to be full (we're trying to use up all our food). I noticed that a fabric bean bag that was right by the playpen, that I hadn't previously examined also had a tad bit of mold on it. Ugh! So frustrating!

I then started getting paranoid and decided to look EVERYWHERE and once again didn't find anything. Except I hadn't looked at the infant car seat (that Ezra will be using). Inside the car seat was a play mat/play gym thingy that you put on the floor for the baby. I checked the car seat and the actual seat was fine, nothing on it. I checked the visor thingy that keeps the sun off the baby and sure enough the nylon lining did have a bit of mold, just a bit. I then looked at the inside of the play mat and yes, there was mold inside it. I examined the car seat once again and sure enough I looked at the straps that I hadn't looked at before and they were covered in mold. What the heck?!

Nothing else had mold on it, nothing. I even had all of our luggage and suitcases and gym bags under the car seat and nothing had a even a tiny bit of mold on it. We figure it started in the play pen and spread from there. I think I may have put some of the damaged items inside the playpen at one point to get at something else that was behind those items.

So, we threw the playpen out. We threw the bean bag out and the play mat, too. The car seat still has to go. I looked up info on how to clean this stuff off and theres no way I can get any of these specific items clean enough to be safe for the baby (or Benny).

So now, money for a new playpen, money for a new play mat and money for a new stinkin' car seat. It's truly pouring now! If we had known we would have had to buy this stuff for the new baby we would have budgeted it in-no problem. **sigh** Now its just an extra expense we don't need right nor were expecting.

And me being anal, what bothers me the most about the whole situation is that I already have a date set for the installation of the car seat into our car. Its coming up and I hope we can have it by then so I don't start getting all anxious about the situation, because once again, if you haven't noticed, I'm kind of a control freak. :-)

Should I be ashamed?

Despite the current economy and the increase of coupon usage, there are many people who look down upon those that try to save money by using coupons. There are people who may possibly huff and puff behind you in the checkout lane because they have to wait for you to scan your coupons before you can pay. What do I think of this unreasonable phenomenon?

Deal with it, buddy!

I did some shopping at Meijer last night. I got some superb deals! Some of them:

• Kellogg's brand cereal (different flavors) for $1 each, with coupons.
• Dawn dish liquid and Cascade dishwasher gel for $1.40 each, with coupons.
• Minute Maid Fruit Punch and Cherry Lime-aid, half gallon cartons for 47cents each, on clearance.

My total out of pocket expense was $48.03. I had a total of 22 coupons. 4 of them were doubled to $1.00. My total coupon savings was $22.50. My total non-coupon savings was $39.24.

My total savings on the shopping trip was $61.74. I saved over 50% of my grocery bill. I was so happy! I did a little dance before leaving the store, and yes, people did stare at me. But it was worth it! Also, the Catalina (the little machine that prints out coupons for you as your receipt prints out) printed out 3 VERY nice coupons that I will surely use.

So should I be ashamed that I walked out of the store thrilled and giddy and pretty verbal about my joy? Should I be ashamed that I search for my deals and prepare with lists and comparisons before I hit the stores? Should I be ashamed that I sit and clip coupons? Should I be ashamed that I carry a bulky file organizer with me EVERY TIME I go ANYWHERE, just in case I run into a good deal and I have a coupon to make it even better? Should I be ashamed that I am prepared to shop around and not make the first purchase I see? Should I be ashamed that I share my coupons with others that might benefit from them? Should I be ashamed that I stop people in the store because I notice they had something in their cart that I have a coupon for that I'm not going to use? "Hey, excuse me, but I noticed you were purchasing X product. I have a great coupon here for that same product if you would like to use it." Only once has someone declined-and only because they already had the same coupon in their possession! :-)

I saw a lady at the store last night with an awesome coupon binder! It was an actual binder, with 3 rings and it had card protector sheets (you know, like for baseball cards) and she had coupons inserted in each of the pockets. I complemented her on such an awesome binder and showed her my file folder. She said that her husband gave her a hard time before leaving home, saying "you go alone, its embarrassing to be shopping with so many coupons." She proceeded to tell me that she thinks its funny that he says junk like that but when she gets home "he doesn't complain when he sees the receipt!" He knows that she saves them tons of money, but he's just too proud to admit that it takes work.

I love couponing. I love what I do for my family's budget. I would hope that people would be happy that I can come home saving over 50% of my bill, because of what I do. I will stand tall and show my receipts off to the world! I will not be ashamed that we can have extra money because of my snips and clips and deal huntings! :-D

Back at home!

We had a fantastic time in New Jersey! We got back at 5am on Tuesday. It was along drive back, we ended up leaving hours after we had planned to and we made several long stops. It was so nice to get home and sleep in our own bed (and crib)! We missed Smoochie a lot and it was nice to snuggle with her, too.

So on Friday morning we went to the Manhattan temple and had an incredible session. It was wonderful to finally be back in the temple. The last time we had gone I was in my second trimester of pregnancy with Benny! I was very pleasantly surprised to see that my receiver at the end of the session was a man that has known my family since before I was born. The feelings were overwhelming. I held his hand longer than you normally would in that situation and told him how glad I was to see him and he remembered who I was!! It was really neat, considering he is an old man. One of his sons could be my father. :-) Both Ben and I felt much comfort about the worries we've had in our minds-especially the whole moving thing.

Oh! And we got to see Parson's School of Design!! We got out of the subway right in front of it!! It was so cool! (Its the place where Project Runway is filmed)

Friday evening we (including my parents) went to Aime and Paul's house to stay there for the rest of our visit. We had a great time watching movie after movie after movie. On Saturday we went to wonderful IKEA!! I was able to purchase some things that I've been wanting for Ezra's room and some other little goodies that I probably could have lived without. :-) We then went to Toys R Us where Ben and I found some AWESOME clearance deals on clothes for the boys (boys...that sounds so surreal!!). They had things on clearance plus a 20% more off of that. We got these cute shirts...Big Brother and Little Brother. Oh, I can't wait!

When we got back to Aime's house there was company waiting. Paul's cousin Sondra and her hubby Cesar and their two kids came up from Maryland (Rockland) to spend the night (funny coincidence, huh? Since Eddie and Kelly and their kids were supposed to come up from Maryland, too). We had a great dinner (take out roasted chicken, salad, veggies and Spanish rice from a Portuguese restaurant nearby) and then we had great dessert consisting of ice cream. The kids went to bed and the adults started to have a party! Aime invited two of her closest friends-Nadia (and her hubby) and Diana. We played Apples to Apples for like 3 hours and had such a blast!!!! Ben won and he was pretty proud of himself. Hehehehe It was just really nice to have such a good time.

Sunday morning was another story. Ben and I didn't end up getting to bed until 2am, so we decided that we would skip church. The only real reason why we wanted to go to church was to check out the ward that we will be in. But since we were only going to stay for sacrament meeting, we decided it wasn't worth getting up super early to shower and iron clothes and get out there just for sacrament and then come back to half of our last day. So we slept in a little and when we got up Aime came to tell us to get dressed because we were going to the park.

We went to this really cool Family Amusement Park. It was full of rides and yummy amusement park food. I had funnel cake for the first time! I was even able to have cotton candy (you may not know this, but I had a very bad craving for cotton candy back in July-when the county fair came I think I ate more cotton candy than any human being should). Benny rode on the carousel for the first time and even I got on one of the horses, too. We took a train ride around the park, too. All the other adults and children except for me and my dad went on a bunch of other rides. Ben got on this really cool roller coaster and it was fun to watch. Although, I must say I lamented being pregnant some, because it would have been fun to get on the rides AND it would have been nice to really get my money's worth, ya know? After a light snack at the park Sondra and her family left to drive back to Maryland and the rest of us went to the mall. We had a really yummy dinner at a buffet place and then went home to watch more movies.

We got to bed late again, but it was worth it. I spent some really great time talking with my sister and in the morning we were laid back and took our time to get ready to leave. It was a wonderful trip! And it was very nice that it wasn't so hard to say goodbye to my family, because they'll be out in less than two months for Ezra's birth, so we'll get to see them soon.

Now its back on track time! Packing, cleaning and more prep for baby and moving! :-)

(I'll get some pictures of our trip up soon)

Vacationing on the east coast

We went to Manhattan tonight. We had such a great time! We walked a lot, however, and now my feet are killing me!!! We had Mr. Softee Ice Cream, which I grew up with and it was yummalicious! We also had some guy do some magic tricks for us on the street and we bought some cool watches off a stand in Times Square, too. They're nice! I always wanted to buy something off one of those street vendors. Hehehehe We also went into the mega huge Toys R Us in Times Square. We had a really good time looking at things. We tried to make it to the NBC store, but they had already closed by the time we got there. As we walked along I started getting really painful contractions. I was freaking out a bit. They were strong enough to make me have to stop walking. Baby Ezra was also moving in such a way that made me be in even more pain. I felt ginormous and I couldn't believe that I had walked so much AND that I would have to walk even more just to get home. All is better now, though.

Today we also had some delicious Termini's Pizza. Oh my gosh, this stuff is THE BEST! Ben and I look forward to having some every time we come visit. It was sooo gooooood! We have some leftovers, and I think I'll have a slice before hitting the bed. We walked some on Bergenline Avenue today, the shopping district, if you will, in my hometown. I saw some familiar faces, but I hate to admit, I didn't make eye contact because I didn't really want to talk to anyone.

We also went to Boulevard east this evening and took lots of pictures of the skyline and we took a few family shots and lots of pictures of Benny, although, Benny was really cranky because he hadn't taken a second nap (like he normally does). He was fussy and whiny and wouldn't smile. He's also been REALLY clingy with Ben-since we left home, so I know its not an unfamiliarity thing. I'll share photos when I get back.

Abuelita and Abuelito have been having a blast with Benny! Playing and laughing and holding him. He's been loving on them like crazy, too. Giving kisses and hugs. Its amazing how he hadn't forgotten them. He knew right away who his Abuelita was and quickly gave her lovins.

Tomorrow will be a good day! We are going to the 11am session at the Manhattan Temple and then later in the day we will go to my sister Aime's house and we'll get to visit with her and her hubby Paul. We'll spend the rest of our vacation at her house, along with my parents.

Our drive out was the most pleasant ever! It was laid back and relaxed and it was awesome to have cruise control! We ran into rain the first 5 hours or so and that was annoying, but it wasn't bad at all. Gas outside of Lafayette is way cheaper. Gas here right now is between $2.80 something to $3.20. Nice prices compared to the $3.58 a gallon we paid before heading out of Lafayette. We stopped to rest a few times and got some good sleep. Ben and I also had some really great conversations-very meaningful ones and it was really nice. I hope our drive back is as good!

I'll tell you all about the rest of our trip soon!

What to blog about today?

I have plenty of things to gripe about, but I don't want to lie beneath a negativity blanky, so I'll bypass that route.

We have discovered Benny's favorite TV show. Yo Gabba Gabba!

Benny smiles really big when the show starts and looks at us, like "Are you serious? It's really on?! This is awesome!"

He dances along with the music, loves the characters and laughs hysterically at certain parts. We have not gotten reactions like this from him from any other TV show. We have like 17 episodes DVRed so far and it works like MAGIC to calm him down from a cry-fest. Seriously, its like a magic pill or something. We put it on and all drama disappears instantly.

Ben and I really enjoy the show, too. We watch the new episodes together-the three of us. They have real bands play on the Music Friends Show portion of the show and they also have famous people come in for Dancy Dance time where they (the famous person) teaches a new dance. This season Melora Hardin (Jan on the Office) showed up for a birthday party and the creator of the show let it slip in an interview that Jack Black was going to be on this new season, which just started at the end of September.

The other day at Walmart we went by the toy section because we were looking to see what sorts of things we might consider for Benny for Christmas and we found Yo Gabba Gabba toys! Oh my gosh, I wanted them all. How silly, huh? I got just as excited as Benny did (and so did Ben).

The music of the show really sticks to your head, but not in an obnoxious way, they're really cool songs with really cool beats.

Variety magazine has a neat article on the show you can check out:

http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117991028.html?categoryid=2522&cs=1

We love Yo Gabba Gabba!

Marvelous Monday Mail

I'm not usually excited about Mondays, but today I am. I got up groggy as usual for a Monday and did my regular morning routine. I went out to get the mail and when I opened the mailbox was shocked to find it jammed full of mail. I had at least 10 envelopes to open, let alone 3 magazines plus some junk mail and advertisement postcards. I will give you a highlight of the wonderful mail I got today!

• I got the latest issue of one of my favorite magazines- Ready Made http://www.readymade.com/
• I also got Better Homes and Gardens, which came with a great insert full of coupons.
• I got coupons for free entrees from Michelina's because I emailed them to let them know how much I enjoyed their frozen entrees.
• I also got an AWESOME PG Brand Saver (Proctor & Gamble) coupon insert in the mail (because I filled out a survey) with coupons worth over $74-this is the same insert that was in yesterday's paper. Oh my gosh, I was in heaven yesterday clipping coupons and today when I got a duplicate of what I got yesterday in the paper I almost had a heart palpitation. They are awesome coupons!
• I got 3 coupons for $1 off ANY Huggies product because I emailed them to let them know that I enjoyed their diapers and baby toiletry items. This sweet coupon deal means I can probably get some wipes for less than $1!
• I got my Home Made Simple Coupon Booklet!!! Awesome coupons (like Mr. Clean, Swiffer, Cascade) that can be doubled, plus a coupon for a free item!
• I also got a school fundraiser thing from two of my nephews. Really great magazine subscription rates. I may have to get something!
• I got an insurance claim "receipt" saying that some lab work for Benny wasn't covered and I may owe my provider $1.00. Yes, just a buck. :-)
• Ben's pay stub :-D
• Vehicle insurance statement/bill and its $20 less than last month's bill!
• Verizon bill arrived and we have a credit of over $200, so we don't have to pay anything this month. How did that happen? We must have paid twice one month. It's pretty awesome, though.

And then I check my email and I have a friend request on facebook from someone I knew when I was like 12 or 13! She served a mission in my home ward and I would go on splits with her and she was just the sweetest sister missionary and I had been wondering what had happened to her.

Oh, just lots of fun and happy surprises today for me! I hope this is a forecast for the rest of the week! All I need now to make this day almost to perfection is some chocolate! Hehehehe

The Cricket and the Package

We have a cricket in our basement-in the laundry room (hence yesterdays nasty post about crickets). It hasn't stopped chirping since yesterday. Well, I'm sure it has at some points, but for the most part it has gone on and on and on.

At one point it was very close to the door from the laundry/storage area to the finished part of the basement and I was freaking out that if I opened the door it would jump on me. So I waited for Ben to get home and he went in to see if he could find it. It was still loud, but no where to be seen, so who knows, maybe it got itself into the wall. The point is I want it dead and if Ben couldn't find it, I sure as heck am not going to look for it myself. So all I can do now is cross my fingers that it dies quickly and SOON!


The noise is just horrible to me. Anyway, moving along....



I got an awesome package in the mail yesterday!! I ordered this free "kit" for moms from Quaker a couple of weeks ago and had completely forgotten about it. It arrived yesterday late afternoon and I brought it and opened it. To my understanding it was supposed to be a sample and a coupon for a granola bar or something.


To my surprise it was much more than that!!



2 sample sized boxes of Cinnamon Life Cereal
2 whole granola bars, the new Nature something or other that Quaker has just put out
2 sample sized packages of Chocolate Granola Mix
1 WHOLE SIZED box of 8 granola bars-the kind of box you'd buy at the store
1 cool blue bracelet for Benny (like the Livestrong plastic band bracelets)
1 coupon for $2 off a Quaker product.


This was big! I was already a fan of Quaker brand, but if they went through all this trouble to send me these awesome freebies, they've definitely got my business! It made my day and drowned out the nasty cricket for a while!

September 11th

Well today is a special day in my heart. 7 years after 9/11. I remember it like it was yesterday. I actually dreamt it happened the night before it did.

I was preparing to move out here to Indiana and I had been going over to Boulevard East, this strip of street that's right on a cliff that overlooks the Hudson River and has full view of the New York skyline. Anyway, I had been going to Blvd. east to think and be alone. Preparing to leave, knowing that it would never be the same to be back there. So I had planned on taking pictures of the skyline and the night before 9/11 was when I had planned on doing it. I got to Blvd. east, which was only 2 blocks up from my house and realized I forgot my camera at home. Feeling lazy I said to myself "Eh, I'll do it tomorrow, the skyline isn't going anywhere."

I had feelings of regret the next morning when the skyline was drastically different.

It was scary. The amount of helicopters and low flying jets over my roof was overwhelming. It felt like we were at war. I saw people walking waiting for the bus, people that had just gotten off the ferry down below Blvd. East. Some were covered in soot. Some looked frazzled and scared. I wanted to comfort everyone somehow, but yet I was in need of comforting, too.

I remember very vividly the smell. I'd never smelled burning flesh, but once I smelled it, I knew that's what it was. The winds were blowing fiercely south the next few nights and you couldn't open a window without smelling that awful smell. I could hear their voices, their screams, I could hear their fear. I had nightmares for years after.

I visited the memorials on Blvd. east that night. It was beautiful. The love and outpoor of comfort in the community. The candles, the respect, the love that was felt among strangers. I'll never forget it.

I'll never forget what it was like to visit Ground Zero, either. I went about 4 or 5 years after the tragedy. It was very emotional for me. More so than I expected it to be. I hope to be able to go back again really soon. It was almost a healing process. I stopped having as many nightmares after I had been there.

I knew of some people that died that day. I know of a little girl who died on one of the planes that hit the WTC.

I used to visit the WTC every week. I would take an extra ride on the PATH and get off to look around at the shops and stuff on my way home from school. It was very hard taking the PATH afterwards and seeing that the light for the WTC stopped didn't turn on anymore, or it was dimmed.

I'll never forget. I never want to forget.

God Bless America.

There's that empty spot. I hope the memorial will be finished soon so it can be filled again!

Willie

Wilbert Orlando Alonzo Jr.

My brother.

My friend.

He spoiled me and tickled me.

He left this earth 17 years ago.

I miss him still.

He was baby #2 for my parents.

The middle kid and the only boy.

How do I make him a part of my children's lives without being all weird about it? I mean, I guess its simple, no? Just talk to them about their uncle, my brother. Tell them what he was like and how tall he was and what he liked to do. I have many memories of him, but sometimes I feel that they're not enough. I try hard to remember more, or to remember things with more details, but it never changes. I have the same memories, they don't change.





I love hearing stories about him from my sister. She was very close to him, as they were only 2 years apart. She tells me about things they did when they were kids. Like the time they went through every nook and cranny of the house-inside the couches, under the beds, in closets, in coat pockets-all over-looking for loose change. They looked until they had enough to go to the corner grocery store and bought ice cream for the both of them.

Willie loved to skateboard. He loved to draw! He played football, too. I remember him getting his uniform on. Willie loved, loved, loved to dance! He would often go clubbing. He would listen to music really loud, too. His favorite kind of music was freestyle, back in the 80s. Some songs still always make me think of him. I still have some of his drawings. He loved to laugh and I also remember that one of his favorite shows on TV was "The Price is Right" we would watch it together on some mornings. I still remember some of the girlfriends he had. They were all very pretty. I also remember the way he ate. I remember very clearly the way he would chew his food and shovel it in his mouth! lol Willie would switch what side he would chew on several times within the same bite. Probably because his mouth was stuffed with food...he had to!

Willie was adventurous. He was brave and to me, seemed like he was never really afraid of anything. When he was 18 he decided he was going to move out. My mom begged him not to, but he was determined to be independent. So he moved out.

But he would come home every day to get his clothes ironed by my mom and to eat whatever my mom had made for dinner that day. He realized he had it good at home and he lived like a king, so he moved back very quickly. lol My mom loved it!

This is Willie with two of my mom's sisters. He loved going to Mexico to visit. I think this was the last time he went to Mexico before he died. I think it was a 1989 or 1990. Oh, what a lady killer. My aunts loved him, he was so sweet and attentive. He was a great nephew.

Can you believe this hairstyle was popular once? He's still a cutie, though. He loved to go camping. It was one of the last things he did with a group of his friends before he died.

I still have the last birthday card he ever gave me and the wrapping paper of the gift he gave me. It was for my 8th birthday and baptism. He took most of the pictures there. I remember how happy I was when he showed up!

I remember Willie big and strong and tall like this. He was in great physical shape. He worked out-I still remember all the equipment he had! He even appeared in some hotel brochures for some hotels in Cancun. This particular picture is in one of those.

This is the last picture that we know of that was taken of Willie before he died at 21 years of age. He was at a baseball game a few weeks before the motorcycle accident. He was a jeweler. I still have some of the jewelery pieces that he made. My dad wears a ring that Willie made, too. He made jewelery for my mom, too. He was such a lively person. I could literally go on for hours about the stories I remember and the many memories. He gave me a ferret, named Nina (well, it was actually his, but he let me play with her all the time). He would tickle me till I cried and throw me high up in the air so my head would hit the ceiling squares. Then my mom would yell at him. lol He even painted my nails once. He was my hero. He's my big brother. I love him.

I wish I had had more time with him. I wish Ben would have had the opportunity to meet him. But I know that he knows me and I know that he is around me. I feel him sometimes. I dream of him sometimes and I know that he still loves me. I didn't used to have a brother, I HAVE a brother. I am so grateful to know Heavenly father's plan for us. And I am indebted to Him for the opportunity to have an eternal family so I can be with Willie again someday.

This is what I will teach my children.

The cat's outta the bag

Well, the baby is asleep and I thought I'd pop in for a quick blog.

This weekend is finally gone! What relief! It was a big weekend for us, because we had been let know that Ben would be released from his calling as Branch President on Sunday. We both had nightmares during the week that Sunday never came, or that the Stake Presidency never showed up-something seemed to happen so that the release wouldn't come through. Sunday didn't arrive fast enough for me-the anxiety was very suspenseful. It was more than I wanted it to be.

Anyway, Sunday morning arrived and we both got up really early and went to church really early. Sacrament meeting started and I started getting butterflies in my tummy. After the sacrament hymn Pres. Connolly announced the changes. Oh my goodness, you could literally feel the shock in the room. After the sustainings, the new Branch presidency sat up front and Ben continued to conduct the meeting, per Pres. Connolly's request. Testimony meeting was now on the old and new Presidency. Ben was asked to speak first and he gave a great testimony. Then, I had the privilege of bearing my testimony next. As I went up there I felt light headed. I was so nervous! Anyway, I said all that my heart felt and showed support for the new Branch President. Afterwards the new counselors went up and gave their testimonies. Then we had the closing hymn.

My anxiety for this day wasn't only because I knew Ben was going to be released form his calling, but also because of the news the branch was going to get. Ben and I decided that when he gave his testimony on this day that he would announce to everyone that we are moving to New Jersey at the end of the year. Our families already knew of this decision and also some friends from church and Pres. Connolly, but no one in the branch knew. We didn't feel it was right for them to know yet, since we didn't know if Ben would be released soon or closer to the time of our leaving Indiana.

When Ben said those words-that we were moving out of Indiana at the end of they year, and that's why the change was made sooner, you could hear a pin drop. The room went silent. I think everyone was more shocked at hearing this news, than that of the changes in the Branch Presidency. It was almost eerie.

The relief that I felt after sacrament meeting was over was unbelievable. It was a literal feeling of weight being taken off my shoulders. No more hiding the fact that we're moving and plus, no more having to have the responsibility of knowing that Ben was in charge of this congregation. Don't get me wrong, I wasn't anxious for him not to be president anymore, but the responsibilities are consuming and I knew that Ben had his plate full. With going back to school and craziness at work and plus having to help take care of me and Benny while I'm preggy is a lot-let alone the meetings and staying after church and getting there early, and mutual and then phone calls and interviews and missionary exchanges and welfare issues and the list goes on and on-it was just a lot.
And on top of it all, we're getting things ready to move to the east coast. Phew! It tires me out just typing it!
We knew however, that if he wasn't released now that it was because that's the way Heavenly father wanted it and that we would be given the strength to deal with everything that we have.

It felt right, though. It felt comforting. I know this was the way He wanted it to be for us and for the branch.

No one at work knows about the move yet, and we're going to keep it that way a little longer.

This ride is over. It was so marvelous. We served the best we could. We saw people grow and learn and accomplish miracles. We'll never be a part of their lives the same way. We're leaving soon and when we do, our relationships with them will never be the same, either.

It's very Bittersweet. For Sure.

But thank goodness the weekend is over! :-)

paying it forward...

I have just sent out a really long email to a very dear friend of mine that is pregnant. I sent her links to all of my baby blogs sites that I frequent and gave her lots of tips and advice that I find useful. I hope she can use some of the info and doesn't think I was being pushy. lol

Although, if she knows me at all, she'll know that I just get excited about good deals and I want to pass them along.

I'm a member of an online group that shares information on deals and coupons and sales around the country. I posted on there about my great 50% off all fabric, lace and trim sale at my local WalMart that I found this week. Because I posted this, I prompted several other people across the country to check their WalMarts and many others were able to take advantage of this great deal (sadly, not all WalMarts had this going on). I love coupons and sales and clearance sales. I love saving money.

Getting good coupons at the checkout or in the mail makes my heart skip a beat! :-)

About two months ago, at church, we had a 5th Sunday lesson that was combined with Priesthood and Relief Society. It was about budgeting and saving money and things like that. I was given the opportunity to teach on my saving and couponing skills. It was such a high for me! I felt like I was bouncing off the walls!!! I was able to give really good tips and advice to people that I really care about so they could save more on their grocery shopping. I taught some how to go about shopping with coupons and where to go online for online coupons and how to find sales, etc. I'm so passionate about it, I can't help it. The members were very excited, too. I got thanked a lot, even in the following weeks. The husbands even thanked me, saying they've been able to save more thanks to their wives listening to my advice. It felt gooooood!

Honestly, though, its been such a big help to our home's finances, that I don't know where we would be without the knowledge I have. I remember getting really passionate about this subject right after we got married. This is my way of financially contributing to our household, since I don't work outside the home. I try to stretch Ben's hard earned money as best as I can.

My mother taught me a very valuable lesson when I was growing up. She said, never turn anything down that you are given for free or for very little. If you do, you may never be approached again by that person with other offers, and then you lose the opportunity of helping someone else that may be in need with the goods that you are generously blessed with.

And I believe its true. Take what you're offered. If you can't find a use for it then pass it along, or find someone who is in need of it. I've become a resource for people around me. Its very humbling and very rewarding.

This is how I pay it forward!

Christmas Shopping

Many of my family and friends know that I love to save money. I love to find bargains and I love to have stock ups of things that I have found on sale or on clearance. I am not ashamed and in fact, I am very proud of my skills. I try to hold off the urge to buy things full price. I search for coupons and sales and I always check the clearance sections at my favorite stores when I go shopping. You never know what kind of bargains you will find!

Today we bought Ben some much needed shorts that were on clearance for $5. Yes, I know we just bought another pair for $3 at another store, but this pair was a better brand, and therefore, more expensive. But now Ben has a new nice pair and another new nicer pair.

Anyway, I could go on and on about all the deals I've gotten this month, but that's another post.

I have already started my Christmas shopping. In fact, I started it about 2 months ago. I want to be prepared for the holiday season. I like to look for sales and find good gifts that won't break the bank. I already have a gift each for my nephews Sam and Drew out of our family gift exchange and I also have a gift for my dad, and my brother in law Paul. I also have a small gift each for my son Ben and soon to arrive son Ezra.

The gifts I've gotten are worth double or more what I paid for them. I also think about birthdays in advance and things to use the next year's season.

For example, we already have an awesome selection of Christmas wrapping paper and decorations for the tree and home, all of which I paid only about 20% of what the original price was. I also have a ton of really cool and spooky Halloween decorations that I got last year at only 10% of what the original price was. I have "ingredients" for Easter baskets for when Benny is a little older that I also bought when the price was 90% off. I have Halloween costumes for Benny for the next 2 or 3 years, all of which again, I only paid about 20% of the original price.

I get a thrill when I find such good deals like that!! That is why I like to start my Christmas shopping now. By the time November and December rolls around I've already been done for a while on my holiday shopping. I then can purchase things on sale for myself, IF I feel like it and I don't feel pressured to buy things full price. I bought my dad a $20 shirt for this year's Christmas and I only paid $3 for it. Yes folks, $3! What a steal!

I also keep things in stock. I have a storage bin full of cards. I've gotten $4 or $5 packs of cards for only 50 cents. I refuse to pay more than $1 for packs of cards. That's my rule. I keep wrapping paper stocked up and I also keep little knick-knacks and bottles of this or that for emergency gifts, such as birthday parties that I don't want to show up empty handed, or white elephant gifts at church things, or even if I just want to brighten my visiting teachees' day. All on sale, or clearance, or really cheap with a coupon, or even free.

I hope that I can teach these skills to my children! It really pays off to plan ahead and be organized. You can save a lot of money and still give really good gifts that are within your budget!

(Today) Happiness is...

1. Having the doctor say "everything is good, good, good!"
2. Packing boxes and moving closer to my final goal
3. Thinking of personal insights that might help someone else
4. Having a yummy lunch with my favorite boys-Ben and Benny
5. Paying all of the bills on time!
6. Looking at my big, round belly and watching the baby poke at me from inside
7. Listening to Aleks Syntek's great lyrics and music
8. Going into Benny's room after he wakes up from a nice long nap
9. Saving over 50% on my grocery bill thanks to great deals and great coupons
10. Getting TWO new Pampers coupons!!
11. Surfing the net
12. Taking a shower
13. Holding Smoochie
14. Getting great compliments on my sandals
15. Ben telling me that my belly is cute while I got dressed

Snip Snip

What a feeling!
I cut my son's hair on Saturday night. His first haircut. He's almost 15 months old. He also just started walking!!
His cute little head, with his perfect little curls and beautifully shiny dirty blonde hair just makes me want to smile! His hair was getting long! It was also uneven, so we thought it was finally time to get the clippers out.



He sat in his booster seat in the middle of the living room with Daddy kneeling in front of him to help me keep him from wiggling like crazy. I took some shears and clipped the first curl for a setimental keepsake. I felt that snip through every vein in my body! I almost shivered and definitely got some goosebumps. My little guy's little curl-gone! with a single short snip. Of course, it didn't even phase him, but nonetheless it was sort of a horrible feeling for me. Oooh, I even shudder at the thought of it. The rest of the clipping of those curlies was better. It still was somewhat of a hard thing, but I was fine. I gingerly placed the curls on a napkin so I could later preserve them in between some big pieces of clear packing tape. :-) I got the clippers out and started buzzing away. This was nerve-wracking, because I didn't want to scare him or hurt him. He looked so funny with bald spots on the top of his head! At one point little Ben seemed to get nervous, probably due to the buzzzzzz noises of the clippers. He held on to Daddy and Daddy held him close while I continued to try and get an even clip. Once I was finally done, I felt relieved that we all lived through it and that it had finally been done. I had been putting it off because I loved his head of hair! That, and those darn cute curls!! He looks so much like Daddy now!

Now Benny's hair will grow out evenly and hopefully a little thicker. My cutie! I'm glad I was able to cut it myself and that we didn't need someone else to do it for us. It was cool to give him his first haircut!

We put Benny in the bath and then to bed. Afterwards, it was Daddy's turn to get his haircut. He sat still for me and wasn't scared at all! :-) We showed up to church the next morning and everyone commented on how cute Benny was and how much he looked like his Daddy.

It was a good weekend!

I've got faith!

I debated a while about whether or not I should post about this. Because this IS the Internet I want to try and be discreet about what I want to blog about tonight. You never know who will find this and read it! We are being faced with a really crappy situation right now. We can't change it ourselves, because its basically someone else's doing (aka their free agency). We are having to do things in a way that we don't want to and aren't happy to do, either. I'm battling with emotions of hate and anger. I'm frustrated, sad, once more angry, confused, irritated...goodness, the list just goes on and on. I feel like I'm in a far away land where I don't speak the language, understand anything and everyone looks like an alien. I am just so at a loss for words. I don't know what to do or how to react.
But fear not, we will survive through this trial. Also, don't freak out thinking that something is horribly wrong (even though, for us it sorta is). If you ask, we'll talk about it. I'm just a dork and don't want it on the 'net. For all I know Ben will blog openly about it tomorrow. If he doesn't have a problem with it then I won't be cryptic. LoL After all, it IS more about him than me. Have you gotten my hint about it being a work situation? ;-)

Anyway...

This experience, although its only really beginning and hasn't even come to a head yet, has really opened my eyes and I am seeing a new me. I believe more in what I have the power to do for myself and my family. Even if my physical hands are tied, I can provide moral support to my husband and words of comfort when we are at a loss for words. I feel that I am relying more on my Father in Heaven, and that my faith is shining at its brightest. I know that we will be OK. I know that we will deal. I know that we will be comforted and protected and that years from now (maybe even next year?!?!) we will look back at this situation and marvel at how we handled it. Or perhaps laugh at how big a deal we felt it to be at the time.

I feel worse about everything because I feel like someone else is controlling my body. Being pregnant is so weird because you start to cry and then you can't stop! :-) I feel like that. My sad and angry reactions about this situation are over the top!

I guess I just needed to vent. It doesn't even matter if no one reads this. I feel better already. I'm glad, so glad, that we have an end in sight! New beginnings are coming and hopefully they will be good beginnings! :-)

The main point I wanted to get across in this blog is this:
I know who I am and who is watching over me. I know who Benjamin is and who is looking out for him. We will come forth out of this "personal misery" feeling like winners. I know what I am capable of and I know for sure that Benjamin is capable of wonders. We'll make the most of what we've got to deal with. I have faith that we will not be left alone.

Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest. Joshua 1:9

That's my story and I'm stickin' to it! :-)

Wonderfully organized, or OCD?

Lately I've been thinking about a lot of different things and I've been making mental and out on paper lists about all the things I need to get done.

I get so excited about upcoming events in my life (all the time) that I try to be as prepared in advance as possible. We're expecting our second child the first week in December (although I'm rooting for the end of November) and of course there are things to do to get ready for this event, but its too early to get to them. For example:

Bring baby bassinet into our bedroom
Wash Baby's clothes and blankets
Install baby car seat in the car
etc.

Although I can't do these things now (even though I want to very badly, because I find them to be fun!) I have already chosen dates to get these things done and have written them down in my planner. That way I will be on track and things won't be left for the last minute. It's my controlling side, I'm sure, that makes me need to do these things. I love my planner, though. I love to write things down that need to get done on specific dates and I love writing down my appointments. I love to look through the planner and see what things are coming up. Even the simple things like on the first week of November the infant car seat needs to be installed in the car. No excpetions.

I have a notebook which I call "Sharline's List Book" and I keep an ongoing list of things to get done. I love the feeling of accompishment it gives me and I also feel organized. As I mark things off that I have completed, I add a few more. I add simple things like 'wash the dishes' and 'do laundry.' I add 'throw the trash out' and then I get more out of the every day stuff like 'glue broken handle back onto the tea cup' or 'sew button back on Ben's coat pocket' and things fo the sort. I even have a section in the back of it for projects that I KNOW I'm not getting to anytime soon, like 'start working on quilt' or 'read such and such book.'
I get as specific as possible in my listings so I keep meticulous track of what I need to do and have already done. Maybe its a form of mild OCD. Who knows? But it makes me HAPPY!

(Sharline is now going to her list notebook and she is crossing off that she wrote a new post in her new blog. Check!)

A Random Thought for the near future...

What a weekend! My brother and sister in law Ed and Kelly came to visit from Maryland. They left early this morning. It was so great to get to spend so much good time with them. We talked and laughed and frantically searched for an article in some church magazines (we weren't successful-I think I threw it out! :-/ ) and had lots of soup (i.e. ice cream). Good times.

It was difficult to see them go and give them that last goodbye hug until next time. Next time for us will be the first weekend in October where we will meet up in Jersey so we can take them to NYC. I feel lucky that we get to see them sooner than everyone else. I remember what it felt like to say goodbye to them the night before they moved to Maryland-it'll be a year in January. I cried a lot, it was really sad-they were/are some of our best friends. We love them and their kids. We were married 6 months after they were. We relate and have a lot of the same humor. We are family. That's the key word: Family.

I was thinking about that day, the day they left, because I was wondering what it would be like for us, on the day that we leave. We will leave behind our house and our friends, and most importantly, our family. My husband's family is not just his family, but they are MY family, too. My sisters and brothers. My nieces and nephews. My parents, too. It will be so hard to leave this all behind. I will truly miss the corn fields, the roads, the streets, the people (and Super Walmart!!!! We won't have one close AT ALL). It will be a hard time.

I am thankful, however, that I have the Gospel in my life. I have faith that this is the right decision for my little family right now. We will survive the heartache. We will be strong and confident that we will still have good relationships with these sweet spirits that I am now eternally linked to. And we will be able to give tours of NYC to them, too!