I Love My Ella

My daughter Ella is an artist. She's sort of clumsy and is always hurting herself, but she sure can draw and paint. She loves it, and it comes naturally to her. Here she is with her younger sister Sarah. They got a new sewing machine for Christmas.Here is a sample of her original artwork, now framed and soon to be hanging on the wall in my bedroom. Isn't it pretty.

This is a drawing she did recently. Check out the shading on that apple. She's good. She might need to work on her spelling a bit, though, don't you think?

Because I'm a Total Copy Cat...

I have...

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
7. Been to Disneyland/world
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child (well, we're in process!)
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise (three in fact! I highly recommend this!)
33 Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing (with Joanna once, too!)
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal in a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China (not yet - but I'm gonna!)
57. Started a business (two of them)
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Gotten flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets, or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car (just last week, actually)
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a lawsuit I have the same disclaimer on this as Jo - (but it was a mass litigation type thing that I didn't know about until I got some letter in the mail telling me I could collect my $2.36 any time)
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee

This was fun, but I found myself feeling gypped by the travel ones. They are all things I wish I had seen in person, yet there weren't so many of the really cool places I've been included! I've been to 10 countries other than my own, and even to France, but not to Paris. Oh well, I guess I'll just have to travel some more! :)

Fitness Friday - What Makes Me Feel Good

This is my first Fitness Friday post since before Christmas and it feels good to get back in the mix. Over the holiday, I didn't really watch what I ate by excluding anything, but rather focused on making sure I ate enough veggies and some fruit each day along with all the yummy holiday stuff that was around. We went on a trip for a bit over a week, and during that time Jerry and I were able to go on two dates (one Andrew was along, one he was not)!! It was really good to be out with my beloved and I ordered a meal and dessert both times (both were dinner dates).

This week I am back exercising. I have been to the gym twice this week, and it feels so good to really work out. I am one who enjoys exercising, but seem to forget this until I am actually exercising! As for progress, since I last posted (was that three weeks ago???) I actually gained one pound. It is not surprising though with the lack of exercise and food free for all. The several afternoons that I sat down with the half gallon of Blue Bell ice cream and a spoon aren't helping either! (If you live where you cannot get Blue Bell, you are missing the best ice cream in the world, and probably missing 5 pounds because of it, as well!) I am confident that now that Andrew is 8 weeks old and I am back at the gym, things will begin to change for me weight wise.

This week's assignment was to write about what makes me feel good. I really had to stop and think about this one and the implications it has on how I live my life. These are the things that make me feel good:

1. Spending carefree and stress-free time with my children.

2. Finishing something I set out to accomplish.

3. Making the bed each day.

4. Getting personal messages via mail, e-mail, or my blog.

5. Having a clean house.

One thing I realized while writing about these things is that I can actually control whether these things happen for me or not! So often I am unhappy, stressed, or in general don't feel good, and it is in these times that I reach for food most often. But I can do things to ensure that I have "feel good" moments throughout the day! Unfortunately, I tend to procrastinate to the point that I am stressed out and can hardly keep my head above water. I am seeing that if I take the time to do the work of making my bed, cleaning up, and crossing items off my to do list, I will feel better and be more available to sit down and enjoy my children or leave personal messages for people, which inevitably causes them to leave one for me! Wow, I'm not powerless over how I feel each day. I can make choices to improve how I feel. Keeping this in mind should help me not need to turn to food to feel better!

For more Fitness Friday posts, go to Brenda's blog The Family Revised.

Because I'm Afraid We're Getting Boring

And to distract myself from the fact that I'm STILL pregnant...

Heidi posted this and I thought it was amusing.

I have...

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower (although it wasn't very big)
7. Been to Disneyland/world
8. Climbed a mountain.
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo (in an Antshillvania play and I messed up)
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29 Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33 Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41 Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal in a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance (three times)
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business (and just as quickly killed it)
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60 Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Gotten flowers for no reason (because my husband ROCKS!)
64. Donated blood, platelets, or plasma (I'm not allowed to because I don't stinkin' weigh enough)
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades (Funny, I haven't, but my MY KIDS (7,5) have)
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79 Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life (my cousin was choking on a piece of hard candy)
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby (Any day now I'll have my 5th if she'll just cooperate and GET OUT!!!)
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a lawsuit (but it was a mass litigation type thing that I didn't know about until I got some letter in the mail telling me I could collect my $2.36 any time)
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee

Also, have you seen this? It's pretty darn cool!!

It's Kind Of Disgusting, Really

Our vacuum cleaner broke. It served us well considering we bought it right after we were married over 11 years ago. It wasn't totally broke, really, but the part that was broken gave us a good reason to go out and get a new vacuum. And who doesn't love spending money??

Anyway, we got one of those with a clear canisters that you can empty each time you vacuum that has a special filter especially for people with allergies who live in houses with pets. Since I have one son with severe allergies and one with asthma, this seemed like a good idea. And I'm sure it is a good idea, but it has one unfortunate side effect. This vacuum makes me feel like a horrible housekeeper!! Seriously, where does all that dust, dirt, and cat hair come from? And how long has it been since I vacuumed again? Ugh...

A Bit Behind...

The beautiful (if not dangerous) ice storm yesterday made it feel Christmasy again around here. (We lost a tree limb but not the power.) It helps that I still have all our Christmas decorations up...but that's another story entirely! It reminded me that I hadn't posted anything about our Christmas. I know it is way past due, but I am going to offer up a few excuses here:

• we left Christmas day for Colorado and didn't get back until Jan. 2
• I just finished the laundry from being gone - I couldn't blog before laundry, could I? (Never mind the other times I've done just this...)
• I have a new (very cool) laptop, and hadn't figured out the different photo software on it to edit my pictures until last night
• Oh, yeah - I have a newborn (how long is this one valid?? I think I might be pushing it at this point...)

::Clears throat:: Now that we have established that it is perfectly reasonable for me to just now be blogging about Christmas, lets get started!! This Christmas was especially fun for us because our boys are older and really get it. They get the spiritual significance and look forward to the Bible stories as well as the gifts. They were also able to understand the joy of giving, not just getting. However, this realization cost us a bit more dough since they had to give Andrew a gift (each of them) and we had to give Andrew a gift, too! They are also way more animated when opening their gifts since they actually made lists and looked forward to seeing what they would get and analyzed each gift under the tree 30,000 times trying to decide exactly what it could be!

Since we were leaving Christmas day on our trip, we opened gifts on the 23rd, then they boys got their Christmas pj's on the 24th like always, and we opened stockings and had a fun breakfast on the 25th. It was like Christmas went on and on for them!

Here's the boys in their Christmas pj's on Christmas morning. Aren't they just adorable??

On Christmas morning we always have Lil' Smokies sausages and what goes with them varies. This year, I looked for a copy cat recipe for Cinnabon cinnamon rolls. I found this one. Mmmmm, they were really, really good. I highly recommend making them. The dough turned out perfect being done in the bread machine, too. I made mine the night before and left them in the fridge overnight. I let them sit out on the counter for a couple hours before baking them, and the rose just fine.

Jerry thoroughly spoiled me this year (considering I got a new laptop already...) and made it a red kitchen Christmas. I had put new pot holders, spatulas, and kitchen towels on a list for him (all in red) and he took the theme and ran with it. Check out the red kitchen loot:

That's right, he got me a new Kitchen Aid mixer!! (And somehow the red Kitchen Aid spatula and serving set got left out of the picture...) The motor in my other one burned out exactly 4 months after the warranty on it ran out and I have been mixing things with a hand held mixer for about a year now (I know - horror of all horrors!). I had mentioned wanting a new one in red and jokingly put it on a list knowing it was more than we were spending (or so I thought) and lo and behold! There it was on Christmas morning. I broke it in to make a cake earlier this week and smiled so big my face almost split in two!

The Final Push

Just think everyone out there: one more week or less and you'll finally be able to stop hearing these two Jos talk about being pregnant. You'd think that's all we ever did.

Anyway, my visit with the doc today revealed 2cm dilated and has produced many, many strong contractions. Hopefully soon Anna will be here. They will schedule a C/S for Thursday next if I don't go into labor naturally before then. The contractions I've been having have moved lower on my uterus and are quite painful. They come about every 5 to 10 minutes. That's pretty good. We'll see if they keep it up. Usually my water breaks and then labor stalls. I don't mean it gets slower, I mean it comes to a dead halt. They give me a wee bit of Pitocin and in 45 minutes baby is here. It's amazing.

Okay, wait...contraction.

Whew, that was a REALLY good one. I hope it was productive.

Anyway, I think I am prepared to post some pictures now. We had our first day back to school today and I am so excited about our shelves and how totally useful our neat little school room is. It's a complete answer to prayer. I'll just never get over how blessed I am. You'd think I'd be a more dutiful daughter.

Now, surely you all remember this post that showed off all the glorious vomit colors of this house we bought. We decided that before we moved all of my parents' stuff in we should have the house painted. We managed to find a guy in need of work enough to take the job for $2250. This was for all the rooms in the house except the laundry room and bathrooms and no closets or doors, but all the trim. We were so happy with his work and the fact that he came later after the job was done to put a third coat on the yellow and pink and do a lot of touch up work that we paid him an extra $500. The other two bids we had on the job were for $4900 and $8000.

Here's some pictures of the colors we picked.

This is the sewing room. It's pretty far down on the priority list as far as getting it in working order so it's not put back together yet. But both Mom and I really dig the happy yellow.

The girls' pink room. Not too bad a pink, I think.

This will be Anna's room and also the guest room.

You can see the two colors of tan we picked out for everywhere else in the house. All the main living areas anyway. The kitchen and two master bedrooms are the blue you see below. Hmm, I have a pretty darned high-speed camera; maybe I should take some better shots of this color.

And then there's the blue. Here's Lily showing it off. This is the upstairs master (mine). Del was remodeling and painting the closet at the time so there was a lot of chaos in the room. Hmm, once again...high-speed camera...need better pictures.

Then we finished putting the school room together basically. There's still a few things that need to be addressed but for the most part, it's done and I really like it!!!

So that's my news. Please pray for Anna to be born sometime before next Thursday. I'd appreciate it.