Date Night

Long time, no blog.


Bill has been really busy the last few months preparing for his recertification board exam which happens tomorrow. He has been diligent in reading, note taking, stressing, practice questioning, reading some more, stressing some more and it has really consumed most of his time since we went to Puerto Rico in Feb. So with that said, our time together has been limited as well.

Tonight we have our house group for church which we lead. All the couples take turn leading discsussion on marriage type issues. Tonight our friend, Fran, wanted us to listen to a sermon from Dave S. at the Cambridge Vineyard on marriage. Bill didn't think he was going to have time with his studying. But last night we stopped everything just for 37 minutes, sat around the computer together and listened. What a refreshing date night it was for us.

I highly recommend everyone listen to it with their spouse or boyfriend/girlfriend (Lizzie- I mean you!) ; life is busy I know, kids are crazy, work is stressful but if you can find the time to listen to this, I think you'll find blessing in your marriage. The link is below. He talked some about the 5 love languages which everyone may already know about but it is always helpful to be reminded. One of his main points is that we tend to love our spouse the way that makes us feel loved but if that is not our spouse's love language, it really isn't helping. Case in point... our first year of marriage I planned a surprise birthday party for Bill because that is what I would have liked to feel loved and appreciated on my birthday, turns out he hated it, was grumpy like the entire night, we got into a fight about it, I sulked at his reaction which I couldn't believe (who doesn't like a surprise party?) and I have since learned that is my not husband's love language. I have done better in the years since.

It is the January 13th sermon you will find on this page.

http://vcfcaudio.bostonvineyard.org/podcast/vcfgb-podcast.html

Also this link below is a great little 2 minute quiz to figure out your love language. We were both right about our own and each others. We have come a long way in 3 years. :-)

http://www.greaterquest.com/LoveLanguages.asp

Demoralization

Ok I am totally demoralized about these stupid curtain rods. It has been a saga. (If you are new to my blog and don't know what I am trying to accomplish with new window trimming, check out my old blog entitled Help Wanted! and you'll see the before pictures including my nemesis, the bay window) I first bought an entire set that I liked from Bed Bath and Beyond only to figure out the wall attachment apparatus was very confusing and looked weird when assembled. Also the entire set not including the curtains was over $300 and that is just a ridiculous amount to spend, in my opinion. So I returned them all. The one thing the set from Bed Bath and Beyond had which I really need was the hinge brackets for the bay window. JC Penneys has the same hinge brackets but not with any colors/sets we like. We decided black too stark and we needed a bronzy/brownish. Then I went to Menards and Lowes and Target and Kmart and Walmart (gasp!) only to find no hinge corner brackets anywhere; but at least they were cheaper. I take that back Lowes has the hinge corners for either wood or really fat (1 3/8 in diameter) rods both sets which would have been more expensive than Bed Bath and Beyond. So I was no better off and was about to fashion some sticks from the front yard into curtain rods.

I finally got Bill to Lowes and we picked out a set we liked without the hinge bracket. He said we'd figure something out. Valiant thought but we're not Kate or Dani or my dad so I don't know who he thinks between the two of us will figure it out :-) This is where my demoralization comes in. I really want to use clip rings so the corner of the bay window needs to be flush and continuous or it will look odd. My other option is to forego the clip rings and just hang the curtain on the rod so at the corner the curtain will cover up the small gap in the rod. I am beginning to feel as if this bay window is the bane of my existence. I can't be the only person ever not wanting to spend a fortune who happens to have a bay window in their house. I have added some pictures and need advice. Maybe I do forego my dream of clip rings and just hang them. Maybe someone out there, aka my dad or Kate or Dani, can jerryrig something at the corner. No one is going to look that closely. The reason I like the clip rings is that I think it makes the curtain hang more evenly and not look so bunchy.

Here is a picture of my two options... clip rings or no clip rings. Regardless I think the color looks nice. Sage was Kate's idea.

I just like how this looks. It is especially important for the small window in this room so that the entire window is not covered by fabric as the curtains are probably 'too wide' for that window but I got all the same ones for the entire room.

Here is the 'bunch' option. Any way to make this bunch more evenly especially at the ends??
Here is the exact angle I have to overcome. I mean seriously a piece of black chewing gum may work. The end of the rods have a screw hole in them so they are not hollow. The corner turners at JCPenney and Bed Bath and Beyond fit into hollow rods. Bill thinks he can cut the end of the rod until they are hollow and use the ones from the other stores. These rods are 3/4 inch in diameter and they are considered dark brown.

I was so demoralized when I left Lowes for like the millionth time today I had to stop at Starbucks drive thru on my way home. I think I keep going back in hopes that they will suddenly be stocking hinge brackets in the diameter and color I need or that I'll just walk up and down all the aisle and suddenly get an inspiration or look lost enough to have someone stop and help. Hey their slogan is "Let's build something together". Back to Starbucks, at least I had the self control to get the skinny caramel frappachino and not the one loaded on top with whipped cream even though that is what I wanted. I employed a strategy I learned from Ali in weight watchers...before you eat, you should H.A.L.T. Ask yourself are you hungry? angry? lonely? or tired? or just demoralized by curtain rods? I got a vente and it was gone before I got home... ooo that was tasty even without the whipped cream!

baby Ethan

Our great missionary friends in Mazatlan, Kyle and Ellen Benefield, just had their baby on the 15th. They have answered God's call to live among the poor in Mazatlan to preach the good news and they decided to have their baby there in Mazatlan. Honestly, I was a bit worried for them and didn't know why they just didn't come 'home' for the birth. But that is home to them. Bill and I are constantly in awe of their committment and passion to have picked up and moved so far from home to make a new home. You should check out their blog (link on the R) and check out the video/pictures of Ethan. The room in the hospital she had him in was so interesting to see after seeing many American 'birthing suites'. You can get some good shots of the cute little house they live in as well. They are in the middle of God's will for their lives in Mazatlan and I am so proud to be their friends. I am getting excited to go to Mazatlan in a few weeks to see baby Ethan and I am sure I'll have half a suitcase for sure full of goodies.

Earthquake

Early this morning at about 4:30 am (and I only know the time because my mom got us one of those cool clocks which projects the time on the wall in the dark) we were awoken by some shaking. The open door to our bedroom was rattling. It lasted for about 20 seconds and then stopped. Groggily I said to Bill, what was that? An earthquake maybe, he replied. Good answer for a guy who has never felt an earthquake before. I got to work today, checked out the news and there was a 5.2 scale earthquake whos epicenter was in central Il. Who would have thunk it? Here I was all this time thinking I lived squarely in the middle of a stable tectonic plate. Apparently not all the faults are in California. Anyone else feel it?

Has it been 3 years already?

I can't believe Bill and I got married three years ago today. My great friend and amazing photographer, JC Carley, shot our pictures which were awesome. She also gave me a CD with all our proofs and these are some of my favorites. So for some of you who were at our wedding whether it was too far to travel or you didn't know us yet or for those who were there, here are some snapshots of the day it all began.

My uncle Bill and Aunt Linda bought these Hawkeye Pom Poms to shake as we walked down the aisle as husband and wife. Star Wars Ceremonial March was our recessional which was always a dream of mine.

Ever Bloomin' Thing is the best florist in town and they outdid themselves with my gorgeous flowers. My bouquet was so wonderful but the girl'ss tulips were the real show stoppers.
Here is Bill right before with Nile who looks so little and Tom, his godfather, who was his best man. We had Nile and Gabby stand on $10 bills which were taped to the floor. If they stood still the entire ceremony, they got the money. I've never seen them move so little. They were eyeing that cash!
Madison was my flower girl and this is a great black and white shot of her. JC does a fantastic job of catching the little moments.
Here is a picture of the outside of Old Brick where we got married. I ran past this today and it was open so I rested a minute, walked in and just soaked up the memories.
I love this shot of us. This is the story of our lives. Bill and I trying to make out while the kids are being goofy.
Here is a great shot of the ladies and their amazing tulips. The gal on the R is Bill's sister Susie.
Bill with the kids. Looking back it is amazing to see how much they have grown espeically Gabby.
Our whole family. My brothers and their wives, my folks and Madison on the L. Bill's sister Susie, her family, Uncle Tom and the kids on the R.
Walking through campus on the way to take pictures.
I have learned a lot in three years of marriage about myself, my spouse, the kids. Nile could eat cereal for every meal and is more generous and kind hearted than you would think he is. Gabby likes olives on her pizza and is a very loyal friend. Bill will sing show tunes and dance in the kitchen when the mood strikes him and he lives up to the meaning of his name, William - the great protector.

Thanks for going down memory lane with me. I promise not to blog with pictures every April 16th or maybe I can't promise that. :-)

If you are ever in Connecticut and need a photography, www.carleyphotography.com

My fans demand it

Some of my adoring fans, I mean friends, well just two of you asked for face shots with the red hair so here they are. I don't think it comes out that well in these pictures but they were the best I could do. The top definitely took the red bolder than the length did but close up the whole darn thing is red.
Bill is the one who wanted to see me as a red head. After a few days, he has decided he likes my hair better black than red. He thinks the red changes the tones and coloring of my face and makes me look at times a bit orange. Good thing it is permanent dye; he knows he have an orange tinted red headed wife for at least the next foreseeable future.

Righteous suffering

This Saturday Bill and I decided to run another 5 K race. This one was in Des Moines and was a fundraiser for AIDS. So we get up early, get on the road and this is the scene that greets us. We knew it was supposed to be cold and windy but we weren't expecting snow on the ground. This picture does not do justice to the sleet falling almost horizontal. Needless to say, it was freezing, but it wasn't until we started to run did the real misery begin.Here is me before the race. I look happy albeit a bit cold, right? If I knew what was awaiting when the gun went off, I may have stayed in the car. The race starts off OK, I ran the first mile fast for me in 9:43. Then the hills came and came and came. We were warned on the brochure saying the race was over a 'hilly picturesque course'. First of all no one cares how picturesque the course is when they are running it, it is not the Parade of Homes and secondly, hilly was an understatement. The second mile was the worst mile I have ever run, not in terms of time but in terms of pure suffering. I learned this about myself. When I suffer, I feel righteous. I start to compare my suffering to righteous suffering. Like MLK Jr who had to walk for miles to gain civil rights and he was beaten and he spent time in jail, not to mention shot before this dream was realized. He did that, I think, I can run up this hill. Then I think of Mother Teresa who probably slept on the floor most of her adult life, unclear if that is true but it made me feel more righteous to think about that in my suffering. The list goes on and on in my head; everyone who has suffered for a cause throughout the ages I compare myself to and think if they did it, I can keep running up this hill. I stop short of comparing my suffering to Jesus'. You can all be thankful for that.
Here is me after the race. Bill says I look the same as I did before the race. I tell him that is because it is supposed to seem effortless. He laughed. But you all now know it wasn't effortless and there was a litany of righteous suffers whom I was comparing myself to along the way.
Bill got first place in this age group, but was too cold to pose with his ribbon outside so I got a shot while in the car.
Bill is tired of hearing me talk about my righteous suffering. Won't he be pleased to know I blogged about it for all to enjoy?

The Flickering Blip

Work has been really busy and not so rewarding the past few weeks. The opening our new gigantic ER has meant more work and less fun while at work. I'm not big on change so it is taking time for me to get used to it.

I have told probably a dozen women over the year I've been in the ER that they are pregnant. No one has ever been happy about it. I've had that news met with swearing, yelling, wide eyed looks of disbelief followed by tears, sobbing, asking for information about abortions etc. No one has every been pleased... until Friday.

I told a 37 year old woman who had been married for over a year, thinking she may have missed her time to conceive that her daily vomiting was actually due to pregnancy. The look on her face was priceless. She and her husband could hardly contain their joy. We ended up doing an u/s as well in the ER and saw this little flickering blip of a baby. I got to turn the monitor and say, "Look there is your baby's heartbeat". They were both tearful and for one minute on one busy Friday night I said to myself, "I love this job".

Carrots

I got plenty of compliments about my hair today at work. No one called me carrots. But then again I have always thought carrots are orange and not red so I don't know why red heads are called carrots.

Almost as long

I have wanted red hair like Angela Chase's (anyone remember her?) for almost as long as I have wanted a red bathroom. Red, real red is hard to do on dark hair without bleaching it first which I refuse to do and it has to be permanent. A friend from church dyes her hair really cool colors of red so she gave me the dye info and off I went. Had to wait until I was sure I wasn't pregnant this month before invading my scalp with toxic chemicals so last night was go time. Bill took some before shots and I took a few after shots. One shows how nicely my hair almost matches the bathroom :-) We'll see if I come to regret the permanent red color when my roots start to show, but for right now it is fun and I feel kinda like a vixen.

Oh the humanity

Nile just called Bill and decided he doesn't want a laptop after all. He thinks he will just use it to 'screw around' and he'd rather save his money. Smart kid, we've been trying to tell him that for weeks now. Oh the humanity of it all. I just got back from buying it for him. Good thing there is a two week return policy, I have had it less than two hours. My friend Erica said husbands and children are in our lives for our santification. I will add step children to that list as well.

Peck Peck Peck

Ok I saw this card once which said having kids is like getting pecked to death by chickens or something like that. I thought it was funny, theoretically speaking until this weekend. And the disclaimer here is that Gabby and Nile are not my children but I do love them, would jump in front of a bus for them and greatly enjoy having them in my life. But, sweet mother of Abe Lincoln, Nile has been pecking me to death this weekend with questions. Nile wants to buy something with his hard earned chore and school money combined with upcoming birthday money (6/11). First it was a cell phone but we said he can't have that until he is 13 which is rule in our house. Then it was the air soft bb gun which isn't supposed to hurt but I have seen two puncture wounds in the ER in recent weeks made by these 'benign' toys. Then it was a go kart and now it a laptop; our rule is no wireless internet in our house in their rooms only in public places but we can't find any reasons to say no a laptop. We have decided to forego Christmas presents as a family which will make the kids birthday presents bigger. We (Bill I mean) perhaps got ourselves into a pickle by getting Gabby her birthday present early (she was born on 8/16) this year because it was a new Ipod to replace hers which she is giving her best friend who is about to move away. Nile thinks that means he will get his sooner as well. Anyhow, back to the laptop. Bill defers all questions regarding things which plug in to me, the 'technical' one in the family. Nile has been obsessing asking two millions questions about laptops. We have made several trips to Best Buy followed up by phone calls and trips to Office Depot and now he has found the ONE he can afford. And so it goes.

What is an ethernet port? Do I need that? Is 6 lb too heavy to put in a messenger bag because I saw a cool messenger lap top bag? Can I get a wireless card? How many USB ports do I need? Should I buy a printer? I don't really need a protection plan, do I? What is a parallel port? How fast does the internet run? Can I play Axis and Allies on that computer? What is RAM? How many megabytes in a gigabyte (I had to call my dad about that one)? I am not bothering you, am I? I am just excited. (Bill - I don't want to hear any more about the computer. Nile- I am not talking to you, I'm talking to Katie and I told her to tell me if I was bothering her and she hasn't said anything so I am still talking) So do you think I can buy this today? The sale only lasts until the 12th. Gabby got her present early so couldn't I just this once? (Ask your father, I say to that --- he is the one who got us in the mess in the first place :-) ) and so on... it is non stop. Sweet little dude is sure inquisitive which is a good quality and he reports it is question asking which made him so smart when he was a kid. I pointed out that he is still a kid. I don't find that card about being pecked to death by chickens so theoretically funny anymore.

Addendum:
This just happened..."When I am done buying my laptop and all its accessories, I am going to save my money for a car or a moped. I don't want to buy stupid things and then at 16 not have a car and everyone think I'm a dork. So how many miles per gallon does a moped get? How much do they cost? I think it would be good for around town and in college, right? Probably not in the winter? How dangerous is a moped? How many people have you seen in the ER from moped accidents? (me- Ben from church almost died when he got hit by a minivan on his moped. nile- really, the Ben I know? followed by a thoughtful pause) Was he wearing a helmet? I mean I'd wear a helmet. I think a moped is a good idea. I don't know, I'm only 11 and I have years until I need to get it"

6 mo of maintanence and counting

I have maintained my weight loss for 6 mo as of this week. For those of you who don't know, I started weight watchers in June to lose about 15 lbs. OK disclaimer. I am going to talk about lbs and sizes (remember size is all relative to height and skeleton structure)... which I know is almost as taboo as money and politics and religion... so I'll just get those out there as well. I'll make enough money to keep in stylish shoes and star wars figures. I will probably vote for John over Hilary but probably Barack over John but I'm really waiting for the debates. I am a follower of Jesus. Ok with that said, back to my weight loss.

Sometime last spring I was all done having to buy size 12 pants or feeling uncomfortable in my size 10 pants. And I wanted to lose weight. In my past the ways I have lost weight is to have a major emotional crisis... move from home, break up with a boyfriend etc. Then I would not eat for feeling nauseated all the time and then I would be skinny. And everyone would say, "You look great. You are so skinny" and I would politely nod and say Thanks but inside would be screaming out, "Can't you see I'm falling apart?" Then when my life is stable I would pack those pounds back on. I was sick of this yo-yo. I wanted to learn how to lose weight without a major dramatic life event and to keep it off. So I started going to weight watchers with a dear friend. I didn't think I could do it. Bill didn't think I could do it. But slowly I changed my eating habits and started to eat things like whole wheat tortillas and whole wheat pasta and fat free cheese and I started losing weight. My goal was to reach my goal by my birthday in Sept and when I stepped on the scale on Sept 6th, I had reached my goal and two pounds more.

Then the maintanence began. In weight watchers you need to maintain your goal weight for 6 weeks and then you become a lifetime member which I did the last week of October. Then you have to go once a month to weigh in and you can't be 2 lbs over your goal weight to maintain free lifetime membership. So the first week of every month (or the second week if I need to lose a few pounds) I go back to weight watchers and step on that scale. My weight loss total now is 18 lbs.

Last week I bought size 4 pants. I am going to type that again. I bought size 4 pants!!!! Size 4. I can't remember the last time I was a size 4, but I bet it was before I knew calculus. I wanted to shout for joy in the Ann Taylor Loft dressing room. I wanted to tell the lady who checked me out about my triumph, but I didn't. She didn't look like she'd care.

So thinking about my undisciplined self, I guess I should give myself a little more credit for being disciplined enough to reach for the one point ice cream bar when Bill pounds back 3-4 cookies after dinner and to maintain my weight loss 6 months and counting. And who knew whole wheat pasta is not that bad...

Update on past blogs

Update on '8 for 8 this could be my year'
--> so it is not my year. My bracket went bust during the 2nd weekend of the tournament. I can't even begin to try to figure out what actually happened but it was hinged around West Virginia losing to Xavier which put Nile ahead and then the unraveling began. I had UNC losing to Tennessee to go the final four, but Tennessee actually lost a round sooner to Louisville. I had Texas beating Memphis to go to the final four, but Texas got whalloped by the Tigers who in turn whalloped UCLA in the semi finals who I had winning the whole thing. So there you go. Nile won again. He has it wrapped up even before the finals. The traveling trophy will stay in his room another year. Bill said I was only behind by 3 so last night, with righteous indignation, I demanded a recount. Turns out I lost by 11 to Nile and not 3, so much for the recount. Maybe next year will be my year.

Update on 'He is Risen Indeed'
--> turns out He is still risen so that hasn't changed, good thing! :-) My undisciplined self has made a few strides in the last several weeks. Adding to my 3.22 mile run in the pouring rain on Thursday, today I ran 4 miles. I ran the whole way. I ran it in a little over 20 seconds off my regular 3.1 mile pace. Bill said to expect when I go up in mileage to be maybe 2 minutes slower, but I wasn't so that made me happy. Mile 2 was uphill and it stunk. Mile 3 had the wind whipping in my face which when you are running into it feels like hurricane force winds and it stunk too. Mile 4 had me not feeling so bad with the wind at my back when I made the turn home. I wanted to quit at mile 2 and I wanted to walk during mile 3 but I kept myself going realizing I am learing a little about discipline with every step. And for anyone keeping score, 4 miles is the most I have run in my LIFE with the exception of maybe one long run day in soccer when I was in high school.

The shiny guy always worries

If Bill and I have a girl, she'd be like this... curly hair and all. And no, Mom, we are not pregnant!

One of these things is not like the other

One of these things is not like the other, one of these things doesn't belong

1. Katie got up at 10:30 am today on her day off
2. Katie drank a diet coke for breakfast
3. Katie ate zillion point crab rangoons for lunch because she couldn't help herself
4. Katie ran in the pouring rain over 3 miles this afternoon and it was raining when she left so she made a conscious decision to leave the house and step off the porch into the pouring rain

BUT REALLY I DID ALL THOSE THINGS! Who am I? and I cleaned out my closet and got rid of a ton of clothes. and I cleaned up the kitchen. and I made dinner. and I baked a cake. did I mention I ran in the pouring rain? Where did Katie go?