Finding Gratitude During the Stomach Flu

As I sit here with my sleeve of saltines, I realized that over the course of the weekend, I found so much gratitude for my life - even during the worst bout of the stomach flu I can remember having in a really long time.

On Saturday, I worked at my company's largest community assistance fair of the year. Our community relations team works for months to bring together more than 30 agencies that provide a variety of assistance - food, healthcare, housing, etc. so that people who need help can get it all in one place. During the event we also provide funds to help people who are behind with their electric bill get caught back up. 

I've worked at least one of these events every year that I've been at this job, and in years past I became frustrated as people complained to me about how they were entitled to help as they swung their Coach purses and tapped their recently manicured acrylic nails on their iPhones. The funds we hand out are donated by the community when they pay their electric bill, so obviously we work very hard to use them very wisely and appropriately. Yet every hear I had people complain that we required too much paperwork to get the money and we should just give it to them. We actually only require a few things and they get money on site - and usually we also give out Walmart gift cards, too.

This year I didn't have that problem. What I saw Saturday reminded me that I am so blessed. While Brian and I may complain about silly problems with our neighbors or the barking dog down the street, we are so fortunate to have a beautiful home and two amazing kids and to be able to provide everything they need. At some point during the day I even texted him to thank him for helping me have a life filled with so much happiness. 

There was one woman I will never forget. She walked in, tears already in her eyes, and I could tell she was just overwhelmed. This woman could be anyone's mom, aunt, grandmother, sister or friend. She began to tell me how she'd never had to ask for help before and she really didn't know where to go or what to do. I explained how everything worked and told her as long as she had the paperwork listed on the form, she would most likely be able get help on site. I hugged her. I cried for and with her. And I told her that she didn't need to be embarrassed to ask for help. Almost everyone needs it at some point in their life and the hardest part is taking that first step to get it. About an hour later she came back and said she'd got $85 to help with her past-due bill and that the Walmart gift card would let her buy groceries, which she hadn't done in several weeks. She asked if she could hug me and I of course said yes. And we cried some more. She walked out into the bright New Mexico sun on a gorgeous day and said it was the first day she felt some sense of relief in a long time. I was so happy for her and so proud to work somewhere that we could get this woman the help she needed.

Saturday night I enjoyed my family and went to bed a little early, wiped out from the emotional day I'd just been through.

And then it hit. At about 1:30 I woke up feeling sick to my stomach, and it didn't stop for almost 29 hours.

I do not remember being this sick in a long time. I scared Madeline when I told her not to come too close because I didn't want her to get sick. 

I could barely get out of bed. I was the worst case of the Seven Dwarfs all rolled into one - I was dopey, sleepy, poopey, pukey, grumpy, teary and fussy. 

But there, in the middle of all of that, I once again felt blessed. I knew the girls were downstairs with their daddy. They were playing, smiling, laughing, eating and happy - all while I got through the awful day. I felt blessed to have a partner along for this journey who could juggle both girls when I couldn't find the strength to even get out of bed. At one point Brian even got sick to his stomach a few times, but he was able to work through it and let me rest, knowing I needed it.

So here I sit today, a little worse for the wear, 10 pounds lighter (sadly some of that dehydration was also my milk supply so I have to work to get that going again), and full of tears and gratitude for a weekend that reminded me that just how lucky I am.

It's All in the Eyes

Whenever someone meets the girls (or sees their picture), they almost always talk about their eyes. And why not? Both girls have beautiful eyes, each their own different shade of blue. Madeline's are more of a crystal blue and they just shine from her face, while Charlotte's are a deeper blue and when her eyes are open they just draw you in.

When I look in my girls' eyes, I'm frequently overcome by emotion. I realize how blessed I am to have these two amazing girls who bring so much joy to our lives.Their eyes convey what's going on - whether they're wide open and conveying joy, or filled with tears to let us know they're sad, hungry or in pain (or just throwing a tantrum because they want more cheese or fruit snacks).

But then sometimes, when I look at those beautiful eyes, I'm overwhelmed by sadness. I think about how hard it must have been for my dad when we lost Elena. I remember looking at her, eyes shut, before they took her away, and pushing the hair from her face. I remember telling her how much we'd miss her and thinking we'd never see her eyes open again. I realized in an unbelievably intense way that life would absolutely never be the same again. And it hasn't been the same - much of it has actually be better than I ever thought possible - but there are still those major underpinnings of grief just under the surface, sitting there waiting to swell up and catch me by surprise.

These thoughts come at me for no reason in particular. They aren't necessarily because it is a significant day - like her birthday or the anniversary of her passing. I think they're just always there, at the back of my brain, because I'm a mom. I think that they come to me because I now know what it means to truly love beyond what you thought possible even though these little people have only been in your life for a few years or months.

I wish I never knew the grief of losing my baby sister, but I know her passing has made me appreciate life more. I frequently (and maybe almost always) tell people how blessed I am when they compliment my girls.

I didn't write this to make people feel sad, although I know for some that sadness will be a result of reading it. It was an idea I had when I was in the car, and I just wrote what I felt when I sat down at the computer. I  wrote it to remind us all when we look in the eyes of the people we love to treasure them - to capture that moment in our hearts and heads and be thankful for each day we have with them.

Postcript:
Shortly after posting this, someone had this picture on their Facebook page. I loved it.

Pinterest Successes (and Fails)

It's been a while since I reviewed some of the things I've found on Pinterest. Here's my original post. So now, here are more things I've done (mainly cooked) that I found on my new site obsession.

Buffalo Chicken Casserole - I made this over the weekend (the same day I found the pin, actually). I thought it was ok. I think I might want to try the original before deleting this from my recipe box.

Caprese Chicken with Balsamic Reduction - This was disappointing. It looked much better than it tasted. Not going to do this one again.

Garlic Sugared Chicken (I called it 4+4 chicken) - This was awesome. I've made it several times and shared it with others as well.

Key West Grilled Chicken - This was really good. Reminds me that I want to make it again.

S'Mores Bars - These were absurdly good. Definitely a make-again when we have a potluck or something.

Elmo Cupcakes - These were such a hit, and I was really proud of how they came out.

Make-Ahead Breakfast Burritos - I haven't made these in months because I'd made so many that we got a little tired, but now that fall is here I think it's time to bring them back into the rotation.

Mongolian Beef - I forgot all about this one but it was good!

Slow Cooker Chicken Caesar Sandwiches - I actually have these on my menu list for next week.

Clearly we like to eat.

Moving Day

It's been a long time coming, but it's here. I've packed up all my fun office stuff and now I await the movers to come and shuffle me off to another floor in another building. But it's only temporary because they are currently building out a new floor full of...cubes.

It's been more than six years since I worked in a cube situation, and I kind of thought I was at a place in my career where it wouldn't be something I dealt with again. I like having walls and a door - especially now since I can pump in privacy while I'm still a working and nursing mom.

Don't get me wrong - I'm extremely grateful to have a good-paying job to head to every day. It's just hard knowing that cube life is just around the corner.

More Info on How I Scored Big Deals at CVS (and More on Couponing)

I posted on Facebook Sunday that I'd done really well at CVS by combining their sales and coupons and it was a really popular post, so I thought I'd give a little more detail about what I did and how I figured it out.

Coupon blogs are a great source of information. These women make a living by doing this, so I figure why reinvent the wheel? They'll tell you what's going on sale, where to find coupons to combine with the sale prices and how to maximize your trip to spend as little out-of-pocket as possible.

Before I go into too much detail, I want to preface this by saying I'm not some crazy "extreme" couponer like you see on TV. We do have a small stockpile of stuff (mostly body wash, hairspray, shampoo/conditioner and razors) but I don't have 300 of them tucked into every corner of the house. In fact, I tend to stock up and then not go for those types of items for a while just because I don't want them coming out every corner of every cabinet.

This is the blog I love for CVS deals - Southern Savers. She typically posts CVS deals Wednesday or Thursday and sales start Sunday. She'll tell you what coupons to print or where they were in your weekly paper to get the most bang for your buck. She even formats the posts as an easy-to-print shopping list, which I really like.

Also, if you shop at CVS and aren't on their email list, then sign up right now. The reason I suggest this is because every week they send you some type of money off deal. This week it was $3 off a $15 purchase. They always use that coupon first, so you can really clean up when you have these. They also let you elect to send them directly to your ExtraCare card, so you don't even have to print them!

So now on to the CVS trip. Here's what I picked up:

• Diet Coke - on sale 5 for $15 plus you get $5 Extra Care Bucks (also known as ECB)
• Zyrtec - on sale for $5.99 plus you get $5.99 in Extra Care Bucks (keep reading to see how I actually made $2 by taking this off their hands)
• Pedia Care Liquid Drops - on sale for $5.99 plus you get $5 in Extra Care Bucks
• Milk - on sale for $1.99 - they consistently have the best prices on milk lately 

The key in doing this so you don't have a bunch of the ECB left at the end is to split it into different transactions. The staff at my CVS is great, and they've never given me difficulties over doing this. If there's a long line, I may let people get in front of me so I don't hold everyone up.

• Transaction #1 - Diet Coke:  I had $3 off $15 that CVS had emailed to me earlier in the week, plus  the Southern Savers site actually alerted me to CVS coupons for Diet Coke, so I had an extra $2 off. That brought this down to 5 for $10 plus $5 back. 
• Transaction #2 - Pedia Care: I used the $5 ECB from the Coke to purchase this and received $5 back in ECB due to the sale.
• Transaction #3 - Zyrtec and Milk: I used the $5 ECB from the Pedia Care, and I had a $2 coupon for the Zyrtec. And since the Zyrtec was free after ECB, I technically made $2 by walking out of the store with this product. 

And I have $5.99 in ECB to redeem for my next visit! 

Hope this makes sense. Happy shopping!

The Name Game

Last week I posted how we still were talking names but nothing had really resonated with us. I can now say that that has changed.

Drumroll please...

New baby Leymon will be named Charlotte Rose Leymon.

As soon as Brian suggested it, I knew it was right.

When we were trying to pick names for Madeline, we settled on Madeline pretty quickly. And I knew if we had a girl that the middle name was going to be Elena, and the two names just worked well together right from the start.

But then we tried to capture that instant magic again, and we just couldn't do it. Some of the names we considered were

Hannah Paige (this was our frontrunner for a while)
Ashley
Abigail
Claire
Hailey

Brian and I kept waiting for a name to come together that we both just knew was right. I had suggested Charlotte Grace, but it just wasn't the homerun we were looking for.

Then this morning Brian sent me a note and said "how about Charlotte Rose" and I said "I like that" really loudly in my office. It just felt right. It works on its own and it works in tandem with Madeline.

Charlotte Rose Leymon

I just love writing it. It's so pretty and classic. And it makes this whole thing seem even more real and like it's going to happen pretty darn soon, which it is.

"These are my girls - Madeline and Charlotte."

My heart is full. And I guess it's time to make a new tab on the blog, too.

Hello There Baby Girl

It's official. New Baby Leymon is a girl. Let the mad flurry of planning, reorganizing and decorating begin.

Even though we haven't met you yet, we already know some things about you. For starters, you are measuring 10 days ahead when your sister always was a little small at the various checkpoints (and still is). Maybe you'll have mommy's height?

We can also see that whereas your sister definitely has mommy's chin, yours isn't quite as pointed.

You're also quite stubborn. During the January ultrasound, the best pic we got was of your hand basically waving us away. This time, the sonographer still didn't get the full-on, clear shot of your lady parts that they'd like, but she saw enough to know that you are indeed a girl.

You give mommy heartburn, just like your sister did.

And you really like music. Last week when mommy went with Grandma Marilyn and Aunt Kathy to see "My Fair Lady" you were kicking during the whole show. Of course, that also could have meant "mommy - daddy didn't have to sit through this, why do I?"

We are still trying to figure out what we want to do with your room. Any thoughts? How do you feel about owls?

And of course, we already know we love you very much. We're still talking about what your name should be and hopefully we'll reach a decision by the time you arrive, which should be some time between May 14th and May 28th. So until then, keep growing, keep kicking to reassure mommy you're doing ok in there, and we'll see you in a few months.

Love,
Mom and Dad

All About Love

Since it's Valentine's Day, I thought it only fitting to take a second to talk about the loves in my life.

First and foremost, there's this wonderful man.

He puts up with my crazy mood swings (one of which came over me last night shortly after he'd walked in the door with beautiful flowers and yummy chocolate). He tells me I'm beautiful even though I feel puffy, fluffy and generally unattractive as my feet, hands and belly swell to greater proportions with each passing day. He compliments my cooking (proof: this amazing review of a recent dinner) and deals with the fact that I don't mop, clean toilets, dust, vacuum or wash windows. Oh yeah - I also don't iron.

But most of all, he's patient, kind, thoughtful and loving. He is there next to me when things are great, and he lifts me up when they feel like they're falling apart. He's the kind of guy every girl deserves but few actually find. In the words of Ellen Page in Juno, "he's the cheese to my macaroni." He is the perfect Valentine today and every day.

And then there's this amazing little person.

I can't count the moments even in just the last few weeks that she's done something so cute that it literally stops me in my tracks. From saying "bless you" after I sneezed, to the way she's started patting my back when she hugs me or holding my cheeks when she kisses, she has me wrapped around those chubby little fingers.

I know we should be shooting more video to capture all these moments, but when they arrive we're so transfixed by them that we have to just record them with our mental cameras (and on here to read back again later).

Thank you to Brian and Madeline, my two Valentines, for filling my life with more love than I ever imagined possible. I love you both more than words could ever say.

Organizational Ideas

2012 is going to be the year I get organized. I really want to get as much stuff organized and in place before the new baby comes. As part of that, I've taken to going through magazines as soon as they come in, tearing out the pages of things I want to remember, taking pictures and saving them on my phone or in my iphoto album. I'm also going to post some here when I think they might help others.


I have one of these in my cabinet but I never thought of mounting them sideways. This looks like it'd work much better.

This is a great idea for keeping important papers organized. It's a restaurant-style magnetic clip strip - They're available here for pretty cheap.

And a few money-saving apps

Chronos Time versus Kairos Time

Earlier today a friend shared this amazing post on being a mom, and it stopped me in my tracks. I felt like this woman was inside my head and writing in a crystal-clear way all the things I feel.I wouldn't do the post justice by summarizing it because it's just so beautifully written, but here are a few excerpts.


Everywhere I go, someone is telling me to seize the moment, raise my awareness, be happy, enjoy every second, etc, etc, etc.

I know that this message is right and good. But as 2011 closes, I have finally allowed myself to admit that it just doesn’t work for me. It bugs me. This CARPE DIEM message makes me paranoid and panicky. Especially during this phase of my life – while I’m raising young kids. Being told, in a million different ways to CARPE DIEM makes me worry that if I’m not in a constant state of intense gratitude and ecstasy, I’m doing something wrong.

I think parenting young children (and old ones, I’ve heard) is a little like climbing Mount Everest. Brave, adventurous souls try it because they’ve heard there’s magic in the climb. They try because they believe that finishing, or even attempting the climb are impressive accomplishments. They try because during the climb, if they allow themselves to pause and lift their eyes and minds from the pain and drudgery, the views are breathtaking. They try because even though it hurts and it’s hard, there are moments that make it worth the hard.These moments are so intense and unique that many people who reach the top start planning, almost immediately, to climb again. Even though any climber will tell you that  most of the climb is treacherous, exhausting, killer. That they literally cried most of the way up.

And so I think that if there were people stationed, say, every thirty feet along Mount Everest yelling to the climbers – “ARE YOU ENJOYING YOURSELF!? IF NOT, YOU SHOULD BE! ONE DAY YOU’LL BE SORRY YOU DIDN’T!” TRUST US!! IT’LL BE OVER TOO SOON! CARPE DIEM!”  - those well-meaning, nostalgic cheerleaders might be physically thrown from the mountain.

...

Anyway. Clearly, Carpe Diem doesn’t work for me. I can’t even carpe fifteen minutes in a row, so a whole diem is out of the question.

Here’s what does work for me:

There are two different types of time. Chronos time is what we live in. It’s regular time, it’s one minute at a time, it’s staring down the clock till bedtime time, it’s ten excruciating minutes in the Target line time, it’s four screaming minutes in time out time, it’s two hours till daddy gets home time. Chronos is the hard, slow passing time we parents often live in.

Then there’s Kairos time. Kairos is God’s time. It’s time outside of time. It’s metaphysical time. It’s those magical moments in which time stands still. I have a few of those moments each day. And I cherish them.

People tell me all the time to enjoy these moments because they pass so fast. Honestly I am guilty of it too, having said it to friends who have children younger than Madeline. But there are days when being a mom is just really, really hard. We have been blessed with a very good child. From day one, she hasn't been a super fussy kid, she started sleeping through the night at about 10 weeks, and for the most part she's very happy-go-lucky. 

But then there are the Chronos moments. The ones where I'm literally just trying to make it through each minute of a screaming tantrum that probably started because she was holding something saying "mine, mine, mine" and that item was not, in fact, hers. Those are the ones where I just sit and let it pass, sometimes laughing because it's all I can do. 

This morning for example is a perfect example of the Chronos versus Kairos. Madeline is her daddy's girl. She loves her sleep. She does not like to be woken up at 6:30 to get ready for daycare when she could easily sleep until 8:30. She fussed and screamed "no Momma" and I did what I could to get her dressed, pull her hair out of her face and get her out the door. But once we were in the car with her juice and fruit snacks,  everything changed. Kairos time kicked in, and my sweet little girl started her morning chant of "whee" and "whoa" every time we turned a corner, like we were on some sort of amusement park ride. This is something new she's started doing, and I love it. I love that she is finding joy is something as simple as our daily ride to daycare and work. And through her, I don't dread my drive, either.

I am going to embrace this idea of Chronos versus Kairos and try to remember every time that we're immersed in a moment I am ready to put behind me, a beautiful, "I'll always remember this moment"  may be just around the corner. 

As Seen on Pinterest

By now many of us are on Pinterest and enjoying wasting countless hours finding stuff that, for the most part, we'll never make, do or buy. However, I have tried a bunch of things - all recipes - and thought I'd share some feedback. For the most part I don't have pictures of things because once dinner is done, it's on the table before I can slow down to remember to take one. That's why I'm sharing pics from the sites I got the ideas from.

Click on the titles to go to the recipe page.

Cinnamon Sugar Pecans

I've now made two batches of these for the holidays. They're super easy and very tasty. Warning - they're also ridiculously addictive.

Buffalo Chicken Tacos

I made these last night, and we really enjoyed them. I did, however, use flour tortillas instead because I don't like corn tortillas for tacos.

Make-Ahead Burritos

These are so easy to make and freeze for quick lunches and dinners. I highly recommend them.

Slow-Cooker "Angel" Chicken

This chicken was unbelievably good. We've made it a few times now. I don't think the type of mushrooms really matters - just use what's available. The sauce is divine.

Squash Orzo

This was good but wasn't one of our favorites.

"Skinny" Meatloaf Cupcakes with Mashed Potato Frosting

These were fun and yummy, and a great way to control your portion sizes. They were a little more work than normal meatloaf and mashed potatoes, so they're more of a weekend over a weeknight meal.

The Lasik Chronicles

The last shot in glasses

After about a 2 1/2 hour appointment and 11 hours of blissful Ambien-induced sleep, here I am at midnight writing up my thoughts.

When I made the decision to get Lasik, I didn't know where I wanted to go but I knew where I didn't want to go. There was no way I was letting this guy anywhere near my eyes:





I'm sorry but the last thing you want when picking a doctor to take a laser to your eyes is to choose someone who doesn't seem to take what he does seriously (one sidenote is that Newman seems to have changed his business' name to ABQ Lasik - probably to escape those awful commercials).

I was given several glowing referrals for Dr. Stephen Coleman.  A referral gets you as far as the phone call and the door - it's the staff that gets you and keeps you there. And there was not one minute of any of my interactions that didn't show me that their staff wanted me to be a customer and patient.

For part of the pre-appointment consultation, you are given this little audio transmitter to take a tour of numbered areas of the office. Multiple tracks focus on his wall of celebrity photos of who he's treated. There were many local reporters, some athletes and even Stiffler from American Pie. But what I found more impressive than the stars on the wall were the binders of letters from happy patients. There had to be 20 of them placed around the office, and to me, those spoke much louder and stronger than the celebrity wall.

I had originally gone through the process back in the spring and scheduled the procedure, but I had it scheduled for about five days before we left for Hawaii. I just didn't feel like it was a good idea to do something this major right before such a big trip and postponed it.

I went back and forth on actually re-scheduling the appointment after Brian lost his job, but I finally decided to just go ahead with it. I figured we could make some sacrifices here and there to do something I knew would make such a big difference in my life.

At my pre-surgery consult the day before, I told Dr. Coleman how I was feeling and that I was having some crazy "Clockwork Orange"-type nightmares like this:

but he said the surgery is usually far more anti-climactic, which was good to hear. I looked forward to proving him right.

Surgery morning was finally upon me, and I was a little nervous but not too bad. I took a prescribed Xanax half an hour before my appointment and was feeling sufficiently mushy. I made the mistake of having a diet coke and began to feel it was reducing my mush-factor so I had them give me a second dose. Then it was my turn.

To say this is an assembly line would diminish what they do, but I will say that they have this system down pat. Brian talked with the staff and they do approximately 12 procedures on surgery day.

When you get into the waiting room, you see groups of people sitting around in big comfy chairs. In each group, one person looks like they are feeling nice and settled and the other just waiting to drive them home. Then one by one they are called into the pre-op room where anti-bac drops and numbing drops are administered. Dr. Coleman introduces himself to whoever is with you and then you're whisked away and through the door to where the magic takes place.

It was my turn. I got my hairnet placed and it was time to roll (and yes, that is a Fraggle Rock shirt I'm sporting).

That's Dr. Coleman, or as I'm going to call him, "the Magic Man" sitting off to the left:

10 minutes later it's all over. I cuddled in a big, comfy chair for a bit, had my check up and then was sent home. 11 wonderful hours of sleep later, here I am seeing fine and so happy about the decision. If anyone is considering Lasik, I can't recommend Dr. Coleman enough.

Checkup Update
The morning after my surgery, I had a post-surgery checkup and now I'm seeing....


wait for it....


20/15!

My eyes are a little dry at times, but it's nothing that some eyedrops can't fix. This was a great decision, and it's so amazing to know that the next time I get my driver's license renewed, it'll be the first time I ever had one that doesn't say "requires corrective lenses."

Memories of Elena

{The Raggedy Anne doll in this picture now sits in my daughter's room}


To some, July 27th is just a day like any other day. But to me and many others, it's the day we pause to think about July 27, 2009 - the day our sweet Elena passed away. Over the last two years, life has changed so much. I got pregnant shortly after Elena died, and I know how much she would have loved getting to know her niece. Frankie is 8. He's getting so big so fast, and I know he still misses Elena.

My sister was a ball of energy and whirlwind of life in one package. She had strange quirks and funny habits - like her undying, self-professed love of Billy Joel, for example, When she was in the room - you knew it. This picture makes me smile every time I see it. She was in one of her favorite places and was dressed as her alter-ego - Barbara Maloney Weintraub. I don't know the story behind the costume or the name, but seeing her like this makes me grin even on days like today.

My sister loved life. She made having fun a way of life. But to me she'll always be my baby sister - the one who left us too soon but made a mark on us all that will never fade. As I look back I think of ways I could have been a better sister because, unfortunately, miles separated us her whole life. But I know that she knew I loved her.

I miss her every day. I can't watch this slideshow any day of the year without sobbing, but I wanted to post the link in case anyone wanted to see her life in pictures. This is the slideshow we presented during her memorial service, and it's filled with pictures that show a life of love and happiness. And in the end, that's the most I can hope for - that she had a happy life and knew she was loved by many.

http://www.siacinc.org/docs/VIDEO/elena-hs.wmv

A Family Father's Day

Nothing is better than a house full of loved ones on a special day.

Four Years Ago Today...

From my blog four years ago - the post was titled "The best birthday ever" and was posted on June 7, 2007.

I got a huge surprise yesterday for my birthday. Here it is:

And our first picture as an engaged couple:

How it happened:


First of all, this was a total surprise. We had talked about this and even looked at rings (he got the ring I had fallen in love with). But we had talked about the end of the year, so I had no idea that's what he had cooked up for my birthday. I arrived at Brian's house at about 6:15 in a nice dress ready to go out to dinner. When I got there, there were candles everywhere. I was a little suspicious but at the same time I just thought that he was trying to make the house look nice and do something nice for me. His birthday is June 7th so we were planning on exchanging gifts there since we were spending his birthday with his family.

He sat me on the couch, and he gave me the most wonderful card I could ever imagine. I said "thank you for everything", or something to that effect because he'd sent me beautiful flowers to work and was pre-ordering the next Harry Potter book for me. We had agreed to keep things simple so I wasn't expecting anything else.

Then he asked me to close my eyes while he got my gift. At this point I was thinking maybe he got me gear for our bikes or maybe something bulky for the house. I still had no clue what was coming. Then he put on some really nice music (Journey's "Open Arms"), and when I opened my eyes he was kneeling in front of me with this white box. At that point, I lost it. He hadn't opened it yet, but I knew what was in there. It was our future.

The ring was more beautiful than I remembered. And the moment was more incredible than I could have ever imagined. We both cried. And I'm not sure I ever verbally said yes, I just shook my head like crazy and then let him put the ring on my finger. After recovering from the shock, I called all my family starting at about 6:22. Then we went to dinner and celebrated this amazing event. I even got to share the news with my sister, who is in Australia. It was so wonderful and I couldn't be happier to be sharing the rest of my life with this amazing man. And needless to say, I wasn't all that disappointed in not getting my Harry Potter book.

My New Snack Obsession

These taste just like Samoa Girl Scout cookies, and they're only 3 weight watchers points. They are so good and perfect for my sweet cravings while I try to get this last 13 pounds of baby weight off (plus about another 20 of "I'm married and we eat really well and don't go to the gym" weight).

Putting Life in Perspective

I found out about a blog from one of the parenting boards I'm on. The cliff notes version is that new parents Brandi and Chris discovered on December 17th that their two month old daughter had a brain tumor. They have been so brave to share their story, and it has made me realize that the little things I beat myself up over are nothing compared to what they've been through.

If you want to read about baby Scarlett and her amazing fight, check out the blog here

A Little December Snow

This is what we woke up to Friday morning. I love how it looks. The dogs, on the other hand, weren't so keen on it.

Check Me Out

This video is going up on our company's Facebook page and web site tomorrow, but here's a sneak peek.

Goodbye Halloween. Hello Christmas Cards.

I was amazed this morning to find that one of the radio stations here started the 24/7 Christmas music today. I thought it felt a tad early since we haven't even hit Thanksgiving yet, but it started me thinking about our Christmas cards.

I have been a fan of Shutterfly.com for a long, long time, and I figured I'd probably go with them for our cards because I was so pleased with our cards last year. Then I checked my email and saw that they were offering 50 free cards for bloggers who talk about their cards on their blog, and the decision was done. But now what to choose?

Here are some of the designs I absolutely love, but of course I won't reveal which we're choosing so it's a surprise when they land in everyone's mailbox. When going through the options, I knew I wanted one with multiple pictures because there's no way we'll be able to choose just one picture of our gorgeous girl.


Option 1: The inside of this is actually like a newsletter, which was super appealing to me.

Option 2: I think this one is really classy and traditional, but we would probably use color photos not black and white.

Option 3: Even though this only has one picture on the front, it has a newsletter style inside, which is really appealing to me.

So there you go. Some of the ideas floating around in my head for our cards this year. If you're wanting to do photo cards this year, I highly suggest Shutterfly. The quality is fantastic and they always have specials that make them pretty affordable.

Here are links to some of the cards to make it easy:

Christmas cards - http://www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery/christmas-cards

Story cards -  http://www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery/holiday-story-cards

Photo cards -  http://www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery

Shutterfly is offering 20% off all holiday cards. Check it out here - http://www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery