A Place for Me

Today I have to say, I feel fab-u-lous!!!

My hair looks good, my makeup looks good. Hey, I just look good. :D

Seriously though like I said in a comment on Silly's blog, today I am wearing some cords that were too tight last week, now I can button them without sucking in! LOL And they look good on my butt :)

It is awesome to have "feel good" days.

Just thought I would share :D

Yesterday I heard someone say the word 'details'. I was wondering how YOU (my lovely blog readers *wink*) say it, because there are 2 ways.

Dee-tails or duh-tails.

So tell me, which is it?

I say dee-tails because I am in the South!

It was on an ad where they were saying, "Call for duh-tails!"

Have you ever thought you knew someone really well and you had them pictured as a certain type, then you found out something they did in the past and you wondered how this person you know now did something like that!?

If so, did it change your view of that person? Did you think less/more of them? Did you treat them differently afterwards?

I haven't found out anything about anyone I know. I was just thinking that if some of you knew things about my past you would have a hard time believing it was true because of who I am now.

A friend of mine who is married (she shall remain nameless) was telling me this story about her husband. She said that one night she had to give the kids a bath but the laundry also needed folding. She asked her husband which one he would like to do. He picked folding laundry so she gave the kids a bath. When she was through she came in the living room to see folded laundry on the couch beside him (he was probably watching TV). She asked why the laundry wasn't put up and he said, "I just did what you asked. You didn't say to put it away." Hello? The two go hand in hand and when she said so he said, "You should be grateful I even help around here."

Ok, let's take a look at this. She works full time, so does he. They have 2 children - TOGETHER. What makes him think that it's her sole duty to take care of the kids and housework? But sometimes he is "kind" enough to help when he feels like it. A mess.

Well the kicker is then he says, "If you don't like how I did it then do it yourself" (or something to that effect) and throws the laundry on the floor. I asked her what she did then and she said, "Well, I had no choice, I picked it up, folded it and put it away." Um, yes honey, you had a choice.

See this is where she and I differ. I would have told Jonathan he was nuts if he ever talked to me that way. But he never would. When I told him about it he said, "That was so disrespectful". I've trained him well :) (kidding...)

Not that he is flawless because Lord knows I have a few gripes about his behaviour (like why put a dish in the sink instead of in the dishwasher?....it takes maybe 2 seconds longer!) but for the most part he is a great helper. Granted I have to ask him to do things but as long as he does them without acting like he has to come off his throne to do it, then we're good.

Last Cigarette: August 2002
Last kiss: after lunch about an hour ago
Last cry: hmm, It was when I saw the ER episode about 2 weeks ago where the baby died
Last library book checked out: one of the Left Behind books
Last Movie seen in a theatre: Along Came Polly
Last Book Read: still reading BFFM
Last Cuss Word Uttered: Sh*t after almost having a wreck (I ain't perfect, it slips out sometimes in disasterous situations *grin*
Last Beverage Drank: Water
Last food consumed: Mahi Mahi on wild rice with greek side salad, hummus and pitas
Last phone call: Jonathan to tell me he got home ok
Last TV show watched: Everybody Loves Raymond
Last time showered: This morning
Last shoes worn: black boots that I wear everyday
Last CD played: hmm, I think Among Thorns, good band.
Last Soda Drank: Diet soda
Last thing written: um, besides the word soda, before this, I wrote a check.
Last key used: : .
Last word spoken: um, not sure it was prolly work related
Last slept: This morning
Last IM: last week I think
Last ice cream eaten: Vanilla
Last time wanting to die: never
Last lipstick: This morning
Last time dancing: Been awhile, prolly July of 2002
Last show attended: don't know
Last long car ride: Thanksgiving
Last thing you smelled: my chapstick
Last annoyance: Work-related, the girl I work with was late coming back for lunch so Jonathan sat downstairs and had to wait for like 15 mins before I could leave.
Last disappointment: Jonathan said he would start working out and eating better, he has yet to do that :(
Last time scolded: I don't recall, I'm perfect (kidding....)
Last Shirt Worn: the tshirt I slept in
Last website visited: tblog.com
Last song you listened to: something by Jeremy Camp was on the radio when I got out of the car this morning
Last person that made your heart skip a beat: Jonathan of course!
Last movie watched: The Quick and the Dead
Watch it with anyone: Jonathan
Last time you went to the mall: um.. last weekend
Last person you wished you could "do": I am married - this is a given
Last person you missed: Rayna
Last CD you bought: Todd Agnew
Last beautiful thing you saw: One of Rosie's pics on her photoblog was of a pretty rainbow
Last lyric stuck in your head: "I like big butts and I cannot lie..." Sir Mix Alot. You would have to read the comments on one of Craig's blogs to understand why. :)

Interesting fact:

According to a Fitness magazine poll 10% of women admit to cutting the size tag out of their clothes so they don't have to look at them :oops:

I am not in that 10%, I never even thought of that.

Anyone wanna fess up? :o

This might not make me very popular, but that is alright with me.

I found this article on gay marriage and I agree with every word.http://www.bpnews.net/printco...

I am not condemning anyone, only stating my opinion. If you don't share that opinion with me, that's fine. But I am not looking for a debate on this subject.

Oh, I want a new house. We spent much of the weekend looking at open houses to get a feel of the floor plan we wanted. We found one we really like, but we just need to make the master suite a tad larger if we want to fit our king bed and furniture in it :). It's so nice though. The area we are looking at is about 15 mins away from our current house, and it is soooo quiet and peaceful and the view is amazing. Plus we know two of the couples on that street already. The house we like is full brick with a 2 car garage and basement that can be finished into a den. It has 3 bed/2bath and a fireplace. The back deck is off the dining room. But what I love the best is the kitchen is open to the living room so that I could see Rayna playing in the living room from the kitchen. Another great thing is above the fireplace is a cubbie for the TV with doors to close when the TV is not on. I LOVE that.

Jonathan is going to call the builder today and talk to him about the cost of widening the master suite. Oh, man I just get so excited and I know I shouldn't. I am so afraid of getting my hopes up, but I want to move so bad. So we'll see how it goes.

Ok, the bar in my closet fell again and do you know why? Because Jonathan wanted to take the easy route and he didn't buy a better bar holder. So my clothes are on the floor AGAIN! Ugh, men! :x

Anyway, so far there is only one donut left and I haven't eaten one. Hopefully someone will eat it so the temptation is gone :D

So one of the questions in the book we went over last night was:
What is the best part about being a man/woman?

Feel free to share your answers and I will share mine next week after I read a few of yours.

Major props to vaingal (link to left) for doing my new banner. She is very talented as you can see.

So I changed some of my colors on the side to match the banner better. Hope you all like it. If not, too bad :D

Jonathan and I went to dinner last night at Macaroni Grill because he is working all weekend. I love that place. I had bought that book All About Us and we went thru some of that together at dinner and on the way home. I also bought a copy for a friend of mine who is getting married in April and I bought the All About Me version as well. It should be very interesting.
Thanks Craig (irishred) for suggesting the book.

We also ran into our old pastor and it was really good to see him. He counseled us before we got married. His wife is such an amazing woman and I miss her too. He called her on his cell while we were catching up and I got to chat with her a bit so that was nice.

This weekend I don't have too many plans. I need to read more of my BFFM book. I'd like to finish it before Monday. Saturday I am having Rayna's 9mth pics made and then afterwards I have to go try on bridesmaid dresses. Yay! One of them is a black tea length with a pink ribbon under the boobs and pink taffeta peeking out from the hem. The other is baby pink. I am opting for the black, but we'll see for sure after I try them on. She wants mine and Jackie's feedback which is nice. I let my bridesmaids choose their dresses and they were a gorgeous deep red silk with an empire waist and a small train. Everyone loved them. Anyway, as you can tell I love weddings and I love to plan them too.

I went to the gym again this morning and I feel great. I took a colder shower to lessen the redness in my face :shock: And wouldn't you know it, when I got to work, someone had brought donuts. But I have been strong so far and didn't eat one. But the day is young :D

Oh, Jonathan just called and said they are changing his work schedule AGAIN (but this time it's good news) and he is back to M-F instead of 3 on 3 off. So he's off Saturday and Sunday! Woohoo!

Well, we went to the funeral home this morning and it was so sad. I cried. In his casket they had a scrapbook page that his grandson had done and it just ripped at my heart. His wife was holding up pretty well, but I guess in those situations you do what you need to then break down later. We all knew he was sick so there was some time to get used to the idea that he wouldn't be alive much longer but it still hurts when a loved one dies. I was such an idiot. When we got there I hugged her neck and said, "How are you?" Duh, stupid question. But in those situations I never know what to say. I hate that she is having to go thru this. She is a widow now at such a young age. But I believe there is a reason for everything.

I didn't make it to the gym this morning because of going to the funeral. I'll start back up tomorrow.

Last night we went to look at 2 houses. The second one I LOVED. It's in the cutest neighborhood, has a great yard and an awesome porch on the side of the house that is just darling. We weren't able to see the bedrooms because it was locked, but we had a view of the kitchen and living room because of the huge picture window in front. Oh and it also has a fireplace and a 2 car garage. ....But we have to sell our house first. So we'll see. I hate to get my hopes up.

I am a little stressed at work today because of this new software program we just implemented. No one knows how to use it and getting little things done now is like a 2 day process. I wish I woulda just stayed at home today :(

Jonathan is out again looking at houses and I am so irritated that I am not there. He called me and was like, "Oh, you'll love this one it has blah blahblahblah....." I said, "Don't do that it just makes me want to leave work now and come look at it!" LOL

I got up at 5:30 this a.m. and headed to the gym at my work. (it's free!!!) I did 30mins of cardio then hit the showers. When I got out of the shower, I went to the mirror to dry my hair. I was horrified. My face was so red I looked blistered! :shock:
The combination of cardio + hot shower obviously did it. Hmm, next time, no hot shower.

Bible study was good as usual last night. We learned more about Jacob and all the years he worked to have Rachel as his wife. That whole thing is messed up. Folks were all into multiple wives and sleeping with their maidservants to have babies that will carry on their lineage. A mess.

Anyway, on a much sadder note, a neighbor of ours passed away this morning from pancreatic cancer. The funeral is tomorrow and I will be in attendance. I hate funerals, but I want to be there for support.

Life is so short. Each breath we take is a gift. We must remember this. Life is precious.

I am eating pears and strawberries at the moment, with a touch of Equal on top. Yum! Part of my "eating heathly" plan.

I set my alarm for 5:00 so I could go to the gym and it never went off. Hmm, prolly has something to do with the fact it was 5:00 pm instead of 5:00 am. Oh well, maybe tomorrow. Maybe I was subconsiously sabotaging my workout plans. It's possible. I just hate getting up early. But it's a must. Did you know doing cardio in the morning before you eat is ALOT more effective than if you did it in the evening? I am determined to do my cardio in the mornings.

Saturday morning I got up and the bar that holds all my clothes (I have a ton of them *grin*) fell and all my clothes were on the floor. Jonathan will have to fix it. Meanwhile my clothes are all over our room so I have been sleeping in the guest room/Rayna's "supposed" room/Christina's old room. Her crib is in there so I thought I could try to see if she would sleep in it. Well, I got her to sleep and layed her down in the crib. The second her head touched that crib mattress she was up! She just bawled and bawled. I couldn't stand it anymore so I took her back to bed with me. The only problem I have with her sleeping with me now is I am afraid she will roll out of bed. She has become quite a squirmer. Anyway, maybe I can try it again when Jonathan is at home to help me.

I just learned how to remove the core from a head of lettuce. This lady at work showed me how and I was amazed. Am I just slow or does everyone else know how to do this? I just peeled the leaves of lettuce off one at a time. I felt like a complete dork. But at least now I know how. :)

I went shopping this weekend and bought a few clothes and some perfume. I love perfume. I can't wait to get some of this excess body fat off so I can wear cute clothes again. Most of the cutesy shirts and stuff that are out now do not accomodate my huge chest. Not breastfeeding and weight loss will remedy this, but in time. I told my friend Jackie who was with me shopping that I wanted to be an A cup. We just laughed. Ok, well I would be happy as a small B then :)
After shopping we went to eat at California Pizza Kitchen. It's fairly new in our area. I had the Thai Chicken Pizza and it was yummy. I even ate the carrots :) My mom would be proud.

Sorry I know this is a long post, but I had alot on my mind. Hope I didn't bore anyone to death :shock:

I was watching TV last night and it was a show that Chris would've liked and I got to missing her. I wonder where she is and if she's ok. Someone called for her last night and it was weird to say, "She doesn't live here anymore." :(

I know it was for the best, but she didn't even say goodbye. She packed her stuff and left when I wasn't at home. There are a few things she left behind and I wonder when she will come get them. I wonder what to do about her mail. Maybe she will call.

I got my bro to scan them so I could post them on my Photoblog. Check 'em out! :)

My friend Joy that is pregnant is having a girl. They just found out today. I am so excited. I just knew she would be having a girl. They are going to name her Zoe. I think that's cute :) No middle name picked out yet though.

Courtship: Deeper Communication (Part 5)
A growing sense of togetherness is likely to be achieved through increased sensitivity, vulnerability, and depth of communication. Courtship is the time for sharing one’s deepest desires, hopes, and dreams. This should come about naturally because trust has been established during dating. Courtship is a time for telling life stories in detail, for exploring life’s future in detail, for sharing freely and fully anything and everything that you desire to share. In the Song of Solomon, the woman described Solomon this way: The voice of my beloved! Behold he comes leaping upon the mountains, skipping upon the hills. My beloved is like a gazelle or a young stag. Behold he stands behind our wall; He is looking through the windows, gazing through the lattice. (Song 2:8-9) Solomon was eager to get closer to the woman and was joyful in his desire to know everything about her. He was looking into the windows of her heart, gazing through the latticework of her soul to discover her innermost thoughts, opinions, feelings and secrets. He wanted to know all there was to know about her. And he was calling to her as he came to her. He was just as willing to reveal himself to her as he was desirous of having her reveal herself to him. More on deeper communication next time.
My Question For You:
Is your relationship growing in the depth of your communication and vulnerability of you sharing your hopes and dreams?

My Challenge For You:
Look for opportunities to share your heart and listen to the desires of your partner’s heart this week.

Last night at bible study (we are still studying Genesis) we were talking about Isaac and Rebekah and how they played favorites with their twin sons Jacob and Esau. (Gen 25:28 And Isaac loved Esau, because he did eat of his venison: but Rebekah loved Jacob). Rebekah was also alot like Isaac's mother Sarah in that they both tried to bring about God's plan (as revealed to them) in their own ways.

Abraham (Abram) was told Sarah (Sarai) would have a son (she was old and barren) and that he would be the one that God would establish His covenant with.
Genesis 17: 19, 21
And God said, Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son indeed; and thou shalt call his name Isaac: and I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his seed after him.
But my covenant will I establish with Isaac, which Sarah shall bear unto thee at this set time in the next year.
Because Sarah was barren she thought that maybe Isaac would be born through another woman so she made her maidservant Hagar sleep with Abraham and she bacame pregnant. This was not God's plan. Sarah intervened because she lacked the faith that God could open her womb for her to conceive a child. She took matters into her own hands. Hagar's son, Ishmael, is the father to the Middle Easterners. Sarah's son Isaac is the father to the Israelites. They have been fighting ever since.

Rebekah knew that Jacob was the promised seed and that he was to be a great nation. Genesis 25:23 says: And the LORD said unto her, Two nations are in thy womb, and two manner of people shall be separated from thy bowels; and the one people shall be stronger than the other people; and the elder shall serve the younger.

In Chapter 27 she concocted a plan to deceive Isaac into blessing Jacob instead of Esau. Jacob being the second born was not entitled to the firstborn's inheritance. She knew that Jacob being the younger would in the future be served by Esau, but she didn't have the faith to let God work it out His way.

I am not a bible teacher so sorry if I confused some of you. Also I am not sure why I went into all that. But I said all that to say this: As we were summing up I said: "Sarah and Rebekah were alot alike in that they tried to make God's plan come about their own way. [b]Don't intervene, let God do His thing[/b]."

That phrase just came to me (through the Holy Spirit of course) and it is a great one. I will use the phrase to remember to not try and make things happen, but let God work it out. It's much easier that way.

Some people know me well enough to know that when I get my mind on something I have to do it right then. And when I am serious about something, watch out!

Some of you know, because I have mentioned it before, that I did the Body for Life program in 2002. I lost over 20lbs and gained muscle. I looked awesome! But then I got pregnant and gained it all back. Bad.

Well, Rayna is almost 9 mths old and I am still hanging on to about 5-10 pounds of "baby weight".

I am ready to get toned and lean again. I wanna wear my Lucky brand bikini this summer that I paid 80 bucks for!

Anyway the program is called Burn the Fat Feed the Muscle (BFFM) by Tom Venuto. It's really not a "program", more of like a way of life. He just teaches you to do what your body needs to be healthy. Very simply, healthy eating and exercise. I wish I could share everything I have learned thus far but it is soo much.

I haven't finished reading the book (it's 337 pages long with 17 chapters) but I have started making healthier food choices and I have written out my goals which Tom says is a critical part of success. I've also tried to drink more water.

Anyway, I will keep you all posted on it. I encourage those of you that are ready to live a healthier life to purchase this book. It will change how you look at "dieting". The website is www.fitren.com

I posted several pics from Christmas and misc. happenings on my photoblog. Check them out. I love showing off my family. :)

15 Years Ago, I:
1. was 11. Geez, is that all I remember about being 11? Wow.
2. maybe I started wearing a bra, I am not really sure....
3.
4.
5.

10 Years Ago, I:
1. was in 11th grade.
2. was driving a Junebug green Buick Century. It was pimp.
3. got my first job at KMart in the layaway department at Christmas time. Yipes! How did I survive?
4. had my first real boyfriend, Stephen.
5. had really long hair

5 Years Ago, I:
1. was living in Boston working as a flight attendant
2. partied alot
3. was dating a guy that lived in New York, Mike
4. tried Ecstacy
5. started having panic attacks

3 Years Ago, I:
1. was planning a wedding
2. was working at a bank and hating it
3. was back in church and living for the Lord
4. was skinnier
5. was driving a Honda Accord

1 Year Ago, I:
1. was 6mths pregnant
2. was planning for my baby shower
3. came to my current job
4. went to my grandfather's funeral
5. had really short hair

Yesterday, I:
1. worked
2. ate Thai food
3. talked to my mom
4. went home to play with Rayna and watch TV
5. went to bed at 10pm

Today, I:
1. was 10 mins late to work.
2. had some homemade poundcake and ice cream.
3. am wearing brown
4. will go home and watch Friends, Scrubs, ER
5. didn't wash my hair because it's been dry lately

Tomorrow, I:
1. will go to work.
2. will eat lunch with Jonathan.
3. will pick up Rayna and go home.
4. will watch TV (Yes, I watch alot of TV!).
5. hmm, not sure what else

5 Games I Like:
1. Cranium
2. Phase 10
3. Hilarium
4. Scene It?
5. Bonko

5 Things I'd Buy With $10,000:
1. Down payment on a new house
2. Pay off credit cards
3. Clothes
4. Furniture
5. Linens

Top 5 Songs Lately:
1. Anything by Todd Agnew or
2. Jeremy Camp
3. or Plumb
4. or Linkin Park
5.

3 Bad Habits I Have
1. TV watching.
2. eating bad food.
3. not exercising enough.

Interests at the moment:
1. TV
2. reading magazines.
3. making purses.
4. watching Rayna grow.

TV Shows I Like:
1. Everwood
2. Friends
3. anything on TLC or HGTV

Places I've Lived:
1. Birmingham, AL
2. Boston, MA

My Top Biggest Worries at the Moment:
1. money
2. buying or building a new house
3. getting slim in time for Jenny's wedding

My Top Biggest Joys at the Moment:
1. being a Mom!
2. being married
3. growing up

When is it that you go from being young to old? I was watching The Simple Life last night (I know, Paris Hilton sucks, but I think it's hilarious) and I found myself totally agreeing with the host family as they tried to have a *talk* with the girls about spending too much time with those boys. When did I turn into my mother?
It's really kinda scary, but I guess it happened after I got married and had a child of my own.
Another scary thing is all these young people having sex. What is with that? I mean call me a prude, but I didn't even kiss anyone until I was 15 and I didn't have sex until I was 21. And I still wish I would've waited until I got married, but that is another subject (I wasn't living for the Lord back then). These young people don't understand that every person that they are with takes a piece of their heart/soul along with the sex. It's not a game and it pains me to see them use it as such.
Hindsight really is 20/20 and I am so glad I am not at that age or stage anymore. It really scares me to think of having to deal with Rayna when she gets that age. I don't want to be overprotective but I don't want my daughter thinking that sex is a casual thing. Because it's not. I just have to trust that the Lord will guide me in my parenting and I will heed His guidance.
Parenting is going to be a roller coaster ride for sure.

You're a lollipop!! You're known for your coolness,for you are a trend setter. You're a natural leader, and are good under pressure. People often seek you out for advice, for you have great insight.


Which kind of candy are you?
brought to you by Quizilla

I don't think I have filled you guys in on the Chris situation (for those of you new to my blog, she is my 19 yo cousin that lives with us). I had not seen her alot over the holidays so about a week after Christmas I was able to talk to her. I just said that Jonathan and I had talked about it and we both agreed it was time for her to move on. All we were to her now was just a place to crash and take a shower. She isn't ever there so what is the point. Anyway I told her she didn't have to leave that night but by the end of January anyway. All she said was ok. I ended the conversation by telling her that her Christmas present was on the dining room table inside her stocking. She left without even looking at her gift or even going into the dining room to get it.
A few days later I asked if it fit (it was a really pretty Disney watch with Tinkerbell on the face; she loves Tinkerbell) and she hesitated and said she wasn't sure but it looked small. She hadn't even tried it on. I was kinda hurt by that because I was sure she would love it. I guess I was wrong. Then she said, "Oh yeah, by the way, thanks." Yeah, sure, no problem. Ugh! :x

Courtship: Consistency over Time (Part 4)
We’ve all known couples who were on again, off again in their relationship. If such a couple ends up at a marriage ceremony, those who witness the event and have known the couple for a period of time are likely to think, This is an upswing. A downswing is sure to follow. They may even be taking bets with their other friends about how long the honeymoon bliss will last. I have met and counseled couples who are worn out from their dating highs and lows, and then they have erroneously concluded, “We don’t seem to be doing very well in dating. Let’s get married.” That’s like saying, “I can’t bench-press seventy pounds, so let’s stack three hundred pounds on the bar.” Trust me—if you can’t get along with a person for a few hours a day, four or five times a week, you surely aren’t going to be able to get along with that person seven days a week for the next fifty years! There should be an easiness of compatibility in your dating relationship as you move into courtship. There should be a growing easiness in your relationship the longer you court. Don’t continue to add layer upon layer of time and commitment to something that does not have a solid foundation
My Question For You:
Is your relationship characterized by continuous highs and lows? Or is there a growing ease and compatibility in your relationship?

My Challenge For You:
Evaluate how easily you get along in your relationship and how you intend to continue growing in compatibility.

This is dedicated to every woman who ever attempted to get into a regular
workout routine. I got this as a forward and found myself laughing so hard I had to share it. Enjoy!

Dear Diary,

For Christmas this year, my daughter (the dear) purchased a week of
personal training at the local health club for me. Since I know I need to
get in shape, I decided it would be a good idea to go ahead and give it a
try.

I called the club and made my reservations with a personal trainer I'll
call Bruce, who identified himself as a 26-year-old aerobics instructor and
model for athletic clothing and swimwear. My daughter seemed pleased with
my enthusiasm to get started. The club encouraged me to keep a diary to
chart my progress.

Monday: Started my day at 6:00 am. Tough to get out of bed, but found it
was well worth it when I arrived at the health club to find Bruce waiting
for me. He is something of a Greek god - with blonde hair, dancing eyes and
a dazzling white smile. Woo Hoo!! Bruce gave me a tour and showed me the
machines. He took my pulse after five minutes on the treadmill. He was
alarmed that my pulse was so fast, but I attribute it to standing next to
him in his Lycra aerobic outfit. I enjoyed watching the skillful way in
which he conducted his aerobics class after my workout today. Very
inspiring. Bruce was encouraging as I did my sit-ups, although my gut was
already aching from holding it in the whole time he was around. This is
going to be a FANTASTIC week!!:D

Tuesday: I drank a whole pot of coffee, but I finally made it out the door.
Bruce made me lie on my back and push a heavy iron bar into the air - then
he put weights on it! My legs were a little wobbly on the treadmill, but I
made the full mile. Bruce's rewarding smile made it all worthwhile. I feel
GREAT!! It's a whole new life for me.:)

Wednesday: The only way I can brush my teeth is by laying the toothbrush on
the counter and moving my mouth back and forth over it. I believe I have a
hernia in both pectorals. Driving was OK as long as I didn't try to steer
or stop. I parked on top of a GEO in the club parking lot. Bruce was
impatient with me, insisting that my screams bothered the other club
members. His voice is a little too perky for early in the morning and when
he scolds, he gets this nasally whine that is VERY annoying. My chest hurt
when I got on the treadmill, so Bruce put me on the stair monster. Why the
heck would anyone invent a machine to simulate an activity rendered
obsolete by elevators? Bruce told me it would help me get in shape and
enjoy life. He said some other junk, too.:cry:

Thursday: Bruce was waiting for me with his vampire-like teeth exposed as
his thin, cruel lips were pulled back in a full snarl. I couldn't help
being half an hour late; it took me that long to tie my shoes. Bruce took
me to work out with dumbbells. When he was not looking, I ran and hid in
the locker room. He sent Lars to find me, then, as punishment, put me on
the rowing machine - which I sank.

Friday: I hate that Bruce more than any human being has ever hated any
other human being in the history of the world. Stupid, skinny, anemic
little cheerleader. If there was a part of my body I could move without
unbearable pain, I would beat him with it. Bruce wanted me to work on my
triceps. I don't have any triceps! And if you don't want dents in the
floor, don't hand me the barbells or anything that weighs more than a
sandwich. The treadmill flung me off and I landed on a health and nutrition
teacher. Why couldn't it have been someone softer, like the drama coach or
the choir director? :evil:

Saturday: Bruce left a message on my answering machine in his grating,
shrilly voice wondering why I did not show up today. Just hearing him made
me want to smash the machine with my planner. However, I lacked the
strength to even use the TV remote and ended up watching eleven straight
hours of the Weather Channel.

Sunday: I'm having the Church van pick me up for services today so I can go
and thank GOD that this week is over. I will also pray that next year my
daughter chooses a gift for me that is fun - like a root canal or a
hysterectomy.

I have some exciting news people. Are you ready for this? Are you sure you are ready for this?

Rayna can now stand up on her own! Wow! Doesn't that just blow you away?

*Hehe* I love sharing her milestones and I am sure you guys get tired of hearing about it sometimes, but I am a proud momma so what do you expect.

I'll stand her up and make sure she has her balance, then I'll let go. I smile at her real big and tell her what a big girl she is and she just gets so excited. She knows she is doing something new and exciting but she doesn't understand what a milestone it is. She gets all excited and reaches her arms over her head (not really because babies' arms when raised barely come over their heads kinda like midgets) and it looks to cute. Then she leans toward me wanting me to get her, looses her balance and falls down.

Her hair is growing in nicely and it's gotten thicker and blonder. Yesterday I pulled it into a little Pebbles hairdo (twig of ponytail on top) and she was adorable!

Ah, I got alot of work done at home this weekend. I filed all my personal paperwork, hung pictures, spot cleaned my carpet, finished Rayna's shadowbox, got 10 sweaters dry cleaned, bought baby gates to kept Rayna from getting into trouble, vacuumed the stairs, etc, etc. You get the idea. I was a busy bee to say the least.

Today Jonathan met with a guy he went to school with who is a real estate agent. He wanted to talk to him about selling our house and building one. I really hope we can do this, but I know that building a house is stressful and I told Jonathan he would have to handle the big stuff because I couldn't bear it. So we'll see.

We went to see Elf on Thursday and it was pretty good. I heard that it was hilarious and although I found it funny, I wouldn't say it was hilarious. It was (in my book) a renter for sure.