A Journey to Love

As cliche as it might be, I figured that today is a good time to list a few of the things I am grateful for. So in no particular order... My espresso machine: Nathan got it for me three Christmas's ago and it has allowed me to have a peppermint mocha almost every day since. :) Our fireplace: Though outdoor temperatures dropped to 20 degrees last night, our home was a toasty 92, thanks to the awesome fire my husband started. It may have gotten so hot in our living room that we had to retreat to the back bedroom to keep from melting, but that was just a minor inconvenience. Basic kitchen tools: Benjamin has been occupied for hours these past few weeks with simple items such as tongs, spatulas, and ladles. It's been great for the both of us. Benjamin's napping ability: Since he faithfully takes a 2-3 hour nap each day, I get to take a 2-3 hour nap each day. Craig's List: Not only have I sold a ton of stuff that I couldn't even give away at yardsales, but I'v...

Tomorrow will mark my 34th week of pregnancy. Technically that means we still have six weeks before our little peanut arrives, but due to the fact that he has already dropped really low, I've been having a lot of "practice" contractions, and I'm one centimeter dilated, the consensus is that Benjamin's baby brother will be making his grand entrance earlier than planned. After realizing just how soon he could be here, it suddenly dawned on me that I am really not ready for him! Benjamin's things still occupied the nursery, the baby clothes were packed away in the attic, as was all the other baby paraphernalia. You know, the bottles, toys, burp rags, bibs, bathing supplies, and various apparatus' to hold the baby (the bjorn, jumper, bouncer, boppy, etc). So I dubbed today as "Preparing for Baby Day," which I'm sure Nathan is just sooo disappointed to be missing out on since he has to work. Did you catch the sarcasm there? With my mom's he...

I did it, I did it, I did it!! I totally pulled off a surprise party for Nathan's 29th birthday. Thanks to months of planning, lots of help, and a few good neighbors, he was completely shocked when he walked through the door last night to see a bunch of friends and family in his living room. Success! The idea to throw him a surprise party came to me this past February. Nathan has always complained about having to share his birthday with myself and our sister-in-law, Laura, since our special day is the day before his. I usually respond to his complaints with something along the lines of "Cry me a river, you big baby," but truth be told, I do get his point. Part of the joy of your birthday is having a celebration that is all about you. So last spring, I started thinking about throwing him his very own party and while I considered waiting until his 30th birthday, I figured he'd be less likely to expect something if I did it this year on his 29th. Of course, he is mu...

"Treater treat!" "Ghost house scary!" "That store closed." (Referring to houses that were dark and not giving out candy) "Treater treat in my mouth?" These were just a few of the phrases we heard last night while taking Benjamin on his first trick-or-treating experience. He figured out the drill pretty quickly and had no problem going up to the houses, knocking on the door, and receiving the candy that was put out in front of him. Some residents let him pick out his own or told him to take a certain number, in which case I had to intervene to keep him from emptying the whole bowl into his bucket! We also had to remind him several times not to go into the houses, but rather just stand on the doorstep. He was such a polite little giraffe, saying thank you each time a treat was dropped into his bucket. He even shared with Mom and Dad when we got home. Now I wonder if he'll notice that a significant amount of his stash has gone missing sinc...

Yes, I know Benjamin is two years old and he is about to celebrate his third Halloween. However, this is the first year he had his own pumpkin to carve, for two reasons: 1) he is old enough to understand the concept, and 2) we grew a boatload of the giant orange gourds in our garden this summer. Since we had such a bountiful crop, we invited the cousins and grandparents over for some chili (I thought it was fitting that the secret ingredient was pumpkin ), cornbread, and a little jack-o-lantern fun. Did you know that you can't use just any ol' knife for pumpkin carving? Here I thought my Henkles knife set would work just fine, but apparently I was wrong. After a few moments of panic (I hate not being prepared, especially when three adorable little faces were staring at me, the pumpkins all lined up in front of them), Nathan came to the rescue by running to the store and buying a couple of kits, complete with utensils and patterns. While he did that, the ...

I'm starting to really feel this pregnancy, and not in a good way. The perpetual side ache, the extremely sore feet, cramping calves, and poor sleep make for one unhappy mama. However, when I feel our little baby squirm around and watch his little fists and feet pummel my stomach, I forget the pain, if even for just a moment. I sure hope these last ten weeks fly by so we can meet our little peanut. Touching baby brother Benjamin: "Baby brother come out!"

When Nathan and I first met (over 9 years ago!) his main vehicle was his beloved Toyota pick-up. He had begun transforming it into a true 4-wheeling rig, something that I knew nothing about at the time. All I know is that for some reason, my new boyfriend got a thrill out of driving over big rocks and through rivers and mud. In fact, our first couple of dates included just that. I pretended to enjoy it, but truth be told, I inwardly questioned the point of this...uh...sport? Activity? Hobby? Whatever one might call it, I just didn't see the fun. However, like all girls usually do at some point in their lives (especially when we are young and impressionable), I faked interest so he would like me. Pause for a moment-That actually looks dumber when I type it out than when I just think it silently in my head. Sometimes I just shake my head at my moronic teenage self. Faking interest for a boy? Honestly. But I digress. So that first summer we met, Nathan and I spent a fair...