A song I was just listening to reminds me of my mom every time I hear it. Especially since now I have a little girl of my own and another on the way...I can really relate to the all-encompassing love that a mother feels for her child. Anyway, the song is "Mama, I'm Alright" by Miranda Lambert (about a daughter going off and making her own way in the world), and here are the excerpts I identify with:
Every day at noon like a chapel bell
Find her Jesus keep her well
Help her do more right than wrong, at the end of the day
You taught me how to stand those tests and trials
She loves me more than anything
And she wants the world for me
Her west dropped off in El Paso
And her north in Abilene
Mama, I'm okay out here
I've seen how hard the world can be
My step is sure and I know my name
I'm strong just like you prayed I'd be
I'm strong just like you prayed I'd be
Don't you cry another night about me
In this city I've got angels all around me
She loves me more than anything
And she wants the world for me
Her west dropped off in El Paso
And her north in Abilene
Mama, I'm okay out here
I've seen how hard the world can be
My step is sure and I know my name
I'm strong just like you prayed I'd be
I'm strong just like you prayed I'd be
I felt it every time you prayed for me
I'm strong just like you prayed I'd be
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Thursday, June 12, 2008
A Little Weird News
Time for another edition of A Little Weird News. I keep wanting to post one but then run out of time or energy. Tonight is no exception. It is almost 11 and I work a ten hour shift tomorrow, so here's the deal: I'll post, but don't expect much in the way of comments from me. Are we agreed? Good, then lets get going.
1. I'll start with one that may also end up on my medical blog. It is a short comic strip, and pretty clever. Enjoy.
2. With time running out and the opposite goalie away from the net out of desperation, David Beckham gets the ball and calmly scores a goal... from 60 yards out.
3. Here's a word of advise: when you fire the disgruntled employee, watch your back.
4. Here's a word of advice: don't race motorcycles. Wow.
5. Stormtroopers can do a lot of things. Some things, however, they just can't do.
1. I'll start with one that may also end up on my medical blog. It is a short comic strip, and pretty clever. Enjoy.
2. With time running out and the opposite goalie away from the net out of desperation, David Beckham gets the ball and calmly scores a goal... from 60 yards out.
3. Here's a word of advise: when you fire the disgruntled employee, watch your back.
4. Here's a word of advice: don't race motorcycles. Wow.
5. Stormtroopers can do a lot of things. Some things, however, they just can't do.
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Just Call Her G Double J
As in Grape Juice Jenna. We thought, oh, how cute, she's in the toy bin over there. It wasn't until later that I suddenly realized that being in that particular toy bin put her within reach of a certain glass of grape juice that I'd left there, thinking it was out of her reach (which normally it would be). That's right, folks. Girlfriend was playing in grape juice heaven. It was all over (or at least a little bit on) a couple of blankets (my beloved hibernator!!), numerous toys, books, miscellaneous poop and, yes, Jenna herself. As in, she was covered in it. I took it pretty well, considering that that is a huge mess, and I've still got a couple of loads of laundry to do because of it. I guess we'll see if talking plush toys can be washed....anyone? I have zero experience when it comes to this kind of thing. And really, it's my fault. I left the juice out. Do you know how many times liquid has been left on that table without incident, and I HAD to have grape juice???? Why, oh why couldn't I guzzle water like my mother? :)
I had to document this, so other people might perhaps be spared the massive cleanup thereof:
I think it's funny she was wearing all purple at the time.
Below is in the bathroom, obviously, with the aforementioned toy bin on the left and numerous toys drying on the right. What is actually in the tub are her usual bath toys. It could have been worse, but remember there was also a bunch of stuff that I couldn't just dump in the tub, unfortunately. Time will tell which toys we end up having to toss. But hey, that's the risk you take when you dump grape juice on them, right? :) And like she really cares. She's a year old!
What I can't get over is how long she must have been sitting in cold grape juice, just playing!! I mean, I guess they're right when they say babies like to experience different things "just to see", like for example the liquid itself, the color, the temperature, what it did to her clothes and the toys, etc. BUT GEEZ!! You'd think she would've been like, "HEY, THIS IS COLD AND WET AND UNCOMFORTABLE, MOMMY AND DADDY!!" Instead she sat there perfectly quiet and content for at least 10 minutes, maybe more. Crazy girl. At least it gave us an excuse to let her feed herself some applesauce, which we (especially me) avoid doing because it makes such a mess. Bath time afterwards, anyway, right? But my issues with food messes is a post for another day....
I had to document this, so other people might perhaps be spared the massive cleanup thereof:
I think it's funny she was wearing all purple at the time.
Below is in the bathroom, obviously, with the aforementioned toy bin on the left and numerous toys drying on the right. What is actually in the tub are her usual bath toys. It could have been worse, but remember there was also a bunch of stuff that I couldn't just dump in the tub, unfortunately. Time will tell which toys we end up having to toss. But hey, that's the risk you take when you dump grape juice on them, right? :) And like she really cares. She's a year old!
What I can't get over is how long she must have been sitting in cold grape juice, just playing!! I mean, I guess they're right when they say babies like to experience different things "just to see", like for example the liquid itself, the color, the temperature, what it did to her clothes and the toys, etc. BUT GEEZ!! You'd think she would've been like, "HEY, THIS IS COLD AND WET AND UNCOMFORTABLE, MOMMY AND DADDY!!" Instead she sat there perfectly quiet and content for at least 10 minutes, maybe more. Crazy girl. At least it gave us an excuse to let her feed herself some applesauce, which we (especially me) avoid doing because it makes such a mess. Bath time afterwards, anyway, right? But my issues with food messes is a post for another day....
The Long-Awaited Prego Pics
So here I am at 20.5 weeks, with Carolyn! These pictures were taken June 11th. Basically, I wanted to put Carolyn and I side by side to see who is bigger or if we're the same size, because I thought we were the same and Braden thought Carolyn was a little bit bigger. The side by side, in my opinion, shows that we're about the same, I think. She is about a week behind me, expecting her fifth baby.
In the second picture, my white shirt has a red spot on the upper arm where Jenna buried her Tylenol face into it after getting two of her fingers stuck in a Hungry Hungry Hippo yesterday. I tried quickly to get them out, but handed the task over to Braden after a short bit and somehow he managed to extricate them. We still don't know how he got them out or how she got them stuck, even after I examined said Hippo a few minutes later. In my quick assessment in the heat of the moment, there appeared to be no way to release the "mouth", thereby setting screaming Jenna free. This thing was NOT letting go....it was HUNGRY HUNGRY!!! Into the garbage he went!
In the second picture, my white shirt has a red spot on the upper arm where Jenna buried her Tylenol face into it after getting two of her fingers stuck in a Hungry Hungry Hippo yesterday. I tried quickly to get them out, but handed the task over to Braden after a short bit and somehow he managed to extricate them. We still don't know how he got them out or how she got them stuck, even after I examined said Hippo a few minutes later. In my quick assessment in the heat of the moment, there appeared to be no way to release the "mouth", thereby setting screaming Jenna free. This thing was NOT letting go....it was HUNGRY HUNGRY!!! Into the garbage he went!
Monday, June 9, 2008
Goals
"I urge you to examine your life. Determine where you are and what you need to do to be the kind of person you want to be. Create inspiring, noble, and righteous goals that fire your imagination and create excitement in your heart. And then keep your eye on them. Work consistently towards achieving them."
--Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin, "Life's Lessons Learned", May 2007 Ensign
--Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin, "Life's Lessons Learned", May 2007 Ensign
Sunday, June 8, 2008
The Two P's...so is that pee pee? :)
I'm looking a lot more pregnant than I did even a couple of days ago. It's funny, because on Thursday we were down south and stopped by the hospital where Braden used to work and his old co-worker said (upon hearing the news that we were having another baby), "Oh...I just would've thought you had a really big lunch." :) Well now it's a really, REALLY big lunch...and dinner! But I guess it still depends on who you ask whether or not I look prego. Trust me, the belly is sticking out a lot more! I'm halfway done, baby!
Anyway, I made some fettuccine alfredo about an hour ago, and I think I may just have to come to grips with the fact that low-fat alfredo sauce = poop. And yet, I keep trying. It's just about hopeless, but I keep trying. There are few things more annoying than spending a bunch of time on a recipe and having it turn out crappy. One of them is when Jenna poops about 2 minutes after I change her diaper. This happens frequently. A small part of me wants to just not change her again. But I'm a nice mommy. It will be splendiferous when she is potty trained....and, oh wait, I'll still have to deal with diapers for a while! And you see, there I go back to the poop theme. It's almost inevitable when you are the parent of young children. Suerie! :)
Anyway, I made some fettuccine alfredo about an hour ago, and I think I may just have to come to grips with the fact that low-fat alfredo sauce = poop. And yet, I keep trying. It's just about hopeless, but I keep trying. There are few things more annoying than spending a bunch of time on a recipe and having it turn out crappy. One of them is when Jenna poops about 2 minutes after I change her diaper. This happens frequently. A small part of me wants to just not change her again. But I'm a nice mommy. It will be splendiferous when she is potty trained....and, oh wait, I'll still have to deal with diapers for a while! And you see, there I go back to the poop theme. It's almost inevitable when you are the parent of young children. Suerie! :)
Thursday, June 5, 2008
Some Things That Have Been Going On
- I got my first "I see you have your hands full", with one kid! Although, she was being quite the handful at the time. In the same trip, I found a pair of maternity pants that actually have pockets!! That makes two that I've ever seen. Hello, just because you're pregnant doesn't mean you don't need pockets...you actually need them more, I think.
- Jenna has been cranky booty beyond belief for the past 2-3 days. I do believe our days of actually dining in at a restaurant are numbered, at least for a while. :) In Jenna's defense, I think she's not been feeling well, but it certainly hasn't been fun for us, either.
- I was asked to do some Spanish translation for the pregnancy center I go to once a month. They have some client forms that need to be translated. I'll know more within the next few days, but it feels good that I can give something back to them. They have helped our family out tremendously, and we've been able to have things for Jenna and Blakely that we would never have been able to afford otherwise.
- Braden's been trying out some progressively night-er shifts, and so far it's been going well. I'm not too keen on going to sleep without him, but it's not all of the time, either.
- Grampa's getting married?????!!!!! All I want is for him to be happy, so I'm thrilled for him. But can I just say that I really did not see that one coming?? :)
- We just ran out of hot water, since Braden's was doing dishes, the washer was running, and I was getting Jenna's bath ready. So....Jenna took a Mexico mission bath, a la Dad G. style, aka COLD! I hurried, and it wasn't death cold, so she did well. Afterward, we dressed her in this cute little blue (but it had flowers!) pajama set I found on sale at Target. I always get excited when I see anything blue for girls, because it's rare. I love blue!! And Jenna's eyes really stand out when she wears it, so she looks great in that color.
- We've been working our way through Prison Break, Season 2. They keep having cliffhangers at the end of every episode, of course, so it's hard to just stop at one! I will just say, how in the heck can a conspiracy go that far?? It's a little hard to believe. And, oh look, the good guys were somehow saved at the last minute.
- I've been catching up on Harry Potter the last few weeks. I had stopped way back in the day at the Goblet of Fire, and I just got an email that the Deathly Hallows is in, so one more book to go. My goodness, it is ever so much easier to get a book from the library a year after its release!
- Jenna is getting a lot better at walking. She's falling down a lot less and getting faster. We all went to the pregnancy center for my appointment, and she was so funny. She kept stopping and just grinning and laughing at everyone. It was obvious she thought everyone was there to see her. The same thing happened at the hospital where Braden took her to see his old co-workers. What, does the world revolve around her or something?? :) She's also just started this thing where she puts her hands behind her back like, "May I help you?" It usually coincides with her either being shy or exploring with a bunch of people around.
WARNING: GROSS STUFF BELOW (not Braden)
- My hub is THE MAN. He just did a bunch of dishes and washed out all the nasty tupperware I gave him from the fridge. I love me a man who cleans out nastiness of nasty-ation. I am talking FURRY. One of them was, I do believe, some of the grossest leftover remains I have ever seen, even rivaling the gross mac-n-cheese from my BYU days. Needless to say, we'd been putting off cleaning out the fridge for a little while. Braden rules!!!
- Jenna has been cranky booty beyond belief for the past 2-3 days. I do believe our days of actually dining in at a restaurant are numbered, at least for a while. :) In Jenna's defense, I think she's not been feeling well, but it certainly hasn't been fun for us, either.
- I was asked to do some Spanish translation for the pregnancy center I go to once a month. They have some client forms that need to be translated. I'll know more within the next few days, but it feels good that I can give something back to them. They have helped our family out tremendously, and we've been able to have things for Jenna and Blakely that we would never have been able to afford otherwise.
- Braden's been trying out some progressively night-er shifts, and so far it's been going well. I'm not too keen on going to sleep without him, but it's not all of the time, either.
- Grampa's getting married?????!!!!! All I want is for him to be happy, so I'm thrilled for him. But can I just say that I really did not see that one coming?? :)
- We just ran out of hot water, since Braden's was doing dishes, the washer was running, and I was getting Jenna's bath ready. So....Jenna took a Mexico mission bath, a la Dad G. style, aka COLD! I hurried, and it wasn't death cold, so she did well. Afterward, we dressed her in this cute little blue (but it had flowers!) pajama set I found on sale at Target. I always get excited when I see anything blue for girls, because it's rare. I love blue!! And Jenna's eyes really stand out when she wears it, so she looks great in that color.
- We've been working our way through Prison Break, Season 2. They keep having cliffhangers at the end of every episode, of course, so it's hard to just stop at one! I will just say, how in the heck can a conspiracy go that far?? It's a little hard to believe. And, oh look, the good guys were somehow saved at the last minute.
- I've been catching up on Harry Potter the last few weeks. I had stopped way back in the day at the Goblet of Fire, and I just got an email that the Deathly Hallows is in, so one more book to go. My goodness, it is ever so much easier to get a book from the library a year after its release!
- Jenna is getting a lot better at walking. She's falling down a lot less and getting faster. We all went to the pregnancy center for my appointment, and she was so funny. She kept stopping and just grinning and laughing at everyone. It was obvious she thought everyone was there to see her. The same thing happened at the hospital where Braden took her to see his old co-workers. What, does the world revolve around her or something?? :) She's also just started this thing where she puts her hands behind her back like, "May I help you?" It usually coincides with her either being shy or exploring with a bunch of people around.
WARNING: GROSS STUFF BELOW (not Braden)
- My hub is THE MAN. He just did a bunch of dishes and washed out all the nasty tupperware I gave him from the fridge. I love me a man who cleans out nastiness of nasty-ation. I am talking FURRY. One of them was, I do believe, some of the grossest leftover remains I have ever seen, even rivaling the gross mac-n-cheese from my BYU days. Needless to say, we'd been putting off cleaning out the fridge for a little while. Braden rules!!!
Another Quote I Like
"Sometimes I go to the scriptures for doctrine. Sometimes I go to the scriptures for instruction. I go with a question, and the question usually is "What would God have me do?" or "What would He have me feel?" Invariably I find new ideas, thoughts I have never had before, and I receive inspiration and instruction and answers to my questions."
--Henry B. Eyring, July 2005
--Henry B. Eyring, July 2005
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
50 State Capitals
So you know the state names, but what about the state capitals?
On my first try last night (actually this morning at 5:00 after getting home from work) I got
50% exact
average 159 miles off
I tried again this afternoon and got
56% exact
average 70 miles off
On my first try last night (actually this morning at 5:00 after getting home from work) I got
50% exact
average 159 miles off
I tried again this afternoon and got
56% exact
average 70 miles off
Monday, June 2, 2008
Recipes of Fabulosity
I just made THE BEST HOMEMADE VANILLA MILKSHAKE EVER. It rivals anything I've ever bought at a fast food place or restaurant. It's a Paula Deen recipe from Food Network. Next time I may try a little less milk, but it was still awesome exactly as is.
Also, I found a scrumdiddlyumptious banana bread recipe from the same site, only this is an Emeril Lagasse recipe. I doubled the recipe and ended up using 5 bananas (four small-to-medium and one large). I fiddled with the time in the oven, and the second time I had it in the oven for 45 minutes, which was perfect. I was a little concerned at how brown it seemed to get, and I worried a little that it was starting to burn, but apparently that's what it's supposed to look like, because it turned out fabulously. Also, I added a little more cinnamon, a teaspoon of vanilla extract, used a 1/2 cup of butter and left out the nuts (was anyone really surprised to read that?) I'm not a big nut fan, so whenever a recipe calls for them, out they go. Same for mushrooms and onions (although sometimes I do put onion in; it depends on the recipe). So yeah, the recipe has been tweaked with a bit, but it is delicious, especially right out of the oven.
Also, I found a scrumdiddlyumptious banana bread recipe from the same site, only this is an Emeril Lagasse recipe. I doubled the recipe and ended up using 5 bananas (four small-to-medium and one large). I fiddled with the time in the oven, and the second time I had it in the oven for 45 minutes, which was perfect. I was a little concerned at how brown it seemed to get, and I worried a little that it was starting to burn, but apparently that's what it's supposed to look like, because it turned out fabulously. Also, I added a little more cinnamon, a teaspoon of vanilla extract, used a 1/2 cup of butter and left out the nuts (was anyone really surprised to read that?) I'm not a big nut fan, so whenever a recipe calls for them, out they go. Same for mushrooms and onions (although sometimes I do put onion in; it depends on the recipe). So yeah, the recipe has been tweaked with a bit, but it is delicious, especially right out of the oven.
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