Her first solo swinging experience produced mixed emotions of terror and exhilaration.

***

Time // 3:51 p.m.
Place // at work, about to leave for the day.
Eating // nothing.
Drinking // nothing.
Watching // infusions.
Reading // In Zanesville by Jo Ann Beard.
Wanting // some ferns for my living room.
Thinking // about how I can read 30 pages a day simply in the time between parking my car and getting to my unit at work.
Creating // a simple sweet cross stitch project.
Hoping // to have some down time this weekend.
Needing // to get connected at a church we both love.
Anticipating //the arrival of orders of washi tape and essential oils I recently placed.

***

Last week when we were all sick I was really thrown out of my working-mom groove. The whole week I didn’t exercise or cook, and I spent all weekend trying to get things back into order. This week we are all healthy again, but one thing after another has prevented me from really hitting my routine. I’ve only run once and cooked once, and it’s so hard to get the momentum going again.

I’ve also been terrible at taking pictures, which makes keeping a weekly scrapbook kind of difficult. I still really want to keep up though, so I don’t care if I have a couple bad weeks. And once I get caught up again (I hope very soon) I’ll share my progress.

This weekend I have plans to continue working on refinishing a table with my dad, but other than that – nothing! I am really hoping to have some down time at home because I want to get some things cleaned, go for a run or two, and work on my own projects. In between lots of Mermaid cuddles, of course. :)

Time // 4:35 p.m.
Place // at home in the recliner.
Eating // trail mix.
Drinking // water.
Watching // nothing.
Reading // Divergent by Veronica Roth.
Wanting // to pay off our cars and free up some cash flow.
Thinking // about Meredith’s upcoming first birthday party.
Creating // a mini book of birth encouragement for a friend.
Hoping // we all get over our colds soon.
Needing // to get caught up on Project Life.
Anticipating // getting started on refinishing some furniture with my dad.

***

I love Saturdays. And Saturdays with coffee are amazing. I’ve been going going going since 6:30 a.m. – done all the laundry, attacked my toilet with a pumice stone (whoa), did dishes, swept the floors, went for a run, showered & shaved, painted my toenails, saw a movie (Blue Like Jazz) with a friend, ordered some pictures, paid bills, picked up our pool tags, read some blogs, and now we’re getting ready to go to dinner with David’s family. The best part is that I don’t have to go to work tomorrow, so with all the chores done I can really relax or get some extra work done!

Lately I’m so torn with wanting to buy stuff for our house to make it pretty and wanting to save every extra penny to pay off debt. But I realized that there is a way to make a house look pretty on a tight budget, and I’ll just have to put a little extra work into it. My dad is going to teach me to refinish furniture which will open up a whole new world of options for me. I have my eye on some cheap but cute accessories from IKEA. And deep cleaning makes a huge difference too.

I’m ready to get started. :)

The weather has been so nice lately that we’ve taken to sitting out on the front lawn to relax. Meredith loves to play with (and eat) the leaves and grass and I love watching her. We’ve also already met several more neighbors this way!

Time // 9:16 a.m.
Place // at home in my office/craft room.
Eating // nada.
Drinking // water.
Watching // Meredith turn the baby gym upside down.
Reading // The Proper Care and Feeding of Marriage by Dr. Laura Schlessinger.
Wanting // a new printer and an updated copy of Photoshop Elements.
Thinking // about what a bummer it is that Meredith’s pediatrician is closing her practice.
Creating // some Easter cards.
Hoping // to purchase a starter kit of essential oils and begin using them for health purposes.
Needing // to change up our cloth diaper wash routine.
Anticipating // two days off next week, and being able to drink coffee & eat chocolate again soon!

***

This has been a very successful and productive week. After I wrote about my “goals” last week I did research and made plans and followed through. I joined Emeals, which I already love and know will make cooking do-able for me, and I cooked dinner twice this week and am planning on cooking tonight. (For the other nights we had leftovers or ate with family/friends.) I was also able to take the jogging stroller out for a run a few times, and I’ve completed week 1 of C25k and one day of week 2. It feels great to be exercising again. At work I was in charge for two days (which I hate doing, but we have to rotate the responsibility) and didn’t encounter any real problems. AND we ventured out to a small group for our new church!

Other things to note are that Meredith started somewhat waving goodbye to me in the morning – so cute! – and she also had some forward locomotion that we can finally call crawling! Right now it’s only one or two “steps” but she’s getting better at it every day.

Today I’m heading to my craft club and don’t have any other plans this weekend, so I hope to get some things done around the house! Have a great weekend, friends.

We’ve had the most gorgeous sunsets here recently. Captured this one from my parents’ house on Friday.

Time // 9:10 a.m.
Place // at home in my office/craft room.
Eating // nothing at the moment.
Drinking // precious, precious coffee.
Watching // just finished season 2 of Parks & Recreation last night.
Reading // Bee Season by Myla Goldberg.
Wanting // new carpet, always.
Thinking // about all we have to do today.
Creating // last week’s Project Life.
Hoping // to incorporate my crafting on the blog.
Needing // to not be addicted to caffeine anymore.
Anticipating // the newcomer’s luncheon at the church we’ve been going to. And chocolate ice cream.

***

So I mentioned that I gave up coffee and chocolate for Lent, right? Well I’m five days in and I haven’t caved yet, but you guys it’s SO HARD. I am completely addicted to caffeine. I only have 1-2 cups of coffee a day but it hugely affects me immediately, and if I don’t have it I get pounding headaches. I couldn’t go cold turkey so I’ve been taking Excedrin daily. I mean, I have to wake up at 5 a.m. every day, drive an hour to work, and administer chemo. I started drinking coffee when I became a nurse and it’s what has helped me through to this day. I gave it up somehow when I was pregnant but now I don’t have the same kind of motivation. Oh, and chocolate is super hard to resist too, considering it’s basically the only type of sweet that I like. This is how I found myself drinking a Coke on Friday afternoon, which is rare for me.

***

I’ve been doing a lot of thinking about how I spend my time, and over the past week I’ve come to settle into a routine that I think will work for me. When I’m not at work I devote myself completely to Meredith until she falls asleep. Sometimes she enjoys playing independently and I’m able to do a little crafting. Then if there’s time before bed David and I have been watching a little TV together. On Saturdays I do the week’s chores, play with Meredith a ton, and still usually have time for hobbies. David does errands, and then Sunday is more of a family day. I do most of my reading for pleasure during the week here and there. One thing I still haven’t figured out is how to incorporate cooking into our daily lives. I feel like this will always be a struggle for me.

***

Project Life has really been great for me so far. It satisfies my urge to document life as well as work with my hands and doesn’t take too much time. It has renewed my interest in other crafts as well. I’ve also been doing some cross stitch, card making, and soon I hope to start embroidering as well. Eventually I may decide to learn how to knit, crochet, and sew, but one thing at a time. I want to start sharing these projects with you too, so look for that soon.

***

Time to get ready for church. Sundays are feast days during Lent (hence why I’ve had my morning coffee) and I’ve never loved them so much!

Meredith and her Gigi (David’s grandmother) watch the boys play last week.

Time // 6:11 p.m.
Place // at home in my office/craft/storage room.
Eating // …two pieces of Russell Stover chocolate. You caught me.
Drinking // water.
Watching // Meredith play with toys on the ground.
Reading // A Turn of the Screw by Henry James.
Wanting // a new computer. (For any rich benefactors out there: a MacBook Pro, please.)
Thinking // about what is making Meredith fuss right now.
Creating // a really cheesy, flowery cross stitch of our wedding date.
Hoping // my yearly skills check-off at work tomorrow isn’t too hard.
Needing // a new children’s or young adult fantasy series to listen to.
Anticipating // a shopping trip this weekend for beauty products, craft supplies, shoes, and baby clothes.

***

Remember my Currently series? For awhile I did it every month, and then it was every few months, and now…well, obviously I haven’t done it in awhile. My life is so scheduled right now with being a full-time working mom that none of my hobbies can afford to be. I fit them in when I can, and that includes blogging, reading, and crafting (my three main “me” activities right now). I definitely do make time for them, but I just have to be flexible.

My point is that with blogging right now, I can’t stick to any kind of schedule. The only thing I try to write about in a timely manner is Meredith’s monthly updates, and that’s really just for my future benefit. But I’m really into finding new and effective ways to document life, and I did like my Currently series because it provided a snapshot of my life at that point. I’m even using some of the same questions to include in Project Life, and I’m getting my husband to answer them too. But for the blog, I’m revamping it a little. Instead of posting monthly, I’m going to do it whenever I feel like it. Maybe that’s every week (doubtful) or maybe every few months (more likely). The format is slightly different as you see (I got the new one from this blog), but still the same idea.

Current Book(s): I started Home to Woefield by Susan Juby for book club, and then the Infinite Jest challenge began and I’m really just interested in reading that now. But I will persist!

Current Playlist: So I’m really, really bad about discovering new music that I like, but I The Civil Wars not too long ago and now I don’t know what took me so long. I’m a huge fan of male/female duos. And you can get an entire album for free on their website!

Current Shame-Inducing Guilty Pleasure: Carbs. I don’t exactly overeat, but I haven’t been really trying to eat super healthy either.

Current Color: Our nursery walls are light green, and now I’m searching for the perfect curtains. What I want is earthy colors like olive green & brown/tan with some kind of pattern on it. I think that will help keep the room from looking too pastel. So far I’ve found these from Target that I like, but I want to see what they look like in person!

Current Drink: Lately I have transitioned from frappuccinos to iced mochas, mostly because fraps have a lot of extra fluffy stuff in them, although they ARE colder. I can’t make up my mind. Anyway, I need to learn to make mochas at home!

Current Food: I’ve gotten back into my cereal habit, which isn’t good. Cereal just might be my favorite food, but it’s just carbs and sugar. Starting this week I’m going to try and eat it only for dessert every once in awhile instead of every morning for breakfast!

Current Favorite Show: The only show that I’m really keeping up with right now is The Bachelorette. (Have you read my recaps of the first two episodes?) I’m also attempting to watch So You Think You Can Dance for the first time but I can’t judge it yet.

Current Wishlist: I want the next six-ish weeks to go by fast so that I can meet Meredith already! Also, I really, really, really, wish for her to come on time or early because I dread being induced and I don’t want to have to fight my doctor about it.

Current Needs: I need a couple more pairs of scrub pants, but I’m really procrastinating buying them. There really is hardly anything more boring to spend money on.

Current Triumphs: Nothing major, I’m just happy that I’m keeping up with everything in my life right now. Work, baby preparations, church, reading, blogging, family…it can get overwhelming but I’m hanging in there!

Current Bane(s) of my Existence: All my various pregnancy ailments, but especially the persistent chostochondritis (rib inflammation) and carpal tunnel syndrome. Most of my right hand is constantly numb and tingly now and both hands hurt all the time but a lot more in the morning. It’s quite an adjustment!

Current Celebrity Crush: I saw X-Men: First Class this weekend, and it has turned me into a James McAvoy fan. I’ve seen a few movies of his before, but he’s been flying under my radar until now. My list of permanent celebrity crushes is short, so we’ll see if he makes it for the long haul!

Current Indulgence: I don’t know if I ever mentioned it, but I signed up for a membership to Massage Envy awhile ago and have been getting monthly prenatal massages. It’s fantastic. I also recently found a cheap but good nail salon and am going to get regular pedicures because I really can’t do my own toes anymore. A small indulgence but completely worth it!

Current Blessing(s): Even though I’ve experienced one discomfort after another during this pregnancy, there haven’t been any serious complications and Meredith, so far as we know, is completely healthy. I feel so blessed to be pregnant at all!

Current Outfit: I bought some maternity shorts and tank tops from Old Navy this weekend, and I’ve been wearing them constantly.

Current Excitement: My first baby shower is next weekend! I’m looking forward to seeing everyone and stocking up on baby supplies.

Current Link: If you like entertainment, especially TV, check out the rest of the website that I’m contributing to. It’s written by my brother and a friend of his, and they’re very consistent and good!

Happy June!

Current Book(s): I’ve had Outlander by Diana Gabaldan for quite some time, and I picked it up a couple of weeks ago. After a slow start I am now really into it. I tried to put it aside the other day to start reading my book club book, Same Kind of Different As Me by Ron Hall, but I couldn’t quite do it. As a compromise I’m bringing the book club book on the bus with me (which is where I do the bulk of my reading) and I read Outlander at night before bed.

Current Playlist: I got an iPod/iPhone dock for my birthday last month, so I pulled out my old iPod Nano that I haven’t used in a couple of years. I put it on shuffle and have been enjoying some of my old favorites such as “Brandy (You’re A Fine Girl)” by Looking Glass, “More Than A Feeling” by Boston, and “Shameless” by Garth Brooks.

Current Shame-Inducing Guilty Pleasure: I just have this huge appetite that is so hard to reign in, so a lot of times I don’t even try. Like this weekend at my brother-in-law’s birthday dinner I had fruit, crackers and cheese, a decent helping of beef stroganoff, a piece of French bread and butter, green beans, a chocolate chip cookie, and a bowl of ice cream with chocolate syrup. I’m still full.

Current Color: Pink for flowers and little girls. :)

[source]

Current Drink: Other than trying to drink as much water as possible, I have a glass of V8 Fusion every morning and a glass of some kind of juice (lately cran-apple) at night.

Current Food: Um, anything and everything?

Current Favorite Show: David and I decided to watch American Idol this season. I haven’t watched it in a few years, but I’m quite enjoying it. Steven Tyler annoys me sometimes, but I love Jennifer Lopez and there are a few contestants that I really enjoy. Plus, I would watch it just to enjoy the recaps by Paul F. Tompkins on Vulture. Hilarious.

Current Wishlist: More time! I’m on a huge reading kick right now and there are a ton of books that I want to get to, but I feel like soon I need to start doing my birthing/baby reading as well.

Current Needs: I could really use some more yoga pants and sundresses. We’ve got to figure out our daycare situation soon, as that has changed for us recently. And still, a home for Oliver.

Current Triumphs: I learned how to change the font on my blog! My brother designed my website on a custom theme, so most things aren’t too simple to change. He teaches me in bits and pieces, so maybe one day I’ll become a master. :)

Current Bane(s) of my Existence: I see a nutritionist, and she has me taking what seems like ALL THE PILLS IN THE WORLD. I am not kidding you, but I take close to thirty pills every night, and several more every morning. I once had a patient who I had to practically wrestle with to get to take his meds, and now I understand his point of view. My husband sometimes has to force me.

Current Celebrity Crush: Listen, I don’t have much variety in my celebrity crushes. They basically come down to Robert Downey, Jr., Johnny Depp, and Derek Webb. Oh! And Hugh Laurie, but I haven’t watched House since the third season so I haven’t thought about him as much lately. The strongest of the crushes lately has been RDJ because I saw him at the Oscars and he looked hot. Also, there is a new Sherlock Holmes film coming out soon which I adored him in. If I get a new crush I will be sure to tell you.

RDJ at the Oscars - [source]

Current Blessing(s): I have a healthy baby girl growing inside of me. I can’t tell you what a feeling it is to know that, after years of trying to get pregnant, losing my first pregnancy, and 20 weeks of nightmares of miscarriage and stillbirth. I know the worry won’t stop, but so far everything is good and I’m so happy.

Current Outfit: I’m holding out on maternity clothes for as long as possible. Today I’m in scrubs, but yesterday I wore a long, black, flowy top from H&M that I bought in New York. It was perfect to cover up the fact that my jeans weren’t buttoned OR zipped half the time.

Current Excitement: I just ordered a bunch of new books from Paperbackswap and Bookmooch, and most of them have come in the mail. I gave up on trying to read all the books I own before obtaining more because I realized it’s just never going to happen. I will always accumulate books. It’s my thing. I’m also going to change how I post my book reviews because I’ve been reading a lot of book blogs and now I know the kind of format that I like.

Current Link: I just got started on Pinterest and even though I’ve only pinned one thing so far, I can tell it’s going to be an amazing tool for inspiration. Add me if you’re on it too!

My first pin! - [source]

Happy March!

Current Book(s): Oh, I’m reading such a fantastic book called Great With Child by Beth Ann Fennelly. It’s a collection of letters from the parent of a toddler to a newly-pregnant young woman, but the letters read almost like poetry. It’s helping me with my own pregnancy, but it’s also inspiring me in so many other ways.

Current Playlist: The only music I’ve really listened to lately is when I’m in the car with David. He’s obsessed with the band Against Me! right now, and I reluctantly admit that their songs are quite catchy.

Current Shame-Inducing Guilty Pleasure: Possibly watching The Bachelor, but I’m not really ashamed. It is what it is, y’all.

Current Drink: Lots and lots of water. I’m fighting off a cold, and I really don’t want it to get worse! I just bought myself this Nalgene water bottle, and I love it; it makes drinking so much easier and more fun.

Current Food: My pregnancy nausea is now gone, if you don’t count my nightly ritual of gagging while brushing my teeth, and I have now entered the stage where I have to restrain myself from eating everything in sight. My latest desire has been BLT sandwiches, of which I have eaten more in the past few weeks than I have in all of 2010. However, my overindulgence in food has also led to some rather uncomfortably fullness and heartburn, so I am now back on the (mostly) healthy eating train.

Current Favorite Show: There are a lot of TV shows I wish I could watch, but I don’t want to start in the middle of them. I’ll eventually catch up on Netflix. But I decided to watch American Idol again this season, and so far I’m loving it.

Current Wishlist: I would be so grateful to have a new computer. My little MacBook is about five years old now and doesn’t support many of the upgraded Mac features. It crashed once, but I was able to get it back up and running and it is still chugging along nicely, but recently the screen got damaged so that there is a huge black line running through it diagonally. It’s pretty dang annoying. Anyway, since mine is still working fine I’ve decided to save up for a new one over a year. Gotta stick to the budget!

Current Needs: To figure out what to do with our dog, Oliver. He got into another fight with our other dog Cleo, the worst one yet. They both have wounds, but Cleo’s are worse because Oliver is twice her size. Oliver has now attacked at least five dogs. David is fed up and wants to get rid of him. I guess that’s best but…he’s still so sweet to us. I’m attached to him. And also, where will he go?

Current Triumphs: I went to work today when I really, really wanted to call in sick. Sometimes it’s the little things, right?

Current Bane(s) of my Existence: Keeping the dogs apart is a HUGE pain. But if we let them in the same room with each other, a fight will break out. Also, I’m having a lot of trouble being on time to work. The company policy says that once you have six tardies you get a warning, and you are terminated once you have ten (in a calendar year). Well, I already have FOUR! I’m bitter because, for example, this morning I woke up at 5 a.m., left my house at 6:10 a.m., and didn’t clock in until 7:40 a.m., ten minutes late. My commute is brutal and I’m dependent on the bus.

Current Celebrity Crush: No new ones at the moment, what about you?

Current Indulgence: See above answers under “current food” and “current favorite show”.

Current Blessing(s): An absolutely perfect birthday weekend which I just might share more about if I get around to it!

Current Outfit: I’m totally bummin’ out in sweats.

Current Excitement: My second birthday dinner tomorrow night, finding out our baby’s gender in three weeks, the fact that I’m finally getting a little bit of a bump, writing real letters to friends, and the weekend. I’m always excited about the weekend.

Current Link: Free desktop wallpaper!

Happy February!

Current Book(s): I’m reading The Corrections by Jonathan Franzen and am loving every word. I can tell he’s one of those authors that I’m going to make a point to read all his stuff.

Current Playlist: Lots of audiobooks for now, but this month I’m going to try to spend more time listening to worship music.

Current Shame-Inducing Guilty Pleasure: I don’t know what possessed me, but for some reason I started following People Magazine on Twitter and now I’m becoming a little bit obsessed with celebrity gossip. The other day I correctly named Hugh Hefner’s new fiancé from memory and my husband did a double take. “Who are you?” he asked.

Current Color: I just bought these shoes the other day, and I realized that olive green is the perfect color for shoes. I love them.

Current Drink: For the most part I’m just concentrating on getting enough water, but the other day I decided that an Orange Crush was exactly what I needed. I downed that thing so fast, and I hardly ever drink soda. Since then David has kept our fridge stocked with it, although I haven’t had the same craving since then!

Current Food: At this point I’m still dealing with nausea that hits me out of nowhere, so I have to be careful what I eat. For breakfast every morning I have two pieces of buttered toast or oatmeal and a huge Red Delicious apple or yogurt. Anything apple flavored, actually, tastes good. I will make an entire meal out of applesauce these days.

Current Favorite Show: I’m usually only ever watching one show at a time through Netflix, and these days it’s Mad Men. I’m a few episodes into season 2 and enjoying it.

Current Wishlist: I’m really quite content with what I have these days, although I still could use a few new pairs of boots. Oh, and I would like to find an all-natural mascara that actually works.

Current Needs: I need to start working on my happiness project, which will include exercising (lightly) and decluttering. More to come on that.

Current Triumphs: I know I’ve mentioned this on Twitter and probably here too, but y’all, I’m actually good at starting IV’s now. I haven’t had to ask for help in weeks, and today a patient called me a pro!

Current Bane(s) of my Existence: Bills! It is amazing to me how the medical bills keep piling up. Just when I think we’ve gotten them all, another one comes in. We are focusing hard this year on paying off our debts, and hopefully these will be knocked out within a few months!

Current Celebrity Crush: The other week I got sucked into a marathon of Keeping Up With the Kardashians. (I mean…who am I becoming??) I had only seen glimpses of the show before, and now, unexplainably, I have developed somewhat of a crush on Kris Jenner, the girls’ mom. Yes she may be ridiculous sometimes, but she’s also kind of fabulous…right?

Current Indulgence: First trimester is a bit rough, so I’ve been lax with myself on some things. I’m eating gluten and carbs when I feel like it (not as often as I used to) and I’m eating meat every once in awhile, nothing too crazy, and usually it’s because someone else cooked it for me. I also go to sleep between 7 and 8 p.m. every night which is fantastic.

Current Blessing(s): My husband who runs all my errands,

Current Outfit: I completely fail at taking pictures of my outfits, but I’m wearing a chunky beige striped sweater, skinny jeans, and knitted boots. The sweater David bought me for Christmas, the jeans were a great find at Target, and the boots (more like slippers, but who’s judging?) I’ve had for years.

Current Excitement: By the end of this month I’ll be out of the first trimester!

Current Link: Do you know about Grooveshark? Listen to almost anything online, just search for it. You can also create playlists.

Happy January, and happy 2011!

Current Book(s): I told David he could pick out a book for me to read, and that always means true crime. In this genre, the well-written books are excellent and fascinating, and the bad books are just terrible. David reads everything. It works out because he pre-screens them for me and I only read the best ones. (Some past favorites: In Cold Blood, The Stranger Beside Me, and And the Sea Will Tell.) So right now I’m reading Columbine by Dave Cullen, which he spent ten years researching. It’s so interesting.

Current Playlist: The song that’s playing right this moment is “Ramona” by Guster. It’s a good one.

Current Shame-Inducing Guilty Pleasure: I’m back on my chocolate chip-eating kick. But my nutritionist said that I can have dark chocolate every day, so that means it’s healthy, right?

Current Color: I saw this olive green sweater dress on Ruche, and now not only am I in love with olive green but I desperately need a sweater dress.

Current Drink: Just see my previous post to read all about Mix1 protein drinks, my current obsession.

Current Food: These are my staples lately: eggs, beans, hummus, and fruit. I think I might die without them.

Current Favorite Show: I had a dream the other night that I was on Dancing With the Stars. I constantly wonder how I would actually do on that show if I could be taught to dance. I think I might do alright if I could get over my embarrassment.

Current Wishlist: I started working on my Christmas list, and since I usually only get one major gift each year I’m trying to decide between upgrading to an iPhone 4, an e-reader, or a nice pair of riding boots. What would you choose?

v. v.

Current Needs: I really need to learn to cook. Maybe what I should ask for for Christmas is cooking classes, because I can never motivate myself to do it on my own. I also need to get back in to exercising other than running. As we are finally able to focus on getting pregnant again, I’m putting a hold on running just to be safe. I want to start swimming, biking, and doing yoga instead.

Current Triumphs: Well, we were finally able to do an IUI last week. After two years of infertility it was a relief to actually do something like that. We won’t know any results for another week and a half, but no matter what happens I’m in a better place mentally now that we have reached this point. I’m extremely hopeful that an IUI will work for us one of these times.

Current Bane(s) of my Existence: Medical bills! My goodness, they keep rolling in. If it’s not for David’s hospital stay, it’s for infertility testing and treatment or annoying things like the dentist. One of these days we’ll get them paid and get back on top of our finances.

Current Celebrity Crush: Y’all, I am sorely lacking in celebrity crushes. They are so much fun to have, and yet I can’t think of one. Who do you recommend?

Current Indulgence: Can I tell you how much I love being a Nintendo ambassador? Every now and then they send me fun stuff to tell you about. Last week the new game “Kirby’s Epic Yarn” was delivered out of the blue and made my day. My brother-in-law, the video game freak, was there when I opened it. He actually had been watching trailers of it and was totally jealous. So I’ve been playing it almost every day since then, but I’m definitely going to pass it on to him once I beat it. :)

Current Blessing(s): I feel like I’ve been granted a supernatural dose of patience. For the most part I’m not going crazy waiting to get pregnant, or to pay off our debt, or for our next vacation. I don’t know if it will last, but for now I’m basking in God’s provision for today.

Current Outfit: Oh, I haven’t showered yet today so I’m still in a cotton tank top and shorts. Nothing to see here, move along please.

Current Excitement: I start my new job next week! I’m looking forward to riding the bus to work again, calmer days, meeting my new coworkers, making weekend plans, and seeing what my new routine will be like.

Current Link: For gluten-free stuff, I’m completely depending on Living Without. For local, organic food sources (like Thanksgiving turkey!) I’m using Local Harvest. And for laughs, have you seen Very Mary Kate?

Happy November!