Small Parcel and Little One

When we took my mom to the airport, we also picked up GoodLookings sister Small Parcel.  She brought her baby Little one and we spent the week keeping her pacifier away from Honey.
We ran most of the days (I think 3 times for me) and we did some shopping and planning and talking and just hanging out.  GoodLooking took her to play frisbee with him on Saturday and I stayed home with the two babies that were only 2.5 months apart in age and it helped me realize a couple things. A) I used to think that twins first would be awesome because that would be double help with later children BUT it means double trouble till they can help I guess, 2) Having more than one might be okay. and D) Honey can entertain herself.  This I already knew but she is a smart girl.

In other fascinating news, Honey has 1 tooth broken through and another either erupted or just about to.  Problem is, she won't let anyone look close enough at them.  She wants to walk but is a scaredy cat.  She gets into EVERYTHING and can reach anything on the coffee table if it is not in the dead center of it.. ie computers, cords, camera, other such things we use everyday and are too lazy to get out, put away, get out, put away a million times a day.  Right now she is in a whiney stage (hopefully that ends soon).  Her furniture is almost done being refinished.  Actually, it is refinished, it just needs to sit for a month curing.

GoodLooking and I have lost weight... a combined total of 40 pounds. check out OUR blog for details.

Also, I can run 1.5 miles in 18 minutes.  This week I am adding a mile.

My Momma

A few weeks ago, my mom was able to come and visit.  It was a nice relaxing visit and she helped me get started on a furniture redo project.  She very kindly and motherly helped with Honey and shared a lot of knowledge and stories and some insight to how her growing up years were.  I feel so special to be who I am and be where I am.  I am so glad she followed the example of her sister and was baptized. If my mom hadn't made some hard choices in her life,  I would not be me.  The more time I spend with my mom, the more I come to a knowledge that her youth was HARD.  It's not to say she didn't have some good memories but she is a miracle.  

"Wolfinger’s research also suggests that if one spouse comes from divorced parents, the couple may be up to twice as likely to divorce. Spouses who are both children of divorced parents are three times more likely to divorce as couples who both hail from intact families."

Statistically, my parents had an elevated chance of divorce being that her parents got divorced when she was young and also that she married at a young age.  My parents also faced hard times, trials, and other unknown factors.  Even with all this against them, they love each other more than can be put into words.  I never saw them in heated discussion.  I never saw my dad yell at my mom or vice versa.  My father was an example to me of what I deserve in a loving relationship.  From him I learned that I can demand respect, love, and help.  My mother was an example of how strong I can be, what I can do, and who I can become.  I am so thankful for their strength.  I am thankful that they pushed through hard times working and growing closer together. 

Thank you Mom and Dad

Running

My awesome cousin has a blog that sent me to this .
It gave me goose flesh.  I totally know how that feels.  To not want to go to the gym because skinny people go to the gym.  Skinny people that can lift a bajillion pounds on the weight machines that I don't really know how to use (I just used them to look smart and strong).  When I very first started to run (after my soccer days and into my senior year of HS), I could not run a mile.  I felt dumb and defeated.  I kept at it (pretending to have a cramp or that I had to re-tie my shoe over and over so I could take a breather).  Finally, I found a treadmill that I felt I could run better on.  I did a whole mile.  It took 15 minutes but I ran the whole thing.  Fast Forward to 6 years later marriage, travel, a little bit of running, some loss, pain, and a baby and I can run 1.5 miles in 18 minutes.
"Running is more of a mental challenge than a physical one"  I have heard that before and thought "I am not stupid". Running hurts.  "It's a jarring experience".  While yes it is a physical challenge, it builds me into a strong person.  I have to make choices when running. I could stop running.  and just walk.  No one cares if I run.  It's totally MY choice.  The more I run, the more I understand that quote.  At first, it is VERY physical.  But, as you grow and become fit, it is a mental experience.

Running, joggin, wogging, skipping, or hopping 

get out and do it.

Loving

I want to pay tribute to a few things that I use and love.

First, the swiffer vacuum.

I first got a swiffer while we were in MS for the summer.  It worked well so I took it back to UT with us. With the larger apartment (our MS apartment was a converted hotel room...small) I found that large pieces of debris collect at the front of the cloth and I would think "ugh" and continue on BUT duh duh duh DUH.  THIS is the amazingER upgrade.  It has a vacuum.   

AWESOME! (I know right*).

I just put the cloth on and I can do the whole house without running out of battery and without getting frustrated or making piles all over that I later have to get the broom and dustpan out for anyway. LOVE

Second, A weed whacker

Texas has grass.  and it grows.  We don't water it.  but. It grows.  Nice right... wrong.  We have a reel mower meaning no power (great work out) and without that power, if the grass is really long, it takes FOR-E-VER! and it is hot!  AND if you go on vacation and the grass gets long it is IM-POS-I-BLE. ENTER----weed whacker!**

Not only can I "mow" LONG grass (like a jungle okay?!) but I can get it as short as I want and it doesn't take nearly as long.  Downside... takes electricity.. from the house.. raising our power bill (I am on a mission to lower our power bill a lot)

Third, Microfiber

Rags! I got a lot for a little.  Awesome bright color*** and they are great for cleaning anything.  I van even get the nasty sticky, dusty, stuck on dirtiness of the toaster with this rag and WATER! cleans the microwave like a dream again.. just water.  mop floor, do windows, mirrors, counters, walls, we washed the car with them this morning. they are the coolest.

*I said "I know, right" and for some reason I like it a lot

** That's not the one we own but this picture is fine

*** If you get these (sams club) WASH THEM ALL TOGETHER IN ONE LOAD WITH JUST THEM.  UGH!

who's that?? my baby!

Boy Howdy it is HOT!

We just got back from spending a long time in Utah and Idaho (it didn't feel like a long time while we were there but when we got back, we realized it had indeed been a long time).  It was an amazing trip filled with family, a few friends, and great food*.  I didn't realize how hot it was here till the day after traveling home and walking outside to go run (I did not end up running because it was 105 degrees + humidity).  Blegch.  Also, I found out that our grass had grown a ton making it take 3 hours to be mowed by the boy that comes every once-in-a-while to mow it (we hire him when we miss a week or can't do it).

We walked into our house and it stunk.  The fish tank water was nasty!  The fish, I think, had been over-fed.  We did some damage control last night and it looks a bit better but it will need more help over the next week or two.

Yesterday, Betty and I were in the kitchen.  There wasn't anything that I could see on the floor that she could get into so I went to the bathroom and when I came back, she was chewing on something and had brownish slobber.  I quickly dug in.  It took a while but when I finally got it out, it was a little beetle (like a june bug that sits on the top of pool water when you have the pool light on).  AHHH GROSS!

I am extremely proud of myself for getting unpacked in one day.  It usually takes me about a week or two to get it all put away.

*All the food we ate was amazing and I had all that I wanted and only gained 1/2 a pound on our trip.  Super amazed and proud when I found that out.

Here's to counting down the days till my mom gets here, Small Parcel comes, and Christmas!!!

Sometimes I think to myself “self, you should try cloth diapers and save us a bunch of money”  but then….

WE HAVE A DAY LIKE TODAY.

Honey woke up at 5 and was fed then back to bed.  Up again at 9 and fed.  Fed again at 11 and napped 45 minutes.  Then we took GoodLooking to work and then to the post office and two drycleaners.  Then at home she ate 2 ounces of sweat peas (makes her gag a little) and some baby oatmeal.  We were playing on the rug when it happened.  Not in a so noticeable way at first but gradually became noticeable.  She was watching the fish and leaning forward and back and breathing heavy.  The sound was first, then came the smell.  I let her finish and then proceeded to her room where the changing desk is.  Opened up the pants then the WHITE onsie.  Then unVelcro the diaper.  Not so much was there “weird” then I lifted her cheeks to wipe and there it was… Exploded up her back was a lot of greenish brown stink.  DANGIT!

The onsie had to come off down the legs to not cover her face and hair in stench.  I threw it away to save myself from having to deal with it.  Then I put her on a changing pad on the floor because she was naked and drew up a bath.  By the time I came back, she had peed on the carpet.  I scooped her up and dunked her in the bath, washed everything and got her dried, lotioned, and diapered.  I then went to pick something for her to wear and by the time I got back, her diaper had a blue stripe (meaning it was wet).   Another change, dressed, and back to bed.  WHEW.  I am glad we have disposable diapers and that she was wearing something I didn’t mind throwing out and that we have a diaper genie.