tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-54196433074500464572024-03-03T19:25:52.151-05:00Cloud Nine and CountingThe life of a military wife, English teacher, writer, Mommy, and twenty-something life liver.Meghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14527818007332848959noreply@blogger.comBlogger316125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5419643307450046457.post-33951383428331918732014-02-22T01:41:00.000-05:002014-02-22T01:41:52.560-05:00Staying at Home with a StinkerSince Porter was born, I have been a stay at home mom. Prior to his birth, I worked as a Title I Para at an elementary school. When I went on maternity leave, I also ended my position because we knew we were PSCing over the summer. I have my license for California now, but the jobs are few and far between here. California is ranked 49th in student:teacher ratio (and also in test scores...go figure), so there just aren't a lot of positions to be had. I applied for a lot of listings, but was disqualified from many because I do not have an English Learners Authorization--a CA specific certificate. <br />
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At this point, I have accepted my position as a Stay at Home Mom. <br />
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Which is absolutely 100% okay with me. <br />
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My husband and I have mutually agreed that this is fine, as we just don't trust people we don't know to watch Porter 5 days a week. There are too many stories. Too many broadcasts. It's just not something we want to do.<br />
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However, although I love being here and watching my son grow up every day, I find that I also miss work. <br />
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Maybe I'm a rare breed of people who actually LIKE their job, but I really do love my job. It's fantastic. It's hard work, and it comes home with me, and it takes a ton of time and energy. But I love teaching. And I'm finding that being a stay at home parent, though it has great rewards, is often a thankless job. Friday's...are just like any other day. There are no "lunch breaks" or "weekends" or feeling great when you finally finish a big project and can move on to your next project. It's a very monotonous 13+hr work day, 7 days a week. My husband is great and is fantastically helpful in the evenings and the weekends, but he also gets to leave one job and come home to something completely different...where as mine is the same. All. The. Time. Plus, I feel bad spending any money on myself because I'm not making any money. I might need to go do something for myself on occasion, but I don't because I don't want to pay for it.<br />
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But I don't want to work because I don't want to miss anything that Porter is doing. When he wakes up we can calmly hang out in bed for awhile for him to nurse and then, of course, climb all over my face. I love playing with him all day and making him laugh and singing to him and laying him down for nap and going on walks and watching him learn new things on his own and figure things out and hit new milestones (it would kill me if he did his first roll over, crawl, wave, pull up, steps, etc. and I wasn't around for it). I absolutely love hanging out with my kid. Being a mother is absolutely 100% what I was meant to do with my life. I've never felt fulfilled in life like I do now. <br />
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So, to be clear, what I want is: to go to work sometimes, but also for Porter is just sleep for the entire time I'm at work so that I don't miss absolutely anything.<br />
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This is totally doable, right???<br />
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I know this is an endless struggle between the stay at home moms and the working moms. The grass is always greener...or maybe there are green patches on each side instead of a full luscious lawn. <br />
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But I think I'll stay on my side. Because I just love this kid too much!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO8VuwHrDvoDM_cn0s_ToipfnEPrnSN9VS4T0L9NzXCB89UkntM2ue0TnvtE15aQdxMwH33eke8Pem6raypDtWJxPn4lttEq0LsqmJW0TjXndNuA4_T8YhXIoM-i1TkyKYutdYS-POUhE/s1600/IMG_3963.JPG" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO8VuwHrDvoDM_cn0s_ToipfnEPrnSN9VS4T0L9NzXCB89UkntM2ue0TnvtE15aQdxMwH33eke8Pem6raypDtWJxPn4lttEq0LsqmJW0TjXndNuA4_T8YhXIoM-i1TkyKYutdYS-POUhE/s320/IMG_3963.JPG" /></a>Meghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14527818007332848959noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5419643307450046457.post-17170018679096444982013-10-28T13:23:00.001-04:002013-10-28T13:24:42.404-04:00Labor > PregnancyI know this story is coming very late, as Porter is already 7 months old tomorrow, but I think it's about time it was shared!<br />
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Porter (P for short) was born on March 29th (unless you live on the East coast, then it was March 30th) at 40 weeks and 3 days. As a little background, I should mention that my pregnancy was horrible and not even slightly enjoyable. I was sick over half of the pregnancy--not "nausea," <i>sick</i>--and...I'm just not one of those people who enjoys being pregnant, I discovered. In addition to this, my mom had decided to come stay with us for 2 weeks so she could be around at the hospital for his birth and to help out a little while after. <br />
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At 37 weeks, I went in for a check and was making great progress! 37 weeks is technically full term and they don't do anything to stop labor at that point as they are satisfied with the maturity of the baby, and the progress made me really hopeful for maybe having a delivery a week or so early. Either way, it was generally established that I likely would not go passed my due date.<br />
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At 38 weeks, I went it for a check and was really excited to find out what kind of progress I had made. ...nothing. <br />
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At 39 weeks...nothing, same.<br />
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At 40 weeks and nothing, I begged for help. The doc did a quick membrane sweep, scheduled the induction I asked for, and sent me home.<br />
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The whole week I was really uncomfortable. Sore, exhausted, hard to move, everything felt very "on the verge," which was different from any other week. I firmly believe that if I hadn't gone in for the induction on the morning of the 29th, I would have gone into labor that day or the day after. <br />
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This was further confirmed when I was checked before the induction and had gained 2 more cm and full effacement. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaGLN19JmpkGZwHzPNOtoQHOzg8i99dEnVsQy89e7FuuY8zG9hNr08KyIPszem3ZBI2MumegsZm3uNDM6xt7MTIT5Io7Q89T9Q67HPRmJMNHBms-EzF1AVz2b3Vaux3lkRMOSvkbrwpT4/s1600/IMG_2426.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaGLN19JmpkGZwHzPNOtoQHOzg8i99dEnVsQy89e7FuuY8zG9hNr08KyIPszem3ZBI2MumegsZm3uNDM6xt7MTIT5Io7Q89T9Q67HPRmJMNHBms-EzF1AVz2b3Vaux3lkRMOSvkbrwpT4/s320/IMG_2426.JPG" /></a></div><br />
At this point, I didn't go in with a "birth plan." My plan was simply this: keep your options open. I had never had a baby before, I had no idea what kind of pain I was or wasn't in for. I manage pain well on a normal basis--maybe I could take it, maybe I couldn't. But, I sure as hell wasn't going to keep myself from the meds to control it if I wanted them. <br />
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The pitocin started at 830ish, and I think in my mind I was pretty sure I'd make it to 6-7cm before I thought I would ask for anything. At about 4cm they broke my water. Up until this point, it was pretty easy and smooth sailing. After this, I got up and went to the AWESOME jacuzzi tub for awhile. <br />
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Where I couldn't use jets. And it was cold. And not useful at all. <br />
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So I went back to bed and asked for meds. They gave me the option of using an IV drug to take the edge off and I tried it--it did nothing for pain and just left me totally unable to focus on anything. So, epidural it was. By the time it came I was 5cm, so I felt okay being close-ish to 6. Epidural's, my friends? ARE AWESOME. At first, it really bothered me to not have control over the whole lower half of my body. But, it was much preferred to the labor pain. Within an hour I was 8cm, and didn't even noticed when I hit 10! The doc was home and on call so it took her maybe 25 minutes to get in, and it was show time!<br />
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After an hour and ten minutes of pushing (which was felt, epidural wore off) and twisting, because P decided last minute that he was going to change directions so he could stay in a little longer, this was born:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYL0oeqfh5cJfzwVlpQO6k0b4SykakZr27rQFT6xBqfGFYTyev4Piq8qijocKYpjMfJ4EX6LKhnmKiE7xCYUDZxZ6_tHZpumcSkw-rYvwaqWF5bNqN60JkrrRuG5ZhNseBgppKgzSAQw4/s1600/IMG_2429.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYL0oeqfh5cJfzwVlpQO6k0b4SykakZr27rQFT6xBqfGFYTyev4Piq8qijocKYpjMfJ4EX6LKhnmKiE7xCYUDZxZ6_tHZpumcSkw-rYvwaqWF5bNqN60JkrrRuG5ZhNseBgppKgzSAQw4/s320/IMG_2429.JPG" /></a></div><br />
They put him on my chest for a moment, but he didn't cry right away and they were a little concerned about some possible meconium, so they took him to the warmer on the other side of the room and checked him out, weighed and measured, cleaning him up for me and brought him back when he was cleared as a perfectly healthy baby boy!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrHoLH4xc5Wc67KkIePbtq9EbPWFe78OENmpPaOHex-DBjlcf6SaCWTviRV2DwFp_2dkIUJh6QNr1wXuJthaWFboRyYQZpY4w6hMPiU2i4cDWn6jXMWWKT9nWdab9XXqgNLLtFHPSq_6o/s1600/IMG_2445.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrHoLH4xc5Wc67KkIePbtq9EbPWFe78OENmpPaOHex-DBjlcf6SaCWTviRV2DwFp_2dkIUJh6QNr1wXuJthaWFboRyYQZpY4w6hMPiU2i4cDWn6jXMWWKT9nWdab9XXqgNLLtFHPSq_6o/s320/IMG_2445.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIuNT2fcBi-6v28l487YLVOcqIr12QZFatM8o-OKMeVfNV9nY3hqUuwHBh-j2iJ-TghJGpWH7N6M2NimGayUFFC8JkL3nTO2kYvX8NEyWA204kqSOE-QsChyphenhyphenDPOmzRZCuCRGG3eyzC5GA/s1600/IMG_2448.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIuNT2fcBi-6v28l487YLVOcqIr12QZFatM8o-OKMeVfNV9nY3hqUuwHBh-j2iJ-TghJGpWH7N6M2NimGayUFFC8JkL3nTO2kYvX8NEyWA204kqSOE-QsChyphenhyphenDPOmzRZCuCRGG3eyzC5GA/s320/IMG_2448.JPG" /></a></div><br />
And we had a baby boy!<br />
Meghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14527818007332848959noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5419643307450046457.post-81760546941810916492013-09-25T19:06:00.003-04:002013-09-25T19:06:30.859-04:00On Raising a Baby in the Military & Why it Doesn't SuckMy little man is now almost 6 months old. 6 months! Can you believe it? I've been thinking a lot lately about the pros and cons of raising a child in a military family lately, and I feel as if I never read any blogs or posts that say this:<br />
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<b>Raising a Baby in the Military Does Not Suck.</b><br />
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In the time he has been alive, P has met two grandma's, one grandpa, one cousin, and one family friend. None have been around even 2 full weeks. When he was born we lived 18 hours from all of our family. When he was two and a half months, we moved 16+ hours FARTHER from them to an area where we know no one and have no family and have never been to before. We've been here 3 months and are still working on making good friends.<br />
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Up until now, you're probably thinking "and this doesn't suck because..."<br />
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It does not suck because we are a fantastic family of our own. We have no help, no one to run to, no crutch to fall on. We have each other and our child (well, and Google). We are only dependent on ourselves. When we got married we instantly moved away from all of our family. We argued, fought, and had our typical tough times as newlyweds and we had no choice but to work it out. <i>We only had each other</i>. I believe we are so much closer as a couple than we ever would have been at this point if we weren't a military family. Even when people do come to visit, we love having them but it's become very clear that we are each other's best friend and, given the choice, we'd choose to hang out with each other over anyone else every time.<br />
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Now that we have a son, this still remains true. Sure, there were times (and still are on occasion) where it would be nice to have some help from family, and we haven't been out together, without P, since he was born...but because we don't have these resources, we figure out how to do it on our own--we <b>know</b> we can do it on our own. We're new parents and we are learning how to navigate the world of children, but we are doing it together <i>beautifully</i>. We are fantastic parents and we love our kid so much, and we are doing it alone--with each other.<br />
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Even though the military can really mess with our lives sometimes, I credit it for the wonderful family that I have. I wouldn't change our military life for the world. We are the closest and the happiest we've ever been. <br />
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It Doesn't Suck.Meghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14527818007332848959noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5419643307450046457.post-53505724794680907572013-08-01T23:26:00.000-04:002013-08-01T23:26:02.724-04:00Forget the Myths and Follow Your Dreams (Guest Post)<i>As a military wife, my career in education has taken a back seat to my husband's military career and I'm okay with that. I often have a difficult time finding work, and didn't personally know about many of these resources available to me until I read this fabulous article by Emma, a fellow military wife writing at <a href="http://smileasithappens.blogspot.com/">Smile as it Happens</a>. Since many of my readers are also military wives, this post about how to bust some of the myths around working and being a military wife may come in handy!</i><br />
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<b>Forget the Myths and Follow Your Dreams</b><br />
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Two-income families are becoming more of a necessity, but you may come across a unique set of obstacles when trying to provide for your family as a military spouse. The obvious setback is that your location is always changing, along with other misconceptions that are easily disproved with a little preparation. Once these myths are taken care of, there will be nothing to stop you from following your dreams as well as providing income to the nest.<br />
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<b>Myth #1: I just moved here and the only thing that matters is who you know.</b><br />
Yes, networking is very important in pursuing a career, but there are always chances to become familiar with the right people- and for the right people to become familiar with you. As soon as you settle down in your new location, <a href="http://www.glassdoor.com/blog/myths-job-hunting/">search for in-person networking events and take advantage of social media</a>. Make sure to keep your location updated on social media platforms so that people of similar interests can find you. Use keywords coupled with your location to search for events related to your career interests. In no time, you'll become connected to the pulse of the job market in your new location.<br />
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<b>Myth #2: There aren't any employment assistance programs for military spouses.</b><br />
There is a national program that was recently created just for military spouses. This newly formed program, <a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/joiningforces/about">Joining Forces</a>, provides resources that help military spouses stay career-ready. Joining Forces promotes license portability, where a military spouse's occupational license is no longer restricted to just one state. Joining Forces also has a Travel Industry Coalition, which partners with airlines and other transportation companies to provide thousands of job opportunities to military veterans and their spouses.<br />
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<b>Myth #3: Job-seekers who change jobs often are frowned upon by potential employers.</b><br />
Employees remaining at their first job until retirement is becoming more and more uncommon by the day. Many more are focusing on gaining new skills and advancing their career; many times not just one company is able to handle the modern day worker’s broad range of capabilities. It’s a common occurrence for military spouses to change locations more often than a civilian, so your changing of jobs because of this is not likely to raise any suspicion with potential employers. When writing your resume, however, <a href="http://www.quintcareers.com/job-hunting_myths.html">be sure to only list the former jobs you have held that relate to the position</a> that you are applying for to keep things streamlined.<br />
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<b>Myth #4: Most companies don't care enough about applicants to make exceptions.</b><br />
This may have been true a few years ago, but companies are grasping the advantages of hiring the cream of the crop and will make adjustments to make sure that they do just that. In an effort to streamline the application process, many companies have started to partner with platforms like <a href="http://www.jibe.com/">JIBE</a>, a mobile recruiting company. These services utilize mobile apps on your smartphone or tablet and allow you to apply for jobs, upload job-related documents and connect with references while on-the-go.<br />
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Armed with these truths, you'll feel ready to enter the workforce. When it comes to following your career, a little knowledge along with some patience and preparation will get you what you and your family deserve!<br />
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<i>Emma is a mid 20-something year old with a passion for life, love, fitness, and helping others. She loves to be active and get involved in as many sport and community activities as possible. Emma is currently studying to become a Career & Life Coach, and loves to network with people from around the world! Check out Emma’s blog at <a href="http://smileasithappens.blogspot.com/">Smile as it Happens</a>! </i><br />
Meghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14527818007332848959noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5419643307450046457.post-53787435431481626682013-05-06T18:04:00.000-04:002013-05-07T10:53:04.384-04:00Which Baby Carrier is Right for Me?Due to the million baby carriers I currently own, I thought I might do a little review on them! (Oh, by the way, I had a baby...I promise I will blog about that soon but I had a sudden urge to do this review post). I do want to precede this post by saying no one is paying me to do these reviews, I didn't get any of them as an incentive (sadly) and I bought all of them myself. But having a good review of these carriers would have been helpful for me in purchasing them before P was born, so thought this might be helpful for others! Each has benefits and drawbacks, as I've found out in the last 5 weeks and P's hatred for his carseat for walks has made carriers very important.<br />
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In this review:<br />
<a href="http://www.mobywrap.com/mw/Home.htm">Moby Wrap</a><br />
<a href="http://store.ergobaby.com/">Ergobaby</a><br />
<a href="http://www.babybjorn.com/us/">Baby Bjorn</a><br />
<a href="http://www.sevenslings.com/">Seven Slings</a><br />
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<b>Moby Wrap</b>: Best for the newborn. Best for use at home.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBABJt1HAR9VHfo1YtfAzAFCZ8B6RyFZyV6YIZS_Fac4LIHT4AfX3-y_EHhvS2UkBr-3Z-V18vCv4b6GrIJnmGbL7aLNfHRZ5nMTZrbDqR64-A4XPx_OsorS0TwJCGst9B41bJrJ4FbVA/s1600/moby.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBABJt1HAR9VHfo1YtfAzAFCZ8B6RyFZyV6YIZS_Fac4LIHT4AfX3-y_EHhvS2UkBr-3Z-V18vCv4b6GrIJnmGbL7aLNfHRZ5nMTZrbDqR64-A4XPx_OsorS0TwJCGst9B41bJrJ4FbVA/s320/moby.jpg" /></a><br />
<a href="http://www.target.com/p/moby-wrap-baby-carrier-olive/-/A-11004367?ref=tgt_adv_XSG10001&AFID=Google_PLA_df&LNM=|11004367&CPNG=Baby&kpid=11004367&LID=PA&ci_src=17588969&ci_sku=11004367">via</a><br />
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<b>GOOD<i></i></b><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNyTMF_Zuk3DR3lPsFer-7MWmHuWIuLwfgSPs7X0XeyXcvDbGZxXlc042-HT1ijiQWRhIhjsWa9dC9fl_2uGJiXO1GmLnq0hyZUrW4UQzJP26-J-HfjsGqKdFvPLpdlLo210mxZqGMBfo/s1600/moby1.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNyTMF_Zuk3DR3lPsFer-7MWmHuWIuLwfgSPs7X0XeyXcvDbGZxXlc042-HT1ijiQWRhIhjsWa9dC9fl_2uGJiXO1GmLnq0hyZUrW4UQzJP26-J-HfjsGqKdFvPLpdlLo210mxZqGMBfo/s320/moby1.jpg" /></a><br />
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<b>BAD<i></i></b><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg970BhwW5DIVVisX-X-BURKCyETONPhbXdXfp9oH_tf0r9ELlGmmxbTN3Jt3i8xNC_HmVdl-zZXKnlQl53Pf-nA09HzySXPPsSu022Q0xdlVQGzlwRj_hdWnCbUDmGXtmb2QUqPnijjAU/s1600/moby2.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg970BhwW5DIVVisX-X-BURKCyETONPhbXdXfp9oH_tf0r9ELlGmmxbTN3Jt3i8xNC_HmVdl-zZXKnlQl53Pf-nA09HzySXPPsSu022Q0xdlVQGzlwRj_hdWnCbUDmGXtmb2QUqPnijjAU/s320/moby2.jpg" /></a><br />
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This is one of my two favorites. In fact, P is currently hanging out in this while I write this blog (cranky pants). This is the best one I've found for a newborn. It's easy to manipulate, it's really not complicated (really, even though it looks it), and it will hold P's head sideways against my chest when he falls asleep rather than flopping around--which he ALWAYS does in carriers. This allows you to keep baby's legs up in the fetal position (aka curled) and as baby gets older his legs can hang down as well. It's also much less bulky than the Ergo and there are a billion different holds. The major drawback in this carrier, in my opinion, is the complete lack of head support for an awake infant. When P is awake, pushing his head against my chest and trapping it there with the fabric will piss him off to no end. He has minimal head control as this point but when he's awake he likes to lean his head back to look at my face as we move around. There is nothing to hold the back of his head up in these instances, so I end up having to hold it up, which completely cancels out the use of the carrier since I don't have free hands that way. Since I'm not going to put him in the carrier to do stuff around the house if he's ALREADY asleep, I end up having to deal with this until he does fall asleep and then doing the things I need to do. It also seems like it will become uncomfortable pretty quickly once baby starts weighing more than an watermelon.<br />
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<b>Ergobaby</b>: Best for the infant with head control. Best for use out and about.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxEGZvi46mq9-NaCPw9BpwkFe9l52EBqrb6fNu32MAvcza6Z5yNZ3AVixje_SI7Rk0p6tPlKRbfZZ62P9pRRMrIa65wJjqAlTUBbhCcayKWZ4TDrFGdw1qLwH4RCXArI8bmZ-xmfNu5jw/s1600/ergo.Jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxEGZvi46mq9-NaCPw9BpwkFe9l52EBqrb6fNu32MAvcza6Z5yNZ3AVixje_SI7Rk0p6tPlKRbfZZ62P9pRRMrIa65wJjqAlTUBbhCcayKWZ4TDrFGdw1qLwH4RCXArI8bmZ-xmfNu5jw/s320/ergo.Jpg" /></a><br />
<a href="http://store.ergobaby.com/item/BCOG-PARENT/Ergobaby-Original-Collection-Baby-Carrier/1.html?child=BC2EPNL">via</a> <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikVQWPtKHvR_A8D9GHaEf3VSlHv3iNj0jtaGHm5nD6_1Leys1BK_g9U2zUc4jgegC9n3FErzUvwfe8IS9AA-CRX9XqfAk-DumBzVclRfz4FauUFEhu9BRhRjpEg5rZJ20D_m-VcGdtWzM/s1600/ergo1.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikVQWPtKHvR_A8D9GHaEf3VSlHv3iNj0jtaGHm5nD6_1Leys1BK_g9U2zUc4jgegC9n3FErzUvwfe8IS9AA-CRX9XqfAk-DumBzVclRfz4FauUFEhu9BRhRjpEg5rZJ20D_m-VcGdtWzM/s320/ergo1.jpg" /></a><br />
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This carrier is great for being out and about for long periods of time. P is comfy in it, it has support for the back of the head so he can look at me and I don't have to hold his head up, and it's VERY sturdy. I LOVE the "hood" on it, because we only go on walks when it's sunny and I don't like the sun hitting him in the face so as soon as he falls asleep I put the hood up (and this is easy to do by yourself) and immediately the sun is out of his face. Favorite. It took a few tries to get a hang of how to operate the Ergo, but it's now super easy. I love that it has a large weight capacity, and can be used on your back too when baby gets bigger. If you have a squirmy baby like mine, though, the infant insert can be a challenge because their butt is supposed to "sit" in the bottom of the insert. P does NOT take this lightly, so he often squirms out of the bottom of the insert and other than for head support I'm not actually sure it's making any difference for him at all. My major qualms with this carrier are few, but important. First, when P DOES fall asleep (which we've already established...he will), his head falls forward and headbutts me in the collar bone because he doesn't have enough head control to let it go slowly. He spends the entire time he's sleeping trying to get comfortable because it's hard for him to turn his head sideways enough to lay correctly on my chest, so he just keeps headbutting me. I hate this, because my chest is boney and it can't possibly feel good. It's also very bulky, so wearing it at home in order to get things done is pretty useless because you can't see what you're doing. Lastly, it's very hot. There are often warnings about infants in carriers overheating, "especially in canvas carriers" so...just be very careful with this is you live in a hot area. Which we are going to moving to in a month.<br />
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<b>Baby Bjorn</b>: Best for a quick fix. Best if carrier isn't used often.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw0CEPm_uL3Zns6HFvUappXH6MI7euiDUJCzrM6RNGx9rWI2cjIlLq1ENez_8qxQuj5FsqtdcBsDU9hUH6XUQhEAY2ivqri-VtAdX4YqvpInKIkcwq0EiJk2VDY8H8TttuiMr3TukOh5E/s1600/bjorn.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw0CEPm_uL3Zns6HFvUappXH6MI7euiDUJCzrM6RNGx9rWI2cjIlLq1ENez_8qxQuj5FsqtdcBsDU9hUH6XUQhEAY2ivqri-VtAdX4YqvpInKIkcwq0EiJk2VDY8H8TttuiMr3TukOh5E/s320/bjorn.jpg" /></a><br />
<a href="http://www.target.com/p/babybjorn-original-baby-carrier/-/A-14370352?ref=tgt_adv_XSG10001&AFID=Google_PLA_df&LNM=|10218058&CPNG=Baby&kpid=10218058&LID=PA&ci_src=17588969&ci_sku=10218058">via</a> <br />
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I don't use the baby bjorn. We have one, it was the first carrier I bought, but it doesn't do it for me. I find everything I need is really taken care of by the other two wraps, and this one this isn't that impressive. It's a lot lighter than the Ergo, though, which is a definite plus. It's also much simpler to use than either the Ergo or the Moby, and is much less constrictive. Some issues with this: it's NOT ergonomic. Recently I've read some articles about the dangers of keeping a baby in a carrier like this very often because it allows their legs to fall straight down rather than go around your waist, which is very bad for their hips. I do not have any background to support this, but I'm guessing if you don't use the carrier all day every day this won't make a difference, but if you live in the city and walk everywhere and use it all the time it can harm the baby. It also has the same issue as the Ergo with head support, where it has it for the back of their head but isn't very conducive to baby's forehead when it smacks into your chest. I don't even have a photo of me using it like the others because we simply don't use it. For something you aren't going to use often, which I wouldn't suggest with this, it retails for somewhere around $80 and is a little too expensive (I got mine second hand, never been used for $10 so I'm not that mad). <br />
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<b>Seven Slings</b>: <i>Works</i> if you have no boobs.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg5SdShsqhbyRe0BZ3kRoASGQACnrgwQQ7hsF-lte-98yaWSWgyLpUzgIjlO3CZXjZ4b-tv4hC8Uqqxk_jfJTV8EMayaId-lp1GvMK72BwEry_NQoYUFP08s8-3DzAGEpOkVW_u36ORck/s1600/seven+slings.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg5SdShsqhbyRe0BZ3kRoASGQACnrgwQQ7hsF-lte-98yaWSWgyLpUzgIjlO3CZXjZ4b-tv4hC8Uqqxk_jfJTV8EMayaId-lp1GvMK72BwEry_NQoYUFP08s8-3DzAGEpOkVW_u36ORck/s320/seven+slings.jpg" /></a><br />
<a href="https://www.sevenslings.com/cart">via</a><br />
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I followed the sizing chart for this and picked the size they said I would fit into. I tried to use it when P was 3 weeks old, and was completely unsuccessful. Between the sling, him, and my boobs he was not going into it, and was even harder to get out (like squeezing into a dress that is really just too tight for you). I packaged it up and sent it to my sister in law (who I don't think has used it yet). This is the cheapest sling I've found--as long as you DO NOT pay for the sling!! There is always a coupon somewhere online for a free sling, just pay shipping, which I think is $11.95. Seriously. If you pay for this thing, just go ahead and punch yourself in the face. After I had issues putting it on I googled images of people using it and looked at their website and realized that every single woman was boobless. I...am not. No go. I would imagine this sling would be easy and convenient, though, for around the house especially--IF it fit you right.<br />
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Hope any of this helps. I have actual photos of us using the ergo and moby, but it seems P hates life right now so will have to fight will it later!<br />
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Meghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14527818007332848959noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5419643307450046457.post-91490977913886409892013-03-20T21:38:00.001-04:002013-03-20T21:38:28.986-04:00Never ComingAlthough I'm 39 weeks now, I'm horrible at remembering to take photos.<br />
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So here is 38 weeks, the only picture I've taken since our 30 weeks maternity photos!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQSU2DSVor6LRlm2Kdca2OwLveJu4eTnwWa6uO2P9xKCezSkPHW6b0ziEs1bxafQG0RFZRe2IJQ2tNooDzwOruTPKRaPtLigoTSR3b1mBrdWQTncH6vxuS6Y8fYA8hMGWQtQbcAH6jq0c/s1600/38+weeks.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQSU2DSVor6LRlm2Kdca2OwLveJu4eTnwWa6uO2P9xKCezSkPHW6b0ziEs1bxafQG0RFZRe2IJQ2tNooDzwOruTPKRaPtLigoTSR3b1mBrdWQTncH6vxuS6Y8fYA8hMGWQtQbcAH6jq0c/s320/38+weeks.jpg" /></a><br />
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Early hope of a possible early delivery was squashed by 3 weeks of completely zero progress so...at this point I'm pretty positive this child is never coming.<br />
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So, see you at 48 weeks ;)Meghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14527818007332848959noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5419643307450046457.post-23179181576243587412013-02-09T12:51:00.001-05:002013-02-09T12:51:09.452-05:00The Reality of PregnancyThis pregnancy was planned (really, <i>really</i> hard). I read the "What to Expect BEFORE You're Expecting" book at the beginning of last year and followed every single piece of advice in the book. I stopped my birth control months before we wanted to get pregnant, changed my diet to be as fertility friendly as possible at about the same time, and started prenatal vitamins 3 months in advance. I didn't take any medication for anything. If the book said a food was fertility friendly, I ate it--no matter how much I despised it. If the book said something was good for B to do to help him, he did that too. With pressure :)<br />
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The first 6 weeks of my pregnancy were great. I was tired as hell, but other than that things were great. I kept my list of "things to eat daily during pregnancy" around and made sure I had 2 servings of <i>this</i> and 3 servings of <i>that</i> every day.<br />
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Then I puked. For the next 10 weeks straight. I lost 10lbs, and eventually just figured if I wasn't going to keep the food down anyway then there wasn't much point in me trying to eat "healthy" crap.<br />
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So I changed my focus to "MUST EAT ALL THINGS HEALTHY AND FABULOUS" to "MUST EAT ANYTHING THAT WON'T REAPPEAR." Things I found that USUALLY accomplished this were never healthy. Donuts, McDonald's chicken nuggets (just the nuggets...not the fries, and no ketchup), a plain roast beef sandwich from Arby's...nothing good for me.<br />
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But, I decided that feeding my child <i>something</i>, be it overly nutritious or not, was probably better than failing to actually get him anything.<br />
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And I never looked back. <br />
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The 6 week morning sickness plunge=a pregnancy reality check!<br />
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Almost 34 weeks now, hospital bag was JUST packed, and I at least found the instruction manual for the installation of the carseat. Maybe next weekend ;)Meghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14527818007332848959noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5419643307450046457.post-53418210219903863282013-01-28T07:00:00.000-05:002013-01-28T07:00:00.409-05:00Maternity Photos!A couple weeks ago we went "home" for a visit with family, and had some wonderful photos taken by the lovely <a href="http://www.iwantbdphotography.com/">BD Photography</a>! They rocked, but I won't put 98239230 pictures up here--so here are a couple favorites!<br />
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Meghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14527818007332848959noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5419643307450046457.post-35693801651004304422013-01-27T00:54:00.002-05:002013-01-27T01:10:52.300-05:00Baby Boy's NurseryI realize I haven't made a post on here in 4 months. Sorry! Been very busy around here...so, let's just pretend that's a viable excuse.<br />
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We found out back in October that we are having a BOY! I had horrible horrible morning sickness until about 15 weeks, when I started a new job. Now it's gone mostly, just normal pregnancy pains now as I'm well into the 3rd trimester. Heartburn is the biggest killer right now! And we won't talk about the bowl of cereal I just ate...at 10:30pm. <br />
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Since finding out we were having a boy I've been very busy in the nursery, as I decided I couldn't find a boy bedding set that I liked so I decided to make my own. Great thought...THOUGHT. It's all done now and, granted we are missing a few small things now (although less than we were when I took these pictures), it's pretty much completed. I'm really very happy with the result, even though I CURSED it the entire time I was making it.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDv760Ym7MIjsSVxwhPdusH1guX67T34bZ-RLap7mKDUUHRx0WdhVCtL51qy41ucK0DqA3UtDCGYtBD1qt4opEOto8wry7mG2AhJINSQ7bhCgZAKuiRrmDuX_D01N3aUTrOxnAyujskT8/s1600/20130106_194627.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="240" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDv760Ym7MIjsSVxwhPdusH1guX67T34bZ-RLap7mKDUUHRx0WdhVCtL51qy41ucK0DqA3UtDCGYtBD1qt4opEOto8wry7mG2AhJINSQ7bhCgZAKuiRrmDuX_D01N3aUTrOxnAyujskT8/s320/20130106_194627.jpg" /></a></div><br />
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Most of the things in the nursery were DIY projects, but some were bought. Some don't even go in the nursery, we were just too lazy to move them!<br />
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<b>DIYs</b>: Curtains, book bags, name sign, tent over crib, changing pad cover, pom poms over crib, octopus painting, ribbon on crib, blanket, and glider (we didn't build it, but I painted and reupholstered it!)<br />
<b>Crib</b>: Walmart<br />
<b>Dressers</b>: IKEA<br />
<b>Lamps</b>:IKEA<br />
<b>Mirrors</b>:IKEA<br />
<b>Lanterns</b>: Party City<br />
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He now has a mattress and a lime green organic sheet for it, but I was too lazy to take another picture! Most of my personal projects were inspired by nurseries I found around the web that I no longer have links for, but were simply adorable. I think it turned out well!<br />
Meghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14527818007332848959noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5419643307450046457.post-15183314906616978372012-09-26T19:26:00.001-04:002012-09-26T19:26:07.900-04:00Growing!We, and apparently everyone else in the world right now, have a little announcement to make here in blogland!<br />
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We knew we wanted a spring baby, so we planned accordingly! <br />
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Baby Nemo (<i>just keep swimming</i>) will be making his/her appearance around March 28, 2013!<br />
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I should have made this official announcement quite a long time ago, but didn't. I'm 14 weeks now and SO happy to see the second trimester! I always thought I would be the kind of woman who enjoys being pregnant but, even though I'm excited for the arrival of little Nemo, pregnancy has NOT been glorious thus far. My morning sickness has been super rough and I've lost quite a bit of weight since becoming pregnant! I'm still fighting the remnants of it, and get sick occasionally, but I think I've stopped losing weight and am officially putting some back on--still not back up to pre-pregnancy weight, but at least I'm not losing!<br />
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But, because I've been losing weight everywhere else and gaining a human being, my bump has been out since 8 weeks! I always told myself when I got pregnant that I would take cutesy pictures and make a cutesy memory book. Mmm...so far my concern isn't great for that ha! <br />
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But, here's a random 9 week photo. Not cutesy, and too lazy to attempt it without just using the mirror (and excuse the color, because my phone went haywire!). 5 weeks ago...<br />
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And big sister Cleo is CLEARLY excited...<br />
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But we certainly are!<br />
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We WILL be finding out what we are having! Hopefully at the end of October :)Meghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14527818007332848959noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5419643307450046457.post-3999188791751338572012-07-31T22:30:00.001-04:002012-07-31T22:33:46.260-04:00YellowstoneA few weeks ago we took a trip up to Yellowstone. We've decided, basically, that this is travel time for us so we went to Vegas earlier this year (...did I blog about that? I probably didn't. I'll put that in the logs), Yellowstone in early July, and--although we didn't travel to this--went to Cheyenne Frontier Days last week. Don't worry, I took a billion pictures. ;D<br />
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Yellowstone was very nice. Everything in the park was booked so we stayed at a little place about 30 miles outside the park that was an RV park/Motel. It was actually nice, as we usually go camping with my family during the summer but are too far this year to do that, so staying at this place was a lot like staying in a campground but without a camper. Plus it was like half the price of staying in the park.<br />
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Yellowstone, if you haven't been there, is set up like a giant "8". The first day we did the bottom circle, the second day we did the top circle. We probably drove 500 miles between the two days. We were pretty exhausted, but saw some cool stuff.<br />
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Except we didn't see a Moose. Or a bear. We were both very disappointed. <br />
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We stopped in Thermopolis--home of the world's largest hot springs.<br />
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And in Cody for their 4th of July festivities. The orange cloud behind this flag is the smoke from the fire in the Teton.<br />
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Turned a corner and there was a buffalo in the road. One of about a billion that we saw. This is probably more impressive when you DON'T live right next to a buffalo farm.<br />
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Lower Falls<br />
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Elk<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhnuRn8yydKbGp4BEEJ1UwggD5pDr_8IgzyroSCJqtWTnqXpfvKmFavp9I3SeWdOtdK_ELsYyzUY6ozRhz8T5FjaBVlpQGEcpq3qgKMPN_QQhi2gyw62fCtzH2jtsnXZBYkH_bIf7Aj44/s1600/IMG_5614.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="240" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhnuRn8yydKbGp4BEEJ1UwggD5pDr_8IgzyroSCJqtWTnqXpfvKmFavp9I3SeWdOtdK_ELsYyzUY6ozRhz8T5FjaBVlpQGEcpq3qgKMPN_QQhi2gyw62fCtzH2jtsnXZBYkH_bIf7Aj44/s320/IMG_5614.JPG" /></a></div><br />
Old Faithful<br />
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Midway Crater Geyser<br />
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We went horseback riding on the last day and had a blast!<br />
<br />Meghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14527818007332848959noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5419643307450046457.post-31099468660047394192012-06-14T11:27:00.001-04:002012-06-14T11:33:22.282-04:00High Park FireLast Saturday a fire started in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, probably about 25ish miles from here. By Sunday morning it had burned 14,000 acres and was growing at 20-40ft per MINUTE. High winds (sustained at 25mph, with gusts to 40) were fueling the fire like crazy and causing the smoke cloud to go hundreds of miles away, all the way to Omaha, Nebraska.<br />
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This is what our city looked like on Sunday morning, and it got MUCH worse with every passing hour.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3jGlV2QLtEbJtlkaiTYhko3TLZkbnUzFMVgiiBjg2jmyvLSNqkN2E0ZRjDL-VDbR5btTtf6ip1ZGLjKo5jm6wPEw6vvDnG2hv-oZD06T2emBTATHSWkT52kaars6Y7b3TvZHXcbZHu1w/s1600/598671_558869525714_1493432318_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="191" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3jGlV2QLtEbJtlkaiTYhko3TLZkbnUzFMVgiiBjg2jmyvLSNqkN2E0ZRjDL-VDbR5btTtf6ip1ZGLjKo5jm6wPEw6vvDnG2hv-oZD06T2emBTATHSWkT52kaars6Y7b3TvZHXcbZHu1w/s320/598671_558869525714_1493432318_n.jpg" /></a><br />
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We were on a red flag warning all day and night Sunday which, according to the web, means "increased probability that a quickly spreading vegetation fire will occur within 24 hours." We decided to wait until Monday, and if nothing changed we would pack ourselves some emergency bags for when we were told to go.<br />
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By Monday morning the fire was at 36,000 acres and still 0% containment. BUT, in the morning the wind died down, the fire changed directions, and we officially declared ourselves out of danger. <br />
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Currently, as of today, the fire is at 50,000 acres, 10% containment, 2600 homes evacuated, over 100 structures have been destroyed, 1 life has been lost, and over 1200 people are working on containment (including 2 states national guards). Plumes today are reaching over 34,000 ft in the air. It's currently the second largest wildfire <i>ever</i> in Colorado.<br />
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This is what our city looked like yesterday morning, though, and it still smelled like smoke the instant you walked outside. The skies were FULL of smoke and ash and the orange in the distance is fire. This is a photo from the skycam.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQdkohqE5V3sHG_uje32-MY066PWNj-fAb0xCII51H7OK58Kme7zvsFOqiSEz_yvg3ka7zGvGyceatGnYjEtlP8gGSjxR0mcUPfFaVqikSYNOLNdeFJkewtKCp-vZAmzBbGYd3k5UQJGE/s1600/525973_476039282410540_1624850600_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="240" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQdkohqE5V3sHG_uje32-MY066PWNj-fAb0xCII51H7OK58Kme7zvsFOqiSEz_yvg3ka7zGvGyceatGnYjEtlP8gGSjxR0mcUPfFaVqikSYNOLNdeFJkewtKCp-vZAmzBbGYd3k5UQJGE/s320/525973_476039282410540_1624850600_n.jpg" /></a><br />
(from CBS5)<br />
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Here are a few photos of the fire over the ridges and around the foothills. <br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5Az-ngIC41Ip8kvGrr7Vfj7ilIksz3SMHfQ8HkZjGFyFVSRFLiLsTKwSkdCmTdlEB1CVS1bydxvLGGeuR9dQgcbsDfXSMsGe-8HL954A7Umeo8fPQSXjR8b7CSGp2ilgKTzE3BNeMxOk/s1600/High+Park+Fire+02+-+Bryan+Maltais.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="180" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5Az-ngIC41Ip8kvGrr7Vfj7ilIksz3SMHfQ8HkZjGFyFVSRFLiLsTKwSkdCmTdlEB1CVS1bydxvLGGeuR9dQgcbsDfXSMsGe-8HL954A7Umeo8fPQSXjR8b7CSGp2ilgKTzE3BNeMxOk/s320/High+Park+Fire+02+-+Bryan+Maltais.jpg" /></a><br />
(From 9news, credit Bryan Maltais)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoPupRpHiGrPENTwNiHPgcP7P49oarozsChyphenhyphenLUsC-59_r4wRBmmavL-lROa3ImABTrOrEg-MyW4FKzzU5UjJ3YBrPyO80Ke_24dKIB0ne811BHJ6dseh3MPwqYyiatJZoaI3k-atMHRpk/s1600/High+Park+Fire+03+-+Clint+Hartley.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="180" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoPupRpHiGrPENTwNiHPgcP7P49oarozsChyphenhyphenLUsC-59_r4wRBmmavL-lROa3ImABTrOrEg-MyW4FKzzU5UjJ3YBrPyO80Ke_24dKIB0ne811BHJ6dseh3MPwqYyiatJZoaI3k-atMHRpk/s320/High+Park+Fire+03+-+Clint+Hartley.jpg" /></a><br />
(from 9news, credit Clint Hartley)<br />
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These are a couple cell phone pictures a friend sent me when they went fire-chasing.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5_UPINyKqfjF-omzax_C_tOYYQq7ZbANBfjazlUtDzEJEwHwR3QbhfMBnVuke409OrEBGk8BQKT7Hmok1C4kxVyfh1vneu_-IU3dVGHgQnu4_k3QzzOxGgZBsgXAd6CXJFKK6A7_YYaA/s1600/IMG955910.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="320" width="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5_UPINyKqfjF-omzax_C_tOYYQq7ZbANBfjazlUtDzEJEwHwR3QbhfMBnVuke409OrEBGk8BQKT7Hmok1C4kxVyfh1vneu_-IU3dVGHgQnu4_k3QzzOxGgZBsgXAd6CXJFKK6A7_YYaA/s320/IMG955910.jpg" /></a><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxR6zxKR_qoTIJW5X-h-kM_y2IxxqjFECzXCxg5x91sYW_mNe6-WCZ8v7LX_M3GsZXap7w4aDigQt3rFp7HkusVEewS9aTIKtl1KJUTmREAPbQXNsgom_8q9cpu88gBXB02aWZ9RMvsjA/s1600/IMG955690.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="320" width="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxR6zxKR_qoTIJW5X-h-kM_y2IxxqjFECzXCxg5x91sYW_mNe6-WCZ8v7LX_M3GsZXap7w4aDigQt3rFp7HkusVEewS9aTIKtl1KJUTmREAPbQXNsgom_8q9cpu88gBXB02aWZ9RMvsjA/s320/IMG955690.jpg" /></a><br />
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On the Eastern side of the country, we didn't have these issues so this is our first wildfire experience. We occasionally get the frantic family call in the middle of the night because they just saw it on the news and want to make sure we're still alive. For our first fire it's been kind of exciting, albeit terrifying. Also, as if nature wasn't creating enough fun for us, for the second time this month there was a tornado 45 miles from us (same spot both times). But, the fire is now at 10% containment so cross your fingers that this number gets to 100 pretty soon!<br />
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<br />Meghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14527818007332848959noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5419643307450046457.post-59385789845124158512012-05-29T00:46:00.000-04:002012-05-30T23:26:11.987-04:00Cafe Door to Mail HolderThe last couple days I've been working on a little project that is FINALLY done! Okay...actually I've been working on many projects the last two days...this just happens to be the only one that is complete. Clearly, this means I must share it with you!<br />
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A few weeks ago we had the "World's Largest Yard Sale" about an hour from here. Besides the fact that not only was this event NOT in a yard, I'm also pretty sure they couldn't possibly call it the world's largest. BUT, I did find that brand new set of packaged cafe doors for $15. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3UijSKR20rspvtzAk_-YpPb8arIEPXzBuZwAhWYBa3S1OdrpHD4tvCxIpmotdHZ6QtNyKS0ma5whEdsfMpRqw3XfqNSgJw6Sj9eatwMNpBkCa80yxgvP4k_5UUwX309QwQPsCKRNwUxE/s1600/IMG_5442.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="320" width="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3UijSKR20rspvtzAk_-YpPb8arIEPXzBuZwAhWYBa3S1OdrpHD4tvCxIpmotdHZ6QtNyKS0ma5whEdsfMpRqw3XfqNSgJw6Sj9eatwMNpBkCa80yxgvP4k_5UUwX309QwQPsCKRNwUxE/s320/IMG_5442.JPG" /></a></div><br />
Michael's and I have been in an argument over Turquoise paint for months now. They've been out of the big bottle forever, but I still had some left from the little kitchen paintings I did last year and I got tired of waiting and just went for it. I ran out of paint with 7 slats left in my second coat. Had to buy two little bottles of it to finish. I screwed a couple D-hooks (25lb weight limit) to the back of the door and hung it on the wall!<br />
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Please excuse the mess in the kitchen. I did the painting on the table and everything is moved around right now to make room for a new refrigerator to come through later this week! (And don't you just LOVE where base housing decided the fire extinguisher would look best? In the middle of the wall is completely perfect. GREAT thinking. This is also why I only hung one of the doors.)<br />
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I know what you're thinking right now--what the crap is she going to use a cafe door on the wall for? Here, let me answer it for you with a picture...<br />
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MAIL. Our mail is consistently piling up on the kitchen table. I realize this is my fault because I'm too lazy to walk it back to the office and file it where it needs to go. But, still it's annoying. So, voila! A new place to pile the mail! <br />
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There is one small problem, though:<br />
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When the mail goes in long ways, if you aren't VERY careful about it...it just slides right through. But in order to fix this I would have to take it off the wall, put a perfectly cut piece of wood or cardboard or something behind it, glue it there, and replace it on the wall.<br />
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So, I'll just be VERY careful. Because...let's face it, that's a lot of effort.<br />
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I'm pretty excited about my new mail holder!<br />
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<br />Meghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14527818007332848959noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5419643307450046457.post-76093387564305658802012-05-11T18:51:00.001-04:002012-05-11T18:55:07.123-04:00Military Spouse BlogHop!It's Military Spouse Appreciation Day!<br />
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Let's face it...it's always nice to have some appreciation! :D<br />
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In honor of this glorious event, <a href="http://household6diva.com/2012/05/2012-military-spouse-appreciation-day-blog-hop.html">Household 6 Diva</a> and <a href="http://www.ridingtherollercoaster.com/">Riding the Roller Coaster</a> are hosting a BlogHop! I LOVE BlogHops! They hook you up with so many interesting people that you might otherwise never meet!<br />
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Join, won't you?<br />
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My name is Meg and I am in my second year of being an Air Force Wife. My husband, who is a security forces officer, and I moved to our first duty station in Dec 2010. We said "send us to Georgia!" and the Air Force said "here's the least populated state instead!" We are originally from Ohio, so the climate and the general demographic here is completely different than what we're used to, but we're pretty used to it by now.<br />
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I am an English teacher. I am not <i>currently</i> teaching, but I <i>am</i> a teacher. (Did you know it's also Teacher Appreciation Week? Because it is. I will take one apple, thank you.) Jobs here are hard to find, so I'm currently subbing in our district. I'm also a court appointed advocate for kids involved in neglect and abuse cases in the county, and my husband and I foster dogs on a regular basis. <br />
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You'll also find that, here on the blog, I do a LOT of baking and a LOT of DIY home decor. Since moving out here, my options for places to find specific things for my house that I want have slimmed to pretty much Walmart and Big Lots (more stores would require an actual population). Neither of these places is typically able to satisfy the image in my head, so I just end up doing it myself. Sometimes I come up with it on my own...sometimes (okay, <i>most</i> times) Pinterest advises me. <br />
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We don't have any kids (<i>yet</i>), but we do have an incredibly spoiled puppy. Cleo is a 9 month old Aussie Shepherd/Cattle Dog mix...we think. Whatever she is, it's a great mix and she's is a fantastic puppy--we couldn't ask for a better one! <br />
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I'm so pleased to meet ya!<br />
<br />Meghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14527818007332848959noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5419643307450046457.post-26796752539397241272012-05-07T20:28:00.000-04:002012-05-07T20:31:33.042-04:0010 Signs You Might be Ready for a BabyA few signs you/we might be ready for a baby...or at least it wouldn't change our lives much.<br />
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1. You both have a photo of your dog as the screen saver on your phone.<br />
2. All plans you make are made with the consideration of whether or not you can bring your dog.<br />
3. Your only friends are friends with dogs, and when you hang out you bring you dog.<br />
4. Your friends with dogs are having babies.<br />
5. Sleeping in is a foreign concept to you anyway because you are worried that your dog has to pee.<br />
6. You managed to make it through the puppy months of getting up every 2-3 hours at night without killing each other.<br />
7. When you wake up in the middle of the night, you lay awake for a minute and listen for the dog in case she's also awake.<br />
8. You post more photos of your puppy on facebook than of anything else. The amount of dog photos may or may not exceed the amount of photos your friends post of their babies.<br />
9. The amount you talk about your dog to your friends and family is starting to alarm them.<br />
10. The amount you talk about your dog to your friends and family is starting to alarm <i>you</i>.<br />
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Mmhmm. I do think we're getting there.Meghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14527818007332848959noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5419643307450046457.post-60856048573692154932012-04-11T19:12:00.006-04:002012-04-11T19:36:22.309-04:00Puppy SiblingsA couple months ago, I hooked up with several people on facebook who have Cleo's siblings. It's very rare for this to happen, especially since our puppy is a rescue and had nothing to do with a breeder where they keep strict records, but through our rescue's facebook page we still managed to find each other!<br /><br />A month or so ago we actually ended up taking Cleo's sister, Remi, in for a little while. Her original adoptive mama couldn't care for her anymore, and we took her until we found her another home. We didn't have Remi but 3 hours before someone my husband works with wanted to meet her, and he ended up adopting her that week. <br /><br />So, a couple weeks ago he dropped Remi off to us and we all (Cleo, Remi, me, hubs) headed an hour south to meet up with their brother, Quandary. Their mom was actually supposed to be there too, but canceled last minute so we still haven't met her. I think we're only missing one sibling from the bunch!<br /><br />These pups, now 8 months old, were so much fun to watch!<br /><br />Sisters, Cleo and Remi<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFfDlttHbXEyEIyDMnNppOy7ESoMQSSQSc6oG7XV5HxpMsCOrVamgMpk384ux38aFkEC8a9eXPeGvC5-5gI2DFQeadlL0LulUCc2rfQpUYthZwfgzCDXs5zgUNtKqQLe0X4h77TqRmOog/s1600/IMG_1275.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFfDlttHbXEyEIyDMnNppOy7ESoMQSSQSc6oG7XV5HxpMsCOrVamgMpk384ux38aFkEC8a9eXPeGvC5-5gI2DFQeadlL0LulUCc2rfQpUYthZwfgzCDXs5zgUNtKqQLe0X4h77TqRmOog/s320/IMG_1275.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5730289155422650530" /></a><br /><br />Remi and Quandary (Quandary is on the ground)<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN3E85UB0zeyKITk_JADNnRPSUF8sKgrSVEFy3LRKB-Flx6YaImy0IuxhW-8Y5LV9vtBklPR7NS95XOCtTlwaeCzEhxhjCV3RRID02UWYs8DWlAimRAtZsY1pRQphCGh9TfR_OE1JiYwY/s1600/IMG_1316.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN3E85UB0zeyKITk_JADNnRPSUF8sKgrSVEFy3LRKB-Flx6YaImy0IuxhW-8Y5LV9vtBklPR7NS95XOCtTlwaeCzEhxhjCV3RRID02UWYs8DWlAimRAtZsY1pRQphCGh9TfR_OE1JiYwY/s320/IMG_1316.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5730289620159209858" /></a><br /><br />We attempted to pose them on a bench. It was pretty much a no go. Remi is on the ground, Cleo on the left, Quandary on the right.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkzI40e412X1rHQ56tNh-M7RbQwmPG9i8hl2EEbtNbA1MHRoTufwmySH7K8RN156ilk1xbjl98wles7u0SJHZMZWGbm7Z97sbaULQ0ENoJAcyTMAPeo-TQaRZzOn55sZqhm-Utnls9S-g/s1600/IMG_1291.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkzI40e412X1rHQ56tNh-M7RbQwmPG9i8hl2EEbtNbA1MHRoTufwmySH7K8RN156ilk1xbjl98wles7u0SJHZMZWGbm7Z97sbaULQ0ENoJAcyTMAPeo-TQaRZzOn55sZqhm-Utnls9S-g/s320/IMG_1291.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5730290148413731650" /></a><br /><br />Playing! Quandary in front, Remi, Cleo :)<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYZkecktdhBx_Lo75ZDHgeDqDDs32P8LccfgSSru_moZOiiQ-b5F1FU2ssfS22jSbl8VkTa4bldEtFVmQqICGN1m8iFiwVFxEErbuiZPpbYe9D2Q_2qDrjwLhyphenhyphenMS7HWHyNc-NUHEtxveo/s1600/IMG_1306.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYZkecktdhBx_Lo75ZDHgeDqDDs32P8LccfgSSru_moZOiiQ-b5F1FU2ssfS22jSbl8VkTa4bldEtFVmQqICGN1m8iFiwVFxEErbuiZPpbYe9D2Q_2qDrjwLhyphenhyphenMS7HWHyNc-NUHEtxveo/s320/IMG_1306.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5730290978111244722" /></a><br /><br />They were just hilarious together!Meghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14527818007332848959noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5419643307450046457.post-82781802490700112742012-03-29T14:10:00.005-04:002012-03-29T14:31:05.080-04:00Meg Huxtable<span style="font-style:italic;">This post is part of Writer's Workshop at <a href="http://www.mamakatslosinit.com/blog/">Mama Kat's Losin' It</a>!<br /><br />Prompt: What celebrity Dad would you have picked for yourself as a child?</span><br /><br />I would like to start this post by saying that my father <span style="font-style:italic;">is</span> Carl Winslow.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcqtaiQ85WJSuli2TfzbbWJ5zdq6hCGhTu-DdRcrj3V2E-Q1_27X4qWil4FPQcOcg9qS8nmqBGyHncDMslDiQ8jazw1ec8j4bXBI-naglznESr6xHhxh7LM4lNCqWa-ElJVjR8BuzPyD0/s1600/carl+winslow.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 264px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcqtaiQ85WJSuli2TfzbbWJ5zdq6hCGhTu-DdRcrj3V2E-Q1_27X4qWil4FPQcOcg9qS8nmqBGyHncDMslDiQ8jazw1ec8j4bXBI-naglznESr6xHhxh7LM4lNCqWa-ElJVjR8BuzPyD0/s320/carl+winslow.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5725385508518930594" /></a><br /><br />He looks like him, he talks like him, he makes the same faces, and he's has the same mannerisms. Anyone who has met my father and then happens to be watching Family Matters feels the need to inform me that Carl is my dad, but on television. Only plausible difference between my father and Carl Winslow is the fact that my father isn't black. He is, however, Italian and very dark so it could be confusing. <br /><br />But, let's face it...the last person in the world you want to be your dad growing up is not the person who is exactly like your dad (although, having the money from the show would have been favourable). <br /><br />No, I wanted Heathcliff Huxtable.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA-U7nXEDrr3LAMqb5bTkUO_Rz0Rmr7-WT0kkZRT0TV7lEtFgx5eCtvtyHqlZFSdgYrtKGZW7L3-hZ0IqmxGhSCuuEMJtVxrWei-yFDinA5ApgSQm2jvVRCozHCBUYFKBowlCMoKmLuOk/s1600/cliff.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 215px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA-U7nXEDrr3LAMqb5bTkUO_Rz0Rmr7-WT0kkZRT0TV7lEtFgx5eCtvtyHqlZFSdgYrtKGZW7L3-hZ0IqmxGhSCuuEMJtVxrWei-yFDinA5ApgSQm2jvVRCozHCBUYFKBowlCMoKmLuOk/s320/cliff.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5725387019792983106" /></a><br /><br />He was funny (hilarious), and a great father, and a doctor, and just a fantastic human being.<br /><br />I wanted nothing more but to be his kid. Meg Huxtable. <br /><br />This could have been me:<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCms3sXL20xxMXmw-g1NOkEdmFMa4lhOWVhifrjbVsSRahwCyITU7KMH34g4miOPOjnWWDPjImdhSWAVM8aC5T48m-n7ey99tHah4IuXQhiFKHxMxyZUpu-SYjjOFlHbeBDwOAZxsAGhA/s1600/cliff+and+olivia.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 189px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCms3sXL20xxMXmw-g1NOkEdmFMa4lhOWVhifrjbVsSRahwCyITU7KMH34g4miOPOjnWWDPjImdhSWAVM8aC5T48m-n7ey99tHah4IuXQhiFKHxMxyZUpu-SYjjOFlHbeBDwOAZxsAGhA/s320/cliff+and+olivia.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5725387536298014834" /></a><br /><br />Damn you, Raven. Damn you.Meghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14527818007332848959noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5419643307450046457.post-23297486741655931902012-03-19T15:19:00.003-04:002012-03-19T15:21:53.123-04:00Project -12/430Yesterday I started project -12/430. It's happening.<br /><br />My BMI (according to the lame chart) is 1 point too high. Which is 12 lbs too high. <br /><br />So I started weight watchers yesterday, in a mission to drop 12 lbs by April 30th.<br /><br />I've done it before, just for a project for a wellness class in college, and managed to lose 17 lbs in 4 weeks.<br /><br />I have a LOT of faith that 12 lbs will be nothing! <br /><br />But...we shall see!<br /><br />:DMeghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14527818007332848959noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5419643307450046457.post-41542958545173111612012-03-18T22:31:00.004-04:002012-03-18T22:39:34.503-04:00Sew...what do you think?This week I broke out my sewing machine. We've owned it for almost 2 years now, and it's never been out of the box. I've never used a sewing machine before...so I decided to attack some items (the easiest items ever, which also happen to be baby items).<br /><br />Some Bib & Burp Cloth sets with Sew On Snaps (they last longer and withstand tugging!)<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKq-Wocb12Jqw2JpSmNsw_x0wZtAk7WthiaKwwBOY1DmscGL3kmGLqhjodiQ9p6fJ0ZmwbcX8CyTxCKW9kkR3gBrm3Eozp3t5fdrameZEZ4bP5B3Cnr5Bw7w7oh_oAohV6enZlvFv1mH4/s1600/IMG_5117.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKq-Wocb12Jqw2JpSmNsw_x0wZtAk7WthiaKwwBOY1DmscGL3kmGLqhjodiQ9p6fJ0ZmwbcX8CyTxCKW9kkR3gBrm3Eozp3t5fdrameZEZ4bP5B3Cnr5Bw7w7oh_oAohV6enZlvFv1mH4/s320/IMG_5117.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5721431468778092658" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGoPWRgY6pdnOTBQ3css5G_HpbtTh-cSYtQ6ObSRBwx9w9mUP0VhtgJeBhsad9ZG96v-LjNuqUh49Cfju_lHH6s6Zb5AeHPLXrwak3gIp2DyEgZR5gMuUW2X3HTSP5xAHVYIIN9CRQh8I/s1600/IMG_5119.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGoPWRgY6pdnOTBQ3css5G_HpbtTh-cSYtQ6ObSRBwx9w9mUP0VhtgJeBhsad9ZG96v-LjNuqUh49Cfju_lHH6s6Zb5AeHPLXrwak3gIp2DyEgZR5gMuUW2X3HTSP5xAHVYIIN9CRQh8I/s320/IMG_5119.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5721431464890311378" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioKXkwviQzm5btP2WxSDuKSdOSA7LVQ1WFFmJ0O02OcbhNM4IN5n5exItjpzjWhbA-POGWxGmVV2QlDd6AmpqbAjhGHoSCx8V6bZT9OmN6Sbcase-rsMq1rmImIfEjtbgOZZFRHytXgUs/s1600/IMG_5130.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioKXkwviQzm5btP2WxSDuKSdOSA7LVQ1WFFmJ0O02OcbhNM4IN5n5exItjpzjWhbA-POGWxGmVV2QlDd6AmpqbAjhGHoSCx8V6bZT9OmN6Sbcase-rsMq1rmImIfEjtbgOZZFRHytXgUs/s320/IMG_5130.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5721431455474316482" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB-Yay6XQHH3frnV_gGl9Yf9GZxo4gucOMSY_17bz9OAToVoahhIqhE7mrZHWM56bCKDHccf6HPAcbx1fl8TDjQws9_ggCpF0t3aSZD_zPzDConq4qauWQ9AZFqMrARo694Xd1HKJLDT0/s1600/IMG_5126.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB-Yay6XQHH3frnV_gGl9Yf9GZxo4gucOMSY_17bz9OAToVoahhIqhE7mrZHWM56bCKDHccf6HPAcbx1fl8TDjQws9_ggCpF0t3aSZD_zPzDConq4qauWQ9AZFqMrARo694Xd1HKJLDT0/s320/IMG_5126.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5721431450298777714" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg3Uy_vA0Ne4duWtubj2BHaF66lPSN8XoOc-ekQbHIZhpNR8QfUmqOF7EWbIePZgO_816SZD9S5pn8c6oXZRfJWOydg1oFIowW4qpGDv-2vFrOSDOv7dKLyVczrRZjA1PTtfwIpJYQWYk/s1600/IMG_5131.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg3Uy_vA0Ne4duWtubj2BHaF66lPSN8XoOc-ekQbHIZhpNR8QfUmqOF7EWbIePZgO_816SZD9S5pn8c6oXZRfJWOydg1oFIowW4qpGDv-2vFrOSDOv7dKLyVczrRZjA1PTtfwIpJYQWYk/s320/IMG_5131.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5721431438942817570" /></a><br /><br />A nursing cover. The strap is velcro and connects to the cover, and in the top of the cover between where the strap connects to the cover and where the velcro attaches is boning, so the front of the cover bows out when you use it--allowing you to see your baby, but not allowing everyone to see your boob. Win/win.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU72mMkl8_5B-MC8NNrMhJRFmc3Md8Cg04DxVy86o89icVm72PyR5Z18XwzBy5AtkiEcJjKcHJWXBlTldIMO_ht7D654Dl2xvBttP5nUWkHUodIJGIDgZb77js6VvWGip-o_cGLKdBPO8/s1600/IMG_5113.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU72mMkl8_5B-MC8NNrMhJRFmc3Md8Cg04DxVy86o89icVm72PyR5Z18XwzBy5AtkiEcJjKcHJWXBlTldIMO_ht7D654Dl2xvBttP5nUWkHUodIJGIDgZb77js6VvWGip-o_cGLKdBPO8/s320/IMG_5113.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5721431884146481346" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhclGvdXBE4jR4pu7Jlqq9CRfe5Bxwh56RTsBmqEYDEcjjCKIkxFWt7VMVNpVUnDUxsNOc94h-qsGFxVUuzXMI1Fj4clmar8OZ06GYHSVeWHkF6HOXzcRQwp825dZMv8FEXsntIZWzTyc8/s1600/IMG_5115.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhclGvdXBE4jR4pu7Jlqq9CRfe5Bxwh56RTsBmqEYDEcjjCKIkxFWt7VMVNpVUnDUxsNOc94h-qsGFxVUuzXMI1Fj4clmar8OZ06GYHSVeWHkF6HOXzcRQwp825dZMv8FEXsntIZWzTyc8/s320/IMG_5115.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5721431879453600162" /></a><br /><br />And, lastly, this is a 0-3 Month Pillowcase dress. It's supposedly "the perfect project for the beginner!" ...3 hrs, much cursing, and almost giving up many times...and the "perfect beginning project" was completed.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7Phy9RiADhMyNyN_oP5aPGCfDMh6TYEGVOXSSPaezVeh22TTkZfMEkoq-XV_sv5_5yXzOY6Q3s-L6hcRHT6IDxRoNosKvnsSCojKiSKfBdyBvfEXPBp3eR7ep98Go0vyPgeAB_859Jfo/s1600/417644_550308831414_188301205_30827062_1997338908_n.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 191px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7Phy9RiADhMyNyN_oP5aPGCfDMh6TYEGVOXSSPaezVeh22TTkZfMEkoq-XV_sv5_5yXzOY6Q3s-L6hcRHT6IDxRoNosKvnsSCojKiSKfBdyBvfEXPBp3eR7ep98Go0vyPgeAB_859Jfo/s320/417644_550308831414_188301205_30827062_1997338908_n.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5721432212229233218" /></a><br /><br />It's been fun...but I think I'm all sewn out for awhile!Meghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14527818007332848959noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5419643307450046457.post-36858795034691614642012-02-23T00:40:00.000-05:002012-02-23T13:27:40.464-05:00It's Just over that Mountain!(part of Writer's Workshop at <a href="http://www.mamakatslosinit.com/">Mama Kat's Losin' It!</a>)<br /><br />For as long as I can remember, my family has gone camping and boating at one specific lake about 5 hours from our house. It wasn't just <span style="font-style:italic;">our</span> family--it was us, my uncles, my aunts, my grandparents, and all my cousins. As kids, we just couldn't get enough of the water, and hated when we had to come in for the night.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6ZqlCX0ZNaMWEjZ-gJG7JVto2tbHsb38Wpwaa0EzXHZruG3jQm8xvyVOi4zkM4OQUy42PC-Bm2ksir_muShIpNb-zmBp3EXMsODXNuOwtJmm85kMxYoYS4EdJjoH9068QE3VYKtct1uQ/s1600/IMG_4234.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6ZqlCX0ZNaMWEjZ-gJG7JVto2tbHsb38Wpwaa0EzXHZruG3jQm8xvyVOi4zkM4OQUy42PC-Bm2ksir_muShIpNb-zmBp3EXMsODXNuOwtJmm85kMxYoYS4EdJjoH9068QE3VYKtct1uQ/s320/IMG_4234.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5712201917524417378" /></a><br /><br />On one particular trip, we were down at the lake for a longer period of time than we usually stayed, so the decision was made to take a day off of boating and just hang around the campground. As a 10 year old, this did not exactly thrill me. So, some time around that afternoon, my cousin and I (who was also 10) were complaining about being bored. Our uncle pointed to a mountain in the distance and said "well then go to the lake, it's just right on the other side of that mountain!"<br /><br />And we were off.<br /><br />Several hours and at least 5 different "mountains" later, we still hadn't reached the lake. I'm sure it didn't help that we were forced to take our 8 year old cousin with us <span style="font-style:italic;">in her flipflops</span>, either, but we eventually gave up and turned around.<br /><br />If anyone ever tells me "it's just right over that mountain!" again? I'm not falling for it.<br /><br />Lesson learned.Meghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14527818007332848959noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5419643307450046457.post-81745871908371567752012-02-12T23:12:00.006-05:002012-02-12T23:33:51.887-05:00DIY Fabric SoftenerI have seen this idea on so many blogs lately that I had to give it a go. It's so incredibly easy and really a $$ saver!<br /><br />Ingredients:<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg92skXQG2yIF0BX1OOwZEPZFCwTGZ2v-UZ-nm2PHxhJchPZq1w7VyQ4oR5eBSWiy701UGITWu8d2m8WShzOTiR9-p_pvUxB35Q1uGdFXo8B_2QnYwpoKKClJ-Tdn3zrkPhCAgGlMTu6Xw/s1600/IMG_2692.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg92skXQG2yIF0BX1OOwZEPZFCwTGZ2v-UZ-nm2PHxhJchPZq1w7VyQ4oR5eBSWiy701UGITWu8d2m8WShzOTiR9-p_pvUxB35Q1uGdFXo8B_2QnYwpoKKClJ-Tdn3zrkPhCAgGlMTu6Xw/s320/IMG_2692.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5708469168723870674" /></a><br />6 cups HOT water<br />2 cups hair conditioner (any kind, any scent)<br />3 cups white vinegar<br />Big empty container<br /><br />The ridiculously easy directions:<br />1. Stir the 6 cups HOT (seriously, make sure it's hot) water with the 2 cups of hair conditioner until the conditioner is completely desolved.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9X2MvEgKIlSt6_9wd476ZxBm_9nHlFFO2LrTYfYRu3M0OKhx22lmx5jlFodr5fMlI4PpgkaOFFPua2_GRlVIWT_jVVNER7XkKKVFLFOKTWfpckrz1O74JgL0qZ_62Wq_mXOViIKeRTJo/s1600/IMG_2689.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9X2MvEgKIlSt6_9wd476ZxBm_9nHlFFO2LrTYfYRu3M0OKhx22lmx5jlFodr5fMlI4PpgkaOFFPua2_GRlVIWT_jVVNER7XkKKVFLFOKTWfpckrz1O74JgL0qZ_62Wq_mXOViIKeRTJo/s320/IMG_2689.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5708469501179829378" /></a><br /><br />2. Mix in 3 cups white vinegar<br />3. Pour into container<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7rod9Ijn8DdrYy8mvTm6ULcV3lNZUY1EPBwpMhSini4i9-Zp5kfFLhoGt7hlGBZ5glr9SmDNXGq_5aogzfDPmT9IjmDZeH2p8BfBp7EI4NV2HhIHxH_0f-dfay-f8NZ0azptbbvKxiUs/s1600/IMG_2693.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7rod9Ijn8DdrYy8mvTm6ULcV3lNZUY1EPBwpMhSini4i9-Zp5kfFLhoGt7hlGBZ5glr9SmDNXGq_5aogzfDPmT9IjmDZeH2p8BfBp7EI4NV2HhIHxH_0f-dfay-f8NZ0azptbbvKxiUs/s320/IMG_2693.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5708469812901741250" /></a><br /><br />I will mention that I used dry measure for all this...because my brain was not fully functional this evening. So, although it's probably a bit more for liquid measure, this made about 2/3 gallon for me. So let's look at the price breakdown (and I bought all this stuff at target, so it would be cheaper pretty much anywhere else, because I had to make a valentine's day run):<br /><br />White Vinegar 16oz: $1.12, so would be $1.68 for liquid measure at 24oz.<br />Conditioner 22.5: $1.47, so 16oz of that would be about $1.07<br />Water: Free ;) <br /><br />Total cost of about 85oz of fabric softener: $2.75, or $0.03/oz.<br />The fabric softener I buy is the Tide 44oz, which is on sale for $4.47 right now at walmart, making it about $0.10/oz, which would make 85oz of fabric softener bought $8.64.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Total savings: $.07/oz or $5.80/85oz. </span><br /><br />We will talk about the fact that I'm frugal enough to make my own fabric softener, but willing to shell out $4.00 for a gallon of Arizona tea I could make myself later.<br /><br />Also, I haven't used this yet, but I'm planning on using it with the cup from the last tide bottle I bought and using the same amount as I would have from the bottle based on the load. I'll let you know how it goes.Meghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14527818007332848959noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5419643307450046457.post-17768598142569988662012-02-06T21:13:00.006-05:002012-02-06T21:32:28.634-05:00Adventures in FosteringMy husband and I have been fostering dogs for the past couple months, and have found that we really have a great love for it. Cleo is our only permanent dog and, as we live on base, we have a 2 animal limit--this has worked out well for us, because we can't keep any of our foster dogs or we can't foster anymore. Translation: our crazy house rules are keeping us from owning a billion dogs. <br /><br />We are taking a little break from fostering because I'm in training with United Way for CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates for Children), where I'll be working with foster <span style="font-style:italic;">children</span> instead of foster <span style="font-style:italic;">dogs</span>. While I'm in training, I don't have the kind of time needed to devote to a foster puppy. But, before too long, we'll be back at it! <br /><br />So far we've had, and successfully adopted out, these puppies:<br /><br />Blitzen, or "Blitz," a 4 month old Golden Retriever. Cleo had an absolute blast with him and, although he seemed a little too eager to get at other dogs while walking a the park, he was absolutely best friends with Cleo. He's a lover, a soft mouth, and a great dog! <br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPBbRTI4m-7tACsYaF1xmj1Ub-ZoldgnmQHteabhhyphenhyphencPhARk8U1olGBEY7R6b7o7ZiIreBoVVgrupLVBguvA9KqjXOv6AiQq3PF-EGDWF4pC_Kzx9m48SP3IR-TmjZEGMjIx4STqwgJ2M/s1600/IMG_1185.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPBbRTI4m-7tACsYaF1xmj1Ub-ZoldgnmQHteabhhyphenhyphencPhARk8U1olGBEY7R6b7o7ZiIreBoVVgrupLVBguvA9KqjXOv6AiQq3PF-EGDWF4pC_Kzx9m48SP3IR-TmjZEGMjIx4STqwgJ2M/s320/IMG_1185.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5706212377696669938" /></a><br /><br />Froggy, a 5 month old Puggle (Pug/Beagle mix). She was born and spent her entire 5 months of life in a shelter, where all her litter mates and mama were adopted. She is the most snuggly dog I've ever seen, and wanted nothing more but to curl up in your lap. When we first brought her home she hated Cleo and her insane energy, and actually got Cleo under her eye. By the end of her time here, she would play for a long time with Cleo before getting annoyed with her! <br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYLcqs2gPATCS6xbOr7xHUbOh_FuRjTCg2_rZONVX31t4tVs_5bP-IJk97YbKjBQ1PK-zPhuI2DUTVA8d1a4jzpe31xTUA-K73diPIPR0J5AFJV8rriu6Ls8PyNZJ8neRj5kPxTKzjXwM/s1600/IMG_2657.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYLcqs2gPATCS6xbOr7xHUbOh_FuRjTCg2_rZONVX31t4tVs_5bP-IJk97YbKjBQ1PK-zPhuI2DUTVA8d1a4jzpe31xTUA-K73diPIPR0J5AFJV8rriu6Ls8PyNZJ8neRj5kPxTKzjXwM/s320/IMG_2657.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5706212974617084786" /></a><br /><br />Lastly, meet Sofia--a 5ish month old German Shepherd mix. Sofia was abused, and spent the first two days here in her crate because she was terrified of everyone and everything. She would sit in there and growl at Cleo when she couldn't even see her, would have to be dragged from her crate to go outside, and as soon as we'd come back in she would run back into her crate and not leave. By the time she left here, she would come out of her crate for long periods of time and play GREAT with Cleo! She was doing so well! Here's a photo from one of her last couple days here:<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid2GE1Mh5ClQr3ZdmLlblpvnNe1C04LKZqvPZTvQAn4lcxMDU78JDW3PhDINiLx_wHQOEtgc6bjreKwcBM8RGavE55lX2uF4Odj3RHmTOMmoh082xRlMpYjigBOMWswgabPRGiZmnXJEs/s1600/IMG_2682.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid2GE1Mh5ClQr3ZdmLlblpvnNe1C04LKZqvPZTvQAn4lcxMDU78JDW3PhDINiLx_wHQOEtgc6bjreKwcBM8RGavE55lX2uF4Odj3RHmTOMmoh082xRlMpYjigBOMWswgabPRGiZmnXJEs/s320/IMG_2682.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5706213949691326242" /></a><br /><br />And, of course, here's our 6 month old Cleo...because she's pretty awesome.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAITiDD3S8pWNoYGdnFRFCaW7dYs9VzwLOqZ73W7npKx1un2X5OOkaEtNoZUrc7MczaysDwRLlSG7gCuz982GfT_SpwschgHH6EYTQTWU_tEPCfzGtV7BHWp2WTyeaEuFvFMkAuxBR1VA/s1600/IMAG0236.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 191px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAITiDD3S8pWNoYGdnFRFCaW7dYs9VzwLOqZ73W7npKx1un2X5OOkaEtNoZUrc7MczaysDwRLlSG7gCuz982GfT_SpwschgHH6EYTQTWU_tEPCfzGtV7BHWp2WTyeaEuFvFMkAuxBR1VA/s320/IMAG0236.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5706215926387553618" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7_C33r9R2WtbnJMOAndW_jYP1Xn7FwZUA2y1iGhc4zREGaTrtZ3e0ffYqLOSriwnxJxIi6Eg1uRBbEZgZz3VtKuF5T4PHeFpIUf7F9zkMwI384s0P2PcqHwNZepkJe8EJGrXBpkylF3E/s1600/IMG_2621.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7_C33r9R2WtbnJMOAndW_jYP1Xn7FwZUA2y1iGhc4zREGaTrtZ3e0ffYqLOSriwnxJxIi6Eg1uRBbEZgZz3VtKuF5T4PHeFpIUf7F9zkMwI384s0P2PcqHwNZepkJe8EJGrXBpkylF3E/s320/IMG_2621.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5706215918998273618" /></a>Meghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14527818007332848959noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5419643307450046457.post-82012232126725686132012-01-22T00:42:00.002-05:002012-01-22T00:56:43.073-05:00Extremely LoudI saw this movie this weekend: <span style="font-style:italic;">Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close</span>. I'm still not sure how I feel about it, as I understand the idea behind it but I'm really not fond of the storyline (who let's their little kid run around NYC by themselves all day going into homes of complete strangers?). But, either way, it got me thinking about 9/11. <br /><br />9/11 sucked. I'm pretty sure there really isn't a better way to put that. Everything about wars and terrorism sucks. But, this particular event--9/11--sucks more than the rest of them just because it happened and I/we/my generation was there for it. There's always Pearl Harbor, all of WWI & WWII and other wars, numerous battles etc., and even the completely-non-war-related Titanic that were horrible events where so many people were killed. We hear about them, and read about them, and we know they sucked too. But, we weren't watching the news or reading the papers or listening to the radio when these things happened like we were for 9/11. <br /><br />Instead the halls in our schools were very hush hush while non-descriptive "letters" were passed out to us and we were sent home early to empty houses where we then turned on the news alone and tried to make sense of what was happening. Was it a coincidence? Was it a terrorist attack? Where even ARE the twin towers? Do I know anyone there? Many of the news stories, at least for me, will be the things that stick around forever as memories. Especially the stories in the days that followed where loved ones cried out at the cameras waving flyers and pictures at the camera of their missing family members. <br /><br />We weren't there to see the aftermath for the others. <br /><br />And I think it makes us stronger as a generation.Meghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14527818007332848959noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5419643307450046457.post-16801298168963097012011-12-24T22:44:00.002-05:002012-01-07T16:56:01.565-05:00Merry Christmas!Here's a few images of Christmas in our house! The hubs is working all weekend, unfortunately, but we'll have a good 2 hour Christmas tomorrow :)<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXE7ogJUABODQ5AhXxV3rriF_-EIP16Pd7zmakcQoKTxlDpyXHSpfM5nE1OVDxzhVbnDS0hnPqjcH3tLiiTPpIbCXwFfJkKYqqE3R2aOlx5oKv5ipCwzT0A7sAK1LVtD3_qsTC-o6mf2Y/s1600/IMG_1203.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXE7ogJUABODQ5AhXxV3rriF_-EIP16Pd7zmakcQoKTxlDpyXHSpfM5nE1OVDxzhVbnDS0hnPqjcH3tLiiTPpIbCXwFfJkKYqqE3R2aOlx5oKv5ipCwzT0A7sAK1LVtD3_qsTC-o6mf2Y/s320/IMG_1203.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5689908267098883490" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5_oXzIqwajAkXsckXd1oZ0c7kswzpAfczs0Ay15gOcpoeW2zNRx4v6WVaEN7kOnjsEAabmlrHsa04mJ5kAK7pfOgJWe_fW77nyW_MTJA_C-T9Ng4z7KrxrrGg2RconDrr8H14YVlEVYA/s1600/IMG_1197.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5_oXzIqwajAkXsckXd1oZ0c7kswzpAfczs0Ay15gOcpoeW2zNRx4v6WVaEN7kOnjsEAabmlrHsa04mJ5kAK7pfOgJWe_fW77nyW_MTJA_C-T9Ng4z7KrxrrGg2RconDrr8H14YVlEVYA/s320/IMG_1197.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5689908584698082962" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBZ3c6awf4BijgF1DpdvSIMgJl6Wc2psN6oRo956192IJVyIOZXz_YCkVqNMqpcgLeJsICOYaQ_yRj5Xk6IeCy2E8Ru4ITwrdJmxK0rh8dq5rTsIejvmRWO2d5ayq_iBLc0PU7aAVo7iY/s1600/IMG_1201.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBZ3c6awf4BijgF1DpdvSIMgJl6Wc2psN6oRo956192IJVyIOZXz_YCkVqNMqpcgLeJsICOYaQ_yRj5Xk6IeCy2E8Ru4ITwrdJmxK0rh8dq5rTsIejvmRWO2d5ayq_iBLc0PU7aAVo7iY/s320/IMG_1201.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5689909239483419010" /></a><br /><br />Cleo's just a little excited for her first Christmas :)<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJogPS0lDIVJ3oWfdQZHI7NtSz_NW8MXI97shZTz1ZK6RzpC9f4I7Kb7CoPd4fl5j9kRYQw2eUz517PspWt47_Z3omWgtjMC5oX8ulCzd8cYEmeTxw0PNMqySqazN_ktkdLRqzv4sFAP0/s1600/Untitled.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 191px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJogPS0lDIVJ3oWfdQZHI7NtSz_NW8MXI97shZTz1ZK6RzpC9f4I7Kb7CoPd4fl5j9kRYQw2eUz517PspWt47_Z3omWgtjMC5oX8ulCzd8cYEmeTxw0PNMqySqazN_ktkdLRqzv4sFAP0/s320/Untitled.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5689909496264979586" /></a>Meghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14527818007332848959noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5419643307450046457.post-79377040611326745622011-12-20T22:00:00.004-05:002012-01-07T17:00:46.124-05:00Not Even SorryI don't have much to say in this post. I have no pictures of this event, so I drew you a picture...<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJyUsWpSlFDA4kMjESoLRWxCkBKFJyoccu_WW9aDtqp9NkBYtyDvZk69CkvErjjT9XFZaBJrba7XS76x-V7j7wgtY_-ttp9vBiYvg2l9JBrCTDtrXIbC5EV6ueCOvim4uBhLr-XxQ7v5A/s1600/Untitled.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 276px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJyUsWpSlFDA4kMjESoLRWxCkBKFJyoccu_WW9aDtqp9NkBYtyDvZk69CkvErjjT9XFZaBJrba7XS76x-V7j7wgtY_-ttp9vBiYvg2l9JBrCTDtrXIbC5EV6ueCOvim4uBhLr-XxQ7v5A/s320/Untitled.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5688411380515880578" /></a><br /><br />The other day we took Cleo and Blitz (who got adopted today! So we are back to a one doggy home!) to the park to see how Blitz did interacting with strangers, on a leash, etc. We walked him over to the playground to find some kids.<br /><br />There were none.<br /><br />So we played on the playground like the grown adults we are.<br /><br />This "bucketseat" spinning contraption? Amazing. You propel yourself once, and then it spins you and you can't stop.<br /><br />And if you're me, you laugh uncontrollably and nearly puke when you finally get up the balls to jump off the spinning death seat. <br /><br />And then you're horribly embarrassed when a biker or 6 goes by.Meghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14527818007332848959noreply@blogger.com1