I intended to keep my mouth shut about this for a little longer but we've already spilled the beans to a lot of people, so I'll share here too.

We had a make-up ultrasound session last week!!!

As all (?) of you know, our scheduled ultrasound was a terrible experience. Janna spoke to her friend Missy, an ultrasound tech, about our experience and she graciously offered to have us come back. Well -- life became busy especially with Mike's job situation, so we weren't able to go until last week. It was such a great experience. We were a little nervous to go as we REALLY didn't want to find out the sex and thankfully it's still a surprise for us!

Since I was 32 weeks, the baby was quite cramped in my stomach. So although, the baby looks very developed which is great for pictures, she had a hard time getting good pictures/angles. Mike and I thought it was perfect though and are incredibly grateful to Missy.

The first thing Missy said when she saw the profile was "well there's the Slot nose." Mike's excited that the baby may have my button nose. There's another shot where it appears the baby has Mike's dimples, which I'm really excited about :) We caught the baby yawning and we watched it probably 3 times. We then switched rooms to have the 3D ultrasound done. It was truly amazing!! We thought the normal ultrasound was fantastic but it's nothing compared to the 3D.

I'm not sure how to post a video of pictures, so hopefully this link will work.

http://s258.photobucket.com/albums/hh268/kristimcwilliams/UltraSound2/?albumview=slideshow&direction=reverse

1. Getting out of bed easily
2. Putting on my shoes and socks without grunting or getting out of breath
3. Going more than an hour without needing to pee
4. Bending over for any reason
5. Sleeping on my stomach
6. Rolling over in bed easily
7. Walking up the stairs without feeling like I need to stop at the landing to catch my breath
8. My once spot-on memory
9. Having full control of my emotions :)
10. Having a flabby stomach - I think that was better than my now ROCK hard stomach

I had more but see number 8 :) Any mom's have any other good ones to add ...

In case anyone is interested in knowing what's been going on lately with the baby preparations, I thought I'd list a few things bullet-point style. I'm still not in the mood for writing but at least I'm updating, right?

• We put together our stroller. It's sitting pretty with the baby carrier in our dining room. I'm waiting to come home some day to see Mike pushing it around the living room again :)
• We are done with Step 1 of 3 in terms of painting the nursery. We are going to finish Step 2 tonight. I think it's going to be really stinkin cute!! I can't wait to see the end result.
• We have our crib and dresser/changing table. Neither are put together but they are bought and begging for us to finish painting, so they can be assembled.
• We had our birthing classes last weekend. It was a looooooooong weekend and although at times, I don't think it was incredibly useful, I'm glad we went. We had to take our classes at Metro because Scott wouldn't allow me to get time off to go to Spectrum, so we still have to go to Spectrum to tour the birthing center. I think we are going to wait until the beginning of January to do that.
• Something really exciting happened yesterday but I don't want to share yet in case people start reading my blog again. We have chosen not to share with everyone quite yet. I'll be sure to share within the next week or so.
• **EDIT- Addition** I'm pretty sure we have decided baby names. We have one full name chosen and the other sex, we have the first name decided but aren't sure on a middle name quite yet. I thought the baby naming process would be so easy but it's been our biggest "struggle" yet. It's kinda cool to call the baby by a name though. Of course Mike will only call it by the girl's name :)

That's all I can think of for now. I should probably get back to work anyhow ...

• Yes, I'm still alive. Life has just become very busy.
• Yes, I'm still doing well but starting to get uncomfortable.
• Yes, I'll try to update more often but I can't promise anything.

The End.

Check out how many days are left!!! I'm into the double digits!

I don't have a cool little picture for this but Christmas is only 52 days away!!!!!!!!!!!

I thought I'd start another new....series for lack of a better word because I've been sitting here for probably 5 minutes trying to think of the correct word I'm looking for :)

I'm going to post recipes -- both new and tried and true.

I had heard about a recipe on the radio and then Olivia confirmed it's deliciousness.

I made them last night and man were they good!!! They were incredibly chocolate-y, very moist and super easy. I brought a bunch into work and everyone loved them. No one believed there was pumpkin in the muffins!

Chocolate Chip Muffins

1 package of chocolate cake mix

15 oz canned pumpkin

6 oz of semi-sweet chocolate chips (I used mini choc chips)

Mix together; batter will be thick. Pour into muffin tins. The batter will not rise, so fill close to the top. Bake in a 350 oven for 15-20 minutes.

I had this posted on the post below but for some reason, it isn't showing up anymore. See my other post below.

I have been very fond of the Dove products and their ad campaign for quite some time now....but this video, makes me love them even more.

This is from their website:"Half of girls in grades 3-5 worry about their appearance. Here are several hundred reasons why:"

This video moved me...moved me to want to take action, to raise my children in any way to not allow the eating disorder and appearance issues to set in. Society needs to let go of it's grasp on us. But how do you teach children this tough lesson when society is SCREAMING all these impossible body image ideas from every media outlet?

Anyone? Any ideas? Feedback?

The official blog nagger said I needed to keep up better with my weekly pregnancy postings; so here is another one. I don't have much to write since I just sent out a long email the other day.

I've been experiencing a few new things lately. I've been noticing my eye sight changing which isn't good for me at all. I've been totally putting off getting my eyes checked. It isn't because I'm scared or hate going, I just never think of it. So I already know I need a new Rx but now that my eye sight is changing more, I'm afraid after my pregnancy I'll be stuck with a bunch of contacts in the wrong Rx. I think I'm just going to have to suck it up though.

I also have been having problems with my eyes. Both last Sunday and this Sunday, I woke up with a bump on my right eye. It goes away after a few hours but it's painful and actually on the whites of my eyeball. Today I'm donning my glasses today :( They say around this time it becomes harder for a lot of pregnant women to wear contacts. I've been hoping this won't happen to me because I hate wearing my glasses. Hopefully it's just a fluke this has happened twice in one week.

Now onto more exciting things. Mike and I made our first big baby purchase last night. I found a coupon online for 15% off any one item at BabiesRUs, so we went and bought our stroller travel system. I'm so in love with it!! It's a stroller, car seat and baby carrier unit.

We are pretty stinkin excited. It's a sure sign that we are getting old -- when you get excited about buying practical items.

We are narrowing down our nursery/bedding theme and actually may have made a decision! Not only are we are trying to spread our costs around but also we need the spare bedroom to still be a bedroom for the next week and half but we are excited about starting to work on converting our spare bedroom into the nursery in the next few weeks.

Well I think that's all I have to share for now. I'll try to keep up with this better.

P.S. - The baby says 'hi' via their foot to my stomach just a second ago :)

I know you are growing strong and healthy, and I know you need a lot of nutrition to grow the way you need to, but can you PLEASE save some food for me?? Why is it that every single thing I eat (even when I TELL you that it's for me, not for you), you devour and leave nothing for my poor body to feast on? I am starving all the time, and would really love for you to start learning how to share.

Love,
Your-Always-Hungry-Mommy

Can you believe it's October already? Where the heck has this year gone?

As I grow older, fall has been steadily climbing to become my favorite season. There is just something about fall time that I long for. I love when the weather becomes cool at night making it perfect for sleeping. I love the smell of fall in the air, the leaves changing colors, apple picking, fresh cider, and Halloween.

Needless to say, I'm a little bummed to hear it's still going to be 80 degrees this week even though I'm sure by January I'm going to regret saying that :) We are heading to Detroit this weekend for a wedding and Mike said we were going to stop at this Cider Mill he use to go to on the way home. I want to wear a sweater while drinking my freshly made apple cider and donuts, not a t-shirt :(

Oh well ... atleast I'm still getting cider and donuts :)

half way done with my pregnancy!!! Crazy, huh?

My Dr. won't allow me to go more than a week late and since I'm 20 1/2 weeks, it means I'm officially half way done! YAY!! YAY!! YAY!!

Yes, I know I should post a longer more detailed post but I just haven't had the time lately. Life has been really busy. I'll try to post on Saturday while I'm bored to tears at work.

both are baby related. Shocker, I know.

1. We had our Dr's appointment last Thursday and my Dr told me some amazing news. Ready? I have not gained a single pound!!!!!!!! Now that may not be big news for some people but for this chubby girl, it's some of the best news I could have heard. Hopefully I haven't jinxed myself by gloating about this :)

2. The even bigger more exciting news. OUR ULTRA-SOUND IS TOMORROW AFTERNOON!! We are so excited to finally see pictures of our baby and make sure (s)he is healthy. Mike is excited that he gets to see the baby for the first time on his birthday (which is 5 days before Janna's birthday and a day before Matt and Olivia's anniversary, like that ladies?). I'm sure I'll post pictures and a review about it on Friday.

September is definitely the month of birthdays around here.

Let's do a little run down of close friends and family only:

Tara- 2nd
Tim - 9th
Angela - 15th
Dad - 19th
Mike - 20th
Russell and Emma - 20th
Janna - 25th
James - 29th

There you go Janna, another shameless plug for your birthday :)

I'm stuck at work today until 11pm. The very thought makes me almost cry and that's how I know overly hormonal and emotional. I think I'll blame it on the baby :)

So bare with me as I rant and rave and just talk. Things are going well here. The pregnancy is becoming more and more real which is really exciting. As corny as it sounds, each day I become more excited and less nervous. I'm still overwhelmed since we aren't sure what is happening with my job situation after the baby, we don't have a name picked out, or a nursery theme but I'm becoming less nervous about money and the actuality of a baby.

I've been having alot of round ligament pain. It's uncomfortable but I'm not as nervous about it anymore now that I know what it is. Before my Dr's appointment, I'd worry each time I felt it wondering if I was cramping, so I'm happy to hear it's normal.

I'm beginning to feel the baby move -- or I'm pretty sure I am. It's still early on, so they said it isn't a strong feeling so I'm not 100% positive but I'm pretty darn sure. Mike is incredibly excited and can't wait until he can feel it too.

I'm still not craving anything although my tolerance/appetite for sweets has drastically decreased. I never thought in my life that I wouldn't be in love with sweets. I'm more drawn to salty things -- like Chex Mix :) It's very weird and totally foreign to me.

We've still haven't changed our minds to not find out the sex or reveal the name of the baby (once we finally decide) and no matter how much people tell us "it's stupid", "it would be a lot easier to decide X,Y, and Z", "you are the only people who don't share names" will change our minds. Yes, I'm 100% aware that almost every hurdle we have right now would be easier if we knew the exact sex of the baby but the surprise will be worth it in the end. It's like finding out your present before your birthday. Yes, you are excited when you first find out but there is a little bit of disappointment when you open it on your birthday. Yes, you still love it and are excited but the excitement of not knowing as you open it is gone. One of the things Mike and I are so excited about is when the Dr tells us "It's a ....!!!" So I'll continue to shake my head and agree when people want to insult or mock our decisions but I know I'm making the best decision for us. ::stepping off the soapbox::

I'm still fitting into my normal clothes. Yay! I did wear my first maternity shirt to work the other day. Granted, I didn't NEED to wear it but I was too lazy to put anything else on, figure out what I had worn in the past 7 days, so I threw it on. It was cute though and a little roomier.

Well I think this long enough. Tomorrow makes it WEEK 18!! I'm going to try to write weekly updates to keep people better informed.

Why does time hate me?

This whole week work has been D-R-A-G-G-I-N-G!! The days seem to never ever end.

The fact that it is only 5.52pm baffles me as I think about the other 1 hour and 8 minutes I must somehow get through.

Thank goodness I have tomorrow off.

Mike and I had another Dr's appointment for the baby today. It was a really short visit but it was great to have the reassurance that everything appears to be normal/healthy. The heartbeat was found really quickly which was great to hear. She said it was about 160 beats/minute.

Our next appointment is on Sept 20 - Mike's birthday which is when we will schedule the ultra-sound. YAY!!

Any guesses yet to the sex of the baby? You don't have to have a blog site to answer :)

Does your spouse make breakfast bed? Watch reality TV that you know he really doesn't care to watch? Do the laundry? Humor you by going over countless lists of baby names? I'm proud to say that mine does (sorry, babe, your secrets are out)! To me, nothing says love like being a part of the team. Or maybe I should rephrase, maybe it's taking one for the team. I like to think I'm a pretty good teammate, too. I wash the silverware since I know he hates it, manage all the finances, and every now and then... look out... I throw some full-priced treats into the grocery cart.

It's those little things in the daily routine of life that make a marriage successful. It's wanting to do something for the other person more than for yourself. And it's always, always best when it's least expected. So while today marks another birthday, we both know that it's the in's and out's of every day that really count. (Although I have loved every minute of the endless pampering!!) And that is why even though I squashed his thoughtful dinner plans, tonight will not be a dinner disappointment, but rather another opportunity to listen to each other, talk about the exciting upcoming year and enjoy another birthday .... the best way possible ... together.

This'll be quick.

We are here in LA. Mike had to look something up on the computer, so I thought I'd look at my email real quick. I have waaaaaaaay too many emails, so I thought I'd blog instead especially since I can't access myspace :(

We went to Vegas on Monday. It was fun. We ended up losing all our money but we pretty much only used Mike's tip money, so it was sort of like "free" money. It was a fun city and I'm glad we made the long desert trip.

We've yet to really see any LA spots. We went to a Dodgers game on Sunday and went to Long Beach where I saw the Queen Mary. I got a far away shot but it's a picture none-the-less. Starting today is when the wedding stuff really starts. We are hoping to fit in a couple major tourist stops today and tomorrow.

Well Mike is done researching, so I'm going to sign off as well. Hope everyone is doing well. I miss talking to everyone but the time change makes it extremely difficult to call people. Talk to everyone soon.

Yes it's true. Mike and I are pregnant! By now, I'm sure everyone who reads my blog now knows the happy news. Mike and I are thrilled! It was unexpected but we are incredibly excited.

I sent an email about our first baby appointment but I wanted to blog it here as well.

The appointment went fantastically with the only downside being the nurses couldn't find a vein to draw blood. They were finally successfully able to draw my blood with the assistance of 3 nurses and 5 holes in my left arm. My arm is a nice shade of purple but at least they didn't have to enter through my hand :)

Dr Steen was great. She was very talkative, answered a lot of our questions, made great small talk, and had a great way of making me feel calm and relaxed. I think she'll be perfect for delivering our baby.

We were able to hear the heartbeat which was everything everyone hyped it up to be! As my mom so eloquently wrote yesterday, our hearts totally skipped a beat when we heard the baby's heartbeat for the first time. Everything became much more real. She said the baby's heartbeat was 180 beats/minute which is normal for being 11 1/2 weeks. She gave us a due date of Feb 9!!

We went to Carter's Sidewalk sale yesterday and bought a bunch of cute baby clothes for DIRT cheap! In a way, time is just flying by but on the other hand, Feb seems like an eternity away.

Tomorrow is the big day. We are incredibly excited and slightly nervous.

Another post to follow soon.

First the negatives because those are bugging me the most:

• Why did I have to come back from vacation?
• Why are certain employees totally incapable of thinking for themselves and must seek direction and answers from me on every move they make? If I weren't here to ask, I'm sure you would be perfectly capable of answering your own ridiculous question.
• Why isn't it 3pm yet?!?!?!

Now onto the positives:

• I had a fabulously ripe juicy nectarine for lunch.
• I'm about to get a free $15 after work thanks to a CVS error and Janna's great attention to detail :)
• It looks like it might rain this afternoon which will work perfectly for a nap.

My newest quote/motto: "It's exhausting being fabulous."

Mike and I got thee cutest present in the mail today. It's incredibly adorable and we are excited to use it.

THANK YOU AGAIN!!!

If you are able to watch the Dodgers play tomorrow, look for my beautiful sister and brother-in-law. They will be front-in-center 2nd row behind the plate wearing their Dodgers gear and Missy in her birthday tiara :)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MISSY!!!

It's been a long time. I've spent some time away from blogging but no worries. I'm back.

So my vacation has been nice so far. Nothing exciting which kinda stinks but it's so much better than working.

Mike and I took Ethan and Micah to the Frederick Meijer Gardens on Wednesday. It was a beautiful sunny day and FMG has a wonderful outdoor kids area, so we thought it would be a perfect fit. The boys seemed to have a great time as did Mike and I plus I scored some wonderful pictures.

Mike and I stayed up late on Wednesday (first time in a loooong time) and watched a movie together in bed. It was nice and relaxing.

Thursday I did nothing. I wasn't feeling well and literally I didn't do much of anything including getting ready. The farthest I went was the mailbox :)

Friday we headed to Lansing and spent the day with Mike's mom. We had great conversation during lunch and then watched License to Wed which was cute. You know my love for Jim Halpert :) We had such a fun day ..... plus we left with a special gift and plants :) Does a day get better than that?

Today I had planned on going to the Alger's Heights Farmers Market but unfortunately today we finally received the much needed rain we've been waiting for :( While, I enjoyed hearing the rain this morning and feeling the breeze from bed, I can't help but selfishly wish it would have been nicer. I wanted to get some produce!

Mike's dad, Amy and the kids are coming to town today. We're excited to see them.

Well I should probably go do something other than watch the Food Network. I promise to update this again within the next few days.

and told to blog more often.

So here's a shorty:

1. I'm incredibly excited for Mark and Missy to get into town on Friday!

2. Thanks to a certain someone for Tuesday.

3. I'm on a mini vacation from work and I could not be more thrilled!!

So our house is officially on the market.

We met with our realtor today. He was painfully honest. He said there is a chance we'll lose money (like most sellers in GR) and to expect it to take awhile to sell. Although, I appreciate him not sugar coating it, it's still hard news to swallow.

However, I'm choosing to remain optimistic. It only takes one interested person. I think it's a cute house. Someone else has to think so too. Angela, you do not count :)

So if you know anyone interested in purchasing a house, let me know. I'm looking for a quick sale. I can't keep my house immaculate 24 hours a day for very long :)

Ok so I may not be rich but I'm about to become famous :)

How you may ask? Rachel, Mike and I were in our first movie video!!

There is a video series called Nooma (www.nooma.com) and the production crew has been staying at our hotel. Rachel made friends with the AD (Asst Director for all non-movie actors :)) and asked if we wanted to be extras in the movie. We jumped on the chance and spent a couple hours downtown last night filming. It was oodles of fun. We really think this might be our big break, right Rach?

So watch out Hollywood, here we come :)

I should be cleaning OR grocery shopping. I'm currently doing neither but watching Paula Deen and wanting to bake something.

So I've been a slacker and haven't wrote in days. Not only have I been busy but I also didn't feel like I had much to write about.

Mike and I had a fabulous time on our vacay. We had a great time catching up with old friends, being in the warm sun, exploring a new beautiful city, and spending time together celebrating our first anniversary.

I've been working pretty much ever since we got back from vacation. I luckily had Memorial Day off. We spent the day house hunting and then went to Merr and James' house for a cookout. It was a nice evening with the kids being the highlight, as always :) What can I say, I have the cutest nephews around!

So the big news in the M household is: WE ARE SELLING OUR HOUSE!! We've been struggling with this for awhile. Some of you may remember, we contacted a Realtor last September and we kind of put everything on hold. We've become more and more frustrated with our current living situation. So we are de-cluttering the house (sorry mom and dad, you are about to get a bunch of my stuff back) and doing a few projects before listing the house. Our hope is to have it listed by next week.

We've also found a house that we are in L-O-V-E with!! I'm trying not to get my hopes up. Everyone knows Michigan housing market blows, so who knows how long our house will sit on the market. I'm sure by the time our house sells, our "dream" home will be sold but I can still hope, right? We are hoping to talk to the builders to see if they are building anymore in the same development. They also have a few guarantees in terms of your current home selling before your house is ready (etc) which we are going to look into as well.

Well I should get going and do somethings around the house. Mike's been out boating with Brandon and will be home soon. I should probably get cracking on dinner real quick. I'll end this with a picture of the house we are interested in again because I love to show it off :) Sorry they are in the wrong order.

Look out Florida and Georgia cuz here I come.

Mike and I are leaving at the butt crack of dawn tomorrow for Tampa. We are excited to see Nathan and Erika again. Then we'll head up to Jacksonville on Saturday to see everyone and their mother, along with eat some fab La Nop!!

Then there is Sunday; the day I'm most excited about :) Sunday we'll be in Savannah, GA hopefully eating at Paula Deen's restaurant, enjoying our first anniversary together. I'm amazed at how quickly the time has flown by.

We'll head back down to Jacksonville on Monday evening and then fly back out of Tampa late on Tuesday. Yes, it'll be a jam packed weekend but I'm excited to see close friends, old friends, favorite cities, and new cities. Mostly I'm excited to spend time with my husband and reminisce of our first year together. And hopefully see Jamie Deen LOL

One Year Ago:

• My last name at work as Kristi S
• My best friends were flying into town
• I was stressed out trying to finalize last minute details for the wedding

What I've Learned Over The Year:

• It's much harder to fit Kristi M on all my paperwork
• Having everyone close to me at the wedding meant the world to me
• There was nothing to be stressed about - the day would turn out perfectly

Most importantly ..

Just when you think you can't fall any deeper in love...you do. And I did ♥

You see only 936 full moons in your lifetime. You live through only 312 seasons and you get only 88 weeks of paid vacation. What if you had the chance to see the world?

There is a show on the travel channel where one incredibly lucky couple is able to travel the world for 5 months. They are seeing the places mentioned in the book "1000 Places To See Before You Die." It's quickly becoming one of our favorite shows. We sit and watch in complete jealously of how lucky this couple is to live out our dreams of travelling to some of the greatest places on the earth.

Mike and I have both been fortunate to see many great places and experience new cultures. We've been lucky to travel as much as we do. Travelling is our one true hobby; our expensive hobby. The idea that an average person only receives 88 weeks of vacation is a daunting thought. How are we suppose to see the world in only 88 weeks? A better question is how do we see the world on our income?

This topic -- 1000 Places To See Before You Die -- will be an ongoing post on my blog.

Apparently a true addict would have slurped the diet coke off the floor.

Thanks for trying to make me feel better about myself :)

I lead a pretty clean life. Ive never been into drugs. I rarely drink anymore, and when I do it is in moderation (unless it involves fishbowls and then moderation is thrown out of the proverbial strip mall window). I don't smoke. Don't drink coffee.

My one vice in life - my one bad habit, is my addiction to Diet pop.

(soft drink
n. In both senses also called soda pop; also called regionally cold drink, drink; Also called pop, soda; Also called soda water, tonic.
A nonalcoholic, flavored, carbonated beverage, usually commercially prepared and sold in bottles or cans.)

My relationship with pop spans at least a decade. I always knew I had a problem with my love of diet pop. When you have to go to the grocery store simply to buy pop, you know you drink too much pop.

Tonight, I discovered that my addiction is real. I need to sit in a group of people, hold hands, chant and tell my story.

My name is Kristi, and I am a pop-aholic.

I went to the kitchen to pour myself a glass of you guessed it - Diet Coke. A brand new 2-Liter of cold Diet goodness.

Somehow, the bottle slipped out of my hands before I could open it, and it bounced across my kitchen floor. I picked it up and saw that yummy foam rising inside the bottle, but decided it wasn't enough to make it explode. Wait a few minutes, tap the cap, and I should be good to go. Right? So, I pointed the bottle towards the sink (just in case) and slowly unscrewed the cap.

Then, all hell broke loose. That Diet Coke blew up. I turned my head and tried to aim it into the drain, but it didn't stop the flow of foamy lava. I felt my t-shirt become saturated. It was unstoppable. Finally, the explosion died down and I stepped back to look at the damage.

My kitchen was COVERED with Diet Coke. Completely covered. The counter; covered. My stove; covered. The refrigerator including pictures Russell, Emma and Ethan drew; covered. The hardwood floors; a nice thin layer of Diet Coke.

And I knew my addiction was real when the first thing I did was pick up the bottle and look to see if there was any left to drink. I poured the last few ounces left over into my glass and drank it. Then I was ready to clean up the mess.

Mike and I ventured over to the East side of the state to visit his dad, Amy and the kids. It was the perfect day to spend outside -- sunny and 70.

Mike only printed one page of directions and as luck would have it the last few turns were on the second page. We twisted our way around the bends and corners before seeing a driveway down a beautiful street with bikes and toys on the driveway. When we heard a small child singing to himself in a big wheel and a cute little girl flying up and down the sidewalk on her two wheel bike, we knew we found the right house!

The kids were beyond excited to see us. Each one wanting to show off the house and why their bedroom was the coolest :) We spent some time coloring inside where the funniest conversation occurred.

Russell: I'm the first one done coloring
Emma: Because your scribbled
Russell: No I didn't
Emma: Yes you did -- in the face. And you only used blue for his clothes
Russell: Blue is my favorite color!
Emma: (covering mouth to speak to me) Kristi, I'm a quality color-er

I had to cover my mouth to hold in the laughter. Here is are a few quick, but not quality, picture of us in the craft room.


We then decided to walk to the playground so the kids could show us where they like to play, the swimming pool that holds 100 people, and the lake. It was a nice long walk. It's great to see how well they get along together. It's nice to see how much they want to show off to us. Each one tries to scream louder than the other in order to get our attention. I've never heard Mike or Kristi used more in my life. Here's a picture from Mike's phone. I cropped myself out since I hated how I looked.


When we got back to the house, Amy was back from running some errands kidsfree. We drank some "magic juice" and had great conversation before having a fun pizza dinner. Shortly after dinner, Emma donned her "pretty pretty" dress and showed us her dance skills.


They are coming to Grand Rapids for Mother's Day. The kids are excited to see us in "14 Days!" and truthfully we are counting down the days just like they are :)

Not only was I lucky enough to get today off but I was also lucky enough to watch Micah! Granola bars are so much cooler than toys!



Scott gave me an extra day off this week because I worked so many hours last week and because of all of my audits. I was pleasantly surprised. It is really needed. I wasn't able to sleep more than probably 2 hours on Monday, so I'm incredibly behind on sleep. It will be nice to just relax or even lay my head.



Since I'm partially ready already, I should go finish getting ready and actually be productive on a day off. So like Micah -- I'm outta here kids.

Typically I will not do this but I feel compelled to re-post a comment that was sent to me. Please don't be scared to leave me messages in fear that they will be re-posted in an entry. Or if you want something re-posted, leave me something really good :)

The following is a comment from my mom in regards to the entry I wrote about my grandma. Of course it made me cry (and laugh) before and during work but I thought it needed to be shared with the world.

P.S. Neal is my grandma's "boyfriend" and no I will not be cutting any toe nails but I'll come with ice cream, Mike will take the scissors and we will listen for hours just like with Granny.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

You are so much like your Uncle Bob. It is a gift to be able to listen to the tales of a old lady, to see her eyes light up at the the stories of her past or the presence of her grandchildren.

You have the best prayer warrior. She asks why God isn't taking her home, she dreams of the days when she is really "home" and can see "dad" and her precious Jesus. For now she knows her job is praying over all those people she loves - well maybe except Neal.

She is worried how to break up with him. She doesn't want to walk down the church aisle and sit where he wants to sit. She does not want to watch Lawrence Welk. But then this 93 old lady also doesn't want to hurt him. "Ya know he is a nice man, dresses nice but sometimes you just want to hang out with the ladies." I tried to refer her to the social worker sitting next to her (Janna) but I think she really wanted me to write a "Dear John" letter to Neal. Just think about it they are both blind! Never did I dream I would be counseling my almost 93 yr old mother on how to break up with a guy.

For now keep her in your prayers. Her days and nights are getting hard. The doctor tells her that her heart is getting weak. It's so hard to breathe. The lack of oxygen makes her mind go fuzzy and oh how she hates that. Grandma has lived a good long life but it will still be hard to say good-bye but a joy to know she is finally home.

Meanwhile your mother grows older and prays that I will have a daughter that will listen to my silly tales, will make sure I have ice cream at bedtime, make sure I see the grandchildren and great- grandbabies and make sure someone will cut my toe nails.

I will not fall into the trap that so many have before me of talking smack about my work. You never know when a blog will fall into the wrong hands and quite frankly, although I may not always love my job, I do need it.

I will say this: if you notice the time of this entry (and many more to come in the next 10 days), you may understand why I'm saying this. I've never in my life wanted a Monday - Friday 9a-5pm job more in my life. I'm sick of being the victim for other employee's poor life style choices and terrible work ethic.

Maybe part of me is jealous because I've been a salaried manager for the past 7 years. I've never had the ability to play hookie, take an extra day off just because, to work a partial day to go to an appointment, to leave at the end of the day and not have to think about work until I step back into it the next day. I've had to be a responsible adult; an adult who works with no overtime. I work in an industry that doesn't close their doors. Not for holidays, not for weekends, not for bad (or nice) weather, not because we are short staffed. So I work every other holiday, every other weekend, on 80 degree sunny days, in blizzards, and 50+ hour weeks.

So before I vent more about work, I'll just say that I'm tired. It's 4.30am and I'm tired and want to go to bed. I have 2.5 more hours before I can go home to sleep to come back and work 7p-7a tomorrow. Yippee!

Vent over.

It's funny how relationship evolve over time.

I remember with great fondness my relationship with my grandparents when I was a small girl. As I sit here and write, I can picture their house and me sitting there with my long sunkissed blonde hair and skinned up knees. I remember "playing" croquet in the backyard, Jason shooting off Grandpa's BB gun, and playing Racko on the patio. I can still remember eating Grandma's rhubarb and strawberry pie or better yet, making homemade donuts. Can I blame my obsession for donuts on my Grandma? :) Other times, my Grandma would take us for a walk to Cone City where every time I would chose a Slushee. We would quickly eat our ice cream treats before walking back over the railroad tracks and the few blocks back to Grandmas.

My grandparents are old. There is no reason to put it sweetly. They are just old. My Grandpa passed away when he was 90 years old and I was in the 5th grade. My Grandma had moved to a condo. That's when a great thing called puberty came into my life. Everything changes. You become too cool to hang out with family. You know so much more than they do anyway, right? We use to joke about how my Grandma was crazy. Tim suddenly became my much older cousin Kyle who lives in Texas. Or the time Jason found the cotton from an aspirin bottle in a batch of cinnamon rolls.

Fast forward to today. My Grandma ROCKS! She is almost 93 years old and is still completely with it. My Grandma has lived am amazing life filled with hardships, love, stepchildren, children, grandchildren, great grandchildren, great great grandchildren, and death.

I love when we go visit her. We try to go every couple weeks. Sometimes for 20-30 minutes at a time and sometimes for hours. I love how much her face lights up when I tell her that Mike and I are here to see her. I love how much she adores my husband and when she tells me that I chose the right man for me. I love how much Mike loves my Grandma and loves spending time with her as much as I do. Thinking of them walking down the aisle together for our wedding, still brings me to tears. I love how she tries to act hip by calling me "Giiiirl." It's like a secret name she has just for me. Or how she still wants (and has) her independence and refuses to give into the fact that she's 93! I love when she talks about growing up as a girl up north in a one classroom school. Her stories about her dad being a bad potato planter crack me up. She seems so interested when Mike and I talk about hotels, although I'm sure she doesn't care. She asks about Mike's lil brother and sisters whom she met once at the wedding. "They are such well behaved kids." I love that at almost 93 years old, my Grandma still remembers everything. She heard a name the other day that sounded familiar only to find out it was a man she went to school with and had not seen in 85 years! The vast amount of LIFE she has lived is amazing to me.

However, I'm constantly struck by how she might not be here much longer. Every time I leave, I cry on the way home. Someday I will a phone call and will be devastated. I know it's how life works but I don't have to like it. I know she's lived a great life but selfishly I'm not ready for it. So for now, I will continue to go see her as often as I can. I will hold tight to knowing how much she loves me and her knowing how much Mike and I love her. I will cherish every time she calls me "Giiiirl" like she's still 18 years old. ("Giiiiirl did you hear ..." "Giiiiirl, I don't need that.") I will take all her advice and wisdom to heart. More than anything, I will be grateful for every visit I still have with her and all the memories I was able to make.

I was so excited to start this blog and I've already slacked on writing in it. Oops! Can I blame it on being busy?

For the past 7 years of me being a salaried manager, I've had the privilege of going home each day for an hour lunch. One hour to decompress. One hour to get away from work, calm down, catch up on my soap (it's only 40 minutes if you fast forward through the commericals), go for a walk, play online, etc. Just one hour to have to myself. One quiet Kristi hour.

Recently at work, we had a major change for us managers. Although it may sound small to some, it's been a big change for myself. We are now required to work 8 hours and if we leave for lunch, we have to stay one hour later. Like I said before, this may not sound like a big deal to anyone but quite frankly it is to me. So I've been taking lunches to work each day, so I can continue to only work 8 hours. I'm dealing with the extra hour of work just fine. I don't mind spending a few minutes making a lunch before going to bed at night -- after all I typically make one for Mike anyway. Here is what is dragging me down ...

I don't have my "ME" time. I hate spending time on the internet when I know Mike is home as it takes away from "US" time. So my emailing, myspacing, researching, and blogging haven't been happening as frequently. Bare with me as I continue to readjust to losing 5 hours of "Kristi" time.

I used to write all the time. I'd write when I was happy, bored, frustrated, pissed off and especially when heartbroken. Over time, I've stopped allowing my creative juices to flow. I can blame it on things like a new relationship, buying and fixing up a new house, planning a wedding, adjusting to being married, and just enjoying life, but the real reason is I just don't know what to write about. I feel I've lost my ability to be creative and clever. However, does one need to be creative and clever at all times to express themselves? I sure hope not because I'm going to give blogging another shot. So here I sit, ready to blog. Someone may read my stuff and get it. Some may not. The cool thing is… I don't care. This is my blog. My one little space in the entire world that I can do and say whatever I want; in my little space, I have the right to say what I want to say no matter how poor written it comes out. I'll write when I need to vent, brag, show off pictures, work my way through a problem, or just to cure boredom and hopefully somewhere along the way, I'll find my writing skills again.