Doing A Happy Dance...

Oh yeah...did I mention...


5 Days Until London???!!!!!

A Post About Chester

So I realized this last week that I haven't written much about Chester lately.

But what can I say about this dog? Nothing much, except that he is pure entertainment. And I mean that.

He seems to be learning a lot, including the basics of 'sit', 'stay', 'stand'...but he also seems to understand the words 'Oma', 'Opa' (Cary's parents) and 'T-Ma' and 'B-Pa' (my parents). When we ask him if he's ready to go see any of them, his ears perk up and he cocks his head. Then he runs to the door, rings the bell, and then sits down, waiting for us to put the leash on him.

He loves to play with the toys that are dispursed around the houses, especially tug-of-war. He also loves to chew on frisbees...I'm waiting for the day that he learns how to catch them and return them...

Over all, he's a great, loving, entertaining dog, and I enjoy having him in our family.

But now he's begging to go potty, so I guess I should take him out!

A Day Of Gifts

Look what I came home to last night!

I have to say--Peanut (and I!) is (am) so spoiled already!

The bagels came from Brenda--perfect for my tummy!

The Jack in the Box came from Brad, Faith, and Helen for 'Peanut'--his first toy!

And Cary, a.k.a. the greatest husband ever, brought me a puzzle book (for us to do together on the plane), a Marley & Me DVD, and the Twilight book to read!!

Running With (Or Away From?) The Clowns

On Saturday, Dallas had its first Red Nose Run, which was put together by the Ringling Bros. & Barnum & Bailey Circus! And guess who were special guests/sponsers? Well, yes, of course, the Clowns of the B&B Circus, but also the Lewisville Fire Department Safety Clowns!!!

What a fantastic time for Ashes, Radio, and Petunia, as well as their 'fan club'/photographers, Cary and myself!

It started with Cary and I waking up at 5:15 a.m. (hey! Ashes and Petunia woke up at 3 a.m. to start getting ready--ON A SATURDAY!!!), going to McDonald's for breakfast (Starbucks was closed) and then Chester getting the shock of his life, when 3 clowns walked into his territory...he started barking but then Petunia spoke, and I could see the wheels cranking in his head, "Hey! I know that voice! That's my T-Ma!"

After another quick stop at Starbucks for Radio to get some grubbage, and Cary and I run next door for some candy (for Radio and my little Peanut), we were on our way to the fabulous Downtown Dallas.

When we got there at 7:00, we met up with Mark, another clown, and went to the tiny square in between all the skyscrapers, and started the socializing.

I had to ask Ashes and Radio, "When you were in high school, did you ever think that you would be surrounded by a ton of high school cheerleaders when you were ___ years old?" (I never reveal a clown's age!) There was a squad of girls out there, and as soon as they saw the clowns, nearly every single one of them insisted on a photo with them...the guy clowns were in heaven!

Around 8:00 the square was full of life, and many getting ready to go. Cary and I did our best to keep up with the 3 clowns, but sometimes it just was not possible. Let's just hope some awesome photo opportunities did not get away from us!

Finally, the Ring Master of the Greatest Show On Earth came onto the stage to help get everyone stretched and warmed up. He was quickly taken over by the 'boss clown' who led the warm up, and other Circus clowns and Petunia did warm up exercises to entertain the crowd.

One race was started (which I believe was a walking one), and then at about 9:30, a very large crowd started lining up for the big Red Nose Run. Let me tell ya: One of these days, I will love to participate in a run (by actually running/walking), but it is so much fun being surrounded by a group of clowns, the Ring Master, and getting to stand in the middle of a downtown Dallas street and not get into trouble, because I am taking photos of the event!

Once the race started (I got video of all of the runners running past the Ring Master, who dared not to move or would get run over), there were tv interviews, one where the 'boss clown' pulled Ashes in for part of it, clowns teaching Dallas police officers how to balance things on their noses or chins, and then disappearing clowns....

What?! Disappearing clowns??? Yeah. I spent a few minutes looking for Radio, wanting to make sure he was not too hot or dehydrated. He was found (with Ashes) inside the break tent, where the Circus clowns were chilling--yay! All was well, so I continued walking around and watching the run as people were coming around.

When the racers got across the finish line (they did it in great timing--I can't imagine doing that...but someday!) the clowns came out to entertain, as did some young contortionists and a hula hoop girl. And then the prizes started going out to the runners.

By this time, I was pooped, and I was ready to go home and find the comfy couch to sleep on (hey! I did wake up at 5:15!) The Fire Safety Clowns were presented with gifts from the Ringling Bros. for being there and helping to entertain during the morning. They were very generous gifts, including a t-shirt, and a beautiful snowglobe.

The Circus Clowns have always taken care of Ashes, Petunia, and Radio (well, in the 2 years we have known them) and it is such an honor for them (and Cary and myself) to get to spend a day with them and to enjoy their antics away from the 3 rings. And I can't forget to mention the Ring Master is super cool--and tall!

I look forward to going to the Circus again this year, and hopefully seeing Ashes, Radio, and Petunia in the show again somehow. And even if it cannot happen, it is an honor for them, (and us!) to get the opportunity to rub elbows (and funny bones!) with some of the coolest clowns on earth!

How Does This Happen?

So in the past 2 weeks, I've had to throw away not one, not two, but I'm now up to 4 shirts that have holes in the elbow...and just the left one.


How does this happen? The only thing I can think of is that my desk has some weird edge to it that rubs throughout the day, until there is a 'magical hole' there.


Or perhaps all of the weight I've lost is just in my left elbow, making it bony and sharp.


Sigh.


Looks like its time to start breaking in those maternity shirts, even though I'm not showing!

Another Weekend Without Pictures...

What is happening to me? I mean, why would I, Jenn, go ANYWHERE without my camera??? Do I blame it on the fact that I left it at home, on the coffee table? Or perhaps because I was so incredibly nauseous during the drive to Sulphur Springs?


None of the above. I did have the camera with us on the trip to our niece Helen's birthday party, and I WAS extremely yucky during the drive (I closed my eyes to try to control the motion sickness, and ended up falling asleep), but I didn't pull out the camera except once to get a picture of some of the girls playing Twister. Someday I'll learn....


So, no camera aside, the weekend was very fun and eventful. When I was first asked to go to Helen's party by her mom, Faith, I eagerly put in my request to get off of work early enough so I could drive to Sulphur Springs (1 1/2 hours away) in time for the party. Unfortunately, though, it was not granted immediately, and I was put on a waiting list. Only on Friday at 10 a.m., I was told my request had been fulfilled...


Last week, everything kept changing around. Suddenly, Faith's other friend April pulled out of the party, leaving Brad to be the other chaperone to the party. So that meant that Brad would not be driving to the Irving/Coppell area to visit with his family that night. And of course, I had terrible 'morning' sickness. Thursday evening, I was not able to get off of the couch--I was just so miserable, nauseous, and tired. I was suddenly worried that I would not be able to attend the party and help out.

On Friday, I was happy to say that I felt a lot better. All day I ate small meals, avoided any smells, and even arranged Chester to stay overnight at his daycare. Once we got off of work, Cary and I took off for Sulphur Springs, stopping for a drink and snack along the way. Halfway through I started feeling nauseous from the motion in the driving, so I closed my eyes to try to stop it, only to fall asleep. Cary says I was only asleep for about 30 minutes, and I woke up when he started turning off the freeway. At that point I was so grateful that he volunteered to go with me. I couldn't have imagined the travel by myself.


We got to Subway for dinner, and then on to Brad and Faith's, where the party was kicking. Once I took one bite of my sandwich, I instantly felt better--and ready for the crazy night's actions!

After dinner, the girls were split into teams of 3 (there were nine currently) for a digital photo scavenger hunt. Cary and I got Helen, Casey, and Imani. Each team was given a list of things to find, and the adult in the group had to take a pic of all of the girls with that object...


Some of the items included (and what we found):


Something wood (a fence)
Something tall (an electric pole)
Something shiney (the bumper of a truck)
Something black (the tires of the same truck)
Something old (another truck)
Something white (a white Mercedes...are you seeing a pattern?)
Something empty (an open mailbox--don't arrest us please!)
Something with numbers (a realtor sign--after convincing the girls to be more creative than the mailbox again)
Something precious (an angel on someone's doorstep)

So after we finished the list (there were more than this, but all I can remember for now) we rushed back to the backyard where the girls played on the swing, fought lawn chairs, and yelled like crazy "We won!!". We had a time to be back at (8:30), but as time drifted on, I began to realize that it wasn't a race to see who was back first. It was more for creativity (d'oh! all of those cars!!!)

While Brad stood up at the front going through each picture and describing to the other groups what they found, another girl joined the party. She got to pick the winning team by picking the most precious (kid, angel, or rose?) and it ended up being our team!!!

So into the bedroom the girls are shuffled, where the first sign of violence began with a pillow fight and crying girls. Then Happy Birthday was sung to Helen, and all sadness was forgotten after ice cream and cookie cake was dished out.

After I finished serving ice cream (in the cutest ceramic planters) I walked back to the living room where I got to observe Cary and his new 'girlfriend'. Little Molly went up to Cary and sat next to him and said, "You look like someone I know" and started talking with him. I joined the 2 out of amusement and she looked at me and said, "Your husband is skinny for an old man!". She also gave me pointers for staying skinny (popcorn, pickles, and ice cream!) This little girl was hilarious!!!!

After dessert time, Faith had the 10 of them sit in a circle and play games. The first one was "Going on a Trip". The first girl (Helen) says, "I'm going on a trip, and I'm taking _____". Helen said a flashlight...The next girl repeats the same thing, including Helen's flashlight, and then adds her own...and on it goes around the circle. Well...should have known this was going to happen. When it got to Molly? She repeated all before, and then said, "I'm taking Uncle Cary!"...this brought big laughter and akward moments to all of the other little girls when it came time to repeat Uncle Cary...

Complete with playing Telephone, a dance club in Helen's room, the night was a hit with them falling asleep around 12:00 and all of the adults going to bed around 1:00. The girls awoke at 7:00 a.m., which meant it was DONUT TIME!!!!

At 10:00 the parents started picking up the girls, and that meant the fun was over, so Cary and I headed home, driving in the rain, and then as I found out on Monday, an EARTHQUAKE!!! In DALLAS!!! My uncle felt it as it was strong in his area (Euless) but of course we did not.

I slept for the rest of the afternoon, then played Wii at my parents Saturday evening. Sunday was church and then to Cary's parents, where we ate delish chicken casserole and watched Marley & Me....what a weekend!!!

Lost: The Season Finale

Ok. I'm not usually one to talk about tv shows, but Cary and I watched LOST last night. This is the only show we watch on a regular basis, as frustrating as it is...

Cary's brother once pointed out the religious concepts of the show, which actually I never saw until that time. But now...as much as I love the show, I'm ready for it to be over with and with all questions answered!!!

****SPOILER ALERT****

What why did they have to kill Juliet off??? I was really starting to like her character, and her and Sawyer being together. But I do love how Sawyer was absolutely destroyed by losing her, and her final heroic moment. Way to go Juliet!!!

Maybe we'll see her again next season, and maybe she and Sawyer will meet and get together. Maybe Kate and Jack will do the same...

I'm so ready for next season to begin!!!

(photo courtesy of wikipedia.org)

Saying Goodbye In Peace...

On Friday evening, my beautiful friend/coworker Penny lost her husband (of over 30 years) Kraig to his kidney failure.


The most beautiful part of this story, which I asked for prayers in previous posts (1, 2), is that he accepted Christ as his Savior not long before his passing, making it a more peaceful passing for both of them. Thank you for all the prayers that went out for this couple.

Kraig struggled with a lot of pain and demons through his months before, during, and after dialysis, and Penny stayed strong for both of them and by his side through it all. As Kraig was slowly slipping away from her, he told Penny that he loved her very much and that he knew she would have the support she needs to help her get through this passing.


Our other dear friend/coworker, Eugenia, was by Penny's side when he took his last breath. Many other friends had come to be with her as well. And I am so thankful that she has friends like that in her life. With the love from all of these people, she will get through this. And with a beautiful rainbow at the end.

I'm At Work...

Because I need a vacation after this weekend!

This weekend filled up quickly due to birthdays, Mother's Da, and more birthdays. Friday evening, Cary and I went to dinner with mom and dad and the Christenson family to celebrate mom's birthday. Before we went, mom got to open up her gifts--Wii galore! Cary and I found a couple of additional games for the family to enjoy, but a big part of the Wii was for the fitness programs that she can use.

So after a very filling lunch, mom, dad, Cary and I went back to the house and opened up the packages and played a few games of bowling and Mario Cart. It was my first go at the Wii, and it was pretty fun!

Saturday morning was used to sleep in and relax. Cary and I went to his job to do about 10 minutes worth of work in the morning, and then I got to settle in for a nap! I could say this pregnancy is an excuse for me to take naps, but who am I fooling--I LOVE TO TAKE NAPS!!!

Saturday evening Brad, Faith, and Helen joined us as we went to church and then to dinner. The original purpose of the night was for us to go Swing dancing--which quickly changed after we ate dinner at Red Robin and saw that the dancing started at 9:00 p.m.--too late for some of us!!!

So instead we caught the 9:50 showing of Star Trek. I was a Trekkie growing up, attending 2 conventions (with Leonard Nimoy and then Michael Dorn--Worf of TNG). Before the previews started (which included Terminator, GI Joe, and Transformers 2), a group of Trekkies came out and had a trivia game consisting of 3 questions with 3 prizes. I didn't really know any, but it was fun just trying to try to see if I knew any...

This movie is INCREDIBLE!!! The actors did a great job portraying the legends before them, and the special effects were (pardon the pun) Out of This World! Even the aliens look like aliens, not overly-made up humans...I'm ready to see it again! And with seeing a couple of my old friends from a Home Team, it was a great night!

On Sunday, the McFaddens celebrated Gary and Helen's birthday, and Mother's Day for Brenda and Faith. Lunch was roast and leftover meatloaf, carrots and potatoes, veggies, beans, and rolls. Topped off with chocolate cake for the chocolate lovers (which we all are) and tons of gifts (Nintendo DS games for Helen, Clock radio for Brenda, and Croquet set for Gary just to name a few), and now I am exhausted!!!

Afterwards, Cary and I popped by to give my parents a copy of the sonogram of their little 'peanut' for their own, and it ended up with dinner at Landmark.

We got home about 7:00 and were in bed asleep by 9:00 last night. I am so ready for bed again tonight!

Mothers...

Today is the day we focus on our mothers. And in my case--my extraordinary mother. When I think about her, I feel very blessed to have her in my life.

This day has always been combined with her birthday, either because it literally falls on the same day, or one or the other is just a day behind. So we try to make sure she is double spoiled. She deserves it!

I also want to sing the praises of my other mother, Cary's mom, Brenda. I am still getting to know her, but she is an amazing woman, and I am so grateful to have her in my life. I enjoy our chats every Sunday and just any time I get to spend with her!

So, moms, today is for you. I hope that I am as much of an influence on my kids as you have been on us.

Thank you for being such a wonderful, loving people!

Happy Birthday Gary!

To the greatest hamburger making, 42-playing, chocolate loving man I know!

This man might shy away from the camera, but he tells great stories, and knows how to cook!

Happy, Happy Birthday, and many more!!!!

December 16, 2009

That is the estimated date our first blessing will come into this world!

I just got home from the first doctor's visit, and so far, everything seems to be going alright. Of course they drew a lot of blood, gave me some prenatal vitamin samples, A LOT of reading material, and then a quick sonogram.

I saw the little heartbeat and got to hear it!!! So the shock is still here, but its more real to me now. There is a human being inside of me!

Cary was super close in guessing--he wanted the baby to be born on December 15, which is our anniversary. So he may actually be close!

Now everyone is waiting and eager to find out what it is!

My Confession

I have a confession to make:


I...am...a.....blog........lurker!!!


I know I know! The shame! It's true!!

While I'm at work, I have moments where it is slow. So I begin by hopping on someone's blog that I'm following, then click on one of their friends and read theirs, then their friends, etc...until I get 'addicted' to one.

This is how I discovered Bring The Rain, Nienie, and My Charming Kids. And I love their stories!!!

I also notice every blogger wants their lurkers to come out and say hello. And I guess I should, but... I'm shy!!!


Not a (good) reason I know. But if you see that I am looking through your blog and you happen to come by mine and read this post, I'm enjoying it!!! And perhaps someday I will find a post I would love to comment on, and then you'll know I'm there!

Yet Another Unique Weekend!

Does this surprise anyone? I didn't think so...

Friday night was perhaps the most of the normal days, but it quickly changed to a 'wow' experience when one of Cary's old friends got in touch with him via email. One really neat things about this situation is that I started reading her blog and found that one of her sons has autism, which I have for years said that I would love to become a psychologist and study.

And we also visted Babies R Us, just to daydream a little... :o)

On Saturday Cary and I met with Autumn, Jim, and Evan for lunch (see previous post). Indian and an old friend--can't beat that! Afterwards, it was time for a nap (can't get over how incredibly tired I have been lately). For the evening, Cary and I decided to pick up Helen, our niece and go for the evening to my parents house.

Wall-E, pizza, games, and music filled our evening. Let me tell ya: the McFaddens have some sort of musical talent hidden within them because Cary and Helen took turns playing the dulcimer and ukelele, and they did it well! The evening ended with a thunderstorm and a Christmas sing-along. Oh yeah--and Chester? In heaven with his buddy Helen to play with!

Sunday morning began with more thunderstorms at 3:30 in the morning (I didn't have to hide in the closet in fear!), and then we woke up at 10:00, to get ready for our weekly trip to Gary and Brenda's. Just as we were starting to leave, we got a call: their electricity was out due to the storm.

So plans were quickly changed and before you could say "So much for a typical Sunday", Cary and I were cleaning the apartment, waiting for our visitors. Cary even made a quick trip to the grocery store for milk (and Tandoori chicken fixins!). When Gary, Brenda and Helen got here, Brenda made her way to the kitchen and started whipping up lunch for the day: chicken and rice.

Not long after we fixed some coffee, hot cocoa, and tea, Brad and Faith showed up. To me it was a great time getting to play host to our in-laws for once (the last time was Cary's birthday party) and we had a delicious lunch and then brownies for dessert, with a game of 42.

It was about 2:30 when everyone decided to pack up and go our separate directions: Brad, Faith, and Helen back to Sulphur Springs and Gary and Brenda back to the house to see if the electricity was back on. Cary and I followed them to see about finishing up our laundry, only to have the power go out once more! (thank goodness we did most of the laundry on Saturday night!)

Let me tell ya: I'm exhausted!!! What a fun weekend, and a great time to see our families! I like the change of pace, and hopefully letting everyone feel welcome into our cozy apartment.

Chester loved his seeing his little human buddy this weekend, and showing off his new tricks (catching a ball and standing on his back feet). Hopefully he'll sleep well tonight!

Lunchtime With Old Friends

Just got back from some yummy Indian food! And I have started Cary's journey to make sure our kid loves Indian food. No worries there--I don't plan to stop eating it anytime soon! (and I can't wait to try it in England!)

But the great thing about this meal was that Cary and I met with my old high school friend Autumn and her hubby Jim, as well as their cute little boy, Evan.

Evan took to Cary really easily (as Cary is nothing but a kid himself), but it was so good to see Autumn again. We were so close in high school and part of college, but unfortunately we drifted apart. But I am so grateful that she is back in my life, even though we have a lot of different priorities. We may never be the mischevious pair we once were, but I sure do keep the memories close to me!

Autumn, Jim, and Evan, it was wonderful seeing you again, and I sure do hope that we can do it again some time!