tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-85014892024-03-07T01:26:00.694-08:00The Adventures of Chris and EveyChrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06066636340007833731noreply@blogger.comBlogger928125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8501489.post-82341503901664954622016-10-03T11:20:00.000-07:002016-10-03T11:20:03.965-07:00And Then There Were Four...I sure have neglected this blog over the past few years. I really have no excuse--I have the time. Motivation is really my biggest obstacle. Hopefully this will be the start of something new around here, I miss my little corner of the Internet where I can ramble uninterrupted and where many of you actually stick around to read it.<br />
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It seems fitting that the last time I wrote here was after Audrey was born, and I shared her birth story. It seems like it was just yesterday she made me a momma, and yet she has just turned two. Yes, I said TWO! And now here we are about to delve into Lauren's birth story. Life is funny like that. It changes so swiftly and time is not your friend. Sometimes I feel like all of the moments are passing me by so quickly that I simply cannot grasp them. But that is a topic for another day. For now you get to sit back and enjoy hearing about how little Miss Lauren joined our family just about five months ago. </div>
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We always knew we wanted kids and certainly more than one kid. Like many others these days we didn't start our family till we were well into our 30s. Closer to 40 than 30. I was 35 when I got pregnant with Audrey and was 36 when she was born. We knew if she were going to ever have a brother or sister that we would want them close together because--let's be honest--I am not getting any younger. The timing just so happened to work out perfectly for us. While we didn't have confirmation till the week following Audrey's first birthday, I had that feeling I was pregnant. The timing was just what we wanted and so started the journey of my pregnancy with Lauren.<br />
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I was fortunate to have a fairly routine pregnancy with Audrey aside from a little blood pressure issues. I think because things went so well with that and her birth and my recovery that I expected the opposite this time around. Once again I was very fortunate and had another routine pregnancy that seemed much smoother than the first time around. Perhaps I was distracted with a 1 year old to run after but I really didn't have very many complaints, until the end of course when Miss Lauren had no interest in joining us.<br />
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At my 38 week appointment, I was 2 cm dilated and my Dr told me I had a "favorable cervix", thanks I guess. Ha ha! She told me that when I did go in to labor that things would go fairly fast. So I went home and spent the next week wondering if my water would break, or if every little ache and pain was contractions. I am sure I drove my friend Aimee absolutely batty with my non stop texts asking her if she thought I was having contractions, ha ha! My 39 week appointment came and once again Dr told me she liked my progress and things looked great and she suspected we could see baby any day. She was certain I wouldn't make it to my due date which was April 28th. It was April 21st, and the 28th seemed like a lifetime away. That following week I thought on more than one occasion that it was time, but sure enough every time contractions stopped and once again I was back to waiting. Before we knew it it was April 28th--my due date--and there was no sign of baby. I had my 40 week checkup that day and my doctor couldn't believe I was there. But there I was. Once again, things still looked great, I was doing good, health wise that is, physically I was MISERABLE! Baby had a strong heartbeat. That day our conversation was a little different than weeks past. That day we discussed how long I was going to be allowed to be pregnant. She advised that we induce on May 5th which was exactly one week passed my due date. 41 weeks. Of course we all said there was no way I would make it that far. But she scheduled me on the morning of the 5th. We left that day confident we would see her in just a few days. Lauren sure pulled one over on us because before we knew it, it was May 5th!<br />
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My pregnancy flew by. But that last week felt like it would never end. I think at one point I surrendered myself to the notion that I would in fact be this way forever. But the end was indeed upon us. We went to bed the night of the 4th knowing we would meet Lauren the next day. Putting Audrey to bed that night was a little emotional for me. Yes...I cried as I sang to her and prayed with her. She made me a mom, she changed everything for the better and has brought us more joy than I ever thought possible. That was the last night it would be just the 3 of us and it was a little bittersweet. I held her a little longer that night before I put her in her crib knowing her world as she knew it would never be the same. There was so many unknowns about how she would adjust to this new little baby living in her space. Would she be jealous? Would she feel less loved? Would she act out? Would she even like Lauren?<br />
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We arrived at the hospital shortly before 7 am. We were sent to room 316. Hey, wait a minute--that seemed familiar! Indeed it was, 316 was the exact same room Audrey was born in. What are the chances? It's a fairly big labor and delivery unit, we couldn't believe it. My check in process with Audrey was so different. My water broke at home, when I arrived at the hospital I was put in triage. Baby was monitored while I had to give a urine sample to confirm that my water had indeed broke. Then I was assigned to a room and all set up. With Lauren it was just showing up and letting them know I was there for a scheduled induction and sent right along to my room. By the time we were settled in, gone through all the paperwork and I was hooked up to an IV etc it became a waiting game. Because I was Group B Strep positive (Google it) I would need antibiotics all through labor and delivery to help protect me and baby from infection. They wanted me to be on my second dose of antibiotics before I delivered. Given how dilated I was etc the decision was made they wouldn't induce till around 11 am. My nurse Gayle (who was so awesome, by the way) allowed me to get dressed in my clothes and unhooked my IV and allowed Chris and I to take a walk and head down to the cafeteria for breakfast. We were instructed to be back up in my room no later than 10:30. It was 9:30 or so and I was starving so the idea of breakfast was very exciting.<br />
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We made it down to the cafeteria, ordered food. We sat down to eat--and not 5 minutes into it and suddenly I was overcome with a significant pain. When another hit me fairly quickly after that I looked at Chris and told him I was fairly certain I was having contractions and we had better head back upstairs. All the way back to the elevators I had to keep stopping every time another contraction hit because they were so strong. So funny, A week overdue, at the hospital for induction and prior to those contractions there had been zero sign of labor and there I basically went into labor on my own in the cafeteria. Go figure! We arrived back in my room and I was hooked back up to the monitors to check on baby and to monitor my contractions, and sure enough they were strong and fairly close together. I had planned all along to have an epidural and Gayle my nurse advised me if I wanted one to get it ASAP. So we called for anesthesiology to come up and get me set up with the good stuff. The anesthesiologist was the greatest guy and made me feel super at ease by chatting and making me laugh. Before I knew it I was all set. Once I started feeling the effects of the epidural I thought to myself wow this is really working because all of a sudden I could no longer feel those contractions. I was impressed. Turns out I couldn't feel them because they were basically gone. Ha ha! Somewhere in between my epidural and being given the Pitocin they broke my water. Which let me tell you was the worst. If I could choose I would choose having it break like it did with Audrey in one massive gush all on its own. Having it broke for me while I laid there and it slowly trickle out over time was the worst feeling. I would almost say it was the worst part of the entire labor and delivery with Lauren. Just EW! I ended up having a little more medicine being put in my back and before long the decision was made to go ahead with starting the IV with a small amount of Pitocin to get things moving. The midwife came to check on me and said, "you're almost there, one contraction and we will be ready to go." So in went the medication and sure enough within minutes my contractions had returned and just like she said we were ready to roll. It was 2:34 PM and Gayle said to me, "you're going to have this baby before 3!" I thought she was messing with me and I told her she had better not be lying. LOL! A handful of pushes and 14 minutes later Lauren was born at 2:48 PM. I couldn't believe it, compared to 7 hours of labor and an hour and a half of pushing with Audrey here was Lauren just like that! If Chris had blinked he would have missed it.<br />
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In fact, things went so quickly Gayle decided to check me and when she did she was like "Uh Chris, I need you to hit the call button and tell them we need Jabke (midwife) in here RIGHT NOW" in the calmest, sternest nurse voice you've ever heard. Lauren was coming. NOW. She then assured me if she needed to she would catch Lauren! Jabke arrived and was taking her time getting prepared not realizing the fast pace at which things were progressing and Gayle was like "we need you over here NOW," Gayle told us after that normally she would have gone out to get Jabke herself but she could see Lauren's head an knew that she was going to be born NOW!<br />
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41 weeks we waited for her and there she was. All 9 pounds 3 ounces of her. She was perfect. We were in love all over again. This perfect little human that we created, There aren't enough words to describe how thankful I am for her and her sister.<br />
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Audrey has loved Lauren since the minute she set eyes on her. She helps me with diapers and so on. Now that Lauren is getting older she loves to watch Audrey play and she is always smiling and laughing at her. Audrey asks to hold her on a regular basis but she is usually done after about 1 minute. LOL! She will just throw her hands up and say all done. We were afraid of jealousy but it really hasn't been an issue. We have made efforts to keep Audrey's world as normal as possible and her routines just as they always were, I really think this helped her. But honestly from day one it was like she was thinking "oh okay, you're here now. cool, now where's my snack!"<br />
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They both bring us such joy and my cup overflows every time I see them smile. We are truly blessed!<br />
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Eveyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10669204970127058201noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8501489.post-27537715245176389722014-10-24T11:05:00.000-07:002014-10-24T11:05:23.558-07:00Oh Baby, Baby! <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Ummm, guys? Am I doing it right?</div>
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It's weird, I had a pretty uneventful pregnancy. Other than a few blips on the radar screen--a preeclampsia scare, a failed glucose test (I passed the second one) and a little bit of gestational hypertension--things went about as well as I could have hoped. Baby was healthy, I was healthy. I gained only 14 pounds(!) All of these things are awesome, but it somehow had me convinced I would have a hard labor and overall terrible experience. I will be honest...I was worried. </div>
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On the evening of Monday, August 11th, I was on the phone with my dad and he had asked me how I was feeling. My answer was that I was, "over being pregnant, the heat was unbearable! Thanks Oregon for your 100 degree summer!" I was ready for her to come anytime. I told him since I was just over 2 weeks from my due date she was good to go and really just gaining extra weight at that point. The same night as I was confirming dinner plans with our friends Amy and Tyson via text message for Wednesday night, I made the joke I would try not to have her beforehand. The joke was clearly on me! Well played Audrey, well played. We went to bed that night having no idea that the next morning we would find ourselves officially awaiting the arrival of our little girl.<br />
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I woke up around 8:30 am the morning of the 12th. Nothing out of the ordinary. My routine was the same as every other day. I laid there checking Twitter and Facebook on my phone, delaying getting out of bed. Finally after about 45 minutes, I decided to get the day started. First stop the bathroom, then it was downstairs to let Belle out, make coffee and Chris's lunch. The only thing on that list that happened was using the bathroom. I made it almost all the way down the stairs, three steps from the bottom (there are 16) when all of a sudden I was stopped dead in my tracks with the initial thought my bladder no longer worked. Of course, that thought passed quickly and I realized what had happened.<br />
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My water broke! Crap/Yay!<br />
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They say it doesn't usually happen like in the movies or TV when all of a sudden you have a huge gush of water. Well it did happen that way, and thank God I was at home and Chris hadn't left for work yet! It was 9:20 AM on Tuesday, August 12th. This was it. This was really going to happen. This was going to be the day we would meet our daughter. Since December 17th we had been anticipating her arrival, and now it was right in front of us.<br />
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The next hour was a much calmer experience than I had ever thought it would have or could have been. You see...I'm a little insane. It's true. Just ask Chris. I don't do well with unknown situations, especially medical ones.<br />
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But in those first moments, I was cool as a cucumber.<br />
Joe Cool.<br />
Coolio.<br />
Too cool for school.<br />
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I walked back upstairs and said to Chris, "uh honey, I don't think you're going to work today." He responded with "why?" I informed him that unless I no longer had bladder control my water had just broken. He got on the phone with his boss and me with my doctors office. Given my water had broken in the manner of a massive gush, we knew that was what it was and as expected they told me to head to the hospital and they would let them know I was on my way. Due to the fact I was not in labor, I knew we had time to get ready. So we both showered, took the dog out, left our key for our neighbors (they took care of Belle) and yes--even stopped at Starbucks on the way so Chris could get himself a quad shot caramel macchiato! However--I am very thankful we had packed our hospital bags on Sunday night. It really would have sucked to not have that stuff together.<br />
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Remember how I said I was expecting a horrible experience because my pregnancy was so easy?<br />
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Well, we arrived at the hospital in about 15 minutes, and Chris dropped me off at the front entrance so he could go park. I waited inside the doors for him. Remember--I wasn't in labor so it isn't like he just dropped off a screaming woman in pain and left me standing there! It was really stormy that morning, and the sky looked just awful. As I was standing there waiting for him, I heard this loud "BANG!" and everything went dark. All of the lights, everything was out.<br />
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I felt a slight sense of panic begin to set in.<br />
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This was it, the start of the horrible day I had been expecting.<br />
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Of course a few seconds later I heard the generators kick in and all the lights came back on. Talk about killing the dramatic effect of the panic that was starting to enter my mind! Chris--of course--thought this was funny when I told him what had happened. We proceeded to the elevators--except...they weren't working. When the elevator door finally opened, a guy stepped out informing us NOT to get in because he had just been stuck in there for 5 minutes! I was like, "HELL NO I am not getting in there!" Luckily, they stopped working again, so I didn't have to even think about it. To the stairs we went with a large group of other people. Once again--thank goodness--I wasn't in labor otherwise I am certain those 3 flights of stairs would have felt like 300. Once we were upstairs we learned that a lightening bolt had hit the hospital. Lovely. Only me!<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzWsWC4-qU377NU1DG9Qu_7S5tfWXgpWNXtnf7zfogTs1QW2zAGjs7SpG3IqNAIDtzafGx5xQQ0wXQ' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe>It had been an hour since my water broke, and finally we were in triage. First was a urine test to confirm my water had indeed broke. Yep! (In fact, the triage nurse took us in to the lab so we could see the amniotic fluid under the microscope! It looked like a fern!) Next up was hooking me up to a monitor to check baby's heart rate. Once urine test confirmed what we already knew, one of the midwifes from my doctors office came to talk with us. Because I was group B strep positive, and because my water had broke she explained that they don't like to wait longer than 6-8 hours to get labor started if it hasn't already done so on its own. Clearly we wanted to avoid the risk of infection as much as possible for baby and for me, so we decided to wait till 3:30 pm and check where I was at.<br />
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Of course when 3:30 pm rolled around...nothing was happening. The doctor gave the okay to wait a while longer and we would make a decision at 6 pm. So we continued to walk laps around the labor and delivery ward to see if we could get it started naturally. Nada. The only thing I was feeling was how anxious I was to meet our little one. Oh, and of course the never ending pressure on my bladder forcing me to pee every five seconds.<br />
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So 6 pm came and went. Nothing. No sign this little one was about to get a move on. So we made the decision it was time to induce and hopefully get this party started sooner rather than later. In went the IV for my Penicillin (I was group B strep positive) and Pitocin. The drip was started very low...and so the wait began. I realize it had already been 9 hours since my water broke, but it felt like the real wait was just beginning...because I knew the Pitocin would--or at least should--send things in the right direction to put me into labor. The clock kept ticking and I kept feeling nothing. We watched the Mariners game, Chris was on his phone a lot, I was on my phone a lot. We were trying to keep people in the loop, but there weren't any updates! I was having very minor contractions (they were being picked up on the monitor) but I wasn't feeling any of them. Every once in a while my nurse reappeared to turn up the drip and every time I cursed her because I knew it meant things were eventually going to hurt. Audrey's heartbeat was steady and strong and she was clearly happy and cozy where she was.<br />
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Finally the clock hit midnight and suddenly there was what I had been waiting for since 9:30 that morning. OUCH!<br />
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Once I started to feel contractions--which were unfortunately mostly in my back--my nurse told me to let her know when I wanted my epidural. I told my nurse I wanted to wait as long as possible, because this brings me back to the fact I am insane. I do not like medical procedures, and the unknown has a knack of scaring me much more that it should. I spend all my time thinking of all the worst case scenarios instead of realizing how common most of these things are. I wasn't so much scared of the needle as I was the possibility of my legs being overly numb. If this were to happen I would most certainly panic.<br />
<br />
For example, the first time I had an MRI these were actual questions I asked Chris on the way to the hospital: "What if the power goes out and I get stuck? What if there's an earthquake in the middle of my MRI?" Obviously the chances of these things happening at the exact time I am inside the machine are slim to none. Who has two thumbs and is an insane crazy person?? THIS GAL.<br />
<br />
So we waited. The contractions weren't that strong for the first hour or so. The bigger issue at that point was every time I moved, the monitor that was tracking Audrey's heartbeat kept moving and my nurse had to keep coming in to readjust it. Audrey was being a little stinker and was in some weird position, so it took forever to find it. I was told if it kept happening I would need to have an internal monitor put in. Umm, NO thanks. Eventually I started to get pretty uncomfortable but I was still avoiding the epidural. So my nurse gave me some Fentanyl in my IV to try and tide me over for a little while longer. It was GREAT for about 20 minutes. Not because I think it was actually taking away any pain, but because it hit me so fast and hard I was high as a kite. Chris found this pretty amusing. Once that 20 minutes was up--regardless of how scared I was--I was ready for that epidural. I was over it and ready for the good stuff.<br />
<br />
When the anesthesiologist walked in I could have kissed her. I was so very happy to see her, although I did briefly wonder if she was old enough to be doing that job. I swear, she looked like she was barely out of med school! The procedure itself was nothing like I expected. I most definitely expected it to hurt. It really just felt weird more than anything else. She had to do it twice, because the first one wasn't quite in the right spot. Finally, things were in place and she put the medicine into the catheter and gave me a little pump. If I needed more, all I had to do was hit the little button and more drugs for me! At this point it was 2 am, and Chris and I were both able to finally get some sleep...for about 2 1/2 hours that is. Around 4:30 am my nurse had anesthesiology come back up because I was starting to feel things again and that magic little button was NOT doing its job. I was given more stuff straight into the catheter in my back. It was a little better, but not as much as I wanted. They came back one more time and once again the same. The left side felt great, the right side had not taken all the way.<br />
<br />
Frustration set in a little.<br />
<br />
Where was my magical drug-induced labor where I felt nothing?<br />
<br />
In all honesty, it really wasn't that bad. I was more uncomfortable than anything else, and I couldn't find a good position to lay in for longer than a couple minutes. Which was made worse when my nurse kept coming in and turning that pesky drip of Pitocin up. In her defense, they were just trying to get me to the finish line. They checked me around 6 am and I was only 4 cm dilated and still had a ways to go. A little while later they checked again and I was 6. I was frustrated at this point. Once more the drip was turned up and I got to the point where the only thing that relieved any of the pressure I was feeling was TO PUSH.<br />
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Chris was like, "I don't think you're supposed to be doing that!" Ha!<br />
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Well maybe not, but it was at the point I literally had no control over it. He went and told my nurse and she was like, "Nooooo don't do that!"<br />
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She came in and checked me again and still I was not ready yet. Aaargh!<br />
<br />
But then--just a few minutes later--the doctor came in to check me, and I was fully dilated! She announces, "You're 100%!!" Everyone in the room was like, "YAAAY!"<br />
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It was 6:45 AM.<br />
<br />
The next few minutes were a little bit of a blur to me. My nurse was getting the table of all the different tools for the doctor ready, and before I knew it the doctor who would deliver Audrey was in the room getting ready to go. She assured me the table of odd and perhaps scary looking items were only there in case she needed them. Of course, it wasn't my doctor who delivered Audrey, but it was one of her colleagues.<br />
<br />
It was go time, no turning back and hopefully sooner rather than later we would be holding our baby girl.<br />
<br />
Now, I hadn't taken any childbirth classes. The truth is, they seemed awfully pricey and nowadays you can learn everything and anything online. Which is what I did, I watched a class online for free. There was not ONE thing I was taught from watching that video that I didn't get walked through by my nurses and doctor. One of my nurses even said to me, "that's what we are here for." Looking back I am glad we didn't waste the money. So that was that, ready or not it was time to have a baby. I've never been a planner and have always sort of flown by the seat of my pants, so why should this have been any different?<br />
<br />
My night nurse was off at 7 am but stuck around till 7:45. Every few minutes she would come check to see how things were going. I felt bad, because she worked her butt off all night taking amazing care of me and Audrey and she did all the heavy lifting, listened to my whining, and calmed me during the epidural. I could go on. She was awesome! I think we both wanted her to be there for the end result. Little Miss Audrey had different plans. The nurse that took over at 7 was equally as awesome. She was actually the mom and mother in law of friends of ours. How funny is that? I did know about her prior and had actually requested her (and my night nurse, for that matter) at the suggestion of our friends. She coached me through all my contractions, counted when I was pushing, kept me calm and so on. On the other side, Chris was the Ice Chip Champion, sometimes even over feeding me. He was right there the entire time and I could not have asked for a better coach to get me to the end result.<br />
<br />
EVERY time I would say I was ready to push, the nurse and Chris (and later, the doctor) would get in position, and I would start pushing for like 2 seconds and be like, "Oh nevermind!" All three of them laughed at me when they figured out the first push was always going to be a fake! Only to actually need to push about ten seconds later, FOR REALS! Eventually they ignored me on that first one. Ha!<br />
<br />
It was the weirdest experience in between contractions and pushing. I was laying there waiting for the next wave and hoping I had the energy to keep going. Then there was Chris, my nurse and the doctor just chatting up a storm having a great time. At first I was thinking, "HELLO! Remember me?!?!" But then I was thankful for their chatter and laughter. It kept me calm. I never had a chance to freak out about anything. After about an hour of pushing, Audrey was finally crowning. That was nowhere near as bad as I had expected especially given my epidural had not taken 100%. Don't get me wrong, it didn't feel great.<br />
<br />
During this time my doctor exclaimed, "look at all her hair!" At which point she proceeded to play with Audrey's hair and exclaim she wanted to braid it. So funny! They asked if I wanted to feel her head or if I wanted a mirror. I was like, "HELL NO!" I know what was going on down there, and I didn't need the visual. That would have for sure made me panic. It had only been a half hour since her head started crowning but at times it felt like hours. I kept asking how much longer, the doctor kept saying "you're almost there," I kept asking "are you sure?" Ha! But she was right, with a couple of last big pushes she was out and on my chest. It was the most surreal moment of my life. There on my chest was MY baby. A tiny human that Chris and I created.<br />
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At 8:17 AM on August 13th, our lives changed forever.<br />
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She was breastfeeding almost right away, and during the 40 minutes or so the doctor was stitching me up, Audrey and I got to lay together. Chris and I both just stared at her a LOT. She was perfect. Finally they took her, cleaned her off all the way, weighed her and it was daddy's turn to hold his little girl. It was the coolest moment to see him hold her for the first time. She's had him wrapped around her tiny fingers from that moment!<br />
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There wasn't much that happened that took me by surprise. I felt that anything I was unsure of was explained to me really well. The only three things I would say really surprised me was the uncontrollable shaking before and right after she was born. Especially in my legs. The other thing was how HOT I was during labor. To the point I literally felt like I was going to start on fire. I don't usually sweat a lot, but...<br />
<br />
I.<br />
Was.<br />
Sweating.<br />
I did not enjoy this.<br />
<br />
Lastly, I could not believe the relief of pressure the second she was out. All of that pressure on my bladder and so on that had been almost unbearable the last few weeks was just gone. So awesome and weird.<br />
<br />
Maybe I just had a good experience, but there was not one thing that happened that day that would discourage me from doing it again. It was surreal, painful, amazing, exhausting, joyful, emotional...pretty much the greatest experience of my life.<br />
<br />
It was the day we met out beautiful baby girl. The day our lives changed in the best possible way they ever could have. We are thankful and blessed, and we are more in love with her everyday!<br />
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Eveyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10669204970127058201noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8501489.post-52098571230249543422014-05-26T11:41:00.000-07:002014-05-26T11:41:20.255-07:00So You're Having a BabySo...the cat has been out of the bag for a while. We are having a baby, it is true. We are pretty sure it's human even, and we are very excited about her impending arrival around the 27th of August. We managed to keep our secret (except for some immediate family and close friends) until I was 20 weeks so we could announce both the pregnancy and the sex. Two birds with one stone so to speak.<br />
<br />
Recently I have been asked questions such as - "why did you wait so long to announce?" "where are your belly shots?" "where are your updates about your doctor's appointments?"<br />
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First and foremost, I think it is important for people who don't know me--as well as some that do--that I am a fairly private person. I have always been that way, and the truth is I'm okay with it. As for not announcing until 20 weeks, (we didn't even tell our families till 12 weeks had passed) it was not because we weren't excited because believe me, we were and are. We always knew we would never announce a pregnancy in the first trimester, and once that period had passed we liked that it was still mostly just our secret and ours to be happy about. When we were ready we would share the news. Chris decided he wanted to make something to announce both the pregnancy and the sex at the same time, so we decided to wait until then. Below is the video of the announcement we posted on Facebook.<br />
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Belly shots. This again comes down mostly to privacy. I am not one to have any desire to take a picture of my belly, pregnant or not and share it with the world. This is not likely to change, and I apologize if this inconveniences anyone. :) I am sure at some point later on in this pregnancy a photo or two will make its way on to the world wide web. Until then, patience my friends. I should also add that even though I will be 27 weeks on Wednesday, I am not really showing anything yet. Baby is growing on track and all is going well, but the obvious baby bump has not really arrived yet. I'm thicker for sure (HA) but for now that's it. My maternity pants seem to nicely round out what was already there before I was pregnant and make me look like I have a big ol' baby bump when I really don't. ;)<br />
<br />
Don't get me wrong, if you ask me stuff directly I will share--well--except belly photos. LOL. I am just unlikely to put every little update and piece of info on Facebook etc.<br />
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Those things aside all has been going well. We had a little bit of a scare at 7 weeks which resulted in an early ultrasound. Everything was fine, babies heart was beating and we got to see the first glimpse of our little McNugget. Of course then she was nothing but a little wee blob, but what a relief to see that blob and see the heart beating. This was our girls first photo. <span id="goog_709286548"></span><br />
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We decided to do genetic testing which happens around 12 weeks. This of course allowed us to see our little one again. My appointment was early on a Tuesday morning. The testing is a combination of blood work and ultrasound. Baby was happy as can be in there--TOO HAPPY. She was jumping and rolling and waving and doing what appeared to be headstands. Which was all great, EXCEPT for the fact she had to be in a certain position for the photos they needed. She had NO desire to cooperate. After a half hour of more of trying to get what they needed, we decided we would come back in two days and try again. So Thursday morning came, and back we went. Yet again she was busy performing her acrobatics and would not cooperate. The decision was made after the doctor was happy with what he saw and compared with the blood work, which would be good enough. We agreed and were on our way. Sure we didn't get what we needed, but we got two bonus looks at our happy little one. This was her at 12 weeks. </div>
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The next view of our little one came at 20 weeks for the anatomy scan. This was my longest ultrasound as they take time to look over every single organ of the baby to make sure everything is the right size, in the right place and nothing out of the ordinary. It was also the day we found out we were having a girl. As usual she seems to be as stubborn as her mother and she did not fully cooperate during that ultrasound. She was not in a great position and they were not able to get very good pictures of her heart. So they did another scan a few weeks later at my next appointment. Luckily, she decided she would be cooperative that day and they got what they needed. Everything from that and the full anatomy scan looked good. Here is her photo from 20 weeks. </div>
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I can honestly say that being our first child, I really didn't have a preference one way or another on the sex. I just wanted a healthy baby. I think Chris would be lying if he said there wasn't a split second in that moment when the technician said "it's a girl" that he felt a little bit of disappointment. But that split second passed very quickly and he seems to melt at the sight of all the cute little baby girl clothes we see and have been buying. Something tells me this little one already has her daddy wrapped around her finger. I haven't decided if this is bad for me yet or not. Ha! </div>
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As for me things have been going well. I had my glucose screening 2 weeks ago and failed the 1 hour test and had to go back to do the 3 hour test which I passed with flying colors. Yay! My weight gain has been very minimal, woohoo. I will be 27 weeks on Wednesday. Insane how quickly time is flying. Ready or not she will be here before we know it and we couldn't be more excited. </div>
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So there you have it. A blog post about baby. Hopefully this will tide some of you over until the next update! :)</div>
<br />Eveyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10669204970127058201noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8501489.post-52711743240818500002014-03-03T11:55:00.000-08:002014-03-03T11:55:51.996-08:00Oh Christmas Tree (yes I realize this is a few months late) March 3rd and I cannot even believe I haven't blogged about our Christmas tree. My Christmas tree adventures are a big deal around here. Growing up we never had a real tree, which was fine. But now that I have been exposed to the world of real trees since being with Chris it is one of my favorite Christmas activities. The last few years we have actually gone out and cut down our own tree. So fun. I love walking through the rows upon rows of hundreds of trees looking for the perfect tree.<br />
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The day we went to get our tree was a beautiful Sunday afternoon. Blue skies and sunny. A little chilly, but perfect. We headed through the rows of trees of all sizes and shapes. Chris had saw in hand ready to cut down the perfect tree. It didn't take us too long to find one we both loved. <br />
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After getting it home and letting it stand in the garage for a few hours it was time to bring it in and decorate it. Belle was ready to help. <br />
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No tree of ours would be complete without Seahawks and hockey ornaments. We had a fun night decorating it. Wine of course was consumed and we watched Elf while we decorated. Another thing that has become sort of a tradition for us. So fun. </div>
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So there you have it. A little delayed in sharing this post with you guys. But better late than never right? Eveyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10669204970127058201noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8501489.post-48365988050788099772013-12-07T11:54:00.001-08:002013-12-07T11:56:52.720-08:00Thanksgiving, Blogging and ChristmasIt has been a week since I finished up blogging for 30 straight days in the month of November for National Blog Posting Month. The last two days I realize were cheap versions of the awesomeness you are you used to around here. BUT--in my defense--I was out of town on the Oregon Coast and where I was staying didn't have wifi and had very spotty cell service. I did what I could with what I had. (Chris is skeptical.) So while you may forgive me for that, you are probably seething with anger and wondering why I would leave this space empty 6 whole days. Today is day 7, but I am not including it because I am currently blogging. I would love to give you some extravagant reason but there really isn't one. Just be happy I am back :)<br />
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Our little weekend trip to the Oregon Coast was to celebrate Thanksgiving with Chris's moms side of the family. They had rented a house where they all stayed, and we stayed at a friends little beach house. Aunts, uncles and cousins galore. A fun time was had by all. (Chris agrees!) The weather wasn't exactly nice but that didn't stop Chris and I from enjoying it and spending a little time down at the beach with the dog. <br />
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I figured with Thanksgiving done and over with, we would be well into Christmas mode by now. Truth is, we really haven't had any time this week to even get our Christmas tree. (Chris has been too busy.) The only Christmas decoration I have in my house at the moment is a little mini tree that we bought two years ago as a table centerpiece. I never put it away after last Christmas. Ha! Today I am off to a Christmas cookie exchange which should be fun. I made Peppermint Chocolate Chip Pretzel cookies and they taste pretty darn good. (Chris wholeheartedly agrees!) I think tomorrow morning we will head out to the tree farm to find and cut our tree. YAY! I love getting our Christmas tree and it is always an adventure, which will officially kick off Christmas season for us. We always put it up while drinking wine and watching Elf. Hopefully Chris will be able to get the Christmas lights up tomorrow as well.<br />
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Being that today is already the 7th, I am wondering if we will even get Christmas cards out this year. Fingers crossed. Fingers crossed even tighter we will get our Christmas shopping done in time and shipped where it needs to go. It's crunch time, and I sense a busy week ahead. If I can get the tree bought, up and decorated, the lights up, shopping started and a photo taken for our Christmas card done by next Sunday I will be a happy camper. Then I can just relax for a week or so before Christmas and do fun things like make Chris take me to see the Zoo lights. (Chris <i>maybe</i> agrees.) Eveyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10669204970127058201noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8501489.post-2177022401664952042013-11-30T21:34:00.000-08:002013-12-02T10:27:46.183-08:00EndingsToday is the last day of National Blog Posting Month and sadly I'm out of town with barely any internet service. So my apologies. All you get is some pictures. Tomorrow when I am back in internet land I will be sure to entertain you all with something much more deep and entertaining.<br />
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Eveyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10669204970127058201noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8501489.post-88017104199795629802013-11-29T20:02:00.002-08:002013-12-02T10:27:06.634-08:00Dinner Time<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Top sirloin with dungeness crab and Hollandaise sauce with garlic cream cheese mashed potatoes. Yum. At Pirates Cove with Chris and his mom. One of our favorites. Washing it down with 14 Hands Cab Sav.Eveyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10669204970127058201noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8501489.post-34750776025252602712013-11-28T22:53:00.001-08:002013-11-28T22:56:53.168-08:00Gobble Gobble Chris and I have had a rough year financially, emotionally and health-wise. Not really what either of us had envisioned for 2013. What's awesome though--is at the end of the day--we are happy and healthy and looking forward to the future. I am thankful we both made it out on the better end. <br />
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We had a quiet thanksgiving today at home...just the two of us. Well three--we can't forget Belle! This morning we got up and went to the 11:20 matinee of Catching Fire. It was awesome, by the way. I loved the first movie so much--but I loved this one more! Can't wait till the last movie next year. Part of the reason we decided to go to the early matinee was to avoid crowds. I hate busy movie theatres. This is what the parking lot looked like when we arrived. Ha! <br />
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After the movie we came home and enjoyed football and beer with beef stick and cheese. Followed by a turkey dinner for two. Mmm! <br />
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Even Belle got in on the turkey dinner action. She was a VERY happy girl! <br />
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Dinner was followed by the Oilers game (they won, woohoo) and more football. We are now sitting on the couch enjoying some wine and are about to dive into dessert. Key Lime Pie.<br />
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Tomorrow we are headed out to the Oregon Coast for the weekend. Saturday will be a big family Thanksgiving dinner with Chris's moms side of the family. Always a fun time when the Williams clan gets together. You just never know what might happen.<br />
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I hope you all had a wonderful day with family and friends filled with all the turkey you could eat. Happy Thanksgiving! <br />
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Eveyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10669204970127058201noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8501489.post-45303970717288953282013-11-27T23:54:00.000-08:002013-11-28T00:01:20.365-08:00Boston Strong Patriots Day.<br />
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A day to observe the Battles of Lexington and Concord that took place in 1775, the first battles of the Revolutionary War. It is recognized in Massachusetts, Maine and Wisconsin. It is held on the third Monday of April...Marathon Monday.<br />
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The Boston Marathon. Chris and I lived in Boston for 5 of them. There has been a Red Sox game scheduled at Fenway Park every year on that day since 1959.<br />
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Marathon Monday or Patriots Day, They are one in the same, a holiday in Boston. Schools and banks are closed and people gather all over the city for various reasons. Crowds gather in and around Fenway Park for the Red Sox game. People line the streets all along the route of the marathon to cheer on the thousands of runners who will participate. Elsewhere, people gather for war reenactments. A proud city and state coming together in the name of tradition. <br />
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For 5 years, Chris dreaded the business of marathon Monday. He dreaded the service calls that would come in for downtown Boston. The times he had to go down there, he always made the effort to go really early before the marathon. Too much traffic, too many people--plus they close down half the streets. Its a nightmare to drive around downtown that day. One of the neighborhoods I walked dogs in was right along the marathon route. I have watched the runners on more than one occasion.<br />
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Chris no longer has to worry about a service call in downtown Boston, and I no longer have the opportunity to watch the runners during one of my walks with a four legged client. Living back on the west coast now, the extent of my marathon watching is on the TV. Watching for people I know in the crowd, recognizing the landmarks and streets I became so familiar with during our 6 years there.<br />
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April 15, 2013, Marathon Monday. I had actually forgotten all morning that the marathon was even happening. I remembered just before noon, and went to turn on the TV. I turned the TV on just in time to see the breaking news on every channel about the explosions near the finish line. I watched in shock as the story unfolded--hand to my mouth, I grabbed for my phone to call Chris and tell him what had happened. I'm not from Boston and I may not have loved everything about living there, but it is a part of our story. We spent the first 6 years of our marriage there, and we met a lot of good people and friends there. Boston is always going to be a part of us.<br />
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We have friends who like to go watch the marathon. A couple of friends who are doctors work in one of the medical tents not far from the finish line. Chris used to service the Starbucks right next door to where the second bomb went off. He had been to that very store on marathon Monday. I immediately sent a text to make sure our friends working in the medical tent were safe. I quickly got confirmation that they were. The days that followed were filled with confusion, uneasiness and what I can only imagine was fear. No one knew who was responsible for the bombings or where they were. Were there more attacks planned?<br />
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April 18, 2013. Surveillance photos and videos were released of the two suspects, and later that day they were identified as brothers of Chechen descent living in Massachusetts. Boston and surrounding areas were essentially on lock down. Halted buses and closed subways made one of the busiest and active cities in America a ghost town. The evening of the 18th, the brothers killed an MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) police officer, hijacked an SUV and led the police on a chase and ultimately a gun fight in the streets of Watertown. We have friends in Watertown. People from the church we used to go to in Cambridge had bullets come through their living room wall and hit their television. It was unreal watching this unfold on the TV and listening on the police scanners. One of the suspects was dead and the other was on the run. We watched as CNN reported live just down the street from the Starbucks where Chris frequented, because their 'shop' where they kept all their equipment and parts was in the basement. Friends had their homes searched by SWAT officers. Nobody was to supposed to leave their house, and the police chief instituted a curfew as well. The second suspect was finally captured on the 19th, after he was found hiding in a boat in a backyard only 2 blocks from where he had made his escape in the first place. It was a relief to know all our friends were safe.<br />
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The people of Boston are tough and hard. The very things I didn't like about Boston when I lived there made me proud when I watched them come together that week. Mess with one of them--you mess with all of them. Boston is a proud and hardworking blue collar town, and I wish I had appreciated it more when I lived there. <br />
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The following videos are the tributes played before a Bruins game and a Red Sox game. If you have a couple minutes to watch them they are pretty awesome. <br />
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It will forever be a miracle to me that only 3 lives were lost that day. Hundreds were injured and their lives changed forever by the selfishness of others who think it is their right to dictate our freedom. I hope the resiliency that the city of Boston and it's people showed that week will only strengthen the rest of us. Boston Strong indeed.<br />
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May Martin Richard, Krystle Campbell, Lingzi Lu and Sean Collier forever rest in peace.<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: black; display: inline !important; float: none; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;"> </span>Eveyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10669204970127058201noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8501489.post-63543572097428301182013-11-26T23:20:00.003-08:002013-11-26T23:53:01.061-08:00Boston's Finest <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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If you are into real life crime shows, this is a fantastic show. Chris and I started watching when the first season aired last year and loved it. It follows Boston police officers from different departments in the day to day. Sure--part of the attraction for us is recognizing street names and landmarks, etc. The Boston accents take me back to the 6 years we spent there. Tonight was the premiere of the second season. It's on TNT and if you are into real life cop drama I suggest checking it out. It's very well done. </div>
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We found out tonight that one of the officers featured in season 1 died of an apparent suicide just last week. He and his partner were our two favorites on the show. Rest in Peace Officer Pat Rogers. </div>
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Eveyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10669204970127058201noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8501489.post-15622152939232453712013-11-25T23:49:00.002-08:002013-11-25T23:49:29.266-08:00What's In A Blog?Chris and I started this blog back in 2004 when we moved out east to Boston. The idea was, it would be an easy way to keep our family and friends up to date on what was going on with us. The reality is we are all busy, and it is sometimes hard to keep in touch. This blog would allow others to keep that connection with us in between the phone calls, emails and text messages.<br />
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I have gone though phases with this blog. There have been times I have wrote every boring detail of our weekends, and there have been other times I have gone months--and most recently a whole year--in between posts. I have often thought of closing up shop, but never really could bring myself to doing so. I like this little place. It is my little corner of the Internet where I can blab about whatever adventures we are in the midst of without feeling like I am boring or bombarding anyone. I mean, no one <i>has</i> to come here and read what I write. I would like to think most of you wait with baited breath for what I will write next. But for those of you who don't...its totally okay. I will likely never know you didn't read anyways, so there so there is no need for guilt on your part. Although--you should feel guilty anyways. <br />
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Even though this is my blog, I have always felt the need to be censored. We all share so many different thoughts and beliefs and views of how we think we all should be. I never wanted to step on toes and have people fight with me about what I think about this or that. I have been thinking lately that I am gong to change that. The reality is--what I think and feel about any given situation is part of who I am. So why should I be afraid of ruffling feathers? And as we have already covered, no one <i>has</i> to read what I write here. <br />
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One of the things I love most about my different relationships with friends is our differences. I don't want to be only friends with people who are exactly like me or believe exactly what I do. That is boring. Don't get me wrong, it is nice to be able to sit and talk with a friend who shares the same ideas and passions as you. But overall I think surrounding ourselves with those who only think like we do just leaves us sheltered and closed off. I think learning to have successful relationships regardless of differences is refreshing.<br />
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All that to say that going forward I am going to loosen the reigns a little. You don't have to agree with me. But, we DO have to respect one another. Maybe if we spent a little more time respecting one anothers thoughts, feelings, and beliefs, we would spend less time fighting and hating each other.<br />
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Okay, lecture over. You may now return to your regularly scheduled activities. That is until I post another blog. Then I expect you to drop what you are doing and focus on me!Eveyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10669204970127058201noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8501489.post-16104256781189265272013-11-24T23:12:00.000-08:002013-11-25T11:13:16.229-08:00Beastquake Please!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Sometimes all you need in life is a little Beastquake. This gets me so fired up every time I watch it. Eveyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10669204970127058201noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8501489.post-22413119901926202312013-11-23T22:58:00.003-08:002013-11-23T23:13:10.670-08:00Friendship<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGj77Y0wSVKMLcKA8nzHs-Zc9qDN8XykCnqho0w6-F5iPINDLHjRHRczPJooy4uXWdq8FJDGWG5aqOZPU97Ayebe3dROBBFA_I97KA75KO0apDi66JgRTpYLobbp4VRfJONtjl1w/s1600/Friendship-Quotes-Wallpaper.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGj77Y0wSVKMLcKA8nzHs-Zc9qDN8XykCnqho0w6-F5iPINDLHjRHRczPJooy4uXWdq8FJDGWG5aqOZPU97Ayebe3dROBBFA_I97KA75KO0apDi66JgRTpYLobbp4VRfJONtjl1w/s320/Friendship-Quotes-Wallpaper.jpg" width="320" /><span style="background-color: #cfe2f3;"></span></a></div>
<span style="background-color: #eeeeee;"><span style="color: black; display: inline !important; float: none; font-family: Georgia,Century,Times,serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 21px; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">Friends. We all have them...or at least I would hope we do. My oldest friend that I am still friends with is Melanie. We moved down the street from her when I was just 6 years old. I can't quite remember our first meeting--Mel was a year or so older than me but we became fast friends. Over the years we would walk to school together, chase boys together, we ate dinner at each others houses, and watched TV after school. I am sure there was many times over the years both of our parents wondered, "when did we adopt a second daughter?" As we got older we hung out at the mall together, and she was always doing my hair and makeup. We even decided to go to college together at the International Academy of Esthetics in Sherwood Park. We've had periods over the years where we have lost touch, but the thing about us is that after 30 years of friendship </span><span style="color: black; display: inline !important; float: none; font-family: Georgia,Century,Times,serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 21px; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">(holy crap we are old) </span><span style="color: black; display: inline !important; float: none; font-family: Georgia,Century,Times,serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 21px; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">we just know we will always have that bond--no matter how long we go in between talking to or seeing each other. No amount of time will ever change that for us. </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: black; display: inline !important; float: none; font-family: Georgia,Century,Times,serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 21px; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">We all have a handful of those friendships. I mean sure, we all know lots of people we have known since childhood. But how many of those people are we actually still 'friends' with? </span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #eeeeee;"><span style="color: black; display: inline !important; float: none; font-family: Georgia,Century,Times,serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 21px; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: black; display: inline !important; float: none; font-family: Georgia,Century,Times,serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 21px; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">I have always had friends wherever I have been. It has definitely gotten harder over the years. Maybe because with age and weight insecurities, etc, I am more shy than I have ever been. For those of you who know me--and know me well--this may surprise you. But the truth is, I am very uncomfortable in new situations with new people. Having moved cross country twice in 9 years hasn't really helped that. However, our move to Boston and back has brought friendships into my life I never would have had otherwise. And I am grateful for that. </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: black; display: inline !important; float: none; font-family: Georgia,Century,Times,serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 21px; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">It's funny how sometimes you meet someone at just the right time. Out of the blue you meet a friend you just know is going to be there for life. Over the years, I have met people at certain times and lifelong friendships have been formed. </span><span style="color: black; display: inline !important; float: none; font-family: Georgia,Century,Times,serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 21px; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">My
friend Tammy is one of my best friends from back home and she actually
lives just 30 minutes away from us here in Oregon. We have been friends ever since we met at camp back in 1996. She has always been an important person in my life
for a lot of reasons. We don't see each other as much as we would like, but life is busy sometimes...especially with two kids. But knowing she is just a short drive away and
we have each others backs no matter what is a gift. </span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #eeeeee;"><br />
<span style="color: black; display: inline !important; float: none; font-family: Georgia,Century,Times,serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 21px; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">I met my friend Aimee on a weight loss support website called Spark People. We will always have that connection and support for one another. She has blessed me in ways I never realized a friend could, and I am so grateful for her place in my life. My relationship with my friend Stephanie is an interesting story. We have actually known each other for a long time. We had a mutual friend many years ago--by many I mean probably 20 plus. We knew each other, but I wouldn't say we were really friends back then. Fast forward to this year--though we have been Facebook friends at least 4 or 5 years--and due to some mutual understanding of some situations in both our lives we started chatting. We started talking to each other quite a bit while playing Words with Friends, and it has gotten to the point where we chat everyday and it feels like we've been friends all along. Her friendship has already brought so much understanding and joy to my life. I am better with her, Melanie, Tammy and Aimee in my life. </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: black; display: inline !important; float: none; font-family: Georgia,Century,Times,serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 21px; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">A few weeks ago, Steph posted an article on Facebook about friendships and how they change over the years. It ended with the following paragraph:</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #eeeeee;"><span style="color: black; display: inline !important; float: none; font-family: Georgia,Century,Times,serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 21px; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: black; display: inline !important; float: none; font-family: Georgia,Century,Times,serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 21px; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">"And I've discovered that maybe, as you get older, it's not the same anymore. You don't need to have loads of friends. You need to have a few really good ones. And when you manage to have that -- and, praise the Lord, I do -- treat them like the gold they are. You'll never have a more precious asset. And, as you may have noticed, they aren't so easy to replace."</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: black; display: inline !important; float: none; font-family: Georgia,Century,Times,serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 21px; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">How true is that? We need to respect our friendships that we do have and take care of them. We need them. I am not always the greatest friend...I have a lot of flaws. Shocker--I know. But those who really know me see past it, and I am very thankful for that. Don't take friendship for granted. Love, respect and support those you have. They are here to make us better and enrich our lives. </span></span>Eveyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10669204970127058201noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8501489.post-49968121012466074602013-11-22T23:00:00.001-08:002013-11-22T23:00:54.017-08:00Rest In Peace JFK! <div style="color: black;">
When Chris and I were in Baltimore in 2007, one of the things we were sure to do was pay a visit to Arlington National Cemetery across the river from in Arlington, Virginia. President Kennedy is one of only two Presidents to be buried there, the other being President Taft. They are not the greatest quality pictures, but below are two pictures we took of his grave site. </div>
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A sad and tragic day for America, may he always rest in peace. <br /></div>
"My fellow Americans, ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country."<br /><br />
"Let us not seek the Republican answer or the Democratic answer, but the right answer. Let us not seek to fix the blame for the past. Let us accept our own responsibility for the future."<br />
<span class="bqQuoteLink" style="color: #444444; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 20px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 26px; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"></span><span class="bodybold" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue',Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 20px; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"></span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: black; display: inline !important; float: none; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 20px; orphans: auto; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 20px; orphans: auto; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-converted-space"></span></span>Eveyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10669204970127058201noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8501489.post-27246917320119685522013-11-21T23:24:00.000-08:002013-11-21T23:24:13.180-08:0017 Years <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I read on another blog a few weeks ago that we are never given enough moments in life. How true that statement is. I think it is more apparent to those of us who have lost someone close to us. When you are in the midst of life and being with those you love I think it is easy to take it for granted without even realizing it. I know I have been guilty of this plenty in my life. I try not to, I try to appreciate the moments as they come and realize how precious and fleeting they are. I have first hand experience in the reality of having those moments taken from you.<br />
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My mum passed away from breast cancer in on November 21, 1996. Her original diagnosis was about 8 years earlier when when she was barely into her 40's. After a partial mastectomy and chemotherapy her cancer was in remission until July 1996. This time it had spread and it was terminal. Unless you have ever been faced with that news I am not sure I can ever explain how it feels. It's earth shattering.<br />
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For 4 months she fought till she couldn't anymore. She gave it everything she had and in the end it was selfish for any of us to want her to stay and fight one more day. She was ready. None of us were ready to let her go but we were ready for her to be at peace and finally be rid of the pain and sickness. I remember our last conversation so vividly it's as if it were yesterday. I remember my final moments with her the night before she passed away. I have never shared either of those with anyone and I likely never will. Those moments were for me and her and I will carry those close to me everyday for the rest of my life. <br />
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There are days I feel cheated. She has missed out on so many big moments in my life. I wish she knew my husband and I wish he could have known her. She would have loved Chris and he would have got such a kick out of her accent. She was a very special lady and I will miss her always.<br />
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You don't ever stop missing those you have lost. It gets easier as years go by, but you never stop missing them and wishing they were here. Wishing for more moments with them. Instead you are left with memories. I cherish those. I was blessed to have her as my mum. I had her for almost 19 years and I learned so much about life and who I am from her. Having her in my life made me a better person and I will be forever thankful.Eveyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10669204970127058201noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8501489.post-52500307169773050172013-11-20T22:26:00.000-08:002013-11-20T22:26:10.801-08:00100 Things--UpdatedBack in 2005 I did a '100 things about me list' here on my blog. That was 7 years ago so I decided to update it for your enjoyment. You're welcome.<br />
<br />
1. I was born in Scotland<br />
2. I moved to Canada when I was 3<br />
3. I am a UK Citizen<br />
4. I have 2 older brothers<br />
5. I have little to no contact with either of them and it is very sad<br />
6. I didn't get my first smartphone until 2 years ago<br />
7. I love to do puzzles (even though Chris refers to me as an old lady when I do)<br />
8. My mom passed away in 1996 at 49 when I was 18 and I miss her a lot<br />9. She is buried in Sherwood Park, Alberta. I hate it is so far from where I live now. <br />
10. I often wonder what it would be like to talk with her now that I am married and all grown up<br />
11. My dad is remarried to a great lady named Lynne<br />
12. I have never been back to Scotland but hope to in a few years<br />
13. All of my grandparents died when I was young or before I was born<br />
14. I have 3 nephews on my side of the family<br />
15. I have 4 nephews on Chris's side and 2 nieces<br />
16. I had a cat for 15 years, his name was Sparky<br />
17. I also had budgies and hamsters when I was younger<br />
18. I have a dog now, her name is Belle<br />
19. I am a huge animal lover<br />
20. I am a HUGE hockey fan<br />
21. The Edmonton Oilers are my favorite team<br />
22. I also love baseball<br />
23. Chris's mom turned me into the baseball addict I am today<br />
24. My favorite baseball team is the Seattle Mariners<br />
25. I also like football, our favorite team is the Seattle Seahawks<br />
26. Chris and I are both sports nuts<br />
27. Chris and I celebrated our 9 year wedding anniversary in September<br />
28. We met on online on a christian dating site<br />
29. We have been together since January 2002<br />
30, Our first date was at the Cactus Club in Vancouver, BC <br />
31. We moved to Boston, Massachusetts 5 days after our wedding<br />
32. We met some great friends and got to do some fun things but the west coast is still the best coast<br />
33. I love fall<br />
34. I love winter more, I wish it snowed here<br />
35. I am a coffee addict<br />
36. I have been to New York City a handful of times, my favorite being during the holiday season<br />
37. My favorite drink at Starbucks is a Grande, nonfat, no whip, pumpkin spice latte<br />
38. I love Christmas time, I am like a kid<br />
39. I love snow<br />
40. I love to read<br />
41. My favorite author is John Grisham<br />
42. I love movies<br />
43. The funniest movie I have seen in a long time was The Heat<br />
44. My favorite movie is The Princess Bride<br />
45. I waited in line to see the first Lord of the Rings movie<br />
46. I love music<br />
47. My favorite singer is Sarah McLachlan and I have seen her in concert A LOT<br />
48. I wish I went to more concerts but I just never think about it until after the fact<br />
49. My favorite band is U2, I have seen them in concert twice <br />
50. I have played the trumpet/cornet since I was 7 years old<br />
51. Every summer I went to music camp and looked forward to it all year<br />
52. I love classical and brass band music<br />
53. I love jazz<br />
54. I love <a href="http://www.wyntonmarsalis.net/main1.html">Wynton Marsalis </a>and <a href="http://www.chrisbotti.com/">Chris Botti</a><br />
55. Not a lot of people know the above 5 things about me<br />
56. I have a Scottish accent, but it only comes out when I talk to my dad or brother<br />
57. My American friends and family think I have a "Canadian" accent<br />
58. My favorite hockey players are Ryan Smyth and Doug Gilmour<br />
59. I love camping but not in the mountains, I am scared of getting eaten by bears and mountain lions<br />
60. I have a very dry sense of humor<br />
61. I love TV, probably too much. Our DVR is always full<br />
62. I have Acid Reflux Disease<br />
63. I used to be a dog walker <br />
64. I like to dye my hair and I do this often<br />
65. I have a degenerative eye disease called Keratoconus<br />
66. Chris taught me how to golf<br />
67. I love taking pictures<br />
68. I want to write a book<br />
69. I have lived in Scotland, Ontario, Alberta, British Columbia, Washington, Massachusetts and now Oregon<br />
70. I have lived in 3 different countries<br />
71. Chris and I have driven cross country twice<br />
72. I am very stubborn <br />
73. The Oregon Coast is one of my favorite places, and I love it is less than two hours away from us<br />
74. I am VERY shy until you get to know me, people perceive this as snootiness<br />
75. I broke my wrist tobogganing about 16 years ago<br />
76. I am very insecure about my weight, it is a battle I will one day win<br />
77. I am a runner<br />
78. My favorite colors are blue and pink <br />
79. My eyes are blue<br />
80. My oldest and closest friend is Melanie and we are still friends to this day <br />
81. Once I fell out of a bus when I slipped on ice and severely sprained my ankle<br />
82. I like rain<br />
83. I talk in my sleep<br />
84. I love apple juice<br />
85. I also love orange pop<br />
86. My favorite alcoholic drink is a Bellini <br />
87. I also love Cosmopolitans<br />
88. I like beer, it is an acquired taste...kinda like coffee<br />
89. Chris and I are huge wine lovers. We drink it regularly<br />
90. I once had a giraffe nuzzle my neck <br />
91. Since I moved to Canada when I was 3 I have never traveled outside of North America<br />
92. Belle was a Valentines Day present from Chris<br />
93. I saw her picture online (Petfinder) and I knew she was the one I wanted<br />
94. I want to go to Germany someday<br />
95. Alias is my favorite TV show of all time<br />
96. Animal Planet is one of my favorite channels<br />
97. I never put the cap back on the toothpaste<br />
98. Chris and I love watching those infomercials about music CD's<br />
99. My favorite smell is Lavender<br />
100. I have lived near both the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, I love the oceanEveyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10669204970127058201noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8501489.post-57245817945118543592013-11-19T23:59:00.002-08:002013-11-20T00:04:36.849-08:00Let It Snow...Please. One Flake.No really, I mean it. We are well in to our rainy season here in Oregon. Contrary to popular belief, it is actually quite dry and warm here in the summer right through October. But then when the rain does come...it is here for the long haul. Which I don't mind too much. It is so beautiful here, and all the rain is a big reason for that. But this isn't about rain--it's about snow. It's about how it doesn't snow here and how sad that makes me. And before those of you who live in the snow tell me how if I lived there I would feel different...I wouldn't. I promise you that. I HAVE lived there and I love snow and I always have.<br />
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I grew up in Sherwood Park, Alberta which is a suburb just east of Edmonton. When I was a kid I would spend hours playing in the snow, building forts with my brother. My friends and I would go door to door with our shovels in hopes of shoveling sidewalks and driveways for extra money. I remember being called in for dinner and not wanting to go inside. With my cheeks rosy from the cold, I would finally be coaxed inside and my dad would help me get out of my boots and snowsuit. As I got older, those hours outside playing in the yard turned into ice skating with my friends OUTDOORS--like it should be. If no ice skating...then surely there was a snowball fight going on somewhere. When I was in high school, we would go to a friends house who had a hot tub and soak in it while surrounded by snow. Sometimes this would lead to jumping in a snowbank and then back in the hot tub. Insane? Perhaps. But oh so much fun! <br />
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I think any of us who grew up in the cold knows that feeling of excitement--you're a kid and that first snow falls...and you know the next day you will be at the nearest hill to go tobogganing. I remember so many winter days all bundled up, headed out crazy carpet in hand...not a care in the world. One year I was at a weekend church camp. On Saturday, a bunch of us were tobogganing on a hill behind the cabins. My friend and I decided to go down the hill on huge innertube. We both laid on our stomachs and got a big push from a friend...and we were off! Problem was--there wasn't as much snow as we would have liked and there were some grass patches here and there. Quick math: Two girls+innertube+downhill+non-snow covered grass patches=we didn't make it very far. The tube hit one of those patches and stopped--and we didn't. I landed first, which would have been okay except my friend landed sort of on top of me--and my arm, which was almost at the same time I had put my hand out to brace myself. Combining the impact of me landing--and then her landing on my arm...I heard snap crackle, pop. Not exactly a good sound. I was in shock at first, but by the time I got to the top of the hill and looked at my arm I knew it was bad. All the color went from my face and then the pain hit. It. Was. Horrible. I was off to the hospital which resulted in an overnight stay. I had broken my wrist and the orthopedic surgeon needed to perform a closed reduction. But because the break was so bad they had to put me under. There is no way they could have set that thing with me awake. At any rate, I am not sure I have been tobogganing since.<br />
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One of my favorite things is when it is a cold crisp winter night, ground covered in snow and a clear sky filled with stars. The cover of snow makes everything glisten and quiet. Going for a walk during that time is one of my favorite things, so beautiful and peaceful. Another thing I always loved was sitting warm and cozy inside watching a storm outside.<br />
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Chris and I experienced some pretty wicked snow storms out in Boston. In fact--the first month we were there we got slammed with a crazy storm. 24 inches in one night...our inaugural Nor'easter! One year when we were living in Revere, we had a crazy storm and we had somehow left out shovel behind at our old place. It had been snowing so much that day and night there was no way we were driving anywhere to get a shovel. So we bundled up and we headed to Walgreens with the dog. The snow was so deep the only place to walk was in the grooves in the road from cars. Don't worry--at that point there were no actual cars out since there was way too much snow. The half mile walk took forever, but we got our shovel and it was actually a lot of fun. <br />
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Over the past few days all my peeps back home in Alberta have been getting slammed with snow. It is this time of year I miss living there the most. My friend Steph sent me some pictures this morning. So pretty...I would love to wake up to that tomorrow. <br />
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It is pretty cold here tonight. It almost feels like it <i>could</i> snow. In fact--the weather did say we could get a flurry or two. I'd be happy with a flake or two. Fingers crossed. Eveyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10669204970127058201noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8501489.post-63214449496476479152013-11-18T22:02:00.000-08:002013-11-18T22:02:02.018-08:00Foody GoodyWhen we first moved to Boston, one of the first things we wanted to do was find a few good places to eat. Yes--we are fatties, but that wasn't really the reasoning. We don't eat a lot of fast food, at least we certainly <i>try</i> not to. And sometimes you just don't want to go to the same old chains when you go out. (Other than Chili's. I'll always have room in my heart for Chili's.) The first place we lived in--Hyde Park--had this little place nearby in Roslindale called the <a href="http://www.pleasantcafe.com/" target="_blank">Pleasant Cafe</a> that had pizza that Chris absolutely loved. Right in the middle of Hyde Park was a Chinese restaurant called the <a href="http://www.talknwokcafe.com/" target="_blank">Talk and Wok Cafe</a>. It was a hole in the wall place we tried one day at the recommendation of our landlords, and it was some of the best Chinese food we have ever had.<br />
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When we moved to Revere, we were sad to leave those places all the way on the other side of the city, but we quickly found some new favorites. <a href="http://reverehouseofpizza.com/" target="_blank">The Revere House of Pizza</a> was about 5 minutes from us and we loved their pizza. Score! Right at the end of our street was a tiny little Italian joint called <a href="http://uncleninos.com/" target="_blank">Uncle Nino's</a>. It was so good. We frequented that place. Especially on the weekends or just after a long day when we didn't feel like cooking. We could call in an order and walk over and get it. It was literally a 30 second walk. Broccoli chicken with ziti and the steak tips with a salad was our usual. Man...my mouth is watering just thinking about it. <br />
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And who can forget <a href="http://www.annastaqueria.com/" target="_blank">Anna's Taqueria.</a> Oh, how I miss thee, Anna's. It is probably one of the things I miss most about Boston. We LOVED that place. They make the best burritos we have ever had--hands down--and nothing has even come close before or since. Anna's is a small local chain with 6 locations in Brookline, Cambridge, Somerville and Boston. Absolutely delicious. They steam the tortillas like most places--BUT--they put a long slice of cheese on the tortilla <i>before</i> steaming it, so when it comes out...its like this cheese glue that holds everything together and makes my heart happy. Plus--whatever they marinate their steak with is stupid good.<br />
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Since moving here I wouldn't say we have found any small little places like that--yet. However, we do have some of our favorites that we really enjoy. <a href="http://www.noodles.com/" target="_blank">Noodles and Company</a> quickly became a favorite of ours. The Bangkok Curry with chicken is my favorite, and Chris always gets the Japanese Pan Noodles with steak. <a href="https://www.panerabread.com/" target="_blank">Panera Bread</a> is an old favorite. We always get the exact same thing. Turkey Bacon Bravo on tomato basil bread, and a bowl of their delicious broccoli cheddar soup. Mmmmm. <a href="http://www.chipotle.com/" target="_blank">Chipotle</a>--oddly enough--we never ate at in Boston...but we couldn't cheat on Anna's. For a chain they are very good, and its the closest thing out here to Anna's. Our new favorite is a sandwich shop called <a href="http://www.potbelly.com/" target="_blank">Potbelly</a>. It is right next to the Chipotle we go to, and we had long meant to go there but hadn't until recently. A friend had also sang their praises, but we just never got around to it. Until last week. I have no idea why we waited to long. They are so good.<br />
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We are still on the search for a little hole in the wall local joint we can call our own. When we find it I will be sure to let you know. And now I am hungry so I will go make dinner. <br />
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My apologies to all of you who are all likely hungry now as well. Perhaps you should go read my last post about running instead...(Or eat Cheetos.) Eveyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10669204970127058201noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8501489.post-4840939523004941762013-11-17T23:23:00.002-08:002013-11-18T22:10:07.595-08:00So You Want To Be A Runner?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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In 2011, I decided I was going to become a runner. No, I didn't just wake up one day and decide. I had actually been a runner back in the day when I was much skinnier and in great shape. In 2010 I met my friend Aimee via the website Spark People. Yes, I met her online. Don't judge. Anyways, when we met she was in the midst of a massively inspiring weight loss journey. Over 100 pounds! She had run her first 5k in October of that year, and I thought to myself, "well I should do that." <br />
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I picked the Shamrock Run in April 2011. I asked Aimee to come run with me, and she did. All the way from West Virginia. In the months and weeks leading up to the race, Chris and I trained together--maybe not as much as we should have--but we tried. One day we were running at a local high school track and everything was fine. My left foot was hurting on the side but nothing out of the ordinary, so I didn't think anything of it. But after a few days it was becoming obvious something was not right. The pain was sharp and not going away, and running at that point was certainly not an option. So off to my doctor I went. The diagnosis was a hairline fracture. Doctors orders were to stay off the foot as much as possible, and in no way was I to be running at all. I was given a pretty hefty walking boot and sent on my way. <br />
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Needless to say I was super bummed out at the prospect of not being able to take part in my first race--plus the fact missing out with running with my friend who was flying all this way simply because I asked her to. By the time race day came, I was still having significant pain in my foot and knew running was just not an option. I was very disappointed. I went along anyways to support Chris, Aimee and a few of our other friends who joined us. The whole thing wasn't a loss. I did get to meet and hang out with one of my closest and dearest friends. Fatty may have broke her foot, but the "race that wasn't" helped solidify a life-long friendship. <br />
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I didn't let my foot keep me out of commission for long. A month later I finally got to run my first race. Chris and I ran in the Seahawks 5k in Renton, Washington. I was both nervous and excited. To a lot of people running 3 miles doesn't seem like that big of a deal, but when you have been overweight for as long as I have and trying to get healthy it feels like a huge mountain just to run one mile. So to take part in an actual timed race and FINISH was so awesome. My race time that day was 38.29. Not bad for a first timer. My pace was just about 12 1/2 minutes per mile. I was very happy with that and very proud of myself.<br />
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I am not sure I would say I <i>like</i> running, per se. I feel I can clear my head and release any crappy energy while I am running, and I like that. I like the adrenaline when you are nearing the finish line of a race, and the feeling of accomplishment when you cross the finish line. I have run a handful of races since. Not nearly enough or as much as I would like--I really need to start being more committed to it. Nothing keeps you motivated like a race looming over your head. You certainly don't want to be the fat girl being carted off to the ambulance. (Or followed by the ambulance just in case, right Aimee?!) I even got to run a race with my dad when he and his wife Lynne came to visit us a couple years ago. Well, we didn't really run <i>with </i>him given the fact he is like a roadrunner. No, seriously! He's 68 years old and runs like the wind. I think he bested both Chris and I by like 10 minutes and said, "oh, I just took it easy today." Grrr.<br />
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I hope to sign up for and run another race in the very near future. I very much need to get my lazy butt back in to shape and its the perfect way to do it.<br />
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I may never run a marathon or even a half marathon, but as long as I keep my feet moving and running I will consider myself a runner. If you are reading this and have always wanted to run but are thinking "I am too fat and out of shape," or "I can't even run a block," just stop thinking it. It is NOT true. There was a time I thought those same things, but they are lies and I can promise you that--because you CAN. Don't NOT run because you think you can't. Try it--the feeling you have the first time you cross that finish line will be exhilarating.Eveyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10669204970127058201noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8501489.post-57741986159106794752013-11-16T22:48:00.000-08:002013-11-16T22:48:34.207-08:00My Name is Evey and I am a Crusher Aggravating, annoying, frustrating, exasperating, infuriating, trying, vexatious, irksome, tormenting, incommodious, rebarbative.<br />
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Need I go on? What--you ask--could possibly make me start off a blog post with such words? Some of which are so big that you are probably all "awed and amazed" at how I even know them. Well...truth be told...I don't. Three of those words I have never heard of--that's what thesaurus.com is for. (You can guess which words.) However, the answer to the question is simple. Three simple little words: CANDY CRUSH SAGA! More specifically Level 147, which I have been stuck on for going on two months now. TWO !@#$% MONTHS! <br />
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Candy Crush sucks you in by looking fun and happy, and it makes fun noises when you get candy matches. "TASTY," it says. "SWEET!" And it <i>is</i> tasty and sweet...at first. But then...the addiction kicks in. The Candy crushing addiction. You <i>need</i> to play. You play it on your phone, your laptop and your tablet. Any electronic device you can get your hands on. You must crush candy at all available times. But as much as you love it, there are those levels that you get to--and no matter what you do, no matter how you crush the candy--you just can't conquer. But you keep going back. You will prevail. One day. Maybe. <br />
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I don't know how many more days, weeks, or months I will be trying to pass Level 147. But when I do, there will come another level I cannot pass. And so goes the vicious cycle.<br />
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Congratulations to the makers of Candy Crush. You are crushing my soul one animated candy at a time. But I love you, so I forgive you. But I hate you. But I love you. Flip a coin.Eveyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10669204970127058201noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8501489.post-16773451749429011892013-11-15T23:04:00.001-08:002013-11-16T14:11:57.767-08:00How I Met My Doggie<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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When Chris and I first started dating back in 2002 and he informed me he was allergic to dogs, I will admit I hesitated a little. I love animals, specifically dogs. When I was growing up I never had a dog. In fact, I had a cat. Yes, I was a cat person. In his defense, Sparky was a pretty awesome cat. From the day we got him when I was 7, he was my buddy until he died 13 years later. After he died, I had trouble sleeping for a few weeks because I was so used to his loud purr. He would sleep above my head on my pillow and his purr was loud like a Harley Davidson. I miss him. But, I digress.<br />
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When Chris said he was allergic to dogs, my heart sank. Lucky for him, I kept dating him in spite of this revelation. On our 6 month (dating) anniversary, we were hanging out in Seattle when he asked me if I wanted to go up in the Space Needle with him. Instantly, my answer was no. For those of you who know me, you know that two of my least favorite things are elevators and heights. Put a glass elevator on the OUTSIDE of a building, and the chances of getting me in it are pretty slim. After trying all he could think of to convince me, he had what <i>may</i> have been the smartest and greatest idea in his life. He said that if I went to the top of the Space Needle with him, he would get me a puppy. I was skeptical at first--was he just saying whatever I wanted to hear so I would go up with him? He swore to me he was being serious, and so after about an hour--probably more like a half hour, but my gosh it seemed like three--of fighting internally with myself I decided to go for it. The elevator ride was TERRIBLE! I didn't look outside and fought panic and tears all the way up. I will admit, the view from the top was amazing but once we were back on solid ground I couldn't have been more relieved.<br />
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A year and half or so later in February 2004--Valentine's Day to be specific--Chris woke me up by telling me it was time to look for a dog. I was beside myself with excitement! We had decided when we got a dog it would be a rescue, so I immediately was out of bed and on the computer searching through dogs on <a href="http://www.petfinder.com/" target="_blank">Petfinder</a>. I didn't take me long before I came across this picture. These were the first pictures I ever saw of Belle, and I was in love at first sight. Seriously, look at that face and those eyes! <br />
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I immediately told Chris that she was the one, so he asked me if I was sure and I said YES! She had been found wandering the streets of Wenatchee, Washington with no collar or microchip. It was as if she had run away or been left behind, but we'll never know. They estimated her at about 10 months old. Her adoption fee was $75, so Chris and I agreed we would drive out to Wenatchee to meet her the following day. After a 2 1/2 hour drive, we arrived at the shelter. A lady took us back to where all the dogs were kept, and ALL the dogs were barking and clamoring for our attention. Now--we have long suspected that she didn't have a great start in life, because when we got to Belle's cage she was sitting way in the back against the wall and wasn't making a peep. She look very scared and sad. We put a leash on her and were able to take her outside to a fenced area to play and see how we interacted and got along together. Once we were alone with her, she was happy and running and eager to play. I picked her when I saw that photo of her, but she picked us that Sunday afternoon! With the decision made, we headed back inside to pay her adoption fee. One of the stipulations of adoption is they must be spayed/neutered before they can go home. Given the fact it was a Sunday, she wouldn't be able to have her surgery until Tuesday morning. So we headed the 2 1/2 hours back home and waited for Tuesday to be able to go and pick her up.<br />
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Tuesday morning the phone rang early--much earlier than we expected--and we immediately thought something might have happened to Belle before or during her surgery. It turned out the vet office was calling to tell us she had already been spayed, so she didn't need surgery and we could come and pick her up anytime. Once again, we made the long drive to finally go pick up our dog. She was so happy to see us when we got there, and it warmed my heart. However, when we got back in the car and started driving home, she curled up in the back seat and started shaking like a little leaf. I ended up sitting in the back and snuggling with her.<br />
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We have loved every day we have had with her. She has brought us such joy! We have been very fortunate with her health-wise with no major issues. (I know this post kinda sounds like a doggie eulogy, but she's not dead yet!) She is 10 1/2 now, although you would never know it given her never-ending level of energy. Her grey/white beard is the only dead giveaway that she is not 2 years old anymore. Her stamina has definitely tailed off, but she is still full of happy happy happy doggie energy. She has traveled cross-country with us (twice!), she sleeps under the blankets in between us at night, she goes for lots of walks and car rides, she eats premium dog food and gets tons of treats, and she even gets turkey dinner at the holidays! She has had a great life and she has enriched our lives. She is truly the definition of a man's (and woman's) best friend.<br />
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If any of you are considering getting a dog, I strongly recommend a rescue/shelter dog. There are so many of them--all breeds, sizes and ages--needing homes everyday. Rescuing Belle was one of the best decisions we have ever made! </div>
Eveyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10669204970127058201noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8501489.post-34375296160837736732013-11-13T23:38:00.000-08:002013-11-13T23:38:04.872-08:00Picture DayWhat is picture day you ask? Well it is a day when you get to see some of the most favorite pictures I have taken at different times and different places. So enjoy.<br />
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This first photo was taken aboard an Alaskan Airlines flight from Boston to Seattle back in 2008. It was a red eye flight, and this was just one of a series of pictures taken during sunrise. One of the most amazing things I have ever seen. <br />
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In July 2012, Chris's brother and his family moved to Arizona. We traveled down to help them move in. Our drive home took us through the Grand Canyon. It was breathtaking. Pictures don't even come close to doing it justice. </div>
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One of my favorite things about living in Oregon is how open and beautiful it is. This picture was taken on an afternoon drive up through the Columbia River Gorge. It was a perfect clear day. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMvL2d7qEJk6vLVoKyerZ9R2Rg6Q-v1teOiEPXwzJXpQCdq4Pq6qem00RiZLl3ORsz9bc_JqR8g1R9IdZB31RZHTN7g_Pc63MfXBrMf7btZXgtynXJ0imWyPlVtZHuI0tYJUmyCg/s1600/39709_1444610747535_8032592_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMvL2d7qEJk6vLVoKyerZ9R2Rg6Q-v1teOiEPXwzJXpQCdq4Pq6qem00RiZLl3ORsz9bc_JqR8g1R9IdZB31RZHTN7g_Pc63MfXBrMf7btZXgtynXJ0imWyPlVtZHuI0tYJUmyCg/s320/39709_1444610747535_8032592_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
This next picture was taken one August evening out at Browns Point, Washington. The sun was just finishing setting over Commencement Bay when I spotted a boat and thought it was a perfect photo op. It turned out even better than I had hoped. <br />
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In November 2010, Chris and I took a week-long vacation down in Northern California wine country. Sonoma is beautiful. This photo was taken up at a winery called <a href="http://www.prwinery.com/" target="_blank">Paradise Ridge</a>. It was by far one of the best views of the entire area. We had a picnic lunch out on their balcony and it was just so beautiful. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfzggrXScyxpFztnAzg81bYlU-jsq3Ad8PTxey2UStpazB4BH7lGZ3QmTJqSEglaGbHV1hjC876i-dwJXj7CEwXu6KrmiERktxy8v58b7pJ30eK264cx8ZbIkGyHQlIU-7-gtBog/s1600/74034_1541085279338_3774098_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfzggrXScyxpFztnAzg81bYlU-jsq3Ad8PTxey2UStpazB4BH7lGZ3QmTJqSEglaGbHV1hjC876i-dwJXj7CEwXu6KrmiERktxy8v58b7pJ30eK264cx8ZbIkGyHQlIU-7-gtBog/s320/74034_1541085279338_3774098_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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When we lived in Boston we made a handful of trips to New York City. In 2006, we went to the top of <a href="http://www.rockefellercenter.com/" target="_blank">Rockefeller Center</a>. Why not the Empire State Building, you ask? Well it is way more expensive, way busier and WAY too high for this girl. Also you can't SEE the Empire State Building if you're IN it. Chris took this amazing picture of the New York skyline with the Empire State Building in it. The colors were incredible. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7VqKIjPU6a_ndxEyTse7hzQn7fagX-LKqpJjdgQalFkPSGk5Tx_kkwJvTFfZo6YqGS8AXpkUvLstAUWx_26V4HYv8BkAiChCnNf6AGNG2CdoxOVpa1WiyPKRmp2nTn9Zu3kYkYw/s1600/2006_1010Image0094.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7VqKIjPU6a_ndxEyTse7hzQn7fagX-LKqpJjdgQalFkPSGk5Tx_kkwJvTFfZo6YqGS8AXpkUvLstAUWx_26V4HYv8BkAiChCnNf6AGNG2CdoxOVpa1WiyPKRmp2nTn9Zu3kYkYw/s320/2006_1010Image0094.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Eveyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10669204970127058201noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8501489.post-18034353558556609732013-11-12T22:54:00.003-08:002013-11-13T10:19:13.322-08:00What's In A Fridge...Besides Lame Vegetables<div style="text-align: left;">
I was at a loss for what to blog about today, so I decided to use one of the daily prompts on the Blogher website. I chose this one: "Name five things inside your refrigerator right now and how you feel about them." When I first saw it, my immediate thought was how stupid of an idea that was. Why would I want to blog about what is in my fridge--and more so--why would anyone care how they make me feel? But then I thought...well it's my blog and I can write what I want--so guess what--you DO get to read about five things in my fridge and how I feel about them. You're welcome! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitKP1C0RAXo9UeEdy6vasoRNspxUAeYhooco3aQyQmF6AxKRE_6d09TOum1xPugFbcJA-UnFO4cbIbWr40FeezVTCNshOqkKuifXJNJ98JTMGDUg-vcqb3H4JSel5C4hDUjzsd6Q/s1600/20131112_201458.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitKP1C0RAXo9UeEdy6vasoRNspxUAeYhooco3aQyQmF6AxKRE_6d09TOum1xPugFbcJA-UnFO4cbIbWr40FeezVTCNshOqkKuifXJNJ98JTMGDUg-vcqb3H4JSel5C4hDUjzsd6Q/s320/20131112_201458.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
Ah, my French Vanilla coffee creamer. This is such an important part of my life. We start our morning together over coffee every single day. My mornings are not the same without it. Sure--I like my coffee black from time to time...especially when I need a big jolt to get going in the morning. But for the most part it's me, my coffee and the creamer. Delicious. There are days when I think Chris and I keep these folks in business.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc0QfRZ7kGSdUQr_cBa__RNVlHWiLCRkkNvCqNXGkFqgOCVBQ7WFwOI_OFaeyVzsd99fwPNR0fnYOzJKshm3dnrRjOBgnLiR-5tfeidsIOjgWhKt8oy-5FUyLjMmDwZrtq6k8pVQ/s1600/20131112_201539.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc0QfRZ7kGSdUQr_cBa__RNVlHWiLCRkkNvCqNXGkFqgOCVBQ7WFwOI_OFaeyVzsd99fwPNR0fnYOzJKshm3dnrRjOBgnLiR-5tfeidsIOjgWhKt8oy-5FUyLjMmDwZrtq6k8pVQ/s320/20131112_201539.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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Cottage cheese is one of my morning staples. I love a small bowl of cottage cheese with my breakfast. During summertime I love mixing it with fresh strawberries. I realize a lot of people think cottage cheese is gross, clearly those people are insane. </div>
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Juice, juice and juice. I love juice. Apple juice has always been my favorite. I don't usually drink a lot of juice in the regular day-to-day, as I don't like to waste all my calories on drinks. I just drink a ton of water. However, when I am feeling under the weather with a cold or flu, I love to drink juice like it's going out of style. It makes me feel better and fills me up with extra vitamin C. But I have learned one thing about juice, specifically apple and orange...drinking too much of it results in some not fun stomach issues. I will leave it at that. :)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0BUDib4CYpgmlekXBxxM1pHrsf3jTw9sSC4jCAzpMdxKep_K1j4BYcKq1L7UwCCI_-bJHQtOfpi5ZGWOedyz3VD7HW0YyEsmis14sge7lHgPYxpWy6xeOrGteryWeXegpZLu5oA/s1600/20131112_201628.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0BUDib4CYpgmlekXBxxM1pHrsf3jTw9sSC4jCAzpMdxKep_K1j4BYcKq1L7UwCCI_-bJHQtOfpi5ZGWOedyz3VD7HW0YyEsmis14sge7lHgPYxpWy6xeOrGteryWeXegpZLu5oA/s320/20131112_201628.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
Ok, so this is technically in the freezer, but it counts. I am a whiskey girl, always have been. I don't drink hard liquor very often, but when I do, I love me some whiskey. (Apparently, <a href="http://imgflip.com/i/4rkra" target="_blank">I am also the most interesting man in the world</a>.) Mixed or on its own, sometimes it just hits the spot. Yum!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir3ZVT-ygW0UZBjeUmR9uw9Ze7tGwy121hIBq4Pl1RXYREhEm1Hk92fUuSs_-kbBftco3nveECLn3A4e2B0VaGUDOAgVp-iP1MDuud280jblJj2N83rMvg1Yqe8Lddopdd4iPoQA/s1600/20131112_201721.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir3ZVT-ygW0UZBjeUmR9uw9Ze7tGwy121hIBq4Pl1RXYREhEm1Hk92fUuSs_-kbBftco3nveECLn3A4e2B0VaGUDOAgVp-iP1MDuud280jblJj2N83rMvg1Yqe8Lddopdd4iPoQA/s320/20131112_201721.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
Blue cheese and I have an odd relationship. I will never eat it on salad, for some reason that grosses me out. However, with hot wings or pizza crust I will eat blue cheese like a nerd plays D&D. Which is to say, A LOT. <br />
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So there you have it. Five things in my fridge and how I feel about them. I bet you somehow feel like you know me deeper as a person now. I am glad I could bring us closer in this way!Eveyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10669204970127058201noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8501489.post-5425395586037229662013-11-11T21:37:00.000-08:002013-11-11T21:39:29.302-08:00Lest We Forget...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I have seen this video a handful of times today, and it still makes me cry every single time. My Pappy Floyd (my dad's dad) fought in World War II and was presumed killed at Normandy. I never knew him, and neither did my dad...but I am thankful for his sacrifice. I am thankful for everyone who served. Those still with us and those who were lost, and those whose lives have been forever changed with injuries both physical and emotional. I am not sure we thank them enough. Let us never take those still here for granted and let us never forget those who didn't have those special homecomings with their families. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3ZGhCPSS94XN_NFkIXtqfGtb7uYB_kxJHCVeDKAOw1jn_cLAJiOffm7EaQZq6FVpDSylNqPCZGhttvqGQhaORJg5HdQsyYigU7xnKKvZiC_MGf3CUT-b-VvdaZOhQDjSMwci49Q/s1600/2007_0829Image0216.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3ZGhCPSS94XN_NFkIXtqfGtb7uYB_kxJHCVeDKAOw1jn_cLAJiOffm7EaQZq6FVpDSylNqPCZGhttvqGQhaORJg5HdQsyYigU7xnKKvZiC_MGf3CUT-b-VvdaZOhQDjSMwci49Q/s320/2007_0829Image0216.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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I took this picture at <a href="http://www.arlingtoncemetery.mil/AboutUs/Default.aspx" target="_blank">Arlington National Cemetery</a> when we visited in 2007. It was a very somber experience to walk among all those graves. I felt both sadness and gratitude. </div>
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In Canada today is Remembrance Day, set aside to remember those we have lost. In the United States today is Veterans Day, which honors all those who have served. To both I humbly and respectfully thank you. </div>
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Eveyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10669204970127058201noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8501489.post-8745512312280881452013-11-10T21:54:00.001-08:002013-11-10T21:54:22.609-08:00Lights! Camera! Blog Post!I love movies. I don't watch them or go to them nearly as often as I would like. A lot of that is due to the fact that even though Chris enjoys movies, getting him to go to one is sometimes like pulling teeth. Fortunately we like a lot of the same types of movies--but even when we don't, he will still go see movies with me that he maybe wouldn't see otherwise. He probably wouldn't deny that he has been known to enjoy a chick flick--or two--in his day. One that comes to mind off the top of my head is<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0240890/" target="_blank"> Serendipity</a> with John Cusack.<br />
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Only a handful of movies have ever had me excited enough to "count down the months" until it will be released in theatres. For example, the <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120737/?ref_=nv_sr_1" target="_blank">Lord of The Rings</a> trilogy were the three movies I was probably most excited for while awaiting them to open. It will be hard to ever replace these as three of my favorite movies of all time. <br />
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A few months before the first <a href="http://www.thehungergamesexplorer.com/us/epk/hunger-games/" target="_blank">Hunger Games</a> movie was released in theatres, I read the trilogy after reading review after review of how good the books are. I usually tend to steer clear of books that fall in the 'young adult' category, but I finally gave in and read them. I think I read all three books in less than a month! I loved every single word and I was sad when I was done because I didn't want the story to end. Naturally when the movie opened, Chris and I went to see it. Other than a minor malfunction with my new contacts--one of which came out mid movie...and we couldn't find it till the movie was done when we had light to search--I ended up watching the final hour of the movie all wonky eyed. Regardless, I loved it. <br />
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On November 22, the second movie <a href="http://www.thehungergamesexplorer.com/us/epk/catching-fire/" target="_blank">Catching Fire</a> comes out. We will likely wait a week or two and go see it late one Tuesday night, so we can avoid crowds (and only pay $5.) Either way I will be counting down the days. I am very very excited! <br />
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Eveyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10669204970127058201noreply@blogger.com0