I'll be an aunt for a second time

It's midnight as I type. After chuch today, I got home and saw two missed calls. No one ever calls on Sunday morning. Two new messages. One from Karli. One from my mom. Karli was checked into the hospital last night with a terrible headache and she got scared after her body began swelling rapidly. She fought tooth an nail not to go to the hospital (she's a little sick of being poked and prodded), but my mom and Michael weren't having it. Her baby shower was scheduled for 2 on Sunday. The message was a sobbing Karli upset because the hospital wouldn't release her to go to the baby shower. Now, not having a clue about this whole pregnancy business, I asked, "Seriously, they can't let you go for an hour...don't they know how important a shower is?" I hopped in my car and headed north to my baby sister's baby shower. Well, the doctor agreed to let the shower come to her in the room because he wasn't letting her go. Good thing too. Apparently, her blood pressure has been hanging out at 161/110. Normal for a pregnant person is anything below 120/80. I just got off the phone with her and it's now up to 200/?. She was wearing pj's with no makeup (she literally didn't think anyone would come up to the hospital until a few minutes before everyone walked in the door) completed by a corsage. It was a very sweet shower with lots of love in the room. Karli is a very giving person, and it was evident by all her friends and well-wishers who came to stand in a hospital room and eat bright pink cake and fruit. As we speak, they are inducing labor and I'm going to be an aunt again tomorrow. She's 35 weeks and she's just a tad bit freaked out by the fact that the clothes are washed, room isn't finished, etc. I know it won't matter near as much when she sees Reagan Avery. I can't wait to show her off, but in the meantime I've come home and taken off my spanx and four inch heels I've had on for over 13 hours (I didn't know all this would be going down or I would've packed a bag)! Say prayers for my sissy and new niece!

Much love,

Since we last talked...

Good afternoon! I've been spending a day relaxing drinking fluids and popping Tylenol. I have to get to feeling better for Karli's baby shower tomorrow. She called me not long ago afraid she's going into labor, but didn't want to call her doctor so that she could still go to the shower. Silly girl. C'mon, she'll still get the loot!

Here's what I can remember from the week:

1. Summer is going by WAY too fast. Seriously. It's the last week of June. I basically start school the beginning of August. And I have to go to a math conference in July. When I start seeing school supplies on the store shelf, expect tears.

2. My favorite decorator came over this week for more help. I love, love, love soaking up her knowledge!

3. I have primed by laundry room cabinets. I really want to paint my bathroom cabinets, but wanted to practice on the laundry room first. I had to move the washer to paint. Do you know what's lurking behind your washer? Eeewww, I do now.

4. Micah's started playing golf quite regularly these days. He's been playing at least once a week if not two times a week for the last couple of months. He was burned out for so long so I'm glad he's enjoying it again.

5. I was watching Oprah this week and dressing your best was the featured topic. There was a recommendation for pants...Banana Republic Martin trousers. I own them. I love them. If you carry your weight in your tummy, run, don't walk to go get these pants!

6. I'm really scared of wasps, yellow jackets, hornets, bees...anything with a stinger and I've seemed to encounter one of those anytime I've been outside this week.

7. I really should see an allergy doctor. I wheezed, sniffled and sneezed my head off at the park last night. I literally came home and had to get in the shower to get whatever pollen was on my body.

8. Ed, Farrah, and MJ died this week. I watched Star Search. RIP Ed. Karli and I loved '70's television growing up. We watched Chips and Charlie's Angels everyday in the summer. She had a great smile. RIP Farrah. I feel terrible for MJ's children and all the speculation going on about them. RIP MJ.

Much love,

5 things tag

I've been tagged by my new bloggie friends, The Reed family. They used to live in Plainview and we even have a similar friend in common. It really all does come back to Plainview as the center of the universe!

Five Random Facts

1. I chew on blankets, sheets, and t-shirts when watching television. It's disgusting to even me. It looks like a mouse lives in my house.

2. I run into more walls and couches than any other person I know.

3. I think life can be hard as a perfectionist. I try to play it off, but I tend to think my way is the best way.

4. My favorite smell in the house is called the Smell of Spring...I'll probably burn it all year.

5. I really want to buy some hot pink converse high tops!

Six Things I Wish I Could Do

1. Dance. I would love to be able to be twinkle toes on the dance floor, but at this point, I'd settle for just being able to keep time (without counting under my breath) two stepping.

2. I wish I could go back to college and live in the dorms and fall asleep talking to Micah. Gosh, so much fun!

3. I wish I loved cooking. I only like cooking if I'm entertaining, but I wish I loved to cook every night.

4. I wish I could speak Spanish so I could communicate with more of the families in my school.

5. I wish I could be more fearless.

6. I wish I could play the piano.

Five Mommy Confessions

1. I took a pregnancy test today, and it came out negative.

2. If we were pregnant this month, our due date would have been around the end of February which makes me nervous about Leap Year...I wonder if 2010 is a Leap Year?

3. Yesterday was Father's Day and my mom was praying for all the fathers and "future" fathers.

4. Dodger is our son and we treat him as such.

5. I started planning for this mommy business over a year ago...reading books, taking vitamins, and Micah started financial spreadsheets!

Seven Favorite Movies of All Times

1. Steel Magnolias

2. A Few Good Men

3. The Notebook

4. My Dog Skip

5. You've Got Mail

6. Home movies shot by my granny

7. Parent Trap

Five Favorite TV Shows

1. Oprah

2. The Today Show

3. Grey's Anatomy

4. Desperate Housewives

5. Army Wives

Six Bands I Want to See in Concert

1. George Strait
2. Garth Brooks (at his last concert [that I watched in the movie theater as he performed in Kansas City because I'm a Garth head] he said, "If you wait for me, I'll be back..." I'm waiting bud.)
3. Reba McIntire
4. Chris Tomlin
5. Justin Timberlake
6. I wish I could've seen The Supremes

Six Places I want to go...

1. Maui

2. A tour of the South

3. Washington, D.C.

4. A tour of Europe

5. A cruise around Mexican beaches

6. A roadtrip to see U.S. landmarks in a van with whomever could stand me for a couple of weeks

Five Favorite Pictures of the Last Year (and why)

Micah gave this book to me for our anniversary. I love the idea of having this to leave to my children and grandchildren.


I love gardening and these were my inpatients in October of last year.


My slanket was a great gift for Valentine's Day! I'm wrapped up in it right now!


Joseph and the angel picture.


What a fun weekend and a great win!


Much love,

Birds

Big Bird is okay in my book. The second photo is my fear. A real, live bird. Piazza San Marco =worst vacation idea for me, ever!

I don't like birds. In my mind I know it's an irrational fear, but I truly am afraid of them. I am even freaked out by their feathers, the noises they made, and the sound of their wings flapping together. My fear started in ninth grade after watching Hitchcock's The Birds in English class. I, then, would walk out to my car after school my junior year and see those big, black crows eating fellow student's lunch litter.

My mom found this Texas Tech birdhouse with a license plate roof on it last year. She thought Micah needed it since the license plate has the initials MM on it. So, here sits his birdhouse that makes me want to cuss every time I see it. Now, straw and other kinds or bird matter are poking out of it, and there are tiny chirping noises. Great. Guess I have some more bird friends. One of these birds overshot his birdhouse the other day and made it way into my house. It quickly flew out. I'm haunted by it. I can barely let Dodger out without recalling it. I was taking a relaxing nap yesterday only to hear a tiny baby bird on my window sill ruffling its feathers against the screen. The birdhouse will need relocation...quick.



Much love,

All the icky came out today

I seriously am judgmental. Here's the thing though, I really can't stand judgy people. Judge Colby. Ick. And, here's another thing...we just had a sermon about judemental-ness a couple of weeks ago. Today I called my bestie, Katie, to tell her all the things that bothered me about a whole array of topics. I talked for 40 minutes. She would get started on another topic, and I would come back with, "and another thing that bothers me is..." After I finished my whole diaherra of the mouth I asked, "Think I'm awful?" Luckily, she responded that she didn't think I was a terrible person. She explained that longevity of friendship had something to do with it. Katie is like Dear Abby. She's very logical. I'm operate with my heart of my sleeve. Then, Micah came home and it was like I wasn't done...more things that bother me spewed out of my mouth. Double ick. I feel like gratitude just escaped me today, and I've held all this in and it just errupted today. I've requested a grilled red meat tonight. Micah is currently obliging. Good man. It smells good. Sorry, I just feel the need to confess. Ick. Ick. Ick.

Much love,

Let's go Dodgers!

Months and months ago Micah scouted out that the Dodgers were coming to Texas to play the Rangers. He's a HUGE fan (hence the name of our dog, Dodger) and I really like going to baseball games. I really get caught up in the whole Americana thing, baseball and apple pie. So here's how the deal went down!

Thursday--load up and head to Amarillo to drop off Dodger with my parents. Dinner with Karli and Reece. Karli looks like she's going to pop. I nicknamed her "Dot" since she was wearing a polka dotted dress and she has a big, round tummy.

Friday--Off to the Big D. Check in the Sheraton. Super close to the ballpark. Yea for non-crazy parking traffic!

We had tickets in the Commissioner's box...second row, third baseline sweetness!

We asked Sean and Danielle to join us even though they are Rangers fans.

We watched the game. Sean wore a glove and promised to shield my face from a foul ball.

Dodgers lost of Friday night. I made Micah give me a sad look. I think he succeeded.

Time to pose for the camera!



Saturday--Lone Star Park in Grand Praire. I love the ponies. We basically broke even and didn't bring the camera inside. However, I forgot my sunglasses at home and had to make do with these silly ones Micah had in his car. I wore them with pride, errr, maybe not. But, it's better than going around with squinty eyes! Micah wore them too!




Off to the ballpark, again. This night we had all you can eat buffet and it was air conditioned. It was so hot and muggy! We ate up and went down to watch the game.

They called a light delay in between the 5th and 6th inning.

The delay lasted about an hour so we found things to do. Went the bullpen, looked at the Nolan Ryan statue...

...looked at my ring under stadium lights, sat in the heat (thank goodness for Lemon Chills)...

Dodgers win!

Happy Maloufs!


Sunday we spent the afternoon shopping as J. Crew was calling my name. I name out with some great sale items...a skirt for $19.99 that was originally $ 98 was my biggest find. I also got a delicious chicken salad sandwich,caesar salad, and made a pit stop for some rich chocolates. Off to Amarillo to see my family and pick up Dodger. I got some good snuggles in with Miss Reece, loaded up Mr. Dodger Malouf, drove through a thunderstorm, and we are home. Love the dry air.

Much love,

It's gone to the dogs

We've been dog sitting for my parents since last week. I love have my seeester, Sissy Bouche (pronounced Boo-shea...even though I'm aware this is the incorrect French spelling of Boucher)...we misspelled it in the beginning and no need to change it now! Dodger and Sissy have had the best time chasing the dogs next door up and down the shared side fence. Up and down. Up and down. I literally have to go pick up Sissy outside and bring her in. And of course, we all sleep together. Including when the air went out. Talk about WARM and cozy. Speaking of which, the air is back on temporarily until the new part comes in tomorrow. Yea for air. It wasn't the heat that bothered me the most...it was that I felt like I couldn't breathe right. So stifling. Ick. Anyway, Sissy Bouche is going back to Amarillo tomorrow. I've enjoyed having both of the most special puppy dogs with me at my home. Dodger still doesn't want to share his food bowl and has been licking Sissy on the neck and face (it's pretty cute to me, but Sissy doesn't care for it too much) after she gets her bath. My little Sissy Bouche was the first pet (we had horses and cows, but we weren't allowed house pets growing up) we got my senior year of high school. She is on Karl Kenner time. Early to bed, early to rise. She loves having a bath. None of my friends or even Micah thinks she's cute, but I think she's just precious. Boston Terriers are really one of the most loyal, family friendly companion dogs out there. Our house and our hearts have gone to the dogs this week, and I wouldn't have it any other way!

Much love,

Wearing icepacks

The popular question I've been asked is, "How's your first week of summer been?" Well, hmmmmm. We've had the good, the bad, and the ugly? I suppose that's not the answer I should say, and I haven't put it like that. So we'll start with the GOOD.

Good--sleeping in. napping. feeling productive around the house. had a good doctor's visit. went shopping in Lbk with Kim and Kate. keeping Sissy Bouche while my parents are in Colorado. good Church messages. I have health, family, and God.

Bad--air went out last weekend. air fixed. spend a couple hundred dollars. not so fast. air broken again as of yesterday when it was 102. so hot. afraid of how much it's going to cost now. I was ready to do the countertops/sink/facet/backsplash and work on bathroom with our saved money. Sad face.

I have it set on 60. However, it's 78 in the house now.


Fans are going.


Blinds and curtains are closed.


Dogs are hot and tired.


I ate ice cream for dinner last night to cool off--don't judge.


I'm jealous of the food chilling in the refrigerator. I may start a new trend...icepack wear.


Ugly--Our attitudes. Sweating doesn't make for happy people.


Much love,

The heat is on...

Anyone else humming the tune from the eighties based on the title? I sure am! Friday night we heard this horrible squeaking noise coming from outside. Air conditioner down. Repeat, air conditioner down. Hot Saturday. Hot Sunday. Escape house. There was no way I was going to call a repair man on a weekend. We sweated it out (I should mention, I am super cold natured and I was hot!)until this morning when I called. A memorable quote that I can actually publish on the blog comes from Micah, "There is condensation going on in my shorts."

Repair man came. Air back on. Fixed. Yahoo! I asked if we had to get a whole new until how much would this run us. Try $4,500, and it's not covered on home owners unless it's hit by lighting. C'mon, that has to be the Cadillac of air conditioners, I think. Nevertheless, I am going to take my $200 repair and be happy.

My first day of summer was spent at the bank since my debit card is lost. I did laundry, took a nap, waited on my repair man, watched Oprah, and man, I felt good to not have a schedule. I think I'm going to hibernate for a few days and recharge my battery.

This is a picture of some garden roses a boy from my class picked from his grandmother's garden. Aren't they beautiful?


This is me and my fellow 4th grade teachers on the roof of the school in our snazzy costumes!


Much love,

Happy Anniversary to Us!

May 27. That's 3 married years. Seven years together. This year has held many lessons personally. In my marriage, I've had to learn to be submissive. My decisions need to be in agreement with Micah and that's not always easy. I really have began seeing the rewards of looking to Micah for the decision making.

Wednesday was our anniversary. I woke up extra early because 4th grade holds a Dads and Donuts celebration before school. Work, work, work all day. Then, we had to work extra late so we wouldn't have to come up and work this weekend (it's paying off now!). I came home and Micah was waiting after bringing home dinner.

I had already written on our chalkboard table in celebration.


I gave Micah this glass (third year is leather or glass depending on the anniversary gift calendar you follow) along with grenadine to put in cokes. We had chats about good cherry cokes when we first were dating.

Then, I said, like a game show announcer, "Your frosty mug and cherry coke will go great with...your brand new grill!"

I received this card from Micah.

Followed by this great leather gift...it asks questions about our whole life...I'm excited to start writing in it, and keep writing in it for my lifetime!

Micah's parents sent us flowers...the picture doesn't do them justice...the are gorg! Thank you for all the sweet messages and cards we received. We felt loved!


Much love,