8 weeks!

Molly is eight weeks old today. She will be 2 months this coming Friday. Where. Did. The. Time. Go.

The last few days have actually been pretty good. I got to hang out with some lovely friends Friday night. Then Saturday had a bridal shower for Roommate's fiance; then a dear friend from HS came over for dinner. Today Hubby, Molly, and I went down to the beach and ate at Ruby's. All in all, a nice relaxing pleasant weekend.

This coming week isn't too busy. Molly has her 2mos appointment Friday. Hubby's parents are coming into town a week from this Thursday/Friday. Very excited to see them again!

Also, this Thursday Hubby and I are going to see Prometheus. So. Very. Excited! Fun date-night together!

Molly has gotten a lot more active in the last few days. Staying up and aware for longer times and sleeping longer (Thank goodness!). Her biggest accomplishment is her smiling! And she was sooo smiley today, I had to take pictures.

She totally got Hubby's smirk. This could be a problem ;)

As a couple friends have told me, even if I feel completely overwhelmed and unsure about what I'm doing, at least I know she is happy!

Musings

Having a baby keeps you a busy person, I've discovered, even if you aren't really doing much. When a good chunk of your time is spent planning around nursing and waiting for a nap so you can get things done, keeping up on a blog isn't high on your list.

That being said, what's been happening. I had my very first Mother's Day! It was very lovely and relaxing. I got beautiful and cute cards from lots of people. Hubby got me lunch and made me dinner! Molly was very calm and peaceful that day. And Hubby and I spent most of the day relaxing with each other and watching BBC's Sherlock. It was quite nice.

I'm slowly but surely getting the hang of doing things around the house while Molly is sleeping or just sitting in her bouncer. Things have gotten a lot easier since I got a ringsling. She loves it and falls asleep in it pretty much instantaneously and it allows me to have hands free to do things! I've gottne laundry done, actually made dinner, and done the dishes!

Molly went from not being too active last week (mostly just ate and slept, and didn't stay awake for very long) to this week become VERY active! She stays awake a lot longer (whole stretches of time vs just a couple of minutes), locks eyes with you or on other things. She almost smiles (won't be long now!), and has been holding her head up steadier and longer as the days go by. She is six weeks tomorrow (wow!) and is quite the little baby. She also had her first explosive diaper yesterday (joy) and then decided to spit up all over my shirt about 10 minutes after that. I will say this, she already has quite the personality and is already stubborn! Uh oh.

She also slept in 4 hour stretches last night and only woke up 2x to eat. That makes me very happy. I actually feel rested for once! And woke up rested. Hooray!

I have my 6 week checkup on Monday! I am very excited to get it over and done with and have everything be fine, and I can get back to my normal life. I can't wait to go hottubbing! And lots of other things. I can hardly believe this adventure called pregnancy is over with. Until the next time. Weird.

Life overall has been going well. Summer is almost  here (well feels like it already is), and I can't believe that my maternity leave is half over. Time is flying by.

Life

Molly is kicking like crazy. My back is hurting like nobody's business (a trip to a chiropractor might be in my future). We have to say bye to dear friends this week. I feel like I grew overnight. Christmas is in 4ish days. Family is in town. 


And we have officially started a Baby Registry at Target.




....where on earth did 2011 go??  

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I--/ I took the one less traveled by, / And that has made all the difference. - Robert Frost

So. This weekend was rather fun. We went into LA with some friends yesterday by way of Metro. Which is the only way to go, in my opinion. You get to see the sights and smells and atmosphere for the city way better than just driving around. Then again, I tend to love walking around big cities so you can feel the hum of it, with all the people and cars and trains and just everything.

Had an amazing time there. We wandered Olvera Street, the Biltmore, wandered up to the Bank Tower (which is pretty awesome close up, btw! The architecture is beautiful!), went up to Hollywood/Highland, ate at this wonderful sandwich place that makes The Best roast beef sandwiches with au jous I have Ever Tasted. Hands down. We always try to stop by there when we're wandering in LA. We, sadly, forgot to check the time for the LA Library so discovered it was closed when we got there (and that it's closed Sundays and Mondays now. Stupid budget cuts!), so we'll have to try again sometime. I have this feeling I'll be trying to go during the school year to study and do papers and such. That would be loads of fun, I think.

So, I spent all of last night unpacking and putting away our boxes upon boxes of books. I think there were seven-eight boxes. I went through them, put some in a box that we wanted to keep but didn't need to put up (like old school books, that sort of thing), and then another box was the ones to give away to the Little Old Bookstore. Well, we now have shelves of books up that look amazing, a full box to take to the bookstore, and still have one more bin I just didn't get to yet to finish up. But it's amazing that most of the clutter of boxes in our garage was just all the books. Now we have some other odds and ends of boxes to deal with. I'm going to move my desk this evening (with Hubby's help, of course) into our Office/Spare Room/Guest Room. And get my area of it set up, at least. And cleaned up, that way, when Hubby is ready to do his stuff, it'll be pretty simple and easy. Without both of us needing to be able to spread out to clean things up and all that. I'm excited, it's going to look great!

I've also been eating better and decided that I wanted to walk to my lunch everyday. It's been wonderful, because there's a Panera about a mile away that I walk to and from 3x a week, even if I don't eat there, and it has this beautiful outdoor patio to sit at. I've started slimming up, which is nice to realize. And also the walking helps me muse and think things out that I need to without concentrating on driving.

Also, my Birthday is coming up, about 2 weeks away. I'm turning 23. Hubby is apparently Plotting Something. I have no idea what, but I feel bad because I was talking about my BD and he finally just said, "I'm Plotting! Quit trying to figure something out to do!" I'm rather bad at getting surprised, I guess. I'm looking forward to seeing what he comes up with.

Feels like I'm starting a new chapter in my life right now.... With where I'm going in school, where we're at as a couple. We're celebrating 2 years in 3 weeks, I'm turning 23 in 2 weeks, and we're both figuring out our career paths, so to speak.

Speaking of Life. Been doing a lot of thinking about what I want to do. And I've come to the realization that I honestly don't want to do much else (right now, at least) than get a degree in child education, do some preschool/daycare teaching, and be a Mom. That may change in a few years time, but honestly, right now, I just want to live my life. I don't want to try to follow some grand meta-narrative about how I ought to be doing this because that happened or this did.

(Now, to clarify, I have the utmost respect for people who are able to do a career and be a parent and have a huge goal for their life. It's just not me right now.)

And maybe in a few years time (or several years time!), I'll decide I want to keep going on with my career path. Or maybe I'll decide that it wasn't really for me and I'm content with where I am.

Hubby and I have been talking a great deal about this because of things going on in our lives right now and where we're at. And we're in agreement.

You know all what I want right now? A good job where I can work with kids. A good career job for Hubby who can stay there and not mind being there for the next 10-15 years. A house with a yard within the next 5-7 years. A puppy. And a baby or two. That's all I really want. And right now, that's all that really matters.

No needing to follow grand plans or schemes, no following some grand narrative of how my life should be. No. Just simple.

I used to not understand people who seemed to just live without seeming to want more than just a job, home, family.

Well, now I do.

And really. Is there anything wrong with wanting to just be a mom or just be a dad? That seems like a worthwhile lifetime goal, in and of itself.

Life, the Universe, and Time

So it is official. I should have done it months (some would say years) ago, but I finally have legally changed my name!! Yes yes, I know. Two years late, but whatever. You try working 40 hours a week, 9 hours of classes, and keeping up with a house and oh yah, that other thing....oh, marriage. That's right. 


Anyway, I am so happy I finally fixed that. Now I just have to make an appointment at the DMV to get my license changed (name and address, actually), and voila! Though it is wonderful to know that I can now sign my name without having to explain anything.


Toy Story 3 was incredibly good. As usual. Pixar, well done. Go take yourself (and significant others, kids etc) to go see it. If you're like me, you'll have fond memories of being 11 (I think) and watching it, being amazed at how real everything looked. And now I'm 22, soon to be 23 (a month and couple weeks from!), watching the third and final installment (I think) of Toy Story and still feeling like a kid watching it. Good job. Though, I'll watch anything by Pixar. They have yet to do something bad. Even sequels turn out almost as good as the first one, which is a rare thing nowadays. 


I had an attack of reorganize the kitchen last night. We weren't using our counterspace well, and it was bugging me. I kept staring at it and finally realized how to utilize the whole counter. Most of which consisted of putting away a couple appliances we weren't using enough to keep out, move over the knife block to the other side in the corner, the spices near the knives, and stick the cutting board on the side of the counter with the disposal section of the sink. On the opposite corner is a fruit basket (filled currently with oranges, a cantaloupe, and oranges), and some flowers (well, realistically fake looking flowers. I like them!) It adds just enough color to lighten and brighten our kitchen considerably, since it's practically the only place that actually doesn't have windows besides the back door. 


I honestly cannot wait for the day I can be at home during the day so I can open the house up and get all the sunlight streaming in. By the time I'm back from work, the sun is in the wrong place and it gets dark quite quickly, which is really sad. It's such an amazing bright and cheery place with the windows open. At night, it's not non-cheery or something. I just love natural light. Especially after spending all this time in fluorescent light, I miss natural lighting a lot. 


Ooo...I need to get candles. I love having candles all around the house, but have run out. Dollar store, here I come! They have great scented candles for cheap. And little stands, too. Though I do know what kind I'd like to get sooner rather than later. 


I suppose now I'm actually settling in to our home, and viewing it as our home. Not that I didn't before, but finally figuring out how I want it to look and what it should be like. Wonderful. I love setting up house. Now if I could just get through some of those boxes in the garage..... Most of which are books. You know, I might take a Saturday and just spend the entire day going through our boxes of books, getting them all set up and putting the rest back in the garage. Pretty sure that would take care of a good chunk of the random boxes sitting around in there. 


I've also started actually planning out meals. On a blog I love browsing through, they had this amazing setup for planning your meals and keeping track of the groceries to remember. I taped both up on the fridge (Because it's not magnetic!) and am now keeping a good list of both. I figure I'll use Saturday as "grocery" day from now on, because I assume that buying groceries regularly instead of waiting till you nearly run out probably is a better way to save money than not.  Also have a couple envelopes on the fridge keeping track of coupons for food and for market. Also our fridge is dry erasable. So bummer about not being magnetic. Awesome for being able to use dry erase markers on it! 


I'm feeling rather grown up now. I'm married (almost two years!!), we have an amazing condo. We're settling into a schedule. 


Oh and all of my friends are having babies. Talk about feeling old....er. 


I've also realized my concept of Time has shifted without me knowing it. I think in long term now, not just short term. Five years to me is not that long anymore and I know it can be gone in a blink. We've been talking about when to buy a house (future!), and I realized that living in the same place for more than five years does not scare me like it used to, because it really isn't all that long. Planning on where to be for the next five years (I'm using five cause it's a good round number) is easier and more natural. 


Compared to three-four years ago when thinking ahead that much scared me, because I didn't think I could know what I would want to do that far in advance. Ha. Well, live and learn. 


It's also weird to look back on myself from three years ago and realize how much I've changed and also how much I've settled into who I am. I probably won't vary (much) from who I am today in five years. I might settle more, I might change a little, but nothing like the drastic change from 18 year old me to 23 year old me. Even looks have changed a bit. Well...more style than looks, I suppose. Anyway. I'm settling into who I am and embracing it, instead of fighting against it. 


I'm incredibly excited for what this next year holds. Hopefully some good changes coming up soon. 


Also, planning our 2nd year Anniversary Adventure. Going to be awesome, but not quite talking about it yet. Need to finalize a few things first. Ee! Soo excited.


On that note, I need to get back to work. 

What do you hear? Nothing but the rain....

Well, hello there. Been a couple weeks. Though it feels much much longer than that. Ages even.


Guess that happens when life goes insane.


Not much I can talk about, unfortunately (or fortunately). Suffice it to say, the past two weeks have been ones of turmoil, insanity, and lots of trusting. Things have worked out for the better, thankfully, but it took lots of bloodsweattears (not literally but that idea), like most things.


Anyway.


I haven't been feeling very well the last couple of weeks. I caught a nasty headcold last week that has morphed into a wonderful chestcough and sore throat now (yay!).


I've also been trying to figure out what to do with my life. Yes, yes, wasn't it just a few weeks (months?) ago I posted a blog that I had figured out what I was doing? Well, yes. But I'm actually now trying to figure out how to do that. Sure, I have figured out ideally and abstractly what I want to do (even have a vague sense of how to do that), but currently am trying to figure out practically how to do that. A lot harder than it seemed. Well....more that I have to make some hard calls on how and what to do when. I've never been much of a planner, so having to plan 5-8 years of schooling....not really my cup of tea. I sometimes wish I had an administrative/organized mind, instead of the crazy unorganized chaos that is my artist's brain. But I suppose if I had that mind, I wouldn't be able to write as I do or what I enjoy writing.


Speaking of writing, I really need to get back on that. I haven't written anything (besides some blogposts and journal entries, which I don't really consider writing writing) in a very long time. Happened when our Netbook broke (which had most of my stories on it), and I enjoy having my Netbook to work on stuff....so when that happened, kind of lost touch. We're getting it fixed soon, though, so I should be able to start working on them again. It's the summer, afterall, I might as well do something besides catching up on movies and reading a ton. Oh my goodness, I love the summer.


Speaking of summer, I have decided to swim 3x a week for the summer (if not longer). I did my first last night and while it was probably only about 20 minutes or so (if that), it felt glorious. Not only was the temperature just right, the time was perfect, and it felt a good way to start off my night at home (I got home from work, changed, swam, and then showered). So partially to get into better shape and partially because it was a glorious de-stresser from work and mostly for the relaxation and fun, I will do this consistently for the next few weeks and see how I'm feeling after that.


I realize I'll always be a bit of a curvy girl (and let's face it, most of my curves are things I can't and don't want to lose ;-) ), doesn't mean I wouldn't mind being a better toned curvy girl. So we shall see how it goes. I'll be happy just to tone up my stomach if nothing else. Hehe.


Though, oddly, I'm completely at ease with who I am and what I look like. Sure, I want to make some changes but mostly for fun than anything else. Sure I can see things in which I could be "better" (or perhaps healthier is a better term? Not better, because it's not like I'm bad or wrong or something)....but overall, I am content with who I am and how I look. The changes are for fun, to match who I see myself as inside, not because I need to change but because I want to. And that's the difference.


Hubby and I just finished watching the final few episodes of Battlestar Galactica. Oh my goodness....it was one of the most amazing finales I've ever seen in a TV show. Ever. Soo amazing. And they actually pulled off making the good guys be good and the bad guys bad, and having that be the downfall. The reason the bad guys "get what's coming" is not through the good guys being tricky or the bad guys having a change of heart. No, it was from their own natures interacting with each other. The bad guys got what was coming because they acted according to their nature, and that was their downfall. It's very hard to do, and very hard to do believably. The BSG writers managed to do it believably and well. Go watch the series all the way through. It's really good, and the end ties everything together. I've never seen a character actually come full-circle as they made one of theirs do. I was in shock, and cried. A lot. At the end. But then again, this is me. I cried watching the "Dream On" episode in Glee. If you are going to spend your summer watching random TV shows, I'd highly suggest you spend it watching BSG. It's well worth your time. Trust me.


Also, there is a crack in the ceiling/wall at work. I am now on edge, trying not to look in the corner of my eye and also waiting to hear a certain sound.


...When on earth did I become such a nerd?


I cannot wait for Inception to come out. I will watch anything by the Nolan Brothers (practically) and Leo DiCapprio has really come into his own as an actor. I didn't like him for the longest time but he has done such good movies lately, that I've come to love him. So mix him with Ellen Page and the Nolan Brothers, and oh my goodness, can hardly wait!!! Think I'm going to plan an amazing date for me and Hubby around this movie. Seems too good not to.


Alrighty, now that I've wasted spent a good amount of your time, I should get back to work. Not that there's much to do, given I finished my projects. Now I just sit and wait for the phone to ring. Oh, and Hubby to come scare me cause he's teasing me about the crack. Such is life, my life, that is, which I'm coming to realize is not boring and probably never will be.


So say we all.

Trust dreams. Trust your heart, and trust your story

It's been feeling like one of those weeks...and unfortunately, there's not much I can point at and go, "See! That's why." cause it's not that simple (things rarely are). It's just been frustrating and tiring already, and it's only Wednesday. Fantastic. (Note: if you do not hear the sarcasm in my tone, try again. That's not a good 'fantastic', that's a bad 'fantastic'.)

I have been trying--feeling frustrated with!--to figure out my plans for school. There's some really great programs I found, but I need to finish out some big PreReqs first (and get my grades up), which is rather hard to do when you're only doing 6 units at a time. I'm seriously considering transferring to a CC to finish things up. The sad one is I would be leaving my friends--though most are graduating this semester anyway, so I guess not all that sad--and the place I've done school at for a long while. Though perhaps it's time to move on. I've made some dear friends there (and met my hubby there...that's important!), and some dear bittersweet memories. Perhaps it's time for that chapter of my life to be closing. We shall find out. It's looking more and more like that. Though I do hope I can figure out a way to stay to finish out my Foreign Language requirement...

*****

Well, I didn't get this done before Hubby and I ran off for lunch. We met up with a friend for lunch, which was nice. She was kind enough to not mind us dropping in for 45 minutes to say hi, heat up our sketti, and hang out. She's getting married in the next several weeks, and then moving away. We're really really excited for her and her future hubby (both amazing people and totally deserve each other!) but we're really feeling the sting of going to miss both of them so very much once they're settled several hours away. It's hard having changes, and even in a broader sense, it's hard knowing that most of our friends are graduating this semester and then scattering off into the world. Changes are hard, and knowing friends you're so used to seeing on a daily/weekly basis (where you can just stop by for a quick visit unannounced) will be far enough away that you'll have to plan the trips. Even just because they'll be working and busy. That's how life is, I suppose. It's hard adjusting to, though. I'm used to it and not at the same time. I miss spontaneous trips and visits with friends. But on the other hand, I know how hard and busy life is for people, that once you get to working FT and "grownup responsibilities", it's incredibly hard to just go stop by someone's house. There's a good chance they won't be there. Heh. Such is life. It definitely makes you appreciate the friends you have, and the hardwork it takes for the relationships to stick even while apart. Hooray for texting/email/chatting/video chat, that's for sure!

Speaking of friends leaving, one of my dear dear friends got accepted into a Masters program over in Scotland. Needless to say, she's overjoyed but also a bit overwhelmed with the planning and figuring out finances. Hop over to her blog, read about her (she's a wonderful person!), and maybe donate a little bit, if you'd like, to help her fund her way to Scotland. The program is amazing, and she deserves it!

I was talking to a dear friend today about some frustrations I was having because Hubby was frustrated with his job, and I wasn't sure how to "fix it". She reminded me that sometimes I can't fix things, but that I can encourage and remind him of how much he is supporting me. Of how much he's taking care of me and how thankful I am of that, especially in a dysfunctional work environment (I'm being a bit polite here...). I thought about it, figured I had been doing that, and honestly didn't think too much of it until we were sitting in the car, waiting out our last five minutes of lunch break in the parking lot at work. He had leaned back his chair and was really worn out. So I went, "You know what, what the ---". I leaned over and whispered encouragement, support, and anything else I could think of to let him know how thankful I was for him, how he was supporting me, etc. It worked like a charm. It didn't fix everything, by any means, but I watched the stress drain from his face for a brief moment as I hugged him and felt him relax in my arms.

It reminded me that while he and I are both physical (touch is our love language, after all), we both need to reminded with words of how much we mean to each other. And I had been trying to show that through taking care of him, fixing dinner, helping him relax after work, etc (which is all good, and blesses him tremendously), but I hadn't out and out thanked him for taking care of me, supporting me. Sticking through it, so that I/we can have a good place to live, a good car to drive, and a home, together.

So take note. When your SO is feeling down and discouraged, sometimes all he needs is for you to snuggle up, hold them, and whisper, "Thank you for taking care of me. For supporting me. Even with all the hell it is, thank you."

That's my lesson learned for the day, at least. So many thanks to my friend for reminding me of it.

I was going to talk a bit about feeling frustrated with where I was again....but I realized I'm not, actually. Many of my friends are being incredibly blessed in fun unique ways, and I am sooo very happy for them. I had some things to work out, but for the most part, I am doing rather well right where I am. For that, I am thankful.

I need to do a book review on The Shack. I don't know what to make of the theology in it, nor did I pay enough attention to it, to be honest. So I should re-read it before I do any kind of review...however, after finishing it, I realized a few days later I was praying more and felt more at ease with God and able to talk to Him. My relationship shifted, of sorts. At any rate, it helped me through some struggles I was having with God, myself, because the author was struggling with similar things. I am thankful for that. And it opened up my eyes to a different perspective of God...I need to reread it, and think more on it. Overall, I'm thankful I did read it. And I'm thankful it helped.

And that's all I have for now. Life, while hard in some things, has been good in others. Which seems to be the case normally, whatever "normally" means.

Ta!

P.s. In other news, I became a semi-vegetarian (by that I mean I still occasionally eat meat, though cut eating it way back, learning how to balance meals with Hubby who still loves meat), am starting to work out with Hubby, lost 10 pounds, feel healthy, look healthy ("Hott" according to Hubby XD), and am overall feeling rather good about myself. I like eating mostly veggies and fruit. I just need to be better at getting all my protein, working on it.

Remember your name. Do not lose hope — what you seek will be found.

Hello February! When did you arrive and how did you get here so soon?? Wasn't it just last week that Hubby was graduating, it was Christmas, and things were slowing down? Apparently not. I do believe you are laughing at me, evilly. Ah well. Welcome!

****

We are moved in. Except for boxes in the garage we need to go through. However, I don't count them as not being moved in because we have been living easily and comfortably in our new place. Besides, unpacking all our books will take time and love and care. Weekend project! I want to try to go through a box a day but that hasn't happened quite yet, mostly because this week has been crazy.

We finished moving all of our stuff over on Sunday (whee!). Slept for a couple hours, then it was up and time to head to work. The commute was surprisingly not bad at all. We're trying to figure out the right routes to take to miss traffic, and I think we finally settled on one. It takes about a half hour or so, but with the freeway time and driving and actually being able to sleep comfortably, we don't mind at all. I then had my first class that night which went very well. I love the teacher, and it's only an hour long. Which is...very odd. I haven't been in that short of a class since Freshman year. Tuesday was the same routine but more sleep this time (yay!), and then my ASL class which I'll talk more about later!! Wednesday was a relatively normal day, fell asleep on the bed while reading. Today started well, got plenty of sleep, brought breakfast and lunch! And I have my ASL class tonight.

Well, since I've brought it up so much...

My ASL class is amazing!!! It's one of the best decisions I made to take for class this semester! I'm going to hopefully be around to take ASL 2 next semester and hopefully hopefully (crossing fingers!!) be around to finish it out with ASL 3 next spring. I'm not sure how that all will work out, but I'm really hoping it does. My prof is deaf, showed up with an interpreter the first night. Basically said that this is the first/last night with an interpreter. After that first class, we will be on our own. So we as students will have to figure out how to communicate with our teacher, and he will...probably be laughing as we try to talk to him. He said there will be a lot of charades for a while and writing on the white board. We are not allowed to speak at all. We always have to be looking at him to understand what he's saying, to see the signs and read body language. I am going to love it, and the class is small (only about 15 people), which will make it fun and close-knit too. Tonight is my 2nd one, and I am absolutely thrilled to be going! Good thing I'm a visual learner and can read body language very well too!

We are settling in beautifully at our new place. We love going home every night and feeling like it really is our home. There's a wonderful sense of being away from everything (school and work). Instead of feeling like we are just an extension of Biola's campus or something like that. We actually have a cute small "house" if you will (as my friend put it!). It's amazing to feel not cramped. That I can stand in the kitchen or sit at the dining room table and not feel like I'm overlapping into the living room. We have a queen-sized bed! That's glorious. Especially when we both spread out as we sleep, not feeling like I'm going to roll over and fall off the bed. (Hehe. I didn't that once. It wasn't fun.) And Hubby is absolutely ecstatic about the 2 car garage and workbench. I, for one, love our dishwasher, stove, and washer and dryer. They all perform amazingly and quickly! There's almost more space than I know what to do with. (Almost) I still have to unpack boxes upon boxes of books, but I do believe I'll be able to find a place to put them up. All of them! I cannot wait! The nice one is with our garage, we have boxes piled up (not many though, which is nice) and we can take our time going through them. Most of them will probably stay out in the garage in a corner. I was able to get most of my pictures up and some books. I have two shelves in the kitchen dedicated to my Old Books collection! They face the front door, so it'll be one of the first things you get to see as you walk in! Along with my adorable Willow Tree figurines.

Overall, we're both ecstatic over our new home. We absolutely love it and the area is beautiful. We've been having fun driving around, figuring out where everything is. How far away, and all that. Oh! We also got a Costco membership! So we stocked up on things for a good while. It's so nice being just five minutes down the freeway from shopping centers, food courts, and basically anywhere. Instead of having to drive at least fifteen minutes just to get to a shopping center.

Life has been good and interesting. I've been thinking alot about things (nothing I want to post here), and my spiritual walk has been getting stronger. I've started trying to do some devotions at night when I can...and praying through some Celtic prayers out of a Celtic Spirituality book right now. It has definitely helped. I find that reading prayers is much easier for me lately than attempting to figure out what to say.

Life is good. God is good. And things are settling in a very Good way. Can't wait to see what kind of changes are going to happen!

I'm also posting an amazing poem by Neil Gaiman. It really hits me in specific parts, and although it's written for how to interact if you find yourself in a faerie tale, a lot can be applied to Life itself. Which seems like a faerie tale at times (in a very original sense...that things aren't normal and straight-forward. They rarely are). Mostly because I'm incredibly sad I wont' be able to make it UCLA tonight where he's speaking. I saw his post about it a while back (like October), went, "OH my gosh, I have to go!!" and totally forgot till today. Which means only the most expensive tickets are left. I have so many questions for him and would love to just hear him speak on writing, how to write, why, how to tell good stories. Hopefully he shall return soon, and I will be able to go! With a Signing!

So without further ado,

Instructions

by Neil Gaiman

Touch the wooden gate in the wall you never

saw before.

Say "please" before you open the latch,

go through,

walk down the path.

A red metal imp hangs from the green-painted

front door,

as a knocker,

do not touch it; it will bite your fingers.

Walk through the house. Take nothing. Eat

nothing.

However, if any creature tells you that it hungers,

feed it.

If it tells you that it is dirty,

clean it.

If it cries to you that it hurts,

if you can,

ease its pain.

From the back garden you will be able to see the

wild wood.

The deep well you walk past leads to Winter's

realm;

there is another land at the bottom of it.

If you turn around here,

you can walk back, safely;

you will lose no face. I will think no less of you.

Once through the garden you will be in the

wood.

The trees are old. Eyes peer from the under-

growth.

Beneath a twisted oak sits an old woman. She

may ask for something;

give it to her. She

will point the way to the castle.

Inside it are three princesses.

Do not trust the youngest. Walk on.

In the clearing beyond the castle the twelve

months sit about a fire,

warming their feet, exchanging tales.

They may do favors for you, if you are polite.

You may pick strawberries in December's frost.

Trust the wolves, but do not tell them where

you are going.

The river can be crossed by the ferry. The ferry-

man will take you.

(The answer to his question is this:

If he hands the oar to his passenger, he will be free to

leave the boat.

Only tell him this from a safe distance.)

If an eagle gives you a feather, keep it safe.

Remember: that giants sleep too soundly; that

witches are often betrayed by their appetites;

dragons have one soft spot, somewhere, always;

hearts can be well-hidden,

and you betray them with your tongue.

Do not be jealous of your sister.

Know that diamonds and roses

are as uncomfortable when they tumble from

one's lips as toads and frogs:

colder, too, and sharper, and they cut.

Remember your name.

Do not lose hope — what you seek will be found.

Trust ghosts. Trust those that you have helped

to help you in their turn.

Trust dreams.

Trust your heart, and trust your story.

When you come back, return the way you came.

Favors will be returned, debts will be repaid.

Do not forget your manners.

Do not look back.

Ride the wise eagle (you shall not fall).

Ride the silver fish (you will not drown).

Ride the grey wolf (hold tightly to his fur).

There is a worm at the heart of the tower; that is

why it will not stand.

When you reach the little house, the place your

journey started,

you will recognize it, although it will seem

much smaller than you remember.

Walk up the path, and through the garden gate

you never saw before but once.

And then go home. Or make a home.

And rest.

bingle bongle dingle dangle lickety do lickety da ping pong lippy tappy too ta

Well, it's been a while. It's almost 2AM, I am still up because Hubby got a bad case of food poisoning so I'm staying awake for now to make sure he's alright. stupid food poisoning :(

Big things have been happening. The biggest of which is that Hubby graduated!! We've been celebrating all weekend, and we are all so proud of him. Because of graduation, Hubby's family came out from VA. It's been sooo good to visit with them and hang out and see them. As Mom states, "It's soo good to be able to touch you!" :-)

Christmas is in a week. I can hardly believe it. This semester and year feels like they've flown by so very quickly. It feels like we were just celebrating our first married Christmas together. Now we're celebrating our second, with Hubby's family in town. This entire year has had its ups and downs as years always do. But it's been such a good year for both of us, and an awesome time of growth and learning and love between us as a married couple.

Hubby's family saw us and coudln't stop complimenting both of us about how good we looked and how awesome things were going for us. It really blesses us, because we've been trying our hardest to keep life good for both of us and to do what God has called us to do.
The speaker at Hubby's graduation said a not exactly profound but interesting point of how we should find the Lane God wants us in and just keep going straight. It is very true, and a good reminder. I haven't had the best relationship with God this year as I would have liked, but with circumstances, it makes sense. But no matter what, I always keep trying to do what I;m supposed to wherever I am. And God has blessed us immensely over this past year, and especially the last month or so. It's hard to remember sometimes, but He really has blessed us, and things could be a lot worse. That being said, I"m going to just keep doing what God would have me do, and support Hubby as he figures out life post-graduation (though to be fair, we haw figured some of it out) and just see what God has in store for us over the next few months.

Hubby and I are both sooo happy to have our family in town (since I know you read this, Mom :-) xo). We've been blessed to see everyone and to be able to hang out and have some fun. God has truly blessed us with an amazing awesome supportive family. I am very blessed and overjoyed about this fact.

Btw, Avatar is the most amazing movie I have ever seen in 3D EVER!!!!!!! Go see it. The story is good. The characters are awesome, and the cinematography is sooo awesome. The 3D feels like it actually enhances the story, not as some cheap trick to get more money. First time I"ve watched a movie and tried ot wipe away the dirt getting flung at my face,

Ok, I think it's time for a doze now,

In the words of Dr. Who:
bingle bongle dingle dangle lickety do lickety da ping pong lippy tappy too ta

It's no longer summer!

I'm sure most of you are going, Well, duh! It's October. And maybe where you're at, it's been nice and chilly since September, but let me tell you, it just started getting chilly here. Last week was 95 with humidity! This week it's down to the low 70s, and hopefully will be staying that way! No more heat, please. I love summer. And here in SoCal it's a gorgeous time of the year with the heat, running around in skirts and dresses and all that, but it's nice to have the heatwave break, and for fall to show up.

I love fall because of things like hot coffee, sweaters, curling up under covers, being cold in the morning, wearing sweats, boots, jackets. Being able to leave my hair down without dying of heat stroke. (My hair is thick.) The feeling of briskness in the air as you walk around, the way the cold air snaps in your face. Wanting to eat soup and bread, chili and cornbread. Hardier meals. ...I don't think I'd mind living in a colder place eventually. I like seasons a lot. The heat of summer, swimming, going to the beach. The snappiness of fall when it starts getting chilly. The winter--which, honestly, I've never really experienced, having never been where it snowed, but I have experienced decently cold winters--for Christmas, the jolliness of the seasons, all of the yummy things to eat and drink. Spring because it's a gorgeous time when things start blooming and popping out everywhere. Just warm enough to wear skirts and dresses but chilly enough to wear cardigans. It's fun, and I enjoy all the different outfits you can wear for all of them.

All that to say, I could live where the seasons are much more pronounced. I think I would enjoy it. I've always thought about living somewhere like NYC or DC or around there...though I would be sad to leave the West Coast. Of course, I also wouldn't mind living up in Berkeley area or San Diego. Or a small countryside town in Ireland or France or England. So I guess I ought to be a gypsy and wander around the world. I suppose there are two "problems" with that: Money. And Hubby. I can't just go off and leave him to travel the world. Hehe. Though maybe we can go together...hmm....

I have two big projects due next week. That's exciting. One I'm looking forward to doing, if a bit hard to do, and the other one I'm not so much, mainly because our group has to present on it for a good hour and a half. I hate talking in front of people. But hopefully being up there with the rest of my group and also knowing my subject will allow that to go well. Here's hoping, at least.

I've been doing some good self-evaluating. Processing how I got to where I am, who I am, why I am the way that I am, and what might have happened if I had changed one choice or decision. Intriguing.

I've come to decide I am more myself now than I have ever been in my life. Because I've finally embraced myself and "the shoes I wear" and I am happy with who I am and how I am. And that is a very good thing.

Hubby and I are growing together as we both realize who we are and how we are supposed to interact with each and go through life together as a married couple, and planning figuring out what to do in the years to come. I am really excited to see what happens!

Alrighty, almost done with work. I should get back.

Until next time!

P.s. See? I told you it wouldn't be as long as before.

P.p.s. I'm working out now, and have already lost 5-6 pounds. Huzzah!

Life is crazy at the moment

Well, hello there, dear old blog. Yes, I know I've been neglecting you. I'm very very sorry. Life has been insane lately. Don't look at me like that. I said I was sorry. Yes, yes, I'm going to update now.

*~*~*~*

So, life has been insane lately. School started, and literally I haven't a moment of down time. At least, not enough to sit at the computer and blog. Makes me sad, but such is life, I suppose?

Starting third week of classes. And so far, I'm enjoying my Monday Night one and disliking--a lot--the Tuesday night one because the prof isn't really doing his job and teaching waht we're supposed to be learning. It's supposed to be an Intro to Psych (Developmental Psych), and so far, we've only had 3 hours of talking about what he wants us to talk about, and not understanding a thing. He's teaching it like it's a discussion class when it's supposed to be a hard science class. I'm a bit annoyed and sad about that. I was really looking forward to this class. Here's hoping they (the department) figures out what to do about it.

My Monday night class, however, I'm loving. It's really hard but the prof is very good, and I'm learning a lot. I'm sooo glad I was able to take this class. The assignments are going to be intense--the whole class is!--and very good. Very glad of that.

What else is new....Oh!! We were able to work it out to get a brand new 2010 Scion xB, black. It's gorgeous!! We are so happy with it. It drives like a dream, and it's so nice to have a new car with a warranty and we're not worried will break down or anything like that. I named him Sirius. Yes, I'm a nerd. Hubby calls it a Golf Cart Out of Hell--cause it's small and drives like a golf cart. Hehe. We're doing really well, financially right now, which is awesome and a relief.

We have a buddy living with us right now ("Marine"). Marine called us up a few week's ago, with no where to go, and we told him to come crash on our couch, which he has been doing for the last few weeks. It's been interesting, to say the least. Mostly because we went from having no roommates to having 2 within a month of each other. It's working out well. He's searching for a job, does some cleaning around the apartment considering me, Hubby, and Kitty are out of the house from 7:45AM-10PM on normal days. Overall though, we're all settled in together. It's been good.

Though Hubby and I are realizing having roommates make for some interesting ways to get time to ourselves, especially when we want to just go out and talk without worrying about someone overhearing. Just those good married talks, and stuff. So we've been finding creative ways to do that--considering it's been so hot out still, our room is boiling during the daytime, Ick. Yesterday, we spent almost three hours out in the car, just talking about everything and anything and nothing. It was really nice. We've also been going on more dates--well, not more, just making a point of--to get time to ourselves. It's been good for us, and given our already insanely busy schedules, having roommates just reinforces the fact we need time together.

Having roommates, though, I've discovered, makes me get a bit more creative in getting away to relax and have some time to think and journal and write. When I'm at work 9 hours a day, then at class for three hours...it gets a bit wearying to then come home and have roommates around wanting to hang out or talk. I've taken to retreating to the bedroom with the netbook to write and read before falling asleep. On nights without classes, I usually will go out to coffee or onto campus to get some quiet time to myself. Which is nice for Hubby, too, cause then he gets time to himself as well.

Overall, life is incredibly good right now. I got to see one of my best friend's the other day--she surprised me by emailing me and going, "I'm in town on Saturday!! You free? I want to see you!!!". So we went to coffee for 3 hours, and talked, caught up, and just spent quality time together. It was such a blessing. Then Saturday evening, Kitty and I did some fun photoshoot stuff. We went with the whole Vintage "Pin-Up" theme, and the pictures turned out beautifully! I had a blast, and realized I enjoy getting photographed more than I thought I did. I probably just need to do pictures I like or something. Hehe. Sunday was spent realxing until we realized ants were invading. Then we battled them, relaxed some more. Friends came over later that night, and we all hung out, watched movies, ate dinner, and just enjoyed fellowship.

Overall, it was a wonderful weekend. And life is good.

Now, I need to get reading my homework for tonight. Until next time, and I promise it won't be as long as last time!!

Summer life, so far...

I just realized I said "Summer life, so far..." and realized that the summer is half-way, if not over half-way, done. And so far, it's been mostly work and business. We had three weddings, friends visiting, but that's been about it. We haven't really had time/money to go on a vacation (yet, saving that up for our 1 year anniversary). I mean, I haven't even been to the beach yet this summer! Sad! Though necessary, I suppose.

Had some rough days this past week, but God is good. Aaron and I had a long talk while at work yesterday and into the night and cleared up a lot of stuff. God is good, as He keeps reminding me. The odd one I've realized is that the attitude I have currently towards God is that He is Good and King and trustworthy...in spite of life being hard and the world...well, as Rorschach puts it "God doesn't make the world this way. We do." I've adopted that idea, to be honest, to help deal with a lot. Not willing to do the whole "Satan is tempting me/persecuting me!!" thing...seems a bit cocky to assume that the lord of Hell who screws with nations, would stoop to tempt you, a puny human, himself. It is one where I do enjoy Piercing the Darkness, This Present Darkness. The demons have ranks and are all kinds...I think it's pretty accurate, and it frustrates me and annoys me to no end when people rebuke Satan himself or claim he's tempting them. I kind of scratch my head and go, "Um..healthy fear is a good thing. You should be afraid or at least wary of something that the archangels can't rebuke themselves..."

Ah. Rant. Sorry about that. It was on my mind for some reason.

Saw Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince the other night. It was really good. I enjoyed it alot. They did some interesting things with the plot, along with take out some stuff I wish they had left in. Overall though, it was very well-done, I enjoyed it, and I think they did a good job of portraying (most) of the spirit of the book. Really really! excited for the next two!!

We're headed to Savers tonight to see if we can find any thrift-store finds! And then to dinner at an amazing Mexican place that just started doing a " $8.99 all you can eat combos". Yummy!

Trying to figure out what to do this weekend...we'll see. Maybe I'll dye my hair or something...that could be fun. Or get my nails done again.

Back to work for me. Ta!

Boredom

So...bored at work currently. My boss is out of town, and the phones are really quiet today. At least, this morning they are. It's not too bad though, I like having quiet days. I just wish I could pass the time better.

I've started reading Dracula and The Problem of Pain. An odd mix, I admit, but one's fiction and the other is nonfiction. So it works, though seriously does make for some odd mixing of thoughts and stuff.

Dracula is one creepy book! I'm enjoying it, but man, I won't read it at night by myself or right before bed. Would rather not dream about creepy vampires, thanks very much. It's the structure that does it, a bit.

Excerpt:

The structure of the novel, a carefully interlaced web of journal and dairy entries, letters, and newspaper reports, is not original, but very effectively conveys the complex details of a constantly surprising story.

That sums it up quite nicely.

The Problem of Pain I'm reserving judgment until I have finished it. I like it so far, albeit it is starting out a bit slow. It should be a good read.


On another note, Hubby and I went to see Public Enemies Saturday evening. (I mean, come on, Johnny Depp and Christian Bale in the same movie?!?) It was a very good intriguing movie about the bank-robber John Dillinger and his life and how he acted etc. Depp did a marvelous job, and Bale did a good job as the FBI agent hunting him down. It's rated R for language and violence. There's practically no nudity, and overall, a very intriguing movie and story. The ending will blow your mind. In a "WTF?" kind of way. Go see it.

And of course, Hubby and I and a couple newly engaged friends are going to see Harry Potter 6 next week!!!!!!! So excited!! In case you couldn't tell. I'm sad though...I've read the books and I know what's coming and..yah. Good movie/book though. cannot wait.

Wow....I'm rambling today. Probably cause the day feels like it's taking forever.

Life's been good lately. So, money's been tight the last couple of weeks. Two weddings, 3 drives to Temecula, 1 drive to Glendale (Yay for gas eating money!). So anywhoo, I was trying to figure out how/what we were going to eat for the next week or so. Got home from the movie on Saturday to find groceries sitting on our porch. 3 boxes of MacNCheese, some box pasta (made it last night, yum!), and sandwich stuff. Along with milk, butter, yogurt, laundry detergent. Don't know who left it for us (asked some people we thought it was, turned out it wasn't). So, whoever you are, many thanks for the food that is helping us get through this week. Actually, cut our meals in half, cause I can actually make stuff for dinner. And for showing me those boxed pastas. I shall have to get a bunch for our pantry.

God is good and provides when you least expect it.

Also, a hi out to my mom-in-law, currently teaching in South Korea!! If you're reading this, Hi!! We love you and are praying for you!! xo xo xo xo

Well, almost time for lunch. I shall be going now. Hope things are going well for all the readers (whoever/how many you are). I enjoy seeing all the towns/regions that pop up on the side. Say hi sometime.

Ta!