croc block

I'll admit I'm not a fan of Crocs. I understand that they're quick and easy for kids to use, but personally I just don't find them very attractive especially on adults. Here's a funny missive about them.

nostalgia and grieving

Interesting article:
Berry Disturbing Makeover for Strawberry Shortcake

it's been a long time since I rock and rolled...

Hmmm...how many years have passed now? How much spare time do I have now? Well, luckily, the only people (or person, maybe) who used to read my blog keep up with me via telephone. Hi, Mom! - ha ha. Well, to remind that person, I had a baby girl (Lela [Lee-luh])...um...15 months ago. She's everything I expected, and I didn't even know that I'd really ever be able to get pregnant due to some health issues from years ago.

Life is definitely different, as Clay and I take turns working from home and the office, so one of us is able to be home with Lela every day. Our hectic schedule with balancing work and "daycare" is both challenging and rewarding. We're so glad to not have missed her major milestones and even funny little things she does or says every day. On the other hand, there have been many late, late nights catching up on work. Somehow we manage well and ultimately enjoy this new lifestyle. We just need to learn to start going to bed early and not getting sucked into watching TV.

Home and garden projects have slowed down a bit other than normal upkeep, but the list is ever-growing. I guess our "spare" time involves sleep. Naps are good. And, coffee and tea help us quite often.

Well, I don't intend to only write about Lela on this blog, but she is, of course, a huge part of my life. Somehow, I still make time for volunteer work and other social activities...and chipping away at our projects. So, I'll do my best to keep you updated, Mom. :-)

Whoops!

Okay...it's been a long time since I've updated this blog. Hmmm...shall I blame pregnancy or just own up to being lazy? Well, it's a little of both I suppose. So, here's a little re-cap:

The pregnancy has gone well. I'm very lucky everything has gone smoothly, so far. We're excited to be having a baby girl, although we would have been just as happy with a boy. It seems that our work and home lives have already gotten busier. Clay and I have been getting larger projects (professional and personal) done before this little one enters our lives. We're both taking roughly 12 weeks of maternity/paternity leave, so getting everything in order with work was crucial before the holiday break. And, we still have work stuff to coordinate before the baby arrives in April. At home, we have feverishly been working on the long list of projects (on the right column of this blog). You'll notice that I've updated some of them...the biggest one being the nursery. We had a lot of fun putting it together, and there are some finishing touches left to do. I always write this, but I promise to post photos soon. Also, we enjoyed visiting friends in Williamsburg, Washington, D.C. and Chicago, so our travels kept us busy during October and November. I also turned 30, and I definitely feel it. Boy, does time fly!

The most time-consuming activity has been cleaning and organizing. I guess I'm truly in that nesting phase. I went through all of our files and have shredded or recycled enough paper to reconstruct a tree or two. That, alone, took me about four nights to complete. Since, we've had a nice week and a half of holiday break, I've had time to clean out our closets - yes, all of them. Actually, I'm not completely finished, but it took me a couple of hours just to organize all of our gift-wrapping supplies in one closet. I know...how nerdy of me. Trust me, it needed to be done, and I will probably never have time to do all of this post-April.

Clay cleaned out our office/computer room. He actually took multiple, let me repeat, MULTIPLE computers and monitors to the recycling center, and he has another pile to deliver. This is the cleanest this room has been since we've lived here! I now have my own little space in the corner that includes my computer space and an additional craft area. I've been wanting a craft/sewing area for a while, so I'm excited. Now I just need to learn to sew...which is next on my list.

Otherwise, we had a nice Christmas with our families. It's been great sleeping in every morning and being fed by parents is always welcomed. We know this is the last quiet Christmas for a long time! I got Clay an SB-600 flash for our camera as a gift, and he is getting some paintings matted and framed for me. He has also patiently helped with home improvement projects of which I am incapable of offering assistance due to my limited mobility (on ladders) or the danger of inhaling paint fumes.

It was wonderful to catch up with old friends over the holidays, and we're looking forward to ringing in the new year with more friends. It's definitely an exciting time for us!