Words I hate....

I was just thinking about this, so I thought I would torture all you blog-heads out there. What words do you hate? It seems everyone has their pet peeve-words. For me (besides all the swear/otherwise vulgar words), I can't STAND most shortened words. For example- Fab. Hubby. Preggers. Delish. Prego. They bug me. Every once in awhile and it doesn't really bother me, but when people ALWAYS refer to the time when they were "preggers", I just want to yell, "Does it REALLY take that much longer to finish the word?!" Furthermore, I hate when others refer to husbands and wives as "mates." Makes me feel like an orangutan or something.

What about you? What words bug the snot out of you? Or am I just crazy?

Just thinking....

Forgive the serious moment here. I was at my desk humming “O Savior, Thou Who Wearest a Crown” and all of the sudden was filled with such a happy feeling. I just felt very close to the Savior and very thankful for the love He has shown to me. There’s a line from that song that says “Thy mercy is extended To ev’ry time and land.” I love that. Somehow at church yesterday, that thought hit me in a way it never had before. EVERY time. EVERY land. EVERYone. Wow. What an amazing, incomprehensible, and truly noble gift. I’m not a huge fan of songs about the crucifixion –mostly because it seems that often they’re depressing and just……I don’t know. But that song really does make me grateful for the Atonement as a whole, and Jesus Christ as my true friend. The 4th verse just kind of epitomizes my feelings.

What praises can we offer
To thank thee, Lord most high?
In our place thou didst suffer;
In our place thou didst die,
By heaven’s plan anointed,
To ransom us, our King.
O Jesus, the anointed,
To thee our love we bring!

About me.

A book I highly recommend: Cheaper by the Dozen – it rocks.
My favorite flower is: Callilillies and dandilions
A game I like to play is: Down the River – it always reminds me of my Grandma Rough and it makes me happy.
The music I listen to most is: Classical music while I drive – it helps me think and Jellybean loves it.
A movie I watch over and over is: Dan in Real Life
My favorite quote is: My new favorite is “Life is hard. It’s even harder when you’re stupid.” -John Wayne
My favorite thing to buy is:Anything on sale. I found an 89 oz jug of Tropicana Orange Juice for $1.50 instead of $6.00 because it was going to expire in 3 days. WOW! So we bought 4 and froze 3. That was on Monday. I still get excited when I think of it. I need help.
If I could afford to buy anything at the moment I would buy: A crib
If my house were burning down and I could only rescue three things, they would be: Computer hard-drive, journals, and….Mike.
A smell that makes me pause is: Laundry drying
My favorite sport to watch is: I would have to say baseball live.
The city I would like to visit most is: International- Paris currently Domestic- Boston
A moment when I achieved absolute happiness was: Sitting around with Mike discussing baby names and realizing I was the luckiest girl in the world.
My favorite meal is: Mexican food.
A piece of music that makes me sentimental is: Accidently in Love by the Counting Crows
Someone or something that made me laugh this week was: Jeanette and I talking about Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman.
My earliest memory is: I think I was just three, running around the house outside in a little dress, barefoot, in our new home. I remember feeling the wind on my face and laughing because I was so happy. I’m glad I remember that day. It still makes me smile.
My first paying job was: Babysitting and if that doesn’t count - Taco Bell. Woohoo!
The memory that still makes me laugh is: Zach giving Mike a single-deuce at the dinner table without even knowing what he was doing.
My best birthday was: My 23rd. Mike made an intensive scavenger hunt for me because we couldn’t see each other. It was so fun and made me feel special.
A smell that reminds me of my childhood is: The smell of library books.
My favorite color to wear is: Pink or red.
When I exercise I like to: cry.
The best vacation I ever had was: To the Smokey Mountains.
The best thing about being married is: hearing the hilarious things he says in his sleep. That and spending time with my best friend.
The thing I am most passionate about is: Currently? Letting kids be kids.
What is one thing you did as a child that you hope your child will NOT emulate: Steal from friends and family in the name of Robin Hood.

Now you're tagged. Put yours on your blog, because I'm really interested in what you have to say. That sounded sarcastic, but that wasn't intentional!!!

Currently NOT reading.....

WHY am I currently not reading?

First off, somehow I got started on a Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman marathon. Yes, even though I spend 1/2 the time thinking, "Dear heavens...ANOTHER man from the town is in love with Dorothy?? Do they HAVE to play flute music every time they mention an Indian or we see one? Does Dr. Mike REALLY have to butt into everyone's problems? Why hasn't someone knocked out Hank yet? Am I still watching this?" But, sadly, I kind of enjoy the insanity.





Second off, I am NOT currently reading The Wednesday Letters. Why, oh, why did I get on a kick of reading books about husbands dying of cancer? I didn't even know that was what was going to happen in this book, but after the 1st chapter, I had to put it down in disbelief. That's the third one in a matter of a couple months. Talk about depressing myself.... So I went to my old standby - Jane Austen. Gotta love that lady.

Daisy

The legendary waddle has begun. You should have seen me trying to catch up to Michael in the gym on Sunday. Jeanette and I were following him, calling his name, but my gait just couldn't catch up. I even tried to "walk-run-waddle." It looked ridiculous, and I still couldn't catch up. We just had to laugh about it. Jeanette has given me the nickname of Daisy. Luckily Daisy's a gorgeous duck, just like me...

Lil Bro

Ok, so Aaron's been gone on his mission for 2 months, and I miss the kid. So here's some pictures of him to "remember him by." :)

The Crazy Look

The "Bulbous Bottom" photo

My nice, fun, and hilarious little brother.

Catching up a bit...

1. I got the worst haircut ever. I went in to even out my "I-let-this-cute-haircut-grow-out-way-too-long-and-now-it's-looking-a-bit-ridiculous" haircut get evened out. I came out looking as if a deranged pigmy baby had attached to my head and bit random chunks out of my hair. Combine that with the fact that the weird lady who cut my hair told me my hair was dry, so that was why it was hard to cut my hair, so I should buy some of the shampoo they sold and it was a not-so-great experience. Needless to say, I'm going after work to get my poor hair fixed today. Wish me and my dry hair luck.
2. Jellybean has decided to all of the sudden grow huge. He's 5 lbs 11 oz and is growing strong. He's decided that using my bladder as a pillow and then kicking his feet out to whack my ribs is a pretty fun way to spend the day. It's ok. He's worth it. And we CAN'T WAIT to meet our little guy.
3. I only have 22 days of work left and then it's stay-at-home-mom time. I'm definitely looking forward to it, but it's kind of a weird thought....
4. Mike got another job, so he'll be working with a contractor during the day and then in a parking garage in the afternoon-late evening starting tomorrow night. I will never see him again. :( But he is excited because he says, and I quote, "I feel like a struggling dad. Kinda cool." I love that guy.
5. I hope Jellybean looks like Mike. He's such an ultra cutie, and was a super cute baby. As long as he doesn't look like the recent ultrasound picture (which resembles a scary clown/Skeletor), then I'm happy.
6. Jeanette needs to come visit this weekend cause otherwise I may be alone........Allllllllll alone............... *Sniff, sniff* I'd feel like Stacey when she first moved to Stoneybrook from New York. That is, BEFORE she joined the BSC. :)
7. The Baby-Sitters Club. It was so dumb. And I loved them. Ok, so I got one from the library to relive the old days. And it makes me laugh. Pretty hard.
8. I don't normally read the Baby-Sitters Club. Don't worry about my sanity. At least not for that reason.
9. My little brother sent a joke he made up, and it made me laugh. "What did one fetus say to the other?................It's a small world!" I liked it. I made up a joke (my dad would be so proud...). "What did the foot say to the shoe?...............................Cover me. I'm going in."
10. I'm loving the names Christopher Wyatt and Andrew Charles this week. A whole lot. What do you think?

That's about it. :) Enough rambling for tonight.

Easter

Anyone else scared to death of the Easter Bunny?

I started my life thinking that the Easter Bunny was a cute little regular bunny and was happy to let him into my home. Then.....I saw people dressed up as the Easter Bunny.

And I became frightened.

The idea of a huge staring rabbit with a perpetual smile sneaking into my home, raiding the fridge for our hard-boiled eggs and then hiding them throughout the house just seemed....well, creepy. I'm not still scared of it, but I think I'm going to tell my son that the Easter Bunny looks more like the following bunny. And then I'm going to eat his chocolate bunny. And smile...

And then I'm going to find this bunny and thank him, because he is the epitome of cuteness. Oh, yeah. And Happy Easter!

Privileged

We ate dinner with a member of our ward on Sunday who grew up very “privileged” – maids, housekeepers, butlers – you name it, they had it. Luckily, his parents were still very down to earth, frugal people, so this man still appreciates the value of hard work and sacrifice. He told us that his mother once got her couch reupholstered, but then put the old slipcover over it so that no one would think they had gotten a new couch. His parents bought the same kind, same color car each time they got a new one, just so that people wouldn’t think they were rich. The kids had to make their bed each day. The maid would come in a few minutes later, strip the bed, and wash the sheets. I love that his mother still had them appreciate what they had, even if someone else would technically take care of it for them. I really respect those people. I think we’d get along. I want to use their example in raising our son.

I don’t think this post makes much sense, but today I’m just really feeling grateful for generous friends and family, living simply, and above all – the knowledge that I truly am the one who is and always has been privileged.

The Last Lecture

I loved this book and totally recommend it. It was touching without being depressing and gave lots of good advice without being preachy or crazy. Read it. You'll like it. It's completely worth your time.

Snuggly...

Not to be confused with "Snuggie", the hilariously cult-like cloaks they are selling on tv. Have you seen these? They totally crack me up.

No, I'm feeling SNUGGLY. In particular, I'm feeling the irresistable urge to snuggle my little boy. I'm going to go sigh now and just enjoy the time I have with just me and Mike.

Officially

I am officially looking pregnant. And he is officially keeping me up at night. And I am officially tired of Tums. And I am officially tired of spending half my life in the bathroom. And I am officially getting anxious to see his cuteness. And Mike is officially going to be the best daddy ever. Officially.

Can you tell me how to get BACK to Sesame Street?

I grew up with my brain quite literally glued to PBS -

• Mr. Rogers -I would have LOVED to be his neighbor! He was so nice! And really, as much as the Land of Make Believe puppets kind of scared me, you can't get much better than good, wholesome Mr. Roger's Neighborhood.



• Reading Rainbow- I would go read a book, give a review to my imaginary camera, and wait to be discovered. I thought they just chose random kids, so I would stand by the phone and hold my breath for LeVar's call.



• Cooking/Art Shows - After all the kid stuff was over with, I would stick around and watch all the cooking and art shows. I still like watching cooking shows, even if I never make what they make.



• And last, but most certainly not least, Sesame Street- I don't think anything could beat that show in my eyes. I mean, come on. Bert doing "the Pigeon", Don Music beating his brains out on the piano, Alistair Cookie on Monsterpeice Theater, Guy Smiley's shows, Super Grover "saving" the day....Need I say more?

I think we can all hear a rant coming on........

Here it is. WHERE THE HECK DID SESAME STREET GO?! Most everything about it now just disappoints me - from the new hip-hop theme to the endless Elmo's World to the brutal cutting of my favorite characters. (Don't even get me started on all the new kid's shows out there nowadays. That's a new rant for a new day.)

This picture I saw online says it all for me...

Am I alone here?

Split...

Ok, I think this is officially a craving. I had a huge desire for a banana split the other day, so Mike and I headed down to Ted Drewes and got a MONSTOROUS banana split. I made the mistake of saying, "Whew. That was great. That totally will satisfy that craving." Oh contraire, mon frere.Turns out that this craving is here to stay. Now I need one I invented last night. A Smores banana split. I MUST have one. Or the citizens will no longer be safe. Run for your lives.

Random thought...

I don't know why, but it's hard for me to remember that scriptural characters, historical characters, etc. are real people. I realize they are and all, but I guess because they lived such a long time ago or something, I forget that.

Let me explain. I know the story of Ammon. He was awesome. He was an awesome missionary. He protected the King's sheep. He cut off some arms. A whole lot of arms, in fact. Again, he was awesome. The part that boggles my mind is that he felt sick sometimes. Sometimes he got frustrated. Maybe he was a fantastic singer. Maybe he had a lazy eye. He was a real guy, with real feelings. And although he may look like the above picture, it's also possible that he was a dork. Now, don't chalk me down as a sacriligious fiend. All I'm saying is that we don't know, and it kind of makes me happy in a bizarre way to think that Laman could have looked like Kip.

And actually, I think it's amazing that these were great men- not because they were perfect, but because in spite of being imperfect, they were great men. It makes history and the scriptures much more alive to me. It gives me hope that although I have so many failings, and that I'm just not always "that good", I can go on to be a great lady.

Here's hopin'. :)

Third....

I am officially at 28 weeks and have begun the 3rd trimester. Here’s a bit of what’s been going through my head the last couple of days.

1. My vital organs are being squished. It’s a weird feeling, and is mixed with some pain and definitely an overall uncomfortable feeling as little Jellybean makes himself feel quite at home. I drew the line at moving an easy chair in there, though.
2. Powdered doughnuts have become my new best friend/enemy. They coat the throat something awful, but they really hit the spot!
3. Names, names, names! It’s really hard to pick a name for your child! This is something that once you make a decision on it, there’s no turning back. The kid will live with it for the rest of their life… So, no decision on that yet, and I may just have to close my eyes and point to a name in the baby book. He’d probably end up with a dumb name like Delvin or something, but at least then I could say it was just fate, not me.
4. My friend Jennifer gave birth to her little girl, Alyson, last week. Let’s just say, this has definitely made me anxious to see my little boy. I know I’m pregnant, but it’s still bizarre that in a little less than 3 months, I will be a mom. I already love the little guy, regardless of how many times he decides to kick my bladder at the most awkward times. I just can’t wait to have him snuggled up against me and know that he’s ours.
5. I seriously need to get on the ball this weekend and start buying the kid some stuff. Otherwise, our Delvin will be sleeping in a box and wearing homemade paper towel diapers.

Samson and....

Delilah. This is the face of Delilah, the lady from KEZK 102.5's sickeningly over-the-top radio program. I don't know why, but I listen to it on the way home from work on Wednesdays, purely because she bothers me so much. Her advice to people always seems to have a twist to it. One day a lady called in to say that she had met the man of her dreams on the Internet and that they were getting married, so she wanted to dedicate a song to him. Delilah proceeded to tell her that she was making a mistake and that people weren't always what they seem. Hmmm..... Another day, a man called in and she literally said, "I know how you are feeling. You feel like a large eagle has landed on your chest, RIPPING OUT YOUR HEART WITH IT'S SHARP TALONS!!!" I parked the car and laughed until I cried. It was totally bizarre. Top that with her ability to put me into a diabetic coma, and you've got real entertainment.

Conrad Birdie? To kiss me??

Ok, so we used to rent "Bye Bye Birdie" from the library ALL the time. We thought it was really cool, and would act out scenes from the movie. I even remember making my Ken doll sing the song "Sincere" and dance around JUST like Conrad Birdie.

I watched this movie recently, and I just have two words to describe the experience.

Holy moly.

I seriously lost brain cells watching it. The only redeeming qualities are the following lines of the movie:

"Randolph, your father's warned you. If you make another bomb, you'll get spanked."

"Don't try to pay me back, son. I forgive you. So what if you're an ingrate? So long as you're happy."

"Ed Sullivan? He's my favorite human."

Proof

This is why our little Jellybean will definitely have fun.

Name That Kid!

We have a short list of names going, and I was wondering what you all thought of them. Any good ideas for middle names for these? As you can see, we really like traditional-type names. :)

• Charles
• Christopher
• Graham
• Patrick
• Peter
• Edward
• Edmund
• Nathaniel

There may be more, but that's all I can think of right now. What a crazy thing to name a person!