Back in the saddle

The first trimester wore me out this time around. With Bennett I felt like I'd been run over by a truck for a couple of weeks, then I was bad sick for 3 days, then it was done, so by week 9 or so, I was good to go. This time around, I was naseous (sp? I can never figure out how to spell this word, or all of its forms) from week 4 to about week 8, and was truck-runneth-me-over exhausted for 3 months. This has been tough for a few reasons: a) Bennett does NOT slow down. Ever. Except when he is asleep, which only happens at night, and for two hours during the day (if I'm as lucky as I plan to be each day :) ). b) Michael started school back in August and has also worn more hats and been busier this time around than ever before, so he's been tired too, which if you know my husband, is highly unusual and very unlike him (which explains Bennett's one speed of turbo). c) I really do NOT like having a messy, dirty house, and it's been that way for at least a couple of months and has been extra annoying since I also didn't have the energy to escape it much of the time.

BUT, my friends, the good news is, I am a couple of weeks into the glories of the second trimester, and about a week ago, my energy returned. I feel like me again. It's so hard when you don't feel like yourself at all and you can't really do anything about it, and even harder when you don't have any idea when/if things will return to normal...can I get an AMEN! from all the previously or currently pregnant women out there??

So anyway, my floors are cleaned, the toilets are scrubbed (praise God!), the dishes are being washed and put away at a regular rate, and the laundry is hanging up in our closets rather than gathering dust while still folded in their baskets in big piles all over the house. And besides that (insert pat on the back), we have a little pumpkin patch and a gathering of scarecrows hanging out in our home, and an adorable "Happy Fall" wreath hanging on our door :) I'm feeling festive and productive and ready to tackle just about anything.

I don't expect anybody to really care one whit about this post, but I'm rejoicing in the new phase I find myself in, and celebrating the desire and action of getting my tush off the couch and into gear again :) Here's a list (for myself, although you're free to read on if you're convinced you care) of things left to do that I'd really like to jump into and accomplish before this new energy fades in a few more months:

1) Clean out the guest closet and bag up stuff for Goodwill.

2) Actually take said bags TO Goodwill, rather than keeping them in said closet.

3) Have a White Paint Day if this baby is a girl, and a Blue/Red Paint Day if this baby is a boy (which we'll find out in about 3 weeks - YAY!!), at which friends and family will hopefully help with a dresser, a shelf, and picture frames.

4) Finally finish contact papering the shelves in our kitchen and bathrooms (the old stuff is nasty and has those "adorable" little roosters and chickens on it that were oh so popular in the 80s/early 90s). I've finished our pantry and the new paper is FANTASTIC. It makes me happy to open our cupboards :)

5) Install new smoke detectors (actually, Michael will probably do this :) )

6) Try to sell this stinkin' jogging stroller at a resale shop since it didn't sell at JBF *sigh*

7) Finish Bennett's first year scrapbook (which I was supposed to do a LONG time ago...obviously, since he's about to turn two). This involves first ordering old pictures that I still need prints of, THEN organizing and scrapbooking them. Yikes.

8) Switching Benito to his toddler bed and moving the crib into the baby's room.


There's more, for sure, but I think I'll stop there...I'm beginning to feel overwhelmed :)


And for a couple of side notes, here is a final list of some of my new FAVORITE cleaners I've recently discovered that TOTALLY rock and work miracles (seriously):
1) Mr. Clean Magic Eraser (gets un-gunkable gunk off of stuff with mild scrubbing)
2) Spray-n-Wash for laundry (gets out old stains, even grease or grass. Phenomenal.)
3) Greenworks spray cleaner (smells great, cleans great, and is good for the environment)

And here's a list of upcoming pictures:
1) 15 weeks pregnant (I'm going to try to do one of these every 5 weeks here on out)
2) Bennett updates
3) Great Great Grandmother Imogene's 98th birthday (if we're able to make the drive to Longview this week)

That's all friends...have a great week!

Sesame Street

In honor of the #1 fan of Sesame Street living in our home...
(thanks, Lloyd!)

You Are Ernie

Playful and childlike, you are everyone's favorite friend - even if your goofy antics get annoying at times. You are usually feeling: Amused - you are very easily entertained You are famous for: Always making people smile. From your silly songs to your wild pranks, you keep things fun. How you life your life: With ease. Life is only difficult when your friends won't play with you!

The Sesame Street Personality Quiz

Confessions of Quirkiness

(found during an hour of blog-stalking when I should have been cleaning the house :) )

1. I eat the edges first, including pizza, sandwiches, hamburgers, etc., then the middle part. It's that "save the best for last" theory, which you're not technically supposed to do when you eat because it pretty much guarantees you'll eat the entire thing :)

2. I really cannot stand blue jeans, socks or pantyhose. I will tug and pull and squirm out of discomfort all day long when I wear any of these.

3. When I was younger, I sometimes used to count in a pattern when I walked (1-2-3-1-3-2-1)...can we say Rain Man??

4. I have always played with my ears and popped them...since I was a baby. When I was little, I used to play with other peoples' ears, but as I got older, I quickly learned that my mom was really the only one who thought that was sweet and cute. Everybody else just thinks it's annoying, so now I stick to my own pair.

5. I still bite my nails and have stopped feeling guilty about it.

6. I eat steak with ketchup. I do not care if we are at a five star, head-spinning expensive restaurant. If they're serving steak, I'm packing a bottle of Heinz 57.


7. I tend to bump into people when we're walking along together in a straight line. I'm convinced it's because one of my legs is very slightly shorter than the other.

8. When I'm really nervous and walking into a room/situation where I don't know many people or don't know what to expect, my eyes water. This started in high school for some reason (which was a very positive experience), and doesn't happen much anymore, but is totally embarrassing when it does because people who look closely think I'm crying.


I tag all people reading this blog that have quirks to confess :)

I heart NY!!

Michael and I had a FABULOUS anniversary/my birthday trip to the big apple for several days.
(thanks to Poppy and Mimi for watching our sweet boy while we were gone!)

First I'll list a bunch of the stuff we did, then I'll post the pictures, which is all anybody wants to see anyway :)

Friday we got in, got to our hotel, which was 2 or 3 blocks from Times Square and the theaters where our shows were. We went to broadway's Phantom of the Opera that night, which was AMAZING!! (Andrew Lloyd Weber, how do I love thee?), and then around Times Square. It was around 11:00pm when our show got out, and there were a million cops around and everything was lit up like the 4th of July, so I felt safer there than I would here in good ole DFW. These dudes on bicycle carts kept trying to give us a ride back to our hotel, which was kinda funny.

Saturday we did a bunch of sight seeing and a TON of walking and subway riding. We walked across the entire width of Central Park (width, not length...I'm tough, but not that tough), which was beautiful, saw a lot of the super cool, super expensive stores on 5th avenue (I didn't go in because I didn't want to be tempted beyond Michael's patience/our stores of money :) ). We went to Chinatown and experienced the crazy behind the walls rooms and alley ways necessary to look at "Coach" "Gucci", etc. handbags and all that other fake but real stuff that costs a tenth of the regular price (no, I did not buy any of it - it's ugly, truth be told, and ridiculous...just my opinion, no offense to those of you who choose to indulge). We also went to Little Italy and bought a lot of our souvenier stuff there. I decided on this trip that every time I go somewhere new or exciting, I'm going to buy a picture frame and put a picture from that trip in it. Unfortunately, I didn't do this for Prague, D.C., China, or Europe, but you've gotta start somewhere, right? Saturday night we ate out at a nice New York pizza place and then went back to our hotel to watch football (pregnant lady was exhausted, and my honey wanted the Ohio State game stats :) ).

Sunday we took the subway to the southern end of Manhattan and saw Ground Zero...pretty amazing, and then took the ferry across to Statton Island to see the TINY Statue of Liberty, which was a total let-down after seeing it being so HUGE in the movies, but was also interesting since it was so very different from what I expected. We walked around this area pretty much all morning, then caught lunch and went to change before our Sunday matinee of broadway's Wicked, which was also FANTASTIC. The plot for this show is phenomenal...it's one of those complete outside the box thinking kind of deals, which I always enjoy, and at the same time wish I'd thought of :) For dinner we ate at the Rock Center Cafe, which is right under the Rockefeller Center, and is also where everybody ice skates in the winter and is usually filmed by the network stations for Good Morning America, etc. VERY cool experience - we ate the fanciest, most expensive BBQ we've ever had, and I could tell our waiter was slightly annoyed that we weren't drinking anything but water - hee :) After dinner, we took the tour of the Rockefeller Center and got some great pictures of the city from a crazy amount of stories high.

Monday we packed up, ate a leisurely breakfast, and shuttled back across to New Jersey to catch our flight home. Fantastic trip, and quite nice to get some adult alone time and to celebrate our 5 years and where God has brought us in that time. I'd recommend NY to anyone, definitely.
And now, without further ado, the pictures...


Coming into the city, our driver got a ticket :)

Our hotel lobby

View from our room - Times Square

At Phantom

We were in the second row. Awesome.

After the show.

In Central Park.

Grand Central Station elevator.

The Campbell Apartments :)

Elmo on the subway...a $5 picture b/c Michael didn't have change :) I told Elmo it's because my son REALLY likes him.

Ground Zero construction.

On the ferry, headed back to Manhattan.

Teeny tiny Statue of Liberty *sigh*

After the show.

At the Rock Center Cafe.

On top of the Rockefeller Center. (Empire State Building in the background)

Thanks, honey for this amazing trip!! I loved every minute of it!

Pray for the Carders

Take a look at the link that says "Amy" on my sidebar to see this sweet family's story. They need to be covered in prayer and lifted up to the Lord, especially now that little Ella has been born (evening of Aug. 31st). Please pray for both Amy and baby Ella's healing and recovery.

We love you, Carder family. You're in our prayers and thoughts.

Strength in weakness

I don't feel I'm very good at expressing myself about serious, deeper issues in life, so I typically choose to keep things light and fluffy and fun, with a bit of sarcasm thrown in for good measure.
But recently I've really been chewing on some things, from past experiences combined with recent events and conversations with women far wiser than myself. So here goes what I've been thinking about, as best as I can say it.

Our world, and especially our American culture has taught us that weakness is shameful and awful, and is certainly something to be hidden and tucked away in darkness where no one else is able to see or find it.

I now know and am convinced more and more through examples from my own life and from others, that this is not only a false belief and world view, but that it is much more serious: it is a lie from Satan. And along with this, I'm beginning to believe that it is one of the biggest, most harmful and destructive lies we can choose to accept.

Our church did something called card board testimonies last weekend, and I was once again amazed at the raw power, glory, and truth attributed to God, as well as the comfort and emotional healing our entire congregation experienced from these testimonies/confessions. People who experienced addictions, abuse, death, loss, doubt and fear, and all kinds of bondage came forward and testified that Jesus Christ set them free. It was one of the most powerful things I've ever experienced. These brave people blessed literally thousands of people by stepping forward in truth. But what really struck me was the fact that they weren't always at this wonderful, rejoicing point of life; they weren't always out on the other side, testifying. At some point, they were lost, alone, crippled by fear, or beaten down and torn apart by the enemy. And God rescued and redeemed them all. But if they hadn't been honest and hadn't stepped into the light, there would be no testimony to give, and most likely no help to be had in a lot of their situations.

I believe more and more that honesty and openness about our weaknesses and struggles is key to truly bonding and growing deeper in Christ, and in spurring each other on toward the goal. Otherwise, we're fluffy, shiny Christians that stand for life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, and not much else - otherwise known as "American Christians."

My own personal healing and the healing of my family only came from honesty and bringing things out of the darkness and into the light, asking for help, not being ashamed of the truth of the way things were, and pursuing God's will in our lives. I don't say this to say "Go, me!" because God knows that had I stepped out in truth years earlier, so much pain could have been avoided and that many more people could've been helped, and He alone knows how He miraculously healed us, but I'm amazed, absolutely amazed, at how many other people I've been able to encourage and give strength to, not because I have a lot of wisdom to offer, or because I've got it all together (ha!), but because God makes me strong, and my weaknesses, failures and pain can be a testimony and a source of perseverance for others.

I think it's so important that I know that God can fill me with purpose and a new ministry to others when I've dealt with my own hang-ups and problems.
Being honest and bringing things to light does the opposite of what the enemy lies and tells us it does. It doesn't bring shame and hurt, isolation and rejection. It brings acceptance, encouragement, freedom, and great joy in the knowledge that God is using us to help others.

News

It's been a while friends, but yours truly has been busier than one person should be allowed. I've got three pieces of news to share, each following piece bigger than the previous one...here goes.

1. NEWS -- This just out...Mr. B. is officially the CUTEST clown ever known.


I couldn't keep his hat on long enough :(

The peeps at church dressed the kiddos up on their last summer day, keeping in with the circus theme they've had going. This is what I found when I went to pick him up (minus the sad/annoyed expressions that inevitably come when he sees a camera). Plus they had a bag of goodies and B. babbled on and on about the bounce house they got to play in when I asked him about it. So thanks Mindy and all the ladies who made it such a great experience for our little ones!


2. BIGGER NEWS -- You may have wondered in the past, "Who are the most wonderful, giving, selfless, hard-working people in the whole wide world?" I mean, who cannot possibly be topped? Oh friends, I have the answer. Their names are Micah and Lori. You read me right, and I'll tell you why. I took in upon myself recently to strip, texture, and repaint our master bathroom (see wallpaper picture below and you'll understand why), but I myself did not texture...oh, no, two angels from heaven came to do this for me. I was going to simply borrow a texturing machine (called a hopper - who knew?!) from Micah, which was wonderful in and of itself, when they were like, hey, why don't we just come do it for you? So they brought their sweet Annalee over for Bennett to play with, and we spent about 4 hours prepping, papering, texturing, and smoothing my bathroom walls. Michael was out of town, so Micah had to do all the nasty stuff (like removing our toilet - gross with a capital G) and stuffing his hand down the glop-ridden hopper, and skating on toilet water (don't ask). You won't find two more kind-hearted, giving people. I couldn't believe they spent their whole Saturday morning doing this for us and helping me out with my "small project." THANK YOU BOTH!!
The pictures I've included are befores, the work process, and afters.


hideous, I know..ALL OVER the walls


our prep work - we had to do this to the WHOLE bathroom, and around the CEILING..argh


Micah and the hopper


How they had to travel to the back yard to hose off so they'd prevent hoppered floors :)


still debating the wood doors..but the walls are beautiful!


pretty bathroom :)

4. BIGGEST NEWS -- Campbell Baby #2 is ON THE WAY, predicted to make an appearance around March 26, 2009!! This is yet another answer to prayer for us. This baby was in the works in our hearts and minds, and not really what we were going to actively try for for another couple of months, but God knew our hearts and what our family needed, so here he/she comes and we are THRILLED, PUMPED, and whatever other all caps words that equal excitement you can think of! We absolutely believe this is a direct blessing from God for our family and we are so thankful for the ease and wonder of it all. We'd appreciate your thoughts and prayers for our sweet one and our family as we change and grow.

(And if anyone has an AWESOME doctor they'd like to recommend, please e-mail me or facebook me or something to let me know, because I wasn't real satisfied with my last one, and have yet to find another one that I feel good about).

funny hair

Um...yes, the previous post was a joke.

I thought I'd relieve the awkward feelings some of my friends must be experiencing in thinking I'd truly change my hair in such a way and not knowing quite what to say...(since I've already had three people ask if I was serious - HA!) :)

No worries, friends. I don't struggle with delusions of scary hair - rather, my great struggle is overcoming the desire to blog using undetectable sarcasm... :)

Vote your favorite

Okay friends, I'm getting my hair totally re-vamped. I need your help. Vote your favorite:

1. The Big Sexy



2. The Happy Homemaker




3. The Ice Queen



Thanks for your input! It'll definitely help me make a fashionable decision!

God's pharmacy

I don't usually send forwards or blog about random stuff like this, but at our Girl's Night Out, several girls were talking about the "God's Pharmacy" e-mail. I think this is amazing - it's one of those things that just blows my mind. A lot of you have probably already seen this, but humor me, because it really is fabulous, and all glory be to God for His attention to detail and knitting us together so perfectly! (thanks Kristen!)

God left us a great clue as to what foods help what part of our body!

God's Pharmacy! Amazing!

A sliced Carrot looks like the human eye. The pupil, iris and radiating lines look just like the human eye... and YES, science now shows carrots greatly enhance blood flow to and function of the eyes.

A tomato has four chambers and is red. The heart has four chambers and is red. All of the research shows tomatoes are loaded with lycopine and are indeed pure heart and blood food.

Grapes hang in a cluster that has the shape of the heart. Each grape looks like a blood cell and all of the research today shows grapes are also profound heart and blood vitalizing food.

A Walnut looks like a little brain, a left and right hemisphere, upper cerebrums and lower cerebellums.

Even the wrinkles or folds on the nut are just like the neo-cortex. We now know walnuts help develop more than three (3) dozen neuron-transmitters for brain function.

Kidney Beans actually heal and help maintain kidney function and yes, they look exactly like the human kidneys.

Celery, Bok Choy, Rhubarb and many more look just like bones. These foods specifically target bone strength. Bones are 23% sodium and these foods are 23% sodium. If you don't have enough sodium in your diet, the body pulls it from the bones, thus making them weak. These foods replenish the skeletal needs of the body.

Avocadoes, Eggplant and Pears target the health and function of the womb and cervix of the female - they look just like these organs. Today's research shows that when a woman eats one avocado a week, it balances hormones, sheds unwanted birth weight, and prevents cervical cancers. And how profound is this? It takes exactly nine (9) months to grow an avocado from blossom to ripened fruit. There are over 14,000 photolytic chemical constituents of nutrition in each one of these foods (mo dern science has only studied and named about 141 of them).

Figs are full of seeds and hang in twos when they grow. Figs increase the mobility of male sperm and increase the numbers of Sperm as well to overcome male sterility.

Sweet Potatoes look like the pancreas and actually balance the glycemic

index of diabetics.

Olives assist the health and function of the ovaries

Oranges, Grapefruits, and other Citrus fruits look just like the mammary glands of the female and actually assist th e health of the breasts and the movement of lymph in and out of the breasts.

Onions look like the body's cells. Today's research shows onions help clear waste materials from all of the body cells. They even produce tears which wash the epithelial layers of the eyes. A working companion, Garlic, also helps eliminate waste materials and dangerous free radicals from the body