It's time for a little randomness :)

It's been a while since I made a random list of things, so here goes:

1. I just sat down to eat a healthy snack of apples (from our trip to Tanners last weekend). But just as I was finishing cutting up the apple, I spied the candy corn on the counter. And that is when I discovered that if you take a bite of apple and a bite of candy corn, it's almost the same as eating a taffy apple. Thus rendering my healthy snack not so healthy. But very tasty!

2. My car passed 90,000 miles this week. It will be five at the end of the year. Yikes!

3. I felt like the kindergartners who get notes pinned to them to take home to their parents this week. I have been so forgetful and I feel like I should just keep a constant notepad with me so I can write notes like, "Teresa, you are walking into the kitchen to get a drink of water." or "Teresa, you just walked down two flights of stairs at work so that you could make a copy of a treatment plan from your client's file." or "Teresa, you are driving to Client A's house." It has been a very forgetful week.

4. I heard on the radio this week that body temperature changes often cause nightmares or vivid dreams. I am the queen of the vivid dream. This week I had a dream that I went with a group of friends to see a movie and I took my nephew with me. I also took the booster seat I keep in my car into the theater with me. Except it wasn't for John, it was for me. But when John started standing in his seat to see over the person in front of him, I felt like I had to give him the booster seat. And I may have been a little irritated because than I couldn't see over the really tall person sitting in front of me. Wow, just writing that makes me feel like a really selfish person.

5. I've been comment-less for over four posts now. So, I'll send out my usual, pathetic, woe is me, plea for some comments. I like your comments. As much as I like writing on my blog! :)

Baby Names

With Baby #2 on the way, my brother and sister-in-law are looking for baby name ideas. I have sent a couple of names their way, but today I realized I should give a caveat to the passing along of names. I feel kind of bad passing names along. I'm basically saying, "I like these names, but not enough to name my own baby that." Because, although I'm not married, I have a few names in my head that would be my top choice of baby names, and if I pass those names on to my brother and sister-in-law, and they choose that name, I won't be able to use it anymore. But I do honestly like the names I've passed on...just not for my own baby... :) Don't worry, if they choose one of the names I've submitted, I won't tell my nephew that his name is one of my reject names.

Happy Birthday Mom!

I know she's in bed already and it's kind of late in the day, but this is the earliest I could get to the computer. So, it's a better-late-than-never Happy Birthday to my Mom! :)

Here is one of the pictures we took over the weekend while she was here. Besides the fact that you can't see my hands because of my sleeves, it's a pretty good picture. I loved that my mom and aunts came down so that I could show them around. I love you mom and hope you had a wonderful birthday! :)

Even adults have consequences

Friday I had a long to do list. And the one thing I did not get done was my paperwork. I told myself I would do it Sunday. I knew I was lying to myself. I thought I could get it done at work today. But, no. So, now, on this rainy evening when I just want to curl up with a book, some hot chocolate, and an apple cider donut, I have to do paperwork instead. And to make it worse, paperwork is technically due on Monday. So I have the added guilt of missing that deadline. All because I chose to finish my book before cleaning instead of doing paperwork before cleaning. I even tried to give a coworker a piece of candy to write my notes. Oddly enough, she said no. Alrighty, enough complaining. I'm going to be a big girl now.

Not much to say Saturday

It's getting toward the end of the month and I've noticed that I'm lacking in blog posts for the month, so I am feeling pressure to post more. I know, it's a random thing to feel pressure about. But this is me we are talking about. The queen of randmomness. You know, no pressure to get Facebook or texting on my phone or a texting phone or a Kindle, but pressure to maintain a certain level of blog posts. It makes perfect sense! :)

I finally finished my cleaning yesterday, got to the grocery store, and made it to a friend's house for dinner on time. The only thing I didn't get accomplished was my work paperwork (oops!). And that's because I had fun procrastinating some of the morning away after I got back from an appointment.

Game night was fun. Four girls, a bag of snack mix, cookies, cheese dip, and Rummikub. Lots of laughter and eating and girl talk. Just what I needed.

Mom, Teresa, and Tricia should arrive in about 20 minutes and than it is off to have a fun filled 24 hours touring Peoria. Tanners is on the agenda, but other than that I haven't made any more plans. We are flying by the seat of our pants today! I'm charging my camera batteries as we speak, so hopefully I will actually use it and pictures will follow.

Ta Ta for now! :)

Taking a break

I am taking a break from my cleaning frenzy because I want to :). But I don't need to. Because I have more to do. Why am I cleaning, you may ask?

1. It's been, ummm, a bit too long since the last time I cleaned. And by a bit too long, I really mean just a couple of days, right? If you may be detecting a bit of sarcasm, I really don't know what you're talking about.
2. I am getting bombarded by company tomorrow. My mom and two aunts are coming for an overnight visit. We're packing them in here at the apartment. I don't think Emily knows what she's getting herself into.
3. Because of said company. The particulars of the company. I mean, if Danell was coming to visit, I might clean my bathroom and straighten up a little. But when it is someone from the "older" generation in your family, you kind of have to go the extra mile. And when one of those people is your mother, who really likes to clean, well, enough said! :) I love my mom. And I'm not saying she would judge me. Well, if she would judge me, she wouldn't do it out loud and definitely not to my face. So, there really is no reason to worry, but I still feel the need to do some serious cleaning.
4. The company is a good excuse to get things done that I don't normally do. I really don't mind cleaning once I start, but there are other things I'd rather be doing most of the time.

Okay, that was probably enough of a break...off to dust and vacuum I go! And than to the grocery store. And than to a friend's house for some games and fun! See, there is fun at the end of the cleaning, I just have to get through it and stop procrastinating.

Oh, look, a butterfly...

It's not a tumor!

I was talking to Danell last night and told her that I had a headache and that I felt like my head was going to explode. I said, "I think it might be a tumor." To which, she of course replied, "It's not a tumor."

And than something kind of random occurred to me. The Arnold Schwarzenegger line is a fairly universal quote. Not many people look at me confused when I throw it out in conversation. But I wouldn't really consider Kindergarten Cop a universally watched movie. So how does a phrase from a movie like that become so popular? I don't know the answer, but these are the musings I sometimes have....

Another fun Bones quote

Yet again, I laughed out loud. And it only seems right to share the things that make me laugh.

Sweets: So, uh, I'll help you get the car back.
Hodgins: Really?
Sweets: Yeah. You know why? Because I'm Mr. Adventure.
Hodgins: I'd rather you were Mr. Sneaky Ninja Killer Assassin. But hey, a guy can't be picky in this sidekick market.

The wires in my brain might be slightly misalligned

I had pancakes for dinner tonight. The back of the box gives instructions on how to make 6-7 pancakes. But, at most, I only eat 4-5 pancakes. Now, it has not occurred to me until now, that I could try to make less of the batter. Mostly because I am a recipe follower. And I'm not going to make all 7 and save 2 for later because, let's face it, I would never eat them. But, it's a good thought, Mom (since I knew that would be your suggestion). But, here's where the misfire in the brain occurs. I feel less bad about throwing away the leftovers when it is the batter and not the actual pancake. Usually I make 6. I have no problem washing the batter down the sink. But I always feel kind of bad about throwing away that leftover pancake.

It seemed apropos

I enjoy television and movie quotes. They often make me laugh. I didn't think I could hear this one from Bones without putting it on my blog. Good thing I don't consider what I do or say on here important! :)

"Military intelligence? That's an oxymoron. You know, a term that contradicts itself...I'm the most important UFO blogger in the world."
Booth: "Important blogger. Talk about an oxymoron."

PS. I also looked up the word apropos to make sure I was using it correctly. I couldn't really tell, from the definitions I read, but I think it's right! Either way. My blog. My rules. I an use whatever words I want, whether they are in context or not! :)

Family Photo

Mom was in Georgia last week and took this adorable picture. I thought I'd share it on here as well! :)Besides all the baby belly cuteness (which is the obvious cuteness in this picture!) I love that John has no shoes on (shocking, I know!). Ignore the scruffiness on my brother's face. Apparently, it's part of his new dress code at work!

One week and two days...

...until the new season of NCIS. For those of you who don't know, at the end of the season, Tony was told that he needs to secretly investigate someone and he looked very leery or shocked or like it was something he didn't really want to do. So the question all summer has been, "Who does he have to investigate?" And because of this, Emily and I have had variations of this conversation many times this summer...

Emily: Who do you think it might be?
Me: Abby.
Emily: No! It can't be Abby! Do you really think it's Abby? I just don't think it can be Abby.
Me: I don't know. Tony did look pretty shocked.
Emily: It can't be Abby!
Me: Maybe it's McGee.
Emily: Do you really think it would be McGee?!

This conversation has been similar, back and forth, sometimes with me providing the answers, sometimes with Emily providing the answers. But always with the same outcome...we don't really know. But in one week and two days, we will hopefully get some answers!

PS. Sorry about the lack of blog posts. I have been getting back into the fall semester. After a whole summer of not having much going on in the evenings, I'm back to being busy most evenings during the week. And it takes a few weeks to get into the swing of things. Bear with me.

1,238,462

Another secret about me. I like to exaggerate. :) So, in full Teresa fashion, I'd like to announce baby number 1,238,462 in our family in just over a year. Otherwise known as my new nephew. Making his appearance in early February! I'm super excited! When Ann was pregnant with John, obviously I was excited. But it was a new, I've-never-been-an-aunt-before kind of excited. This is more of an I'm-an-aunt-and-I-know-how-cool-it-can-be excited. Do you see the difference? Plus, who wouldn't be excited about another John running around in this world?

Some things change for the better

I have a confession to make. Shhh...don't tell anyone. Ready. Here it is. I'm a teensy weensy tiny bit melodramatic. I know. You guys would never think that. But it's true. I'm an all or nothing thinker. Yeah, I see the gray areas, but more often than not something is really good. Or really bad. No in between. Either I'm on top of the world or the world is going to end. It causes a bit of a roller coaster of emotions in my life. Not always good. Okay, most of the time, not good at all. But after 32 years, I've come to expect it and have tried to learn to deal with it or head it off. Sometimes that works, sometimes not so much.

One year ago today, my dad, stepmom, sister, and brother pulled out of their driveway and headed to Arizona. I would like to say it was just another day for me. No big deal. But...not so much. It was a huge change. I would like to say that I handled it well and with maturity. But...not so much. The honest truth. Many months of bitterness. Toward them. Toward the situation. Toward God. And toward myself for feeling so much. It was a hard few months. Bitterness is never a good thing. It never pays to give into it. But sometimes, at the time, it feels so much easier. I also think those first few months, I lived in denial. I kept thinking they would get out there, hate it, and come back. So, when I would get reports of how much they loved it and were building a life for themselves, the bitterness would grow.

Than I finally had to tear down some walls within myself. I had to face the objects of my bitterness one at a time. God, my family, me, the situation.

I don't know when it happened, but eventually I realized that the bitterness had gone away. I was able to celebrate the people they were learning to love. I was able to invest prayer time in praying for the ministry and for the kids that they were impacting. I was able to see that there is more than just my small little world.

I was able to re-learn a life long lesson...the world does not revolve around me. As much as I often try to change that truth, it's just not going to change.

So, on this one year anniversary, I am able to say, I miss Dad, Amy, Daynah, and Josh terribly. And I can still say I wish they were here. But I can also say that I love that they followed a call that many people would be afraid to follow, and they went into a new world, and they are working to change lives. And I am glad that I can be a small part of that, just by being a part of their family. I love you guys! :)