A Little Intentional

Pregnancy - Week 28

2011-05-05T20:53:00.005-04:00

How far along: 28 weeks and two days, THIRD TRIMESTER!!!! Home stretch!

Weight: About 140 pounds (and measuring 40" around my belly)

Maternity clothes: 98% yes. I definitely need my maternity clothes, but I have a few pieces that I have been able to make work. One piece in particular, now that it’s spring, was something I borrowed from Leroy’s closet: one of his undershirt tanks (aka wifebeater) Fits nicely over my belly and when I put a cardigan over it, you can’t even tell!! Haa Haa.

Stretch marks: None so far. And the picture below proves it!

Sleep: Well, there is no rhyme or reason to my sleep patterns. There have been some amazing nights where I’ll only wake up once! And there are nights like a few nights ago (which happen about as rare as the type previously mentioned) where I got about 2-3 hours of sleep!!

Movement: I thought that Baby B (on the right) was WAY more active than Baby A (on the left, possible future Leroy IV). I just rarely feel A. But then I went to the Perinatologist and the ultrasound technician was having a hard time snapping pictures and getting the heartbeat of A because he was moving around so much. He is lower and more towards my back, so that’s why I don’t feel him as much. Last night though, I swear they were having a party in my belly. I could feel BOTH of them. Maybe they were practicing break dancing. Or maybe they were trying to be like Savion Glover and trying to teach themselves how to tap!

Belly Button In/Out: In, but about to pop out any day it seems

Cravings: Coca Cola. And not diet or Zero…the full version! There is no other. Of course, I’ve refrained from this craving and have only caved ONCE this entire pregnancy.

Aversions: Nothing recently. I still at times have a hard time trying to figure out what I want to eat.

Gender: Two Boys: Leroy Lamar IV and Loxley Bliss Lamar.

Symptoms: Carpel Tunnel, insomnia, and every rare occasion, a little bit of nausea.

What I miss: Sleep - but I guess I need to get used to that. Sugar –trying to stay away from stuff like Coke and gummy bears

What I look forward to: Our baby showers!!! Sure, getting gifts is fun and exciting, but I’m also excited to see our friends and family that we haven’t seen in a while!!!

Moods: Mixed. There are times when I just want to be lazy because I know I can be, and there are times when I just need to be lazy. There are times I want to do stuff (like move furniture), but I physically can’t. There are times when I want to be very active, but just don’t have the energy.

Milestones: Viability soars. So at 24 weeks, babies are able to survive outside of the womb, albeit with high risks. At 28 weeks, viability soars, and then again at 32 weeks.

Medical Concerns: GESTATIONAL DIABETES!!!! I just found out yesterday that I have been diagnosed with it. I failed my 1 hour (scored 151, failed by 21) and had to go back for a three hour test. I failed that too. (Fasting: 64 – passed; 1st hour: 207 failed by 27; 2nd hour: 191 failed by 36; 3rd hour: 150 failed by 10.) But both doctors say the weights of the boys and me are fine. Everything still looks good otherwise. I have to watch my diet for the next two months. Hopefully it will go away once the boys are born and hopefully the boys don’t get diabetes themselves. I meet with a nurse on Saturday for some one-on-one education and direction for food and monitoring.

Weekly Wisdom: Sometimes things don’t always go as planned. Life will often jab you unexpectedly. Do what is best for you and your family, and roll with the punches.

Worst moment this week: Finding out I failed my glucose tests (which tests for gestational diabetes).

Best moment this week: Getting my maternity belt. Sounds really lame and simple, but it has helped me so much. I don’t feel as weighed down and I feel like I don’t get as tired walking around. I still waddle, but I don’t think I can help that.

Pregnancy - Week 21

2011-03-16T20:40:00.001-04:00

How far along: 21 weeks and 1 day

Weight: I was 133 pounds on 3/1. I weighed myself at work, but I’m not sure how accurate the scale is. I was 136 pounds on the work scale.

Maternity clothes: YES! Thank goodness it is starting to warm up because I have more non-maternity clothes I might be able to wear.

Stretch marks: None so far. I’ve been using Mama Mio Tummy Butter, but I’ve run out!!! That stuff is $35 per tub! Thank you sssssooooooo much Ate Jeannine for hooking me up the first time. But now is the time that I will need it, so I’m going to have to bite the bullet :)

Sleep: This 4 AM insomnia has GOT to stop!!! It’s really weird, I wake up anywhere between 3:30-4:15. And I’m WIDE awake. I’ve been changing the brightness setting on my iPhone to the lowest point before I go to sleep. So when I do wake up, if I feel the urge to write something down or look something up, I’m not blinded by the light and I’m usually able to fall back asleep pretty quickly.

Movement: YUP!!! These active little babies are moving all the time. Actually, when I went to the Perinatologist yesterday, I saw live each baby kick the other one in the head. Baby B is head down by the exit (sorry bubs, not even close to being time for you to leave!), and his feet are up above my bellybutton. He hangs out on my right side (more to the front). Baby A’s head is by Baby B’s feet, and Baby A hangs out on my left side. It was funny, but not so funny to see Baby A’s little feet swinging and the Baby B’s head bobbling from the kicks. It’s started already. Suggestions on how to break up boy fights are welcomed.

Belly Button In/Out: In

Cravings: Nothing recently. Just trying to eat as much veggies as my stomach can handle. Still more on the fruit train. But I don’t want to get gestational diabetes, so I’m trying to watch my sugar intake. It’s very hard for me because I love me some sweets!!!

Aversions: Nothing recently. I still at times have a hard time trying to figure out what I want to eat.

Gender: Two very ACTIVE boys!!!!!

Symptoms: For the majority of my pregnancy, I’ve had pregnancy rhinitis. I caught a stupid cold during week 20 so I’ve had trouble breathing.

What I miss: My family in Australia. I wish that they could be with me as I go through this amazing journey.

What I look forward to: Getting this registry over and done with. I’m having to really research!!!! I guess maybe because I’m having twins, and I guess there is just some stuff my friends can’t recommend (like a double stroller).

Moods: Tired – from not getting much sleep due to this cold. Excited – about the warmer weather around the corner, I love being outdoors when it’s warm!!!

Milestones: Recognizing which are baby movements and what is gas.

Medical Concerns: Doctor says everything looks good. Things should be better at night, for both Leroy and me, when this congestion clears up a little. Poor Leroy, I’ve been snoring so much because I can’t breathe right, that I keep him up or he has to trot off to another bedroom!

Weekly Wisdom: Don’t always look to the future, enjoy the NOW!

Worst moment this week: Almost throwing up when I was trying to do a sinus rinse. One of my nostrils was blocked so bad that the sinus rinse stuff leaked down my throat. YUCK!

Best moment this week: Laughing with Leroy. He keeps me laughing so much with his silly little Facebook posts and his imitations of the kids. I really love his sense of humor. I hope that our boys are witty with a great sense of humor like their Dad.

Pregnancy - Week 17

2011-02-15T20:11:00.001-05:00

How far along: 17 week

Weight: Unsure, will get an updated weight on 3/1

Maternity clothes: YES! Need to buy more :(

Stretch marks: None so far. I’ve been using Mama Mio Tummy Butter

Sleep: Still having weird dreams.

Movement: None yet, but doctors and ultrasound technicians keep telling me that these babies are active!

Belly Button In/Out: In
Cravings: Nothing recently.
Aversions: Nothing recently

Gender: TWO BOYS!!!!!

Symptoms: Each day it gets SLIGHTLY more difficult to move around when I’m full of food.

What I miss: Coffee, well, not really, but was out with some coworkers today and they stopped at a Starbucks. I stayed in the car so I wouldn’t be tempted to get some. I mean, what’s the point in getting decaf.

What I look forward to: Feeling the babies move

Moods: frustration – the doctor has told me for the next two weeks, I really need to take it easy. So I haven’t been able to do much.

Milestones: Learning the gender

Medical Concerns: Had a bit of a scare over the weekend, but a trip to the doctor showed that I’m okay. Going back in two weeks for a follow up check up.

Weekly Wisdom: When the doctor tells you to take it easy and veg out, DO IT!

Worst moment this week: Not knowing if the babies were okay.

Best moment this week: Learning that we are expecting TWO BOYS! Have I mentioned that before?

Pregnancy - Week 15 Highlights

2011-02-04T17:45:00.001-05:00

I've seen this little survey on other blogs, and I thought it would be okay to borrow that idea!

So here it is, my Week 15.5 highlights!

How far along: 15 weeks and 3 days. (40 weeks is July 26th, 2011, but will likely deliver around week 34-37)

Weight: 131 lbs - gained about 16 pounds since finding out I'm pregnant!!

Maternity clothes: YES! Thanks to my Be Band, I've been trying to use as many of my regular pants as possible. Amy gave me a few maternity clothes that were super helpful. Going to Target to buy at least 2 more pants this weekend!!

Stretch marks: None so far. I've been using Vitamin E oil at night as well as Cocoa Butter lotion (day and night). Must keep the three B's supple (belly, back and butt)

Sleep: WEIRD dreams. I'm still getting up to visit my porcelain friend, but only every 3-4 hours. I can no longer sleep on my back.
Movement: None yet :( but based on ultrasounds, these babies are active!!

Belly Button In/Out: In
Cravings: Oranges - which is about how big they are.
Aversions: Nothing anymore. I remember during my first few weeks, I could smell cleaning chemicals a mile away (especially the one's the cleaning crew at work used to clean the toilets)
Gender: Unknown. Leroy and I fell asleep the other night rambling off random boy names. We didn't settle on any. Leroy and "Winston" for now :) LOL

Symptoms: Back pains, but not because of the pregnancy, it's because I can't get comfortable at night. Off to get a body pillow or a pregnancy pillow this weekend!!
What I miss: Getting 6 hours of sleep without waking up. And mojitos.

What I look forward to: Feeling the babies move

Moods: Sleepiness, if that's a mood

Milestones: Amy will head up my Friends baby shower and Mom, Rachel and Rebecca will head up the Family and Family Friends baby shower (I know, nothing to do with babies, but still exciting. No "milestones" so to speak at 15 weeks).

Medical Concerns: None really, but I did ask my doctor about getting a prenatal massage.

Weekly Wisdom: It's not the end of the world if you have three baskets of unfolded laundry sitting off to the side (even if they've been sitting there for 2 weeks).

Worst moment this week: Getting 5 hours of sleep because of going to bed late, insomnia, and trouble getting comfortable.

Best moment this week: Seeing the twins and their little hearts beating on ultrasound.

The Highlight of 2010

2011-02-03T19:18:00.006-05:00

2010 was a pretty rough year for Leroy and me. It started off with laparoscopy surgery which resulted in removal of stage 2 endometriosis. We trudged along with out infertility journey which, by the end of 2010, was about 4 years. Mid-year we labored hard as we pieced back together our townhouse which we use as a rental property. It was basically trashed by the previous tenant. After depleting our savings and stabbing us with more debt, we finally finished and placed a new tenant (who, so far, are wonderful people). That was the light at the end of the tunnel. We closed out the year with some incredible news: we were finally pregnant!!! Through the ups and downs, the tears and pain, God answered our prayer. We were given a due date of July 26th, 2011. 6 weeks into our pregnancy, we discovered that not only had God answered our prayers, but doubled our blessing: we are pregnant with twins!!!

At the moment, I am currently 15 weeks (and 2 days). I thought that maybe I would backtrack and post about the past 7 weeks or so, but I figured I would write just a brief blurb about it. From this point on, I'll try my best to journal my pregnancy going forth.

It seems I had a pretty good first trimester. Not once did I have morning sickness and throw up!!! I was nauseous only when I was hungry. Of course, that turned into every 2 hours (or less). When nothing else sounded good to eat, Greek food almost always sounded good (lamb gyros to be exact). Oranges and cherry tomatoes were my favorite snack foods. I experience your typical tiredness and sleepiness. One of the most frustrating things was getting up every hour at night to go pee. Fortunately, that calmed down once I entered my second trimester, WHEW!

Leroy was and continues to be an amazing man. I'm so grateful for how well he takes care of me. He has gone out to get me my gyros and cherry tomatoes. He cleaned more and took care of the laundry (well, he washed them, dried them and sat them in baskets). He made sure I was comfortable. I couldn't ask for anything more.

Again, I'm so extremely thankful for these two tiny blessings that God has allowed us to experience. I'm so excited for what will come.

Back???

2011-02-03T18:17:00.004-05:00

Let's not worry about the last time I posted something, shall we?

It's a new year, with new experiences and new adventures.

There will be A LOT of FIRSTS that happen in 2011. I hope that my blog will be a place where I can compile these firsts. Facebook is great, but really, I would say that this is the ideal forum where I can memorialize my new journey.

...three times is a charm...

$300 Birthday Bash Giveaway

2009-09-26T14:11:00.004-04:00

One of my good friends, Suzie, is hosting a GiveAway. She is a very talented photographer.

She lives in the metro Atlanta area and is partnering with 3 area businesses to provide a $300 giveaway!

It's easy to enter & you can make the chance of winning more likely by registering on each business website. (You can only enter once per household on each website.)

The contest will close on October 15th and the winner will be randomly selected on October 26th!

Click on the button to the right or go to www.splitsecondatl.com to see instructions on how to register on her site!

Below is the contest details:

************************************************************************************
The English Pea, KD Cakes, Split Second Photography, and The Fancy Bee are proud to announce our Birthday Bash Giveaway.

Our giveaway is easy, fun and all about celebration. One lucky child will receive a birthday party worth remembering. The winnings include:

* A Party Package from The English Pea – includes 16 birthday invitations with matching envelopes, 20 party favor stickers, one set of personalized notecards with matching envelopes, and one set personalized calling cards – retail value $75.00
(all items must be chosen from available graphics).
* A Custom Cake designed and constructed by KD Cakes – retail value $100
* A photography session with Split Second Photography commemorating your little one’s special day - retail value$100
* A $25.00 gift certificate from the Fancy Bee – your place for personalized gifts
* Total Value: $300.00
(each business will award a gift certificate to the winner with specifics outlined in the gift. Some restrictions do apply. Please see each website for more information).

This fabulous prize can be won by visiting each business’ website or by stopping in at The Fancy Bee. You may enter once at each place thereby increasing your chances of winning (only one household per entry). All entrants must list a name, address, contact email or phone number and the item he/she would choose from each business if they are to win the grand prize. The contest will close October 15th. The winner will be randomly selected by www.random.org and announced on October 26th at 5:00 p.m. at The Fancy Bee’s One Year Anniversary Open House. The Party Bash Giveaway Package will be awarded to the recipient through gift certificates from each business. The winner is responsible for the planning and location of the party as well as any other items – such as food, party favors, etc. – that are not included in the items listed above.

Websites and address locations to enter:
www.theenglishpea.com
www.kdcake.com
www.splitsecondatl.com

Rain Rain Go Away

2009-09-23T22:10:00.006-04:00

Thanks to the excessive amounts of rain over the past couple of days, my lovely garden with which I have been so diligent is about to die. The floods of 2009 here in Atlanta are the worst since 1918 (or something like that). To give you an idea of just how high the waters rose, here is a real shot of Six Flags Over Georgia.

I didn't even get to shoot a picture of when it was healthy. I guess that's what you get when you procrastinate. My two zucchini plants are not going to make it, my Roma tomato plant is imitating the leaning tower of Pisa, and the new role model for my bell pepper plant is it's neighbor (the Roma tomato plant). I did however, manage to pick and cook my first bell pepper. I experimented by making this Southwest Chicken Bake. Yes I made it up. It consisted of chicken, black beans, corn, tomatoes, rice, cheese, a few different spices, and of course, my bell pepper. I'm quite proud of myself. Hopefully the Roma tomato plant will make it. I need to get out there and prop them up some.

Family Vacation

2009-09-12T12:52:00.019-04:00

My older sister, Sherisse, and her family came to the U.S. to attend the wedding of our cousin, Jeannine. Sherisse, her husband Glen, and my nieces, Shanell (7 years old) and Aliyah (5 years old) arrived in Atlanta on August 25th and left on September 8th. They tell me they had a really great time. Leroy and I gave the girls point-and-shoot cameras as a present (come on, the Aunty has to spoil their nieces right?!?!) Here are some fun shots of their time here in America.

This is Sherisse during the wedding rehearsal in New York. Isn't she beautiful.

This is Alana, another on of my gorgeous cousins. She lives in Jersey. This was taken outside of the church after the wedding in New York:

This is Sherisse and Glen. No, it's not a prom picture, it's them during the wedding reception. The reception was so much fun. I really had a great time. In fact, I didn't want it to end, but they had to kick us out :)

The Sunday after the wedding, Jeannine and Kevin organized a farewell brunch on the Hudson for family and friends. It was a great time to catch up with some of my Uncles and Aunts (Tito and Tita). Top left to right: Tita Ethel, Tita Lani and Tito Ed. Bottom left to right: My Mama and Tita Helen. I love my family. They are so much fun.

When we got back from New York, I sent Sherisse and the crew around Atlanta to different spots. Here is Shanell at the Fernbank Museum:

Not sure exactly where this is, but this is Aliyah. You can tell both of these girls are sassy and spunky! I love 'em. I had so much fun with them!

Here is Shanell at the Georgia Aquarium.

Here is Aliyah doing the hula-hoop at Lake Lanier water park.

Here is Aliyah and her mobile playground...um, I mean her Uncle Leroy. They had so much fun with their Uncle Leroy and tumbling around with him. This was taken at Jillian's on Friday September 4th. We celebrated Glen's birthday there.

On Labor Day, we went to Mom and Dad's (Leroy's parents house) for a BBQ and then went on to Stone Mountain to watch the laser show. Top from left to right: Dad, Kasey (Rebecca's boyfriend), Glen. Bottom from left to right: Rebecca (sister), Leroy, Me, Braylon (nephew), Sherisse, Shanell, Mama, Rachel (sister). It was a nice relaxing time after a long weekend. I think Mom and Aliyah were taking pictures :)

Here's Shanell at Stone Mountain. She is such a sweet girl. I really miss them.

There were so many things we didn't get a chance to do, but it was a good time anyway. I'm looking forward to seeing them in 2011. That's probably the next time I'll see them. 2010 we are planning to take a trip to Alaska and maybe back to Disneyworld. And if I can convince Leroy and save up enough, maybe we can take a week long vacation in Europe somewhere. We'll see.

Then in 2011, my Papa is turning 60, so we're throwing him a big birthday bash. The whole family, and even Mom and Dad are supposed to be coming too. We'll keep you posted with that.

Jeannine's Wedding

2009-09-12T12:31:00.005-04:00

My cousin, Jeannine married her sweetheart, Kevin Feyen on August 29th in New York City.

I didn't get a chance to take my own pictures as I was lending a little bit of a hand during the ceremony and afterward. Jeannine is the oldest of my cousins on my Dad's side of the family. If I had to give an example of a stunning and elegant bride, I would definitely pick her as my example. She planned a beautiful and amazing wedding. I wish I had more pictures, but here are a few that were captured by Leroy. If I can find more from other photographers, I'll be sure to share.

At the end of the ceremony, they released two doves. These are some of my favorite shots.

Congratulations Ate Jeannine and Kevin!

Purple Thumb

2009-08-03T21:33:00.005-04:00

It's about 9:34 PM as I start on this post, and I'm feeling a little under the weather. So I figure, I may as well try to post a little something as I lay in bed waiting on the over-the-counter pharms work their way into my body.

I like to kid around and say I have a purple thumb...maybe I should say I have a brown thumb. I do a pretty good job of killing off plants. So far though, my garden is doing very well.

Some time after the reunion, my neighbor, Chris, did a very cool thing for me. He tilled a portion of our back yard and made me a garden. He promised me that he would get on my case if I didn't take care of my garden. Chris is pretty serious about the whole gardening thing. Leroy's Mom is fantastic at keeping a beautiful garden and keeping healthy plants. He joking tells people that you'll never have a problem breathing in her house due to the number of indoor plants she keeps. My grandparents (Nana and Tata) in Australia are also very green. Shoot, they don't have green thumbs, their whole body is green. Some of my fondest childhood memories include countless hours in my Nana and Tata's garden. I remember sitting down with Nana as she taught me how to dip cuttings into what I guess was some kind of fertilizer and then putting them into narrow pots (around the size of a tall shot glass). I remember playing tip-chasey (tag for all you Americans) with my cousins and running around the front yard and around the side to the back yard of their corner lot. I remember Tata giving me fresh guava and Nana giving me pretty flowers. I remember going to their property out in the bush (again, for you Americans...basically the sticks), and walking through the greenhouses to cool off as the misters were watering the plants. Those were the good ole days.

Here is my very first garden! I know, it doesn't look very exciting right now. But I'll post more pics and you can see what I've added to my Roma tomato plant. Can you even see it? It's at the top corner. Here's a close up shot.

I should have taken some shots of my three other plants before I planted them so you can see the growth. We've had a lot of rain lately which has been great for my little plants. Well, the pharms are kickin' now. Good night...until later, stay green my friends.

Family Reunion

2009-07-27T20:47:00.013-04:00

During the weekend July 10-12, Leroy and I were involved with the Culbreth, Moore and Daniel Family Reunion. This is Leroy's Grandmother's family (Dad's Mom). It was quite the event. The logo above is this year's logo. Cousin Tiara designed it for the packets and for the t-shirts.

Friday afternoon/Evening, we had a fish fry. MMMmmm, fish and grits!! If you've never had the experience of this fine Southern delight, you need to the next time you visit the south.

Here's cousin Toya. I had a great time with her family: Melvin (hubby), Trip (son), June (sister), Tanya (other sister), Uncle Georgia (Dad...see below) and Aunt Addie (Mom). Most of her family live in Alaska. Hopefully we'll get to visit Alaska next year :)

Saturday was the family picnic and boy were we busy. Leroy and I were a part of the planning committee and we sure did work it (setting things up, cooking, cleaning etc etc). Uncle George cooks up some mean cabbage. One day I want to be able to cook cabbage just like him (except he won't share the recipe!!!)

Here's Braylon, my nephew. People...don't leave your children alone with Leroy. Or they might have too much fun and will want to go higher. It looks higher than it really is because of the angle of my shot.

Here is the group picture of almost everyone that attended.

Well, that's it. I wanted to put up a quick post. More to come. I actually took my pics off my camera. So I'm ready to blog...no excuses :)

Michael Jackson

2009-06-25T22:04:00.009-04:00

Michael Jackson
(August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009)

By now, I'm sure there are people all over the world saddened by the news of the death of the King of Pop. He was ridiculously talented, and I will miss him. I am sorry that he is no longer with us and that we will no longer have the privilege of hearing new and amazing music from this wonderful performer. Here's a little bit of random information about me in relation to Michael (besides the fact that I am watching old youtube videos of him as I write this post: Remember the Time, The Way You Make Me Feel, Smooth Criminal and Billie Jean). When I was little, I had two Michael Jackson outfits for my Ken dolls :) yup. One was the red Thriller suit and the other was the Beat It jacket. Now that's true a true fan of the one and only, Michael Jackson.

A weekend in New York

2009-06-07T15:56:00.017-04:00

Last weekend Leroy and I traveled to New York. We got in late Friday night. We hit up Amy Ruth's for breakfast and walked it off by taking some cool pics in Harlem.

Here is some random church

We spent most of Saturday with Kory, Patrice, Chase and Charis.

Chase
Charis

Kory is Leroy's BFF from college. We got to chill out at Central Park, indulge in some yummy Filipino food at Grill 21, and do some shopping. Then they dropped us off at Jeannine's place (my cousin). Jeannine is getting married in August. She was being thrown a bridal shower that weekend (the main reason why Leroy and I were there). Saturday night was a girls night out event. There was some wedding stuff that was being finalized prior to the girls night out so all the bridesmaids were at Jeannine's place. We got buzzed in, walked upstairs into her home, peaked around the corner, and with the help of Kathryn and Jamie, we were able to surprise her. She thought everyone was there, so she was trying to figure out who was just buzzed in.We were so happy to be there. Leroy left with Kory and I got to spend a little time getting to know Jeannine's friends. All successful, strong, beautiful women...just like Jeannine. It was really great getting to know them and I'm so happy that she has really wonderful people in her life.

After dinner at Kashkaval, which was an amazing neighborhood spot where Kevin and Jeannine had their first date, a few of us went on to a karaoke bar. It was a fun night.

Me, Jeannine, Kathryn and Renata at the Karaoke bar!

Sunday, Leroy and I spend some time relaxing before heading off to the shower at Bottino. Leroy stayed for a bit to be our event photographer. It was such a sweet and relaxing atmosphere. Again, it was a blast getting to know her peeps! Leroy and I headed back home after the shower.Jeannine and Jaime (bridesmaid)

Kathryn (Maid of Honor)

Me and Tita Ethel (Jeannine's Mom)

Jeannine

Kevin

It was an enjoyable weekend, and I'm so honored that we could be a part of it. I can't wait to get back to New York for her wedding in August.

Hip Hip Horray!

2009-05-17T12:57:00.012-04:00

It's been quite some time since I have posted, as usual. But thought it would be good to post since I just celebrated my birthday on Saturday. (okay, I originally wrote this on Sunday, but am just now posting)

Our friends Doug and Elaine and their 2 year old son, Michael came to stay with us this weekend. They arrived Thursday. Then more friends, 'Spike' and Hannah, came Friday to spend the weekend too. ('Spike' is actually Michael and his last name is Spicher, hence, "Spike". But I'll go by Spike as not to confuse him with the 2 year old). Silly us, we forgot to take pictures all weekend, but here is Michael.

My birthday actually began Thursday night when Elaine gave me a gift. It was a VHS of a live concert of New Kids on the Block. Yes, it is as cheezy as you can imagine it would be. Then Friday, my awesome coworkers/friends, Suzie, Karen and Nicoline took me to lunch at The Olive Tree. Suzie also got me this really amazing Family Tree photo frame that houses up to 4 pictures. Isn't she amazing?!?!

Then Saturday at 5:30 AM my sister, Sherisse, called from Australia. She got her times mixed up, but since Shanell and Aliyah (my nieces) were with her to wish me a happy birthday, it was okay. Then at 7:30 AM, my Dad called me. I share my birthday with my Uncle Felino, so the family was at his place for a bit of a celebration. So they all sang me happy birthday. Aussie's love to chant "Hip Hip Horray" three times after singing the birthday song. I love it!!! I spoke with them for almost an hour. It was great!!!

Then, all of our friends went to Ria's Bluebird for brunch. After Michael took a quick nap back at the house, we went to the Brick Store Pub for dinner. It was rated one of the top 5 pubs in America last year. Then we went to Jake's Ice Cream where I got free ice-cream because it was my birthday. Ria's and Jakes were the only two things I absolutely wanted to do, and we got to do it, YEAH! Also, "It was a dream fulfilled that the Spichers were at my birthday!" (Mr. Spicher told me to write that.)

Here is a quick (and sort of blurry) shot of the Spichers and Leroy.

All the boys went to Seminary together in Charlotte, and Elaine & Hannah are also in school for philosophy, so I guess Michael (the 2 year old) and I were the only non-philosophers in the group :) Anyway, they are a funny bunch and this weekend was filled with an insane amount of laughter. It truly was a fantastic weekend. Thanks to all that made it happen!

Happy birthday to me :)

bleh

2009-04-20T20:45:00.004-04:00

So I haven't really been in the mood to do much these days...maybe it's the weather? But I'm out of my funk and hopefully I won't be such a slacker with my blog. It's really hard to be "intentional" about things, no? And the crazy thing is that I don't even have kids to use as an excuse for why I'm not getting things done.

Oh well. So hopefully I'll post on some of the things to come. Here is a project that I have been working on for the past week...or two...

My closet fell. Yes...alas, the standard wire shelving gave up. It's not that we have too much crap...it's...well, okay, maybe just a little.

Sorry, this is kinda a weird angle, but as you can see, it's not a pretty sight. It took me a while because I didn't want to go back to that wire mess, but I didn't want to spend a "house payment" on my little itty-bitty closet. I settled for the middle of the road. Hopefully it will add value to our house.

Not only did it take me a while to pick the system, but it took me a while to figure a layout. Then I took a few hours and PURGED all the things we no longer wear!!!! Finally, today after work, I went to Home Depot and picked up all the things I needed and will spend the next week installing it. You see, I can't just assemble the pieces and stick em in. I have to cut out portions of the baseboard and secure them to the wall. Either that or pull out the WHOLE baseboard, cut the piece and reinstall the baseboard...oh I certainly hope not.

All those websites that say this is a weekend project are crazy!!!!!

Will keep you posted on the progress.

I heart NKOTB

2009-03-22T10:02:00.007-04:00

The other "first" that I experienced last week was meeting the New Kids on the Block. I went to their concert this past October (check out my old blog for the post on my first NKOTB concert). Amy and Stormy (her cousin who we went with last year) bought tickets to the Greenville, SC show on Tuesday March 17th. They did not announced an Atlanta date, so Greenville was the closest venue. I didn't buy tickets because...well, I didn't want to spend the money on another concert. Anyway, well, Amy entered a contest to win tickets and backstage passes. Well...she won!!!! She got to take 3 other people with them. So I took the day off to drive to Greenville :) (it's about a 1 hour & 45 minute drive north of Atlanta).

First, Amy and I got to the arena a little early. We were hanging out with the rest of the groupies back by the buses and loading docks. All of a sudden there was an uproar...Donnie came out to greet the screaming fans! Amy and I were at the top of the hill. Amy ran down there, but I figured that I wouldn't be able to make it on time. But I got down there anyway. He was taking pictures with each girl in line. I lined up but figured since I got there so late, he would leave by the time it was my turn. But I was wrong. So below is a shot of Donnie and Amy and then a shot of me and Donnie. kee hee hee. I didn't think it would make me giddy...but it did :)

As I was taking a pic with Donnie, I congratulated him on their comeback. He told me that was really nice and he turned to me and told me I had a sweet face. Leroy thought that was quite the line and called me "sweet face" for the next few days. HA! Hey, I got a compliment from Donnie Wahlberg!!!!

Second, let me tell you about 5 star and 4 star ticket packages. 5 star, you are guaranteed a seat in the first 10 rows; 4 star, the first 20 rows. Both tickets you get some random stuff like a gift bag and a poster or something like that, and you get to go through a meet-and-greet where you can take a group picture with the guys. But since there are like 200+ chicks in this group, I hear they push you in and out so quickly that you don't really get a chance to talk to them or anything. Plus the pictures are with 20 other people. Large groups! (I did NOT buy one of these tickets!!)

So anyway, the contest that Amy won included backstage passes! There was less than 20 girls in the backstage passes group. The guys came out and we got to actually hang with them for a couple of minutes befor taking a group pic (groups of 4 only!!!)

All that to say that I got to get a picture with them in a much smaller group, spend a few extra seconds with them, and the cost: a vacation day from work and gas money to get there :) HA! sure beats paying $380 (yep, that's how much the 5 star tickets cost; $180 for the 4 star! Craziness if you ask me.)

Oh btw, Amy and I were at the front of the line and Donnie came and said "Hey, I've already met some of you." He looked at me, smiled and said he met me already. Then he looked at Amy and said, "Wait, I met you too, but you changed shirts!" Sure enough, she had changed her top from a black one to the cute plaid just before going backstage.

So then Joey came out (who was my favorite when I was younger) and I asked him "I have a friend who used to play ball with you guys back in the day. He told me the brothas used to call you "Cool Whip"; is that true?" He looked straight ahead and said, "No! That is aboslutely not true. That's Bull$#!T" Well then...you're not looking at me and your response makes me think it really is true. Anyway, I guess he had enough of me by then because he wouldn't even look at me. So I went on meeting the other guys. They were all very cool and I'm so excited that I got to meet them. Here is our group shot:

The Interscope rep who took us backstage revealed to us that they would be announcing an Atlanta date. Not sure when, but they will be coming back to Atlanta sometime this year. Hopefully they won't be back at Gwinnett Arena (security was like Fort Knox!!) So if it's at Phillips arena, I think I have connects who might be able to get me and Amy backstage again! Sure beats having to pay :)

My first ever...

2009-03-14T18:20:00.008-04:00

This past week I have experienced a couple of exiting firsts. Unfortunately, I've been too sick to blog about them. I haven't really been home after work (more on my Tuesday the 17th later). I spent all Friday night and all day/night Saturday in bed. I think I just have a sever cold or something like that. But since I don't have kids and my Leroy is the most darling and best husband in the whole world, I figured I can do my best to knock this thing this weekend. So he
has babied me and taken care of me...something he does so well. But what truly stinks about being sick this weekend is how gorgeous the weather is. It was sunny breezy with a high of 65-69 degrees (18-20 degree Celsius for you Aussie folk). And of course, I spent most of it in bed...UGH!!!

So back to my firsts. If you don't keep up with my facebook, then you don't know that the truck I had been driving for the past month was stolen on March 5th from my workplace. The main thing that rots about the whole ordeal is that it wasn't even my vehicle. It was Bryan's, my brother (to be more specific, Leroy's bro). It was a 1989 Chevy Custom Deluxe pickup truck that his grandfather gave him. It was more a sentimental thing really. I feel absolutely horrible about it. But what can I do?

Anyway, so I spent the next week researching and looking for a car. One of Bryan's best friends since high school, Mike, is well, like another brother really. He is a finance manager at a car dealership, so we went to him because we knew we could trust him to sell us a good car.

This is my first car I have ever bought. Yes, I know I am about to be 31, but this is truly my first car that I have bought. All "my" cars up to this point have been purchased by my parents. In high school, I would drive my parent's cars. In college, they leased a cute Ford Ranger pick-up truck for me to use. Then around college graduation, they bought me a Geo Prism that lasted me a LONG LONG time. This was the first car in my name, but I didn't buy it. Then in 2004 when my parents moved back to Australia, they gave me their Toyota Camry.

Say hello to my new Jeep Compass. I'm hoping she will be as faithful and reliable as all the other cars I have driven. I think I want to come up with a name for my new ride...any suggestions?

I'm dreaming of white...spring-time?!?!

2009-03-02T22:38:00.006-05:00

I didn't get a chance to post this yesterday. But what else is new. Yes, it snowed yesterday. Probably a common occurrence up north, but not in the few years I've been in Atlanta. Especially in March. Okay, so it was first day of March...but March nonetheless. Leroy had fun snapping a few cool shots in the back yard. I can't take credit for these pictures, but I sure will blog about it. Amy took a really cool picture of our street. You should check it out. Snow is a beautiful thing (especially when you rarely experience it). Me, I'm quite quite quite happy to experience a few hours a day every oh, 4 years. I'm not one for cold weather. Charlotte is as far north as I've lived. If I ever move further than Maryland, I wouldn't know what to do with myself. Anyway, I hope you enjoy Leroy's pics. BTW, speaking of Leroy. If you have been missing his blog...you really should visit his facebook page. And if you don't have facebook...well, I can't help you other than to tell you to sign up :)

This is part of the monstrosity I call my back yard. But don't fret, it will soon be no more. We have having a fence installed this week. I'm so excited!!

This is a little girl that pours water in to a bird bath. Maybe one day I'll be able to post about my renovated back yard...pond and all.

A lovely pot waiting for the day they will be set intentionally by a pond not a pile of rocks.

Here is my dog, Kyra, probably thinking "I'm not so sure I like this too much." She is a house dog, don't forget.

Saving the best pic for last...look how cute my little "stinker" is in the snow.

Congrats Tam & Geoff

2009-03-01T10:12:00.001-05:00

Our friends, Tamera and Geoff tied the knot on February 28th. As I was thinking about what I was going to post, I was going to start off with a comment about how this is not a creativity type of a post. But that would be FAR FAR FAR from the truth. The fact is, Tamera and Geoff are two immensely creative people. Tamera is an incredible dancer and Geoff is an amazing musician.

Anyway, I knew their wedding would be quite the production, but never imagined just how wild and beautiful their creative juices would flow. Part of their wedding production included a "Coming to America" looking theme...just kidding. But you can see by the pics below the intricacies of the costumes. It was fun to watch and to think....yep, this definitely has Tam's fingerprints all over it.

It was a lovely wedding, and I had a bunch of fun!! I was very upset at myself because some of the shots I took (not pictured on this blog) would've been utterly amazing had they not been a tad blurry. Oh well, practice makes better right? (there's no way I could ever arrive at perfection with photography...just too much to know)

She didn't have your "traditional flower girls." She had flower ladies :) so original!

Here is Tamera with the biggest smile in the whole world...even bigger than Geoff's :) hee hee

This is the processional, Ericka (front left) is my cousin.

Processional again...just thought I'd snap some shots of some shirtless guys. They danced their butts off.

Part of Leroy's "crew": Corey, Tameka, Laura, Lia, Robyn

Here's the goofy couple. They're so cute.

Congratulations you two.

Messenger Bag

2009-02-15T08:35:00.005-05:00

For the past 4 years, my small group at church has done a secret Santa gift exchange for Christmas. The rules are a $10 limit or something hand made. This past Christmas, I drew Travis' name. I had a difficult time trying to figure out what I wanted to get him. I really wanted to make something for him, but I wanted to make him something that he would actually use. Last year, Amy embroidered "Sammie's Dad" on a golf towel for Steve. Since he golfs a lot, it was something he used. I know that Travis had a really cool messenger bag that he uses for school and work. So I thought that I could try and make him a smaller bag he could use when he didn't need a something so large.

He and his wife, Stacy, recently used it to bring a bottle of wine to a little BYOB cafe. So yeah, it has some usefulness!!

Travis graciously agreed to take a picture or two of it for my blog, and he recently sent me these pics. I was in such a rush to meet my deadline that I forgot to snap my own pictures of it.

Brown...a nice neutral color :)

I used some blue, heavy duty fabric the lining...very masculine, right?

Sugar and Spice and Everything Nice: My Apron

2009-02-07T09:51:00.008-05:00

When I got home from a long day at work, I walked up to my front porch which greeted me with a lovely package. I just KNEW it was from my swap partner. T'was!! Oh happy day. I couldn't wait to open it. I opened up the cute little card. Then I felt something soft wrapped in red tissue paper. I knew that had to be the apron and it would be the last thing I opened. So I took that out and set it aside. Then at the bottom of the gift bag which seemed to be about 1/4 full...I spied a ton of chocolate!!!! All kind of fun, snack-sized milk chocolate like hershey kisses, peanut butter cups, hershey milk chocolate bars. Just what I needed :) A girl can never have too much chocolate...or is it that a girl can never have too many aprons?? Probably the latter.

Anyway, thank you, Michelle. You did a fantastic job. I took a bunch of pics and posted them on the SSEN Flickr site too.

When Leroy gets home, I'll have to get him to take some pictures of me in the apron too.

Sugar and Spice and Everything Nice Apron

2009-01-31T14:25:00.006-05:00

I completed my apron for my partner and set it off before the February 2nd deadline...YAY!!!

I made it for Jenny and I hope she likes it. I this it's quite sassy and flirty if I do say so myself.
I also made her a couple of birdies. So I hope she likes them. I really enjoy these apron swaps.

photography

2009-01-31T11:21:00.002-05:00

Looking at the pictures on my blog, I realize that I don't do a good job of "touching up" my pics. So I apologize for the poor quality of my pictures. Hopefully I just do a better job of taking quality pictures so that I'm not required to perform any further work.

Birthday Birdie

2009-01-29T22:00:00.002-05:00

My friend/Co-worker, Nicoline celebrated a birthday this week. I decided (very very last minute) to sew her something. Fortunately, the pattern was super quick. Thanks to Spool, you can find the pattern here. I'm still a beginner when it comes to the whole sewing bit, and I REALLY need my sewing machine serviced. I have such a hard time with curves. I just can't seem to get the sharp curves just right...and it's evident in this bird. So his head is a little choppy...that adds character, right? Not so much? :( Oh well, it was a good first attempt. Fabric looks a little familiar eh?!?!?

The Process of Things

2009-01-28T21:34:00.004-05:00

To keep all of my fans happy (yes, all 4 of you), here is what I've been working on...

I really liked the idea of blogging on the process of things like Amy recently posted. I am trying to be more engaged in the enjoyment of the process, even when I do stupid things like cut out the wrong side of the pattern. So this apron has been on hold, but not past Monday I hope since that is my deadline. I finally had time to get to the store to buy more fabric. It should be finished before the weekend is out and I can post on the final product. OOOHHHH, and I can show it off on my new dress form :) hee hee.

Here is a peak of what's to come.

This will be the ruffly skirt part of the apron.

Yes, the fabric is bright...probably shows up brighter on the computer than in actual life.
And finally...for all you button lovers...

Anniversary in Savannah

2009-01-14T20:00:00.002-05:00

Leroy and celebrated out 8 year anniversary on January 6th. To celebrate, we spent 4 day and 3 nights in Savannah, Georgia. It was a little rainy for part of the weekend, but it was nice to relax and talk about our marriage goals for 2009. As you know, our little hobby is photography. So here are some cool shots of our little vacation.

This is the capital building in downtown Savannah.

We took a trolley tour with Oglethorpe Tours. We got to see a bunch of cool buildings and stuff. Although our tour guide was a little quirky, I enjoyed the tour.

The following are a bunch of cool buildings and such.

We went to Paula Dean's Restaurant and it was phenomenal! I highly recommend it.

This was a cool little spot we went back to for dinner one night. Awesome food. We did a lot of eating, but we tried to counter it with a lot of walking too. Our last night we spent some time trying some night photography. Check these out.

I really enjoy traveling with Leroy. We had an awesome time.

To Keep Me Organized

2009-01-11T20:43:00.007-05:00

My latest creation is my pocket for my PDA and cell phone. I've had this PDA for years (so that probably means it's way out of date). It still works great and I think it's better than carrying around a paper organizer. So I'm going to try and get in the habit of using it. It's very simple. Don't look at it too close, I really hurried when I made it.

The New Blog

2009-01-08T19:57:00.002-05:00

Welcome to my blog #2.

After a good 3 hours of WordPress frustration, I decided to try my hand at Blogspot. It really is more user friendly for the not-so-code-savvy end user, so I'm not sure why I didn't start here. Oh well, you live and you learn (and I can hear Amy saying "I told you so." But of course, I still love her). And going along with the theme of my new year resolution, to be more intentional with my schedule, I decided a change in my blog name is appropriate.

I thought that my first blog, theindecisivepinay.wordpress.com, would bring me into this cool little culture where I would meet a bunch of new people, have a handful of followers and get "in" with all the cool crafty chicks. But after witnessing the vastness of amazing blogs, the wide variety of crafty chicks and suffering through my 3 hour WordPress formatting ordeal, it was time to step back and rethink the purpose of my blog. As I spend the first few weeks of 2009 contemplating my life goals, I realize there is a lot of unnecessary things in my life that take up time. For me, I don't think that my blog should be one of them. It's not that my blog is unnecessary, it's the overtime spent on it that is unnecessary. Hopefully with this new Blogspot format, it will keep my blog simple and keep me from getting lost in cyberspace and formatting. Second, I must think about my audience. Let's be real, although it would be cool, this blog is not going to become the Old Red Barn Co or the Apronista. I need to stick to the original reason for creating my blog: to share with my friends and family the new and exciting things going on in my life.

So here's to 2009, organization and intentionality. To my family and friends both near and far: I love you and miss you and thank you for loving me unconditionally. To new friends and new family I have yet to meet, I hope my blog will give you a little glimpse of me.

Cheers