Oh. Em. Gee. Today has (as a good friend of mine likes to say) blown chunks. Sorry for the blatant visual.
I would like to invite you to my very own pity party. (This made me think of the line from Anchorman, "I would like to extend to you an invitation to the pants party," which caused a tiny smile to appear on my face.)
Anywho, long story short:
1. Had a 3-hour meeting today (which is a total mood killer)
2. Found out some news at this 3-hour meeting that is less than thrilling
3. Was told at said meeting that I need to have multiple items ready for this weekend
4. Left meeting feeling overwhelmed and promptly received a call from someone asking me to create 600 booklets. For this Sunday.
No. Such an easy word. 2 letters. 1 syllable. Yet when it comes down to it, my mouth will not make such a sound. In my head I'm screaming, "No! No! Nein! Fuhgeddaboudit! HELLS no!" But my reply always sounds about the same: "Ok." Blerg.
Tomorrow marks the beginning of Lent--I'm giving up fast food. I can hear the crickets. You don't think I can do it, do you? But I can. And I will. To make sure I do, I'm going to order the entire menu from Taco Bell, McDonalds, and Sonic tonight. And when my head starts screaming, "No!" for the second time today I'm going to ignore it once again.
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Monday, February 23, 2009
It's Monday. Again.
When I grow up, I'm going to run for president. And if I win (I'm counting on your vote), my first order of business will be to unite Friday with Saturday and Sunday. 3-day weekends every weekend. I think that could be my one and only platform and I am pretty confident I would win. Talk about change that EVERYBODY believes in.
It was a great weekend. Friday evening we went to a friend's birthday party and had a great time catching up with them and several others.
Saturday was one of those fantastic days that I have learned to appreciate so much. We slept in, ate breakfast (prepared by Michael), spent some time around the house, and then had an extremely late lunch (or early dinner) at Red Lobster. Michael and I are not big fans of chains. It's not that we're uppity, we just love to support local restaurants (and for the most part, they taste better). But about once a year, I have a hankering for Red Lobster. Give me a plate full of questionable seafood that is swimming in butter and I am a happy girl. Until I finish. And feel sick to my stomach. I believe this is why I only want to go once a year, it takes me 365 days to forget how gross I feel when I'm done. After I have successfully forgotten, I want to go back. And am then reminded (once again) of why eating massive amounts of butter is not a good thing. Oh well.
After Red Lobster we went to Utica Square (yes, we love this place) and wandered around. Picked up some shampoo at Saks, bought a baby gift at Pottery Barn, a wedding gift at Williams Sonoma, had some coffee at Starbucks, and then made our way home. Finished the evening with a bottle of red wine and "Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist" (great movie). After the movie we had a nice long talk and I went to bed feeling content and so thankful for Michael. I'm not going to say, "He's the best guy in the world" (even if deep, deep down I think he might be), but I will say, "He's the best guy in the world for me." And really? That's all that matters.
Yesterday we went to Celebration of Faith at our church and then came home to watch the Oscars. All in all, a great weekend!
I'll leave you with several new songs I love. Some are new, some really aren't, but they've been on repeat at our house for several days.
Upbeat (warning--this will be in your head for the rest of the day. Possibly week)
(Ben Folds and Regina Spektor)
Can't leave out the token Snow Patrol song...
A new song by The Fray:
I love this girl (Meiko):
I realize we're entering spring, but this song is so, so pretty.
(Sara Bareilles & Ingrid Michaelson)
Hate to end with a slow song, but this one's worth it
(Ray La Montagne)
It was a great weekend. Friday evening we went to a friend's birthday party and had a great time catching up with them and several others.
Saturday was one of those fantastic days that I have learned to appreciate so much. We slept in, ate breakfast (prepared by Michael), spent some time around the house, and then had an extremely late lunch (or early dinner) at Red Lobster. Michael and I are not big fans of chains. It's not that we're uppity, we just love to support local restaurants (and for the most part, they taste better). But about once a year, I have a hankering for Red Lobster. Give me a plate full of questionable seafood that is swimming in butter and I am a happy girl. Until I finish. And feel sick to my stomach. I believe this is why I only want to go once a year, it takes me 365 days to forget how gross I feel when I'm done. After I have successfully forgotten, I want to go back. And am then reminded (once again) of why eating massive amounts of butter is not a good thing. Oh well.
After Red Lobster we went to Utica Square (yes, we love this place) and wandered around. Picked up some shampoo at Saks, bought a baby gift at Pottery Barn, a wedding gift at Williams Sonoma, had some coffee at Starbucks, and then made our way home. Finished the evening with a bottle of red wine and "Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist" (great movie). After the movie we had a nice long talk and I went to bed feeling content and so thankful for Michael. I'm not going to say, "He's the best guy in the world" (even if deep, deep down I think he might be), but I will say, "He's the best guy in the world for me." And really? That's all that matters.
Yesterday we went to Celebration of Faith at our church and then came home to watch the Oscars. All in all, a great weekend!
I'll leave you with several new songs I love. Some are new, some really aren't, but they've been on repeat at our house for several days.
Upbeat (warning--this will be in your head for the rest of the day. Possibly week)
(Ben Folds and Regina Spektor)
Can't leave out the token Snow Patrol song...
A new song by The Fray:
I love this girl (Meiko):
I realize we're entering spring, but this song is so, so pretty.
(Sara Bareilles & Ingrid Michaelson)
Hate to end with a slow song, but this one's worth it
(Ray La Montagne)
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Time For A Change
Alright all of you google readers, take .5 seconds and go look at my blog--it's changed quite a bit!! After coveting Haley's header, she gave me some tips so I could create my own. (Thanks!) I went back and forth between two different backgrounds--one was very bright and very purple. I loved it but thought it was a little too intense. I didn't want someone to see my blog and think, "Ok, THIS girl is crazy slash awesome!" and then be disappointed when they read about kidney stones and an obese cat. So instead I went with the ol' soothing yellows and greens. Doesn't it just make you want to hug someone? Namasté.
And dad--you should now be able to read the blog at work!! Woohoo!
That's all I really have to report. But since I'm already here, how about a few more pictures of the little guy? Great!
Evan vs. The Inch Worm (place your bets...)
After watching "Girls Gone Wild." Kidding...
He found his feet!!
Remember how I said you could see the love in Justin's eyes and in his smile? Here's proof...
And dad--you should now be able to read the blog at work!! Woohoo!
That's all I really have to report. But since I'm already here, how about a few more pictures of the little guy? Great!
Evan vs. The Inch Worm (place your bets...)
After watching "Girls Gone Wild." Kidding...
He found his feet!!
Remember how I said you could see the love in Justin's eyes and in his smile? Here's proof...
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Quite The Eclectic Post
Helloooooo.
Before I write anything else, I'd like to announce that I finished the church's annual report. 36 pages of annual reporting. The good news--I'm not responsible for writing all of it. The bad news--I have to make sure 20 people DO write and submit it to me by a certain time so I can make everything look graphically pleasing. Everyone hates the report (and therefore hates me) so I dread January when I make the weekly, "Make sure you get your reports to me no later than ----" announcements and receive 20 disgusted faces. One year I received a death threat. Enough about that. It is DONE. WOOOOOHOOO!
So the doctor's appointment on Friday was not what I was hoping to hear. I either have kidney stones, a tumor, or nothing. McBaldy and I are both 99% sure it is nothing, but I have to go back in a month and get dye injected into me along with a c-scan just to make sure. Dye injection = needles and IVs. Oh Good Lord I'm going to throw up. I tried to take a picture of my x-ray and upload it on here because it shows my gorgeous spine. I'm considering sending it to Sesame Street so they have a prop when they say, "This episode was brought to you by the letter S." Unfortunately, the picture didn't turn out so good and Michael thought it was a bit pg-13 rated anyway due to the location of the x-ray. Oh well.
Dinner Friday night was great! We had an 8p reservation but when we gave them our name they didn't have it on the list. Apparently Michael and I looked sincere enough because they went ahead and added us. We sat down and had a great time people watching (sidenote: 70-year-old men that date 25-year-old girls make me want to ralph). They soon announced, "Hayden, party of 2!" I waited a bit and thought, "That's what happened, they spelled our name incorrectly the other day!" Just as I started to stand up, the Haydens appeared. Bummer. A few minutes later they called out, "Gaynes, party of 2!" I gave Michael a knowing smile as I started to stand up again (realizing their error) but no, the Gaynes made their entrance. Odd. The Gaynes, Haynes, and Haydens all had 8p reservations. Small world.
Saturday we rented a movie, had a great home-cooked meal, and a nice bottle of wine. I continued the weekend festivities on Sunday by baking a cake and picking up some leftover tulips--15 for $5. What a steal!
So ends the weekend of lurv. Michael actually worked a bit on Saturday and Sunday so Thumbs received quite a bit of that lurv. She seemed pleased.
You know what's great about the end of Valentine's Day? February (aka the worst month in the history of months) is now more than halfway over. I love it!
Before I write anything else, I'd like to announce that I finished the church's annual report. 36 pages of annual reporting. The good news--I'm not responsible for writing all of it. The bad news--I have to make sure 20 people DO write and submit it to me by a certain time so I can make everything look graphically pleasing. Everyone hates the report (and therefore hates me) so I dread January when I make the weekly, "Make sure you get your reports to me no later than ----" announcements and receive 20 disgusted faces. One year I received a death threat. Enough about that. It is DONE. WOOOOOHOOO!
So the doctor's appointment on Friday was not what I was hoping to hear. I either have kidney stones, a tumor, or nothing. McBaldy and I are both 99% sure it is nothing, but I have to go back in a month and get dye injected into me along with a c-scan just to make sure. Dye injection = needles and IVs. Oh Good Lord I'm going to throw up. I tried to take a picture of my x-ray and upload it on here because it shows my gorgeous spine. I'm considering sending it to Sesame Street so they have a prop when they say, "This episode was brought to you by the letter S." Unfortunately, the picture didn't turn out so good and Michael thought it was a bit pg-13 rated anyway due to the location of the x-ray. Oh well.
Dinner Friday night was great! We had an 8p reservation but when we gave them our name they didn't have it on the list. Apparently Michael and I looked sincere enough because they went ahead and added us. We sat down and had a great time people watching (sidenote: 70-year-old men that date 25-year-old girls make me want to ralph). They soon announced, "Hayden, party of 2!" I waited a bit and thought, "That's what happened, they spelled our name incorrectly the other day!" Just as I started to stand up, the Haydens appeared. Bummer. A few minutes later they called out, "Gaynes, party of 2!" I gave Michael a knowing smile as I started to stand up again (realizing their error) but no, the Gaynes made their entrance. Odd. The Gaynes, Haynes, and Haydens all had 8p reservations. Small world.
Saturday we rented a movie, had a great home-cooked meal, and a nice bottle of wine. I continued the weekend festivities on Sunday by baking a cake and picking up some leftover tulips--15 for $5. What a steal!
So ends the weekend of lurv. Michael actually worked a bit on Saturday and Sunday so Thumbs received quite a bit of that lurv. She seemed pleased.
You know what's great about the end of Valentine's Day? February (aka the worst month in the history of months) is now more than halfway over. I love it!
Friday, February 13, 2009
Red And Pink Do NOT Look Good Together
This is my 150th post. To commemorate this special occasion, I thought it'd be great to fill out yet another survey. Woohoooo!
Michael and I are celebrating Valentine's Day today by going out for a healthy steak and potato dinner. And red wine. And dessert. I'm excited.
Will write more about this later, but visited Doogie Howser today (remember him?) and let's just say that picture was taken many, many years ago. Doc's hair isn't quite what it used to be. At least I no longer felt the need to ask him about Full House.
And now I bring you... the luurv survey:
What are your middle names? Eugene and Leigh
How long have you been together? Almost 4 years! We met for the first time in April, 2005 at an Earth Day party in Tulsa when I still lived in Fort Smith.
How long did you know each other before you started dating? Alright, pretty sure everyone that reads this blog knows the "true" story of how we met, but for those that don't, you're in for a treat (we usually just say "Earth Day Party"). I'd recently joined the relatively new phenomenon called "facebook" when I received a friend request from Michael. Folks, I had NO idea who he was but how can you turn down this face (this was the first picture I ever saw of him):
Well I couldn't. So I sent him a semi-flirtatious message beginning with, "Do I know you?" and ending with, "I want my future children to call you dad" (just kidding). So began a 3-day chat fest that led up to us meeting at the earth day party mentioned above. So I guess we "knew" each other for 3 days before we "met." And we've been together ever since.
Who asked who out? After staying up both Friday and Saturday nights talking, we had lunch at Pei Wei on Sunday before I drove back to Fort Smith. So I'm not really sure we ever really asked the other out.
How old were each of you when you met? We were both 22
How old are each of you now? We are both 26 (although Michael apparently thinks he's 25)
How long did you date before becoming engaged? 1.5 years (we were long distance for the first year)
How tall are each of you? I'm 5'7" and he's 5'11"
Whose siblings do you see the most? I'd say it's about even.
Do you have any children together? Not to my knowledge
What about pets? Thumbs, who I consider a child
Did you go to the same school? We went to TU 3 years together (he was a grade below me) but never met. It's odd since TU was such a small school.
Are you from the same hometown? I'm from Fort Smith and he's from Coppell (suburb of Dallas)
Who is the smartest? This is a dumb question. We both have our talents and our shortcomings. Most of the time one of us knows the answer so that's pretty cool.
Who is the most sensitive? Ugh. By far, ME. He's sensitive in the "aw, what a cute husband" way, but I'm sensitive in the "Oh my God stop whining about it already" way.
Where do you eat out most as a couple? Hard to say, but we looooove sushi from In the Raw.
Where is the furthest you two have traveled together as a couple? Maui, Hawaii. Best vacation ever.
Who does the cooking? We both cook but I tend to cook more.
Who is more social? That's a close one. Wait, no it's not. Definitely me. He tends to be pretty reserved at first but once you get to know him he opens up.
Who is the neat-freak? I always thought he was but apparently he was just trying to impress me when I would visit him. I wouldn't say either of us are freakish about being neat but we don't walk around with brown squiggles following us (Pig Pen). He does have a way with folding clothes.
Who hogs the bed? Definitely him. I enjoy my 1 square foot of space each night.
Who wakes up earlier? He does by far. He needs 4 hours of sleep, I need 9. You do the math.
Who has the bigger family? I do, but not by much. We only needed one pew at our wedding for the family.
How do you spend the holidays? We alternate.
Who is more jealous? Tis me. That's right, I'm more sensitive AND more jealous. Real winner.
Do you have little pet names for each other? We have the typical annoying ones that don't need to be mentioned. I used to hate the nickname "Merdy" but after we'd been dating several months I was on his computer and found a folder he'd titled, "Mi Merdi." It was all of his favorite pictures of me. I've loved the nickname ever since. :)
How long did it take to get serious? 2 days? After we'd stayed up 2 nights in a row he sent me a short email that said, "Staying up until the sun came up has never been so worth it." I started planning our wedding that day.
Who eats more? Michael. But calorie-wise, definitely me.
Who sings better? I think we sing about the same.
Who’s older? Me by 4 months. His mom calls me the "older woman."
Who does the dishes? Whoever doesn't cook the meal.
Who snores? As you read in Michael's 25 list, he "moo's" often. It's incredible, he can hold a note for a really, really long time without breathing. He puts Kenny G to shame.
Who’s better with the computer? He is. I am better at messing it up (dad can attest to this). I get really impatient if something takes a long time to load.
Who drives? We take turns. I'd say he drives more than I do.
Who kissed who first? He kissed me first. This question confuses me because last I checked, it takes two to kiss. But I guess he leaned forward first. Whatev.
Who eats more sweets? Definitely me.
Michael and I are celebrating Valentine's Day today by going out for a healthy steak and potato dinner. And red wine. And dessert. I'm excited.
Will write more about this later, but visited Doogie Howser today (remember him?) and let's just say that picture was taken many, many years ago. Doc's hair isn't quite what it used to be. At least I no longer felt the need to ask him about Full House.
And now I bring you... the luurv survey:
What are your middle names? Eugene and Leigh
How long have you been together? Almost 4 years! We met for the first time in April, 2005 at an Earth Day party in Tulsa when I still lived in Fort Smith.
How long did you know each other before you started dating? Alright, pretty sure everyone that reads this blog knows the "true" story of how we met, but for those that don't, you're in for a treat (we usually just say "Earth Day Party"). I'd recently joined the relatively new phenomenon called "facebook" when I received a friend request from Michael. Folks, I had NO idea who he was but how can you turn down this face (this was the first picture I ever saw of him):
Well I couldn't. So I sent him a semi-flirtatious message beginning with, "Do I know you?" and ending with, "I want my future children to call you dad" (just kidding). So began a 3-day chat fest that led up to us meeting at the earth day party mentioned above. So I guess we "knew" each other for 3 days before we "met." And we've been together ever since.
Who asked who out? After staying up both Friday and Saturday nights talking, we had lunch at Pei Wei on Sunday before I drove back to Fort Smith. So I'm not really sure we ever really asked the other out.
How old were each of you when you met? We were both 22
How old are each of you now? We are both 26 (although Michael apparently thinks he's 25)
How long did you date before becoming engaged? 1.5 years (we were long distance for the first year)
How tall are each of you? I'm 5'7" and he's 5'11"
Whose siblings do you see the most? I'd say it's about even.
Do you have any children together? Not to my knowledge
What about pets? Thumbs, who I consider a child
Did you go to the same school? We went to TU 3 years together (he was a grade below me) but never met. It's odd since TU was such a small school.
Are you from the same hometown? I'm from Fort Smith and he's from Coppell (suburb of Dallas)
Who is the smartest? This is a dumb question. We both have our talents and our shortcomings. Most of the time one of us knows the answer so that's pretty cool.
Who is the most sensitive? Ugh. By far, ME. He's sensitive in the "aw, what a cute husband" way, but I'm sensitive in the "Oh my God stop whining about it already" way.
Where do you eat out most as a couple? Hard to say, but we looooove sushi from In the Raw.
Where is the furthest you two have traveled together as a couple? Maui, Hawaii. Best vacation ever.
Who does the cooking? We both cook but I tend to cook more.
Who is more social? That's a close one. Wait, no it's not. Definitely me. He tends to be pretty reserved at first but once you get to know him he opens up.
Who is the neat-freak? I always thought he was but apparently he was just trying to impress me when I would visit him. I wouldn't say either of us are freakish about being neat but we don't walk around with brown squiggles following us (Pig Pen). He does have a way with folding clothes.
Who hogs the bed? Definitely him. I enjoy my 1 square foot of space each night.
Who wakes up earlier? He does by far. He needs 4 hours of sleep, I need 9. You do the math.
Who has the bigger family? I do, but not by much. We only needed one pew at our wedding for the family.
How do you spend the holidays? We alternate.
Who is more jealous? Tis me. That's right, I'm more sensitive AND more jealous. Real winner.
Do you have little pet names for each other? We have the typical annoying ones that don't need to be mentioned. I used to hate the nickname "Merdy" but after we'd been dating several months I was on his computer and found a folder he'd titled, "Mi Merdi." It was all of his favorite pictures of me. I've loved the nickname ever since. :)
How long did it take to get serious? 2 days? After we'd stayed up 2 nights in a row he sent me a short email that said, "Staying up until the sun came up has never been so worth it." I started planning our wedding that day.
Who eats more? Michael. But calorie-wise, definitely me.
Who sings better? I think we sing about the same.
Who’s older? Me by 4 months. His mom calls me the "older woman."
Who does the dishes? Whoever doesn't cook the meal.
Who snores? As you read in Michael's 25 list, he "moo's" often. It's incredible, he can hold a note for a really, really long time without breathing. He puts Kenny G to shame.
Who’s better with the computer? He is. I am better at messing it up (dad can attest to this). I get really impatient if something takes a long time to load.
Who drives? We take turns. I'd say he drives more than I do.
Who kissed who first? He kissed me first. This question confuses me because last I checked, it takes two to kiss. But I guess he leaned forward first. Whatev.
Who eats more sweets? Definitely me.
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Happy Birthday!
Justonian,
In honor of your birthday, I was going to list 30 inside jokes/movies/songs that made me think of fun times with you. Turns out 30 is a ridiculously large number (translation: you are old) so I have narrowed it down to 10.
Warning--To anyone not named Michael Justin Besancon, this is a worthless post. Feel free to read/watch/sing along, but I'm warning you... It won't make much sense.
10.
9.
8.
Guy 1: Preston? I dunno, his hair's kinda, I dunno, brown?
Guy 2: No, it's not really brown. Oh, he's tall.
Guy 1: Yeah, he's kinda tall. Sorta tall. And he's like always wearing like t-shirts.
Amanda Becket: So, he's sort of tall?
Guy 1: Kind of.
Amanda Becket: With... hair?
Guy 1: Yeah.
Amanda Becket: And he wears t-shirts... sometimes?
Guy 1: Yeah. You know, Preston. It's Preston. Prestooooooon.
7. Wouldn't it be fun to have a room full of really giant cats? Mwwarrarrr.
6.
You SO had a crush on her...
5.
Benjy Benjamin: Now look! We've figured it seventeen different ways, and each time we figured it, it was no good, because no matter how we figured it, somebody don't like the way we figured it! So now, there's only one way to figure it. And that is, every man, including the old bag, for himself!
Ding Bell: So good luck, and may the best man win!
Benjy Benjamin: Except you lady: may you just DROP DEAD!
Lennie Pike: All right, we all agree on that. Now look, let's be sensible about this. There's money in this for all of us. Right? There's enough for you, and there's enough for you, and for you, and there's enough for...
4.
3. "Hey look! It's a big fanny!"
2.
1. 2 words: tent cabin. (I just puked a little...)
Happy 30th! I love you!
In honor of your birthday, I was going to list 30 inside jokes/movies/songs that made me think of fun times with you. Turns out 30 is a ridiculously large number (translation: you are old) so I have narrowed it down to 10.
Warning--To anyone not named Michael Justin Besancon, this is a worthless post. Feel free to read/watch/sing along, but I'm warning you... It won't make much sense.
10.
9.
8.
Guy 1: Preston? I dunno, his hair's kinda, I dunno, brown?
Guy 2: No, it's not really brown. Oh, he's tall.
Guy 1: Yeah, he's kinda tall. Sorta tall. And he's like always wearing like t-shirts.
Amanda Becket: So, he's sort of tall?
Guy 1: Kind of.
Amanda Becket: With... hair?
Guy 1: Yeah.
Amanda Becket: And he wears t-shirts... sometimes?
Guy 1: Yeah. You know, Preston. It's Preston. Prestooooooon.
7. Wouldn't it be fun to have a room full of really giant cats? Mwwarrarrr.
6.
You SO had a crush on her...
5.
Benjy Benjamin: Now look! We've figured it seventeen different ways, and each time we figured it, it was no good, because no matter how we figured it, somebody don't like the way we figured it! So now, there's only one way to figure it. And that is, every man, including the old bag, for himself!
Ding Bell: So good luck, and may the best man win!
Benjy Benjamin: Except you lady: may you just DROP DEAD!
Lennie Pike: All right, we all agree on that. Now look, let's be sensible about this. There's money in this for all of us. Right? There's enough for you, and there's enough for you, and for you, and there's enough for...
4.
3. "Hey look! It's a big fanny!"
2.
1. 2 words: tent cabin. (I just puked a little...)
Happy 30th! I love you!
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
A Letter To My Nephew
February 10, 2009
Dear Evan,
What a wonderful weekend! It was so good to see you and your parents the past few days. Evan, you are so much fun. You have the ability to capture the attention and hearts of anyone who shares a room with you. Do you know that? When you laugh, the room laughs. When you smile, we can't help but smile back at you. And when you hurt, there is nothing we want more than to make you feel better.
One of my favorite memories from this weekend was watching my brother (your daddy) play with you. Hold you. Love you. Neither he nor I were raised around small children so we both tend to freeze up when we're around little babies. But to see him with you is a breathe of fresh air. There is so much love in his heart that it has taken up residence in his eyes and in his smile. Your dad is so proud of you, Evan. When he introduced us to your mom several years ago our family knew we'd never seen him so happy. You have managed to make his smile even bigger.
I can't wait for you to get to know your grandparents. They are incredible people and they have so much to teach you. Get ready, Grandpa B will tell you about science discoveries that are out of this world (literally). And Gramsie will play with your hair until you fall asleep. You'll know when she gets tired--she'll stay on the same spot for far too long. Just bump her arm and she'll wake up. :)
I'm sorry you didn't get to see Uncle Mike this weekend. He loves you too and missed you so much. He asked about you each time we talked on the phone. Did you know your parents send us pictures of you every single week? We enjoy looking at them together.
You are so loved, Evan. After spending a few days with you I was given a glimpse of how much your parents love you, how much my parents love me, and how much God loves all of us. Looking in your eyes left no doubt that there is a God and he is so, so great. Your parents will teach you this as you grow older and I hope you hold fast to the Word. Every single one of us will let you down, but He will not.
Tomorrow your dad turns 30. And your mom turns 30 next month! I have a feeling I know who will be their favorite present.
One day I will be writing a letter like this to my own child (your cousin)! I pray that the two of you will be friends and can play together while your parents talk about "boring stuff" in the kitchen.
The next time I see you will be end of July--almost 6 months! I can't wait to pick you up and look into those beautiful eyes.
You've stolen my heart, little man. I love you.
Aunt Merdi
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Dear Evan,
What a wonderful weekend! It was so good to see you and your parents the past few days. Evan, you are so much fun. You have the ability to capture the attention and hearts of anyone who shares a room with you. Do you know that? When you laugh, the room laughs. When you smile, we can't help but smile back at you. And when you hurt, there is nothing we want more than to make you feel better.
One of my favorite memories from this weekend was watching my brother (your daddy) play with you. Hold you. Love you. Neither he nor I were raised around small children so we both tend to freeze up when we're around little babies. But to see him with you is a breathe of fresh air. There is so much love in his heart that it has taken up residence in his eyes and in his smile. Your dad is so proud of you, Evan. When he introduced us to your mom several years ago our family knew we'd never seen him so happy. You have managed to make his smile even bigger.
I can't wait for you to get to know your grandparents. They are incredible people and they have so much to teach you. Get ready, Grandpa B will tell you about science discoveries that are out of this world (literally). And Gramsie will play with your hair until you fall asleep. You'll know when she gets tired--she'll stay on the same spot for far too long. Just bump her arm and she'll wake up. :)
I'm sorry you didn't get to see Uncle Mike this weekend. He loves you too and missed you so much. He asked about you each time we talked on the phone. Did you know your parents send us pictures of you every single week? We enjoy looking at them together.
You are so loved, Evan. After spending a few days with you I was given a glimpse of how much your parents love you, how much my parents love me, and how much God loves all of us. Looking in your eyes left no doubt that there is a God and he is so, so great. Your parents will teach you this as you grow older and I hope you hold fast to the Word. Every single one of us will let you down, but He will not.
Tomorrow your dad turns 30. And your mom turns 30 next month! I have a feeling I know who will be their favorite present.
One day I will be writing a letter like this to my own child (your cousin)! I pray that the two of you will be friends and can play together while your parents talk about "boring stuff" in the kitchen.
The next time I see you will be end of July--almost 6 months! I can't wait to pick you up and look into those beautiful eyes.
You've stolen my heart, little man. I love you.
Aunt Merdi
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Thursday, February 5, 2009
I'm Not Old Enough To Have A Brother Turning 30...
In less than 24 hours, I will be snuggling with this little fellow...
To say I'm excited is an understatement. We're making the drive up to Chicago tomorrow to celebrate Justin and Michelle's 30th birthdays. Evan is icing on the birthday cake. :)
I'm very thankful for the little man because otherwise I'd be the 5th wheel. Michael had some work conflicts and can no longer make the trip. :( I hate traveling without him. Pretty much hate doing anything without him but you knew that already.
The only (and I do mean only) good part about Michael not making the trip? I drove to Fort Smith today listening to a fabulous cd of the most obnoxious dance party USA songs you can imagine. Beyonce? CHECK. Britney? CHECK. Kate Perry? You betcha! (Am I ever going to be able to say that without picturing Sarah Palin?)
So while you are enjoying the 70+ weather in the south, I will be braving the cold in not-so-sunny Chicago. Is it worth it? (Say it with me...) You betcha.
To say I'm excited is an understatement. We're making the drive up to Chicago tomorrow to celebrate Justin and Michelle's 30th birthdays. Evan is icing on the birthday cake. :)
I'm very thankful for the little man because otherwise I'd be the 5th wheel. Michael had some work conflicts and can no longer make the trip. :( I hate traveling without him. Pretty much hate doing anything without him but you knew that already.
The only (and I do mean only) good part about Michael not making the trip? I drove to Fort Smith today listening to a fabulous cd of the most obnoxious dance party USA songs you can imagine. Beyonce? CHECK. Britney? CHECK. Kate Perry? You betcha! (Am I ever going to be able to say that without picturing Sarah Palin?)
So while you are enjoying the 70+ weather in the south, I will be braving the cold in not-so-sunny Chicago. Is it worth it? (Say it with me...) You betcha.
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
The List That Won't Die
In lieu of a normal post, I thought I'd re-post something from facebook since you don't all subscribe to that black hole of doom. For the past few weeks a list has circulated around the facebook world and it is an unstoppable force. I kept saying, "Psh, I'm not going to do that." And then of course I did. So did my husband. The rules are to write 25 things about yourself and then tag 25 people who are to do the same. Michael and I decided to travel the self-deprecation route. That being said, I think I would like to reinstate the dork vote. I am now HIGHLY convinced Michael is the bigger dork. If you still consider "biggest dork" to be my victory after you've read his 25, something is wrong with you.
(By the way--this weekend was great. Going away party for Adam at Dave & Busters on Friday, dinner/drinks with the newlywed Sniders on Saturday, and our Super Bowl party on Sunday! Busy, busy weekend and we had a blast!)
MY LIST:
1. I finally realized I cannot diet. I love bad food too much (Michael claims my favorite food is butter). That being said, I also realize I need to work out regularly.
2. I hate working out.
3. When I was on the homecoming court in high school we were required to wear long white gloves. My mom had to sew elastic into the tops of my gloves so they would stay up. This is no longer a problem.
4. After I've had several adult beverages I become extremely bossy and afraid of nothing. I have danced on stage with a band (twice), danced on a bar (the bartender did not appreciate this), gotten an entire group into a certain club after they were no longer letting people in, and forced 8 girls at Kait's wedding to dance a specific way to Beyonce's, "If you liked it then you shoulda put a ring on it."
5. I still avoid the cracks when I'm walking.
6. I love math. I love how there is ONE right answer and it is so objective. Sometimes I wish life was like that.
7. If I never saw snow/ice/wintry mix again, I would be quite fine.
8. I went on a 37-day camping trip from hell with my family. In that 37 days I believe we showered 8 times. It was the first time I ever heard my parents cuss.
9. My mom put me on a diet at 3 months because I was so fat. Perhaps that's why #1 is now such a struggle for me.
10. I need at least 9 hours of sleep every night. I can't remember the last time I slept that long so I'm always a little sleepy. So no, your story isn't boring, I'm just very tired.
11. I write with my right hand but tend to do everything else left.
12. I chew on my lips. It's disgusting.
13. I've decided I want to write a book. No ideas for a plot though. Please email me at meredith.haynes@gmail.com if you can think of anything. Or if you'd like to pay me to write your memoir, I'd be happy to.
14. I have never had a healthy pet. All have been severely obese and lazy. This includes Jeremiah, my fish at work.
15. My brother convinced me I was adopted and that my parents picked me up at a blue light special at Kmart.
16. When I dance I like to point at people. Ya know, give them credit for being awesome.
17. I am not a fan of "LOL." I love the act, not the acronym.
18. When I am with Michael I laugh harder, smile bigger, hug longer and feel completer. :) I think I'll keep him.
19. I love clothes but am not a huge fan of jewelry. I just don't get it. Regardless, I wear it because I know it "adds" to the outfit (thank you Stacy and Clinton).
20. Lengthwise, my eyes are very short.
21. Don't mention the words "vein" or "give blood" around me or I'm likely to faint. Just typing that made me a bit woozy.
22. In 7th grade I contracted tuberculosis--doctors think I got it from recirculated air on an airplane to NYC. Now I can never give blood because I will always test positive for TB--I think that was God's way of blessing me for having a disease that pretty much became extinct in the 19th century.
23. People say I look and act like my mom. I hope they're being serious because I consider that the best compliment anyone could give me.
24. I took a test in college that told me I was going to die at age 47. I didn't do drugs, didn't smoke, barely drank and was a healthy weight. Because of this, I will be very nervous in the year 2029. If I make it to May 12, 2030, I'm throwing myself a party and you're all invited.
25. I have a fairly long list of places I want to travel. Assuming #24 is true, I better get to it.
MICHAEL'S LIST
1. Merd! Might as well start off with the best, b/c it gets ugly after this.
2. As mentioned in a previous note, I did indeed manage to set my own shirt on fire one 4th of July. The truly sad part of this story was I didn’t realize it until someone pointed out all the holes later in the night.
3. I used to rock a rat tail. It had a little curl in it, but if you pulled it straight down it may have been shoulder length. The bad part, (this is 2 for 2 so far) is that I actually cut it off, and decided I needed to grow it back.
4. When I was little and first learned to ride my bike without training wheels, everything was great until I had to get off. I didn’t know how to stop without falling over so I would ride up to the curb and jump off into the grass…stuntman style.
5. When I first learned to write my complete name and address, I decided it would be a good idea to go practice on the siding of our next door neighbor’s house. I can’t remember, but I really hope I didn’t deny doing it.
6. I eat and write left handed, but I throw right handed. I throw a frisbee in an equally poor manner with both hands.
7. It does not earn me any cool points for recognizing the names Steve Rogers, Matt Murdock, and Hal Jordan.
8. My cool points account is currently in a death spiral for referring to them as cool points.
9. I have big ears as an adult. They have been the exact same size since I was 7. The same fact applies to my feet.
10. I am part of 6% of the population that has an extra bone in each foot. I know this because I had one of them removed and therefore am only half special.
11. I’ve been known to drink and run.
12. My roommates and I earned a spot in the campus crime report for playing egg baseball. Our apartment was on the third floor. The batter was in the parking lot. We bought 4 dozen eggs. Guess what village idiot was the batter?
13. Pretty much anything I said in high school has been remembered and made fun of ever since.
14. I still wear my retainer from my braces days 3-4 times a week. Meredith thinks it’s sexy, especially when I sneeze.
15. One year in college I had a Lord of the Rings poster up next to a Fight Club poster. I’m not even sure what to infer from that.
16. There might be half a dozen songs that I can actually sing along with. There are an additional 6,000 that I know at least one word and will make up the rest. Humming also counts. The best examples are We Didn’t Start the Fire by Billy Joel and It’s the End of the World As We Know It by R.E.M.
17. Since I was little I’ve randomly made this strange growling/mooing sound in my sleep. It doesn’t happen every night and it doesn’t always last long, but I scared many folks at sleepovers and on road trips. Our fat cat now contributes as she’ll sleep in positions that somewhat cut off her air supply.
18. For every 50 camera flashes I see, my eyes will be open in 1 of those resultant pictures.
19. I struck out in slow pitch softball…twice…in the same game.
20. I fell asleep in one of our pre-marital counseling sessions. I thought I had gotten away with it until we came in for our last session and he had an upright wooden chair in place of my usual chair.
21. I once walked to McDonald’s after closing time on Halloween and knocked on the door telling them to let me in since I was the owner. I was dressed as Ronald McDonald.
22. I broke my nose freshman year in college so now it whistles sometimes when I have a cold.
23. I am very adventurous in my food selection. I like vanilla and chocolate ice cream. I like cheese pizza. I’m from the south and don’t like gravy.
24. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time & Civilization IV – SAD
25. My list of friends has become much smaller over the time it took to read this list.
So you tell me, who's the bigger dork now?! (If your answer is still me, no need to leave a comment.)
(By the way--this weekend was great. Going away party for Adam at Dave & Busters on Friday, dinner/drinks with the newlywed Sniders on Saturday, and our Super Bowl party on Sunday! Busy, busy weekend and we had a blast!)
MY LIST:
1. I finally realized I cannot diet. I love bad food too much (Michael claims my favorite food is butter). That being said, I also realize I need to work out regularly.
2. I hate working out.
3. When I was on the homecoming court in high school we were required to wear long white gloves. My mom had to sew elastic into the tops of my gloves so they would stay up. This is no longer a problem.
4. After I've had several adult beverages I become extremely bossy and afraid of nothing. I have danced on stage with a band (twice), danced on a bar (the bartender did not appreciate this), gotten an entire group into a certain club after they were no longer letting people in, and forced 8 girls at Kait's wedding to dance a specific way to Beyonce's, "If you liked it then you shoulda put a ring on it."
5. I still avoid the cracks when I'm walking.
6. I love math. I love how there is ONE right answer and it is so objective. Sometimes I wish life was like that.
7. If I never saw snow/ice/wintry mix again, I would be quite fine.
8. I went on a 37-day camping trip from hell with my family. In that 37 days I believe we showered 8 times. It was the first time I ever heard my parents cuss.
9. My mom put me on a diet at 3 months because I was so fat. Perhaps that's why #1 is now such a struggle for me.
10. I need at least 9 hours of sleep every night. I can't remember the last time I slept that long so I'm always a little sleepy. So no, your story isn't boring, I'm just very tired.
11. I write with my right hand but tend to do everything else left.
12. I chew on my lips. It's disgusting.
13. I've decided I want to write a book. No ideas for a plot though. Please email me at meredith.haynes@gmail.com if you can think of anything. Or if you'd like to pay me to write your memoir, I'd be happy to.
14. I have never had a healthy pet. All have been severely obese and lazy. This includes Jeremiah, my fish at work.
15. My brother convinced me I was adopted and that my parents picked me up at a blue light special at Kmart.
16. When I dance I like to point at people. Ya know, give them credit for being awesome.
17. I am not a fan of "LOL." I love the act, not the acronym.
18. When I am with Michael I laugh harder, smile bigger, hug longer and feel completer. :) I think I'll keep him.
19. I love clothes but am not a huge fan of jewelry. I just don't get it. Regardless, I wear it because I know it "adds" to the outfit (thank you Stacy and Clinton).
20. Lengthwise, my eyes are very short.
21. Don't mention the words "vein" or "give blood" around me or I'm likely to faint. Just typing that made me a bit woozy.
22. In 7th grade I contracted tuberculosis--doctors think I got it from recirculated air on an airplane to NYC. Now I can never give blood because I will always test positive for TB--I think that was God's way of blessing me for having a disease that pretty much became extinct in the 19th century.
23. People say I look and act like my mom. I hope they're being serious because I consider that the best compliment anyone could give me.
24. I took a test in college that told me I was going to die at age 47. I didn't do drugs, didn't smoke, barely drank and was a healthy weight. Because of this, I will be very nervous in the year 2029. If I make it to May 12, 2030, I'm throwing myself a party and you're all invited.
25. I have a fairly long list of places I want to travel. Assuming #24 is true, I better get to it.
MICHAEL'S LIST
1. Merd! Might as well start off with the best, b/c it gets ugly after this.
2. As mentioned in a previous note, I did indeed manage to set my own shirt on fire one 4th of July. The truly sad part of this story was I didn’t realize it until someone pointed out all the holes later in the night.
3. I used to rock a rat tail. It had a little curl in it, but if you pulled it straight down it may have been shoulder length. The bad part, (this is 2 for 2 so far) is that I actually cut it off, and decided I needed to grow it back.
4. When I was little and first learned to ride my bike without training wheels, everything was great until I had to get off. I didn’t know how to stop without falling over so I would ride up to the curb and jump off into the grass…stuntman style.
5. When I first learned to write my complete name and address, I decided it would be a good idea to go practice on the siding of our next door neighbor’s house. I can’t remember, but I really hope I didn’t deny doing it.
6. I eat and write left handed, but I throw right handed. I throw a frisbee in an equally poor manner with both hands.
7. It does not earn me any cool points for recognizing the names Steve Rogers, Matt Murdock, and Hal Jordan.
8. My cool points account is currently in a death spiral for referring to them as cool points.
9. I have big ears as an adult. They have been the exact same size since I was 7. The same fact applies to my feet.
10. I am part of 6% of the population that has an extra bone in each foot. I know this because I had one of them removed and therefore am only half special.
11. I’ve been known to drink and run.
12. My roommates and I earned a spot in the campus crime report for playing egg baseball. Our apartment was on the third floor. The batter was in the parking lot. We bought 4 dozen eggs. Guess what village idiot was the batter?
13. Pretty much anything I said in high school has been remembered and made fun of ever since.
14. I still wear my retainer from my braces days 3-4 times a week. Meredith thinks it’s sexy, especially when I sneeze.
15. One year in college I had a Lord of the Rings poster up next to a Fight Club poster. I’m not even sure what to infer from that.
16. There might be half a dozen songs that I can actually sing along with. There are an additional 6,000 that I know at least one word and will make up the rest. Humming also counts. The best examples are We Didn’t Start the Fire by Billy Joel and It’s the End of the World As We Know It by R.E.M.
17. Since I was little I’ve randomly made this strange growling/mooing sound in my sleep. It doesn’t happen every night and it doesn’t always last long, but I scared many folks at sleepovers and on road trips. Our fat cat now contributes as she’ll sleep in positions that somewhat cut off her air supply.
18. For every 50 camera flashes I see, my eyes will be open in 1 of those resultant pictures.
19. I struck out in slow pitch softball…twice…in the same game.
20. I fell asleep in one of our pre-marital counseling sessions. I thought I had gotten away with it until we came in for our last session and he had an upright wooden chair in place of my usual chair.
21. I once walked to McDonald’s after closing time on Halloween and knocked on the door telling them to let me in since I was the owner. I was dressed as Ronald McDonald.
22. I broke my nose freshman year in college so now it whistles sometimes when I have a cold.
23. I am very adventurous in my food selection. I like vanilla and chocolate ice cream. I like cheese pizza. I’m from the south and don’t like gravy.
24. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time & Civilization IV – SAD
25. My list of friends has become much smaller over the time it took to read this list.
So you tell me, who's the bigger dork now?! (If your answer is still me, no need to leave a comment.)
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