Tonight is Christmas Eve and I started my evening out in a very cheery mood. Melynda and Gabe were coming over for a small Christmas dinner, and everything was in order. The table was set all fancy, and the dinner was all prepped and ready to go. I was planning on having a great evening.
After Thanksgiving dinner, Melynda and I had talked about filling a plate and driving around to find a homeless person to give it too. We got carried away with the evening and the many guests and forgot. We were determined to feed a less-fortunate person tonight. As soon as we finished eating, we loaded up a large Ziplock container with duck, mashed potatoes, candies yams, green beans almondine, cranberry sauce, stuffing, dinner rolls, pecan pie, and Christmas cookies. We bagged all the food up with a bottle of water, a coke, plastic utensils, wet wipes, and even a Coors Light that was left in my fridge from last nights beer can chicken (it's Christmas, what the heck).
Melynda and I were so excited to head out and give all of this yumminess to some appreciative hungry person. There are a lot of homeless people in Hawaii. I guess it makes sense because I couldn't personally think of a better place to live outside. Anyway, there is one guy in particular that Melynda and I are fond of. He is always wearing an Army shirt, and is always very grateful even if all I have to offer him is a granola bar, a pack of tinker bell fruit snacks and half a bottle of water. We named him Tom, but have decided to ask him his name one of these days. When we left the house tonight, we really wanted to find Tom. We found someone else in the spot where Tom can usually be found. This someone did not deserve to be named by us! On his way to our window he waved off someone trying to hand him a dollar, then changed his mind and went back to take it anyway. As he walked from that car to my car, I could hear him mutter, "Cheap somabitch". What?!?!? "Okay", I thought, "calm down. Even mean people need to eat". I reached for the goodies and tried to hand it the man. He turned his nose up and walked away yelling, "I'm Diabetic". He acted mad, like it was rude of me to be unaware of his condition and offer him a good meal. I think it was pretty clear he was only expecting cash. Both Melynda and I were completely shocked and didn't quite know how to react.
We set off down the road, passing Crazy Mary, the woman who lives at the bus stop across the parking lot from where Brad works. Crazy Mary has earned her name by yelling at strangers, trying to direct traffic, and numerous other psycho things that made us a little hesitant to stop for her. We drove by her and decided that we would stop on our way back if we couldn't find anyone else. We really wanted to find Tom, because we knew he would appreciate us.
We were cruising down the Nimitz Highway, and it started to rain. Melynda and I thought that the rain would lower our chances of finding someone outside and became a bit pessimistic. We continued to voice our disbelief about the "diabetic" guy. Our spirits were dropping lower with each empty corner we passed. We realized that what we were doing, trying to share our dinner with a hungry person, was almost as much for us as it was for the person in need. We wanted to feel good about our good deed, and we were pissed that we couldn't find someone to allows us to experience that. We were not being selfless people. We were just as needy as a starving homeless person. We needed to feed someone to be fulfilled ourselves. We were determined, though it might not have been for the right reasons.
We finally found a lady at a bus stop. We rolled down the window and politely asked her if she was hungry. She replied, "No, I'm not hungry. But, thank you for asking." We smiled and started to drive off (because the light was green), and as we were rolling away we think she was starting to tell us where we could find someone who was hungry...but it was too late. We were cruising again.
At least that lady was nice about it. But, seriously? How can our food be rejected by two homeless people. We had set out to do something good, and we were completely failing! I was distracted and accidentally got on the highway when we finally decided that we would try Crazy Mary. We had to drive by the first guy again to get to her. He came up to our window with a sign that read, "75 cents, please help the homeless". We thought about handing him three quarters, but just left the windows rolled up. I was mad at him.
We made it to Crazy Mary's bus stop and asked her if she was hungry. It turns out she is a vegetarian. I started to sympathize with her...I'd go crazy too, if I didn't eat meat for 10 years. Anyway, our cookies, water, stuffing, green beans, yams, etc weren't vegetarian enough for her I guess, because she passed too! What we thought was a kind gesture had now been REJECTED by three homeless people. What the heck?
Gabe and Brad were wondering why we had been gone so long, and Brad was calling me telling me that Sam was getting hungry. We had been driving around for 45 minutes at this point, so we decided to visit the guys that were working the gate on Christmas Eve. The two guards that were on shift, checking IDs to get on base, were very appreciative for the food, pie, cookies, etc. I told them not to drink the beer until they got home. :)
Melynda and I were finally fulfilled. I know that shouldn't be what it is all about, but we couldn't home un-empty handed. we tried so hard to feed a needy person, but they didn't need us. The guys at the gate needed us to brighten their evening, and we needed them to appreciate our gesture. I guess it worked out after all. The thing I just cannot get is how people who do not know the contents of our offering could refuse it so hastily.
I cannot speak for Melynda, but my heart took a little bit of a beating tonight. When we left the house on our mission, we were completely different than when we returned. Before we left, we talked about making a resolution to make food and hunt for homeless people on a regular basis, instead of just on holidays. I'm not sure that we will stick with that one now. :(
We had some wine and played some Apples to Apples, and were still able to enjoy our Christmas eve, but I don't think I will be able to get over the things that happened tonight. I'm thankful for the things I have, and wish I could share with others...but it's kind of hard to find people who want me to share with them, and that is discouraging.
Happy Christmas to all of the diabetics, vegetarians and non-hungry people out there. May they all find some other way to be fulfilled, if not by my yummy dinner.
Seriously though, Happy Christmas to everyone!
24 December 2009
18 December 2009
Kylie, Kylie, Kylie
Just because I am writing this blog in response to my sister Kylie's plea for attention doesn't make it any less sincere. :)
Kylie is my closest and most favorite sister (they are all my favorite in their own way, but Kylie is my MOST favorite). We can relate to each other in many ways, some of which might be embarrassing or incriminating, in which we are not able to relate to our other sisters...or to anyone for that matter.
Kylie and I are 15 months and 5 days apart. I never realized how close this made us until I had two babies 20 months apart. We share a bond that can only be shared by siblings who are part of the same generation. Aren't all siblings part of the same generation, you ask? Yes, if you consider generations to be the separation of grandparents, parents, and children. However, I am talking about the pop culture type of generations that separate Vanilla Ice, Salt-n-Pepa, Mariah Carey, Britney Spears, and Miley Cirus. Our older sisters and our younger brother are just on either side of the lines that define the times of OUR youth. Though our relationship didn't exactly thrive during our teen years, we can still understand things about each other now just for having experienced those teen years together.
Kylie is smart. She might not have a Ph.D., but she could probably write a more grammatically correct thesis than many people who get to be called doctor. She not only possess the skills to use the English language properly, but she is just really good at portraying herself as an intelligent human being. Some people have serious problems doing that these days, but not Kylie. Even if she doesn't know what she is talking about, she can make you believe that she does. :)
Kylie is beautiful. She is very skilled with make up and make up tools, but she doesn't really need all that stuff. She has great skin, a great smile, and looks great with a naked face. BUT, the girl can sell some make up! Just looking at her flawless makeup job would make anyone want to purchase a bunch of cosmetics from her. She is definitely in the right line of work! In fact, at the swap meet on Wednesday, I happened to notice some awful hibiscus print "Hammer" pants. The woman selling them was wearing a pair. I made a mental note that people who are trying to sell a product should not wear that product unless it actually looks good on them. I've seen women at make up counters and wondered how they get to keep their jobs with the way that their make up looks. Kylie is NOT one of these people. She wears her product perfectly!
Kylie is witty. Sometimes I say something that I think is hilarious and she is the only one who gets me. We have very similar senses of humor, which I'm very thankful for. I sometimes wonder if I'd be as satirical as I am without her influence. I love that we can quote things that nobody else can catch on to. It sometimes feels like we are on the inside of one big inside joke and that nobody else knows what we are talking about, and it is great!
Kylie is the only person that never really judges me. Though this means that our relationship lacks a certain amount of accountability, that is okay with me. I have enough other people to call me out when I do things that might be considered inappropriate or wrong. I like that I don't have to worry about that with her. She just lets me be me and leaves it at that.
Sometimes I make Kylie mad, and I don't understand why. It's really hard for me when things like that happen, because I have convinced myself that I know her well enough to avoid things like that. I should be able to tell when something I say might piss her off. Well, nobody is perfect.
Kylie is not perfect. She has her faults and has made her mistakes (none of which I will be listing here), but she also has so many of the qualities that I appreciate in a person that it makes it easy to overlook the discrepancies. Kylie may not be perfect, but she is beautiful, smart, witty, non-judgmental, and the person who knows me the best in this world. I'm so thankful for her.
I can feel that "Things I'm Thankful For" blog trying to come out! When I actually write that blog, it will be because Kylie did one and I wanted to copy her. It will happen soon enough.
Kylie is my closest and most favorite sister (they are all my favorite in their own way, but Kylie is my MOST favorite). We can relate to each other in many ways, some of which might be embarrassing or incriminating, in which we are not able to relate to our other sisters...or to anyone for that matter.
Kylie and I are 15 months and 5 days apart. I never realized how close this made us until I had two babies 20 months apart. We share a bond that can only be shared by siblings who are part of the same generation. Aren't all siblings part of the same generation, you ask? Yes, if you consider generations to be the separation of grandparents, parents, and children. However, I am talking about the pop culture type of generations that separate Vanilla Ice, Salt-n-Pepa, Mariah Carey, Britney Spears, and Miley Cirus. Our older sisters and our younger brother are just on either side of the lines that define the times of OUR youth. Though our relationship didn't exactly thrive during our teen years, we can still understand things about each other now just for having experienced those teen years together.
Kylie is smart. She might not have a Ph.D., but she could probably write a more grammatically correct thesis than many people who get to be called doctor. She not only possess the skills to use the English language properly, but she is just really good at portraying herself as an intelligent human being. Some people have serious problems doing that these days, but not Kylie. Even if she doesn't know what she is talking about, she can make you believe that she does. :)
Kylie is beautiful. She is very skilled with make up and make up tools, but she doesn't really need all that stuff. She has great skin, a great smile, and looks great with a naked face. BUT, the girl can sell some make up! Just looking at her flawless makeup job would make anyone want to purchase a bunch of cosmetics from her. She is definitely in the right line of work! In fact, at the swap meet on Wednesday, I happened to notice some awful hibiscus print "Hammer" pants. The woman selling them was wearing a pair. I made a mental note that people who are trying to sell a product should not wear that product unless it actually looks good on them. I've seen women at make up counters and wondered how they get to keep their jobs with the way that their make up looks. Kylie is NOT one of these people. She wears her product perfectly!
Kylie is witty. Sometimes I say something that I think is hilarious and she is the only one who gets me. We have very similar senses of humor, which I'm very thankful for. I sometimes wonder if I'd be as satirical as I am without her influence. I love that we can quote things that nobody else can catch on to. It sometimes feels like we are on the inside of one big inside joke and that nobody else knows what we are talking about, and it is great!
Kylie is the only person that never really judges me. Though this means that our relationship lacks a certain amount of accountability, that is okay with me. I have enough other people to call me out when I do things that might be considered inappropriate or wrong. I like that I don't have to worry about that with her. She just lets me be me and leaves it at that.
Sometimes I make Kylie mad, and I don't understand why. It's really hard for me when things like that happen, because I have convinced myself that I know her well enough to avoid things like that. I should be able to tell when something I say might piss her off. Well, nobody is perfect.
Kylie is not perfect. She has her faults and has made her mistakes (none of which I will be listing here), but she also has so many of the qualities that I appreciate in a person that it makes it easy to overlook the discrepancies. Kylie may not be perfect, but she is beautiful, smart, witty, non-judgmental, and the person who knows me the best in this world. I'm so thankful for her.
I can feel that "Things I'm Thankful For" blog trying to come out! When I actually write that blog, it will be because Kylie did one and I wanted to copy her. It will happen soon enough.
17 December 2009
Christmas Cheer
It's 12:28 am on Thursday, December 17th. I just finished wrapping and boxing up Christmas presents. By 'finished' I mean finished for tonight. I still have lots to do. I had a plan to have all of the Christmas shopping done and everything shipped off before I went back home for Burt's wedding. That didn't even come close to happening. I really thought today was going to be the day. Nope. I don't think it's going to happen tomorrow either. I cringe when I glance over at the stack of boxes waiting to be mailed. I'm estimating about $150 for shipping, and that's not even including the heaviest box, which I have yet to pack. Perhaps, next year, I will send gift cards in envelopes that only require stamps. I hate going into the post office, giving them a bunch of stuff and a bunch of money, then leaving empty handed. I know that I am paying for a valuable service, but 200 bucks is a lot to spend and have nothing tangible to show for it. The thing that is horrible about Hawaii (which I thought I was done with once I left Japan) is that packages have to be mailed priority. There is no 'ground' or 'parcel post' shipping that costs 1/3 of the price. Nope. Even if the package doesn't have to reach a destination for a month or two, priority shipping is a must. Boo.
Anyway, despite my hatred for the post office, and my sleepiness as I'm writing this, I am still full of Christmas spirit! The house is decorated, there are wrapped presents beneath the tree (which smell happens to smell wonderful) and, as I typed up the Team Hayes Christmas letter last night, I was reminded of how much I have been blessed this year. I love this time of year, even though it comes with so much stress. It is so worth all the trouble of parking, getting the kids in and out of the car, waiting in lines while shopping, trips to the post office and trying to stay organized. It makes me so happy to walk outside after dark and see all of the lights. Christmas is expensive, but I can't think of many things on which I'd rather spend my money.
I feel the beginnings of a Things-I'm-Thankful-For blog stirring in my head. However, my head is ready for sleep right now. I am headed to bed with a heart full of joy and hopefully I will be blessed with some serious Christmas energy in the morning!
Anyway, despite my hatred for the post office, and my sleepiness as I'm writing this, I am still full of Christmas spirit! The house is decorated, there are wrapped presents beneath the tree (which smell happens to smell wonderful) and, as I typed up the Team Hayes Christmas letter last night, I was reminded of how much I have been blessed this year. I love this time of year, even though it comes with so much stress. It is so worth all the trouble of parking, getting the kids in and out of the car, waiting in lines while shopping, trips to the post office and trying to stay organized. It makes me so happy to walk outside after dark and see all of the lights. Christmas is expensive, but I can't think of many things on which I'd rather spend my money.
I feel the beginnings of a Things-I'm-Thankful-For blog stirring in my head. However, my head is ready for sleep right now. I am headed to bed with a heart full of joy and hopefully I will be blessed with some serious Christmas energy in the morning!
25 November 2009
I don't like you, but I might love you
I'm going to start out by saying that I hate running. I love swimming. I am a swimmer, not a runner. When I run, I feel short...like every time my foot hits the asphalt, I shrink half an inch. When I swim I feel long and slender and graceful. I hate the feeling of sweat dripping down my face, back and front. In the water, I might sweat just as much...but I cannot feel it. In the pool I do not have to worry about my gigantic milk bags bouncing up and down until they feel like they are going to fall off. I wore three sports bras this morning to no avail. Also, while swimming laps, I probably wouldn't have to experience judgmental looks from the two super skinny mamas (with their designer running clothes/sunglasses/strollers) who run by me every morning, too good to return my friendly greetings. Yeah, this morning I uttered, "I hate you both", under my breath just as they escaped earshot. Pathetic.
Now, I have a dilemma...or two. My Dilemmas are named Jocelyn and Samuel. Until I invent the 'Water Stroller' and the 'Double Water Stroller', I cannot use swimming as way to get in shape. I seriously have plans to get rich off of those products, so do not steal my idea. Anyway, I have to run. I don't want to run, but I will run because I cannot just let myself sit on my booty and do nothing about my deflated basketball belly.
I've been walking quite a bit, and jogging here and there. I haven't yet seen a doctor since Sam was born, so I've been taking it easy. However, yesterday I just decided to go for it. I walked up this huge hill in our neighborhood, as a warm up, then I ran almost two miles, and walked another mile to cool down. I hated every minute of it. But, when I got home and ate a tangerine instead of a pop tart...I felt amazing!
Today I DID NOT hate every minute of my run. I realized that I should be very thankful for the hour I spend outside each morning. I tried to ignore the shrinking feeling as my feet impacted the street and concentrate on other things.
**This hour is the only time of each day that both kids are awake, yet completely quiet and still. This one thing makes the sweat totally worth it. If only I had the energy to run all day, every day.
**My neighborhood is on a bit of a hill, so I have a beautiful view of the ocean just west of Waikiki. I love being able to glance over my shoulder and see the rising sun glistening off the beautiful blue Hawaiian water.
**It's November and I am outside at 8 in the morning, working on my tan as I run in shorts and a tank top. Honestly, people have to envy this about me. :)
**The need for one-armed stroller steering while running is totally toning my arms, eliminating the need to go to the fitness center and lift. I can feel the pain from having done this yesterday, and I like it. I'm not weird, it's just that good kind of pain.
**I get to think about stuff. I have time just to be with my own thoughts, completely uninterrupted. I think about my dad a lot because a Robinson flies over about every 5 minutes. I'm working on smiling when he crosses my mind, instead of crying.
**Each time I stop at a corner for a car, then start running again, Jocelyn says, "Eeeyah". She means 'yee-haw', but it's cute anyway!
I know that today is only day two of this running stuff, but I feel so good about it today that I really hope I can maintain this attitude. I have set the goal of completing the Hibiscus Half-Marathon for Leukemia/Lymphoma in Waikiki on June 13th, 2010. I know that date is far away, and that I could very well be pregnant again by then, but I am really looking forward to finding my pace and getting comfortable and confident about this.
I also thought that I should point out that I realize how much my blogging has resembled the blogs of my sister, Stacey. This is because I want to be like her in so many ways. I want to be like all of my sisters. If you look at me, I am just a bunch of pieces of them put together to make another person. I've taught, and will teach, high school like Jodi. I was in the Air Force like Amanda. I was/am a certified lifeguard and water safety instructor like Stacey. Kylie and I have so many similarities it's crazy (movie quoting and Grammar Nazism, to name a couple of my favorites). I haven't done, and will never be able to do, any of these things quite as well as my sisters, but I think that I am pretty good at being a mosaic of my older siblings. There are things that I admire about all of my sisters, so I strive to 'steal' those qualities and talents from them. This time, I'm trying to steal Stacey's love for running, along with her ability to boast a half-marathon completion and a rocking body!
Don't you just love how you can tell that I am not actually running in this photo because the front wheel of the stroller is turned sideways? :) :) :)
Now, I have a dilemma...or two. My Dilemmas are named Jocelyn and Samuel. Until I invent the 'Water Stroller' and the 'Double Water Stroller', I cannot use swimming as way to get in shape. I seriously have plans to get rich off of those products, so do not steal my idea. Anyway, I have to run. I don't want to run, but I will run because I cannot just let myself sit on my booty and do nothing about my deflated basketball belly.
I've been walking quite a bit, and jogging here and there. I haven't yet seen a doctor since Sam was born, so I've been taking it easy. However, yesterday I just decided to go for it. I walked up this huge hill in our neighborhood, as a warm up, then I ran almost two miles, and walked another mile to cool down. I hated every minute of it. But, when I got home and ate a tangerine instead of a pop tart...I felt amazing!
Today I DID NOT hate every minute of my run. I realized that I should be very thankful for the hour I spend outside each morning. I tried to ignore the shrinking feeling as my feet impacted the street and concentrate on other things.
**This hour is the only time of each day that both kids are awake, yet completely quiet and still. This one thing makes the sweat totally worth it. If only I had the energy to run all day, every day.
**My neighborhood is on a bit of a hill, so I have a beautiful view of the ocean just west of Waikiki. I love being able to glance over my shoulder and see the rising sun glistening off the beautiful blue Hawaiian water.
**It's November and I am outside at 8 in the morning, working on my tan as I run in shorts and a tank top. Honestly, people have to envy this about me. :)
**The need for one-armed stroller steering while running is totally toning my arms, eliminating the need to go to the fitness center and lift. I can feel the pain from having done this yesterday, and I like it. I'm not weird, it's just that good kind of pain.
**I get to think about stuff. I have time just to be with my own thoughts, completely uninterrupted. I think about my dad a lot because a Robinson flies over about every 5 minutes. I'm working on smiling when he crosses my mind, instead of crying.
**Each time I stop at a corner for a car, then start running again, Jocelyn says, "Eeeyah". She means 'yee-haw', but it's cute anyway!
I know that today is only day two of this running stuff, but I feel so good about it today that I really hope I can maintain this attitude. I have set the goal of completing the Hibiscus Half-Marathon for Leukemia/Lymphoma in Waikiki on June 13th, 2010. I know that date is far away, and that I could very well be pregnant again by then, but I am really looking forward to finding my pace and getting comfortable and confident about this.
I also thought that I should point out that I realize how much my blogging has resembled the blogs of my sister, Stacey. This is because I want to be like her in so many ways. I want to be like all of my sisters. If you look at me, I am just a bunch of pieces of them put together to make another person. I've taught, and will teach, high school like Jodi. I was in the Air Force like Amanda. I was/am a certified lifeguard and water safety instructor like Stacey. Kylie and I have so many similarities it's crazy (movie quoting and Grammar Nazism, to name a couple of my favorites). I haven't done, and will never be able to do, any of these things quite as well as my sisters, but I think that I am pretty good at being a mosaic of my older siblings. There are things that I admire about all of my sisters, so I strive to 'steal' those qualities and talents from them. This time, I'm trying to steal Stacey's love for running, along with her ability to boast a half-marathon completion and a rocking body!
Don't you just love how you can tell that I am not actually running in this photo because the front wheel of the stroller is turned sideways? :) :) :)
03 November 2009
Cori Lynn Gentry : My Hero
Okay, for those of you who read my sister Stacey's blog, you will probably think I am copying her. Well, I am. But, I should note that copying someone is supposed to be the highest form of flattery. So, I figured why not do a 'Top Ten List' blog AND flatter Stacey, you know, killing two birds with one stone?
This is not going to be a weekly thing, like Stacey's list making. I just wanted to try one because it looked like so much fun. Plus, my subject matter has earned so much of my respect, admiration, and love that I had to express it somehow.
The following are the top ten reasons that Cori Gentry is the greatest (in no particular order):
#1 - Cori and I have never met face-to-face, yet she sent me over 20 text messages while she was in labor! How cool is that?
#2 - Cori is very educated and knowledgeable about the things that she has strong opinions about, yet she won't judge you (out loud) for disagreeing with her. Well, maybe, but she will be nice about it.
#3 - Cori says things like, "to create the illusion of progress, I'm going to blog about packing... instead of doing it. I'll pack tomorrow... maybe." :) She is honest!
#4 - Cori made an 8-minute long video of herself trying to drink a glass of castor oil. She is capable of turning her pain and suffering into entertainment for others. I love that.
#5 - Cori and I have talked about poop, hemorrhoids, suppositories, episiotomies, sex, crotch pains, and worse...like we were talking about the plot of a Disney movie...yet, we have never actually SPOKEN to each other. Also, she is the only other person who gets super excited about cute cloth diapers, and that makes me feel better about my obsession.
#6 - Cori has an amazing husband, whom I have also never met, but I know enough about him to assume that most wives should be envious of what they share. Plus, he's in a band.
#7 - Cori is a great writer. This is a huge deal to me because I really like her stories, and I wouldn't be able to enjoy them quite so much if she didn't use proper grammar, spelling, and punctuation in her writing. Her exceptional blogging talent has even led me to overlook her occasional usage of the word 'prolly'. :)
#8 - Cori's son and my son have the same birthday!
#9 - Cori is a trooper. She survived a super long and hard labor with a "that-wasn't-so-bad" kind of attitude. She has made me aware of how grateful I should be for so many things, just by being grateful for things herself.
#10 - Cori is gorgeous. She has a great smile and doesn't need hair extensions and false lashes to make pregnancy look good.
I can't wait to actually meet Cori and her family someday! We are going to write a pregnancy book together, eventually, after we have each had a few kids. Look forward to it's release in 2017.
This is not going to be a weekly thing, like Stacey's list making. I just wanted to try one because it looked like so much fun. Plus, my subject matter has earned so much of my respect, admiration, and love that I had to express it somehow.
The following are the top ten reasons that Cori Gentry is the greatest (in no particular order):
#1 - Cori and I have never met face-to-face, yet she sent me over 20 text messages while she was in labor! How cool is that?
#2 - Cori is very educated and knowledgeable about the things that she has strong opinions about, yet she won't judge you (out loud) for disagreeing with her. Well, maybe, but she will be nice about it.
#3 - Cori says things like, "to create the illusion of progress, I'm going to blog about packing... instead of doing it. I'll pack tomorrow... maybe." :) She is honest!
#4 - Cori made an 8-minute long video of herself trying to drink a glass of castor oil. She is capable of turning her pain and suffering into entertainment for others. I love that.
#5 - Cori and I have talked about poop, hemorrhoids, suppositories, episiotomies, sex, crotch pains, and worse...like we were talking about the plot of a Disney movie...yet, we have never actually SPOKEN to each other. Also, she is the only other person who gets super excited about cute cloth diapers, and that makes me feel better about my obsession.
#6 - Cori has an amazing husband, whom I have also never met, but I know enough about him to assume that most wives should be envious of what they share. Plus, he's in a band.
#7 - Cori is a great writer. This is a huge deal to me because I really like her stories, and I wouldn't be able to enjoy them quite so much if she didn't use proper grammar, spelling, and punctuation in her writing. Her exceptional blogging talent has even led me to overlook her occasional usage of the word 'prolly'. :)
#8 - Cori's son and my son have the same birthday!
#9 - Cori is a trooper. She survived a super long and hard labor with a "that-wasn't-so-bad" kind of attitude. She has made me aware of how grateful I should be for so many things, just by being grateful for things herself.
#10 - Cori is gorgeous. She has a great smile and doesn't need hair extensions and false lashes to make pregnancy look good.
I can't wait to actually meet Cori and her family someday! We are going to write a pregnancy book together, eventually, after we have each had a few kids. Look forward to it's release in 2017.
31 October 2009
Introducing Samuel James Hayes
Samuel James was born on October 28th, 2009 at 1:03 pm, Hawaii time. He weighed 8 pounds and 3 ounces and was 19 inches long. I was 41 weeks, 5 days pregnant, and just barely avoided having to be induced.
If you've read the previous blog, you know that my hospital bags were stolen from my van on Monday night. So, I left home around 1 pm on Tuesday, after Jocelyn woke up from her nap, so that I could go buy new nursing bras, a camera, magazines, etc. I went to Target, the NEX, Best Buy, the BX, and some other places, getting the things on my list and looking for the camera that I wanted (I ended up having to settle for a different one). All the walking had had me contracting pretty regularly all day, but nothing too strong or too close together. I got home around 7:30 and sat down to check my email/Facebook and didn't get a single contraction for about 30 minutes. I wasn't going to let it end there.
I got up and walked around the block a few times...a few times meaning about 50 times. I walked myself into labor, finally! After about 2 hours of walking, I was having moderately painful contractions about 4-6 minutes apart. I called Melynda, to let her know that we needed her to come spend the night with Jocelyn. I kept walking while she came over from Pearl City. The whole time I was walking, I was texting Cori, a friend back in Salinas who was in the hospital on hour 40 of her induction. We thought it would be funny if we had our sons on the same day (which is what ended up happening), and we were texting each other labor updates throughout. Anyway, by the time Melynda arrived, I was getting contractions about 3-4 minutes apart and was barely able to talk or walk through them. We left for the hospital a little bit after 11 p.m. This was the same time that we left for the hospital with Jocelyn, and Brad was absolutely thrilled about having to do this all night...again.
We got to the hospital to find that I was dilated to 4 or 5 centimeters and contracting every 3 minutes. They set me up in a room and asked if I wanted an epidural. I said that I was fine, that the pain wasn't unbearable yet and that I could wait a little bit longer. MISTAKE! Brad even said, "why don't you get it before the pain gets that Bad?" I should have listened to him. I toughed it out until about 2 am, then I decided I couldn't take it anymore and asked for the anesthesiologist back. They told me I would have to wait because she just went into an emergency C-section. Great! I think I finally got my epidural around 3:15. It felt great at first. About an hour after I got it, my legs started tingling. You know that feeling that you get when your leg falls asleep and it is waking up? Pins and needles, so uncomfortable that it is borderline painful. Well, that is what it felt like....for hours. I kept complaining about it, saying, "my legs feel funny". I tried to deal with it, while Brad slept and I watched a bunch of old episodes of Saved By The Bell and The Fresh Prince Of BelAir. Then I just couldn't handle it anymore. I was going to pull all my hair out and start throwing things. It was so uncomfortable I was really going nuts. The new anesthesiologist finally came back in (there had been a shift change around 7 am) to see what was wrong with me. She took me off of the medicine in the epidural drip, and put a new kind on. That was at about 9 am...after 5 hours of evil leg tingling. A little bit after that, when the first leg tingly drugs were wearing off, and before the new ones kicked in...they decide to check me. I had been hovering at a 5-6 cm for a while so they decide to break my water to get things moving. Good timing. I felt most of that part. I wish they would have waited until the new drugs kicked in!
At 11, they checked me again and I was still at 6 cm. They offered me a dose of Pitocin, and I accepted. The new epidural was feeling good, and I was comfortable, finally! Two hours after the Pitocin, at about 1 o'clock they came back in to check me. I guess the Pitocin worked because, the nurse barely started checking and said, "Whoa, there's a head." I was fully dilated and ready to push. The doctor came in, I pushed 3 times, and Samuel was born at 1:03. Brad actually started videoing me when they told me that I could start to push with my next contraction. The video was only 2 minutes and 13 seconds long, and Samuel was here!
I couldn't believe that he came out that fast! I was giggling the whole time I was pushing and the doctor said that she had never had anyone laugh while pushing a baby out before. I just couldn't believe that, after 13 hours in that bed, it was over so fast! AND...no tearing! I ripped a bit with Jocelyn, and was so excited that I didn't have to deal with that this time. Woo hoo!
Because he came out so fast, his face got a little bruised and he still had a fair amount of amniotic fluid in his lungs (being in the birth canal while mom is pushing usually squeezes all the fluid out).
Recovery went just fine. Sam started nursing right away and my epidural wore off pretty quickly with no lasting side effects. I was walking around in no time. We were released from the hospital the next afternoon, right after Sam had his circumcision and his 24 hour check up.
The first two nights have gone just great! Sam sleeps for 3 hours, wakes up to eat, then goes back down for 3 more hours. Brad woke up with Jocelyn today, and Sam and I slept in until passed 9!!!!
It's so much fun having two kids. It is also SO great having Brad at home...and knowing that he won't be leaving for 8 months next week like last time.
Team Hayes is excited to keep expanding, but will enjoy being a family of four for the time being!
Now, I start planning my journey to the Hibiscus Half Marathon on June 13, 2010.
26 October 2009
ROBBED!!!!
So, I'm very, very pissed/sad/frustrated/stressed etc. Brad and I went to dinner at a Chinese food restaurant tonight. We parked the van RIGHT OUT FRONT of the glass windows of this place. I swear I locked the doors to the van and Jocelyn must have hit the unlock button on the keys when I let her play with them to shut her up while we were waiting for our food. Anyway, My hospital bags were in the back of the van. I KNOW THIS for a fact because Jocelyn took her shoes off on the way to the restaurant and I had to fish one of them out of the bag when we got there. Seriously, even after filing a police report for theft...I wish I would just find them in the house and feel really stupid about all of this.
After we got home, I cut up pieces of the ice cream cake that Brad brought home for me today. I wanted to take a picture of it and post it on Facebook to show off how great my husband is. I went out to the van to get the camera out of my hospital bag. Hmm. Not there. Gone. Gone. Gone. Let's try to recall all that was in that bag...
- $400 camera with a $50 8GB memory card in it
- 4 of the only kind of nursing bras that I like, that Motherhood no longer manufactures...Plus the brand new one that I bought just the other day (don't ask why I thought I need 5 nursing bras for the hospital...I've never been known to pack light, okay!)
- 'What to Expect When You're Expecting', 'The Girlfriend's guide to Pregnancy', the new Cosmo, the new People, a brand new crossword puzzle book, and a mensa logic problems book that I JUST bought 2 days ago to keep my mind working while in the hospital
- The adorable fuzzy Halloween sock/slippers that Melynda got me for a push present
- The super great Pink Polka dotted nursing night gown that Kharisa sent me (I was so excited about that thing)
- The best robe ever!
- a bunch of sports bras, chonies, and socks
- a hair brush, shampoo, conditioner, face wash, a brand new Estee Lauder Day Wear Plus, a brand new Clinique eyebrow pencil (grr - I never pay $13 for those things, but I ran out of Avon ones and needed one right away), lots of other toiletries and makeup
- my birth plan, which I deleted off of the computer after printing and putting it in the bag (why did I do that?)
- The night gown that I planned to wear, and bought specifically for, the delivery of Samuel
- The two Brand new $50 Pea in the Pod nursing tops that I made Brad buy for push presents, that I have been dying to wear since July.
- my cell phone charger
- Ugh, and other things that I cannot remember right now
I'm sure that I will continue to remember things that were in that bag, and continue to become more and more irritated with the fact that some punk kids probably tossed it in the trash when they discovered that the contents were useless to them. The stuff in that bag was worth over $1000 to me...and NOTHING to the idiots who grabbed it out of the car.
Positive side: They didn't take the $500 Phil and Teds stroller (that I did not pay $500 for) out of the back of the van. They didn't take the brand new $175-never used Britax car seat (that I got for $35). They didn't take the bag that I had packed for Samuel (with fancy cloth diapers and the outfit I've been planning to bring him home in, blankets, pacifiers, etc). Nothing in that bag was irreplaceable except for the photos that were on the camera.
I'm confident that I will not be going into labor tonight...so I will get to go on a $500+ shopping trip in the morning (definitely not going to the hospital without a new camera). But, having to buy things to replace things that were stolen just doesn't seem like it will give me the normal high that I usually achieve from shopping.
I am so bummed right now. But, I know it could be SO much worse, so I'm going to try my best to count my blessings and head to bed...after I retype my birth plan.
If I would have just let them induce me today, this wouldn't have happened...not that I think Cori is having any better of a night than I am. Or, if Samuel would have just been born on his due date, or any of the 8 days following his due date, this wouldn't have happened. That kid doesn't know how much trouble he is in when he finally shows up!
*GIGANTIC SIGH*
After we got home, I cut up pieces of the ice cream cake that Brad brought home for me today. I wanted to take a picture of it and post it on Facebook to show off how great my husband is. I went out to the van to get the camera out of my hospital bag. Hmm. Not there. Gone. Gone. Gone. Let's try to recall all that was in that bag...
- $400 camera with a $50 8GB memory card in it
- 4 of the only kind of nursing bras that I like, that Motherhood no longer manufactures...Plus the brand new one that I bought just the other day (don't ask why I thought I need 5 nursing bras for the hospital...I've never been known to pack light, okay!)
- 'What to Expect When You're Expecting', 'The Girlfriend's guide to Pregnancy', the new Cosmo, the new People, a brand new crossword puzzle book, and a mensa logic problems book that I JUST bought 2 days ago to keep my mind working while in the hospital
- The adorable fuzzy Halloween sock/slippers that Melynda got me for a push present
- The super great Pink Polka dotted nursing night gown that Kharisa sent me (I was so excited about that thing)
- The best robe ever!
- a bunch of sports bras, chonies, and socks
- a hair brush, shampoo, conditioner, face wash, a brand new Estee Lauder Day Wear Plus, a brand new Clinique eyebrow pencil (grr - I never pay $13 for those things, but I ran out of Avon ones and needed one right away), lots of other toiletries and makeup
- my birth plan, which I deleted off of the computer after printing and putting it in the bag (why did I do that?)
- The night gown that I planned to wear, and bought specifically for, the delivery of Samuel
- The two Brand new $50 Pea in the Pod nursing tops that I made Brad buy for push presents, that I have been dying to wear since July.
- my cell phone charger
- Ugh, and other things that I cannot remember right now
I'm sure that I will continue to remember things that were in that bag, and continue to become more and more irritated with the fact that some punk kids probably tossed it in the trash when they discovered that the contents were useless to them. The stuff in that bag was worth over $1000 to me...and NOTHING to the idiots who grabbed it out of the car.
Positive side: They didn't take the $500 Phil and Teds stroller (that I did not pay $500 for) out of the back of the van. They didn't take the brand new $175-never used Britax car seat (that I got for $35). They didn't take the bag that I had packed for Samuel (with fancy cloth diapers and the outfit I've been planning to bring him home in, blankets, pacifiers, etc). Nothing in that bag was irreplaceable except for the photos that were on the camera.
I'm confident that I will not be going into labor tonight...so I will get to go on a $500+ shopping trip in the morning (definitely not going to the hospital without a new camera). But, having to buy things to replace things that were stolen just doesn't seem like it will give me the normal high that I usually achieve from shopping.
I am so bummed right now. But, I know it could be SO much worse, so I'm going to try my best to count my blessings and head to bed...after I retype my birth plan.
If I would have just let them induce me today, this wouldn't have happened...not that I think Cori is having any better of a night than I am. Or, if Samuel would have just been born on his due date, or any of the 8 days following his due date, this wouldn't have happened. That kid doesn't know how much trouble he is in when he finally shows up!
*GIGANTIC SIGH*
07 October 2009
For my brother, who doesn't believe in Facebook....
Burt,
This is what what modern day cloth diapers look like. No safety pins involved! The last one is one that I made for Sam for Halloween!
Also, here are my most recent pregnant pictures. This is in response to Burt saying, "You're due in 10 days. You must be HUGE." See for yourself, little brother.
This is what what modern day cloth diapers look like. No safety pins involved! The last one is one that I made for Sam for Halloween!
Also, here are my most recent pregnant pictures. This is in response to Burt saying, "You're due in 10 days. You must be HUGE." See for yourself, little brother.
Getting Excited (in more ways than one)
Today I am about 38 weeks and 4 days pregnant. I'm not anywhere close to giving birth, which is fine with me because I really want to go to the Navy Ball on Saturday night. I bought a dress at Ross in Salinas back in February, right after I found out that I was pregnant. It still fits! Now, I just have to decide on which shoes to wear (which is hard when there are 50+ pair of 3-4 inch heels in my closet). Yesterday, my doctor told me to consider wearing flat shoes. Oh, he doesn't even know.
Since we are on the subject of my doctor...I'm so glad that I'm almost done having to see him on a regular basis! This is going to sound totally wrong, but he is a good looking guy, and he is really friendly and nice. I hate that! I wish he was ugly. It just makes me feel uncomfortable to have him check me for dilation. The military assigns you a PCM (primary Care Manager) who becomes the default every time you make an appointment. The last few times I've made appointments, the person asks me, "with Dr. Smith?" and I want to say, "no". But, I would have no clue what to say if they asked me why. "Uh, can I see another doctor please, because I think Dr. Smith is cute and I don't want him touching me, especially in the pink parts. Please assign me to a lady doctor, or at least an ugly doctor. Thanks." I figured that I was going to have to get checked at my appointment yesterday, even though I knew I wasn't even close to dilated. Brad worked from midnight to noon, so he was home. I really wanted him to come with me, but he wanted to sleep (understandably). He's probably going to want to come to the next one after reading this!!!
Anyway, the reason for the title of this blog is not because of my doctor. It's because I'm excited to get dressed up for the Navy Ball and go out and enjoy myself with my Husband before Samuel arrives. And, of course, I'm excited about the impending arrival of Sam!!!! This might be TMI, but I haven't let Brad touch me over the past couple weeks for fear that any hanky panky might bring Samuel into the world early, messing up our Navy Ball plans. So, of course, Saturday night all the Hanky Panky that we can handle will be allowed. Perhaps Sam will even be born on Stacey's birthday (13OCT), though I think Joseph's birthday (21OCT) is much more likely.
You might be thinking that I should not be so obsessed with going to the Navy ball, but you must understand that I love getting dressed up, I love wearing tall shoes, I love making my hair look fancy, I cannot wait to see Brad in his NEW fancy Chief dress whites (you should be excited about this, too), we already paid $120 for the tickets and have FREE childcare for Jocelyn. Plus, we've decided that we are going to win the grand prize that evening -- a 52" HD LCD Flat Screen TV. I'm tired of arranging our living room around having to put our current TV in a corner because if we put up against a wall it sticks out 4 1/2 feet! It's a monster. I think it weighs about 900 pounds. The movers packed it on top of our dresser on the way here from Japan, and then had to buy us a new dresser.
This blog is a bunch of randomness about being excited, but the next one will most likely be super duper excited due to Sam being here. So, come back and check it out if you are interested in all the gory details of him coming into the world!
Since we are on the subject of my doctor...I'm so glad that I'm almost done having to see him on a regular basis! This is going to sound totally wrong, but he is a good looking guy, and he is really friendly and nice. I hate that! I wish he was ugly. It just makes me feel uncomfortable to have him check me for dilation. The military assigns you a PCM (primary Care Manager) who becomes the default every time you make an appointment. The last few times I've made appointments, the person asks me, "with Dr. Smith?" and I want to say, "no". But, I would have no clue what to say if they asked me why. "Uh, can I see another doctor please, because I think Dr. Smith is cute and I don't want him touching me, especially in the pink parts. Please assign me to a lady doctor, or at least an ugly doctor. Thanks." I figured that I was going to have to get checked at my appointment yesterday, even though I knew I wasn't even close to dilated. Brad worked from midnight to noon, so he was home. I really wanted him to come with me, but he wanted to sleep (understandably). He's probably going to want to come to the next one after reading this!!!
Anyway, the reason for the title of this blog is not because of my doctor. It's because I'm excited to get dressed up for the Navy Ball and go out and enjoy myself with my Husband before Samuel arrives. And, of course, I'm excited about the impending arrival of Sam!!!! This might be TMI, but I haven't let Brad touch me over the past couple weeks for fear that any hanky panky might bring Samuel into the world early, messing up our Navy Ball plans. So, of course, Saturday night all the Hanky Panky that we can handle will be allowed. Perhaps Sam will even be born on Stacey's birthday (13OCT), though I think Joseph's birthday (21OCT) is much more likely.
You might be thinking that I should not be so obsessed with going to the Navy ball, but you must understand that I love getting dressed up, I love wearing tall shoes, I love making my hair look fancy, I cannot wait to see Brad in his NEW fancy Chief dress whites (you should be excited about this, too), we already paid $120 for the tickets and have FREE childcare for Jocelyn. Plus, we've decided that we are going to win the grand prize that evening -- a 52" HD LCD Flat Screen TV. I'm tired of arranging our living room around having to put our current TV in a corner because if we put up against a wall it sticks out 4 1/2 feet! It's a monster. I think it weighs about 900 pounds. The movers packed it on top of our dresser on the way here from Japan, and then had to buy us a new dresser.
This blog is a bunch of randomness about being excited, but the next one will most likely be super duper excited due to Sam being here. So, come back and check it out if you are interested in all the gory details of him coming into the world!
29 September 2009
Fly Bys
Well, I have not posted a blog in nearly 5 months. This might seem kind of odd because I have been in front of the computer quite a bit, and have had a lot to share. I think the problem is that I have discovered Facebook. I update people in little 1-3 sentence blogs twice a day and that makes me feel as though it is unnecessary for me to post longer blogs here. Plus, I don't think anyone reads this anyway.
The last time I published a blog was, 2 days before we left Japan for good. Here are some things that have happened since then:
* Team Hayes spent a month in Nebraska with Brad's family.
* We moved to Hawaii, got a house, and got semi-settled in with Amanda and her two boys living with us for the first 2 months
* We took a trip to California to spread my Dad's ashes and also to celebrate being a part of the Tjerrild family at Bass Lake
* Brad got promoted to Chief Petty Officer (BIG deal)
* I have had 3 very uneventful OB appointments. Yes, 3 appointments in 5 months. I sometimes forget that I am even pregnant.
* I have spent hundreds of dollars on cloth diapers for Jocelyn and Samuel, that will in turn save me thousands....I'm sure of it.
* I have made some great new friends and enjoyed plenty of time at the beach.
There is lots more that has happened, but that seems to cover the main points. Five months is a really long time to try to look back and write about all the experiences that I've had in that period of time...but it has just flown by! I can't believe that I am going to have a new little baby boy in a couple of weeks!
I'm going to try to update this blog more often. I will also aim for it not to be about a bunch of stuff that everyone already knows. We'll see how this goes. :)
The last time I published a blog was, 2 days before we left Japan for good. Here are some things that have happened since then:
* Team Hayes spent a month in Nebraska with Brad's family.
* We moved to Hawaii, got a house, and got semi-settled in with Amanda and her two boys living with us for the first 2 months
* We took a trip to California to spread my Dad's ashes and also to celebrate being a part of the Tjerrild family at Bass Lake
* Brad got promoted to Chief Petty Officer (BIG deal)
* I have had 3 very uneventful OB appointments. Yes, 3 appointments in 5 months. I sometimes forget that I am even pregnant.
* I have spent hundreds of dollars on cloth diapers for Jocelyn and Samuel, that will in turn save me thousands....I'm sure of it.
* I have made some great new friends and enjoyed plenty of time at the beach.
There is lots more that has happened, but that seems to cover the main points. Five months is a really long time to try to look back and write about all the experiences that I've had in that period of time...but it has just flown by! I can't believe that I am going to have a new little baby boy in a couple of weeks!
I'm going to try to update this blog more often. I will also aim for it not to be about a bunch of stuff that everyone already knows. We'll see how this goes. :)
04 May 2009
Lonely
Most of the other wives on base right now are lonely because their husbands are leaving for a while...but I am lonely because my stuff is leaving and I probably won't see it for at least 2 months. So sad. Who needs a husband when you don't have a bed?
27 April 2009
Craziness
This blog has the potential to be very long, but I will keep it as concise as I can.
To start off, exactly one week after I posted my last blog, my father died. It was completely unexpected. Though it has been over six weeks since it happened, and I have been able to make it through most days without crying over it, the sadness still feels so new. I don't know how long it will take me to get over the shock, but I feel like I will never be used to the fact that he is gone.
Brad, Jocelyn and I flew back to California for his memorial. Though the circumstances were pretty much the saddest ones that I could imagine, it was nice to get to see all of my siblings, their significant others, and their children. My sister, Amanda, prepared an amazing slide show of photographs from my Dad's life. It can be viewed at the website for her new slide show making business www.slideshowdvds.com . Below is a short slide show of pictures form our trip.
When we got back to Japan, things weren't going so peachy for me. I had started planning Jocelyn's birthday party, but decided to postpone it. I had to take three final exams for school. I couldn't really eat much and was feeling really sickly thanks to baby number two. I really needed to start getting the house organized for our move, but every time I tried to figure out where to start, I just got so overwhelmed that I cried and did nothing (that doesn't work). I decided to take this term off of school just because my anxiety levels were too high and I wasn't handling life as well as normal. We will be leaving Japan for good on the 16th of May. We will then spend over three weeks in Nebraska and head to Hawaii on the 9th of June. I think that I will be fine as soon as we get settled in Hawaii. Going to Bass Lake in July is going to be a nice break and then hopefully life will just get back to normal after that...well, normal for me anyway!
Baby number two, Samuel or Caelyn/Carolyn/Marilyn/Jaquelyn, is due on October 17th. I already have our family Halloween costumes planned out. Boy or girl, the new baby will be Yoda. Jocelyn will be Leia, and Brad and I will Anakin and Amidala.
Of course, I will not be spending $160+ on these actual costumes. I will make them myself. Look forward to how adorable our photos will be!
Jocelyn had fun on her first Easter. We didn't decorate/hide eggs or anything. But, we did give her an Easter basket with a white chocolate bunny and she loved playing with the pink plastic grass that was in it. She looked so cute in her dress.
Brad has been working A LOT. Two weeks ago he had duty Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday all in the same week (duty is when he has to stay aboard the ship on watch over night from 5 pm to 7 am). He is so happy that he doesn't have to be deployed with the USS George Washington again this summer. He is really looking forward to being on shore duty (no deployments) for the next four years. We are considering coming back to Japan next summer so that we can climb Mt. Fuji. Climbing season is from June through August and he has been underway all summer for the last three years.
I flew to Hawaii last week because I found a minivan online that I really wanted. I searched Cars.com and found 57 dealerships on the island of Oahu. Out of 57 dealerships, I could only find 5 used minivans under $10,000! There was only one that I actually liked so I bought a plane ticket to go buy it before someone else did. After I bought the ticket, Brad did a Carfax vehicle history report online and discovered that the van had been sitting on the lot since October. Oh well. I got to see Melynda for a couple days. I got a really good deal on the van and an added 4 year 48,000 bumper to bumper warranty.
On Jocelyn's actual birthday (March 29th) we gave her some gifts and a cupcake. These are the pictures from that day.
On the day of Jocelyn's birthday party (April 26th) she was not feeling well. She had a fever and didn't want to eat anything. She pushed all of her gifts away and was just a big grump. She slept for most of the party. These are the photos from that day.
The day after her birthday party, we gave her another piece of birthday cake to let her try again. She ate the entire thing, with a fork, and didn't get a stitch of frosting on herself (not even her bib. However, she did get some frosting on the tray of her high chair that she wasn't going to let go untasted....
Well, that just about covers it for now. It might be a while before I get the chance to update again because the movers are coming a week from today to take the computer...and who knows when I will see it again.
To start off, exactly one week after I posted my last blog, my father died. It was completely unexpected. Though it has been over six weeks since it happened, and I have been able to make it through most days without crying over it, the sadness still feels so new. I don't know how long it will take me to get over the shock, but I feel like I will never be used to the fact that he is gone.
Brad, Jocelyn and I flew back to California for his memorial. Though the circumstances were pretty much the saddest ones that I could imagine, it was nice to get to see all of my siblings, their significant others, and their children. My sister, Amanda, prepared an amazing slide show of photographs from my Dad's life. It can be viewed at the website for her new slide show making business www.slideshowdvds.com . Below is a short slide show of pictures form our trip.
When we got back to Japan, things weren't going so peachy for me. I had started planning Jocelyn's birthday party, but decided to postpone it. I had to take three final exams for school. I couldn't really eat much and was feeling really sickly thanks to baby number two. I really needed to start getting the house organized for our move, but every time I tried to figure out where to start, I just got so overwhelmed that I cried and did nothing (that doesn't work). I decided to take this term off of school just because my anxiety levels were too high and I wasn't handling life as well as normal. We will be leaving Japan for good on the 16th of May. We will then spend over three weeks in Nebraska and head to Hawaii on the 9th of June. I think that I will be fine as soon as we get settled in Hawaii. Going to Bass Lake in July is going to be a nice break and then hopefully life will just get back to normal after that...well, normal for me anyway!
Baby number two, Samuel or Caelyn/Carolyn/Marilyn/Jaquelyn, is due on October 17th. I already have our family Halloween costumes planned out. Boy or girl, the new baby will be Yoda. Jocelyn will be Leia, and Brad and I will Anakin and Amidala.
Of course, I will not be spending $160+ on these actual costumes. I will make them myself. Look forward to how adorable our photos will be!
Jocelyn had fun on her first Easter. We didn't decorate/hide eggs or anything. But, we did give her an Easter basket with a white chocolate bunny and she loved playing with the pink plastic grass that was in it. She looked so cute in her dress.
Brad has been working A LOT. Two weeks ago he had duty Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday all in the same week (duty is when he has to stay aboard the ship on watch over night from 5 pm to 7 am). He is so happy that he doesn't have to be deployed with the USS George Washington again this summer. He is really looking forward to being on shore duty (no deployments) for the next four years. We are considering coming back to Japan next summer so that we can climb Mt. Fuji. Climbing season is from June through August and he has been underway all summer for the last three years.
I flew to Hawaii last week because I found a minivan online that I really wanted. I searched Cars.com and found 57 dealerships on the island of Oahu. Out of 57 dealerships, I could only find 5 used minivans under $10,000! There was only one that I actually liked so I bought a plane ticket to go buy it before someone else did. After I bought the ticket, Brad did a Carfax vehicle history report online and discovered that the van had been sitting on the lot since October. Oh well. I got to see Melynda for a couple days. I got a really good deal on the van and an added 4 year 48,000 bumper to bumper warranty.
On Jocelyn's actual birthday (March 29th) we gave her some gifts and a cupcake. These are the pictures from that day.
On the day of Jocelyn's birthday party (April 26th) she was not feeling well. She had a fever and didn't want to eat anything. She pushed all of her gifts away and was just a big grump. She slept for most of the party. These are the photos from that day.
The day after her birthday party, we gave her another piece of birthday cake to let her try again. She ate the entire thing, with a fork, and didn't get a stitch of frosting on herself (not even her bib. However, she did get some frosting on the tray of her high chair that she wasn't going to let go untasted....
Well, that just about covers it for now. It might be a while before I get the chance to update again because the movers are coming a week from today to take the computer...and who knows when I will see it again.
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