Or Rather, A Lot (What Can I Say, I Like To Write)
There are moments like this, when I sit down to write, that I wish I were still in my childhood. A year seemed so long then and time had the ability to stand still. As I look back over this year, I can't believe it came and went so quickly, but I think 99% of adults say the same thing.
It was a good year, no doubt due to two significant events in our adult lives. That is not to say there was no heartache or disappointments. Those are things that every human being faces; no one is exempt. How we bear them is another story, and God has promised to shoulder the burden with us, even trading our burdens for His. Life is not a blog of only happy pictures and the portrayal of only the best there is. I believe that life is beautiful, and it is a gift, but it is not always roses and sunshine. For those that believe in Christ, it is but a shadow of what is waiting on the other side. I think the beauty now is nothing to what we'll see then, and there will be no sin to mar it, no heartache, no despair.
I would never want this blog to be a portrayal of "only the best" as if our lives were somehow perfect. Far from it. I am thankful for a great many things, but there are some things too painful to place here. I am happy with the events of 2012, but there were bumps along the way, as there is for every person along life's road. We are no different.
God did give us some wonderful gifts this year, and Brian and I are truly grateful. Brian paid off his student loan debt at the beginning of the year. (He has his master's; thus it took him longer.) We found a house that we love, and we didn't go over the price we had long ago set as the cap for which we wanted to spend. (After spending quite a time looking, we thought we might have to increase our cap.)
God also blessed us with a little life squirming and kicking around inside of me even now as I type. What greater blessing can there be than a new life? Each life is indeed a miracle, and the formation of it. We marvel at the videos online on baby websites that show the development of the child in the womb. It is fascinating, amazing, and just plain awesome.
Brian also began directing music at our church. He's more a song leader than the modern term worship leader, but he loves it. He also plays his French horn every week, which is something he's always wanted to be able to do in church.
When we moved into our own house, I finally felt at home here in PA. It took a while for me. I always knew living at the apartment was temporary, and I just never felt settled there, even to the point of leaving many things still packed. After we moved, I felt the freedom to spread out and make our house our home. There are things I am still adjusting to with living in the Poconos, the land of little convenience in terms of stores, malls, and just about everything. But there are deer and bears a plenty. Oh, and wild turkey, too. (And there was some unknown animal that left its paw prints in the snow, directly in front of our house. A little creepy if you ask me.)
Owning a house can be downright overwhelming, as Brian and I are always discovering. There's no landlord to come and fix something that doesn't work, and absolutely no one is going to come and clear out your driveway for you after a colossal snow storm or two. There's always work to be done around a house and lots of it, but there is something so satisfying about it all, despite the extra blood, sweat, and tears.
Brian and I also celebrated our one-year anniversary in August. Oh, I know it is nothing compared to some older folk who can boast 40 or 50 years, but it is the start of our journey and the life we share together. Marriage is wonderful, and while we certainly are not perfect, we do love each other. I don't ever crave my single days nor the so-called freedom it provided. So what that I report to my husband about every dollar that I spend? I'd rather that than live life without him. (Besides, I'm a pretty good shopper, I must say.) All that to say, I am glad to be a help meet to my husband, which I consider my greatest ministry. Goodness knows, I don't know how he lasted as long as he did without me. ~ I love you, honey :) ~
So the year ends, and we'll leave some heartaches behind, but we'll take their lessons with us. They have taught us; they have shaped us; they have made us even more grateful for all the good things. We'll continue to enjoy the good, and we'll look forward to the good to come, specifically, a good little something in May.
Thanks for reading along with us and letting us share our lives with you. May you be blessed as your year winds down and fades into your memories and a new one begins. May the Lord teach you through your sorrows and make you ever grateful for the blessings. Until 2013, then!
Monday, December 31, 2012
Sunday, December 30, 2012
Digging Out
This is how Brian looked, both yesterday and today, when he went to deal with the ever-falling snow:
We were hammered here in the Poconos with two snow storms, and we have found that our one shovel is hardly sufficient. What we wouldn't give for a snow blower. Maybe someday, but right now, we need more important things, such as a new (used) car for Brian.
It took Brian a few hours to dig out our driveway, which is a pretty decent size, though we never considered it before having to shovel it. I used our emergency car shovel to dig out Brian's car as well as shovel the front steps. I hesitated to do more being pregnant. After all, things have shifted and moved around inside of me, and I didn't want to throw another stress in there and add to the mix.
Here are a few pictures of the snow in our backyard and on our deck. They might look grainy, but they were taken through the screen.
It took Brian a few hours to dig out our driveway, which is a pretty decent size, though we never considered it before having to shovel it. I used our emergency car shovel to dig out Brian's car as well as shovel the front steps. I hesitated to do more being pregnant. After all, things have shifted and moved around inside of me, and I didn't want to throw another stress in there and add to the mix.
Here are a few pictures of the snow in our backyard and on our deck. They might look grainy, but they were taken through the screen.
The Ornaments Tell the Story
Last year, my sister bought Brian and me this beautiful Christmas ornament:
This year, she had a new one for us:
If you can tell, this lady here has a protruding belly. (Sorry for the blurry photos; I couldn't seem to get fully clear shots. Apparently I need to enroll in a photography class.)
So, sister of mine, you've started something here. Next year, I am expecting an ornament featuring a couple with a baby. The story must continue to be told through ornaments.
Saturday, December 29, 2012
Unusual Christmas
For Brian and me, our best Christmas present this year was getting home safely.
We headed up to upstate NY to spend Christmas Eve with Brian's family. This was the first ever Christmas that I didn't spend with my family. It was a bit hard for me, and I did water up a few good times on Christmas Day (and maybe even before) at the thought of my family gathering without me. We were happy to spend Christmas with Brian's family; I just wish we lived closer to both of our families so that we can easily see everyone. That can't happen for us.
After spending Christmas Eve with Brian's parents and his sister's family, we said goodbye to Brian's parents on Christmas Day, who were boarding a plane for their wintertime abode in Arizona. We had planned to visit with Brian's grandmother and stay the night at her place, but a change in thinking caused us to alter our plans.
Brian's car is becoming more of a heap of parts than a vehicle made for safe driving, and while driving up to NY we nearly overheated. The day after Christmas, we were due for a snow storm to begin in the afternoon, and while we may have had time to leave Wednesday morning and get home, we didn't want to risk it. Last October, we we were hit with an unexpected snow storm while traveling back from my dad's surgery in NJ, and we were stuck on the side of the road with a dead battery, waiting to be rescued, in the cold. I think we both had that experience in mind and wanted to avoid that scenario as much as possible. To add to the frustration, the heat in Brian's car no longer works, and we didn't want to drive home in a snow storm without heat.
It was a hard decision, especially where Brian's grandmother was concerned, but we decided to head home on Christmas Day. We were nervous, because this meant we really had to watch the needle, and if it strayed too close to the "H", we needed to pour more antifreeze into the chamber. Not long into our trip, we needed to do just that. While dangerously close to the "H", we prayed an exit would come quickly on the highway, and lo and behold, there it was. It was a gas station/convenience store, and it turned out to be just perfect. Brian went inside to retrieve a cup for pouring the fluid, and I went to purchase a gallon of water to mix with the coolant. I also stood on a long line for two hot teas, which were sorely needed in our cold car. And you wouldn't believe the line for Subway. I kept wondering to myself why these poor people were eating Subway on Christmas? Then again, there we were, in this convenience store ourselves, a couple of weary travelers trying to get safely home. We weren't much better.
We got on the road again, and the coolant seemed to do the trick, at least for a while. We had to pull over one more time as we approached home. Brian and I were becoming experts at the routine by this time. I clapped when we pulled onto our exit, and I clapped again when we pulled into our driveway. Though it was a weird Christmas, and to be honest, didn't seem like Christmas at all, we were glad to be home, safe and sound. When thinking of what could have happened, that really was the best gift we got this year.
Next year we will have Baby, and hopefully we will have replaced Brian's car long before then. We'll need to be extra careful about how we plan trips with our little one. Of course, the day will come, I believe, when we'll want Christmas in our own home, without traveling at all. I want my kids to enjoy Christmas as I once did, waking up in their own beds each year. And I certainly don't want Christmas spent in the car, stopping to pour antifreeze into the ever-leaking chamber! Brian and I both hope this event will not be repeated.
We headed up to upstate NY to spend Christmas Eve with Brian's family. This was the first ever Christmas that I didn't spend with my family. It was a bit hard for me, and I did water up a few good times on Christmas Day (and maybe even before) at the thought of my family gathering without me. We were happy to spend Christmas with Brian's family; I just wish we lived closer to both of our families so that we can easily see everyone. That can't happen for us.
After spending Christmas Eve with Brian's parents and his sister's family, we said goodbye to Brian's parents on Christmas Day, who were boarding a plane for their wintertime abode in Arizona. We had planned to visit with Brian's grandmother and stay the night at her place, but a change in thinking caused us to alter our plans.
Brian's car is becoming more of a heap of parts than a vehicle made for safe driving, and while driving up to NY we nearly overheated. The day after Christmas, we were due for a snow storm to begin in the afternoon, and while we may have had time to leave Wednesday morning and get home, we didn't want to risk it. Last October, we we were hit with an unexpected snow storm while traveling back from my dad's surgery in NJ, and we were stuck on the side of the road with a dead battery, waiting to be rescued, in the cold. I think we both had that experience in mind and wanted to avoid that scenario as much as possible. To add to the frustration, the heat in Brian's car no longer works, and we didn't want to drive home in a snow storm without heat.
It was a hard decision, especially where Brian's grandmother was concerned, but we decided to head home on Christmas Day. We were nervous, because this meant we really had to watch the needle, and if it strayed too close to the "H", we needed to pour more antifreeze into the chamber. Not long into our trip, we needed to do just that. While dangerously close to the "H", we prayed an exit would come quickly on the highway, and lo and behold, there it was. It was a gas station/convenience store, and it turned out to be just perfect. Brian went inside to retrieve a cup for pouring the fluid, and I went to purchase a gallon of water to mix with the coolant. I also stood on a long line for two hot teas, which were sorely needed in our cold car. And you wouldn't believe the line for Subway. I kept wondering to myself why these poor people were eating Subway on Christmas? Then again, there we were, in this convenience store ourselves, a couple of weary travelers trying to get safely home. We weren't much better.
We got on the road again, and the coolant seemed to do the trick, at least for a while. We had to pull over one more time as we approached home. Brian and I were becoming experts at the routine by this time. I clapped when we pulled onto our exit, and I clapped again when we pulled into our driveway. Though it was a weird Christmas, and to be honest, didn't seem like Christmas at all, we were glad to be home, safe and sound. When thinking of what could have happened, that really was the best gift we got this year.
Next year we will have Baby, and hopefully we will have replaced Brian's car long before then. We'll need to be extra careful about how we plan trips with our little one. Of course, the day will come, I believe, when we'll want Christmas in our own home, without traveling at all. I want my kids to enjoy Christmas as I once did, waking up in their own beds each year. And I certainly don't want Christmas spent in the car, stopping to pour antifreeze into the ever-leaking chamber! Brian and I both hope this event will not be repeated.
Thursday, December 20, 2012
Halfway
This week marks my twentieth week, the halfway point in my pregnancy. You can see my tummy has definitely grown from a few weeks ago if you scroll down a couple of posts. When I went to take this picture, I shocked myself a bit. I didn't realize I was looking this big! It varies day to day, depending on what shirt I'm wearing. I had sweater over top of this that hid my belly, but when I took it off to take the photo, there it was- the bump in all its glory.
I've begun to feel the baby kick, which has been a wonderful thing to experience. It is still much too light to allow Brian to feel it, but I feel those teeny feet every now and again. It is so light that I have to be quiet and still in order to feel it. We had our second sonogram last week, and we got to see much more of the baby, but our technician was nice enough to completely avoid a, um, certain area. We want to be surprised, and honestly, it wasn't even tempting to find out. Call us old-fashioned, but we are looking forward to that wonderful moment, just like a Christmas present, waiting to be unwrapped.
I still get lightheaded, more than I would like, but it's all a part of it for me. The other day it happened while I was out finishing my Christmas shopping, getting one last thing for Brian's stocking. I was in a tiny card store, and there came that all-too-familiar feeling. I knew I needed to sit down, but didn't want to take up space on the floor or make a scene. I went to tell the cashier, and she was nice enough to get me a stool and a cold bottle of water. I will remember her kindness for a long time!
Sleeping is getting more awkward. At twenty weeks, one isn't supposed to sleep on the back, and there have been a couple of times I have woken to find myself in that position- oops! It's hard to roll over with this bump; I always fear I'm going to crush baby. All in all, it's getting rather odd to have this extra bit of weight, and I'm not even close to the third trimester.
Eating is another thing altogether. There is the list of things I miss: oh, latte, we will meet again, I promise you. My sister was kind enough to pick up some vegan mayonnaise for me, which does not contain raw egg like regular mayonnaise, so that has been a treat after avoiding it since becoming pregnant. I miss deli meat (due to possible bacteria), tuna (due to mercury), and while I don't normally make it a point to eat raw eggs, I am missing that tiny lick of cake batter or cookie dough when I'm baking. I am also avoiding some types of ham, sausage, pepperoni, bacon, etc. If they contain sodium nitrate/nitrite, they can cause a brain tumor in the baby. And that's not a well-known fact! I stumbled upon that one by accident! I read labels more than ever before, and poor Brian- he misses pepperoni on my homemade pizza.
There is also the list of things I can't wait to enjoy once baby comes. I just might be tempted to make my mom bring me a delicious Jersey Mike's sub from home when she comes here to help me after the birth. I'm getting hungry already.
In the new year, we have much to do, and first on the list is painting the baby's room. I'm sure the second half of my pregnancy will fly by, and soon enough, this little one will be in our arms!
Friday, December 7, 2012
It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like... Christmas, Of Course
One of the delights of having a house this year is decorating it for Christmas. Last year in our tiny apartment, we had a few sparse decorations, and who could forget this tree? (Yes, it was sitting on top of our t.v.)
I am happy to say that that tree is lying sideways on a shelf in the garage this year... one of the many items we still need to get rid of.
Come, let's see what we've got going on in our house this year!
Forgive the angled shot. It was much too cold to go out on the steps in my slippers. Brian surprised me last week with this fresh wreath. I hadn't even expected a wreath this year, so we had to actually go out and buy a wreath hanger.
This is on the inside of our door. We bought it on clearance at a charming Amish wooden treasure store two blocks from our old apartment. Sadly, the man who owned the place (a grandfather of Brian's student) sold it, and it is now unfortunately a tobacco shop. That was the last decent thing in our old neighborhood. I guess when it went, it was time for us to go.
Joy of joys, all my life I have wanted a fireplace, and here it is! This is a gas fireplace, and before Hurricane Sandy hit, we didn't have it up and running. Yes, my NJ friends, we lost power up this way, too, and as we were sitting in 47 degree temperatures for four days in our house, we said "Never Again!" After our power was restored, we made phone calls to get our fireplace working the following week. We had to put some money out because the piping was illegally constructed, but now we are loving every moment of it. We keep the electric heat off entirely upstairs because this baby does the job all on its own. I enjoyed decorating the mantle with my nativity, a red and green vase, candles, and some branches from our Christmas tree. (I was worried about putting the stockings in front, so I found another place for them.)
Our first Christmas tree (other than the teeny tree from last year). This one is real! We debated whether to get real or artificial, but since both of us grew up with a real tree, that easily won the contest. Being the cheapskates that we are, we wanted to spend as little as possible. (After all, you only use the thing for a few weeks and then it gets tossed.) One place downtown was advertising $20 trees. When we went, we discovered that those trees were priced that way for a reason... yikes, they were short! As we were looking around, we were having a hard time finding anything that was under $35, until we spotted this guy. For $28, we feel like we got a good deal. We didn't examine it to look for perfection; we simply looked at the freshness, decided we liked it, and away with us it went! And boy, does it smell wonderful!
It's funny, because I have so many ornaments I've been gifted over the years, that we didn't even need to buy ANY. A few were clearance items I had purchased for myself at one time or another, but the majority were gifts, and it is embarrassing how many of them have the name "Courtney" on them.
This shelf was also purchased at the Amish wooden store last year. It is nice to make this Christmas-y, too.
I put our stockings on our banister right outside our bedroom. We will make room for one more next year :) I purchased these stockings last year knowing they would be temporary. I have always planned to have "Mom" and "Dad" stockings for when our little one arrives. Looks like I'll be purchasing three new stockings next year!
Last but not least, this cute little snowman sits on top of the stereo. I bought him at the Christmas Tree Shops last year when I was home for my dad's surgery in October. I love this little guy. It would not be Christmas without him.
That's about it! We do have mistletoe, but I need Brian to hang that tomorrow. I try to limit how much I stand on a chair these days.
It is wonderful to be enjoying our first Christmas in our new home! Next year, we look forward to our little one joining us and making us a three-some!
I am happy to say that that tree is lying sideways on a shelf in the garage this year... one of the many items we still need to get rid of.
Come, let's see what we've got going on in our house this year!
Forgive the angled shot. It was much too cold to go out on the steps in my slippers. Brian surprised me last week with this fresh wreath. I hadn't even expected a wreath this year, so we had to actually go out and buy a wreath hanger.
This is on the inside of our door. We bought it on clearance at a charming Amish wooden treasure store two blocks from our old apartment. Sadly, the man who owned the place (a grandfather of Brian's student) sold it, and it is now unfortunately a tobacco shop. That was the last decent thing in our old neighborhood. I guess when it went, it was time for us to go.
Joy of joys, all my life I have wanted a fireplace, and here it is! This is a gas fireplace, and before Hurricane Sandy hit, we didn't have it up and running. Yes, my NJ friends, we lost power up this way, too, and as we were sitting in 47 degree temperatures for four days in our house, we said "Never Again!" After our power was restored, we made phone calls to get our fireplace working the following week. We had to put some money out because the piping was illegally constructed, but now we are loving every moment of it. We keep the electric heat off entirely upstairs because this baby does the job all on its own. I enjoyed decorating the mantle with my nativity, a red and green vase, candles, and some branches from our Christmas tree. (I was worried about putting the stockings in front, so I found another place for them.)
Our first Christmas tree (other than the teeny tree from last year). This one is real! We debated whether to get real or artificial, but since both of us grew up with a real tree, that easily won the contest. Being the cheapskates that we are, we wanted to spend as little as possible. (After all, you only use the thing for a few weeks and then it gets tossed.) One place downtown was advertising $20 trees. When we went, we discovered that those trees were priced that way for a reason... yikes, they were short! As we were looking around, we were having a hard time finding anything that was under $35, until we spotted this guy. For $28, we feel like we got a good deal. We didn't examine it to look for perfection; we simply looked at the freshness, decided we liked it, and away with us it went! And boy, does it smell wonderful!
It's funny, because I have so many ornaments I've been gifted over the years, that we didn't even need to buy ANY. A few were clearance items I had purchased for myself at one time or another, but the majority were gifts, and it is embarrassing how many of them have the name "Courtney" on them.
This shelf was also purchased at the Amish wooden store last year. It is nice to make this Christmas-y, too.
I put our stockings on our banister right outside our bedroom. We will make room for one more next year :) I purchased these stockings last year knowing they would be temporary. I have always planned to have "Mom" and "Dad" stockings for when our little one arrives. Looks like I'll be purchasing three new stockings next year!
Last but not least, this cute little snowman sits on top of the stereo. I bought him at the Christmas Tree Shops last year when I was home for my dad's surgery in October. I love this little guy. It would not be Christmas without him.
That's about it! We do have mistletoe, but I need Brian to hang that tomorrow. I try to limit how much I stand on a chair these days.
It is wonderful to be enjoying our first Christmas in our new home! Next year, we look forward to our little one joining us and making us a three-some!
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