Moi

The birth story

2011-05-21T23:18:00.002-04:00

Let me start out by saying how incredibly thankful to God I am for Anderson. After a year and a half of unsuccessfully trying to get pregnant I ended up quitting my highly stressful job. I had prayed about leaving for months and when I did leave I ended up pregnant a month later. On August 16th, 2010 we found out through 3 positive pregnancy tests that we had a little bun in the oven :). I had a great pregnancy for the first 7 1/2 months. In fact, I didn't even know I was pregnant at first. No morning sickness, no heartburn, no being more tired then usual (although that came a little later). God really blessed me with a great first and second trimester and part of the third. At 7 1/2 months I realized that I was starting to swell. It ended up getting worse and worse and at 37 weeks my blood pressure started to rise. On Friday, April 8th I ended up in the hospital with severe pre eclampsia and very high blood pressure. So Caleb and I were scheduled to come in the following Monday to have my water broke. We arrived Monday morning at 7:30 and they got us into a hospital room. We were very excited and nervous about becoming parents. At 10:30 am the doctor came in and broke my water and I started to contract every 2-3 minutes. At this point the contractions were quite tolerable. I was on Facebook constantly updating and Caleb brought his laptop so we could watch movies. About 2 hours into labor I felt sleepy and was actually sleeping in between contractions (which was great). Around 11 the nurse came in and told me that the doc suggested inducing me but that I had the right to say no which I did. I really wanted to do everything as naturally as possible. But my contractions ended up stopping and I was not dilating. Then around noon they came and took my blood and found out that my kidneys were infected from all the water in my body. The doc said that they really needed to induce me so I could deliver quicker. At this point common sense kicked in and I went along with it. So after about 6 hours of natural active labor I was induced. It took about 30 minutes for me to feel the contractions become more intense. And they definitely did. I held out for a few hours and then the pitocin caused my contractions to come every 30 seconds for an hour and half. I was in agony with no break between the contractions. I did not want an epidural but the pain was causing me to shake violently. Caleb started to pace the floor and I could tell he was worried. I prayed about the epidural and asked God to literally tell me what to do since I felt that I was in no position to make a decision. That was when Caleb came over and said "Honey, get my kid out as safe as you can. Get the epidural, you don't have to prove anything to anyone." And 45 minutes later the epidural was administered. I had an hour of complete pain relief and then....my epidural FAILED. So, I pretty much had a natural birth anyways LOL. When I got the epi at 7:30 pm I was 4 cm dilated. At 10:00 the nursed checked me and I was at 9 cm. They had me do some "practice pushes" and then 30 minutes later I was 10cm and ready to go. After almost 13 hours of labor on April 11th, at 11:36 pm weighing in at 7 lbs 14 oz and measuring 20 inches long Anderson Gage Schuster made his debut. They cleaned him up and placed him on my chest and we fell head over heals in love with our precious baby boy. And we knew that our lives would never be the same again.

It's a BOY!!!

2010-12-01T12:53:00.001-05:00

Just wanted to let my bloggy buddies know...

2010-08-20T16:25:00.000-04:00

That I'm pregnant!!!!

All moved in!

2009-10-31T11:29:00.003-04:00

We are all moved into our new house! It's so beautiful and peaceful out here. As I am writing this we have at least half a dozen geese swimming in our pond. I cannot wait until all the little remodeling things are done and we are completely unpacked. Looking forward to an awesome housewarming party too!

We bought a house!!!

2009-07-22T18:39:00.001-04:00

Prayers requested

2009-07-09T21:34:00.001-04:00

Hello bloggy buds! Just wanted to let you know that I am having surgery for endometriosis tomorrow morning at Medina Hospital. It's nothing major but every surgery is complicated. So if you could keep me in your prayers I would appreciate it! Thanks!

I've learned my lesson

2009-06-29T01:58:00.002-04:00

The other day I spent the afternoon swimming and lounging by the pool. I used sunscreen but did not check the SPF. I also did not notice that it had expired. Let me just say OUCH. I got one of the worst sunburns I've ever had in my life. For the past 3 days I have had excrutiating pain, very little sleep and even dizzyness and vomiting. I will never make the mistake of assuming that my sunscreen is going to protect me fully. From now on I will buy the highest SPF I can find and make sure the expiration date is far far away. The good news is that I didn't develop any blisters and I've been fortunate to be able to allow myself to relax and heal for the last few days. I've gotten lots of tips on how to ease the pain (thanks gma Geri!) and it won't be long until the pain is gone and I'm sporting a real nice tan. But I will definitely be much more careful from now on. Let this be a lesson to you blog buds. The sun's rays are much harsher nowadays due to the thinning of our atmosphere. Always use the highest SPF sunblock and check the exp. date. Dont' stay out in the sun for longer than an hour at a time. Reapply, reapply, reapply. And remember to have a fun and SAFE summer!

Ugh

2009-06-03T18:59:00.001-04:00

I have the flu...again...ugh!

The flu is no fun

2009-03-31T18:52:00.002-04:00

Sore throat, body aches, fever, the works. I hope it goes away soon!

Hello Blog

2009-03-24T10:47:00.003-04:00

Oh, my trusty old blog friend. How are you? I'm sorry I've neglected you. It's just that face book reeled me in with it's evil little clutches. Now I'm addicted. But you, my loyal blog, have been patiently waiting for my return. It has been a long time, but here I finally am. And I won't neglect you anymore. Forgive me?

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

2009-01-01T19:36:00.000-05:00

Merry Christmas

2008-12-25T21:49:00.002-05:00

Slow Cooker Savory Pot Roast

2008-12-16T11:49:00.002-05:00

Here is another recipe for sharing! I LOVE the Campbell's soup recipes because they're so EASY!

From: Campbell's Kitchen
Prep: 10 minutesCook: 8 hours
Serves: 6
Ingredients:
1 can (10 3/4 ounces) Campbell's® Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup (Regular, 98% Fat Free or 25% Less Sodium)
1 pouch (2 ounces) dry onion soup & recipe mix
6 small red potatoes, cut in half
1 package of baby carrots
3 celery stalks cut into pieces
3 -to 3 1/2-pound boneless beef bottom round roasts or chuck pot roast

Directions:
Stir the soup, onion soup mix, potatoes and carrots in a 4 1/2-quart slow cooker. Add the beef and turn to coat.
Cover and cook on LOW for 8 to 9 hours* or until the beef is fork-tender.
*Or on HIGH for 5 to 6 hours.

For lots of gravy and to keep the roast from drying out, add a few ice cubes on top before starting the crock pot. Enjoy!

Peekaboo

2008-12-10T11:27:00.002-05:00

Oh Christmas tree, Oh Christmas tree...

2008-12-01T19:31:00.005-05:00

This is our little tree that we just put up tonight. It's our first Christmas tree as a married couple. So it's pretty special to us. I'ts not much, but it's ours, and I love it!

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

2008-11-27T12:35:00.003-05:00

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow

2008-11-17T13:52:00.004-05:00

This is the view from outside my window today. They're calling for up to half a foot of snow by tomorrow night! Yikes!

Another glimpse into my mind...

2008-11-10T21:15:00.002-05:00

What would you be if you could be ...

A Vegetable:Broccoli, they look like little trees!
An Animal:A Chameleon, so I can blend in anywhere
A Fruit:A stair fruit
A Color:Purple, my favorite
A Household Object:A Blender, to make tasty fruit drinks
Article of Clothing:A Sweater
A Drink:Crystal light...it's become my nickname at work
A Cartoon Character:Sleeping beauty
A Car:A stang baby!
A City:Portland, OR
A Country:Good ol' USA
A Mythical Creature:Pegasus
A Chocolate Bar:Twix
A Book:Anything by Nora Roberts
A Sport:Tennis
A Word:Supercalafragillisticexpealadocious HA!

I tag Margo, Donna, and just for fun my hubby. Let me know if you played!

Tag

2008-11-06T20:19:00.002-05:00

I love these! Especially when I get to brag about my husband :)

1) Where did you meet? Online while he was serving as a military police officer in Iraq.
2) How long did you date before you got married? 11 months dating, 1 year engaged.
3) How long have you been married? Just celebrated 3 years this past September.
4) What is your favorite feature of his? *Sigh* there are so many...but I'd have to say it's a tie between his smile and his eyes.
5) What is your favorite quality of his? His work ethic.
6) Does he have a nickname for you? Not really. He calls me just about all the usual things like honey, babe, etc.
7) What is his favorite food? He absolutely loves pasta of any kind. Especially his version of chicken alfredo.
8) What is his favorite sport? Airsoft, hands down.
9) When and where was your first kiss? February 2004, in his parent's living room.
10) What is your favorite thing to do as a couple? We love to have these days where we sleep in and then we lay around all day in our pj's and watch like entire seasons of our favorite TV shows.
11) Do you have any children? Not yet. We are working on that though :)
12) Does he have a hidden talent? Well, it's not exactly hidden anymore, but he has an awesome eye for photography. In fact, because of all the recent gigs we've had, Caleb has made back almost everything he spent to get our business started. Which is so exciting!
13) How old is he? 25 (Oct. 9th)
14) Who said "I love you" first? He did. We started saying I love you in our letters and emails to each other.
15) What is his favorite type of music? He loves movie theme music.
16) What do you admire the most about him? The fact that he is comfortable with who he is. He never tries to be someone he's not and has always been true to himself.
17) Do you think he will read this? There's a good chance he will. He'll read it sooner if I say it's about him :)

Hello

2008-11-03T19:03:00.002-05:00

Hi! Just a little post to say I'm still alive. I'm just REALLY busy right now. I've also been feeling a little under the weather. Nothing serious, just a little ear infection. But I haven't forgotten about you (especially you Margo!). I will post something more interesting soon...I promise!

He's done

2008-10-14T17:09:00.002-04:00

My dear husband as of today, October 14th 2008, is officially done with the army! He is no longer a name on a list to be called to duty and we are absolutely thrilled. This is starting to be such an exciting new season in our lives and we are definitely looking forward to what God has in store for us. Just thought I'd let y'all know the good news!

Halfway there...but not the way to get there

2008-10-12T19:46:00.002-04:00

So last night Caleb took me to my fav restaurant Carrabba's (not my fav anymore though). About 2 hours after we ate I started getting excrutiating stomach pain. The pains were so bad that it literally paralyzed me. I couldn't breathe, move, or speak. Caleb was ready to carry me to the car and take me to the hospital, but since I am stubborn I told him to just give me 5 minutes. After 20 minutes spent in the bathroom emptying everything from my body, I just ended up going to bed. After getting up this morning, I looked at myself and noticed I looked a little thinner. I weighed myself and realized that in 12 hours I had lost 2 lbs. Even though I never want to go through that again, it made me realize that I'm almost halfway to my weight loss goal. Since May I've lost almost 15 pounds! I also realized that eating crap does something to your body. I ate so much crap last night and even though I shouldn't have ended up with what I believe was food poisoning, eating good, wholesome food is so important. I don't think I'll be eating at Carrabba's for a very long time, if ever. That probably makes Caleb happy. I can be an expensive date!

Calling all prayer warriors

2008-10-04T20:08:00.002-04:00

Hey everyone. My family is very much in need of prayer. I just found out today that my aunt, whom I love dearly and am very close to has parkinson's disease. A few months ago we noticed that she was having trouble walking, but we thought that her feet were just sore from working. But she also started having other problems and was diagnosed today. I just read up on some information about it and I'm having a very difficult time dealing with this. She is still young ( early 60's ) but she's living in the body of a much more elderly person. She is no longer able to work and will need extra help taking care of her son ( he had a seizure over a year ago that caused such bad spasms that his back broke. He has been in constant pain ever since and is now having to use a walker and is stuck in a back brace all the time. Please pray for him too. ) I've been crying for a while now and am leaning very much so on God at this time. Please pray for healing for her and my cousin. I love them so much and it's so hard knowing that I can't do anything but pray ( although I know that prayer does work and that God has His timing ). Even though this is hard I do have some good news. My cousin may be able to have surgery that can get him out of his back brace and help him lead a normal life! So spread the word. The more prayer, the more power. I hope and pray that God uses them and their situation for good. He is a good God and I know that He will be there for my family.

3 years

2008-09-24T17:26:00.003-04:00

Wow. 3 years. I just keep saying it to myself. Today is our 3rd wedding anniversary. We are heading out here soon to go have dinner and then we're off to Cedar Point tomorrow! We will be staying in Sandusky until Saturday. We are also excited because we are now actively trying for a baby! Our life is an adventure right now and we are blessed beyond what we could ever have imagined. Thanks to all of our friends and family who have prayed for our marriage and have been a lifeline to us. We wouldn't be going as strong without you. Well, we are just about ready to leave so au revoir everyone! See you in 3 days!

2nd job

2008-09-06T14:14:00.002-04:00

So, I started a new job with Mary Kay. I'm still with my old job right now as a surgical assistant, but wanted to do this as well. My friend Roberta (hey girl!) recruited me last week. She told me that she started with them and was already doing well, so I thought eh, what the heck? So this week I'll be receiving my starter kit and can start throwing parties! I've decided that when Caleb and I have our babies, I wanted to stay home with them but I also wanted to bring in an income. When Roberta told me about Mary Kay, I knew that God was opening a door for me. I wanted to start it now so that when we do have our first child, I can quit my assisting job and be well established with Mary Kay. I have a feeling this will be a fun journey! Wish me luck!

We got a new SUV!

2008-08-31T18:19:00.003-04:00

It's a 2005 Honda Pilot. Caleb traded in his 1998 Honda Civic for it. Look how nice!

Special K Challenge

2008-08-25T18:35:00.004-04:00

So, I'm starting this challenge tomorrow. I've lost 12 pounds since May, but it seems that I'm stuck in a rut and haven't lost any more weight. I think my problem may be that I don't really have a routine or a set plan. I know 2 people that have done this and have lost weight with total success. And they have kept it off which is even better. On the Special K website they give you a menu plan which is very beneficial for those who don't know where to begin. Which is where I am. I have a really good feeling about this and hopefully I'll be able to see some more pounds melt off. I'll let you all know how it goes! Wanna know more? Go to www.specialk.com

Prayer Request

2008-08-06T20:22:00.002-04:00

Hey everyone, just wanted to let you know that my friend Jen from work needs some prayer right now. Her father passed away 2 days ago after battling terminal cancer. She was really close with him and is struggling greatly with his passing. I know she would greatly appreciate your prayers and well wishes. We are here for you Jen and you are in our thoughts and prayers. Love you girl!

Gotta give it up (somehow)

2008-07-26T12:18:00.002-04:00

Everyone struggles with some kind of an addiction. Let's call it a craving instead. Mine is pop. Soda. Coke. Whatever you wanna call it, I gotta have it. I can (and have) been able to give up just about anything when it's come to eating better. Chocolate, fried foods, candy. But pop? Nope. Pepsi is my favorite. Seriously though. I don't like diet. Just regular. But I know that it's terrible for me. Not only is it a bunch of empty calories, but it can remove rust off of toilets. Can you imagine what it does to your insides? Oh boy. It's the only thing I haven't been able to stop myself from craving. I guess I should allow myself ONE thing to be able to have. But I really want to get a jump start on this weight loss. Since May, I've lost 11 pounds (yay!). But I still have a ways to go. I have less than 2 months before our anniversary and I've only lost less than half the weight I've needed to. I know, I know, weight loss is slow, and I shouldn't be so hard on myself. But I really want to see some more results. So, who has had an addiction to something? Were you able to give it up? How?

I'ts official

2008-07-18T21:33:00.002-04:00

Hello! I'm back to blogging and 10 pounds lighter! Things are really looking up for us. The title of my blog refers to my birth control. Tomorrow is the last birth control pill I will ever take! I am officially done with it. Caleb and I aren't actively trying for a baby until September, but we are also not worried about getting pregnant before then. So basically we are moving on to a new season in our lives and are really looking forward to what the Lord has in store for us. So, keep us in your thoughts and prayers as we move forward and discover what lies ahead in our future! Love you guys!

Be back in a while

2008-06-28T13:28:00.002-04:00

I will be MIA for a while. I'm just dealing with a lot of stress right now and I covet your prayers. I will be back, and I will continue to visit your blogs. In a while, crocodile!

Another shout out

2008-06-25T19:14:00.002-04:00

To Dr. Wazany, Dr. Zechel, Michele, Julie, Jen, Sue, Rose, and Nancy! Love you guys!

Priorities

2008-06-23T19:57:00.004-04:00

So, our computer went down almost 2 weeks ago. I haven't been able to get online to write in my blog and it's been driving me crazy! My last post was titled frustrated because my weight loss was going slow. Since then I've lost 7 pounds and 2 inches around my waist! In the past I would obssess over it and since then I've stopped. It did no good and just aggravated me. I've become more relaxed and it seems that when I relax the weight comes off quicker. And I'm all for that! There is a pair of pants that I can no longer wear because they fall off! Even though I have a goal of losing this weight by September I'm not going to worry about this "deadline" I have. My health comes first and that's what I'm going to concentrate on. Not a pant size. I'm done trying to look like a victoria's secret model (snicker). The average woman in the U.S. wears a size 12 and the average woman is made to feel like crap. We're supposed to look like friggin' stick figures in order to be accepted. And it makes me sick. I know I'm not the only one to feel like that. So I've decided to be happy with what I look like at the present time. And each time I lose a few pounds, I'll remind myself that it's for my health. And I'll rejoice! Oh hey, let me give a quick shout out to my girl Kelly from work who has been reading my blog and bugging me to update it! Love ya Kel!

Frustrated

2008-06-10T01:45:00.002-04:00

This "diet" I'm on is really getting to me. I've been really good for the last 2 weeks and have lost like a pound. I know that weight loss is not a fast process but ohmygosh when I see results moving this slow it destroys my motivation. I know that Gina has recommended the book "French women don't get fat" (thanks girl! I'm going to be ordering it from the library). I've read, studied, obsessed over, and wrote down tons of weight loss and fitness and nutrition information from websites like ediets. Maybe I'm just thinking too much. I have been working out consistently and I do enjoy my exercise videos and I have been going to the gym more. I've tried reading up on tips to customize a plan for my lifestyle but all of the things I've done don't seem to be working. I've stated before that patience is not a virtue of mine (still working on it though!). I'm to the point where I'm ready to give up. And all of you bloggy buds have been so supportive of me and have really helped me through this journey I've been on. So I guess the point of this blog post is that I just really need some encouragement. So, my dear friends, tell me it'll be OK. And that I WILL reach my goal weight. And that I WILL be smokin' by September! Does anyone have any tips that have worked for you or someone you know? Any advice is more than welcome! Thanks!

A little update...

2008-06-04T23:47:00.003-04:00

I cannot believe that 2008 is pretty much half over! It's June, which means it's summertime...and it also means it's bathing suit season. Ugh. I sure do hope that this weight starts dropping off soon. I do believe that a bit of my weight is water. My legs swelled up a little on Monday (but don't worry...the swelling is all gone) and I've been peeing every 30 minutes for the last 2 days. In fact I have to go again...but you probably didn't need to know that. Anywhoo, I've been noticing that I don't feel as bloated and I'm starting to look a little thinner. I'm not sure if this is my body playing a mean joke on me or if all of the liquids I've been drinking is starting to pay off. On Tuesday I discovered the greatness that is crystal light on the go packets. I got the fruit punch flavor and it tastes awesome. Only 5 calories per packet so you can mix the powder with 8oz. of water and consume like 100 less calories than you would with 8 oz. of regular juice. I've been doing pretty good with eating right and not eating at night. I've been drinking TONS of liquids and I've started going to the gym again. I'm still doing my turbo jam and hip hop abs but since it's summertime I wanted to get out more. So I definitely have variety in my workout. I also thought I'd let you all know that I got a new job back in the beginning of May and this coming Monday will be a month that I've been there. It's a part time oral surgery assisting job and I work 5 mornings a week. So my routine is go to work, come home and eat lunch, take an hour nap (I have to have naps due to my fibromyalgia...it does wonders for me and I feel very energized afterwards) and then I either go to the gym or workout at home (or both!). I've gotten really fired up and I've put the scale away. So that's my update of my life right now. And I appreciate all of my bloggy friends support! Thanks guys!

New plan

2008-05-28T16:53:00.002-04:00

Over the last few weeks I've been researching diets, detox programs and exercise routines. 2 days ago I started on a new diet and exercise plan. I've combined the diet I'm on with a detox program. It's called the Martha's Vineyard Detox. Basically all your allowed to eat is stuff like soup (clear like chicken noodle not creamy like broccoli cheese), tea, water, and juice. And then my diet goes something like this:

For breakfast I'll have 2 granola bars and 2 nutrigrain bars

For a snack I'll have 1 of those Nabisco 100 calorie packs

Then for lunch I'll have a lean gourmet meal

For a snack I'll have a piece of fruit or ants on a log

And for dinner I'll have a clear soup (Progresso is awesome!) and salad with lots of veggies

All the while I'm drinking tons of water, juice, and tea. No pop. No eating out.

Along with this diet I will be exercising faithfully at least 4 days a week.

However, I will allow myself 1 night a week to kick back and go a little crazy.

I'm not sure how well this will work but I'm going to give it my all. I will keep everyone posted twice a month on how it is going. Wish me luck! Lots and lots of luck.

I'm such a weirdo

2008-05-16T22:49:00.002-04:00

So, I have this weird complex about bed making. And it drives Caleb crazy. I cannot sleep in a bed that is not properly made. And by proper I mean my way. I've had this since I was like 5. The sheets and covers MUST be even on both sides. They MUST be lump free and completely smooth. And if it's not I will go batty. What makes this even more weird is that I don't make my bed when I get up. I make it right before I get in it. Actually it's more like I make it and then reinspect it. I remember when I was little I was the same way. In fact, if I woke up in the middle of the night and the sheets/covers were uneven or lumpy I had to remake it and then get back in. I still do it to this day. Otherwise, sleeping will not happen. This is of course only one of the many reasons why I am a weirdo. Do you have a complex like me? And if so, what is it?

And 24 years later...

2008-04-30T10:01:00.003-04:00

I'm still kickin'! Today is my 24th birthday. Man, I remember when I turned 23! The years are sure flying by. I'm starting to feel like a grownup LOL. Caleb has spoiled me rotten. I love him :). On previous birthdays ( age 22 and 23) Caleb actually had to remind me! I had forgot about my own birthday. So this year, I made sure I wouldn't forget. I marked it on the calender and counted down the days. And here it is! Yay! It's my birthday!

It's here

2008-04-23T11:45:00.003-04:00

My turbo jam dvd arrived! I'm going to try it in a few minutes. I'll give it a week and let you know what I think. If you want to know more about it just look it up on google. There is even short clip on google video. It looks like a lot of fun, but also very intense. There are 5 different workouts and all of them have gotten great reviews. I'm just finishing up my last 2 chocolates (gives guilty, sheepish smile) and then I'm gonna give it a go. I HOPE IT WORKS!

Edited to add: OK, so I just did about an hour and a half of my turbo jam. I absolutely LOVE IT! I could not tear myself away from it. It incorporates everything from cardio and strength training to kick boxing and tai chi. OMG, I never thought I'd feel so incredible after a workout. I feel so energized and so strong right now. The creator of turbo jam, Chalene Johnson is incredibly motivating. It's very intense and I had to take a couple of breaks but I have a feeling that the weight is gonna drop like it's hot! Turbo jam and hip hop abs is all I need. In fact, I just might cancel my gym subscription.

YEAH!

2008-04-19T20:36:00.003-04:00

I lost another pound! I found a good flat surface to put my scale on so I just weighed myself about an hour ago and that's when I found out. In the last 6 months I've lost 8 pounds and dropped 2 dress sizes! I'm so happy! I ordered the workout dvd turbo jam last night off of ebay. That along with hip hop abs and the gym 5 days a week and a good nutritious diet should shed the excess 27 lbs. I would like to lose by at least Sept. 24th. If I lose 2 lbs. a week I should be at my goal by beginning of July! I KNOW I can do this! Go me!

McDonald's is evil...

2008-04-18T21:45:00.001-04:00

Am soooooo sick right now. Finding it hard to keep myself from hurling. Sweating like a PIG. Never again...never, ever again.

My scale is confused

2008-04-17T13:45:00.002-04:00

There is not a single completely flat surface in my apartment. On one part of the bathroom floor my scale said I weight 148. On another part of the floor it says 144. I have no idea how much I weigh now. Unless of course I get weighed at the doctor's office...and those scales are always liars *snicker*. So that's it. The scale is getting put away for a while.

Lean Gourmet

2008-03-29T17:55:00.002-04:00

So, a couple of weeks ago I decided to go on a diet (surprise, surprise). I went to the store to find healthy foods to pile into the fridge and found these microwaveable dinners called Michelina's Lean Gourmet. They are absolutely fabulous! After trying my first one, I went back and got about 10 different kinds and stuffed them into the freezer. They are all below 400 calories and 10 grams of fat. They are also a buck a piece. You can't beat that. They are very filling and full of veggies, rice and lean meats. I highly recommend them. I've also managed to find a way to control my pain during the day so I'm able to work out more and longer. The best part about this is that I've lost 4 lbs. in the last 2 weeks since eating those dinners and working out. I've also been incorporating salad mixed with spinach and very light watery dressings into my diet. That part has been a slow-go but I'll get used to it. The first week was hard, but now I'm reaping the rewards and it keeps me going. I can seriously feel a difference already. I feel great! But I do need to go shopping for new clothes. All my pants keep falling down ;).

The last few weeks

2008-03-23T23:23:00.006-04:00

So, the last few weeks have been a little interesting. Actually, the last few weeks have kinda sucked. Back in February I went to a rheumatologist. I'd been having a lot of really bad pain pretty much all over my body for months and he was recommended to me by a friend. I told him about my pain, was given an exam, and was diagnosed with fibromyalgia and arthritis. For those who don't know, fibromyalgia is a disease that affects the muscles, ligaments, and tendons of the body. It is characterized by widespread pain, severe fatigue, muscle twitches and burning sensations of the skin. Another very common symptom is depression which thank the good Lord I have not experienced. I think that having a deep rooted faith and love for Jesus has prevented that. Depression can be the worst of all the symptoms. Thank you Lord for sparing me from that! Fibro (short word version) is also genetic. My mom and cousin both have it and we believe that my great grandmother had it as well. I knew that when I made my appointment with the doctor that I probably had fibro, but was not aware that I also had arthritis. The type of arthritis I have is called psoriatic arthritis. It's directly linked to the psoriasis that is on my head and body. Isn't that interesting? I never knew that psoriasis could cause swelling and pain in the joints. All in all, my pain has been pretty intense and coupled with extreme fatigue it started to greatly affect my work and as a result I ended up losing my job on Friday( the assistant part I was good at but the front desk was the job that was being affected). Although I was very upset about it at first, I no longer am. I actually see this as a blessing. When I was working, I would come home sometimes in so much pain I would be sobbing. I was also coming home so exhausted, that I would head straight for bed right after dinner. I left on very good terms with the office and Dr. Mungo said I could always use him as a reference. He had also said something else that has stuck with me. Right before I left he told me "You know Crystal, you need to take care of your health right now. Don't worry about finding a job right away. Go home, get better, and have babies". I go off birth control in August to give my body a couple of months to flush out all the hormones and then Caleb and I start really trying for a baby end of September (our 3rd wedding anniversary is September 24th!). And until then my main concern is taking care of my health so that when we do have a baby I can take care of him/her. So you know what? I think I just might take Dr. Mungo's advice.

An Accident and a Question

2008-03-04T18:26:00.002-05:00

Last night, I was at the gym working out (go me!) and they had just got a new stairstepping machine. I love the stairs and I always feel that I get a great workout on them. So I decided I'd give them a try. Basically, they're like a mini-escalator so it's like your literally going up stairs. I got on it and started my workout. While on it I tried adjusting the intensity and all of a sudden the stair under my feet goes out from under me and down I went. So here I am starting to fall, hanging onto the side handle bars for dear life (I'm sure this a hilarious mental picture) and the stairs are still going so I'm getting beat with them. I let go of the handles and bam! My shin ends up getting smacked by a stair. Owweee. They end up stopping after beating me in the chest and thighs and shin and I go over and sit down and examine my injuries. I had a pretty good knot on my shin and red marks on my thighs. I go down to the nursing station and ice my shin and explain to the nurse what happened. Afterwards, I told her that I was concerned that one of these days an elderly person might get on it and really get hurt and that I think they should adjust it or something. They didn't take me seriously though. They said that anyone who comes in and works out on any equipment needs to evaluate whether or not they are comfortable with it and that the gym basically assumes no responsibility. I understand what they are saying but I also think they should take what I said into consideration. What do you think? Btw, now that I think of the accident with me and the stairs, it's actually pretty funny.

Fun

2008-02-13T21:38:00.022-05:00

I played this game back back in March 2006 and I was going through some of my old posts and decided to do it again. What you do is you put in something about you (e.g. first name) and then you look the answer up on google images and put the first picture that pops up beside the question. It was a lot of fun and I'm certain that I won't come up with the same pictures. Here goes!

First name:

Middle name:

Last name maiden:

Last name married:

Age on my next birthday:

Favorite color:

Place I want to live:

Place I actually live:

Annoying habit:

Favorite food:

Favorite animal:

Religion:

Dream job:

Back to it

2008-02-05T20:11:00.000-05:00

I'm back to just being a working woman. I love it! I missed it so much. I've actually gotten pretty good already. They've given me 2-4 weeks to learn the computers, but I'm already getting used to them. I hope to be fully comfortable by the end of the week. I'm really happy with what I'm doing and everyone there has told me I'm doing an awesome job. One of the girls there used to live 5 minutes away from me until she moved closer to the office. She used to take what she calls "the scenic route". I discovered it today. It is so peaceful and I actually like the 35 minute drive to work. No rush hour traffic. Nothing but trees, creeks, and the occasional deer or wild turkey. Life is good.

P.S. I might be MIA for a while, just because life is so crazy right now. But don't worry, I'll be back!

I start my new job today!

2008-02-04T06:50:00.001-05:00

Pray for me!

I'm back...with good news

2008-01-29T20:22:00.001-05:00

I have a job! I start Monday Feb. 4th at Dr. Mungo's office in the Fairlawn/Akron area. I interviewed there this past Thursday and had a working interview today. They had me do some filing and a few things on the computer, and I was in! One of the interviewers, Connie, was so happy that I was joining their office, she ended up hugging me when they gave me the news. It's a christian based practice and the doctor is totally awesome. I will be doing 2 days assisting and 3 days up front. It is full time and not too bad a drive. They said that I was their last interview. They had been getting people in who they would interview and/or hire but then have to let them go due to bad attitudes or just plain old not showing up to work. They had 12 interviews before I showed up and had decided that if I didn't interview well, that they wouldn't even bother anymore. They said a prayer before I came and told me that the moment I walked in, they could see I was different. They loved my personality and said that after I left, they knew I was the one whom God wanted to join their office. And I feel the same way. I don't see this as coincidence, I see it as God at work. So, now that you've all heard my good news who wants to celebrate?!

Taking a break

2008-01-26T11:14:00.000-05:00

I'm taking a break from blogland. I'm fine, just need to concentrate on more important things. I shouldn't be gone too long, and when I come back hopefully I'll have some good news. Just need to take some time for me right now and seek God and what He wants for me. I'll miss you guys, but I'll be back! Keep me in your thoughts and prayers. I'm sure I will need it!

Hard Time

2008-01-18T21:50:00.000-05:00

So, as my post title suggests I'm having a hard time right now. With life in general. I debated about sharing this, but you all are my friends and I could really use some prayer right now. I've been deeply depressed for the last few weeks. I've tried ignoring it, denying it, lying to myself that nothing is wrong. I'm having a really rough time finding a dental assisting job. I keep going back to the fact that we spent $1700.00 for me to go to dental assisting school. So I keep pushing forward to find something, especially in orthodontics (braces). I've sent out about 150 resumes (no that number is not wrong) that pertain to anything I've had training or experience in. Jobs I'm qualified to do. About 80% of it is dental related. I've had a measly 2 interviews for dental assistant jobs and each of them turned me down. I got turned down from another one and they didn't even interview me. I don't understand. I went to school, I've been in the health care field for years, and I'm certified in the state of Ohio, including x-ray certified, to work as a dental assistant. You know why I got turned down? Because I don't have a lot of experience (the only experience I have is when I did my externship for 2 months at Dr. Camm's office). But how do I get experience if no one is willing to even give me a chance? Doesn't that sound hypocritical in a way? I think one of the main things is that these dental offices have a happy little system going, and they don't want to interrupt it by bringing in someone who they would have to spend a few weeks training. What the heck?! How does ANYONE in ANY FIELD get experience unless someone gives them a chance and trains them??? Besides the whole job situation, there are other things I'm dealing with. I'm having trouble losing weight so I feel fat and unattractive. Thoughts such as I'm a loser, and I'm not worth anything keep plaguing me. And if that's not enough, being depressed has led to physical pain and sickness. I'm in agony with my back. I keep getting sinus/ear/throat infections. I'm crying right now as I spill my guts to you all. I know that God is near and that He hears me and knows exactly what He has planned for me. But I want so badly to hear things clearly from Him. Patience in this area has proven not to be a virtue of mine (I'm working on that). It seems like all my friends have their careers and/or their families and that they have it all figured out as though God told them Himself. I'm NOT angry at God. I don't want there to be any confusion here. But I feel the need to question Him everyday as to why my life is nowhere close to what I worked so hard for. Ugh, now I'm just babbling. Pray for me. I do NOT want to head down the road into even deeper depression. It runs in my family and I've seen what it can do. Please, friends, tell me it's going to be OK.

I Am Legend

2008-01-11T11:46:00.000-05:00

Has anyone seen the movie I Am Legend yet? Caleb and I saw it last night. It was much too scary for my tastes, even though I was told it wasn't scary at all. I didn't like it. Caleb liked it, but thought that there were some things in the movie that could have been left out. If you have seen this movie, what did you think of it? If you have not seen it, get everyone and anyone's opinion about it. I had been so excited to see it, and was completely dissapointed last night. In my opinion, if you haven't seen it I wouldn't spend my money on it. Wait until it comes out to rent. It's not worth a movie ticket price.

Baby Dreams

2008-01-10T11:13:00.000-05:00

So, I must be weird. I have dreams about babies at least once a week. Whether I'm pregnant, giving birth, or holding an adorable little one. Sometimes I'll have them everynight for days at a time. Usually I'm pregnant and I can feel the baby "move". Caleb and I aren't even trying yet. We won't be for like another 8 months. I know for sure I want a baby. But I've never had so many baby dreams before. With a bunch of my friends getting pregnant and having babies, I guess maybe my drive for having one of my own is getting stronger. I have my baby fixes and everything when I babysit and see my friends' babies at church or visiting. And I know it's hard work and there is nothing like having your own. But I think maybe that's why I want one so bad. Because there is NOTHING like having your own. Does anyone else have preggo dreams? Am I the only one? Am I weird?

So who's lovin' this warm weather?

2008-01-07T21:35:00.001-05:00

I know I am! I went outside today without a coat on. It was great. We had our patio door open and jasmine frolicked outside. With warm weather in the winter time though comes thunderstorms. We are experiencing a warm front now, but there is a cold front moving through within the next couple of days. It's going to be cold again in a few days. I'm enjoying the unseasonable temperatures while I can. In other news, I got a new phone. Well actually Caleb got it for me as a gift. It has a lot of features on it my old phone didn't have. I can take pictures with it, send text messages, and I have a lot of choices for ring tones. However, the nextel/sprint system has been down and my phone had to be completely reset earlier today. It's really frustrating, people cannot call me, but I can call them. I lost all my pictures that I took and reseting it caused all my contacts to be erased. In fact, they said that this process could take up to 48 hours! But I digress. I love this new phone, I'm just waiting for it to work properly. So how was everyone's new year? Did anyone make any resolutions? Mine was to lose weight. Actually I started before the new year, and so far I've lost 7 lbs. I've been kicking my butt at the gym and have been eating healthier. I've also started to eat out less often. That's made a difference too. New year, new body, new phone, and hopefully a new job. I feel God directing me towards a whole new me. 2008 is gonna be great!

Happy New Year!

2007-12-31T19:16:00.001-05:00

I cannot believe it's 2008 already! It's gonna be a great year!

I stole this from Donna

2007-12-29T14:02:00.000-05:00

Donna always has great ideas like recaping the new year, so Im going to do it too. Let me see if I can remember what happened LOL.

January-Marked 1 year after my mom became ill. She is doing better, keep praying!

February-Hosted my first baby shower for my friend Janessa. I was very nervous but I say I did OK for my first time :) I also got my 2003 Honda Civic which I love!

March-Came with Caleb to help with pictures of the rehearsal for the One Story. I've been coming with him on his photo shoots ever since.

April-Celebrated my 23rd birthday.

May-My dad turned the big 50.

June-Graduated dental assisting school and went to my family reunion and met a lot of relatives for the first time.

July-Went to the Cleveland Zoo for the first time since I can remember (which was a looooooooong time ago).

August-My mom turned the big 50.

Septmember-Celebrated 2 years of marriage with my wonderful husband.

October-Went on a very nice retreat with our marriage group and had a blast.

November-Did a photo shoot for the entire family for Thanksgiving.

December-Celebrated Christmas without Caleb for the first time ever.

OK, so that recaps my year. Nothing too big but maybe next year will be more interesting!

Winter Storm

2007-12-15T18:23:00.001-05:00

So with all this talk of this winter storm approaching, I think I may stay inside and hibernate for the rest of the weekend. Please pray for the hundreds of thousands of people in the midwest who still don't have power. I have a feeling I'll be waking up to this Monday morning:

Fun List

2007-12-11T19:35:00.000-05:00

Got this one from Donna. Here goes.

my hair is: Wet and up in a ponytail. I just got back from working out! Yeah me!
my nails are: Growing. Which is good.
my clothes are: Jeans and a comfy sweatshirt.
my mood is: A little gloomy, it's dark and rainy and cold =(
my spirit is: Light.
my big To Do is: Get 1 more gift!
my worst habit is: Not being faithful to my diet. I really want a big juicy burger and fries right now!
my marriage is: Amazing!
my car is: Black 2003 Honda Civic.
my children are: Don't have any yet...but I'm sure any we have will be adorable!
my local weather is: Cold and rainy.
my dream destination is: Heaven.

What about you? (copy and paste to your own blog, then leave me a comment!)

Cookie success (kind of)

2007-12-10T12:51:00.000-05:00

So the cookie exchange was a lot of fun. I will not be posting a picture of my cookies since they did not look like they were supposed to. But apparently they tasted great. I also won for most festive outfit! Go me! All in all it took 4 hours to make 6 dozen stained glass window cookies. It really was very frustrating being my first time making them and having to make so many, but in the end it was worth it.

This is what I was going for. Alas, my sad little cookies were not that pretty. But if there is ever a next time that I make them, they will look just like this (I hope)!

Christmas cookie exchange

2007-12-06T16:45:00.000-05:00

A co-worker of mine invited me to a Christmas cookie exchange at their church. I'm supposed to bake 6 dozen cookies (not the break and bake kind). So I've decided on these cookies called stained glass window cookies. Basically it's sugar cookie dough shaped into a window with the middle cut out and crushed hard candy put in the cutout. You bake them and the candy melts then let them cool so the candy hardens and voila! In this case I'll be using jolly ranchers. I'm excited but nervous. I've never made these and better yet, other people, most of whom I don't know, are going to taste them! But I'm up for the challenge. I'll post a picture of them and let you know if it was a success. I'll also be dressing up as Rudolph! So, I'm off to find antlers and a red nose and get the ingredients for the cookies. Wish me luck!

Aileen

2007-12-01T23:08:00.000-05:00

So, I have an interesting friendship story. My friend Aileen and I have known each other for 6 years. We have a lot in common, and I love her like a sister. In fact she calls me sis :). She's been there with me through the good times and bad and we talk just about everyday. The interesting thing though? We've never met in real life! She lives in Louisiana. It all started one day when I was in a country music fan chat room. She IM'd me. The rest is history. And I very well may be meeting her face to face for the first time sometime soon after the new year! Both of us are so psyched, and we've actually started planning what we're going to put on our to do list. So anywhoo, just thought I'd share some happy news. Well, it makes me happy :).

This is her. Isn't she gorgeous?

Update on my mammaw

2007-11-23T17:15:00.000-05:00

Sooooo, I haven't yet updated on my grandma yet. Thanks to Margo for reminding me (what would I do without you girl?), I do have good news! My grandma went to her appointment a few weeks ago and saw one of the top heart surgeons in the northeast. Which was very comforting. Turns out that her aneurysm is really nothing to worry about right now. It's not going to burst at all and is just kind of sitting there, doing nothing. Which is good. He made her feel VERY much relieved (which is hard to do since she is scared of anything health related). The aneurysm has nothing to do with her dizzy spells and it's just probably her vertigo kicking in. So she's doing pretty good! I love it when God proves doctors wrong :).

Happy Thanksgiving!

2007-11-22T20:28:00.000-05:00

My gorgeous hunk

2007-11-19T20:29:00.000-05:00

Caleb in his fire uniform *sigh*

New blogger

2007-11-10T17:36:00.000-05:00

Hey everyone, my friend Roberta has decided to join the blogging world! Click on her name on my links list and welcome her in!

How cats REALLY wake you up

2007-10-23T12:59:00.000-04:00

Go away aneurysm!

2007-10-21T11:55:00.000-04:00

My grandmother has an aneurysm on her heart. The hospital found it about 2 months ago. It wasn't very big so they just monitored it every month. About a week ago she started getting very dizzy and weak. She was taken to the hospital and the aneurysm had gotten bigger. And we found out that she may have to have surgery to have it taken out. Keep in mind, my grandmother is 84 years old. She has beaten cancer twice. But this is different. She is so skinny. And frail. And weak. She can't go out of her house because of her dizzy spells. Please pray for her. I'm very close to her. I know that she is a believer and she'll go to heaven one day. But I'm not ready for her to go yet.

Broke my record

2007-10-17T23:30:00.000-04:00

So, my friend Roberta and I went bowling tonight. As the title suggests I did in fact beat my record. But I never thought in my wildest dreams I would get a...(drumroll)...160!!! Woohoo! I kept working on my technique and I actually found one that works for me! I was so happy! And of course, Caleb was not there to see it. Oh well, we don't bowl often anyway. I just thought I'd share my excitement tonight. Anyone want to go bowling with me?

All Out

2007-10-12T21:15:00.000-04:00

I went all out for dinner tonight. I made cheesy 3 bean chili (mine and Caleb's own creation) with garlic breadsticks and brownies for dessert. I usually don't make dessert, but I was feeling creative tonight. I know we are still sharing recipes. The chili is just something that was kinda randomly thrown together and put into the crockpot. Caleb had experimented with this about a month ago and it lasted for 2 weeks, even eating it everyday!

Cheesy 3 bean chili
2 cans pork and beans
1 can black beans
1 can kidney beans
2 cups velveeta cheese, cubed
1 pound ground beef, cooked
1/2 cup ketchup
1/4 cup plain mustard
1/4 cup horseradish mustard
1/4 cup sweet and spicy mustard
3/4 cup garlic bbq sauce
1 tomato chopped
1 yellow bell pepper chopped
1 green bell pepper chopped
2 tsp. worcestershire sauce
3 tbs. chili powder
2 tbs. Mrs. Dash
2 tbs. salt
Dash of pepper

Mix all ingredients together and simmer in crockpot on low for 4 hours.

I know this recipe looks different, but boy did it turn out great! It's even better with a dollop of sour cream on top!

Note: All measurements are approximate.

Missing

2007-10-01T18:42:00.000-04:00

Dear friends, I am sad to report that our kitty Jasmine has gone missing. She has been gone for almost a week now and I haven't been able to find her. I've printed a picture and asked neighbors if they've seen her, drove down all the roads of our neighborhood, and have been to animal control, and I still haven't found her. I'm kind of beside myself and feel guilty about feeling bugged when she was overly affectionate. I'd do anything to feel that affection right now. Please pray that she returns home safe and sound. Thank you.

Back from Berlin

2007-09-27T15:44:00.000-04:00

So we got back yesterday from our 2 year anniversary trip. We had a wonderful time! I seriously would recommend amish country for anyone wanting to go on a getaway. We basically did the same things as last year, just a few more activities added. It was great to get away from life in general, but it's also good to come home. Pictures to come later!

I must brag here :)

2007-09-21T12:46:00.000-04:00

I LOVE my job. LOVE it. I've never been happier anywhere else. I love being able to go and help people. I love that my boss and his wife consider me family. I love that patients have told them that they made a great decision when hiring me. And I love the fact that I can ask for prayer or pray for them without being looked at like I'm some religious weirdo. I have been so stressed out with finding a job over the past few months and then all of a sudden God just drops the opportunity in my lap. I had just prayed about a week before then and told God I was giving it all to Him. I just laid it at the feet of Jesus. And He blessed me. Ask and you shall recieve! I just wanted to let you all know how it was going. I know I've been through a lot of jobs lately trying to find something I thought I would love. But God wanted me elsewhere. And I am so glad to be where I'm at. Have a great weekend everyone!

Recipe sharing

2007-09-19T13:00:00.000-04:00

OK, well I really don't have a lot of recipes to share. But I do have one that I tried just a few nights ago. It's called cheesy chicken and rice casserole. It turned out real good, but I did make a few adjustments, so I'll give you what I made it with.

INGREDIENTS
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
salt and pepper to taste
2 cups cooked chicken flavored rice
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup
2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
3 slices soft white bread, cubed

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
Cook chicken, cut into bite sized pieces, and season with salt and pepper
Combine chicken, rice, and soup into a 9x13 inch baking dish and mix well
Top with cheese then with bread cubes
Bake at 350 degrees F for 20 minutes, or until cheese is melted and bubbly and bread cubes are crunchy

Enjoy!

Time flies

2007-09-14T13:11:00.000-04:00

So, I was gonna post this tomorrow but I've got a ton of stuff going on so I'll post about it today. Tomorrow is our 3 year anniversary since we got engaged. 3 YEARS. It just doesn't seem like it. And in just 10 short days we will be celebrating 2 years of marriage. And then next year is when we will start planning a family. Where has the time gone? I know all of you will agree with me. So, does anyone have any big events coming up? Let us know! Well, I gotta get back to work. Life is good. God is great. I am so blessed!

Ouch!, a testimony, and y'all are gonna think I'm crazy

2007-09-07T23:44:00.000-04:00

I debated putting this on my blog. I felt so embarrassed, but you guys are my friends and I felt you should know. Besides, I think you will like what I'm about to tell you. Let's go with the ouch first. First off, I should tell you that I quit the daycare job. The girls there started dumping all their work on me (since I was the newbie...it happens) and therefore I started coming home extremely tired and in agony. I really couldn't figure out why I was in so much pain. I'll get to that part soon enough. The last straw with that place was the fact that I got blamed by my boss (who wasn't even anywhere near the place of the incident) for something that wasn't my fault. Turns out one of the little kids is a biter. He ended up biting a bunch of kids that day and was leaving really horrible marks on the other kids' arms, fingers, you name it he bit it. Well, because I was in the room at the time of the incident I was to blame. Excuse me?! First of all, I was in the room by myself because the other girls there didn't want to help me. They dumped the hard stuff on me and left me there on my own while I was still new. Second of all, I was feeding one of the babies his bottle at the time of the incident and was not exactly able to reprimand the biting demon child at the moment. I did later reprimand him for biting another child, but the damage had already been done. Third of all, how DARE you blame me for something that I had no control over and you did not witness! So, because of the ignorance of my previous employer my name went up on an incidence report, which meant the parents of the bitees would have regarded me as the reason their children had teeth marks on their little bodies. NUH-UH! I don't think so!!! I left that place the day it happened. There is no way I'm going to let ignorant, selfish, biased people ruin my reputation. I'm good with kids and they knew it. They just needed someone to blame it on. OK, rant over. :BREATH: Moving on.
So, with that happening, I decided to to again, start applying for work EVERYWHERE (except daycare LOL). I applied for pharmacy technician, sterile processing, I even went back to trying to get a job as a dental assistant. People, at this point I was DESPERATE. I needed to do something and earn some money. But, this is where the testimony comes in. Remember when I said that when I'd come home from the daycare job I was in agony? Turns out I sprained my shoulder socket. UH-HUH. From the loads of work being dumped on me and carrying children around all day. Anyway, I went to see a chiropractor. Caleb had been seeing him for preventative treatment and liked him so much that I decided to see him. After a few visits the doctor ended up liking me. So much in fact that he offered me a job. He just up and offered it to me! I've never had this happen to me before! I didn't even apply there (I was actually going to) and he came to me. Now what is so cool about this is the fact that my new boss is a christian. In fact, his entire practice is filled with believers and is based on biblical values and healing prayer. How awesome is that?! I am now a physical therapy assistant. I basically assist in the physical therapy of various conditions of the human body. I started today. And you know what? I LOVE IT! I just couldn't believe (although I should have) how God stepped in and saved me. I have truly found my niche. Oh yeah, and the shoulder? Feels a lot better. Now, after reading this post do you all think I'm crazy?

Is it really possible for a cat to be too affectionate?

2007-09-04T20:17:00.000-04:00

I mean, really. You know, a cat, the animal people are always saying are just selfish litte furry creatures that don't care to be affectionate. Uh, they haven't met my kitty, Jasmine. Lord help me, I love her to pieces, but she cannot get enough attention. Let's take tonight as an example. I come home from being gone for just a few hours. Now, I will be the first to admit that I get on the computer first thing when I come home. But good grief, can she just wait 2 minutes? NO. She decides to lay down on the computer keyboard AND the mouse and demand that all of my time be put on her (but not before she gets in my face and screams at me for being gone and gets hair up my nose and in my eyes). Caleb has told me that when he's here but I'm not, she will not relax. She looks all over the apartment and calls for me and yells at Caleb if I don't magically appear. I mean, seriously, I can't even go to the bathroom in peace. But, I did always want a cat that was affectionate. For once, I REALLY got what I wanted. OK, I have to go now. She's screaming at me again.

My favorite season

2007-08-31T11:29:00.000-04:00

You Belong in Fall

Intelligent, introspective, and quite expressive at times...

You appreciate the changes in color, climate, and mood that fall brings

Whether you're carving wacky pumpkins or taking long drives, autumn is a favorite time of year for you

What Season Are You?

Public service announcement

2007-08-27T11:22:00.000-04:00

We interrupt your daily life to bring you this public service announcement...
Do NOT eat a heavy meal right before you do a cardio workout. You just might end up emptying the contents of your stomach. Thank you. We now return you to your regularly scheduled program.

I LOVE animals

2007-08-23T22:52:00.000-04:00

Can't ya tell?

Simple things

2007-08-21T21:59:00.000-04:00

Today, I went shopping with my grandmother. We were at Kohl's looking at shower curtains and I found one that caught my eye. It is a shower curtain with pockets. Yes, pockets that you can put stuff in. Like your shampoo, soaps, razor, shaving gel, etc. I absolutely love it! I know, this is such a lame thing to get excited about, but I'm all about the simple things in life. Like finding a cool shower curtain on sale! I like it because the stick on shelves with suction cup thingies (you know what I'm talking about right?) never stick to the shower wall and when they come down so does everything else. Plus when you put stuff like a shaving cream can in the corner they leave rings on the porcelain. It was originally 20 bucks at Kohl's, but they are having a sale right now for 35%off. I got it for 13 bucks. What a great idea!

Your questions answered

2007-08-13T13:28:00.000-04:00

Heeeeeeere's your answers!

Margo asked: When are you guys gonna try for that first baby?
Caleb and I actually want to start trying around our 3rd anniversary. He gets out of the army in Oct. of 08 and we want to be sure that he's not going anywhere else (he's already been to Iraq).

Kat wanted to know: What is your favorite childhood memory?
I really don't have 1 favorite memory but my favorite memories have always been when my parents and I went to the beach while we lived in Oregon. Someday, possibly for our 3rd anniversary getaway, Caleb and I would like to visit Oregon.

Katie inquired: What is God speaking to you right now?
He's pretty much telling me to stop worrying about my career situation. He's going to take care of that and I need to just trust Him.

Bekaboo was wondering: What was your favorite vacation?
I'd have to say it was mine and Caleb's 1st anniversary vacation getaway to amish country. It was a great experience for both of us!

Let's play that game again...

2007-08-03T12:02:00.000-04:00

OK, I posted this game a few months ago. Remember the one where you asked me questions about myself you wanted to know in my comments section and I answered them in my next post? Cool. Really, I'm not as much of a boring person as I was last time we played this game LOL. I think you will enjoy it more. And you can totally play along and have me ask you a question. Helps us all to get to know each other better!

I have some news...

2007-07-27T19:08:00.000-04:00

No, I am not pregnant LOL. But I do have some good news for you. As you all know, I've been trying to find a dental assisting job. Well, after months of searching and only getting interviewed by dentists who treat you like crap, I finally kind of gave up. Yesterday, Caleb and I were talking. The Holy Spirit has been trying to speak to me about His career choice for me. I would only block out his voice and tell myself "No, I need a job where I have a degree in something and I make a lot of money". This is the conversation between Caleb and I yesterday.

Caleb: Honey, do you like dental assisting?
Me: No.
Caleb: Do you want to make this your career?
Me: I don't think so.
Caleb: Then why are you doing this? Don't you want to be doing something you love?
Me: Of course.
Caleb: Then go for something you love.

Caleb had suggested childcare. And it hit me like a ton of bricks. That's what I should do! I babysit for a ton of friends and family and I'm in Children's Church almost every Sunday and I love it. So, today I started looking. I went online and found an ad for a full time job as a childcare provider for ages 9 to 18 months (my favorite age by the way) and called the number. As soon as the manager heard how much experience I had with kids she told me to come in right away. So I went in, filled out an application, gave her my resume and spent about an hour with the infants/toddlers. She wanted to see how the kids and I got along. Then she took me downstairs and said she would be calling me tonight. About 6:30 pm she called. And she offered me the job! I was so excited, I literally started jumping up and down for joy. Less than 24 hours after I made the decision to go into childcare, I land a job. A great job. And you know what the best part is? After 90 days of being there, I will making more than I would as a dental assistant! And besides, what's better than starting your day with a bunch of little smiling faces? So, let's take another look shall we?

1. Landed a job in less than 24 hours after making a decision to go into my new chosen field.
2. In 3 months, I will be earning more as a daycare provider than any dental assistant position I accepted.
and 3. I will be doing what I love AND getting paid for it.

That's GOD!

At home facial

2007-07-24T20:24:00.000-04:00

Before I go ahead with the facial, I wanted to let you all know that I had to turn down that job. Let me explain. On Friday night, the day I found out I got the job, I had a nervous breakdown. I started crying and worrying about the job. I became nervous and afraid. And I kept hearing the Holy Spirit talk to me. Well, I guess I didn't listen close enough. On Monday, when I went to fill out paperwork, I had to find out what the Holy Spirit was trying to tell me the hard way. Turns out this guy is a total jerk and I had a feeling that he was going to try and screw me over. And he tried. I went home, talked to Caleb, who was really angry with what this guy did, and I told him I decided not to take it. Next time I will really listen to what God is saying to me! OK, now on to the facial recipe:

I got this recipe from a skincare book and it is a cheap way to get your skin feeling great.

1. Apply a cream cleanser (I recommend clean and clear cream cleanser). Leave on for a couple of minutes to allow it to dissolve and makeup and oil on your face. Rinse away with lots of warm water.

2. Boil some water in a pot and allow the steam to reach your face. Put a towel around your head to capture the steam. Do this for a couple of minutes. If you have really sensitive skin, or are prone to broken veins you should avoid this step.

3. Use a facial scrub (I recommend St. Ives or Queen Helene apricot facial scrub) and gently massage it onto your skin. Rinse away with lots of warm water.

4. Apply a facial mask (use a clay based one for oily skin or a moisturizing one for dry skin) and leave on for 10-15 minutes. Rinse away with lots of warm water.

5. Apply a toner onto a cotton ball and sweep over your face. For first time users it may tingle, but that will die down with time.

6. Apply a moisturizer (If you have oily skin like me, I recommend Bath and Body works oat bran moisturizing formula. It works great and doesn't aggravate acne!) Take the time to massage it into your skin to allow blood to circulate to your face, leaving you with a rosy complexion.

7. And the last step, apply an eye cream. Underneath your eyes is where your skin is the thinnest. It needs extra care and can help with dark circles and puffiness.

I do this facial treatment once a month and my skin feels so soft and wonderful afterwards. Use it to pamper yourself and trust me you will notice a difference. Have fun!

I AM employable

2007-07-20T13:32:00.000-04:00

Well ladies and gentleman, it seems that I am a working woman once again. I got a job! I will be working for a periodontist in Cuyahoga Falls starting out full time. It's really not that bad of a drive and I get to beat rush hour traffic since I have to leave at 6:15 in the morning. Ugh, I hate mornings but it's good hours. I'm excited. The doctor wants to start me out at entry level and as I become better at taking x-rays and assisting in surgery he will advance me and then I will start rolling in the money LOL! I have enjoyed this nice little break of not working, but life must go on and we must bring home the bacon!

Cleveland zoo

2007-07-18T11:49:00.000-04:00

So, Caleb and I went to the Cleveland zoo on Monday. We had a great time! He hasn't been there in about 10 years and I don't think I've ever been there. His favorite exhibit was the snow leopard. He got a picture of him growling and bearing his teeth. It's quite the picture. My favorite was the touch exhibit where you got to touch little sting rays and sharks (they were completely safe). They would go around the tank and glide over your hand looking for food (of course). I had the undivided attention of one particular sting ray. He kept coming over and sucking on my fingers! I think I must have had some microscopic food particles on my hand and he found them. Or he just liked me =). I also really liked the butterfly exhibit. You went into a greenhouse full of butterflies and they must have been so used to humans that you could actually touch them. The funny thing is that I had a shirt with butterflies on them and a group of kids got really excited and wanted to see who could count them the fastest LOL. Caleb got the most awesome butterfly picture. He's going to send it into the Metroparks photo contest. So without further adieu, here it is:

I will never eat food again

2007-07-13T05:01:00.001-04:00

It is 5 in the morning over here. I am vomiting. Haven't slept a wink. And for some reason my legs hurt. Please pray for me. Thanks.

Edited to add: Feeling better, need sleep. Hopefully will feel normal by tonight.

Tagged by Margo

2007-07-12T10:58:00.001-04:00

Ok, I'm going to do my best to come up with 7 things ppl don't know about me. I'm a blab so I will think hard =)

1. I love chocolate...I think this is a no brainer when it comes to ANY woman.
2. I have another interview today! Bet you didn't know that huh?
3. My favorite holiday is New Years.
4. Contrary to what my husband might say, I love to clean.
5. I have grown to hate fast food (except burger kings breakfast croissants).
6. I LOVE the movies father of the bride 1 and 2. I can watch them 100 times in a row and watch them again.
7. My husband has gotten me addicted to audio books. I now cannot fall asleep without a good audio book playing.

I know, I'm such a boring person!

And now, I tag anyone who wants to play!

More firework pics

2007-07-06T23:19:00.001-04:00

These are some of my favorites

Happy 4th of July!

2007-07-04T11:44:00.001-04:00

Happy 4th everyone! Caleb and I went out to Medina with some friends last night to see some fireworks. Isn't this picture awesome? Don't they look like fireworks and flowers rolled into one? Have a great holiday!

My interview is today

2007-06-26T11:19:00.000-04:00

This is THE interview. Pray for me and wish me luck!

Edited to add: Will not be taking the job. Doctor FREAKED me out. He is mean. That is all.

So, I think that God was listening...

2007-06-21T17:00:00.000-04:00

As most of you know, I have been looking for a dental assisting job. I have sent out about 15 resumes and haven't gotten a call back. So a few days ago I found a job online for a full time position in an oral surgeon's office. I immediately sent my resume and prayed about it. A couple of days ago they took their ad down and so I figured they found someone. Well, that someone may be me! The office just called me about 30 minutes ago and set me up for an interview on Tuesday. I had prayed and said "God if this is what you want, at least have the office call me." And they did! I've decided to go into the oral surgery field since it interests me. So, I will go to my interview and see how it goes. I really don't want to get my hopes up, but I'm really excited about it. It's about 25 minutes away from here. I won't have to deal with much rush hour traffic which is AWESOME. I know I haven't met the doctor or staff, haven't even seen the building, but I REALLY want this. Of course, I know that it has to be what God wants for me too. So um, God...can you hook a sistah up?!

From 2 to 1

2007-06-20T18:33:00.000-04:00

So our parakeets Swoops and Speckle are now gone. Last night, they both started acting weird. Swoops started hurting herself. She would climb onto the side of the cage and flip her body upside down making it impossible to turn herself the way she started. So she would let go and fall to the bottom of the cage on her back. Then Speckle got extra agressive and pecked at Swoops and got her in the eye. She got hurt again. So today we went to a place called the bird shop and they actually take in birds with behavioural problems. The woman there said she would need to separate them and work with them in order to make them adoptable. So we said goodbye to them and hello to another parakeet. His name is Dewey. He's beautiful. He's yellow and green and we came up with the name Dewey since he reminded us of mountain dew. He is lemon and lime colored. So NO MORE BIRDS for me. He is it. I feel simply terrible for not being able to care for Swoops and Speckle but I don't know how to deal with behavioural problems in birds and I've certainly never had parakeets that acted like they did. I will post pictures of Dewey tomorrow. Right now he's napping. He's so cute =).

Progress

2007-06-18T22:40:00.000-04:00

Progress is good...especially when it comes to weight loss! I haven't necessarily lost any weight, but I have lost an inch off my waist in just a few days! Now that's kicking my butt! I am continuing to do my hip hop abs and healthy eating, but I have also been considering detox. I have been doing a lot of research on detoxifying the body, but I'm not sure it's for me. I saw a supplement at the store called purenol that actually helps to detoxify the body in just 5 days. There is also water and juice fasting, which helps to cleanse and detox the body in a month if it is done like it is supposed to be. I'm still unsure if I should do it.

#1. I don't know if I could follow it. I'm not sure I have the will power.

#2. It's pretty radical. I'm just starting out and wonder if I should wait until I've lost more weight.

#3. It's expensive. In order to do the water fasting I can only buy distilled water. In order to do the juice fasting I have to go buy a whole hord of fruits and vegetables and a juicer. They say the pulp inhibits the detoxifying process so a juicer is "necessary". And the supplement is 30 bucks for only a five day supply.

So, have any of you detoxed before? Does anyone have any helpful information about it? I would like to try it since I read about someone who did it and lost 52 lbs in just 3 months! Which would be great. But seriously...I need opinions and advice people! Thanks!

Hip Hop Abs

2007-06-14T12:21:00.000-04:00

Ever heard of it? I was watching TV about 3 weeks ago and was flipping through the channels and saw a commercial for a workout video called hip hop abs. I was watching and it looked like so much fun but it cost $100. So I went on ebay and got it for $65 with the shipping and handling. I got the entire package including the workout videos, a diet guide, and a website to track my progress. What it is basically is a dance workout video that targets the abs but also provides a total body workout. It's so much fun! I've been doing it for days and boy has it been kicking my butt LOL. But I love it and I could do it for hours. It's produced by a guy named Shawn T. He is a famous dance choreographer (sp?) and fitness guru. I just finished up with about an hour of cardio and ab sculpting and am about to do the total body burn. For those of you who want to lose weight but don't want to go to the gym, I highly recommend this. It helps with coordination, teaches you how to dance, and makes you work it like nothing else. I've been doing it for a few days and my body is so sore, but I keep doing it because it's fun! I can't help myself. Shawn is really motivational and funny. I find myself laughing in the middle of my workout from him doing silly antics. I still go to Bally's but I haven't really wanted to go since I got hip hop abs. I can't tear myself away from it. I hope to reach my goal by our anniversary in September. I can do it. Right?

You know you're in West Virginia when...

2007-06-10T20:42:00.000-04:00

5. The sign for the local gas station is spray painted on cardboard.
4. You have to stop every few miles to avoid hitting a neighbors dog.
3. The nearest grocery store is 30 minutes away.
2. "Y'all come back now, ya here?" is a common everyday term.

And the #1 indication you're in West Virginia...
Your neighbor proudly displays the confederate flag on his front porch.

As you all can guess Caleb and I went to West Virginia this past weekend. We actually did have a lot of fun. My uncle had planned a family reunion and we got to see people we have never met or seen in years. There were all sorts of kids, grandkids, aunts, uncles, neices, nephews and cousins. I enjoyed myself, but boy am I glad to be home. And now for a story from our little trip.

My aunt is very afraid of dogs. She had a really bad experience as a kid and has been afraid every since. There was a beautiful german shepard that had run away from home and decided to park itself on her front porch. She started to freak out. Caleb and I went outside and she (the dog) was very friendly. You could tell she was someone's pet. She was nicely groomed, knew several commands and had a semi collar on her neck. She was on the thin side and obviously had no idea where home was. We had no idea who she belonged to. So we did the next best thing. We took her to the local humane society. We let them know the situation and they said they would listen for a call regarding a lost german shepard and they would take good care of her. We were glad we did the right thing.

So, what did you do this weekend?

I'm freeeeeeeeeeee

2007-06-05T22:08:00.000-04:00

Today was our last day of school. We went out to eat at a place called On Tap in Medina. It was a lot of fun, food and of course alcohol for some of the girls there (not me). Our graduation ceremony is June 13th and all but 2 of the girls will be there. It'll be good to have my evenings free now and be able to just get on with life. I am not too worried about finding a job since Caleb and I have a pretty busy summer. I will continue to look though. Oral surgery is the field I want to go into, so if anyone knows of any oral surgeons hook me up LOL. I am taking Caleb and his 2 brothers to my graduation ceremony. I'm really looking forward to getting my certificate so that it will definitely be official. I have to send in some paperwork to get my radiology license. So then, in the next month or so, I will have everything I need to prepare myself for all the interviews they can throw at me. Bring it on.

GUESS WHAT???

2007-05-31T22:03:00.000-04:00

I received my dental assisting certification results last night. I stood there looking at the package containing my results, shaking. Caleb comes over and helps me open it. I tear it open and retrieve the paper inside slowly. And then I saw them...the words I've been needing to read for the last few months. Congratulations. OMG!!! I passed my exam! You are now reading the blog of an Ohio State Certified Dental Assistant! The moment I saw the words, I started to cry. Caleb stood there smiling and hugged me. I'm so happy! This is a huge relief. I also finished my externship at Dr. Camm's office. I made the office a crockpot chicken meal as a thank you for letting me observe and learn there. They were so sad to see me go. But I'm not really going. Caleb and I are now patients there. Our dental assisting class was held in a dental office in Medina and today was our last day there. We did our finals and cleaned it up today. It was kinda bittersweet to leave. Monday we go to the career center for some powerpoint training and then Tuesday, our last day of school, we are going out to a restaurant called On Tap to celebrate. Then June 13th is our graduation ceremony. And then....I'm DONE. Totally and completely done. I am still currently looking for a job in oral surgery. Pray that I find something soon. I'd really like to start my career. Thank you God! Thank you for giving me the opportunity to begin a new chapter in my life. Thank you for being there through the good and bad. And thank you for an amazing husband who supported me the whole way through. Ain't life great?

Quiz

2007-05-29T21:39:00.001-04:00

Do you know me?

Take my quiz!

Take This Quiz See Scores Make Own Quiz

Does anyone want a couple of parakeets?

2007-05-26T23:02:00.000-04:00

Or does anyone know anyone who might want them? They're really cute and sweet. They also come with all the fixins'. Cage, toys, and food. Caleb is getting really annoyed by them (he just doesn't have the patience for them) and very soon both of us aren't going to be home very much. They don't require too much attention since they have each other, but they do love to come out of their cage. They talk a lot to you and each other and Swoops has said "pretty bird" a couple of times. If any of you want them or know anyone who does, let me know and I will make the arrangements. Thanks!