THE BABY IS HERE!!!!

Baby Natalie is here!!!! She came in at 10:23 am. She weighed in at 11 pounds 4 1/2 ounces. She is 19 1/4 inches long. BIG BABY!!!

I am on my way over to the hospital to see her - can't wait!!!! :)

Kathy (Stephanie's sister)

***********************
Pictures

Final Update

We had our last Dr. appointment yesterday and are set to have baby girl on Monday around 10 a.m. She's not dropping anymore due to the massive amount of amniotic fluid that I'm carrying and, even if I go in this weekend, it will probably still be a c-section since she is literally "swimming" in there. But she's healthy, heart sounds great, and it's just a few more days so it's all good. I'm really bummed about not having a VBAC, but trusting God's soveriegnty in this. All that to say, I probably won't be on much this weekend ... I'm sure we'll be thinking of things to do around here and spending time with Noelle before she's a big sister. :-) My sister has had a lesson on updating my site and will post info when she knows something Monday, and she also has strict instructions to call Dana for a Women at Home update. Hoping to get out of the hospital by Wednesday night or Thursday morning, but we'll see with the c-section. (I got out in 2 days with Noelle, but not holding my breath for the quick turnaround this time.) :-)

Today's agenda is fairly low-key. I'm going to take Noelle to the library at some point ... need to return some DVDs that are due and let Noelle play on the puzzles there ... her favorite thing. We may run around in the car some ... otherwise, I'll just sit here and wonder, "Is that a contraction?"';"I think I'm hungry again"; "Maybe I should take a nap" and other such exciting thoughts. :-)



Appetizer
Choose one: Popcorn, Pizza, Pretzels, Peanuts, or Pasta.
Popcorn, movie theater kind.

Soup
Describe your personality in terms of a particular vehicle.

Salad
If you won a shopping spree, from which store would you want it to be?
Target ... oh, the damage I could do there! :-)

Main Course
Which television show re-runs do you enjoy watching?
We are hooked on West Wing, and also like Law & Order and CSI - however, we don't have many channels so whatever "reruns" we want to watch, we rent on DVD.

Dessert
If you could look into the future, how far down the road would you like to see? 10 years? 100 years? A million?
I don't think I want too. I could see that I might get VERY stressed out knowing those details. Even though I'm a planner, I want to plan and dream ... not know ahead of time how it will turn out.   

Due Date

Okay, it's here. Now what do I do? :-)

Actually, I was having some steady contractions last night about 9 p.m. ... every 20 minutes or so one would hit, but it never got any closer together than that. And once I went to bed about midnight they quit all together, or else weren't strong enough for me to notice them. I've have 2-3 this morning, but again, nothing consistent. Keep them coming! I have that c-section deadline on Monday staring me in the face. We have my last checkup with the Dr. tomorrow afternoon so hoping to see some dialation and all that good stuff.

There's really nothing else that I need to do to get ready for the baby that I can think of ... bags are packed, Noelle's are at Grandma's already in fact, and the cupboards are pretty well stocked to get us by for a while. I was going to go Sam's today to get a few things but my energy level Bible study this morning was fairly low so I think we'll wait and go tonight with Travis. I also need to run to the library and pick up a book on hold - Captivating for our February W@H group read. If I only get to it when nursing that will be good enough for me. :-)

Change of subject ... a good scrapbooking book that I will recommend: Step Up Your Scrapbooking by Lisa Brown Caveney. I've always loved her layouts, and I think I was originally drawn to them because she handwrites all her journalling. (And has great handwriting!) But the book starts out emphasizing how you can scrapbook with just photos, cardstock and a pen! It helps, of course, that she has fantabulous travel photos. :-) My next scrapbooking project is going to be putting our Washington D.C. photos in an album ... I've decided that I'm going to do them in a little mini-album of their own. Since I have about 80 photos I want to scrapbook (out of the 720 that Travis took!!!) I'm afraid it may take up a hugemongous chunk of our regular family album. I found a spiral bound album up on my shelf that I've never used and it has a red cover (patriotic, right?) and that's what I'll use.

Off to get a few things done while Noelle is down for her nap. :-)

Sniff, sniff

Noelle and I made a run to Wal-mart this morning. Travis and I both seem to have head colds and the kleenex was in short supply around here this morning. That, some orange juice, milk, and a big red rubber ball for Noelle, and we were in and out pretty quickly. :-) I wasn't planning on running any errands today, but we've been on a late-night cereal kick at our house and went through the last gallon in record time. At this rate, I need to look into the cost of home milk delivery. Noelle is currently getting a "Qwella" fix and then I'm going to put her and me down for a nap for a bit. She was up at 3 a.m. fussing for about an hour last night. She's got a runny nose to, but doesn't seem to be stopped up like we are ... when I went in her room she was calling out for me and saying something about a monkey, so I'm guessing she was having one heck of a dream. :-)

Nothing happening in baby news other than Braxton Hicks when I'm up walking for a bit ... and the ones today haven't been as hard as some I had over the weekend. Three women from our church prayed for me and the baby on Sunday and it was such a blessing ... while they were praying, babygirl decided to show off how active she can be and had us all laughing during the prayer. I'm loving that there are so many people besides our little family that are anxious to meet her!

Still here. :) Been homebound a bunch this week due to a car that does not like cold weather. Travis has either had the van or we've had to take him to work in case we needed it. We have a car today so I think Noelle and I are going to go to the library for a bit this morning just to get out. If I end up having a c-section in a few weeks, then we won't be going anywhere for a while so we need to get out while I'm still moving. I'm going to bake a turkey for dinner tonight ... already looking forward to that and as far as I know, we'll have a normal Friday evening in. I got a new Netflix this week and guess what I rented .... Robin Hood, Prince of Theives! You know, the one with Kevin Costner from the eighties. I've been wanting to watch that for weeks for some reason. :) (Sing with me now .... "everything I do, I do it fooooooor Youuuuuuuu."

I've also been getting some scrapbooking done. This online class that I'm taking just rocks. It's getting me fired up about working with my scrapbook stuff and just having fun. This week's project was to make a little mini album of some event that you just hadn't gotten around to scrapping. So ... I made a baby book for our dogs. :) We have so many cute puppy pictures of them that were just stuffed in an album on the shelf where they wouldn't get beat up, so I made a tiny book of them. Travis loved it, which I thought was cool. It's hard to be believe these two eighty pound monsters were ever small like this.

Cover:



Inside journalling and first pic:



Overview of the book:





You can see them bigger over at Flickr. :-)


Things that make you happy. From the mind of Nattie Rose.

Diet A&W rootbeer. So craving it right now.

Public libraries with lots of puzzles.

Sesame Street ringtone on my phone.

Snow this week.

Cocoa puffs cereal.

All-done laundry.

Sharpies in lots of colors.

Noelle saying Cinderella ("Qwella") and calling the fairy godmother "bob boo" after the song she sings. :-)

Dr. Report Update

Off to watch Lost with Travis, but a quick update on my Dr. appointment today ... Baby is now turned down, but not at all dropping, so really nothing is progressing. We've gone ahead and put a c-section on the Dr.'s schedule for January 30, a week from Monday, because that was the only opening she had for several weeks. At that point, I'll be almost a week overdue so PRAY that baby girl decides to come on her own ... I really don't want another c-section.

CD Review

When I don't get to have my own way
I will trust in You
For You know what is best
When tears begin to roll down my face
I will trust in You
For You are good, You are good

Soveriegn One

Recently, I was given the privilege to review a CD titled Awesome God, a children's worship CD produced and put out by Sovereign Grace Ministries. The goal of this CD was unique. It takes principles and characteristics of our heavenly Father and, without dumbing them down at all, presents them to kids in a simple, rockin' way that gets the message across. The music doesn't assume that every child that listens to this CD has accepted Christ but speaks (or sings) about basic theology that even adults have a hard time getting their mind around! The lyrics I quoted above are from one such song that spoke to me lyrically - a theme I've wrestled with all year is the soveriegnty of God and how He can be good ALL the time. These lyrics couldn't spell it out any plainer.

As far as production quality, this CD is fabulous. The band rocks and there is a great mix of adults and kids that sing lead on the songs. And, what I though was uber-cool - you can pick your own cover for the CD from four options that come with it. (I went for the Zebra.) :)

Bottom line ... I will definitely be passing this CD on to our Children's crew at church and hope to hear several of these songs as special music down the road! If you are interested in this CD, you can find more information and song samples here.

There was no payment involved in this CD review, other than a great free CD! :-)

This and That (... or so random that it's almost painful)

It is 2:38 p.m. here and I just got dressed. We haven't had a day like this in some time! Noelle is still in her jammies, and is watching Toy Story in lieu of a nap today. She did spend over an hour on her bed reading books and talking to herself, so I let her get up and come lay in here. We have had a leisurely morning. My neice had given Noelle some playdoh for Christmas and we got it out for the first time and sat at the table with it. She wasn't sure what to think of it at first. (Of course, it was tasted and pronounced yucky). But then she would tell me things to make out of it - a square, an elephant and a baby. (My elephant rocked, by the way). :-) Then, while she played with her trainset for a bit, I mixed up a batch of Cheryl's pumpkin muffins, and they are quite tasty. I will be making those again! That really was the extent of our plans for the day. Noelle is going to my parents' for the evening and to spend the night. We haven't figured out what we are going to do yet - we talked about going to see a movie (either Cheaper by the Dozen 2 or King Kong probably) or we may just go to the bookstore and wander around, without having to take turns going to sit with Noelle in the kid's section and look at Elmo book after Elmo book after Elmo book. :-) This week has just been so busy with errands and such - or at least the last two days have been that way. But, I really don't mind being up and moving. Maybe it will jumpstart the baby into moving! :-) I had some pretty painful Braxton-Hicks while at Target yesterday, but nothing worth timing.

PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT!!
If you use Shutterfly to process your digital prints, you MUST go over to Kim's blog and check out the great discount codes that she has collected for Shutterfly. This morning I ordered 87 4x6 prints, 6 5x7's, and 5 custom greeting cards ALL FOR FREE (except shipping). AND I still have 58 free 4x6, 22 free 5x7, 29 free 8x10, and one free 16x20 picture coming to me whenever I can get back over there and order more pics!!



Appetizer
Name one chore you don't really mind doing.
Washing dishes. We don't have a dishwasher (and haven't for some time) so I guess I'm just used to it. Now, granted, I don't like scrubbing the big pots when stuff is stuck all over them, but who does?

Soup
How many times have you moved homes in your life?
Right now, I am in my 14th place of residence, counting from birth on. I am happy that we have no move planned in the immediate future, and we figure with double sets of bunk beds we can get up to 5 kids in this two bedroom house before we have to move. :-)

Salad
How old were you when you had your very first kiss?
30. *blush* The only person I've kissed is my husband. *blush*

Main Course
What time of day do you usually feel your best?
If I get up before everyone else, and have some time alone, then early mornings are good for me. But, that hasn't happened while pregnant and the whole needing-sleep thing, so normally, I'm most productive now around 9:30 - 11:30 a.m.

Dessert
Using three words or less, describe your current local weather.
Rainy, wet, cool.


Things that make you happy. From the mind of Nattie Rose.

Rainy days

Jammies

Diet Coke (yes, I just drank one!) :-)

Colored pens and color coding my calendar.

A $30 birthday scrapbook store gift certificate burning a hole in my purse.

Guys with beards. coughTraviscough

My part-time job with my church ... so thankful that I ENJOY working this job.

Country music (okay, I've been on a country music kick lately ... the old stuff that I listened to in college and just burned a mix CD of those songs). Maybe I'll list them below.

Qwella a.k.a. Cinderella (as Noelle calls her).

Okay, my country mix CD that I made, and then I'm done!

Big Deal, Leann Rimes

Crazy Little Thing Called Love, Dwight Yokum

Deeper Than the Holler, Randy Travis

Forever and Ever, Amen, Randy Travis (Yes, I'm a HUGE Randy fan.)

How Your Love Makes Me Feel, Diamond Rio

I Hope You Dance, LeeAnn Womack (sang this one at a baby dedication at our church once *sniff*)

Imagine That, Diamond Rio

John Deere Greene, Joe Diffie

King of the Road, originally by Roger Miller, this is Randy Travis' version

Now That I Found You, Terry Clark (I really thought this song would have been cool in my wedding, but totally cheesy. I was voted down). :-)

Passionate Kisses, Mary Chapin Carpenter

Perfect Love, Trisha Yearwood

Single White Female, Chely Wright

So Help Me Girl, Joe Diffie

Two of a Kind Working on a Full House, Garth Brooks

Valentine, Martine McBride

When I Said I Do, Clint Black

When You Say Nothing at All, Allison Krauss

Whisper My Name, Randy Travis

I would have put several Jo Dee Messina songs on there, but I have misplaced that CD - Bye Bye, Heads Caroline Tails California, etc. :-)

End 'o the Day

Dr. appointment today went well. I'm 70% effaced, still no dialation at 2 weeks before due date. We had yet another look at the girl with the ultrasound cart wheeled into the exam room and I'm still carrying quite a bit of extra fluid. The Dr. mainly wanted to see if the baby was started to turn and she is ... her head is down near my right hip and her little hands are about at my pelvic bone. The Dr. requested I not deliver next week as she's off all week, but I'm making no promises. hehehe :-)

I've been doing some more scrapbooking ... it makes it so worth it when Noelle crawls up in her Daddy's lap and looks at pictures and talks about them.

This was my project for week two of my Donna Downey scrapbooking class ... so much fun to put together. Now, all the pictures weren't black and white, but easy to turn them that way when I got them printed through Costco. (Note: They have a deal on Costco developing when you first sign up online, you can get 20 free prints).

And!!!! I got an email from Donna herself ... in my book, that's pretty cool. :-)

Tomorrow I have to run Noelle to the pediatrician to get her ear checked since her ear infection about 2 weeks ago.

My Mom has offered to keep Noelle overnight on Friday night (we have a staff meeting at church on Saturday morning). Travis and I (I think) are going to go to a movie, but I'm not sure what. If I had to pick, it would be between Cheaper by the Dozen 2 and King Kong. I think Travis will probably vote for King Kong.

Four Things

Have you de-lurked yourself today?

Four jobs you've had in your life:
Dishwasher (work-study program in college)
Daycare worker
Paralegal
Church administrator & music coordinator

Four movies you would watch over and over:
Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (I don't know why, but #2 is my favorite)
You've Got Mail
Star Wars
Sound of Music

Four places you have lived:
Oklahoma City, OK
Garland (Dallas), TX
Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Siloam Springs, AR

Four TV shows you love to watch:
West Wing
Lost
24 (with husband, probably wouldn't watch by myself)
CSI (the original only)

Four places you have been on vacation:
Yellowstone (twice)
Puget Sound
British Columbia
Washington D.C.

Four websites you visit daily:
W@H
Bloglines
The Big Picture Scrapbooking
Amazon (not necessarily every day)

Four of your favorite foods:
Gyros
Buffalo chicken sandwiches
Mexican food
popcorn

Four places you would rather be right now:
showering :-)
Shopping with unlimited money to shop
...I can't think of anywhere else! :-)

Four bloggers you are tagging:
I don't know...if you read this and haven't done it, go for it! :-)

We have our 38 week appointment this afternoon, will try and get back later to update.

De-Lurk Yourself

As declared by Sheryl, this week is De-Lurking Week!

Show yourself! I would really like to know who is out there, especially as we'll soon be adding pictures of kidlet #2. :-)

In other news, not too much to report. I go back to the Dr. for my next check up on Wednesday afternoon so hoping that things are progressing even more. It's getting harder and harder to sleep at night ... I don't remember being this uncomfortable with Noelle. I've been getting up about every hour and half to switch from bed to couch to chair and back again. I think I'll probably end up getting more sleep when I have the baby at home and am nursing. :-) We are so ready for her to join our family. This past Sunday was my first week off of music team since I don't know when. It was nice to be able to get ready for church a little more leisurely and sit and enjoy the music. (I'm still doing some work for church, but Thursday night music rehearsals and Sunday morning rehearsals and singing are checked off my to-do's for now). This week I'm going to print several weeks of bulletins ahead and update the church's website as much as I can.

Seen at Nattie's:





what decade does your personality live in?


quiz brought to you by lady interference, ltd

Happy Saturday and late Friday Felicities

Just a quick hello before getting out for a bit this cool Saturday morning. We actually saw a few snowflakes yesterday. Nothing stuck unfortunately. :-) I'm such a cold-weather person. But, it's pretty cold outside so that is just as good! Nothing big on the agenda today. I'm going out with some girlfriends this evening for a late celebration of my birthday and another friend's. We're going to Smokey Bones (BBQ) - I've never been there, but it sounds yummy. I think we'll probably just eat and then go get coffee or something. Anyway, today we're going to take some stuff to Goodwill, did some vacuuming this morning and picked up a bunch of Noelle's toys, and just general straightening. My sister also gave me some scrapbooking money last week for my birthday and I'm hoping for a quick stop at the scrapbook store. I've got my eye on an album for the new baby. I realized about 2 weeks ago that I had given NO thought to getting an album for her ... and I call myself a scrapper. :-)

Anyway, I've done a pretty good job this week with my checklist. Noelle's suitcase is packed as of yesterday and my bag is ready for the hospital with the exception of grabbing the toothbrushes and bathroom stuff. I also made a MASSIVE grocery store run to Aldi's and Sam's and the cabinets and my new Christmas freezer are stocked. Travis also specifically asked for a turkey since we didn't have one down here for Christmas and that sounded good to him, so I bought one. That will be one of my few projects for this week. Cook it and having him carve it up and then freeze the meat for cassarole and soups. That is one of the things that I've really learned this year with working on how to simplify my life - one of the crucial things to help me not be stressed is to have a good meal planning system. I've now been doing my once a month meal planning for probably 2 years now, and this year saw some fine-tuning and polishing of my system. Two things that I did that helped was instituting Friday Night Pizza Night and always making something in my crockpot on Wednesday. Not major things, but they made such a difference - not having to come up with something to make on Friday night when I'm tired and Travis is tired and I just don't feel like making anything for dinner. Pizza is quick and easy to whip out and Travis and Noelle would eat it 3 times a week if I'd make it, so there are never complaints. :-) Then there is my crockpot-Wednesday plan - Wednesday is Bible study day and then Travis does tutoring after he gets off work at our church. It's also Awana night and my sister's family always stops by to hang out here for about 30-45 minutes before they have to be at Awana. It never worked for me to try to get dinner put together when we have everyone drop in and if I remember to get my act together and have something already in process in my crockpot, it makes it easier.

Next week my Bible study starts back up. We're working through The Patriarchs by Beth Moore, and I'm already feeling some jabs in my spirit where I think the Lord may be working on me. I think it will be a good study and I'm looking forward to it.

Here are my late Friday Felicities and hope you all have a wonderful weekend. :-)


Things that make you happy. From the mind of Nattie Rose.

Noelle let me put a barrette in her hair 2 days in a row!!!

Dinner out with girlfriends.

Full cupboards.

Getting scrapbook pages done!

Sitting with Noelle, looking at said scrapbook pages.

Checking things off my list.

Late Christmas cards that are a surprise to get.

Genesis.

Colored pens.

Cheetos.

One of my closest friends had her little girl, Sadie Margaret, yesterday ... eight days early. She was only 6 lbs., 12 oz. and sooooo cute. :-) Here's hoping mine comes 8 days early!! We had the 37 week appointment yesterday and things are shifting in the baby department, but no real progress to report. My swelling (amniotic fluid) is going down so I didn't measure as big as the week before, and I think she's dropped some. I'm having an easier time breathing and such. So, still in the holding pattern around here. Just as an FYI, I'm giving my sister lessons on posting to my blog so that she can inform folks when babygirl arrives. We won't leave anyone in the dark. :-)

I've mentioned that I'm taking an online (my first) scrapbooking class with Big Picture Scrapbooking. This was our project for week 1 - to cover our daily planner.



I was going to cover my Simple Scrapbook calendar that I am using for 2006 scrapbooking inspiration, but I'm having to have a new one sent to me ... the back cover keeps falling off so I'm holding out until the new one comes. Anyway, I liked how it turned out. The planner was red originally, and although the instructions suggested spray painting the cover some color, I liked the combo of the red next to the chocolate-y brown paper. Chocolate-y brown is such a comfort color for me - not the most exotic paper I had to cover it with, but one I knew I would enjoy looking at for a long while.

This morning is all about grocery shopping so I need to get a move on it. Noelle is watching a Sesame Street that my Dad taped for her off of Tivo, and I need to get us both dressed so we can head out the door shortly.

2006 Mount to be Read

I posted on W@H my list of books that I would like to read in 2006. These are books that are on my shelf that I have had good intentions of reading and just never get around to it because I'm bad about rereading fiction that is easy and doesn't make me think. :-)

* means I want to reread it.
** means I've started it and need to finish it.

~ Mere Christianity, C.S. Lewis
~ The Marriage Builder, Larry Crabb** (I read bits and pieces of this during our pre-marital counselling and want to read the whole thing).
~ Discipline: The Glad Surrender, Elisabeth Elliott
~ Freedom of Simplicity, Richard Foster
~ Fresh Brewed Life, Nicole Johnson*
~ Adventures in Prayer, Catherine Marshall
~ Stepping Heavenward, Elizabeth Prentiss
~ Knowing Scripture, R.C. Sproul
~ When You Rise Up, R.C. Sproul, Jr.
~ The Hidden Art of Homemaking, Edith Schaeffer
~ Confessions of an Organized Homemaker, Denise Schofield
~ Confessions of a Happily Organized Family, Denise Schofield
~ Well Trained Mind, Susan Wise Bauer
~ Strong Willed Child, James Dobson
~ Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World, Joanna Weaver

Books by Elizabeth George:
~ Loving God with All Your Mind
~ A Mom after God's Own Heart
~ Beautiful in God's Eyes*
~ A Woman's Call to Prayer**

Fiction:
~ Pride & Prejudice, Jane Austin
~ Chronicles of Narnia, books 2-7, C.S. Lewis*
~ The Secret Garden, Frances Hodgson Burnett*
~ Emma, Jane Austin
~ The Witness, Dee Henderson
~ Wrinkle in Time, Madeline L'Engle*

This week...

This is my projected to-do list for the week ... there is other miscillaneous stuff but this isthe nuts and bolts of the stuff I need to cross off. We celebrated my birthday with my family yesterday with a massive steak lunch - super yummy! My sister got me a pair of Crocs and I'm so hooked. Already contemplating what color my second pair needs to be. :)

Tonight:

Pack bags for hospital and for Noelle.

Work on my list of books to read for 2006 a la W@H.

Tuesday:

Go by church to put away and pull some music.

Toddler Time at library with Noelle.

Meet with Cecilia 15-30 minutes?

Noelle haircut.

Work on menu planning and grocery list for January.

Wednesday:

Start new Bible study, The Patriarchs, by Beth Moore - prep for first study next week.

Baby appointment, 37 weeks.

Finish grocery list and menu planning.

Work on Week 1 project for online scrapbooking class.

Thursday:

Print day/church work/desk day

Grocery trip to Aldi's

Music team (for Travis) ... I'm on maternity leave!!! :)

Finish addressing baby announcement envelopes. All but about 4!

Friday:

Wash bedding.

Clean bathroom.

Lunch with my Mom and sister. (Give Kathy the "to-call" list for baby's arrival). Moved from Tuesday, sister sick. :-(

Stew chicken.

Return library DVDs.

This weekend:

Girlfriend birthday dinner for me and Kerry!

What Mommies Do on Their Birthday/New Year's Eve

What did you do in 2005 that you've never done before?
Bought a mini-van; visited D.C. with my husband and daughter; and made money at card making.

Did you keep your New Years' resolutions and will you make more for next year?
My goal was to simplify my life in several different areas and I did. I learned the important lesson of being able to say "no" to some things so that I could say "yes" to more time with my family and those things that were important to me. We cleaned out a lot of stuff and simplified household possessions and I worked hard on my meal planning and kitchen organization to make healthier meals for my family from scratch.

Did anyone close to you give birth?
So many!! Amy, Laura, Cheri, Erin, Melissa, Kathleen and Kathryn.

Did anyone close to you die?
My maternal Granddad and my paternal Grandma.

What countries did you visit?
None...

What would you like to have in 2006 that you lacked in 2005?
A better routine a reading the Bible daily.

What date from 2004 will remained etched in your memory and why?
Not really any one in particular, although special day stand out such as the day we found out we were pregnant again and the day we found out about baby girl #2.

What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Something that I am still really working on, learning how to handle being hurt by those who are close to me and take it to the Lord.

What was your biggest failure?
My selfishness in my marriage, same as last year; getting sloppy with my housekeeping the last few months as this pregnancy has been harder.

Did you suffer illness or injury?
Does pregnancy count? :-)

What was the best thing you bought?
Our mini-van!

Where did most of your money go?
New (much-needed) car, new plumbing under our house, from the house to the street, water line, major bathroom renovations, and a new air-conditioner/heater. All about household repairs this year.

What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Expecting again. The new, reliable mini-van. Every new, cute, adorable thing that Noelle says. :-)

What song will always remind you of 2004?
For All You've Done by Hillsongs Worship music

Compared to this time last year are you:
a. Happier or sadder? Not really one or the other - my hormones are so wacked out right now that I can't commit to one or the other!
b. thinnier or fatter? 3 weeks from due date so a little larger than before. :-)
c. richer or poorer? Poorer!

What do you wish you'd done more of?
Scrapbooking, reading my Bible, journalling. (Same as last year!) Plus cleaning on my house, reading more non-fiction books that I let stack up.

What do you wish you'd done less of?
Mindless surfing on the computer, reading some fiction.

How did you spend Christmas?
With my husband and daughter, then with my local church family, then with my side of the family.

Did you fall in love in 2004?
Yes, with the new little life that is inside me.

What was your favorite TV show?
We rarely seem to catch shows on TV, but we loved renting on DVD: CSI, West Wing, Lost and Alias

What was the best book you read?
I probably most enjoyed Traci Dupree's Lake Emily Series (A Can of Peas, Dandilions in a Glass Jar, and Aprons on a Clothesline); the scrapbooking book The Big Picture by Stacey Julian; and Elizabeth Elliott's book, Beautiful in God's Eyes, on the Proverbs 31 woman.

What was your greatest musical discovery of 2004?
Downloading whole CDs from iTunes.

What did you want and get?
A new car/mini-van. To be expecting a 2nd baby.

What did you want and not get?
I honestly can't think of anything.

What was your favorite film this year?
We saw so few this year ... but I loved Narnia.

What did you do on your birthday? How old were you?
That was today (35). We took Noelle to the Drs. for an ear infection, ran a few errands (Target & Michaels), met my Mom to run an errand, and am now hanging out at home with the family, bringing in the new year.

What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
To have made strides in daily Bible reading and personal study.

How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2005?
Maternity

What kept you sane?
Normalcy of my routine with my husband and daughter, and their constancy. The Lord's soveriegnty.

Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
No one in particular...

What political issue stirred you the most?
Sadly, I can't think of one. Wait, I now don't drink or patronize Starbucks because of what they support
.

Who did you miss?
My Grandma Smith who died.

Who was the best new person you met?
I feel like I've been able to meet some of my favorite scrappers who's work I admire through their blogs. Donna Downey, Stacey Julian, etc.

Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.
Jesus, I Am Resting, Resting

Jesus I am resting resting
In the joy of what Thou art
I am finding out the greatness
Of Thy loving heart
Thou hast bid me gaze upon Thee
And Thy beauty fills my soul
For by Thy transforming power
Thou hast made me whole

Oh how great Thy loving kindness
Vaster broader than the sea
Oh how marvelous Thy goodness
Lavished all on me
Yes I rest in Thee Beloved
Know what wealth of grace is Thine
Know Thy certainty of promise
And have made it mine

Simply trusting Thee Lord Jesus
I behold Thee as Thou art
And Thy love so pure so changeless
Satisfies my heart
Satisfies its deepest longings
Meets supplies its ev'ry need
Compasseth me 'round with blessings
Thine is love indeed

Ever lift Thy face upon me
As I work and wait for Thee
Resting 'neath Thy smile Lord Jesus
Earth's dark shadows flee
Brightness of my Father's glory
Sunshine of my Father's face
Keep me ever trusting resting
Fill me with Thy grace

Jesus I am resting resting
In the joy of what Thou art
I am finding out the greatness
Of Thy loving heart