Friday's THE day!

Tomorrow we sign on the dotted line and this home is no longer ours.

Tomorrow is also the day I go in the morning for my 3 hour glucose test since I failed the 1 hour.......I guess I didn't study enough! Poor baby Sophie - I hope everything's okay in there. I hope she's not missing any nutrition since I'm having to fast - again.

Tomorrow is the day when I start packing my first box of "stuff". I really haven't packed a thing. Not one.

Tomorrow is a day off from work (thankfully!)

Tomorrow is the start of living with the in-laws for a while. Aren't there TV shows about this??

And tomorrow is the day Boog & I get serious about the question - to buy or to build? Hmmmmmm........

Finally, tomorrow is the day where Boog & I can finally yell -in Dave Ramsey's words - "FREEDOM!". We did it. : )

Tomorrow just might be a good day!

Bible Journey: Leviticus 14:1-Leviticus 20:1

A Memory Sheds Light

Michelangelo's Slave Series

My last year in college, my dad offered to me a trip I couldn't refuse. 10 days traveling through Italy, by myself. Well, I say by myself, but it was with a group of strangers and a tour guide, so really - it was by myself. We would travel through 6 different cities in 10 days.....I couldn't say no.

I had been dating Boog for a few months and I was going to miss him desperately, but it didn't matter. I had to go. I remember being very excited about two things: 1) seeing Venice and floating in a gondola and 2) going to Florence (for obvious reasons). Really, I was excited about going somewhere on my own. Independence is a great thing sometimes, especially for a 22 year old.

I remember visiting all the "hyped" up places - the supposed touristy spots - and being greatly let down. Rome, I thought was overcrowded (although Julius Caesar's burial sight was intense). Florence, as beautiful as I had heard it was going to be, seemed to be a bit more "shopping oriented" and not as interesting as I thought it would be. And Venice....well, Venice always pleases....although without Boog there, it's just a boat in some murky water - you need your love interest in that city!

However, on the trip, I was suprised at how amazed I was by things I hadn't even thought about. First and foremost, the best memory I have is seeing the statue of The David in the Vatican. It took my breath away and lined along the hallway as you approach him, are these unfinished sculptures. The "Slave" series. Unfinished forms that seem to be emerging from stone....beautiful because they look like they are trapped - or are they almost free? It's the glass half-full, half-empty debate. They are lovely. I also loved the smaller, less known towns, walking around by myself, dipping my feet in the Mediterrenean Sea, and writing on the wall of the supposed balcony scene of Romeo & Juliet "Flo loves Boog". (Sappy, I know....but it's still there!)

Anyway, I was reminded of those unexpected pleasures the other day. I thought about how, like life, those "big events"....the things you think are going to bring you the most happiness or joy usually pale in comparison to the smaller, unpexpected joyful moments. Like seeing my daughter crack a joke. Or baking cookies that actually turn out good. Or laughing with Boog at something silly a football player said during a post-game interview.

So this Friday, when we close on this house, I have to remind myself about those "big events". That it's just a place. It's just a house. This "big event" will become unspectacular in my memory, but it's the smaller things that will stay there. I can't remember one thing about Rome really.....but those emerging, unfinished statues have stayed in there for quite a while - even with my alzheimerish, pregnant brain memory!

(So yes, we are still in motion to close on our house in just four short days. I haven't packed one thing. Not one. Partially because I haven't had the time, and partially because I know the real estate world good enough to know that anything can happen from here until the dotted line is signed. Anything. Once it's signed though, it's go time. Packing, Moving....to where? We still don't know our end destination. My prayer this morning was for God to open doors and allow us to easily walk through them with confidence and faith. It always seems like whenever I'm trying to push my own agenda, that's when it gets hard to walk through those doors....even hard to see those doors. When it's not my agenda and soley His, those doors seem to open effortlessly.......with ease and comfort and peace.)

Bible Journey: Leviticus 5:1-14:1

Something happy, Something annoying, and Something Stressful

Let's start with the happy.

My face has been really happy for the past 3 months with this new product found at Wally-World for around $6 bucks. Allure Magazine gave it their "Best Product" award, so I tried it. I've been searching for a cleanser that would make my skin quit doing the teenagery thing of breaking out - this has worked! 3 months now and I can't remember my last breakout. Good stuff!

Now the annoying.

Hollister - ugh. I've never been in your store until today. And I'll never go back. My preggo brain left my sweet niece's birthday out in left field somewhere, so I ran out to the nearest mall to get a gift certificate to stick in the mail. She's 13. She's entered the world of Hollister apparently, and that's what she wanted. Upon arriving, first off, I'm old now and I could barely hear the young cash register gal for sake of the loud music blaring. Second, I had two choices in gift cards. Option # 1 had two almost naked teens making out on the front......Option #2 had one almost naked man on the front, baring his waxed chest. Hmmmmmm......which one should a 13 year old receive? NONE. I chose the lesser of two evils (is there really such a thing?) - the almost naked man - and quickly called my sister so she could intercept the scathing gift card and just tell my niece how much Aunt Flo said she can spend. I should have said no to both and gotten out of that place. Shoulda, coulda, woulda..........I'm kicking myself.

And finally, the STRESSFUL.

Little bit of background. Last year, almost one year exactly, we toyed with the idea of selling our sweet, little home. We were planning on trying for baby #2, and we needed something bigger. Not huge, just bigger. A sweet elderly couple fell in love with our home, put a contract on it, and tried to sell their own house. Their house never sold, so our house never got sold. We stayed put, took our house off the market, and good thing we did, because it took us over a year to get this little bun in my rapidly growing oven. We didn't need a bigger home at that time. (Need is a funny word anyway, I don't need any size home. I would like a bigger closet, but I don't need one!)

Fast forward to a week ago . We got a phone call. The sweet elderly couple finally got a contract on their house. They're closing next Friday. NEXT Friday. They want to buy our house again, and want to close on ours NEXT Friday, too. NEXT Friday. (Did I say that already?)

What do Boog & I do? We accept. We have a baby on the way, it's the holidays, but we we accept. Because? Now we sort of, kind of, would like a home that fits this growing family. Not huge, just bigger. God has His perfect plan, doesn't He? I'm a bit stressed, but we'll be packing up our things and heading to the in-laws for a while to figure out whether we build, buy, rent, shuffle along the street.....whatever. Pray for Boog & I to keep our sanity please!

Bible Journey: Leviticus 4:1- 5:1

Sophie's First Picture

Lil' Sophie...can you spot her face?

This was a 3D shot taken back at 20 weeks, and I'm finally getting it on bloggerville after a little encouragement from friend (ahem...Keri!). I loved seeing her little lips and eyes....nose.....

Sophie's getting to be quite the mover and shaker these days. I can't remember pregnancy being quite this uncomfortable.....approaching 7 months now....it's definitely taking it's toll on my body a bit more. Backrubs are always good.

Things have started to slow down at the homefront, which is nice. But in school, things are just gearing up. (Note to all parents out there.....give your child's teacher a note of encouragement over the next few weeks. The kiddos and their craziness around the holidays is enough to make any sane teacher wonder why she didn't get certified in anything else - accounting, lawyering, fencing, aerobicizing.....anything other than teaching! : )

My Boog is running in a 30 mile trail run tomorrow. Yep - 30 miles. I'm good if I'm walking .03 miles these days.........I'm using Sophie as an excuse. I'll get back on track after she's born.....I'm thinking Pilates classes. Anyone interested?

Bible Journey: Leviticus 1:1-4:1