Blogger Bates

I'm really having a frustrating night and I've got so much going on in my brain I can't sleep. Plus I have clothes in the dryer still, so I can't go to bed until they're done anyway. I guess I better liven up this post with some randomosity. For starters, I might as well mention I'm wearing the ugliest shirt ever. It's a shirt Mike got during college and it's bright red and says something about U of U Finance on it. I basically took it over because it's ginormous. And since nothing else fits this pregnant body anymore, I like to wear it to bed or around the house. I recently spilled some bleach on it while doing the laundry, but that didn't stop me from keeping it. Mike thought I might finally get rid of it. He was pretty bummed to realize I wanted to hold on to it. Hey, desperate times, desperate measures. It's like one of the few t-shirts that actually covers me up. Mike doesn't hesitate to let me know how hideous he thinks the shirt is. Sexy? No. Comfortable? Yes. And at this point in my life, I'll go for comfort over hot. Pretty sad, right? I feel apathy setting in. I'm just getting so exhausted. Yes, pregnancy blah blah blah blah. You've heard it from me before. I hate it. I am so tired, so swollen, so fat, so hormonal, so achy, and all that other garbage. But mostly I am just mentally not with it. My brain feels like it's in a frying pan half the time. It's worse when I have a night like tonight. Blah.
Hey, you know what annoys me, even more than pregnancy? Waking up to find that my almost 5 year old son missed the mark when he got out of bed in the middle of the night to use toilet. It happens all the time, in fact. Is he too sleepy or unconscious to aim that thing? Perhaps. But mopping up the floor every morning is beginning to be a joke.
So I was thinking tonight.... Remember how being single was so easy? Nobody to account for. Nobody to answer to. Nobody to make decisions with and fight with over said decisions. Being able to do what I want when I want. Spending money how I want. No responsibility for anyone but myself. Oh, what am I saying? I must be more tired than I thought. Marriage is great, even though it's hard. Yes, it's hard. It's so freaking hard sometimes. But it's good. It's more good than bad. Right? You married people agree? Don't you? DON'T YOU?!?!?
So....I don't want to start a new day tomorrow. Blah. Same thing, different day. I'm being such a pessimist right now, geez. I need a good night sleep. Oh my heck, it's so hot in here. It always feels hot to me. I leave the window open at night and Mike freezes under the blankets while I can't seem to cool off. Must be that extra layer of fat. Oh, and the hormones. Did I mention how tired of pregnancy I am? And as tired as I am of it, I don't want to have this baby early. And here's why. First off, this week is packed. Appointments, appointments, errands, Trunk or Treat, ward Halloween party and chili cook-off (which I signed up for, for some reason), Vessel's birthday party, stake conference, stake conference (with Dallin H. Oaks!!!), Halloween.....Then next week Mike will be working LONG hours because of earnings season, and I don't want to have the baby when he won't be able to take any time off. Plus, I'd really like to have this baby on my due date. It would be the coolest birthday ever. So, I guess I'll just complain about being pregnant until it's over with. Then I can complain about how difficult life is with 3 children. :) Something for you to enjoy. Ha, I'm really in a bad mood right now. I think I should stop writing before I type more things I'll probably regret. Here's hoping for a better day when I wake up in the morning. Or I should say, get woken up by my crying 16 month old or my early rising 5 year old. One of those. :)

Today's Random Thoughts:

1. I like fat ball point pens. 1.4 mm. So smooth...

2. After about a week, I can finally smell and taste again! Never knew how much I under-appreciated those two senses!

3. I love the frosted mini wheats with a touch of fruit in the middle. I don't care if they've got high fructose corn syrup in them, either. They are delicious.

4. I still hate my new phone. Thanks a lot, AT&T.

5. Almond Breeze almond milk is way better than Silk almond milk. In case you wanted to know.

6. I really like listening to the Bare Naked Ladies, but pretty much only like the songs Steven Page sings on. I can't stand that other guy.

7. It's kind of interesting when you realize you've passed down some attribute or characteristic to your kids. For instance, Vessel has a serious oral fixation, just like me. Always gotta be chewing on something. I can usually find him with his fingers in his mouth.

8. We made homemade ketchup the other day. It was good, but probably wasn't worth the trouble.

9. Our guitar teacher is very odd. And very manly, did I mention that? But she knows her stuff, so I gotta give her props.

10. This seems like a good number to end on. I think I'll eat a poptart now.

Thoughts and musings of my day today:

Salame.

It's been awhile.

It's wishing day all day today.

I love guacamole.

Remember ska punk?

I want a king size bed.

I hate it when people feel left out. It's sad.

Frozen leftover Halloween chocolate=yummy little treat after dinner.

Drain is clogged. Must be all that hair I'm losing. I might need Rogaine for women.

My freckles are starting to come out. Or are those just age spots?

Remember rubber cement? Ah, grade school....

I like meatless meat.

How hard is it to flush the toilet? I mean, seriously kid.

What am I passionate about? Good question....

Should I have more kids?

New goal=Stop being ashamed

Chi

Toss this all together, add some corn chips and cheese and you've got yourself some randomosity nachos.

The good, the bad, and the terribly hideous

* Swollen feet

* Swollen ankles

* Swollen fingers (they look like sausages people!)

* Aches and pains (majorly)

* Comments from strangers (e.g. "Wow! You're big!", "You must be having a huge baby!", "Have a nice day, and congratulations!", "You look miserable!", "You look like you're ready to pop!", etc. etc.)

* Napping everyday

* Waddling

* Getting up to pee more times in the night than I'd like to (more than any normal person would like to, I'm sure.)

* Underestimating my ability to fit through tight spaces

* Lacking energy

* Inability to see my feet

* Bending over is a joke

* No comfortable sleep positions

* Anxiety (biggest fear right now: baby's head will be too big to fit through me and I'll have to have a Cesarean section.)

* Late night punches and kicks from the little man

* Feeling like I could drink gallons and gallons of ice water

* No names picked out yet (no, babe, we cannot name our son Jack Bauer Bates."

* Nothing fits (yikes)

* 3 more weeks *sigh*

~I know, more randomosity? Who knew my life was so random?

~I can't stand Kathie Lee Gifford.

~I'm sick of my clothes. When I look at my closet I realize that nothing in there defines me. I need a makeover...

~...but I need to lose some poundage before going out to buy a new wardrobe.

~I'm nervous. Change is coming, I can feel it.

~My new favorite quote from Mike: "I might have a girlish voice, but I'm all man down there."

~I just got a package in the mail from my dear friend! Hooray hooray! I love getting mail.

~Frozen "Go-gurts" are a super yummy treat. Go try one.

~I found out today that my cousin is engaged. Good for her. Too bad I can't go to the wedding.

~It's snowing here. Somebody shoot me in the head.

~Why do I take everything so personally? I've gotta stop that. Some things just have NOTHING to do with me so I shouldn't let them affect me.

Thoughts and events from last week:

~I think my kid must be pretty lazy because if given the choice to either put away his toys or put his nose in the corner, he chooses the corner and takes himself there without a fight.

~Monday: I tried going to bed early last night and it backfired. I fell asleep around 9:30 and woke up at 2:30. I just wasn't tired anymore. And for the life of me I couldn't get back to sleep. I ended up laying awake with lots of thoughts swimming around in my brain until the sun came up. My little plan to go to bed early backfired and I now I'm super grumpy today.

~Tuesday: I was downstairs this morning when the urge to pee came on so I used the guest bathroom. And to my disappointment, my uncle put the roll of TP on the wrong way while he was staying here! The wrong way being TP coming from under instead of over the roll. Can I get an amen on this one?

~My kid's favorite phrase: "No, Mommy."

~We're getting chickens! We are building a chicken coop and can't wait to have lots 'o eggs soon!

~I get jealous of other people's cute blogs. :(

~I can never find any pens when I need one!!!

~I'm so proud of Mike for passing his Series 7 test!!! Great job, babe.

~Some friends are only for a season, some are forever. I'm thankful for both. I am thankful for my newest friend K.

~After 5 years of marriage we finally got a start on our food storage. 400 lbs. of wheat and a wheat grinder. It's a major accomplishment for us.

~Saturday: The circus was overstimulating. I have a headache. And I felt sorry for the animals.

~My knees have been killing me lately. I feel like a 90 year old decrepit woman.

~Should we give our kid Easter presents?

~It is cherry blossom season in Japan. I want to move back.

~Gotta get the taxes done, gotta get the taxes done.

~A yummy soup we tried this week that I'd recommend:
~My new favorite beverage:

~I got a paper cut on my lip. My lip! Ridiculous. It hurts like a mo-fo.

~Mike found a gray hair on my head yesterday. I made him pluck it out. No, no, no, no! I will not embrace getting older.

~Vessel locked himself in his room the other day. I didn't think he'd actually figure out how to do that. I think it might be best to change the doorknob on the door to his room so he doesn't freak out again that he can't get out, and I won't freak out that I can't get in. Aye, aye, aye!

~So I saw this advertisement for a thing called Mozy where you upload all your files online in the event your hard drive crashes or your laptop gets run over by a semi-truck. Seriously, who would do that? Put all your important info out there on the interwebz? It seems a bit risky to me.

~The dry air of Montana is wreaking havoc on my skin! I've never experienced such dry, cracked hands before in my life.

~I know it was a week ago, but I can't believe Jason let go of Jillian. I really liked that broad!

~I'm feeling a little out of sorts. I swear if I didn't know better, (and the test was negative) I'd say I was preggers.

~Tom Jones is a lady killer!

~My son is now addicted to the hampster dance thanks to Mrs. Harker!

~For breakfast I ate tortilla chips with fiesta ranch dip powder mixed with sour cream. And I don't regret it, not one single bit. In fact it's the only thing I've eaten all day.

~I'm guessing places like Blockbuster and Hollywood video will go out of business within the next few years since you can watch pretty much whatever you want online for free anyway.

~I'm so excited for this Saturday because Mike got tickets to the "Cowboy Sweetheart Hoedown." Besides dancing and drinking, there is going to be a bachelor auction to win a dinner and a date with a "Real Cowboy!" This is going to be the funniest thing I've seen yet! Mike and I have made it our goal this week to get us the best western cowboy get-ups possible. I'm thinking boots, chaps, hats, buckles, the whole nine yards! Wish us luck in our search!

~As I was driving to Mike's office the other day I saw a big "McCain-Palin" sign in somebody's front yard. Do they not realize that the election is over? Let it go, man, just let it go.

~I love the dollar store. I can always find the coolest stuff there. I don't care if it's all made in China.

~You know something that bugs me? When people purposely put thoughts in my head about other people so as to distort my opinion of them. I should be able to make up my own opinion of that person without knowing all the horrible things they did to person #1.

~I bought some new plates and bowls recently because the first dinnerware set we ever owned (probably a wedding gift) has seen it's last days. Most of the plates have chips and cracks in them. But I don't want to throw them away. Does anyone know how I can recycle my plates? Does anyone have any good ideas on what I could make out of them?

~A few weeks ago we went in for TS with our bishop. When he gave us our records I saw that Mike and I have the same baptismal date! Just one more reason we're meant to be together I guess. :)

~I now have a freakin' sweet Christmas music collection thanks to my friend Rachel who hooked me up with the Beatles Christmas records, Dr. Demento, Mannheim Steamroller, A very German Techno Christmas, A very Japanese Trance Christmas, Celtic Christmas, and They Might Be Giants Holiday Land!

~I've said it before and I'll say it again: I HATE my thyroid. I really do. It costs about $200 smackers every time I need to get a vile of blood drawn. And our insurance won't cover it. How am I supposed to afford that every 4 weeks? $#%*! I hate that this seemingly little thing can wreak so much havoc in my body.

~One downfall to living here is that we don't find out about church related things until days or weeks after the fact. Take Elder Wirthlin's death for instance. Yeah, didn't know about it until this past Sunday. Back when we lived in "the Bubble" that kind of stuff would be all over the local news. And we used to be able to watch the Christmas devotional and Conference on regular television stations, but not here. :( Thank goodness for the internet.

~We decided to put our Christmas tree up the first of December. It's the earliest I think we've put our tree up. But I want to enjoy the Christmas season for as long as possible.

~I am so tired today. I just want to go to sleep......zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

~But I can't because 1.) I have to type this post :) and 2.) I have to clean my house after I type this post.

~I am having my aunt over for dinner tonight, and I still don't know what I'm going to make.....

~I wish I didn't hate cooking so much. I think I will make Mike cook something on the grill tonight.

~I feel so blah today. Maybe if I took better care of myself I wouldn't feel so grotesque.

~Speaking of feeling so blah, I had a good, long, productive talk with Mike last night and we set some goals to get healthier. I love Mike. He's a great husband.

~We sent out our Thanksgiving cards last week. Yup, Mike won. No Christmas cards this year. So far we've gotten mixed responses to our card.

~I hate it when the weather is so dreary like this. Maybe my MIL is right. Maybe I'm already suffering from seasonal affective disorder. Or maybe it's something else....

~Yesterday Vessie went in for his 2 year check up. He was such a good boy and everyone loved his little fauxhawk. They decided to do a blood test to find out more about the alleged peanut allergy. He was so brave throughout the whole procedure. They stuck one arm and couldn't find the vein, so they had to stick his other arm too. Poor guy. I just held him and sang to him to try to keep his mind off of it. But I almost started crying too! He was such a sweet-heart and kept saying "hi" to all the nurses. They let him pick out some bandaids (which he LOVES) and a lollipop, so all was well in the end. I love that kid so much. :)

~Oh, by the way, it turns out that our kid is healthy. He is turning into a really lean boy though. He's not so chubs anymore. :( But when I think about it, I was a lean child, and I believe Mike always was too, so it's probably just genetic. I wish I was still lean.....

~So, this week someone told me I must be vain because of the car I drive. Whoa, pass the judgment pudding, please! If they only knew.....

~The 80's are really coming back strong. Even music lately sounds like it came straight out of the 80's era. Examples include Spiralling by Keane, Dawn of the Dead by Does it Offend You, Yeah?, Electric Feel by MGMT, just to name a few. It's fine by me. I LOVE 80's music. Check this out. Oh wait, this is better. Swwweeeeeet.

~That was just the jolt I needed. Now I must go clean. Faretheewell....

~I just realized I use "......" at the end of my sentences quite a bit, and I don't even know why....

~I really need to get my diet under control. I consume WAY too much sugar.

~Okay, so my thyroid sucks. Yes, that's right. I went to the doctor last week and had some blood drawn. Turns out my TS4 levels were high again. And I knew it. I could tell just from the way I'd been feeling. Anyway, my new doctor adjusted my prescription and we'll see if it helps. I sure hope so.

~On a related note, I feel like people generally know if there is something wrong with them. We live with our own bodies day in and day out. So it bugs me when someone comes along and tries to blame how I'm feeling on things like stress or sleep deprivation or other external factors. How would they know? I know my body and I can tell when my feeling like crap is a direct result of "external factors" or something else. Thanks for the advice though.

~Depression is a real thing. Anyone who disagrees or wants to argue that it's just a figment of a person's imagination apparently has never experienced first hand what depression is.

~I finally found my keys! Where were they you ask? In Vessel's toy box....

~I've decided that I want to live on a ranch someday and have a huge orchard. It would be sweet.

~I'm ashamed to say this...but I don't let others change very easily. I guess what I mean by that is that I expect people to always stay the same. Like if you tell me you feel or think a certain way, you better not ever change your mind, otherwise I'll just call you a fickle, contradicting, hypocrite. :) Okay, I'm really not that bad. It's just that lately I've had discussions with people and I have to silently ask, "Who are you? I don't even know you anymore" because they have changed their minds or outlooks on certain issues. I need to realize that people have experiences that can change the way they think and feel. It happens to me all the time. We are all changing, so I just need to let others live their lives.

~I feel like I have been maturing spiritually and emotionally lately. I think this is a very good thing.

~I just discovered that cloves and cinnamon are incredibly delicious in a cup of hot cocoa.

~I don't want this to come out the wrong way, but ever since moving to Montana I don't feel such a need to "keep up with the Joneses." Like if you're poor and don't have a nice house, car, boat, ATV, etc., you're usually not alone and nobody judges you for it. People here seem less materialistic and more concerned with other things. I don't feel like I have to compete so much here.

~On a side note related to that last one...I didn't mean that as a slight to any of my former SLC friends. :) Oh, and I wasn't calling any of my Montana friends poor, white trash either. Geez, I probably unintentionally offended everyone I know. Ha ha.

~You know what quality I find important in a friend? Brutal honesty. Come on, I can take it.

~Okay, so here's a question...Do you have to agree with EVERYTHING and EVERYONE in order to not be labeled a bigot? Just wondering....

~Sometimes I wish I was more cautious with my words.

~I lost my keys last week. And anyone who knows me knows that I HATE to lose ANYTHING. I have traced my steps, I have gone through this house up and down, have looked through every drawer, under every piece of furniture, and pretty much every imaginable place. But I have been unsuccessful in my search. Luckily we have spare keys to the cars and house, but I cannot tell you how inconveniently sucky (I know, great word right?) it is not having keyless entry when you're carrying a baby and 3 bags of groceries to the car. And I really can't tell you how frustrating it is for me that I can't friggin' remember where I left them.

~So it's time for me to go in for my yearly check-up and I need to get my thyroid hormone levels tested again. I have a feeling that my prescription needs to be adjusted, but I guess we'll see. I've just been feeling "weird" lately. Not totally myself, ya know? Anyway, we actually have insurance through Mike's job now, but it's so crappy how much people have to pay for insurance. And it's so confusing too. I have been trying to understand our benefits more, and what exactly is covered and what isn't and it is so overwhelming it just gives me a headache. The healthcare system in this country is ridiculous.

~Okay, I just want to say that old people are great. I just love 'em. Most of the old people I know are so cute and friendly and sweet. I am also quite amazed at how many skills old people have. Most of the old ladies I know can cook ANYTHING from scratch, sew their own clothes, knit, grow their own gardens, etc. They didn't grow up with the internet and iPods and texting and all this new technological stuff, so they have learned REAL skills that are actually useful. And most of them are so frugal because they've endured financial hardships, so they can pretty much make do with whatever they have. I want to be more like the old people I know.

~I am sick to death of politics lately. Things are getting kind of scary. The worst part is that I just don't know where I stand on some issues. Sometimes I want to throw my hands up in the air and say "I don't care" because I have so many mixed feelings regarding some of the issues. Some things that have been plaguing my mind lately: Proposition 8, abortion, health care, the economy, gun control, education, welfare, and poverty.

~Our house is always SO cold. Mike and I are convinced that angry ghosts reside here.

~Speaking of....why did M. Night Shyamalan have to make a rated R movie? I've loved all of his past movies, and now this new one "The Happening" just had to be super extra gory and scary. For what reason is beyond me. Maybe he thought more people would go watch it.

~Why do I have so much anxiety lately? It's like my mind just won't shut off and I am constantly worrying about stuff. Anxiety is one of the worst feelings ever.

~There is a huge Hudderite community here. Whenever I'm out grocery shopping or doing any shopping in general I see groups of Hudderite men and women running errands or shopping together. I have a hard time not staring because I am deeply intrigued by them and so I think I'm going to try to learn more about their colony and culture.

~I really, really love my little boy to pieces.

~I have been feeling very anti-social the last few days. I'm sure it's really unhealthy for me to want to isolate myself and never leave the house or interract with other people. And usually when I do venture out (like going to the pumpkin patch yesterday or to lunch with a couple of friends this afternoon) I enjoy it. But getting to that point of actually going out and DOING SOMETHING is kind of a struggle for me. Once I'm out with other people I'm fine, it's just hard finding the motivation to make that step.

~I wish I could say what I really want to say on this blog.....

1. Vessel learned how to climb out of his crib today. He would not take a nap because he just kept climbing out. Ah, the frustration!! Time to get a toddler bed maybe?

2. Speaking of my kid, he likes the grossest food. Milk soaked bread and cereal dipped in ketchup are just a few I can think of. Nastiness....

3. I am so happy that we have bikes now! Saturday morning before conference we scoured the town for garage sales and happily found one with 2 very new mountain bikes for sale. The best part is that they only cost us 20 bucks a piece! Well, that was after Mike's stupendous negotiating skills.

4. By the way, what's up with boy bikes and girl bikes? Why are they different?

5. Mike is becoming quite the handy man around our new house. Here's an example: Last week I tried using our brand new dishwasher only to realize that it wasn't draining properly. I called the repair man and he came over, looked at it, and told me it was the disposal and not the dishwasher causing the problem. Anyway, he basically told me it would cost 170 dollars to remove the knock-out plug (since the person who installed the disposal neglected to remove it before instalation.) I kindly thanked him for coming over to look at it but let him know I would not be paying him to remove it for me. When Mike got home, it took him approximately 2 minutes to fix the problem.

6. I don't consider myself a punk or a skater, and I know they've been around for a very long time now....but I just bought skinny pants yesterday. I know, I know. I never thought I'd do it. But they were so cheap and I thought, "what the heck?"

7. You know what I've noticed since living here? I see more black people here in Great Falls than I ever did in Salt Lake. True story.

8. I love our new house!!!

9. Next post will be about the house...with pictures....I promise!!!

10. Is the grey background of our blog template too depressing?

1. I actually started this post yesterday, but just got around to finishing it this morning.

2. I am having weird cravings lately. No, I'm not preggers. But I've gotta say that my cravings are pretty strong. Lately I've been wanting to eat nothing but mushrooms, cheese, sweet potatoes, ice cream, grapes, and Chinese food.

3. I am SO peeved that I lost my earring! I was washing my face last night and it just popped out and fell down the sink drain. I loved that earring. *sniff*

4. I absolutely LOVE this new found smoothie from Junga Juice. It's called "carrot fusion" and it's got carrot juice, vanilla yogurt, banana and cinnamon in it. Does it sound gross? Well, trust me, it is DELICIOUS! And healthy too. It kind of reminds me of egg nog because of it's consistency and cinnamon flavor, yet it tastes better.

5. I don't think we'll send out Christmas cards this year. We've been thinking about sending Thanksgiving cards instead. That way they don't get lost in the masses of Christmas cards everyone receives in December. Well, actually Mike wants to do that more than I do. I guess we'll see if he gets his way. I've been known to give into his persuasive ways.

6. I've been seeing all these interesting movie trailers lately. Sadly they're all rated R, so that bites.

7. I have finally gotten to the point where I feel like Montana is "home."

8. So we are going to the bank today to close on our house. I am very scared and excited at the same time.

9. Yes, even with the financial crisis with the U.S. lately we are still buying a house. I have faith that everything will be okay.

10. I've been trying to show more gratitude in my life. I'm thankful to those who continue to read my blog, although I've probably become very boring. :)

1. Today is Friday, and I couldn't be happier. It is also a three day weekend, so that means getting to spend more time with Mike.

2. We are going to Canada this weekend. It will be my first time there and I am eager to practice my Canadian with the natives. :)

3. I constantly observe Vessel. It is the best when he knows I'm not watching. During my observations I have found something interesting. Vessel always draws with his right hand. But when he feeds himself with a spoon or fork, he always uses his left hand.

4. I am craving Indian food. Sadly, Great Falls has no Indian restaurants.

5. I have been on a Ben and Jerry's kick for a couple of weeks now. I told Mike that if I keep this up I can picture my heart looking like it's been dipped into a giant vat of lard. Attractive eh?

6. Fall is on it's way. The kids are all back in school. The pool is closing up for the year. And the nights are getting colder. Where did the summer go?

7. There is no sales tax in Montana. I am blown away every time I buy something for a dollar and the total amount of my purchase comes out to...a dollar.

8. Who made up the silly rule that you can't wear white after Labor Day? I'm gonna wear white when I want regardless of what the fashion police think!

9. And the most exciting thought on my mind is that we are going to make an offer on a house at 5:00 tonight!!! As a first time home buyer I am so nervous and scared. But I think this will be a good house for our family to live in while we're in Montana. I guess we'll see if they accept our offer.

10. A superb number to close on. Go get yerself a pint of Ben and Jerry's. :)

1. It is Thursday today, and as we all know, Thursday is definitely better than Tuesday. I think we should all have treats in celebration.

2. Speaking of treats, my diet has gone alrightish. I think I eat too much dairy. And I know I eat too much sugar. Yesterday we went to the ballgame and I consumed an entire bag of cotton candy goodness and a 20 oz. milkshake within an hour. I had a major sugar crash.

3. I think Mike looks a little like Mark Valley. This is not really the case, although they both have blue eyes, so I can see where I started to get confused.

4. Just thinking about our wonderful cruise. *sigh* Palm trees, a beach and a beautiful husband (mine, thankfully.) Mike agrees we should live in San Juan.

5. I have immersed myself in the role of housewife. Since Mike and I have been married, we've both worked full or part time and have gone to school full time. Even after Vessel was born I went to school full time and worked part time as a crossing guard. That meant the chores we're pretty much divided up between us. Now that I've graduated and I don't have a job (a paying one that is) I find myself becoming a typical housewife. I'm not complaining about this, as I actually enjoy this new change of pace. I like being with the boy child during the day. And I don't even mind ironing Mike's dress shirts, or doing the laundry, or dusting or vacuuming. Even cooking, which most of you know I despise, is actually not such a chore anymore. Ever since we moved to Montana I have been cooking more than I ever did during the past 4 years of our marriage combined! Pathetic, I know. Mike used to cook quite a bit, and now that he puts in 10-12 hours of work everyday, I make sure to have dinner ready when he gets home. I am gradually starting to enjoy it. We make a menu every week and put it on the white board (because I'm an organizational freak.) I am proud to say that I can make more than just a meal out of a box or canned soup. And I've been making everything from scratch. Yeah, hard to believe, huh? You guys, I even made risotto for the first time in my life and it was heavenly! So kudos to me.

6. I am such a hypochondriac. For the past couple of weeks I've convinced myself I have cancer because I've been getting little bruises on my legs and arms. In reality, it's probably just a vitamin deficiency.

7. I hate having a visual image of someone in my head (from hearing their voice) and then meeting them in person to find out they are NOTHING like what I pictured. The image in my head is always better.

8. Am I doing the right thing by trying to potty train Vessel this early? I hate changing diapers, it's true. And he seems ready at times.....yet other times he seems too defiant and concerned with expressing his autonomy. Do I really want to deal with power struggles over the potty with my 21 month old?

9. I am so happy I found the oriental market. Although it's not nearly as big as the ones in SLC, I did manage to find tempura dipping sauce, miso paste, nori (seaweed for wrapping sushi rolls) and dried fish. Japanese food, mmmmm......

10. What a fantastic number to end a post on. Heck, let's all have treats.

Well, now that the boy child is FINALLY taking a nap, I thought I'd sit down and blog a bit before moving on to my next task. I say "FINALLY" because for some reason he was being very defiant this afternoon. For the life of me I could not get him to go to sleep, which is strange because it's usually not a problem. He enjoyed throwing his pillows and blankets out of his bed 1087 times and crying for me to come in and get them before finally giving up and conking out. Oh, sweet silence! Vessel's new thing to say lately is the phrase "Get It" and it basically sounds like he's bossing me around all hours of the day. "Bobby. Get it." "Monkey. Get it." Well, his wish is my command, what can I say? I have been trying to teach him the word "please" for months now. I think he's not learning to say it on purpose. Just to show me who's boss. :) Cute kid though, cute kid.

Okay, so get this. It's such a small world. We went to the grocery store the other day and as Mike was paying I was just sitting on a bench with Vessel when I saw someone familiar. I kept gawking because I recognized this kid I went to college with like 5 years ago. (I'm tellin' ya, I've got a photographic memory.) Anyway, he kept looking at me funny probably wondering why I was staring him down. Then I waved him over and that's when he realized he knew me too. We made a really funny video together back in the day as part of our literature assignment. After talking for a bit, and catching up, he and his wife invited us over for dinner.
Oh, and another small world moment: I was trying to find something online last week, and the link took me to someone's blog and surprisingly I knew the person! I think my mouth dropped when I realized who it was. It was a girl I used to work with back in Idaho, and the other kicker is that on her blog was a link list which included the name of another girl I used to work with and her husband who I went to high school with! It's been probably about 5-6 years since I've seen or heard from them. So we recently made contact and it was kind of cool to see what they had been doing with their lives. Weird, eh?

In other news, I am over my cold! Hooray! Don't worry folks, it only took almost 2 weeks! And just as I was getting over my cold, the boy child came down with Strep and an ear infection. The poor lad must've been miserable. After some consideration, we elected to take him to the doctor (despite the fact that we don't have insurance YET) and it's a good thing we did because according to the doctor it can get pretty serious if not treated early. So props to me for following that motherly gut-instinct and taking him in rather than waiting a few days for improvement. The doctor also said that Vessel had the sorest looking throat he'd seen all day, which explains why he wouldn't eat or drink anything. I wouldn't have known he even had a sore throat otherwise since he has such a mild disposition. Even when he must have been in a lot pain he didn't cry or whine at all. What a trooper. After taking antibiotics for a week now, and getting plenty of rest, he is in tip top condition again. And I am back to chasing him all over the house. :)

So the 4th of July came and went. It was a pretty good day. It was nice to be with Mike and the boy and especially nice that Mike had a 3 day weekend. We went to visit my aunt in Boulder and I think it was the first time I'd ever been to her house. So it was me, Mike and the babe, my uncle from Idaho, my aunt and her husband, and 2 other couples that were there. It was a pretty interesting group, to say the least. Vessel had a great time playing with the dog, and the dog was just happy to have a buddy follow him around all day. It makes me want to get Vessel a puppy...
My aunt's husband and I actually had a pretty interesting convo that consisted of religion, politics, and society. I'm not a big fan of conversations which include any of these topics because it usually means there's going to be a debate. When 2 people with really abrasive personalities come together you never know what's going to happen. I'm happy to say I could hold my own for the most part, and somehow we were actually on the same page most of the time. I can honestly say that I even ENJOYED the talk quite a bit.
Later that night (after the exceptional meal we had) it was time for fireworks. I'm not big into fireworks but Mike certainly is. I would be surprised if my aunt's husband (why I don't call him my uncle, I don't know) spent less than $1000 on fireworks. And so when Mike was invited to help light them all, he got pretty excited. I think that little pyromaniac was in heaven! Those who weren't lighting them went up on the deck to watch. Vessel fell asleep in my arms despite the booming noise. There was a lightning storm happening at the same time the fireworks were going off. It was a crazy sight. Then everyone started worrying that we were going to get struck by lightning (we were under a huge deck umbrella with a long metal pole...) so we went down and watched from the lawn. Fun times. I think the boys had a good time even though they were getting wet. The best part of the 4th was just seeing some familiar faces. I was feeling a little homesick, so it was nice to visit some family.

So, this week I'm preparing for two things. One is my talk this Sunday. Ah, the joys of moving to a new ward, eh? I get so nervous speaking in church or basically in front of any big crowd. Heck, I get nervous speaking in small crowds. Even teaching in the YW got my heart a thumpin'. But it'll be okay, right? The other thing is Mike's birthday. Yup, gonna be the big 2-6 on Sunday. So make sure you all wish him a glorious day, will ya?

Anyhoo, I guess you're all wondering how life in Montana is these days. Things are getting better and better. Even the apartment is starting to feel more like home. And the smell is gradually getting less and less gross. Well, it's getting more bearable I think. My secret? Febreeze, baking soda, Glade carpet powder, and Glade plug-ins. I just have to keep in mind that this isn't our home forever. Speaking of which, Mike and I have been thinking about buying a condo instead of a house after our lease ends. We have been checking out real estate online and it would be about the same price to buy a NEW condo than it would be to buy an OLD house with the same sq. ft. that we'd have to fix up. I'm not really into buying a "fixer-upper" because I don't know the first thing about remodeling a house or anything of that nature. Either way, it'll be OURS, right? The goal I'm looking forward to is being able to build our own house. It'll happen. Once we know for sure where we're going to settle.

Okay, here's another thing I've observed about living here. The radio stations play pretty much only 2 things. Country and Christian Rock (which Mike and I have dubbed "Crock.") I don't mind either of those in small doses, but I crave a little more variety than that. Praise the heavens for satellite radio.

Well, here's enough random-osity for ya. Hope ya stop by again real soon!