The Harnation

Today would have been my Grandmother's birthday.  We found out in June that she was sick... it turned out to be melanoma in her brain.  By August, she was gone.

I miss her terribly; some days are harder than others.

Below are the words that I spoke at her funeral. 

On Friday, the Lord called one of his Saints home, where she has met her Savior and is clothed in glory.

I'm still a little shocked to be here, telling you about my grandmother, because she was so strong and independent.  I almost believed that she was immortal.

Betty Joyce M. was born on November 15th, 1938, in a house (not a hospital), the eldest child of Ida Ruth and Ellis "B".

Being the daughter of sharecroppers, Grandma did not have very much growing up, and never had running water in her home until she was married.

She spent the summers helping to care for her younger siblings, Bill, Sarah Nell, and Jane, and later picked cotton in the field, but her escape was in the classroom.  She loved school and the retreat it offered, and was a lifelong reader and learner.  She was an honor student, member of the Beta Club, and read almost every book in the school library.  The librarian worked hard to find books that she had not read.

She met Norman, Jr. on a blind date, setup by Charles Herrick and Betty English, who later went on to marry, and got married when she was just 16.  After leaving home for marriage, she was never ashamed of her modest upbringing, and all the same, never ashamed of leaving it behind for a new life.

She had my dad, Kenneth, eighteen months later, and identical twins Sherri and Terri less than two years after that in Crestview, Florida.  The twins were a surprise… she didn’t know there were TWO until after the FIRST >8 lb baby was born and the doctor told her a SECOND (>8lb baby) would soon follow.  I don’t know any other woman who has given birth to twins, each weighing over 8 lbs, and who looked as beautiful and radiant as my grandmother!

Grandmother and Granddaddy moved to Huntsville about six weeks after the birth of Sherri/Terri.  The move to north AL was only supposed to be for a year, so they did not sell their Florida house.  However, Granddaddy got some opportunities in Huntsville that he might not have had in FL, and they liked the area, so they stayed.

As Redstone Arsenal expanded with NASA and the military, houses were in critical supply.  Mr. Blocker, one of the Sherwood Park builders, told Grandaddy about a house for sale, and so Granddaddy and my father viewed the house at night by flashlight.  They bought the house in early 1960 and Grandmother has lived there ever since.

Grandmother was married to my grandfather for 31 years, before he passed away when I was just 4 years old.  She found love again, later marrying for the second time to Herb McKelvy, a very kind and loving man.  They were married for almost a decade and she took care of him when he became sick and then passed away five and a half years ago.

She was gracious, quick-witted, feisty, loyal, utterly dignified, and the most loving grandmother.

She was also incredibly spunky.

Once, in the 60's, a strange man tried to get into the car with her while she was filling up at the gas station.  Instead of becoming too scared to drive alone anymore, no,... she went out and bought a 22 special that she would keep in her purse and then leave on the car dashboard while she was driving, in clear view for everyone to see!  No one ever tried to get into the car with her again.

It was the same spunk that she called upon when she teasingly threatened my groom on our wedding day if he didn't somehow find a way to "bring me back from Texas"... we moved home three months later!

One time, when I was a small child, my parents picked me up after a weekend at Grandma's.  On the car ride, I started yelling out the window at the other cars, "GET OUT OF THE WAY, GRANDMA!... Turkey driver!"   When my parents later recounted the story to her, Grandmother gasped and blushed, and they knew immediately where I had picked up such an endearing habit...

She spent a lot of time with my sisters, Amanda & Amy, cousin, Rachel, and me growing up.  She loved us and was a wonderful grandmother to all of us.  I have a lot of fond memories of sleepovers at her house, playing scrabble, her painting our fingernails, and watching Nick at Night.

When I was a freshman in high school, my mom was out of the country on an extended work assignment, and so Grandmother took me shopping for my Homecoming dress.  I didn’t have any shoes that matched, so she even loaned me a pair of her shoes... she loved shoes!

She was a longtime member of several social and charitable organizations, and had a special love for all of her charity work with the Shriner’s Children’s Hospital.

She loved her family well.  She loved her younger siblings and looked out for them.  Bill and Jane both spent time with Grandmother once they graduated and moved out of the house, before getting jobs, getting married, and settling down with families of their own.  They all spent a lot of time together these past couple of months.

Jane, you spent weeks at a time caring for Grandmother, and making the long drive back and forth from Mississippi.  Thank you.

Uncle Bill, you came over and sat with Grandmother every day.  Thank you, I know it meant so much to her.

Terri and Jimmy, you loved and cared for her sacrificially and selflessly every day for 10 weeks, and for an entire lifetime before that.  Thank you.

And my parents, thank you.  You coordinated logistics, finances, and cared for her daily, even after long hours of watching five grandchildren.

Grandmother was adventurous.  She took more trips than anyone I know.  She traveled all over North America with her friend Shelba and was planning to go to Puerto Rico this fall.  She never slowed down, even at 78!

My grandmother taught me many things.  What may be one of the most important lessons, she saved until the end.  She taught me how to love well during her life, but she taught us all how to finish well.  

She hated being sick and was never a fan of hospital or needles ... sometimes, over the years, we would hold our breath as a nurse came in to administer an IV or some other procedure if she was in the hospital.  

But not these past two months.  She was the epitome of gracious and loving.  By God’s grace, even when she knew that she would not be getting better, she kept her spirits up and constantly told us how much she loved us.

My grandmother was a devout believer.  Although private, she talked with conviction of her faith in a holy, sovereign, and loving God to those who knew her well.  

She told me that she wasn’t afraid to die, because she was sure of her salvation.

Before she was no longer able to speak, one of our last conversations involved the hope that we have for our eventual reunion... I told her I knew we'd be together again, and that my greatest wish was for our Savior to call my children, their children, and our entire family to Himself.  That one day, we might all be joined with her, knit in perfection, singing praise to our Almighty Father for eternity.

She lived well and she finished well, and one day we will be reunited.

To God be the glory!

 The "twins" had missed each other!  Due to experiencing our second round of rotavirus in our home this year, Anne Marie and George were in isolation for a week and unable to play at Big Daddy Daycare with all of their cousins.  The oldest two were so excited to finally see one another again!

By the end of the day Friday, it was too late to make it into Auburn so we headed to our accommodations at the lake for the night.  We commuted into Auburn for the A-Day game on Saturday.

I could have spent another couple of days in Auburn.  We didn't have a chance to go see our old house, drive through town, explore the new Student Activities Center, attend worship service at our old PCA church, or a plethora of other things that I would have loved. 



 

The weather held out and we were not disappointed.  No rain on Saturday!  (Too bad I had packed for the "100% chance of rain on Saturday" and didn't have what I really needed... shorts and a tank top).  After parking and hiking towards the stadium, we quickly decided we needed to make a detour.  We hadn't planned for sun and my kids all needed hats.  We lathered up in sunscreen and managed to protect everyone's winter skin from burning.

After the game, we were able to walk around a good bit and take some photos at Samford Hall and see the new trees at Toomer's Corner.

War Eagle!

I'm thankful for places with double-seated shopping carts.  George is just too big for the Baby Bjorn these days!

Now that I've got that off of my chest, I feel like writing about some of the wonderful things in my life.  The things that give me joy and make life beautiful.  The things for which I am thankful for.

Get ready, because I  have some catching up to do on photo posting.  If photos aren't your sort of thing, you can go ahead and skip this post.

 Let's start with this girl...


I am thankful for this little person who has become the funniest, spunkiest, most imaginative (and most bossy) little girl I've ever met.  She's incredibly shy towards just about everyone - including many in the family - until she warms up.  And then she will make you feel ultra special by gracing you with a glimpse of her exploding personality.

AM is simultaneously the girliest - and dirtiest - girl I know!

We've really struggled with getting her to sleep well.  It started about the time we were out of our house last year and in an apartment for three months while the effects of a burst pipe were repaired.  She became very scared of noises after experiencing apartment life and poorly insulated walls.  She's done better since we kicked George out of the pack-and-play and into the crib in the nursery with AM's toddler bed.  But she's still cycled through being scared of "the dragon", "a wolf", the dark, and other miscellaneous.

I think she's just manipulating me.



This guy... 


I am thankful for my healthy baby George.

My boy.

What a joy he's become!  He's a happy little chub - at least when he's in my arms.  He screams every Sunday when I drop him off in nursery (after which he spends a good amount of time being wheeled around in his "prince George wagon"), and we haven't been able to survive an entire small group Bible study without resorting to relieving the sitters of his relentless screams.  He loves me more than anyone else in the world, which warms my heart, but often hurts my back.

He's just about through with his ISR float lessons, and in record time too!  I guess in order to make up for the 8-9 weeks we spent getting the "twins" to float, he's mastered it in under three weeks! 

This is a few months old, but I love his expressive face!

He has become so mobile and is into everything.  I almost forgot what it was like to always have to keep a steady eye on them so that they don't hurt themselves.  It's impossible to get dinner ready or do anything with more than one hand without him getting into something he shouldn't.  

He's figured out which drawers don't have child locks on them and is an expert and reaching in and grabbing stuff out!

He loves his big sister, Ree Ree, and she loves him - although sometimes we have to work on both of them being gentle when showing their physical - ahem - affection towards one another.


Our new babies...

I am so thankful for two more happy, healthy babies in the family.

Checking out their new cuz.

And then, this guy was born.  Baby Gus.  Goose.  My cute, squishy, handsome new nephew.  He will always hold a special place in my heart.

His birth was the first that I was able to be present for (other than my own children) when I was honored to be asked to photograph Amanda's labor on his birthday.

My only regret with the new babies is that I am not able to hold and squeeze them as much as I would otherwise want.  George hardly gives me a chance to put anything else in my hands.

Cousins!

BDDC...

I am so thankful for BDDC - or Big Daddy Day Care, as we call it.

Three days a week, my kids are able to join their cousins at BDDC to run out their energies, learn lots of new things, and cuddle with their grandparents.

George, my dad, and Emmett last fall.

 People tell me that they think my parents (especially my dad, since he has been doing this almost three years) are crazy for wanting to keep the kids so much.

I kind of agree.  It's hard work!  I don't know that I could do it.

But I am so so so so thankful for their not only willingness, but enthusiasm for serving my sisters, myself, and our families in this way.



My dad is so good at teaching my children discipline and routine while also incorporating learning and fun activities.  If left up to me, my children probably still would not know the names of their body parts or how to properly use a spoon.

My dad is wonderful with the kids.  He is just the right mix of stern and soft.  He loves them deeply and it is apparent to everyone around him.  He teaches them so much just through his godly example in the ordinary, mundane things.


My mother...

My mother recently retired from a very long and successful professional career.  She was loved by her coworkers and employees.  She wanted to spend more time with the kids and took an early retirement to help out at BDDC.

My dad said that she had to intern on a provisional basis.  ;)
 


My mother is dearly beloved by her grandchildren.  They call her "Baaba" (a Japanese term of endearment for one's grandmother).  She is gentle, kind, and patient with them.

And she is so organized.  She is my idol in organizational abilities.  I love for everything to have its place, for there to be peace and order in my home.  My mother has been slowly working through BDDC, organizing and sorting and storing.  She has made such a difference.

She also thinks about things of beauty and teaches them to my children.  She sings hymns and Japanese folk songs to the kids.  She sends them home with copies of Monet's paintings and teaches them how to bake and craft and draw.

And she writes a journal through email, periodically documenting some of the week's events (and relaying funny experiences) with the "clients".


My family...

I am so thankful for our wonderful extended family.  We have three grandparents, a great grand parent, and three sets of great aunts and uncles all within an hour's drive. 



And every single one of them loves our children.

Poor George.  You can't even see his face!

We have a lot more family get-togethers now that we have children! I suppose everyone really loves an excuse to get together and enjoy the kids.
My aunt T and uncle J (whom we affectionately call "Uncle Getit") even kept the kids overnight this winter so that Matt and I could have a much-needed trip out of town together - and they LOVED it (the kids and the adults!).  I'm hoping to make this an annual event because we really need that time away together.


My baby daddy... 

I am thankful for Matt.  He is my constant.  My partner, my love. 

He is the one that gets dumped on the most, especially when I'm having one of my hard days.

Our mini getaway!  We stayed in a B&B and toured Lynchburg.

He is there to pick up the pieces and hold me together.  He is there to help out when I can't do another load of dishes or I need the aches rubbed out of my back.  He loves our children and he loves me with a steadfast commitment.

And I love him right back.




Oh yeah, and sleep... 

I'm grateful anytime we get any sleep.

Finally, after weeks  - months even - of rain, snow, ice, darkness, and gloom, we have had a glimpse of the sun and its beautiful warmth and light.

I always look forward to spring and the newness it brings.  I almost dread fall a little because I know that its end only means winter, and months of limited light, warmth, color and life. 

It's been like that for me emotionally the last six months as well.  Days of darkness and cold interspersed with the activities of life.


I've been thinking about it lately and it seems like I've had a delayed onset of the baby blues.  I guess around the time I went back to work, things just started getting hard.  Keeping up with everything has been overwhelming.  I think I overdid it by coming off of maternity leave and signing up for a PhD level course at the same time.  I had to drop out of all of my extra curricular activities and church fellowship groups.  I've had a hard time learning to juggle our new life and trying to keep all of its balls in the air.

After having a wonderful and fairly easy "transition to two" for the first three months of George's life, I seem to have experienced a set back.  A delayed sense of feeling completely overwhelmed.

It's been a rough six months.

Not every day.  That's the thing with winter.  Not every day is miserable and dark.  Not every day is cold and numbing.  But every now and then, it will sneak up on me and I will have a hard day - or days - and I will wonder, "what's wrong with me?"

It's not normal to spent the day(s) daydreaming about running away and never coming back, right?  It's not normal to go through a mental checklist of which friend I could hide away with and forget the responsibilities of my every day life with, if even for the weekend, right?  It's not normal to feel this overwhelmed by the simple routine of raising two small children, right?


Sometimes I think I'm the only one.  I mean, people don't exactly talk about this.  People don't advertise what it feels like on those dark, cold, gloomy days.  That's not what you hear or what you see.

What you see are the smiles, the "let's just get through this day" grins that help you hold it all together in front of everyone else.  The carefully crafted images of keeping everything in place.  That's what you see.

I know I've done that.

I've sat through the celebration for an event that we've talked about for over a decade, that I've actively been a part of for over five years, with that same plastered smile on my face, even if it was poorly faked.  All the while feeling completely despondent and helpless and hopeless and numb inside.  Telling myself, "just survive two hours."  "Then you can go home and no one will have to see how you really feel inside."  "Don't let them see how you feel right now."

I've even lost the facade now and then.

It's not always a facade.  The majority of the time is really like this.

 There's nothing like the sensation of a hot stream of tears and the flush of embarrassment when you lose the carefully placed veil you've worked so hard at creating in front of other people, even dear friends.  No one wants to be vulnerable in front of others.  No one wants to let anyone else on the outside see how hard it is, or what it feels like on the inside.

Just writing this out makes me feel like I'm being a touch over dramatic.  That I need to just suck it up and stop feeling sorry for myself.  That I'm complaining about what is a wonderful life. 

I have so much to be thankful for.  So much.  I couldn't even begin to list it all out.  And I am.  I am truly thankful for the people and things in my life that make it so full and wonderful and rich.

I am so thankful for these three.

But that's the thing with the winter.  It doesn't care that summer was so warm and wonderful.  It doesn't care that spring will be just as beautiful.  It doesn't care that you have a nice roaring fire inside... if you could just get there and grab a warm cup of cocoa and sit on the couch and enjoy it.

When it's winter, it's cold outside now. 

The hard days are the days when my body is physically broken and hurting.  Those days when I'm tired or my body is exhausted from the requirements of lugging two small children around - both of whom seem to want to be carried all of the time - and trying to meet their physical and emotional needs.  The hard days are when I feel like every person, animal, and thing (living or otherwise) needs something from me.  They are the days when I feel overwhelmed by the pulls of children, work, husband, school, pets, home, church, and more.  They are the days when there is just not enough of me to go around.

They are the days when I feel like I'm teetering on the razor-sharp edge of a complete and total emotional break down.

And the thing is, I have cut back on my responsibilities.  I really do not have an overwhelming burden when you put things into perspective.  But I guess that logic doesn't always necessarily play into how you feel emotionally. 


I have to think that I'm not the only one.  I can't be the only dreading Sunday because that's when I have to hold it together in front of the most people.  I can't be the only one among all of those happy-looking families and put-together mothers that feels like they're treading water, just barely keeping their nose above the surface at times.

And I don't really know what there is to do to make it better.  Maybe just venting about it (although I feel like a drama queen even writing this post).  Maybe it's finding the balance between being honest and admitting my failures versus hanging onto darkness.  Maybe it's doing a better job of turning things over to my Savior and truly leaning on Him.

I don't know what the difference is between experiencing a legitimately challenging phase of life and struggling to deal with it emotionally versus wallowing in discontent and self-pity.  

When does it change from something you can't help and have to just get through to a heart issue that you're not dealing with?

I guess if I'm honest, it's been more than just the transition to two that I've struggled with.  There have been several changes in our lives that we are all learning to adjust to.  Change isn't always bad, but that doesn't necessarily make it easier.

I told a friend that even though you might be looking forward to a new chapter of your life, it doesn't mean that you don't sometimes look back and mourn the loss of past chapter(s).

And I supposed I have done a bit of that.  Mourning the past chapters.  Mourning missing dear friends, mourning the old way of things, mourning our former community (or at least my "idea" of what that was). 

I don't know how to make it all better.  How to make the sadness and sense of being overwhelmed disappear.  But I do know that it will.

Spring always follows winter. 

I just need to complain for a little.

It's been hard lately.  A tough month in the Harnation household. We've been overwhelmed by sickness, church obligations, work changes, travel, and no sleep.

I think these are those times when we're worn down and feel attacked.  It's when we're most vulnerable to give in to our sinful natural reactions.

It's when I lose my temper.

It's when the ugliness inside that I try so hard to control comes out.

It's when I need my Savior.  And boy do I need Him today.

Prince George.  He is often found being wheeled around in the wagon during nursery at church because it's the only way he's happy.

This parenting thing is no joke.  We are 100% responsible for ensuring that these two little people survive into adulthood.

But it's more than that.  We've been entrusted with their safekeeping for just a short time.  Our responsibilities to them reach past not killing them because they've woken us up 7 times by 3 AM.

We've been entrusted with raising them in the "nurture and admonition of the Lord."

What the heck does that mean?

I don't know exactly what all it encompasses, but I know that it starts by loving them as Christ loves us.  Praying for them daily.  Living out our lives as an example for them.

That's hard.

It means loving my husband, their father, my "baby daddy".  And not throwing the pillow at him in the middle of the night and then telling him the next morning that when his snoring wakes me up during the precious 30 minutes of sleep I get between kids waking me up, "It makes me want to kill you... RIGHT NOW!!"

Aww.  No one looks like they're ready to kill anyone in this photo.

And then there's this: publicly committing to raise my children for Christ seems to put some things back into perspective.  It makes the lack of sleep and the fussiness, snot, tears, and frustration seem insignificant in the face of eternity.

Eternity

I need to let that sink in, because I truly want to spend eternity with these people that I love so much.  Especially my baby daddy, even if he snores.

3 Let not steadfast love and faithfulness forsake you;

bind them around your neck;

write them on the tablet of your heart.

4  So you will find favor and good success

in the sight of God and man.

5  Trust in the Lord with all your heart,

and do not lean on your own understanding.

6  In all your ways acknowledge him,

and he will make straight your paths.

Psalm 3:3-6

Since my "little" baby is now 15 weeks old (and 18 lbs!), what better time to put up some photos of him for the first time?

Here are some of the photos from his newborn photo shoot.  We never did one with Anne Marie and I had a little bit of guilt over it, so we bit the bullet and bought a package from a great local photographer to document George over the first year.






George, while still a normal baby with some serious fussy spells, is a pretty good baby.  Other than his terrible habit of waking me up 5-7 times nightly, he's generally very pleasant.  He has really started cooing, talking, and grabbing at things within the last month.

He especially likes it when you make direct eye contact and pay attention to him. He does not like feeling ignored.


Here is G on the quilt that my sister is making for him!  I can't wait to see it when she's done. 



 It's going by fast.  We're really trying to find the things we enjoy about the baby stage (like snuggles!) instead of wishing it away and looking forward to more independence.


George does seem to be sensitive to the dairy protein like Anne Marie was, so I'm off of dairy for the foreseeable future.   But I think he's worth it!

I wanted to list out some things that have happened in the last ten years of our life together, but somehow that's not possible when I have a screaming 11 day old wanting my full attention.

So I'll make this brief.

Somehow we went from this...



to this...


and then this happened...


Over the last decade, I have shared the best and the worst of myself with this man.  I have had his children and loved him with my entire selfish and sinful heart.

I love you, MJ.

Happy Anniversary.

So, now that we've been back in the house for several weeks, it's starting to feel like home again.  Thankfully all of the major stuff was done in plenty of time for Baby Bravo's arrival and we've had a chance to get settled in.  There are still a few minor things left on the to do list (like changing out switches, etc.), but nothing major.

I'm pretty happy with how everything turned out.  Although I would *never* volunteer to go through this again, at least now that we're back in the house, we're enjoying the new paint, flooring, and other miscellaneous details that we were able to pick out ourselves.

I wish I had some good before photos, but alas, had no idea that this remodel was coming and therefore don't have anything good to share.  (All of the before photos were taken before we owned the house, with the previous owner's furniture, back when I was in VA and Matt was looking at the house).

We darkened the green kitchen (before, it was almost a faded sage green) walls, and went ahead and had a smooth ceiling installed since all of the drywall/ceiling had to be replaced anyway.  The smooth ceiling and the addition of a backsplash were the upgrades that we shelled out for.  We chose a tile that hides dirt really well and ties the brown wood of the cabinets with the black of the granite counter tops. The cabinets are a darker brown with a black glaze to enhance the "architectural details".


Our designer helped us pick out a lot of our color and tile choices.  She also came up with this backsplash picture frame design, which I really like.  You can also see the black glaze on the cabinets along the edges of the doors.


We added the sheer full-length curtains on the windows to help out when the morning sun is blinding us during breakfast and to add some height to the windows.  I found them online at Wal-Mart and am pretty happy with how they look in the space.

Before:


After:

We chose the color in the main living area after seeing it at Wade's cousin's lake house.  We really liked the gray shade that had just a hint of blue in it in his guest room, but I wasn't sure if it would work in our living space.  However, Matt told me that he was sick of tan and almost insisted on the gray.  He chose well and I'm pretty happy with how it looks once it was all painted, especially with the white trim.  (We had a really ugly almond color for all of the trim before and now it just looks so much cleaner and brighter!)


The mantle was refinished and came out really well.  It coordinates perfectly with my dining room table and the posts even match the legs of the dining room chairs.

Before:


After:



Another change we made was to extend the tile out from the kitchen to in front of the back door.  This was to protect the floor right there from both dog nails (as they try to bolt out the back door to chase a squirrel) and from wet feet as people come inside from the pool.

Before: 

 After:

I think the gray makes the ceilings much more dramatic as it brings out the contrast with the white ceiling.  Too bad they're all popcorn ceilings!

Before:


After:

We changed out all of the hardware in the half bath to brushed nickel and got a new mirror, wall color, and tile (same as in the kitchen/laundry room).  I really like the light blue green color on the walls and the white mirror with the pedestal sink.  I *hated* the old brass fixtures and light in this room but never got around to doing anything about it before now. 
  

Dining room:


Because the flooring in the den/dining/foyer was so damaged, we got new wood laid all the way to the office/nursery and then they came in and refinished it all at once.  We went with a little bit darker stain (Early American) in a satin finish and are pretty happy with it, especially since we had to have it coordinate with the wood on the front door and wood trim on the stairs and mantle.

I had been eyeing that chandelier for months before the pipe burst!  I stalked it online and waited till it went on sale before using a gift card that I had from Pottery Barn to pay for part of it.  We still have to pull up the extra cord, but I really love that light fixture in there!

Here's what it looks like up close:


Instead of completely replacing the upstairs back bath vanity, we were able to have it refinished.  I love love love it!  It's a little Restoration Hardware-ish (to go with our dining room table and new mantle finish) and looks really good with the new gray tile and light blue green wall (same color as the downstairs bath).  Now I really want to refinish the cabinets in my own bathroom!

If you need any recommendations on subcontractors, we had really good help with this remodel and would be happy to share recommendations with anyone interested.



A couple of funny stories from when we were in the apartment...

The first is when we came in one day to check on progress on the house and found a random pair of *dirty* boxers in the middle of the half bath.

Gross.

I mean, WHO does that?  Who leaves dirty underwear in the middle of the floor, in a construction site?!

I sent an email to our general contractor addressing a few other concerns and then added, "Third, there is a random pair of dirty underwear on the floor in the half bath downstairs.  This is not ours.  I guess I don't even know what to say about that one.  It's a little comical, but thought I'd ask that people not leave their underwear in my house."

Afterward, Matt confides in me that he thinks it could be possible that the underwear came from the back of the hollowed out sink pedestal base, which had just been removed, and could have been further "party trash" leftover from the previous owner's son (we've found all sorts of stuff hidden throughout the house/yard over the years).  I relayed this to our contractor, who was relieved to hear of the possible alternate source of the boxers and forwarded an email from his crew manager saying he couldn't believe it - he'd ask his guys - but he did think he saw a pair of underwear when he removed the sink base.

So... I'm not sure which is worse - dirty "party boxers" hidden in my house for at least the last three years, or some random contractor leaving his underwear in the middle of a job site!  Hopefully they didn't actually belong to one of OUR friends... (were they yours?)

The second had to do with living in the apartment.  We had a little bit of an adjustment period getting used to all of the noises that come from having so many neighbors in such close proximity.  Soon after a new guy moved in next door, I started being woken up 2-3 nights a week.  I was just suuuure it was the new kid with the BMW e46.

Finally, one night, at 2:30 AM, I'd had enough.  I got up, got dressed, and was going to hunt down whoever was playing that music, complete in all of my makeup free, retainer-mouthed, pregnant belly glory.  I marched outside, completely ticked off and ready to chew someone a new one.

Except the sound wasn't coming from one of my neighbors.

It was loud.  I thought someone in the complex must be having a party on their balcony but the complex was completely still and dead.  The sound was coming from over the hill.  So I came back in and tried to brainstorm what bar could be close enough to have such loud music to wake me up.

I told Matt about my dilemma and he suggested it had to be the strip club over the hill and down the road a bit.  I called the Sheriff and sure enough - they'd already had a complaint about it and had someone on the way to address the noise complaint.  Of course they were pretty astounded to hear that it was so loud that it'd been waking us up - inside our apartment - all the way down the road.

The music stopped about twenty minutes later.  But at that point I was so pissed I didn't go right back to sleep anyway.

Go figure.

At least I never gave into my temptation to bang on the wall and wake up the poor kid with the BMW because I was convinced it was him keeping me up!

I'm so thankful to be back in our house.  In the county.  In the quiet.  With only the coyotes and owls to listen to.

I'm so so soooo thankful that we made it back into our own home before we have this kid (who - unless he comes in the next three hours, is going to be just like his sister - late)!  I had been terrified that we'd have him while staying in a hotel, and am really grateful for those answered prayers to have everything wrapped up in time for his arrival.