Wednesday, January 30, 2008

Blizzard '08...again

Seriously, is this nastiness EVER going to END??? My goodness. So this was the view we woke up to this morning. Last night, Somehow, snow smashed into the window screen and promptly stuck. The winds were ferocious. Seriously not cool at all. Monstrous drifts have formed outside of our house, significantly limiting our traveling today. Travis braved the weather off to work, but Adalynn and I made the most of it. I painted the basement wall, made more wee-warmers (not wee-wee warmers, but wee-warmers, see below), and then we had ourselves a little photo shoot.
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The Wall


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Wee Warmers

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Shed a tear with me. In my cleaning today (yes, I did do some of that too) I packed up Adalynn's bassinet. She slept in it for the first couple of months. Since, it's been sitting right where she last used it - next to our bed. I just didn't have the heart to pack it up! But today I did. I seriously almost cried.


And now for the Photo Shoot...





Grandma Mac, a family friend, made this blanket and stuffed animal for Adalynn. Isn't it amazing? Hats off to the talent!









Adalynn and Rocky

I will probably Never Ever get another shot like that again!

I was thinking about putting the photos into a slideshow, but I wanted you to be able to closely focus and contemplate the cuteness of our daughter in each and every picture for as long as you desired. I will make a slideshow later again, I'm sure. Photoshop is growing more and more fun as I'm learning how to use it. Now though, I'm thinking about new cameras. If only I hadn't lost mine from last christmas, seriously. This camera does ok, but the definition and clarity of the photos is not what I would like it to be. I'm sick of blurry baby hands!

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To the peanut gallery:

Amy - Glad you are having a good time. The accomodations sound steller, and yes, it appears they have found the perfect place for the pastors to preside. Amusing....

Tiffany - Thanks for thinking of me, sorry I had to bug you the other day at work. Thanks so much for your help in a difficult situation. Much appreciated. I am NoT a SLP!

Ryan - Everyone knows I secretly yearn to have your character and charisma. Thank you for sharing it with me.

Off to work again tomorrow for the last of the week. Then on Friday I need to play catch up for what I didn't get done today. Later tater.

Tuesday, January 29, 2008

I've made it this Far

First off, let me say: "Welcome Home Jenny!"
Travis' sister is back in the states from Korea for a short 2 week visit before returning for 5 weeks, then she's home for good! (or the end of summer, whichever comes first. But we'll take what we can get).


Becky (another sister of Travis), Jenny, and Jeff at last years Superbowl party

That'll teach ya to make faces at me, suckas....



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I had so many great thoughts on the way home from work. They were sarcastic, witty, and great. But alas, I have forgotten them all. Such is life. Especially life as it looks through the 4:30am alarm...this train is rapidly running out of track. Travis offered that if I start writing about them then they will come (back). But it's not working yet.


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Anyway, back to the last couple of days. Adalynn, the Princess, made her grand entrance into the world on her own time schedule. And on this schedule she remains. So, leave it to her to make the first day of work for me the first day that she sleeps through until 7am-ish. I woke up late (when my alarm went off), thinking that I would have already fed Adalynn. But I hadn't. So I raced to take care of that issue and made it out of the house by 6:25. Not bad. Ooh, ooh - so another story for ya - This morning I was up, showered, devotions done, lunch ready, pump packed, everything was going too good. So I walk out to the car - MisHap #1 - drop my lunch and the corningware container breaks. Darn. So I steal some cash from my hubby for lunch. Drive down the road, turn onto the dirt road, and go up a Pure Ice hill. (note to self - watch the news for road conditions before leaving home). Enter MisHap #2 - a van looms around the corner while I am truckin it up hill and around the same corner. So I slow down, slide to the right, AnD - wait for it - get stuck. Travis gets a frantic phone call (remember, he can't do anything, this road is PURE ICE) and I work on it and manage to get out unscathed. Reverse down the hill, back to the house, and continue on to work taking the Paved roads only.

Going back to work has it's pros and cons. Pro: I'm rakin' in the Kwan again. Ooooh yeah... Con: Missing the baby girl. Horribly. Pro: Adult conversation. Con: 1 hour commute (one way) alone. ugh. especially in relationship with the aforestated con. Pro: I am up and showered before noon. Con: Does it really have to be at 4:30am?


I do have to say though, Thank God for technology. Check out this great picture that sent me via phone-mail. I get pictures when she wakes up and again when she's dressed and dressed and ready for the day. I love it.

BEFORE

She is dressed and all ready for her first day to "school"! She looks good daddy!

AFTER

Poor girl is all tuckered out.

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K. I've run out of time trying to photoshop these pictures. It didn't work, so now you're left with the originals. How depressing. So I'm going to go paint my blues away.

Coming soon: Blues in the Basement

Sunday, January 27, 2008

Back to Work I go

As Tiffany put it so well, this weekend is "My last Weekend of Freedom". I guess I should say was, since it is now Sunday night and morning will come all too soon. Then I'll be driving in the dark the long ways to Kzoo just to put in 8 hours for "The Man". Thank God I can go back 3days a week, I don't know what I would do if I had to go back full time. I really admire people who do return to work full-time!


So, this is what I've been doing on my last day at home...


1. Bills. and organizing "my life" as it states in my little black book. If it's not in there, it doesn't exist!


2. Primed the wall downstairs that is to be painted before this weekend for Laura's wedding shower and the Superbowl party.





3. Putting together a picture album to go to work with me tomorrow.





4. Crying. Ok. Not really. But I feel like it!


5. Packing Adalynn's bag for tomorrow. I also wrote up a schedule for our neighbor who is watching her (our neighbor has a daughter who is 2 months older than Adalynn. They're going to be the best of friends.), as well as her likes/dislikes and such. Travis reviewed it and promptly stated, "It's a good thing she doesn't have a kid already..." Good thing he was just kidding!


6. Grandpa Ed and Grandma Deb came over to see Adalynn and the basement after their long motorhome trip away to Florida. We're glad they're home safe!


7. Eating dinner. My last meal. For For-E-Ver. Seriously. Travis makes this awesome shrimp with amazing seasoning. I love it.
8. Trying to put my daughter to bed. It is sooo not working!
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So this week is going to be super busy. I got my ring re-sized last week because it had fallen in the trash and gotten lost, it was so loose. Oops. They are sizing it down a whole size! I guess that's what happens when you're retaining a little water when it's initially sized. So I need to pick that up, bring some paperwork into Mary Free Bed, and visit this quaint little children's shop in East Hills. (yes, this is a necessity). And I need to get stuff ready for this weekend - Laura's wedding shower and bachelorette party and the Superbowl. Hugeness!
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So everyone have great weeks. I'll catch ya on the upside, hopefully, or the downside, depending on how tomorrow goes.




Thursday, January 24, 2008

Sooo...


Really, there's not that much to say about today. It's Thursday. But I'm sitting here reading information about the Bible and Alcohol (is drinking really wrong per the Bible? I'm not thinking so...i think it's more situation specific..n-e-way...) and Travis says, "What, no blog today?" Then he says, "What, no counter on the blog?" So I put a counter on the blog and now it's not cool enough.

Just kidding hon. Gotta give you a hard time.

I really can't give him too hard of a time though, because he kindly met me at Costco today to help get groceries. And did we have to get the groceries...we are going to have enough paper towel, kleenex, and toilet paper for the next 5 years. If all of the feul runs out today, rest assured, we will have clean hands, schnozes, and tushes. I know this makes you feel better. Me too. And before Costco we met at the mall for lunch, and Old Navy was having a great sale. So we both got long sleeved t-shirts for like $2.50 a piece. And we got Adalynn some clothes for next winter too. Seriously, at 50% off of the clearance price, who could say no?

But I digress. A high point of today was meeting with Jackie, a manager at Mary Free Bed, for some orientation paperwork.

Exciting, huh?

Sorry to anyone who saw what was written here a minute ago. My dear husband hijacked my keyboard for a minute. This is why he does not have the password into the blog. I do not take responsibility for what he says or does. Really. Even though yes, I do love him very much.

My Better (if not nuttier) Half and the Sweetest Girl Ever

So I hope that everyone had a good Thursday. Thank God tomorrow is Friday! (For those of you working. For me, just another day closer to going back to work. Grrr) Peace out and sweet dreams.


Wednesday, January 23, 2008

Never a Dull Moment with the Masselinks


Travis and I decided to go into Costco tonight to pick up some necessities and take his dad's Lexus in to get filled up with gas. Well, it really started this afternoon when Travis went to start the car (it's been sitting in our garage since Ed and Deb are in Florida) and it wouldn't start. So Travis worked on it and got it started, we thought it was the battery and once we started rolling it would keep charging. Getting it started was the hard part, but now we were golden. So as we drove into town we were talking about how blessed we are - we have our friends and family, our health, our house, our beautiful daughter, and our vehicles work. Not more than 2 minutes later the Lexus starts to act up. The irony kills me...God definitely has a sense of humor! The battery light and check engine light came on, and the RPMs died. Soon it wouldn't even roll over. We were about 6 miles from our house in the middle of farmland with Adalynn in the backseat, and it was getting dark, and cold. A few phone calls and 1/2 hour later and John (Travis' stepfather) came to help us out. Adalynn slept through it all, nice and cozy in her car seat. Costco will have to wait.


Thanks Kelly and Dad B for picking up the phone! Thanks John for switching your plans around to help us out! We love you guys!

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But, since I have you here, I might as well show off the babygirl. Yup, the SuperBaby is rolling onto her side now. She has been, actually, but this is the first I've caught it on camera.



Evidently she's practicing to model on the runway in this picture, silly girl, I have no idea what she's doing! But check out these boots...they are totally unneccesary Uggs, but yet totally fun. I take that back, they are necessary. If she wasn't wearing them tonight when the car died, her little tootsies could've frozen! But really, how great are baby Uggs? She loves to match her mommy. Now she just needs a baby Coach. :) I know what her first words are going to be...

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Oh, and a peek at the "Before I Return To Work Checklist"
(honey, if I don't get these things done, does that mean I don't have to go back?!?)

1) finish the last book of the Harry Potter series. Seriously, I haven't yet (pathetic) due to pregnancy hormones. It got intense and I couldn't handle it!! This book was great! Just ask my husband, who tried to talk to me unsuccessfully as I read it. I didn't hear a word the poor guy said. 2) get my CIMI (certified infant massage instructor) certification. It's in the works, just have to train one more mom. Signed, Sealed, and Delivered. Sweet. Hopefully I'll hear back soon on it.

Crap. Another look makes me realize that they're done.