I may be over doing it. 

That's hard for me to admit. 

I'm doing Praise and Play (no work, just an occasional Sunday), leading Bible study (with a dear friend), and am one of the leaders of Breakaway.  Not to mention working part time and keeping a household (somewhat) together.

Oh, and I have a 10 month old and I'm pregnant. 

And J is busy with council, Bible Study, Hunting Season and work. 

And J and I both have dear friends who need us right now.  That need invitations to come to our house and just be loved. 

I'm unwilling to drop anything right now, but I can't keep saying yes. All the things I'm busy with are wonderful things... it's just tiring. 

Rant over. 

Cable

Why is it so hard to be nice to Customer Service from the cable company?  When I'm on the phone I don't sound like a nice person.

Or that I'm a Christian person.

Then when I get off the phone I'm even more annoyed.

Date Night

Jonathan and I had a date night last weekend.

Best thing ever.

Molly got an actual no family member babysitter.

Not so great :)

Both Jonathan and I really like Kari, she's great!  She came to watch Molly for a few hours but when it came to time for bed and bottle... She was having none of it.  Molly cried, screamed and made a huge fuss.  So much so that our babysitter called her Mom for advice and ended up coming over to feed Molly.  Kari was so embarrassed when she told us... we thought it was funny and felt bad for Kari!  Oh Molly.

Back to our date night.  If you haven't been to Amore and like Italian food, you must go.  Now.  Stop reading, make a reservation and eat up.  SO good.

Have you made your reservation yet?

Herb Garden

When Jonathan and I lived in Muskegon we had a decent sized garden.  It was one that his Grandpa Portenga had started and we just continued it.

When we got married I wanted to grow some herbs too.  So we started with two.  Basil and Cilantro.

And they burned.

Last year we did Basil and Tomatoes.  Over watered and over heated.  Failed.

This year I'm determined.  I'm going to grow cilantro (salsa anyone?), basil (never met a caprese or pesto I didn't like), dill (I make some killer veggie dip) and maybe tomatoes.

Am I forgetting anything?  We've got to find the right place in the yard to put them... but I am determined.

When we went to Drummond we went with another family.  Nikki is Jonathan's best friends wife.  She's great.  While we were there we had a number of conversations about organic foods, making things on your own and so on.  We talked about cost and ease, as well as what is better for children.  I never thought I would care and always looked at those people who focused on the organic are a little nutty.  But I realized I might be a little nuts myself :)

I brought veggie dip that I had made with fresh dill... I try to only buy block cheese because I don't like the chemicals that are used to shred cheese... we make our own taco seasoning among other things.  All this is because it's cheaper or an easy change.

I'm a little nervous about what kind of mother I'm going to be for Molly... and I think the mom I'm going to be will make some baby food... but I still want her to like Kraft Macaroni and Cheese...

Nikki would agree with me that she only buys organic when it financially makes sense... and she would also agree that her kids like the other stuff, she seems to have a great balance.

I know I'm ahead of myself right now.  Molly can't eat anything yet... and when she does it's so limited.  But I can start now, with Jonathan and I.  We can look at what we're eating and make sure it really makes sense for what we're trying to accomplish.

But we'll start with an herb garden.

Drummond.

We survived!

We left Thursday at around 1:30 for our 5 hour drive to the UP.  Nervous about how Molly would handle it, but off we went.

She did AMAZING.

Didn't cry at all until we got on the ferry.  It's only a 30 minute drive after that to the cabin.  So thankful!

Then on the way home... didn't make a peep the whole time.  Seriously.

We had fun.. but it was cold.  -10 the morning we left.  Molly stayed inside most of the time, but J and I were able to go for a 25 mile snowmobile ride.

The best thing about DI?  Is that our cell phones won't work :)

Bible Study

We're baaaaaaaack.

It felt so good to be back to Wednesday night.  But this is going to be heavy.  And good.

I may have to make sure I have enough points for a glass of wine every Wednesday from this day out :)

Video Monitor.

This thing is enough to make a girl panic.

Molly goes in a sleep sack that swaddles at night.  She can't get her arms out and sleeps really well because of it.

But lately she's started to move around the crib.  I call it her caterpiller move.  We've never seen it, but she ends up in different positions in the crib than what she started in.

This morning was terrible.  Jonathan wakes up at 6:30 and usually I'm half awake then.  I'll check her in the monitor, roll over and try to get a little bit more rest.

But not today.

Girlfriend was not in the monitor at all.  I ran to the other side of the house with a pit in my stomach.  She, of course, was fine.  She had caterpillered all the way to the corner where we couldn't see her on the monitor.  She was just sleeping away all peaceful like.

I could have used a drink.

I love the monitor, and now I hate the monitor :)

Snow.

Snow is super pretty, but I hate it when it affects my plans.

I had a wonderful night with a few girlfriends planned, and the weather got in the way.  One friend was able to come but the others couldn't make it for various reasons due to the weather.

I had a blast with the one friend, but I cannot wait to reschedule and make time with the group.

Wine is necessary for all of us sometimes :)

Dimmer Switches.

They drive me nuts.  This house is full of them.

Full Force the lights are too bright most of the time... but when they are dimmed the lights make the worst noise ever... just a horrible dull humming noise.

Such is life :)

On another note- I had a wonderful birthday.  Jonathan and I had a dinner of my Dads Eggrolls and my favorite wine with a glass of Tequila Rose for dessert.  We weren't going to do any gifts, but he got us tickets to go to Miranda Lambert and arranged Molly to go to his parents for the night.  A much needed break coming up.  The concert is just in Lansing, but it'll be nice for Molly to spend time with her grandparents.

Birthday

My birthday is tomorrow... no big deal.  Hit the big 3.0. last year so I don't feel like there is much need to really think about this day... Jonathan will be leaving for the weekend, we're not doing gifts anyways... just another day :)

But one thing I do love about birthdays is the cards in the mail.  Often from friends who live out of town, parents and grandparents.  The best thing about them?  Often they come with money!  The Grandparents, not the friends, no pressure :)

But here's my question.  Most of the time I get this money and put it in the bank because it's a check.  Do I end up actually spending the money on myself?  Probably not... it gets lost in the shuffle.

This year I'm going to make an effort to spend my birthday money on me.  It doesn't equal enough to go on a shopping spree in Chicago, but it would cover a nice pair of boots or jeans, or even a coat.  Money that I shouldn't feel guilty about spending... it's for me.  That's the whole intention.

Now to find the time to actually go shopping.....

Back at it or Just starting....

Ok.. here we go.

I'll start blogging.  I mean really blogging.  Facebook is great, Instagram is great.... but I feel like I need a place to be able to really share what's going on in our lives.

I had a friend complain to me that I post too many pictures of my daughter on Facebook.  It makes her feel bad because she hasn't been able to have children of her own yet.  It breaks my heart.  I don't want to be insensitive...but at the same time I want to be able to share what is going on in my life and share this wonderful part of it.

And on the flip side I have friends that ask me to post more pictures because they don't think I do enough :)  Here's one from our last upload... Moose is showing off her really pretty hair :)

Ok... Tomorrow's another day.... More pictures to follow.... more stories about how this little person is ruling my life and how I'll do my best to take control back!  :)

Name.

So, here we go! 

The reason for the name of this blog... After Jonathan and I started dating I met a guy at a friends during a pumpkin carving gathering... a bunch of us were talking and he asked why my boyfriend wasn't there... it was duck hunting season, so he was up in the UP.  We all got to talking and somebody brought up my last name and his last name...This guy got so excited and left the room.  Came back a little later to play some music and this is the song he played!

Pool party baby
It was a cool party
Cool pool party
La la la la
Pool party baby
It was a cool party
Cool pool party
La la la la

Popcorn, hot dog buns, and hamburger patties
All the food you need to feed the many hungry
Millions of people want in to my party
But it's invite only
And you're on the list baby

-Your pool rips!
I cleaned it yesterday
-Girls look cute!
In their swimming suits
-Holy Guacamole!
We've got chips!
So come on take a dip
'Cause my pool rips

It was a pool party for the cool kids at my school
It was a pool party for the cool kids at my school
It's so cool in my pool
It's so cool in my pool
It's so cool in my pool
It's so cool in my pool
Yeah yeah yeah

Pool party baby
It was a cool party
Cool pool party
La la la la
Pool party baby

The ratio of girls to guys is five to one
There hasn't been a party like this since 1981
Come to my party let the games begin
We've even got floaties if you can't swim
[ Lyrics from: http://www.lyricsfreak.com/a/aquabats/pool+party_20008902.html ]
-Your pool rips!
I cleaned it yesterday
-Girls look cute!
In their swimming suits
-Holy Guacamole!
We've got chips!
So come on take a dip
'Cause my pool rips

It was a pool party for the cool kids at my school
It was a pool party for the cool kids at my school
It's so cool in my pool
It's so cool in my pool
It's so cool in my pool
It's so cool in my pool
Yeah yeah yeah

I love you girl, you know it's true
To have a super party in my swimming pool
Jump on in and you will see
Just how fun a pool party can be
But don't eat too much before you swim
'Cause you might get a cramp under your chin
Someone's screaming, that's not cool
Who threw that Reggie Bar in the pool?
Ronnie, Sally, Bobby and Mike
It's my pool party, we'll do what we like!

It was a pool party for the cool kids at my school
It was a pool party for the cool kids at my school
It's so cool in my pool
It's so cool in my pool
It's so cool in my pool
It's so cool in my pool
There's no pool at my school
There's no school in my pool
There's no pool at my school
So it's cool at my pool
Yeah yeah yeah

He said that when his friends were getting ready to go out for the night they would play this random song.... and that I must play it at my wedding.  Well, I didn't.  But I always thought it was a fun song, super random, and would be a great blog name.