Just Keep Praying

I'm a firm believer in the power of prayer. God answered my prayers - although He did so in His own way - and He answers other people's prayers as well. Previously, I asked you to pray for MD and me. I'm sending out this little post to continue to ask you to pray for MD and me. As noted, we found a house we liked on Saturday. This house:


/edit/i've removed the picture since apparently no one can see it. boo!/edit/

Well to make a long story short, we placed a bid on it today and if all goes well we close on February 28. We are beyond excited but we know that most importantly we are blessed and hope that we continue to be. Sooooo, keep praying for us. I'll keep you posted on the details as they become available. Thank you and God Bless!

60-second Update

Yolanda accused me of forgetting I had a blog - actually she called me out. Well I haven't forgotten. I visit my blog quite frequently with the intent to post something - anything so people will know I'm alive and well. It's just that since the holidays, I'm a little busy. OK - A LOT busy. I've been a one-legged man in an ass-kicking contest and I'm losing. Despite my best effort those two-legged bastards are leaving me in the dust and I'm not terribly happy about it.

A friend asked me is there was anything new going on and I had to give her a laundry list of stuff. You will be getting the same list with a little more detail.

1. Christmas was an event. The girls got more stuff for Christmas than two people need. MD wanted them to have a cracked out Christmas. Let's just say they are hooked to the stuff he's pushing.
   
   I baked 9 different kinds of cookies - with Munchkin's help and gave some away as presents. As a result I have people making cookies requests. Do I look like Betty Crocker? Christmas cookies are just that - cookies you do at Christmas.
   
2. Squirm's birthday was January 1. My baby is a year old. Her birthday was nice and quiet. She played in her cake (that I made - not not from scratch) like a pro and posed for the camera. I was so proud of her. I look at my girls and smile like a goofy. This was much better than the circus we put on for Munchkin's first birthday. Not to mention less stressful. A little family affair.
   
3. The baby is on the way. As far as I'm concerned, come March we are finished having kids. We'll see what God has to say but as previously mentioned, I think he's still laughing too hard at me to afflict me again. That's my hope and prayer.
   
4. We are house hunting - aggressively. Looking to move in the next 1-2 months. We actually found a house on Saturday that we are bidding on. Please pray for us. This will be a major lifestyle change - in addition to having another baby. It's what we've been looking for and we walked into it and had the "feeling". It was the first house that we had that feeling. You know the one where you are like I can live here and I would put the TV here. More importantly, we can afford it and not live on mac and cheese for the next 20 years.
   
5. I'm job hunting. Looking to make more money with more responsibility. I got a raise in January which helps and I'm due for promotion (so I've been told) but a part of me wonders if I'm getting too comfortable at my job because I've been there so long. I need to test the waters and find out what I'm truly worth. MD is frustrated because he thinks I should be making thousands more. I don't know about thousands but I do feel underpaid.
   
   Although with my due date so close, I may put job hunting on hold to focus on the house and new baby. It's not like I could start until after I come back from maternity leave anyway. I have to be realistic about what my focuses are the next few months. Anyone hiring a former bioengineer who has worked in advertising for the last 5.5 years?
   
6. I've been letting my hair grow out. I'm wavering back and forth between going natural or just waiting until after the baby gets here to get my hair relaxed. As a result, I'm wearing a wig. My roots are killing me. I have thick hair. (Remember that post about pressing Munchkin's hair - well she got that thick stuff from somewhere you know). Since I haven't relaxed my hair in months (I think the last perm I did was in September/October), my roots are unruly.
   
   The wig I got gives me some versatility until I decide what I am truly going to do. The funny thing is that people think it's my real hair. I won't say which people but I did pick a color close to my true hair color with some highlights that aren't far feteched. Whatever works is my current motto. Plus anything that lets me get my hair done in under a minute is worth it!
   
7. I keep trying to do less at church but I'm being asked to do more . This is a losing battle. I'm at a church where the few are doing the work of the many. Therefore many of us are wearing multiple hats. Currently I do the following:
   
   - Spiritual Life Board Chair
   - Altar Guild member
   - Choir member
   - Sunday School Superintendent
   - Youth Advisor (although after several attempts the youth program hasn't kicked off)
   - Other things that I can't remember
   
   It's actually not that bad but the one job that I would really, really like to give up is the one I've been specifically asked to keep. Apparently I'm doing too good of a job even though I'm slacking. Makes me wonder what kind of job I could do if I put some true effort into it. Actually I'm not wondering about something that isn't going to happen anytime soon. Right now I'm just going to look for a replacement and if I can't find one I'm going to train some unsuspecting person to be my replacement.
   
8. Work. Enough said.

I know it's a lot of stuff to process but I did say I was busy. Consider yourself pre-warned. I would promise to do better job at blogging regularly but I know bette to make promises that I can't keep. Besides, I was never blogging regularly. I blog when I feel like it. I like to blog to blow off steam. Although when you don't have time for that outlet you should know there's a problem. Is there a support group for people like me?

The Best Prayer I Have Heard In A Long Time

Sometimes you get mass emails that you really don't mind passing along. You almost feel obligated. Today is one of those times. Be blessed and in your blessing, I hope you bless others.
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Heavenly Father, Help us remember that the jerk who cut us off in traffic last night is a single mother who worked nine hours that day and is rushing home to cook dinner, help with homework, do the laundry and spend a few precious moments with her children.

Help us to remember that the pierced, tattooed, disinterested young man who can't make change correctly is a worried 19-year-old college student, balancing his apprehension over final exams with his fear of not getting hisstudent loans for next semester.

Remind us, Lord, that the scary looking bum, begging for money in the same spot every day (who really ought to get a job!) is a slave to addictions that we can only imagine in our worst nightmares.

Help us to remember that the old couple walking annoyingly slow through the store aisles and blocking our shopping progress are savoring this moment, knowing that, based on the biopsy report she got back last week, thiswill be the last year that they go shopping together.

Heavenly Father, remind us each day that, of all the gifts you give us, the greatest gift is love. It is not enough to share that love with those we hold dear. Open our hearts not to just those who are close to us, but to all humanity. Let us be slow to judge and quick to forgive, show patience, empathy and love.

If you send this to 5 people, then you have a chance to touch 5 people. You won't get any wish for material things, however you might just find a piece of serenity and the warmth of God's touch.

Lazy Blogger

The new year has begun and I'm feeling like the lazy blogger. I could be like everyone else and blog about my Christmas and New Year's Eve shenanigans but I don't want to. I've never really been like everyone else and I don't intend to start now. Having a unique name has pre-destined me to be a unique - albeit stubborn - person. However I do owe some details on some of the things I mentioned in passing that a few astute readers caught...I'm pregnant.

Not a little pregnant either (as if there is such a thing), I'm in the 3rd trimester-we've been pregnant for a while-there's actually an end in sight type a way. Actually we did find out about it kind of late. If I hadn't gone to the doctor because I thought I was getting another kidney stone, I don't know when I would have found out. We are due in March. Early to mid March because we aren't "quite" sure when the moment of conception happened. But come the end of March we will have a baby. Munchkin is ecstatic. She wants a baby brother. If she had her way I would be having two babies so she, MD and I could all have a baby to hold. This girl is a trip. Squirm doesn't give a shit. Literally! As far as she's concerned she's the baby. I guess this is the drawback of having children this close in age. I got spoiled having a 5 year old and an infant. Now I'll have a 6 year old, a toddler and an infant. HOLY CRAP!! I'LL HAVE A 6 YEAR OLD, A TODDLER AND AN INFANT!! What was I thinking?

Actually, I was being good this time. MD and I used protection and everything. God is playing a cruel joke on me. I know He is laughing at me cause I can hear Him in my head. The Lord has a weird sense of humor and His sides have to be splitting on this one. Why the bitterness? Because you should be careful what you ask for that's why. When I was a much younger woman, I was always one to say that if I didn't have any babies by the time I was 30, I wasn't having any. Then that changed to if I wasn't finished having babies by the time I was 30, we would have to be happy with what we have. All in all, 30 was the cut-off. I turned 30 in May and figured that Munchkin and Squirm were it. A trip to the doctor and well guess who's 30 and having this last baby. God must be CRYING! You are laughing at me too, aren't you? I don't care. Be careful what you ask for. He will give it to you when you least expect it and probably think you don't want it.

For the record I know the sex this time. I have a feeling this is the last time we'll be going through this so I wanted to see. I have forbidden MD to tell though because ultrasounds have been known to be wrong. So we may still be surprised.

Why am I telling you all of this, because I'm a lazy blogger with posts that can be few and far between. Hopefully this little nugget will tide you demanding people over for a couple of days. :) If nothing else you got a good laugh at my expense. Well you and God.

Unconscious Mutterings - week 100

I know it's been a while but in honor of week 100, I felt the need to participate. Here we go...

1. Newspaper:: Column
2. DVD:: Player
3. Resolution:: Pixels
4. Intimate:: Nekkid
5. Song:: Bonecrusher
6. Essential:: Necessary
7. Whistle:: While you work
8. Glass:: Houses
9. Countdown:: Houston we have liftoff
10. Child:: of God