Valentine's Day

I have the best husband in the world! This is what I came home to this year on Valentine's Day:

Ross cut out several hearts from construction paper and wrote on them with reasons why he loves me. This was the best thing ever! He also gave me a giant card and a Pandora charm bracelet. He is so good to me! I loved these hearts! It was just so neat to see them all laying on our bed, and to know that he had taken the time to cut them all out himself. Oh I love how he does things like this for me that he knows I will love! Thank you Ross!!

Trevor Herndon

I'm so proud of my nephew, Trevor Herndon! He called Sunday night to tell us that he got saved and baptized that night at his church! I was so not expecting to hear that but was so happy to hear it! Oh I am so proud of him and happy for him. If I'm this excited for him and he's just my nephew, I wonder what it will be like when I hear that news from my own kids someday!

You can read about Trevor's story and see pictures here on my sister's blog:  The Herndon House.

Baby Blanket #3

A few weeks ago, I finished knitting my third baby blanket. I knitted my first baby blanket last year and then did another one in the summer and gave to a friend at her baby shower. I love knitting these blankets! I've done baby blankets because they are fairly easy and don't take very long to do. I'd like to make an adult blanket, but don't know if I have the patience to work on one project for that length of time. I love the way this pattern looks, but it was not my favorite to knit. It has two rows of purl stitches and purl stitches just don't come as easy to me as knit stitches do. 

Here's the pattern for the blanket in the pictures below:
With larger circular needles, cast on 121 stitches. Knit 5 rows. Keeping first and last 6 stitches of each row in garter stitch (knit every row), work in Eyelet Pattern until piece measures 32 inches from the beginning. End with row 4 of Eyelet pattern. Knit 5 rows and bind off.

Eyelet Pattern (multiple of 6 sts + 1)
Row 1 (RS): Knit.
Row 2: Purl. 

Row 3: K1, *yo, p1, purl 3 sts tog, p1, yo, k1; rep from * to end.
Row 4: Purl. 
Rep Rows 1–4 for Eyelet pattern.

Disconnected

Ross and I got new cell phones last week. I have been on my parent's plan for two years now and Ross has been on his own. My parents decided to switch from AT&T to Verizon for better coverage and asked if I wanted to continue with them and if Ross wanted to join, too. We crunched the numbers and found that going on their plan would be a better option than staying on our own plans. They have a corporate plan set up through my dad's business which allows for extra discounts and equals more savings for us.

My dad called me last Wednesday morning to tell me our new phones were in and that Verizon would start the process of switching everything over for us. He said he'd get back to me later in the day with a status update on that process. I never heard back from him, so figured I'd just talk to him later that evening.

Ross and I made plans to meet at the bank after work to make the final payment on my car (yey for us!!!) and then go to the Verizon store to pick up our phones. We decided this through email during the day and I'm so glad that we did this so we at least knew where to meet. I say this because as I left work that day, I tried calling my dad to see what was going on with our phones. I hit his number and automatically got a "Call Failed" message on my phone. I tried a couple more times and got the same message. I thought maybe something was wrong with my dad's phone, so tried calling Ross. I got the same "Call Failed" message. I was a bit confused at this and wondered what was going on. It dawned on me that our old phones had already been disconnected and our new phones turned on. This really bothered me because that meant I was completely disconnected! At that moment I had no way of getting a hold of anyone. I couldn't call Ross. I couldn't call my dad. I couldn't call 9-1-1 if I were to get in an accident. And I couldn't even go home to call anyone because we don't have a land line phone anymore at our house! It seriously was like a little moment of panic for me!

I laughed at myself when I thought this through. I thought it was really silly of me to get so worried about being disconnected and then I thought about how completely dependent upon technology we've become! It's hard to imagine life without cell phones and being able to connect to anyone at anytime in any place.

Friday Fun!

Here's a fun puzzle for you this Friday:

Regifting Robin Mind Trick 

My aunt sent this link in an email and I'm glad I didn't delete it! I tried this a few times and it drove me crazy trying to figure out how it was done. I just had to know, so Googled it and found the answer.

Happy Friday!

Pie & Coffee

Last Saturday night we went to dinner with some friends, Colin and Erica. Our original plan was to eat around 6pm and then go bowling, but they had a few house projects going on that day and weren't able to meet us until around 7:15pm for dinner. That was fine with us as we didn't have much going on and were pretty flexible with our schedule that day.

We had a good time at dinner and then headed off to the bowling alley. We could tell right when we walked in that the bowling alley was very busy that night. So busy, in fact, that there was a 30-minute wait to get an open lane. We stood around for a few minutes discussing what to do. I could tell that none of us really wanted to wait around 30 minutes for the open lane, but no one was saying anything. We finally discussed it and decided to go get dessert. But that brought about another delimma:  where to go for dessert?!

I started naming off some options...Orange Leaf, Coldstone Creamery (side note:  for some reason I can't remember that it's Coldstone and often end up calling it Stonecold. I learned that Erica does the same thing!), TGI Fridays, Cheddars, etc. None of the options I mentioned got very good reactions until I suggested......Village Inn! For some reason, Village Inn popped into my head so I suggested it saying we could get pie! Everyone liked this idea so we decided to head over to Village Inn for pie. We laughed at ourselves while walking out of the bowling alley...here we are, all of us 32 or 33 years old, and going to Village Inn at 9pm on a Saturday night to eat pie and drink coffee. We felt so old!

But it was very fitting for all of us to do this because we've had several conversations with Colin and Erica where we've talked about how we like to go to bed early. And that it's pretty much the norm in both of our houses that we're in our pajamas and robes, relaxing on the couch or in bed around 9-9:30 most nights!

I think we were the youngest group of people in Village Inn that night, but we had a great time. And the best part was that we were at home by10pm!

A Professional, Courteous Young Man

A few days ago Ross received a very nice compliment from a customer he was working with. Read for yourself what a great, professional, working man my husband is:  

"Your gentleman who estimates damages, was here...and quite a professional courteous young man...Different for this day and age....he is to be complimented."

"The young man told me, if the body shop found anything additional for them to call him, and they could proceed further together..  But if the body shop finds nothing else than he did, I will let you know, and we can get that settled....   Thank you for and the young man both for your professional approach to this unfortunate situation."

I'm so proud of Ross! He is such a good worker and does a very good job on all of his assignments. He is quick, thorough, accurate, and consistently ranks near the top of the appraisers in his region. He takes his work seriously and follows up on everything. He even goes the extra mile (ha, no pun intended!) by driving to places out of his area to help his fellow coworkers when needed.

Good job, Ross! I'm proud of you!

Valentine Surprises

I've come home the past week to find sweet little Valentine's left for me!

One day I even found a Valentine greeting in my car when I left work!

Thank you, Ross!!

The Great Laundry Standoff

I've been thinking about this post for quite a while now. One year, four months, and seven days to be exact! (I know that because that's when I first started this draft and I'm finally getting around to completing it!)

When Ross and I got back from our honeymoon, we decided to unload our suitcases in the basement, right by the laundry room. Most everything needed to be washed, so we thought this made the most sense.

Side note:  Before we were married, we discussed the way we did our laundry, like if we separated our clothes by color, by the water temperature they were to be washed in, etc., and found that we had differences in how we did this. Ross separated his clothes by water temperature and I separated my clothes by color. I also like to wash my jeans in their own load, whereas Ross will put his jeans in with his shirts. We talked about how our different ways would mesh once married, if we would go by Ross' method or go by my method. We didn't really come to a definite decision on this, kind of just forgot about it after discussing it.

Back to the main story:  Once we got our suitcases downstairs we started unloading them and separated them into piles. Ross put his clothes in his piles and I put my clothes in my piles. After the clothes were sorted we just stood there looking at each other. And then we looked down at our clothes piles. And then we looked at each other again. Our clothes were sorted in such different ways! Mine were all sorted by colors:  whites in one pile, jeans and pants in one pile, darks in one pile, and lights in another pile. Ross's clothes piles had mixed colors and definitely did not have the solid color scheme going on like mine did.

I don't remember who finally broke the silence, but one of us did and we discussed how we were going to wash our clothes. We wanted to wash them together, thinking it would be silly to do all of my clothes and then all of his clothes. That would be a waste of time and water. Again, I don't remember specifics, but I do know that it ended up okay and our laundry got done. We decided that we didn't need a set in stone way to do our wash and whoever was doing the wash would decide how it would be done. So when I do the wash, I sort how I want, and when Ross does it, he sorts how he wants.

I remember wanting to laugh at the time this happened, thinking it was like we were at a great standoff!  I guess it was just one of those things you learn about each other when first married. And I think you had to be there to fully appreciate the humor in it!

Irony...Or Maybe Just A Soapbox!

I've been a "Pinner" for five months, meaning I've been actively involved on Pinterst.com.  Pinterest is an online bulletin board site that "lets you organize and share all the beautiful things you find on the web. People use pinboards to plan their weddings, decorate their homes, and organize their favorite recipes. Best of all, you can browse pinboards created by other people. Browsing pinboards is a fun way to discover new things and get inspiration from people who share your interests." Basically, if you find something online that you like you can save it to a bulletin board and other people will be able to see it, too.

I have found so many great ideas from Pinterst - recipes, crafts, knitting patterns, exercises, etc. You really should check it out if you haven't. It's a wonderful way to gather and share ideas, however, it can get slightly overwhelming at times. Some of the pictures posted on this site, like craft ideas or home decorating ideas, look like they came straight out of a magazine, but they're listed as a DIY project. You know, the Southern Living or Martha Stuart type ideas that look so good and seem so easy, but let's face it, usually turn out looking nothing close to the picture and take much longer than stated when you try the DIY instructions (that's Do It Yourself in crafty land). 

Well, a few days ago on Facebook I saw a link to a blog posting that was about Pinterest. I was intrigued by the title and the short synopsis because it sounded like it was bashing Pinterest. And it kind of was, in a way. The blog post talked about how Pinterest can often times make mothers (it was a "mommy" blog) feel like complete failures. The blog compared pictures seen on Pinterest to pictures see in real life. For example, a picture on Pinterest might show a beautifully set Valentine's-themed table with red and white napkins, plates, glasses, heart-shaped food, etc. But, if the picture were taken in real life it would most likely show a table with paper plates, paper cups, food still in the pot it was made in instead of in pretty serving dishes, junk mail on the table, etc. Basically, a very pretty and clean scene versus a very ugly and messy scene.

Please, don't get me wrong. I get the point of that blog post. Some of the pins can make one feel overwhelmed and slightly failureish, but what struck me funny about it was that as I continued reading and looking on this blog, I found that this woman has a book, THAT SHE WROTE, coming out sometime this spring, and she also has a small business.

Do you see my point? If not, I hope I can explain it in a halfway intelligent way. She's bashing all these people on Pinterest who post pictures of seemingly perfect meals, kids, organization, rooms, etc., saying that that's not real life. But isn't her life kind of the same, in a round about way? She might think the Valentine's-themed dinner is a bit perfect and unrealistic, but I think that someone who does all that she does and writes a book is a bit perfect and unrealistic.

It just made me laugh and seemed like complete irony to me. Or perhaps irony isn't the right word for this scenario. Irony is hard to define and I think used incorrectly most of the time. But, my point is this woman is dogging on everyone else for being "perfect" saying that's not real life, yet I'm sure there are lots of women that are reading her blog and already have her book preordered that are feeling overwhelmed and failureish when comparing themselves to her.

Like my title said, maybe it's irony. Maybe it's just me on a soapbox. Maybe it's just me doing the same thing I'm bashing on this woman about...complaining about others when I'm kind of doing the same thing, in a round about way, myself.  

Grammar

I saw an article posted on a friend's Facebook wall titled "20 Common Grammar Mistakes That (Almost) Everyone Makes." I was intrigued by the title, so decided to take a look. I was glad I did because I learned a lot. For example, did you know...

• Contrary to common misuse, “moot” doesn’t imply something is superfluous. It means a subject is disputable or open to discussion. e.g., The idea that commercial zoning should be allowed in the residential neighborhood was a moot point for the council. (Taken from the article mentioned above.)
• “Since” refers to time. “Because” refers to causation. e.g., Since I quit drinking I’ve married and had two children. e.g., Because I quit drinking I no longer wake up in my own vomit. (Taken from the article mentioned above.)
• Unless you’re frightened of them, you shouldn’t say you’re “anxious to see your friends.” You’re actually “eager,” or "excited." To be “anxious” implies a looming fear, dread or anxiety. It doesn’t mean you’re looking forward to something.

Now I don't claim to be a grammar expert, and I'm sure you can tell by my blog postings that I am not a quality writer, but I do pride myself in knowing a few grammar rules. I credit this ingrained knowledge to Ms. Herring, my wonderful junior and senior English teacher. Here's just a few rules that I will never forget:

• A lot is TWO separate words! It is not spell alot, but rather a, space, lot.
• You're and your - you're is a contraction, short for the two words you and are. Your shows posesssion. It is not "I'm talking to you're sister and she said your going to the game," but rather "I'm talking to your sister and she said you're going to the game."
• To, too, two - these are three different words with three different meanings. To is a preposition, too means also, and two is a number. It's not "I have too tickets that I will give two her, to," but rather "I have two tickets that I will give to her, too."

In the words of Ms. Herring, "use it right, people!"

Intimidation By Coffee

As I've grown up, I've found that I don't get intimidated by things like I did when I was younger. Doing things alone or doing the unknown isn't that scary to me anymore. But, there are some things that do get to me and intimidate me so much. Things as simple as buying coffee....

One day last week (well, okay almost every day last week) I was so tired. I decided that I needed something more than my water and whatever snacks I had on hand to get me going for the day. I needed something strong. Something to give me energy. Something that was the real deal. Yes, I decided I needed coffee.

Luckily for me, my work has a small coffee shop just outside of the cafeteria. To get my liquid energy, all I had to do was walk downstairs, place my order, and wait for the caffeine to slowly course through my veins giving me the boost of energy I so desperately needed. It should have been that simple, but for me who is not a coffee drinker at all (and let's face it, the McDonald's Frappes that I do so much enjoy on a regular basis are really all about the sugar and not the coffee), this was a very intimidating task. Here's just a few of my thoughts on the matter:

• What kind of a drink would I order?
• Would I know what anything on the menu was?
• What is the difference between a latte and a cappuchino?
• Do I order one or two shots of espresso?
• Do I order a tall, small, grande, medium, etc.?
• Would I sound like I had no clue what I was talking about?
• Would others around me listening to me stumble through my order know that I was an imposer and wasn't really "one of them?"

My need for energy greatly outweighed my intimidation and I walked to the coffee shop. I was happy to see the barista had her back to the counter and didn't know I was there. This gave me time to peruse the menu (which was quite small and made my job a little easier), choose what I wanted, and practice saying my order in my head. Practicing, of course, so I would sound halfway intelligent about my coffee and it might not show that I wasn't the avid coffee drinker that most of their customers are.

I'm happy to say the ordering process went very well. I didn't stumble over my words. I didn't ask any dumb questions. I just gave her my order and a few minutes later I was back at my desk enjoying a caramel mocha latte....or at least I think that's how it's said. :)

Pens!

Apparently, I need a collection of pens on my desk throughout my workday. I took this picture on Monday:

This picture on Wednesday:

And this picture on Friday:

I don't know why I use so many pens throughout the day instead of just using one pen. And it's not a one-time-a-day thing, either. On a regular basis throughout my day I gather my collection of pens and put them back in the pen holder, just to repeat the process a few hours later. This makes me laugh!

The U.S. Missions February Employee of the Month is....

ME! 

That's, right! I was chosen as the February employee of the month for U.S. Missions. Each month U.S. Missions employees are asked to nominate fellow coworkers who are deserving of this title, and once the names have been complied, the U.S. Missions Executive Committee (all department directors) review the nominations and vote on the winner. I was chosen for the way I help out whenever needed, especially the past few months while my boss was out and a new employee started work with us. To learn a little more about what I do and see where I work, click here!

As part of my reward for being named employee of the month, I get to park in our executive director's reserved parking spot for one week in the month of February. This is a very nice perk, as his parking spot is maybe 20 feet from the entrance to our building, much closer than where I normally park. Score for me! I also get a $50 gift card to any place I choose. Double score for me! A framed certificate with my name and picture will be on display in our hallway for the month, too.

The employee of the month is announced in the staff video newsletter that's emailed to all staff members at the first of the month. I am the one who edits these video newsletters together, and to announce the winner I show their picture and do a voice-over saying why they were chosen as the winner. Since I'm the one who puts the video together, I actually knew about this award in January so I could add it to the newsletter.

This was a little odd and funny...me announcing to everyone that I am the employee of the month! I had fun with it, though, and think it turned out good. Here's a link to the video. You can watch the whole video here, or speed ahead to 2:15 for my segment. Enjoy!