Day 266: Breakfast in Bed & The OC

I used the leftover breakfast food from Tuesday to serve us up a huge breakfast in bed, and then we had a mostly lazy morning around the house.  Eric had work and I spent most of the day reading - I've read 17 books since January and I've got 2 that I'm close to finishing!  Eric worked a 10:30am-7pm shift today, and we were invited to join his family at Old Chicago after he got out of work. 

We drove out to Olathe and met Paul, Deb, Brian, Jen, Shannon, and Taylor.  I wish I had taken note of the topics of conversations - mostly laughable and completely entertaining. 

Yum! 

Mystic loved eating my sausage, haha! 

As she was licking her lips I kept taking pictures and caught this gem! 

Very sexy, Mystic! 

The crew at OC. 

"OMG you're talking to Chosen?!"

Remaining Comments

Day 265: Only 100 Days Left!

A few days ago Eric was looking at which tags were used the most often, and we came up with this Top 10 list!  I would say that this gives a very accurate view of what is important in our lives!

10. Cooking: 24 tags
8. Andrew & Dave Ramsey: 26 tags
7. Drinking: 28 tags
6. Games: 29 tags
5. School: 40 tags
3. Cats & Food: 41 tags
2. Friends: 48 tags
1. Family: 75 tags

Andrew, food, and cooking!

Dave Ramsey and games!

School!

Cats!

Friends and drinking!

Family!

Day 264: Worries

This week has been a little stressful for both of us. Unfortunately for her, Jess gave up complaining (mostly about work)for lent, so it falls to me to vent for my part and our shared frustrations. We've been apartment hunting to save money and move closer to where we want to be next year. So far we've found a place we both think we really like, but we needed to see the one bedroom layout to make sure. After our appointment on Monday fell through (they weren't ready yet), we rescheduled for Saturday morning - only to find out I work an odd early shift that day. So now we have to try to rearrange my schedule while we're training 2 new people and I'm requesting off the following week for Michigan. All of this is on top of the "regular stress" of our seafood sale this week, homework in my tax class, trying to make it to the gym enough times to pass, and of course the continuing job hunt. Two weeks ago Father Gar talked about how we're greater than our worries and that we're taken care of. We're just having a hard time getting in that mind set. I'm so ready for next week.

Wouldn't it be nice to only worry about where you're going to sleep?

Day 263: Ash Wednesday

It's a good thing Lent is about repentance, because I'm awfully sorry that I slept through the 7pm service tonight.  Ashley went to the 7am service because she had work during the day and night, and I was planning on going to the 7pm service because I had work in the morning and afternoon.  Unfortunately, I was exhausted after work and needed a 1 hour nap before driving 40 minutes to go to church.  I set three alarms, the same as I do every morning, and slept 2 hours past those alarms.  It was 8:15pm when I woke up, HUGE bummer.

I'm not beating myself up over it too badly though.  In December I bought myself a Bible and Episcopal Book of Common Prayer, and these have both been getting a lot of use lately.  I've never been one to pray other than things like "Please God, let me pass this test!" or things of that sort.  So this Lent, I am giving up complaining about work, and adding daily prayer and reading the Bible.  This week I started reading Proverbs, which I'll probably have to read through a few dozen times before I really start to understand.  Tonight I used the BCP to go through Compline, which felt much more guided and productive than my previous few nights' "chat with God" approach.  Then I read through the Ash Wednesday service in the BCP.  I realize it's not the same as going to church for the service, but it was definitely better than saying "Oh well, I'll just catch it next year!"

Later in the night, after Eric got home from work, we were both really hungry.  He agreed to participate in fasting with me for Ash Wednesday.  According to what I found online, this fasting counts as 1 small meal and two snacks which are not larger than the meal when combined - enough to keep up your strength.  We thought we were strong enough to make it a full day of real fasting, and discovered that we were weaklings.  We ended up each eating a 240 calorie TV dinner to make it through the night.  

Usually I am the lazy one asking Eric to bring me blankets and drinks, etc.  Tonight I finally waited on Eric hand and foot for awhile.  I tucked him in to the couch, brought him the TV remotes, and even adjusted his hood to where he wanted it before putting myself to bed!

Day 262: Shrove Tuesday

I've been going to church regularly since last summer, and Eric has been going to church with Ashley and I since December.  I've felt really good about listening and acting on the messages, getting confirmed, and being more involved.  But I openly admit that I still don't know a lot about what we're doing, and I'm very interested and motivated to learn more about it.

Today is Shrove Tuesday - the day before Ash Wednesday and the start of Lent.  My understanding of today is that it is preparation for Lent - starting to acknowledge the penance that is expected during Lent, and having a last hurrah before you give something up for Lent.  Eating pancakes is part of the tradition that started because people were using up the last of food items that they would abstain from during Lent.

I had sausage, hash browns with onions, eggs over hard, and french toast pancakes - there is cinnamon, nutmeg, egg, and vanilla in the batter.

Eric had french toast pancakes, sausage, hash browns with jalapeño cheddar cheese, and an omelette.

Addy manages our cooking, all while standing on a dime.  This is her pose of the week - sitting down with all four feet touching one another.

Day 261: A Night Off

Eric and I had plans to go look at an apartment in Lenexa tonight - but the complex didn't have the 1 bedroom ready for viewing yet.  So instead, we got to stay home and spend a whole afternoon and evening together!  We took Addy on a walk and watched Grown Ups, which we would give 2.5/5 stars.  The movie seemed mostly like they just filmed a bunch of comedians hanging out, rather than a really cohesive script.  Then I took a nice long nap on the couch while Eric played Operation Flashpoint with Steven and Grant.  After I woke up, Eric made us a delicious dinner of chicken alfredo with cavatappi pasta and we watched a few hours of Scrubs.  Ahhhh, relaxation!

Mooooom!  Please don't drop me!

She thought my shoulders would be safer.

Please let me inside...

Day 260: Baby Time!

We overslept and missed church this morning, but we kept our post-church plans to go visit Katie, Joe, and little Charlotte.  She's a perfect little one - complete with stretches, yawns, and squeaky baby noises.  Eric held her for a few minutes and looks good with a baby!  I feel lucky that we've had Cash join us two years ago, Andrew and Declan last year and Charlotte this year - enough babies to keep us occupied until we decide to start our own family :) 

Plus, Charlotte has soothed my nerves that I might be sad if we were to have a girl.  We're not planning on finding out if it's a boy or girl when we do get pregnant, but I've got it set in my mind that our first should be a boy.  When Molly thought Dec was a girl through the whole pregnancy and then had a boy - I started worrying that I would be disappointed if my "feeling" ended up being wrong.  We all loved Declan immediately, and Molly had told me that I wouldn't be sad because we'd be so happy just to have a baby.  But actually seeing and holding Charlotte reassured me, just because she's the first girl baby either of us has been around in many years.

Perfect little Charlotte with her baby Uggs.  Eric, no longer scared to hold babies!