The first day back at work after Christmas holidays sucks. I sat down at my desk this morning and looked at the decorations that I'll have to take down, the leftover chocolates that have been dropped off (LOOKED, but didn't eat...look at that self control!), wondered what I'm going listen to now that Christmas music is over and done with, and felt that 'after Christmas' feeling. So instead of sitting here sadly with nothing to do, I've decided to make a list of looking back. Here are the highlights of my year, in no particular order of event or importance. Just simply the good things of 2009.



I'll start off with the obvious: We got pregnant! Mitch and I began the conversation of when to start our family...oh...probably 3 months after we got married haha. It took me three years, but I finally convinced him that it was the right time, and we found out we were expecting in June of 09. We are ecstatic, and are greatly anticipating the arrival of our first child due March 2, 2010.




Going to California was a major highlight. Mitch and I love travelling together and really wanted to go somewhere before we started our family. We had such a good time together, and a sentence you will hear come out of my mouth at least once every few weeks is "hey Mitch, remember that time we went to California? That was fun, hey?". This question is always met with eyes being rolled and the response "Yes, Jos...I remember".
We spent 9 wonderful days exploring beaches, going to ball games, Disneylanding and Sea Worlding it up, and, of course, eating. It was so good.




Another fun trip I took this year was one to Edmonton with my lifegroup girls. We did a weekend Ikea trip and had so much fun. We packed the 4 of us into a mini van and did our best to fill every single open space of that van with purchases from Ikea. We did pretty well! I have to say that we have been so blessed by friendships this year, and the 3 couples in our life group have been such a gift to us. It's so good to have support and friendship like that. The girl's trip is a big highlight of the year.




Okay one more trip to add to the highlight list: BC! In April we went to Abbotsford to celebrate Sharalin and Jesse's wedding. We have so many wonderful friends in BC and any time we travel out there to see them is a big highlight for me. Mitch understands my close friendships with the girls out there and has been really good about making it a priority for me to visit them probably close to once a year.





Most years I could say that all of summer is a highlight, but this year summer was pretty brutal...worst weather ever! However, there's one week for sure that sticks out in my mind, which was the week we spent up at Joel and Dominique's cabin at Shell Lake. We swam and boated and water skied and fished and suntanned and played games and watched TLC and ate and minigolfed...it makes me smile just thinking about it. Another shout out to good friends. And good friends who have cabins.

Working on our yard was a good thing this year. I don't have a picture of what it looks like thus far, but we have our driveway and lawn done, and two trees planted. It's nowhere near being finished, but it's so nice to have it started at least. I feel like a real live homeowner with grass in the backyard. I really look forward to playing with our kids out back in our nice big yard!

Okay so that's my list. It's not inclusive, and if I have forgotten anything good, I blame it on the pregnancy because apparently my memory has reduced itself to have about a 30 second retention limit. This year God has been so good to us, and I am so excited to see what this next year will bring.

A Good Day

It's only 11:53 and I can already tell you that today is going to be a fantastic day. Well...okay this whole week will be pretty good. Today is my first day off for my Christmas holidays and I'm celebrating. Have BEEN celebrating, actually. Mitch and I went to the Keg last night which is my FAVORITE place to eat, but for obvious reasons we don't go very often. This morning I had a good friend over for breakfast and we had a nice visit and did a puzzle together. Now I'm listening to christmas music, feeling my baby kick like a champion, watching the snow fall outside, and I am content. This afternoon I'm going for a massage, and then tomorrow is breakfast with my mom and sister in the morning, and manicures in the afternoon with my mother in law and sister in law. I feel a very deep relaxing calm settling over me which is much welcomed. Life is good.

Hormones, Starbucks, and the True Meaning of Christmas

There isn't always a wrong answer to a question. For example: If you would ask me if I have been hormonal through this pregnancy, I would likely say no. I feel like I have acted appropriately given all most situations. However, if you would ask Mitch if I have been hormonal during this pregnancy, he would hesitate, and probably inwardly debate just how emphatically he should answer with a resounding "yes!". As far as I'm concerned, we're both a little bit right. How? Don't worry about it. We just are.

Last night was one of those nights were maybe Mitch would have been more right than me...I was not happy. I can't explain why, but it was just not a good night. Even watching Seinfeld made me mad because it was a stupid episode. So Mitch, being the good man that he is, asked me several times throughout the early evening what he could do to make my life better. I couldn't think of anything to even let him try to do, which made me madder. But then it hit me...he could take me christmas decoration shopping. As soon as I mentioned this, I saw great regret come across Mitch's face, though he should have known that if you ask me enough times what I want to do, it will generally result in me going shopping. However, Mitch was so good about it. He agreed, and took me shopping. This didn't help my mood once we had arrived at Pier One, because after walking around for 45 minutes I decided that I really am a terrible decorator and anything I purchase won't look good anyway so we left the store empty handed. Mitch did not understand this at all, but instead of getting angry with me, simply took me to Starbucks.

Okay I had a point behind writing about all this, but I just had to write about the evening first. Getting past the hormones dire situation of the evening, I was thinking about it today and realized something. Christmas anticipation has taken on a whole new meaning for me this year. (Christmas decoration shopping...christmas anticipation...see? that's my tie-in). I said to someone the other day that I'm having a harder time than usual anticipating Christmas because I'm just so excited for what's happening just a few short months AFTER Christmas. However I need to make sure that I'm anticipating the most important birth FIRST. Not just in celebration order, but in priority order. God sent his son to die for us, and while I hope my child will accomplish many wonderful and amazing things in their life, nothing can compare to the great gift of Jesus' life. So I will slow down this Christmas and think not only of my child, but of Jesus, given the task from birth of saving the world.

Baby Feet

This is the size of the feet that kick me daily at 25 weeks. What a miracle.



photo courtesy of www.blogs.usatoday.com

Wishlist

On a completely secular note...here is my christmas list! :)

Boots. I want a nice dressy pair of boots. According to Mitch I already have every other kind of shoe under the sun, so why not these?

Absolutely any season of Grey's. I could watch it over and over again.

If I could just add Michael Buble to my list...trust me. I would. But I don't think he'd feel fulfilled in his career if his only job was to follow me around and sing to me, so I'll settle for owning his newest cd.

Pretty much my favorite chick flick out there, and I really don't own enough chick flicks.

My new favorite hair stylist is at Visions Salon and Spa, and they use "Surface" hair products. I will settle for a gift card since she's probably not willing to live in my basement and give me haircuts and styles whenever I want.

I may be forced to promise to quit quoting The Office before I'm given this, but I can't help it. I pertains to every situation perfectly.

And last, but certainly not least, this beautiful Nixon "Cougar" watch. Do I want it just because it's called Cougar? No. But that is one of two reasons on my list.

Photos courtesy of www.amazon.com

Saturday Mornings

I love Saturday mornings. Especially ones that turn out like today. Mitch and I like to take advantage of our weekends, and this morning we did what we do on Saturday mornings when we don't have anything up. We sleep in (well I sleep in, and Mitch lays there and waits until I wake up) and then Mitch gets up and makes us coffee, and one of us (mostly Mitch these days) will make a good breakfast. Today was scrambled eggs and toast with freshly ground starbucks coffee. So good. Then today we just ended up sitting at the table for over an hour just talking. I love my husband. I am so blessed to be married to a man that I can sit and talk with for hours. We started dating because of those kind of long conversations over coffee, and three years later I enjoy it even more than I did before. I was thinking about it a lot today because I realized that our lives will soon change and these mornings will look rather different.

One thing that's funny about being pregnant is that suddenly everyone feels like it's their duty to give you advice about how to manage your family life. I don't actually mind this so much and have been given many good pointers and things to think about. The other day somone I work with was talking to me and mentioned how he wished that he and his wife had taken the time for each other after their kids were born. Now they've been married for years, have teenage kids, busy lives, and don't know each other any more. Hearing that made me so sad, and thinking about that today I realized how much I need to value the time I have with Mitch now, and remember to take that time as often as we can or need to after the baby is born. God has given me such a wonderful guy and I am bound and determined to remember that and value him always.

Woes

There is a difference in mirrors. There are fat mirrors and there are skinny mirrors. What I don't understand is why all women's clothing stores don't contain the skinny mirror variety. What I REALLY don't understand is why maternity clothing stores have the fattest of mirrors. And to make matters worse, the change room at this particular maternity clothing store I was in last night had a curtain cover that was about 9 feet high. The problem with that height is that it makes you feel about 4 feet tall standing in front of it, looking into the fat mirror. So now I don't feel like a glowing blossoming pregnant women...no, I feel like a short fat dwarf. That swallowed a beach ball. My self esteem has been suffering lately...but now at least I have new clothes to help me feel better. And after I'm done writing this I'll probably go eat a pickle and drink a glass of milk which always puts me in a better mood.

*sigh*