I had to pick up a part at the Volkswagen dealer today. As the guy was ringing up my purchase, he asked if I wanted them to install the part, or if my husband was going to do it.
What?!?!
Okay, so he was right, I'm not going to do it myself. But, still!
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
As I was leaving the mall, a lady that walked past me looked at my belly and smiled. I thought, "How cute! People are recognizing that I'm pregnant and it makes them happy!"
A minute later, I looked down at my black shirt and realized I had crumbs on my belly from my cinnamon-sugar pretzel I had just finished eating!
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Today as I was talking to my mom on the phone, I realized my car was low on gas. So, I pulled up the gas station and started filling up. Somehow, involved in the conversation, I realized I was putting in unleaded and not premium like I'm supposed to. Opps! I canceled it after about 20 seconds. Don't try to talk and pump gas at the same time! And don't tell Kyle!
Sep 29, 2008
Sep 27, 2008
Highlights from the Caribbean!
We had a great vacation to the Caribbean with Kiley and Matt! Here are some highlights of our trip:
- Seeing the world's best beaches...St. Thomas and Barbados were some of our favorite.
- Discovering a local dive at the end of the beach in St. Lucia...a lunch of blue marlin, plantains, rice and beans, and avocado.
- Snorkeling around a shipwreck in Barbados.
- The French bistros and shops in St. Maarten.
- Matt and Kyle ordering 2-3 entrees most nights...especially on lobster night!
- Boogie-boarding in St. Maarten -- so much fun!
- Visiting six new places we've never been.
- Getting maid service not just once, but twice a day!
- A cozy room for four at the Hilton in Puerto Rico our first night.
- Seeing a stingray in St. Thomas while snorkeling.
- Taking advantage of the cruise activities...samba dance lessons, basketball, fitness center, in-line skating, rock-climbing, soccer, nightly shows, falling asleep at the pool, and of course unlimited food, just to name a few!
- And our favorite part -- spending time with Kiley and Matt with lots of laughs and great conversation!
Sep 23, 2008
Proverbs 31 for the 21st Century Woman
My friend Christy wrote a personal "translation" of Proverbs 31 and posted it on her blog a few weeks ago. I printed it out, and am really challenged by it's words. It displays a great picture of the kind of wife I want to be! I thought I would share it with you all that don't read her blog. Thanks, Christy!
An excellent wife is hard to find these days, because she is more valuable than stocks or bonds or winning the lottery. She's worth billions!
Her husband doesn't have any reason to doubt her abilities or her decisions, and he can put his full trust in her. With her by his side, he knows he has everything he needs. Every day she is a help, rather than a hindrance, to him.
She searches for top quality products for the household, and loves to make things and do things herself when possible, rather than buying it or paying someone else to do it for her, even if it means it takes her extra work or time.
She goes across town even though it's not as convenient, to get the best deals and quality in groceries for her family. She clips coupons and brings along her reusable bags.
She gets up early in the morning, sometimes when it's still dark out, to prepare breakfast, throw a roast in the crockpot for dinner, and pack a sack lunch for her husband. If she doesn't have the time or the resources to get everything done that needs to be done for her family, she hires trusted helpers and delegates appropriate work to them. She treats these workers well, and doesn't take advantage of people.
She carefully considers investments and makes wise choices with her money, paying up front with cash rather than using credit. With her profits she makes purchases that will continue giving back to her family. She budgets, and sticks to the budget. She pays the family bills on time.
She does things to increase her own emotional strength, (such as spending time in the Word and in prayer) as well as her physical strength (she works out and eats right!).
She knows that her hard work is worth all the effort, and that she will, some day, see the fruit of her labor. This motivates her to keep working hard, often staying up late at night to finish whatever needs to be done.
She is handy at home, fixing and mending and making things as her abilities enable her.
She is generous, and makes an effort to reach out to the poor and needy, and others less fortunate. She teaches her children to do the same.
She doesn't worry about her husband or kids being cold when winter comes, because she has already made sure everyone has high quality coats, hats, mittens, and clothes before the seasons change. (In fact, it's quite possible she bought them at the end of the season last year when they were on clearance!) She plans ahead.
She is modestly but very nicely dressed.
Her husband has a good reputation and is thought of highly by the general public and leaders as well, partly due to his wife's hard work, service, well-behaved children & her tasteful appearance.
She is resourceful at finding ways to earn extra income here and there, making and selling things at garage sales and on Craigslist or Ebay.
She isn't a wimp, and has a quiet confidence about her. She doesn't worry, but looks forward to the days and weeks to come with joyful anticipation.
People listen when she speaks, because she only says something if she knows it will benefit the listener. Her comments are wise, and her words are kind. She doesn't grumble, complain, or whine.
She's not one to just sit around; in fact, she doesn't have time to be lazy, because she is so busy taking good care of her family. She puts their needs above her own.
Her kids love her, and get up in the morning happy to see her and thanking her for all she does for them. Her husband also praises her and tells her often, "babe, there are a lot of good wives out there, but you're the best of the best!"
Smooth-talking women are hiding their true character, and beauty is only surface deep; it won't last forever. But a woman who fears the Lord will shine. She will have something to show for her hard work & God-honoring attitude: precious fruit harvested from a life lived in service.
An excellent wife is hard to find these days, because she is more valuable than stocks or bonds or winning the lottery. She's worth billions!
Her husband doesn't have any reason to doubt her abilities or her decisions, and he can put his full trust in her. With her by his side, he knows he has everything he needs. Every day she is a help, rather than a hindrance, to him.
She searches for top quality products for the household, and loves to make things and do things herself when possible, rather than buying it or paying someone else to do it for her, even if it means it takes her extra work or time.
She goes across town even though it's not as convenient, to get the best deals and quality in groceries for her family. She clips coupons and brings along her reusable bags.
She gets up early in the morning, sometimes when it's still dark out, to prepare breakfast, throw a roast in the crockpot for dinner, and pack a sack lunch for her husband. If she doesn't have the time or the resources to get everything done that needs to be done for her family, she hires trusted helpers and delegates appropriate work to them. She treats these workers well, and doesn't take advantage of people.
She carefully considers investments and makes wise choices with her money, paying up front with cash rather than using credit. With her profits she makes purchases that will continue giving back to her family. She budgets, and sticks to the budget. She pays the family bills on time.
She does things to increase her own emotional strength, (such as spending time in the Word and in prayer) as well as her physical strength (she works out and eats right!).
She knows that her hard work is worth all the effort, and that she will, some day, see the fruit of her labor. This motivates her to keep working hard, often staying up late at night to finish whatever needs to be done.
She is handy at home, fixing and mending and making things as her abilities enable her.
She is generous, and makes an effort to reach out to the poor and needy, and others less fortunate. She teaches her children to do the same.
She doesn't worry about her husband or kids being cold when winter comes, because she has already made sure everyone has high quality coats, hats, mittens, and clothes before the seasons change. (In fact, it's quite possible she bought them at the end of the season last year when they were on clearance!) She plans ahead.
She is modestly but very nicely dressed.
Her husband has a good reputation and is thought of highly by the general public and leaders as well, partly due to his wife's hard work, service, well-behaved children & her tasteful appearance.
She is resourceful at finding ways to earn extra income here and there, making and selling things at garage sales and on Craigslist or Ebay.
She isn't a wimp, and has a quiet confidence about her. She doesn't worry, but looks forward to the days and weeks to come with joyful anticipation.
People listen when she speaks, because she only says something if she knows it will benefit the listener. Her comments are wise, and her words are kind. She doesn't grumble, complain, or whine.
She's not one to just sit around; in fact, she doesn't have time to be lazy, because she is so busy taking good care of her family. She puts their needs above her own.
Her kids love her, and get up in the morning happy to see her and thanking her for all she does for them. Her husband also praises her and tells her often, "babe, there are a lot of good wives out there, but you're the best of the best!"
Smooth-talking women are hiding their true character, and beauty is only surface deep; it won't last forever. But a woman who fears the Lord will shine. She will have something to show for her hard work & God-honoring attitude: precious fruit harvested from a life lived in service.
Sep 17, 2008
Sep 14, 2008
I Love Fall
Leaves change.
Football games.
Light sweaters.
New schedules.
Cozy Uggs.
Family Holidays.
Pumpkin Soup.
Roadtrips.
Apples orchards.
Costume parties.
Cool weather.
Pumpkin lattes.
Warm fires.
Sep 12, 2008
Red Cherry
My favorite frozen yogurt! Served at Leeann Chin. I just might have to go get some today! Raspberry or lemon? Hmm...
Labels:
BAMBINA,
LIFE,
NEALY'S NOTEWORTHY
Sep 10, 2008
Congratulations to Nate & Natalie!!!
I am so incredibly happy for our dear friends Nate and Natalie Klauser! They have just adopted a beautiful baby girl named Elyse Irene Klauser. What a precious little one!
Nate and Natalie have an amazing story of patience, hope, and God's faithfulness. You can read all about it here. They are currently in California, and will bring their baby girl back to the Twin Cities soon. We love you guys and can't wait to meet her!
Sep 8, 2008
What Color of Eyes Would Your Children Have?
Have you ever wondered what color of eyes your children would have? Or what the chances are of them having your or your spouse's eyes?I found an Eyecolor Generator that's fun to try! You just enter the eye color of yourself and your spouse, along with your parents and siblings, and it will calculate the probability of your kids having green, blue, or brown eyes!
According to the generator, our kids will have a 50%-50% chance of having blue eyes or green eyes.
Labels:
BAMBINA
Labor Day 2008
Although these are about a week late, I just wanted to post some pictures of our end-the-summer-with-a-bang Labor Day weekend in Clear Lake! As requested, you can even see a "baby bump."
Happy Birthday, Kyle!
For the 8th September 7th since I've known him, in honor of Kyle's first birthday we celebrated together (and our first picture together), I just wanted to wish my husband a Happy Birthday!
I love you!
Sep 7, 2008
"You'd Better Enjoy It Now..."
I can’t tell you how many times I have heard this since we’ve been pregnant! A lot of people have “warned” me of the changes to come. I think of it often myself as well. Will I be able to do this with a baby? Will I no longer be able to…shower? What will car trips be like? Grocery shopping? Cooking dinner? Sleeping in?!? I’m not totally sure what to expect about just how much my life will change.
Thankfully, and I say this with true thankfulness, Kyle and I have gotten to experience a great part of our life together before starting a family. We always thought we would have kids sooner than this (we used to say “three years” and kept saying that every year). But since both of us are such super-planners and super-analyzers, we decided to wait until the “perfect” time.
Our due date happens to be exactly one week after our five-year wedding anniversary. In these years, we have had the time to accomplish many of our goals together. I started a business, Kyle got his master’s degree, we’ve lead the Young Marrieds ministry at our church, we’ve lived in another country, and we’ve seen much of the world. We have really enjoyed the life that God has given us as a married couple.
We are now ready for the next stage. We’re ready to teach someone else what we’ve learned, show someone else where we’ve been, and most importantly, teach someone else about the great God who has saved us.
Of course you can ask me again when I’m totally sleep deprived, when even running to Target is almost impossible, and I might give you a different answer! But I am welcoming of the huge changes that are to come.
This leads me to my question for you readers. What would you recommend that we do in the last months before our baby gets here? What did you do, or wish you would have done, or plan to do yourself? Any comments are appreciated!
Thankfully, and I say this with true thankfulness, Kyle and I have gotten to experience a great part of our life together before starting a family. We always thought we would have kids sooner than this (we used to say “three years” and kept saying that every year). But since both of us are such super-planners and super-analyzers, we decided to wait until the “perfect” time.
Our due date happens to be exactly one week after our five-year wedding anniversary. In these years, we have had the time to accomplish many of our goals together. I started a business, Kyle got his master’s degree, we’ve lead the Young Marrieds ministry at our church, we’ve lived in another country, and we’ve seen much of the world. We have really enjoyed the life that God has given us as a married couple.
We are now ready for the next stage. We’re ready to teach someone else what we’ve learned, show someone else where we’ve been, and most importantly, teach someone else about the great God who has saved us.
Of course you can ask me again when I’m totally sleep deprived, when even running to Target is almost impossible, and I might give you a different answer! But I am welcoming of the huge changes that are to come.
This leads me to my question for you readers. What would you recommend that we do in the last months before our baby gets here? What did you do, or wish you would have done, or plan to do yourself? Any comments are appreciated!
Labels:
BAMBINA
Sep 5, 2008
Sep 3, 2008
Girls' Night!
Girls
night
out.
Friends.
Laughs.
Minneapolis.
Pizza.
Gelato.
Gelato.
Yum.
Lake Nokomis.
Walk.
Talk.
Traci.
Andrea.
Danielle.
Erica.
Bri.
Amanda.
Nealy.
Beth.
Ranya.
Sep 1, 2008
No Longer "It"
Friday was our first ultrasound, which was a very happy and exciting day for us. We are so incredibly thankful to report that we have a healthy baby girl! God has answered our prayers and has amazingly knit together a perfect little baby for us. Praise be to Him!
Stay tuned - her first pictures, coming soon.
Seventy-two percent of you guessed correctly that we would have a girl! Wow!
Labels:
BAMBINA
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