Smooth Operator

So way back when we first started this journey, my doctor laid out a big roadmap of where we might be headed and what might be happening. One of the last things he mentioned was exploratory surgery to diagnose or rule out (and treat if necessary) endometriosis. The possibility of endometriosis came up again when I had some lingering pain after the ruptured ovarian cyst, but because the only way to diagnose it was surgery, he wasn't eager to force the issue since I was slowly but surely getting better. But now that we have ruled out and tried pretty much everything else, we're at that point near the end of the road where it's appropriate and necessary.

 I was not expecting it to happen so quickly, but when they called on Friday to get it scheduled, it ended up that Monday was the best option! Well, ok! I tend to stress and worry over stuff anyway so that probably was best. It was enough time for me to process and adjust to the idea of it without having too much time to stress. So yeah, I've pretty much decided that about a 48-72 hour window is what I need to adjust to something that's not a TOTAL shock.

 I had done my reading and research, was with my mom when she had laparoscopic surgery (although not for this), and I DO work in a hospital and have made enough visits to both pre-op and pacu that I feel like I'm reasonably familiar and comfortable with what happens. Heck, I've even been in the OR and seen things that most people outside healthcare don't get to see. Still, I was a little surprised (and not at all happy) when I was told "oh by the way, you're only allowed clear liquids the day before" Especially since I'd been cooking for three days for a little get-together that was going to be, you guessed it, the day before my surgery. So instead of white chicken chili, wine, spinach dip, and salsa I got to have broth, sprite, and gatorade. I have never wanted a Frito so badly in my life!

 The morning of surgery I was instructed to check in at the outpatient surgery center at 6:45. I was honestly surprised at how quickly everything went. They called me back to prep me at about 7:10 and I was rolling back to the OR at 7:35! I was the most nervous about the IV, and while she only had to stick me once, it was kind of nerve-wracking. She asked if I was ok if she didn't numb it first because it was such a tiny vein. She had to dig a little, but she got it and I've never been so relieved to be done with something. It was the longest three minutes of my life! I remember very little after they put "the good stuff" in my IV as they started to roll me out. I have some vague fuzzy memories of moving onto the table but that's about it. When I woke up in recovery, I wasn't quite aware of where I was I just had the feeling I was waking up and needed to go to the bathroom. So what do you do when you feel that every morning? You get up and go! So I started trying to get up and the nurse had to tell me to lay back down. Once I was awake though, I was pretty much ready to go. The first thing I asked for was my glasses because I couldn't see squat! I had to wait until they got me out of recovery and into a discharge room. I asked the nurse what time it was and she told me it was about 9. I was pretty antsy to get up, get something to drink, and get the heck out of there. She kept offering me pain medicine and I kept turning it down. At one point she flat out told me "you're making faces like you're in a lot of pain. I'd really like to give you something." I honestly told her that it was just my throat hurting and asked for something to drink. She got me a diet coke and it was the best thing ever!

They moved me to a "discharge room" and I immediately wanted to get up and go to the bathroom. I was told before surgery that my ticket out was going tinkle, so as soon as I did that I was told I could get dressed and we could go.  The discharge nurse told me she was impressed by how well I was able to walk around on my own and I even managed to get dressed without any help. By 10,  Jeff and I were halfway home home and swinging through the Chick-Fil-A drive-thru to get breakfast!

I'm not a great patient and I don't like being helpless, but all things considered my recovery was pretty easy. Jeff stayed with me and we spent the day in the den watching Harry Potter movies and enjoying the new recliners. He got me Chicken and Dumplings for an early dinner and I took a couple of pain pills but they never made me really sleepy. I wasn't ready to lay flat so I just spent that night in the recliner. The next day I got to finally take a shower and wash all the hospital crud off of me and with the exception of a little bit of soreness/stiffness particularly when I went from sitting to standing I felt pretty good. It was over a week before I was comfortable wearing anything except elastic waist pants but overall it was pretty easy. The most annoying part was having the little strings hanging out of my belly button! I don't like loose strings on my clothes or my stuff. I'm NOT a fan of having them hanging out of my body!

My lower two incisions stayed pretty sore for the whole two weeks between surgery and my post-op appointment. When I went back to have my stitches removed he told me the incision in my belly button was perfect but the lower two were "kind of angry looking" so he gave me some antibiotics, but said he thought they'd heal a lot better without the little "foreign bodies" (stitches) in there and sure enough the residual pain was gone within a day of having the stitches removed. He also talked to me about what he found during the surgery. He had talked to Jeff and given him some pictures on surgery day, but it was nice to hear it all myself. He did find some endometriosis, but it presented as a peritoneal window, which is basically a little hole in the lining around my pelvic organs. He said that, while it's not the most common way of finding endometriosis, it's not an uncommon thing, and they cleaned it all up and are hopeful that it will do the trick!

Now we do more waiting to see what happens!

How You Can Care For Me, Part 2

Remember how, way back when I went really public with all this infertility and adoption stuff I wrote a post about what I needed and how folks could best support me? Remember how I said that if I came up with anything else or if anything changed I'd share it? Well, it's time for some sharing. No, nothing has changed drastically in terms of "what's happening" but I think my attitude about it slowly has. I recognize that my needs are different and so I want to share a more current reflection of where I am.

Recently I saw an article about what you should or shouldn’t say to a person who is trying to get pregnant. It didn’t even specifically mention “infertility” but it was pretty clear that those with more extended “trying” periods were considered the experts in this field. I had a lot of issue with this article. For one thing, I’m not a fan of sweeping generalizations. In the case of this particular article (and several others I have seen) there are several key points that I disagree with strongly. I’m going to own all of this as my own thoughts/feelings and I make no generalizations about how this may or may not apply to others. So rather than critiquing the opinions of others, I’d rather just offer my perspective on how you can best care for and relate to me.

Be real with me. Life is hard. Not having kids is hard, but so is having kids. Not being pregnant is hard, but so is being pregnant. Being stuck in the house all day is hard, but so is going to work every day. While I appreciate being on the receiving end of care, and I crave it more than most people probably know, I also can’t live there. That’s just not who I am or how I’m wired, and I assume that if you know me well enough to care about how you relate to me, you know this about me already. If you need to complain about home or work or kids or anything, go for it. If I can’t deal with it at that point, I’ll be real with you, too, and tell you.

 Don’t exclude me. Like I said before, life is hard. It’s full of sad, difficult things. I probably see more than my share in my line of work. I soak up joy and happiness and celebration wherever I can. Children are living, breathing miracles of joy to me. If you’ve got something to celebrate, let me celebrate with you. I don’t have to be all up in your business, but you don’t have to walk on egg shells around me. I’m not saying you should go out of your way to include me in things you wouldn’t otherwise, but don’t feel that because it’s happy or baby/child related that it’s something to be avoided around me. This whole journey has been and continues to be an incredibly lonely one for me. Please don’t build any more walls to remind me of how different I am.

Give me permission to grieve. I will admit that there have been times when I prayed “God, if you’re not going to give me a baby, can I at least have a miscarriage?” Not because I think the loss of a child is something to be desired, but because that is a much more tangible loss that is more easily understood. There is a lot more sympathy and support for that kind of loss. I absolutely believe that all these things that exist should and they are very valuable. Pregnancy loss is a terrible thing. But it is something that can be grieved publicly. Trying and trying and there just being … nothing… is not something you can publicly grieve. How can you miss something you never had? It’s easier than you think. I often don’t feel that I have permission to grieve publicly, but that doesn’t mean that I’m not grieving. This is often where I feel the loneliest.

Let me be real with you. Ask what’s been going on in my life and in my head and in my heart and really listen to what I have to say. If you know me well enough to recognize when I’m feeding you a load of crap then be willing to call me on it and give me permission to share with you. Don’t try to force it out of me, but give me some safe space to talk about whatever it might be. No guilt or shame, no “should” or “ought”, no mocking or ridicule. It may take a while before I act on it, but simply the knowledge that the space is there and that it is occupied by someone who loves and cares about me is a tremendous gift.

Tell me your story. No, I may not relate to all of it. Heck, I may not relate to most of it. But if there is one thing I have learned through my life and my work it’s that, in pretty much every case, there is SOME point of connection between two souls. Remind me of some of these. Help me remember that there is a community who loves and supports me and there are people who understand. And don’t be afraid of happy endings. Those have always been my favorites!

 

Thank you for caring. Please don't stop. It makes a difference.

100 Wishes Quilt - It's Starting!

So I put out a call quite a while ago asking people to contribute fabric to the 100 wishes quilt. I have gotten several contributions, but not 100. Not even close. Still, the stack of fabric was growing and I just knew that this was a huge undertaking. Plus, all this waiting and helplessness has reached a point of "incredibly difficult" and I felt like I needed to be able to DO something. So I decided to call up my friend, neighbor, and partner in mischief, Mollie, and see if we could go ahead and get started.

Seeing as how I've never sewn much of anything before I figured that what would happen is that I would end up doing lots of cutting and she would do the actual sewing. Oh, how wrong I was! We took a little time to play with my very basic machine and figured out what we needed and got it all set up. She let me practice on a couple of scraps and then before I knew it she was handing me the center square and the first strip and we were off! Amazingly, it wasn't that hard. In fact, I did all the sewing today. Mollie did all the cutting and ironing (which was probably best for everyone!) and in only a couple of hours we had put together basically all the fabric I had! It ended up being about 20 pieces. It definitely went more quickly with two people, and it was also more fun.

I'm super-excited about what I have so far, but I'm also super-excited about what comes next! And that is MORE FABRIC! We are far from 100 so pretty please send something! If I need to come pick it up (and you're in driving distance) I will be happy to! Pick something special/meaningful to you. I've still got some pieces of t-shirts that are going to be worked in and probably some other things, too. It will probably be a little while before I sit down and add some more to it. It really worked very well having a bunch to do at once so I think that's what we'll try to do again. Obviously I don't have a target date, but if you're going to be making a trip to the post office for Christmas stuff, it might be a great time to pop a little bundle of fabric in the mail (just saying!)

Walk 153

First of all, let me just say that I know I have been a serious blogging slacker lately. However, in my defense, I haven't really thought there was that much blog-worthy about my life lately. I am planning a few updates in the near future about adoption, Academy, and other important things, so stay tuned.

 Walk153 is a walk to raise both awareness and funds for orphan care and adoption assistance. The "153" is because the latest statistics indicate there are over 153 million orphans in the world. That figure is just staggering to me. Adoption can be a very daunting (and expensive) prospect and so any sort of assistance, either financial or emotional, is greatly appreciated. In addition to supporting general causes, Walk153 is also a way for individual families to raise money for their personal adoption journeys. It's a great resource to have! This year the Birmingham area walk will be on Sunday, November 3rd at Bucaneer Stadium on the campus of Hoover High School, starting at 1:53 pm.

 My friend Mollie told me about this last year when I first told her about our journey with infertility and plans to pursue adoption. Life and scheduling got in the way and I wasn't able to participate last year, but this year Mollie and I have a team. We are calling ourselves Team Chrysalis and would love to have any support anyone would like to give us. Because Jeff and I are not currently pursuing a "costly" adoption option we are not in need of financial assistance at this time and so we are not a family registered to receive designated assistance. However, there are plenty of families who are and also plenty of orphans who need some care and support until they find their forever family. Team Chrysalis is trying to raise $153, which doesn't seem like much, but every little bit helps. If you would like to donate or to come walk with us, you can register or donate through the website - www.walk153.com

 Of course one of the best ways you can support us is to continue to be in prayer for our team as we walk, for Jeff and I as we continue on this adoption journey, for other families who are also on this journey, and for all those sweet little ones who need to find their forever families!

Metamorphosis

I haven't posted much lately. On some level it's because I've been in survival mode, working way too much and not getting nearly enough rest. But even before that, I haven't felt like there was a ton to post about. Except for working the only thing I do with any consistency anymore is going to the gym. I have gotten to the point that I really do love lifting and working out. It's hard and it hurts but I feel so amazing when I'm done. It's an awesome feeling to be able to say "yeah, let me jump weight."

Obviously, there are lots of other changes that often go along with taking on something like regular exercise. The most obvious is weight loss. Yes, I have lost weight. About 25 pounds since the start of the summer. This past month I've been kind of at a plateau but I understand why. This has also meant getting into some old clothes (and now actually having the old clothes be too big!) and buying new clothes, which has been an interesting experience in itself. Although I'm far from what I would call "confident about my body" I am just a generally happier person with who and what I am. I am a little more comfortable in my own skin. And I'm taking more of an interest in my looks. I've been playing around with and starting to wear makeup and trying to do my hair more often. I'm actually putting thought into putting together outfits and picking out jewelry.

Another big change has been my eating. Since I'm working my tail off at the gym, I'm more motivated to be conscious of what I eat and trying to make better choices. No, I'm not on a diet. No I'm not on "a health food kick" but I am trying to be a little smarter about what I eat and why. I recognize when I'm splurging and allow myself to enjoy it but I also do my best to avoid making it a habit. On Tuesday I did something I've only ever done less than half a dozen times in my life - I ordered a salad at dinner. Several times in my life I've been willing or order one and even eat a bite or two, but that's been about it. I just have an aversion to lettuce (and other green stuff), especially the texture. This particular salad was a spinach salad and it just sounded really good to me. The difference in this little adventure was that I ate almost the whole thing! I wasn't just choking it down either, I really enjoyed it! In fact, the reason I didn't finish is was that I dumped too much dressing on it! If that wasn't enough of a surprise, I decided against ordering a steak opting instead for chicken. Then, when we went to Dairy Queen later, the idea of a blizzard made me kind of sick and I opted for a light fruit smoothie!

The realization of how much has changed in my life kind of freaked me out. I really did find myself asking the questions, "Who am I? Who is this person who as taken up residence in my mind and in my body? I'm not sure I like her." I found myself talking to several people about the changes that are taking place, and (without knowing each other or even about the other conversations) they all seemed to use similar phrases and images, particularly "transformation," metamorphosis," "cocoon," and "butterfly." The notion of being transformed and undergoing a metamorphosis is a scary thing for me. I'm still frightened by the uncertainty that comes along with this rebirth. I recognize that it's going to be a difficult and painful process and I know that there are a lot more changes still to come. I know it will be a while before the whole picture of who/what I am becoming will be visible, and I may never be able to really see for myself all that I am, but others will see it and hopefully help me to know what I look like and what it means for me.

But I am clinging to the belief that whatever I am becoming is something beautiful.

My Birthday Adventure

This year, I had the chance to do something totally different for my birthday. My friend, Kathryn, got married to her sweetie, Stu, on Saturday the 17th. Kathryn and I met as pen-pals (or e-mail pals) probably 15 years ago and we have stayed in touch and actually become very good friends. We met in person for the first time about six years ago and have since looked for excuses to see each other. It hasn't worked all that well, but I knew that her wedding was the PERFECT excuse for me to go visit. Jeff and I were both invited, but when he found out how much plane tickets cost he decided it wasn't worth it to him. I still wanted to go, but I decided to make a weekend trip of it. Yes, that's an awfully long way to go for a wedding weekend. But I've done London a couple of times before, I was going to be by myself, and Kath and Stu were going to be otherwise occupied and not be available to entertain me.

I left home on Thursday, the 15th thinking I would land in London at 8am on my birthday and have the whole day to explore before heading out to meet up with the happy couple. Well, wouldn't you know it that life and circumstance intervened during my connection in Charlotte and I was re-routed through Frankfurt, Germany! I really didn't mind the delay too much, although I was a bit disappointed that I wouldn't get to go to King's Cross Station to see platform 9 3/4. Still, I got to London about 2:30pm and after I cleared customs and whatnot was all set to grab the 3:30 coach out to Hemel. What I didn't know about or bank on was some kind of massive wreck on the motorway around the airport where nothing could get in or out. I ended up sitting waiting on the coach for about 2 hours before finally getting to where I needed to be. There was definitely some stress on the parts of everyone involved, including Kath's sweet family, but we got it all worked out and I got there. It was so much fun getting to meet her family after hearing about them for so many years.

After dinner at her parents' house they took me to the hotel to get checked in and settled. They had surprised me with a birthday cake and a gift of all kinds of fun candy you can't get here in the states (I'm still eating on it slowly and sharing some with Jeff) After a few minutes to get freshened up and settled in, we headed to a cute little pub where we met up with lots of friends and family members to drink and chat and have lots of fun. Really, that seems like a nice alternative to the Rehearsal Dinner. Kath did insist on having everyone there sing to me which embarrassed me to no end, but was still kind of fun. Finally, about 10pm my 25 plus hours of traveling caught up with me and I was ready for bed, so back to the hotel I went.

I slept well Friday night and woke at a decent hour Saturday morning. I went for a walk around the hotel grounds and enjoyed the wonderful weather. I skipped out on a solo breakfast at the hotel restaurant in favor of birthday cake and tea in my room. It was great! Then I got myself all prettied up for the wedding! The wedding ceremony itself was very nice. Not at all what I'm used to, but it was really and truly the first time since my own wedding that I've really wanted to do it over but to do it like they did! I was not prepared for the marathon that was the reception, though. We started partying as soon as the ceremony ended (it started about 1:30) and I finally went back to my room at 11:45 pm and the party was still going! All the people were so nice, I had a wonderful time meeting everyone and getting to be a part of all the fun.

My return trip was much less eventful. The last leg of my trip, from Philadelphia to Birmingham, I was the last person on the plane (and seriously thought i was going to get left) because I got stuck in customs. Next time I will give myself even more time to get through but even then it wasn't a big deal because I knew I'd get home eventually!

It truly was an amazing adventure and a special way to celebrate my birthday. It's one I will never forget!

"Made Up" Pasta Bake

Recently Jeff and I started a little weekly supper club with two dear friends, E&E. We alternate which couple hosts and cooks. The "visitors" bring the wine. We eat, talk, laugh, and have a wonderful time. This week we were hosting and I decided to make pasta. I figured it would be pretty good, but I didn't expect everyone to absolutely devour it! Mr. E was so impressed that there was no recipe, I just made it up as I went along. I'll do my best to describe it, but I'm sorry if I leave something out!

First, I cooked a package of ground turkey in a skillet. I seasoned it with a little bit of dried onion and some tuscan sea salt with herbs I got as a Christmas gift but save for "special" foods. I figured this was special enough! I drained the meat and wiped off the pan.

Next, I added one package of frozen spinach that I had defrosted and drained to the warm pan. I added a little bit more onion along with about 2 Tbsp of light garlic and herb cheese spread and a jar of light alfredo sauce along with a little bit of nutmeg (trust me, nutmeg with spinach or white sauce is awesome!) I didn't add garlic because the garlic & herb cheese was pretty strong, but if you just have garlic and cream cheese it would probably be pretty similar. I also stirred the meat back in with everything else.

Next, I cooked 1 lb of farfalle pasta and mixed it with all of the sauce. I dumped everything into a big casserole dish and topped it with a little bit of shredded 2% milk mozzarella and baked it until the cheese was melty. Basically I just stuck it in the oven and let it hang out while the oven pre-heated and I baked the rolls (for about 10 minutes). Everything was already cooked so it was just a good way to keep it warm until everyone got there. That, and I'm a sucker for melty cheese. It would still be super-tasty (and probably save a few calories) if you leave the cheese off the top.

The whole thing came together in probably 40 minutes. It probably could have been quicker but I wasn't in a rush (and I may or may not have been singing into my spoonula at points) I have a sneaking suspicion this would be an easy one to throw together the night before and then head up in the oven before serving. It might even freeze well, although I am not sure.

This should make about 8 servings and, according to the My Fitness Pal recipe builder, has 405 calories per serving. Not bad for a very tasty and filling meal. It's the perfect thing for spring time as it starts to warm up because it's still filling but not super heavy. Next time I might add some roasted red pepper. The spinach and turkey would probably also make a great filling for stuffed shells or lasagna rolls, too.

Do you have any "make it up as you go along" favorites? If so, please share. If you give this one a try, let me know, especially if you have any improvements!

Friday Five - Time with Friends

Today's Friday Five asks its readers (and players) to list five things that you like to do with friends. This was actually pretty hard for me because I've forgotten! I don't get a ton of friend time anymore, and that makes me sad. So basically, if you are reading this, we need to hang out! Here are a few of my favorite places/ways to do that.

1. A Big Porch - or any other place with a nice view and some comfy chairs. One of my favorite "time with friends" memories was my bachelorette party. I'm just not a huge party/club/bar person, and thankfully my lovely Maid of Honor knew and respected that. We borrowed a friend's lake cabin and just spent the evening after my first shower hanging out, making and eating yummy food, drinking wine, telling stories, and doing a whole lot of laughing. It was glorious! The following morning was followed by more of the same (minus the wine because it just doesn't go well with chocolate chip pancakes!) and also included the addition of watching a great snow storm on the lake!

2. Helena Amphitheater Park - This is one of my favorite places to take visiting friends or family. It's a really great little park with a beautiful creek (you may remember this adventure!) located in a great part of Old Town Helena. It's a lovely place to walk and talk.

3. Melting Pot - Who doesn't love a big pot of cheese or chocolate?(Well, besides my vegan friends!) This one is especially fun for Girl's Night Out or a nice double date!

4. Fox Valley - This one is another local favorite. It's a little pricey so it's more of a special occasion place, but it's totally worth it. The food is amazing and the atmosphere is a little surprising, but in a very good way. I highly recommend the cheese soup and the Steak and Cake. And absolutely get desserts. (Notice that is plural!)

5. Donut Dates - Another favorite "friend time" memory was when my friends Betsy and Lauren and I all got to hang out early one Saturday morning. They had been out having fun the night before while I was on-call at the hospital, so I picked up donuts and we hung out on the couch, all slouchy and exhausted. We talked, we laughed, we watched youtube videos, and we enjoyed just being together and not having to go anywhere or do anything or try to impress each other. My only complaint is that it ended too soon!

Making a Splash

Today I decided to go for a little adventure and check out the Helena Market Days! It was very small, maybe 10 or 12 vendors, but everything was really nice. I was surprised that, in addition to the fresh produce, there was other stuff like soap, herbed vinegars, goat cheese, and quilted wine carriers! Next week I'll be getting several things. The cooking demo was fun, although I was less than impressed today because all they did was bruschetta! Oh well, I'll be back next week!

While I was there, I ran into a friend with his two boys. The boys had been asking to play in the creek, so they came prepared today with swimsuits and towels. Well, after a little while, one of the boys wanted his daddy to get in with him, but he couldn't because he had a bandage on his foot that he didn't want to get wet so I said I would go with him. The water only came to my knees and I had shorts on, so it wasn't that big a deal until he wanted to get a little closer to the waterfall.

Just in case you're wondering, the rocks get quite slippery and some of them are pretty steep. Needless to say I landed rather un-gracefully on my rear end in the creek. Fortunately I had a wonderful time splashing and playing so it was totally worth having a wet rear end! Note to self- next time wear the workout shorts!

Seriously though, if you are in the area and looking for something to do on a Saturday morning, I highly recommend it! It'll keep going all summer!

Friday Five - Perfect Blendship

Today's Friday Five asks all about friendship. I've been very blessed to have some fantastic friends throughout my life. Although I was never one for quantity, I am pleased to say that the friends I had were the best! This picture is of me and my two bestest buds "across the pond", Sam and Kathryn!

• Who was the first friend you remember from childhood? Tyler Richard (Who is now Tyler Gaston). Our parents lived across the street from one another when we were born and we did everything together until we were in about the 5th or 6th grade. We always spent the night with each other on the weekends, and on Saturday nights at her house we went to Mass with her family and then if we were at my house in Sunday morning we'd go to Sunday School and church with my family.
• Have you ever received an unexpected gift from a friend? I have gotten lots of great, unexpected gifts from friends that are both tangible and intangible. I think some of the most meaningful came around the time of my mom's death - Cookies from Betsy, Lauren and Justin coming to visitation, Ms. Tammy making me enchiladas, Morgan coming to the funeral, Deanna taking me out for chicken fingers after I was back in Nashville. These little things meant the world to me!
• Is there an old friend you wish you could find again? Or have you found one via social media or the internet? I would love to find my friend Audrey from when I was in first grade. We lived in Jacksonville at the time and she lived right up the street from me. I don't remember her last name and it's very possible she's married now so there's really no telling if I could ever find her on facebook or anything!
• Do you like to get your good friends together in a group, or do you prefer your friends one on one? I love getting groups of friends together, but my friends often come from such diverse groups and parts of my life that it can sometimes be hard to get all of those together on some common ground. I do enjoy one-on-one time as well. I just love any time with my friends!
• Does the idea of Jesus as a friend resonate with you? Sometimes it does and sometimes it doesn't. I seem to resonate more with the idea of Jesus as a big brother than as a buddy, but I can definitely get on board with both, depending in what kind of mood I'm in!

Hey Neighbor

When I was young, I always dreamed of growing up. I dreamed about having my own home with a garden and a white picket fence and kids riding bikes up and down the street and neighbors hanging out together.

Well, I have the house. It's a very family-friendly neighborhood (although the kids usually ride scooters instead of bikes) and we're just missing the picket fence. Last night, we had our first real "neighbors" thing and it was a BLAST!

Thursday Jeff and I went to Wal-Mart to get some things for the yard. While we were there, a guy stopped us and said "hey, aren't you my neighbor?" After a chat in the middle of the garden center, he mentioned that they were having our neighbors across the street over the next night to grill out and hang out and invited us to come over too.

Friday afternoon we strolled over to their house around six and were greeted by the older boy, who had a juice bag in hand and waved us inside. We came in and hang out for a while as the food finished on the grill. Eventually the other neighbors and their son came over and we hung out. We sort of separated like a middle school dance - girls on one side of the porch, boys on the other.

After several hours, lots of beer, several margaritas, and half a tray of brownies we realized that actually eating dinner might be a good idea. We grazed and talked most of the night. Finally, about midnight (which was right around the time the youngest boy pulled off his diaper and decided to run around naked), we decided it was time to go home.

It was a wonderful time. Exactly the kind of thing I dreamed about! We're definitely going to do it again soon!

Party Recap and Punch recipe

The open house on Saturday went very well. We had a nice group come out, but it wasn't so overwhelming that it took us forever to get everything back to normal. The house was still relatively clean when everyone left. There wasn't a ton of leftover food to be put away. Almost everything fit into the dishwasher in one load.

Our menu was quite simple - fruit and vegetable tray, cheese and sausage, bacon ranch cheeseball and crackers, spinach dip and tortilla chips (not homemade this time!), sugar and forgotten cookies, citrus punch, and wine. Nothing terribly difficult or fancy but it was a nice spread. I was pretty proud, even if I did have the little cubes of cheese that I can't stand! (they were my husband's choice!)

The weather was perfect. We were able to open the french doors between the living room and the screened porch. We actually spent most of the day on the porch just because it was so nice out there. I love having a place to sit where I can enjoy the fresh air and be comfortable and not have to worry about bugs! I can definitely see spending some quality time out there again with a glass of wine!

In preparation for the party and as a gift from his mother, we got the swing for the front porch. It looks really nice and we enjoyed sitting in it waiting for everyone to come over on Saturday. I want to get a cushion or something for it, and I can see napping on the swing. Hopefully my snoring won't scare the neighborhood children!

Because I'm a slacker I totally forgot to take pictures of making the punch, but there isn't much to take pictures of. It is very simple.

1 (12 oz) can orange juice concentrate - thawed

1 (12 oz) can lemonade concentrate - thawed

1 (12 oz) can limeade concentrate - thawed

6 cups water

2 liters ginger ale and/or Sprite (I used 1 liter each)

Basically you just dump this all into a punch bowl and mix. Save the soda until right before you serve it so it doesn't go flat. If you want it to be sweeter you can also add some pineapple juice, although I would also add a little more water if you do. Serve over crushed ice and you have a very tasty beverage.

*Variation* - for a grown up version you can obviously use champagne in place of the soda

Also, if you prefer slushy punches, add another 2-3 cups of water to the juice concentrates and water, then freeze overnight. Let it thaw slightly before adding the soda and serving. Obviously this way you don't need the crushed ice.

You're Invited...

... to an open house!

I don't like the idea of a "house warming" party because it sounds like we're asking for gifts and we just got all kinds of wonderful things for our wedding less than a year ago. Plus, I just can't quite make sense of why someone else would throw you a party to show off your house. Shouldn't that be your thing? I know it's totally "normal" I just can't wrap my little brain around it. So we are having an open house where everyone can come in and see the place all fixed up and not just decorated for Christmas.

The party will be Saturday, March 27th from 1-4 pm. There is talk of going out for Mexican afterwards if anyone would like to join in those festivities as well. This is probably the one and only time you'll ever get permission to open my closets and look in my laundry room. Take advantage of this limited-time offer. There will be food and music and maybe even some wine. It will be a lovely afternoon.

Come on over and bring a friend. If you want a formal invitation or need directions, just let me know!

I think today is special

Happy Laurentine's Day! I Love you!