Weekend Adventure

In an attempt to try to be interesting people and do interesting things, Doug and I went to the International Spy Museum in Washington DC.  We got a great deal on tickets and decided to go for it.  It was tons of fun and I totally recommend it.  We took on secret identities, underwent training, and then went on a top secret mission.  Unfortunately though, they didn't allow photography, so our experience was picture-less.  We got t-shirts and free key chains that say, "Deny Everything."

We walked around for a little while in DC.  I really can't understand why someone would want to live in a city.  I just felt unsafe the whole time.  Maybe I was still in spy mode... We walked to Chinatown which is right around the corner from the Spy Museum and ate had some authentic Chinese food.  (Is it authentic if it's in Chinatown and not China?)  Every single time we ordered something off the menu, she would respond, "Anything else? ...anything else? ...anything else?" in her accent.  My sesame chicken was really good.  Doug's noodily swamp of chicken something or other made my stomach turn just looking at it.

I'm already planning all of things that I am going to do this summer.  I have a to do list on my phone.  Some ideas include staying in a Bed and Breakfast in Berkeley, WV; going camping at New Germany State Park; driving Skyline Drive and going to Luray Caverns; seeing the baby leopards at the National Zoo; and maybe a trip to somewhere outside of the states... I started the paperwork for a passport, not because I have plans, just because I WANT to have plans.  Also included on my to do list is making my house more homey by doing things like painting and maybe buying a few decorative items.  I'm seriously thinking about offering babysitting or tutoring in exchange for someone to tell me how to decorate my house.  That's right... just tell me how to do it.  I'm indecisive and the amount of decisions that I will need to make might kill me.  I just want it done.

I just need to the weather to warm up soon.  Spring, where are you?

Cookie Imposter!

It's that time of year again!  Yes, Girl Scout cookies are being sold at every elementary school, church, and door step in America.  I was surprised to find out that the boxes this year are smaller and more expensive because of increased costs.  Did you know that Girl Scout cookies can be bought for different amounts in different places?  The price can vary anywhere between $2.50 to $4.00 a box depending on the location where they are sold.  Each year I am approached by several students and each year I buy TWO boxes; one box of Samoa cookies from a Girl Scout at church and one from a student in my class.  I was, after all, part of this massive army of cookie selling girls.  Uniform and all.  So I can understand the pressure from the troop to SELL ALL cookies.  It also helps pay for things like Girl Scout Camp, oh the memories...

Each day that I commute with Doug, we treat ourselves to two Samoas a piece during the trip home.  Being the thrifty person that I am, I decided to calculate cost per cookie.  A box of Samoas costs $4.00 here in Northern Virginia and there are 15 cookies (Why such an unfriendly odd number??) in a box of Somoas.  Divide 4 by 15 and you find that each cookie is costing you a little more than a quarter (27 cents to be exact). 

We were at Walmart buying only the necessaries for the week when we stumbled upon these...  They were *surprise* on special during this time of year for $1.98 a box plus tax.  Usually we don't splurge on such items, but we wanted to see if we could tell the difference between a bonifide Samoa Girl Scout cookie and it's recently released imposter "Coconut Dreams."  When I opened them in the car, I was pleasantly surprised to find 18 cookies (bonus points for an even number) inside.  Let do the math.  Divide 2 by 18 and you find that each imposter cookie costs 11 cents! A whopping 16 cents less than a Samoa!

After careful analysis, Doug and I decided on the main differences between the two.  The real Samoa definitely has more crunch to it and uses a darker chocolate.  The Coconut Dream has a milkier chocolate and seems to have a little more caramel.  If you place them side by side, they are the same size and thickness.  Both cookies are also 70 calories a piece.

 

Can you tell the difference?

So the real question is, will I continue to buy ridiculously overpriced Girl Scout cookies each year with these babies on the shelf?

YES, of course!  Have you seen the uniforms they have to wear?

Schedulitis

Define: Schedulitis:

• A disease which primarily affects those on a strict schedule.  It is primarily troublesome for those that were raised in a home setting with no real schedule and have the genetic predisposition to be at least five minutes late to everything.  Positive side effects include having a solid eight hours of sleep a night, getting sick less, and enjoying higher mental functioning.  Negative side effects include waking up before freakin' five o'clock in the morning and not having enough time to fully blow dry hair.

Doug and I started commuting probably about two months ago.  My husband is all about sticking to a schedule.  Something that I never did my whole life before him.  So for all of those that want to know about my extravagantly scheduled life, I will go through my daily schedule because you care...

4:58am - The alarm goes off. (We probably left at 5:32am one day, so it was bumped up.)

5:30am - Pull out of the garage

6:00am - Doug drops me off at my school.  (Only a 30 minute commute!)

...Work for Doug and I...

3:15pm - Doug picks me up. (We're home in 45 minutes to an hour because of traffic.)

4:15pm - Make Dinner/Pack Lunches

5:00pm - Dinner

...Watch a TV show, computer time, reading, or chores...

8:00pm - Read

8:30pm - Lights Out!

It's actually gotten to the point where I wake up about 2 or so minutes before the alarm goes off.  Sometimes this schedule stuff makes me feel crazy.  Like it's against my nature or something.  I wonder if this will change with time or if it will always make me feel this way.  I'm pretty sure that not having a schedule would be against Doug's nature.

Some great things about commuting:

• Extra talking time in the car
• No waiting for the car to heat up in the winter
• Curbside pick-up
• Gas savings/Car maintenance savings
• I don't have to drive.

Not-so-great things about commuting:

• Doug's road rage toward just about any vehicle in front of him.
• Learning to be on time.

Catch Up

New things since I last blogged that may be subjects of future blog posts...

-I take care of a mission blog not connected with this one for my little brother.
-I have a new phone with internet and such that has changed how I do things pretty significantly.
-There are 28 students in my class this year.  (In case you're wondering, that's A LOT!)
-I am team lead this year for the fourth grade team at my school.
-Doug has a new job that he loves and it is closer to home than the last one.
-Doug's grandma was diagnosed with cancer and is going through chemo right now.
-We carved some pretty cool pumpkins this last Halloween.
-Doug took up the hobby of shooting and I have now fired a real gun.
-We went to Utah over Christmas break.
-My sister Kierstan is pregnant.
-Doug and I started commuting to work together at least three days a week.
-I cook dinner almost every night now.
-We both gained 15 pounds.
-There are vegetables in my refrigerator and a treadmill in the basement now.
-I finally got in and organized Doug's closet!
-I've drawn up plans to finish the basement of our house.
-My sister Kate is finally coming back home from Hawaii.
-I have a new calling at church in the nursery, but for now I'm helping in Sunbeams.

That is all.

Time to Start Blogging Again

I stopped blogging more than four months ago.  Most of it was from the frustration of still not being pregnant.  I couldn't write a sentence without thinking about getting pregnant, wanting to be pregnant, wondering if I could actually be pregnant.  It's a crappy cycle that happens every month...

So, finally the reason for my return.

My grandpa fell off a ladder two weeks ago and suffered a traumatic brain injury.  He probably doesn't remember who I am anymore, but I can't just go to visit him because he lives in Utah.  My cousin's wife who lives nearby and keeps a blog wrote about it here and here.

I never really got to know my grandparents until I was in college because they lived so far way.  They built a house where I went to school my senior year.  I was in my first year of teaching when I started going over every week to do laundry.  I know, I know, GREAT way to get to know your grandparents.  I would unwind and tell stories of my crazy day.  They would listen and tell me how I had to be the greatest teacher ever.  (I'm sure there was absolutely no favoritism.)  Doug would always come over later and we got our only home cooked meal (with REAL ingredients) for the week.  It was during the time that I washed and dried my two or three loads of laundry each week that I got to know my grandparents. 

I learned about my grandpa's days as a high school football player making trouble and almost getting kicked off the team.  I found out that my grandpa always puts cut up hard boiled eggs in his salad each night AND it actually makes the salad good.  He likes to play Solitaire on the computer.  He loves to watch FOX news.  He probably would watch it non-stop if grandma would let him. :) He even vacuums the same weird way I do.

I learned about how my grandma could move her five kids and all of their stuff into a house on a Saturday and have everything unpacked and in place by the next morning with a roast in the slow cooker for Sunday dinner.  I heard stories about how my grandma was the only one to know of a long lost family history portrait hidden behind another in an old frame.  Now I know that my grandma keeps a stash of fruit roll ups in her pantry just for the great grand kids. (and the grand kids too if they want)

I wish I would've listened better.  There are more stories that I haven't heard.  Some that I just don't remember.  I just want him to get back to be the same grandpa he was before.  I miss how he always used to talk about how he loved my smile.  He always said that my smile was one of a kind because of the way my eyes twinkled.

I need to start recording my memories again.

See You in Two Years

 Little Chris!

 Today, we dropped off my brother Chris at the airport.  It is the last time that we will see him for two years.  We will write letters back and forth and get calls from him on Christmas and Mother's Day.  He will be serving a mission in Mexico City, Mexico for our church.  I miss him already, but I know that he will be a great missionary.  I saw this group or something on Facebook that had a definition of missionary that I liked.
Missionary: someone who leaves their family for two years so others can spend eternity with theirs.

Here is the family plus Shelly's BFF who happened to be spending the night.

Liza and Chris (Then and Now)

 Shelly and Chris

Johnny and Chris

Mom and Chris

 Dad and Chris

Unloading at the airport

Saying goodbye

Dad helping Chris with his luggage

Watching Chris walk into the terminal

Chris will be spending a couple days with my grandparents out in Utah before reporting to the MTC this Tuesday.  I'm in the process of setting up a separate mission blog for Chris.  I will be posting his emails and typing up his letters for the family.  I'm hoping that I can make it into a book when he gets back and give it to him as a coming home present in 2 years.

 You're going to be a SUPER missionary, Chris!

A Plan

I've known that this unfortunate anniversary has been coming up for a while now and I've been dreading it.  I had really been on the fence about whether or not I wanted to share, but while I was visiting Doug's grandma she put a printout of this article in my hands to read.  It portrayed writing as therapy, so here it goes.

Christmas morning 2009, eight months ago, I woke up and jumped out of bed. We had been trying for several months to get pregnant, I had religiously been taking my prenatal vitamins… and I was a week late. I had already wasted several of those overpriced pee sticks, so I had made myself wait this time. Doug was still sleeping, so I tiptoed to the bathroom, turned on the nightlight, and took the test.

Two very clear dark pink lines, a positive result.

I ran to tell Doug, who honestly seemed a tad bit more nervous than excited.

I then started brainstorming all of the fun ways I could tell my parents that Christmas morning and even Googled for ideas online. I couldn’t really find anything that could be done without advance preparation, so I found an empty box, wrapped it, and put a label on it – To: Family.

We arrived at my parents' house and I did everything I could to hurry the family to the basement for opening presents. Present after present I waited, until we came to the last present. From: Jenny and Doug, To: Family. My dad opened the box, dug through all of the tissue paper, and then looked at me with a confused face when he had found nothing. I announced to the family that, “Our present won’t be arriving for another 8 months or so…(silence and blank stares)... I’m pregnant!!!”  I then called all of my sisters who were ecstatic. I was literally floating.  It was amazing to think that a little life was beginning inside of me.

The last few crappy months of my husband having to live away from home for work, my car breaking down and being unfixable, my childhood best friend dying in a sudden car accident, and my new kitten being tragically killed in my home were over. I was pregnant and things were going to be good again.

Then a little more than 24 hours later, I started bleeding.  My pregnancy bliss ended rather quickly.

My doctor confirmed it. I had been pregnant for 5 weeks and 5 days. 

Please don’t ask me when I’m going to have kids.

I was supposed to have a baby TODAY.

I’m still not pregnant.

It turns out that the Lord has a plan for me.

It just happens to be different from the one that I had for me.

Staying Busy Before School Starts

I came by the old house to pick up an extra old computer for parts and an extra mini fridge for my classroom this year.  Mom and dad got Liza one while she was in the dorms, but now that she has an apartment (with a full-size fridge and such) I get to use it!  It's weird going to the "old house" now.  My parents bought basically all new (well, craigslist slightly used) furniture for the new house, so the old house is still furnished.  It just looks kind of abandoned.  The construction is progressing though.  Here is a picture of how it looked today.

I decided on my way driving over that I wanted to surprise my mom with lunch because she seemed kind of down and a little overwhelmed after her first day of school. (I've had experience with this.) I had originally planned to work on my classroom a little more, but I realized once school starts I won't be able to do things like this.

Chris, my younger brother (I can't say "little" anymore) was at the old house packing up his room into storage containers because he'll be away for the next 2 years on his mission.  He helped me out by putting the mini fridge in my car (hopefully I can get it out).  We had some downtime before lunch time, so we hung out and talked.  He packed boxes while I cleaned out the refrigerator. (The big one in the kitchen that was empty of food, but full of crumbs and spills.) We still had a while before we were going to pick up lunch, so I took out some old boxes with pictures.

I found all of these treasures!  I LOVE LOVE LOVE pictures!

This picture of my parents was taken on my birthday... just 9 years before I was born.

 This is a picture of my parents at what looks like an engagement party, although it was referred to as a candle lighting party or something like that.  They look so skinny!

 These are two of my parents' engagement photos.  Nice pants dad!

I remember looking at this picture when I was a kid.  My dad painted the ceiling in an attic of a house like this for my mom when they were dating.

Kate in a Halloween costume and Heather in a pageant gown.

Finally this is a picture of the "old" house (same as pictured above) about 2 additions ago.

This is a picture of my sister, Bekah, and I that was put on the front of a Girl Scout Pamphlet.  I didn't know that it existed, but now that I think about it I do remember some sort of photo session at this weird Girl Scout store. 

While we were talking, I decided that I wanted to bring lunch to both Shelly and Johnny as well as to my mom.  We both jumped in the car and headed over to Subway to get lunch.  Somewhere in my mind I pictured walking up to the offices of the schools saying, "I'm bringing lunch to my brother/sister." and that they would just send me to their room or to the cafeteria to hand it over to them. 

Johnny's school buzzed him down to the office and he thought he was in trouble.  Shelly's school is run like a prison and they would not even let me get within 10 feet of the cafeteria with "outside food."  This teacher hallway monitor reamed me out for even trying to go to the cafeteria.  I was expecting something like, "Oh, that's sweet that you're bringing your sister lunch!  Walk right in!"  

What I got was:

Mean Teacher - "MISS, Where are you headed?!"  

Me - "Um, to drop off lunch for my little sister in the cafeteria.  I already checked in with the office." 

MT - "WHY?"

Me -  "I thought it would be a nice surprise for her first week back to school."

MT - "NO OUTSIDE FOOD!  You need to stand in the office and WAIT for her to come out." 

Me - "Well, they buzzed her 10 minutes ago and I don't think she can hear in there."

MT - "Well, YOU CAN'T go in the cafeteria!  So WAIT in the OFFICE!"

Another teacher that happened to be in the office and saw my obvious frustration was nice enough to try to locate her in the cafeteria just in enough time for the ending lunch bell to ring.  I understand trying to be safe and secure, but that teacher was just rude.  We stood there and watched her yell at students the whole lunch block while we, "waited in the office." 

We were actually able to get visitor passes at the elementary school where my mom works and ate with her in her classroom.  Her room is really coming together.  We also got to meet her class as they were leaving the cafeteria.  It kind of got me excited about starting school again this year.