tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13386877403647555612024-03-12T16:45:04.327-07:00Hockey Puck, Rattlesnake, Monkey Monkey UnderpantsAmberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10806166466911469584noreply@blogger.comBlogger27125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1338687740364755561.post-87511961547165321212013-03-05T12:08:00.000-08:002013-03-05T17:35:49.584-08:00Motherhood: The First YearFrom the moment you tell someone you're pregnant you start getting advice. Information on what other people did, advice on what you should do, judgement on what you've already decided to do (because you haven't yet learned that you should just smile and nod at this unsolicited, unwanted advice). You get plenty of "you'll see"s and "you just wait"s. It's infuriating. At least for me it was. Now I understand that most people are trying to be helpful, and it's hard to put everything you want to say about motherhood into words. You're limited by rush of emotions that overtake you and make your uterus jump when you see a really cute pregnant woman or a tiny squishy baby. You're limited by the fact that you can't put into words how much you can love your child. You're limited by the fact that your brain is screaming "You can't admit that's how you felt when you had a newborn - they'll think you're crazy and/or a <i>terrible</i> mom!"<br />
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I got a ton of advice and words of wisdom and possibly some judgement from fellow mommies. I did not get a lot of brutal honesty. I wish I had. Being a mother is hard. Like, cry at night because you're pretty sure you made a huge mistake because obviously if you had any business having a baby you would be able to get her to sleep/eat/stop spitting up/lay somewhere other than in your arms for 5 freaking seconds. Being a mother (parent) is terrifying and exhausting and, at least for me, up until about a month ago I felt like I was a complete failure. No one tells you about that. In all of the advice, no one says "Hey, sometimes you might sob in the shower because you're pretty sure you're life is over and your freedom is gone and someone is going to call CPS on you because your house is a mess and your baby won't stop crying and you're pretty sure it's because she hates you and knows that you're going to completely screw up her life. <i>That's normal and okay.</i>" I wish someone would have told me how overwhelming being a mother was.<br />
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I suffered from Post-Partum Depression and Post-Partum Anxiety (PPD/PPA). I was so overwhelmed. I felt like I was a failure at everything. When I was staying home with Clara I was overwhelmed. When I went back to work I was overwhelmed. I was exhausted, my house was a mess, it was all I could do to keep up with minimal cleaning, cook something that resembled a meal, and make it through each day. It's a constant struggle to spend quality time with Clara and Derek and get the huge list of things that have to be done each day. <u><i>Being a mother is overwhelming</i></u>. Derek helps so much. He cleans and cooks and does what he can - there just aren't enough hours in the day and even if he did everything that needed to be done I felt like a failure because <i>I </i>couldn't do it. Being so overwhelmed led me to feel anxious all the time. I was constantly on edge. I was also full of rage. I could get so mad and it scared me. I knew something was wrong and I needed help. I went to a therapist and she assured me that most people's houses are messy when they have a baby. That all of my fears were normal. Being overwhelmed was normal. And it was also a huge secret. I was definitely suffering from PPD/PPA, but fortunately I didn't need medication to deal with it - I just needed an outlet. I needed someone to talk to, and vent to, and I needed a safe place to say that there were times when I was scared that I'd made a mistake.<br />
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Women don't talk about this. We don't say these things to each other even though most of us feel them at some point. We talk about what a joy motherhood is (and it is), we talk about being "super busy", and then we talk about the Pinterest projects we plan to do. I don't even look at Pinterest anymore. It makes me feel inadequate. I don't have time to cook or sew or project or whatever. Most of the time Clara's clothes aren't even hung up much less organized in a closet with a system and color-coordinated baskets. My dogs are desperate for love and a good nail clipping. I have 100 more things that need to be done than those that have been done. Based on what I hear from others, I view myself as a complete failure.<br />
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But here's the thing - most other people's houses (or at least one room and every closet) are messy. Most moms feel like failures in one aspect or another. My baby is happy and healthy and clothed and diapered and fed and loved. What else do I want? Well, what I want is a maid, but that's not really in the budget. What's the point of this whole post? I guess honesty. My house is messy. I don't have time to get 90% of the things I want to done. I'm exhausted. But I'm not a failure. I'm just a normal mom. The next time a friend gets pregnant or wants to get pregnant I fully intend to tell them how wonderful it is, and then tell them that it's incredibly hard and that they can call if they ever find themselves crying in the shower because they're a failure and I'll be happy to show them the current state of my sink and let them know that they're not alone and they're not a failure. They're just a mom. And their baby and I think they're damn good at it. Amberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10806166466911469584noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1338687740364755561.post-12122470001657026032013-02-21T09:27:00.000-08:002013-02-21T09:27:16.463-08:00Over a year, but who's counting?It's been over a year since I've blogged. In that year my life has changed completely. I'm a mom. I have the most incredible little girl in the world. She's funny and smart and brave. She loves to climb and chase the dogs and bring us book after book to read.<br />
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Being a mom has made me grow and change in ways I never thought possible. It's been amazing. It's also been incredibly hard. There are so many times that I've felt like I needed an outlet where I could talk about what I'm feeling. I'm not good at that on a personal level. I'm too awkward for it and too easily embarrassed. Even though most people who (used to) read my blog know me in real life, a lot of the stuff I hope I can say here I won't be able to say in person. Not yet anyway. I hope I can get there.<br />
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So, I'm back. For now. You know I'm not good with consistency - just stop by every once in a while please. Give me the chance to tell the truth. To share how awesome my kid is. To type many sentence fragments. I'll reward you with cute pictures, and possibly some words that make you feel like someone else knows what you're talking about and how you're feeling. This is just my re-intro post. My "I'm back" post. There will be more soon I promise!<br />
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P.S. Here are a couple of those pictures I promised you!<br />
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Clara - Day 1<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgui8EX2uFbJNU_rBS2XUPtc4llGoOPJqzrvU0YDKkC1g8CUYu-IhQobJ6TvMTcSJXr62vXTsBnuWdUHBEHGv9W1rpMfGIHdxgspH_3ekp3IO9KchNNxorZUAVMy2owE0lZ5VaeQaKM1c8/s1600/photo+37.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgui8EX2uFbJNU_rBS2XUPtc4llGoOPJqzrvU0YDKkC1g8CUYu-IhQobJ6TvMTcSJXr62vXTsBnuWdUHBEHGv9W1rpMfGIHdxgspH_3ekp3IO9KchNNxorZUAVMy2owE0lZ5VaeQaKM1c8/s320/photo+37.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
Clara - Day 365 in her birthday shirt!<br /><br />
<br />Amberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10806166466911469584noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1338687740364755561.post-81743993721307564472011-09-14T12:53:00.000-07:002011-09-14T13:06:57.672-07:00ClaraSaturday we found out we are having a precious baby girl. Her name is Clara. I am smitten.<br /><br />Secretly I wanted a girl. I think it was a secret even to me because I was completely convinced we were having a boy. And then I found myself hoping for a girl as the ultrasound tech was searching around my belly.<br /><br />I was so excited going in to the appointment just to find out. I wanted to plan and shop and call my baby something other than "baby" or "it". I had no idea going into it that this ultrasound was going to change me completely. I knew I would be finding out the sex of my baby, but I had no idea how much else I would learn. I can tell you actual information about my baby now. She's 6oz. She moves around like crazy. She has loooonnnng legs. She became a real person to me while this was happening. We could see her kick and wave her arms and squirm. She was modest like her mother and it took a very long time for us to be certain she was actually a she. She's already her own person and I am completely amazed by her.<br /><br />I've felt her move a few times since then (I'm pretty sure that's what it is anyway) and I love it. She kicked me several times last night while I was watching <em>Glee</em> which I'm sure means she will love musicals just as much as I do (or hate them as much as her dad does). I'm excited to get to know Clara even more. I'm sure I'll soon figure out what foods she likes or doesn't like, when she's sleeping, and what songs are her favorites. I really feel like a mom now, and I'm pretty sure my daughter is the most incredible person ever.Amberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10806166466911469584noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1338687740364755561.post-3363690093056303992011-09-09T07:15:00.001-07:002011-09-09T07:36:14.154-07:00Who knew?There's really no way to know or anticipate everything about pregnancy. Everyone is different and may deal with certain aspects of pregnancy and never have to deal with others. I thought going into pregnancy that I knew most of the common things that happen. Tiredness, nausea/morning sickness, swelling, massive boob growth, etc. But I have been experiencing two things that I never knew could happen during pregnancy.<br /><br />First, my hair started falling out. I thought taking prenatal vitamins and being pregnant is supposed to make your hair grow longer and thicker and become all luxurious and awesome. I was looking forward to that since I've always had thin, temperamental hair. Except apparently my body reacts to progesterone (the hormone that overtakes you when you're pregnant) in an entirely different way. No amount of prenatal vitamins can help. My hair falls out. My hair is noticeably thinner and everyday I pull out more in the shower and find more on the counter and sink after I blow dry my hair. The only things preventing me from having big gaps in my hair at this point are the prenatal vitamins. I am developing a bald spot on the front right side of my head. I can't put my hair in a pony tail anymore because it's so thin. And it just pulls more out. Now that I'm back at work (since I was off all summer) I have to actually fix my hair everyday which puts more stress on it. In the summer I could just wash and scrunch it and look all crazy, but it was better. Slowly I'm noticing less hair coming out when I shower, but there's still some. I think my body is finally adjusting to the drastic increase in hormones and leveling out a bit. My OB says there's really nothing that can be done, and I'm just hoping it doesn't fall out even more after I give birth and stop taking the vitamins.<br /><br />At first it made me really sad. I felt fat and ugly and bald. Now I've just accepted it and deal with it as I need to. I try to be gentle, and use good shampoo, but that's mostly just to make myself feel better. It would fall out either way. This is not the norm, but I feel like it's definitely on par with my hair history. My hair and I have never been friends, and this is just one more way that it is turning on me. Now I know that I won't go bald, and even if my hair thins it won't be the end of the world. I love being pregnant, so it's not something that's going to rain on that.<br /><br />The second thing that I'm dealing with is not quite as dramatic, but grosses me out. I was completely unaware that it's very common for pregnant women to drastically increase their mucous production. There is so much gross drainage in my head right now and I hate it. I feel like my nose is always stuffy. I sneeze all the time. It's gross. Not life altering, just annoying and gross. Who knew?<br /><br />I'm sure I'll continue to be surprised by things that happen, but I'm most excited about the big surprise we're getting tomorrow. We're going for our gender ultrasound tomorrow to find out if we are having a boy or girl! Woohoo! I'll put the info on Facebook and Twitter tomorrow so you can check to see our big news. In the meantime, pray that Baby B is turned the right way so we can see everything we need to!<br /><br />Have a good weekend!Amberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10806166466911469584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1338687740364755561.post-71592551003847476102011-08-25T11:25:00.000-07:002011-08-25T11:51:01.938-07:00So.Many.Options.So I thought I was going to blog about how my <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">first</span> trimester went, but I can sum it up pretty quickly - I was tired and nauseous. That's about it. Moving on.
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<br />Something about leaving the first trimester and entering the second has caused a clock to start ticking in my head. At first, I felt like it would be forever before we had the baby, and now I know how quickly that time is going to pass and I've gotten into a frenzy to figure everything out. Well, not everything - but some things. I've started researching baby products and holy cow it's overwhelming.
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<br />I could spend weeks just trying to figure out what kind of stroller I'm going get. There are safety features and size limits and cost to factor in. Not to mention, what pattern to get.
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<br />Did you know that there are different types of <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">car seats</span>? I knew there were different brands, but not different types. Like, they serve different purposes. Maybe I should reiterate that I know nothing about babies. I've never changed a diaper, and I've only held 2 actual infants in my whole life and both of those have been in the past 2 years. They're small and fragile and that's scary. I know I'll be fine with my own baby, but I haven't had a lot of practice with other people's so everything is completely new to me. So no, I was not aware that there were different types of car seats. First I have to figure out if I want an infant seat, or convertible seat. What's the difference? After days of research I've found out. Infant seats are rear facing only and usually are made for children between 4-25 lbs. Once your kid is bigger than that you have to get an entirely different <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">car seat</span>. Or you can get a convertible seat, which is rear facing up to around 22 lbs or so, then you turn it forward until your child is about 45 lbs. Well at first it seems that convertible is the best option right? Only one <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">car seat</span> serves two purposes. But then you start reading about <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_4" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">car seat</span> safety and you find out that while your child is only <em>required</em> to ride rear facing until they are 1 year old and 20 lbs, but it's much safer for them to ride rear facing until they are at least 30 lbs. Also, you can't carry a child in a convertible <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_5" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">car seat</span>, so if you think you're going to be one of those people who wants to use their <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_6" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">car seat</span> as a carrier in restaurants or grandma's house the store or where ever, forget about it. Not an option. Well how the heck am I supposed to know if I want to do that or not?! I've never tried it. <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_7" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">Inexperienced</span> expecting mother here people. Maybe Babies R Us will let me put 10 lbs worth of stuff in an infant seat and try it out...
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<br />My brain hurts from looking at stuff. And that's before I get to the price tag. I have 177 more days to figure this crap out. This week I've spent 3 to <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_8" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">car seats</span>. If any of you would like to donate knowledge or research feel free to. :)
<br />Amberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10806166466911469584noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1338687740364755561.post-71828022812145254722011-08-18T12:37:00.000-07:002011-08-19T05:07:27.494-07:0013 weeks 6 days<div>I know my big news isn't exactly news to anyone anymore, I think anyone who actually reads this is also my <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error">facebook</span> friend so it's not like it's a big announcement, but I am proud to finally put it in my blog that I am having a baby. </div>
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<br /><div>We found out June 9, 2011 that we were pregnant. I didn't actually think I was pregnant, because I didn't "feel" pregnant at all, but I was late so I took a test anyway. I was shocked when I saw that plus sign appear. Derek didn't actually think it looked like a plus sign. The vertical line was very faint. So I took another test, the two pink parallel kind - two lines again. Then another plus sign one. And a digital test the next morning. I took 6 pregnancy tests (two were <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">broken</span> and never did anything) which may seem like a lot, but I've learned that it's far more normal to take several than just trust the first one. This is one of those things you want to be as sure about as possible. I thought I was going to pass out when I saw that first plus sign, which quickly turned to elation, then frustration that Derek was being so skeptical, then panic, then back to bursting with joy. It wasn't a <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">surprise</span> pregnancy, I had stopped taking birth control, but it was still surprising that it happened so quickly. I know how naive that sounds when I write it, and of course I knew it could happen at any time, I just still thought it would take longer somehow. It didn't. </div>
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<br /><div>So here I am, 13 weeks and 6 days pregnant. Baby B (as in <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_4" class="blsp-spelling-error">Baldridge</span>, no indication of first name or anything) is officially growing and thriving and I will begin my second trimester on Saturday. We found out so early (about 2.5 weeks) that I've really been able to soak in this first trimester. I had some really bad days of nausea, but never any sickness - praise the Lord. There have been days when I could have gone to bed at 5 pm and not woken up until the next morning, but I'm starting to feel more energetic now. I can feel how much my body has changed and it's completely crazy. I'm pretty in awe of how this whole thing works. </div>
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<br /><div>I have so much to write about, but I just wanted this to be an intro. I want to have this record of my pregnancy thoughts and feelings. I'll definitely be writing more and more often. Well, in between bathroom breaks anyway - they are not kidding about having to pee all the time! I'm looking forward to sharing this pregnancy, so if you have questions or anything just leave me a comment and let me know - I'll try to be honest, but not gross. Seriously, some stuff is just gross. </div>
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<br /><div>Love, </div>
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<br /><div><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_5" class="blsp-spelling-error">Buh</span> & Baby B </div>Amberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10806166466911469584noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1338687740364755561.post-29879528189599106812011-02-22T11:36:00.000-08:002011-02-23T06:46:51.441-08:00Give A Little<em>Note: I wrote this yesterday, but couldn't get the video to embed so just pretend like I posted it yesterday.</em>The day is finally here friends. Oh, you didn't know that today was hugely important in my life? Well it is. I've been waiting for this day for quite some time.<br /><br />Today, the video for my favorite Hanson song was released.<br /><br />Not what you expected? Yeah, I get that. But anyone who has known me between 1997 and this exact moment knows that my love for Hanson has not ceased in all this time. I have every CD. I've seen them on every tour. I've traveled over 8 hours to see them. I.love.Hanson.<br /><br />One of the greatest moments of my life is when I got to walk barefoot through the streets of Atlanta with Zac Hanson. Like, my wedding is greatest moment number 1 and that walk is number 2. I.LOVE.HANSON.<br /><br />They released a new album last year, which is by far the greatest yet. I say that with every album, but it's true. But imagine my surprise when this album turns out to have the catchiest, most loveable song they've ever written on it. (Obviously this is just my opinion, but I consider Hanson to be one of the few things I'm an expert on). "Give A Little" is saucy, and fun, and <em>holycrapitscatchy</em>. It makes me want to dance every time a hear it. I knew it would be the second single from the new CD "Shout It Out" and I have been so ready because I feel like this is finally the chance for them to make a return to Top 40 radio. People need this song in their lives. So without further ado, I present you with:<br /><br /><embed src="http://media.mtvnservices.com/mgid:uma:video:vh1.com:621387" width="512" height="319" wmode="transparent" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" flashVars="configParams=id%3D1589364%26vid%3D621387%26uri%3Dmgid%3Auma%3Avideo%3Avh1.com%3A621387" allowFullScreen="true" allowScriptAccess="always" base="."></embed><div><a style="padding:0px 4px 0px 10px; font-family:Verdana,sans-serif; font-weight:bold; font-size:10px; color:#000000; text-decoration:none;" href="http://www.vh1.com/shows/ " onmouseover="this.style.textDecoration='underline'" onmouseout="this.style.textDecoration='none'" target="_blank">VH1 TV Shows</a> | <a style="padding:0px 4px 0px 10px; font-family:Verdana,sans-serif; font-weight:bold; color:#000000; font-size:10px; text-decoration:'none';" href="http://www.vh1.com/video/music.jhtml" onmouseover="this.style.textDecoration='underline'" onmouseout="this.style.textDecoration='none'" target="_blank">Music Videos </a> | <a style="padding:0px 4px 0px 10px; font-family:Verdana,sans-serif; font-weight:bold; color:#000000; font-size:10px; text-decoration:none;" href="http://www.vh1.com/photos/ " onmouseover="this.style.textDecoration='underline'" onmouseout="this.style.textDecoration='none'" target="_blank">Celebrity Photos</a> | <a style="padding:0px 4px 0px 10px; font-family:Verdana,sans-serif; font-weight:bold; color:#000000; font-size:10px; text-decoration: none;" href="http://www.vh1.com/news/" onmouseover="this.style.textDecoration='underline'" onmouseout="this.style.textDecoration='none'" target="_blank">News & Gossip</a></div><br /><br /><span style="color:#000000;"></span><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><em></em><em></em>Amberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10806166466911469584noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1338687740364755561.post-85649557208076723102011-02-17T09:41:00.000-08:002011-02-17T09:49:08.720-08:00RecommendationsSo, at the request of several people, I am giving in to posting again. While I'm trying to think of a couple of things that I might actually want to write about, I figured I could at least link to two of my favorite websites in hopes that they might bring you as much joy as they do me.<br /><br />The first:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.whenparentstext.com/">When Parents Text</a><br /><br />This website is glorious. I wish my mother even knew how to text because I'm sure that gems like these would come out of it. My new goal in life is to teach her, just so I'll have something to post on this website. I. love. it.<br /><br />Second:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.peopleofwalmart.com/">People of Walmart</a><br /><br />I don't shop at Walmart, so sometimes I miss out on the colorful characters that show up there. You can look at crazy people at Walmart's all over America, or you can just see those from your own state if you're looking for someone you know. Either way, this website will make you feel better about the outfit you're wearing right now.<br /><br />Enjoy!Amberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10806166466911469584noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1338687740364755561.post-36582987327298928922010-11-29T07:53:00.000-08:002010-11-29T08:25:40.045-08:00A Christmas Tree QuandryI've always loved real Christmas trees. I think my family had a fake one for a couple of years, but one fateful Christmas we had a new puppy in the house who decided to unwrap all of our gifts and chew up the tree a few days before Christmas. I think we stuck with real after that. And kept the dog outside while the gifts were under the tree. Really it's a miracle nothing caught on fire.<br /><br />But I digress...<br />The question is: real tree or fake tree?<br />Keep in mind I haven't done any research (i.e. googled it) or anything, but I thought I'd share my thought process going into this holiday season.<br /><br /><strong><u>Real trees: </u></strong><br /><em>Pros</em>- They smell awesome. Really really awesome.<br /> They look prettier than fake trees (to me).<br /> It feels like Christmas when I have a real tree.<br /><em>Cons</em>- They shed needles all over the place.<br /> I'm always scared my dogs will try to pee on real trees (even though they never have).<br /> How environmentally friendly is it to have a real tree? (This is what I need to google more).<br /><br /><strong><u>Fake Trees:</u></strong><br /><em>Pros</em>- They're way cheaper in the long run. If you take good care of them...<br /><em>Cons</em> - They don't smell anything like awesome.<br /> Way less pretty than real trees (to me).<br /> Maybe my dogs will use a fake tree as a chew toy?!<br /> I have no idea what fake trees impact on the environment is. I feel sure they aren't biodegradable, nor can they be turned into mulch. Even I know that.<br /> What on earth are these things made of anyway?<br /><br />What have you or your family decided? Real tree or fake tree? Why?<br /><br /> If you are going for a real tree, and you live in the good ol' LG, I do know of a farm where you can cut down your own tree, and pet their cows, horses and yes people, llamas. You just let me know if you need directions.<br /><br />While you're thinking about all this, turn on your favorite Christmas music and drink something warm - it's Christmas time!Amberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10806166466911469584noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1338687740364755561.post-16283115251039953722010-11-16T09:12:00.000-08:002010-11-17T08:27:44.263-08:00How do I look?Like the new look of my blog? I thought it would be nice to get in the Thanksgiving spirit. I feel like Thanksgiving is being taken over by Christmas already. Have you seen how many aisles of Christmas stuff Target already has? Of course, Thanksgiving doesn't require gifts, doesn't have pop music to go along with it, and there's nothing to carve or decorate or dress up as specfically for Thanksgiving so I guess it's not very beneficial for stores to promote it all that much.<br /><br />Thanksgiving might just be my favorite holiday. I love to eat. And Thanksgiving is the time of year I can guarantee my favorite food will be abundant. Between now and Christmas, I will most likely eat my own body weight in dressing. Oh it's so delicious. But I also love that Thanksgiving doesn't have the same expectations that other holidays do. I know on Thanksgiving, I'll watch the Macy's parade, eat<strong><em> a lot</em></strong> and hang out with family and friends. I might take a nap, I might be forced to watch some football, but I'll definitely laugh. I love how full I feel on Thanksgiving - of joy, not just dressing. I think the best word for it is <em>comfortable</em>. So give thanks and enjoying being stuffed!<br /><br />What's your favorite part of Thanksgiving?Amberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10806166466911469584noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1338687740364755561.post-17612481857341564952010-11-12T08:47:00.000-08:002010-11-12T09:07:48.457-08:00We're back!I know what you're thinking... this is another "OMG I haven't posted in so long and I'm so sorry but I'm going to be the best blogger ever now!" post again. Nope. Well, it can be that too I guess, but I think we all know that I'm a remedial blogger at best. I'm okay with that. Let's move on.<br /><br />What I actually mean is, we're back to Georiga. For good. Long story short - we had some family emergencies and re-examined our priorities and realized that we needed to be much closer to our families pretty much immediately. So that's what we did. After rushing down when Derek's little brother got put in the hospital we drove back to DC, packed up all our stuff, and were back in GA in a matter of 3 days.<br /><br />I can't say that we miss it. We wanted a big adventure, and we wanted to feel like we were really <em>doing something</em> with our lives. We're over that now. I know we would have always wondered "what if" if we hadn't moved to DC, but we'll never have to wonder that again. We hated taking an hour to an hour and a half to get absolutely anywhere. We hated how expensive everything was. We hated that nothing was convenient. There were great things about the city, but we didn't get to experience most of them because of where we lived. I spent 3+ hours a day in my car. I never drove further than 16 miles in a day. It was frustrating.<br /><br />We're getting settled in here. We got a new house that we L-O-V-E! I'm working back at the college, but in a different position than before, and Derek is still interviewing for several jobs. It definitely feels like home though.<br /><br />Our whole perspective changed throughout all of this so we're definitely glad we had this whole experience. We're so glad to be back near the people we love and we can't wait for what's in store for us next!Amberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10806166466911469584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1338687740364755561.post-33767745785387150212010-08-16T19:28:00.000-07:002010-08-16T19:39:34.483-07:00Jaroth the Goblin KingWe went to play trivia at a local pub tonight. I felt more home tonight than I have since we've been here. We used to play trivia at least once a week in LaGrange. We didn't even come close to winning, but we did enjoy playing (btw, Jaroth the Goblin King was our team name for the night. 2 points for you if you know the reference).<br /><br />Tomorrow I'll have my first full day of work at the Church where I'm going to start working out the plan for starting a college ministry. I'm so excited to start planning and designing and searching out God's will for GWU and The United Church.<br /><br />Derek has an introductory interview today for an internship. He interviewed with the intern coordinator today and he'll be recommended to different department heads based on his skills and he'll have a second interview sometime soon. He's so ready to get this internship set up.<br /><br />In other news, our new toilet is being installed right now (praise God!) and I am typing this post on my brand new netbook. It's so tiny and cute! I'm still getting used to the smaller keyboard, but it's going to be great for lugging around the city since it's only 2.5 lbs! This and the new Sharpie pens I bought made me super excited for school.<br /><br />Thanks for all your support with the whole apartment issue. It's nice to have a place to vent to everyone I'd probably tell anyway without having to repeat it a million times.<br /><br />Well, it's off to play with the new computer some more and think of a super awesome 2 word team name for trivia next week (there's a prize for the best one). Suggestions are welcome!Amberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10806166466911469584noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1338687740364755561.post-14891431386373681312010-08-15T17:08:00.000-07:002010-08-15T17:32:44.497-07:00Crash and BurnSorry if you've called and I haven't called you back. Or if you've wished me well on <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error">Facebook</span> or Twitter and I haven't responded. I've been a bit preoccupied. I think the best way you could describe our move, the move I was <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-error">sooooo</span> excited about, is <em>nightmare</em>.<br /><br />I promise you, this is the short version of the story:<br />We were supposed to move into our basement apartment last Saturday. 3 hours before we were supposed to pull up to our new house, we got a call from the homeowners saying it wasn't ready yet. So, we gave them another day and assumed everything would be ready when we arrived on Sunday. We spent money on a hotel. We stressed out our dogs. It wasn't ready Sunday either, but we moved in anyway. None of the baseboards were down, switches and outlets weren't covered, the stove didn't work, we had no cable or <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-error">internet</span> (even though they had it upstairs)the closet wasn't finished, there were holes in the ceiling, etc, etc, etc. Since moving in, we've found out that the washer and dryer were faulty, the plumbing was all screwed up and consequently our bathroom and kitchen flooded, the stove finally got hooked up only to find out that the reason it had been unhooked in the first place is that one of the burners is stuck to "on" and could kill us at any moment. One week after moving in, the stove still doesn't work, some of the baseboards still aren't down, there's now water under the floor in our kitchen, and right this moment we don't have a toilet. The toilet problem should be fixed tonight though.<br /><br />It's been rough. If we had anywhere else to go we probably would have. I've cried quite a bit and it's certainly been stressful. Things are starting to improve but we're already counting down the months until we can move.<br /><br />The only thing that has been really good is that I started work this Wednesday at The United Church, where I am the Minister to College Students and Young Adults. I get to build a college ministry from scratch which is both exciting and daunting. But the church has been incredible in the few days I've been working there. They've really embraced Derek and I and we're glad to have that connection here in this big, strange city.<br /><br />We like life in DC so far though. There's so much to do and see which is always exciting. We know if we can get all of the issues with our apartment taken care of, we'll really enjoy living here.<br /><br />I'll be in contact quite a bit more from now on... at least I'll try. Don't forget about me far away friends.Amberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10806166466911469584noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1338687740364755561.post-62099068474724109252010-08-03T11:42:00.000-07:002010-08-03T13:26:35.388-07:00ImminentFriday morning we will load everything we own into a U-Haul trailer. By Friday evening we'll be more than half way to our new home. Dogs in tow, Derek, my mom, my step-dad and I will start the drive that starts the new chapter in our lives.<br /><br />This whole thing is a little hard to process. I'm excited, but I'm also so nervous. I'm a little scared. I am very anxious. On one hand, I get to do so many things I've always wanted to. I get to live in a city with a million things to do and see! I get to ride the Metro everyday. I get to live in a city that is full of cultural diversity. I get to go back to school and get a Master's degree. But I'll also be 12 hours away from everything and everyone that I'm familiar with. I'll probably get lost a lot. I'm scared we won't have any friends.<br /><br />The next few days will be an emotional roller coaster for me. My natural instinct is to avoid situations like this. Normally, I just wouldn't think about the fact that this is the last time I'll see some people for quite some time. But I want to remember this. I want people to know how much I love and appreciate them. I'm not good at letting people know those things but I'm trying to be conscious of it this time.<br /><br />So, if I haven't told you already, I'll miss you and I love you and I hope we keep in touch. Visit me. I want people to visit. Unless I don't know you and you're some stranger who reads my blog, in which case thank you for reading but please don't come to my house :)Amberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10806166466911469584noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1338687740364755561.post-8049888190507949372010-07-19T05:17:00.000-07:002010-07-19T05:20:23.465-07:00Let it begin.I officially packed the first boxes last night. We had our yard sale this weekend and got rid of pretty much everything we weren't planning to take with us. Then the packing had to begin.<br /><br />People keep asking if I've started counting down the days. I hadn't until this morning. 19. In 19 days I will no longer live in Georgia. I'm excited, and nervous and a little sad. Moving day will be here before I know it.Amberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10806166466911469584noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1338687740364755561.post-33387737377158832592010-07-08T13:43:00.000-07:002010-07-08T14:01:46.853-07:00The Apartment!Hi there. Remember me? I blog here sometimes. No, you don't remember? Well it is pretty infrequent, so I don't blame you. What's this blog all about you ask? It's supposed to be about my and my husband moving to DC. Which by the way happens in less than a month. Holy crap.<br /><br />We traveled to DC last week to look for an apartment. It was interesting. We were supposed to tour four places. Before we even left our hotel to start the search two of them cancelled on us. The apartments had been taken. We were kind of freaking out. Mostly I was freaking out. Derek was ridiculously calm. We toured the smallest and most expensive of the apartments that we had planned to look at. It was $1175 per month for 486 sq. ft. It had a blue bath tub and toilet. But it was also two blocks from the waterfront, and you could see the Washington Monument from the balcony. The Smithsonian was blocks away. We LOVED the neighborhood. But there was no way we could justify spending that much money. Unless we had to, which at that point seemed like it might be the case.<br /><br />That was Tuesday afternoon, and we weren't seeing the other place until Wednesday night and we were leaving Thursday morning. It was a basement apartment just across the Maryland border in Silver Spring. The homeowner offered to pick us up at our hotel. She brought one of her adorable dogs with her. She kept warning us that they were still renovating since they'd still bought the house so we'd have to use our imagination. I was still not prepared. The apartment had no floor or ceiling and few walls. I am not a person who has good concepts of space. Holy crap. But she walked us through and talked about all the plans. It had a big fenced in back yard for our dogs. It was incredibly affordable. It had more that 486 sq. ft. And an actual bedroom. We couldn't pass it up. Before we left that night we signed the lease.<br /><br />We can't wait! The homeowners are incredibly friendly and are event letting us pick out some of the paint colors before they paint the walls (which by the way, now exist). It's going to be such a different experience. We're close to the metro, and shopping, and a real city with awesome stuff to do. We're moving up August 6th so come visit us anytime after that. I mean that. We'd love to have you! Unless I don't actually know you and then that would be weird.Amberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10806166466911469584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1338687740364755561.post-47291411247201394892010-05-27T08:49:00.001-07:002010-05-27T09:00:04.364-07:00Official EndorsementsThere are two things that I think you need to know about: <div><br /><br /><div>1. <a href="http://www.envirosax.com/certified-rpet-series.html">Envirosax</a> has two new products. </div><br /><br /><div>Slingsax: <img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 407px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 414px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5475978135939427234" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY6pcLuuOJoXUFvRpkNZnSGJNnrgP3XXloDiNiVKTkl6at1yLbzkvBGgGLv0fD8ssYZBpo_vUOYemCq2jupZroMRcVvpgIRKOLaF0suKUlmhayjvH4B5tJHO_CfbJWt2qw5_a8tKHjjFo/s320/ss_b3_bag_1_1.jpg" /></div></div>and Mini sax: <img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5475978288235032642" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim9HCJ6P26ORhEKNdpsjA0DciFRJsX11-oPG1-MyVP7SPHFBBEqDdlsaclcZIyAtNcrFB9YF7BXad5chx0UI25UYsScETzJdaJ6XsvbvXP0XFkvj-EZ-LAFvoEHekSSCR_JbyCzteKV-I/s320/ms_b2_bag_1.jpg" /><br /><p>I need one of each. Just leave a comment if you want to buy me these and I'll happily accept. Thanks. </p><p>2. <a href="http://barefootfoodie.com/">This blog</a> because oh my gosh this women is so funny that I have literally almost peed my pants several times from reading her blog. She never disappoints in being really crude, completely honest, and hilarious. I love her. </p><p>One thing I'm not endorsing today is Michael Buble. For some reason Pandora thinks that I want to hear multiple songs by him. I don't. I'm still trying to figure out exactly what band I said I like that made Pandora think I would want to listen to Michael Buble. Or Savage Garden. Or Bon Jovi. I'm not interested in any of that. But I may have listened to the Justin Beiber song it played earlier. That kid is like crack for my ears.</p>Amberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10806166466911469584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1338687740364755561.post-47354497029659827102010-05-21T10:37:00.000-07:002010-05-21T10:57:34.844-07:00Spaghetti BrainI keep meaning to post, then you know, I get distracted by something shiny. But I'll be doing things and suddenly I'll think, "I should blog about that!" but then I <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">usually</span> fall asleep or find myself playing <a href="http://www.popcap.com/games/free/pvz?mid=pvz_pcweb_en_full">Plants v. Zombies</a> for like, 6 hours instead. (I wish I were kidding about that, but I'm not. This game is like crack.)<br /><br />Anyway, what's been going on in the life of the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Baldridge's</span> lately you ask? Well, my first instinct is to say not much. Does that happen to you? People ask you what's been going on and you just respond, not much, even if that's not true and you've had 1 million things happening lately. So weird.<br /><br />Several things have actually been happening lately. I've been working for the Census, and boy-oh-boy are there some stories to tell from that. Yesterday alone I saw a man kill a 4.5 foot snake, an <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Osama</span> Bin Laden doll nailed to <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">someone's</span> front door and a man in nothing but his very form fitting underwear. Can you tell I'm working in the country?! As weird as it may be sometimes, I think it's definitely worth the extra money.<br /><br />Derek's been in charge of the TV station where he works for the past week as well. One of his assignments was to get the station running a live <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">web stream</span> of their programming. They've been working on this for a while, and he finally got it done (cause he's awesome and all you know). So that's right, you can now watch <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Exercise</span> with Emily at 9:30 am and 1:00 pm every weekday just by clicking <a href="http://wcagtv33.blogspot.com/">here</a> and clicking play. You're welcome former <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">LaGrangians</span>.<br /><br />We also have a roommate! Our fabulous friend <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">McKendrick</span> is going to live with us for the summer, and we're super excited about it. The dogs still freak out every time he comes in the door, but they do that for everyone.<br /><br />As far as DC goes, Derek's been offered 1 internship already and we're sure there are more to come. We have no place to live, but I'm looking and emailing people quite regularly. But we are less than 3 full months away from moving and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">soooooo</span> excited!<br /><br />So what's going on with you?Amberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10806166466911469584noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1338687740364755561.post-20378447747396729442010-04-21T06:29:00.000-07:002010-04-21T07:05:25.601-07:00Earth DayTomorrow is Earth Day and it's easily my favorite day at the College I work at. We have a delicious, organic lunch outside with music and it's so wonderful! Everyone has such a great time and there are so many ways to learn about living a sustainable life.<br />We have representatives from local and national environmental groups set up tables to educate people (and usually give away free water bottles or something!) We have a table set up from 10,000 villages to buy beautiful fair trade products. We usually have a couple of hybrid cars on show. And we always have our <a href="http://goldensbikes.com/index.cfm">local bike shop </a>here with bikes for sale and demonstrations. But this year, I'm most excited because they're doing free bike repairs! My bike has been out of commission for sometime because one of the tires went all wonky (that's a technical term) on me and I haven't gotten it fixed yet. I never ride my bike because I'm not very brave when it comes to riding in the road and (come closer I need to whisper this) <em>Derek never learned how to ride a bike</em> so it's no fun riding by myself. Also my lack of stamina and total inability to breath after riding really deters me from doing so. I'm going to sell the bike before I move, but it makes sense to get the tire fixed to make the most money.<br />So those are my plans for earth day - save money and have tons of fun! What are your plans?Amberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10806166466911469584noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1338687740364755561.post-63558644780514674772010-04-20T06:02:00.000-07:002010-04-21T06:52:39.413-07:00Coupon Clipping Fiend!I never look over and see who's following me on my blog. Mostly because the number never changes so usually looking over is disappointing. I should probably be more interesting if I want people to read this. Or you know, I could post more.<br />But imagine my surprise when I did look over today and not only do I have a new follower, she happens to be one of my BFF's who has a blog and DIDN'T TELL ME! Which is fine, I'll forgive her. But you should really go check out her <a href="http://alwayscouponingattheammons.blogspot.com/">blog</a> because <strong>A)</strong> she's fabulous in real life<strong> B)</strong> her blog is way more interesting than mine (I'll work on that) and <strong>C)</strong> this lady can help you save big bucks! I hope that one day I can be as good at saving money as she is. I'm <span style="color:#33ccff;"><em><span style="color:#ff9900;"><strong>amazed</strong></span></em> </span>at how much money she saves. She is my guru. Though I'll never be quite as good as coupon clipping as she is because I usually don't plan before going to the grocery store, or if I do I might forget to make a list or actually print out coupons. I'm working on it. Her blog is teaching me well.<br /><br />So go, visit, and learn!Amberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10806166466911469584noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1338687740364755561.post-25454507543657154652010-04-07T05:58:00.000-07:002010-04-07T06:05:49.711-07:00Stick a fork in me, cause I'm done!You know how when you're in school and graduation is approaching you get senioritis? Well I have that right now. I'm so ready to move and start this exciting new thing that I've kind of checked out in the other parts of life. It feels like I'm in limbo. I don't like it. If you have any solutions to cure this problem of mine you just let me know!Amberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10806166466911469584noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1338687740364755561.post-53170885943313516782010-03-29T13:26:00.000-07:002010-03-29T13:44:53.957-07:00The Results Are In...The main reason for our trip to DC was my scholarship competition. Money is definitely a huge concern for us as we start this process, so I was pretty nervous about going. The scholarship awards were determined by a single, 30 minute interview. To be honest, I'm pretty sure I bombed it. I got so nervous and flustered that when I look back on it, I feel even dumber than I did at the time. Nothing I said was what I wanted to say. Words completely failed me. I walked out of there feeling sure that not only were they not going to give me a scholarship, they were going to revoke my admission.<br /><br />Thankfully, the interviewers got the point that I can be articulate and I'm passionate and mostly, I'm excited about the work that Wesley Theological Seminary is doing to prepare people for ministry. I got a good scholarship that's worth almost 2/3's of tuition! It's so wonderful just to know what's available and what Derek and I are dealing with as far as funding my theological education is concerned.<br /><br />I was pretty disappointed though that when I got the call about my scholarship, they said nothing about being an Urban Fellow. After visiting Wesley and seeing the amazing work that the Urban Fellows are doing I was so excited about it. I knew the spots were limited, but I was just hoping that I would be one of the lucky students who were picked. When I didn't hear that I'd been chosen I was so disappointed.<br /><br />Good for me, the notification that I have been chosen to be an Urban Fellow came this past Friday! I will be a part of the 2nd cohort of students who will be working on a Community Based Action Research Project and Cooperate Praxis Projects. This program is really focused on tying together theological education and the implementation of those practices at the same time. It's going to be amazing (and it's definitely going to make this blog more interesting!).<br /><br />Now we just have to find a place to live... if you hear of any inexpensive, dog friendly, Metro accessible apartments in the DC area just let me know.Amberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10806166466911469584noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1338687740364755561.post-43657535804564840532010-03-19T05:50:00.001-07:002010-03-29T06:35:47.043-07:00Did you think I was eaten by the Lincoln Memorial?Yeah, I know, it's been a while. Like, way too long. Sorry about that. :)<br /><br />Our trip was great! It was rainy and gross pretty much the whole time we were there, but we still really enjoyed it. We got to tour around a see some great sites while we were there too. I think it was the perfect intro to DC for Derek!<br /><br />The first day we got there we mostly just learned more about Wesley (Theological <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">Seminary</span> that is) and I had some meetings and stuff I had to go to. Derek was left to fend for himself that night and a good part of the next day, but he survived!<br /><br />The second day I went on a tour of Wesley's "presence" at Mount Vernon Place United Methodist Church where they have an amazing intentional community for some students to live in. I, and 13 other students, also went to meet with the current Urban Fellows which are a group of students that are selected for this program each year, and work within the Mount Vernon Square and surrounding neighborhoods to focus on available outreach in those communities. That was the program I was interviewing for and I was desperately hoping to get into. It was amazing to meet with them and to learn more about all of the work they're doing.<br /><br />But hands down, my favorite place we visited that day was The United Methodist Building (pictured)<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1El4m0iGx5_0eMf1JoHKp98CWJFTxLKZlwecukZtMq-kfqxbYI6ZFywtsUPLRawdn1XbrSQRW1uWktsp826PeMh21NASkhm69mg-TLWiqpUS_3zalB6B8NUA76A6KDSofPHsy7AZxgoU/s1600-h/26979_557423497186_50502823_32367007_8276211_n.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5450326988450430786" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1El4m0iGx5_0eMf1JoHKp98CWJFTxLKZlwecukZtMq-kfqxbYI6ZFywtsUPLRawdn1XbrSQRW1uWktsp826PeMh21NASkhm69mg-TLWiqpUS_3zalB6B8NUA76A6KDSofPHsy7AZxgoU/s320/26979_557423497186_50502823_32367007_8276211_n.jpg" /></a> which houses the <a href="http://www.umc-gbcs.org/">United Methodist General Board of Church and Society</a> where I hope to work one day! It's located directly next to the Supreme Court (pictured below) and it's the only non-government owned building on all of Capitol Hill. It was wonderful and I absolutely loved it!<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMSj4fNujjDx633o6soHw4Bdocypk7TjLAycctsjLPm2AIdeaoMxwvW5BxzsCLd7JfyDwbkitmtcOTN-mihUwIZqF9ZC9eCInrJfcfEbvwy0Rj6KsayPmEJ-Qv8yS-Zx44O8EPvw6xhlY/s1600-h/26979_557423487206_50502823_32367005_2471091_n.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5450326929866628978" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMSj4fNujjDx633o6soHw4Bdocypk7TjLAycctsjLPm2AIdeaoMxwvW5BxzsCLd7JfyDwbkitmtcOTN-mihUwIZqF9ZC9eCInrJfcfEbvwy0Rj6KsayPmEJ-Qv8yS-Zx44O8EPvw6xhlY/s320/26979_557423487206_50502823_32367005_2471091_n.jpg" /></a><br />That night we went on a trolley tour of the city(but my flash was being funny so I don't have any nighttime pictures) which was beautiful. It was fun to see Derek's reaction to all of this stuff for the first time. </div><div> </div><div>Sunday, Derek and I just walked around and saw some of the fun stuff in the daylight. Below is the Library of Congress and the Capitol Building.<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAm2XA7ePpT77pMF2uoYrDVrMVijo5pb4_KzbgZt1r7siAlKZiNVGKjOlVS2_H-hgfu-w602OFm43hFGAQvCUBxJ0o2-aiTC2xUy05zxySc_04EBoDruIEqI1xNgFj0n5Wuc0KixJ7hoA/s1600-h/26979_557423452276_50502823_32366999_1924284_n.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5450326859064445634" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAm2XA7ePpT77pMF2uoYrDVrMVijo5pb4_KzbgZt1r7siAlKZiNVGKjOlVS2_H-hgfu-w602OFm43hFGAQvCUBxJ0o2-aiTC2xUy05zxySc_04EBoDruIEqI1xNgFj0n5Wuc0KixJ7hoA/s320/26979_557423452276_50502823_32366999_1924284_n.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0h76xEVJ6cgt5LGRgRaBMRXYppHuVjFo3dwLCkB0KnWZZPiBcaE0mhPddIMhdJMvwm3oLEhhnMr9GZHi9jlOiPYuvOj4lWthnig0tyDccm9qDI6mGatjHob-KcRGte0tMc1EaG0pmdGI/s1600-h/26979_557423467246_50502823_32367002_5262295_n.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5450326538790410194" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0h76xEVJ6cgt5LGRgRaBMRXYppHuVjFo3dwLCkB0KnWZZPiBcaE0mhPddIMhdJMvwm3oLEhhnMr9GZHi9jlOiPYuvOj4lWthnig0tyDccm9qDI6mGatjHob-KcRGte0tMc1EaG0pmdGI/s320/26979_557423467246_50502823_32367002_5262295_n.jpg" /></a>It's so hard not to be excited about being in DC. It's amazing to know that huge decisions are being made every day in that place. We really can't wait to move in August! </div><div> </div><div>I'm sure some of you are wondering how the competition went and if I'm an Urban Fellow? Well, for the you're just going to have to wait until the next post. This one's already too long. I promise I'll post soon though. (Maybe even this afternoon!)</div><div> </div><div>In the meantime, enjoy Holy Week!</div><div></div></div></div>Amberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10806166466911469584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1338687740364755561.post-25869592464215293682010-03-08T13:24:00.000-08:002010-03-08T13:37:51.184-08:00Trip # 1 (OMG I'M SO EXCITED!)This weekend will include several firsts for us:<br /><ol><li>Derek's first flight. Ever. I'm so stinking excited about it. I love flying! Which is weird, because I HATE heights, but flying doesn't scare me at all. I can't wait to see the expression on his face when we fly for the first time!</li><li>Our first trip to DC together. It's actually Derek's first trip to DC at all. I've visited several times and (technically) lived there for 4 days. (Long story for another day). It's such an exciting and wonderful city and I'm just praying that Derek likes it as much as I think he will! </li><li>Our first visit to my seminary! I've been before, many moons ago, when I was a junior in undergrad. They've made some changes and I can't wait to see what it looks like now and show Derek where I'll be every day for the next 3 years!</li></ol><p>We're flying up early Friday morning and staying until Sunday evening for a Scholarship Competition. I'm really trying to focus on the fun travel part of it, and less on the "holy crap whatever happens this weekend will determine a lot about the future for us" part. No matter what happens, we're moving to DC in August. I'm starting seminary at Wesley in August. But it would be awesome if I could have a great scholarship while I'm there. It would let me breathe a little easier. Secretly I want to ask that you'll pray for me to win, but that's really wrong, so I'll just ask that you pray. A lot if you get the chance. </p><p>Whatever happens I know God is at work in me and in these plans so I'm not too scared, but I'd be lying if I said I didn't get a little naseuous if I think about it too much. </p><p>I'm planning to take plenty of photos (send me a text and remind me to do that every once and a while) to post on here when I get back. Also, I'll be updating on Twitter so feel free to follow me <a href="http://www.twitter.com/abaldridge">www.twitter.com/abaldridge</a> ! </p><p> </p>Amberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10806166466911469584noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1338687740364755561.post-26580208853483575992010-02-23T07:30:00.000-08:002010-02-23T07:55:45.443-08:00(Mini) Chickens and Llamas and Goats?! Oh my!<div>Today when I was, you know, stalking someone on facebook who I've only met a couple of times (don't judge, you know you do it too) I saw pictures of her holding the most adorable little baby goat, so I clicked on it. It was like a magical door to Narnia had opened for me! This was not a baby goat. This was a full grown African Pygmy Goat! What's that you ask? Oh let me just show you: <img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 298px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5441467607293775058" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlVy0RQNcrQp_54qYFD0Xgzyz2hJLC_meqXS-HBQ2Z8yEHffoe4z4DW9-WDFKdFtI5-u2i5glf0B_kgkrAXL9d9ZTWjJGH7mQgG2XrhICIGep4IEtnowOp5u1rePZgnOY-3-0BgR0aITg/s320/african+pygmy+goad.jpg" /><br /><div><div>Yeah, you're oohing and aahing right now, I know. Calm down... it gets better.<br /></div><div>So I keep looking through this photo album (which btw is not even the girl's who I was orginally stalking, it's her aunt's or someone else's I definitely do <em>not</em> know. I love facebook.) and I find that more pictures of tiny animals. Finally I figure out that... are you ready for this?... they are at a <em>Miniature Animal Farm! </em>It's a farm of teeny tiny miniature breeds of animals. OMG I've died and gone to cute and fuzzy heaven! (Don't worry, I checked it out and it's completely legit and safe. They're breeders who are very kind and respectful to the animals.)<br /></div><div>You can go to the website <a href="http://www.tanglewoodfarmminiatures.com/index.html">here</a>. They even sell the animals. I'm totally asking for this guy</div><div><br /> </div><div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 214px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5441467167320101074" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGKJq1v8RTglXN9D_jUvSn_Qbgn5l9vQ-H6Rh7vXX57FMHLzsLS1ofdidi62b3jGCBagttM02MrQ19wtSdEGies5DkqcM90YPV-BalDyP3TcSHZR_B7grsDzidgk4VTsytZ7FEdydWKYs/s320/mini+alpaca.jpg" />for my next birthday. </div><div></div><br /><div>I'm absolutely planning on visiting this place ASAP! So I'll be sure to take pictures of the ridiculous cuteness for you!<br /><br /></div><div> </div></div></div>Amberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10806166466911469584noreply@blogger.com1