banana dog

day 290:


isn't there some myth that dogs take after their owners?


well, i'm not sure it's a myth...


it sure looks like griffey takes after me.


or i have way too much time on my hands.


either way, i don't think anyone can argue with the saying on her sticker...


she is absolutely perfect.

let the countdown begin

day 289:

time for an update...

the baby is great. getting bigger. which i keep reminding myself is a good thing.

my countdown is beginning to get serious...

it seems that countdowns always begin at five.

think of every sporting even that comes down to the final seconds... people start counting down with the clock at five seconds. 

well, i only have five weeks left to go.

start the clock.

5...

new favorite toy?

day 288:


my cousin tiffany is so thoughtful.


she didn't want griffey to feel left out when i came home with lots of baby stuff, so she got griffey two dog toys.


funny thing is, when we put all the baby stuff in the dining room, i heard griff going through everything. i went in expecting to find her with some baby clothes ripped to shreds, but instead i found her with one of her new dog toys. out of everything in that room, she found the one thing she was allowed to have.


i was afraid that, like all other toys, the duck would get torn to shreds in a matter of minutes. but no. griffey loves this duck. she has been playing with it for the last three days and has not ruined it. i still believe that this duck's days are numbered, but in the meantime, it seems to be bringing hours of fun to griff.

as for the other toy tiffany gave... i'm keeping it as backup. once the duck bites the dust, i will bring out the other toy. and see just how long that one will entertain her.

sweet ride

day 287:


i promise, i won't take a picture of every single thing that was given to me for my baby shower... i wouldn't have enough days left to fit them all in anyways.


but i do want to blog about this beautiful stroller.


for a couple of reasons...


one, it is one of my favorite things. it took me a while to pick out exactly which stroller i wanted. and let me tell you, it wasn't easy. there was a lot of different strollers, and i didn't really know anything about them... but when i finally narrowed it down, i felt great about it. it is the most perfect stroller. ever.


the other reason i want to blog about it is because the wonderful tina put it together. when my awesome friends came back to the house to help unload my gifts (because my husband was away for the weekend), tina decided she wanted to put the stroller together. and julia and i decided it was more fun to watch tina, than to help her.


so thanks to my in-laws for an awesome gift, and thanks to tina for putting it together. by herself.

big happy family

day 286:

the best part about my family is that we all love each other.


i hear some crazy stories about dysfunctional families, but my family is just not that interesting... in a good way. in a perfectly functional, perfectly normal, perfectly average way.


and because of this, we have regular get-togethers.


whether it's someone's baby shower, wedding, birthday, favorite holiday, or super awesome accomplishment, we love to get together.


today was natalie's birthday party.


i hope my family always stays this awesome. and always gets together for everything.

ps. bryan and david, we missed you ;)

baby shower

day 285:


today was one of the best days ever.


my baby shower.


i can't believe baby balut will be here in just 5 1/2 weeks. having the baby shower, and getting all this baby stuff sure makes it seems like it's just around the corner. and i guess it really is.


i can't thank my friends and family enough for what they did in order to make this day so special.


honestly, i feel so blessed to have all these wonderful people in my life.


i didn't get too many pictures of the shower... seeing as it was for me, but i did manage to get a couple pictures for my blog.


my mom knows that i love eric carle... especially the very hungry caterpillar. 

so, eric carle books were the theme for the shower, topped off with a caterpillar cake made by the wonderful alexis.

bathing suit built for two

day 284:


unless you are a girl, you probably do not understand the anxiety of bathing suit season.


even girls that are "skinny" or "in shape" are not thrilled with getting into a bathing suit.


so on top of the regular insecurities that come with wearing a bathing suit, add the fact that this season i'll be wearing a maternity bathing suit.

if you normally look at your bathing suit clad self in the mirror and think "ugh"... add an extra 50 pounds... now what do you think?

well, today i bought bathing suit bottoms. i still need to find a top that i like, but at least i have bottoms. 

i am one step closer to owning a maternity bathing suit.

but still so very far away from putting it on in public.

banana head

day 283:

i always put the sticker from the bananas on my forehead.


i know it wasn't an original idea, but i don't know where i got the idea. i have just always done it.


tim makes fun of me. usually because i walk around all morning with it on my head.


well, this morning i laughed when i found this sticker on the bananas.


priceless.

a dog's life

day 282:


first full day off... of course it poured out.


so griff and i sat inside. all. day. long.


you'd think that griffey would be stir crazy... well, you'd be wrong.


this dog lays around like it's her job.


i swear, she didn't get up to do anything.


she spent a long time staring out the window. and then a little longer lounging on the couch.


i'd like to let you know that my day was just as productive. 


although, i did hit the grocery store at one point... but other than that, i did just what the dog did.


i guess i wasn't too sad that it was raining. then i don't feel bad for doing nothing.


it seems worse doing nothing when it is beautiful out.


but whether it's nice out or not, i'm looking forward to doing a lot of nothing this summer.

and i have a feeling griff will be happy top join me.

first day of summer

day 281:


today was the first day of summer. 


it was also my last day of work for the summer.


so after my half-day, i decided to go to the radical roaster coffee emporium for lunch.


it's a great little coffee shop in ludlow.


and tina works there, so that makes it even better.


i had the best homemade pizza for lunch.


and then had a coffee and a muffin for dessert.


yeah that's right. dessert after lunch.

it was for the baby :)

summer reading: part two (redemption)

day 280:


the last time i wrote about summer reading i was shamefully admitting that i didn't do it.


this time, i am writing to tell you that i am excited about my summer reading.


next year i will be teaching three new books. two of them i have read, a thousand splendid suns and pride and prejudice (not pictured). the third one, the other wes moore, i have not read 


i really love the first two, and am excited to re-read a thousand splendid suns. 


and i am equally excited to read the other wes moore. i have heard so many good things about the book.


it is a true story about two boys that grew up just blocks away from each other in baltimore. they have with the same name and very similar upbringings, yet one ends up a rhodes scholar and the other ends up in jail for murder. 


the book, written by wes moore,  explores how two kids so similar can end up completely different.


tim was eyeing it... i'm afraid if i don't start it soon, he will get to it before me!

RIP little vermin

day 279:


well. it worked.


in case you can't tell, that's a tail. 


that little mouse went to mouse heaven.


sorry if you all think that i'm crazy. or that there is something wrong with me. but i am so glad that i caught this little vermin. i am so glad that i don't have to deal with him ever again.


of course, there may be more... but they will have the same fate if they don't clear out of here!

country living

day 278:


i love this sign. i don't know why really...


i see it every day when i get off the highway.


it points in the direction of my house.


my house, on the outskirts of the city... farmland that is just a few minutes from civilization.


i love it here.


we have flowers.

impulse buy

day 277:


i offered to pick up pizza on my way home tonight...


the best place around is russo's. unfortunately it is also a pastry shop.


you should not send a pregnant woman into a pastry shop.


if you do, she will come out with cannolis.

free at last

day 276:


to some, this may look like an ordinary folder... ok it probably looks like an ordinary folder to everyone but me.


but this is no ordinary folder. this is the folder that i keep my students' papers in.


this folder has papers in it from day 1 to day 180. 


but this year, day 177 and it's empty. every single scrap of paper has been graded and entered into the computer.


not only that, but i also graded every single final exam. which included about 30 multiple choice questions, a long composition, and two open response questions.


i was a grading machine. it was awful, but now it feels so good. 


this folder represents my summer freedom.


i do not have to grade another paper till next year. 


and there is no other feeling in the world quite like this.

mouse trap

day 275:


you may remember a couple of blogs about the mouse.


like the one with a picture of griffey's rear sticking out from behind the entertainment center.


or the one with tim actually holding the little bugger the day we caught him.


well... hopefully this will be the last. 


i don't know if it's the same mouse, but we have a mouse in the house. and i am determined to kill him.


that's right. i'm going to kill him. tim tried to be nice and let the last one go... and perhaps he came back... so this time, i am not going to give him the opportunity.


so little mouse, i hope you enjoy one last night of life in my kitchen, because tomorrow i am going to end you.

secret garden

day 274:


i'm kinda liking the idea of having fresh flowers on my counter.


of course, i have mentioned before that i do not have a garden or any flowers because i can't seem to take care of them.


however, we do get wild flowers. the secret is... don't mow the lawn. all sorts of beautiful flowers grow that way.


so today i picked these little beauties. they definitely brighten up the kitchen :)

the deer hunter

day 273:


we have these birds in our yard... they're called killdeer.


and they tease griffey. i swear, if you could watch it you would laugh. griffey sits there and barks at them as they walk around just out of her reach.


then they will fly around and swoop in near her and then fly all the way around the yard. she chases them in a giant circle... and then it starts over.


but after a while, griffey gets tired... or i guess i should say, completely exhausted.


so tired that she can't stand up to drink water. 


so tired that she can't leave the kitchen floor.



but usually it only lasts for an hour or so, then she wants to go right back out again.

put your feet up

day 272:


i know i always brag about my wonderful husband, but it's hard not to when he is so amazing.


today, he cleaned the entire house. 

he even cleaned the drain in the shower, vacuumed, dusted, did laundry, cleaned the toilets and did a while bunch of other things.


cleaning takes a lot of energy. and lately i have been so tired i don't want to do any of it.


i went to the grocery store, but i'll take the shopping over the cleaning any day.


so, put your feet up tim. you deserve it.

let them eat cake

day 271:


yesterday i blogged about wedding cake, but today it's a birthday cake.


and let me tell you, this cake is no joke.


i know i said apple pie is amazing, but if we could have had this cake at our wedding, maybe we would have changed our minds.


this is a caramel cake from russo's bakery in enfield.


it's a chocolate cake with the frosting on top of the cake and the frosting in the middle of the cake, caramel.


it is so rich and so delicious. 


it is the best cake i have ever had. that's right... the best cake ever.

wedding cake

day 270:


tonight we went to a friend's wedding.


it was at the hotel northampton and it was beautiful.


i noticed the cake right away.


tim and i did not have a cake. we thought that since we had apple pie for dessert that there would be no sense in getting a cake.


and as much as i love wedding cakes, and think that they are little works of art, i do not regret our decision one bit.


if i had to do it all over again, i still wouldn't get the cake. 


apple pie is amazing.

one tough night

day 269:


last night was a tough night for griffey.


she did not like the thunder and lightening one bit.


and then when it continued today, she continued to be scared.


when it finally stopped, griffey couldn't help but sprawl out and relax. finally.

sweet 13

day 268:

today was my friend destiny's 13th birthday.


destiny's house was hit by the tornado. so there is a lot going on in her life. luckily her house wasn't hit too bad, and she has already moved back in, but still, there has been a lot going on...


so we thought it would be nice to do something for her at youth group tonight. just a little something to make her day special.


the wonderful alexis made cupcakes!


and i'm telling you, if you ever need cupcakes for anything, alexis is the person to ask. alexis is going to go into business selling her desserts someday. hopefully sooner than later because the world needs her desserts. she is super talented. 



and tonight, the cupcakes were perfect for our special 13 year old :)

hey neighbor

day 267:


i think i might be a creepy neighbor.


i saw these guys out haying the field, and i thought it would be a good picture.

then as i was standing in my driveway taking the picture... contemplating moving closer to get a better shot... they looked my way.


i don't know if they saw me. or if they were really looking at me, but i felt creepy.


so i went in the house to take a picture of them out the window.


then i felt really creepy.


but i did get a nice picture :)

tag-along engagement shoot

day 266:


today i got the opportunity to tag along on a photo shoot.


ok it was matt and julia's engagement shoot, so i don't know how they could have said no to my tagging along!


the amazing katie slater let me shoot alongside her. and i couldn't be more grateful.


i had so much fun. it was nice to have people to take pictures of. if you think you're sick of seeing pictures of the dog, imagine how she feels every time i stick my camera in her face.


but i think the best part was being able to try out katie's lenses.


up until today i have only shot with my one lens. and i won't bore you with technical details, but let's just say that the lenses i got to use today were really cool.


i did some zooming in and out. some foreground background. you know, just the usual awesome photography stuff.


but i am exhausted. and it's late. so i do not have time to photoshop these photos at all. so i am just posting a few of my favorites.


with absolutely no editing whatsoever. 

hope you like them :)

my relaxing day

day 265:


after my outing yesterday, i needed to take a day to recoup. 


there is only so much physical activity a pregnant girl can take.

i decided on my usual sit in the yard with the dog and read a book kind of day.


however... my chair had other plans.


i don't really want to talk about it.


but i may be scarred for life.

survivor's guilt

day 264:

i couldn't sit home any longer.


ever since the tornado touched down, i have had these unsettling emotions.


i feel sort of guilty.

you see, i grew up in springfield. just a few streets over from where all the damage is. my church is in springfield. just a few streets over from the damage. i work in springfield. a building that is now being used as a shelter.


i just had to go do something. so i prayed that God would keep my feet from swelling, and then i headed to my friend's house on abbott street.

once there, a group of us loaded up two wagons with snacks and drinks and headed out to give a little relief to those working.


i had seen pictures, but it wasn't the same walking through. the pictures don't make you feel the way you feel when you walk through it. even though i know the streets very well, there were times that i didn't recognize anything. 


the people were very grateful for the snacks and drinks, and even though it is all we could do, it didn't seem like enough.


my heart aches for all the people that have to pick up the pieces of their lives and try to figure out where to begin again.


part of me feels like it should be happening to me. like i should be there cleaning up my life with the rest of my neighbors.


but then, part of me feels grateful that it is not me. that i am blessed to be so fortunate.

but still, part of me feels guilty that i get to leave the devastation... feels guilty that i get to come home... to a home with electricity... a home with no trees down... a home with a roof...