Home is Where You Are

I took a big step yesterday. I actually got my hair cut by someone new. Gasp! Even when we moved to Virginia, I would wait and get my hair cut in Athens by the same girl at the same place I've been going to for a while now. I know her. She knows me and I trust her. But, I've decided to commit to this here little town for a while, so I made a leap of faith and an appointment based on a new friend's recommendation. Not only did I go to someone new, I decided to let her do what she "saw" would be good for my hair. It's a new cut for me for sure, but I don't have any pictures yet.

So, it was a good experience and besides finding a new hair person, my friend and I found this adorable little neighborhood/community where the salon is. While it is a little Stepford-wivish (looks very perfect on the outside), everyone we met was so nice. There's even a shop that sells the Volcano Anthropologie candles!

And, I've been mentioning friends-yes, I am making friends, which is huge because it took so long in Virginia to do so. Over the last several weeks, I have been blessed with some great new people in my life. I'm finding that military wives bond very quickly and it's kind of like being a freshman in college again. Everyone is lonely and looking for friends and things to do. And everyone understands this weird way of life that we live with all of its uncertainty and inefficiency.

More than anything, I am finding that home for me is wherever my little family is. Where B and Rumor and Charlie are. Soon, where Els is too (although, now I can't exactly separate her from me, so...). God has so greatly blessed me beyond belief in my family, big and small.

The Els and Kels Whale

Here it is folks, the moment you've all been waiting for. It's me, immensely pregnant. Six weeks to go.

A Real Man

A real man will drive his brother in law's hand-me-down car for years even if it has paint chipping off of it everywhere, is missing the cover to one of the rear lights, and has a front bumper that is connected to the car with duct tape and bungee cords. All of this to save money and never complain about it once.

I've been meaning to post that about B for a long time as a compliment to him. He's long suffering, that's for sure. But this past weekend we were immensely blessed when my grandmother graciously gave us my grandpa's truck. I am so happy for B. I know I'm a bit biased, but if anyone in this world deserves something like that, it's him. 2009 is already looking up!

Retraction

I'll be the first to admit that I have spent a good many posts in the last year whining about moving around. I remember posting in January of last year that "I [didn't] know nothin' except change [would] come," to use the words of Patty Griffin. Boy did I really have no idea. If you had asked me then where I thought we'd be now, I would have told you that I had no idea, but I hoped for Southern California. Not Carolina. But change did come and I feel blessed to be in South Carolina for as long as we get to be here.

And all of this to say that I really want to apologize for all of the complaining. God has done tremendous works in my life and heart over the last year that would not have been possible if He had left us snug in Athens. I have grown to love B more than I ever thought possible. Moving away from everyone and everything we knew last April forced us to rely on each other like we had not before. We've spent a lot of time just the two of us together and I love it. I have also started to become more comfortable with this whole "my life doesn't look anything like I ever thought it would." God's been teaching me about living simply too, in the day, in the moment because that's all I have, really. As an example, as much as I want Els to be born right now, I also want to savor this time I have, let's face it, for myself, because, as they tell me, life will never be like this again once she's on the outside.

Not to mention that I can now make a pie crust from scratch.

Either, Or

Grace, my six-year-old sister, is very opinionated. Like all of us, the subject about which she has the most opinions is her own life. Over Christmas break she had a lot of time to think about Kindergarten, and this is what she decided:

"Mom, I don't think I want to go to school anymore. I just want to take horseback riding lessons." (We think that this has something to do with the fact that it starts so early. She later decided that she'd be okay with going to school if the bus came to get her in the afternoon rather than in the morning.)

In a similar instance earlier last year, after reflecting on her two year long ballet career, she declared:

"Mom, I don't want to take ballet lessons anymore. I just want to take lessons about how to be a princess." Don't we all, hon.

At least the girl knows what she wants. And she's not afraid to ask for it.

Uber-women

It's nearing on a year since I've worked. Becuase of the two moves last year and uncertainty of our living situations, I opted not to work in Virginia. Now that I'm about to be a new mom, I'm not looking for a job at the present, but some days it drives me crazy. Although I love my life, it looks nothing like I thought it would 5 years ago as I prepared to graduate from college. That said, I am finding that women my age without jobs have hobbies. They're involved, involved, involved. They sew and/or play the guitar and/or volunteer at lots of organizations and/or are gourmet cooks. The list goes on and on and on. This also goes for women my age that have jobs too. And, to tell the truth, this week it's overwhelming me completely. I can't even finish a whole book these days, much less have the attention span to develop a hobby. My hobby used to be running, but I haven't done that in a good ten weeks now.

Can I be an uber-woman? Do I want to be? What are my hobbies? Moving? All of the things that I do are just every day, keeping my house together things. Nothing special. I can't imagine the energy it would take to be a mom, be artistic, athletic, and either work or volunteer all at the same time. Maybe this thinking is just because I'm in my third trimester and I consider it a success to sleep for 4 hours without getting up to pee or stretch.

I'm so relieved when I remember that I believe in a God of grace. There is grace for even undecided, slothful me. And I am considering hobbies, I just need to make a list and set goals for myself, not trying to do everything all at the same time. God has plans for me and I have to believe that right now, I'm doing what He has set forth for me to do.

"Hast Thou not bid me seek thy face, and shall I seek in vain?
And can the ear of Sovriegn Grace, lean deaf when I complain?"
-From "Dear Refuge of my Weary Soul"

Home Sweet Home

This week we have:

• Had an exterminator spray for bugs
• Had our septic tank pumped
• Hired a plumber to fix our hot water heater
• Painted a bookshelf
• Bought a changing table / dresser

This weekend we're also planning to change the locks on all of our outer doors and I'm sure that there are other things, I just can't quite remember everything.

Welcome to new home ownership.

Just Because I'm Losing, Doesn't Mean I'm Lost

Today is just one of those days. You know those where you wake up feeling awful, not physically, but like an awful person. And for no particular reason either. I think it has something to do with the fact that I don't really sleep all that well or long these days. My precious little girl is carrying really low, which means she's right on my hips all day and night, which in turn means that my hips feel like they're being ripped out of joint during the night. Every time I get up to use the bathroom or stretch at night I hear multiple pops from my lower back and pelvis. Fabulous. I finally broke down and bought one of those pregnancy body pillows a week and a half ago. It does help a lot, but it makes me hot and it takes up a lot of the bed. I can't win for losing, I guess.

All of the above added together mean that B and I are often really grumpy with each other at night. I called him at work when I woke up this morning to apologize for being mean and keeping him up last night. It makes me feel awful.

If I could see a silver lining, it would be that maybe God is preparing me for the sleepless nights ahead when Els is in my arms and not my pelvis. (Right now I'm thinking that I don't care if I only get two hours of sleep at night if I don't feel crippled when I wake up!) Also, like every other pregnancy woe, I would have to say that she is worth all of the pain. I can't wait to meet her sometime in the next nine weeks.

Album of the Year

I love music. All kinds of music. The only problem is that I get stuck on certain albums or artists for a long time and I rarely listen to the radio, so I have absolutely no idea what music is current or avant-garde. That said, I've been thinking about doing this since last year, naming my album of the year, because it seems like there is always at least one album that I discover somehow each year that floors me and I listen to until I pretty much have every note memorized. So since I failed to name an album of the year for 2007, I am going to list them here too (album and honorable mentions). Better late than never, right? My only disclaimers are that these particular groupings of music have very little to do with one another and they may be popular music or they may be something few have heard of. Here goes...

Album of the year 2008 goes to Coldplay's Viva La Vida. I know it was widely popular and will probably sweep the Grammy's, but have you heard it? I swear I had chills through the at least the first five listens. It's brilliant. Honorable mentions for this year go to Punch Brother's Punch and Sandra McCracken's Red Balloon. Also discovered this year and worth mentioning is Chris Rice's Living Room Sessions. I know that this is old news for Chris Rice fans, but I never claimed to be current.

Album of the year 2007 goes to Patty Griffin's Children Running Through. Again, chills and sheer brilliance in her combination of folk, blues, country, and sometimes jazz music. She knows how to put experiences into words that not only turn out to be poetry, but that touch me to my core. Her music is always honest, whether beautifully or brutally so. Honorable mention for 07 go to Chris Thile's How to Grow a Woman From the Ground. I still cannot stop listening to this album. The only thing better is hearing these guys live. (And I did twice in 2007!)

There you go. If you haven't heard some of this music, check it out. It will at least give you a good idea of what I listen to.

"Oh-oh-oh-oh and I'm just waiting til the shine wears off..." -Coldplay

I'm a Redneck Woman

So, as I've written before, I've been doing some yoga in the last little bit of my pregnancy. It's really good for strengthening and toning muscles and stretching me out. The only problem is that I've grown out of all of my tank tops that I wear to exercise in. I can still wear B's t-shirts, but they are bulky in the arms and get in the way for yoga. So, yesterday, I find myself at Wal-Mart, shamelessly scouring the plus size department for a tank top when I notice a sign over a small rack that says, "maternity." Great. Who knew the evil empire had maternity clothes? But why shouldn't they? Surely they carry a nice, plain tank top. Oh no, plain is way to much to ask. I had my choice between a grey, "Does this shirt make me look fat?" cartoon character tank, a black version with Betty Boop on it, and a white one with fake air-brushed butterflys and the word "Love" emblazoned on it. Which one did I go with? The butterflies of course. I don't know if I feel like Mariah Carey with it on or Gretchen Wilson, but B laughed at me when he got home yesterday. He called me his little red-neck woman. But it does the job for yoga, and that's what I got it for. Although I don't know if I can put it in a drawer, I'm afraid my other clothes may shun it. Ha.

Hark the Herald Angels Sing

Here's a Christmas song that I'm guessing you know for you to ponder over the next couple of days. It has taken me by surprise this season. Jesus veiled His glory in flesh and came for us. We are reconciled to God the Father by this mysterious gift.

Hark the herald angels sing
"Glory to the newborn King!
Peace on earth and mercy mild
God and sinners reconciled"
Joyful, all ye nations rise
Join the triumph of the skies
With the angelic host proclaim:
"Christ is born in Bethlehem"
Hark! The herald angels sing
"Glory to the newborn King!"

Christ by highest heav'n adored
Christ the everlasting Lord!
Late in time behold Him come
Offspring of a Virgin's womb
Veiled in flesh the Godhead see
Hail the incarnate Deity
Pleased as man with man to dwell
Jesus, our Emmanuel
Hark! The herald angels sing
"Glory to the newborn King!"

Hail the heav'n-born Prince of Peace!
Hail the Son of Righteousness!
Light and life to all He brings
Ris'n with healing in His wings
Mild He lays His glory by
Born that man no more may die
Born to raise the sons of earth
Born to give them second birth
Hark! The herald angels sing
"Glory to the newborn King!"

By: Charles Wesley, italic emphasis: mine

Life in Boxes

It doesn't feel like that long since we were unpacking our belongings into the townhouse in Virginia. For some reason it took very little time in hindsight. Now, as we unpack the same house nearly nine months later, it feels like it's taking FOREVER. I have my theories about this. Number one, I wasn't seven months pregnant last time and had not only more energy, but the ability to bend at the waist, which is something I've really been missing lately. Two, we actually own this house and plan to stay here for at least 3 years, so that provides motivation to put more thought into where our stuff "lives." Last, but by no means least, the people we bought our house from were quite possibly the dustiest people alive. It's not just that they didn't bother to dust before they moved out, they may not have dusted for the last several years. So, everything, I mean everything-shelves, cabinets, walls, is having to be dusted and de-cat haired before we permanently place our things where they belong.

This move has been very smooth so far, other than the massive amounts of dust and cat hair the previous owners left behind. We had a carrier move, which means that the Marine Corps paid a moving company pack all our stuff up and move it, and, let me just say, I don't think I could go back to moving myself. Also, the moving truck just happened to show up on the same morning as our closing on the house, which we've been told is no small miracle.

Oh, and we love our new town. It's amazing. The weather is warmer, the people are warmer, and the pace of life is certainly more laid back. The sidewalks may roll up at sunset, but we have found a local coffee shop on the water that is our new home away from home. And at least it's open until 10pm.

Overheard

Grace: Micah, your toenails are so long. You need to cut them or bite them or something!

On the Road Again

Our little family is moving again! On Monday morning, movers showed up to our house in Virginia, packed it up in boxes, and left it for some other guys who showed up on Tuesday and put it all on a truck. So far, best move ever in my book. Not only do we get to escape the frigid Northern Virginia temperatures, I have yet to lift a box. (Which is good because I'm not sure that the belly would allow me to lift little more than a shoe box.) We close on our first house on Monday, which makes us homeless for a few days, but fortunately, our destination is only a few hours from our hometown, so we are "home" for the weekend.

Actually, B is down in PI for his first day of real Marine Corps fleet work while the cats, Paco, and I are at "home." I am really enjoying watching Rumor torture my mom's dog, Todo. I make no apologies for my firm belief that cats are far superior to dogs. That's neither here nor there, but it's all I have to report now. I'm sure there will be a lot more soon!

More Favorite Things

Since my last post on my favorite things, I've done a lot of thinking about those things and others that I love. And, in an effort to help you decide on Christmas gifts (if you're like me and still trying to decide what to get your mother for Christmas), I decided to post a few more. Here they are in no particular order:

1. Prenatal Yoga - I told you, this is one of my new exercises. It's a video that I got at Target and it's so relaxing, but I feel like it's strengthening me and helping me become more flexible at the same time. I'm still trying to do some cardio as well in the form of brisk walking and using the elliptical machine, but I have already learned some yoga stretches that are helping me feel less cramped in my own body.
   
2. Oregon Chai - If you haven't had this, you MUST try it! I'm serious, this is not just one of my favs, it is B's as well. You mix one part chai, one part milk, microwave, and enjoy. It is the perfect cold afternoon pick-me-up, and it tastes very appropriate for this particular season of the year. I have found the mix (it's a liquid in a box on the shelf) in several grocery stores (in what B calls the "hippy section") and Target.
3. My Hobo wallet - It is currently in need of repair due to extreme use, but this little accessory is worth every penny. It holds all of my credit cards, money, IDs, and still has enough room for the other random stuff I keep in my wallet (library cards, business cards, Chik-Fil-A coupons, etc.). When we go out for a fancy dinner, I can put my cell phone and key inside and, voila, instant clutch! My favorite feature is the magnetic snap that holds the two sides together with the ID card slots. It makes finding my military ID much easier when driving onto a base.
4. ID Bare Minerals blush - I bought my particular little pot-o-blush almost two years ago and use it every day. This is the first blush I've ever worn, and I seriously get compliments on it all the time. My particular shade is rose radiant, but there are lots to choose from depending on your skin tone. I really like that it does not look or feel heavy since I'm not a big make-up girl, but it gives this Snow White some realistic looking color.
5. Til We Have Faces - This is C. S. Lewis' take on the Greek myth of Cupid and Psyche and it's hands down my favorite book. I am currently reading it for the third time and it just gets better. My brain works better in allegory than in straight-forwardness, and this story is chock full when seen through Mr. Lewis' eyes. I could write a whole post or even blog about this book, so I'll stop now, I'll just say, read it.
   
6. Have I mentioned that I love feeling my little girl move inside me? Well, I do and I can't write or talk about her enough. I just can't wait to meet her. I fell asleep last night thinking about her and I've never even seen her face. This is not something that I can give you a link to, but rest assured, you will see pictures come March.
   

That's all for now. Again, if you have any favorites or anything to add to mine, let me know. Merry December 2nd.

Pregnancy in General

I love being pregnant, mostly because I love the thought of our daughter being here with us in March. In the past, I've heard women talk about missing pregnancy after their children are born, and I may change my tune come spring, but right now I don't think I'll miss being pregnant when she's actually here. Pregnancy is a means to an end. So, I thought I'd list things that I love about being pregnant and then things that I don't love, including things I miss about not being pregnant for your information and reading enjoyment.

First, the things I love:

1. Feeling her move inside me. I have been able to feel her for about 8 or 9 weeks now and I still get so excited every time. She's getting a lot stronger now too, and while I'm guessing it gets more uncomfortable the bigger she gets, it's not yet, so I just enjoy her.
2. Not worrying about weight gain. (Or at least having people tell me not to worry about it.) Never in my life has this been true.
3. Pants that look like real pants, but have tops like yoga pants. I never thought I'd say this, but thank you Lord for elastic waists!
4. B absolutely has to clean out the cats' litter box because I'm not allowed to. Love it!
   
5. God is demonstrating His faithfulness to me through this experience. I am a bit of a hypochondriac and it takes a lot of God giving me faith to place in Him so that I can believe that everything is okay with me and her all of the time. Every time I look down at my rapidly expanding waistline I am reminded of His faithfulness to B and I to bless us with this child. Then I am forced to trust that He is going to see this whole thing through, and I don't mean just until March, I mean her whole life. It's already all in His hands.
   
6. In a little over three months, B and I will have a daughter. I am so excited I can hardly stand it. I think that this one counts for all of the rest of the reasons why I love being pregnant.

The things I don't love about being pregnant:

1. Maternity clothing. Companies are doing a little better these days than in the past, but for some reason a lot of them still think that just because I'm getting bigger, I want to wear big, gaudy prints all over me. I made the commitment before I bought my first piece of maternity clothing that I wasn't going to change my style just because I had to change my wardrobe. And I just miss my old clothes.
2. No turkey sandwiches. I told B that the first thing I want to eat after I give birth is a Publix sub. While we're on things I can't eat or drink, I also really miss sushi, ibuprophen, red wine (I tried to narrow down the exact kind, but, alas, I miss them all), and unlimited cups of coffee per day.
   
3. News flash: it's not just my belly that is getting bigger. For some reason my backside, hips, and thighs want in on the expandable fun as well.
4. No sleeping position is comfortable. I've tried the body pillow, the between-the-legs pillow and all, and I still can't sleep for more than a couple of hours without having to readjust.
5. I miss running. I decided to stop after week 22 and this is the longest I've gone since 9th grade without running. My balance is off as she grows outward, and I just feel kind of weird about bouncing her all around in there. If I see someone running during the day I probably get this weird look on my face as I stare at them, longing for those days. I have taken up yoga though. More on that later.
6. Last and certainly not least is the fact that random people, most of whom are semi-strangers, feel that it's perfectly acceptable to touch my abdominal area. While I appreciate their excitement about my little girl, it's just uncomfortable to be touched by people I probably wouldn't even hug.
   

All in all, it's a wonderful experience and I would not change anything about it for the world. I'll just be happy as a lark when I can sit and hold my little girl while wearing my Seven jeans again, eating a turkey sandwich and drinking a glass of Merlot, having been on a long run earlier in the day.

Marine Corps Ball 08

So, B and I went to our first Marine Corps Birthday Ball on Saturday night. Overall, it was really neat. They have a whole presenting of the flags and presenting of the birthday cake thing, which is followed by a speaker. This year the speaker was a three star General (the highest rank in the Corps is 5 star) and he was motivating yet witty and entertaining at the same time. He helped B and I remember our love for the Corps again. Then, there's a meal, which, let's just be honest, was hotel food made for large quantities. I have to say that someone, somewhere probably tried, but it's nearly impossible to make food for several thousand people and it still be good.

The best part of the night for me was the people watching. Because there was a point in the evening after the presentation and meal where it was mostly like prom. Albeit prom with several bars and people in uniform. There were even girls there that had literally had a prom earlier this year. And there were many dresses worn that would have been more at home at either prom or a beauty pageant. There was also the guy who actually hired his date, if you know what I mean. My favorite was the drunk girl who stumbled up to me saying, "Oh my gosh, you're the cutest pregnant lady I've ever seen. Honey, look at this girl, this is what I want to look like when I'm pregnant. Oh, you actually are pregnant, right? Not just fat..." And after several drinks people started losing inhibitions about touching my belly too, I found. I just try to take it all as compliments, but those are also the times when I tell B that I feel a little bit like a show monkey.

All in all, it was a good night. And we ended the night/morning at Waffle House, which is just a great way to end any event in my opinion.

Happy 233rd Marine Corps!

From the mouth of babes

Mom: Grace, we need to clean out some of your old toys to make room for the new things that you'll get soon for your birthday and Christmas.

[Grace disappears into her room. She reamerges a few minutes later with 3 trash bags full of stuffed animals.]

Mom: What are those?

Grace: Oh, they're my old stuffed animals. They're for the poor people.

Everything gets rearranged

I am glad that I don't know what the future holds. This is a hard statement for me as a semi-control freak to make, but I am reminded almost daily that things never turn out the way that I think that they will (thankfully) and so, I am finding lately that it would cause me a lot more worry to know what's around the corner. My last post was on the day before I traveled to Charlotte to see a very good friend for the week. I was excited about the trip because I love spending time with her, but I was almost mourning that day over having to leave home for four days. I could not at all put my finger on why I was so sad that day about a short trip that I was excited about. Two and a half weeks later as I sit in a hotel near Charleston, I know now why I was so sub-consciously anxious.

My friend and I spent a few days in Charlotte mostly talking and shopping. I'm not going to lie, it's kind-of what we do best and it was blissful. Then we took a trip to my new hometown to begin the inevitable house search. Have I mentioned that B and I are moving from VA to SC in a little over a month? Well, yeah, and we're also seriously looking to buy a house for the first time which is exciting yet daunting. So, we scoped out the area, which is beautiful, and found in person several of the houses that I had seen online. The next day we met with a realtor, who was a nice man but a horrible realtor. I think I'll save that story for another post. The point of this story is that while I'm sitting in his office looking over potential homes, I got a call from my father in law. B's mom had passed away the night before.

She had courageously been battling cancer for almost two years and while her mind was determined, her body was weary. My father in law sounded devastated and at a loss for what to do. I should probably mention that B was out in the field for the entire week on his last training exercise. He wanted B to stay there and for me to not tell him until the next day when it was over. The wife in me had to come out at that point and decide that B would want to know then. So, I spent several hours on the phone trying to contact his superiors and finally got one. They pulled him out and told him what had happened.

The logistical difficulty in all of this was that B's parents live out west and everyone else lives on the east coast. So, after a few days, we decided to fly to GA, spend a few days, and then drive to MS to see B's relatives and meet his dad. From there we drove back to GA, and today drove to SC where we're having a memorial for Mrs. B's mom tomorrow morning. I'm so tired of driving right now I don't even know where to begin. The motherly instincts in me just want to make sure that everyone is doing okay. Selfish Kels just wants to be home. I've spent the night in 5 southern states over the last 2 weeks, not that anyone's counting.

Long story short, I'm glad that you don't know what's going to happen some days when you wake up.

Pray for B's dad, that the Lord would use this in his life to let people love him, but most of all to see the love that God himself has for him. Pray for us, that we can find a house to live in before Christmas.

Oh, and our baby, who I'll just call little E for now, is doing great. She grows every day I think and I love to feel her kicking around. She is already such a joy for me.

Christmas in October

So, we're already listening to Christmas music. A little early, I know, but we started this week and now we can't stop. I think we're already anticipating that this Christmas season is going to be anything but normal, so we're enjoying the calm, quiet days at home listening to nice, instrumental, yule-tide tunes while we can.

I highly recommend Chris Rice's Living Room Sessions Christmas album. Totally addicted.