Being Pregnant

I have been pregnant for 9 months. Baby girl, please come out and play!
I feel great right now. My feet are looking and feeling normal, and my back does not feel like it'd be better if I broke it in half.
In all honesty, it hadn't been that bad for months! I was just, well, bigger, and trying to keep up with all the supplements, the ounces of water I am supposed to drink (but can never quite finish), and the big no-no rules. But lately it's been uncomfortable and painful-- so I take my good moments and relish them.
Thankfully I've had many good moments. Q and I have been spending a lot of time together. It's really been great, doing so much cooking, shopping, and working on baby projects together. We've also been going out a lot. Even if we just go out to Mass Street to walk around (trying to keep fit) and have some coffee and dessert (okay, maybe not that fit). Being out and about together is just... wonderful. We walk, we talk, we hold hands. We say stupid stuff and laugh like no one's ever thought of this or that pun. We discuss "serious" things, wondering what it'll be like to be parents, trying to figure out problems we don't yet have... lol. We enjoy the weather, the view, the fun and different people walking by us (it was zombies last time we were on Mass St, complete with makeup, calls for "brains," and that weird walk). We clean and disinfect (and yet I wonder if our place is clean enough every day!). We read and read to baby.
Being pregnant has been pretty awesome. I know in twenty years I will think back to these times in my life and wish I could go back. Yes, everything is up in the air. And yes, our finances could be better. But things are so simple and wonderful right now. We are in love, we are happy, we are learning, and experiencing, and growing.
Baby girl, I pray that you will be as lucky as your mom has been. At church during communion the other day, I was asking God to please take care of you, especially when I am no longer there to do it -when you are older and on your own and I have to let you live your life the way you choose. Today I ask Him to give you happiness like mine. I hope you will find someone like your Dad is to me, someone who loves you and takes care of you, and makes life seem like every single little thing in the world is full of beauty and wonder.

Baby Shower Invitation. Idea #3

okay no se porque sale tan enorme, pero esta es mi idea favorita. I think it's self explanatory. Basicamente es punching, cutting and gluing. Es mas trabajo, claro. Pero no estan hermosos?
Tambien hay un video de una sen~ora k les puso googley eyes y se ven bien chulos!!
Aki: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hUjrnwZ88vk&feature=related
(no lo veas todo pork todo lo k hace es ensen~ar los owls ya terminados)

Si kieres ver "how they put them together" Aki hay otro video k dice paso por paso como los hacen. Esta largo pero si necesitas instrucciones pues esta muuuy bien explicado:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v4sPaMSZjZ0&feature=related



Para este proyecto tienes k comprar el puncher especial. Cuesta cas 20 dolares. El asunto es k si tienes tiempo de esperarme a k llegue el mio, yo definitivamente voy a comprarlo. Si tienes tiempo de k lo compre, yo puedo hacer punch todas las partes y mandartelas por correo (pero se va a tardar como 3 semanas en llegar a partir de cuando me digas k si). Puedes hacer click en la siguiente foto para ir al website donde lo venden:

Baby Shower Invitation. Idea #2

La idea de esta tarjeta me llego cuando vi el cuadro de little owls (cuadro en el extremo superiosr izquierdo). De hecho son dos ideas.
La primera idea es seguir las instrucciones originales, k basicamente es punching owl shaped owls out of other cute invitations (if you, like me have lots of saved up cards and stuff) or craft paper with pretty patterns. Luego pegas los owls en hileras. Se ven bonitos. Haz click en la siguiente foto para ver las instrucciones:


Claro k este proyecto usa mariposas, pero pues compras un hole puncher con shape de owl y listo :)

Aki hay uno en $9:

http://www.google.com/products/catalog?um=1&hl=en&client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&q=owl+punch&biw=1252&bih=561&ie=UTF-8&tbm=shop&cid=7078029795928561852&sa=X&ei=ljTyTdzjHcK_gQe3zr3ACw&ved=0CEAQ8gIwAA



La segunda idea con el puncher, es comprar tarjetas en blanco (sin dibujos ni nada de eso) pero de color, y hacerles punch (en el frente de la tarjeta) para k kede solo el hoyo en forma de owl (como en la foto de arriba). Luego le puedes poner el owl adentro, pero de otro color o en papel con pattern bonito, justo en el lugar como para ke se vea cuando la tarjeta esta cerrada (me explico?). La mayoria de las tarjetas son "imprimibles" osea, puedes meterlas a la impresora e imprimirles la informacion ("Come celebrate with us" por ej. y la fecha y el lugar y todo eso) para k no tengas k escribir una por una.

Baby Shower Invitation. Idea #1

Idea #1

verdad k esta bonita? simple and chic. and easy to make!

Esta invitacion es basicamente una targeta estampada. El owl stamp lo vende Hobby Lobby:

Y lo unico k tienes k hacer es comprar tarjetas en blanco (las vende tambien hobby lobby en paketes de diferentes taman~os y colores, como en $10 por un set de 50 creo) el stamp, y un ink pad. Luego le pides a Misael k pinte el tallo y las hojitas. I think you can also punch two holes on the top and thread some liston and tie it into a bow (like I did with my wedding ceremony cards, do u remember?)

Thinking Positive

Awesome things in my life that I am grateful for:

1. I am a MOM. No explanation necessary, but here goes a short one: No matter how sick I may feel, there is nothing more beautiful, more rewarding, or more important than the new life I'm carrying inside of me. I will always be grateful for my baby, and not take motherhood for granted. It is not a blessing all women are fortunate to enjoy.
2. I am in love. Yup, my husband rocks. He is perfect. Not as in "flawless" perfect (what would I do with someone like that!?) but as in "he-loves-God-and-he-loves-me-and-he-is-tirelessly-giving-it-a-150%." He is always ready to be my hero. He is sweet and considerate and he is honest, responsible, dependable. And very sexy, if I may say so ^-^
3. My parents visited for Easter. It was awesome to see them. I miss them so much! Sometimes I'm guilty of doing a little regressing and want to be home with them, be a little kid again... hehehe. I'm always going to be grateful for having them. They really are the best parents anyone could ask for.
4. I got to spend a year living with my sister. Granted, we discovered living together was a little harder than we imagined, but I have to admit I enjoyed it. It's been great having her around, talking to her and eating with her. Every once in a while, one really does need some girl time ;)
5. We found a great church this year. I really fell in love with the people there -to my surprise, despite the fact that I do in all honesty disagree with some of their political ideas. They are good people, though. Caring, and into mission work, and truly trying to live out a Christian life. And Q even got back to his music! He is playing with the worship band -YAY I finally feel like I married a musician. Huge turn on. LoL.
6. I'm feeling better and better. I was reading my post from when I first learned I was pregnant, and realized how much more I am able to do --and EAT! I can tolerate so many things now, even enjoy them. I've been craving hot wings lately, for crying out loud. I still get sick sometimes, but heck, I CAN EAT NOW!


Okay it's getting late --this list will have to wait. I've made myself feel much better anyway. Jojo!

Where does time go?

A lot has happened since I last wrote, not much of it good. Maybe it's just my mood right now...
Q and I visited my grandparents on my fathers side for Spring Break. It was stressful for me (something always happens when I visit and my grandma will stop talking to me for months) but thankfully it all went well. I am very glad we went and visited -Q had never met her or Grandpa Joe, and this visit turned out to be the last time I ever saw my grandpa. He passed away last Saturday, early in the morning. Everybody is at peace -he had been sick with cancer for many years and though it wasn't excruciatingly painful for him till the very last two weeks (like that's not enough anyway), it had been a long, difficult period, close to seven years, and he really needed to rest. It IS good for him to finally be at peace, but I can't bring myself to being okay with someone being gone, especially someone who took the place of a biological grandfather I never met. He's gone. He'd been gone for a couple years, really - the cancer and the Alzheimer's took so much from him. He didn't remember me the last time I saw him. We were never close -he was married to my grandmother for a little longer than 10 years but his health was quickly diminished to the point that travel became an impossibility for them, and we would only see them when we visited. Thankfully he remembered Grandma up until the end. And he was still so wonderfully social, so happy to have us around him, singing and telling jokes. I can't believe he's really really gone.

Time has gone by fast. I am on my 5th month of my pregnancy. I have not yet learned to enjoy it. I wish I could, but I'm afraid I won't ever be able to. I feel like I'm someone else. I don't look like me, or feel like me, nor can I do the things I've always liked to do. I feel tired or sick all the time and I still can't eat normally -nothing tastes the same. I've discovered extra dry spots all over my body... I feel so yucky. I can't feel our baby move, I don't feel a special connection to him or her (WHERE is my motherly instinct??!!) ... and I've been so horribly depressed most of the time, I must be transmitting all kinds of terrible feelings to our poor child. I'm always down. I feel lonely and bored and like I'm living without a purpose. With no goals for myself, no friends, no family, with nothing important to do. Ever. Just cleaning after everyone -maybe doing a little calligraphy- and siting around waiting for Q to come home after a tiring and stressful day at school (and then of course he falls asleep, like he is now) and even when he's awake he's tired and wanting to relax at home and nothing happens and we go nowhere. It's also because of me. I'm also usually void of energy and fall asleep easily. At the most we take a walk. We usually just watch TV.

I'm just waiting around, I guess, for the next thing. To me the future has always held a promise for change. I can't wait till we're back in Lawrence. I'll miss our church. It was my one source of social and spiritual relief. But the rest of the week will be more bearable. At least there are coffee shops there where I can read and work on my art or even just hang out, like I used to. So I won't feel like I'm stuck at home with absolutely nothing to do and no one to talk to. And I definitely can't wait till we have our baby, till I can hold him/her in my arms and suddenly truly know what this was all for. I also have high hopes for the year after. Hopefully we will move somewhere where the alternative to boredom isn't a temporary $7.25/hr job. Maybe I'll be able to go back to school or back to doing something productive, something related to my degrees.

Despite all my complaints, I know I should be able to use this time more productively. I will finish the calligraphy jobs I have right now and then I'll sit down and think of how to make this work. I have another year to go --and a baby on the way. It's good to vent but I also need to get back on top of the ball.

First medical visit

I'm eating and blogging. Gotta love this.
Yesterday Q and I went to our very first prenatal care visit. I was all nervous because I knew that I would have to get a blood exam (I hate needles). But it was alright. Q was with me the whole time, and I even got a yummy low-fat strawberry smoothie out of it :) The people at LMH are very friendly and professional. Eager to help. They did a pap smear, checked my pressure & weight, and took a urine sample. We chose a main doctor for our prenatal care and delivery. Though "choosing" is a loose term because I had no information on any of them. All I wanted was for it to be a woman. lol. Anybody know where/how I can stalk my doctor? They also showed us a little video about prenatal testing. Way to make a newbie mother feel safe :(
Next Wednesday we go to LMH again, to meet our doctor and get our first sonogram. YAAY!!

After that we went to Target and did a little baby furniture window shopping. SO MANY THINGS!! OooOooh I was in heaven. Q is going to go crazy. Pobrecito. We're gonna start buying the basics soon, so that the bulk of the shopping doesn't creep up on us at the end of our pregnancy... I'm very excited ^.^ !!

Speaking of which. I am thinking of getting cloth diapers for our baby. Mom did it for us, as did my grandmother for her kids. I think it's good for the baby, for the environment, and apparently even for our pocket :) Wonder where in Juarez they sell them and if they sell that kind with the snaps or the Velcro. Maybe they're less expensive over there...





Cravings of the week: Avocado (still no good ones in sight though). Cheesy fries (Q made them for me in the oven. YUM) Smoothie (which I got yesterday during lunch before we went to the hospital) I'm so glad I'm eating again :)

We are having a baby.

I still can't believe it.
We found out on Thursday, Feb 17, 2011.

I had been feeling weird for a while. Weird, but not bad. Just a little upset after meals, which is no news really, since I've always had a picky stomach. Well, on Wednesday I called Q while he was at school and asked him if he'd be uncomfortable buying a home pregnancy test. He actually bought it, and brought it home ready to find out that very day, but I wasn't so sure about the whole thing to begin with, and I wanted to do it in the morning, since I'd heard that it was better to do it like that. So Thursday morning (at a ridiculously early time in the morning, if I may say so) I feel a hand pocking my side, and I peek out of the covers to see Q standing above me with an expectant, inquisitive look in his face. "Do you need to pee?"

HOW is he awake SO EARLY?!?

So I peed. LoL.

The test wasn't conclusive.. or maybe I should say we didn't quite know how to read it (WHY didn't we buy a fool-proof one like the funny one on the pic!?LOL), so we went to the local family clinic to get tested again, and the doctor confirmed it. Thursday morning, afternoon and evening was all calls and waiting for people to be available for calls (alas, unlike us, the rest of the world did go to work that day).

The week after that has been busy and stressful. We're trying to decide on everything, but most importantly where to have the baby (apparently it's best to have your prenatal care done by the same people who deliver, so we have to decide now). That's how on Friday, Q "took" the very first maternity picture of me:


Why the exclamation points? He drew it on our kitchen blackboard, right by all the numbers and computations we had been scribbling. Having a baby is expensive, even with the possibility of paying a large percentage through insurance. Yeah, that's me alright.

I've also been getting sicker and sicker. I started out so great, I don't know what happened. Foods that I used to love are a HUGE no-no. And I don't mean it as in "I'm not supposed to have sushi." I mean the very thought of them makes me sick. Especially those with strong smells, which basically covers all my favorite foods (Mexican, Indian, and some Italian). I can't stand the smell of garlic or red meat. I can't stand the smell of raw chicken. I can't drink coffee or tea (well, sometimes tea is okay). I hate it. I really do. I've been left with unsavory, starchy meals. SMALL, unsavory, starchy meals. And lots of water and veggies. Veggies don't make me sick. I worry that my baby isn't eating as well as she should be. I did always have a healthy diet -I don't drink coke/sodas, I don't consume any bad salts or sugars, I measure my bread/grain intake and we only eat whole grain foods-I hope that helps, because this week, Panera has been my best friend. I've had their soups for lunch like three times this week (we've been visiting hospitals and taking birth center tours).

Here is Q, making me chicken soup. I actually had a good dinner last night. YAY. He also made me "appetizers" out of Ritz crackers, cream cheese, and cucumber. They were delicious! I haven't had any cravings yet (quite the opposite!), but when I do, I'm sure these will be on the list :)





What also seems to help is sleeping. I've never been a napper, and I even resented a friend's totally friendly comment that I'd end up on the couch for weeks (my inner voice went like: Just because YOU were tired doesn't mean I will be too!) But sadly, I have been longing for the couch, though we've had little time to rest with all our reconnaissance missions. I do, however, take a nap when I start feeling nauseous, and I just "skip" the discomfort. I'm good at fooling myself. Hahahaha.

Not all has been stress and nausea, though, even with all the decisions to be made. My friend Cara took pics of me on Saturday. Neither of us knew when we scheduled the shoot that it'd be both our first maternity photo shoot. The pics came out very cute, I thought. I've been trying to post them but it's not working very well. They are on my facebook anyway, so I think they'll be accessible to most of you :)

I MISS YOUUUU!!

Este es un video del cumple de Misael numero 18 --sniff sniff... Que hoy cumple todavia mas... y me acorde de este video porque fue el unico de sus cumpleanios k pude celebrar con el. I miss you, Misi!! Si Dios quiere, pronto cambian las cosas.
Que este anio sea super genial de todas maneras, y que te la pases de lo mejor. Te quiero mucho. Feliz Cumplean~os, chaparro bello!

Christmas in Kansas

It is that time of the year again. I don't know how it happened! Where did this year go!??!?!
Here in Kansas we have been saving up -so we decided to wait till the after-season specials to buy Xmas decorations. But that didn't stop the Xmas spirit because, well, it cannot be stopped! Yesterday at some point in the morning, while talking to my little sister A, I felt a burst of excitement when I remembered mom had given Q and I a beautiful angel last Xmas. I rushed downstairs to look for it in the basement. I found it in a box labeled "Xmas," of course, and discovered it wasn't the only thing there! There were a few more ornaments, mostly gifts from our very first Xmas as a married couple, and so the Xmas decoration craze began. Mom's angel saved our Christmas spirit this year.
Well, Q was working that morning, but he gave us the internet radio tip, and A and I turned on the Xmas station and went to work. We made little paper bows to decorate everything! We put gift wrap in our picture frames! We made a Christmas tree with some veil from the wedding! We jumped and danced and laughed uncontrollably! Q came home soon after, and he got us some egg-nog and made us some wonderful dinner. We watched "A Charlie Brown's Christmas" and ate Q's spaghetti (no one makes it better than him!)
We had quite a wonderful, Xmas-y day :)

Carrot cake!

My little sister A and I went a little crazy on Wednesday and made a carrot cake from scratch. The frosting was amazing! The rest of the cake is still under deliberation: A thinks it was not spongy enough; I think it was fine. Q has refrained from commenting much. LoL. Either way, it was fun. Or at the very least, funny. Look, a pic of me looking like I have an invisible hand. Hahaha! Yay for cooking!

3-day Extravaganza

Had a wonderful, relaxing weekend. I had to skip work on Friday, which made for a long weekend.. and Q and I were so tired from a hectic, crazy week, that we decided not to do laundry, or clean, or do anything productive... instead, we cooked, ate, went to downtown L, ate, came back, and ate some more (and did some other unmentionable stuff as well.. heehee). We just had such a great time! It was relaxing and lazy and cozy. And it was crazy and exciting and mindblowing! We had so much fun I had no time to blog. We ended up with a mess! But we don't care. It was perfect. A little vacation right at home.

Among our many (big and little) excitements of the weekend was our cooking adventure: potstickers (or gyoza). We have them all the time, but always at a restaurant or with our take-out. I'd been meaning to make them for a while, so there was great fear and anticipation. LoL. We made the wrappers from scratch, stuffed them, and fried them... and they were absolutely perfect! We even got the right blend for the sauce from an Asian cooking blog (email me for the link). We had them with ramen -I always get a watery mouth from watching Miyasaki's characters eating from their bowls. I felt like I was the 7 year old in Ponyo. YUM. Now we just need to get the special bowls with the lids and we'll be set!! Well, here's a pic of our little culinary accomplishment. Que rico!!


Today we saw Qs parents and had a great meal at Esquina. Q and I tried out the restaurant for the first time this weekend (part of our 3-day extravaganza) and loved it. Second time was not a disappointment. Can't wait for Thanksgiving dinner with the Ms! I still have work tomorrow, but after that I will only have a week left at BB, then I will be free! Yaaaay!!! Very excited to go back to my calligraphy business :)
Happy holidays everyone!

Life in the Midwest

Has been everything but what I thought it'd be. Good and bad -it's all been different. Entering a new stage (or an encore?!)... well, feeling refreshed and ready to refuel with positive energy! Feeling the good vibes already. You may have guessed it: I am handing over my resignation letter tomorrow.
It is not, logistically speaking, the safest bet. I have been playing on the safe side for a year, and I wonder if Q is going to be able to endure the "safe" me for much longer. I am so tired and upset and quite simply not myself. My work environment is truly affecting every other area of my life. It just is not worth the 7.25 (no benefits) hourly wage.
In any case, I am very much excited about the prospect of a different low-wage job (lol) and (quite incredibly) feeling warm inside. Must be relief. Very invigorating. Makes the waiting so much easier. Maybe when Q finishes his dissertation we can move to a bigger city! Will continue to apply for more serious jobs in the area... maybe if I keep throwing stuff at the wall something will end up sticking to it ;)

Maybe I shouldn't make such a huge fuzz about my professional frustrations as a preschool teacher. In all honestly, calligraphy jobs have been pretty fulfilling. There is something so satisfying about a completed hand-lettered envelope. However small it might be, it is a work of art, filled with personality, and color, and style... and even utility! Here's a pic, to finish off in a good note.

I can't believe I'm saying this...

...but I'm hooked on Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Yes, it's incredibly cheesy and unrealistic to the point of ...but anyway, it's entertaining. Besides, most of the main characters in the show are incredibly smart. And it keeps me from thinking about the demonization of illegal immigrants in Arizona. *sigh* Now THAT is unrealistic stupidity.

Caffeine High

A musician friend of Q was in town last night and we went to see his performance at a local cafe. Since we had spent the day doing our closet spring cleaning, we succumbed to the temptation and ordered a couple mochas (he got iced mocha. I've never understood iced coffee.) We were up till the wee hours of the night -don't even know exactly when we went to sleep- and now we are missing church, of course. The coffee place was Christian, does that count? (hehehe... :">)
Funny how a caffeine high will take me back to my good old college times. Q had to sit in bed, tea mug in hand, listening to me ramble about faith, friends, and the meaning of life. It was like being 18 all over again.
Q and I have been living together for a bit longer than a year now. Marriage is quite a wonderful thing. Being roommates with your best friend can either go really well or horribly wrong. I got lucky. It's been all I hoped for and more. Q and I work so well together. I've always liked to brag that I make great decisions (can one take credit for falling in love?). Cuddling with him, eating with him, talking with him, dancing with him. It's been a constant high -caffeine not always necessary.
Some concerns are still there. If you pray, please remember the ministry in Anapra (the view of the border, it seems to me, will forever be extreme. The school has taken a hard blow this year because of the negative exposure Juarez is getting. Sometimes I wonder if Americans want to be afraid). And please do say a prayer for my grandmother's husband and for Q's grandmother.

Advent

Q and I have been trying to follow an advent devotional, "The Uncluttered Heart," published by the Upper Room Books company. It has been a while since I last tried to follow a devotionary. It has brought me peace and inspired me to be mindful of the essence of the upcoming holyday.
What would a higher power who has closely and patiently followed humanity and its history, and even interfered every once in a while, think of us Christians, celebrating the birth of His human incarnation the way we do? I have a feeling that He knows we have turned it (maybe without noticing, but still, we've done it) into a celebration of ourselves.
Nothing wrong with celebrating ourselves. He celebrates us too. And those of us who are fortunate to actually enjoy the holidays with our families should be thankful for it. But as for me, as a follower of Christ, I need more than just that. I need the communal celebration that the supernatural was among us. I want to celebrate, yes, the blessings my loved ones and I have enjoyed, but also the triumph of having been so close to the heart of the Almighty that He left his position as a divinity, as a worship-receiver, and became one of us -- a child, a preacher, a human friend to those lucky few. I am very glad and grateful that though He deserves all glory and worship, and even though I have not been the best friend to him, he still decided to befriend me and keep tabs on me. I think it speaks to the kind of God we have.

On a different but also happy note, today is Sarai's (the oldest of my younger sisters) Birthday!! I don't think she reads my blog, but I still want to add a happy birthday wish for her. FELIZ CUMPLE, MIJA! Te kiero mucho, mucho.

Ayer nos la pasamos genial

Papis,
Ayer Q y yo nos fuimos al teatro de la universidad. La obra estuvo genial. Se llama "The Glass Menagerie," es una obra muy triste, pero muy bella. Los actores todos estuvieron fenomenales, y el set estaba precioso. Me encanta cuando hacen esos sets tan perfectos, aunque sencillos-- que se ven profesionales aunque pensando sobre el costo uno sepa que no hayan costado mucho. Nos la pasamos genial.
Luego Q me llevo a un restaurante que se llama 715. Cuando vengan los tenemos que llevar! Es super moderno y tiene un toque rarisimo de granja (raro porke sigue viendose elegante y super chic y moderno), creo que porke ayudan a granjas de KS comprandoles productos caros pero de excelente calidad. La comida estuvo exquisita. O tal vez fue que eran casi las once y despues de la obra me habia dado un hambre de esas raras que te sorprenden a destiempo! jaja..
Bueno. El caso es que ayer estuvo genial. Me sorprende que llevemos meses de casados y todavia podamos salir y platicar y jugar y pasarla bien como si fueramos novios. Sinceramente creo que nuestra luna de miel ha sido mas larga de lo normal. :)!
Bueno. Los quiero mucho. Y los extranio mas! Ya pronto los vemos :)!!!!
La Ardilla

I just had...

about 3 scoops of ice-cream on roasted walnuts and philo dough with chocolate fudge and strawberry jam. YUM.

Crazy Summer

I haven't been writing a whole lot lately... I'm not sure why, since so much has happened this summer. My parents came to visit. Abi came to visit. Hombreguapo and his lovely wife came to visit. Andrew came to visit. My awesome friends Janie and Jeremy got married. Q's friend Hnk got married. We went to EP to visit with my family, and it was great to see the American side of the Cruz clan. Lots of fun with my cousins Rocio and David (and their families) and my aunt Sandra.

Last week, Q, MrP, and I went to the immigration office for our interview... and this week we received a friendly notice on the mail. We were immensely pleased to hear about it. Q and I went out last night (and again tonight, just in case one night of celebration didn't do it) and had a blast. We had Indian tonight.. uff.. so gooood!! We even got a free massage. And well, being as Q's parents have been supper supportive of us, working hard so that nothing would go wrong, I'm sure they were also very happy it's all done –and very darned well done, for that matter.

I am especially happy that I will very very probably be able to travel down to Juarez for my sister's graduation. Sarai is getting her degree in Education at the end of September, and I am super proud of her. WOOHOO for school being done :D

The CUMC youth are doing a lot better. We are up to 5-6 kids now. We know that at least 3 of them are always there. We're having the Silly Olympics on Saturday and are making plans to be in charge of a Sunday Service in September. Old Time Church is the theme. 19^th Century costumes, special music, and all. We're also attending the District Lock-In in mid September, and we'll be giving the youth rooms a face-lift. I feel like we are finally starting to grow and be a part of the congregation's life. It's a very nice feeling to have.

No word on the job application to COR though. Apparently they will be contacting me by the end of next week if I make the interview stage :P Do pray for me. I am so bored I am starting to consider law school. I guess getting into law school because you are bored is not the best way to go about it though. Hehe.

Before I go to sleep, some additions to the rare sightings list:

--- Dragon-flies on Steroids. HUGE bugs clinging to the sports center's wall at Q's university. A good 3-inch long. I wonder what they were, but they looked like dragon flies, except the top torso was more like that of a wasp (yellow and orange and black.. yewww). Very glad I didn't see them until we were well past them and Q pointed them out to me. I think we saw them the very first day of class, but I might be wrong.

---- Busker Festival. Happened on Mass Street last week to welcome the masses of new L residents. Very cool stuff. The l.com website announced the event with quite a list of performers: “The L Busker Festival returns with wilder and weirder street performing!!! Strong woman Mama Lou and Sword Swallowers The Wicked Liars join a large group of jugglers, magicians, musicians, chalk artists, living statues, aerialists, and other variety artists...” Q and I saw the jugglers, a magician, the chalk art, and what could have been the sword or fire swallowers. Pretty wild stuff indeed.

Importante

Este es el dia esperado. El dia de hoy pasara a la historia como el dia en que mi esposo querido hizo lo nunca antes hecho. Hoy escuche las palabras "Oh, it's only 10.30" por primera vez. Sip, las diez de la noche es temprano. Oh mi gato. No lo puedo creer. :">!!!!