New Blog

Well, I've decided to break down and start a new blog in an effort to give my family/friends an easy way to stay informed regarding baby-related updates.  For those of you who enjoy seeing pics and hearing updates (including TMI about the birth story), head on over to http://adventures-with-amelia.blogspot.com/ as I attempt to keep this new blog up to date going forward.

Abandoning the blog

Blogging is just not doing anything for me anymore - sorry guys!

I've decided to just start actually using facebook more than 3 times a year. I'm better at the shorter posts anyway, and what I really want to do is stay more on top of what is going on in the lives of those I don't get to see that often. Blogging just seems to not fit right now, especially considering that I never can find the time to write much of anything.

Going forward, please add me as a friend on facebook, and I will try to post more updates and pics there. I'll leave this blog active for a while in case anyone wants to save the links to others' blogs.

See you on facebook! (And maybe around town if you live in the Twin Cities.)

:-)

Living room updates

I went shopping today! And I had lots of fun. :-) Aren't those some great pillows? Yay for IKEA pillows! Check out the updated living room along with the new furniture we got a while ago:

Thanks to my mom for the new lamps!

Also, I would like to report that we have found a new home for all of our old furniture. :-)

Along the Mississippi

Matt and I decided to take a break from work today to go on a bike ride. What a wonderful day for a ride! Warm enough that we didn't need coats, yet cool enough that we didn't sweat much at all. We saw some gorgeous houses and rode along some great trails. We were glad we headed northwest instead of our typical direction of southeast. Riding along the river was much more interesting that what we've done before. It was so serene up there - so much so that it almost seemed that we were much further from home. It was definitely a nice break from work.

Time for some self-reflection...

Hi all - it's been a while! Sorry!

I just finished up with my last major project of the semester. All that remains is a one page reflection paper, which I know I will put off until the last minute. :-) Yay for freedom from class work! And, my group did pretty well on our final project, so I'm happy with how the semester has ended. Good times...

So, regarding the topic of this post... I had yet a 4th opportunity to take the MBTI this semester, and this time, I got to do the expanded version (Step II). Yay! I love this stuff.

Anyway, I was really looking to confirm whether there were any facets of any of the dichotomies that were clearly out-of-preference for me. I suppose I was looking for more evidence or clarity. Let's just say that self-knowldge is very important to me, and I can't help but think about this stuff.

The good news: I found two facets (Planful vs. Open Ended, and Methodical vs. Emergent) where I was out of preference, and this information helped me to clarify why I have always struggled to identify with one of two types (ENFJ or ENFP). I spent the last year or so thinking I was more of an ENFJ, but now I strongly identify as a Planful, Methodical ENFP. Love to make plans and follow methods, but in general, I hold to them loosely. Other than that, I am in most ways a run-of-the-mill ENFP. And if you know anything about the MBTI and ENFPs, you can probably understand why I love thinking about this model and how I fit into it (among other things...)

:-)

Is there anyone else out there reading this blog who has any interest in this topic? Just curious...

Thoughts on blogging

I haven't really had many deep thoughts that I want to expose to the world on my blog lately. I've been reading posts that others put up more than adding my own posts, and I have kind of noticed that many of you out there seem to be going really deep in your blogs.

I confess that the thought just crossed my mind that maybe some of you read my shallow posts and start to think of me as a shallow person. Hopefully that is not the case, but anyway... I am contemplating the possibility of dropping the whole "blogging-about-personal-randomness" thing, if that makes any sense. I'm much more of an "in-person" person. I'm starting to feel like I am only keeping in touch with some people through their blogs. How sad is it that these thoughts are even coming to me? Something must be amiss.

So, my other thought is that if I want to blog, I should try to blog about something other than the activities of my day, since my daily activities are just not that interesting. (Hence the lack of posts as of late.) I will let this simmer a bit more and see what comes to me... And even though I'm down on the whole blog idea right now, I'll still keep you "posted" on any further thoughts. (And there goes my lame sense of humor again...)

Done with my first assignment - woohoo!

So this semester, I have 3 assignments - 1 key concepts facilitation, 1 paper, 1 group project. Typically, I end up with one of the last dates for the key concepts facilitation, but this semester I lucked out. My group was the second group to go. And, we kept it low key, so I didn't have to spend too much time putting together information for a paper or a power point. Gotta love facilitation in groups! I definitely am comfortable just talking "on the fly", so I was happy that I got the part with the least "planned" talking points. :-) Good times... And now I am so ready for the weekend!

Chemistry!

Matt has been brushing up on his chemistry knowledge in preparation for testing out of his chemistry pre-req for nursing school. What fun! I really hated chemistry while I was in college, but I think that's because I hated going to 7:30am labs. Now, though, I'm excited to re-learn with him. Hmmm.... "chemistry" while studying chemistry.... Does that make me weird?

My 3rd Two-Year-Haircut

Before:

After:

It's melting!

On our way to World Vision today as part of Extend Grace day with the church, Matt noticed that the temperature was in the 40s. So, we decided that it would be a good day to wash the cars and put on some wax to help keep any remaining salt from damaging them any more.

We got home, and first of all, I decided to clean off the driveway a bit. Man, did I have to hack away at the ice, despite all of the melting. Part way in, I decided that it was too hot for a sweatshirt, so down to a T-shirt I went.

Gotta love shoveling ice in a T-shirt. Oh, and our cars look a lot better now. Whew! I'm so excited for springtime!

From my Uncle Pete, a US Airways pilot...

Pete's thoughts: http://investorbustours.com/commentary/71/

The "Booty" Carving

Josh and Maggie brought gifts back for friends and family from Kenya. Maggie said she had wondered to whom they should give this one. Ultimately, she decided that the "booty" carving was meant for Matt and me.

Josh, Maggie, and their two boys Matthew and Caleb were here with us for a week (Jan 5-11, 2009). I had to work during the day, but Matt spent good time with them going sledding, skating, ice fishing, visiting other friends, etc. Then we had quality "down time" in the evenings. Good friends, good times...

Freedom from shopping

For those of you that talk with me regularly, you know that Matt and I have had an interesting winter so far with some major changes, specifically adjusting to living on a reduced income. Matt is currently in process of changing career directions, so it looks as though the reduced income is here to stay - at least for a while. A year or so ago, I don't know if I would have been ready for this much of a change, but I have been pleasantly surprised with how God has been able to use this to change my heart.

Matt was never a big spender, but I used to be so addicted to shopping. Scrapping supplies, things for the house, etc. - you name it - I bought it. Probably every other day or so I would stop somewhere (typically Target or Archivers) to look around, and I would almost always end up buying something that I didn't need. I wasn't spending more than we were earning, so I didn't bother to slow down or realize how much I was focusing on getting the next new thing, whatever it may be.

While Matt's spending habits have stayed mostly the same, I am so grateful that I have been forced to cut back. It has helped to break my desire for "stuff" that much more. I feel more free from things in this world now. I am at a point where if God called Matt and me to sell everything and go, I think I could happily do so.

Anyway, all this to say that when the going gets tough, God does good things. And I've got some free time before the spring semester starts, so I figured it was time for another post. :-)

It's done...finally!

It's finally done, and it only took me a year to complete. It's my first, fully-finished yarn project... My new scarf!

Christmas Survey

Thought I'd follow Allison's lead on this Christmas Survey... Here we go!

Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate?
I do like a good nog, but I still think that Chocolate is always the best idea.

Colored lights on tree or white?
We do white lights on our tree, but I'm not anti-colored lights. On the outside, I would definitely stick to white.

When do you put your decorations up?
When I'm done with classes for the semester, or when I'm trying to avoid writing papers for class. I don't really have a plan, I just do things when I happen to have the motivation.

What is your favorite holiday dish (excluding dessert)?
Sweet potatoes/yams/whatever you want to call them. I like them the standard way, but I'm not opposed to marshmallows on top.

Favorite holiday memory as a child?
Candlelight Service on Christmas Eve with the Kneifel clan - most if not all of my cousins from that side were there. (I remember my cousin Jessica mutilating her candle during the service and then playing with the wax. Not sure why that stands out, but I must have watched her more than I watched what was happening in the service.) I was so excited to have everyone there. I wished that I could have every Christmas with all of my cousins, but it rarely seemed to happen at all after that Christmas. I must have been in 5th/6th grade? Not sure...

When and how did you learn the truth about Santa?
I don't know if I ever fully bought into the idea of Santa, though I did have one Easter where I vividly remember seeing the tail of the Easter Bunny as he left our house in the middle of the night. I can still picture it - and I still think my parents may have had a hand in tricking me, though they claim no responsibility. And as far back as I can remember, I would sneak into my parents' closet to see what we were getting for Christmas... not sure about the answer to this question, I suppose.

Snow! Love it or dread it?
It's fun and pretty, but it does cause a lot of accidents. And I like shoveling as winter starts, but by the end of January, I'm ready for spring.

Can you ice skate?
Yep. I have to get used to it again every year, but I pick it up pretty quickly. As I've packed on the pounds, it's become a little more difficult to balance, but I think I can handle myself pretty well (except when I am on those dreadful entrance/exit ramps at the iced-over parking lots...)

Do you remember your favorite gift?
I had some good ones - bikes, CD/tape players, a Secret Sender, etc. But the gifts that I still remember and wish I still had were Precious Places. The most fun plastic dollhouses ever. They each came with a "key" that had a basic disc magnet in the end of it, and you could use the key to do various things. You could turn a switch in the chimney, and the lights would come on. The front doors had a magnet in them so you could "open" them with the key. All the people had magnets on their feet, so you could make them "walk". And the houses all connected with elevated sidewalks so the people could travel between homes. Over a few years, I collected a small town. Sad to say I have no idea where they are now. Probably lost in a move during my parents divorce. :-(

What's the most important thing about the holidays for you?
Time with family/friends, and a break from the daily grind to refocus on what's important.

What is your favorite holiday dessert?
Fudge - our family makes a Fannie Mae fudge recipe. I like to make a ton and force everyone I see to eat it with me.

What is your favorite tradition?
Don't know if I have any yet. All my family traditions from growing up have been squashed by my parents' divorce. Time to make some new ones... I guess I do like making fudge each year...

What is your favorite Christmas Song?
The Christmas Song. (a.k.a. "Chestnuts roasting on an open fire...")

Ever recycled a Christmas present?
Don't think so, but it is possible. I see nothing wrong with doing so.

Busy Busy!

It has been ages since I posted. :-( Sorry!

I have been so distracted with things lately. School, work, and now practicing for the Christmas concert have taken over. Oh, but I am glad to have found some time for scrapping. My Christmas cards are done way ahead of schedule! Now to get together addresses...

I have only one more "learning" class left for the semester, and one additional class for presenting final papers. Still not sure what I am going to do for my final paper, but I will probably choose a topic tomorrow. I also have to participate in a discussion board this week for class. School is so close to wrapping up - wow did the semester fly by! I do like being in school, but I will be glad to have one less thing on my plate between December 16th and the end of January.

The music for orchestra is manageable, but I am having to practice a lot, and I'm still struggling on the fast parts. Though this is to be expected, I'm a little more nervous since I've lost Jennifer D., Jenny W., and all the other wonderful flautists who could sight read stuff that I couldn't even dream of playing up to speed... I do think with a bit more practice, it will come together nicely, though. And I have three other flute players joining me, so hopefully they practice hard this next week, also. Gosh darn flute parts - they are always so fast!

And one more thing about orchestra - yay for the strong Xpedition turnout! We are definitely representing. Hopefully I'm not forgetting anyone, but our class has contributed two trumpets, a french horn, a trombone, a saxaphone, a clarinet, a viola, a flute/pennywhistle, and a somewhat reluctant auxilliary percussionist.
:-) Woohoo! Anyone else want to join? There's still time!

I so want to just practice and not think about projects for school... can you tell?

My hives have hives!

So, this may not be a very pleasant post, but for some reason, I can't seem to think about anything else right now...

I got my allergy shots today a little later than normal. It was about 3 PM when I received my weekly stab. I waited my 30 mintues and drove back to the office. Soon after, I began to itch - slightly more than normal. Particularly under my arms and on my tummy. Then it got worse... I headed home about 30 minutes early.

So, now that I've had a chance to show Matt and look in a mirror, I have had a good look at the biggest hives since I had that virus attacking my nerves. Maybe it's back? I don't know, but man, do I want to swim in a tub of ice water right about now.

And yes, I did have Matt take a picture, but I'm not sharing online. :-) Too awkward...

Catching up

Since the writers' strike last year, Matt and I haven't watched much TV. Recently, we decided that it was about time to catch up on Heroes and Smallville. It was a little easier to catch up on Heroes - fewer episodes. But Smallville - in the last couple of weeks, we have made it through the 2nd half of season 7 and we are now caught up to the current episode of season 8 (or so we think.)

I'm pretty excited about this season of Smallville. I think it's the last one... They are finally starting to transition things towards the standard storyline of the movies. Things are starting to heat up between Clark and Lois... :-) I think it's about time to wrap this series up. Looking forward to the series finale!

Corn Maze!

Now that Matt has been layed-off, we are trying to be even more frugal than before. Still, we do have to have some fun... so... we had been planning to meet with the refugee family to teach them more English this morning, as Matt, Jason, and Spring have been doing for a while now. Just before we were going to leave the house, Jason called to let us know the plans had been cancelled, b/c the family was having some sort of family event, so they wouldn't be available. New plans? Jason and Spring wanted to go to an apple orchard and a corn maze.

I've been wanting to go to a corn maze for a long time. I found out this morning that my mom does not really care for them - probably one of the reasons I never went as a child. (At least I never remember going as a child...)

Anyway, we decided to go ahead and spend some money on a fun day at the orchard today. Good times, good raspberries and apples, and lots of good walking/exercise. Fall is definitely my favorite season. I think it is about time that I actually pull out the fall decorations. Guess I know what I'm doing tonight!

Two tags?

So I waited too long to respond to Jennifer, because Jen also tagged me for this same meme (see earlier post). So, I unknowingly tagged Jen and a few others that she had tagged before reading the details of her meme. Sorry to those that I tagged in addition to Jen, but I'm too lazy to find new people to tag. And now I need to go to sleep. Goodnight!