the May list, in June

What we're watching: Well, with The Office and 30 Rock and American Idol (less said on that last one, the better...whatevs, America) already on summer hiatus, there's just about zilch to watch. So we're falling back on our favorite basics: Food Network (we can't get enough Ina Garten and Paula Deen in my house) and HGTV, of course. The one TV show I'm watching (I can't say that Marty actually watches it...he dozes throughout and makes a comment now and then) is the new season of Tori and Dean: Home Sweet Hollywood. I can't help it, I love this girl. She just cracks me up, and I'm obsessed with the decor in her bedroom. It's a little too Hollywood for me, but it's definitely French-inspired, and I just heart it so. I wish I could find pictures of her little conversational area...great chairs and a great rug!

You can see the fabulous headboard and the lovely blue on the walls.

More of that delicious blue paint color, plus ivory curtains (on my wish list), and gold lamps (we have burnished gold lamp shades on ivory porcelain lamps).

What I'm reading: Speaking of Paula Deen...

I'm reading her autobiography/memoirs, and whoa, there's a lot more to this lady than even I thought, and I knew that there was a lot going on in there. What a life she has led...and what challenges she has overcome. This woman knows poverty and depression and hopelessness, and still kept fighting for a dream. So very inspiring...and quite funny, too. I recommend it, but remember, she's a sassy woman from the South, so those swear words slip out now and then!

What we're spending on: Baby equipment, what else? I can't believe how much stuff you have to have for a baby, and we're not even getting everything "out there" that we could possibly be guilted/swayed into buying by the baby-advertising machines (and even word of mouth). I mean, we didn't want to go with the cheapy $99 Graco carseat, nor could we afford (who can?) the $3000 Bug-a-Boo strollers, so we went upper-middle of the road: a Chicco Cortina travel system.A salesperson could only sell me so much on ergonomics and such things, but safety? Yeah, that's a big deal to us. The car seat base on this system was rated #1 in safety!

What we're saving for: a house. Now that we've really created a home together (furniture, kitchen supplies, electronics, etc.) -- and I have to remember sometimes that we haven't even been married a whole year yet -- it's time to start really plugging away at our savings for a house. This little boy inside of me needs a backyard and a swingset in the not-so-far-away future! I'm already mentally going through some of my favorite neighborhoods on the southside of Indy to show Marty...

What I need to do: Oh, the to-do list is still a mile long, but we seem to be getting little bits done here and there. We want another few long stretches of time of dealing with the basement (yes, the EVIL STORAGE ROOM has kind of taken over the entire basement), and I think we'll actually have purged through all the stuff we need to get rid of, stored and organized everything else, and then we'll create a nice guest suite for visitors when they start coming in about a month or so!

What I'm thinking about: the fact that my maternity leave starts a month from today. Oh hallelujah! I keep saying that phrase, but it means so much to me to have this light at the end of the tunnel. I mean, Will is going to come whenever HE decides to come, but Mama can take off work on her own timing. The way it looks right now is that I'll have at least a week off, to myself, before Will's due date. I'm going to put a whole new spin on relaxation: I just might spend entire half-days in the bathtub reading. I can't wait!

Things I've learned this month: That physical limitations are real and can't be ignored. We didn't end up going to Charleston this past weekend because my body simply couldn't do it. In fact, the trip from a couple weekends ago was still affecting me physically late last week -- I feel like I only bounced back just a couple days ago from that huge excursion of energy! With all the swelling I'm experiencing, plus the nearly 6-pound baby I'm carrying, plus the Southern heat of May/June (it's 86 degrees here, y'all!), there's just no way I can be out and about for hours at a time. It's very frustrating -- oh, the things you take for granted until you can't do them anymore -- but I'm learning to listen to my body and obey its signals, so I don't end up doubled-over with Braxton-Hicks contractions, sweating like a pig, and puffing for a good, deep breath. In the middle of a store. With people watching. Not good!

What I'm happy about: This is so expected and cliche, but I can hardly think of anything else these days -- getting my baby OUT! I don't want that to sound ungrateful, because my gratitude for this little blessing is deep and wide, but at this point in pregnancy, when you feel like your body is a joke, and energy is a myth, and you can actually see how big your baby's feet are when he pokes them out just under your ribs, it's just TIME to go ahead and have a baby already. Like I told my mom, I didn't pray all those years for pregnancies, I prayed for babies! So I think it's not TOO bad to simply want him on the outside of me, rather than where he is now, pushing my diaphragm up into my throat, my bladder up into my stomach, you get the picture. :)

the April list

*New categories!*

Okay, I'm sure this excites no one else but me. I think of my blog as the closest thing I'm capable of keeping as far as a personal journal goes, so I wanted my monthly list to capture just a wee bit more than what it had been. So here goes!

*new* What we're watching: American Idol, and for me, because of Adam Lambert!

Um, could I love this kid any more than I do??? He was my favorite from the very beginning (don't believe me? Ask my husband -- I picked him out long before he made any of the big cuts!). I love his adorably punk self, with the black nails and spiked hair and earrings. You better believe it. I keep telling Marty that he's this amazing combination of Freddie Mercury, Steve Perry, and Barry Gibb! Oh, the falsetto he can achieve! The only reason I'm really watching American Idol these days is to catch my 5 minutes of Adam Lambert, because the crazily greedy people at the network CHARGE you on iTunes just to catch the latest competition songs. How stupid is that? Anyway, whether he wins or not (and personally, he really doesn't HAVE any competition up there), I know he's going on to have a great career, and Marty has already promised me concert tickets and CDs when they come out! Honestly, it's not just his extraordinary talent that has captured my attention. He is the only contestant who always acknowledges his back-up vocalists and band performers. He is actually quite humble and gracious for a kid who's a total rock star!!! I heart you, Adam Lambert!

We're also watching The Office (last night's episode had to be the best one ever -- Jim is always the hero!) and 30 Rock, as usual. The Thursday night line-up is really the only thing we consistently watch besides American Idol. Usually we're Food Network and HGTV junkies.

What I'm reading: I've been a reading fiend this month -- perhaps I know it's because my time is running out to devote hours upon hours to books??? I can tell my son one day that ONLY for him would Mommy have ever given up her book time!

1) A Reliable Wife, by Robert Goolrick. I finished this one a couple weeks ago, and wow, this was a sexy book! However, the sexiness was intrinsically tied to the plot, and I can't say anymore without revealing too much, but if you like thrillers/mysteries with great characters, and you don't mind a certain degree of sensual content, this is a great book for you. There is a major plot twist that I had to read 3 times to be sure I understood the revelation!

2) Mommywood, by one of my favorite celebrities (don't judge me, even deep, complex people can have favorite celebrities, in my humble opinion!), Ms. Tori Spelling! Kids, this girl cracks me up. She has one of the most unique perspectives on Hollywood and all the glitz and glamour, because she was raised in such a privileged way, but has been self-reliant her entire adult life (her mother is a real piece of work). She is so honest and her sense of humor is right up my alley. And I loved reading about her experiences with motherhood, for those very reasons -- she's brutally honest and laughs at all her misadventures along the way (the poop in the pool incident was hysterical). Fluffy to the extreme, but I highly recommend it.

3) Finally, Marty and I are sort of co-reading this Smart Guide to the Book of Revelation by Daymond Duck and Larry Richards. I guess you could say I'm a (very?) amateur theologian, because I love understanding the Bible and church history and apologetics, and though I'm pretty well-versed (get it?) in some areas (I could teach Genesis), I'm quite woefully ignorant in others (uh, Revelation). So far, I am really getting into it. I now know the significance of the seven angels, seven letters, seven lampstands, etc. And I love how the book (Revelation) is written -- so much parallelism and great imagery. Of course, when I get further into it, I might really be ready to pull my hair out because I know it gets pretty difficult the deeper you go. But Marty and I are having fun reading this and discussing. We come from such different viewpoints: I believe in the Rapture and I'm a sold-out Millenialist, whereas he was raised not believing in the Rapture and is quite a-Millenialist. So this book is prompting all kinds of discussion in our home! One of our favorite things to do is have a down-and-dirty theological debate. How nerdy are we?

What we're spending on: A cradle, probably something like this one.Thing is, I HATE the rollers/casters. I'm sure they're practical for putting the baby down for a nap in various rooms throughout the day (so it serves you, rather than you being a slave to its location), but we'd be opting for a cradle over a bassinet anyway because of the aesthetic. I just can't get into the frilly, fluffy, bells-and-whistles bassinets. They look cheap and ugly to me! Anyway, I love the classic look of a cradle, but I'm going to see if those casters come OFF before I buy! Or I'll just get used to it and somewhere around the middle of July be thankful that the cradle can roll around!

What we're saving for: The pay-off of my labor & delivery bill. I never knew you had to make payments on these things loooong before you have your first contraction! Or is it just my screwy insurance? I don't know, but heavens-to-Betsy, it feels weird making payments on something that won't happen for 11 weeks yet, and especially so, considering my mind gets all fuzzy when I start thinking of how everything's going to go down...I think my mind goes into self-protection mode, like, "don't think about it yet, Becky! Too scary just now!"

What I need to do: File all my paperwork for maternity leave (yee-haw!). Get a couple more outfits/dresses for business trip/baby shower in May. Learn the ins and outs of nursing bras and invest in a few (here's where nursing moms, past and present, give me all kinds of advice on brands, etc.). Move my office downstairs, set up nursery in current office (this is going to be no SMALL task).

What I'm thinking about: God's providential care. He keeps working things out in my life, more perfectly than I could have planned or dreamed. One of these days I'm going to actually learn to trust Him implicitly.

What I'm working on: You guessed it. Evil Storage Room. It really is a monstrous project, and while we are making progress, it seems like the chore that will not die.

*new* Things I've learned this month: 1) That you're supposed to have 3 sets of sheets for every bed in your home: one on the bed, one in the laundry, and one clean and folded, waiting in the closet. I'm pretty sure I got this handy advice from House Beautiful (magazine). 2) That sometimes colds last longer than 7-10 days. I still can't hear out of my left ear. 3) That I'm sick to death of "going green" ads and commercials and shows and articles and just get out of my face about the environment already!!! One of my magazines last month told me to stop using Windex, paper towels, bottled water, the list went on and ON. Of course I don't want to trash our planet, but for heaven's sake, I'm going to wipe down dirty mirrors with Windex and paper towels and then take a nice big slug from an Evian when I'm done, thank you very much, if that's what I WANT to do! We don't live in a communist country (yet).

What I'm happy about: May is just around the corner, and we're so busy that month, that before I blink, June will be here and we're hoping to take a quick little "babymoon" if we can afford it. I plan on doing NOTHING the month of June and just enjoying the last few weeks of having my hubby all to myself, before we embark on the grand adventure of parenthood!

That's it for now. Happy weekend everyone! It's going to be in 80s all weekend here, and Evil Storage Room notwithstanding, we're going to spend time outside!!!

List-less March

So my faithful readers, all half-dozen(?) of you, know that I do my "List" every month to chit-chat about the latest doings in my brain and in the Conway household. Well, no List has appeared this month and I'm not going to attempt one on this, the last day of the month, either. To put it bluntly, it's been a difficult month.

Marty had an old estate case to close out in Memphis last week, and most of the month was spent on pins and needles waiting to know how certain aspects of this case (mostly cooperation from other people) were going to play out, and how this would affect Marty's presentation to the judge. I helped in any way I could, including Internet research and signing for 8 zillion mailers from the post office guy (who no longer stares at my pretty substantial belly but just smiles instead), but my contribution was just a tiny drop in the bucket compared to the hours and hours and hours of work my husband invested in this case (not to mention the stress, which I think should be measured in pounds per square inch on the human body!). Thankfully, after much prayer on top of all that hard work, Marty made his presentation to the judge and had the most favorable outcome we could have expected and hoped for. We are so relieved to have this obstacle cleared from our path, but it's curious to see how stress takes a toll -- I think we're still recovering from it!

On top of that, we're really starting to consider the most realistic possibilities for our immediate future. We may not find a job for Marty in Indiana in the next few weeks. We may not be able to move to Indiana before Will is born. I may have to give birth here and make an intense, exhausting move when our son is only just a few weeks or months old. As much as we'd like to take a few risks and move right now, with this economy and job market and me going on maternity leave in July, we have to be wise and careful and cautious. I don't take well to careful maneuverings...I never have. I like to take leaps of faith, but it's funny how quickly you become a parent, even when your child isn't born yet. It's not about me anymore, it's about the best situation for our son, and of course that is dependent on what we can realistically provide him with what we have right now, right in front of us, unless and until those things change. I've spent a lot of time this month trying to relinquish control of our lives to God, and that's never an easy process. And even though I'm still working on it, I'm starting to make preparations for Plan B, even though Plan B is just about the last thing I want to do. It's become one of those times in life when the rubber meets the road faith-wise and that's always the best time to stop, take a breath, and just count your blessings. At the end of the day, no matter where I happen to be geographically, if my son is born healthy and I am healthy after delivering him, and Marty and I and Will are together as a family, then that is far and away the greatest blessing in this whole world. Yes, it would be nice to be settled where we're going to be for the long run, have a functioning, tidy home and have the right jobs, and be in a great church, and surrounded by loved ones, and so on and so forth, but these are nice things, not vital things, and my perfectionist self just has to deal with that! Moral of the story? Sometimes gifts don't come with all the accessories. But that's no reason to be ungrateful for the gifts!

In any case, March shall remain List-less and I hope to continue my little tradition next month (and I may even revamp it a bit). Lots of new posts coming soon...April is Autism Awareness Month and I have lots to share on this topic! Stay tuned...and if you remember to, say a little prayer for us and all the decisions that must be made in the coming weeks. We would greatly appreciate it!

Halfway Day and the February list

Tomorrow is my official Halfway Day. It should be a recognized holiday in the life of every pregnant woman! I'm so excited to be officially 20 weeks, but I can't help but feel overwhelmed by the remaining 50% of this pregnancy. It seems like AGES ago that we found out we are pregnant -- it was November 6th and we were still trying to grasp that Obama was the new president. Needless to say, the baby news took the edge off that particular disappointment! (No offense to my Democrat friends; you know I love you! But doesn't the stimulus package worry you just a wee bit...?) Anyway, I would love advice on how to stay focused on the finish line and not get bogged down by the ticking of the clock. Mamas out there...how did you do it? Does getting busy planning the nursery and going to baby showers help? Or did you find distraction in other things? Or does the time just finally and eventually pass, like waiting for Christmas? I find that it's almost too difficult to imagine William's birth, or those first precious days as Marty and I and Will become a family, or the moment when my mom gets to hold him, or the looks in my sister's eyes (who are so geeked-excited for me), or when I introduce Will to my niece Abby (who asked her mama, "what's a cousin?")...all of these images make me so antsy I practically dance mentally, and not in a good way!

So, on to bloggy business, my monthly "List":

• What I'm reading: Eclipse, the third in the Twilight series by Stephenie Meyer. I've simply consumed these books, and will need to pick up the fourth this weekend, since I only have a few pages left. Someone tell me what to read after I'm finished!
• What we're spending on: Nada. We're in full-tilt savings mode. Not only do we have a big move coming up with all the associated expenses, we also have some new furniture we're planning on purchasing, plus all the untold numbers of baby items we'll need to buy.
• What we're saving for: See above.
• What I need to do: Pray heartily for a good job opportunity/offer for Marty in Indiana. Walk more and work those muscles I'll need in July! Get my bill-paying system set up more efficiently (I'm basically trying to achieve a "click-and-go" system through our banks so I can still take care of finances when in new baby overload).
• What I'm thinking about: Understanding my parents more. I guess you could say I was somewhat overprotected as a child, but now that I have little William inside me, holy cow, do I ever understand their decisions better. We're already talking about a private Christian academy in Greenwood where we'd like to send Will, at least for kindergarten and elementary school. There's just so much politically correct societal propaganda in public school education, and we want to raise our child our own way and teach him about certain things in life when we think he's mature enough for it.
• What I'm working on: This weekend is it. It's time. I'm going to tackle, once and for all, the EVIL STORAGE ROOM*.
• What I'm happy about: My life. Even though I'm antsy for the future, I've never been so content in my present. God has truly, deeply, and abundantly blessed me.

*once upon a time, this girl got married and started a life with her new husband accompanied only by a few clothes and personal belongings. After a couple months, the newlyweds rented a truck and loaded up a garage-full of this girl's 30 years of accumulated possessions and drove it to their home in Tennessee. They unloaded about 3 million boxes and about half of them were stowed in the couple's basement storage room. This girl wanted to take a break from all the shuffling about of things, so she waited a few weeks to get started on this massive project. And she waited too long. This girl got pregnant and immediately entered a period of illness and fatigue that prevented even the most basic tasks from getting accomplished. Then the holidays came and went...and suddenly it's been a few months and there those darn boxes sit, taunting her. And she's tired of being taunted. So she's going in. Her husband is going to attach a rope to her (burgeoning) belly so she is not lost in the madness. You might want to say prayers.

the (very late) January list

What I'm reading: The Life of Elizabeth I, by Alison Weir.
It's honestly a page-turner, which I know can be hard to believe, because it's a history book! But my-oh-my, what fascinating people in such fascinating times. Elizabeth I is truly my hero. And okay, I'll admit this much, if my baby is a girlie, that's going to be her middle name. Already daddy-approved. :)

What we're spending on: More maternity clothes. And I'll be darned if I don't do it as cheaply as possible, thanks Old Navy! I really need more things than I'd counted on, even things like pajama pants/loungewear. My pre-pregnancy pajama pants still fit, per se, but they like to roll and slide down my belly and I end up walking around with an exposed abdomen. In the middle of January. Not exactly pleasant! So I need items with a little more structure and support; things that will stay put. I really can't wait for warm weather when a t-shirt and some maternity capris and some comfy sandals will suffice every day!

What we're saving for: Not mattresses anymore, Woo-Hoo!!! We're not saving for anything in particular right now, yet lots of things in theory. That made little sense. Basically, we're going to be replacing some furniture (and upgrading to a plasma TV, for my husband's sake) when we make the big move to Indiana. I have a list of things we'll need to buy, but there's really no particular order on it right now. We just want the savings account to grow big and fat and be rarin' to go when we become Hoosiers again!

What I need to do: Still working on going through items in the evil storage room. In my defense, I've made a dent. Not a big dent, but a dent nonetheless. Sometimes, in impatient and impractical moments, I feel tempted to light a match... But no, even clothes that I don't want or don't fit anymore can go to Goodwill or be given to friends or even sold, if I feel up to that chore. If you're a petite medium and wouldn't mind a box of clothes to at least browse through before you pitch 'em, let me know!

What I'm thinking about: Is it a boy or a girl? I'm just dying to know. And I promise I'll share as soon we know! I've pretty much fallen in love with some baby bedding from Pottery Barn (I would get it in both colors and do a French country/shabby chic-type decor), so if it's a boy, I'll have to probably fall out of love with it (because you know it'll be discontinued by the time I actually have a girl) and start thinking in shades of blue.

What I'm working on: Meal-planning and appropriate grocery-shopping. I had a hit week last week but this week's been a bit of a miss. I've decided I actually need some new cookbooks (simple recipes, easy dinners, Crock-pot meals, that kind of thing), so if anyone has a great suggestion, I would welcome any recommendation!

What I'm happy about: My new toy. I'd mentioned in the post about my birthday that I knew my hubby was going to get me something really cool, and oh, he didn't fail me! He bought me an iPod Touch!I don't think I've stopped playing with her since she came into my life. With Internet access, iTunes, and all kinds of applications like Sudoku and crosswords, a person could never get bored with her. Thanks again, my Marty, for being the world's best gift-giver (and I know this is rare in husbands, so I'm very grateful!).

One other note before I go...Please notice the updated blogroll in the right column. My "blog attention" can be somewhat fickle, but these blogs have stood the test of time with me and I keep going back to them. And there's a new one on there...check out my new friend, the Shabby Princess!

the (late) December list

What I'm reading: What to Expect When You're Expecting. Of course. Although I've found it sadly insufficient in many areas. Does anybody like the Q&A format? I surely don't. Does anybody have any better suggestions for pregnancy reading? I also just finished reading Remember Me? by the same girlie who wrote all the lovely Shopaholic books. Every now and then I need a British chick-lit fix!

What we're spending on: Christmas, but thankfully that's almost finished. With 4 days to spare...seriously, without online shopping and my sweet UPS lady (who asks me about the baby every time I see her now, since she's seen me disheveled and ill and pale so often!), there would be practically zero Christmas for my loved ones. Also, my sweet husband took me on a bit of a shopping spree in Motherhood (maternity store) last night. All I can say is, pregnancy jeans are IT. I mean, hello beautiful comfort!!! Now I don't dread getting out of pajamas, and that's a big deal for me right now.

What we're saving for: Yup, still those king-size mattresses. Although I'm really proud of us -- we were able to sock away some of our Christmas gift money, and the plan is to have our mattresses and fully ensconced in bed-heaven by next month!

What I need to do: Send Christmas cards; send packages to friends and family in North Carolina, Mississippi, and New York; buy a couple of stocking stuffers; do all my laundry and pack to leave for Christmas vacation (nearly 2 weeks' worth!) on Tuesday afternoon! Yee-haw! Family and north, here we come!

What I'm thinking about: my baby, mostly. What mama-to-be doesn't think often of her baby as he or she is being formed in her womb? It occupies quite of bit of my mental activity these days. We've already picked out names, I've had inspiration for a girl's nursery (I will need serious help with a boy's nursery), and oddly, we already got the full prenatal care bill (yeah, that's up to and including JULY). So, a lot of the practical things have been done or are being taken care of, leaving me time to think about more profound things, like what kind of mama will I be???

What I'm working on: Planning lots of changes in the New Year. More on that to come...

What I'm happy about: Seeing Marty be excited about his baby...it blesses me so much to experience HIS happiness about the babe. Also, getting to spend nearly 2 weeks with family and friends...and especially my nieces and nephews. There's nothing like experiencing Christmas with children, is there? Also, being on the very cusp of turning the corner into second trimester. Just a few days to go, and relief from fatigue and sickness is (supposedly) in sight!

the November list

What I'm reading: Captivating, by John and Stasi Eldredge. There's a post about this book in comparison with another book brewing in my head...

What we're spending on: I'm trying to get a couple new items for my wardrobe so I'm sufficiently stylin' in NYC in a couple weeks!

What we're saving for: king-size mattresses. STILL. It's just not incredibly easy to set aside $2,000+. Even when you piece-meal it. Can you tell we want to pay cash for everything? We paid for our wedding with cash, and it's so clear to us that this is the way to go for any large purchase.

What I need to do: send the rest of the wedding thank-you notes. STILL. I got the first half of the thank-you notes done, but that little victory became a little excuse to procrastinate doing the rest of them. Get some Christmas shopping done, at least on paper (who gets what, budgets, stores, coupon codes for online shopping, etc).

What I'm thinking about: a couple of really intense things, and also a couple of really non-intense things, like the spaghetti sauce bubbling in the crockpot right now. It is calling my name! Do you ever feel like your brain is layered, and it's easier to stay on the surface and think about the mostly trivial, because sometimes it's so exhausting to dig -- and think -- deeper?

What I'm working on: daily upkeep of the house. I hate how a couple days of neglect is so visible in our home! I'm not talking dishes or anything, just the general whatnot that accumulates: mail, sweaters, books, magazines, gym bags, shoes, borrowed items to be returned, items just-bought that need homes, etc. Clutter makes me crazy!

What I'm happy about: going to NYC for Thanksgiving, then the almost 2 weeks I have off around Christmas to spend in Indiana and Michigan. I love travel, I love time with family, and (usually) I love the holidays! I can't believe it's the middle of November and we're so very close to shutting down 2008 forever. It boggles my mind to think of how drastically (and quickly!) my life has changed in a year. This time last year, I was single, living in Indiana, working a job I didn't like, commuting sometimes 2 hours a day, and long-distance dating Marty. Now I'm happily married, I work from home at a job I mostly enjoy, I live in Tennessee, and I get to see my beloved every day! God amazes me at how He makes my dreams come true.

the October list

So I've been wanting to keep a master list somewhere of things I'm doing, things I'm needing to get done, and just random other items floating in my head, and I thought, why not my blog? That way, all of my friends can keep me encouraged and headed in the right direction, yes? Without further ado, here's my first list!

• What I'm reading: Body in the Gallery, by Katherine Hall Page. Faith of My Fathers, by John McCain (no, I'm not a Republican but yes, I'm generally a McCain fan...and I'm reading this book less for voting research purposes and more because I admire war heroes and I want to know what his Vietnam experience was like, and no, I have no idea why I feel the need to vociferously defend my reading choices!). I need some new book recommendations, by the way...
• What we're spending on: getting the carpets, tile, and furniture upholstery in our apartment cleaned (not my favorite thing to spend money on, but soooo worth it).
• What we're saving for: king-size mattresses. And a house (a few years down the road).
• What I need to do: send the rest of the wedding thank-you notes. Clean my house in anticipation of Leslie's visit this weekend (hurrah! I get to see an actual girlfriend!!!). Organize the storage room/finish going through boxes and bags and take extraneous items to Goodwill. Get joint checking account open with Hubs (this has been a long, tedious process that of course, starts with changing your Social Security information, then driver's license, etc.). Clean and organize office (blecch). Start thinking about Christmas presents (seriously, where did 2008 go?). Finalize Thanksgiving plans.
• What I'm thinking about: the election and the economy, of course. How to tighten up our grocery spending without sacrificing yumminess/health. My niece, Ada, my dad, and my brother-in-law Christopher, who all celebrate birthdays this month. Also, my friends Leslie and Elisabeth are celebrating birthdays in October. (Have I missed anyone?)
• What I'm working on: losing weight (at least 20 pounds); I do 30 minutes on the treadmill at least 3 times a week, but I know I need to step it up (literally). Being more focused during the day/becoming more efficient in my job.
• What I'm happy about: the strength and wisdom of my husband, and the joy in our marriage. My cousin Tom becoming a daddy last week, at long last. My friend Ellen finalizing her next great career move soon, probably this week. Getting to go home to Indy in a couple weeks.