Oh, to have pants that fit

I've noticed over the last couple of weeks that my pants have been fitting a bit snug. I wasn't quite sure what to think yet. I haven't been eating more than usual, in fact, healthier than before. Well, maybe I'm retaining water, which I've never done before, but hey, there's a first time for everything, right?

Well, last Saturday I found out why. Of course, I was suspicious the Thursday before that because I missed my window. What's my window you say? Well, I have been tracking my monthly visitor each month for the last 6 to 7 months. That way I have a fairly good idea of when I'm about to start. It also puts me on alert with Matt. I know when I'll be extra nasty, so I try and watch myself. It's worked for the most part.

Anyway, back to the window. I missed last week, no doubt. And, Saturday was my first opportunity to find out for sure. As the little blue plus symbol exposed itself on the little "pi" stick (that's what Matt calls it), I knew for sure. That's right. I'm pregnant. Matt was still sleeping as all this happened.

So, I ran to the desk across the house and grabbed a handful of blank note cards. Inspired by Love Actually, I wrote on each card, "Happy," "Early," "Christmas," "I'm pregnant!" I walked back into the bathroom and picked up the test stick. With note cards and stick in hand I knelt down by Matt to wait for him to wake up just a little.

As I put the test stick down and got my notecards ready, it happened and I nudged him. He looked at me like "what the heck?" So, I showed him the notes, one by one. I could see his sleepiness was giving him some difficulty with the final card, so I put it down and picked up the test stick and showed it to him.

He looked at it, then at me, and gave me a teary smile. We held each other for a few minutes. Our lives are going to change, yet again. And we can't wait.

Home with a sick child

No work for me today. At least not in the sense of my job work. I've got plenty to do here at home like washing dishes, finish the laundry, and pick up toys. Funny how the housework never ceases. There's always something to do. So, with my sick little girl watching cartoons to forget her puniness, I'm off to the call of chores. Until tomorrow.

Thanksgiving Feast at the Academy

Isa's daycare had their annual Thanksgiving Feast today at lunch time. I was looking forward to it, because, over the last 2 years Isa's been enrolled there, the food has been excellent. Definitely up to par with the quality food prepared by families all across the country on this day of thanks.

I was very tempted to stuff myself silly, but was able to muster up some self control and only eat smaller portions. On my drive back to work there was a pleasant sensation in my stomach. I was full enough to be satisfied, but not stuffed and bloated as is typical this time of year.

I want to say a quick thanks to Miss Stephanie and Miss Zoe for all of the hard work they put in to make the Thanksgiving Feast great for the kids and their families.

My thoughts on Assassin's Creed (Xbox 360)

So, we picked up this game yesterday anxious to see if it lived up to the hype. Reviews were split, some loved it and others were disappointed.

My take, it's awesome! I didn't get a chance to play until late last night and before I knew it, it was 3:45 a.m.. Reluctantly, I had to shut my 360 down and get some sleep.

There are so many things I like about this game. I'm not a big fan of sandbox games, I have to say, AC really appealed to me. You play a man in the future, who comes from a long line of assassins. A lab holds you prisoner and forces you to use a machine to tap into ancestral memories to locate something. Of course, they don't tell you what you're looking for and I'm not far enough into the game to even guess.

The interaction with the environment is excellent. It reminds me of when Splinter Cell first came out, having the ability to scale walls and use beams and other objects to fulfill your purpose. But, AC goes even further with the crowd interaction and having the ability to either shove or gently push away people you come in contact with. Truly a gaming first.

I can really go on and on about the game, especially the controls, graphics, and the utter fact that you get to play an assassin in the Crusade world. It's just plain cool.

I definitely recommend it and look forward to playing some more after work.

Are you sick of hearing about Britney and Kevin?

I know I am. And this morning, I couldn't have been more sure of it.

I went to CNN.com to get an update on what's going in the world around me. I look down the list of links in the Latest News section, and, to my utter disgust, there's an article about Britney Spears. Apparently there's a video that shows Britney running a red light. Not that it's not a bad thing, but is it front-page-latest-news worthy? I don't think so. I'm to the point now where I'm ready to boycott the mainstream news sites for this kind of crap.



So, if anyone has any suggestions on reliable news sites I can check out where I'm not going to get bombarded by celebrity crap, please, please let me know.

When I Say, "I Am A Christian"

Piet, our pastor, quoted this poem at the service yesterday. I think it's right on as far as how I feel about my beliefs and what non-believers should know.

When I Say, "I Am A Christian"
When I say, "I am a Christian," I'm not shouting, "I've been saved!"
I'm whispering, "I get lost! That's why I chose this way"

When I say, "I am a Christian," I don't speak with human pride
I'm confessing that I stumble-needing God to be my guide

When I say, "I am a Christian," I'm not trying to be strong
I'm professing that I'm weak and pray for strength to carry on

When I say, "I am a Christian," I'm not bragging of success
I'm admitting that I've failed and cannot ever pay the debt

When I say, "I am a Christian," I don't think I know it all
I submit to my confusion asking humbly to be taught

When I say, "I am a Christian," I'm not claiming to be perfect
My flaws are far too visible but God believes I'm worth it

When I say, "I am a Christian," I still feel the sting of pain
I have my share of heartache which is why I seek His name

When I say, "I am a Christian," I do not wish to judge
I have no authority--I only know I'm loved

Copyright 1988 Carol Wimmer

Life happens

We're all familiar with the phrase "life is hard." In fact it is. Sometimes more than others, but in general, life has a tendency to throw you lemons. All that remains is how you respond and react. I firmly believe that if life weren't hard we wouldn't need God. People have a tendency to ignore God when things are good, but, when times are tough, really tough, it's all you can do to keep on. Our saving grace is falling on our knees and asking for grace and peace and comfort.

My mom just called, and she's at that place in her life. The month of October has been difficult for my family.

We almost lost my abuelita, and she was ready to go. She had a peace about where she was at and where things could go. You can't help but be in awe about it. After my abuelita recovered, praise God, we then had to deal with the wildfires.

By 'we' I mean my brother, Henry and his girlfriend, Vanessa. At one point, they were packed up and ready leave their apartment. The fire came within 200 feet of their place, but was pushed back by the hardworking firefighters. My brother admired them and praised them for the dedication and diligence they displayed.

More recently, just this past week, my tia (aunt) Maria Elena, my mom's older sister, was apparetnly knocked down by a group of skaters and suffered a head injury. She was taken to the emergency room because of hemorrhaging. My mom's heart broke as she saw her laying in the hospital bed, head swollen and tubes. My tia has lost a lot of weight too, being a single mom, trying to raise 3 boys, who are now men who could care less for her and her situation. They've basically run her ragged.

To hear my mom's heartbreak on the phone is, just plainly, hard. I want to just reach over and hold her and cry with her. But, all I can do is listen and pray that God will comfort her and my family.

We're going out there for Christmas in a few weeks. My heart is anxious and excited all at the same time. I really don't know what the trip will be like.