Welcome: Lynnden Dorothy

I am curled up on the couch with the most precious bundle laying in my arms as I settle in to write this post. Hard to imagine this baby is already 5 weeks old! It seems like just yesterday I was past my due date and thinking to myself that this pregnancy was never going to end. Thankfully at exactly 41 weeks our baby made an appearance. 

I'm sure y'all would like to hear the story of our little ones arrival..

It started off with a doctor's appointment on Tuesday, October 8th. I was 40 weeks & 6 days.
They put me on the fetal monitor for 30 minutes to make sure babies heart rate was still holding steady.
I was then seen by my doctor and found out I was only a 2cm and 80% effaced with some contractions but nothing serious. Same as I had been for the past 3 weeks. But baby was not in any stress and I was holding up good, although I was feeling like my body couldn't become any more swollen. My doctor informed me that if I wanted we could induce labor that day or the next or just wait a week and see if my body would go into labor on it's own.
After hearing my options and a phone call to Doug and my mom (who lives 5 hours away and we wanted to have her at the birth). Thankfully Doug had finished corn harvest on the farm the day before so I knew he wouldn't have to worry about leaving work. So we decided to go ahead and induce labor. On my way home the hospital called and asked when I would like to come in and we agreed on 2pm. Doug met me at home and we finished loading up our bags, made sure the dogs were taken care of and off we went..excited and nervous all at once knowing we were leaving the house as a couple and we would be coming home in a couple days as a family. They admitted me into the hospital and around 3pm gave me cervidil to help get my contractions going. I had told my doctor I didn't want to use pitocin if at all possible so this was an easier way to allow my body to do what it needed to do on it's own without much medical interference. 4 hours after receiving the cervidil, at 7pm my doctor checked me and I was at 3cm & 90% effaced with stronger and more regular contractions that were about 5 minutes apart. He told me he would break my water right then and my body should just take over and keep labor going. Having my water broke was the weirdest feeling..it was like peeing your pants with gallons of water and you have no control over it. After that my contraction became even stronger and about 2-3 minutes apart. I was in the middle of a hard contraction when my mom arrived around 10pm. She walked up to my bed as I was laying on my side with my eyes closed. Once the contraction passed she said "hello Cec, how are you doing?" and I responded with "You are an IDIOT!! Why would you do this SEVEN TIMES??" of course this made everyone laugh, although I was serious.
Thankfully the nurse brought me a birthing ball to sit on and once I got out of bed and was sitting on that my contractions became much more tolerable. I sat there for the majority of labor. I had bad back labor at first but eventually it eased with the help of Doug and my mom rubbing my low back with each contraction. I discovered the most comfortable position to get through a contraction was leaning on my mom's shoulder with my head pressed into her neck. It was comforting and relaxing. Her and Doug took turns supporting me and reminding me to relax my body instead of tensing my muscles. Doug was such a trooper, encouraging me and reminding me how strong I was and that I could make it through the pain. Babies heart rate stayed strong through it all and we worked together to progress in labor and move her little body into position.
Finally at 2am I was fully dilated and could start pushing. Let me tell you..that was the best feeling ever!!! It brought so much relief to all the pressure and pain of contractions. The nurse discovered there was meconium in the water and we needed the NICU nurses to come in just in case she had ingested any. It took me a few pushes to figure out the right way to help baby come down and make the most progress. After pushing a couple more times babies heart rate was dropping and she was under some stress. With each contractions I pushed and with a few more pushes her head was out, we discovered she had the cord wrapped around her neck twice and it was cutting of her air way. The doctor had to pull the cord from around her neck which left a bruise under her chin and red marks around her neck from how tight it was. Once the cord was removed from her neck the doctor walked up to my side and told me "Cecily, you need to push this baby out right now!" - That's when I knew things were serious and my baby could be in trouble. Two nurses grabbed my legs from my mom and Doug and one nurse began pushing on my stomach to help dislodge babies shoulder which was stuck behind my pelvis. Thankfully with only about 2 pushes and only 7.5 hours in active labor, my precious (and blue) little girl was born at 2:26am - with the assistance of the doctor having to reach in and turn her body to release her shoulder that was stuck. Doug was able to cut the cord before handing her to the nurses. Within seconds she began breathing and let out a good cry which was music to every ones ears! they discovered to our relief that she did not swallow any meconium. Although she had to be monitored for 5 minutes before I was able to hold her. I couldn't see her, but Doug informed me she had a ton of hair! Finally after getting a clean bill of health she was laid on my chest where she made cooing sounds and her skin turned a bright pink.
She was perfect.
Everyone commented on the amount of hair and what a big baby she was. The nurse finally weighed her and we discovered we had a 9 lb 5.6oz and 20.5 inch little chunk!
And we finally could announce our name, which we had kept from everyone

Lynnden Dorothy Piovesan

(Lynn for Doug's moms middle name, Dorothy for my grandma that passed away in march)

It was such an amazing experience and you really do feel love at first sight. I was able to make it through with a drug free birth, which I had wanted and was determined to have. The feeling you get once your baby is born takes all the pain and discomfort away! Your body floods with endorphins and love for the pink, wrinkly baby that is yours.
We ended up staying 2 days so they could monitor Lynnden due to antibiotics I was given for the Strep B virus which weren't 100% preventive and they wanted to make sure Lynnden wasn't in danger. Thankfully she didn't get the virus, she was a good nurser and she only lost 3% body weight. After the 48 hours we finally got to bring our baby home.
She has been a really easy baby. As long as her belly is full, her diaper is clean and she is in someones arms she is perfectly content. And we are loving parenthood. Both of us our definitely wrapped around her finger. You quickly forget what life was like before this little person became your whole world. I am now able to stay home and be a housewife and mommy.

I am lucky to have such a hard working husband who makes it all possible and to have the family that I have always wanted.

The first pictures of Lynnden

We were able to have a friend document the birth in pictures, which I will treasure forever!
She made a beautiful slide show that has me in tears every time I watch it.

 http://www.tonijohnsonphotography.com/blog/the-birth-of-lynnden-dorothy-columbia-basin-birth-photography/

Daddy and Lynnden

5 weeks old & such a happy baby!

"The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away. Blessed be the name of the Lord"

Well it's been a while since I have sat down and wrote anything. Life has changed a lot since December when i last wrote a post. We enjoyed our vacation to Mexico in January. A whole week of nothing to do but sleep in, enjoy the warm weather, sit pool side with a cold drink and explore the town of Cabo. I could have stayed at least another 3 days. 
Hopefully we will get the chance to return another year and have an extended stay. Although when that might happen i haven't a clue do to the fact that our little babe will be arriving this October. Just a few short months away. A few very HOT months to get through yet.

I guess i should get everyone a little caught up on how we got to this point.
A little over a week after getting home from Mexico we found out we were expecting. After a couple weeks of complete shock it finally sank in, right around the time I found out my Grandma Beld was losing her 20+ year battle with breast cancer. Talk about an emotional toll. I kept the pregnancy a secret until after our first doctor appointment and we could make a trip up to Lynden to visit my family and tell them the news in person. Especially my Grandma, as we didn't know exactly how long she would be around. I was trying to grasp the idea that she wouldn't be around to see this baby born, something I am still struggling with to this day. We made our trip to Lynden on my birthday, March 15th, and told my Grandma the next day. She began to cry, which of course made me cry, she told me that was something she would miss the most - watching her great-grand babies grow up. We were around for the weekend and we were able to spend as much time as we could with her frail, overly exhausted self. Just talking would make her tired. So we could only visit for about 10 minutes at a time. After 3 days I had to leave for home knowing I would never have another chance to sit with her again. The woman that had been a big part in my life since the day I was born.
She ended up passing away a few days later. With heavy hearts we laid her to rest in a cemetery on the old farm were she grew up. Which is also located just down the road from her and my grandpa's house. So in a way she is never far away. 
Although some day's when I think of her it still makes me cry. It pains my heart to think that this precious baby will never know what an amazing woman she had as a great grandma. Although I know she is watching over us. 

From 12 weeks to around 20 weeks I was throwing up every morning.
At 18 weeks i felt the baby move for the first time. 
at 20 weeks we found out this baby is a GIRL. I cried at the appointment. The ultrasound technician became concerned but I was quick to reassure her they were happy tears. 
When i spoke with my grandpa later that day to tell him the exciting news I could hear in his voice that he was chocked up. It means something extra special that this baby is a girl. 
at 24 weeks my feet began to get swollen.
At 26 weeks I was still throwing up at least once a week. But that seems to have passed now (YAY ME!)
Now at 27 weeks and 100 degree weather my poor feet are suffering. 
But baby girl is growing and healthy. She is approximately 2 lbs and is a very busy bee.
Although she is not a morning person. I usually don't feel her moving around until 8am. But she makes up for it with being extra active in the afternoon's and evening's. I am just hoping she keeps this up even after she is here! The best part about her being so active later in the day is that Doug gets to feel her kicks and wiggles. If she cooperates. Most times she stops moving as soon as he touches my belly. But there have been a few times when she has moved for him. The look on his face the first time he saw her on the ultra sound, heard her heart beat and then felt her kick was the cutest thing i have ever witnessed. 
I know he will be an amazing dad. He already loves her so much. 
Now I feel like we are on the official count down. 13 weeks until she is here. 13 HOT weeks.
It's going to be a long summer. But i know i will forget all about it once i hold her in my arms.

And now you are all caught up on our crazy beautiful life <3


 

It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year..

It has been a while since I have sat down and written anything. But seeing as things have slowed down a little around here, I figured it was over due. Besides the fact that today was the peak of my Christmas excitement. The Christmas tree was purchased, placed & ready to decorate by this morning. Due to the fact that it had been bundled until this morning I let it sit so the branches could unfold a little.

Last week I busted out my box of decorations and purchased a few more things, such as a few items for a Pinterest project! (Which was a success might i add) And decorated the fireplace mantle. Lights, garland, candles & stockings. I was just itching to get the tree though. To me the holiday's aren't complete without the full blown Christmas tree! Come small living space or small vehicle, nothing was going to stop me. I was going to get me a tree. Get a tree I did -

Walmart, $20, 5 ft tree, no need for a cart, carried that thing like a boss. 

Put down the back seat in my Ford Edge and hauled that baby home! Now I am sitting on the couch, watching the lights twinkle and glow off the glittering ornaments. 

All I need to complete this evening is hot cocoa and my crochet projects.

A girl couldn't get much happier than I am right now. 

So on that happy note I am going to end this little blurb and enjoy my tree.

Don't forget the reason for the season!

Cecily P.

Lean, Mean, Calorie Burning Machine..

Growing up I've always been a "big" girl. I've never been a size 0 or had those perfect abs. 

Weight has always been a struggle for me. It's a battle of ups and down's. I don't have small frame, I am built like my dad. big bone structure & muscles. (Although the muscles aren't always the most defined.) Over the years I have been all over the board with my weight. Well..this is a new year. 

I have had a lot of firsts and had decided at the beginning of the year that I was going to challenge myself to be a better version of myself..well I figured it is about time I take charge of something I have always struggled with. Don't get me wrong, I am not one of those overly self conscious people. I have no problem strutting my stuff, I just want to look the best I can. 

So, starting Monday I am going on a diet. I am sticking to it. I am going to go above and beyond to make my ideal body come true. There are no more excuses. You only get one body to live in..why not make it the best body you can get?? Now I'm not planning on going all crazy and becoming some woman's heavy lifting world champion..that's just crazy talk. All I want it something to be proud of. To say "this is me, I am what I am and I'm proud of it" 

I think that is a huge thing for girls these days. To be comfortable being who they are. It's not easy, there will always be someone that looks better than you. The trick is accepting that and being okay with it. You can't go through like comparing yourself to others because you will only ruin you're own happiness. If you don't like something, change it. Make a positive difference in you're life to get you to where you want to be. Don't wait around for something to happen, take the first step. Take charge.

That is exactly what I am doing. I know it's going to be tough, I know I will want to give up, throw in the towel. But then I will be back and square 1 wishing I had pushed myself harder, made it through so in the end I can look back and say: 

"I did that, I kept going, I pushed myself..and it was worth it"

Thankfully my wonderful husband is doing this with me. Hopefully with his support ( and knowing he is suffering like I am) we can both make it to our goal. 
Wish us luck. We are going to need it :)

Goodbye frumpy housewife..hello trophy wife!

What's In A Name...

Growing up with a difficult name I always hoped I would marry someone with an easy last name like Smith or Jones...something that everybody knows and you don't have to spell it out for them.

But wouldn't ya know, easy wasn't in the cards for me. Now with a name like Cecily Charmae Scheffer I got used to people always asking how to spell it. ALL OF IT. But now that I've become

Mrs. Cecily Charmae Piovesan there's no more hope for me. And so I've learned..you don't realize how many things have your name on it, until you change it. There's of course the bank account and drivers license..but you don't think about SSN, car title, car insurance, work information, Facebook...etc.

Plus being added to all your husbands things like health insurance, combining vehicle insurance & being added onto his bank account. (hehe) needless to say, it's going to take a while before it's all completed. And in the end I still have a name that nobody understands the first time you say it.

Now don't get me wrong, having a unique name has it's advantages. You never have to worry about sitting in a doctors office and when the nurse calls your name having 2 other people stand up, or when meeting your boyfriends family for the first time..highly unlikely he will have a sibling with the same name (or an ex girlfriend...awkward). I've also never had anyone call my name in a store and 3 other people turn around thinking they are the one's somebody is yelling at. So there are advantages.
And surprisingly I do receive a good amount of compliments for having a unique/pretty name. Which of course is always nice to hear. I would just love to meet another Cecily! Sure I have had people over the years that have mentioned knowing another Cecily..yet I personally have never been introduced to one. There's Celeste, Celia and Cicily...but so far no Cecily's.
Maybe I should put that on my bucket list...Meet another Cecily before I die. 

 Looking up my name on a baby naming website I discovered the origin is Latin, it's a form of Cecilia, the meaning is Blind, it only has 2 out of 5 stars for popularity rating AND it's been in the US top 1000 since 1880. Like I said before..the chances of being in the same room as another person with my name are few and far between..so until then..I just have to learn to be patient and appreciate those few people who can pronounce your name (or at least part of it) right the first time.

Sincerely, 

Cecily Charmae Piovesan 

What It's All About..

So now that I've been married for almost 6 weeks (and of course know everything there is to know about marriage) I figured I would write some of the things down.

First thing I learned: Getting up with your husband at 5am to make him lunch..is NOT as easy as it sounds. I lasted approx. 3 days. I keep trying to make an effort..but somehow my feet just never hit the floor that early. But I'll keep trying!

I have also learned that marriage is about compromise..would you rather watch fishing and hunting shows? or start a silly argument over the remote that could lead to some bruises on your arms that will raise questions at work. I've learned to sit and watch the shows..just not quietly..commentary is always needed in hunting shows! And if you are lucky he might have a change of heart and allow you to change the channel. 

And last but not least. Now that we are married it seems my husband is unable to do laundry.

Now I know he is very capable of doing laundry because he has had to do his own for years.

But now that he has a wife, it seems he has completely forgotten how to run the washing machine, let alone fold clothes. But it's okay, as a wife it is my duty to take care of those types of things..laundry, dishes, dusting and vacuuming. Although they might not be my favorite things to do..it makes me feel like I am doing my God given wifely duties when my house is clean. And hopefully someday I will be able to keep up on it all. Until then, I will do my best to make a home and a happy husband.

And continue to enjoy married life :)

.. Living The Life ..

We did it!! We made it through May 19th with no major hick ups or problems!

It was a BEAUTIFUL 73 degree day in Leavenworth. Amber and I had went up the day before and where able to relax and enjoy walking around looking in all the little stores. Saturday morning we ate breakfast, walked to Starbucks & got coffee, walked around trying to waste some time since our ceremony wasn't until 4:30pm. Both families ended up arrived around 1pm and we started the process of getting ready. Thankfully the hotel put all our rooms next to each other so we could all get ready together. I had been able to keep my nerves in check until I put my dress on, the tears decided they wanted to show up but I was able to hold them off. (thanks to Amber fanning me with a book ha.) We left the hotel a few minutes late, arrived at Pine River Ranch around 4:30pm. 

My sister went and got my dad so he could see me for the first time in my wedding dress before walking me down the isle. Which seeing my dad brought back a few tears - but I pulled myself back together and headed for the yard where the ceremony was being held. Every one was seated and we quickly got the wedding party in order. We did pretty good for not rehearsing anything ahead of time! Doug's face was priceless. 

My heart was beating like crazy. The next thing I knew we where saying "I DO" and pronounced Husband & Wife!! BEST MOMENT EVER!! Signed the marriage certificate to make it really official and took some family pictures. Quickly changed out of my wedding dress, put on my party dress and headed to meet everyone at the Italian restaurant in Leavenworth. We had a fun family dinner and my mom had the great idea to go walk down the street and get some ice cream. So 33 of us took off down the street and invaded the small ice cream shop. We looked like a parade walking down the sidewalk. My grandpa paid for us to take a carriage ride to end our evening. 

To say the least it was the best day of my life. We had both our families there, beautiful weather & I married my best friend. I couldn't have asked for more! 

Now a little over a week later I am still adjusting to being Cecily Piovesan. I started the long process of changing my name on everything. I've made good progress but there are still a few things left. 

We are pretty settled into our married life. I love when Doug comes home and I hear him say 

"Hello wife" I don't think that will ever get old :) 

I am trying to be a good housewife and keep up on the laundry, dishes & cleaning. Housework isn't my favorite thing to do, but I try. Now if I could just be able to get up at 5am every morning with Douglas and make him a lunch just like my mom used to do for my dad. I have done it a few times, but it's not as easy as it sounds! hah. As long as my husband is happy, it's all I can ask for. And so far he seems pretty content...he is passed out in his chair as we speak. haha. 

Looking forward to many, many more years with this man that I love more and more everyday.

Until next time,

Cecily Piovesan

A Little Sun Goes A Long Way

Douglas reminded me the other day that it has been a while since I have wrote anything and I guess he is right. I better catch up on what's happened in the past 2 months.

I had my birthday in March and turned the big 2 - 1 (2 for all those that are confused)

I worked on my birthday, like I have for years, then I was able to enjoy a nice dinner with Douglas.

We ended up going out to dinner a few nights later with some friends.

Next came my cousin's wedding. It was B-E-A-U-TIFUL! 

I was so happy I was able to be a part of it!

I also survived the coffee temptation that I knew was going to eat at me.

Douglas didn't help much by setting steaming cups of coffee in front of me every chance he got..but I made it through! I made it till East before taking my first sip of coffee in 40 days!  

I ended up drinking a couple cups of coffee before i felt better about all the coffee I had missed!

(Although I still feel like I'm trying to catch up:)

The weather become nice here in the past couple weeks and i received my first sun burn, mowed the lawn, got a mosquito bite, had a near miss from a bee sting & did a little fishing.

I also had my first Bridal Shower, on the hottest day so far this year. 

It was great to see everyone that came and I feel so blessed with all the gifts.

 It is so helpful with starting out as a newly married couple!

And I even got all the Thank - You's sent out.

My Aunt's in Lynden are hosting another Bridal Shower for me next weekend and I am looking forward to having both sides of my family together to celebrate.

Speaking of the wedding: 

I have my first (and hopefully final) fitting with the seamstress to have a bustle put into my dress. I almost forgot that is something that needs to be done. 

I purchased my boots, corset, made a veil & hair piece, and purchased Doug's ring :)

I feel like I am getting a good amount of things checked off my list.

with less then a month till the wedding and 2 months to the reception I don't have much time to get everything done. But I think we are on the right track. I'm not stressing out as bad as I was. But I'm sure I will start freaking out in the next 2 weeks. ( breathing, in, out, in, out)

 Douglas has been making a huge effort to help out with whatever he can to help lighten my load. He took charge of setting up the table & chair rental and he came through with flying colors. That was a big thing on the list that needed to be taken care of due to the fact that our guest list is now at 390 people - and we will need approx 38 round tables and 300 chairs.

We have way too many friends and family. haha. 

But I am really looking forward to it. I think we can put together something good.

I guess there is only one way to find out:)

All I know is that after this wedding I'm going to need a hobby to fill in the space of all the time I have been spending on this wedding & reception. 

I've been trying to talk Douglas into a horse. I'm hoping that he will cave. 

I've been working on him. I can keep it out on the property & have plenty of space to go riding. I always wanted my very own horse & would love to learn to rope and get better at riding. I think it be a lot of fun. I already have a horse that was offered to me. 

Doesn't everybody need a horse? :)

 Doug & Chico

 

THE EXCITEMENT OF BUYING ENVELOPES

I am starting to really get into this whole wedding planning thing, five months after becoming engaged, and it's starting to worry me. 

Tonight I had some errands to run and I needed to look for some paper and envelopes for the invitations. Since I decided to get all crafty and make my own invitations, with lots of help from my sister-in-law Veronica, my sister Morgan & my friends. (they don't know what's in store for them yet.) Somehow I got a little distracted at Costco and didn't make it to Hobby Lobby on time. They really should be open till 9pm (just sayin) so I wound up at Office Depot looking for envelopes. Not thinking they would have much of a selection I wasn't getting my hopes up. 

But lo and behold..after searching for about 5 minutes I found some cream envelopes, just the right size and the best part? They are only $10 for a box of 100! So I bought two boxes. 

I really only need about 170..but having an extra 30 laying around never hurt! 

I was so excited! 200 envelopes for $20?! The dutch part of me did a little happy dance.

My family should be proud. Too bad stamps will be about just as expensive. sigh.

And yes..I said 170 invitations. Our guest list just keeps on growing. And my mother hasn't even gotten a hold of it yet. If we reach 400 people on the list I will seriously consider feeding everyone hot dogs and juice cups. Hopefully it won't come to that.

 this is probably what my stack will look like..

 

DAY AS;LDFIU'JNSD WITHOUT COFFEE

Somehow I have made it over half way through Lent without taking one sip of coffee. I have even turned down coffee ice cream! For those of you that know me, this is not normal behavior. And I'm honestly not sure how I have been able to stand my ground and keep from breaking my fast. Chai tea has become my new drink of choice, although it doesn't give me the extra energy like coffee does, it doesn't taste half bad. 

And now I've past the half way mark. It's all downhill from here. Soon me and my beloved coffee will be reunited! I really could use that coffee this week, between wedding and reception planning, work, house work, laundry & all the extra weekend activities. It seems every weekend there is about 500 things to do. 

I'm happy to report that wedding planning is finally coming together and starting to actually look half organized. 

We still have a few months so things can still fall apart. But I'm crossing my fingers that won't be the case.

I will be happy when this is all over and life can go back to normal. I have two cousins getting married this year as well and from what i gather they feel the same way. The first one is the end of this month and I play the role of "host" making sure everyone is there & accounted for, along with getting them down the isle in the right order. Some people put too much faith in me, especially since I won't have my coffee privileges restored yet I might have to actual try something like an energy drink *gasp* to give me what I need to get through the day. Desperate times call for desperate measures! And I'm sure everything will go just fine. And by the time my other cousin get's married in August I will have my wedding over with and can sit back and enjoy visiting with family. Wedding's are a great time to get to enjoy spending time with family and friends. It's a shame they can become so stressful for everyone involved. The those of you who simply receive an invitation with a date & the hardest part is returning the RSVP on time, count yourself lucky. When it is your time to go through this wedding process you will understand. So to all my single friends out there, before you say yes to your prince charming, make sure you are prepared for 6-9 months of planning, stressing, planning and more stressing. Along with  family disagreements, tears, meltdowns, disagreements with your fiance, carrying a planner, a notepad AND wedding binder with you 24/7, making decisions upon decisions, everyone asking questions to the point that you think twice about answering phone calls and text messages and I'm sure there are a few other things that I have forgotten..but  the most important thing to remember:

 IT WILL ALL BE WORTH IT.

I know I am not done with all my wedding stress yet, but I continue to remind myself that once it is all over I will get to spend the rest of my life with the love of my life. building a home & family. And as far as I am concerned, I can put up with all of this if that is what I get to look forward to in the end. 

Even if life isn't perfect, it's my Happily Ever After. 

After all that, I hope y'all don't think I'm crazy! :)

(If you see me after Lent is over at Dutch Brothers with the biggest iced white chocolate mocha they make in my hand, don't judge me!)

CAKE TOPPER?

 FOR THE LOVE OF COFFEE

I am sure that many of you have either heard that today is the beginning of lent or for those of you that participate have officially started the 40 days of giving up whatever luxury you have chosen to attempt to go without. I say attempt because I know not everyone out there can make it till Easter. As for me, I grew up knowing of lent because I had multiple friends that are catholic and they participated each year; however my family never took part. But this year I decided I needed to step outside my comfort zone and try new things, challenge myself more & try to become a better version of myself. So what the heck, why not give Lent a shot. I wasn't sure what I wanted to give up at first, naturally facebook was out of the question (props to you out there who decided to give it up) and I don't have many things that I'm really attached to, unless I wanted to give up my dogs, but I don't think my mom would be very excited to take them. And then I figured it out

*light bulb moment*

COFFEE! It's something that has been part of my daily routine since, forever. And I've never attempted or really ever wanted to take coffee out of my life. And with a big Dutch family, coffee practically runs in our veins and we are known to go thru about four to five pots of coffee at a Sunday afternoon family get together. And with one of my cousins getting married the end of March; I was starting to get a little nervous about really giving up my beloved beverage of choice. But again, I wanted to try new things this year…so coffee it is! I also decided if I'm going to take part in this I better do some research on it. And just in case you are curious also, here's what I found:

Wikipedia:

Lent (Latin: Quadragesima, "fortieth") is the Christian observance of the liturgical year from Ash Wednesday to Easter Sunday.

The traditional purpose of Lent is the penitential preparation of the believer—through prayer, penance, repentance, almsgiving, and self-denial. Its institutional purpose is heightened in the annual commemoration of Holy Week, marking the Death and Resurrection of Jesus, which recalls the events of the Passion of Christ on Good Friday, which then culminates in the celebration on Easter Sunday of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ.

During Lent, many of the faithful commit to fasting or giving up certain types of luxury as a form of penitence. Many Roman Catholic and some Protestant churches bare their altars of candles, flowers, and other devotional offerings, while crucifixes, religious statues, and other elaborate religious paraphernalia are often veiled in violet fabrics in observance of this event. In certain pious Catholic countries, grand processions and cultural customs are observed, and the faithful attempt to visit seven churches during Holy Week in honor of Jesus Christ heading to Mount Calvary.

According to the Synoptic gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke, Jesus spent forty days fasting in the desert before the beginning of his public ministry, where he endured temptation by Satan. Thus, Lent is described as being forty days long, though different denominations calculate the forty days differently. In many of the Christian churches, Lent is regarded as being forty days long, but the Sundays between Shrove Tuesday and Easter Sunday are not typically regarded as being part of Lent; thus, the date of Shrove Tuesday will typically be slightly more than forty days before Easter Sunday.

This event, along with its pious customs are observed by Eastern Orthodox, Oriental, Orthodox, Roman Catholics, Lutherans, Methodists, Presbyterians, Anglicans and some Baptists. Lent is increasingly being observed by other denominations as well, even such groups that have historically ignored Lent, such as some Baptists and Mennonites.

So now you know the historical reasons behind Lent and maybe I have convinced you to partake as well. If not, I hope you still keep me in your thoughts and prayers as I begin this little journey. As for you coffee, I will see you at Easter!

ta ta for now!



A COLD FEBRUARY NIGHT

Who out there doesn't love a bonfire, wither it be large or small, there is something that warms the soul and relaxes the body. Maybe it's the warmth or the crackling sound the wood makes. And as far as I’m concerned, as long as it's above 32 degrees outside it's completely acceptable to sit outside and enjoy a warm fire. (With enough layers of clothing to keep you warm of course!) So I talked Douglas into getting one going in the fire pit I got him for his birthday this past October. It was just what we needed after a day of working in the yard. He put some ribs on his bbq/smoker & we sat outside enjoying each other’s company, gazing at the stars since it was a clear night sky & loving the smell coming from the bbq. Perfect end to a great day. Makes me feel sorry for all those people that have never experienced a night in the country. Although it's a tad too early for the crickets to be out, there's a peace about the silence with only the sound of a passing vehicle every so often or the playful sounds of the dog's running around chasing each other. It really does a person good to sit back and just enjoy the moment without worrying about the next thing to do, the laundry or dishes, work, bills or in my case…wedding planning. Somehow I’ve been able to avoid that one pretty good lately :)

So I guess the moral of this post is:

Enjoy life one moment at a time & who the ones you share those moments with.



A MAN LIKE MY FATHER



Today ended up being one of those sunny, 50 degree February afternoons that Eastern WA is known for. And since Sunday is the day that my fiancé..side note: I realized after it was too late that I mentioned my animals names in my post yesterday..but not my fiancés..oops..so for those who are wondering, his name is Doug (or Douglas Owen when I need to get his attention). Back on track…Like I said, Sundays are the day that Doug and I like to spend time together going hunting, fishing or just being lazy and watching movies all day. But since today ended up being such a beautiful day we decided to do some yard work at his place. We started by cleaning out some of the big gardens that are mainly dirt & shrubs before getting to one of the smaller gardens that is full of irises & daffodils that are about 6 inches out of the ground. Now you must understand, I grew up with a mother that loved planting all kinds of bulbs in the spring and a father who didn't understand the word "gentle" and proceeded to rip out plenty during the times that my mom allowed him near her gardens.

Now to the point of my rambling...have you ever heard people say that girls marry a man like their father? And vice versa for men. Well, it's true. I am living proof! Like I just mentioned, my dad has no understanding of the word "gentle" or "careful" - neither does my fiancé. He promptly walked over the irises and somehow 'accidentally" pulled out a whole bulb. That is just what I actually saw, I'm sure there was more that he hid from me. It seems every day there is something that Douglas does that reminds me of my dad. Wither it's the fact that both men are hard working and live to provide for their families or the smile that appear on their face when talking to a baby, they are the two men I can always count on in my life to support me, challenge me, encourage me & love me.

No matter how old I am I will always be a daddy's girl and if I ever have a little girl I hope she looks up to her dad as much as I do to mine. Because Doug is definitely a man worthy of a little girls undying love for her daddy.

Doug cleaning the flower bed  





Hello y'all!

Although I technically don't know what I'm doing just yet, I promise to try and improve as time goes on.

And although my life might not always be the most exciting, I believe there are some things worth sharing.

However, today is one of those days where there really isn't much to post about but i figure i should start somewhere. Maybe start by filling you all in on my life.

I am 20, 21 in less than a month.(whoohoo!!) I was born in Bellingham, WA but was raised in Pasco, WA from the time i was 3 years old. at 16 my parents decided to move back and tried living on the west side with my parents for two years but decided the Tri-Cities was my home. moved back two years ago and it was the best decision I have made.
it lead me to meet the man i am engaged to, who is the LOVE of my life & can't wait to marry him in a few months and spend forever with him. If we can get through the next couple months and the whole wedding planning. I decided I was not cut out for all this girly wedding stuff.

I have two dogs and a gold fish. Gunner (miniature poodle) and Maverick (Jack Russell mix) - i can't forget my my Fiance's dog Terra (black lab) who, after a year and a half is still jealous of the attention i get from my fiance. The gold fish doesn't really have a name..poor fishy.

I started a new job a month ago (after being in the coffee stand business off & on for the past five years) I am working at Pioneer Hi-Bred in their Alfalfa research program.
I pretty much get to play with alfalfa seed all day and try not to spill it everywhere. (highly difficult)
But I have learned a lot & look forward to learning more about the process of developing a better grade of Alfalfa.

Well, that should get you all caught up on where I am. And hopefully there will be some good stories to write about in the near future. Knowing my life, it is never boring.

Thanks for reading! :)

My Fiance & I

Christmas 2010