Monday, December 1, 2008

Gobble, Gobble No More

I love the holidays. I loved them as a kid, but for the obvious reasons; presents. Now that I'm old-er, not old, I look forward to everyone getting together.

Growing up, Thanksgiving and Christmas were the 2 big holidays, like in most families. When my parents divorced it became a game of sorts. "Who do I need to see now? How long should I stay at their house? Who did I see first last year? Will their feelings be hurt if I don't cook?" I always feel like I am trying to make my mom and my dad happy; tough dance to dance.

I really look forward to Matt's family get-togethers. I guess I miss that 'familiness.' I really miss my parents being married, but well "that's stagnant water under the bridge" as they say. Well, maybe that isn't what they say.

Now that I have children, I am determined to start traditions and teach them what it's all about. Sooo this turkey day, we hopped in our mini, van that is, and jetted to Mounds to see Matt's side of the fam. We spent Thursday night, as did 3 of Matt's siblings and their families. *it was very loud very early* On Friday I drank 100 cups of coffee, due to the lack of sleep, and ate pecan pie for breakfast, lunch, dinner and snack. No joke. I am a pecan pie junkie. I fell off the 'eating good wagon' for 2 days. Ahh well, it'll come around to pick me up again soon.

Saturday afternoon, my mom, sister and her kids came over to eat and play guitar hero, my new obsession. I didn't want to cook, my kitchen isn't 'cooking friendly,' so we ordered a dinner from Reasor's. I must say it was very tasty and all we had to do was re-heat!

Sunday was spent recovering. The kids didn't get to sleep as much as they normally do and they were tired. Cooper slept most of Sunday. I got to go grocery shopping. I'm learning to embrace that time. I started listening to sermons, preaching and music while I shop. It's nice not hearing 'beep, beep, beep' and 'erk, erk erk' and 'clean-up on aisle 9.'

I hope everyone had a good turkey day.
(The slideshow thing will not work and I am about to break something, so it is in its own post.)

Gobble Pics

Friday, November 28, 2008

How Do You Cook?

When you go into your kitchen to start your dinner, do you make sure your decor matches your outfit? Do you insist that your valance matches your shirt and that your shirt matches the decorations on your counter and that your shirt, valance, decorations all match your place settings?

NO?

HOW DARE YOU!!

With our newly added cable channels, I have discovered the already discovered Food Network. I'm a huge fan of Charm City Cakes, but that is not why I am here.

I am here because of a show I saw recently.

It was so peculiar that I knew it had to be fake, a hoax or a commercial for something else.

It wasn't. I saw a real woman that looked like a robot! I kid you not people!

The show I saw, had a woman wearing a crossword puzzle apron, a crossword puzzle valance, a crossword puzzle table and I'm sure her under ware was a crossword puzzle.

Who am I talking about?

Sandra Lee. No not the lady from Grease. The lady on Food Network. If I watch her I don't hear a single word coming out of her mouth. I begin dissecting every single thing that matches, almost like the 'Can You Find It' puzzles in kids magazines.

I asked Matt, "Would you prefer I match the decor with my outfit while I'm cooking?"
"HUH?"
"Ya, there's this lady on Food Network that matches her outfit with her kitchen. Do you need me to do that, so your food will taste better?"
"Uhh, nooo"

I know he was thinking, "Is nakedness an option?" It wasn't though.

So if you're feeling guilty about not being matchy matchy, well you should feel guilty b/c Lord knows that's what makes dinner a dinner.

Now does anybody find Charm City Cakes one of the funniest shows? How about L.A. Ink? She makes me want to get a tattoo; for real.

Wednesday, November 26, 2008

And The Weener of the Day....

.....Goes to me!!

(clears throat while reaching for the gold statue of a mom still in her pajamas) (I'm imagining myself in my little black dress that I so elegantly wore in 2004. *sigh* Now is no more because my hips are no longer a size four. They feel like they are forty-four.)

"I'd like to thank my high school friend, Daniele, who always french braided my hair before EVERY softball game, for nominating me. I am humbled and thankful on this our weekend of Thanksgiving. *Clapping* Oh and my husband who still doesn't laugh at my jokes even though I think they are side stitching funny. Yes, babe I still heart you. My 2 dear dear, body destroying children. I love you so. Even though you keep me from the Y. You are still dear and near to my heart. And my God, for giving me this opportunity. Thank you Jesus. *kisses fingers and points to the sky as a tear rolls down face* AND to my fan (yes fan, singular) I thank you. *The lone fan claps and a tear rolls down her face* I would love to nominate 8, I mean 9, other people, hang on to your seats. In no particular order...
1. Nicole my sister in law
2. C, J, & B Moore
3. Amanda Mc
4. Rachel
5. Cole's Mommy
6. My Life According to Me
7. The Housley's
8. Obscure As We Are
9. The Family Toots
*The music begins to play*I love you all, good night!! *The lone fan's legs are trembling from the fantastic acceptance speech and can't stand. The husband is still in his seat because he can't figure out if the winner, also his wife, was being serious or facetious. The 8 winners are no where to be found because only one person reads this blog*

"This blog invests and believes in the PROXIMITY - nearness in space, time and relationships! These blogs are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in prizes or self-aggrandizement. Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these writers! Deliver this award to eight bloggers who must choose eight more and include this cleverly-written text into the body of their award."

I chose nine, I was never one to follow rules.

Tuesday, November 25, 2008

Taking The Plunge

I accepted Christ the summer before my senior year in high school at FCA camp. That was in 1997.

I have never been baptised.

This has been a concern, struggle, battle, worry, need, and cause for pray in my life in the past 6 years.

Reasons why I haven't? One, when I accepted Christ, I didn't know getting baptised was part of the 'commitment/statement.' Two, it has been so so long since I accepted Christ, I didn't want those whose lives I maybe changed or influence to question or doubt my love for God; I didn't/ don't want to look like a hypocrite. Three, I'm embarrassed. Four, I don't like cold water-despise it. God should have said, "If you are cold, I will spit you out of my mouth." Fifth, am I going to Hell if I DON'T do this? Is it a deal breaker? Sixth, excuse after excuse.

This topic has really been an issue, in a good way, for me for a long while. I feel this disconnect, this 'thing' that needs to be done. I often ask myself, "am I doing this for the check mark, or am I doing this for the kingdom?" Sometimes, most of the time, I think for both. I think, "It could get my family to church who still believes in the Episcopal way of 'sprinkling a baby.' I was sprinkled.

I remember that day. I was young, under 13. I didn't even know why I had to get my hair messed up. To this day, I still don't know why I had to get my hair messed up!! Trust me, I know it didn't do a thing for me and my relationship with Christ. I knew it was bogus the day it happened. I didn't know why it was bogus, but I knew it has to be.

I think it was when Matt had the opportunity to baptise the youngest boy in the house at the ranch. Caleb accepted Christ at Lifechurch.tv and got baptised at Frontier City during LifeStock. Matt got to dunk him. It was that day, I think, that I realized I had never done that. Then the inner-battle was on.

One of my sister-in-laws, was baptised a few years ago, then my nephew. All of the sudden, I became more embarrassed to 'do it, to take the plunge.' Why? Because I had accepted Christ BEFORE them and was going to get baptised AFTER them!! Doesn't that make me a hypocrite? Doesn't it just make everything I've been about become invalid?

Soooo, about 10 minutes ago, I signed up. I made myself do it. I have to pay attention to what I feel God is pushing me to do; otherwise I truly am a hypocrite. So I'm taking the plunge December 14th at 5:00pm cst.

The funeral of my friend has made me realize how much of a slacker I am in my spreading the Word. If I am going to make a difference I have to believe and preach ALL of the Bible, not just the part that is easy. The tough stuff and the right stuff, oh oh uohh oooohh oh oh uohh, oh oh uohh ooohh, THE RIGHT STUFF! (sorry, music is always playing in my head.)

Seriously though. I'm still very nervous about people watching me, especially if family comes. Which is usually impossible for Sunday events, but I just feel so weird.

But I do feel this is something that needs to be done. Something to draw me out of my practical atheism I, and most, am so guilty of.

Are you who you say you are?

I don't think I have been. But praise God, I still can be.

Sunday, November 23, 2008

Come & Get It!!!

I love P. F. Chang's.

When I don't want to spend as much money, I love Pei Wei or Pee Wee as Matt calls it.

We don't visit either establishment very often. Eating out isn't as much fun when you have to take the kiddos. We'd much rather get something to do, bring it home and eat at the table, where Cooper can crawl on the floor and Chloe can be crazy.

Saturday I attempted to put together my grocery list. I tell Matt, "Putting the grocery list together wears me out as much as the shopping."

I use Kraft's website to get a lot of ideas for dinners AND they have this snazzy feature where you can create a shopping list. It's very very nice; I recommend.

Anywho, I was thinking about what sounded good. Nothing.

Then I thought, "If I could eat out right now.. what would I choose?"

I'd choose Thai food, but that didn't count.

Got it!! I'd choose lettuce wraps from Chang's!!

I typed 'how do you make p. f. chang's lettuce wraps' in google search. BINGO!! I found the recipe. I printed it off and headed for the store.

I was a little nervous b/c it called for a lot of ingredients, but I was optimistic. (I did buy a frozen pizza as a back up meal in case the wraps went south.)

Tonight was the night to try my hand at the wraps.

How do you think I did? If you're a 'cup half full' kind of gal, then you think I did good. If you're a 'cup half empty' kind of gal, then you think I had pizza for dinner.

Well, my friends. I tamed the beast. I am capable of making P.F. Chang's wraps!!! They are very yummy and easy.

I don't like to dirty dishes when I cook, so I base my dinners on how dirty the kitchen will be when I'm done. If it will require a lot of clean-up; I won't cook it. If it is just a few items; I'll attempt it.

This recipe looked hard, but it was shockingly easy. Try it!!

Friday, November 21, 2008

Skin Check

A few months ago, I made an appointment to see a Dermatologist to have a skin check performed.

All through high school, college and the early years of my marriage, I was a sun god. Loved it, loved it, loved it... needed it, needed it, needed it. I used the 'real' sun and the 'fake' sun, aka tanning beds.

A friend, who is a few years younger than I, told me she had been diagnosed with melanoma in the past and therefore has to have a skin check every 6 months. She has a long scar on her bicep from this experience.

After hearing her story, I decided I should have everything and everyone attached to me looked at.

Monday was my appointment. I get into the room, strip down, put on a paper gown and wait.

The Dr. comes in and looks me over, charts some areas and notices a freckle on the upper left side of my chest. She says, "Hmm, that makes me nervous."

She continues on her quest for ' free radicals.' I point out a few moles that bothered me, ones that I thought were worrisome. She goes back to the original spot, "Ya, that one is really bothering me." I can tell she is bothered by having to scar my body in order to remove the leach, but has a feeling something isn't right. I just kept thinking, "I am SO glad to be here." And I was serious. I was proud to be taking care of myself whether or not I receive bad news.

Where there is no plan, the people perish and I did not want to perish when I can be proactive.

She finally decides she needs to cut it out. She numbs it, cuts a circle the size of a pencil head and sews it up with 2 stitches. It didn't hurt a bit!

She tells me, "I will send this off to the lab and we will call you when we get the results. Once the results are in, we will make a plan and decide what needs to be done and how often you need to come in."

"OK." I get up, get dressed and head out. Slightly nervous because I'm not sure what the pathologist is going to say.

This morning, while I'm still in bed my phone vibrates. I clear my throat so I sound awake, "Hello?"
"Is Megan available?"
"This is she."
"Hi, Megan, it's Lisa from Dr. Anderson's office. We got the results back."

I begin to feel very nervous and jittery inside, like I felt when Matt and I were dating and he'd call.


"Ya?"
"Well, the pathologist said 'it's extremely asymmetrical.'"


She goes on to explain that there are three levels and mine is the third.

"Sooo, is it melanoma?"
"No, if it was that they would have said, it's just extremely asymmetrical. So the doctor is going to need you to come back in and she is going to have to make a larger incision and remove a larger area so we can be sure it is all taken out just in case. It is possible it can turn into melanoma."
"OK, thank you."

I made an appointment, hung up the phone and just laid there in bed. Mainly b/c it was so cold in the house I didn't want to get out from underneath the blankets.

I haven't laid out or gone to a tanning bed in over three years and I am so thankful. I had been contemplating a tanning bed b/c I feel so pale, but I am so glad I listened to that gut feeling telling me to 'run away, don't pass go and do not collect $200.'

If you are a 'sun lover' like I used to be.... run away, don't pass go and do not collect $200. BUT do make an appointment to have your skin checked. See, the spots I thought were questionable, was NOT the spot that bothered her. It was one that looked fine to my naked eye, but to a trained eye, it was not good.

Get a skin check!!