Flower in a field

Maya went flying!

2009-10-26T12:09:00.000-07:00

Yea...Landon took maya for a few hours so I could get some rest.
When they returned, I found evidence that Maya wants to become
a pilot! I was so impressed with her bravery and curiosity
of how a plane operates. I am pretty sure she is going to
be fearless in the years to come which could be good and could
be really bad!

ALLOW ME TO CATCH YOU UP ON OUR LIFE...

2009-10-26T12:00:00.000-07:00

I am terribly sorry blawg viewers. I have become more slack than ever.
I have a few minutes until my baby girl wakes up to update you on my life.
We went to a wedding this weekend in the rural, Albemarle area. It was actually
a really pretty wedding with tacky music! I am pretty sure the d.j just stuck
the titanic soundtrack in for the evening and then played some country twang
after that...it was lovely. Allow me to share some pictures of the great event!

Baby Makin

2009-09-15T05:54:00.000-07:00

So...I have had 3 friends have babies this summer. Looking at all the pictures now makes me want one like right now.
Maya loves babies too! The goal is to get almost done with school before we start "trying"...don't u hate that phrase?
I don't know what it is, but it just sounds cheesy. Help me think of a better word than "trying". I know it stems from
all those false pregnancy scares and accidents.

We keep getting advice from people, "go ahead and have another one now because it is much easier when you are already in baby mode than to get out of baby mode and have to get right back in it" . . . . we are listening and listening good. We are craving another little baby but it is going to have to be delayed just a little bit longer.

Coffee

2009-09-15T05:48:00.000-07:00

I am in love with a great cup of coffee. Larry's beans are my absolute favorite because of the wide range of flavors from different places all over the world--not to mention, they are all FAIR TRADE!! I started drinking a cup each morning when I first went to college and now since I have a curious/hyper/busy/sweet baby girl, I drink probably 3 cups a day. Meredith--I am totally that teacher that brings a thermos full of coffee to school--you know, breath, clothes, teeth..covered in coffee;)

i LOVE COFEEE! i AM AT EXPRESSO NEWS IN BOONE RIGHT AS WE SPEAK DRINKING SOME DANK LARRYS BEAN..MMmmm

Skewl?!

2009-09-15T05:38:00.000-07:00

I am sorry that I have once again been a bad blogger. I feel swamped in busy assignments from Block. I do like all my teachers and everything feels much more relevant these days compared to all these other teaching courses they require one to take before entering block. In math class, we have been trying to work in base 4 and base 7...its pretty hard stuff. We are so used to working with base 10 that you don't realize how difficult working with another base. We are just doing this to get an idea for what kids might be seeing before they get a good feel for the relationship with all numbers. Let's say that you are in base 4. If you were doing an addition problem, you would have to go to the next place value after 3. ughhh...believe it or not, we are having a quiz with different bases besides 10. . . this does seem a little bit silly to me.

In reading class, we have created word cards so that we can learn some exercises/games to create better readers. It's pretty fun and we have two teachers. One is from Turkey and is working on his doctorate. He is kinda like a student teacher in the class and the other professor fills in his gaps.

Technology class is going great. Seems pretty easy and the most relaxed out of all of them.

My diversity class hasnt been very hard either. It has the most projects out of any of the other classes, but they are enjoyable stuff so it isn't bad.

All of my professors seem very sweet and I cant wait to start my internship October 28!

This little lady

2009-09-10T20:46:00.001-07:00

Meet Meredith Pllount

My first memory of Meredith would definitely be in dance class. I think we had more than one together but its been forever and a day but I remember really liking her. We were not friends in high school but we knew of each other and spoke briefly if we ran into each other etc. I remember running into her and her hubs here in Boone from time to time and we would talk briefly. I think mostly because it's always kinda awkward when you see people from high school that you haven't talked to in forever. I usually try to avoid these encounters at all costs...sorry people!

A few years ago, I was on appalachian's job board and noticed a need for a nanny and I called right away. Meredith just happened to answer the phone, how random! I got the job and I still didn't really keep in touch with Meredith. After I had Maya, I posted a need for a babysitter and Meredith responded that she was indeed available. She was an amazing babysitter and helped make the transition back to school easier.....sending me pictures of my sweet baby while in class was really uplifting!!

We would chat about our fears of pregnancy and labor since we are both major chickens,
we can talk about people and not feel bad...that's always a plus!
stalk awesome bloggers
encourage one another to become better blogggers, while I am always the absolute worst!

Meredith is awesome and probably the only reader I have. I have confidence we will remain friends even though most of the people from high school suck..i like her, i just do and always have....loveeeeeee you mereeeedith

wishin

2009-09-09T20:46:00.000-07:00

I have been thinking a lot lately about childhood memories. When I think back on my early years of being alive,
I am faced with memories of singing and making up dances with my sister. I remember Madonna playing while we
made up dances to the beats. I remember my older brother teaching me how to play basketball and watching over me
when my sister picked on me. How did we grow so quick? It is funny how you don't really see time flying until you are older.
I know for myself, I kept "wishing" I was 16, then 18, and again 21. I look back and regret the time I spent just wishing it away
so I could have more and more rights. I can't get that time back with my siblings. No, they aren't dead but things are
different now, things have changed. I remember thinking my life was stressful when I was in middle school or high school with
all the drama within girls. I have found that the stress when you have your own kids is much greater. You have a lot of responsibility and this being is counting on you for so much. Parenting will motivate you more than anything else in
the whole entire world. Every minute is enjoyable...even when you are faced with the "how will i do this or that" etc.

Koerber-Pennington

2009-08-31T21:22:00.001-07:00

I married my favorite on saturday..i loveeeeeeee my HUSBAND!

Sticky MaNgo rIcE

2009-08-09T21:49:00.000-07:00

Landon and I cook ALMOST every single night of the week. We usually go out to dinner or breakfast one time during a week. We sit down on Sunday to create our menu for the week and then build our shopping list. We always have a thai night, a mexican night, a italian night, a country night, and then some quick meals set up for our busiest days. We always check out menus of some of our favorite restaurants online and then try to copy cat the recipes and we have done really good, sometimes better than the restaurants.

Sticky rice recipe//a small taste into my TINY ASS kitchen.

Thai Mango Sticky Sweet Rice Dessert (Khao Niaow Ma Muang)is an absolute must try! This recipe is foolproof and even budding chefs with two left hands come off smelling mango sweet. This easy Thai dessert starts with Thai sweet rice (also called sticky rice) which is surrounded by a "bath" of coconut milk, then topped with slices of fresh (or frozen) mango. If you like mangos, you're going to love this very simple but tropical dessert. Mmmmm!
Prep Time: 8 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Ingredients:

Serves 2-4
1 cup Thai Sweet Rice (also called "sticky rice", available at Asian food stores)
1 3/4 cups water
1-2 ripe mangos, cut into bite-size pieces (look for mangos that are fragrant and easily bruised), or 1 pkg frozen mango
1/4 cup + 1 Tbsp. brown sugar (for a natural sweetener substitute maple syrup)
1 can good-quality coconut milk
1/4 tsp. + pinch of salt
2 tsp. coconut flavoring
1 tsp. vanilla
2 tsp. cornstarch or arrowroot powder dissolved in 2 Tbsp. water

wedding me crazy

2009-08-04T20:42:00.000-07:00

I am going absolutely nuts planning this wedding--and i feel really guilty about it too. I just am not the planner type so all this planning for the best day of my life is hard for someone as impatient as myself.

THINGS TO LOOK FORWARD TO...

marrying my best already husband..um did I say that out loud!? I cannot wait to marry my best friend and make our commitment public. I have no idea what my bouquet is going to look like, so I am really interested to see what colors, flowers, etc I end up with...haha. I gave my whole trust to my neighbor who is a florist and I just gave her an example picture of something that made me happy. We will see..I guess this is half the fun??!

I am excited to see my nieces and daughter, Maya all dressed up pretty and standing for me. I have watched all of them grow and feel like their second mom so it makes me happy to be with them, see them happy, and best of all..dazzled and frazzled up!

I cannot wait for the moment when I first see Landon all dressed up and waiting for me. It's always been my favorite part of the whole wedding--watching the grooms face. tear:)

Excited to see all our friends and family in one place..that NEVER HAPPENS!

Lots of beer, wine, and secret stashes of something stronger;)

camping, camping, camping

Anxiously waiting for the skinny dipping! If I am wasted and end up in that lake, someone please get a picture of me so I believe it. then..please could you delete it!?

pie pie pie pie... really wishing i had some right now.

married sex. yum

Favorite hostels!!

2009-07-24T20:30:00.001-07:00

I am not sure how many

followers I have on this

little blog. I am curious of

hostels that you guys have gone

to around the globe and possibly

a short review. This will be a good

travel guide for all of us. Please respond,

even if it is just a hello:)

Landon and I have done several

little trips since we have been

together. We did a month long

Costa Rica & Nicaragua tour 3 summer's

ago. I will name the best hostel we

visited during that time. There were several

places that we stayed that were just

on the side of someone's home. No official name,

but a definite cultural experience. I can remember

directions to all of these!!

#1 Best Hostel

The Bearded Monkey in Granada, Nicaragua

This was an incredible experience

Granada is a beautiful city and used

to be the capital of Nicaragua before

moving to Managua. This hostel had the

absolute best food and drinks for so cheap.

I think that it was close to 10 dollars a night

it is full of hammocks and lots of flora and fauna.

A night club is around the corner and

good local restaurants all around. I remember

salsa dancing until about 4am one night.

The hostel has about 10 computers set up with internet

so, dont worry* you can be on facebook!!

They also have a sister hostel on a crater that they will

take you to for the day or you can choose to stay there.

It is called the Monkey Hut. Take a look for yourself!!

http://www.thebeardedmonkey.com/index.htm

Papas & Beer

2009-07-24T20:27:00.000-07:00

Hendo cats-

Have you been to papas

and Beers? It has always been

packed out, so I am guessing

you have been their a million

times. I went for the first time

tonight with Landon, Maya, and

my mama. We spoke some spanish

and drank a pitcher of beer. good

food, atmosphere, and service.

I give this restaurant an 8 out of 10 stars!

top places

2009-07-24T20:21:00.000-07:00

An old friend of mine

had the idea to have his

bloggers name their

favorite places that

they have ever been.

A few on my list would

be Asheville & Boone,

also Sunset Island

for NC faves.

Pittsburgh is another

of my favorite towns,

Monteverde, Costa Rica&

Granada, Nicaragua. I would

also have to give a big applause

to Eureka, California. Probably

then Arctic Village, AK. . . .

Durango, Colorado, Vancouver,

and then last but not least...

New Mexico

Please comment

Your most favorite places.

Only Rule is that you have had to

been to this place in your life.

Ms. Independent

2009-07-19T13:35:00.000-07:00

Meet Shiyrah Mielke.

10 things you prolly didn't know about my wild cousin.

1. She knew it was time for a haircut when her hair touched the toilet seat...or water?? You better ask her. haha

2. We made up the word, pigstone. We actually were convinced that it was a bad word so we would call people that we didn't like this word and really felt like we were offending them.

3. She doesn't put up with stupid boys.

4. She would move anywhere without thinking twice.

5. She got me into smoking...uhh dead leaves when we were like eight. We really thought we were going to be addicted to leaves forever.

6. She is an awesome runner

7. Would bend over backwards for anyone

8. She will be a good mama because she is a great aunt to her three nephews.

9. She is training to be the new up and coming hockey player in the Aville area. ;) haha

10. She is in Africa right now. I am so proud of this beautiful cousin and friend of mine. We grew up practically like sisters.

WeDdInG

2009-07-19T13:24:00.000-07:00

So.. we got a wedding gift and a great one at that. We are going to CANCUN for FREE! Landon's mom has a private pilot boyfriend whom happens to have plenty of connections that are worth a million bucks. We are getting flown to Cancun, Mexico hopefully before our big day and spending the week in a resort. The best part? EVERYTHING IS INCLUDED. free alcohol. free food. free everything! uhhh what can I say?? THANKKKKKKKKX A MILLION!

We cannot believe that we will be husband and wife in just over one month! I was waiting anxiously for Landon to marry me but am really excited we waited despite our multiplying family. We are the type of people that never follow the rules and I think us being backwards just fits us good. We have a lot of great ideas for the wedding, especially just having a great time with people we do not get to see nearly enough!! We hope to have the whole "green movement" as a side theme of itself. EXPECT compostable plates, cups, and maybe even silverware. EXPECT LOTS OF ALCOHOL and a crazy ho-down.

SEE YOU THERE. unless you weren't invited...sorry;)

Farm

2009-07-16T20:35:00.000-07:00

We have a 1 acre farm with a friend of ours, Cooper. It is in Valle Crucis, and prolly one of my favorite parts of this area. We have been going out there almost every night from 5-9, and usually just carry our dinner with us while the three of us work. This week we got out to our farm and one of our rows had weeds up to my waist. We spent hours and hours working on weeding these rows so that our precious greens could get some sun to grow and make us money.

We are selling our stuff at the farmers market on saturday mornings in boone. We usually are hanging out with our partner in crime...cooper. He wants to be a farmer officially and is so educated about plants, how to plant and all the if's and what's anybody would need to know.

We also have a farm at our house for our needs. We are preparing for many sweaty nights of canning to stock us for the winter. I feel like I am in little house on the prairie but o well.

SHOP LOCAL AND SUPPORT YOUR FARMS.

TDI

2009-07-16T20:19:00.000-07:00

I loved my saab. It was a great car for me for the most part. It was comfy but had numerous problems the whole entire time I owned it. I used to wonder if I got a lemon or if all their cars break as often. Landon and I were replacing the headlights two times a month and they are expensive as hell...$30!! We were getting frustrated because it didn't feel reliable with Maya Papaya in the car too. I couldn't have the a.c running or my car would just stop.. weird?! When we took it to trade in, we had to break with two feet for it to stop. I feel bad for AUTO ADVANTAGE because that car needed a ton of work.

I got my dream car...2005 TDI JETTA. We got it for 12, 000 and it gets 50mpg because it is diesel!! I put in 35 bucks of diesel and my tank is full and I dont have to fill up for another 750 miles. Here is a picture my car, JULIET.

To circumcise or to not

2009-07-16T19:51:00.000-07:00

Yes. You heard me..I am talking about the penis. This has been something that I always knew the answer to because it was the 'norm'. I started thinking about this while I was growing up because my mom is a midwife and has a really great philosophy to unnecessary medical procedures. I always just assumed that despite my mother's beliefs...I would definitely be getting my son's tip of his penis cut off. This came up again when I was pregnant and pondering the sex of my baby. Landon and I kind of joked about it and decided we would be getting him circumcised. In the back of my mind, I think I knew that there was no reason other than making him look the same as every other boy in america.

When Maya was born, they had to get some blood from her little feet. I had to step out of the room while my screaming baby was being poked and I couldn't protect her. I knew at that moment, if it was my son, I would not be able to cope with his procedure.

When I took an anthropology class, I remember reading about female circumcision in other countries. The boys do not get circumcised but the girls did and it made it all clear in my mind. Someone long time ago decided that in America boys will have circumcised penis's and that standard stuck. If I have a boy...he will be uncircumcised and I will make sure he is proud about his penis in the locker room with all the standard penis's... ha

wedding plans

2009-06-05T20:22:00.000-07:00

Things can be really stressful when it comes to planning a big event. I REALLY dont wanna be stressed about one of the best moments of my life. While looking at a friend's wedding photos from her very small beach wedding in florida...it made me want the same. It looked so appealing to not spend a fortune and let the importance be the union of two wonderful people. We are really excited to share our special day with so many people, yet maybe would have done thing differently if we knew what we know now, then. I have my dress here with me and I really am in love with it. It was 300.00 and in my mind..the most I would ever think about spending on a wedding dress. I am a simple girl and landon is a simple boy and that will hopefully be a theme at the wedding.

2009-06-05T19:57:00.000-07:00

It is hard to believe that my baby girl is nearly one!! It seems like yesterday, I was sitting in college classes pregnant as hell, and throwing up throughout campus. I can still remember throwing up in my last trimester inside the biltmore house....near the bowling alley if you are curious! I remember being so nervous about labor, I just wished it was over before it began. I can honestly say from a women who has been pregnant, gone through labor, and plan on having more kids...its not very scary at all! Why does the media create all this fear in us women? I mean...i was lucky enough to grow up with a mom who practices midwifery and has my whole entire life. I knew that our bodies are made to do this...it is not a sickness...its natural AND BEAUTIFUL! I was still very afraid of something that is supposed to be full of joy! I still remember how I felt the second Jan(my midwife) put Maya in my arms. I couldn't keep my tears from pouring out. I was so happy she was healthy and all ours. Moms and future moms- parenting is the absolute best thing in the whole entire world. Watching someone that is a part of you learn how to do each and everything is a remarkable experience. Be excited about labor...coming from someone who is scared of everything. It is a wonderful and transforming experience.

Bachelorette

2009-05-12T08:43:00.000-07:00

Just a few more weeks until some of my favorite girls and I spend an evening in downtown asheville. i am so stoked about this because it has been way too long since i have had a sleepover with my gals, laughing until the wee hours of the morning. it's going to be quite a night away without my beautiful chicken, maya! i fully trust landon to perform all of the maya duties that she requires. we will probably head to dinner somewhere fancy downtown. we then plan on going out for drinks until all the bars close. the next day, we will probably go out to brunch somewhere cheap and hit up the spa.

More blogs to come..FULL OF LOVELY PICTURES, VIDEOS, ETC!?

Just another saturday!

2009-04-17T13:43:00.001-07:00

I wish I had some pictures from my FIRST 5K! I ran my first 3.1 mile race with my bestie Erica and then went to my niece, Hannah's 9th bday party at the pool! These are just a few pictures from the big day! Notice Maya in the water!! Her very first SWIM in the swimming pool!

Wedding Invitations!

2009-04-17T13:13:00.001-07:00

P.S we are getting married on August 29th of this year! If you know anything about Landon and I, we like to surprise people when their least expecting it? Needless to say, we didn't plan on telling anyone so that when the invitations arrived in the mail box, they would be shocked. It got out over facebook so I am sharing our handmade invitations with everyone!

We bought linen cover paper and envelopes, designed our invitation, and sat together last night actually creating them! Everyone should receive their invitation next week! Call us for all your invitation needs;)

2009-03-29T18:31:00.000-07:00

Rain Rain go away...Flip flop weather come our way!! I am so ready for the weather to be consistently warm. I am training for a 5k and NEED to run outside with Maya and the joggin stroller. I run my race April 11th and that is all the details anyone is getting b/c I do not want anyone to show up.

I am thinking that a beach wkend is a must!! We are actually possibly going to go to BELIZE in May and I am really excited!! No plans are set in stone but Landon and I really need/want to get away. No better place than Latin America, not to mention plane tickets are super duper cheap right now!!

Keep me in your thoughts/prayers/whatever you do b/c I reallly cannot wait for my tiny break of school between this semester and summer sessions.

Diversity

2009-03-29T07:26:00.000-07:00

Meet Hannah and Shiauna- 2 of 3 nieces of mine. Yes, I do look at them as different people because they both have individual qualities that make them who they are, just like anyone else. My love for both of them is endless! They love one another and do not see skin color when they play or when they fight. I look at their friendship daily as just a living testimony that diverse populations can learn great things from one another.

I have to admit that sometimes I don't want to be white. I see all the struggles that every race other than white encounter and it does not make me proud. There have been times where I just want to strip the white off me so people who are minority don't read me as a typical white person. I have come to realize that this way of seeing things is not right. I have to be the white person that gives people hope that not all whites are racist. You see, we hold the power. We think it's okay to steal the land from the American Indians, we think it's totally legit to go over to Iraq and kill innocent people, treat African Americans like animals...this imperialistic idea is what ANGERS me greatly.

Some people say that racism is over so people should move on. How do you know racism is over if you are on not part of it. I am not saying that you have to be of a different race to see it. You just have to be able to understand it, and you can't understand it unless you interact with people that do deal with it on an everyday basis.

I have a problem with distancing myself from people who are ignorant. I stay away from towns that I think hold the key to more white dominance and just think of myself as educated on the matter. But I am seeing that this is just as wrong! I need to be standing against such actively. When I hear someone say something ignorant, I need to speak up for all the people that need me to. We also have to understand why people feel the way they do. Usually because of beliefs passed down from one generation to the next within the family. If we don't start doing this as individuals, we will never move past this horrible separation.

KUDOS MEREDITH!

2009-03-28T18:15:00.000-07:00

Ms. Wilson...soon to be Mrs. Plount has helped me so much this wkend so I am publicly saying thank you! She looked over and added great things on a big application for site based block for me and she helped create my header!!

Meredith used to babysit maya...then she became a real life teacher.

Mama

2009-03-27T20:12:00.000-07:00

Well, I have been trying to capture one of the best moments of my life for the whole world to see. I haven't yet been successful but I PROMISE THAT I WILL BE.

Ask anybody, a child's first word is not normally Mama. You see, I have been working with her since she was newborn and making sure it would be Maya's first word. I pretty much repeat it over and over and over. A few months ago, Maya started saying "MMMMM" so I knew I needed to take full advantage of the "mm" sound. I started repeating "mmmm mama" and did that for the last two months. Well Maya said Mama for the first time Monday night and my heart never felt so good.

Every since Monday night, Maya has said mama mama mama a whole lot and makes me melt everytime I hear it. Nothing is as sweet as these precious days. I promise to be a better blogger...i say that, i KNOW..But i am realllly gonna try!!

2009-02-02T20:54:00.000-08:00

This is lyrics to one of my favorite songs ever. I feel like you can create a beautiful and humbling metaphor from this song. Hope you like it!

And I found a flower in a field
A field of cars and people; rows of concrete, paint, and steel
Manhattan is where it grew

And I thought to cut it from it's stem
And take it from the cracks between bricks that it lay in
And save it from city strife
Away from the city life

Then someone they whispered in my ear
A county girl can't be made out of anybody here
Don't touch it, it loves you not
Don’t touch it, it loves you not

Cause blue birds don't fly without their wings
And when we put them in a cage the world can't hear them sing
So selfish when greed sets in
Possession, the king of sin

And people don't ever let you down
Forever find a way to kill whatever life they've found
A heart beat and I want it too
Manhattan is where she grew

So I left and I let the flower be
And yesterday saw the flower on cable TV
Much prettier than here with me
For all of the world to see
Much prettier than here with me
-Avett bros

Steelers SUPERBOWL!

2009-02-02T07:45:00.000-08:00

My family is from Pittsburgh, therefore of course, I am a Steeler's fan! I can remember hundreds of trips to the Steel city, and always loved the dedicated fans that the steelers had.

I thought that last night's game was incredible. There were times where I could have cried, screamed, and even kicked some of the steeler players!

Congrats to the Steelers for setting a record of 6 super bowl wins. This blog is a little bit late..I had it saved as a draft!!

..and history was made!

2009-01-21T15:37:00.000-08:00

I feel like a new person today. America just seems different all of a sudden. I think there is a lot of new and positive energy among us all and that makes me happy. I walk down the streets of Boone, and seem to make eye contact with more people. I see everyone smiling, as if they have just even a glimmer of hope in what we can achieve as a country.

I couldn't help but wonder what was going on through the Obama's minds yesterday. Is Barack feeling the weight of the world on his shoulders or is he just fired up and ready to make the changes he feels like we can make? Is Michelle and the girls worried about the man in their life? I am sure that both the president and the first lady want the best for the girls despite the fame that has been made. All these questions run through my mind, yet I do know that the whole family believes that all the sacrifices that will be made will be worth everything to have the opportunity to leave such a great footprint in history. I know that they are all very proud.

I am sure the girls are going to have fun living in the white house at such a young age. I found it really awesome how the Bush twins wrote the Obama girls a letter full of advice. I thought the words were very encouraging, and meaningful.

I am such a happy American right now. I know the changes won't come easily, but that's okay. I will be thrilled to just have a better reputation around the world. Barack has many hopes, and a lot of people doubt him but I have faith. I have a lot of faith in him. He comes across as a real person. I can tell that he is truly a genuine man. He cares about the people in America, and everywhere else around the world. I am excited to see where the years will take us as a country. I am ready for blacks, whites, yellows, reds, and etc to unite and realize we are all equal.

I suck!

2008-12-07T19:27:00.000-08:00

I do apologize to my only reader for not being a good blogger. I am really going to pick one night to do my updates, even if I have things to do. Blogging can be a stress reliever, so I should really be better.

Updates:

Well, we got a Christmas tree last week. We actually looked around in our woods and cut it ourselves. It is indeed full of character with its bald spots all over. We strung fresh cranberries, made tons of origami and popcorn balls. It's pretty crafty if you ask me.

Our holiday break will consist of:

A trip to Pittsburgh to spend some time in the lovely city, visiting with family and picking my grandmother up to spend Christmas with us in Hendo. We will also have to split the break up between hendo and albemarle...O the joys of being in a relationship. I miss my holidays at home with friends and not having to worry about splitting time. It's okay though, I guess all the sacrifices are part of growing up.

Maya is keeping my hands full. She has all kinds of new tricks..like rolling over VERY quickly! It's impossible to leave her alone for even one minute. She is also starting to grab for my food, always being successful enough to get at least a handful of my food.

I love school! I am finally far enough into the program that I can see an end. I like all of my classes and cannot wait to teach real live kids:) I think having a kid of my own will make me an even better teacher. I know what it feels like to be on the other end, which is incredible.

Okay, well I have about two more papers to write and my baby is crying for me to take her to bed. Love to all and I promise I will be better at this mess!

When we get bored. . .

2008-12-07T19:16:00.000-08:00

Oh Maya! The lil one gives you about ten minutes on each activity, and then throws a fuss most of the time. We have found our new favorite hobby! We play with Photo Booth on mommy's macbook.

Hickory Dickory Dock...Who set the damn Clock!?

2008-10-14T20:36:00.000-07:00

So...my two bestest friends are really more like sisters to me. In fact, I do consider them my sisters because we are just that cool. I remember many hilarious stories and believe me I will share, but one in particular stands out in my mind tonight. It was Friday night, school was out for the weekend and so of course we were all together at the McCormack's house. It was just like any other Friday in hendersonville...we headed to walmart to stock up on candy (carmel apple suckers) and met up with all our friends at apple bees for the regular grilled cheese & fries. We stopped by blockbuster and erica picked out set it off, kaley wanted something really scary ALWAYS, and I just wanted free willy!

We stayed up all night singing at the top of our lungs, "Breaking up is Hard to do, and I know that I know that its true..." well...erica would get to sing all the lyrics and me and kaley were allowed to be back up singers, and it sucked! haha...we could not ever finish the song without laughing sooooo hard that we would be crying. Erica, being the oldest was always the one who got to create the rules. She loved singing this song because she had the whole spot light and two awesome backup singers as well. She decided that we couldnt go to sleep until we finished the song without laughing...I do not think we ever accomplished that.

Kaley finally fell asleep, but Erica and I were on a sugar high. We decided to go into Kaleys room and set the alarm clock so that it would go off in one minute. We hid in the room to watch her because she is very CRANKy if you wake her, especially when she JUST FELL ASLEEP. The alarm went off...beep beep beep beep beep BEEP BEEP and she responds"ahhhhugh" and hits the off button real quick. Of course, we are dying at this point so we go and set it again for another minute to watch another response. This time when the alarm went off, Kaley throws it while it still is beeping. She still didn't see us or know it wasn't morning and that we set the clock. She gets up and starts ripping the batteries out of the clock while screaming at top of lungs.

FUNNY MOMENT

Mccain/Obama

2008-10-12T16:18:00.001-07:00

The choice seems easy to me, and part of me cannot understand how it isn't for some. I guess my biggest problem with the conservatives right now is that they stand by their faith which is great but some of the issues that today conservatives stand for seem to contradict their faith in my opinion. No abortion but death penalty is okay. No abortion but killing thousands of innocent people from Iraq is acceptable. This is not acceptable! If you are deciding against certain issues because of biblical reasons ...thou shall not kill. It doesn't say when to justify killing. So..if you stand for life...stand for life!

I am not trying to be narrow minded because I do encourage everyone to vote no matter who they think is the best but I just want everyone to really think logically. Just because I am a democrat doesn't mean I totally support abortions but I do not believe the government should be in charge of the issue. I agree that some women use it as a form of birth control which isn't right. We need to educate people about sex and different birth control methods that are available. We can't ignore the fact that people are having sex, even teenagers.

Abortion is not the only issue but sometimes, I think people forget about all the others and close their mind to only to see this issue. We need to think about our economy and who will be the best to stabilize it once again. We need to get out of Iraq in my humble opinion, and get us Americans some better insurance. We also really need to have a president that will focus on energy!

Please vote... preferably for OBAMA:)

The best day of my whole entire life!

2008-10-12T15:57:00.000-07:00

I always felt like the love that I had for my family, Landon, and friends was a love so strong. I had never imagined loving someone/something more than them until Maya entered the world. It's a feeling that cannot be explained or understood fully until you lay eyes on a little being of yourself. I have never loved anything so much as I love my maya. She is the kindest, most innocent creature I have ever known. She came out healthy as can be weighing in at 6 pounds 3 ounces and 19.5 inches tall! Just shows you that you cannot always rely on modern technology. Once my water broke, I delivered in 3.5 hours which means I got my grandma sissy's laboring genes. My next baby, I am not having an ultra sound or finding out what it is and I am having him/her at home with a midwife...possibly my mama.

Induction

2008-10-12T13:56:00.001-07:00

Once you are about eight months pregnant, you start going to the doctor every week for a check up. I got to go to my weekly visits at my mom's office which totally rocked. I had began taking childbirth classes with my mom, and I was noticing that I looked a lot smaller than most of the other women who were due right around my time. I had an appointment scheduled for the next day so I stressed concern as soon as I arrived. One of the midwives at my mom's office measured me and sure enough, I was measuring 5 weeks too small! They sent me to get an ultra sound to see what it all looked like inside. After the ultra sound second their thoughts of me being too small, i went to a specialist at high risk clinic who suggested an induction. The ultra sound's said that my amnionic fluid was low, and they thought maybe my placenta was giving out too early causing maya not to get the nutrients she needed to grow. So... on July 3rd we went in for an induction and I did not have maya until july 6th at 7:45 am!

baby shower!

2008-10-12T13:44:00.000-07:00

I could never document my whole entire pregnancy, so I am going to jump to June 7th when we had a very fun baby shower with some of the gang. Some of Landon's friends put together a co-ed baby party! We had corn hole, a grill and drinks for everyone minus pregnant me of course! Landon's friend Joe actually drove down from Chicago..ya joe!

Pregnancy continue...

2008-10-12T13:18:00.001-07:00

These two photos were take between 5-6 months. It's hard to believe baby maya was in there kickin away!

Pregnancy

2008-10-12T12:53:00.000-07:00

We didn't plan to get pregnant, but I am so happy that it happened and that we are blessed with such a sweet little girl. I found out that I was pregnant about four days before Thanksgiving last year. We tried very hard to hide our nervous emotions in front of the family. I actually told my mother on Thanksgiving evening after we returned from my families house. I begged her not to tell my dad. My dad is really awesome so I was not afraid that he would disown me or anything but I didn't want him to be dissapointed in me. The picture above is from Thanksgiving dinner. The first couple of months were rough for me. I was nauseous for four months straight. The picture above is about two months into pregnancy. Landon caught me in all my morning sickness glory. I would have to say that being pregnant and labor is really not that bad but this first trimester was very intense for me. Some people do not get sick at all. . .lucky ducks!

The Art of Possibility

2008-10-01T21:14:00.000-07:00

I have been playing with the idea of possibilities lately. I think that the older I get, the more analytical I am becoming. Who creates boundaries for someone? As long as I can remember, I feel like I have ALWAYS had this inner calling to want to live a life on the edge. I admire people that live an ordinary life, yet always wanting more for myself. I do not believe that necessarily has to be career driven. I have been reading about Nola Ochs some lately. If you do not know about this remarkable lady, look her up! She just graduated from college at age 95, woohoo Nola!! Nobody stopped her from getting a college degree that old in life. I mean, how many 95 year olds do we know with college degrees? Not too many probably.

I look at sweet Nola as just one simple example of the art of possibility. I adore when people live a life that they didnt know was possible of them self. I remind myself how awesome it will be to look back on my life at age 95 if I do outstanding and adventurous things in my lifetime. Don't let anyone tell you to stop, do what you believe in and don't compromise your beliefs for anyone. Live a life that you stand proud for:)

Somewhere OvEr the Rainbow

2008-10-01T20:33:00.000-07:00

Well...its been a month but here I am again. Maya has two favorite songs, haha. We are definitely wearing these songs out but at least Nora Jones is naturally perfect to me. Her voice is soothing and puts my whole little family to sleep. Just to give you an example of how often I hear this lovely voice: Maya loves to wake up to Nora, she begins to smile anytime she hears Nora throughout the day when she goes through a crying spell, and of course at bedtime. Now, that kinda sounds like we listen to Nora about 3-4 times a day huh? No, you are wrong! When I refer to these different times of day, I really mean that it plays for about 45 minutes to an hr every time she NEEDS NORA TIME. Nora also reminds me of years ago...snow angels, Nova, hiking, happy travels, daisies, bed and breakfasts, little dives, and much more. I am just thankful for such a beautiful life

Update

2008-09-07T10:52:00.000-07:00

Well... I have officially failed at being a good blogger! I now have a sweet baby that is two months old. Her name is Maya and is so freakin amazing. School is going good, I like my classes and classmates pretty good so far. It is definitely not as easy with a baby but it's totally doable with Landon's mom helping us watch Maya two days a week and then Meredith Wilson from high school watching on Friday. It's like a breath of fresh air having people that I trust and know love children watching my special babe.

OBAMA

2008-05-15T00:36:00.000-07:00

I am so inspired by Obama's brilliance, ability to bring everyone together from all backgrounds, and I think that he is just what America needs in our next president. I first heard of him a few years ago because I had an amazing professor from Chicago who encouraged us all to keep our eyes on him. As the election proceded, I was touched by his kindness. I appreciated that he was different from any candidate I had ever witnessed. He didn't play into the same ol' nasty games that all politicians play in order to win. Some say that he is an idealist but I call it hope.

I know that some people are discouraged from comments made by Rev. Wright... but I can argue that Mr. Wright grew up during the Civil Rights movement and unless you are black, it's probably very hard to understand all the struggles that occured during this time. Church was a place where politics and religion were shared because they didnt have anywhere else to really congregate. I do not agree that Rev. Wrights way of saying the things he said were correct but why are we going to judge Obama for that? I have heard Rev. Wright say a lot of things I do agree with, and a lot that I do not but the church did wonderful things within the community. If none other argument, there is something called separation of church and state for a reason.

I'm so ready for a new president!! It's so sad that we are such a rich nation yet have an absolutely horrible health care plan. It makes me so mad to think of everyone who is walking around without any insurance, and what about the people who have insurance but has a huge deductible, like myself? The insurance companies suck completely!!
I want to see us take care of our people. . . .watch sicko!

We all have to wakeup. . . there are so many issues: environment, war in Iraq, NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND, Nafta. . . . . and the list goes on. We need a change desperately!

Change

2008-05-14T23:53:00.000-07:00

Wow! I never thought I would ever get into blogging, but the time has come! As some may know, I am about 31 weeks pregnant with a little girl. It's really crazy to think about how fast time has flown by and what the future will hold. There has been so many changes in my life this year, and to tell you the truth its been kinda scarey at times but I really am excited for the journey ahead of me. Landon is amazing and has been so helpful with everything. In the first trimester, I was really sick and he was a lifesaver taking over pretty much all our responsibilities around the house and managed to take care of me at the same time. Second trimester was a charm, I felt so energetic and like my old adventurous self again. Now, I am in the third trimester, it has been great so far but the cramping is beginning! Baby Maya likes to kick, punch, and do cartwheels throughout the night so I have had to get used to sleeping a lot less. I must say that I am pretty nervous about labor. I think this has to do with all the births I have attended in my lifetime, and all the horror stories that have accumulated in my head from being a daughter of a midwife. I am bringing baby Maya into this world with my mom and the midwife who delivered myself. I trust both of them very much and am so very happy I did not choose to have a Dr. deliver my baby. There is something very powerful in knowing that women all over the world for ages have had babies natural and it was never considered a serious condition needing a Dr. to be there. In fact, while traveling to Nicaragua I met a lady who had her neighbor just come over and deliver the baby. I adore the personal and exciting experience of bringing someone into world.

We moved into a new house a few months ago. It's a very small place but perfect for us. I enjoy the location because it is close to town yet feels like we are in the middle of nowhere. We have been spending a lot of time seeding, and working out in the garden. I absolutely cannot wait for homegrown organic tomatoes. They taste so much sweeter and are free!