Bananarama should be singing their song, "Cruel Cruel Summer", every day down here in Pensacola. Let's just say I have gotten used to the "warm" summers up north and was not prepared for the Florida heat that I grew up with. It has been so brutally warm that I haven't wanted to do anything outside. I would love to be at the beach every day but it's unbearable unless you're in the water the entire time. Plus, the water feels like bath water so it's not the most refreshing thing in the world.
But, all in all, I've been having a good time. I've spent a lot of time with family and friends and just running the usual errands that I run while I'm home. I am pretty ready to get back to my house and regular routine but I'm making the most of my time here, that's for sure!
I'll be 13 weeks tomorrow! That's so crazy to me! In the beginning, I thought this pregnancy would take FOREVER but it seems to be going by pretty quickly. I'm feeling better and I have gotten most of my energy back. I'm so thankful that I never really had any morning sickness and the worst thing about my first trimester was just being tired. I didn't want to do anything at all! But, now, I'm much more energetic and I'm finally back in the gym! That makes me feel a thousand times better too. Since I worked out so much before I got pregnant, I felt like a total slob during the first trimester because I really didn't work out at all. But, now I'm back to jogging and lifting weights (lighter weight, more reps of course). I'm hoping to keep up a great workout routine throughout pregnancy so I can have an easier delivery and lose weight more quickly after the baby is born.
I hoping for an easy delivery because I'm really hoping to do it totally naturally. I just figure so many other women have done it so I can too! Plus, I want the whole true experience, pain and all. I know it's going to be awful and I'm not totally opposed to having an epidural but I want to try my hardest to avoid it.
Christian is still overseas and actually got extended another 10 days. So, that stinks. But, as soon as he gets back, we're heading to Germany!! I'm so excited! I always get antsy this time of year because we always go in September and I look forward to it so much. I love being around his family over there and just taking in the European culture. I think we're going to try to leave on September 11 on a military flight so it doesn't cost us anything to get over there. Then, we'll do the same coming back about 10 days later. That is probably one of the absolute BEST benefits of being in the military. I really wanted to go to NYC on September 11 and see the ceremonies marking the 10 year anniversary of 9/11 but if we leave that day, we obviously won't be able to do that.
So anyway, I'm leaving this coming Friday to head back home and my dad's tagging along to keep me company. So, we'll get there Saturday and he's flying back down here on Sunday. Should be a good time.
Well, I hope all of you are having a good weekend! Stay cool!
xoxo,
Chrissi
Saturday, August 13, 2011
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
One of the most amazing experiences of my life
Well, I got to meet our little one again today. I had my first trimester screening done which consisted of an ultrasound and some blood work. So much has changed since our first ultrasound that was done about 5 weeks ago! We have a true baby now! The heart beat sounds like galloping horses and the baby had hiccups!!! I laughed so much watching this! It was just so cute! He/she moved around quite a bit while the ultrasound tech pushed on my stomach to make sure the baby got in the right position to take measurements.
I sat there will little tears falling down the side of my face as I watched this little miracle on the black and white screen. All I could think about was how badly I wished Christian was there to see it. I felt selfish for getting to see it while he's over in the 120 degree heat in Bahrain. But, he just called me and we talked all about and and he was cracking up when I told him about the hiccups! haha :)
I'm so happy and relieved that we have a healthy baby right now. I'm sure all moms-to-be worry like I have been but we've worked a while on this and it's just so special to us.
So, now I'm going to get to work on choosing all the baby gear and picking out stuff for a nursery. I'm trying my hardest to find stuff that I really like but I CANNOT find any bedding sets less that $400 that I like! I can't stand themes (no offense to anyone else.... some are super cute but they're just not my style) so I'm looking for all white bedding that can be used for a boy or girl. Nothing too frilly like eyelet lace or anything. The only place I've found it is on Poshtots.com and if any of you know anything about that site, it's strictly a dream site for me. Never in a lifetime would I spend that kind of money. So, who knows. I will be using a print from one of my favorite artists in the nursery though. (www.storypeople.com) I have a couple to choose from and some of them are gender specific so I'll have to wait to order those. The colors are bright and I'll accessorize with other stuff to offset the white. Christian almost has the hoosier cabinet refinished! That will be our changing station. So excited about that! I already have a white dresser from when I was a little girl that we'll use. So, the only thing we have to buy is a crib! Awesome!
Also, we have names almost finalized so I'll go ahead and reveal those so I can stake claim! haha If it's a girl, the name will be Adele Monroe. I'm so ridiculously in love with that name. I think it's gorgeous. Plus, Adele means "to bring joy or humor". I love the meaning. Then, if it's a boy, we have the first name of Maximus but we'll call him Max. We just haven't picked out a middle name yet.
Well, glad the cat is officially out of the bag now on Facebook. So, anyone can post anything now. haha
I hope all of you have a wonderful week! Alison gets in town tomorrow and then we head down to Pensacola on Friday and Saturday! Can't wait to see her!!!
Now I have to go feed myself since I'm starving every hour now! This little jumping bean is growing like crazy!
xoxo,
Chrissi
I sat there will little tears falling down the side of my face as I watched this little miracle on the black and white screen. All I could think about was how badly I wished Christian was there to see it. I felt selfish for getting to see it while he's over in the 120 degree heat in Bahrain. But, he just called me and we talked all about and and he was cracking up when I told him about the hiccups! haha :)
I'm so happy and relieved that we have a healthy baby right now. I'm sure all moms-to-be worry like I have been but we've worked a while on this and it's just so special to us.
So, now I'm going to get to work on choosing all the baby gear and picking out stuff for a nursery. I'm trying my hardest to find stuff that I really like but I CANNOT find any bedding sets less that $400 that I like! I can't stand themes (no offense to anyone else.... some are super cute but they're just not my style) so I'm looking for all white bedding that can be used for a boy or girl. Nothing too frilly like eyelet lace or anything. The only place I've found it is on Poshtots.com and if any of you know anything about that site, it's strictly a dream site for me. Never in a lifetime would I spend that kind of money. So, who knows. I will be using a print from one of my favorite artists in the nursery though. (www.storypeople.com) I have a couple to choose from and some of them are gender specific so I'll have to wait to order those. The colors are bright and I'll accessorize with other stuff to offset the white. Christian almost has the hoosier cabinet refinished! That will be our changing station. So excited about that! I already have a white dresser from when I was a little girl that we'll use. So, the only thing we have to buy is a crib! Awesome!
Also, we have names almost finalized so I'll go ahead and reveal those so I can stake claim! haha If it's a girl, the name will be Adele Monroe. I'm so ridiculously in love with that name. I think it's gorgeous. Plus, Adele means "to bring joy or humor". I love the meaning. Then, if it's a boy, we have the first name of Maximus but we'll call him Max. We just haven't picked out a middle name yet.
Well, glad the cat is officially out of the bag now on Facebook. So, anyone can post anything now. haha
I hope all of you have a wonderful week! Alison gets in town tomorrow and then we head down to Pensacola on Friday and Saturday! Can't wait to see her!!!
Now I have to go feed myself since I'm starving every hour now! This little jumping bean is growing like crazy!
xoxo,
Chrissi
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Is it the end of August yet?
Christian left this morning for 30 days in Bahrain and it was a tough one for me. Maybe it's due to all these additional hormones but I was crying like a baby. I took him to base at about 6:30 this morning and then came home and slept until about 10:30. I hate these days. But, then again, he's only gone a month. It could be WAYYYY worse. So, I'll make it through it. It just makes it harder since I have doctors appointments and ultrasounds that he'll miss. Blah....
So, enough with my pity party. I just ask all of you to say a little prayer that he stays safe over there. :)
In the mean time, I've gone a lot of plans coming up! I'm spending this weekend down in Ocean City, NJ with my friend Vicki and some of her friends. She and he boyfriend rented a place down there for the rest of the summer so I'm pretty excited about the beach and hanging with friends! I'll come back home either Saturday night or Sunday morning then I have a brunch date with my friend Paige on Sunday. Monday will be a regular Monday and then Tuesday I have my next appointment. I'm having the sequential screening done which consists of a very in depth ultrasound and some blood work. It's something that was optional for me and the purpose of this screening is to determine if there is a high chance of any kind of genetic defect (Down Syndrome, etc). I'm, frankly, just doing it to have an extra ultrasound. The genetic testing doesn't really matter to me. But if I didn't have this done, I wouldn't have another ultrasound until around 20 weeks! That's like 9 weeks away! I'm already nervous enough so I couldn't imagine waiting that long. So, please pray that everything turns out well on Tuesday for us!
Then, Wednesday, ALISON GETS HERE! I'm SOOOOO excited! I can't wait! We'll spend a little time in the city so I can show her some neat stuff and hopefully eat somewhere neat and then show her around our town. We'll probably leave Friday to start our drive down to Pensacola. I'm really excited about coming home too. I miss everyone so much! There's no place like home, that's for sure! I can't wait to be on the beach and get some good Florida sun! This white girl needs a little color, big time.
I'm not sure when I'll head back up here from Florida. I'm planning on leaving on the 15th to drive back up. I have another doctors appointment on August 17th so unless I change that to a little later, I'll still be leaving on the 15th.
Then, I think Christian gets back around August 28th so I'll have to figure out some other stuff to do to kill time between the 17th and then. Hopefully I'll be able to go down to VA Beach to visit friends down there.
Something else that's been going on is that I've been reading "The Help". Holy moly that book is sooooooo good and I CANNOT WAIT to see the movie. It comes out August 10th so I'll definitely be seeing it while I'm home. For those of you who have not read it, I highly recommend it. I'm half way through and it's such an easy read. It's about 1960s Mississippi when civil rights was becoming a big thing and it's about a white girl who helps the black maids (the help) get their stories out about what it's like to work for white families. It's so great and makes you cheer on the maids! I can't wait to read the rest of it.
I'd like to also say HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my big brother! I hope he has an amazing day! I'm going to try and turn this lazy day around and get my butt out of the house. I hope all of you have a wonderful day and weekend! I'll see most of you in the next couple weeks! Love y'all!
xoxo,
Chrissi
So, enough with my pity party. I just ask all of you to say a little prayer that he stays safe over there. :)
In the mean time, I've gone a lot of plans coming up! I'm spending this weekend down in Ocean City, NJ with my friend Vicki and some of her friends. She and he boyfriend rented a place down there for the rest of the summer so I'm pretty excited about the beach and hanging with friends! I'll come back home either Saturday night or Sunday morning then I have a brunch date with my friend Paige on Sunday. Monday will be a regular Monday and then Tuesday I have my next appointment. I'm having the sequential screening done which consists of a very in depth ultrasound and some blood work. It's something that was optional for me and the purpose of this screening is to determine if there is a high chance of any kind of genetic defect (Down Syndrome, etc). I'm, frankly, just doing it to have an extra ultrasound. The genetic testing doesn't really matter to me. But if I didn't have this done, I wouldn't have another ultrasound until around 20 weeks! That's like 9 weeks away! I'm already nervous enough so I couldn't imagine waiting that long. So, please pray that everything turns out well on Tuesday for us!
Then, Wednesday, ALISON GETS HERE! I'm SOOOOO excited! I can't wait! We'll spend a little time in the city so I can show her some neat stuff and hopefully eat somewhere neat and then show her around our town. We'll probably leave Friday to start our drive down to Pensacola. I'm really excited about coming home too. I miss everyone so much! There's no place like home, that's for sure! I can't wait to be on the beach and get some good Florida sun! This white girl needs a little color, big time.
I'm not sure when I'll head back up here from Florida. I'm planning on leaving on the 15th to drive back up. I have another doctors appointment on August 17th so unless I change that to a little later, I'll still be leaving on the 15th.
Then, I think Christian gets back around August 28th so I'll have to figure out some other stuff to do to kill time between the 17th and then. Hopefully I'll be able to go down to VA Beach to visit friends down there.
Something else that's been going on is that I've been reading "The Help". Holy moly that book is sooooooo good and I CANNOT WAIT to see the movie. It comes out August 10th so I'll definitely be seeing it while I'm home. For those of you who have not read it, I highly recommend it. I'm half way through and it's such an easy read. It's about 1960s Mississippi when civil rights was becoming a big thing and it's about a white girl who helps the black maids (the help) get their stories out about what it's like to work for white families. It's so great and makes you cheer on the maids! I can't wait to read the rest of it.
I'd like to also say HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my big brother! I hope he has an amazing day! I'm going to try and turn this lazy day around and get my butt out of the house. I hope all of you have a wonderful day and weekend! I'll see most of you in the next couple weeks! Love y'all!
xoxo,
Chrissi
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Holy Lord it's HOT!
So, you all probably know by now (b/c of my bitching) that we don't have central air. We have three window units in this house (one in main living room *the only one downstairs*, one in master bedroom, and one in the quest bedroom). Well, it's hot as hell. Unless you've been living under a rock, you know that there is a wicked heat wave covering much of the country. Well, NJ is smack in the middle of it. Highs of 100 for three days in a row with all kinds of air quality warnings that come along with that make this chick want to stay inside ALL DAY LONG. Those air quality warnings really freak me out. Apparently, according to a random woman one day, NJ is part of the cancer belt in the US b/c of all the pharmaceutical plants (ironic) and nuclear plant around here. Well I, personally, don't want cancer and I'm not taking any crazy risks by going out for a breath-shortening jog while those warnings are posted all over my weather.com page. No. thank. you.
Well, before the heat really got here, Christian and I were in Maryland this past weekend visiting his dad. We had a good time and he took me to Deep Creek Lake (kind of a resort area out there) for lunch and we ended up looking at a few houses around the lake. Man, we fell in love with one log cabin that had an Open House that day. Of course, none of that is really realistic right now but we definitely eventually want a lake house somewhere. I'm hoping for a lake house to be our permanent residence in about six years when Christian's retired from the Navy and working for someone else. Who knows.
Anyway, we got home this past Tuesday and it's been a warm one ever since. I've still been feeling pretty good. I'm still really tired at certain points during the day and I get nauseous in the afternoons/evenings almost every day now. It's not awful but it's not fun. I'm almost 10 weeks now which is really exciting. I'm so ready to be at the 12/13 week point so I'm out of the first trimester! My waistline is expanding a little each day and my pants are pretty uncomfortable. I bought a Bella Band yesterday so I might start using that pretty soon so I can wear my shorts unbuttoned. haha I've been reading some pregnancy books. First off, "What to Expect When Your Expecting" is truly the pregnancy bible. It has an answer to just about every question that pops into my mind. It's great. I also read Jenny McCarthy's book "Belly Laughs" and it was HILARIOUS! I was laughing out loud the whole way though. Sooooo funny. Those are the only two I've gotten and probably all I'll be reading. I don't want to get a thousand different ideas in my head so I figure I'll just keep it simple. :)
Speaking of reading, I'm REALLY wanting to read "The Help" and then see the movie when it comes out. I've heard it's so good and I can't wait to read/see it. I also need to get back on the studying train for the GRE. I have slacked off quite a bit and I take the GRE at the end of August so hopefully I'll do fine. Ugh!
Anyway, I hope all of you are having a great week and have something fun planned for the weekend! You Floridians are lucky that you have the water close-by! I can't wait to be down there in a couple weeks to take a dip in the Gulf and in a pool! I miss swimming so much!
Talk soon-
Chrissi
Well, before the heat really got here, Christian and I were in Maryland this past weekend visiting his dad. We had a good time and he took me to Deep Creek Lake (kind of a resort area out there) for lunch and we ended up looking at a few houses around the lake. Man, we fell in love with one log cabin that had an Open House that day. Of course, none of that is really realistic right now but we definitely eventually want a lake house somewhere. I'm hoping for a lake house to be our permanent residence in about six years when Christian's retired from the Navy and working for someone else. Who knows.
Anyway, we got home this past Tuesday and it's been a warm one ever since. I've still been feeling pretty good. I'm still really tired at certain points during the day and I get nauseous in the afternoons/evenings almost every day now. It's not awful but it's not fun. I'm almost 10 weeks now which is really exciting. I'm so ready to be at the 12/13 week point so I'm out of the first trimester! My waistline is expanding a little each day and my pants are pretty uncomfortable. I bought a Bella Band yesterday so I might start using that pretty soon so I can wear my shorts unbuttoned. haha I've been reading some pregnancy books. First off, "What to Expect When Your Expecting" is truly the pregnancy bible. It has an answer to just about every question that pops into my mind. It's great. I also read Jenny McCarthy's book "Belly Laughs" and it was HILARIOUS! I was laughing out loud the whole way though. Sooooo funny. Those are the only two I've gotten and probably all I'll be reading. I don't want to get a thousand different ideas in my head so I figure I'll just keep it simple. :)
Speaking of reading, I'm REALLY wanting to read "The Help" and then see the movie when it comes out. I've heard it's so good and I can't wait to read/see it. I also need to get back on the studying train for the GRE. I have slacked off quite a bit and I take the GRE at the end of August so hopefully I'll do fine. Ugh!
Anyway, I hope all of you are having a great week and have something fun planned for the weekend! You Floridians are lucky that you have the water close-by! I can't wait to be down there in a couple weeks to take a dip in the Gulf and in a pool! I miss swimming so much!
Talk soon-
Chrissi
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Whoa- June 20 was my last post???
Sorry folks, I obviously have let this blog thing go to the way side. There's been a lot going on in the land of the Jenkins in the last month. So, I'll simply catch you up to speed!
Well, the summer is in full swing and we've had our share of heat waves up here already. And, our lack of central air simply SUCKS! Yes, we have window units but it is NOT the same. Oh well, though. Summers up here don't last too terribly long and I can get by with the house being around 78-80 (with the air on). Granted, I make our bedroom about 65 degrees at night, which is awesome. But, I'm definitely ready for Fall! I love Fall up here so much. It's amazing with the leaves changing and crisp temps.
Other than the weather, another main topic of our summer was Dad & Rhonda coming to visit on 4th of July weekend. We had such a fantastic time and they got to see a lot of our area. We went to the AT&T National Golf tournament, a first Friday celebration in a nearby town, and then stayed at the Ritz Carlton on their last night in Philly. It was a great time! I'm so glad they came up and now I'm waiting on the next visit from someone! Alison (my best best friend) is coming to visit August 3rd and then she and I are driving down to Florida so I can spend about a week in Pensacola! I'm super pumped about her coming to visit! Love her so much! And, the roadtrip is bound to be an experience!! haha You never know what will happen when the two of us get together.
Christian has been traveling quite a bit on short trips this summer and he leaves for a 30 day trip to Bahrain on July 27th. I'll certainly miss him and this is the first time he will be in the Middle East since we've been together. So, I have my own stresses about that. But, I'm faithful that everything will be fine. :) Before he leaves, we're heading to Maryland this weekend to see his family for a few days. They have a family reunion this Saturday so that should be a good time. We'll also play some golf and enjoy the cooler weather in the mountains of western Maryland. We come back Tuesday and then we only have one more week before he leaves.
And, to get to the main topic, I think everyone that this blog is sent to already knows that I'm pregnant. We're super excited but I'm still pretty nervous. As you all know, we tried for about a year with no luck. I was referred to a fertility specialist who found a polyp in my uterus and I eventually had a hysteroscopy and polypectomy to remove it. And within a couple weeks, I got pregnant! I'm eight 1/2 weeks now and everything has been going ok. I had my first ultrasound at 6 weeks and 4 days and we were able to see the heart beating. That was pretty awesome. I had a minor scare yesterday when I was at work and had some pretty bad cramping and ended up coming home to rest. The cramping went away as soon as I laid down and relaxed and I had no bleeding whatsoever. I called my doc and he said it may have been from the exam I had the day before (normal pap and all that stuff that goes on at first OB appt) or just because my uterus is expanding and if there isn't any bleeding, there's no need to be alarmed at this point and to let him know how I was feeling today. So, I called him back today to let him know that I feel fine and they just told me to drink plenty of fluids and stay off my feet as much as possible. So, I didn't go to work today either and I'm off until next week. Since I stand for about five hours at a time at work, I figure that's not the best thing to do when the doc tells me to stay off my feet. So, other than that, I'm feeling fine! I have some very sore boobs, I'm crazy tired and hungry almost all the time. Just please say a little prayer that everything is still OK and continues to go OK throughout the pregnancy. I assume it's normal to freak out about something happening but this has been a long time coming and I just hope and pray that everything stays healthy.
I know there are some of you that I don't directly send this to but who follow my blog anyway. I just ask anyone to please NOT post anything on Facebook. This blog is a little more intimate and I don't mind a few people knowing but I'm not ready to broadcast it to the world just yet. Thanks ahead of time. :)
So, needless to say, we've been busy!!! I also want to congratulate two of my best friends on their pregnancies too! Laura and Stan are expecting twins!!!! And Christina and Chad are expecting a little one a few weeks before we are. Sooo exciting. I would absolutely freak if I was having twins just because Christian is gone and that would NOT be easy but I know Laura and she's a rock and her and Stan's families will certainly be there for them since they all live within about 20 minutes of eachother! Fantastic. Christina is my friend who lives in VA Beach and he husband is actually deployed right now until December and she's due in January. So, I'll have to visit her to keep her company a little during the pregnancy.
Anyway, I hope you're all having a fantastic week! It's more than half way over now! Enjoy the upcoming weekend and I'll keep y'all updated on everything.
xoxo,
Chrissi
Well, the summer is in full swing and we've had our share of heat waves up here already. And, our lack of central air simply SUCKS! Yes, we have window units but it is NOT the same. Oh well, though. Summers up here don't last too terribly long and I can get by with the house being around 78-80 (with the air on). Granted, I make our bedroom about 65 degrees at night, which is awesome. But, I'm definitely ready for Fall! I love Fall up here so much. It's amazing with the leaves changing and crisp temps.
Other than the weather, another main topic of our summer was Dad & Rhonda coming to visit on 4th of July weekend. We had such a fantastic time and they got to see a lot of our area. We went to the AT&T National Golf tournament, a first Friday celebration in a nearby town, and then stayed at the Ritz Carlton on their last night in Philly. It was a great time! I'm so glad they came up and now I'm waiting on the next visit from someone! Alison (my best best friend) is coming to visit August 3rd and then she and I are driving down to Florida so I can spend about a week in Pensacola! I'm super pumped about her coming to visit! Love her so much! And, the roadtrip is bound to be an experience!! haha You never know what will happen when the two of us get together.
Christian has been traveling quite a bit on short trips this summer and he leaves for a 30 day trip to Bahrain on July 27th. I'll certainly miss him and this is the first time he will be in the Middle East since we've been together. So, I have my own stresses about that. But, I'm faithful that everything will be fine. :) Before he leaves, we're heading to Maryland this weekend to see his family for a few days. They have a family reunion this Saturday so that should be a good time. We'll also play some golf and enjoy the cooler weather in the mountains of western Maryland. We come back Tuesday and then we only have one more week before he leaves.
And, to get to the main topic, I think everyone that this blog is sent to already knows that I'm pregnant. We're super excited but I'm still pretty nervous. As you all know, we tried for about a year with no luck. I was referred to a fertility specialist who found a polyp in my uterus and I eventually had a hysteroscopy and polypectomy to remove it. And within a couple weeks, I got pregnant! I'm eight 1/2 weeks now and everything has been going ok. I had my first ultrasound at 6 weeks and 4 days and we were able to see the heart beating. That was pretty awesome. I had a minor scare yesterday when I was at work and had some pretty bad cramping and ended up coming home to rest. The cramping went away as soon as I laid down and relaxed and I had no bleeding whatsoever. I called my doc and he said it may have been from the exam I had the day before (normal pap and all that stuff that goes on at first OB appt) or just because my uterus is expanding and if there isn't any bleeding, there's no need to be alarmed at this point and to let him know how I was feeling today. So, I called him back today to let him know that I feel fine and they just told me to drink plenty of fluids and stay off my feet as much as possible. So, I didn't go to work today either and I'm off until next week. Since I stand for about five hours at a time at work, I figure that's not the best thing to do when the doc tells me to stay off my feet. So, other than that, I'm feeling fine! I have some very sore boobs, I'm crazy tired and hungry almost all the time. Just please say a little prayer that everything is still OK and continues to go OK throughout the pregnancy. I assume it's normal to freak out about something happening but this has been a long time coming and I just hope and pray that everything stays healthy.
I know there are some of you that I don't directly send this to but who follow my blog anyway. I just ask anyone to please NOT post anything on Facebook. This blog is a little more intimate and I don't mind a few people knowing but I'm not ready to broadcast it to the world just yet. Thanks ahead of time. :)
So, needless to say, we've been busy!!! I also want to congratulate two of my best friends on their pregnancies too! Laura and Stan are expecting twins!!!! And Christina and Chad are expecting a little one a few weeks before we are. Sooo exciting. I would absolutely freak if I was having twins just because Christian is gone and that would NOT be easy but I know Laura and she's a rock and her and Stan's families will certainly be there for them since they all live within about 20 minutes of eachother! Fantastic. Christina is my friend who lives in VA Beach and he husband is actually deployed right now until December and she's due in January. So, I'll have to visit her to keep her company a little during the pregnancy.
Anyway, I hope you're all having a fantastic week! It's more than half way over now! Enjoy the upcoming weekend and I'll keep y'all updated on everything.
xoxo,
Chrissi
Monday, June 20, 2011
Happy Monday!
I know the title of this blog may upset some of you but, frankly, I love Mondays.... especially when Christian is gone. I can't stand the weekends when he's gone b/c I have nothing to do and there's only so much stuff I can do by myself. Plus, I'm used to my daytime t.v. shows and my regular routine during the week. But, I did work yesterday for five hours so that killed some time.
Speaking of doing things by myself- Saturday I went to the Philadelphia Art Museum for the first time since we moved up here! I know Christian doesn't like the artsy fartsy stuff so I decided if I was going to go, I was going to be alone. Plus, for those of you who know me, you know that I LOVE doing things by myself sometimes because I need "me time". I get that from my momma. So anyway, the museum was fun! Plus, I got in free b/c they are a Blue Star museum which means military families get in free between Memorial Day and Labor Day. Regular admission is $25 so I figured I better take advantage of this deal! The only other art museum I've been to is the National Gallery of Art in DC. That was pretty neat too but I was w/ Christian and he was making jokes so I couldn't really appreciate what I was looking at. At the PMA on Saturday, I saw two different areas of the museum. I saw all of the American art which consisted of paintings of American Indians and their treks across country and then the majority of the rest of that exhibit was all American-made antique furniture. That was pretty neat b/c I love antiques! It was awesome to see an old elaborate bedroom all set up and staged behind glass or big wardrobes from the 1700s. Then, after the American stuff, I saw some European art which consisted of about 20 different Monet pieces and, of course, several other artists I had never heard of. Then, in that same area was the modern or contemporary art. That stuff is strange! There was a whole room with about 6 HUGE canvases just with Greek gods' names scribbled on them with what looked like crayons. There was a piece that was a wall-mounted sink with two left-footed child's legs coming out of it. Yeah, weird and I don't get that stuff. haha But then, I saw a lone Pablo Picasso piece. That was pretty neat. So, at that point, I had seen two of the most famous artists' pieces. It may not be a big deal to some of you but I thought it was pretty neat. Then, one of my favorite artists is Jackson Pollock. I was walking around and almost out of the area with that type of art when I ran across one smaller piece of his and that made my day. I was thinking I wasn't going to see one. So, after that, I made my way to the gift shop to look around and then headed towards the exit. I didn't have the desire to see the entire museum that day. It was fun, it was free, and I got some culture!
As I mentioned, Christian is on another trip. He's headed out the Pacific but will be back this coming Sunday. He left last Friday. When he gets back, we're going out to his dad's for a couple days which should be fun. It's beautiful out there in the summertime. Then, we'll come back either Tuesday or Wednesday then Dad & Rhonda get here next Friday!!! I'm SOOO excited for them to get here! We have a fun weekend planned. Friday will probably be pretty low-key but we might go to Haddonfield to walk around since they have a celebration on the first Friday of every month. Then, depending on Saturday's weather, there's a really neat farm around here that I want to visit and then Saturday night we're going to take them to New Hope! I LOVE NEW HOPE! It's such a fantastic little town. Then, Sunday is our day/night in Philly. Dad, being his typical self, booked two rooms for us at the Ritz in Center City for us to stay there Sunday night. That should be fun! It's completely unnecessary since we clearly have a place to stay but he insisted so we're tagging along..... darn, right?! haha
I'm really looking forward to my next trip home too! My best friend, Alison, is flying up here in August and we're going to drive back to Florida together! So much fun! We've been best friends for 24 years and this is our first long road trip together. Plus, she's one of the very few people I could actually stand to be in a car with for that long. haha Christian will be gone the whole month of August over to the Middle East. When he gets back, we're planning to go to Germany to see the family. I can't wait. I love going over there. Not sure if we'll go to Austria this time. It all depends on which house his grandparents are staying in (their main house is in Frankfurt, Germany and their vacation home is in Faistenau, Austria- just outside of Salzburg). Faistenau is absolutely gorgeous and just a neat experience but Frankfurt is where ALL of the family is so that's fun too. Then, once we get back from Germany, October will be sneaking up on us. Then, Christian is in a wedding in Houston at the beginning of November and then we'll come to Florida for Thanksgiving and spend Christmas up here. We have a ski trip planned with friends right after Christmas so I'm pretty excited about that! We had a blast two years ago and it's an every two-year tradition now in upstate New York. Then, it will be an exciting 2012, to say the least! Gosh, the rest of this year is going to fly by. I'm already looking forward to Fall! Plus, I wanted to listen to Christmas music the other day but I held back! haha
One more thing- I get daily newsletter emails from Oprah.com and this article came across last week but I've saved it b/c it's a good one. It's about happiness. And, since you all know how much I love being happy, do me a favor and read it (yes, it's a smidge long). :) The seventh paragraph is pretty good. Also, if any of you are looking for a good book, I'll recommend one that I read last year and still think about all the time. It's called The Happiness Project by Gretchin Rubin. It's a really good book that's written really well. I think it's good for folks around my age and maybe a little older. So anyway, here's the article:
http://www.oprah.com/spirit/Mindfulness-and-Positive-Spirit-Methods-to-Achieve-Happiness
Ok- hope everyone has a fantastic week!!!! Do something that makes you happy!
xoxo,
Chrissi
Speaking of doing things by myself- Saturday I went to the Philadelphia Art Museum for the first time since we moved up here! I know Christian doesn't like the artsy fartsy stuff so I decided if I was going to go, I was going to be alone. Plus, for those of you who know me, you know that I LOVE doing things by myself sometimes because I need "me time". I get that from my momma. So anyway, the museum was fun! Plus, I got in free b/c they are a Blue Star museum which means military families get in free between Memorial Day and Labor Day. Regular admission is $25 so I figured I better take advantage of this deal! The only other art museum I've been to is the National Gallery of Art in DC. That was pretty neat too but I was w/ Christian and he was making jokes so I couldn't really appreciate what I was looking at. At the PMA on Saturday, I saw two different areas of the museum. I saw all of the American art which consisted of paintings of American Indians and their treks across country and then the majority of the rest of that exhibit was all American-made antique furniture. That was pretty neat b/c I love antiques! It was awesome to see an old elaborate bedroom all set up and staged behind glass or big wardrobes from the 1700s. Then, after the American stuff, I saw some European art which consisted of about 20 different Monet pieces and, of course, several other artists I had never heard of. Then, in that same area was the modern or contemporary art. That stuff is strange! There was a whole room with about 6 HUGE canvases just with Greek gods' names scribbled on them with what looked like crayons. There was a piece that was a wall-mounted sink with two left-footed child's legs coming out of it. Yeah, weird and I don't get that stuff. haha But then, I saw a lone Pablo Picasso piece. That was pretty neat. So, at that point, I had seen two of the most famous artists' pieces. It may not be a big deal to some of you but I thought it was pretty neat. Then, one of my favorite artists is Jackson Pollock. I was walking around and almost out of the area with that type of art when I ran across one smaller piece of his and that made my day. I was thinking I wasn't going to see one. So, after that, I made my way to the gift shop to look around and then headed towards the exit. I didn't have the desire to see the entire museum that day. It was fun, it was free, and I got some culture!
As I mentioned, Christian is on another trip. He's headed out the Pacific but will be back this coming Sunday. He left last Friday. When he gets back, we're going out to his dad's for a couple days which should be fun. It's beautiful out there in the summertime. Then, we'll come back either Tuesday or Wednesday then Dad & Rhonda get here next Friday!!! I'm SOOO excited for them to get here! We have a fun weekend planned. Friday will probably be pretty low-key but we might go to Haddonfield to walk around since they have a celebration on the first Friday of every month. Then, depending on Saturday's weather, there's a really neat farm around here that I want to visit and then Saturday night we're going to take them to New Hope! I LOVE NEW HOPE! It's such a fantastic little town. Then, Sunday is our day/night in Philly. Dad, being his typical self, booked two rooms for us at the Ritz in Center City for us to stay there Sunday night. That should be fun! It's completely unnecessary since we clearly have a place to stay but he insisted so we're tagging along..... darn, right?! haha
I'm really looking forward to my next trip home too! My best friend, Alison, is flying up here in August and we're going to drive back to Florida together! So much fun! We've been best friends for 24 years and this is our first long road trip together. Plus, she's one of the very few people I could actually stand to be in a car with for that long. haha Christian will be gone the whole month of August over to the Middle East. When he gets back, we're planning to go to Germany to see the family. I can't wait. I love going over there. Not sure if we'll go to Austria this time. It all depends on which house his grandparents are staying in (their main house is in Frankfurt, Germany and their vacation home is in Faistenau, Austria- just outside of Salzburg). Faistenau is absolutely gorgeous and just a neat experience but Frankfurt is where ALL of the family is so that's fun too. Then, once we get back from Germany, October will be sneaking up on us. Then, Christian is in a wedding in Houston at the beginning of November and then we'll come to Florida for Thanksgiving and spend Christmas up here. We have a ski trip planned with friends right after Christmas so I'm pretty excited about that! We had a blast two years ago and it's an every two-year tradition now in upstate New York. Then, it will be an exciting 2012, to say the least! Gosh, the rest of this year is going to fly by. I'm already looking forward to Fall! Plus, I wanted to listen to Christmas music the other day but I held back! haha
One more thing- I get daily newsletter emails from Oprah.com and this article came across last week but I've saved it b/c it's a good one. It's about happiness. And, since you all know how much I love being happy, do me a favor and read it (yes, it's a smidge long). :) The seventh paragraph is pretty good. Also, if any of you are looking for a good book, I'll recommend one that I read last year and still think about all the time. It's called The Happiness Project by Gretchin Rubin. It's a really good book that's written really well. I think it's good for folks around my age and maybe a little older. So anyway, here's the article:
http://www.oprah.com/spirit/Mindfulness-and-Positive-Spirit-Methods-to-Achieve-Happiness
Ok- hope everyone has a fantastic week!!!! Do something that makes you happy!
xoxo,
Chrissi
Sunday, June 12, 2011
Lordy Lordy.... look who's turning....er, 26.
Happy Sunday morning!!!
I hope all of you are having a fantastic weekend and that you all did something fun! Mine has been wonderful. My girlfriends and I went over to Atlantic City Friday night for my birthday celebration and had an absolute blast! I slept 'til 10 a.m. today to make up for the loss of sleep. haha We had five girls and went to dinner at Buddakon (a great Asian upscale place) and then went out at Ceasars and then over to the Borgata. We were out until about 4 a.m. You seriously lose track of time in those places!!! I lost $100 on roulette, Vicki won $200+ on the Wheel of Fortune slots and then Trish "won" $500 because a guy she was tagging along with a guy who won $15,000 after a $5,000 blackjack bet and gave her $500 (great story!). haha So, we had a blast.
Yesterday was a low-key rainy day and Christian had to work. Last night we walking into town to get sushi and on the way back we saw our first fire flies of the season. I love those things! They make the fields up here look like they sparkle at night. Today I'm going to be cleaning house and working on the yard. We're having Christian's squadron's Admin dept over tomorrow for a cookout so we have a lot to do to prepare for that. The weather has been gloomy this weekend but it's supposed to be sunny and 80 degrees tomorrow! PERFECTION, right?! I love summertime up here. And, it's my birthday tomorrow!
So anyway, I'll catch you guys up on a few things. Last weekend, we were down in Pensacola for a wedding and to see the finished product at our house in Pace. It looks great and we're very happy with the work! But, now we need renters! We have it listed with a realtor so hopefully she'll find someone soon. Jenna's wedding last weekend was so much fun and so beautiful. She looked amazing as well. We had a great time. On Friday night, Dad took Christian and I over to Fairhope, AL for dinner at the Wash House. I HIGHLY recommend that place!!! It's sooooooooo good! The decorations and atmosphere are fantastic too! Yummo! I want to go back TONIGHT! haha The trip was fun and short lived. But, we headed back to Philly Monday night and have had a good week.
I started my new job at Pottery Barn Wednesday! It was a lot of fun. I'll be working two shifts during the week and one on the weekend. And, I've already requested a ton of time off and they seem to be fine with it so I'm diggin' this whole thing. :) I've already redecorated my house in my head with stuff in the store. haha! I LOVE their stuff.
I started studying for the GRE already and I'm a bit nervous. The math portion is going to rock my world. The essays and stuff like that don't worry me but the fact that I haven't had any math in about six years is a little terrifying. Christian has already helped me a little bit so that's good.
I ordered the book "Marriage Confidential" that I mentioned in my last post. So, I'm looking forward to starting that this week.
I have to mention the fact that I'm sitting on the porch right now typing this and listening to the Smooth Jazz channel on Direct TV and I swear I turn more into my mother every day! haha I remember waking up in middle and high school on Sunday mornings to jazz music playing, windows open and mom either cleaning or sitting on the porch reading. Cat Sunday Jazz Brunch on 99.9.... ohhh memories. :) Love you momma!
So, anyway, nothing much more is going on. Enjoy your Sunday and have a great week coming up!
"Guard well your spare moments. They are like uncut diamonds. Discard them and their value will never be known. Improve them and they will become the brightest gems in a useful life." -Ralph Waldo Emerson
I hope all of you are having a fantastic weekend and that you all did something fun! Mine has been wonderful. My girlfriends and I went over to Atlantic City Friday night for my birthday celebration and had an absolute blast! I slept 'til 10 a.m. today to make up for the loss of sleep. haha We had five girls and went to dinner at Buddakon (a great Asian upscale place) and then went out at Ceasars and then over to the Borgata. We were out until about 4 a.m. You seriously lose track of time in those places!!! I lost $100 on roulette, Vicki won $200+ on the Wheel of Fortune slots and then Trish "won" $500 because a guy she was tagging along with a guy who won $15,000 after a $5,000 blackjack bet and gave her $500 (great story!). haha So, we had a blast.
Yesterday was a low-key rainy day and Christian had to work. Last night we walking into town to get sushi and on the way back we saw our first fire flies of the season. I love those things! They make the fields up here look like they sparkle at night. Today I'm going to be cleaning house and working on the yard. We're having Christian's squadron's Admin dept over tomorrow for a cookout so we have a lot to do to prepare for that. The weather has been gloomy this weekend but it's supposed to be sunny and 80 degrees tomorrow! PERFECTION, right?! I love summertime up here. And, it's my birthday tomorrow!
So anyway, I'll catch you guys up on a few things. Last weekend, we were down in Pensacola for a wedding and to see the finished product at our house in Pace. It looks great and we're very happy with the work! But, now we need renters! We have it listed with a realtor so hopefully she'll find someone soon. Jenna's wedding last weekend was so much fun and so beautiful. She looked amazing as well. We had a great time. On Friday night, Dad took Christian and I over to Fairhope, AL for dinner at the Wash House. I HIGHLY recommend that place!!! It's sooooooooo good! The decorations and atmosphere are fantastic too! Yummo! I want to go back TONIGHT! haha The trip was fun and short lived. But, we headed back to Philly Monday night and have had a good week.
I started my new job at Pottery Barn Wednesday! It was a lot of fun. I'll be working two shifts during the week and one on the weekend. And, I've already requested a ton of time off and they seem to be fine with it so I'm diggin' this whole thing. :) I've already redecorated my house in my head with stuff in the store. haha! I LOVE their stuff.
I started studying for the GRE already and I'm a bit nervous. The math portion is going to rock my world. The essays and stuff like that don't worry me but the fact that I haven't had any math in about six years is a little terrifying. Christian has already helped me a little bit so that's good.
I ordered the book "Marriage Confidential" that I mentioned in my last post. So, I'm looking forward to starting that this week.
I have to mention the fact that I'm sitting on the porch right now typing this and listening to the Smooth Jazz channel on Direct TV and I swear I turn more into my mother every day! haha I remember waking up in middle and high school on Sunday mornings to jazz music playing, windows open and mom either cleaning or sitting on the porch reading. Cat Sunday Jazz Brunch on 99.9.... ohhh memories. :) Love you momma!
So, anyway, nothing much more is going on. Enjoy your Sunday and have a great week coming up!
"Guard well your spare moments. They are like uncut diamonds. Discard them and their value will never be known. Improve them and they will become the brightest gems in a useful life." -Ralph Waldo Emerson
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
Happy June!
Can any of you really believe that today is the first day of June? I CANNOT! It's nuts that this year is just about half over! 2011 has been a pretty decent year so far, I must say. We've had a lot of fun, we're loving New Jersey and we've continued our crazy traveling. I hope it's been a great year for all of you as well!
So, my last post was all about Oprah's farewell and I must say, I find myself a little lost at 4:00 every afternoon. I'm used to my daily dose of Oprah therapy at that time and I no longer get that! So, I will have to find some other way to be enlightened. ;) I hope to get back into reading very soon. I had a bucket list goal of 12 books for the year and I think I've finished two. Oops. I'm going to head to the bookstore later today and check out a new book my friend, Vicki, recommended to me. She knows that I'm obsessed with marriage and relationships and all that jazz so the book is called "Marriage Confidential". It had a great write-up in USA Today and has been pretty interested! http://usat.ly/iudy6k
One other thing that I will have to keep me busy during the summer is studying for the GRE. I finally bit the bullet and registered to take the GRE at the end of August. I'm super intimidated; especially about the math portion. I haven't had math since my sophomore year of college! Hopefully Christian's engineering brain will be able to help me out with the arithmetic. I probably won't be starting grad school anytime soon, though. We only have two years left here in Jersey and then we don't know where we'll end up so I don't want to start something here and then have to worry about credits not transferring. I'll start once we figure out where we're moving. Something that is slightly unfortunate is the fact that only a select number of schools offer the program that I'm really interested in: sex therapy. As I mentioned in last week's post, Oprah kickstarted the public career of Dr. Laura Berman, a renowned sex & relationship therapist based in Chicago. I started listening to her talk radio show a couple years ago and just fell in love with her work. She's so open-minded and helps everyday people open their minds to new ways to improve their relationships (although, not only through sex). Thomas Jefferson University here in Philly offers a fantastic program instructed by accredited sex therapists. I would LOVE to get into that program but who knows if we'll stay here. I think there are about 11 schools that offer this program and they're pretty much all in the Northeast. So, we'll see if I actually get to do something that specialized or if I'll have to go the more traditional route of Marriage and Family Counseling. There are many more schools that offer that program. We shall see. Either way, I know it will be interesting.
So, other than that stuff, here are a few updates on our lives! We had a great Memorial Day weekend with lots of activities going on. Saturday, we went to an airshow in Millville, NJ and then to a BBQ at Tim & Katie's (Tim is in Christian's squadron). Sunday, we laid low around the house and then went to my friend Vicki's place for a cookout. And then, Monday, we went boating down in Baltimore with Christian's biological dad and his family. We had a great time all weekend!
Christian's back to work for a three-day week and then we leave Friday morning for Pensacola! I can't wait to see my parents and family and friends! I'm so excited. I get even more excited when Christian gets to come home with me! We get in early Friday morning and we have to take care of some final things with our house in Pace and then we have dinner reservations over in Fairhope with Dad & Rhonda. They've been telling me all about this place called The Wash House so I asked Dad to make reservations for the four of us. Saturday morning will be spent with family since we get to see baby Bram and the rest of that clan. Then, we'll probably grab lunch or something with Mom, John and Adam. Saturday evening will be spent celebrating Jenna & James getting hitched! I'm so excited for the wedding and to see all of our friends in one place! Great times to be had! Then, we have Sunday and Monday to kill some time before we head back north.
The following weekend is my birthday weekend so me and about five other girlfriends are heading to Atlantic City! We'll be hanging by the pool by day and partying by night! I'm pretty pumped about it! My first summertime trip to the shore. ha!
Oh- I almost forgot! I had my Pottery Barn orientation yesterday! It went really well and I'm pretty excited to work there to kill some time. Our store manager is super nice and really laid back. I'm pretty stoked about the 40% discount too! I was looking through a catalog this morning and I want everything! haha I start work next Wednesday and I'll probably work two shifts a week. They're going to be really flexible with my schedule because I want to be able to be home when Christian is home from trips. So, that's really great. I met two other new girls that I'll be working with and they're super nice too. Everything seems like it's going to be pretty perfect!
Nothing much else to report. I hope all of you are having a great short week! Happy June and Happy Summer! Enjoy it!
xoxo,
Chrissi
So, my last post was all about Oprah's farewell and I must say, I find myself a little lost at 4:00 every afternoon. I'm used to my daily dose of Oprah therapy at that time and I no longer get that! So, I will have to find some other way to be enlightened. ;) I hope to get back into reading very soon. I had a bucket list goal of 12 books for the year and I think I've finished two. Oops. I'm going to head to the bookstore later today and check out a new book my friend, Vicki, recommended to me. She knows that I'm obsessed with marriage and relationships and all that jazz so the book is called "Marriage Confidential". It had a great write-up in USA Today and has been pretty interested! http://usat.ly/iudy6k
One other thing that I will have to keep me busy during the summer is studying for the GRE. I finally bit the bullet and registered to take the GRE at the end of August. I'm super intimidated; especially about the math portion. I haven't had math since my sophomore year of college! Hopefully Christian's engineering brain will be able to help me out with the arithmetic. I probably won't be starting grad school anytime soon, though. We only have two years left here in Jersey and then we don't know where we'll end up so I don't want to start something here and then have to worry about credits not transferring. I'll start once we figure out where we're moving. Something that is slightly unfortunate is the fact that only a select number of schools offer the program that I'm really interested in: sex therapy. As I mentioned in last week's post, Oprah kickstarted the public career of Dr. Laura Berman, a renowned sex & relationship therapist based in Chicago. I started listening to her talk radio show a couple years ago and just fell in love with her work. She's so open-minded and helps everyday people open their minds to new ways to improve their relationships (although, not only through sex). Thomas Jefferson University here in Philly offers a fantastic program instructed by accredited sex therapists. I would LOVE to get into that program but who knows if we'll stay here. I think there are about 11 schools that offer this program and they're pretty much all in the Northeast. So, we'll see if I actually get to do something that specialized or if I'll have to go the more traditional route of Marriage and Family Counseling. There are many more schools that offer that program. We shall see. Either way, I know it will be interesting.
So, other than that stuff, here are a few updates on our lives! We had a great Memorial Day weekend with lots of activities going on. Saturday, we went to an airshow in Millville, NJ and then to a BBQ at Tim & Katie's (Tim is in Christian's squadron). Sunday, we laid low around the house and then went to my friend Vicki's place for a cookout. And then, Monday, we went boating down in Baltimore with Christian's biological dad and his family. We had a great time all weekend!
Christian's back to work for a three-day week and then we leave Friday morning for Pensacola! I can't wait to see my parents and family and friends! I'm so excited. I get even more excited when Christian gets to come home with me! We get in early Friday morning and we have to take care of some final things with our house in Pace and then we have dinner reservations over in Fairhope with Dad & Rhonda. They've been telling me all about this place called The Wash House so I asked Dad to make reservations for the four of us. Saturday morning will be spent with family since we get to see baby Bram and the rest of that clan. Then, we'll probably grab lunch or something with Mom, John and Adam. Saturday evening will be spent celebrating Jenna & James getting hitched! I'm so excited for the wedding and to see all of our friends in one place! Great times to be had! Then, we have Sunday and Monday to kill some time before we head back north.
The following weekend is my birthday weekend so me and about five other girlfriends are heading to Atlantic City! We'll be hanging by the pool by day and partying by night! I'm pretty pumped about it! My first summertime trip to the shore. ha!
Oh- I almost forgot! I had my Pottery Barn orientation yesterday! It went really well and I'm pretty excited to work there to kill some time. Our store manager is super nice and really laid back. I'm pretty stoked about the 40% discount too! I was looking through a catalog this morning and I want everything! haha I start work next Wednesday and I'll probably work two shifts a week. They're going to be really flexible with my schedule because I want to be able to be home when Christian is home from trips. So, that's really great. I met two other new girls that I'll be working with and they're super nice too. Everything seems like it's going to be pretty perfect!
Nothing much else to report. I hope all of you are having a great short week! Happy June and Happy Summer! Enjoy it!
xoxo,
Chrissi
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Goodbye Ms. O
I know it's been a little while since I posted on this blog. I am also well aware that I'm slacking on my "2011 bucket list" goal of posting at least once a week. However, this post has been purposely delayed. I have had plenty opportunities to post in the last week or so but I really didn't have too many relevant things to say so I figured the finale of The Oprah Winfrey Show would give me plenty to post about. So, I waited.
Today, Ms. O signed off from her daily talk show after 25 years of informing, influencing, teaching, and changing the lives of millions of viewers from around our world. This final show was exactly what it should have been. It was just Oprah. As she said, "no one is getting a car and nothing is under your seat", "no more surprises and no special guests". It really was the perfect way to end a truly great show. In my lifetime, the best finale that I have ever seen was that of Sex and the City. I suppose it compares to the finale of Cheers or Dynasty for those of you who are a bit older than me. These shows ended without leaving anyone on their toes and left everything the way it really was supposed to be. Oprah did just that.
I sat on the couch in my living room with a box of tissues ready for those tear-jerking moments that Oprah tends to deliver. I also had a notepad in hand. She reviewed the lessons she has learned over the years and I wrote them down. Oprah has been a true role model to me in my life. No, I'm not delusional and yes, I realize she is just another person on t.v. But, to me, she's so much more than that. If Eleanor Roosevelt or Rosa Parks or Mother Theresa can be role models, so can Oprah. Her wisdom and the fact that she shows grace and humility and strength and power in everything she does has meant so much to so many people.
Oprah's show has been on since the year after I was born. So, she truly has been a part of my entire life. I remember seeing my mom, aunts and grandmother watch Oprah in the afternoons. I, myself, started really watching The Oprah Winfrey Show in my last few years of high school. I remember when I was about 20, I was opening birthday gifts from my longtime boyfriend and for that birthday, he gave me a very nice watch, a beautiful sapphire and diamond ring and The Oprah Winfrey Show 20th Anniversary collectors edition box set. Take a wild guess at which gift I cried. Yep, I cried when I opened the Oprah DVDs. So, obviously, her message has meant a lot to me in the past several years.
She has long been a member of the most powerful women in the world and will remain that to so many people. I admire her for what she stands for, who she is, how open she is to learning about people and feelings and why things are the way they are. I love that she truly inspires people to go for whatever their life calling is, once they find it. I also love the way she has provided a platform to so many other experts to put important, life-changing topics at the forefront of our minds. Some of those experts are Dr. Phil, who has a no-bullshit method of getting people to realize why they are the way they are and how it's affecting those around them; Dr. Oz who made medicine pretty cool and told everyone what the perfect poop is supposed to look like (haha!!); Dr. Laura Berman (my personal role model) who is a sex and relationship therapist who has made having conversations about sex, feelings, love and relationships MUCH less taboo and much more comfortable and easy; and Nate Berkus who has taught so many people to create a home that rises up to greet them every day.
I mentioned a little earlier that I wrote down the key lessons that Oprah reviewed today. Here is what I wrote down and a few bits of my own personal insight about each of them.
*What sparks the light inside of you?*: This is a crafty way of saying "what really inspires you" and I like the way it was said. :)
*Start embracing the life that is calling you and use your life to serve the world*: I can't wait for the moment when I will really figure out what I was placed on this earth to do. I haven't quite found it yet and although I have whispers about it, I still need to figure out how.
*Nobody but you is responsible for your life*: I am lucky to have been raised by a very independent mother and a father who taught be to do things for myself. I know to never look to another human being to "complete" me (Jerry McGuire was just a movie) and I understand that I am responsible for the outcome of this life I lead. And, while I love my husband to pieces, I do not look to him to be my everything.
*You are responsible for the energy you create for yourself and the energy you bring to others*: I try to constantly be aware of this- especially about the energy that I bring to others. This is so important and our society with it's politics has strayed so far from caring about other people's feelings.
*Newton's Law: For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction*: Karma's a bitch. I've been on each side of karma and it is one of the best rules to live by in my opinion. What you shell out comes back at you, ten fold.
*Know the difference between thinking you deserve to be happy and knowing you are worthy of being happy*: this is an awkward and confusing thing I continue to deal with... I'm knowing a little more each day.
*Do you see me? Do you hear me? Does anything I say mean anything to you?*: every single person on the face of this planet needs a little validation every once and a while. Whether it be a child who sits alone in class and acts up just because he wants a little attention or a wife and mother who raises kids, cleans the house, pays the bills, runs the errands, and puts herself last. We all need validation to show us that we are seen, we are heard and that we mean something to you.
*Be still and know*: Be still and listen to what the God (or your version of that one higher being) is telling you and know that everything is happening the way it should. It may just be a whisper telling you that something isn't quite right about a certain situation. Or, it may be a whole brick wall falling on top of you that stops you in your tracks. But, your hearing that whisper for a reason and that brick wall fell on top of you for a reason.
So, obviously, I'm a fan. She will go down in history as an amazing woman and I will be able to tell my grandchildren about her impact on the world and on me. And, for that, I am grateful.
Here's hoping the world listens a little more to what The Oprah Winfrey Show has said in the last 25 years. We would be much better people if that were the case.
xo,
Chrissi
Today, Ms. O signed off from her daily talk show after 25 years of informing, influencing, teaching, and changing the lives of millions of viewers from around our world. This final show was exactly what it should have been. It was just Oprah. As she said, "no one is getting a car and nothing is under your seat", "no more surprises and no special guests". It really was the perfect way to end a truly great show. In my lifetime, the best finale that I have ever seen was that of Sex and the City. I suppose it compares to the finale of Cheers or Dynasty for those of you who are a bit older than me. These shows ended without leaving anyone on their toes and left everything the way it really was supposed to be. Oprah did just that.
I sat on the couch in my living room with a box of tissues ready for those tear-jerking moments that Oprah tends to deliver. I also had a notepad in hand. She reviewed the lessons she has learned over the years and I wrote them down. Oprah has been a true role model to me in my life. No, I'm not delusional and yes, I realize she is just another person on t.v. But, to me, she's so much more than that. If Eleanor Roosevelt or Rosa Parks or Mother Theresa can be role models, so can Oprah. Her wisdom and the fact that she shows grace and humility and strength and power in everything she does has meant so much to so many people.
Oprah's show has been on since the year after I was born. So, she truly has been a part of my entire life. I remember seeing my mom, aunts and grandmother watch Oprah in the afternoons. I, myself, started really watching The Oprah Winfrey Show in my last few years of high school. I remember when I was about 20, I was opening birthday gifts from my longtime boyfriend and for that birthday, he gave me a very nice watch, a beautiful sapphire and diamond ring and The Oprah Winfrey Show 20th Anniversary collectors edition box set. Take a wild guess at which gift I cried. Yep, I cried when I opened the Oprah DVDs. So, obviously, her message has meant a lot to me in the past several years.
She has long been a member of the most powerful women in the world and will remain that to so many people. I admire her for what she stands for, who she is, how open she is to learning about people and feelings and why things are the way they are. I love that she truly inspires people to go for whatever their life calling is, once they find it. I also love the way she has provided a platform to so many other experts to put important, life-changing topics at the forefront of our minds. Some of those experts are Dr. Phil, who has a no-bullshit method of getting people to realize why they are the way they are and how it's affecting those around them; Dr. Oz who made medicine pretty cool and told everyone what the perfect poop is supposed to look like (haha!!); Dr. Laura Berman (my personal role model) who is a sex and relationship therapist who has made having conversations about sex, feelings, love and relationships MUCH less taboo and much more comfortable and easy; and Nate Berkus who has taught so many people to create a home that rises up to greet them every day.
I mentioned a little earlier that I wrote down the key lessons that Oprah reviewed today. Here is what I wrote down and a few bits of my own personal insight about each of them.
*What sparks the light inside of you?*: This is a crafty way of saying "what really inspires you" and I like the way it was said. :)
*Start embracing the life that is calling you and use your life to serve the world*: I can't wait for the moment when I will really figure out what I was placed on this earth to do. I haven't quite found it yet and although I have whispers about it, I still need to figure out how.
*Nobody but you is responsible for your life*: I am lucky to have been raised by a very independent mother and a father who taught be to do things for myself. I know to never look to another human being to "complete" me (Jerry McGuire was just a movie) and I understand that I am responsible for the outcome of this life I lead. And, while I love my husband to pieces, I do not look to him to be my everything.
*You are responsible for the energy you create for yourself and the energy you bring to others*: I try to constantly be aware of this- especially about the energy that I bring to others. This is so important and our society with it's politics has strayed so far from caring about other people's feelings.
*Newton's Law: For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction*: Karma's a bitch. I've been on each side of karma and it is one of the best rules to live by in my opinion. What you shell out comes back at you, ten fold.
*Know the difference between thinking you deserve to be happy and knowing you are worthy of being happy*: this is an awkward and confusing thing I continue to deal with... I'm knowing a little more each day.
*Do you see me? Do you hear me? Does anything I say mean anything to you?*: every single person on the face of this planet needs a little validation every once and a while. Whether it be a child who sits alone in class and acts up just because he wants a little attention or a wife and mother who raises kids, cleans the house, pays the bills, runs the errands, and puts herself last. We all need validation to show us that we are seen, we are heard and that we mean something to you.
*Be still and know*: Be still and listen to what the God (or your version of that one higher being) is telling you and know that everything is happening the way it should. It may just be a whisper telling you that something isn't quite right about a certain situation. Or, it may be a whole brick wall falling on top of you that stops you in your tracks. But, your hearing that whisper for a reason and that brick wall fell on top of you for a reason.
So, obviously, I'm a fan. She will go down in history as an amazing woman and I will be able to tell my grandchildren about her impact on the world and on me. And, for that, I am grateful.
Here's hoping the world listens a little more to what The Oprah Winfrey Show has said in the last 25 years. We would be much better people if that were the case.
xo,
Chrissi
Sunday, May 15, 2011
I came across this poem today and I love it so much! Great questions to ask yourself (myself)....
Self Portrait
It doesn't interest me if there is one God
Or many gods.
I want to know if you belong -- or feel abandoned;
If you know despair
Or can see it in others.
I want to know
If you are prepared to live in the world
With its harsh need to change you;
If you can look back with firm eyes
Saying "this is where I stand."
I want to know if you know
how to melt Into that fierce heat of living
Falling toward the center of your longing.
I want to know if you are willing
To live day by day
With the consequence of love
And the bitter unwanted passion
Of your sure defeat.
I have been told
In that fierce embrace
Even the gods Speak of God.
~ David Whyte ~ (Fire in the Earth)
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