Where's My Dream Life?

Everyone Loves Daisy

2012-02-25T13:37:00.000-05:00

I've mentioned before about how amazed and humbled I am when people get excited for us and Daisy. A good example of this is Zane's work relationships.

His job involves working in several elementary schools for about two weeks each. He had a great experience this month in a nearby school where everyone was excited about the fitness and character fundraising program that he runs. They love Boosterthon so much that they when found out the theme for this year's program, they incorporated it into every other event at the school: science fairs, etc.

They also love Zane, and therefore, they love me and Daisy.

A couple weeks ago, one of the teachers asked him, "Are you excited about Wednesday?" Zane paused for a second and said, "The fun run is on Friday, actually, but yeah!" The teacher replied, "No, you find out the sex of the baby on Wednesday!"

Strangers remember this stuff! (Okay, she's not a stranger to Zane, but she is to me, so I was surprised.)

This week, Zane returned to the school for follow up stuff, and two of the teachers gave him gifts for Daisy. I was just blown away. I've been blown away by receiving gifts from our friends and family, so I was double blown away by these strangers (to me).

We got these sweet, home-made headbands with flowers. Hopefully Daisy won't be opposed to headbands:

We also got Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? with a plush brown bear!

I can't wait to take Daisy by the school wearing her little flower headband to say thanks to these sweet people who loved on us so generously. That goes for all of you. Thank you so much for your love and generosity.

Daisy has no idea the amount of love waiting for her in this world!

Birthday Musings

2012-02-22T22:20:00.001-05:00

February 22 is coming to a close, which means another 365 days (or 366 this year) until my next birthday.

I kept forgetting my birthday was coming up. Life has been busy this month. Monday night, I had a fun birthday dinner with my family, and my sister asked what I was doing on Wednesday. I thought, "What's happening Wednesday?" Duh. My birthday.

Last year, I felt a kind of desperation to have a good birthday. I was deep in discouragement, dealing with infertility, insecurity in acting, sister moving across the globe, and Zane traveling on Valentine's day and my birthday.

This year, it's the opposite. I've never felt more celebrated in my life. I feel so much contentment and joy. Daisy has much to do with that. My birthday is just icing on the cake of life right now. Birthday presents and pampering are the sprinkles.

Whew! And life has sped up! It seems like the sands in the hour glass are dripping double-fast counting down to when Daisy arrives and changes the world.

I've been working more hours and trying to get more house projects done before June. I did most my birthday celebrating earlier this week, which was good, because I crashed when I got home today. Mario Galaxy was all I could handle tonight.

via

(I received this Mario Galaxy jigsaw puzzle for my birthday, but haven't done it yet. Seeing it on my kitchen table inspired me to play the actual video game tonight.)

I'm thankful for my life right now. I have a beautifully growing baby inside me, a husband who loves and takes care of me, family and friends who love me, a great home, a great job, a sweet dog. I have creative dreams and hope for a happy future. I know that God loves me unconditionally, and that whatever happens in life, it'll be for the glory of God.

It's been a crazy year of trials, healing and rejoicing. I predict the next year will be one of change and adjustment. I'm praying for peace and joy through it all.

A Plate and A Baby

2012-02-20T08:33:00.003-05:00

We had a busy weekend, but I'll share two happenings with you for brevity's sake:

1. Friday night Zane and I woke up at 3:00am to a loud crash noise. Zane jumped out of bed and ran down the hallway turning on lights, saying things like, "I'm going to kill someone." He checked everything, but couldn't find the source of the noise. Finally he noticed that only two of the three decorative plates on our wall were hanging there.

One of them fell and broke. I pieced it together and checked the manufacturer, but I forgot to take a picture of it before I threw it away today. It looked something like this, without the ornate border:

via

It actually didn't look like that very much, but it was a decorative plate by the same manufacturer.

It was a Majolica Schaumburg plate from the early 1900's that belonged to my great-grandmother. I was pretty upset that it broke, because it was my fault. I hadn't changed the string before I hung it two-ish years ago. The string was old and snapped.

We still have two more plates hanging, but I'm sad I broke my great-grandma's plate.

Ultimately, it was a plate. Just a plate. It was antique and had a value of $50-$250, but it wasn't a life. Just a plate. In a few weeks I won't even think about it anymore. Right? I mean, this kind of stuff happens all the time.

2. I saw Daisy move on Sunday. With my eyes!

We were organizing and purging stuff from closets and dressers in preparation for Daisy's arrival, and I laid down to take a break. After a few minutes, I felt her moving. I stared at my tummy and watched my dress slightly bounce with each kick.

I yelled for Zane to come in. We waited a little while for her to do it again, but she started kicking and bouncing my dress up. Zane put his hand right where she was kicking, so he finally got to feel her.

Since then, her kicks have been much more defined. I can foresee them getting to a point where they're not as enjoyable. But they'll still be miraculous.

365 Decision Time Trailer

2012-02-17T14:42:00.001-05:00

It's out! The trailer for 365 Decision Time! Follow the link to view the trailer.

I have a couple seconds of face-time in the end of the trailer, but I have more than that in the actual film. I hope this gets you guys excited about the movie!

Next up, the premiere! Not sure when that will be, but I'll keep you updated.

If you haven't already, catch up on my experiences during the production of 365 Decision Time here!

It's Gonna Be a Baby!

2012-02-16T09:30:00.000-05:00

You know the I Love Lucy episode where Lucy finds out she's pregnant, and she and Ethel have the following conversation:

Ethel: I wonder what it's going to be.
Lucy: It's gonna be a baby!!
Ethel: I know! I mean I wonder if I'm going to be a godmother or a godfather.

Wondering which you are going to be? Yesterday our baby pool was exactly 50/50 in percentage votes for boy versus girl. The populous couldn't decide, and neither could we. Luckily, we had the ultrasound.

Zane brought a pink polo and a blue polo to the appointment. I made these cute little rosettes and took them both to the doctor's office. Which ones did we end up wearing?

The pink ones!

You're all gonna be godmothers, because it's a GIRL!!

Last night we went out to dinner with my parents and sister and bro-in-law to celebrate, and my mom gave me a gift in pink wrapping paper (she also had a boy gift ready in her purse!):

So cute!! Thank heaven for little girls. Amen, amen! I can't wait to put it on our little baby girl!

We went to Carrabbas, and I got what I normally love there. I think pregnancy has changed my tastes, because I only liked it okay. Zane will get the leftovers. We also got a free dessert because we were celebrating!

The ultrasound looked great. She weighed 1lb1oz and was moving a LOT! I can feel her almost all the time. They couldn't get a good look at her heart because of her position, so we'll get another ultrasound in three weeks.

20 weeks!

Her name is Daisy. We don't know the middle name yet, but for now you can just call her Daisy.

Half of you who voted in our baby pool were right! I'm going to keep the pool open for the other stats, so you can still enter if you haven't already. The final calculation will not include the sex, since we announced it so soon. I'm also still working on a prize. We'll think of something, and it'll be good.

Yay for Daisy!

Happy Valentine's Day!

2012-02-14T18:57:00.004-05:00

Happy Valentine's Day everyone!

I had a pretty busy weekend, so I didn't get to make Zane anything until this afternoon. I got off work and ran to the grocery store to pick up stuff for taco night. Then I threw together a project that I planned in my head while at work.

I've seen variations of this concept online. I made five different heart strings and hung them from fans around our house. Here's two in the foreground and one in the background in the living room.

I basically just cut out hearts, tied scraps of ribbon together and stick-glued them on the string. Easy peasy. It took like 40 minutes. I thought about taking pictures of the process, but I was on a time crunch.

After I cleaned up the house and constructed and hung my heart strings, I made a valentine for Zane, and set it on the table.

Zane gave me my gift on Saturday. While I was at a women's retreat this weekend, he put together a mix cd for me, complete with a pretty album cover.

I really appreciated the gift, because he spent a lot of time on Saturday thinking of me and doing something just for me. I did laugh and say, "It says 'form her love,' not 'from her love.'" He looked at it and said, "Oh man, spell check didn't catch that!" Haha, he's funny. I asked him if I could post it on my blog, and he said he didn't care. I love a confident man. I love my cd. We decided that the album title is "Form Her Love."

Here's the song list. I had been saying how I wanted to listen to Phil Wickham. Zane added a bunch of Andrew Peterson songs too. "A Page is Turned" by Bebo Norman was sung at our wedding. That set me off in tears on the drive home from work. Then I kept crying through the rest of the marriage and family songs. You have to hear "Hold Up My Arms." I was crying like a pregnant woman in love.

When Zane got home, we prepared our taco fiesta, complete with fresh guacamole! A Valentine's Day feast! Plus, I have leftovers to take to work tomorrow.

Speaking of tomorrow - we find out the sex of the baby! Better get your votes in our baby pool, if you're interested! I don't know if the news will hit the internet tomorrow, but stay tuned. We will be announcing it eventually.

Homestar Runner Pillow Sham

2012-02-07T10:00:00.000-05:00

I had so much fun making my Valentine's sham, that I did another one for an old Homestar Runner t-shirt. I love Homestar and I wanted to immortalize him on a pillow for the nursery.

I did this pillow exactly the same way as the Valentine's sham. Check there for more detailed instructions. I used another of Zane's shirts that he gave me to craft. These shirts both have arm pit stains, so I was sure to NOT use that nasty part of the shirt.

I had this sweet Homestar Runner shirt from high school. I must have worn it some, because it has stains on it, but it always fit me funny. I know I won't be wearing it ever again, so I cut it up with no regrets.

So I cut him out and got my iron-on adhesive strips. I ironed him on the middle of the back piece of the shirt.

Then I top-stitched him on with blue thread.

I added the website to the back of my pillow, since it was on the back of my Homestar Runner shirt.

Using the iron-on strip.

I sewed the two pillow pieces together, flipped it right side out, ironed it again, and stuffed in the pillow.

So fun! Makes me want to watch some Homestar Runner cartoons. They haven't made anything new since December 2010, but that's okay, because there's plenty of gold on the site as it is.

Here's a few of my favorites if you're interested:

Shorts - The Interview

Strong Bad Emails - Trogdor, Techno Song, Fingers

Valentine's Pillow Sham

2012-02-06T10:00:00.000-05:00

I feel like the internet is full of fun Valentine's projects right now. I've been thinking for a while what kind of project to make, whether clothes or decor, and settled on this fun pillow!

We have several pillows in our living room that are pretty old and ratty. Zane and I have particularly hated this one with birds and vines since we moved into our new house... two years ago. It was clearly the one I chose to cover.

Sorry the picture is sideways. I tried to fix it, but blogger's not helpful in that way.

1. I measured the pillow and decided I needed a 17.5'' square, including the inseam.

2. I laid out Zane's ironed shirt (which he gave to me for crafting a long time ago), and cut out a 17.5'' square right in the middle of the chest. I kept the buttons buttoned.

3. The square from the back of the shirt had that little dart thing that button up shirts have, so I ironed it down and re-cut it to be the right size.

4. I embellished the front of the pillow, which was the back piece of the shirt. I cut out three hearts from an old red t-shirt scrap, leftover from a botched Rufio clothing project.

5. I used iron-on adhesive strips to attach the three hearts in the way I liked them.

6. I top-stitched them into place. I was only going to do one stitch, but the edges of the hearts were still flapping after the inner stitch, so I went around again closer to the edges. I ironed them again.

7. I trimmed the edges of the hearts to be more rounded.

8. I lined up my two square pieces, right sides inward, and pinned around the edges.

9. I sewed around the entire square.

10. I opened the buttons and flipped the pillowcase around.

11. I ironed it again.

12. I stuffed my ugly pillow into it and buttoned it up!

Ta-da!!

I might just make one for every seasonal holiday. They're easy and fun! I did this whole project in about an hour. Go and do likewise!!

Chinese Host Gifts

2012-02-05T13:00:00.000-05:00

It's the custom in many countries, including China, to give a gift when you stay in someone's home. Therefore, after hosting eight Chinese kids over the course of 11 days, we're pretty much banking in Chinese host gifts.

Most of the goodies. I forgot to put some bracelets in the picture, but you can imagine them.

I had no idea what a Chinese knot was, but apparently it's popular over there, because we received three different kinds of them. One big one with fish, and four little ones:

After we received them, I saw a picture of my sister in China holding one. I didn't know what to do with them, so I asked her. She said, "Hang it, of course!" Of course!

Another popular gift item are masks from the Peking Opera. We got two identical pale-faced girl masks on a frame, plus a framed angry, red-faced man.

We also got two identical, foldable, miniature screens of Peking Opera masks. When I saw them I thought, "Barbie furniture!" That's just my youth speaking. I was always looking for unique Barbie furniture as a kid.

Another Peking Opera mask gift was this sweet bottle opener. We actually got three of them in different styles. These remind me of 3 Ninjas! I think this was Tum Tum's mask:

It's the year of the dragon!! We got this sweet dragon art piece that I'm totally planning on hanging in the nursery. He's not angry; he's smiling! The text at the top of the piece says something about him playing in the sea.

Just in time for the Olympics! We can cheer on our Chinese neighbors with these sweet little flags. I love them! The kids that gave them to us wrote their English names on them too. Extra special.

Hope you enjoyed the tour of our Chinese gifts! The other gifts that I didn't take close up photos of included Chinese food, green tea, wallets, a necklace, and other art pieces. I found them all to be pretty unique gifts. I'm thankful that we didn't get chopsticks, because we already own 13 pairs.

We were really glad we got to participate as a host family in the program and would definitely do it again - and not just because of the loot!

Hosting Chinese Kids: Round Three

2012-02-04T10:00:00.000-05:00

This morning we finished hosting our last set of Chinese kids. They were really sweet boys, too. They were a little bit older than the other two sets, but also knew less English than the other ones.

The first night, we were not interested in cooking, so we took them to Steak N Shake, which was a big hit. Apparently Steak N Shake gives a lot of goodies to kids. They got those paper cars, stickers, hats and the kids placemat menu with crayons. That kept them pretty entertained while we waited for our food.

The second night, my sister who lives in China skyped in for a little while. It was fun to watch them have a conversation in Mandarine Chinese.

After the skype conversation, we played Blokus, which was really fun. I recommend this game to anyone, but especially if you're hanging out with people who don't speak English very well. No language necessary.

These two kids spoke less English than our all our other kids. We've used the translator a little bit, but we got some funny translations with it:

We asked them where they went one day and got this message on the translator: “Around the world, play in the future.” Have any idea what that means? Magic Kingdom!

I told them that we'd play a game after they showered and this is what they said to us through the translator: “Later we’ll to do a diary ‘playing for a’ final bath ‘sleep.” I figured it out pretty quickly. They wanted to write in their diaries, then play a game, then shower and go to bed.

One of the kids bought a Jedi robe at Disney and wore it the next day as a jacket. He had it on when we dropped him off and when we picked him up. So cool!

It's been really fun. We're super glad we got to participate as host families!

Beware of Car-Singing

2012-02-03T09:29:00.001-05:00

This morning I was driving home after dropping the Chinese kids off at school. I called Zane, but he didn't answer, so I was just driving with my phone in my hand. I started singing "I Wanna Hold Your Hand" by the Beatles.

I got really into it, doing all the guitar parts too. Then after I got bored singing, I started saying, "I want to hold your hand" in different accents.

First I did my Dracula accent.

Then I tried a New Jersey accent.

Then I did a Chinese accent, since I've been listening to a lot of Chinese-accented English lately.

I pulled up to a stop light, and some lady honked at me because she wanted to make a left turn and I was blocking her, although I wasn't breaking any laws. I stopped my accents, looked around at her and shrugged.

Then I heard my dad saying, "Deb! Deb!"

I looked down in my hand, and my phone read "DAD" on the screen. I lifted it to my ear, "Hello?"

Dad: "Was that intentional or did you pocket dial me?"
Me: "Uhhhhh...I pocket dialed you." My face turned beet red, and I got really hot and started laughing. "I'm so embarrassed!!!"
Dad: "Don't be! It made my morning!"

Then we chatted and hung up, but I couldn't stop laughing. It's one thing to be silly on purpose, but it's a totally different thing to be caught being silly when you thought you were completely alone!

Don't let this happen to you! Be careful when holding your phone after you finish a phone call, and the screen is set to favorite contacts, and your thumb can accidentally hit another phone number. I think that's what happened to me, because iPhones don't pocket-dial on their own.

Also, I need to work on my New Jersey accent. I think I was the most embarrassed that he heard me do it so poorly. I'm so vain.

Writing for Blog Readers

2012-02-02T16:48:00.000-05:00

Keep it short, simple and to the point.

In the old days, writers wrote for readers who liked to read. I tried reading Henry James' Portrait of a Lady and couldn't get through the first two chapters. It was written for a different generation who read for the love of reading. Those readers died with the invention of modern communicative technology.

Our generation reads for content. The most popular books are plot-driven or self-help. Blog posts replaced long news articles. Email replaced longhand letters. Twitter? Enough said.

Readers today want the bottom line. I'll abandon ship on books, blog posts, and even FB status updates if they're too wordy. Most of the internet populace is the same way! If I want people to read my work, I need to write for them.

Here are four tips that I use when writing blog posts:

I try to say it quickly. If I can combine two similar sentences, I do.
I cut out redundancy as best I can.
I break up long paragraphs. Several short paragraphs that are all the same length is just as tedious to read as a chunky one. Variety in length is more interesting to a reader.
I think a good intro and conclusion is a sentence for each (see tip 1). A blog post isn't a research paper. I used to "fluff" long papers in college, but that's a bad habit to bring into the blogosphere.

Obviously everyone doesn't have to write like me. I'm just saying that since, I'm more inclined to read shorter, meatier blog posts, than long drawn-out ones, I'm going to assume my readers are too.

Just food for thought!

Hosting Chinese Kids - Round Two

2012-02-01T10:00:00.000-05:00

I originally said we were taking on two groups of Chinese students...well, we decided to take on a third! We're crazy like that. This second round of kids was the round we were originally going to skip, but I'm so glad we decided to host, because these two boys were such a delight!

Monday night dinner at my parent's house.

We ate at my mom's on Monday night. They really liked the baked penne pasta that she made, so much that they took seconds (that's how I know they weren't just being polite). That night driving home, they said, "Monday is happy." I thought my heart would melt out of my chest.

Unlike the other boys, these two liked cheese, at least swiss and colby jack. They also liked milk, yogurt and ice cream. The pasta bake on Monday had sour cream in it too.

So far, none of the boys have liked oatmeal cream pies. I don't know what it means.

Speaking into the translator on the phone.

As far as English goes, both boys were brave and willing to try speaking it with us, however neither of them knew a whole lot. We used charades, drawings, and google translator on the iPhone.

These kids responded the first time I ask them to do something. They loved Rufio and played quietly with him while I prepared meals. They woke up early Tuesday morning to make us Chinese green tea. They were smiley and happy and considerate. We loved hosting them.

Every morning, they sang Chinese songs in the back seat of the car. One afternoon car ride, we asked them to sing so Zane could hear them too. They brightened up and sang several Chinese songs. After a while, Zane and I said, "We will sing now," and sang Smashmouth's "All Star." One kid was cracking up, while the other was giggling and trying to get him to stop laughing, because he didn't want to offend us. But we were hamming it up, so laughter was appropriate.

Smiley boys!

The last night they were with us, we went to Chick Fil A with friends who are also hosting students. Apparently it was kid's night, which should be called, "Crazy, over-stimulation night." The boys really liked it, and I think they liked being able to eat with their Chinese friends too. They probably just think American restaurants are loud and crazy, which I guess is true for most.

It's been a completely different experience than the first group this past weekend. All around, it's been less stressful and more pleasant. I hope our own children are like these boys when they visit other people's homes someday.

We were sad to say goodbye today, but we get two new boys tonight. The adventure continues!!

Pregnancy Update: Rolls and Flutters

2012-01-31T15:36:00.002-05:00

I felt the baby!

I was talking to the coordinator for the Chinese student host family program last week, when I felt a rather large rolling sensation in my lower abdomen. I acted nonchalant, but inside I was thinking, "Oh my gosh!!! That had to be the baby!!"

Later that night, I felt flutters and bubbles and ripples. I realized I had been feeling it for a week, but didn't know what it was. I just thought it was my tummy settling or something.

Since then, I've felt it at least once a day. Sometimes it feels like a butterfly, and other times it feels more like an actual kick. It's weird to imagine a little baby in there moving around, floating in the abyss that is my womb.

It's been pretty crazy with the Chinese kids, but we managed to take another belly shot during the madness. My belly doesn't look that big, but I already feel big.

18 weeks

Sorry for the grainy picture. Maybe we'll find a new belly picture location, because the lighting in this hallway is questionable. I don't have many blank walls though.

The next update will be after we find out the sex in mid February. Pretty stoked about that! Pink or blue? Cast your vote in our baby pool!

I'm Just Happy Again

2012-01-30T14:00:00.000-05:00

I used to say to myself during my depressed infertile days, "Having a baby won't make you happy." I still agree with that statement, because happiness isn't found in the next thing. It's found in the now.

Growing up, I was always a happy person. Everything was exciting until infertility. During those days, I thought, "Well this is real life. It's hard, and happiness is just naivity." I found happiness during infertility in acting, crafting, and spending time with family, but there was an underlying sadness that came with the hopelessness of maybe never having kids.

But now I'm happy about everything again. The weather, my church, my responsibilities, my clothes, my car, food, Rufio, Zane, Earl Grey tea, electric blankets, the future! The list goes on. I'm just happy again.

I don't think it's because I'm pregnant, but it helps.

I still acknowledge suffering in the world, which breaks my heart in a way it wouldn't have before infertility. I earnestly pray for others like I never did before. I've had sad moments, but the underlying feeling this time is joy. Infertility made me more real and less naive about suffering. But I was naive to think that I would never feel happy again.

Life comes in seasons. I was in a season of suffering, which emotionally continued into my first trimester. Now I'm in a season of joy and unhindered happiness. It may not last forever (probably won't), but it's here now.

Mostly, I'm grateful because much of the bitterness toward parents and babies and pregnancy that clogged my heart has melted away. I'm hopeful and excited and happy to finally join the mom club.

God is good. He's the redeemer of lives and joy. He makes all things new.

Hosting Chinese Boys - Round One

2012-01-29T14:47:00.000-05:00

What a weekend!

This week we volunteered to host 10-11 year old Chinese kids, who are on a trip to the United States. One of their stops is Orlando to visit Disney World. While here, they're all staying with host families to get a true American experience.

They LOVED Rufio. They called him, "Chow Chow" and played with him so much that he began to run away from them and stick close to me in the kitchen or bedroom. He wasn't used to so much love.

Food was an adventure. I cooked a lot! Zane cooked a lot too. He covered the meats, and I cooked the sides. Thank the Lord for boil-in-a-bag rice!! The first night I made chili, which they didn't like, which caused me to believe they didn't eat much food, but that was incorrect. They LOVED chicken and rice, hamburgers, and Chick Fila. AND, boy, could they put the food away!

They asked for hotdogs for breakfast one day. I didn't have buns, so I just made hotdogs. Zane also made pancakes that morning. As much as we tried to get them to try pancakes the American way, they preferred to roll up their hotdog in a pancake with ketchup. To each his own.

We discovered they liked sweet drinks, which included sweetening their water. For the most part, they didn't like sweet food. There were a few exceptions like the ice cream at Chick Fila, which a couple of them finished.

The last morning we were pretty rushed to get out with all their luggage and Disney souvenirs, so we took them to McDonalds for some sausage mcmuffins - no cheese! They don't like cheese! My heart broke for them a little bit, because cheese is pretty much my favorite food in the world.

It was a quite an adventure with four boys at once. Only one spoke English, so he became our translator and spokesperson for the group.

Even with the help of a little English, everything was a process of patience and repetition. "Please get dressed." "I'm not serving breakfast until you're dressed." "You have to be completely packed tonight." "Not until you're packed up." haha, now I really wish I had been more quick to obey my mom in my youth. They were great kids. They were just kids - not worrying about the time or whether or not they had matching socks. Kids are kids.

We sent these four on their way this morning and will pick up two more tonight. I have to say, two sounds pretty nice after four kids for four days.

New adventures await us this week! Can't wait to share them with you!

Bok Tower Gardens - Sibling Edition

2012-01-26T13:00:00.000-05:00

Over a year ago, Zane took me to Bok Tower Gardens for the first time. It was a fabulous day, and I've been wanting to go back ever since. We finally went again, this time with my sister and bro-in-law.

My favorite part is the Oak Grove right behind the tower. Last time I said I would bring a blanket and a picnic if we ever returned, so we did! We sat in the grass, snacked on the rest of our lunches that we didn't eat on the car ride, and listened to the 30-minute carillon concert. After a little while, we played a round of Dominion. Dominion outside is awesome.

This little guy kept bothering us, because some of the male members of our party repeatedly tried calling him over. Luckily, I know how to scare off squirrels (all those years at UCF taught me something). Ask me sometime, and I'll show you.

After a while, we realized we needed to walk the grounds before the park closed. So we went on an adventure to look at every point of interest on the map.

Here I am at horseshoe gardens, just relaxing all natural-like. There's the tower behind me!

Lyd and Kev on a cute bench. The gardens are full of little nooks and crannies with benches, so you can just sit and enjoy nature.

Zane found a giant vase to climb inside. Yes, he's inside. It's not an optical illusion.

It was another great day at Bok Tower. I totally recommend this day trip if you live in central Florida. Lyd even found BOGO coupons to get in, which made it even better! So be sure to search for those online before you go!

Voice-Over Work Rocks

2012-01-25T16:37:00.003-05:00

Last week I got to act! Yay! I've been feeling deprived, even though I've been occupied in other ways. When I got a call to do some voice-over work as part of post production for 365 Decision Time, I was super excited.

Partly because I had never done voice over work before. I love new experiences.

I shamelessly asked my friend to take pictures of me in the sound booth.

We basically just needed to re-record some of my lines from a scene. They played a 3-second interval of the clip on a loop, and I said my line over myself saying the line. Sometimes it was hard, because I had to match my line to my lips on screen. After I got the timing right, I said the lines different ways with different voice inflections. So. Fun.

Everyone was really laid-back and fun. We laughed a lot, so much that at one point the director told me not to look through the window and focus on the line, because it was sounding like I was laughing. I guess I was having too much fun.

I want to look into exclusive voice over work now. My voice in anime? Cartoons? I need to work on silly voices for that sort of thing. I could be the next Ash or Dora!

Anyways, I loved it and I would love to explore this area of acting more!

Hosting Chinese Kids

2012-01-19T10:00:00.000-05:00

In the past, we've enjoyed the opportunity of hosting Japanese college students during the month of March. It's a fun, cross-cultural experience. This year, we were presented with a new opportunity of hosting Chinese elementary-aged kids. We signed up right away.

Next week, we'll have four kids for four days, rest for four days, and take on two kids for four days. I have never in my life looked after two or four kids for four consecutive days and nights.

I started thinking about meals and making six sandwiches for lunches, cooking up a dozen eggs for breakfast, and who knows how much spaghetti it takes to feed hungry boys, plus Zane, plus a crazy pregnant eater for dinner? Coordinating showers, getting everyone to bed, getting everyone up in the morning. It'll give me a small taste of what it's like to be a mom of lots of kids.

I'm sure it'll still be less work than this baby will require in June.

Seriously, I'm really excited. I'm glad we get to do two different groups, so we can figure things out with the first (larger) group, and try new things with the second group, like taking them out to eat. I can't wait to share our stories with you next month!

I plan on using my one Chinese phrase too! I'll let you know what that is next time.

A Game of Thrones

2012-01-17T17:31:00.001-05:00

I just finished the bestselling George R. R. Martin novel, A Game of Thrones. Wow. It's the first book in the series, A Song of Ice and Fire.

A friend of ours told me about this series in December and made a very convincing argument that I should read it. He warned me there was some graphic content, so I went in knowing that I might not like it. I loved it. Graphic content aside (It was milder than I originally expected, but there is quite a bit of violence and sex), this book was fabulous.

It's also an HBO series. I would have already known this if I were hip and rich enough for cable. Alas, I haven't watched it, and from what I hear, the graphic content is heavier in the series.

It's the story of a fantasy kingdom, much like I'd imagine medieval England to have been. Several families rule different parts of the country, having overthrown a previous king. Peace that's lasted nearly a decade is coming to an end. No one can be trusted within the kingdom. Mythical creatures lurk in the north, and heirs of an overthrown king plan their return from a country across the sea.

Martin's characters are real. They're exactly as you would expect people to be in a harsh world like this. They change and grow and make real decisions. The web of relationships is extensive, as it is in real life.

Martin wrote published this novel in 1997, but it's just now gaining popularity with the tv show.

Martin weaves an incredibly complex plot that had me glued from the start. By the time I reached the last chapter, I was already forming a plan to acquire the second book.

I recommend it to adults, especially if you like Lord of the Rings-type literature. It's a little raw for younger readers, but I suspect young people have read it. It's not an easy read, like my fun YA fiction novels. This book is heavy and full of histories and genealogies. It took me two weeks to read it, and I'm a fast reader.

Forewarned of the somewhat graphic content, go and read this great novel.

Pregnancy Update - Baby Pool!

2012-01-14T16:06:00.000-05:00

I made it safely into the second trimester, Praise the Lord. I think the nausea is finally behind me.

Three new things in trimester two.

1. The most noticeable difference so far in this trimester is my appetite. I want to eat all the time! I eat about six times a day. I'm making healthy choices, but no matter what I choose, I'm usually hungry again within two hours.

2. Last week I started wearing maternity pants. My regular pants were starting to be painful on my belly, even with a rubber band extending the button, so I decided to make the switch.

3. I've had several emotional moments thinking of my baby growing up. Once I was driving and listening to Jimmy Eat World's "In the Middle," and I started crying thinking about my baby becoming an adult and how I'll say, "Everything will be just fine," during the struggles of life. I used to listen to that song in high school, and my baby will be in high school some day finding his/herself. "Just be yourself, it doesn't matter if it's good enough for someone else." Tearing up already.

Sharing joy versus flaunting prosperity.

I'm still determining the right balance between sharing the excitement of my pregnancy and rubbing it in people's faces. There are still several women in my circle waiting on babies, and I remember what it was like with pictures of ultrasounds and growing bellies on facebook. I want to be sensitive to that.

It was also encouraging to hear stories of pregnancy after infertility where women were completely joyful about their pregnancies. The worst thing for infertile women is pregnant women complaining about pregnancy. Well, I am joyful about this pregnancy. This is incredible, and I'm so grateful, and I'm enjoying it a lot. I didn't think I'd get to experience this, and yet I am. I'll never understand it.

All that to say, I decided to do two "Yay, I'm pregnant" things:

1. My first belly picture.

Sixteen Weeks

2. A baby pool. Just for fun. No pressure to participate, of course: www.bebepool.com/aabracadeborah

We'll find out the sex next month, Lord willing. I'm ready for either one. I'm pretty excited about finding out. I want to know so I can start to plan. I already have some nursery ideas in the works, including a sweet work of art to compliment a piece I made in high school. More on that later.

We can also nail down a name once we know which direction to take it. Naming a person is a lot harder than I thought it would be. "What's in a name?" Juliet says. A person's identity! John Proctor has a whole monologue about it, "It is my name! I'll never have another in my life!" Just a couple literary references. Points for the names of those plays, if you know them.

Pregnancy has been weird and fun and emotional. I'll never understand the Lord's timing in it, but I'm thankful to Him and I trust Him in it all.

Matched

2012-01-06T10:43:00.000-05:00

I finally read Matched by Allie Condie. I heard great things from multiple sources about this dystopian novel, and I wasn't disappointed. I read it in two days, only because I was too tired to stay up late and finish it the first day.

It's the story of Cassia, a seventeen year-old girl living in a perfect society, where every decision is made for its members based on statistics. One of those decisions is who you will be matched with, or who you will marry. Cassia gets a perfect match, but when she opens the document to learn more about her match, the face of a different boy appears.

Now she's faced with the choice to follow what her society wants her to do, or make her own choices.

It's really a fantastic read, especially for anyone who loved Divergent (which I did!). There were similarities because of the dystopian genre, but Matched was still fresh, creative and exciting.

Matched basically sets up a bigger story, so at the end of the book, you're ready to know what happens next. I'm excited to read the sequel, Crossed.

It was very good! I recommend it!

New Year's Resolutions

2012-01-04T12:50:00.000-05:00

I've never done New Year's resolutions before. This year, I pondered 2012 and the freshness and change that will occur, and after some introspective exploration, I decided to make a list of resolutions. There are some areas of character and lifestyle that could use improvement.

Here they are:

Resolutions for character improvement:

Less complaining
Less judging others/fixing their problems
More slow to anger and/or become irritable
Read at least one verse a day (Yeah, I'm not even gonna try to read the whole Bible in a year. I need to just get back into some routine with reading at all!)
Pray for Zane everyday
Write in my journal more

Measurable goals:

Book a role while visibly pregnant or at least audition for several while pregnant
Prepare the nursery for baby - painting, sewing, etc.
Organize office/guest room
Purge unnecessary stuff we've been hoarding
Keep tighter track of budget and make sure we stay in it
Take a fun anniversary/baby-moon trip with Zane
Support Zane through simple tasks like making his lunch, ironing his clothes
Lose baby weight after baby is born

These are mostly personal goals and resolutions, and I guess some of them are pretty vulnerable (don't tell anyone that I fix other people's problems). I tend to be pretty honest on this blog, so you guys shouldn't be too surprised.

Most of the measurable goals need to be accomplished before June, because I have no idea what's going to happen to me or my aspirations after baby enters the world.

There you have it, my New Year's resolutions! What are you guys hoping to accomplish in 2012?

Christians and Offensive Jokes

2012-01-03T12:35:00.001-05:00

There have been times in life when I've been in a group with other Christians and was suddenly shocked or embarrassed by what comes out of their mouths, and I don't mean cursing.

The reason Christians shouldn't joke about certain things is that it is a poor representation of Christ and His unconditional love for all people, no matter what separates them from others. We need to love like that. When Christians joke about these subjects, it taints the witness they portray to the world.

Ephesians 5:1, 4 "Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children...nor should there be any obscenity, foolish talk, or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving."

In no particular order, six things Christians shouldn't joke about:

1. Homosexuality

I hate that the word "gay" became synonymous with "stupid." Whenever I hear Christians throw around that word or mock gay people, I want to scream. A huge percentage of gay people have been severely hurt by members of the church, and this kind of behavior only makes the gap bigger. Obviously people holding signs that say "God hates fags" is highly offensive, but so is careless joking as if gay people are less deserving of respect than straight people.

2. Retardation

I learned quickly in my social work classes that using the word "retard" was a big no-no, because disabled people deserve respect. In my acting class, we referred to it as the "r-word," because it's that offensive. If non-believers give people with disabilities that much respect, how much MORE should Christians?

I can only imagine the shame and anger that would pump through my veins if I had a child with disabilities and I heard someone say "retard." I almost wish everyone had a disabled person in their intimate circle, so that we'd all understand the importance of giving respect in this area.

3. Race

God made everyone. It's one thing to joke about differences in culture, but it's totally different to degrade people based on race. I remember hearing some pretty bad racist jokes and comments from Christians in my life. It seems like racist jokes are less popular, or maybe it's just I haven't heard any lately, but I know the problem still exists.

3. Pedophilia

I confronted some Christian friends in college about laughing about this in a restaurant. I was worried that the waitress or someone around us had been a victim of child molestation and would be hurt or upset by their careless jokes. How is this ever funny? I get sick to my stomach when I think of all the kids in this country and the world that have to experience the hell of pedophilia every day. It's not a joke. It's not funny. Ever.

4. Anorexia/Bulimia

Yeah, people really die of this. If you want to know the seriousness of eating disorders, you can read my friend's blog. She gives an honest account of her struggle as well as cases where people didn't beat the addiction. I hear people joke about being anorexic, but it's not really something to joke about. It's a serious addiction.

In fact, it's best to think twice about joking about other addictions too, like gambling, alcoholism, or drug usage. These things are damaging to the addict and their relationships.

5. Degrading Sex

Sex can be funny. I think it's okay to recognize the humor in this marital (and cultural) normality. But there's a time and place for appropriate sex jokes (some Christians say that time and place is never, which is okay too). However, when jokes degrade women or men, it's completely out of line. People and sex should be respected, in practice and joking.

6. Other Christians

This is a really hard one, because it's soooooo easy to do. I'm talking about making fun of what other Christians are doing to serve God. Here are some examples: the people who hand out tracts instead of candy at Halloween, mediocre Christian filmmaking, t-shirts that say "A Bread Crumb and Fish." Okay, so I have a hard time not laughing at some of that stuff, but the bottom line is that it divides us, when we should be unified. If it's not a foundational theological difference, don't let it divide.

John 13:35 "By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."

I think it's good for people to know that Christians can have fun and joke around, but there's a God-honoring way to do it. We need to constantly consider how we are reflecting Christ, because people are watching and judging us. We'll fail. We're not perfect. We're doomed as hypocrites, but we can keep trying and keep moving toward a more Christ-like lifestyle.

Lastly, I should say that I've been guilty of all this stuff at one time or another, so hopefully this post doesn't come across too point-the-finger-like.

Disney Princess Fan Art

2011-12-29T16:21:00.003-05:00

You may know by now that I love me some fan art! Especially if it's a realistic interpretation of an animated character. I have new discoveries to share with you!

I found a lovely set of life-like renditions of Disney princesses. They're by Jirka Väätäinen, a graphic designer/artist. He takes pictures of models and alters the photography adding other design elements to create his final products.

Here's Cinderella:

Jirka Väätäinen

Check out all his other work by following the link on his name. He's done most of the popular princesses and some other female Disney characters as well. When you go to his site, be sure to click "previous entries" at the bottom, because he's got a bunch of great artwork!