Life is simple, it's just not easy...

laughingsquid:

Things That Cannot Screen For Breast Cancer

Wow, things have been hectic lately! This is the first day I’ve gotten to relax for over a week now. Even though my mom asked to throw my baby shower, I ended up unofficially taking over; she was never on task with anything unless I bossed her around. All this past week I’ve been running around like a mad woman, taking care of everything last-minute. But my work paid off! My baby shower was a success! We had tons of fun playing games and eating yummy foods. The gifts were a little backward: instead of getting a bunch of little things so I only had to purchase big-ticket items such as the stroller, car-sear, etc., I got ALL the big stuff and clothes, but I still have to go shopping for diapers, baby soap/lotion, and other stuff like that, which I got none of at the shower! haha But I am very grateful for everything I got, and it’s saved me a ton of money and hard work of hauling all those heavy boxes downstairs to my apartment. Now I have lots of new toys to put together and play with for the next 7 weeks until my hubby should hopefully get a break from his deployment and my baby finally gets here; this is so exciting to share!
—SarahAnn :)

I think all people who go to college expect to have the same general outcome in the end: a degree and a better education. Shouldn’t that mean that we, as students, get the most out of our classes? Not so much for me with my English Comp. English has always been a breeze for me, so I assumed that taking this class online would be no problem. The lessons are easy to understand and I enjoy doing the work as much as I always have. Turning in my first assignment was a whole different story. My instructions were to answer some questions, then for two 1/2 to 1 page paragraphs I had to submit a brainstorming activity, outline, first draft, peer review sheet, and final draft. Easy right? Well, the writing came easy. I had to wait a couple days on the review sheets because the only person who could help me with them is my husband who is still stationed in Kuwait. But I got them back and had everything perfected. Right before I turned in my 3 days and 5 pages of work, I realized I could only submit 2 pages. My instructor, of course, wasn’t available to respond to my email that day, so I posted on the student help site for an advisor to contact me and when she did, she told me to leave out over have of the work I (and my husband) had done, and frankly stated that I had no excuse for this to be any longer than 2 pages! I was so furious! If they didn’t want me to submit the peer review, brainstorming, and first draft, couldn’t they have deleted that part from the instructions on my assignment sheet? I got a 99% on my homework, so I guess I can’t complain, but what if I wouldn’t have caught that length requirement? Would I have lost more points for doing extra work? And if the advisors and instructors are the ones who left those extra bits in the instructions, how come I’m the one who got reprimanded when I asked about it? It’s their fault! I guess I can add un-needed instructions to my ever-growing list of pet peeves…
-SarahAnn

I just realized that adding sweetener to milk tastes exactly like the milk left over after eating a bowl of cereal; it’s a good night :)

Does anyone else feel this way? Christmas was so hectic. My sisters, both nine years old, were on their best behavior….until Christmas Eve. They started in bickering as soon as they woke up. Mom made home-made soup for dinner and my sisters thought it appropriate to eat with their hands. And every time I said anything to twin #2 at all she started crying and yelling that I was mean and shouldn’t talk to her. Luckily, on Christmas day we had enough guests that I could successfully tune them out, but today, so no such luck. They were spoiled with new toys, movies, clothes and activities and still sat around complaining that there was nothing to do and they were bored, and I was back to being mean with every word I said. [sigh…] They’ve only been out of school for two days, not including the weekend, and I’m already missing bedtime and “me” time.

Oh, and my in-laws dislike me. Again. If they even started liking me to begin with. But at least this is no longer a shock to me.

I still want to work on my 2012 bucket list, but my brain has been running on ham and German potato salad for two days now so it’s not exactly computing realistic goals. I’m still sticking with the three I’ve come up with, but I feel like my list is lacking a bit. Maybe I should add ‘working on my creativity’ since my husband joined in playing the Game of Things with my family and me via Skype Christmas night and he still won a 3-way tie, from Kuwait, while I came in last…

Homework: I should probably work on that. But again, there’s the brain thing, so it’s just not happening. Motivation, where are you??
-SarahAnn

Last year I tried a New Year’s “revolution” instead of a resolution, picking one thing I enjoy doing, doing it every day, and seeing where it would go and if I could affect my life or someone else’s with it. I love writing and as a child always swore I would write a book someday, so I vowed to write at least a paragraph everyday to get creative juices flowing and have materials I could potentially add to my ‘book’. I got to February. That was it. This year, instead of resolution-type goals, I seemed to have made myself a to-do list… A to-do list that I will probably not accomplished. But maybe I’ll still have some fun trying!!

So far I have:
•Lose my baby weight by the time my husband is home from his deployment. (I want to look good when he sees me for that first time in about five months. March doesn’t count because I’ll be giving birth.)
•Finish the last of my classes for this semester by February 26. (I have until March 26, but my husband and baby will be here the first week of March, so I want homework-free time with them.)
•Keep up with yoga 3 times a week. (I was doing yoga every night for a couple of months, then I got sick and ended up quitting completely. Now I’m regretting it.)

I want to add to my bucket list because my first two goals are more short term and the last one isn’t serious. I’m trying to think of something seriously potentially life-changing, but I can’t decided. Wish me luck!
-SarahAnn

laughingsquid:

A Splash of Rose, A Stunning Composite Photo of a Liquid Rose

Source:

Okay, it’s been a few days since I’ve been on or posted a photograph or anything. Things have just been hectic lately. My back has been killing me lately, almost literally. I’ve had lumbar problems since I was a freshman in high-school and pregnancy is not helping. Lately walking has been replaced by shuffling like my grandmother because taking regular steps tends to send me hurtling towards the ground. I’m hoping my doctor okays seeing a chiropractor.

On the bright side, I think the argument with my in-laws has fizzled out. And I got my test results back: my glucose isn’t high enough to require medication yet, so that’s a plus. Oooh, and I finally set the date for my baby shower and it’s 2 days before my birthday, which reminds me that my birthday is on a Monday this year. Crap. Oh well, it’s not like I was expecting anything spectacular anyway. I’m turning twenty; nothing fun happens at twenty. And I have no one around here that I really want to do anything celebratory with anyway. I’d rather stay in bed and sleep until it’s over.

Man, I have got to say this holiday season sucks (and not just because of the physical abuse I get while shopping). I love my family, don’t get me wrong, but everywhere I turn I’m constantly reminded that my family is missing two of the people that are most important to me. I miss my husband and I miss my daughter, even though I haven’t formally met her yet. I can’t wait until the day I can have them both close enough to hold! March can get here any time now! Just saying..
—SarahAnn

~Carol Nelson

Isn’t Christmas supposed to be the best time of year because of the kindness and warmth felt in everyone’s hearts? Then why is it that every time I go out in public I run into the people on their cellphones who run me over with their carts because they aren’t paying attention and give me a dirty look like it’s my fault? Does this happen to anyone else or just me? What about the people who care about what or how much they get instead of being thankful that somebody cared enough to get them anything at all in the first place? Sadly, Christmas IS NOT what it used to be.

This holiday season is hard enough with my husband being deployed and me living back at my moms. Getting ready for a baby shower next month, my daughter to be here in just under three months (and my husband’s visit!), and all of my family telling me when and where to be instead of letting me make my own decisions is really getting overwhelming. I hate to say it, but any more, this year’s Christmas season is really not meeting my expectations the way I thought it might. But this time next year I will be with my hubby and our daughter for her first Christmas, as well as our first Christmas married and in our new house. While we are in Washington all this depressing crap can stay right where it’s at in good ol’ Missouri. Only a year to wait until my perfect Christmas and I’m counting the days!
-SarahAnn