Website Love

Here's a breezy couple of website recommendations for you, if you're looking to kill a little time. The first, and more practical of the two, is called "Leftover Chef". If you're like me, you let your cupboards dwindle down to nearly nothing before going grocery shopping. This site lets you type in the few random items you may have left, and it directs you to recipes you may be able to use! So if you're wondering what to make with that random can of pumpkin pie filling that's been sitting there for ages...check it out!

The second, and more entertaining of the two, is a site called "F My Life". (If you're wondering what the F may stand for, I won't elaborate...but think the worst.) I recommend this cautiously knowing that some of the content may not be suitable for all audiences, but basically, people leave short quips about horrible/ironic things that happened to them today. Some of them are pretty funny. Here are a few of my recent favorites:

Today, I wanted to be creative. I hid an engagement ring for my girlfriend inside one of her running shoes. I expected her to find it and wake me up, but she didn't. Later, when I asked if there was anything in her shoe, she responded, "There was a rock. I just shook it out outside. Why?" FML

Today, as I got into an elevator, I spotted a little old lady hobbling desperately to get on. I frantically tapped on the 'door open' button but the doors closed. I got dirty looks from the people in the lift, only then did I realize I had frantically tapped the 'door close' button instead. FML

Today, I posted a status update on Facebook about how much I liked the Season Finale of NBC's "Heroes". My hand slipped to the right and it came out as "I really love Herpes. It's much better than everyone says it is". I didn't notice for few hours. FML

There you go...enjoy your web perusing today.
Any favorite sites to add?

The Bump is Here to Stay!

Okay...I'm now at nearly 24 weeks. That's 6 months, people! And, for six months, I've managed to avoid the baby bump documentation. There hasn't really been much to see. Then, it seemed like I grew overnight! Here's the proof:

In case you missed that, here's a closer look:

If you look REALLY hard, you can probably see her kicking. I'm convinced this baby is going to kick her way out like a little ninja. Get ready, world! Other than what seems like CONSTANT movement in my belly, I've been feeling great!

(This maternity update is sponsored by Julie, who sent me a huge box of preggo-wear to add to my wardrobe. They've been put to use, girl...thank you!)

The Wicked World of Registries.

I'm not gonna lie...
The only reason I'm writing this post is because I'm delaying having to work on my online baby registry.

I HATE registries. Not the idea of the registry itself, but the process of inputting all the items and having to visualize EVERYTHING I need all at one time. My brain doesn't work that way. I hated the wedding registry, and I hate the baby registry just as much.

I realize this puts me in a rare and confusing category of women, right alongside those girls who don't like shoe shopping, or those girls that didn't cry at "The Notebook". (All true about me.)

I suppose registering for gifts would be semi-tolerable if I didn't live in Duluth, where the jenky shopping options leave little to be desired. Couple that with having showers in CA and MN, and the challenge of finding someplace that both states share, and my options narrow to one: Target. This caused the following chain of events:

1) Jamie starts registry online with Target. They don't carry our bedding or accessories, but I'll deal. Weeding out the "online only" items proved too big a task; we visited the local store instead.

2) Chris takes hold of the registry gun (with my supervision), but we are sorely disappointed with the half-empty shelves in the baby section. We find about half the necessary items. While my back is turned, Chris adds a baby Vikings jersey to our registry.

3) Chris deletes the baby Vikings jersey while Jamie watches.

4) Jamie gets back on the computer and finishes the online registry after hours of sifting through products.

5) Jamie discovers that our bedding and accessories, as well as EVERYTHING we registered for at Target is available at Bed, Bath, and Beyond! Stockton and Fargo both have this store....SCORE!

6) Jamie transfers the entire Target registry to Bed, Bath and Beyond. After deleting the Target registry, discovers that NO B,B&B actually carries baby products in store. Must now RE-REGISTER at Target.

This is currently where I am in the registry process. And after ALL of that, I still had to register at Babies R Us for a few incidentals. Hopefully our next child will be a girl so I NEVER HAVE TO REGISTER AGAIN!!

A-Shopping We Will Go.

I'm not exactly decking my halls with boughs of holly yet, but I am getting a jump-start on my Christmas shopping. Those of you with children are familiar with the substantial drop in energy that comes with the end of pregnancy, and if it's anything like trimester one for me, I'm screwed. Unless we get the thing up by Thanksgiving, Chris will likely be decorating the Christmas tree by himself, with his whale-of-a-wife barking orders at him from the couch. I can contribute to a stress-free holiday season by getting some things out of the way now. Online shopping is a godsend.

So I'm wondering, are you an online shopper? If so, what fun sites do you recommend?

It's Getting Hot In Here!

Summer finally decided to arrive in Duluth! Today it hit the mid-eighties, far warmer than it's been all summer. Unfortunately, when this settles in to our non-air-conditioned house (wrap your brain around THAT one, Californians!), it's pretty miserable! I got out of the house today to run errands, but found it too warm to bake the cake I'd like to make, or assemble shelving for the baby's room (meh- I should leave that for the man of the house, anyway!). I finally chose some paint colors for the nursery, and will be undertaking that project soon (pictures to come!).

I must thank you for your encouragement and support over the last few days. Many of you are following Derek's updates on my mom's blog, DEEZCENTRAL, and the information is kept up-to-date. This week was a major setback, but we have much faith that God is working in Derek's body and through his skilled doctors. I have received e-mails, phone calls, and even hugs from nearby friends and family...all incredibly uplifting and a constant reminder of God's provision. My friends in Stockton have been CHAMPIONS, essentially becoming my hands and feet on the west coast, making food runs, delivering birthday wishes, and staying bedside at the hospital in my absence. There is no doubt Derek feels VERY loved!

Faith in the Storm.

Dear God,
You woke me up with your thunder.
It sounded as if the night sky split in two.
So loud, it shook me to the bone.
So loud, it startled even the native Minnesotans :)
My baby started kicking. Did it wake her, too?

And then I thought,
surely the God who controls the thunder,
the God who knows my child better than I do,
a God of infinite power and love
can touch my brother's body and heal him.

Lord, COME in your healing power.
Restore health to sick cells.
Show us again what your mighty hands can do!

Crisis Averted.

Don't you love it when things go unexpectedly easily?
It doesn't happen often.
But when it does, I feel like running around the house cheering.

I thought returning to subbing would be a process steeped in paperwork.
Because of all that's happened in life and family recently, I didn't complete one of the requirements to renew my Full-Time teaching license.
This meant going back to the less-than-cooperative Department of Education to see what to do with my lapsed license.
Hopefully it wouldn't delay my employment this fall.

Good news...
The license I applied for previous to the Full-Time License (Short-Call Substitute) did not expire like I thought, but is good through this school year, too!
One little refresher orientation, and I'm good to go for fall employment!

Ahhhhh....you can probably feel my sigh of relief through your computer screen. :)

It's Birthday Week!

Not mine...but half my family!

Today, I celebrate my beautiful mother, and on Wednesday, I thank God for my courageous brother (not that I don't celebrate them both ALL the time...). I love you, Mom AND Dizzle, and wish you MANY, MANY more birthdays!

Head on over to DEEZCENTRAL and wish them a very happy birthday!

Date Night Comedy

Chris and I had a super-fun, spur-of-the-moment date last Friday when we picked up tickets to see Jerry Seinfeld in Duluth. As you can imagine, Duluth isn't exactly a mecca for quality entertainment, so when a "big name" rolls into town, it's quite a treat! (For example, Duluthians are still talking about George Clooney's stay at the Sheridan on his promo tour for "Leatherheads".) Thursday night, we got some tickets at last-minute prices (score!), but that didn't come without some headache later. After Seinfeld started his routine, a lady in the aisle was claiming the gentlemen next to us were in her seats. They, in turn, claimed that WE were in THEIR seats. After 5 minutes of whispered debate, and involving an usher with a flashlight, we determined that our seats were double-sold...and the usher quickly escorted the woman to another empty seat. The bummer of that whole scenario was that we missed a good portion of the opening.

Despite the hubbub, we really enjoyed the show. And, I must say that it's not often you can find comedy acts that are pretty "clean" these days. I appreciated that aspect of his routine, and it didn't hinder the hilarity...both of us had sore stomach muscles from laughing! Definitely catch the act if it swings by you!

Summer Reading

With lots of spare time on my hands, I've picked up a few books lately and have been making my way through them. Some are better than others, but all have captured my interest in different ways. My favorite time of day is hopping into bed early and reading for a while next to Chris (he has started reading the "Left Behind" books, a series I read through years ago and have been collecting dust on my shelf). I just finished up my last book, so I'm open to any suggestions you may have! (I'll spare you the reviews on these unless you're interested, though I will say that "Firefly Lane" was by far my favorite of the bunch.)

Your recommendations?

A Little Jelly on the Belly.

It's amazing what technology can do! Our ultrasound tech started in 1977- the year I was born- when ultrasounds were new technology. My mom remembers having a picture of a black and white blob taken of me. Today was our 20-week appointment, and boy have times changed! We were fortunate to take home a whole reel of 4-D pictures of our little one. (I've posted some of the best ones.)

And, speaking of little one, we are now relatively certain that it's a GIRL! And you'll be happy to know she was VERY cooperative for the camera...

Fists up- not too sure about being poked around like this!

A yawn or a swallow.

Already a snuggler.

That's a hand to the right...not a piece of pizza.

All tuckered out from her first photo session. Good night!

Baby-Moon Accomplished!

Chris and I have been planning our Laguna Beach getaway since before we knew we were preggo...but it made for a nice "last hurrah" with regards to childless R&R vacations. Here's a few snapshots from our trip:

We stayed at the beautiful Laguna Cliffs Marriott (and had a fantastic stay...we highly recommend it for your next trip!) in Dana Point.

They allowed us a very early check-in. Consequently, we were able to nap a bit before cruising the beach city. This is Chris- literally- ten minutes after getting to the room.

All refreshed, we walked down to the wharf and enjoyed some pizza and the sunset.

On day two, some of our favorite friends (and kiddos) came down to spend the day with us! This is our buddy, Kaden, and his sister Kaelyn- our cutie flowergirl.

The weather was absolutely beautiful, so we took advantage of the sun and enjoyed lots of pool-time!


We were all entertained by Kaden's circus antics...especially Kaden!

The aftermath of our pool fun was not pretty...

...but I had lots of good company to ease the pain!


After sleeping in, nursing sunburns and driving around town, we concluded our vacation with a trip to my old digs- Long Beach- where many old pals joined us for dinner/coffee. It was SO great to see all of you (I know you aren't all pictured here...) and I'm so thankful for our friendship, even across many miles.

Here Comes the Bride!

Super duper extra brownie points for creativity!


I think our wedding party could have definitely pulled that off (though Stephen probably would have stolen the show...)

Grin and Bear It.

Chris and I had a challenging night of sleep.
(Before you say "get used to it", I KNOW.)

First: I have been feeling the beginning "kicks" in my tummy, and our kiddo was very active last night, kicking me 7 or 8 times in a row. I thought that warranted a wake-up call to Chris (who wasn't asleep yet). He, of course, was excited and put his hand on my stomach to see if he could feel any. However, baby was tired out and didn't give dad the satisfaction. So, we both went to sleep.

Later: I woke up to the sound of crunching and cracking. The sound was coming from right below our bedroom window (which was open for cool air). I thought it might be a raccoon or deer, so I got up to check it out. At that time, our neighbor's back porch light came on and I saw a huge black bear run across our backyard! This DEFINITELY warranted a wake-up for Chris! This is the conversation that took place:

Me: A bear is in our backyard!
Chris: No, there's not.
Me: Yes! I just saw it!
Chris: Are you sure it was a bear?
Me: What other animal could I possibly mistake for a BEAR?!
Chris: (gets out of bed) Where is it now?
Me: It ran toward the kitchen.
Chris: Great. I was just out there with the dog a little while ago.
Me: I'm going to check out the other side of the house.
Chris: Make sure you close the windows so it doesn't jump inside!

EARLY MORNING: We had a return of the cat that cries near our backyard. This cat will bust out her monotonous whine for HOURS. The only reason she is still alive is because we don't own a gun.

Things I Didn't Know About Pregnancy...#54

I've always been sensitive to the sun, but THIS is crazy! Chris and I spent a couple hours in the pool while we were in Laguna Beach. Holy tomatoes, Batman...did I get my butt kicked by the flaming ball of fire in the sky! Stephanie documented the damage:

I had sufficiently doused myself in sunscreen...but may have sought the shade a bit more if I had known that pregnancy makes you MORE prone to sunburns!

I think it's time to throw out my dreams of being "sun-kissed" and just embrace my whiteness. Heck, I fit right in around here.

Remind You of Somebody?

Looking a little Clinton-esque these days, aren't we?
Oh, Lordy Lordy...

Mystery Singer Revealed!

Were you watching the Michael Jackson memorial service along with me? If so, you may have wondered who that random singer was that stepped into his place for the finale number. No one ever heard of her, and there was no mention of who she is. Turns out, she's a Biola alumna! (Thanks Deborah for finding this gem!)

Check out the story here!
Recent Alumna Gives Standout Performance at Michael Jackson Memorial.

It's A Small World After All.

In May (yes, May...that's how far behind I am), the whole Stavenger crew visited Orlando for a few days of fun in the sun at Disneyworld (thanks, Marcia and Jeff!). I was super stoked, having been to the "Land" more times than I can count, but never the "World"! The weather threw a major cramp in our style, as it POURED for the majority of our stay. There were moments of sunshine (and I was sure to utilize the camera during those breaks!) and, despite the weather, we had a great time being together as a family. Here are a few snapshots from our week!

Eric, Chris and Marcia at our beautiful Boardwalk resort.

The Magic Kingdom!

Our first day was beautiful...hot, but clear!

Hollywood Studios- I ate French Fries while the rest tested out the Tower of Terror a few times. Don't feel sad, though...I wouldn't have gone anyway :) Later in the week, we caught a fantastic showing of "Fantasmic".

Chris and I took a night off from Disney mayhem to see my good friend Kirk perform in Blue Man Group, located at Universal Studios. It was quite an entertaining show! As a bonus, we got to go backstage...and later he gave us a piece of artwork from the show.

At Animal Kingdom, Carrie, Eric and Chris try to outdo each other with creepy dinosaur smiles. Do we have a winner?

THIS was the story of my life. I spent a lot of time with Mallory and the stroller!

A highlight for me was Epcot's "World Showcase". I took some time perusing the different shops and "countries"- and Jeff and I had a nice lunch in Norway!

By the time we got to Epcot, rain ponchos were a staple part of our wardrobe!

Running from place to place to escape the rain was exhausting!

(By the way, I hope the title of this post gives you the gift of a lovely song in your head for the rest of the day!)

Happy Birthday, America.

This should make your holiday complete.

You don't have to thank me :)

The Holiday That Wasn't

What? You say it's a holiday?
I didn't notice.
Then again, every day feels like a holiday to me. I stay at home.
But Chris would typically have the weekend off.
Not this time...he's on-call through the holiday weekend.
That means we haven't been able to plan anything.
No BBQs. No fireworks. No trips to the lake.
Now, the latter blow was lessened by the fact that the lake cabin currently looks like this:


The annual Stavenger 4th of July extravaganza has been thwarted this year by construction...but next year promises to be amazing!
Anyway, tomorrow Chris will likely be working.
And I'll be at home, enjoying the freedom to sit around in my pajamas all day.
Or maybe I'll go see a movie...by myself. :)

How My Sunglasses Died.

I have bragged about my seemingly invincible sunglasses before.
They endured three moves, many vacations and much abuse.
I loved them.
And now they're gone.
They met their end yesterday at a volleyball match.
About a week ago, I was sitting on the couch after returning home from a coffee outing.
They were propped on top of my head where, once indoors, I often forget about them.
Chris got home shortly after me.
I was too lazy to get off the couch, so he came over to give me a kiss.
As I looked up, they slipped off the back of my head.
I made a mental note..."pick them up before I sit on them".
But I didn't. I started talking to Chris about his day at work, blah, blah, blah...
Crack.
I excavated them to survey the damage...
Not too bad- one of the ear things was bent at the hinge.
I carefully repositioned it and...voila! Like new!

Except it wasn't like new.
They were silently suffering, every time I opened and closed them.
That brings us to yesterday....
I was cheering on Chris at a volleyball match and, despite the cloud cover, thought it was a little bright for me.
I pulled them out of my purse.
They disintegrated in my hand.
I looked at disbelief, thinking I'd just reassemble them,
but the hinge had completely broken.
It was finished.

I guess they weren't as invincible as I thought.
But they were a darned good pair of sunglasses.

Dear Abby...

OK, I'LL BLOG! STOP YELLING AT ME!
Alright, so no one is yelling...just gently nudging. And if you're a blogger, you know there are "lulls" that help you collect some thoughts. My "lull" was more of a "Oh my gosh, I'm so behind..." I'll be diving back into May and June to catch up shortly, but first, I NEED YOUR HELP!

If anyone still reads this thing (I know a lot of you use it as a link to my brother's blog!), I'm looking for a little "Dear Abby" advice.

We have neighbor trouble.

He is a middle-aged gentleman who, we assume, is divorced and has partial custody of his kids. When the kids are around, we have no problems! BUT, when they are gone, almost like clockwork around 10 or 11 p.m., he begins to blare his music. This usually lasts until 1 or 2 in the morning. Our bedroom wall is adjacent to his living room, so SOME can be excused for close proximity. But, it seems that late at night, one should dial down the annoying techno music in favor of your neighbors' sanity (Chris usually leaves to sleep on the couch during these episodes). Last night, the neighbor had friends over for a bonfire in the backyard- the music played OUTDOORS from 10 to 12:30 p.m.

So...what to do. I would feel comfortable approaching him if we had some kind of previous acknowledgement. However, we've been bad neighbors and haven't gotten to know them. Because of that, I also feel a little awkward calling the cops on his little late night shindigs.

With a baby on the way and a husband who works long hours, we need our sleep over here! So we ask you...have you had a similar experience with nasty neighbors?
What would YOU do??

Boy, Girl, Boy, Girl, Boy, Girl..

Everyone seems to have an opinion on whether this baby will be a boy or a girl. I've never heard so many random reasons cited, either! I've started to collect them so I can analyze the results:

*You're craving salad? You're having a girl!

*No morning sickness? You're having a boy!

*Chris has a dream that we're having a girl.

*No first trimester weight gain...it's a boy!

*Fast heartbeat heard at pre-natal appointment...it's a girl!

*Chris has a dream that it's a boy. (I haven't had ANY baby dreams yet!)

*Chinese zodiac says the stars are aligned for a girl!

Looks like we will definitely be having a girl....or boy. :)
Wanna weigh in with your own bizarre formula?

If You're A Man Who Wants To Live A Long and Happy Life...

...these are the things you don't say to your wife.


Men of the world, take GOOD notes.
And, enjoy the nostalgic Green Day tune. :)

This Post is Brought To You By Apple.

BEHOLD THE UPGRADE!!

Yes, the behemoth 24" iMac has taken it's rightful place on the computer throne. And, I might add, it's nearly as big as our television set. (I put our old functioning laptop in the picture so you can grasp the enormity.) It will get much use over the next few years as we bring you pictures and videos of life in Duluth. One of our favorite features is the ability to video chat, so if you have a MAC, drop on by iChat! Otherwise, we'll catch you on Skype! :)

MAC is BACK, baby!