tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7806632216298765682024-03-06T03:40:18.223-05:00love and sushiRachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15730614153490476015noreply@blogger.comBlogger491125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-780663221629876568.post-55754145903078902512016-10-19T03:22:00.001-04:002016-10-19T03:23:52.148-04:00God Loves Him More<div style="text-align: justify;">
It's crazy to think how much can change in a month. Almost one month ago on September 22, I went through a full day of work with no breaks other than lunch due to my prep-less Thursday schedule. I drove home immediately after dismissal so I could have some time to myself before heading back for a school event at night. Then I returned to work and spent another two hours at work in the evening for Back to School Night speaking to parents about the plans for the upcoming year for math, English, and science.</div>
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Just less than month later, I am on my 23rd or so day of bed rest and trying to mentally prepare for the early arrival of our baby boy.</div>
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The reason for all of the changes is because of what happened that next Friday morning on September 23 at 3AM. It was by far the most terrifying and most traumatic experience I have ever lived through in my entire life. I was sleeping on the couch in the baby's room because I have found that it helped with my back when literally out of nowhere, I was woken up from my dream because I felt liquid of some sort moving through my system at an incredibly fast rate. I thought that maybe I had to use the bathroom, but it was completely out of my control.</div>
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I immediately rolled off the couch to the floor, and I still had absolutely no control. One of the more unfortunate symptoms of pregnancy is loss of complete bladder control, but I distinctly remember thinking, "It can't be this bad, can it?" Then I started thinking that maybe my water had broken. I had also read that it doesn't typically come out so quickly the way that it's portrayed on TV and in movies, but I wasn't 100% sure. With the flashlight on my phone, I tried to figure out what it was, but I couldn't tell. I stood up and rushed to the bathroom. However, when I sat down, I was in for a huge shock.</div>
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There was blood everywhere. I had had an incident with bleeding just 5 weeks earlier, but it was nothing like this. I called for Howard and banged on the shower door to wake him up. The worst part of this was that it wasn't stopping. Without being too graphic, the baby's room and the bathroom basically looked like a murder scene. Saying that I was bleeding would have been an understatement; the only words that could be used to describe what was happening was "gushing" and "pouring."</div>
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Howard called my doctor's answering service knowing that we'd have to go to the emergency room but wanting them to be prepared for our arrival. I was about to break down and cry hysterically, but somehow he remained calm and kept me calm too. Later on, he told me that he was visibly shaking, but I just didn't notice because all I could do was look down. As Howard got me new clothes, I called my parents' house, which I knew would probably scare them because the only time that typically happens is for emergency purposes. My mom said they could pick us up, but I wanted to get to the hospital as soon as possible, and we're less than 15 minutes away.</div>
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When we went downstairs to grab my bag and a hoodie for me as well as put on our shoes, I was praying out loud and saying, "God, protect the baby. Keep him safe. We know You love him more than we do." And as scared and worried as I was that I was going to lose the baby after carrying him for 8 months, I started feeling a bit more at peace that God was in control.</div>
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Since it was about 3:15AM at that point, it was fairly chilly outside. The windshield on the car kept fogging up, so we were being cautious about that. One good thing was that they finally paved Forest Avenue! It was so bumpy for weeks after they tore it up, and it was such a relief that the drive could at least be a smooth one. I had the directions on my phone even though we've been there before a few times in the past, but it also gave us something to focus on instead of worry. I was texting my mom to keep her updated because she and my dad were going to go to the hospital too. I also texted the director of my school and the headmaster to let them know we were going to the hospital so that they would be prepared for the fact that I was going to miss work. It's also a comfort knowing that they would be praying for me too.</div>
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Because we were there a little over a month ago, Howard knew to drive the car to the back of the hospital and drop me off at the emergency room. He walked me in and I told the nurse there that they were expecting me upstairs. She called to confirm and then asked if I wanted a wheelchair. I took her up on that offer because I wasn't sure if constantly moving was hurting the situation. Plus, I didn't think I could maintain my composure and stand much longer. While the nurse took me upstairs, Howard went to park the car.</div>
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I filled out the forms that I had already filled out not too long ago after the first very minor bleeding incident. It was surreal being there again. A nurse came in and brought me to triage where she gave me a gown. I asked if I could use the bathroom first before being hooked up to monitors, and thank God when I went, I could tell that the bleeding was coming to a stop at that point.</div>
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Howard arrived around that time so he was able to help me change into the robe. The nurse put two different monitors on belts around my belly. One was to monitor baby's heartbeat and the other was to monitor any potential contractions. We immediately saw that baby's heart rate was exactly where it should be, and we both breathed a sigh of relief. I felt that as long as he was okay that everything would be fine.</div>
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The craziness of the night wasn't just for me though. There was another couple in the section next to us that was dealing with the woman's fairly intense labor. My mom had arrived at that point, but since only one person was allowed in triage, she had to stay in the waiting room right next to it. She heard that woman in pain and wondered if it was me and if the baby was coming incredibly early, but then she picked up on the constant swearing and knew it wasn't me! That woman was soon transferred to labor and delivery. But then the night continued to be an eventful one as another woman was brought in sitting in a wheelchair clearly in incredible pain, and she had to be taken directly to a room because she was literally going to have the baby right where she was!</div>
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It actually took some time before I was fully examined. I went to the bathroom a few times while waiting because of the fact that I was hooked up to an IV. Since I knew the bleeding wasn't heavy at this point and that baby's heartbeat was strong, I was starting to calm down. There were two different residents that came to ask me questions. The first one did the ultrasound and then the second one did the full exam. My mom was allowed to come back and stay with us as well since there was no one else in triage at that point, but my dad stayed in the car. Even my doctor showed up at one point; she actually got angry at some of the staff because she had requested that they not examine me because it was so late and I wasn't cared for right away due to the two women who had their babies so quickly. I think the message might've gotten lost in the hustle and bustle of the staff change. </div>
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Someone from antepartum ended up coming to see me and just casually mentioned how I was staying in the hospital for at least a night. What now? I have to stay at the hospital? Apparently no one told me about that either, so that was news. In all honesty, she was the one person who I wasn't that happy with because she just had a very direct and somewhat blunt way of delivering news or answering questions. For example, I had an IV in my arm already, but they needed another tube of blood for testing because one was left out in the initial testing. She was looking on the back of my hands and my wrists and my other arm to see if she could draw blood, but there was nothing available. She questioned why I hadn't had any water to drink, and I explained to her that since arriving at the hospital, I wasn't allowed to eat or drink anything. She asked why I didn't drink any water beforehand, and I had to explain to her that we arrived at 3:30AM, and that I was woken up from my sleep and didn't think as I was changing and getting ready to leave to go to the hospital that I should get a drink of water. When she finally poked me in the back of my left hand, it was one of the most painful pricks I have ever had in my lifetime, and I've experienced plenty! It also continued to bleed for quite some time thereafter. Howard said he could tell it was bad because of the look on my face when I usually never cringe from blood draws. </div>
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Howard and my mom were then led to my bed in the antepartum room. I was taken by a technician to a separate location for an internal ultrasound. She told me that the baby was measuring just a little over 4 pounds at that point. Then she also commented that my placenta was low. I feel that I was asked many times during my pregnancy if I was ever told I had placenta previa, but I never was. This was the first time I heard about a low-lying placenta. After that test, I was brought to the antepartum room to settle down for observation for the remainder of the day and that night.</div>
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Thankfully, I wasn't required to be hooked up to the IV bag any longer, which meant going to the bathroom would be a little easier. It was still rather painful though because of the angle of the needle. I really hope the veins on the back of my hand are visible when I have the baby because I don't want to deal with it in my arm again!</div>
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Plus, it also meant that I could eat and drink! Lunch was soon, but we weren't sure when it would be delivered, so Howard and my mom went to the cafeteria to get some food. I was really wanting something like a salad and soup from Panera, which my dad was willing to get, but it was just easier to do some from the cafeteria so that my dad wouldn't have to drive far to get it and return with it.<br />
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I thoroughly enjoyed that soup since I was so hungry at that point. My mom actually had to help me in the beginning because it hurt so much to bend my right arm due to the IV. I then switched over to using my left hand. It wasn't the most spectacular soup in the world, but it tasted homemade and I liked that they got me a ton of noodles to slurp when I was done with the broth. I was eventually brought a sandwich for lunch, but I didn't eat it at that time though I did enjoy the chips!<br />
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My mom left in the afternoon because it was actually my grandfather's birthday dinner celebration. It was just Howard and me for the duration of our stay along with the two other women who were already in antepartum. Most of the time for me was spent like this:<br />
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I was hot because of the chux that you sit on, so I didn't even want the socks that they gave me or the blanket that was on the bed. I don't even know what else we did to pass the time, but I was amazingly grateful that Howard stayed with me the entire time. Since we're only about 15 minutes away from the hospital, I told him that he could take a break and go home if he wanted to, but he stuck by my side. Since there were no nurses really stationed in antepartum, he also didn't want to leave me without the ability to get help if I needed it. </div>
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I do remember that during that time, I wrote an email to my boss about having to begin my maternity leave much earlier. The last time I spoke to him about it, I had said I was trying to make it to the end of October, but clearly God had different plans. I had to just stop thinking about my responsibilities at work and accept the fact that my priority was to make sure baby stayed put until my due date. I also didn't have much of a choice because of the bed rest, but for once, I didn't feel as guilty as I thought I might. I was actually pushing myself at work for the past week or so, and Howard and my parents wanted me to start my leave earlier than what I had planned. I was returning home with swollen feet and just falling asleep on the couch with no energy to do anything. I had also had the flu shot and the Tdap, which knocked the wind out of me for a little bit as well. But in the past 8 years or so of teaching, I kept going to work work regardless of how I felt. However, this was one time in my life where work just could NOT be on my list of concerns any longer.</div>
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For dinner that night, I was given beef stew. From what I remember, the other women weren't allowed to eat, so I was happy that I could.</div>
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I took a few bites of it and wasn't enjoying the beefy flavor, so Howard actually ate it (along with the sticky rice my mom made the day before that my dad brought for him when he picked up my mom). I had half of the chicken and roasted red pepper sandwich from lunch. I look back at these pictures and know that although it was a stressful time during the pregnancy, we also were able to have some laughs. Howard thought the little styrofoam container was a delicious soup of some sort, but in reality, it was just hot water for tea. He was smelling the beef stew in the large container!</div>
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That night, I was grateful that we were both able to sleep. Howard was upright in a chair when the night nurse came by and got him a reclining chair and a blanket that was definitely more comfortable for him. During the nighttime hours, one of the women had an emergency situation with the baby's heart rate or something like that as the alarms went off. Then since the other woman who was next to us was discharged, another girl and her husband was brought in in the middle of the night too. I woke up from all the sounds but was able to fall back asleep. It wasn't a deep sleep by any means, but it was still needed. </div>
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Our favorite nurse of the stay was named Rachel, and she did have to come to me in the morning hours because the monitor wasn't picking up baby's heartbeat. He was clearly so done with having that thing on him because any time a nurse would move it around, he would kick it! Not only could I feel it, it was audible on the monitor as well because it would suddenly be a loud thump. Howard and I laughed at his behavior because he was actually more well-behaved with the nicer nurses as if he knew to be cooperative.</div>
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I was grateful that after spending so much time in the hospital that I wasn't actively bleeding. I definitely still had some old blood and some spotting, but it was much easier to deal with than what had happened at home. I was hoping and praying that I'd be discharged, but I also knew not to expect it to happen so quickly. Instead, I looked forward to breakfast. Unfortunately, the breakfast I was given was French toast, which is one of my least favorite things to eat in the entire world. I figured I'd be hungry enough to eat whatever was given to me, but this was like a shingle. A dry, whole wheat shingle, haha. Even Howard didn't think it was very edible, and he doesn't mind whole wheat bread or French toast!</div>
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Howard went downstairs to the cafeteria to grab us some more edible food for breakfast. We split a cheese omelette that I actually thought was pretty good especially compared to the French toast and some corned beef hash. We also split pancakes, and Howard indulged in some bacon since it's something we never actually buy ourselves. </div>
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We finished our breakfast around 9AM. Then we were visited by nurses and finally the resident who said that we were going to be discharged! They were waiting on the blood test that the nurse Rachel had taken to check that I wasn't anemic from the blood loss. She had to prick me in the right wrist, but she did it so gently that it was such a relief compared to the horrid experience with the back of the left hand. I signed the papers after being told that I had to stay on bed rest, and we walked downstairs (after the difficulty of trying to find someone let us out of the unit because the doors are always locked). I sat in the lobby area as Howard go the car, and I took this picture at 10:36AM. </div>
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I was beyond grateful that I was leaving and going home. I prayed for the one woman who was still in the hospital who would have to stay until her baby was actually born. Personally, I couldn't wait to be home to use my own bathroom and to take a shower and be comfortable sleeping once again. Since then, the pregnancy hasn't exactly gone the way I imagined it would what with the bed rest and the planned early c-section, but that's going to have to be another story for another day. All I know is that this adventure is one that is going to require a lot of trust in Him! I just have to keep remembering that God loves my baby more than I ever can, and He also loves me too more than I can ever imagine.</div>
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Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15730614153490476015noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-780663221629876568.post-42044974085596682802016-07-25T08:15:00.000-04:002016-07-25T08:15:57.934-04:00Mother of Twins<div style="text-align: justify;">
Just 5 days after we got that first positive pregnancy test, I called a new doctor to set up my first appointment. My current gynecologist no longer delivers babies, so I had to find someone new. I didn't know how I could ask those around me for recommendations since I hadn't told anyone else about our news other than my immediate family. We hadn't even told Howard's family yet because we were waiting for my father-in-law's birthday dinner so everyone would be together. In my search online, I decided to look at a former doctor who left my current doctor's office to start her own practice. I discovered that she closed her practice fairly recently, but she recommended a doctor that even delivered her own babies. Well, an obstetrician who delivers other doctors' babies? Sounds good to me!</div>
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The funny thing is that when I found her Facebook page, I saw that a few of my friends actually liked her page. What made it even better is that I saw a review from my colleague's wife who raved about her. She was actually the one I wanted to ask since she had 3 babies already, and there you go! Thanks to the internet, I was able to find her without even asking! Thankfully, I was able to get an appointment with them after telling them it was <i>somewhat </i>through a personal recommendation. </div>
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That first appointment was scheduled for Monday, March 21. Although we were excited to be having a baby, it still didn't feel real just yet. Sure, we did tell some more family members and my closest colleagues at that point, but I didn't feel any different. There was a part of me that was kind of like, "Well, I still have to get through my daily work days and plan lessons and pretend that everything's the same." I think I just needed that confirmation from the doctor herself, as if there was any possibility that the 5 positive pregnancy tests I had sitting on the toilet tank were incorrect.</div>
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I didn't know what to expect during that first appointment. I'm the type of person who prefers to be prepared as much as possible, so before any medical procedure, I look up anything I can online just so I'm not surprised. However, since there were so many different things that could happen during a first appointment depending on doctors, I wasn't sure. I just knew that I'd probably have to get used to peeing in a cup, haha, which is something I have always hated to do. In fact, I'd prefer to get blood drawn than pee in a cup, but now that I do it at every appointment, I've gotten rather used to it, thankfully! </div>
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With no definite expectations other than that, I was a little nervous. Howard and I sat in the waiting room for quite a bit of time. When we were called in, the nurse asked if we were there because I was pregnant, and I said yes. She replied, "Yeah, the husbands don't usually come to the pap smears!" After the routine questions were asked and my blood pressure and weight were recorded, the doctor came in to ask a few questions of her own and run through her own tests. I was then led into another room for an internal ultrasound. It's funny how the things that you have always dreaded in the past are just things you have to do and can handle when it means it's for your baby! </div>
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The room was set up so that instead of my having to turn to look at the technician's screen, I could just look up at the one mounted on the wall in front of me as I was lying down. When the image popped up, I noticed something unusual, but at the same time, I didn't really think too much of it since it was my first time really looking at an ultrasound carefully. But the technician then said something we both were NOT expecting at all. She said, "As you can see, it's twins ..."</div>
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WHAT?! TWINS?! She said she saw it right away, but she wanted to make sure she could see a heartbeat on both babies before she said anything. Howard and I looked at each other with wide eyes. We were shocked. We have joked for years that if we ever had twins, we would name the babies Luke and Leia if it was a boy and girl. Many people have heard the story of how I promised him that those would be their names since he loves Star Wars so much (even though it was kind of a joke, I think, haha). We had also only recently discovered that twins do actually run in his family. I think it was just something that he had forgotten since his extended family lives around the world.</div>
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In that brief moment, I had a million thoughts run through my head. I thought about how it would be so much more difficult on us to handle two babies at the same time at the same age and how it would cost twice as much to feed, clothe, and diaper our little ones! </div>
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But as quickly as those worries sped through, they came to a complete halt. The technician actually couldn't find the heartbeat for the second baby. We heard the beautiful sound of Baby A's heart, but there was nothing for Baby B. And suddenly, the fears I had just a minute ago turned into bewilderment. What? How was there no heartbeat? As the news sank in, I began to cry.</div>
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The doctor came into the room at that time, and the technician explained to her what had happened. They gave me tissues and explained that it was probably Vanishing Twin Syndrome. Because ultrasounds are done so early nowadays, it's possible to see that there are twins before a miscarriage occurs and one is absorbed by the other twin. In the past, it wouldn't have been as easily detected because by the time they could see the baby in an external ultrasound, the other twin would have disappeared already. She said that instead of having me return in a month for my next appointment, she wanted to check me out again in two weeks to make sure that everything was okay. If I had any bleeding/spotting or any other miscarriage symptoms, I was to call the office.</div>
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Howard and I spoke to her a little more and got more information about pregnancy in general. We left the office rather quietly, but when we got to the car, the tears just started flowing again. I know that medically speaking, these things happen, but I was afraid that it was something I did or didn't do that caused it to happen. I'm sure plenty of other women have had the same thoughts I had, but I just felt guilty because I was the one carrying both babies. I also felt guilt about the immediate thoughts I had in the office regarding how I was scared about having to handle two babies at once. </div>
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I went home, and we both called our parents and then texted our siblings to let them know. It was a very confusing time emotionally. I did a lot of reading online in an attempt to have a better understanding of it. Some articles definitely made me cry many times. For example, there was one woman in an article who mentioned it felt like going to a birthday party and a funeral at the same time. We were sad about Baby B, but we were also happy about Baby A. But at the same time, we felt guilty for being happy about Baby A. My emotions would flip flop on an hourly basis. Was I even "allowed" to be sad? Some women are only pregnant with one baby and have a miscarriage. At least we still had one with us, right? There are some women who have infertility issues and can't even get pregnant and stay pregnant with one baby. I should be thankful, right? We also knew that Baby B was already in heaven having the best time. I didn't know what I should or <i>could </i>feel.</div>
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We didn't share this information with many people at the time or since then. Other than our immediate family, I only told two of my colleagues at work the next day because I knew I needed their prayer and support. After some time, we also told our small group, but that was much later on when it was easier to talk about it. I just couldn't handle my own emotions and then deal with what other people might say too. My mentor teacher told me that even though we still had one baby, I had every right to be sad about the other baby and that we should give ourselves time to mourn that loss. I mean, even though I was still pregnant, I did lose a baby. One person I told attempted to comfort me by saying that at least we didn't hear both heartbeats during one appointment and then not hear them the next. Sure, I agree that would've been more devastating, but this was still taking an emotional toll nonetheless. When we told our small group, our leader said that sometimes when he has to comfort others due to his pastoral role within ministry, the only thing that can be said is, "That sucks." I couldn't agree more.</div>
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During those two weeks of waiting for the next appointment, I was incredibly sick from morning sickness, but it was made worse by the worries. There was a slight chance that the second heartbeat just wasn't audible because the baby was too small. I didn't know what to think. I admit I didn't even know how to pray. The doctor had explained that having multiples increases the risks in pregnancy and that I would have to stop working by a certain week and take it easy to prevent preterm labor. I knew it would've been a strain on my body if that was the case, but I couldn't help but ask God why there had to be another baby in the first place if it wasn't going to survive. It sounds silly, but I even wondered if Baby A knew that something was wrong and missed Baby B.</div>
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At the next doctor's visit, we could physically see that the second sac was shrinking. For those of you who saw Howard's Facebook post on our 4th anniversary in May, you already saw this picture. You can see that the second baby didn't grow the way the first baby did. I also had some bleeding in the uterus. As sad as it was, I actually started feeling a little better physically thereafter. Weeks 6-9 of my pregnancy were the worst in terms of morning sickness and stress, but once we had more of a final answer about our twins, we could move on to being happy that Baby A was healthy and growing right on schedule with a heartbeat at 185 beats per minute. We could look forward to being parents!</div>
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Writing this entry definitely brought up a lot of the emotions that I thought were long gone. I guess there's no way to truly make the sadness about our other baby go away forever. Even though I will be giving birth to one baby in November, I am and always will be the mother of twins, and we both look forward to meeting our other baby in heaven!</div>
Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15730614153490476015noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-780663221629876568.post-75042774297717601412016-07-21T09:49:00.000-04:002016-07-22T23:53:39.302-04:00Sharing the Big News: My Family<div style="text-align: justify;">
When we found out that we were pregnant on Wednesday, March 2, we were still a little skeptical. As I mentioned in an earlier post, I took another test the next day in the morning for a confirmation. We didn't tell anyone right away because we wanted to let the news sink in and enjoy it when it was just the two of us. It definitely is different once people know. It felt odd keeping such a secret though because that Friday was my school's annual Pajama Movie Night, and I had to order a well-done burger when a few of my colleagues and I went out to eat before the event. Everything I did made me wonder if I would do or say something that would give it away.</div>
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I always thought I'd tell my mom immediately, but it happened to be that my dad's birthday celebration was that Saturday. He always tries to tell me things, and I'll reply, "Mommy already told me." If there's anything new going on with me, he typically hears it through my mom because we talk so often and about everything. I thought it would be extra special to make the announcement specifically to my dad so that he would also see just how important he is to me.</div>
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Just to be on the safe side because Howard and I were still doubtful, I took another test on Saturday morning. This was just two days after the last test, and that line could not be any darker! There was no waiting for it to appear; it automatically appeared! It was amazing to see how clear it was; there was absolutely no denying it at that point! I also kept thinking about how great it was that my colleague told me to get the Dollar Tree tests. I mean, I took so many just to confirm!</div>
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Okay, now that we had that confirmation, I had to figure out how to reveal the news. I just knew it would be the perfect opportunity because my entire immediate family doesn't get together that often, and I really didn't want to just text it. This was a rare occasion with the best timing! I decided to make a card because I've done that once in a while in the past so it wouldn't be too out of the blue. My dad isn't really someone who likes getting gifts; he'll worry that we spent too much money on him! Anyway, I didn't have the time to make anything fancy with my Cricut or Silhouette, so I used the internet to get a simple black and white picture of a slice of cake and copied and pasted it so that there would be 9 slices on the front since the addition of our baby would make us a party of 9!</div>
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When we go to the house, I knew we would have to wait a bit. I wanted to make sure my brother, sister-in-law, and niece were there too. I kept waiting for the best moment because I did want Howard to film their reaction or take pictures if possible. When we went upstairs to the living room, I was thinking it would be the right time because we were all taking pictures of Ava, but my mom wasn't sitting anywhere near my dad. I wanted to make sure that they were together so that she could read it too when he opened the card. Okay, I'd have to wait a little longer.</div>
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Later that night, we were in the kitchen for dinner. We had ordered in so it was fairly relaxed, but I thought it was hilarious that my mom had brought up a Seagrams Escape Fuzzy Navel, which is what we used to get in Florida and is the only drink that I ever have that's considered alcoholic. I had to pass on it as I claimed I wanted Martinelli's instead and that I'd have the Seagrams later. I ate a little but not too much because I was feeling a little nervous! </div>
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Finally when we were getting ready to have some dessert, I gave my dad the card. He took it, thanked me, and then put it aside. I told him to open it, and while he was doing that, my mom realized she had miscounted plates, but I didn't want her to miss out on reading it too! I had to tell her to look. My younger brother was on the other side of my dad, so he leaned over to take a look too. </div>
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As I said before, the front of the card just had 9 slices of cake on it with the beginning of the happy birthday song, but instead of finishing the lyrics, I wrote, "Happy birthday dear ..." with the continuation on the inside of the card. On the inside, I wrote "Goong-goong!" because that means maternal grandfather in Cantonese. Even though my parents are already grandparents, they have different titles in Chinese because my brother had a baby. My parents can only be Goong-goong and Por-por because of me because I'm their only daughter. Anyway, I inserted a picture of the pregnancy test and then wrote the following: "We're going to have to split the cake into 9 pieces! Love, Howard and Rae (plus one)."</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Soon to be Goong-goong!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We took this at the end of the night. I actually wanted Howard to get a quick shot of the card, but when I picked it up, my dad wanted to be in the picture too, which I thought was adorable.</td></tr>
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The reaction was priceless. My dad laughed, but I don't think he realized what it meant or what the picture was until he saw the "plus one" portion. My mom and younger brother both looked up at the SAME EXACT TIME and said "Really?" at the SAME EXACT TIME! And then they both did a little celebratory dance IN THE SAME EXACT WAY. Here's just a snippet of the video:</div>
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It made me laugh so much, and even now as I watch the video, I'm reminded of what a great moment it was. I'm really glad that it worked out that my entire family was there. We were saying to my baby niece that she was going to be an older cousin! Now when we get together for dinners and celebrations, we're going to need an even larger table as our family continues to grow!</div>
Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15730614153490476015noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-780663221629876568.post-85647706203746922832016-07-01T19:09:00.000-04:002016-07-22T23:53:47.499-04:00God's Impeccable Timing<div style="text-align: justify;">
After months and months of trying to get pregnant, there was a part of me in the back of my head that was convinced that maybe we would be one of those couples dealing with infertility. There were articles I read that stated that 6 months to a year was the typical amount of time it took, but at the same time, I knew of people that got pregnant rather quickly or without even trying. I told myself that it would happen at the right time, but I kept thinking that with the health problems I've had since college, I'd come across some issues preventing it from ever occurring. </div>
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At the same time, Howard and I had also been searching for a new place to live. Initially, we started apartment hunting and found an apartment we LOVED in a great location with a ton of space and a reputable landlord only to realize that there were no hookups for a washer/dryer and it wasn't possible to add them up because it was above a dental practice. Another apartment was actually a newly renovated townhouse, and the two of us seemed to really get along with the family and daughter that were renting it. We told them of our interest, and it came down to two parties, but the owner ended up not choosing us and apologized because of how much he knew we loved it. </div>
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We then switched to looking at houses after our parents advised us that it made more sense to pay a mortgage than pay rent, but the houses we liked sold quickly. I didn't think we'd be able to handle a down payment on a house, so we then began poring over the online listings for townhouses. There was one we absolutely adored and even put an offer on it, but the owners insisted that they wanted $5000 less than full price. It wasn't worth it in our opinion, and even our realtor said that their counter offer was ridiculous. </div>
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As you can see, there were many internal struggles and even faith struggles throughout this time because I felt that we were ready to move on to the next stage of our lives. We both cried many times when the pregnancy tests came back negative despite symptoms suggesting otherwise and also when housing situations fell through. </div>
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Of course, now that I have hindsight, I see just how BEAUTIFUL all that time was. Howard and I not only grew stronger as a couple, we really grew stronger in our individual faith in Him. When I was upset, he wasn't. When he was upset, I wasn't. We learned how to support each other and remind each other of God's perfect timing. And suddenly, things seemed clearer to us. We were ready to give up the pen and stop fighting the Creator and Author of our lives. And doesn't it just make sense that things then fell into place? </div>
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On Monday, February 22 of this year, I was on the schedule to share a devotional with the staff at my school during the morning meeting. This is what I wrote and read to my colleagues: </div>
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If you know anything about me or if you've ever sat in on one of my classes, you know just how much I love everything Disney. My husband and I love it so much that we even chose to go to Disney World for our honeymoon. One of my all-time favorite movies is actually the recent 2010 animated film Tangled, which is the story of Rapunzel. I find myself singing or humming the songs without even realizing it. One in particular is called "When Will My Life Begin?" The beginning goes as follows: </div>
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After listing some more activities that she partakes in while being locked in her tower, she sings, "Stuck in the same place I've always been" and "When will my life begin?"</div>
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Now in no way am I comparing my life with the plight of a young, long-haired girl confined to a secret location, but as I think back on my own inner monologue, I find myself asking myself something to that same effect - when will my life begin?</div>
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I'm sure I'm not alone when I say I spent my middle school and high school years waiting for the day I could finally have a guy call me his girlfriend. It was as if my life would surely have more meaning and purpose once someone else determined that I was worthy. I eagerly waited for high school graduation when I could stop worrying about the competition for being ranked first and second. Once I began college, I would be able to study what I wanted to study and leave behind the world of classes like economics and history (sorry, Jess). Then after receiving my Bachelor's degree, I was anticipating the moment when I would finally have my MRS degree. Knowing that I would undoubtedly have my spouse by my side for the rest of our lives gave me feelings of comfort and peace. And now that I have been happily married for almost 4 years, there are two things that I look forward to hopefully happening sooner rather than later. Much of what Howard and I have thought about is how things would be easier if we were as financially "set" as my brother or his sister.</div>
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Some of you already know that Howard and I have been looking to move. We initially thought we were going to rent a 2-bedroom apartment, which would be an unbelievably amazing upgrade considering we live in a studio right now. After many prayers and seeing God close many doors and giving us the clear "no's" that we ask for, we have been house hunting instead. I feel that once we find the right place and we can move, we'll have more closets to get organized, better kitchen appliances and space to prepare healthier meals, and more room to finally be able to repay our families and host dinners. And don't get me started on just how thrilled we will be when we finally have access to our own washer/dryer!</div>
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The other stage of my life that I am looking forward to is having a baby. I have always felt that being called a mom is such a prestigious title. I think fondly about the way my mom parented my older brother and me and feel that it is such a high calling. I thoroughly enjoy my nephew and nieces, but there's part of me that wonders when it will happen for my husband and me. </div>
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During all these instances, it's as if I'm somehow always thinking that at the next phase, I will be set and my life will surely begin. Since the start of the school year, however, I have been learning how to be patient with all the things that I think will mean some sort of completion in my life. I have been reminded time and time again that God is the one whose plans will far surpass any plans I attempt to make. I have worried about many things, but I see over and over again that He orchestrates all these phases. For once, it is as if I am finally learning to fully submit the desires of my heart to the One who knows it all.</div>
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Yesterday in church, I was especially touched. There was a new song included in worship called "Death Was Arrested." Part of the lyrics are as follows:</div>
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<i>Our savior displayed on a criminal's cross</i></div>
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<i>Darkness rejoiced as though heaven had lost</i></div>
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<i>But then Jesus arose with our freedom in hand</i></div>
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<i>That's when death was arrested and my life began </i></div>
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<i>Oh your grace so free</i></div>
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<i>Washes over me</i></div>
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<i>You have made me new</i></div>
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<i>Now life begins with you</i></div>
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<i>It's your endless love</i></div>
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<i>Pouring down on us</i></div>
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<i>You have made us new</i></div>
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<i>Now life begins with you</i></div>
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Those lyrics just seem to directly address Rapunzel's and sometimes my thoughts of "When will my life begin?" I admit that I sometimes lose sight of God's plan for my life when I try to take things into my own hands and plan and organize it the way we all plan our lessons and organize our classrooms. </div>
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I hope that over the past 31 years, I have gained wisdom and not just head knowledge and looking to His Word is definitely the best way to get plugged into the true source of wisdom. Some of the many verses that have reminded me of God's wonder can be found in Psalm 139:1-6, 13-16.</div>
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1 You have searched me, Lord,</div>
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and you know me.</div>
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2 You know when I sit and when I rise;</div>
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you perceive my thoughts from afar.</div>
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3 You discern my going out and my lying down;</div>
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you are familiar with all my ways.</div>
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4 Before a word is on my tongue</div>
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you, Lord, know it completely.</div>
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5 You hem me in behind and before,</div>
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and you lay your hand upon me.</div>
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6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,</div>
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too lofty for me to attain.</div>
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13 For you created my inmost being;</div>
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you knit me together in my mother’s womb.</div>
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14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;</div>
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your works are wonderful,</div>
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I know that full well.</div>
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15 My frame was not hidden from you</div>
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when I was made in the secret place,</div>
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when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.</div>
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16 Your eyes saw my unformed body;</div>
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all the days ordained for me were written in your book</div>
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before one of them came to be.</div>
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When I am reminded of how great He is and how small I am and how much He knows and how little I know, it kind of puts me back in my place to realize that I can hope and plan all I want, but ultimately, He is the one who is in control since "all the days ordained for me were written" even "before one of them came to be."</div>
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Just a few hours after sharing that with everyone, Howard texted me to tell me that after adjusting our initial offer, the new offer we had made on a house the day before was accepted! And then as you all read in my previous post, it was just a little over a week when we saw those two lines indicating that we were going to be having a baby! It's funny looking back on everything that happened and seeing how God was in charge the entire time even though we kept trying to control our steps and do things according to our own timing. It was clear that He was wanting us to surrender and trust, and I can truthfully say that I'm glad He waited for us to get to that point. Because in the end, what do I know? Nothing. What does He know? Everything.</div>
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Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15730614153490476015noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-780663221629876568.post-59511614016517619362016-06-28T16:21:00.000-04:002016-06-28T16:21:38.894-04:00When Those Two Lines Appeared<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">"Can you stop at the store and get like, steak? Or tofu? Some kind of protein?" That was a slightly odd text for me to send Howard back at the beginning of March.</span><br />
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Anyone who knows me is aware that I would much rather enjoy plentiful helpings of stuffing, mashed potatoes, and green bean casserole at Thanksgiving instead of the turkey or beef. I've been known to choose an entree at the restaurant based on what comes with it on the side. My mom used to remind me when ordering that I had to choose something with protein in it because, in my opinion, that's just not the best part of the meal so I would avoid it if I could. So when I had this sudden craving for protein, I had a feeling something might be different.</div>
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Howard came home from work and stopped at our local store for two small steaks. I was excited to have some beef, which is somewhat rare in our household. But because it was an out of the blue craving, I decided that maybe I should take a pregnancy test in case there was a need for my steak to be cooked all the way through. In all honesty, this was probably the first time I didn't really have high hopes for what the test would reveal. This was the second batch of pregnancy tests that we had purchased, which meant I had gone through some months of feeling hopeful and then ultimately feeling disappointed when the test came out negative. I had come to the point in my walk with God when I realized that if He wanted us to be parents, it would happen in His time instead of our own. Taking the test this time was done just out of precaution.</div>
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Even so, there's something somewhat nerve-wracking about waiting even if it's for just a short interval. I set the test on the top of the toilet tank and sat down on the bathroom rug with the timer on my phone set for 3 minutes. When the buzzer indicated that it was time to look, I stood up and peered over and saw ... nothing. Nothing had happened. There wasn't even one line for the control. I was wondering what happened because it didn't look as if liquid had even moved at all, so I picked it up and for some strange reason, looked underneath the test to see if I could visually detect any issues with the test. Then because I tipped it one direction, the liquid moved down the testing strip and two lines automatically appeared. The testing line wasn't as strong as the control line, but it was undoubtedly there.</div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.8px;">I froze. The test had to be faulty, right? But then again, any line even if it's faint means that there's HCG present. I called Howard to the bathroom and told him what happened. Maybe I put it on a spot of the toilet tank that wasn't level. But I had done that before in the past. We decided we would just try again with another test. Thankfully, my colleague at work told me to just grab the ones from Dollar Tree because that's what she had successfully used for her two kids, so I didn't have to feel bad about spending so much money on pregnancy tests! But since I had just used the bathroom, I had to keep drinking water and wait a bit at first! We were in denial at that point because of all the times I've read about tests that were faulty.</span></div>
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About 20 minutes later, I took the second test. We both waited in the bathroom and when the 3 minutes was up, we turned to read the results. There it was again! That second line! We just stood there staring at each other as we were not quite sure what to believe. In the past, I wondered if I or both of us would cry especially after wanting a baby for a while, but we were just in shock and kind of laughing at what was before our eyes.</div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.8px;">The rest of the night, I kept saying, "Am I pregnant?" but it was closer to a statement than an actual question. We kept looking at each other and then bursting out in laughter. I know that any line means there's HCG in the urine, but I just couldn't fully believe it. We decided I'd take another test in the morning when the HCG is supposedly the strongest, and that third test confirmed it! What?! So now we know we're definitely having a baby?! We're going to be parents?!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.8px;">And yes, Howard did cook my steak all the way through.</span></div>
Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15730614153490476015noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-780663221629876568.post-11521582375493824822015-07-27T23:45:00.000-04:002016-04-10T21:03:14.077-04:00Meeting My Niece<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
Hello everyone! It's been quite some time since I last wrote here! I always kick myself for not jotting down a thought once in a while or a recap of the important moments of my life, so I figure it's better late than never despite the fact that it's been EXACTLY two months since this momentous day. What happened on May 27, 2015? I finally met my niece! She was actually born the day before a little after 5pm, but my parents were the only ones in my family who were at the hospital all day. </div>
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If you've been reading for a while, you know that last August I was completely in love when I <a href="http://loveandsushi.blogspot.com/2014/08/meeting-toby.html">met my nephew Toby</a>. Obviously a baby changes the life the parents, but I have to say that becoming an aunt was definitely one of the highlights of 2014. It's incredibly fun to get to experience the joys of having a baby in the family without actually having to deal with waking up in the middle of the night and poop explosions. All of you people out there who aren't parents yet but are aunts or uncles probably understand what I'm talking about because as a relative, you can just pass the baby back to the parents! We also get to go home and sleep well that night! </div>
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Toby was the one who made me an aunt for the first time, and nothing will ever replace that. However, there was something extra special about the birth of my niece. It might be because it was my own brother's baby instead of Howard's sister. Of course, I grew up with my brother and experienced so many of life's adventures with him since he's only two years older than I am. It made me melt to think that he was going to be a father when we first found out that my sister-in-law was pregnant. All the things that he loved as a little boy were sure to come out when he had a kid of his own. I love my in-laws, but I don't have all the memories with them that I have with my own family.</div>
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The arrival of the baby might have also been extra special because she was a girl. When I imagine having my own kids, it's so much easier for me to picture having a little girl! Also, I've written about it before, but I am addicted to clearance shopping. I can be completely starved and so desperate for food (as I was during our recent road trip to Lancaster!), but the one thing that can quell the hunger other than actually eating is clearance shopping. The baby girl clothing racks are always rather full compared to the ones for baby boys. Plus, they're completely adorable! I get so excited when I find items that match the new mommy's own style that would be so cute on her new baby daughter!</div>
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As an aunt, I definitely get the best of both worlds since now I have a nephew and a niece! Now let's rewind to that wonderful day in May!</div>
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<span style="text-align: left;">When my family arrived at the hospital, I was already jumping up and down with excitement. Literally. I was ecstatic to finally meet her! It did take some time getting used to the idea of her having a name since my brother and sis-in-law didn't reveal it until she was born. All along, we were calling her "Baby L." Even at the baby shower, the banner that my sis-in-law's friends strung up said that! Since my parents were at the hospital the day before when she was in labor, they knew where the room was. We walked down the hallway and used some Purell that the hospital had placed on the hallway wall. Alas, the timing wasn't exactly right as my sister-in-law was feeding, so we went to the waiting room until they were ready.</span></div>
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<a href="http://i1194.photobucket.com/albums/aa371/MissNinjaCrafts/2015/IMG_1355.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i1194.photobucket.com/albums/aa371/MissNinjaCrafts/2015/IMG_1355.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
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During that time, one of my sister-in-law's friends and her fiance arrived. My mom and I met her already at the bridal shower and baby shower, so the time passed by somewhat quickly with good conversation and some Cartoon Network playing on the television. After a bit, my brother told us we could go back to the room! Howard had his camera in hand, ready to snap the pictures of this wonderful occasion.</div>
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<a href="http://i1194.photobucket.com/albums/aa371/MissNinjaCrafts/2015/IMG_1357.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i1194.photobucket.com/albums/aa371/MissNinjaCrafts/2015/IMG_1357.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
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My mom carried her before handing her off to me. I admit I was a bit hesitant because she was unbelievably tiny. I remember being nervous about holding Toby, but my niece was even tinier because she was under 6 pounds. There was no way I was passing up this opportunity though. When we each had our turn, we sat in the chair that was in the room just to be on the safe side. </div>
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<a href="http://i1194.photobucket.com/albums/aa371/MissNinjaCrafts/2015/IMG_1362.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i1194.photobucket.com/albums/aa371/MissNinjaCrafts/2015/IMG_1362.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
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I could have stared at her all night. The best part was that we were all discussing whether or not she had a dimple, and then she showed it to me. Even better was Howard capturing it with his camera! I cropped her face from the following picture and made it my lock screen on my phone. Even though she's already two months at this point and adorably round with squishy cheeks, I still have that picture on my phone just because it was such a special memory!</div>
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<a href="http://i1194.photobucket.com/albums/aa371/MissNinjaCrafts/2015/IMG_1364.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i1194.photobucket.com/albums/aa371/MissNinjaCrafts/2015/IMG_1364.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
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Talking about how my lock screen is a picture of my niece reminds me of this Buzzfeed video though! </div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/_el2yDWWAlY/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/_el2yDWWAlY?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
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My younger brother also had a chance to carry her, and that was definitely something that had to be recorded since it was the first baby-baby that he ever held. I don't remember the last time my siblings and I took a picture together, but the birth of the next generation is definitely cause for one!</div>
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<a href="http://i1194.photobucket.com/albums/aa371/MissNinjaCrafts/2015/IMG_1369.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i1194.photobucket.com/albums/aa371/MissNinjaCrafts/2015/IMG_1369.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
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My parents are now grandparents! Even though she is still really young, I know exactly how they're going to be as she gets older. When my brother and I were kids, we knew not to ask my dad for the special treats that other kids got. We didn't ride on the carousel or the train at the mall or get ice cream from the ice cream truck. However, I know that my dad's going to be the kind of grandfather who buys his granddaughter a Mickey bar in Disney World even though he never bought it for us kids! Haha, he says he won't be like that, but we know it'll be true. My mom, on the other hand, will spoil her with activities by playing games with her and taking her to the zoo. </div>
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<a href="http://i1194.photobucket.com/albums/aa371/MissNinjaCrafts/2015/IMG_1371.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i1194.photobucket.com/albums/aa371/MissNinjaCrafts/2015/IMG_1371.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
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Unfortunately, we did have to eventually go home. Although the visiting hours were over, we did get to stay a little bit longer than when we should have left. It was time for the little baby to get some rest from all the extra attention and stay with the new mommy and daddy! I personally love this shot that Howard captured of my brother holding her as we left. Hubs did also take a picture of the new family of three, but as I've said to them before, it's more for the sake of documenting it even if it's just for them. I didn't want to post a picture here just because I don't know that I'd necessarily want people posting pictures of me after being in the hospital for almost two days! </div>
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The moment we walked out of the room, I was already missing her. My mom and I say it every time we leave from visiting her even now! I can't wait to see her again and again!</div>
Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15730614153490476015noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-780663221629876568.post-62731026575884747432015-02-21T23:15:00.000-05:002015-02-21T23:15:00.419-05:00Celebrating Chinese New Year<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
I think I'm becoming more Chinese. If you didn't already know, I'm an ABC, which stands for American-born Chinese. When Howard and I used to go to church in Chinatown and then pick up lunch from the restaurants, the workers there would know to speak to me in English. I was baffled as to how they knew that, and Howard explained that I even <i>look </i>like an ABC. </div>
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I never quite understood Chinese customs and traditions, and I've definitely had disagreements with my very traditional father when I was growing up because I couldn't grasp why some things had to be the way they were. I mean, having to invite my dad's friends to the wedding when I didn't even have a clue as to who they were? Things like that just didn't make sense to me. Sure, I was all for getting some extra cash in red envelopes during Chinese New Year and respecting elders as they had their big celebration dinners. But there were other customs that seemed pointless to me. Though I may never truly understand why we did things the way we did, I knew I didn't really have much of a choice. Tea ceremony on our wedding day? Um, didn't quite understand why that was important, but I guess I just had to do it. Avoiding black clothing on birthdays? Um, I look thinner in black, but if you say so!</div>
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As Howard and I approach our 3-year anniversary in May, I realize that I've actually come to accept more Chinese things without questioning it. I'll be honest and say that when we first got married, I didn't really consider myself part of the "F" family. My parents told me that in the Chinese culture, getting married meant that I was no longer a member of the "L" family. I didn't really take it seriously because as I've mentioned before in previous blog posts, I felt somewhat of a separation due to the language barrier. In my mind I thought that I was marrying Howard regardless of what his last name was. But month after month, I see that I am more and more of an "F" even if I still don't understand all the parts of the conversation during a family gathering!</div>
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I came to the realization this week as we went over to my in-laws' house to celebrate Chinese New Year. We already had dinner with Howard's family three times since 2015 began because of my sister-in-law's birthday, Howard's birthday, and my mother-in-law's birthday. But there was something different about Chinese New Year. Maybe it was because it wasn't at a restaurant and was instead at the house where we all sat around the family table. I've sat at that table a few times before when we were dating and then when we were engaged, but something changed that night. Maybe it's because my nephew Toby is in the picture now, and it just made it feel like we were a family of 7 joining together to eat dinner that night. Maybe it was because of the time we were playing with Toby and trying to entertain him while Howard's parents did food preparation and cooked the meal. I can't put my finger on it; it just felt like what a family does. </div>
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I know it doesn't seem like such a huge change, but in my mind, I really do see it as becoming "more Chinese"! </div>
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Here's an overhead shot of the food that my father-in-law and mother-in-law prepared. I remember my grandma and my own mom making the "fat choy" (the black stuff that looks like hair) around CNY, so despite being an ABC, there are some things that I "know" even if I don't remember why it's so important to eat it during that holiday. My favorite dish was probably the "dow mew," which is like, pea shoots or snow pea leaves or something like that (the big plate-o-green). I haven't had it in so long, and Howard and I commented that we haven't had oyster sauce in ages too! I also enjoyed the shrimp, of course, and the mix of veggies with the cloud ear mushroom (bottom left). I even had a few pieces of the tongue (bottom right)! It was a ton of food for the 6 of us since Toby is still too young and was gnawing on a banana.</div>
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<a href="http://i1194.photobucket.com/albums/aa371/MissNinjaCrafts/2015/CNY%201.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i1194.photobucket.com/albums/aa371/MissNinjaCrafts/2015/CNY%201.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
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After dinner, Howard took some pictures. His parents wanted him to take pictures of an orchid plant they're growing, and then my sis-in-law plopped Toby on the table for some pictures too! He's not entirely steady when he sits, so I was behind the table with my hand there just in case! I thought I was hidden, but my hand was in the shots, but hubs was able to edit it and crop it out! </div>
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<a href="http://i1194.photobucket.com/albums/aa371/MissNinjaCrafts/2015/CNY%202.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i1194.photobucket.com/albums/aa371/MissNinjaCrafts/2015/CNY%202.jpg" height="640" width="426" /></a></div>
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Later on, Sharon put Toby in some CNY gear, and we gave him some red envelopes. He proceeded to pop them in his mouth and gnaw on them!</div>
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We left a little after 10pm. Before we did, we got some homemade turnip cake to bring home! My in-laws make it the best in my opinion. That's probably one of the BEST parts of CNY! </div>
Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15730614153490476015noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-780663221629876568.post-70276505173852800262015-02-19T20:00:00.000-05:002015-02-19T20:00:01.487-05:00False Alarm<div style="text-align: justify;">
It was just one day. I didn't really think much of it. However, when it got to the third, fourth, and fifth day, I couldn't help but wonder, "Am I pregnant?" It ended up being 8 whole days of wondering if Howard and I were about to be parents, but clearly by the title of this post, that didn't happen. </div>
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The fact that my body is fairly scheduled really made me think after just two days that I might be pregnant. Howard and I kind of just joked about it at the beginning because we hadn't planned on having a kid in the near future, so it was kind of something that seemed impossible. But as each day passed by, there was a mix of excitement and fear. I didn't tell anyone about it other than my colleague at work who was my mentor teacher and is now the director of the school because I didn't know if any of these things would interfere with a school trip we had coming up.</div>
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Howard and I decided that if I was still late when the weekend rolled around that he would go buy a pregnancy test. I was actually anticipating having to find out for sure that way. Though we're not exactly where we <i>should</i> be to have a kid yet (I know there are so many out there who have told us there's never going to be a "right" time where everything is settled), there was a part of me that was honestly hoping that I <i>would </i>be mainly because if I were pregnant, it was clearly all God. If we were going to be parents, we trusted that God wanted us to be parents. If we tried planning all of this by ourselves, I knew it wasn't going to happen for possibly a few more years. </div>
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As we approached that Saturday, I couldn't shake the thoughts from my mind. Each day as I got up for work, I was a little giddy about the possibility and nervous at the same time. I knew there would be a great deal of change if I were. What would I do about work next year? How and when would we move? Would we be able to afford all of it? But then when Thursday rolled around, all the hopes I had were suddenly dashed. I wasn't pregnant. The logical part of me breathed a big sigh of relief. Phew, no need to stress about money and whether or not we were ready to give up our selfish "it's-just-the-two-of-us" ways. </div>
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But as the reality of it settled in, I was deeply saddened. That night when Howard and I went to bed, I moved in close to him unable to truly explain what I was feeling. It seemed silly to be sad. There was never a baby, so how could I be sad that suddenly there wasn't? There was no real loss. The only way that I could express what I was feeling was through tears. Lots and lots of tears. </div>
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It's only been 3 months since that week, and I don't know that I'm completely recovered. Sometimes the sappiest of commercials on Hulu will set me off again. I think November must have turned on a valve of some sort that makes my tear ducts leak a lot more often than it used to! Howard and I will be watching something completely non-baby related, and I'll have tears in my eyes! </div>
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Just a few months earlier, I knew in my heart that years from now, we'd look back on this false alarm and think about how God's timing was perfect. The amazing thing is that I feel that God has been teaching us so much in these past two months. We didn't have to wait to look back on this with hindsight. I know there's more to this story than what I can see right now, but I'm reassured in knowing that God is so great that He can work in people who are experiencing true pain and even those who are dealing with minor "silly" sadness. </div>
Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15730614153490476015noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-780663221629876568.post-83152309893606498362015-02-02T19:00:00.000-05:002015-02-02T19:00:04.974-05:00It's Time to Move<div style="text-align: justify;">
The other day, I posted the following status on Facebook:</div>
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<b>Ice: 2, Rae: 0.</b></div>
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<b>Howard, let's move to Florida.</b></div>
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In the past, I used to look forward to some snow with hopes of getting a snow day from work. Working at a private school means that we don't follow the same schedule as the public school system, so we will close even if they don't. Our school is kind of located in a remote area, and the staff and students live all over the island so some of us have to drive greater distances. For example, our school closed today because of the potential icy conditions outside. I don't work on Mondays since I'm part-time this year, so it didn't affect me, but I still breathed a sigh of relief knowing that my mom didn't have to drive and neither did my colleagues. Even so, it doesn't mean we close at all times.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i1194.photobucket.com/albums/aa371/MissNinjaCrafts/2015/Ice.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://i1194.photobucket.com/albums/aa371/MissNinjaCrafts/2015/Ice.jpg" height="640" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Howard's photo that he took on his phone after work today.</td></tr>
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A little less than a month ago on January 9th, I had one of the worst driving experiences of my life. The snow was falling so fast during my morning drive that everyone around me was taking it slow too. I believe I'm a very cautious driver, so when I see everyone else taking their time too, I know that it's really dangerous out. I took my normal route so that I could focus more on taking my time and not having to think about anything new that might occur. Well, something new occurred anyway!<br />
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As I was approaching a light, I saw that it turned red, so I stepped on my brake. The brake, however, was just not enough to stop the car. I pushed my foot down as hard as I could, but the car kept moving. It was slow-moving, so I actually had time to panic and think, "What am I supposed to do?!" There was the slightest decline, which probably made the whole situation worse. I knew I was going to keep going into the intersection.<br />
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For some reason, I have thought about what I would do if my brakes stopped working. Because it was something that has always been on my mind, I immediately thought to honk my horn to alert others around me of my situation. There was one car that could have started moving but didn't, so I just kept honking my horn until I turned left. I couldn't believe I had made it through without any issues. I breathed a sigh of relief and was so grateful that God was right by my side and that because of the timing, the amount of cars at that intersection was nothing like the regular traffic when I drive in the morning!<br />
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Those feelings of relief were soon forgotten because suddenly my eyes started filling with tears and I was sobbing. I drove for a few seconds more just so that I could stop my car at the side of the road safely out of the way. I called my mom right away, and when she picked up, I couldn't even speak. I knew I had to say something because my mom would panic considering I text her right before I start driving to her house. There would be no reason for me to call her thereafter unless something was wrong, so I forced myself to say, "I'm okay, but ..." and then proceeded to tell her what happened.<br />
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I was never a fan of driving in the first place. This definitely doesn't make it any easier for me! When I finally arrived at my parents' house, I was emotional again. Then when I arrived at school and one of my colleagues mentioned that I was late, I cried again as I tried to tell her what had happened. Then I went into the director's office because I had texted her to tell her briefly that I'd be late, I cried once more! When I got home that day and Howard came home, I cried again. I don't think I actually cried all of it out because I stopped myself each time, so it was just built up inside me because once I arrived at school, I immediately had to get to teaching.<br />
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Clearly, ice was the winner in this situation. It definitely got me. But as you saw in the status, the ice won not once but twice!<br />
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This past Thursday, there were no easy spots available by my parents' house. Since it was right after the latest snow storm (Staten Island got about 6 inches in some areas, I think, but it was nothing like the blizzard that was forecast), there was snow everywhere. The people shoveled the snow just so that they could pull their cars out. I already don't like parallel parking to begin with and have to do it very slowly, so when there's snow in the way, it's nearly impossible! I also have a very low car, so the snow kept scraping the bottom as I tried to back into a spot. Eventually I gave up and my mom was pulling out of the driveway so I parked there. That meant I had to leave my key in the house in case my dad needed to use my car or his own car in the garage. Since the door was locked, I had to walk to my mom to get the house key. In the process of doing that, I slipped.<br />
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Now I've slipped on ice many times before as I'm sure we all have. But this is one of the few times that the slipping actually caused me to fall. My left knee absorbed most of the fall, so my upper thigh was in pain for the next few days to the point where taking the stairs would take my breath away (haha, and not in a good way!). The worst part of the tumble was that I had my tote bag on my right shoulder. Thankfully, it wasn't as full as it normally is, but it was still heavy enough to make me twist as it fell behind me from my right side to my left side. It hurt so badly that I couldn't even stand up right away. My mom said that when she got out of the car, she didn't know where I was. It was because I was on the ground unfortunately!<br />
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I was sore for the rest of the day and the next few days. Even today, I'm still not completely better. I have this spot on my back that is rather painful. I'm not one to take Tylenol unless I really have to even though there are times my mom or Howard suggest I take it for pain. Today was a day I took the full dosage because the back spasms were unbearable. Afterwards I went to lie in bed and read my nook until the Tylenol made me drowsy (yes, all forms of medicine make me drowsy!) and I konked out.<br />
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I give up. I surrender. The ice has won, but I am afraid that it's still going to come after me anyway. Tonight the temperatures are dropping into the teens, so the icy mess that was out there and all the slush that was making it difficult for commuters is going to be frozen tomorrow. I still have my fingers crossed for a delay just so that there's no stress in getting up super early and dealing with so many other cars on the road because the ice doesn't seem to want to give up on this battle with me even though my white flag was up right after round one! I think the only way I can escape is if Howard and I move. If it gets me again, it might be a clear sign it's just time to say goodbye to NYC!</div>
Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15730614153490476015noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-780663221629876568.post-75330738667819173932015-01-30T20:30:00.000-05:002015-01-30T20:30:00.164-05:00Tree Card<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
The last set of cards that I made for my grandfather (here are the links for the <a href="http://loveandsushi.blogspot.com/2015/01/bicycle-card.html">first</a> and <a href="http://loveandsushi.blogspot.com/2015/01/cupcakes-for-birthdays.html">second</a>) was using another SVG from <a href="http://www.misskatecuttables.com/">Miss Kate Cuttables</a>. The original image actually had one more pink layer. You can see that when I made the card, there are some spots that should have had a heart, but I figured it wasn't necessary. </div>
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<span style="text-align: left;">Though the image is fairly simplistic in that it's just adding one layer on top of the other, it required a lot of work in terms of gluing it together because the branches get rather thin. If I didn't have Zig glue and Tweezerbees, I don't know how I would have handled it!</span></div>
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<a href="http://i1194.photobucket.com/albums/aa371/MissNinjaCrafts/2014/12%20-%20December/Tree1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i1194.photobucket.com/albums/aa371/MissNinjaCrafts/2014/12%20-%20December/Tree1.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
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I kept the rest of the design very simple by just using a piece of green patterned paper to be the grass. The sentiment is from Pink by Design's "Faith" set, which is one of my all-time favorites. </div>
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I love how all the layers give the card dimension without my having to pop anything off the card. It's a simple card yet really pretty, in my opinion!Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15730614153490476015noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-780663221629876568.post-70049665512408446072015-01-29T20:30:00.000-05:002015-01-29T20:30:00.142-05:00Me in a Bag: Mini Cooper<div style="text-align: justify;">
Last week, I posted something that I wrote as an example to read to my kids for the "Me in a Bag" assignment. You can find that first post <a href="http://loveandsushi.blogspot.com/2015/01/me-in-bag-engagement-ring.html">here</a>. This is the second one that I wrote and read to them.<br />
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The screeching of those tires is one of the sounds I will never forget for the rest of my life. It not only caused a physical impact on my life but a mental and spiritual one as well. I never would have thought that a car accident could have that much of an effect years later. </div>
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On one mundane Sunday morning, my family and I were on our way to church waiting at the traffic light right after the Manhattan bridge. When the squealing sound first began, I immediately turned around to find the source of the noise. Once I realized that the work van behind us was not going to be able to stop itself from crashing into our minivan, I quickly faced forward and braced myself for the inevitable collision. We were hit so hard that we also rear-ended the car in front of us, which unfortunately meant that my back hit the seat twice. Because I was sitting in the third row, I was the only one who sustained injuries. </div>
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The police officers and EMTs who arrived on the scene told me that the pain would get worse before it got better. I didn't fully grasp that concept until hours later when the adrenaline that was in my system protecting me from fully feeling the pain wore out. My parents took me to the hospital to confirm that it was "only" whiplash and nothing more life threatening.</div>
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For months after the accident, I was required to go to physical therapy. Lifting heavy objects was out of the question, but that was difficult to avoid considering I was a college student at the time. There were nights when falling asleep seemed almost impossible because I couldn't find a comfortable position that wouldn't put stress on my back. When I stood in front of a mirror, I could actually see that one shoulder was raised much higher than the other, and it was constantly sore. The only thing that entertained me throughout this whole ordeal was that for years after the accident, I was able to tell with 99% accuracy whether or not there would be any precipitation in the forecast. I was actually more precise than the weather reports because one particular spot near my spine would throb before it was set to rain or snow the next day.</div>
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However, the physical struggles after the accident were nothing compared to the mental struggles. While all of my friends in high school were eager to begin driver's ed, I never had the same burning desire to drive. I had actually waited until that year of college to take private lessons. In fact, I had recently completed a number of lessons with my instructor and had my road test scheduled a few short weeks after the incident by the bridge! Though the pain in my body was problematic, the anxiety about getting behind the wheel again was devastating. Though I was not the driver on that unforgettable Sunday morning, I was terrified that if I did drive, I might one day be in a car accident again or even worse, be the reason why someone else had to suffer through the pain and anguish I had experienced.</div>
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Thankfully, I was able to take my road test despite the difficulty I had in turning my neck when checking my surroundings. I passed with a perfect score and became a fully licensed driver. Once I got that paper indicating that I could legally operate a vehicle without another supervising licensed driver, I refused to sit behind the steering wheel again. The fear was crippling. </div>
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No one in my life seemed to truly understand my predicament. It was exhausting hearing people tell me that the only thing I could do to overcome my fear was to get behind the wheel and deal with it. Unfortunately, each time I would try doing that, the panic that coursed through my veins was insufferable, and I was never able to turn on the ignition. Some people seemed to minimize my feelings, which made the issue even more challenging to face because half of me was convinced that I was overreacting while the other half of me was insistent that I was the only one who was being logical in this situation! The apprehension I had lasted years so even though I was a 22-year old adult when I got the job teaching here at Gateway Academy, I was still a kid in that I needed my mom to drive me to and from work.</div>
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One might think that the only option that I had that would help me conquer my trepidation was through God's help, and in reality, that's exactly what it took for me to get to where I am today! Among the discouragers who thought they were being encouraging, there were a few who let me be and didn't push me one way or the other. Instead, they quietly prayed that one day I would be able to shove the fear aside and get behind the wheel again, and that's exactly what happened. I can't pinpoint the exact day, but I woke up in the morning thinking, "I can drive now." If that's not divine intervention, I don't know what is!</div>
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There's no reasonable, worldly explanation as to why that occurred. When fellow Christians talk about how the Lord lifted burdens off their shoulders when they fully submitted to Him, I couldn't quite comprehend that notion myself, that is, until it happened to me. That screeching sound may always be a part of my memory and something I had wanted to desperately to forget, but now when I think about that ordinary church morning, I am reminded of God's awesome power and how He used it to provide a moving testimony for me.</div>
Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15730614153490476015noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-780663221629876568.post-22471661413276024222015-01-27T20:30:00.000-05:002015-01-27T20:30:00.788-05:00The Addiction of Clearance Hunting<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
While tidying up the apartment yesterday, I decided that I would put all the clearance baby and kid clothes inside one of our suitcases because the bags of merchandise were starting to pile up. I don't need any of it until months from now for a baby shower and first birthday, so there's no need to keep it out. I have definitely accumulated a bunch of adorable clothing from the Disney Store, Old Navy, and Target!</div>
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I've talked to a few moms or soon-to-be moms who said that stocking up on other items like diapers is more worthwhile because everyone gets clothing. I completely understand that, but some things are necessary, I think. I purchased some onesies, sleep 'n plays, burp cloths, and really nice bibs because the babies DO need those things, and I don't feel bad buying them because I got them 50%-70% off. I've found fleece tops for $0.97 and Disney items for $1.99. Other gift givers may still buy clothing items, but as an aunt, I find that it is my duty to bring any of my nieces and nephews into the Disney sphere, haha. That's why you can see some adorably cute Disney gear!</div>
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It seems weird spending the money on things now even when items might be too big in size, but I will continue doing it this way so that when the occasions come up, I don't have to go out to shop. I can just "shop" from this suitcase. I have about 4 toys too put away for the proper time. You know how difficult it can be to search for a gift when it's needed. It's the same as having to find a dress before a party or wedding; it's just so difficult and can get expensive! But because of my feelings of buying things on clearance, I haven't had to do any last minute shopping for either of those things, and in the long run, it saves me money.</div>
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Of course, there are some things that are just too cute and so incredibly inexpensive that it's worth saving for little Luke or Leia. I bought two of those Pixar shirts and gifted one of them already, but that other one you see is for me! I will save it for as long as I have to! </div>
Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15730614153490476015noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-780663221629876568.post-53011831367626246672015-01-26T22:30:00.000-05:002015-01-26T22:30:01.130-05:00Calm Before the Storm<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
It's so strange looking outside right now and seeing the snow that's on the ground. It's not much really at this point although it is sticking. It seems kind of peaceful as there aren't many cars on the road, but if we really do get as much as the weather people say, it's going to be a totally different view tomorrow!</div>
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Just earlier I got an email from CVS that mentioned getting items from the storm in preparation for the storm. I'm guessing that at the point of the email, the CVS by me would have been sold out of essentials already because it's right by a lot of apartments and houses! I said that I should go to the store and get upset with them if they didn't actually have bread and water and say, "You sent this email directly to me!" Then we started joking about how we would recreate a "Jen from Bath & Body Works Appleton" scene. There's a parody of it on YouTube that I won't post here because there's a little bit of foul language in it, but it is something that has made us crack up time and time again. Howard was like, "I went to Stapleton, Westerleigh, Todt Hill, up Grymes Hill and down Grymes Hill ..." Man, we are easily entertained!</div>
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Here are some pictures that Howard took on his way home from work today. I'm super glad he got home safely. Public transportation was crowded because a lot of people left earlier than normal. </div>
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This bus one is probably my favorite from all of the pictures. It looks so much like it's a character that needs to wake up and wipe his eyes!</div>
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Sometimes we can't tell whether or not it's snowing, and we rely on the parking lot lights to help us figure it out.</div>
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It'll be extra quiet tonight what with the travel ban and the fact that all 4 bridges are closed starting at 11pm! I wonder what we'll hear outside since we're right off the highway and normally hear the cars, trucks, and sirens! For most of you NYCers who have a day off tomorrow (or are working from home), have a great snow day tomorrow!</div>
Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15730614153490476015noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-780663221629876568.post-34586070171051294522015-01-25T22:30:00.000-05:002015-01-25T22:30:01.309-05:00"Historic" Blizzard?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
The news that keeps circulating today is the amount of snow the Northeast is going to get on Tuesday. The mayor already mentioned possible school closing for Tuesday, which rarely happens for public school. That means my school would definitely be closed because we have snow days a lot more often due to the fact that some of our teachers and students drive from the other side of the island. Some of them even drive in from NJ!</div>
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After church today, Howard and I made a stop at Home Depot to buy a shovel since we don't have one. The benefit to living in an apartment is that we don't have property to shovel, but considering the amount of snow that is supposedly on its way, we will have to dig the car out! I don't know if the parking lot will be cleaned very well either, which is a scary though to me considering the crazy experience I had in the car fairly recently on an icy morning. So purchasing a shovel was just one way to ease my mind. Since we have absolutely no room to store an actual full-sized shovel, we purchased the car shovel that can be folded in half to fit in the trunk. I'm sure it will come in handy in less than 72 hours.</div>
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Here's hoping to safety during this blizzard! I have my fingers crossed that we don't get a blackout. It's more than just a minor inconvenience for us because no electricity means we lose water too! Being on the 9th floor means we really need the pumps for the water pressure. Last Saturday when we had a blackout, we lost our water. Once that happens, I feel as if everything I want to do requires water, haha. </div>
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Now it's time to prepare ourselves for everyone's snow pictures on Instagram!</div>
Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15730614153490476015noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-780663221629876568.post-56855892655489900452015-01-20T20:30:00.000-05:002015-01-20T20:30:01.448-05:00Me in a Bag: Engagement Ring<div style="text-align: justify;">
The latest writing project that I am having my 6th graders and my 8th graders (I didn't have this current 8th grade class when they were in 6th grade, so that's why they're working on the same assignment) is called "Me in a Bag." This is the prompt that I gave them:<br />
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Choose 5 items that are meaningful to you that will fit in a brown paper bag. You will then write about 5 separate life experiences or moments in your life that helped you grow as a person or that explains how and why you see the world the way you do. A photograph can be used as only 1 of the 5 items.</blockquote>
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When possible, I try to write a sample for the kids because I think giving them a model of what I expect of them, so this is the first example I wrote and read to them about my engagement ring. I figured I could post it here because I spent a good amount of time writing it!<br />
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"Oh, it's so ... small!" Initially, I thought that when my student asked to see my engagement ring at September orientation just two short months after I got engaged in the summer, she would comment that it was "pretty," or "sparkly," or even "cute." However, her sudden outburst about its size was clearly more indicative of how she truly felt regarding the size of the diamond on my left hand. For the majority of girls, a remark like that might be embarrassing, but I didn't find the need to defend my half carat diamond ring. It fit me and my personality perfectly, and no amount of outside pressure about what was considered an acceptable size for an engagement ring would alter that.</div>
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Anyone who has spent more than a few days with me can probably attest to the fact that I'm a rather simple girl. While my peers value jewelry and accessorizing their outfits, I instead value the $40 watch I purchased during my first year of teaching to stay on schedule since the classroom clocks were always too fast or too slow. While I see girls post "selfies" on Facebook of new hairstyles or hair colors, I personally feel that it's more important that I grow my hair to donate every two years. Instead of using too much heat or any styling product, I pull my one-length hair back into the same hairstyle almost every day in an attempt to keep it healthy. Plus, when it comes to the actual color of my hair, I always explain, "It's what the Lord gave me!" While others think it's a badge of honor to have clothing or a purse that touts the name of some fancy designer, my eyes widen when I find something sensible, comfortable, and modest at a great sale price. In fact, I'm the kind of person who owns the same item of clothing in a variety of colors!</div>
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Considering the differences in how I see things versus how the majority of other females see things, it only makes sense that a half carat engagement ring was and is more than enough for a girl like me. While some of my friends have proclaimed, "If he doesn't propose with at least a one-carat ring, I'm not saying yes," I, on the other hand, was the one who actually went back to the jewelry store with my guy to exchange the three-quarter carat ring for a diamond of a smaller size. </div>
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I don't know when I began feeling this way about things like jewelry. It might have been how I was raised because my mother was never into all things sparkly either because she and my dad were robbed twice when they lived in an apartment in Queens soon after getting married. She lost most of her jewelry and felt that it didn't make sense to keep earthly treasures considering they could be destroyed by moths and rust and where thieves break in and steal (Matthew 6:19). Over the years, what she taught me through her words and through her lifestyle instilled in me a desire to store up treasures in heaven instead even if that means I'm not part of the fashionable, well-dressed population of this world. It's okay by me because I'm content with what the Lord has given me. In the meantime, I'll go about my days in my Disney t-shirts with my hair clipped back in the same barrette hoping that what I do here on earth might earn me a crown in heaven because I know that that will far exceed our knowledge of what we consider beautiful in the here and now.</div>
<br />Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15730614153490476015noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-780663221629876568.post-62547202624467360242015-01-12T20:30:00.000-05:002015-01-12T21:53:06.219-05:002015 Goals<div style="text-align: justify;">
As I tidy the apartment today, I'm wearing my new bluetooth headphones that Howard got me as part of my Christmas gift! Because the walls in our apartment are really thin, I don't want to bother our neighbors by having YouTube videos or Netflix shows on really loud since I have to turn the volume up if I'm doing something like washing the dishes. I always used Howard's headphones, but they're rather heavy, so hubs bought a lighter pair for me. It means I can actually get more done each day without my head throbbing, haha. </div>
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The videos I've been listening to lately have been about 2015 resolutions. Depending on who it is, I can actually get motivated by the person speaking to get our place clean! I've been mentally compiling a list of things I would like to accomplish this year and didn't intend on writing it down, but I think it'll keep me a bit more accountable to myself if I just jot them down instead of just leaving them float around in my mind.</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Goal #1: Do personal devotions on a daily basis, and if a day is missed, go back and catch up.</span></b></div>
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As a Christian, this is kind of the goal I mentally make for myself every year, but a few months into the year, I always miss a day and kick myself for being a "failure." I think that because I missed a day, God is disappointed in me for not having the dedication to get through an entire year and then I kind of lose hope for being diligent for the remainder of the year. Of course, that's a completely silly thought because I think I am more upset with it than God is. If anything, God's like, "Aww, I missed spending time with you today! Hope I see you tomorrow!" as opposed to the "Pshhh, you skipped our daily meet? Forget you! I don't want to bother with you any longer because you're so flaky!"<br />
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Instead of setting a resolution to do my daily personal devotions, my <i>goal </i>will be to do it every day. However, if I miss a day (something that usually happens on the weekend because I don't follow my regular schedule), I will go back and catch up even if it's a day or two later. I know that it would never hurt me to do twice the amount of quiet time in one day or even three times the amount as I had to do at the beginning of last week!<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Goal #2: Read 1 book each month.</b></span></div>
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I'm actually kind of a hypocrite telling my students that they should be reading books instead of spending all their time online or on their phones! I am on my computer more than I need to be because I procrastinate while I'm doing my lesson plans. I tend to work better when I have a TV show on that I know well, which means I don't have to listen to everything or even watch my monitor. But there are still other times when I could be reading instead! I <i>finally </i>went to the library with intentions to renew my library card, but it was so old that I actually had to get a new one!</div>
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I posted the picture above on Instagram already. I got that library card when I was 3-years old, and my mom was so wonderful in taking me to the library so often so that I could borrow books and read read read! Even when I was older, I'd borrow Robin Cook books because I liked medical thrillers and then include a bunch of Babysitter's Club Super Series books in my stack. I tell my students and their parents that I think the kids should just read at home whatever they are in the mood to read even if it isn't necessarily on their "grade level/reading level." I mean, I <i>still </i>love BSC, and I'm 30! When I started teaching, I stopped reading a ton. Even when I was in college, I think I read more despite being an English major and having to read a million things for school! So I saw that a lot of people do the book-a-month thing as a resolution, which I think is entirely doable especially now that I have a new library card. I can borrow ebooks again from NYPL to put on my nook. I don't need to buy anything or make trips to the library and borrow germy books, haha. </div>
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Right now I'm in the midst of reading <i>Divergent</i> by Veronica Roth. Howard and I watched the movie recently on HBO Go, so I wanted to read the book. Years ago when I first started getting into Harry Potter, my cousin told me to actually watch the movies first before reading the books because otherwise I'd be disappointed in the movies for leaving out so much of the book! I followed her suggestion and really thought that it was a useful tip. I decided to do the same here and was okay watching the movie first, but since I'm in the middle of the book, I'm kind of thinking I should've read it first because it's not as exciting as I'd like it to be. I guess I'll have to see when I continue reading the series and start <i>Insurgent </i>before I watch the movie. I know I'm not reading it as quickly as I read <i>The Hunger Games</i> or the entire Harry Potter series. </div>
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It is bad, but I know I am probably horribly dehydrated. At the beginning of this school year, I kept getting cramps in my toes in the middle of the night <i>and</i> at school! I wasn't drinking enough water for suddenly being on my feet all day long. Being a teacher doesn't really help in staying hydrated because I just don't want to have to leave in the middle of class to go to the bathroom! I go in the morning before the kids arrive then again at lunch. That's it. So that means I can't keep downing water. I don't know how my fellow teachers who drink coffee do it! I don't start drinking water until lunch time, and even then, I don't finish my entire Camelbak water bottle. That is not healthy at all!</div>
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When I get home, I know I should be making up for the lack of water during the day, but sometimes water makes me nauseous. Since I started using tumblers at home, I do drink more because I can keep water next to me at all times and never worry about dust falling in or spilling it. Plus, I like drinking through a straw even though people say that it causes wrinkles. Personally, I think staying hydrated is more important in the long run than getting wrinkles! </div>
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I usually have a cup of decaf tea right away if I'm super cold or I'll have one at night after dinner, and even though that's liquid, I still need to up my water intake. So I will try try try to drink 2 tumblers of water after work, so that doesn't include anything I had in the morning with my pill, anything I had during the school day, or any cups of tea.</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Goal #4: Write 2 cards per month.</b></span></div>
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You'd think that with my love for making cards, I'd write them more often for others. The most I do is write thank you notes to my kids and their parents any time they think of me with a gift or when a family treats us to a catered lunch. I always say that I will write more just for the fun of it because it makes me excited to get something special as snail mail!</div>
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I actually purchased a <a href="http://www.thirtyonegifts.com/catalog/product/204/catid/12/swid/081a/timeless-beauty-bag-in-bubble-bloom/">Thirty-One Timeless Beauty Bag</a> from the recent flash sale in December. It's regularly priced at $25, but I got one for $6.99. The grand idea I have for it is to put cards, envelopes, addresses, stamps, pens, and all the items I'd need to write cards. I did keep a few cards in a bigger <a href="http://www.thirtyonegifts.com/catalog/product/17/catid/33/swid/920a/zipper-pouch-in-bold-bloom/">Thirty-One Zipper Pouch</a> during the Christmas season, but I couldn't really trust that they'd stay nice and neat in there. I actually had to keep it in a plastic box too. I think if I keep all the items together, I'll be more inclined to write because I have a tendency to want to write when I'm out and about. I sometimes get the urge to write a quick note when I have a moment of down time at school! I think this'll be a great way to do that.</div>
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If anything, I'll use the bag to hold chargers on vacation and a fifty million other ideas I saw when I looked online, but the more important thing is that regardless of how I store cards that are ready to go, I need to WRITE them! And to SEND them! I think keeping people's addresses together and the stamps in one place will make it much easier for me.</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Goal #5: Blog at least 3 times a week.</span></b></div>
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Last year I attempted to blog every day of the year, but that didn't last. Near the end of the year, I gave up with even thinking about it because I was so busy with work and just so tired. I know I don't need that added pressure, but on the other hand, I'm kind of sad I don't have a written record of a lot of what happened! I will probably still go back and recap some of those things, but there's something about getting the memories down in a more timely fashion so as not to forget things worth remembering for years to come (haha, at least things that <i>I</i> may want to remember). Setting a goal of blogging <i>at least</i> 3 times a week seems extremely doable for me! I know the 4 of you or so who read along will be pleased that I do have plans to write, and I didn't just let it die out!</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Goal #6: Eat healthier, exercise, and lose weight.</span></b></div>
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I have never officially had "lose weight" as part of my resolutions or goals. It's not really something that's related to the beginning of the year but something I need to do in general. Since getting married, I have definitely gained some weight. I don't feel that I have to be a certain weight for society's benefit, but some of my clothes are getting tight, haha. Then when the warmer weather comes around, it will be difficult for me to wear my tank tops since I can't suck in my stomach to be flat any longer! As specific as my other goals are, I won't specify a certain number of pounds I'd like to lose. The goal is to be able to comfortably fit my regular summer clothes without any issues! Of course, it'll be better for me in the long run if I am healthier, but my short term goal is my Old Navy tank tops because I can't go to Disney World without them! And here's hoping that we'll be able to get there for a trip this year!</div>
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That's about it that I have on my mind right now. I could have a goal for finishing at least the following Tuesday's lesson plans on the previous Friday night, but I often fall asleep really early and then end up sleeping until Saturday morning. I could also make a goal of making sure dishes are done each night instead of letting them pile up, but sometimes I shower earlier and don't like dealing with dirty dishes when I'm already clean. There's the goal of taking my vitamins daily instead of waiting for Howard to ask me if I've taken them yet as well as getting the laundry done on a more consistent basis, but doing things by hand requires a rather huge surge of energy that I don't always have after work. I could have a goal that we recycle all junk mail right away instead of just putting the stack of mail next to our printer, and I could say something about grading HW assignments and tests faster than I am right now. However, if I take the time to write all of that, I think it would get overwhelming because my list would get rather lengthy! But those items will still be on the back of my mind even though I think the ones I chose above are more doable. Here's to a hopefully wonderful 2015!</div>
Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15730614153490476015noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-780663221629876568.post-88175389428753753772015-01-08T23:30:00.000-05:002015-01-08T23:54:24.302-05:00Clearance Hunting!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
After work, my mom and I stopped by Target to do a little bit of clearance hunting. I love checking out what people are finding when I browse Instagram. Since my mom had to make a quick stop at Pathmark, I took my time in the Dollar Spot checking out the fun things I would totally buy for a niece or nephew. I would even buy some of these things for my own kids, but I'd save them for road trips to Disney World or their Christmas stockings!</div>
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I still get a kick out of seeing My Little Pony stuff. These were totally not the ponies from my childhood! This would be cute even for me if I knew who they were, haha. I only know Rainbow Dash. I also have no purpose for it!</div>
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I also love dry erase items. If Toby were older, I would've picked this up. I think these little dry erase activity books or boards are cute to bring along to entertain the kiddos at restaurants. I hope that it never gets to the point that we use our phones to keep the kids quiet.</div>
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Since it's January, there are a bunch of calendar options as well as notepad things. I'm actually contemplating picking up a 2015 calendar so that I have it when the next school year begins.</div>
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Lastly, I was immediately drawn to these blank books! The possibilities are endless, and I'd like to think that my future kiddos would see the potential and the fun in getting something like this. When I was really young, my family went on vacation to California an stayed with my dad's friend's family. The mom put together these journal-type booklets with paper that had lines at the bottom and a huge space for an illustration. It was stapled between construction paper. She had us write down the fun things we were doing like visiting Circus, Circus. I kept that for the longest time, and I knew even then that I'd want to provide the materials for such a simple activity for my own children.</div>
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My main reason for going to Target was to search for clearance in the baby section. The last time Howard and I stopped by was to grab a bunch of baby things on clearance for 50% off. Howard chuckled at me when we were there because he would look around and then turn to find me with stacks of onesies and sleep n plays in my arms! I couldn't help it! As I've said before, I'm all for buying things on sale or on clearance and using coupons if possible so that we have gifts to give when we need it. It's even harder to resist when there are little ones in families! I am definitely having a blast looking for items to be the aunt who spoils the kiddies.</div>
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This time, however, the whole section was cleared of the clearance and was replaced with new spring-themed items. I only found one clothing item amid all of it that my mom purchased. I checked the aisles for the other baby items and found a much higher priced item for just half off, so I snagged it! I'm thrilled about that purchase and am pleased that I can give it as a gift!</div>
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There was a rack of random cute items nearby though, and this was one of the things that always catches my eye. I love these things with detachable capes!</div>
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Part of me wanted to buy these sweatpants just because they were hanging there like that, haha. They're so tiny!</div>
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And of course, Disney socks are better than regular socks.</div>
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I then moved on to the toy section to check out the Little People Nativity set. It's still $14.98, and they do have a bunch of them so my mom and I are hoping it'll reduce to more than just 50% off. I checked the two aisles filled with clearance toys and scanned a bunch of things with hopes that it was less than what they said, but this Target is pretty good about keeping the prices correct.</div>
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Our friend's son likes Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, and this was a bargain for 70% off, but I don't know if he will still like it for his next birthday. Plus, we have no room to store something so big. They had a few of them, so I would totally buy one for Toby too, but he's much too young and we'd have to keep this for maybe two years or so before giving it.</div>
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I was immediately drawn to the "Let's Play" items! How adorable that they create these sets for children to have realistic items! I loved the Fisher Price doctor kit my older brother and I had. I played with it all the time.</div>
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The words on the box are great: "Everything You Need to be a Real Stylist!" Because we all know it wouldn't be fun to be a fake stylist!</div>
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I laughed at this one though. A dish-washing play set? Haha, it's not advertised as dishes that come with a drying rack, but it's a dish-washing play set. Hey kid, practice washing these fake dishes. You'll have to get used to it because once you can reach the sink, it's your job.</div>
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This wasn't something that intrigued me though. In fact, it kind of creeped me out that there were two multi-colored unicorn heads just hanging in front of me.</div>
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Behind a bunch of boxes hidden away in the back, I found this Star Wars set for 50% off! Of course, Lego sets are expensive and Star Wars ones are even more expensive so half off still means it's $72 or so. I took this quick picture and sent it to Howard to see. I know that if it were a more important set, it would've been worth purchasing at 50% off like if it were the Death Star or the X-Wing! I think I got those names right ...</div>
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Other than that one baby gift item, I bought Sabra hummus with a coupon, haha. I definitely had fun searching for clearance though! I know there's retail therapy, but just browsing through clearance can be pretty rewarding too when you hit the gold mine!Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15730614153490476015noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-780663221629876568.post-89260917655731871982015-01-07T23:30:00.000-05:002015-01-07T23:49:37.827-05:00Penguin Thank You Cards<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
At the end of the year, I know I'm always going to have a large custom order to make ... for myself! My students and their families are generous during Christmas so I get a handful of gift cards and presents. To thank them, I like to make thank you cards especially since I'm off for the break. I'm pretty sure I did it every year since I got my Cricut. This was the first year that I made them using my Silhouette.</div>
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Initially I was going to use a penguin from an online coloring sheet that had a winter hat and scarf on, but then I figured I'd use a non-Christmas and non-winter penguin just in case I made extra. That way I could keep it for future needs. The penguin was from Krafty Nook, which was a group on Facebook that unfortunately has shut down at this point. I liked how it was simple with only 4 colors.</div>
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<span style="text-align: justify;">I downloaded a font from dafont.com called "Une Grenouille Le Soir." I had my Cameo cut out the white layer and the word "thanks." I layered a piece of patterned paper behind it to make it pop. I had to look through a lot of paper pads because it had to be the right pattern that would make it easy to see the word. This is the first card that I've made where I actually layered the white mat on a white base, and I actually really like how it looks. I think I'll do it again on a future card!</span>Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15730614153490476015noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-780663221629876568.post-22330970649385686932015-01-06T23:30:00.000-05:002015-01-06T23:59:24.415-05:00Teaching with a Blanket<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
Today was my first day back at work after the Christmas break. Although I was dreading it because I didn't get as much done as I would have liked, I actually had a decent day. Of course, I was feeling tired this morning, but I wasn't as exhausted as I thought I would be. When I did my devotions in the morning, I was uplifted and also kept repeating Psalm 118:17 in my my mind over and over again. I knew that I just wanted to view the day with a better attitude, and it really did help. I know God gives me each day for a purpose even when it's a bitterly cold day too! I was so arrive at my mom's house to hop in her car because she has the heated seats. My mom cranks that up for me before I even get in because she knows I need it!</div>
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I have to say that even though I can start the day off on the right foot, I do get really upset when all my posters have fallen down, haha. I do like my walls not to be busy because I know that if I were a kid, I wouldn't be able to pay attention to the teacher if there were a thousand colors on the wall. I used to sit there and memorize things on the posters when I was bored in class. The fact that everything falls down is the other reason why I don't put too much up either. But I guess I can't complain because the reason for it is the change in temperature in the room, and my room was WARM today. </div>
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">I put painter's tape on the wall and then affixed the posters using regular table since other things would pull the paint off the wall.</span></i></div>
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Thank the Lord for the warmth or the day would've gone by so slowly! I was wearing a tank top, a 3/4 sleeve sweater on top of that, and one of my favorite purchases of 2014. About two months ago, I bought 3 open-front cardigan type sweaters from Old Navy of varying thicknesses because I have turned into an old lady who needs to have an extra layer for school. I used to wear hoodies or fleece zip-ups, but they were definitely a bit messier than the rest of my work clothes, so I needed something a little bit more appropriate. This particular one that I was wearing today made me feel as if I were being wrapped in a blanket, and considering how much I wanted to be under my blanket at home, this was definitely comforting.</div>
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Well worth even the full price (even though I got mine on sale with a coupon code too, haha).</span></i></div>
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Hmm, part of me is even thinking about purchasing the black one in a large since they no longer have medium. I do, however, have a similar top in sweater material so maybe it's not necessary. There's just that part of me that's like ... NON-SNUGGIE WEARABLE BLANKET! I WANTS IT! MY PRECIOUS!</div>
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Throughout the day, my students were watching the snow fall down and getting excited probably because they were thinking about snow days. I had a few of them ask if school would close early because it has happened maybe on two occasions in the past when a storm hit harder than expected. I disappointed them in saying that it wouldn't happen because it wasn't even that much snow! The little courtyard can be seen from my classroom window, so as the bell rang for the kids to change classes, the kids would scoot over to the window to check to see if it was sticking. Oh kids, I'd like a snow day too! Just don't get your hopes up just yet!</div>
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The snow was light and powdery, so that meant it didn't require a lot of energy to clean off. I had actually parked up the block from my parents' house this morning, so my mom dropped me off so I didn't have to walk up with all my stuff. I had gotten the snow off the driver's side of the car before I stopped to take this picture. Suddenly, a man was standing next to me with a weapon! </div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>If we aren't getting a snow day, I don't know that I want to see you at all, snow!</i></span></div>
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I'm kidding. It was my dad with another brush to help me finish getting the snow off my car! What a sweet popsicles to walk up the block to give me a hand! On the way home, I kept thinking that it's so funny that my dad shows his love in his actions and will always continue to take care of me (especially because I'm his only daughter ... although now he also has a daughter-in-law and my parents take care of "in-laws" as if they were their own biological children), but he's a typical Chinese man in that he doesn't say, "I love you." But I've gotten used to it at this point even though it took me years and years to accept that that's the way it is in many Asian families.</div>
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Well, I guess I can say there were three things today that warmed me up then!</div>
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<li>the seat warmers in my mom's car</li>
<li>my blanket-like cocoon top</li>
<li>my daddy's loving gesture of helping me clean my car</li>
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Hope you were able to stay warm today too!</div>
Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15730614153490476015noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-780663221629876568.post-7245809641845020282015-01-05T22:30:00.000-05:002015-01-05T22:30:00.710-05:00And So It Begins ... Again<div style="text-align: justify;">
It's that time again. It's the night before the return to school after Christmas break. I'm aware that I definitely got a great deal this year considering my vacation was actually over 2 weeks since I don't work Mondays due to being part-time (although from a financial standpoint, it wasn't the greatest since I don't get paid unless I'm at work!). My colleagues had to go back today, and I'm relieved that I had another day to myself especially since I only did work on the last Friday I was at school. Yeah, all my plans to be productive for school purposes during this vacation flew out the window.</div>
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It seems to always happen on Christmas break. The first week is filled with activities and plans as we get together with family to celebrate Christmas, so by the time there's a little bit of a break, I need some relaxation days! Going out and about is rather tiring for me especially when my regular schedule is disrupted. My body is so used to my daily ritual that I start to feel sick when it's altered. Of course, I ended up spending a good portion of this vacation feeling under the weather with regard to my stomach. I wouldn't be surprised if it was the different foods that I was eating that wasn't the typical somewhat bland food we eat at home. Suddenly I was eating richer foods or greasier foods, and it took practically a week before I started feeling normal again and getting my appetite back. I'm sure it didn't help that I wasn't waking up at 6 in the morning to take my medicine and eating breakfast at 6:45 every day!</div>
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I guess the one good thing about returning to work is that it means being back on schedule, which my body will definitely appreciate. I'm sure part of my body will be very upset when I drag it out of bed when all it will want to do is stay in bed, but I will hopefully make it through.</div>
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No, wait. Hold on a second. This past Sunday, the focus of the message was on Psalm 118:17, which says, "I shall not die, but I shall live, and recount the deeds of the Lord." The main point that really stuck with me was the fact that often times we aren't really living so much as surviving. Tonight before dinner, Howard and I prayed that we would face this year with an attitude that we would LIVE through the year instead of just do things that will help us get by to survive. Each day I know I just want to make it through so I can get home and then finally reach the weekend. Then each week, I want to get it over with so I can get to our next day off or week vacation. In reality, that means I'm wasting each day when I could have a much better attitude as I face each minute that God lets me breathe each breath. </div>
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I hope it wasn't just a before dinner prayer but one that will resonate for 2015. Oh, and speaking of dinner, we had pizza. Haha, I know that's a rather strange transition, but I personally enjoy blogs that include pictures so I figured that was a way to fit something in! Dunkin' Donuts has that free iced coffee promotion on Mondays thing again, and my parents were able to get an extra card for me to use since we don't get them in our mail where we are. Hubs went to get it for me when he got back from work and picked up pizza from a local place that I used to frequent during my high school days called Village Maria II. My friends and I would walk there when we were hanging out at one of their houses and then have a slice and then hop over to Carvel if it was a Wednesday to get buy one get one free sundaes! Just recently, I thought that maybe it would be nice to try it again as I wondered whether I just liked it in high school since it was fairly inexpensive. </div>
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These pictures aren't from tonight. They're actually from December 14th, which was the night we went to the live nativity at church, which I'll hopefully write about in another update. I had Howard take a picture of me while sitting in the booth because it brought back memories!</div>
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<a href="http://i1194.photobucket.com/albums/aa371/MissNinjaCrafts/2014/12%20-%20December/VillageMaria1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i1194.photobucket.com/albums/aa371/MissNinjaCrafts/2014/12%20-%20December/VillageMaria1.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
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That night we chose 5 slices to split even though we obviously didn't finish them all in one day! The spinach and mushroom one was really good although a little greasy. The eggplant one reminded me of my teenager days. The buffalo chicken slice had quite a kick to it, but I enjoyed it because of the blue cheese (hubs wasn't too big of a fan of that!). Our favorite was definitely the bruschetta square though. Although it's definitely really onion-y, it just seemed tasty because of the crunchiness and freshness. It's not the kind of thing you eat if you don't want bad breath because boy, that onion lasts!</div>
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Tonight I decided to go with the spinach slice and the bruschetta one again. Here's hoping that after brushing my teeth tonight and tomorrow morning and eating breakfast, I don't still breathe onion as I go back to teaching during those 7 periods! I'm sure my kids would also wish that I were still on vacation!</div>
Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15730614153490476015noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-780663221629876568.post-85836529722096928572015-01-04T23:30:00.000-05:002015-01-04T23:30:01.050-05:00Cupcakes for Birthdays!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
Two years ago, Howard bought Crumbs cupcakes home for my birthday. In all honesty, I don't think they were the greatest cupcakes in comparison to other cupcakes, but the fact that there are so many flavor combinations makes it a special treat! Plus, it was a cupcake! It just baffles me how much things can cost when purchased in the city. It's not normally something we'd spend money on, so the fact that Howard went and picked two of them for us to share over the course of two days was such a romantic gesture (especially because she picked chocolate ones!) and definitely a satisfactory treat for a birthday celebration.</div>
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Now when I make birthday cards, I feel that there's even more reason to use cupcakes on them! This cupcake was a freebie from Miss Kate Cuttables. I kept the colors the same as the sample image because I thought it was a good mix for a unisex card. Yum to chocolate frosted cupcakes!</div>
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<a href="http://i1194.photobucket.com/albums/aa371/MissNinjaCrafts/2014/12%20-%20December/Cupcake1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i1194.photobucket.com/albums/aa371/MissNinjaCrafts/2014/12%20-%20December/Cupcake1.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
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The sentiment is from Pink by Design's set called "Birthday, Birthday." If you've been following me for a while, you know just how often I use that set! I wish there was a set like that for "thank you." I might have to place an order with Papertrey Ink to get some of the mini stamp sets that just have one simple sentiment in different fonts. It's nice to be able to choose on to fit the design of the card.</div>
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<a href="http://i1194.photobucket.com/albums/aa371/MissNinjaCrafts/2014/12%20-%20December/Cupcake2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i1194.photobucket.com/albums/aa371/MissNinjaCrafts/2014/12%20-%20December/Cupcake2.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
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I think this simplistic card would be something my grandpa would use, so I think it really worked for this set of 4 that I made for him. </div>
Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15730614153490476015noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-780663221629876568.post-39402198495521346142015-01-03T20:00:00.000-05:002015-01-03T20:00:01.239-05:00Haul: Bath & Body Works $8 Candles<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Last December on the 12th, Bath & Body Works had their $8 candle sale again. It's a sale they have only once a year. They're normally $22 each, which is a crazy price. After coupons, I typically pay $7-8 on each candle after coupons, but since the candles started at $8, I was able to pay $5 each using a $15 off $40 coupon. </div>
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<a href="http://i1194.photobucket.com/albums/aa371/MissNinjaCrafts/2014/12%20-%20December/IMG_7056.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i1194.photobucket.com/albums/aa371/MissNinjaCrafts/2014/12%20-%20December/IMG_7056.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
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It was still crowded at the store when I went there after work. I wasn't sure if there'd still be a selection available considering this is a huge deal in the BBW world, but I was pretty sure I could grab a few. I had it planned that I'd only get 5 of them, and most of the scents that everyone loves are the ones I actually don't like because they're the sugary scents. An employee gave me a crate when she saw me carrying them in one of their bags, and I went around to smell the new candles with the sparkly lids. I was trying to narrow it down because those were the ones I had wanted, and it worked out well that the scents that were still available were the ones I wanted based on their scent descriptions.</div>
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When I grabbed my 5, I went to stand in the <i>long </i>line, but I didn't mind waiting. From what I remember, it was actually longer than the Black Friday line I stood in during 2013! That's kind of crazy, haha. The only difficult part about it is that it requires standing for a while holding candles that aren't the lightest things in the world. When I finally got the counter, the girl asked me if I had to wait a long time, but I said it wasn't too bad and that it was okay by me because it was worth it!</div>
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It was even better because the coupon I used was a mailer coupon, which is attached to another coupon that you're allowed to use in the same transaction. I asked the sales associate if I had to spend another $10 to use the free item coupon, and she and another girl said I didn't. So that meant I was able to grab the White Citrus body wash for free without spending anything more out of pocket, yay!</div>
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Here is my relatively small haul compared to last year's $8 candle haul:</div>
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<a href="http://i1194.photobucket.com/albums/aa371/MissNinjaCrafts/2014/12%20-%20December/112a97a9-0392-4f3a-9451-f9f4307d2430.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i1194.photobucket.com/albums/aa371/MissNinjaCrafts/2014/12%20-%20December/112a97a9-0392-4f3a-9451-f9f4307d2430.jpg" height="478" width="640" /></a></div>
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The "Light up the Room" is the sparkling apple champagne scent. I burned it once already, and Howard and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It took a long time to pool but the throw was so strong form the start, which I appreciated because I hope that means it'll last longer. It smells like apple, of course, but not the apple that's in all the fall candles. It's lighter and sweeter. When it was burning, it smelled a little bit like a Jolly Rancher but not too sweet. </div>
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The "Wine Down" is the pomengranate sangria. I've seen that people have mentioned it's the same as a vineyard scent from the previous year, but I remember smelling it last year and didn't like it. I might just appreciate the smell now, but I think it's still a little different. It's unlike the "mandles" (candles that smell like men's colgne) and citrus scents I already have, so it'll be a nice change in pace. I haven't yet burned it.</div>
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The last candle I chose was "Merry Mistletoe" (<i>a flirty and festive blend of cranberries, pears, frosted citrus and a hint of holiday greenery</i>). I don't typically buy these scents, but on that day, it just really reminded me of Christmas! It has the fruity scent to it, but it does smell like Christmas trees too. I figured I could burn it during the vacation. Of course, I ended up breaking the candle! I was upset because I liked the holder although I later learned it was just a packaging wrapped around the glass. Howard salvaged the wax for me by breaking the rest of the glass off and separating it from the wicks. Right now I have it in a Ziploc bag, and in the future, I'll burn it on a warmer after I get one. If anything, I know that it'll last better since the original holder doesn't have a lid, so now the scent is being kept in the baggie and not escaping into the air.</div>
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I'm really happy with these candles! I wonder if I'll still feel justified in purchasing candles after we move out of this apartment and don't have to deal with hallway odors or vent smells (someone who is also connected to our vent system smokes, yuck!). I'll probably still buy them once in a while, but at least now, I don't have to worry about feeling guilty about it, haha.</div>
Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15730614153490476015noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-780663221629876568.post-11587186923803094902015-01-02T20:00:00.000-05:002015-01-02T20:00:01.799-05:00Bicycle Card<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
There's a part of me that loves it when people have some custom order requests, but then there's another part of me that kind of stresses out! I don't want to disappoint anyone, and it's not as easy to get things done when I'm in the midst of the semester and need to continue planning and grading papers. Sometimes I just want to craft for the sake of crafting, and this particular set of cards was made with that feeling instead of a anxious, rushed feeling.</div>
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A few weeks after the bake sale at church last November, my grandfather asked me for some birthday cards and get well cards. I didn't actually have much left over since I was using the cards myself to write some thank you notes to kids and parents during the first trimester of school. I told him that I could make him some, and I had some time during my Christmas break to make a few for him. </div>
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I knew that I wanted to use some of the free SVGs that I save almost every day from <a href="http://www.misskatecuttables.com/products/freebie-of-the-day/">Miss Kate Cuttables</a>. I love that a freebie is offered daily, so that's why most of my free SVGs are from that site. The <a href="http://www.misskatecuttables.com/products/product/freebie-of-the-day-bicycle.php">original image</a> had flowers in the basket as well as the little banner, but I omitted that to simplify the cut since these are incredibly detailed. Plus, these took a little bit longer to piece together because everything was so thin. It baffles me that the Silhouette Cameo can cut these things so cleanly because my Cricut Expression would not be able to handle it without tearing.</div>
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<a href="http://www.misskatecuttables.com/uploads/shopping_cart/8099/med_bicycle.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.misskatecuttables.com/uploads/shopping_cart/8099/med_bicycle.png" height="274" width="400" /></a></div>
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I kept the same colors because the blue could be used for a guy or a girl. Wanting the card to be cheerful, I used a polka dot yellow paper for the background. I added the extra step of having a black mat too just because it seems to make the card a little bit more put together.</div>
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<a href="http://i1194.photobucket.com/albums/aa371/MissNinjaCrafts/2014/12%20-%20December/Bicycle1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i1194.photobucket.com/albums/aa371/MissNinjaCrafts/2014/12%20-%20December/Bicycle1.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
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The sentiment is from Pink by Design's set called "Spring Has Sprung." I know it doesn't seem as if a bike could be related to the sentiment. Haha, it really doesn't, but I think it's difficult to make cards that aren't necessarily cutesy, so I figured anything nature-related or just general cuts would work.</div>
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<a href="http://i1194.photobucket.com/albums/aa371/MissNinjaCrafts/2014/12%20-%20December/Bicycle2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i1194.photobucket.com/albums/aa371/MissNinjaCrafts/2014/12%20-%20December/Bicycle2.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
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I love the side view of this card because you can get a better idea of all the layers involved in making this. I mean, there are layers that aren't even too visible. For example, there's a darker blue behind the part of the bike that the pedal is attached to, but only a thin strip is seen. However, it adds dimension so the cut isn't so flat.</div>
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Because of the complexity of the pieces, I only made 4 of these cards. This is definitely not something I'd want to mass produce! I think I need to go back to making just a few of each image so that I can enjoy the detailing without driving myself crazy.</div>
Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15730614153490476015noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-780663221629876568.post-60971431677105849152015-01-01T20:00:00.000-05:002015-01-01T20:56:29.875-05:00Remembering 2014<div style="text-align: justify;">
As the new year begins, I thought it was only appropriate to get back into blogging after taking a long, unintended break for a month and a half. I was clearly not successful with my plan of writing something every day in 2014, but I know that I did force myself to write down more than I did in any previous year. For that, I am grateful. I am glad to have memories recorded somewhere so that I can look back on what happened and how I felt. </div>
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There are, however, a few things that I missed. Here are some of the more important things that come to mind when I think about 2014:</div>
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<b><i><span style="font-size: large;">I stopped taking one of the medications I've been taking since I was first diagnosed with ulcerative colitis.</span></i></b> </div>
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Years ago when I first started taking the pills, my gastroenterologist talked about how he hoped to slowly wean me off the medicine and that I would get better to the point where I wouldn't have to take it for the rest of my life. I actually started cutting back on the amount I took per day just because I had difficulty swallowing them. I was supposed to take 4 in the morning and then 4 at night, but I only took the ones at night. I would wait until Howard went to bed so that I could take my time because I would have to psych myself up to swallow each one. I let my doctor know about this, and his concern was whether or not I was okay with it, and I told him there was no difference in my daily life with my cutting back the medicine. He said as long as I was okay, it would be fine. So I kind of took a risk and eventually stopped taking it entirely!</div>
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Since I was home during the 2013-2014 school year, I figured that my health would improve because I wasn't around germs on a daily basis and because I was eliminating one of the largest reasons for my stress! And what do you know! There was no difference in my life on medicine and my life off medicine. Sure, there are times when my stomach bothers me, but the same would happen even when I was on medication. My health is dependent on whether or not I feel stress (I anticipate not being in the best of health as we approach the state tests in April), whether or not I'm eating properly (too much fiber does a number on me as well as things like Chinese food), or disgusting germs from my lovable kiddos at work. Now that things have also changed at work (I'll get into that in a moment!), my health has improved in comparison to past school years too. Normally, I'm absent for the first time in October or so. I made it all the way to just a few days before Christmas break! What?! With that, I know that I should be okay without taking that medication.</div>
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<b><i><span style="font-size: large;">I became an aunt.</span></i></b></div>
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Howard's sister had her baby on August 5th, so I finally got to enjoy all the perks of being an aunt! I think it's so much being able to play with a baby without having the full responsibility. It was hilarious getting to see how Howard held baby Toby since he hadn't held a baby that small in his entire lifetime. </div>
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">This little man has stolen my heart!</span></i></div>
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The other benefit of being an aunt is that I can buy things to spoil the little one! When we first found out that my sister-in-law was pregnant, I began doing some couponing for her. Whenever I saw baby deals, I snagged them so I was able to build up a nice collection of small items like baby wash/lotion, baby wipes, and spoons to put together a little bucket of goodies for Toby's birth. I would say that I stop by the baby clearance section more than I do the women's clearance section. When I'm at Target or Old Navy, I am drawn to the little itty-bitty clothes and will snag anything that's a great deal for a boy or for a girl. I think it's ridiculous just how expensive some items can be when the baby will only be wearing it for a short period of time! So I can't help purchasing items on clearance or with a coupon and storing it for a future gift. I did the same thing with some toys. That way when the next occasion comes up, I don't have to purchase things that are full price. I'm all for stretching our dollars so that for the price of just one shirts for baby Toby, I can get three instead! Howard laughed at me when I was at Target the other day buying tons of boy and girl baby clearance especially with the 20% off Cartwheel offer. I don't even shop that way for myself because my arms were literally full of items that I just grabbed in case someone else came and started doing the same. It's so much fun!</div>
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<b><i><span style="font-size: large;">We went on a non-Disney vacation.</span></i></b></div>
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There are plenty of people out there who think it's strange that Howard and I continue to vacation in Disney World when there are so many other places in the world to see. But in the same way that you don't understand why we would want to stand in lines to get on attractions all day long, we don't understand the lure of laying on a beach. </div>
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Just recently, we heard a message at church that discussed the lion and the lamb, and it definitely touched my heart so I had to choose this photo to represent our Lancaster trip!</span></i></div>
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Back in August, we finally went somewhere else and were able to enjoy a brief time in Lancaster to learn about the Amish, shop, watch Moses at Sight & Sound, and tour the Wolf Sanctuary. We will definitely do that again in the future! I started a recap of that vacation but never finished it, so maybe I'll get to it this year!</div>
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<i><b><span style="font-size: large;">I returned to teaching in September.</span></b></i></div>
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After the 2012-2013 school year, I was done with teaching. I had put in 6 years and was tired of the stress that came along with the job itself and dealing with the administration. I wanted a job where I could do whatever needed to be accomplished during a regular 9-5 time frame and then go home to relax. I wanted my weekends back! I wanted to sleep at normal hours and not have my world revolve around teaching. I never fully explained what happened in terms of leaving that job and working elsewhere, so maybe I will go into details in the future. However, in short, the new job that I took was not the right fit for me. The one good thing about it (other than getting paid more) was that it showed me that I can't shake my identity as a teacher because that is what God called me to do. </div>
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Teaching also means going back to carrying big bags to and from work!</span></i></div>
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There was no way I could have predicted that that would've happened. I did not expect missing the busyness of teaching. Sure, it has its daily challenges, and I probably look forward to days off and vacation breaks more than the kids do. But I was definitely more willing to take on those challenges than the ones at the other job. I missed my colleagues and the kids, and I felt that I wasn't using the gifts God gave me. I am extremely grateful that I had the opportunity to try something else to get a taste of the "outside world."<br />
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As mentioned above, I actually made it all the way to December without getting terribly sick. I had a cold earlier in the year, but the worst of it fell on the weekend when I was able to just stay in bed and sleep. I attribute my better health to the peace that I have in knowing I am where I'm supposed to be and because of the good changes that occurred with the new headmaster. I pray that despite the feelings of fatigue and the stress about the upcoming state tests dealing with the ridiculous Common Core, that joy in me never fades.<br />
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<b><i><span style="font-size: large;">I began enjoying the art of taking pictures.</span></i></b></div>
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Okay, so to some degree, this isn't an entirely new thing for me. When my dad first got a digital camera, I used to take it with me in my bag so that I could capture whatever pictures I wanted to during the day. It was, in my opinion, one of the greatest inventions because before that, I had to pay for film and also shell out money to have the pictures developed! I'd take groups shots with my friends, and we'd take a bunch with hopes that one of them would come out! Since the digital camera was brought into my life, I rarely went anywhere without one in my bag.<br />
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Then Howard got me my iPhone the first year of our marriage. I loved it because I was able to take pictures with ease because I didn't have to dig through my bag for the camera or look awkward stopping to take a picture of something that seemed insignificant to others. Random pictures with long captions are the things you'll find on my Instagram feed, and it's just another way for me to continue capturing memories.<br />
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Well, the difference between this year and all the years beforehand is that my interest in photography has changed in that I want to start taking pictures with a DSLR instead! I still love my digital camera and my phone and will continue to use those on a daily basis. However, when Toby was born in August and then my cousin Nikki got married in October, I really understood more of why Howard lugs around a huge DSLR to these events. I don't have an idea about settings and don't really want to know about them. I'm fine with Howard setting the camera up to whatever fits the environment and then just taking it from him to shoot. He still does the post-processing, but I am so intrigued with how I can capture things on "film" the way that I see them through my own eyes. I still fully believe in photographs as a means of preserving a specific moment in time, so even if the subject in the photo doesn't look the best (ex. when Toby is making a face because he's upset and crying), I think it should be captured.<br />
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">My cousin's wedding was the first time we both shot with DSLRs!</span></i></div>
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I have to say that throughout this year, there are three photos that I'm extra happy about. The first is on the first day we met Toby and I got a <a href="http://loveandsushi.blogspot.com/2014/08/meeting-toby.html">picture of him in sunglasses</a>. The second one is a picture of Nikki and Dan on their wedding day during their first dance (I have to say I was so happy when Nik chose it as her new Facebook profile picture). The last one is one that I took when we celebrate Toby's first Christmas with the lights from the tree in the background (the picture I posted above).<br />
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<b><i><span style="font-size: large;">We started attending a local church.</span></i></b></div>
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It's kind of strange not to be at my home church each Sunday. I never thought that we would worship elsewhere considering Howard and I met at my home church. However, for the past few months, we felt that God was leading us elsewhere. We began attending a church close to our apartment. This is definitely a huge change in our lives at the end of 2014 especially since I really detest change and am uncomfortable meeting new people and altering a set routine, but so far, we have been blessed at this new church. The pastor's messages are convicting to the point where I actually took action on something that was burdening my heart for the past two years. I know, I know. This is a rather vague description, but in the same way that I didn't quite explain everything that happened with my departure and return to teaching, I won't write more on this subject for this post either.<br />
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With a new year ahead of us, I'm a little nervous about what's in store. I know God is always present in my life, but I do hope that I draw closer to Him this year and can establish more discipline in my life with regards the big things like more consistent devotional times and the little things like getting the laundry and dishes done before it piles up, haha. I am a work in progress, but looking back at all that I've experienced in the previous year, I'm kind of curious to see what will happen! Stay tuned as I do my best to document more of the life-changing and, more likely, the mundane!Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15730614153490476015noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-780663221629876568.post-89702513530785394152014-11-11T10:05:00.000-05:002014-11-11T10:05:53.166-05:00Cost of LivingOne of the things Howard likes to do once in a while is do a search for houses. We're living in a studio apartment right now, and there is absolutely no space. When people ask us whether or not we're having a baby yet, we tell them we have no space. They tend to say that babies are small, and we'd only need room for a crib for the first year. We have to tell them that we don't even have room for a crib! We really don't! If we did add that, it would be smack dab in the apartment, and we would have to fly over it to get anywhere. We also tell people that we can hear arguments that our neighbors have or music/TV shows too, so that means they'd definitely hear a baby cry throughout the night.<br />
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My preference would be to move closer to my parents. I would love for them to be close by when we do have kids because I'd like them to have a close relationship. I grew up near my dad's parents, but there was a language barrier. My mom's parents were a drive away, so even though we visited often on the weekends and had family gatherings there, there was never the close bond that I know my mom will have with my kids. I think proximity provides the opportunity for a natural relationship to form based on communication and trust as opposed to the typical "grandparents-spoiling-grandkids" thing. I think my mom will definitely spoil my kids in terms of reading them whatever books they want to read and taking them to the zoo.<br />
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But when it comes to all the other things that I would like, getting a place near my parents just seems impossible. It would be nice to have three bedrooms so that if we were to have kids, they wouldn't be squished in one room. Even if that's not possible, the one thing that would be a requirement is to have two bathrooms. My parents have two full and one half, so for someone who was always sick, it was reassuring knowing that there was always an available bathroom! The price of those places isn't that great for the amount of space or the location.<br />
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However, when we change our search location to be Lancaster, Pennsylvania, instead of New York, it just baffles our minds that the same amount of money that would be spent on a small space here would get us a beautifully spacious house with three or four bedrooms and two or three bathrooms along with sitting rooms or sunrooms or offices. What?! It's insane to think that it's possible to see that same cost get so much more in a different state.<br />
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I mean, I could actually have a craft room! I wouldn't have to move stuff aside just to craft and then move my crafting stuff aside when I have to plan or grade. I'd be able to have a table designated specifically for making cards so that I wouldn't have to move projects out of the way when I need to move on to something else. The houses also have tons of windows, so the natural light entices me too since I can only craft with my Ott-Lite in our apartment right now.<br />
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The houses we were examining yesterday were even better because they are near schools that actually <i>exceed</i> standards as opposed to just meeting standards. I could definitely imagine having a family there. The only downside I imagine would be not being around grocery stores, but with all that space, I would insist on purchasing another freezer to stock up on things when they're on sale! I could actually be a couponer with a room just for my stockpile! Right now I just have things in the pantry (food, baby toys and clothes as gifts because I can't pass a good deal considering now we have to do Christmas and birthday gifts), in our clothes closet (shampoo, toothpaste, toothbrushes, soap, lotion, mouthwash, cotton swabs, cotton balls), under the bathroom sink cabinet (tissues, feminine products), under the kitchen sink cabinet (sponges, dish detergent), and under the bed (cereal and tomato sauce in storage). Once those spots were filled, I couldn't really coupon any longer! It would be crazy if we could store boxes and boxes of things like pasta and paper products without worrying about not having room to actually live!<br />
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Oh why oh why does the cost of living in New York have to be so high? We wouldn't have to think about that if we were in Pennsylvania. Plus, we'd be closer to the wolves at the sanctuary, haha.Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15730614153490476015noreply@blogger.com2