Cursed by the Airplane Gods

I seem to have the worst luck when it comes to flights. I woke up at 6:15 this morning, got out the door by 8:20, and began my drive to Boise to catch a flight to Seattle. My parents and I are going to IKEA after they pick me up from the airport and then I'm attending a friend's baby shower this Saturday. Needless to say, I was really excited when I left this morning, except for wishing Niklas could have gone with me. (He has a typical case of lots of homework on the 3-day weekend.)

Here's me driving down to Boise this morning:

Here was my view to the right:

Here was my view in front:

And here's me now:

Why the glum face? Upon checking in it turns out that my flight is 3.5 HOURS late! The plane had mechanical issues (not comforting) and instead of dropping some of its scheduled flights to make up for lost time, it simply delayed each and every one. I am both bummed and grumpy about this, as it seems I always happen to pick the flights that are delayed in the end. I'm also tired and ready for a nap, but having no husband to watch my stuff while I sleep, that won't be remedied for a few more hours. Overall, this delay means I'll be getting to bed a lot later tonight than I wanted because I have a pending project to get done by tonight.

And that is why the airplane gods hate me.

3-Year Anniversary Today!

Today marks 3 years since Niklas and I were sealed for eternity in the Rexburg, ID temple. It's crazy to think that we've been married that long already, but I'm sure each year I'll feel that way. I'm grateful to have Niklas as my husband. Even though we drive each other crazy at times, I can't imagine being with anyone else; nor do I want too. It's easy, in the day-to-day living with one another, to forget (or take for granted) what a miracle it is to be married to each other at all. We are around a lot of singles all the time while serving at church, and it reminds me how much I looked forward to being married when I was single, and yet was unsure if or when it would happen. And then I remember the magic of our "dating" (more like hanging out) and ending up together. With the world getting more and more confused, scary, and hard to live in, it's nice to know that Niklas will always be a loving, supporting influence in my life. We are both imperfect people, but so far we have helped each other to grow in many ways, even if it has been a bit painful at times for both of us. So here's looking forward to another year with my sweetheart; and what a life-altering year it will be! Happy anniversary, Niklas--I love you!

Loud Talkers and Baby Stuff!

Yesterday, Niklas and I hit Idaho Falls to do some window shopping in the downtown area, along with other errands. It was a beautiful day and was nice just to walk around in the sun. After a while, I really wanted some ice cream. Big surprise---I always want ice cream now. So we stopped by Sundae's Eats & Treats and I ordered a sugar cone with mint cookie ice cream while Niklas got some rainbow sherbert and a philly cheesesteak sandwich (one of his favorites it would seem). The gal taking our orders asked if we were planning on sharing the sandwich, to which I said no, and Niklas and I went to sit down. Right before we get to a table, this random boy (I'm guessing in junior high---13-14 years old?) who is sitting at a nearby table with a much younger boy, loudly asks, "You don't like to eat?!" Then I explain to this random stranger that I just want ice cream right now, and he (being Niklas) wants the sandwich. So Niklas and I sit, and the next thing that comes out of this kids' mouth to Niklas is something like, "If you put chocolate in front of a woman, she'll want you." I was totally incredulous---wow, this kid is totally clueless about women and some aspects of social decorum, not to mention having this "man-to-man" chat with my husband while I'm sitting there. For some reason, I found it totally unsettling that this young kid had these ideas about women already. Anywho, at that point I wasn't in the mood to hear all of this boy's widsom on how to catch a woman, so I turned to my ice cream and gave it my full attention. A few minutes later, Taylor Swift's "Tim McGraw" song came on over the speakers, and the kid loudly says (in our direction), "I HATE this song! It makes me jealous." ....Whaaaat??? Don't get my wrong; I basically like people, even ones that have a tendency to butt into your mental space at times. And I do believe in being kind in thought, word, and deed, though I am human and fail way too often than I would like. But honestly, this kid was not rubbing me the right way---I was tired, my feet hurt, and was basically in no mood to deal with a loud person who kept giving way more insight into their psyche than I cared to know that day. In short, Niklas and I didn't turn to him to get sucked into asking, "Why jealous?" We kept on eating and I tried to maintain happy thoughts. Of course, the evil side of me thought, "I really hope I don't have a son that thinks like that, or shoves their way into people's notice!" This kid even sauntered when he walked. Anyway, I'm not saying I thought this kid is a bad person or anything; but being pregnant and all, I was not in the mood for this kid's unwanted conversation! Besides that little blip, Niklas and I had a pleasant walk around town, and then dragged ourselves home after doing some much-needed grocery shopping.

Okay, onto some baby loot we've gathered so far! :D We have a crib and a mattress:

A cute, neutral teddy bear bedding set (I LOVE the teddy bears!):





The matching teddy bear play mat:





A teddy bear boppy:



A traveling system:





And a play pen (or whatever they're called), photo courtesy of my mom:





I also have a cream-of-the-crop breast pump, but I figured you wouldn't really want to see a picture of that. ;) I'm not looking forward to having to use it down the road. Just sayin'... We have also bought a couple of extra mattress covers and bed sheets. I was eager to start getting our baby stuff, but I'll have to wait on the clothes for now. I want to get a nice variety of neutral and gender-specific things eventually. I might even try my hand at sewing a few things, but we'll see if that actually pans out or not.


Overall, things are well. I'm still working full-time and enjoying the relaxation (too much--the apartment is always a mess) from school while Niklas is working hard to graduate with his Bachelor's degree in English this December. He has also been working as a teacher's assistant for an English professor and will have an opportunity to teach a college class on June 15th, which I think is pretty neat.


Here are some pictures from the last few months of us (mostly Niklas actually):





Niklas modeling (with his creepy clown face) a Superman Snuggy my mom bought for him as a gag gift after Christmas. This cracked me up because Niklas was always going on about how anyone wearing a Snuggy looked like a cultist. Now he can start his own Superman cult (notice Superman in the background)!





Niklas putting together Star Wars Pocket Models (basically made out of plastic card stock), with a look of, "Why are you taking a pictures of me and my nerdy habits?" :D





Niklas playing with his newly-created pocket models: a Snow Speeder shooting at an AT-AT.


These next three were taken today.





Niklas painting some miniature models at the kitchen table. Besides enjoying the process, painting seems to be a stress-reliever for him as well.





This is the robot miniature he was painting in the last picture (there is no way I could paint all those tiny details).





And here's a picture of me at 15 weeks in our cluttered apartment. I'm actually wearing a belly band here, since those pants are too tight for comfort in the waist now. I'm hoping to have more of an obvious baby bump by my next appointment in June. :)


Oh, and we bought a tomato plant this weekend! I'm looking forward to getting some home-grown tomatoes this year!





That's all the updates for now! :)

Big News!

First off, just wanted to say I've been busy with life and finally finished my Master's degree in Accounting! Next step is studying and taking the CPA exam, which will take me probably longer than a year. But I'm okay with that. :)

Secondly, and way more exciting: I'M PREGNANT!! I'm sure everyone that reads this blog already knows, but I still wanted to put it out there. Niklas and I are so excited to be starting our family and look forward to welcoming this little soul into the world. I am due November 12th, and find out the sex of the baby on the morning of June 24th! We both have been feeling like it will be a girl, so time will tell if that's true or not.

Things are looking great so far---we heard the baby's heartbeat today and it is going strong, which makes me very happy.

Even though this is a month old (click on it to see larger version), here is an ultrasound pic of our little developing one done April 21st, when I was almost 11 weeks. You can see arms, legs, and a little face. The last picture was the measuring of the heartbeat.

I'm sure I'll try to explain how I'm feeling about all of this in future posts, but for now, amazed, humbled, joyful, worried, and love pretty much sums it up. :) Off to eat pizza and cookies! (Hey, baby wants....)

25 Things Blah Blah, etc.

Let's get this over with...

24) I had a huge crush on Mario (as in Super Mario) as a child. Weird, I know. Then I had a crush on Ringo Starr from the Beatles, and Mike Nesmith from the Monkees in my junior high years; and let's not forget Rex Harrison from My Fair Lady, etc. And then I grew up. :)

25) I like to read. I'm all about Jane Austen, Charlotte Bronte, Elizabeth Gaskell, etc. I love literature from the 1800's that is clean and portrays a great moral message. Plus, I like the clean romance. I'm a romantic on the inside, but which girl isn't?

There, I'm done. Sheesh. I'm ready to just WRITE about whatever.

So this post really has no purpose other than to be used to record thoughts out of my head. I'm just sitting here on my lunch break, feeling as if I am looking at the horizon or a pinnacle of a mountain. I have no idea what lies ahead for Niklas and me in anything. It's amazing to me to think that he will be staring his last year in school this fall, and graduate (fingers crossed!) by July 2011. That means he has to start preparing to apply to different graduate schools. Is that possible?? Have I really been in Idaho for over 2 years since we married? Where did all that time go? And where are we going to end up? Idaho, or somewhere else?

And I'll be graduating with my online Master's degree in Accounting in May 2011. Since the time I had started my college classes I had no idea why I was pursuing a Master's degree. Sounds foolish, right? All I knew was that I had this crazy-strong desire to go back to school, and that desire was non-existent after graduating with my Bachelor's degree. So a couple days ago I was in an employee evaluation meeting with my boss and he tells me he thinks I should become a CPA. And suddenly the stars aligned: he's right. I had NO desire to take that track; and suddenly it hit me that that's the right way to go, that is why I was given the desire to get my Master's degree. Pretty simple, right? I had already figured from the start that that was why I was getting this second degree, and I didn't like it. But I was pursuing the Master's anyway since I felt it was right. However, in gist, I have had no desire to become a CPA because I am not a career person and want, more than anything, to be a full-time mother. But after that meeting a desire was kindled in me, and I know it wasn't from me. It is going to be a hard, long road, but I am determined and know I'll recieve help since it is the right track. I know that anything that will allow me to do some work from my own home to help our little family out financially in the long-run will be beneficial. So...wish me luck.

Also, I realized while I had all of this running in my mind that my attitude about life isn't always so good. I figured once my Master's degree was over, then I could relax = be happier since I would have less on my plate. But obviously the CPA thing has changed that. And add the fact that children will be had in time (no, I'm not pregnant, just saying). So that basically means that my life will be forever busy. There is not going to be a time where I will have nothing to worry about, less responsibilities. It's always going to be this way! Then why am I not choosing to be happy now and enjoy the present? It's not that I've been unhappy per se, but I've wanted to move on with life in so many ways when I can't yet. Instead of looking at it as a burden, I've needed to see and realize that each day is a gift from God. And who am I tell Him that it isn't enough? That it isn't fulfilling? I read this article in the March 2010 Ensign that hit home for me: we should not only endure our time here on earth; but endure it well and find joy in all that we undertake. And I know that to be true with all my heart. Cheers for the time we have here now to learn and grow each and every day!

25 Things About Me, #20-23

Bet you thought I was never going to post again, huh? Well, once a new college class starts, life gets nice and busy for me. So onward until the end...

20) I'm a brat wife. I used to think that I would make some lucky guy (ha ha) the perfect wife with my sweetness, and now I find that nothing brings me more glee than sticking my icy cold fingers on my husband who is a heat bomb. My favorite place to torture with my iciness is his bare stomach because he winces, cries out, and then makes a pouty face in defeat each time. I mean, what kind of sick, sadistic person would do that? Me, it turns out. But don't feel too bad for Niklas: he loves to mess with/tease people, especially me. He loves pranks. Thus, I am simply providing balance to the universe. (Love you, Hon'!)

21) I fear back fat. You know what I'm talking about: the nice, plump rolls that appear on your upper back after you put your bra on (obviously a female thing). Only few enjoy the company of these rolls, and I happen to be susceptible....mostly because I love anything chocolate, especially ice cream; but that's beside the point. Life goes on for my back---it's just slowly creating a comfortable cushion for the piggy back rides I'll give to my future children.

22) I'm more of a "touching" person, although I can easily keep my hands to myself. I love getting/giving hugs, Niklas holding me, someone playing with my hair, etc. I enjoy the affection/love that is expressed in such simple gestures.

23) I find humor in others' ventings of frustration. I realize that this sounds completely insensitive and horrible; but I'm talking about the smaller, everyday annoyances and/or frustrations. Don't ask me why I'm this way. Maybe because I get SOO irritated at times, especially at inanimate objects that I will talk to with a stern, acidic voice and be rough with (as if that will make it change its ways). But outside of the situation, you can see how comical it really is.

Oh, look at the time---time to work! Hooray it's Friday.

25 Things About Me Cont'd, #12 -19

(Random pic from my oldest sister's wedding day, December 2007.)

Okay, I am determined to finish my list here; it will just take me a while since I only have desire to post on my lunch breaks (funny how that works).

12) At the time of writing #3, I really didn't have any cavities...until last week. It finally happened: I have 2 fillings I have to get done next week. It is such a bummer after having a perfect track record! And I have no idea what to expect except unpleasantness. Ick.

13) I love nature. I've always loved looking at the landscape on car trips and contemplating life, etc. I love how it feels to be among God's creations which are so beautiful. My mom has a major green thumb and created the most wonderful gardens at home in WA. I want to have my own garden someday. I often have this longing deep down to find a "thinking spot" in nature for myself. I have not found one yet, but maybe I will be able to create it someday. And although I pretty much love all flowers, I find daffodils very cute and charming. They make me smile. (Below are pictures from my parent's home--except for the daffodil.)

14) I wanted a pen-pal from another place really bad when I was younger (grade school and on). Every time I tried to get one through the schools it never worked out. I loved to write in general, and wanted to know what another's life in a different part of the world was like in comparison to my own.

15) I think about lots of things at a given time, but I have very linear thinking when it comes to tasks and eating. I like to work on one task at a time before moving onto the next. But I am getting better at moving on to another task even though the first one may not be completed. I also have this weird habit sometimes of eating one food at a time on my plate until it's gone. This isn't always the case, but it happens often enough that I notice. I think it's because I'm enjoying the flavor of that one particular food at that time and I don't want to ruin the effect by dipping into another before it's over. :P I believe my mom is also this way.

16) I jumped off a highway (?) bridge during the summer of my freshman year in college--everybody was doing it. ;) I jumped it twice and was freaked both times. During the second jump I recieved a skinned knee from not clearing the bridge wall and even did a butt flop on the water below that gave me a splash-shaped bruise. It wasn't one of my brighter moments.

17) I ran a half-marathon in Utah last summer with a friend, 13.1 miles. It was hard training for me and even though I'm dealing with a knee that isn't completely normal yet, I'm really glad I did it at least once. The adrenaline rush was awesome during the last half mile. :) I like to run and hope I can do it more in the future (though no more races).

18) I love people. You might not think so with how shy I can be at times, but I really find everyone interesting. I love learning about people's lives and what they have been through that has shaped them into who they are today. I feel so good when people open up their life experiences and struggles to me; I like understanding them better. I've had great conversations with total strangers in a hospital, on airplanes, in the airport, etc. I find that I am in awe of so many that have been through hard times and are still so happy. I learn so much from other's experiences.

19) My favorite color of all time is purple. It is soo pretty. My current work office has little bits of purple throughout it. I had a purple-themed bedroom in Colorado along with a purple purse. I used to have lots of purple clothes. I also used to have a purple-covered couch that my now-husband said looked like a Barney couch (I'm sitting on it in a pic from my last post). So the cover was banished to the closet... Someday my purple fettish will prevail and find expression...somewhere.

Looks like that's all there's time for today!