Foodmotional

I realized as I was preparing to write this post that I never wrote about the first food debacle.  A few weeks ago, I started to crave rice krispy treats.  I put it off for a while because 1) I eat too much sugar right now and 2) we had enough sweet stuff in the house.  But finally, one night I had had it with waiting and made some.  I cut a nice big one and headed off to the bedroom with it.  Chewy was in the bathroom as I passed and he asked me a question.  I had been about to take a big bite but stopped myself to answer his question.  As I turned back for that bite - the treat fell from my hand and on to the hallway floor.  Ruined.  Who knows what is on that floor, and the cat always walks down the hall after he uses the liter box so there was no way I was going to eat this treat.  I cried out in pain and grief and picked it up, threw it away in the closet trash can.  Chewy asked what happened and I told him my treat fell.  My eyes filled with tears as saying it aloud made it real.

"Get another one," he suggested.

"It's fine. I'm just going to brush my teeth." I sulked toward the other bathroom.

I guess Chewy heard something in my voice because he popped his head around the door frame, "What's wrong?"

"Nothing." I lacked conviction.

He came to me, saw that I was crying and panicked as husbands do (and should) when their pregnant wife starts crying.  "I'll go get you one." he offered.

I shook my head.

"Just lay down in bed, I'll bring you a good one."

"It's fine I don't need it."  (I'm such a sugar martyr)

Chewy gave me a hug and started to crack jokes.  He made me laugh but sadly, didn't get me to stop crying.  So I was laughing/crying and when he pulled away from the hug I think he may have panicked some more about the state I was in.  I don't know why I was crying so uncontrollably about a rice krispy treat hitting the floor....there was almost an entire pan of them in the kitchen.

I calmed myself down before bedtime, but I didn't go get another treat that night.

OK - so now that you are caught up on that history.  I swore to myself that night that I would not get Foodmotional again.  But then Saturday came around.

We had a busy day, Jartha (my sister Martha and her husband Jeff), came to pain the nursery.  I took their two girls to the "park" (a playground at the church around the corner).  They were really well behaved, but my feet were swelling and it was a struggle to keep them pink instead of blue.  So we went back to the house for the end of the painting and tried to watch a movie.  They left and I was just exhausted. Which I probably would have felt weather or not I had babysat.  I don't really remember much else about the day, but I needed to go to the grocery store, and while there I planned to pick up something for dinner.  Chewy suggested fried chicken, so I got that in my brain.

I arrived to Martin's around 7 p.m. and picked up the items I needed.  I made my way to the deli.  The chicken case was mostly cleared out.  One side was completely empty and washed, the other had gaps where pans had been removed and the sickly remains of the dinner rush stared up at me.  I didn't care, there had to be good chicken somewhere back there, it was only 7.  But no one came.  I waited and waited.  I even checked out what cold chicken they had packed up.  Nothing fit what we needed.

I began to walk away from the case..but I wanted someone (or some thing) to know I was thoroughly annoyed.  I turned and gave the chicken case the stink face.  You know the one, I just posted about it and how I was going to try and not do that anymore....This one.

I hope that chicken case got the message and sent it along to the employees hiding somewhere in the back shirking their customer service responsibilities to hungry pregnant women...

Before I even got to the check out I had consoled myself...I would go to Hardee's and get an eight piece and with that they would have the oh-so-delicious biscuits.  To get there is kind of a pain though.  I had to drive past it and couldn't make a U-turn at the first or second light, I had to drive down a ways before I could U-turn.  Then I pull in...I drive up to the menu outside and all I see are burgers.  The voice came over the loudspeaker asking if I wanted to try something and I asked, "Do you still sell fried chicken?"

"No, we don't sell fried chicken anymore."

In my head - "Then what is the point of you?"*  If I wanted Carl's Jr. I would move out West.

The lady continues, "we have chicken strips though." P.S. when you want fried chicken, that LOOKS like chicken, you are not in the mood for strips that have too much breading on them.  I told her never mind and drove off.  But I hoped that no one inside could see me because I could already feel my face contorting into 'pathetic sob mode'.

In fact - I cried all the way home.  I sat in the car once arriving home and cried.  I texted Mart because I was embarrassed but I had to talk to someone about it and I felt like I had cried too much recently in front of Chewy.

I finally got myself together and went into the house.  I put the groceries away and walked past Chewy, "no chicken tonight" I said.

He followed me to the room where I threw myself on the bed. "Is that because you changed your mind?"

"No." Enter stage left, foodmotional breakdown.  I explained everything to him.  He said he'd find me chicken somewhere, but I really only like Ukrop's chicken (sold at pathetic Martin's) and Hardee's.  He offered to order pizza but for once, that didn't sound good to me.  So I did the food martyr again and said I was just going to go to bed.  I didn't though, I ended up just eating peanut butter crackers.

It's so hard being pregnant and having food desires you are unable to satisfy.

Every Couple Has Secrets

I have a confession...

I hide food from my husband.  Lemme esplain. 

I have a great love for the Little Debbie Christmas trees.

I mean, look at them.  I’m salivating at the thought.

I bought a box at the store on Monday and when I got home I hid them.  Part of it was shame, I didn’t want Chewy knowing I’d given in to my sweet tooth but I have to admit a bigger part of me worried he would eat them…

This morning he went into the cupboard where they were hidden - looking for the backup peanut butter.  I watched in horror as he bent down to look at the lower shelf where I keep the backup food.  If I had realized the other pb was low I would have picked a different shelf for my hidden treasure. 

Then he saw the box.  “What’s this!” he said as he pulled them out of the cupboard.  At this moment he realizes it’s open and most of the trees are gone. “And it’s mostly empty!”

I don’t know what I said at this point, I don’t do well when caught so I might have said, “uh, um, hmmmm.” But eventually, “I love them!” or something similar came out of my mouth.

Chewy explained how it hurts his feelings when I hide food from him (yes, this isn’t the first time; I’ve also hidden Archway Iced Oatmeal cookies from him…more than once.  I've even had to hid rice krispies from him, not the treat, just the cereal).  So I picked that moment to confess that there was a can of Pringles hidden by my side of the bed.  You may find this shocking…but he wasn’t happy about that either.

So I tried to explain myself.  I don’t know what order the excuses came out but they included:

It’s an old habit from childhood where I had to hide the good stuff or it’d be gone (there are some roommates who can attest to the fact that this is a long standing habit of mine).

I explained how I offer other things in their stead (said while picking up a container of cookies I openly shared with Chewy to prove my point).  He’ll come home from work and I’ll open the “snack” cupboard and show him all the things I bought for HIM to eat (and then I don’t mention my personal snacks hidden safely around the house).

He told me I don’t have to hide the food, he wouldn’t eat it.  That brought up the list of things that were mine that he’s eaten…and only since I got pregnant.

1) It started with the Ginger Ale.  He’s a big ginger ale fan, I personally feel sick when I drink it because my parents gave it to me AFTER I’d thrown up.  So I was fine with him drinking it.

2) Then it was the sprite he bought me as a backup for the ginger ale. Again, I wasn’t really drinking them so I didn’t care.

3) Then he dug in to my peppermint ice cream.  This I DID care about, but I also bought multiple containers when I went to the store.  So after instinctively being upset I told him I would share with him.

4) And lastly, the Gatorade.  I’d been drinking Gatorade since October 29^th (yes, I remember the date) when I had to stay home from work and did nothing but throw up all. Day. Long.  I even bought him red Gatorade so he’d leave my blue stuff alone…but it didn’t stop him.

I think he got the point…but I’ll try to stop hiding my food – as soon as Christmas is over.

A General Update

I’m mad at Blogger for several reasons that I will currently put on the shelf, but I decided to just start blogging here again.  I like word press, but it shows my posts to strangers, and while I crave world fame via my blog, I felt too much pressure to keep writing what people liked before (mostly I wrote about writing – so I’ll keep that up- on WordPress, but I’ll keep blogging here for my friends & family). 

On to updates so we can continue with our lives as normal:

The big one – I didn’t run the half marathon this year!  Okay, the reason is the big update, I’m pregnant.  Currently I’m 14 weeks along.  I’m starting to feel better but I’m still throwing up every so often and I still get nauseous and I’m still worthless after the sun goes down.  I think last night I fell asleep around 8-8:30 and woke up at 6:45 this morning.  Granted, I wake up several times a night – just to ensure that I don’t get too much sleep…

I’m working on developing patience because apparently when you get pregnant, people are allowed to give you unsolicited advice and ask you super personal questions that involve body parts that have always been off limits for discussion. 

Other than that – things are going well.  I’m feeling better about my calling at church (with the young women in case you forgot or I never mentioned it).  We are planning some fun activities for next year and I’m continuing to get to know the girls…and then they’ll turn 16 and I’ll barely see them anymore.

We recently had our Night of Excellence – which I had to be reminded is a night when the girls display their achievements in Personal Progress.  Or their planned achievements, works currently in progress or ones they've even just conceptualized.  We did an Instagram theme, "Focus on your Innergram".  We had a photo booth and cute refreshments.

One of the girls made a parody video for her project.  I unfortunately am not in the video since I was throwing up the day they shot it, but here it is:

NOTE ABOUT THE RICE:  Apparently this man did a study on rice.  He had three jars, they all started the same but one jar he said positive things to each day, the second he said mean things, and the third he completely ignored.  After 30 days the first jar was still white rice, the second jar was brownish, the third was moldy.  So of course our YW President tried it out, got the same results, and used it in a lesson with the girls long before I came on to the scene.  Just thought I'd explain that because I was confused about the rice when I first saw this.

Last week, my group did heart attacking.  Which was made more fun because it was freezing cold!  We shivered in the dark, taping hearts to the door of one of the other  girls who can’t make it on Wednesday nights.   It was a lot of fun.  We are going to try to focus more on service (along with EVERYTHING else we need to focus on).

Over the past few months I was signed up for a CPCU class through work.  I hated being in class and stressed about passing the exam but last Friday I took the final exam and I passed!  I was really excited about this and I feel like I have my life back now, I can start reading for pleasure again and getting back in to my writing.

Speaking of writing – I had the opportunity to go to a Writers Conference mid-October.  I was really nervous because I don’t do well in situations where I’m surrounded by strangers, but I had two people from my writing group there so that helped and I made some new “friends” (I use the term friends loosely because I have already forgotten their names and MIGHT remember them if I saw them again).  The conference was both inspiring and yet, I kept thinking how far I have to go to be a good writer.  I was able to meet with one on one with an agent for a few minutes and pick her brain.  I should have been pitching my story but when I sat down I lost my nerve (didn’t help that I am in the process of rewriting the ending of my story – can’t pitch without the conclusion can you?).   I still asked her if I could submit it to her when I was ready and she said I could.  It’s no promise, but it’s hopeful because at least I can say, “we met” and get in the door a little bit.  That is, if I get to the point of submitting within twelve months.  

Okay – I think that’s it.  I don’t even know what I said the last time I wrote so I have no idea if I’m leaving things out.  But just know that things are going well and Chewy and I are preparing for a lot of changes soon.  Hopefully I’ll keep you more in the loop now.

It is possible that the two yutes...*

Hello – long time no blog.

I’m going to be one of those people with a general update in case there is anyone who still reads this.

I don’t even know where to begin. Let’s see. Right after Matt and I got back from the honeymoon (seriously, within 24 hours) I was called to be the first counselor in the Young Women’s Presidency. I am the counselor over the 14-15 year old girls (Mia-Maids). Can we talk for a second about what 14 and 15 were like for me?

No…we can’t. I can’t say I really remember it, I just know that I was the weird kid who didn’t fit in. It’s safe to assume that I was overweight, wore thick glasses, didn’t know how to get my hair to behave but didn’t want to wear it in a ponytail, and wore giant tweety bird shirts. Oh – and I had braces. I think we can all imagine my self-esteem wasn’t exactly burgeoning back then.

Let’s add to the mix that I haven’t really been in a family ward since 2001, with brief visits the summer of 2002, 2004- 2006 before joining the singles ward. Point being – I’m not used to being around the youth, much less being a leader.

So it’s been two months and I’m still trying to get used to not only being a leader (and therefore being called “Sister” rather than “Jessica”), but also to my new last name. I’m also not sure how to behave around them. Be their friend but be a good example. I haven’t thought about being an example in so long I’m not sure what constitutes a good one. I would hope my natural actions would suffice but then I still worry sometimes.

I have to say though, after each encounter, I enjoy my calling more and more.

On a different note – have I ever mentioned that I don’t mind hand-me-downs? I really don’t. I’ve heard some people who were the younger siblings complain about having to wear their sister’s old clothes/shoes but I’ve always been all about the free stuff. Love it.

With that being said – it seems my family (and by “my family” I now include the in-laws) keeps giving us stuff (and this girl doesn't complain). Chewy’s sister loaded up her parents’ car with baby gear (note to readers: said baby gear was offered to us to have for when we are ready – there is no immediate need for it if you catch my drift). My sister (and Chewy’s brother) gave us a brand new couch.

I realized today that I have never bought a couch, nor a television. The house I bought came with a couch and then my sister gave me an old one of hers when she moved back to Virginia. Then I got a new roommate so we chucked the house couch and used hers. Then Chewy and I have just been using the giant chair until yesterday, when we got a couch. Also – all my TVs have been gifted to me. Now I’m wondering what else I've never bought but have owned multiples of.

Have I mentioned I've been scatterbrained lately?

I have signed up for a writing conference in October. (Eek!) The conference itself isn't that scary, what’s scary is that I also signed up to meet with an agent for 7 minutes and pitch my story idea to them. My writing group still meets once a month and we have changed the way we do our submissions. Usually the four of us would submit a chapter each. This month I submitted a chapter and one of the women submitted the rest of her story. Next month I won’t submit anything and the following month I’ll submit the rest of my story. It’s good in a way, it’s given me a deadline to finish and the conference gives me a deadline to finish edits. Anyone want to be a beta reader?

OH - let's not forget Easters.  I'm still working on my photography skills - so Easter was a fun time to take some photos:  

Selfies count for photography skills too

Again, I'm sorry for the long break - I hope I'll be better about blogging moving forward.  Also - I'm still waiting on the wedding photos from the photographer - but I hope to have them in the next week or so and I'll be sure to post some then.

We gotta go down to the religious supply store. We gotta get a couple of gallons of holy water.*

I never posted about the bridal showers.  My work bridal shower got bumped back because of the first "snow storm" we had.  So my family one came first.

In case you see a couple that seems like maybe it doesn't belong - Chewy picked that one.

Pulling a Ben (my brother-in-law....and Chewy's brother)

There aren't many pictures from my work one because the boss forbade it.  Leigh sneaked (I know - I feel like it should be snuck - but I think it's sneaked - any English majors want to help me out?) in a few though.

Apparently wearing the ribbons is a thing - I am always happy to look the fool if it pleases the crowd.

Your dream stinks. I was talking to her.*

I realized earlier this year that I didn't go to the dentist in 2013.  I've gone longer without going to the dentist but that was intentional.  Now that I pay for the dental insurance I try to get my two free cleanings in - otherwise, why pay for insurance? It really doesn't cover much beyond the cleanings.

Luckily, the dentist realized this about the same time I did and the stars aligned and landed me in the dentist chair yesterday.  I realized Monday night as I lay awake in bed worrying about my visit, that the dentist is the only doctor I get anxious about going to see.  Well - given last year's eye exam, the eye doctor might go on the list.  But mostly, with other doctors I just get annoyed with the wait in the waiting room (oddly enough, there's never a wait at the dentist office). 

I always wait for the bad news, "Jessica, it looks like you have 17 cavities and will need a root canal." So we are pleasantly talking, he's been my dentist since I was 12 so he was talking to me about where my life is right now, just married, new calling at church (I'll have to write about that), new position at work, etc.  In between his scraping and my trying not to gleek (see Urban dictionary #2. gleek) we conversed (or as the teens I used to train at Ukrops said, "conversated" ..like that's a thing), but then I would almost hold my breath each time he took a look into my mouth again.  "Everything looks good" he said, and then the assistant brought the xray they took.  I DID hold my breath then, but he never said anything about the x-ray.  I guess it's important to point out here that some people(ahem - me) are more decay prone than others.  It's probably why if I don't go to the dentist every six months I lose a tooth and Chewy can go three years and be just fine. 

Then the hygienist came in to do the cleaning.  My BIL called his old hygienist "The Flosser".  So I thought of that when she wheeled her chair up.  Then I had to stop from laughing as I thought of this:

Thank you Pinterest - if you gave me nothing else you gave me this.  The cleaning actually wasn't bad - yes, there was blood, but it was quicker than I remember.  I just spent the rest of the day worrying about dried blood in my teeth and the fact that everytime my tongue hit my teeth they felt loose.  But that's normal....right?

They come, they eat, they leave*

(Seen at the store yesterday and struck me as funny. Idk maybe it's not to anyone else)

Yesterday I thought I had scratched my eye, it stung and I couldn’t keep it open when I was driving in to work because the sun was aggravating it.  I had to pull off the road and called my boss to tell her I would be late.  Then I went to the eye doctor to have it checked.  Turns out I have an infection, so I have drops for my eyes and have to wear my glasses until I purchase new contacts. 

I have decided two things.  The first – wearing glasses makes me feel like the awkward post 15 year old that I was and two – I have absolutely no depth perception.  I think I may injure myself before the new contacts arrive.

So last night was super crazy.  My home teachers (HT) were supposed to come at 5:30 and the missionaries at 5:45.  HT were going to teach us real quick and then join us for dinner.  Well, the HT were late and the missionaries were late too.  The Missionaries got there about 6 o’clock or so and said that they couldn’t stay long because they had another appointment (there day turned out to be super crazy).  Meanwhile, the HT call and say they are near a graveyard, where do they go from there? …you guessed right, they were lost.  So we help them, then we eat quickly with the missionaries.  They apologize a million times over and then go to their next appointment.  

Then some man comes to the door and asks if I have accepted Jesus as my Savior, “Yes, I have!” I told him.  He gave me a flyer with a website and we wished each other a good evening.  Then the HT show up and grab some food and sit down to teach us. They couldn’t stay long either (this is how I like things though).  So they leave and I talk to Caitlin for a bit before going to lay down while I wait for Matt to show up. Matt comes, we walk to the car and some truck stops and ask if so-and-so lives here.  I shook my head and he was like, “Do you know the people who adopt dogs?” Uh….nope (and my instinct tells me not to venture closer to the car).  He keeps going, “They said it was the fifth house on the right.” One. Two. Three. Four…I guess that’s me.  I try to help the guy but it’s just not happening, I’m useless.  He says he’ll drive to the end of the street – and I’m not sure how that will help but I hope it did. 

Matt and I get in the car and try to decide where to go and in the meantime we see our new friend in the truck again.  Then my neighbor comes and backs his truck up into his driveway at super lightening speeds and while that’s happening another truck (I live close to Ashland, the land of trucks and honey) goes to the drug dealers’ house (oh p.s. Caitlin and I think the house at the end of the street is occupied by drug dealers – possibly not, but we don’t like them either way – they have fights in the middle of the street…seriously).  Matt notices the guy there looks like he is trying to put his garbage in someone else’s trashcan (like I know Matt’s mom does because she drops trash off at my sister’s house all the time).  So we start watching the guy as he is crossing the street back to his house, garbage bag still in hand. He lifts the lid of his garbage can and puts it in, then tries to press down the lid with his hands. When that isn’t as effective as he would like, he proceeds to climb up on the garbage can and

 Jump

 On

 It!!

 I don’t know how many of you have dealt with a county provided garbage cans, they are sturdier than most – but not sturdy enough for this monkiery! (And yes – that’s a made up word).  We both watch…waiting for the man to fall off the trash can, or for the can to collapse in on itself or to tip over….SOMETHING catastrophic.  But alas, nothing happened.  The man dismounted with more grace than I could have imagined and went inside his house.  We were just sitting there in shock and Matt says, “I’ve never seen that before, I’ve never seen anybody drive their garbage down to the street and beat the heck out of it.”*  That’s a man after my own heart.  We started the car and drove to Barnes and Noble.

Gosh I love this street*

She'd eat if we were have Tony-loaf.*

Congrats to Isaac for getting the Wreck It Ralph quote (which happens to go with this post since that's when I saw portions of it).  This brings Isaac into the top 10!

Friday night Jacob and Tommy stayed with me.  There was a basketball game at Bailey Bridge, so I picked them up and took them to my house for dinner and then we left for the game.

On the way to my house Tommy said, "I wish your house wasn't so far away." Note to reader, my house is further, but even then, it's about 10 to 15 minutes with the interstates.  I laughed because...the drive from my house to Bailey Bridge is about 45 minutes.  He was in for a real treat.

The ride over was entertaining to say the least.  Spencer taught me a new trick with how to deceive children.  When they ask how much longer you say, "5 minutes" when they ask again you say "4 minutes".  Suddenly a 40 minute drive is only 5 minutes or less.

The boys have also apparently never seen a tower in the night.  Jake kept asking what that tower was ahead and as we drove it seemed to switch which side of the road it was on.  The boys kept asking in amazement how the towers were able to switch sides of the road, and then when we finally came up on it they wondered if the towers were following us.  And yet they wouldn't believe me when I told them I was magical and that's how I turned off my house light (motion light) or when Spencer told them an airplane was a spaceship...but towers jumping across the interstate and following us??

Turns out that the boys also have never been to a basketball game, they seemed to like it. I know Jake watched pretty closely and when my team lost by one point he said, "I wish you guys could have won" - so I know he was picking up on some of it.

When we got home it was time for bed (it was past time for bed) so the activities continued in the morning.

...bright and early...before 7:00 a.m.

I took pictures with my new camera.

I felt like this was a normal breakfast for them because I have seen it at their house a couple of times.  They enjoyed it.

The boys Tommy watch Wreck it Ralph while Jake made a camera out card stock paper.  Then the boys wanted to play the Wii so I let them.  These pictures of from when they play the cow racing game (it's a hoot).

 

Jake couldn't sit still he loved this game so much



Then we went to Target to get a few things and got some Icee's.  Tommy had a fun time walking through the women's section - and by fun I mean once he noticed that he was surrounded by bras he said "ew" until he came out into the aisle and then shied away from the section as though he might catch something.

Overall - I think it was a success. but I guess it's their opinion that matters most on that one.