For the Sake of Happiness.

I tell you what, this past week has been one of the most stressful weeks I've endured in quite some time.. if not ever. I am not going to go into any details right now, but when it is all said and done with, I will explain. For now, you'll have to deal with online ambiguity of it all, and just know that things are extremely stressful with our rental home.

Because of this, I haven't been feeling well, sleeping well, and have been trying really hard not to be negative all the time. I feel like I'm doing a pretty good job, but the stress is taking its toll on me, I can tell.

I'm trying to remain positive, though, because I don't really want the "prolonged maternal stress" to cause premature labor.

So, happy time.

My sisters (Samantha, 15, and Allison, 11) have both been at my house for the last week. While tomorrow is their last day here as my dad is taking them both home to Minnesota when he leaves town, we have, in my opinion, had a pretty good time together.

Sam and I went to MN to get Allie on Saturday, and came back to Sioux Falls after a brief visit with my mom and brother at their work-place. We had supper with Jake, and then that night, went out to see "Vampires Suck" together at the theater. Now, I didn't really care for it at all, actually, but I did enjoy how much my sisters and husband laughed through the whole thing.

On Sunday, we went to Wild Water West, the local waterpark. It was incredibly hot outside, but we had a great time! We started out with mini-golf, but after getting overheated and exhausted by it, we hit up the wave pool. That was by far, my favorite! We were in there for quite some time before getting out for a break. Jake used the waterslides (I was not allowed), and then he and Allison went on the lazy river. Samantha and I went back to the wave pool, and then Jake and Allie joined us again, and we had a great time, until I announced I was getting really hungry and we came home. After supper, Samantha and Jake went back and rode go-karts. I'm not sure if they did anything else.

The week was a little less eventful, but we spent time together every day anyway. We had dinner together every night, which is fun for me, because after they leave, I'll be eating alone most nights. We watched a bunch of movies too, and had popcorn! I love popcorn.

Wednesday, Jake was home, and so we all took Wendell (and Bud, my cousin's wife's dog) to the dog park, because it's finally open again. They had a great time, as did we!

We've visited Barnes and Noble a few times. Last night, we were there for over three hours, writing letters to family members in the military, and laughing our butts off.

We have also been working on fleece tie-blankets for children in Haiti, as a comfort project that is going on at my workplace.

Today, after we finish our showers (I'm already clean, woohoo!) we are going to Oh My Cupcakes downtown, to enjoy a delectable baked good. Not sure what we'll do after. I'm sure we'll have fun, though!

I have mental issues.

This morning, I had a dream in which my husband said I was being "im-appropriate."

I corrected him, and said it's "in-appropriate" or "improper."

I immediately woke up with this overwhelming urge to make a mental list of all the words I could think of that begin with the word/letters "imp."

I say overwhelming, because, try as I might to go back to sleep, or even think of anything else (like, perhaps a random song, I almost always wake up with one of those in my head), I couldn't, and the mental list basically started itself.

Of course, "imp" itself is a word, and the second word I came up with happened to be "imply," because it's an easy follower.

I kept going, and going, until I was came up with "impressionistically" and "imperialistically," when I decided, Hey, lady, you need to limit yourself to "base" words and stop adding suffixes because that could be considered cheating, and it's not fair to do that to yourself.

I decided also, at that point, the madness needed to stop. I'd be going for at least ten minutes.

So, I rolled over and woke up my husband. I told him about my game, and we laughed about it a good while, and about how I'm kind of a nerd, but he really loves me all the more because of it... and then he started playing this game as well.

I got distracted for a few moments by Spencer kicking and my urge to go to the bathroom... and shower. And in the shower, it continued. Until I decided that "percolate" is a fun word, even if it doesn't start with "imp."

So... there you have it. I have issues... and a fun list of words.

(These are the ones I could remember to type up and share)

Imp-List:

imply

implant

impress

impart

impel

impair

improve

impotent

improvise

impulse

impatient

impoverish

impose

imp

impartial

imperial

impervious

imperfect

imperil

impetigo

impervious

import

important

implicit

impervious

impassable

imperishable

impolite

impact

impetus

implore

implode

impeccable

impossible

impersonate

impressionist

imprecise

impark

implicit

impale

impure

(And a few from Jake):

impalpable

implecate

imprint

improve

impunity

A Random Pictorial Account of Various Things.

Disclaimer: These pictures are not artistic in any real way, nor are they of very good quality.

The other day (two weeks ago, actually), I was digging through boxes with my sister to make room for Spencer's stuff... and I found this vinyl decal I had purchased in 2006. So, I put it in the shower, as a.. uh... reminder.. er.... just to see what Jake would say (he thought it was funny).

Alas, it wasn't a good reminder for anything. Yesterday morning, I woke early and got in the shower.. and then I proceeded to shampoo my hair three times in a row before actually grabbing the conditioner to use it. Then, I shaved my right leg twice in a row before moving onto the left leg. It was... special.

Wendell likes to hop in the shower.

Today, for work, I wore a blue t-shirt. I wanted to wear my blue flip-flops, and almost did, but then I realized I couldn't, because flip-flops aren't allowed at work. So, instead, I wore sneakers.

Moving on, instead of grabbing my breakfast off the back desk (a Schwan's toast-wich), I accidentally grabbed the rubber cement and brought that along for "breakfast." Not tasty. Don't worry, I didn't actually eat it.

I also brought my brush to work. My sister was confused, because she thought she lost it from herself all day. Haha. I'm so mean. After work, I put it back where it belongs.

My sister is in Spencer's room, where I normally take "self-portraits" for people to see how rotund I'm becoming. I made her hold the mirror. She talked the whole time.

My sister and I had to get some groceries for next week when our other sister, Allison, is here. We put them in her room so we'd make sure to keep track of them.

On Sunday, Jake, Samantha, Allison, and I are going to Wild-Water West! I'm pretty excited. I had to try on my pre-pregnancy swimsuit to make sure I wouldn't have to go in the buff and be escorted off the premises, but luckily, it, for the most part, fit just fine. It really compresses in the mid-section, so I'm sure Spencer will protest all day, but whatever.

Adventures of my Tailbone.

Last Saturday, I woke up and had an inclination that a cyst I had thought to have been rid of last month was sneaking back into my life. My husband agreed, but neither of us thought much more about it.

Come Saturday night, lying on the couch, I knew for certain it was returning.

Three times before this past week, I have had this severely painful, swollen lump at the end of my tailbone. When I was at the doctor in July, it was present, and it actually burst while I was in the middle of my appointment. It hurt like hell, bled, required antibiotics, and a surgical consult. They said that they would want to surgically remove it under normal circumstances, but being pregnant and all, I can't lie on my stomach, so they can't. So they said to call back if it returned.

Sunday, I dealt, despite the ridiculous heat and pain (I spent a lot of the day attempting to not put any pressure on my back, and it didn't really work), I survived. I didn't sleep that night, and went to work on Monday.

By the end of the day on Monday, I didn't think I could manage it any longer. I drove the truck home in complete and total agony, yelling inside the truck to myself, crying, etc.

So, Tuesday morning, I went to the surgeon again. Since they couldn't do full surgery, he opted to inject me with a numbing substance, and open up the cyst to drain it and relieve the pressure. I tell you what though, despite he and the nurse telling me how awesome I was doing since I wasn't trembling too much and wasn't sobbing and shaking and screaming (like apparently many who have that done, do), I felt like I might pass out from pain. Luckily the shot took effect quickly.

They drained it, gave me gauze, set up a return appointment, and sent me on my way. My sister and I walked home (because I refused to drive the six blocks to the hospital due to the pain from the ride the night before, and opted to overheat instead walking in the hellish summer), and I felt great... for about an hour. Then it hurt all over again from the incision.

I dealt, I slept a little, and on Wednesday, went back to work with the pain of a sunburn on my tailbone. Not so bad. Thursday, it hurt still, not as bad again, and today, Friday, I can sit without pain (pretty much anyway). I am delighted that it worked so quickly. My body was torturing me, for pete's sake!

Speaking of riding in the truck. Yesterday, I parked the truck with the windows ALL the way down, and then there was a freakish torrential downpour that I was unprepared for. Whoops. I drove home in a soggy mess, laughing my butt off on the phone to my best friend telling her all about it, and came home to my husband... who was not as amused. I couldn't stop laughing though, regardless. It was just absolutely hilarious to me that it happened, there was nothing I could do about it, and I was drenched all over my backside, and the truck all over the inside.

Ah, good times.

So, that's a wrap, for now.

Four Years Ago.

Four years ago today, I was called by my maiden name.

Four years ago tomorrow, my name changed.

My world changed.

It's funny to think that it's been four years tomorrow since Jake and I were married. Sometimes it feels like the years went by in a flash. Other times, it seems like we've crammed so much into them that they have gone by at a snail's pace. It's funny how four is a constant, it's the same number no matter how you look at it- the same quantity. But yet, at any given time, it can feel so much different than it did moments before.

I don't remember a lot about four years ago from today, oddly enough. I remember sitting a the reception hall with my mother, my grandmother, and my sisters, arranging and rearranging tables, photographs, and decorations.

I remember, what I think was a wonderful grooms' dinner, where Jake's father and my father took charge of grilling and we spent the evening at park with our wedding party and family. I remember crying happy tears.

I remember going home, and knowing I needed to sleep, and finally being forced to go to bed, while my maid of honor and best man, and my soon-to-be husband finished getting ready for the big day. I remember pressing butter into molds so that it'd be cute on the tables.

Four years ago from tomorrow, though, I can see in my mind like a movie. Getting up, putting on a Schwan's shirt and heading to the hair stylist (with my maid of honor in matching attire). Meeting my bridesmaids there (except my youngest sister and Jake's sister), then going for coffee. Going to the church, getting ready, seeing Jake for the first time (after peeking around a church door trying to catch an early glimpse), the photos, and being whisked into hiding before the ceremony.

I remember being so calm. I hadn't felt so certain of anything before.

My dad walked me down the aisle to "I Believe," by Blessid Union of Souls, played on piano by a friend of mine. The ceremony was beautiful to me. I was told by some dear friends it was the most romantic ceremony they'd seen. (I never was able to see it, as the recording didn't work, but we do have an audio CD that I will most likely listen to tomorrow.)

My favorite part of the ceremony was when I tried (more than once) to put his ring on the right hand, not the left. We laughed. Our photographer caught the moment for us.

Fast forward to when we left the church, and my mother's idea of having birdseed thrown at us came to life. It wasn't the best idea there could have been. I had birdseed wedged into my dress and we had to pit-stop so my personal attendant and I could lift it up and I could shimmy best I could to get it to fall out.

I remember most of the reception, including people eating the butter like it was mints and laughing hysterically as they did so. The speeches, the kisses, the cake, and of course, the dance.

Our first dance was to "A Page is Turned," by Bebo Norman. For our first anniversary, I put on my wedding dress again, and when Jake came home, he pressed "Play" on the CD player where I had attached a note, and I came out of hiding, dressed as I was a year before, and we danced to our song again.

When I hear the songs from our dollar dance, I can remember who I danced with to each song. It's insane to me how vivid the memories are!

I could continue on and on, but I guess I'm probably boring you all.

Jake, if you read this, Happy 4th Wedding Anniversary. I can't wait for the 5th and every one from here on out.