Archives for January 2009

Spelunking Pics

January 21, 2009 by Maren 8 Comments

This weekend, I went spelunking with a group from my church. Before you think bad thoughts about me for going spelunking while pregnant, I’m home safely and had a blast. Baby had fun too. Here are pics!

Gearing up for some fun!

The hole in the ground…

AMAZINGLY cool ice formations…

I don’t make it a habit of taking pictures of myself, so I stole this pic from a friend.

Where’s Waldo??? (I didn’t go up that high…See, I DO have some sense…)

Me showing off my uber-cool “You-Wish-You-Could-Be-Like-Me” Look (Here, please notice the long john’s coming out of the slicky pants, AS WELL AS the ELBOW pads that I had strapped on my knees for the purpose of cutting off my circulation during the trip…OR because that was all that we had…)…hey, when you’re 21 weeks pregnant, you make do when it comes to grungy clothes and caving garb–nothing else fits!) This pic was stolen too. Now you see WHY I don’t make it a habit of taking pictures of myself…

I thought that this was the hardest part of the trip…

Here I’m wishing I had muscles, but gladly taking the kind assistance of my friends.
(Otherwise, I’d still be in the cave, eating my granola bars & trail mix.)

Still smiling…

The After Shot

The TRUE AFTER Shot…

Great times were had by all!

Happy Wednesday!

‘Twas two fortnights after Christmas…

January 19, 2009 by Maren 6 Comments

‘Twas the night before Christmas two fortnights after Christmas….

I’ll cut the Shakespeare jargon. I know I’m coming up on a month after Christmas, but it’s never to late for some pics.

First, we went to my family’s…

We played this Christmas memory game to get our Christmas $ from my parents. There was a winner’s prize on the line to the person who found the most $ in matches.

There were also some penalties in the form of wearing hideous outfits. Funny enough, it seemed to be only my sister who ended up with all of those matches…

Here she had to wear Survivorman hat, tacky necklace, hideous prom dress and size 80 jeans (or something like that…please don’t ask why my mom has these things around the house????)

In this picture, I was probably strategizing my moves to cheat my way to a victory. Kidding.

Here is one of my gifts that I love! My grandma painted all of us gals a candle for Christmas. She’s a china painter, but was experimenting with painting on candles. Though I love it, it’s something that won’t last forever, and I do plan to burn it. I’m not all about sitting some nasty (albeit beautiful) piece of dust-collectin’ wax in my home for years to come….so I took lots of pictures of it to enjoy it for future years….so I can burn it now and still enjoy it forever…best of both worlds, I reckon.

–Next stop was my BrotherandSister-In-Laws–
Michael got into a game of indoor football with the nephew…

Michael’s sister organized a fun Christmas game…

My nephew is learning early to open doors for ladies…and how to ‘dump ’em’ out at the final destination

Cute kids run in our family…

I got a VERY FUN GAME as a gift that we all learned to play…

Whew…here’s the result of all that activity…

Now you’re caught up through the holidays.
Thanks for bearing with me for all the pictures you did (and didn’t) want to see.

Happy Monday!

Nothing says I love you like…

January 16, 2009 by Maren Leave a Comment

Last night, I was reminded of something I still find humorous–six years later…just thought I’d share.

When I was teaching middle school, I had a student give me a gift, tucked in a card:
It was a buy one get one free coupon to a nearby restaurant (torn from of an entertainment coupon book).

#1 What can you say, but thanks?
#2 They must have thought highly of my teaching! hahah!

If it had been written in the student’s handwriting, I would have thought he had initiated the gift, but the mother had filled it out. Of course, I thanked him properly, but whenever I think about it…I still have to chuckle. Now I realize that times may have been tight for that family, but gifts were certainly NOT expected–and a simple thanks would have been most definitely ample. MAN, did they go above and beyond!

So parents, boyfriends, husbands, wives, and friends, just remember that NOTHING says I appreciate you like a BUY ONE GET ONE COUPON!

Will Beg for Food

January 9, 2009 by Maren 5 Comments

When a Little Debbie prize package is on the line, I resort to begging. I have no shame.

Yesterday, I entered a haiku contest on my New Year’s Resolutions (or lack thereof) at http://rocksinmydryer.typepad.com/. Today, I learned that I’m a finalist!

One of the amazing prizes in the prize package is a box of Little Debbie Snacks. Now, please take a moment to close your eyes and reminisce about the magic of a Little Debbie Snack–perhaps this may take you back to times that the Soccer Team Mom brought Star Crunch Cosmic Snacks for the halftime treat and you devoured 6 because your mom only fed you bran snacks….or the many Oatmeal Cream pies you had to deny eating (yesterday) because the entire box was eaten in less than 30 minutes. Next, I want you to feel sorry for this pregnant woman who forgot her lunch today, bought breakfast from a vending machine and subsequently burnt it to flames in the toaster oven at work. I’m hungry. What I wouldn’t give now for a Little Debbie Snack!

Would you vote for me? Go now. Find the blue voting box in the middle of the page, and vote for the middle haiku “Ponder this, O Self — by Maren.” Please move this to your #1 priority task on your todo list for today, and recognize that a pregnant lady needs food. Don’t get sidetracked reading any of the other haikus along the way…it may deter you from what is REALLY important: voting for mine.

Ponder this, O Self:
This year, be not resolute–
The desserts beckon.
–by Maren of Howdytoya

Give el’ preggo some grub. Please and thank you.

PS You can vote NOW until 9am (CST) MONDAY MORNING!

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