It is 3:00 a.m. Why am I the only one up? 

Dear God, Please help my parents to figure the diaper change out faster. They are killing me.  

The Best Things About Maternity Leave

I am now officially on maternity leave. Here are my favorite things about it so far:

1- It is 3:15 and I am still in pjs.
2- I am all caught up on Days of Our Lives.
3- Since Carley is up for a feeding in the middle of the night I have fallen back in love with "Who's the Boss?" It is on at 3:30 am on Nick at Night if you are interested.
4- No alarm clocks
5- A common misconception is that maternity leave is paid. This is normally not true. The law requires your employer to hold the job for you and not punish you, but they do not have to pay you your salary. Luckily I had enough "free days" to take off without being docked. At least Frenship only docks people $50.00 a day, other districts dock you your pay which is much more than that.
6- Disability insurance- I have filed Disability and I am getting reimbursed for the days I am not getting docked for...in other words, I am beating the system! :) LOVE IT!
7- Longer than 20 minutes for lunch.
8- Playing with Carley, feeding Carley, staring at Carley.

Carley is awesome. I can't believe she will be 2 weeks old tomorrow. I will post some new pictures soon! I love this kid!

Is Jesus really my best friend?

Last night I watched the premier of the show "The Book of Daniel". Lubbock news stations had all this controversy and hype about the show before it aired, so my mom, Carley, and I decided to watch it to see what we thought. The show is okay. Not the best show ever, I am not hooked, I wasn't offended, I wasn't really overcome by any emotion, it was just a TV show to me. I think it is risky whenever the entertainment industry tries to take on religion in any way. The main character is a priest who is addicted to Vicodin, his wife is an alcoholic, one son is gay, one is straight and having sex with a minor, and his daughter is arrested for selling drugs. The church secretary is a lesbian. Lots of things that we don't necessarily see at church on Sundays.

Two things stood out to me about the show.
1) Christianity is available to all. What we do with it, how we let it impact us, and our commitment level is up to us. God is there. He is available. The church should never claim to be perfect. The show does almost too good of a job at exemplifying the openness of the Lord. I am confident He does not approve of everything the show portrays, but I do believe that Christ died for all and that we all have the option of choosing to follow.

2) Jesus is priest Daniel's best friend. Jesus appears as a real character in the flesh. They laugh. They talk. Jesus listens. Daniel listens. Jesus warns Daniel about temptations. He encourages him during hard times. He is present in Daniel's life. Jesus is Daniel's best friend.

I have not been faithful lately at viewing Jesus as my friend, yet alone my best friend. There are so many different aspects of Jesus. The best friend is one of my favorites and I have not been pursuing that lately. He has been more of a quick IM buddy, or an old friend from long ago that I have been updating on my life, but not my best friend. Not the one who you share everything with and find joy in the relationship. There was a time when I really viewed Jesus as riding along in my passenger seat in the car or sitting across the table from me at a coffee shop. Now he seems long distance to me. I know that he is not the one who has distanced our relationship. I know he has not moved. I have put my priorities in the wrong order and let that relationship slip.

So the random show, "The Book of Daniel" definitely is not a religious blessing to me, but isn't it amazing how God can use little things to remind you about Him. Spend some time catching up with your best friend today.

I have to brag on Cody...

For those of you in cyber land who know my husband, you have no doubt how great a dad he already is and how lucky Carley is to have him. He is just so sweet and gentle. One of the biggest things to give me peace in my journey into motherhood is that I have Cody as her father and my partner. He is so AWESOME already.

I have to tell you one thing he did that blew me away in the hospital. Cody sent us flowers. He sent me an absolutely gorgeous bouquet of lilies and roses to the hospital. The flowers were beautiful and such a surprise. After surgery a girl does not necessarily feel like a beauty queen, but those flowers made me feel so special. It was so sweet.

The sweetest part of all was that he sent Carley a long stem red rose as well. He told her that he wanted her first rose to be from her Daddy so she knew how special she was. Even as I type this is makes me cry. He is so sweet to her. Last night was their first night a part. He went to the fire station and she did not sleep good. She is so used to falling asleep on his chest or being rocked and sung to by him. I could tell she missed him. I cannot tell you how great of a father he already is and how lucky Carley is to be his daughter.

I attached some pictures of the flowers so you could see how lucky we Nelson girls are.

Cody wanted the first rose she ever received to be from her Daddy. Man, is she a lucky girl or what? 

Cody sent me a beautiful bouquet and Carley a single rose. Between the sweetness of it all and my hormones, I couldn't stop crying.  

Full head of dark hair! It is so cute. She is just precious! Here I am holding her in the hallway for the first time on my way to the room. LOOK AT HER! 

What can I say? I love her so much and feel so blessed! 

Proud Daddy. She looks just life him. Beatiful blue eyes, full lips, cute nose. He is on cloud 9000! 

In the OR right after my C Section. Less than 3 minutes old. 

Carley Alyssa Nelson

She is here. She is amazing. No words can describe how blessed we feel. She arrived on Wed. December 28th at 2:54 pm. 8lbs 10 oz. 21 inches. Can you imagine if she would have stayed in until 40 weeks? She would have been well into the 10 lb side! She is perfect! Healthy, sweet, loving, and cute as can be.

Cody and I are doing well. We got home from the hospital on late Saturday afternoon. Best New Years Eve of my life! :) I have never been so tired before, so this will be a short post. Thanks for your prayers. Please keep them coming as she adjusts to this new world. We have taken over 200 pictures of her in 3 1/2 days so more will come. Here are a few so you can meet her.

We love you all.
Ashley, Cody, and Carley

Wow

We are leaving for the hospital in less than an hour. Wow. Last night was the last night for it just to be Cody and me. Today we become parents. There are really no words to describe what I feeling. You guys know how high strung I am so you know there are a million words and thoughts running through my mind. Mostly I feel blessed, excited, humbled, and anxious, but I have such a peace that it is all going to be okay. Plus, I am ready to get this girl out!

So....say prayers for us. I'll blog more when I get back from the hospital. Carley Alyssa Nelson is on her way!!!!!!!!

Updates

I have nothing exciting worth an entire blog entry, so here are some random updates and things that make me excited.

• A week from today Carley comes. I still cannot believe it. 7 days. I must say that pregnancy has become flat miserable except for the precious baby that I am doing this for. I now sleep in the recliner, pee every hour and a half, and have the worst indigestion. I am not complaining, I am incredibly blessed. I am just so thankful the end is in sight.
• Tomorrow is my last day of work until mid to end of February! Yeah for Christmas vacation! Christmas vacation is just as exciting as an adult in schools as it is for kids. One more alarm clock morning!
• Matt and Sally from the Biggest Loser are dating according to People Magazine. They look really cute. I love random stuff like that.
• Also, I miss the updates from my friends at Wisteria Lane, Seattle Grace Hospital, and from an island between Australia and America. How long must I wait to find out if Walt was messaging his dad, if Andrew is going to stick it to Bree, and if Dr. McDreamy is going to leave his wife?
• Cody bought me a large tub of miniature powder sugar donuts to eat on this week. I love unhealthy breakfasts. They soothe my soul.
• Jason on Laguna Beach is friends with Paris Hilton? That is too weird for me. Those crazy teenagers.
• For the first time in well over a year, I can't complete the People Magazine crossword puzzle. What is up with that? I am a pop culture champ. I feel so unknowledgeable. I'll never get my own talk show now.
• There is a great E True Hollywood Story out there on the Kids From Dawson's Creek. It is must see TV.
• I cannot wait for my family to open the gifts I got them for Christmas. Don't you love this time of year? By the way, Alyssa, I know who everyone has as their secret gifts! :)

Sorry this one is so random. Then again, that is why you read my blog! :)

Happy Wednesday!

Happy Birthday, Dad - the luckiest winner of free stuff

Today is my Dad's birthday! Nobody loves their birthday as much as my dad so I definitely wanted to dedicate a blog to him today! He is the funniest, sweetest, most generous and patient dad on the planet. He is just something else.

One of the things that is the funniest and quirkiest things about my dad is his luck. He is truly the luckiest guy I know. It is so exciting to me when free stuff happens. In a world of bills, credit cards, bankruptcy, budgets, insurance, deductibles, and debt I like it when good people get stuff for free. Our friend Brice won a huge gift card the other day at work, Cody came home with a Walmart gift card from work, and our friend Mike and my dad are always on the radio winning prizes. Well, my dad is the king of randomly winning free stuff. I have a really funny, but long, story about how at a Cotton Kings game he won a round trip for two to Playa Del Carmen that ended up getting all 4 of us a free round trip the next year. 6 free trips to an awesome resort in Cancun! He is on the radio all the time winning random stuff.

Yesterday was no exception. He won a Christmas CD then he got entered in the big drawing for the big 12 Days of Christmas package. Later that day we won the big prize which included gift cards to Dillards, Lujanns, Cinemark Movies, the drive in, Ralphs Records and Tapes, House of Flowers, Copper Caboose, 6 month free gym membership and personal trainer, bookstores, and Village Hairstyles. It totals over $500.00! That guy! I am telling you, he is so lucky!

Happy Birthday, Dad. I hope you have many more years of winning random free stuff!

Two Weeks Notice

Well, mark your calendars. The hospital is booked. I am having a C-Section on Wednesday, December 28th and noon. (or so) We have less than 2 weeks. I absolutely can not believe it. We are so excited, but truly going through a wide spectrum of emotions. We are nervous, anxious, thrilled, giddy, and in complete shock. I am 36 1/2 weeks now so we went from becoming parents in 4 weeks to becoming parents in less than 2. We are trying to take advantage of every last minute of it being the two of us. Eating out, movies, and naps are things we are trying to work in as much as possible. I am just ready to stop wearing her and start holding her. Pregnancy is an amazing blessing, but she is clearly running out of room and sleep and life in general are becoming more and more uncomfortable. These yucks of pregnancy make me more and more ready for her to come. I can't wait to hold her!

So, please keep us in your prayers and be thinking of us. The end is in sight.

On a side note, we aren't sending out Christmas cards this year. We will send baby announcements/New Year's letters after she gets here. I have LOVED receiving your cards and putting your beautiful faces on my fridge. Don't think I forgot you. Our Christmas present is just coming 3 days late so we want to have pictures to show you!

Less than 13 days....crazy!

wrapping it all up

I am a little nostalgic today. It seems like the end of lots of things are upon the Nelson household. Today I want to give a little shout out to things that are coming to a close or have ended this month.

• Girl's Bible Study- Every Monday night 9 of the most wonderful girls in the world have blessed me with thoughts, prayer, discussion, and laughter. Our Monday nights have been great. We read a book that really challenged me on some stuff called Creative Counterpart. Some chapters were better than others, but the time with my friends was wonderful every single week. Last week was our last one. It was such a blessing.
• Child Birth Classes- Cody and I have been doing 5 weeks of child birth classes and this week is our last. It has been a really neat (and scary) experience. We have learned a lot about what to do, what not to do, how to care for our little one, and what to expect when she comes. The best part is they taught Cody how to give me really effective back rubs! Plus it has been a really special time for Cody and me.
• End of the Fall semester- Next week will be one of the very busiest for me. The end of the semester means semester grades, credits, schedule changes for the fall, and all sorts of school fun. I can not believe the school year is half over. It has been a really good year and I am so blessed by my job. Plus I won't be back after the holidays because I will be on maternity leave, so I am about to go on a long hiatus.
• The Deavers- This year we have been been blessed by a really amazing couple joining our class at church. Brian and Melissa are awesome and we have loved having them become part of our church family. They are moving to Austin soon to start Pharmacy school and get new jobs, a new place to live, and a new church family. They are a really special couple and we are going to miss them so much. (It's not too late to change your mind!!!)
• End of just the two of us - Cody and I have had a really great fall together. We went on lots of dates to football games, movies, dinner, and just spent a lot of time together. It has been a really good time in our marriage. If Carley hasn't arrived on her own by the last week of Dec. My doctor scheduled a C Section and we are going to get her into this world! I can not begin to tell you how excited we are. She will be here in just a little over 2 weeks! But, it is the end of just Cody and me. I am so blessed to be a wife and my prayer is that we always prioritize our marriage. Here is to Coco- the best hubby in the world.

Last night was our class Christmas party. I had such a wonderful time. GREAT friend, GREAT food, and GREAT fellowship. Things like that always remind me why God set up the church. He knew we needed the body of Christ to be physical in our lives at times. He knew I would need hugs, laughter, tears, and the feeling of not being in the world alone. The support of our class is really amazing. I look forward to the new things the Spring will bring, new bible studies, new life lessons in parenting, a new semester at work, new friends, and a new baby.

What a blessed time times of transition are....

The paparazzi loves me

I try not to do too many blogs about pregnancy. Some people find it boring to talk about family stuff and I try to keep the public happy. However, I got some pictures developed today and one fact really stood out to me.....Everyone should get their picture made with someone who is 35 weeks pregnant. It is so good for your self esteem. Everyone in these pictures, aside from the large pregnant gal, looks so good. Therefore, I have decided to make a profit off of my bovine-esque condition. If you would like for me to be in your holiday picture so you can look really good, send me an email or post here and I will send you the information for sitting fees. Here are my good looking friends and family.-- Moo, Ashley


In this picture, you can almost hear the zipper screaming for mercy. "UNZIP ME, PLEASE". This is what we call zipper pilates. A zipper being stretched to the max.










This picture is actually being solicited by pregnancy magazines everywhere. The lovely blonde on the left (my sister) is the poster child for healthy pregnancy looks. Here she is at almost 20 weeks looking energetic, healthy, and fit. The blob on the right is the example of swelling, stretch marks, and pregnancy acne. Clearly, you want to be the one on the left.








My husband is a hottie no matter what the picture. However, in this picture he looks like the winning contestant on "The Biggest Loser".





Here is the lovely lawyer. She could use this as some political add on how she cares about people in all shapes and sizes. I am the compassion cliche' that could secure her mayoral nomination.

Lastly, this picture has nothing to do with me, but how cute are my parents and my niece. She loves their dog Daisy so much. I just had to throw it in.

Two things

I have been tagged almost a month ago and I am just now getting around to it. So here is my things!

Two names I go by: Ash and Cee (courtesy of my niece)

Two of my everyday essentials: saline and Bath & Body Works Cotton Blossom Body Splash

Two things I am wearing right now: Wedding Ring and a maternity support belt ( I have more on too)

Two of my favorite bands or artists: John Denver and Martina McBride

Two things I want in a relationship: grace and laughter

Two truths I have: I can't do it all and life should never be boring

Two things I hate (or dislike with a passion): traffic and bills

Two physical things that appeal to me: smile and eyes

Two favorite hobbies: blogging and being with friends

Two things I want really badly: to have a healthy child and to be a good wife

Two places I want to go on vacation: New York and Disney World (again)

Two things to do before I die: have a talk show and be a writer for Days of Our Lives (maybe these won't happen)

Two ways I am stereotypically a chic: my love for teen movies and teen books

Two things I wouldn't normally admit: I don't like showers or bathes (I still take them) and I have a coupon organizer

I tag... all of you

Can you ever have too much?

RANDOMLY, I have been thinking a lot about the lottery lately. (I know, RANDOM) It has always been a dream of mine to win the lottery. My dad is like the luckiest person alive and I often wish I had his same gift of random winnings. The weirdest part about me thinking about the lottery is that I buy a ticket about once every 3 years. I know I don't have the best chances. Mostly what I wonder about is, could I handle receiving that much money?? I mean, I know I would spend it, invest it, and give it away well. I know that I would make wise choices and also make sure that the church and some special charities and non-profits close to my heart would receive blessings from it. I know that my family would be taken care of and that many of the daily stresses of life would be eased by winning that much money. ( I am talking about mega millions here, not just $1000.00) Don't get my wrong, I would LOVE to have it. It would be so cool. BUT, could you handle it? I mean do you think it would mess up your marriage, your work ethic, your character, your reliance on God, and the way you viewed things? Do you think it would change everything? I know this is a problem that we would all love to have, but I just wonder sometimes. Any thoughts?

25 Things I am thankful for

When I was in the classroom, I always had my students write down 25 things they are thankful for. The lists don't need details, just a list. So in honor of Thanksgiving, here is my list of 25 in no particular order:
1. God
2. open access to Him all the time through relationship and prayer
3. Cody
4. Marriage
5. Grace
6. Carley and pregnancy
7. My parents
8. My parents health
9. Alyssa
10. Clint
11. Lauren
12. My future neice or nephew who won't uncross its legs so we can know its gender
13. 9 days off of work
14. Christmas shopping
15. Salaries
16. Broadway
17. Our class
18. My girls Bible studies
19. girlfriends
20. Couple friends
21. meaningless entertainment (movies, TV)
22. education
23. Ali (our boxer)
24. home cooked meals at the holidays
25. All of my friends who blog!

Happy Thanksgiving week.

It is not happening

We just came from our second of five child birth classes. Last week we watched a video that I have actually shown in my classroom when I taught Biology. It was totally different thinking in terms of my body and my pain. I looked over to Cody and said, "I am not doing this". I mean it. It now scares me to think about precious little Carley entering the world. Now, you may think, do a C- section. Tonight we saw a video of that. NOT HAPPENING. People, the miracle of life is too much for this scaredy cat. Do not get my wrong, pregnancy is very uncomfortable. Just when I think that I can not be any more uncomfortable, she invents some new way to make me cringe. I do want her out. However, the two options I have been given are not appealing.

This is where you come in, bloggers. You are smart, bright, witty, educated, creative people. Can't you think of another, less invasive, way for Carley to enter the world? Let's put our head's together. We have 8 weeks. I'll send a Sonic gift card to whoever gets me out of this jam...

Showered with Love

What a crazy few days this has been. Last week was wonderful and so was this weekend. Here are a few highlights.

• Tuesday- my sister and my niece came in town. We ate at Rosas that night where we started telling old stories. Alyssa and I were laughing so hard. She started crying and I got sick. It was hilarious. We think we are too funny.
• Wednesday- Lauren told me I was her best friend and she pointed out that all of my shirts are Uncle Coco's and not mine. (none of my sweatshirts fit over Carley)
• Thursday- Baby Shower at school. SO fun. People were so sweet and it is just such an honor that people want to do stuff like that for you.
• Friday- Home Cookin at my parents' house. My brother-in-law drove in. It was so great to have my fam together.
• Saturday- Shopping for a new Christmas tree for my parent's house. My dad wanted a 12 footer, but Alyssa and I talked him down to a 10. It was hilarious. Cody and I took the best nap on Saturday. What is it about napping at the house you grew up? They are just the best. Saturday night we saw some of our favorite people. Shanta and Ken flew in from Big D and they ate at Lujans with Amy (poor Dr. B was a work) and us. It was a blast. I love those folks.
• Sunday- Great class, great worship service and then I had another shower that afternoon. It was so great. Lots of my friends came which made it very special. I feel so honored and loved. I have the BEST friends in the world. We all know that being a hostess for a shower can be a pain and my girls took it in stride. I love them! That night I started unpacking Carley's new clothes while watching my favorite shows. Even my engaged friend, Tiff, stopped in for a visit! WHAT FUN!

WHAT A GREAT WEEKEND!! I just wish I wasn't about to head to school....

Happy Monday!

True Tales that My Family Loves Mexican Food Too Much

These are true tales that recently made me laugh that made me realize just how much my Family loves Mexican Food.

1. We named one of our puppies, Queso.

2. In a previous entry that involved my last meal, 83 % of the list involved Mexican Food. (Amen to Taco Bueno and Taco Villa)

3. The meal I just ate makes the 4th supper out of 7 that falls under the "South of the Border" heading.

4. My niece, Lauren, asked if she could come to Taco Tuesday the other day on the phone. (Taco Tuesday at Rosa's is the weekly date for my parents, Cody, and I.) Keep in mind that Lauren just turned 2 and does not have a Rosa's in Dallas, but fell in love with Taco Tuesday so much she remembered it from 2 months ago!

5. I have more cans of rotel in my cabinet than any other type of food.

6. The last 3 meals I have cooked are some type of Mexican casserole.

7. Growing up, all of the waiters, waitresses, and managers of El Chico knew everyone in my family's names and when our birthday was because we were there so often.

What is it about Mexican food that makes us all so happy. You know you love it too. The question is why? It messes with your stomach more than any other type of food, sometimes leaves lingering effects into the next day, causes bad breath, and is full of things that are bad for you. Why is it so addicting? Ponder this over some chips and salsa and let me know.

Carley in 3D

Today we saw our alien, I mean daughter, in 3D. It was AWESOME! She was hilarious. She totally would not cooperate and they had to stop the sonogram, make me drink another coke and walk around for 10 minutes trying to make her show her face. No luck. Finally, I had to stretch into a crazy curved back position to see her face. It was so funny. She is doing great. We are 31 weeks along. She is very big. She is already 4lbs 10 oz. They gain a half of a pound to a pound for the rest of the pregnancy, so she should gain a minimum of 4 1/2 lbs and up to 9 lbs before delivery. Needless to say, I am hoping for a 9lbs baby and not a 13 lbs baby, but I will take whatever God gives us. She is wonderfully healthy and moving great. Because of her size, I also get to have 2 more sonograms. I just love seeing her.

Warning: 3D photos are scary. Her eyes were open for most of the sonogram which made her look very alien like. Also, she chewed on her foot for half of the pictures which was funny too. She has lots of hair, but it isn't long. Hairy babies are often...umm...not the cutest in the nursery, but we love it and we are already counting down the days till she comes. So without further adieu, Carley, in 3D.....

Okay Bloggers, let's talk about ABC last night.

Here is a quick recap of my favorite parts:

1. Extreme Home Makeover - Mark Wills sang the song, "Don't Laugh At Me" to this precious little burn victim and her sisters who all had some type of disability. Oh, it killed me. It was incredibly touching!
- Also, how sweet were all of those girls with Preston. You could tell he genuinely loved them.
- Finally, the marine that came back to talk about Anthony who had passed away....WOW...It is true that we should often educate instead of punish when kids attack other kids who are different....SO good.

2. Desperate Housewives- These are the twists and turns I love....
- Lynette and that suit were hilarious. We would have bought it too!
- George is SO creepy and dirty. Shame on Bree for doing it voluntarily. ICK! There are going to be lots of consequences for that action.
- Gabrielle was so tricky this episode with the lawyer. They are really giving her character more depth this season. I like it. (I still hate her because she is so tiny)
- Poor Susan...she is always in such drama. That girl is just bad luck
I thought it was a really good episode.

3. GRAY'S ANATOMY- My favorite show on TV right now!!
- Alex and Izzy at the end with that kiss--- LOVE it.
- Good for the other girls for standing up to Andrew and telling him that he can't talk to Meredith. He had his chance for long conversations.
- Also, good for Meredith for standing up for herself and the patient. We have all felt like that before. It was good to see that.
- I can't tell how I feel about Christina and Burke. There is something weird about their relationship to me. The next episode looks funny when they go on a date.
- I just love the show. That is all I can say.

Anyone else out there agree?

Seriously, how cute are we? 

Battle of the Bulge 

HOT, HOT, HOT! 

The baseball fans and their babes 

We LOVE Class MED 

Only April and I are lucky enough to kiss these cooks 

The backrow of Sing Song never looked so good 

All of these people should live in Lubbock forever! :) 

Kamara, Jessica, me and Carley, and Tami 

5 year Siggie Breakfast.  

Pictures!!!

Here are some fun picutres from ACU's homecoming and then from our retreat this weekend. I love pictures! Sorry I am so late posting them! :) There are a lot to look at, but they are worth the time!

10 random thoughts and comments

I don't have anything exciting to say today. Just a typical Monday. Here are some thoughts that I am having as of today.

1. This weekend we went on a retreat with our class. It was completely awesome. (thanks April for all the planning. You are awesome.) It really uplifted Cody and me and gave us a lot to think about and pray about for our marriage. I will post pictures really soon.

2. Grey's Anatomy is such a good show. You should watch it. Last night's episode was really sad because of this love triangle and then this character who had to die. Alyssa called who Dr. Shepard would choose, but I foolishly held out hope to the end. I love TV.

3. I cannot believe today is the last day of October and November is tomorrow. What is up with that? When did time start flying by so quickly.

4. I am congested. I guess the campfire did me in a little. I have started coughing up drainage. I hate that feeling. It is even a little worse because Carley prevents me from taking much medicine.

5. Today my new Bellybra arrived. It is an all in one maternity support belt/maternity bra. It is something hilarious to see. I will add a pict. just to make you grin. We will see how it goes. Aren't you jealous?

6. I got the cutest pictures of my niece, Lauren, in the mail. People, if you do not have a niece or a nephew, you have got to get one. They are the bomb.

7. I got to share a room with Amy B. on the retreat and see her sleep apnea mask up close. It is all you think it might be and more. She was a great roommate and her mask adds a lot of character to her. The Bowmans are moving across town so we won't be 5 houses away anymore. I don't like it one bit.

8. Shanta and Ken drove in from Dallas for the retreat. I love, love, LOVE them. The received some horrible directions from the website of the camp which caused them lots of frustration getting there, but they were troopers and kept a great attitude. They are so wonderful and it was such a retreat to see them.

9. This is the first year in a long time I have not dressed up for Halloween. Am I old?

10. I wish the Mayo's would move to Lubbock.

That's it, folks. Have a good evening. Trick or Treat.

not the lingerie you were expecting

I would like to introduce you to the newest surprise of pregnancy for me. Meet the Maternity Support Belt. Here it is worn by a lovely Motherhood model. This band of 3 huge velcro straps and large elastic band can be purchased for a mere $15.00. I know you will want to add it to your Christmas list. Here are some reasons your doctor might require this to be worn at all times during your pregnancy:

1. You start having severe cervical pains because of the stretching your pelvis is undergoing.
2. Your baby is trying to wiggle her way into the birth canal when she is only 29 1/2 weeks along.
3. You have done too much walking, standing, presenting, and your body is saying, "Hey, this kid is getting heavy".
4. Your child very well could be large.
5. The only position you are comfortable in is a squat.
6. If you don't do something, bed rest could be in your future.
7. Your friends at bible study pray for "domino".
8. All of the above

Yep, folks, #8, meet my new handy man back support maternity accessory. I know you are jealous. You now know what to ask Santa for when you sit on his lap. :)

I am spoiled! :)

Yesterday I came home from work to an immaculate home. There is nothing like walking in the house to a mopped floor, dusted base boards, scrubbed toilets, and sparkling sinks. The best part of all was, I didn't have to do it. Now before you go try to steal Cody away from me, we pay a mother and daughter-in-law duo $40.00 to clean our house once every 4 weeks. I absolutely love it. I know that some of you might think it is a waste of money and that I am lazy on my housewife duties. You are right. It is a luxury. It is awesome though. Last night we could lay on the couch and watch a movie without having chores to do around the house. It was great. I love life's little luxuries. It is so nice with both of us working to have someone help out on stuff like that. Anyway, I had to tell you I am spoiled, but happy. Isn't that the way we should feel every once in awhile? So, my cyberspace friends, go treat yourself. Splurge on something that improves your quality time with your hubby or makes you smile and allows you to take a nap in peace. It is worth it! :) Happy Saturday.

post workshop thoughts

Warning: This is going to be a way random post and I am not really sure what I am talking about on half of the issues.

Today I went to an all day workshop entitled, "Preparing Children for an Changed World". Most education workshops SUCK! The presenters are old, retired people who like to make money off of staff development where they provide no real meat or application to their thoughts. Today's was totally different. It was really amazing and thought provoking and I am a REALLY tough audience. Anyway, the speaker William Daggett Ed.D. was incredible. He is a former teacher, administer, parent of 5, and he was the Secretary of Education for the state of New York. (shout out to Ken Murray) He has been a paid consultant for the state of TX for the past few years and is a renowned speaker in the education realm.

Anyway, he talked about the next 5-10 years a lot today and it really got my brain moving. Keep in mind, I know nothing about Social Security because neither Cody nor I contribute to it because teachers and fireman have their own retirement systems. Dr. Daggett was giving these alarming stats about how the baby boomers who are about to retire averaged a birth rate of 4.6 for every one female and our generation X has a birth rate of 1.3. So basically the boomers are about to bust the system and we Gen Xers don't have enough warm bodies to contribute to it. Plus the average length of life is increasing and increasing. All of a sudden I was having a panic attack about the financial status of our world.

Then he talked about the semantic level (for the noneducation people, basically it is the level of difficulty that you can read with 75% accuracy) of high school graduates today. People, it is below a user manual for a DVD player. It was unbelievable. CRAZY!

Finally he said that America is the only nation that pushes English in the form of prose on kids to the extent that we do. The majority of communication in the world is now electronic (i.e. websites, emails, blogs) and that in Eastern countries, their high school literature classes are not on Shakespeare and poetry, but on being able to comprehend and write effective and efficient document literacy instead of prose. He said, "Schools are museums and administrators are the curators." We are perfecting educational and technology trends from the 70's and lying to kids that this will make them successful in the changing world. It blew my mind.

Anyway, we was great and had lots of amazing thoughts even though he stepped on my comfort zone. This is a way random blog, so I'll try to write one more suitable for pop culture tomorrow! :)

a hot distraction

Random quick post:

Monday nights are my favorite night of the week because of our women's bible study. I just love it and I love all the girls in it. (Shout out to my Monday crew) We were in the middle of bible study and a fire truck pulls up and my husband walks up to the door because he needed a house key. A few minutes later, the firetruck pulls back up, he runs in his bunker pants, gives me the key and a kiss and is on his way. Granted, I became momentarily distracted by his appearance and I was nervous when I first saw the truck in case something was wrong, but I love the fact I am married to a fireman. Who else gets those stories?

my cup runneth over

We had a great weekend. Here is the fast rundown.

• Friday night Cody and I met some friends at Joe Allens. These are some of my favorite people in the whole world. Mark and Clay were mere freshman in high school when they were my campers at ACU leadership camps. We developed a special mentoring relationship that turned into a wonderful friendship. When they were in college they would come spend one weekend of the semester at my house. We had a blast. Now Mark and his lovely wife Tara and Clay and his lovely fiance' Jessica are a treat to be around and true friends. It was great for those big wigs from Ernst and Young to eat with their old friend and her husband.
• Saturday began with Siggie breakfast and a ride with my backrow pal Leslie Mayo. She is so awesome and it was great to see her as well as see some of my favorite people I hadn't seen in 5 whole years! We went to the parade and chapel where I sat next to Shanta Murray and could not get enough of her and Ken. We miss them so much. Next was lunch with the Tate twins. Cody and I went on an afternoon Abilene date and then headed over to the Mayos. It was so great. Then we went to the reunion dinner where I was really blessed to see some of my friends I hadn't seen in so long. I loved it.
• Sunday we were back in Lubbock. It was good to see our friends at class. Dean preached an AMAZING sermon that really touched my heart and led Cody and I to have some great discussion. We ate with the Walls, who are so fun and so sweet and such inspirational people to talk to and then Amy and I went to a baby shower. It was a really great day.

This weekend I was reminded how blessed I am. God really surprises us with the paths He leads us on. I wouldn't trade any of it. The time in my life today, married to Cody and pregnant with Carley and surrounded by our friends and family is the happiest time in my life. Returning to college and remembering how God worked on me and provided me with friends who bring me such joy just reaffirmed that.

My cup runneth over.....

pictures of Carley's room

Here are some pictures of Carley's room and her sweet daddy who did all the work!

and two shall become one....Really?

Marriage is the most wonderful and blessed experience that I have ever known. Most of the time it always seems to make sense. Cody and I are on the same page on most everything except....Home improvement. We are totally different on house projects. For so many couples it seems like home improvement is a bonding experience that just really strengthens couples, but for the Nelson's, it is high stress. When we were engaged, we painted my kitchen. I seriously thought after a day of working together, he was going to ask for his ring back and I was going to throw it at his eye! Our first married summer we stained the fence, luckily the stain was not the verbal blood shed we had gone through in the process. For us it comes down to the differences in the way we work. We are both hard workers. I like jobs completed quickly and efficiently, Cody works carefully and methodically. I would rather paint for 36 hours straight with no breaks or food so the job would be done. Cody would rather paint for 36 days at one hour a day to make sure it was done right.
Currently in the Nelson home, we are converting our guest room and office into one room so we have a room for Carley. Her nursery is almost complete and I love it. Cody did it all and he did awesome. (I was not allowed in there so we didn't fight). Lubbock people, you need to stop in and see her room. Well, now we are trying to get the office/guest room into one room. Cody has been working slower than Christmas on it and this Saturday I decided to step in. We did well for a long time until we got to decorations. He feels like a quality decoration must involve a fire truck, hydrant, badge, etc.. I think it should be a fun room filled with pictures of friends and of course my John Denver and Star Wars memorabilia. We will make room for all of it. We will get it done and it will be great, but I was reminded that the process of 2 becoming 1 is not always smooth and it isn't always the big things that make it hard. It is the little preferences that we admire in the other until it infringes on our personal preferences or plans. Any ideas on how to do home improvement together? Are you with me at all?

"I miss you"

This phrase, "I miss you", is one of the most special phrases in the world to me. I was reminded of that a few times this weekend.

1. My niece Lauren Ashley O'Rear has been in town since Wednesday and she is staying until next Wednesday. Clint had to work in Vegas and Alyssa joined him for the weekend. I have been able to see Lolo every day and it has been AWESOME! When I call her from work, she tells me she misses me and she loves me and that she wants me to come to Nana's house. It is so precious. I love it that she says stuff like that so freely.
2. For those of you who don't know, my husband, Cody is a fireman he works 24 hours on then 48 off. So every third night he sleeps at the station. His schedule is awesome because we get so much time together. Not everyone gets to have their husband bring them Taco Villa for lunch, or mow the grass while you are at work so you can be together at night, or gets to watch Dr. Phil together in the afternoon. The time that it gets hard is at night. We really miss eachother. I am really thankful that we still have the opportunity to miss eachother. Not all wives and husbands get to say that and it really does make us treasure the nights we have. It means so much when he calls from the station in front of all the guys and says, "I miss you so much. I wish I was there". I love it.
3. I am gearing up for Homecoming weekend this weekend in Abilene. So many of my friends I have really missed and I get to see lots of them on Friday and Saturday. (Kelly, it kills me you won't be there) I have been reading everyone's blogs and starting to make plans. (Kacy, publish on my blog so I can get your email address) So many of the blog postings and emails are ending in, "I miss you and I can't wait to see you". It makes me feel so loved.
So to you all out there, "I miss you and I hope to see you soon".
Have a great day.

Your Last Meal

Several of us were out eating on Friday night and types of pizza came up. My pal, Amy, brought up Chicago style pizza vs. New York style pizza. It led to a RANDOM discussion about food. At that moment, I rattled off what my last meal would be if I was on death row. (I told you it was random) Here was my answer:
2 pieces of sausage and cheese pizza from Giordano's in Chicago
a muchaco from Bueno
a bean burrito and an Apple Burrito from Taco Villa
A buttered biscuit from Chic-Fil-A
and for dessert, the Cookie Monster at Cheddars (with no nuts)
I know it is a lot of food, but it is my last meal afterall. (I am watching the Biggest Loser right now and the guilt is setting in)

So, what would your last meal be???

Why do we do it?

Today is the first Saturday morning in forever I have been able to just lay around. Cody taught EMT classes all morning and I have been a lazy couch potato. It has been great. I started flipping channels and found "Steel Magnolias". I had not watched it in forever so I settled down to read People magazine and revisit this 80's classic. HOLY COW! I forgot how sad it is. I have been laying on the couch crying for a solid 45 minutes. I was paralyzed, I couldn't change the channel, couldn't get up, all I could do was lay there and cry. Cody walked in and sees me and immediately assumes something real is wrong. Then he sees the movie and asks, "Why do you do this to yourself?" I have no answer. Any thoughts?