October Roundup

I read about writing monthly "roundups" to keep track of memories, so I'm going to give it a try. I have a feeling it's going to take me a while to get this post finished! Visit Katie the Scrapbooking Lady to read more about roundups.

OK, here goes...

What books and/or magazines did I read this month?
I don't read a lot of actual books. I do spend a lot of time reading every day, but it's mostly online (blogs, tutorials, etc.). David, on the other hand, always has at least one book, often two, and an audio book going all at once. In October, he read The Princess Bride and Predictably Irrational. There were more than that, but those are the ones I noticed. I guess since this is my first roundup, I could list books I have read recently, but not necessarily in October (I promise I won't cheat next month). The last book I read was The Duggars: Twenty and Counting. I really enjoyed it. I was inspired and challenged to live more within our means financially, and maybe even look into trying to live debt free (scary!). I started using the chore packs with Braden after reading about it in their book. I also want to try some of the recipes they shared. One I found very interesting was BBQ sandwiches made with canned tuna and a whole lot of BBQ sauce. David was a little flabbergasted when I told him about it. I haven't tried it yet, but I keep threatening to make "Tuna-Q." Hey, it might be good! I also read more of Don't Make Me Count to Three, which I posted about a long time ago. I keep it in the car and read a little bit when I'm waiting to pick Braden up from school. One thing we have put into practice is expecting obedience. Braden knows that he is supposed to obey "all the way, right away, and with a happy heart." David and I also read (present tense) a devotional book together, Becoming One, by Greg Laurie. It's designed to last ten weeks, but we're stretching it out since we only get to it a couple of times a week.


What movies, television shows, plays, etc. did I watch this month?David and I have really cut back on the amount of primetime TV shows we watch regularly. Several shows we used to watch just got to be too much for me (Heroes, Lost, and House to name a few). I found myself still thinking about them hours and/or days later. I have enough real-life stressful things to think about without adding in fictional TV show plots. Now we only watch shows that we both really like. This season, it's Glee, The Office, Monk, and Psych. We also watch a lot of the Disney Channel shows (with and without Braden). We all love Phineas & Ferb, and catch quite a few episodes of The Jonas Brothers, Hannah Montana, Wizards of Waverly Place, and The Suite Life (of Zach & Cody or On Deck). We also watch a lot of Food Network shows - Ace of Cakes, Dinner Impossible, and of course, Good Eats (Alton Brown is David's hero). As for movies, David and I watched Race to Witch Mountain on DVD. I also took Braden to see the Toy Story Double Feature in 3D. I wasn't sure he would make it through two entire movies, but he did! It probably helped that we got popcorn and Milk Duds (which are a GREAT combination, by the way. The popcorn helps get the caramel out of your teeth and vice versa).


What fun things did I do with my family and/or friends?
My mom came to stay with us for almost a whole week while David was in Russia. It was really nice to have her here. While she was here, she babysat one night so I could go out to dinner with two of my college roommates, Mary Frances and Lael. We had a great time catching up. I see MF fairly often, but neither of us had seen Lael in ages. We need to get together more often since we all live near each other. I talk to people that I went to college with that have since moved away, and they always ask if I've seen so-and-so because they live so close to me, and I have to tell them that I almost never see anybody! Even though we live close, we have to make it a point to keep in touch and see each other. I love living with my boys, but I miss having girlfriends across the hall to talk to. Girls' Nights Out are so important! A couple of weeks after David got home, my dad came to spend a weekend and babysat while we went to a marriage conference/event. It was great. I love spending time with David, talking about our relationship and how we can keep it alive and growing. He is such a wonderful husband. I am so thankful I have him, and that he is willing to go to things like that with me!

What gifts did I give and/or receive?
I made a badge album for David to take with him to Russia. It's like a little pocket-sized scrapbook. On one page, I included a prayer for Daddy from Braden. That was really sweet, and I think David really appreciated it. David brought home several different types of candy from Russia, and a matrushka (sp?) for me, which is a traditional nesting doll. He also brought two traditional Russian toys for the boys. Braden's is a wooden toy with little chickens that bob their heads up and down when you twirl the weight around and Cameron's is a musical wobbly toy.



What special or unusual purchases did I make?
We had to put two new tires on both my car and David's car. That's not very exciting, or even all that unusual, but we certainly weren't planning on it. I didn't get to go to the craft fair this year (which was probably a good thing since it would have been a mud hole with all the rain we had). I was hoping to get some new personalized wooden ornaments from a family who always has a booth there, and I was so excited to find that they had a website (Wallace Wood Ornaments)! I ordered a new family ornament that has a fireplace with a stocking for each of us, a soccer one for Braden (with custom colors to match his actual soccer uniform), and a My First Christmas one for Cameron. I got them in the mail the other day, and they are so beautiful! I can't wait to put them on the tree!

What illnesses or health concerns did I have?
I finally saw the allergist/immunologist for my chronic hives. She ran several blood tests, all of which came back normal. She recommended I see a family doctor, and actually sent me to hers. I told him that my toe has been tingling when I walk barefoot in the mornings (I know... weird, and has nothing to do with hives). He said I could have a vitamin deficiency, so I had more bloodwork done. I now know that I have very low cholesterol (overall: 110, HDL: 37, LDL: 55, Triglycerides: 88), my vitamin B12 is normal, and my vitamin D is very low (mine is 24, 70-ish is normal). So... I am now taking a vitamin D supplement for 7 weeks. Will it make my toe stop tingling? We will see.

What were my accomplishments this month?
I vacuumed the house twice! That doesn't sound like much of an accomplishment, but when you have a baby that cries like it's the end of the world when you turn on the vacuum, it is. I did it once while my mom was visiting and took the boys out for a walk, and the second time I vacuumed in sections, trying to keep Cameron as far away as possible. It worked... sort-of.

I completed 4 digital scrapbook layouts.
The first one I did for a Sunday school class project (I blurred out our last name for the online version). It's supposed to hang on the wall in our department room so others can get to know us. I've had it printed and ready to go for the past three weeks, but haven't managed to get it to church with me yet. The last two are Cameron's Eighth Month pages (7 months old), which I always do at HowFastTimeflies.com.



What were my disappointments this month?
I was disappointed that our cell phone bill was so high when David got back from Russia. We tried really hard to not talk too long and to use Skype as much as possible, but at $3.99/minute, it doesn't take too many minutes to get the bill up there.

Anything else noteworthy to include?
David went to Russia on his first mission trip, which was also his first overseas trip. He really enjoyed it, and wants to go back someday. I am still working on a post with pictures from his trip. My goal is to get it posted before Thanksgiving! I had an amazing experience while David was gone to Russia as well (good and bad). God really worked on my heart about putting Him first. Maybe I'll post about it one of these days, but not yet. Braden finshed his first season of soccer. We had a little bit of a rough start when after the first practice, he refused to go on the field. I think he was nervous because we got there a little late and they had already started. He warmed up to it, though, and I think he ended up really enjoying it. He's excited about starting the winter session next week.

Whew! That was a lot.