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1. <?xml version='1.0' encoding='UTF-8'?><rss xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" xmlns:openSearch="http://a9.com/-/spec/opensearchrss/1.0/" xmlns:blogger="http://schemas.google.com/blogger/2008" xmlns:georss="http://www.georss.org/georss" xmlns:gd="http://schemas.google.com/g/2005" xmlns:thr="http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0" version="2.0"><channel><atom:id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-310874567218954537</atom:id><lastBuildDate>Wed, 13 Mar 2024 01:11:42 +0000</lastBuildDate><title>megan-land</title><description></description><link>http://megan-land.blogspot.com/</link><managingEditor>noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous)</managingEditor><generator>Blogger</generator><openSearch:totalResults>52</openSearch:totalResults><openSearch:startIndex>1</openSearch:startIndex><openSearch:itemsPerPage>25</openSearch:itemsPerPage><item><guid isPermaLink="false">tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-310874567218954537.post-7050724480792677979</guid><pubDate>Tue, 23 Jul 2013 06:07:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2013-07-23T02:12:17.763-04:00</atom:updated><title>Emotional dishonesty</title><description>In moments of reflection, I&#39;ve occasionally suspected that there was more work to be done in my heart in dealing with my parents&#39; divorce. I find that suspicion resurfacing again as I read a book called Landmarks: Turning Points on Your Journey Toward God by Bill Delvaux. The chapter is about wounds, most often ones inflicted on us during childhood, and how, against every instinct we have, we must face them before we can be whole. In this book, the author relates a story of a woman who, having lost her father to brain cancer as a child, adopted the facade of strength and developed a pattern of emotional dishonesty which followed her into adulthood. Eventually seeing her own anger and dysfunction reflected in her son, the woman realizes she must face the sadness she ran away from all those years ago, not only cognitively admitting that it was a problem, but entering into the grief so long overdue. &lt;br /&gt;
2. <br />
3. I vaguely remember the day my parents told me they would be separating. They came into my room and both sat down on my bed, where they delivered a blow so huge I didn't believe it at first. I think I was ten. I didn't think this could possibly be happening to me. They had a good marriage,* I have no memory of them fighting. We were a happy family. Surely they would realize this and turn things back around. They couldn't get a divorce, it just wasn't possible. That kind of thing happened to other people, not me. My best friend was also my next door neighbor. I showed up at her house with tears running down my face, and she sat with me at the edge of my driveway while I cried.<br />
4. <br />
5. Before long, I developed a persona of strength in adversity. It wasn't that big of a deal...a lot worse things happen to other people every day. What doesn't kill you makes you stronger. It was a character builder. That was my new catch phrase. <br />
6. <br />
7. Throughout the next few years, there were so many little hurts I faced as a result of my parents' divorce. It hurt to see my mom French kissing another man. It hurt to see my dad lather himself with tanning oil and lay out by the apartment pool. Who was this person anyway? It hurt to realize I wasn't the center of my universe anymore. To hear the screaming matches down the hallway at my stepdad's house. For my mom to start smoking. For my dad to flirt with different women around me. For other grown-ups to tell me what to do as if they were my parents and had any authority over me. To realize that my mom and dad really weren't ever going to get back together again.<br />
8. <br />
9. I learned to look for each cloud's silver lining. Hey, at least I got a cool new set of bedroom furniture. My dad bought me a lot of new things, and he started experimenting with gourmet cooking...he even bought a pasta maker which was really fun to use. My parents had joint custody, and I knew whenever I was so mad at whichever one I was with, it would only be a couple of days before I could be rid of them and around the other one who clearly loved me more. It meant I got a car as soon as I turned 16 so my parents wouldn't have to cart me back and forth anymore. My family made me cool and unique, no one else had a set up quite like mine.<br />
10. <br />
11. As I grew older, I became thankful for each new family member and the unique perspectives they brought into my life. I recognized that I wouldn't be who I am today without them or without the divorce. I recognized that as far as being a child of divorce, I pretty much had it made in the shade. For me, divorce didn't mean a sudden change in standard of living, or pretty much cutting a parent out of my life; it didn't mean having to move to a different city, or even a different school district. Sure, it disturbed my life, but it didn't completely uproot it and turn it upside down.<br />
12. <br />
13. And yet. And yet. Something's just not sitting quite right in my heart. Maybe all of these positives don't negate the negatives (yeah, I hear how that sounds.) Maybe they still don't make it ok. Fine, I'll just come right out and say it. No matter what blessings have come into my life as a result of my parents' divorce, it was still wrong. Maybe their marriage was screwed up enough that divorce really was the best option for them, really. But that still doesn't make it ok. IT WAS STILL WRONG. I had parts of my happy childhood cut short because of my parents' brokenness. I experienced a deep level of pain and wounding that I think I still have yet to enter fully into, and finding the silver lining doesn't make it ok. Now I'm not going to go and throw myself a pity party after all these years, because WE ALL have deep wounding from our childhood. But until I stop making excuses and acting like it's no big deal, I won't really find healing. And I'll keep inflicting my family and loved ones with learned dysfunction that maybe isn't necessary after all.<br />
14. <br />
15. *Said my ten year old self. I&#39;m not claiming this was actually the case.</description><link>http://megan-land.blogspot.com/2013/07/emotional-dishonesty.html</link><author>noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous)</author><thr:total>0</thr:total></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-310874567218954537.post-1103722698985702881</guid><pubDate>Thu, 04 Apr 2013 14:03:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2013-04-04T10:06:06.605-04:00</atom:updated><title>Dear Asher</title><description>&lt;p&gt;I&#39;ve decided that a good way to make the most of our middle of the night feedings (and keep me awake so I don&#39;t spend the whole night on the couch-yeah he sleeps in the living room for now) is to have Asher&#39;s baby journal handy in case I think of something I want to write to him. I&#39;ve written in it twice so far, and who knows how long it will continue, but for now I like the idea. So, this story is one I&#39;d been wanting to share, and now that I wrote it for Asher in the middle of the night, I suppose it&#39;s ready. &lt;/p&gt;
16. <p>It was a few days after you were born that I felt my heart really open up to love you fully and completely, with all that I have. I think that before then some subconscious part of me had been holding back, fearful that loving you wholeheartedly was being untrue to AB. But I distinctly remember the moment, either on first our second day home from the hospital.</p>
17. <p>I was laying with you on the couch in the basement and you were asleep. I just looked at you, and in the moment of a heartbeat, I felt my eyes tear up and my heart expand, something like the Grinch whose 'heart grew three sizes that day.' I'm not sure how many sizes my heart grew, but I know that I lay there that evening and wept as I allowed myself to experience this profound thing called love. The love a mother or father has for their child is not something that can be explained, only experienced. But when you do experience it, it is perhaps the most beautiful thing in the world. And I'm so, so thankful for those moments, in the first few days of your life, when my heart grew and I fell utterly and completely in love with you.</p>
18. </description><link>http://megan-land.blogspot.com/2013/04/dear-asher.html</link><author>noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous)</author><thr:total>2</thr:total></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-310874567218954537.post-6390938082461402598</guid><pubDate>Tue, 26 Mar 2013 15:15:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2013-03-26T11:25:08.653-04:00</atom:updated><title>Photo Book</title><description>&lt;object classid=&quot;clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000&quot; codebase=&quot;http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab&quot; height=&quot;425&quot; width=&quot;425&quot;&gt;&lt;param name=&quot;movie&quot; value=&quot;http://images-community.shutterfly.com/flashapps/slideshow/slideshow-ui.swf&quot;/&gt;&lt;param name=&quot;flashvars&quot; value=&quot;configXMLURL=http://images-community.shutterfly.com/flashapps/slideshow/config/config-share.xml&amp;slideshowModuleURL=http://images-community.shutterfly.com/flashapps/slideshow/slideshow-module.swf&amp;projectGUID=0QctXLRu3ZtJc0&amp;swfName=slideshowFlashContent&amp;showReplay=true&quot;/&gt;&lt;param name=&quot;menu&quot; value=&quot;false&quot;/&gt;&lt;param name=&quot;quality&quot; value=&quot;best&quot;/&gt;&lt;param name=&quot;wmode&quot; value=&quot;transparent&quot;/&gt;&lt;param name=&quot;allowScriptAccess&quot; value=&quot;always&quot;/&gt;&lt;param name=&quot;allowFullScreen&quot; value=&quot;true&quot;/&gt;&lt;embed width=&quot;425&quot; height=&quot;425&quot; align=&quot;middle&quot; pluginspage=&quot;http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer&quot; type=&quot;application/x-shockwave-flash&quot; name=&quot;wrapper&quot; quality=&quot;best&quot; menu=&quot;false&quot; allowfullscreen=&quot;true&quot; allowScriptAccess=&quot;always&quot; flashvars=&quot;configXMLURL=http://images-community.shutterfly.com/flashapps/slideshow/config/config-share.xml&amp;slideshowModuleURL=http://images-community.shutterfly.com/flashapps/slideshow/slideshow-module.swf&amp;projectGUID=0QctXLRu3ZtJc0&amp;swfName=slideshowFlashContent&amp;showReplay=true&quot; src=&quot;http://images-community.shutterfly.com/flashapps/slideshow/slideshow-ui.swf&quot;&gt;&lt;/embed&gt;&lt;/object&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
19. <div style="margin-top: 0; text-align: center; width: 425px;">
20. <a href="http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=0QctXLRu3ZtHPQ&cid=SFLYOCWIDGET&eid=115">Click here to view this photo book larger</a></div>
21. <div style="margin-top: 10px; text-align: center; width: 425px;">
22. We used <a href="http://www.shutterfly.com/photo-books" style="color: #6666cc;">Shutterfly</a> to make a photo book for Asher! Got in at the last minute on the free 8x8 photo book deal. It ends today...if you hurry you can get one too! Just use code MYBOOK at checkout, and all you pay is shipping + tax (around $8). Not a bad deal, eh?<br />
23. <br />
24. PS-Family Members...if you like this photo book and want your own copy, you can click on the link above and get it!</div>
25. &lt;img border=&quot;0&quot; height=&quot;1&quot; src=&quot;https://os.shutterfly.com/b/ss/sflyshareprod/1/H.15/111?pageName=sharekey&amp;amp;c1=photobook&amp;amp;c2=blogger&quot; style=&quot;background: #ffffff; border: none; box-shadow: none; padding: 0;&quot; width=&quot;1&quot; /&gt;</description><link>http://megan-land.blogspot.com/2013/03/photo-book.html</link><author>noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous)</author><thr:total>2</thr:total></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-310874567218954537.post-9168840040325315698</guid><pubDate>Tue, 26 Mar 2013 03:07:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2013-03-25T23:07:58.855-04:00</atom:updated><title>I think this girl likes the snow</title><description>&lt;div class=&quot;separator&quot; style=&quot;clear: both; text-align: center;&quot;&gt;
26. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsLfbQ0UefaRrGO8VYyR3gmUbB7KsNfWusJgC8r-CenOce1FYV5fY3yZaiYKi3S0ElA4PptM2d-Kc9rE1aC_wD8KbPbq9qZNmxL8ufmQCmhy33Vi6Uo443KjKSmopKaSyMa3BLEIaiom3B/s1600/CAM00437.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsLfbQ0UefaRrGO8VYyR3gmUbB7KsNfWusJgC8r-CenOce1FYV5fY3yZaiYKi3S0ElA4PptM2d-Kc9rE1aC_wD8KbPbq9qZNmxL8ufmQCmhy33Vi6Uo443KjKSmopKaSyMa3BLEIaiom3B/s320/CAM00437.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
27. <br />
28. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
29. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDJObXl3cdRt2TQb72ZqC5XB_PG_NnnIEL_-Com20YCewnn0c-bQFFY5t23TqOOqFcLfAGXcvyNxCesG9FmpRzKp_CRpkPjj9p0KESH9hDegYqR1sAoFIbt9UNPDo06vXC6jpCShk0K9W0/s1600/CAM00436.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDJObXl3cdRt2TQb72ZqC5XB_PG_NnnIEL_-Com20YCewnn0c-bQFFY5t23TqOOqFcLfAGXcvyNxCesG9FmpRzKp_CRpkPjj9p0KESH9hDegYqR1sAoFIbt9UNPDo06vXC6jpCShk0K9W0/s320/CAM00436.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
30. <br />
31. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
32. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja83oiFC0WHsutnWPSk46E5ZD5XsSENstxM9E7ot17z0SozkSa1RXV_cFMpvZBUzwT9CwOCY5ENwbTgqPzflcxDpfUc20ljjT7LXipxOje-nAGsyvTHNpkK07yoPpuF3zr4M3EfJVy5gKu/s1600/CAM00435.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja83oiFC0WHsutnWPSk46E5ZD5XsSENstxM9E7ot17z0SozkSa1RXV_cFMpvZBUzwT9CwOCY5ENwbTgqPzflcxDpfUc20ljjT7LXipxOje-nAGsyvTHNpkK07yoPpuF3zr4M3EfJVy5gKu/s320/CAM00435.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
33. <br />
34. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
35. <object width="320" height="266" class="BLOGGER-picasa-video" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data-thumbnail-src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlhvnlpWjTarMuLGLlC4DR33pBZCLCiDKNAqcbGgXeMOBc-I2Dk_iWKvhHqJkFwyZaR1b2BSuT8B_av7JJqrpEWBUkE34T_BxOAaAB5Vx5O8AAKLTmDfClOekJqrjYViqCagl_OS6Vprh4/s1600/CAM00434.3gp"><param name="movie" value="http://video.google.com/googleplayer.swf?videoUrl=http://redirector.googlevideo.com/videoplayback?id%3D04bdf8b01e46e67e%26itag%3D5%26source%3Dpicasa%26cmo%3Dsensitive_content%253Dyes%26ip%3D0.0.0.0%26ipbits%3D0%26expire%3D1366859219%26sparams%3Did,itag,source,ip,ipbits,expire%26signature%3DB767E7C593982D940C9D0231BCC37C85047789E0.370FBCFA85BEBD54F9025AA95A7CB1170DDF08F3%26key%3Dlh1" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><embed width="320" height="266"  src="http://video.google.com/googleplayer.swf?videoUrl=http://redirector.googlevideo.com/videoplayback?id%3D04bdf8b01e46e67e%26itag%3D5%26source%3Dpicasa%26cmo%3Dsensitive_content%253Dyes%26ip%3D0.0.0.0%26ipbits%3D0%26expire%3D1366859219%26sparams%3Did,itag,source,ip,ipbits,expire%26signature%3DB767E7C593982D940C9D0231BCC37C85047789E0.370FBCFA85BEBD54F9025AA95A7CB1170DDF08F3%26key%3Dlh1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object></div>
36. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
37. <br /></div>
38. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
39. 'Nuff said.</div>
40. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
41. <br /></div>
42. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
43. P.S. One of these days I'll shed my perfectionist tendencies enough to write a post about Asher. :-)</div>
44. &lt;br /&gt;</description><link>http://megan-land.blogspot.com/2013/03/i-think-this-girl-likes-snow.html</link><author>noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous)</author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" url="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsLfbQ0UefaRrGO8VYyR3gmUbB7KsNfWusJgC8r-CenOce1FYV5fY3yZaiYKi3S0ElA4PptM2d-Kc9rE1aC_wD8KbPbq9qZNmxL8ufmQCmhy33Vi6Uo443KjKSmopKaSyMa3BLEIaiom3B/s72-c/CAM00437.jpg" height="72" width="72"/><thr:total>0</thr:total></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-310874567218954537.post-2498964641213745721</guid><pubDate>Sat, 23 Feb 2013 04:36:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2013-02-22T23:55:45.186-05:00</atom:updated><title>Fish Fry-day (get it?) and fun at home</title><description>It is becoming something of a tradition in our family to attend the nearby Catholic church&#39;s Lenten fish fry. We had a lovely time out with some friends tonight, and by the time we were ready to leave, AB and Noah finally decided to overcome their shyness and have fun playing with each other. Friends, greasy fried fish, fries, mac&#39;n&#39;cheese, and applesauce...what more could our little hearts desire?&lt;br /&gt;
45. <br />
46. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
47. <iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/8cJA4tMpyNU?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
48. After we got home, we enjoyed spending some musical time together, and this is how we ended off before bedtime. Oh the cuteness!</description><link>http://megan-land.blogspot.com/2013/02/fish-fry-day-get-it-and-fun-at-home.html</link><author>noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous)</author><thr:total>0</thr:total></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-310874567218954537.post-747555989820463977</guid><pubDate>Thu, 21 Feb 2013 13:14:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2013-02-22T23:47:05.519-05:00</atom:updated><title>Milestone, symptoms, blessing bracelet</title><description>As of 5:39 this morning, this pregnancy has officially lasted longer than AB&#39;s. I woke up just before 7 (not on purpose), had a little celebratory moment to myself thinking about this, and went back to sleep. So now I&#39;m entering the unknown territory of what it&#39;s really like to be pregnant that last month :-)&lt;br /&gt;
49. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
50. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEismQdt_YfCcF02S-uXnkJAfX0v9j_FPxoz3hfm_gdvPRWS0aomwzPjw5S_X5s3EE-Nvq-8-JIv_nb2bhusUse7lLDnPt1ybRxQNCNzm1wdUMzj9iAebDVln6qpcpOJzm97aar8pVT0DwTn/s1600/2013-02-21-07-38-59-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEismQdt_YfCcF02S-uXnkJAfX0v9j_FPxoz3hfm_gdvPRWS0aomwzPjw5S_X5s3EE-Nvq-8-JIv_nb2bhusUse7lLDnPt1ybRxQNCNzm1wdUMzj9iAebDVln6qpcpOJzm97aar8pVT0DwTn/s640/2013-02-21-07-38-59-1.jpg" /> </a> </div>
51. Speaking of 'what it's like,' I thought I'd share (cause I'm sure you're dying to know) my most annoying & weirdest pregnancy 'symptoms.' I don't like calling them symptoms since it further promotes the crazy medicalization of a normal life event that this country seems to be alone in the world stage in continuing into the 21st century, but that's a rant for another time, and I haven't figured out a better term to use, so symptoms it is. So for most annoying, heartburn/acid reflux wins by a landslide. I had forgotten how bad it was, but oh lordy, I remember now! And for weirdest, it's all these skin tags that seem to be multiplying on my neck. So strange, and I wonder if they'll go away on their own when the rest of my body goes back to normal. <br />
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53. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaQvh3SKsMSaQPP641R_Rwe1y_2Tvtl7q8AmlRh1llu4JHG4cRTV7qZNI4v26wJW31f0X0zyO3CvM1tyHu_fafZka4axACgGDk2o94EbZy0QKhdAb1PMxRQdsL6YD59f3klqM30Gt9cbNO/s1600/20130221093639651.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaQvh3SKsMSaQPP641R_Rwe1y_2Tvtl7q8AmlRh1llu4JHG4cRTV7qZNI4v26wJW31f0X0zyO3CvM1tyHu_fafZka4axACgGDk2o94EbZy0QKhdAb1PMxRQdsL6YD59f3klqM30Gt9cbNO/s320/20130221093639651.png" width="320" /> </a> </div>
54. And finally, I wanted to show you my sweet, eclectic bracelet from the mommy shower that Catherine threw me! It's an idea I got from reading Birthing from Within (see previous post on my pregnancy reads) that I really wanted to do, so I manned up and just asked for it. Not my usual MO, but I figured nobody else was going to just come up with this on their own and think it's a great idea, so what the heck, may as well just throw the idea out there and see if it works. And it did! <br />
55. <br />
56. So the idea is that each person comes to the shower with a bead and a blessing for momma/birth/baby, they all share said blessing, and I get a fun piece of jewelry to wear throughout the rest of my pregnancy and birth to remind me of the blessings, well wishes, and love from my friends. The shower was almost a week ago, and I just got around to making them into a bracelet last night, but I'm really happy that I finally did, and exited to wear this until baby comes (hopefully at least another week!). Although it's a bit heavy for a bracelet, so I'm thinking of heading to a craft store, buying some jewelry making wire, and turning it into a necklace. Perhaps after my oil change this morning. <br />
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58. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBNQWSvccDDmrGASmZ1wtqdb_h-Wp0lF2-xpb0pcXkAnVvqP0dlbuLYsxnM21_IbivaUhL_Qj1ihABfgdvYSiLDV3su3Xj0b6hafhA0sF6qL39s5BmYDgh6VGxXNpji9ZIA29i8Jif0pjJ/s1600/CAM00284.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBNQWSvccDDmrGASmZ1wtqdb_h-Wp0lF2-xpb0pcXkAnVvqP0dlbuLYsxnM21_IbivaUhL_Qj1ihABfgdvYSiLDV3su3Xj0b6hafhA0sF6qL39s5BmYDgh6VGxXNpji9ZIA29i8Jif0pjJ/s640/CAM00284.jpg" /> </a> </div>
59. Well that&#39;s all the randomness I have for you right now, so see ya when I see ya.&amp;nbsp; :-)</description><link>http://megan-land.blogspot.com/2013/02/milestone-symptoms-blessing-bracelet.html</link><author>noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous)</author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" url="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEismQdt_YfCcF02S-uXnkJAfX0v9j_FPxoz3hfm_gdvPRWS0aomwzPjw5S_X5s3EE-Nvq-8-JIv_nb2bhusUse7lLDnPt1ybRxQNCNzm1wdUMzj9iAebDVln6qpcpOJzm97aar8pVT0DwTn/s72-c/2013-02-21-07-38-59-1.jpg" height="72" width="72"/><thr:total>2</thr:total></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-310874567218954537.post-378042429354976654</guid><pubDate>Sun, 17 Feb 2013 04:06:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2013-02-17T01:04:49.831-05:00</atom:updated><title>pregnancy and childbirth reads</title><description>I recently composed an email to a friend with some thoughts on books I&#39;m reading, have read, or think would be good to read during pregnancy, and I thought I&#39;d share here as well, in case there are any others embarking on the fun mommyhood adventure. I&#39;d also love to get feedback from others who have enjoyed or found anything else helpful!&lt;br /&gt;
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63. <span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">One book that I haven't read but that comes highly recommended (and I probably would read, or at least check out from the library, if I were earlier in my pregnancy) is <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Pregnancy-Childbirth-Newborn-4th-Complete/dp/143917511X">Pregnancy Childbirth and the Newborn: The Complete Guide by Penny Simkin</a>, and I've also heard really good things about another book by her, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Birth-Partner-Third-Edition/dp/1558323570/ref=pd_sim_b_2">The Birth Partner</a>, which is geared toward the "labor companion"...These books are praised for their comprehensive, unbiased approach to talking about risks and benefits of lots of ways of doing things in pregnancy and childbirth without having an ulterior motive they're trying to push. A book that was recommended to me when I was pregnant with AB is <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Baby-Catcher-Chronicles-Modern-Midwife/dp/0743219341/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1361073181&sr=1-1&keywords=Baby+Catcher+by+Peggy+Vincent">Baby Catcher by Peggy Vincent</a>. I REALLY enjoyed reading this book, and it was so helpful in normalizing the birthing process for me...I felt much less fear after reading it. It's written memoir-style, so it's less like a pregnancy/childbirth how-to guide or information resource, and more of just a fun read.</span><br />
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66. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUOnrdCtP-7mJ8fHFz2_hKAsTDQDGVan73gEnW4ONbLaQG5Fp2o07BsCweIdmJRhzzfSFRSU_O9tA61xz4_P74vgNECheIua1vDWe1L9y4LWbVnyqStlXbOAA7x_e_pYvTiIZ6uv72sWj2/s1600/babycatcher.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUOnrdCtP-7mJ8fHFz2_hKAsTDQDGVan73gEnW4ONbLaQG5Fp2o07BsCweIdmJRhzzfSFRSU_O9tA61xz4_P74vgNECheIua1vDWe1L9y4LWbVnyqStlXbOAA7x_e_pYvTiIZ6uv72sWj2/s320/babycatcher.jpg" width="207" /></a></div>
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71. <span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">The other two books I'm reading this time (picked them up kind of late in the game) are <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Ina-Mays-Guide-Childbirth-Gaskin/dp/0553381156/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1361073247&sr=1-1&keywords=Ina+May%27s+Guide+to+Childbirth+by+Ina+May+Gaskin">Ina May's Guide to Childbirth by Ina May Gaskin</a> and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Birthing-Within-Extra-Ordinary-Childbirth-Preparation/dp/0965987302/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1361073286&sr=1-1&keywords=Birthing+from+Within+by+Pam+England">Birthing from Within by Pam England</a>. If you haven't heard of her yet, Ina May Gaskin is basically a pioneer in the US for midwifery, and she runs (and has since the 60s I think) a midwife birth center practice out on a hippie-ish farm in Tenessee that's famous among natural childbirth types. The first half of the book is all birth stories, which I found only so-so to read through, and the second half is more informative. If you decide to read this one, I would recommend starting out with at least a couple of the birth stories, and then when you've had enough of those, flipping over to the second half...then maybe going back and forth. I got a little bogged down just reading birth story after birth story, and am enjoying it more now that I'm onto the second half. Ina May has a lot of wisdom from her years of experience, and it's clear that she respects and is respected by a lot of other doctors and people in the field.</span></div>
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75. <span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Birthing from Within is a little "crunchy" for my taste, but I'm also finding it helpful too. It's actually helping me connect a little more with the crunchier side of me. And it's been really good in helping me prepare emotionally for having another birth, thinking through what was difficult and good about AB's birth and actually dealing with some of the fears I have rather than just pushing them down and trying to pretend they don't exist. There are parts that I kind of skim, and then others that I really delve into. I even took her advice and made some birth art, which was a little outside of my comfort zone, but opening myself up to that kind of idea was really helpful for me I think.</span></div>
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79. <span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">And of course the <a href="https://www.hypnobabies.com/">Hypnobabies</a> course is intended to be an all-in-one childbirth course, so it has a lot of good information in it too. Also, I've found some good info online, just googling something when I wanted to learn more. My doula also turned me onto a blog which I really like, <a href="http://evidencebasedbirth.com/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">http://<wbr></wbr>evidencebasedbirth.com</a>. Two other blogs that she recommends are </span><a href="http://www.childbirthconnection.org/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">www.childbirthconnection.<wbr></wbr>org</a> and <a href="http://www.birthsource.com/scripts/artcats.asp?catid=2" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">birthsource</a>. </div>
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83. So that's basically word for word the email I sent to a friend. :-) And YES, I'm going to try hypnosis for childbirth! I'm pretty excited about it and can't wait to see how it differs from my previous experience. I've been doing a self-study course which involves listening to a 30-40 minute hypnosis session each day, and so far I have to say that even just the immense relaxation I've gotten from doing the course has been worth it. I'll definitely post an update after the birth to share how it went. </div>
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87. So what pregnancy and birth resources have you used, or do you love (or hate)? Do share!</div>
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89. <br /></div>
90. </description><link>http://megan-land.blogspot.com/2013/02/pregnancy-and-childbirth-reads.html</link><author>noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous)</author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" url="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUOnrdCtP-7mJ8fHFz2_hKAsTDQDGVan73gEnW4ONbLaQG5Fp2o07BsCweIdmJRhzzfSFRSU_O9tA61xz4_P74vgNECheIua1vDWe1L9y4LWbVnyqStlXbOAA7x_e_pYvTiIZ6uv72sWj2/s72-c/babycatcher.jpg" height="72" width="72"/><thr:total>0</thr:total></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-310874567218954537.post-6845878194474934886</guid><pubDate>Fri, 18 Jan 2013 06:12:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2013-02-17T01:05:34.562-05:00</atom:updated><title>Mamas and babies</title><description>&lt;p&gt;So this morning AB was playing with an iPad app about different animals and the sounds they make, and I noticed that a lot of the &#39;mommy&#39; animals were pictured with their babies, and a lot of the baby animals with their mamas. Which got me thinking about how natural it is in the animal kingdom for me to spend the majority of my time hanging out with a little person. And how thankful I am that I get to. Sure it&#39;s also really nice to get out of the house without her too, but when it comes down to it, I&#39;m pretty happy with the way we have things set up around here, and I sure do like spending time with that little stinker. :-) &lt;/p&gt;
91. <p>Also, the app is called zoola. It's a good one</p>
92. </description><link>http://megan-land.blogspot.com/2013/01/mamas-and-babies.html</link><author>noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous)</author><thr:total>0</thr:total></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-310874567218954537.post-6634694875201032292</guid><pubDate>Tue, 08 Jan 2013 20:49:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2013-01-08T16:02:52.310-05:00</atom:updated><title>my yearly blog update</title><description>Ha, just under a year ago I said don&#39;t hold your breath, but I MAY post again within the year, and look at that - pulling in just under the wire, here I am!&lt;br /&gt;
93. <br />
94. I turn 32 this Sunday, so I will be the same age when my second is born as my mom was when she had me. Crazy! :) I'm super excited because I hired a doula this go-round, and think it will be great to have her there with us for the birth. And I learned that a local midwifery group has a lending library open to the public with the <a href="https://www.hypnobabies.com/store/product/32-home-study-course-for-expectant-mothers-bundled-with-2-pre-selected-cds">hypnobabies self-study course</a>, so I don't have to go spend $150 for it! Great news all around.<br />
95. <br />
96. Clearly, I've been thinking about this pregnancy and birth a lot lately, hence my topics of conversation. IF I end up doing any more blogging anywhere in the near (or not-so-near) future, maybe I'll find other things to talk about too.<br />
97. <br />
98. Peace out. I&#39;m going to read my hypnobabies course now, while AB is napping!</description><link>http://megan-land.blogspot.com/2013/01/my-yearly-blog-update.html</link><author>noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous)</author><thr:total>0</thr:total></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-310874567218954537.post-7401873554639881297</guid><pubDate>Sat, 28 Jan 2012 03:19:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2013-02-17T01:07:06.330-05:00</atom:updated><title>Blog?  What blog?</title><description>Oh riiiiight . . . this thing.  Almost forgot about ya!  sorry.&lt;div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;This evening, we successfully watched a movie together &lt;i&gt;before&lt;/i&gt; AB went to bed.  I figured it was worth a shot because it had penguins in it.  And voila, she was reasonably well-behaved throughout the whole thing, and immediately went to bed afterwards.  And she only fed a little bit of my pizza to the dogs.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;For the record, of the 2011 movies we&#39;ve watched so far, I think that Mr. Popper&#39;s Penguins ranks 3rd for me, behind Cowboys &amp;amp; Aliens and the Green Lantern.  Or maybe second, tied with the Green Lantern.  I hear The Help is really good, but haven&#39;t seen it yet.  Wasn&#39;t crazy about Midnight in Paris, and thought Limitless was okay.  And that&#39;s all I think I&#39;ve seen from 2011.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;Also, for the record (&lt;i&gt;again&lt;/i&gt;), did I mention that I have THE cutest, sweetest, most adorable and charming baby in the world?  I&#39;m pretty sure I have &lt;a target=&quot;_blank&quot; href=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sz7PcRBQNGM&amp;amp;feature=plcp&amp;amp;context=C37a3dccUDOEgsToPDskLBaGcxBdN7eq63RfYu7tUQ&quot;&gt;objective data&lt;/a&gt; to back that up.  &lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;Thanks for tuning in.  Maybe I&#39;ll get back to you before the year is up.  But don&#39;t hold your breath.&lt;/div&gt;</description><link>http://megan-land.blogspot.com/2012/01/blog-what-blog.html</link><author>noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous)</author><thr:total>2</thr:total></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-310874567218954537.post-2196271255968709481</guid><pubDate>Sat, 27 Nov 2010 17:26:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2013-02-17T01:10:03.080-05:00</atom:updated><title>A few of my favorite (baby) things</title><description>&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;At the risk of sounding like an Oprah wannabe, here ya go!  (Sorry, I don&#39;t have extras to give away to my studio audience)&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: AB is nearly 4 months old now, and since I have a few friends who will have babies in the near future, I figured I&#39;d share some of the baby things that I&#39;m really glad I have, and a few things I wouldn&#39;t mind having.  :)&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;1. &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3867653&quot;&gt;Fisher-Price Space Saver High Chair&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHKFfsgpuefBoaaWuOKdTY-iW-DcHBC08JaGMk1urQc5a_iLyGR8MIO2nCkdQwykhR6HG9dqkiKlv18N0wwMDLs7yscI0EsOEFSPKmG-ZN-5TNdjz3Ihy5wCNyM1Pfu5LYwP-U1S8YosaG/s320/IMG_1170.JPG&quot; style=&quot;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;&quot; border=&quot;0&quot; alt=&quot;&quot; id=&quot;BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5544318821646227810&quot; /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a onblur=&quot;try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}&quot; href=&quot;https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqnS_Jq-hTTXLlBIRtveuM_Djl7O9AJN9CJUJisk8XA6WWj2fqspxggg0JemR4nDT4I4z8XYWIFhVXS1f9C4-YuD7Aks2YKl0PtL_0bogO7iB6LCv2RiUnuKm6sX3KI0xAGy1VBkafrLac/s1600/IMG_1170.JPG&quot;&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;div&gt;I love this chair!  At first I didn&#39;t want to get a high chair since I knew it would be a while before she was eating solids, but this chair is just great because it gives us a place to put her down in the kitchen, and it has 2 reclining modes, so you can start using it way before babies are able to sit up on their own!  We haven&#39;t attached the tray yet, but I&#39;m sure that feature will be great as well when it comes time for &#39;real&#39; food.  My favorite part: it sits on a regular kitchen chair rather than taking up a whole lot of space we don&#39;t have, and it will grow into a booster seat when she gets bigger.  Plus it&#39;s cute.  :)&lt;div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;2.  Swing &lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;object width=&quot;480&quot; height=&quot;385&quot;&gt;&lt;param name=&quot;movie&quot; value=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/v/rkBjzfqwGdc?fs=1&amp;amp;hl=en_US&quot;&gt;&lt;param name=&quot;allowFullScreen&quot; value=&quot;true&quot;&gt;&lt;param name=&quot;allowscriptaccess&quot; value=&quot;always&quot;&gt;&lt;embed src=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/v/rkBjzfqwGdc?fs=1&amp;amp;hl=en_US&quot; type=&quot;application/x-shockwave-flash&quot; allowscriptaccess=&quot;always&quot; allowfullscreen=&quot;true&quot; width=&quot;480&quot; height=&quot;385&quot;&gt;&lt;/embed&gt;&lt;/object&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;Isn&#39;t it sweet how she loves watching the little mobile?  I like this swing, but if I were going to do it again, I&#39;d probably get a much smaller portable swing.  This thing is a beast!  But the things that I like about it are that it plays music and nature sounds, and you can turn it so she&#39;s either swinging side to side, or front to back.  It uses a timer and turns off automatically after a while to save battery life, which is nice.  Also, it comes with a tray that I don&#39;t have attached in this video.  If you&#39;re curious, this is the &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.target.com/Bright-Starts-Ingenuity-Cradle-Swing/dp/B0032B3GWS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;amp;searchView=grid3&amp;amp;keywords=bright%20starts%20swing&amp;amp;fromGsearch=true&amp;amp;sr=1-1&amp;amp;qid=1290885897&amp;amp;rh=&amp;amp;searchRank=target104545&amp;amp;id=Bright%20Starts%20Ingenuity%20Cradle%20Swing&amp;amp;node=1038576|1287991011&amp;amp;searchSize=30&amp;amp;searchPage=1&amp;amp;searchNodeID=1038576|1287991011&amp;amp;searchBinNameList=subjectbin,price,target_com_primary_color-bin,target_com_size-bin,target_com_brand-bin&amp;amp;frombrowse=0&quot;&gt;Bright Starts Cradle and Sway Swing&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;3.  Rocker/Glider&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;I don&#39;t have a picture to show you of mine, but this is an absolute MUST for middle of the night feedings.  I have the &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3783794&quot;&gt;Bergamo glider&lt;/a&gt; in the dark oak/oatmeal combo, which is a solidly decent one for the money.  You won&#39;t rave about its comfort like you would a $400 glider, but it&#39;s comfortable enough and half the price, and comes with the ottoman.  And it puts her to sleep, which as Corey says, is the main point.  Yes, he uses it too.  :)&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;4.  Pajamas&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnsIpWQ9l9gywuSwdQpKexiqZsENuncDJWfduoCZVxe7dasgzlurim8fp_ZJRvcbWECsHxr_DLZAO6Rf_s3Ly4vEc4uivo7NyN4s7HYJs-T_IM73lJmLbPqC4MzH9gQphqC-6ZZEGvB4me/s320/IMG_1215.JPG&quot; /&gt;       &lt;img src=&quot;https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_OO2q5ZNnAgFIaasa_Ji5Y8onTqGHv5SmUdKlXE0xrb5H3-mjbydRRZOh-RZTFNmwrPiWLx92EywiqTilXP5b1jf_-e11eykcNw3z0J6fmIhuBfbmPpl-Nn4FmTbvz7ogDjHbXZP1P7Sy/s320/IMG_1213.JPG&quot; /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;These are by far my favorite item of clothing!  They&#39;re not just for nighttime.  In fact, in my opinion, the only time the baby needs to wear something other than pajamas is when she&#39;s getting dressed up to look especially pretty for some occasion, so you really can&#39;t ever have enough pajamas.  And especially the ones with snaps, not a zipper, because with snaps, you can leave the top half closed during diaper changes (see above).  Which brings us to . . . &lt;/div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;div&gt;5. Cloth diapers!&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;I love using cloth, mostly because it saves a TON of money, and I like not filling landfills as fast.  Plus, the diapers are just so darn cute.  At first when Corey and I talked about using cloth, I was pretty hesitant because I thought it seemed gross, but it&#39;s really no worse than any diapers you have to change that get poopy.  I do have to do a couple of extra loads of laundry a week, but that&#39;s FAR from the most time consuming thing about having a new baby.  Other great things about cloth: since we&#39;ve switched, we&#39;ve had far fewer blowouts (less time pre-treating poop stains on those cute pajamas), and also much less diaper rash.  One warning though: they do add a lot of bulk, so baby doesn&#39;t fit into those tiny newborn pants for long!&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;Also let me add that we&#39;re far from cloth nazis.  I am more than happy to use a disposable on occasion. If we&#39;re out and she soils the diaper cover, that&#39;s pretty much the only way to go.  Also useful for day trips to grandmas, or also just when all the cloth diapers are in the wash.  When we use disposables, I swear by Pampers.  They have an extra meshy layer that absorbs pee and liquid poo to keep it off that sensitive bottom, and makes for a much easier (less smeary) clean up.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;6. &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2953540&quot;&gt;Lap pads&lt;/a&gt; (also featured in pictures above) or &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2308899&quot;&gt;cloth diapers/burp pads&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;I&#39;m not entirely sure what lap pads are intended for, but I always have one on the changing table before diaper changes.  That way if A pees during a diaper change or if poop leaks out, I just have to toss the pad into the laundry, not the whole changing pad cover.  It makes the covers last 10 times longer!&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;7. &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3613456&quot;&gt;Koala Baby deluxe plush sheet saver&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtsSpvC9zEdHHhhwPfihx8yX8L6LGWnc12A_lpFC1zndzuGIa7azgIvAB22BMR6y3yf1BevjMj1ZW8BSBsWwymTA2YYnjmqVP09g5WVALZQRAuNWU5jPqclE1vAeQN76nI-6kmkCtde5pk/s320/IMG_1206.JPG&quot; style=&quot;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;&quot; border=&quot;0&quot; alt=&quot;&quot; id=&quot;BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5544305424232871026&quot; /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;This soft quilted mat is waterproof and catches nighttime spit up and drool.  I hear you can also have one on the bottom end if you&#39;re worried about diapers leaking.  Much easier to change this than the sheets, trust me!  I have them in 3 colors: sage, brown, and ecru.  Love &#39;em!&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;And while we&#39;re looking at this adorable photo, let me point out her cute&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;8. &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3508447&quot;&gt;Fisher-Price Ocean Wonders Soothe and Glow Seahorse&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;She loves staring at this cute seahorse, and it&#39;s a great way to soothe her to sleep.  I hear they&#39;re also great for taking on overnight trips, because it&#39;s a comforting reminder of home when you&#39;re in a strange place.  And when baby gets bigger, she can squeeze it to start the music herself.  It plays about 8 minutes of soothing music with water sounds.  Of course I&#39;m sure any stuffed animal sound machine would do basically the same thing.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;9. &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.target.com/Fisher-Precious-Planets-Projection-Mobile/dp/B001GQ2SA2/ref=sc_qi_detailbutton&quot;&gt;Fisher-Price Precious Planets Projection Mobile&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJBRPM55QU_gc25JbhsWauTlkyM14YDCWHLknpVUFeah7Vga7FSxjE9FrZLp9BpqzGlFZ6FDiJQzhYvphevBhFJTDpJaQA27pJ6aTtHmqMZiNMH6nPhU7k1PL7ep-vaOFt5mxmMD9VCAAg/s320/IMG_1207.JPG&quot; style=&quot;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;&quot; border=&quot;0&quot; alt=&quot;&quot; id=&quot;BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5544309057510958546&quot; /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;At first we got the mobile that went with AB&#39;s bedding, because it matched.  Then we tried using it.  You wind it up and the turtles spin for . . . about 30 seconds.  Not much entertainment for $45.  Not to mention that from the baby&#39;s point of view, she just sees turtle bottoms (circles with little nubs sticking out) going around and around.  Then I wised up and said, if we&#39;re going to spend nearly $50 on a mobile, we should get something that&#39;s worth the money.  This mobile plays music or nature sounds (or a heartbeat, which I don&#39;t even think I&#39;ve listened to) for 20 minutes while the cute animals smile down at the baby, and it has a light projection that plays.  When the baby gets too big for the mobile (you&#39;re not supposed to use them after the baby can reach up and grab them), you can take off the mobile part and still use it as a sound machine and light projection (will project the pictures on the ceiling).  Now that seems like a much smarter use of money to me.  Unfortunately I figured this out after the return policy date ended.&lt;div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;10. &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3594392&amp;amp;pr_highlight_review_id=19290652&amp;amp;source=&quot;&gt;Activity Gym&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;object width=&quot;480&quot; height=&quot;385&quot;&gt;&lt;param name=&quot;movie&quot; value=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/v/AWbERNvCr04?fs=1&amp;amp;hl=en_US&quot;&gt;&lt;param name=&quot;allowFullScreen&quot; value=&quot;true&quot;&gt;&lt;param name=&quot;allowscriptaccess&quot; value=&quot;always&quot;&gt;&lt;embed src=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/v/AWbERNvCr04?fs=1&amp;amp;hl=en_US&quot; type=&quot;application/x-shockwave-flash&quot; allowscriptaccess=&quot;always&quot; allowfullscreen=&quot;true&quot; width=&quot;480&quot; height=&quot;385&quot;&gt;&lt;/embed&gt;&lt;/object&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;This was the first time I realized AB was actually big enough to play and enjoy things.  Not only do these things keep them entertained for a while, they&#39;re also great developmentally.  And easy to fold up and store when not in use.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;And for some things I don&#39;t have, but wouldn&#39;t mind having . . . &lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;The &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.tummytubusa.com/&quot;&gt;tummy tub&lt;/a&gt; is a unique bath idea, and I&#39;d love to try it out.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;A jumperoo, specifically the &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.amazon.com/Fisher-Price-K6070-Rainforest-Jumperoo/dp/B000I2UJ0Q&quot;&gt;Fisher Price Rainforest Jumperoo&lt;/a&gt;.  If it weren&#39;t so freaking expensive!  Occasionally I peruse Craigslist to see if anyone&#39;s getting rid of one.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;The &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.amazon.com/Bumbo-402-Baby-Seat-Blue/dp/B0007ORN7M/ref=sr_1_1?s=baby-products&amp;amp;ie=UTF8&amp;amp;qid=1290888283&amp;amp;sr=1-1&quot;&gt;Bumbo seat&lt;/a&gt;.  Helps baby sit up on her own.  From what I hear, very cool, but not worth $40.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</description><link>http://megan-land.blogspot.com/2010/11/few-of-my-favorite-baby-things.html</link><author>noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous)</author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" url="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHKFfsgpuefBoaaWuOKdTY-iW-DcHBC08JaGMk1urQc5a_iLyGR8MIO2nCkdQwykhR6HG9dqkiKlv18N0wwMDLs7yscI0EsOEFSPKmG-ZN-5TNdjz3Ihy5wCNyM1Pfu5LYwP-U1S8YosaG/s72-c/IMG_1170.JPG" height="72" width="72"/><thr:total>0</thr:total></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-310874567218954537.post-8265037469351784011</guid><pubDate>Tue, 26 Oct 2010 15:57:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2010-10-26T11:57:29.368-04:00</atom:updated><title>My Review of Fisher-Price Space Saver High Chair - Cocoa Pink</title><description>&lt;div class=&quot;hreview&quot;&gt;&lt;div class=&quot;item&quot;&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3867653&quot;&gt;Originally submitted at Toys R Us&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;http://images.powerreviews.com/images_products/06/87/7270436_100.jpg&quot; class=&quot;photo&quot; align=&quot;left&quot; style=&quot;margin: 0 0.5em 0 0&quot;&gt;&lt;p style=&quot;margin-top:0&quot;&gt;&amp;quot;If you&amp;#39;re looking for big high chair features in a small dining space, the Fisher-Price Space Saver High Chair in Cocoa Pink is the high chair for you! Simply strap it to just about any kitchen or dining chair (it&amp;#39;s very secure) for everything a full-size high chair offers-in half the...                            &lt;/p&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3867653&quot; style=&quot;display: none;&quot; class=&quot;url fn&quot;&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;fn&quot;&gt;Fisher-Price Space Saver High Chair - Cocoa Pink&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;br clear=&quot;left&quot;&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong class=&quot;summary&quot;&gt;great product&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;div&gt;By &lt;strong&gt;megan&lt;/strong&gt; from &lt;strong&gt;Columbus, OH&lt;/strong&gt; on &lt;strong&gt;&lt;abbr title=&quot;20101026T1200-0800&quot; class=&quot;dtreviewed&quot; style=&quot;border: none; text-decoration: none;&quot;&gt;10/26/2010&lt;/abbr&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;margin: 0.5em 0; height: 15px; width: 83px; background-image: url(http://images.powerreviews.com/images_merchants/stars/10141_stars_small.gif); background-position: 0px -180px;&quot; class=&quot;prStars prStarsSmall&quot;&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;display: none&quot;&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;rating&quot;&gt;5&lt;/span&gt;out of 5&lt;/div&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Pros: &lt;/strong&gt;Stylish, Good value, Grows with baby, Portable, Easy to Clean, Lightweight, Easy To Assemble, Stable&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Best Uses: &lt;/strong&gt;At Home, Infant Seating, Baby Seats&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Describe Yourself: &lt;/strong&gt;First Time Parent&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p style=&quot;margin-top:1em&quot; class=&quot;description&quot;&gt;I didn&#39;t want to get a highchair yet because I fugured it would take up space that we don&#39;t have and we wouldn&#39;t even be able to use it for several months anyway till she was on solids, right?  WRONG.  On both counts!  This chair is great because it reclines so you can use it even for newborns, just to have a place to put the baby down in the kitchen--no more lugging the car seat from room to room.  YAY!  I also love that it sits on a kitchen chair rather than taking up a lot of space, and that it will grow into a booster seat when baby gets older.  We don&#39;t have a lot of baby &quot;stuff&quot; so it&#39;s important that the things we do have are worth the money and space they take up, and this definitely fits the bill for both!&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p style=&quot;margin-top:0.5em&quot;&gt;(&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.powerreviews.com/legal/terms_of_use.html&quot; rel=&quot;license&quot;&gt;legalese&lt;/a&gt;)&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</description><link>http://megan-land.blogspot.com/2010/10/my-review-of-fisher-price-space-saver.html</link><author>noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous)</author><thr:total>0</thr:total></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-310874567218954537.post-2631986105020457857</guid><pubDate>Sun, 26 Jul 2009 05:29:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2009-07-26T01:29:07.940-04:00</atom:updated><title>You Capture</title><description>&lt;div style=&quot;MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; TEXT-ALIGN: center&quot;&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6o1J5dr9ZRo65l-_m2XDlsALVVTU0OUjznSWsrSyND_tChf90PaGJ5AP7_Pg1SCWmjSQPd9bRbXjCSzak_AphXcujlR2u55BC3fQYC3cUz0hMihmP8BL_DM7m4WKYJyumFKFPUd8pmYKD/s1600-h/057.JPG&quot;&gt;&lt;img alt=&quot;&quot; src=&quot;https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6o1J5dr9ZRo65l-_m2XDlsALVVTU0OUjznSWsrSyND_tChf90PaGJ5AP7_Pg1SCWmjSQPd9bRbXjCSzak_AphXcujlR2u55BC3fQYC3cUz0hMihmP8BL_DM7m4WKYJyumFKFPUd8pmYKD/s320/057.JPG&quot; border=&quot;0&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;I stumbled upon a new (to me, obviously) blog called &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.ishouldbefoldinglaundry.com/&quot;&gt;i should be folding laundry&lt;/a&gt;, which has a contest (?) I guess...called &#39;you capture&#39;....well anyway you submit photos, and I don&#39;t know if anything happens after that except maybe that other people see them.  (You can tell I put a lot of time into researching this before I decided to jump in)  So there are different themes for each (week?), and this one is black and white.  I had fun playing with my new camera recently taking pics of sammy &amp;amp; peet....and loved how this one looked black and white.  The texture of peet&#39;s fur is so fun, perhaps even more now that he got his hair cut.  and in this profile shot, he looks almost (dare I say?) dignified.  which we know better than to think might be true, but good for him!  (just don&#39;t show off the sissy growl peet, and you might even fool a person or two!)  :)&lt;div style=&#39;clear:both; text-align:CENTER&#39;&gt;&lt;a href=&#39;http://picasa.google.com/blogger/&#39; target=&#39;ext&#39;&gt;&lt;img src=&#39;http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif&#39; alt=&#39;Posted by Picasa&#39; style=&#39;border: 0px none ; padding: 0px; background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 50%; -moz-background-clip: initial; -moz-background-origin: initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: initial;&#39; align=&#39;middle&#39; border=&#39;0&#39; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</description><link>http://megan-land.blogspot.com/2009/07/you-capture.html</link><author>noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous)</author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" url="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6o1J5dr9ZRo65l-_m2XDlsALVVTU0OUjznSWsrSyND_tChf90PaGJ5AP7_Pg1SCWmjSQPd9bRbXjCSzak_AphXcujlR2u55BC3fQYC3cUz0hMihmP8BL_DM7m4WKYJyumFKFPUd8pmYKD/s72-c/057.JPG" height="72" width="72"/><thr:total>0</thr:total></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-310874567218954537.post-4197861107681051505</guid><pubDate>Sun, 19 Jul 2009 19:01:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2009-07-19T15:01:36.344-04:00</atom:updated><title>baby tomatoes!</title><description>&lt;a href=&quot;https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZsrmf3eB3J-nw_3HGd_pu9IPho4TJVSPztoRrRdwRKxq8EFFxDI0I_Qvznmsd0_EJEcx92BvZzz36wpuV7dlQwuaAvkOAtj5pBypilnSiVTyWj6LnfHczL2ZFhrDJqlcqAkhhSsf-bL43/s1600-h/044.JPG&quot;&gt;&lt;img style=&quot;CLEAR: both; FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px&quot; alt=&quot;&quot; src=&quot;https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZsrmf3eB3J-nw_3HGd_pu9IPho4TJVSPztoRrRdwRKxq8EFFxDI0I_Qvznmsd0_EJEcx92BvZzz36wpuV7dlQwuaAvkOAtj5pBypilnSiVTyWj6LnfHczL2ZFhrDJqlcqAkhhSsf-bL43/s320/044.JPG&quot; border=&quot;0&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;  Here&#39;s my biggest baby tomato on the plant I got from Catherine&#39;s mom.  There are a couple other smaller ones.  Also growing happily are my cucumber plant, mint, and lavender.  The bachelor&#39;s buttons and day lilies aren&#39;t so sure right now.  All in all, it&#39;s fun having growing things though!&lt;div style=&#39;clear:both; text-align:LEFT&#39;&gt;&lt;a href=&#39;http://picasa.google.com/blogger/&#39; target=&#39;ext&#39;&gt;&lt;img src=&#39;http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif&#39; alt=&#39;Posted by Picasa&#39; style=&#39;border: 0px none ; padding: 0px; background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 50%; -moz-background-clip: initial; -moz-background-origin: initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: initial;&#39; align=&#39;middle&#39; border=&#39;0&#39; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</description><link>http://megan-land.blogspot.com/2009/07/baby-tomatoes.html</link><author>noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous)</author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" url="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZsrmf3eB3J-nw_3HGd_pu9IPho4TJVSPztoRrRdwRKxq8EFFxDI0I_Qvznmsd0_EJEcx92BvZzz36wpuV7dlQwuaAvkOAtj5pBypilnSiVTyWj6LnfHczL2ZFhrDJqlcqAkhhSsf-bL43/s72-c/044.JPG" height="72" width="72"/><thr:total>0</thr:total></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-310874567218954537.post-3611311459517272092</guid><pubDate>Wed, 17 Jun 2009 13:22:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2009-06-17T09:44:47.401-04:00</atom:updated><title>orthodoxy and orthopraxy</title><description>from About.com:&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;blockquote&gt;The term orthopraxy comes from the Greek for &quot;correct action / activity&quot; and is used to emphasize the correct conduct, particularly with regards to religious activity. This is contrasted with the idea of orthodoxy, which is about having the correct sort of belief.&lt;/blockquote&gt;&lt;br /&gt;On Sunday, my pastor Jeff told one of Jesus&#39; parables in the course of his sermon.  It was about two brothers whose father owned a vineyard.  One day the father asked both brothers to go work in the vineyard that day.  The first one said, &quot;sure, of course, I&#39;ll go!&quot; but then other stuff came up and he decided not to.  The second one said he wouldn&#39;t work in the vineyard, but then he changed his mind and went anyway.  So Jesus asks his followers the question: &quot;Which brother did what his father asked?&quot;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;In the course of thinking about this today, I&#39;m reminded again of the importance of orthopraxy.  There are a lot of people out there who make really grand claims about the correctness of what they believe.  They make a point of dotting all their theological i&#39;s and crossing their t&#39;s and will argue till they&#39;re blue in the face why they&#39;re right and you&#39;re wrong.  Then there are others whose lives demonstrate the belief that&#39;s in their hearts.  I think at the end of the day God is going to care more about what our actions and hearts say about our faith than the correctness of what we say with our mouths.  And if someone is on a faith journey toward God, I would much rather encourage them to seek him wholeheartedly and trust him than argue theological orthodoxy.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;But that&#39;s just me.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;:)</description><link>http://megan-land.blogspot.com/2009/06/orthodoxy-and-orthopraxy.html</link><author>noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous)</author><thr:total>0</thr:total></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-310874567218954537.post-7226712550620476954</guid><pubDate>Mon, 08 Jun 2009 17:00:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2009-06-08T13:25:47.676-04:00</atom:updated><title>scribe for hire</title><description>Well, I married a man much like myself it seems.  The paper he had all quarter to work on finally got started . . . yesterday.  And it&#39;s due . . . now.  I think literally now.  He&#39;s reading it out loud &#39;colloquium-style&#39; for his class, and I think he said that was at 1 today.  Anyhow, being the good little wife that I am, I searched my brain for ways in which I could be of aid and support, and since my pep talks seemed to be appreciated, but not really helping that much, I thought I&#39;d take it a step further.  And that leads us to how I can now add &#39;scribe&#39; as a position on my resume.  (or not.)  I noticed that Corey seems to be much better at talking about what he&#39;s doing than actually writing it down.  So after listening to the twisting, turning, not-so-organized explanation of what the paper is going to be about, I set out to help him figure out how to outline it, and then offered to write and let him dictate.  While it did feel a bit awkward for the both of us, I think it took a lot of the pressure off of him, since he seemed to choke every time he tried to sit in front of the computer and write.  And it was actually kind of fun.  Since I don&#39;t have to write any of my own papers anymore, it&#39;s kind of fun getting to be a part of the process and do the typing (as well as some incognito editing).  That&#39;s the fun part of being a scribe.  You don&#39;t actually have to type what they say {tapping fingers Mr. Burns style, that is, backwards}, and by the time they come back and read it later to edit, they just trust that those were their own words {evil laughter}.  Just kidding, I didn&#39;t really do &lt;span style=&quot;font-style: italic;&quot;&gt;that&lt;/span&gt; much editing, just a word here or there...  ;0)  We got through maybe half of the paper that way before I had to go to work, but it definitely set the ground work so that when he sat down at the computer the intimidation factor was gone and he had a good running start.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Even with his procrastination shortfalls, I do have a pretty amazing husband.  He&#39;s the most creative thinker I know, and his brain moves at speeds I cannot even fathom.  I&#39;m so proud of him every time he talks about the discussions in class when he brought up points which had never even occurred to the profs before or when I hear about his paper topics which are always interesting and innovative.  I have definitely found the smartest man I know.  And that makes me happy.  And perhaps nerdy.  Which is OK.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;On a completely unrelated note, these roses came out of MY yard.  they look prettier in person, but I&#39;ll show you the webcam picture I took anyway, just so you don&#39;t feel entirely left out.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a onblur=&quot;try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}&quot; href=&quot;https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg14AOYU5yM-XguS7EbLwCx6Sy812Sdy61DbWI859h51plJ4rIpDAeu12ABUty9JbvrsVhk6waURP6-I-AjINrYPLR-ZIRcChJ5P5KwfQ0T0CZ8kvi5vWUFYtJrbVhxVV7TP8xvpCuhMxVd/s1600-h/P0906081707372.jpg&quot;&gt;&lt;img style=&quot;margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;&quot; src=&quot;https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg14AOYU5yM-XguS7EbLwCx6Sy812Sdy61DbWI859h51plJ4rIpDAeu12ABUty9JbvrsVhk6waURP6-I-AjINrYPLR-ZIRcChJ5P5KwfQ0T0CZ8kvi5vWUFYtJrbVhxVV7TP8xvpCuhMxVd/s320/P0906081707372.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;&quot; id=&quot;BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5345007756944090626&quot; border=&quot;0&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;</description><link>http://megan-land.blogspot.com/2009/06/scribe-for-hire.html</link><author>noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous)</author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" url="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg14AOYU5yM-XguS7EbLwCx6Sy812Sdy61DbWI859h51plJ4rIpDAeu12ABUty9JbvrsVhk6waURP6-I-AjINrYPLR-ZIRcChJ5P5KwfQ0T0CZ8kvi5vWUFYtJrbVhxVV7TP8xvpCuhMxVd/s72-c/P0906081707372.jpg" height="72" width="72"/><thr:total>1</thr:total></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-310874567218954537.post-2390637002855781362</guid><pubDate>Mon, 04 May 2009 19:08:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2009-05-04T15:13:37.482-04:00</atom:updated><title>i&#39;m still here...</title><description>I realized I haven&#39;t blogged since January.  It&#39;s not that I haven&#39;t had stuff I&#39;d like to share with the world.  There have been lots of times I&#39;ve thought about something and said to myself, &quot;I should write a blog entry on that&quot; but then never did.  I try not to open my laptop unless I have a specific thing I need to do online because once I get started, it just becomes a black hole of my time, a vortex if you will, and I get sucked in and can&#39;t seem to find my way out of the time-wastingness....(yep, I made that word up)  I want to blog more, really I do.  Either there&#39;s too much to say and I feel overwhelmed, or I figure there&#39;s not enough to say to merit a blog entry.  Not that this post really merits being posted by my exacting standards, but here I go anyway, just to let you know I&#39;m still here, and I&#39;m still kicking.  Life is good.</description><link>http://megan-land.blogspot.com/2009/05/im-still-here.html</link><author>noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous)</author><thr:total>0</thr:total></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-310874567218954537.post-8396150540549871990</guid><pubDate>Fri, 30 Jan 2009 16:58:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2009-01-30T12:19:29.450-05:00</atom:updated><title>living in a winter wonderland</title><description>When I was growing up, icicles were one of the wonders of the world to me.  I rarely got to see them, and they conjure up memories of magical mountainside lodges.  Snow was such a novelty, and there are several scenarios from ski trips as a kid that bring back those warm fuzzies.  One is driving along curvy, hilly roads and seeing the snow gradually increase along the roadside and trees as we get closer to the mountains; another would be slip-sliding across snowy/icy parking lots of small-town grocery stores to stock up on provisions for the trip: donuts, pb&amp;amp;j for mountainside lunches, and of course those wonderful ten-packs of assorted mini cereal boxes; and then there was the joy of seeing huge icicles hanging off roof overhangs and having Dad reach up and break a huge one off for me - my very own icicle!&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Well, I can now say that I am the proud owner of several huge icicles, all across the front of my house, and this time I took pictures before Corey could break them all off on acount of their &#39;dangerousness&#39;.  Here, let me show you my 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href=&quot;https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQaUD2zh8AzqOOZ7nSUkaaRqeZO-G4-LDNCzuKAfMsbl1kCuBOelPgQyGLNnqGfPghMKaci4HwosTYYQzlX-rtEpdlt-OzS-en1W54-LCkWkYQeo0NuZtyzboF85ZfU-4S0WmorPpInTTI/s1600-h/100_2565.JPG&quot;&gt;&lt;img style=&quot;margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 213px; height: 320px;&quot; src=&quot;https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQaUD2zh8AzqOOZ7nSUkaaRqeZO-G4-LDNCzuKAfMsbl1kCuBOelPgQyGLNnqGfPghMKaci4HwosTYYQzlX-rtEpdlt-OzS-en1W54-LCkWkYQeo0NuZtyzboF85ZfU-4S0WmorPpInTTI/s320/100_2565.JPG&quot; alt=&quot;&quot; id=&quot;BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5297136430562611218&quot; border=&quot;0&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;</description><link>http://megan-land.blogspot.com/2009/01/living-in-winter-wonderland.html</link><author>noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous)</author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" url="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZIl2zfvyFXLngJEYzauwKkIuePBNTULOjIuuZrCk-MleSjkJgcb6vJOcsKw4xLqaEQvtbcBJpUb9ke5NJMx2IpfO1bP4I2fy9t51nvnPBH7tpPHJN8dFLhnrf0sUHbj_fnPH0744b4Bic/s72-c/100_2573.JPG" height="72" width="72"/><thr:total>1</thr:total></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-310874567218954537.post-1378846219513504907</guid><pubDate>Tue, 20 Jan 2009 03:55:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2009-01-19T23:15:27.951-05:00</atom:updated><title>my new lenovo</title><description>What&#39;s a lenovo, you ask?  I had the very same question just earlier today, when Corey and I were browsing Circuit City&#39;s selection of laptops during their going out of business sale.  What?  You already figured it out then?  My, aren&#39;t you smart!  Yes, you&#39;re right, lenovo is the name of my new laptop, but we call him lenny for short (as of now).  AND, he comes fully equipped with Windows Vista, a 2.17 GHz Intel Pentium dual processor, 3GB of memory, AND a built-in microphone and webcam (capable of using retina-scanning security features!).  While not quite top of the line, it&#39;s a heck of a lot better than the old, dying laptop (no offense, old laptop...sorry), and I&#39;ll be very excited to actually have a laptop that doesn&#39;t need to be plugged in to work (yay, I can take him upstairs!)  So, everyone please help me in welcoming lenny into the family by commenting on his inagural blog post!</description><link>http://megan-land.blogspot.com/2009/01/my-new-lenovo.html</link><author>noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous)</author><thr:total>1</thr:total></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-310874567218954537.post-5823996163372857579</guid><pubDate>Wed, 07 Jan 2009 22:57:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2009-01-07T18:09:07.121-05:00</atom:updated><title>Piano lessons!</title><description>I had my first (since I was a kid anyway) piano lesson today!  The teacher is Craig Allen at &lt;a href=&quot;http://www.encoremusicstudios.com/&quot;&gt;Encore Music Studios&lt;/a&gt;.  He was recommended by a friend, and he seems to be a really great guy (and teacher from what I hear).  We discussed what I want to get out of lessons, what styles I&#39;m interested in, etc., and also what sort of experience and knowledge I already have.  And he had me play the one song I know, Fur Elise, for him so he could see where I am in my technical ability.  He was really encouraging, and pointed out that my finger dexterity and technique is pretty good, so we basically just need to start out by getting my intellectual knowledge (reading music and such) up to match what my hands are able to do.  So my homework for this week is to practice scales (C, G, and D) and to bring in whatever music I&#39;ve been using or playing around with next week so that he can try to better understand what I know and where I need help.  I&#39;m pretty excited, and I&#39;ll keep you posted about how they&#39;re going.</description><link>http://megan-land.blogspot.com/2009/01/piano-lessons.html</link><author>noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous)</author><thr:total>1</thr:total></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-310874567218954537.post-4884612975761208041</guid><pubDate>Tue, 06 Jan 2009 18:07:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2009-01-06T13:18:47.374-05:00</atom:updated><title>Mrs. Compton (a poem)</title><description>a cow heart sat on her desk&lt;br /&gt;soaking in brine&lt;br /&gt;or was it her heart&lt;br /&gt;or could it be mine?&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;other teachers were smiles and hugs&lt;br /&gt;but she was bricks and stone&lt;br /&gt;did she know how she made  me feel&lt;br /&gt;embarrassed and alone&lt;br /&gt;here was I, a tender heart&lt;br /&gt;shy and gentle to a fault&lt;br /&gt;but what did she see?  a kid&lt;br /&gt;unworthy of notice&lt;br /&gt;or needing to be taken down a notch&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;why did she treat me the way she did&lt;br /&gt;this I&#39;ll never know&lt;br /&gt;but these memories rip my heart&lt;br /&gt;until I can let them go&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;here&#39;s my heart, soaking in brine&lt;br /&gt;can I give it to God for the 1,000th time?&lt;br /&gt;I must, and I will&lt;br /&gt;but Mrs. Compton, know:&lt;br /&gt;your memory haunts me still&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;(a reminder to be nice to children)  :)&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;and on a happier note...&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;wherever you go&lt;br /&gt;go with singing&lt;br /&gt;whomever you meet&lt;br /&gt;meet with a smile&lt;br /&gt;when you need to cry&lt;br /&gt;find a strong shoulder&lt;br /&gt;and be that shoulder when you can&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;when you see good in others&lt;br /&gt;rejoice; don&#39;t envy&lt;br /&gt;and when you see faults&lt;br /&gt;choose not to judge, but help&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;embrace being you&lt;br /&gt;whatever that means&lt;br /&gt;at any given moment&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;teach, and be taught&lt;br /&gt;help, and be helped&lt;br /&gt;love, and be loved&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;and truly live</description><link>http://megan-land.blogspot.com/2009/01/mrs-compton-poem.html</link><author>noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous)</author><thr:total>1</thr:total></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-310874567218954537.post-5940227403162665795</guid><pubDate>Fri, 26 Dec 2008 05:46:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2008-12-29T01:23:25.414-05:00</atom:updated><title>Christmas Letter 2008</title><description>&lt;!--[if !mso]&gt; &lt;style&gt; v\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);} o\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);} w\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);} .shape {behavior:url(#default#VML);} &lt;/style&gt; &lt;![endif]--&gt;&lt;!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;&lt;xml&gt;  &lt;w:worddocument&gt;   &lt;w:view&gt;Normal&lt;/w:View&gt;   &lt;w:zoom&gt;0&lt;/w:Zoom&gt;   &lt;w:compatibility&gt;    &lt;w:breakwrappedtables/&gt;    &lt;w:snaptogridincell/&gt;    &lt;w:wraptextwithpunct/&gt;   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type=&quot;tight&quot;&gt; &lt;/v:shape&gt;&lt;![endif]--&gt;&lt;!--[if !vml]--&gt;&lt;!--[endif]--&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;&quot;&gt;It has been quite a year for this Hackworth clan.&lt;span style=&quot;&quot;&gt;  &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;a onblur=&quot;try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}&quot; href=&quot;https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaXOg2g9sKL0YZr4aRtWy-8XGUEixTiqzC8TNdD_L0Ks20qoRhdr7qVXEyFbNkHnm7VHa7mMJi_a_gmB2pHIRotetvwtcDt9UHkUwxkMsKRVh8eHaC0FDzHVjHKUO0SFqdog0AD6kDMPV0/s1600-h/100_1984.JPG&quot;&gt;&lt;img style=&quot;margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;&quot; src=&quot;https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaXOg2g9sKL0YZr4aRtWy-8XGUEixTiqzC8TNdD_L0Ks20qoRhdr7qVXEyFbNkHnm7VHa7mMJi_a_gmB2pHIRotetvwtcDt9UHkUwxkMsKRVh8eHaC0FDzHVjHKUO0SFqdog0AD6kDMPV0/s320/100_1984.JPG&quot; alt=&quot;&quot; id=&quot;BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5283972297632945170&quot; border=&quot;0&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;&quot;&gt;Probably the biggest news is that Corey and I bought our first house in May.&lt;span style=&quot;&quot;&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;&quot;&gt;  &lt;/span&gt;We’re still in the process of maki&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;&quot;&gt;ng it our own (repainting some rooms and changes like that), but we couldn’t be happier here!&lt;span style=&quot;&quot;&gt;  &lt;/span&gt;It’s a split lev&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;&quot;&gt;el house with three &lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;&quot;&gt;levels: the upper level has the three bedrooms and bathroom, the entrance level has the living room and kitchen, and the lower level contains an office/entertainment area, half bath, and laundry room.&lt;span style=&quot;&quot;&gt;  &lt;/span&gt;Now that we have so much space, we definitely have room to &lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;&quot;&gt;house you if you’re ever in the area and need a place to crash!&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;  &lt;p  class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;font-family:arial;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;&quot;&gt;&lt;o:p&gt; &lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;  &lt;p  class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;font-family:arial;&quot;&gt;&lt;!--[if gte vml 1]&gt;&lt;v:shape id=&quot;_x0000_s1027&quot; type=&quot;#_x0000_t75&quot; style=&quot;&#39;position:absolute;margin-left:0;margin-top:15.05pt;width:198pt;&quot;&gt;  &lt;v:imagedata src=&quot;file:///C:\DOCUME~1\Megan\LOCALS~1\Temp\msohtml1\01\clip_image003.jpg&quot; title=&quot;peet100_2325&quot;&gt;  &lt;w:wrap type=&quot;square&quot;&gt; &lt;/v:shape&gt;&lt;![endif]--&gt;&lt;!--[if !vml]--&gt;&lt;!--[endif]--&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p  class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;font-family:arial;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p  class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;font-family:arial;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;&quot;&gt;Also on the home front, we added a new member to our family in October!&lt;span style=&quot;&quot;&gt;  &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;a onblur=&quot;try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}&quot; href=&quot;https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifjuh1j7x5oFG3BNOuW_bcXUBcwWWxSEan3ynmEJEInapB0FFPzPeoQPEXGmRtpZVLh4F6AwxRWM6cz28Q98JtssEKqKgrLO7r0PAgPSunBUiBMWhk2EQQwXUg-_J5cHxUOwnem89bs12E/s1600-h/peet100_2325.JPG&quot;&gt;&lt;img style=&quot;margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 198px;&quot; src=&quot;https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifjuh1j7x5oFG3BNOuW_bcXUBcwWWxSEan3ynmEJEInapB0FFPzPeoQPEXGmRtpZVLh4F6AwxRWM6cz28Q98JtssEKqKgrLO7r0PAgPSunBUiBMWhk2EQQwXUg-_J5cHxUOwnem89bs12E/s320/peet100_2325.JPG&quot; alt=&quot;&quot; id=&quot;BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5283972753077984658&quot; border=&quot;0&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;&quot;&gt;Meet Peet!&lt;span style=&quot;&quot;&gt;  &lt;/span&gt;He was born on August 22 this year (the day after our anniversary!), and he’s a mix of Terrier, Lhasa Apso, and Poodle.&lt;span style=&quot;&quot;&gt;  &lt;/span&gt;We adopted Peet from a local shelter called Pets Without Parents, and he’s pretty much the cutest little bundle of black fluff &lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;&quot;&gt;you’ve ever seen, though he’ll be even cuter once he’s finally potty trained (we’re getting very tired of cleaning up his messes).&lt;span style=&quot;&quot;&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;&quot;&gt;But Sammy sure loves having him as a playmate!&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p  class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;font-family:arial;&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p  class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;font-family:arial;&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;&quot;&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;  &lt;p  class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;font-family:arial;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;&quot;&gt;&lt;o:p&gt; &lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;  &lt;p  class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;font-family:arial;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;&quot;&gt;Corey began his second year in the PhD Program at OSU this fall, and he got to teach his first college-level Latin class this past quarter (or as he refers to it, torturing undergrads!)&lt;span style=&quot;&quot;&gt;  &lt;/span&gt;He must be pretty soft on them though, ‘cause they keep coming back for more.&lt;span style=&quot;&quot;&gt;  &lt;/span&gt;He even had two students wanting to transfer into his class since they liked him so much.&lt;span style=&quot;&quot;&gt;  &lt;/span&gt;He also rocked out the house in a Theories of Religion seminar he took, astounding everyone with his matchless understanding of Foucault and applying the French philosopher’s teaching to Corey’s favorite ancient text, Herodotus’ &lt;i style=&quot;&quot;&gt;Histories&lt;/i&gt;.&lt;span style=&quot;&quot;&gt;  &lt;/span&gt;Every step of the way seems to be another confirmation that Corey is pursuing the right path—he’s doing what he loves and really excelling at it as well.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p  class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;font-family:arial;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;  &lt;p face=&quot;arial&quot; class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;&quot;&gt;&lt;o:p&gt; &lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;  &lt;p face=&quot;arial&quot; class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;&quot;&gt;On my end of things, I’m still bringing in the dough with my mad table-waiting skills.&lt;span style=&quot;&quot;&gt;  &lt;/span&gt;Even though it’s not exactly college- or masters- level work, I’ve really found a job that I love and enjoy going to every day.&lt;span style=&quot;&quot;&gt;  &lt;/span&gt;The people I work with are fantastic, as are the customers.&lt;span style=&quot;&quot;&gt;  &lt;/span&gt;We even have several ‘regulars’ whom I’ve gotten to know somewhat and enjoy getting to chat with whenever they come in.&lt;span style=&quot;&quot;&gt;  &lt;/span&gt;I’m reminded of the ‘career aptitude’ test I had to take in 8&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt; grade . . . the top three jobs for me were waitress, psychologist, and teacher.&lt;span style=&quot;&quot;&gt;  &lt;/span&gt;And you thought those tests were baloney, didn’t you?&lt;span style=&quot;&quot;&gt;  &lt;/span&gt;Speaking of psychologist, I forgot to mention I finally graduated from Gordon-Conwell with my masters in counseling this past May!&lt;span style=&quot;&quot;&gt;  &lt;/span&gt;Go me!&lt;span style=&quot;&quot;&gt;  &lt;/span&gt;And I am actually using it too, even if not monetarily.&lt;span style=&quot;&quot;&gt;  &lt;/span&gt;I’m currently volunteering with the ‘Peer Counseling’ group at a nearby church, and that is going very well.&lt;span style=&quot;&quot;&gt;  &lt;/span&gt;I’m also talking to the pastors of my church about starting up a similar &lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;&quot;&gt;group in our own church to meet the great need there.&lt;span style=&quot;&quot;&gt;  &lt;/span&gt;It will probably be a slow process, but it’s nice to finally feel that I am getting back on track with this counseling stuff after a detour of sorts.&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;  &lt;p face=&quot;arial&quot; class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;&quot;&gt;&lt;o:p&gt; &lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;  &lt;p face=&quot;arial&quot; class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p style=&quot;font-family: arial;&quot; class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;&quot;&gt;It can be difficult to keep updated with everyone, especially when they’re far away, so I hope that this fills in a bit where my communication has been lacking.&lt;span style=&quot;&quot;&gt; &lt;/span&gt; I pray that God blesses you with peace and love this holiday season, and every good thing according to his will.&lt;span style=&quot;&quot;&gt;  &lt;/span&gt;I would love to hear what’s going on with you as well, so keep in touch!&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;  &lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot;  style=&quot;font-family:arial;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;&quot;&gt;&lt;o:p&gt; &lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;  &lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot;  style=&quot;text-align: center;font-family:arial;&quot; align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;&lt;b  style=&quot;font-family:trebuchet ms;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size:20;&quot;&gt;Merry Christmas and a happy&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;b  style=&quot;font-family:trebuchet ms;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size:20;&quot;&gt; new year!&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;a onblur=&quot;try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}&quot; href=&quot;https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnGI_uWGLZ3o3DCO5e-ncrPvGK8MpiQjrmgjVVBOzicpodttM3uOL0qT2jJlbg4KLR_9WSVFvV6OvNkpst1Yaq9EwouB-SCQbFwj_AhBYKTGzbGkNm-3zntKK7OAFRvuhQdGPjW6A-OZKC/s1600-h/christmas+photo.jpg&quot;&gt;&lt;img style=&quot;margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 235px;&quot; src=&quot;https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnGI_uWGLZ3o3DCO5e-ncrPvGK8MpiQjrmgjVVBOzicpodttM3uOL0qT2jJlbg4KLR_9WSVFvV6OvNkpst1Yaq9EwouB-SCQbFwj_AhBYKTGzbGkNm-3zntKK7OAFRvuhQdGPjW6A-OZKC/s320/christmas+photo.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;&quot; id=&quot;BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5283973163488060018&quot; border=&quot;0&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;  &lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot;  style=&quot;text-align: center;font-family:arial;&quot; align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;&lt;b style=&quot;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size:20;&quot;&gt;&lt;!--[if gte vml 1]&gt;&lt;v:shape id=&quot;_x0000_i1025&quot; type=&quot;#_x0000_t75&quot; style=&quot;&#39;width:345.75pt;height:254.25pt&#39;&quot;&gt;  &lt;v:imagedata src=&quot;file:///C:\DOCUME~1\Megan\LOCALS~1\Temp\msohtml1\01\clip_image005.jpg&quot; title=&quot;christmas photo&quot;&gt; &lt;/v:shape&gt;&lt;![endif]--&gt;&lt;!--[if !vml]--&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;!--[endif]--&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size:14;&quot;&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;  &lt;p style=&quot;font-family: arial;&quot; class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size:14;&quot;&gt;&lt;o:p&gt; &lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;  &lt;p style=&quot;font-family: arial;&quot; class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size:14;&quot;&gt;&lt;o:p&gt; &lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;  &lt;p style=&quot;font-family: arial;&quot; class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;font-size:100%;&quot;&gt;love,&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;  &lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;;font-family:&amp;quot;;font-size:14;&quot;  &gt;&lt;span style=&quot;;font-family:arial;font-size:100%;&quot;  &gt;megan, corey, sammy, and peet hackworth&lt;/span&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;  &lt;p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot; style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot; align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;&lt;b style=&quot;&quot;&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;;font-family:&amp;quot;;font-size:20;&quot;  &gt;&lt;o:p&gt; &lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description><link>http://megan-land.blogspot.com/2008/12/christmas-letter-2008.html</link><author>noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous)</author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" url="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaXOg2g9sKL0YZr4aRtWy-8XGUEixTiqzC8TNdD_L0Ks20qoRhdr7qVXEyFbNkHnm7VHa7mMJi_a_gmB2pHIRotetvwtcDt9UHkUwxkMsKRVh8eHaC0FDzHVjHKUO0SFqdog0AD6kDMPV0/s72-c/100_1984.JPG" height="72" width="72"/><thr:total>1</thr:total></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-310874567218954537.post-7799306808739804640</guid><pubDate>Thu, 18 Dec 2008 06:55:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2008-12-18T02:30:39.398-05:00</atom:updated><title>the party</title><description>&lt;a onblur=&quot;try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}&quot; href=&quot;https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpgWiiZ2_iVQ7ZVN7F1KJuljeAMcnUtN7owRCE6EmJtMWStp018TVAMg6mt1gx4WeNXvxCHf_pDOKB_KTrIFlvjexoLa9_Ope6wLdKJpE_t_F8-uuZ0l1NCBB0Prz-4F6PrGkjrTGzQaob/s1600-h/100_2383.JPG&quot;&gt;&lt;img style=&quot;margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;&quot; src=&quot;https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpgWiiZ2_iVQ7ZVN7F1KJuljeAMcnUtN7owRCE6EmJtMWStp018TVAMg6mt1gx4WeNXvxCHf_pDOKB_KTrIFlvjexoLa9_Ope6wLdKJpE_t_F8-uuZ0l1NCBB0Prz-4F6PrGkjrTGzQaob/s320/100_2383.JPG&quot; alt=&quot;&quot; id=&quot;BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5281022866512574178&quot; border=&quot;0&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;I&#39;d say it was a success. We had a really good turnout and it seemed that pretty much everyone enjoyed themselves. Yay!&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Peet was our Santa Claus, and he and Sammy actually did really well during the party...you could tell that they were really enjoying themselves, and they didn&#39;t scare any of the kids too bad either.  Dad asked me to post some pictures, and I only took a few, but here they are, just for you Daddy!&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a onblur=&quot;try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}&quot; href=&quot;https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj559365oRdhYcpfcEFyFfoNKT7AkqieGUJY3Ib9p88NDMuvc1_YybpS9p5yVnauCb9L6LWd95pCNZjG8monfGPcCHogU5dCalbVcA5iEy5S5b15v31xi1KayWiWYn3XKVq2zKAIAJO5qfy/s1600-h/100_2384.JPG&quot;&gt;&lt;img style=&quot;margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;&quot; src=&quot;https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj559365oRdhYcpfcEFyFfoNKT7AkqieGUJY3Ib9p88NDMuvc1_YybpS9p5yVnauCb9L6LWd95pCNZjG8monfGPcCHogU5dCalbVcA5iEy5S5b15v31xi1KayWiWYn3XKVq2zKAIAJO5qfy/s320/100_2384.JPG&quot; 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href=&quot;https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNb8aKyhyu12qfp4zV_pilXXo32vHKyYz0i5QRTUhZdmmjrCQ7pdmFO6rMm_-MeDC4z9GC0YCw4VG50li2-JCZnB3ja0trmgjAFk-MkqJl2HTBbdb-67-KRRR_AFNiFHCqwNuWZ2oBfxgM/s1600-h/100_2379.JPG&quot;&gt;&lt;img style=&quot;margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;&quot; src=&quot;https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNb8aKyhyu12qfp4zV_pilXXo32vHKyYz0i5QRTUhZdmmjrCQ7pdmFO6rMm_-MeDC4z9GC0YCw4VG50li2-JCZnB3ja0trmgjAFk-MkqJl2HTBbdb-67-KRRR_AFNiFHCqwNuWZ2oBfxgM/s320/100_2379.JPG&quot; alt=&quot;&quot; id=&quot;BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5281021224533478034&quot; border=&quot;0&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a onblur=&quot;try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}&quot; href=&quot;https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieWL7VqOY3qWR6OM9vDBbsDXTeHibmgZTSb_1Z2XQ4p7ydvxoB0Dc0McOdLfvkJ1VffL5nilD05_s6FXy1M38Pate9M7_zWkm2jO0K4vS8Jr5sNYD1RmU76PSNyaHmbLnMULPU-KceOa4w/s1600-h/100_2380.JPG&quot;&gt;&lt;img style=&quot;margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;&quot; src=&quot;https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieWL7VqOY3qWR6OM9vDBbsDXTeHibmgZTSb_1Z2XQ4p7ydvxoB0Dc0McOdLfvkJ1VffL5nilD05_s6FXy1M38Pate9M7_zWkm2jO0K4vS8Jr5sNYD1RmU76PSNyaHmbLnMULPU-KceOa4w/s320/100_2380.JPG&quot; alt=&quot;&quot; id=&quot;BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5281021224793200098&quot; border=&quot;0&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a onblur=&quot;try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}&quot; href=&quot;https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-XxXnGBlkGj0o-qr1EaW-OChK8FZhvEIYkK7gWuEmIG5yZJSuSXI9y-HjQOn4HMP41RsfZvc8f1T0yB5J2BIzl4uiOXSsrqE-P_Sn4y-lxS_RoK393uTkcsjdO0mWbLdC9CDkze0E6qtB/s1600-h/100_2381.JPG&quot;&gt;&lt;img style=&quot;margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;&quot; src=&quot;https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-XxXnGBlkGj0o-qr1EaW-OChK8FZhvEIYkK7gWuEmIG5yZJSuSXI9y-HjQOn4HMP41RsfZvc8f1T0yB5J2BIzl4uiOXSsrqE-P_Sn4y-lxS_RoK393uTkcsjdO0mWbLdC9CDkze0E6qtB/s320/100_2381.JPG&quot; alt=&quot;&quot; id=&quot;BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5281021216328714594&quot; border=&quot;0&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a onblur=&quot;try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}&quot; href=&quot;https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC9aFsZQhzH16gRXR6pILHRNny_6WLF6xymvyS2atN2kqDrCifCU4pZqPvLMRSSMvFDxygma_nYU46gUmWZ-MlBLdq1oK2MzfABvaB0z3sS4hjjj2BOe7RiBUmW8gl9_OKScbPGTi8f9C8/s1600-h/100_2382.JPG&quot;&gt;&lt;img style=&quot;margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;&quot; src=&quot;https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC9aFsZQhzH16gRXR6pILHRNny_6WLF6xymvyS2atN2kqDrCifCU4pZqPvLMRSSMvFDxygma_nYU46gUmWZ-MlBLdq1oK2MzfABvaB0z3sS4hjjj2BOe7RiBUmW8gl9_OKScbPGTi8f9C8/s320/100_2382.JPG&quot; alt=&quot;&quot; id=&quot;BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5281021212244681362&quot; border=&quot;0&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;Here are a few after-party pics, while I had the camera out... Corey with the leftovers&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a onblur=&quot;try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}&quot; href=&quot;https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC7DxWAMpRc8afGJNfrnPbL2TTeNgtzZ_PBtwNdlDDEvz8HbZXt-t9J74yAYNH6IIsmVqpXAHGAsjgY-_gkFamhCF6aSzJgcuWmlzQrPrFdf3JH7S5IrzD2A7kLSLI7LckgZuj2VObIuXI/s1600-h/100_2387.JPG&quot;&gt;&lt;img style=&quot;margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;&quot; src=&quot;https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC7DxWAMpRc8afGJNfrnPbL2TTeNgtzZ_PBtwNdlDDEvz8HbZXt-t9J74yAYNH6IIsmVqpXAHGAsjgY-_gkFamhCF6aSzJgcuWmlzQrPrFdf3JH7S5IrzD2A7kLSLI7LckgZuj2VObIuXI/s320/100_2387.JPG&quot; alt=&quot;&quot; id=&quot;BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5281023911217948706&quot; border=&quot;0&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;feeding Sammy a piece of ham...now you understand why the dogs liked the party so...&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a onblur=&quot;try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}&quot; href=&quot;https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji2HFXbX3eSMmnzH4V85Aq5rMu8BNu3z_D_uUMh7qUyG7gfkxvkfYjOqbYrH6O0agluHnqnKEruOEZqduG3HuHMeeMRAFxWhzpy6Usoh7c5JzJWld4ANr-gvsEw_CmsV-AcIBvuJ4VPW4M/s1600-h/100_2388.JPG&quot;&gt;&lt;img style=&quot;margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;&quot; src=&quot;https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji2HFXbX3eSMmnzH4V85Aq5rMu8BNu3z_D_uUMh7qUyG7gfkxvkfYjOqbYrH6O0agluHnqnKEruOEZqduG3HuHMeeMRAFxWhzpy6Usoh7c5JzJWld4ANr-gvsEw_CmsV-AcIBvuJ4VPW4M/s320/100_2388.JPG&quot; alt=&quot;&quot; id=&quot;BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5281023917980158194&quot; border=&quot;0&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;the living room&lt;a onblur=&quot;try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}&quot; href=&quot;https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7UX0Xt-Aj1WwIqRihfmZK4ITC-bmQq4ZL40ZJwuhdHz01OdHdkbig23G11nG9T62cg5Xvn3jtLaEcpsIEu_QSe25lbA1oJN1cqhetL-EkYPS1tIRMvwRVeBf9FLdXsoguH9_Ox_Br5pvL/s1600-h/100_2390.JPG&quot;&gt;&lt;img style=&quot;margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;&quot; src=&quot;https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7UX0Xt-Aj1WwIqRihfmZK4ITC-bmQq4ZL40ZJwuhdHz01OdHdkbig23G11nG9T62cg5Xvn3jtLaEcpsIEu_QSe25lbA1oJN1cqhetL-EkYPS1tIRMvwRVeBf9FLdXsoguH9_Ox_Br5pvL/s320/100_2390.JPG&quot; alt=&quot;&quot; id=&quot;BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5281023917713635970&quot; border=&quot;0&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;the tree...notice my lovely handmade coat hanger and garland star, just like I had growing up&lt;a onblur=&quot;try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}&quot; href=&quot;https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw_AdeuLiPF_ZwZ1UVGBQ8n3hUY1MWG6gKLMpjjqMX_-HOS-QzJHE-k1Jw0gRFKB1QVIHWucowM2JK_Iai07IVQCY1Y9-DKdrxsaAnXKey6F1z0B9zq0v-5SjBTkBZP7otGu1m7gMpEOhC/s1600-h/100_2391.JPG&quot;&gt;&lt;img style=&quot;margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 213px; height: 320px;&quot; src=&quot;https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw_AdeuLiPF_ZwZ1UVGBQ8n3hUY1MWG6gKLMpjjqMX_-HOS-QzJHE-k1Jw0gRFKB1QVIHWucowM2JK_Iai07IVQCY1Y9-DKdrxsaAnXKey6F1z0B9zq0v-5SjBTkBZP7otGu1m7gMpEOhC/s320/100_2391.JPG&quot; alt=&quot;&quot; id=&quot;BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5281023921146087634&quot; border=&quot;0&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;more of the living room...&lt;a onblur=&quot;try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}&quot; href=&quot;https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUJQXnXrZA51X91XPhrCu3AzBROfYVNbnJLdwA53eh6oEWtD2YHp1PY_RBnUX47cD0A_16u2ZOjZF2HR_Cbs2eNZWGsQkvrYEdCdg4vP5aZBbOTZJKht40Xva1F3Ixwk-fpOZGnwdpVLjQ/s1600-h/100_2392.JPG&quot;&gt;&lt;img style=&quot;margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;&quot; src=&quot;https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUJQXnXrZA51X91XPhrCu3AzBROfYVNbnJLdwA53eh6oEWtD2YHp1PY_RBnUX47cD0A_16u2ZOjZF2HR_Cbs2eNZWGsQkvrYEdCdg4vP5aZBbOTZJKht40Xva1F3Ixwk-fpOZGnwdpVLjQ/s320/100_2392.JPG&quot; alt=&quot;&quot; id=&quot;BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5281023927031678610&quot; border=&quot;0&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;a onblur=&quot;try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}&quot; href=&quot;https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvyk-5PKjPpj1GZ3WhurGxFusIIKjpbF2I1kK-36em_ZB7_z_BNBr_v-IP4sv9LW1RcdP59xjLNesus6Bdo9i4KDZrnKlVlhykgsDaiiu805jBLmDZ_AFilCEEN4RyMRjC92c1Rvr-P2b6/s1600-h/100_2393.JPG&quot;&gt;&lt;img style=&quot;margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;&quot; src=&quot;https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvyk-5PKjPpj1GZ3WhurGxFusIIKjpbF2I1kK-36em_ZB7_z_BNBr_v-IP4sv9LW1RcdP59xjLNesus6Bdo9i4KDZrnKlVlhykgsDaiiu805jBLmDZ_AFilCEEN4RyMRjC92c1Rvr-P2b6/s320/100_2393.JPG&quot; alt=&quot;&quot; id=&quot;BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5281024878327154866&quot; border=&quot;0&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;where the doggies sleep&lt;a onblur=&quot;try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}&quot; href=&quot;https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsPnP_D-hjt3nVhQYRI0KdunE_E76BGVvhapkOPcZb7cFHQoQArx3A97-3inaGCBiZSOtx6PnODNpFOsL5EdzO1ib9r5-3E8tkrutTnBFf4vD88fFMZd9tjG1qRnw80hgfOUGTXeKKjuu2/s1600-h/100_2394.JPG&quot;&gt;&lt;img style=&quot;margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;&quot; src=&quot;https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsPnP_D-hjt3nVhQYRI0KdunE_E76BGVvhapkOPcZb7cFHQoQArx3A97-3inaGCBiZSOtx6PnODNpFOsL5EdzO1ib9r5-3E8tkrutTnBFf4vD88fFMZd9tjG1qRnw80hgfOUGTXeKKjuu2/s320/100_2394.JPG&quot; alt=&quot;&quot; id=&quot;BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5281024887547373154&quot; border=&quot;0&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;a onblur=&quot;try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}&quot; href=&quot;https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHD5TnjkEscWwfblKmmyxO8mQfaeTEkuNxy0tENmnrYOy8a2ShjGdEc-T7j6DosdIRAUxHaw1a3Hrva_aZiZ6N1wYGSc3W42rRgTmx1UUr46jANCBYPjEFIhcIrbvOgysn9QgfQev-zN9Q/s1600-h/100_2395.JPG&quot;&gt;&lt;img style=&quot;margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 213px; height: 320px;&quot; src=&quot;https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHD5TnjkEscWwfblKmmyxO8mQfaeTEkuNxy0tENmnrYOy8a2ShjGdEc-T7j6DosdIRAUxHaw1a3Hrva_aZiZ6N1wYGSc3W42rRgTmx1UUr46jANCBYPjEFIhcIrbvOgysn9QgfQev-zN9Q/s320/100_2395.JPG&quot; alt=&quot;&quot; id=&quot;BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5281024888939450050&quot; border=&quot;0&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;since I posted the &#39;house tour&#39; pictures before I was really ready to show off the whole house, here are a few extras...&lt;br /&gt;the &#39;middle bedroom&#39; as we call it...it&#39;s the tiny one.  we use it as a reading/craft (for me) room, and it&#39;s actually quite pleasant now.  I couldn&#39;t get a better picture angle cause the room is to small:&lt;a onblur=&quot;try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}&quot; href=&quot;https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwdqBZT2qEhMxItSacjyFkDqt9TcXMftztmawm_wqUJa8uU22ddK1MGn7EFq0jeVa51LOQKoyttqUlHZLwDnHSuHRHBsyjaRlCSHV8uaq7pFj48Cw71ZM1V2gS5iuhdsQrfvOZlDxsvRTn/s1600-h/100_2396.JPG&quot;&gt;&lt;img style=&quot;margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;&quot; src=&quot;https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwdqBZT2qEhMxItSacjyFkDqt9TcXMftztmawm_wqUJa8uU22ddK1MGn7EFq0jeVa51LOQKoyttqUlHZLwDnHSuHRHBsyjaRlCSHV8uaq7pFj48Cw71ZM1V2gS5iuhdsQrfvOZlDxsvRTn/s320/100_2396.JPG&quot; alt=&quot;&quot; id=&quot;BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5281024897967209074&quot; border=&quot;0&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;the guest bedroom, all decked out in Dad and MA&#39;s old furniture...&lt;a onblur=&quot;try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}&quot; href=&quot;https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuV92bALdl2-OqR6-BAglu5TPtH7Jeb5U-j75eVC9wwYbR-PsU0VG0eHj7rz-Kdtj_F3FSc2YAeYytagmHV6G-W4s6w1k57sj-2-kEQiacmZn4TUDDBb9b1mAislVaGnsuvbiG8RihJoYH/s1600-h/100_2397.JPG&quot;&gt;&lt;img style=&quot;margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;&quot; src=&quot;https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuV92bALdl2-OqR6-BAglu5TPtH7Jeb5U-j75eVC9wwYbR-PsU0VG0eHj7rz-Kdtj_F3FSc2YAeYytagmHV6G-W4s6w1k57sj-2-kEQiacmZn4TUDDBb9b1mAislVaGnsuvbiG8RihJoYH/s320/100_2397.JPG&quot; alt=&quot;&quot; id=&quot;BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5281024897576404146&quot; border=&quot;0&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;a onblur=&quot;try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}&quot; href=&quot;https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCAVfmIkC1rjwR8AvFs-uXRWkbiRzb4dGUI31zo0PigFgLiovvprEtCSUD8TGJ1-7tjIKetoDyCenb9XshsQzyqXNP2ztmuZjnx2l_1m1AMnTYK6CVlTmIL6Vzeh3v4P87NvijoJCcpMQD/s1600-h/100_2398.JPG&quot;&gt;&lt;img style=&quot;margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;&quot; src=&quot;https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCAVfmIkC1rjwR8AvFs-uXRWkbiRzb4dGUI31zo0PigFgLiovvprEtCSUD8TGJ1-7tjIKetoDyCenb9XshsQzyqXNP2ztmuZjnx2l_1m1AMnTYK6CVlTmIL6Vzeh3v4P87NvijoJCcpMQD/s320/100_2398.JPG&quot; alt=&quot;&quot; id=&quot;BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5281025753317935170&quot; border=&quot;0&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;and since of course you&#39;re curious about the bathroom, but too shy to ask... &lt;a onblur=&quot;try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}&quot; href=&quot;https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggtTzUyEmkak4u39xavstvfiBWmEMupY38jVNcO0V9RN4hIQYmr4ov_g4DOvrtXRXS9sNLjzlTZ05VesPLGAGvrowUF5W75UUL_4bmB8O4HiTWTd7Cf4j-8V4SVCdNqQX_tYzaiPpNdxtG/s1600-h/100_2399.JPG&quot;&gt;&lt;img style=&quot;margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 213px; height: 320px;&quot; src=&quot;https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggtTzUyEmkak4u39xavstvfiBWmEMupY38jVNcO0V9RN4hIQYmr4ov_g4DOvrtXRXS9sNLjzlTZ05VesPLGAGvrowUF5W75UUL_4bmB8O4HiTWTd7Cf4j-8V4SVCdNqQX_tYzaiPpNdxtG/s320/100_2399.JPG&quot; alt=&quot;&quot; id=&quot;BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5281025753254473890&quot; border=&quot;0&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a onblur=&quot;try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}&quot; href=&quot;https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuczEb9v9eVweGCZVQXIWLMt1VwXB_zIpmzrzbq7t1FQWfd64Q310TfOVqhriG9MK-gpzf6TE1KPIZjIlDnBU3g65x8165021uBg4rSo8pZR-OVGARncpghwMV9h_DBxS2iYBnSbTsxyii/s1600-h/100_2401.JPG&quot;&gt;&lt;img style=&quot;margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 213px; height: 320px;&quot; src=&quot;https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuczEb9v9eVweGCZVQXIWLMt1VwXB_zIpmzrzbq7t1FQWfd64Q310TfOVqhriG9MK-gpzf6TE1KPIZjIlDnBU3g65x8165021uBg4rSo8pZR-OVGARncpghwMV9h_DBxS2iYBnSbTsxyii/s320/100_2401.JPG&quot; alt=&quot;&quot; id=&quot;BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5281028131335475394&quot; border=&quot;0&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;</description><link>http://megan-land.blogspot.com/2008/12/party.html</link><author>noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous)</author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" url="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpgWiiZ2_iVQ7ZVN7F1KJuljeAMcnUtN7owRCE6EmJtMWStp018TVAMg6mt1gx4WeNXvxCHf_pDOKB_KTrIFlvjexoLa9_Ope6wLdKJpE_t_F8-uuZ0l1NCBB0Prz-4F6PrGkjrTGzQaob/s72-c/100_2383.JPG" height="72" width="72"/><thr:total>2</thr:total></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-310874567218954537.post-306973863087984774</guid><pubDate>Mon, 15 Dec 2008 05:18:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2008-12-15T00:24:45.172-05:00</atom:updated><title>fun in the snow</title><description>It snowed a week or so back, and the puppies and neighbor kids really enjoyed it.  Here&#39;s my limited documentation:&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: left;&quot;&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;text-align: center;&quot;&gt;&lt;iframe allowfullscreen=&#39;allowfullscreen&#39; webkitallowfullscreen=&#39;webkitallowfullscreen&#39; mozallowfullscreen=&#39;mozallowfullscreen&#39; width=&#39;320&#39; height=&#39;266&#39; src=&#39;https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwsTcbDfjtzqEmFIBdrgyLb1uTMs_nc8wz47Mf43s-yXxOits4SNy06AFEOsn-Z2jam2grzrZsfvt4hjDMJUw&#39; class=&#39;b-hbp-video b-uploaded&#39; frameborder=&#39;0&#39;&gt;&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;leah&#39;s snow angel&lt;a onblur=&quot;try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}&quot; href=&quot;https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpXmcNIaFkBbw-9WIVvFUSiWFqp09mDl4dXyduoTmrh34vrE8XKqm1rGoETRTZEyFARmzWID8Q3NZho-NxvIRp1OgR22NRYMCyFHxZA2P31O_Gq-YYKSlzV3AumIiOzvQZwX_ZSmOvDY4m/s1600-h/100_2372.jpg&quot;&gt;&lt;img style=&quot;margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;&quot; src=&quot;https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpXmcNIaFkBbw-9WIVvFUSiWFqp09mDl4dXyduoTmrh34vrE8XKqm1rGoETRTZEyFARmzWID8Q3NZho-NxvIRp1OgR22NRYMCyFHxZA2P31O_Gq-YYKSlzV3AumIiOzvQZwX_ZSmOvDY4m/s320/100_2372.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;&quot; id=&quot;BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5279882535754214754&quot; border=&quot;0&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;a onblur=&quot;try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}&quot; href=&quot;https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZBVMiz6l1noqIkd37UU21sTkLxn9ogRHs1HAXFo7XyIVNsu3KeQFXrnwxg2J5xAf3E3BYa8CrUyzuP4cBPSjRnHdTAChMbWczwl5wVhDjy6JhUlOCkYIOvOz1pAfxYRnmxXANy2r8lXd7/s1600-h/100_2373.jpg&quot;&gt;&lt;img style=&quot;margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;&quot; src=&quot;https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZBVMiz6l1noqIkd37UU21sTkLxn9ogRHs1HAXFo7XyIVNsu3KeQFXrnwxg2J5xAf3E3BYa8CrUyzuP4cBPSjRnHdTAChMbWczwl5wVhDjy6JhUlOCkYIOvOz1pAfxYRnmxXANy2r8lXd7/s320/100_2373.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;&quot; id=&quot;BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5279882539299889202&quot; border=&quot;0&quot; /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</description><enclosure type='video/mp4' url='http://www.blogger.com/video-play.mp4?contentId=7fa9f2a7118e0e88&amp;type=video%2Fmp4' length='0'/><link>http://megan-land.blogspot.com/2008/12/fun-in-snow.html</link><author>noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous)</author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" url="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpXmcNIaFkBbw-9WIVvFUSiWFqp09mDl4dXyduoTmrh34vrE8XKqm1rGoETRTZEyFARmzWID8Q3NZho-NxvIRp1OgR22NRYMCyFHxZA2P31O_Gq-YYKSlzV3AumIiOzvQZwX_ZSmOvDY4m/s72-c/100_2372.jpg" height="72" width="72"/><thr:total>0</thr:total></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-310874567218954537.post-8089781572063382470</guid><pubDate>Sat, 06 Dec 2008 06:38:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2008-12-06T02:17:35.103-05:00</atom:updated><title>blog tag?</title><description>Well, I suppose I&#39;ll play along. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Virginie tagged me in her blog, and I see that I&#39;m supposed to give you a link to it so &lt;a href=&quot;http://rantreturned.blogspot.com/&quot;&gt;here you go&lt;/a&gt;.  I never knew this about V when we were roommates, but she&#39;s quite the food photographer (and quite the cook I might add).  Much more adventurous in the baking world than I, she posts pictures of her successes along with recipes and/or links (when you&#39;re lucky - not to imply that I have actually used them...me, cook?  ha!)  So here are the rules to this tag game:&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;1. link the tagger and post the rules (check)&lt;br /&gt;2. post 5 random facts about yourself&lt;br /&gt;3. tag friends and link to them&lt;br /&gt;4. let them know they have been tagged by leaving a nice little message on their blog.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Ok 5 random facts, in the order they come to mind.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;1-My house came with a pooper scooper, which I&#39;ve gotten quite a bit of use out of lately.  The house came with a lot of things actually (guess they have as much trouble moving as we do), but I found the pooper scooper particularly interesting because the former owners don&#39;t have a dog.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;2-Not only do I have a MA in counseling, I&#39;m actually getting to use it (sort of, though not monetarily).  I had my first appt with my peer-counselee at the Sunbury Vineyard church on Thursday, and we&#39;ll be meeting for regular counseling.  Plus, I have a meeting with one of the pastors of my church next week to talk about setting up a peer counseling program at our church!  cool.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;3-Vodka tonic.  Corey corrupted me to start drinking when we were at Gordon-Conwell, but I think he hoped I would only stay with his &#39;refined&#39; tastes of red wine.  He was shocked when I admitted that I thought beer was actually not all that bad (he does like beer much more than I do though), and pretty much flabbergasted when he found out that I drank vodka tonic when I went out with friends after work.  It&#39;s a slippery slope you see.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;4-Sometimes when it&#39;s cold and I&#39;m knitting, I have to take off my engagement ring because it slips around on my finger and goes underneath my hand instead of staying on top where it belongs. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;5-I&#39;m having a Christmas party this year.  I have a house now, so what better way to celebrate.  We&#39;ll see if anyone comes to it!  ;)&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Well, you &lt;span style=&quot;font-style: italic;&quot;&gt;did&lt;/span&gt; say random.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Now for the tagging bit...who has blogs?&lt;br /&gt;Grant Wentzel: &lt;a href=&quot;http://blog.gw-1.com/&quot;&gt;Ouch. That&#39;s Hot.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Jarrod Justice: &lt;a href=&quot;http://jarrodjusticepaintings.blogspot.com/&quot;&gt;jarrod justice paintings&lt;/a&gt; (can you play tag on a painting blog?)&lt;br /&gt;Praveen &amp;amp; Rebecca: &lt;a href=&quot;http://babysethupathy.blogspot.com/&quot;&gt;Baby Sethupathy&lt;/a&gt; (want more baby updates, by the way!)&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;So now to just leave the nice little messages and call it done.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;adios amigos!</description><link>http://megan-land.blogspot.com/2008/12/blog-tag.html</link><author>noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous)</author><thr:total>2</thr:total></item></channel></rss>

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