Lent & the things I love

So my mother sends out a weekly note and this week's was about Lent. Here's her message:

this week starts Lent; traditionally folks get to 'pig out' today, followed by the Ash Wednesday service tomorrow and the beginning for most of giving up something for 40 days. While giving up something is still a good way to be reminded of the sacrifices Jesus faced, another way to look at Lent and the next 40 plus days (Sundays are usually excluded from the count) is to do something that you normally wouldn't do - instead of giving something up. And of course, God wants us to do these things by not boasting and saying 'look at me; at what I'm doing or giving up' but by doing it without all the noise. A few ideas to consider - reading a bible passage every day or a Lenten devotion, doing at least one thing for someone else each day, volunteering, saying kind words and maybe even putting money in a jar every time we say something negative... There are a number of things we can do - even making note each day of the blessings we all have in our lives - to each of us, it's personal what we decide. But as we move into Lent and the death of Jesus, we are reminded of how much God loves us; I hope you all feel that too.

So, thanks to the fact that I finally sat down and caught up on some friends' blogs, I came up with the idea to write about something every day that I love (thanks Mary!). That shouldn't be too hard. Coming up with a list was pretty easy. And I'm totally going to copy something else from Mary!
I love my daughter's name! Rebecca Dawn Cottle came to us very easily as a name for a daughter. Steve's mother is Mary Rebecca and goes by Becky. My mother is Dawn Christine and my middle name is Dawn. Rebecca Dawn was too easy and so easy to love. I tend to interchange Rebecca and Beca a lot. I know it drives people crazy that I shortened her name to Beca with one "c" and not two. Well, that's for something else I loved. I had a sister in college who I adored and she was (and still is) fabulous. I loved how bright and vivacious she always was and strong and smart. And her nickname was Beca with one "c". I've always loved how it looks and how easy it is to write or type in. And it is just a little different. Plus, 4 letters costs less than 5 when you have to pay by the letter so this appealed to my demented practical side. But it really was easy for Beca to learn how to spell the shortened version of her name. We started spelling out "B-E-C-A" before she was 2 and she mostly got the hang of it. She can't write it yet but she now knows that B and R both can start her name. And any letter in her name that she spots she will say "My name starts with that". But letters aren't her strong suit. Regardless, I love her name and I love to hear her say "I'm Rebecca Dawn Cottle".

Cruise

Ha - I did upload pictures somewhere... click on the Title of the post "Cruise" to see them!
I have honestly been focused on scrapbooking since the weekend after the cruise I went to the beach and did 46 pages on the cruise (um, but we're only through the morning of Day 3). This weekend I've done another 10 pages - only 2 more pages and day 3 will be done. And I've finally finished writing all my notes in and putting page protectors on our Disney December 2007 trip. So I'm kind of tapped out frorm writing about the cruise. Except that it was awesome and we are getting ready to go on another - which we'll be able to dod with our vacation club. Just need to figure out when.

Finally, a resolution I can stick to

I realized, with the insanity of the beginning of the year, that I did not really make a resolution. My friend Jeremy has said he has stuck by his and has not had a cigarette all year. That's only funny because Jeremy doesn't smoke! So, resolutions I can keep this year:
- No bow-hunting trips
- No shooting guns
- No starting riots
- No cleaning chimneys
- Cut back on roller derby

Actually, my resolution was originally to hurry through all the crap in our house in time to clean out for a nursery. I think I'll stick to that even if the nursery won't necessarily be needed within this year.
I also had a resolution to start cleaning my house up regularly (joint with Steve). We're doing pretty good, actually. 2 Dysons (1 for up stairs and 1 for down) makes it a little easier. Good thing too. With a cut in my pay, I couldn't afford the cleaning lady anyway. And we've found all kinds of things they missed.
And with the Wii Fit, I am actually getting some stretching, etc. in most days. So, I don't necessarily want to lose weight but I do want to get a little stronger.

I think I'll add "eat massive amounts of girl scout cookies" now. That sounds like a resolution I really can keep too.

funny little 20 year old

Well, sometimes the things that come out of Beca's mouth seem like she's 20!
My mom sent me this note the other day:

"did I tell you that in the middle of our dinner last Thursday, Beca said, 'Betty, how is your mother?' it was very cute. Then when we went to leave, she said, 'thank you very much for having lunch with me, Betty.'"

she's an absolute riot sometimes!

and, no I haven't written anything since we got back from the cruise. I've either been working on cruise pictures, cruise scrapbook, or being miserably sick. Beca has a double ear infection and Steve and I had the same ear/cough/congestion crud. Starting to feel better though - I can hear out of my right ear for more than an hour at a time now. We're all on some sort of antibiotic. Maybe this weekend we won't feel like shut-ins.

One more Beca story - tonight, she was at my parents while Steve was knocking some sense into 7th graders at confirmation class and I was supposed to be scrapbooking but I forgot my pictures and it's kind of hard to do that without pictures so I came home and made a baby shower centerpiece - it's a diaper cake. Anyway, back to Beca. My mom keeps an old set of curlers (or rollers) in her bathroom as decoration - the kind with the spiky things coming out of them. She used to have to sleep in these evil torture devices and there is the cutest picture of her and her sister where they have their hair up in these curlers. Pop-pop snapped this picture tonight:
Beca was all excited by the time she got home to tell me that she had curlers in her hair - which she loves to sing during "Maria" in Sound of Music.

Happy 33rd Fit Birthday!

Today, Beca had the most exciting day! Not only is it Daddy's 33rd birthday (and Uncle Bobby's), it was also Pajama Day and a Valentine's party at school! She was so very excited. With her purple Jasmine pj's on and pink poodle in hand, she was so excited to wake Daddy up and sing happy birthday and then watch him open his presents! His present was a Wii Fit. Beca told us that we needed to do what was on the box and the girls had to do the pose with our hands above our head. She kept trying to get her foot up on her leg to do the pose and then she'd swing her hands over her head. It was very funny.

Our magical voyage!

We're back from our fabulous, wonderful, hectic, relaxing, rocking, rolling, fantastic, beautiful, amazing, and truly MAGICAL Disney cruise. It was a great time and I had to post one picture right away:
This is what Steve and I did on Disney's private island, Castaway Cay (pronounced "Key") back on the adult only beach and this is why we plan on going back for another cruise sometime soon! Beca played with her friends and counselors at their beach and for most of the week. This is the best kind of family vacation ever. Stay tuned for details on our ocean adventure! And my parents and brother and his buddy Pedro also had fun! And Beca learned that you can do anything with "Faith, Trust aaaaaand PIXIE DUST!" You have to get her to do the hand motions though. It's completely adorable. I don't care if you don't believe in it. At least she and I do!
For those with Facebook, get to be Steve's friend and he'll be putting up videos and some pictures. I'll get pictures posted here too!

Snow Snow Snow Snow

So in our little world "snow" is always sung four times in attempted four-part harmony - just like "White Christmas". Beca loves that song. And apparently snow too.
Our wake up this morning was "There's snow falling on our cars - come see, come see!" Since I had been up most of the night (why is "Bring It On" such an amusing movie to watch and oddly like a fishing show where you just can't turn it off or by-pass it?), I had seen the starting of the accumulating snow. Which we really hadn't seen a real accumulation since before Beca was born - I think Zoe was only 1 (I can't believe my poodle is almost 6). Then she said to me "Now we can go skiing". I told her maybe when she is about 6. So we called Oma and Pop-pop at 7AM because Beca had to tell them all about all the snow on her playground and in her backyard and all over Daddy's car and the trees. Then she got upset because Zoe got to go outside first. Ummm, see the dog has to pee. Which said dog refused to do for a while. Beca also got upset because Mommy and Daddy have ski pants and she didn't (hello - this is your fist snow experience and we're not buying ski pants for you when your legs grow 2 inches in a month right now). So trying to get Beca calmed down enough to eat (2 pancakes, no 5, no 3 cuz that's how old I am, how about 5 - made 5 and she wouldn't eat one because it wasn't the same color as the other 4) and chill out before we were ready to go out was a feat. Steve got out first and tried to get Zoe down the steps but she decided to pee on the deck. At least it wasn't at the door. He was making snow balls but it was fine powder snow and not the sticky kind that is easy to make snowballs with. You had to really compress the snow. I finally got Beca all geared up (tights, leggings, tee shirt, long sleeve shirt, light jacket, jeans, coat, hat, mittens, and her strawberry rain boots) and sent her out before putting on my not at all loose ski pants. But we all had fun outside! Zoe loves the snow and ran like crazy chasing her ball, piles of snow, whatever looked like a ball. Beca had to check out every surface of her playground where snow was. And even though she had never seen snow, she knew to make a snow angel! Probably from the Beauty and the Beast Christmas but Steve was still amazed. She made several and seemed happy to make them (don't ask me why she laid down next to the trees) but had this weird not-happy face while she was concentrating on making them. More snow throwing,sliding down a snow slide, swinging in the snow, and checking out the sandbox that had gotten filled with water during the rain in December which is now a little frozen pond with sand in the bottom. But we had a blast! Until she was starting to get wet and we were all getting cold. Zoe had to be put in the bath tub when she came in because of the small cotton balls all over her legs and belly. We spent the day packing for the cruise, playing games and dress up, baking a cake, and watching movies (she watched Bedknobs and Broomsticks finally!) and then Beca and I went outside again to take more pictures, make more snow angels, and give Zoe some more snow balls and snow-covered soccer balls to chase. Zoe didn't even ask for anything at dinner and passed out on the rug behind Beca. Beca fought us through bath and getting ready for bed but didn't get out of bed once - she was still int he same position when I checked on her. Everyone had a fun but tiring day. I finally get to do a fun snow-themed scrapbook page!
I can't wait to trade in wind-burnt cheeks for sun-kissed ones! I know, I am gloating and rubbing it in and all but it's a cruise - in January!! And a well needed break!
Enjoy the pictures from today!

3 going on 13

I count our blessings but geez! Beca was playing Wii tonight - her princess game. And not really playing - just waving the wand. We gave up on giving directions and just let her have both halves. When Steve stopped the game and told Beca that she had to go up to get a bath, she screamed, stomped up the steps, and slammed her door. Then when Steve got upstairs, she opened her door and yelled "I am so disappointed". I'm not ready for a teenager.

some sadness

The real reason I haven't been blogging lately - I was preoccupied with a pregnancy that seemed a little troubled for a while. Steve and I were hoping today we would get to share good news of a pregnancy but it turns out that the baby does not have a heartbeat. There was some growth since the last appointment but there was no little "bump-bump" motion that I usually can see quickly. We knew something was up this weekend when I started cramping and bleeding. I am tired and anxious to complete this phase and be able to move on I know that things are supposed to work a certain way in everyone's life and this is one of the low parts of the roller-coaster. I love the high points of the coaster but the thing is that you never get to stay up at the top forever, you have to go down, and then back up. Funny how you always end up at the starting point and its really up to you as to whether or not you get back on the ride. We know long term that we will try again, but right now its time to go have a funnel cake and rest on the bench. Mmmm funnel cake...

Time goes by

Weeks have gone by, I know. Work has been crazy. Beca has been dressing up and I have been cleaning up. We decided to save some money (sort of) and not have cleaning people for a while. So we decided to get a second Dyson for upstairs. Steve's brother had given us a Target gift card and we have a thing for buying vacuums when he gives us a gift card. So we got the cutest little Dyson - it is fantastic and super lightweight - I can actually vacuum the steps with it. And I love when the floor is cleaned up like that. I didn't really believe that but I've learned that I hate crap all over the floor. But another part of me hates having to disposition things. I make piles (inherited trait) and then take forever to go through them. But I think my resolution this year is to get rid of things on time.
I also need to work on my scrapbooks. There's only have 1 week left before our Disney cruise and I am so close to finishing the last Disney trip. I've worked really hard on it - all the pictures are in and now I just have to finish filling in all the words.
We've also been trying to straighten up the house and pack for the cruise. I have no idea what fits Beca so there is going to be a fashion show at some point this week.
On Thursday, we got an email that Beca had science day at school and the science teacher brought a snake - which Beca held. And loved it. She told us all about corn snakes and why they were good for our garden and why we should get one. Her biggest reason was that the snake was very nice.

Beca had a fun day yesterday - she played with Nici and Richie in the morning (and had gobs of m'n'm's) and then we went to the Museum of Natural Science for a birthday party. That was a cool party! They talked about dinosaurs and had a dragon (lizard), python, baby American alligator, and a Madagascar hissing cockroach. Beca was ok touching the first 2 and would have held them if she had been allowed. The other two she only wanted to see, but not touch. The kids got to hunt through and find fossils - real ones from NC! They also got to find "Dinosaur mountains" and crack them open and then dust off little dinosaurs. Beca was more interested in live reptiles and was not afraid to keep talking and trying to discuss what she had learned on Thursday. It's just funny to see what she does and doesn't want to touch. I'd pick an alligator over a snake any day.