catching up

It is fall in South Florida and that means wedding season! We are crazy-busy with weddings. We will shoot 5 weddings in November prior to Thanksgiving. Last weekend we shot my best friend Lourdes' sister's wedding. It was SUCH a blast - Ana and her hubby are so much fun! Check out the pictures on Candidly Elegant's blog.

Lourdes, her husband Jamie and their daughter Sienna came over before they left. I cooked my mom's famous homemade pizza (a Lourdes-favorite). Here are some shots of Alex having some baby-time and getting lessons on the use on the cloth diapers we'll be using when our baby arrives. Check out Bum Genius diapers for more info.







Also long overdue are pictures of the patio renovation - check out the before and after!

Oops, I did it again

It is very difficult to surprise me. Not because I'm nosy or go snooping for gifts - but simply b/c I have an amazing way of becoming totally obnoxious about the thing that is the surprise w/out even knowing that I have it waiting for me. This most acutely effects Alex. Let me give you some examples:

I first wanted a Boston Terrier when I was in college and met one that belonged to one of my cousins. I fell in love. YEARS went by and I kept wanting the dog. So about a year before Alex and I get married, I decided that the time was right for me to finally have a dog. So I began looking for breeders and reading information on them. I became almost obsessed, I finally found a litter not far away in Ft. Lauderdale and told Alex that I wanted us to go look at them. He put me off. Finally after about 2 weeks of my bugging him, he got really frustrated and said that he was going to buy me a puppy for Christmas (about a month away) - and he hopes I'm happy now that I have no surprise! In the end he semi-surprised me b/c the litter was near his work, he went and saw them and told me that the puppies didn't look well-bred and we should keep looking. In reality, he had put a deposit down on Pete while he was there and surprised me later.

Fast forward to just before our 2 year anniversary (dating). I'm embarrassed to admit that I had begun applying the 'we need to get married' pressure, and exactly one week before our anniversary we got into an argument about 'the future' - and I was crying and upset b/c he didn't want to commit. At the same moment, by best friend Lourdes calls me to meet her at a Bridal shop to see the dress she had found for her wedding. I show up in a foul mood.

If you haven't guessed already, exactly one week later Alex proposes on our 2-year anniversary - and I feel like a total heel. During our entire argument, he had to endure me complaining and arguing while 'the ring' sat in another room.

So. About 2 months ago, Alex and I started looking at elliptical training machines. My gym membership is about to expire and he needs to work out too, but is too picky to commit to a gym. So we decided that w/ the baby coming, it would make more sense to buy a machine for the house. Then we can use that in combination with our bikes and our neighborhood w/ sidewalks for walking/jogging. We had found one we liked right before we started the patio project so the elliptical went on hold.

Well, now the patio is finished, so I (logically) started thinking that we should return to the elliptical idea...and I started bugging Alex. (just a little) - Alex this week can you call the gym place and negotiate the elliptical? -Alex, maybe today you can call the gym-guy and finalize the elliptical?

So during breakfast yesterday, I mention that second statement...and Alex sighs and says. "Shaleen, I went to the place and bought it on Wednesday, it will be delivered in a week and a half. I was going to surprise you."

I suck. I don't MEAN to do that! I'm not even a nagging wife! I just happen to find these things every once in a while. I really, really LIKE surprises!

New Creation Video

Here is a video from Fellowship Church in TX. I think the song is amazing, apparently they have a CD coming out soon.


New Creation from Pace Hartfield on Vimeo.

More info now

Ok - so the previous post was really, really short - so I'll update now that I'm home from work, gone to publix, have eaten dinner and vacuumed and mopped the floor (whew!).

So this morning we had our appt. Alex borrowed my mom's video camera and we taped a little message to our baby before the appt. We asked the tech if we could video the ultrasound but she said no and that we could purchase a VHS tape for $5. Who has a VHS player? (apparently, both my parents and alex's parents). We didn't know that at the time and did it anyway. I was a little disappointed that the pictures weren't as clear as I wanted - my brother's ultrasound at 18 weeks looks amazing - the baby is so distinct in the ultrasound. Not ours.

The baby was curled in a tight, tight little ball and after getting all the measurements, the tech kept trying for about five more minutes try to get our shy baby to show it's stuff. The biggest problem is that the baby had its legs crossed - even as it was kicking around like crazy she was amazed that it kept its ankles crossed! She was about to give up when she saw 'it' - and announced our baby is a boy!!! We both asked "Are you sure?" because we couldn't see anything on the screen. She was sure. There was definitely an adjustment period b/c I think we both thought we would be having a girl.

But within an hour or so of the appointment - I'm getting very excited about my boy! So there will be another boy in my house with me - after Alex, Pete and Miles.

In other news - I had such a nice day today. I had productive meetings in the 2nd half of my day and apparently it is Boss's Day today. My staff gave me a flower arrangement and a really nice card. Also, my former assistant gave me a plant and a card - the nice part is that about 6 months ago she transferred to another team, and her card said - that she wanted to recognize me even though I'm not her boss anymore, but that she realizes now that she didn't appreciate what she had when she was working for me. That's so nice!

Alex is at his apologetics study - so I used the new BBQ on my own. I grilled corn on the cob and a chicken cutlet w/ swiss cheese and I made a little sandwich with some whole wheat naan bread (Indian flatbread) and roasted a slice of red pepper. The whole meal was cooked on the grill (= no cleanup!) and it was healthy and delicous!

It's a boy!

We just found out! It's a boy!

I have to head to work now, but Alex will take a picture of the u/s photo and I'll post it tonight.

the glorious everyday

In a much older post, I commented about how much joy I get out of being exposed to opportunities to see the wonder that is everyday life. That is, there is so much beauty to be seen in what occurs in plain, old life.

My favorite movie is Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. It is so because it points out the beauty of life, but what makes it really, really amazing is that it makes you think about what if you lost those everyday moments?

Eternal Sunshine is a story about a couple, Joel and Clementine. Shortly after breaking up, Joel discovers that Clementine has had all of her memories of their relationship erased. Traumatized by the fact, he in turn erases his memories of her...until midway through the erasing process he discovers the tragedy of what he is doing.

The movie came out in 2004 (so long ago!?). I clearly remember seeing it. Alex and I were either still dating or recently engaged at that time. I remember that I cried in the movie, but when it ended, I was so weighted with the message. The memories that hurt the most are those that mean the most to us - how awful to lose them.

I remember walking out of the theater and thinking about how much I love Alex. And even if we broke up, I would never want to lose the memories that I had made with him because they made up a part of me. Outside the theater, I started sobbing at the thought. I must of looked crazy, but I swear that moment is one of the most singular in falling in love with him.

Simpson's Halloween 2008

why is it?

Why don't scissors work in the left hand? I can understand why such a simple engineering concept as a scissor is defeated by the use of another hand...I was trying to trim my eyebrows today with tiny scissors and tried using my left hand...and, nothing. Instead I had to try to contort my right hand so that it could trim the left brow. Thankfully, that worked out alright and I still have two eyebrows.

I'm working at home today b/c I had no big meetings and Alex is going to have to go the school later and doesn't really want the workers to be here alone.

The patio is coming along. I feel like we made SO much progress really, really fast in the beginning and the last 7 days have been really, really slow. Initially we were hoping to be done on Tuesday. But then Monday and Tuesday it rained almost all day - so no work got done. Yesterday the marble guys came and started installing the counter-top on the kitchenette island where the grill is. That is a slow process all by itself. They should be done today and I think the gas guy is coming to run our gas line to the grill. Even though the patio won't be finished, we could theoretically grill tonight or tomorrow.

I'm so ready for it to be done. My house is full of dust from the work. Plus the dogs can't really be in the backyard b/c it's a wreck so we have to walk them throughout the day.

Oh well, that's all the complaining I'll do b/c I'm really happy with how it's turning out and I know that we are blessed to be able to do it.