catching up

We have been so busy lately. I don't know if it's just the holidays...I think it might be...or if it's just our life and I need to get used to it. One interesting thing that has happened to me over the past few months is that I have had an increased desire to hang out with people. Normally I like to just be an introvert and stay in my house with a book. But, lately, I've really wanted to spend time with people and, fortunately, have had many chances to do just that.

Two weekends ago I had the Christmas Women's brunch at Grace which, admittedly, I never would have gone to had the pastor's wife, Meagan, not personally invited me as her "special" guest. It was her ploy to get me and my mom to attend...and it worked. The brunch was actually really cool and reminded me how nice it is to be a girl. My small group leader, Nancy, put together these skits that were just awesome and the table decorations were so cool I took like 80 pictures of them. Maybe some day I will steal the idea. Most of all, it was just fun to be back at Grace and know people and speak English and be recognized and loved as a part of a church body...not that I don't have that at the church plant, because I do. But, there is just something so special about going back to a place and realizing you were loved there and that you loved it there. So, yes, it was a good time and I was very glad I went. I also had a baby shower that weekend and then Ricky came back from the airport so I had to leave the shower early to go pick him up. However, I learned a few valuable things at the brunch and shower that I thought I might share:

1. bring a bathrobe to the hospital
2. It is possible to tell the hospital you want an all natural birth and that you don't want to be hooked up to all the machines (I'm not sure I really believe that the hospital will listen to this request)
3. Your expectations after you have the baby should be, "maybe I'll get a shower today" (this one almost sent me into a panic so I got a second opinion and found out that, no, life doesn't have to be that limited...but evidently it might be)
4. If you think you should call the doctor, you should just call the doctor and not worry about it
5. You cry a lot after the baby comes...mostly hormonal...yippee.

Ok, this last week, then, was full of small group and trips to Winterhaven. I really do not think it is Christmas in Tucson until you've taken a trip through Winterhaven. I went once with friends from college and small group and then with my family. Both times were wonderful. Winterhaven gives me warm fuzzies. And, Ricky got to go with us the second time and everything is better with Ricky.

Thursday, which is usually our date night, became our date night at the manager's meeting for the Flying Diamond Airpark...committees are so great. The amazing people at the airpark got us these awesome baby gifts so it was like having a party and a business meeting at the same time. And to top it all off, Joan made fudge.

This weekend I rearranged the living room and my dad came over to help put up blinds in one of our studios...this was the point where I realized that I am becoming ridiculously emotional because my parents were going to leave before I wanted them to and I totally freaked out. I cannot stand any kind of emotional turbulance and having it go on inside of me without any normal reason why is even more disturbing than it going on around me or have to deal with emotions that make sense. Needless to say, this baby needs to come before I turn into a monster or I decide I just need to go lay in bed until labor pains send me to the hospital so as to not be horrible to people I love. Seriously, what is wrong with me? I'm psychotic.

And now it is three days to Christmas and I just can't wait.