Never a dull week around here.

This week, I realized that I need a Muse.
Muse! Muse! I need a Muse! HELP!! (Actually, I need a lot more than a muse.)

Uncle Max kept it real for me when he told me just how large I was getting. I appreciate honesty in the highest degree. And coming from Uncle Max was just soooo right. I, of course started cracking jokes about how my rear end has to keep up with my front end and he looked at me and said, "oh, no...I was talking about your cheeks. They're really filling out!" I gave him a hug and thanked him for his honesty and we all laughed and then I told him he better call me beautiful in 5 seconds or I'm going to sock him in the face. I'm glad I have Uncle Max around to remind me of my large exterior, because I had forgotten just how large I was getting!

Do I look a little like this Uncle Max? (Except I have more teeth and my nose hasn't caved.)

The kids found their Christmas presents hiding in the back of the car with a big blanket draped over them. I needed to drop them off at Grandma and Grandpa's but they found them first. I lied and told them I was hiding them from my friends kids. That's when Elle started with her questions...
Elle: "Who? Which friend? What's her name?"
Me: "Um, (think fast Mandy, think fast) Laura, she doesn't live by us and you don't know her well. I'm hiding them so her kids don't find them."
Elle: "And she has a little girl that wants a Jeep for Barbies?"
Me: "Yep. Just like you! I think all girls want a Jeep for Barbies. But we have to give these to her soon, so let's cover them up and hide them really well for her."
Elle: "Um....okay."
I could see her wheels turning. And now I have to just hope that she forgets all about it in the next month or so.

Brian started his first week as a Temple worker. He now works 4 hours a week (every Friday night) in the Temple. We're crazy. We have so much free time that we thought we'd give up our date night so he could do this. But the truth is, when your gut tells you to do something, we've learned in the past...you do it. And now he is Mr. Handsome Temple Worker. It really is quite sexy to me. I'll just have to join him every Friday night and that will be our date night.
(Faith, Mandy. Faith. It's called Faith. Not time. Faith.)
Okay.
Got it.
I think we can do this!

I'm craving the beach this week. And I'm realizing it's going to be a while before that craving is satisfied. I could really use a California trip right now.


Owen decided he's done playing with girls. He's been a trooper up until this point. He really tries, but I think it finally got old to him. While the girls were across the street playing girly stuff, he sat on the curb sulking. Unfortunately our neighborhood is full of girls and not a lot of boys. So, he and I played ball and wrestled a lot this week. My 7 month pregnant physique is not so great at wrestling right now.

I spent about 5 hours on Saturday detailing our car. It was quite the chore. Especially with this body. But I'm happy to say that it is free of germs at the moment. I scrubbed the carpet, wiped the nooks and crannies and disinfected the heck out of it. I was so proud of myself.
That is, until we went to get in the car Sunday morning to go to church and we couldn't get out of our driveway. It wouldn't turn in reverse and it wouldn't drive forward without some serious gas effort.

Oh great. What did I do?

When I looked at Brian, I could tell that was his thought too.

"Maybe I de-greased it too well. ??? Maybe this car just isn't used to being so clean. That's my only guess," I said with a forced chuckle.

We all piled out hoping not to be late for the Primary program at church, and we jumped in Brian's car. The car went to the shop that day and I borrowed my in-laws car Monday. The repair shop called Monday night and told me that it was in 4-wheel drive. That's all. I laughed and thanked them for not charging me for being such a moron and waisting their time. Brian was relieved that we still might be able to have a Christmas. I walked away shaking my head at myself.

Elle did a wonderful job on her part in the Primary program. We made it to church on time and she sang and spoke so clearly into the microphone. It was fun to watch her up there. Wow, she's getting big.

Brian has been waking up at 3:00 am every night thinking that he has a bunch of people he's supposed to barbeque for. He gets as far as the bathroom and then he tells himself that they're just going to have to do without steak for the night. And then he goes to bed. It's really funny. He does crazy stuff in his sleep.

I'm 31 weeks pregnant this week. I had my appointment last week at the doctor. It was music to my ears to hear that I hadn't gained any weight since my last appointment. But my belly was measuring 2 weeks earlier. So, the gestational diabetes screening test that I was told I could veto, now became mandatory. That's where you have to drink nasty orange soda stuff an hour before you get your blood drawn. With the previous 2 kids I threw that stuff up. With Elle I threw it up twice. I had to keep going back to do the test. TORTURE is the only word that comes to mind when I think about that drink and that test.
So, I left the Doctor with my drink in tow and he said just come to the Lab and do it when you can in the next 2 weeks.

Okay, fine, arggghhhhh!

My doctor is not conveniently located to me. I have to drive almost a half an hour to another county to see my doctor, because I like to make life hard on myself and it just so happens that I love the hospital where he delivers and he delivered my other kids when I actually lived in that county.
Anyway, Wednesday came (today) and I planned on making a day of it by going to see my family and then taking the test. I avoided all foods with sugar, and practically starved myself all day so that my test wouldn't be jaded by my food. I guzzled the bottle of nasty in 5 minutes, like it said to do. My mom watched and tried the best she could to keep my mind off of it. Then I loaded the kids in the car and we left for the doctor. Meanwhile, my head felt like it was going to swell up and pop off. It started pounding, and my eyes were hurting and my stomach was turning. I was having a massive sugar ache. We pulled into the parking lot and what do you know?

There was not a car in sight.
Empty.
The parking lot was completely empty.

Oh, no. What do we have here?

The sign on the door said, "The Lab will be closed on Veterans Day."
I guess that today would be Veterans Day.

My luck. My brain.
And now I'll get to drink the nasty all over again. I'm so excited.

And that pretty much brings us up to date. Today is Veterans Day, so, I'd like to thank all the Veterans in closing.
And I'm sincere when I say that. Even though the doctor's office was closed, I can forget about that and feel grateful for the service of our Veterans. And that's how I end this on a happy, uplifting note.

Bring on the next 7 days!