Making Pretty

On Saturday, Mack and I decided that we needed to make our little porch area a bit more attractive (up until Wednesday evening it had our old dried up Christmas tree and a bunch of tumble weeds as its only residents). We cleaned out the trash and bought some hanging baskets and annuals. Saturday morning was so pretty but a little chilly, so we layed a plastic liner down in the kitchen and proceeded to create flower master pieces for our porch.

I was so proud once they were hanging and my porch wasn't such an eyesore anymore. The very next day it turned cold again and the poor little plants took a beating, and tonight we'll have to bring them in cause its most probably going to snow again slightly. Can you believe it.

Anyway, here are a few pictures taken by Mack and myself of our once pretty little flowers.











I just realised that we didn't take any pictures of the baskets outside on the porch. Oh well, next time.

Yummy!

It was almost a year ago that my friend Nicole and I fell in love with traditional Greek Yogurt on the island of Oia. We have been searching for the luscious thickness of this traditional yogurt in the States ever since we got back.

Well I happened to be in Walmart (of all places) the other day and needed some plain yogurt, and to my surprise I found a little tub of OIKOS organic Greek yogurt. I didn't think it would be authentic, but decided to buy a small tub and try it anyway. It was delicious and exactly how I remembered the yogurt in Greece. The tub I bought had honey on the bottom. It was so good I scarfed it completely. So if you want to try some really good yogurt, find the OIKOS brand. And, you have to have it with honey, cause thats how they served it to us in Greece.

Thanks for your Prayers

Little Maeve is doing much better, and will most probably be able to go home on Wednesday. Thank you so much for all your prayers.

Prayers for Little Maeve

Please keep little Maeve in your prayers today. She was life flighted from the hospital in Logan Utah, to Salt Lake where she is being cared for at the Primary Children's Hospital. She has some sort of blockage somewhere and may have to have surgery. She isn't even two days old yet the poor little thing. Darren and Allyson are with her, but can't do much till she is better and the adoption papers can be signed. So again, please keep them in your prayers.

I'm an Aunty...again

Darren and Allyson's little girl was born yesterday at 3:45pm. They are naming her Maeve. You can go to their blog here, and see the precious little bundle.

I am so excited she is finally here, and that Maeve and Tamzin are going to be so close together - Allyson and I have already decided they are going to be BFF's. We'll see.

Artistic Endeavours

On Friday morning we're shooting a commercial for a slimming product. I have been asked to do art on the shoot, which is pretty cool. I get to take this location, and turn it into an outdoor bistro.



So for the next couple of days I have to go shopping. Rough life I live isn't it?

Movie Recommendation

Last night my friend Johanna came over to hang out. I made some delicious pork chops, and she brought a movie called "The Greatest Game Ever Played".

I was a bit skeptical about my enjoyment levels of this movie: 1st its a Disney Movie, 2nd its about golf, and 3rd its about golf.

But, to my pleasant surprise I really enjoyed it. It was interesting and entertaining and kept my attention on a bunch of different levels. I was completely intrigued by the directors choice of camera angle, the different devices that were used to compress time, and also the methods he used to move a story forward that had the potential of being pretty boring.

So, if you're looking for a heartwarming movie for the whole family, take a look at this one.

Delicious!!!

This is my breakfast this morning. Jealous?

Good, cause you should be.

Supermodel Mike

Last weekend one of my models canceled on me only minutes before our shoot was supposed to start. I called some agency talent that I had numbers for, but none of them got back to me. Right about this moment, I hit critical stress levels. But instead of having a melt down, I decided to call my brother-in-law Mike, he was snoring away in slumberland, so I spoke to Cecily (his wife) and asked her to get him to call me back. He did, and the conversation went as follows:

Me: Hi Mike, so ummm do you want to be a model for me?
Mike: Ha, Ha, Ha, Ha, Ha
Me: Its not hard, you just have to look like a construction worker.
Mike: Ha, Ha, Ha, Ha, Ha
Me: It pays.
Mike: What time would you like me there?

He turned out fabulous. Here are a few untouched moments in his fledgling supermodel career.

Sleep - Precious, Precious Sleep

The shoot is over. I was really relieved and a little sad at the same time. I got home at 11pm Monday night and just flopped into bed. I was so tired. If I ever decide to take on a project like this again in my third trimester of pregnancy, PLEASE remind me how exhausting it will be. I had to be back at work on Tuesday, and could barely pull myself out of bed. Last night I got home, flopped on the couch and promptly fell asleep, then I pulled myself to the bedroom, crawled into bed and slept some more. Phoebe is not very impressed with me right now cause I won't play with her, and with Mack in Seattle she is having to entertain herself. Too bad. I've decided that right now, sleep is the only thing I really want. I hope I recoup from these four days pretty quickly. My house is a complete pig stye and I need to find the energy and inclination to clean it before Mack comes home. I really am enjoying not caring though. It makes for a good break from my normal high strung, perfectionist nature.

Apparently, this is Me...

Apparently if I were a Jane Austen character I would be played by Emma Thompson. I am completely flattered. She is my all time favourite actress. Hmm I wonder what she would look like with red hair?

Take the Quiz here!

Family Get Together

Yes this is my family. Need I say more....




For my dear brother Jeremy's benefit: The girl in green is Cecily, Mack's sister. They guy she is force feeding is Mike her husband, and the on looker with the facial hair is Jacob, husband of Sara, another of Mack's sisters.

And Jeremy if you ever got your cute little behind over here you would know who these people are - so there!

It Starts!

I am up way too early this morning for the first of 4 shoot days. Pre-production was hectic to say the least and I am so relieved that all permits and paperwork are finally in order. Now its up to the photographer to make my hard work pay off.

We will be shooting solidly till monday evening and then its all over and the photographer goes back to New York and life here goes back to normal.

I can't wait.

7 Month Bump

My mom says its Karma, I say its not fair. Let me explain. The resident of this cute little bump is already a feisty one, and she hasn't even come out yet.

I went for my monthly check up on Monday and when the nurse put the heart rate monitor on my stomach, I heard a pleasant swishing sound, and then a huge *!BUMP!*. It happened again, but this time my stomach moved too. I realized that the Tazling was actually kicking the heart rate monitor. And, she wasn't just aiming in the vicinity, she was spot on. Everytime the nurse moved the monitor to a different spot, Taz would follow it and kick it. She was just not having anything invade her space. If this is what she's like on the inside - I must say I think our work is going to be cut out for us when she finally comes out.

Towed Away

Monday's commute to work was a nightmare. It had snowed over night and the snow had slightly melted and then frozen again into a solid sheet of ice over the whole road. I passed quite a few hairy accidents on my commute, and was trying to drive ever so carefully. I pulled off the freeway and was driving down a side street when the cars in front of me started to slide. Three cars pulled in various directions. I was driving our old car and only have 3rd party insurance on it. I knew that If I rearended one of those cars, my car would be toast. So instead, I cranked my wheel around and hoped to spin my car and slide gently to the side of the road. Instead, my back tire hit a bigger piece of ice, whipped me the other way, and the next thing I knew I had ramped the pavement and had damaged my one wheel. I tried driving the car, but it was impossible. So, I called Mack's dad Jon (who was close by) and he came to my rescue and helped me call a tow truck and waited with me till Mack arrived. So much adrenaline had pumped through me I was shaking uncontrolably.

I was really grateful that nothing major was wrong with the car (even though it still cost enough to make a considerable dent in my bank account), and even more grateful that I was fine, and that my bump was uninjured. Although Taz really enjoyed the adrenaline rush, cause she was kickboxing inside me the rest of the day and well into the night. I finally had to have a little chat with her when she decided my bladder was the perfect boxing bag. She's going to be feisty this one!

Snapped

Here are a few pictures I've taken with my new camera so far. Nothing too amazing, but hey I'm still learning. I especially love the one of Mack. He makes a much better model than the cat. He doesn't try to lick my lens if I get to close to him (at least he hasn't tried it yet.)

No Time to Post

I have been so busy lately. Its great. I was actually asked to produce a photo shoot for a New York based photographer (Shannon Fagan) who will be shooting in Utah in a week for Image Source. This is such a great opportunity for me, and I'm trying to do my best. Wish me luck!

He's Home - Finally

My darling husband is finally home. It really is nice having him back, especially since I sleep much better when he's around. I slept so soundly last night and woke up a completely different person this morning because of it.

He brought me a little gift while he was in Seattle that I thought was priceless and needed sharing.

Mack handed me a small paper bag while we were waiting at the luggage carousel. I looked inside and there was a little book, and all I saw printed on the cover of the book was the word "PORN", I was shocked and slightly appalled and then I took a closer look...



The inside was full of stuff to make you drool like this....


"As soon as I finish the laundry, I'll do the grocery shopping. And I'll take the kids with me so you can relax."


"Ooh, look, the NFL playoffs are today. I bet we'll have no trouble parking at the crafts fair."


"Why don't I get a minivan love, so you can drive something fun?"

And my personal favourite which I couldn't find a picture of:
"Have another piece of cake love, I hate it when you look so skinny."

I told Mack that he was going to have to memorize the whole book. Poor guy.

It Finally Arrived

Now I know that I was bragging about my fab new camera and yet there have been a serious lack of photos on my blog lately. As my friend Jenni pointed out to me yesterday, I am far too much of a perfectionist, and I'm not going to post crappy images on my blog for the world to see. I, would rather make a statement!

Jenni recommended the book that helped her on her way (check out her blog here) and yesterday it finally arrived. I am so excited I could pop. Guess what I'm going to be doing tonight? And then maybe I'll start to post a few images.

This is my new fabulous book.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!

I feel so thoroughly loved and completely spoiled. Thank you everyone for the birthday wishes and surprises. I'm still basking (and glowing slightly) in the love. My birthday started over a week ago with my husband surprising me with ultimate gift, then he called most of my friends that he had contact info for and organized a surprise get together Friday night at his parents place. My mother-in-law and two of Mack's sisters organized and catered(thanks Linda, Sara and Cecily it was fabulous,)and my family drove 1 1/2hrs to get there. Then on Saturday I hung out with my mom and we shopped and ran errands etc. It was just such a great day. Sunday night I spent with Mack's family, and then yesterday at work they bought me the hugest, most decadent chocolate cake (which I scarfed like a pig) and last night Mack's parents and his sister Sara took me out to dinner. I got so many phone calls I pretty much spent the day on the phone and everyone around me was jealous that I'm so loved. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!! I love you all too.

Lost in the Wilderness

I can post about this now, but yesterday I was a complete wreck. Our dear little kitty went awol. Its true. And, to make matters worse, it was my fault. I'll start at the beginning.

Mack and I have been trying to teach Phoebe how to be more independent by using the cat door we installed. She loves going outside, but will not push the door flap open with her head. So, Mack and I tape it open for her and she hops in and out and plays on the porch, but never ventures very far, and always comes back in after a few minutes just to check in and make sure we're still there.

Well yesterday morning she woke me up at 5:30. I decided this was the perfect moment for her to go exploring outside. I taped her little flap open, she dashed right out, and I went back to bed for two more hours of blissful sleep. When I woke, she was nowhere to be seen. I walked into the lounge and to my horror, the tape had come loose and the flap had shut, and the Phoebe had wandered off.

I picked up her favourite toy and went outside looking for her - nothing! Now please remember that I'm pregnant and have twelve tons of hormones coursing through my veins, and my husband is away on a business trip at the moment. I texted Mack that the cat was gone. He called and before he could even say "Hi Sweetie" I was a blubbering mess of tears and non-sensical mutterings which went a little something like this "Cat, lost, rain and snow today, (nose blowing noises), my fault, bad mother, poor Tamzin, (more nose blowing), Phoebe dead, killed the cat, puffy eyes, feral cats, joined a gang, leaving food out." Mack tried to calm me down, but the nicer he was to me the more guilty I felt that his cat was missing because of me, and the more I cried and sobbed and blubbered. I managed to get myself ready for work and kept pretty positive that she would return.

When I walked into an empty house last night and saw that Phoebe hadn't touched the bowl of food I left out for her, and then saw her cute little empty bed, I broke down in a bigger blubbering mess. Mack called right in the middle of this new breakdown (poor man)and had to listen to more mutterings. He was more concerned about me than his poor lost kitty. He kept telling me it was okay and that cats did this sort of thing and it wasn't my fault etc. We had put a tag on Phoebe with her name and Mack's phone number on it, and he was convinced that someone would call. I was more convinced that she had joined a gang of feral cats and the next time I saw her she would be sporting a cattoo and piercings.

At about 9:30 my phone rang, and Mack told me that someone in the next building had found the cat. I walked over and she was sitting outside the door of the apartment that would have been our apartment had she been in the right building. The guy told me she had been sitting there meowing the whole day. When she saw me she was so excited. It made me really happy. She hates being picked up, so I just talked to her as she followed me home. The moment I opened the front door she shot inside, and then walked into each room as if saying "yes, this is the place". She then snuggled on my lap and proceeded to clean herself for the next hour and a half. (I just love that she's as much of a clean freak as I am). Then we went to bed. She kept nuzzling me and wanting me to touch her and would put her paw on my cheek to make sure I was there. How precious.

I didn't realize how much I would miss her when she was gone. I'm really glad she's home. This morning I opened the flap to see if she wanted to go out. She gave me the dirtiest look and walked up the passage. I guess she's an indoor cat now.

Musings

As my body has expanded I have just become more and more uncomfortable in my own skin. I don't sleep well at night cause rolling over in bed is an all muscle participant sport now. My feet and ankles are starting to swell. My belly gets in the way when I'm sitting down. I can't bend over to pick things up. And, I find that waddling is easier than actual walking, because if I waddle I get my whole body momentum moving me forward (not to mention then my thighs don't rub together). I have pain in my knees and ankles. Walking too much makes me tired, and worst of all I don't have a thing in my wardrobe that actually makes me feel cute, cause everything I have to wear now is the size of a house.

My musing is thus - How can so many people in the world be morbidly obese when it is so stinking uncomfortable? I think pregnancy has cured me of ever getting bulky. I just don't like the feeling.

Tiny Little Bits

A friend of mine gave me a newborn nappy (diaper) yesterday. I couldn't believe how tiny it was. I just kept staring at it thinking, now how does any real persons bits fit into something that small. My baby is going to have little tiny bits that are going to fit into that miniature little nappy. And then on the other hand, I'm really grateful that her bits are going to be that small, cause right now she's inside me and has to come out. I'd rather have miniature bits come out than big honking ones.

Ode to Mack

This is one of the first photos I took with my camera. I just LOVE that smile.

Amidst the Snot and Tears

Sunday night was a very emotional night for me. I blame it on pregnancy hormones, and thats what I'm sticking with.

Actually I should backtrack. On Thursday, Mack found out that he had to go to Seattle for two weeks so he could train some guys that were getting deployed. This is on top of the whole bunch of other trips he has to take in the next two months. So, knowing that he wasn't going to be home for an extra two weeks made me really emotional. I had already planned the trip to Moab, and he couldn't come with because of work. So, we found out Thursday that he was going, I left for Moab Friday morning, and Sunday night was the only time we had to spend together before he left early Monday morning.

Okay now back to the story. So, I was already quite emotional on Sunday night knowing I was going to be home alone (and would have to take out the cat litter myself) for a fortnight, and to add insult to injury, this would be the second year in a row that Mack was going to miss my birthday because of military obligations. Anyway, we went to his parents house for a light dinner (Linda is an excellent cook), and while there, Mack put a wrapped box in front of me. I started to blubber even before I opened the gift. I hadn't expected him to have gotten me a birthday gift before he left. I was so touched. Anyway, I started to unwrap the present and what do you think I find inside - only a Canon Rebel XT digital SLR (Jeremy, thats a very, very cool camera). I have wanted a digital SLR for so long now, but couldn't justify spending the money when we already had a camera. Well, the waterworks opened, and I sobbed and sobbed and got mascara all over Mack's shirt.

ISN"T MACK THE BEST HUSBAND IN THE WORLD!

I pretty much didn't stop crying the rest of the night. Mack eventually had to take the camera away from me cause he was scared I was going to short it out with all the moisture coming from my face area.

So please expect a barage of photos as I learn to use my new camera.

This is a picture of it - isn't she beautiful.

Moab Weekend

It was the Moab half marathon this weekend and Allyson, her dad and brother were all running. It was also my mothers birthday and she had never been to Southern Utah before, so we decided that it would be a great way to celebrate her birthday. We traveled down on Friday morning, and hiked up to the delicate arch that afternoon. My mom did amazingly well on the hike even though she was so sick the weekend before with borderline pneumonia.


Moi with the delicate arch behind me (spot the bump)


The whole gang, Me, Mom, Darren and Ethan, Allyson, Marsha, Doug (Allyson's parents)


This ledge was so high and had such a shear drop. My mom got dizzy.

On Saturday, we walked around the town a little, and watched the runners come in. The that afternoon, we went back into Arches National Park and took another walk through the red rock. It was absolutely spectacular. The landscape there really is very unique. My mom kept on oohing and aahing, and even though I'd been there before, I was oohing right along with her. Just take a look at some of these landscapes taken with our little point and shoot.











A good time was had by all.

Growing Girth

I am now six months (24 weeks) along, and this is what the belly looks like. It just seems so much bigger from my vantage point. The Tazling is doing well with a strong heartbeat, and is growing by the day. Unfortunately her little belly of a home is not
the only thing growing on me.

Funny Ha Ha

I just thought this was funny. I've seen it a couple of times and it still makes me jump.

Its called Why Ice Fishing Sucks!

Proud Parent Moment

For the past two nights our dear kitty has slept through the night. I feel like this is a momentous step in the human cat relations in our household, as just a few days ago I was threatening to take her and dump her in the lake (with the mutant piranhas) if she woke me one more time. Then as luck would have it, Mack and I went out for the evening and forgot to leave food for her (we had just barely fed her). By the time we came home, she gave us a little kitty mouthful. We fed her and went to bed. And would you believe she awoke up with the alarm that morning. My fabulous powers of deduction began to work, and so the next night we followed the same feeding schedule and once again, she awoke with the alarm. Yay and praises be, we seem to have figured out the kitty dilehma.

Unfortunately I am so used to waking up at 3am now, that its become a habit. Maybe I should feed myself just before I go to bed?

Meet Stanley

Stan is Mack's new car. He fell in love with the little Toyota Yaris the first time he laid eyes on one about two years ago in South Africa. The day he found out that you could buy them in the States, was the day his internal yearnings started, and a week ago his internal yearnings became an obsession.

He took advantage of my decreased capacities last Saturday as I lay on the couch with bronchitis, and went for a "test drive", which turned into true love, which turned into Stanley becoming a permanent member of the family. I have never seen Mack so obsessed with a car before. I believe he would sleep in the garage with Stan if it weren't so stinking cold at the moment. He even bought mats for the garage, so we can wipe our feet clean before getting into Stan. See what I mean when I say obsession.

Anyway. This is how our little Yaris got its name. Jeremy and I believe that different cars have various personalities (at least some of them do), and that if they're cool enough to have a personality, then they should also have a name. Well when Mack took me for my first drive in our new little edition, I asked him what he wanted to name his car. The first thing that popped into both our minds, was the image of a smaller balding guy trying to overcompensate for having small man syndrome, the kind of small man that really would do a combover, but realizes just how ridiculous that is, so instead grows a handle bar mustache. Stanley.

Excerpts from a Letter

I wrote a very long letter to my brother Jeremy yesterday, and then realized that I didn't want to have to rewrite all the news, so here are a few excerpts from that letter:

..., my belly is getting big and I'm starting to look pregnant rather than just fat. On Thursday I will be six months along - can you believe it. As far as I know Tamsin is a strong healthy baby. She is already a daddy's girl though. I put my hand on my stomach and she just does exactly as she pleases. Mack puts his hand on my stomach and she moves to his hand. He can move it around and she follows his hand. If he wants to feel her kick, all he has to do is ask and she kicks on demand - do you think she'll do that for me - not a chance. Oh, and the doctor told me I would feel her doing somersaults and stuff, but I swear Mack taught her how to round house kick in the middle of the night, cause she puts Chuck Norris to shame with her movements. Luckily she knows when to go to sleep cause she leaves me alone at night.

I wish Phoebe would take a cue from little Taz. I never considered cats clever. Even Smooch (our childhood kitty)in all her glory was a cool cat and would converse with us and stuff, but she never did things that made me think her especially talented. Phoebe takes catdom to new heights. This cat has a brain (small as it is) and she uses it. I'm just grateful that my brain is bigger and I can use it better. So, we bought spray bottles to spray her cause she was waking us up at night. One spray from Mack and she never ventured to his side of the bed again. However, she has figured out that I am not exactly the crack shot that Mack is, so she comes and sits meerkat style next to my side of the bed and meows just loud enough to wake me. Then when I reach over for my bottle to spray her, she moves just out of my reach and sits and watches me as I try to hit her. If I get close to her she side steps the spray. Then when I get tired of trying to scare her away, I roll over and she comes back. If I by chance manage to wet her a little, she rubs her wet side on any exposed body part of mine. Last night though, she figured out where on my bedside table I keep the spray bottle, and before she woke me up, she knocked the bottle off the table and pulled it slightly under the bed, knowing that in my sleepiness I wouldn't be able to find it. Then she sat and I swear she laughed at me. Eventually I groped far enough under the bed and sprayed her (she was laughing too hard to move fast enough) and she ran out of the room. I had barely fallen asleep again when I heard her hide the bottle again. So, I had to move the bottle to a place she couldn't reach. Now I ask you, seriously, when did she develop the ability to reason and hide my spray bottle - the little bugger. She was still laughing at me when I got up this morning. I could see the sneaky smile in her eyes.

Pancakes - SA Style

Hmmmm, Yummy. I told Mack I would make him pancakes. I think he was expecting the large, fluffy, American kind that you rub with butter and then douse in maple syrup.

Well, he was wrong. I made deliciously thin, cinnamon sugar, South African style pancakes. I was in heaven - and so was he mind you.

This is how they work. You have to get the pan at just the right temperature, pour just the right amount of batter into the pan, and then swirl the batter around till it coats the bottom of the pan. Once the pancake looks cooked through, flip it so that both sides are browned slightly. Then, put it on a plate and lightly sprinkle it with cinnamon and sugar. Repeat till you have a nice stack of thin pancakes. The reason for this, is that the heat from the top pancake melts the sugar on the bottom pancake, coating both sides of the pancake with the right amount of cinnamon, sugary sweetness.



Then, you want to stick just one prong of a fork into the side of one of the pancakes and roll it. Like so:



Then you pull your pancake onto a plate. Pull a few more pancakes onto the same place so the first doesn't feel alone, and then sprinkle lightly with lemon juice (for a sweet and sour deliciousness), top with whipped cream and voila, pancake perfection.



Mack prefers his with ice cream inside and no lemon juice - they're good that way too.

*disclaimer: I only have a point and shoot camera. Don't judge the photography.*

Snot and Wheezing!

Sorry for the long hiatus, but Mack and I have both been so sick. There has been a truly horrendous bug doing the rounds here. I got it first, and due to my current situation am not allowed to take any sort of medication. On top of that, we are at critical mass at work with the project we're on, so I couldn't even take sick leave. The day I tried I got so many phone calls, it wasn't even worth being at home. This weekend Mack and I both spent in bed with the humidifier on, and the cat trying to coax us into some semblance of life. On Saturday, we went to bed at 10pm, and I woke up at 2pm on Sunday, then thought I wouldn't be able to sleep that night. Well I went to be at 10pm again, and slept like a log. I could barely pull myself out of bed the next morning to go to work. Mack, the poor darling was just hitting the worst of his sickness, so spent the day in bed again. By the time I got home he was so bored he begged me to allow him to go and buy toilet paper with me.

On a happier note though, I am very pleased to report that both Mack and I are on the mend and very excited to be so. Our home is looking less like a rubbish dump and a little more like a home again and Phoebe is very please to no longer be living with zombies.

!@#&*SNOW!@#$&*

Yesterday at about 3:30pm Mack called and told me that he was being sent home from work early due to a blizzard and that I too should hit the road. I was grateful for this piece of advice and let my bosses know I had to leave early due to severe weather conditions at my house. I hoped in the car and drove for about 20 min with nary a sight of snow. Then, about 1 mile from my exit my poor car was hit by a gust of wind and a swirl of snow that completely blocked my vision. Shock, horror. I slowed to a near stop and finally found my exit. I breathed a sigh of relief thinking I would be home soon. Well I was sorely mistaken. Over 3hrs, snow drifts, emergency vehicles, sliding, panic, and a few well chosen words later, I slid into my driveway and parked my car. A drive that usually takes me under 10min took over 3hrs.

Then, to add insult to injury our lectricity (power) had been out since 3 that afternoon. Now picture it: blizzard conditions, below zero temperatures and no lectricity to warm oneself or even make a nice cup of tea. I walked into the house to find Mack on the couch, wrapped in a huge green fluffy blanket, surrounded by every candle we own, listening to music on his cell phone. Even the poor cat was sitting underneath the blanket.

Mack had raided our emergency kit and pulled out a few MREs (army ration Meals Ready to Eat). Oh Yummy! Well at least they have a little heating device in them so we had warm, if not totally nutritious food. It felt like Armageddon had come.

Anyway, we ended up going to bed at 8pm cause there was nothing else to do. The power finally came back on a little past midnight, so we finally had some heat, and we were up and about at 5am this morning. Phoebe was really glad cause she had wanted to start playing about the time we decided to go to bed, and by 5 was bored out of her little feline mind.

Apparently we had it pretty easy. According to the news this morning, the freeway was a complete standstill, loads of people slid off the road or got their cars buried in snow drifts, a couple of schools wouldn't let their kids go home cause it was too dangerous so they kept them overnight, and about 1400 homes in our area were still without lectricity when I left for work this morning.

This is supposed to be the last snowstorm in our area for a while - I really hope so cause its doing my head in!!!!!

Update

Well what is there to tell? Not much. Life is pretty much in a very ho hum sort of place at the moment. Nothing spectacular happening. We're all feeling rather glum and moody due to the immense amount of snow, ice and cold thats been inhabiting these parts. Yesterday at work we were all saying how much we missed the sun. And believe me, for a little girl from Africa who is used to sun at this time of year, life is more than just a little bleak at the moment.

I've been growing steadily bigger - my belly as well as my newly enlarged behind. I'll post a belly picture soon so all can see.

Oh, I got mack to cut my hair. He was really nervous, but I bullied him into it. It was at the longest I've ever had it, and was getting really tatty and disgusting. This is the day before I cut about 10 inches off.


It really feels so much better, and my curl is coming back.

What else - oh yes, we have decided that the cat needs to go through a stringent training process. Even Mack got tired of being woken up at 2am everyday so the cat could beg for food. I did a bit of internet reading (bless the internet) and realized that our little kitty had become one of the obnoxious kind and needed intervention. So off Mack and I went to the shops and purchased two squirt bottles. We filled them up, put one on each bedside table and went to bed. At this point I got cold feet. I couldn't torture my poor kitty by spraying water in her face. That just seemed really cruel to me. So, I told Mack that he would have to do the first squirt. Luckily she jumped on the bed right by his face and he delighted in flourishing his bottle and shot her on the nose. Phoebe was quite shocked, but it did the trick. After I realized how effective this training method was, I didn't feel quite so torturous after she jumped on me. I squirted away. 3am came around and all I had to do was reach for the bottle and she bolted. She has been the most well behaved cat this morning. Oh Joy! Now if this method works on the baby I figure we'll be fantastic parents.

E-mail Forward

This was forwarded to me today, and I thought it was too classic not to post. Enjoy!

Do you feel lucky?

You are a South African bush pilot

working for Blue Sky Aviation.

You fly in some critical medical supplies,

enjoy a quick lunch at the hospital.

It's a stifling 100 degrees in the shade and

you're eager to get back up to the cool, high blue yonder.

On the way back to your plane,

you discover that the only bit of shade within 1 mile

has become very popular. .

You start calculating the distance to the plane door and wonder . .. ..

"Do I feel lucky today?"

What's in a Name?

So now that we know our little bundle of joy is a girl, Mack and I have been thinking of names. Only one girls name has stuck with me. I've tried to think of others, but just keep coming back to this one. Mack didn't like it at first, but I persisted and now that its grown on him, he has agreed. And so it is that our firstborn will be named - Tamzin.

Tamsin/Tamzin/Tamsine/Tamsyn is a Cornish name (English), and is a form of the name Thomasina. It means twin.

I didn't realize that here in the US people would think it such an unusual name. I've had a couple of comments like, "Well THATS different, you do know that she's going to have to go to school with such an unusual name?" to which I reply "With a name like Leith, you don't think I know what I'm doing to her." This statement is usually met with silence. And I just smile.

Now we come to the dilemma of people calling her Tam or Tammy. I hate the name Tammy. Mack insists that we need to come up with a nickname. So I have decided that if people feel the need to shorten her name, they'll have to call her Taz.

So Tamzin, or Taz it is. What do you think?

Blessings

This month has been a particularly hard one financially for Mack and I. We were just hit with a bunch of expenses that just completely depleted us. One particular expense was getting one of our cars fixed ( I must add that this car has never had to have any work done on it since I bought it about 6 years ago so it was due, and its an old car).

Well yesterday as I was calculating how we could wangle and pay off all this unexpected debt, Mack hands me the mail. On top of the pile was a letter from our mortgage company saying we had payed too much this last year and they were sending us a refund.

The enclosed cheque was for the exact amount of one of our bills. How cool is that!

We're going PINK!

We had our ultra sound today, and its confirmed. We're having a little girl. Mack and I are both tickled pink.

Breakfast in Bed

I had a few concerned comments about my Rice Krispies eating habits while driving. Let me put everyones mind to rest. I only eat at stop signs and robots(traffic lights), which means the car is at a complete stop while I am shoveling the breakfast down my throat, and I'm completely done by the time I hit the freeway. So there!

This morning however, I had no need to shovel any sort of breakfast cereal down my throat, cause I was woken by my adorable husband bringing me breakfast in bed. Isn't that sweet. It totally made my morning.

3 cheers for Mack and his sexy sweetness!

Cat and Water

Phoebe has now settled into the family. She no longer runs and hides under the bed when we open the front door - instead, she either gives us a mouthful, or gives us her most disdainful looks.

So Mack and I took the next logical step with her - torture. Its true. We decided that she was comfortable enough for us to attempt to bath her. More fool us.

Her is a pictoral chronology of the process:

Step one: We lulled her into a sense of complete comfort and trust. Just look at that cute belly.


Step two: We lured her close to the bathroom by using her favourite toy. She absolutely adores that thing and carries it around in her mouth.


Step three: As a precautionary measure, I donned my wetsuit, or as I like to call it - my anti-claw-me-to-death-suit. This is where it got hectic (as you can see in the action shot of me grabbing her and putting her in the bath tub).


Step four: Hold her down and turn on the hand held shower. Douse her thoroughly, and wash her using baby shampoo. (Unfortunately we don't have a photo of this step, cause we were both using our hands and feet just keeping her in the bath and trying to get her as clean as possible, as fast as possible).

Step five: Towel dry a drowned rat looking Phoebe as she struggles to make a clean get away.


We thought that our poor cat might despise us after what we put her through, but on the contrary she became even more affectionate, and is now so soft and clean smelling that I want to just scratch her all over.

No News is Good News ...Right?

The reason I haven't written anything lately, is that there isn't much to write. My day pretty much goes like this:

1. I Wake up with the cat sitting on my chest, her nose touching my nose, and her diesel engine like purr resonating through my body. As soon as I crack an eye, she begins her plaintive mewing which sounds suspiciously like she's saying - me, me, me, me, me. Did I mention that this usually takes place anywhere between 3:30 and 5:30 AM!!!!!! Did I also mention that Mack can sleep through ANYTHING!

2. I Kick the cat out of the room and try to sleep for the last 1-3 hours of the morning, except that I'm a light sleeper and usually can't get back into the fabulous deep dreamy sleep I was in, so instead I silently curse the cat and any other living thing that has ever woken me before I should have been awakened in my whole entire life.

3. I Wake up again with Mack's alarm going off.

4. I Roll over and whine a little.

5. I Drag myself out of bed 10 to 30 minutes later than I should have gotten up, due to lack of REM sleep. I walk over to the bathroom and scream, then realize that I was just looking at myself in the mirror.

6. I ready myself for work while listening to Phoebe going "me, me, me, me", and trying not to stand on her as she weaves in and out of my legs.

7. I Brace myself for the ice and snow and try not to land up on my butt walking to the garage.

8. I Drive to work while eating my breakfast of Rice Krispies out of a tupperware bowl with a plastic spoon. I usually lower the bowl when I near a police car.

9. I Get to work (usually 15-30 min late).

10. I work for 5 min. Then wander around the office looking for a snack. I devour the snack. Then, begin looking for my next snack. Not satisfied after my snack, I walk (through the freezing cold, thats how desperate I am) to the local bagel shop and buy a bagel with strawberry schmear. Then, I watch the clock wondering why lunch time is so far away.

11. Around noonish I eat my lunch, then feel like a pig. I lean back in my chair and think I ought to undo a button or two on my jeans, then remember that I'm wearing preggie pants which expand with my waistline. I bless the preggie pants.

12. I Actually get some work done, then watch the clock wondering why 5 O'clock is so far away. I eat another snack.

13. I drive home while singing to the radio.

14. When I get home I head straight for the fridge. I Eat something, then I cook dinner and eat all over again. Excuse me, you would eat this much too if you were creating body parts in your belly.

15. After dinner I lie on the couch like a beached whale. I try to interact with the cat, but she finds Mack much more fascinating. Mack and I chat about our day. I sleep through the next few hours of TV only to awake to find Phoebe stretched out on top of me with her belly bared for all to scratch, purring. I scratch her belly. She bites my hand.

16. I play with Phoebe for a while, making her chase this ball and string thing. My goal is to tire her out so she'll sleep longer. I merely succeed in tiring myself out.

17. I stagger down the passage and flop into bed. I cuddle with Mack and fall into a deep sleep.

18. It starts all over again.

Sub Zero

For over a week now, the temperatures over here have not even peeked above zero. It has snowed, it has iced over, and it has snowed again. I am beginning to wonder if actual sunshine still exists.

I had to drive to work this morning in the most disgusting snow storm (and for a little girl from Africa, I don't think I did too badly), and naturally when the roads are all slushy and icy the worst drivers come out to play. I had one moron in a little sports car who would not get off my tail, and then suddenly sped up, overtook me and cut so tightly in front of me its a wonder I didn't slide. My vocabulary was reduced to a few very choice four letter word combinations.

AND... to add insult to injury, Mack has the day off today, and my Mom, Darren, Allyson and Ethan are sitting on a sunny beach in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. Oh the injustice of it all.

Oh Happy Day!

Picture it. I woke up this morning. Rolled over in bed. Something was different. Something I couldn't quite put my finger on. And then it hit me. I could actually roll over in bed without my head wanting to explode into ten thousand pieces. I didn't have to squeak a plaintive "babe", and have Mack jump out of bed to get me a couple of Excedrin and a glass of OJ. Oh no, this morning I actually had a smile on my face when I told him I loved him and kissed him good bye. What an amazing feeling. I didn't have to have a 44 ounce Mountain Dew for breakfast - no, instead I had Rice Krispies.

So when I say - Oh Happy Day, I say it with a full gospel choir and a couple of tambourines accompanying me.

OH HAPPY DAY!!!!



**A special thanks goes out to Martin who informed me of the correct way of using the pressure points between my thumb and forefinger to overcome a headache**

What Will It Be?

So many people have asked us if we know what our baby is going to be - the answer is yes. It will be a human baby, either a girl one or a boy one.

Actually we find out the sex of the baby on the 29th of Jan. Mack wants a boy and I want a girl - well, I don't really mind, but we only have little boy cousins in the family so far and I think it would be fun to have the first sassy diva cousin.

And there you have it.