To have Children or Not?

I've been struggling with this question recently. I've always been scared to death to have kids. It's such a huge responsibility. What if I completely screw them up? But the past year or so, I've really been feeling the tug of motherhood and decided I do want to have a baby. And then, just last week I had a scare with running out of birth control and really evaluated how I would feel if I got pregnant. I was terrified. I don't want to give up my life that I know now to raise a kid. I want to spend more time with just Armand and me so we can do all the things we want to do while we're still young. A kid would just get in the way... But then I read this article by focus on the family's Dr. James Dobson. It's a pretty long article, but it's really good. http://www.focusaction.org/Articles/A000000239.cfm It really convicted me about how selfish I am and how culture is trying to convince us that we can have a more fulfilling life without kids. Children are truly a blessing from God, and if I'm so selfish that I would rather do things that I think are fun rather than receive a wonderful blessing from God, than I'm messed up. (I already knew I was messed up, though) Anyway, I'm going to be praying that God prepares my heart for accepting His wonderful gift of children when the time comes. (and hopefully that time will be at least after I'm living with Armand)

13.1

MILES! 13.1 Miles! I ran my first half marathon this past weekend. I've been training for it since around February. The farthest I had run before Saturday was 8 miles. It was so awesome, though. I finished in 2 hours and 12 minutes, which was a lot better than I was expecting. A few classmates and friends drove down to Nashville on Friday for the Country Music Marathon. Even though I'm not a big fan of country music, I love it. There were over 20 bands along the route. It was so cool how many people were along the street cheering everybody along. the 2 hours went by really quickly, but I was dead tired the rest of the day and really sore! I'm still recovering, but I had to play a volleyball game tonight. I didn't play very well to say the least. Here are some pics. After the race we checked out the Grand 'Ole Opry and then there was a free Sara Evans concert.

I'm Back

Sorry for not blogging in, like, a REALLY LONG time. I actually wrote a really good blog about a month ago, but when I spell checked it, it disappeared and I vowed never to blog again, but then the Noble's blogversary inspired me to try again. (BTW, it ended up being really long, so you don’t have to read all of it in one sitting…)
It's an absolutely beautiful day here in Dayton, OH. It’s basically the first day of spring at 60 degrees and sunny skies. I took the dogs on a long walk which they very much enjoyed, since they haven’t been getting out much in the snow and freezing weather. I don't know about you, but every change in season is very nostalgic for me. It brings back all the memories that enjoyed the same kind of weather. This change of weather has brought me back to Okarche, where Armand would take walks to the post office (since they said we weren’t allowed to have a mailbox). We’d walk the few blocks after dinner holding hands or practicing flight patterns or going over Armand’s pilot training knowledge that he was learning. Fun times. This weather also reminds me of when I lived in OKC without Armand and would go with Legend to this beautiful park around a big lake not far from my apartment.
It’s so refreshing when a new season comes, because it brings hope and expectations of new and exciting experiences to come. Hopefully this warm weather will bring along my husband with it. He’s been out of the country for pretty much 2 months now. I’m really ready to see him. And we’ve got plans to go to Alaska next weekend, so if he’s not back, I’ll have to go alone. Pray for his immediate return.
God has been good to us, though, giving each of us enough grace, comfort and strength to make it through yet another day apart. I’ve been really busy with school work lately. I don’t think I’ve mentioned on here that I decided to try to graduate in 12 months instead of 18 so I can live with A2 sooner. It’s put a lot of stress on me, but it’s so worth it if I can just get a whole thesis done and written by then. I’m about to take my finals for my second quarter. That means I only have 2 more quarters left. Woohoo! (Also, really scary considering how much I don’t have done yet!)
Well, I hope wherever you are reading this that God blesses you in some wonderful way today, like He does me everyday.

Gym Etiquette

Ok, I know I haven't blogged in a long time, but I couldn't pass up the chance to tell this story to everyone. So, I was in the gym today doing a little weight lifting. It was time for my to do the bench press machine, but there was another lady on it. I waited a few minutes and when she was on her break between sets, I politely asked if I could slip in in between and do a set myself. She said, "Um, no. I won't take too much longer." A little taken aback by that answer, I said, "ok." and continued to wait. After she had done about 3 more sets, a man comes up to talk to her. She enters into a conversation with him while sitting on the machine and talks for about 5 minutes while I'm standing there waiting. I finally decided to ask if I could at least do a set while she was talking, and she said, "No. I be done in a minute. There are plenty other machines." None of which are the bench press machine that I need. She continues her conversation for a few more minutes and does about 3 more sets before she finally gets off the machine. Granted I was a little ticked at her, but more so I was just flabbergasted. I was simply amazed that there are people in this world who are that rude and don't even care. There are rules at a gym. If someone is waiting on your machine, you allow them to use it in between your sets. I was tempted to report her to the front desk in hopes she'll be banned from the gym or at least be told to play by the rules. Even if it wasn't a rule, it's at least gym etiquette. Is anyone else as amazed as I at her rudeness?
Here is a link to a little Gym Etiquette http://exercise.about.com/cs/healthclubs/a/gymetiquette.htm
Here are some more rules I copied from http://www.muscletalk.co.uk/article-gym-etiquette.aspx I've underlined the violated rules.
The Key 'Do not' points:
Do not leave equipment covered in your sweat - wipe it down with a towel/tissue. People would rather not use their own towel to wipe off another person's sweat
Do not sit on equipment you are not using (especially if it's busy)
Do not hog equipment by spending unnecessary time chatting too long between or after sets (especially if you are using equipment that there is only one of)
Do not train too close to other equipment you are not using or block others access to equipment or walkways, etc (especially if it's busy)
Do not interrupt people mid-set by talking to them or asking a question. Wait until they have finished the set (this happens to me quite a lot)
Do not move too near people when they are lifting as it can be very distracting having someone walking right behind you when you are deadlifting
Do not ignore other's request to share equipment you are using while you are resting between sets
Do not leave weights or plates littered around the gym floor. The least you can do is stack them nicely or move them to one side when you've finished if you're too lazy to put them back
Do not just move equipment that has just been left alone for a moment. Check to see if it's finished with first (they may have just gone to get a drink of water or some more paper to wipe down equipment with)
Do not, if not needed, have your mobile phone on. It is very distracting having phones going off in a gym every 5 minutes then people talking really loudly above the music to be heard. If you're not expecting an urgent call then leave it in your locker
The 'Do' points we should remember:
Do be mindful of the space around you and if you are restricting other's movement to certain areas or equipment
Do ensure you maintain your personal hygiene. It's not nice for others to smell your two week old training shirt that you've been sweating in every day
Do ask to work with others between their sets on equipment you may have been waiting for
Do allow others to work with you between your sets if they are waiting for your equipment. If they look less experienced than you then offer it anyway as they may just feel intimidated
Do ask if people are finished with equipment once they have got up. Try not to assume they have
Do ask people to move if they are crowding you or restricting your access to other equipment
Do be polite as much as possible
Do train in the right areas when the gym is busy. If you can free up equipment by doing the same exercise elsewhere (e.g. bicep curls in the power rack) then do so
Do use common sense and sensible judgement with most situations
Do try and be flexible with others who may not know better
As you can see, this is not rocket science but basic common sense and respect for others.

My Airport Bad Luck -- God's Faithfulness

So, Armand told you a short synopsis of my time with him last weekend. It was absolutely delightful. Here is a link to all of our pictures from the zoo, the air show, and Armand hitting 90,000 miles on his 2002 car. http://www.walmart.com/agt/bounce.gsp?ID=4C1AB05A18557143F618C3D17A3D7618A887&sharee=jeldnc%40yahoo.com The pictures I tried to take of him singing in the barbershop choir concert didn't turn out very well. It was pretty dark. The concert was awesome, though! They were terrific and the 4 quartets that sang after them were phenomenal as well. It was a night of very good music, lots of humor, and good food. You can't beat that. Omaha Zoo was pretty cool too. It's said to be one of the best in the world and it definitely showed. The coolest thing was what we started out, the Desert Dome. It's this huge greenhouse looking dome that they set up like a trail though different desert regions with the appropriate wildlife displayed. But it's not just one level...you go downstairs and there are all sorts of other cool things that come out at night. So they had a cave set up with bats and other nocturnal creatures and a swamp area with alligators and possums. It was so cool. We even got to see the famous giant albino alligator. Anyway, the air show was pretty awesome, too. Armand and I had never been to one before. We had a blast. It's such a great atmosphere with the static displays of the planes, the demonstrations, and the food!

Speaking of planes, I have the worst luck with flying commercially. It's like a curse. I fly pretty often, about once every month or two. Well, it has never failed that not just on every trip, but on both the there and back legs, something doesn't go as scheduled. Either my flights are delayed or they lose my luggage or both. It's crazy. Now, I understand it happens quite often in the modern world of terrorism in the commercial air business, but nobody I know has trouble EVERY single time. Anyway, on my way to Omaha, the flight was only delayed like 15 minutes. No big trouble there, but on my way back from Omaha, I was supposed to leave at 2:30. Armand and I were joking around on the way to the airport saying, wouldn't it be nice if my flight was delayed an hour so we could spend more time together. We knew it was actually pretty likely to happen with my luck, and just an hour late wouldn't make me miss my connecting flight in Atlanta. So we get to the check-in desk about 50 minutes before my flight was to take off, and guess what? It's delayed till 3:45! Yea! We checked my luggage and went to the park for a little while. When I finally went to my gate, it turns out my flights delayed till 4:30, so I go back outside security to spend more time with Armand, then I go back inside and it's delayed even later. Now I'm worried about my connecting flight, so since no one was at the desk in the gate area, I go back outside security and down to the check-in counter to get my connecting flight figured out. She said if the plane really takes off at 4:45 like it is now scheduled, I'll have 20 minutes to make my connection in Atlanta. This isn't my original connection, but the last flight out of Atlanta to Dayton. I ask if there is any way they can't send through a different city since Atlanta was having major storms and that was what the hold up was. She said no, the other flights are overbooked. I said fine, knowing that God was ultimately in control. I said a final goodbye to Armand who by now had to get back to church for choir practice and went through security for the last time. As I was waiting patiently, the flight got delayed again. My 2:30 flight was now not scheduled to leave until 5:45. This means I would miss the last flight out of Atlanta. I'm still not too worried, because this happens to me all the time, and God has never failed to work things out for me, so as I was standing in line at the counter to try to figure something out, they were announcing a last call for some guy on the 3:45 flight to Cincinnati. I didn't see anybody running over there to catch the flight, so I asked the guy behind me to save my place in line and ran over to that gate. I asked the lady to let me go to Cincinnati since that guy didn't show up and she said that the flight leaves in 45 seconds. But she printed a ticket for me, and I hopped on the plane. I wonder if that guy kept holding my place in line? Anyway, I got to Cincinnati and was on standby to Dayton, but that flight was overbooked by 2. I called my roommate to see if she might be able to come pick me up since it's only an hour and a half drive, but the ladies at the counter said there was still a chance I could make the flight, since a lot of people usually don't show up for this flight. In God's wonderful provision, I made it on the flight and landed in Dayton 30 minutes before I was supposed to arrive via my original flight plan had it been on schedule. Of course my bags went to Atlanta without me, so I got them on Monday morning, but isn't God good? He never fails me. Mo matter what the circumstances look like, God is always in control.

I know that was a pretty long story, so if you got this far, I'm proud of you. It's just that I don't have school today, so I don't know what to do with myself. I start my real classes to get my Masters in Physics on Monday. I'm pretty excited. :)

I've got Excuses

Please forgive my complete lack of blogging. I haven't even read Armand's latest post, but I decided I'd better write mine before I try catching up on everybody's. If I don't, I'll be too tired of reading blogs to post my own.
So, where did I leave off? Oh yeah, LA. Well, I got back, the movers came and packed up all my stuff. It was pretty stressfull for some reason. Then Legend and I head off to Ohio in my little Beettle. It was packed to the brim with food, china, suitcases, and other misc things the movers couldn't take (or I didn't want them to take). We stopped overnight in St Louis, so I could cash in on 2 days of per diem, and then arrived in my new semi-home of Dayton (Omaha will be my real home until we move from there). I stayed in a hotel off base that had a full kitchen, but they only did room service once a week. I was only there for a week and a half, so I only got my bed made for me once. :( Oh well. During the time I was in the hotel, I inprocessed and got oriented to AFIT. Armand also came to visit for about 5 days. We had a great vacation. There are some fun things to do here in Dayton.
On Thurs before Labor Day, the movers delivered my stuff to my new house. I'm rooming with a girl that's already been here a while, but just had a new house built. It's a beautiful 4 bedroom 2 story house with a finished basement. The coolest thing is that it has an intercom system built into the alarm system and a central vacuum system with an automatic dustpan. You just sweep everything in the kitchen to a vent under the sink, kick a button, and woosh, it's gone. It's such a throw back to the 60's when my grandparents had the house I grew up in built. It had a central vacuum system and intercom, too. Of course, it's much higher tech now.
I left for Omaha as soon as the movers finished delivering my stuff. That weekend was great getting to hang with Armand and E. The drive was aweful, though. Almost 12 hours one way. Blah. I'm definitely flying next time (which is in two weeks! YEA!). I got to come back from Omaha to my new living quarters and spend the first night in ages (almost a full month) in my own bed in my new room. Since then, I've been unpacking, getting to know my new housemate, and taking refresher courses to get me prepared for when real school starts in October. I hope you can all forgive me for not keeping you up to date, but it's just so hard to keep up with the normal things in the midst of so much change. I'll probably get settled in soon, and begin blogging on a more regular basis. Until then, don't hate!

PS these are pics (floorplans) of my new house (mine has four bedrooms and 2 full baths upstairs, though, so it is completely different than the one pictured but you get an idea). Armand is afraid I'll like it better than our house, but he has nothing to worry about. Ours is much better. It's not as big, but we don't need to rent out rooms to people, unless their name is Ethan Kuhlman.

Short Post

Hey everybody. I know it's been awhile since I've posted, and this one is going to be short, but I'll get back on track eventually. I haven't been able to post because I've been to LA and am in the process of moving to Dayton. I'm actually in a hotel in Dayton now. I arrived Sat afternoon after two days of driving and a night in St Louis. My little VW Beetle was packed to the brim. Anyway, I'll be in this extended stay hotel for the next week while I wait for my future roommie to close on her (our) new house. Hopefully I'll get to move in on the 29th. To hear a good synopsis of my trip to LA with my sister, check out her (Marci's) blog. She left out a few things, like the drama of my flying standby and our dinner with Scotty, but captured the fun trip pretty well. Here are a couple of pics. Sorry I can't say more, but I've got to go inprocess now.