• Take pictures during pregnancy.  You may not want to — especially toward the end when you no longer fit in vertical shots, but you’ll enjoy laughing at them years later!
• Have backup names.  You never know if your baby just won’t look like his/her chosen name.  Like my husband for instance.  When he was born, his Mom decided that the name “Susan” she had chosen for her baby just didn’t fit. 
• About Pee.  Sometimes, especially in the last month of pregnancy, Moms experience a phenomenon called Involuntary Voiding of Urine.  This is also known as “peeing when you’re not really peeing.”  It happens.  But sometimes PWYNRP can be a sign of your water breaking.  In this case, get to the hospital!
• Enjoy sleeping on your stomach while you can.
• Enjoy sleeping while you can.
• Don’t eat too much.  Yes you are now “eating for two,” but don’t get confused and eat for 3 or even 4, because if you do, you will later need to eat for 1/2 to lose the extra weight!
• Invest now in a comforable Baby Carrier — like a Bjorn.  Carriers are a great way to keep your hands free while holding your new baby and still doing other important things at the same time — like showering, jogging, and driving. 
• Don’t register for the Wipes Warmer.  In reality you will be holding a clean diaper in your teeth while changing your baby on the back seat floor of your mini van and digging through your diaper bag for whatever wipe you can find — regardless of its temperature.
• Diaper Champs are great.  Diaper Champs use real bags not special refill bags and it’s easy to stuff and flip dirty diapers in.  But watch out.  Once babies are standing up it’s also easy for them to stuff and flip your car keys.  We’re pretty sure this is the way we lost our Fisher Price Loving Family Mommy, leaving our Loving Family as a now “blended family.”
• Don’t be embarrassed about False Alarm trips to the Hospital during the last month.  I heard, “No, it wasn’t your water… just pee again” a couple of times before finally making it to the Hospital for the real thing!
• Give Up Dignity.  Yeah, go ahead.  You might as well do it now.  Your stomach will be touched and patted by strangers.  And your previously-private body parts will be prodded, examined, and measured many, many times.  It’s all part of the initiation into motherhood.  Plus… it’s also preparation for Game Day when you will have an audience of 5 or 6 down there watching the Big Moment! 
• Enjoy every moment!  You are a Mommy.  Congratulations!

Having said that, I admit… I both love AND hate Victoria Secret.  I dislike their promiscuous marketing on TV, in magazines, and in their storefront (esp when my Husband is shopping with me).  But I also love wearing their comfy, long-lasting cotton styles.  What can I say? my last purchase lasted 3 years!

As I made my purchases today, I began considering other things I both love and hate.  Here’s the list I’ve come up with so far:

• airports,
• long distance friendships,
• sandboxes,
• mega-stores (Meijer, Super Walmart, etc especially when I’m looking for some obscure item),
• exercise,
• gas station restrooms in remote locations,
• diapers, and
• dentists.

What about YOU?

Well, I’m finally getting around to posting some pictures from the Sleepover last month.  What fun!  I made up an “Icebreaker” since many of these women didn’t know each other before the party, but they all dove right into conversation.  No icebreakers needed!

We spent a good portion of the evening talking and eating (we had tons of food since each Grown Up Girl brought her favorite snack — Spinach Artichoke Dip, Ice Cream “Dibs”, Cheesy Dip and Chips, Chocolate-Chocolate Cake, and on and on…)

Then we broke out the Dance Dance Revolution.  These Girls know how to “bust a move,” “shake a leg,” and just generally “get down.” 

Then as the evening wore on, our junk food buzzes and the late hour wiped away most inhibitions.  We each dropped an open-ended, deeper-level question into a jar. We then passed the jar around as each Grown Up Girl drew a question, told about herself, and answered her question.  It was a fun time of laughing, a little bit of crying, and a whole lot of growing and deepening friendships. 

We all decided that we would definitely do it again!

Try and find at least one person for each of the following Life Experiences. 

Has a tattoo                                          

Likes broccoli                                      

Is fluent in a foreign language          

Climbed a mountain                           

Lived outside of America                  

Done mission work                             

Been bitten by an animal                   

Saved a life                                           

Met a celebrity                                    

Broken a bone                                     

Had major surgery                              

Run out of gas                                      

Have any of YOU experienced the above?……

He said, you mean “they corroborated“?

To which I denied… “Corrobor…. what?  There’s no such word.  It’s collaborate.”

“No, no, no…”  He was certain. 

“So what’s the difference then?”  I probed, sucpicious that he was making up a word.

He explained that people collaborate when they rob banks, and that witnesses corroborate when they verify an alibi.

I was still suspicious — just like when I KNEW that it was Winona Ryder in Pirates of the Caribbean, and he thought it was Keira Knightley.  Silly Boy… I said, and I think we actually bet on this one.  Of course HE was right.

But this time our dispute involved WORDS, that’s something I know.  He’s more of a math/ programming guy.  Yes, he beats me at everything, but certainly not at words.

So I ran downstairs in my pajamas to get the laptop and bring it back up to bed.  We googled his silly, made-up word “corroborate.”  Hhmm… he wasn’t even sure how to spell it.  I was sooo going to win this one!

And then to my surprise, there it was.

Corroborate.

to make more certain; confirm

and then we googled

Collaborate.

to work, one with another; cooperate

Argh… how come he ALWAYS gets to win?!  Even about WORDS this time! 

(In all truth, I secretly enjoy that he’s smarter than me.  Shh… don’t tell him!)

• Snow
• Saturday mornings
• White Chili (recipe below)
• Visiting Library
• Indoor swimming at Fitness Center
• Playing “Trip to the Beach” in our bathtub
• Family Movie & Popcorn nights
• Wii — especially Mario Party 8
• Shopping at Target
• Playdates with Friends
• Playing in the Snow (when it’s above 20…)

What we’re ready to be All Done With about Winter

• Weeks of Sub-zero Chicago windchills (we’re supposed to hit 30 tomorrow!)
• Chapped Lips
• Dry, cracked Hands and Feet
• Pasty, Pale Skin
• The ever-increasing number of potholes in our roads (edit: just saw them patching some after writing this!)
• Icy Parking Lots — so far I’ve only landed on my Bootie once this year
• Carrying snow gear to school every day (Maggie)
• The Flu

White Chili

• 1- 14 oz can chicken broth
• med onion, chopped
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 1 can diced tomatoes with green chilis, drained
• 24oz can of white beans in juice
• 2-3 chicken breasts, cooked and cut in bite size pieces
• 1/4 teaspoon cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon oregano
• 2 shakes tobasco (optional — we don’t use this)

Cook onion and garlic.  Add peppers, beans, chicken, and seasonings.  Simmer 45 minutes.

So here’s my question to each of you…. 

1.  Do you think I should plan any activities or just let the party go as it may?  The only things I have planned so far are lots of food, Wii Games, and Chick Flicks.  I was thinking we should probably include one good question-based kind of game to get the conversation rolling…  Any ideas?

2.  If I should have a couple of games planned, what ideas do you have for fun ones?

Ray and I should have never met.  I’ve planned large scale events before, and I know that orchestrating the details of this connection…….  Well, let’s just say this was a “God-thing.”

I didn’t date much in high school or in college.  Just never could seem to find the right one.  So instead I just kept on going to school.  I ended up finishing grad work at Baptist Bible College in PA and staying on to teach there.  Summers were my quieter time, and I wasn’t around campus much.  However, I was there briefly one day and happened to drive by my friend Michelle Hammaker on campus. 

She was visiting from out of state, and I stopped my car in the road to say hello and could we get together?  We quickly decided the only time we could have together would be at the Teen Leadership Conference meeting that night.  I had never been to any of the summer conference events on campus, but I quickly agreed so I could spend time with my friend. 

I was already sitting down when Michelle walked in with some other youth leaders who were attending the meeting, and I was instantly drawn to one of these guys.  I found out later that his name was Ray Jezek. 

Ray really shouldn’t have been at this meeting either.  He was a 20-something internet programmer in the successful 90’s “Dot Com” era, and yet something about ministry had always tugged at his heart.  So he made a radical decision to leave his successful career and pursue a one year internship through his church. 

It was late July 1999, and he had just wrapped up his internship doing one month’s  worth of missions trips with various groups from his church.  On his way back into the country, he got a phone call.  Could he possibly help drive the youth group to Clarks Summit, PA?  because the scheduled driver had to back out at the last minute.  His answer, of course, was yes.

So it was Wednesday evening, and now we were both in the same gymnasium with hundreds of teenagers.  I was content with my life, having fun beginning my new career and enjoying the freedom of spontaneous weekend trips to the beach with friends.  I had never been boy crazy, and yet here I was… straining to find this boy.  Where did he go? 

After the service, Michelle and her friends Patrick and Dena McGoldrick invited us to meet them in Barndollar Hall.  I quickly agreed hoping that Ray might show up.  But when I got there he wasn’t there.  The lobby was full, and as in any group of youth leaders, this was a fun and loud place to be. 

And then, Ray walked in. 

When Ray tells this story, he makes a point of mentioning that when he walked into the room there was only one seat still open.  The one next to me.  He says he would have sat anywhere else if possible, because we were very outnumbered by married couples.  We had both arrived at the age at which people start really pulling for you to find the Right Person.  

Well, Ray didn’t want to be the single guy making such an obvious move in front of our eager group, but, c’mon everybody… this was the only chair still available.  So he sat beside me.

Our friends will tell you that we instantly turned our chairs toward each other and were quickly lost in conversation.  We started with questions like “what do you do for a living?” but quickly arrived at deeper topics about how God had been revealing Himself to us and teaching us over the summer.  It was a deep and instant connection that I had only had with one or two other soul-mate level friends.  Ever.  And those were girls. 

It was around 11 or so when our conversation began.  At 2:30am, we paused long enough to look around the room and realize that everyone had left without our noticing.  I glanced at my watch, realized the time, and suddenly felt a bit awkward to be in a dorm this late with a guy I had just met.  Not knowing for sure what to do next, I stood and walked toward the door.  I remember turning in the doorway and saying something awkward and completely under-stated like, “it was nice meeting you.”  I didn’t even know yet at this point if he was dating anyone. 

And then Ray said the important line that led to a series of conversations that have never stopped.  “So what are you doing tomorrow?…”

We spent all day Thursday together until my car battery died in the parking lot in front of his dorm.  That led to an embarrassing call to security — especially since the buzz was already hot in this tight community about “Miss Glanzer” and Ray Jezek. 

Bless their hearts…  Maybe they’ve finally found someone…

 

But this?  Well, it was just so right.  And without hesitation, I answered, “okay.” 

I went.  And that week, he decided to move to PA so we could continue getting to know each other.  He arrived in September and by March he was proposing to me.  He chose the lobby of Barndollar Hall as the place to pop the question.  He had the room set up the way it had been that night with the chairs in a circle and roses on the chair where I sat that first night.  He said something incredibly sweet like “this time every chair in the room is open, and I still pick the one next to you.”  And then… ”will you marry me?”

I said Yes………

I love you, Honey.  Happy Valentine’s Day.

My Maggie came home yesterday with two of these Promiscuous Barbies she had borrowed from a friend at school.  These under-dressed girls first caught my eye as they came wheeling past me in our hot pink Barbie car. 

Skirts, what skirts?  Nice boots too…

I knelt down by Maggie and asked if she thought the Barbies were dressed modestly.  She reluctantly admitted that they were not.  So we decided the best thing we could do for them was let them borrow clothes from one of our Barbies.  Perhaps Schoolteacher Barbie or Pet-Sitter Barbie would be willing to share?  We asked, and they (good Christian Barbies that they are) were willing to serve these new Barbie friends.

Amazing how these girls cleaned up.  Ray and I joked quietly that they had come to Jesus. 

Pet Sitter Barbie’s khaki capris are a bit too big for this size 0 Barbie.

“Need a ride?  We’re headed to Small Group?”

I don’t think having them around the house for the evening was a bad influence on our girls, but I think it may have negatively impacted Pet Sitter Barbie.  I happened to spot her later wearing absolutely nothing but Promiscuous Barbie’s high heeled boots!

I’ts my weekend morning to stay in bed.  Read.  Surf the web.  Think.  Or just enjoy the quiet here in our bedroom while Ray plays with the girls downstairs.  I’ll give the same gift to him tomorrow.  (It’s nice having the option of a later “second service” at church.) 

So I’ve been thinking lately… why do we girls stop having sleepovers when we grow up?  Sleepovers are such a fun place to stay up late and deepen friendships.  There’s something about staying together long enough that you lose most of your hairstyle, make up, and inhibition (sometimes even our bladder control). 

I decided that there’s really no good reason to stop.  So my mind is spinning with ideas for when and how to plan my first Grown-up Girl’s Sleepover.

When do we actually turn into grown ups anyway?  I’m 35 and still waiting.

I have been reading a book called The Contemplative Mom: Restoring Rich Relationship with God in the Midst of Motherhood by Ann Kroeker, and I’m learning a lot of practical ideas about how to find precious alone time with God through this book. 

• Use driving time.  We have started to use this time more productively by praying together on the way to school each morning.  I also frequently turn up some good worship music and sing along… consciously directing my words to Him as I sing.  And even talking to the girls about how God is (whatever the song is praising Him for).  The girls really get into this too.

• I try and get up an hour early each day to read and pray.  The house is still so quiet then, and having the automatic brew cycle set the night before allows me to wake up to the smell of coffee.

Yet very often, my girls, especially Ella wakes up early too.  I started an M&M economy that seems to be working well to keep them in their beds at night and in the morning.  They each start with a bag of 5 M&Ms at night in a Ziploc bag with their names on it.  They lose one each time they come out of their rooms between bedtime and their wake up times at 7.  Whatever is left when they come down in the morning, they get to keep.

 

There are some mornings that I’m especially tired when my alarm goes off, but I do my best to get up anyway.  I reason that it will be easier to nap on the couch while cuddling Ella through an episode of Little Einsteins than to find that Quiet time during the day.

 

• Neither of my girls take naps anymore, but we still often do Rest Times where they each play quietly in their rooms.  I set the “sleep button” on their clocks, and they can come out when the music stops.  I usually do this for only 30 minutes but would like to work up to 1 hour.  This allows me to have additional time alone and also teaches them about knowing how to quiet their own souls.  Some of their best imaginative play takes place during this time too.  My Mom did something similar with me when I was younger.  It was during these times that I fell in love with reading… especially Nancy Drew!

• “Sleeping in” on the Weekends.  Ray and I take turns getting up early with the girls on the weekends.  He gets one morning to sleep in and I get the other.  I sometimes use my morning, to wake up at the normal time and read in bed.  He even brings me coffee from time to time. 

• One of the best things for me has been to read the same passages of Scripture with other women.  We are currently reading through the OT chronologically.  We meet weekly to discuss what we’ve read, questions we had, personal struggles, interesting points, etc.  We also agree that we will have at least one specific principle and application to share that we have learned from our reading that week.

And one final quote that challenged me from Contemplative Mom:

“The God of the universe wants to know us and be known by us.  You are His friend, His beloved, His delight.  Is He yours?”

What are some of the ways you make time for solitude while balancing a full schedule?