One Man's Trash....

I like expensive things, there's no doubt about that.  You know when you are trying to pick something out and decide exactly what you want --- only to discover you picked the most expensive one??  Happens to me all.the.time!!!  Since having kids though, I have learned that some expensive items are even better after somebody else buys them and decides to give them up.

I have discovered the enjoyment of second hand shopping.  This started out to just be for my kids.  There is no point in spending a lot of money on clothes they will only wear once or twice...or get dirty the first time they wear them.  The children's consignment shops are set up so nice that you don't even feel like you are shopping in a consignment store.  Most shops are also really picky on what they will accept for consignment, so you can count on getting stain-free items.  On a really good day, you can even find items that have never been worn and still have the original tags, but you only have to spend a quarter of the original price!  Having a place to sell your unwanted kids' items without the hassle of a garage sale is wonderful too!

Garage sales -- oh boy, I love a good garage sale!!  I don't think I ever went to a single garage sale in my life until having a child.  Now, I check the garage sale ads all spring/summer/fall and get really excited when I see lots of things for small kids.  Some sales are wonderful and the seller prices their items to sell -- those are the most exciting!!  Today, for example, I went to 6 garage sales, 2 of which were just in my mom's neighborhood where I was visiting and I killed two birds with one stone by taking my kiddos for a walk while stopping at the sales.  At the first house, I got Rylee an old school Casio keyboard for $1 (I had one when I was little).  At the second house, I got the best bargain ever -- a pair of barely worn dress shoes for Rylee for .25!!!  She was needing a pair of dress shoes for a wedding we have coming up, and I just couldn't buy her a brand new pair that I know will only be worn one time -- so this find was just waiting for me!!  The final 4 houses were all in one neighborhood and advertised together.  They all had some children's items.  At one house, my sister-in-law and I each got a pair of kid's shoes for $1, that retail for $40+ brand new!!  They were gently worn and perfect for our kiddos' needs!  So, 3 pairs of shoes, $2.25 spent! 

A couple weeks ago, I discovered that shopping for myself at consignment shops can be just as much fun.  While strolling through Main Street of my favorite town, I decided to browse the adult consignment shop.  It was set up so nice, I didn't even know it was 2nd hand when I first walked in.  I tried on lots of clothes in this store and ended up with a dress for $10 that didn't even look like it had been worn and came from a store that, I swear, doesn't sell anything for less than $50.  I also bought a pair of jeans for $10, that came from a store who's jeans sell at the $60-$120 range.  Since they had already been worn, they were soft and broken in and perfect!! 

I am also loving the "swap" pages on facebook, where you can buy and sell items.  It's nice to see pictures of items and be able to ask questions without having to call or email the person (such as with Craigslist). 

Oh Craigslist -- my husband's "other" wife.  Not only does he spend more time with Craigslist than me, he also spends more money on Craigslist than he does on me :)  Sometimes I think he and his brother just like to see who can find the more random items --- like my favorite, a prosthetic arm.  We have gotten some great finds from Craigslist though, so I can't complain too much....unless he finds ANOTHER chainsaw he "needs" -- how many of those does one person really need anyway?!?!?

Speaking of my husband -- he is also an avid fan of auctions.  I think he just goes for the awesome beef burgers, but we have gotten some pretty cool things at auctions.....like the super old horse saddle he got for $5 -- wait!---that one wasn't so cool -- I'd say a little more on the weird side!  He has taught our daughter how to bid too and it is probably the cutest thing ever! 

I could go on and on about this topic, but hubs is asking for the computer (date with craigslist I'm sure).  So, anyway, it's safe to say that many items are just better to purchase "gently used" to get the best value.  As nice as a brand new item is (and who doesn't love the smell of a NEW car?!?!?!?!), sometimes it just make sense to go for the previously loved.  As they say, "One man's trash, is another man's treasure." 

Fall - What's Not to Love?

Happy first day of Fall!!  I don't really think I need to explain why it's the best season in Iowa; everyone loves fall (I think).  But, here are some of the things that I love about the season:

The crisp morning and evening air. You know, HOODIE weather!!  And being able to go for a walk outside without sweating.

The colors.  Oh, the colors.  The bright and vibrant orange, yellows and reds!  Also, the gem colors of fall clothing in the stores....plum, emerald green, brown, burnt orange -- I love them all!!!

Harvest decorations.  Pumpkins, hay bales, scarecrows, etc.  There's just something warming about fall decorations.

Football.  I don't really watch very many football games, but it's a fun time of year when everyone comes together to cheer on their teams.  Seeing the bright lights shining on a high school football field on Friday nights just makes me smile....and seeing their fields decorated for homecoming.

Pumpkin flavored everything - Yummy!!

Apple desserts - also yummy!!

Pumpkin Picking - this is a new favorite now that I have kids.  Center Grove Orchard is the best place ever! Corn Pool anyone?? 

Jeans, sweaters and boots!  (or HOODIES!!)

Preparing for the holidays.  I usually start thinking about holidays early -- a little Christmas shopping, finding new desserts to try making, and reminding my husband every year that we need a bigger dining table to hold more people when we host the holidays (he insists on making us a table out of barn wood).

School.  I don't attend school, nor do I have any kids in school, but I always enjoyed the beginning of the school year.  I'm looking forward to shopping for supplies when my kids start school (I'm sure I'll dislike it after a couple years). 

I'm sure I'm missing several items, but I think I can safely say that I love everything about fall (other than it puts us that much closer to winter -- yuck).  I have always loved fall, but living in the country makes me appreciate it even more.  I live in the middle of farm fields so I get to see and hear all of the harvesting going on and I can spend my evenings out on the deck looking up at the stars and have a clear view of the bright orange harvest moon when it appears. 

Really, what's NOT to love about fall?!?!?!?!

T.V. - Can't live with it, Can't live without it

We made it!!!  An entire 9 hours without tv today.  This was a HUGE feat, considering Rylee normally watches tv about 75% of that time.  Yep, I'm that mom that just lets my kid watch tv all day.  I admit -- it's a crutch so I can get things done around the house (and spend time on the internet - guilty!). 

I am a stay-at-home Mom, but I struggle with the "Mom" part of that.  When my husband agreed to let me quit work and stay home, we agreed that I would be the "house manager" (of course, I still have to report to the Director - whatever), which meant that I had to keep the house clean and all of the housework caught up.  James said he didn't ever want to have to put laundry away (something we both hate), vacuum, mop, etc because that will all be my responsibility.  I like a clean house, so this was an easy sell for me.  My "to-do" list every day consists of house chores and I sometimes forget I have kids to take care of on top of that (luckily, neither of them lets me forget about them). 

Well, now I have 2 kids and time for house work is much more limited.  It is still a priority for me though, as I feel less stressed if my house is clean and organized.  After Wyatt was born and I needed to devote so much time to him for feedings, diaper changes, cuddles, etc, I started letting Rylee watch a show every time she asked for one because it was just easy.  She didn't notice how much time I was spending with Wyatt because she was watching a show.  Since she was occupied I could get my housework done (and facebook/email checks) between tending to Wyatt.  I started realizing that Rylee pretty much watches tv all day.  She can watch the same Disney movie over and over all day long too --- and if I don't pay attention to the movie it starts over on it's own, which is not a good thing. 

Yesterday, James and I discussed the need to limit her tv watching time.  We knew it was getting bad when she started telling us, "I will after my show is over" when we would ask her to do something.  So I decided to try banning tv from 9-4.  This still gives her a couple of hours in the morning while I shower, get Wyatt up and ready for the day and get a few chores done.  Since today was going to be a rainy dreary day, I was afraid I would give in and let her watch tv.....but I DIDN'T!!  In fact, we turned it off an hour early and turned it back on after 5 and she only asked for it once in that 9 hours.  I wasn't sure what all we were going to do to keep busy all day since we couldn't go outside, but Rylee showed me that it's no problem to find things to do all day.  She pretty much ran the show and I enjoyed it.  We played in the basement (where most of the toys are) way more than we ever have, we read lots of books, painted pictures, played a few games, had several dance parties, took her baby for a stroller ride around the house and practiced somersaults.  I still can't quite embrace my "inner child" and really get into her activities, but I at least got enjoyment out of watching her have fun.  I'm sure I'm her least favorite play mate, but that's okay. 

While Rylee has to give up tv time, I'm giving up internet time (okay, I just found a different way to hold Wyatt's bottle so I can get on the internet while he's eating) and limiting the number of chores I do in a day, or trying to be more efficient so I can tackle them while playing with the kids (Rylee loves to help with laundry and emptying the dishwasher, so those can be worked into our activities). 

When we first moved out to the country we didn't have any tv at all for almost a year, while we were waiting for the local communications company to trench fiber optic cable out to our house.  We couldn't even get a single channel with an antenna.  We found plenty of things to do and never missed having tv shows to watch (but when we went somewhere with cable we watched the crap out of it!!).  I know that life can be enjoyable without the tv, and specifically for children, who have wonderful imaginations and creativity! 

I'm looking forward to spending more quality time with my kiddos(Wyatt is starting to interact with us so the fun is only just beginning).  Hopefully I don't give in to the tv when winter gets here -- ugh -- winter -- shouldn't even be thinking about that word.  As I'm typing right now I hear James asking Rylee who her best friend is and who she has the most fun with and she keeps saying, "Momma"  :)  Guess I'm not doing too bad. 

P.S.  Since turning the tv back on at 5, we have watched The Lion King twice....

P.P.S I hope no one is keeping track of how many times I use "" and ( ) in my posts -- it's bad, I know.  It's my blog though, I can write what I want :)

Does the Early Bird Get the Worm??

I say "yes".  I have always been a morning person; it's the best time of day.  You get to watch the sun come up and listen to nature coming alive.  The world is quiet, before the hustle and bustle of the day.  In my opinion (and it's the only one that matters, right?), no one needs to sleep past 7am every day.  Wake up when the sun is coming up and be thankful and excited to start a new day!

My 2 year old is even more of a morning person than I am.  She has been waking up around 5:30 every day for the past year or more.  She is the most excited morning person I've ever seen.  She jumps out of bed and is ready for "milk and a snack" and isn't afraid to let the whole house know.  We have tried black out shades, a noise machine, laying in her bed with her after she wakes up and letting her lay in bed with us after she wakes up.  NOTHING makes her go back to sleep.  We have also tried several different bedtimes, ranging from 6:45 - 9:00....NOTHING makes her sleep much past 5:30.  She doesn't even care that it's pitch black in the house and that everyone else is sleeping.  When she wakes up, she just wants to start her day.  This is mostly great I guess, except for the few days I would like to sleep until 6:30 (that's about as late as I sleep in).

This is the only time I would ever say this, but sometimes I wish my mom lived with us.  She enjoys getting up early with Rylee.  In fact, sometimes I think she stays awake all night just hoping Rylee will wake up so she can get up and play with her and have her to herself.  Of course, this is always a win for me too, because then I get to sleep in a little --- such a great Grandma -- that's why we love her -- she takes care of all of us!!

So, since my day taking care of kiddos starts so early and I barely have any "me time", I recently worked out a deal with my husband that I get to have 5:30-6:00AM to myself to work out and he has to get up 30 minutes earlier than his alarm to take care of kiddos while I do so.  This has been huge for me, because I can get my exercise in right away in the morning (which is important to me -- we have to take care of ourselves too), and I can do it sans kiddos -- although, Rylee sometimes works out with me -- she's perfecting her push-ups right now :) 

And  poor Wyatt, he doesn't stand a chance.  When we hear him stirring, Rylee and I run into his room, turn the light on and get in his face with our happy "been up for 2 hours" voices. 

I love mornings!!  Even though I wish I didn't have to get up at 5:30 and could stretch it out to 6:30 most mornings, I wake up each day excited to see what the day will hold.  I do get a "sleep in" day on the weekends, but even then I feel like I'm missing out on too much of the day if I sleep past 7.  There are always so many animals outside my window in the early morning too -- I wouldn't get to greet them if I slept in every day :)

Have a great day everyone!! 

Grandma's Birthday

Rylee has been looking forward to this day all week.  It’s Grandma’s birthday!! Rylee and her Grandma “A-hamsen” are BFF’s.  Ya can’t blame Ry for liking her Grandma so much.  Anyone who knows her will have nothing but good things to say about her.  She is a very kind, caring lady who puts others before herself. 

My mom has always been a wonderful mother, putting her children before herself and making sure we always had what we needed (and usually what we wanted too). She has always been a great friend to me, even when she had to be a parent and we didn’t see eye-to-eye.  My mom and I talk almost every day either through phone, email or text.  She also calls to talk to Rylee on a regular basis.  Just yesterday Rylee brought me my phone and said, “I need to make a call”.  When I asked who she needed to call….”Grandma”.  She called Grandma and told her that we wrapped her present and were going to bring it to her on Friday at the picnic.  Good thing she didn’t tell her what the present was :)

Before I was anywhere close to being married, my mom would always tell me that she was ready to be a grandma and didn’t even care if I was married or not.  She has been a terrific Grandma thus far (I don’t have any doubts that it will continue).  My mom lives for her grandchildren.  I’m pretty sure every item on her bucket list includes doing something with her grandkids.  She is always willing to baby-sit and will make arrangements to see the kids if it has been too long since she has seen them (too long for her is about 10 days).  She always knows what Rylee is in to and what her latest favorite things are.  She does a very good job of actively participating in the kids’ lives and gives them her undivided attention when she is with them. 

Rylee always wants to go to Grandma’s house.  Not only because Grandma (and Grandpa) spoil her, but also because she loves Grandma and Grandpa’s pets.  She helps take care of them.  Today she held a phone up to the dog’s ear and said “talk to Grandma” :)  Rylee knows Grandma’s house so well that when we are about a block away she says “almost to Grandma’s house”. 

Today was probably the best birthday my mom has had in a very long time! First, my brother and his daughter (who just moved back to Iowa this week after living in Georgia for 6 years) took my mom flowers at work.  Then we all met my mom at a park in Ames for a picnic lunch.  It’s the first birthday that she has gotten to have her kids and grandkids all together.  She is one happy Grandma today!!

Happy Birthday, Mom!  We love you!!  Thanks for all you do!!

Who Ya Rootin' For?

Since I only have a handful of good channels and most of them will be consumed by football this fall, I have decided to start paying attention to the NFL.  I watched the second half of Thursday nights game, and parts of three of today's games.  I downloaded the NFL app on my phone and have been keeping up with the articles daily.  I know a lot of people are big fans of college football, but other than the Cyclones, I can't follow that many teams -- there are way too many!  But I think I may be able to tackle the NFL.

Here is my first problem:  I don't know which team I want to cheer for.  I grew up in a Vikings household, so I could go that route.  My husband is a Bears fan (though he doesn't really follow them that close), so I could choose that team -- but it might be fun to have a household rivalry (except he told me if I cheer for the Vikings or the Packers I have to sleep in a different room).  I could be a Chiefs fan, because their stadium is the closest one to my house.  I could jump on the Cowboys bandwagon--supposedly, they have the biggest fan base.  I could choose the team with the most wins (the Bears).  I could select the team with the cutest QB (jury still out on that one). 

With 32 options and so many variables to consider, I just don't know how to choose.  So, I'm asking for your help..... tell me why I should root for your team.  Packers fans, I'm sorry, but it will take a lot for you to convince me to cheer them on...I just can't get on board with the green and yellow uniforms or wearing cheese on one's head...but you can still try.

My Other Soul Mate

Do you believe that a person can have more than one soul mate??  I do.  My second one is my best friend, Casie.  Okay, that probably sounds weird.  But seriously, I sometimes think we are the same person (except, she's much cooler than me). 

I met Casie blindly, just like I did with my husband.  My junior year of college I moved into a 4 bedroom apartment and only knew 2 of my roommates.  The 4th person, Casie, and I were the first two to move in and we were alone together for about a week until the others moved in.  One of those very first nights, we stayed up pretty late talking and getting to know each other.  I knew I was going to get along with her just fine.  I didn't know at that time that we would become such great friends. 

I also met her boyfriend (now husband) during that first week we lived together too and liked him right off the bat as well.  He became my protective "big brother" for the next 2 years...telling me it was too late to go to Wal-Mart by myself and I should just stay home..."Okay, Dad". 

I had so much fun with Casie during my last 2 years of college.  Our personalities meshed so well, it was almost scary.  We shared a lot of the same interests and never got tired of each other (at least I don't think she got tired of me).  She is/was always willing to be brutally honest with me whether I liked what she had to say or not...I'm thinking of a couple of specifics, Casie, that I don't want to post...we'll talk later ;)  Those were the best 2 years of college for me and I have so many memories with her.

I remember the night before I moved to Des Moines after graduation, I stayed up late writing her a letter telling her how much I was going to miss her.  I was crying thinking about leaving her and then her boyfriend came over and stopped in to my room and made fun of me for crying about it....it was an emotional girl thing I guess. 

Although we lived 2 hours apart after graduation, we still saw each other plenty.  We were each other's maid of honor in our weddings.  Now that we both have families, it is a lot harder to get together, but we usually find a couple of times each year to make it happen. 

So, today we met at the Amana Colonies for a much needed get together sans kiddos.  We went into all of the little shops there and she helped me spend my money on some cute things for my house (and 3 bottles of wine!).  We had a nice sit-down lunch at the Ox Yolk Inn (even though the elderly lady waiting on us wouldn't let her have fries even though the menu said she could).  Then we moved on to the Tanger Outlet shopping center.  It was here that I remembered how similar we are. 

Our daughters are just a couple months apart and in nearly every children's store we picked up or purchased the same shirts for our girls and liked the same colors of the shirts.  The scariest thing though was when we went into the chocolate shop (she wanted a caramel apple) and ordered the exact same thing without knowing it!  I knew she was going to get a caramel apple and there were so many yummy chocolate choices, but I just felt like getting a boring M&M cookie and water...so that's what I ordered.  Right after I order, Casie comes up to the register and says "just an M&M cookie and a water please".  Whoa!!  Scary!!! 

We had a lot of fun today and could have used more time -- but unfortunately we were both several hours from home and had kiddos to get back to.  I enjoyed our conversation and just being "Emily and Casie" again with no little munchkins to take care of.  We are always able to pick up where we left off as if we still see each other daily.  She is one of the only people that I actually call, rather than text (I'm horrible at making real phone calls to people-- texting has ruined communication). 

Even though I think we are the same person, she really is much cooler than me and I look up to her --- well, that's because she is like 5'11 or something.  She is the most classy farm wife I know, and funnest mom ever!!  (Spell check is telling me 'funnest' isn't a word - whatever)  Today she told me her kids get a bath every single night because they are always filfthy dirty --- that means, her kids have way more fun than mine -- I cringe when Rylee gets dirty.  I have a lot to learn from the coolest mom ever!! 

LOVE YOU CASE!!!  Thanks for making time for me in your crazy busy schedule :)

This picture is old -- I would post a picture from today, since we both looked all cute in our skirts, but I don't have one, because somebody didn't want her picture taken (she's preggo). 

Ooo..I just thought of something else crazy -- she lived 2 hours from me, but the day of my accident she happened to be in Des Moines, so she was able to get to the hospital right away --- eerie, huh!?!

Dancin the Night Away

Finally!!!!  I made it back to line dance class tonight after 6 long months of not being able to go due to pregnancy, C-section recovery, and a busy summer schedule.  I was afraid I may have forgotten which is my right foot and which is my left....but no, I've still got it :)

I started line dancing about 5 years ago.  I will never forget the first night I went.  There were about 10 of us from the office I worked in who decided to go for fun one night.  We all went to the back of the class (which you quickly learn becomes the front once you turn around) and learned a dance that the class had already been working on for a couple of weeks.  After the initial lesson, the instructor played the music so we could do the dance to the song.  I think I was the only one of the 10 of us who stayed on the dance floor until the whole song was over!  You quickly learn that dancing to music is so much faster than walking through the steps sans music!  It makes a lot more sense though once you dance it to the music.

Only 3 of us continued on after that day and are still dancing.  Most people I know who have gone once, rarely return because it is overwhelming the first time.  However, the more you go, the more you learn that all of the dances use the same steps, just in different order...if that makes any sense.  All 3 of the dances I learned tonight had lots of "hip shaking".  The dances we learned were to the following songs: "Drink in My Hand", "1994" and "Downtown" by Lady A. 

Most line dances we learn are to country songs, but not always.  We have learned dances to "Moves Like Jagger", "Candyman" by Christina Aguilara and "Keep Your Hands to Yourself" by Georgia Satellites, to name a few.  I generally only remember dances if I like the song.  If I get to class and don't like the song that night, I still learn the dance, but I don't try to etch it into my brain.  Those are the classes that I just consider exercise :)

On occasion, my dancing friends and I go to Kitty's on Friday nights where we can put all of our lessons into practice. That's always a fun night out for me.  It's such a fun atmosphere with a unique crowd.  The bar plays our line dance and couples dance music until 9 and then all of the 20-somethings and bachelorette parties come in and the music changes.  It's great people watching! 

I'm sooo glad to be back at it!!  Thank you to my husband for supporting my hobby and letting me have an evening out once a week.  The best part of my night may have been when I walked out of the bedroom with "real" clothes on and Rylee said, "ooooooooh, I like your cowboy boots!  And I like your dress!"  I wasn't wearing a dress, but I'm sure anything looks pretty when you are 2 and normally just see Mom in a t-shirt and gym shorts :)  It did feel good to get "dressed" for once....and it was weird to have jeans and boots on after so many days of shorts and tank tops. 

I'm looking forward to a Friday night out at Kitty's soon to get dressed up and put all of my dances into practice again.  Who wants to go with me?!?!?!

Here is a video of my favorite line dance.  I met this choreographer at a line dance camp in KC in February and got to dance this one with him -- it was awesome!  Not to mention he is very good looking!! (I'm not in this video if you're looking for me)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nGFgtOKfuhE

Some Things I Can't Live Without

...okay, my life would probably go on if I didn't have these things...but they make my life sweeter....

My Lucchese Cowboy Boots.  I wear these almost any time I have jeans on.  They are so comfortable and I get lots of compliments on them.  This particular pair has a leather soul, which is awesome for the dance floor!  I did spend a pretty penny on them, but have had them for almost 5 years and they still have lots of life left. 

Carmex.  In the tube, not the jar.  I used to wear lipstick everyday, but now I can count on one hand the number of times I wear any make-up within a month. I just prefer to apply a little Carmex and call it good.  It's the one item I put in my pocket if I'm not going to take my purse with me somewhere. 

ABC's "The Bachelor/ette".  Okay, I KNOW that this show is super unrealistic and the relationships rarely last.  It is full of drama as well, which I could do without.  What I like about this show is watching people fall in love.  Yeah, yeah, it's probably not TRUE love...how can you fall in love with someone you've only spent a few days with?  There's nothing like the beginning days of falling in love with someone and since I will never experience that again, I like to live vicariously through the people who do on this show.  It also helps when I really like the Bachelor or Bachelorette.  I will admit I have missed a few seasons because I couldn't connect with the person.  And...because they travel to such "fairytale" places, I am racking up my list of places to see :)

Fall.  The best season in Iowa.  I'm starting to like Summer more than I have in the past, but nothing will ever top my love for fall.  I will cover this in detail in a separate blog to come later. 

Country Music.  What's not to love about country music?  I think the people who say they don't like it, have never really listened to it.  A lot of country songs are played on pop stations now, so more people are being exposed to it without realizing it.  Country songs tell a real story that most of us can relate to.  I love the sound of a male country singer's voice.  I also love the sound of a steel guitar.  I think country ballads touch the heart more than any other genre --- for me, that might partially be due again to the sound of the male country singer's voice.  Sorry honey, but if any male country singer wanted to serenade me, I wouldn't say "no".

Ames, Iowa.  I didn't grow up in Ames, but there's just a feeling of "home" whenever I am there, which happens to be a lot.  I especially love Ames in the fall.  It's such a pretty town and there is so much to do.  I always thought I would move to Ames some day.  If only I could transplant my house and beautiful view....

My brother, AJ. Just checking to see if he reads my bog :)

Red. The color.  I love colors; every one of them and all shades of them.  Red always draws my attention a little more than the others though.  Red was one of my high school's colors, my favorite college sports team's color, and the logo color for 3 companies that I worked for.  I've owned a lot of red things...cars, coats, purses, swimsuits, even my senior prom dress had to be red.  Heck, I even tried out red hair -- fail.  Next on my list is red cowboy boots!

Scotcheroos.  Yum!  My mouth is watering just thinking of them.  I love all chocolate and nearly all desserts, but there is nothing like a good chocolate and peanut butter mix!

Surprises.  The good ones.  They can be as small as finding a $5 bill in a coat pocket or as large as a marriage proposal when you're least expecting it (that one probably won't happen again).  I am usually hard to surprise, and that makes the times that I am that much better!  Some of my favorites lately have been receiving a post card from the blood center letting me know that a friend donated blood in my name (this was someone I hadn't talked to in a long time), thinking I was going to a concert with my hubby but having my best friend show up instead, and being told by my OB doc that I could have baby #2 at the same hospital I had baby #1 at, even though her office no longer delivered there.  I will also mention here that my favorite part of the day is getting the mail (the REAL mail...like the snail kind)...it's always a surprise to see what was delivered :) 

What are some of your favorite things??