:: Brinna's ::

:: Wednesday, November 30, 2005 ::
:: life inbetween ::

I am now back from Thanksgiving in Arizona, and have recovered mostly from the trip. I took Alice to her 4 mo. checkup last Wednesday, and in the early afternoon began the long drive with Kristi and Katie. Long being operative...we got to Tucson about 4am. We all slept on the floor in my uncle's living room. I'm not as young as I used to be... :) Mom got to sleep on the couch, and Dad got to share the guest bed with Daniel and my grandad.

The next day we drove to Yuma and had T-giving meal with my dad's side of the family. I talked to Rochelle (spell?) and Caroline (also spell?) Poe (got that one right, I think), my dad's cousins. They're always enjoyable. I won't call it a feast, and I didn't feel like it was Thanksgiving, either. I felt a bit full, but not a raucous event like I remember holidays as. Too stressful for them I suppose...they prize calmness, apparently. I see why I prefer my mom's side. Can you believe I always thought 'raucous' was pronounced 'racious'? That's what I get for never checking the dictionary.

We kinda had a day off on Friday, we talked a lot to Aunt Bonnie, who had arrived during the night. We had lunch at Aunt Laurie's, then Kristi and I went shopping at the new mall. I got Alice a onesie at Hot Topic that says 'Don't Kick the Baby', with Ike on it. Also, at least 5 pairs of awesome knee high socks. One is fishnet-ish, a pink mesh sort of thing that looks more Victorian than slutty. There was matching leg warmers that I'm using as armwarmers (who needs leg warmers when you've got knee-highs, anyway).

Saturday we went to a little reception dealie at Barbara Senko's house, not sure how she's related. Dad's cousin maybe. Anyway, that had finger foods and sparkling apple cider. It was in honor of Dad's dad and his long-time girlfriend getting married. I like him, but his new wife seems a bit controlling. Not sure though. That afternoon we drove back to Tucson and that night I slept in the recliner, which while still not optimal was definitely more comfortable than the floor. The next mornine we met Uncle Earl's new girlfriend, Leigh, who has a son whose name I don't recall presently. She was nice. I didn't talk with her that much so I don't know much about her but if they get along, fantastic. If she likes him she'll have no prob fitting in with the fam. She's coming to Colorado for Christmas which I unfortunately will miss. I wouldn't mind spending more time with her. Anyway that night we got home about 2am, not too bad. I got to sleep in my own bed with its wonderful pillowtop. (Next time you have a crummy mattress, simply buy a pillowtop, under $50 at Walmart...does wonders.)

The past couple days I've been sewing lingerie. I know, I'm so talented.. :) I saw a cool set at Victoria's Secret in purple (eggplant) silk shantung and saw the price tag. Eek! It was simple enough to make, it seemed, so I bought some fabric ($13/yd) and trim and sewed up a bra and undies for a fraction of the price. It's basically a corset/bustier, with boning. Cost me at most $15...to buy, it would have been at least $70. While I was at it I bought some very good quality velvet-type material in the home decor section, and I'm making a similar set. I actually got the velvet in eggplant and the silk in a bluey/periwinkle. I was surprised with how easy it was to make.

I also made some pumpkin pie with some fresh pumpkin. It tasted very good, but was a bit chunky. We had mashed the pumpkin but not blended/pureed it, next time we'll have smoother pumpkin. We're also going to try cooking the pumpkin over the stovetop, to make it thicker, like in Laura Ingalls Wilder's cookbook and Little House in the Big Woods.

Hmm, what else...did I mention I got Alice's passport in the mail finally, whew! I'm all set for my big trip. I fly to Denver and pick up my bags, then stay overnight in a hotel, lug them back and check in to fly to LA and then Korea. It will be ok (although a pain) to take my bags overnight on the way over, because I'll have Alice in a carrier and the suitcases have wheels, so I'll pull one suitcase per hand with a diaper bag over my shoulder. Tiring, yes, but I'm not that old yet! :) And certainly worth going to Korea. Especially if I get to wear fancy dresses to a fancy ball!

I bought a nursing bra from Australia, they didn't sell the color I wanted in the U.S. and it was cheaper from them. I measured myself and I am apparently a 32DD. Holy cow. My aunt actually asked me if I'd gotten a boob job. As if! My baby's 4 mo. old and I'm getting augmentation already?? I told her nursing IS a boob job. I used to be a 32B. And I was happy with it. I looked at my old bras and whoa do they look small. Anyway, I don't think I'd ever get cosmetic surgery. Especially since I'm still nursing and my body is still changing. I buy a couple pairs of jeans and lo and behold they get too loose. I'm now a size 7, I think. I was at least an 11 postpartum. Quite a size difference when a person hasn't been formally exercising regularly..

Today I went to town (literally, not as in the expression...I live 20 min away from ANYTHING) and returned a couple things to Victoria's Secret. I'd thought I'd bought a pair of dark red undies to match something but they didn't match. So they got the boot. And I got some plain black undies. Cause they match everything. Including what I'd been trying to match. I think. Maybe I'll go check. (But not right now.)

Tomorrow, I have nothing planned. Maybe more sewing. I can't sew non-stop with Alice. Tonight I watch Lost, if possible. I love that show. The last show I watched all the time was Star Trek: Voyager, and only to make sure Tom and B'Elanna got together. I don't like to watch TV that much. I liked 3rd Rock and That 70s Show...also Arrested Development. But not enough to make sure I watched it every week.

I was just reading one of mom's books about being a helpmeet to your hubby, like the Bible tells us to be. (Submit, woman!!) It was saying there's basically 3 types of men: Controlling/Leaders, Visionaries, and Steadies. I always thought Andrew was kinda steady cause he's so quiet, and he can be a bit controlling, but I realized he's really a visionary, who just doesn't talk to ppl that much. Which is getting better, since he's been married to me. Not trying to claim credit, just an observation...I know I could be better about how I react to his ideas. I'm not usually negative, I'm just too quick to strew a little reality. :) The book said that visionaries will usually toss out their own ideas after a bit more thought, so you don't need to...it will only keep him from sharing his ideas. Not sure if it's true, but I don't want it to happen. Negativity should always be stayed away from, anyway. But supposedly I'm already a good match for him, cause I'm flexible and I like adventure too. Can you imagine how bad life could be if I reacted to being in the Army and having a baby on my own as if it was the worst thing ever instead of an adventure? I mentioned it to my mom and she agreed, and mentioned that the situation had the potential to be hell and marriage destroying. Which is what happens to 90% of military marriages, according to a statistic.

Well, thank God I'm not a statistic, and I don't intend to become one. I feel like I'm not a newlywed anymore because we're close, but I guess 3 years isn't much compared to 50, or even 20. Just like I feel really old and really young at the same time. Welcome to life, right?

:: Brinna 3:39 PM [+] ::
...

Hello all,
I am now back home, and it's definitely more 'exciting' than at the Samson house. No offense to the occupants, but it got a bit boring towards the end of my stay. I was lonely. :) It seemed like no one was around, and I was always waiting for something to happen. It was a quiet house. Here there's always someone around (it's very freaky if you come home to an empty house), and lots of noise. It was wonderful to have a break from this house, but I'm also glad to be home. Also, there's been less stress going around than when I left for some reason, not sure why...especially considering Dad's threatening to cancel the trip to Yuma if we don't get the house painted on time.

On the upside, Alice's passport is in the mail and should arrive sometime next week. I was checking the passport site and it said it will arrive around the 21st. Woohoo!

Last week before I flew we didn't go to Charlottesville after all. Debbie got a flu or something and didn't feel well enough to go...so I went to the local mall by myself, because they don't have Express around here. I looked around carefully for some nice item to get, and I really didn't see a lot that I liked...which was probably a good thing, I'm trying to stick to a budget.. :) It's funny that I didn't see a lot I liked, I used to have a love/hate relationship with Express because I would love so many things in there, but hate that it was so expensive. And the store across the way, New York & Company (which is not Express's sister company...that's Lerner New York I believe), I used to dislike shopping in because they never had anything I really liked, and the employees were not friendly...but I found lots of stuff I liked there. Unfortunately it was as expensive as Express. Anyhow, I bought a little black dress. I didn't own one before, and they say every girl should have one. So I splurged. I'd seen it every time I'd gone in but hadn't even tried it on, because it was so expensive. I put it on my Express card...I'll pay it off a bit at a time, like $25 a week. It cost $100, but it's real silk, and Express clothes are like an investment...they last forever, I know from experience. Some ppl buy $500 clothing 'investments', I went for $100. :) I also bought a camisole type thing at Victoria's Secret. Pricey but I'm sure Andrew will love it.

Anyway, got to go, dinner is soon, and Alice is fussing. :)

:: Brinna 5:31 PM [+] ::
...

Today may be the last time I get internet access before I fly away home. Not much going on...today I plan to call Andrew's old 'employers' and visit with them. They're very nice old people, they came to my wedding. Which is saying something...maybe 15 ppl came to my wedding that weren't family. For a max of 50 ppl. Probably much less. I'm not bitter about that # at all, by the way.

Wednesday, my mom-in-law and aforementioned sis-in-law, Debbie, are going to Charlottesville to her appointment with her doc about her leg. Afterwards we'll do a last bit of shopping before we head south for Greensboro, NC, where I fly out of the next morning at 7:30 (so I better be there at 6am at the latest). We're staying the night over there. It will be kinda nice to go home, but of course sad too. Looking forward to the next adventure--driving to Arizona!

I have my dresses all done and I found gorgeous shoes to match them. That reminds me! I didn't say that I made TWO dresses. The first is the one I mentioned. Andrew said I should bring two in case, and I was like YAY! because there was a great pattern I'd bought when I'd gotten the materials for the first dress. It was a test finding the material for this dress too because I wanted to use georgette and there wasn't any except for HOT pink and BRIGHT colors like green, orange, blue. And I'd found some lovely pink/mauve heels on clearance that I wanted to match it to, that were the same color as a dressy scarf on sale at Hecht's department store. The scarf was the same style as the dress, it's hard to explain. I hope to have pictures at some point. I don't want to post any now because I don't know who all DOES read my blog and I don't want Andrew to see pictures of them before he sees them in person. Anyway, the closest fabric to the right color and texture/sheerness was in crepe. They didn't even have chiffon. So I got some satin and crepe and it will have to do. I think it looks nice enough. Also, I got fantastic shoes to go with the red/black dress. I was looking for black, or dark red, but I was at the Burlington Coat Factory and some dark purple ones that had rhinestones/crystals on the toe strap caught my eye. They were in the clearance rack, I'm not sure why...they were $40 but they were so pretty I had to get them. They're the perfect height to go with my dress without being too high. The color difference isn't noticeable because of the darkness of the colors. After I got them I peeled the sticker off the shoe box and saw that they retail at least $150. (The company is bebe.)

Not much else happening..Alice's passport is finally being processed, talk about a hassle...the Grand Junction passport office said my power of attorney would be enough (for the consent of the non-applying parent), but it wasn't, so they sent a form to me for Andrew to sign. After mailing it to him and him mailing it back, they sent another form saying it had to be notarized, they sent the wrong form the first time. So he got it notarized and now it's in God's hands, because God is the only way the passport will get back in time for our trip to Korea Dec8. Ack. It's possible to expedite but at this point there's not enough of a time diff to bother expediting. So here's hoping..and praying...


Here's a good quote:
He that would make his own liberty secure must guard even his enemy from oppression: for if he violates this duty, he establishes a precedent that will reach unto himself. -- Thomas Paine

:: Brinna 9:19 AM [+] ::
...

Here's a little survey thing I copied off my dear sis-in-law's Xanga site...hardly anyone reads my blog anymore because I stopped updating it (so sue me, I have a newborn AND extremely limited internet access), but a person has to do some things if only for herself.



You are
[] short, under 5'2
[] 5'2 -5'6"
[x] 5'7" - 6'0 (tall for a girl)
[] tall 6'2 and up

NATURALLY
[x] blonde
[] redhead
[] brunette
[x] dirty blonde/brownish(not sure how dark a blonde I am)
[] dark brown
[] black

[] blue-eyed
[] brown-eyed
[] green-eyed
[] hazel eyed
[] gold/gray/green-eyed
[] silver/gray- eyed
[] blue/green-eyed
[x] blue/gray-eyed
[] they change colors

[x] glasses
[x] contacts
[] neither

[] short hair
[] medium
[x] long hair

Your favorite color(s) are?
[] red
[] khaki
[x] pink
[x] hot pink
[] yellow
[x] black
[] green
[] lime green
[x] blue
[] white
[] turquoise
[x] silver
[x] purple
[x] brown (only if chocolatey)
[] orange
[x] grey (if charcoal)
[x] maroon
[] gold
[] clear
[] don't really care

Some things you've done?
[x] ice skating
[X] hiking
[] kayaking
[] rafting
[] water skiing
[x] camping
[x] horseback riding
[] surfing and skim/wake boarding
[x] snowboarding
[] skiing
[] skateboarding
[x] cheerleading
[] lacrosse
[] street hockey
[x] gymnastics
[] martial arts
[] bmx
[] baton twirling

Your personality is sometimes...
[x] talkative
[X] shy
[X] funny
[X] serious
[X] laid back
[x] grumpy
[x] strict
[X] hyper
[X] weird
[x] ditzy
[X] sarcastic
[x] slow

you can't stand listening to?
[] pop
[x] country
[] christian
[] classical
[] techno
[] oldies
[] opera
[] reggae (not sure what this is)
[] emo
[x] 80's (most of it)
[] disco
[x] rap

The pets you have had?
[x] cat
[X] dog
[] lizard
[] rat
[] ferret
[x] bunny
[x] fish
[] duck
[] horse
[] bird
[] frog
[]hermit crab
[] prairie dog
[] turtle
[x] hamster
[] snake
[] gerbil
[] guinea pig
[] pig
[] goat(good milk)
[] chinchilla
[] tarantula
[] geese
[] chicken(parents did anyway)
[] none

Clothing Brands you like?
[x] Delia's
[x] American Eagle
[x] Hollister
[] The Buckle
[x] Abercrombie & Fitch
[x] Target
[x] Wal-mart
[] Wet Seal
[x] O'neill
[x] PacSun
[x] Aeropostale
[] Dickies
[x] Quiksilver
[x]Roxy
[x] Anchor Blue
[x] Guess
[x] Lucky
[] Champs (?)
[x] old navy
[x] Salvation army/goodwill
[x] Tommy Hilfiger
[x] if i like it i'll wear it
[] only name brand
[x] dont really care

Shoe Brands?
[x] Nike
[x] Adidas
[] reebok
[x] Etnies
[x] Converse
[] K Swiss
[x] Steve Madden
[x] vans
[] New Balance
[x] LEI
[x] Payless
[] Basics
[x] Skechers
[x] if i like something ill buy it no matter what
brand

States I have been to.
[x] Alabama
[] Alaska
[x] Arizona
[x] Arkansas
[x] California
[x] Colorado
[x] Connecticut
[x] Delaware
[X] Florida
[x] Georgia
[] Hawaii
[x] Idaho
[x] Illinois
[x] Indiana
[x] Iowa
[x] Kansas
[x] Kentucky
[x] Louisiana
[x] Maine
[x] Maryland
[x] Massachusetts
[] Michigan
[] Minnesota
[x] Mississippi
[x] Missouri
[] Montana
[] Nebraska
[x] Nevada
[x] New Hampshire
[x] New Jersey
[x] New Mexico
[x] New York
[x] North Carolina
[] North Dakota
[x] Ohio
[x] Oklahoma
[x] Oregon
[x] Pennsylvania
[x] Rhode Island
[x] South Carolina
[] South Dakota
[x] Tennessee
[x] Texas
[x] Utah
[] Vermont
[x] Virginia
[x] Washington
[x] Washington D.C.
[x] West Virginia
[] Wisconsin
[] Wyoming



your confessions:
[] im afraid of the quiet
[] I am really ticklish
[x] I'm afraid of the dark sometimes
[] I've collected comic books (use to)
[x] I shut others out when I'm sad
[x] I open up to others easily
[x] I read the news
[] I love Disney movies
[x] I am a sucker for eyes
[] I don't kill bugs
[] I have "x"s in my screen name
[x] I bake well
[] I have worn pajamas to class
[] I love Martha Stewart
[] I am guilty of tYpInG lIkE tHiS
[x] I am self-conscious
[x] I love to laugh.
[x] I have tried a cigarette
[] I can't swallow pills
[] I bite my nails
[] I want your mom
[x] I play computer games when I'm bored
[] Gotten lost in the city
[] Gone out in public in your pajamas
[] Made out in an elevator
[] Been skydiving
[] Been bungee jumping
[x] Bitten someone
[x] Dressed up like a guy/girl (well duh)
[x] egged a house/car
[x] Crashed into a car
[] Been fired
[] Been skinny dipping

Have you ever...
[] stolen a sign
[x] danced in the rain
[x] Seen a shooting star
[] proposed to anyone
[x] Gotten stitches
[] Eaten Sushi
[X] Gotten the chicken pox
[x] Ridden in a taxi
[] Been on a cruise ship
[X]Driven over 400 miles in one day (far, far, far more than that...)
[x] Been on a Plane by yourself (and with my baby)
[x] had surgery (kinda...does getting the skin on your knee repaired count?)
[x] seen a movie more than 3 times in the theater (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory..go Johnny Depp!)
[x] been on stage
[x] peed somewhere other than a toilet
[] gotten a black eye
[x] memorized all the dialogue in a movie
[] watched an entire baseball game on tv

Do you like...
[x] old movies
[x] musicals (only the good ones)
[x] blasting music in your car
[x] foreign foods
[] anime
[x] christmas time (I LOVE Christmas time!!)
[x] donuts (only Krispy Kreme kind..)
[X] animals
[x] coffee

:: Brinna 8:16 AM [+] ::
...

hello to all, including those who read my blog. :)

Today I got my hair cut. At Regis, which is splurging for me. I like it so far. Not too different but a bit nicer (last time it was at the school of beauty...$5). I browsed the mall after that and spent a pretty penny. I bought a new suitcase for my mum...I borrowed her oldish red one she'd bought at Walmart and Sarah borrowed it for her trip to India. Either they've got terrible baggage handlers or she seriously overloaded it, because it came back with the zipper dead. Hopefully she'll pay for at least half of my new one.. I bought it at Value City, and it's quite nice. Hard to find a suitcase you can buy separately, as opposed to a matching set. Anyhow, it's Dockers and blue and pretty. It has a garment feature...good for taking my new fancy dress home with me. Maybe Mom will let me take it to Korea? :)

:: Brinna 1:29 PM [+] ::
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