Rock The Vote

The National Zoo has put up a voting page on their website for us to name the Baby Panda. Here's the link Panda Naming Contest...go and choose your favorite one.


He's just so darned cute!

There Goes The Neighborhood

I got the call today about the townhouse. The real estate agent who has been helping find a rental called to say that my application had been processed and approved. YEA!!! I can't wait to move in. I should be able to sign the lease on the 15th so I'll have a couple of weekends before the end of the month to move in and not feel rushed to get out of my current apartment. Plus I'll be right around the corner (within walking distance) from my friends Anita and Tom (my profile picture is a picture of me from their wedding).

I've started a new blog just for pictures because I don't want to overload my narrative blog here. I've put a few pictures of the house on that blog, so go check it out: Leann's Pictures. It should give you a pretty good little tour of the place.

Now I'm tired just thinking about the packing.......................

Bundles of Joy

(DISCLAIMER: If you don't have a strong stomach or you are currently eating a meal, you might want to hold off on reading the following until a later time.)

One of the things that I absolutely adore is my time every Sunday morning in the nursery. The babies are a lot of fun and I really enjoy watching them grow week by week even. I "teach" the 0-12 month babies in Bible Class with my excellent co-teacher Melanie. Last weekend I was out of town and completely forgot to get a sub for class...I owe Melanie big time...but I think I got my payback this Sunday morning...

Class time was over and I was hanging out until the parents picked up their children or the nursery attendant for second service arrived. Jill (said nursery attendant) came in and I was trying to get all the babies who were staying for second service into a somewhat orderly fashion so Jill could better manage them if she ended up being the only one there. I picked one of the babies up because she was being fussy and I wanted to try and settle her down before I left. I suppose I either picked her up too fast or she was just due, but I lifted her up in the air in the hopes of making her giggle or smile and settle down. She did smile and then she opened her mouth and spit up...wait for it...right into my mouth. I then calmly leaned over and spit it back out (onto the nursery floor...I know...even more gross) and asked Jill to bring me some tissues from the changing table. Poor Jill had to actually wipe my mouth off for me as I still had the precious angel who did this to me in my hands. Then, as I had planned, I put the baby into her car seat. I walked out and went to the bathroom to "clean up." At this point...really what do you do?

I did discover how strong of a stomach I actually have. I mean I can watch all the gory scary movies out there. I only turned my head once during Interview with the Vampire. But really, until something like this happens you don't really know how much you can handle. Apparently for me, it's a lot. So, I got into my car after saying good-bye to the beloved Jacque (Miss you, Jacque) and I started to head to Sammie and Jill's (different Jill than the one in the nursery) to help set up for small group. I took a short detour, however, and stopped at the 7-11 and got a travel toothbrush and toothpaste because I was way too far from my own toothbrush and toothpaste.

While I hope and pray this little incident never happens again, I really realized how much I love those kids because wow...I can see how something like this would turn someone off of working in the nursery. Funny how my friend Tisa had just said to me earlier that morning something about the joys of parenting. My recommendation today is to call whoever raised you and apologize to them if you happened to ever do this to them when you were an infant because, let me tell you, the receiving end of that is no little miracle. :)

2 Down...19 To Go

I never expected this. I mean really, when you call someone on something they did wrong, do you really expect an over-abundance of apology? No...usually you expect either nothing or rebelling.

My brother called again today to tell me that he received ANOTHER letter from AirTran. It offered their apologies for the situation and informed him that AirTran was giving them 2 free round trip tickets to anywhere AirTran flies. So, I wrote 21 letters and we've gotten 2 responses. Should I expect a letter each week for the next 19 weeks????

Part I
Part II

Big People Decisions (This is not a post about weight)

This grown up stuff is for the birds. I miss the days of coming home from school and the only thing you had to do was watch TV, talk on the phone, do your homework, eat dinner, etc. Those were the days...when you didn't have to wonder if your credit history that you think is great is going to be equally as great to someone evaluating it. When you didn't have to hope that someone would be willing to negotiate on terms that would be acceptable for both parties. When something you wanted so badly you could taste it was probably as small as a new pair of pants or as big as your first car. I put in an application today to lease a townhouse in Springfield. Currently, I live in a one bedroom apartment, and, after four years, I've actually outgrown it. Actually, I just want the extra room (especially in the kitchen and additional bedrooms) for out of town guests. This place will also put me a little closer to church which has always been a goal of mine for the next time I moved. In any case, this is a scary time. The owner of the townhouse wants to rent it by Sept. 1, but my current lease doesn't run out until Sept. 30. I've offered a compromise of moving in Sept. 15, but of course it's all up to the owner. I would have loved to buy a place...in fact I would have loved to buy this place, but it's a rental. And, I don't have a good enough savings to bring a mortgage payment down to what the rental prices are right now. I'll be working on that in the couple years to come. In the short-term, however, this place is perfect. It has just enough space...not too much...not too little. The kitchen is fantastic and the bedrooms are really good sizes. I can already see my furniture in it, but I'm doing my best not to get my hopes up and then not get the place. I keep trying to stop thinking about it, but I can't seem to do that. I keep saying that if I'm meant to have this place then I will, but I'm impatient and nervous. I think my credit history is great. I've never missed a payment on any credit card, car loan, rent, etc. In fact, I'm quite annoyingly meticulous about these things. I overdrafted my checking account one time in college (thank God for overdraft protection), and I'm still kicking myself because what kind of accountant does something like that?!?! But just because I think my credit is good doesn't mean that other people are going to think the way I do. So...here I am waiting (rather impatiently) for an answer...hopefully the one I want to hear, but regardless the one I'll need to hear. Can't I just go back to being a kid before all these big people decisions started?!?!

Just What I Wanted

My brother called me at work today to tell me some great news. (Believe me, by the end of this you'll realize how much the little things count to me.) A couple of weeks ago, I sent 21 letters signed by my parents, Andy, Janet, and me to AirTran Airways explaining the situation (Original Story) that happened to Andy and Janet. 21 letters to the entire corporate team and the board of directors. I did my research and even included little bits and pieces of their mission, values, and principles in the letters in the hopes that they would realize that they were promising something to their customers that wasn't being fulfilled. If Andy and Janet had been told that they weren't going to make their connection in Atlanta, then we could have tried to get them on another flight on another airline, but, instead, they were told just the opposite.

So, my brother called to tell me that he had received a letter from AirTran saying lots of corporate mumbo jumbo about how they don't do this or that, but also in there was a little nugget of joy. They refunded the entire cost of the tickets, which turned out to be Andy and Janet's trip to the Atlanta Airport. I mean, come on, when's the last time you paid to go see an airport??? I was actually very pleased with the outcome because when I sent those letters all I really wanted was for them to refund the cost of the tickets. So, YEA for the written word, I accomplished my goal!!

Ok...now I have to go pack to go home for the pre-wedding bridal party events (read: showers, parties, etc.).

To ME!!

(Shout outs to Bridget [Happy Bday to you, too], Ben, Katherine, Carla, Chris (the boss), Mike, Amy, Nabors, Shayna, Carl, Jill, Kelli [Brent and Baby Bigham] for having Happy Birthday wishes in my email when I woke up this morning.)

August Recess ROCKS

I think it is phenomenally wonderful and quite sweet of Congress to take August Recess in honor of my Birthday. Ok...Ok...so I know it's not because of me, but it's a nice thought anyway. And, since it's my birthday I'm just going to go on being delusional...because I can.

All year long we wait for it, they tease us with those week-long recesses each month, but we all know we're really and truly waiting for that month-long one. And then August arrives like a choir of angels singing in my head. Now, of course, I love my job (Shout out to Sammie Gene for getting me this job). I've really never been happier in any job I've had because I love what I get to do at this job. It's just a lot of fun (can I say that about a job). But, with every job you have, you always want a chance to relax and not be so "on top of things." Most people call this vacation. I call it recess. I still have the same amount of work, in fact, some days I feel like I have more work than I do when they're in session. But the quietness of the hallways, the fewer phone calls, the early dismissals (ok so it's only an hour), the more casual dress, and the general relaxed feeling. It's just kind of like my own private little summer vacation. Most people have a slow news day every now and then, but August recess just feels like a slow news day every day. And we have a whole 19 work days left of it. YAHOO!!!!

Rest In Peace...

...with thanks from a grateful nation!

Multiplicity

This whole 9 months thing is torture for a person with little or no patience (like myself) and I'm not even the one who's pregnant. My friends Ben and Katherine are expecting a baby at the VERY END of December. They have a sonogram on August 8th to see if the baby will cooperate long enough to determine its gender, but until then, I'm having tons of fun taking pictures from the outside. When they told me they were pregnant, I cried, and I don't think I've really stopped being giddy and excited about it since. But I'm tellin' you...I'm ready for that kid to be here already so I can play and cuddle and oh and ah. Oh yeah...and babysit and change diapers and teach it in nursery school, etc. We've dubbed the little tyke Peanut until the gender is determined and we can call it by its planned name (I say planned because B and K could change their minds at any moment).

It has really been so much fun hearing about their doctor visits and watching Katherine's tummy grow. I especially enjoy (the couple of times I have) going shopping with her for maternity clothes. They just look so darned cute on her. We had a lot of fun early on (before their first appointment) freaking Ben out over the prospect that Katherine was having twins. I mean there's no history of twins in their family, but we still loved watching the blood drain out of his face at the idea of there being 2 instead of 1. But the blood started pumping properly again once the mid-wife told them she could only hear one heart beat. (Nothin' but love for you Ben!)

So, I guess we've got roughly less than 5 months remaining. We're almost 1/2 way there. YAHOO!! I say "We" like I had any part in it...yeah right...although since Katherine isn't planning on the epidural, maybe I'll have it instead. :)

Here are some pictures I took of the BEAUTIFULLY expanding waistline. No matter how much someone might tell you that it's not a miracle...every time I see her tummy and feel Peanut kick, I start to cry at how absolutely magnificent it all is. Peanut Pictures

IT'S A BOY

PANDA...that is.

I have long been a Giant Panda aficionado. I have quite a collect of little panda figurines, stuffed animals, picture, pillows, blankets. To me, they are one of the most beautiful creatures on this earth and the fact that they are an endangered species truly upsets me. I realize that our desire to see them up close and personal has threatened them from multiplying, but I guess they're also not very interested in each other after all. The National Zoo has had Mie Xiang and Tian Tian since January of 2001, and just last month they had a baby. When he (as we know now) was born, he weighed and was about the size of a stick of butter. I actually went to my fridge and pulled out a stick of butter to hold in my hands (yes...I have no life). It really was amazing to think about the miracle (through in-vitro) of this little creature. Most panda cubs don't live very long...dying within their first 48 hours. But this little guy is a fighter...and his mama is apparently quite attentive. So, this week the panda team at the National Zoo got their first chance to examine the little cub while his mamma was away. During the exam, they discovered that he's healthy, he's about 12 inches long now, and he's a BOY!! When he was born, he had the natural pink pigmentation to him, but now, one month old, he has the characteristic black and white fur of the giant panda. I think we've got another 2-3 months before the public can see the panda cub, but until then...we can see mama and baby on the National Zoo website (when the live webcams aren't overloaded). Here are a few baby pictures from their website:

Panda Cub

Mama and Baby

Ta-Ta For Now

I know this post has been delayed this week, but even though it's August Recess...my amount of work seems to increase instead of decrease...it's just more quiet. (More on this in an upcoming post.) In any case, this week we are saying "good-bye" to two fabulous Christian men in our presence. Both are going in opposite directions to take on totally different adventures. Before they go, I wanted to send a little message to them both to say how much I appreciate having had them in my life.

Jason:

There were no proper words in college when I said "good-bye" to you then, and I think I'm even more speechless this time around. When I think back on the people we went to college with, I don't think I ever would have expected you to be the one that would re-enter my life at a later time. I think because I never expected anyone else to end up in DC. I still can't believe that you walked into church that day and that you just happened to sit on the same side of the auditorium as me. I think at that point, we both needed a little taste of "home" and God knew it. You are a remarkable human being who is talented and intelligent (more than you know). More than that, I think few people really know how genuine and kind your heart is. I hope during this next adventure in your life that you will open up that part of you more. And should our paths cross again...I'll be the blessed one...see you on the right side of the auditorium (the only right side I ever sit on). :)



Dan:

It was too brief...this time we shared. A lot of people have floated in and out of our small groups over the last few years, but none of them have walked in and fit in so immediately as you. You have made me laugh more times than I can count and I'm sadden that the new laughs are being taken away. I will hold on to the memories of the old laughs for as long as I can. Iowa has no idea what's coming, but I know this for sure...both you and the state will be changed forever. Law school (as I'm told) commands quite a bit of your attention, but I hope you'll find those 15 minutes in the next 3 years when you can have some time to yourself. Go forth and learn (and teach). :)



Ok...that's it...before I really start to cry. Thanks for the memories, y'all. See you on the other side if I don't see you sooner.

The List

Everyone's got one...it's the list of things you want to do, see, accomplish before you die. All those little things you promise yourself. My list tends to revolve around my obsessions, but part of what makes me me is my obsessions. My Birthday is 9 days from today, but I got one of my presents yesterday. I'm not typically a material girl, and just like my list...my material possessions revolve around my obsessions, but yesterday I found out what "it's the thought that counts" really means.

One of the things on my list is to see Peyton Manning play professionally. I was privileged enough to see him play in his last Alabama/Tennessee game when I was in college. I sat on the second row in the student section at Legion Field in Birmingham right behind these two ladies from Tennessee. I think they were thankful I was a quasi-Tennessee fan because of Peyton Manning. (Side note: after his graduation, I realized how much my appreciation of Tennessee stemmed from Peyton...try ALL OF IT.) Before the game at Legion Field, the Tennessee team was actually warming up in the end zone next to the student section, so I got to see even more of Peyton. (I could put something in here about how great he looks in football pants, but I'd rather keep that one to myself.) =) I digress...

So, yesterday Sammie and Jill pulled me aside and told me that they were fulfilling a dream of mine and helping shorten the list. They gave Oprah's Wildest Dreams Come true a run for her money. They have procured 2 tickets for me to the Ravens/Colts game on September 11 this season. I cried...and I think I almost made Sammie cry (I didn't know that was possible!). I'm an emotional person, but I really just had to figure out why I was so emotional about it. Part of it I'm sure was because I got all of one hour of sleep on Saturday night (because I couldn't fall asleep), but then I realized that it wasn't even the tickets that I cried about. (Don't get me wrong, I'm still smiling and marking the days off the calendar until kick-off...T-minus 41 days). But the fact that I have friends in my life who know how much certain things mean to me and are actually willing to go out of their way to do things for me that mean more than they will ever know...it's just beyond me. I am blessed infinitely more than I will ever deserve.

I'll be saving my ticket and taking pictures at that game for posterity (and a blog entry). More than knowing that I've crossed something off my list, I'll look at those pictures and that ticket and remember what wonderful thoughtful friends I have who take the time to really think about who I am and what I love. Now I just have to find someone to go with me...any takers?!? =)

Sammie and Jill....Y'ALL ROCK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

P.S. I see all these news websites that tell people on Monday what stories they're planning to cover in the week ahead...so I thought...why not!?:

Coming up this week (topics are subject to change):
Farewells to Dan and Jason
Ben, Katherine, and Peanut
Musings about August Recess