27 weeks down, 13 weeks to go

:coolly unconcerned, indifferent, or unexcited

We are living in the apartment now. We have all our stuff spread between 3 places- the old house, the storage unit, and the apartment.
Honestly, I'm not too sure what to say. I'm nonchalant about the whole thing, in a more depressed, quiet, sad kinda way than anything. It kinda feels like giving up- that's what it is, that I've gave up on being happy right now. I'm happy when I'm with Corey and I'm happy with Simon and Milo. I'm happy that we're not homeless.
But that's all surface emotions, ya know. The true, deep down part of me is sad.
I don't like living in what feels like a hotel, I want a house that I can make a home with our things, with a nursery that we can prepare for Simon. I want to be able to get things for him and find the perfect place to put them in his room, instead of in a box in storage. I want to be able to paint the tree silhouette on the wall over his crib, and set up a little bookshelf with the "Little Golden Books". I want to sit in his room in an old fashioned rocking chair and do nothing but feel him move and punch and pedal those little feet.
I want to be settled, for the first time in 8 years and not have to worry about moving again in the next year or two. I want me and Corey to have our first official house, to have the peace and pride that comes with that consistency and ownership. I want Simon to have a place to come home to after he's born, a place that's just his, a place that is warm and peaceful and happy, not a small apartment filled with discontentment, anxiety and cardboard boxes that won't get unpacked because we're not sure when we'll move again.
It all comes down to this simple desire: I want a home for my family.
Until then, this should-be-nesting mother will be sadly nonchalant.

oh boy!

This is the news I got all in the past 5 minutes:

We have a truck to move our stuff to storage this weekend.
Sue from Corey's work wants a list of baby stuff we need so she can go shopping.
Tesia from Corey's work is throwing us our first baby shower.
Yevonne from my work is giving us a high chair and a portable crib.
And we're eating breakfast for dinner. :)

An awesome 5 minutes, yes?

It made me smile.

So I grew up with a crazy daddy. He has one of those personalities that is just goofy to the point of making mundane things funny. One thing in particular he did was switch the first letter of words- Taco Bell became Baco Tell, Baby Gap became Gaby Bap, Carolina Beach became Barolina Ceach. So all my life we've laughed at calling Wal-Mart Mal-Wart. Imagine my unexpected joy when seeing this while we were driving around tonight:

It's so hard to stay positive after endless weekends of not finding a place to live.

mixed feelings

I haven't posted in a while. There's nothing really new going on.
We're still looking for the house. We look as soon as they pop on the market.
We got close to making an offer on another one, but the day we were going to put in an offer, it went under contract with another person.
We move everything we own into storage next weekend, and move ourselves and Milo into the furnished apartment of the couple from Sunday School. It's sad. To not have a house of your own, after living in a house on your own for a year, to move into someone else's apartment with all their stuff and none of your own. To know that you'll just be moving again in what is hopefully just a little while, knowing you can't settle down until that last move.
I should say though, God bless the couple letting us live in their apartment for free. That is a blessing, to have a place to move into until the house comes along.
That alone should be enough.

this is how it feels to be perfectly content.

Ah, the fun we have when we're all together.

playground secrets

While I was on the playground today with the little Kindergarten classes, watching my client interact with his friends, my lil' buddy that always talks to me (we'll call him "Guy") is sitting on the bench next to me and one of his friends, "Hank", comes up to him, places his hand on Guy's knee and says with a dead pan face and an emphasis on each word, "Guy, I'm only going to say this one more time. Na...Na...A...Booboo. You can't catch me." I, of course, laugh and turn back towards my client. But this doesn't stop me from hearing the rest:
Guy: I told my mama everything you do to me and she said you're a bad influence.
Hank: (no response)
Guy: You're a bad influence, that's what she said.
Hank: Well, if that's what she said, that's her decision.

time....poop.

Bad news: We still don't have any prospects of a new house, despite our diligent search.
Worse news: We still have to be out of our current house by the 19th of December.
Good news: We won't be completely homeless.
Better news: An older couple from our church is letting us stay in a furnished apartment above their garage at no cost as long as we need to.

Now at least we won't feel pressured to buy a house that don't give us "the feeling" just because we're out of time. But we still need to find that house, so I don't want you guys to stop saying even the smallest prayer for us. We still need the support of our friends and family, so keep praying that we find THE house.

Game over

Okay. We're in serious trouble. This weekend was the last weekend for us to find a house and get it under contract in order for us to close on it by the time we're kicked out of this house.
So as of tomorrow, we're officially homeless December 19th.
We looked at several this weekend, most of the new ones that popped on the market over the week. Nothing.
We did find one that was better than the others, and there's a possibility we could make it work, but it's still not quite what we were looking for, and we didn't have that feeling of peace when we were in it that we have been praying for since the house hunt began. We had that feeling with the other house that we didn't get, but not since then. And that's what I need since that's what I pray for God to give me. I don't just want any house and have to make it work. I want THE house, the one that God wants us to have.
But we're out of time.
Please pray.

Coping and Excercising...all at the same time!

Every time I am working and the people around me are talking nothing but negative, I'm getting up and walking out. I already have a route established. I briskly walk to the other end of the school, touch the door, I go down each grade hall to the end, touch the door, until I make it to the other end of the school, then I touch that door. Then I go back into the room.
I will do this every time the room I work in is overwhelmingly negative.
At the rate it's going now, I will be in such great shape by March, this baby's just going to slide out.

"..and how does this make you feel?"

I have bad dreams revolving around my teeth. This happens a lot.
I believe it started when I had braces and I had people in my mouth more than ever before. Now, I don't actually remember having these dreams while in braces, but as soon as I got them off, the nightmares started.
I wake up from one of these nightmares afraid to look in the mirror. Because in these dreams, I have crooked teeth that aren't just your average crooked, but teeth that stick out all which-a ways, like from under my lip because they are more horizontal, and turned 90 degrees to face either of my cheeks or a complete 180 degrees and facing the back of my throat. All this in one dream. In another I may have missing teeth or black teeth, or both.
Last night I dreamed I was on a cruise with my family and I was at this bar ordering a drink and I was playing with a tooth on the upper right side of my mouth that was hanging halfway off. The one next to this wiggly one was already missing, and while I was waiting on my drink and tonguing the loose one, it fell apart. Neither one of these teeth have come completely out of my gum, which looks even worse because people can see the base of my tooth still sticking out, there's just nothing more than 1 cm. of white coming out of my gum in both these places. I leave the bar and go up to my mama and show her what has just happened and she gives me that look as if to say, "I told you not to mess with it". I go to the bathroom and sit on the sink to get real close to the mirror and I examine my new missing tooth and get depressed about how ugly I look with these gapping hole in my mouth. I then go back to the bar, get my drink, go back to my family's table and chug it.
That's when Corey wakes me up to tell me it's time for school.

I have these stupid nightmares so often that I think I need therapy. It's a good thing I'm married to a therapist.

Half way there.

We went to the doctor again today. It was the big 2-0 ultrasound where they measure EVERYthing and examine EVERYthing, which is perfectly fine. I got to watch my son play. That's right!
IT'S A BOY!

We have our Simon Harold Barker.

The doctor said that everything is perfect; his spine is perfect, his chest is perfect, his heart is perfect, his brain is perfect, all his limbs, all his organs, perfect.
The doctor also said that while I'm 20 weeks and 3 days pregnant, Simon is 21 weeks and 5 days developed. He's ahead of the game. This shouldn't change the due date, he'll just be our big boy.
Now, aren't you happy I shared? :)

Ah, peace feels good.

The people selling the house we wanted accepted another offer. It's sad, yes, but through the whole process, me and Corey prayed for peace with whatever answer we received...so we're at peace with it. It's pretty cool to be this okay with losing a house we wanted so bad. So Saturday, we're starting the process all over again and looking at a few houses.
Maybe we'll find one that's just as good as the one we really wanted, but requires less cosmetic work. Maybe the one God has picked out has even more room, both inside and outside.
Who knows, but God. I'm happy that He is with us, even after losing our dream house. Otherwise, we wouldn't be this content. He's awesome. I love Him.
My client is back to school today after being out for 6 days, in the hospital for 8. While we're all excited he's back (we really miss him when he's gone), I'm using hand sanitizer and wearing gloves when I am in contact with him. No germies for me and baby.
We went to Cinci this weekend. Both of us had Friday off, so we had that day to travel and came back Sunday after church. It was really fun. Chris and Cayden (Corey's older brother and nephew) came as well, and Corey's little sister Paige. Nancy had all her youngin's in her house again. It was nice.
That's what's with us. How are ya'll?

Barker news update

Blessings and a crap load of good fortune to a donor, who will remain anonymous, that is paying for our down payment for the house we really want!
My parents are going to co-sign; our loan officer said this is due to me and Corey both being in new jobs, not even being there a year.
So a co-signer and a down payment- we're getting closer! We're going back to the house tomorrow, just to hang out, sit around in the floor, imagine where furniture will go, ya know, all that good, fun stuff. We're planning on taking Milo this time, so he can explore the house and the yard, make it a family affair. :D
The next thing we're praying about now is my health. My client has been taken to the doctor and is on the hospital...with signs of the swine flu. You can imagine how I'm feeling right now. So on our long prayer list, we're adding my health and the health of the baby. Maybe you can add that on your prayer list as well. ;)
A while ago, my maternity leave was threatened. We thought I wouldn't get any time off, because I haven't been at my job full time for a year. I was hired March 17th, but it was part time so my supervisor didn't think part time counted. But when I told the Human Resources department, they said I was indeed eligible. So yey. So another thing we're asking God for is to keep the baby in there until after the 17th. You remember that he's due on the 19th of March, right? Yeah, so we're cutting it close. So he can't come any earlier!
We've had a lot of drama going on in our life lately. I'm glad I can share it with y'all and know that y'all are sending out prayers and good thoughts. Thanks, you guys.
Well, that's about all I got. Good thing too. I don't know if I could handle much more at this point. :)

Okay, friends...HELP!

Okay, you guys. This is serious. I need y'all to pray like warriors.
We have been house searching for a while and Saturday, we found the one we want. Now we're having problems getting the loan with 0% down. The realtor said it was possible and the loan officer gave us hope, but now, they've taken that back and we're back to 3% down.
Guys, we have no money. You all know we've been struggling since we moved here, but we have to get a house. Our lease is up in December, we really want that tax credit from the government to help us out, so our time is running out.
This is the house we want, the only one we have both got excited about.
Help us pray, please, that if this is the house God wants us to have, we can get a loan for 0% down and the other paperwork and everything of that sort will work out for us. If God doesn't want us to have this house, maybe He's got a better one for us out there, pray that we'll get a sense of peace (and quickly) about leaving this house behind and continuing the search.
Please, please help us pray for this. I know the power of prayer and I know some of y'all are real prayer warriors, so pray y'alls big hearts out.

just jibber jabber

Our house is back on the market.
We've wanted a new house since learning that we were extending the family ;) and since we discovered that there were bigger, nicer houses out there for a cheaper payment each month.
But it's definitely weird returning home each afternoon and seeing a "for sale" sign in our yard. It don't bother me none though- I'm happy to move.
As soon as we're moved, I can "nest". I will finally be able to decorate a baby room. :) I'll feel like a mama.
I'm still being picky about the house we get though. There's no sense in rushing to get a house, just to realize during the first year that we could've probably found a better one for a better price. There's the perfect house with the perfect amount of land out there somewhere with the perfect price. We just have to look and wait. And pray!

Happy Birthday, Babe.

My hubby is 26 today. An old man, but still as handsome as the day is long.
Happy birthday, love.
This was fun to read, so I'm sharing with you too.

Your Birthday Year Forecast: A trine between the Sun and the Moon in your Solar Return chart this year is a fortunate aspect. It suggests that your domestic and career needs are not in competition with one another in the year ahead. Your inner needs tend to be mirrored by external events, and vice versa. This aspect is very powerful and rewarding. It suggests that you will be on top of your game this year, for the most part, and positive connections with others can be made fairly easily. A comfortable level of personal popularity helps to keep conflict to a minimum. With the ability to handle your emotions successfully, there is less stress on both your mind and body. Your self-confidence and positive attitude will reward you!

Mars trines Uranus in your Solar Return chart this year, and suggests bursts of creativity and energy that help you to further your goals. Healthy risk-taking is likely this year, as you are more able to spot an opportunity when you see one. It is easier than usual to break free from habits that have previously held you back from going after what you want in life.

Jupiter conjunct Chiron and Neptune in your Solar Return chart suggests that idealistic and humanitarian goals or impulses have more significance in your life this year. You may experience an increased need for greater understanding, wisdom, and awareness, as well as increased interest in the healing arts and holistic health this year. It may be a time during which you reconsider or revamp your personal belief system. Everyday, ordinary life may not always satisfy, as you hunger for a more idealistic life.

2009 is a Number Four year for you. This is a year of work and development. It's "nose to the grindstone" time. It's a time to deal with practical matters, and it's not a time to be lazy or especially gregarious. Sometimes, it can be a year that feels hard, monotonous and routine, and/or lonely. Advice - get yourself organized, work to build your resources, keep busy.

I'm bummed...

And I'm having a hard time getting past it, so I'm hoping that blogging about it will help.
Corey's work has picked up. He's got a couple more cases than before, which is really great. We found out not too long ago that he had been taken off salary because of his low hours and his paycheck was significantly lower than before. So more hours is good. He'll get back to full-time salary and we'll be able to pay the bills.
The bad thing is he's working till 8ish, not getting home till 830ish 4 out of 5 nights. And this tired pregnant lady's bed time is 9. I'm usually asleep on the couch by 830, and not by choice, I just can't help it.
So we're literally not seeing each other.
How do we cope? Any advice?

What a husband I have

Now that I'm pregnant and working full-time (not at a desk, but with a child with special needs), I get home and want to collapse. I just want to lay down on the couch in front of the t.v. for some mindless entertainment for at least an hour. Aaah, it's very relaxing. Drink, snack, t.v. aaaah.
And I can usually do this without shame because Corey is never at home when I get home. His day starts when mine ends since he has to wait on his clients to get out of school before going to their house for therapy. Yesterday though, his client cancelled so he had the afternoon off to spend with me. I was thrilled. A girl gets lonely coming home to no husband day after day. We talked a lot, planned dinner and were interrupted by a phone call for Corey. I figured and informed the dog, "Well, while he's on the phone, I'll go downstairs and start a load of laundry." I get down there, accompanied by the dog, and to my surprise...
there are loads in each machine. COREY DID LAUNDRY! and I didn't ask him to. So I start folding the clothes and Corey comes down to help. Needless to say, he got a big kiss, not only for starting the clothes but coming down to help. We go back upstairs and start supper. He's good at fixing chicken, so he starts on that and I go to unload the dishwasher. COREY HAD IT DONE!
And you know what he's doing today while he's at home? Cleaning the house for when the parent's come down this weekend.
Oh my gosh. I told him he rocks my world. And he does. He's making it so easy to be pregnant. :D
I was just so excited about him taking care of things around the house that I HAD to blog about how awesome my husband is. I would ask y'all if you need an awesome, helpful, supportive, thoughtful husband to loan out for a day or two, but I think I'm going to keep him all to myself.
Corey, babe, you're awesome. I love you.

straaaaange one-way conversation

Me and Corey were in Kroger the other day shopping for a meal to fix for a couple in our Sunday School class that just had a baby. And naturally, I get the urge to go to the potty. So I leave Corey in front of the freezer and go to the little girl's room.
I walk in, and close myself in the first stall (which by the way is reported to be the cleanest since no one typically wants to use the one right at the door; no charge for that bit of information). Two stalls down, there is this other woman, who just starts talking to me like we are friends that went in together. She talks to me about her cats she has at home, and how she needs to lay off the coffee if she wants to stay out of the bathroom, which apparently is extremely funny because she starts laughing really loudly. Meanwhile, I'm sitting in my stall with the craziest expression on my face and my hands in that palm up, shrugging position like "Why the crap is this woman telling me this?" She has came out of her stall and is in the process of washing her hands and is still talking about who knows what when I finish and go to wash my hands, quickly. She's a short, middle aged woman with a bad dye job and chipped hot pink lipstick, and she's leaning over the sink sweeping a wet papertowel over the corners of her mouth. She smiles up at me and starts telling me about her numerous cold sores that she just can't seem to get rid of. I smile courteously, throwing away my papertowel and smoothly gliding out the door.
The things people will share with complete strangers....

12 weeks

This appointment was so fun. The ultrasound tech did both an external and internal sonogram because we just wanted to play with the bean. This appointment was to check for signs of down syndrome (by examing a flap of skin on the back of his little head) so the tech pushed on my belly and did deep rubs trying to get the bean to turn certain ways for her. I laughed so much when the tech asked him to turn for her and he totally turned his back on her. Then for most of the pictures, he had his little fists in his eyes- refusing to let her see him. When she didn't quite get the pictures she wanted from the external ultrasound, she apologized for wanting to do an internal. Ya know what I said? "Doesn't bother me, this is the only time I get to watch my kid." We watched him squirm and wiggle and roll over. He didn't stay still for 2 seconds. We're in for a fun, but painful pregnancy with all the kicking and punching he'll be doing when he's bigger. And the tech said he's developed about a week earlier than most babies at this stage. In other words, I'm 13 weeks and 1 day pregnant today, but the bean has developed certain things that babies at 14 weeks develop. He's already ahead of the game. She did say that just because he's developed early doesn't mean my due date will be sooner. He'll just be ripe ahead of time, and have a week to just hang out. :)
The last but not least bit of news- I had my first bonding experience with the bean yesterday. I was in the shower and that's typically the time I bond with him the most since I can see my belly as it has changes, and I remembered seeing on the screen my uterus cave in where the tech pushed down on my belly. So I pushed there where the bean is and said "Boo". I did this a couple times, because honestly, it made me laugh. After about 4 times, I got dull pain where I had been pushing. When I stopped pushing on the bean, the pain quit. It was the bean, saying "Stop poking me!" It was fun. That's the latest on the bean.

first prego germies

For Labor Day weekend, me and Corey had a family reunion/campout at Corey's great Aunt Pauline's house here in Vinton, VA. It was nice to meet all these people we'd never seen, some of them we'd never heard of. But it was cool. We officially have so much family now.
The bad part is that I got sick. The smoke from the campfire and then sleeping in a damp tent...Yeah, colds and pregnancy does not mix well. I can't take anything to get over it for risk of medicating the baby as well (not good), so I spent my holiday isolated in the guest bedroom under a blanket with a vaporizer, or taking scalding showers to burn the germs from the outside in, or drinking freakin 100 cups of tea or lemon water.
I can be thankful. Every sore throat I've had until this weekend has turned into strep throat. It didn't this time. Hallelujah. And my congested nose has not turned into a sinus infection, which I'm more than prone to get. So thank you Lord for protecting me against these more serious conditions.
Me and the bean will fight this cold standing up, not laying flat on our back any longer. EAT MY SHORTS, GERMS! yeah.

and it starts...

I had my first "hello in there, baby" today. A co-worker, as she passed me, patted my lower belly and said a hello to the baby.
And it begins...
I think it's cute with people I know, people that I know love me and love this baby. My problem starts when strangers will undoubtedly come up and pat/rub/tap/kiss/tickle my big belly in public..or private...places. That's when I have a problem. I've been practicing my speech. Ach-hum, ach-hum...
"Can I ask you a question?," (this is to throw them off, get them thinking I'm a nice, polite person) "Would you be touching me right now if I wasn't pregnant? Excuse me, but I'm not public property, so could you please not touch me? Thank you."
How does that sound? It gets the point across, huh? But for real, what makes complete strangers think they can just come up to pregnant women and harrass them by touching them and baby talking to their belly? I've never understood that.
But like I said, my co-workers, my family, my friends, people who love me, pet and baby talk away, mama and baby will soak it up.
If you don't love me, much less know me, NO TOUCHIE!

new habits

When we first found out we were pregnant, there were so many changes and I wanted to share with you guys but couldn't. Now I can- if I can remember.

I knew I was pregnant from week 1. Those who know me know I'm really in tune with my body, so I knew. Convincing Corey without physical evidence was a different story. Y'all also know that I don't nap or lay around unless I'm sick. Naps and laziness are a waste of time when I could be doing something productive and accomplish something; the first 4 weeks, I was taking a nap every day for a couple of hours at least and was still ready to go to bed at 8 o'clock. Let me remind you, I'm not a lazy person, so wanting to lay down all the time, sleep so much more than normal, was so weird. And eye-opening. Now that I'm past the first month, I don't require as much sleep, at least not in the middle of the day, but with the pregnancy and working in the school all day in the "high risk special needs" class, my bedtime has been moved up to 9 o'clock. That's right, I go to bed at 9 o'clock, just like I did in middle school. I have to stop drinking liquids at 8 o'clock or else I get up twice in wee hours of the morning to pee, instead of the one, which still is kinda a pain, but twice is worse. I freakin' eat all the time- Corey likes to say in his speech, "It's not just she's hungry, her stomach is growling a little, it's 'if I don't eat right now, I'll die!'" Every two hours. Every TWO HOURS, I feel like I'll die if I don't eat something. And something's not a cracker and cheese; something's like a big can of soup or a big bowl of salad with all the toppings, or a double decker sandwich. I've had a few cravings, what we classify as minor and major. These cravings I have almost daily. The minor ones have been like salt and vinegar potato chips, pinto beans with baby onions, hot sausages, breakfast midday...these I've craved once, ate it, and didn't crave it anymore. The major ones have been tomato soup and hotdogs. These I've craved more than once.
My clothes are just now starting to fit a little more snug, mainly because I've got a little fat around my middle now from eating so much, and it's so much more noticeable since I started out pretty skinny to begin with. At our doctor visit, I had gained 3 pounds.
The last thing I can think of that's changed since getting pregnant is that I cry...a lot. I won't say every thing makes me cry but a lot more than usual. Corey likes to say "When I make dinner and I don't do it right, she cries. When I do fix it right, she cries." The other day, I spilled tomato soup and I cried because it burned my skin, but I kept crying for about an hour because I kept thinking "I really wanted to eat that soup...."

A sad stage of life

My parents took my little brother to college this weekend. It's their last kid to leave home, so mama especially is having a real hard time. It's really sad to listen to mama talk about anything now; the little spark that Darius put in her life is gone so when she talks, it's not mama at all- soft spoken, no giggles, no happiness. I can understand how she feels; I'm sure it's sad to not have any kids at home, depending on you.
I know as soon as she's over her sadness, her and daddy are going to have so much fun. I can't wait to see them once the loneliness goes away- they're already lovebirds, so it's going to be great to see how much fun they have hanging out with each other, going places with each other, just having each other plain and simple.
Just as soon as the loneliness and sadness goes away.

my dream house

It doesn't look like much now, but can you imagine what it looked like when it was built? I can't believe someone, anyone would let this house go to waste like that. It breaks my heart when I think about it. Just imagine the entry way with a chandelier hanging there, illuminating the hallway and the old wooden, winding staircase. I can see the huge kitchen, with black and white checkered floors, new appliances, big windows that look over the yard, full of green grass where the children would play on their tire swing. The master bedroom is so big and elegant, with a four post, king-sized bed and a sofa against one of the windows, next to one of the fireplaces, where you could sit and read at night before bed. Another window in this room is the length and height of one wall, overlooking the beautiful green pasture and rolling hills that goes for miles and miles.
If only....

latest piece

This was done for Wes and Theresa as a wedding present. They got married August 1, 2009.

Thanks you guys!

Yeah, I knew when I said that comment about having other news that I couldn't share that some of you would figure it out. So Dan, I posted about the converter box to throw you off. So glad it worked. Even though we were and still are stoked about being able to watch commercials, haha.
We are so blessed that we have so many friends that are so so so happy for us having this baby.
Thanks for being so excited. I so wanted y'all to be that ecstatic for us. Thanks for being so great.

no more joshin'...introducing the bun

I met my client yesterday. He may have issues, but I could tell from just one hour with him that he has a good heart. And that's all I need to have hope of working with him and having positive results. Cute kid.
Is it storming at your house? Like everyday? It is here. Every afternoon for 3 days, it gets dark, starts to thunder real loud, then about 15 minutes later, it pours down the rain...POURS down the rain. Then the lightning starts, streaks that hit the ground. It's pretty creepy. And it all happens about an hour before I leave the school, and it's over before I can get home. So sad. I always rush home so I can climb in our bed with the window open since the out building beneath our window has a tin roof. And it's always done by the time I get home. Boo.
A couple nights ago, we went out to dinner for our 3 year anniversary. We went to Buffalo Wild Wings and went home and watched Pirates 2. A good relaxing anniversary.
Nothing very big is happening in the Barker house. It's pretty routine. Danessa gets up and goes to school early in the morning and Corey has clients here and there throughout the day but is mainly at home. Danessa gets home around 4, super tired and ready for dinner and TV. And that's how the day ends...and another one begins. Eventful, huh?
That's all about us.
Oh, and our big news....
we got a converter box!!
We have TV we can watch now instead of the same series of shows over and over.
It's fantastic!

while dinner is in the oven

I'll post something quick.
I had my first day as a Behavioral Specialist today. The kids haven't come yet; they start next week, but this week is the teacher's time to set up rooms and stuff. Well, I went so I could make buddies with the teachers I would be working with and it was fantastic. Everyone is so nice, so nice and patient with us newbies and we just spent the day laughing and joking and horsing around while setting up the room. It was soooo laid back and more of a social get-together instead of professional, "we're here to get this done" kinda thing.
I'll be primary in the 'high risk special ed. classroom' with my client, interacting a little bit with his normal kindergarten class for social needs and general education purposes. But mainly in the sp.ed. room. I think that will be good for me. And as a professional, I know it's not about me, it's about my client, but I've always felt a pull towards children with special needs and this will be a great experience for me. I'm totally pumped...at least until my client proves to me that it's harder than I expect. (I know it won't be easy, that's for sure.)
I'm so tempted to post something else but I am going to post that later and end this post now before it spills out of me.
But yey me for starting the career I applied for in January.
Danessa Barker, Behavioral Specialist, signing off.

New York

Me and Hope have a plan to go to NYC before we turn 30.
June...the second week of June, 2014.

Hope says that gives us plenty of time to save money...
I said that gives us just enough time to
be paying a good mortgage,
have plenty of babies at home and
be overwhelmed with a career.
Yeah, we're going to be overflowing with extra money.

But we're gonna do it! June 2014.

Here's what we wanna do:
1 Broadway show
Statue of Liberty
Central Park
find Central Perk
visit the campus of NYU
window-shop the brand name shops
a ride on the Staten Island Ferry
Empire State Building
Times Square
Ground Zero
Brooklyn Bridge
Wall St.
the "Today Show" set

Any more suggestions? Quirky things welcome.

Update for Corey's sake

This weekend has been craAaAzZy!

A birthday celebration for Mamaw and Papaw Friday afternoon, the 4th of July celebration and ACHS Steel Drum Band performance Saturday morning, birthday dinner for me and Daddy Saturday afternoon, church of course Sunday morning and then a cookout up at Papaw and Mamaw's for lunch and a movie day with Mama and Daddy. Monday was a little more relaxed, well way too relaxed. Mama and Daddy went to work as usual, Darius went tubing with his girlfriend, and I, yet again, chaperoned the dog and his new friend. Eventually I got tired of that, so I went to town, bought some things for the house and went to lunch with Mama and Daddy. During our lunch break, me and Mama went to the jewelry store to get my new ring resized. After getting back to the shop and staying a while, I went back home and watched TV, which was nice since we don't have TV here at the house. And by TV, I mean cable. When mama and daddy got home, we fried up the new squash from the Barker garden and ate it. :) It was very yummy. I hope we get another one for you to try. We grow good veggies.
I left for home Tuesday morning and put the new stuff in the house, picked some more veggies (this time zucchini the length of my forearm to my fingertips!), and worked on a couple pieces of art for some friends, watched the Ocean's movies and went to bed. Today I got ready for Hopie to come tomorrow.
It's pretty much routine around here without ya.
I miss you like crazy. I'm probably the most depressing person to be around or even look at when you're not here. 4 days. You enjoy them though. Don't worry about me. Just enjoy the time you have Chris and Paige, and I'll be happy to see you Sunday.

"HAPPY BIPTHDAY"

The bipthday cookout was a lot of fun. We ate good food- hamburgers by Blake, pasta by the Kreskowski's, potato salad via Mama's recipe by the Barker's, and bipthday cake by Andrea. We hung out on the back deck, played some bocce ball, ate all that delicious food, played more bocce ball while a couple of us "documented" the game (me and Andrea O. took pictures), and then opened bipthday presents, ate birpthday cake, and talked more. It was a good time.

(L-R) Andrea O., Corey, Blake O., Andrea K., Mark K.


(L-R) Mark, Andrea K., Corey, me


Andrea O.


(L-R) Corey, Blake, Mark, Andrea K.

green beans and squash

literally. This is our first harvest from the veggies growing in our foot gardens out back.
I can smell that squash a'fryin'.

the birth day

So yesterday was...meh. It really wasn't one of the top rated birthdays I've had in all my 25 years.
I have a meeting for work involving a client of mine at 10 am. So I started the day with stress and nervousness. That went better than expected and then I got to be home the rest of the day. By myself. Corey had to work. But while I was at home, I did absolutely nothing. That's kinda celebratory. I took a long nap and watched my favorite series and waited for Corey to come home.
That's when the party started. We went to a couple stores to shop and then went to Parker's Seafood on Peters Creek which was muy delicioso. Then we went to a few more stores and came home. See, Tuesday night, we went with a friend to the midnight showing of "Transformers" (great movie, btw) so all day yesterday we felt drained. But I told Corey to keep it alive for a couple more hours while we celebrated the birthday and he did so when we did finally make it home last night, we were blah and ready for bed. And that was at 930.
So we got a good 4 hours of good fun birthday time yesterday. I got a couple early birthday presents (a big, beautiful plant from Andrea O.- she does know her stuff, and a Wii game from Corey- he knows I was addicted) and lots and lots of birthday wishes on FB (Thanks, guys!) and a few birthday cards (a special thanks to Andrea K. and Sissy for making those birthday cards Hoops and YoYo cards. I love those guys) and several phone calls, a few of which involved singing. :) Every year.
And Andrea O. is having a birthday bash at her and Blake's house this weekend for me and Blake- his birthday is the 28th. And on the 4th, I'm going to my parent's house to celebrate there with all the family and a few friends, because for just a short while, I will be half Daddy's age, just until he turns 51 on July 10th. So we're having a party to celebrate this once in a lifetime occurence (it's really our way of not getting depressed about being a quarter (me) and a half (Daddy) of a century old.) So I have those to look forward to too. :)
So even though yesterday wasn't that great, yesterday evening was and there will be surprises throughout the rest of the week through the weekend and next weekend too.
Overall rating: not too shabby for Danessa.

quarter of a century today

our foot gardens

our zucchini (on the left) and squash (on the right)


our first squash blossom


corn


pumpkins


green beans

latest pieces

pointillism (Dana's wedding gift)



calligraphy pen

Pollard events

First comes first: sissy's wedding. Here's just a couple pictures.










And my little bruda's high school graduation this past weekend.
Oh, Darius. I love you and am so proud of you.

222 graduates








Bruda with Mama and Daddy






















Bruda with Sissys

Congrats to the Pollards. :)

17. Laughter

I laugh a lot.

That may seem a bit weird to some of you. The picture
of God in your mind isn't really very accurate, so it's
difficult for you to actually imagine the Creator of the
universe laughing.
But I do...and I love to see you laugh too. I put that
thing in your brain that causes laughter, and it thrills Me
when your soul is tickled and it sends a message to
your brain and the sides of your mouth arc upward and
your teeth show and your throat, chest, and gut all
move together...and LAUGHTER ERUPTS.
Your scientists have created a word. It's big and
strange and you may have to read it slowly to get the
pronunciation right, but I kinda like it. It's called
psychoneuroimmunology, the science of studying
(among other things) the benefits of laughter to your
immune system.
As they learn more about that, they are learning
more about Me.
I put laughter in your system to make you stronger and
healthier and happier, and it is, as I have said before, a
great medicine that gives life. And postpones death.

I created funny.
I created laughter.
I created the ideas behind funny words (like...juxtaposition)
and funny people
and I did it all for you.

LIFE'S TOO SHORT THERE ON
EARTH TO TAKE EVERYTHING
TOO SERIOUSLY.

So...look around, lighten up.
I wanna see you laugh.
And when you do,
I'll be laughing with you.

bored with nothing to do

So I'm sitting in a high school computer lab with absolutely no reason to be here.
Confused yet?
I have a client who I attend a certain class with and she didnt show this morning, so I'm sitting here with her classmates and her teacher for no reason. Well, the actual reason I stay is so if she decides to try to pull a fast one on me and say "I was there, I just came in late", I can say "No ma'am, you did not. I was there the entire class period. So what up now?"
So I used my time wisely and completed some paperwork, but after that was done, I didn't know what to do. I can't access Facebook on these computers (I'm logged in as a student) but I could access my blog. Yey.
I think I'll use this opportunity to share something that I have had on the brain that I can't get out... Me and Corey started the baby making process yesterday. (That's as clean and G-rated as I can make that statment.) But I'm so excited. Everything is squared away in terms of insurance and job security- Corey had his 90 day review 2 days ago and the League wants him on their permanent staff. Yey. I had no doubt though; they love him over there. So that permanent-cy comes with a raise in pay and benefits. So he's getting the insurance provided by the League and I've been added to that as well. And we know it covers maternity because half of the female staff at the League are currently prego. Thank the Lord there are no more reasons, or excuses, to put family planning on hold any longer.
I've been praying "Lord, we'll start trying, but You give us a baby when You know we're ready." So if we get pregnant this month or this year, me and Corey will know that when we do, that's when God wanted it to happen. So if it doesn't happen as soon as we would like, we'll know that God knows we're not as ready as we think we are, and we'll be thankful.

Dana

Now that she's married, as of Saturday, I can show off how beautiful she is as a bride.
Bridal Shots taken by DJPB Photography.

my future kid