Travis' Honors Ceremony

Last night was Travis' Honors Ceremony at his college. He got awarded a certificate for Outstanding Scholastic Achievement because he made the National Dean's List as well as the college's President's List, meaning he has a 4.0 GPA, over the last school year. I'm so proud of him. I know how hard he has worked in school, so he totally deserves the recognition.

The college's President and Deans of different Programs

Travis Gibson....way to go!

Shaking hands with the President

Way to go sweetie! Keep up the good work!

This is just wrong...

Who would do this to their baby??? I saw this product (it's a pacifier) for sale on amazon.com and was blown away at people's stupidity. Just thought I'd share.

21 Weeks

I'm 21 weeks pregnant this week. I'm over halfway now, but I can't imaging I've still got that long to go. I'm feeling pretty good overall, except for getting dizzy and not being able to sleep real well.

Last Monday I went back to Huntington for my do-over ultrasound. My Mom went with me since Travis couldn't miss work that day, she loved it! It was disappointing not having Travis there though. I have more pictures but don't have them scanned yet. Baby Boy grew alot just in that 2 weeks, I was surprised. He finally turned around so they could get a view of his spine. Everything looked great, there were no abnormalities whatsoever. Here's the catch though...a couple days later I got a call from a nurse at my doctor's office saying that the person who reads the ultrasounds says that the still shot of a certain part of the spine was not clear enough, even though the live shot the tech and I both saw was probably sufficient, I need to go back. Argh! If it were not for getting to see him again I would have told them I don't think so since it was them who screwed up. So I go back again next Wednesday (and yet another $20 in gas for the trip) for a full ultrasound (last time was just a short visit to get only the views they missed the first time).

Yesterday I went for my regular doctor appointment. She seemed aggrivated that they screwed things up in Huntington, which we're in the same boat on that issue. Baby Boy's heartbeat was in the 150's which is good she said. He was moving around like crazy while she was trying to hear it. And on the way to the appointment, I cranked up the radio and he kicked like crazy, I told Travis he was dancing :-) I gained a whopping 6 pounds over the last 5 weeks. It's upsetting since I worked so hard to lose the weight before, but it's what I gotta do. Really I lost 5 pounds with morning sickness, then gained half a pound, then the 6, so from the start I've only gained an extra 1.5 lbs. She said that next month I'll get a Rogam shot :-( and have other bloodwork to do, and she'll start measuring my belly instead of just feeling around to check the baby's growth. I can't wait to meet the little guy, even though I'm scared of what labor will be like.

Confused!

I have been trying to get my baby registry done online, but I am totally confused about what some of these things are, let alone how to use them. I feel dumb for not knowing too. Mothers should know these things, it seems to me anyway, it may not really be true. I borrowed a book from the local library called Baby Lists What to Do and What to Get to Prepare for Baby by Elaine Farber thinking it might help me. It has a shopping list of newborn necessities in the back that might help me get the general idea of what I need. My other problem is that I keep changing my mind about the nursery's theme. We are having the same problem when it comes to picking a name too, I have one I really like, but Travis isn't sure yet. But back to the nursery theme. I know for sure I want something having to do with animals. I'm pretty sure this is what I've decided on. I like the animals in this collection better than other ones, and I think the colors are more masculine too.

Walmart.com Bedtime Originals Happy Tails Collection

We go back on Monday morning for another ultrasound. I'm hoping that baby has moved around so that they can get the images they need. All I know is that he's been kicking me in the back alot. That is the weirdest feeling. I think I'd rather get kicked in the front any day. It doesn't really hurt, but it doesn't feel great either.

I also made the mistake of ordering a sweet tea a couple weeks ago when I was out to dinner with Travis. He should've stopped me. I'll just use the excuse that I'm not making good decisions because I'm pregnant :-) I was worried about having any caffeine, but I figured one glass couldn't hurt anything since I haven't had any at all the whole time. I even called my nurse who assured me one cup a day is fine, which was also a bad thing to tell me :-) Tea is all I want to drink now since I got started on it. Thanks Travis and nurse!

My cousin, Jacey, gave me a ton of baby things over the weekend. I am so excited about it too. I got about four boxes of baby boy clothes (though I still need to go through them to sort out the sizes), a very nice changing table with storage underneath, an infant car seat with the matching stroller that fits in together, a baby bath tub, a bouncer, swing, playmat, a close and secure sleeper (it's really cool, like a little roll out baby bed for when you are away from home and baby wants to sleep), a jumeroo for when he's alittle older, and a baby carrier. It was so awesome that she gave me all those things...it will really help alot!

Well, that's all I can think of to say for now....have a great weekend!

Here's Baby...

Cute little face

Baby's Profile (and there's the Gibson nose)

Lookin Comfy

It's a BOY!!!

And here's a short video of the ultrasound. It shows a good view of him, his feet, arms, and hands.

The ultrasound itself went really well. Baby Boy wasn't cooperating very well though, since he was laying in breech position they could not get a clear video of his lower spine, which is what they really needed to see, so I have to go back for a do-over on April 28th. But from what the ultrasound lady could tell, everything is looking great. He is healthy as could be. I was also totally surprised when she told us that we could have the whole thing on a video, which we jumped at the opportunity. We are so excited about our baby boy :-)

For My Non-Myspace Readers

(If there are any that is.) A picture for your viewing pleasure.

Me @ 17 Weeks

On Monday night I had my Eastern Star Inspection, which went perfectly. I had a pretty big part to say, and yes, without a book to read from, but I did it without messing up at all. There were 73 people in attendance so I'm pretty sure that's the most people I've had to talk in front of at one time. It was pretty nerve racking. Glad that's over with. There is a girl in Eastern Star with me that is pregnant and due in August. When I saw her that night, she was alot bigger than I am. Maybe some women get bigger than others, or I am gonna get twice the size I am now in a month. My Mom's theory is that she is having a girl and I'm having a boy, but she even said she's having a boy. I'm still holding out hope for my boy ;-) I'll find out, hopefully, in another 4 days.

Have a great Thursday!

Test Update



The nurse called this morning, much to my surprise, to tell me the results of my test....negative...everything is fine. Thank God!

Aggravated

I am super mad right now. I hadn't heard anything about my test results so I called my dr.'s office and spoke with a really rude nurse (which made things that much worse) who told me that I'd have to call back Monday...today is Thursday...that they still don't have my results and they probably won't for 7 to 10 days, even though the dr. herself said this would only take a couple of days. So basically even if I call Monday they still won't have them. The hospital has a lab, but they still sent my test off to be done. That ticks me off. Why do they have a lab then? Every time I've had testing done there the dr. never tells me the results unless I straight out ask her which makes me mad too. I'm paying out the butt for this stuff, I deserve to know what the deal is. I have been worried since the beginning of time about my baby having the same thing my brother had, now I have to wait even longer to find out. One more thing since I'm on a rant. You would think a nurse working in a OB/GYN office around pregnant women all day would have had to learn the word COMPASSION at some point. But hey, I figure I'd get the same crap at any other dr.'s office around.

I don't really think anything is wrong with the baby. It's just something I've been worried about, and it's hard knowing that the answer is right there but I have to wait for it.

Yesterday's Appointment, Etc.

So yesterday I had another monthly appointment with my doctor. We listened to the heartbeat again, it was 163, which she says is good. It sounded different this time, more like a whoosh whoosh whoosh sound, and not as loud. She assured me that it was just how the baby was positioned this time. Sometimes it can be really loud and other times not so much. I think I am freaking out alot right now because of all this testing business. I had to get blood drawn for my Triple Screen test yesterday which has me in a tizzy. I don't really think anything is wrong, but given my family history, it has me worried. They are supposed to call me sometime in the next couple of days with the results, which the dr. said, they don't normally do. So I'm thankful for not having to wait a month to know for sure. They also scheduled my Level II Ultrasound at Cabell-Huntington Hospital for April 14th. That's my parents' 36th wedding anniversary so I'm hoping that will bring me luck. It just sucks that Travis will have to miss another day of work. I can't wait to know if it's a boy or a girl! After we find out the sex, I'll be starting to decorate the nursery. I already have several ideas that I'm really excited about it. The only bad thing is Travis will be in school and working so it will probably take forever to get this done. Oh and speaking of school, Travis got straight A's again last quarter!!! I'm so proud of him. He's starting Spring quarter tonight. That's really about it for now.

Baby Updates

Well, I figure most of you have given up hope that I'll ever post again lol. But here I am. Amazingly I'm still alive after having been plagued by morning sickness...ha ha. I think that for at least a week I was on the phone with my doctor's office everyday trying to get something to help with the nausea, but in the end, nothing will cured it. She did tell me to get some over the counter Zantac 150, like for heartburn, but it is also an acid reducer. It helped some when nothing else would. Then as soon as I was getting over all that, Travis brings me home the gift of a cold which I had for a week. He is still hearing from me about that lol. Now, me and baby are doing just fine. I get tired really easily, which from what I've read, is normal. And I have also been getting faint if I'm standing for awhile, that always scares me, but again, normal. My doctor's office and I have been getting along much better since my last post. I think I said that one of the nurses had a major attitude problem, but someone must have straightened her out because she has been alittle nicer when I call. My doctor is really nice, and Travis likes her too. She makes it a point to sit there until she's answered all of my questions and she doesn't act like I'm stupid for some of the things I ask, which I like. My second appointment was just an exam. Then I went back on March 3rd for the regular monthly appointment where she said that everything looks good and that I'm right on schedule according to my due date. And we got to hear the baby's heartbeat for the very first time. It was amazing! The heartbeat was in the 170's which she said was good. They make a big deal if Travis misses a day of work, but he took off anyway to go with me for this appointment, which I was thrilled about. I figure from now on he'll only be with me during my ultrasounds since we can schedule them for evenings and weekends.

I have a special video to share with everyone.

My next appointment is March 31st. She is going to listen to the heartbeat again and do the 2nd trimester Triple Screen testing for Down Syndrome and Neural Tube defects. And since my brother was born with a neural tube defect she is sending me to Huntington or Charleston for a Level II Ultrasound when I'm 18 weeks (only 5 more weeks to go!). Then my other ultrasound will be either my 8th or 9th month, I can't remember what she said. Anyways, the level II ultrasound is supposed to be more in depth than a regular ultrasound so they can see the spine and whatever they need to in order to make sure everything is ok. I was disappointed to find out that I have to wait so long to see my baby, but I guess they only do two in a pregnancy because most insurance companies will only pay for two. And I sure do not want to get stuck with that bill! I'm sure they're expensive. So in 5 more weeks I hope to see my baby, know that it's healthy, and find out if it's a boy or a girl so I can start buying stuff and decorating the nursery.

We're Gonna Have A Baby!

OMGosh, I'm gonna be a Mom! That freaks me out! Travis and I are so excited about being pregnant, but right now the normal emotion is scared!!! I never have been one to handle change well, even though we asked for this, it's still going to change our lives forever, and now that it's a reality it's scary. There are so many things to plan for and decisions to make, it's all overwhelming. Travis says to take things one day at a time, even though that's hard to do. He is so adorable though. He keeps going around saying, "I'm gonna be a Daddy." with a huge smile on his face. I have no doubt that he will be a great Dad. My parents are beside themselves excited. And when Travis told his parents, to my surprise, they were happy and excited, Travis said.

Since I wanted to be really sure I was pregnant, I took 3 tests. Some people might think one test is enough, but on babycenter.com forums, some women have tested over 10 times!!

Test #1 January 15th, 2008 (2 lines means you're pregnant)

Thanks to Angie I knew to get this test.

Test #2 January 16th, 2008

Test #3 January 22nd, 2008 (The line is darker too :-))

Yesterday was my first appointment. It was with a nurse to go over paperwork. I got a bag full of stuff which made me excited. I love free stuff. It had a baby changing pad and a sample of Enfamil formula, 2 magazines, the book What To Expect When You're Expecting, and a little book of baby names. I am however alittle aggravated by the whole visit because I thought the whole reason of going would be to confirm the pregnancy and go from there, but they didn't do that! Even though I know I'm pregnant, it would've been reassuring to hear it from the dr. They had lab work done to check my Rh, blood type, and immunity to Rubella and German Measles, things of that sort. I even called later in the afternoon to make sure that none of the tests were to confirm pregnancy. I wish they would be more forthcoming with information because this is my very first time doing this and I have no clue what I'm doing or what to expect. They did say that the next visit or the one after the dr. will check for the heartbeat and I will get to hear it! That will be so amazing! It will probably make me cry. Speaking of which, I have been a hormonal monster lately! I felt so sorry for Travis last night. I started crying and said that I've made my parents into grandparents and that means that now they're old, and that means they're gonna die soon. How horrible is that? And I've also cried because Bella has really been sticking close to me, I think she can sense something is going on, and I feel like I've been making her worry. I know, crazy. Anyways, other than that I've been peeing alot, and I've had some nausea (luckily it stops at that). I definately feel pregnant.

Everyone we've told has been so great. And everyone has said how we should let them know if we need anything. I really appreciate everyone's support. Especially since I'm so emotionally crazy right now, it makes me feel good that people care.

I'm due around September 14th, 2008.

A Last Post For 2007

I for one am glad that 2007 is only hours from being behind us. It was a hard year, but it had good times mixed in there too. I was able to hang out with some old friends, made some new friends, learned to knit, made a scrapbook album, found a church to attend, lost 35 pounds, had our 6th wedding anniversary with Travis, was blessed with Bella for the whole year, grew closer with some family members but at the same time grew really, really far apart from others. 2007 was definitely a mixed bag with everything good we had, and the not so good things like the family drama and Travis being laid off. But that's all behind us, thank goodness, and now I'm looking forward to 2008! I'm not one for making New Year's resolutions but there are some things I would like to do in the coming year.

1. Be happier!

2. Do what God wants me to do.

3. Help those in need.

4. Do work for our church.

5. Do more good deeds to bless other people.

6. Knit socks.

7. Lose some more weight.

8. Spend more time with friends & family.

9. Go on a vacation.

10. Be a more positive person.

I hope that everyone has a very happy and safe New Year!

How Was Christmas?

It was great! I got so many nice things.

I got this Fossil watch.

I also got knitting needles, a dishcloth pattern book, a doggy sweater pattern book, an Eastern Star ring, a Wood Wick candle, a Weaving Stitches gift certificate, 6 Nativity scene napkin rings, a 2 cup tea server, and $100 to name a few. I plan on taking a knitting class with part of the money though.

I also got the Vera Bradley Capri Melon Purse. I love it!!!

Since I finished up my "special project" I finally found a new knitting pattern that I am trying. It is just the cutest thing! It's called "Cables & Bits". The pattern can be found here. It involves knitting in the round, which I've never done before, so I'm hoping I can learn how and pull this one off for Bella. I'm making her's pink. I'm sure she will look darling in this.

Model: Jax; Photo by Sarah Wilson; http://www.knitty.com/

In this month's issue of Weight Watchers Magazine there is a really cool product mentioned that I just had to tell everyone about. It is called Fit N Fresh. There are several different tupperware type containers that so innovative for those of us trying to watch our portion sizes. Along with the containers there are recipes that give great ideas for healthy foods to make in them. Here are some pictures from the website. http://www.fit-fresh.com/

Just look at these layers!

This is just amazing! It has a utensil box to hold silverware! And has a dressing dispenser! The salad bowl holds up to 4 cups! And the removable ice pack keeps it cool for up to 6 hours! Do I hear my birthday rolling around??? Too bad I didn't know about these for Christmas!

There are tons of container systems to choose from. I just think it's amazing!

I hope everyone had a nice Christmas.

Knitting This & That

I was looking through some knitting blogs today just out of boredom and came across some projects I'd like to try in the coming year. I'm not sure Travis would wear this, but I think it looks very handsome. It's sort of a scarf/tie. Very stylish. This comes from a blog called Little Purl of the Orient.

I saw this picture on Chie Crochets' Blog and loved the idea. All those little knitted sweaters are just adorable as ornaments. I guess there are 12 patterns as in the 12 days of Christmas. I looked at the pattern though, and it looks rather difficult. Maybe I could tackle this after I get some more experience. Or maybe that is just procrastination hee hee.

Almost all the knitting blogs I go to have pictures of cats all over their pages! What's up with that? I'm representin' the dogs. (Oh no, that sounded like a rapper lol).

Well, that's all the time I have for now. Have a great Thursday!

A Cool Website

I wanted to let everyone know about a really cool website my cousin Jennifer told me about. It is called SkinIt. They have an out of this world selection of skins, which are like hard protective covers, for cell phones, ipods, PDA's, laptops, printers, etc.

And thanks Anna for telling me about Google Gadgets. They are very cool!

Decorating Madness

Last night I started on my Christmas gift wrapping. I need to just stay on task with it, but I keep finding myself trying to make every little detail perfect and it's driving me nuts! I think doing things like that in moderation could be a good thing if I'd only learn that. Note to self: You can't make everything perfect! Deal with it! I feel like I have so much to get ready for and I'm losing time and getting really stressed out by it. Like today, I have a special gift I'm working on but instead of doing that, I was on Myspace all afternoon uploading pictures. But as I was saying (here we go again) ...gift wrapping. Here's a picture.

We're having Travis' family over this Saturday and I decided to decorate little gift bags for my nieces. I used my Sizzix to punch out their name and little holiday figures. I think its cute, but it took a freakin hour! I guess I'm just trying to make this year special because this will be their first Christmas with us. And as you can see, the package beside it I handmade shiny bows out of ribbons. I'm sure that by the 30th package I wrap I'll be hating myself for that one. Well, that's all for my holiday rant lol.

Have a great Tuesday!

The Ash Family; A Favorite Blog

I had such a great time yesterday with my family. I was really surprised that 22 people fit into my little house! But it was great to have our home full of family. Here are some pictures of the day.

Here are the Aunts and Uncle.

Starting on the left is my Aunt Nancy, Aunt Mary Lou, then my Uncle John and his wife Diana, Aunt Jeanne and her husband Jim behind her, and then my mom and dad.

The whole gang! It was completely awesome having everyone here!

Aren't we beautiful?!On the left is my cousin Ashlee, cousin Jill, me, cousin Jacey, and cousin Jennifer.

So, in other news, as I was browsing online today I found a great blog called Hungry Girl on Yahoo! Food. As she describes, the blog says, "Hungry Girl is not a nutritionist, she's just hungry. Hungry Girl delivers fun diet tips and tricks, guilt-free food finds, low-cal recipes, food shockers, reviews, and more." I've found that alot of her content is Weight Watcher friendly. She has some good tips, so it's worth a read. She also has a great year-end post called 2007's Guilt-Free Foods of the Year, it's really impressive. I've added her blog to my fav's, so check it out.

A Holly Jolly Christmas

Tomorrow is the first party of the season at my house. I'm having over my mom's four sisters, one brother, and their families. I made each family a loaf of Banana Nut Bread, made from scratch. And yes, it took awhile. I also made chocolate chip and peanut butter cookies. Ah, now I'm too tired to Christmas shop! I never thought I'd say that. But I think I'll go anyway. :-)

On Dogster they are having a Holiday Picture Party for doggies. Here is Bella's Yule-tide mugshot.

Have a great weekend!

Holiday Hostess-ing

I wanted to share some new ideas and tips I've come across for hosting a holiday party this Christmas. I am hosting two different parties this year at my house, which I'm really excited about since I really love being a hostess and cooking/baking special things for everyone. I definitely needed to do some research since I wanted to do something that everyone would remember and love. I'm not set on anything at this point, but here's some neat ideas that I might try or that's just noteworthy.

These look so good! And seem pretty easy to make. I'm sure guests would love these and they would look so beautiful displayed on a table for them to just grab up.

Chocolate Pretzels by Robin Miller- Food Network

Difficulty: Easy
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Inactive Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Yield: 8 to 10 servings
User Rating: 5 of 5 stars

2 bags chocolate chips (dark or milk chocolate)
1 bag pretzels (logs work well for this, but you can try any of the medium to thick variety of twists)
Chopped nuts, for garnish, optional
Colored nonpareils, for garnish, optional
Sprinkles, for garnish, optional
Coconut, for garnish, optional
Crushed cookies, for garnish, optional

Melt chocolate in double boiler over medium heat on stove top. Using tongs, or your fingers, quickly dip pretzels in chocolate allowing the excess to run off. Place dipped pretzels on waxed paper lined cookie sheets. Sprinkle with chopped nuts, colored sugars or other toppings. Allow to harden. You may need to refrigerate for a while to help this along. Once hardened, remove from sheets and store in a cool location, with waxed paper between layers.

Tip: Package pretzels in clear cellophane bags or in vase for festive gift giving!

Ingrid Hoffmann- from Food Network tells us this cute idea.
I make cookie labels which can hang on a tree, be a place card setting or even a name tag on a gift. Cut cookie dough into label shapes, bake, and when cooled, write the guest's or gift recipient's name on it with icing.

I doubt many of us have a label shaped cookie cutter, but we could improvise by using a knife to cut out the design ourselves.

A personal recipe that is always a big hit is Banana Nut Bread. I'll be making loaves to send home with my guests wrapped in holiday saran wrap and tied with pretty ribbons.



Serves: 12 slices

1 3/4 cups All Purpose Four
3 teaspoons Baking Powder
1/4 teaspoon Baking Soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup White Sugar (or for a lower calorie alternative use Splenda)
1/3 cup Butter, softened (or used I Can't Believe It's Not Butter)
2 Eggs
1 cup mashed Banana
1/2 cup chopped Walnuts

Grease an 8x4 inch loaf pan. Preheat oven to 350. In a large mixing bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar. Add butter, eggs, nuts, and mashed banana. Beat until well blended. Pour batter into pan.

Bake at 350 for 1 hr. 15 mins.
It's done when a toothpick is inserted in the center and comes out clean.

From the December issue of Kraft Food & Family Magazine there are some cute decorating ideas. It says that for a lovely last minute centerpiece put two different sizes of pretty ball ornaments in a vase or crystal bowl.

And you can make your own gift wrap with craft paper and rubber stamps. A quick and easy idea for scrapbookers to put a personal touch on gifts. Or, let the gift inspire the wrapping: for baked goods, use tea towels and fasten with raffia. You could use Christmas themed tea towels as an inexpensive touch. They are available at Dollar General for only $1.00!

You can sign up for the free magazine at Kraft Foods. They have alot of great recipes and tips. I've made quite a few great dishes from them and they're always a hit with the family and guests.

And with a husband and father who are brownie fanatics, this is a great holiday touch.

Prep Time: 15 min
Total Time: 50 min
Makes: 1-1/2 dozen brownies or 18 servings, 1 brownie each

4 squares BAKER'S Unsweetened Baking Chocolate
3/4 cup (1-1/2 sticks) butter or margarine
2 cups granulated sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup flour
1 cup coarsely chopped PLANTERS Pecans, (I would say this is optional)
1 tsp. powdered sugar

PREHEAT oven to 350°F. Microwave chocolate and butter in large microwavable bowl on HIGH 2 minutes or until butter is melted. Stir until chocolate is completely melted. Stir in granulated sugar. Blend in eggs and vanilla. Add flour and pecans; mix well. Spread into greased foil-lined 13x9-inch baking pan.

BAKE 30 to 35 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out with fudgy crumbs. (Do not over bake.) Cool in pan.

CUT brownie in pan into 18 decorative shapes with 1-1/2 inch star-shaped or holiday cookie cutters. Sprinkle with powdered sugar. Reserve the trimmings for snacking or another use.

Happy Holiday Hostess-ing!

I Love Picasa Too & This Song

My friend Anna wrote in her blog about Picasa, an awesome photo editor. I absoloutely love it! It is great for us scrapbookers. Now I can't wait to make more collages like this for an album.

Pictures from Christmas 2006

My Bella

Picasa can be downloaded for free here.

I also heard this song the other evening and loved it! It reminds me of me and Travis. And plus, I would buy him Rogaine if his hair starts to fall out :-)

Ingrid Michaelson: The Way I Am

Have a happy Monday evening!

Christmas Dishcloths

Here are the two dishcloths that I knitted for our Church's Christmas Bazaar.

"Angel of Welcome"

I think the Angel is very pretty. The pattern was free online at Knit Alittle.

"Mr. Snowman"

The "Mr. Snowman" could've been better. It turned out pretty big for a dishcloth, but oh well I guess. The pattern called for size 6 needles, but the closest I had were size 7's. The pattern is cute though. I bought it online from Knits By Rachel.

I'm hoping that after the first of the year I'll be able to start on something new, like socks, or maybe a funky scarf.

Thanksgiving; Funny Video

I saw this commercial on tv the other day and thought it was hilarious! Check it out.



Thanksgiving was great. We had alot of great food! It's our tradition to use my Grandma Warner's recipes for dressing and pies so we were able to convert most things into Weight Watcher "friendly" food. This year I made my first apple pie.

I couldn't resist having a small piece. It was delicious!

All of Travis' finals are over with. He got straight A's for the quarter!

I also wanted to let everyone know that our church, Enterprise United Methodist, on Hiland Road in Pomeroy (just over the hill from Holzer Clinic) is having it's Christmas Bazaar this Saturday, December 1st, from 9am to 3pm. There will be baked goods as well as craft items for sale to benefit the church. I'm working on knitting a dishcloth with an angel and one with a snowflake on it and I'll also be baking something, so everyone's invited to come see what all we have for sale!

A Breakthrough!

Yes, I think I've finally had a breakthrough! For about the past 3 weeks all of us have been going to church at Enterprise United Methodist in Pomeroy. My parents and I belonged there several years ago but since Travis and I were looking for a new church I finally talked them into going back. That I think was a breakthrough within itself, but a different one. In our Adult Bible study lessons we have been studying the story of Joseph in the Book of Genesis. I had heard the story before but never read it for myself or studied it. It was a great story of forgiveness and it really showed how God has a sort of "master plan" for us. The story starts out that Jacob, his father, loved him more than any of his other sons. That made all the brothers hate Joseph. Then as the story goes on they become more jealous of him and sell him into Egypt as a slave. Over a period of 20 years he was a slave, thrown into prison, brought out to tell Pharaoh what his dreams meant, and in a huge turn of events made overseer of all of Egypt to prepare for 7 years of famine. So during this time God dealt with him and he came to see that God had a plan for his life and he also forgave his brothers for what they had done to him because if they hadn't hated him and sold him into Egypt he would not be there to oversee the famine and many people would have died. All that got me thinking. I have really been one to struggle with forgiveness. But this story really helped me. It's hard not to be mad and hurt about the conflicts in our family, but the story helped me realize that if we hadn't had the problem, we wouldn't have moved back to Ohio, and Travis would not be able to go to school and later have a good, secure job. So I guess I should let the past go. It happened for a reason, I'm just not sure why it's still going on. But, we are happy and not missing out on anything.

Since my last post I decided to start a project to help the animals in the Meigs Co. Shelter. I have and will be gathering blankets, toys, and treats until Wednesday. So if anyone wants to participate let me know. It's definately an ongoing project, but this trip I wanted to do as a Thankgiving project to let the animals and volunteers there know that we are thankful for them and what they do.

I had a Pepsi last night for the first time in 7 months. It tasted sooo good, but I'm feeling alittle guilty for caving in and getting it especially since I've been strong for so long. I'm going to need alot of support this week and until Christmas to keep losing weight and not pigging out on apple pie or Christmas cookies. So far I've lost 30.8 pounds. That equals 120 sticks of butter (Yuck!) or 6 bags of potatoes, or 24 medium cantaloupes. That info was courtesy www.weightwatchers.com.

Updated Blog!

I finally figured out how to get a new layout! I'm not good with HTML at all, so during the transfer I lost all my links. I've spent most of the day updating my links and icons. I made a new category called "Charities Close To My Heart" that way anyone that wants to could donate. They all mean alot to me really. The US Humane Society was key to rescuing animals devastated by Hurricane Katrina. And they are such a great organization that helps all animals in many ways. Anyone who knows me knows that I absolutely love animals. And I wish that I could help every single one. I also wanted to say that on Petfinder.com usually there is a shelter wish list for local shelters and I encourage everyone to find a shelter and donate one item for a homeless dog or cat. It would be horrible to be homeless, so I'm hoping to encourage people to help me make sure they have a clean, warm place to sleep and maybe a toy to play with to make things alittle brighter for them until they get their forever home.

Here is a wish list for Meigs County's Animal Shelter:

Towels
Bleach
Mops
Blankets
Straw/hay
Fencing or pens
Cages
Toys, Collars and Leashes

We adopted Bella from a shelter and I could not imagine my life without her! She really has been my best friend through so much. So look at what people could be missing out on.

I also have on my list the American Diabetes Association and the American Cancer Society. Both of these are close to my heart because of my Grandma Warner. She had diabetes and had to give herself insulin shots twice a day. I wish she didn't have to suffer through sticking herself with needles everyday. So now that she's gone I want to help others with the disease to maybe not have to go through what she did. I did the Diabetes walk in Huntington a few years ago to raise money and it was alot of fun! I think Travis and I raised about $100. And I can't believe it but I walked all 5 miles! Then the Cancer Society is listed because my Grandma died of cancer. I know there is a long way to go in the fight against cancer, but maybe if there were new treatments or a cure for it I might still have my Grandma with me today. I love her very much and miss her terribly still.

Grandma Warner

In other news...Mom and I were installed as officers of Eastern Star on Monday night. I have a huge part to memorize before next month too :-( Here are a few pictures...

All The Members

Momma in her pretty dress

Me

Have a great Thursday!

Me, Me, Me....

I'm not really sure where to start with this post. It has been so long since I've felt like posting anything. As most of you know I've been battling depression for a long time now. Sometimes I'm ok, then other times I can't get myself to get out of bed to face the day. Since Travis had been laid off and we lost our health insurance we couldn't really afford to get my medicine so I decided I would go off of it for awhile. It was a really bad idea, but what else could I do? So about 2 weeks ago I started taking it again, everyday, like I'm supposed to. For the first few days it completely knocked me out. Then as I started to get used to it again I had no energy at all so I sat around all day like a zombie. I'm starting to feel alittle better now, but I just wish that I didn't have this stupid problem. Really it's embarrassing. That's why I don't really talk about it. I feel like I should be able to "snap out of it", but I can't. Then I feel like I am a weak person, strong people don't act this way. But really deep down, I can't help it. I just want to be better. I want to be able to function like a normal person. Here is a link to learn more about depression.

Yesterday was our election day. The ballot was for Syracuse village Mayor, Clerk, Council, Sutton Township Trustee, and Southern School Board. In the mayoral race it was between two people, basically a race between the lesser of two evils. Neither one fits the category of what I'd call a great mayor. The Clerk is the one I'm disappointed in. I really don't like the one who won. She has been the clerk forever and has an attitude problem. Other than that I think our local government will run as usual, unintelligently.

Travis is almost finished with his first quarter at Washington State. And I'm very very proud to announce that he has straight A's! Next week is finals, and he has his last one on the 19th. Winter quarter starts in January so he will have the holidays off which is great. I haven't gotten to spend much time with him since September so it will be nice to have him back for awhile.

I want to congratulate Angie & Joe on the birth of their son Rylan. He is such a beautiful baby. Best wishes for all of them.

Life Lessons From The Mentally Challenged

Most often we think we couldn't learn from someone who has a mental disability. Today that stereotype was proved wrong. I was having lunch with my family and there was a very nice lady who obviously had a mental impairment who was cleaning tables. She was always very polite with customers and other employees, but that's not what got me. She went to lunch, had her food, and was telling another employee how she was on her break. The other employee said, "Ok. I hope you enjoy your lunch." Then she said it. "Thank you! Thank you! I appreciate you, Jane (or whatever the name was)." I guess it really touched me because I could see that she really did mean what she said. Maybe because she didn't know any different. But it got me thinking. If only the world was mentally challenged maybe it might be a better place.

The Kite Runner

I just finished this book. It was so good! It's a fictional account of two boys and their families in Afghanistan. Some parts of it were really hard to take because of the graphic nature, but that's most likely what life is like for those people. It really opened my eyes to their way of life, their views, and what they've dealt with over the past 20 years. I'm really glad I read it. I'm getting ready to read his next novel called A Thousand Splendid Suns that is listed on Amazon.com's top 5 books.

I also read last night A Walk To Remember by Nicholas Sparks. It wasn't quite as good as The Notebook, but what could compare to that! It was good however. I had no clue the movie with Mandy Moore was based on this book either. I have not seen it, but now I want to!

Check that. He goes NEXT FRIGGIN FRIDAY for a physical...then they will probably think about calling him back to work. I have a name for those people but I won't say it. Argh!

This probably doesn't make any sense

I can't believe it's almost the end of September already! Where did this year go??? I personally think it went down the tubes when it first began, but that's me. It's been a tough year, well couple, or four maybe, I lost track. Between layoffs to handle, family difficulites to say the least, and deployment to Iraq of all things, life hasn't exactly been what I'd call wonderful. I'm tired of it all really. Tired of all the drama too.

Travis got called back to SFS and will hopefully start back on Monday. I hate that he has to go back there, but maybe it will only be till something better comes along. Maybe I should be looking at things differently, but I'm mad at them. I guess I feel like they did this to us in a way. They are the reason that we've had to struggle so much the past few months leaving us to wonder if we'd be able to eat the next week or not. I guess I just need someone to blame.

I have probably been very difficult to be around the lately, not that anybody would know. Mostly I've been angry about everything I could be and depressed too as usual. I think the reason I went so long without posting anything is because I knew if I did it would turn out just like this.

Travis has started college at Washington State. He's majoring in Industrial Technology. I'm very proud of him. And I think he'll do great.

Is it wrong for me to want to be more than Travis' wife or Jim and Patsy's daughter? Good things come to everyone and seem to run from me. You know, money, having children, happiness...

I don't know what makes me happy anymore. I get up and every day is the same.

I've lost 24.8 lbs.

New Blocks
Here are two of the newest blocks I've knitted recently...

This one is my favorite so far.

When I get some more time, I'll post some updates.

And I want to wish Angie a very happy 26th birthday!!!

Racing News; Darfur; Global Warming

Trav, Dad, and I went to ATV Dirtdrag's last night where Travis raced in the 0-350 class. He won first place!!! I'll be posting the video on my myspace page, http://www.myspace.com/trishaigibson , for anyone who would like to see his win. I very proud of him!

You'll notice I've posted a banner and added the Save Darfur blog to my list. Tonight there was a story on 60 Minutes about the genocide in the Darfur region and I was blown away. I would like to inform my readers about it. And as a woman, I would like to help those women who are being brutally rapped as their villages are taken over. No one should have to live like that. You can find ways to help by going to http://www.savedarfur.org/.

Also I wanted to post this list of things we can all do to help reduce global warming according to the new Yahoo Green site at http://green.yahoo.com/. I know some things may be hard to do, and I'm not perfect either, but maybe we can all try to do at least one thing. I have been recycling our cans, plastic, and cardboard, and I've unplugged the appliances that I don't use all the time, like my washer, and an air conditioner.

The following is a list of simple things you can do immediately, which will start to reduce your contribution to global warming. The items in this list will cost you no money at all and will in fact save you money.

1.Sign up to a green energy supplier, who will supply electricity from renewable sources (e.g. wind and hydroelectric power) - this will reduce your carbon footprint contribution from electricity to zero

2.Turn it off when not in use (lights, television, DVD player, Hi Fi, computer etc. etc. ...)

3.Turn down the central heating slightly ( just 1 to 2 degrees C)

4.Turn down the water heating setting (just 2 degrees will make a significant saving)

5.Check the central heating timer setting - remember there is no point heating the house after you have left for work

6.Fill your dish washer and washing machine with a full load - this will save you water, electricity, and washing powder .

7.Fill the kettle with only as much water as you need

8.Unplug your mobile phone as soon as it has finished charging

9.Defrost your fridge/freezer regularly

10.Do your weekly shopping in a single trip

11.Hang out the washing to dry rather than tumble drying it

12.Go for a run rather than drive to the gym

The following is a list of items that may take an initial investment, but should pay for themselves over the course of 1-4 years through savings on your energy bills.

1.Fit energy saving light bulbs

2.Install thermostatic valves on your radiators

3.Insulate your hot water tank, your loft and your walls

4. 35% of heat generated in the house is lost through the walls Installing cavity wall installation to a medium size house should reduce your heating bills. By installing 180mm thick loft insulation you could stop about 25% of your heating escaping through the roof

5.Recycle your grey water

6.Replace your old fridge / freezer (if it is over 15 years old), with a new one with energy efficiency rating of "A"

7.Replace your old boiler with a new energy efficient condensing boiler

Travel less and travel more carbon footprint friendly.

1.Car share to work, or for the kids school run

2.Use the bus or a train rather than your car

3.Don't use domestic flights (e.g. from London to Edinburgh), use a train or a coach.

4.Take the ferry or channel tunnel instead of flying to France

5.See if your employer will allow you to work from home one day a week

6.Next time you replace your car - check out diesel engines. With one of these you can even make your own Biodiesel fuel

7.When on holiday - hire a bicycle to explore locally rather than a car

8.When staying in a hotel turn the lights and air-conditioning off when you leave your hotel room

9.Ask for you room towels to be washed every other day, rather than every day As well as your primary carbon footprint, there is also a secondary footprint that you cause through your buying habits.

If you buy foods out of season at the super market, then these will have either been flown or shipped in from far away - all adding to your carbon footprint.

1.Buy local wine i.e. if you live in the UK then buy from European countries rather than Australia, South Africa, and America

2.Buy local fruit and vegetables, or even try growing your own

3.Try to buy clothes and products from closer to home (look out and avoid items that are made in the distant lands such as China and India)

In addition there is your footprint at work. Do you leave your computer and monitor on when you are away from your desk? Do you leave the lights on when you leave the office? Do you print documents unnecessarily - and could you print two pages to a side and double sided?

Have a great week!

New Block

Here is a picture of my latest knitting block.

The pattern was really the same concept as the last block I did, so it wasn't that hard to do. Now I have July and this months pattern to do and I'll be caught up!

Puppy Update; Travis; Then and Now Pictures

I think that Bella is in the clear. Travis got her playing this morning and she coughed once, that's is so far today! That's good news. Whew!


I am very very proud to announce that Travis raced last night at the Mason County Fair and won second place in his class. Yay Travis!!!! Here's a pic...




Tomorrow is my Weight Watchers meeting. I'm hoping that I did well this week. Check this out though...

My Dad and Me taken in March 2007

Me today!

That is a huge difference in my face just from losing what I have! I couldn't believe it! Woo hoo! Horray for me! LOL.

Knitting Block; Puppy Update

Bella is still alittle sick, but not near as bad as she was over the weekend. I'm praying that she will continue to improve so we don't have to take her back to the vet.

I've had this block done for a couple weeks, but some of you haven't seen it so here's a picture of my latest knitting endeavour.

I had some trouble with this one. I actually did the whole thing two different times until I got it right. I have the other one too, I might include it in my afghan but I'm not sure yet. It was really cool because the lady from the store in Parkersburg sat down with me for awhile and helped me figure out what I was doing wrong and then had me do a few rows so that she was sure I was on the right track before I left.

In other crafting news I am excited to say that I was asked to do a scrapbook for my Eastern Star chapter. They are wanting to preserve the chapters history and have pictures of the members, which is great. I love history and scrapbooking anyways :-) Plus I can scrapbook for free basically because they are reimbursing me for all the costs.

Thanks to everyone for the welcome back on MySpace!

Could things get any worse?

Ok. Aside from Travis getting laid off, that's bad enough, right? Now we have a sick little puppy. We had to take her to the vet on Saturday. Luckily they were open until noon. She has a respiratory infection. She had been hacking and coughing like crazy, and I've never heard any dog do that before. She scared us to death! The vet gave her a shot and some antibiotics to take for a week. It's been two days now, and she has improved imensley! She is still coughing some, but mostly when she gets excited. Oh, I was so worried about her. And plus I feel really guilty. She is sick because we've had her in and out of the weather so much and where it is really hot outside and then cool in our house that is bad for her if she's in and out like that. I thought that having her outside would be good for her. Now I feel like a bad mommy.

Still no news on the job front.

I've lost 18.8 pounds, so that's alittle good news.

I don't like thinking of titles!!!

Well, well, well. Time flies from post to post. I'm still here. I really need to get on the ball and post some pictures. The front of our house is almost complete. We just need to paint the front facing part on the bottom of our porch. It looks really great though! It's a huge improvement! I have also been working the past two weeks part time on a very temporary basis for Meigs County EMA. I worked there for over a year while Travis was deployed also. It's a long story. But I am on the market for a new job. Trav and I decided that we want the extra cash. There are too many things we want to buy :-) His drag racing parts are expensive! And I would like to get a new motorcycle and a boat or jet ski. Not to mention pouring money into our house.

Speaking of drag racing. I have pictures, I just need to download them onto my computer and post them. Travis has been doing amazingly well. Every race we have been to so far he has won at least one race. I'm very proud of him! He's racing tomorrow in Fairplain, WV.

Weight Watchers, weight loss...hmmm. I'm doing ok, I should be doing alot better though. The past two weeks I gained :-( This week was only 0.2 lbs though. I've lost around 15 pounds still. My mom has lost 19.6 lbs! She's doing great! And you can really tell she's lost.

Well, that's all for now. Have a great weekend!

What I've Been Up To

I hope everyone's having a great summer so far. I haven't heard from anyone for awhile. Trav and I have been doing quite a few different things lately. He has started his drag racing season and is doing great. Last Thursday was his first race at the Kanawha Valley Dragway (www.kanrace.com). For the most part is just a chance for test and tune. He was the only four wheeler that showed up so he raced against crotch rockets. He actually beat one! I was really proud of him. I think he will race again there tomorrow night, and on Sunday he will be racing in Ripley.

We have also been in our pool alot and riding the motorcycle around town and on back roads in the evenings and weekends as a way to beat the heat. I'm loving having our own pool and being able to get in and relax and play around.

I have started walking also. I'm up to 3 miles in 1 hour now. That's good for me. I decided to do it as a way to lose some weight along with joining Weight Watchers about 8 weeks ago (www.weightwatchers.com). I have been doing really well on it. I've lost close to 15 pounds and the walking has helped me lose inches. My goal is to lose 30 pounds all together by Labor Day. I'm not sure if I'll make it or not, but it seemed like a good number to work towards.

I also joined a knitting club in Parkersburg at the store Market Street Yarn and Crafts. We are doing different blocks from a book called 200 knitted blocks. We are doing one block per month. Of course I messed mine up last month, but the ladies there are really great and helped me figure out my mistakes, so even though I'm behind now, I'm on the right track and still learning different techniques. I'm hoping to continue making blocks after the 12 we are doing in the club so I can make an afghan. I think that would be really pretty.

That's about all for now. I hope to hear from everyone!

A Month Already?

I can't believe it's been a month since I've posted anything! I guess that's what warmer weather has done to me. Trav and I have been outside almost every evening doing something. If we ever catch a break in the rain we plan on continuing to polyurethane our porch railing, then on to painting the porch and the rest of the house. I'm excited to see what it will look like when it's all done. I think it will look great, almost like a different house. We did catch a break last week. We had called the electric company to see if they would cut our tree down because it was in the power lines. They actually did too! So that saved us alot of hassle, but now we have a big stack of wood in our yard that hopefully we will be getting rid of quite soon.

In other news, we got one of those pools from Walmart last week. I'm hoping to be in it later ;-) I just thought I'd let you all know I'm still alive! Have a great week!