Checkin in on the chicks....

I just wanted to give everyone an exciting look as to my first crack at motherhood. (I'm practicing to see if I'll be a good updater when we actually decide to have a flock of our own. Look at my two very well thought out puns in the first two sentences of this update.)

Anyway, we've got about a week and a day left... last week, on Thursday, I saw the most amazing thing! I did what is called "candling" where you shine a bright light on the egg to see if you can see the "shadows" inside. When I did that, I saw what appears to be blood vessels (as I should see that) and then when I looked really closely... there was a dark spot moving. This is what I suspect to be a developing chick embryo. I am very excited! I wasn't so confident as to my home incubation skills.

So assuming we're right on schedule... we should see some hatching anywhere from next Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday. So please keep me in your prayers... I'd really like for at least one to successfully hatch... that way I don't have a class full of disappointed children... and their parents... and me... but I take comfort in knowing I saw something move.

It's funny, because I know this is sooo not nearly as exciting as having a child... but I was and am totally thrilled.

I have learned a few interesting things about me during this process. One observation I made is I could not now, nor ever understand abortion/ selective termination. I was having a minor freak out attack with having 3 extra eggs and no incubator. I know that God gave us humans dominion over the animals... but... after seeing the life inside the egg... I just cannot fathom seeing an ultrasound on a screen and then saying... I want.... to....get rid of......... that one.... I mean how do you select? I couldn't figure out a good way to select a chicken egg... how could you select a baby? I never thought I'd have such a tramatic experience with chicken eggs...

sigh......

Anyway, here's a picture of what should be going on inside my eggs right now....
Just in case I don't update for a little while... here's what they will look like later in the week.

P.S. Pam... sorry for the intentional ambiguity... but I gotta keep some things tight for now. Too many family members could stumble on this... and that may make my days/nights interesting with them speculating "what it could be." But... no need to worry.... we're still praying... seeking... and asking the same of others... but eventually it all will be clear. It's a combination of personal direction, work direction... and jut a lot of other big and small decisions. And that is all I can say at this point. I fear I may have said too much... *cackle*

Thanks for checkin in!

Update....

Well, back on February 7, I wrote a blog with many questions. It dealt more or less with direction and where God was leading. I felt that the place I was being led to was the "wait and see" place.

Needless to say.... things seem to be heading in a great direction! Thanks for the prayers, and good thoughts!

Project Mommy... er... Mother Hen.....

So, as of Wednesday I am the proud incubator facilitator to 6 fertilized chicken eggs. 21 days we should see if we have had any success!

I did have a little fun with family and friends on Wednesday. This appeared as my facebook status.....

I'm gonna be a mom!! Sorta... that is.... more like a mother hen, literally... I'm the proud incubator facilitator of 6 chicken eggs! Let's all say some prayers that at least 1 hatches, or I'll have 21 disappointed students... and few parents too... and 1 bummed teacher *ehem.... me!*

Needless to say, those of you facebookers know, that when you are on facebook there is an "online friends tab." When you click on it, it shows all your online friends... and the begining portion of your status... apparently all people saw was "I'm gonna be a mom!" I got several comments on that.

Hehehe... all in good fun. My time shall come... but until then, baby chickens will have to do. They'll have to hold me over for a while. I'll post pictures when I get them. For now, I have 3 eggs in a highly sophisticated incubator at school... and I have 3 others at home in our kitchen incubating, because this is an older incubator, and I have to rotate the eggs by hand a minimum of 3 times a day. So.... we'll see. I'm not too hopeful for this other one... but it was worth a try!

Until the next time!

Grill your....... Salad?

I am totally in love with Damon's Grilled Cesar Salad. It's an odd sensation... slightly grilled Romaine Hearts... but it's absolutely wonderful. I tried it this evening on my own George Foreman... but it didn't quite work out so well. So maybe it's a summer thing?

Anyway, thought I'd share .

Oh, and sorry I was vague on the clues for the last appliance.... but, guess it was a hard stab anyway. Pam, I'll try to pick another favorite thing or contesty thing... so that you can try to guess it! Until then....

And the winner is....

All right so no one guessed... perhaps you're still pondering..... but, I will tell you the answer.

My new favorite electrical appliance is the CPAP machine. About a month ago Jeremy participated in a sleep study. They diagnosed him with Sleep Apnea. Since then, they have prescribed and approved Jeremy to have a CPAP machine. He got it on Tuesday, March 31. Since then, I haven't heard any noise while sleeping. Last night, and tonight were also the beginning of a new era! I didn't have to wear ear plugs while I slept. It was amazing. It is such a blessing from God to be able to sleep through the night. It was of particular concern to me, because I know that when we have children I'm not going to be able to wear them. So, that is a big reassurance.

Now, I'd ask that you pray for Jeremy as he adjusts to his new machine. I'm sleeping well, but he is still adjusting. So... keep him in your prayers as he begins this journey.

Thanks! Have a good day!

Contest!!

I will give a wonderfully ficticious gold star point to anyone who can correctly guess my new favorite electrical appliance. Let's just say it came yesterday... I don't use it directly... but I'm in love with it... in fact I'll give everyone a hint (that won't really help at all)... I love this new contraption more than I love my dishwasher. (And those of you who know me, know that I LOVE my dishwasher and quite often sing the Ode to the Dishwasher... which only has lyrics of "I love my dishwasher, I love my dishwasher, I love my dishwasher!" belted out at the top of my lungs.) It has done wonders for my work, marriage and overall quality of life!

Start guessing. I'll post the answer... hopefully tomorrow!!

Myrtle Beach Pics!

Well, I know there isn't a good excuse for the lack-o-blog, but... I was on spring break and we went to Myrtle beach. Not to mention there was just a mountain of stuff that I've had to accomplish since the last post.

But... for now, I will indulge people with the few pics I took on vacation.

Self portraits, gotta love 'em!!
I took it from the balcony of our condo!
One of the highlights of our trip was going to the Dixie Stampede.
We usually do Medieval Times... but we wanted a new change.This was the Dixie Stampede goers... Dad, Me & Jessica.
(Gosh this is not a great pic of me.)
We rooted for the North... funny story... when we made our
reservations the lady asked "Do you want to root for the North
or the South?" My response was "The North, because they win!"
She seemed a little shocked... and almost surprised. Hmmm

Will the South rise again? HMMMMM....If you look at the two red-sweatshirted people, you will see my dad & I.
I conned him into participating in the show... the guy asked... and I
in all my excitement said yes.

Again, another funny story. We were taken to an area where they told us our instructions. They were: When you go out there line up shoulder to shoulder. When you are given the sign guys, go to a horse you wanna ride. My dad looked like "Oh, my what did you get me into? How on earth am I going to get up there?" So we walked out... we eyeballed the horses... I said to my dad "get the short one." So the man gave the word, and my dad walked toward the horse he thought maybe he could get up on and ride in our barrel race. Then they showed us the horses they had for us.Hard to tell, but if you look closely, we were given horses on a stick. This was the team for the North. Unfortunately we lost that challenge... but... the North still won! And that's all that matters. Has anyone else been there? Does anyone know if the North always wins, or do they switch it out? My dad said the North has to win or they'd have to change the history books. I don't know, cuz I feel that people would get bored without some sort of thrill of winning. Although, what am I talking about.. there are plenty that think the South did win.

Anywho, that's pretty much the extent of our pictures. I started out taking a bunch, and then just got busy and took very little. Somehwere I have pictures of us golfing. I'm still pretty awful... but hey, it was still LOTS of fun!

We actually have the opportunity to go to Myrtle Beach (for me, it's again, for Jer it's the first time this year) with Jer's family in June. So my question is... of my (small numbered readership) what does everyone else out there like to do in Myrtle Beach? Or what have you heard is fun?

Anyway... Adios everyone!!