Feelin Crafty Again

Gender Ultrasound! Spoiler alert! :)

We found out on Friday what gender our baby may possibly be... The didn't want to say for sure... Do they ever? See for your self :)



Those are two legs facing to the left... Does it look like a boy to you?

Yummy...

Toby and I LOVE Joe's Crab Shack and we were planning to go for our anniversary next month, but when we saw King Crab Legs on sale for $8.99/lb we jumped on it :). We got 8 legs for about $20 and also got some corn on the cob and some red new potatoes (the little ones)... We like the BBQ seasoning at Joe's and I found an imitation recipe online here and I bought all the stuff for it the last time we found a good deal on crab... I am gonna post my modified recipe here for you guys...

3 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons Old Bay seasoning
2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon Accent brand seasoning (MSG lol)
1 & 1/2 teaspoons granulated sugar
1/8 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper (I am a wimp so I cut it down)
1 stick melted butter

Mix all dry ingredients, pour melted butter over crab (reserve some for dipping), sprinkle BBQ seasoning on crab (recipe makes a generous amount, you may only use half, you can reserve the rest for next time)

Makes Toby a happy camper lol...

How could I forget?

As I lay tossing and turning, seemingly alone with my anxious thoughts, I realized that my sisters in Christ are right, I am not strong enough to deal with this on my own, I am weak, and I need strength from above if I am going to make it... God is the only one who can give me strength, but I need to give up control over my situation, it is something I have struggled with, control... But just when I felt most helpless, I let go... I prayed for my heavenly father, my Abba, to hold me up... I let Him take the control that I have been so desperatly clinging onto... As I lay there, feeling momenterally lost, my head filled with a sweet voice I have known for a very long time... Psalm 139 is a song by Rebecca St. James that I have listened to on repeat in the darkness of my bedroom closet many times as a teen... I got out of bed, grabbed my Bible and my iPod and came out to the front room to read the original lyrics written by a desperate King so many thousands of years ago... I searched my iPod for the song, and remebered that it is a hidden track on the end of a song called "Go and Sin No More"... How right could that be? How did I manage to forget the power of my God? He gives us exactly what we need the minute we have the sense to ask for it... I can't deny that kind of power... No matter how hard I may try... He gave me words of encouragement, led me to open my Bible and read the Word (which hasn't moved since the Woman's retreat in March), and challenged me at the same time with another song... Doesn't take much more than that to convince me... Now I just need to leave the control in His very capable hands rather than try to take it back like I have time and time again...

Psalm 139 by Rebecca St. James
You've searched me, you know me
You see my every move,
There's nothing I could ever do
to hide myself from you

You know my thoughts, my fears and hurts,
my weaknesses and my pride,
You know what I am going through
and how I feel inside

But even though you know,
You will always love me
even though you know,
you'll never let me go

I don't deserve your love
but you give it freely
you will always love me
even though you know

Yes, you will always love me
even though you know.


Psalm139
O Lord, you have searched me
and you know me.
You know when I sit and when I rise;
you perceive my thoughts from afar.
You discern my going out
and my lying down;
you are familiar with all my ways.

Before a word is on my tongue
you know it completely, O Lord.

You hem in me-behind and before;
you have laid your hand upon me.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
too lofty for me to attain.

Where can I go from your Spirit?
Where can I flee from your presence?
If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
if I make my bed in the depths,
you are there.
If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
if I settle on the far side of the sea,
even there your hand will guide me,
your right hand will guide me,
your right hand will hold me fast.

If I say, "Surely the darkness will hide me
and the light become night around me,"
even the darkness will not be dark to you;
the night will shine like the day,
for darkness is as light to you.

For you created my inmost being;
you knit me in my mother's womb.
I praise you because I am fearfully
and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.
My frame was not hidden from you
when I was made in the secret place.
When I was woven together in the
depths of the earth,
your eyes saw my unformed body.
All the days ordained for me
were written in your book
before one of them came to be.

How precious to me are your
thoughts, O God!
How vast is the sum of them!
Were I to count them,
they would outnumber the grains of sand.
When I awake,
I am still with you.

If only you would slay the wicked,
O God!
Away from me, you bloodthirsty men!

They speak of you with evil intent;
your adversaries misuse your name.
Do I not hate those who hate you,
O Lord,
and abhor those who rise up against you?
I have nothing but hatred for them;
I count them my enemies.

Search me, O God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts.
See if there is any offensive way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting.

Music Through the Ages

So I have been listening to some blasts from my past lately and I decided to stick in an artist, an album, or song for each year of my life that I was probably listening to :) If you think this is fun, do it on your blog too :)

1983- (in the womb) The Eagles
1984- Wee Sing For Baby
1985- Wee Sing Silly Songs, Wee Sing Bible Songs,
1986- Mary Rice Hopkins
1987- Psalty
1988- KidSongs
1989- Raffi
1990- (Kindergarten) Greg and Steve, We All Live Together Vols 1-4

From here on out, each year happened to coincide with my grade in school, convienient huh?

1991- Little Mermaid Soundtrack, Oldies (KEARTH 101 was the only radio station I was allowed to listen to at this point), New Kids on the Block (only cause my friends big sister Tawney liked them, and she was cool), and there was def some MC Hammer time at their house too :)

1992 - Beauty and the Beast Soundtrack, Anything the Kids Incorporated or Mickey Mouse Club was singing (totally wasn't supposed to watch it BTW), More Oldies (pretty sure this is when Dad put his 8track/record player in my room and I got really into Jackson 5)

1993- Aladdin Soundtrack, Ace of Base, More Oldies, and whatever was being played at Skateland (the local roller rink, mostly Rap, R&B, and "Old Skool")

1994- Nirvana, Silver Chair, Bush, and (shhh don't tell the cool kids) The Lion King Soundtrack

1995- (again, keeping it on the DL) Pocahontas soundtrack, and Mariah Carey (yup Mimi herself lol)

1996- No Doubt (the love still continues, but this is when I got into them and surprised my big cousin cuz I knew who they were and she had been following them since she went to college with them at CSUF), Started getting into the Christian music scene, Rebecca St. James, Jaci Velasquez (before she got skanky - if you google my full madien name it pulls up a letter I wrote to a Christian music magazine about how bad she became lol), Started going to Christian concerts with youth group... Dad and I found we have very similar taste in music lol...

1997- Bone Thugs and Harmony (no joke), and sigh... Hanson :-P (def had my walls covered in pics), Continued with Christian music... Raze was in here somewhere, fun Christian dance band

1998- The OC Supertones, No Doubt, Save Ferris, Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Reel Big Fish (yeah I was cool again lol), Plank Eye - this was a big year for concert going, Knott's Berry Farm had multiple Christian concert days... Such fun...

1999- Must admit to being a bit of a teeny bopper: Britney when she was still young, Christina Aguilera, Mandy Moore, NSYNC (not a big fan of the Backstreet Boys tho, dunno why), Jenny from the Block, lol... anything that could be danced to :)

2000- More Save Ferris love, Letters to Cleo (both from an obsession with 10 Things I Hate About You), Queen (yes, got my first real taste Sophmore year on the band bus), Aerosmith (yes, I am my father's daughter), RENT OBC Sountrack (even though I had never seen it and still haven't on stage), anything by Steven Sondheim, and over the summer got into a band called Timber that played at QMC and my dad and I went to see them a whole bunch), liked Creed as well for a bit (thanks Tobes lol)

2001- Really got into Jars of Clay, PAX217 (Dad too and we really became groupies because my cousin's buddies were in the band, Yeah Bobby and Tito), also got REALLY into Show tunes because I got more into Theatre (Little Shop of Horrors - though I already knew it by heart from Freshman year, heard Phantom for the first time, and Les Mis... omigosh...), I think Pink! hit the list around here, and I believe this is where Incubus started to get some heavy rotation too (Toby again I tell you lol)...

2002- Billy Joel, Charlotte Church, Josh Groban, Andre Boccelli (can you tell this is when I started really singing lol), More showtunes from Performing Arts Acadamey (Cole Porter, the Berlin's, Gershwin, and Gilbert & Sullivan), the Moulin Rouge sountrack became a staple on my playlist this year, as did Tori Amos (thanks Alia), fell back in love with old Michael Jackson music, and learned a love for RHCP (Red Hot Chili Peppers that is... Higher Ground is my fav song), ooo and Jamiraquoi hit the list too (alright it was the soundtrack from Center stage that did it)... was introduced to the good side of country music and way more classic rock, also got really into Jimmy Eat World, Alicia Keys, Michelle Branch, and Vannessa Carlton over the summer (singin' while driving my '65 Chevy Deuce Nova and gettin' a tan while working as a lifeguard at Knott's Soak City - my first real job)

2003- This was the year I met my love John... Mayer that is... Cristal, Ashley and I rocked out to him on many a beach day, also got way into country music (Brad Paisly, Tim McGraw, Kenny Chesney, Toby Keith, Keith Urban, yes, even the Dixie Chicks...), The Jekyll and Hyde musical was added to my list this year when Cristal and Ash performed in it... haunting... also blasted some Black Eyed Peas while boating in Havesu with the fam I nannied for, Switchfoot, Johnny Come Lately, and Nuber One Gun hit the Christian Music list for me this year too (Good times hangin' with the JCL guys at camp, playing board games and bear "hunting" after all the kiddos went to bed)

2004- More John, also added Jack Johnson to the list and Jason Mraz, became infatuated with Evenescence... I worked at a Posh Private Junior High this year and so I got really into pop and "new" rock again... also started watching the OC... good music on that show - Keane, Roonie, Modest Mouse, The Killers, Yeah Yeah Yeah's, and Yellowcard to name a few... This was also the first year I watched American Idol straight through... Loved me some Diana DeGarmo... whatever happened to her? In Christian Music: The Elms and Superchick made it onto my list

2005- APU days... Much David Crowder Band and Barlow Girl, and lots of music "sharing" from some itunes hack we had on campus :) more country and showtunes were found, but also quite a bit of hard rock... 30 Seconds to Mars, Perfect Circle, Tool, some Showbread, Mars Volta, Coheed and Cambria (most of this stuff has left my playlist, I must say... It was attatched to someone)

2006- Moved to Sacramento (actually in summer of '05) and started dating hubby... Got influxed by everything he likes (Imogen Heap, Frou Frou, Linkin Park, much more Jars, Third Day, Garden State Soundtrack - tho I loved the movie before we dated, O Brother Where Art Thou Soundtrack)...

2007- Picked up some fun stuff from Buffy and many of the other shows and movies I watched with roommate Karen (Across the Universe, August Rush tho they may have both been in '08 not sure), Michael Buble hit my playlist hard when Toby and I started taking dance lessons (tho I already had a few faves by him), Natasha Beddingfield became a fave with two little lines "try to focus my attention, but I feel so A.D.D.", Pat Monahan of Train blew me away at a small radio station concert we got free tix to, and Howie Day's Collide became "our song" when we chose it as our first dance as man and wife

2008- Sarah Barielles, Fergie, and Colbie Calliet topped the list, More Musicals (Wicked, Hairspray, and Enchanted... all thanks to Karen and Gracie), Chris Brown (after David Archuleta did "With You" on AI... watched the whole season this time and fell in love with Carly Smithson, David A, and David Cook, Brooke White has a special spot in my heart too... I spent like $45 on downloads from iTunes that I listen to all the time), also learned to love Rush (stupid Rockband), and picked up some Journey too (hee hee)

2009- Meiko, Ingrid Michaleson, Paramore (and the whole Twilight soundtrack - thanks Kare!), Regina Spektor, Plain White T's (darn those cheezy lyrics), I also have a new found love for Beyonce and Rihanna thanks to Xica, Adam Lambert stole my ear this year on AI and even though he didn't win he is an AMAZING performer (shrooms and all)... and I must say, I am on another Billy kick right now too :) and Jar's of Clay is getting quite a bit of play with their new album too :)

So even tho I only mentioned certain artists during certain years, once I started on them I pretty much didn't stop... Seriously... I still have me some Greg and Steve in a CD case somewhere (and it will probably be back to the early years for me in music once this little one decides to grace us with his or her presence hee hee)

I decided it would be fun to do this, but I have been working on it for almost 3 hours now... Baby needs some food peoples! If you enjoyed this, feel free to copy my silly idea and let me know so I can see what ya'll have been boppin' along to through the years :)

To My Bloggy Pals

So I know I have been gone for a bit, but you know me, when I'm back. I'm back with a vengeance! Which means you get slammed with 50 LenaLoo posts in one day lol (okay not quite 50, but a lot)... I am making my way through all my fave blogs today to leave some bloggy love, and it has been awhile since I have read any of your blogs either, so you might get... a lot... lol... and if I don't make it your way today, I will be along within the week, cuz I love you guys and I've missed you... BTW, I already got totally waylaid on my bloggy love road trip by Miss Lula... She is hilarious!

11.20.09 Is Going To Be A Very Special Day...

THE TWILIGHT SAGA: NEW MOON trailer in HD


Oh yeah, and my baby is due that day lol... If I am not in labor (or even if I am) I will be there... I mean I sat through Dark Knight while my appendix nearly burst didn't I? They say you are not supposed to go to the hospital for the first 3 hours of contrations anyway... And I can sit through contractions to watch Jacob turn into a wolf for the first time on the big screen... Just Sayin'... Yum... Lol... And we will go to the theater that is down the street from the hospital, promise!

Lena the Critic lol

So every time Jars of Clay comes out with a new album, I push it away at first because I love their original stuff so much... The Self Titled Album is and will always be my favorite... And this is a band that basically seems to reinvent itself every time they write... I told the boys that I really don't get it this time (they laughed and said I wouldn't)... But I don't think I really tried because I am so stuck on the band they were in 1995, fresh out of college... When I started to realize that each album has been a continuation of their growth as people and artists, I began to appreciate each one differently... I read this interview with them today after listening to the album last night with new ears it seemed... I get it now, and I love how candid they are about their feelings on this album, and it is exactly what I need right now... If you haven't listened to Long Fall Back to Earth, you should give it a try... It is very human...

I Think I Get It Now...

Closer by Jars of Clay

Well you thought you let go, but you’re still hanging on
Mother earth’s slowing down, she’s still spinning around
And we-eee, are gettin dizzy

I’ll drop out of the race for more personal space
Cuz the rocket’s we're in, get’s so cold and I miss your skin
that’s just how I’m feelin.

If you need more love, well you’ve got to get close to me
If you want my love, well you’ve got to get closer to me

No unreachable itch, if you hemorrhage I’ll stitch
You are tears, I’m a cheek, I’m a pail on your boat with slow leaks
out to sea for weeks

If you want my love, well you’ve got to get close to me
If you need my love, well you’ve got to get closer to me
Oh, if you want my love

I don’t understand why we can’t get close enough
I want your kite strings tangled in my trees all wrapped up
I don’t understand why we can’t get close enough
I’ll be the comets that are fallin’ from the sky you light up…light up

You’re my shirt iron-on
I’m the tick, you’re the bomb
You’re the L and the V, I’m the O and the E
Am I speaking clearly?

If you want my love, well you’ve got to get close to me
Ooh, if you want my love…

I don’t understand why we can’t get close enough
I want your kite strings tangled in my trees all wrapped up
I don’t understand why we can’t get close enough
I’ll be the comets that are fallin from the sky you light up

Because I don’t understand why we can’t get close enough
I miss the shivers in my spine every time that we touch.

Roller Coaster Ride

Hey guys, I am back, hopefully on a more regular basis... I decided to quit WoW for a bit because I was playing a lot... And I am quite sad because I met a lot of amazing people who have become really dear to me... But, I have to get this apartment ready for this little one and I think it might take at least the 5 months that I have left lol... So if ya'll want to, bear with me while I work on this cuz it means a whole lotta time with Toby's mum, and that is not always good for my mental health lol... Also, I am dumping all the other parts of my blog back into this one because 1 blog is enough to handle right now methinks... I am importing all my entries from the other 4 blogs I had here, but not deleting them just incase I decide to get crazy and bring em all back... So there will be a lot of randomness in here again, but that is what I'm all about :D... Love you guys! Thanks for stickin with me on this Roller Coaster Ride I call life!

Okay this is the linked list...

I got too ADD to complete this lol but I did get quite a few things accomplished so I thought I'd make the sidebar a post and transfer these posts to my main blog before I delete this part of my blog.

1. Get a deep freezer
2. Clean off back porch 1 box at a time
3. Install cat door, screen in porch, relocate cat box to porch
4. Follow FLYlady missions
5. Finish FLYlady Control Journal and follow it
   
6. Buy at least 3 clothing items in seasonal clearance sale and save for next season
7. Put extra shelves in spare room for pantry storage
8. Get Toby a compact writing desk (one that folds up?)
9. Buy clearance Christmas decorations for next yearn
10. Do a 27 fling boogie once a week
11. Stick to my budget on every shopping trip
12. Move any money to be saved into savings account so it doesn't get spent
13. Get 8 hours of sleep a night (get to bed by 1 am at the latest)
14. Update agenda every night before bed
15. Follow agenda every day and update on blog
16. Get pregnant or look into adoption
17. Move into a house
18. Mistreat my windows
19. Nest wherever I am
20. Find a new job that works with my personality and schedule (flexible)
21. Work on using my timer and sticking to it
22. Find other ways to earn money than a conventional job
23. Work on being content
24. Keep inventory of food in freezer and on shelves
25. Continue doing GG and clip and file Q's every Sunday
26. Only buy what we are going to use
27. Keep track of what we do use so next cycle can be adjusted accordingly
28. Never buy full price if you can help it!

29. Try 1 new recipe a month
30. Get artisan breads in 5 mins a day book
31. Try all of the different recipes in it
32. Bake and decorate one batch of cupcakes every month in a different way each time
33. Try OMAC for a full month
34. Try one new slow cooker recipe a week
35. Create a cooking blog, list actual recipes, not just "a little of this, a little of that"
    
36. Get my camera fixed
37. Take at least 5 photos a week
38. Scrapbook photos digitally
39. Make my wedding album
40. Make an album for each year Toby and I have been together
    
41. Start my Etsy shop
42. Create a workspace for my crafts
43. Make one new item a week to sell on Etsy
44. Make 4 cards a week
45. Take making own findings class @ U Bead It
46. Make something new with hand made findings every day after taking class
47. Be able to digitally scrap a layout and make it a blogger layout
48. Remind Toby about NaNoBloPo and try my hand at it too
49. Set up a portfolio

50. Tell my husband I love him in a new way every day
51. Go OUT on a date once a week
52. Blog once a day
53. Comment on 2 NEW blogs a day
54. Twitter at least 1 time a day with FLYlady updates
55. Send one card a week
56. Call each family member once a week to see how they are doing
    
57. Set up Skype
58. Call Monica and Simon via Skype once a week
59. Start saving money to go to Europe for Simon and Monicas wedding
60. Set up a "findings" package exchange with family members (different person each month)
61. Get to know my brother's significant others
62. Go to Disneyland with my whole family
63. Make a phenomenal blog site that links up all my blogs
64. Buy a domain name
65. Make a new award every month and give them to my fav bloggers
66. Give out a green fairy award every week
67. Keep 101 in 1001 blog updated
68. Make every moment count, no wasted days!

69. Workout at least 2 times a week for at least 1 hour
70. Swim at least 1 time per week
71. Lose 30 pounds: Track exercise and weight loss in Spark People
    
72. Learn to track ovulation
73. Get back on ADD meds
74. Find a therapist who specializes in ADD and is covered by my insurance
75. Find a new doctor
76. Get allergy panel
77. Get a physical
78. Get ADD under control to return to work by Feb
79. Pick up diagnosis from Dr. R
80. Once on meds, journal about changes
81. Once meds start stop drinking caffeine
82. Take meds daily along with other meds and vitamin
83. Work on following a healthy eating plan daily
84. Keep a food diary using Spark People
85. Drink 8 glasses of water a day

86. Pray everyday
87. Keep up with Rob's Bible Study
    
88. Start HomeBuilders group
89. Read one spiritual book a month
90. Dig into the Bible everyday (at least 2 passages)
91. Complete FamilyLife app and turn in by Jan 1
92. Pray with Toby about FamilyLife daily

93. Read at least 1 article in the newspaper every week
94. Get Photoshop and learn to use it
95. Try playing raquetball
96. Read one novel per month that I have never read before
97. Read one news or informative article every day
98. Learn enough HTML to make my blog fantastic
99. Find out what I need for AA
100. Find out what I need to transfer
101. Go back to school and take 1 class at a time

Not Much For Company

Sorry if I have seemed a bit distant lately... Fact of the matter is, I haven't felt much like seeing people lately... I went to Monterey Bay with Toby and his Mom this weekend, there are pics in my Twitter if you want to see... But I am still alive and baby is (starting to be) kickin'! Thanks for understanding.