April 9, 2014 by Stephanie

A New List: 35 Before 35

So I updated my list to accommodate my need to extend my deadline. I did adjust some things, but many stayed the same.

So here is how I did this last month.

1. Crochet something else besides blankets or scarves at least once a year

I have a few blankets I need to whip out right now, but I do have something planned for little man.

2. Do a photography challenge

I have it all planned out, but I won’t be doing it until the fall.

3. Visit 5 cities I have never been to before (1/5)

I went to Johnson City, TN. It was for a conference, but I was able to see a university there and parts of the city while in town. And the hotel we stayed in was GORGEOUS!

4. Tour at least one of the distilleries in the KY/TN area

Maybe this summer?

5. Send at least 5 snail mail a month

This has been a fun one to finish each month.

6. Become a “professional” photographer

Sill a work in progress, but slowly some day I will get there. I am having fun along the way.

7. Complete at least 10 races (any distance) (0/10)

I have the half marathon planned in a couple weeks with my sister-in-law. I am still going back and forth on how it will go now…

8. Go camping with Tom

Nothing yet.

9. Pay for the car behind me in a drive through

Nothing.

10. See Tyrone Wells live as many times as possible

I get to see him in a little less than a month!

11. Tour Fort Defiance here in Clarksville

People, I just found out that Ft. Defiance sometimes does Civil War re-enactments! I need this in my life! I am scoping their calendar/website to see if one is coming up for our schedule!

12. Water ski with my dad

Another summer to plan.

13. Do a 5K with my mom

Nothing.

14. Take a swing dance class with Tom

I need to do some research.

15. Read at least one fun book a month and one professional development book every three months

This month I epically failed. I still am struggling through one book. I have a hard time giving a book up too, so hopefully I can get through it this month.

16. Take a pottery or stained glass class

None of the classes here on base fit into our schedule lately.

17. Do one new recipe each month

This is new.

18. See both a Clemson and UCM football game live

I don’t think this will happen in the fall seeing as Little Guy will just have been born.

19. Find a place to volunteer on a regular basis

I volunteered to be the POC (Point of Contact) for Tom’s platoon. This is a position within the Family Readiness Group. How I have understood it the position is just part of a phone tree within the unit and helps disseminate information. I have the training for it next week, so I am sure I will find out more there.

20. Go hiking

Someday…

21. Ride in a hot air balloon

Girl’s Day some time in the future.

22. Go to at least 20 “new to me” restaurants. (8/20)

I actually did quite a bit on this one. My dad was in town a couple weeks ago. We went to O’Charley’s where I chowed down on some steak. We also checked out a mexican restaurant that I cannot for the life of me remember the name of. It wasn’t my favorite one in town so there’s that. I also went to a place called Cootie Brown’s in Johnson City. I was having some serious morning sickness, so I did not enjoy this meal at all. The pizza’s however looked amazing and large! Tom and I also found a little cafe INSIDE one of the thrift stores we went to this past weekend. Totally a random and unplanned stop, but Miss Lucille’s Cafe was adorable. And their chocolate covered cheesecake was pretty amazing.

23. Stay at a bed and breakfast

Nothing.

24. Spend a day without electronics (phone, t.v. and computer)

Hoping to do this summer.

25. Have a Kentucky Derby themed 3oth birthday party.

I have started pinning things like crazy on my party board on Pinterest.

26. Explore Nashville while we live here

I have been driving to Nashville every couple weeks for the past 2 months, but seeing as it is for doctor’s appointments, it doesn’t count. We will need to work on this one.

27. Watch at least 10 movies that I have not seen before that won Best Picture at the Oscars and at least 20 documentaries (not necessarily Oscar winning) Movies (0/10); Documentaries (4/10)

Nothing.

28. Sew an item of clothing from scratch

Maybe I will make myself a maternity jersey knit skirt…

29. Do a personal devotional/bible study

I really want to do better at reading my bible. I have an app on my phone that sends me a verse daily. I have added this to my prayer journal reflection every day. I want to find a good devotional too. This is basically focusing on my personal spiritual walk a little more.

30. Be a mascot for an event

I have no idea where this came from, but I have wanted to be a mascot for so long! I just think it would be so much fun.

This is the closest I have ever gotten. On my last day at Worlds of Fun, my partner and I “found” the character closet. Since they wouldn’t allow me to be one since I am too tall, I just tried on the head for size.

31. Go on our honeymoon (preferably somewhere tropical)

Due to life circumstances, Tom and I have never went on a honeymoon. We have tentatively planned to do it around our 5 year anniversary.

32. Host an annual NCAA Basketball Tournament Championship game party

My parents have thrown a party for the tournament championship game for as long as I can remember. It was something my brother and I looked forward to every year growing up. We got to stay up late, eat junk food and low country boil all night long, and be in charge of the betting pools. My brother still goes over every year, and I have made it back home for a couple since I have moved away. I don’t think we will end up in KC, so I would like to carry on this Glinn tradition wherever we go to. I love me some basketball, and Tom loves hosting, so it should mix well once we have a place!

33. Go on a mission trip

I went on these through middle school and high school, and it was very enlightening. I would love to get involved with a youth group and be a leader this time around. This one is very dependent on a lot of timing and money, but I want to make it happen.

34. Be on a recreation volleyball team

I was on a team while I was in Iowa, and I loved it. I really want this back in my life for so many reasons. Unfortunately, the Ft. Campbell/Clarksville area does not agree with me and has none to offer.

35. Become a mom

Little bean is doing so well. He was jumping and dancing around at this week’s appointment. Hard to believe I am already 4 months pregnant!

April 3, 2014 by Stephanie

Bumpdate Week 15

I am officially in the second trimester!

How far along: 15 weeks
Sex of Baby W: We found out we are having a boy! Also my hands are super dry now. Old wives tale coming true.
Weight gain: I am at a 7 lb loss now from before we knew Baby W was coming along. I am sure this will change with my appetite coming back now.
Size of Baby W: roughly 4 inches and about the size of an apple.
Maternity clothes: I am in denial about maternity clothes. I am not big enough to wear them yet, but I am only down to 2 dress pants and 2 pairs of jeans that I can comfortably put on. And most of those I have to use a rubberband to hook them instead of the button. Luckily all of my shirts are fine because I have a pretty loose wardrobe. I should be able to wear most of them at least for the next couple months if not longer. With the warmer weather, I have been able to break out my dresses too, which allow for a little more stretch. So I haven‘t needed maternity clothes just yet. I am still little but definitely feel frumpy.
Baby items: We are going thrift store hunting this weekend to find some furniture. We bought fabric for the bedding. My mom and I are going to make all the bedding, so it was exciting to get the print for it. I have also bugged some moms I know if what is on the “must have” lists are accurate.
Stretch marks: Nope.
Belly button in or out: Innie.
Sleep: I gave up on trying to “train” myself to sleep on my side. I am sleeping on my back until I get a little bigger. At least, I can get some good sleep for the time being. My body will know when it is time. I am having some crazy dreams though.
Best moment the past few weeks: Finding out our little nugget is going to be a little dude and being allowed to walk the dogs again!
Worst moment the past few weeks: The doctor telling me that I have to stay on hormones meds still. My grandpa also had a pace maker put in this week, so that is always hard to not be able to be there for family in times of need.
Miss anything: Last week at the conference I really missed coffee!
Cravings: I am in this stage where if someone mentions a food item, I automatically start to crave it. I have to be careful of commercials…
Movement: I don’t feel little guy, but my stomach is constantly feeling like it is stretching. It is really uncomfortable.
Symptoms/how I am feeling: I AM SO MUCH BETTER! I can actually eat real meals and don’t feel woozy all day. I still have spurts of it during the day, but I am so glad it is not constant. I also notice that I get sick a little more when I have a completely empty stomach, so I have been trying to keep healthy snacks with me at all times, which really isn’t much different than how I am not pregnant. I also have a lot more energy lately so I am trying to add my miles back with the dogs.
Looking forward to: Finding pieces for the nursery.

With this picture, I pulled the dress back a little so you can actually see the bump. It’s really there! In most clothes though, I still look normal.

April 2, 2014 by Stephanie

My Introvert Confessions

I went to a conference last week for work (yay for finding some money for the part-timer). Conferences always bring out the introvert in me FULL force. It takes a lot out of me to be around people all.the.time. I stayed at home most of the weekend indulging in my current Netlix addiction and crocheting to deal with 3 days worth of people.

I have seen these elsewhere, but I figured I would put my own spin on introvert confessions. Some are similar but with my own thoughts. Please note that these may not apply to all introverts, but you may seem a theme.

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She pretty much is me any another life right? At least, I would like to think so.

First before I go into my confessions, let me briefly explain introverts and extroverts. It is from the Myers-Briggs personality test. The two indicators of extrovert and introvert refer to how/where a person draws their energy. In simple terms, extroverts draw energy from people or outer stimulation. Introverts draw energy from within, so lots of reflection and private time is a must to recharge. If you still don’t understand the difference just Google it; there are tons of sites to explain it.

Here are my Introvert Confessions:

1. Just because I am a hermit some days does not make me anti-social. It just means that I have been TOO social lately. I have seen it explained as selectively social. I also feel that our society has put an emphasis on the perception of extroverts as being a sought after personality, which makes us introverts seem awkward and loners. I am here to say we have so much to contribute if you just let us have our time.

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2. I can be spontaneous, as long as I have advanced notice to prepare. Tom and I have issues with this all the time with our social calendar. If you were not aware, my husband is an extrovert. It makes our life interesting. It is sometimes hard for him to understand that I have to prep myself for most social situations. And then I feel bad for holding him back…it’s a vicious cycle we lead.

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3. And that is because small talk is not my thing. I want to know your life story and go for coffee in a quiet space. If there are large groups of people, I have no idea how to contribute, and I think too much of what my contribution will be. I don’t like to focus on a large group because I want to connect with each person individually and that is hard to do in groups and with small talk. So unless it is a more intimate situation, I will more like stay quiet. Sometimes my profession takes a lot out of me with programs and many group settings.

4. Dear Hairdresser, dentist, and person sitting next to me on the airplane: just because I can’t go anywhere doesn’t mean I want to talk to you. I like having an escape route, and you leave me no option when you talk to me. And really why is the dentist trying to have a conversation with me anyway?

5. I embrace my introvertness, but I don’t like being made to feel awkward or feel like an outcast because I am asking for space. There are people who have made me embarrassed and ashamed of needing to stay home or throw it in my face that I missed out on something. Trust me, you missed out on crazy-drained-angry Stephanie. So just get over that I may not approach you in a crowded room or that I may want to stay in more than I want to stay out. These are the things I wish everyone knew about introverts, or me really.

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6. My ideal “social” night is with one to four friends. More than that makes me feel uneasy. UNLESS, I know each of you really well. I like to be able to give all my attention and be intentional about the conversations we have. I want to let you into my inner circle, but I feel that we can only do that one on one or in a small groups, not at the club.

7. I am always thinking: thinking of what I said (5 minutes and 5 days ago), what I would have said, and how to prepare myself with what to say. I also try to anticipate and analyze what other people are saying. This is the plight of most introverts. I think we get lost in our thoughts and expend our energy on this instead of being spontaneous with the masses. I feel like this picture depicts how I am taking everything in…

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8. Just because I am not talking, doesn’t mean I am in a bad mood or that I don’t like you. I am in observation mode. Again, I am probably trying to think of something clever to say…or I have been around people too long and am beginning to shut down.

9. I hate it when people say “Introverts are shy.” This is not a given. Around certain people, I am not. This is because I have let you in my inner circle, and we have had time to get to know each other. (Or I am on the job. I can put a good woo face on if need be.) In new situations, I can be shy. It just takes me some time to open up and feel comfortable. Again, the small talk is what gets me down. Anyway, shy and introverts are not two describers that are exclusively related.

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10. I love being an introvert. I feel that it makes me very self-aware. I can read my limits fairly quickly and know when I need to take a step back. I have learned to be vocal and not ashamed of needing my me-time. A lot of interaction will leave me exhausted and drained. I don’t perform at my best when I have been around people too long, so I have to have time EACH day to just be me. I feel that this makes it much easier for me to create balance because I can acknowledge and explain my personality.

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Fun Introvert fact, there are a lot of famous introverts.

Such as: Julia Roberts, Meryl Streep, Clint Eastwood, Tom Hanks, Steve Martin, Matt Lauer, Diane Sawyer, and Barbara Walters.

Are you an introvert? Do you have any confessions to add? Are you an extrovert? Do you have thoughts on introverts?

March 31, 2014 by Stephanie

Buy Me Some Peanuts and Cracker Jacks

Well personally, I want a big hot dog and a soft pretzel when I am at a baseball game, but that’s neither here nor there.

We love baseball in our house, which I am sure you noticed with our pregnancy announcement.

Opening day was today, and we are so pumped to have our beloved Royals back!

Tom was so pumped to get a camo KC hat!

Unfortunately, being a Royals fan comes with a lot of pain. We lost our first game today to the Tigers.

But never fear, the season is long! And I am sure we will bounce back!

We are not fair weather fans in this house!

I grew up in KC, and my mom’s house was down the street from the stadium. Many weekends we spent in the parking lot riding our bikes and watching fireworks on Fridays.

My brother and I collected baseball cards like it was our job there for a time.

We ate ice cream and applesauce out of our beloved small plastic baseball caps.

You just love the men in blue when you grow up in KC. And luckily I married a man who also loves my Royals, despite where he grew up being mostly Cardinals fans. He knows where the true sportsmanship is!

Our wedding was also unintentionally in Royals colors. Tom’s favorite color is blue and mine is yellow. That is how we picked out our wedding colors, and we soon then realized that we had matched our Royals.

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I have had so much fun over the years watching games. The Royals fans and the stadium atmosphere are top notch.

We stand behind our team no matter what.

The games are fairly cheap, and they do a great job entertaining between innings and pitches. It really is a fun time. Plus they have lots of give aways, so generally you are guaranteed some swag when you go. I can’t wait to live closer to take advantage of T-shirt Tuesdays!

Some of my Iowa favorites reuniting at the game

I had one of my bachelorette parties at a game. Seriously a fan, and I won’t hold it against my sister-in-law (pictured here) that she roots for the wrong Missouri team.

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My best friend and other half with their men, my mom, and my sister-in-law. They were keeping me distracted while Tom was on one of his Army adventures.

This was at an I-Cubs game in Des Moines, but they were playing the Royals farm team. So obviously we came decked out in blue!

My best friend and other half (two different people folks)

My dad and step mom at a game.

One of the fortunate things of my undergrad was that it was close enough to make it to some games with college friends one in awhile.

Match made in heaven with our fandom!

I think this was opening day one year with my Best Friend and Slugger!

My brother and I at a game. See wedding colors?

Tom and I were both born in 1985 when the Royals won the World Series. We were born to be Royals fans. So we are hoping that little birthing luck will be passed down to our Little Guy, and this will be a good year for our boys in blue.

If you were not aware, Lorde’s song “Royals” was inspired by the MLB Royals player George Brett. She saw a picture of him in a Royals t-shirt, and the rest of her fame is history. So it is only appropriate that someone in KC made a parody.