You Might Be Pregnant If...

Well here we are, out of the first trimester and nearing the halfway point of pregnancy. So far I've discovered that A) morning sickness is even less pleasant than I imagined and B) growing a person is apparently exhausting. All in all though, I'd have to say that it hasn't been a bad experience so far - just tiring.

In other news, we decided to build our new home rather than buying. Currently we have a lot under contract and are working towards finalizing the house plans. Here's hoping that we can start construction at the end of the month!

And now for our first round of "You Might Be Pregnant If..."

...your tuna salad (with salmon in place of tuna) somehow turns into pickle salad.

I have no explanation for this.

...your ability to unknowingly cheat at card and board games knows no bounds.

...you inadvertently become a gas discount thief - using your parents' grocery store rewards absolutely convinced this earns points towards their gas discount. 

(FYI: It doesn't work this way. Luckily they have a good sense of humor.)

...ketchup inspires a level of rage usually reserved for crimes against humanity.

...you discover that you possess a superpower: The ability to smell bacon. 

Anytime. Anywhere.

(Yes, it's just as disturbing as it sounds.)

"See, the human mind is kind of like... a piñata. When it breaks open, there's a lot of surprises inside. Once you get the piñata perspective, you see that losing your mind can be a peak experience."

Jane Wagner

This and That...

The good news? Everything about life is different from the last time I posted. The bad news? EVERYTHING about life is different from the last time I posted.

The short version: we took a voluntary severance package from Chris' employer, put our house on the market, I resigned from my position, we moved back to Oregon, got the house under contract, found jobs in Oregon, and discovered that our family will be expanding this spring.

Phew. 

Now, if you'll excuse me, I am going to go contemplate my discovery that morning sickness is not constrained to mornings in any way. I will be easing back into regular postings once I have my feet under me again.

"An adventure is only an inconvenience rightly considered. An inconvenience is only an adventure wrongly considered."

G.K. Chesterton

Another Week, Another Project

The paint on the house started looking pretty shabby last winter, so we have been planning for a redo since early spring. We didn't go for a drastic color change, but chose a grey-beige tone that would compliment the masonry and roof better than the original yellow-beige. 

After power-washing and prepping the previous weekend (which included me ending up with a lovely burn on my arm from the motor), Chris and his parents undertook painting the exterior last week. I couldn't get out of work for the painting, and stuck to crucial items like picking up beer and takeout for the hardworking crew...

Lesson One: Make sure you find out which sections of equipment will be hot before use

Lesson Two: Use these videos for tips and instructions

Lesson Three: Paint rollers can double as weapons in case of emergency

Lesson Four: Painting is hard work for dogs

All in all the change is pretty subtle - just a fresh, clean look and updated fixtures. Most of the neighbors don't realize that we did actually choose a different color, they just mention that they now have painting on their honey-do list thanks to us.

"A perfect summer day is when the sun is shining, the breeze is blowing, the birds are singing, and the lawn mower is broken."

James Dent