A New Tradition?

Last year I had S and O the night before the superbowl. Since the Giants were in the Superbowl and they are my #2 team I helped the boys make Giant shirts for the Superbowl. This year they asked their mom about making Superbowl shirts. Her response was "That's something you do with Miss Erin." So the other night we made Cardinal Shirts! Here they are:

I told the boys I would draw a Cardinal for them...S also got me to write "CARDINALS" in bubble letters. I told him that he had to do the entire back by himself! The little sneak! Trying to get me to make the shirt for him! 

 

I suggested that they should write "Boo Steelers" on the back, but S had a better idea. Their mom wants the Steelers to win, so he wanted to write "Mama You're going down!" I couldn't resist! 

 

O worked very hard on his shirt. 

 

Two happy boys! 

 

Look out!!! It's tough boy O-dog! 

  

Go Cardinals!

 

Mama You're Going DOWN!

 

All ready for the Superbowl! 

25 random things about me...

So on facebook I was tagged at least 7 times to share 25 things about myself...so here we go:

1. I love to cook...and have been doing it a lot lately

2. The first CD I ever owned was Kris Kross

3. My brother and I used to put on shows whenever extended family or our parents friends came over. We would have a stage (a coffee table we were allowed to dance on), costumes, and tickets!

4. I love children's literature...it was my favorite class in college.

5. I flossed my nasal passages at Young Life camp in High School

6. I was a dancer from the time I was 4 until I was 18.

7. I was the youngest dance teacher at my studio...I was only 17.

8. I have been to 9 countries so far in my life...and there are so many more I want to go to!

9. 2 things in life that I want more than ever: to be a wife and a mother.

10. A dream of mine is to one day own A Children's Bookstore with a juice bar. I would run Children's Programs and tutoring there.

11. I have a hard time saying no...though I am learning! Someone even bought me a mug saying "Stop volunteering for things."

12. I got my degree in Elementary Education at Messiah College. I haven't taught a day since.

13. I have some truly amazing friends.

14. Jesus became my Lord and Savior when I was in high school at a Lake Champion, a Young Life Camp.

15. I am very thankful that I am close to my brother, even though we are polar opposites in basically everything in life!

16. I had my back stapled shut when I was about 9. I still have a scar down my back from it.

17. I DISPISE pickles. The smell, taste....EVERYTHING about them...BLECH!

18. I LOVE football...especially my Baltimore Ravens!

19. My heart has fallen in love with Europe...and my heart breaks for its spiritual darkness there.

20. I love it when people play with my hair

21. I enjoy surprises (good ones). My friends in college got me twice with surprise parties for my birthday :)

22. I love photography and wish I knew more about it

23. I'm a horrible liar

24. I'm a list maker...I make lists for everything! Must be my arranger strength...and the maximizer in me (to make sure I didn't miss anything)

25. Though I have never been drunk (don't ever plan to be), and don't drink that often...my friends like to store their alcohol at my place and/or ask me to bring alcohol to hang out times!

Resolution Update...

Well, its been almost a month since the New Year started. I posted some goals that I have for this year, and a way to have some accountability I will post periodically how I'm doing with them.

1. Spiritual Health - I've been reading the Bible everyday...well I think I missed one, but I've caught up :) Being in the Word is great, but I'd like to have some more depth to it. I've been reading it more as something to check off my list. I will admit that its gotten better now that we're finished with Job!!
I have been praying a lot more throughout the day, which has helped with my attitude.

2. Physical Health - I love the Wii Fit! I decided that Sunday is my day off from working out. I have missed 3 days. One of those days was when I was going to Florida (I worked out while I was down there), one I wasn't feeling well, and the other I over slept. I'm definitely seeing results...I've lost weight! Yay! I would like to have more of a balance of going to the gym and the Wii Fit. The cold weather is really making it hard to be motivated to go to the gym so I've just been doing the Wii Fit.

3. Healthy Schedule - This is the area that I'm struggling with the most. I get sidetracked too easily or sucked into a show that I'm watching that I stay up later than I want to. I'm going to strive to be better at this.

4. Eat Healthier - Ive been doing well with my eating. Like I posted before I don't want to be a fanatic about it, but when I go somewhere I try to make a healthy decision (like a grilled chick-fil-a sandwich instead of the fried one). I have been eating oatmeal and fruit for breakfast, and packing a sandwich or leftovers and fruit for lunch. Obviously I'm doing something right here since I've lost weight :)

All and all I'm trying to be better and seeing definite results is probably the best motivator! I'll update you again in about a month!

Bye Bye Tivo...

If you know me well you know that I LOVE my tivo! It has freed me from being able to watch the shows I love, and still have a life! In college all my friends knew that Thursday Night at 8pm there was a bunch of us glued to the tv watching Friends and not to bother us. We would race across campus for Powerhouse, which was a praise and worship time on campus. I would rush back to see ER. Now with tivo I can set my shows to be recorded for the entire season, and not have to worry about missing them when something came up.

A few weeks ago the color on my tivo had gone bad. I unplugged the tivo to reset it and it was fine...for a few days. So I went online to their troubleshooting guide and it suggested to replace the wires that connected the tivo to the tv. I did that, and it worked for a few weeks. On Saturday I turned on the tv and the color was distorted again. I decided to call tivo to see what they would say, afraid that the would tell me that I would have to replace it, since thats what I had to do a little over a year ago.

I dialed the number, went through all the prompts, was on hold for a little bit and finally got someone. I told him the situation and he asked if he could put me on hold while he researched it. I was on hold for a LONG time when...we were disconnected!! I waited a few minutes to see if he would call me back because I knew he had my number in the system, but he did not.

Wash...Rinse...Repeat...and get disconnected AGAIN

Wash...Rinse...Repeat...and get Josh

Josh was very nice and seemed to be much more knowledgeable than the first 2. He had me try a different way of connecting the tv and the tivo and some other things. He asked if he could put me on hold. I told him as long as we weren't disconnected then he could. Josh promised me that we wouldn't be and if we were he would call me back, and double checked my phone number. I waited on hold for a few minutes when...WE WERE DISCONNECTED!  But alas! Josh called me back! yay! He told me it was something with their computers and apologized. He asked if I had another tv to try to hook the tivo up to because he thought there was a problem between my tv and the tivo. I only have 1 tv, and even if I had another this was the tv that I wanted the tivo to work on. Sadly he told me that the only thing that we could do would be to replace it for $150! I told him that I wasn't willing to replace my tivo every year and that I was going to look elsewhere for a DVR.

So 90 minutes after being on the phone with Tivo I was very frustrated that my morning was shot and I still didn't have a working Tivo. I was very glad that I was able to control my frustration and not take it out on Josh. He was just doing his job, and I recognize that it wasn't his fault.

In come Comcast. Now I am not a huge fan of Comcast, but right now they are on my good side! I went online to see what it would be to get a DVR. I couldn't figure it out so I called. The guy was very friendly and within 10 minutes he set me up to pick up my new DVR. I went to the Comcast place and got my DVR with no problems...and its only costing me a monthly fee that is only $2 more than the monthly fee with Tivo! I got the box home, hooked it up and we were good to go...except the picture was small. It was framed around the whole screen. I called Comcast and they told me that it taked 24 hours for the box to set itself up with your tv. I was fine with that.

Yesterday I turned on the tv to watch the Eagles/Cardinals game and the screen was still messed up. I decided to call and see if I could get it fixed before the Ravens game. I again was pleasantly surprised with the service I received. I was on the phone for an hour and 15 minutes, but the woman that helped me was determined to fix the problem. We have it fixed temporarily, I have to change a setting if I switch from watching HD channels verses non HD channels, and its only puching a button. She was not satisifed with this so she is having someone come out on Friday to look at it and fix it for me. I told her that I needed to leave by 11 on Friday and she said that someone would be there before then and would call when they were on their way. If they were too late then I could always cancel.

Now...yes it is very frustrating that I was on the phone for 2 hours and 45 minutes this weekend with various customer service people...but I get HD channels now...and I still have a working DVR!

A Break from the cold...

This past Thursday I headed down to sunny West Palm Beach, Florida to vist my grandma. My dad joined me. It was great to see family and have some time in the sun. Here are some pictures from the weekend:

What I woke up to each morning :)

 

Grandma and Dad hanging out at the beach club

 

The moon during the RAVENS VICTORY!

 

Mike and Iloo at dinner

 

Me and Grandma (I'm her favorite Granddaughter!)

 

Iloo and Lou

 

Dad and Iloo

 

Iloo and I

 

Dad and I

Grandma and Mike

Social Pressure??

Today was my first day back to work since the holidays. I really enjoyed my week and a half off, though I didn't accomplish everything I was hoping to. I am a planner, so usually I have in my mind a plan for what my day will look like. I realize that it will probably not turn out exactly as planned, and I'm ok with that, but its nice to have an idea for the day. I realized during my time off that I allow the extrovert part of my life take over too often!

This week I had 2 tasks that I wanted to accomplish, but neither of them were done. Its because almost every morning last week I received a call or text from a friend saying "Hey! We're doing _________ and meeting at ______. Would you like to join us?" Since I'm an extrovert and love my friends, I tell myself I can work on what I had planned when I get home, and I'm off to hang out with friends!

I take full blame of this "problem." If you are one of my friends that calls or texts me something fun to do, please do not think that I want you to stop, or I'm in anyway upset that you do that! I am flattered! This is just a realization that I am making about myself. I have always had trouble saying no to things, especially good things! I haven't fully thought through how to "fix this" and frankly I don't know if it needs to be fixed. I do have one night a week that I call my "Me" night. I stay home and take some time for myself and just relax or catch up on things. It takes a lot for me to give up my "Me" night.

Something that I am proud of is that though I didn't get things done that I wanted to this week, I didn't miss a day of working out or of reading my Bible! At least some of my priorities are straight! :)

Happy New Year!!

Happy New Year! I'm not usually one to make a bunch of resolutions...but this year I want to live a healthier life. Here are things I want to work on...

1. Be Spiritually Healthy - Read the entire Bible this year! I have been a Christian for 12 and a half years and I have never done this. My friend Amy is also doing this, and she created a blog here to help us. We're reading it chronologically, which should be very interesting. There is a button on the right side of my blog to remind you about it. If you would like to do this with us go to the blog and get started!

2. Be Physically Healthy - I would like to workout at least 4 times a week. Now that I have the Wii Fit I have been a lot more motivated. I'm hoping this motivation won't wear off to fast. I'm want to split my time between the gym and Wii Fit, but I have discovered that I can get a great workout with the Wii Fit.

3. Have a Healthy Schedule - Last year's school year I helped a little girl with CP get ready for school each morning. It was very early mornings getting up at 5:30am, but it got me in a great schedule of going to be early and getting up early. After I got her on the bus I had time to go to the gym. Now that she has moved I don't have any great motivation to get up early or go to bed early. I would like to be in bed by 11pm.

4. Eat Healthier - I want to make healthier choices about what I eat. I would like to cook more at home rather than go out as much. I love to cook, but its not very fun to cook for 1, so I go out more. And cooking more at home will help my budget!

I'm not going to be crazy obsessive about these things, so if I miss a day I'm not going to beat myself up. I'm blessed with great encouraging friends can help me with these goals...so here's to a healthier 2009!!!

What are you striving for this year?