friesenfam.net

Friesen family blog

April 9, 2008
by janette
1 Comment

a funny story

So, I just finished reading “my sister’s keeper.”  Becky and Stacey were right…I thought i was going to make it through it without crying…(while being pregnant…not an easy feat), and then I hit the last three pages. Those are a killer.
Anyway, before I got to the completely sad part, i came across a paragraph talking about a memory one character had…something along the lines of burning her thighs on a playground slide when younger.

It made me think of those hot summer days when you sweat just by sitting there. 

Story time:  Once upon a time…(pre-children), Nathan and I went camping with my sister and her husband just over the wisconsin state line.  We were just sitting around the fire, on what had to be the hottest day of the year, cooking our dinner and talking.  I was holding the newspaper for the fire on my lap in a Wal-mart sack.  When the cooking was done and it was time to eat, I peeled the sack from my thighs to reveal that the sack had indeed melted on my leg, leaving a “tatoo” of the wal-mart smiley face in its place. 

Now that’s a hot day!

April 8, 2008
by janette
0 comments

I think it’s human nature (written Monday)

So I had the blood glucose test this morning.  This was not a test I was looking forward to…since when pregnant with Ellie, I didn’t pass it the first time, sending me to the hospital for the three hour test (which i then threw up…)All around…a bad experience. 

I have been dreading this test for two and a half weeks now…it seemed like every time I scheduled it, I would get the flu the weekend before and have to postpone.  I’m pretty sure the doctor’s office thought I was just never going to take the thing.

The tips I got for passing it (or at least getting the best reading I could) was to not eat carbs, specifically bread, white rice, pasta or potatoes for 48 hours before the test.  Since what I normally eat is mainly carbs, i knew this was going to be a challenge, but thought if it helped me pass, i was game to try anything. 

So, last night, I’m looking in the fridge to see what I can snack on and all i see is the yummy carbs I can’t eat…and then today after the test, I’m looking in the fridge to see what I can snack on and I can’t find anything. 

Isn’t this ironic…all I wanted before and couldn’t have is what I don’t want now.  Human nature?  Wanting what we can’t have…

(on a side note…I did pass it.  134 was my reading…it just had to be below 140, so all in all, feeling pretty good about it – and loving the carbs I’m eating now!)

April 7, 2008
by janette
1 Comment

Easter

So, I was sitting here thinking I should blog this morning, thinking I had nothing to blog about and realized I haven’t posted anything about Easter yet.

For Easter this year, Nathan and Ellie and I went to my parent’s house. My sister and her family were supposed to come too, but got snowed in in Wisconsin.

I wanted to post some cute pictures…

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Egg dying…the expressions on her face say it all, don’t they?

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Looking pretty…

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The easter egg hunt.

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On a side note: isn’t this a great chair? It belonged to my grandma, and I have inherited it. It now resides in my basement.

April 3, 2008
by janette
2 Comments

A question of perspective I suppose

I was reading this morning…not something I usually do in the morning. I have decided though that if I am to get through a book in a rewpectable amount of time, I’m going to have to read in the morning as well as at night (when sleep seems to take over so easily.)

Anyway…I am reading “my sister’s keeper” by Jodi Picoult and was only in the second chapter when I read something that I identified with so completely I just had to blog about it. (Don’t worry Beth…I have inner blog dialogue too.)

In the second chapter the mom is talking about how she went to school to be a lawyer and how she gave that up to be a mom…and how she is much better at being a mother than she ever would have beeen as a lawyer, and she wonders if it is just her, or if there are other women who figure out where they are supposed to be by going nowhere…
Ok…so I know this is just fiction…but this is my life.

When I left graduate school, I was afraid of a life with little purpose…but youth directing seemed like a good fit, so I tried to find purpose in that…and in the next string of jobs I had…and it truly wasn’t until I had Ellie that I feel i found my “calling” if you will. As far back as I think, I can only remember dreaming of a future as a mom…sure, careers entered my mind as something I would like to try…but nothing ever seemed to stick – probably much to the dismay of my family at times. And, sure, there are still times I wonder if Nathan and I would be better off financially if I were to have stayed and finished graduate school and become something else…but for the first time…(probably because i haven’t had time to reflect on it lately)I can say I am becoming completely at peace with our lives, and our happiness…we both have great jobs (that we love) and plenty of wonderful people that surround us…including our children…and we wouldn’t trade that for the world.

So, enough of the what if’s for the day. Today I am resolved to be completely okay with where we are.

April 3, 2008
by janette
2 Comments

“Bean” the builder

Bean…our nickname for Ellie…in case you were like “what the ?? ” It comes from Ellie Bean (like Jelly Bean)

Anyway…

I am sure there is a future for this girl in architecture.

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Perhaps there is also a future in demolition…

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Either way, I was pretty impressed with her tower of 6 (almost 7) books she built all by her little self.