petra's blog... » Marriage

Bye-um-pum-pum, bye-um-pum-pum, bye-um-pum-pum, bye-um…

Petra — Mon, 25 Oct 2010 20:02:03 +0000

I cannot believe it has been a week and a half since my last post! Where is the time going? Well, the last two weeks HAVE been incredibly busy – I’m pretty much just chilling out today, and the change is kind of nice (though I do have some errands to run in a little while). I’m pretty sure it’s time for a bulleted list – it’s the only way my brain is going to cooperate for updates.

Jarvis has one more game in the fall soccer season (the 31st). He’s really good and his team has had some good games and some bad games. He’s having a blast with it, and we love watching him play! He’ll be on the same Challenge team in the spring. I really need to remember my camera next week!
Andrea and Gideon came for a week-long visit and we LOVED having them here. They left on Saturday and Paige got all excited last night when I showed her pictures of Gideon on my computer. She kept pointing and going “who’s that?” (which doesn’t mean she doesn’t know, it just means she wants me to say his name because she can’t say it). The two of them were actually starting to enjoy each other’s company by the time Gideon left. However, Jacob remains Gideon’s favorite, I think. (and these photos are much clearer on my computer – whenever I upload to my blog, even if I size them properly first, they get blurry and pixelated – what’s up with that, wordpress?!)

I was actually pretty horrible about taking photos while Andrea and Gideon were here. I managed to get the above series and just a few more, but for some reason I have not been using my camera much as of late. I’m not sure why – I love photos, I love taking photos… seems like a no brainer that I would get my camera out now and then. Oh well.
I love how well Andrea and I get along. It really does not seem like there are eleven years between us. I totally wish we lived near one another.

And how adorable is Gideon?!?! He is just the cutest thing!! And he’s so lovable and let’s you hug and squeeze him without complaint (unlike Paige, who has to be in the mood to cuddle or she shoves you away).

While Andrea was here, we did some shopping (including finding these adorable neon converse for Paige and Gideon), we hung out at the house, we took one very full day and drove to Richmond (see next bullet), and we didn’t get enough chances to watch nearly enough TV… something we both thoroughly enjoy.

My friend, Ali, who I’ve mentioned many times before, met us in Richmond this past Thursday. We had a really fun day together walking around, eating, and laughing – and she took lots of totally fabulous photos!! Seriously, if you are in Virginia or DC or anywhere close, hire her for a shoot – you’ll be thrilled with the images and she is totally affordable as far as photographers go!!! A sample of our photoshoot is below, but to see more become a fan of her photography page on Facebook and scroll down to the “Carden Family” and “Gideon” albums…
(photo by Ali McLaughlin)
We found out a few days ago that Andrew will be deployed much sooner than we thought. Please keep him (and us) in your prayers. I am soaking up every second of time with him while I can. We will really miss him, but know that he is in God’s very capable Hands and, after all, trials make us stronger. And might I also add that Andrew is the most amazing husband ever and I am so thankful for all God has done in our lives and in our marriage – life gets sweeter every day!!!

I have more stories to tell and photos to share, but alas, I have a life, and it has already taken me several hours to get this far into this post (lots of interruptions in my house). I shall try my best to keep the ole blog updated more frequently. I know you are excited at the prospect, but are also fearful because I have made similar empty promises in the past. Hopefully I will get a chance to get caught up on stories and photos this week though!

I can’t help falling in love with you…

Petra — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 21:55:07 +0000

Andrew and I have been married for 16 years, 5 days. Our marriage just keeps getting better and better, and just when I think it’s perfect, it gets even better.

I’m so thankful that God chose to work a miracle and keep our family together six and a half years ago, even though we were seemingly determined to destroy it. We have learned so much about what a husband and wife are supposed to be, and it’s truly a beautiful thing when both spouses are committed, loving, and working hard to be the spouse God wants us to be.

Before our absolutely fabulous date on Friday night (the day of our anniversary), we tried to get Britta and Jarvis to take a picture of us. Here’s what we got…

Um, yeah, none of our children plan on becoming professional photographers. lol

It’s time for healing, time to move on…

Petra — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 22:37:29 +0000

It’s July 1st?! How is 2010 halfway over?! Wasn’t it just 1999??? I’m really beginning to understand what my father-in-law meant when he said “the older you get, the faster time goes.” *sigh*

Yesterday’s menu:
breakfast – sliced strawberries, dry Rice Chex (yum?), hot green tea (not the best b’fast, but my energy levels are just starting to return after being sick, so I had something that one of the kids could easily grab for me ).
lunch (see photo above) - baked wild alaskan cod filet (olive oil, fresh lemon and lime juice, minced garlic, sea salt, pepper, dried cilantro), fried sweet potatoes (fried in olive oil with sea salt to season), more sliced strawberries, water
dinner – stir-fry [shrimp, broccoli, onions, garlic, zucchini, carrots] served with quinoa, fresh sliced pineapple, water

~snacks were things like peanut butter, carrots, and… I can’t remember anything else though I’m sure I had more than just that~

So yesterday was my first experience with quinoa (pronounced keen-wa). I’ve been meaning to try it for a while since it cooks up quicker than rice and it’s also more nutritious. I liked the taste, it was similar to rice. But there was something no one warned me of! When quinoa cooks it leaves small circles along the top of the pan that look like something you’d find at the bottom of the sea, and the actual cooked quinoa looks like a big pile of bug eggs or something grosser. That was difficult for me to get past. I had to chant “this doesn’t look disgusting, this doesn’t look disgusting, this doesn’t look disgusting” in order to get that first bite down. lol. I’ll eat it again though. I’m all about getting more nutrients out of my food!!

Obviously I’ve added some things to my diet since my last elimination diet post. Peanut butter and rice don’t seem to bother me. Potatoes don’t bother me either. Last night was my first foray with shrimp since I started this diet and it didn’t seem to bother me. I have discovered that dairy definitely bothers me (!), which is what I suspected was the main culprit but had been in denial. That makes me a sad panda, but it’s nice not to be in a fog! There are a few fruits that I can only eat every other day, but I can live with that. I’m trying to have more of a variety in my diet anyway. Oh, I added another snack in as well – Kettle barbecue chips. They’re my big treat.

In other news, Paige still isn’t walking or trying to walk. She has her 15 month checkup on July 9th. I’m pretty sure she *could* walk if she wanted to – she just doesn’t want to. She’s perfectly content to be carried or to crawl or to walk alongside furniture as she holds on.

She is saying a few more words now and then (‘uh-oh’ is her latest favorite word), but she really doesn’t talk very much. I mean, she makes noises and she grunts and points as she demands we bring her where she wants to go, but actual ‘talking’? She can’t be bothered. She does understand a LOT of what we say though. And she knows the signs for “eat” and “bird” so she can tell us if she’s hungry or if she sees a bird. Both very practical.

Jarvis and Darby are hitching a ride with our good friends, Mark and Kim Lilley, to Tennessee tomorrow. They’ll be visiting my parents for a week, and then Grandma and Grandpa will bring them home. They’re excited to be going someplace without the rest of the family (as are most kids that age). I am not a huge fan of having my kids gone, but I like for them to do fun things so I’m happy for them that they get to go on a little vacation.

Justice shoots ball as often as possible. I actually took a couple of photos today. He starts drivers ed in a week and a half. Oh yeah, and I need to call again about the basketball camp next month. They weren’t organized last time I called and told me to wait a month and try again.

Andrew is home for a four-day weekend so I’m super excited about that! I love having him here. He still rocks my socks after all these years. I don’t think we’ll ever run out of things to talk about or stop being attracted to each other. I love our marriage. Love it! I’m still so amazed and grateful when I think of all we overcame. If you are reading this and you think your marriage is over and there’s no hope – please call me! I have a story of hope for you. Us! Nothing is impossible for God!! He heals – not just illness but relationships. So awesome!

In case I don’t get a chance to blog again over the weekend (although I have big plans to blog every day – hahahahaha), I hope you all have a wonderful weekend of celebrating our country’s independence!! Happy July 4th!

Have I told you lately that I love you…

Petra — Sat, 13 Feb 2010 20:31:07 +0000

Andrew brought me roses yesterday. He is so sweet. I love being married to a romantic guy. He rocks my socks!

In honor of the day of love (but really, shouldn’t EVERY day be a day of love?! It actually is in my world – I hope it is in your world too), I’m going to make a list (because I *love* lists) of things that I love. Aren’t you excited?! You should be… I know you are.

Things I love on February 13, 2010:

God
Andrew!!!
Brittany, Justice, Jarvis, Darby, Jacob, and Paige
my house and it’s non-white walls (after 15 years of renting, it’s SO nice to have color on my walls!!)
Trader Joe’s
chocolate-oatmeal no-bake cookies
Hydraulic bluejeans
my new jacket that has holes in the sleeves for my thumbs
my Honda Pilot
green tea
TV on DVD (currently: Gilmore Girls, Pushing Daisies, & Seinfeld)
good music (currently: Barlow Girl, Brandon Heath, Tenth Avenue North, She & Him, Patsy Cline, & Cat Power)
baby hugs and kisses (nothing like it!)
dreams of my office/craft room being finished – all my craft stuff is boxed up and it’s kiiiiillllliiiiing me!
facebook
the Wii Fit Plus
the way God constantly shows Himself to me through His mercy, love, and grace
my camera
dreams of upgrading to a fancier schmancier camera
being healthier than I’ve ever been, and on the road to being even healthier
fabulous friends
good movies & good books
having a baby and toddler at the same time as having two teens (for real – I really do love it!)
that I can still enjoy food after taking so many things I thought I couldn’t live without out of my diet ~ and really, I enjoy it even more because it doesn’t make me feel raunchy anymore when I eat!
fruit smoothies
Giovanni cucumber song lotion
Burt’s Bees tinted lipgloss
my comfy bed
funky socks
knowing that I never have to worry about anything because my God is in control… I just have to let go and let Him ~ so peaceful
hearing my kids laugh
hearing my husband laugh
that Andrew still loves me and wants me even though my belly is kinda flabby, my hair is turning gray, my skin is in terrible shape, and I’ve had years of bad health… He seems to be blind, but that’s okay with me

There’s so much more that I love right now, but those are the things that came to me off the top of my head. Happy Valentine’s Day everyone! I hope you have someone you love to share tomorrow, and every day, with! Life’s too short not to love and be loved.

Reason #783 why I love my husband…

Petra — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 19:09:13 +0000

Andrew has done everything possible to make this pregnancy as easy on me as he can. He takes kids to soccer practices and games, to dentist appointments, and to birthday parties. He goes grocery shopping, puts gas in the vehicles, and takes books back to the library. He gives me massages, cooks meals for me, and doesn’t let my snarky pregnancy hormones get to him. He helps kids with science projects, makes sure they do their chores, and spends time playing with them. He cleans the house, does the laundry, and changes the sheets. And he works and gets by on too little sleep. Thankfully, his job has been flexible enough the past couple of months so he could do more and more as I’ve been nearing the end of the pregnancy. I am blessed. And he is an awesome husband and father!!!

Quick update…

Petra — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 04:44:39 +0000

I have been sleeping better. I had a few rough nights there, but it’s because I ran out of some of my new formula! The tip from Sarah was more potassium – supposed to help with the jumpy legs. My new bedtime combo is, aside from making sure my extremities are warm enough, 2 Tylenol (this week it has been necessary to have them every night – as much as I hate taking ANYTHING, even something as mild as Tylenol), an antacid (the heartburn has gotten really bad again – especially when lying down at night), a banana + a glass of milk, and some stretches. Seems to be working pretty well. I still get a little jittery, but it’s not nearly as bad as it was. I prefer to add a massage in there as well – but Andy’s schedule doesn’t always allow for that, especially since my schedule is so not the same as his – it’s nice when we are able to add that in too though.
Jarvis had his first soccer game this morning! I wasn’t feeling up to sitting in the bleachers for over an hour, so Andy took him and hopefully I’ll be able to get to the next one (turns out the game wasn’t where the bleachers are so I could have just used a camp chair – but I was getting some good sleep, more so than I have in months, so it all worked out I guess. I do love watching him play though). Anyway, his team won 7 to 2! Jarvis is a naturally good soccer player, and he loves it.
Jacob has started doing magic tricks. He’ll be all “there’s nothing in my hands…” as he holds them up, then he’ll reach into his sleeve and pull out a coin or something. It’s pretty funny.
According to me, I’m due on April 4th, according to the midwife it is April 12th. My original due date was the 4th, but with that first ultrasound they shoved it back, but then I saw on the 20 week ultrasound that the baby was measuring a little large – and hello – NONE of my other five kids ever measured large, they were either small or right on track. So I was like “I’ll just go back to the 4th when I’m not talking to the midwife!” According to *my* due date, I am 35 weeks today (according to hers, I will be 34 weeks tomorrow). I’m thinking this baby should be born on March 13th. Darby and Jacob were BOTH born on Friday the 13th and I think it’d be totally cool if Paige was too (it would be something to freak out the superstitious people with – I obviously am not superstitious in the least).
Have I mentioned that I’m totally done being pregnant?!?! I mean, I want her to stay in the womb until she’s completely healthy enough to survive without problems – of course. But still – can we just fast-forward through these next couple or few weeks?!?! Please???
Andy finally got his orders for our move – but we still have lots of details to work out. I can’t wait to have dates for the movers so I can really start planning our trip to NC.
My husband is amazing! I know I say that all the time, but it’s just so evident to me all the time. And he just gets better with each passing day. Just when I think our life is perfect, he becomes an even better husband/father/Christian/man. I am so grateful for what God has done in our marriage and in our lives.
Oh yeah – I forgot… I was going to make an amendment on the post about getting our new car! When I put that part about it being out of character for Andy – I didn’t mean the praying part or the listening to me part. I meant the fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants part and just head down to the dealership with a vehicle that may or may not start (when we were trying to get a decent trade-in value) without making plans and with the weather being less than ideal. Just thought I’d clarify. He’s not some tyrant who never goes along with the things I want to do, and he certainly brings our life issues to God in prayer. Just in case anyone took that the wrong way. lol!
I wonder if, after this baby is born, I will EVER want to eat my daily dessert again in my entire life (Breyer’s Natural vanilla ice-cream topped with coconut and chocolate chips). I don’t think it’s something I would have eaten prior to getting pregnant, but lately I *must* have it nightly!!! Surprisingly enough, I’m not really gaining a lot of weight. I don’t think I’ve really gained in the 3 weeks since my last doctor’s appointment – although I’m getting enormous! Maybe our scale is just broken – it’s not the most reliable scale in the world (it could possibly be the least reliable scale though – not sure why we still haven’t gotten a new one).
I have several friends and family members that are due to have a baby within the next month – I think 5, maybe more. It’s definitely baby time! I wonder who will go first?!?!? I think Kendra is due the soonest. What’s up Kendra? Anything happening there? Get that baby out already!!! lol

Baby on the brain…

Petra — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 06:25:05 +0000

I can speak of nothing but baby lately (and not being able to sleep, which is related to baby). I’m sorry.

Actually, that’s not entirely true. I have plenty of other things to talk about, and I’m even going to post some long-promised photos. Yay!!! Be excited.

First, a few bullets to update you on the latest happenings around here:

Jarvis turns ten tomorrow! Birthday boy post coming then.
Jarvis started soccer practice last week. He loves soccer so much! I’m excited he gets the chance to play on the same team for two years in a row. Although, I STILL don’t understand why on God’s green earth they do soccer here in February/March instead of later. Why not wait until it warms up a bit? It makes no sense to me at all. In Texas, they did soccer in May/June when it was excruciatingly hot. The two states should totally switch soccer schedules – moms everywhere would be much happier!
My husband is awesome. He does SO much of the stuff that would normally be my “job”, and he does it without complaint and without prompting. He just takes care of everything, and tells me to focus on incubating this baby. He rocks! I don’t know what I’d do without his support and his help.
We are moving in four months! It’s right around the corner! Soon we will be back in my beloved ‘South’. Yay!!!
Andrew has staff duty again today/tonight/in the morning. And again later this week. It sucks, but we are still very thankful he did not have to go to California and be completely away during this time!
My buddy Sarah gave me a sleeping tip. It worked once, but I’m not going to share until I see if it works multiple times.
I’m going crazy with these this post:
My good friend Ali had a birthday yesterday – Happy birthday Ali!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Speaking of birthdays, I have some gift cards sitting on my desk that I need to mail out. After I make the cards. The birthdays have already passed. I’m late this year. Andrea’s birthday was December 29th and I still have sent nothing to her. Or anyone after. So much for my “I’m going to stay caught up on birthdays this year” resolution. heh.
I’m not sure how I ever lived without an iPhone. For real.
Has anyone seen any good movies lately? It seems like a bunch have come out in the last several months that I want to see, but haven’t seen. Andy and I went to see Gran Torino a couple of weeks ago. It was really good (seems like I may have already told you guys that). But yeah – that’s all I’ve seen in the theater lately. I’m having movie withdrawals. I really want to see Taken. And there are several others on my list as well.
I’m currently editing photos to show you. Old ones, new ones, future ones… okay, maybe not future ones. But whatever. Be prepared to be photographically entertained.
Have you read James 1 lately? It’s so good. I love it.
Okay, no more boring you with nothingness… on to the photos! Stay tuned!

"Change is hard, I should know…"

Petra — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 05:20:00 +0000

Every post I’ve put on here this year has originally said 2008. I’ve caught them all but one before actually uploading them to the internet. The post I put on here 9 hours ago? It said 2008 until I just changed it. I wonder how long this will go on. In my pregnant state, there’s really no telling.
I was flipping through my latest House Beautiful magazine tonight and had an idea for a blog post, but then once I started typing, I decided to use it for a scrapbook page… and I’m making you wait to read it until I get the page done. Which will hopefully be soon. I STILL have not broken in my new scrap table!!
I think I’m going to put together a little crafty photo album tomorrow so you can see those Christmas crafts (along with some others I’m doing now, possibly). Barring unforeseen circumstances, of course. I haven’t really felt like editing photos lately. Typing words takes no energy for me, but anything more than that and I’m drained. And I’ve been super tired the past several days.
I had a brilliant idea for Paige’s birth announcement. I can’t wait to make it!! Some of the brilliance will rely on my non-professional photography with my non-professional equipment once she makes her appearance, so hopefully the photos turn out the way I have them in my head!
Speaking of birth announcements, poor Jacob never even got one. I never even got a chance to order his hospital photo before they took it down off the website (they left it up long enough, I just procrastinated… and was a little bit busy). Oh well – I guess I did take lots of photos of him though.
I wish I liked sewing more than I do. I know exactly what I want for Paige’s crib bedding, but I can’t find anything similar for under $300, and yeah, I am NOT paying that much for some crib bedding. Even if I HAD it. Just can’t do it. Eh, I’ll keep looking.
I’m actually tired at a fairly reasonable hour tonight. The whole rushing to get to the hospital on time thing kind of wore me out today. I think I’m gonna hit the hay as soon as I publish this post. And I just finished up my hot chamomile… and the window is staying shut. Wish me luck on a good night’s sleep!
Oh, I think I forgot to tell you that I broke my eyeglasses. Ugh. Well, I needed new ones anyway. The nose piece has been broken since Texas and I have a permanent red mark on that side of my nose from the metal poking me a little every time I wear them. And they are completely worn out. So not worth the price I paid for them (They are Armani frames so they cost more because of the name – I only bought them because they were the only pair I could find at the time that I actually could tolerate the look of). Well, the side was kind of stretched last week or whenever it was, and so I went to bend it back and the entire side just broke off from the frame. I mean, if I was a welder, I could fix it? But I’m not. And they suck anyway. And they are like five years old. Maybe six. I’ve had a new prescription for quite some time, but I’ve only gotten new contacts with it. I just hate that the cheapest pair of glasses nowadays still costs like 300 bucks! What’s up with that??? I just want something that looks fairly decent on me that I can see out of. What happened to the 99 bucks for the whole package deals they used to have back in the day? I mean, even Wally World’s vision center is charging 160 for lenses PLUS at least 100 for the dorkiest frames that no one would wear. It’s highway robbery, I tell you.
And… my cell phone is crapping out on me. It’s past the two year mark where I’m allowed to upgrade, but I have been holding out while I decide what kind of phone I want. I get online with my phone fairly often, and I play games on it when I can’t sleep (well, ONE game – solitaire, but I have 12 different types of solitaire and I mix those up so I guess it is technically more than one… does anyone care? I’m starting to bore myself with the solitaire saga…), and and and… well, the generic FREE phones just won’t do, okay?
So now I need to decide what I want first – a new phone? Or glasses? I’ve been wearing my contacts every day, but that’s getting old. Especially when I’m just hanging around the house in my pajamas. And I don’t want my phone to completely die on me, because I kind of need that. So which one should I get this month and which one should I get next month? Aaaaaahhh… decisions. lol.
I had a long paragraph here about how awesome Andrew is, but when I re-read it, I thought it might embarrass him. So I’ll just share this part of it: My husband is the best dad in the world. And the best husband. He just keeps getting better and better. It’s amazing. Just when I think things are perfect, he goes and makes himself even better than he was! I certainly don’t deserve the awesomeness, but I’ll take it. Guys – if any of you want to know how to truly make your wife happy? Just call him up and ask him. He’s got the secrets!

And now I’m really off to get some sleep.

Gone…

Petra — Sun, 20 Nov 2005 19:59:26 +0000

Andrew left yesterday afternoon. I miss him already! Watching his unit march away from us was the worst! “They” say the first couple of weeks are the hardest (transition period). We’ll see. Not that he’s never been gone before, but a year is a LONG time, especially when I’m about to have a baby. We’ll get through it though, and there is always the two weeks mid-tour leave to look forward to. We’ve come through worse things than being far apart. I’m not sad or depressed (I learned a long time ago that God is the ONLY place to find true joy – not other people or circumstances), but I DO miss him tremendously!!! While this separation will be difficult for both of us (and for the kids), I think it will help us appreciate one another even more and become even closer (for those who know us well – you know that seems odd since we are already SOOOO in love – but there is ALWAYS room to become MORE in love and MORE appreciative of your spouse). Well, I am exhausted from all the running around the past few days (my bedrested pregnant body isn’t able to handle much exertion), so I’m headed back to the couch to rest.

If anyone that does not have it would like Andrew’s address to write to him while he’s gone, just email me and I’ll send it to you… petracarden@yahoo.com.