state number 51

Did you know that there is a new state in the United States? It's mass covers an area twice the state of Texas, stretching from California to Japan. In some places it is 90 feet deep. Never heard of it? It's called the state of TRASH. Debris, litter, and all other kinds of trash have blown into the Pacific Ocean creating this huge mass of TRASH. Ocean life is dying, fish are eating plastic because they think it's food, beluga whales are getting breast cancer from the chemicals in the plastics they are eating (does that tell ya something???), birds are getting caught in plastic bags and suffocating, they've even found appliances like refrigerators IN THE BOTTOM OF THE OCEAN!!...need I say more?? Ok, I will. In some places in the Pacific there are SIX TIMES more pieces of plastic than there is plankton, the main food source for many sea animals. And it isn't just coming from the western states. Experts say that the trash and debris travel as far as Iowa. IOWA. Crazy. I thought that I was pretty informed about the need for recycling and using less stuff, but my eyes have been opened!! Did you know that this isn't the only ocean with a big mass of trash? It's just the biggest one. Most oceans and watersystems have swirls of trash like this. Crazy!

The exciting thing is that we CAN do something about this. Even small steps can make for change. Try one of these changes:

~use reusable bags at the grocery store rather than plastic. They are inexpensive (99 cents each for a reusable Dillons bag) and stores like Dillons give you 5 cents for each bag you use. Kenya, Tanzania, Bangladesh, and (I hear) Oregon have begun charging consumers for each plastic bag they use. In Oregon, I believe some grocery stores charge 33 cents per bag. So, use reusable bags and you'll save money AND you'll save the planet. Nice.

~recycle what you can. In Wichita, a local trash company (Waste Connections) has partnered with www.recyclebank.com. Along with your trash service, you can order recycling service. You get a container and dump recyclable materials in---no need to sort, they'll do that for you. Then they weigh your recycling and turn pounds into points that you can then turn into certificates for free items. Cash for "Trash". Nice.

~take your lunch to work waste-free. Use reusable containers for your lunches rather than plastic baggies. Just takes a small investment in containers but you'll save money in the long run. One company makes cool looking containers: www.to-goware.com Saving money in the long run as well as saving the planet in the long run. Nice. I kind of feel like a broken record :)

So, what can you do? God gave us this beautiful and precious Earth and I believe it is our responsibility to take care of it. I certainly don't do everything I can and throw away things that could be recycled, but each day I'm making an intentional effort to reduce my carbon footprint. I hope to hear responses to this post of small ways you are making a difference---I always love to learn new things!

free-flow journal

Something I often request of my clients is to begin writing free-flow journals. Just sit down with a pen and paper or at a computer and start writing. It's amazing what you'll learn about yourself and what's going on with you that you wouldn't have realized if you hadn't taken time to allow yourself to just write. So, I thought it would be interesting to make a free-flow journal into a blog. We'll see how this goes.

Now that I'm meandering my way into the new territory of motherhood, my thought processes have changed. I am much more aware of babies as I pass them in the stores. I watch parents as they play with, scold, love, protect, laugh...with their babies. Yes, I've always loved children and yes no baby has ever passed my way without mention of an "Oh, look how cute" or "Bless his little heart" :) But now that there is an actual-real-life-there's-no-turning-back-now-one-pound-11-inch-baby in my belly, life is changing (quite literally, actually!). I can feel him or her more and more each day. Yesterday was the most I had felt little Baby W and it felt like a roller coaster in my belly. For the past several weeks, okay all of the past several weeks, I have been pretty freaked out about the idea of a baby being "in there". I've explained the feeling like swallowing a bug and knowing it was still alive and moving around "in there". Sad, but true. Something changed yesterday. I was on a conference call and felt some actual kicking. Baby W is getting quite accustomed to having a full-access pass to all of my major organs. The favorite: my bladder. OH, what fun. I've had to pee so often that I'm even dreaming about bathrooms. One bathroom I dreamt about was all gold, another was normal except for the enormous toilet...it's truly amazing that I haven't wet the bed...yet.

Ahem.

There are so many things going on in the Worley household. Mostly questions that have yet to be answered: where should the baby sleep, do we need a crib and a bassinet, how about a high chair, a swing, a bouncy seat, what's the difference between breast pumps (eww), are we really ready for this, will we ever be ready, how will we afford daycare, how will we afford everything, is cloth-diapering really the way to go, should we move, will I be a good mom, what will the baby's personality be like, will the baby have Jason's lips, will the baby have my sense of humor, will the baby have 10 fingers and 10 toes, will the baby be healthy, should we find out the sex of the baby ...along with the many questions comes many emotions...excitement, wonder, fear, worry, happiness, joy, anxiousness, etc etc etc

deep breath

Through all the questions and emotions, there are 3 things I know for sure:
1. I serve an incredible, perfect, wonderful God that already knows the plan for my life (Jeremiah 29:11) and I live in wonderment of Him daily.
2. I can't wait to meet this little God-created wonder that is growing inside me.
3. I am truly blessed.

63 Things

Like my friend Laura, I am SO overdue for a post. While there is a lot going on in my life (baby-wise) it's hard to formulate my thoughts into a blog today (is that called pregnancy brain?). Yesterday we were 21 weeks pregnant and on Saturday Jason was able to feel the baby kick for the first time! It was pretty incredible (kind of felt more like a rolling marble than a kick but it was still amazing). We have yet another sonogram next Wednesday so I'll post some pics next week. We still don't want to know the sex of the baby but each time we have a sonogram our desire to KNOW increases. So, we'll see what we decide next week. If we find out, anyone who knows me can trust that I won't be able to keep it a secret for long so watch my blog!

Ok, now to the 63 things. I have never been one to like forwards...with one exception: get to know you forwards like this one called "63 Things". I always learn something new about my friends when I read them. When I fill them out myself, often fun memories come up that I had placed in the back of my mind. So, it's fun. Not sure I'll have much time to do these once Baby W arrives, so I thought I'd take advantage now....enjoy!!

1. Song that always makes you sad? Butterfly kisses
2. Last thing you bought? croisson'wich from Burger King (kind of feeling sick now)
3. Last person you argued with? Jason
4. Do you put Peanut Butter before putting the jelly on? always. If I'm taking the sandwich for lunch, I will put peanut butter on both pieces of bread and jelly in the middle so the sandwich doesn't get soggy. Brilliant, I know! :)
5. One of your stuffed animals' names as a kid? I don't know that they really had names but I did have a ton of them. I even had one of those stuffed animal hammocks that hung in the corner of the room. That was the best!
6. Did you ever own at one time a NSync Cd? nope (sorry, Laura!!)
7. Favorite day of the week? Friday night
8. Favorite Sundae topping? caramel
9. Did you take Piano lessons? no...wanted to, though
10. Most frequent song played? no one song in particular
11. T.V. show you secretly enjoy? can't think of any that are a secret but I do love reality shows!
12. Would you rather play basketball or hockey? neither...Monopoly, anyone?
13. Date someone older or younger? Jason, so older :)
14. One place if you could travel right now? Italy, anywhere
15. Do you use umbrellas? yes
16. Do you know all the words to the Canadian national anthem? nope
17. Favorite Cheese? brie (which I can't have right now because I'm prego). I love all of the fancy cheeses that I can't eat :(
18. Disturbed or My Chemical Romance? sounds like mental illness so neither :)
19. Do you prefer rain or shine? I like both but I don't like to be hot so I guess I'll choose rain
20. Best job you ever had? the one I have now by FAR!! Christian Disc Jockey would be in second place
21. Did you go to your high school prom? yes, with the cutest boy in school I might add!!
22. Perfect time to wake up? anytime later than 7:00
23. Perfect time to go to bed? 10:30
24. Do you use your queen right away in chess? no way, she stays put until absolutely necessary!
25.Ever been in a car accident? yes
26. Closer to mom or dad...or neither? that's like "who do you love more, your son or your daughter".
27. What has been your favorite age so far? 31
28. What decade during the 20th century would you have chosen to be a teenager? I liked the 90's. I wouldn't want to be a teen nowdays, though!
29. Favorite shoes you have EVER owned? jellies
30. Do you have an article of clothing you have had since you were in high school?
31. Were you in track and field? not even close!
32. Were you ever in a school talent show? ummm...I don't think so. Spelling bee---got second place in the 4th grade against 6th graders. Lost on word mayonnaise!!
33. Have you ever written in a library book? NO!
34. What are you allergic to? cats, dogs, dander in general...even allergic to my own dog and I can't take allergy medicine right now other than Benedryl which makes me sleeeeepy
35. Favorite fruit? all of them!
36. Have you watched sex and the city? nope
37. Baseball hat or toque? neither
38. Do you shampoo first in the shower or soap? shampoo (work from head to toe)
39. Wet the toothbrush or brush dry with the toothpaste? wet, dry is gross to me
40. Pen or pencil? I really appreciate a good #2 pencil...otherwise I use a gel ink pen
41. Have you ever gambled at a casino? yes
42. Have you thrown up on a plane?. nope
43. Have you thrown up in a car? nope
44. Have you thrown up at work? LOTS recently
45. Do you scream on roller coasters? nope
46. Who was your first prom date? I can't remember his name but he was the cutest boy in the school...did I already say that :)
47. Who was your first roommate? Candice
48. What alcoholic beverage did you drink when you got drunk for the first time? a mix of everything I found in my parent's liquor cabinet...GROSS!! Oh, wait, it says "drunk". I wasn't drunk but it was still gross!!
49. What was your first job? Gambino's Pizza
50. What was your first car? 1982 Toyota Corolla Tercel with an in-dash 8-track player. I was SO cool with my Cat Scratch Fever 8-track. Oh yea, baby!
51. When did you go to your first funeral? high school (9th grade), friend committed suicide. It was traumatizing
52. How old were you when you first moved away from your hometown? 18
53. Who was your first grade teacher? can't remember her name
54. Where did you go on your first airplane ride? Asia (very first trip!!)
55. When you snuck out of your house for the first time, who was it with? I was VERY crazy...I snuck out the front door to the end of my drive way to meet a neighbor boy.
56. Who was your first Best Friend and are you still friends with them? Candice Jellison and no
57. Where did you live the first time you moved out of your parent's house? Manhattan, KS-dorms (West Hall)
58.Who is the first person you call when you have a bad day? Jason
59. Who's wedding were you in the first time you were a bridesmaid or a groomsmen? oh my, I think my memory's going!!
60. What is the first thing you do in the morning? pet Izzy and speak in lisp :)
61. What was the first concert you attended? Poe. It was awesome. Right after I got my belly button pierced!
62. First tattoo or piercing? ears
63. First celebrity crush? Kirk Cameron! I was a member of his fan club. sigh