I know myself pretty well I'd say...

Well...I knew it.

I had fun.

It was such a great afternoon at Camp Arnes. Once we got settled there, and all bundled up, Cody and I packed Charlie up in a carrier and headed out for a leisurely cross country ski. Leisurely...turns out we took the 'long' trail. Just shy of 3km's. Cody kept laughing at me as I tried to keep up with him. Turns out I am VERY dependent on the little tracks in the snow. Seemed like everytime those tracks disappeared, I was near to doing the splits. Somehow though I kept it together and only managed to fall 3 times...one of which was totally Cody's fault. Stopped in front of me while I was coming down a 'hill'...ok, a ditch. But still. First fall of the ski. The second and third were just my lack of skill...but it was all fun. And Cody was pretty patient with me the whole time. Stopping every now and then so I could catch up. Charlie loved it too! After that, we just hung out in the cabin thing and sat by a fire, visiting, while Charlie played with all the other little ones. It was a good day.

We are heading back out there on Wednesday for a night...hopefully we'll be able to do some more skiing. I actually quite enjoy it!

SAD's

Seasonal affective disorder is a cyclic, seasonal condition. This means that signs and symptoms come back and go away at the same time every year. Usually, seasonal affective disorder symptoms appear during late fall or early winter and go away during the sunnier days of spring and summer. Fall and winter seasonal affective disorder (winter depression)
Winter-onset seasonal affective disorder symptoms include:

■Depression ..... check
■Hopelessness ..... check
■Anxiety
■Loss of energy ..... check
■Social withdrawal ..... check
■Oversleeping ..... i wish
■Loss of interest in activities you once enjoyed ..... check
■Appetite changes, especially a craving for foods high in carbohydrates ..... check (but could be due to being all prego and stuff)
■Weight gain ..... check (but is due to being all prego and stuff)
■Difficulty concentrating and processing information ..... possibly ;)
(mayoclinic.com)

I think I have SAD's. Maybe not super extreme. But it usually hits me around February. When winter seems like it will never end. And this winter seems to have been around an awful long time. And so cold! I'll go outside if it's cold out, and there is something worth doing...but it's been so dang cold, I want nothing to do with it. I just coop up inside. I think the harder part this winter is that I have nowhere to set up my crafty things. Which is usually what I hunker down and do in the winter. Sew, scrapbook, make cards...I have no space for that right now. Our basement is in disarray. My sewing machine is tucked away. My sewing supplies are tucked away somewhere else. My scrapbooking things are in plastic bins burried under boxes of books...

I've just been bored. I know I need to make more of an effort to get out and do things...I just don't. Maybe I just don't care to try, or plain ol' just don't care. I feel that way sometimes.

For example, the church is heading out to Camp Arnes after the service today for some outdoor activities. My first reaction. No. I don't want to go. I don't like big events, I don't like being cold, I don't...

I know it'll be great when I get there. I know I'll have fun. I know Charlie will love it. (That boy did not inherit my dislike for cold) I know it will be a good day with our church family. I know that. But I just can't seem to get excited about it.

Cody says I've got the SAD's. Treatment can be light therapy. Perhaps a tanning bed? I know they are bad for you...but they are so warm and bright...

But I can't...I'm prego. No tanning bed when you're prego.

Lord, help me.

gus: dana, i don't like my fingers.
dana: why not gus?
gus: i just don't.
dana: ok.
gus: i just...cause i like new fingers.
dana: so you don't like your fingers because you like new fingers better?
gus: ya. i like new socks and new boots too.
dana: me too.
gus: i just don't like my fingers. i like new ones. and new toes.
dana: fair enough.

i shall blog.

Well, given our financial state at times, the internet seemed an unlikely luxury. But thanks to Cody's "won't take no for an answer" attitude in dealing with MTS, we have a pretty sweet deal for the next 6 months.
So...I am back.
There has been many happenings since my last post...

An Update:
1. We have moved into our house. And I love it. It's not totally finished...but what needs to be finished are all those little things that nobody ever gets around to finishing once they have moved in. Like painting trim. Nobody likes to do that once they've moved in.

2. I watch my nephew 3 days a week still. Which I love. Him and Charlie have gotten pretty close and play really well together, which is fun to watch. I can see them growing up like brothers. It's pretty sweet. Gus always has some crazy things to say that are quite hilarious and make my day.

3. Charlie...good grief. That boy is super busy, into everything, has to do everything by himself, loves to read books (especially "if you give a mouse a cookie", which I can recite to you from memory if you'd like). He's a pretty easy going kid for the most part...he has his dramatic moments like anyone else. He's definitely at a fun age...I'm loving that I get to stay home with him so far. I would hate to be missing out on all this!

4. I'm pregnant. 15.5 weeks pregnant. So still quite a ways to go. I was quite sick with this one for the first 3 months, which was not enjoyable at all. I had two suggestions of food items that apparently help to curb morning/afternoon/evening/night sickness...milk chocolate and olives. I'll let you figure out which I opted for. Alas though, the sickness is gone and my belly is starting to grow. I'd say I'm past the awkward "is she getting fat?" stage and more into the "oh...a little baby bump!" stage. Which is nice. I had a lady I knew when I was younger hold her hand on my belly for a good 30 seconds, smiling and going "awwww"...it was a little weird. Anyways, I'm due August 13. I hope this baby comes early, because labor on my birthday sounds terrible. I think 2 weeks early would be nice. And maybe it will be a girl...afterall, I wasn't sick AT ALL with Charlie...

5. Not to get all depressing and stuff...but I've been thinking a lot lately about the baby Cody and I lost last summer. I would be coming up to my due date in 2 weeks now, and it seems to be on my mind a lot lately. I'm very thankful to be pregnant as this day approaches. I think it would have been a lot harder to cope with.

I hope I can keep up this blogging...so many things happen throughout the days that I'd love to be able to remember...