Hobbit-ish Potpurri: Anniversary Happenings, et al

Hey Humble Readers...

Yesterday was a crazy busy day around the hobbit-hole.  Add to the usual Saturday busy-ness (grocery shopping, tidying up the house, etc), it was our 5th anniversary.  It was certainly a different kind of day than the day we were married... it was blustery and snowy here yesterday, but five years ago in K-town we had a pretty nice day.  Nice enough to have pictures taken outside.  Like this one...

Anyway, my Beloved planned our anniversary celebration and he did a great job!  He booked a 'date night' at Heriage Ranch here in town.  We had a beautiful one hour carraige ride, all snuggled up under cozy blankets.  We got to see a family of deer through the trees, and even though it was chilly, we had a wonderful time.  I just wish we would have remembered to take some pictures. 

After the carraige ride, we were shown into a private dining room and he had pre-ordered our meal, so it just started coming.  A small antipasto platter, followed by tossed salads (I had a house made maple vinagrette... YUM!).  Then the BEST steak I have ever eaten (seriously Humble Readers... OMG!  It melted!), served with grilled asparagus, a baked potato, and garlic bread.  And yes, I was a bad girl and had dessert, too... chocolate peanut butter pie.  Because the package deal that my Beloved chose included alcohol, and we skipped that (obviously... I'm so looking forward to my first glass of wine when we go to K-town this summer!), the restaurant gave us two free movie passes. 

My Beloved is an incredible blessing in my life.  I know I have said it before, but he makes me a better person every day simply by being by my side.  There aren't enough words in the English language to express how much I love him, and how honoured I am that he chose me to share his life. 

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Also on the schedule yesterday was a big event at our church.  We, as a congregation, have been without a regular pastor for more than two years.  After a very long and drawn out call process, we chose a new pastor and he accepted the call.  He's only just recently graduated from seminary, and yesterday we had the privilege of being present at his ordination (when he officially 'becomes' a pastor).  It was a very moving service.  I wasn't the only one in tears when his wife and daughter (8 years old, she was also the crucifer for the service... she looked so proud carrying in the cross ahead of the procession of clergy) presented him with his stole.  I wish we could have stayed for the reception after, but we had to get home to meet the sitter and head out for our evening. 

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I had an NST this morning, so when my Beloved headed off to church, Ginny and I headed down the street to the hospital.  Everything went really well... blood pressure 132/69, Halfling's heartrate in the upper 150s, lots of movement, no contractions to speak of.  Ginny was a perfect angel the whole time, eating her goldfish crackers and charming the nurses.  The only downside was when Dr. W asked about my bloodsugars, and I confessed that I was a bad girl yesterday.  She gave me a dirty look and reminded me about watching my weight gain (I'm down 2 pounds by the way). 

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Tomorrow is a big cooking day.  I'm planning on making a big batch of marinara and a couple of shepherd's pies to freeze.  I've got a list of things that I want to make and freeze in the next weeks, and I need to get cracking on them.  Time is running out!

Hobbit-ish Potpurri: Ups & Downs & All Arounds

Hey Humble Readers,

I hope you're all well and thawed out if you have been in the deep freeze for the past week.  We didn't get Tilly the Toyota started until Saturday because it was so freaking cold around here.  Ginny and I stayed snuggled up in the house all week, but I feel for anyone (like my Beloved's nephew... putting up/repairing power lines) who has to work outside.  It looks like we're going to get a respite for the next week, but then temps are expected to dive again.  Gotta love life on the Canadian prairies!

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I (and many other bloggers) have a favour to ask of you all, or at least those of you who use Blogger and have your comment form embedded below your posts.  For the time being, can you change your settings to 'pop-up window' or 'full page'?  Google has acknowledged that there is a problem with their new comment system and because of that, blogs are freezing up when configured with an embedded comment form.  (Have you noticed that you have had a drop in comments this past week?  This is why.)  Google is trying to fix it, but who knows when it will be working. 

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Ginny has been walking a whole lot more lately.  As in, only crawling when she's underneath the kitchen table or has just had a bigger stumble and is unsure on her feet.  She thinks she's all that... walking around with her arms flung wide and a big grin on her face, as if to say "Ta-da!  Look at me!"

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Sadly, we lost a family member yesterday.  My Beloved's Uncle Jack, who was 85 and had been frail for quite some time, passed yesterday morning.  We knew it was coming, but his loss will be felt keenly at all our family gatherings.  He was a funny old soul, and was always getting himself (and anyone around him) into mischief.  He was one of the first of the extended family that I met when I came into the family, and I loved him instantly.  Of course, it didn't hurt that he loved my cooking.  :) 

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In church news, our congregation is one step closer to a full time pastor.  It has been a long time for us to go without a regular pastor (Pastor J. left in February of 2010).  Our interim, semi-retired fill in pastor has been good, but it has had an impact on our congregation to be without full-time leadership.  The candidate will be coming early next month to preach and for a meet and greet with the congregation.  My Beloved has been on the call committee, and this has been a challenging journey.  I'll be glad if this potential pastor is a good fit, not only for the benefit to our congregation, but also because it will be one less set of meetings my Beloved will have all the time. 

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I am in desparate need of a haircut.  Not just a trim, which is what I've been doing rather infrequently over the last couple of years, but a full on 'give-me-a-new-look' haircut.  The only time in my life when I have truly liked my hair was around the time when my Beloved and I me, were dating, and got married.  But at that point I had the expendable income to see my long-time trusted hairdresser every six or eight weeks.  I would get my hair coloured and highlighted regularly.  I know I can't/shouldn't colour my hair right now, but I NEED to do something.  My biggest frustration is trying to find hairstyle pics for plus sized women.  I don't want to cut all my hair off... I want it to be something easy but cute, and can still be put back in a clip or a pony for everyday.  I'm not demanding, am I?

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Please stop by my friend Alana's blog and offer her some love and support.  She experienced a miscarraige earlier this month and is facing some hard decisions.