It's hard to believe sometimes that we all exist. But, we do...well, at least you do, who are reading this, and me, who is writing this, and the people we see around us...we're here. We exist.

SO, while we are here. I've decided I want to use my time in more meaningful ways. I want to volunteer more, and so does Steve. We started going to church more. If anyone knows of any local volunteering opportunities, please let us know.

I saw on the news that the most stressed person in America is the woman in her 30s and 40s and 50s with a family and a husband and who is trying to keep in shape and keep up with a job and keep the family together and keep the house from falling apart and....you know. The experts say this woman will not outlast her husband, like women of the past did.

I thought about it and I wonder if these women changed their perspective, if things would get better for them. Perhaps if they relied more on their friends and their family and the people who surround and love them, and viewed themselves as one special part of a great work of people, and not the one part that makes everyone else function, maybe the stress will be lifted? Maybe the stress comes from the compartmentalization, it comes from the mindset that that one person is who everyone else relies on....Not everyone relies on both themselves and everybody else. I don't know if I'm making sense but...it seems to me that if you view yourself as part of one big family and you care for others and let them care for you....you don't have to worry about the particulars so much. Because, life just....happens. We are here. And we can have a good time while we're here.

Just a thought.

So, anyway - I put a picture of one of my favorite pieces of artwork up on the blog today because I think it's important to create things and appreciate what is created....just like it's important to love and be loved, and work and accept what is given to you...and so on and so on and so on.


And, to get into some personal specifics - I might have gestational diabetes. I find out tomorrow. I'm just saying it because I'm finding out it's pretty common and I should be brave about it so I'm just saying it. I had some more bloodwork on Saturday. They poked me four times. So far in the pregnancy they've taken 13 viles of my blood. I really like being pregnant, but if you'd ask me what is one thing you didn't like about it I would say the bloodwork. But, I guess, some people get nausea, some people get heavy duty aches and pains, some people crave to eat dirt, and some people have more bloodwork than others. I'll deal.

I find out either tomorrow or Tuesday if I have it. I ate a lot today, just in case I'm going to have to rapidly change my diet, which was probably a horrible idea, but, I did it. Steve is very great. He stayed with me the entire 3 1/2 hours I was getting my bloodwork done on Saturday, and he even said he would help me with all the pricking if I wanted. And when I feel nauseaus thinking about it, he thinks it is justified and he says it's going to be ok. And it really, really helps.

Which brings me back to the whole relying on both yourself and others thing. I know I had to physically give up my arm a bunch of times...but it helped to have somebody there to hold my hand. Even if he couldn't make it, I would have been comforted knowing he would say "Everything will be ok."

And, I really would like to volunteer so that I can be one to tell others "Everything will be ok."

Because I think more and more that we're all a big family, and we all like feeling that we're being taken care of somehow. And I think kindness shows strength, because it shows that you are not afraid to give up some of yourself for the sake of others. Even though that sounds really really really a lot like something you would hear on Full House, and it sounds like something someone would make fun of me for saying, but I don't care...positivity shouldn't be downplayed.

I also have to give a huge shout out to Steve's brother Vinnie who has been helping us with the baby's room. The drywall is now up!! We will hopefully paint later this week!!
Thanks to my mother and my mother in law, invitations are going out soon for the baby showering, and we've got a few more things for the baby!!
Thanks to a person we work with, we now have a changing table!!
Thanks to everyone who is listening! I hope to write a post soon that says we're all done with the baby room set up. We are getting things done little by little.
Thanks to my family for having a Thanksgiving in August for David who lives in Reno and won't be back for the "real" Thanksgiving - it was nice to eat that food especially because I'm not sure what I might be able to eat the next few months
Thanks in advance to anyone who can tell me of a volunteering opportunity
And...thanks to God for the existence of everything. Because...that's important. That we exist...you...and me...and everybody around us. We're like a big family. And...that's pretty cool.