I heart hippos...

Profile of a 1 Year Old

2012-01-25T14:53:00.001-06:00

Celebrating the big ONE

Evan

Age: 1

Height: 30 inches

Weight: 26 lbs 5 oz

Eyes: blue

Hair: blonde

Teeth: 4 (two on bottom, two on top)

Nickname: E

Favorite foods: sweet potatoes, turkey, eggos, grapes, cherries, apples, oranges, mixed vegetables, cherry pie, cookies, pretty much anything you give him that he can feed himself

Least favorite foods: Baby food

Loves: taking a bath, eating, walking, bouncing, cuddling, reading stories, taking everything off the shelf

Dislikes: taking medicine, being told no, and having to take naps

Favorite sayings: mom-mom-MAMA (when he's upset), did-did-DADA (when he's excited), baba (when he's ready for his bedtime bottle)

Welcome to the world...

2012-01-18T09:20:00.001-06:00

Dear Evan,

Welcome to the world! You surprised Mommy and Daddy by arriving four weeks early, and you've kept us busy ever since. It's taken me ~~2.5~~ 12 months and several naps but I've finally had the chance to write down the story of your arrival.

Friday, January 14, 2011
Daddy took the morning off to go to the doctor with me. Dr. M surprised both of us by saying we needed to pack our bags because you would likely make your grand entrance in the next week or two. She told us if I went into labor from that point forward she wasn't going to try to stop the labor. I smiled at Daddy and then started to laugh when I saw how shocked he looked. On the way back to work, Daddy and I agreed I wouldn't walk the dogs for the next week--or at the very least until after your baby shower on Saturday--so you would have more time to grow (and we would have more time to get your room ready).

That night Daddy and I went to the mall to have dinner and buy me pajamas for the hospital. A little bit later Miss Lindsey came over to help Daddy move the extra couch out of your room and into the van. We had been planning to donate the couch for months and over Christmas break Uncle Matthew asked if he could have it. We were finally planning to meet him the next morning in Birmingham to hand off the couch and then head to Huntsville for your baby shower--but it turns out you had other plans.

9 p.m. I announced to Daddy that we wouldn't be going to Huntsville after all. He gave me a puzzled look knowing that I had been looking forward to your baby shower and couldn't imagine why I suddenly wouldn't want to go. I explained that my water just broke and then watched Daddy quickly call the on-call doctor to say we would be on our way to the hospital soon. After hanging up, Daddy frantically started packing but I told him I wasn't in a hurry to pack because I still wanted to do a load of laundry before we left.

9:30 p.m. We started calling family and friends to say we weren't going to make it to your baby shower.

Saturday, January 15, 2011
12:05 a.m. Much to the on-call doctor's amusement and your Nana's frustration, we really did finish a load of laundry before checking into the hospital.
About the same time, your Nana, Grandpa, and Aunt Krista were on their way down to take care of Jinx and Ceazer. We tried to tell them they could wait until the morning, but they were too excited about meeting you.

Later that afternoon Your Grandmama, Uncle Kyle, and Uncle Andrew drove to town as well as Miss Jaclyn and Miss Laura. They decided since we wouldn't be having your baby shower in Huntsville, they would all just bring your presents straight to you.

5 p.m. It was time to push.

8:46 p.m. Daddy delivered you--our beautifully healthy baby boy--and handed you to your very tired and happy Mommy to hold for the first time.

Meeting Daddy

Holding Mommy's hand


Our first family photo. Taken just minutes after your arrival

We're so excited you decided to join us for your baby shower, and you continue to let us know that you don't want to miss out on any of the excitement by refusing to nap unless we lie down with you.

Love,
Mommy and Daddy

Merry Christmas

2011-12-11T22:28:00.000-06:00

Photo Card

View the entire collection of cards.

Evan tries sweet potatoes

2011-06-15T20:48:00.000-05:00

Comments turned back on...

2011-03-26T19:25:00.000-05:00

I just realized I did something strange and wasn't allowing comments going back through December. I think I've fixed things and everyone should be able to comment again.

My boys in their scrubs...

2011-03-26T17:11:00.003-05:00

Mark and Evan before work.

Evan smiling at two months.

Talking to Mommy.

One month photos...

2011-02-24T15:32:00.001-06:00

Evan's first month...

2011-02-24T15:18:00.003-06:00

Introducing Evan...

2011-01-27T14:53:00.001-06:00

Evan Stafford Christensen
January 15, 2011
8:46 p.m.
6 lbs, 6 ozs
19.2 inches

The Fun Theory...

2011-01-07T12:13:00.003-06:00

Volkswagen recently sponsored a contest to recognize thoughts, ideas, and inventions that help prove the fun theory--the idea that fun is the easiest way to change people's behavior for the better .

I love this public health example...

A decade of New Year's...

2010-12-31T20:24:00.024-06:00

Ten years ago tonight, Mark gave me my first New Year's kiss (on the cheek), and I'm looking forward to many more decades of New Year's kisses with the same amazing man.

New Year's 2001

New Year's 2002

New Year's 2005

New Year's 2006

New Year's 2007

New Year's 2010

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-25T15:11:00.002-06:00

Baby bump...

2010-12-19T09:43:00.002-06:00

Tumbleweed in 3D

2010-12-01T09:03:00.001-06:00

Introducing Tumbleweed…

2010-10-04T18:59:00.002-05:00

We are looking forward to meeting our little one and finding out if Tumbleweed is a boy or girl in February!

Happy Holidays...

2009-12-27T15:12:00.003-06:00

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

My knight in shining armor…

2009-10-29T18:51:00.001-05:00

Proposed four years ago today.

A plan for health care reform...

2009-09-22T14:47:00.000-05:00

H1N1, polio, and whooping cough...

2009-08-11T19:34:00.002-05:00

Tonight as we watched the news, Mark and I began discussing whether or not we would volunteer for a vaccine clinical trial.
Mark's first reaction, "No way."
Mine: "I'd consider signing up for the flu vaccine (seasonal and H1N1)...and I think I would have volunteered for varicella (aka chicken pox). The others, no thanks."

What about you? Would you volunteer to test any vaccines?

I am thankful for the others that have volunteered to participate in clinical trials for all our other vaccines from polio to pertussis* (whooping cough), and helped make the world a safer place for us all.

Library of Congress Digital Collection

Children waiting for immunization shots at a child health station in New York City, N.Y. circa 1944.

*Oddly enough, I came down with pertussis, aka whooping cough in 2007. About the same time the CDC started recommending booster vaccinations for young adults after noticing a surge of cases among adults. To say it was miserable would be an understatement. I had to sleep sitting up in an attempt to reduce coughing spells, and Mark kept an oxygen tank next to the bed to slip on me whenever my coughing fits started.

The need for health care reform...

2009-08-06T20:37:00.003-05:00

From http://blogs.harvardbusiness.org/haque/2009/08/how_to_think_constructively_ab.html

Florida sunsets and white sand beaches…

2009-07-07T19:52:00.001-05:00

A few weeks ago, we drove to north to drop the puppies off with our wonderful puppy-sitters and headed to the beach for a long weekend. After a 6.5 hour drive to Mark’s conference, we sat and watched the sunset over the Choctawhatchee Bay.

The next night we went to Captain Dave’s, the oldest seafood restaurant in Destin, and it was spectacular. We had a fantastic table on the deck overlooking the beach and another amazing view of a summer sunset. We snapped the next three shots while waiting for a table, and watching a beach wedding.

Budget decorating…

2009-06-12T22:37:00.001-05:00

After years of reading in bed with book lights and desk lamps, I finally found a pair of inexpensive lamps (and lampshades) for the master bedroom. We also got a deal on the wall art to spruce up our wall.

Ceazer, our little ham, couldn’t resist hopping into the picture. Meanwhile, Jinx was too busy playing ball to bother with pictures.

Our puppy model in our bed.

A close-up of the wall art.

May Adventures…

2009-06-12T20:35:00.001-05:00

Afternoon walks…

and lunch dates along the river.

Spring flowers…

Just because tulips, sunflowers and snapdragons at the farmers’ market, and a surprise day lily in our backyard.

Freebie Wednesdays at Arby's...

2009-05-27T09:53:00.002-05:00

Throughout the summer, Arby's is having Freebie Wednesdays. Enjoy!

Arby’s Wednesday Freebies Calendar
MAY
13 - Free Roastburger with any soft drink purchase
20 - Free Chocolate Malt Swirl Shake with any sandwich purchase
27 - Free Regular Roast Beef with any soft drink purchase

JUNE
3 - Free Iced FruiTea with any sandwich purchase
10 - Free Roast Chicken Club with any soft drink purchase
17 - Free Regular Sidekickers® with any sandwich purchase
24 - Free Regular Roast Beef with any soft drink purchase

JULY
1 - Free Regular Beef 'n Cheddar with any soft drink purchase
8 - Free Orange Cream Swirl Shake with any sandwich purchase
15 - Free Regular Roast Beef with any soft drink purchase
22 - Free Roastburger with any soft drink purchase
29 - Free Iced FruiTea with any sandwich purchase

AUGUST
5 - Free Regular Roast Beef with any soft drink purchase
12 - Free Roast Chicken Club with any soft drink purchase
19 - Free Iced FruiTea with any sandwich purchase
26 - Free Regular Beef 'n Cheddar with any soft drink purchase

Counting down...

2009-04-23T11:10:00.003-05:00

From September 08

To celebrate Mark's last free weekend before he begins rotations, we're headed north for a weekend full of family, friends, good food, and kayaking...and running calls for Mark. It's going to be awesome!

Weekend plans...

2009-04-17T10:56:00.005-05:00

This weekend I'm determined to finally print out pictures like this...

...and this...

...frame them, and put them on the walls around the house.

Photos taken July 2006 in Jackson Hole, Wyoming

Public Health 101…

2009-04-08T20:44:00.001-05:00

Since 1900, the life expectancy of the average American has increased 30 years, and 25 of those years are attributable to public health achievements.

10 Great Improvements in Public Health

Immunizations universally recommended for children
Improvements in motor vehicle safety (think seatbelts, child car seats, guardrails, and street lights)
Workplace safety (labor laws, hearing protection, increased training and safety procedures)
Control of infectious diseases (improved sanitation and discovery of antibiotics)
Declines in deaths from heart disease and stroke (behavior modification such as blood pressure control and smoking cessation)
Safer and healthier foods (identification of essential nutrients, improved sanitation practices, and food fortification programs)
Healthier mothers and babies (including improved prenatal care, shift towards hospital births, and milk pasteurization)
Family planning (modern contraception allows for smaller families and birth spacing)
Fluoridation of drinking water to prevent tooth decay
Tobacco as a health hazard (smoking cessation and reducing exposure to tobacco smoke)

Work left undone...

2009-04-07T09:52:00.003-05:00

Nearly 50 years after the development of the polio vaccine, the polio virus still impacts the lives of vulnerable populations around the world. The Final Inch is an HBO documentary short that follows a group trying to reach unvaccinated children in India.

Healthiest Nation in One Generation...

2009-04-06T11:32:00.001-05:00

In honor of National Public Health Week, find out more about what public health does for you.

Vintage style poster...

2009-04-02T13:39:00.003-05:00

Dear Mark,

Will you go with me?

Snow puppies...

2009-03-16T12:53:00.001-05:00

Valentines...

2009-02-11T10:27:00.002-06:00

The other day I was in the valentine section of a local store and I heard the following conversation:

Father: What about these motorcycle valentines?
Son (~ 7 years old): DAD! Girls don't like motorcycles!

Adorable.

I think that Dad has a little heart breaker on his hands.

Home sweet, home...

2009-02-08T20:29:00.001-06:00

*If you look closely, you can see Jinx and Ceazer looking out the door, and the reflection of Mark and I taking the photo.

TAP Project...

2009-02-03T12:41:00.005-06:00

Nearly 900 million people have no access to clean drinking water.

Waterborne illnesses are the second leading cause of death among children under 5.

Over 4,200 children die every day from water-related diseases.

Just $1 can provide a child with clean drinking water for 40 days.

Support UNICEF water and sanitation projects during World Water week (March 22-28) by donating $1 or more for the tap water you normally drink for free at restaurants.

Find out more ways you can help with the TAP Project.

Life with a med student...

2009-02-01T18:42:00.001-06:00

When I was making dinner the other night, I noticed Mark redecorated the kitchen.

Those are kidneys on my microwave...and there were intestines on the other side.

Boats to build...

2009-01-24T16:35:00.005-06:00

In mid-November, Michael announced he was building a boat. We laughed, asked if there was an impending flood, and didn't think much more about it. A few days later when Mark and I drove up for Thanksgiving, we were surprised and impressed to see frame of wooden boat sitting in the backyard.

Michael is a Jimmy Buffet/Kenny Chesney beach-bum marine biologist. As you can imagine, he's not a big fan of cold weather (anything under 70 degrees is freezing in is mind), so designing and building a boat in winter took a little while. He finished today, and I'm very impressed with his work.

Movin' on up...

2009-01-16T12:45:00.002-06:00

I have been an absentee blogger for awhile because Mark and I spent the holidays in Huntsville and then began packing up everything for our big move. After 2.5 years in an apartment, we were very ready for a house. We moved last weekend, and we love the the house! No more renditions of Stomp! from the neighbors, no more moldy apartment, and no more kids jumping into our patio to tease the dogs.

I'll post some pictures of our new place once we manage to unpack our boxes.

The Man Equivalant to Surprise Flowers...

2009-01-16T12:06:00.010-06:00

For Christmas I wanted to get Mark something fun, something that he would be really excited to unwrap. I also also wanted to surprise him. He had asked several times for an LED dash light (for running calls with the fire department). He even sent me a link to this "amazing" LED light...just in case I wasn't sure what he wanted.
Being a girl, I still wasn't really sold on the idea that he needed another light...and it wouldn't be much of a surprise. I really, really wanted to surprise him. However, after months of wavering back in forth, I finally decided to order the light. It was clearly the thing he really wanted. Since, we spend Christmas in Huntsville, I decided to have it shipped to my parents' house. That way, even if they took a few days to ship it, I'd still get it by Christmas. Or so I thought.

On Christmas Eve, the present still had not arrived, and I was pretty sad about it. I printed out a picture of the light, added lovely red "flashing" marks, borrowed a two pound bag of brown sugar to throw in the box with the print out, and wrapped them up. At least Mark was going to think he was unwrapping a present.

In the days after Christmas, the company I ordered from received daily emails and phone calls from us, but they never replied. They had already charged my credit card and I just had an email saying my order was processing. After days of unanswered calls and emails, we decided to contact the Better Business Bureau (BBB). The company had an F rating.

Lesson learned: Check BBB rating before ordering.

We filed a complaint with the BBB, requesting a full refund from the company. The BBB site said someone would contact us within 48 hours. A week and a half later, we still had not heard from the BBB. Really, the BBB should solve problems, not add to them. By this point, I had accepted that the company stole my money, and I was just out of luck.

Then this week, Mark randomly decided to check the company's website again. It said our order was ready to be shipped. I said I would believe when we got the light.

I just got this message from Mark:

THIS LED LIGHT IS ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC!!! Thank you so much for spoiling me this Christmas. I know that a dash light probably seemed impractical, but it's the one gift I wanted the most...a surprise Dash Light is about the Man equivalent to a surprise bunch of flowers.

Mission accomplished.

Our reindeer...

2008-12-28T18:49:00.003-06:00

Wishing everyone a happy holiday season.

Love,

The Christensens

*We fell in love with an antler-wearing Jinx three years ago.*

Reindeer Games...

2008-12-22T14:20:00.004-06:00

Krista is planning a series of Reindeer Games for the family this week. This is a video of the first event which consisted of Krista and Michael's fruitcake eating contest. More to come.

From Exported Videos

The Trig Problem...

2008-12-12T20:54:00.005-06:00

Q: Why didn't the trigonometry problem get the apartment it wanted?

A: Because Tangent wouldn't Cosine!

Finals, papers, and projects. Oh my...

2008-12-04T11:09:00.003-06:00

Mark is studying feverishly for a final. At work, all the students are cramming for finals and finishing up projects. Yet, I'm not writing a paper. I'm not finishing up a project or a Powerpoint presentation. I'm not studying for finals.

For the first time in 20 years, I'm not in school or taking classes online. It's a very strange feeling, and I don't know what to think of it. Not having the stress of having five things due at once is nice, but at the same time I miss the sense of accomplishment you get from finishing a big project/hard course.

Maybe once we move, I'll enroll in something or find some grand project...cake decorating, curing cancer, book club, tutoring. As an University employee, I can take a 3 hour course for free each semester. It's something to ponder, but then again I'm not in a hurry to give up my precious couple of hours with Mark and the puppies when I get off work.

Good luck to everyone with finals, papers, and projects!

Giving thanks...

2008-12-01T21:06:00.005-06:00

...because my friends and family rock. I wish I got to see everyone more often, but at least we're close enough to visit fairly often.

Here are some pictures from Thanksgiving day...

One shot is never enough

The Greenemeiers, take two

Tag, you're it...

2008-11-22T19:53:00.004-06:00

Jamie tagged me. The rules? Answer the following questions in one word and then pass it on to others.

* Where is your cell phone? purse
* Where is your significant other? outside
* Your hair color? blondish
* Your mother? fantastic
* Your father? goofy
* Your favorite thing? family
* Your dream last night? fun
* Your dream/goal? happiness
* The room you’re in? living
* Your hobby? puppies
* Your fear? wrecks
* Where do you want to be in 6 years? home
* Where were you last night? home
* What you’re not? outgoing
* One of your wish-list items? house
* Where you grew up? Harvest
* Last thing you did? read
* What are you wearing? pjs
* Your TV? paused
* Your pet(s)? entertaining
* Your computer? portable
* Your mood? content
* Missing someone? yes
* Your car? civic
* Something you’re not wearing? shoes
* Favorite store? Target
* Your summer? beach
* Love someone? completely
* Your favorite color? blue
* When is the last time you laughed? Today
* Last time you cried? ?

I tag Mark, Krista, and Megan.

Talk to me...

2008-11-21T10:08:00.006-06:00

Children in forward-facings strollers talk, laugh and interact less with their parents than children in rear-facing strollers, according to a recently published study.

"If babies are spending significant amounts of time in a baby buggy that undermines their ability to communicate with their parent, at an age when the brain is developing more than it will ever again, then this has to impact negatively on their development. Our experimental study showed that, simply by turning the buggy around, parents' rate of talking to their baby doubled." stated Suzanne Zeedyk, of Dundee University's School of Psychology.

...if only the rear-facing strollers weren't so expensive. The stroller pictured above is $431, which is a bargain compared to the $799 models!

Ceazer Bear, the birthday boy...

2008-11-17T10:07:00.003-06:00

Ceazer (and Jinx) spent this weekend being pampered for Ceazer's birthday. Our little boy turned two. His celebration included treats, a new toy, visitors, a steak dinner...yes a steak dinner...and puppy cake!

Ceazer and Jinx checking out his new toy.

The puppies inhaling the puppy cake. They ate it so fast, I didn't get a good picture.

Ceazer enjoying the last bite of his puppy cake.

Ceazer wrestling his friend and party guest, Paloma.

Happy 2nd birthday, Ceazer!

Princess Jinxy...

2008-11-17T10:05:00.004-06:00

After a restless night, Mark got up to walk the dogs early this morning, so I could try to squeeze in a few more minutes of sleep before heading off to work. When Mark and the puppies got back from their walk, the puppies jumped back in bed to cuddle...or so I thought.

Jinx started by kissing me. She knows from experience that her kisses are the best way to wake up Mark, and she decided to try out the tactic on me. I rolled over to pet her and tell her how sweet she was. Then she started pawing at me and ramming me with her nose. Her wake-up tactics were getting more aggressive. I tried hiding under the covers, but after a couple of minutes of being rammed and pawed I gave up. As I slid out of bed, I turned around to see Princess Jinx snuggling into the warm spot I had just left. She was so proud of herself, and I stood there in disbelief.

My little Princess just kicked me out of bed.

"I was headed north and I ended up in Mississippi"....

2008-11-15T17:55:00.004-06:00

This morning, Mark called me while I was driving to work to make sure I got out of the house okay, since he left at 6:30 a.m. to go to Will's Ranger graduation. It turns out I should have been checking on him. Keep in mind, Mark is notoriously bad with directions. A few years ago when he was at UA, he was supposed to go to Fayette for the day (a town north of Tuscaloosa) and he called to tell me he was in Mississippi.

Me: Do you know where you are going?
Mark: (confidently) Yes. I take that road we take to your Grandma's house.
Me: What road would that be?
Mark: I-85 until I hit Columbus.
Me: If you stay on I-85, you'll end up in Atlanta. You want to take exit 62ish to get on US-280 and that will take you to Columbus and Ft. Benning.
Mark: Really? I thought I could just stay on 85.
Me: (laughing) I'll send you directions when I get to work.
...
Mark made it to Ft. Benning without too much trouble. After lunch, I got a text message from Mark, "So I sure have been on this I-185 for a long time...am I going to end up in Virginia?" I laughed and immediately called him.
Me: How long have you been on I-185?
Mark: Awhile. I thought since I took I-185 S to get to the ceremony I should take it north to go home. (seems logical)
Me: You should have taken the first exit you came to when you got off base. Where are you now?
Mark: I got on I-185 near where we at lunch.
Me: Not at the same spot, you got off this morning?
Mark: No.
Me: So where are you now? Do you see any exit signs, or mile markers?
Mark: I see an exit for Hopewell Church road. I'm taking it.
....
I googled new directions for Mark from his current locale and sent them to him. He started out on the western edge of Georgia and was now in central Georgia. It was starting to look like he wasn't going to make it home any time near his projected time of 3:30 p.m.
....
Twenty minutes later...
Mark: CRAP. I went 10 miles/exits too far north. Exit 51, gotta go back to exit 41.
....
At 7 p.m., Mark walked in the door exhausted, and we vowed he would never take another road trip without his navigator...a.k.a. me.

Pumpkins...

2008-10-31T21:52:00.001-05:00

We Can Vote However We Like...

2008-10-30T09:54:00.002-05:00

These kids are awesome!

Lyrics:

Obama on the left
McCain on the right
We can talk politics all night
And you can vote however you like
You can vote however you like, yeah

Democratic left
Republican right
November 4th we decide
And you can vote however you like
You can vote however you like, yeah

(McCain supporters)
McCain is the man
Fought for us in Vietnam
You know if anyone can
Help our country he can
Taxes droppin low
Dont you know oils gonna flow
Drill it low
I'll show our economy will grow

McCain's the best candidate
With Palin as his running mate
They'll fight for gun rights, pro life,
The conservative right
Our future is bright
Better economy in site
And all the world will feel our military might

(Obama supporters)
But McCain and Bush are real close right
They vote alike and keep it tight
Obama's new, he's younger too
The Middle Class he will help you
He'll bring a change, he's got the brains
McCain and Bush are just the same
You are to blame, Iraq's a shame
Four more years would be insane

Lower your Taxes - you know Obama Won't
PROTECT THE LOWER CLASS - You know McCain won't!
Have enough experience - you know that they don't
STOP GLOBAL WARMING - you know that you won't

I want Obama
FORGET OBAMA
Stick with McCain and you're going to have some drama
We need it
HE'LL BRING IT
He'll be it
YOU'LL SEE IT
We'll do it
GET TO IT
Let's move it
DO IT!

Obama on the left
McCain on the right
We can talk politics all night
And you can vote however you like
You can vote however you like, yeah

Democratic left
Republican right
November 4th we decide
And you can vote however you like, I said
You can vote however you like, yeah

I'm talking big pipe lines, and low gas prices
Below $2.00 that would be nice

But to do it right we gotta start today
Finding renewable ways that are here to stay

I want Obama
FORGET OBAMA,
Stick wit McCain you gone have some drama
MORE WAR IN IRAQ
Iran he will attack
CAN'T BRING OUR TROOPS BACK
We gotta vote Barack!

Obama on the left
McCain on the right
We can talk politics all night
And you can vote however you like, I said
You can vote however you like, yeah

Democratic left
Republican right
November 4th we decide
And you can vote however you like, I said
You can vote however you like, yeah

The road to employment...

2008-10-15T23:20:00.004-05:00

After graduating in May. I opted to take the summer off to spend quality time with Mark. Throughout the time we have been married (and while we were dating), our vacations have rarely overlapped, so spending this summer together was quite a luxury. Sadly, Mark had to go back to class in August, and within a week I was bored and tired of being at home.

I started applying for public health jobs with the state, and then just had to wait and wait some more as they "processed" the paperwork. The Alabama Department of Public Health website warned it could be months before your paperwork is processed and you can register for a state qualification exam. Translation=Super slow process and I have yet to hear anything.

I was quickly getting frustrated by the lack of news, and I decided to look for other positions in the Tuscaloosa area (we're moving there at the beginning of next year). My search turned up bank teller positions, nursing positions, and underground coal mine supervisor. While all are important jobs, they weren't quite what I had in mind. I was starting to feel like I'd never find a job. A few more weeks passed with no word from the state, and I looked for jobs in Tuscaloosa again. I found a listing for a Research Project Coordinator for a place that focuses on promoting service learning. It wasn't really what I got my degree in, but areas overlapped...so I decided to apply anyway.

A few weeks later, I was surprised to receive a phone call one morning asking me if I could meet the Director for an interview at Starbucks later that day.

My reply: "Sounds great!"

My thoughts: "What? An interview today?...At Starbucks?...What in the world does one wear for an interview at Starbucks?"

I ran down the hall to tell Mark the news and to ask for his advice. He congratulated me and suggested I call one of my contacts from the School of Public Health for advice on appropriate interview attire for Starbucks. I hesitated, so he made a brilliant suggestion...Call my Dad. Yes, you read that correctly. He suggested I call my Dad, the rocket scientist, for fashion advice. I know it's sounds funny, but it really was the perfect idea. Dad has interviewed tons of people for jobs, so he was an excellent resource (and another person to calm my nerves). During our conversation, Dad suggested that a suit might be overkill if everyone else in Starbucks was in a T-shirt and jeans. Equipped with Dad's fashion advice, Mark helped me pick out an awesome business outfit, gave me a pep talk (lots of them), and sent me on my way. My interview lasted about 30 minutes. I left feeling like the position would be a great opportunity for me, but not sure if I was what they were looking for in a candidate.

One Week Later

I got a very exciting phone call this morning. The Director called to offer me the job!

I am thrilled for many reasons...

The place does awesome work.
I will having something meaningful to do during the day.
It's my big chance to be Mark's sugar-Momma. ;)
No more jobless, I'm bored/lonely days!

Thank you Mark for cheering me up, encouraging me, and helping me through a tough time. Thank you Krista for calling to check on me and talking/entertaining me. Thank you to everyone for your kind words, thoughts, and help in the process.

Free Admission...

2008-09-25T13:55:00.002-05:00

This Saturday, September 27 is Museum Day and to celebrate lots of cool museums are offering free admission! All you have to do is print of a museum day admission card here. The card is good for two general admission tickets at participating locations.

The site also has a section to see which venues in your state (or nearby states) are participating. If you are in Alabama, I recommend the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute. Mark took me there on a date years ago, and it was awesome! This recommendation is coming from a self-professed history nerd, but it really is a well designed museum.

The birthday girl...

2008-09-23T19:48:00.004-05:00

Jinx turns two sometime this month...we think. As many of you know, we adopted her and Ceazer from a local animal shelters so their exact ages and birthdays are unknown. Based on the shelters' and our vet's estimates, we think Jinx is about two months older than Ceazer. Based on her attitude, she knows she is older and like any good older sibling she likes to boss her little brother around. :)

Last year, our little neighbors attended Jinx's first birthday party. This year we wanted to include Maya in the celebration, so we celebrated Jinx's second birthday in Huntsville.

Here's our little girl caught in the act of snooping for her presents...

Snapshots of life...

2008-09-23T19:36:00.003-05:00

As promised, Dad sent me a picture from the family kayaking adventure and I've posted it. Hopefully, I'll get more next time we go to Huntsville.

I also posted some pictures from the month of September in our photo album. Here's one of my favorites:

Hotel Christensen...

2008-09-18T16:48:00.002-05:00

A few weeks ago, I mentioned that we didn't have a guest bed...and now we have THREE! Our friends, family, and neighbors have been very generous to us. With the exception of our bed, two bookshelves, and a desk all our furniture has been given to us by some amazing people. Thank you everyone!

We now have a cozy guest bed in our study! (The bedding is from my time in undergrad, so it's a bit girly, but very comfortable.)

...And we have added two sleeper sofas to our living room. (Thanks to Mom C!)

Hotel Christensen is now ready for visitors...lots of visitors!

I married a superhero...

2008-09-09T22:03:00.002-05:00

On Sunday, Mark and I were getting our picture taken at the Toney Volunteer Fire Department's picture drive when the department got a medical call. I could tell that Mark wanted to respond, but he said he was going to let someone else take care of this one since I was with him. As we were getting into the car, I told Mark to go ahead and run the medical call. It was a chance for him to test out his new Impala. A smile spread across his face as he snapped on his radio and flipped on his lights. He was running a medical call in his new car...and I was going with him.

...Mark has been on the department for five years and has invited me to accompany him on numerous calls, but I usually decline. In fact, I have only been on one other call with Mark...and that one came in while I was already in the car with him. Copious amounts of blood and the sight of people in pain make me want to pass out, so not going on medical calls seems like a logical decision...

As we pulled up on the scene, Mark told me I could stay in the car or get out and talk to another EMT on scene. I still did not know the nature of the call...whether the person had a stomach ache or if he/she was spurting blood from a gapping wound. I opted to stay in the car. Mark jumped out, grabbed his EMT bag out of the trunk, and snapped on his gloves as he walked to the house.

...I sat there watching my superhero walk into action. He was so calm and confident in a chaotic situation. I started thinking of all the other crazy calls Mark has responded to in the past. The calls he has recounted in great detail, and the ones I'm sure he has chosen to omit details to avoid worrying me...

Mark and his fellow TVFD members respond to medical calls, wrecks, and fire calls at all hours of the day...as they sit down to a hot breakfast, as they sit down to hang out with family, and at 3 a.m. They give up their time and energy and at times comfort and personal safety for the sake of helping others. They literally jump up grab their keys and rush to the rescue of whoever needs their help.

My husband saves lives.

He is amazing at what he does, and I couldn't be more proud of my real-life superhero.

My birthday week in pictures...

2008-08-26T19:14:00.002-05:00

My parents gave Mark and I kayaks (and all the necessary gear) for my birthday. Here, we've got the kayaks loaded and ready to go, but unfortunately we haven't had much luck finding a place to kayak around Birmingham. If you look closely, you can see Jinx in the driver's seat...and Ceazer in the passenger's seat.

Ceazer in his playful stance just before he takes off with the beach ball. He loves being chased by Jinx.

The family took a trip to get ice cream, and the puppies shared a vanilla cone. Mark looks on in amazement, as the puppies inhale their treat. We haven't pulled away from the drive-through, and they are already down to the cone!

A sinkhole...

2008-08-26T19:03:00.002-05:00

We woke up Sunday morning to discover the rains from Fay had triggered a sinkhole in the parking lot just outside of our apartment. The car owner didn't seem too concerned with the precarious position of his car.

Mark: Glad you were able to move your car.

Car owner: I wouldn't mind if it fell in the hole, as long as I didn't go with it.

Sunday morning Tuesday afternoon

Snuffleupagus...

2008-08-19T17:11:00.002-05:00

Earlier today I was wondering why in the world you would name a character Snuffleupagus and then name his sister Alice. Those two names hardly seem on par. Yes, these are the kind of random thoughts that pop in my head all the time.

After a little research, I found out that Snuffleupagus is actually the last name of both characters. Snuffy's first name is Aloysius, and today is his birthday!

While researching my favorite Sesame Street character, I also found out that Snuffy was never seen by the adults of Sesame Street from his 1971 introduction until 1985. The adults thought Snuffy was just Big Bird's imaginary friend, despite Big Bird's insistence otherwise. Following a string of national stories on pedophilia and sexual abuse of children, the Sesame Street creators decided to finally introduce Snuffy to the adult cast. According to Wikipedia, "The writers felt that by having the adults refuse to believe Big Bird despite the fact that he was telling the truth, they were scaring children into thinking that their parents would not believe them if they had been sexually abused and that they would just be better off remaining silent."

The Admiral, the Retriever, and the Moose...

2008-08-11T21:53:00.003-05:00

*UPDATE: Dad sent me a picture of our outing. I'll add more as I find them.

I was paddling around with Ceazer when Maya decided to swim out to join us. At this point, I was really hoping that we weren't going to tip over as the puppies tried to make themselves comfortable. We actually made it back to shore (very slowly) without incident!

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Last week, Jinx, Ceazer, and Maya got their first taste of kayaking. At first I thought Dad was a bit crazy to think he could take Maya kayaking with him, but after our trip to Mooresville I'm looking forward to taking the puppies kayaking again. Jinx, dubbed the Admiral by Mike, is a natural boater. She loves to stand in the hull of the boat with her front paws on the deck of the kayak. Maya wasn't too thrilled about getting into the kayak, but by the end of the trip she seemed more comfortable in the kayak. She was much happier swimming around and retrieving the sticks Krista tossed for her. Ceazer is always the first puppy in the water, but he's not much for swimming. As far as kayaking goes, Ceazer takes a while to actually sit down in the kayak, and makes paddling quite a challenge. He seems to prefer to wade, splash and steal Maya's sticks. I wish we had a picture of him jumping out of the water plants with water dripping out of his mouth...he looked just like a moose!

A full house/apartment...

2008-08-10T23:10:00.002-05:00

This week Mark and I played hosts to both of my brothers, my parents, and Maya (Krista's dog), but never all five visitors at once. Sadly, Krista did not get to join us this time due to a 'coach camp' she had to attend for the U10 girls soccer team she is helping coach this fall. Michael was the first to visit as he made his way down to Auburn to pack up his apartment, but first he graciously volunteered to drive Mark down to Cottonwood, AL to pick up Mark's new (to us) car. A day later Mom, Dad, and Matt spent the night with us on their way down to move Matthew into his dorm in Auburn. Meanwhile, Maya managed to avoid the second leg of their trip and stayed in Birmingham for a play-date with Jinx and Ceazer. [On a side note, entertaining/supervising three puppies proved to be a full time job, and I completely forgot to post yesterday.]

For those of you who don't know, Mark and I have a two bedroom apartment, but our second bedroom serves as our study. Not to mention that our study also doubles as a storage place for anything we haven't been able to fit anywhere else in the apartment. With two desks, three bookshelves, Mark's punching bag, and a few boxes that never got unpacked, our second bedroom has never really had room for a bed. Amazingly, whenever my parents spend the night with us they bring their airbed and skillfully sandwich it between the two desks. Whichever siblings are in town sleep on the couch, futon, and sometimes the floor. Meanwhile, all the dogs (Jinx, Ceazer, and Maya) sleep in luxury as they pile into bed with Mark and me.

After our full house this weekend, Mark and I decided we really should get an airbed, so:

Our visitors won't have to sleep on the couch and/or floor
Mom and Dad don't always have to bring their airbed
Maybe we'll be able to convince more people to visit :)

ALDI? what?...

2008-08-08T16:43:00.001-05:00

For sometime we've noticed an ALDI grocery store down the road, and we finally decided to try it out after getting on of their ads in the mail. They claim you can save up to 50 percent on items, but I was skeptical. How would their store brand taste? Would they have the items we wanted?

After our first trip, I'm hooked! We bought a gallon of milk for $1.99 instead of the $3.99+ that we have been paying at Wal-Mart and Sam's. While ALDI didn't have everything on our shopping list, we were able to find the majority of our items and at 40-50 percent of the normal price. Additionally, the store brand muffin mix and dinners that we have tried so far have been delicious.

ALDI isn't your average American grocery store. It's much more like shopping in Europe. It's a smaller store, without all those name brand items you see elsewhere. There aren't any fancy displays (like Wal-mart's school bus made out of Coke products), or free samples---so your groceries cost less.

You're also expected to some of the work yourself...no cart pushers, or baggers exist. You 'rent' a cart for .25 cents and get your money back at the end of your trip when you return the cart to the store. You bag your groceries with your own bags, or if you forgot your reusable bags you can buy ones for a small fee.

With budget-friendly and eco-friendly grocery shopping in one place, we're hooked!

Free Chick-Fil-A....

2008-08-07T20:25:00.002-05:00

At dinner tonight, Mark and I discovered two upcoming opportunities for free food at Chick-fil-A. Matt, mark your calendar. Free food will be come very important while you're at school. :)

Free 3 piece chicken strips....

August 13,14, & 15 between 5-8 p.m.
September 1 between 10:30 a.m. and close-->Just wear a t-shirt supporting your favorite football team.

I'm back...

2008-08-07T18:43:00.002-05:00

After more than a month long hiatus from my blog, I'm back. This afternoon I was checking the handful blogs that I faithfully read, and realized I'm a bit of a blogging hypocrite. I get frustrated when someone has not updated his/her blog in days, yet I had not found the time/inspiration to write anything in 40+ days. In an attempt to reform my ways, I'm pledging to blog..about something/anything...for the next seven days. Hold me to it!

I've also decided to update my template. Any suggestions on where to find cool free ones? This afternoon I found a few that I liked, but only two of them worked with Blogger.

Old-Fashioned Lemonade...

2008-06-27T13:54:00.001-05:00

Last week, Mark, Krista, and I decided to make our own lemonade. It was a messy process, but the lemonade tasted wonderful! We found the following simple recipe on Allrecipes.com:

Happy 16th Birthday, Krista...

2008-06-01T22:02:00.003-05:00

Two reasons I heart Brusters...

2008-05-28T21:07:00.004-05:00

1. Free waffle cones (and ice cream) when you wear your pajamas on Pajama-Customer appreciation day

2. Free puppy sundaes when you bring your dogs-->Jinx and Ceazer loved theirs!

...AND I love sharing birthday cake ice cream with Mark!

Two sides to the same story...

2008-05-12T21:49:00.004-05:00

As told by Mark...
On the first day of a new semester in newspaper class, Coach Mac made everyone stand up at the front of the room by the white board to introduce ourselves. Somehow, she knew our secret. "How about each of you say a little bit about yourselves.....your name.....your position on the staff......and, oh, I don't know....um.....if you're dating someone."

My face turned bright red. It took all of my strength to swallow. Although I was the 9th person in line, I might as well have been the first. Somehow, she knew. I looked over at my Co-Editor in Chief to see what our story was going to be, but I was getting no clues from her. I was on my own. As each person to my right introduced him or herself, my mind was racing about what to say. Before I knew it, I was up. "Mark Christensen......Co-Editor in Chief with Heather........my.......new.....girlfriend." Coach Mac broke out into the biggest smile I can remember seeing on her face. She had predicted for years that Heather and I would end up dating, and sure enough we did.

As told by Heather...
I have a slightly different version of the same story. Coach's Mac hatched the same plan, but the staff members were sitting in circle. Mark was to my immediate right and would have had to speak first. However, he conveniently had to get up to get something and when he came back he sat down on my left. Suddenly, I was going to have to answer the questions first. I was nervous, annoyed, and excited all at the same time. I took a deep breath and introduced myself, "I'm Heather Greenemeier, and I'm Co-Editor in Chief." Then Coach prompted me, "Are you dating anyone?" I replied with a simple "yes," and our secret was out. Coach was smiling, the returning staff members were clapping, the new staff members were very confused. Then I turned towards Mark to hear how he would handle his introduction.

Five and a half years later we were married with our families, Coach Mac, and some of the same staff members there to celebrate.

Armed with a library card and ready to use it...

2008-05-05T15:56:00.002-05:00

For the first time in nearly two and a half years, I have no assigned readings and no research papers in progress. I finally get the chance to sit down and resume reading books just for fun. I have a few books on my shelves just for this occasion, but I'm also looking for recommendations.

What are your favorite books? What's the last good book you read?

Heather Greenemeier Christensen, MPH

2008-05-01T20:35:00.004-05:00

It's official. I have a Master of Public Health degree...and a few extra letters to add behind my name.

As promised, here a few pictures from the hooding ceremony, including one of my dragon tail. :)

March for Babies...

2008-04-23T12:20:00.003-05:00

Click here to help me reach my goal!

I am participating in the March for Babies (formally known as Walk for America) for the second time, and I need your help. I've gotten a late start on fundraising, but I think it's still possible to reach my goal. Any amount you can donate will help fund research to prevent birth defects and premature births.

Growing up...

2008-03-30T13:48:00.002-05:00

Earth hour...

2008-03-29T19:23:00.002-05:00

On March 29, 2008 at 8 p.m. (local time), join millions of people around the world in making a statement about climate change by turning off your lights for Earth Hour, an event created by the World Wildlife Fund.
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I found out this event at the last minute, so I didn't have the chance to recruit anyone else this year. I will be turning off our lights from 8-9 p.m. I predict Earth Hour will trick the puppies into going to bed early.

Countdown to graduation...

2008-03-06T16:01:00.004-06:00

I bought my cap and gown yesterday!

Only 55 days until my hooding ceremony.

Those who attend are in for a treat. The caps and gowns are green, and I think they make us look like dragons. :)

What a day...

2008-02-05T21:57:00.001-06:00

Mark, my superhero, saved Jinx tonight! He came to the rescue as Jinx was choking on a piece of rawhide. It was a very scary couple of seconds. Thankfully Jinx is fine, and back to taunting Ceazer.

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In other news, I voted today. In the past, I've always sent in an absentee ballot, so today was my first time to actually go to a polling place.

I hope everyone plans to vote in November. We could certainly use a national health care plan.

A Sunday picnic...

2008-01-28T19:52:00.001-06:00

Wellbee...

2008-01-24T17:57:00.002-06:00

...the CDC's poster bee for wellness campaigns in the 1950s and 1960s. This is a 1964 poster.

Squid ink spaghetti...

2008-01-22T12:02:00.001-06:00

Mark and I tried out our black spaghetti this week that Krista gave us. It's dyed with squid ink...and looks kind of like tentacles.

Squid ink pasta

Dinner

Snow!

2008-01-19T12:00:00.001-06:00

George!

2008-01-19T11:37:00.001-06:00

My George Strait concert with Little Big Town! Kenney Chesney was also in the audience and came onstage to sing one with George during the show.

Cross my heart...

2008-01-16T21:45:00.000-06:00

This time tomorrow Mark and I will be listening to George. That's right, we're going to see George Strait! Little Big Town will be there too. :) I can't wait.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

2007-12-17T21:57:00.001-06:00

Our little bear...

2007-12-07T21:32:00.001-06:00

We took Ceazer's bandage off today around 11:30 a.m. and within the hour his dew claw was perpendicular to his paw and bleeding again. We were already in the car, so we made a detour to the vet. Within minutes Ceazer had been wisked away to surgery, and they told us we could pick him up after 5 p.m.

At 5 p.m. on the dot we reclaimed our little Ceazer bear and brought him home. He's still pretty drowsy, but seems to be doing well.

Happy St. Ncholas Day...

2007-12-05T22:15:00.001-06:00

History
In Germany, Nikolaus is usually celebrated on a small scale. Many children put a boot, called Nikolaus-Stiefel, outside the front door on the night of December 5 to December 6. St. Nicholas fills the boot with gifts, and at the same time checks up on the children to see if they were good. If they were not, they will have a tree branch ("Rute") in their boots instead. Sometimes a disguised Nikolaus also visits the children at school or in their homes and asks them if they "have been good" (sometimes ostensibly checking a book for their record), handing out presents on a per-behaviour basis. This has become more lenient in recent decades.
From Wikipedia

What a day...

2007-12-05T13:16:00.001-06:00

Yesterday, we woke up to a flooded master bathroom and water bubbling out of every drain in the house. The water was also soaking into the carpet of the master bedroom and into the hallway...an area a three foot deep and 10 feet wide. Quite the mess and we had to shut off the water.

Oh yeah, I also had a presentation to give in just a few hours and a take home test to finish. Luckily, I have the most amazing husband in the world and Mark stayed home to handle everything while I finished my stuff for school. By the time I got home for class, the plumber had come and gone and the carpet guys had set up a huge fan (like the kind they use to inflate moon bounces) to blow under the carpet for the next two days.

By this point I was exhausted from three hours of sleep, the bathroom mess, and school. We decided to take a night off from school and just relax with the puppies. When we got back inside Ceazer was licking his paw. Mark noticed Ceazer's paw was bleeding and his dew claw was sticking out at a 90 degree angle. It didn't look good. Mark wrapped up Ceazer's paw and began calling emergency vets.
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Update: We took Ceazer to the vet this morning. The dew claw broke off near the base and the nail should fall off as the new one grows underneath it. For the next two days Ceazer will be sporting his black "boxing glove" to protect his paw and keep it from getting infected.

We heart bubbles...

2007-11-17T19:23:00.001-06:00

Jenny and Kevin introduced Jinx and Ceazer to bubbles today. The puppies had a blast. No pictures of the puppies jumping for bubbles, yet. We'll try again soon.

Happy birthday, Ceazer...

2007-11-15T20:39:00.001-06:00

Sampling his birthday cake

Just like his Dad

The whole family

Exhausted after a day of partying

My trip to the District..

2007-11-09T19:51:00.003-06:00

Here are pictures from my trip to DC for the American Public Health Association convention.

Our pumpkins...

2007-11-01T11:26:00.001-05:00

What should our pumpkins be...

2007-10-28T16:16:00.001-05:00

...for Halloween? We're having trouble coming up with ideas, so I'm hoping you guys have some. :)

Halloween 2005

Halloween 2006

My contribution to Blog Action Day...

2007-10-15T21:56:00.001-05:00

Last week I stumbled across a banner for Blog Action Day and decided I wanted to participate. I just was not sure what great environmental topic I could blog about. I thought about topics covered in my environmental health class from acid rain to toxicology. Since I didn't really enjoy learning about any of that stuff in class, I decided that wasn't the way to go. Then Mark reminded me of documentary we saw on ship dismantling in Bangladesh and a website he sent me about making purses/bags by fusing plastic bags together. Still those didn't strike me as the "thing" I should write about. While looking at an environmental themed slide show, I came up with a simple idea.

The picture above reminded me we don't have to do anything elaborate to help the environment. We can start with something as simple as picking up trash we see in the yard, on our street, at work, or at the park. It just takes a second to pick up that empty coke can someone left behind or the napkin that is blowing across the parking lot. If you are worried about the germs, just keep hand sanitizer in your car/purse/bookbag.

Environmental update...

2007-10-08T21:06:00.000-05:00

So I know I haven't posted consistently, but I'm determined to post Monday, October 15. Anyone else with me?

This year's Blog Action Day theme is the environment...absolutely anything to do with the environment.

The 5th guy...

2007-10-08T20:58:00.002-05:00

Four out of five people wash their hands. Don't be the fifth guy.

http://www.5thguy.com/

Thanks to Mark for sending me this link. :)

Sidewalk Film Festival...

2007-10-01T13:04:00.002-05:00

Mark and I spent a good chunk of this weekend in downtown Birmingham for the Sidewalk Film Festival. We saw some hilarious and heartwarming films this time around. My favorite film by far was Darius Goes West. It's a film about a 15-year-old boy with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) who has never been outside the county where he was born. He and 12 friends embark on a cross-country road trip to raise awareness about DMD, test wheelchair assessibility across the nation, and to convince MTV's Pimp My Ride to "pimp" Darius's wheelchair. Every time the movie would bring me to tears, I would quickly find myself laughing harder than I can remember ever laughing at a movie.

You can read more about Darius and his trip at www.dariusgoeswest.com.

Happy Jinx's birthday, Ceazer and Jinx...

2007-09-20T22:36:00.001-05:00

After a day filled with fetch, new toys, and treats, Jinx and Ceazer are both passed in the living room. We celebrated Jinx's first birthday today, and I don't think her tail stopped wagging all day.

A few weeks back, Mark found a recipe for a puppy birthday cake online, so I decided I would try it out tonight. A peanut butter, carrot cake with yogurt icing, bacon bit sprinkles, and a puppy treat candle...a concoction only dogs could appreciate.

This afternoon while I was walking the dogs, Jenny and Kevin, two of the neighborhood kids, came out to play with the puppies. They kept asking me what time Jinx's birthday was. At first, I thought they wanted to know what time she was born. As the questioning continued, I realized they wanted to know what time Jinx's birthday party was going to be. I made up a time and told them we would give Jinx her puppy cake at 6 p.m.

After the walk, I came home to finish decorating the cake before the kids came over. Around 6 p.m., Mark took Jinx and Ceazer out again to play with Max (the dog across the breezeway from us). When they returned Mark informed me he had seen Jenny and Kevin leave with their parents. It sounded like the kids must have gone out to dinner, and we would be on our own for our puppy party.

About an hour later, ust as we were finishing dinner, Jenny and Kevin came running up to our door. The puppies eagerly greeted them, as always. Jenny handed me a Pet Smart bag and said "These are for Jinx." Apparently, Jenny and Kevin had just returned from a special trip to the pet store just to get Jinx some presents. I convince Jenny and Kevin that they should give Jinx the presents (not that it took a lot of convincing). Jinx is now the proud new owner of two squeaky toys (one from each kid) and a tub of puppy treats (to share with Ceazer), and a pink flowered collar. The kids loved watching Jinx and Ceazer eat the puppy cake...and I think the puppies liked eating it.

As a kid, it always made me laugh when I got a card and present from Grandma Stafford on one of the other kid's birthdays: "Happy Krista's birthday, Heather!" Now it makes a lot more sense. It really wouldn't be very fair to make him watch Jinx chew on a new bone. Jinx got a new tennis ball/tug-a-war toy and a bone...and Ceazer got a squeaky football and a bone. So Happy birthday Jinx! and Happy Jinx's birthday, Ceazer!

Creative way to boost a nation's birth rate...

2007-09-12T12:40:00.002-05:00

A Russian province has declared today to be the Day of Conception. It is giving citizens the day off work with the hopes of raising the nation's birth rate which has been falling since the 1990s. They choose today with the hopes of having infants born on June 12, Russia's independence day. Couples with a baby born June 12 also get a prize (cars, washing machines, cash)...in addition to their new bundle of joy.

http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/europe/09/11/russia.conception.ap/index.html?iref=newssearch

Do you ever wish...

2007-09-07T14:38:00.002-05:00

Earlier this week a friend asked me if I ever wished I stayed at MTSU and got my masters in public history. Without any hesitation I told her that I'm so much happier at UAB for obvious reason of living with Mark instead of being 5 hours apart, but there are other reasons for loving it here.

Murfreesboro was a really neat town, but I felt very, very isolated and out of place up there. I just wasn't myself up there. I never got involved in extracurricular stuff, I wasn't enjoying school, I came home from my Thursday night class in tears every week. All I ever did was work, go to class, and pack up my stuff to get out of town almost every weekend. The town was neat, the people were nice, but I quickly decided the public history program wasn't what I wanted to do when I grew up. I wrestled for a while on what to do next, I had always stuck with history because I was good at it and enjoyed it, but it wasn't going to let me interact and help others. Making the leap from what I've always done, to a totally new field of study took a lot of encouragement. It was well worth the leap! The professors in my department are awesome. I'm having a blast with the student organizations and learning is fun again (yes, I'm a nerd). The best part is I'll get to work with kids and their families to make a difference!

Now I've been in Birmingham for a little over a year, and it's growing on me. I still gripe about the traffic, but the metro area has a lot of redeeming qualities. Mark's made me a fan of the annual Sidewalk Film Festival and Oak Mountain State Park. We've recently discovered the nicest $1 theater I've ever seen, and I don't think we'll ever run out of restaurants to try.

Do I ever wish I stayed at MTSU? Not at all. I will always love the historic Murfreesboro square (where a certain prince charming proposed), I still crave the amazing Italian food at Marinas on the square, and I look forward to the annual invitation to Mule Day from Sarah Elizabeth, but I love UAB, my program, and being married!

Party hats...

2007-08-12T18:34:00.002-05:00

Grandma's "almost 75th birthday party"

Jinx getting ready for my birthday

6 days until my birthday...

2007-08-08T18:02:00.001-05:00

I was thinking pool party, but I'll have to keep an eye on the forecast. Right now they are predicting scattered thunderstorms. I've got my fingers crossed for a sunny day.

The World's Best Husband...

2007-07-24T13:46:00.001-05:00

...makes you cakes just because.

...volunteers to walk the dogs at 3 a.m. by himself, so you can get more sleep.

...teaches you the biochemistry of folate metabolism so you can write a paper on it.

...agrees to play one more round of Dr. Mario with you even though his eyes are already bloodshot and he can't see straight any more.

I love you, Mark! Thanks for spoiling me.