Friday again! Yay!! My sweet hubby will be home tonight - I can barely wait!

It will be a study weekend for him though - he has an exam coming up Feb 14th and the 15th. It is for a pollutant and storage systems contractor license. If he obtains this licensure, he will be able to remove gas tanks from underground (like at old gas stations) and dispose of chemicals that require special handling. He has the environmental law background - but needs the license now to further his career.

He is scheduled to be finished working in New Orleans on March 1st - unless he signs on for 3 more months. I do hope that he doesn't have to do this - but the money is really good over there and we could really pay down our credit card debt. Debt just sucks. Student loans, cars, a mortgage. Credit card debt is just horrible. The interest rates are out of this world. I will be so glad when we can cut up the cards and be finished with credit. Sure - credit can be very useful - for like emergencies (ONLY!!) That is what we will use it for anyway.

My belly is getting bigger. I weighed 131 at the OB on Wed. My pre preg weight was 120. So - I've already gained 11 lbs (at 17 weeks). I gained quite a bit last time - 55 lbs I think. I would like NOT to gain that much this time around. Something I've been thinking of lately is stretch marks. I don't know HOW exactly - but I managed to gain all that weight and NOT get them with Nathan. I don't know if I will be so lucky this time around. Some people are just blessed with stretchable skin and don't get them. I've heard that it has to do with genetics. BUT, my mom and sister have them. (ALOT OF THEM) Not that they look bad - but they are there. I think the odds are that I will get them. I don't want them though - who wants them? My tummy is by far my best feature. It has always been flat as a board and unblemished. I did get a belly button ring in VT but got rid of it a few months after I got it. That was a huge, huge mistake. My belly button now has a noticeable scar above it - reminding me of my self mutilation phase. I'm so glad that is far behind me.

I really need to get moving. Something. Yoga, walking (fast - like a workout), something. I just feel so tired and lazy all the time.

Nathan is napping - we had lunch with a wonderful woman named Diane. She is an old friend of my MIL and I love her dearly. All my MIL's friends are just as sweet as can be. I really, really enjoyed being around her. She has an easygoing personality - easy to talk to. Open, warm. A great cook - inviting, welcoming. I would like to be JUST like her one day. She has a magnificent home across from the water - lots of land. Rocking chairs on the spacious front porch. Fresh sweet tea in the fridge all the time (I'm guessing). Her doors just stay open! 2 people came by when Nathan and I were there - just to drop in for a minute to say Hi to her. She is a Christian - has been for years. So is her husband, their two grown children and most of her friends. She volunteers at Safe Harbor - like Save a life. Ever since I became a Christian at age 19 - I have really been drawn to 'older' women who were stable in their walk with Christ. They appeal to me because I sense such a beautiful quiet peace in their lives. Not perfect - who is?? But steadfast. Joyful. Calm. I want to be someone that others are drawn to... I want my home to be a beautiful and peaceful place to visit. I want to have fresh bread in the oven several days a week (no I have never made bread before!) I want to be available when someone is in need of help, or just a friend to listen. I want to use wisdom in leading young women to the Lord - gently, quietly, and slowly. I do know that I cannot heal their hearts, but I do know that the Lord can heal their hearts AND set them free. My life seems chaotic at the moment though - will be for several more years. A toddler getting into everything and a new baby to spoil - I won't have time to do much of anything else - but that is my hope for one day anyway.