The Day That Never Ends

(Set to that incredibly annoying tune of the "Song That Never Ends")

This is the day that never ends,
It keeps going on and on, my friends,
It started out just fine, but now I think, that it's just a joke,
I would like to scream aloud "Today, you're a slow-poke!"
This is the day that never ends...

Back to School

Exciting news! I am (hopefully) going back to school to earn my Cosmetology license!! It is something I have wanted to do for several years now, but saving all our pennies for a house took precedence. Jared and I were having a heart-to-heart last week and I shared my regrets for never following through with it. He simply looked at me and told me to go for it. I immediately gushed my concerns about trying to make it through school while caring for a newborn, but he stopped me in my tracks with some of the sweetest words I have ever heard: "I will do whatever it takes to help you get through this."

I have been pouring over information from various schools, trying to weigh my options. The only thing I know for sure at this point is that I am going to enroll as a part-time student, and complete my degree in about 18 months. The classes will be a few evenings a week, and on Saturdays. This morning I called around to all the potential schools and set up meetings with each of them to gather as much information as possible. I have three this week, and one next week.

When should I start-- right away or after the baby is a few months old? How much will it cost? What is the part-time schedule? Will any of my previous credits tranfer? How much financial aid do I qualify for?
All of these are vital questions that I need to know the answers to before I can make any further decisions. If you have a minute this week, I would really appreciate your prayers. I am a little nervous about this huge new step.

Under Construction

We are putting in a wood floor in our living room. Here are some pictures of our progress...

Ripping up the carpet

We have a lot of big furniture that had to be moved back and forth across the room as we ripped.

Half way there

We got the yucky old carpet rolled up

If you look at the corner of the rolled up carpet, you can see one of the ways Bumper left his mark on the world...

Ooop, there are three more, Bumper was really trying to make an impression. :(

Jared starting to place the first row of boards!

The current state of our kitchen...

The Door Closed on Ben and Ariel at 9:03

Last night we had Ben and Ariel over for the last time. Since I had Emma all day yesterday, I did not have time to make dinner after work. So Em and I went to my house for awhile. She entertained herself chasing the cats and dog, while I busied myself throwing together a (delicious) chicken stuffing casserole. It was a recipe I found online, and later decided that it tasted like Thanksgiving in a dish. Yum. I also tried a new recipe for dessert, which was strawberries and spiced syrup. Yum again. After dinner, we went outside and went to work sanding and buffing the few spots of peeling paint on Ben and Ariel's car. They are trying to sell it as quickly as possible before they move across the country in six days.
After successfully hiding the blemishes, it was aready 8:30, which meant Jar had to go to bed. Since Ben and Ariel had not yet felt the baby kick, I layed down on the grass, hoping little Presh would put on a show. Almost immediatly, Baby did a sommersault, then a kick, which Ben felt and laughed with glee. Then it was Ariel's turn. That darn little baby must have decided it was naptime, because after waiting for about ten minutes, there was not another move from within. Sorry Ariel.
Quickly, we transfered a plethora of empty packing boxes from our garage into their car, and then Ben helped Jared move our huge, heavy hutch down to the garage (which we sold on Craig's List!). Just as they were stepping out the door at 8:45, we realized they had not yet seen the nursery! So we all ran upstairs and admired the babyness of the room. As we were saying good bye, Jared remembered that this would most likely be the last time we saw them before the move. Tears ensued, followed by another round of lingering hugs. The door closed on Ben and Ariel at 9:03.

Both of my brothers and my amazing new sisters, are gone.

What am I to do with this?

How am I supposed to react?

My emotions are in the fury of battle right now. One side is fighting to close them all out-- to emotionally retract myself from them so the pain can never be fresh. The other side is battling to show them my gracious support, stay in close contact, and just deal with the hurt of living on opposite sides of the country.

It is obvious what the right choice is here, I don't need to hear it again. But I may need some support myself.

Too Funny Not to Blog

I stole this from Erin's blog, but I had to post it too for my reading audience. It is a Christian revision of the song Baby Got Back (I Like Big Butts). It is hilarious!

Music Video: Baby Got Book

Congratultions Andy and Shannon!

I spent Wednesday through Sunday of this week in Tom's River, New Jersey, witnessing the union of my brother to his new wife. It was an absolutely beautiful ceremony that I was honored to be a part of. I honestly believe that Andy could not have found a more perfect woman. I love Shannon to death. God is so much a part of their relationship and their every interaction that it would be an understatment to say "Obviously God brought these two together." Their relationship and understanding of what marriage truely means, even before they were married, amazes me. They both understand and fully embrace the fact that marriage is a representation, a picture, of how God loves the church. That is something I definately did not understand prior to getting married, and have only learned through the example of precious people like this. So here is to Andy and Shannon!

Shannon and Andy

Shannon

So in love...

The beautiful bride

Anna, Shinae, Andy, Ben, Naomi

The Newly weds and their parents:

Tim, Pat, Shannon, Andy, Becky, Jim

The last time the whole Norquist family will be together for a VERY LONG TIME...

Ben and Ariel, Josh and Shinae, Anna, Andy and Shannon, Becky and Jim, Naomi and Jared

Shannon feeling pretty pumped to be Mrs. Norquist!

Me and my beauitful new sister!

Shannon and Andy making their escape

I love you two so much, and am saddened that we are so far apart...

Uninspired

I have not felt very moved toward blogging lately. We have been struggling through a whirwind of activities for the past week and a half, but I still didn't feel like any of it was worth blogging about.

So here are my favorite most recent news tidbits:

1. We cleaned, washed, vaccummed, polished and scrubbed the Ford this week, took pictures and listed it for sale. Someone came to look at it within 24 hours of listing it.

2. We went through our garage and cleaned out several large items, and listed them for sale on Craig's List. Items include: knotty pine dining table, 2 paintball guns, new Alverez guitar, and papazan chair. I LOVE getting rid of stuff. We already have WAY TOO MUCH of it.

3. We bought engineered wood flooring for our living room. We are going to rip out the nasty potty carpet that Bumper has been decorating over the past year, and put some beautiful, STERILE wood down. I don't fancy the idea of our little Precious crawling through the potty playland.

4. Jared was able to trade some days at work, so he can now attend Andy and Shannon's wedding in New Jersey next weekend. We are about 90% sure he would not be able to go.

5. My Papar and Marm have been getting more and more excited about the baby's arrival and everytime I go to their house, they have something new in preparation. Last week it was a baby gate, this week Mom made three homemade bibs. They also ordered a crib mattress for us! It is the #1 rated crib mattress by Consumer Reports. Our child already has the best grandparents in the world!

6. We are going this afternoon to pick up the glider and ottoman for our nursery.


That's all for now, folks.

They Are Laying on the Tree of Life

Finally, the blanket that I toiled over since January is complete and in the hands of its owners. We brought the blanket to Andy and Shannon this weekend when we went to visit. Their wedding is less than 3 weeks away, and there is a good chance that Jared will not be able to make it out to Jersey for the big day, so we wanted to give it to them together.



They were very excited, and loved the blanket. Their reaction was good, but definatly not big enough. I am just afraid that no reaction could have been big enough for how many frustrating hours I put in on it! I am sure many of you quilters can understand that, right?



Here are the photos...

Too Far

I cam across this article today. I believe pill-mania has gone a little too far. If you have a few minutes, read through the article and let me know what you think.

FDA approves first pill meant to end periods

Who Said Hugo is Dull?

Wednesday morning I woke up and looked out the window and saw a police car parked in a driveway across the street. I looked down the street and saw two more squad cars blocking off the road. I watched the action over the course of several hours. During that time, a woman and her daughter came out of the house with bags packed, and a dog kennel in tow, and got into one of the squad cars. There was no sign of the man living there. Then two policemen clothed in white jumpsuits and masks, complete with yellow rubber galoshes, pulled container after container of liquid out of our neighbor's garage. Then they proceeded to test each container with a device that looked like a large walkie-talkie. The "antennae" part was actually like a straw that they stuck in the end of each container and then punched some buttons on the keypad. Our best guess at all this action was a drug bust. This morning our conclusions were confirmed. They busted the start of a meth lab.

KARE 11
Man arrested for making meth in Hugo
Washington County sheriff's deputies responded to a 911 call about a domestic dispute but what they found was a meth lab.The deputies were called to a town home in Hugo around 6 a.m. When they arrived and entered the home they found a small meth lab. The deputies brought ether, ephedrine and trace amounts of meth out of the town home before ventilating the home and building. They arrested one man.Authorities say there was no health risk to any of the his neighbors.This is the first meth lab Washington County authorities have busted in three years.


Last Updated: 5/16/2007 4:34:39 PM


ABC NEWS
Meth lab found in Hugo

Washington County Deputies responding to a domestic call found a meth lab at a townhome in Hugo Wednesday morning. It is the first meth lab found in Washington County in at least three years, according to officials. Deputies responded to the call on Emmit Dr. and Education Dr. around 6 a.m. While inside, they found gallons of ether, ephedrine, and tubes testing positive for meth. Neighbors were notified, however, the home is ventilated well and there is no risk of an explosion, according to deputies. James Langer, 31, was taken into custody in connection with the threats and could face charges for the lab. Langer lives in the brand new complex with his girlfriend and her 12-year-old daughter.


Updated at: 05/16/2007 05:42:20
PMBy: Justin Piehowski, Web Manager

As Promised...

We had my parents over for a grill out on Saturday evening. It was a great evening, full of fun and laughter. After dinner, we sat around the living room and chatted. I commented on how trendy my mother's new style was as she sported this glittery, rainbow hat cocked dramitically to one side. It is the lastest fashion these days...

This is the moment she found out she would be famous. "You will be famous by tomorrow. This is going on my blog!"

Being the cool mom that she is, she decided that if she was destined for fame, she may as well strike a signature pose. You can look for this photo in all the lastest high fashion magazines.

eBay Angst

Have you ever felt the adrenaline rush of bidding on an auction you REALLY WANT, not knowing if the person on the other end is bidding higher than you at that exact moment? You enter your bid, and for a brief second, you feel like you are on top of the world, like you couldn't possibly contain any more pride, when that page comes up that reads "Congratulations! You are the current high bidder!" Then, only seconds later, you click refresh to make sure your success is secured. This time the page that comes up is not so reassuring. It reads, "I'm sorry. You have been outbid." Your pride is crushed. Your hope falls. Then the adrenaline rushes back and surges through your veins. You have new strength. You grit your teeth as an evil smile sneaks across your face. You enter your new bid, and shout "Outbid that!" as you slam your finger down on the Enter button. This is the point where you forget what you are bidding on, and are now just bidding to WIN. There are only 40 seconds left. There is only time for one more shot, so make it good. You wait. You are the high bidder. Refresh. 20 seconds. You are the high bidder. Refresh. You are going to win! Your heart rate is off the charts. 10 seconds. Your victory is almost secured. 3 seconds. Refresh.

"Bidding has ended for this item. You were outbid."

Tears.

Go Anna!

Last night was the annual performance by the Mini-Saints at Faith. This is Anna's last year in the choir. Jared and I, along with the family including two of my uncles from out of town, my aunt Wendy, my grandma Edie, and my parents, all gathered last night for the Saturday evening performance. This year, the story of Joseph was told through dancing and singing. All of the kiddos did an amazing job, and I just wanted to devote this post to congratulating them!

Here are some photos of the kids in action...



Jesse and Anna fighting over a scroll



Anna rockin out with her two best friends, Jesse and Steph



Jessi, Anna, Steph



Uncle Tom, Grandma Edie, Aunt Wendy, The Star: Anna Norquist, Uncle Dan, Papar, Marma

Apparently I Love Baseball!

I went to the Twins game yesterday with some relatives and I LOVED IT! If any of you saw the score or heard anything about the game, it was apparently a pretty lame one. Neither team scored throughout the entire 9 innings, or in the 10th. Then finally in the bottom of the 11th inning, with two bases full, Redmond hit a good one and the Twins won 1-0! And even though the game was not all that dynamic, I had a blast!



Uncle Tom, Jim, Grandma Edie, Aunt Wendy, Me sitting in our Diamond View seats!

Joe Mauer, who coincidentally was born the same year I was. There is my claim to fame.... lame?

Papar and Foofy at the game!

Money and Baseball

Good news!! We sold the motorcycle! This is such a blessing, and has put into motion a series of events affecting our future in preparation for the baby (Whew! That was mouthful!).
In simpler terms, we are able to pay off the remainder of the bike loan, with a considerable amount left over. With the extra money we are going to pay off some other debts we have, and thus lower our monthly payments. This will in turn allow us to save up enough $$ for a down payment on a cross-over vehicle for me and baby. (Need I even hint that the cars we have now would not be considered "reliable"?) Anyways, I feel like God is taking good care of us here and laying out a future for our growing family.

In other news, I am going to a Twins game on Thursday! I have not been to one since I was about 6ish. I am pretty excited. I am going to with my grandma, aunt, papar, and uncle from out of town and am very excited to spend the afternoon with all of them. Plus, I actually know the rules of baseball, which will make the game even more enjoyable. There is one thing that has been bothering me though... what am I supposed to wear to the game? I don't own one thing that has any kind of sport emblem on it, much less any Twins items. I guess I will just pick from the few items of clothing that still fit me. Shouldn't be too hard as there aren't many, and we haven't had the chance to go out shopping for my new wardrobe yet.

Sunshine Brings It Out

I have decided that the sun has a more powerful effect on people then we realize. The awareness of this effect is in the back of our minds constantly-- that when the sun comes out, we are put into a state of happiness and itch to get outside and bask in this mysterious medicine.

I know that in my case, my mood for the day is largely based on the weather. When the sun is shining bright, my mood is always more cheerful, and it shapes my whole day. When Spring rolls around every year, and the sun starts to shine on a daily basis, inevitably the greenhouses are on the way, people of all ages dot the sidewalks, and the beautiful smell of smoke from the BBQ fills the air. I love this time of year. Hope and happiness is the oxygen I breath during these Spring days.

This theory was proved further this week when we received four calls of interest about coming to test drive Jared's motorcycle (which is for sale). The reason I say that the sun has any effect on this is because the bike has been for sale since January, and we have not had a single bite... until this week.

Yay for the sunshine!!

The sun has come out,
People want to buy the bike,
Please keep shining bright!

Pregnancy Blog

I created a new blog specifically devoted to keeping you all informed on my pregnancy. Check it periodically to find out how things are going for baby and me!

http://babyblab.blogspot.com/

(I will try to post my first update this week sometime.)

Stuck in the Middle

Right now I am at that akward stage in every pregnancy, where my normal clothing no longer flatters my growing belly, and yet, maternity clothing looks like a giant potato sack draped over my body.
I found this especially true as I sorted through my closet today. I packed away much of my normal clothes, and replaced it with the few maternity pieces I have aquired. As I packed away my clothes, I could not help but wonder whether or not that was the last time I would every be able to wear some of those outfits. Would I have to start all over after the baby is born and my body is changed forever? Then I began to wonder if I would even like the style of these clothes after I became a mother. I don't feel like a dress very "motherly" now. Will I end up being one of those matronly dressers, at the young age of 24? Or will I be able to maintain that hip, young mother style? These thoughts got me so flustered and bittersweetly sad, that I played loud rocker music, and rocked out while completing my task. It made me feel a little more my age I guess.
After calming my worries, I realized I know a lot of really awesome moms, some hip, some not, but awesome just the same. I guess it does not really matter what someone wears. Heck, if none of these clothes fit me, then I guess I will be forced into a shopping trip, and who can be upset about that?

Used Car Salesmen Will Say Anything

Yesterday after work, Jared and Nathan met me in Maplewood to see if the key we received in the mail would win us a new Nissan. We walked through the door of the dealship at 3:15. We did not walk out until 6:05. Well actually, Nathan and I walked out three times, but were called back in again. Here is the story:

In my niave little mind, I thought we would be able to waltz in, try out our key, and leave. Obviously the point of these keys is to get people into the dealship, so they can pound you into the ground trying to sell you a car. After answering a few simple questions, the salesman jumped up, and as he scurried away, he shouted back over his shoulder that he was going to pull up the "perfect" car for us. I believe they learn this technique at their Shady Salesmen of America meetings. This way, we had no time to protest.

So he pulled up a navy blue Acura MDX. At this point we had already been at the dealership for 30 minutes. Nathan and I were going to walk out to the car to leave, but when I saw the Acura, I decided I could go with on the test drive. We took it out and immediatly noticed a very violent vibrating originating at one of the wheels. After the test drive, we drove it to the onsite service center to be fixed. Meanwhile, we were ushered back into the dealship, asked how much per month we would be able to pay for this car, and then before we knew it, Mr. Shady was shaking our hands and Congratulating us on the purchase of our new car. WHAT? Jared and I looked at eachother confused, and then proceeded to wait around for about 45 minutes while everyone ignored us.

At this point, Nate and I headed out the car to leave, and Jared stayed behind to tell them we had to go. I was called back in, because coincidentally right when we had to leave, they were suddenly ready to talk to us about financing options. They presented us with numbers well above what we gave them as our MAX payments, to which we said no. We excused ourselves to talk things over, and after reaffirming the conclusion that the payments were indeed too high, I walked again out to the car, and Jared went back in to decline their offer. He told them that we did indeed like the car, but that his wife was not okay with the payments and we would not be able to buy it.

So, they sent the Acura home with us for a day to convince me we actually did need it. Obviously they do not understand that liking a car enough to want to buy it, does not mean that suddenly we can afford it. Jared picked it up from the service center, where the mechanic explained to him what they had done to fix it and that it should be in pristine running order.
Anyways, after driving the car off the lot, the vibrations were even stronger than before and were now accompanied by a groaning sound at every turn. When they called later that evening to find out how I liked it, Jared told them of the terrible vibrations, and they quickly replied that they had not serviced it yet, and that it would get taken care of.

BULLCRAP.

We are returning the car this afternoon with an empty tank of gas.

Heart of Gold

I heard my baby's heartbeat today. Best day of my life.