Happy Holidays From the Lindgrens

I can't believe it has almost been a month since my last entry. I'm not doing a very good job of achieving my once a week goal at this point. I'm hoping this will improve in '09. My excuse for this is my energy level is really low and I'm back to needing to sleep a lot. So, the time I have available is being sucked up by work and then preparing things for the baby's arrival.

On that note, I did not send out Holiday cards this year, which is highly unusual for me, but I just couldn't get around to it; and then time had ran out. So, this will serve as the Lindgren Holiday greeting. We wish you a wonderful holiday season with your friends and family; and hope that '09 will bring you great joy and happiness.

So. . .what have we been up to since my last post?

- Maren and I have been growing, growing, growing. I pass people on the street and they tell me I must be due any day now; and I have to let them know we're hanging in there until February. I usually receive a shocked look at this and very frequently, especially Asian women, will tell me there is no way. The baby will come before February. So, we will see. Also, they very frequently say I'm having a boy, which at this point has caused me to start questioning the ultrasound given it has come up so often. But I feel like it's Maren that's in there and if it's not, then we'll make some last minute adjustments. :)
- Our landscaping is finished and looks great; however, we've had freakishly cold weather in the Bay Area lately, so now I'm a little paranoid the plants may die from the freezing temperatures that were not set to arrive until January. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that will not be the case.
- Maren's room is under way. I'm spent a ton of time getting all of my stuff out of the room and trying to find places to put it in our tiny little house. By some miracle, I think it's now all under control. Most of the furniture is here and all of the bedding is ready. This weekend is the weekend things really get started. Nicole has graciously volunteered to paint the room. So, I purchased everything last week and painting will begin shortly. I can't wait to see how it turns out. The colors are brown, white, lime green and pink.
- And rates are low folks, so get out there and refinance. This is always a lovely experience of digging up a ton of paperwork and preparing things, but the reward or a lower mortgage payment is what is pushing me forward on this one.
- Derek has been in nesting mode for quite a while now. He has a new project to work on every weekend. And when there isn't a project, he goes into a little bit of a panic mode thinking he must be forgetting something. This month he has finished our window seals in the kitchen, hung wood blinds, hauled all of my Christmas decor in and out of the garage for me so I could decorate, purchased and put together new dressers and shelves for our bedroom and this weekend he is patching and priming the room to be painted and re-grouting the tile on our bathroom counter top. He is quite the handy man around the house and I am thankful for that.
- Griffin has recovered fully from his Thanksgiving craziness and is back to his old self. He was able to hit the trails with his dog group again this week and I can tell he's a much happier guy because of it. He loves to get out there and just run.
- And some exciting news. . .we had dinner with Jason (the best man at our wedding) and Joe on Thursday night and they surprised us with their Christmas card announcing they were married on September 22nd. So, they made it in before prop 8 was passed. We're very happy for them and can't wait for them to have a big celebration bash. Congratulations Jason and Joe. And we have two other friends that have gotten engaged Susie (one of my bridesmaids) and Nikki. So, we're going to be spending lots of time at weddings in '09.

Happy Holidays to everyone!
Shana, Derek and Griffin

What A Wild Week

Over the last seven days, I have had so much happening, it's nuts. Here are just a few things I've done.

- Hosted a sales conference for work all week last week. I was at work until at least 7:00 every night.
- My brother and his girlfriend Sherri moved from Austin, TX, they arrived last Thursday and are staying with us until their appt is ready on the 1st.
- On Friday I was lucky to have a friend in town and her husband, Katie and Ryan, that I don't see very often because they live in Utah. We had a great dinner with them; and I really enjoyed seeing them.
- I attended a major community event for YouTube on Saturday afternoon. Go to YouTube and search for YouTube Live if you want to see the footage.
- Jody's birthday was on Saturday, we had a little celebration that evening at Little Star Pizza.
- I attended my friend Megan's bridal shower on Saturday
- I registered for my baby shower on Sunday. My great friend Ann, drove from Stockton to help me figure out everything Maren and I will need. Thank you!
- We hired a landscaper to finish our front yard project and solidified all the details on Sunday.
- My dad and Jody finished all the hardscape of the front yard on Monday before the landscaper arrived on Tuesday to begin the project.
- Griffin, my dog, started acting a little funny on Monday. He wasn't eating his food.
- On Tuesday, he started throwing up and I decided to take him to the ER that night. We were there from 8:30-12:30 pm.
- Griffin still didn't look well this morning, so my dad took him to the vet. And he is now in surgery because he ate something that is blocking his intestines. Crazy Dog!
- Oh. . .I forogt that I started going to the chiropractor 3x per week last week, so have had to do that too.
- And my mom and her boyfriend arrive tonight for Thanksgiving.

So. . .that was a snapshot of the last seven days. Isn't life suppose to slow down when you're pregnant?

And now it's Thanksgiving. I have a lot to be thankful for and I'm hoping for a relaxing weekend; and I'm looking forward to eating a lot of pie. I think I've earned it. :)

Happy Thanksgiving to all!

7 Months Update

I am now 27 weeks pregnant and in my seventh month. This is a shot of my growing belly and my new hairstyle. I thought I looked more stylish with it, but both Derek and Nicole's first comments were, "you got a mom cut." So while I love the change, we'll see if I continue to get more of those comments; and if I do, I may need to rethink things.

What am I feeling at 27 weeks? My back is killing me! I've started going to the chiropractor. I will be on a 3x a week treatment plan for one month and then we'll see how things are going from there. I have a belly brace and a crazy pillow that wraps all around me to help with things. Hopefully the chiropractor will do the trick though; otherwise, I may not be walking by the end of this adventure. Other than that, things are going well. She is a very active little one that loves to do aerobics between 7:00 and 9:00 each night.

Griffin: "I love poop!"

This is Griffin and unfortunately our bath tub, after one of his fun filled adventures with his dog walker and the dog pack. On Tuesday, he had a little too much fun. This is one thing I will never understand about this dog. He loves poop!! And most importantly, he loves to roll in poop whenever he can find it, especially if it is a large pile of poop. So, he found a nice pile of cow poop while out with his friends and went to town rolling in it. The dog walker did his best to try and wipe he off, but he was still a total mess when I got home. His collar was covered in poo; and he smelled really bad. I think he thought he smelt like roses though. :) Needless to say, we (meaning Derek) spent the next hour scrubbing him in the tub. Our tub was a total mess; and then Derek had to proceed to thoroughly scrub the tub. This was one of his first tub scrubbing adventures; and he very quickly reminded me that I need to hurry up and hire a housekeeper because he's not doing that again. :) Griffy is nice and clean now though, thanks to his papa.

Proud to Be An American?

This one may be a little controversial, but I felt I needed to say it.

Election Day 2008. . . what a historic event. We live in a country where we have proven all men are created equal. It was a beautiful thing to watch. And I am excited about the potential for the country. I believe things will change; and I believe we are going to be in a much healthier spot in the next 10 years.

In California there was a bit of a dark shadow cast over this great event. While on a national stage we stated as a nation all men are created equal, we did not make that statement here.

I have considered myself a patriortic person my entire life. I have also been someone that has believed in God. As a partriot and as a religious person I know I have chose to live in a country where we believe all men are created equal and we believe in the separation of church and state. I think many of us forget these two things when it comes to our voting cycle. There are things we must accept as Americans. There are many people all around us with different religous and moral standards; however, we are all created equal according to our legal law.

Those in support of this proposition were concerned about the impact it could have on their children in school. Another wonderful thing about our country is we have a choice in where we send our children to school. We can choose to send our children to school where we can guarantee what is being taught is directly in line with our own personal beliefs. We should embrace this option if we are not tolerant to other ideas.

As I look at marriage in America, I see many many flaws. Our divorce rate is out of control. Hetrosexuals are not getting it right either. I don't see any laws trying to pass against those that have been married multiple times because they can't figure out what marriage really means. I don't see people concerned with what their children learn when Tommy has 5 brothers and sisters all from different fathers or mothers from various marriages or un-wed pregnancies. There are so many ways in which "marriage" is flawed in society today, especially if you hold it against a religous standard.

In spite of all of this, we have chose to say gays do not have the same rights as others; and that two people that love one another can not legally marry.

This makes me very sad. Over the past 10 years, I have been fortunate to bring into my life many gays. Two of Derek's best men in our wedding are gay. They are wonderful people who deserve to have every right I have as an American.

For everyone that voted Yes on Prop 8, if your child comes to you and tells you he or she is gay, are you going to want them to have the same rights you have in this country? I hope so.

Happy Birthday Grandma Roark

This is grandmother's weekend for me in the blog world. Today is my Grandma Roark's 76th birthday. Unfortunately we were not able to make it down to Corcoran to celebrate the day with her, but I wanted to acknowledge it nonetheless.

Over the past ten years, I think I've grown closer to my grandma than I was as a child. On my dad's side of the family, I was the only girl. So, the majority of things we did with that family was centered around the boys. I was able to get in and hang with the best of them, but I leaned towards wanting to hang out with my girl cousins on the other side of the family a bit more.

I've really enjoyed getting to know my grandma more as an adult and better understanding her personality and the person that she is overall. She is the matriarch of our family. She is the pillar that has held everyone up during hard times. She is very caring and would do anything for her family. Derek always comments that he finds it odd my dad still calls her mama, but it is her love for him that keeps him calling her that.

Since I'm not there to take photos of this years party, I thought I'd throw up a few from her 75th last year. Happy Birthday Grandma!

My dad, Grandma, Aunt Lisa and Uncle Jimmy

Grandma and her long time friend Clemme

Arkansas (Continued)

Ok. . .I'm still trying to get the hang of blogging and formatting. So, I'm having to break this into two posts to get the pictures right. I'm sure I'll get the hang of this soon. :)

Here is a picture of the house in Arkansas I own. It is 2x the size of my house in Oakland and was 1/6th the price. Maybe I should move to Arkansas! I returned from my trip to find out my renters are moving out. That was super exciting news. :) So, if you know anyone interested in this lovely home and would like to live in the beautiful Ozarks, let me know. (I should do a blog entry on rental properties. I have too many stories to tell. . .unfortunately.)

Outside of spending time with my grandma. I also, hung out a lot with my aunt Tammy and her family: Eddie, Kyle, Lacey and Trey. They are great people and I love them to death. And my uncle Rick decided to stop by and say hello a few times while I was there too.

Arkansas

Last week, I spent 5 days in Arkansas visiting my family. (This trip reminded me how bad I am about taking pictures and I really need to step it up a notch.) I grew up very close to my mother's side of the family. They lived in a "suburb" of our small town. It was about 15 minutes away and we were always together. I spent so much time at my grandparents house. It was like a sanctuary. I remember very often escaping to their house when times seemed tough and it always made me feel better to be there. My grandparents played a very important role in my childhood and I can only hope my daughter, and any other future children, will have as wonderful of a relationship with their grandparents as I had with mine. I really had a special relationship with my grandmother. I was very close to her. She was a rock that I needed at various points in my life. And I'm so grateful for her in so many ways. Over the years she has started to develop Alzheimer's. This is a disease that runs in our family, so we're all looking to that day when it lands within us. The disease has been impacting my grandmother for a few years now, but it has really impacted her life over the last year and a half. It is hard to say this, but she's just not the same person anymore. I found myself getting very frustrated with her while I was there--which saddens me. But I had to keep reminding myself that the person I know is hidden somewhere within the strange new body and mind; and I needed to have patience because I knew she was in there, but it was very difficult. My aunt Tammy is the person that cares for her on a regular basis and I now understand the unbelievable challenge she faces on a daily basis; and I have to thank her from the bottom of heart for taking on this task and trying her best to remain sane while doing it. I am thankful for the time I was able to spend with them; and the next time I see them it will be with my own family in tow. I hope this will be at a point when my grandmother will still remember and understand that this is my child because she always told me I'd be a good mother and she couldn't wait for me to have babies. I love you grandma.

On my trip last week


On my trip last week.

At my wedding.

My mom, grandma and Tammy at Christmas the year before my grandfather passed away.

Me, Jody and Grandma Thanksgiving the year after my grandfather passed away.

Long Time Friends Reunion

Last week, I spent a few days with friends I've had since I was 4 years old, Jammie, Jamie and Melinda. It is so amazing how much the first 18 years of your life shape the remaining portion of your life and the individuals we become. I will always feel such a familiarity with these girls. It doesn't matter the amount of time that passes between seeing each other. It's such a warm and comforting feeling.

In junior high, we were die hard fans of the New Kids on the Block. Jammie, Jamie, Melinda and I traveled to LA and saw NKOTB at Dodger Stadium. We were so excited! Then Jammie, Melinda and I also saw them in Fresno a year later. We each had our own heart-throb within the group, which made it all the more exciting. So, when we heard they were having a reunion tour, we knew we had to be there. This is what brought about our mini-reunion.

Jammie, Melinda, Me, Jamie and Katie (with Brad in the back). Our Junior Year of High School



Jamie, Me, Jammie and Melinda, at dinner pre-concert.

Jamie was able to drive up a the night before the concert. So, I took the day off from work and we made it a full day of activities. First, we hit the Claremont Spa. That was super relaxing and something I think we both needed. It was great spending time with Jamie, catching up on life and reminiscing about the past.





After the spa, lunch and running a few errands, we were ready for the concert. So, we faught bay area traffic and met up with Jammie and Melinda. The four of us had a great dinner together and then headed down to the concert. Here are few picks from the show. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to be quite as rowdy as the rest of the crew, but it was still a great time. Imagine an entire arena full of women in their early 30's reliving their youth. It was wild.









We had such a great time and it was so nice to be together again. Thanks for a great night girls.

Business Travel

I feel like business travel has been such an entrenched part of my life for a long time now. The airport has felt like a second home to me for quite a while. After our wedding, I made a conscious effort to try and reduce the amount of time spent away from home; and now that the baby is on the way, I'm hoping it continues to decline.

That's not to say it was never exciting though. In my early 20's business trips were super exciting; and I think I grew a lot from the experiences. Being able to sit at a table by yourself in a restaurant is an art and skill that can be frightening at first, but something I have now mastered. I have been able to experience amazing cities: New York, Boston, Chicago, Seattle, Dallas, Atlanta, Paris, Madrid, etc. The key is to force yourself to leave the office and actually experience the cities while you are there. New York is the city that I will always wish I had official lived for a while. I don't think it would have ever been a life long spot for me, but I love New York; and I've grown to know it quite well through all of the trips taken there.

So here I am, off to Boston, hopefully on my last business trip before the baby is born. It's a 36 hr whirlwind trip that I'm not thrilled about, especially given I've lost my status on the airlines. (Airline status is a beautiful thing. . .and once you've had it is very difficult to give it up.)

Here's to a new life of ordinary economy travel with no status. :)

22 Weeks

I am pregnant with our first child. We had an ultra sound about 3 weeks ago and were told we are having a girl. We are so excited to have her join our lives.

I am still trying to find a word for what pregnancy has been like for me over the past six months. And for some reason the first word that comes to mind is strange. I feel a bit like I'm having an outer body experience. Something has taken over my body; and I'm along for the ride. Thankfully, I wasn't terribly sick during the first trimester. And through the second trimester I've regained my energy; and I am amazed every time I look down and see how my belly has grown. Do I like it? Yes. . .Do I dislike it? Yes. . .So I leave it as an amazing experience that I've been blessed to able to enjoy and endure.

Derek has been wonderful throughout the pregnancy. He is a very curious soul. So I think he has read more than I have about being pregnant, which means he very clearly understands my ups and downs and has been able to roll with them and support me throughout. He is very excited to be a daddy; and I can't wait to see his face when he sees her for the first time.

Mom. . .these shots are for you. They're not pretty, but they're my belly.

September 12th, on a trip to Portland Oregon.

One month later, October 11th. Oh how the belly has grown. :)

Finally!!

When I married, May 19th, 2007, I told myself I'd start a blog to chronicle the excitement of our lives. I went so far as to starting a journal on our honeymoon that I would just copy and paste in my blog when we returned home. One year and four months later I have finally accomplished this goal. Ultimate procrastination? Yes! I have one person to thank for ending this ridiculous cycle, my dear friend Jamie Maxfield. It took her driving three and half hours to my house and forcing that we make this happen, but nontheless it has happened. That's what true friends are for. So here we go. . .Welcome to the world of the Lindgrens.

One Year Wedding Anniversary Photo. . .Outside the French Laundry in Yountville, CA