Ok, I have to fess up. Being able to "haul stuff” wasn’t the only reason we decided to get a new car in August (or paint our bedrooms, for that matter). That was when we also found out I was going to have a baby - yay! This will be our first child, so the main reason we bought a new car is because my husband is an uber-planner. To stay on track with our financial plan he determined we had to buy one 4-door, kid-friendly car now so we could buy another one next year. That way we'd both have safer cars to “haul” the new addition and any necessary accessories without completely breaking the bank.

So far I’m very intrigued by this whole pregnancy experience. I've always romanticized what pregnancy might be like – maybe overwhelming feelings of maternal love beaming from my body at anyone who passes by. 

Needless to say, it’s is nothing like I imagined. I’ve had it good, I must say – not too much morning sickness and now I’m beginning to feel the little kicks, and ultrasounds are always something to look forward to.  We feel blessed to be expecting a new baby but overall, it’s been a relatively uneventful experience.   A lot of waiting… (I’m very impatient.)

So, in my quest to pass the long 40 weeks and foster the maternal beam of love, I found some great information on USA.gov’s Expecting Parents page. The information on alcohol and pregnancy (no champagne for New Years 2008!), tips on staying healthy and even help with finding a name has been great. Also, USA.gov’s Frequently Asked Questions page about Pregnancy and Nutrition directed me to essential information on foods pregnant women should stay away from (no sushi or unpasteurized cheese – it’s harder than I thought!). 

I’ll keep you up to date as April nears. Everyone says the baby will arrive before I know it, but I’m not so sure. Please share any of your tips or stories on pregnancy and parenthood in the comments.  I need all the advice I can get!!

Now, if I could only find some really great maternity pants…

"You are all weirdos." These are astute words from Sam the Eagle, with which I must agree.

People's quirkiness is often what I like best about them. It creates character, and is never boring. Some of my favorite examples:

• My best friend can't come within ten feet of styrofoam, or eat pointed ends of french fries. (The fries, he believes could potentially poke him in the stomach. The styrofoam fear is inexplicable and frankly, stupid.)
• My Mother can't even fathom drinking out of plasticware. Strictly a "glass only" gal.
• Another friend will not sleep until she has exactly three pillows on her bed, positioned at precise intervals and angles, ensuring her an ideal stay in dreamland.

I am no exception to bizarre human idiosyncrasies. I am unable to function without two elastic hair-ties securely around my left wrist at all times. (This makes for great formal-wear.) And if I come within smelling-range of canned tuna fish, the universe might explode.

Indeed, we are all weirdos. But one must not blame himself. A weirdo can't come to be without the genes of parental weirdos. It's all hereditary.

Last weekend, an extended family dinner complete with its fair share of oddity got me thinking how exactly we came to be the "Griswoldian" group we are today.

This was a question that required a bit more investigation than simply aunts, uncles, and cousins. I turned to USA.gov's "History, Arts, and Culture" page for information on genealogy and immigration records. Here I was able to reach the Ellis Island site, where I was able to register to see my family's passenger records , and even a picture of the ship on which they came to America.

Turns out my weirdness is an intricate blend of Slovak and Irish lineage. And I couldn't be prouder.

Did you know that the U.S. has nearly 24 million war veterans? This Sunday is Veterans Day and it’s time, once again, to honor the men and women who protect our country’s freedom. The first Veterans Day was November 11, 1919 and initially, we called it Armistice Day to honor those who died serving our country in World War I. However, in June 1954, the 83rd Congress passed a law to change the name from Armistice Day to Veterans Day in order to honor American veterans of all wars.

My family has quite a few veterans – at least 13 that I can think of – and that’s just going back 2 generations. They’ve served in World War I, World War II, Korea, Vietnam, the Persian Gulf, and Iraq and Afghanistan. One side of my family has created a beautiful granite memorial on a family plot of land on the Missouri River commemorating the service of all the veterans in our family. They also donated a memorial lectern to the Springfield, SD cemetery in honor of local war veterans and my Great Uncle Peter who was killed at Heartbreak Ridge in the Korean War. The remembrance on the lectern is so true: “For those who fought for it, freedom has a special flavor the protected will never know.” One of my favorite memories with my Grandpa Don was when he and my Grandma came to visit Washington, DC one year for an American Legion convention. We visited the Korean War Memorial together and although he didn’t share a lot about his experience or memories, seeing that memorial moved him to tears. What a sacrifice he must have made if more than 50 years later it can still bring up such strong emotions. After that day I’ve felt so much closer to him.

Remember that the federal government will officially honor veterans on Monday, November 12 and federal offices will be closed that day.  Please honor the veterans in your life on Sunday by sending them an e-card or doing something nice to show you remember the sacrifices they made. I can assure you; even a gesture that seems small to you may mean more to that veteran than you’ll ever know.

My mom’s oldest brother and his family live in Aliso Viejo, CA. I’ve only visited them once or twice so I’m not really familiar with the geography; all I know is that it’s south of LA and north of San Diego. When the wildfires started burning, I know it sounds callous, but I didn’t pay that much attention to the reports on the news. I’ll admit that I’ve become somewhat immune to hearing about all the disasters and crime that’s proclaimed loudly by the media 24/7.

Our family tends to live under the credo that unless you’ve heard otherwise everything’s fine so I didn’t really start to wonder about my family’s safety until Wednesday. (We’re a close family, but we all feel comfortable living our own lives spread out across the country - so this type of behavior really isn’t strange for us.)

After a little online research and some help from maps I learned that their house is about 28 miles north of the Horno/Ammo fire which was 40 – 50% contained and 16 miles west of the Santiago Fire, which was 30% contained, both as of Thursday afternoon.

So far, the fires are still pretty far away from Aliso Viejo but there’s no doubt they’re still burning. I’ll keep an eye on the status of the fires and hope that no more start even closer. If the family had been evacuated I could have used USA.gov Find Family and Friends page to check on their status with several organizations including the Red Cross and FEMA. 

My thoughts and prayers are with all those who’ve been affected by these wildfires.  For additional information on how you can get help or help those in need visit USA.gov/californiafires.

My friends and family would probably tell you the only reason I like autumn so much is because the leaves turn my favorite color – orange! While that’s partly true (I won’t lie), I also love the crispness of the weather, getting to wear warm sweaters, picking apples, and campfires. To see the leaves change from bright, vibrant greens to all shades of orange, yellow, red, and brown is just a bonus.

I have to wait a little longer for the orange of autumn here in the Washington, DC area, though, than in South Dakota where I grew up. There, we’d almost always experience our first frost and sometimes even our first snow by early October. Usually in mid to late September, before settling in for the long winter, our family would pile into the car for a ride up to Spearfish Canyon. Once there, we hiked back into the woods about a mile to Roughlock Falls where the stunning waterfalls, colorful leaves and fresh air make one want to stay forever! I’ll never forget the fall foliage in the Black Hills. 

Now, since I'm a city dweller, I’d like to get back out into the country and find a way to enjoy the fall leaves and festivities once again. Jake’s post this week inspired me to go apple and pumpkin picking. And, who doesn’t love a hayride? I also checked the U.S. Forest Service’s Fall Colors site (you can also call 1-800-354-4595) to see when the leaves will be at peak color in Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania and West Virginia. (We can drive to all four states in less than 3 hours.) It looks like our best bets for early October include PA’s Allegheny National Forest and Shenandoah National Park in VA. We might just have to make a weekend trip out of it.