O.k. so it has been a long time.  I would ordinarily feel pretty guilty, but I'm not yet because according to my calendar it is still December 30th of 2011, which gives me approximately one more day of slacking until my New Year's Resolution to blog consistently kicks in.  So UNTIL THEN, I intend to continue slacking, and not feeling guilty.  Whew, glad we got that out of the way.

   So, have any of you discovered the ultra-entertaining, positively inspiring GWG blog?  (Girls With Glasses)  Oh, you all have? Months ago?  I thought so.  I'm always behind the times.  Well, here they are in all their glory....

  Contrary to what the title might lead you to believe, I am not talking about the Hulk.  Or the Grinch, or the Jolly Green Giant that advertises canned corn.  Or the Sinclair dinosaur, the funny one-eyed guy from Monster's Inc., or the Loch Ness Monster.  Man, there really are a lot of green ones, aren't there?  Assuming that the LNM is green, but that's what I've always pictured it as....moving on.

   I am talking about jealousy.  Someone please tell me that I'm not the only person that struggles with this, even if you're just humoring me.  I think even a lie would comfort me a little at this point. "You, jealous?!! But why?! You have such a perfect life!!"  Why thank-you, and I do have a perfect wonderful life.  But that's not really the point.  Newsflash, but Satan doesn't really take into consideration how beautiful your life is before deciding what to tempt you with.  It's not like he takes one look at your life and goes, "Shucks.  She's got an amazing husband, beautiful daughter and lovely home.  I got nothin'."  He's a little smarter than we give him credit for, people.  He can strike anyone, anytime, and anywhere, and it doesn't really matter if you're living in a penthouse or on a park bench, jealousy can happen even to you.

   So here are just a few things that rouse up that ugly, green pest these days.

1. Blog envy.  I have long touted the opinion that cool, talented, amazing blogs are not the CAUSE OF JEALOUSY.  I cannot stress this enough.  Swearing off reading blogs will not cure your jealousy, because there will always be something in life (your great aunt's cooking, so-and-so's home/car/pool, etc) to peak your jealousy.  No, my friends, there are no magic words to say to make it disappear.  It is something we have to each individually conquer in our own lives.  THAT BEING SAID, even though I am still a fierce proponent of the opinion that blogs don't MAKE us jealous, I will admit to slipping up occasionally and feeling jealous after reading one.  Like this one, who blogs about her baby yawning, and gets 121 comments.  I'm not kidding.  In fact, she doesn't have to write anything at all.  She puts up no more than a single photo and the comments come rolling in by the hundreds.  What is up with that?  And while we're talking about her, (sorry, not trying to target her specifically, she's just a perfect example of this next one) we'll roll right on into #2.
2. Those women that materialize into their former selves mere moments after giving birth.  This is what she looks like 5 weeks post-baby.

   
Of course no trip to K-town would be complete without a visit to my beloved Kalona Coffee House, and if you're local and haven't checked it out yet, well than you're physically unable to leave your house, and I feel sorry for you.  I can think of no other reason why you wouldn't have gone there and sampled some of their holiday goodness.  Or even if you're not local.  I'm from the West Coast for Pete's sake, and I've made it there twice in the past 3 days.  Mistletoe Mocha? Snickerdoodle latte?  Yeah, I don't know what you're waiting for either.

And how perfect is this scenario:  Dragging oneself out of bed in the cold, wintry morning, and hustling down to aforementioned coffee shop to meet a dear friend and enjoy a blueberry muffin, java, and good discussion.  PLUS, it's snowing. Delight.  

 
 Lovely times with the fam have been happening as well, such as games and movies and lots and lots of food.

   And then there's this little angel who just can't quite get enough of all the attention from Grandma, Grandpa and the aunt/uncles.  I'm sure when we go back home she'll be attention-starved unless I hold her all day long.  She is just tickled to be here.  But I think she misses her daddy, and if he were only here, she would have just about everything she needs.  I have just been thrilled with how good she has been.  Happy, cheerful, letting people feed her and put her to sleep...I don't know what to do with myself with all the built-in babysitters.  And she's been working out too, check out those obliques.

   I just wish I had pictures of the others things I've gotten to do so far too, like lunch with Shawn, coffee with Janene, the chicken dinner at Pathway, church on Sunday, and shopping with Mom.  Good times.  I am amazed every time I go back to Pathway how different it feels.  So many new faces, with people I can't even recognize being these tough, cool, seniors and then thinking, "Oh wait, I DO remember them.  Only at about 7 years old."  And then I feel really weird and old and just stop staring at them.  Some people actually didn't recognize ME, which I'm hoping was a good thing?  Hopefully I haven't aged THAT ungracefully....  It's also weird to realize that while I do talk to some students, I find more in common with the parents of students, and end up talking more with them.  And then I see my high school teachers and I feel 16 again.  It is just. So. Weird.

   Well, that's enough for now.  I'm still trying to wrap my head around the fact that I don't have to get pictures off of my camera to blog photos anymore...amazing.

Hush, you techie scoffers.