1995-1996 in Mason City working for KIMT (with my good friend Monica)

Don’t stress too much about financial matters.  You make a lot less than you will some day, but you don’t have kids and a mortgage.

Friends will come and go but the ones worth keeping will stay in touch.

You are not fat and you have a great body.  Two pregnancies will rearrange it.

Eventually you will be the “older” woman at work.  Most of your female colleagues will leave TV news by 30.

Holding off on getting married and starting a family is the right choice.  Eventually both will happen at the point when you’re much more settled in your career.

If you think  being a mom will alter your thinking and switch your priorities, you’re right.

Posted under Baby Thomas: Month 58

Here is a picture I love of my husband at 1 1/2.  He is the middle child, so fewer baby pics of him were taken compared to his older sister.  Some people say he looks a lot like Thomas.  I see my younger step-daughter Lauren.  Like me, he had blond hair.  Blonder than mine into high school.  Happy Good Friday and a blessed Easter weekend as you celebrate with your loved ones!

Posted under Baby Thomas: Month 57

As one of my friends texted me, any time u take out the hot glue gun you get serious crafty points.  So my points total shot way up when during the weekend I pulled out the tree my mom had passed on to me recently among a haul from my parents’ house meant for our garage sale.  Three 88-cent packs of pastel-colored plastic eggs and some blue grass, ribbon I found in the basement and my hot glue gun later… and check out this Easter addition to our house.  Charlotte and Thomas were impressed–and they make up my target audience.  We even Facetimed Nana on my iPhone to show it off.  I was proud of myself for not breaking down in the aisle at the store and Googling decorative tree ideas.  ‘Cause I almost did.  Nope, didn’t need Pinterest to come up with this baby.

Posted under Baby Thomas: Month 57

I knew it would happen… eventually.  Just not this soon.  A few months ago I started doing what I’ve seen my dad and my husband do a thousand times, hold the menu or cell phone away a few inches to bring the words into focus.  Which means I need reading glasses.  I broke down last week at the Mall of America and bought two stylish pairs with a case for $10.  The good news:  I need the lowest strength and was pleased to discover this via a chart you could use above the display.  The really good news:  I have yet to spot a gray hair on my head.  So that means I’m just sorta old.

Happy 80th Birthday to loyal blog reader Nancy Ceilley Vogel!

Posted under Baby Thomas: Month 57

What a great time we’re having with Dave’s parents and daughters in Washington!  Taylor, on the left, is 25 and just got accepted into a graduate program to get her Master’s in social work.  She has been working in the field since finishing college a few years ago.  Lauren, on the right, just turned 23 and is finishing her undergraduate degree to be a high school teacher.  Granddad and Grandmother, as we call my in-laws, are in their mid-80s and still live at home.  Dave’s mom was debilitated years ago by a stroke, sadly, so she is unable to talk much or walk too far without assistance.  It’s been nice for Dave to help his dad around the house with things that are tough to get done on your own–like putting a shelf together in the garage.  Of course Dave can really only use one arm since his left shoulder is still healing.  We never take for granted having both sets of our parents married for decades and in their own homes.

Posted under Baby Thomas: Month 57

I knew when I pulled into the garage one night after work recently that talking on the phone to my friend in California meant sitting in my car a bit so as not to walk inside and wake up the family.  Of course it also meant being totally distracted.  So no surprise when the next day I jumped behind the wheel and turned the key to discover the battery was dead.  You dummy, I thought!  Dave was at work and the kids were across the street at my friend’s house.  I was supposed to be packing for our trip and getting the house organized.  I did what any woman like me would:  started racing around to find the nearest man available.  My neighbor, Kara, helped.  Incredibly a large construction truck was driving by and I was able to flag the guy down!  Nick, that’s the guy’s name, saved the day.  He was unable to use our plug-in starter because it was not charged.  So shockingly I discovered a roadside safety kit in the back of my SUV that had jumper cables in it.  Those worked.  We used Kara’s minivan to get it going.  Then as Nick was walking away and Kara backing out, I yelled out that I didn’t know how to close the hood.  So Nick walked over and pushed it down.  Oh.

Posted under Baby Thomas: Month 57

I appreciate the countless opportunities I have been granted to share my faith.  Click here to listen to another one!  Thanks to Life 101.9′s Brent Manion for doing this.

Posted under Baby Thomas: Month 57

It’s been months since Thomas had a pretty serious ear tube removal and replacement surgery.  That was his 4th time getting tubes!  Today was another post-op follow-up and the news was good.  One of his ears has been bothering him recently and it turns out that ear’s tube is starting to work its way out.  So we’ll wait and see when it falls out if infections resume.  The other tube is intact but the ear has a little fluid in it that warrants a few days of antibiotic drops.  Good timing for his appointment to get the all-clear on flying and swimming pain free with Spring Break travel ahead.  Bad timing for the school nurse to call and report Charlotte was in her office with a fever.  Hope my two can stay healthy for time off with family–don’t want to be sick on vacation.

Posted under Baby Thomas: Month 57

Have likely shared one or two before, but thought you ladies would want to know these tips I’ve learned over the years:

1)  If you shave your knee when your leg is straight, you’ll never cut the skin.

2)  If you get deodorant residue on your clothes, wipe it off with another part of the same fabric that’s clean.  Works almost every time!

3)  If you run out of eye make-up remover or wipes, put some Vaseline on a tissue to get it off.

4)  If you get a run in your nylons, clear nail polish stops it from getting longer.

5)  If you spray your brush with a little hairspray, it helps kill the static electricity during dry winter months.

6)  If you pluck your eyebrows between waxings, use the visor mirror in your car because daylight shows every hair.   

 7)  And one I’ve yet to try but heard about… if your shoes are hurting your feet, slip a pantyliner in to pad each step.

Posted under Baby Thomas: Month 57

I have never tried acrylic nails.  Fortunately my real nails are strong enough and grow quickly enough to look okay with polish.  But when I rinse off dishes, give the kids baths, etc., the nail polish never stays on for more than 2-3 days and retouching the polish is a constant battle.  Some observant viewers have noticed I paint over chips during commercials.  All that changed when I finally was convinced to give shellac manicures a try.  Essentially, it’s nail polish on real nails but with some additional chemical component that keeps the polish on with NO chips for weeks.  It’s pretty amazing, actually.  I can go 4-6 weeks, easily, with no change in the appearance other than nail bed outgrowth.  The problem comes with getting them redone.  At the salon I have to soak my fingers in some unknown solution and the polish has to be scraped off with a tool.  So far the only negative result has been weakened nails underneath.  Need feedback on whether I should continue these gel manis.  Any nail experts out there?

Posted under Baby Thomas: Month 57