Project 31: Day 20: Job

Day 20.  Write about your job and why you love it or hate it.


Well, I have two jobs.


Graphic Designer
I work as a subcontracted graphic designer for a company in Michigan.  I love it because I can work from home (yay!) on projects at my own pace in my own schedule. I get to work on some big projects for some major clients and small projects for local MI clients. It also love it because I do not have any contact with the client. Having a middle man can be frustrating, but my boss is also a designer, and he knows what questions to ask the client and is really good about making them sign off on projects (so they can't say they never approved a design and refuse to pay for it, which happened at my former place of employment). That helps a lot. It's not perfect, but it is working for me.


Nanny Extraordinaire
I start in four days (eek!) working as a nanny for my niece, Ellie. I will be providing full time care for her so her mommy can go back to work. I can't say whether I will love this or hate this job since I haven't started, but I'm pretty certain it'll be love. I've been able to babysit her off and on over the last few weeks. I'm so thankful I've had this time living with them to gain some experience. Watching her all day will come much more naturally now that I've had practice. I am thankful that her mommy has been so open with sharing her. It's been so fun already. I do know that it's going to be super hard the first week or so for them to be apart, but I know Valerie and Andrew have full confidence in me. I am so excited to continue to watch Ellie grow. She'll be 12 weeks old the day I start watching her.


I couldn't pick two better jobs for me. Seriously. I feel so blessed.

Project 31: Day 19: Comfort Food

Day 19.  Write about your favorite comfort food (we are women - we ALL have comfort food!)

I wish my comfort foods were healthy. Alas, they are not.

1. Dr. Pepper. I've said this before, and I'll say it again. I would swear off soda/pop completely if it weren't for Dr. Pepper. The only way Dr. Pepper could be improved is if they came up with a natural sugar version with fewer calories. Pepsi has experimented with this, so it must be possible. A Dr. Pepper free of artificial sugars (including high fructose corn syrup, aspartame, and sucralose [Splenda]) and not so high in calories would be a dream for me. I could do without the caffeine, though that isn't as important to me. This is the part of the show where I show you a slightly an extremely embarrassing but funny picture of me from a trip to England/Scotland, Land of Scarce Dr. Pepper, in 2005.

Call me addicted, but I am just thankful to now live in Texas, Land of ABUNDANT Dr. Pepper. It's everywhere! Seriously, if you don't live in Texas, have you ever seen Dr. Pepper machines anywhere where you live? Pepsi? Yes. Aquafina? Yes. Coke? Yes. Mt. Dew? Yes. Dr. Pepper? NEVER.

2. Snickers Peanut Butter. Have you seen this yet? I was in Target Saturday when they were giving out free samples. Snickers were already my very favorite candy bar, but the only thing that could possibly be better than Snickers would be a Snickers/Reese's Cup combo. That's exactly what this is. To die for. I'm surprised I didn't take the lady's whole stash of samples. My waistline is thankful that I didn't. At 7 g of fat per snack, they aren't even remotely low fat.


Dove Chocolates - dark chocolate - are another favorite.

3. Moose Tracks Ice Cream. I've had it in peanut butter ice cream, mint ice cream, and chocolate ice cream. It doesn't matter. I love them all. My personal favorite has to be low fat chocolate moose tracks ice cream. Same great taste with fewer fat and calories. Whenever I'm in a bad mood or grumpy, this is my first go-to snack food. Healthy? Of course not. Soothing? Oh, yes it is. I usually limit myself to ONE scoop, though, so I don't feel too guilty.

Project 31: Day 18: Personality

Day 18.  Describe your personality.


I've described my personality many times on this blog. Let's face it, I don't have a problem writing about myself. I'm going to spare you from repetition and post a list of previous blog entries on the topic of my personality.


Empathizing with the Pain of Loss is mostly about empathy, which is part of me.
Random Bits is a much more lighthearted post about my personality than the previous one.
The Best Post EVER is a not-so-popular post about my dislike for people using superlatives when talking about people.
Project 31: Day 1 talks about what beauty means to me personally.
Project 31: Day 2 goes into detail about what I think makes me unique.


That should be enough to give you a good idea.

Project 31: Day 17: Three Things

Day 17. Write about 3 things that make you happy.
This question is hard mostly because I am having trouble coming up with only three, so forgive me for turning this into nine things.

Three things that make me happy:
1. Quality Time. Spending quality time with my husband, friends, and family. Traveling, shopping, visiting new places. Makes me feel so happy.
2. Creativity. Using my right brain for anything creative makes me happy.

3. Encouragement. Giving other people encouragement is almost more exciting for me than getting encouraged. I do like to be encouraged. I cherish every word of affirmation given to me. But giving encouragement is a much bigger blessing to me. It makes me happy.

Those are the big ones, but there are a few other categories I wanted to add, just for fun.

Three places that make me happy:
1. Mackinac Island, Michigan. The best trip Nate and I have ever taken, so far. We loved it in Mackinac. It was way too cold when we went (in May 2009), but the rich history, the lack of cars on the island, the abundance of horses, gorgeous scenery, etc. It's just beautiful and relaxing and totally up our alley. If we had the money, we'd rent a house there and visit every summer.
2. Dallas, Texas. My college friends teased me when I returned to college after the summer of 2005. I had an awesome summer. Probably the best summer I've ever had. The first month was spent in England and Scotland (see place #3). The second month was spent in Dallas, Texas with my brother. The third month was spent at camp with horses. All I talked about were Dallas, England, Scotland, and horses. They called it DESH. I loved the cultural experiences I had that summer. I really had a blast and made lots of memories. I really learned about independence that summer. And now I live in Dallas. And for now, it is a place that makes me happy.
3. England and Scotland. I went on my cross-cultural trip to England and Scotland in the summer of 2005. It was amazing. I love the truly deep history of the countries, how proud they are of their heritage, and the lovely landscapes there. And London was amazing. The most exciting city I've ever visited. With Tube (the subway) passes, we felt like we could go anywhere we wanted.

Three movies that make me happy:

1. Anne of Green Gables (and the sequel). My favorite movie of all time. Certainly not a movie for everyone, but it is near and dear to my heart. It always puts me in a good mood.

2. Tie between The Chronicles of Narnia and The Lord of the Rings. Both are truly epic film series filled with moral themes that are applicable spiritually. I have so much respect for the creativity of both C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien. The films are long but exciting to watch and very well made. The quality is worth the length, to me.

3. The Holiday. It has pretty much everything a light-hearted, romantic comedy should have, in my opinion. The four main characters are hilarious and easy-to-relate-to and fun-to-watch. Even though it is technically a Christmas movie, I can watch it any time. Favorite scene: Jack Black and Kate Winslet in Blockbuster. Love that entire scene from Jack Black saying, "Well, hello Big Dollup" to Dustin Hoffman's cameo. It doesn't hurt that Jude Law is a looker and that he and Kate Winslett have awesome British accents.

Project 31: Day 16: Dear Ellie

Day 16.  Write a letter to your daughter, or a young girl in your life. Tell her what beauty means.

Dear Ellie,
You turned just 11 weeks old yesterday, but I already know we are going to have a special relationship. I'm not your mama. You have a very special mama, though, and sometimes when I look at you, I know you are the spitting image of her. She has gorgeous red hair and a very genuine and infectious smile. Though I'm not your daddy, I'm your daddy's sister. You have a very special daddy, too. He was the best big brother a girl like me could ever have hoped for. He took care of me, and we were best buds. Sometimes when I look at you, I can't see anyone else but him in you. But I'm not your mama or your daddy. I'm your aunt.

Your mama asked me what I want you to call me. That's kind of a confusing topic as I am also going to be your nanny, starting on the day you turn 12 weeks old. I hope you'll eventually learn to call me Aunt Laura. Your mama came up with a baby sign for you to call me as soon as you can learn it. I don't really care what you call me when you first learn to talk. I'm sure whatever it is will melt my heart. I've never had a close relationship with any of my aunts (I've only met one of the three). Uncle Nate has two fantastic aunts who I really look up to, so maybe I can go to them for advice on how to be a good aunt. For now, I'm just going to be the best aunt I can be.

I'm not sure how long I will be your nanny. I'm not sure how long it will be until you have a baby brother or sister or a baby cousin to share my time with you. But I will always be your aunt. Always. I know I'm not your only aunt. You have some fabulous aunts on your mama's side. I hope you cherish the time you get to spend with them since for now they live so very far away. Aunt Becka, on your daddy's side, is pretty great, too, though you haven't met her yet. (She and Uncle Jonathan are getting married this summer, and you get to go meet them!) But I hope that you and I have a special relationship based on the foundation we'll have from me being your nanny as well. I am so looking forward to the times we'll spend together, much more than you can possibly imagine right now. I hope I'm able to teach you lots of new things and instill in you some lasting qualities. I don't feel qualified to teach you anything, but I believe with all my heart that God called me to move to Texas to be your nanny. I know that he doesn't call the qualified but qualifies the called. I know that concept is way over your 11-week-old head, but I pray that someday when you get to read this that you'll get it. I don't have to be "able" to be your nanny. God will give me the knowledge and skills I need. I just have to be available and faithful to be used by him.


There's one more thing I want to tell you. Among all of the important things your parents and I want to teach you, I want to be an example of beauty to you. That doesn't mean that I want to look pretty and wear fancy dresses and put on makeup every day and teach you to do the same. God made us all different on the outside, and I want you to learn to embrace your own beauty as you grow. Believe me, that is easier said than done! We're pretty sure you are going to have gorgeous red hair, just like your mama, aunts, and grammy. But whether you do or not doesn't really matter. We know you are going to be beautiful because you already are. But the part of your beauty that matters the most is your inner beauty. It's the part that is important to God. Your beauty inside shines through and makes you beautiful on the outside. When you play nice with your friends or siblings, it increases your beauty. When you obey your parents, it increases your beauty. When you talk to God, it increases your beauty. When you worship Him, it increases your beauty. I know you are too young to understand right now, but before you know it, or before I know it, rather, you will understand it all too well. I am so excited to see the beautiful baby, girl, young woman, and woman you become.


I love you, Ellie Bean.


Always,
Aunt Laura

Project 31: Day 15: Laura

Day 15. Write to encourage a friend. Inspire her beauty.

At the risk of someone thinking I'm writing in the 3rd person, this post is about my best friend, Laura.

Summer 2010

I love that in that picture we're both wearing our respective favorite colors. Believe it or not, people have asked us if we're sisters. We're not. But we have a lot in common. And a lot dissimilar about us.

January 2004

You should have known us seven years ago - been around us on a daily basis. There are only 3-4 four girls who've had that pleasure unfortunate fate. We had a frustrating beginning to our relationship. Were either of us the type of people who give up on relationships, we probably would have a long time ago. It's kind of humorous to think of now, but we fought. A lot. There were many angry IMing conversations late at night. But we got through it. And our perseverance has paid off.

We've been friends for seven years now, and I don't know what I'd do without her. She encourages me, supports me, loves me, confides in me, trusts me, makes me laugh, cries with me, reminisces with me, and spurs me to be the best I can be. She's my best friend. We supported each other through college classes. We've held each other accountable spiritually. We've gone on movie dates and dinner dates. We've watched many, many movies together. We've poured our hearts out to each other on many late nights in Muffitt. We've shared secrets. We've exchanged many birthday and Christmas gifts. We've shared boy stories.

Pre-wedding rehearsal massages, May 2008

My wedding, May 2008

I was so glad to have had her by my side throughout my wedding. I am not sure I would have survived the pre-wedding nerves without our massage/manicure date. It was absolutely the best thing we could have done together, and a memory I will always cherish. I am so excited to be by her side throughout her wedding in August. I can't wait to be there through all of the pre-wedding stuff for her. I am sure we are going to have another massage/manicure date before the wedding, and I'm so ready to be there for her as she was for me.

The Part Where I Encourage Her

Laura, thank you for all of the late night talks, the times you paid for me for things when you knew I couldn't, the times you've encouraged me, and the times you've been brutally honest with me when you knew I needed it. You're beautiful. I know you hear that from Andrew nearly every day, but sometimes you need to hear it from others, too. It never hurts!   You have such a great smile, and I don't have to tell you that your laugh is infectious. It never fails to cause me to laugh, too. Beauty is not only skin-deep, though, and you are beautiful inside, too. I love seeing you interact with kids and babies. You have a natural skill with them. You are going to be a great mom someday. You are so much more studious than I have ever been. I have been known to be diligent, but I also procrastinate. Not you. You can't relax until your work is done. I've always admired that in you. You are thoughtful, too. There is almost always Dr. Pepper waiting for me when I come to visit. The fact that you think about me when I'm not there means more to me than the actual Dr. Pepper, though I like that, too. Living far from you is super-hard for me. It was hard when we graduated college, but living over 1,000 miles from you is a lot harder. You have encouraged me that nothing will change, and I believe it. I love you!

Project 31: Day 14: Style 31

Day 14. Style 31. Post an outfit pic!

Outfit pics taken. Card reader packed. I'll upload pics ASAP!

Project 31: Day 13: Self-Improvement

Day 13. Write about something you would like to change about yourself for the better.

I'm going to do this in list form. Short and sweet.

• self-motivation

• patience

• lose approximately 20 pounds

• consistency in daily quiet time

• preparing to be a good mom (even now, before I'm even pregnant)

• being a better wife

• this list could go on and on . . .

The end.

Project 31: Day 12: Exhaustion

Day 12. Write about what wears you out as a woman.

Finances are generally a source of exhaustion-causing stress. I'm not really sure it affects women differently than men, though.

Trying to look presentable at all times can be pretty exhausting. Guys don't really care about that much. Sometimes, I couldn't care less how I look when I'm around the house or running errands. But other times, I feel the need to get dressed up and "look cute" just to go to the grocery store. As a man, my husband would never think of doing that.

Being a housewife can wear one out, but I don't know if it really wears me out that much. I enjoy doing housewife-y kinds of things. I don't LOVE to cook and clean, but I take pride in it when I do. It doesn't exhaust me. If I put pressure on myself to be the perfect housewife, yeah, that wears me out. I have been known to do that, too.

I think if I were a mom, I would have a lot more to say on this topic. I think nurturing and mothering one's kids is probably the most exhausting role of womanhood. Since I am preparing to be a nanny and am currently living with the family for whom I will be a nanny (my brother and sister-in-law), I can see that exhaustion first hand. My sister-in-law bears it well. I think the feeling of complete helplessness when a child, your child, is totally inconsolable, would wear a woman out like nothing else.

As a conclusion, I would say anytime I put pressure on myself to be perfect at something rather than just doing my best, I think that pressure wears me out.

Project 31: Day 11: Recipe

Day 11. Post a recipe. Or if you don't cook, try a new recipe and write about how it turned out (pictures please!).

Back when we were doing the Biggest Loser diet (more details here), I cooked a TON of fresh, new recipes. We found some that we loved. We bought The Biggest Loser Cookbook for some more ideas. One of our favorites that we have tried is Barbeque Chicken Pizza. Since we have moved and all of our stuff and consequently all of our cookbooks are in storage, I'll give you the rough outline of a recipe to give you a good idea of what is involved and will include pictures. I can't, however, give exact directions without the cookbook. Sorry! Thanks to the Lose It! app on my iPod, I do have the amount of calories involved and some measurements.

Thin and Crispy BBQ Chicken Pizza

approximately 381 calories

Wheat Flour Tortilla - 140 calories

(Wheat flour is the healthy choice, but any flour tortilla is fine. DO NOT use the low carb tortillas. I can't remember why, but something bad happens if you put a lo carb tortilla in the oven.)

1 1/4 T Barbecue Sauce - 31 calories

(If you want healthy, try to find one that has the fewest carbs, e.g. sugar, as possible. Fewer than 11 is good. 7 or so is best.)

1. Toast the tortilla in the oven at 400 degrees for 4-5 minutes each side. If large bubbles form, you can deflate them with a fork.

2. When done, slather with barbecue sauce.

Add the following:

2 oz. Shredded Cheese - 120 calories

3 0z. Grilled Chicken Pieces - 90 calories

(I usually use pre-cooked grilled chicken pieces that I keep in my freezer. It's best if they are defrosted before using them for this recipe, though.)

Diced Onion - n/a calories

Bake at 400 for 12-13 minutes (I think) until the cheese melts and the meat is hot, basically.

Add Cilantro (fresh or dried; if you have it/like it; if not, leave it off) - n/a calories

I think this is intended as a snack to share, but we've also consumed it as our main meal. It is a hit with the Piatt Family. Though I can't claim it as my own because I fail at modifying recipes, I really love making this. Let me know if you try it. :o)

Project 31: Day 10: Jesus Lessons

Day 10. What is Jesus teaching you as a wife, mom, or friend? (Or just woman in general?)

1. Jesus is teaching me patience. He knows that's a tough one for me. I lose my patience way too easily, and I just need to calm it down and wait.

2. Jesus is teaching me trust Him in general. "I know what's best for you, Laura. What part of, 'I will never leave you nor forsake you' didn't you understand?" Yeah, I guess I need to keep hearing that. Over and over. Being unemployed for 6 months kind of allowed forced me to trust. He had the perfect job for me, but I just had to wait for it. Yeah, He really is looking out for me. Always.

3. Jesus is teaching me to trust Him with finances. Probably this is pretty much a lesson for everyone. We started tithing. It seems like an enormous amount initially. It's definitely trust issue at first, but slowly and surely we are learning that God really does provide for you even without that 10%. I have no idea why we didn't tithe before. Someone encouraged us to start, and we have been so, SO blessed. And I feel much closer to God partially as a result of tithing. If you don't already, I would really encourage you to trust God with your finances and tithe. Do it first, before you pay any other bills. That way you aren't looking at your bank account and saying, "I don't have any extra for you, God." Give him the FIRST FRUITS. It's really worth it. And you don't have any guilt when the offering plate is passed at church.

I'm sure there are lots more, but I'll just go with three.

Project 31: Day 9: Virtuous

Day 9. What virtues do you value in yourself?

Virtuous is, by definition, having or showing high moral standards. I would say I have high moral standards in some areas. I found the seven heavenly virtues (as well-known in Catholicism) to put a face to the concept of virtuousness. Though I'm not Catholic, I think it helps to have specific guidelines for this topic.

1. Chastity - I saved myself for marriage. No one has ever regretted waiting. It's totally 100% worth it.

2. Temperance - When defined as moderation or self-restraint, I would say I practice temperance in some areas better than others. I am pretty good at not parting with my money unnecessarily when it comes to shopping or eating out. I like to choose the least expensive items on the menu at restaurants. As far as abstaining from alcoholic beverage, I don't drink a whole lot, but I would be lying if I said I never drank anything alcoholic. I probably drink one drink (only one any given time) once or twice every 3 months.

3. Charity - Even though my heart is definitely in it, I am not very good about this at the moment. I used to sponsor a child in the Dominican Republic, but she "graduated" from the program and I no longer sponsor her. I'm working on this.

4. Diligence - When I was in school, my teachers always commented on my progress reports that I was very diligent. I think it's still true for the most part, though I have a bit of trouble with self-motivation and procrastination. But once I do a project, I do it well. :o)

5. Patience - "Patience is a virtue; waiting won't hurt you." Um, not a virtue that I'm good at. At all.

6. Kindness - I am probably kinder than the average Joe, but I wouldn't say it is a virtue I value in myself. I don't think you can really be too kind (with the exception of being a pushover).

7. Humility - How can you possibly value humility in yourself? If you are proud of the fact that you are humble, isn't that kind of an oxymoron?

And one of my own that I'll throw in:

Profanity - I choose not to use profane language period. I do use the occasional "what the heck" or "crap" or "fricking" which are filler/alternate profanity, but I do not allow myself to even say the actual curse words. Call me childish, but I will spell out an explicative rather than say it. I know my limits and I know that if I begin to allow myself to say it in passing conversation that I will use it rashly or out of anger. I don't want my speech to be filled with obscene things. It's just a choice I've made.