Okay, I know that it's been nearly three weeks since my last post. I do have an excuse though. I have spent most of the past three weeks feeling like doody. Do you know why?

I'm PREGNANT! Woohoo! :)

We found out on the first day of winter and saw the doctor this past Tuesday. I'm only 7 weeks along right now, but we got to see the little tiny blob with its little tiny heartbeat! How fun!

The first trimester, as it turns out, is not much fun. Besides feeling ill most of the time, I'm absurdly tired. Like, sleeping 10 hours at night and taking a 1.5 hour nap during the day and I'm still tired. Oh well, it's all for the peanut (aka, the baby).

I had my first major moment of pregnancy brain today. Doug came to me a little while ago and told me that he had found a pair of my socks in the recycle bin. I remember picking up these socks and I could swear that I put them in the laundry hamper. The laundry hamper is in our bathroom. The recycle bin is in the garage. I have no memory of this bizarre mistake. Frankly, I'm rather frightened. :o)~

Here's a scuplture outdoors. I don't know any details. 

This is also from the Miro museum. It's a still shot of a video they had playing of a guy trying to stand up with balls on his hands and feet. 

I'm sorry it's been a week since I posted last. Things have been getting more and more busy as Christmas approaches. It starts on Saturday for us. That's when my mom and stepdad (and possibly a brother and/or grandfather) are coming to town do celebrate with us. We'll be in Houston on Christmas day this year, so I'm trying to get all my parents down here on other weekends. Of course, my dad and stepmother both just had surgery last week, so we'll see how they feel about traveling after the holiday.

Doug is playing guitar in a wedding on Friday too. He almost never just *goes* to a wedding. He's always in them in some form or other. I thought it was ironic and amusing that he was in my brother's wedding, but I wasn't. Anyway, he had a practice last week and the rehearsal is on Thursday. He's skipping out on the rehearsal dinner so that he can join me at a Christmas party that evening. Neither of us really know the bride or groom directly. I'm not going to the wedding myself - I'll probably be wrapping presents or something! :)

I'm not sure what this is, but it's kind of cool looking. Are you sick of my vacation photos yet? 

This is a disturbing display done by a guy who apparently doesn't like McDonald's or super models. Okay, maybe it has a deeper meaning that that, but I wasn't there! :oI~ 

This is a Miro sculpture. I don't know anything else about it. 

Another shot of the museum. Doug took as many photos here as I did in Pompeii. 

This is taken outside the Joan Miro museum. The museum houses both Miro's works as well as those of other artists whose work is in a similar vein. (was that vague enough for you?) 

Doug and I had a great date night on Friday! We started with dinner at Milto's. If you don't live in Austin and/or you've never eaten at Milto's, then you probably don't know how exciting this is. Milto's has the *best* pizza in the world! Or at least in Austin. The thin crust is just as good as the big fat thick crust. And the plain pepperoni is just as good as the Pesto Cheese pizza with Chicken. Oh yummy!

From there we went across the street to Toy Joy. Again, if you are not an Austinite or you've just never been there, it's it the coolest toy store in the world! I stand by that one. They have the strangest things and there's so much stuff in this little store that you couldn't possibly see it all the first time you go. After overloading ourselves there we came home and played games. Doug kicked my butt, so I don't want to talk about that part.

This next batch of photographs was taken back in Barcelona after the cruise. I was sick as a dog (cold or something) the first day back so Doug went solo to the Joan Miro museum. 

This shot was taken at a little cameo shop that we stopped at on the way back from Pompeii. The demonstration itself was kind of lame, but the cameos are how they are made are quite interesting. 

Final photo from Pompeii (that you'll be seeing anyway - i left out the scandalous ones). 

More Pompeii. I'm sorry, but I don't remember what this is. 

This is an old fountain in Pompeii. Those other things are tourists. 

I was just sitting here reading something very funny and I thought I'd share it with you (though i may have done so before - not sure). One of Doug's Chinese coworkers gave me a pretty wooden comb one time and I keep it, still in the package, next to our keyboard because the English translation on the back is way too funny. Here it is:

Brief Introduction of Our Products of this brand wooden comb are with high grade Chinese little leaf box, sandawood,nanmu and other natural famous materials, The comb are smooth, clean and good with high temperature and pressure, comb's colour is natural and it feels wess.
Sui Dynasty famous doctor chao yuanfang points out that comb can prmote blood circulation and keep your hair black. Su Dongpo said that comb your hair and kept sound sleep till next morning. Chinese little leaf box combs are best because of its solid and mild specification. Modem mdeical fungus'growing, stop itching, get rid of dandruff. Peach tree has the saying that it can dispel bad things.Wooden Comb won't produce static electricity and have kept you healthy And you will realize that "comb and comb, but never stop"

I'm very glad that this comb will keep my hair black, but what is 'wess'? :o)~

Just another house or shop or something in Pompeii. It is extremely cool, but still all starts to look the same after a while. 

This is just a cool photo taken during our tour. I can't swear to it, but I *don't* think that's Mt. Vesuvius in the background. 

More of the Pompeii frescoes. I left it sideways to further confuse you. 

This is inside a modestly-sized (For the time) home in Pompeii. It's incredible that there so much freso work still intact! 

We're still in Pompeii. This is, honestly, an ancient latin Beware of Dog sign (done in tile mosaic on the floor). 

Apparently I have developed a special talent for locking keys in cars. It's so powerful that it even extends to people that I'm riding with. Today I went with my friend Anne to pick her son up from preschool. As we were getting out of the van, I locked the doors. She told me to leave them unlocked because she was going to leave the keys in the car. So I unlocked the doors. There is no question about this.

However, when we came back from picking her son up, the doors were locked. This means that (a) she locked the doors after I unlocked them without thinking about it or (b) some helpful person noticed the doors were unlocked and decided to lock them for us. We're betting on the former. So we got to sit in the hallway of the preschool with a tired 3-year-old and a hungry 6-month-old until we were rescued.

This shot is definitely from the Pompeii bath. It was a very dark place so we couldn't get great photos, but it was really cool and satisfied 10% of my longing to see the Roman baths. 

Still Pompeii. This is the frescoed ceiling of... the baths, I'm pretty sure. 

Pompeii again. This is what served as street signs in the city because many people couldn't read. 

This is one of the casts/skeletons of the inhabitants of Pompeii. It's so creepy to see them petrified in running positions - icky! 

Here's another shot from Pompeii. What more can I say? 

A couple of things I've learned so far today:

* Jesus didn't ever say to people, "Come taste me." He said called us to drink deeply and be satisfied. (John 4:14 - "...but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.")

* Maturing does not just happen. It takes study and real work. (1 Peter 3:15 - "But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect...")

BSF is swell. :)

Walking the streets of Pompeii. The girl in the blue shirt and skirt was our tour guide. 

Another shot of Pompeii. I took well over 100 pictures there. (no i won't be posting them all) 

Another shot of Pompeii. It was also *much* larger than we expected!