Giving is Getting

Hello world, it is I, the Giant Man's Wife, back from maternity leave. Haha, I definitely needed a break after my, um, surprise delivery.

Just for a quick recap, I went in for a stress-test, which was routine for me at that point. I was 35 weeks pregnant, and the tests came back with some complications. My liver was failing.
So, after 56 hours of fasting (IV fluids is NOT a fulfilling diet), I had an emergency C-section. And out came my perfect little man.

Mini Myers and I are both doing really well. MM definitely takes after his daddy. He's already 23.5 inches long and shows no sign of slowing down. Looks like I'm both the Giant Man's Wife and Giant Baby's Mom.

ANYWAY, IT'S DECEMBER!

Not only is it my sister's birthday month, but it is also my favorite time of the year. I love the lights, the sounds, the smells, the treats, the service, everything.

I plan on writing about the new traditions GM and I start now that our baby is here. First one, we are going to be giving at least one book to each of our children for Christmas. However, I already have already overachieved a little bit and bought the little man four books haha.

But, as the saying goes, "Children become readers in the arms of their parents." GM and I love to read, there are value in books, in the words. Words mean a lot to me. Not just because they are how we communicate, but they allow us to go to a better place. A place where we can find common ground, share better ideas, help others. To me, words are how I serve.

December is about service to me. It's the time of the year when we are encouraged to make a more sincere effort to look outside of ourselves and to touch the people around us. And I think, once you truly help someone by giving of your time, talents, or efforts, then you really gain a better appreciation for what looking out for one another is all about.

The best gift to me in December, is the chance to see the happiness in the people who I help. And that's why it's my favorite time of year.

Here's to an exciting, wonderful month with my family, friends, husband, and son.

Until next time!

We All Have a Story, So Why Judge?

There are people all around us.  Everyday we pass people, and we need to remember that they are indeed people.  Even though they may just be a secondary character in your story, they are the main character in theirs.  They have feelings and trials, families and thoughts.  Other people may be an extra or the enemy to your life, but they are the most important person in theirs.  We cannot begin to imagine what others are thinking, unless they tell us themselves. 

So why do we judge so harshly?  I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.  I believe that this Church is true, that the teachings of this church is true.  I believe marriage is between a man and a woman.  I have really close friends who have other views.  But just because I don´t believe in the same things they do, does not mean I don´t believe in them.  And I will be there to support them in their decisions because they are my friends and I love them for them, not for their views. 

A lot of people think the world would be a better place if we paid the money to end world hunger or end poverty.  And that is true, but I think that the most lasting change we can make in the world is to put HUMANITY back in it.  Who are we to judge someone else´s story just because we don´t agree with them?  Not everyone will agree with us but if we really believe in equality, in humanity, and in agency, we will not be treating people as the background of our story but we would be treating everyone we meet as the focus of theirs.

Pregnancy is Hard. And that's Okay.

August was a CRAZY time for me and my career. The company I work for was launching a new product, which meant marketing (i.e. me), were firing on all cylinders to make it happen 1) on time and 2) smoothly. Even though the department's sanity is gone as a whole and we are still trying to stop the anxious twitching which has developed, the launch went really well and we're still riding our media exposure high in our tech channel.

So, with work coming under control again, my mind has been wandering back to the biggest problem at hand. Pregnant in the third trimester. And it's rough.

This topic has been on my mind a lot lately. Maybe it's because it is my life currently, or because I've been seeing other women having an easier time with pregnancy and it's been making me feel... inadequate? Either way, this post is not going to be about how pregnancy is sunshine and rainbows, nor how I feel a pregnancy glow guiding me through this new chapter. This post is mostly going to be about me ranting about how hard this has been, but holding on to the knowledge it'll be worth it.

If anyone tells you pregnancy is easy or they enjoy being pregnant, that person is definitely not me. I am aware the changes that happen to your body are all individual and some women don't get hit with the "pregnancy symptoms" as hard, or as early, as other women. And if that's you, AWESOME. Enjoy it, because I envy you.

My mother handled pregnancy very well. At least, that's what it seemed like to me on the outside. Since I'm the third oldest out of eight, I was able to watch how she coped through the different stages. And she's a champ.

I was hoping some of those genes would pass on to me and I would be able to navigate through with very little sickness and stretch marks, as she did. Well, let's just say I was not as gifted.

My entire first trimester brought me to be very acquainted with my internal signs of "I'm going to throw up and you have 30 seconds to prepare". For those keeping count, that's three straight months of being nauseated, fatigued, and dehydrated. I threw up at home, in bed, at work, in the car... pretty much anywhere and everywhere. However, thanks to a VERY understanding Giant Man and boss, I was able to navigate through those fluid, dark times.

Then came the second trimester, with a bright light of hope. I was told the second was the best trimester; you get your energy back, no more morning sickness (which by the way does NOT only happen in the morning like the very misleading name would suggest), and you start to feel the baby. I was ecstatic when my nausea fell to the wayside and I thought my problems were finally blooming into the easy, breezy, pregnancy glow.

Nope.

Enter the stretching.

I've never really experienced stretch marks before, so when they started to appear on my stomach, I would be lying if I said I wasn't making a frantic deal out of it. At first, there were only a few and I could deal. Then... they started growing... and multiplying... and long story short, I look like a human hybrid of an okapi.

On the bright side, they no longer bother me. And I don't feel the pressure to try and wipe them out with the special ointment or oils you can use to fade the redness. This is who I am now. I embrace my new spirit animal.

Well, stretch marks only happen when your skin is stretching. Which presented a new hurdle. How do you sleep when you have a bowling ball attached to your abdomen? You don't. Ever. Again.

I've had a lot of people tell me, "Enjoy sleeping while you can, because once the baby is here, then you'll really be tired." To all those people, I say NAY NAY. I don't sleep now. Going from a tummy sleeper to a not sleeper hasn't been the easiest transition for me.

I understand once the baby is out, he'll need to eat and be comforted when he wakes up crying. But guess what I'll have then that I don't have now? A second person who can help him while I stay in bed. Turns out when the baby is inside of me, GM can't really comfort him or take him to a different room so I can sleep. T-minus 1.5 months until that becomes more than a fantasy.

The first time you feel the baby move, it's hard to describe. Miracle, butterflies, gas, these are all the ways I've heard it described. And to be fair, the first time is a very light flutter of sorts. Now, when you're halfway through the third trimester, it's morphed into a more "rock concert in the womb" type of deal mixed with scenes from Alien. 

I will never get used to seeing my baby boy push his head up against my stomach as hard as he can so it turns me into a pyramid. It's about as frightening as it sounds, but at the same time, you just can't pull your eyes away. Add the change of plane to the stretch marks and it looks like a hillside that is ready to farm.

Every one of these events and challenges have been hard, but thanks to a supportive family and a patient GM by my side, I've been able to manage and scrape by with minor damage. Many tears, thanks to my over-dose on hormones, but I bounce back fairly quickly.

Until the end of August.

When I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes. 

For those who don't know, gestational diabetes is diabetes some women develop only when pregnant. But usually goes away after the delivery of the placenta. It has to do with the chemistry in their body being off due to pregnancy hormones and they become insulin-intolerant. Which means my blood sugar takes longer to process.

Side effects can include fatigue, nausea, the baby growing faster than he should, c-section, complications at birth, health problems for baby and mom, the list goes on. 

Luckily, we were able to catch it. Unfortunately, it had already produced some "interesting" things. Mini Myers was measuring four weeks heavier than he should (which is probably why I feel like a whale) because of the excessive sugar in my bloodstream. Now until October, 4x a day I have to check my blood sugar, follow a low-carb diet, and take pills to help regulate my insulin/sugar. Which is fine, except when I get a pregnancy craving for chocolate cake and then I realize I can't have it.

We also get to see two doctors every other week and have stress tests to monitor M&M twice a week.

It's been quite an emotional roller coaster, not going to lie. Though, if you want to have a needle-phobic person face their fears head-on, have them prick themselves with a needle 4 times a day to draw blood. At least, it seems to be doing some therapy on my irrational fear. 

Honestly, I'm not writing all this for sympathy or to scare other women from pregnancy. I'm just doing it to rant a little and share my story. I know various special ladies who would love to be pregnant, no matter the cost, and other women who have easy pregnancies. However, as my GM told me, just because everyone is different and some seem to have it harder, doesn't mean your struggles aren't hard for you.

So, my pregnancy is difficult. Really difficult on some days. But, when I look at that little face, with his chubby cheeks, button nose, and lips like his father (3D imaging is incredible nowadays), there is nothing I wouldn't do for him. 

My life stopped being about me and GM the moment this little guy came into our lives. Diabetes or not, zebra stripes or not, sleepless nights or not, I would willing go through every pregnancy hardship again if I knew I would be able to have my baby. And we've still been blessed, despite all the hurdles, he's a very healthy and active baby. It could always be so much worse.

Being pregnant is the hardest thing I've ever done to date. And that's okay. Because one day, I'm going to be a mom to a teenage boy, and something tells me this will seem like a cake-walk in comparison.

Until next time.

WFH: The Double-Edged Sword.

So, I tend to write about things that are affecting me or rants I can't seem to shake out of my head. Today is no different.

For those of you who don't know, I work in marketing. Marketing is like the stage crew of a company. We are constantly working one, two, three months ahead of the actual date and making sure advertising, press releases, awards, etc., are all organized and perfected ahead of time. We work in advance, so the day-to-day flow correctly.

If you work in marketing or strategy, especially for a company, you understand all the work and planning that goes on before an actual event takes place. It can get pretty hectic trying to keep all the dates and deadlines straight. That's why I invest in sticky notes.

Anyway, due to the very online nature of my job, I am blessed with the opportunity to work from home when needed. This has proven to be very helpful during my pregnant days, because I only have one pair of pants which really fit me now, and if I'm at home, I don't need to wear pants.

In fact, I'm sure it's hilarious to see how different I look when I'm at home compared to in the office. I think this comic sums it up.

Source: Catana Comics

The effect is complete when you think I wear GM's shirt for comfort at home, which is really a me-sized nightgown. I love how I acquired so many nightgowns when we got married. 

Comfort clothing isn't the only thing that is a perk when working from home. I also enjoy the ability to eat whatever and whenever. I mean, I can eat at the office and nobody is going to say anything (unless you try to microwave your fish in the shared lunch space, heathens). But I still feel awkward taking out my graham crackers and spreading frosting on it while my co-workers are eating salads.

At home, I'm free to eat Nutella from the jar with a spoon, as intended. However, I've never had a co-worker ask for a bite of my snacks... which the same can't be said for GM while working at home.

But I love him. So, I share. Also, he gives me food so I don't have to move. I really hit the lottery with him.

Now, working from home is not all free food and no pants. There are some downsides as well. For example, I get distracted a LOT easier while at home. At home, I usually have food, my computer, chores, a husband who also works from home occasionally, and I can fall asleep almost anywhere in the house, which is a downside when work needs to be done.

I enjoy a blended schedule. I'll stay home for a few days and work, but the other days I'll go to the office. That way, it's the perfect balance of pregnancy comfort and the success of getting work done. I also really like my co-workers who are on my team, it's a lot easier to collaborate when we're all in the office.

Basically, I feel like being a responsible worker is knowing your environment weaknesses and allowing yourself to either grow and be better, or to put yourself into the most productive work environment possible.

Working from home is nice, but it is not always ideal (at least for me). Maybe, one day, when procrastination has been destroyed from my body, I'll be able to conquer the full potential of working from home. Unfortunately, I'm not quite there yet... hence the distraction of writing a blog post. Which is why I'm going to wrap it up now.

Until next time. Byee.

What's in a letter?

It may not surprise anyone here, but I really enjoy writing. If you were to ask my parents, they'd say I've been a writer since I was in Kindergarten. Now, my spelling has never been as good as it should be, (Which is why I won't play Scrabble.) but that never stopped me from putting pencil to paper while I was growing up.

I think better when I can see my thoughts. I am more in control of my emotions when I take the time to write, whether it's anger, hurt, or exhilaration I'm feeling at the moment. But, that doesn't mean I can always "let the words flow" and write a novel in one go. It's still a process and I get writer's block... a lot.

In the past couple of months, one of my personal projects has been writing letters (seemingly randomly) to different people I know. I have my own reasons as to who I pick to receive these letters. Sometimes, it's because I think they need the pick me up or reassurance. Other times, it's because I just know they love getting mail and knowing someone, somewhere, is thinking of them. Or there are times I write to a specific person because I want to converse with them and there never seems to be enough time to talk deeply throughout my normal day.

Whatever the case may be, I've been writing a lot of letters lately.

And I love it.

It's one of those things I do for other people. I don't need them to write me back or to express gratitude. That's not why I write letters. I do it to spread a little more happiness in the world. Also, it does help with my anxiety to sit down and stop for a few minutes, before returning to my own crazy life.

I don't remember everything I write. I have a swiss-cheese memory anyway, and adding pregnancy brain just limits how far back my mind can remember. Which leads to a lot of sticky notes with reminders for myself.

I've never met someone who doesn't enjoy getting personalized mail. It's a dying art.

Ha, sorry. It's really early and I get carried away in thought while I'm in this space at times. Writing letters isn't just for those who love words and letters and pens, they're for anyone who wants to try and get to know someone else. Birthday cards, drawings, postcards, little notes, all of these things (and I'm sure a few billion more ideas you can find on Pinterest) could count as a "letter".

It takes time to make something, have someone's address, and find a stamp to mail it. Definitely more effort than a text message. However, don't get me wrong, texts and calls are very convenient. Just, different.

While in university for my degree, one major theme kept popping up in my Communications classes. The saying goes, "The medium is the message". Which is Marshall McLuhan's fancy way of saying, the form in which something is presented (paint, charcoal, graffiti, ads, words, letters, phone call, etc.) affects what the message is and what it symbolizes.

And with that, I'll leave it here. Hope you all had a good 4th of July! Or... a regular Wednesday if you don't celebrate the 4th. Bye!

A Giant-Sized Update

You know that moment when your mind is absentmindedly roaming and you find your own heart beat, so you naturally start listening to the rhythm? I personally find this experience to be rather soothing, a sort of "calm in the midst of a sea that is trying to kill you, your crew, and destroy your ship". 

I feel like that's writing for me in the midst of life. Sometimes I just need to slow down enough to collect myself, put on dry clothes, wipe my nose, and go back into the storm. I apologize if you guys have been wanting to hear more from me on this blog, I admit I've been a sucky content-creator as of late. But if you haven't noticed, well, no harm no foul? 

Anyway, Giant Man and I have recently started a new chapter in our lives, one of excitement, nervousness, and a tiny bladder (on my part anyway). For those who haven't heard, we're pregnant! 

Well, I'm pregnant. GM is more of a "supporting assist", though he's done a good job at satisfying my pregnancy craziness. This will probably show my ignorance, but I thought pregnancy would be a lot easier than it has been. I mean, I knew it wasn't going to be sunshine and roses... but, it seemed like my mom (who influenced my pregnancy illusion) never got morning sickness, had energy, and seemed relatively like "business as usual" during her pregnancies.

Being with (a half-giant) child myself, I have come to understand that I wasn't paying close attention to my mom while pregnant. Or noticing what happens behind closed doors in the early hours of the day, when suddenly the need for a specific type of food is strongly desired because your inner-child (literally) feels like they NEED IT OR BAD THINGS WILL HAPPEN.

Ah, the joys of motherhood is flowering before me already. 

I guess I expected to at least keep my food down like my mom did. She really never had morning sickness, so I thought it was abnormal to have. Yeah... turns out my mom lucked out by being the weird one. And I became very acquainted with my body tugging my gut as if to say, "Brace Yourself! The eggs are in revolt and are coming up the hatch!" 

I think food was just using my weakened stomach to get back at me for all the times I indulged myself in eating their brethren. But, that's probably just the pregnancy brain talking.

You probably don't want to read about my adventures in bodily fluids, so I'll wrap it up. Luckily, the nausea and vomit are behind me and well secured in the 1st Trimester. Being at 21 weeks, I am officially over-the-hump and dealing with new sensations as the miracle of life takes place inside my body.

New sensations like, stretch marks. And cramps. And the need to consume toaster strudels, ice cream, and steak (at different times, though I wouldn't put it past food cravings to design a weird type of "sundae" sometime in the future) every day. 

I don't know how I would go through this without my other, taller, half. GM has been so patient, so kind, so nurturing, so willing to put on pants to drive to the closest Walmart to buy me food because everything we currently have is not good enough according to Mini Myers. There is no doubt in my mind he'll be a great father. I mean, he's already protecting the little M&M. 

For example, I want to take newborn pictures with the baby in some sort of alien-looking spaceship and filter them to look old, hide them in the attic, and whenever M&M asks to see their birth certificate, I'll get really weird about it and skirt around the subject. Then, one day, they'll go the attic, find the pictures, and assume we found them in the ship! 

GM said no.

I called him a party pooper.

He didn't budge.

I'll work on him. I really am excited to be a mom though. In-between my body figuring out this baby-making internal process, I have started to feel M&M move and it's a feeling that honestly changes my life. 

I realize this post is getting a little long and you might be bored, sorry. So let me bullet point the last of these updates.

• GM graduated with his Master's Degree!! Which left him barely alive, slightly crazy, and us needing to leave our apartment because it's student housing.
  
• In case you didn't guess from above, we moved! But now we're both about 5-10 minutes away from work (however, we both can work from home, so... yeah...), we have a pool, and a 24-hour gym we don't use but will definitely list as one of the pros of our apartment complex when we are talking to friends and family.
  Here are some other pros that student housing didn't have:
• A high enough ceiling so GM doesn't hit his head anymore.
• A double sink
• Two bedrooms
• Storage space
• Room to walk side by side across the living room.
• A dishwasher
• A washer and dryer in unit, which means we don't have to worry about setting timers to change over the clothes right when they're finished in order to be considerate to other residents.
  (I could go on, but I won't)
  
• GM and I are in a new ward, and we teach the 6-7 year olds in Primary. They are pretty fun and way more intelligent than the CTR 6 manual gives them credit for.
  
• I got a new laptop. Mine pretty much exploded internally. It's not a huge thing, I just think it's cool that my keyboard has red lights behind it now. 

I think that's all the big stuff, if not, I'll write a new post. I've said it before, and I'm just going to hint at it again... I want to write more. I feel like I need to get back into my groove with typing, so I'm going to do it here.

Thanks for baring with me as I ramble about things. If there is one thing I learned in these last few months, it's that life can always get in the way, but we'll make time for the things that are important to us. 

And remember, never bathe in hot oil and bisquick. Bye!

What do you mean it's almost March??

Before I went on my mission to Mexico, my oldest brother gave me a piece of advice. He said, "Aimee, on your mission time is going to speed up. And when you get home, it won't slow down." I wish I knew just how right he was at the time. 

At the time I was just really excited to get out, learn Spanish, and work, so I didn't really take this life truth to heart. 

Well, it's better late than never, and I appreciate being prepared in knowing life is going to continue flying by. All I can do is learn from the past, enjoy the present, while planning for the future, in like 2.6 seconds at a time. I don't get too much time nowadays to breathe during the week, but I've had to much fun to really care. 

However, I do realize I have been slacking on documenting my adventure with GM. I just want to be able to have something to look back on when my future children are in my current position and show them I also had worries, dreams, doubts, fun, etc. I find history tends to repeat itself and I believe my kids will be a lot better off if they can learn from my mistakes. 

That being said, I can't believe it's almost March! We are almost 1/4 of the way through the year. 

GM and I have had a great start to the new year. It started with uncertainty, unemployment, and a whole lot of job interviews. However, I am happy to say we have been immensely blessed by the Lord. Not only were we able to make it financially through our lack of income spell, but I was able to find a career I really enjoy. 

So, now I work a 9-5 job and the regular schedule is great for me. GM is finishing his last semester and is itching to get out and work in the Computer Science industry. I remember my last semester, it was a rough time, not because it was hard/a lot of work, but because I was hit with senioritis. But, I made it through and I know he will too. 

Patience, am I right? Ha, I'm still learning about it... but endurance is the virtue I got. I may be going crazy waiting, but I'll get through whatever blows our way. 

At least I have one good trait, now to build up the rest.

Boba Tree

I just thought Boba Tree deserve proper treatment by being able to see him instead of picturing him through my description.

And yes, GM and I know we are nerdy. We love it.

Everything is coming together.

There are some moments in life which give off "natural highs". For example, when you are in a packed parking garage, but find a spot right next to the doors. Or when you check your bank account and there is more money than you originally expected to find. These little things help us find tiny nuggets of joy throughout the day.

And that is one of my favorite things about being alive.

So, GM and I have finished our finals this week (hallelujah), which means we are finally done with a huge portion of our lives, me being in school. It's a weird feeling, albeit a refreshing feeling, to think I don't have to sign up for classes next semester. I believe my planning and organizational skills I've developed through balancing my work schedule with my school and social schedules will come in handy when I'm a mom (I am definitely  not at my mother's level though), but for right now I get to breathe easy because I only have to juggle two schedules. Well, and GM's final semester. But, I always have thought it is easier to manage someone else than yourself, so I'm not too flustered about it.

Now that I can actively work full time without the worry of missing homework deadlines or meeting for group projects, I have decided to move on and "do something with this degree of mine." I honestly think that I can find work in what I want to do, which is content writing, editing work, or teaching. I know this because I have found received some positive responses from the career searching I've been doing.

Oh yeah, and my last days at my job are this weekend. Because I quit.

I have learned I don't have to stay somewhere they don't respect me or my time. I know I have to understand currently I receive the steady income for my tiny family, but I also know I can get a job fairly quickly that will pay the bills. I just want to find something I enjoy doing. And the saddest part of this whole crapshoot job I'm leaving is at the start of working there, I really did enjoy it. But, as the weeks have turned to months, it's been a deteriorating atmosphere. So, I'm leaving and I feel ecstatic about it.

GM and I now get to focus on all the Christmas festivities without worrying rushing to classes or shifts, and I can't wait to start baking!

I want to bake for neighbors, friends, family, I have presents to finish wrapping, activities to plan, it really is going to be a great rest of the holiday season.

And baking means more recipes, so there's something to look forward to!

I feel so unburdened now as if a weight has been lifted off my shoulders. I did it. I left my soul-killing job, I finished my Bachelor's Degree, and now I get to write about how I'm going to spend my favorite holiday, I'm truly blessed.

I just wanted to leave the song we made for our tree. We don't have a ton of space in the apartment, so GM and I decorated a life-sized, cardboard cutout of Boba Fett (Star Wars' bounty hunter, it was an amazing birthday present for yours truly), and call him Boba Tree (Complete with star).

These are the little moments I hope to remember and tell my kids one day. Because the quirkiness and the random parts of our lives give me those pocket natural highs, and that's what makes me happy.

Oh Boba Tree [Sing to the tune of O Christmas Tree]

Oh Boba Tree, Oh Boba Tree,

How lovely is your blaster.

Oh Boba Tree, Oh Boba Tree, 

The Rebels you are after.

Your plasma guns are super cool, 

The Galaxy youll finally rule.

Oh Boba Tree, Oh Boba Tree,

You are a Bounty Master.

Baking time!! Chocolate, white chocolate chip cookies addition.

Okay, that was a necessary long title because I wanted to use those particular words in that particular order to describe what this post was about.

So, almost like it was a title. 😅

Also, I just found out I can but emojis into my blog posts now. MUAHAHAHA. I'm just kidding, you'll probably just find the same 3 emojis over and over and over again because I'm redundant in my emoji-ing.

I made these cookies because I decided to, but I didn't have a recipe. I looked online, got a base idea and then adapted it to make it work for me (and my married student housing pantry).

ENJOY!
Pro Tip: Do not eat all the batter, for you need it to produce cookies. And always drink with milk.

Step 1: Ingredients

• 2-1/2 sticks of butter/margarine (soft or slightly melted)          
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 whole eggs (not half eggs)
• 3 teaspoons of vanilla (or best guess)
• 3/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1-1/2 cups chocolate chips
• 1-1/2 cups white chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350F (177 Celsius).

Step 2: Mixing

Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Then, add eggs one at a time, mixing after each addition (it should look like a white cake batter at this point). Stir in vanilla.

Mix in flour, salt, and baking powder well. Then, add cocoa powder and mix until smooth. 

Add chocolate chips and white chocolate chips, stir with a spatula or spoon (works better than a hand mixer for this step).

Taste the batter.

Make balls (approx. 1TBS- 2TBS of batter per ball), and add to lined or greased cookie sheet.

Pro Tip: Make sure they are far enough apart that they won't melt together. 

Step 3: Baking

Bake for about 10 minutes in the oven. When you take them out, let them cool a few minutes before you transfer them to the cooling rack. If you don't, they might gooey up and be hard to move.

You can keep them in the oven longer, but they will crisp up fast, so be aware of your narrow, gooey-inside window.

Step 4: Eat and Enjoy!

Pro Tip: Make sure you have a hiding place so yourself or a certain GM won't eat them all/ for breakfast. 

Also, the above picture is what happens when they are too close together. Oops. They taste the same, but they aren't as pretty. That became our pan.

The pretty cookies are reserved for neighbors, friends, and social functions. The family already knows that sometimes I'm a hot mess so they can eat the other ones. 😅

Day 3 recap and Day 4- "Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself."

Yesterday was Day 3 of the #LightTheWorld and I didn't feel as if it needed it's own post, so that's my reasoning for combining the two today.

On Day 3 it talked about keeping the Sabbath Day holy and doing things that would help draw families together. GM and I went over to my parent's house for a family dinner because we were celebrating the birthday of my sister (the 5th). I also wrote a letter to a good friend of mine who I haven't talked to in a while (so, I guess my good estranged friend).

Family is the MOST important thing to GM and myself. I always grew up hearing that "friends come and go, but families are forever". Which was really annoying when my siblings and I were fighting, but now that I'm older, I see the wisdom in putting family first.

But that doesn't mean we shouldn't make room for friends and neighbors.

"Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself", that's what Matthew 22:39 states and what is the theme of Day 4.

Now for those of you who don't know, I am a baking fiend. I love everything about it, the chemistry between ingredients, the way the house smells after good things have been in the oven, and the way food makes people feel loved. There is almost no bad side to baking, well, besides doing the dishes if my enthusiasm has washed by the time it comes around to do them.

And that's why you always clean as you go, that way there is no discouraging mound of dishes GM has to do after my goodie project is done.
I put my baking addiction in here because it's relevant, I promise.  I know what I want to do to spread love to my neighbors: chocolate brownies.

Nothing says "I care about you" quite like homemade chocolate, fudgy brownies. At least in my humble opinion. So look out neighbors, here they come.

Day 2- "I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink."

I really looked into how I could #LightTheWorld today. The theme is found in Matthew 25:35, where Jesus said, "I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink."

(Photo Credit: Link)

Now, I wanted to do something that I wouldn't normally do, because I think that's the point of this 25 Day Challenge, to get yourself out of your comfort zone and help. I asked GM what he thought and he said that when he buys games from HumbleBundle, they will donate a percentage to the charity of your choice, and he always chooses the water charity.

Well, me being me, and my mother's daughter, I wanted to do a little research before I donated to a charity. I am a wee bit paranoid and I want to make sure I am helping the right people and not just the perceived right people.

I was amazed by what I found.

Charity Water has funded over 24,537 projects to help provide water to over 7 MILLION people around the world. And they are 100% funded by those who donate, which means regular people raised enough money to help millions of people gain access to fresh water. Maybe the world isn't so bad after all, we just have to look to something other than the mass media (half joking, half serious).

I'm not a perfect researcher all the time, so I didn't go too far past Twitter, the web pages, and what scam finders, had to say. But, I also realized that as long as I'm sacrificing to help others, with the intent of doing good, it doesn't really concern me if I'm being scammed or not. I mean, use common sense, obviously, but I shouldn't be looking for an excuse to not donate.

I should just do it.

So, I did.

And that was Day 2.

Day 1: "Freely you have received, freely give."

Today is the first day of the #LightTheWorld challenge. As you could probably tell from my first post of today, I am pretty excited to start this challenge running. Well, in my case I start this challenge writing. Because I don't hate myself enough to run. No offense if you do, I just have different strokes, like not running ever.

With the Fight or Flight response, I've always been a fighter. Even when it was the most intelligent route. That's how much I dislike running.

Anyway, back to the reason I'm writing another post of the day, Day 1 of Aimee Lighting the World. Plus Giant Man.

The theme for today is found in the Bible, Matthew 10:8, "Freely you have received, freely give." This year I've received many blessings; from marrying my best friend to finishing up my Bachelor's Degree. I will never be able to give back to the Lord for all the blessings He endlessly gives me, but I can show my gratitude for the people in my life.

For today's act of service, it is actually an act of gratitude. On Instagram, I saw this suggestion to how I could "give freely". There were a few different suggestions, but I felt as if this would be the best option for me. 

I wrote my letter and I'll be mailing it today, along with GM's letter to his person. I don't know if it will turn around the day of the receivers or if they'll just be weird out by the spontaneous letter-writing. But, I do know that I don't let them know as often as I should how grateful I am and how much I love them. 

The world is becoming colder and harsher, but that doesn't mean I have to become a colder person, forgetting my basic manners and letting those who serve me go unnoticed. I mean, I work in the Customer Service Industry, I know how often that happens. I don't want to be one of those people. I want to be more outspoken in my gratitude.

It's one thing to feel grateful. It's another thing to express the gratitude to the person who has lifted you up.

Christmas Has Started

I'm one of those people who are adamant that Christmas shouldn't come out until AFTER Thanksgiving. I believe that Thanksgiving gets overshadowed in stores because Christmas advertising comes out right after Halloween.
But now that Thanksgiving has come and gone, including the leftovers that GM and I enjoyed in our apartment, I'm ready to dive headfirst into my favorite holiday, Christmas.

I have been personally trying to draw closer to Christ and to make the conscious effort of spreading happiness [insert holiday cheer] to those around me. I don't want to shove my beliefs down anyone's throats, but I do think it's important to say that I've been feeling more at peace than usual and I know it is because I've been more regular at praying and reading the Book of Mormon.

Which is good because work has been deteriorating at a rapid rate and I need some peace to cling onto in my life. Though in the words of my sister, we're just "rolling with the punches" and hopefully (if my cards were played right), I'll find a better fitting career before the holidays are over.

Now, all that above is a precursor to what I really want to write a post on, which is the #LightTheWorld the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is doing as a count-down for Christmas which focuses on giving, not receiving.

I am ALL for advent calendars. Almost to the point of obsession. Almost. In fact, as I'm typing this, Giant Man has asked if he could buy an advent game subscription on HumbleBundle.com. We're not new to the video game site and right now they have an advent where if you donate a flat rate, you get a new game every day until Christmas. And I can update my blog and say what they are because we just bought it. Anyway, that's neither here nor there.

The #LightTheWorld event is an advent that not only helps you become more Christlike but it also gives you ideas for acts of service to help show you care. I love this idea and though it may not be always convenient or I may not be 100% consistent, I am DETERMINED to do all 25 days and see how much light I can spread in the world.
By default, GM will also be doing this with me. He is my automatic partner in crime because marriage comes with perks like that.

I also want to write about my experience here so you guys can follow along with how I'm doing (please, hold me accountable) and even if you want to do it yourselves, I extend the invitation. But don't feel like you need to, I'm still grateful for you taking the time to read my posts regardless.

I feel energized for this holiday season. I am determined to make it the best one yet, I already have finished most of my holiday gift shopping and I'm ready to start my annual Christmas baking, something GM is very excited for as well. I hope I can keep this enthusiasm and momentum as I finish up my final semester of my Bachelor's Degree!!

I think it's going to be a great month.

One Thing At a Time

I tend to get overwhelmed because I have this idea that I can "do it all". I like to think I can be the best wife, best daughter, best daughter-in-law, best neighbor, best everything. But as my sensible GM points out, I can't do it all and be the best in everything.

My crazy side thinks he's wrong, but my little sliver of logic (poor guy has his work cut out for him) which has managed to hang on, agrees with GM. Which makes me think maybe I'm not right all the time, just most of the time.

Lately, I feel as if school has been bubbling up into a soon-to-be explosion of stress, tears, work, and more stress. It's my last semester and I want to do well in all my classes, but easier said than done. I have not one, not two, but three group projects this semester, all in different classes. Not to mention my individual major papers and presentations in other classes, and I feel like I'm not going to do the best in every class. This conflicts with my (already known) flawed thinking. I need to be the best. So stress continues to fester underneath my surface.

I love my job. I don't love the long shifts, but while I'm in school and need to make up the hours for the days I can't work... what can I do? I can suck it up and do what's best for my family, there is no complaint from me here about that. However, I was told I would get a promotion, with a pay raise that would be very well accepted, and now, it's not so clear that I will be getting said promotion. Of course, this has me wondering if I have been decreasing in my work abilities or if someone is merely better than me. Both of these, I would not do well handling. But, I need my job, so I go with what they want. All I can do is my best. But my best may not be good enough. Thus, stress continues to grow.

GM is my rock, my solace, my everything. And one of my daily goals is to be the best wife for him, a homemaker. But, when I work and I get tired and I leave the dishes for the day... I know I should probably cut myself some slack, but that would be admitting I can't do it all. GM deserves the best. I need to be the best.

I don't know how I will get everything done. The upcoming holidays are a promise of joy and magic. But, I know the stress that lies within the holiday times. I don't know if I can take on more stress. But, I will. I haven't failed a semester before. I will continue doing my job as they want me to. I will be the best wife for GM. I am not sure how, but I do know I won't fall apart. I can't because as much as I would love to be selfish and say NO MORE, my life isn't just about me. And I can't let down those who need me.

First Post

Hello, Web,
You only get one time to make an impression, one moment, one encounter, and inside that entire blip of a moment people will judge you and decide how they will interact with you.
Unfortunately, whether you think it has that big of an impact or not, the human brain is designed to make shortcuts in figuring complicated mechanisms out. Humans are complicated. Thus, subconsciously or not, we have certain "group" and stereotypes that help our brain make certain decisions, like who we want to see, read, or talk with.

The first time I saw my Giant Man, he was walking with his sister in a parking lot to their car. Turns out, I also had parked my car in said parking lot. Universities tend to group people depending on their majors, and even further down to classes. His sister was in one of my classes, so I associated with her previously. That is how I got talking to my future husband and how I introduced myself.

This first-time interaction with GM wasn't a little blip. In fact, if I remember correctly, the three of us talked for a few hours, laughing and having a grand time. For a woman who stands tall at 5'4", I have quite a tall personality. GM was easy to talk to and we liked similar topics of conversation which made the first impression go very well for both of us.

I like to talk. I like to take an interest in other people. Being complicated creatures, humans have always intrigued me in how we interact and communicate with each other. It is hard to step away from making snap judgments when a new person walks into my life, I'm only human. But, I try to give a "second chance" to those who might have been off in the first encounter.

GM and I didn't fall in love right away, in fact, we had quite the roller coaster of a time until it all finally fell into place. But, I feel like life is all about the little journeys and finding what you really want through all the first encounters and second chances.

I want this blog to be a place where I can tell my story and the mini adventures I have with my 6'6" standing husband. I feel like to be heard is one of the most fulfilling feelings in the world. Also, maybe if we can learn from each other, we would be happier.

Then again, these are just the thoughts of a Giant Man's Wife.