The arrow is where the baby is at (click it for clarity).
March 15, 2008
Our Little Lima Bean
So a couple of days after Tim passed his first actuary test, I passed my pregnancy test. I am now 6 weeks pregnant and other than feeling extremely tired, I'm feeling fairly good. We went to the doctor yesterday and had our first ultrasound. Other than looking like a pulsating lima bean, our baby is healthy. We should be able to meet this little ...boy?... girl? (sorry Dad, it's not a puppy) on November 6th (or somewhere around there). Kudos to Kimmie for figuring out the exact date before we even talked to the doctor!
The arrow is where the baby is at (click it for clarity).
The arrow is where the baby is at (click it for clarity).
March 14, 2008
More of the Same
Did you know that there are professional jugglers? That juggling is a sport? That there are competitions at which judges grade jugglers on difficulty and originality? I didn't either, until today. Even if you weren't impressed by the other videos (which you should have been!), try this one! 7-club, 9-ball, 9-ring juggling. 5-club backcrosses and 360 spins. Two-man back-to-back. Through the legs so much it looks trivial. 4-club 360 spins while balancing a club on the nose.
Link to WJF amazingness!
Link to WJF amazingness!
March 6, 2008
Juggling Master!
So, some of you know that I have been juggling since Christmas (thanks for the gag gift, big sis!). I was feeling somewhat cocky the other day, as I had pretty much mastered the 3-ball Cascade (or Fountain). Then I got on YouTube to figure out how to juggle four balls, and I discovered that I know nothing of juggling!
I've sort of gotten the Half Shower, as well as Tennis, and I'm fairly good at 2-ball juggling with either hand, though still weak with the left. I'm now working on the 3-ball Shower, a loop. Next will be the Windmill, then Chops, 2-up 1-up, Fake, Factory, and, the ultimate 3-ball pattern (in my humble opinion), Mill's Mess.
And somewhere in there, the 4-ball Cascade, which is actually 2-ball juggling in each hand at the same time!
The three links below are to videos that crushed my pride quite thoroughly. They were posted by a 16 year old! (Warning: the music may not be enjoyed by all, but you can always mute it!)
Shorter (0:58)
Longer (3:37)
3-ball Juggling (5:44, including a long intro)
If you like 'em, check out his other videos. They're all pretty cool!
I've sort of gotten the Half Shower, as well as Tennis, and I'm fairly good at 2-ball juggling with either hand, though still weak with the left. I'm now working on the 3-ball Shower, a loop. Next will be the Windmill, then Chops, 2-up 1-up, Fake, Factory, and, the ultimate 3-ball pattern (in my humble opinion), Mill's Mess.
And somewhere in there, the 4-ball Cascade, which is actually 2-ball juggling in each hand at the same time!
The three links below are to videos that crushed my pride quite thoroughly. They were posted by a 16 year old! (Warning: the music may not be enjoyed by all, but you can always mute it!)
Shorter (0:58)
Longer (3:37)
3-ball Juggling (5:44, including a long intro)
If you like 'em, check out his other videos. They're all pretty cool!
March 2, 2008
Surprise Results
So last Monday, I woke up after studying all weekend for my test. I decided that I was done studying, as I had already absorbed about as much as I possibly could. So, I had a very relaxing morning; I got online and surfed a bit, and I annoyed Mongkut until he was ready to pounce. This is a rather sedate picture, but you can see he's in defensive posture.
Then, as per Heather's instructions, I made myself a protein-filled breakfast. Adding pepper-jack to the scrambled eggs was a delicious idea!
I put in some good music...
and got on the road. I had a companion for most of the trip north--Mazduncan Idaho!!! (or at least one of his clones).
It rained for a bit.
Finally, I arrived at the test site. I had 3 hours to complete 30 multiple choice questions, each with 5 possible answers. Three hours may seem like a lot of time, but the questions are tough.
After two and a half hours, I had answered all of the questions. Unfortunately, I was only confident on 13 of them! When I submitted my answers, I was expecting to fail; here are my results:
I passed! Not an official report, but the receptionist said that they have never heard of anyone failing after receiving a good report on the immediate grading. I'm trying to keep my hopes down, just in case I'm the first, but it ain't easy!
It makes me feel a bit like Gideon. God had him take only 300 men against the multitudes of the Midianites so that the Israelites would know that they hadn't saved themselves, but that God had. With me being as unprepared as I was, I know that God achieved the passing grade, not me!
Once back in Corvallis, Heather & I went to Ruby Tuesday to celebrate.
And here's a pic that I don't have a place for, but am really happy with.
Then, as per Heather's instructions, I made myself a protein-filled breakfast. Adding pepper-jack to the scrambled eggs was a delicious idea!
I put in some good music...
and got on the road. I had a companion for most of the trip north--Mazduncan Idaho!!! (or at least one of his clones).
It rained for a bit.
Finally, I arrived at the test site. I had 3 hours to complete 30 multiple choice questions, each with 5 possible answers. Three hours may seem like a lot of time, but the questions are tough.
After two and a half hours, I had answered all of the questions. Unfortunately, I was only confident on 13 of them! When I submitted my answers, I was expecting to fail; here are my results:
I passed! Not an official report, but the receptionist said that they have never heard of anyone failing after receiving a good report on the immediate grading. I'm trying to keep my hopes down, just in case I'm the first, but it ain't easy!
It makes me feel a bit like Gideon. God had him take only 300 men against the multitudes of the Midianites so that the Israelites would know that they hadn't saved themselves, but that God had. With me being as unprepared as I was, I know that God achieved the passing grade, not me!
Once back in Corvallis, Heather & I went to Ruby Tuesday to celebrate.
And here's a pic that I don't have a place for, but am really happy with.
February 23, 2008
Miasmatic Mathematics
So, this Monday I have an Actuarial Exam. This is the first of a series of 10 tests, and deals with probability. It is affectionately called the P-Test. This wonderful test costs $175 to take, and about 1 in 3 who take the test pass it on their first try. In other words, P(pass) = 0.333 .
If that doesn't tell you how hard the test is, here's an example from the study guide.
77. A device runs until either of two components fails, at which point the device stops running. The joint density function of the lifetimes of the two components, both measured in hours, is
f (x, y) = (x + y)/8 for 0< x <2 and 0< y <2.
What is the probability that the device fails during its first hour of operation?
(A) 0.125
(B) 0.141
(C) 0.391
(D) 0.625
(E) 0.875
I'll give you a hint--it's the blue one. If any of you can tell me why, you're doing better than I did!
So, if any of you want to say a little prayer for me, that'd be GREAT!
If that doesn't tell you how hard the test is, here's an example from the study guide.
77. A device runs until either of two components fails, at which point the device stops running. The joint density function of the lifetimes of the two components, both measured in hours, is
f (x, y) = (x + y)/8 for 0< x <2 and 0< y <2.
What is the probability that the device fails during its first hour of operation?
(A) 0.125
(B) 0.141
(C) 0.391
(D) 0.625
(E) 0.875
I'll give you a hint--it's the blue one. If any of you can tell me why, you're doing better than I did!
So, if any of you want to say a little prayer for me, that'd be GREAT!
February 6, 2008
February 2, 2008
He's Here!
My nephew, Jeshurun Kaleb was born today (February 3rd, India time) at 12:18 am to my sister, Evie, and her husband, Ravi. He was 7 lbs when he was born and has a very lusty cry (from what my mom and sister say). Once I get pictures of him, I'll put them up so everyone can see him.
Washing Machine: 1, Cell Phone: 0
Well, this morning I decided to wash my phone, as it was quite dirty. After one wash cycle, the phone was sparkling clean, but also quite dysfunctional. The keypad still lit up when buttons were pressed, but the display did absolutely nothing. Surprising, no?
As it stands now, my new phone, which I got only 3 months ago, is fried. Luckily, the family plan I'm on included a free spare phone, so I at least have a different number I can use temporarily.
Moral of the story? If you want to clean your cell phone, don't use a washing machine to do it. Also, check your pockets!
As it stands now, my new phone, which I got only 3 months ago, is fried. Luckily, the family plan I'm on included a free spare phone, so I at least have a different number I can use temporarily.
Moral of the story? If you want to clean your cell phone, don't use a washing machine to do it. Also, check your pockets!
Little Lady Katie
Last weekend, Tim and I went up to Sandy to finally meet our niece, Katie. She is a beautiful little girl, and that isn't a biased auntie's opinion!
And a little bit of auntie time.
Her big brother Jack was, of course, very fun to be with.
He loved waking up his uncle Timmy...
Tim "loved" being woken up as well!
February 1, 2008
I Finally Have the Computer
After a week of Tim using the computer for his schoolwork, I finally am able to put something up. I love the weekend!
Here is a bit of what we did last month.
Covenant Life Fellowship Marriage Retreat in Bandon
Tim and I went on our first marriage retreat a couple weeks back. It was weird to realize that we were actually eligible to go to a marriage retreat when we first heard about it. We had a great time with the 3 other couples that we rented a house with. The sessions were very convicting and gave both of us a lot to think about and work on to make our marriage a Godly one. Here is a bit of how the weekend went...
I got the whole day off on Friday and was able to do what I actually want to do with my life.... be a housewife! I cleaned house and baked cookies and got both of us packed up for our trip to the coast.
Tim and I left for the coast as soon as he was out of class for the day, but had to stop off at a closed weigh station to put some more oil in our car. Tim got the bright idea that we should weigh ourselves on the scale there and here is what our combined weight was
One of my favorite times during the trip was putting Bethany York to sleep.
Although the walk to the end of the pier and back with Tim was fun as well. We saw some waves crash beautifully onto the rocks, some seals who teased me mercilessly as I tried to take their picture,
Oh yeah, I became deafened by the fog horn that warns ships of where the rocks are.
Here is a bit of what we did last month.
Covenant Life Fellowship Marriage Retreat in Bandon
Tim and I went on our first marriage retreat a couple weeks back. It was weird to realize that we were actually eligible to go to a marriage retreat when we first heard about it. We had a great time with the 3 other couples that we rented a house with. The sessions were very convicting and gave both of us a lot to think about and work on to make our marriage a Godly one. Here is a bit of how the weekend went...
I got the whole day off on Friday and was able to do what I actually want to do with my life.... be a housewife! I cleaned house and baked cookies and got both of us packed up for our trip to the coast.
Tim and I left for the coast as soon as he was out of class for the day, but had to stop off at a closed weigh station to put some more oil in our car. Tim got the bright idea that we should weigh ourselves on the scale there and here is what our combined weight was
Yeah, no wonder it was a closed scale.
Here are some views from our rental house.
One of my favorite times during the trip was putting Bethany York to sleep.
Although the walk to the end of the pier and back with Tim was fun as well. We saw some waves crash beautifully onto the rocks, some seals who teased me mercilessly as I tried to take their picture,
The building with the orange triangle has a horn in it that is VERY loud when you walk out past it.
Well, I don't know how to cleverly end this post, so I won't.
Well, I don't know how to cleverly end this post, so I won't.
January 5, 2008
January 4, 2008
A Trip Down Memory Lane
January.
It was a wonderful trip (although I wish that we had a transporter instead of airplanes).
February.
My sister and
March.
A friend surprised us with a cash gift of $400. We didn’t realize that we actually needed it until our car got hit 3 days later. The $400 covered the deductible to fix the car, one grocery trip, and a tank of gas. Isn’t God amazing how he blesses us before we even ask or know that we have a need?
June.
I got to witness the birth of the son of one of my dearest friends.
Evie called with the news that she is going to have a baby herself.
One year of marriage.
Donald James Earl Shire is born.
July.
Evie came home from
August.
Evie leaves for
September.
We got a cat and named him Mongkut. Tim named him and said that he can name the animals and I can name our children. I’m perfectly fine with that trade after hearing the name that he wanted for our cat. *Interesting Note: Mongkut was the name of the King of Siam in the King and 
November.
Thanksgiving at the Whittakers. I didn’t take any pictures there, so these are taken off of my sister-in-laws’ blogsites.
December
Selmet Christmas party.Unfortunately, I didn’t win any prizes, but we had a great time.Christmas and New Years Eve.
You’ll have to look at the below posts for details and my favorite pictures.
The Lord has richly blessed us this year more than we deserved A new brother, nephew, money for unexpected car repairs... Most of all I am thankful for the grace he has shown to Tim and I in the redemption of our souls. Well, I hope you all enjoyed this little trip down memory lane with me.
New Years Eve
We woke this morning to a blistery 29°F with a sheet of ice covering the road to work. It was a …fun drive. *Note to self… braking on ice is not the most brilliant idea.*
After work, Tim and I went over to our friend’s, Grant, house for dinner and fun.
Food……
Drink…..
......GLOBAL DOMINATION!!
Pinky and the Brain....
...one is a genius, the other's insane!
Happy New Year!
December 29, 2007
Christmas 2007
Tim and I had a wonderful 4 days of Christmas that was filled with family and friends.
Here's a bit of what happened.
Nephews Galore.
Jack pretty much ignored his 6 month old cousin, Donny, until Andy, Kim, and Donny were just about to leave. Then he was all about helping out with his cousin by putting in his binkie whenever Donny spit it out.
Auntie Jo and Monkey's Uncle (aka Tim) playing with Jack.
Presents!
We got Jack a Bob the Builder Hard hat and tool belt for Christmas. He didn't like the hat at first until other people started to wear it, then he wore it and put it on his mom, Beth.
And of course the 2nd annual wake up Uncle Timmy with Jack and marshmallows. Beth, of course, was thrilled that Joann and I gave her son marshmallows to carry around and get sticky from.
Here's a bit of what happened.
Whittaker Family Christmas
Fort Building for Donny by Auntie Jo.
Nephews Galore.Jack pretty much ignored his 6 month old cousin, Donny, until Andy, Kim, and Donny were just about to leave. Then he was all about helping out with his cousin by putting in his binkie whenever Donny spit it out.
Auntie Jo and Monkey's Uncle (aka Tim) playing with Jack.
Presents!
We got Jack a Bob the Builder Hard hat and tool belt for Christmas. He didn't like the hat at first until other people started to wear it, then he wore it and put it on his mom, Beth.
And of course the 2nd annual wake up Uncle Timmy with Jack and marshmallows. Beth, of course, was thrilled that Joann and I gave her son marshmallows to carry around and get sticky from.
Luse Family Christmas
After leaving the Whittaker Christmas we headed down to Roseburg for church at Covenant Life Fellowship and then to my parents house where we stayed until after Christmas Dinner. Sorry, there are no pictures from this Christmas due to the fact that my camera batteries died and I couldn't go out and get more. Apparently, I took too many pictures of our nephews.
My family spent Christmas Eve doing our traditional dinner of snack foods while watching Scrooge. Christmas day was spent making culinary perfections with my mom and watching my dad and Tim clean up after us. In my family, the women cook and the men clean up.
My family spent Christmas Eve doing our traditional dinner of snack foods while watching Scrooge. Christmas day was spent making culinary perfections with my mom and watching my dad and Tim clean up after us. In my family, the women cook and the men clean up.
December 27, 2007
Old Man Whittaker
Last Wednesday was Tim's 23rd Birthday (although he claims that he is 22 again because he doesn't like the number 23- it's Micheal Jordan's number). Here are some excerpts from it.
Tim's Present (notice the Elmo Wrapping Paper)!
Tim loves his new shoes!
Tim's Present (notice the Elmo Wrapping Paper)!
Tim loves his new shoes!
America's Next Top Model?
And finally Apple Cherry Pie!
Tim wants to have weird combination pies for his birthdays. Next year he's thinking of having me make grape pie (thanks Kim for that idea).So Tim's another year older and another year wiser (so we hope).
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