North Dakota - the land of no humidity. Bring your lotion!

So I figured it was time to talk about how we ended up in North Dakota, of all the places in the world. My husband, Lawd I love him so much, graduated college with his Bachelor's degree in Marketing in 2008 (this took a total of 13 years). Now, many like to tease him about this and he enjoys making fun of himself as well, but what some forget is that he also has a culinary degree and worked his ass off for that. He tried out the chef thing for a few years, but I think the hours and the labor just weren't as appealing as he thought it was going to be. I could not be happier to have a landman chef living under the same roof as me. He is the best cook and has already taught me so many things about food. He always says, "Michelle, recipes are just guidelines", which is very hard for me! My OCD likes me to follow recipes exactly as they are printed.

So, after he graduated in May of 2008, he knew a couple of guys that had jobs as landmen in Shreveport. He was so ready to quit bartending and get out of Ruston I think this was part of the reason he jumped on the opportunity so quickly. What could be better really? So, we packed what we had in storage, and headed to Shreveport to move in TEMPORARILY at his mom's house...well, a year and a half later we were still in his mom's house. Turns out his little salary, my little income at the Montessori school, and our poor spending/saving habits did not really lead to the picturesque life that we had imagined once we moved to Shreveport. Thank goodness Ms. Jerri never kicked us to the curb!! We invaded her 2 bedroom, 2 bath house and let me tell you that 4 adults, 4 dogs, and 1 cat (RIP Silver, she actually just passed away recently), can get a little awkward sometimes. I am a big believer in "everything happens for a reason" though. I got pregnant with Lila Faye while we were there. It was great to have Ms. Jerri there during all the aches and pains and helping out. She also divorced during that time, and I think that it really helped that we were there to help support her. There were definitely some trying times!

Ok, back on track. So probably in my 7th-8th month of pregnancy, Andy took a new job as a contract employee for a new company. The perks: big raise, flexible hours, and working from home. The downside to this job was no insurance and it was so independent that Andy was really stressed. Since he still did not have a huge amount of experience he worked ALL THE TIME.  Andy is probably the most motivated and ambitious person that I know. He is quite the perfectionist when it comes to work (and dinner, for that matter!). After we had Lila Faye, living at Ms. Jerri's was a little too crowded. With all the baby stuff, Andy working from home, sharing a bedroom, 3 adults, 1 baby, still 4 dogs, and 1 cat, it was time for us to move out. So, Andy found a rent home in the same area that was perfect and livable according to Andy standards. He jumped on it and it was a huge surprise! So we moved in that February 2010.

He stayed with this company until October of 2010. Since he was the last hire at this company, he was the first to be let go since things were slowing down. He made some calls to just about everyone he knew in the business and the only thing he came across was a leasing job with a company out of Oklahoma City. That would have been really nice to be in Oklahoma City however the job was actually in North Dakota. North Dakota. Basically about as far as you can get from the "boot".  We talked it over and discussed the pros and cons and said we'll give it six months.

This is what I will tell you about having your husband working across the country. IT SUCKS. No other way to put it than that. But we did it as long as we could - we Skyped every night, talked and texted as frequently as possible, mailed cards and care packages, and flew him home as much as we could afford. The longest we went without seeing each other was from Christmas 2010 to the end of March 2011. That was really a tough one and I almost cracked during that time. Lila Faye had a stomach virus, then I got the virus, she had a fever virus, etc. Andy was also living in a hotel room this entire time, which he is a touch ADD, so I can't even imagine how crazy he felt when he was stuck in his room from the weather. We did it though and I will say that for some, being apart can really tear a marriage apart. For us, it only made ours stronger. In this type of situation, there are really going to be horrible, dark moments when you will feel insane. But, in our experience, what worked for us is calling the other one, talking out the situation, usually crying on my end, and then laughing about how crazy this life is and that we know it is all going to work out in the end. I can't even begin to tell you how blessed I feel though with the support from our close friends and family we had when Andy was gone. I would have never made it without them! In June of 2011, a townhouse in Dickinson finally opened up, and Andy was able to move in. We packed everything up in my dad's trailer and made the big move the first of August. That seems like forever ago already too!

It is very hard being away from our friends and family in general. It is REALLY hard to keep up with everyone being this far away and there are plenty of times when I feel left out or just wish ANYone would answer the phone (I was having a really tough day back in January and called 5 different people and no one answered - all I wanted was to hear a Southern drawl people!). It is really hard to see fun pictures of friends and family on Facebook and what not that we are missing. I think initially when moving up here I thought that really not that much would change. I would still be able to catch up with my buddies every other day or so. Not the case really...I think it's partly out of sight, out of mind and partly every one's lives are just so busy. What is even harder now too, is trying to make sure to get in time with everyone that was already at a distance from Shreveport. That is really tough! It was crazy when we came in for Christmas and I felt like we didn't have enough time to just relax with everybody.  We made two trips down this past month and they were so wonderful. Between both visits, I think we were able to fit almost everyone in between Magnolia and Baton Rouge. We even had a couple of friends that surprised us and drove to Baton Rouge to see us. That was really fun!

No one can ever replace our friends back home, but I feel so blessed to have met the friends that we have made up here. North Dakotians are kind people and have been so generous to take us in. It's good to know good people. It really does make life a little easier.

When we came back for one of our first visits home, our friend Megan asked if we missed them.  I couldn't believe she asked that! I told her that of course we missed them! It warms my heart so when I finally get to catch up with loved ones on the phone, email, or even just texting every now and again. I love the friends that we have made up here but there is nothing like hearing about what is happening back South. This was probably one of the hardest decisions we have ever had to make, but we had to get our family back together. I can tell when Andy is gone how it affects Lila Faye. She really likes us to be together as a unit, that sweet girl (and I do too)!  I think about all of our family and friends all the time and keep everyone in my prayers. I hope others do the same for us! We surely need it!

Stay tuned later for the pros and cons (compared to the South) of North Dakota...pictures are from our drive up here when everything was flooded last summer, visiting Medora, and the Teddy Roosevelt park (Lila Faye loves the "Big Cows!").

This the hotel in Medora Andy lived in for too many months
.

Sandbags on the drive up. Literally right outside of the window. It was kind of creepy!

I don't know what kind of caterpillar this is but it was huge! I would love to know if he turns into something else.

I loved this big guy. "Earl".

In this picture, if you look closely, you can see the wild horses in the bottom left.

South Dakota = The Longest Drive Ever

Mount Rushmore really is incredible. It is overwhelming to think about some guy just sitting around that was like, 'Hey, we should go carve some faces here!' It was BEAUTIFUL! We went in the off season so not a lot of the shops were open but we could not have picked a more perfect day to go. Not too much wind, blue skies, warmer temps - it was really lovely. Lila Faye kept saying "Mommy, look at the big faces in the mountain!" And then in her toddler jargon throughout the rest of the day I would hear random, "mountain", "faces", "big faces", so I am guessing it made an impression on her. We'll for sure want to take her back again when she is older. I told Andy when we got back in the car that there has

to be some sort of secret agency tucked in there. I felt like someone was watching me out of Washington's eye! There is also an amphitheatre below too which I bet is amazing to see an event at with it all lit up at night.

What you should know, if you are ever brave enough to make this drive, is that it is the LONGEST DRIVE EVER across North and South Dakota. Holy moly! I would have been terrified if I was by myself. I mean there are miles where there is nothing. When I say nothing, I really mean nothing. I had visions of breaking down and some crazy trucker coming at us that would try to kill us. And all you would be able to do is run! Because there is nothing!

The neatest thing about our drive back was we saw a Bald Eagle - in nature, sitting on a fence post, all by his lonesome. He was huge too! They are much bigger in the wild than when held in captivity. It really did top off the day though and made me think about our history in this country. I often wonder what our past Presidents would think about today's society. Would they be happy with the way this country has been run? Disappointed? Granted, we have come a long way when it comes to equality in this country, but I don't know. I have a lot of thoughts about our society as a whole and what our goals as a country should be. Maybe I'll save all those thoughts for a later post! Lila Faye slept the majority of the trip home that day, and I had quite a bit of reflection during that quiet time.

I hope if you ever make this trip you see an eagle on your drive but that was it as far as excitement goes!

                                    Hope you enjoy the pictures...it really was amazing to see!

 

Migraines, Compression Tights, and Pee

             Ok, so for those of you that have suffered during pregnancy, you are going to love this one!

 I had a relatively easy pregnancy with Lila Faye. I had no morning sickness, no crazy amount of weight gain, one stomach virus, and that's really about it that I can remember. I actually loved being pregnant. In my mind, I was a soldier during pregnancy, although my husband and family might tell you differently. So, with this pregnancy, I have expected it to be the same. IT IS NOT. Maybe this means it is a boy, maybe it means my body is just more tired since we have a two year old, or maybe I just forgot all the aches and pains that I really had during the first one. Whatever it may be, this first trimester has been a little rocky to start and I am only almost at 12 weeks!

Now, I can deal with migraines. I had my first one in 4th grade. I'll never forget it either. I was sitting in Mrs. Brown's class and all of the sudden I started to feel really bad...like I was going to vomit bad. And I had these weird lights in my eyes. All I wanted to do was put my head down but at that point, I really did have to vomit. I remember running to the bathroom, which was at the end of the hall, whatever needed to remove itself from my body happened, and all I could do was just hang on the toilet. Ewwww gross, now when I think back. I probably had my head resting on pee splatters. Anyway, standard school procedure, they called my mom, she picked me up, and you know the drill. Well, since then and with age and stress, they come and go. Sometimes they are terrible, other times they are manageable and I can still vacuum the house or do the dishes if needed. With this pregnancy, they have been pretty bad. I had two days that I really did not get out of bed. And most of you know, all you can do is take Tylenol when pregnant and that is miserable for migraine sufferers. I went to a doctor here in ND just to make sure there was nothing else that I could do for them. He did not examine me, called my migraines "headaches", and I felt like I probably could have given him more information about the causes and symptoms of migraines than he actually knew. So needless to say, I was not impressed with prenatal care here (I have gone to a NP who is under another doctor and really like her, but I won't go back to that first doctor). So Tylenol it is, my friends. I will persevere and make it to the second trimester!

The other enjoyable thing about this pregnancy so far, is that my varicose vein in my left leg is acting up. It really flared up with Lila Faye towards the end but I did not expect this so soon in to this pregnancy. We took a trip south and I had to drive the first 10 hour stretch by myself. I am really thinking that may have put too much extra pressure on my leg. But neither here nor there, I have on my compression tights which are super fun to put on!  I already told Andy when we are done with kids, I am going to need  a lot of work done to repair this body. Part of it is just inherited (my mom has horrible veins from birthing us three very large babies - I was almost 11 lbs) but I want to wear dresses again one day and not be embarrassed or have anyone ask me why Andy beat my left leg, ha! I have already ripped one pair of compression hose so let's take a bet on how many I will destroy by September - I am going to say 8 pairs. And you should also know that I am very clumsy so these odds may go up as I won't be able to see my feet.

I really enjoy my exercise and my friend Joylynn and I started (more seriously) running before Christmas. I am hoping to hit that pretty hard again after Bean gets here and if my leg does not fall off! It has been really hard to not join her as the weather has been really nice up here and we get tired of the ol' treadmill. I feel so lucky to have met her in this crazy move to North Dakota as we really keep each other motivated. Between the migraines and leg pain though, I have really slacked off the past few weeks. It's really disheartening to me because I am not ready to give up my hard workouts yet, but I know I don't need to push it too hard. And it seems like everyone is always posting about their successes which makes me crazy jealous (in a good way)! I hope this baby is going to like his stroller cause he is going to be going on a lot of joy rides!

Ok, lastly, this is my first funny pregnancy issue that I have had. When pregnant, the urge to pee can be quite severe. I drink a lot of water too so I basically just carry a roll of toilet paper with me at all times. Andy left to head up to Minot Wednesday for work so I had the bed all to myself last night (Side note - we have a King size, which I highly suggest if you are planning on getting pregnant or having kids one day).  I can tell I am getting into the second trimester because I am starting to sleep really hard. But, what also comes with pregnancy sleep is vivid dreams. I have a lot of really entertaining dreams as some of you know and being pregnant really takes the level of crazy to new heights. Here goes the "Pee Dream":

 I must really be wanting to go to the beach because this is about the third dream in the past few weeks that was beach related (thank goodness my friend Gina is moving to Corpus Christi at the end of the school year - we'll be visiting!).  I had the norm of random people pop in and out of my dream - Mr. Boyd - high school chemistry teacher (? where did he come from ?), Ashley, long time friend from Magnolia, and also Josh Duhamel made a quick appearance (probably because Andy ate at his restaurant in Minot last night). Random, right? Anyway, there is a lot of fun in the sand and swimming happening until I go to a cafe that is right on the beach. It completely opens up out on to a deck and I go inside. Everybody is ordering sandwiches and drinks and having a grand time. I stop and laugh with a table and then make my way to the bathroom. I get to the bathroom and, well, start to relieve myself. Oh what a great feeling this is in my dream! The bathroom is tiny and wooden with one sectional to hide yourself from the door. Well, I guess I did not lock the door very well because in comes Betty White and she says "You need to hurry it up Missy! Some of us old folks can't hold it that long!" Ok. Betty White is telling me to hurry up and pee. I say "I am hurrying, I just can't quit peeing!!!" And really, in my dream, I could not. It was like a faucet that was stuck! It just keeps flowing and flowing and I think I could even hear the sound of it. Soooooo then, I wake up to something warm between my legs. Apparently, I had started to pee on myself. I can't quit laughing as I am typing this! I jumped out of bed and ran to the bathroom and obviously finished and cleaned up. Luckily, I did not have to change any bedding at 4 a.m., thank the LAWD. This is the first time I have probably done something like this since I was 3 years old. Wow, that was a good dream! I know that some women have trouble with incontinence after having a baby, but this was a new one for me! I will now make signs that say, WARNING - PREGNANCY AND ITS AFTERMATH MAY CAUSE YOU TO PEE YOURSELF!

                         Hello Baby Marlette #2! I have a feeling you are going to make a grand entrance!!

It's Like Losing Your Virginity



I had a friend of mine suggest starting a blog, oh gosh, probably over a year ago or more. I thought about it and then really just got busy with life. Every now and then, the thought crossed my mind but I just never acted on it. With Lila Faye getting so big and our second on the way now, I thought, maybe it's time. We have a lot of family that are not on a social network and I don't want them to miss out on any pictures or what is happening in our life. There is just too much funny shit that happens in our lives, especially now with a kiddo, to not write these things down.

 This feels kind of like the first time you, you know, do the deed. You are not quite sure what to do, what to expect, and what your partner (you the reader) will think. I have always admired others that can pour themselves out completely into their writing. I have another friend who has been blogging a long time about her family and her page is so cute! I'm sure with time I'll add some bling to mine! This blog will probably be relatively light-hearted (most of the time) and will probably refer to my close friends and family quite often. I want to share stories about my life, recipes that we love (my husband graduated from culinary school so I feel REALLY lucky), exercises to work OFF those recipes, places to travel, illnesses,  frustrations, success and failure, and other events that take place in our life.

P.S. Sorry Mom, but there will be use of profanity. I know you won't like it but this is just fair warning. You did raise me right by the way!!

You may be wondering why I chose the name, "Bad JuJu Beans and Other Life Stories". Well, one of my best friend's and I were having a conversation the other night and basically it boiled down to how our lives seem to fall apart simultaneously and maybe we should not be friends because of her bad juju. She thinks she brings bad juju on me and I told her 'That is crazy. I have had bad juju my entire life.' I think this is one reason that we can laugh and cry together as friends. I know this is why we are as strong as we are and can deal with any situation that comes our way. I have had such a roller coaster life that all I can do is pour a glass of wine, cry about it, and then laugh over it.  How boring life would be if we did not have challenges every day! I don't remember when it happened for me, but I think one day, I woke up and just realized that bad things happen and there is nothing we can do about it. It is all in a "plan" that is much greater than each of us.  So this is the name I chose because let's face it, shit happens and what can you do but just laugh about it in the long run and keep on trucking!

 

A Little Background History

I'll really get into our life soon and how we ended up in North Dakota soon but this is just to give you my family info. Andy is my husband and I saw a quote somewhere (probably Pinterest, as I am obsessed with it) that best describes how I feel about him. It basically said something to the effect of, 'You don't need someone to complete you, you need someone to love you completely'. Andy loves me completely for the weird, geeky, silly, a little bit OCD, temper, and caring person that I am. Our lives married together in a little town called Ruston, Louisiana. Neither of us are from there but we both went to college there. We met in 2000, but never actually dated until 2005. Eight months later and much to the dismay of our friends and family, we married on August 14, 2006. God then blessed us with our little Valentine's Day surprise, Lila Faye, on November 9, 2009. And now we have a little New Year's surprise that will be due around September 25th.

We are so lucky and have the BEST family. I'll start with Andy's side of the family.

Andy's mom, Jerri, is so supportive and caring. She has taken us in to her home numerous times and I imagine it will happen again before it is all said and done. Aka Mam-Maw, is really special and we are also very close. I don't think many daughter-in-law's can say they are as lucky as me. She has become a second mom to me and a best friend. Andy's mom and dad were separated before he was born and  he visited him throughout childhood. Mac, his dad, married Joyce, who is a wonderful soul. Andy's dad was diagnosed with Alzheimer's several years ago and it has progressed very rapidly. He is just a shell of his former self, and I would have loved to have known him. In all the pictures, he and Andy share the same smile, and I believe, he might have been a bit of a ladies' man (like my hubby!). I am sure we would have had a good time teasing each other! Joyce has taken care of Mac the entire time and now has her sons' to also help her, which is a blessing. The Marlette's are a very lively bunch, and I can tell they have a lot of love for each other. Andy also has two half sister's, Laurie and Jennifer. There is a ten year gap between Andy and them, so I really enjoy the stories that they share about harassing Andy as a child and Andy's take on things when they might have been up to no good (especially Laurie, there are some really good stories). Laurie is married to Uncle Brian and they have a daughter, Chloe. One of my favorite things about Chloe is how she calls Lila Faye, Lila Faith...always has. That will be her little pet name from Chloe! Jennifer is married to Uncle Steve and they have 4 children, Adam, Katie, Emily, and their newest addition, Allison. There is a pretty big age gap between Allison and the others, so I am excited to hear about the fun stories she'll have growing up. They live in Georgia and I sure wish we could see them more often. They all grow way too much between visits!

On my side, my parents are Mike and Patsy, aka Pops and Nonna. I think the first thing that comes to my mind when I think of them is "Wow!". For being married almost 37 years, they have really been through so much. I hope and pray Andy and I can remain as strong as they are. My mom was diagnos`ed with cancer at 40 (more on that later) and has battled it to this day. My dad has missed maybe 2 or 3 of her appointments the entire time! So admirable and really they are such wonderful grandparents. Lila Faye is still the only girl (which I kind of like - I know, selfish of me) and she sure does love her Pops and Nonna. Really, when it comes to grandparent love, Lila Faye is one lucky kid. All the grandparents are always going above and beyond to show their love for her.  I have an older sister, Beth aka Aunt Boo, who is married to Uncle Neil. They have two boys, Ben and Cole. Lila Faye LOVES baby Cole. Ben was basically chopped liver when he showed up. Sorry buddy, she still loves you too, but she really loves baby Cole! My sister and I were not so close growing up, but we are today. I am sure it had a lot to do with puberty on both of our parts but there was a little while that I think there was a mutual hatred for each other. Thank goodness we grow up! I have a younger brother, Gene aka Uncle Bean, and he is married to Auntie Dessa (Adessa). My brother grew up to be so much more than I could have ever imagined. He was just promoted to Captain in the USAF this past month and has really done well for himself. I could not be more proud of the annoying little terd that used to drive me crazy growing up. We were either thick as thieves or wanted to kill each other. I think that our poor dear sister was tortured unnecessarily many times due to our shenanigans.  We remain very close and he is my go to guy for any comic or sci-fi movie.

I feel so blessed to have this life and hope you enjoy reading my blog. My mom just told me the other day that I should get back to work on my writing while I have some down time, and I really forget how much I enjoy it...this makes me that much more motivated to finish my book!

WE LOVE PICTURES IN THIS FAMILY SO GET READY (And I'm hoping for a new fancy camera for my big 30 next month!!!!)




Some friends came over and cooked dinner for us one evening...this is the bag of flour they brought.

 



  One of my favorite kids, Sweetface, as I like to call him. His mommy always has a good story about him when we talk. He is quite entertaining, this one.





 What you can't see in this picture is our old cat, Felix, on the other side of the door. I like to think that Brutus, our boxer and Lila Faye (about 6 months here) are taunting him with a "nah nah nah na nah nah, you can't come in-n".

  


My husband secretly wants to be an actor. I think that says enough about this picture.









Nonna holding Lila Faye around six months.