Being so Behind...and on Christmas Break!

So I am so behind with the belly pictures, but I guess you'll all live. I've been on Christmas break and life just happens, so deal. And now tomorrow I'm going to Chicago with the Whaite Family, so pictures of me and my life will just have to be postponed even more. Luckily, the baby is still the size of a mango, so you all can rest soundly tonight knowing that...

I had to go to the after-hours clinic today to get a huge staph infection thingy drained off my leg. Yuck. Pretty painful, but I'm on pregnancy-safe drugs right now, so that's a good thing. It's even feeling a bit better, which is a relief after three days of walking like a gorilla to keep my legs from rubbing together....

You all love me for sharing. I know.

Let's see if I can find any Christmas pictures on the computer to add to this amazing post....

Nope none. They must all still be on my computer...and that is where they'll stay until I get back from CHICAGO with the fam! :) :) :)

Hope everybody has a great week--and a Happy New Year!!!! 2009 sure holds some exciting firsts for the Kotarski family...and for that, the drink of the day (and the week I guess) is champagne that I will NOT be drinking on Wednesday night, but will be toasting with something less-alcoholic, that being sparkling grape juice, probably....

Love you all!

Week 22!!!!! Whoa!!!!

I didn't change my pants tonight, so you get a glimpse of my lifesaver pajama pants...oh well! :)

This is week 22! The baby can hear us talking and is going to love her some heavy-metal...or not. Probably will be a fan of Chris Thile and Nickel Creek if my husband has anything to do with it!

Melting Pot

This weekend we traveled to Novi to have a fancy dinner at the Melting Pot with the July's and Buckley's...As birthdays for Jori and Jason, but more importantly, as a "last hurrah" for the July's before their baby is born on January 9th! We had so much fun cooking our own food over the fondue pots, chatting, and reflecting on all God's blessings throughout the past year...There are so many!

(if you want to see the pictures better, you can click on the image and see a bigger picture--I couldn't figure out how to make it bigger and not blurry! :( )

Decorating for Christmas!

This week we decorated our house for Christmas...Here's a few highlights! We got the cutest little ornament from a family at church that says "Parents-to-be 2008"...So cute and a great addition to our beautiful, yet non-thematic tree! :) Merry Christmas everybody! I'm in the spirit!

AND IT'S A....

GIRL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Isn't she the cutest thing you've ever seen??

Being Behind...

So I'm really behind, but wanted you all to know that our baby is the size of a banana (the length, actually), and that tomorrow at 2:30 is the big ultrasound day...and we ARE finding out the gender, and we ARE very excited!!!!

We have belly pictures and Christmas decoration pictures and Melting Pot Celebration pictures, but right now is 30 Rock Husband Time and so I have to go do that!!

:)And in reminiscence of the beginning of our blogging days, the drink of the day was hot oil that we cooked raw meat in at the Melting Pot, and yummy coffee that my husband drank after chocolate fondue (but not me--I still have an aversion!!!)!

Love you all!

And one more Tag!!!

Barb also tagged me (probably even longer than a month and a half ago...) to play Memory Loss Meme (what this strange "meme" word means is news to me). To play along, you have to go to sixth photo folder and choose your sixth photo to share. Since I'm sitting at the laptop, and we just got it in the spring, this will not be a million years ago, but more recent...But that's okay! I'm not too anal about it all!! :)
This picture is my husband walking along Lake Michigan after a long afternoon of Letterboxing. We had gone to Lake Harbor Park, next door to Maranatha, to scavenger hunt our way to some new stamps for our book, and had found three out of the four hidden treasures...This is just me, taking a picture of my husband by the lake!! :)

Tagged about a million years ago!!!!

So about a month (or more) ago, my friend Barb tagged me to complete this blog about Things I value and do not value...Since I'm sitting here "resting" like the doctor told me to do this morning, AND since I'm not throwing up like I have been for the past 36 hours, I thought I could catch up...

Things I value:
1. my relationship with Jesus Christ: without this friend and Savior, my life would not be complete, and my future would be hopeless
2. my family: my parents for what they taught me as I grew up, how they raised me to love people, and how they have helped me get to where I am today AND my husband for how he makes me laugh, takes care of me, and makes my life fuller and more fun
3. my church: a place where I can be real, be honest, serve God, and where my best friends are!!
4. relationships: I love people!!! Enough said...
5. my college education: thanks to my parents and a few upcoming loans, I can be secure in my job, and move forward towards whatever is in store for my future...

Things I do not value:
1. hate
2. hypocrisy
3. judgement

So if you want to play along, please do!! I'd love to read what you value!!!

HALF WAY THERE!!!

Well, here I am on Thanksgiving, half way through--20 weeks and counting DOWN now!! So weird!

We spent the day with family, eating, playing games and talking about babies! :) It was a fun weekend, and now the three week countdown until Christmas break starts. It feels so weird to say we're counting DOWN til baby, but at the same time, it feels so far away! :)

This week, Baby Kotarski is the size of a cantaloupe and is getting ready to poop!!!

You've got to be KIDDING me!!!!!

My baby has some sort of nasty protective layer this week...seems like snot to me...

And seriously. This picture makes my belly look so huge. It CAN'T really be THAT bump-like yet!!!!!

That is just ridiculous!!

Say a Little Prayer for Meeeeeee...

If everybody who loves me and who reads this would just take a quick second to say a prayer for me, that would rock. You know we all need it, and I'm feeling especially exhausted, overwhelmed, and just generally not so hot right now.

Thanks all! Love you! I'll say a general prayer for everybody who reads this right now, so you're all covered too!

-Lisa

our little sweet potato....

The baby has working reproductive organs, and is moving and hiccuping like crazy, but I haven't felt anything yet anyway, so who cares? I mean, really...I do...but am excited to feel that sucker kick me!

Our ultrasound appointment is December 8th, and we in fact, ARE, finding out the sex...so get ready everybody!!!! :)

Look what I made!

Homemade Laundry Detergent
Water
1 Bar Ivory soap, Grated
5 Gallon Bucket
1 Cup Washing Soda
4 1/2 Gallons Water


Place grated soap in a small saucepan and cover with water. Heat on low until dissolved. Fill bucket with hot water, and add soap. Stir to combine. Add 1 cup washing soda and mix well. As it cools it will thicken. May be used immediately. Use 1-2 cups per load.

I added a little tea tree oil to fight fungi and bacteria and to make it smell like hippies.

I'll let you know how it works out later.

Belly Picture Numbero Uno...

This is not fun, but as my mom says, I need to "embrace the belly." I'm hating it, but there it is...and it can NOT be sucked in.

And since you all asked (okay, you didn't, but I know you wanted to)...Here's the size of my baby compared to a fruit:

My baby has finger prints, people...That is so awesome!

Other Fall Happenings...

So this has been a fun fall and I've actually started taking pictures again that AREN'T of my belly. It's about time!

A few weekends ago the July's invited us to a bonfire to burn down the pieces of their old barn...We sat around the fire, made hobo pies, and just chatted and hung out. It was a great time

The fire just getting started...

As the night wore on Jori and I both got tired! You can't tell though, right?

And then there was the Apple Orchard Visit that my sister Carolyn was thankfully home to join us for...

The cutesy pictures in front of the pumpkins...

So there's all our fall fun so far!!!! Get ready for Week 18 news...coming soon!

Some Halloween Fun!

I love that Halloween was on a Friday...Jason and I got to hand out candy and play games at the same time...which was a blast. Don't know if you can see, but there are very tiny zombies stomping around our table. And I'm losing. Which sucks.

Here's Jason trying to look like a zombie...

And then afterwards, there was still time to go hang out with our friends the Julys! I love Halloween on Fridays--it should always happen like that!

Major Influencers

“God appeals to us through other good people, through good sermons, or through the reading of good books.” – Teresa of Avila

In no way is this list exhaustive but it gathers many of the most influential appeals in my life and walk with God.

Good People:

Lisa Kotarski

Aaron Clum

Joel Rash

The guys in South Bay Bessie

Dave and Christy Flowers

Chuck and Nina Flowers

Phil Hearn

Lynn Pratt

Brent Adams

John and Bonnie Whaite

Charly and Christina Sommers

Good Sermons/Preachers:

Dave Flowers (pretty much everything, but especially his early series on Spiritual Reality)

Rob Bell

Andy Stanley (Best Question Ever)

That guy at the Alpha Conference a few years ago

Unknown Priest at St. Paul’s Cathedral in London, England

Steven Furtick (From the Promise to the Payoff @ Catalyst 2008)

Good Books:

The Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren

Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller

If You Wanna Walk on Water, You’ve Got to Get Out of the Boat by John Ortberg

Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis

Velvet Elvis by Rob Bell

Praise Habit by David Crowder

Wild at Heart by John Eldridge

Saving God’s Green Earth by Tri Robinson

The Irresistible Revolution by Shane Claiborne

New Neighbor by Leroy Barber

Other:

Relevant Magazine and Podcast

Catalyst Podcast

What does your list look like?

Lisa dropped that ball...

"Watch what you say... tiny bones forming in baby's ears mean the little one can now pick up your voice. Eyebrows, lashes and hair are starting to fill in, and taste buds are forming. And, if you're interested, an ultrasound might be able to determine gender. "

When Lisa told me this yesterday, I talk to the little one all the way from Target to home. Precious or what?

Together...

I am sitting here reflecting on this year's Catalyst Conference when I should be writing a paper. I am going to pretend that getting the fingers flowing on the keyboard over here is going to help me get flowing on my paper.

Catalyst is a conference in Atlanta that is geared toward young church leaders. The theme for this year's conference was "Together". Amazing speakers from the church world and the business world presented some big ideas that dealt with the daily business of leading a team of people to achieve a common goal, creating culture, what it means to lead a tribe, and we were presented with opportunities to do some awesome things together as a group of 12,000 people from around the country. I am still unpacking much of what I heard and was impacted by in Atlanta but I go to thinking about how "togetherness" has always been an extremely important value in my life. Here's some ways I have seen this work out for me:

Undoing Racism: When I was in high school, and almost failing every class, I approached my principal about getting involved with an organization that was dealing with issues I was passionate it about. He was hesitant but he let me leave school once a month to participate because he saw that I actually cared to learn something for a change. I became a member of the Community Coalition Youth Council to participate in dialogue sessions and training workshops to be a leader in helping other youth to break down the walls that separate us. I remember freestyling with Jihad and Vanessa and sharing my own songs as an example of using my gifts to spread messages that were inportant to me.

Putting on Shows: After playing in bands for a while some of my greatest joys in the music scene were the times that I set up shows for touring bands. Most of the bands I brought to Flint were often bands that only I cared about but I worked to get people together to hear something new and have a lot of fun. I remember the time that I had a new band play their first show and was able to pay them $60 (this was a ton of money in the punk rock world at the time) because we packed the place out. People came together and experienced something new because I took time to share something that was important to me.

Coffee Shops: I have worked at coffee shops and often just like to hang out at coffee shops. I love the oppurtunity for a connecting point for nieghbors, friends, and lovers. Sure you get coffee but people are willing to pay just to be with other people.

Board Games: Lots of fun and rarely possible to do alone. I love to play games and it's always a good excuse to get people over to catch up and stay up too late.

Leading Small Groups: I have had so many meaningful experiences of gathering with people to talk about God, life, hopes, dreams, regrets, heartache, and joy. Being intentional about depth isn't always the most common thing to do but it is such an important part of creating meaningful community.

Grilling: Nothing brings people together like food. This in one thing that I really missed while Lisa and were working at Maranatha this summer. The thing I lvoe the most about barbequeing is that I get to create something and give it away. Maybe it's just some chicken with storebought marinade or maybe it's a peeper stuffed with bleu cheese and chives. Whatever it is it brings people around the the table to enjoy each other. Brennan Manning once said, "Sadly, the meaning of meal sharing is largely lost in the Christian community today. In the Near East, to share a meal with someone is a guarantee of peace, trust, fraternity, and forgiveness: the shared table signifies a shared life."

We all need other people. We were created for community. How are you bringing, or have you brought, people together?

Week 15...and the possibility of a belly pictures coming soon....

So this weekend was the first time that I walked around in public with pants that did not button OR zip. I had this little nifty new-fangled gadget called a BellyBand that hid all the bumps and it was pretty darn sad. It is not easy to feel okay about gaining weight. I've been so obsessed with my weight for the past, oh, I don't know, 15 years, that it is very hard to be okay with my pants not fitting.

But I'm trying really hard to feel cute instead of fat...

So anyway--Week 15....Here goes...



The legs are longer than the arms this week...and it has joints, so it can start to learn to dance....Now a baby with vocal cords like me AND dance moves, I don't know if we can handle it!!!! :)

Have a great week everybody!

A LEMON IS HUGE!!

The Green Couch. Final Day. 17 songs in 30 days!

Green Couch Psalm 103

A peach is pretty cute!!! And vocal cords people...can you imagine what those vocal cords are gonna look like with a mom and dad like Jason and Lisa??? What a fun week!

And just an update on my belly...my pants still fit, and although I HAVE been taking weekly belly pictures, the belly pictures all look the same, so I'm not posting them until I pop...Keep checking back, it can't be too long now I'm sure!!

:)

Green Couch, the final week begins.

Green Couch: Psalm 78

Week Twelve!!!!

Wow! A plum! That's fun!!!

New Green Couch Song Up Now!

The Green Couch Returns!

Away we go!

Lisa and I are heading to Gladwin for a youth leader retreat. Should be fun. I am sure we'll post somepics when we get back.

Until then, check the new Green Couch song at:

www.youtube.com/jguitarstring

Read Psalm 67.

Welcome Week 11!

Ahhh...a lime. So much better than a prune. And just so you all know, my baby has hair follicles and ten fingers and non-webbed toes....

This is so exciting!!

Green Couch Day 11!

Constipation

You all know I love ya....

So here it is. Thank the Lord I do not have constant constipation. Instead, I have this chronic case of the three-times-a-day-really-runny-poop.

You all wanted to know that, I know.

Green Couch Day 10!

Baby Kotarski's Heartbeat....kinda....10 Weeks.

Listen really close. It sort of sounds like a helicopter.

Green Couch Day 9!

Day 8, a day late.

How big is the baby?

There you go people. It's the size of a nasty prune and looks like an alien. You're all pumped. I can tell!

I just gotta say.

That baby to the left looks disgusting...I don't even like to look at it yet.

Ewwwwwwwwwww.

Green Couch Day 6!

Saturday is a difficult day to get things done....but here it is.