FFF Featured Blogger (from your comments): Texas Gunslinger - Talia has a goal of competing in a fitness competition, but keeps it realistic and has a healthy approach. She's awesome for that!

Thanks for all the wishes to rest up and continue feeling better. I’m still doing much better than yesterday and feeling more like normal at this point My body still feels a bit tired at times and waves of nausea still come and go. Although that could be related to the 3rd trimester, which I’m in as of this week. I sincerely hope this trimester goes quicker than the others. I’m over being pregnant this go around. Constantly feeling swollen, achy, and not my normal lost its appeal quickly.

Since I took some quality time with my bed and the back of my eyelids yesterday, I need to back things up and recap a very special part of our weekend. Of course, it does not compare to M’s 2nd birthday festivities, but it still is a special time I want to share. Starting October 2008, while M was in utero, we began a family tradition of going to Uncle Shucks’ pumpkin patch and corn maze every fall.

I look forward to this every year! And every year keeps getting better as Makenzie gets older and more interested in activities like this. I already anticipate her excitement for Christmas lights this year. 😀

We started our time at Uncle Shucks with the corn maze. They create a different design each year so you always have a new course to find your way on. We go in armed with water bottles and these little cards.

It should come as no surprise that I thought the space between the lines was the pathways. Despite the top left corner telling me the lines are the pathways…and its been that way each of the three times we have visited. Doh! If it weren’t for Peter saving me from my lack of directional skills, I would likely still be in the midst of all this…

Makenzie started off the course looking like this…

…but quickly crumbled and wanted OUT. Lesson learned. Birthday party + corn maze = too much for one day. For both my pregnant body and a two year old. She quickly calmed down though when she discovered a corn maze just the right size for her.

And my limited directional capacity. Please don’t laugh when I tell you I almost got lost in the kid maze. Makenzie had to lead me out.

The fun continued with a family hay ride around the corn maze.

By that time, we needed to hit the road. Not before getting what we came for though. Makenzie had some energy to spare so we put her to work.

And we left with two gorgeous carving pumpkins, coming to a post near you in the next week or two! 😉 (PS - No children were harmed in the production of this post.)

‘Twas a perfect way to spend a fall day. Minus waking up feeling terrible the next morning, but we can just forget about that minor detail.

• Have you ever been to a corn maze or pumpkin patch?
• What is your favorite fall tradition?
• Don't forget to Ask Me Anything for a Q + A series I hope to start in November!

Yesterday I was completely irresponsible. In every way imaginable. You should be ashamed to call me a friend.

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I was an irresponsible mother. I ignored my daughter all day in order to stay in bed and watch an entire season of Friends on DVD. Little M told me she hated me and disowns me as her mother last night. How sad.

I was an irresponsible Christian. I didn’t go to church so I could sleep in. My friends in Sunday School all emailed me to tell me they have now lost their way because I wasn’t there to lead class. God warned me that he almost zapped me with lightning because being in church every Sunday is what us religious folk should do. And following “the rules” is what being a Christian is all about don’t you know. Faith, grace, mercy, peace, and love don’t mean a thing obviously.

I was an irresponsible fitness enthusiast. I had plenty of time to get in a workout yesterday, but opted to sleep for an extra 5 or 6 hours off and on throughout the day instead.

I was an irresponsible friend. I skipped one of my friend’s kiddo’s birthday parties even though she came to M’s just the day before. What can I say? I was selfish and wanted to keep the gift I woke up with all to myself. I didn’t want to share it with those kids and her family. It was MINE!

I was an irresponsible pregnant woman. I took medicine. The horrors! I have now poisoned my baby with that Tylenol. Little B’s growth shall forever be stunted.

I was an irresponsible blogger. I didn’t take a single photo yesterday. I didn’t post a single word. I didn’t reply to comments or think about visiting other blogs. My blog shall now shut down. What was I thinking to take a day off? I will have lost numerous readers and subscribers from that decision. After all, wouldn’t I have been smarter to put up a post saying “I’m Sick! Be back later! The end.” than to ignore my computer? Shame on me and my so-called blogger status! May I now grovel at your feet to beg you to keep reading this little ole blog. And then how dare I sleep in this morning and leave you with this craptastic post?! I guess I should have hired little M to fill in, huh?

**Disclaimer: I sincerely hope you read all of the above with a sense of sarcasm in mind.** If you haven’t figured it out already, I woke up incredibly ill yesterday. I could. not. move! I had chills, body aches, an intense headache, a throat so constricted and burning I could not speak, and waves of nausea thinking I was in the mood for surfing them all day long. So I took a day off to rest up and hopefully feel better by today, which I do. Thank goodness too. You all know how I feel about Mondays!

I can honestly say I feel better because I allowed myself the time to just chill and soak up the care from my husband and the freedom to laze all day. I gave myself freedom from the expectations I place on myself and the need I feel to constantly work hard to improve as a mother, wife, blogger, friend, in my faith, etc. I can place high standards on myself and I know that. Sometimes, however, we have to simply say “Forget it!” and live with it.

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I actually felt proud of myself for doing so yesterday. I didn’t forge on to keep from feeling like I let others down. I didn’t toss up a post because, while it may work for others, I prefer to share things I genuinely want to share and not write for the sake of writing. Even if that drops my page views for the day or subscribers for the week. I knew trying to play super mom despite illness would only have left me unable to mother and love my child for at least an extra day or two. I may not be 100% today, but at least I function. And the world didn’t stop turning without me. What a shocker! 😉

• I hope you all had FANTABULOUS weekends. What did you do?
• Do you ever put pressure on yourself to keep going or do something for the sake of it, even though its not necessary?