What I Learned in April

I've enjoyed Emily Freeman's series on what we've learned each month, so I submit to you the various things I learned throughout the month of April!

1. Never trust an online calculator.

Ryan and I decided to do a stone feature on a wall in our living room {thank you, Pinterest, for the idea}, and we elected to go with the AirStone brand. While we loved the weight of it and how easily it went onto the wall, we trusted the online calculator to help us figure how much stone we would need. According to that, two boxes should have been MORE than sufficient. Uhhhhh how about needing six boxes?? SIX!!! {Also...in the interest of fairness, I should tell you that the wall looks STUNNING, and I cannot wait to tell you about the process to assemble it!}

2. I like Brussels Sprouts.

Source

When I babysat for a living {back in my teen years}, I remember one of the families I sat for leaving Brussels Sprouts for their kids for dinner one evening. They said the kids hadn't had them before, but I should try to get them to eat them. I didn't try very hard. They looked and smelled awful, I thought, and frankly I didn't blame the kids for turning up their noses. And that was my last run-in with this dish. When we stayed with Tom and Olivia during our Wisconsin trip, Olivia served them for one of our dinners, and of course to be polite, I tried them. And then I went back for seconds. WHAT!? What has become of me???? But it turns out that it's true: in my grown-up life, I like Brussels Sprouts.

3. Yellow cheese has added coloring {usually}.

Another gem of information gathered on our Wisconsin trip. By nature, most cheese is white. They add yellow coloring, and if you'd like to read even more fascinating information on the history of why they do that, you can read it here!

4. Contesting an issue IS a full time job.

I spent hours on the phone this month trying to resolve an issue with an ebay purchase we made, and I'm telling you...it became my job. I guess if you do work full time, you do this sort of thing on your lunch hour - but I don't think they make lunch hours that long. The whole thing was so silly and never should have required the amount of time it took, which was the most maddening of all. But I felt like every day I had to get up, get dressed, go sit at my desk, and argue our case. I hate arguing. I hate feeling like the bad guy. But I felt strongly that we had been wronged, so I got up and went to work to fight for us! {And apparently it gives me big hair, too.}

5. I'm getting stronger!!

From mid-March to mid-April, we moved, and my eating and workout routines were sorely shaken as we had early mornings, late nights, long work days, packed-up kitchens, and a vacation tucked in there, too. I grew discouraged on the whole eating and exercise plan, because I need routine and it wasn't happening. But I  noticed on our final moving day, when we moved all the heavy, bulky stuff from the garage, that I was able to lift heavy stuff much more easily - and for much longer periods of time - than I ever have before. I perhaps didn't lose like crazy in that stretch, but I got stronger! I celebrate that!

6. Our lawn mower is not self-propelled.

And to this I say...WHY!?!?!?!!?!? I don't enjoy yard work and Ryan really likes it, so after we were married, he took over the yard exclusively and I happily let him. We each owned a lawn mower, so he sold mine and kept his. I was fine with all that until this month when {at our new home} I offered to mow the yard to help him out during a particularly busy week with a rainy forecast. One swipe in, I stopped and said to him, "Is this thing not self-propelled?" He said, "Oh no. I don't like those." WHAT?!!?!?!?!?!?!!? So I've now mowed our yard twice and counted it as a full workout each time. It was a close call, but it's Bekah - 2, yard - 0.