'Halo 3' Widow

On September 25, 2007 the world was apparently forever changed when Halo 3 finally hit stores. Since my husband is a "gamer" I know all about Halo 3 and its effect on the Universe. Unfortunately for Duane he was not able to get his copy of Halo 3 until today--September 29. Anyway, he got it in the mail today but was really good about not cracking it open until the girls were put to sleep.

Right now Duane is busy "bonding" with his brothers through a healthy session of killing each other. Xbox Live is a wonderful thing if it has the ability to draw families closer together, and in this case it has.

I am glad that Duane feels like "one of the guys" now but I wonder if it comes at a price. I mean yeah, there is the obvious price of the xbox 360 system, subscription to xbox live, and the price of the games but I am talking about the price our marriage pays. Okay just kidding our marriage is fine but is his xbox date worth all the Saturday nights that we don't spend together?

I have to admit that Duane works hard and he deserves to play hard in return so I really shouldn't complain. I also should mention that I get my girls night out at least once a month and Duane totally doesn't complain about it.

I suppose I am sort of jealous because I totally don't have the hand/eye coordination needed to be a successful gamer. I sort of want to join in but I totally suck and even if I didn't, I don't want to be playing with just a bunch of guys. I already suggested that my sisters-in-law and I have a "powder puff" Halo match, just for fun, and they weren't interested. I sort of felt stupid afterward.

Xbox is not all bad. I actually can play Lego Star Wars. It is a very fun and EASY game to play. I really like playing Lego Star Wars with Duane. We really get a kick out of it. I sort of wish there was a Lego version of all the games so people like me--coordinationally challenged--can actually play and not die all the time.

Ugh!!! As I type this my husband is ARGUING with some random guys that he and his brothers are playing against. It sort of reminds me of that scene in 'The Break-up' when Vince Vaughn is fighting with a little kid while playing some game over the internet. This would be much more hysterical if it wasn't my husband fighting with strangers over a round of Halo 3.

One thing I need to remember is if Duane wasn't busy killing his brothers right now, he would be in here harassing me to get off the computer so he can go to ESPN.com and check out today's scores. Once he gets on ESPN.com there is no getting him off the computer.

In the end, I am glad the Xbox 360 and Halo 3 make Duane happy. Plus, while he is playing Xbox I get to do/watch all the stuff I want to do and/or watch. So I guess it is sort of a win/win situation. : )

Oh and by the way, I just wanted to post a little tidbit for all the xbox widows out there. I thought you might enjoy it since it seems pretty accurate.

Evil Twin???

I must have an evil twin or something like that. I keep being told that I look like a girl that is on an internet video called 'One Semester of Spanish--Love Song'. For those of you that haven't seen or heard of it, here it is:



I won't flatter myself and pretend I have a small waist like that girl but I must admit that I also see the similarities in our faces but only at certain angles. From straight on that's totally my face except for the lips and sort of the nose. My hair is always parted just like hers and my hair usually looks just how she styles it. Totally weird.

Anyway, this is not really a blog-worthy subject but I thought it was sort of interesting. I guess that theory--the one about having a non-relative "twin" living somewhere else in the world--is true. I always thought that theory was silly because I have a pretty unique look due to my genetic makeup. People can never guess what my ethnicity is. Most people think I am Italian, Hawaiian, Native American--I have even been asked if I am Middle Eastern. I hardly ever get asked if I am of Mexican descent, which is what I am--for the most part.

So yeah, I guess I just think that it is weird that I look like someone else or rather she looks like me--assuming that I am older. ; )

Baby Bitner

Say hello to 'Baby' Bitner. This ultrasound was done September 4, 2007 and at that time the baby was measuring to be about 9 weeks 6 days along. I am positive that the measurement is off by a few days but that is besides the point.

We are quite excited for this new addition to our family. Duane doesn't mind if we have another girl so long as she is a healthy baby. Actually, Duane would prefer if this baby is another girl and so would I. I really love my girls and would be happy if we had a third little girl. Boys are nice and all but I don't believe I would have it in me to mother a little boy.

As far as naming this baby goes, I have a HUGE list of names--mostly girl names, of course. I had a list of favorite names when I got pregnant with Mayah but most of those names have been overused since then so I had to start from scratch. People keep asking me if I will give this baby an 'M' name as I already have a Mayah and a Malia. First off I have to say that I didn't intentionally go with 'M' names. It just so happened that I liked names that started with M's when I was naming my girls. I have to admit, I am leaning towards 'M' names yet again. Although, I don't believe I will choose an 'M' name for the sole purpose of keeping the theme going.

I keep saying I will choose the baby's name which is mostly true. Duane and I have an agreement that goes back to when we were engaged. I feel that since the mother does all the hard work, the mother should get to choose the baby's name. Duane is okay with that so long as he can veto any weird names like 'LaFawnduh'. Its lucky for Duane that I am not that "creative".

If anyone would like to make any name requests feel free to do so. Just know that I make no guarantee that I will put your suggestions on my list or that I will even like them. I don't mean to be a jerk but I am pretty picky about names.

I have a whole system that goes into naming my babies. There is a filtering process that each name must go through, which is:

a. The name must not be overused/popular but it also cannot be too unique or different.
b. The name must have a strong/good meaning. Example: Mayah is a hebrew name and it means 'Close to God').
c. If the name belongs to a notorious person or even just someone I really hated growing up, the name has been tainted and I won't consider it. Example: The name Joshua is forever ruined for me because I have known SEVERAL Joshuas that were total jerks...that is not to say ALL Joshuas are jerks--just the majority that have come into my life. Also, I will never consider the name Monica for obvious reasons.
d. The name cannot rhyme with any body part, adjective, or anything else that could be used against my child in school yard battles. Example: Fat Pat
e. I am not a fan of using family names. So far I haven't used any family names. Don't get all offended if you submit your name and I don't use it. I am not going to have 100 children so I won't be able to name my children after every single relative. I don't want any jealousy so I figure I might as well not use ANY family names. If that still doesn't clear things up, just remember that Duane and I won't even consider using our own names.
f. I don't use surnames as middle names. I don't want there to be a question of whether or not we are hyphenating our children's last names or whatever. My children only have one last name and that is Bitner. I feel that a middle name is a second name that my child can fall back on if they decide that their first name isn't what they want to go by. Example: There was a kid named Lance that went to school with me. It turned out that his first name was Gary and Lance was his middle name. I can see why he went by the name Lance when he was a kid/teenager since Gary is more of an adult name.
g. I will never use a name just because it "sounds cute".
h. The name cannot be made up.
i. I do not believe in alternative spelling. The spelling of the name must already exist in order for me to consider the alternative spelling. Why make it more difficult for people to pronounce the name?
j. This isn't exactly super important but I do like names that I can shorten and make into a nickname. Example: I usually call Mayah, My-My and Malia, Li-Li (pronounced Lee-lee).

I realize that my baby naming system is ridiculous but I want to make sure that my kids have good/strong names that will be with them throughout their lives. I also want my children to know that I put a lot of time and effort into naming them. My baby naming process is one way for me to let my children know that I love them.

As summer officially draws to a close... *sigh*

As the summer comes to an end I can't help but feel sad that it is already over. Fall is a beautiful time of year but it only reminds me of the looming winter ahead and how I am going to freeze to death. Michigan is known for its winter temperatures as it is often described as "bone chilling".

In order to get my mind off the upcoming Fall and Winter, I've decided to reminisce about this past summer. This summer was wonderful and is filled with great memories.

Originally we didn't plan on much traveling but somehow ended up going to Nauvoo, I also went to Ohio with the girls to visit the Morrison Family and we also found ourselves in Utah--twice.

Our garden has grown beautifully and we all enjoyed spending time in it, especially the girls. Mayah was/is quite a fan of snakes/bugs and Malia was our little piglet--playing in the mud while Duane and I weeded and watered the garden.

Ariel came to visit us twice, during the month of June and again in August. Ariel did some dating, made some friends, went to Kirtland, Ohio with our stake for youth conference, did some babysitting and also made us clean out our trash-hole of an apartment helped us get our house in order.

Duane traveled to Europe on a business trip this past May/June. He was there 2 1/2 weeks total. He spent some time in Germany, Spain, Portugal, and England. Obviously Duane was usually quite busy doing business-y things but he did get the chance to stay in a castle--all the while shoving his face full of paella--during his stay in Spain, drive over 120 mph (or was that kilometers per hour? hmm...I'll have to ask him about that) on the German autobahn and also ate some very bland food during his short stay in England--ApparentlyEngland isn't fascinating and/or exciting for the business traveler. While in Portugal, Duane was able to visit some families that he helped teach/baptize during his mission. He hadn't been back to Portugal since he left 20 years ago. It was a wonderful experience for him.

While Duane was in Europe I was at home holding down the fort. The girls and I did quite well on our own for the first week and a half. We kept busy by going to the park, did some shopping, went to the garden, and we went swimming quite a bit. It was the last week that just about killed me. Single parenthood sucks and I don't ever want to do that again--EVER!!!

The Fourth of July was quite fun. Ariel was still with us during that time and she invited her friend, Anderson to our ward picnic. Duane and I went to see Transformers while they babysat the kids and that evening we all went to see the fireworks display near our apartment. The city of Westland didn't start the fireworks until 10-ish at night so the little girls were passed out by the time the fireworks were going off. Too bad they missed it because it was a great show.

One of my favorite things I did this summer was go swimming with the girls 2-3 times a week. As a result I upped my chances of getting skin cancer got a really great tan. The girls also turned into little mermaids as their swimming skills improved. While neither of them really know how to swim all that well as of yet, Mayah did learn how to tread water, jump into the pool, and hold her breath under water. Malia can sort of hold her breath, is great at blowing bubbles, and is quite good at throwing rocks/pebbles into the pool when I am not looking. The girls and I really did love going to the pool and we are really sad that the outdoor pool at our gym is closed until Memorial Day 2008.

We did quite a bit more over this past summer but I just listed my favorite memories. I plan on reliving these memories while the leaves start falling off the trees.

Needless to say, I can hardly wait for summer 2008.