Can You See What I See?

Focus on the Family gave a grant to the Muskegon Pregnancy Services for an ultrasound machine. They were looking for pregnant women between 6 and 20 weeks to train on. Who can turn down a free ultrasound? Not me. Especially since it will be another 5 weeks before our "big" ultrasound where we find out gender, make sure all the anatomy looks correct, etc. and I have been longing to see my baby!
Apparently, he or she is very active as they kept telling me this while trying to get a good shot. I like this one because it is almost identical to one of Noah's 20 week pictures. They both have a hand by their heads in the picture. Like brother like...baby. So can you see the baby in the photo?

I Feel Like I'm Falling for Fall...

That is part of a little song played on the Noggin channel but it describes how I feel about this season! Thanks to our friend, Jeana, for the fun picture above. She came over to drop something off I had forgotten at their house and ended up staying for a little visit. She brought her camera since it was such a beautiful fall day and she took some pictures while we were playing outside in the leaves. This was my sneak peek photo - I can't wait to see the rest!

What a fun couple of weeks we have had. Noah is completely binky-free. Bedtimes were a breeze, we had a few rough naptimes, but overall it's been great. This past Saturday my grandma held a little Halloween party for the family. Here are some pictures. Tim and I went as an Amish couple. We got the idea because of his beard and the comments people make about him looking Amish when it starts to get long.

Noah was a dinosaur. My dad, the garbage man, is feeding him pieces of a cookie. My mom put a garbage bag over her, taped food to it and went as the garbage he collected. They originally did this for a church harvest party years ago and brought it back this year.My niece, Kailyn, was a fairy - a U of M fairy if you factor in her turtleneck onesie.The whole crazy family: (in back) garbage, garbage man, Ricky & Lucy Ricardo, a witch, a spooky person, a couple of hippies, the headless horseman and his vampire girlfriend, and Bonnie & Clyde; (in front) an injured person and his doctor, with their fairy child, a pumpkin, the phantom of the opera, amish Tim, dinosaur Noah, a green fairy, spiderman, and amish me.

My cousin, Casey, and his girlfriend, Jessica, were not able to make it due to the fact they had their baby that morning, 3 weeks early. Welcome to the world, Gavin! He weighed in at a healthy 7 pounds, 15 ounces and was 20 1/2 inches long - we think they had the due date wrong. Jessica had a dream labor, the entire thing was less than 3 hours long from the first contraction to the time Gavin made his appearance. Oh, jealousy.

Tonight we took Noah trick or treating. All the stores in downtown Grand Haven hand out candy from 4-6pm. We thought this would be better than going to the houses in our neighborhood since we don't know any of our neighbors. While driving downtown I thought, "I hope there are at least a couple other trick or treaters so we don't look out of place." This is what we were not expecting:

They actually close down the main street and the place was chaos! You basically end up in this line of people that moves from door to door, or store to store. We ended at the library, where Noah played for a little bit before heading home.

I started really feeling the baby moving this week. It's still not all the time, but usually when I am falling asleep at night I'll feel something slightly stronger than the flutter. I have an ultrasound coming up on Saturday morning that I'm very excited about. I'll post a picture after I have one.

To end, here are some random pictures from this past month...

He loves apples, big and small. This one is at Robinette's in Grand Rapids. He also enjoyed playing on this large tree.

Breaking Binky

So there are a couple things I would like to accomplish before the baby comes in April. I talked them over with Noah's pediatrician yesterday while there for an appointment and he gave me some tips and advice on how to smoothly transition. I told him I wanted to break the binky addiction, move him to a toddler bed (he is trying to climb out of his crib now. He gets his leg on the top railing, but doesn't have enough umph to get over the edge yet), and work on potty training. I don't want to focus on that one until after Christmas though.

He told me that with the potty training, to watch for his cues that he is ready. He said that if we try to push it too soon then he will rebel and not do it. He uses his little potty every once in awhile now, but when we ask him if he wants to use it and he says "no" we never push it. So we'll really just keep doing the same until he says "yes."

With going from the crib to toddler bed, he just said to make sure that we keep the door shut tight or locked so that he can realize that just because he has this new freedom with a big boy bed and being able to get in and out of it whenever he wants, it does not give him the freedom to walk around the house whenever he wants. He said he'll probably test the barrier (the door) for a few nights, realize it's not budging, and then fall asleep quicker at night.

Then there was the binky topic. He said it's definitely time to get rid of it. Right now Noah only uses it during nap and bedtimes, or in times of total crisis. He suggested, and I had read this in a magazine last week, going to a toy store and letting him pick out a toy (preferably a stuffed animal or something he can sleep with) and then having him "pay" for it with his binky.

So we put the plan into action last night, expecting a rough bedtime and no sleep during the night. We went to Toys-R-Us and Target and there were lots of things he liked and wanted, but not enough to give up his binky for. I also think it was a bit overwhelming because there are SO many toys that he was easily distracted. Finally on the way home Tim said, "We're stopping at Hage's and you're going to run in and see if they have a Bob or Larry stuffed animal." I ran in and all they had was a 2 1/2 foot tall Larry Boy. I ran out to the van and told Tim he can look at it and be the one to decide. A few minutes later he came out with a giant bag disguising the Larry Boy inside.

Once home, we took it out and watched Noah's reaction. He was excited about it.

"Do you like Larry Boy?"

"Yes."

"Do you want to keep Larry Boy and sleep with him in your crib?"

"Yes."

"Then you need to give up binky."

"No." He turned and walked down the hall.

Then he stopped, ran back and started pointing out Larry's eyes and his plunger ears.

"Do you want to give me binky and you can have Larry?" I held out my hand expecting the usual reaction.

He spit binky out into my hand, grabbed Larry and carried him off into his room. Tim and I stared at each other in shock.

"Quick," Tim said. "We need to get him to bed before he realizes what he's done."

A short amount of time later, we closed his bedroom door as he quietly said, "Binky. Binky, please. I want binky please."

I went into our bedroom and cried, feeling like a mom who had just taken away her child's best friend. Actually, I sobbed. It's quite pathetic but I will blame it on pregnancy hormones. Tim just sat next to me and laughed. We listened to Noah talk to himself, talk to Larry, talk to his dinosaur, and sing the VeggieTales theme song for about a half hour. I cried for about 5 minutes during that time. Tim said it was harder to deal with me than with Noah.

After a half hour, there was quiet. After 10 minutes of quiet I checked on him. He was completely asleep with Dinosaur at his feet and Larry Boy at his side. We were shocked he never cried yet prepared ourselves for a rough night ahead, figuring he would wake up and find the absence of binky.

He never woke up once.

I checked on him three times to make sure he was alive.

He asked for it once when he woke up this morning, but when Tim reminded him he traded it for Larry Boy, he didn't mention it again.

Success.

We'll see how naptime and tonight's bedtime go.

Candy Corn Thief

I hate candy corn. Tim, however, loves it so I buy it for him and stick it in a little Halloween dish. Apparently, Noah loves it as well. In fact, Noah loves it so much that I caught him yesterday with his hand in the candy dish. Literally. He had dragged over a chair from the dining room, climbed up, and was shoveling candy corn into his mouth as fast as he could. He looked like he had little chipmunk cheeks. This morning after he woke up, but while I was still trying to function, I could hear him dragging a chair across the floor and knew exactly what he was doing. Fortunately, Tim was still home and caught him before he could get it over to the counter. He's a sneaky one...
He is so proud of himself.

1st and 2!

First trimester was officially done on Friday, two more to go at this point. Morning sickness is still going full-force, proving to me that it doesn't always magically stop at 12 weeks like it did with Noah.

We had an appointment yesterday afternoon and were able to hear the heartbeat for the first time. It was good and strong, up in the 160s, higher than Noah's was. For all you old wives' tale believers, I've been told that this is the sign of a girl, but I am not putting stock in it. We brought Noah with us (the last time that will happen as we ended up waiting for an hour before the doctor finally came in) and he was quite mesmerized by the sound of the heartbeat. We have also managed to confuse him, as when we now point to his belly and ask what it's called, he responds with "Baby." Yikes!

We had a fantastic weekend. I dropped Noah off to my parents on Wednesday night with the intent of getting him on Saturday. When I called Saturday morning to see what time I should come, they said my dad had taken the day off and they were enjoying him so much they wanted to know if we could come on Sunday. No problem! They loved their time with him and he was, as usual, spoiled with new coloring and sticker books, Halloween books, pajamas, a pumpkin to keep at their house, and a movie.

We loved our time alone. Especially me! Thursday I did all the things that are hard to do with him now, like going to Motherhood Maternity and trying on clothes, going to Barnes and Noble and reading, checking out the new Target. That night we went along with Matt & Jeana's youth group to the Relient K/Switchfoot concert. It was very good, although I think I am getting old.

Friday was a day I had never experienced before. I actually stayed in bed until 4:00 in the afternoon! I would get up to make food and then bring it back into bed to eat. The only reason I got up and showered at all was because that night we went on our first double date with our friends Matt & Stephani (whose daughter was visiting her grandparents this weekend.) We have known them for a year but never not had the kids on the same weekend.

Saturday Tim and I spent the day going around the shops in Grand Haven and Spring Lake. We also visited the local Goodwill to get clothes to make up our Halloween costumes. My grandma is having a costume party on Saturday.

So it was a great weekend. There were a couple little glitches, arguments and whatnot, but they ended well. I talked to my mom Monday morning and she said she is already missing Noah and wanting him back for another visit. I said, "Anytime, Mom. Anytime."

Justin Timberlake wannabe

I had the radio on as I was cleaning tonight. While cleaning the bathroom, I could hear a voice I know quite well singing along with Justin Timberlake. I peeked around the corner into the living room and found a little dancer. I'm not sure if I should be proud he knows some of the words or not...

This is October?!

I can't believe it's already October. I can't believe it's in the 80's for weather.
Saturday we attended Family Day for Cornerstone University's Alumni weekend. There wasn't much for Noah's age, besides sidewalk chalk, which is only fun for so long. If we had been without children, or have older children, it would have been more fun in terms of things to do. So we drew with some sidewalk chalk, visited with people that we haven't seen since our college days, and had lunch on campus. After lunch, I dropped Noah off at Scott & Jen's (thanks again, Jen!) They baby-sat him so that I could watch Tim play in the Alumni soccer game. He did so well! He played soccer his first year at Cornerstone, but I didn't know who he was at that time, so when I watched the games, I was never watching him. Therefore, it was fun to watch him actually play with guys that he used to. The weather was unbearable. We were dripping in sweat just sitting in the bleachers watching. We felt so sorry for the players! They played for about an hour straight with a brief 3 minute half-time and no water provided on the sidelines, as well as no subs to relieve them. Yet Tim loved every minute of it and wants to start playing every year.
Yesterday, we worked up a sweat again while cleaning out the mini-van. Actually, Tim did most of the cleaning while I supervised Noah playing in the yard, but I did help out a bit where I could. We now have a sparkling vehicle, just like new! It's actually probably a good thing to do if you are ever get the itch to get a new car. Just clean out the one you have, wash the inside of the windows, vacuum everything, dust it, clean out the trash and voila! New car, or at least a looks-like-new-car.
Over the weekend Tim and I spent some time online at www.family.org and www.familylife.com listening to recent broadcasts. We listened to a very funny one by Dennis Swanburg, who is a pastor and could pass as a comedian easily. That was on Focus on the Family's website. We also listened to a marriage-related broadcast by Tommy Nelson on FamilyLife today. We made a note of some others we would like to listen to. I would suggest taking some time to check out the websites as well.
Tonight is our small group and afterwards we head over to Matt and Jeana's. Jeana and I are going to be working on sewing some Christmas stockings tonight, as well as some potholders and other random projects. It's fun to be crafty.
Our church started a sermon series called "Duets" this month. It's about marriage. It led to a good discussion for Tim and I yesterday after I asked him if he felt like we were singing a duet or if we are out of tune. He said he feels like we are out of tune because of how busy we were last month. It is hard to focus on your marriage when you are going, going, going. We are glad that when we look at October, there is only one Saturday event and the rest is completely open. We even have a whole weekend without Noah coming up in a couple weeks. We are looking forward to that very much. My friend, Rachel, was telling me about how she and her husband spent her birthday just the two of them in Saugatuck and I loved hearing about it. I think it's great when we, as young parents, can leave our children (knowing they are safe with whoever's care we put them in) and can take the time to spend with just one another. It's so easy to let ourselves be defined by our children and overwhelmed with everything in life. It's so necessary to take that time out and go on a date, or even just to stay in and have no interruptions. So this month Tim and I will be working on our harmonizing.
I am looking forward to Wednesday and what is forecast as 57 degrees. I will be finally breaking out and putting up my fall decorations. This, hopefully, is the last of our summer.

Busy Bees

We have had many things going on in our lives. I think after this weekend, we actually get to relax (whew. )

We had a great visit with Jack and Kelly (and Owen) this past weekend. You forget just how much you miss someone until you spend time with them again. We took the kids to a fun park not far from where they live. It has a small zoo there as well (and I mean small. We're talking monkeys, lynxes, prairie dogs, a bald eagle, and a petting zoo with pigs, goats, and miniature horses.) It was such a blast, though, and the kids were loving it. The rest of the time we relaxed and visited. Tim and Noah pretend to be prairie dogs.Owen is a perfect combination of both his parents' looks. It was good for Noah to have a little boy to play blocks and trucks with.

Our flamingo. This was the only hole he could reach his head into.

Monday night our small group started up again. It was good to all hang out and we also welcomed a new family in. They have twin boys, so now Noah is not outnumbered anymore! Afterwards we went to Matt & Jeana's and played with their new Wii that they got over the weekend. It is SOOOO much fun and easily addicting. Then the boys watched "Heroes" and Jeana & I discussed our sewing projects.

Tuesday night we found ourselves at Matt & Jeana's (again!) for Harvest Moon Festival, an important Chinese holiday. Jeana describes it as Thanksgiving without the Pilgrims and Indians. It is a time to celebrate harvest and family. There were 9 of us in all celebrating (including Noah, who hit the hay after dinner.) We had a great Chinese meal that Jeana had prepared and tried out some mooncakes for dessert. NOT so good. The wintermelon tasted a little like fig, but I still couldn't eat it. The lotus mooncake was the worst thing I had tasted in my life and I have had some nasty things. I spit it out the second it touched my tongue, as did others who tried it. Thankfully, there was a back-up dessert of cookies and ice cream. We then made our way out to the TV and the Wii. Tim and I won the bowling tournament and I beat him in tennis (that was a first.) When it comes to the homerun derby, though...I was definitely one of the losers.

Yesterday afternoon I made my way into Grand Rapids with Noah. We visited with our friends, Jen, Maddie and Leighton for a bit and then met Tim. We had dinner at Dave and Holly's and got to meet their new baby, Jaden. He's a cutie, and a very good baby from what we could see. It was nice to visit with them. Again, you forget how much you miss people when you don't see them that often.

Today I finished reading for my book club tonight. We're meeting at my house and I still have a lot of cleaning up to do, as well as some baking. We are discussing "Nineteen Minutes" by Jodi Picoult. I put off reading the book until yesterday because I had found out it was about a school shooting and I just wasn't looking forward to it. It turned out to be a fascinating book and I am so glad to have read it. The only other book I have read by her is "My Sister's Keeper" which I would also recommend. She is able to write a book and her characters in such a way that you get everyone's perspective and you don't feel that she is necessarily taking sides. She always seems to throw in a surprising twist that throws you completely off-guard at the end. It was hard to read as a parent of young children because it makes me wonder what my children will grow up to be like, but I think parents and educators should take the time to read it. One of the subjects it tackles is bullying and the effects it has on a teenager. Jodi Picoult does a great job of taking the gray issues in life, the ones you don't want to take time to think about, and presents them in a very real way by throwing in characters whose emotions you can actually feel as you read the book.

It is chilly right now. I actually have on pants and a long-sleeve shirt and there is a light rain falling outside. I'm going to make pumpkin bread for our book club tonight. I would say that fall is right around the corner, but this Saturday is supposed to be at least 75 degrees.

Sugar Pea Ross is doing well as far as we can tell. Still causing me to have miserable mornings and snack all day to keep food in my stomach or else I get sick. I just keep telling myself they are reminders that there is life inside.

Emotional Wreck

Pregnancy is wearing down my hormones and emotions. I remember crying quite a bit while pregnant with Noah, but it was mostly during things that could be justified. For instance, I would hear Eric Clapton singing "You Look Wonderful Tonight" and think it was just the most romantic thing and break down in tears. Then I would listen to Sara Groves' song "Beautiful Child." The waterworks went full force during that one. Even more after he was actually born and I could really relate to the lyrics.

This time around....I cry during anything. We were watching an episode of "WonderPets" the other day. Who was crying? Me. When MingMing says, "We are coming to save you little tree, because you are a living thing" you would have thought I had been told my best friend died. Last night we went to Matt & Jeana's for dinner. Afterwards, Jeana, Noah & I watched an episode of "Arthur" that Jeana had recorded that was discussing adoption. Binky was getting a baby sister from China. OK, this is a cartoon. A CARTOON, just like WonderPets. Cried. What is my problem? I also cried in the movie, "Cars." That was when I started suspecting I might be pregnant since we hadn't actually taken the test yet.
I am reading a book called "Knit Together" by Debbie Macomber. It's great so far, very inspiring. Pick it up if you get a chance. Anyways, she was writing about how her childhood librarian was Beverly Clearly, which I thought was awesome! I mean, who doesn't love Ramona Quimby? Plus, I love books and reading and writing so much that I guess this was just really exciting to me. After I read that part I said out loud, "Well, that's cool." Tim asked, "What?" I started to tell him and next thing I know, I can't speak because I'm so choked up! This then made Tim think it must be something really cool because, obviously, I am emotional about it. When I could finally tell him, he looked at me and just laughed. I think he's getting used to this.
Oh, well.
My niece, Kailyn, turned 1 this past Sunday. I would love to be able to post pictures from the party, but the batteries in my camera died as soon as I turned it on when we got there. Bummer. Here is a recent one of her anyways:

What a cutie.

Well, that's about it. I am getting really excited to go visit Jack & Kelly this weekend. Kelly and I are going to go into Indianapolis and hit the H&M and some other fun stores. By ourselves. No husbands, no kids. I probably won't be shopping for me since I won't be wearing normal clothes too much longer, but there are a couple things Tim needs, and it's always fun to window shop.

Sugar Pea Ross

So this is our latest news.
I am 7 1/2 weeks pregnant with a little life that Tim has nicknamed "Sugar Pea." I think it was because we had sugar peas for dinner the evening of this ultrasound so it was in his head...
Anyways, our due date is April 26th, and we had a rough few days last week with some different pains and bleeding, but all is good now. My HCG and progestorone levels are exactly where they should be and the baby's heartrate was a strong 131 bpm. I think that is slower than Noah's was, but the ultrasound tech and ER doctor said it's great and the chance of miscarriage is less than 1%. All babies are different and all pregnancies are different, which has never been more true in my case.
We weren't planning on sharing our new this early on, but after our good report Friday night, Tim said "Let's start telling!" (Think he's excited?) I was talking to my friend, Rachel, yesterday (who is also pregnant, though much farther along) and we were discussing how much more joy you feel as you're able to share it with others. It makes me feel less worried, more relieved and free to talk about it.
Noah says he wants a sister. I tell him there's not much I can do about it at this point. I don't even know if he really understands what is going on anyways. I think he just likes to say "I want sister."
I LOVE the change in weather we have had in Grand Haven. It is cooler and windy and feels like fall! I have on a sweatshirt and the house smells like the roast that is cooking in the crockpot. Yummy. Bring on the hearty autumn meals.
In a couple weeks "Heroes" starts back up. Tim and our friend, Matt N., love the show so last night we decided it would become a date night for all of us. We are going to meet at Logan's for dinner because on Mondays and Tuesdays they have a 2 For $12.99 dinner special (with awesome options!) and $2 kids meals. Then we'll go to Matt & Jeana's and put Noah to sleep. The boys will watch their TV show and Jeana and I are going to sew and knit and have some crafty time because we don't watch the show. We have some projects in mind to work on, especially with Christmas coming up! The only glitch is that Tim and I have small group every other Monday night, so we'll go watch the show after group and skip the dinner part (which we decided was more budget friendly anyways.)
This past weekend was the only weekend in September that we are going to be in town. This weekend and the last weekend we will be in Fowlerville for a party and a baby shower and the weekend between we're traveling to Indiana to visit Jack & Kelly. Woo-hoo! I am way excited about that trip.
I think as long as Noah is down for a nap, I might catch some sleep as well. Have a blessed day!

Making Memories

We had a great weekend visiting Tim's family in Ohio. His sister and her family come up from Tennessee and we all spend the weekend somewhat relaxing. It's only somewhat relaxing once you have kids. Before that it was very relaxing. =)

We had a couple odd moments. The first was when we found my nephew, Cameron, running around screaming in his sleep outside in the middle of the night. He didn't remember a single thing the next morning. The other was when his brother, Owen, fell over the side of the pontoon boat while we were fishing. Fortunately, we were not moving and he was wearing a lifejacket. Boys will be boys!

We had a lot of fun moments too. The kids enjoyed being outside every moment of the day before and after naptime. The adults enjoyed their time together after the kids went to sleep at night. We watched a Brian Regan DVD (he is too funny!), had a bonfire, and just sat around catching up. It is only once or twice a year that we are all together at the same time. We played on the jetski, pontoon boat, I got to go along and watch Tim wakeboard with some family friends.

As the family expands with babies and as they grow into fun-loving and active toddlers and on into childhood, the place seems more and more crowded and crazy. Yet it all feels like home at the same time. There are five grandchildren at the moment, ranging in age from 21 months to 6 years old.

So we had a great weekend and look forward to next year and however many more kids will be added into the mix (Tim's sister is pregnant at the moment and you never know what can happen with the rest of us over the course of a year.)

Every Labor Day commences with the taking of the annual Christmas photo for Mom & Dad Ross' Christmas card. Notice the adults have on matching Eddie Bauer t-shirts.... Kristen and me on the boat. My fourth nephew is due in early December.

Tim and a tired Noah during our last-night sunset pontoon boat ride.

Cricket crushing dreams

We have a cricket that has set up his home outside our bedroom window.
I want to crush him.
I never hear him during the day. Then again, I am rarely in my bed during the day. At night...it is a different story. I sleep in my bed. The window is at the head of our bed. Normally, I don't actually mind crickets, well, their sound anyways. I don't really like any bug to be near me. At this point in my life, though, I hate the cricket sound.
I have been having trouble sleeping. For the past month I have been getting these mild enough, yet annoying, tension headaches. They mostly come at night either before I fall asleep, in the middle of the night, or when I wake up...sometimes a combo of all three. I also have to use the bathroom multiple times during the night. This is just who I am. I have a tilted uterus and it rests on my bladder, so it can't fill up as much as I wish. I have always had to pee often. I should list it under my hobbies: peeing (in a toilet of course) because I do it all the time. Pregnancy did not help.
So last night I am having trouble falling asleep because of my headache. I had taken Tylenol and was waiting for it to start taking effect when I can hear Mr. Cricket start his chirping.
Chirp chirp chirp. I try to block it out by praying. Chirp chirp chirp. Soon I begin praying for an animal to come along and eat him.
I realize after about ten minutes that it is silent. I breath a sigh of relief, thinking maybe he really has been eaten, or is just out wandering somewhere else. My mind starts to slowly drift toward dream land....chirp chirp chirp. My eyes fly open. That demon.
Now I have to pee.
I settle myself back into bed and for the next hour wrestle with sleep, a headache, and a sing-song cricket. Finally sleep comes.
Until midnight. I realize I have to pee, although the headache is gone. When I crawl back into bed, all is quiet. As I close my eyes I hear chirp.....chirp chirp.....chirp. Does he have sensors or something? Does he know when I am trying to fall asleep? Does he know how much I loathe him and thinks the same of me?
After a half hour I fall back asleep.
Needless to say the routine repeats itself around 3:30. The horrible thing is that this time I can't fall asleep for almost two hours! If I wasn't so scared of being outside in the dark I would take a flashlight and hunt him down. I would squash him and put an end to all his chirping.
But I am scared of the outdoors at night.
And I don't know where our flashlight is anyways.
Does anyone have any ideas on how to kill a cricket?
I just want a decent night of sleep again.

Two Years, Too Old

Two years ago I had the most difficult and painful day of my life.

Two years ago I had the most exhilirating and rewarding day of my life.

I gave birth on August 16, 2005.

Yesterday we celebrated Noah's second birthday. Where does the time go? I tried to give him a fun birthday, even though he didn't really understand the significance of the day at his age.

Throughout the day I would glance at the clock and think of what I was doing two years ago that moment. I woke up at 5:00 am to use the bathroom and thought, "Two years ago my parents and sister were arriving at our house in Grand Rapids. We were watching the morning news on WZZM13 and timing contractions."

Noah woke up at 7:30 and as I went to get home out of his crib I thought, "I was in triage waiting for a room to open."

I gave him a big hug as I lifted him from his crib and told him, "Happy birthday pumpkin!" Wow. Two years ago he had not even breathed from this world yet. Now he is such a big boy.

We had breakfast and got dressed. My sister and parents called to wish him a happy birthday.

I thought it would be fun to go to a little park not far from where we live to play. I put him in his stroller and pushed him down to the playground. It was a beautiful day and so far there had been no temper tantrums. Awesome.

I watched him run on the playground from one toy to the next. I looked at his chubby toddler thighs and thought of how skinny they were when he was born. I watched the way he climbed the stairs to the top of the slide and thought of how they used to flail about with no control when we unswaddled him.

I noticed that he still is as intense as he was when he was a newborn. His nurses in the hospital would comment on the way he seemed to be taking everything in, his serious little disposition. Just two weeks ago, when I picked him up from the nursery in church, the workers were commenting on how when he would inspect something, his brow would furrow and he would stare intensely at it.

My heart melted as I pushed him on the merry-go-round and he looked up at me and said "love you." I love you, too.

I have loved you since before you were born. I loved you when you were just a thought in my mind. I loved you more at every doctor's appointment when I heard your heartbeat and saw your little profile on the ultrasound machine. I loved every movement I felt inside me as you grew.

I loved you when I felt my first contraction that woke me at 1:30 am two years ago. I loved you with every push that brought you closer to entering the room with me, with every scream and thought of wanting to give up, yet knowing it was what I had to go through to see you.

I loved you when they placed you on my chest and I counted your tiny fingers and toes. I loved you as your dad sobbed harder than you and me together as he held you for the first time. Then came the day I looked at you and thought my heart was going to burst from the ache I felt of how much I loved you. No one could describe how strong this love would be.

Even with how much I loved you in those first moments and weeks, I love you even more today. I love the strong boy you have become. I love the laughter and joy you bring to our household. Even though they drive me crazy, I love the moments when you are stubborn because it shows you have a personality and are developing your independence. You are growing in every way possible. I love you, Noah, my two-year old. You are my blessing, my inheritance from the Lord.

Then you...are not married?

I had the most perfect evening yesterday. Tim was gone at his last softball game for the season. Noah wasn't feeling well so he went to bed early. And I..I made myself a cup of tea, took the laptop into bed with me and watched "Sense and Sensibility." It was so wonderfully girly and relaxing that I feel it could become an addiction. When Tim came home, he joined me for the rest of it, thankfully not continuing to make comments after just one "look" from me.

I love Jane Austen's novels. I think "Sense and Sensibility" is my favorite novel of her's and Elinor Dashwood is my favorite character. I know there are many people who do/did not like her (such as Emily Bronte) because there does not seem to be much depth in her books. I however love that I can get lost in a pure and fun romance from hundreds of years ago.

I didn't expect to cry while watching it, but I think I've just been so stressed out from moving and planning 2 upcoming events, that I did. As Hugh Grant's character, Edward, explained that he was not engaged anymore and Emma Thompson's character, Elinor, stood up and said, "Then you...are not married?" I lost it. It is such a happy moment.

Sometimes when you are a wife and a mother, cooking and cleaning and keeping doctor's appointments and trying to have a social life, you just need those little feminine moments to lose yourself in.

Summer Rain

While Noah was napping today I noticed that it had started to rain outside. At first I paid it no attention besides thinking about how the weather they had forecast on Sunday for the week sure differed from what was going on outside at the moment. In the kitchen I cut myself a brownie and grabbed a fork from the silverware drawer.
As I started to walk from the kitchen to the couch to relax with my brownie and a book, I felt the pull of the weather leading me to the doors out to the balcony (we are in a second floor apartment.) I couldn't stop myself as I took my brownie out onto the balcony and sat on a chair just out of the rain under the protection of the awning.
I felt the slight chill in the air and drank in the crisp scent that rain brings with it. I marveled at the way the rain collected in puddles at certain points in the pavement in the parking lot. I found the chorus of the song "Grace Like Rain", by Todd Agnew, drifting into my head: "Hallelujah, grace like rain falls down on me. Hallelujah, all my stains are washed away, washed away."
Grace is a funny word to me. I have to admit that the first thing I think of when I hear the word "grace" is my niece. Her middle name is Grace. Then I think of our friends' daughter and her middle name is Grace as well. In fact, I know many little girls carrying the first or middle name of Grace. I think of the word "grace" in terms of ballerinas as well, or someone being graceful, moving with fluid-like motions.
Rarely do I think of God's grace when I hear the word. Today I actually thought about it, though. As I watched the rain fall, I thought of the definition of grace and realized I didn't really know what it meant. I turned to good old Webster, which says grace is "unmerited help given to people by God (as in overcoming temptation); freedom from sin through divine grace." I also looked in our "Pocket Dictionary of Theological Terms" (I guess we did keep some books from college.) Their definition states that "Grace is the generous overflow of the love of God the Father toward the Son, Jesus Christ. This love is most clearly demonstrated to humans through God's selfless giving of Jesus to enable people to enter into a loving relationship with God as the Holy Spirit enables them."
Awesome. Grace is beautiful. Whether it is in the form of a young 3 year old child, ballet movements, or God's love overflowing like rain onto us. As I watched the rain fall, I longed to run down into it. I had an overcoming desire to stand in the rain, arms outstretched, face turned upwards, embracing my God's overflowing love for me. His grace. He sends rain to nourish, to wash away dirt, to grow. He sends his grace to nourish, to wash away stains, to grow us.
"Hallelujah, grace like rain falls down on me.
Hallelujah, all my stains are washed away, washed away."

For some reason...

I saw this as a link from a friend's blog and it just made me laugh. Hope it adds a smile or some silliness to your day!
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-6739710473912337648

After a long wait....

The final Harry Potter book comes out at midnight tonight. We will be standing in line at Meijer where they are selling it for only $12.99. You just can't beat $12.99 for a brand new, long awaited hardcover book.

Speaking of books, I have been reading like crazy lately. I have three different books going on right now: "The Circle of Quilters" by Jennifer Chiaverini (it is part of a series called "Elm Creek Quilts" that is very entertaining), "1, 2, 3 Magic" by Dr. Thomas Phalin (our pediatrician recommended it when I asked him about discipline strategies for temper tantrums; it is designed specifically for 2-12 year olds), and a marriage book (because I like to read marriage books, not because our marriage is in trouble.)

Since the start of the summer I have read about 3-4 books a week. I love to read. Even Tim has finished a book this summer (he will admit that it is a big accomplishment for him since he is a slow reader.) I think because we got rid of our TV, we have spent more time reading or catching up on movies. At first it was difficult because we would start to open the entertainment center and then remember there was no television set in there. Now, I don't even give it a second thought. It has been refreshing.

We start our move to Grand Haven in a couple weeks. We take possession on the 1st and I would like to be completely moved in and unpacked by the 10th. It shouldn't be too difficult. We've moved so many times I feel like a somewhat expert.

Big things are happening with Tim's work. They are having a meeting today and we will know some more information after that. Say a prayer for God's guidance for us!

Feeling sentimental...

L is for the way you look at me
O is for the only one I see

V is very, very extraordinary
E is even more than anyone that you adore can
Love is all that I can give to you
Love is more than just a game for two
Two in love can make it
Take my heart and please don't break it
Love was made for me and you.
~Nat King Cole

The Fourth and Fireworks

Yesterday was July 4th, Independence Day. My sister called this morning and we were talking about how different some holidays feel now that we are grown up, the Fourth being one of them. When we were young, our family always went over to the Westerby's house for a big Barbecue party on the 4th of July. After the parade downtown, of course.

Now that we are older and have families of our own (and I don't live around there anymore) we all celebrate it in our own ways. Tim, Noah, and I went to the parade in Fruitport, as well as a community breakfast there, and grilled out later that afternoon with friends. We ended the night by going to Grand Haven for fireworks. My parents went out to breakfast with my sister and her family and then they went to a movie while my sister, brother-in-law, and niece spent the day at home relaxing.
Where have the big parties gone?
Or maybe it's just the realization that we're not having the big party together as a family. Tim and I have been blessed to spend the holiday with different friends each year, but have been able to celebrate with people all the same. This is just fine with me. My sister is resistant to change. The first year I went to college, she wouldn't even let my parents go get a Christmas tree until I could join them, so we could keep up the family traditions. Once I suggested Christmas at mine and Tim's house and got my head bit off. I think now that she is a parent she is loosening up a bit because she understands more of wanting to start your own family traditions. However, she was saying this morning that she wants to reinstate the big 4th of July cook-outs, so maybe some things come slowly.
I would be lying to say that yesterday I didn't miss my childhood a bit. It was good to go to a smalltown parade, short as it was. It was fun to attend a free community breakfast in an elementary school. Even though we knew no one there, I felt like it was a normal thing for us to do.
We celebrate our independence on the 4th of July. We shoot off fireworks and remember those who have served and are serving to protect our freedoms. As crazy as I think our society is at times, I am thankful to live in America. While celebrating independence from other countries, I was also thankful that we can depend on family and friends around us to walk beside us, pray with us, encourage us, hurt with us, and praise openly our Lord with us.


Tim and Noah await the start of the parade in Fruitport.

Hugs for Noah and Emma.

Stephani and Me

Emma wasn't so crazy about the fireworks, although afterwards she told us she loved them.

Let's Talk About Sex

Interesting, eh? You might wonder what you're about to read. Well, I will put your mind at ease right now by telling you it is nothing concerning details about sex, how it works, etc. It more concerns a chapter in a book I'm reading.
Our friend, Matt, let Tim borrow a book he just finished called "Confessions of a Pastor" by Craig Groeschel. Out of curiousity I picked it up the other night and am now having a hard time putting it down. I would highly recommend it. Groeschel is very funny as he writes so it keeps you interested and feels like you're having a conversation with him.
I read Chapter 2 yesterday, "I Have to Work Hard to Stay Sexually Pure." I was interested in seeing what he had to write because you don't often hear a pastor confessing something like that, yet you know they are human and tempted like the rest of us. I loved the chapter. I love what he wrote, how he wrote it, and how it spoke to and challenged me.
You see, I was not a virgin when I met Tim. Sorry if this embarasses or lets any of you down...but I feel the need to be honest. I had a 3 year long, very serious and very physical relationship in high school. We never actually had intercouse yet "did everything but" which I see now is what you tell yourself to feel less guilty. After breaking up with him, I had a quick physical rebound fling with a co-worker. "Makeout buddies" you could say. Then I settled into a one-month long disaster of a relationship, again physical. For some reason after we broke up, we still continued to see each other and that ended up leading to sex. I was fresh graduated from high school and he was still in it. Away I went to a Christian college and yet on weekends I came home, still found myself sleeping with him (why do they call it "sleeping together" anyways? Not much sleeping is done...) I think I kept continuing on in this self-destructive pattern because I actually hated sex and thought maybe it would get better. It didn't. I would just go back to Grand Rapids at the end of the weekend feeling trashy. Finally we called it off (actually we had a big fight and never spoke again.) I told myself I was not going to date anyone until I got myself together and started working on my relationship with the Lord.
That is when Tim came into my life. It was February of 2000 and we had two classes together and in our Speech class were put in a group project together. That is when we became friends. I felt a strong attraction to him over time, but still wasn't sure if I wanted to get into another relationship. It wasn't until the end of September that we finally had our "Define the Relationship" talk. I told him within a couple weeks that I was not a virgin and so if he was looking for a pure angel, he was going to have to look somewhere else. We had already talked about our desire that each of us had individually to try to abstain even from kissing until engagement (that lasted a whole 3 weeks.)
Tim and I worked very hard for almost 3 years to not let things ever get beyond kissing. We set many boundaries like: no kissing while laying down, no taking naps laying next to each other, no putting ourselves in situations where things could get out of hand, etc. Somehow, they worked. It was tough, but we did actually wait until our wedding night and I entered into marriage having the utmost respect for him because he respected me and I knew that he truly cared for me and not what he could get from me.
Now that you know my history (which was long, I do apologize) let me explain why the book touched me so. I have single friends who struggle physically in relationships. Oftentimes I do not know what to tell them. I don't agree with them when they tell me about the things they are doing in their relationships, yet I don't know how to express it in a way that doesn't sound like "I'm holier than thou because I waited with Tim." They can always shoot my past back in my face as well because most of them know about it. So instead I either laugh with them, or say nothing.
This is what Craig Groeschel has to say:
"For me, sexual purity has become a profoundly big deal. It should be for you, too. Why am I so serious about purity? Because God's serious about it. Ephesians 5:3 says, 'But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality.'
Not even a hint.
What is a hint of sexual impurity? Certainly looking lustfully at someone in a magazine, on television, or in person would fall somewhere north of the "hint" mark, wouldn't it? Jesus said that just to look lustfully at someone is the same as committing adultery. Yet I know many people who say, 'I'm just window shopping, not buying.'
How's your thought life? Do you catch your mind wandering to sexually explicit thoughts about someone besides your spouse? Impurity. Laughing at that sexual joke in the break room at work? Impurity. Are you honoring God by reading women's magazines with articles like, "73 Sinful Ways to Drive your Man Crazy in Bed?" Or by droppingsexual innuendos? Or masturbating? The list could go on and on.
You have to quit playing your little rationalization games. You know you're justifying sin. It's wrong. Worse, it's dangerous.
What if you're a single person? What should your standard of purity be? Just fooling around? You know, "doing everything but"? A quick game of naked Twister? How about a sleepover? We won't mess around. We'll just cuddle in bed.
WARNING! BOUNDARY VIOLATION!
Why are those things wrong? Because they're intimate acts reserved for marriage. Sex. Undoing bras or zippers. Messin' around. All these are appropriate for marriage...but none are appropriate outside of marriage.
Not even a hint."

I know this was long, but I just wanted to share. I felt convicted. I feel challenged. I tend to be more of a bold person when it comes to speaking my mind (if you know me well, you probably just let out a laugh and "yeah, you sure are. Too much sometimes.") I haven't been as much so on this when it comes to those close to me. I feel like I have let God down by not saying something, especially when it concerns a Christian brother or sister who knows what they are doing is wrong but has convinced themself otherwise, or rationalized it in some way.
I think I know now why I used to hate sex: it was not in the context of marriage. It was not mine to enjoy. Yet as soon as Tim placed the wedding ring on my finger and we said our vows, we became one. God has blessed us. I see now that sex is great...within marriage. I also see that sex is more than just intercourse, it's so much more. It involves your eyes, lips, ears and mind. It involves your hands. It is what you see and say and hear and do that puts yourself, your spouse (either present or future), and others at risk of intentional sin.
Not even a hint.

Summertime Fun

We just returned from vacation this evening. Our friends, the Lewises, accompanied us to Ohio for a long weekend. We had some great weather, conversations, and moments. Here are some pictures from our trip:

Noah is "helping" his dad drive the pontoon boat. He looks like he belongs there.

A trip to the Cleveland Zoo brought elephants...

Giant tortoises...

And...Dinosaurs??...
He has not fallen asleep in a stroller since he was an infant. But after 5 fun-and-animal-filled hours, I guess it's not a surprise.
What other way to end the weekend but with an adventure filled canoe ride? I think the guys re-thought their decision about 10 minutes into it. I'm glad we didn't know about it until we saw them paddling away.

Answered Prayers

God has just been amazing Tim and me with answering prayers, opening and closing doors, showing us how BIG He is and that He can do what He says He can do. Our biggest answered prayer right now is that when our lease is up in August, we have somewhere new to live. It is a small duplex in Grand Haven that has been completely updated and remodeled. It is on a quiet road on the outskirts of town and has a yard with trees and lots of shade (yippee!) The landlord seems close to our age and is a really nice guy. He travels more often than he is home so he said it will feel as if we have the place to ourselves most of the time. One of the best parts is that it is $200 cheaper than what we pay at our apartment AND we won't have to pay water and sewer like we do now. Most people at this point ask, "How can it be so much cheaper if you are going to be in a nice area, in a remodeled duplex and it has a washer and dryer?" To which we can only respond, "God did it. We were praying a God-size prayer for cheaper housing, yet hopefully not in an apartment complex because it would be nice for Noah to have a yard to play in. God is the only One who could have worked this out."
He also has been opening doors for Tim to expand on his business. It has been his dream to someday operate his own home restoration business. As of now, he works with 4 other guys. One of them is leaving for college in the fall, one is moving more full-time into the position of youth pastor at his church, one is basically gone already doing a Pepperidge Farm truck route (or something along those lines) and one (Tim's brother) was offered his own dream job in Ohio (which means we are experiencing happiness and some sadness) as a youth pastor. This leaves just Tim, who is at this point the only one whose passion is the home restoration. At the moment, the dream is for him and our other friend, Tim, to partner up and run the business. At this point, it's all a matter of timing...but God keeps opening doors.
It is funny to see how God's plans are so much different from our own. Just back in April, we were so excited about the prospect of moving to Ann Arbor but then felt uneasy about it. Since making the decision to stay in West Michigan, God has been providing Tim with so much work that he has actually had to turn down jobs because he can't fit them into the schedule by the time they want the work done!
Then we were so sure of wanting to move back to Grand Rapids when our lease was up. Slowly, as the time has drawn nearer, the uneasy feeling started creeping back in again. God led us to a home that is just what we were looking for and now we have nothing but peace about it.
We also read a book last week (well, I read it and then briefed Tim on what it said) called "The Treasure Principle" by Randy Alcorn. It has changed our views on giving and how much importance we place on material possessions. I think it was the perfect time to read the book because, as we prepare to move into a smaller space and have a garage sale with some friends, it is easier to go through and pick what items we need to sell. Don't get me wrong, there are some things that you would have to pry out of my cold dead hands before I would get rid of them, but then there are other things that we realize are just taking up space in our home. We have realized the importance of eternal rewards in relation to the temporary earthly things. I looked through the Pottery Barn catalog over the weekend when it came in the mail. It might be the first time I have ever looked at it and not felt a want for anything in there. It all seemed overpriced to me.
So God has been working in the lives of Tim and me. We are so thankful for all He has shown us, for the awesome friends and family He has blessed us with, and for the adventure that He has in store for us.

Emotionally Spent

I'm spent. Not just physically, thanks to my latest exercise attempt, but emotionally.
Tim and I spent the weekend debating where to live, which ended in a breakdown of tears for me. It is hard when he works in 2 different cities, so it really doesn't matter where we choose because either way he will be driving farther part of the time. So then it comes down to who do we want to live by or where do we want to raise Noah or what city offers more for the development of our family?
Have you ever been in a position where you have had to answer these questions? It is not easy. At all. I know that if we say we're going to stay in Muskegon, then we let down people in Grand Rapids who are looking forward to the possiblity of us moving back. However, we have become closer to people in Muskegon in the past few months, our church is here and we LOVE it, and our friends Matt & Jeana are moving here from California at the end of the month. We have friends in both places. In relation to schools, we don't want Noah in Grand Rapids public or Muskegon public. We would probably try to send Noah to a slightly smaller school district that is still good. Grand Rapids has Meijer Gardens and the Children's Museum, as well as a host of other fun places. Muskegon has Lake Michigan and we are a family who would live in the water if possible. Muskegon also has family, for as long as they decide to live here.
So what do you do? This is what caused my breakdown. The hard part is that I started feeling the wear and tear of upkeeping relationships. I feel like we are going to let people down no matter where we choose.
Maybe we'll just live where we can find the cheapest rent.
Now I am emotionally spent.
Hey, that rhymes.
On top of that, I got an email out of the blue from someone yesterday accusing me of things I never said or did months ago! He said I did not attend the events surrounding his marriage because of my disapproval of him (I have known his wife since college) and that I hurt his wife. I felt like I was in high school again. When I sent a reply email explaining the reasons behind why I could not attend their wedding (which was in Florida) or reception (which was also out of town on a night we were not able to find a babysitter), I also told him that if he wanted to continue the discussion, he would have to call or do it to my face because I wasn't going to email back and forth about it. He sent me a nastier email, followed a couple hours later by a disturbingly sweet email. I have had suspicions he is emotionally abusive, and I'm seeing them confirmed through what he has written. What is sad is that his poor wife emailed to apologize because she couldn't believe he wrote what he did. I feel that he has driven a wedge between his wife and me and I just don't have the energy to deal with it. I did email him back after the sweet email and gave him my phone number and told him to call if he felt the need. For crying out loud, I'm 26 and a wife and mother, not some 16 year old high schooler that fights over email!
On a positive note, there is just over a week until we get to go on our mini-vacation with Matt, Stephani, and Emma. I am looking forward to getting away, jetskiing, pontoon boating, sitting and staring at the lake, etc. Bring it on!

A Day in the Life

Many times when I talk to people and they find out I am a stay-at-home mom, they pause, look at me, and then ask, "What do you DO all day at home?" I wonder if they think that Noah is this electronic monitoring ankle bracelet (much like what Paris Hilton is sporting now) that doesn't let me leave the house. Or maybe they picture me sitting on the couch in my pajamas, eating a bag of chips and watching morning talk shows and afternoon soap operas while my son runs around the house destroying things. I decided to blog a typical day for me, and chose yesterday as my sample.
6:38 - Raise head and open one eye to look at clock, nudge Tim out of bed, go back to sleep
7:02 - Wake up and have my quiet/prayer time
7:25 - Eat a bowl of cereal while watching the local morning news blip during Good Morning America, kiss Tim good-bye, check email
7:38 - Noah wakes up and has breakfast
8:10 - Clean up kitchen from breakfast
8:20 - Do toning exercises while Noah finishes "Little Einsteins" and starts "Mickey Mouse Clubhouse" and runs around the room dancing and singing along
8:40 - Put on sweats and t-shirt, dress Noah, brush teeth, put shoes on, get stroller
9:05 - Start walk/jog intervals
9:55 - Arrive back at apartment, put away stroller, drain a very large, very cold glass of water while Noah has a snack
10:05 - Shower, dress, debate wearing make-up and decide to pass (except for mascara), debate actually doing something with my hair or throwing it in pigtails and decide on actually doing it
10:47 - Look in the mirror and think, "What is this? I actually like the way I look today. That doesn't usually happen." Decide that it must be a good day.
10:48 - Chase Noah down to put his shoes on, grab purse and head out to run errands (Meijer, bank, etc.)
12:09 - Arrive home, make lunch, eat lunch while listening to "Family Life" on WCSG
12:35 - Decide to clean apartment. Noah "helps" where possible
1:30 - Noah goes down for nap
1:33 - Respond to emails, read some blogs, research prices of Quickbooks, web domains, and the cost of getting a builders license for Tim
2:30 - Sit down to read, start a Jane Austen biography but realize I should finish the book I have already started so I pick up "Making children mind without losing yours."
3:38 - Noah wakes up, spend the next hour and a half playing, singing, eating a snack
4:59 - Tim calls to say he will be home in about 15 minutes
5:00 - Re-heat leftover chicken and broccoli casserole for Noah and I for dinner
5:20 - Tim gets home, changes clothes and we run out to look at an apartment complex in Spring Lake
6:00 - Return home, have heated discussion, Tim reheats leftovers for himself, Noah plays on his slide (it's small and plastic so we have it in the living room), I look for more ideas where to live
6:30ish- Noah and I play on the Noggin channel website and sing, Tim looks over his disability insurance packet that came in the mail
7:00 - Tim begins the bedtime ritual that he has with Noah, I sit down and for the first time in months watch "Inside Edition"
7:30 - Tim joins me after having put Noah to bed and then showered and we watch a show about Hawaii on the Travel Channel, drool over the fresh fruits they talk about
8:00 - Watch the funniest episode I have ever seen of "Everybody Loves Raymond", it is about sexual "power" in the bedroom. Tim and I are laughing to the point of tears and poking each other in the sides occasionally.
8:30 - Flip between "Raymond" and "Samantha Brown's Passport to Latin America", by this point I am talking to Tim again
9:00 - I watch the first few minutes of "So You think You can Dance" while Tim falls asleep
9:15 - Decide to go to bed early, brush teeth, go through bedtime routine
9:30 - Tim and I discuss the day's events, why I feel frustrated, etc.
10:00 - Sleep calls

So you can see that although I am not a very exciting person while at home with my son, while he is awake I do not really watch TV (unless it is a children's show.) We do usually eat dinner all together and then play afterwards, but yesterday was kind of off with going to look at the apartment complex. So what do I DO all day? You can see for yourself.

I love life

True, life can be a bit overwhelming at times. However, I genuinely love my life. I'm not rich, I rent an aparment, I could stand to lose 10-15 pounds, and I have a 21 month old who has decided to hit the "terrible twos" a bit early. On the other hand, I am alive, I have wonderful family and friends, I have dreams and goals that the Lord has placed in my heart, I am healthy (as far as I know), I have a phenomenal husband and a very loving son. We had a really fun weekend and it just reminds me how much joy surrounds me.


This is from a Murdery Mystery Dinner party we went to Friday night. From left to right are: Lindsey (8 1/2 months pregnant!), Weston, Tony, Britton, Joe, Melissa, Noah (snuck into the picture), Tim and me. Lindsey turned out to be the "murderer." She was a jilted lover.


This handsome guy is Nehemiah. We went to church in GR with his parents and this is the first time we've seen him since he was born. His hair is incredibly soft.


Saturday night we were invited over to Matt & Stephani's so Noah and Emma could play in the pool together. Afterward, we went to K2, the top of the Kirby House, and had some yummy pizza.
Sunday night we celebrated Deidra's birthday at her parents' house. After dinner, Noah and Wyndham danced to "The Body Song" (Head, shoulders, knees and toes.)


And this is one of Wyndham's funny faces. Look at those curls!!


Life is good. God is great.