The Need to Create

I felt a crafty mode coming on last night. It was started as I took my trusty knitting book, Stitch and Bitch off the shelf to look for a pattern (great book. If you are a knitter, it's a must have.) We are going to visit some of Tim's relatives this weekend. Two of his cousins just had babies within the past few weeks and I wanted to make them the Umbillical Cord hat. As I lazily looked through the patterns I came across some other things I wanted to create. This then led to me taking all my knitting books off the shelf to mark pages of patterns I want to try. Two of the items at the end of Stitch and Bitch are actually sewing projects. I realized that, alhtough I did not have enough scrap fabric laying around for the needle case, I DID have enough for the knitter's bag. Woo-hoo! I cut fabric last night, Tim created a design for me to sew on the outside, and I went to bed dreaming of needles, thread, yard, and the hum of a sewing maching.

This morning I got to work as soon as Noah was settled in his high chair with breakfast. I made the bag and am SO pleased with it. It was super easy, which is necessary for me since I just touched a sewing machine for the first time when I got it for my birthday in December. I realized, though, that it does not have a zipper, and when I went to transfer the items in my current purse over, they would be strewn about the bottom of the purse. This led me to pull out Stitch and Bitch Nation (the wonderful sequel) and find a pattern to fix my problem. As soon as Noah went down for his nap, I went to work on knitting what is supposed to be a little evening purse, but I tweaked some things and made it into a cute little catch-all accesories bag. It's the perfect size! It fits my inhalor, lipgloss, Tide To-Go pen, and the ever potent Listerine

strips that make you gasp for air as if you were dying, but leave you with that fun mouth tingle afterwards.

I have more projects to be worked on throughout the week and have already asked my knitting soulmate, Rachel, to borrow The Happy Hooker (don't worry, it's about crochet) to get some ideas from there as well.

On a side note, it was beautiful weather here in West Michigan this weekend. Yesterday we took

Noah out to the Rose's house (a family from church.) They live about 2 minutes away from us and have horses and 2 week old kittens that they said we could bring Noah out to see. He LOVED it, especially the kittens. He's a cat guy so far, which isn't great because we'll never be able to have indoor cats. Maybe when we have a house again someday he can have an outside cat.

Fun at the Beach

My good friend, Christina, has the week off of work while the family she nannies for is on vacation. Today she came out to visit and we took a picnic lunch out to Lake Michigan. It was a bit chilly still, but when the sun was really beating down on you it felt great. Although it was a quiet day on the beach, the lake was hosting its share with ducks, a motorboat and a freighter. Noah enjoyed pointing everything out to us.

It was great to spend some time with Christina. Usually it is us and husbands getting together, or us trying to converse on the phone amidst daily craziness, so it was nice to be able to spend some girl time (and Noah) with each other.

We had a nice weekend. My in-laws had come up from Ohio to attend my niece's birthday party. We were able to visit with them a little bit Saturday after they got in and then after church on Sunday during lunch. Wyndham's party was a fun time. She seemed a bit tired...until she saw her new bike. Fun times.

I am getting more and more excited for May. The first weekend in we are going to the DC area to visit some of Tim's family that we haven't seen in years, some members I have never even had the pleasure of meeting. We're both looking forward to that one. The weekend after that, our friends Jack and Kelly will be coming up from Indiana to stay at Jack's sister's house in Holland. We are going to celebrate the first birthday of their son, Owen. We haven't seen them since November and it will be fun to see how much Owen has grown in that time. The weekend after that we're planning a weekend trip to Chicago (just Tim and I) to celebrate our anniversary. The weekend after that is Memorial weekend and that one is up in the air still until we find out if our friend, Kerin, will be able to come up and visit. Last year, Tim and Noah and I went camping and I would kind of like to do it again, even if the campground is just 3 miles from our apartment. Busy times ahead but each one should be packed with fun.

Things are going well for us. Financially there have been some tough and tight times with Tim not having work for about 3 1/2 weeks within March and April. God has again shown himself faithful in providing for our needs. Not our wants, but He never promises to provide those. We have a shelter over our heads, food in our fridge and cupboards, and clothes on our bodies...so we can't complain. Our marriage, however, is in great shape and we continue to grow closer to one another. We still have felt a great peace regarding Tim turning down the job in Ann Arbor and have not once felt any regret or guilt over it. Praise God for closed doors.

We have had a really good sermon series this month at church. It is called "My Story" and the pastor, Paul, has briefly preached on people from the Bible who have had certain "stories." For instance, the first week was about Paul and his conversion. This past Sunday was about Nehemiah stepping out in faith in God. They show videos from members of the chuch sharing what God has been teaching them in their lives and are doing baptisms. It's been really cool. Something that he said on Sunday really struck me. Paul was sharing a story about how when he gets home from work he can hear the footsteps of his youngest son, Will, running through the house. His wife will say, "I wonder where Will is?" to which Paul will respond, "I don't know. I just got home from work but I guess I should go look for him." He will then begin a search for his son, which he said usually ends quickly because Will giggles and makes noises to give him hints. Paul was saying that Will can run from him but he cannot hide and Paul will catch him. He then related it to our lives. Many of us try to run from God. We are never able to hide from him, however. It is better for us to let Him catch us because when he does He will wrap His arms around us and love on us. What an awesome thought.

If you're looking for some good songs to listen to, check out Hillsong United's "From the Inside Out" and Gateway Church's "07 Revelation Song." They make you want to stop whatever you're doing and raise your hands in worship.

Updates and Ramblings

So we are NOT moving now. Tim is calling today to turn down the job offer. It seemed so good in the beginning, but after driving out to the Ann Arbor area last weekend to check out housing, etc. we started feeling unsettled. I think the fact that we couldn't find affordable housing was a way of God saying, "Stop. What am I showing you?" Which then led to 5 days of deep prayer, contemplation, seeking wise and godly counsel, weighing options, etc. Last night Tim said that he did not feel comfortable taking the job and he wants to stay over in West Michigan. I support him in his decision, as I would have supported him if he said he wanted to go. I want him to be happy in his career because it in turn makes our marriage and homelife better. I'm sure the feminists would hate me, but my husband is the head of the household and I am happy to let him be that.
We were talking the other night about the lessons God has been teaching us during this time and there are so many. There is one in particular that I am glad about, and that is the quality of our marriage. This job offer has urged us to speak more openly with each other, and honestly, and has improved our way of communicating with one another. It also has brought us closer and there is a completely different atmosphere when we are together. I am so proud of him and his accomplishments. I know how nervous he was about the interview and that he did it and was offered the position is a huge confidence booster to him. I am proud of him for the way he wants to provide for our family, not only financially, but in every way that he is able. He is the most loving man ever and I couldn't want a better husband (and he's an outstanding father!)
The weather is absolutely gorgeous today! Sunny and warm, a bit of a breeze, but it feels great. When Noah wakes up from his nap I think we'll go for a walk. Get these winter-laden bodies moving around.
I love watching Noah as he grows. He has been in the silliest moods lately. Everything makes him laugh. As I was putting him down for his nap he was laughing as he rolled onto his belly and clutched his blanket to him. The simple amusements in life. I am so excited to experience with him the different things I did growing up. My parents live in the same house I grew up in and their driveway is dirt. When my sister and I were younger, after a summer rain, we used to run around outside in our underwear (my sister in her diaper) and splash in the mud puddles. There are pictures of us sopping wet and covered head to toe in mud and dirt.
We also used to have "pajama dates." My sister and I would be in our pajamas, ready for bed in the summertime, and my parents would say, "Ok. Let's go to the Frosty Boy for some ice cream!" We would go in our pj's and enjoy a nice evening treat. First, Noah will have to get to the point where he can have dairy, but it is a fun idea all the same.
So that is what is happening in our life about now. My niece, Wyndham, turns 2 today. We are celebrating on Sunday and my in-laws are coming into town for the weekend. The time has gone so quickly watching her grow. We will celebrate Noah's second birthday in August.

Changes

Well, well. So much has been going on in my life lately. The biggest is that Tim was offered a job in Ann Arbor that he is going to accept. It is his dream job and he is so excited about it, like a little boy on Christmas morning opening a GI Joe or something. God has been so clear on opening and closing doors for us, that we cannot deny seeing His hand in the process. It will be very hard to leave the west side of the state and our friends here, but we are already setting weekends to come back...it is less than 2 hours away.
I think it is interesting the way life changes. I didn't look back when I left Fowlerville and I spent my whole life there. I have spent 8 years over in this area and it is so sad to think of leaving. I think it is because, although I aged in Fowlerville and grew in years, I grew in maturity and wisdom while living in Grand Rapids. I met my huband here, was married over here, bought (and sold) our first house here, gave birth to my son at Spectrum. There are so many memories for me in Grand Rapids. Even with friends, besides coming across some on myspace and reconnecting in conversation, I have not kept in touch. My friends I have made in Grand Rapids, though, I can tell are my "soul friends" for lack of a better description. Even though some have already moved, we have kept in touch closely, so I know the same will happen when we move.
I think it is also weird because I always pictured raising Noah in Grand Rapids. I know how much Tim and the company he is hiring into wants this to be a permanent position and someday give him employees under his own supervision, so it is weird to think of "settling" and raising a family in the Ann Arbor area. We will not be in Ann Arbor, that is way too expensive, but probably the Pinckney/Dexter area or around there...definitely not Ypsilanti.
So we continue to watch for God's guidance as we wait to hear details of the starting/moving process.
On other notes, it has been a random start to the week. On Monday, I went to take Noah to the doctor for a check up and our car had been broken into. Nothing was taken, but the door wasn't all the way shut and the love compartment, console, cup holders, ashtray, everything was open. I called Tim and the same thing had happened with the van. It figures the one night we forget to lock our doors, the vehicles would be broken into. We consider ourselves blessed, though, because Tim had all his tools in the van and they didn't take anything. They broke into some other cars in our complex and did take things from those.
Our friends, Matt and Jeana, are in town from California and they spent the day over here with us yesterday. We got together last night with a few other friends and it was so much fun. I miss them. I wish we had money to fly back and forth to see each other all the time. The adoption process for them is moving slowly, it looks like spring of 2009 before they have a referral from China. What an ordeal.
We had a great Easter weekend at Tim and Christina's. We made an awesome breakfast, went to Ada Bible Church for service, and then had an incredibly delicious dinner later that day. Christina and I decided that every other year we would do an Easter with friends. We kind of already started the tradition a couple years ago when we got together. Family are your friends away from home. Thank God for them.

Noah and Wyndham visited with the Easter Bunny at Deanna's Playhouse in Holland on Good Friday.

Spring Cleaned Good

I have been planning what to do this Sunday afternoon since last Wednesday. The symphony that I thought had been so perfectly orchestrated a few blog entries past has come to a halt for many reasons. Partly because we could possibly be moving, partly because it was much more stressful than I had anticipated and was causing me to become a grouch to my family, and partly because for the past month that I have been watching them, Noah has been sick for all but about 3 days. I never saw the younger boy not sick and Noah always seemed to end up with the same thing later in the week.
Which is what prompted me to plan my afternoon. Last Friday was my last day watching them. As soon as they were picked up, Noah and I headed to Grand Rapids to pick up Tim from the house he was working at and then drove to my parents' for the night. Tim had an interview for his dream job in Ann Arbor Saturday morning (which went very well, so now we're just waiting to hear back.) We drove back yesterday afternoon so it was a very short trip. Tim was dropped back off in Grand Rapids to go to a Griffins hockey game with a friend and then he drove his own vehicle back afterwards. Noah and I (who are both struggling with colds) came back and after having dinner and watching Baby Neptune collapsed into bed.
I kept Noah occupied this morning while Tim was at church. I especially kept him out of his bedroom and away from all his toys. Tim got home and I put my plan into effect.
I cleaned Noah's room.
I'm not talking just a quick vacuum and tidy up the toys cleaning. I mean an elbow-grease- sanitizing-kick-the-germs-out-spring-cleaning. I opened the window to get some fresh air in and away I went.
We filled up the bathtub with steaming hot water and dish soap and then dumped in every toy that is able to withstand water to soak and clean. Every toy that could not be put in the tub was wiped down with disinfecting wipes.
Tim and Noah were in the kitchen eating lunch when I walked past Noah's room and peered in after putting the last of the toys in the tub. I stopped.
"Let's rearrange Noah's room," I called towards the kitchen.
"What? NO. Why? Huh?" Tim stuttered.
"Why not?" I countered back.
"Because it works the way it is," he argued.
I silently made up my mind to rearrange it myself, figuring the only reason he didn't want to was because of the work.
Before he could stop me, I had grabbed the vaccum and shut myself in Noah's room. I started moving things around, cleaning under dressers and the crib, and in corners that hadn't ever seen the light of the room since we moved in.
An hour later I was done.
I opened the door and Noah came running in. "Wow," he said as he started running around the room in circles. It looks much more spacious and light than it did before. If I'd had the energy I probably would have joined him in running circles.
"Good job," my husband praised. I told him the changes I had made so he could find certain things again.
It feels good to spring clean. To purge things that aren't used or worn anymore. To open windows and let in fresh air (even if it brings pollen and allergens in the process.) It puts me in a great mood and inspires me to make changes in my personal life as well: eating healthier, exercising more, loving the way God created me no matter how I measure up to society's standards. Later, as I was reading the new issue of RealSimple, I read a section on how a good way to declutter is to throw out 50 things that hold you back.
"Hey, Tim, I'm feeling a cleaning mood coming on me," I told him as he sat at the computer.
"You just cleaned," he said without looking at me.
"No. I mean going room to room and throwing things out and really cleaning."
"Oh, great," he muttered.
I'm sure he'll be singing a different tune by the end of the week when the apartment looks stunning.