faith, hope, and love

The BEST Green Beans!

2012-02-08T23:16:00.002-06:00

I lived in China for several years. Garlic green beans was one of my favorite dishes. Over the last year I have finally perfected a recipe that has those who love Asian food and those who don't begging for more. I have never had so many people ask me for a recipe. I hope you and yours love it as much as we do!

Ingredients:

1 pkg steamable green beans
2 cloves diced garlic
2-3 TBSP olive oil
salt (pepper) to taste

Steam green beans in microwave 1 min shy of package instructions. 4 minutes in this case.

(Cleaning microwave is optional:)

In large skillet heat oil.

Add garlic (I use trader joe's frozen garlic cubes), saute until light brown

add green beans

Stir to coat beans in oil and garlic, mouth watering begins now

Put a lid on the skillet for 3 or so minutes

Add salt (and pepper if you like it) and stir replacing lid if you want a more crispy bean like I do

(I love my thumbs!)

Get the beans so they are brown on the edges

Plate and get ready to eat the whole bag!

I have used fresh green beans and just steamed them to make them a bit softer before putting putting them in the skillet. I have also used the same method with broccoli. It takes a bit longer to get them a bit crispy, but also very delicious!

GREEN BEANS
1 pkg steamable green beans
2 cloves diced garlic
2-3 TBSP olive oil
salt (pepper) to taste

Steam green beans in microwave 1 min shy of pkg. instructions. In large skillet heat oil, butter. Add garlic, saute in oil, add green beans, stir. Put a lid on the skillet for 3 min, stir and continue until the green beans are crispy on the edges. Add salt (and pepper as you go) I do this with broccoli florets too! Yum.

Snow Fun!

2012-02-06T21:49:00.000-06:00

We had our first big snow of the year. I am so thankful that it was preceded by a week of 50 and 60 degree days. Chloe had SO much fun crawling in, rolling in and throwing snow. She spent lots of time outside and ate her share of white stuff too. I have lots of fun things to write about coming up soon including an awesome tutorial and recipe for THE BEST green beans you have ever eating this side of Xi'an! (recipe by yours truly) So until I can snap some mouth watering pictures, here is the cutest snow bunny I have ever seen.

I haven't disappeared!

2012-01-07T22:26:00.001-06:00

I haven't stopped this blog, just took about a month off. I just had gotten out of the habit of uploading photos. So here's to New Year's resolutions....HA! I am just kidding. NYR's kind of make me automatically feel like I have failed. If I am going to make some sort of change in my life I need to be inspired by something. For some people that is a calendar date, for me it is a "feeling" kind of thing. The last few months have felt kind of full. So much fun and family and a bit of travel. I have enjoyed seeing family and friends during this season.

Chloe and I took a REALLY fast trip to Manhattan the beginning of December. It was super quick, a little chaotic, but fun to see good friends and share a meal together. I got very few pictures and just quickly snapped this one of K and Chloe. K currently lives in Seattle, so it was a treat for them to play together. I think K inspired Chloe to slip into a princess dress for the first time.

This was our first snow (and last one as of Jan.8)

We got few inches and Brent built a tiny snowman for Chloe. We didn't have a carrot or charcoal, so we improvised and used peas, goldfish and chocolate chips. She was one happy girl!

Christmas Eve 2011

Christmas morning, discovering chocolate in her stocking!

Santa brought Chloe some new shoes that she will actually wear without crying.

A visit to K.City with cousins. They had a great time together!

The weather was been SO beautiful that we spent 2 afternoons at the park.

Back home and Chloe requested her very one princess dress. She since hasn't worn in because of the scratchy sleeves. This girl is SO picky about how things feel on her skin. I guess I was the same way as a kid, and kinda now too. I understand where she is coming from.

Hope all of you had a great Christmas celebrating Christ coming and living among us.

1st Haircut

2011-11-18T21:15:00.001-06:00

Today Chloe had her first haircut(trim). She loved being at the salon! My friend Kristy, who has a little girl Chloe's age, is a hairdresser and did a great job with her. She sat so still, letting Kristy spray her hair and comb it and then cut it, dry it and curl it. She got a full toddler make-over. She just loved being in the chair and looking at herself in the mirrors that are everywhere. She got a balloon and a sucker after the haircut too! Later in the day she was telling someone, "Look I got a haircut, isn't it pretty."I couldn't agree more.

Young Padawan

2011-11-10T21:27:00.001-06:00

This week our 2 yr. old got her first lesson in Star Wars. It was so much fun to see her play with a few of Brent's circa 1977 action figures. She was asking their names, who they are friends with, what they do. It helped that her BFF Aidan (who is 4 1/2) was asking a LOT of specifics about these guys. Seeing Brent enter Star Wars kid-style brought joy to my heart. I even got to share my talents of speaking Wookie to the kiddos. Chloe really doesn't like it when I speak Wookie, Aidan was intrigued and wanted to learn how to do it. It was a fun afteroon of play!

Han Solo!

They were all taking a nap after being in space.

MEOWW!!

2011-10-31T22:41:00.002-05:00

We kept our Halloween pretty low key this year. Chloe said she wanted to be a tiger (had ears and a tail from my niece. Last minute she told me she wanted to be a cat with whiskers. Easy enough. We had ears from last year. Cutest cat I have EVER seen. She was saying, "MEOWW" in this picture. We then went to our local HY-VEE where they do trick or treating and had dinner with friends there. Then we went around our neighborhood with these 2 cute robots, our neighbors and close friends. We had a great time. Topped it off with a visit to Grandma, who passed out candy with Minnie ears, gloves and a Minnie T-shirt (forgot to take a picture). So. Much. Fun.

Saturday Family Outing

2011-10-29T21:40:00.001-05:00

Today we visited Pumpkin Patch, Bloom where you're planted, about 30 minutes outside of town. It is perfect for little kids and doesn't have any spooky stuff. Chloe enjoyed it all and even picked out a cute pumpkin for herself.

Looks as cute as it is.

Our 2 yr. old is a tad over 3 ft. this fall. Yikes! Brent is still measuring just under 6 ft.:)

Talking to the baby goat.

This was a cute water pump that sent plastic ducks down the pipes.

Tractor with Mom

Many of you know that I love the idea of interacting with animals but it doesn't always turn out very good (Monkey screaming and throwing a cucumber at me in China). These chickens were kind of aggressive and were pecking my wedding ring and legs. I tried to act calm but eventually stood up and moved on.

Hayrack ride to the pumpkin patch.

Sweet little pumpkin .50cents.

Snack time, homemade sugar cookie.

Corn box. Chloe loved this sensory play.

Corn angels.

Swimming in the corn. I had my shoes off in the corn and it was so much fun in there!

It was a great October day with the family!

Train Ride

2011-10-17T21:56:00.000-05:00

A few weeks ago we were invited to the zoo for a birthday party and that included a free train ride. Chloe had such a great time riding on the train and I had fun watching her enjoy it. She also had a great time talking to the baby goats. I have been enjoying braiding her hair and taking some artistic pictures during our adventures. She is SO tall and I must have her hair trimmed soon.

The yellow door

2011-09-30T15:38:00.002-05:00

I have been on a blog hiatus, err...Pinterest. We FINALLY painted our front door after having the paint color for close to a year. It took 2 hrs. max and Chloe loved helping! It was a really fun family project to do together.

Voila! Finished product.

Baby Harrison

2011-08-03T20:19:00.003-05:00

One fun thing on our vacation was getting to see some friends, Josh and Erin Smith. Josh and Brent worked together with Cru at KSU and he and his wife (who Brent married) live in North Carolina and work with Cru. They were in CO for a conference and vacationed in Breckenridge at the same time we were there. We were able to catch a few minutes with them on Thursday and so enjoy each time we are with them. When we got home on Saturday I learned that Erin had an emergency c-section and delivered her son, Harrison at 27 wks 5days due to pre-eclampsia. He weighed 1lb.8oz. Her life and his were saved. He is doing well for such a little one. It will be a long road for them as they are in Denver and their home in in North Carolina. They will be staying in Denver for quite sometime and need LOTS of prayer. If you want to read more about this here is their blog. If you are willing to pray, please do!

Colorado Vacay Pt.1

2011-08-02T20:01:00.006-05:00

We just got back from a week-long vacation with most of my family to Colorado. We had such a great time! Sunday we drove out there and I had lots of fun things up my sleeve to occupy a 2 yr. old's attention. The thing that she loved the most was the Magnet board I made for her. I got a small cookie sheet from the Dollar Tree. A sheet of magnets from Hobby Lobby. I printed off the characters from websites. I did Yo Gabba Gabba!, Go, Diego, Go!, Dora, and Backyardigans. A lot of the shows have printables for paper dolls, etc..that I adapted and scaled before printing.I printed, cut and then cut out the magnets. I put each set in a ziplock bag and pulled new ones out from time to time. I also made grass, tree, sun, moon out of construction paper and magnets. This activity lasted HOURS. She loved it so much. That and her new 'I Spy' book. The trip went super quick, we took my nieces and nephew with us and met up with my parents once we were in the mountains. When Chloe saw the mountains for the first time she started clapping and said, "We made it".

The next day we planned to spend the morning up at Breckenridge peak8, which has a lot of activities for kids. The Gondola ride was free and a lot of fun.

The oldest 3 wanted to do the alpine slide. While we were waiting for my dad to get tickets the kids were playing on this pile of snow.Lots of kids were playing here, sliding down, throwing snowballs, enjoying the snow in the summertime. The youngest niece, Hillary, was coming down sliding on her feet (Glissading) and couldn't stop because of the incline and mud. She eventually tripped onto a bunch of rocks and the next 5 hours were spent caring for her injured little body. It was so scary. We didn't know if she was knocked out at first but ended up just having the wind knocked out of her. After asking a handful of employees we finally found first aid, and they sent us to the ER for stitches on her hand and a possible X-Ray. She ended up with 5 stitches on the palm of her hand. We waited for a long time in the ER because they had a lot of traumas at the same time we were there. She was so brave and I was so glad I could be there (her mom and dad were back in Omaha).
This was the picture I got of her before she lost control. Oh and while my dad and I were at First Aid with Hillary, Brent took Chloe on a pony ride. I guess she didn't like it too much. Horses were stinky.

Humidity Filter

2011-07-11T21:01:00.007-05:00

The humidity has been brutal around here the last few days. Yesterday I was outside with Chloe while she was playing in the baby pool. She was looking really cute, so I ran in got my camera for a photo shoot. The lens fogged right away and so I decided to use it as an opportunity to take some 'filtered' looking shots. I think I got a couple of good ones. Once the lens adjusted she was up for doing some posing so I captured her sweetness and her super-cute swimsuit she got from Grandma for her birthday. I am also trying to post these in a higher resolution, we will see if it works.

Happy 4th

2011-07-04T20:06:00.005-05:00

Mostly spent time with family this 4th, and had a good friend (like family) from KS visit. We had a great time with Rachel. Lot of laughing and talking. Loved it. LOTS of AMAZING smoked meat from my dad. Pork Shoulder on Sunday night and Ribs on Monday. Delicious! Chloe doesn't seem to bothered by the fireworks, but later bed-times are wearing me out. Like an hour later, so it's not that big of deal:). I did get my Rachel and my sister hooked on Pinterest. If you don't know about it, beware it is seriously awesome and addictive. It is a virtual bulletin board or filing cabinet of ideas. You need an invite to join, let me know if you want one. My parent's neighbor had this cute Radio Flyer wagon. Had to get some shots with her in it. Happy Fourth!

Mickey-Minnie Party

2011-06-28T19:57:00.009-05:00

Chloe asked for a Mickey Party for her Birthday this year. It was lots of fun to put together and I realized there is so much creativity that comes out of me in planning parties. I enjoyed doing all the little things. Here are the elements and the final product. I must say taking pictures during a Birthday party is not easy. I also switched lenses to make things easier for Brent to take pictures and I wish I had left my fancy 50mm lens on. I just like it so much better.

Here were the invitations:A girl version and a boy version. For the envelopes I traced an outline of Mickey and put the name and address inside. I didn't get a picture of those.

Here is a picture of the party table. Food was Cupcakes, Strawberries, Carrot Chips, Cheese, Hummus, Crackers, and Cocoa Rice Crispy treats cut out with a Mickey Mouse cookie cutter.
Cupcakes from Sam's toppers made by me. I designed circles for invites, cupcakes, etc...
Best $13.00 I have spent. They did a great job, people loved them and I got to decorate.
Ruffled Streamers. So easy. Tutorial here.
Party favors: Balls from Dollar Tree.
My favorite, the centerpiece. Easy! Got the idea here, put my own spin on it.

Here are some of my other favorite pictures from the party. It was a whirlwind with mostly little boys under 6 as guests. Chloe had a great time and we loved having people in our home.
I like this picture. My mom, sister, her youngest and Chloe and I.
Getting some help opening presentsLove this shot of my neighbor and good friend Amber and her little D. Chloe called Amber, Mommy this week:) We spend a lot of time together.
A Birthday kiss from her Best Friend, A.Happy Birthday C! Put your dress down:)

2!

2011-06-21T19:48:00.007-05:00

Today Chloe, you turned 2! What a fun year this has been. You have been such a trooper with all the transition in our lives. You probably have done better than both your Dad and I. You are such a cheerful toddler. You love to learn. You know your alphabet, shapes, can count to 15 (6 in Spanish), and have a crazy vocabulary. Everyone seems to be impressed by your smarts. We think it is cool, but what we love most about you is your heart. You are so tender toward others that are crying or hurt. You love your closest friends and talk about them like they are your family. You are a loyal person, and you are passionate about the things you love (coloring, animals, Aidan). You are learning about emotions and often when crying say, " I have tears". I love your tears. I love your smile. I even love it when you get frustrated when you are trying to figure something out. You are a joy to our lives. We pray that loving God and others will be the deepest desire of your heart. You have so much to offer the world, Chloe Lynne!

For Chloe's second birthday we 'built' her a cardboard kitchen. We bought plans here, and then worked on construction. We saved a lot of $ and it was a fun project for us to do together. It took many, many evenings of cutting cardboard, a bit time consuming really. We are very happy (as is Chloe) with the finished product. I loved adding the little touches like the curtain, dishtowel and apron. I had Brent pick up kids kitchen fruit, veggies, and pots at IKEA, Chicago last month. Brave man went in with a list and got out of there in 30 minutes. These are the coolest food
items I have seen.

Blogworthy!

2011-06-18T21:30:00.002-05:00

Today I found something AMAZING at the grocery store. I mean it blows my mind, how did I not know about this product?! Brent was looking in the health food aisle of our local Hy-Vee for some 'low fat' peanut butter. He is on a low-cholesterol diet and high fat items are the enemy in our household. I spotted an unusual jar of 'powdered peanut butter', PB2. Basically, they squeezed out the oil from the peanuts added a bit of sugar and salt. 2 tbsp of powder and 1 tbsp of water, mix and then you have creamy, delicious peanut butter. IT IS SO GOOD. Here is the kicker. My Trader Joe's all natural (the only way I like it) PB has 140 calories and 16 grams of fat per 2 tbsp. PB2 (also all natural) has 45 calories and 1.5 grams of fat per 2 tbsp. Win, win! After checking out their website I learned of all sorts of recipes for PB2 and a sister product Chocolate PB2 (chocolate and PB, yum!). Add to smoothies, roll bananas in the powder, use it for Asian dishes, etc.. I REALLY hope you try this product and love it as much as we do.

Attention to Detail

2011-05-31T09:56:00.004-05:00

I have never considered myself a detail oriented person. I am an observant person for sure, but details?! Recently I have been thinking about the little details that make our world alive and interesting. I have learned so much looking through the eyes of a two year old. She is SO detailed in the way she thinks and remembers things. There is so much beauty in the world to be examined and appreciated. Bumpy tops of acorns, rain drops, blades of grass, the world is a playground! It has been so fun to be outside enjoying life with a new set of eyes. My little one remembers so much and can recall details from weeks ago. Her memory is so strong for things that impacted her. We love to sit around and ask her questions about her day and she recalls so much. This is the beginning of story-telling and memory making. This is something both Brent and I value a lot in our family. Chloe brings a whole new level of story-telling with her attention to detail. It makes me remember that the details matter, they capture us and infuse memories into our lives. We have been doing a lot of side-walk chalk lately and I have been practicing my attention to detail while drawing some of her current favorite characters from Yo Gabba Gabba!. It is a strange show at times, but she seems to like it and the music is great. It has been fun to draw these characters over and over again and add little things each time.

May

2011-05-23T20:04:00.005-05:00

The last month has been pretty full with events and Brent was gone for a week at a conference. While he was away I had two of my dear friends come for a visit with most of their kids. It was a whirl-wind 24 hours, but so worth it to see these kiddos playing together and once they were asleep (took some longer than others) we enjoyed some time together.This is the best picture I could get of the 'big kids'. Chloe, K and J.

Chloe and I worked hard on this sign for Brent and He loved it. He told me he had never had a welcome home sign before. I had no idea. So glad we did it.

The weather has been either warm or rainy. Water play is one of C's favorite things to do. We pulled out her baby pool from last year and enjoyed some afternoon swim-play. We MUST get a larger pool soon though!

Look at her long hair! I think by the end of summer we will need to schedule a hair cut. I don't trust myself with scissors. My old barbies are a testament to that.SHOES!!! I think she loves them too!
Having a blast as an almost 2 year old. Less than a month to plan her 2nd Birthday.
I am going much more low key this year. I am thinking Elmo or Go, Diego,Go! party.

In pictures

2011-04-28T22:01:00.005-05:00

Spring is Here!

Time for parks and climbing.

Ready to ride Dumbo, I guess!

Enjoying green grass and dirt.

Loves putting these guys "upside down".

Lots of time with Mom, hard to get a good picture of the two of us.

I love this picture because we are working together. I roll the eggs, she puts them in the nest. And you can see my potter's thumbs too!

This is her 'surprise' expression

Rides with Daddy.

Daily playtime with the neighborhood cats (this is Dwight).

Summer's coming!

I really am enjoying the imagination my girl has. She remembers so much about day to day life, it amazes me! She likes to pretend that she is an animal that needs to be rescued (thanks, Diego!). Brent was pretty worried this week when he took her to the mall play area and she was in a tunnel saying, "HELP, AYUDA!", He didn't know the game she was trying to play yet. Chloe really has a sweet spirit. We give our share of time outs and have tantrums around here for sure, but she is so willing to tell us what the 'no, no' is and say she is sorry. She has even given herself time outs (not sure she TOTALLY gets it yet). She has also banged her head against the wall when we have given a time out. A normal toddler, trying to figure out who she is and what independence feels like. Taking pictures of her is a joy and I can't believe how LONG her hair is!

Embracing the waves

2011-04-21T20:11:00.003-05:00

For as long as I can remember I have LOVED my hair. I loved the ease of it: pin-straight, not having to wash it for days. It was the thing I most consistently got complimented on. "You have beautiful hair", "You should be a hair model", "Can I touch/play with your hair". I Loved it: long, short and in between. It was straight and thick, like a smooth blanket. That was until about 2 years ago. I noticed a slight wave when I turned 30, but it was easily blown out with a hair dryer. Then the pregnancy hormones came and along with a beautiful little girl came wavy hair. I kept my hair short for the first year and just dried it and straightened it. It worked okay. I loved my long hair and the ease of it, so I decided to grow it longer. The waves took over. I have had to learn how to do my hair all over again. I am still not sure how to do it, how to have it cut, etc... Last night I had some free time and decided to straighten it and I realized that for the last 1 1/2 or more years I haven't quite felt like 'myself' with wavy hair. My self confidence has even gone down b/c people rarely compliment me anymore. Brent said he has really liked the wavy hair and it was strange to see me with straight hair (so sweet). I want to embrace the changes that come with seasons in life (even physical ones). Heck, pregnancy cured me of my IBS! I also want to feel comfortable in my own skin. I want to be able to be comfortable with both wavy and straight haired Jenni. It may seem trivial but this revelation has helped me understand a lot about why I don't feel pretty most days. I want my feelings of beauty to come from the inside more than anything. This is what I am wrestling with now.

Omaha Zoo

2011-04-16T19:22:00.006-05:00

Omaha Zoo 2011

The Penguins

Chloe's cousins LOVED showing her around!
Looking at the 'icky fish' with Hillary

Gorillas were eating apples, luckily I had one too!Whitney, Zach, Hil and her 2 friends were great about making sure Chloe had a good time.
Zach is REALLY great with little kids.

We had a great time! Chloe loved the day and spending it with Papa, Gra (grandma) and her cousins!

Heart-sick

2011-04-10T17:53:00.002-05:00

Today I am lonely. Lonely for heart friends. I really miss being able to talk (uninterrupted) with my closest friends. I am enjoying getting to know those here in town now, but it takes time. I understand that, I don't feel the pressure to make relationships happen. The reality is that my heart is in need. I have been thinking about the blessing of all my years of being single. How I could just go sit on a girlfriends couch and pour out my heart and stay there for hours. It was such a sweet, sweet time. I love sharing my life like that with my husband, who is an amazing listener and encourager. But, there is something about a girlfriend, you know? I KNOW I am not alone in this. I am just praying that God would sustain me, give me moments of connection with those I am able to call and talk to, or those God has put around my life. I feel such gratitude that I even am feeling this heart-sickness. That means that God has allowed my heart to go deep with people. I want to TRUST that He is at work in all of this. I just want to say to all of those of you that I can't call everyday, that I long to come sit on your couch, talk and listen. I miss you, a lot.

Now that the touurnament is over...

2011-03-26T21:25:00.009-05:00

I know many of you cringe to even read this post (K-State friends) but it is really a CRAFTING post more than a KU Basketball post. Brent is a KU alumni and lived through the glory days of a National Championship in 1988. March Madness is a BIG deal in our house and I am SO glad that I enjoy basketball too. I actually became a KU fan before we met. Anyway, we sport our KU shirts on game day and Chloe always points to her shirt and says, "my jay, jay, jay". She really wants a Jayhawk shirt of her own. SO because it is next to impossible to find anything in Lincoln other than Husker apparel I decided to re-purpose her infant Jayhawk onesie into a toddler size shirt. Here is what I did....Original Onesie (6 month size)

Cut out a piece a bit bigger than I want the final product

Heat n Bond, great product.Iron one sideCut, peel paperIron on the shirt wherever you want itI stitched around the Jayhawk, not perfect. I like that look.
Sadly she wore this the day KU lost. There's always next year!

Operation Recovery

2011-03-26T21:00:00.005-05:00

Sick little one

Almost 10 days ago, we had the worst few days we have ever had with Chloe. She was crying and whining all.day.long. I had taken her to the doctor on Tues of that week and they said she just had fluid in her ears (no infection). A day later I knew she definitely had a double ear infection. So back to the doctor 2 days later, after much crying and sleeplessness. In fact she had a double ear infection and pneumonia. Yikes! Doc said that these things can progress in 8 hours. So while the anti-biotics did their work we let Chloe watch LOTS of TV and did a lot of holding and singing to her. It was so sad to see her barely talking, but 48 hours later, she was SO much better. Now, she seems back to 'normal' but we will head back to the doc on Monday to make sure everything has cleared up.Cuddles with Daddy

Now that Chloe is feeling better, she is talking more and more. Favorite phrases are:

All right guys, eat!
I love you.
I want to eat.
I poo-poo, I pee-pee (waiting for warmer weather and a healthy baby to start potty training).
I want watch a show.
All-Aboard.
I want see mommy, daddy, etc...
I want to cook.

She also enjoys praying. I will start praying and thanking God for people she will list the people she is thinking/praying about. Very cute. She even prays for Elmo, Abby and may other kid characters.Such great expressions! (I have been told she gets this from me:)

Rockin' the ponytail!

Chloe loves playing in the hamper, she even closes the lid and stays there awhile.

This post got a bit random, that is a bit how life feel right now. I am thankful for our little family even in sickness!

Spring and Somersaults

2011-03-13T20:42:00.004-05:00

Loving my yellow shoes!

The weather has been warming up (more or less) and we are enjoying walks outside, spring colors and clothes! Chloe is having so much fun lately, she loves telling me what she sees. "I see birds, I see green, I see sloth" (thanks, Diego!). She is also LOVING doing somersaults. She is really good at them and usually is pretty straight when she flips over. Can't wait for more days outside of exploring and enjoying nature. Here are some pictures capturing it all.

Rainbow Dress!

Somersaults!

Winter Activities

2011-02-10T19:53:00.004-06:00

It has been so cold and we have been a bit sick around here, so I have had to be creative around the house. I made some play-dough and she really enjoyed it. I made a little nest and would roll balls that she would put in it, eggs. She would mush them down. She really enjoyed this activity. Today Chloe had some major grumpiness going on so I decided to introduce her to watercolor painting. I had a big sheet of watercolor paper and picked a few colors and let her experiment. She LOVED it SO much. The finished product is really beautiful and I plan on framing it. She loved holding the brushes and seeing what paint and water could do. She was content doing this for about 45 minutes. That is a LONG time for my little one. I love my little artist.

Thoughts on Motherhood

2011-02-06T21:53:00.001-06:00

A few days ago I was having a conversation with a dear friend here in town about what success looks like as we parent. She is further down the road than I am in many ways in the journey of parenting. She said something along the lines of 'success can't just be measured by a clean house or well behaved kids.' I SO agree with her. I'm not sure I think about being a success on a daily basis, but there is an underlying question for me about if what I am doing is valuable. Yes, of course I think being a stay at home mom is important. Almost everything in my world has been simplified since motherhood. Daily routine: Pretty predictable and scheduled. Conversations: colors, shapes,animals,repeat, repeat. Prayer life: Lord, help me to be patient and kind. Help me to show your love to Brent, Chloe and others. You get the idea and many of you can relate. As I think through these things I am realizing that there is great success in simplicity. Simplicity isn't applauded usually. That is why I don't always like it. I miss feedback from others, people telling me I am skilled in this or that. Yet, in the simple things, the struggle to believe that what I am doing matters, I am finding joy. When I begin to live knowing that changing a diaper is serving God. I AM VALUABLE and SUCCESSFUL!

Vocabulary explosion

2011-01-29T20:48:00.001-06:00

Chloe is talking more and more each day. I wanted to record some of her current words/phrases somewhere. She is 19 months and learning SO much. It amazes us all the time!

"It's not that bad"

"Red, stop. Green, go."

When I say ,I don't know. She will say, "I know."

More, please.

She knows all her colors including, grey, brown, black, and pink.

She knows all her body parts and just learned eyebrows today.

She recognizes certain letters. E for Elmo. C for Chloe and cookie. D for daddy. P for papa and cousin Patrick (pappy). L for Aunt Laura and cousin Lucy. H for cousin Hillary. I for ice cream. A for apple and her friend Aidan. B for bubbles and bottom. G for grandma (she calls her gra). J for jay,jay,jay(yep, short for jayhawks:). Q for quack. S for Uncle Steve. W for cousins Whitney and william. Z for cousin Zach. Basically, I will show her a letter and she will say the object or name that goes with that letter. Creeps me out sometimes.

Can say all the Sesame Street, Mickey mouse, and Dora characters. She usually SHOUTS their names too.

There is so much more I am sure, but I love talking to my little girl. Somedays I nearly go nuts because of the repetition,but it is a joy to be around her during this stage. I also like teaching her new words and concepts.

Catching up

2011-01-24T19:23:00.007-06:00

I have been terrible at blogging, mostly because I was surprised by my parents with an iPad for Christmas and have been spending most of my time on there, still haven't found a great App for blogging yet (any suggestions?). It was an Oprah moment for sure. Lots of screaming between my sister and I (who got one too). Thanks Mom and Dad, you got us both!

Like most of the mid-west we have been hit with several weeks of extreme cold as well as lots of snow. We've had lots of inside time with attempts to be creative with a busy 19 month old. Since it has been so cold, I brought the snow into Chloe one afternoon. She enjoyed eating it mostly,

but also enjoyed how cold it was.

I have also enjoyed doing some projects, I made this 'bow center' for a friend at church that is having her 1st girl (already has 2 boys). It was loads of fun to make. I also made some curtains for our basement windows that turned out much better than I expected. Life here in Lincoln is feeling more like home everyday. This week I am most excited about my sister's store in Omaha grand opening Friday evening. I am SO proud of her and her husband taking this risk and doing something they love. Check out the super cool website that gives a taste of what the retail store will be like. It is called, Mae and Pearl.

Around the house

2010-12-15T21:40:00.007-06:00

I thought I would finally post some pictures of some things around the house. I like our house more and more everyday. It really suits our little family well. This post will be picture heavy, hope you enjoy!

This is looking from out living room into our dining/kitchen

We hosted Thanksgiving at our new house
Here is our kitchen looking in from the dining area: lovin' the cabinet and counter space!!!
Looking from living room into the 3rd bedroom/play room. This space is awesome right now, excited to see how we use it in the future.
In the playroom we were given this beauty from my parents. Chloe loves to play it and I have tried to play out of this Christmas book that I must have used before my piano teacher fired me as a student and told me to quit (true story). I can actually play a few songs and love having a piano in the house.
We get to see Grandma a lot since we live only a couple of miles away!
Chloe loves being pulled around our bamboo floors on her silky.So happy!
Nothing to do with our house. But loving TJ's and their products.....I'm not the only one:)Nothing says Christmas like licking batter and holding a Mickey Mouse ornament!

4 Wonderful Years

2010-12-09T19:50:00.003-06:00

Yesterday, Brent and I celebrated our 4 year anniversary. It was a wonderful evening out with him going to a local Indian restaurant and gazing at one another. We ate some delicious food and Brent surprised me with this wonderful necklace he noticed me admiring online (so thoughtful!). I love it. Mostly I have loved the last 4 years of my life. Granted, it has been full of LOTS of change and some of the hardest emotional places I have been in awhile. Yet, constantly I am reminded of the love of God from my husband. He is such a gift from above. Such a kind soul and sees and encourages me so well. I feel so blessed and am really glad that we didn't marry younger (good news for my single friends out there). We have a richness in our marriage and gratitude because of it. I love it that almost every night before we go to sleep we tell one another how grateful we are for one another. I posted a wedding picture because I just love how my husband looks at me and this captures it pretty well. Here's to many, many more years together.

Penguin love

2010-11-22T13:18:00.002-06:00

Chloe REALLY likes this plate, this video proves it!

Fall Favorites

2010-10-31T20:33:00.004-05:00

A simple Halloween costume this year.

Our street: old trees and lots and lots of leaves

Picking up acorns

Chloe has quite a sense of humor. She wanted to put all her bows in her hair and look in the mirror.

Growing up

2010-10-24T21:05:00.003-05:00

Chloe is 16 months now and is growing up! She is a vocabulary explosion. It is a lot of fun to hear her talking and figuring words out. I feel like she basically understands most of what I say. She loves kitties and calls them "mi-mi". It warms my heart because the nickname for cat in Chinese is "mi-mi". Love it. She will respond positively by saying, yeah or yesh (also reminds me of China). She is learning to say sorry when she throws something or hurts someones feelings. She will sign and say sorry and then give a kiss. She loves Elmo and Cookie Monster. Last week she had me spread out a blanket and then sat all her stuffed toys on the blanket and put her tea pot and cups out and fed the toys tea. She set up a tea party on her own! I don't know where she came up with that. It amazed me! That's Chloe's world (get the reference parents of toddlers:). Can't post about Chloe without some pictures. Oh and she had a hair milestone this week: Yah, ta da da! PIGTAILS!A bit uncertain about the pigtails

Now she likes them, so cute!Elmo and Cookie: these DVDs are awesome for kid her ageReally enjoys coloring!
Loves talking to her reflection in the bathtub!

The Land Between

2010-10-24T20:48:00.002-05:00

It has been a whirl wind couple of weeks as we have been trying to settle in to our new house and had a week of sickness. I hope to take some pictures of our home this week. I just haven't located my other lens yet and it works better for those kind of shots. Brent is enjoying his job a lot and still learning both the Nebraska and church culture. It is SO encouraging to see Brent really coming alive in this role. I am enjoying meeting new people, though it has its challenges when you have a toddler to chase around! We are hosting a small group in our home and it has been wonderful to do that again, it is truly one of my favorite times of the week. Most of the small groups in the church are using a book called, The Land Between. The sermons on Sunday go along with what we are reading. It has been encouraging for me because the book is about finding God in the midst of the transitions we find ourselves in. The book looks as Exodus and how the Israelites responded to being in the wilderness. It has challenged me as we are in this transition of coming to Nebraska. Will I respond to this change with complaining and become hard-hearted? Or will I use this as the place that God wants to meet me and form me? I am praying that I will move toward the later. I think that is happening. I have felt a shift in my heart in the 2 months we have been here. The first month was rough and there are still times I just want to go back to Manhattan, knowing full well we are suppose to be in Lincoln. I feel much more sure that God wants to do something in me, in our family when I feel lonely and displaced. I really recommend this book and think it would be an encouragement regardless of where you find yourself.

Update

2010-09-20T21:03:00.004-05:00

Not much new is happening here. Closing on the house FRIDAY! I can't believe we are actually going to have our own space. Brent started going in to work last week and it was quite an adjustment having him gone a good chunk of the day. I got to help him do a small group leaders training on Saturday and it was a ton of fun meeting all the leaders and doing that with him. I am encouraged about what God is up to at our church. I am mostly having fun taking pictures of Chloe. She is just constant motion, so much fun, so much work! Her vocabulary is taking off and she is communicating more each day, she even has put 2 words together a couple of times. She loves 'reading' books to herself and loves making animal noises. Her hair has gotten so wavy in the back, I think we will avoid the mullet stage. I am also having fun dreaming about things to do in our new house with color, window treatments, new places to hang our artwork, etc...There isn't a lot to do structurally since everything is virtually new, so we can have fun with these other things. I can't wait to post pictures of the house, and how our home comes together. The details of setting up a new house are exhausting and I can't wait until we don't have to think about those things all the time. Now on to the cuteness....

Love this expression! (notice K-State mug on the table:), tear.)

Reading a book
This girl can run.

Love bagels.Getting ready for Senior pictures:)

Obsessions

2010-09-10T21:01:00.003-05:00

It looks like we are only a few weeks away from being in a new home! Everything worked out with offers and counter offers and now we are just waiting for our closing date and those little things that have to be done by the seller. I am starting to get excited, and sometimes overwhelmed with the idea of unpacking all of our belongings. Things I love about our new house: big windows (lots of light), bamboo floors, laundry on main floor, 2 toilets, kitchen open to living area, a basement. Seriously, this house has many of the things that we wanted in a home. I am so thankful!

Chloe went to story time at our local library and LOVED the kids, and the songs. She is growing and changing everyday. She does have few obsessions that on long days almost push me off the edge. On a good day, they are endearing and cute.

1.NIGEL ("da-do")-our large dog, she wakes up wanting to see him and asks to go outside and play with him like 20x or more a day.

2.HATS-She loves seeing people in hats, knows the sign for hat. When she first showed interest in hats we had several collegiate hats that when we would put them on we would sing the fight song. Now she thinks EVERY person that is wearing a hat should sing a song.

3.CHOO-CHOO SOUL-God help me! My baby girl loves her R & B and this little 2 min Disney channel mini-show is her favorite. She constantly asks for it. We downloaded the music to play in the car and when we play it she looked stunned and excited and was SILENT for 10 minutes. Now that is all she wants in the car too. She will say choo-choo and do the sign for music. Moms out there don't show this thing to your children, I think it brainwashes them or something.

4.MORE-My baby like to sign and she learned the sign for 'more' very early on. Now she uses it while she says, 'more', and for everything. Like help, or 'more choo-choo', eat more, you get the idea.

5.Pa-Pa-This is what she calls her grandpa and says his name ALL the time. For some reason she whispers it, so adorable.

6.No-No-She says this WAY too much for my liking and for random things.

7.BRA-Sorry if this is TMI, but it is too funny. She likes looking at her belly button, mine, Brent's. One day she lifted my shirt up and pointed to my bra and I told her what it was. She now knows and properly uses this word on a daily basis. Cracks me up.

Just a few things I wanted to document and share with those of you interested.

Adjustments

2010-09-01T14:57:00.002-05:00

It has been a week and some days since we moved to Lincoln. I think it would be fair to say it has been full of adjustment, on virtually every level. There have been many tears for all 3 of us (and my sweet parents who are letting us stay with them). I miss our little Manhattan, KS town, but and trying to embrace what being here has to offer. We are even under contract on a house, all in a weeks time. It is exciting, and scary. I really like the house. I think it is sweet, the kitchen is an upgrade from our old house, we have a basement and 4 bedrooms. Those things are an answer to prayer. We are still waiting on a few details before it is a sure deal. Chloe had a few hard days and we decided to try going back to a morning nap. That has revolutionized our little girls attitude. Sweet stuff is back! It isn't as convenient, but helps our family a TON! She has really sky rocketed in her vocabulary. I am glad she has learned to sign, but some of her signing is maddening to us! Like, more. She can sign and say it and says it for everything! More, more, more. AAAAHH. She is also obsessed with the big dog, Nigel. She LOVES this guy and at my parents house is around him a bunch more. She isn't afraid of him at all and wants to play all the time. It is pretty sweet and hilarious because Nigel is 85lbs. Nigel rode in the U-haul with Brent and sat in the passenger seat the whole time. So funny. Today is game day and people are excited, as they are in college towns all over America. Here are some pictures of our last week.

Moving feels like....

2010-08-25T14:45:00.002-05:00

In the midst of moving. This sums it up.....

That's my girl!

2010-08-09T19:25:00.003-05:00

(She actually kept these on the whole time we were at the pool!)

Well, the time has come...my little girl is beginning to LOVE accessories. Shoes! Sunglasses!Socks! Tights! That has been all she has been interested in playing with lately. She will go to her room and get in her sock and shoe drawer and has us put different combinations of shoes/socks/tights on. She just loves the options I think (I totally get this girl!). It has been a lot of fun and today Brent took her to Wal-mart with 2 different shoes on and it just delighted my heart! I love that he didn't care if her shoes matched or not. I am convinced this is genetic. The women in my family have a serious accessory addiction! This age is a lot of fun and I love seeing her discover her world. Here are some pictures of our toddler accessorizin!

Sporting her new shoes, that she loves!

Priceless!

Count to 10

2010-08-08T23:18:00.003-05:00

I am checkin' in to rehab along with b in real life and a bunch of other ladies. The idea is this: On Monday's write something positive about being a wife/mother/woman to combat the guilt we might often feel. Saying 'no' to mommy guilt sound great to me! I want to be done with it and hopefully this is a start!

Our sweet, active Chloe gets really frustrated when she can't figure something out and/or communicate with us. She knows some basic signs and word and uses them, but sometimes it just isn't enough. She gets REALLY MAD! Like laying down on the floor and screaming and sometimes banging her face on the floor. In the past, this behavior has made me REALLY upset (MAD) too and I feel out of control and just want her to STOP. This last week I decided, mostly for myself, that when this happens I will go to her and hold her hands, have her look in my eyes and I will count to ten out loud, then take a deep breath. I have done this for about a week now and it truly calms both of us down, then I try and distract her by suggesting another activity and take away the toy/circumstance causing frustration. It is great to find a way to communicate to her that it will be okay, even though we don't understand each other all of the time. I think I will give myself a pat on the back, yep...that felt good!

Check out B's blog to link up to other women saying no to guilt!

Odds and ends, mostly pictures of Chloe

2010-07-25T20:08:00.005-05:00

We have sold our house AGAIN! Well, it is under contract again at least. Hopefully, we will close at the end of the month and be moving to Lincoln. Still house searching from afar, hoping to find a great home! Chloe is a full-on walker now. She walks most of the time and is just as happy as can be! She loves the freedom it brings. She is hungry more, and the last two days as eaten a whole banana at one sitting. She is a delight to be around. She says lots of words, some consistent and some random. We swear she said broccoli the other night. Anyway, have to include some cute pictures because this child is SO PHOTOGENIC!!4th of July

Pulled out all her books and crawled in the bin!Be still my heart!LOVES WATER!
We let her play while we were watering the plants.The shirt had to go.Gush, gush! Doesn't this face just say, LOVE!

Guns and Booze

2010-07-21T22:31:00.002-05:00

The three of us have been in Lincoln for the last week almost because our roof is being replaced. We decided it would be a good time to come check out some houses. My parents graciously are letting us stay in their AWESOME home, after some of the stuff we have seen it rocks! Sadly, they haven't been here and we have missed them a ton. I haven't lived in Nebraska for 12 years, so in getting ready to come back I am making some cultural observations along the way. We have looked at 10 houses in the last few days and we are exhausted, and haven't found 'the house' yet. What I have found out in being in 10 homes is that Guns and Booze are a centerpiece in many of these homes. Gun cabinets, gun racks, bows and arrows, and other hunting gear. Whole basements dedicated to a 'man caves'. The guns don't come alone. In most of these homes next to or near the guns are large amounts of hard liquor. That seems like a bad combination to me. I am not anti-alcohol, or guns (well sort of... you can have them, I just don't want to know about it). It was shocking to me for some reason. I grew up here, but this just seemed so foreign to me. Then I realized that I am not really a true Nebraskan. My parents are from Oklahoma and though I was raised here, as my husband stated it, I am a hybrid Nebraskan. I have lots to learn about this culture and the people we will be working with. A few years from now my guess is, you'll be more likely to see me wearing red than holding a rifle and taking a shot.

Great start to Monday

2010-07-12T21:25:00.004-05:00

I actually won something from a blog giveaway. A really inspiring blogger, Aimee, was having a giveaway and I randomly got picked. It was so exciting to see that email in my in-box. I am excited to get the print of her great artwork. I chose this one, wanting to be inspired to create in a bit more of a structured way again. Go check out her blog and enjoy the beauty she captures.

Waiting

2010-07-11T22:09:00.002-05:00

I have never really liked waiting. I would say I am generally a woman of action. I like to get things done when I know they need to be done. Back in my school days when I knew a paper was due in a few weeks I would make sure it would be done about a week in advance. The pressure of waiting until the last minute drives me crazy (and creates low level anxiety). We put our house on the market and I was prepared to wait. Then we got 2 offers within 5 days of listing. We accepted one offer and moved forward, with an expected Aug. 2nd move. Last week we learned we needed a new roof. We were disappointed, but willing to replace it and continue on. With the replacement of the roof we raised the asking price a bit, because the value of the home increases with this improvement. We raised the price VERY little. They rejected our offer and counter-offered with something CRAZY. We passed, dissolving our contract and putting us back to square one. People looking in my closet, keeping things clean, etc... We are getting new roof and re-listing. Waiting on someone to buy, waiting to move, waiting to say goodbye, waiting to start our new job, waiting to look for a new house. I am trying, trying, trying to not freak out. To enjoy this time, to trust the Lord's timing. He has never failed me.

B in real life!

2010-06-27T10:08:00.002-05:00

Alright blogosphere if you don't read or know about B in Real Life you must go there, read everything, laugh til you cry, and enter her current giveaway. B is a close friend to the end and her blog is really just like her: honest, funny, and uplifting. She is a brave woman who has babies 4 months apart (amazing adoption/fertility story). I love that her voice is coming out via writing about her world. Oh and she'll never mention it on her blog but she has an AMAZING singing voice, writes songs that will touch your heart, and is famous among certain folks:) Please post songs you are writing, B! Love ya!

It's Official

2010-06-22T22:11:00.005-05:00

It is true, our house is on the market. We are selling our sweet house that my husband bought before we were married, the place our family began. I love this house. Brent has put some much into it and I am SO sad to leave it behind. We are headed to another job, one that we are excited about. Praying that the house sells in 3 months or less, so we can buy another home and get settled into a new community. Honestly, the changes are hard for me. I adapt well to change, but dread it. I have lots of worries and really don't know how to move with a 1 year old. LOTS to give to the Lord, I find myself frustrated WAY too often. I want to be filled with gratitude and hope. In the mean time I am trying to enjoy things I love about this great town (mostly all the people I love here). It is truly one of a kind. Here is a link to pictures of our home, I love it and hope someone else will too:). If you happen to know of anyone that is looking for a 3 bed 1 bath home with a huge backyard send them in my direction.

Cousins

2010-06-22T21:01:00.003-05:00

I loved having all of Chloe's cousins (minus one) in one place. It was chaotic and fun. I can't wait for these kids to grow up together. Some of them are a generation apart, but I hope and pray that they can still be friends and have fun together throughout the years. Aren't they all cute/beautiful? Love 'em, with sugar on top.The VB crew

The W's minus one-best pic of the 3 of them:(

Oldest and youngest on my side of the family, 12 years apart. W was a trooper to be at a 1 year old party all day and travel. She was so sweet... probably texted all day:)

First year of life in pictures

2010-06-22T20:52:00.005-05:00

I decided after following another blogger, Making it Lovely, to document Chloe's first year through pictures and having a constant item/place she sat each time. I actually did it and for the first Birthday party I had a print out of all the pictures made, hard to believe she's grown up so much.

Chloe's First Birthday Party!

2010-06-19T19:57:00.006-05:00

Though Chloe's Birthday wasn't until Monday we celebrated Saturday in a BIG way. Family and friends joined us braving severe weather with flying trash cans and all. It was a full day of trying to get everything ready for an 11 am party, and the Birthday girl wasn't especially happy until people started to arrive. I have had a vision in my mind of the party table for many months and it came to be for the most part. Her party theme was Bubbles and Balloons and we had both. The invitations were designed by my amazing artist/web-designers/executive brother-in-law Steve. He took a picture of her and created an illustration of her which was on the invite as well as the smash cake. We provided a light lunch (though ended up being pretty hardy), and cake. I REALLY love what I did for party favors. Each child left with a balloon and on the end was tied a small container of bubbles. I drilled holes in some foam (covered in fabric) and stuck each bubble container in the hole. Turned out super cute. Love how the table came together! Chloe had a great time and we did too. She was cautious about her smash cake at first, but soon enough that is exactly what it became. She obliterated the thing. Icing was flying everywhere and she loved entertaining the crowd. She didn't really like the taste at all, just enjoyed playing. We just put her in the bath tub and hosed her off after. She was such a sweetie and was so excited (overstimulated) that she couldn't even take an afternoon nap. Whew! We were all tired, but so blessed to celebrate with everyone this first year of life for our Chloe Lynne. She is such a joy to have! Her smile and friendly nature just make a room light up when she enters it. I hope that remains true throughout the years.

Happenings

2010-06-12T20:24:00.004-05:00

Well there is A LOT happening in our world lately. The most noteworthy is that we are preparing to sell our house so we can move to Nebraska to start a job at a church there. We are excited, we are scared, we are overwhelmed by all there is to do. We hope to have it on the market by the 21st, right after Chloe's 1st birthday bash and father's day. It is nuts. I am in detail overload mentally. I am getting excited about the move, the possibilities of how God might use us, being closer to family and all there is to do in a bigger community. Lots of sadness in leaving this sweet place, it is a very unique close-knit community. I will miss that, but mostly my heart friends here. It's to early for me to go there emotionally, so I am focusing on colors of balloons and selling things on craigslist instead. In this midst of all of this transition there have been some great moments in the last few weeks: A life-long friend came for a visit and our girls played together, I turned 34 and got to go on a date with my husband and our life group got me Starbucks ice cream, and today we took Chloe to the splash park. Our girl is fearless...just goes for it. I love it and it scares me. I am headed to Wichita for a few days to Brent can get some things done. Pray, pray, pray for me. This will be my first road trip alone with Chloe and she has thrown the biggest tantrums in the car. I will need patience and the ability to focus on the road more than her. I can't wait to see my dearest friends though.

Chloe and Sunshine"Should I try it?"
"I'm going in"

Okay this series of pictures crack me up! Brent is being so protective, it looks like he is going into battle or something. What a great Dad he is!

Splish-Splash

2010-05-29T21:08:00.003-05:00

Given that all the other pools are opening this weekend, we thought we would open the Watson pool. It is a lovely pool, located under a shade tree. It is free and has a rather shallow depth of 3-4 inches. It's occupancy is 1 very cute little girl.
(I just couldn't resist posting all these pictures)

11 months

2010-05-22T20:53:00.005-05:00

11 months. Chloe is having a great time enjoying the summer weather. She loves being outside and likes being in the grass, but crawls with knees off of the ground (hands and feet only). She loves spending time with her Daddy in the morning and just jabbers and plays while I get a bit more rest. Friday we were passing by a neighbors garage sale and they had a playpen that we decided for $5 was worth a try. She spent some time in there today and seemed to enjoy it, especially the throwing things out part. She is standing by herself more and more, but hasn't figured out how to move her feet. She is taking two pacifiers to bed with her and likes to hold one and have one in her mouth. Cute now, I am anticipating the day we take those away it will not be cute at all. This really is a fun stage. Chloe is such a social baby and it is so great to see her interacting with others. That smile just melts my heart. I am planning her 1st birthday party and can't wait.

A hard month

2010-05-08T21:55:00.002-05:00

The past month has been a hard one 'round these parts. Triple ear infection (3x, not that Chloe has 3 ears:), and some long sleepless nights that lead to sleep deprivation close to newborn days. Actually, one of my biggest fears since having Chloe is that I would be in THAT place again. Sleep deprivation. It has been such a fear that sometimes I sleep even when I am not tired because I am afraid that I won't get that sleep down the line. It sounds nuts writing it, but somehow I associated my post-partum depression/baby blues with my lack of sleep. Now after some of those long nights, a few only getting a couple of hours at a time, I don't think it was just sleep. I know it wasn't just sleep that was nearly pushing me over the edge. HORMONES, C-SECTION, MASTITIS. I am still and will probably always be someone who functions best on 9 hours a night. It annoys me. But I have come to realize I will not die or become unstable with a few nights without that. I can embrace that sleepless nights are usually a season and there will be a full nights sleep again. I have a very patient husband that reminds me of these thing when I am feeling afraid that things will never get better. They do, they really do. I need a giant sign written on every wall in my home that I can see on hard days: It won't always be like this! Thank you Jesus, for new days, for life circumstances to trust you in, for sleep when we can get it. Things are getting better, ears are clear, and more nights of sleep. Ahh....

10 Months

2010-04-22T21:54:00.003-05:00

Chloe turned 10 months yesterday. It has been a difficult couple of weeks for us as all 3 of us had different sicknesses. Chloe had an ear infection, Brent sinusitis/bronchitis, and I had some sort of Upper Respiratory infection. I could barely swallow for 3 days! We were all down for about a week solid. Chloe didn't feel well, but she was her normal energetic self. Oh how I wish we could have all snuggled in bed together. I must say that I was pretty worn out (maybe still am). Along with Chloe turning 10 months, she seemed to decide to not sleep her normal, predictable 12 hours. She has been so restless and cries out several times in the night. The only thing that will comfort her is if I hold her for a few minutes. We are guessing it is either a developmental phase or some sort of separation anxiety. I am hoping this phase passes quickly. I am tired of being needed!!! I will say she is cute as ever, pulling up on everything. She shows likes and dislikes. She really dislikes kittens/cats and even whines when she sees them in books. She like balls and bubbles and dogs. She loves cheese and still doesn't like eating from a spoon. She and daddy like to watch Playhouse Disney some mornings. The hot dog song is hard to get out of your mind! We think she has a few words including: Hi, Da-da, No, Yeah (while clapping), and ma-ma (only a few times when desperate). She is so busy that I have a hard time knowing how to get things done. She doesn't really sit still and with all her pulling up needs to be supervised. Any tips veteran moms?

Easter dress drama

2010-04-05T20:54:00.004-05:00

I was so excited to have Chloe wear her first Easter dress this Sunday. I had the dress, got shoes and a hair bow to match. Sunday morning came and her morning nap was a bit of a struggle and so I was a bit flustered trying to get us all out the door to make it to the 11am service. Brent was helping me get Chloe dressed and she started throwing a fit when I was putting it on (something she has been doing when we put clothes on her). She would just pull and pull at the dress fabric getting so frustrated, she REALLY hated the dress. So while I got ready I had Brent see how she did in her dress. A few moments later I hear a BOOM, and crying. She was sitting up and was pulling so hard on the dress that it pulled her forward, flat on her face. So sad, kinda funny, but sad. I was REALLY upset that I was going to have to forgo my Easter dress dream. I just didn't want her falling on her face all morning in the church Nursery. So after a mommy melt-down, read:tears, freaking out about what she would wear, more tears. We put her in a skort outfit, stuck a bow in her hair and called it good. I have no pictures of her in her first Easter dress. I must say that I was quite bothered by how much I cared about what my baby looked like on Easter. It seemed so trivial given the message of Salvation and the Resurrection. In some ways the dress drama put me in touch with my own need for Jesus. The rest of the day was wonderful and we ended it sharing Chinese take-out with some dear friends. I do have some pictures of her later in the day. The 'Easter bunny' brought her a swing for our backyard. Love this little sweetie!

Our dogs were a bit confused about having a baby in their backyard, but I got some pictures of them. Nigel is the big dog (Irish wolfhound/lab), he is always outside, and cheerful. Charlie is our inside dog (Sheltie mix), camera shy, skittish, and barks at his own shadow. Doesn't he look thrilled about all of this?! Maybe it's the bark collar, the camera, the baby? Who knows this dog is weird!

What we've been UP to

2010-04-03T19:08:00.005-05:00

Things around here have been lots of fun with spring weather and baby exploration. It feels like a lot to me, I can't imagine how Chloe must be feeling. She is constant motion. These days she is cuter than ever as she is crawling at warp speed and pulling up on everything! I feel like I can't take my eyes off of her for a second. I know head bonks happen and they certainly have in our home so far. In the past few days she has figured out that moving her legs will move her closer/further away from things. I am thinking she will be walking before her 1st birthday. Well, it keeps us on our toes, I am crawling around the living room most of the day just keeping up and spotting her. I really love her curious spirit, applaud it and encourage her explorer's heart. One of her favorite time of day is around 5 pm, our front door is open and sunlight is cast on our wood floors. She will spend a lot of time playing with her own shadow, waving hands, trying to kiss her shadow, enjoying my attempts of shadow puppets (a dog is all I can do at this point). She is intrigued by it, and it make us laugh! More pictures of my sweet Chloe Lynne.

SO BIG!!!!

She is standing under the table, so cute, so busy!
I got her a punching balloon and she loves it (always supervised).
Loving the summer skort. What I love even more are her sweet, chubby baby legs!

9 months

2010-03-22T22:10:00.006-05:00

Miss Chloe is 9 months today! She is growing up so fast and is cuter than ever. She has mastered crawling and she is FAST. She loves chasing Charlie, our dog. He is uninterested in her and moves as quickly as she does in the opposite direction. All was well at her doctor's appointment today she measured 28.5 inches (82%) and still weighs under 19 lbs. Long and lean. She pretty much is only eating table food and is loving it. We were at my parents in Nebraska this weekend and she ate some new things that she loved: rib meat, tortilla, turkey meat, pancake, carrots and potatoes. I have given up trying to feed her puree foods for now and am enjoying letting her explore solid foods. The dog's water has been a recent fascination, so up went the baby gate today between the living room and kitchen. I am so looking forward to warmer weather so we can play in the yard and explore together. She is such a sweetie and has started kissing, though sometimes bites accidentally (I hope). Some recent pictures to make you smile.Playing with her Cousin

Techno Baby

Cooking Time Savers

2010-03-12T21:09:00.002-06:00

I have been wanting to post something non baby related for quite some time and the perfect thing came to mind the other night. Over the past few years I have found a couple of items at the grocery store that have been life savers when things are busy or I just feel lazy about cooking.

The first is frozen onions. Right there on the top shelf of the frozen vegetables. I think my mom used these sometimes when we were growing up, not sure. I HATE chopping onions, but really value what they do for depth of flavor in many of my recipes. These babies save TONS of time and tears. Soups, casseroles, omelets, are some of my favorite ways to use this product.

The next item I have just started to use in the last year or so. Italian Sausage fresh from the meat department. I can just buy one or two and use them many different ways. One way I use them is for homemade pizza. I just remove the casing and brown the meat, and I have a quick fresh pizza topping. Another use is in an egg scramble mixed with peppers, frozen onions, tomatoes and cheese. I remove the casing and brown before adding the other ingredients. I have also chopped up the sausage and put it in Jambalaya and red beans and rice. So easy!

The best time saver I think I have in the kitchen though is my electric kettle. Thank the Brits for this one! I love this thing. I can get hot drinks so fast, I can boil water in half the time it takes on the stove. When we were first married, Brent thought I was crazy when I went to make pasta and filled and turned on the kettle. I always boil the water in the kettle, turn on the burner on the stove, but a bit of water in the bottom of my pot (so it doesn't burn the pot) and then add the boiling water from the kettle when it is done. I can boil a pot of water in about 3 minutes. I LOVE it, and now my sweet husband does it too. Crazy, NO. Efficient, YES!

I love time savers and would love to hear anything that you might have in your arsenal that would save me some time as a mom of a busy little girl---healthy times savers. One of us has cholesterol that needs to be watched and the other wants to loose some baby weight. The sausage may have to go and bring on egg white omelets:(.

Swing Baby!

2010-03-08T21:46:00.004-06:00

Sunday afternoon we took Chloe out for her first swinging experience. She really loved it! She is such a curious little thing and enjoyed looking at the other kids, the trees and everything else around her. She loves being outside and it makes me long for spring even more. This babe has also started pulling up to her knees this last few days and today while playing in her crib got all the way to standing. We lowered the crib all the way. I love her curious spirit and the way she engages with other people melts my heart. Today at Target she was looking at an older gentleman quite a distance away and he came up to us, started talking to her and said he just loved how she noticed him and made eye contact and smiled. Brent and I specifically prayed that Chloe would be a blessing to people at a young age. What a joy to watch God answer prayer in the simplicity of eye contact and a smile.Chloe loves using her teeth and loves to crunch puffs by putting them in her mouth by herself. I will hopefully post a video soon. She likes it so much that she now refuses being spoon fed. Not sure what to do about this. I have tried giving her all sorts of chunks of food. Banana is about all that she will eat. Any suggestions for my independent eater?

As I was looking through my pictures I found this one of my parents and Chloe from a couple of weeks ago. What a sweet picture of love.

8 months

2010-02-21T22:01:00.005-06:00

Chloe turned 8 months today. She is looking so grown-up in this picture. Last week she got her 6th tooth and loves eating bananas and cereal puffs. She has really started to get mobile. When we go get her in the morning she is scooting around her crib on all fours. She sort of crawling around the living room as well. She will be on hands and knees and lunge forward. She still sleeps 12 hours, but only naps for 45 minutes at a time (and still not in her crib). I told Brent that we (I) have to get her sleeping in her crib for naps by the time she is 9 months. That means that this month I have to get started on that. It is going to be HARD for me as I HATE leaving her in her crib to 'cry it out'. We will see how this goes. Pray for me, seriously. I am enjoying seeing more and more of Chloe's personality emerging. She has even thrown her first tantrums in the last few weeks, oh dear. She upgraded car-seats because she out grew her infant seat. We got at great seat, Evenflo Symphony, that has a great fit in our tiny car. It has taken some time to get her adjusted to being in it. Mostly she hates having a coat on when she is in there, which is a pain given that we seem to be living in Antartica these days. Here are some pictures that I love from the past few weeks.

Chloe loves bath time!

She can put her pacifier in by all by herself.
She gets frustrated sometimes."Crawling"Lunging.
(try and ignore the cabinet that needs to be dusted)

Valentine

2010-02-13T16:19:00.002-06:00

Hopefully, many of you got this in an email. If not...sorry I tried to remember everyone.

Too big for her britches

2010-02-01T13:48:00.004-06:00

Our baby girl is growing and growing some more! Last week I bought a few more 12mth sleepers and low and behold this is what I found after putting one on...We call her bottom, her 'boots' for some reason...it is cute! I would love it if any of you mamas with long babies could tell me brands that work, and ones I should avoid. After realizing she is long for her age I remembered a 12 month swimsuit I had gotten on clearance and decided to try it on her. Fits like a glove at 7 months. She REALLY liked being in it. I wish I could say the same about being in mine, thank God I have 4-5 months before I have to reveal my post-pregnancy body at the pool. Let's just say I will be looking for a one piece again.

7 Months and other happenings

2010-01-24T22:14:00.005-06:00

Chloe turned 7 months this week. She is getting more and more comfortable sitting up, though she still needs assistance. She really wants to 'Go' but can't quite coordinate everything to crawl. She has however figured out how to 'walk' over to a shelf in her jump-up. She looks so proud as she grabs at stuff. At those moments I get a glimpse of what is to come, lots of baby proofing! This weekend has been a bit rough because her 4th tooth, upper front one, is starting to break through and it looks really painful. Needless to say, she has been restless and a bit more prone to bursting into tears at anytime. I must say she is still a cutie and will look super cute with one top tooth and 3 bottom teeth, oh my!

Two weeks ago, one of my BFF's came for a visit and it was delightful, but far too short of a visit. I miss my sweet friend and it feels that life is flying by and all of a sudden she is having her second child in a couple of months! I did gets a few pics of Chloe and baby K.Last Sunday we were able to celebrate Jo's Birthday, and had a great time bowling ( I enjoyed a dinner with her too). I must say that JoAnna is one of the most graceful ladies I know and I am so thankful for her life and friendship.

Ben, Jo, Carolyn, Brent

Happy New Year!

2010-01-01T09:15:00.003-06:00

Just two days into the New Year and the only thing that seems new is writing 2010 on some checks today. It amazes me that depending on my life circumstance, I see time in TOTALLY different ways. When I was single a year seemed like 10 sometimes. When I would go on summer trips overseas 6 weeks seemed like a long time to be away. When I was living overseas for 2 years the months counting down to the time out of country seemed like they would never pass. This past years has gone by so 'quickly'. There have been so many changes, some embraced more easily than others. I had some hard days after Chloe was born! This year brings the promise of more change, only God knows what those changes will be. I am sure I will freak out sometimes, I am sure I will smile knowing that the Lord sees us. I mostly want to trust Him in all of life (marriage, baby's naps, when she will crawl, jobs, friendships, etc...). Learning to trust God all over again in some ways. I think that is the beauty of having a relationship with Christ, that as life changes, he doesn't. He wants to meet me in new ways, show me parts of His character I have never known, change my heart to love Him and others more. I love this passage from The Message. I hope this is a passage I can come back to in the year to come.

1 Corinthians 13:3

If I give everything I own to the poor and even go to the stake to be burned as a martyr, but I don't love, I've gotten nowhere. So, no matter what I say, what I believe, and what I do, I'm bankrupt without love. Love never gives up. Love cares more for others than for self. Love doesn't want what it doesn't have. Love doesn't strut, Doesn't have a swelled head, Doesn't force itself on others, Isn't always "me first," Doesn't fly off the handle, Doesn't keep score of the sins of others, Doesn't revel when others grovel, Takes pleasure in the flowering of truth, Puts up with anything, Trusts God always, Always looks for the best, Never looks back, But keeps going to the end.

Here is the wonderful man I get to trust God with, what a gift!

Snowed In

2009-12-26T19:43:00.004-06:00

Our Christmas has been eventful. We decided to come to Lincoln a day early because of the storm that was coming. The storm did come and we have been in it for the last 3 days solid. Snowed in, a true blizzard, or as my almost 13 year old niece says, "We live in a freakin' snow globe". All 9 of us have been at my parents for the last 3 days. We have had a great time sharing this memory together. Chloe has done well, occasionally fussy, but sweet as usual. We have all started to have some cabin fever the last day or so. Brent and I actually got out and went to the mall today. I am afraid with the new amazing lens I got for Christmas that you may be seeing a lot more pictures. It is amazing, if you like bokeh, and I do, it will make you ooh and ah over every photo you take. We are planning to go on to Kansas City tomorrow, but it is supposed to snow another 2 inches tonight, so we will see. It has been a very Merry Christmas!

Special days

2009-12-21T19:47:00.002-06:00

Celebrating 3 years of marriage!

Brent and I celebrated by getting a babysitter and going out for dinner. It was our first big snow, but we ventured out despite the conditions. It was so great to be out with my hubby and just eat slowly and enjoy adult conversation. As it often happens when we are out to eat we had another unusual experience. As I was observing our surroundings in this small restaurant I quickly noticed a couple that appeared to be in a wedding gown and tux with some others along with them. Curiosity got the best of me and on my way back from the bathroom I stopped and asked if they had gotten married that day. They said yes and I told them it was our 3rd wedding anniversary. They congratulated us and told us they would like us to have some their wedding cake, we gladly accepted. Later we found out from the couple the crazy circumstances that led them to get married on a Tuesday, in the middle of a snow storm. Let's just say it involves a crazy ex-husband, lack of judges in Missouri, and 4 kids between the two of them. The cake was the best that either of us had ever had, such a nice surprise and a great memory.

You've come a long way baby!

Chloe turned 6 months today and she is cuter every day, I probably even say that every day. I do dote on her, as a mother should. She is weighing in at 17 lbs. and is 27 inches. Long and lean like her daddy. She really wants to move and is always coming up with ways to try and propel forward, though mostly unsuccessful at this point. She is so squirmy that sitting up is also a challenge. We have tried cereal, applesauce and sweet potatoes and she just isn't too interested yet. She is growing up as you can see in this comparison between month 1 and month 6.

New pictures

2009-12-07T20:55:00.003-06:00

Here are some of my favorite pictures from life with Chloe lately. Some are from Thanksgiving-a few weeks later. Oh well...enjoy.

It's winter, must wear hats

This is the sweet face I love!Chloe and Zach

Grandpa and Chloe

Trying escape her chair, she is buckled in at all times now.

Nicknames

2009-12-03T14:02:00.002-06:00

We have SO many nicknames for Chloe, sometimes I wonder if she will ever know her name. I thought I would make a list of them all for my own records:

Chloe bean
Beaner
Bean
Jumping bean
Sweet one
Sweet stuff
Big stuff
Baby G (girl)
Pumpkin
Pumpky
Punkin' pie
Double tooth
Snaggletooth
Squirmy
Squirmy-wormy
Munchy
Peanut
Grumpalump
Chloester
Chlo-chlo
Chica-majika

Okay...now I feel like a weirdo! Hopefully when she is asked her name by someone she won't say "Grumpalump". I can just imagine explaining, "That is just what we call her when she is grumpy, her name is Chloe."

5 months, 2 teeth and a baby dedication

2009-11-21T22:49:00.004-06:00

Look at my teeth!

Chloe turned 5 months today and although she was grumpy, due to problems napping, she is still a sweet baby!! She cut her second tooth this week and has been showing them off a little more. Last Sunday we finally had her dedicated and it was so great having my parents and B's family here! Our almost 2 year old niece kept saying, "Baby Chloe" the whole service it was really cute! Chloe smiled the whole time and it was meaningful to have the whole congregation affirm our desire to raise Chloe in a home that loves God. Here are some of my favorite pictures from the past few weeks. She has been a great nighttime sleeper, sleeping 12 hours some nights, she still remains a VERY active one even in her sleep!Chloe with Grandpa!

Inch worm and bouncing

2009-11-09T21:28:00.004-06:00

Well, my active child is at it again....inch worming and loving the 'johnny jump up'.Here she is trying to move she will pull her head down and legs in and move about an inch, she doesn't get very far but she is trying really hard.

A night out

2009-11-09T21:11:00.002-06:00

I didn't get a picture of B and I's hot date on Saturday night. Some amazing women volunteered to babysit so we could go out. We splurged and went to Della Voce and had an great time together. The food was fantastic, the atmosphere charming and the conversation the best! I love talking to my husband. About halfway through our meal the large table of ladies next to us were getting their martini's delivered and one flew toward B and splattered the back of his nice sweater. It was something strawberry and I knew it was going to stain. So, the wait staff brought us some club soda and I begin blotting his sweater in a fancy restaurant. A few minutes later the manager/owner came and let us know that they would pay for dry cleaning and that desert was on the house. We had delicious deserts and coffee in individual french presses. It was a delightful evening and Chloe did great being put to bed for the first time by someone other than mom or dad. The funniest part of the martini incident was that one of the women at the other table also got splattered. She was wearing a strapless dress and a few minutes after I heard her telling her friends, "that drink went right down my dress, good thing I am wearing full body spanx so I don't feel a thing."

Marketing Scheme????

2009-11-06T07:21:00.004-06:00

A few weeks ago I bought a small container of Oxi Clean to clean some spots left by our little one. I opened the container and couldn't find the scoop. Come to find out there is a MAJOR design flaw in this product. The scoop is almost as tall as the vessel and they must put the scoop in and pour the detergent over it. It took me first trying to fish for it with a chop stick and then finally losing a bunch on the counter and floor to retrieve that thing. You can't even put the scoop back in after pulling it out. It might be a marketing scheme because I do like the product, but the scoop situation is enough to make me buy the bigger bucket next time I need some. Here is some photo evidence of the whole situation....

Love Bug

2009-11-01T08:21:00.004-06:00

Little Miss Chloe had her first Halloween and thanks to Grandma she had the cutest costume. We didn't go trick or treating but we did have fun with our Life group getting free burritos! In other Chloe news...she got her 1st tooth on Tuesday! It has been quite a week, a 4 month old teether is a challenge, she can't hold things steady to her mouth quite yet. I am hoping not every tooth is this disruptive. She has also found her thumb, which we think is great because we only have to go in about once a night now. She is babbling more and is still so smiley!

4 Months...

2009-10-24T19:56:00.004-05:00

Chloe turned 4 months on Wednesday and had her doctor's appointment on Thursday morning. Doc said she is doing great, weighed in at 14.1 lbs and 26 1/2 in. long. She's long and lean like her daddy. In fact many of her 3-6 month clothes don't quite fit right (sleeves to short, torso too short, pant legs short and to big in the waist). She also got the other half of the shots she had at 2 months. She didn't have much of a reaction at that time, but whew boy! She has been a fussy baby for the last 2 1/2 days. She even got her first fever and just laid in my arms and moaned for awhile. Last night she didn't sleep well at all, waking every couple of hours for a few minutes-quite a difference from her normal 10+hours of sleep. I am one tired mama tonight. I did manage to get a picture of her yesterday, though a smile was a bit hard to come by. She has been a bit better today. Last week she also started rolling over back to tummy. She even did the tummy to back, back to tummy roll. She is changing every day. Here are some pictures of her playing with her friend Gabi, and trying out her bumbo seat.

Hair Product Sale

2009-10-18T17:35:00.002-05:00

Yesterday I happened by the JCPenney salon and saw an amazing sale on hair products, buy one get one for .88 cents. I use Redken, color extend which is a little pricey. I was able to get 2 large bottles for the price of one, it will last me a year! I think the sale goes through this week sometime, definitely worth calling your local store to see if they are running the same deal.

A new recipe?!

2009-10-17T14:48:00.002-05:00

After my last post I became inspired to cook something new. I found this recipe on Our Best Bites, and it is really easy and super tasty!!! Some guests ate some leftovers and really liked it too. I thought the cider was a strange ingredient, but it being fall having cider around is fun and I do think it gave the soup more depth of flavor. Check out the link for pictures.

Tortellini Sausage Soup

3 links Italian sausage ( I got 2 from the deli for $1.90 and it was plenty)
4 cloves pressed garlic
1 onion, diced
½ c. water
2 cans chicken broth
½ c. apple cider (don't leave this out! I did once and it wasn't the same...)
1 16-oz. can diced tomatoes
1 8 oz. can tomato sauce
1 c. sliced carrots
1 tsp. dried basil
1 tsp. dried oregano
2 medium zucchini, grated (great way to use your food processor if you have one)
8-10 oz. package cheese tortellini (check the freezer section of your grocery store; if you can find it there, it will almost always be way cheaper than fresh tortellini.)
2 Tbsp. dried parsley (yes, that's two tablespoons)

If you're using link sausage, remove the casings and crumble into a large soup pot. To remove the casings, you can use a sharp knife to cut a slit down one side of the sausage and then peel back the casing.

Begin cooking sausage over medium heat, stirring frequently. If your sausage is pretty fatty, you'll want to drain it when it's about halfway cooked. Meanwhile, chop onions and garlic
and add to the sausage. Continue cooking until onions are translucent and your sausage is cooked.

Add tomatoes, tomato sauce, juice, water, chicken broth, carrots, oregano, and basil. Cover and simmer for 1/2 hour. (until carrots are tender) Add parsley and zucchini and simmer for another 10 minutes or so. Add the tortellini nd cook until tender, and then serve with bread and freshly-grated Parmesan.

Another post about what to post about

2009-10-14T17:42:00.004-05:00

It seems like life right now revolves around feeding and sleeping schedules. I feel a little be more comfortable with that being the season of life our family is in. It does leave me not quite knowing what to blog about. I don't have any new recipes as it seems like a miracle when I can cook something at all. I could write and write lots about how cute Chloe is and how she is growing up like crazy, and I am sure I will. I guess maybe I have to come to terms with even my blog being about this season of my life too, motherhood. Several things that I have been enjoying are my morning walks with my friend, M and her 5 month old little girl. We try to go 4 days a week and walk about 3 miles. We have been going in the park, but last week walked the mall because the weather has been just gross. I hope to get some creativity back in my life somehow. If Chloe would nap in her crib that would help. Correction: If I would take the time to train her to nap in her crib that would help. Every day I tell myself, today is going to be the day and then 3:00 comes around and she is dozing in my arms and I enjoy that cuddle time with her. She might nap great in her crib now for all I know. Maybe tomorrow??? :). If you read all of that thanks, these are the things on my mind. Here is a cute picture of Chloe sporting her sunglasses. I can't get enough of this sweet child.

Happiness

2009-10-04T21:47:00.010-05:00

This weekend I got to co-host a baby shower with Carmen for Brooke & Jer and their sweet babies. It was so much fun to be in this stage of life with her. There was a time that neither of us thought it would be possible to have these sweet baby girls for various reasons. Here we are 2-3 years later I have Chloe, she has Q and another on the way. The Lord is good. I am so glad to know that 2-3 years from now all the newness of parenthood will have past, we will have gotten more sleep, and we can take our girls to the park and chat while they play. Here are some pictures from the weekend.

3 Months and New EH info

2009-09-24T16:04:00.005-05:00

We did it. We survived the first 3 months! She is a delight and already a mover, this picture was a challenge to get because she slouches so quickly, as you can see. She is rolling over from tummy to back too-check out the video footage:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=by_3M89xLec&feature=youtube_gdata

In other news-we are kicking off the new version of Emmanuel House this week at our church and trying to recruit around town for classes and spiritual direction. Check out the updated website and pass the word on to anyone you might know that might be interested!

Loving my camera

2009-09-02T16:24:00.005-05:00

I am loving having a subject to photograph. Here are some recent pics I took on a beautiful overcast afternoon, and a couple of others that I love.This is what we call the E.T. face

About to sneeze-happens to my dad, my sister, Brent, myself and now Chloe when we are in sunlight.

Funny and not so funny

2009-08-29T16:16:00.002-05:00

Yesterday while at the Dillon's here in town (which has a post office feature and is much more easy to use than the actual post office) I saw a US postal worker asking the woman at the counter how much a book of 20 stamps were. I started laughing and the postal worker said, "I don't know how much stamps cost and the post office is always closed by the time I get off work." We both had a good laugh. I wish I would have had my camera to capture the moment, it really cracked me up. That was my funny for yesterday. Today I had a not so funny because of my desire to save a buck and not reading directions. After my 6 week post-partum check we decided to go back on birth control and I started it that day. I got some free samples from my doc and had a free sample left from before the baby was born. So I used the one from before baby and today my cycle started at a weird time. After some investigation I realized that I had been using EXPIRED birth control for the last 3 weeks-HOLY COW!!! B and I both breathed a sigh of relief when we realized that I was not pregnant but very easily could have been. OH MY, OH MY!!! Thank you Jesus for protecting us despite my ignorance and desire to save some $.

2 months

2009-08-22T11:54:00.003-05:00

Chloe turned 2 months yesterday. She had her stats taken and weighed in at 11 lbs. 6 oz. and 23 3/4 inches tall. She is doing great and was a trooper when given 2 shots. She is sleeping in her crib 5-7 hours before needing a early morning feeding and going back to bed for about 3 hours. So, we are sleeping between 6-8 hours most nights. It is amazing for all 3 of us! We are constantly amazed at how she is growing and changing and we can't get over how cute she is. We are in love!

Smiles

2009-08-19T17:52:00.004-05:00

Well, I finally got some pictures of Chloe smiling this afternoon. I love this smiling baby! She is really too sweet for words. I was walking this morning and passed by the elementary school and thought of all my friends talking their children back to school and to kindergarten today. I know it will come fast for Chloe and I am treasuring these moments of smiles and cuddles. Five or Six years from now I will be crying as send her off to school. I took these pictures in sequence, gives you that flip-book feel hopefully.

The new place in town...

2009-08-11T15:27:00.004-05:00

The big news in the little apple this week is the opening of our very on Hy-Vee grocery store. I love new things that come to our town and even something as simple as a grocery store makes me excited. I haven't closely followed all of the controversy about development, I know there is some. I am pro local businesses and I am pro development. I think I can be both things. It might be because I am a 'city' girl at heart, but when I walked in to Hy-Vee today it was so exciting. There were so many people and there was this since that we were all experiencing something new together for the first time in our community. There were free samples galore, gobbs of employees ready to help you, and so many products that are hard to come by in our little town. Though overwhelming for some, it was very engergizing and exciting. People were actually talking to each other and it really was like a social event for this community. I know that it will just become a grocery store soon, loose it's newness in this place, but it sure was a fun way to spend my afternoon.

Parenting and Paci's

2009-08-09T21:32:00.004-05:00

This is what a lot of my computer time looks like these days. I am actually typing with both hands right now, which is rare. I have become quite skilled at navigating with one hand. I'm not holding Chloe all the time, but sometimes when I am, it is a good time to catch up on blogs. Not much is new in my world, but life with a newborn is becoming 'easier'. I hesitate to even use that world because I still find it very challenging. Most recently, B and I have been having all sorts of conversations about how we approach meeting Chloe's needs in different ways. I LOVE that we desire to do a lot of parenting together, but sometimes communicating about things like when to give a pacifier and when not to, can be exhausting. I realize that I respond intuitively to many of her needs. B looks at the bigger picture. Both are actually very helpful, but when my pride comes into play I find that I just want to be right. I admitted to B last week that I have a control problem, that I want to respond to her first because I want to be in control of what transpires thereafter. Yuck! I am so glad we can talk about these things! It is a blessing. I am so glad that I have a husband who wants to get up at night to feed our baby, who wants me to get out and have time to myself, who really wants us to parent together.

In baby news, Chloe has craddle cap on her face and while at the doctor she weighed in at 10lbs 6oz. She really is growing and the craddle cap is getting better with a little head and shoulders every other day. She has started to smile a lot more, but it is hard to get a picture right at that moment, though I am trying. She is focusing on things more and more. Today when she looked in the mirror she smiled so big! She is sleeping pretty well, but just when we think she is in a pattern, something changes. *Sigh*. Here are some new pictures that bring a smile to my face!

She looks so bewildered here! I think it was the flash.

Dairy Queen Curl

2009-07-30T20:28:00.006-05:00

It seems that Chloe has developed a little curly hair action, at least on the very top of her head for now. Brent calls it her Dairy Queen curl, like the top of an ice cream cone. She also rolled over twice in one day this week, though she has not done it again since. We are trying to get some video up in the coming days showing all of her movement. She really looks like she could crawl during tummy time. Here she is in the baby bijorn with daddy.

Cuteness

2009-07-26T23:35:00.007-05:00

I must say, my daughter is just a beauty. I love taking pictures of her. I wanted to take a month by month picture and have something to show the proportion of her growth. I decided to use this adorable bib given to me by my good friend, Brooke, about to have 2 little girls herself-miracle girls that is. I just can't wait for the first one to be born any day now. Anyway, here are some pictures over the last couple of days I have taken. Hopefully, every month I will try and do a bib shot.

Morning Cuddles with Daddy

Afternoon Cuddles with Mommy
Tummy time, long hair, cute bottom

What to write about

2009-07-24T19:45:00.003-05:00

I have been wanting to update my blog for weeks and have even started a couple of blog posts. I haven't been sure what to write about....I have thought about writing about my birthing/postpartum experience. I am still processing so much of that that I fear that it would just come out sounding negative and scare people from having children;). A month and a half after bringing Chloe into the world I am in a different place, a VERY different place. Thank God!!! I feel so much gratitude for the sweet baby we have and though it is still hard at times, I am in love with her. I have thought about writing about Chloe's development and growth ( and will), but would like to write about things that I am thinking about, reading (if I ever do that again), watching, creating, observing in the world around me. We will see what actually ends up happening with this blog.

Today, I just want to say that the Lord is good. He has healed my body and heart in ways I haven't experienced in a long time over the last month. I have met Him as I have wrestled with anxiety, and questions about my worth as a mother. God has revealed so many performance issues that I have and has been so kind to put people who have given me grace around my life. The first week I was home I was in the throws of 'baby-blues', recovering from the c-section, and dealing with feeding issues (may blog about this later) the Lord spoke to me in a familiar passage.

Psalm 23.
¹The LORD is my shepherd,
I shall not want.
²He makes me lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside quiet waters.
³He restores my soul;
He guides me in the paths of righteousness
For His name's sake.
⁴Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I ear no evil, for You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
⁵You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
You have anointed my head with oil;
My cup overflows.
⁶Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life,
And I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.

The whole passage spoke to me, but the imagery of a table being prepared for me was so powerful. I began to think about what God has prepared on my table. They were things like freedom from condemnation, rest for my soul, grace, trust, the body of Christ. I am filled with such amazement that these things are available for me. My 'enemies' are mostly my own fears, and lies that I believe. This passage really helped me through those first few weeks. It is good for me to even write this now as a reminder of truth.

On Chloe...her 1 month check up was great. She was 9lbs. 9oz. 22 1/2 inches and did great with a shot. I want to post a 1 month picture soon, but need to find a time when she is alert enough to take a great picture. So say tuned...thanks for reading.

Mommy high

2009-06-21T23:10:00.004-05:00

I am so exhausted, but have all the energy of post-delivery. That's right. Chloe Lynne Watson was born June 21st at 7:03 pm via c-section. It was a long several days. I will give a short version right now-seeing as I REALLY need to get some rest. I started having contractions Saturday morning about 10 am. They got progressively strong and when longer than 1 minute and a little less than 5 minutes apart we came to the hospital at 12:15 am Sunday. Sadly, I found out I was only 1 cm. I labored for another couple hours progressing to 3 cm. I kept it up with help from the balance ball and hot tub for many more hours. I was checked again, I was 5 cm. By that time I had been laboring for 18 hours. I was tired and having back labor. B and I decided that it was time for the epidural. Got that, no problem. We were both able to rest for awhile. Things didn't progress quite as quickly and they gave me a bit of pitocin. Finally around 5:15 pm on Sunday I had finally gotten to complete. It was time to push. They turned my epidural way down, so I had most feeling back in my legs. I pushed and pushed and pushed. They determined after some time that her head was face up and stuck against my pubic bone. We tried all sorts of positions to try and move her. It was a lot of hard work. After over 2 hours and counsel from doctor that we could push for 6 more hours and would still probably have to have a c-section. So, after thinking long and hard we decided to move forward with the c-section. I have no doubt we did the right thing and I am so glad that we are both healthy! I will likely be in the hospital until Thursday and then we will head home. I will be needing loads of help and am not allowed to lift anything heavier than Chloe for many weeks. This will be hard for me. It will be great practice in asking for help (not my strength). Well, I need to tend to my little one. She is a great eater and it is feeding time.

40 weeks

2009-06-17T23:26:00.003-05:00

I humbly give you my 40 week picture.

I am closing in on my due date...Saturday. It seems unlikely that Chloe will make an appearance before then. I am starting to feel some discomforts, mostly just this feeling of her overtaking me. I will have a sonogram on Monday to see how much she possibly weighs (though there is a margin of error, it will give them a ball park). They mostly want to make sure she if we wait another week or two that she won't be over 10lbs-let's hope not! We are trying to avoid induction-for many reasons-but mostly right now because I am not a good candidate for it (not dilated). So we wait. I have been at the pool a lot and that feels really nice. No swelling, which is amazing given the crazy hot temperatures of late. Tonight when B and I went to eat Chinese food for dinner, I could barely fit in the booth. We had to move to a table. This was the first time I have actually felt like a big pregnant lady. I guess that is okay since I am almost to term. I really never thought I would get this big. We are just praying that she will come on her own. We can't wait to welcome her into this world!!

Friday Happenings

2009-06-12T21:34:00.004-05:00

Today I went to have a picnic with some ladies and their babies. It was fun to be outside on one of the few sunny days we have had this week. I brought my camera along and had fun taking some pictures of some of these sweet girls. I am looking forward to Chloe getting to play with them soon-though she seems pretty content inside of me for now. A week from Saturday is my due date and I think it is finally time to pack my bag this weekend, if nothing else, to give myself something to do.

C took 2 down this slide.You may have to look closely, but I saw this on my way home-a Shetland pony in a compact car...cracked me up!

I scream, Ice cream!

2009-06-11T21:08:00.003-05:00

So I am going to shamelessly plug my nieces and nephew's new summer business venture. They are 12, 10 and 8 and incredibly creative with how they spend their time. This summer they have decided to start making homemade ice cream and selling it. They are trying new recipes and mixtures and are even willing to custom make a flavor of ones choice. They are motivated and have been out telling people about this business. It is really interesting! Check out their blog that tells more about this story and is just so darn cute. I scream, Ice cream!

A taste of China

2009-05-31T18:11:00.000-05:00

When I lived in China I had a few favorite 'street foods'. There was one in particular that was made on the campus I lived on. There was a window in a building on campus that had a big line every day of students waiting for a breakfast snack. You would buy it based on weight, but would just tell the ladies how much you were wanting price wise. So 5 mao, 1 kuai, 2 kuai. I usually got 5 mao/1 kuai which is about .5-.12 cents. What a splurge:). I decided that I would try and track down and try a recipe for Lao bing (or green onion pancake). Sounds like a horrible thing to have in the morning, but I assure you it is good any time of day!

Here is the recipe I used:

3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons kosher salt (I used sea salt)
2 teaspoons baking powder
6 green onions, trimmed and finely sliced (white and light green parts)
1 cup water
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon dark sesame oil
olive oil

1. Mix 3 cups of the flour, salt, and baking powder together into a kitchen aid mixer with dough hook. Make a well in the center and add the water, the sesame and vegetable oils and the green onions. Work the flour in toward the center with a wooden spoon and stir to incorporate both dry and wet ingredients.
2. Cover or Wrap in plastic and allow to rest for 30 minutes at room temperature.
3. Cut the dough into 12 equal pieces. Form into balls, then flatten them and roll out into disks. (You will need the additional flour to help you roll out the dough)
4. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Brush the disks with olive oil and place oil-side down until lightly golden, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Brush on oil on the other side and when the dough appears less gummy flip over and toast until golden. Serve immediately. I coated the skillet in oil and dropped the bread in while hot--giving it a more fried appearance.

These were really easy and very much like the tasty China treat I have missed for so many years.

3 weeks?!

2009-05-30T15:24:00.000-05:00

I am 3 weeks out from our due date. I am getting really excited to hold our little girl! I must say though, I honestly haven't felt an urgency in her arrival. Sure I am tired, uncomfortable at times and feeling bigger by the day, but I feel really at peace about when she will come. The doctor said mid-week that he thought it would be a bit longer and thinks I have a 'really great attitude that will help me a ton'. I am feeling more and more tired, despite sleeping well at night. I am trying to embrace the opportunities I have to rest and nap now while I can. I am not feeling strong nesting tendencies, other than wanting to hire out someone to deep clean our home (I have no desire to do it myself!). I am really viewing this next 3 +/- weeks as a chance to rest, spend time with B, go to movies, to the pool, do things I want/need to do.

I guess I should take back what I said about nesting. I have been doing some of that. For me it manifests itself in creative endeavors. I have been making some hair clips for fun. Our 30 week ultrasound showed a head full of hair already, so I thought I should be prepared. I love fun hair accessories, so I made some fun, modern ones for our little one. I also finally completed a piece of art for Chloe's room. I really like it, I hope she will.

"Blooming" (the meaning of her name)

It is all very exciting and somewhat terrifying to know that in a few weeks we will have a tiny dependent little one in our care. B and I try not to get too freaked out about it, but there are times when it seems like a huge task. It is mostly my own selfishness that causes fear....I am afraid I will be sleep deprived, I am afraid I will lose my identity, I am afraid our marriage will become all about baby, etc...I know these fears are normal. My hope and prayer is that these things won't get in the way of enjoying the journey of becoming a parent. That I will be able to what I can, with God's help, and lean to Him in the transition.

35 Weeks

2009-05-14T16:08:00.000-05:00

Today marks week 35, which means I have about 5 weeks remaining before Chloe comes into the world. I am actually enjoying these days, getting things ready for her arrival, sleeping well, and eating ice cream (the real stuff, people!). Some of you might know that for about the past 5 years I haven't been able to consume dairy products due to a bacteria I picked up in China that messed up my digestive system. I read some information that this can be reversed during pregnancy (either temporarily or permanently). I decided one evening to give it a try with a dairy queen cone. No problems ensued and I have been enjoying the occasional treat since. I have even had cheese on a sandwich with no issues. It is pretty fun to enjoy some of the 'off-limits' foods I have been living with out for 5 years. I am trying to not go too crazy as to not gain any more baby weight than I already have.

Last weekend some of my best friends hosted a baby shower for me. It was such a great time. I felt incredibly loved and spoiled by all the adorable things given to bring our sweet girl into the world. I love baby showers because there is always a unique array of people from different parts of life there. It was so great to see everyone that was able to come. Here are a few pictures from the day...I found it hard to take pictures at my own shower.

The lovely hostesses of the shower

Mom and sister

People have asked if I have my bags packed and if I am ready to have her. No bags yet and still enjoying her growing inside of me-although she is getting crowded. I will start going to the doc 1x a week from here on out and get to find out all the technical stuff that might be going on. So far all I know is her head is down, which is a great thing. Her room is close to completed and I will hopefully post some pictures in the next week or so.

I also had a wonderful mother's day. My hubby took me to lunch, gave me tulips and ice cream and bought me a pair of shoes that I really like. Here is a picture of my love in the baby room.

K-Mart doubling

2009-04-20T20:07:00.000-05:00

I was at K-Mart today, something that rarely happens. They are doubling coupons up to $2.00 for this week only-not sure if that is regional or local. That is pretty unheard of. I must say I am now in search of $1.00 and up coupons. I was able to get some baby wipes and baby wash (coupons I had on hand). I would have originally paid $6.29 and had coupons that doubled equaling $5.00. So, I got those items for $1.29. Gotta love a deal.

Paper Globe Tutorial

2009-04-20T10:36:00.000-05:00

Here is a tutorial on making the paper globes that another blogger asked for. I must give credit to Heather Bailey and the free template I downloaded from her website. She really has great fabrics and cute ideas for handmade items from paper crafts to sewn items. Her patterns are so fresh and fun and after ordering some fabric myself, I know that you will get your fabric fast and have good service. Okay, on to the tutorial.
Tools:
4-5 sheets of coordinating scrapbook paper
Circle cutter of some kind. I use Fiskars ultra shape xpress and a Fiskars template.
Surface to cut on: self healing mat or cutting board
Glue stick
Bone folder (optional)
Ribbon
Download template and instructions from Heather Bailey.

Step 1:

Decide the size of circles you want to cut (I would use one of the template sizes first). Cut 20 circles of the same size, different patterns of paper. I usually use 4 papers with 5 circles each.
With the template and cutter it is super fast. With scissors and tracing, super slow. Believe me, I have tried it.

Step 2:

Using the template and the bone folder or fingers fold the circle on 3 sides. This is step really requires a template if you eyeball it, it will be off and your globe won't assemble correctly. I say this because I've tried.

You will fold all 20 like this and have a pile of wonderful folded circles ready to glue together.

Step 3:
I like to assemble the top and bottom first and then the middle. You will use 5 circles for the top, 5 for the bottom and 10 for the middle. For the top and bottom you want to glue the points of the triangles together. This picture should help. You will glue the flaps together.

The middle is a bit more tricky. You will have a line of 10 circles/triangles. You want to alternate each one to make a line. I think this picture will explain a lot better. Then glue it into a circle.

Step 4:
Attach top and bottom to middle. Match up the pieces and glue it all together. It will be so rewarding. I stick the ribbon in before I glue the last piece. You have yourself a paper globe. You can put these on ribbon, on a stick (topiary), in a bowl. Wherever you so desire.

Finished Product:

When you download the template there are be instructions that are helpful as well. I hope you all have fun making these. If you really love them, but have NO desire to make them yourself I have 2 to give away. I will be giving them away (I will even ship them) to the first 2 people to leave a comment and tell me they want one. I would even consider making them for a small price if you have certain colors you want.

"Something good that came out of Canada"

2009-04-14T15:28:00.000-05:00

This salad is really simple and really delicious. I often refer to it as, "Something good that came out of Canada." There is a long back story involving a young girl (yours truly), one of her best friends' cousins, and a whirl-wind romance that lead to salmon swimming up stream to die (literally and metaphorically). This recipe is one of the only things that lives on from that time in my life, which I am so grateful for. I still really like Canada a whole lot and would love to go there with my hubby (I think he would really like it). So here is the recipe. Enjoy, eat it fresh if you put the dressing on the whole salad or it gets mushy and weird. Limp, day old spinach is not what you want.

Strawberry Spinach Salad:
1 bag Spinach
1/2 cup sliced almonds-toasted
1 cup ramen noodles(one brick)-toasted or LaChoy asian noodles
1 container Fresh strawberries sliced

Dressing:
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
Salt and Pepper to taste
*Mix well

I like put the strawberries and salad together, put dressing on and then add noodles and almonds, they stick better that way. Or you can have all the fixings out and let people make their own-avoid the mushy leftovers. I have also added shredded chicken to this and it is a hit! The photo above is before I added crunchies or dressing.

Update

2009-04-11T21:31:00.001-05:00

I now only have 10 weeks +/- left in my pregnancy. I am feeling bigger all the time and for the first time feel like my body really isn't my own. Our little girl is a mover and seems really active. I enjoy those feelings, though sometimes they are surprising and make me jump or gasp out loud. Last weekend I discovered my first small stretch mark and nearly freaked out! I just hoped I'd be one of those women whose skin was elastic and stayed supple and beautiful throughout pregnancy. I think I have come to terms with it now. I am thankful that I am still able to exercise and sleep through the night (minus the 3 times I wake up to go to the bathroom). Things in the nursery have come to a bit of a stand still. I can't figure out what to do for wall art/other decor. I'm thinking something in the pink family, but that is all I've got. I need some inspiration. I have made a bunch of burp rags for a friend that is having a baby. I made a sweet blanket for our little one. I have also made paper balls to hang above baby's bed (make shift mobile).

Blanket front and back

Burp Cloths pre-sewing

Paper Globes

I know the next 2 months are going to fly by. We have been taking birthing classes and enjoy learning what our options are for labor and delivery. It is always interesting to meet new people and we have 2 moms-t0-be expecting twins. Amazingly enough our instructor has a set of twins herself. It is really fun to take classes like this with B, he makes it a lot of fun. He has been such a great support to me throughout this pregnancy and I have no doubt that he will be amazing during labor. We are enjoying our first Easter here in town and are sharing a late lunch with some friends. I will be taking the famous strawberry spinach salad that I will post a recipe later for. Enjoy celebrating the resurrection today!