51. soon-to-be 3 years of blissful marriage, growing with each other, and strengthened by God

52. an amazing husband to be the father of our kids to meet their needs in many ways that I, as a mother, cannot

53. a partner on this parenting journey that is on the "same page" as I am for all the major decisions.

54. a husband who makes it a priority to meet my own needs, one who really cares.

55. a husband who can fix anything.. (a rare find these days!) and, who will help anyone fix what they need.. (a true friend!)

56. a God who will personally confirm His Truths to me, personally.

57. a God who cares about ALL injustices and struggles.

58. a God who provisions for me daily.

59. a God who helps me find my camera charger!

60. sharing ice cream-cookie sandwiches with joshua-- he had no idea he could get two of his favorite things in one dessert!

42. a week of quality time with my babe, learning how to use the potty. amidst the challenges, we have spent countless extra hours sitting together reading lots and lots of books and lots of celebration time with chocolate chips, stickers, and dancing.

43. a special helper who likes to hand me silverware to put away, do laundry, vacuum, sweep, mop, cook, and water the garden. he's always with me and eager for a new job! what a big help! he's going to be a great big brother!

44. a wonderful birthday dinner and movie out with my husband and a babysitter who made it all possible.

45. a VERY thoughtful husband, who baked me a cake (it was amazing!) and got me a very thoughtful gift (a book i really wanted and didn't even think he knew the title or that i even wanted it) and card.

46. mike's wisdom: i said i wanted some cake for breakfast this morning but couldn't because i didn't want joshua to want cake for breakfast. then mike said, "well, if we want cake for breakfast and joshua wants cake for breakfast, what's the problem?" he had a good point. so, we all had cake. joshua thought that was a great idea!

47. a washing machine-- for all those wet undies, clothes, and rugs that are indicative of potty training.

48. rainy days for extra snuggles, pjs, and books.

49. local parks that bring together children from the community, strangers, to learn to play together and make new friends.

50. the child-like ability to make friends with anyone, without judgement.

28. long weekends to hang out with family.

29. growing seedlings, anxious for flowers and fruit.

30. sewing machines to make my little boy and new baby each a quilt.

31. friends that know your heart and really just want to bless you.

32. friends that call on you, even if it's just to water their garden while they're away.

33. friends that bring over sweet watermelon.

34. family, always seeking ways to help.

35. requests for ice cream at 8 am-- a reminder that it's never too soon to bless someone.

36. 2-week old goslings at the pond.

37. mike's pancakes every saturday morning.

38. late-night working at the kitchen table beside mike-- together but each focused on our own project.

39. the peace of a quiet house as we all take a mid-aftenoon nap.

40. awakening to a little voice requesting ice cream yet again-- atleast this time it's afternoon.

41. reminders that there's always ice cream at grandma's house.

19. the rapids on the River of Life

20. earthly examples of Scripture

21. that the River of God brings life to all things

22. that the River can flow through us

23. that our God is a personal God

24. afternoon picnics along the riverbanks

25. the splash of rocks thrown by little fingers into the water

26. mumblings of car noises while hard at play

27. girls' night out for coffee

13. a surprise handmade gift from my husband, brought home from work early on a friday afternoon

14. the rejuvenating process of sorting and organizing years' worth of books and paper (apparently, my nesting instincts are kicking in a little early this time)

15. a few quiet minutes alone in the house on a late Saturday afternoon

16. productive weekends, together with the family

17. gifts of freshly picked flowers from my son, desiring to bring joy to his mama's heart

18. extra long afternoon naps

One Thousand Gifts List

1. the giggles of a one-year old

2. bellies full of spring's berries

3. family laughter and games-- one-year old style

4. kicking signs of eagerness for life's adventures from within the womb

5. letting home-made dough rise, covered in a towel and set to warmly rest

6. first mumblings of sweet "i love you"s, "please"s, and "thank you"s

7. rich encouragement and Godly inspiration from strangers

8. busy little hands, hard at play

9. the novelty of old ideas, recreated by little minds

10. the tendernesss of silent understanding and loving response

11. daily discipline and commitment to work hard out of love for your family

12. garden freshly planted in the dark, rich earth

Happy New Year!

we had such a great time in Lake Placid, NY for Christmas! Ryan and Sarah, Mark and Melba, Mom and Dad, Grandma and Ron, Mike and Natalie, and their kids, Jack and Charlotte were all there! We had a full house, yet that was such a relaxing vacation for Mike and I. The house was beautiful. Mike and I wanted to move right in! We got to go snowboarding and snowshoeing. Joshua got to watch his uncles and cousin come down the Olympic Bobsled course, although his favorite part was the huge bear in the lodge! He had lots of very happy babysitters and a fun time playing with his cousins Jack(6) and Charlotte(3).

Joshua, of course, was his usual charming self. The trip was so easy for us. Joshua stayed on schedule for the most part, which was such a blessing! His sleeping schedule is key for us because one late night or a bad nap seems to trigger MONTHS of house-hold sleeplessness. The trip couldn't have gone more smoothly for us, which is an amazing feat with a 15 month old. Thanks, mom and dad, for such a great and relaxing vacation.

unfortunately, we didn't get any pictures with our own camera. although, we do have some cute video footage of Joshua opening some of his presents. though, i will have to get a picture to post of Joshua's new haircut. i cut his hair again last night for the 3rd time since he turned 1. this kiddo needs a haircut every 6 weeks!

i can't believe it's about to be 2008. i was only just getting used to the new year for 2007. based on the last few months of goofiness in our house, 2008 is going to be filled with lots of laughs and silly stories!

i have to go. i am being summonned to play choo-choo. apparently i get the red Sodor caboose and he gets Thomas.

happy new year, everyone!

Joshua's 15 month appointment

we just got back from joshua's 15 month doctor's appointment. joshua is 27.5 pounds and 33 inches tall! this puts him in the 95th percentile for his height and 75th percentile for his weight. he is a very consistent grower. his percentiles have been the same for his whole life! people mistakingly think he's a 2 year old, and, according to the doctor, he's the size of an average 21 month old. so, that is why he's in 2T clothes! he's looking great though, he's a healthy boy.

the nurse thought i was a bit crazy when i told her i'd been rubbing him down with olive oil because his skin and head has been so dry. she suggested some various creams. then, she quietly told the doctor about this crazy mama on the other side of the door, but as soon as he heard, he surprised her because he thought that was a great idea! then he came in and asked me all the particulars. we always talk about my natural lifestyle, and he always has great ideas to add, too. i really like this doctor, but unfortunately, the rest of his practice is not at all like him. i found out today that the other doctor there i like is no longer there.

joshua got his 2nd shot today, DTaP (diptheria, tetanus, and acellular pertussis). [we waited until he turned 1 before we started his shots, and, we're doing them one at a time. we won't do all of them though, like chicken pox.] he did well... he only cried for a second, and that may have only been because he had to sit still for a minute.

the doctor and nurse both warned me about the temper tantrums that are on their way in the very near future. kicking, screaming, pinching, pulling hair, biting, and hitting... apparently would all be a very normal part of a 15-month old's life. he doesn't seem to be bad right now at all. he's very predictable, he listens and obeys, he will play quietly by himself, he only throws tantrums when he's hungry or tired, he's easily distractable/re-directable. he's a lot better now than he was at 12 months, but this could be the calm before the storm. every time i finally feel like everything is blissfully under control, something new and even more challenging comes my way. now, of course this will probably happen while we're away for Christmas, just as i've been thinking what a great time we're all going to have, especially since joshua is at such a fun stage. we'll see in a week and a half. it is nice to be fore-warned in this case so we can be sure to deal with them appropriately from the beginning. at the very least we can ride the wave, rather that get engulfed by it.

anyway, he's such a sweet boy. he loves to love and be loved, he loves to please and do the right thing... (don't we all? ) he loves to clap his hands and dance, or spin himself in circles and fall over. he loves to run or climb higher than everyone else. he loves books and animals. and cars and trains. and firetrucks. he's such a boy!

'tis the season

Thanksgiving was a lot of fun. mike and i went for a bike ride in the morning while his mom watched joshua. then we went to mike's aunt dede's house in the afternoon. i made apple pie, sweet potato casserole, and pirags (a Latvian specialty). i was excited to take on the challenge of making pirags, and Thanksgiving was the perfect opportunity because mike's latvian family could give me some input. i only got good reviews, but that may only be because they all know how much work pirags are, and they wanted me to be encouraged to make them again some time. it's hard to tell, but they were quickly eaten.

Thanksgiving went by so fast. it's funny how Christmas creeps up on us every year. everything seems all hunky-dory until Thanksgiving comes, and on Thanksgiving Day, it hits us! Christmas is all of a sudden here! and the rush begins...

this Christmas is going to be very different for us. our plan is to stay out of the malls and shops this year. most of our gifts will be handmade. those gifts that we cannot make ourselves will be handmade by someone else! we have been shopping online at etsy.com and similar sources. i ordered joshua these "little rollies" from North Star Toys. i cannot say too much until after Christmas, but i have been super busy sewing during all of joshua's naps, then again after he goes to bed. i finally finished the hardest and most delicate project, and i am really happy with how it came out!

we got our Christmas tree this weekend. I thought Joshua would have had a lot of fun running through the farm, but that was not the case. he really was not having a good time. he wasn't happy walking, and he wasn't happy being held. unfortunately, those were his only choices, so, there was a lot of crying. BUT! we did get a tree, and now he is happy pulling all the ornaments off. so, the decorations are a little sparse along the bottom third of the tree. though, luckily some of those ornaments have been replaced with some cherished "ornaments" of his own... like.. his train.. spoons.. farm animals... empty bottles from the recycling bin.. you know.

it really is cute though... he studies the tree to pick out which ornaments he wants and puts it carefully into his barn and closes it up. when he first started walking he liked to take everything out of the drawers in the kitchen and drop them on the floor. now, he'll pull the tupperware out of the drawer, put it inside the drawer below the oven that holds the pans, and close it all up. the other day, i found my mixer inside the cubby of his airplane. i would have never thought to look there if it weren't for the suspiciously awkward seat arrangement.

he is a cutie!

life

well, it's been a LONG time since i've updated. so much has happened since... april?... that i don't even know what to write. we are having so much fun with joshua. i know i've said this throughout, but THIS is my favorite stage. he is doing so much now.

he really got going with his walking right after his 1st birthday. while his uncle mark was visiting for his birthday, they would run around the house together. well, mark was running. joshua was holding his hands and moving his feet, but he was really just skimming the floor while mark held him up by his arms. before then, joshua just wanted to crawl because he knew he could get whereever he wanted much quicker. as soon as his uncle showed him how fast he could go by running, he decided that's what he was going to do. and... he's been running ever since.

besides the running, he's also been climbing. he doesn't stop climbing all day. he climbs up on top of the kitchen table, stands up, and plays with the chandelier. he climbs up on top of his little tikes workbench and bangs on the window. he climbs up the outside edge of the stairs.... you know his tractor and his airplane? well, they are really just ladders to climb up the side of the TV.

he's also been "talking" a lot. actually, his best words are really his animal noises (you can tell what's important over here.)! he knows so many animal noises: lion/bear, monkey, crocodile, fish, sheep, cow, duck, bird, puppy. he's also saying a lot of words, although, most really sound like "dada". for example, "da-der" = cracker, "derd" = bird, "duh-dles" = bubbles. he also says juice, banana, shoes, duck, and my personal favorite "sssh" = fish. we went to visit the fish at an aquarium store the other day, and he ran around from tank to tank pointing at all the fish, saying "ssshhh, sssshhh, sssshhh".

he LOVES to eat his daddy's everything bagels. other flavors just don't do it for him. i'm not sure what it is about that stinky garlicky-onion flavor, smotherd in cream cheese that early in the morning, but it makes joshua get so excited. you CANNOT deny him a bite of an everything bagel! it's hard to even buy them in the store. one day i was putting the groceries away while joshua was running around, and somehow he had snuck himself his very own bag of everything bagels and nibbled right through the bottom of the bag. daddy's bagel looked like a little mouse had gotten it. learning from that experience, i bought bagels this week, and they were on sale. good ole Big Y had them on sale (buy one, get two free). so, i had to hide three bags of bagels in the cart. amongst the chaos of checking out, joshua had found a bag of these famous bagels in the neatly packed grocery bags. i quickly wrestled the bag from him and proceeded to check out, only to find him with another bag of bagels on his lap! so there i am at the Big Y check out counter with an upset toddler, a cart full of groceries, and trying to sign a receipt with a wallet, Big Y savings coins, my credit card, and two open bags of everything bagels in my hand (and i don't even like everything bagels!). chaos. it's moments like these that make me realize what's truly important in life. it's not how much (or how little!) you get done in the day, how well everything worked out, or even what you're doing. life's about the time spent together. it's about the people you're with and the needs you've met for others.

virgin islands

joshua and i just got back from thr virgin islands! we went to visit my parents. they hadn't seen joshua since he was about a month old, and boy, has he grown! they were so happy to have him aboard their home, a sailboat! joshua did so well... he was so good on the plane. he loved the wind in his face and rocking in the sea. he loved watching the birds and the waves. and, he loved reading with grandmommy and singing with granddaddy!

my parents were expecting a baby who could barely sit by himself when they created lots of "safe places" for joshua to play and sleep. while, he could barely sit a few weeks ago, these places would have worked wonderfully, and they did the first couple of days. however, joshua just started crawling a week before we got there, and now, he learned to pull himself up! the barriers to keep him safe were no longer going to work because he quickly figured out how to climb up over the top!

there's lots of pictures to scroll through on the flickr site. just click any of the photos in the sidebar to bring you there.

we had a wonderful time! thanks mom and dad!

preparing your fields

we just watched that movie, "facing the giants" last night, and it was phenomenal! if you haven't heard about it, apparently a church in georgia put together this movie, and through donations, managed to get it all the way to the "big screen". it's about a high school football team that isn't doing so well until the coach re-focuses the whole team from winning to honoring God. there's TONS of awesome messages in this movie, but my favorite part was when the bible teacher talks to the coach about not only believing God, but believing God enough to prepare your fields for the rains. he says that God will send the rains when you are ready, but... are you ready? have you prepared your fields for Him to send the rains? if you haven't yet prepared your fields than you haven't stepped out in your faith. i don't know about you, but i have too many fallow fields. i tell myself i have faith, but am i truly believeing God if i don't plant my seeds and prepare for the rains to come?

6 months

joshua is now 28.5 inches tall, which means that he is still in the 97th percentile for his height. he is the height of an average 10 month old! he is also just under 20 pounds, which means he's in the 75th percentile for his weight. he is growing so fast!

i took joshua for his 6 month appointment yesterday. it is amazing how time flies! he is already 1/2 year old! we're gonna have to start thinking about his first birthday soon! he'll also be walking soon, which will make him a "toddler", not a baby anymore. goodness!


*****************************************
he brings so much joy to our lives. there's nothing like waking up in the morning to the sounds of a little boy excited about the start of a new day, as he squeals and babbles. one of the songs his cd sings, "this is the day that the Lord has made! i will rejoice and be glad in it!" joshua does just that: he is rejoicing over the new day! it is such a refreshing way to wake. it is amazing how much a parent can love a child. just listening to him breathe is enough to make our hearts melt. what a gift!

Joshua (around 5.5 months)

joshua can now sit by himself

he squeals and screeches-- those are his favorite sounds. he'll lie on his back and play with his feet while he listens to his own squeals. he does it even more if you squeal back to him.

he pushes himself backwards if you put him on the floor. mike says there's something wrong with his transmission-- he only goes in reverse. does that count as crawling?

his eyes are still blue/grey. they can still change, but that is unlikely at this point.

he scratches the top of his head when he's tired.

he only cries when he's hungry or tired

he LOVES red. he wants to touch anything that's red. if you give him several things, he'll always choose the red one.

he likes to 'practice' drinking from a cup, especially if you are. he puts it in his mouth just like he's supposed to

he is very ticklish, especially his back and feet

he is very content

he is extremely observant. he's always looking around (and never sleeps because of this!)

he HATES his nose or mouth wiped. who doesn't?

he sleeps only on his belly, and falls asleep best if you will jiggle his butt a little.

he is a light sleeper

he will stop crying if you play his veggie tales cd

he seems pretty patient, especially if you can distract him.

he likes being outside, but he doesn't like the process of getting bundled up

his cutest times are when he first wakes up. i know when to go get him when i hear him squealing to himself in glee

he would rather chew on YOUR finger than on his own. (those teeth are sharp!)

he loves worship at church

he loves fire

he likes books, but he tries to eat them when you turn the pages

he likes it when you sing to him or when you do silly dances

he's not much for sitting still

his hair is starting to stick straight up as its growing thicker

while some babies poop once a day or every few days, joshua poops 5 times a day. he is a well-oiled machine, i guess.

he kicks his legs like he's riding a bicycle and moves his arms rapidly up and down when he is naked. (who doesn't?) FREEDOM!

taking care of the small things

lately, God has really been teaching me about taking care of the small things He has given me. i have many dreams that i believe God also wants for me and my family, and sometimes i begin to feel like i am waiting until the timing is right. however, God gave me a new perspective on these dreams.

we have a wonderful home and we really do love it, but as most couples, we dream to someday own a house. not just any house, but a small timberframe in the woods with lots of land, including an open hillside filled with wildflowers. i'd like a long driveway that climbs up to our house and a big barn that will be mike's shop. and, mike, it's ok if the barn is bigger than the house. for some reason, i truly believe this will happen and that the scene will be exactly as described.

in the meantime, God spoke to me about caring for our current home. it's not that i wasn't taking care of it, but just that my perspective on caring for it was wrong. i thought i was cleaning, sorting, and organizing for us and for any guests that come, but that was wrong. i need to be caring for it simply because God gave it to me! if I don't care for the smaller things He has given me, how will He give me anything more? i need to honor God in the way that I care for our house. boy, did that change not only my perspective, but also the level of cleanliness and organization with which this household is now run.

this carries over into all things. do you pray for a different job/career someday? well, how are you handling your current job? are you putting in 110%? what's your attitude like? are you honoring God with all your thoughts and actions?

do you pray for your perfect soulmate? how are your other relationships? have you cut out all gossip? how do you treat strangers? are you being a servant? are you honoring God in the way you handle all people?

i'm not saying that you need to be perfect in order for God to bless you with more. that's impossible and ridiculous. what i am saying is that those who honor God, God will honor (1Samuel 2:30).

God is so good!

so, i started filing our taxes online on sunday, and cannot stop thinking about God's faithfulness. what do taxes and God's faithfulness have to do with each other, you ask?

well... since we've been married, we have made tithing our number 1 priority. literally, that is the first check i write every month. that can sometimes be very difficult because 10% of our income could be used towards a mortgage, or for car payments, or we could go shopping. there's lots of ways i can think of to spend that 10%, and especially in a day and age where consumerism is at its peak and credit cards allow us to live a lifestyle of spending more that we make.

this year has also been financially "interesting" because i only worked for 1 semester, then we had a baby. because i was no longer in school, i had to start paying back my student loans; and because i was no longer working through the university, we no longer had state employee benefits, so we had to start paying more for health insurance as well as add joshua to our policy. (i know, this is getting personal, but i want to share this because it is hard to wrap our heads around the fact that God is bigger than our brains and that Kingdom economics do not work like what we learned in school.) so, basically, using 3rd grade math, less money coming in plus with more money going out equals something in the negative, right? well, no. that's wrong because the laws of Kingdom economics make the equation: faithful tithing equals abundant blessings.

well, we have been blessed beyond what we could ever imagine. we have a wonderful baby boy and somehow i am able to stay at home with him despite the math (and i am really good at math!). we've been careful about our spending and we were given so many gifts for joshua. we have absolutely everything we need and we are so happy. we lack nothing. seeing the numbers on the taxes just confirmed God's hand in our lives. logically, there is no reason for our income to have been greater in 2006 than in 2005. we truly are sons and daughters of the King.

this is the same thing that happened when we got back from malawi in 2005... i had been carefully tracking all the support money we had been given. when we left, we still needed a few more hundred dollars to come up with, but when we got back, nothing was owed. isn't God's math great?

as we seek His Kingdom faithfully, we are blessed abundantly.

joshua at 4.5 months

yay! we finally found that camera charger (thanks mike!), so i thought i'd post some pictures of joshua at 4.5 months (ie. from today). there's lots on flickr, so, i'm posting some of my favorites.

updates

well, since i haven't updated since before Christmas, i ought to start there. we had an amazing Christmas. it was small, but it was wonderful. well, we went to mike's parents for their annual Christmas eve party and that was definately not small. we got to see all of his family. we sang Christmas carols, exchanged gifts, swapped ornaments, ate lots of good food, and had good conversation. that was a lot of fun. then, on Christmas morning, we slept in with joshua. we opened gifts with just the three of us. then, luis, daniella, and romena stopped by just in time for breakfast-- ham biscuits! after having our own little christmas, we went to mike's parents house and opened more gifts.

not much has happened since Christmas. i was sick for about 3 weeks (not terribly sick, just that it has lasted so long) and then joshua got sick, but i think it's about gone now. so, we've been lying low since Christmas, getting some much needed rest. since all the festivities during the Holidays kept us out later than usual, joshua's bedtime was often extended, and he stopped sleeping through the night for a while. then just when things were back on track, he got sick and was waking up every two hours because he was so stuffy and couldn't sleep. hopefully we'll get back to his 12-hour sleeping pattern soon!

joshua went for his 4 month check-up a week and a half ago. they had to measure him twice because they didn't believe he was 27 inches long, which puts him in the 97th percentile for his height (he is taller than 97 % of all kids his age). he also weighs 17 lbs., which is the 95th percentile for weight. the thing is... he doesn't look heavy at all, quite the contrary. he looks very slim and narrow. he is solid and very strong. right at 4 months, he began rolling over (stomach to back), playing with his toys, and "cooing" a lot more.

oh, and i still can't find the camera charger, so, i can't download or take any more pictures until i do! also, mike got a video camera for Christmas, and hopefully i can eventually figure out a way to post some video footage of joshua.

The miracles of Santa?

Mike and I have been talking about what traditions we want to do for Christmas as a family, and the subject of Santa inevitably comes up every time. The thing is.. Santa was a tradition in both of our families growing up, and, of course, it was fun and we both had a great childhood. I don't think believing in Santa did us any harm or was bad in any way. There's just been something nagging at us about it. There are several reasons we have come up with as to why we maybe don't want to continue this tradition, but I believe the real reason for this unsettling feeling about santa claus is so simple--there's not enough time for that story.

Isn't the birth of our Lord and Savior, the King of Kings, the Lord Immanuel more than we are even capable of celebrating? Isn't the miracle of His birth so much bigger than the miracles of Santa and the good deeds of St. Nicholas? Why do we get so excited about Santa Claus coming to town on the day that Jesus came to town when they don't even compare? I just don't want to have time for the Santa story. Lord, help me marvel at Your Gift to us so fully that there's no room for Santa.

I don't want to be able to go a day this holiday season without being COMPLETELY overtaken by the fact that God loves us so much that he sent His son to save us, to save ME, and to save YOU. There isn't anything we can add, including Santa, to make the real Christmas story more special or more magical.

I want to spend all my energy showing Joshua the true miracle of Christmas. Once we do capture the fullness of God's Gift to us, we will have fun with the story of Santa. But.. God's love is endless, and so, too are the miracles of Jesus.

A New Year, 2007

a little early, but i can't help it.. i'm in a list mood.

Goals For The New Year:
keep a cleaner home
be clutter-free: deal with it as it comes in
pray more
read more
have a daily quiet time
be a better witness
live extravagantly
acknowledge my appreciation of others more
count only my blessings
be quick to love & slow to judge
wake up earlier
run in the mornings with salem
have coffee with mike in the mornings again
be healthier (less sugar!)
run a half-marathon (Boston: May 27)
keep a routine for joshua
be a better listener
get a better memory
do random acts of kindness daily

A few of my favorite things...

playing with joshua in the mornings
sleeping in on saturdays
coffee & pancakes with mike
sipping tea in the bathtub
being at home with mike
running in the snow
backpacking in banff
camping
maple lattes from starbucks (or better yet, second cup)
snowboarding
family walks/hikes
roadtrips
snow
christmas
fall leaves
lindt chocolate
maple syrup
avocados
trees
rocks
rivers
researching info
crunching numbers/statistics
figuring things out (action plans)
snowshoeing
fires
learning about nature and health
flowers
planting seeds
healthy food
making up silly songs for joshua
being a mamma

Happy Birthday, Mike!!

Dear Mike,

This has been such an awesome year, and it's still just the beginning-- how amazing. I am still just getting used to the fact that not only do i get to be with such a great guy, but i am actually married to him... and he loves me... and we get to hang out together... or even do our own things... but most of all, we get to be together. i love spending time with you, whether we're being silly or serious, and even just every day things. i wouldn't trade the life we have now for anything.

and, now, you are a father. you are such a great father to joshua, and have been such a wonderful husband as i've been getting the hang of being a mom and therefore being 'on call' 24 hours a day. even though you can't really help with those middle of the night feedings, you always seem to be a step ahead of me in other ways: those saturday mornings when you would take joshua downstairs so i could get a few more hours of sleep, and when you watch joshua so i can go run. you are so thoughtful and always make sure both joshua and i are taken care of.

i love watching you with him. it's so cute so see you both smile and laugh while you make silly faces and when we make up silly songs to sing for joshua. we have so much fun! i'm gonna love it as joshua gets older and can run and play, and when we can go on family hikes and a christmas tree that's just decorated on the bottom, but i'm in no hurry because i love what we have now. we have so much fun together.

you are so wonderful. i couldn't ask for more. i love you so much!

love,
elizabeth

you are a beautiful tapestry

i got this vision for mike last night and thought i would share it as it applies to everyone. i saw mike as a beautiful tapestry, woven of the finest threads. that all his experiences in life have been hand woven by God into a beautiful tapestry, where each thread is vital to the beauty of the whole.

that vision was given to me for mike, but i believe it is the same for all of us... that God has used all of our experiences and choices, whether good or bad, to weave us into beautiful tapestries. everything about us has been made perfect. if we try to pull out a single thread, we may fall apart because each experience has shaped who we are. God has used even our bad choices and experiences to teach us about His unending love, grace, and mercy. He has made us beautiful.

you are beautiful.

photos

i now have my flickr photos set to appear in the sidebar of this blog so that you can see the most recent ones that have been downloaded. if you click on any of these images, you will be able to view the collection of photos.

thanks mark!

getting our christmas tree

today we went to the tree farm and cut down our christmas tree. now, it really feels like christmas! we already put it up, decorated it, and everything. we had a minor problem fitting the tree in our living room with the mike's kayak hanging from the ceiling. this year, we decided to do something different, and we topped the tree with a red bow and ran the ribbons down the side of the tree to symbolize the blood of Jesus.

happy thanksgiving!

this has been a busy day... today started out with a 5 mile road race in the cold and rain. at first, i didn't want to get out of bed, but i had hoped to do this race since the beginning of my pregnancy. so, i would have really let myself down had i succumbed to sleeping in. i am so glad i got out there! i really had a lot of fun and i feel great! although i haven't gotten to run as much as i had thought, i still am planning to continue with the minor running routine i began about a week and a half before the race great. now, maybe next year i will see a great improvement.

after the race, i had just enough time to warm up, shower, and feed joshua before we headed out the door to a wonderful thanksgiving meal with mike's family. it was great to see everybody and spend a little time catching up. joshua did great, even though he only got about an hour of sleep through the day. he was very tired, but he was so great. today was a very fun day!

now that all the business is over, i have been reflecting on what i am thankful for. there's so many things, but i've got to get to bed! so, here's the top few things that i am thankful for...

~ a wonderful family that is so loving, giving, and encouraging
~ an amazing husband that cares so much for me and shares many of the same dreams as me
~ the cutest baby in the world who is healthy and happy (did i mention that he is cute?)

shopping

i'll post next about what's been going on over here, but since i haven't posted in a while, here's some pictuers to start off:

after being sick for a few days, we woke up yesterday to realize that joshua must have had a growth spurt, and for a baby that had been nearing the extent of wearing his 0-3 month clothes means that he now looks like a sausage in most of his clothes. so... we dressed up like hot dogs and went shopping yesterday. we got joshua two new pairs of overalls!

also, since i am only allowed to put a few photos on here at a time, there's a few more pictures at www.flickr.com/photos/along-the-trails/

new tricks!

i know i say this a lot, but joshua changes so much every week. he goes to his pediatrician tomorrow for his 2 month checkup, and just this past week, he has discovered that those tiny hands and fingers are connected to him! it's hard to describe, but rather than his hands seeming so driven by impulse and reaction, joshua seems to have discovered that he is the one in charge of where they are. although, he does not have the same coordination you and i have, he seems to be earnestly working on that. it kind of reminds me of the first time i tried to play super mariokart on the super nintendo... when you try to keep the crazy kart on the track, it's so hard not to over-correct. you steer around the corner and end up in the trees, so you ease off the gas and end up all turned around, not knowing which way you are going until the little angel or whatever it is floats down with a sign in his hands telling you, kindly, that you are going the wrong way. so, you stop, gather your thoughts, and give it another try... i think this is a lot of what joshua might be feeling. you can see him touching his face, with his fingers closing in his eye, and the harder he tries to move them from scratching himself, the harder he closes them. so, he ends up scratching himself even harder. he is a crazy driver right now, but he is learning.

just yesterday, he decided that he was going to start smiling at us. although they say babies don't smile at birth, joshua definately did, and he giggled, too. however, this never seemed to be a reaction to anything we could see. to us, they were just random smiles. perhaps, he was daydreaming about milk? anyway, just yesterday i noticed that he smiled at me when i gave him a funny face. and, last night and today, he's been trying out his new trick. this was so exciting because now i know those funny faces i give him have meaning!! and they make him SMILE! maybe he is laughing at his goofy mama, but atleast i know the energy isn't going to waste. he may not be talking yet, and he may not understand what we're saying, but he is interacting now.

along with these smiles come some noises that sound like he's about to start crying, but as soon as they come out, joshua has a big grin on his face. i think he is proud of those sounds he is making. i'm not sure what he's trying to say, but they probably sound pretty similar to the crazy things i talk to him about. (i will not be shocked if his first word is so obscure that only i will know what he's saying because i will remember the day where we talked about having to keep the door shut so that the coleopterans don't fly in, or when we had daucus carotas for dinner one night.) best of all, he is so proud of all that effort going into making those noises that it makes him so excited.

on another note, while we were getting ready for church this morning, we discovered that our dog had learned a new trick, too. i don't know who she's been hanging out with, but someone has shown her how to knock on doors and run. i hope she doesn't teach this trick to joshua, or we will have a 2 year old making crank calls to our neighbors. seriously, we were getting dressed for church and salem (our dog) banged on the outside of our door. as soon as mike opened it, she ran down the stairs. "no one's there, hmm..." then, she did it again! we could not stop laughing because the scene was so very teenager-ish. and most of all, we couldn't believe our dog had learned how to knock and run!

like a child

i'm looking at joshua and watching him respond to the world around him. he only knows such a little sliver of what life is, yet he knows so much.

In Mark 10:13-16, Jesus says that you will not enter the kingdom of God unless you receive it like a child. so, what does it mean to be like a child? if only we could return to being that innocent--knowing that your Father can meet all your needs. joshua doesn't worry about where he'll get his milk from or when he'll need the next size diaper. that's all taken care of. as far as he's concerned, he's the son of the king, and he is. he doesn't fret over having a little bit of drool coming down his face, or wonder if his chin is too pointy or his thighs too chunky. he is who he is. he is who God made him. he doesn't worry about global warming, gas prices, or terrorist attacks. God says he has been set apart from the nations.

little joshua is living in the land of milk and honey. we have inherited that land! do you see the giants or do you see the milk and honey? In Numbers 14:9, Joshua explains to the Isrealites not to worry about the giants because their protection is gone and the Lord is with us. don't you see? we DO live in the land of milk and honey. the others DON'T have protection, but we DO because the Lord IS with us!! so, why do we worry? why do we worry about the things of this world? we are sons and daughters of the King of kings and the Lord of lords. His army cannot be defeated!


Numbers 14:11: The LORD said to Moses, "How long will these people treat me with contempt? How long will they refuse to believe in me, in spite of all the miraculous signs I have performed among them?


--how can i preserve this child-like faith joshua? he is so young yet we have so much to learn from him. i think of myself as an optimist, yet even the most optimistic person has life experiences that taints their outlook and i don't want to taint joshua's outlook on life. Lord, help me to only see the milk and honey.

apple picking

little joshua has no idea how much fun he's had! he's been to the harvest fair and got to see the cows and sheep. he got to watch how they milk the cows and how they shear the sheep. he's been on many hikes where he got to see the changing colors of the fall leaves. he's been to Ottawa, Canada, where he got to see the parliament buildings and the downtown market. and today, he went to the apple orchard!

we had so much fun! the drive to the farm was just beautiful, and today was the perfect fall day... very windy, but perfect nonetheless. when we got there, we got to have a taste of the most amazing pie ever. daddy got some apple wood for his shop
(he is making some nice pens out of it now!). then, we drove down the hill, where we got our bucket and the tractor came to pick us all up. we rode through each section of the orchard, where we were let off and got to pick as many apples as we wanted. when we were done, we would wait for the next tractor to come by and take us to the next section of the orchard, where we could pick another type of apples! the orchard was enormous! it was so beautiful and perfectly kept... there were rows as far as we could see over the rolling hills. we even got to pick our own pumpkins. we really had a good time. that would be the best job ever if i could just pick apples with joshua all day! unfortunately, there weren't any openings for that job.

"fluvial geomorph-what?"

the last few days have been super busy, but good busy... i met up with my advisor from my Master's thesis. she is going to take my thesis and another study i did on a sand dune restoration project and write 3 different papers to submit to scientific journals. since they will be from my research and because she will just reorganize chunks of my own papers, i will get to be the lead author on those. this is so exciting for me because journal articles are what its all about now as far as credentials. i've always dreamt of getting just one publication, but three?? that would be awesome! i did so much work on my thesis and really found some neat results, so it will be very rewarding to see that work go toward the pool of scientific knowledge. also, the papers in those journals are the ones i read to develop my own ideas. i use them as guides to see if i'm on the right track, so it would be such an honor to have a paper published among those.

picture of the day

joshua's favorite way to sleep
Originally uploaded by along-the-trails.

lookin' for fun and feelin' groovy

as joshua and i are getting to know each other better, things have been getting a lot easier. not that they were bad before, but it's just that i've really noticed a huge change in the last week or so. i guess we're getting in the groove of things....
the groove of things. hey, wait, remember that song? "hello lamp post, what cha knowin'? i've come to watch your flowers growin'. ain't cha got no rhymes for me? doot-in doo-doo feelin' groovy!!" -yep, i'm a dork. these things randomly pop out from deep within my memories. i must have a bit of helium in there.- i remember singing that song in elementary school for one of those productions one year. i think we also learned the steps to "the chaleston" in that same one! now, i'm tempted to write about those elementary school productions, but i'll stick with the topic...joshua!
anyway, things are going very well between joshua and i, and i'm much more comfortable discerning his different cries. he used to just cry for milk. (well, he still just cries for milk because that solves everything, but it's a function of whether he's truly hungry or if he needs a pacifier to fall asleep, which he refuses to use) he used to only eat and sleep, so, when he cried, it was because he was hungry. now, however, he is awake more, and spends a few hours awake in the morning then again in the evening. this led to a new cry: the one where he's overtired. and i've learned that this is the cry you want to avoid at all costs. one of the best pieces of advice i've received was to "put him down to bed early," from the pediatrician. i realized that this advice was for the good of all those involved. when joshua gets overtired, he gets cranky, and when he gets cranky, he cries, and nothing can stop the crying, so it's best just to plan ahead and avoid the overtiredness altogether or there will be hours and hours of sleeplessness to follow.
he's up about every 5 or 6 hours during the night, which is really good for his age. 6 hours is considered "sleeping through the night". so, he's just about there. putting him to bed around 7 has been the best, then i feed him right before we go to bed, and he's usually up again around 4 or 5am
he is a really good traveller. he seems to be happy in all of the gear designed for the different modes of travel. his carseat and strollers are all big hits, as is his baby bjorn. he usually cries at first until we get moving, then he is lulled to sleep. his cradle swing and vibrating chair can work for shot periods of time before he catches on that he's not going anywhere. so, it's actually easier to be out and about with him than to be inside (which is fine with me!)
he is a very happy baby. unless, of course, he is overtired. when he's awake, he likes to look around at people, through the window, and at the colorful malawi picture over the couch. when he looks around, his arms and legs start going while he makes little noises like he's struggling to reach something. i've always thought he was going to be a rock climber like Daddy. we'll see soon! he's also been putting all his weight on his legs if you hold him while he kicks up, and he holds his head up all the time now. so, he is quite strong.
that's all i can think of for now, other than that he's still a super-soaker and super-pooper, and can out-wet the absorbancy of any diaper in about 45 seconds. we've had a few explosions and several soaks. it's a good thing he's in those cloth diapers. we used the disposables when we went to canada, and we had to bring as many changes of clothes as we did diapers! he's a healthy boy! what can i say?

Joshua's first ride in the BOB

BOB1
Originally uploaded by along-the-trails.

malawi

mike brought his application to church on sunday for the malawi missions trip next year. it usually takes some time before anyone hears whether they made the team because the pastors pray about all the applications; however, pastor david told mike right away that he'll be going, and then told luis (a good friend of ours and an awesome man of God) that he also made the team. so, mike will be going to malawi again in june 2007. i won't be going this time though, but i am so excited for mike, and i'm looking forward most to growing even closer to God in preparation for the trip. even though i, personally, won't be going, God says mike and i are one, and as mike steps out in obedience and faith, our whole household steps out in faith and obedience. i am honored to be able to stay home with joshua as his father has been sent out on the missions field. we are in an awesome place right now and i can't wait to see what our future holds.
last time mike and i went to malawi, we both felt strongly that we would be back for a more permanent stay. maybe a year or two, maybe a few months... who knows? we loved it there and found so much need for the skills we have been equipped with.
recently i had been trying to figure out what i wanted to do for a job, a career. i was thinking back about how i had always hoped to "save the world". first, it was to be a doctor that was sent out to the villages of africa. then, it was to be a scientist that was sent out all over the world to save the environment from disasters, such as oil spills. i love the adventure, i love the travelling, i love the pressure to use my expertise. however, i could never see how such a life could fit in with my greatest desire to be there for my famlily. i wanted both, yet they seemed so contradictory... until we went to africa and i got to meet a few missionary families. suddenly i could see how God arranged my passions and skills to work so perfectly together for my family and for myself. being a missionary family would allow us to have those adventures together as a family. i'm not sure if i can think of a more wholesome way to grow as a family than that.

our new baby - 30 aug 2006

fall cleaning

fall is my favorite season. the air is fresh and the leaves are crisp. i always seem to go through a period of recentering myself, my thoughts, my activities, and my body during the fall. it is a quiet time: a calmness that i gain confidence during. i think this is the time of the year where i am the happiest, and i think that's because of this period of recentering and refocusing on my goals, purposes, and on who i am. this year is no different... as i've just begun a new trail in my life (mommyhood), i am finding this to be the perfect time for me to sort through the clutter in my life and in my brain, and to make sure i'm on a path to shape me best into the friend, wife, and mamma that i'd like to be. interestingly, i always seem to want to get out and go running during this time. specifically, trail running. i just want to be in the woods, and i feel best when i get out there a lot. i'm not sure if it's that nature itself is therapeutic, if it's that exercise always makes people feel good, or if it's that i do my best thinking when on the trails. it's probably all of these.
i am so excited that i've been able to get out a fair amount already, and i'm glad joshua is 6 weeks now so that we can use the jogging stroller that mike's grandmother got for us. i hope i can take joshua out a lot this week to the rails-to-trails and maybe the reservoir in west hartford. i think he really enjoys being out on the trail, too, but that may just be because he likes the motion. i like being out there with him. there's few better things to do than take my sweet baby boy out for a walk on the trails. soon, he will be learning about all the rivers and trees, and playing on the rocks!