We're Heeeerrre!

Yep, we made it! Noah threw up 3 times along the course of our drive, but beyond that did surprisingly well on the trip. We pit-stopped at my grandma's house on the way. It was really nice to see her although she made enough food to feed a mid-size army! Have mercy! She is full-blooded Polish (picture "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" only Polish). She was upset when we barely made a dent in the (yes) 2 main courses, a huge bowl of potatoes and a green bean casserole...for 3 people. :-) I love her though and we have come to expect and even admire this about her.

We arrived at the cabin Sunday evening...We spent today settling in. We had 2 minor mishaps that we needed to tend to...The brake pads on the van were down to the nubs and badly needed to be replaced (we noticed the grinding only when we added the jet skis to the back). Secondly, one of the jet skis is out of commission...not sure why, but it's broke.

We have taken a few pontoon rides...Noah loves driving! Spent part of the day cleaning out the pontoon, and have enjoyed spending time with Dave's family (His parents, grandparents, and aunt and uncle).

Tomorrow, we are planning on going to the stock car races in the evening and on Wednesday to the traditional ski show that we see every year (but really enjoy). Dave and I are both feeling more relaxed and are enjoying just being with one another...the sweetness that comes with rest and getting away.

Thank You Jesus for rest and relaxation and that you built them into our lives for a purpose.

Vacation...Here we come!

Today is the day...we hit Calvin and Heather's wedding then off to my friend Ryan's wedding...then off we go! See you all when we get back!

Vacation...or bust

Well, it is the day before we leave for our long-awaited vacation. Noah threw up in his car seat this morning...everywhere. Needless to say it got a really nice cleaning before we left tomorrow. Somehow the bottle of syrup that I purchased yesterday at Meijer never made it into my cart again...both Dave and I tried making waffles and couldn't eat them without syrup. Amidst packing, cleaning and hitting a few garage sales, we have spent the last 3 hours running around doing clinic things for Dave so that he can actually leave. Packing...well...enough said. I am beginning to wonder, will we actually make it to Wisconsin or is it just a mirage that is taunting us? Hurry vacation!

Lessons from the pool

Dave and I out of desperation and not wanting to keep telling Noah "no" decided to take him to the pool tonight. It was a splendid idea. He had a great time. He is such a water baby. He puts his face under, kicks his feet, "jumps" in off the side. He LOVES it! Occassionally, he would lose his footing and go under. Dave and I would wait a second just to see what he would do. He would struggle, but instinct always kicked in and he would stick his head up for air and work to find his footing. Now, before you call DCFS, we were right there and never let him struggle longer than a few seconds. We wanted to teach him that although the water is a lot of fun, it can also be dangerous. While I was experiencing this difficult non-coddling as a parent it made me think of how this applies to my own life. In my swimming pool of life I sometimes lose my footing and feel like I am "sinking". Sometimes we need to struggle through it a little to realize the value at the end. (You know all those character building lessons) Noah came out at the end just fine with no tears, but hopefully a deeper appreciation for the water. Like Dave and I were for Noah, God is right there ready to pull us out. I got the impression of Him standing over me encouraging me, but ready to pull me out when it became evident that it was too much.

Thank you Jesus for realizing that sometimes we have to struggle through things in order to grasp their importance and fully appreciate the end result more. Thank you too that you are always there to pull us out when we need it.

Yesterday, I helped Tiffany S. clean her apartment. Then for dinner, Dan and Darlene came over. We had a great time hanging out with them. Dave made homemade pizza (are you noticing a trend with how much I LOVE this stuff???) Darlene and I were partners for all the games. We still managed to beat the boys in a few games despite how tired we were...and never remembering what was trump in euchre. :-) Today, Noah and I went to lapsit at the Tippecanoe library and I picked up some reading for vacation. We then met Dave's mom in Remington to do a switch...the dog for the jet skis. My family is watching Chester while we are on vacation...and Dave's parent's are taking him for a few days so we don't have to haul him to the (yes) 2 weddings we are attending on Saturday. The jet skis are now taking up residence in our garage and Chester is living it up at grandmas! I've spent the rest of the day cleaning. My (ideal) thought is that if I clean now I won't have as much to do right before we leave.

In more exciting news, Noah will have a girl cousin come November. Dave's brother and sister-in-law just found out that they are having a (probable) girl! She will be the first girl in this immediate Yenerich clan. Oodles of pink to go around I'm sure. Congrats Mike and Laura!

Jonelly...looking forward to seeing the new pad soon! Perhaps after vacation?

Mindy...good luck with the last week in lit...then back to having fun with the kiddos!

Ann...Hope your brain is not too full with all the info in Alpha...enjoy the rest of your time there and have a safe trip back!

To everyone else, hope you are having a fantastic Wednesday!

Sleepless night

When you have a kid, every hour of sleep that you get is precious. They are your alarm clock. That is why at 1am this morning, I was frustrated that I could not fall back asleep. I tossed and turned until 1:30 when Noah woke up and needed to be comforted. Shortly after that there was a loud repeated banging in the living room. I went to investigate what the cat was up to. I thought he had been messing with a balloon that Noah had, so I picked it up and stuck into a closet so I could finally sleep. (Didn't see the cat though). Laid back down and tried praying for awhile...good prayers just didn't help me fall asleep. I couldn't regulate my body temp, therefore I couldn't really get comfortable enough to fall back asleep. I tried reading (finished my book) and around 3:30ish fell back asleep. At 6am we hear a distinct meowing from outside the window. Apparently what I heard at 2am was not the balloon, but the cat opening the screen door and escaping for a midnight retreat. Dave (thankfully) let him in. But, my relief was short lived. Noah woke up at 7 and has been a crank since. I feel his pain. I am so looking forward to vacation. Dave has promised me 1 day where I do not have to get up with Noah and can sleep in. Today, it sounds heavenly.

William and Emily's Wedding

Well, the day finally came! The much anticipated and talked about wedding of William and Emily Pool took place last night (Friday) and was beautiful. Dave was an usher and I manned the guest book. We had a great time at the rehearsal and the rehearsal dinner, and of course the wedding. Emily looked beautiful...both nights. We really enjoyed seeing a lot of our friends that we hadn't seen in awhile and having a child-free evening. My good friend Melinda watched Noah for us so that we could be free to do our duties...Dave and I had a great time....and Melinda reported that Noah was very good for her. We got back late last night and now I am doing the usual return home stuff...laundry and putting my house back together...only to have to get ready for vacation next weekend (We're getting really excited!) Congratulations to the new Mr. and Mrs!