Fishy Math

Take 3 fish. Subtract 2. How many are you left with?

The bishies are slowly biting the dust...

Wordless Wednesday- The puppy dog look

Lifegroup

We had another lifegroup party tonight...We had 19 people there...6 of them were new. It was craziness...but a lot of fun. Everyone did a good job of connecting with others and I think that most of the new people felt at least a little connected by the end of the evening.

We had a breakfast night. Everyone came in their pajama's, which was a lot of fun. :-) We had the BIGGEST spread...homemade waffles, pancakes (plain, blueberry, choc chip, banana), sausage, eggs, bacon, blueberry muffins, banana muffins, sausage casserole...it was insane...and wonderful! I was so stuffed. Everyone pitched in and helped cook...thanks to Jonell and Sheena for overseeing all the clean up. You guys rock!

Deaf Superbowl Commercial!

I love this! This commercial will air during the pregame of this year's Super Bowl. It's 2 deaf men who are trying to find their friend Bob's house. As a deaf educator, I find this really amusing. It's only a minute so if you want to check it out, click here.

The Sunday/Monday wrap up

Saturday- I love my husband. He worked all day/night Friday and so he slept through the morning, while I entertained my parents. There is this new pottery place that was having their grand opening and you could paint a plate for free. I REALLY wanted to do it, but it was not really my parents bag of tea to wait around while I did it. So, I decided to try and come back later (if it was at all possible). You need two people to go and paint the plate (the nature of the deal). The day progressed, and I was having a hard time finding a friend to come paint with me. When Dave woke up, I told him about my dilemma and he offered to go with me and help out. I was SOOOO thankful. It turned out to be a lot of fun! I could totally spend hours (and dollars) there. Dave and I each painted a tile, and then he helped me a little bit on the plate, but mainly entertained Noah. He didn't even pressure me to hurry. We then went to the pet store to get a new light bulb for Noah's fish tank (it starts...) then since we were in the area, and it was getting late, we stopped by Monical's for pizza. It was a nice way to end the day before Dave had to go BACK to work.

Yesterday was a pretty low-key day. We went to first service. I got a chance to meet a few new people, which is always fun (I am way behind on that front seeing as though we have about 250 people and I only know eh, maybe 75-100 of them). I figure at this rate (one or two per week), I can meet all the new people (who will then be asking me if I'M new) by the end of next year. :-) I am waiting for the day when someone comes up to ME and says "Hi, welcome to RVC. Have you been coming here long?". At that point, I would be tempted to lie and say, "Yep, it's my first week." Of course I wouldn't lie, I just said that I would be tempted. :-)

Anyway, we had Moe's for lunch and then Noah and I went home, while Dave stayed for tear down. Noah took a good nap and I have hit the 3rd trimester tiredness. I LOVED 2nd trimester. I was getting so much done...cleaning things that haven't been cleaned in months, etc. Now, when Noah naps, I nap again. I can't say that I complain too much. I am very appreciative to be able to stay at home with him and be able to rest when I need too. Soon enough, that will change again. :-)

Today, I worked out at Faith in the morning. Noah really enjoys the daycare. When I got back, he was playing with a doll and riding a pink car. He had no desire to leave and just kind of ignored me. Too bad I couldn't think of other things to do. Maybe next time I go, I'll bring a book and sit in the cafe for a little bit before I go pick him up. :-) We then had lunch and both took naps. I slept for 2 hours, and feel a lot better this afternoon. Noah is STILL sleeping...he is closing in on 3 hours now. I'll probably have to get him up soon so that he actually goes to bed tonight.

Dave should be home shortly. He has the next few days off from the ER clinic so it will be a nice chance for him to catch up on sleep, and family and friend time.

Happy Monday.

Girl's Night

Last night, a large group of ladies from RVC (and some that are not) all went to see 27 Dresses at Wabash Landing Theater. It was a lot of fun despite the time mix-up and parking issues. There were a good 15-20 girls that all came to the movie. It was wonderful! I had a great time connecting and reconnecting with girls. Some, I see on Sunday every week, but don't get a chance to talk to anymore. Some, I didn't know all that well to begin with, so it was fun doing a social, non-church, activity with them. I also got a chance to know the other mom that came, Monica. Her daughter is just a little older than Noah. They have been coming to RVC for awhile now, I just only see them on crazy Sunday mornings. I sat next to her at the movie and she went with us to grab coffee afterwards. Coffee, now that's a hoot.

Mind you, I haven't REALLY been on a college campus in a few years now...especially on a Friday night. So, here I am 7 months pregnant, in my purple coat, trying to find this silly coffee shop...yep, I blend. I passed the Hookah bar/lounge/ whatever. Now, that's an interesting place. It looks like legalized bongs where everyone (yes) pays to inhale flavored smoke. Interesting. Now, this may be attractive to some people (the place was pretty full), but its really not my bag of tea. I like fresh, clean, air. Tobacco is still tobacco, even if it smells like dutch apple. But hey, to each their own. I digress. I finally get ahold of my friend Tiffany who comes out and leads me to the warmth of the coffee house. It was actually a lot of fun. Not all the girls went, but there were a few college girls, Jonelly, Monica, and myself. It was nice to just sit around and chat without having to (insert your preferred choice) chase a child, brew coffee, run computers, be on worship, work kid's church, meet the 200 new people, try to not snub the rest of the people you know all in a 15 minute period. I got to learn a little more about these women, and had a really really nice time. Yea, for girl's night!

We gotta do stuff like this more often. :-)

The "Bish" Tank

Well, here's the new "bish" tank. We have 3 platty's (red, orange, and yellow) and the orange one is a VERY pregnant female...great. Dave and I seem to attract pregnant fish. We have had numerous bouts of baby fish in our previous fish years. We'll see what happens with this next round. I almost made the guy put that one back and give us another one, but he was not the nicest guy on the block seeing as I interrupted his smoke break, so I decided to let it go.

Noah woke up from his nap and keeps looking at his "bishies". Our cat seems to really like them too. I think his thoughts are more along the lines of "lunch".

Thursday breakdown

Interpret that how you want. :-) It started out just fine. Noah and I had a pretty chill morning, but he took an early nap because he was kind of a crank. I got some emails out and read a book during nap time so I would not be cranky too. :-)

After naptime, the afternoon seemed to stretch on endlessly. Dave generally comes home around 2pm on Thursdays from Thorntown. Yesterday, (and today) he has a conference in Indy and he was gone until 6pm. By about 4pm, Noah and I decided to leave the house, despite the cold. We headed to Meijer where we got play dough, wonder-color markers and paper, and other craft projects to help get us through the next few wintery months. Noah threw a fit almost the whole time we were in Meijer and I about left the place in tears I was so frustrated.

When we came home, Dave was headed that way. I started making dinner, while I let Noah explore a little with play dough (which is completely new to him). Dave came home and made Noah's day. He's not used to not having daddy time since he is all about Dave right now. They played and played. Dave then helped me clean up the pre-mess for dinner and cleaned up afterwards (I was pleasantly surprised, but very grateful). We then decided to go get Noah's new fish tank...Let me explain. Dave got the bug to get Noah a fish tank for his room. Noah's really into "bishies" right now. We also need a night light resolution since all the outlets are covered for access to a little night light. Noah apparently just got a REALLY nice night light. We haven't bought the "bish" yet, as we wanted to let the tank settle in first.

After we put Noah down, Dave asked me if I wanted to chat about the communication seminar he had been to that day. Gee, talk with my husband about communication or watch "Are you smarter than a 5th grader?"...tough decision...especially since he initiated the conversation. :-) Anyway, we sat down and he shared all the insights he had learned about how we communicate and how to effectively communicate. Let me just say that it was brilliant. I wanted to share this with all engaged couples, married, and yes, even singles because the information is so pertinent to wherever you are in life. It's really very interesting. I want to look over it again just to try and soak it up a bit more. Anyway, the end of the time consisted of Dave and I speaking into each other all the things that we appreciate about one another and who we want to be to the other. It was really powerful, very moving, and a great bonding experience as we sat on our couch and REALLY shared our hearts. Talk about a great connection. I'm pretty sure I'll remember last night for awhile, not because of whatever program we didn't watch on TV.

Today, Noah and I are going to brave the cold and go buy his fishies. I also have a few more errands to run before my parents get here this evening. Then, I am off to see 27 dresses with a great group of girls. I am totally looking forward to it!

Happy Friday!

Noah's best buddy

Tonight, our friend Ben came over to hang out with Noah after work. Noah LOVES Ben. He just ran around and was giddy the whole time Ben was here. Ben stayed for awhile so that Dave and I could go hang out with Frank and Sheena for dinner. When we got home, they were both asleep in the easy chair to American Idol. It was pretty dang cute. Noah never falls asleep on us out here, so that he was comfortable enough to do so with Ben speaks highly of how much he digs him. Thanks Ben for watching the bean tonight. We appreciate it!

God's presence

We had another awesome lifegroup last night. We are reading Naturally Supernatural...and the interesting part is, things are happening to people that are right in line with the chapters we are reading. People are opening their eyes for the holy spirit working, looking for opportunities, praying for people...It's really really cool to see. I was super encouraged when I left yesterday.

This morning, as I was reading my quiet time, I read about Jacob. He stole his birthright from Esau and then moved away. When he found out the Esau was coming to visit him, he became very scared thinking that Esau would indeed kill him. On his way out to meet Esau is when he wrestled with God. Going through my own wilderness the last few months, I often felt like Jacob...wrestling, but also wanting to be blessed. When he meets Esau, he is so surprised to see that he is greeted warmly. In our book, we are talking about obeying God first, and then watching the miracles happen. It takes a step of faith. It must have really taken a step of faith for Jacob to go out and meet Esau knowing that he faced the possibility of death or scorn. And yet, because of his obedience, God provided a miracle, and he was warmly greeted by his brother. I imagine Jacob heaved a sigh of relief after that. WHEW!

I met a girl on Sunday at church. Generally, I am pretty overwhelmed at the amount of new people that come in our doors. I don't like to walk up to big groups of unknowns and introduce myself. However, this girl was standing off by herself, and I decided to muster up my social skills and introduce myself. She actually seemed like a really nice person, a student at Purdue. I later followed up with an email inviting her to our girls night and lifegroup. I received her reply this morning. She commented that she had been in a socially akward situation and was praying to God at that moment that she wouldn't feel lonely or hurt and then I walked up and introduced myself. I'm just glad God was able to use me in that moment...and that I was willing to be obedient. It makes me wonder about the many missed opportunities I may have had for not being obedient to God's quiet leadings. Anyway, I was really encouraged by her email and it has spurred me on to keep meeting new people, and keeping my eyes open for those "God moments" because you never know what the story is behind a person I guess.

Indy

Friday night, Dave took me down to Indy for a night away. It was a blast! Dave's parents came and watched Noah. He didn't even care that we left, he was so happy to see grandma and grandpa. The drive down was nice as Dave and I actually got to talk about real things and not just entertaining Noah. We stayed at the Hilton on the North side of Indy. The restaurant we went to was called Loon Lake Lodge and it was really really close to our hotel (although with traffic it took like 15 minutes to get there). The ambiance was fun and the food was pretty good. Afterwards, we headed to the mall. (Dave's suggestion if you can believe it). We hit the Children's Place and went a little hog wild for Noah since they had 50% off already reduced prices. We got him a couple pairs of shoes for $5 and a few other things. You know you gotta get the kid something when you go away. :-)

We hit a few more stores and then headed back to the hotel. There was a middle school hockey team located in all the rooms around us. Thankfully, they quieted down around 10-10:30 (They were only in middle school...thank goodness). Dave and I slept in this morning until 8:15...the best part was I didn't have to get up with Noah in the middle of the night last night. (Sorry Mom Y!) He's been getting up right around 2am and needs to be consoled to get back to sleep. It was a nice lazy morning as we didn't have an imp to take care of. We leisurely got ready, then drove back home.

We took Dave's parents out for a thank you lunch at Chili's. Poor Noah was so tired, but he was pretty well-behaved. By the time we finally put him down for his nap, he put up no fuss and looked almost thankful to see his bed. We then ALL took naps. I love group nap time. It seemed to be just what I needed to get going again and I felt a lot better after I woke up.

Tonight, we took Noah indoor mini-golfing just for something to do. The place we went uses black lights and glow-in-the-dark paint and it was a lot of fun. We didn't keep score, which is good because I was AWFUL and Noah kept "helping" me. He got his own club and ball, which he effectively used about 15% of the time. He was just happy to be out and about and did a great job of retrieving our ball's for us.

Now, he is in bed...I am finishing laundry...and Dave is settled into a movie. I imagine I will probably be winding down here soon, but I just wanted to send out an update.

It has been a very nice weekend. It was so great for Dave and I to just get away for a night. It keeps our marriage healthy to have a night away from Noah, even though we did miss him alot. It's strange to be away from someone who your world literally revolves around...perhaps that is why it is so important to get away every now and then.

Noah didn't even care when we got home. He was so into grandma he most likely could have cared less if we had been gone for a week. Silly kid, but its nice to know that he responds so well to grandma that we can leave him for awhile.

OK, enough already...I'm signing off. Have a great night!

Thankful Thursday

It's been a great couple of days. Perhaps its because I've found my joy again. I feel like my outlook is much more positive these days. Mind you, nothing has really changed...Noah is still challenging me with tantrums. This is Dave's bad week at work. He works a lot. But here are all the positives...

I am thankful for:

1) A great lifegroup on Tuesday. I love the people in it and we had a really great discussion on the Holy spirit.

2) Dave's support in dealing with Noah and his tantrums. Knowing that it's a team effort makes it a lot easier to handle.

3) My boys: Right now they are making pizza together (I've helped in the interim). Noah helped me make cupcakes earlier too. I really really enjoy our family time.

4) The fact that Dave and I are heading to Indy tomorrow for a getaway. Dave planned the whole thing, lined up the babysitter (thanks Mom Y.!) the hotel, and even the restaurant...I will be completely surprised. I can't wait!

5) That my house (for at least the next 20 minutes) is in a semi-clean state. I don't feel like I like in a war zone.

6) Friendships. I have been able to reconnect with people in the last few weeks and that has been really great.

7)All the blessings in my life that I am finally starting to see with new eyes.

Wordless Wednesday- Pint sized helper

Noah helped Dave fix our chair. They each had their drills and went to town. It was one of those moments that you hope that you always remember.

Full Circle

At the beginning of this spiritual journey through the wilderness, which started back many months ago. I wrote a blog, likening myself to Peter. I happened to be reading through Matthew at the time and felt so many of the things Peter felt. Peter SAW Jesus do miracles, and yet he doubted. And yet, Peter was the cornerstone of the church. That was my hope...that despite what I was going through, I would come through it like Peter.

As the months progressed. I forgot about Peter and the blackness to which I was succomming to became more prevalant. I was defiant and disobedient. I lost almost all of my faith...and yet had no trauma in my life to even warrant such lines of thinking. It was indeed a mystery to me...as was God at that point.

If you read yesterday's blog, you are familiar with my breaking at church. Throughout this last week, I seem to have had people praying for me almost every day. And everyday, I have felt a little more of God's power breaking into my life again. Yesterday, through my tears, I finally felt broken.

Tonight we had a prayer meeting for the team leaders and lifegroup leaders. There seems to be a more wide spread spiritual attack on leaders within our church currently. That was the purpose of this meeting...to connect, to cry out to Jesus, and to receive (and give) prayer. When Tony asked who was hurting, I was one of those that raised my hand. Although, I felt that I had had breakthrough, I was still struggling with being outward focused at that point.

Emily and Misha prayed over me. They just prayed that the holy spirit would come and break me...and He did. I wept again and as I sobbed it was as if pieces of the hardness were breaking off of me. It's difficult to describe. Here's the best part of the whole story. Emily (who was not privy to the earlier Peter illustrations) brought up Peter and how Jesus named him from the beginning even knowing that Peter would one day doubt him...and that Jesus had named me too even though he knew that I would face this and doubt him in my own way. She then prayed for my rooster experience, which I truly believed happened yesterday. The thing was I never got prayer for it until tonight. So, my hope is that I have finally come full circle, at least in this particular journey. Of course I need to stay on top of things and maintain, but I felt a significant sign from the Lord tonight...something only He could show me to prove to me that he does listen and he does care. The reference to Peter has so much significance to me, and God knew what I needed for me to find Him again tonight.

Thank you God for using Peter to speak so strongly to me. Thanks that Emily was obedient in speaking that out. Thank you for not giving up on me even though I have fought you at every turn. Thanks for loving me through it all. I love you Jesus...and I trust you.

Sanctified Sunday/Melodic Monday

Well, this morning's church service kicked my butt. It started on our way to church where Dave offered some constructive criticism on how to handle Noah's tantrums. As much as it hurt my pride to hear, he was right...I just felt a little attacked since this is my "job". I walked into church feeling a little crushed, which looking back was probably a good thing.

Worship this morning just about did me in. For the first time in a long time, I allowed myself to weep freely and in the process I really felt like I was breaking (in a good way). Realizing that I couldn't be a good parent by myself and realizing who I have become these last few months apart from God broke me, and my need for Him became very clear. I pretty much sobbed through the whole of worship. One of the songs they did today was Lifehouse's "Everything". I

The lyrics got to me in a deeply profound way...as well as my rememberance of the skit.

Anyway, then Tony recapped 2007 and recast the vision for 2008. Sitting there, listening to him, I felt purpose and hope again for why we are here and what our mission is...something I have been lacking for a few months now. I felt encouraged, convicted, and motivated to do something.

Thank you Jesus for meeting me today. I really really needed you.

Everything: By Lifehouse

Find me here and speak to me
I want to feel you I need to hear you
You are the light that's leading me
To the place where I find peace again

You are the strength that keeps me walking
You are the hope that keeps me trusting
You are the light to my soul
You are my purpose
You're everything

And how can I stand here with You
And not be moved by You?
Would you tell me how could it be
Any better than this?

You calm the storm and You give me rest
You hold me in your hand
You won't let me fall
You still my heart
And You take my breath away
Would You take me in?
Take me deeper now

And how can I stand here with You
And not be moved by You?
Would you tell me how could it be
Any better than this?

And how can I stand here with You
And not be moved by You?
Would you tell me how could it be
Any better than this?

'Cause You're all I want
You're all I need
You're everything
Everything

'Cause You're all I want
You're all I need
You're everything
Everything

'Cause You're all I want
You're all I need
You're everything
Everything

'Cause You're all I want
You're all I need
Everything
Everything

And how can I stand here with You
And not be moved by You?
Would you tell me how could it be
Any better than this?

And how can I stand here with You
And not be moved by You?
Would you tell me how could it be
Any better than this?

And how can I stand here with You
And not be moved by You?
Would you tell me how could it be
Any better than this?

Would you tell me how could it be
Any better than this?

A week in review:

I've decided to do a week in review in pictures. I finally got around to uploading them...

This here is the platter that we served on Tuesday. I used AEC money and got the food catered. Janes Deli and catering did an AWESOME job and even gave us this platter to use as a presentation at no extra charge. It was awesome. I took a picture because this will be the nicest looking thing that will probably ever come out of my kitchen. :-)

We've had some good family/marriage times this week. Below is a picture of Noah playing "Buster's Bugs" with Dave.

We've played fort and been silly. The tantrums have been minimal this week as Dave and I are really trying to find more interactive things for Noah to do instead of just telling him "No" all the time.

Dave and I have also had some good times to connect this week. He allowed me to buy the comforter and a new pair of shoes (I'm considering them my anniversary gift) this week. He prayed over me (unprompted) on Thursday night and that meant more to me than he could imagine. Consequently, since my emotional love bank has been being filled and I have felt appreciated, I am feeling much more easy going about him having guy time...I even encouraged it on Thursday. It still works in my benefit, since having time with the guys always brings him back more relaxed and happy to see me. It's a nice cyclical pattern. :-)

He also planned our getaway trip for next Friday. I am so excited. We are headed down to Indy just for the night. I am stoked to just have a night with just Dave, and a morning to sleep in before # 2 comes along. Speaking of #2, I'm starting to nest and getting excited for him to come along. I feel him kicking and moving all the time now. Noah even talks about the baby in mommy's belly. Basically, I ask him where the baby is and he points to my belly and says, "baby". It's pretty stinkin cute. We've finally got the nursery sort of back together after the sour milk incident where we had to pull up the carpet and replace some of the padding. Note to self- ALWAYS look for missing milk cups UNTIL YOU FIND THEM. Otherwise, they ferment in closets that you don't always go into and leave big stinky messes.

Dave works today and so Noah and I are trying to fill our day with activities to keep us busy. We don't love it when he has to work Saturday days...I'm sure neither does he. It makes for a long day away from one another. So, our plan is to head to the library and Blockbuster this morning (maybe sneaking in a quick visit to Daddy). Then after naptime, heading to the mall and that area to return some stuff and "play" just to break up the day a little bit. If you're around and bored, give me a call!

New purchase

After many years with our beloved $10 duvet cover from a garage sale, we have finally decided to upgrade our comforter set:

Marmaduke seems to like it.

Busy Bees

I feel as though this has been one of the busiest weeks I have had in awhile. Usually, I have mornings to chill with Noah, then after nap we get stuff done or I'll clean the house. This last week has been non-stop activity. First, there was the party, which took up all of Mon/Tue. Wednesday, Dave and I were super productive and got all the Christmas stuff down, he hung up his new cabinets in the garage (then cleaned it), ran to Target, shopped at the mall, and then he took me out to Applebees using the last of our giftcards. It was a nice day, just busy. Both Dave and I were really sore and tired when we got home. He and Noah crashed on the couch and watched "The Country Bears", while I finished some laundry and kept reorganizing the closet (my second project of the day). We were in bed by 8:45 last night.

This morning, Noah and I ran to Meijer for a few quick things. Then we are headed back to the mall to hang out with Becky. W. and River (Noah's best bud). My master plan is to iron all Dave's shirts during naptime...hopefully I'll still have the energy to do that.

Top Ten Tuesday- You know you are a mom when...

10) Your child starts gagging and you immediately stick your hand underneath to catch the puke.

9) You measure your days by how many diapers you change.

8) You watch more Playhouse Disney and Baby Einstein then you do "adult" TV.

7) Eating out (with kids) is like a game. You win if you get to say 3 adult sentences to your spouse in between trying to amuse your kid.

6) You know that sneezing is a whole new ball game after child birth.

5) You rarely go anywhere alone.

4) You feel as though the snot on your shirt only enhances the look.

3) Your house looks like it should be declared a red-cross disaster zone (even though you just cleaned it yesterday)

2) You talk with others about poop and other bodily functions with ease.

1) You get hugs, cuddles, and kisses from little bodies that know that you are indeed...mom.

Thankful Monday?

When you're thankful, you're thankful...and I'm thankful. Today was spent madstyle planning and cleaning for the technician's party tomorrow. In the morning, things were starting to go down hill. Dave found out that he had to work overnight instead of being around to help me clean, my house was wrecked, and I still needed to place a catering order. Ryan W. totally came through and helped me get the catering ordered. His wife, Becky, was a wonderful support in just chatting on the phone and lending moral support throughout the day. Leah came over and REALLY cleaned my kitchen. I was a bit embarassed, but gratitude overwhlemed that. She helped out so much. She helped out even more by taking a few moments and praying for me to calm my anxious spirits. After she left, my neighbor Kandi offered to take Noah for a little bit so that I could finish cleaning. Since he hadn't taken a nap I wasn't sure how he would do, but apparently he did great...and I was so appreciative. It's so much easier cleaning house without someone "helping". When Dave came home he finished helping me clean and get most things set up. So, as far as tonight goes, I am calling it a night. It's 7:30 and my body aches a little bit, but its the kind of pain from a good hard days work. Doesn't mean that I still won't be going to bed by 8pm tonight though. :-) Atleast that's what I feel like doing. Thanks to all who stepped up and helped today. I couldn't have done it without you!

Weekend Update

Well...Here's where I left off:

Saturday: We went to Martinton, IL to celebrate the last of the Christmas's with Dave's dad's side of the family. It was a lot of fun. We were able to see some aunts and cousins we don't regularly see..as well as Dave's brother Mike and family. Laura (my sister-in-law) and I have always reigned as champions of euchre against Dave and Mike. For the first time in like 3 years, we lost a game. It was a sad moment for us, but the men were elated. That's OK. We won the second round. :-) We came home in time for Dave to jump in the car and head to work at the AEC.

Sunday: My keys got locked in the van since I am not used to leaving it parked outside (Dave has some projects going on in the garage right now). Dave had to drive home from setting up at church to come rescue us. Church on Sunday was great. A lot of people were returning after being gone for the holidays. It was so revitilizing to see a lot of our friends coming back and having church "fill" up again. Tony's sermon was about meeting with God and he referenced how Moses went into the tent of meeting every morning. He always took Joshua with him (training up) and when he would come out, he would be radiant because he had met with God. Tony challenged us to consider whether it is noticeable that we are "shining". Given my current spiritual state, I was ashamed to admit that was a big fat no. However, I am working hard to make some changes that will hopefully start letting some "shine" out again. When church was over, Kauffman, a friend of ours totally hung out with Noah who was all about him. I can't carry Noah for any length of time right now, but he LOVED Kauffy and played with him for about 20 minutes. Afterwards, we had lunch with Jonelly and Jess at Moes. Noah, was still in a pretty good mood and therefore was fairly well-behaved, which is always a perk. When we got home, both he and Dave took naps while I worked on some lifegroup stuff. Last night was fairly low-key. We didn't do a whole lot. I am trying to clean my house for the technician party that will be here on Tuesday.

Today: I am going to head to the grocery store here soon, then off to Jane's deli to try and get catering for tomorrow (nothing like the last minute to set my heartrate up. I only just found out that it was for sure "on" on Saturday...so now I am scrambling). The AEC is paying for it, so I have decided that I am not cooking. Then on to cleaning my house really well before tomorrow. Happy Monday everyone!

The nurturer

I don't have much time since we are headed to our last Christmas at Dave's parent's house. It is his dad's extended family. Anyway, just wanted to upload a shot of Noah feeding his baby. It makes me chuckle. Enjoy.

Thankful Thursday- Anniversary Edition

Today marks Dave and my 4th Anniversary. In many ways, the years seem to have flown by and in some ways I feel like we have been a part of each other's lives forever.

I am thankful that God brought us together. We had a rather tumultuos dating relationship as I sorted through my past and mixed up theologies. However, I can't imagine a more perfect man to complete me than Dave. He's not perfect, but together we make a stronger team. He compliments my weaknesses very well and challenges me to be a better person.

I am thankful for our good times. Dave is great for making silly songs and making me laugh. He is a dork, but in a really cute and attractive way. I am including dates in this category as well. Perhaps our most memorable date was when we were in college. Dave took me to our local state park where he spread out a picnic lunch of all my favorite foods. Not sure why this one sticks out in my memory, but it was one of my favorite dates.

I am thankful for our harder times. I would never have grown and matured if iron hadn't sharpened iron. Even in our fights I am still determined to be married to him. At one point, (during a fight), I thought about what I would tell Noah to explain to him what was happening. My thought was to say, "There are some relationships that are just worth fighting for. We don't agree now, but we'll get through it because we are committed to fighting for one another." We have come a long way from the way we used to "fight" in college and I am so thankful for that.

I am thankful for his support. Dave has stood by through some pretty stuff tough. I call it his Yenerich stubborn streak...but truthfully, I am very thankful for it. He has stood firm by my side and supported me in many tough decisions. He cracks me up, because he is really a good listener (much better than I am)....and doesn't necessarily try to fix it. He just lets me vocally process and will lend support if I ask. This is funny because this seems to be more of the "girl" way of handling things. I tend to fall into the "guy" mentality of, "OK, how can we fix this?" See, we're good for each other.

I am thankful for our family. Having Noah in our lives has brought incredible joy and challenges to our marriage. He has enriched it most definitely and has taught us a lot about who we are as parents and how to be a team in that arena. Adding this new one will bring even more fun and challenges to our lives. With Dave by my side, I am looking forward to the adventure.

I am thankful for who he is. Dave has always made me have the more reliable car. Most guys want to drive the "cooler" car, but Dave has ALWAYS insisted that I drive the newer, more reliable car. I always thought this was the way it was, but I now realize that is not the same in every relationship. It seems perhaps silly that I would point this out, but for some reason it makes me feel very cherished and taken care of. Having a child sort of nixes hand holding or opening car doors as we try to juggle kids and diaper bags...but this is one way that Dave really shows me that he loves me and takes care of me. He works so hard to provide for Noah and my needs and is so selfless in denying himself so that we can "have". He also makes it a point to spend quality time with us every week. Family time is important to him...meaning that WE are important to him. He finds many different ways to show his love and I am so thankful for that.

He is truly a man of integrity and I am honored to be married to him for this many years. I look forward to our 50th anniversary and how my list might look then. I'm sure I will be just as thankful!

Happy Anniversary honey.

Happy New Year

I ended up teaching on Sunday morning. It was kind of crazy as most of the regulars were gone, but we had 8 new kids, all older (our lessons are prepped for 3-5 year olds). There were only two 3-year olds. The rest were all between 5-9. I scrambled to make it appropriate for the older group. Afterwards, Noah and I both came home and crashed. I ended up talking to my good friend Sara (my roommate in college and partner in crime) for almost 2 hours while she was making her way from her parents house back home. It had been awhile since we have chatted that long. It made me feel like I was actually hanging out with her.

Monday, Noah and I made a huge Target run first thing in the morning. Mostly groceries, but they had 75% off Christmas and I also ended up buying a new pair of sweatpants for me that were on sale. (I am wearing them now and LOVE them). The day was fairly uneventful. Dave worked, came home, played frisbee golf with Dan, came home again and put together his new table saw, then went back to work the holiday shift at the Emergency Clinic.

Becky W. and River came over to help me ring in the New Year. We actually had no intentions of staying up until midnight. After the boys went down, we watched the movie, "Waitress" and then chatted. All of a sudden I looked at the clock and it was 12:00am. We wished each other Happy New Year and then had a good prayer time to close of 2007 and usher in 2008. I had a very good time...and it was nice and low-key.

Noah still woke up early this morning, despite the fact that mommy didn't get much sleep. We are laying low this morning and then heading over to Kauffman's to watch the Rose Bowl for a little while. We all have our Illini gear ready to be donned. Interestingly enough, my mom is actually AT the game.

So, another low-key day for the Yenerichs. Dave is sleeping now since he worked overnight. Noah is playing with his balloon and watching cartoons.

To close, I feel I must share this funny Noah/Mommy story even though it will embarass me:

Yesterday, I was sitting on the couch and I audibly tooted (the terminology changes when you have a toddler). Noah looked at me, pointed and said, "Su pooped?". After I got done laughing, I assured him that I had not pooped, just tooted. Ah, children bring out the best in us, don't they?