May 03, 2006
Fuzzy Wuzzy Baby Birds
If you've been reading Bob's blog you know that we have a few nests around our house. Well a cat got the robin's eggs in the back yard and got the mockingbird's nest in the arch along the fence (at least I think it got the mockingbirds) But the house finch very wisely put their nest in our new hanging plant on the porch and we have baby birds! We found 3 eggs in it on Easter Sunday. Then by that Wednesday there were 6 of them. Anyway, here's a video of the baby birds. Enjoy. Oh yeah and this would be my third in the series of my nature videos.
Posted by michellew at 08:08 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
November 27, 2005
House Fun
Well we've had weeks now of getting things done around the house, but man have we gotten tons more done this past weekend. Our house is feeling more and more ready for our baby to arrive, though the bathroom still hasn't been cleaned. Maybe that one will be saved for my mom when she comes.
A long time ago I posted about wanting to make new little corners in our dining room. Well I covered the chair we're borrowing from Sarah and have a blanket and pillow that I was given for a present to go on it. Its all ready to sit and snuggle with my new little girl.
Caleb also has his little corner. Its almost always covered with legos everywhere, very fun. Bob's dad fixed up the little table and chairs from when I grew up and Bob put together some carpet squares so he has a place to play. So the new dining room corners are complete. Not a great picture, but you get the idea.
Last year I was given a Christmas cactus for Caleb's birth. I'm horrible with plants but I was so excited when it gave me a bloom last year. Then if you remember, I knocked it off its shelf by accident and the pretty bloom landed on the floor in a pile of dirt and shattered pot. Well as you can see from this picture it has at least 12 buds on it! I'm so pumped. I mean I can't say that I faithfully watered it or even paid it any attention. But I guess it likes the light it gets from the window sill it sits in. Though its funny, all of the buds are on one half of the plant. The other side that faces the room doesn't have one bud, but that's ok. Now I know that I guess I should rotate it so it gets light on both sides. Can't wait till the buds open up.
Since obviously our little girl hasn't arrived yet we're still doing things around the house. Yesterday we decorated for Christmas! We've kind of had the tradition over the last couple of years to decorate Thanksgiving weekend. It seems too early for some, but because we usually are traveling for Christmas we want to do it early so we have time to enjoy it. Of course this year we won't be traveling but we'll be a little busy and maybe too tired to get into decorating. So I'm really glad that we got it done. I love putting greenery, magnolia leaves and red berries around the living room, makes it so cozy. So far Caleb has done really well with leaving the Christmas tree alone. Though of course any breakable ornaments are up high.
Well its off to the midwife tomorrow morning and hopefully we'll be nudged towards having this baby. Who knows maybe I'll get to meet her tomorrow, maybe she'll wait till Thursday. Either way, I'm excited and scared. She'll really be here! Pray for us, and for me. Man I really have to do labor don't I? Oh well, much better than getting cut open. Can't wait to see her sweet little face.
Posted by michellew at 09:42 AM | Comments (4) | TrackBack
September 16, 2005
Bob tagged me
10 years ago: I was a freshman at Geneva College, loving the fact that you can start fresh when you start college, leaving all that highschool baggage behind you. My roommate, Erin Mollenkof Bindewald, and I had tons of fun hanging out doing crazy stuff like karoke at midnight. (our suitemates didn't like that so much). And now Erin and I are pregnant together, she's due 10 days before me with her first, and hers is a girl too!
5 years ago: Bob and I were living with the Crosses awaiting the cooler weather as it was so hot in our living room with no AC that we lived in our bedroom for the summer. I was working for EDB (Esperanza del Barrio) learning a lot about cross-cultural ministry and how hard it was to truly communicate in Spanish on a daily basis. But also I was really enjoying my job, especially since I was working with Sarah B. every day.
1 year ago: We were still getting used to life as parents with our newborn baby boy. About this time my sister Liz just left and so we were out on our own to discover our new life with baby. I remember being in a sleep fog and wondering if it would ever lift. 3 months isn't all that long, but man when you're in it, it seems like an eternity. If you told me this time last year that I'd be a little over 2 months from my due date with our little girl, I would have laughed, and literally never believed you. Isn't it good that God doesn't tell us EVERYTHING that's going to happen? We just wouldn't be able to handle it.
Yesterday: Hmmm.....my short term memory must not be as good as my long term. Oh yeah, Caleb and I went to Linda's Fruit stand and scored a huge deal on spaghetti squash. Its usually 99 cents per pound and 4-5 pounds each. Well Linda's had it for 79 cents EACH, not per pound. I bought their 4 biggest ones and saved about 14 bucks. I know, I rock! I'm going to make my first "preparing for baby" food with them. Then we went to wally picking up diapers and food stuff. In the evening I went to my friend Julie's house for a Usborne book party. It was fun to look at the books, and there were some good ones that I'd like, but we are currently on a spending freeze so we won't be buying any. Though I'm considering having a book party here, they really are cool books. Anyone interested or know anything about Usborne books?
5 snacks I enjoy: Uhh this is hard because on my diet snacks are my hardest food. So let me change this to snacks I eat and most of the time like: apples, peaches, peanut butter on the spoon with a glass of milk, yogurt and blueberries, hard boiled egg.
5 songs I know all of the words to: Lots and lots of David Wilcox songs, though its been a while, Come Thou Fount, All for Jesus (stole those two from Bob's list, but I know them too), Sweetly sings the donkey (HATE that song!!), lots of praise songs.
5 things I'd do with 100 million dollars: Pay off all debts, get a bigger house to hold more kids and more easily have people over (house guests too), have someone clean for me every 2 weeks for the rest of my life, plan for future (kid's college, retirement, etc), help family, tithe, pay for our churches building program, and give lots and lots away. Ok that's more than 5, but man I'm a DREAMER, I can't help it!
5 places I'd run away to: Lake Bomoseen VT, the mountains, Italy, a huge cabin with all our friends for a couple of weeks, home.
5 things I'd never wear: I so agree with you all on NO fanny pack (I've given Bob a hard time for wearing one in the past, now his fanny pack days are over I believe), a bikini (at least in public), a banana clip (remember those?), flip flops (they hurt my feet), gobs of jewelry all at one time (you know like Mr. T).
5 favorite TV shows: Baby story, Decorating cents, Crafters Coast to Coast, Wheel of fortune (though not so much any more), Alias.
5 biggest joys: life in Jesus, my wonderful husband and life with him, feeding Caleb his bottle while feeling baby girl kick (its like interacting with the both of them already), watching Caleb and Bob play together, naps, good time with friends just talking.
5 favorite toys: bread maker, all things crafty, things to play music on (radio, stereo, guitar), internet (blogs etc), my car.
5 people I want to pass this on to: Lynn, Laini, Rebecca, Steve, My mom, my sisters.
Posted by michellew at 10:43 AM | Comments (3) | TrackBack
September 01, 2005
Good food
When preparing for Caleb's arrival I cooked up a storm and froze it all so I didn't have to worry about food and dinners for a while after he was born. (I think I had like 20 days worth of dinners in the freezer!) Now I'm not sure I'll go quite that crazy this time. But I do want to make some meals ahead of time.
Here's where YOU come in! I'm really wanting some new recipes. Preferably one's that freeze well and don't include heavy starches like rice, potatos, beans and pasta. Though I do eat whole wheat pasta. But I can't eat the rest of that stuff, or sugar for that matter. Do you have a favorite recipe or two or three that you could send my way? And if it does have some ingredients I can't have, I'm pretty good at tweaking things to my hypoglycemic diet. Casseroles and soups are especially good for freezing. But I'm bored with what I have. So step up and help this mama get ready for her baby girl to come!
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August 04, 2005
Creating new spaces
We have a great size dining room, but hardly use it on a daily basis, except to walk through to get to another room. So I've been thinking of making a reading/nursing corner in it, and a play area on the other side. Bob's dad has fixed up a little table and chairs for Caleb and is bringing them for his birthday. This table and chairs is really special because I grew up playing with them and so did my mom! So they will go in the play area next to our ikea shelves and on the other side of the room will be my new little sitting area. Here are some before pictures for each side of the room.
I am getting a cool chair from Sarah Barker for my corner and we are planning on ordering some artwork from Katie to put in it as well. I also want to get a little rug for my corner and maybe a bigger area rug for Caleb's play area. I love creating new spaces in my house, so I think I'll have a good time with this.
By the way, I love my husband. He got me the coolest flowers the other day! I just love spider mums, they look so cool and last forever. I was literally singing how much I love them this morning so I thought I'd share their beauty this morning.
Posted by michellew at 09:18 AM | Comments (6) | TrackBack
July 30, 2005
Closing the blog doors?
So I'm feeling a bit sheepish for ignoring my blog for too long now. I've been wondering why I lack the motivation to blog. Here's what I think. I'm an external processor through and through. If I'm thinking about it, well, its coming out of my mouth. I have to talk things through in order to know what I'm thinking or feeling. Bob knows this by now, that's for sure. So once I've talked something through I feel little need to write it down. I've never kept up with a journal either, and I think that I lack the energy or motivation to write a lot about something I've already talked about.
Another reason, I'm just not funny. I love to laugh and have a good time with people, but generally speaking I'm not a funny person. So my blog's role can't be to make people laugh.
Also, Bob takes care of all the family updates/photos, so my blog doesn't really need to keep the people happy because Bob is already doing such a fine job at that.
So I'm thinking of shutting it down. Unless you (all 3 of you!) can come up with a good reason to keep it going. I guess I could do something like start a recipe blog, I love to cook and love food and love other people's great ideas of what to cook. But that's the only thing I've come up with to keep me going. I know not looking like a winner yet. (hey anyone out there have a good ziti casserole idea? I've just started eating whole wheat pasta and am wanting to make a ziti casserole)
The best reason I currently have to keep it up is so I can remember how many weeks and days pregnant I am. That little ticker comes in handy. I seriously often forget how far a long I am. Though I am getting so much more excited these days for our little girl. We have a name picked out and at first I wasn't completely sure that I loved it, but now, I really love it.
I love reading other people's blogs, seeing pictures of Katie's and Jeannette's babies makes me happy. So I'm sticking around checking, but up in the air about quitting my own. Ok, enough, I'm repeating myself.
(last thing, I lack the time at the computer to keep it up too. If I'm sitting here Caleb is crawling on my legs or under the computer to get me off of it, another excuse!)
Posted by michellew at 04:09 PM | Comments (14) | TrackBack
May 06, 2005
Strange Prayer
I've been really selfish feeling lately. Craziness abounded at our house for pretty much all of April. It started with the 3hd server crash, then family visiting, then we all got sick for a couple of weeks. I find when schedules change I forget what's important and start focusing too much on myself. I've been in a rut lately, feeling like I'm snapping at Bob all of the time and having all the yuck come out of my heart. Thinking more of myself than those around me.
All this to say I was praying about this today while Caleb was playing at my feet. When he crawls across the floor, sometimes he drags things between his legs unknowingly. Well he was right next to me while I was praying and he sat up and his butt started to pray! "Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord my soul to keep..." I looked down and he had dragged this little praying bear attached to a blanket under his butt, sat up and joined in my prayer time. This struck me so funny, I just had to laugh and laugh. The timing was great, almost a "hey mama, lighten up a little and laugh." You gotta love it.
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April 21, 2005
not much
I really should post a lot more than this, but right now its nap time and boy do I need it. Maybe someday I'll get back on the blog bandwagon.
Your Linguistic Profile: |
| 60% General American English |
| 20% Dixie |
| 15% Yankee |
| 5% Upper Midwestern |
| 0% Midwestern |
I guess I was a bit surprised how dixie I am, tho I'm sure that is mostly due to my using "y'all" on a regular basis. I never thought I would, but Bob used it all growing up and says it, so it was inevitable I suppose. And I call it a grocery cart, NOT buggy.
We are really looking forward to this week ending. The whole house seems to smell, laundry, dishes, diapers, bathroom (post flu zone), plus lots of other things piling up. Hopefully we'll get some rest time this weekend. We both feel pretty wiped out, Bob trying to truly get over the flu and get caught up at work (pray for him as things are really behind). I'm sure if you check my blog, you've checked Bob's, but just in case you haven't heard, we're pregnant again! And that would be the major reason I'm so tired and headed to a nap right now. Ah I love my couch!
Posted by michellew at 02:02 PM | Comments (3) | TrackBack
April 04, 2005
Queen of relaxation
If you know me even a little bit, you know I like to be comfortable, to relax. I guess a major reason for this is fibro, or maybe its just cause I'm a sucker for complete comfort. I take naps every day (mostly out of necessity), and love every second of them. When I sleep I have to have 4 different pillows to help me get comfy. I guess my comfort-centricness stems a bit from my idealistic tendencies. I love dreaming of (and living) "perfect" little moments, ones that I can take a picture of in my mind and return to now and then. Often that picture in my mind has included a hammock. (I used to say ham-mock, but Bob has taught me its really hamick) I've always loved them, and yet only ever owned a camping hammock. Until now.
Well I don't own it, but the Petersons let us put one of their Mexican hammocks up in our yard and it is awesome! We had a bit of a long day today, so after dinner I asked Bob if he'd watch Caleb so I could go chill in our hammock. I grabbed my herb books I checked out from the library, a couple of pillows and went to relax. Its great. I love it. I want to spend every relaxing bit of time I can in that hammock before the mosquitos hit. So thanks neighbors, for truly filling a long time wish of mine to have a hammock in our back yard.
Posted by michellew at 10:41 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
February 25, 2005
I'm back
I'm back. Back from sickness that blew me over for a week or so. By the end I was convinced my body just wanted to hit each and every cold or flu symptom before it recovered. I guess the worst of it was having a fever. I can't remember the last time I had one, it kept me in bed full time. Bob worked from home and took care of Caleb. I'm so thankful for him. I really missed Caleb while I was sick. Its good to be able to take care of him again!
I started growing some herb seeds indoors a couple of weeks ago and am pretty pumped about them. I tend to get on my little kicks now and then and I guess this is one of them. Hopefully they will grow into beautiful plants that I can put on my porch. A garden in pots I think will be a little more manageable for me, so I'll leave the big gardening in the back to Bob. I've planted italian parsely, rosemary (still no sprouts, I've heard its hard to grow from seed), cucumber, lavendar, cilantro, green dwarf basil, purple basil, thyme, sage, chamomile and dill. Bob took these pictures for me. The tallest ones are the cucumbers (notice the cool saturn through the window Lynn, Andy, and Katie). The roots are going crazy underneath so I need to plant them into bigger containers this weekend. What fun! I can't wait till spring. Oh yeah, its practically spring in our front yard because our cherry tree is in full bloom and our daffodils are blooming too!
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January 26, 2005
gmail anyone?
I have a gmail account and have 6 invitations avaible if anyone out there would like an account. Let me know...
Posted by michellew at 07:10 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
January 10, 2005
The out of doors
There is just something about getting outside that helps me with perspective on life. Breathing in fresh air, looking up at the sky, watching Katie run around thinking she's the biggest dog on the block, it's all so refreshing. I took Caleb out on a blanket in the backyard with Katie this afternoon and had a great time. Part of why I like being outside is that the duties of a house aren't all around me and there is a lot to distract my mind from struggles. Not that its only an escape. Its truly a joy.
It seems like Caleb is fond of being outside too. He can be crying and fussy, but if I step out on the porch, he stops and looks all around, taking it all in. He's done this since he was tiny. He really gets a kick out of watching Katie run around and bark at the people and dogs walking by.
I've also been going on walks again in an effort to help my pain. And it works! Before getting on the meds I'm on whenever I would exercise I would be more tired and in much more pain (for days sometimes). Hence the reason I walked out of many a doctors office when the suggestion for my pain was "just exercise a little, lift some weights (yeah stinkin' right!), go on a walk, then you'll feel better." It is true that exercise makes most people feel better, but for fibros it mostly stirs up the "bad stuff" in our muscles and causes pain and fatigue. All that to say, with the protocol I'm doing when I exercise it gets stirred up, but now my body is able to dispose of the "bad stuff" so I do feel better, as long as I don't over do it.
I had gotten pretty lazy about walking since Caleb was born. At first I was just too exhausted to do anything. Then I was too selfish with my sleep, wanting to stay in bed as long as possible. Well Bob and I are trying to start afresh and wake up earlier so he can have more time with Caleb and I can go on walks. Of course it helps that the weather is so nice, we'll see how I'm doing when its in the 30s in the mornings again. Yikes I don't look forward to that.
So next time you read this and I'm in some kind of funk, tell me to get outside for a while!
Posted by michellew at 03:43 PM | Comments (3) | TrackBack
January 07, 2005
Siempre Mire Arriba
I realize that I never explained my blog name. Its Spanish for "always look up." When Bob and I were first dating we would take a lot of walks on the trails behind Covenant. I loved how the trees looked from underneath when the wind was blowing, it was such a peaceful thing. We were going to be apart for the summer, I in Peru, and Bob working as a gardener in a mansion behind Covenant. The long driveway to the mansion had huge beautiful trees and it was walking down that drive one day with Bob that I thought of making "look up" our phrase. It may sound cheesy to you, but we thought it was great at the time, and still do. It was meant to be a reminder for us to always look to God in every situation. Since we loved being outside so much together, we were always being reminded. I still think of that phrase and its meaning now and then. Only a few days before Caleb was born we went to Chester Frost to relax and have a picnic. Laying on the blanket looking up at the trees, wondering when Caleb would arrive (I actually started labor that night), I was reminded again to look to Jesus. Now I wish everytime I blogged it had the same effect, but in any case, I hope this blog helps me to think more about what God has done and is doing in my life and in the lives of those around me.
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