Remembering

August 21, 2011 by · 1 Comment

Tonight I got to catch up with this girl.

I love her…we hadn’t talked in probably six months and picked up where we left off.

She’s one of my best friends from Indonesia… my fellow coffee drinker,

my partner in laughing-hysterically-while-getting-stuck-in-the-middle-of-rainy-season-downpours, my purse-loving, shoe-crazy, karaoke-singing, absolutely wonderful friend.

This picture was taken on our last day-of-fun there…together. We talked about that day tonight…about how it was so incredibly fun… and so incredibly sad all at the same time.

I love good times.

And remembering them.

It was good to remember

tonight. :)

Sig

Filed Under: friends, Indonesia, remembering

Oh, Yeah…

August 20, 2011 by · Leave a Comment

So tonight I FINALLY got to see my

Favorite. Christian. Artist.

in concert.

I have waited six years for this.

Between being overseas and our life never matching with his concert schedule… yeah, it was a long wa

it.

So. So. Good.

I took a couple pictures, but they’ re not g

reat.

Maybe I’ll share them tomorrow when I have energy to get up to

get the memory card out of

the camera.

:)

I’m off to bed…g’nite!

Sig

Filed Under: just life, music

A Perfect Blogging Night

August 19, 2011 by · Leave a Comment

My blogging nights don’t usually look like this.

But this week they h ave

a few times.

:)

Yes. And Love.

So, so Love.

Sig

Filed Under: just life, writing

Just Mae…and the Cool That She Is

August 18, 2011 by · 1 Comment

I love my girl…and I blog about her often.

I do spend the majority of my time with her, so I guess this is forgivable, right? 😉

The past few days I have j ust

fallen in love with her even more.

I’m not sure if it’s because she’s becoming more independent and more able to reciprocate love…or maybe it’s just because she keeps getting cuter!

The things she says (or tries to say), the things she does, the way she’s becoming this cool, little person…it’s just amazing to watch.

On Sunday and Monday we had several good walks and lots of time outside, and watching her move and explore was just fun…the few steps turned into many, many more.

She adds new words (or at least things that sound like words!) to her vocabulary every day.

She barks at our dogs, which totally cracks me up.

She sees certain neighbors outside and crawls (or toddles) toward them while shouting at them in her Maelie-talk.

Tuesday we had a date with a friend to get Starbucks and walk to Grafelman Park (our favorite!). It’s an outing we take at least every couple of

weeks, and as I sat there and chatted with my friend, I loved watching Mae explore even more.

She’s not afraid of anything, including eating wood chips…can’t say I’m too thrilled with that one! :) I noticed it again today outside in the yard as she was reaching for a not-very-small bug… total curiosity, zero fear.

I stopped for a moment and thought, My daughter is so COOL!

I love how the qualities she displays mirror exactly what Christ meant when he talked about having the faith of a child…innocent, pure, curious, accepting, willing-to-take-risks.

It’s amazing what children can teach us.

Just where I am with mommyhood…loving it even more and loving my Maelie-girl more than ever, too.

Blessed.

Sig

Filed Under: being mommy, blessings, Maelie, uncategorized, where I am

What Do You Want to Read About?

August 17, 2011 by · 1 Comment

Ok, if you read this,

you are obligated to leave a comment.

Now that I’ve completely guilted you… :)

Seriously, don’t feel like you have to, but I would love some input.

(I’m kind of hoping that input will give me some ideas.)

I’m working on my book…a collection of short stories/lessons I learned from my time in Indonesia.

Some are funny, some are serious,

some are emotional, etc.

I’ve got a really good start (more than a start, actually) on it but am beginning to feel repetitive…and possibly boring.

Since I talk about Indonesia often on the blog, I’m wondering…

What kinds of stories would you like to read

? (Because I know if you read my blog, you’ll want to buy my book!!!)

Is there anyone I’ve mentioned th at deserves

a chapter?

An adventure or experience I’ ve talked about

?

Or maybe just some generic ideas…the things I will miss, or NOT

miss, etc.

Don’t make me beg you…but, please…HELP!

And thanks. :)

Sig

Filed Under: Indonesia, writing

Future Skateboarder?

August 16, 2011 by · Leave a Comment

Tonight Maelie had her first skateboarding lesson, courtesy of our wonderful friends/neighbors.

First she was content to just ride.

Then? It w as time for

a trick.

And of course, we needed to celebr ate the

accomplishment with

a big smile!

She looks pretty proud of herself, doesn’t she? :)

Sig

Filed Under: friends, just life, Maelie

Observations From the Couch in My Living Room

August 15, 2011 by · Leave a Comment

I am tired.

(Worked out an hour and a half with friends.)

Therefore, I am sitting on my couch and NOT moving.

My brain is also tired. (I’ve been writing a lot lately.)

So I’m just going to tell you what I see from my current vantage point.

You are sooooooo lucky.

  • Three loads of unfolded laundry in a basket about a foot from me. I am so overjoyed at the thought of MORE laundry. And while we’re on the subject, can anyone tell me why having one baby more than doubled the amount of laundry I do?
  • Maelie’s primary-color shoppin

    g cart is full of random items. This means one of two things: either my husband threw all the toys from the floor into it OR my daughter is learning the concept of shopping.

    I choose the latter.

    :)

  • Maelie’s pack ‘n play takes up a lot of space in our living room. While I don’t wish for her to grow up too fast, it will be nice when we can put it away.

  • I have a hot pink Wii remote that I totally forgot I had. Which just goes to show you how often we actually play. I think we use it more for streaming Netflix.

  • Mae’s baby monitor is plugged in across the room. I am so frustrated that the battery life in those monitors is down to about three hours. Seriously?! Now we have to leave them plugged in all the time or get up two times during the night to switch them.

    Um, no thank you.

  • We have a stained glass decoration hanging up that was a wedding gift. It is cool enough that

    I will post a picture for you sometime.

    But not now. I’m too tired and don’t want to get up to actually take a photo.

  • I pulled out a couple scrapbooks two weeks ago to show a friend some pictures. They are still sitting on my dining room table. I, um, think I maybe need to clean more often.
  • We have a kind of small TV We originally bought it when we moved here just so we’d h ave something

    and to give us time to save for a big one. And during that time we realized that we hardly turn it on…and that we’d rather spend the money on something else.

  • However, that TV is sitting on an end table.

    (Still.) I really, really need to go to IKEA for a TV stand. Anyone up for a little shopping

    ?

There are probably a hundred more things I could observe, but I’m tired.

G’nite, world!

Sig

Filed Under: just life, random

Little Blessings (Pt. 5)

August 14, 2011 by · Leave a Comment

:) 19 STEPS! Woot woot!!! I was so busy watching her feet and counting steps that I forgot to actually look at her. That was yesterday.

Today? She’s been all over the place!

:) Watching a friend open a gift I couldn’t wait to give to her. Seriously… as much

as I love presents, I love to give them even more.

:) Having a piano and the music it brings to our house. We are so, so thankful to finally have one. Neither of us can stay away from it. And it’s becoming a tradition for us to serenade Maelie to sleep at night.

Tobin plays and I sing.

Tonight we picked How Beautiful, a song from our wedding…and I had flashbacks of Beth and Melissa singing it.

Good memories. :)

:) A really great morning at church.

We love being part of Immanuel.

:) A two-day headache that is (for now) GONE.

:) Lazy Sunday afternoons with the girl napping, Tobin watching baseball, and me napping and watching a little Netflix.

:) Ben and Jerry’s Chunky Monkey. Love.

:) Waiting for a sweet friend to have her baby…any day now!

And I do mean that…she’s, what, 12 days overdue?! Can’t wait for little lamb to arrive!

:) Wagon rides that turn into Maelie training to be a surfer when she stands up while I’ m pulling her.

Wouldn’t it be fun if we were both surfers?

:) The end of the first round of Biggest Loser. I’m six pounds down, which isn’t as much as I wanted, but it’s a start.

Here’s to round two…I’m shooting for twice that.

So proud of all my fellow Losers and thankful for the encouragement they are to me.

:) A new week.

I don’t love Mondays, but they are a fresh start, and I kinda feel like that’s a good thing right now.

:) Grace…given to me when I most definitely don’ t deserve i

t.

Sig

Filed Under: blessings, just life

Total Cuteness

August 13, 2011 by · 2 Comments

We finally got our family pics/Mae’ s 1st year pics back.

This one is too cute

to not share.

Just love it.

:)

Sig

Filed Under: uncategorized

Friday Caffeine

August 12, 2011 by · Leave a Comment

We’re going to change pace a little and have coffee Friday instead…’cause goodness knows, I need it. 😉

Last night I met up with a friend in St.

Charles, a college roommate from ’98-’99, and we hadn’t seen each other since I graduated in 2001. Talk about a blast from the past!

And you know what? It was amazing how we could pick up right where we left off. So many things about us haven’t changed, and the things that have? Were good. We had So. Much. Fun. catching up on life and sharing stories and wondering, repeatedly, why it had taken us a year to get together when we lived less than an hour from each other.

This is a friendship I want to hang on to…and I already can’t wait til we can get together again!

And all of that to tell you that we met at 6:30 at the coolest pub called The Office…and left after midnight.

So it was a semi-short night of sleep for me, but I’m good. Caffeine and power naps are wonderful. 😉

Movin’ on to other things…

For the last month, Mae has made it pretty clear that she’s over napping twice a day, which has definitely shaken up the routine we had figured out. What I do love is that she’s flexible with napping. She’ll go down to sleep as early as 10 a.m. and sleep for a couple of hours…but if she does that, I am almost guaranteed no afternoon nap,

so that makes the afternoon long. For the past few days I’ve kept her awake until about 2:30, and two out of three d

ays, she took a great afternoon nap. (And today, I took one, too! :)) My girl is growing up…definitely an adjustment for both of us.

Summer is winding down.

Our Bible study group met at parks throughout the summer, and yesterday was our last one. I have to admit I was a bit sad, although I enjoy going to Bible study, too.

There’s just something about summer…it feels so free. Back to life, I guess, huh?

Not that I have anywhere I have to be, but I’m starting to really feel the need to fill up my life a little more. There are a couple things going on at church/school soon that I can help with, and I’m working on my book. I’m already about 1/4 of the way done with it, which I’m happy about. Now I’m just hopin’ everyone else likes to read my stories as much as I like to tell them. :)

And? I’ve been going back and forth on getting a part time job a couple nights a week…more on that later if it actually pans out. We shall see.

I’ve been on the craziest eating schedule for the last two weeks.

I eat breakfast, but I almost never eat lunch,

and then I eat dinner. And I’m not hungry at all. No idea what’s goin’ on with my body.

Says the girl who had pudding for lunch. (Does that count?)

That’s something you don’t know about me yet. I LOVE pudding. Especially with Cool Whip.

Mmmmmm…

And while we’re on the subject of food…tonight I made funnel cakes. I was really wanting to watch State Fair, and so I got all domestic and made them, forgetting that I can’t eat them. Seriously…bad childhood experience that had something to do with eating two in one night, and I was up all night throwing up.

I stomached two bites, and we took the rest to the neighbors. And after making those and cleaning up the mess, I’m too tired to watch the movie.

Another time, I guess. It’s more fun with a friend or two anyway, especially if those friends will belt out all the songs with me.

😉

And for some reason…I can’t think of anything else remotely exciting that might be happening right now. So I guess I’ ll drink the last bit of coffee from my mug and ca

ll it a night.

Thanks for reading.

Sig

Filed Under: coffee, friends, just life, Maelie
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