Summer Vacation, Anyone?

June 22, 2011 by · Leave a Comment

So…Tobin and I realized tonight that we haven’t taken a vacation in the U.S. for a looooong time.

No boo-hooing, though…we had plenty of Bali fun while overseas. Man I miss it there.

So it was almost an overwhelming task to come up with a place when he asked me, “Where do you want to go?”

The criteria include: someplace we can drive to without going crazy (remember, this is being driven with a one year old who hates her carseat), can be driven to in one day OR two if there’s a fun place to stop halfway, and preferably someplace with hotels we can afford. So far we’ve thrown out the following as options.

Southaven, MS: There are a lot of perks that come with this one, mostly in the form of close friends and the fact that we most likely wouldn’t pay for a hotel. The downfall is that when time is spent running all over the place seeing people, that’s not really a vacation.

Wisconsin Dells: It’s close, fun, and though we’ve both lived in Wisconsin, it’s been ages since we’ ve been there.

But it’s close…and doesn’t re ally feel like too much of

a vacation.

Smoky Mountains (Gatlinburg, TN): This was just kind of mentioned as a place we’d like to go. It could be a possibility, but I doubt it will happen this summer.

St. Louis: Could be a possibility and could include having some friends from Southaven meet us there.

The downfall is that I’ve been there a dozen times, so it doesn’t feel like something new and exciting to me. But I would go back there just for this. 😉

Myrtle Beach, SC: We’ve got friends there, and it would be so fun to see them.

This one is almost completely out of the running, though, because of driving time. Maybe when Mae is older.

Washington, D.C.: Yeah, this one got thrown into the mix when Tobin said, How much does it cost to fly to D.C.? I’m not sure we’re serious, although neither of us have spent much time on the East Coast.

(Does Newark Airport count? I ate a hot dog there…)

London: Is it fair for me to throw this out there? Haha… there are some crazy wicked deals on Europe this summer at certain times.

T’would  be fun. But let’s stop dreaming… back to reality.

Minneapolis: This one was thrown out, too…but really we fall into the same trap as Southaven. It’s not a vacation…it’s a go-see-people trip, which is fun but different fun.

A Beach in Michigan: That’s as far

as we got. Apparently there are beaches in Michigan

? Hmmm…

Help! Where should we go? Feel free to leave me a suggestion.

I’m kinda tempted to just stay home…

Sig

Filed Under: family, just life

Daddy, Mommy, and Maelie

June 19, 2011 by · 2 Comments

I’ve been wanting to do this for awhile.

When I see Mae right next to her daddy, I always think she looks like

him. Everyone else seems to think the same thing, too.

I didn’t have photos for both of us that were at exactly one year, but these are close enough.

When I look at both of our baby pictures, maybe there is a little hope that there’s some of her mommy in there

somewhere!

Enjoy. :)

First up? The real star of the show…not the greatest shot of her, but it works. Who do you think she looks like

?

Ok, now me…I think this pic is close to 1 1/2 years old. And, yeah, I had a ton of hair.

And the hubby…by the way, Happy Father’s Day, honey!

😀 My guess is that this one is about the same time frame for Tob…but we weren’t really sure.

Sig

Filed Under: being mommy, family, remembering

Thursday Diet Cherry Pepsi…and a Chat, Too

June 16, 2011 by · Leave a Comment

Yeah, that’s the new beverage of choice. It’s good! Although I did have one LARGE coffee this morning, so had our conversation taken place then, it would have been a regular old coffee date. :)

It’s been a busy, good week.

It’s VBS week, which I think I’ve mentioned once or twice. 😉 I’ve gotten to spend my mornings leading games for 2nd-4th graders, which is pretty fun most of the time.

(Today there were some listening issues, so it’s not fair for me to share my opinion based JUST on today.) Overall, the kids are really good kids, and I love the fact that they are willing to participate in just about anything and have a good time. And in the past, I’ve never loved the VBS songs, but the ones from this program are good. (And stuck in my head…so praise God they’re good songs!) Maelie has spent her mornings in the nursery with some of her friends, and I love that she already has some buddies and also that she has some pretty awesome people taking care of her. It’s been such a good week, and a tiny part of me is sad that it’s over tomorrow.

In addition to Maelie having happy VBS mornings, she’s just had a happy week. We’ve had some fun walks and lots of play time in her new sandbox (without the sand right now :)) She’s been breaking in some of her new toys, which she got at her birthday party Sunday night.

We had lots of friends and neighbors over and just had the best time.

What a blessing they all are to us!

And this chat would not be complete without me sharing the holy fit that Maelie threw today outside…because I wouldn’t let her eat rocks. Really, child, do I starve you THAT much?! She was so loud that I took her inside…but after that, she got over it. (And found some new blocks to chew on instead.) So, really, it was all good.

Yesterday I did something I hadn’ t done since I go

t back

to the States.

I went into a gas station to get a fountain drink…and about went into culture shock mode all over again.

Dude…I’ve never seen so many drink choices at my disposal. And 44 oz. for $.89?! I sorta went crazy and added a couple random flavors to my Diet Pepsi. It was a little strong, but thankfully it still tasted good. It would have been sad if I’d wrecked that drink, my first gas station fountain drink since returning to America.

Thornton’s, I shall be visiting you much more often! Thank you for your existence.

Speaking of things I haven’t done for awhile…playing volleyball?! Yeah, that’s one of them. Tomorrow night/Saturday morning, Tobin and I are playing in a volleyball tournament with some friends. I really, really hope I don’ t comple

tely embarrass myself. (Or hurt myself, which, really, is far more likely.) Joel & Sarah, Jonny & Kris, Tobin…I’m apologizing in advance. Just sayin’.

Tonight I took a shower, and the hot water was being stupid. (That’s been goin’ on a few weeks here now.) Well, I got impatient and decided to just take my shower cold.

Um….BRRRRRR? I had flashbacks to cold mornings in Indonesia when we couldn’t get the hot water heater to light and were forced to take cold showers.

I need to continually remind myself to be thankful for the little things…like hot water.

My big brother turned 40 today!

4-0. Crazy. (By the way, that does not make me old; it means there’s a big age gap.)

And…deep breath. I think that’s all. I’m sorta ready to get a good night’s sleep. One more day of VBS…followed by some weekend craziness.

I love my life.

And I love you all.

Thanks for reading. :)

Sig

Filed Under: blessings, coffee, culture shock, family, friends, just life, Maelie

Sneak Peek

June 7, 2011 by · 1 Comment

Well, sort of…

Today Tobin, Maelie and I had an almost-90-degree family photo shoot. 2 1/2 hours + 3 outfit changes + 2 tired parents + 1 cranky, daisy-eating baby = some really stinkin’ cute photos, at least the ones I saw!

One of my best friends, Becky, takes amazing photos, and she offered to take our family pictures while we are in Iowa.

I haven’t seen the final ones yet, but what I did see? Awesome. I. Can’t. Wait.

Tobin snapped a few random shots of Maelie today, so here’s a tiny sneak peek of the cuteness that was abounding all over the place.

:)

Maelie in the park

And a bonus.

We celebrated Mae’s first birthday with family tonight.

My sister-in-law, Dianne, cooked an amazing dinner, complete with Maelie’s very own birthday cake.

I don’t think my daughter has ever had that much sugar in one sitting, but she sure did enjoy it!

And we had fun watching her.

:)

Maelie eating cake

Sig

Filed Under: family, friends, Maelie

Counting Blessings

June 5, 2011 by · Leave a Comment

Just a few thoughts today.

We are headed to Iowa in a couple hours and will be gone til Wednesday…but I won’ t be gone from

< a h

ref=”http://drug-vpxl.com/drug/male_enhancement_pills.html”>extenze male enhancement pills

the blog. Promise. :)

I’m not gonna lie…it’s been a hard week.

It’s been busy…and a good kind of busy, but there have been some tough moments wrapped up in the week, too.

I’d much rather be running around than be stuck at home for days at a time, though…so it was good to have my mind occupied.

(Not sure how I survived winter…)

Anyway, today’s that kind of day where I need to count the blessings instead of the things that have kept me on the verge of tears for days. Isn’t it amazing how we just naturally tend to focus on all the bad stuff

?

So let’s look at some good.

And smile. Lots of smiling.

It’s good for the heart. :)

😀 Rummage Sale. That’s one thing that kept me busy this week. Immanuel’s PTL (the parent association) had its annual rummage sale this past Thursday-Sunday.

I showed up to help out because there was no good reason to not go…I have more free time than most people, and because people = fun. (Even if I’m working!) It was fun to get out, do something for a good cause, and get to know some people better, too. (And I’m still pretty proud of the Jeep Stroller I managed to snag at the sale, too.

;))

😀 Park. Yay for warm weather and being outside! Maelie and I had a lot of fun with a bunch of friends on Thursday morning at the park. We both got a little pink… thankfully I put sunblock on her!

It was fun, though.

😀 Pedicure. I’m throwing this one in here because it had been over a year since I’d had one. Therefore, completely justified. Even for this super-ticklish girl, there is almost no better way to spend an hour than to have someone ELSE make my toes pretty.

😀 Random naps.

I have napped in the strangest places over the past few weeks.

I’ve taken a couple outside in the yard, one on the porch with my feet sticking up in the air…no idea HOW I managed that one, and just a few minutes ago I woke up from a power nap I accidentally took while blogging. And I never sleep sitting up, so I MUST be tired!

😀 Music. I love it. I th ink you know that if you read this blog once

in awhile. 😉 Listening to it, making it…it’s all good. We sang Glorious Day (Casting Crowns) this morning at church…I just love that song. It made my heart happy.

😀 Road trips. Maybe. Honestly, I don’t love long trips, but sometimes they’re necessary. Like when a sweet former student is graduating or a sweet little girl is turning one and needs to celebrate. So I’m trying to be happy about the impending road trip we are beginning in just a couple of hours. We chose to leave in the evening hoping that Mae will sleep most of the trip and through the night. (The last two hours of the drive yesterday were kind of brutal. Earplugs, anyone?) Please pray for safety and for a happy little chica.

😀 Golden retriever love. Oh, the exuberance these boys bring to my days. As often as I get annoyed by the constant love-in-my-face all the time, I love my dogs.

😀 My sweet girl. I don’t give thanks for her enough…but I am thankful for her. Every. Single. Day.

😀 My hard-working hubby. In any relationship, it’s easy to look at the negatives, but really, there’s a lot of good with us. I love him, even on the hard days.

Ok, I could keep going, but really…we leave in an hour, and I’m not done packing yet…for me or my girl. I’ll see ya next time…from Iowa!

Sig

Filed Under: being mommy, blessings, family, friends, random

For My Girl

May 8, 2011 by · 3 Comments

May 8, 2011

Dear Maelie,

It might seem a little odd that I’m writing to you on my very first Mother’s Day. But there are some things I want you to know, my girl, because I love you.

God took your daddy and me on a journey, one that was not what we had imagined at all, before he made us parents. And because of the waiting, heartache, and tears, we know that you are that much more special. Through all of that, He had you picked out for us!

Our little Mae, you are so very loved and treasured.

When I first found out I was expecting you, I was SO EXCITED. (It was really hard to keep it a secret for a few weeks!) Over time, I was convinced you were a boy. (Isn’t that so funny?) But deep down I w anted

a girl, and God knew that and gave me the desire of my heart.

You made my dreams come true on June 14, 2010, when you made your entrance into this big, crazy world. I couldn’t wait to hold you, love you, hug you, kiss you, snuggle you, pray for you…be mommy to you. You came out ready for all of that…and at the same time, marching to the beat of your own drum.

I like that.

I like it that you’ve found your own rhythm so early in life. There’s gonna be a lot of dancing going on in our house as you grow up!

You’re going to learn a lot of steps from me, and you’ll teach me some, too. And we’ll figure out this mother/daughter dance of life together. It’ ll be fun.

😉

I also want you to know how much I love dreaming BIG dreams for you. As fun as it is to imagine what you might be like, though, I want your dreams to be

your own. I know God will give you those dreams, and I can’t wait to see who you will become!

With everything in me, I want you to be a girl who grows up to love Jesus and others.

Your daddy and I want you to see the world and learn to love

the beauty of diversity. (But take your time growing up because the first year has already gone by too quickly!)

I love you so much, my sweet girl. And even though it’s Mother’s Day, today I celebrate you.

Because you are what makes me mama…and you make my life so much sweeter, so much more beautiful, and so much more blessed.

May you find God’s blessings in each moment and grow to love Him more and more each day.

I’ll love you forever,
Mommy

Sig

Filed Under: being mommy, blessings, family, Maelie

Saturday Love

May 7, 2011 by · 1 Comment

My blog post for today is so not deep or profound.

Probably because I’m still waking up from that glorious 2+ hour nap I gave myself this afternoon.

(Thank you to my fabulous daughter for the close-

to-three-hour nap she took just so I could sleep.

;))

I use to love running all over the place and doing everything on weekends.

Now, if given a choice, I want nothing more than to be with my family, hanging out at home or spending time outside in our neighborhood. I think I am boring.

Or maybe finally growing up. :)

Today was the perfect pre-Mother’s Day gift. Because the sun rises so early now, I really can’t sleep past 6:30. Which is frustrating at times, but today it was ok. I popped out of bed, realized that my daughter was still OUT (which is pretty rare…usually she’s talking to herself in her crib by around 6:15), and decided to be productive and make Oatmeal Cream Pies. Again.

Yes, at 6:30 a.m. I’m just cool like that.

And, for the record, they turned out perfectly this time. Which is good and bad.

I gave some to the neighbors tonight

so I can still fit into my pants tomorrow. Hopefully.

My daughter, in all of her I-was-up-talking-to-myself-at-4:39 a.m.-but-mommy-ignored-me-and-I-went-back-to-sleep glory slept til 8:00. She. Never. Does. That. Ever.

It was a fantastic start to the day.

She got up and did her usual eat, play, cuddle, eat routine…then it was back to bed for her morning nap around 10:30. We didn’t get a huge nap, but she slept a good hour.

Then it was off to Target for tp, formula, and diapers…such a fun trip. We did get to browse a bit while Tob “shopped”, found some too-adorable kitchen towels, and even saw some friends.

T’was fun. Well, as fun as it can be to drop $50 at Target for expensive essentials. Grrr.

Then it was home for a little swinging and playing, a bottle, and

?

Another nap.

Bless my daughter’ s awe

somely sensitive heart. She knew her mommy needed a nap and was only too happy to oblige. And so she slept from 2:30-5:15. (At which time Tobin went to wake her up so she would actually sleep tonight…) I slept too. It. Was. Wonderful.

Then more eating and playing. My daughter really loves to play. (And crawl all over creation, getting into everything.)

Around 6:15 we got a text from some friends inviting us over for dinner.

So we packed up the girl and headed all the way across the street. After d inner we sat around the fire pit

in their backyard chatting. Maelie is an outdoor girl…she is never grumpy if she is outside. It was a nice change instead of her usual crabby evenings. I think we may have found a cure. :)

Then it was home and bed for the girl and a little chatting with a friend for me.

Good Saturda

y…I really love days when the three of us are together. (Even if there are long periods of sleeping involved…)

Except for one thing. I had about six topics I wanted to write about tonight, and none of them came together. I was feeling wordless…which clearly isn’t completely accurate.

I mean, I obviously have plenty of words. :) Just nothing too deep.

How was your Saturday

?

Thanks for reading.

Sig

Filed Under: blessings, family

One Year Later

April 25, 2011 by · 4 Comments

A year

ago, I left Indonesia.

I remember, so clearly, that last week…

Last get-togethers with friends, last movies, last laughs, final hugs, heartbreaking goodbyes.

I remember, even more clearly, my last day there…

Waking up early to soak in the last bits of my normal. Chatting with our pembantu, loving on my dogs, taking my time as I walked through our house, looking out the upstairs window one more time and memorizing every detail of the mountains that surrounded us. I loved those mountains.

The goodbyes. Trying to stop the constant stream of tears as I hugged our beloved house helper and friend, Ibu Sari, goodbye.

The physical heartache as we pulled out of Kota Baru for

the last time.

Two wonderful friends who gave up their Saturday to go with us to Jakarta to see me off.

One last dinner together at Chili’s…and trying (unsuccessfully) to force down some food, but being able to stomach Cold Stone.

😀 No idea why.

One last hour spent together in the Jakarta airport, snagging a semi-private corner, but not far away enough from curious stares.

There were laughs for a bit, and then the tears began to flow. At times I had to force myself to breathe.

Quick hugs to Dave and Tiff, and then Tobin walked me to customs.

Saying goodbye to him was the most awful part of that day, worse than leaving my Indonesia. My best friend, the one who had held my hand through everything, was staying, and I was going. I couldn’t stop crying. He held me as my body shook and the streams of salty tears flowed. It was all I could do to not dissolve on the floor in a puddle of hysterical sobs.

I don’t know where I found the strength…to actually leave his arms and go.

But I did…

I’m sure the customs official wondered why I just cried. I kept looking back to where Tobin was, waiting for his last glimpse of me, dreading the moment when we couldn’t see each other anymore.

It came…and so did more tears.

With wobbly legs, I made my way to Starbucks…I still had two hours until my flight left, and I couldn’t bear to wait it out at the gate. I snagged a comfy chair in a corner, curled up with my latte, and let the tears flow as I reflected on the five years I was leaving behind.

Eventually I made it to the gate and onto the flight. And I was gone.

Indonesia was gone.

Looking back, it easily ranks as one of the worst days of my life. It was a necessary day…but that didn’t make it any easier.

I still feel the heartache when I think about it. And the tears still come.

For the last week or so, my mind has been battling between focusing on Christ and thinking about my last days in Indonesia. Even though it’ s all in the pa

st, it still hurts.

I can’t believe how much I miss it.

Even more, I can’t believe it’s been a year. A whole year.

I have to admit that last week, my thoughts became so consumed with Indonesia that I had to turn things around or I was going to drive myself crazy.

So I asked myself, What has God done in a year?

And the answers to that question sent me to my knees in thanks.

He brought us through six weeks of being on opposite sides of the world.

He provided for me while I was really pregnant, emotional, and away from Tobin…friends, a car, a place to stay, people to love me.

He brought our dogs safely back to the U.S.

He gave us a car much nicer than anything we dared to hope we might be able to buy.

He gave us a beautiful daughter. (Sorry, that one deserved to be in bold. ;))

He gave us precious time with friends and family in Minnesota before we moved.

He gave us a house and neighborhood that are beyond what we could have even dreamed.

He provided amazing friends and a great church during a tough transition to a new community.

He’s slowly giving us a place to belong.

When I look back at the last year, there are things that make me cry and remember…and that’s ok. There’s a time for that.

But there’s also

a time for rejoicing and giving thanks. And we’ve got plenty to be thankful for.

God, you are Good. So, So Good.

Sig

Filed Under: blessings, family, friends, Indonesia, remembering

Happy Birthday, Andre!

April 20, 2011 by · Leave a Comment

Our boy, Andre, turns eight today.

I’m not sure where those years have gone.

I know he’s not human (don’t tell him, though!

;)), but as I’ve said before, Andre is very much

a part of our family.

He’s been with us for all but the first year of our marriage…and we’ve been through a lot together. International moves, additions, losses, tough times, and lots of happy times.

He’s been a constant in the midst of so many years of change for us.

Today I teared up a little when I said to Tobin, “You know, when Andre was seven, I felt safe.

Now he’s eight…and I don’t.”

I know it’s just another day and that my happy, energetic, dancing boy is the same as always…and today, I choose to celebrate him. He’s wonderful, and we love him so, so much.

Happy birthday to our sweet boy. We wish you many more years of exuberance and butt wiggling!

Thank you for the blessing

you are in our lives.

😀 We love you!

Sig

Filed Under: dogs, family

The Weekend

April 11, 2011 by · 2 Comments

Yeah, I know it’s Monday.

But, in the interest of forgetting that it’s Monday, I give you a recap of a pretty good weekend.

First, it was so nice to feel better. I’m not 100%, but that’s ok…my head’s not clogged, I can almost sing, and I slept through the night for the first time in a week without waking up to cough for an hour. So I think that qualifies as better.

At midnight on Friday night/Saturday morning, I took a 48 hour blog break.

I mean, I still wrote on my blog, but I stayed away from the twenty or so that I read on a regular basis.

A blogging friend had done the same thing for a week, and I was inspired.

It was good.

I still allowed myself Twitter and Facebook but found that I spent far less time on them and on the computer in general…and I had tons of time with Tobin and Maelie, which was so great.

Saturday was nice…mid 60′ s and a perfect day for being out

side. Maelie had a wagon ride and some good swinging time, which she loves. Tobin did some work outside, and I sat under a tree and blogged.

We had some visits from neighbors…and it was just a good day to be out, enjoying our awesome neighborhood.

And good to get my first hint of color for the season. Not too much, though. 😉

Sunday was gorgeous…and it started off in the most amazing way. Bear with me…this is a little indulgent. But worth bragging about. A few weeks ago, I tried on a pair of pre-prego shorts, and they were nowhere near fitting me. I was bummed but wasn’t sure if there was much I could do about it.

Yesterday morning I saw a pair lying on top of a stack of clothes and grabbed them, thinking, Yeah, right.

Um, yeah, right!

They fit! (I didn’t even have to suck my belly in, either!) So, of course, I had to try on all of my shorts from two summers ago, and they. all. fit. All of them! Oh, there was much squealing and dancing around!

:)

We went to the late service, and the sermon and worship were both SO good…exactly what we needed. And to top it off, Mae actually sat through the whole service…with some help from a bottle and a container of Cheerios. 😉 We came home and spent some time outside…Mae (again) got to swing, and then when she was taking her afternoon nap, we tossed around the frisbee a little and just hung out in the awesome sunshine.

When Mae woke up from her nap, we decided we should celebrate April 10th and Isabel, so we went out for ice cream.

Sonic is kind of our favorite for a lot of reasons.

We like it, but it also represents a happy time in our lives, so we headed there. It was good to chat and remember…and let a few tears fall. But not too many…it was a really good tradition to start. And Maelie loooooves Lime Creamslushes…it was fun to watch her get excited for each bite.

It was just a fun weekend to be together… me, my hubby, and my girl.

Feeling pretty blessed.

Sig

Filed Under: blessings, family, remembering
«Previous Page
Next Page»