10 random facts friday

1. We are going strawberry picking tomorrow!  Can't. even. wait.

2. We will be visiting Northridge Church -and the city of Rochester- {our internship site} next weekend.

3. We have two separate sets of close friends coming to visit us this weekend.  Both families we have not seen in f o r e v e r.  We LOVE them so much and it's rare to find couples that both the GUYS and the GIRLS get along with equally.  It'll be a good time catching up and having our souls refreshed right before internship.

4. Homemade pepperoni pizza is what's for dinner tonight.

5. Mike bought me two new running outfits yesterday.

6. I let Annaleigh run around the back yard barefoot today.  And I've been thinking, if you aren't living life dangerously, then you aren't living life.

7. I signed up to get coupons, freebies and giveaways via this site.  Not only is it a great resource for the mamas out there, but they are constantly sending me promo codes {via email} for various things.  One of them has been for FREE Shutterfly photo books.  I got one in May for Mother's day, and they just sent me one this month for Father's day.  In. my. glory.

8. I hate packing.  It overwhelms me.  Big time.

9. I found The College Book of Verse hiding on one of our {many} bookshelves.  Complied by Robert M. Gay {professor of English, Simmons College, Boston}.  Copyright 1927.  It was a end-of-the-year gift from one of my former student's parents.  It contains poetry from 1250-1925.  Here's one of my favorites:

Sleep

by Thomas Sackville

1563

The body's rest, the quiet of the heart,

The travail's ease, the still night's fere was he,

And of our life in earth the better part;

Reaver of sight, and yet in whom we see

Things oft that tide, and oft that never be.

Without respect, esteeming equally

King Croesus' pomp, and Irus' poverty.

10. Pony-tails have become my hair-style of choice.  A far-cry from my high-maintenanced days {before kids}.  But I'm thinking I'm OK with that.

mere ponderings

Internship is fast approaching.

The weeks seem to speed right by.

And I have yet to dig-in to packing up my house.

Empty boxes to the left and right of me.

A few that are full sit in the front hallway.

I have an attic scattered with trash and a basement consumed with stuff.

Babies are asleep in their beds making sounds of awakening.

I can hear the stir of their bodies against their sheets.

Major anticipation in my heart gives rise to excitement.

What will such an adventure hold?

New places, new people, and new lessons to explore.

God is ever blessing.

                          ever constant.

                                     ever sure.

Humbled-joy is what I feel.

To be allowed this life.

it has all the bells and whistles

This past Saturday, we were able to check an item off of our bucket list.

We went to Steamtown.

It's a National Park/Historic Site.

A museum all about steam locomotives.

Their history {mostly specific to the Scranton area} and how they work.

They have about a dozen real-life period-time train cars you can go on.

There's even a working steam engine you can take a {20 minute} ride in.

Mike and I have visited a few times, but we've never been with the kiddos.

Annaleigh was in her glory {seeing as she has a growing appreciation for Thomas the tank engine}.

John David is a laid-back 9-month-old.

So for him, he was happily unaware.

But we knew.

And it was great.

So glad we were able to do this before we make the big move to New York.

And I'm REALLY going to miss the sounds of those trains.

{You hear them loud and clear from our house.  One of the greatest sounds ever.}

p.s. I ran for the first time today.

Ever in my life.

About 2 miles.

Which took me about 45 minutes.

People say they feel close to God when they run.

I agree.

Because the whole time I was thinking,

"Dear God, I think I'm going to die."

we have the most adorable coffee maker

Since Annaleigh was really {like REALLY} little, she's always enjoyed watching the coffee making process.  From brewing to stirring.  And as soon as she could sit up on her own, Mike has had her help make his morning cup of joe.  He gives her a spot on the counter to sit and gives over his control.

He's taught her so well she now puts the pod in the keurig, pushes the correct button, adds sugar and cream, and stirs.  All without help.  And if that wasn't cute enough, she proceeds to "smell" her creation {she actually blows out when she "smells"...which always puts a big smile on my face...and no green additives have made it into our freshly brewed coffee....yet}.

Daddy is a Starbucks snob.  And I think he's turning our daughter into one, too.

But that's OK.  I don't mind.  At least my snobs are adorable...

linked up with...

an orange popsicle

75°
Partly sunny(!), warm and humid.
Played "golf" with Annaleigh
while JD rolled all over the back porch.


linked up with...

"the" picture

Each intern must submit a picture of himself and his family to the seminary to be used in the newsletters, for the intern display board, and other various publications.  And this is the one we chose.  It was the picture we had taken on Easter morning.

Taking a picture with two littles can be such a challenge!  This is the best one we could get, despite the fact that little miss refused to look at the camera.  All the other shots had her face turned away as she rested her head on Mike's shoulder {or was crying} while John David continued to make the craziest-looking scowls.  But all in all, I think it turned out great = an up-to-date and {mostly} happy picture of our sweet little family!

70°!!!
It's raining this morning at 9AM.
The forecast predicts sunshine.
Here's hoping that's true.
We want to be able to play outside!

easter flowers

simple things sunday: 3/25/12

My two favorite monkeys making monkey bread.

{simple things sunday}: love found at the parade

3/10/12  the love shared between a boy and his daddy

I've created this mental bucket list titled, "Things to do in NEPA", before we leave for internship.  I probably should write it down {on this here blog} so that I will be sure to do all things we want to do before PA becomes a memory **sniff, sniff**.

This Saturday, was one of those things.  The Scranton St. Patrick's Day Parade.  Apparently, it's one of the largest St. Patty's Parades in the entire U S of A.  Crazy!  To think that we live here!  And that one of the largest parades tromps right through our little ole downtown square!  

The reason it's considered the largest?  It takes approximately 4 hours (FOUR HOURS!?!?) for the parade to run it's course.  Insanity?  I think so.

But it's SO MUCH FUN.  (regardless of the intense amount of drunkards who make their way from all over the country to attend such a spectacular shindig.)  The Irish/Italian and all other drunks didn't even bother me.  It was the giddy junior-high girls and the 7 year old boys.  I'm dead serious.  

The girls were holding balloons, squealing and running toward me while I was walking, and near knocked JD's head off as I held him.  And the boys near kicked me in the shins each time I ran to get a tootsie roll, for Annaleigh, as they were thrown from the floats.  So who cares about the mindless and mild drunks?  I wanted to punch those kids in the face!  

Besides the suppressed, un-Christian-like, aggression towards the kids, it was a blast!  I thoroughly enjoy family time, in any form.  Don't you? 

Annaleigh's favorite parts were the fire engines {it was her favorite fire-fighter book come to life!} and the "horsies".  The girl is obsessed with horses, these days.  So sweet.

JD slept most of the time.  When he wasn't sleeping, he was being kissed on by his family {evidenced in that sweet, sweet picture up there at the top...melt. my. heart.}.  So I'd say he enjoyed himself, too! 

Mike and I enjoyed watching Annaleigh's joy, most of all.  Isn't that the greatest?  To see your kiddos enjoy life??  At least it is for us.  We don't stop smiling and laughing with them as they find happiness in the small things of life.  And isn't that what this post is all about?  The simple things??  It's true.  Our joy is a result of their joy.  The smiles.  The coos.  The light in their eyes.  There's nothing on earth that can compare.

Heaven is probably like that, I have no doubts.  Joy in the seemingly insignificant.  Seeing it all as a part of a bigger plan.  To glorify God.

Here's a picture collaboration of our {heavenly} joy on Saturday.
Won't you smile along with me as I reminisce in the simple things of our Saturday?
These make me smile all over again....

linked up with Rebecca here:

Today...

...is March 1st.

I'm writing this to you from our computer room (apropos...don't you think? and using that fancy new word I just learned...you like?).  The door is currently shut.  This is so my children don't hear me breathing or the sound of the light taps of my finger-tips on this-here keyboard.  They were born with stealth-spy ears.  (Not sure who they inherited that from...)  They hear anything that resembles a human (specifically, their Mommy) and instantly scream for rescuing from their crib cages.

This is the 3rd day of Annaleigh's potty training. I had it all planned out perfectly.  Then my daughter messed it up.  Because, for some reason, a 2YO can't understand the adult plans of her Mommy (which would have had her trained yesterday).  So....I've had to modify the plan.  And I'm happy to say it's more toddler friendly (specifically, Annaleigh friendly...which means MnMs have to be included in the equation on a regular basis...). She's doing much better today.  So there is hope.  Hope for Mommy to not go insane.  Which creates a win/win for all involved.

This is also they day of our March SWF monthly meeting.  I get to go hear Joanna Arp speak on how to be my husband's cheerleader.  The title says it all, "Get Behind Him!  Cheer Him On!!!"...Joanna is so cute.  So animated.  So lively.  So passionate about the things of God.  It's hard not to have it rub off on you.  I really enjoy these meetings.  A chance to get out.  Without my beloved babies.  Eat dessert.  Drink soda.  Spend time catching up with friends.  But most importantly, have my heart gripped by God.  A.maz.ing.  Doesn't it make you want to be a seminary wife?

Today, I also started the herb supplement called Fenugreek.  For all your nursing mamas (past and present)...you just may be familiar with such a concept.  Let's just say JD is always hungry and this little mama of his is having trouble keeping up...we'll leave it at that.

March 1st is also the first day of Ann Vonskamp's March Joy Dare list.  (So apropos that it begins on the 1st...hmmm?  Man, I just LOVE that word, don't you?  I even got to use it TWICE in one post.)  It goes along with her book (and philosophy) One Thousand Gifts.  I read the book in 3 days.  It has literally changed my entire. life.  And so now I can't help but participate in it.  Today's gifts?  3 gifts at 3PM:  a 2YO happily sitting on a potty, a baby boy's smile, the start of some alone time.

And today was the day I realized that it's not selfish of me to crave, desire, and yearn for relationships with others.  It says in Genesis 1:27, "So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created him; male and female he created them."  That not only means the obvious...but it means that because God is a triune figure...they experience relational intimacy with each other.  So if I am created in that image, I would have a God-given desire to want relationships.  To want to be loved.  And accepted.  And gushed all over with affection.  Maybe that's a reason I blog.  Because I crave the friendships I have out here in the blogosphere.  I love my readers.  Some of you I know personally.  Others, only through thoughts which have become realized.  Either way...the yearning is there.  I'm really glad you stopped by to see me.  Thanks for reading.

Today's weather:  38°.  Rainy.  Cloudy.  (surprise, surprise...welcome to NEPA)

simple things sunday: 2/26/12

This is my daughter trying to "kiss" the fish at the Rainforest Café in Chicago, during our recent family/business trip there.  That's just how much she loves the movie "Finding Nemo".  And if you look close enough, you can see Dory in the background of the tank.  Which got her excited.  Because, you see, Nemo is NOT her favorite.  Neither is Marlin.  It's Dory.  Dory holds this little girl's heart.  But to also see fish that resembled all the fish in the movie, was more emotion than she could handle.  This kid didn't eat a thing.  {well...except a few tortilla chips}  She just watched the tank.  And talked about the tank.  And fell in love with the tank.  Hence, the overwhelming desire to kiss most of the fish that swam by.  Lucky fish.

p.s.  It's obvious that the hubs brought home my forgotten camera bag {which he picked up from the hotel on his 2nd business trip to Chicago this last week}!  Hooray!  Hooray for sweet and understanding husbands {who know who they've married}! Hooray for battery chargers!  Hooray for USB cords!  Hooray, HoOrAy, HOORAY!  {and yes, this means there are MORE Chicago trip photos I'm dying to share with you all...so stay tuned!}

linked up here:

the toddler-kind of fun

Coloring your hands and arms with an orange marker

makes for a good excuse to play in the sink wash your hands...

 Harassing a snobby kitty who thought she could hide in the closet...

Jumping on the bed...

Looking for squirrels...

Watching the airplanes fly...

{we live near an airport}

All in a day's work.

It's rough.

But someone has to do it...