2009 Danbury Court

The lil' Farmer turns 2!

2011-12-17T14:37:00.000-08:00

too many pictures!

"Don't mess with me"

...errr...maybe it should be

"don't mess with my coffee table"

Even Farmers....

need their naps!

addition

2011-12-17T14:36:00.000-08:00

fast snack

2011-12-17T14:34:00.000-08:00

Sunflower seed + goji berries + walnuts + pecans

+ sesame seed sticks + almonds + banana chips

+ dried mango + cranberries = diabetic snack!

cut the mango chips

bag in mini ziplocks

1/4 c. portions

throw in freezer

1 explaination!

2011-12-17T14:21:00.000-08:00

...this is how i get everything done, everyday! - clark

Vacation with a Twist

2011-11-04T19:57:00.000-07:00

2 carry-on bags + 2 back packs + 1 child = family vacation

Few things can be a refreshing as the wonder and excitement of a child. Vacation highlights take a different twist when viewed from the eyes of a 1 year old. Here are six high points thanks to our son, Clark Allyn.

1. Sitting for hours in the airport - a DREAM come true!

2. Having to walk around construction and remodeling projects within the airport - HUGE bonus!

3. Long distances between terminals - who said that's a pain?

4. Hours of free entertainment - thank you Tractor House

5. No car seats in the shuttle bus - SWEET!

6. Fire alarms in the middle of the night - what a DELIGHTFUL idea!

The END

...of our delightfully twisted vacation!

Operation Re-Love

2011-11-03T10:08:00.000-07:00

Our friend Caulder works at Re-Store and told me that an entire household of old but solid furniture had just been donated. I found this $15 office table. The leather insert on the top was damaged.

* SOLD *

My girlfriend Nicole was coming down that week to teach me how to re-do

furniture. The fun began with painting the base.

Going for more of a French Country look, Nicole led the charge in popping off the table top and replacing it with plain 1'' x 6'' boards.

I love her brilliance! I adore that girl!

Well the knobs we bought to replace the old handles didn't fit.

New holes were drilled. - THANKS SAM!

Almost the finished product...more pictures to come!

....and this was the best part

2011-08-13T14:57:00.000-07:00

Life isn't about waiting ...

for the storm to pass;

it's about learning to dance in the rain.

This is the day which the LORD hath made;

we will rejoice and be glad in it.

Psalms 118:24

Baking from my cupboards...

2011-07-28T12:02:00.000-07:00

I lean on Allrecipes.com when I need to make something with what I have on hand. This week was no exception.

Coco powder substituted for chocolate chips + a little oil instead of all butter = cookies that received high reviews

It's a keeper!

~~1 cup butter, softened~~ 1/2 c. butter + 1/2 canola oil
1 cup white sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons hot water
1/2 teaspoon salt
~~2 cups semisweet chocolate chips~~ Coco Powder - didn't measure just taste tested.
1 cup chopped walnuts

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Cream together the butter, white sugar, and brown sugar until smooth. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla. Dissolve baking soda in hot water. Add to batter along with salt. Stir in flour, chocolate chips, and nuts. Drop by large spoonfuls onto ungreased pans.
Bake for about 10-14 minutes in the preheated oven

The Room

2011-06-27T12:12:00.000-07:00

As a child, I recall that rooms in our farmhouse had a name. One room was regularly referred to as the "blue room" simply because it was painted blue.

A few months ago my husband began to refer to a room in our home as ...The Room from ....Well, I can't really write what he said in good conscious. Needless to say my husband's description was true.

The first time I heard him mumble the room's new description...I wanted to argue with him, but knew it was true. Miraculously, I made the split second decision to let the new name sink into my lil wife heart. I knew why he dubbed it with that title. When something was placed in that room....it was LOST forever! No joke.

:: a small sampling of the room ::

Later that day, I stood in the door way staring at the random assortment of stuff, junk, and more stuff. Clearing this room was multi-layered. I took a deep breath, rolled my eyes and shut the door.

Time passed.

Something had to change and will power wasn't going to solve this problem long term.

Hello?! I knew somewhere in that room was a book I had ordered on SIMPLICITY. You can't get much better than that folks, a book about simplicity gets lost in The Room from...

http://tshoxenreider.com/organized-simplicity

Well, it's been a few months. The room is still problematic. On the bright side, you don't have to play hopscotch when you enter because of the random stuff sitting on the floor and stacked on either side.

A few weeks ago, I had cleared enough layers of this room to rescue the book about simplicity. We're slowing working on destroying bad habits and forming new habits. It's not the fix-all book. It's not about will power. It's not about cleaning systems.

It's about intentional living. It views the first art of homemaking as discovering or knowing your "family purpose statement." What has God called your home to be? A place to cultivate deep relationships? A place for rest? A place to learn? A place to celebrate and nourish creativity? A place to learn character through work? a place to laugh?

Amazingly helpful!

Though still in process, the Weddle Family Purpose statement includes the word "rest". That probably explains why these quotes stood out to me.

"Creating a more peaceful living space doesn't happen overnight, nor does this tranquility remain forever unchanged once you've arrived at uncluttered nirvana. A peaceful home requires a change of attitude, a habit of regular maintenance and a lifelong commitment to place higher priority on relationship and events than on things." Pg. 105

"Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful

or believe to be beautiful." pg. 103

"Make your home a place

where you can slow down." Pg. 103

"When you take the time to declutter

and purge your home of the unnecessary,

you buy time for the future to enjoy your home

and share it with others." pg 102

Ok, so here's the picture you've all been waiting for. Now, now! Don't act disappointed. I looked. I didn't have any pre-room pictures.

Here is "the room" as it looked at 2:30 today...

Thank God, hope is not about our perfection

18 months

2011-06-17T09:53:00.000-07:00

To my lil man, Clark Allyn

Here is what you've been up to...

- You love to go "ows-sisszs" and play
- The Doctor today just told us you have pink eye. The joys of childhood!
- You cling to two naps a day. 10-12 and 4:30-6:00.

- You love to go to Tim and Lydia's pool and JUMP in. No fear of water there.
- New vocabulary words include Bap bool (purple), tack ur (tractor), DADDA! at the top of your lungs, EEEEk, EEEK (tweet, tweet)
- You really concentrate when you shake your head and say yes or no.

- Potty training is right around the corner!
- You have become proficient at signing all done, please, thank you.
- You get pretty excited when the word - Lane, Tim, Claira, Chris, Grandma, Brandon or Mason is mentioned in a questioning tone.
- Your Dr. is pleased that you are back on the charts at 25 lbs & 32 inches in height.
- You get excited to see Grma and Grnpa....even the B side that you don't see very often. Of course, cows, tractors, cousin and good food win you over pretty quickly.
- You adore your daddy....which in itself is a pretty good Father's day gift!

Mommy's Old Blue Suitcase

2011-03-25T14:16:00.000-07:00

I hear ~~the truck~~ DADDY'S TRUCK! - Clark

Mommy just said I could use her old suitcase in my room! - Clark

"THIS" is why I like the old blue suitcase SO much...to see daddy's "TUK"

Benefits of purging your house

2011-03-25T13:46:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, while purging the house I ran across some basic white picture frames, two 75 cent shelves and the letter C that I'd purchased months ago ....Classic Emily problem. Inspired. Uninspired. Inspired. Uninspired....you get the point. My inspiration comes and goes with the degree of courage I feel on any random day.

Simply put, yesterday when I saw the supplies sitting there and looked at Clark's blank wall - I felt inspired again.

My inspiration continued with a few pieces of paper + couple nail holes + 97 cents of orange paint from Hobby Lobby + a half a yard of fabric...

The end result...

"ACT JUSTLY" " LOVE MERCY" "WALK HUMBLY WITH YOUR GOD"

Clark is now fascinated with the wall

...urhh ....should I say a small rectangle on the wall.

Oh, and one other thing

In my whole house purge I also found my sidewalk chalk. So, before my ~~inspiration~~ courage left, I put a frame around the art in Clark's room...

I'm digging this house purging stuff. I like feeling courageous and also like making a lil money.

So far, I've made $107 selling random things on Craigslist.

Add dumping an entire trunk load off at the salvation army means ...

...the end is in sight!

Little drawer you add stress to my life....

2011-03-25T13:12:00.000-07:00

Last week, I HAD it with my utensil drawer. I pulled everything out and vowed to get rid of at least a 1/3rd of the contents.

It's less stress to pull open and find what you need....

I'm pleased.

What got the boot?

...Mainly it was my dull knife set. I now own 3 knives. Loving it.

The potato peeler I've never liked and any spatula that wasn't pampered chef, went into the donate box as well.

Because, the small things of life do matter.

The new addition...

2011-03-14T10:26:00.000-07:00

Our freestanding double oven. We haven't decided on a name yet for this sweet machine. TBA.

Oh the possibilities....

How fun is this! To think about all the meals i can attempt to cook at the same time?!?

Text Messages from Mr. Mom

2011-03-11T11:40:00.000-08:00

Last week Allyn worked from home with Clark while I taught in the schools for the Pregnancy Testing Center.

At 6:45 Monday morning, I had to walk out the door to teach.

Clark had been up sick 4 hrs that night. Ugh.

Allyn played Mr. Mom all day Monday. Hardcore.

      7:30 text msg "C just puked all over both of us"

      9:45 text msg "just lying on his back in the living room"

      9:56 text msg "...nasty diaper, again"

      10:55 text msg "...and now he's pooped in the bathtub"

      11:15 text msg "threw up on the living room carpet."

      11:17 text msg "PUKE, POOP, PUKE, POOP"

      11:19 text msg "C has to be cleaned out! wont drink anything.

       11:30 text msg "What's the buldozer say clark? "mama"
                                What's the lion say? "maamma" :(

Even after being Mr. Mom to a puking 1 year old for several days in a row,
Allyn hasn't changed his mind.

He'd choose being puked on - multiple times vs standing in front of 9th graders teaching Sex Ed.

I got the best of both worlds, being puked on at night and teaching classes by day.

As strange as it may sound - it was actually a GREAT week for both of us!

You know the weeks, when you look back and only have two words....

"Thanks God"

Welcome Home...

2011-03-10T20:32:00.000-08:00

One of the best things about living in Manhattan is knowing military families who serve our country. After a entire year of being deployed, Clark's lil' friend Claira gets to ...

"Welcome home daddy"

Ketchup? Seriously...

2011-03-10T20:18:00.000-08:00

....For the super stubborn rust stain in my bathroom sink?

My friend, Amanda, was right on ...something about the acid in tomatoes...

when you let it sit will...

...work some magic in 15 to 20 minutes. Crazy!

View from my kitchen...

2011-03-10T20:01:00.000-08:00

While there is still plenty left to do for every room of the house - including the kitchen/dinning room, having this wall gone feels freeing to me.

Loving the view ...

Welcome ...

2011-03-10T19:51:00.000-08:00

Pictures coming Soon...of the new wood floor in the entry and the new door.

Let the construction begin...

2011-03-10T19:05:00.000-08:00

While we feel very blessed by this home, we were ready for more space in the dining area.

Notice on the tiled bar how the one side was warping?

Who again thought carpet in the dinning room was a good idea?


Decisions, decisions, decisions....$7.99, $5.99 or $3.99

Because of my farm background, I love wide planked floors.

I really liked the hand scrapped look and feel.

After bringing quite a few samples home, I debated between these three.

I choose the cheapest. I actually liked it the best.

I am anxious to see how the texture feels, cleans and shows dirt and damage....

We'll find out soon...

Thanks to Chris and Brandon for their help.

Clark's new playpen

LOVE it!

One year ago

2011-01-24T19:35:00.000-08:00

Clark met a sweet little sleeping beauty named, Claira Lee Mathews.

Claira's tiny preemie outfit is packed away, but we wanted to get a picture before I officially retired Clark's 3 month pin striped blue dress shirt. What good friends one year later! So SWEET!

ok...maybe not.

This is how it actually went...

Large crocodile tears ...

I don't want to hold a girl's hand.

Which of you said this was going to be fun?

The woman was finally fed up with the cranky old man...

....and everyone was much happier after nap time.

The END!

Calorie Update

2011-01-24T19:18:00.000-08:00

With a drastic increase in calories, obesity still seems like an unlikely issue for my man.

The first day I counted Allyn's calories, he ate a little over 1,600. ouch! Day two came close to 2,200. Improving! Day three pushed us past 2,700. Then my computer went into the shop for a few days. We'll be back at it tmw!

Clark's seen a dramatic change in belly fat of late! The recent 1.5 pounds has not only added some belly fat but the start of an "almost" fat roll to his legs. He's loving solid food like chicken and beef.

The mommy of the house is excited to think about decreasing calories soon as she won't be nursing for much longer.

Cousins visit!

2011-01-24T19:12:00.000-08:00

Clark (12 mo) Gracie (2 years) Wyatt (14 mo)

On Top of Spaghetti...

2011-01-24T19:02:00.000-08:00

All covered with cheese.

I lost my poor meatball when somebody sneezed!

Moral of the story:

....so if you eat spaghetti all covered in cheese, hold on to your meatball and don't EVER sneeze!

The Grinch Makes a Fleece Blanket...

2011-01-24T17:56:00.000-08:00

Allyn drew his sister Rebek's name for Christmas....

There were several things on her list. Only one that Allyn knew he could do...

The one specific gift request was a "pink and zebra print" fleece blanket. Clark just thought the whole process was pretty spectacular....and Rebek was pretty excited about the end product

.

Watching the Grinch and the 'lil Grinch work on Rebek's gift, was GOOD for my heart. My one year old child was clueless about what was going on. Yet, it excited me to think of Clark someday learning the simple beauty of giving and receiving. This year the Musgrave Family letter stood out to me on the topic of gifts. I loved what Yoli wrote about how they are desire to be intentional and train their children about gifts at Christmas... "It is our tradition to start opening gifts a few days before Christmas day. This for us symbolizes God's goodness. He gives us gifts everyday that we need to unfold them and appreciate them everyday." I love how Yoli goes on to describe daily gifts that we often forget. I love that they are being intentional about not making Christmas day a gift finale. I love how they are wanting to teach their children to appreciate what they are given. Their letter and example of parenting was also good for my heart.

Happy New Year!

A Buddy's Birthday

2011-01-12T19:33:00.001-08:00

Clark's buddy, Gabe, turned 1 today...

Clark 4 mo. Gabe 3 mo.
wham.
HERE I AM! irresistible!

Happy Birthday Gabe!

A year ago we hardly knew the Novaks, yet had enough connections to be excited to hear the news of Gabe's arrival. A few months later we got to house them when they came to Lydia's bridal shower. We fell in love with their family.

This picture melted my heart the first time i saw it on the camera. Two dad's rocking their lil boys to sleep...

Gabe, we are so glad we got to meet you.

Today, we celebrate your BIRTH day! ....and cried a lot too.

- The Danbury Ct Weddles

www.firefightersfamily-dhjc.blogspot.com

Bitter-Sweet

2011-01-04T13:06:00.000-08:00

With the recent sickness that's swept through our household, I've noticed the bathroom scale - it's bitter sweet.

For me the last few days have meant nothing more than a few more lbs shed pushing me farther below my pre-baby weight - SWEET!

For my husband, it's a very different story. Groan. It reminds me of how serious I need to be about pushing Dr. Florish's recommendation of Allyn eating a 3000 calorie diet. That's a freaking lot of calories!

I have my work cut out for me. That's the bitter part. It's also the tricky part. Cooking and eating in a way that one gains and the other doesn't. Hmmm. I was excited to discover that i google has a pretty sweet calorie counter - we'll give it a whirl.

Since I was feeling back to normal this morning, I worked on sanitizing the house and kitchen. During C-man's nap ....or should I say long "scream fest" before he fell asleep of exhaustion {poor guy - it's rough adjusting from being a sick baby to being a healthy baby who's treated normal again} ...I sat down with some recipe books and started meal planning. This is a LOVE IT! recipe I plan to use again soon.

Yummy Mandarin Crepes

Crepe recipe
1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 c. wheat flour
1 tbsp sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1 c milk
1/3 c water
3 lg eggs
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Serves 4-5 people

Drizzle this over your crepes....

1-2 tbsp butter
1/8 c. confection sugar
2 tbsp flour (approx)
2 tbsp of orange juice concentrate
1 can of mandarin oranges

Melt the butter in a saucepan. Add flour, sugar - stir. Add orange juice concentrate and drained juice from can. Stir over low heat till thickened. Add mandarin oranges.

Drizzle over crepes and YUM!

Happy Birthday, Son!

2010-12-21T08:43:00.000-08:00

Clark
You are 12 months old! I love this age. You ditched crawling all together 4 weeks ago. Walking is definitely your preferred mode of transportation. Now that you are walking, you are more selective of what you put in your mouth. Bugs still rate pretty high on the list. ugh.

Here is what he has been up to:

- Size 3 diapers
- Won't be in size 6-9 month clothes for much longer.
- You still wear some 3-6 mo pants...
- Your great aunt has dubbed you as the "butt-less wonder" ...because you are skinny you crawl out of most pants within minutes of being dressed.
- Weight : 18 lbs (1 percentile)
- Takes two naps a day. These can last 30 mins-3 hrs.
- You have 8 teeth.
- You say, "ubp" {up} "trk" {truck}
- Your hand goes over your eyes, you lower your head and sob when you learn something else you can't touch.
- You love truck books
- You climb up and down the stairs with great speed.
- You love to go visit dad in his office and give a shrill scream of delight when you see the gate accidentally left open. down the stairs you go to pound on daddy's office door.
- You sign please on your knee. weird.
- You had a fun birthday party. For days after your party you pointed to your half eaten cake and would say "trk" and then sign "please"...Well done Anna. He LOVED his cake.

- You are beginning to point out family members in pictures.
- You cry when your daddy leaves for work.

We are grateful for 1 year with you, son. Love you. - Mommy

1 year ago ...

2010-12-21T08:27:00.000-08:00

They sliced open my belly
{cringe. yet, it wasn't as bad as I had envisioned.}

I had a nameless baby.
{36 hrs later ...Daniel? Josiah? CLARK!}

I took every pain med they offered me.

{wise advice given me: now is not the time to be tough}

3 days in the hospital felt like a fabulous vacation.
{Feed me mashed potatoes and let me sleep! oh ya!}

Colorado

2010-12-21T08:12:00.000-08:00

Clark was fascinated when we stopped to watch the elk...

Two brothers and their little ones...

Amalia (4 mo) Clark (11 mo)

Clark may have to watch out for this side of
Amalia's personality!

We loved getting to know our niece better.

Family Photos!

2010-11-15T16:00:00.000-08:00

No science needed...just a blender

2010-11-15T15:48:00.001-08:00

Food + lil water + barley cereal = 1 happy baby

Packing food for Grandma's house!
Sweet potato - avacados - apple sauce - strawberries

(shhhhh! no one told me you weren't supposed to give baby's strawberries. He LOVES 'em)

Amazingly, we are almost done with this stash. I thought Clark would give baby food by now a thumbs down, but no, he still LOVES it.

2010-11-04T11:00:00.000-07:00

There are moments in life where

another's thoughtfulness catches you completely off guard...

Last night when i walked into my bedroom after a long day
... I had one of those moments.

It felt like a hug from God.

Thanks Caitlyn!

Chili and friends...

2010-11-04T08:54:00.000-07:00

As I put Clark on my hip and walked into the grocery store on Tuesday, the memory that I was "on" for feeding small group momentarily overwhelmed me.

I haven't been good about taking all to Christ, but i stopped and asked Him for help. I was tired and remembered I had a long night ahead of me going to an election party.

I don't normally shop at Ray's ....so i was confused and went down nearly EVERY isle trying to find what i was looking for. groan. Then, I ran across the gallon section.

SWEET!

Chili by the gallon. Why not!?

Thank you, Lord.

It was a lot of fun to make a TON of chili, feed the small group and freeze 3 gallons of chili. Perfect!

I love our small group. Last night was good to just be with friends.

Having community is such a beautiful thing.

Thank you, Jesus.

Crowded Lives...

2010-10-23T08:43:00.000-07:00

"Crowded lives produce fatigue -

and fatigue produces irritability - and irritability produces

indifference - and indifference can be interpreted by the child as a
lack of genuine affection and personal esteem."

- Dr. James Dobson

I love Craigslist

2010-10-17T18:07:00.000-07:00

This week's Craigslist Treasure for $15.

Clark's new buddy, Lane Mullet giving the red radio flyer wagon a test run. Lane is 8 weeks older than Clark.

This week

2010-10-17T17:32:00.000-07:00

In the last seven days, Clark

....began walking
....flew for the first time.
....popped THREE new teeth, yes, THREE
....met his first cousin, Amalia and second cousin, Fiona!
....fell down the stairs. yes, again.
....ate a fly! yes, disturbing.
....met his Great Aunt Marianne.
....Started taking 2 to 2 1/2 hour naps. happy!
....began to CLAP his hands together

He's not the only one who is ready for a good night of sleep!

Night!

10 Fall Things

2010-10-04T07:05:00.000-07:00

Here are some things I'm excited about...

1. Making cinnamon bread one of these mornings

2. Getting a Family Fall picture taken by Jodie. Can't wait!

3. Flying to Chicago next weekend with my 2 boys and staying in a motel!

4. Seeing my sister get married in a few weeks

5. Finishing organizing my closet! 2 weeks ago I purchased an organizer that Allyn has already installed. YAY!

6. Making applesauce for Clark

7. Getting all the goodwill stuff loaded up and dropped off!

8. Spending more time relaxing with friends

9. Making a HUGE batch of chili and freezing it for quick meals. YUM!

10. Working on "not being busy" and delighting in "the lack of perfection"

oh...and 11...celebrating our 4th ANNIVERSARY THIS WEEK. WHOOOHOO!

Help!

2010-09-21T17:28:00.000-07:00

These banana muffins are SO good that I am going to eat them all if you don't drop by....

When can you stop in?

The gal that is living with us for 2 weeks gave us this recipe. Better yet, she made them for me AND cleaned up the mess. SWEET! That's what I call easy cooking! We are enjoying the dozen yummy muffins.

2 c. flour
1 tsp baking powder
3 bananas
1/2 c oil
1 c. sugar
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
4 T sour cream
cinnamon
vanilla
chocolate chunks

{with the last three ingredients ...you decide according to your taste. Enjoy}

350

Approx. 20 or 25 min

Big trucks, avocados & breakfast smoothies!

2010-09-17T08:03:00.000-07:00

Clark LOVES to "drive" with Daddy!
Wayyyyy better than being in the BABY car seat

Today, was Clark's 9 month appointment.

I'm feeling a bit outnumbered today.

As the Doctor looked at my son's .81 percentile for weight I realized that Clark has officially joined his dad's weight club....hmmmm.

Now, both my men now have doctor's orders to eat more foods that will help put on weight.

Allyn still refuses to eat breakfast (grrr), but is downing
2 larger protein fruit smoothies every morning. That's happy!

Clark's been loving making a mess on his highchair.

You can't beat avocado's for great nutrition and a GREAT beginners mess!

Of course, putting him out on the PATIO in an already STAINED onsie = stress free.

Sacred Parenting by Gary Thomas

2010-09-10T09:54:00.000-07:00

How Raising Children Shapes our Souls

"Once we realize that we are sinners, that the children God has given us are sinners, and that together, as a family, we are to grow toward God, then family life takes on an entirely new purpose and context. It becomes a sacred enterprise when we finally understand that God can baptize dirty diapers, toddlers' tantrums, and teenagers' silence in order to transform us into people who more closely resemble Jesus Christ." pg. 17

"Unless we are stone-cold spiritually - virtually spiritually corpses - the journey of caring for, raising, training and loving children will mark us indelibly and powerfully. We cannot be the same people we once were; we will be forever changed, eternally altered. Spiritually speaking, we need to raise children every bit as much as they need us to raise them." pg. 15

Abigail Leone Miller

2010-09-08T14:08:00.000-07:00

My cousin had a baby girl last Friday. Welcome to our family Abigail Leone!

Melanie had told me last week that homemade Thank You notes would be helpful. Here are the various stacks that we made over the weekend. She requested purple and green. They are bundled up ready to be shipped.

Knowing how much Clark loves his Cotton Muslin blankets, we also worked on personalizing one for Baby Abigail with iron on letters and flowers....

The idea came from a gal at church...I like to copy creative people

Ready for Baby Abigail!

Small Group

2010-09-02T04:55:00.000-07:00

I love our small group....babies...

.....Clark (8 mo)
....Mr. Mason (2 wks) we prayed and prayed for you. Thank you Jesus!
....Miss Claira (7 mo) and mommy come to small group while daddy serves in Iraq.
....Miss Dahlia (12 mo) and mommy are moving. * tear

This picture sadly does not include Miss Goss (10 mo) and Miss Izzy (2 mo)

:: priceless::

:: awe ::

:: beautiful ::

There is a time for sorrow and now we are in a season of rejoicing.

Last night, Caitlyn was beyond excited when she saw Amy carrying "the bag."
It's what the hospital gives you.
We've all envisioned and dreamed of what it would be like when
Chris and Amy would get to adopt.
This was one of those unexpected "Mason's a reality" moments.
As emotionally painful as those moments are when sitting in pain, they are emotionally exhilarating when it is time to rejoice.

Amy is finally a mom.

Thank you, Jesus.

Poison Control

2010-09-01T14:36:00.000-07:00

Well, I made my first call to poison control. ANSWER: Ingested potting soil is an irritant and may cause your child to throw up. If he ingested the white balls, that's merely styrofoam. There is no need to be alarmed. Simply give him something to drink.

That was good news. Seeing my child's face covered in potting soil reminded me of one thing - i have a lot more training to do....slow deep breath!

In the mean time, I'm glad I had some of THIS on hand.

*Colic Calm contains some charcoal. Light bulb moment. Ahh yes! Charcoal is for poison.
As i waited to talk to a poison control specialist, I gave him a preventive dose - just in case. I figured whatever the answer was, a little charcoal wouldn't hurt him. So glad i have it on hand.

Also, i love my Numimed Dispenser. So easy to use when giving medicine. http://www.colicshop.com

Back to training my little man....

ERGO

2010-08-28T07:15:00.000-07:00

I am loving my new Ergo carrier. Thanks for recommending it Rachel! For months, I've been watching Craigs list for these carriers. The only time I've found them is under the WTB section :(

With a family vacation next week to Colorado (YIPPEE!) and some gift card money, I took the plunge. These carriers are supposed to carry the baby's weight on your hips and legs vs compressing your spine. * LIKE
Retailing for $105...ERGO is a brand worth filing in the back of your mind under "if-i-EVERY see-it-on-a-garage-sale...!"

Salsa Chicken

2010-08-26T05:26:00.000-07:00

This week's recipe winner! Delicious!

1 whole chicken - cut up and skinned.
1 can of black beans
1 jar of salsa

1 Large Crock-pot + 6 hours + 1/2 pkg of cheddar cheese
= easy & tasty!

I drain off some of the liquid after 6 hrs. I reserve half of the salsa to add right before I top with cheddar cheese. Eat over rice and throw a salad on the table and you are set!

When I use the 50 cents per lb leg quarters from Walmart...this meal can serve 6 for less than $10. Pictures will be posted tomorrow.

Clark's NEW Friend

2010-08-25T20:10:00.001-07:00

Meeting his new friend. Clark tried to wake Mason up with all kinds of high pitched excited shrieking...but it didn't work. Maybe next time, he'll be awake enough to play!

Clark also tested out Mason's "crawling grounds". He liked the wood floors.

Favorite Thing...

2010-08-25T13:49:00.000-07:00

i LOVE these blankets. If you were standing in my house right now and saw the order I just purchased you'd think i was obsessed with these blankets.

They are perfect because they are lightweight, ideal for swaddling due to their large size, and a great nursing cover. Did I mention that even teething babies love to chew on them.

Brand: Aden and Anais
Cost: With a large enough order you can buy 4 for around $22. Fabulous!

Another pro is that they come in sets of four. Clark is not attached to any one particular blanket.

I love this girl set below!

Mason just got this set today!

I'm stocked with baby gifts again.

One $5.50 blanket + pre-printed note + gift bag = A gift that doesn't break the bank, yet is still fabulous.

Welcome Baby Mason

2010-08-24T13:51:00.000-07:00

This week, our dear friends adopted a baby. Our emotions have been all over the place.

We literally feel like Mason's crazy aunt and uncle.

Both of us this weekend have at random times...

had tears streaming down our face
screamed with excitement
jumped up and down
held our breath
Paced
clapped our hands
not stop smiling

What a journey. It's too long of a story to write here, but you can visit www.unexpectedhope.com for more details.

Yesterday was a down day. We were home, but wishing we were still in the hospital with the Barkers.

Here's what i did to pass the time:

Gift bags for the Barkers to give to the nursing staff and doctors. My amazing sisters-in-luv did this for me when we had clark. It was a huge blessing to me.

Barker's printed off a family picture with a personal note thanking the staff for treating them so well as adoptive parents. Beautiful.

We made 13 of these mini bags

...and another perk is that we get to enjoy the leftovers!

Bath time

2010-03-19T10:46:00.000-07:00

2010-03-19T10:43:00.000-07:00

Time with Daddy

2010-03-19T10:42:00.001-07:00

Ready, set, go!

2010-03-19T10:37:00.000-07:00

Family Pictures

2010-03-19T10:33:00.001-07:00

2009-08-29T19:43:00.000-07:00

Budapest -

2009-08-29T19:26:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago I flew over to Budapest to help my missionary friend Brad build an enclosed coffee house terrace for the church building. Here is a video of the work in progress.

Wedding bells...

2009-06-13T14:49:00.000-07:00

Two weeks ago, my cousin Melanie married a young man named Kevin Miller from IA. It was a beautiful day! They were wed in a quaint little chapel outside of Nebraska City, with immediate family and close friends in attendance. Since we were the photographers, we'll post a few pictures from the day! Congratulations Melanie and Kevin!

Bedroom decor

2009-04-16T12:38:00.000-07:00

I finally decided what I wanted for the west wall of my bedroom. I LOVE it! Thanks Ben and Heather for helping me!

Psalms 91:11

Sisters!

2009-04-16T12:27:00.000-07:00

This winter, Melanie can down to Johnson with her 'new' car. We girls took the car for a quick test drive to Coryell park and had fun taking pictures!

Chicago

2009-04-16T12:15:00.000-07:00

In January, we made a trip to Chicago to surprise Eric. Liz organized the weekend in honor of Eric's recent acceptance into grad school. Congratulations Eric!

On Sunday afternoon, we met up with Marianne, Anna and Katie and went to IKEA. Here are a few pictures. I will add more later....

Oh and yes...we had to stop multiple times so Katie and Anna could get their wiggles out...

LOL!

Baltensperger Baby!

2009-04-16T12:11:00.000-07:00

We're excited to be aunt and uncle to Gracie Baltensperger!

What a cutie! Congratulations Ryan and Rachel!

We praise God for her safe arrival!

Mom & Daughter

Nap time!

Thanksgiving and Bowling!

2009-04-16T11:22:00.000-07:00

Thanksgiving was spent in Manhattan. On Friday, we had another thanksgiving meal with the Weddle and Sons roofing crew. Josh and Kassi Moldrup, Tim, and several Hondurans were able to join us. After the dishes were done, everyone went bowling. It was a very fun evening.

Our Anniversary

2009-04-16T11:00:00.000-07:00

On October 7th, Allyn and I celebrated our 2nd anniversary! Thanks Allyn for a fantastic evening!

LOL! The truck was even decorated compliments of Kristen and Rebek!

Fall Fun ...

2009-04-16T10:38:00.000-07:00

Making fresh cider is a tradition in the Baltensperger family. The press my dad uses is from our Great Grandparents. Dad added the motor and hydraulic press for ease. Smart!

This year dad loaded everything on a hay wagon and parked it in the shop! Also, smart!

Allyn was excited to see the process. It's the first year there's been a bountiful crop of apples since we've been married.

Here we are rinsing the apples and mom is cutting out any bruises or bad spots.

Simply put....

Lots of apples + my dad + the cider press = delicious apple cider

Hmmmm! So good!

Updates coming soon....

2009-04-16T09:56:00.000-07:00

I successfully ignored by blog for months. Now, I'm back and will be posting again soon.

Hope you are enjoying Spring!

Sunday Afternoon Visit

2008-08-25T06:46:00.000-07:00

Mom and dad came down for a visit.

We went out to eat at Famous Dave's.
Thanks for coming down to Manhattan! We loved having you visit!

oh and here's my new office space!

Sights 'n sounds from our new home!

2008-08-05T19:12:00.000-07:00

We probably have our neighbor's totally confused...."Humh. They said they are a young couple with no kids, but have you seen less than 5 cars in their drive since they moved in?" LOL. The first 6 weeks have been packed with all kinds of fun people visiting our home. The extra space has been fantastic.

We've been cleaning, painting, moving & hosting people ~ with or without furniture in the house.

A very common sight...LOL! and this was a slow day!

Allyn and the Hayden kids playing a game down the hall.

~ Just for the girls ~

Pics

2008-08-05T19:04:00.001-07:00

Drumroll.....who said multi-tasking couldn't be done.
Great job Caleb and Jackie!

We didn't get a picture of Caleb's cinnamon pizza,
but it was as delicious as his cherry rolls.

Taking a break!

Jake is one of Allyn's workers. He was awarded the smallest coffee cup in our house since he dislikes coffee. Saying you don't like coffee in Allyn Weddle's home is enough to get you escorted to the front door. Thus .....we came up with a compromise!

Don't ask! LOL!

More pictures

2008-08-05T18:47:00.000-07:00

Melanie - this one's for you. This is when you called me and said you were engaged. Yes, I'm 12 foot in the air, holding onto a pal of paint, brush, cell phone, while standing on a ladder. Allyn heard me scream - came running out and decided to capture the moment.

Karl and Mary Noren
enjoying the newly cleaned carpet

Time for trimming

YEAH!!!! We finally got moved in.

We're here!

2008-08-05T18:35:00.000-07:00

My TDH (not to forget ''& strong") husband
carrying me over the threshold!

The new home

2008-06-26T16:45:00.000-07:00

Lord willing, tomorrow morning we are scheduled to finish signing for this home. We'll see what happens. The home is right next door to it is where Allyn was raised.
In fact, the tree you see on the right side of the picture is known to the Weddle's as "home base." Stop by if you are through Manhattan!

The Manhattan tornado

2008-06-13T07:57:00.000-07:00

Well. A lot has happened lately. I'm sitting here still in my cozy white bathrobe drinking my 3rd cup of green tea. Ahh. I needed a break from the craziness.

My husband has been going 110 percent lately. The workload has been enormous. 40 + calls a day...that was due to the softball size hail we were hammered with 2 weeks ago Monday. Not to mention before the tornado hit this week!

Other than the tornado and hail, the last 2 weeks have also included:
- Driving to WY as Allyn was an attendant in Genoa's wedding
- Allyn recovering from a concussion ~ Softball
- Attending Jake's wedding ~ fun day in OH!
- driving 12 hours home through the night ~ not so fun...!
- Helped our SS student's family move out of their destroyed home (pics below)

Needless to say, we're very grateful that there were no fatalities during the last couple storms. Below, are some pictures we took either helping friends or responding to emergency calls.

Our friend's house.
Macy the 7 year old daughter was in our SS class through the school year

The miracle was the everyone was safe in Manhattan after the tornado went through.
The picture above shows Macy's bedroom. All the girl's furniture was sucked out.
The family went to the basement 15 minutes before the storm hit.

Below is the 18 inch beam that when through their roof and into their master bedroom.

Several church members with loaded trucks helping move Macy's family
to temp housing.

The Ohio Wedding!

2008-06-08T16:19:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since I've posted. A LOT has happened.

This weekend we had the delight of seeing Rachel French added to our family!!!

Introducing
Mr. and Mrs. Jacob Baltensperger!

The Baltensperger family!
+ Grandma Fass

Rachel and bridesmaids

Grandma, Jake, and Rachel

Laughing about something...and dad with his classic smile!

Jake! A happy man.

Part of the head table
Emily's shoulder :0) , Kenny Pyle, Anna, Brian and Mariah...
Jake and Rachel
Thanking everyone at the reception...

Allyn, Jake, Kenny and Brent

Allyn & Em
Another happy couple!
Married for just over 1 1/2 years.

Estes Park, CO

2008-06-08T16:10:00.000-07:00

After Genoa's wedding, Allyn and I stopped by Estes Park, CO.
Allyn's three younger sisters were a part of a youth orchestra trip scheduled
to the YMCA camp that weekend.
It was a great time.

Eating breakfast with Allyn's great Aunt and Uncle, Mark, Peggy, and Emily K.

WY wedding

2008-06-08T15:51:00.000-07:00

The Happy couple on rehearsal night - Genoa & Kelly
Married last weekend in WY!

The groom, Kurt Moldrup, Peggy, Allyn & Emily
Peggy helping Allyn put on his boutonniere.
Emily entertaining the cake decorator's baby girl.

Allyn with his friend Yachel & 1 year old Rowdy.

Securing the father of the groom's boutonniere right before the wedding.

Both the bride and groom are rock climbers...thus the cake!

The bride and groom with the parents. :o)

The softball size hail...

2008-06-08T15:34:00.000-07:00

The first of June we had a lot of bad weather here in Manhattan, including softball size hail.

One of the roof's Allyn was called to inspect...

Some went all the way through.

not our car, but next to a roof Allyn inspected...

Cookie bak'n time

2008-06-08T15:27:00.000-07:00

I usually invite kids over to bake with me...
However. I needed a break. So my friend Amy from church came over.
I really enjoyed visiting with her. It was a busy, but refreshing evening.
We baked like 7 or 8 dozen cookies, for soldiers who had just come back from Iraq.
Of course, Allyn's crew also got a plate or two.

Welcoming home our neighbors

2008-06-08T15:20:00.000-07:00

Here my neighbor Anne and I wait for her guy to come home
after being gone for 15 months to Iraq.
We had counted down with Anne from day 96.

The sweet reunion.

Our other neighbor. We met his parents when they came a couple days ahead of time to
move his stuff into the apartment, next door. Both Anne's husband and this couple's son were in the same group coming home.

A cowboy wedding

2008-06-08T14:55:00.000-07:00

Allyn and Tim show off their black cowboy hats for Ben's wedding.
LOL. Allyn wasn't exactly ''thrilled'' to play cowboy for the weekend.

Being the best man, Allyn hosted a breakfast for the guys the day of the wedding.
They all enjoyed watching Ben's bullriding DVD and the breakfast.

Mrs. Mullet and myself in the kitchen

I helped coordinate the wedding.
LOL. We look so serious in this picture
It's most likely because there were A LOT of details to finalize.
Coordinating this wedding had it's set of challenges. Fun. But challenging!!
But, hey....I love challenging projects!

We're excited for Ben and Heather! They will make a great couple.

During March

2008-06-08T14:25:00.000-07:00

Right before Easter, we received the sad news that Grandma Weddle had died.
The family gathered in Wichita to remember and celebrate her life.

Eric and Liz celebrated Easter with us this year.
Emily K's boyfriend, Jason was also able to join us.

The month also included a Nebraska reception for Ryan and Rachel.
It was a special time.

Hungry 08

2008-06-08T14:08:00.001-07:00

Part of the construction team that came over to work on the
Ministry Center while we were there.

Recognize this from the Sound of Music?
Salzburg, Austria

Checking in on Gaza while he was in the hospital
Allyn, Gaza, Brad

Re-visting the same restaurant (& table) we ate at right before
he proposed to me in 2006

Our Sunday School Class!

2008-06-08T13:47:00.000-07:00

Allyn and I co-taught the SEVEN year olds class. Working together we learned a ton more about our strengths and weaknesses.

Our class of SEVEN year olds. (-Neely and Shandra)

We just laugh when we see this picture. This little guy was very sweet. When we asked what happened, he told us exactly how the playground collision had occurred that week at school. He was excited to make cards for our friends the Lemons who live in Hungry.

The map Allyn drew on to show the kids where we were going.

Enjoying Fall

2007-11-14T15:05:00.001-08:00

We're loving fall.
Announcing our NEW addition: the little brown couch!!!
Grandma's couch is so comfortable.

The tree outside our apartment is so pretty.
The picture doesn't do the tree justice.

Here is the lamp we bought in Lincoln!

- My kitchen -

Laughter a good medicine...

2007-10-19T08:09:00.000-07:00

This past visit to Lincoln was full of laughter...!

It's been 2 1/2 weeks since we've seen Rachel

so we were amazed at her progress.

Praise God!

Rachel busted up laughing when she saw the veggie...pureed broccoli!

Rachel's two sister and Allyn hang out in the dinning room w/Ryan and Rachel

Rachel with Maddonna staff

Rachel's right hand doesn't move much...

but she can sure punch out words with her left hand.

My 1st Hyllningsfest

2007-10-15T17:41:00.000-07:00

The Weddle families congregate in Lindsborg, KS to celebrate their Swedish Heritage.

It was a beautiful day to spend with a great family.

Hyllningsfest - Weddle cousin's lined up along the parade route in age order...!

Ok, so it took a little while to get used to the guys Swedish costumes

...you gotta love the pom poms!!!

The parade + CANDY made a great start to the day!

Anna W. and Emily

I have fantastic sister-in-laws.

Watching all the Swedish dances in the middle of main street Lindsborg.

All the siblings in front of G-Grm's house

(minus Liz who was visiting her sister in Witchita)

Half the fun of the weekend was seeing the three boys together again...

It's been a year!

2007-10-08T07:11:00.000-07:00

1 year later! It's kinda hard to believe it's one year ago from when this picture was taken - we got married.

Yesterday afternoon, at 4:03 we began watching our wedding DVD. That was alot of fun. Wow. There was alot of special people at our wedding! We had a great time remembering back to ....how God answered our prayers in even finding the Sabetha church, how He prepared us for that day, the rehearsal dinner & my dad crying the whole way through the testimony time, the guys quartet ~ "Go'n to the Chapel", Caleb and Jackie's smiles through out the day, our attendants, our family! , our friends, how calm we both felt as I walked down the isle, having both our pastor's, the fantastic Wissmann/Ulmer serving crew, our great photographer, our nervous & fast first kiss (LOL), the car that was decorated so nice. We also had a good laugh counting the people that came to our wedding that we hadn't invited....! To funny. It was great to see them though!

So, after all this reminiscing...we went out to a NEW resturant in town. It was a nice place. The waitress eventually came out and informed us they'd ran out of my meal selection. We had a great time visiting until our meals finally arrived. We were impressed when later the manager came out, apoligized for the long wait and informed us the meal was on him. That was a pleasent surprise to our day!

Ahhh....A dozen roses! Thanks Allyn!

Anyone for a piece of cake?!? It's only 1 year old...??

Remember this...

2007-10-08T06:56:00.000-07:00

October 7, 2006!!!

What Dad and I faced right before I walked down the isle....
LOL! My brothers are great!

Ready to head down the isle....come on guys - open the doors!

Amazingly...

We weren't nervous.
We weren't tired of smiling.
We still remember what the Pastor Steve said to us.
We felt truly blessed.

Our prayer is still that "We might exalt His name together" Ps. 34

Oh, and yes there is still 1 bird seed in our house.

I clean around it....just because!

Let rehab begin...!

2007-10-06T11:04:00.001-07:00

Fun at the Fair

2007-09-19T18:57:00.001-07:00

So...what did I do this fall? Pictured above is a volunteer presenting the gospel to one of the children at the Kansas State Fair. http://www.cefofkansas.blogspot.com/

Allyn, I and Tim coordinated the Gospel Handpainting Tent for CEF of KS. There were around 1,660 + kids that came through the tent and heard the Word. We are so grateful to the over 140 volunteers that gave of their time and energy.

While it was so fun to coordinate...I was also happy to get the mound of handpainting supplies out of our bedroom. I'm ready to get into a Fall routine.

Did I ever mention to any of you that I love fall?!?! The weather. The colors. The holiday of Thanksgiving. Ah. So refreshing.

Pray for Rachel ...

2007-09-19T18:18:00.000-07:00

http://www.healrachel.com/

So, Sept. 6th ended on alot different note than anticipated. I was down in Hutchinson, KS that evening preparing for the final CEF Handpainting Training. Tim and I had set up the State Fair booth. Last I had talked to mom, everything was laid out and ready to be packed for the rehearsal dinner the next day....

The training went great. It wasn't till afterwards that Allyn told me that my sister-in-law to be had been....life flighted. (gulp)

The next morning we learned specific details of what happened. Rachel suffered an injury at the chiropracter that lacerated the verteberal artery (it's a major artery located in the spinal column). She was life-flighted into the University of Iowa Hospital. After 2 strokes and a seizure, she underwent an emergency operation to remove the VERY LARGE clot in her brain stem.

The first few hours after the surgery were very intense. The news that day was sobering. We wept. We prayed. The last 4 hours of our trip to Iowa City were some of the longest in our life. Immediate family and close friends arrived to the hospital throughout that day (mainly those who would have arrived for rehearsal). Dad had visibly the hardest time. His eyes were always moist.

Rachel began to stablize over that weekend. She has overcome alot of hurdles. She is not out of ICU yet. There are some big mountains ahead. PLEASE continue to pray! Be specific and be bold. http://www.healrachel.com/ will give you current information and prayer requests for Rachel. Ryan has faithfully stayed by her. He's going to make a great husband.

Two Brother's Engaged!

2007-09-19T18:13:00.000-07:00

2007-06-26T06:03:00.000-07:00

This weekend, I had the pleasure of meeting Rachel Garrison. YEAH! I enjoyed her company so much. She's alot of fun. Ryan and Rachel G. have been dating for about two months!

Ryan and Rachel G. next to the plants we were putting in tubs. A classic moment.

Our cousin Heidi Baltensperger was married to Ben the first weekend of June. It was a beautiful outdoor wedding in the grooms parent's backyard.
Mom was a powerhouse. She came back from cooking a full week of CYIA to serve the food for Heidi's wedding. Together there were 7 of us that served food. We watched the ceremony from the patio with pepsi's in hand (!) Marrianne came back from Chicago for the wedding. It was a wonderful evening. We're excited for Ben and Heidi!

Summer

2007-06-24T21:53:00.000-07:00

Hope your having a great summer!
Here are some pictures from our summer.

The end of May:

The Hayden's came to visit. We had a fun 2 days. Even though the pool was still too cold to swim in - we did anyhow!

Here is the TCE group from CEF of KS. I co-taught this week long course in Newton, KS with Mr. Brown (far left) and Tammy Sellin (front of me). We had a great time.

There were several storms that kept the guys really busy this year. Here is a picture of the large branch that skimmed the side of my folk's house.

Family Reunion: Allyn and I enjoyed a road trip to NE for his side's family reunion. The Frantz family gathered in Nebraska City for 3 days(!) We stayed with our friends, Alan and Melissa just down the road from the lodge. It was great to see everyone. Eric and Liz were even able to make it back from Chicago!

Alpha: Both Allyn and I are serving with Alpha this course on Sunday evenings. Allyn does sound and I do hospitality. It's a great group of people.

Cleaning Party 'n Pizza

2007-04-24T05:57:00.000-07:00

This past semester, I've enjoyed being involved with a young ladies Bible study. We used the Inductive Bible Study method - focused on the book of Jonah.

Our service project for the final night was cleaning the house of a family with three small children ages 3, 1, and 6 weeks. The mother's Birthday was Saturday - we sent them out on a

date. Between the 7 girls we watched the kids and cleaned for 2 hours.

Adam (3 yrs old) enjoyed vaccuming himself. Erin enjoyed holding baby Issac.

We found a large spider while cleaning that we killed with a video case (JFYI - that picture was NOT posed of Bethany freaking out!)

Pictured to the right is the Bible study leader of the group....Ok, let me explain! Her job was to knock down the cobwebs (!) and she took it seriously.

Below: We had a Pizza party after wards! Yum!!! The girls are incredible and it was tons of fun to get to know them and study together.

Just the girls

2007-04-24T05:43:00.000-07:00

Yesterday morning, my sister Anna drove down from NE. Most of the day we babysat 4 little girls (Condra family). We had a blast. As seen in the picture, they tested out my brand NEW sidewalk chalk on our patio. We read books, had a picnic, braided hair, etc.

He is RISEN!

2007-04-10T17:21:00.000-07:00

Happy Easter!
We spent the day in Lindsborg, KS with extended family and friends. After lunch and the Easter Egg Candy hunt (a tradition that Aunt Shirley ensures will happen each year) for the kids we attended the Messiah put on by Bethany College. We had plenty of time for fun and games and visiting.

Also, pictured below are the snow covered tulips at Grma Frantz' house. The storm that came through just prior to Easter left 5 inches of snow atop the flowers.

Allyn playing Skittles with Noah and Lanie.

Emily helping Riley pick up her candy after the Candy Hunt.

Scrapbook'n

2007-04-10T16:40:00.000-07:00

Last week, while on the final leg of recovering from a bad cold (that was the kind that lasted 4 weeks!) I enjoyed scrapbooking NCHEA 06. It was a ton of fun. A couple weeks ago, I had met with a Creative Memory Consultant and asked her a bunch of questions - how to's. etc. Anna Weddle got me onto power layouts (shown in the picture - LOL - it covered our living room for 2 days!!!). After picking up stuff at Hobby Lobby during the 1/2 price Scrapbooking sale - I was anxious to start. Next, I'd like to do our dating/engagement album and then our wedding. I enjoy not only the memories, but also it really has makes me stop in awe at God's faithfulness through every season of life.

March Visit to NE

2007-03-28T06:22:00.000-07:00

We had an eventful visit to NE.
Jacob was home from TN - so the guys kicked into gear. They took down a ton of cedars in the pasture and hauled off 5 huges loads of scrap metal.

While this was going on, Mom, Anna and I gave the first floor a scrub down. We were preping for hosting the Baltensperger side in a get-to-gather. The evening was a delight. Below you will see a picture of Aunt Connie with our cousin's child - Brayden - having fun with the farm animal set.

2007-03-04T12:27:00.000-08:00

The Hungary Summit - March 07

Pictured (l to r) Allyn and Emily, Emily K, Janos, Whittney Mullet, Brad Mullet, Eric Weddle, Liz Weddle

Thursday we awoke to snow (see pic). It was quite a contrast to Wed's high of 67!

We packed our bags Thursday morning and headed out for Peoria, IL to visit the other Emily Weddle. She is taking classes at a community college while living with some close family friends who have 4 young boys ranging from 8-0. It was great to see the Hoffman family and visit Emily in an envirment that she is thoroughly enjoying. We really enjoyed our visit.

Emily then car pooled with us to Saint Louis for the 2 day Hungary Summit. There are some really special folks involved in this ministry!!! It was a great time of hearing what God has done and what they desire to see happen. After the Summit on Saturday - we all crashed Janos' home and enjoyed a couple hours catching up on each others lives.

Late Febuary Update

2007-02-27T16:07:00.000-08:00

We're doing well! Allyn and I both celebrated our birthday's this month and our 1 year engagement anniv. on Feb 12th. YEAH!

1 week of Feb. we house sat for an older couple we know. They had 1 dog, 4 cats, and 28 chickens. All survived. :P

pictured is an angel food cake I made last week. I hadn't made one since I was married. Grandma B always made GREAT angel food cakes. So with her recipe in hand...I took a deep breath and started. While it wasn't as high as Grandma's would have been - it tasted good and brought back memories of Grma's Angel Food Birthday Cakes.

Allyn has really enjoyed the warmer temps. The guys did 2 roofs last week and have been out at Fort Riley working on 50 work orders for repairs.

Today...I babysat for a ladies Bible study, went to Life Choice as a receptionist for a couple hours, worked on my Precepts homework, babysat Allyn's second cousin (Brooklyn in picture) in the later afternoon and made a peach pie for company tonight.

Even though it was a little cool - Brooklyn and I invited our Ah-yong and Samuel (our neighbors) to the park. We packed some granola bars along with some grapes and apples. Yum!

The Weddles are keeping Brooklyn for a couple days while her mom has surgery for some skin cancer.

Peggy had heard good news this evening from the hospital that the surgery went well and the report was VERY upbeat. Such a praise!