Wednesday, August 29, 2007

Need A...

Noah fix? I love coming home after work & seeing his smiling face.

Fudge-cicle

This was taken in July... Noah is now on to CHOCOLATE, not just a juice-icee. He knows what's good for him.

Icee

These pictures were actually taken back in June, but I'm just getting to posting...
Noah sat so contently, watching daddy have his icee, but he then decided he wanted to try some... More...
MMmm, that is yummy.
Daddy, are you going to share that last little bit?

Wednesday, August 22, 2007

(Back to) 100 Things About Me

I tried doing this before and I believe I only listed 2 things, so here I go again:

1. I wish I had a job as a photographer - I love taking pictures - especially of people.
2. In 2001 I did missions work in Honduras. It was my first trip like this & I fell in love with it. I'd go back there long term if I could.
3. I was a Communication major in college. I was pretty good at my major, but looking back, I think I chose my major because I really enjoyed anything taught by Dr. Gaerte.
4. I have a Creative Writing minor, as well as a minor in French.
5. I LOVE Mexican food. I could eat tacos, refried beans, and rice everyday if I had to - the food in Honduras was wonderful.
6. I can't stand it when people bite their fingernails - and I married a nail-biter.
7. I was an "original" member of the band Godspeed, from Houghton College. It was my team that came up with the name Godspeed.
8. I play the guitar & use to lead worship at church.
9. I also play the drums (including set) - in high school I played drum set for our jazz band; I also marched drum line for 6 years.
10. Amazing Race is my favorite Reality TV Show - I'd like to be on it someday.
11. I've never broken a bone - I have, however, had a 4-wheeler accident when I was 11, where I ended up with 60 stitches & 75 staples. I ripped through a barbed-wire fence.
12. I hate seeing blood - refer to #11. When I had my son, Noah, I had told my Dr. that I DO NOT want to see any blood or I may pass out.
13. I'm incredibly good at remembering song lyrics.
14. I went to Haiti to do missions in 2003, with my cousin Laura. Jeff hadn't proposed yet & I had wished he were with me about 95% of my trip.
15. I love The Muppet Show. I have all the movies & some collector memorabilia. I'm a fan of anything Jim Henson - the man's a genius!
16. I live in the town I grew up in and I'm ok with that.
17. My favorite sport is volleyball & I played on several intermerril teams in college.
18. I get angry when I see people waste food.
19. I'm extremely good with money & know how to balance a checkbook.
20. I love to cook/bake - and think it'd be fun to be a caterer.
21. I went to South Dakota in college to work with the Lakota Indians in the Black Hills. I would do this again.
22. I met my husband while teaching Marching Band - he was the woodwind instructor & I was teaching drum line.
23. I love apple cider - hot or cold.
24. My favorite season is fall - October being my favorite month.
25. My mom reminds me of a mix between June Cleaver, Martha Stewart, and Caroline Ingalls. She's my best friend.
26. I think my father is the best man on the planet - just thinking about him makes me feel safe and proud that he's my dad.
27. I have one brother. He's super talented - he went to school to be a nurse, but he's really an artist.
28. I was a youth leader in Oneonta, NY after I graduated college - and was there for 3 1/2 years. I loved it there.
29. While being a youth leader (and back when I was in shape) the youth group would go on a 1-week bike tour each summer. I'd bike 60 miles a day. My favorite bike tour was through Vermont.
30. I didn't own my own vehicle until I graduated college: I was 22.
31. I worked in a pharmacy/gift shop when I was in high school. I thought at the time that I'd be a pharmacist someday: but I'm HORRIBLE at Science.
32. I had perfect attendance in high school.
33. I like staying up at night, but I much prefer mornings.
34. My favorite vacation spots are near bodies of water.
35. My mom is fluent in short-hand. I get frustrated in church, because she takes all her notes this way & I can't "copy" anything she has written down.
36. I had a lead role in my high school musical, Pippin. At that time, I also thought that I'd be on Broadway someday.
37. I love the movie, What About Bob? It can always make me laugh.
38. I've never had braces & Jeff tells me I have the most perfect teeth he's ever seen.
39. I was an R.A. in college my junior & senior year (in East Hall) and I loved it.
40. I kept journals since I was 11 or 12. I've thrown my first 3 or 4 journals out.
41. My favorite color is red, but I don't decorate my house with anything red.
42. My husband & I drove from Vegas over to Solvang, CA, then down to San Diego. While driving by L.A. I told him we would never do that again. I was scared of all the traffic.
43. I've worked with YWAM (Youth With A Mission) in NYC. I met one of my best friends, Lima, through YWAM.
44. I didn't meet my best friend, Becky, until I moved to Oneonta after college. I've always gotten along better with guys than girls. Becky is the coolest best friend a person could ask for.
45. Before I die, I will visit Africa.
46. I love gifts that are homemade. My grandma made Jeff & I a quilt for our wedding present. I don't ever want it to get ruined.
47. I keep a toothbrush & toothpaste in my desk drawer at work - I never want to have dirty teeth.
48. I prefer using blue ink vs. black. Black ink isn't "allowed" to be used in my checkbook.
49. I have never gotten a speeding ticket.
50. I love reggae music - one of my favorite bands is UB40.
51. My favorite TV show is Lost.

OK....this is difficult - you'll have to wait for the next 49.

Monday, August 20, 2007

The Nixon's



Our friends from church, Katie & Ryan, got married on Saturday. What a beautiful wedding - Congratulations to you both!

Welcome to the fair...

Ferris Wheel


Music

Indian music or... Jeff's dad's favorite: The Old Man & his harmonica...

We're famous.

Jeff told me that we might be able to get on the Channel 7 news and we DID! We all got on at noon during the weather and again at 6pm. I called my family & they recorded us waving to them! We got to meet Aaron Mentkowski (although I'm truly a CH 2, Chesley, fan) I couldn't believe how CLEAN and HUGE this fair was. The Angelica Fair, which I grew up going to, does not even compare to this...
Noah loved the fair as much as we did.

Erie County Fair


Noah MUST peak around the corner...

Delicious

Last Tuesday, August 14, Jeff, Noah & I left for a mini-vacation. For dinner we had Red Robin for the first time. I had the Guacamole Bacon Burger - it was SO good. Jeff had the Sante Fe Burger & loved that as well. Noah enjoyed a little bit of everything & especially loved the steak fries. Jeff (Mr. Sweet-tooth) took me to his favorite spot in West Seneca: Antoinette's. We shared a Carmellow - the perfect mix of Carmel, marshmallow, ice cream & REAL whipped cream... Noah couldn't get enough!

Monday, August 13, 2007

The box.

My sister-in-law snagged this big box from her neighbors, who had bought a new TV. Noah will play in this box ALL day long - who needs expensive toys?

And on this note... we are all headed to the Erie County Fair tomorrow. Be back late on Thursday night - with pictures!

My Linus.

Sunday, August 12, 2007

I am slow.


My friend, Abigail, had been nice enough to email directions as to how to get "titles" on my blog.

I felt stupid because I never had this "title box" above my "box I type in."

After tinkering around, I realized in my settings that I had this box "turned off" and that's why I never had one. (I really thought that something was wrong for...the past month or so, and I had some WEIRD blog template)

I'm excited - I can now title my posts!

My husband "tried" to help, while eating ice cream. He's saying he's going to "reply" to this to tell the REAL story. Little does he realize...the REAL story has already been told.

Here's a picture, just for your amusement - we had a fawn in our backyard the other night...

Friday, August 10, 2007

Look who's 13 months today!

On Monday, August 6th, we took Noah to Strong's Eye Institute, in Rochester, to have an ERG done. We had spent the weekend with Jeff's family (outside of Buffalo) and had just shy of a 2 hour drive ahead of us.
God is good. Noah wasn't allowed to have to have anything to eat or drink from midnight on - except water or apple juice. We had prayed that he wouldn't be fussy, as he is accustomed to having a bottle & a big bowl of fruit & cereal in the morning. Noah is such a content and happy child and was the entire morning.
When getting to Strong, Noah again was such a good boy. This ERG was obviously going to be much harder on Jeff & I then it was going to be for him. As we listened to the anaesthesiologist explain how Noah would be put to sleep, tears stained our cheeks. Noah would look up and smile at us, in question to our tears. I am so thankful for Jeff, as he helped hold Noah's arms/hands down as the mask was placed over his face to put him out - for I know I couldn't do that. I cried in the corner, as they whisked my son away in a metal crib. Jeff and I were in this together & comforted each other, but more so, could feel the prayers of others back home. What a gift to know we are lifted up in prayer during these difficult times.
It shouldn't take trying times like this to draw us closer to God, but these times do. We know He loves us, and loves our son, but I often think that WE love Noah more, that WE know what's best. I remember a friend from church telling me on the day we dedicated Noah that we have chosen to trust God & to raise him in the ways of the Lord - and during these difficult times we must lean on Him and BELIEVE that Noah is HIS, not ours.
After hours of waiting, we were able to be there when Noah came out of his anesthesia. There he was smiling & ready for his bottle. I was so happy to be able to hold him again & know he was alright, despite whatever results we would get.
That day we got the ERG results: Noah's rods & cones are A-OK. No problems were found & there are no deficiencies; his eyes are working as they should.
Praise the Lord!
To think that the Lord loves us more than I love my son is unfathomable, but yet comforting. I'm thankful that the Lord entrusted Noah to us.