Wanna know something cool?
9 weeks to go. And looking at the calender this afternoon I realized the following things are happening before the baby comes:

1. This weekend (Nov 14-16) youth retreat – Discipleship Now
2. Following weekend (Nov 22) – hang out with mom and jes and make Christmas decorations
3. Nov 23 – church baby shower
4. Nov 25 – childbirth classes begin
5. Then – Thanksgiving in Michigan and NFL hall of fame
6. Next weekend (Dec 6) – celebrate Mom’s b-day and Cinci baby shower
7. Wednesday Dec 10 – welcome our nephew to the world.
8. Next weekend (Dec 12-13) – live nativity scene
9. Dec 16 – Childbirth classes end
10. Next weekend (Dec 20) – FREE!
11. Dec 21 – last dog training class.
12. Next weekend – Christmas
13. New Years – no work (we probably won’t even stay up til midnight on the Eve)
14. Next weekend (Jan 3) – FREE!
15. Next weekend (Jan 9-11) – my due date.

That’s right, friends, totally cool! And just think how quickly that all will fly and yet how much joy and laughter will be had over the next 9 weeks prior to the start of parenthood for Matt and me. Granted, baby could pop up any time to add to the festivities, but we’re hoping to make it to January (or at least I’m hoping because Matt thought it’d be cool to have a Christmas baby). But for once, little one, don’t listen to your father.

Alrighty, back to what I do best…

eating a snack.

Well, dear friends, this morning is another fabulous Friday. And why are Fridays fabulous? Because they seem to come quicker and quicker lately. It’s been surprising to me how quickly these past few weeks and months have flown. And I must be honest here… I’m really enjoying that aspect. See, when you’re waiting in excitement and anticipation for a baby (just ask Matt, he can testify), the waiting can be fun, but so can be the receiving. As the days pass and I pass by the nursery I wonder about baby. Will she be a she or he be a he? What color eyes and hair? Will baby have Matt’s nose, my nose or a combo of both? Cone head? (Hey, our niece pulled it off and she’s a cutie now). Will baby be a smiler? A clinger? As active as baby has been inside?

Obedience training is going well with Dakota. Sometimes she is a selective learner, but she is trying and I’m sure she’s enjoying the fruit of her labor. (Do you want a treat?) We’ve gotten a greater distinction between speak, sit and lay down. Though sometimes she decides to sit and lay down with vocals (which is not atypical for a husky). I think the biggest improvement is the consistency and intentionality of training her from Matt and I. She’s a good girl and I’m looking forward to obedience class on Sunday.

Tonight Robin and I get to hang out. I’m looking forward to trashing our kitchen tonight as we attempt to make an edible-looking birthday cake for Jes‘ birthday celebration tomorrow. I told Robin to be prepared to get dirty because I’m a messy baker. “I know,” came her instant I’ve-lived-with-you-for-a-year-and-know-all-too-well-your-baking-habits response. “We only have one apron so you’re going to be out of luck,” I told her. “What are you talking about? You should be the one who’s afraid.” So apparently she is already planning her tactics to acquire my apron. Hehe. This should be quite fun!

Matt’s 10-page “short” paper is due Monday for his class. This is the first and last of his semester papers here in the first semester of his seminary degree. Matt is really looking forward to the semester’s end as we both count down tests, exams, and paper. That 6 week break will be well-deserved for Matt and highly enjoyed by all. (Let alone the normal joy of the holidays and the new joy of our soon-arriving baby).

So yeah, things are humming along with life and all. Work helps me look all the more forward to a 2 month break devoted solely to family. Church is going well. I’m still looking for my spot to serve and grow at church, but I’m confident that some day I’ll find it. Until then, I keep popping around the church and being involved in various ministries. i was thinking how quickly this past year flew by in reference to Matt and my first year of marriage. Odd to think of celebrating 2 years of marriage in 10 months from now. Odd in a cool way, not in a “I didn’t think we’d make it this far” way. Looking forward to the arrival of our nephew in 33 days. Really looking forward to Thanksgiving in Michigan and going to the NFL Hall of Fame around Cleveland-ish with Matt “on the way back” after Michigan. Looking forward to finding out if our fireplace can burn wood, Saturday afternoon with the family, seeing Iowa at church on Sunday, tonight with Robin, snuggling with Dakota (when she’s cooperative), and that feeling of freedom as one leaves the Friday parking lot in pursuit of the weekend.

So g’mornin‘ ya’ll and I hope things are going well with you. Hopefully you have found life’s little joys to enjoy. Have a good one!

Well, this should make things very interesting, very fast. We should expect to see some change… yes friends, change like we never saw it before. But I have a feeling we’re going to miss the America that was which has been exchanged for an American in which such a small portion of the liberal population believes. I certainly will confess that I am not desiring of such changes that have been declared as “good” from our soon-to-be President and I wonder how many others, beyond the Christians I have spoken to recently, will be added to that same category. It is quite disappointing that so many claiming “Christians” could ever vote for things that are so far from the Truth. It’ll be very interesting over the next four years to find out just what slice of something has been elected. But I’m not thinking it’s the slice of heaven that the media portrays. (Then again why should we expect a media who has continually lied in the past to be telling the truth now?)

Guess Christ-followers are going to learn a big lesson in respecting authority while politely and devoutly disagreeing with each decision. Wonder where that’ll put true Christians in this country?

On the bright side… Christianity has always grown in oppression. So when we all have prayed for growth of the Christian church and the true believers of the Lord, God’s answer was through an increasingly struggling country. So be it… all for the Glory of God.

Good morning all. It’s so nice to wake up in the “fall back” as opposed to the “spring forward.” Yeah, one more hour of sleep is quite nice. It’s given me a bit of extra time this morning to come to a couple of realizations and looking forward to a couple of things today.

1. We’re starting obedience training class with Dakota today at 2pm. I’m looking forward to spending some time investing in our dog’s character and also helping her to be less psycho on the lead. This is an 8-week training class teaching the basics with some other beginner and non-puppy dogs. I’m actually looking forward most to spending time with Matt in working with our doggie that he loves so much (not to imply that I don’t love her, but just that she’ totally Matt’s dog due to the way she has adopted him).

2. I was looking through my calender today and realized that today marks week 30 of pregnancy (as you can see from the baby ticker above) but in other terms that marks 10 weeks until the baby’s due date. That blew my mind. 10 weeks out, friends! Wow. That’s coming quite fast. Not a bad fast. Just whew! Fast! I remember counting down the wedding. And now my planner has the baby countdown going. It’s crazy to see the things we plan for and have planned for come and go with such speed. Before you know it the youth weekend will be here and then the baby shower and then Thanksgiving and then child birthing classes start and then the baby shower with mom and then Christmas and then baby’s right around the corner. It absolutely blows my mind. And crammed into all that we get to welcome our nephew into the world on December 10th (Ellen’s being induced). And there’s the live nativity scene. And so much more to look forward to as the days go by.

Yesterday as Matt and i walked through the mall I said, “You know hunny, it’s kind of crazy to think that in just a couple of months we’re going to be carting a baby around.” “Yeah,” Matt said, “Only we probably won’t be at the mall.” (Typical rational thinker.)

Matt’s getting excited and it comes in his tone of voice, his eyes and his incorporation of baby in his sermons. Baby is on his mind. And he’s excited. And it’s really neat to see and hear.

3. Iowa’s coming to Ohio next weekend. I’m so thrilled! It feels like years ago that Renee moved to Iowa, when it’s only been months, but I look forward to giving her a hug and seeing her with my own two eyes next weekend. it’s an absolutely wonderful joy to have ended our last conversation with, “Welp, see ya next weekend.” We should totally end more conversations like that. =) It’s funny how much Renee has become a normal part of my thoughts that passing her old house randomly on a short-cut brings back memories of going for a walk about the neighborhood with Ivan, Emmett and Renee. We were talking about life as it was handed to us. And it’s just so fun to think of what life has handed to us since that day. – Look forward to seeing my friend.

Well, Matt’s up and I’d like to make him breakfast when he gets out of the shower so I better go. I hope this post finds you all doing well.
Thanks for caring to read my rambles and I look forward to reading yours. =)

Take care.