Lovin it!

Anticipation

Sorry for the hiatus in blogging. I had a great trip home, which included my Dad's graduation, my first baby shower, great time with family, a trip to Orange City, quality time at Aunt Linda's, a couple of visits to Grandma Schoon's, and way too many hours in the car. I have some good pictures and more to tell, but I'll save that for another post.

In the meantime, Dan headed back to Nashville after the graduation & shower and was able to get the baby's room painted while I was gone. I LOVE how the color turned out (hard to see in these pics though)! Then, when I got home we put the crib together. I just love it! We put it up on Saturday, and Sunday morning I did a double take when I walked past the room...it's a little surreal to see a crib in my home.

I got some wonderful gifts at the shower last weekend and spent some time yesterday sorting through. It's finally beginning to sink in that we're really going to be bringing a baby home in just a couple of months, and seeing all of this "stuff" that goes along with it is pretty crazy! I know this just looks like a mess, but here are some of the adorable little outfits I was sorting through yesterday. This child is going to be well dressed, thanks to the generosity of our friends and family!

Then today I went with my neighbor to a local consignment sale. We arrived about 10 minutes after the doors opened and it was already a mad-house, but I managed to snag several great deals. I just couldn't resist a few little clothing items, so I brought home some adorable little overalls, a fleece lined sweater for the winter, and a little velour jogging suit - all for under $10!

I also found a Moses basket that she'll be able to sleep in for the first little while. We thought it would be handy to have her in our room at first, and for only $10, I won't feel bad about getting rid of this once she's in her crib.

I also found this backpack that will be great for when she's a little older - for hiking & traveling, etc. Dan had found one when we were registering that was quite expensive, so I think he'll be thrilled with this.

Then, when I got back home with my treasures, I had a wonderful surprise waiting for me on the front porch:

Our carseat & stroller!! Dan's generous Aunt, Uncle, & Grandma had this sent right to our doorstep. I can't wait to get it put together!

My house is quickly filling up with all of these items, and I am blown away by the generosity of our friends and family. A huge thank-you to all of you who came to my shower in Missouri and who continue to send gifts for this little girl. I can't wait for you all to meet her! And with all of these reminders sitting around, I'm realizing how close we're getting now. Only 2 more months and I'll get to see her sweet little face. Talk about anticipation.

Lessons from Dad

Okay, so I've been neglecting the blog a bit lately. Partly, I really don't have too much exciting news to report. But - I am headed home! Dan & I are headed out this afternoon as soon as he gets off work and will be on the steps of the State Capitol tomorrow morning for my Dad's graduation from the Missouri State Highway Patrol Academy. For those of you who don't know, he has been working his way through the Academy since January - and 6 months is a very long time when you're pushing your body to the limits and away from home to boot. I'm so proud of my Dad and can't wait to see him decked out in his new uniform in the morning. In honor of his graduation, I thought I'd bring you a few more pictures from the archives of dear old dad...

You've taught me many life lessons, Dad, and today I want to thank you for a few of those:

You taught me the value of a a good nap - which is especially important to me lately.

You taught me the importance of playing hard - which has allowed me to keep up with a rather energetic husband, and I can only suspect has prepared me a bit for parenthood.

You instilled in me a love for sports - particularly the Kansas City Royals and a #5 jersey.

You taught me about the value of teamwork - or at least making others feel like they're part of the team (sorry Kels).

You also tried your best to inspire my imagination & creativity...though I'm not sure how much of that ever "took".

You taught me the importance of bundling up "just in case"...oh wait, that was Mom. Never mind.
And last but certainly not least, you taught me many lessons about life...and death.

Thanks for all you've taught me over the years, Dad. While I certainly have a bit of my mother in me, there's no denying I'm your daughter, and nothing makes me more proud. Congratulations on your graduation! I love you!

This & That

I've had a wonderful/busy couple of weeks which has led to great times and little blogging! Last weekend, Brent & Kelsey were able to come up for a few days and we had a wonderful time just hanging out. It was blazing hot while they were here, so we spent a good deal of time lounging at the pool which is just the thing to do with your sister - plenty of time to visit and rest and work on your tan! Although, we were reminded how differently we approach pool time -- Kels is able to brave the heat & humidity for very long amounts of time before sticking her legs in to cool off. I, on the other hand, might last about 10 minutes without feeling the need to totally dunk myself and prefer to spend the majority of the time actually in the water. Somehow this seems to speak to our personalities quite well :) Thanks for coming down guys - come again soon!

Then, after they left on Tuesday, I picked up a gal named Yuliya who would be spending the rest of the week with us. She is from the Ukraine, and is here for a couple of months this summer to learn English. She's a missionary with Campus Crusade for Christ, and while challenging at times with the difficult communication, it was truly a blessing to get to know her a bit. She has such a heart for reaching the lost and is constantly looking for opportunities to share her faith - certainly a good challenge for me as I tend to sit back and hope others will be bold.

Yuliya enjoying some Ukranian borscht she made for us -a type of beet soup that was delicious! She also made that salad on the plate which I was a bit less fond of - mayo, pickles, bologna, peas, potatoes. Apparently it's a dish they always serve at a holiday meal. I also made some rolls, which seemed to pass as Ukranian according to Yuliya - she just added some olive oil & fesh garlic for dipping.

We also visited the Opryland Hotel, which she loved! If you've never been, it's a must-see in Nashville.

Yuliya left Friday morning, then I left bright and early Saturday morning (as in, I left the house before 5am) to head to Rapid City, SD for my dear friend Rebecca's wedding. This is getting a bit lengthy already, so I'll leave the details of that for another post. I got to see all sorts of old friends from college, which was just good for my soul. Any chance we could all move back to Northwestern? I think I'd like that.

(A few of us ladies enjoying the dance.)