Sharing Snacks

Miriam had been carrying her "baby" around for much of the day yesterday, so she also decided to bring her up while she ate her afternoon snack. As I watched Miriam eat, I noticed she was also trying to feed her little baby! It was so adorable...

Then, she noticed the animal crackers stuck right in the baby's mouth...

And then, finally, she decided to eat them right out of the baby's mouth.

It's been fun to see her playing with different toys and even playing "pretend" every now and then. She's not our little baby anymore! She sure is growing up fast... everyone always says they do, and it's so true. We look forward to spending this Christmas with her this year as she will get a chance to eat dinner with us, spend time with family and actually open her gifts! It'll be different than last year when she slept through most of our festivities :) We will be spending quite some time at my parents' house for Christmas and New Year's, so I'll do what I can for posting on here. Merry Christmas, everyone!

Miriam meets the snow

Yesterday we got a few inches of snow... enough to be shoveled, at least. So, as Matt as shoveling the driveway, we decided to let Miriam meet the snow. It was very cold out, so we bundled her all up and brought her outside. At first, she just stood there and wasn't quite sure what to do:

Then, she started walking into it a little bit:

Then, she decided to taste it!

Overall, we could tell she had a great time... we look forward to more days out in the snow!

A Cold December Day...

...means we stay inside! Actually, that's what we've been doing most days. I'd like to take Miriam out in the snow soon, though. I think she'll love it.

So, because we need to stay inside now (no walks, no parks...), Miriam has most certainly found some of her favorite things to do. First, she loves the couch. For some reason, she has a book that has puzzle pieces for it that she wants to grab and sit on the couch with. She can't quite get up there alone yet, so she "asks" (or shouts) for help. Then she just sits there and plays with the puzzle pieces. Second, she likes her blankies... a lot. She'll take them everywhere. Matt has commented that we have her on a "two-blankie system"... meaning that if we do need to wash one, she's got her other one right beside her. She loves the blankets that are very soft on one side and smooth and shiny on the other. She plays with her blankies, sleeps with her blankies, and would probably take a bath with her blankies if she could. Third, she likes to play with her play kitchen. We have some play food for her and she enjoys putting the food in the microwave or the oven and sometimes even tries to wash the dishes. I'm glad I found her kitchen at a garage sale this summer :) Last, she just likes to get into anything she can reach (or sometimes things she can't reach). I think she's starting to learn her boundaries more, but she still is just running around and soaking up everything she sees, feels and hears. What a delightful age 15 months is!

I thinks she looks so much like Matt in the picture above!

Funny Photo Tag

I was tagged by Jamie from Joel, Jamie and Caleb for this photo tag. I had to find the 6th picture from the 6th folder in my photo library. So, here goes:

It's the top of our wedding cake :) And yes, we did actually freeze this after our wedding and attempted to eat it last year on our first anniversary. It tasted almost as good as the first time... haha.

So now, I tag Katie from Los Jacques, Megan from Life and Wife of a Med Student, Erika from Nelson Family of 4 in Michigan, Jackie from By HIS Wounds, I am Healed and Kim from The Vettrus Adventures. Here are the rules:

Go to your sixth picture folder and find your sixth picture.

Pray that you remember the details.

Post it on your blog.

Tag 5 others, and leave a comment letting them know they've been tagged.

Have fun!

Hopefully I'll get a real post up here sometime soon... it's taken me a bit to get back in the swing of things after Thanksgiving. We had a very busy week!

Cleaning House

This evening after dinner, I grabbed a paper towel because I needed to clean up a few drops of milk. I went to throw the paper towel away, and Miriam reached out because she wanted it. So, I gave it to her. What she did after that surprised both of us... she walked around the living room and kitchen and began "cleaning" everything. She cleaned the bench at the table, the living room chair, the walls, her truck, the floor, the fridge.... everything. It was so precious. She did it for at least 20 minutes! So, here is one minute of it when she was scrubbing her truck.

Christmas Decorating

Last weekend, we decided to put up our Christmas tree. Yes, it is still November. And yes, it is before Thanksgiving. However, we decided that since we will be out of town the next two weekends, we should put it up now. Okay, so I decided that. It's all right -Matt when right along with it! Anyway, I just wanted to come home from Thanksgiving at my parents' house to my Christmas decorations up and ready. So, out came the tree.

Putting up the tree this year was a bit more of a challenge than it has been in the past. Miriam was so fascinated by what was going on. She especially loved the lights... and even tried to plug them in when they weren't on because she knew that would light them up again (no worries... our outlets are covered and we were watching). Anyway, after finally getting the tree assembled and putting the lights on, we decided we needed to re-do the lights. To a toddler, lights on a Christmas tree automatically mean they should be pulled off to look at more closely. In other words, this resulted in our lights starting about 2 feet up on the tree. She still tries to yank at them every now and then, but it's a little more difficult. I decorated the tree yesterday during her nap... also making sure everything was about 2 feet up. So, our tree looks a little goofy this year because the bottom part is empty, but we still like it :) Christmas is definitely my favorite time of year, so why not enjoy it for a little longer?

Dance, dance, dance!

Miriam loves to dance... anytime there is music... and anywhere! Here she was dancing to some Christmas music (yes, I know it's before Thanksgiving), but it made me laugh. Plus, she also says her version of "please" in it. Enjoy!

Piggy Bank

Miriam got this piggy bank for her birthday but has just now figured out how to get the coins in the very little slot! She has fun playing with it. Sorry for the random last few seconds at the end :)

Anniversary!

Today Matt and I celebrate our 2nd anniversary... and what a wonderful two years it has been! We are thankful for God's continuous blessings and provisions as we continue to grow as a couple.

The Solid Rock

Just after 10:00 last night, I was lying in bed and listening to the election results on the radio. When the news broke that our President Elect was named, I felt like my heart stopped for a minute. I sat silently and a wave of fear swept over me. I had been preparing for that moment for a long time, but part of me still hoped and prayed it wouldn’t happen. But, come January 20^th, our country will have a new president… and it wasn’t the one I voted for. I didn’t vote for him for many reasons, especially because I feel like the right to life will be compromised. I spent many months fearing what direction America would go if our current President Elect was elected, and praying that God would have mercy on us.

However, this morning, I woke up with a sense of peace that I hadn’t felt before. It’s not a peace because I support what our new president stands for, but because our God is completely sovereign. He knew long before 10:00 last night who would govern our country pending the results of this long election. I cannot live in fear of our president and what could happen, but I need to live in fear of our God. Proverbs 2:1-5 says:

“My son, if you accept my words and store up my commands within you, turning your ear to wisdom and applying your heart to understanding, and if you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding, and if you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God.”

Even though circumstances may change in our country, I still need to fear the Lord and Him only. I can rest that He is in control and pray that God will give our new president wisdom and direction as he leads America. As believers, we cannot stop praying. I pray that through this, God will bring revival to our nation. Let us continue to rest in His sovereignty.

An old hymn kept playing through my head this morning as I thought of our country and what we may face. It reminded me that our hope is in Christ alone, not in any person…

The Solid Rock

My hope is built on nothing less, than Jesus’ blood and righteousness;

I dare not trust the sweetest frame, but wholly lean on Jesus’ name.

When darkness veils His lovely face, I rest on His unchanging grace;

In every high and stormy gale, my anchor holds within the veil.

His oath, His covenant, his blood, support me in the whelming flood;

When all around my soul gives way, He then is all my hope and stay.

When He shall come with trumpet sound, O may I then in Him be found,

Dressed in His righteousness alone, faultless to stand before His throne.

On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand –all other ground is sinking sand,

All other ground is sinking sand.

One Handed

Built in with our other maternal instincts, I believe moms have the natural ability to do everything with one hand. I've begun to realize ever since Miriam was born. After awhile, I suddenly began cooking, cleaning, picking up toys, carrying a purse and diaper bag all with just one hand (and Miriam in the other, of course). Usually I'm reminded of this whenever Matt comes with somewhere and I can't figure out how I normally juggled everything without him. I guess I did it somehow. I think it hit me again this morning as I was cooking breakfast. I decided to make pancakes and eggs and, of course, Miriam wanted to see every step of the action. First, it started with pouring the pancakes on the griddle and flipping them one-handed. Then, I scrambled eggs one-handed. Then, I managed to set the table, get Miriam's plate ready, and carry all the food over with my solitary hand. Granted, I had to switch sides every now and then, but she was basically attached to me this entire time.

Our one-handedness.... one of many of those maternal instincts I'm thankful I learned I have.

Recent Happenings

It's hard to believe it's already the end of October! Where has this month gone? I think the trip right in the middle of the month made this month go by even faster than usual. We've certainly gotten right back into the swing of things here at home. Matt is busy at work with all that needs to be done to get ready for weekly services... plus, he has lots to plan for the upcoming holidays. I'm still tutoring a few days a week (only about 3.5 hours total), but I've also gotten the chance to sub a few days. I've enjoyed being able to get back and do just a little teaching. I've subbed only in the middle school so far, and I've actually rather enjoyed it! The kids are very good (for the most part) and it's always easier to teach the same lesson a few times a day... especially as a sub. Matt and I just try and coordinate schedules so that he can be home when I sub. Usually he has enough work to do while he's at home. Miriam is continuing to learn more all the time. She's just like a sponge -taking in everything she sees, hears and touches. She's attempting to say a few more words and often mimics what we are saying. Unfortunately, she's gotten a cold in this last week. Someone in my Bible study (a nurse) at church told me that when babies/toddlers are teething, they are very susceptible to colds because the gums in their mouths are open during that time. That would make sense to us, because we originally thought she was teething. Now, I think it's both. Plus, we'd welcome the sight of more than just her two teeth :) However, her almost-toothless smile at 14 months is still pretty adorable.

Here are a few of our most recent pictures (and some from our trip):

We didn't take many pictures on our trip at all, but we did manage to get some of the Gateway Arch in St. Louis. We actually went out of our way just to catch a glimpse of it! Neither of us had been there and since we were somewhat close, we thought we should see it. It was pretty neat!

Miriam has really enjoyed climbing in her toy boxes lately. She can't really get out on her own, however, as you can see the somewhat concerned look on her face :)

We're Back!

...and have been for a few days now. But I'm just finally getting a chance to sit down and write about it. I'm still trying to make sense of a massive pile of mail, stacks of laundry and dishes, and just being back home. I made sure the house was cleaned before we left, but that lasted about 30 seconds after we returned!

But, that being said, we had a wonderful time. We left early Tuesday morning before Miriam woke up because we wanted an early start and thought it might be easier to leave while she slept. We drove about 9 hours that day and made it to Indianapolis before dinner (including the time change). We actually got there earlier than expected, especially since we decided to take some random routes so we could see some different cities. It was a good drive... but very quiet considering we're used to Miriam being in our backseat!

We got all checked into our hotel and went out for dinner in Indianapolis. We were looking forward to having these built in "dinner dates" throughout the trip. However, by the end, we were very ready for home-cooked food! Anyway, after dinner, we drove around Indianapolis a bit and saw where the Colts play and what not. Nothing too exciting, but we thought we should check out the city a bit since we were there.

Matt went to the pre-conference on Wednesday while I sat in the hotel room. I wasn't sure what I was going to do all day, but the day actually went by quite quickly. I was able to get ready in the morning without any distraction, do some things online, catch up on some tv, read, take a nap, and try and enjoy solitude. I did get bored by the end, though. One day of complete solitude a year is about all I need :) We did get to meet our friends Erik and Anna for lunch that day. They "just happened" to be swinging through Indianapolis to catch a flight, so we were thankful for the opportunity to catch up with them! We enjoyed hearing what the Lord is doing in their lives and loved sharing what He's been doing in ours. Plus, we got to do all of this at Chili's, a restaurant Matt and I have missed since moving to Eau Claire.

Wednesday night we went to an informal concert with some of the artists from Integrity. We hadn't heard of most of them, but enjoyed the worship and stories they shared with us.

Thursday was the all-day conference that we both attended. We went to a few different sessions throughout the day and soaked in a lot of information in a short amount of time. Most of the sessions were more beneficial for Matt and his worship leading, but we enjoyed being able to bounce ideas off each other and just take in the speakers with two sets of ears. We learned a lot and pray that God will use what we learned at our church in the way and timing He decides.

Friday morning was just a short wrap-up session that finished before noon. We took off and headed south toward Nashville, Indiana. We had heard this was a great little town to go to, and we found out that it definitely was! We enjoyed a meal at a hometown pizza shop and walked around the town for an hour or two. There are just blocks and blocks of cute little shops and buildings. It takes you back in time a bit. Plus, the fall colors were just beautiful in the rolling hills surrounding it. It was quite lovely since most of Indiana prior to that point was pretty flat. Overall, I'm pretty sure I enjoyed the shopping a bit more than Matt, but we both said we'd like to go back there again someday.

We had planned to drive only a few hours to stay somewhere else that night, but we ended up being a bit ahead of schedule and decided to press on as far as we can. Well, when all was said and done, we pressed on to Waterloo, Iowa. This was mmm... about 7-8 hours longer than we were planning. Our friends Mike and Amy live in Waterloo and we wanted to visit them on our way back home. Well, we pulled in at about midnight... chatted for a few hours (and watched the boys play Wii)... and decided it was probably best that we stay there that night before we hit the road again. We slept in Saturday morning (for the first time in over a year), enjoyed a breakfast of Mike's homemade crepes, and hit the road again. We pulled into Owatonna just as Miriam was waking up from her afternoon nap. It was such a joy to see her again... even though she wasn't quite sure what to think at first! We had a great evening playing with her and catching up with my parents. We left on Sunday afternoon and have been very quickly welcoming ourselves back to reality again.

It was a great trip and we're thankful Miriam did so well, too. She even came back talking a little! I guess a week at Grandpa and Grandma's house helped her learn some words... she is now saying "night-night" and "cuckoo" (after the fascination with their cuckoo clock). She has already been saying "please" (kind of... it comes as "thhhhh"), and is mimicking much of what we say. I'm not sure if I can consider those her first words, but they sure sound like it to us!

If you managed to make it through this entire entry, I'm impressed :) There is probably much more I could have wrote, but this was as condensed as I could make it.

Road Trip!

Next week, Matt and I will be traveling across the country (well, maybe just traveling a few states away), to go to a worship conference in Indianapolis. We're REALLY excited to go! We are also leaving Miriam with my parents for the week while we are gone. This will be the first time she's been away from us for that long. So, we are a little torn... we'll miss her a LOT, but are also really looking forward to having some "just us" time. Even though most of the trip will be traveling and going to the conference, we'll have part of one day to go to Brown County in Indiana. We heard it's a beautiful place to go -also sometimes called the "Yellowstone of the East." It should be very lovely at this time of year. We will also get to hook up briefly with some college friends for lunch in Indianapolis (Erik & Anna) and on our way back home through Waterloo (Mike & Amy and maybe baby L). It should be a great time. At the conference, we'll also get to hear artists like Lincoln Brewster and Jared Anderson and some more. Pray for us as we travel and throughout the week. We hope and pray this will be a refreshing week for both of us.

Cooler Weather Brings Warmer Clothes

Since it was only in the 50's today... along with being very cloudy and windy... I decided it was time to try out the hat and mittens my mom and I got for Miriam last year. Sure enough, they fit and are adorable! She even kept them on for the entire duration of the walk. This is huge for her since I tried putting a hat on her all summer to no avail. Maybe she just didn't like the rim around the edge of the other hats... who knows. So, here we are... getting ready for our walk!

And... as a comparison... the last picture is way back in April when we were going for a walk. She's grown a little in these 6 months!

Smile!

This is what Miriam does when we ask her to smile. I honestly don't know where she learned it... but it's pretty cute :)

Fall Fun!

We have been busy lately! It's hard to believe that tomorrow starts October already! Miriam also turned 13 months old yesterday... but somehow, each month doesn't seem quite as significant now as it was before she turned 1. Still, she is growing up!

We do have our own internet now, so I will hopefully be able to post more regularly. It's nice to feel connected once again :)

Probably the biggest part of September was that my sister got married! I was finally able to be a bridesmaid in a wedding! It was a lot of fun and we are so happy for them. The weekend ended up being a bit different than we had anticipated, however, because Miriam got sick the day before we left. She wasn't extremely sick, but sure had a cold and was running a bit of a fever. So, as a last minute decision, we ended up leaving her here with Matt's parents overnight (for the first time!). We left Friday afternoon to make it in time for the groom's dinner and stayed until about 9:30 on Saturday evening. We sure did a lot in that short amount of time, but it turned out to be a wonderful weekend. It was also good for Matt and I to have a little time for just "us".

So, because we had to leave Miriam home, we didn't get a chance to show off the beautiful dress her Grandma Bev bought her for the wedding. We decided to take Miriam out on Sunday to do our own little photo shoot with her dress. Unfortunately, it was a little cloudy, but we got a few good shots. We think she'll be able to wear it for the holidays, too. The pictures of her dress and also one of when Grandpa and Grandma Vettrus came to visit on Monday are what I posted.

How Miriam Makes Us Smile

Our internet has been having issues as of late, so I am unable to post any pictures with this post. We are using our cell phones to get internet, and it would take far too long to upload any pictures. So, I'm going to tell to recent stories that show us Miriam's developing personality and just how bright she's getting!

Miriam has had a bad cold for the last week or so, which makes having a rag or kleenex nearby to wipe her nose a necessity. Well, sometimes when there isn't one nearby, I ask Miriam to go get one. She still hasn't quite figured where the rags are... so I usually end up getting them for myself. Well, one time this week, I once again asked her if she could go get me a rag. We were in the living room and I told her the rags were in her room. So, she ran off into her room and I heard her shuffling around in there for a little bit. After awhile, she comes running out with "RAGgedy Ann." She was close! Matt and I had a good laugh after that one.

The next thing happened this morning. Miriam has been playing around in her pajamas for quite some time. We usually take it easy on Saturday mornings and we all seem to be in our pajamas for awhile :) Well, anyway, she roamed over to the rug in our entryway and found her pink shoes from Uncle Ryan and Auntie Kim. She brought them over and showed us both her shoes and then came to sit on my lap. She handed me the shoes and was "insisting" I put them on her feet. So, there I went, putting her pink tennies on, OVER her footy pajamas. She looked pretty amusing. They didn't stay on long, though, because there was mud on the bottom from when we went to the park last week. We decided to remove them before dirt was tracked all over the house.

Oh, how we enjoy these moments with her.

First Cake!

Miriam's birthday also included her first birthday cake! Although she did have cupcakes for her 1/2 birthday in February, she didn't actually EAT them... she just took pictures with them :) So, here she is actually eating her cake! She liked it (of course!). But, then she just ate watermelon again when she was done.

Balloons and Watermelon

These were two of Miriam's favorites from her birthday party. She hadn't had much watermelon before that day, but probably ended up eating almost 3 pieces! Miriam also got to see a lot of balloons AND take them home with her! We are still enjoying playing them today.

Family Pictures

Matt, Miriam and I got some professional photos taken when we were in Owatonna (in my parents' backyard) a few weeks ago. They turned out great! Miriam did so well -I think she just thought it was play time :) Despite the fact that the grass was full of dew, we got some good shots. Those are some of our favorites... I will try and post some more, too.