His presence

3 blog posts in 1 week.  Wow...  This probably is not going to be the norm.  I just have a down week...and a lot on my mind :).

I was just re-reading the blog I posted this morning, and it seemed full of mishaps and disappointments (besides lunch and Target with the girls!).  This is probably just my interpretation of it...but it made me think of what God has been pressing on my heart all week.

Our life right now is all about the small things (I'm speaking of Livie and I).  While Chad is off designing houses and meeting with a million clients (or so it seems), we're home making the most of our days just playing and keeping up with day to day things around the house.  Somedays I LOVE it and somedays don't.  On the days I don't, it seems like everything around me is going wrong...Livie is being cranky, I'm really tired or have a headache, I don't get things done that I want to, the dinner I made flopped, relationships are struggling, the list goes on.  And in those times, I throw my hands up to God and say, "Why don't you do something?  You could make all this better...right NOW."  But then Ephesians 3:20 comes to mind and says, "I am able to do far more abundantly beyond what you ask or think".  And truth is...HE IS doing more than I could possibly imagine...I just don't always see it.

This week, in every moment that has gone wrong, He's been showing me that He is in it.  He's been using those things to bring me into His presence!  And when I see it...His peace fills me and everything around me.  It's been amazing.  He is so much bigger than me and my little life.  Let's just say my perfectionistic nature has been challenged SO MUCH :).  I'm almost looking for little things to wrong just so I can see God.  The best part is...that is NOT ME AT ALL.  Praise Him.

gender prediction?

Monday morning was an eventful one at our house.  

First, Livie woke up at 5:30.  She's been doing this lately and it's drives me crazy.  I know I'm selfish for wanting to sleep past 6 :).   But I think if I would start to get her up in the 5 o'clock hour, she would learn to make a habit of it.  So, I refuse to get her out of bed until around 6:30.  Eventually she either goes back to sleep or plays in her crib.  This morning, however, she just kept crying.  So, around 6:15 I got out of bed to go get her.  The minute I walked in her room...the smell hit me.  I couldn't tell if it was poo or puke at first, because it was still dark.  But it was smeared everywhere in the crib as well as on her face, little hands, and feet :(.  So, I quick stripped her down and took her to the bathtub and found it was definitely poo.  Yuck.  And it wasn't diarrhea.  So, either she got into her diaper somehow?  Or some of it just came out and she messed around with it?  I don't know...but it was nasty.  I just hope and pray she didn't eat any of it.  The rest of the day she seemed fine...but even after her bath and washing everything in and around her crib, I still could smell it everywhere.  

After getting her cleaned up...on to the next thing...a gender prediction test for little "Wee" :).  I had no idea there was such a thing until my sister-in-law, Amy, suggested it.  Basically, it's a urine test that you can take after 10 weeks to tell the sex of the baby.  I'm always so curious about the gender, so I was all for it!  Chad's mom bought it for us on Sunday night at CVS and we were going to take it that night.  But turns out you have to do it first thing in the morning.  So, here was the result:

Yep...a boy!  Honestly, I was a little disappointed.  Isn't that terrible??  I know I'd be happy either way.  I have nothing against boys!  It's just I'm in girl mode right now and it seems like a girl would be easier.  Plus, I've loved having Livie and truly think she needs a sister at some point.  (Wee, if you end up being a boy and read this later, please know that I LOVE YOU...no matter what!).   So anyway, after we took it, I had to check the accuracy of this test :).  Their website, intelligender.com, said it's only 90% accurate.  And often it errs on the side of "boy".  So, we're not setting our feelings on it.  They even said, "don't make any emotional or financial decisions based on the results of this test...including painting a baby room" :).  Again, we'll see.  Sonogram is March 15th...it'll be official then!  

Later that day, Livie was so giggly.  So, I'm going to assume she's ok from the trauma of the morning.  I did get her giggly spell on video, but i'm having trouble uploading it on here.  :(

Then Tuesday, we got to spend the afternoon with my mom (who has been gone for about 5 weeks down south doing work with my dad), my aunt (who came up from KY to visit for a while), and Andrea and Adalai.  We went to Panera for lunch and then took the girls to Target to pick out Valentine's presents from my mom and aunt.  The girls could have probably taken every toy from the toy isle home :).  But in the end, they ended up with some fun little things that they will love playing with at home...thanks Mom and Aunt Barb!  I just enjoyed us all being together again.    

the girls playing with Aunt Barb

"love you"

Livie has been jabbering a lot more lately.  Most of the time she's not saying anything.  But we're learning that we can have her try more words, and she'll try REALLY heard to say them.  It's pretty cute.  For instance, her "please" is "bees", and "two" is "doo".  Close, huh?  Her latest is saying "love you".  So cute:

She's also obsessed with her belly button and lifts up her shirt all the time at home to show it to me.  She'll say, "be-be" and pat her tummy :).

And her newest toy, a stroller for her baby, is her absolute fav.  Grandma Beth - we bought this with the $ you just gave her...thank you!  She strolls it around the house all day long.

And...I just had to write a little about Valentine's day.  We celebrated last Sunday and Chad woke up early with Livie.  When I got up an hour later, the house was silent.  I'm like "where in the world are they".  So I checked the basement and looked outside.  They were gone.   Maybe they went out to get some breakfast for us?  About a half hour later, they show up with 3 bunches of flowers (yes, 3!) and a balloon :).  Just like Chad to go all out.  Fresh cut white tulips (my fav), planted tulips in a pot, and then a colorful mix of mums/roses/etc.  The balloon was for Livie :).  I LOVED having these fresh flowers around all week...such a great sign that spring is on it's way.  Here's what they look like after 1 week...not bad!

And Livie is still playing with her balloon :)

On Friday, Livie and I headed over to my sister, Andrea's house.  They just remodeled their kitchen and redid all their floors on their main floor.  Everything looks awesome.  And because I love organizing :)...she called me up to help put their kitchen back together.   We spent the morning putting dishes, utensils, pots/pans, food, etc. back in their cabinets.  And in the afternoon we painted the family/living room and foyer.  It was a long day...but Livie and Adalai did pretty well together, so that helped.  Lately they've been fighting a lot.  My mom always says, "someday they are going to be the best of friends!".  I hope so :).  In the morning, they got to watch Disney's Robin Hood which kept them entertained for a while.  Only problem was that both of them wanted to sit in the red chair.  So we had to break up some fights over that.  Who knows why the red was better than the yellow one.  But it was.  Here's some pics when things were going well for them.  

Pic of  part of the kitchen.  Doesn't it look great?

And FINALLY.  Here's some pics of our lot.  On Saturday, Chad, both his brothers, his mom, and brother-in-law headed out to continue clearing and cutting trees for the lake.  They also burned a lot of brush in piles.  Chad was soo happy with how much they got done.  But now he's saying it's going to be 3 more Saturdays.  Yeah, that's more than I said last time...maybe the lake is growing?  Here's our lot from the front:

Chad with his chainsaw

Future lake

More of the lake site

land of the living

This week I FINALLY feel like I'm back in the land of the living.  Pregnancy week #15 has been a good one!  I have so much more energy, have not been nauseous for 4 full days, and actually feel like getting out of the house and getting things done.  Praise the Lord...He truly sustains me.  And the other great thing is that "Wee" (Chad's nickname for this baby so far - Livie was "Ned" - this one is "Wee"), anyway...Wee has been kicking :).  Always fun and just an assurance that everything is progressing in the womb :).  

Livie has been feeling better too.  I love watching how she picks certain things to be her "favs" for a week or two.  Then she moves on and keeps me guessing.  I think she gets this from her dad.  Never getting attached to things...always changing!  God knows I need this in my life :).  Her favorite things the past few weeks  have been carrying her blankie and paci EVERYWHERE.  Seriously, if she does not have them, she's looking for them and calling "ba" for blankie and "pas" for paci until she gets them.  She also has discovered that the TV can play cartoons.  My fault there.  It does entertain her for 15 to 30 min at a time...sometimes it's a nice break :).  Oh, and one more thing.  She's starting to run.  Anytime I call to her that I need her or want her...she runs.  It's kind of a game (I hope!).  But it's cute.

watching tv with baby and blankie in hand

blankie and paci :)

livie running

House News?  Chad is still chopping trees and burning brush piles every saturday.  He thinks He probably has 2 saturdays left.  The reason it's taking a little longer to get this part done is because we've decided to put a small lake in the woods in the back.  I'm a little nervous about it because of our small kids, but I've been assured by the Hermans that it will be fine :).  And Chad is so excited about it...fishing, swimming, ice-skating...the possibilities for it are endless, right?

Besides chopping trees, we've been busy looking at and changing our plans (or sketches), tearing out magazine ideas, looking at design websites, and collecting odds and ends for inspiration.  As I'm typing, I just realized that it has been exactly 1 year since we bought the lot.  It was valentine's weekend last year.  A lot has happened since then!  And if you told me we would already be starting to build in 2011 I would have laughed :).  Ha, some are probably saying "I told you so!".

Chad's work...detailed sketches

my work...magazine pages

not quite...but thanks babe :)

and yes, I bought a rug this week to go in a future kids bath or powder room or somewhere else?  thought it was too fun and colorful not to pass up!

aruba sun....snow at home

So, we've been home for almost 2 weeks...and I'm finally getting around to posting about Aruba :).  In my defense, we were sick last week.  Fevers, chills, wheezing, and a nasty cold.  It seriously took the life out of me and Livie for the week.  We spent a lot of time watching TV, sleeping, and cuddling on the couch :).  Even though I don't like it when she's sick...she is extra cuddly...which I love.

Aruba was wonderful.  Warm (well, actually...hot!) weather, beaches, pure relaxation, and lots of memories.  Here's a few of  our favorites:

our car!  little kia hatchback :).  let's just say we were glad the island was small and we didn't have to drive too far to get anywhere.

hiking up a hill where we could see the whole island...

we climbed 561 steps to get to the top!

the beaches...beautiful.

our resort didn't have much for breakfast, so every morning we would find some place fun to eat and read a little.  

we stayed at 2 different places.  the 2nd was this one :) and it was pretty outdated...but this was their motto!  and it was pretty true!!

i mean, check out the hide-away bed they gave us!

proof that "wee" herman was on the trip...i definitely popped out.

last morning we hiked to some dunes to watch the sunrise...breath-taking.

So...we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves knowing that it will be a loong while before we take another trip with just the two of us.

AND THEN... this week, when I finally had energy to get some things done...the blizzard of 2011 strikes!  15 inches of snow hit us last night.  Chad was home most of the day yesterday and all of today.  And we were "snowed in".  We didn't get out much in it because of our colds, but we did get out enough to get some pics.  Here they are:

neighbors pitching in to help each other with driveways.

livie stuck in the snow :)