Everyday Memories....

I've noticed that it's sometimes hard for me to remember the little, everyday things that are full of joy and profound meaning - unless I write them down! We've had a gratitude-full and wonder-filled holiday season, starting with seeing family in MI for T-day, and now recently finishing with seeing all kinds of friends and fam around the city and then throughout MN for Xmas and New Yrs. I feel full of bright memories and meaningful moments; a few that I want to be sure to remember include:

- watching Eva tap dance her little heart out with her new shoes, fluffy skirt, (loud) recorder and (hipster) skull cap with the VerHage fam
- opening up our "Petersen Baby May 2012" cookie at Opart Thai
- Eva reading her fave books to herself, and to us, this season (Sergio, Party in Kalamazoo, B-Bears, The Skin You Live In, various Bible stories, etc.)
- Eva playing by the tree like I always did, just to stay close to it
- everyday - but such deeply good - friend time, like making cookies with Danielsons, caroling with Edstroms/crew, dinner with Marxs, soup with Nordlunds, museum with Leah, backyard fire with Bassetts, coffee with Al, late night chats with JR, etc.
- visits to Field and Shedd and Children's Museum in Mpls with Eva, and watching her run to each section with open-hearted joy
- having Bonnie in town for fun and on the run fried rice!
- lunch with mom and talking with dad in Rochester
- best peanut-butter choc blossom cookie batch - ever - a la Mom!
- seeing animated lights with J and K in Mpls
- New Yrs party fun with mustaches, karaoke, and good friends
- SS Advent series with various music, space to listen, and hearing tender/wise thoughts from others
- Eva getting into the season by dressing up as Santa Lucia, playing her first part in a play as a little angel in the church Christmas story, and attending Santa Lucia at the Swedish museum - insisting that we walk with the mile-long parade of candles and lights together!
- watching Eva play fox and goose through snow trails with Gramps, and get out old Barbies and use homemade playdough with Grammy  
- Little Town of Bethlehem at NPCC = unreal!
- Eva's preschool "concert" at her "PBS school" under the arched stained glass windows and twinkling Christmas lights
- seeing Eva delight in carefully crafting paintings, picture frames, sticker pages, etc. as gifts for others; and picking out a sweater that she loved to give to her dad  
- long lunch with Molly and Eric, enjoying so much in common and so much to learn from each other
- playing with Joey (and Jeanne and Paul!), in their sunny, warm and beautiful home
- brunch with Satte and playing in the freezing cold car with Eva ("Now Sarah, you and mom are the girls and I will be the mom that drives us to the museum exhibit," says my three year old!)
- getting jeans that fit and discovering body sugar scrub for dry skin!
- Christmas Day night darts with Bo and Megs, Josh ("Have I seen you since Thailand?"), and having a Bruce sighting :)
- date night with Peter at Zzest, great long car drive conversations, and laughing a lot
- Blue Nativity night, with "The baby Jesus was just light, mom!" and "Why didn't the camel try to eat me?"
- Eva playing baby Jesus with me as Mary and Peter as the manger
- night out for just our family of three, shopping at Red Balloon, getting hot cider at Cafe Latte, and skipping up the sidewalks while singing in the frosty night air
- reading the Christmas story over and over and over to an eager listener/questioner at her bedtime
- drives and chats in the minivan while on the way to Owatonna, the airport, and around town with my fave Seattle family members
- walking around my home town and seeing the old/familiar and the new/surprising with equal delight
- Eva asking, "Mom, does God love monsters too?" 
- driving while watching E dance to the music in the back seat, singing her heart out, along with "Do You Hear What I Hear?" - and then knowing she will always crescendo to a loud finish, with her arms flung wide open, "He will bring, us, goodness, and LIIIIIIIIIIGHT!!!"

August into... Fall!

The end of our summer was filled with so much fun - trips to the pool with friends, gardening and biking out in the sun, great softball games with the Ainslies (church league, we lost by one point in our playoffs!), and some other memorable events too.

Over Peter's birthday weekend at the end of July, we traveled to Cedar Point Amusement Park with almost the whole VerHage clan and with the Teranella family. So much fun! Highlights included road-tripping with Josh, Kara and Michael; Lego store trip for fun while in town; Eva finding fast friends in both Jaxson and Lincoln; Eva going on her first roller coaster, car rides, swings, boats, etc. etc. - and loving them all; playing games at night in our cool cabins; walking up the street to the pool with the kids, I think we made four trips there in two days; climbing up to the loft to play with Alicia and Dave; meeting Julia, and catching up with Lynn and Steve; birthday cake and big bbq dinner for the whole crew; sprinting the entire length of the park on the last night (with Josh, Michael, Alicia and Dave), to try to get to the last ride before we were told the line closed, and then realizing that we wouldn't have had to. :)

For Peter's birthday we also saw our first Chicago Fire game, which we had been meaning to do forever! We got fab front row seats, had fun watching all the action up close on a great cool night, and enjoyed ourselves even though they tied - again.

We also made a trip to Michigan in August to see Namma and Napa and had a great morning with Hannah and Jacob on their farm again (thanks Amy!) We fed the horse and rabbits, swam, picked peaches off the tree, and ran around their big property - ah, such fun in the country!

Other highlights as our summer drew to a close were visiting with Verdoorns who were in town for the weekend, finishing Eva's first ballet class with flying colors, going to Ravinia for my birthday, hanging out with friends, seeing Jazzin at the Shedd, and having my mom come babysit during the week while we all prepped for the school year starting up again and meetings getting into full swing again.

We also moved Eva into a big girl bed (thank you Craig's list!), because she was already too long for her well-loved toddler bed (thank you Danielsons!) She loves the extra reading and cuddling space and so far has not fallen out once. Between getting ready for preschool this fall, her new big bed, and wearing size 5 and 6 clothing, Eva seems oh so much bigger and ready to take on the world somehow. We're ready - bring on the fun! :)    

40 Years of Faith, Family and Friends

Another big event this summer was celebrating my parent's 40th Anniversary. We did some celebrating with the whole family out in Seattle, and then Peter and I helped host an open house in Rochester with lots of old and new friends in attendance. It all came together great and was a blast!

It was very cool to see people from my childhood gather and share in the celebration of the values my parents have always worked to embody. I was reminded of those things that most define them, as I thought about what it meant for my parents to reach this forty year milestone. My mom and dad are not perfect - of course no family is - but from the start of their relationship, they centered their relationship on faith, family and friendships. FAITH: They were part of underground Bible studies in college, were fresh-faced evangelists to friends and family members, and knew they were called to be in ministry in the church and to love and serve others. From the beginning, they anchored their relationship and our family's foundation to God and to a local church. That is a big reason that today, I still consider many Salem Rd folks like my extended family; they've known me longer and better then anyone else, and they have always been there and stepped into my life and my story.  FAMILY: Even before they were married, they knew they wanted two kids, and they had names picked out for a girl (Elizabeth Margaret) and a boy (Timothy David).  It is funny to me, now after becoming a parent and naming our firstborn, to think back to when my parents were this age, to realize that they once had kids at this age and that they gave me and my brother our names and the start to our stories. Sometimes I forget that they were at this stage too, that they weren't always "adult parents of adult children." FRIENDS:  From as far back as I can remember, we had people in our house and went to visit and eat with friends at their houses. My parents worked to be hospitable, generous, and welcoming friends, and I remember often heading home from church with a new family who visited following us for a beef roast meal, or dropping off homemade jam/crisp/bread to someone during the week. Even without a lot of financial cushion, my parents valued helping and giving to those with less, which I think has always stuck with me as part of how we live like Christ and love our friends and neighbors. 

Celebrating with my mom and dad on that humid summer day in Minnesota, I felt so much gratitude. I felt the sweetness of remembering the good and the faithful things that my parents and their community had done so well for forty years. I felt the joy of watching children and grandchildren grow and move forward, of the generational movement that my mom and dad have helped advance. And I felt the peace that comes whenever I acknowledge that God is always good, and working for good, in those who love Him and follow Him; and whether it is forty years, or forty minutes, we each have the opportunity to keep learning and relearning how to follow, and love, and be loved by, such a good and gracious God. What a gift! What a thing to celebrate! So thanks mom and dad for giving me so much good in my story.  Thanks be to God.   

Seattle!

This summer is absolutely flying by... as most summers do! Part of the reason that this season is moving so quickly is that we've had many trips going on, where we are gone one week, then home one week, then gone again - since mid-May.  We have been lucky to see many friends and family this summer and make some great memories.

Our first big trip was in June to Seattle to visit my brother and sister in law. We three flew out from Minneapolis with my parents and left late in the evening; we then spent 5 days enjoying family time and celebrating my parent's anniversary together.  I finally got most of our photos from this trip online - and we had lots of fun moments that I want to be sure to remember, including: 

- Nighttime flight out, arrived at Tim and Meghan's place at 2am (Seattle time, or 4am central!)
- Spent first day out and about, boat cruise through the locks and up the shipping canal by Ballard where they live. The hood where they ended up - a Norwegian fishing village that likes to stick it to the man. :) Funny how certain people are drawn to certain things....
- Went to U of Wash campus to enjoy fab weather, fountains, flowers, and see where Megs will be living - I mean studying - soon (hee hee!)
- Enjoyed lots of time on their big cedar deck in the back - grilling, blowing bubbles, having a dance party, resting, admiring their flowers and the view, grilling again, and blowing bubble again. :)
- Tim and Megs planned a bunch of fun for us, including a wine-tasting one night at their place, complete with score sheets and info on each variety and how to taste it well.
- Celebrated mom and dad's 40th anniversary as a family up on the Seattle Space Needle with a ritzy, scrumptious lunch at the rotating sky deck. Rosemary and maple butter, lush salmon pasta, crab cakes with a creative remoullaide - all very delish!   
- We went out one night as 'kids' to the micro-brewery and hang out joint within walking distance of their place, and helped shut the place down.
- Our family scouted out toddler-friendly parks nearby, walking/jogging trails that ran behind Fred Meyer and wound their way down by the waterside, made the most of our VW minivan rental, and had salmon/seafood lunch whenever possible!
- We spent one afternoon down at Pike Place Market, where we got lavender soaps, a crocheted hat for Eva, fresh poppies, cedar grilling planks and stellar quality salmon, and enjoyed the whole scene.
- Explored downtown another afternoon and ended up at the science center and enjoyed the museum for several hours. It included a live butterfly tent exhibit, displays for toddlers and water play areas, machines to push and levers to pull, live music out by the needle, and a tram ride downtown where we enjoyed another concert and some shopping/wandering.
- Saw where Tim works at University place and enjoyed bookstore time and lunch together at the mall. 
- Grateful for lots of great time chilling, reading bks together, talking, job hunting, what color is your parachute conversations, sharing dreams, painting toenails blue, and taking photos of us all 7 together. So, so glad to spend time with some of the best people on the planet and have them introduce us to their new digs.    
- As part of this trip, we were also very excited to catch up with friends in Mpls on our way out and back from the trip - including quality time with Josh and Kara, Jed, Steve/Beth/Grace, Satte, Verdoorns, friends at Jackson's 1/2 bday party, and Molly.  Total successful trip!

Christmas 2010!

We just had the last of our houseguests for the holiday season leave today... and we are ready to rest, catch up on normal life, and jump into 2011. But - we have had such a great time seeing family and friends this season, and have a lot of fun photos and memories from it all that I want to remember to capture.

This Christmas, Eva was 2 (and 3/4) and was interested in being part of much of it with us. She loved singing (Jingle Bells, We Wish You a Merry Christmas, Frosty, Silent Night, and Feliz Navidad, were favorites), and asked me about the other songs that she didn't know yet; "Mommy, what this is about?"  She made Christmas cookies and her own mini cupcakes from a new baking set, got hand made aprons and books and Christmas decorations/ornaments all her own this year, and helped us decorate the tree - until she got bored :). She liked the movie "Small One" - about the donkey Mary rode, and "Lady and the Tramp" (the story starts with Lady being a puppy present under the tree, and ends with the whole dog family at Christmas under the tree), and sometimes liked "Frosty II" (but not the Jack Frost character). She was even interested in the Christmas story bedtime books and hearing about how Christmas is when we celebrate Jesus' birthday (and yes, she's already heard her mom tell her that Dec.25 is not really Jesus' birthday, but that we remember it then.) She also loved the various nativity sets we have around the house and that she could hold baby Jesus and arrange the animals that are part of the least fragile set.    

A few other favorite and funny Christmas-season memories:
- Eva being part of Santa Lucia at church with Leah, and stealing the show with their singing, asking for candy, and dueling candle routine.
- Eva helping light the advent candles on Christmas Eve in MI - and wanting to dance up front to the hymns and so ultimately having to leave the service :). "I Want To DANCCEEE!!!"
- Faithfully opening her advent calendar of fair trade chocolate with me every morning, and loving the sweet treat AND learning more of her numbers.
- Looking for inflated Santas and other yard decorations as we drove around our neighborhood; having her tell me which ones are fragile
- Eva rubbing  a present to her face before she opened it and cooing, "I just LOVE this," but then not really enjoying opening presents all that much.
- We made Swedish Meatballs from scratch this yr successfully, using mom's recipe, and they were fabulous!

- Playing with Bex and Lucy
- Hearing her snore while putting Josh to bed in the loft
- Eva sledding for the first time with Alicia, Dave, Josh and me
- Watching Eva ice skate with Tim, Meghan and Peter
- Decorating our new apartment for Christmas
- Building our first family snowman in the first fluffy snow of the winter, and how much she talked about it after that - even when it had melted
- Zoo Lights with Izey and Ando and the excitement of playing with their family on New Yrs Eve
- New Yrs party for the adults with the perfect mix of par-tay and chill!
- Having her look out over our dinner table when extended family were here and saying, "All my friends are here!" And how she whispered to Bo when they arrived, "I am so happy you are here!" 
- Sleepovers with Kaden and Anna on their way out and back from Seattle.
- Talking about the story of Christmas with her - I think her version is about this: "Baby Jesus used to be in Mary's tummy, and Mary rode a donkey, and wise men rode camels, but then he was born, and he didn't have any hair, but he was just a little baby, and he cried, and then he grew up to be big, and now he loves everyone."  Amen!

There is so much to be grateful for during this season, and beyond - and having a little mind and heart help us experience the joy, wonder, and story of Christmas makes it such a precious and fun time. Yeah for family and friends and holidays from work!

FYI, pictures for family in MI with VerHages and in Chicago with Mosbos are now on smugmug. And below is a little video of her preparing Christmas cards for people this year right before it all began. :)   Happy 2011!  

Giving Thanks

We were lucky this year to get to celebrate Thanksgiving with several groups of people - we had a bunch of friends over in Chicago, we saw Alicia and Dave in town for a quick and delicious meal, and then spent time in MN with family, where we also saw my Grandma Marly and caught up with some friends in town at the Danielson's house. Jed also came down for a couple days for family time (appropriately), and we explored a new (to us at least) local hangout that had a fab live band (which reminds me that I need to track down their name...)   

We had a great weekend with Mosbo family and friends over the holiday - here are a few pics from our trip:

This shot was taken during a break in the middle of the jumping/dancing festivities with Bo and Megs!

 Beautiful table!

 The guys...

 ... and the girls! (Minus the little girl who was sleeping.)

Fun with Grammy.

This trip was the first time that Eva seemed to get how time leading up to a drive and time leading up to leaving worked; she would ask how soon we would be there, or how soon til she had to leave. She also talked about going to "Miny - sohta" a lot beforehand - she somehow even has the MN accent down!

Happy start to the holiday season - there is so much to feel grateful for!

(This is a gratitude tree that Eva and I made together; each branch has something written on it to be grateful for.)

Good, Clean Country Fun

All three kids (Eva, Hannah and Jacob) on their friendly horse. Eva hopped right up there, and Hannah and Jacob are pro riders!

As I've mentioned, we've been rounding out the summer with a lot of trips recently - including a weekend in MI with Peter's parents. We had the ultimate countryside fun weekend, and I finally got the rest of the photos uploaded and edited. Eva got to play with two new friends her age (2.5 and 5 yrs old), AND ride a horse for the first time, go swimming, and just all-around enjoy herself. Here are just a few of my faves that show our amazing hosts - Amy, Jacob and Hannah (and Dale), at their horse farm/pool/house, and a few from the church fun fair later that same weekend. Such great people, on a great August weekend...


Hannah and Eva brushing down his legs and spraying for flies.


The two girls had a blast together - although this shot doesn't show it!


The kids took turns using the helmet out in the pasture - Jacob was a great big bro and friend with the girls.


Eva LOVED trying on goggles and flippers! hee hee


Eva and Jacob floating on the frog.


Bouncey castle at the church fair.


One happy girl!

Fun-Filled Weekend & First Children's Sermon

We just got back from a fun-packed weekend in the country. We visited Peter's parents in rural-ish Michigan, and we managed to fit in a whole lot of fun for our city girl: horseback riding, swimming in a backyard pool, playing with two new friends her age, playing with a dog and cat, sitting on a real live motorcycle and then watching it drive away, picking fresh veggies and berries from the garden, playing in the brook, exploring a kiddie tree house, going to a family fair that included cotton candy/a bouncey castle/face painting/ice cream, and lots of just everyday normal fun stuff too. :) Thanks Nama and Napa - our toddler (and we adults) had a great time!

At the end of our weekend we went to church, where Eva was excited to go to the nursery and then promptly met another girl maybe a year or two older then her to play with. Partway through the service, Eva, the other little girl, and three school-aged kids all came out to join the congregation for the children's sermon. The kids sat dutifully in a row up on the front carpeted step while Pastor John began his illustration. Eva was right in the middle of the five kids, watching him intently, and quietly - at first.

Now I should mention that this was Eva's first children's sermon, because at our church (and the others we've visited thus far), the toddlers don't participate in the kiddo message, just the older kids already in the service take part and then head to children's church or something. So just remember, she was by far the youngest kid up there, and would normally be watching aquarium frogs or coloring in the confines of a nicely staffed nursery. Just saying.

So, anyway, Pastor John pulled out a pair of binoculars from a bag and asked one of the taller boys up on the step to try looking through them. He asked, "Can you see anything?" and the boy said "No, it's dark." Then Pastor John took the binoculars to each kid, giving him/her a turn to peer through the lenses and asked, "Can you see anything?" Eva was not exactly patient, but got her turn to look, and then put her hands out at her side when quizzically saying, "I can't see?" The rest of the room was softly chuckling here a bit, I think because she was so expressive in her disappointment, and also pretty loud. I was thinking to myself, aww, she is cute, look at her waiting for her turn...

Then, one of the older kids figured out that the pastor had not taken the small plastic covers off of the binocular lenses, and that was why none of them could see. So Pastor John held the binoculars up again to the eyes of the older kid - who then said, "Yeah, I can see now!" Then Eva, who was next to the older kid, kind of elbowed the kid and said directly to the pastor,"I want to see, MY TURN!" (Even louder.) So the room chuckled a little again, and the pastor obliged, holding the binoculars down to her short little frame in front of her eyes, at which point she exclaimed: "I CAN SEE!!! I CAN SEEEE!! I CAN SEEEEEEEE!!!" This was accompanied by ecstatic running on the stage, grabbing other kids arms, and then running off the stage to hug grandma sitting in the front row. Insert wild congregatinal laughter, surprise and a big grin from the pastor looking in our direction, and tears streaming down my face as I giggled.

Pastor John continued his faithful message about needing to see in order to understand God and the Gospel, and made some comment about how this was an eventful children's sermon, and at least it wasn't about healing the blind man... insert small congregational chuckle again. Eva calmed down enough to pray along with the other kids and the pastor as the children's time ended, and then bounded down the stairs when they were dismissed, chasing the other little girl saying "Let's go play, friends!" - again, pretty loudly. Now I was thinking, wow, she kind of stole the show there, just by being herself. :) My little girl.

While the whole church service was a very thoughtful and well-planned out time to gather and praise and connect with Peter's home church body, I will mostly remember Eva's unbridled exuberance and wonder at being able to see. And - the welcoming church family and pastor that loved her reaction to the discovery of sight as much as I did. (Apparently, Eva also made it into Pastor John's top five children's sermon experiences too; Peter and I had a bit of a conversation after the service, including having him ask which one of our DNA influence had run around on that stage that morning.)

Not a bad close to our weekend, not bad at all. :) Pictures to come...

Bringing the Summer Fun

This long weekend has been a really fun exploration of trying new stuff, enjoying everyday things, and celebrating a long holiday weekend with four days of family time in a row!

Just today, we got a huge bag full of clearance items from a neighborhood thrift store for under $15.00, then took the el downtown, had a Ghiradelli's Ice Cream treat and visited with the carriage horses on the magnificent mile, before heading back home for naptime. In the last few days, we've camped out by the lake in Evanston to see fireworks (and saw 0.2 minutes of the show before Eva got scared and we went back home), flew a kite by the lake, swam at the beach and collected shells, and swam at two neighborhood pools (where Eva has successfully jumped in, rode on my back, put her whole head under once, and blew bubbles twice!) We've also hit the nature center to see animals and shoulder high plants, set up Eva's new sandbox, watched Mary Poppins (and then sung songs from it almost every day since!), had dinner out and saw a movie with some friends, and taken a bike ride and trips to the park. I happily crossed a bunch 'o things off my summer fun list today - and the long weekend isn't even over yet!

Most of these events have cost us little or no money, have taken minimal planning, and have been very fun for all three of us. It has been a good reminder for me that I can feel "accomplished" in these fun, everyday and family ways - not just through homework or sending work emails. :) It has also been a good reminder that motivating ourselves to try some things that are new, being ok with activities that may take time to get to, or patience to park at, etc. makes this city a great place to enjoy the summer and enjoy each other. Also, we've taken a lot of naps after our time in the hot sun and galavanting around town - that also helps!

Pictures will be coming sometime soon... happy Fourth to July weekend to all!

Summer Fun List '10

We've had a busy and fun start to the summer. So much so that I am not taking photos, blogging or reflecting much about it lately. But that is a good problem... I will update photos and other fun snippets for grandparents soon :) - but in the meantime, I thought I'd quick post the "fun summer list" that has been in my head this past month. I finally jotted it down last week and its been kinda fun to see what we've already accomplished and what we hope to still make time for this summer. I am in a phase of needing to write down details, plan ahead, and make good use of intentional time and relationships - hence, a summer fun list! (Plus it doesn't hurt for me to see things crossed off and associate some accomplishment with a jumbled up summer schedule.) Here is what we're doing - or hoping to do - this summer in the fun category (I also have some impressive "to-do" lists, but those aren't as, you know, "fun.") If you want to help make our fun list come true, lemme know and we can have fun together! :)

Fun Stuff for Summer List:
 Visit the Library
Fly a Kite
Visit the Beach
 Go to the Zoo
Go to the Children’s Museum
Go Camping – with Eva? Without?
Visit a State Park/go Canoeing at park or in the city
Take a long bike ride and picnic
 Play Nerts - lots
Play an outdoor lawn game we haven’t played before
 Plant flowers on deck/backyard space with Eva
 Take a (big) boat ride on Lake Michigan
Find a friend with a (small) boat on Lake Michigan
See fireworks
Go to a new discount/thrift store
Go to garage sales in our hood or Evanston
 Make homemade popsicles
 Do crafty-something-super-mom-ish with Eva
Play softball
Go to Ravinia
Do something at a Covenant Camp
Go to Chicago Fire Game and/or Cubs Game
Visit Shedd Aq
Go Dancing at Night
Train for and/or run a 5k (by October do the actual run)
Do Karaoke
Go swimming in a pool for first time with Eva
Do gymnastics with Eva
 Take Eva to dance/music class
Pick fruit/veggies from a garden
See at least two movies in the theater
Date night seeing a play/musical/performance/downtown
Paint one room in our apt.
Find great salsa/pico de gallo recipe – make it
Make at least 2 kinds of cordials/liquor for the fall
Visit somewhere new that is nearby – MI vineyards, or WI somewhere…
Go bowling
Play mini-golf
Watch Mary Poppins, Music Man and/or Sound of Music as a family
Go to Farmer’s Market
 Volunteer at church event/community event as a family
Try one new neighborhood restaurant
Read (at least) one great fiction and one great non-fiction book
Find new devotion/reflection book to use ongoing
Record something for fun with friends (singing, piano, etc.)
 Have fun grandparents weekends planned with both families
 Pick out fabric/clothing design for handmade Eva outfit
Spend quality time with a friend from out of town who I don’t see enough
 Spend quality time with a friend in town who I don’t see enough
Enjoy a campfire/backyard fire
Go to street festival/neighborhood carnival
See the view from the Sears Tower
 Take Eva on the el/bus ride

More Highlight Photo Collages from 2009

Below are a few more collages summarizing the past year for me. These are mainly from events that were too significant - and we had too many cute photos - for me to cut down and only splice into the seasonal summary collages. Most of these event collages revolve around a new little person in our family (I know, surprising, right?) So - in addition to the previously posted seasonal summaries, the following collages show Eva's first Christmas ('08), first birthday party, one-year-old photo shoot, and her baptism. I love to look over these again and remember each of these big events from our past year... we some amazing memories.  

Good Bye 2009....

Happy New Year Everyone!

After some tastey homeade liquers to celebrate, and recovering from getting our car towed tonight from Lake Shore Drive (bad alternator cut short our downtown drive/sightseeing stops), I started slowing down to reflect some on this past year. It's been a year full of changes and also waiting for change; full of the same everyday and small things right along with the unique and deeply significant events. It's been a complicated year in some ways - but also a very simple one. I think I am ready for 2010, ready to welcome whatever is next.

I've been loving making collages of my fave photos lately, since the visual connection of where we've been and what has happened helps me remember and organize (at least some of) the random thoughts in my head. I find myself looking back at the collages when I can't remember when something happened, or where the time went. So here is our past year in photo review form. :)  2010 - here we come!

Winter 2009:  (photo above) New yrs at our apt, wedding, mtng Linley/Ando/Wyatt, midwinter Sankofa reunion, trip to FL to lead conference, helmet was finished!, a gets very chattery and expressive

Spring 2009: weddings!! fun with family and visits, Izey turns 2, Eva starts to walk, Tim and Megs leave :(

Summer 2009: traveling to the cabin/MN/MI/Door County/all over, discovering stickers and the deck, started house hunting, saw cousin Sarah and visiting godparents, Eva's first sprinkler and paint set, OPRAH!

 Fall 2009: trip to Thailand, fall fun, visits with fam, more Lincoln Park Zoo/Children's museum, Ando's dedication, seeing Eva turn into a comedic little toddler!

Funny Phrases From a 20(ish) Month Old

- Eva routinely stands up, points both hands outward in a wide gesture, and exclaims, "Ta-da!" This can happen when she wakes up from a nap, when she puts together a toy, when she gets all dressed up in her winter wear - really anything she is proud of or just done with. It's awesome.

- When Eva is upset about something that is going to happen, like us leaving her or turning off Sesame Street, she know states emphatically ahead of time, "I cry, I cry" - which sounds like, "I kai, I kai."  Then she half fake, half for real starts to cry - with her hands up on her cheeks. Except for the part where she is really truly sad, it's pretty funny. :)

- When Eva is done with an activity, or done being with a certain person (could be a babysitter, one of us parents, a grandparent, etc.) she turns to that person/activity and loudly says, "Bye-bye." Even if you are mid-way through an activity, or in the middle of holding her, or still hugging her good-bye, if she is done, she declares "bye,bye" - several times, while waving bye to you - and that is that.

- Eva has discovered the fine art of tickling, which anyone who knows her dad will not be surprised at. She has helped tickle other people for awhile now (by 'tickling' I mean sort of scratching, sort of wiggling her fingers generally in the direction of someone else.) Recently she added tickling herself to her repertoir - so her routine goes something like this: yell, "Tick! Tick!" then wiggle fingers at mom, wiggle fingers at dad, tickle self in the tummy while falling over backwards on the couch, repeat.  

- Her current counting usually goes something like this: : "1, 2, 8, 9... TEN!"

- Her current alphabet singing goes something like this: "a, b, Ceeeeee, d, eh, eh, Geeee.... eh, eh, eh, eh, l, m, oh, oh, Peeeee.... eh... Veeeee, ....Zeeee... eh, eh, eh, eh, a, b, Ceeees, ...... Meeeeeee." 

HOO-RAY!!

After almost seven months of being in Thailand, my brother and sis-in-law (aka, two of my favorite people on the planet), returned to the States last week. :) While we did see them just last month on our trip over there, having them back in Chicago where they could hang out at our place, play Zuma on our couch, cuddle with our girl, and just enjoy some everyday life together again was precious time indeed. Above are Tim and Megs looking way too rested and tan for just getting off their marathon flight home.

Above is Eva excitedly waiting for them at the airport!

We had a great time with them in town, and I am convinced that Eva remembered them - she had a lot of fun with her 'Unca Poop' and 'May-guh' - we all thought we heard her refer to them that way. :)  

Even though they won't be in town again for a little while, or live up the street (or up one flight of stairs) from us anymore, just knowing they are back on US soil, with access to someone's cell phone that we can call them on, makes us all a little happier here in our household. :) Hoo-ray!

Leaving on a Jet Plane...

We're off to Thailand for TWO WHOLE WEEKS tomorrow morning... and it feels surreal! I already miss our little girl more then I thought I would, and got teary-eyed making a little calendar for her that shows the days we'll be gone and ends with a picture of us holding her. Sigh.

I also cannot WAIT to see my brother and sister in law in just 24 hours, and have them show us around their world over there. We have such a fun group of people we will be traveling with, and I think it will be a perfect mix of adventure, relaxing, seeing sites and chilling on the beach - it all sounds so great... once we get going and on the plane all the running around the past week or so will fade away.

Here is the cute girl we are leaving behind (with loving grandparents!)

Below is a great recent video of Eva dancing and giggling with me. ( I also have a stellar clip of Eva reading with daddy, but it's not loading properly tonight... I'll try another time.) This clip is for her - and us - to have online while we are out galavanting around Thailand! I know Eva will have a fantastic time with her grandparents in MN, probably learning new skills, words, and songs every day - but I know I will miss her and will now have to work to remember how to be without her. She's at the age where she is a total information sponge and so fun to watch learn; my parents have planned so many activities for her visit that I wonder if she'll even notice we're gone? :) How blessed we are to have people who love our daughter so much and help keep her safe and supported while we are gone - and we are also grateful for the financial ways my parents also helped make this trip possible. Big thanks grammie and gramps! And thanks Tim and Megs for being our in-country guides! As Eva would say, "wow!" What an adventure we get to embark on! :) See you in two weeks.

Labor Day Weekend

I know its been several weeks already, but I had to share some of the great photos and fun times that we had over Labor Day Weekend on here! My college roomie and a godmomma to Eva, Linnea, came into town from Colorado so we could play, talk, eat, sleep in, laugh late at night, and take a bunch of pictures together for a weekend.

Most of these photos Lin took on her fab camera (thanks, chica!), which helped make a fun walk in the park a photo shoot. These first few shots are of us in Gomper's Park by the fishing pond - it's Eva's new fave park (and there are many more good pics from the park and the weekend in our online photo albums as well.)

We also spent an afternoon with Lin at Danielson's *new* house for their block party - meeting all their new neighbors and chillin with the chillins. My favorite pic is the one here, of the two toddlers sitting on the front stoop - so cliche, and so cute! They were swapping sunglasses, drinks, and some kisses that afternoon. Gotta love 'em!

Over the long weekend, Eva and I also got to see Molly, a dog that Linnea was meeting so she could consider bringing her back home to their family in CO. Molly is a cute, smart pup that we watched fetch tennis balls in the lake and run all over the hillside; she is flying on "Pet Air" to join Lin in her new home next month! Needless to say, Evy was pretty excited about a dog who could swim AND chase balls.

Labor Day also marked ten years of marriage for Peter and me! TEN YEARS! We've done several date nights to celebrate our anniversary together already, and are taking a big trip to Thailand in a week or so that is in part to celebrate - but it was kind of cool to actually pass the official day and think about all that has happened in ten years of being married to my best friend.

How lucky we are to be able to share everyday moments - and big milestones - with friends that we love so much! :)