Monday, April 25, 2016

It's about time

I suppose that it is about time to announce:






Yup, that is correct.  I'm pregnant. :)



FAQs:

Q: When are you due?
A: I'm going to go with October. The doctor thinks they know better than me on the date so there is quite the range. :)

Q. How are you feeling?
A: (I'm trying very hard not to be snarky) I'm alive, as you can tell. I think I'm feeling pretty good.  But, maybe I'm just a super strong human being who can handle more than you. ;) hehe. No really. I'm doing well. But, truthfully this question gets old...sorry.

Q: Was it planned?
A: I won't even try not to be snarky. Why. Why would you ever ask this? We've been married almost 3 years... ?

Q: Are you excited?
A: Still such an odd question to ask.  But, yes, very.  Will I show it? Probably in spurts, but I'm also extremely practical and know it won't be all sunshine and daisies.

Q: When did you announce?
A: um... we just sorta started telling people and went from there.   I don't like a lot of attention so I prefer the trickle effect. 


In other news, we are also one class and a home study away from being licensed as foster parents. :) I'm not sure when we'll start taking kids. Once we are "ready" it could be months before they call us. If anyone has toys, games, books, or clothes, for 0-3(ish) year olds we'd appreciate donations :) so we can be prepared. A lot of kids come with very little and we pretty much have nothing. 

So, recently I've been doing a lot of crib shopping,  room arrangement planning, and Pinterest-ing for ideas. 

The other evening we were with Nathan's family and they opened the Bible to read. Before they started, I immediately thought of a verse. They started reading and read the exact verse:

"And he took a child, and set him in the midst of them: and when he had taken him in his arms, he said unto them, Whosoever shall receive one of such children in my name, receiveth me: and whosoever shall receive me, receiveth not me, but him that sent me." ~ Mark 9:36-37

Prayers appreciated for both steps in our life.


In Christ
~Michelle


Monday, April 18, 2016

April

I know. I know.  It's already halfway through April and this is my first post.

We started out April by spending our evenings working on our garden.  I decided this year to try raised beds. Nathan has been kind enough to go along.  


The first bed going in



One evening, my dad and Jake brought us dirt. We paid for their labor in cookies.

Lots and lots of dirt


The finished product. 

The other evening the doorbell rang and I answered the door.  It was an older man and he was wondering where we got such nice dirt. He had never seen dirt so nice before. hehe. Thankfully I knew where my dad had bought it and with a confirmatory text, I was able to advise the man. 

April 8th and 9th Nathan and I participated in the wedding festivities of one of Nathan's college friends.  Nathan got to be a groomsman and wear a tux.  Friday night we went to the rehearsal dinner. The other groomsmen, Nathan's friends as well, who aren't from the area stayed at our house that night.

Saturday, I tagged along to the Pere Marquette where the wedding party was meeting up.

We quick grabbed a picture. 



looking quite handsome in his bow-tie :)  hehe 

We then headed to the church. I got to experience my first Catholic wedding.  Quite something. 
The wedding party and the gorgeous church.

From the church, I got to ride the bus with the wedding party, and other significant others, to pictures and then to the reception. 

The bride and groom

Oh wedding receptions. They are so awkward.  God was definitely looking out for me though and Nathan did not have to sit at a head table.  But, yah. Dancing and drinking. Since I do neither, It was a bunch of long hours of sitting and sipping coke.  If the dancing were only as beautiful and sophisticated as dances from the regency era (aka pride and prejudice), I would have been way more tempted to join. 

Nathan's friends stayed Saturday night as well and left Sunday after we went to church. 
Sunday evening, Kacie came over and spent the night.  We stayed up far too late having really good conversations. :) I wish I got to see her more. To say I was tired on Monday is an understatement.

I got to babysit for Jack the other night. We had fun. I was trying to transfer the pictures seen above from my phone to the computer. Jack wanted to suck on my phone. 
So, we took a selfie. 

Saturday night we went to Matt's "surprise" birthday party at the farm.  A random assortment of Matt's friends came. It was fun. 

His cake. It's so gross. 


just look at the amount of frosting. 

The girlies came with Jenny and Bob and a few of the others brought their kids as well. I had fun watching them run around the farm. The men mostly sat on the porch and chatted. 

They finished up the night with some quartet-ing. 

We served lunch on Sunday. It was a success. We had plenty of food and not too much left over.  Every time I find it weird how people thank me.  I don't feel like I should be thanked.  Every other couple serves lunch.Why is that spectacular or worthy of praise? I just did what was expected, nothing special.  Serving lunch is my way of thanking everyone else for doing their part and vise versa.   

Side rant on thanking:  I also don't think people should be expected to write thank you notes for gifts given at showers. If I thanked you in person, why do I need to thank you again?  If you need something in return for the gift, was it really a gift at all?  For family and close friends, I have so much to thank you for, a card can't even do justice, and for others, it become the stock "thank you for the ----. We really appreciate it."   How is that better than a collective appreciation for all the support and love shown?   Do people realize how much it might cost a young couple fresh out of college, just starting out, with barely any savings, to send that many cards through the mail?  

I don't mind getting or writing the occasional thank you note. But, I think expecting everyone to write one for everything, they lose their meaning. Same with being thanked for serving lunch.  

I'm just weird. And, quite opinionated. If you haven't figured that out.  If you like to write thank you notes for wedding/baby showers, enjoy :) 

"But which of you, having a servant plowing or feeding cattle, will say unto him by and by, when he is come from the field, Go and sit down to meat? And will not rather say unto him, Make ready wherewith I may sup, and gird thyself, and serve me, till I have eaten and drunken; and afterward thou shalt eat and drink? Doth he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded him? I trow not. So likewise ye, when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do." ~ Luke 17:7-10


Anyway...I should probably be quiet. I've been on a soap box rampage these days. Blogs are wonderful forums for those though. ;) hehe.

In Christ
~Michelle