Pretty curl, baby girl

Pretty curl, baby girl

A house call

A dear friend from college came to visit yesterday. Courtney and I were sorority sisters. She was my "little sis" back in the day. Today she goes by Dr. Blake. Seven years ago she moved to the cities to attend vet school at the U. Luckily for me, she never left. We don't see each other as much as we'd like, but when we do, we pick up where we left off. Our visit yesterday marked the 10th anniversary of our study abroad trip to South America. Together with sixty other classmates, we plowed through eight countries in three months. I say plow because we created quite a scene at every airport with our mountain of luggage and typical college student rowdiness. The common theme in our trip down memory lane was how disheveled we all looked in all but a handful of pictures. We'd have stuck out anyway even if we didn't look so downtrodden in our rumpled sweatshirts and jeans. What amazed us most was the freedom we were granted to roam from country to country during our 10 vacation days. At 19 I don't know how we survived! We swam with an anaconda, waded through caimen infested water, had way too many close calls with the tour bus driving really close to the edge of the cliffs, hitchhiked to avoid an approaching wall cloud, wandered onto a beach where a man ended up following us (we learned later he had a knife), and were luck not to drown in the raging river water while white water rafting in Costa Rica and Peru.

We have so many fond (and dangerous) memories of that trip. A once in a lifetime adventure that I wouldn't have wanted to share with anyone but Courtney. Did I mention she's fluent in Spanish?

Thanks for spending the afternoon with us Court! Conor is loving his freshly clipped toenails. :)

A house call

A dear friend from college came to visit yesterday. Courtney and I were sorority sisters. She was my "little sis" back in the day. Today she goes by Dr. Blake. Seven years ago she moved to the cities to attend vet school at the U. Luckily for me, she never left. We don't see each other as much as we'd like, but when we do, we pick up where we left off. Our visit yesterday marked the 10th anniversary of our study abroad trip to South America. Together with sixty other classmates, we plowed through eight countries in three months. I say plow because we created quite a scene at every airport with our mountain of luggage and typical college student rowdiness. The common theme in our trip down memory lane was how disheveled we all looked in all but a handful of pictures. We'd have stuck out anyway even if we didn't look so downtrodden in our rumpled sweatshirts and jeans. What amazed us most was the freedom we were granted to roam from country to country during our 10 vacation days. At 19 I don't know how we survived! We swam with an anaconda, waded through caimen infested water, had way too many close calls with the tour bus driving really close to the edge of the cliffs, hitchhiked to avoid an approaching wall cloud, wandered onto a beach where a man ended up following us (we learned later he had a knife), and were luck not to drown in the raging river water while white water rafting in Costa Rica and Peru.

We have so many fond (and dangerous) memories of that trip. A once in a lifetime adventure that I wouldn't have wanted to share with anyone but Courtney. Did I mention she's fluent in Spanish?

Thanks for spending the afternoon with us Court! Conor is loving his freshly clipped toenails. :)

To borrow Frank Zappa's line - That's grody to the max"

I don’t know what’s worse – finding Julia in her crib with a blob of poop on her paci (amongst other places) or catching her eating dog food (not from the bowl – that would have been much tamer – it was regurgitated dog food – otherwise known in our house as “Puppy Puke”.

Sorry Sweetie – Just think, by getting this info out now, it’ll be old news by the time you’re old enough to be embarrassed by it.

To borrow Frank Zappa's line - That's grody to the max"

I don’t know what’s worse – finding Julia in her crib with a blob of poop on her paci (amongst other places) or catching her eating dog food (not from the bowl – that would have been much tamer – it was regurgitated dog food – otherwise known in our house as “Puppy Puke”.

Sorry Sweetie – Just think, by getting this info out now, it’ll be old news by the time you’re old enough to be embarrassed by it.

8 Years ago today

I shared a first kiss with the man of my dreams. For the past 7 years we've gone on a picnic to celebrate our "dating anniversary", but this year with the chaos of our lives the best we could muster was a sub from Subway inhaled while standing over the dining room table. To make up for it, we are going to sit down to watch a movie together for the first time in a loooong time. We'll eat chicken noodle soup and snuggle on the couch. Perhaps this'll be the beginning of a new tradition..... who needs ants, mosquitoes, and the uncomfortableness of eating on the ground anyway.

8 Years ago today

I shared a first kiss with the man of my dreams. For the past 7 years we've gone on a picnic to celebrate our "dating anniversary", but this year with the chaos of our lives the best we could muster was a sub from Subway inhaled while standing over the dining room table. To make up for it, we are going to sit down to watch a movie together for the first time in a loooong time. We'll eat chicken noodle soup and snuggle on the couch. Perhaps this'll be the beginning of a new tradition..... who needs ants, mosquitoes, and the uncomfortableness of eating on the ground anyway.

A deluge

Anyone who follows the Pauly's Pics & Prose will notice a dramatic increase in the posts tonight. (Don't forget to scroll down to the old stuff first so you can read them in order.) Brian was kind enough to take over the household duties this afternoon so I could have some uninterrupted time to myself. (Nobody was able to explain this to Sam though, so he managed to work in some tantrums that one person should have to deal with on their own.) And the kids cut us some slack this evening and went to sleep without any battles - a rarity lately.
The weather was absolutely picture perfect today so we decided that we'd load up the kids and pick out some Open House signs at Home Depot. We checked the mailbox on our way and lo and behold - a letter from Voyageurs National Park!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm so glad we were both there to read it. Basically they said that Brian passed the initial part of the application process and his paperwork has been passed on to the person who does the hiring. They say it could take 45 business days before they offer someone the job. This is very exciting news for us because yesterday we got an email saying they hadn't even touched the applications they've had on their desk for 3+ weeks. Having a time line makes the waiting much easier. Unfortunately 45 business days is over 2 MONTHS. Brian will have to find work somewhere else while we continue to keep the house up for sale. Thank you to everyone who's been praying for us. We feel blessed to have such a fabulous support network of family and friends. We'll keep you updated!

Getting this wonderful news prompted us to splurge on some ice cream treats. Since Culver's and Dairy Queen are pricey, Sam and I walked from Home Depot and picked up some drumsticks at the grocery store. Did I mention how nice it was outside? Seriously, I wish we were camping so I could stay out there all night!











Both kids loved the slide. This blurry one of Julia is me trying to keep her from diving face first, snap a picture, and catch her at the bottom.



What possessed me to use the self-timer to get this shot? I had 10 seconds to run to the slide (through pea gravel), climb it, and get Sam on my lap. Almost made it.

















Digging with Daddy is much tamer. Good choice Sam.

A deluge

Anyone who follows the Pauly's Pics & Prose will notice a dramatic increase in the posts tonight. (Don't forget to scroll down to the old stuff first so you can read them in order.) Brian was kind enough to take over the household duties this afternoon so I could have some uninterrupted time to myself. (Nobody was able to explain this to Sam though, so he managed to work in some tantrums that one person should have to deal with on their own.) And the kids cut us some slack this evening and went to sleep without any battles - a rarity lately.
The weather was absolutely picture perfect today so we decided that we'd load up the kids and pick out some Open House signs at Home Depot. We checked the mailbox on our way and lo and behold - a letter from Voyageurs National Park!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm so glad we were both there to read it. Basically they said that Brian passed the initial part of the application process and his paperwork has been passed on to the person who does the hiring. They say it could take 45 business days before they offer someone the job. This is very exciting news for us because yesterday we got an email saying they hadn't even touched the applications they've had on their desk for 3+ weeks. Having a time line makes the waiting much easier. Unfortunately 45 business days is over 2 MONTHS. Brian will have to find work somewhere else while we continue to keep the house up for sale. Thank you to everyone who's been praying for us. We feel blessed to have such a fabulous support network of family and friends. We'll keep you updated!

Getting this wonderful news prompted us to splurge on some ice cream treats. Since Culver's and Dairy Queen are pricey, Sam and I walked from Home Depot and picked up some drumsticks at the grocery store. Did I mention how nice it was outside? Seriously, I wish we were camping so I could stay out there all night!











Both kids loved the slide. This blurry one of Julia is me trying to keep her from diving face first, snap a picture, and catch her at the bottom.



What possessed me to use the self-timer to get this shot? I had 10 seconds to run to the slide (through pea gravel), climb it, and get Sam on my lap. Almost made it.

















Digging with Daddy is much tamer. Good choice Sam.

The good life

It's easy for me to focus on the negative and in our current situation there is plenty of it. When I update friends and family on Brian's job search or our plight with our mortgage, it can seem like we are in a bad place. On paper, especially financially, that is most definetely a true statement, but in the grand sceeme of things, we are doing just fine. In fact - we couldn't be better. We have each other to lean on, we still find joy in the little things - especially the kids, and most of all we are trusting God.

I've rediscovered a great little book called, "Joy Breaks". when I was staging our home to sell. I love it when the Lord orchestrates the little things. Out of the 100+ books I could have grabbed to sit next to a coffee mug, the one that has message after message for me is the one "I" chose. The book is filled with short devotions to celebrate, simplify, and add laughter to your life. Here's the prayer I read today:

"Dear Lord, like a child with her mom, when I say now, I mean right now! Thank you for not always dropping everything in the universe and rushing to my rescue. Instead, you have allowed me to feel my neediness and experience my limitations so I will understand that it is You who will (eventually) save me. I don't want to refuse your perfect plan; I want to find refuge in you. Then I will have the stamina to make it to the end. Amen."

The good life

It's easy for me to focus on the negative and in our current situation there is plenty of it. When I update friends and family on Brian's job search or our plight with our mortgage, it can seem like we are in a bad place. On paper, especially financially, that is most definetely a true statement, but in the grand sceeme of things, we are doing just fine. In fact - we couldn't be better. We have each other to lean on, we still find joy in the little things - especially the kids, and most of all we are trusting God.

I've rediscovered a great little book called, "Joy Breaks". when I was staging our home to sell. I love it when the Lord orchestrates the little things. Out of the 100+ books I could have grabbed to sit next to a coffee mug, the one that has message after message for me is the one "I" chose. The book is filled with short devotions to celebrate, simplify, and add laughter to your life. Here's the prayer I read today:

"Dear Lord, like a child with her mom, when I say now, I mean right now! Thank you for not always dropping everything in the universe and rushing to my rescue. Instead, you have allowed me to feel my neediness and experience my limitations so I will understand that it is You who will (eventually) save me. I don't want to refuse your perfect plan; I want to find refuge in you. Then I will have the stamina to make it to the end. Amen."

the house tour

the house tour

Back to school

I don't live under a rock (though with our current housing situation, that might not be accurate in the near future). Already I'm digressing....sorry. It's been a really, really long three weeks. Anyway....I know it's back to school time. I know kids are lining up their #2 pencils, loading up on folders, stylish new clothes, and savoring the final days of summer. I was still caught off guard when the phone rang last week and the voice on the other end said, "Hi , My name is Rannel. I'm going to be Sam's preschool teacher this fall." What? I signed up for preschool? I know I'm sleep deprived, but how in the world could I forget something so important? There must be some mistake. These are the thoughts that flashed through my brain like lightening as my mouth mumbled who knows what. As so not to sound like a complete fool, I went with the flow and in the conversation about the upcoming open house I discovered that this lady had called the right number and it wasn't just a fluke that she was talking about Sam. (It is a common name after all- over 400 in 2004 in Minnesota alone) While we call all of the Early Childhood Education classes the kids take "school" I certainly wouldn't consider one day a week preschool. Either way, if the open house last night is any indication - Sam is going to L-O-V-E school!



Julia and I will be taking a class next door to Sam's on the "drop off day". I feel very fortunate that I get to ease into this whole new world of letting go.

Back to school

I don't live under a rock (though with our current housing situation, that might not be accurate in the near future). Already I'm digressing....sorry. It's been a really, really long three weeks. Anyway....I know it's back to school time. I know kids are lining up their #2 pencils, loading up on folders, stylish new clothes, and savoring the final days of summer. I was still caught off guard when the phone rang last week and the voice on the other end said, "Hi , My name is Rannel. I'm going to be Sam's preschool teacher this fall." What? I signed up for preschool? I know I'm sleep deprived, but how in the world could I forget something so important? There must be some mistake. These are the thoughts that flashed through my brain like lightening as my mouth mumbled who knows what. As so not to sound like a complete fool, I went with the flow and in the conversation about the upcoming open house I discovered that this lady had called the right number and it wasn't just a fluke that she was talking about Sam. (It is a common name after all- over 400 in 2004 in Minnesota alone) While we call all of the Early Childhood Education classes the kids take "school" I certainly wouldn't consider one day a week preschool. Either way, if the open house last night is any indication - Sam is going to L-O-V-E school!



Julia and I will be taking a class next door to Sam's on the "drop off day". I feel very fortunate that I get to ease into this whole new world of letting go.

If that's what makes her happy

then a sink bath it is. In fact a cool refreshing soak doesn't sound half bad. See that red mark on her chest? She fought with the train table and the train table won.

If that's what makes her happy

then a sink bath it is. In fact a cool refreshing soak doesn't sound half bad. See that red mark on her chest? She fought with the train table and the train table won.

Welcome back Brianna!

We have a "new" addition to our house a few days a week now. Brianna had taken the summer off to stay home with her dad, but he's taking classes on campus this fall so we get to get reacquainted with our friend Bea.



At 19 months she's already a little mother. Keeping a close eye on the babies while they nap (That's Grant on the monitor), returning pacifiers to Julia, offering sippy cups, and helping put bibs on.



Not only do I have the privilege of watching Sam and Brianna play, but Julia is pretty taken with her too.


How could you not be with a face like this??

Welcome back Brianna!

We have a "new" addition to our house a few days a week now. Brianna had taken the summer off to stay home with her dad, but he's taking classes on campus this fall so we get to get reacquainted with our friend Bea.



At 19 months she's already a little mother. Keeping a close eye on the babies while they nap (That's Grant on the monitor), returning pacifiers to Julia, offering sippy cups, and helping put bibs on.



Not only do I have the privilege of watching Sam and Brianna play, but Julia is pretty taken with her too.


How could you not be with a face like this??

A Preview

While we were at the Mall of America yesterday I couldn't resist picking up Julia's Halloween costume. It might seem strange to be shopping this far ahead, but I've learned that the cute ones sell out fast. This fairy costume is no exception. They didn't have the 2T body suit that I knew would fit, so I had to get the 18-24 month one. A nice lady at a different Gymboree Store was able to procure the correct size and it's being shipped to my house at this very moment.

Yes, I know the flower on her head is very similar to the one I dissed in an earlier post. No need to comment on it, I already know.




For what it's worth - last year I bought her costume before she was even born.

A Preview

While we were at the Mall of America yesterday I couldn't resist picking up Julia's Halloween costume. It might seem strange to be shopping this far ahead, but I've learned that the cute ones sell out fast. This fairy costume is no exception. They didn't have the 2T body suit that I knew would fit, so I had to get the 18-24 month one. A nice lady at a different Gymboree Store was able to procure the correct size and it's being shipped to my house at this very moment.

Yes, I know the flower on her head is very similar to the one I dissed in an earlier post. No need to comment on it, I already know.




For what it's worth - last year I bought her costume before she was even born.