Breakfast Date with Mommy

We drove to New York to be with our families for Thanksgiving, and drove back on Sunday night through the night.  It seems to work best that way for now.  Gemma sleeps pretty well and we avoid all the traffic.  But, of course, by our arrival in the morning she's up and ready to go!  And since Daddy usually does all the driving, a Mommy who did get a bit of sleep tries to think of things to do . . . like getting out of the house for breakfast.  :)  This time we went to the Starbucks in Target for their oatmeal.

Oh, yes, it's yummy.  :)

"Can you smile for Mommy's camera?"

34 weeks!

It really is going by quickly, and I feel like there's so much to be done for the baby!  We're having company tomorrow?  Oh, well, I really need to find the perfect sock baskets and tidy up the nursery!  That's my crazy mind talking . . . I need to wash the boppy, swing cover, diaper bag and such . . . and stock the diaper bag . . . and shampoo the car and install the infant seat . . . and write the birth plan and pack my bag . . . oh, and Thanksgiving and Gemma's birthday are happening sooner than all of this, and probably Christmas, too!  Well.

I did at least get the burp cloths for the new one finished yesterday!

Four with pretty fabrics . . . 

And one with ribbons.  :)

23 months old

Almost 2, and cute as a button!

Gemma loves reading and being read to.  :)  I frequently find her on the couch or in the big rocking chair in her room with an open book.   

I wrote down a few new words which I'd forgotten to include last month!  "Cukoo," "Back pack" (she leaves off the ending "ck"), "out," "da" ("down"), "me" and "my" (can also mean "mine").  Most of these words she was already saying last month, though, and she hasn't seemed to add any new ones recently.  She has learned a lot more letters, though!  She definitely now knows Y, T, A, S, P, V, and d, and I think there are a bunch more spinning around in her head which have yet to be solidified!

We continue to enjoy our outings to the library and store, and now she likes to bring her own shopping bag, just like Mommy.  You may see it over her arm in the picture above!

And she still loves her Judy Rogers anytime.  John often puts it on over the Apple TV in the mornings while she has her morning milk and o's.  She's leaning back, watching the photo stream in this picture! 

It's almost funny that she's wearing her jacket with no hood in this picture, because she now almost always insists on having it "on."  :)  Gemma loves helping, too . . . lately she likes to pull a chair up to the counter or sink where Mommy is cooking or doing dishes so she can stand on it and help.  It does make things a bit more complicated, but I love spending the time with her, too!  She's very good at picking up her toys (most of the time!) and even did it once recently without being asked!  But she has seemed to have a methodical personality for a while.  She likes to put things back in their places.  

 

And now someone is awake . . . so off I go!

supper this week

(This was one of the best meals we had on our Europe trip!  

Wonderful, wonderful pasta at a little place in Rome called Cacio e Pepe!)

Last week's plans got adjusted a bit, since it turned out that I didn't need to cook for as many nights as I'd planned.  :)  Some things just got pushed to this week . . . 

Monday:  pancit

Tuesday:  Roast chicken breast, stuffing, squash

Wednesday:  White chili for lunch (we're having company, yay!) and take-out Thai for dinner

Thursday:  Refried bean enchiladas

Friday:  Pot roast with potatos, carrots, etc.

Saturday:  Shrimp scampi

Sunday:  {We'll be eating with friends at their home, Lord willing!}

Eternal Glory . . .

photo from outside a castle in Germany :)

 

Yesterday was November 7, which means that Gemma turned 23 months old, and my favorite sister, Heidi, turned another year older!  She's not old by any means . . . but she's past 18 and thus a true lady, so I'll leave it to the lady herself to reveal her age if she so desires.  ;)  I was looking through some old folders on our computer to see if I could find any fun photos of the two of us, but finally settled on this one:

 

 

Happy Birthday, Sis!

 

I don't like to get very political on our little family blog, but yesterday was also quite disappointing to me.  It's funny, because I had expected our current president to be reelected all along, and didn't think I was very emotionally tied up in the race . . . but there's a distinct difference between the expectation of an unpleasant event and its final realization.  I think Jane Austen said something like that.  ;)  It's true, though!  As we arrived at church for prayer last night, I was hit with memories from prayer meeting the week before, when we'd all gathered to focus on prayer for our nation.  The entire day had been designated as a day for prayer and fasting (although some people like pregnant me did not fast from food!).  Now it was all settled . . . for the worse, I am convinced.

 

I know intellectually that God is still on His throne, and meditating on that helped a little bit.

 

Then, this line from a hymn by James G. Small helped even more:

"Eternal glory gleams afar,

To nerve my faint endeavor"

 

We have the hope of eternity before us.  We have a Savior who will never fail us.  In fact, eternity is coming upon us quickly, and our lives here in our country will be but a faint memory, then!

 

I don't know how people who do not have Jesus do it.  I don't know how they get through their difficult times.  If I had to muster up my own strength all the time . . . I would be a basket case.

 

"So now to watch, to work, to war;

And then to rest forever."

Happy Election Day!

We walked around the pond and over the hill to our polling place today . . . one of the benefits of neighborhood living.  :)

I like how many people are using Facebook to list one item they are thankful for each day for the month of November. . . . it has been helping me to be thinking about what I'm thankful for throughout each day.  And today I am very thankful for the privilege we have to vote.  

Whew, it was a busy weekend and Monday, though.  I think I could use the entire rest of the week to get our house cleaned and in order!  

32 weeks

32 weeks!

I'm feeling pretty tired again these days.  It's not quite to the point where I need a daily nap, but I think it will be, soon!

Everything looks well with baby . . . by the way I'm measuring, the midwives think that she'll be a good-sized girl like her big sister!  (Gemma was 8lbs, 9.7 oz.)

I guess it's not nesting per se, but I am feeling the urge to get all the baby clothes ready and the nursery just so . . . which is kind of funny since she won't be sleeping in the nursery for at least a few months!  

Gemma is very interested in "helping."  :)