A Full Heart

So much has happened in the past few months, but oh so few updates. I'm overwhelmed by the providence the Lord has showered upon us. The blessings have come amidst challenges, but I'm struck by how beautifully God is orchestrating all things.

Because my heart is so full, I'm going to list some of the blessings that spring to mind.

1.) A healthy, growing baby girl! She cooperated to give us a hint of her gender about 4 weeks ago, and Dan and I are thrilled. She's kicking and growing (evidence: my bulging belly!).

2.) The purchase of a newly-renovated historic home! We started looking for houses last fall, but once we found out we were pregnant, we started looking again. We wanted a room for the baby and a room for guests. (We think that the arrival of our little cutie will draw some more visitors.) We put an offer in on one house, but the home inspection turned up more work that we were willing to do. Right at the same time, this house came into our hunt. It's in downtown Dayton and was completely rehabed by a Christian non-profit group. High efficency systems, new kitchen, gas fireplace, and a fenced in backyard makes it a perfect fit for us.

3.) Friends and family who made our move smooth. The downside of living 4+ hours from family is that they aren't always available to help on moving day. On the plus side, our church family and Dan's co-workers stepped in to make our move go flawlessly. We were completely moved in about 4 hours. Then, my mom and my sister arrived to help unpack some boxes. We wouldn't have been able to do it without these wonderful people.

4.) A vacation coming up! We're headed to the beach with Dan's family -- all of them! I'm so excited that we'll all be together for an entire week. We've missed family time.

5.) Time to enjoy life. School ended a few weeks ago, and I don't know how I would have been able to pack up, close on the house, and move all while teaching. I don't have a summer job (although I might try to find something). Also, I'm not going to be teaching next year, so I have some time to get settled in and then love on our little package of joy when she arrives!

6.) Dan. He's been super sweet throughout pregnancy. I've had it really easy, but for the things that have been different, he's been really supportive and/or understanding. For example, he didn't tease me about crying after we didn't buy ice cream at Meijer the other day. Yes, I cried because I didn't get ice cream. What can I say? I love ice cream. Anyways, he's going to be an amazing dad.

Knitting Project

I've come to realize that knitting is not exactly a cheap way to make gifts for others. The most cost-effective gifts are the small ones, like the hats I made for my family at Christmas. Nice yarn costs a good bit of money, but instead of seeing that as a downside to my hobby, I've embraced the fact that quality yarn creates a lasting gift.

As my friends have started to have babies, I've vowed to make at least one hand-knit thing for each of them. That is, each of their first babies. I can't vouch for my ability to knit gifts for an unknown number of kiddos, but I think I can swing at least one hand-knit gift per friend. I had no idea how many gorgeous baby items I can (theoretically) make. I'm loving the challenges I find in new patterns. Knitting for babies is so quick, too, and I don't need as much yarn, which is why I was able to splurge on yarn with gorgeous colors for Natalie's baby.

Natalie and Brandon didn't know what gender baby they were having until he arrived (hi baby Wesley!), so I didn't choose my pattern until he made it safely into the world. My friend Kate (whose daughter was the recipient of my first ever baby blanket) advised me to make something for a year or so into life, when the abundance of baby shower clothes had diminished, so I decided upon the Chunky Monkey by the brown stitch. I purchased the yarn after driving all about the Miami Valley on one of my recent snow days, and after finally landing at The Yarn and the Needle, I found a navy tweed (Cascade 120) and a buttery yellow, perfect for a boy but equally as perfect for any future kids they may have.

So without further ado, the final results!

And another shot:

I hope baby Wesley loves his vest when he can wear it, in about a year.

P.S. This present is not to its recipients yet. I'm hoping that Natalie will be too busy with the baby to read this post. And if not... Natalie, this is your gift!

Thanksgiving -- Hip Hip, Hooray!

Today we are off to Dan's sister's house so we don't have a crazy hectic morning tomorrow, what with the 5K and all. I volunteered (or was asked?) to bring pies and rolls, so I've been preparing since Monday.

I made two different kinds of rolls on Monday. First I made potato rolls, melt-in-your-mouth delicious and a reminder of the Fredonia establishment The Upper Crust. Later in the day I made oatmeal rolls, complete with some white whole wheat flour (love that King Arthur brand!).

Yesterday I made pie crusts and put them in the fridge, and this morning I finished up the pies. Chocolate pecan pie and apple with a crumb top. My motto is that cooking/baking ALWAYS takes longer than you think it will. And I was right. The kitchen looked like a war zone even with that step out of the way, and I spent all morning making the fillings for 2 pies.

Now they are cooling on the counter (and the kitchen is cleaned up), so I have some time to reflect on the past few Thanksgivings.

In 2007, our first "married" Thanksgiving, we went to Pittsburgh for Thanksgiving #1 and then to Fredonia for leftover Thanksgiving #2.

In 2008, the first year we were in Wisconsin, my parents and my sister made the long drive out to Williams Bay, and we celebrated with my Aunt Faith and cousin Frankie, too. That was the first Thanksgiving I was somewhat in charge of, although my parents brought a turkey, stuffing made and frozen, and some other Thanksgiving essentials (including recipes, which I now have safely tucked away). I made cornbread stuffing (I think?), Dan made mashed potatoes, and I also made the most amazing crescent rolls, if I do say so myself. It was also the first year we tried Chocolate Pecan Pie, and I fell in love.

In 2009, we did a pre-Thanksgiving celebration at Halloween with Dan's family because my student-teaching break far too short to drive all the way to PA. It was fun to have Thanksgiving with everyone and then go trick-or-treating. I loved it.

Then, for the REAL Thanksgiving, Andrew & Shelley drove out to WI to celebrate with us! They got totally lost in Ohio, but made it out to Williams Bay. It was my first Thankgiving without any parents, so I was (overly) prepared. I made a list of the menu, complete with what dishes the finished food would go in. As I was student teaching, I had to go to school on the day before Thanksgiving, and Shelley and Dan did most of the prep work for the big meal. It was like having a sous-chef.

On the day of Thanksgiving, we were joined by our friends Ryan & Virginia (and her amazing sweet potato casserole) and Jay. It was awesome -- I absolutely loved everything about this Thanksgiving, and apparently had so much fun that I didn't take a single picture. Of course we missed the family members who weren't there, but it was great to have friends and family to share the day with.

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays. You spend lots of time making delicious foods, which are laced with memories of years gone-by. You get to sit around eating and talking and laughing with family and/or friends. And then you can relax for a few hours, only to get out the leftovers to enjoy them again. So excited for the memories that this Thanksgiving will create.

Giving Thanks #16

My friends from college are as dear to me now as the day that we graduated. (An appropriate picture to insert would be one from graduation, but I am unable to find any. ANY. We took like a billion pictures, jumping in our gowns, and yet I have not a single one. Digital pictures are great, but I need to start printing them and filing them in an organized manner. So as a substitute, here is some of my wonderful friends at Kate's wedding. But I digress from the real topic at hand.) Our lives have taken unexpected twists and turns, and we've grown more unique in the years since our time at Houghton, but I still rely on their words of wisdom, their encouragement, and their own stories of growth and change.

These words are from the journal I kept freshman year, when college was still new and terrifying and exciting and overwhelming. I think I can be forgiven for the bit of drama infused in this entry.

My memories of summer fun, of laughter, of joking around and of camaraderie are haunting reminders that everything is different now. And I'm scared I'll never have that again, that friendships like those were for one brief moment in my life. It is so foolish, but I am afraid I will never have friends again. Who is Kate, then, and Adrienne? Sure, they are my friends. But are they the same friends as I had in high school? Am I expecting them to be the same friends? No, but I think I am longing for the closeness and ease of jest and the fun we shared.

Friendships are not made in a day, or a week, or a month or even two months. But I wish they were.

Even then, the makings of amazing friendships were underway, with more to be formed in the months following this entry. I could write an entry on each of these women and how they have impacted my life, but suffice it to say I am abundantly grateful to God for them.

Giving Thanks #7

I am abundantly grateful that we found a church on the second Sunday we were here in Dayton. We were immediately drawn to the welcoming atmosphere. As the pastor said, "We want to be a place with sticky on our hands," and we are evidence of that goo.

The second week we attended, we decided to take the plunge and sign up for a small group. Our life group has just started recently, and while we're not all in the same places in life, almost all of us are new to the church or the area. It was a bonding experience to share our stories and learn that all of us are searching for connection, from one of the new pastors on staff to two military families to other transplants. We've only had three meetings, but since we've started getting together, we've seen friendly faces every Sunday. It's so great to know names to put to those faces and a little bit of their stories. I am thankful for this community.

Reunion, Take Two

I loved Houghton College even before I went. Visiting campus with my parents to their own class reunions, attending soccer camp, and seeing my big brother shave his head as part of the men's soccer team helped me realize that Houghton was a special place. Nestled in the hills of Allegany County, it's definitely rural, but the absence of stores, malls, and even a grocery store forces the student body to bond. At least, that's how it worked for my closest college friends. An amalgamation of Highlander friendships, FYHP attendees, and roommates, we shared a special bond that grew strong and deep during our four years together. In fact, it was such a strong connection that we all felt the separation post May 2007 down to our cores. I know I was surprised to be so lonely without these women.

Despite the distance that separated us, our friendships continued to grow. We instituted a monthly email, intended to keep us from becoming Christmas-letter-only friends. It works, with some of us writing on time, some of us writing late, and some of us procrastinating for a month or two. (I fall into the last category right now.) We've also managed not one but two reunions -- more if you count the three weddings that we've shared. Not everyone has been able to make it to each of these events, but oh boy, have them been wonderful! Last February we met up in Chicago. We crowded together in a hotel, froze in the city, and made a joyful memory.
This year, spurred by the quick stateside visit of one of our (currently) international amigas, we decided to meet outside of Washington, D.C., the first weekend of February. Not to be outdone by the frigid temperatures experienced in Chicago, this trip happened to occur in the massive snowstorm that blasted the East Coast. We all managed to arrive and leave safely, including Kate and her baby daughter, who flew in from Minneapolis, MN. The feet of snow that we got ensured that we had lots of time to sit and chat, but unfortunately also mandated that we dig out our cars.
This was the Sub, part way through its unearthing. It really wasn't much fun to shovel out our cars, but fortunately, everyone pitched in (except for the baby, but I guess we can't blame her). It actually provided a decent way to work of some of the calories we ate (and ATE) during that weekend.

And although next year we vowed to meet in Vegas, this reunion proved to become another unforgettable memory. Being able to talk, eat, laugh and pray together was another reason I'm thankful for the time I spent at Houghton.