Melanie's Blog

Christmas highlights

2012-02-11T01:04:00.000-08:00

Here are a few of our favorite moments over the Christmas season, captured on "film".

And that's that

2012-01-17T02:32:00.000-08:00

So here we are, at the end of my Minnesota trip. Our last week was packed full of seeing friends and family and enjoying every little bit of Minnesota that we could. Here are a few random shots of it all...

Like father, like son!
I was amused to see that my nephew Thomas has grown so much like my brother. They both have the same ability to intensely concentrate on things, love being the center of attention, are highly intelligent, and like to let you know by using big words and concepts! Ha ha! And they are both crazy fun! And check out their Christmas tree!!...

We also had the blessing of seeing the Fraser family one afternoon. Love this family so much. They are a huge encouragement and an amazing example of Christ-likeness. I really admire them.

And their girls are gems! Mariah enjoyed dressing up with them (or rather, being dressed up!) Wig and all!

We were also blessed by a lovely evening over for supper with my cousins. Their kiddos are close in age to ours and enjoyed playing together. Mariah and Judah are tolerating a rather vigorous hug from Elinor.

And finally, saying goodbye at the airport! :(

Boy, do I ever miss them! I thank God for such wonderful parents and grandparents for my children. Sooooo blessed!!

And here we go...back on the airplane, flying home. I kind of felt like Micah looks at this point too..."HELP!"

Traveling home was WAY harder than the trip over. For one thing, the bassinet that I had tried so hard to reserve didn't work out in the end and we never had an empty seat next to us, unlike on the way over. So it was a bit more work and slightly stressful since I had to hold a wiggly little boy the whole way,. Thankfully the kind gentleman next to me managed to save my tray of food from flying into the air from one of Micah's swift kicks. In the end, we made it and are now home safe and sound. Whew!

Lutefisk!

2012-01-14T06:48:00.000-08:00

It's tradition. Other than that, there is very little appeal to this annual fish dinner I suppose, except for all the melted butter you pour on top and of course the social appeal! Here we are, all waiting for our turn to dine...

The fish itself is a bit..."unique" in texture and smell. (You can read more about it if you want.) And so, in the spirit of tradition, I felt it my duty to expose my offspring to this culinary experience.

Mariah's first taste: She forked it in with great delight and eagerness, possibly expecting a similar taste to the yummy Swedish meatballs or buttered and sugared lefse.
But, nope...not exactly.
It never could be persuaded to enter her mouth again. Don't worry, Mariah. It will grow on you!

Micah was prepared to take on the whole bowl! That's a good Norwegian boy!

Grandpa and Grandma and aunts, oh my!

2012-01-14T06:03:00.000-08:00

Need to catch up on our Minnesota trip pictures!! Sorry it's taking me so long! I just love these pictures of the kids getting to know family a bit more...

Grandpa on the floor with Micah! Love him!

Meeting two great aunts, my mom's sisters...

Love his suspicious look! And rightly so...when the sisters get together, you never know what might happen! Most likely an out-if-control laughing session at any point.

Grandma showing Mariah how to play a tune.

Snuggles with Auntie Mindy...

And more Grandpa and Grandma time...just can't get enough of that!

Off to Sahlstrom's Farm!

2011-12-31T08:16:00.000-08:00

The day after Thanksgiving, Mom and Dad and I and the kids piled into their car and took a six hour drive to southern Minnesota to visit my sister's family. What a fun time we had!

Amelia and Simeon took Mariah on a quad tour of the farm. She thought that was exciting!

Surrounded by cousins...and they have all gotten so big since we last saw them!

I FINALLY got to meet Naomi, my nephew's sweet new wife. She is lovely. Here they had just stopped in on a break from working on their new house.

My gorgeous big sister to whom I look up to so much! I love you Mis!

Micah sitting at the table with Amelia and Becca.

And here he is again, getting some lovin' from Annika and Auntie Missy.

There is never a dull moment at the Sahlstrom's, always full of life and fun! We loved our visit and miss them all so much.

Thanksgiving

2011-12-31T07:51:00.000-08:00

Just doing a wee catch up of highlights from our trip to the States. This was our Thanksgiving. I have to say that I am abundantly blessed and have so very much to be thankful for this year. I could never even list it all as it would be miles long, but at the top is the love of my Savior and the privilege of serving Him. And very near to that is my incredible husband and the two blessings we call our children. And following close to that is all of my family...David and I have the BEST families in the world. How is it that I got to be so very blessed!? Thank you Lord!

Micah is fresh and clean (and cozy in Grandma's arms) and ready for a big day of feasting and merry making.

Check out that food! It was sooooo good!!
Note: my angelic brother...don't be fooled!

Micah enjoying Grandpa's spoon.

Uncle Matt reading an after dinner story.

Uncle Matt had all the kids sitting on the couch playing the "Quiet Game". They were hilarious. Unfortunately, Mariah lost...she just didn't get it. But she was impressed with everyone's silence as you can see by her admiring look at Elijah.

Deer hunting finale party!

2011-12-22T05:51:00.000-08:00

NOTE!: If you can't handle the gore that comes with butchering deer, than these pictures aren't for you!

Every fall for as long as I can remember, our family has gone hunting for deer. The excitement of the season approaching was contagious, even as a little girl. The guys would dust off all their hunting gear and hang them in the frosty outdoors to get rid of any human smell. Then they would carefully inspect and clean the rifles and sight them in. Safety was always a HUGE thing, which I really appreciate now that I'm a "big girl" but at the time I didn't really get why they would nearly flip out if we even thought about touching the rifles! Eventually, I was allowed to hold my dad's rifle, with supervision, and feel the cold, heavy metal of the barrel and the intricate carving of the stock (that my Grandpa Berge had done...beautiful!). And now I have my very own rifle and 6 deer 'under my belt'. So to be missing out on this yearly ritual the past 3 years has been a bit sad.

BUT....this year was different. Our surprise visit just happened to catch the very last weekend of deer hunting and we were able to get in on the butchering party. As horrible as that sounds, I was happy about it! I just love the atmosphere of the gathering together to harvest the meat into the freezers and the feeling of provision that is brings for the winter.

Mariah LOVED the poor little deer heads...I was a bit freaked out when I found her hugging one.

The babies got to hang out up at the house while everyone was cutting up down in the shop. Micah loves his great-grandma!

Then there was a welcomed midway pizza break. (I have to confess, that I was strictly on baby duty and never once soiled my fingers. Felt a bit guilty but then again, I don't get to eat any of that lovely meat so I don't feel too bad). I did eat pizza though!

Back to work! Many hands make light work!

And Dad, getting down to business.
In the end I believe they butchered 8 deer and split it up between 6 or 7 families. So there should be some happy freezers and yummy, healthy suppers in the very near future. Good stuff and happy times!

And the eating begins!

2011-12-18T01:34:00.000-08:00

While in Minnesota, Micah had his first try at food!

My Surprise Visit!

2011-12-03T13:12:00.000-08:00

On November 17th, the kids and I boarded an airplane and headed across the ocean toward the USA! My hubby wasn't able to make this trip with us but he sent us off with his blessing and good wishes (and lots of prayers that I would survive travelling for 14+ hours on an airplane with two babies!). I was so excited to see my family. It had been a year and a half since I had been home. The fun part...nobody knew we were coming except my brother and his wife! It was so fun and the suspense was almost too much!

Flying over Greenland

We made it and the kids did so well on the flight. They even slept for the last 3 hours as we flew from Newark to Minneapolis...bliss! I was, however, VERY happy to hear the captain say that we would be landing in good ol' Minnesota in 20 minutes. I was tired and SO ready to see my family.

Matt and Beth took us out to eat and we went to Cabella's. Mariah loved it.

I loved it too...the taxidermy is quite stunning and realistic. Though I have never actually seen a pair of lions attacking a water buffalo in real life before, I felt as if I had after this...Once we arrived at my parent's house, Matt and Beth went in and said that they had gotten something heavy and needed help bringing it in (uh...thanks matt). So out comes my dad who opens the back door only to find us in the back seat. He was totally stunned. Then we went in and stunned my mom too. It was great! Later that day my sister, Mindy, came by as well and the stunning continued (it was her birthday so that made it even more fun)! Mariah was trilled to see her cousins again and it was Micah's first time meeting most of them.

(Mariah looks a bit jet-lagged in this one)

The timing was such that I was able to join in on a concert that they had commited to playing for the bank Christmas party. It felt sooooo good to be singing with them again. Ahhhh...heaven!

(practice session)

We did a LOT of hanging out with the cousins. It is great to watch them get aquainted with one another. I think they will all grow up to be great friends.

I feel so blessed to be able to actually sit in my beautiful sister's house instead of just seeing it all through Skype. It feels like a dream! God is so good.

...to be continued.

Photo shoot with a 2 year old

2011-11-15T19:13:00.000-08:00

"Somethin' in my toe"...

Disappearing act...

I can still see you...

And she's back!...

Tripod ownership disagreement...

Toes again...

who knows...

Kisses!!!...

YooHoo, over here...

Ahhhhh, that's better...

Mariah turns TWO!

2011-10-31T02:52:00.000-07:00

2 years old!
on September 9th, 2011

My little baby girl is not so little any more!

We had a little Teapot themed birthday party for her since her very favorite song was "I'm a Little Teapot" and would make us sing it for her every single night before bed. :)

We played, Pin the Top on the Teapot...

Pass the Parcel...

Opened presents...

Served cake...

Listened (intently) to everyone singing Happy Birthday...

And blew out the candles...!
We thank the Lord for blessing our lives with this sweet little girl. She is so precious to us and brings our home so much joy!

We love you Mariah Grace!

Family Get-Away: Part II

2011-10-16T10:09:00.000-07:00

The Beach!

The ocean is one of those things that I never experienced much of in my childhood except in books and movies. We had plenty of lakes and streams near us, but no salt water. So being near the ocean is a thrill for me. I LOVE going to the beach and feeling the rush of the waves sweeping the sand out from beneath my feet. The taste of salt spray on my lips, the smell of seaweed (even though is stinks sometimes), and discovering treasures that the tide has uncovered. Such a lovely and wonderful place!

Even though it wasn't exactly warm, we had lots of fun anyway.

Mariah really loved it and was so brave. She scared me sometimes with her fearlessness! It was good that "daddy" was there to save her from the big waves!

"Let your eyes look directly forward, and your gaze be straight before you.
Ponder the path of your feet; then all your ways will be sure."
Proverbs 4:25-26

Family Get-Away

2011-10-16T09:17:00.000-07:00

For our "holiday" this summer, instead of taking a big trip someplace or heading out of the country, we decided to just take advantage of some good rates at a hotel not too far away that had a swimming pool (for the kids and I) and a golf course (for David). It was great and so relaxing. I think we all really enjoyed it.

David and his wee shadow getting limbered up to play some golf.

First time swimming in a pool! So excited.

Totally lovin' it!

Mariah's first ice-cream cone was a big hit!

All pooped out...

In the garden

2011-09-23T00:14:00.000-07:00

We've been enjoying the gardens and greenhouse that are on this new property. We planted some tomatoes, peppers, potatoes, leeks, onions, garlic, courgette, lettuce, cabbage, beans, radishes, and egg plant.

Loving all the fresh salads for dinner! Yum Yum!

Sadly, we were struck with blight!

I'm sure you've heard of the Great Irish Potato Famine, where around 1 million people died--a terrible time in Irish history. Well, we had the "privilege" of experiencing potato blight first hand this summer on a far smaller scale, of course. Nobody died. Just my dreams of a freezer full of leek and potato soup.

Poor puny little things!

They had to be dug up and discarded so that it wouldn't affect the rest of the garden. Such a bummer.

The tomatoes got enormous, but they also developed a case of something (do tomatoes get blight? Hmm...). Anyway, they sort of didn't do as well as their gigantic stalks were promising. So, my tomato saga continues. Someday, I'll get a beautiful ripe red tomato off the vine...someday.

We are now in the season of pears and apples from the orchard. I'll see if I can get some pictures of that one of these days. Here is Mariah in our sunken garden, where she LOVES to play. Enchanting, isn't it?

4th of July

2011-09-03T23:13:00.000-07:00

We had a great day out on the 4th. Since it isn't celebrated here, of course, nobody else was celebrating so it was sort of strange to me. No fireworks, parades, or picnics. But we made a day out of it anyway and took a family drive to see some sights.

We took a walk across the new Peace Bridge in Derry and enjoyed this nice new piece of architecture. There it is behind me...

And we took a snack stop with a view...

And I couldn't resist some photos of this little sweetie...

So that was our day, quiet but lovely.
Happy Independence Day!

My sweet lil' helper

2011-09-03T16:17:00.000-07:00

Demonstrating how to do the laundry...

Scotland

2011-08-09T09:21:00.000-07:00

A stunningly beautiful country.

I so enjoyed going back to my husband's roots to see the land of his birth. It was a GREAT trip and made all the better since both sets of parents were with us.

If you are a mother to young children, you will understand how difficult it is to get out of the house sometimes without forgetting anything. Well, I was so proud of myself on this trip because I had really remembered pretty much everything important...even BOTH cameras! I was patting myself on the back until the second day or so when one of the batteries died, followed quickly by the second camera's batteries dying. Way to go, mommy brain! So anyway, these are the pictures that I managed to capture before the battery catastrophe.

There were several rides on ferries as we traveled to the Outer Hebrides...

And LOTS of time in the car. Mariah and Micah were little troopers though, and traveled very well (thank goodness!).

And thanks to entertainment from Grandma!

Once we reached the Isle of Lewis, David was invited to preach in the same pulpit that belonged to his grandfather years ago. The beautiful Gaelic singing made me feel like I was being transported into a different time, long ago (that link is great and also has lots of pictures of places that we were at...check it out). It made me understand how much my mother-in-law must miss her country and helped me understand the tears in her eyes as she joined in with the singing. I still get a lump in my throat when I think about it...

Sometimes I think that little corners of the charming country must have hardly changed at all over the past century or so.

What a blessing it was to take in all of the breathtaking sights of God's beautiful creation.

Loved it!

Speaking of family...

2011-08-07T13:52:00.000-07:00

...my parents came to visit us! It was so SOOOoo wonderful to have them here. I just can't thank God enough for giving me these two amazing people as parents! I am so very blessed.

While they were here, we took a trip up through Scotland which is where the above picture was taken. It was a trip of a lifetime for most of us. David's parents came as well and we were able to visit the places where my mother-in-law grew up. We all enjoyed the trip very much (more about that trip later).

Mariah was really happy to see my parents as well. Since she hadn't seen them for 8 months, we were wondering how she would take to them, but as soon as they got off the airplane, she ran to my dad and hugged him and wouldn't let go for ages! It was great and by the look on my dad's face, it was doing him a lot of good too.

A lot of people think that Mariah looks like my mom and I think they are right.

The time really flew by when they were here because it was packed so full. In the two weeks that they were here we had Micah's baby dedication, they helped us move house, we toured Scotland, and then they helped us get settled into our new house when we got back. Plus lots of cuddling time with the grandkids, of course.

Micah's dedication Sunday

Getting to know their newest grandson!

Some lovin' from Grandma

Running through the rain, rescuing our laundry from off the clothesline! Aren't they great!

Thanks for coming over, Mom and Dad! We sure hated to say goodbye!

We love you!

Nothing like family!

2011-07-06T00:51:00.000-07:00

There really is nothing better than a visit from a couple of sweet nieces and a wonderful sister! I was so HUGELY blessed to have my sister Mindy, her baby Analise, and my niece Annika come over for nearly two weeks this spring. I am only just now getting around to posting some pictures of their sweet faces...

Mariah loves Analise!

Thank you so much for blessing us with your visit! We miss you!

Micah's Birth Story

2011-06-26T03:50:00.000-07:00

Micah's birth story is finished at last. Enjoy!
(The text on the video is a bit tough to read...sorry about that!)

He's here!!

2011-03-22T01:58:00.000-07:00

On March 13th at 12:12am, Micah David made his way into this world and into our eager arms. We were overjoyed to meet our son and thankful to the Lord for such a wonderful water birth. (more story and photos to follow) Here is a photo taken just a few hours after he was born...such a serious look!

Weight: 9.4 lbs.
Length: 19.3 in.
Head: 14.5 in.

Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord,
the fruit of the womb a reward.
~Psalm 127:3

Still here!

2011-03-08T04:29:00.000-08:00

Lately, everywhere I go, it seems that everyone keeps saying, "Are you STILL here?" Meaning, "why haven't you had that baby already?" And I say with a smile that, yes, I am still here and hopefully today we'll have a bit of excitement (*polite laughter*). I have heard of women getting really tired of those kinds of comments and I always thought, "What's the big deal?" Well, now I know. It's SOOO hard to wait and reminders of how huge and late I am are NOT what is needed. I need distraction.

3 days overdue

Which is why I ironed my way through the entire ironing pile today. It was huge and took ages but was a great distraction. :) Next up...cleaning out the cupboards!

Catching up

2011-02-20T11:40:00.000-08:00

It's been a shamefully long time since I've "spoken" to you all here. No offense meant...just terribly occupied with other things these days. Things that suddenly feel very important like taking a nap every day (other wise I can't seem to function past 8pm!) and organizing baby things. My growing belly has slowed me down a bit too...

38 weeks

I seem to "lumber" a lot these days even though I really try to be light and graceful on my feet. I don't think I'm fooling anyone. So, only 13 days to go to my due date! I have to say, I feel great considering how close we are to the end. I thank the Lord for that!

We've been keeping busy with other things too. Recently it was a cousin sleepover party at our house with Rhiannon and Reuben. Such wonderful kiddos. They talked me into walking up Solus hill and I actually made it to the top!...lumbering the whole way, of course.

Mariah loves her cousins.

Rhiannon sometimes gives her wee "lessons" on the piano.

The following are just a few snapshots of Mariah who won't be the baby in this house for too much longer!

I am treasuring each day that I get to be her mommy. She is a joy.

Christmas dance!

2010-12-27T03:30:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas to Ewe!

2010-12-24T14:08:00.000-08:00

...from Ireland with love!

Photos taken on our frosty Christmas Eve walk today!

So beautiful outside, but sooooo cold!! I have to say though, it's perfect weather for Christmas!

Merry Christmas

From the Darraghs!

Let it snow, Let it snow, Let it snow!

2010-12-19T00:29:00.000-08:00

We have had several snow falls this year in Northern Ireland already and I love it. It reminds me so much of Minnesota, where I spent the first 29 winters of my life buried in snow from November until March every year! Although, Minnesota is suffering under -25 F temps lately (that's minus -31 celsius!) and I have to say I don't really miss that too much.

Mariah was in awe of all the white stuff!

Here is our house, sitting cozy in the pretty snow!

"Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;

wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow."

Psalm 51:7

"For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven

and do not return there but water the earth,

making it bring forth and sprout,

giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater."

Isaiah 55:10

Friends

2010-12-16T10:29:00.000-08:00

A little rugby baby!

The neighbor boys thought that Mariah should try on their rugby helmet. She looks like she could play the prop forward position for the team and take out the boys! Oh goodness, I hope she doesn't ever get that into her head as an idea.

We were HUGELY blessed by our friends with this early baby gift...a tandem stroller! Mariah and Christopher (his parents are the ones who gave us the gift) had to try it out one Sunday afternoon.

And here are a few pictures of Asher and Mariah, hamming it up!

Isn't he just the most precious thing?!

We are so thankful for friends like Andy and Laura. They are such an encouragement to us in our Christian walk and in things like parenting too. I really appreciate watching Laura as a mommy because she is really good at it and I learn a lot! Our kiddos are only a few months apart, so I think they enjoy each other's company too...

Already in Daddy's wallet!

2010-12-09T07:34:00.000-08:00

These were taken back in September...I'm a bit behind!

Mariah managed to get a hold of David's wallet and so I grabbed the camera being curious as to what she would do with it...

Straight to the cash! What a girl!

Lovin' music!

2010-12-04T07:20:00.000-08:00

Mariah's Birthday Party

2010-11-01T14:10:00.000-07:00

I have been a VERY BAD GIRL and neglected this poor little blog for months now. I sort of feel guilty and sort of don't. I have been doing other things like being a mommy and trying to get at least one load of dishes done every day. You would think it wouldn't be that hard, but I seem to struggle at it somedays. David also insists that I take a nap every day when Mariah does, and I don't protest too much. He is so good to me! This pregnancy is going great and I feel really good. I will post a belly picture one of these days, but for now here is a little "catch-up on a few older photos...

I was attempting to load a little birthday video clip, but, alas, it won't work, so here are a few more pictures instead.

An attempt at a "kids picture"!

Rhiannon and Reuben put on a little play for us all after our dinner. It was adorable!

Mariah got a gigantic card from her Nanna and Grandad, which she played with for ages afterwards.

And to finish off, Mariah had her very first sleepover with her cousins! They are such great kids and I am so glad Mariah has them for cousins...she is a blessed little girl!

Mariah turns ONE!

2010-09-09T08:18:00.000-07:00

One year ago today, a sweet little blessing was placed into our arms and we began the amazing journey of parenthood. Every day, I thank the Lord for our beautiful little girl and the joy that she bring to our lives.

Here are a few of the results from our little "photo shoot" in honor of this special day...

"Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward.

As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth.

Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them:

they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate."

Psalm 127:3-5

Happy Birthday, sweet Mariah! We love you!

Minnesota Summer: Part one

2010-09-09T05:02:00.000-07:00

On the airplane...dicovering the joys of flying with a small child. She was actually very good, just extremely wiggly and constantly in motion! On the way home, she slept a lot and we really enjoyed that!

Our first stop was the 2010 Berge Family Reunion! Mariah got to meet over 100 Berge relatives!

Uncle Matt was among her favorites...

So many new cousins and wonderful to see the old ones as well. (I'm not implying that either of you are "old"...Karen and Kaye! You certainly aren't that!)

My sister Mindy is so beautiful, inside and out. You would never know that she was 7 months pregnant here, would you?

David was blessed with loads of opportunities to go fishing! There are such gorgeous lakes there and beautiful weather as well. Most days it was very warm and balmy.

Volleyball!

Here's our whole crew! What an amazing blessing it is to have such a wonderful family.

And after counting up, we realized that around 15 babies had been born since the last reunion (just two years ago)! So we gathered them all together for a picture...the Berge family lives on!!!

A Pirate Princess

2010-07-12T14:18:00.000-07:00

My nephew, Reuben, celebrated his birthday a week ago with a costume party (or as they say here "fancy dress" party). Sarah and I went as a cowgirls and Mariah went as a pirate princess. Turns out, the adults weren't supposed to dress up. Oops...(cricket's chirping, awkwardness, etc) But oh well, the kids thought that we were hilarious, so that's good, I guess.

We decided sort of last minute to go, so I was desperately scrounging up this outfit for Mariah. I have to admit, though, that it was rather fun to do. I started with the stripy tights and the red head scarf and went from there. The white jaggy under skirt was from an old tank top that I was going to throw away. I cut up the bottom to make it look pirate-y and ragged. They belt is an old broken one of mine that I had saved (thank you grandma for teaching me to save everything in case I "might need it someday" and yes, I wash plastic "CoolWhip" containers). Anyway, back to the belt...I poked a new hole in it and cut it to fit her pudgy little middle.
The vest is cut from some scrap material and ironed to look like it has a collar. The whole thing required no sewing at all. It's amazing what you can throw together from stuff around the house. I totally thought this was fun...Mariah was wonderfully tolerant of it all.

Such a darling pirate princess. Love her to pieces!

Argh!

Beautiful Ireland

2010-07-08T10:01:00.000-07:00

As we were driving home one evening and crested a hill, this was our view and it took my breath away. My photography skills are lacking and I could have been doing with a tripod in such low light, but you can get a bit of an idea anyway.

See that flat-topped mountain? That is Muckish. We climbed that together last year and one of those peaky mountains is Errigal which David and I climbed as our first outing together back in 2007!

Father's Day

2010-07-06T13:03:00.000-07:00

On Father's Day we packed a little picnic lunch and headed down to the beach after church. It was a little windy, but warm and sunny. Just perfect!

I am so thankful for David and the wonderful daddy that he is to Mariah. He loves her so much and she definitely loves him too...just one look at her face when she sees him walk in the door says it loud and clear!

"...the glory of children is their fathers."

Prov 17:6

All about weddings!

2010-06-17T03:45:00.000-07:00

Two of David's friends have gotten married in the last month and thus I have found out that Irish weddings are lots of fun, but VERY long! The actual ceremony is pretty short and sweet, but then there is the picture taking and that usually takes several hours. (It's no big deal if you are close enough to go home, but if you have to wait around...it gets a bit long.) Then there is the meal which is usually very welcomed by that point.

It's all very Biblical really. Remember the story of the 10 virgins that fell asleep waiting for the bridal party to arrive? I can totally relate now!

Here are some photos of the first wedding we went to in May:

The Bride and Groom

Paul and Karen.

Paul was best man and did an excellent job on his speech!

My beautiful sister-in-law!

This was the menu! Yummy!

Trying to get Mariah to look at the camera!

Success at last!

Mariah is wearing the dress that my Mom made her. She got loads of comments on it! Thank you Mom!!

Here is Maryann with Mariah

Our friends, Brian and Tracie, also recently got married. Their wedding was beautiful and so much fun. They had a caleigh dance at their reception and I managed to capture a bit of it on video for you.

So that's a wee taste of an Irish wedding or two for you! Celebrating marriage is always wonderful.

Angus Buchan

2010-06-12T04:48:00.000-07:00

What a privilege it was to hear this mighty man of God speaking to a full house last night at the Fintona Horse Arena. It was an encouraging message and I managed to catch a little bit of it for you. Just so you can get a small taste of his great accent and wonderful sense of humor!

Photo challenge: day 7

2010-06-06T06:35:00.000-07:00

Going to church in Derry.

The photo above is technically my "photo-of-the-day" but I couldn't resist posting this next one too. One of the things I love about Ireland is the ancient history that is all around. Hundred year old buildings, multi-generational farms, and old graveyards with gravestone from the 1700s.

It's not too hard to image a horse and carriage parking down there a hundred years ago or so. It's a pretty tight fit for some cars these days!

(taken at 12:10 pm)

Photo challenge: day 6

2010-06-05T09:22:00.000-07:00

It's a perfect window-washing day!

(3:20 pm)

Photo challenge: day 5

2010-06-04T07:59:00.000-07:00

"The nappies, my friend, are blowing in the wind.

The nappies are blowing in the wind."

(or something like that)

Mariah crawled about while I hung up her nappies to dry (at about 1:30 this afternoon). If you look closely you will see that Mariah has dirt on her mouth...yes, she was eating it. She seems happy enough, although I was not. I lectured her on the germs and bugs that she could have ingested but she just looked at me with those big blue eyes and smiled. I don't think my lecture made much impact.

Photo Challenge: day 4

2010-06-03T06:49:00.000-07:00

Look what came in the mail today!!!

Mariah's first passport.

I think she looks like a little Mafia baby in this picture. She wasn't really in the smiling mood in spite of my many efforts. This was the best one in the end, but I guess a person has to take these things seriously. After all, she is an official citizen of the USA now!

(Photo taken at 2:30 pm)

Photo Challenge: day 3

2010-06-02T09:12:00.000-07:00

Rejoicing in this amazing day that God has made!

"This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it."

~Psalm 118:24

(Photo taken at 5:07 pm)

Photo Challenge: day 2

2010-06-01T07:24:00.000-07:00

Nothing says "Summer" like

juicy red strawberries!

(taken at 3:25 pm)

A few days ago, the very first strawberry was perfectly ripe and ready to eat. So I brought it into the house and David and I split it! We savored each teensy bite with happy summertime bliss.

*This Photo Challenge is the brain child of the Tingelstad girls! Check out their blog here!

Photo Challenge: day 1

2010-05-31T11:35:00.000-07:00

Two girls that I admire very much have a wonderful blog here. They are doing a photo challenge and I am going to try my best to do one whenever I can...maybe more a photo-every-other-day in my case, but I will try my best!

Here is my photo from today! (actually two photos): Taken around 2:30 pm

This is Asher...he is just so squishably cute that I can hardly stand it!

We hung out with our babies while our husbands went golfing on this lovely day off (bank holiday). Thanks for a lovely day, Laura!

8.5 months old

2010-05-23T14:24:00.000-07:00

...and 100 miles an hour! I can barely keep up with all her little achievements these days. It's so much fun but gives me a slightly panicky, "wait-I'm-not-ready-for-you-to-grow-up-so-fast" feeling.

*sigh*

...I guess that's why some moms always cry at major events and weddings and stuff. I didn't really get it before. I think I am totally going to be that mom!

Here is a little snippet of her latest goings-on:

Chewy Oatmeal Cookies

2010-05-02T09:29:00.000-07:00

After several requests for this recipe, I thought it would be fun to share it here. This is for all of you spicy, chewy oatmeal cookie lovers. These are super duper yummy!!

Chewy Oatmeal Cookies

(adapted from King Arthur Flour Whole Grain Baking)

Yield: 50 cookies

Baking Temperature: 350 F (177 C)

Baking Time: 13 to 17 minutes (depending on if you prefer them chewy or crisp)

3/4 cup (6 ounces) unsalted butter

1 1/4 cups (9 3/8 ounces) packed light or dark brown sugar

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 tablespoon cider vinegar

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1 large egg

1 1/3 cups (4 5/8 ounces) old-fashioned rolled oats

1 1/4 cups (5 ounces) traditional whole wheat flour

2 cups (9 to 12 ounces) dried fruit: diced apples, chopped dates, dried cranberries, raisins, chopped dried apricots or the dried fruits of your choice

1 cup (3 3/4 ounces) chopped pecans or walnuts

Preheat the oven to 350 F (177 C). Lightly grease 2 baking sheets or line with parchment paper.

Cream the butter, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt, spices, vinegar and vanilla. Beat in the egg. Add the oats, flour, dried fruit and nuts, and stir to combine. Drop the dough by heaping tablespoonfuls onto the prepared baking sheets.

Bake the cookies, reversing the pans midway through (top to bottom, bottom to top), until they're beginning to brown around the edges but are still soft in the center, 14 minutes. Remove them from the oven and transfer them to a rack to cool.

And so it begins...

2010-04-15T03:51:00.007-07:00

...the lifetime adventure with food!

Since I am so fond of reading cooking websites and blogs like this one and this one, I was excited that it was time for Mariah to taste her very first bite of "real" food. I think food is so fun and such an amazing part of God's wonderful creation!

We, of course (being the over-the-top-first-time-parents that we are), had to video this momentous occasion. Blogger is not allowing me to upload videos again today. I've been trying for several days but no luck...so a link it is.

Here it is!

*And please pay no attention to the mommy! I told David to NOT get me in the video because I was not presentable and my hair was...well, yucky...yes, that's the word. But he sort of forgot, I guess. Ugh!

Reading books (cont.)

2010-04-12T08:20:00.000-07:00

Here is a little snippet of Mariah "reading" her book.

Loving books

2010-04-07T04:06:00.000-07:00

Mariah got a bunch of really great books as gifts and I was thinking that I couldn't wait until she was old enough to enjoy them. I thought she was a bit too young yet but she already loves having stories read to her. It's great because I love reading out loud (even to David, which he thinks is weird but patiently tolerates anyway)!

Here she is enjoying her animal book that she got from her cousins:

Looks like she's at a really good part here...

I think she likes this one!

My favorite cooking blog

2010-03-17T06:40:00.000-07:00

Cooking for Seven

Photo by Erica Berge

This is such a lovely blog. The photography is incredible, the recipes are scrumptious, and the writing is captivating. Not only that, the blog mistress is related to me! She is my beautiful cousin, Erica, full of grace, inner and outer beauty, and loads of talent.

AND...up until March 23rd, you can enter to win a pack of delicious granola if you visit and comment!

Happy Half Birthday!

2010-03-09T03:39:00.001-08:00

Six months old today!

Six months...that's half a YEAR!! I think I am in denial. Just the other day David was looking at her and said that he didn't know how he would ever be able to walk her down the aisle, she is just too precious to give away! I think that day will come way too fast, so I am taking loads of pictures of these wonderful days that we have right now. They are each one such a blessing!

It reminds me of that song...

Hold tight to the sound of the music of living,

Happy songs from the laughter of children at play;

Hold my hand as we run

through the sweet fragrant meadows,

Making mem'ries of what was today.

We have this moment to hold in our hands

And to touch as it slips

through our fingers like sand;

Yesterday's gone and tomorrow may never come,

But we have this moment today.

(Gaither)

Okay, I got all weepy just typing that! Oh goodness, the things motherhood does to you!

(Please pardon the creepy looking stuffed bee that she is holding in the above picture! It made her happy so I went with it.)

Wanted: Attitude shift!

2010-03-05T02:19:00.000-08:00

This really got to me this morning.

"It's not what this church can do for you,

but what you can do for Jesus Christ and His church!

Think of that attitude shift, saying,

'God, You made this life and You have called me for more than just to save me. You have rescued me so that I could become a rescuer!'

It's not your-skin-and-how you-can-save-it, it's how you can spend it for His glory."

That's the ATTITUDE!

Rollin' over!

2010-02-25T06:46:00.001-08:00

This afternoon I laid Mariah on her back down on the floor to change her diaper. Then I went into the laundry to grab her diapers and when I came back she was like this!!...

I was so excited that I grabbed the camera and took a picture, and while I was previewing the picture, she rolled over again!...

I think she is pretty proud of herself. Or maybe her big smile has to do with the fact that I was cheering and clapping like a crazy mommy!

Sleepyhead

2010-02-16T06:31:00.001-08:00

If this doesn't work for you, click here!

Valentine's Day recap

2010-02-16T04:04:00.001-08:00

My wonderful Valentine walked into the house a few days ago carrying these...

I just love them and I love him! I am abundantly blessed!

I had fun reminiscing over the last few years of Valentine's Days.

Three years ago: I was a completely single girl, not even bothering to mention Valentine's Day at all!

Two years ago: I was celebrating my first Valentine's Day with a REAL Valentine all my own!

One year ago: I was married to my wonderful Valentine and living in Ireland. PLUS, we had this to announce!

And now, we have our own sweet, tiny Valentine to love! God is so good!

Here she is with the neighbor boy. I guess I am going to have to talk to her about the six-inch rule.

Meaningful Conversation

2010-01-28T05:31:00.000-08:00

I am having trouble uploading video to Blogger today for some reason. But you can click HERE to see Mariah "talking" to her daddy. She is such a wonderful blessing to us...an endless source of entertainment!

Stay tuned for another video taken just before I snapped this picture!

Blessed by Grandma!

2010-01-19T12:07:00.000-08:00

For each granddaughter that is born, my mom has crocheted a beautiful dress (click to see my niece, Erina, in her dress). It is the sort of gift that I can see being passed down through many generations. Well, just a few days ago, we got a package in the mail and inside, packaged between pieces of fine tissue paper, was Mariah's beautiful, much-anticipated dress! I was so excited and could hardly wait for her to wear it. I thought of saving it for a "special occasion" but then I decided that I couldn't possibly wait, so she wore it on Sunday. And she looked like a wee angel! Here are a few pictures of Mariah in it:

(this one isn't the best angle for her double chin, poor thing...but her smile is pretty sweet.)

Thank you, Mom! You have blessed us so much!

Good like a medicine!

2010-01-17T11:53:00.001-08:00

Mariah has started to laugh and I LOVE it! It really does do your heart good to laugh and even more, to hear your child filled with so much joy. Isn't God good to give us laughter?

If this doesn't work for you, click here for another way to view it.

Randomness

2010-01-12T10:57:00.001-08:00

These pictures are sort of random, but a fun look into life these days. So here they are!

Mariah NEVER has a lack of someone to hold her at church. These three sweet girls are wonderful to her and the two on the right are both newly married so they are sort of...how shall I put this...broody? Yes, that's it. I think they are all going to be wonderful mommies some day!

Caleb, Christina, and Mariah

Sound asleep in Grandma's arms

Mariah looks a bit stunned in this one.

Mariah loves this cute toy that she got as a gift.

It rotates and is so cool...toys these days are so fun!

Back when I was a kid, we had to make our toys out of sticks from the forest! (Actually, that's not totally true.We did make stuff out of sticks though, but it was because we wanted to, so you can stop feeling sorry for me now.)

Our little jumping bean

2010-01-04T12:27:00.000-08:00

Here is a little video of Mariah enjoying her Christmas present from Grandpa and Grandma!

Christmas Day

2010-01-03T04:09:00.000-08:00

Our second Christmas as a married couple and first as parents was a wonderful one. Here is a little peek at our Christmas morning:

David got a bike this year for Christmas!

(If you remember, he gave me mine last year)

So now all we need is a baby seat and we will be all set.

The view outside was so pretty that morning. Every surface was coated with white frost. It's hard to see it well here, but it gives the idea anyway.

Mariah didn't have a clue about how to proceed with gift opening. She did watch with great interest though. I guess her little brain is processing and preparing for an all out attack next year!

This is what our living room looked like after we were finished!

My family sent us loads of presents and spoiled us rotten!

Thank you all...we love our gifts and so does Mariah!

(I will post a video shortly of her enjoying her present from my parents!)

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-24T03:25:00.000-08:00

"She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins."

(Matthew 1:21)

SNOW!!!

2009-12-21T06:10:00.000-08:00

My wish came true! We got loads of snow yesterday and last night...it is sooooo WONDERFUL!! And it couldn't have come on a more perfect week. I couldn't resist taking some pictures of it since it IS, after all, an answer to my secret prayer for snow on Christmas. :)

It started as a frosty coating of ice on all surfaces, even the spider webs!

Then it started to snow and transformed Bready and Sollus hill into a winter wonderland.

We had to take Mariah out on a walk to experience her first snow. Not sure she was really able to appreciate it under all those layers!

It was beautiful and this morning there is even more snow! I am loving it. Thank you Lord! Such a heavenly Christmas present!

I think this picture sums up what Mariah thinks of it all!

Wide-eyed wonder...

Winter time!'

2009-12-14T09:54:00.000-08:00

It finally feels like winter in Ireland. Yesterday we woke up to a very frosty day and even had ice on the windshield before going to church! It reminded me of Minnesota, so I really didn't mind at all. I do miss the snow though!

Mariah video

2009-11-24T05:51:00.000-08:00

I was fooling around with the camera and iMovie this morning. Mariah was my victim!

Mariah - 11 weeks old

2009-11-24T05:18:00.000-08:00

Well, it seems that Mariah has officially taken over my blog. She is definitely a point of interest as far as the camera is concerned! I will try to be a bit more diverse in future days, but for now, here is more Mariah!

Squeaky clean after her bath and chatting to daddy.

I really like these cloth diapers that we are using. This one that she is wearing is the Bum Genius brand and they are so easy to use! Love, love, love them!

And down below we have a picture of the cute outfit that the Sahlstroms bought for her! I can't believe how quickly she is growing into things! I just tried this outfit on a few weeks ago and it was way too big! But now...

...she fills it out nicely!

(that's the politically correct way of saying she is getting chubby!!)

So my most recent struggle is getting up early like the Proverbs 31 woman. I know, she is crazy perfect but it's a goal, right? So the last two mornings, I have somehow managed to get up early enough to read my devotions in the morning before Mariah wakes up and it makes such a HUGE difference in my day. I really gotta do that more! I don't know why it's so easy to forget what a privilege it is to meet with the King of Kings each morning. And that He actually WANTS to meet with me! Wow...what a nincompoop I am sometimes!

Real Life

2009-11-12T03:51:00.000-08:00

I just discovered this fun weekly photo challenge and have been inspired by it to use my camera a bit more than I have been lately. This week's challenge = REAL LIFE. I forget sometimes with all the busyness of real life that these are the moments I will want to remember when I am old and sitting in a nursing home someday. So here is one such real moment that takes place on a weekly basis in our house...

My husband, being a musician, spends a good deal of time at his instruments. These days he finds himself with a little helper.

I think she is going to be a daddy's girl!

Check out some other "real life" moments...and maybe even join in yourself!

Mariah - 6.5 weeks old

2009-10-24T05:15:00.000-07:00

I had fun today playing around with photos using this beautiful blanket that Auntie Eve sent over for Mariah. Our little pumpkin is growing up and changing so fast!

Peek-a-boo!

Love that hair!

Happy dreams

Such a kissable face!

Thank you Lord for blessing us so richly! We are amazed and so grateful!

Mariah update

2009-10-08T11:46:00.000-07:00

I am sorry that I have been slow about posting pictures and updates these days. I am amazed how much time this little person can take up! But I am loving every second of it! Mariah is doing really great and is a great blessing in every way. What a tremendous gift from God we have been given!

Here are a few of the things we have been up to the last few weeks...

Irene, our good friend, made this beautiful quilt for Mariah! It is absolutely lovely!

Grandma Maryann made the sweet little sweater that Mariah is wearing. It is so special to have these beautiful handmade gifts.

Grandma Becky came with us on our first walk after the birth. Mariah was four days old in this picture. It was so wonderful to have my mom stay with us for the first two weeks. We were blessed like crazy by her. She just served us so selflessly the entire time by cooking, cleaning, and doing loads and loads of laundry! Thank you Mom!!

Our wonderful friends, Paul and Ramona and their three beautiful children came by for a visit as well. The kids were so sweet with Mariah.

Daddy and Mariah having a conversation about their day.

Mommy giving Mariah her first bath!

There are lots more pictures to come...if I ever get around to downloading them from my camera. I will though, I promise!! (someday)

Our new blessing has arrived!

2009-09-14T10:46:00.000-07:00

Joyfully announcing the birth of...

:: Mariah Grace ::

Date: 09/09/09

Weight: 9 lbs. 8 oz.

Length: 20 inches

Here we are!

Our first family photo together, only minutes after Mariah officially joined our family!

We praise the Lord for the amazing love and grace He has showered upon us with this sweet little girl. She is a beautiful blessing in our lives!

"For You formed my inward parts; You wove me in my mother's womb. I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Wonderful are Your works, And my soul knows it very well."

Psalm 139:13-14

The end is near!!

2009-08-28T05:33:00.000-07:00

...or is it just the beginning?

My "bump" continues to grow and our little blessing makes itself known quite often with great big kicks and movements. I just love it and can hardly wait to meet him or her!

Below: 35 weeks!

I took this today and am now 38 weeks (as of tomorrow).

I feel so good and seem to have a lot of energy today (I think it's that iron supplement I started taking!). I am really looking forward to seeing my parents, my sister, and my niece soon! I feel extremely blessed that they are all able to come over to visit at this most amazing time in our lives. It will be very special to share it with them! We'll keep you updated!

My flowers

2009-07-07T06:07:00.000-07:00

Sadly, I have a very UN-green thumb. It seems that every house plant I've had has died under my over-attentive care. It's such a bummer. So, that is why I am posting these pictures of my hanging plants outside my front door. They are so pretty and thriving right now and I am just not sure how long this is going to last.

So, there! Some evidence that not all plants hate me! And see that little green bush at the corner of our step? That is a tomato plant that has had its stem broken in two places but still hasn't died! I think it was given by God to encourage me! It even has little yellow blossoms on it! Miracle DO happen!!

Summer Kick-off Camping Trip

2009-07-06T14:55:00.000-07:00

I was kind of wondering how great it would be to go camping while 7 months pregnant. I think people thought I was a tad crazy to consider it (and I was beginning to wonder myself), but it was actually really great. We have a nice little air mattress that makes sleeping comfortable and our tent is so cozy. Plus, I just LOVE camping so much. I am so happy that David loves it too. To me, it beats an expensive room in a classy hotel any day (as long as it's okay that I look like a homeless person for a while. I probably wouldn't be so keen on it if I had to go to a wedding the next day, but you get my drift!).

So here are some of the reasons why I love camping...

Historical sights

(this is a memorial to the hungry poor who died during the famine)

Amazing camp sites on rocky ledges...

...with incredible views!

Encountering wild life!

(This is a jellyfish that was stranded by low tide)

Stunning backgrounds for my 30 weeks pregnant picture!

Watching the sunset get increasingly more beautiful.

And best of all...bringing home some fish for supper!

I was so excited when David came back to our tent with fish in the bucket that he had caught right off the rocks in the ocean! That's my man! And the mackerel were delicious.

Marble Arch Cave

2009-07-03T02:52:00.000-07:00

I love how our Heavenly Father provides for us in surprising ways.

David and I LOVE to explore new places and find adventurous things to do in Ireland, but with the high petrol prices and us going to the States this summer, we have been trying to be really careful about spending. WELL, a few weeks ago, David had half a dozen or more music students going for exams near a town we had never been to before, called Fermanagh. This is where God stepped in and surprised us with a little unexpected holiday! One of the student's parents were unable to bring him to the exam so they paid David petrol money, money for a nice meal (for three of us), plus money to go and visit the Marble Arch Caves! It was an amazing day out and we enjoyed it so much (and didn't have to spend a dime...or rather a pence!)

Here are a few pictures from our adventure...

Descending into the cave.

It was very warm outside, but started to get pretty chilly at about this point.

There were stalacmites and stalactites in abundance!

We took a boat ride down the underground river and then walked quite a way back into the cave. It was beautiful and the pictures don't do it justice. This video is really funny because you can hardly see a thing...very cavelike! Enjoy! :)

Playing in the Orchestra

2009-06-26T04:57:00.000-07:00

I had the amazing opportunity to play with the New Irish Orchestra as they played behind Keith and Krysten Getty in Derry last weekend. This talented couple has been writing modern hymns for several years and one of their most popular is "In Christ Alone". I was a little over my head with only four days to practice the 15+ songs, but it was very good for me. I haven't practiced my violin that much in I don't know how long!

Can you see me? I am in the back row of the orchestra (on the floor), second violin from the right. My friend, Ramona, is sitting right in front of me. David took a short little video clip so you could get a taste of the atmosphere. Too bad there was a tall guy sitting right in front of him!

River City Church Baptism

2009-06-23T07:39:00.000-07:00

What a blessing it was to see celebration like this one! There is no greater reason to celebrate than a life entering into a personal relationship with the Creator of all living things! The beautiful young lady who was baptized gave a powerful testimony to the change in her life. Praise the Lord!

An Irish Traffic Jam

2009-06-23T07:27:00.000-07:00

We had quite a baaaad hold-up on the road the other day (sorry, I know that was lamb, I mean lame!). Okay, enough with the "humor"....I thought you all might enjoy a little peek into a typical Irish traffic jam out in the country side! (Sorry the video is so blurry. I had it set on a weird setting.)

Photo Shoot

2009-06-12T04:06:00.000-07:00

I have such adorable nieces and nephews! (and I'm not biased at all!) I was privileged to do a photo shoot of Lilia recently and she charmed us all. Here are a few of the shots...

I think we should call this one, "The wonder of it all!"

This was just a snapshot afterwards, but I love her beautiful blue eyes!

And we even managed to get one of all three of the kiddos!

Rhiannon, Reuben, and Lilia

They are such a sweet blessing.

Wild Horses

2009-06-05T02:40:00.000-07:00

One of the things that my father-in-law enjoys doing is buying, training, and selling horses. They are usually pretty wild and he does just the preliminary training. Things like, getting them used to the bit and bridle, having a saddle on their back, and responding to the reins.

A few days ago, he called us asking if we could help him drive some wild horses from a field, down a road, and into a corral so he could load them in his trailer. Our job was to block off all the side roads and keep them running in the right direction. It was quite exciting! Here's a short video of them getting in the trailer. They are such beautiful animals!

40 Years!

2009-06-03T08:20:00.000-07:00

It all began in sixty-nine

In Hawaiian flowers and sunshine

They said “I do” and tied the knot

And started an adventurous plot!

Although sometimes the road was rough

They found they always had enough

And learned to lean on God above

And rest in His abiding love

Before too long they had a brood

Of three wee lasses and a dude

And these four children grew to find

That they had parents so good and kind

The time and energy they gave

To teach their children to behave

Would tire out the stoutest brute

They are the best, there’s no dispute!

And soon the children, bit by bit

Moved on to start their own outfits

The house was still, but not for long

For grandkids number 15 strong!

And when they all return, it’s true

Such noise and bustle does ensue!

But if you think that it will cease

I tell you, it shall more increase!

For generations shall be born

And like a garland, they are worn

Who knows what great potential lies

Within these infant baby cries

And just to think, it all began

With just one woman and one man

We’re oh-so-thankful for the way

They love each other, come what may

So why the poem? Have you guessed?

We want to tell them how we’re blessed

And how their lives lived day by day

Bring joy to others along the way!

Happy Anniversary Mom and Dad!

We love you!!

25 weeks

2009-06-02T07:46:00.000-07:00

The only time in life when a person can be actually excited to see their stomach expanding at such an alarming rate is when they're pregnant. And so, in order to take advantage of this amazing pregnancy privilege, here is an updated picture of our little baby.

He/she is so busy and wild in there! It's great fun watching all the bumps and movement. I had a midwife appointment today and all is looking spot-on she said. I am measuring exactly 25 weeks so that looks good for September 13th (or whenever this baby decided to come)! What an amazing journey!

BIG birthday party!

2009-06-01T03:25:00.001-07:00

This weekend we celebrated David's birthday with a BIG party! There were around 35 people here at our house (a record for us so far) and we had so much fun! We ate fajitas, had lots of yummy desserts, played outside (it wasn't raining...can you believe it?!), and did a lot of visiting. It was nice for me to have the chance to get to know some of David's friends a little better. They are all wonderful families. We are blessed to have such great friends like these! Here are a few pictures from the evening...

Check out that fire! There were a LOT of candles on that tiny cake! :)

You know how when you get married, there is a lot of blending that takes place with traditions and such? Well, come to find out, blowing out candles was never a tradition in David's family. So he told me later that this is the first time he has ever blown out candles on a birthday cake! I couldn't believe it!

The kids had a great time weeding out the grass around our oil tank and having grass wars! It's funny how kids can find things to do no matter what. Plus, now our oil tank looks nice and tidy! Thanks kids!

Aren't they little cutie pies?!

It was a wild, busy house but such fun!

David's B-day!

2009-05-27T05:45:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday David!

May 27th

I am so grateful for this man! He is a gift from God to me and I feel so honored to be his wife. Everyday I am amazed at his strengths and gifts. He prays with me and for me everyday. He loves God's Word and I love how sometimes he just can't wait to tell me something new he has read or learned. He is a WAY better communicator than I am and he is extremely faithful and loyal. These are just a few (a very few) of the things I admire about David.

He is my best friend and I love him so much!

And this is the look he will give me when he finds out that I did a post about him!

Motor Bike racing in Ireland

2009-05-25T01:11:00.000-07:00

The big North West bike race was on a few weekends ago in the north of Northern Ireland and David said that it was something I just 'had' to experience :). I have to admit that it was impressive to watch them fly by at the crazy speeds that they get! SCARY!! It is an extremely dangerous sport because they are racing on regular roads (imagine pot holes, twisty corners, and unpredictable surfaces) at speeds of well over 100 mph! People are big lovers of racing here and they can be found lining many of the fields and yards all along the route (which is a circle between three towns). The famous racer, Joey Dunlop, was from around these parts as well.

We stopped by Paul and Karen's caravan for a visit as well. It was a rainy day and the kids were extremely impressed with Sarah's gigantic 'brolly'.

Here is a shot of some of the race!

Despite the rain, it was a super day!

Ahoy Mateys!

2009-05-22T06:36:00.000-07:00

Operation Mobilization (OM) is a missions organization that I have become acquainted with since meeting David. He spent two years ministering on the Doulos ship as music coordinator. The ships travel all over the world stopping at port after port, spreading the Gospel through music, drama, practical skills, and its large on-board book fair. Recently we got word that their brand new ship, the Logos Hope, would be stopping in Belfast for a few weeks! So off we went, to tour this beautiful vessel of Hope.

Our day on the ship...

After touring the large book fair for several hours, we relaxed in the cafe and had a nice "cuppa". It was quite spacious and very nicely laid out.

My sister-in-law, Sarah, has decided that she is going on the ship as well for a year or two. I am very excited for her. It is going to be an awesome experience although quite challenging I am sure!

In the evening, we enjoyed a night of praise and I caught a bit of video from the Korean dance that was shared...so beautiful! There are many, many nationalities represented in the volunteers on board. It's a cultural experience like none other!

Virtual Shower of Blessing!

2009-05-21T01:38:00.000-07:00

A few Saturdays ago, I got the biggest surprise of my life! I was calmly sitting at my computer, working on a few things, when Skype suddenly rang. I was excited to see that it was Mindy and answered it. She started calmly asking me about what I was up to and we chatted for a bit and then she said, "We have something for you!" and turned the camera to show a huge crowd of people (about 50 or so) off to the side all saying "Surprise!!" I was stunned and it took me a while to realize that they were having a baby shower...for ME!! It was the most creative and wonderful thing ever!

To see how they pulled it off, read about all the behind the scenes genius HERE, at Mindy's blog. I am still in a state of shocked blessing at what they all did for me. It was incredible! Thank you everyone!!...from the bottom of my heart.

Here are some of the gifts that they sent (to my in-laws house, where they were hidden for weeks!). Things that I never thought we would be able to afford, generously given to us by our wonderful friends and family.

In addition to what you see on the table, we were also given several LARGE items that we haven't assembled yet (although I can hardly wait!!). We were given a crib and matching changing table in a gorgeous dark wood that I love. Plus, a beautiful Graco portable crib from my parents.

I will post pictures of the nursery once we get everything set up. I am so inspired now that I have stuff to actually put into it! Thank you again to all of you who took part in this amazing event. My sister, Mindy, especially, for doing all the arranging of this. What a blessed sister I am!

My blessings have been...

"pressed down, shaken together, and are running over..."!

(loosely quoted from Luke 6:38)

Yay for saving money!!

2009-04-29T08:53:00.000-07:00

We had overnight visitors!! I love having company stay at our house and making them breakfast and all that fun stuff. Our friends came for one night and they were so much fun to have! The next day, they talked us into coming with them to an auction and a round of golf by the ocean. It was a little chilly but great fun!

(Above) All our balls are lined up to tee off! (I tried to remember everything that my friend Annette taught me during our golf lesson and was glad she couldn't see me! I had my "moments")

(Below) David shows us how it's done on the putting green.

Laura was so cute when she golfed! Her brother (in the white jacket) was visiting them from his home in South Africa. He was great fun to have as well.

So, after that we went to the auction and had a marvelous time! I now LOVE auctions! I could hardly believe the prices that things were going for! Unbelievable!

So....are you ready for this!? Here are our lovely bargains that I am so excited about (well, mostly the last one, I guess).

First, David got this set of golf clubs for £10 ($14)! These are especially for when my dad comes to visit. :)

Second, we bid on this wide screen, Panasonic TV and got it for £20 ($29)! This is for watching movies on. It's kind of weird, but over here you have to buy a TV license in order to watch television! I think that's dumb. Anyway, we don't miss it and I think my time is spent far wiser with us NOT having it in the house. (sorry about my little TV rant there! Back to the auction!..)

And last, but not least, we found this adorable pram (baby stroller) that was in great condition. The brand is Mamas & Papas and I was curious. So I looked up their website and was SHOCKED to find that their prams sell for up to £600!!!

We got it for...*drumroll*....£5 ($7)!!!!

It can interchange between the older kid seat (above) and the Moses basket (below). Can't you just imagine a cute little baby all snuggled down inside!

Anyway, I feel so blessed by the Lord. He provides for all our needs and even for a few of our unnecessary wants too! And He even picked out a great color for the pram! I love it!

Praise the Lord!

Baking (or attempting to!)

2009-04-24T05:57:00.000-07:00

Okay! I love reading all these beautiful blogs about food, like my cousin Erica's cooking blog! So I thought I would attempt to do a lovely post about making bread! It didn't exactly go like I hoped but the end product was good, so that is really what matters.

So, first you mix up your ingredients according to the recipe. I was just waiting for the yeast to activate in the water so I thought I would take some pictures of the ingredients, all artsy and posed (like a cooking show). However, I only have two ingredients clearly showing...not so clever!

Meanwhile, the yeast was really going to town! Okay, need to focus a little more I guess.

Here is the messy (but fun!) part...kneading the dough! Notice my rings carefully set aside in the background! I thought that dough plastered to the side of my wedding diamond might not be so cool.

Then, you let it rise and carefully cover it with a beautiful towel that your mother embroidered for your hope chest (or any towel that you might happen to have...but I am sure it won't work as well).

Okay...I thought I learned this lesson already!

After punching it down twice, form the dough into loaves and let it rise again. Notice how my loaves are all lopsided and one side is bigger than the other? I am happy to say that it doesn't affect the taste.

And THEN!!!...bake it in the oven and fill the house with THE MOST glorious smell ever! Yum!

Okay...here is the recipe:

(from Elaine Nissley's kitchen in Lancaster, PA)

4 cups milk

4 tsp. salt

4 T butter

4 T honey

1 T yeast

1/4 cup warm water

9-10 cups flour

(I use 3 cups whole wheat and the rest white)

Mix together and let rise twice before forming into loaves. Bake at 350-375 for 30 minutes. Enjoy!!

Newspaper picture

2009-04-23T04:23:00.000-07:00

I hesitate to post this because I think it is a terrible picture of me but since both Matt and Mindy requested it, here you go. This was taken at the Bake Sale booth that I had.

That is Judith standing beside me. She is a sweet girl who sings in the choir that David directs at the church.

My first craft sale!

2009-04-21T08:03:00.000-07:00

Since I am not working yet, I thought it would be fun to take up some crafty projects. I joined the library in Derry and found some really fun books on sewing and crocheting and so the crafting began.

I wasn't too serious about it all until I found out that Fahan Presbyterian Church was having a bake sale the Saturday before Easter and were offering me a booth if I wanted to sell some craft items. It was two weeks before the sale when I found out, so I went into "crazy mode" with making stuff!

I stuck a few of my hats on and actually sold a couple! (I was completely shocked and had to hold myself back from apologizing for them since I am such a beginner!)

I really fell in love with the hot pink set though!

I also tried my hand at dish cloths, which is pretty hard to make any profit from, mostly because I am still so slow at making them! I think I figured that I ended up making around 50 pence per hour! Not so great but I had fun, so that counts as something I suppose.

And last, but not least, I tried making these "Easter Blessing Baskets" which I filled with scones and chocolate chip cookies. They ended up selling the best of all, which I was very happy about.

So that was my first craft fair and I really enjoyed it. I even found out that my picture was on the front of the Health section of the paper the next day! A HUGE full page picture. (kinda scary!)

Camping trip: Part 2

2009-04-20T10:17:00.000-07:00

After hiking up to the top of the ridge (see previous post) we hiked down to the bottom and did a little exploring. We found this cozy little cottage that looked so inviting! I think it is either for fishermen or sheep herders to stay in when they are there.

As we were hiking along, we suddenly spotted this mysterious-looking cave that seemed to say, "EXPLORE ME!!" I thought that there must be treasure in there!

Sure enough! Look at that...the man I love! Now that's a treasure! :)

David brought along his coffee making paraphernalia and made a first-class cup of coffee, while I munched on chips and salsa. It was the most unique picnic spot I have ever experienced!

These next two pictures are especially for my dad. He requested some shots of David with his new fishing rod, so here they are! It was a nice fishing spot, even if he didn't catch anything.

Oh well! It's hard to be bummed out when it is so lovely everywhere you look.

So that was the end of that camping trip!

We praise the Lord for the gifts that He gives us and these beautiful days to enjoy!

Camping trip

2009-04-09T07:36:00.000-07:00

We are enjoying a little Easter break this week and next and so decided to try some camping! We headed out to the northern most tip of Ireland, a little town called Ballycastle. It was so beautiful that I think David probably got tired of me constantly telling him that it was. I just couldn't get over the gorgeous scenery all around me though! I took two video shots to give you a bit of an idea so you know what I am talking about.

Here is our cozy campsite!

One of my favorite parts of camping is how food seems to taste SOOOoooo good! David even brought his French press coffee maker...no sacrifices in that department! At the time of this picture, it was storming like crazy outside and raining cats and dogs. It just made it all the more exciting!

At the top of this picture, you can see an island in the distance...that is actually Scotland! It seemed so close. Someday David says he will take me there. The first video is a shot from the top of this hill (it was very windy so the sound is pretty bad!).

Isn't God's creation spectacular?! Wow!

Beautiful days!

2009-04-03T03:58:00.000-07:00

The days had turned cold again for a spell but now it almost seems as if summer has come! It was so warm yesterday (60 degrees F!) that I took a walk without my coat on for the very first time this year! It felt glorious!! However, they all warn me that in Ireland, it is extremely unpredictable and it could feel like the dead of winter again next week! So I am enjoying these days while they are here.

I have had some pictures compiling up that are somewhat random but will give you a good idea of what we have been up to the past few weeks. So here we go...

Last Sunday we took a walk on the beach in County Donegal after worshiping with the Killult Christian Fellowship (wonderful people!). It was so windy that the sand was blowing in my eyes and ears! But what a gorgeous place!

More signs of spring are found in the hedges lining every field as they clothe themselves in brilliant yellow.

I meet some wonderfully friendly creatures on my walks up our lane.

This is Molly and she is my buddy and faithfully follows me on most of my walks.

And the chickens! They give us yummy fresh eggs every week, bless their souls! (Wait, chickens don't have souls, do they?) Anyway, we are grateful to my wonderful in-laws for so generously sharing in their weekly harvest!

And last of all, a tribute to THE BIKE. (*moment of silence*)

A few weeks ago, David decided that it was time to sell his Honda Fireblade sports bike. So now it's gone and the shed looks very empty...sort of sad and lonely actually. He was very brave about it, even though he still can't help his gaze from following any and every bike that we pass on the road. It was an amazing bike and served him well for seven years.

DISCLAIMER: I had nothing to do with him choosing to sell this bike! I even encouraged him to really think about whether he should sell it. (Although, deep down I am thankful that he did because of all the horror stories you hear about bike accidents.) Anyway, just felt the need to make that clear! :)

Baby!

2009-03-26T02:34:00.000-07:00

Look! Isn't it cute? Well, actually, it isn't very cute yet, but someday it will be, I just know it!

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New life!

2009-03-24T08:17:00.000-07:00

David and I took a bike ride the other day and saw these adorable lambs running all over the field. They were pretty cute and so full of energy! Everywhere we looked, there were baby animals. It's great living so close to farm life (except when they fertilize the fields! Uffda!).

They all stopped their playful race to stare at us for a little bit. Aren't they sweet?!

Speaking of babies...here is a pregnancy picture of me, now four months along (or, rather, I will be on Saturday). It's not too exciting yet...just a wee bump! But there's a baby in there and THAT is exciting!!

"For you formed my inward parts, you knitted me together in my mother's womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are you works; my soul knows it very well.

~Psalm 139:13-14

Isaac's Concert!

2009-03-23T07:02:00.000-07:00

The concert was super!! It was loads of fun to see this talented family singing and so close to where we live too! The super cool thing was that I knew their banjo player (Thomas Wywrot from Canada)! He recognized me from stage and we had a great chat at intermission. Our family camped with his family at the Blackduck festival several years ago. What a small world!

Such beautiful bone-chilling harmonies!

Maryann with Lily Isaacs.

A short little video of some of that delicious sound!