IT SMELLS LIKE CAT FOOD!

so zaida is experiencing new tastes and textures, one of which is some of this nasty baby food. we gave her chicken & chicken gravy yesterday, and i swear it smelled like cat food. i was gagging on the smell, and she was gagging on the taste. yummy!

CONGRATS CHRISTA & BRIAN!

this is my dear friend Christa & her new husband Brian, happily married! christa is one of my treasured friends from the college years. we lived together in the sorority, and in multiple apartments. we are the rare breed of females that can actually live together (and share a room) and come out on the other end still friends. she has been living in phoenix for the past several years, but we have managed to keep in touch.

brian seems like such a great fit for her, and they seem so happy together. their wedding was beautiful and she looked gorgeous. i was honored to be a part of their special day, and can't wait to see them again. (hopefully sooner than later!)

congratulations to christa & brian!

THE OFFICE...

eric has me totally hooked on "the office". he got seasons 1 & 2 for christmas from clint & al. we have been watching episodes here and there. it's not the kind of comedy that is for everyone, but we find it downright hilarious!

IS THAT A BIRD CHIRPING?

just the other morning when we were leaving for school, i distinctly heard a bird chirping. could it be that spring is around the bend?? of course at this moment, i am looking out my window to see the snow falling, and hearing predictions of an ice storm on the horizon. but that's iowa for ya, right!?! here's hoping that we see spring sooner than later!!

A DEVASTATING LOSS

yes, the devastating loss i'm referring to is the packers loss a few weeks ago. there will be no super bowl for the mighty pack this year. i really don't care all that much, but eric is heartbroken. (and yes, that's the term he used) he said that if we weren't going to a super bowl party, that he probably wouldn't even watch the game. (we may need to look in to therapy for him!)i took some pics of zaida in her packers cheerleading uniform for eric's birthday, although in retrospect it may not have been the best idea. oh well, there's always next year!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ERIC!

last saturday it was eric's birthday. i had class, so he was home with zaida for most of the day. even though i only have 7 more weekends to go... i still hate missing an entire friday night and all day saturday! (enough about me)

on the weekends i always get up with zaida between 6-7, and eric gets up no earlier than 8. i had all his gifts ready, but was going to wrap them on saturday morning since i knew he would be asleep and i could just wrap them without having to be sneaky. well guess who shows up at 6:15 downstairs!?! yep, he decided (on the one morning i wanted him to sleep) to get up. :) fortunately i'm sneaky enough to still be able to wrap his gifts without him knowing.

he had a great day with zaida, and i got out of class by 3:00. my parents came down to watch zaida so that we could go out for dinner. we went to OUTBACK, a favorite of both of ours. you just can't beat that bloomin' onion! after that we went to the mall to just shop a little. eric got a new coat since the one he had would no longer zip, and we both got a few things at AEROPOSTALE. we had such an enjoyable evening!

i am so lucky to be married to such a wonderful man. he is kind and thoughtful, has a good sense of humor, and loves his family. i could go on & on... but zaida just woke up, and off to get her. happy birthday eric!

THE GREAT DEBATERS

last night for class we went to the movie THE GREAT DEBATERS. it's a HARPO movie starring denzel washington... so you know it's going to be good. we went to see it to fill an assignment where we reviewed a movie with a diversity theme. it was absolutely worth every penny of the $9 that it costs to go to a movie!

there was a line in the movie that i just loved--

do what you have to do, so you can do what you want to do

isn't that the truth!?!

it was a powerful movie, with a great message. i would highly recommend it!!

THE LITTLE OLD MAN

i have no idea why i thought of this little old man the other day, but i did. i was just thinking about the church eric and i went to in orlando-- church in the son--. we always went in the same door to the sanctuary(the first one on the right in the pic), and there was this little old man who was always greeting at that door. once he knew you, he always gave you hugs. (well, not eric) he was always a friendly face and i always enjoyed saying, "good morning," to him. that's just proof that you never know how your kindness affects others!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SIS!

yesterday was allison's birthday... happy birthday sis! i couldn't ask for a better friend in the world. i think it is rare that two sisters are as close as we are. is it often that sisters CHOOSE to share a bedroom? that's right- there were times that we chose to share a bedroom rather than have our own.

she has been so much help when it comes to parenting, especially in the beginning when I was just learning how to be a mom. she is such an awesome parent, I have yet to meet a 22 month old with as many manners as Afton.

i am lucky to call her my sister, and even luckier to call her my friend!!

ANA'S STORY

i just finished the book ANA'S STORY by Jenna Bush. It is a narrative non-fiction story about a young woman that Jenna met through her work with UNICEF. i really enjoyed reading this story, it was a reminder of how blessed my life has been. more importantly it reminds me to reach out to others in any way, shape, or form possible. the great thing about this book, is that the proceeds go directly to UNICEF and helping out individuals like Ana. the last 50 pages or so are filled with resources on how YOU can make a difference, as well as information about AIDS and abuse.

book info...

she's seventeen.
she's been abused.
she has a child.

and she's HIV positive.

she is Ana, and this is her story. it begins the day she is born infected with HIV, transmitted from her young mother. now she barely remembers her mama, who died when Ana was only three. from then on, Ana's childhood becomes a blur of faint memories and secrets- secrets about her illness and about the abuse she endures.

Ana's journey is a long one. shuffled from home to home, she rarely finds safety or love. and then she meets a boy. Berto is one of the only people Ana trusts with all her secrets. that trust puts Ana on a path to breaking the silence that has harmed her and leads her to new beginnings, new sorrows, and new hope.

SHOPPING @ IKEA

it's no mystery that eric and i love ikea... where else can you get cool stuff that is so cheap!?! yes, of course there is the assembly portion of the product, but that generally doesn't affect me. :) we stopped at ikea in minneapolis on our way back from wausau, and had (yet another) awesome experience. here are the reasons...

1. family friendly parking- yes, you can park right up by the handicapped parking if you've got kiddos in tow

2. no crowds- it was yucky outside, so the crowds were minimal. you could actually walk without potentially losing the person you were shopping with, or fear that you would be swept upstream with the sea of people never to be seen again

3. family bathroom with a recliner- i could nurse zaida in a comfie chair in a locked private room

4. COOL STUFF- how ridiculous is this... we bought zaida a comforter/sheet set for a twin bed. the kid is 8 months old!! in our defense, it was only $12... that's like almost just giving it away.

shop ikea!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

we have just experienced our first christmas as a family... eric, myself, zaida, & buddy. what an awesome celebration!!

we had christmas with the keese side on the 22nd. the roads were not good, so we celebrated at my parents house. grandma did most of the cooking, and boy was it delicious! we got some very nice gifts, too.

we traveled to wausau on the 23rd. zaida was such a good little trooper in the car. we did not realize that the roads were so AWFUL, or we would have spent the night in minneapolis. we were so relieved to just get there! we enjoyed time with bruce & jan, holly, grandma & grandpa wetzel, and the olson's. zaida enjoyed receiving her gifts, although we didn't let her open them since all she wants to do is eat the wrapping paper. :)

we will have our keese christmas on new year's eve... can't wait!

ONE MISSISSIPPI

this is the latest book i just finished. it's our third book club book, and i must say that i really enjoyed parts of it! i am anxious to get together and talk about different aspects of the story... some interesting stuff. that's all i'll say.

UPDATE: we got together and talked about this book, and after thinking about all the things that happened... WEIRD. there were parts that i really enjoyed, but there were also just some WEIRD parts. hmmm...

here is what ONE MISSISSIPPI is about...

Daniel Musgrove is a teenager in the early 1970s. His dad is a salesman, and his company moves him around from year to year. Now they're moving to Minor, Mississippi.

Halfway through high school, Daniel is out of place not only as a new student, but as a Yankee who couldn't care less about the integration issue. He and his new best friend, Tim Cousins, spend most of their free time together. They share their obsession for Sonny and Cher, and they go to the prom with a set of twins.

When the boys are involved in a terrible accident that seriously injures Arnita Beecham, the school's first black prom queen, life gets complicated. Daniel ends up helping the Beecham household, then helping Arnita when she gets home. Due to a major head injury, she is going through an identity crisis that devastates her family.

The chronicling of Daniel's time in Mississippi meanders through teen and adult issues, as he faces that crucial moment of leaving childhood behind. His friendship with Tim will explore dimensions he never imagined, even with the hints along the way. Despite his desire to be "cool" instead of a "brain/loser," Daniel enters this book an innocent. He will emerge from his tale something entirely different.

Childress vividly captures a difficult coming-of-age story. Racism, teen love, family, bullies, and other issues are encompassed in a seamless flow. The characters around Daniel, especially Tim, are larger than life. Viewing the 1970s South from a young "Yankee's" perspective is sometimes hilarious, sometimes heart wrenching.

ODE TO OPRAH

we have been doing netflix for the past year, (and if you don't get netflix... you're really missing out!) and our plan entitles us to 2 DVDs at a time. sometimes eric and i get things to watch together and other times he gets the "guys" type movie that he knows i won't watch, and i get the "chick flick" that he would not be caught dead watching. i just got oprah's 20th anniversary special and watched it this morning with a box of kleenex. it was so good! first you learn about oprah's career from the beginning, and then there is a part called "heartprints" (i think that's right- it's heart something). these are the stories that were nearest and dearest to her heart. oh, it was so good. i just had myself a good cry, snuggled zaida, and thanked God that he has blessed me with this life. :)

JUST THAT TIRED

this is a picture of zaida fast asleep with her head in her lap. she was playing with eric the other day, and the next thing he knew zaida was fast asleep like this. we were cracking up! i can relate, sometimes i feel like i could just fall asleep anywhere, anytime.

BOOK CLUB- WITHOUT THE BOOK

we had our second book club this week and only one of us finished the book. whoops! it was a historical fiction, so it was kind of slow moving...plus things are so crazy this time of year. Soooooo we decided to do dinner at Star Bar. This is the place where Eric and I ate the night he proposed. They have the best chicken strips and garlic & parmesan fries. YUM!!

MY HEROES!

yes, the kcci weather team currently holds the title HEROES in my life. we just got hit with an ice storm & they have canceled school. there is nothing like a SNOW DAY! i have a list of things i want to accomplish today: wrapping Christmas gifts, laundry, Christmas letter, checking papers, and reading my book club book. i also intend on staying in my comfies, watching a movie, and playing with zaida.

everytime the weather is bad and ballard cancels, i always call my dad and say, "i wish i taught at ballard." i say this in a whiney voice & act dramatic about it. (it makes it funnier) well... this morning waukee is currently canceled and ballard has not popped across the screen yet. what does my dad do, you guessed it-- called & said, "i wish i taught at waukee." ha ha!! (by the way- ballard is now closed, too)

HALLOWEEN...ONE MORE TIME!

we just couldn't resist taking a few more pictures of zaida in her cute little penguin costume. since we knew that this thing would be retired soon, we thought we would pull it out one more time. we can't wait until next halloween!

NEW TEETH!

zaida has started sprouting her first teeth. this has provided to be a less than pleasant experience for all of us! we can tell that she's uncomfortable, she's been gnawing on anything and everything she can get her mouth around. hopefully, the next set will be a little less traumatic! this is zaida with her great grandma. she was fussing up a storm... which is what we've been seeing the last few days. : (

WE'RE LIVING WITHOUT INTERNET

yes, it's true... we're living without the internet. it sounds like a silly thing for me to say, but it's driving me NUTS! we've been getting free internet from valley junction public access. we dropped mediacom about a month ago, since we didn't really need to be paying for internet when we were getting it for free. now, just after we got rid of it.... the free is not working!! WHAT!?! hopefully we can work this out!

ISU!

This little girl has got it going on! She obviously knows what team to cheer for, she's already an Iowa State fan. Hopefully, we'll be able to take her to a basketball game this winter. Eric took her to a Stars hockey game a few weeks ago, and she loved it... just looking around and enjoying all the sights and sounds. Sensory overload!

NINETEEN MINUTES

this was our first book club book. i must say that it really got me thinking about students, and how our interactions as educators can impact lives in such major ways. it also made me think back to my own high school days. were there "lost souls" in my class? there was a quote from the book that i remember reading and thinking-- how true. it was said by one of the "popular" kids, he was saying that there wouldn't be an US if there weren't a THEM.

here is the synopsis of the book...

In Sterling, New Hampshire, 17-year-old high school student Peter Houghton has endured years of verbal and physical abuse at the hands of classmates. His best friend, Josie Cormier, succumbed to peer pressure and now hangs out with the popular crowd that often instigates the harassment. One final incident of bullying sends Peter over the edge and leads him to commit an act of violence that forever changes the lives of Sterling’s residents.

Even those who were not inside the school that morning find their lives in an upheaval, including Alex Cormier. The superior court judge assigned to the Houghton case, Alex—whose daughter, Josie, witnessed the events that unfolded—must decide whether or not to step down. She’s torn between presiding over the biggest case of her career and knowing that doing so will cause an even wider chasm in her relationship with her emotionally fragile daughter. Josie, meanwhile, claims she can’t remember what happened in the last fatal minutes of Peter’s rampage. Or can she? And Peter’s parents, Lacy and Lewis Houghton, ceaselessly examine the past to see what they might have said or done to compel their son to such extremes.

SITTIN' PRETTY

just in the past week zaida has mastered the art of sitting up independently! we love all the hardwood floors in our house, but it's not exactly ideal when it comes to babies. we have carpeting in our dining room, and the sunken room... of course they are two places that we spend very little time in. i guess we will have to change that!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

here is a pic of zaida and bjorn in their halloween costumes. bjorn is the mighty batman complete with his six-pack abs, and zaida is his nemesis... the penguin. we went trick-or-treating around our neighborhood and actually met a few neighbors. bjorn was just a hoot with his little, "trick or treat!" at each house. zaida just kind of sat there, and then spit up green beans on her costume. : )

LABOR DAY AT THE LAKE

yes, i realize that labor day was practically decades ago, but i am trying to procrastinate writing my lit review for my research class... so i'm catching up on things like blogging. i haven't wasted time for a while, so i thought i would try it out while zaida was napping. ridiculous, i know!!

these are pics from our labor day weekend trip up to spirit lake. mark & julie have a house up there on the lake, so we all went up for the weekend. all meaning (mark, julie, grandma vu, mom, dad, sis, clint, afton, eric, zaida, and i). we had a great time just relaxing out on the dock, and in their backyard. eric and clint went for a tubing expedition which ended in 4 skinned elbows and a chipped tooth. a little more wild than they were expecting!

it was nice to have one more taste of summer before we had to kick it into full gear with school. i even caught some rays!

BABY EINSTEIN...

...is making a killing off all that great baby gear we buy. zaida is watching her favorite movie here- "meet the orchestra". she is just totally into it. if she's not watching a movie, she's playing under her baby einstein play gym, or in her baby einstein saucer. what can i say-- she loves it all! just wish i'd thought of all that stuff, we'd be rolling in the dough right now! : )

BOOK CLUB

so i decided to start a book club with some other teachers/friends. i have gone through periods where i read a lot, and then other times when i get kind of lazy about it. i thought it would be fun to start something like this so that we could have a good excuse to meet up for coffee or dinner and have some girl time, also it's so fun to be able to talk about what we're reading.

we had our first meeting, and it was so much fun. we chose books for the year and set all the dates. we are reading NINETEEN MINUTES right now. it's a school shooting story- really interesting. i've been reading a lot by this author-- Jodi Picoult.

i am so glad that zaida loves her books, too!

SURPRISE!

well, i turned 30 a few weeks ago. i'm dealing with it-- really, what's the alternative? i wasn't expecting anything but a nice evening out with my family, but much to my surprise... there was a PARTY in the works! i didn't think that there was any chance of the ever-popular 30th surprise birthday. my mom was in new york, my dad had ballard's homecoming, and sis & clint were going out of town for prohaska family christmas. well, eric was brewing something behind my back... that tricky little guy. Clint & Al conviently decided not to leave until Saturday morning for clear lake, and offered to come over to our house to watch zaida so eric and i could go to the mall and i could pick a present out. i was thinking that was kind of the easy way out for eric, but i never turn down the opportunity to look for new shoes! well, while we were at the mall everyone piled into our house... clint, al, afton, wendy, tim, amie, brooke, jered, spencer, jill, mark, julie, jake, jennie, eric, amanda, and even bruce & jan. (eric's parents) i walked into the living room, and they all yelled suprise. i stood there like an idiot-- totally not expecting this! it was awesome to have everyone there to celebrate. fortunately enough our house was pretty clean. (picked up I should say... clean, um not really) it was a blast we had almost as much fun as the time when i turned 15 and we rented a limo and went to pizza hut and dancing at "the teen club" in des moines. oh ya, we were hot!

SNUGGLE BUDDIES

it's so nice that the "kids" get along. zaida can watch buddy for hours, and buddy likes the attention. it's pretty much a win/win situation. they are both snuggly little beasts-- you just can't beat a good cuddle! :)

TIME FLIES

you can tell when life got busy because i haven't added to this thing in a month! when we returned from milwaukee life got kick-started into high gear. we are back in school, and i am learning how to be an 8am-4pm teacher. those of you who are in education know how hard that is. when i get home i want to spend time with my family, not checking math papers. :) it's been kind of a hard transition. i love teaching, and the schedule is great for having kiddos... but it's a lot harder than i thought it would be. i'm up at 5:45 every morning, and up late most nights. kids will surely teach you how to function on little sleep!