um, ya... it's been a few

no, i haven't totally abandoned this thing. i just don't have internet at home on my computer, and i certainly don't have time at school to blog. i am working feverishly just to keep up my classroom blog. anyways-- I WILL BE BACK!! when i have internet access with all my pics, i will be updating this thing again. until then.....

Blank Park Zoo

i decided to take zaida to the blank park zoo the other morning.  eric was tutoring, and i wanted to get out of the house, so we packed up and spent a few hours at the zoo.  zaida loves animals, especially anything that growls.  (that's her favorite animal sound to make).  the tiger was putting on a real show running around and jumping in the water with this massive ball.  it was really entertaining.  we also saw the elephants Rosie & JP.  strangely i just read the book WATER FOR ELEPHANTS and the elephant's name was Rosie in that, too.  we had a great time!

Piano Playin'

afton and zaida were giving us a concert at the piano.  a more entertaining show began when my dad started playing.  we've already contracted him to come to our homes once a week to give the girls piano lessons.  what a great way for "pa pa" to share his talents!

Father's Day

it's eric's second official father's day.  zaida got her daddy a framed picture of herself and some new golf shoes.  we went to church and then for lunch at my parent's house with grandma, clint, al, afton, mark and jake.  it was also grandma keese's 85th birthday.  wow!  we had a great afternoon. played outside and the girls enjoyed the swings on the swing set.

Relay for Life

there are some pics of our family at RELAY FOR LIFE this summer.  it's a great way to help raise money for cancer research!  there is not a person who is not effected by cancer.  we walked for a few laps with my team from school... CHEESEBALL LIVERFANNY.  (this is translated to Hope Lives in Captain Underpants language)  i also went back and walked from 10pm-midnight with angie.  the path was all lit with the luminaries, it looked beautiful.  thinking and loving all my friends and family that have been affected from cancer.

BFF (best friends forever)

we were just cracking up at the cousins holding hands in the car. we were on a road trip to minneapolis and they just started holding hands. it's one of those moments where you heard a collective "ahhh, that's cute". it is though, right?

IS THAT FOR ME??

i am totally behind on this thing... life kinda happened. :) i am plugging through my classes for my masters, which takes up my weekends. i am so close... 4 more weekends!

we had a wonderful spring break. we spent a few days in minneapolis visiting my grandparents. we managed to do a little shopping and swimming on the side.

then it was WORK, WORK, WORK! we are getting ready to put our house on the market and were busy completing lots of little projects. we are so close to being ready to sell. just need to have the buyers lined up for us!!

finally, we had bruce & jan down for a visit (eric's parents). we celebrated easter at cornerstone with my family, too. the pic is from zaida's birthday celebration at hickory park. her eyes were so big looking at the candle in the ice cream. YUM! YUM!! i can't believe she'll be one in a few weeks!

THE RUBBER ROOM

have you ever heard of this?? i'll leave more thoughts later, but i am shocked that such a thing exists in our country!!

http://www.RubberRoomMovie.com

There is a movie coming out about the "Rubber Room." Basically hundreds of teachers in NYC are accused of criminal actions, and they are "guilty until proven innocent." They sit in this room for months or years until their case is resolved. It costs over 25 million dollars to fund. Many of the teachers are actually innocent.

BIG GIRL!

goodness gracious, it seems that just yesterday we had a little baby, and now we have a BIG GIRL on our hands. she is starting to do so many things that make her seem so old. here are a few of our favorites... 1.peek a boo- she'll put whatever she can find over her head (my pants, the curtains, etc.)and then pull it off and wait for the .... PEEK A BOO! she gets from us. 2.eating puffs by herself- she can pick them up and feed them to herself 3.standing up- she doesn't "cruise" much yet, but she still likes just standing there 4.tickling- she tickles eric and he gives her a little chuckle which makes her giggle even more. i knew parenting would be fun... but i had no idea it would be this fun!!

THE SCIENCE CENTER

we just had an awesome morning at the science center! we met clint, al, and afton there about 10:30, and spent about two hours exploring. afton was a big helper and pushed zaida's stroller for a good 2 1/2 minutes. we walked around and showed zaida all the exhibits. undoubtedly she took it all in. her favorite was this "glowy globe thing"- i'm sure that's what they call it. (makes me think of goonies) we also went to a show in the planetarium about the planets. we all laid down on the floor to watch the show. zaida had her bottle, and LOVED the show. she was looking all around and taking it all in. eric got a slight case of motion sickness, and i enjoyed it all. we had lunch there, and were home in time for everyone's afternoon naps. we can't wait for this summer to visit again!

TRIPPIN'

i don't think that i'm generally a "clumsy" person, but for whatever reason i always trip over the same spot in our kitchen. i am not tripping over nothing, we have tiles in the kitchen, and wood in the back porch. (there is a difference in height between the two areas that is fairly significant.) poor eric gets so annoyed when i trip over it and rip the threshold (is that what it's called??) out. it's not like i'm doing it on purpose!! i just ripped out the new one last night with a mighty stumble. fortunately, i have yet to actually fall down! i promised to walk OVER it without ever touching it again. (we'll see how long this lasts!)

JABBER BOX

zaida has never been shy about communicating, but has recently taken it to a new level. she is either talking, squealing, grunting, or blowing raspberries. sometimes we just sit and listen to the baby monitor and laugh, since this is how she wakes up in the morning. when we're in the car she REALLY has a lot to say. sometimes eric and i have a hard time having a conversation because she's back there squawking. we can't wait until she takes those skills and starts saying "mama" and "dada". in this pic she is blowing raspberries. we love it!

IF I CAN'T HAVE NICK & SHARON...

...then at least i have jim & pam. the nick & sharon i'm referring to are the divorced couple from young & the restless. i have watched off and on for years, and have always thought that nick & sharon were such a good couple. well, now they're divorced, and married to other people... but as we all know in daytime fashion, it can't last forever. i said before that eric and i are watching the office, and we just finished season 2. in the last episode jim tells pam that he is in love with her and gives her a big smooch. i've been excited about it all day. i'm a sucker for fake love!

JUST CHILLIN'

last night when zaida was taking a bath, she turned herself sideways and had her legs hanging out the side of the tub. she looked like she was just lounging poolside. i half expected a martini with an umbrella next to her. it makes me think of how much i enjoy sitting by the beach relaxing with a book. meanwhile, there is a blizzard outside! can't wait for summer to arrive. :)

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!!