His girl

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow...

2008-12-02T18:23:00.000-08:00

We had our first big snow here in Chicago on Monday. It was fun to show Adilaiah the snow. She was a great sport but I think she would have had more fun if she could move in her snow gear. We made snow angels and even threw a few snow balls.

Time with family... Thanksgiving

2008-12-02T18:09:00.001-08:00

Together we were able to reflect on how richly God has blessed us as a family. We have had a lot of changes in our family over the last year. It was great to hear how God has brought and is bringing many of us through the same challenges. We have hope for the future and grateful hearts for what has been.

So the guys...

2008-12-02T18:02:00.000-08:00

The guys spent the afternoon playing golf, soaking up some Tennessee sunshine. Brad even caught a few moments of shut-eye despite the noise and busyness in the house.

cookies, cookies and more cookies

2008-12-02T17:50:00.001-08:00

Turtle Cookies, Sugar Cookies, Peanut Butter Blossoms, Russian Tea Cakes, Puppy

Chow, Chocolate Chex Mix, hours in the kitchen, lots of laughs and a few caffeinated drinks... all while the guys, well lets just say they had a party all of their own.

Lefsa fun.

2008-12-02T17:42:00.000-08:00

Grandma, you would be so proud. We had a few ooftas to sample along the way, but in the end we had a nice treat as we passed on your Norwegian tradition. Yummy, yummy! Adilaiah & Katie even loved it. Welcome to the family girls!

On a more personal note...

2008-11-06T08:13:00.000-08:00

I have begun to reread the book "The Allure of Hope" by Jan Meyers and feel there are two quotes with which my hearts resonsates during this season of waiting.

"Hope is far more waiting for something in a hot, sticky mess than it is a peaceful, orderly affair."

"Hope uncovers the heart so that it is exposed to the harsh winds of high-desert beauty. Sheltering the heart (refusing to hope) keeps the harsh winds from penetrating but also precludes the chiseled beauty that harsh winds can craft in the hardest of volcanic stone."

My heart longs to hope in the midst of so much uncertainty. It is out of this that my heart aches and rejoices.

Halloween

2008-11-06T07:58:00.000-08:00

Adilaiah was not feeling well the week of Halloween so we didn't get to go trick or treating. We put her outfit on her long enough to take pictures and as you can see she wasn't too happy with that either. Earlier in the day she was so tired that she fell asleep in her high chair during lunch. (Amazing since the ONLY place she will sleep is her crib. )

Gifts from Nae-Nae

2008-11-06T07:54:00.000-08:00

Birthday fun with the family

2008-11-06T07:37:00.001-08:00

My parents, my brother Brad and his wife Katie all made it up to Chicago to celebrate Adilaiah's birthday with her. We spent time at the Zoo, playing games, shopping, walking around Soldier Field and just hanging out. It was fun to watch Adilaiah open gifts and eat her first cake. She especially liked the cream cheese frosting.

Birthday fun!

2008-11-06T07:34:00.001-08:00

This is Adilaiah opening her very first birthday gift, a cute outfit from some friends in Portland.

Wagner Farms

2008-11-06T07:26:00.000-08:00

There is something that seems so wrong about having to take my daughter to a public park to see animals put on display in order for her to see a "farm." Cows, chickens, pigs, tractors... so much a part of everyday life for me as a kid and for Adilaiah it is a special treat. I can't wait to take her to ND and show her a real farm.

Fun with Adilaiah

2008-09-30T10:46:00.000-07:00

2008-09-24T12:10:00.000-07:00

Playtime in the cupboard. So many Tupperware, so little time.
Another favorite thing... sticking her tongue out! Not to mention while sitting in her toy crate.
Water, water, water! She squeals with delight to play in the water. This is at the pool on the top of our building.
Playtime at her favorite park.

The world is a wonder.

2008-09-24T11:46:00.000-07:00

I am amazed and to some degree still in denial that I have a walking child. Adilaiah is quickly leaving the baby stage and waddling into toddler hood. Life now consists of exploration management. Whether its at home and she is exploring the cupboards or at the the park, picking up leaves and most anything else she might find on the ground, she undeniably loves to explore. The world is a wonder. So much to see, taste, and feel. Some of her favorite things this week are water, parks, leaves, Tupperware, boxes, tickling mommy and baba, and any food she can feed herself. She especially likes anything she can do herself. Independence is a huge motivator for her, so if she can find a way to do something for herself she will. She is also learning to communicate with us through sign language. She can tell us "more", "cracker", "cheerio", "milk", and "thank you". She also claps her hands with delight or when she is proud of herself and does a pretty funny "high-five." She is such a delight and it is so fun to see her personality blossom. She daily makes her father and I laugh as she sings, laughs, signs and plays.

I'm Walking!!!

2008-08-06T17:31:00.001-07:00

Adilaiah took 3 big steps today!! She has been standing on her own and would take a step every once in a while, but today she managed to take a least 3 steps in a row! It has been so fun to watch her master this new skill. She gets so excited with herself. I am still not sure if I am really ready for her to walk, but ready or not, it appears it is quickly approaching.

A day at the beach

2008-07-17T08:19:00.000-07:00

We spent about

an hour yesterday at the beach on Lake Michigan. Adilaiah LOVED the water. It was so fun to see her squeal with delight as she played. She jumped and splashed in the water and even made a couple friends. We will definitly have to go back again some time.

Yummy mashed potatoes

2008-07-17T08:16:00.000-07:00

This is a picture of Adilaiah first bites of mashed potatoes. As you can see, they were not a big hit. It seems she may follow in her uncle Brad's footsteps and have an aversion to the beloved mashed potatoes. We will keep trying and see how it goes. There is still hope!

First couple weeks in Chicago

2008-07-07T17:51:00.000-07:00

My appologies that it has taken so long for me to post any pictures on the blog. We have really enjoyed our time so far in Chicago. We have met a number of our neighbors, all of whom seem quite friendly and we have loved being so close to so many things. The pictures of the city are of the view out our windows. Our living room/kitchen are in the center with full length windows facing the city. The bedrooms face the same direction and are split with the living room in the middle. I have also started a job with my first day of orientation today. It was hard to leave Adilaiah at home and spend the day without her, but overall we are excited about the changes ahead. David also has a great lead on a job and we are waiting to hear about an interview date which is tentatively to occur this week.

Chicago update

2008-06-18T08:06:00.000-07:00

Wow, I can't believe how long it's been since I have updated this blog. I guess I have been busier then I thought. SO... for all of you who don't know we are in the process of moving to Chicago. I am currently in TN at my parent's house and David (and his sister Amy) arrived in Chicago late last night. Their journey was more of an adventure then we would have preferred, but more on that later. I will be joining them in Chicago with Adilaiah and my mom on Friday. The moving truck with all of our stuff is scheduled to arrive tomorrow. We are so close to all being together again as a family in the great city of Chicago. I will post pics and more info later, but thought I would at least update you on this much. God bless each of you.

Cubs or White Sox...that is the big question!

2008-05-22T11:54:00.000-07:00

David and I have an Anniversary tradition of trying on goofy hats. We decided that since we were in Chicago we would go with the sports theme. It seems that within the city those in the north cheer for the Cubs and those in the south cheer for the White Sox. I have to say I am partial to the Cubs. I am not sure if Adilaiah will be a Sox fan or if she was just having a bad day. I guess time will tell. This is a "to be continued..." post as there will be more on Chicago later.

Chicago trip... at last!

2008-05-22T11:47:00.000-07:00

Well we finally made a trip to the windy city. It was a great week full of adventure. Some we could have done without and some that made the trip quite memorable. We were there for about a week. My mom flew in to join us for a couple days to help watch Adilaiah so David and I could begin to celebrate our Anniversary a bit early. As you can see from the pictures we got Adilaiah in the swimming pool for the first time. She loved the water!

Mother's Day

2008-05-13T10:58:00.001-07:00

What a joy to celebrate my first Mother's Day. God has blessed me so richly this past year! I am grateful to have a beautiful daughter and a loving husband. I am also especially grateful for all the mothers in my life as I have a new appreciation for their hard-work, dedication and love for me. Thank you MOM, grandmas, mom-in-law, aunts and friends. You are appreciated!

I'm not sure if I'm ready for this standing business.

2008-05-13T10:50:00.000-07:00

I am a little behind in updating the blog, my apologies. So... last week Adilaiah started pulling herself up on anything that will hold her weight and a few things that can't. She loves to stand up! She is still pretty wobbly but she is getting surprisingly good at getting into things that used to be far out of reach. It is definitely keeping us busy chasing after her and providing somewhat of a cushion to soften her falls when she decides she is too tired to keep standing. (We are still working on the landing.) She is just growing up so fast, it feels like it was just the other day that we were so excited that she was rolling around.

Making the most of some Portland sunshine

2008-05-05T12:55:00.001-07:00

It was a gorgeous day here in Portland yesterday so we spent the afternoon at a park. It was fun to walk around enjoying the day and play in the grass with Adilaiah.

Bath time...

2008-05-02T10:18:00.001-07:00

... another adventure around our house. Between the wiggles and the duckie Adilaiah makes both her dad and I giggle and work hard to get her clean.

Oh yeah... I guess I should also mention that this morning there is a second tooth popping out right beside the first one. Two teeth in 3 days!

Look Nana I'm sitting!

2008-05-02T10:14:00.000-07:00

Since one of Adilaiah's favorite things is moving, whether it be scooting, sort of crawling, rolling or any other maneuver she can manage, she doesn't really like to sit. Its far too restricting. I did however manage to catch a picture of her sitting but it was quite brief. As soon as she saw the flash of the camera she off and moving to see if she could put that in her mouth as well.

Adding green beans to the repertoire

2008-05-02T10:10:00.000-07:00

Well it appears we can add green beans to the foods she finds delightful, at least for the this stage of her life anyway. Hopefully her love for veggies will last!

Tasty treats

2008-04-29T10:30:00.000-07:00

We have added a few firsts to Adilaiah's diet this past week. She had her first bites of sweet peas and carrots. They were both an instant hit. The runny texture and fun colors have made it especially good for her face art. We also tried something new I read about on-line. It's basically a Popsicle made out of milk. As with all other things she can put in her mouth it was quite a treat. As you can see, food is not the only thing she likes to taste. She loves to put this little duckie in her mouth and roll around.

The other big "mouth" news is that I felt the first little sliver of a tooth poking through yesterday morning. You still can't see much of it, but it is definitely there.

Oh to teach a child that some things are best left unshared...

2008-04-24T11:31:00.000-07:00

Adilaiah turned 6 months old yesterday. Unfortunately we don't have much to show for it other then a few sneezes, a runny nose and a slight cough. She caught a cold on Sunday and then proceeded to share it with the rest of the family. Well I suppose a cold here and there is par for the course. We did have a fun visit yesterday from a good friend of ours from Multnomah. Ray came to visit us from Seattle while he was in town for a conference. Thanks for coming to visit Ray!

Ooh... what's over there?

2008-04-14T10:50:00.001-07:00

We had fun taking pictures with Adilaiah, but as you can see, she was far more interested in the people beside us.

Back on the farm...

2008-04-14T10:36:00.000-07:00

... well almost. At least I got Adilaiah up on a John Deere tractor. It was great to show her the outdoors. The flowers, the dirt, the bright sunshine and a slight breeze were all new to her. Its so fun to experience the world through the eyes of a baby. Everything is intriguing.

Tiptoing in the tulips

2008-04-14T10:30:00.001-07:00

On Saturday we packed up the family and headed to Woodburn, OR (about 45 minutes from Portland) to go to the Wooden Shoe Tulip Festival. It was a gorgeous day! Lots of tulips, sunshine and time with the family.

More Pictures of Grandpa and Nana's visit

2008-04-10T14:33:00.001-07:00

Ready for that Portland sunshine

2008-04-07T14:09:00.000-07:00

Well, we didn't have much need for these while Grandpa and Nana were in town, but thanks to the grandparents, Adilaiah will be ready for the sunshine when it decides to make its way back here to Portland.

Grandpa and Adilaiah

2008-04-07T14:01:00.000-07:00

It took Adilaiah a little bit to warm up to my Dad this visit, but once she did he got her flirty little smile; a talent that I think will come in handy in the future when she wants something from Grandpa. How can you resist that cute little smile.

Play time with Nana

2008-04-07T13:58:00.000-07:00

I am not sure who was having more fun, Adilaiah or Nana. It was great to see them laughing and smiling at one another. A baby's laugh can be so infectious and my mom is especially great at bringing out Adilaiah's giggles.

Grandpa and Nana come to visit

2008-04-07T13:53:00.000-07:00

We had a wonderful week-end. My parents flew in to see us on Thursday and were able to stay until this morning (Monday). Here are a few pictures from their visit.

Its snowing!!!

2008-03-28T10:32:00.001-07:00

I woke up to snow on our rooftop. Its the end of March. Its officially spring and its SNOWING! Despite the craziness of it, it really is pretty.

Go WKU!!

2008-03-28T10:20:00.000-07:00

Okay, Western didn't win yesterday against the top seat UCLA, but at least it was a good game. I am just proud they made it this far and didn't let the game last night result in a total blow out. I guess that shows how much confidence I have in the team. Hum... anyway... Go Hilltoppers!!! Oh by the way, even though this is a picture of the three of us, I should make one important clarification, David was the only one in the house not cheering for WKU.

Spring has sprung at Multnomah

2008-03-28T09:07:00.001-07:00

I had an errand to run yesterday that had me going to Multnomah's campus. Just being back there brought back so many memories. I especially like this time of year on campus with all the colors starting to pop out. Its finally spring!

Monday mood

2008-03-25T14:11:00.000-07:00

Can anyone else relate?

It's nap time

2008-03-25T14:02:00.000-07:00

As thumb-sucking has gained popularity, it has quickly become our first clue that it's time for a nap.

Look out she's on the move!

2008-03-25T13:49:00.000-07:00

Now that Adilaiah has perfected the fine art of rolling and scooting, there really is very little she can't get into on the floor. It is fun to see the toys she chooses and those she just rolls right on by or over for that matter.

Its about time

2008-03-25T10:46:00.000-07:00

Most of you know that I am far from a computer junky. I am so far removed I am not even sure if that is the appopriate title. Despite my lack of knowledge, I figured it was time to catch up with the rest of the world and start a blog. My thought is that this will be an easier method for keeping everyone up to date with all the happenings of our family then the usual e-mail. I look forward to sharing pictures, stories and random thoughts with you our friends and family. Enjoy and thanks for joining me on this adventure.