So Much Can Happen During Naptime...

I am FINISHED with the scrapbook of Lucy's first year. Well, really it's a photo book, and does not include any other mementos. I keep that stuff in her baby book. Anyway, I am going to leave a couple of blank pages at the end for the rest of September and also to include photos from her birthday party.

In the process I have a huge mess of "snipits" on the dining room table, and the floor surrounding. I will pick them up, but I had to hustle up here and blog about it first.

It is nice to have that done and out of the way, and I am going to really try to do a couple pages a month. Then I can take my time and do an even nicer job, and it won't seem like such a daunting task.

Ron is expecting me to put in the same effort for child #2 when he or she comes along, and of course I agree that's only fair... but I imagine it's easier said than done, right? Okay, time to pick up my mess.

Stop Sign?

I am driving down Taft, on our way back from visiting Grandville High School, and as I am about to pass a cross street, I see someone running the stop sign! I honk and she slams on the breaks, luckily in plenty of time. There is full visibility from her side and no reason she wouldn't have seen me coming... my headlights are even on (all the time automatically). She would have hit the driver's side of my car, which is of course the side Lucy is on in the back seat. I'm not a perfect driver, but I think it's pretty insane to blow through a stop sign... but at least she didn't hit me. Rant complete.

365 Portraits

I just stumbled upon an awesome photography project site that is so inspiring! It is called 365 Portraits. He's not the first to do this type of project, but according to Thomas Hawk (linked under photography blogs), he's the best. Here's an explanation:

I'm Bill Wadman, a New York-based photographer who after completing my first 365 Project, and then a weekly 52 Project, has taken it upon myself to shoot and post one portrait every day of 2007. The photo will have been taken that day, and each day will be a different person. Some will be in the studio, some will be in the wild. Hopefully they will all be interesting.

I added it to my links so that I can visit each day. I'm tempted to go back and search throughout the entire year... maybe when I'm really bored.

*Note, I stumbled upon one or two nudes, so if you're at work and afraid of getting busted, watch out. Nothing pornographic, but I wanted to give fair warning...

Another First!

Today Lucy got her first tattoo. I know she's not quite one, but I figured she was ready. She went with a gray and white kitten on her left shoulder/bicep. She thought it would show her tough, but feminine side. She didn't cry at all while she was getting it, because she's so hard-core. Here's a close-up:

Creepy Puppet Book

When going through stuff in the basement a while ago, we discovered this book from Ron's childhood. It was in his stuff, but it seems oddly familiar. Kelly, didn't we have some like this, with the holographic cover? I think we did... Either way, we set it aside for Lucy's enjoyment, and today I found it again and put it on her bookshelf.

Anyway, the illustrations are really photos of puppets with eyes that are solid color - not like human eyes - which I find quite disturbing. This one is all about how to tell time, and the things these two puppets do throughout the day at various times.

Here they are enjoying their creepy supper at 6:00. Notice the puppet knives they each are holding. Is this not a recipe for nightmares? Of course, today when I set Lucy free to "read" (pull off the shelf and flip through) all her books this morning, what was the first book she went for?.... you guessed it!

Ready to Move!

Put In Lucy's Room

Last Minute Scrapbook

As unbelievable as it seems, Lucy is turning ONE in less than a month! Since I have taken so many photos over the past year, I have decided that NOW is a good time to put them into a scrapbook. Nothing fancy - I'm keeping it simple to save time and money - but I already got several pages done. I just ran out of glue-stick, so I am stopping until I can get more.

It's going to be nice to have a book of her first year to set out at her party, and hopefully people will enjoy watching her grow up "in pictures". We still have not had professional portraits taken of her, and I'm thinking we should consider getting some - I think at least once per year, around her birthday, would be good (and when she starts school, those school portraits will be timed closely enough to keep it going).

I have completed about 2-3 months of her life, and at that rate, it should only take me a week or so to get it done... then we'll see if I can keep up on it (not likely!).

Last Night of Crazy

Last night was officially the last night that Ron could stay up late and have fun and not have to face teenagers the next day. We had our friends over to have dinner, etc. - one of whom is also a teacher at the high school, so she also made the most of her final evening of summer vacation. We had some good food and drinks, and some very interesting conversation about everything from babies to theories about the existence of aliens. They had the privilege of witnessing Lucy in ultra rare form - one of the screaming-est nights of her life. She is the loudest baby I've ever heard. Not a competition we'd like to win, but we were all quite impressed by her powerful lungs. After I got her bathed and she had her last bottle of the day, we gave her her "lovey" (pink bear) and then she started smiling. She fell asleep quickly and didn't wake up despite all the loud laughing and talking.

Hope Alumni Whitecaps BBQ!

Last night Ron and I went to Fifth Third Ballpark for the Whitecaps game. Hope Alumni who registered were also able to enjoy an all-you-can eat barbecue beforehand. The weather was absolutely perfect, although it got a little chilly when the sun went down, and I was wishing I had a long-sleeved shirt.

We also got to spend some time with Amber and her husband, and another couple they live with, which I didn't realize until last night, but the other guy was someone else from the Pull team. Anyway, it was a lot of fun, and although we are in touch through blogs, we haven't seen each other since... the early 2000's? Well, it's been at least 6 years....

Last night also reminded me of my complete lack of Hope Alumni wear, and today my mom and Lucy and I went to Hope's bookstore to purchase a couple items. Lucy even got another (pink) Hope shirt (which she has to grow into a little bit). Then to Russ' for lunch. I have to say, being on campus is definitely very different now. Students were wandering around, most of them talking on cell phones, and the smell of lunch was wafting from Phelps Hall, and The Kletz while we were in the DeWitt Center. I love being around Hope, but I find it harder and harder to relate to the current students. I am a lot older now, and it's weird how much times have changed. Amber was telling me about how the housing department is having trouble because students are "learning" all about their assigned roommates through social sites like Facebook or MySpace, and are trying to switch! Definitely not a problem my class would have encountered. To them, I say, TOO BAD! Give each other a chance and you might be surprised at how many different people you can get along with! Kids today...

Progress

Today I actually packed up a significant amount of stuff from the kitchen. Ron brought home some more boxes and I figured if they are going to be sitting around, I might as well fill them.

We're still shooting for a close date on-or-around September 14. The only thing that has me concerned is there are a few more hoops to jump through regarding our loan, as we are building in a renovation loan (known as a 203(k)). It gives us a chance to make the changes we want immediately, without really adding much to our mortgage payment. After that we will continue to pay for updates "out of pocket" for all the little things. Anyway, it requires a lot of paperwork, estimates, and whatnot - all managed through a licensed contractor we know. We've done a lot of leg-work with getting estimates (roof, cabinets, appliances, flooring, etc.) and now we're just hoping that everything remains on a timely schedule... either way we will be moving out of here by the end of September! So we're hoping everything goes through alright and we have some time to get at least some of the work done before we have to live there.

Shhh, I think I Hear Something...

More New Photos

Walking (Kind Of)

Please excuse the jams we have her wearing (culottes?), she is a goofy size right now where pants that fit her waist are too short, and things the appropriate length are too loose...

Anyway, she can take a few steps on her own now! She can also take many, many steps while holding someone's hand. It's so cute to see her walking around with her daddy. She seems to be enjoying this new perspective on the world, but still reverts to crawling when she needs to get from A to B as quickly as possible.

We're excited to be moving just in time for this new phase of her development, since it will be much easier to keep tabs on her the way the new house is laid out, with a very open great room. I was also just thinking about the fact that it is pretty likely that Lucy will have little or no memory of her first home here on Taft, even though it seems like so many significant things have happened to her here. We'll just have to show her all the photos... more here.

Instead of Packing, I Will Blog

A little while ago we went through a lot of our "junk" and threw much of it away, starting putting things in large Rubbermaid bins and labeling them. Many bins-full are stacked in the basement and should be easy to deal with when it comes time to move. However, we haven't done much else since then, and today I began filling a couple of boxes with miscellany from the kitchen. Kitchens have so much random stuff! I filled two boxes and don't even feel like I've made a dent! We're not packrats either... It almost makes me want to throw together a garage sale at the time of our moving. It might not be that difficult to do... heck, I'd even give some things away for free just to have less things to move.

The other problem is I have some items that I like, but don't really feel like will go well in our next house. I guess if I'm on the fence about it, I'll pack it and assess the situation later. They can always be used as "white elephant" gifts at the traditional Thanksgiving Bingo night at the Hiddemas!

Out in the Country

Snapshot of Ron and Lucy at the Woodcraft picnic this afternoon.

Milestone!

A couple hours ago we took Lucy over to my parents' house to spend the night there (we're going out tonight), and we hung out for an hour or so. While we were there Ron tried standing Lucy up (we're always trying to see what she can do), and she took 3-4 actual steps toward me. I turned her around and she did the same thing on her way back to her daddy. She never did that before! She kept her balance and took controlled steps like she knew what she was doing! Then she did it a few more times. It is so exciting because it just happened out of the blue, and we weren't expecting her to be taking steps quite yet.

I'm really happy that Ron was there to see it, since he works and I'm usually the one who spends the most time with Lucy. It was just how it worked out. Anyway, no camera in hand, but possibly tomorrow we'll try to get a video clip of Lucy performing her new talent.

Manipulation

For the longest time, when Lucy would show definite signs of needing a nap, I would put her down and she would often yell for a few minutes ("ahhhh"), but it was obvious that it was forced and that she wasn't really suffering. She didn't want to take a nap, but eventually she'd settle down and fall asleep. Since her yelling didn't always get us to come to her "rescue", she has given up on it and replaced it with all-out blood-curdling screams that make me think shutting the windows might be a wise idea. Luckily, these fits don't last as long (I think energy output is greater, and she runs out of steam more quicky...). So our naptime routine is as follows: horrific sounding shrieks of terror followed by silence. What must the neighbors think?

Project Playlist

You may or may not have noticed that I have a music player on the right hand side of this blog (under my list of Blog Buddies). It is from Project Playlist, a site that allows you to borrow music from the Internet, insert it into a little default player, and post that player to your MySpace, Facebook, Blogspot, or whatever. I've seen a few people getting them so I decided I need to hop on the bandwagon before it becomes old news. I wanted it on the side there, but it wouldn't fit properly. I shrunk the player, but the text size seems to be set in stone. I will have Ron look into this. I just threw a few cool songs up for you enjoyment, but I hope to switch it up from time to time.

5 Years!

I just realized thanks to my friend Sam that the 5 year reunion (class of 2002) is coming up at Hope College. This fall's homecoming weekend has a couple of events I'd like to go to, and I'm really looking forward to seeing Sam and Clay, and who knows who else from back in the day. Okay, 5 years might not seem that long, but it totally snuck up on me. I am very excited about celebrating homecoming at Hope and seeing some old friends!

Note To Self

As I was lying in bed last night it finally hit me that Lucy could have been seriously hurt earlier that day when she pushed on a screen too hard, causing it to pop out of the window! From there it would've been about a 4 or 5 foot drop to the driveway. I guess at the time we just scooped her up and got her away from danger, like "phew", but later on I was thinking about the way things could have gone. I tried to brush that dreadful thought from my mind, because I know it won't be the last time we have a near miss. I hate to think of all the times growing up where my sister or I could have been injured, or worse, during everyday play and exploration, which I am sure caused our mom tremendous stress and fear. The fact is, we survived. There's only so much you can do to keep kids safe, and accidents will happen. Stupid, neglectful, could-have-been-prevented moments will rattle your cage enough to be more vigilant as your child becomes more and more determined to get into trouble. So, note to self: make sure baby does not throw herself out the window.

Megan & Jason

Yesterday my cousin Jason and his long-time girlfriend Megan finally tied the knot! Their wedding was at a church in Grand Haven and their reception at Grand Haven Golf Club. Megan and Jason clearly had the time of their lives! We wouldn't have missed it for the world, and we're so excited that she is "officially" part of the family - although it seems like she has been for several years. I can't wait to see what life has in store for them.
Photos Here

Cripes!

We went to the house again, and met the inspector there to go over the place from top to bottom. Here's the lowdown:

1) Original roof - the house is 21 years old. It's showing its age, although for an original roof, he said it's in good shape. We're going to replace it.

2) Wood siding has a certain appeal, but it is showing signs of damage, minor spots of rot, etc. in places, so we're opting to replace it with low/no-maintenance vinyl, but try to match the current look.

3) Mold (!!!!) in the basement. In a small area of the would-be "workshop" (which isn't the finished area, rec room, or bedroom) there is some mold. Inspector told us that mold, being a living organism, is tricky to remove because when it feels attacked, it can actually shoot invisible spores out which will fly around and find a new place to grow. Yuck. Either way, we're not taking our chances. We'll have it removed properly by a company.

So, the mold will be removed before we move in, and the roof and siding done this fall. Must have a safe, healthy environment for our child (and us, of course).

4) Back deck isn't in great shape. Some boards are questionable, and one even broke when the inspector stepped on it (he's a big guy, but c'mon!)...

I know, it sounds like there's more bad than good... but that's not really the case. We feel that we're still getting this house for so cheap, that investing in some of these things will certainly pay off in the long run. The interior renovations may take a little longer, but fixing up the exterior right away will do a lot, we think.

5) Lots of spiders.... ewwww. I guess that happens when a house sits empty for a year.

All in all, we still think it's a great buy. The neighborhood is really nice and the property overall has a lot of great features. We're going to be turning that house around over the next year or two to be something quite a lot nicer. I'm sure the neighbors will appreciate it.


This is a photo of the great room. We want to add stone around the fireplace up to the ceiling. Of course paint, put in new light fixtures, change some flooring...

Like I posted about before, we must have some kind of desire to renovate, since this is going to be a lot of work. I'm sure at times we will feel overwhelmed and wonder if we got in over our heads. Maybe we are taking on more than we should, but eventually we'll get it to where we want it to be.

Night Lights

Yeah, that's right, we have Christmas lights on our back deck. Ron went for a swim this evening, and I happened to grab my camera so I could experiment with different settings in the dark. I'd like to try a similar effect with traffic, fire, lightning, or stars.


More Photos Here

Have a Nice Day!

Better The 2nd Time Around

Today we met with our mortgage guy (who is AWESOME) and filled out lots of paperwork... we're not going to have any problems with the loan, but there are so many things to sign and go over. Some of it seems silly, but I know it's all necessary for legal reasons ("this form just says that you received the form blah blah blah... sign here"). I remember the process last time was much more difficult due to unexpected confusion on Ron's credit report - several of his dad's (also named Ron) accounts were listed there and it was seriously harming our score. They have different middle names so I think it was pretty lame that so much could be messed up, but alas, it happened and it took a while to get it all straightened out. This time around is much smoother by comparison...

Also, last time, our mortgage guy was intimidating and mean, and was patronizing to me, and all in all we got a bad 'vibe' from him. By the way, vibes are usually very real and very accurate. This time, we're dealing with someone who was recommended to us by our Realtor (who I've known basically my whole life) and he is someone who you can just talk to, joke around with, ask lots of questions, and expect honest answers. We are so excited to be dealing with a better person - in case you're interested, it's Rob Eddie from Northern Mortgage.

Our home is being inspected Thursday. The buyers will be present, and they go through everything with a fine toothed comb, so it's a tad scary for us. There shouldn't be any real problems, but it's kind of the last major chance for this to all fall through. While that's happening, we're having the new house inspected (so we'll be there, and I'll try to take some photos). The tentative closing date is on or before September 15. Then we get to paint, clean carpets, and start moving things in!

Resolution

I just checked Amber's Blog and her post got me thinking... (it's worth linking over to check it out). Anyway, a message like that (about living life to the fullest... and so much more) can easily resonate with any one of us, no matter what is going on in your life, and it sparked a thought about where Ron and I are in our lives. Right now, obviously, Ron and I are at a turning point, committing to a home to raise our family in, a community to live in, etc., not to mention the work we are taking on to make that house "our home".

I remembered our meetings with our pastor before we got married, and going over our comparabilities, incompatibilities, goals, dreams, and so on. One thing he noticed about us is that we are always dreaming, scheming, planning for the future - which is great - but he advised us not to sacrifice the present in the process. It's true, we couldn't just pick out a "normal" house that would be easy to move right into. We had to find one that requires a little more imagination... okay, maybe a lot more imagination. We'll always be thinking about things we want to do someday (even if they might not happen)... the idea is not to miss out on life in the meantime.

Thinking back on the last 3 and a half years here, it sure has flown by, but so much has happened. The time we spent remodeling took a toll on us emotionally, physically, financially... in the end we aren't really getting much "Return on Investment", but that's okay. That's not why we did it. We made this house better for the next people, and we satisfied something inside us doing so. It brought out the best in us, the worst in us. It was a very revealing way to spend our first year or two of marriage.

Anyway, this isn't really about home-improvement... it's about having dreams, and goals, and trying to make them happen, even if people around you think you're crazy! We hope that we never run out of things to dream about. I remember pastor Randy saying that he hopes we always have that spirit. It's really easy to lose it. We might have to work for it, but it's worth it - not for the end result, but for the experience of getting there. I'm excited about the future, but I'm just going to make an effort to "enjoy the journey" as well.

SOLD!

Well, pending inspections (which should be no problem) our counter-offer was accepted. We even ended up sliiiiightly higher than I was thinking we would, due to Ron insisting that we go for it. Their Realtor had called our Realtor twice since they put their offer in (yesterday) to find out our response, so it was obvious the buyer was anxious about it too.

We went over the initial offer early this afternoon, wrote our counter offer, and by this evening it was settled! Kind of makes your head spin!

We also checked out the foreclosed house again, just to go over the details a little more. We put an offer on that one, and will order an inspection very soon to make sure there are no red flags. If everything goes through with this, we will be raising a future Hudsonville Eagle!

It's exciting but also very scary now that the wheels are in motion. I hope everything goes smoothly... I just can't believe we're actually going to be in a different house by the time Lucy turns 1. Crazy...

Let the fun begin....

Well, the good news is, we got an offer! The bad news is, they are offering quite a bit less than our asking price. That's to be expected in this market, I suppose, but it sort of hits ya hard. The other thing is they want possession at close, and since we can't close on another house until after ours is officially sold, that's just not going to be possible. I can't believe they threw that one in. We're going to counter-offer tomorrow probably, and that will be part of the counter, as well as the price issue, that we need at least a week or two of transition time.

Now they don't want the pool removed. Okay, fine with me! Maybe they want to sell the whole shebang on Craig's List.

Anyway, this is very nerve-racking, because it's such a mind game and I don't like dealing with people that way. I want to find an agreement that makes us happy, and makes them happy(ish)... but it seems like we have some wheeling and dealing to go through before we can relax. I guess we should be happy the offer came in! Now it's just going to be a challenge to get everything timed right (on top of finding the "right" house and making sure we're not buying a total lemon). Phew...

Someone Loves Our House!

We heard from our Realtor, and she said the couple "loved" the house and probably wants to put in an offer. She said they won't offer the asking price (duh) but we, of course, don't know yet just how low they'll try to go. Ultimately we can counter offer, but we also don't want to be pushovers. She said they "aren't interested in the pool" and would probably want it to be removed. Eek! Maybe we can sell it on Craig's List or Bargain Corner "you remove". We're just not necessarily willing to fill in the hole where the deep end is, or take care of the other landscaping issues that would result. And what about the deck(s) around the pool... it could be a huge job. However, if it means selling the house, we're willing to consider doing it. I hate the idea of dismantling the entire deck structure... all that wood would have to be hauled off the property. Anyone want a 28' above-ground pool?

Also, the crazy house we are interested in has expired, so we're waiting to see if it is relisted at a new price or what. We're leaning toward it - living in a house that we'd be updating over a longer period of time - although I wouldn't be too geeked about the horrendous kitchen (Ron doesn't think it's so bad). If we saved up and took our time, it could be a really cool house. Do I sound like I'm obsessing? Ha ha - it's just that we might get an offer soon, and we're going to have to make a decision. It's a big decision to commit to any new home, let alone one that is going to require some work. Especially with a child, and possibly another one in the next year or two. Well, it's just nice not to have "projects" hanging over our heads, but I guess with any house we moved into, there are going to be things we'd want to change.

I have a feeling if they loved our house, and their Realtor said they might be faxing an offer (either last night or today???) that we will be reaching a turning point in this home selling/buying situation, which is kind of scary... but it's what we've been hoping for ever since we decided to list our house!

Now We Wait....

I just wanted to mention that last night, for our showing, our house never looked better! The basement even looked good (anyone who's been down there knows that it was pretty scary... and Ron cleaned it and it's actually a livable space now!).

The Realtor left her card, but we hope to get some feedback soon. The people who saw our house are already pre-qualified, and do not have a home of their own to sell - those are 2 very good things! We're anxious about it, and trying not to get our hopes up, but we really hope it turns into something!

The house we saw on Knollview is definitely interesting - it would take redoing the whole kitchen, but it has a lot of potential, and lots of space... I think we'd want to look at a few others before jumping into anything, but right now it's Ron's favorite. Funny how we keep finding new houses. It makes me realize that no matter when ours sells, we'll find something we love!

Desert-Like

Ron found this in the yard this morning while he was walking around barefoot. I know it's been dry, but come on! This is a prickly pear cactus, part of the Opuntia genus. It's funny, lately our yard has been so dry, Ron joked that we should just give up on a lawn and make it a cactus garden - we could have nice big rocks laying around, maybe a Joshua Tree, and lots of cacti! How pretty.

Picking Up

Why oh why don't we keep the house clean all the time?. We've been slacking since lately we haven't heard much about people wanting to see our house. Boo. I just got an e-mail from our Realtor saying that someone wants to come tomorrow at 7 PM. So, we have a little time to get things ready, and I want to make the most of every chance that someone might be interested in buying our house! Almost all our fliers have been taken, but I'm afraid that many people take them to look and then never pursue. We're guilty of the same. I will keep that in mind next time we stop by a house for sale.

We found a couple more houses we're interested in - one is for sale by owner, and the only complaint is the kitchen isn't very big at all (and we've been spoiled by a large kitchen here). The other is a weirdo contemporary house in Hudsonville that is a foreclosure. We looked in windows but couldn't see bedrooms or anything, so we're going in it tomorrow morning with our Realtor. It would need some work, but with the right adjustments, it could be a really neat property. Nice neighborhood too (In case you're familiar with the area, it's on Knollview).

Alright, I should be cleaning, not blogging...

Three Years

Yesterday was our 3 year anniversary so Ron took me out for for an evening in Holland - I wasn't clued in on where we'd be going, but I had a couple guesses in my mind, which turned out to be correct! At least he chose the things I would've wanted to do! First we went to dinner at Via Maria, our favorite Italian restaurant (on 7th Street), and we had a very nice dinner. As usual the server we had was outstanding and he got a very nice tip. I ordered way too much food, so we took some with us when we left.

After dinner we went to see She Loves Me at the Hope Theater in the DeWitt Center. Basic plot described on HSRT's site:

As anonymous pen pals, Georg and Amalia love each other as much as they loathe each other in person. We're the only ones who know the true story. In one of the sweetest and most beautiful musicals HSRT has ever done (last mounted in 1986), the songwriting team behind Fiddler on the Roof gives Hungarian embellishment to a favorite story told and retold in movies including "The Little Shop Around the Corner", "In the Good Old Summer Time", and "You've Got Mail".

It was pretty good, pretty funny, and I'm always amazed at all the work and passion that goes into theater productions.

We got back to the car and discovered that in the summer heat, our wonderful leftovers from Via Maria had turned the car quite smelly. Of course the food itself would be questionable, so sadly it had to be thrown out. What a waste! Oh well...

Then we went to New Holland Brewing Company for a "night cap". The place was pretty slow on a Tuesday night, but that was alright. We sat at the bar and had a couple drinks... and also saw Barry Bonds hit his 756th home run. We stayed till about midnight and headed home. I love that place.

It was nice to get dressed up (any time I go as far as to put in earrings...), and have a grown-up evening. I only almost fell two times in my heels (I don't think anyone saw... what's up with the polished wood floors!?). But really, it was a very nice night, and I love that we were in Holland - where our relationship really started out. There are a lot of memories around there, and it's fun to look at how much our lives have changed in just a few years.

Scary Dream

Yesterday Lucy woke up from her afternoon nap (she hadn't been sleeping long), with a panicky sounding cry. Well, I can't quite describe it, but we both thought she sounded scared (not hungry or tired or any of her usual cries). We both went to her crib and she had a worried look on her face and was all sweaty! She was very clingy and after drinking a bottle she settled back down to sleep (in my arms, which NEVER happens anymore!). We were both pretty sure she had a nightmare. It seems early for that type of thing, but according to Ron's Internet "research" it is possible, even at this age. I wonder what it was about, or which experiences are jumbling around in her imagination. The world can be a scary place for a baby, I suppose, and some of it is unavoidable (doctors visits, strangers, big noisy street cleaner, whatever...). Anyone else have this happen with an infant? I know 10 months is young. Just curious. It's another "first" for Lucy (as far as we know), to wake up crying like that from a nightmare.

So, How'd She Do?

We are so proud and amazed by Kelly's accomplishment! I can't imagine how she feels, but seeing her come around that last corner and run through the finish line was incredible! I'm so glad we were able to be there.
Photos Here

Triathlon Eve

Tomorrow morning my sister will compete in the Whirlpool Steelhead 70.3 Triathlon in St. Joseph, MI. This is a half Ironman length race that involves swimming, biking, and running (like any triathlon, in that order). She has been training for what seems like forever, and tomorrow is the big day! My parents, Ron, Lucy, and I will gear up early tomorrow morning (I think I'm getting up at 3:30 AM) to try to be on the road by 4:30 or 5:00. That way we can find a place to park, and hopefully see Kelly before she goes in the water. The course covers a large area, and we're going to try to be at various points through the race to cheer her on. It's going to be a long day, and hopefully Lucy doesn't give us too much guff!!! ha ha. I think she'll do alright :) She'll have plenty to see!

We're going to try to take lots of photos and even a few video clips. Kelly's planning on finishing - as long as she isn't taken away in an ambulance for some reason! Let's hope that doesn't happen! It's a huge accomplishment just to show up for such a race and put forth the effort. We're all really proud of her no matter what, but I do believe she will cross the finish line...

Curls!

Garbage Pail Family

We have 14 of these cards altogether; we found loads of them at an antique store north of Holland a couple years ago! During a search through bins in the basement I found our little collection, and thought I'd share these four (look at the names - you might have to click on the photo).

I never collected them as a kid in the 80's, probably because I found them so creepy (still do!).

here, wabbit wabbit wabbit...

Summer Birthdays

We try to group birthdays and anniversaries together for extended-family gatherings (on my mother's side), and yesterday was a big one! My dad, Jason, Taylor, Brady, Ryan, and Grandpa all had birthdays to celebrate, plus throw in a few anniversaries. It's a lot to keep track of! Anyway, I took lots of photos, mostly of Lucy, but also a lot of my cousin's son, Ryder (5 months old), who I haven't seen in a while!

More Photos

Overheard

Ronnie told me about something he heard during his parents' anniversary party, during the "Not-So-Newlywed Game" they were participating in.

Ron and Sarah were telling the story of how they met, during the introductions of each couple. They met on the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France. She and her friend saw these two guys who spoke English, so they figured "they'd be safe with them".

"Little did I know, how safe," added Sarah.

Goodness knows I don't understand the intricacies of their relationship, but it works. I guess I don't need to know how. It was a sweet little moment that slipped past a lot of people... including me.

Naps To Energize!

This afternoon I couldn't wait to put Lucy down for a nap, because I could barely keep my eyes open and apparently I needed a nap too.

We went down at 12:30 or so (she in her crib, me in my bed) and it's is now going on 3:00 PM. I just woke up, and Lucy is still napping - that's alright with me, since we're going to the Hiddema's at 5:00 and the more rested she is, the better. It'll help her win all the baby competitions she'll have to undergo. ::sigh::

I think all Lucy is worried about is how she's going to score some more frosting off peoples' cake. Like she even knows what's in store for later this afternoon...

Geez, I can't believe I took a nap! I never take naps.

Who Knew?

I am on a yahoo message board for heterochromia iridium, and get e-mail digests. Today someone's post included some interesting tidbits about the condition. Did you know there is a Heterochromia holiday? Neither did I! Unfortunately we just missed it. Of course, they'll make a "holiday" for anything, but maybe it would be a good way to make Lucy feel special!

There is also a children's book about a little girl with two different colored eyes - one eye "the color of root beer while the other as blue as a lake." Sounds familiar. The book is about a girl who uses her special eyes to look for the (sometimes hidden) beauty in everyday things. It sounds like a nice story for any child!

Surprise!

Today we had a surprise party for Ron's parents - this weekend they celebrate 40 years of marriage, and despite all the ups and downs they've experienced throughout their lives together, they have come through strong and still in love. They were both completely shocked when we pulled up to the pavilion at Johnson Park (after a detour through the scenic drive, just to "kill time" on our way to a nice "lunch"). Even after we parked the car they still had no clue what was going on. The guests were on the side porch waving and it wasn't until we walked up a little closer that they figured out why we were there. They both went on and on about how amazed they were we pulled off such a complete surprise!

Ron did a lot of planning and work, as did my sisters-in-law, but I ended up talking care of a lot of details. It made for a busy last couple of days, but it was definitely worth it, because it was obvious how touched they were that we put this together.


Besides ALL of the kids and grandkids, many of their friends, and extended family made it as well. We had lots of food, music from 1967, and a "Not-So-Newlywed Game" to test 3 couples on how well they knew each other.

It was fun to test out my new camera and I quickly learned one thing: I have a lot to learn about my new camera! I got some good shots, but a lot of not-so. My favorite thing, of course, was to get photos of my nieces and nephews just being themselves.

Proud Owner

I picked up my new Canon Rebel XT today from Circuit City, a trustworthy institution where you can talk to a human being about cameras and accessories, go in empty handed, and walk out with your new purchase!

The guy who was working is a former student of Ron's, and was on the Robotics team back when Ron coached. He's been out of school for a few years, but he remembered me, and we talked a bit. Then he sold me the camera I wanted... he recommended a case that came with some other neat stuff but I passed on that for now, and opted for the cheapest case available. It works fine since I only have the 1 lens, and all the other stuff I need fits in there. I already have one large [diaper] bag to lug around...

Still waiting on my CF (memory) card - 2GB - to come in the mail. eBay was the route for that. Meanwhile, I am trying to familiarize myself with the camera, and I can still take pictures with it, which I can see for a couple seconds before they disappear. This way I can play around a little, and figure out how the heck to use all those neat functions!

Fool Me Once...

With shame, I blog...

As my previous post stated, we ordered a new digital camera the other day - a Canon Rebel XTi. We saw an ad in a digital photography magazine for a company that (obviously) sells cameras. Comparatively, this company: BroadwayPhoto.com, had the best deal. So here's what happened:

Ron placed the order with our bank card. The screen he got said, "ORDER COMPLETE - THANK YOU!" and had the order number, etc. as well as some standard fine print. Little did we know that fine print included something about the company contacting us regarding any adjustments to your order, etc. etc., but since we didn't even see such a message until after the order was submitted, it seemed inconsequential, standard for Internet shopping type stuff. I know, I know...

The next day (today) Ron received an e-mail asking him to call an 800 number to confirm the order. We thought it was processed and shipping via UPS (2-3 days), so immediately red flags went up. This seemed quite strange, so he started Googling the company and quickly found they have a sketchtastic reputation as a "bait-and-switch" scam. They want us to call so they can attempt to sell more accessories, or that our camera is the Japanese version and the US version will be more expensive... and all sorts of other outrageousness. If you refuse, according to other victims, they send you oddball crap anyway, and then charge you a "minimum" 5% restocking fee (which could be as high as %15), and do not refund shipping charges. When it's all said and done, they could charge your account for hundreds, if not thousands, more than you were expecting... Ron, take a deep breath...

Since the e-mail arrived in Ron's inbox too late for him to actually talk with someone at 'customer service' he called National City (24-hour service) and explained the situation. We're not going to be charged, we're not going to call BroadwayPhoto, and if by some chance (slim, but you never know!) we receive a package from them, we'll simply return to sender, unopened. A new bank card has already been ordered.

So, a lot of lessons in this week's blog entries, between the dishwasher thing and this. We're going to a nice big-box store where you get what you pay for. Maybe it's going to cost a bit more, but it's worth not having the headache. I'm going with the "older" Canon Rebel XT kit, which, although the megapixels are lower, is actually an excellent camera. The 2 megapixel difference between the XT (8.0) and the XTi (10.1) is negligible, and only matters for super-large prints, and even at that point most humans cannot detect a difference. Sidenote: For anyone who doesn't work for National Geographic, megapixels start to "plateau" around 7 or 8, and beyond that, it's just a buzzword to convince people that one camera is 'better' than another). The older version (Rebel XT) actually has some nicer features... AND it's slightly cheaper, so between the "downgrade" and the "big-box price" we're going to end up paying about the same. But tomorrow, I should be walking out of Best Buy or Circuit City with my new camera, and no worries. Yay!

Crappy Reviews of Broadway Photo.com

Rebel

Ron has been helping finish our friends' basement, and they paid him yesterday. How much is not important, but let's just say that we now have a couple of new "luxuries": 1) a washing machine and 2) a dishwasher.

I will confess now that we've jumped back into the 20th century, our washing machine's motor broke, and it was going to cost MORE to replace the motor than to just buy a new one. We could never justify it before, but I spotted some used appliances in someone's driveway (one benefit to living in Wyoming) and we checked them out - a washing machine in perfectly good shape for $60!!!. Needless to say we went to my parents' house, got the truck, and I was doing laundry AT HOME that night.

Our dishwasher has been out of order for a while. I can't even remember how long. I think Lucy was still in my belly. Anyway... Ron was sanitizing bottles for a batch of home brew when it started leaking all over the floor. No soap involved in that process, but clearly something was wrong. We bought a bargain corner replacement and that leaked too! Word of advice: used dishwashers probably have a bad gasket because it dries out and becomes brittle. Buy new. So that's what we did... and it works! (Queue the "Hallelujah" chorus of Handel's Messiah). Those two additions should also help our house sell.

The other purchase is a new Canon Rebel XTi, which will be nice for more "professional" looking photos... which I'm hoping to get more into. I still love my handy little Canon PowerShot but this is going to give me some different options, as well as quality. The price listed on that site is not what it cost us, because Ron and I searched around enough to find a great deal, and it's not even a used one! I just wanted to show which one I'm getting. It should be here later this week and I can't wait to test it out! I'm so grateful because this is something that I would never allow myself to get, because there are more "important" things to spend money on, but on the other hand, sometimes it's nice to do something fun and I hope to put it to good use (and maybe even make money someday).

Tooth #1

This afternoon, as I was feeling Lucy's gums (as I often do several times a day), I actually felt a sharp edge! Not like the hard-gums-almost-through that we've had up until today. They have been so close for so long, I was actually starting to wonder if she was born without teeth. Now there is no question that she has at least ONE tooth in there. I felt it, and so did Ron. I think Lucy knows about it too. So, mark it down: July 24, 2007. A week shy of 10 months old. It's about time!!!

Sentiment On Taft Avenue

There are times we really dislike our neighborhood... it is one of the reasons we hope to move soon. Sometimes there are noisy "homemade" vehicles, or hooligans going down the road, there has been graffiti on someones garage door, and a CD player has been stolen out of Ron's car... twice. There are always lots of cars parked on the street (in front of empty driveways), and sometimes people even park in their lawn! Several of the homes are for sale.

We can be negative and focus on all the bad things, but today I'm going to try to be more positive. We can see that our neighborhood has some wonderful people, and so far everyone we've met is extremely friendly. Several homes are being remodeled and made nicer, and for the most part people keep their property looking good (even if they have to paint over gang signs). When it comes down to it, the neighborhood you live in doesn't change the fact that the human experience is playing out, and it really looks similar no matter what your street sign reads. Today when I looked out our front window, I didn't see small houses and lots of cars. I saw this:


...and for a second our neighborhood was actually quite a beautiful place.

Maybe it's because I envision Ron running next to Lucy when she someday graduates from the training wheels (maybe a tad less hunky, tan, and shirtless... but you get the idea). It struck me as so classic and adorable. It's just one of those simple everyday moments that suddenly seems so much more powerful now that we have a child. As they were riding up and down the sidewalk, I couldn't resist snapping a photo from the window. He let go and she rode really far before deciding to put her feet down on the ground to stop... and they were both so proud! Ron said he wanted to go out there and clap for her.

Flight of the Conchords

Ron's brother tipped us off to an HBO series called Flight of the Conchords, and as soon as I get bored, I'm going to check out more hilarious video clips. Anyone seen the show? We're too cheap for HBO, so we'll just have to enjoy it via the Internet!

That 70's House

We were able to walk through the house tonight with our Realtor. What can I say? We love it even more now... so we're definitely what you would call "motivated sellers". The things about the house that were questionable aren't as bad as we thought, and the things that we liked about it, are even better. We still have to sell ours first, of course, but going into the house tonight answered any questions about whether or not it would be a good investment (and we have learned many things about fixing up a house... the hard way).

I didn't take any photos because I had the camera in the diaper bag and didn't feel like getting it out, plus Lucy was really squirmy and tired, and I also felt weird about photographing the house when it isn't ours. It's a bank-owned home, so no one lives there, but I still thought it would be unnecessary. Besides, we saw what we needed to see, and having pictures to stare at would only add to the obsession. Okay, so this is definitely THE house. I hope all the renovating that would be necessary scares off other potential buyers. I don't know what is in store for us, and maybe this house isn't where we're meant to be. I still have faith that we'll find the right place. However, it's all too easy to get caught up in your own desires, and I can't deny the fact that we both love this house. All we can do is wait for an offer on ours!

Shop Till Ya Drop!

Lucy, my mom, and I went to Holland for a very short shopping trip this afternoon. We went to Bumble Bee's in the Outlet Mall and found a couple cute items. Lucy loves touching all the racks of clothes and I love finding such great deals on perfectly good clothing. It's all second-hand, but they only accept items that are in excellent condition, and there is plenty of name-brand, quality stuff. I'd much rather pay a couple bucks for something, rather than full price, since she'll outgrow it before too long. If you haven't discovered this place, it's worth the trip.

Speaking of outgrowing: I wanted Lucy's shoulder straps on her carseat adjusted up a notch, so they were higher up on the back of the seat, and Ron went out to the garage to do it, but the instruction manual said the carseat only allows that to happen if it's in the forward-facing position. So we had to decide, is it better to keep Lucy rear-facing till she is 1 year old, or have the straps fit properly? I guess our tall girl is going to have the be a rebel and face forward. She seems to love the new perspective! Of course, I also love being able to see her in my rear-view mirror and she seems so grown up now, just from facing forward (I know that sounds crazy). My mom took the picture on our way home from Holland today... Lucy was sleeeeeepy.

Open Mind

Today I talked to our Realtor about seeing the house in Grandville I mentioned. When I asked her if she saw the photos, she replied "yeahhh" and I could hear her smiling over there. "I know it looks really really bad, but I think we could fix it up!" I'm just anxious to see whether or not we love it, or if we can rule it out entirely. We crunched some numbers and we'd have the scraps to make the improvements while living there. The biggest issue is (not surprisingly) the kitchen and baths. Oh... and I'll take some photos when we go in so all can enjoy the darker side of the 70's...

...Don't worry, we're not totally nuts, we'll still (if and when our house sells) check out some more "normal" options. No need to be hasty...

And It Has Central Air!

We have found a house that we love! Uh-oh! Now the obsession begins. If this doesn't work out, it won't be more than 36 hours before a new one comes along...

Anyway, I have proclaimed ever since we decided to sell our house that we will move into one that is "turn-key", meaning no work needs to be done to make it the kind of place a normal person would want to live. Just hang your clothes in the closet and pour the wine. Of course, you're paying the price for such luxury. Why not pay much less for a gigantic home in Grandville that needs serious (and I mean serious) updating. Like, the kind of updating that involves tearing out blood-red carpet and enough faux-wood panelling to cover a football field. But the potential! Can't... resist... renovation!

It's on the (long) list of homes we're interested in. We're going to see Saturday night, since online photos and peering into windows only gives you about 50% of reality. If we end up getting this house, we would have a lot of work on our hands, but at the risk of contradicting myself, it might be worth it. I never thought I'd believe that about a fixer-upper again.

I'll remind myself about sleeping in a "bedroom" with nothing but the scraped-off pad on the floor, the countless trips to Lowe's, the drywall dust... but in the end, it is quite something to breathe new life into a great old house. We have many good memories of our remodeling of this one (I know there was plenty of blood, sweat, and tears... and yelling... yet I seem to forget those times). Maybe we'll never learn. Maybe we just gluttons for misery. Or maybe it could be one of the most rewarding projects of our lives. To be continued...

Michigan Outdoorsman

This morning the news anchor informed me that Fred Trost passed away on July 18. It sure seems like he's been around "forever", at least in my mind, so it is strange to know that he is gone. I remember many times groaning in annoyance when my dad wanted to watch Michigan Outdoors or Practical Sportsman, but since I've grown up I could appreciate more what Fred Trost has done to educate and excite Michiganders about the beauty and resources of the Great Lakes State. I think he had an impact on many peoples' lives, (and although this is a sexist assumption), especially young men.


There is a nice article in the Lansing State Journal that talks more about his life and career. I am sure his son Zachary will do all he can to carry on his dad's love of Michigan and the outdoors.

Take Another Look...

The squares "A" and "B" are the same color! Pretty interesting optical illusion, described here.

Fat Lip Slim

We supposedly had a showing tonight at 6:15. Ron had a softball game, so he took Killian over to his parents' apartment, and I went to my parents' to do laundry (side note: our washing machine is on the fritz, so until we buy a new one, my parents' house doubles as a laundromat. I do not enjoy carting our baskets of clothes over there every couple of days, believe me, but at least it's free, so I can't complain. Anyway...) I got home around 7:30 and Ron had also just gotten home. Usually some of the lights would be turned off by the realtor / visitors but all of them were still on. Also, there was no business card left. Huh. I hope these people actually came by! Either way, the house got cleaned... really well.

As for Ron's game, in the first round of playoffs, they played the Team That Shouldn't Be In Their Division, and were ahead in the 7th (final) inning, only to lose by 1 measly run! It would have been the biggest upset of all of Wyoming men's summer softball! When I got home I found Ron with a fat lip, which he acquired during the 3rd inning (d'oh!) and he said he also had a bloody nose. Sweet. I told him to ice it 20 minutes on, 20 minutes off. Does that sound right? It's definitely going to bruise. Ick. And yes, it was an error in the outfield that caused his injury... not a fistfight or anything cool. Oh well... at least he didn't lose a tooth.

Bummer

The house we love has sold! GRRR...

Although this was a very disappointing discovery, we are focusing on the fact that there is something else out there, and we will be just as excited when we find "the" house for us!

Meanwhile, we have another private showing tomorrow afternoon... so we should get the house looking as nice as possible.

... one might wonder, "Why isn't it always looking nice, on the off chance someone might want to see it?" Well, ideally that would be the case, but alas, we have to live here. This results in the lived-in look that can sometimes escalate to an official mess... as it currently is...

But, we are glad to have had this much interest in the past month or so. We really are doing well in that department, considering the real estate market (at least in our price range) in West Michigan. We are just keeping our fingers crossed that all these private showings will result in an offer soon. So in the meantime, I need to find a new house to pine over.

Baltimore (aka Muffintown) 2007

Last night I got back from my weekend in Maryland. We arrived in Baltimore Thursday afternoon and right through Sunday our weekend was packed with activity. Thursday we ate and had drinks at Olney Ale House (excellent) and went back to Pam and Teri's to relax. An added note: we finally named the "mascot" of our adventures: Muffy (The Beaver), as well as a name for our the weekend, formerly known as "girls weekend", now "Muffintown". At least we didn't go with Ron's suggestion, "Beavertown". A spinoff of his fishing trip, "Salmontown". An honorable mention to Heath's idea... clambake.

Friday was horseback riding - and although it was quite enjoyable, a nice 90 minute ride was plenty. I think that a person's butt has to get used to something like that, but our horses were so well behaved, and they just walked in line through the trails.


Later that day we visited Frederick and wandered in and out of little shops and galleries. We also stopped for a beer at Brewer's Alley.

Saturday we headed to Great Falls National Park, of the Potomac River. We climbed down the rocky hillside to get closer to the water, which was actually quite low. There were plenty of tourists visiting the park, which has an interesting history...

After the hike, we went to Trader Joe's for some snacks, and then back to Pam and Teri's for an early dinner, before heading to the Kennedy Center to see The Phantom of the Opera. We were able to go into the Members' Lounge thanks to Pam and Teri and relax in a quiet area before the show. The musical was wonderful, and I am so thankful we were able to go. That was really the highlight of the weekend for me.


Sunday morning we actually squeezed a couple more things in before heading home: a quick stop at Tom Selleck's house before going to breakfast at the Double - T Diner in Columbia (near Baltimore) where we stuffed ourselves yet again... but that's okay because we went to Baltimore's Inner Harbor afterward and walked it all off.

I found a cute bracelet and a shot glass for Ron's collection. Then Pam and Teri took us to the airport and ... eventually our plane took off back to O'Hare. We went to Potbelly's with Kelly and Heath in Evanston for MORE FOOD, and then Mom, Ginger, and I continued on back to Michigan...

THE GALLERY

Vacation

To all my devoted readers (maybe 7 people or so), I want to let you know that tomorrow I am leaving for a long weekend in Maryland, with my sister, my mom, and my aunts. The six of us are going to go horseback riding, which should be especially fun for Pam, who is a former veterinarian and loves horses very much. Ron and I went horseback riding a couple years ago in SMYRNA, MI (tiny tiny town), and I loved it. Although we were both feeling it the next day. This is why trotting, although slower, is worse than galloping.

We are also going to see The Phantom of the Opera at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. I have been there once before, and it is a very impressive theater. Phantom should be an exciting show. It is the longest-running production in Broadway history, and I love the music. I've seen the movie... it was pretty good. derf. I'm sure the live musical will be amazing.

There are also unofficial plans to visit the Baltimore Inner Harbor (on the Chesapeake Bay) for some fresh seafood (crab!!!!). For as many times as I've been to Maryland (maybe 4 of 5) I've never been there... so I hope we can fit that into our weekend.

I am going to miss Lucy (I'll miss Ron too, of course!), and I will plan on calling maybe once a day to maintain a connection with the homestead. I completely trust Ron to take good care of her, so it's hard to explain my need to touch base. I'm not "checking in" on him, but this will be the first time I've been away from her for more than one night, and since she is such a huge part of my life, that's not something I can just shrug off for a few days. But, I will definitely enjoy the break from my normal routine, and I know I'm going to have a lot of fun. My MIL asked me if I was going to be okay away from Lucy, if I was going to miss her, etc. Of course I will, but I think it makes a person function better as a parent if they're able to get away every now and then, mentally recharge, and come back refreshed, patient, happy, and ready to dive back in. That and a glass of wine...

When I return I will take some time to reunite with my little family, and then I'll get right to blogging. I will have plenty of photos as usual...

Seriously

This is a van we saw on the way home from Grand Haven today. Note the wheels. Good eye, Ron.

Dismissed

Yesterday I went downtown for jury duty... I sat and waited for my number to be called - and on the 3rd round it was... so 40 of us went upstairs to a courtroom to begin "voir dire", where they start asking questions to narrow down prospective jurors. I fit into one of the conflict categories, since I have a flight coming up later this week. My conflict was approved and I was sent home for the day. I did not have to report today... but I am still going to check and see if I have to go in tomorrow. I told the clerk that I will not be able to be there Thursday and she made a note of it, so I'm half-guessing that I won't have to go back at all... what would be the point, since I won't be able to serve as a juror on a case lasting more than one day... and they just can't predict that.

It was really boring but I read a cool article about Blogs in an old issue of New York Magazine. If I have to go again, I am definitely bringing a sudoku bookl. I am just relieved that there won't be a messy conflict with my travel plans!

Interest

Yesterday we got out of the house for a little while because a different couple wanted to see it. We're still awaiting feedback. Tomorrow (Monday) is another couple - actually the husband won't be there - but we're hoping that one of these people will perhaps place a bid... Maybe we'll sell the house while I'm in Maryland!

Sippy

Lucy has started using a sippy cup successfully. My mom put chocolate milk in one and when Lucy figured out that she's suppsed to suck - not bite - the spout... she got the chocolate milk! An "ah - ha!" moment...

After The Swim

Jury Duty

I have been selected for Jury Duty! I postponed my Jury Duty service last year, as my appearance date was going to be right around my due date. I chose a random week the following summer to appear, and this coming Monday is the beginning of that week. Little did I know at the time that next Thursday is the day I am leaving for Maryland for our 3rd annual _____ weekend. We still haven't named it. Kelly. Anyway, my term runs through Thursday, as I have to be available for 1 trial or 1 week (if I'm not selected by Wednesday evening). If my trial ends Monday, I'm done. On the other hand, I could be a juror for the next "Trial of the Century" if something major happens in Kent County - but that's not likely.

From what I understand, most people appear for one day, and then they're off the hook. Perhaps their case is settled immediately, and there isn't even a trial to sit through. I'm hoping it's a one-day obligation, but I'm willing to "serve" through Wednesday. However, I am going to inform someone that there is absolutely no way I can serve Thursday. I hope that They are understanding about it, and don't threaten to fine or arrest me for contempt of court (both, according to my summons, they could do). I understand why random samplings of people are needed to serve as jurors (as opposed to only those who are a) desperate for money; b) have nothing else to do), but I'm not thrilled about it. Here's hoping it doesn't interfere with my plans for next weekend.

JURY SERVICE - A VITAL FUNCTION OF DEMOCRACY
Jurty Duty is one of the most important duties that members of a free society are called upon to perform. The jury is an expression of the democtratic idea that authority can be exercised most equitably only if people participate. We think you will find jury duty to be a very interesting experience and will give you the opportunity to learn more about our system of justice and how it works.

This message is on my instructions. It is meant to make me feel all warm and fuzzy about jury duty.

House Update

Our Realtor called today to let us know that someone saw our house and called about it, and wants to see it tomorrow night. I saw a vehicle in our driveway today and wondered if it was someone taking a look [as I quickly straightened up the dining room table, just in case]. They drove off... Our Realtor said they are a young couple, with a baby, and they do not have a Realtor of their own (so I'm guessing they are first-time buyers - which is a good thing, since we wouldn't have to wait for them to sell their house... see?). We envisioned our buyers to be young people, who might like some of the decorating / renovations we've made... looking for a starter home. More in a sense of 'who are we marketing this to'... and our Realtor(s) agree that will most likely be the case. Or old people downsizing.

We're trying not to get our hopes up, but I'm excited about there being interest in our home! We're already thinking, in the back of our minds, about when/if to lower our price, and I really don't want to have to do that. Maybe we won't have to.

Ron and I are going to get the house looking as nice as possible. It's SO hard not to get our hopes up. We are very interested in a certain home in Allendale and it feels like a race against time to try to get it. I know they had an offer which they accepted, but it fell through at the last minute because the buyer backed out! Close call! Well, back down to earth - I know when ours does sell we'll find something. Whatever is in the cards for us, I'm sure, is for a reason. Prospective buyers make us crazy! Can't help it! ** Note - they rescheduled for Monday because the husband is working super late tonight. GRRRRR. The house is super-clean and we're going to have to just keep it that way for the rest of the weekend. Oh well!

No Easy Feet

I gave Lucy her first pedicure. It's not the neatest job, but considering she was moving her feet constantly... I'm happy with how it turned out!

Now We're Even!

In the previous post, you see Lucy and Lauren playing with some colorful noisy gizmo with moving parts. Lucy got a finger underneath one of those moving parts, and Lauren happened to put all her weight on it, pinching Lucy's finger. It was one of those times when Lucy had her mouth wide open for a few seconds before the actual screams began. Awww.... accidents happen, though! It's hard to let them play together too much because neither one understands that they can inflict pain.

Later on, they were playing with the same toy, and Lucy was determined to grab Lauren's lovely locks! She smiles and squeals when she "pets" things - and before we could stop her, her two fists were latched onto Lauren's hair, just like Lennie in Of Mice and Men! By the time we pried her fingers open, Lauren was crying.

.... I'm not gonna hurt him, George, honest!

I'm posting photos of them on Smugmug. Hopefully I get some more good ones this afternoon. Right now they're both down for a nap! Yeah!!!!

2 Babies

Today we are babysitting Lucy's buddy Lauren. I swear this morning Lucy was in her walker looking out the front window, waiting for her friend! We have her today and tomorrow (although Lauren's mom is picking her up at 5:30 tonight). Lucy and Lauren are the same age, and therefore we are forcing them to be friends! Ha ha ha. So we expect them to play nice, but it's quite clear that they have very different personalities. Lucy is the agressor. I could not imagine placing them both in the playpen and turning my back, because it would become a cage-match. Then Lucy would use Lauren as a step stool to escape.


No, but really Lauren is a wonderful baby, and very content to play for long periods of time, wherever you put her (walker, exersaucer, etc.). She makes different sounds, has different gestures, and it's just really highlighting how different all babies are! We just put them both down for a nap and poor Lauren is trying to sleep in Lucy's playpen in the guest room. I don't think she is completely comfortable in a strange place, but Lisa said that she will sleep 3 hours in the morning, so I'm going to let her fall asleep. I gave her a stuffed kitty that rattles and she seems to be calming down. I'm going to try to take some "nice" photos of her at some point, maybe outside or something, to practice on someone else's baby. If Lucy can behave, I might be able to get a couple of them together.

Best Friends

Lucy taking a nap with her Irish doll. I had to snap a photo...