Well....we have returned from our adventures last week. Danika and I are exhausted from so much time in the car and visiting...Doug is exhausted from a very difficult roofing job...but we are all happy that we got to spend time with friends and family and that we made it home safely.
Last night as we were driving home, Danika sat in her car seat just looking around and occasionally singing to herself. It was so cute. I have NEVER seen her stay awake that long for a car ride without crying, but she was just content, calm, and very AWAKE. It was so cute. However, this morning when I tried to put her in her seat for the short drive to daycare she went ballistic. I think she has been trapped in a car seat too long for the last week. It took both Doug and I to calm her down and assure her she was only going to be in the seat for the 1 mile drive to daycare. :)
I will update with new pictures soon!
Monday, September 22, 2008
Monday, September 15, 2008
We made it.
Okay...a word about trains. I have never been on a train in the US until now...previously I had taken a train in Germany, but never here. I was picturing efficiency...tight schedules....timely departures. That's not so much what I got.
Apparently, timeliness is not a priority for Amtrak. Our train left 2 hours late. Yes...you read that right. Not two minutes, or 20 minutes...no TWO HOURS late. I would like to believe that it was a random quirk, but the attendant at the station said we were lucky...the night before it was FOUR HOURS LATE! Now, when your departure is already scheduled to be a weird hour (such as 1:36am) and you have a 20-month old child with you, that is a problem. Danika was good, but exhausted and cranky and on edge while we were at the station waiting.
The train ride itself was great. Comfy, easy, and really not bad at all. It was night, so there was nothing to see, but that was fine. Once we actually boarded the train she settled down and went to sleep in my arms/lap. I slept a little bit on the way....Danika stayed asleep pretty much the whole ride. It was wonderful. She was so good! And when we got into Toledo at 7am, she woke up chipper and happy and smiling. You can't really ask for more than that. :)
We are now embarking on our week of socializing. We visited my good friend Marissa this morning. That was quite fun and she was very hospitable considering we just kind of showed up. :) And we went to visit Nana (my mom) at work and said hi to her co-workers. That was fun, too. Now we are home, Danika is napping and I'm about to do the dishes. (My mother is still in the stone age and doesn't have a dish washer!)
We are off to visit friends in the Cedarville area tomorrow. We will keep you posted.
Oh - and the roof project is going just fine. :)
Apparently, timeliness is not a priority for Amtrak. Our train left 2 hours late. Yes...you read that right. Not two minutes, or 20 minutes...no TWO HOURS late. I would like to believe that it was a random quirk, but the attendant at the station said we were lucky...the night before it was FOUR HOURS LATE! Now, when your departure is already scheduled to be a weird hour (such as 1:36am) and you have a 20-month old child with you, that is a problem. Danika was good, but exhausted and cranky and on edge while we were at the station waiting.
The train ride itself was great. Comfy, easy, and really not bad at all. It was night, so there was nothing to see, but that was fine. Once we actually boarded the train she settled down and went to sleep in my arms/lap. I slept a little bit on the way....Danika stayed asleep pretty much the whole ride. It was wonderful. She was so good! And when we got into Toledo at 7am, she woke up chipper and happy and smiling. You can't really ask for more than that. :)
We are now embarking on our week of socializing. We visited my good friend Marissa this morning. That was quite fun and she was very hospitable considering we just kind of showed up. :) And we went to visit Nana (my mom) at work and said hi to her co-workers. That was fun, too. Now we are home, Danika is napping and I'm about to do the dishes. (My mother is still in the stone age and doesn't have a dish washer!)
We are off to visit friends in the Cedarville area tomorrow. We will keep you posted.
Oh - and the roof project is going just fine. :)
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Trains, Fish and a really bad cold...
So...Doug left today to catch really big fish. :) Doug is going on a salmon fishing trip to Michigan with my Dad, Uncle Aaron, and several other random relatives/friends/strangers. I have no doubt he will have a great time...I just hope my Dad brings him home in one piece.
Following the fishing trip, Doug and my Dad are spending next week tearing the roof off my parents house and putting a new one on. Dad says he has additional help coming from friends and fellow church members, and for both Doug and Dad's sakes I hope that is true. :) Either way, since my husband is going to be at my parent's house all week, Danika and I wanted to go too. However, I couldn't get off work until the weekend. So the two of us are riding the Amtrak train out to join Doug. I am actually quite excited about this little adventure. I will definitely let you know how it goes.
And just because I want to whine, I need to let you know I have a TERRIBLE cold! I believe my daughter may have given this to me...or maybe it was my husband...or maybe a grocery cart or a door at Wal-mart. Wherever I got it, I am miserable! So I hope I get better soon because I want to enjoy my week of socializing and not working! :)
Following the fishing trip, Doug and my Dad are spending next week tearing the roof off my parents house and putting a new one on. Dad says he has additional help coming from friends and fellow church members, and for both Doug and Dad's sakes I hope that is true. :) Either way, since my husband is going to be at my parent's house all week, Danika and I wanted to go too. However, I couldn't get off work until the weekend. So the two of us are riding the Amtrak train out to join Doug. I am actually quite excited about this little adventure. I will definitely let you know how it goes.
And just because I want to whine, I need to let you know I have a TERRIBLE cold! I believe my daughter may have given this to me...or maybe it was my husband...or maybe a grocery cart or a door at Wal-mart. Wherever I got it, I am miserable! So I hope I get better soon because I want to enjoy my week of socializing and not working! :)
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
The many faces of Danika...
I love this little girl. :)
She insisted on feeding herself lasagna two nights ago. This was the result. Bath definitely required. :) You should have seen her arms and legs. :)
She got new shades as a gift from my Mom's cousin Donna. She LOVES them. She thinks she is pretty cool and just loves wearing them around.
Two thumbs up!
And...this is how she melts Daddy's heart. :) She gives real kisses....she smacks her lips and keeps her mouth closed...and it just kills me. It is so stinking cute!
Okay...that was my Mommy moment. You know it has to happen every once in a while. :)
She insisted on feeding herself lasagna two nights ago. This was the result. Bath definitely required. :) You should have seen her arms and legs. :)
She got new shades as a gift from my Mom's cousin Donna. She LOVES them. She thinks she is pretty cool and just loves wearing them around.
Two thumbs up!
And...this is how she melts Daddy's heart. :) She gives real kisses....she smacks her lips and keeps her mouth closed...and it just kills me. It is so stinking cute!
Okay...that was my Mommy moment. You know it has to happen every once in a while. :)Bookshelf Progress
I mentioned earlier about the bookshelves Doug is working on as a side job. Some have asked what they are going to look like. This is a really, really rough drawing, but it will be something like this:
The bookshelves serve as a divider between a very open living room and a big dining room. The bookshelves will be only "half" walls that come from each wall halfway out into the room, allowing a "doorway" between them. The only thing on the upper half will be a pillar on the end of each shelf. Also, because they are in archway between two rooms, both sides of the bookshelves will be visible. One side will be bookshelves, the other side will be the back panels.
I think that Diane (the homeowner) did an amazing job designing and placing these....when they are complete they will make both rooms look awesome.
This was taken this morning. The trim has all been stained now on one section and he is working on the second.
The unstained portion facing the camera in this picture will be the side against the wall.
This is the view of the other side of the same shelf...thie is the side that will actually have shelves in it.
Pretty cool, huh? I think he's doing a great job. :)
The bookshelves serve as a divider between a very open living room and a big dining room. The bookshelves will be only "half" walls that come from each wall halfway out into the room, allowing a "doorway" between them. The only thing on the upper half will be a pillar on the end of each shelf. Also, because they are in archway between two rooms, both sides of the bookshelves will be visible. One side will be bookshelves, the other side will be the back panels.I think that Diane (the homeowner) did an amazing job designing and placing these....when they are complete they will make both rooms look awesome.
Doug has been working a ton on these. I wanted to post some recent pictures of how they look. Check it out...
This first one was taken over the weekend when he was gluing them up and had them all clamped together while they dried. This is a view of the back of both sections. The inside panels are already stained, but the outside trim had not been stained yet.
This was taken this morning. The trim has all been stained now on one section and he is working on the second.
The unstained portion facing the camera in this picture will be the side against the wall.
This is the view of the other side of the same shelf...thie is the side that will actually have shelves in it.
Pretty cool, huh? I think he's doing a great job. :)
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
Weekend adventures...
Danika and I went to Cleveland for Labor Day weekend and spent the night in a hotel with my Mom, sister and her two kids. It was a little bit of chaos, but a lot of fun. :) I thought the hotel might throw us out but it all turned out okay. :)
We took the kids swimming, celebrated my Mom's birthday, and just sat around chatting. Joanie is still recovering from her broken ankle, so sitting around is a requirement for her...not really an option.
While we were together, I took pictures of my sister's baby girl, Josie. Oh how she is growing! I will post pictures when I get a chance!
I miss them already.
We took the kids swimming, celebrated my Mom's birthday, and just sat around chatting. Joanie is still recovering from her broken ankle, so sitting around is a requirement for her...not really an option.
While we were together, I took pictures of my sister's baby girl, Josie. Oh how she is growing! I will post pictures when I get a chance!
I miss them already.
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