All I do is drive....

Some days....it feels like all I do is drive. Just for the record...that isn't really fun anymore. :( I cover 15 counties for my job...so this time of year when I have lots of meetings, I get really sick of looking at this:

I was in the car from 6am-6pm last Friday with 2 meetings in the middle to break it up. Tomorrow, I will be in the car for around 9 hours. Those are always long days.

As of right now...

To catch up as quickly as possible, here is what is going on in our world:

• Danika is going through a major "Mommy" phase...it is cute and overwhelming at the same time. She wants me, but the reality is she can't have me all the time.
• Doug is in the process of getting an insulin pump. More about that another time, but he is in the trial phase right now. Pray that all goes well.
• I'm ridiculously busy with work right now.
• Danika is growing like crazy and finally shooting up a little. She actually might be wearing 18months clothes before she turns 2!
• Still love church...still love our amazing small group....and Doug and I are going to be in a drama in November.
• Doug is still working on the built-in bookshelf for that side job....he is almost done and I will post pictures when he is.
• Fall in Pennsylvania is GORGEOUS! (The only time I actually like all these trees.)
• My sister is going through rehab for her ankle...pray it finishes healing correctly.

So hey...now you are caught up.
:)

A few pics to make you smile.

So I'm a little behind....

So I'm a little behind on my blogging. okay...a LOT behind on my blogging. It was the trip to Liberty Center/Cedarville/Toledo that did it to me. I got to see so many wonderful people and had so many wonderful conversations and visits...and then with so much time in the car to contemplate and reflect I just had a lot on my heart and mind that I wanted to share here. My heart was so full after that week-long trip to see family and friends from all different places in my life. I started no less than 4 blog entries that are still unfinished. Since I don't know if/when I will get around to finishing them, I figured I better just move forward from here and start blogging again. But if you were one of those people I visited that week...thank you. It was so good for my heart to see you.

And with that, we are back into the world of blogging.

Home in Erie

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!

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. :)

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! :)

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. :)