Steffen Stuff

Bad Hair Days

2012-02-01T08:38:00.000-08:00

Mornings are a fun surprise. You never know what you might wake up to around here...

I love the little sleep wrinkles on her shoulder

Yikes. I guess that's what I get for going to bed with wet hair.

Baby, It's Cold Outside

2012-01-21T08:25:00.000-08:00

...One of the nice things about a long, snowy winter.

2011...In Photographs

2012-01-06T12:18:00.000-08:00

-January-

Making ourselves at home in the new house

-February-

The first of many unsuccessful attempts to convince Poppy to eat

-March-

Itty, bitty baby legs. Ellie, Greyson, and Willem become part of the family.

-April-

A night walk by the ocean for two who are quite fond of each other.

-May-

The first time our little water bug joins us for a spin on the lake

-June-

This picture says so much. Oh, I love my nephews.

-July-

The adventures of Italy

-August-

Back for the annual family vacation. And somehow Poppy is one year old.

-September-

Four generations of DeLisa ladies...and saying goodbye to one

-October-

Getting to know our little village. A sister birthday lunch in a new favorite restaurant.

-November-

Sam and Kaitlin become Sam and Kaitlin

-December-

Dad is given back to us

...and we have another twinkly Christmas to remember

Holiday Cheer!

2011-12-29T12:13:00.000-08:00

All-around, it was a very special Christmas season! I'm always sad when it's over, but I guess we couldn't handle such festivities for too long. Now it's time to start thinking about the new year!

Christmas with my family

The boys "helping" Poppy open her tea set

Poppy loving her little tea cups at first sight

The kids not sharing

Poppy in the hat Andria made

The happy couple, just an hour or so before Sam leaves for three months in Japan

We opened a lot of fun gifts this year, like these furry gloves from Jenny

...and a plush Angry Bird for the iphone gamer

We're more thankful than ever for Dad this year

And we had lots of good times with Luke and Jen while they were home

Christmas Eve with Bry's family

Turkish delight from Taye and Taryn's trip to Turkey

The doting aunt and uncle

Grandpa and Grandma looking very sweet

Poppy getting lots of attention from her Nana

Singing a few Christmas carols around the piano

The Queen in her fur cape, reigning over her pile of gifts

The three of us

And Christmas Day? Unfortunately, Poppy was just a little grumpy and woke up looking like this. We assumed it was a reaction to her Chicken Pox vaccine, but her Dr. thinks it's a virus. Poor thing. She shouldn't have to look (and act) like a teenager quite yet. At least she has her new bunny slippers for comfort.

A song to celebrate Jesus...

2011-12-23T12:44:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas 2011

2011-12-20T13:18:00.000-08:00

We love you!

Bry*Ash*Poppy

The Things I Don't Want to Forget...

2011-12-15T11:12:00.000-08:00

God loves and blesses us through the good and the "bad"
God teaches and grows us through the good and the "bad," but mostly through the "bad"
People need other people
Pray and pray some more (and mean it!)
God is a God of unexplainable grace and peace, especially in the middle of chaos
Show our friends and family every day how much we love them
Most things don't matter as much as we think they do, but some things matter a lot more
Be where we are and put 100% into every moment God gives us here, because life really is short
No matter what, our purpose is to glorify the only one that deserves glory
God really does do miracles...and it's humbling when he chooses to

Best Day of My Life

2011-12-10T19:26:00.001-08:00

My Dad doesn't have cancer anymore.

I'm still trying to get used to the sound of this.

The surgeon called today with the pathology report, and he gave us the best Christmas gift possible. Against all odds, my dad's tumor was a low-grade neuroendocrine tumor, and it doesn't appear to have spread. Which means that there's a 90% chance that our fight is over forever, before it had barely begun. And no chemo.

My dad has been given back to us. The surgeon, and everyone else, was shocked. It looks like God performed a miracle.

Yesterday, before I heard the news, I read this quote by C.S. Lewis...

"Miracles are a retelling in small letters of the very same story which is written across the whole world in letters too large for some of us to see."

This is God's love.

And the rest of the miracle is all of the people who instantly rallied around my dad, lifting him up in prayer and in love. We have learned so much from all of those we are blessed to call friends. Thank you for your part in this.

Glory to God in the highest.

The Patient

2011-12-08T06:44:00.001-08:00

My dad has never been very good at being sick. He wants a game plan and a solution, and he doesn't know how to rest. After having his spleen and 30% of his pancreas taken out on Tuesday, he had ditched the hospital gown and was up walking the halls the next day. If anyone has the will to beat Pancreatic Cancer, it's him.

The surgery went well, and Dad will be going home today. But there are still dark moments, and it's easy to lose track of hope. We are waiting on test results now to see if the cancer has spread to his lymph nodes.

We've been through so many emotions in the past week. It's scary, but we don't want to be scared. We want to glorify God through this. We're trying to remember that it doesn't really matter what we find out, because if God wants to heal my dad then He will, regardless of what statistics say. And we have to fight our hardest against whatever odds we face.

Please pray for strength and grace. Pray for faith. Pray for God to take away fear and give our family peace. Pray for healing. Pray that God would be glorified. And pray for my mom, who will be on the front lines with my dad every day. Please pray hard.

Thank you to everyone for your support! We really need you all.

Friends in Town

2011-11-22T09:36:00.001-08:00

Our good friends Brett, Liv, and Obie came for a visit over the weekend. We packed in a lot of fun (good talks, Children's Museum, lunch with Luke and Ann, basketball, dinner with Chad and Heather, more good talks) and had such an amazing time reconnecting with them. All of my pictures are from our trip to the Children's Museum, and as always, there is a shocking underrepresentation of adults. Prepare for baby picture overload...

On our way! Doesn't Obie look like a cute little Dr. Seuss Who?

Just chillin' in the car with a (huge) drink

They went crazy in the little kid room...so much playing to do.

Racing to the end of the bridge

The fearless Miss Amelia Earhart

Obie went to town in the water and drenched them both

Of course I had to snap a picture of the carousel...they're just so pretty

Kissing herself in the maze of mirrors. Yes, she's a little vain.

The cool kaleidoscope room

The only picture I have of Brett and Liv...lame, I know.

And our best efforts at a self family portrait in the mirror

A Golden Tea Party

2011-11-14T10:33:00.001-08:00

A golden birthday for Kait meant a golden tea party for us all. So nice. Candles, china tea cups, coffee cake and tiramisu, twinkly lights, ribbons and bows, and lots of gold...some of the things that make me happy that I'm a girl.

The table loaded with all things gold

The birthday girl tips her crown

Katelyn and Kaitlin

Two cool people...

2011-11-07T11:12:00.000-08:00

...are getting married!

Hooray! This is so perfect. I love this girl, and I love this boy. And I love the way God works everything out...sometimes the way we least expect, and better than we could have imagined. Welcome to the family Sam!

Sigh

And in other Kaitlin news...she also had surgery on her ankle a couple of weeks ago. She was on bedrest for a week and will have that boot on for a few months.

But she had plenty of visitors to comfort her

This is her makeshift recovery room, where there was always a party going on

And the get well rose from Sam, who also made quite a few appearances that week to cheer up the invalid

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-31T18:33:00.000-07:00

Cutest little polar bear around

Halloween isn't my favorite holiday, but I'm liking it a little more this year for some reason.

She wasn't so thrilled about the hat. This is her typical whiny face.

And this is the face she made when I told her to growl like a bear. Not very fierce.

These two little guys are the only fall decorating we have around here. No real pumpkins this year. These are artificial ones that you can carve and put a little light under. It was a fun Couples Night project that Ben and Suzanne planned (the tree won first prize, by the way).

Hope you're having a Beautiful fall!

Eek!

2011-10-24T11:27:00.000-07:00

So...I cut all my hair off!

It's something I've always wanted to try, and I'm loving it. It's a rather big change. My hairdresser said that Locks of Love would be able to make TWO wigs with what I gave them.

Before:

After:
(but it gets a lot crazier than this when I sleep on it!)

Bry caught me coming in the door

And I caught Poppy by surprise!
I didn't warn her about this, and she stared and stared when I came home. This was her unsure half smile.

Caught on Video

2011-10-20T20:48:00.000-07:00

One day I looked over and Poppy was dancing. I think Kaitlin may have been having secret dance parties with her, because she definitely has some moves. What a funny little girl.

(warning: dancing with pens can be dangerous and is not recommended)

Rain, Rain...

2011-10-14T11:54:00.000-07:00

I love rain.

The sun has its place too, but rainy days are just so beautiful. I guess I've always been a melancholy sort of person though. My mom used to call me Eyore when I was little...

I found out that I'm not the only one in love with rain

Poppy kept trying to catch the raindrops on her tongue

As it happens, she was quite appropriately dressed for the day (and I didn't even check the weather)

Little drops on little toes

Another Good Couples Night

2011-10-10T16:14:00.000-07:00

We hosted Couples Night in September and had fun planning an autumn menu. Bry and Poppy even gathered some fall decorations for the table while on their walk.

For dessert we made Heather and Suzanne mix the batter up blindfolded. They did have Chad and Ben for coaching at least. And the fastest blindfolded chef received a point in the ongoing "Most Amazing Couple Competition." (Heather won that round by a fraction)

We also had them play a word game and mold shapes out of play dough for their partner to guess. They were pretty impressive.

Morgan and Kyra joined us a little later and then smoked the competition in the last round.

After the games and dessert we had a long, amazing talk and were able to pray together. It was perfect (and thought-provoking). We love our friends!

Ye Olde Renaissance Faire

2011-10-04T08:00:00.000-07:00

Who doesn't love a good renaissance fair? There's nothing better on a crisp fall day than walking around with strangely dressed people and cheering at a real jousting match.

The boys watching the fencing

This renaissance stuff is no joke!

...except for here

...and here

The lord giving a rose to his chosen lady

The joust...they really hit each other and broke their lances and everything

Mia looking very convincing in the Asian war outfit

Face painting

The end-of-the-day procession

And I think that's a minstrel

A Happy Little Survey for Jen

2011-10-02T20:55:00.000-07:00

My sister had this on her blog. It's fun. Answer the questions yourself as you go.

1)Residence: A little town home
2)Favorite fashion designers: I've always liked Burberry and their classic English style, and I just discovered a quirky, whimsical designer that I love named Alannah Hill
3)Item of clothing you would never throw out: A little green jacket I've had since high school...and my wedding dress of course
4)How would you define your personal style: mmm...I've been called a hippy on numerous occasions. I like things natural and earthy and sometimes vintage with a funky artistic flair in there to keep people guessing
5)What is your own fashion trademark: Probably wearing what I like even though most people wouldn't and it's not exactly flattering or trendy
6)Favorite accessory: I have little hairpins that I love and want to wear most days, I also like interesting shoes
7)Favorite color: Green
8)Favorite scent: Right now The Original from the Individuals collection at Gap
9)What is your facewash: Olay Total Effects 7-in-1
10) Makeup: Not one brand, but I like Clinique
11)Where do you get your hair done: Usually the Aveda Institute
12) Favorite Architect: I don't know architects by name and I usually like old buildings better than new ones
13) Favorite destination: Italy
14) Favorite discovery: New places to travel
15)Favorite Hotel: La Casa Sul Mare on Procida Island, Italy
16) Favorite Luggage: I'm not loyal to any certain luggage, though I have seen some cool things from Tumi
17) Most memorable Party: Our rehearsal dinner and our wedding reception were both very special and I consider them parties
18) When you can’t think of something to give a friend, what do you give?: Pretty cards or journals
19) Every lady has a vice: Traveling
20) Necessary extravagance: Traveling...and organic food
21) Favorite movies: It Happened one Night (because of my grandma), Life is Beautiful (because it's amazing), and Little Women (because of my sisters)
22) Favorite Cocktail: Mojito or Bombay Sapphire Gin and Tonic with a lime
23) Handwritten Thank you note or immediate e-mail?: Handwritten note if it's from the heart and not impersonal
24) If you have personalized stationary, where did you get it from?: I don't have personalized stationary but I just bought a beautiful wax stamp from Florence of our initials for writing letters
25) The True hallmark of modern elegance is: An experienced peacefulness in who you are and what your purpose is in life combined with the ability to fully soak in the moment you are surrounded by right now

To the Zoo, To the Zoo!

2011-09-28T16:12:00.000-07:00

Poppy's first trip to the zoo! I'm excited to be in this new stage of exploring with her. I was babysitting Beckham that day, so he came along too. Thank you to Lori and Javon for taking us. It was so much fun. I probably enjoyed it even more than the kids. Those animals are incredible.

The beginning of our zoo adventure

The sea lion putting on an underwater show for us

We found animals that matched the kids: The wild red-haired tiger for Poppy (look how close we are to that thing!)

And the cute brown bear for Beck

Pointing out the animals to Aunt Javon

A hug for Nana by the giraffes

And a hug for Beck too. This picture is so typical of them. Poppy being annoying and getting too close and Beckham looking at her with obvious disdain.

A quick stop to see the elephants before catching the dolphin show and heading home

Serenity

2011-09-22T14:26:00.000-07:00

God grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference.

My grandmother, Carmela Frances, slipped away quietly on September 15, 2011. She always loved the Serenity Prayer. It hung on the wall in her old house that I remember so well as a child, and it hung beside her bed in the nursing home. When her daughters asked her if she was all right if that day was her last day, she told them that she wanted whatever should happen to happen.

When I came to say goodbye, I couldn't believe how her face glowed. She was beautiful to the end. I'll never forget my last conversation with her. And I'll never forget her pink nail polish and pearl earrings.

I was so thankful that Poppy was able to meet her elegant, fiery, New York great grandma and bring one more smile to her face.

Hilton Head Island

2011-09-15T17:40:00.000-07:00

Another good year. The annual family vacation continued with more laughing, talking, devotions, eating, reading, making a mess of the house, swimming, sunning, shopping, making of memories, and kids running around! The adults are soon to be outnumbered, as you can see from the following pictures...

Christian, Noah, Adrian, Jude the Dude, and Luca showing us what the crabs looked like after night-crabbing on the beach (yes, they even have headlamps...it's that official)

Christian and Luca doing some serious playing on the beach

Alesa and Miss Ellie looking good

Avo, Willem, and Andria

Greyson

Kurt and Clint...on baby duty even in the ocean

Poppy and Bry

Her first big waves

Poppy and her Mama

Love this face

...and this one

And those little toes

Making pasta for our dinner

Our little family

Goodbye Hilton Head house that we love so dearly!

My Beautiful Friend

2011-09-06T13:23:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago, one of my best friends in the world married a very wonderful boy. It was an absolutely breathtaking weekend. They are two lucky duckies with an amazing story of how God brought them together. And I was lucky too because I was asked to be one of the photographers. I had so much fun with these pictures. And not to brag or anything, but I think they're pretty stinking good. Yes, it helps when you have such beautiful subjects...

I won't post them all, or even most of them. So this is just a little peek. But they will be on my mom's web site if you are interested.

The Wedding of Christen & Chad: as seen through the camera lens

*The following photos are property of DeLisa Photography*

It's a Party!

2011-08-31T07:46:00.000-07:00

We decided to have an outdoor picnic with a few friends and family for Poppy's official birthday party. And I'm so glad we did. It was a lot of fun. There were cute babies everywhere, the weather was perfect, and we made sure to have lots of girly, picnic-y decorations. We even snuck in a little one-year photo shoot (hence the abundance of pictures).

Thank you to everyone for coming. It meant a lot to us. And thank you too for all the smiles, amazing gifts, and most of all for your love and friendship!

Sporting her tutu from Aunt Jenny last Christmas

Uncle Nick and Poppy in the grass...one of my favorite pictures

The boys decorating their cupcakes

Nana, Papa, Poppy, Willem, and Uncle Nick

I learned how to make sparkly pinwheels for the occasion

The decadent raspberry butterfly cake made by Bry's mom (with decorating assistance from Ann's boys)

Having fun opening her gifts while modeling her beautiful new fall hat from Kyra

Aunt Kait, Greyson, and Uncle Nick

blowing out the candle on Poppy's very own mini cake (lemon poppyseed flavored, of course)

She doesn't do anything halfway

Graciously feeding cake to the onlookers

After covering herself in icing, Poppy lost her balance and on the way down grabbed Adrian. He was a good sport.

I'm not sure if Poppy was applauding the party or her newly acquired walking skills, but either way, she definitely had a good time at her picnic.

One Year!

2011-08-23T14:08:00.000-07:00

Poppy Louisa is one year old already. What in the world? It has been an incredibly fun and busy year and we are so in love with this little girl. Every new stage is an adventure that teaches us more and more about who Poppy is and what parenting is all about. Thank you God for giving us this crazy, social, smiley, opinionated baby girl and for making us a family.

The Birthday Girl's first cupcake...

Recent Accomplishments:

+ Repeating after us and saying real words such as "hi," "yeah," "wow, " and "dog" (along with her version of a barking sound) at seemingly appropriate times

+ Giving big hugs that nearly pull smaller babies' heads off

+ Blowing on her food when I say "hot"

+ Noticing and loving animals

+ Becoming quite the stinker when we take something away or don't do what she wants

+ Devouring surprisingly healthy foods like leeks, asparagus, tofu, hummus, and edamame, much to my delight

+ Adoring water and learning how to swim, which at this point basically consists of dunking her head under without crying

+ Officially becoming our favorite little person in the world

+ And the big one, just in time for her birthday: WALKING! (or rather, waddling around like a drunken duck...so cute!)

Snapshots of Italia

2011-08-09T18:22:00.000-07:00

I was lucky enough to spend almost all of July in the most incredible country in the world. Italy! I went to Rome and Tuscany for school and after that finished up, Bry and his family joined me for a couple more weeks of lugging our suitcases around pretty much everywhere.

We may have overdone it a little, but it was without a doubt the trip of a lifetime. I miss it and I want to go back...tomorrow.

I brought my bulky camera and took over a thousand pictures (literally), so I wasn't sure how to tackle this post. I decided to pick out twenty of my most favorite photos. That didn't work. So here are twenty-six, in no particular order...

-Evening music on San Marco Square in Venice-

-The obligatory gondola picture-

-Pizza, pizza, and more mouthwatering pizza (this one has squash blossoms)-

-The famous Trevi Fountain. They say if you toss a coin over you're shoulder, you'll come back to Rome. I made sure to throw in a coin-

-Hiking around Procida Island-

-Corricella Harbor on Procida, one of the most beautiful evenings of my life-

-Poppy saying "ooh," her new favorite sound, while waiting for our ferry-

-The La Casa Sul Mare hotel on Procida...our room had a fairly decent view-

-City streets in Siena-

-Procida Island. I was in love-

-A sleepy little girl in Tuscany-

-Families take trips together for moments like these-

-Dear Tuscany, how I miss you-

-Piazzale Michelangelo, overlooking beautiful Florence-

-I love carousels. Especially in Florence-

-Bagno Vignoni: an incredible hot spring mineral pool in Tuscany where I caught this delightfully vintage expression from Poppy-

-The canals of Venice...magical after dark-

-Journaling for class in my favorite little place in the woods-

-The massive oak tree and the well outside our house, Il Leccio, on the farm in Tuscany-

-A tribute to the best espresso I've ever had-

-The Vatican-

-Cooking class in Tuscany at Spannocchia, the farm where I stayed for school-

-The Campo in Siena (very darling town) where the famous Palio horse race took place a few days before-

-Pasta and wine: two things that Italy does very, very well-

-In a cathedral in Rome-

-The Coliseum in the morning...not much needs to be said about this-

And just to prove that I actually did schoolwork while I was there...a picture of one of our classrooms:

Eleven Months

2011-07-28T14:34:00.000-07:00

Recent Accomplishments:

+ Two more teeth and a sizable lump which has caused some considerable unpleasantness

+ Blowing kisses, but only when she decides to oblige us

+ Expressing herself with more and more articulate sounds

+ Standing without help until she realizes it and cautiously lowers herself to the ground to avoid catastrophe

+ Taking one or two steps before falling, which doesn't quite qualify as "walking"

+ Refusing to eat anything that seems like it is meant for babies (bottles, pureed food, anything soft that reminds her of baby food...)

Picnic at the Lilly's

2011-06-29T20:11:00.000-07:00

A beautiful day at one of my favorite places in Indianapolis, the Lilly House on the grounds of the Indianapolis Museum of Art.

There's just something about a picnic with wonderful people...

Ten Months

2011-06-27T18:26:00.001-07:00

Recent Accomplishments:

+ Becoming more "Poppy" every day

+ Picking up bits of real food with her little fingers and making it to her mouth about half the time

+ Learning her own frightening method of crawling down the stairs sideways

+ Grabbing our faces with both her hands so she can give us kisses, her favorite thing right now

+ Discovering the cabinets...and what's inside them

+ Sleeping through the night most of the time. Yes, that's a new development.

+ and most exciting of all...FINALLY taking a bottle!

Memorial Day Festivities

2011-06-13T05:04:00.001-07:00

A weekend at the lake...

Experimenting with a variety of fun seafood for dinner. We learned that we were supposed to shell the lobster tail BEFORE grilling, but it was still delicious.

Captain Mark at the helm

Bryan's cousin Andrew and his wife, Katy

Poppy loved the boat!

But it seemed that all the excitement wore her out...either that or the rocking of the waves and the pretty sunset.

Nine Months

2011-05-31T15:50:00.001-07:00

Recent Accomplishments:

+ Weighing in at an impressive 15 lb 11 oz, putting her in the whopping 6%

+ Getting oh-s0-close to walking without help

+ "Talking" even more and trying to join in our conversations

+ Giving adorable, slobbery kisses

+ Waving hello

+ Clapping "hooray" for whatever strikes her fancy

+ Holding things over her face and playing peek-a-boo with us, even making a "boo" sound at the right time

Easter

2011-05-19T09:39:00.000-07:00

Yes, this post is a little late, but I have some cute pictures that deserve to be posted. My family was able to be together at my parent's house (even Jenny and the boys from FL), and it was so fun.

Easter egg hunt! I love Luca running in the background.

All of the girls

Poppy's cheesy, nose-wrinkling grin...you can't help but smile back

Away on Holiday

2011-05-10T13:25:00.000-07:00

-Marco Island Spring 2011-

Such a good trip with family!

(and so many pictures...mostly of Poppy, which always seems to happen)

Poppy discovers this strange new thing we call "sand"

I love the umbrella in this picture!

Meeting Aunt Gala for the first time

Poppy and Grandma Louise

Pooltime with Nana

Wrinkled little toes after a good day in the water

Fresh seafood buffet...perfect vacation food

Bry's sister and mom at the harbor.

Last night on the beach. Pretty sunset. Delicious sand.

Eight Months

2011-04-28T07:15:00.000-07:00

It seems like so much has changed in the last month. She's still a baby, but we definitely don't have a little newborn anymore! I guess we better get ready for the ride, because I think it might be a wild one.

Recent Accomplishments:

+ Pulling herself up on everything

+ Learning about bumps and bruises in the process

+ Growing two cute little teeth

+ Climbing up stairs (not cool)

+ Braving the ocean and the pool

+ Meeting new people all the time and doing her best to win them over with the biggest smile you've ever seen

Blue Skies Ahead

2011-04-18T11:07:00.000-07:00

And we're off...

We leave today for FL. A post-tax-season celebration trip. (high five to Bry for surviving his 4th tax season!) I can't wait to spend some real time together again and be with Bry's family, who will also be there.

We will happily go from fuzzy hat and sweaters

to straw fedora and bare feet!

Wild Thing

2011-04-14T13:43:00.001-07:00

Before heading out for a walk the other day, I had to smile at Poppy's ensemble. Leopard face hat, her polar bear coat with the little ears on the hood, and furry calfskin booties. The animal theme is going strong over here.

Maybe it's time you went out and found YOUR inner animal. Heh heh. Growl.

April Showers Bring...

2011-04-12T09:01:00.000-07:00

...little Poppy hands to the drip-dropped windows.

And guess what else is sprouting this spring?

Two brand new teeth!

This is How We Roll...

2011-04-09T06:36:00.001-07:00

Homemade sushi 101 with my mom, Kait, and Mia. Though to be fair, my mom did most of the work...except for the last step, of course.

Assemble. (don't be intimidated by the super-sonic speed you see here)

Admire.

Roll.

Garnish.

Enjoy. (preferably with chopsticks)

Around the World for Dinner

2011-04-04T07:27:00.001-07:00

It was our turn to host our potluck group from church, so we decided to have a little cultural experience for something different and told everyone to bring a dish that originated from another country. It was a lot of fun!

Thai satay with peanut sauce for the main course.

I wrote everyone's names in Thai at their place setting.

We sampled Spanish, Russian, Irish, French, and Indian food.

Poppy and I dressed up in our most ethnic garb for the occasion...complete with Poppy's Indian bangles.

Seven Months

2011-03-28T12:15:00.001-07:00

Recent Accomplishments:

+ Crawling for real, which is more scary than exciting. Time for gates on the stairs...goody. [read with sarcasm]

+ Growling. All the time. We don't know where she picked up this unladylike habit, but it's her thing right now. Her cousins called her a dragon when she was growling at them the other day, but we prefer to think of her as our little tiger cub (the red hair fits too).

+ Sampling peas, carrots, sweet potatoes, a lime slice that didn't faze her at all, and whatever else she gets her hands on. Her favorites so far are avocados and any form of paper.

+ Still drooling, still chewing, and still no sign of teeth.

+ Waking up more at night than she did as a newborn (help!)

Grandpa

2011-03-24T06:44:00.000-07:00

My grandpa's funeral was Monday. It was a whirlwind weekend full of people and emotions, but yet strangely peaceful too. It's amazing that death can be a happy time when we know Christ.

But I will still miss him. He was an incredible man. One of the most tireless, passionate, giving, and fearless Christians I know. It didn't seem right to see him so still.

Thank you for the legacy, Grandpa. And for the memories...the kisses on the cheek, the laughter, and the many, many root beer floats.

I opened up to I Corinthians 15 the day after the funeral. It was like a little hug from God.

For He must reign, till He hath put all enemies under His feet. The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death...death is swallowed up in victory. O death where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?

Babies, Babies, Babies

2011-03-21T14:27:00.000-07:00

We are having a lot of fun around here with all the new babies. They are so darling! I can't get enough of the tiny-ness. And I'm so excited for all the cousins to be able to grow up together.

Clint and Alesa's Greyson William

February 24

Clint and Alesa's Ellie Lee

February 24

Luke and Andria's Willem Ellis

March 14

House Projects Continued

2011-03-15T18:16:00.000-07:00

Project Tackled:

The Master Bedroom

-BEFORE-

Empty and white

-AFTER-

Hand-drawn and painted trees...crazy, painstaking project

The weird deer candelabra that I found at an antique store and painted black.

And the very cool blanket that Andria made for me when I was pregnant with Poppy.

Spoiled Rotten

2011-03-10T07:38:00.000-08:00

Today is my birthday. And instead of feeling sorry for myself for being home alone all day (except for two cute babies, of course) with no fun plans until this evening, I decided to pamper myself and pretend like I wanted a relaxing day at home.

I didn't get dressed and wore my favorite ruffly robe. The babies were napping so I had two bowls of the cereal that I am currently crushing on, made a cup of tea, turned on the fireplace, and nibbled on the best dark chocolate ever (Theo organic spicy chile) as I snuggled into the couch with a blanket and opened up my Bible. The morning was going well and I was feeling pretty good.

Then I read Revelation 22. And suddenly all of my piddly attempts to spoil myself seemed very, very small compared to the birthday gift that God has given to me and to all of his children:

And he showed me a pure river of water of life,

clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.

In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.

And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him:

And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads.

And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever.

...And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.

Just Saying...

2011-03-04T12:38:00.001-08:00

Since the day Poppy was born, people have been telling me that she looks "just like Bryan." Of course I love Bryan, so I don't mind.

However, when my mom found this picture of me at six months (adorable, I know), I was smugly pleased to see that there was a tiny bit of a resemblance. Or am I just imagining it?

Give me a little credit. I was the one who went through nine months of pregnancy and labor that seemed to last another nine months, after all...

Six Months

2011-02-28T15:15:00.000-08:00

Half a year has gone by. Everyone says it goes quickly, and it really does. I have to remember to soak in every kiss, giggle, and yawn. There are those moments I am happy to forget, but most of all I love being a mom, and I love my Poppy Seed.

Recent Accomplishments:

+ Assuming the crawling stance, and when that doesn't work, squirming around to where she needs to go like a tireless inch-worm

+ New "words," like "baba," "mama," and "dada"...we can't wait until she actually knows what she's saying!

+ Trying out cereal, though most of it ends up on her face...or ours

+ Finding new things every day to get into and destroy

+ Making friends everywhere we go with her little miss social butterfly personality

Candy Land Extravaganza

2011-02-23T08:48:00.000-08:00

My friend Sadie had her personal shower at my aunt's house and I was lucky enough to go out early with Kaitlin and help her decorate and bake. It was so much fun! We had such a good time together. Thank you Kait for asking me to go, and thank you to Aunt Mary Ann for all you did!

The party theme: Candy Land. We were nearly drowning in sugar by the end of the weekend. Cupcakes, lollipops, molasses cookies, licorice, peppermints, gumdrops, jelly beans, chocolate...

The splendid Lollipop Princess hosts, Christen and Kaitlin

The "Candy Land colored" blanket that my aunt insisted on buying for Poppy to lounge on during the party...so she would match the decor of course.

Queen Frostine's (aka Sadie's) frosting castle...where she opened gifts.

Lollipop Princess on a sugar buzz perhaps?

I finally got to meet my friend Liv's baby boy, Obie. Such a cutie. Poppy must have thought so too, judging from the coy hand on his leg.

A toast to Sadie and to a successful party!

Surprise!

2011-02-17T13:18:00.000-08:00

My brother-in-law Luke turned 30 back in January, and Andria planned a surprise party for him at a restaurant. It was a little while ago now, but I have some fun pictures I wanted to post.

Bryan flirting with the cute little guests...Luke's nieces.

My attempt at homemade cupcakes, oh-so-cleverly numbered one to thirty with icing.

I love this picture.

Poppy in her "party pants." We call them that because so far she has worn them to a birthday party and a baby shower, but mostly because they're teal-blue velvet...pretty much a party in and of themselves!

Be My Scottish Valentine

2011-02-15T11:17:00.001-08:00

So for Valentine's Day this year, we went to Scotland.

OK, I lied.

But we did go to a Scottish pub downtown. Instead of the traditional upscale Valentine's date, I was more in the mood for a walk on Mass Ave and finding a dim little place with wood floors and no reservations. We found it. And it was the perfect low-key Valentine's outing.

Bry let me peek into a few of the shops along the way and I also found a new prayer journal for myself and a Madeline match-the-tiles-from-memory game from Mass Ave Toys (the cutest little toy shop ever) for Poppy. She won't be able to play with it for about two more years, a practical fact that Bryan brought up, but I just couldn't say no to Madeline, the little French orphan that I grew up on.

Scottish food is interesting. Bryan ordered the Angus burger. It's marinated in Worcestershire sauce, peppered, and then rolled flat.

To eat it takes a two-step folding process.

I had the vegetarian haggis with neeps (parsnips). Not the most aesthetically pleasing dish. Come to think of it, the name isn't very appealing either. But it was good. I really like mashed parsnips. It would have been fun to experience the authentic non-vegetarian version, but lamb hearts and liver are a little intense for me.

It was so good to be together, just the two of us. I hope all of you had a LOVE-ly day as well!

Love at First Sight

2011-02-10T12:51:00.000-08:00

Our friends Chad and Heather came over with Beckham the other week, and Poppy seemed quite smitten with him. This is good since he'll be hanging out a couple days a week over here when Heather heads back to work. We're pretty excited to have the cute little guy around soon. As you can see, Poppy feels the same...

She was a little shy for the first, oh, about 2 seconds.

Then went straight for the kill.

Seriously. I had to intervene before someone lost an eye.

Yes, that's drool hanging from her chin. We need to teach her a little something about "hard to get."

Winter Blues...and Reds and Greens

2011-02-03T16:25:00.000-08:00

About this time of year, winter starts to get really depressing. It's a cold, dark night covered in ice and Bryan is working long hours (tax season=yuck), Poppy is sick, and I'm not feeling so good myself. And now that Christmas and New Years are over, there isn't much to look forward to except spring.

To cheer myself up, I was looking at old pictures and decided it was a good time to do my Christmas post. I never got around to it during the holidays and now it's February. But don't worry, I have not forgotten the pictures from Christmas 2010.

*Steffen Christmas*

The itty bitty cousins...aww

*Bahler Christmas*

Jude and Adrian

Our gift to Mia...A little upgrade for her beta who had been previously housed in a tupperware container

Poppy's platypus from Mimi...Mom and I fell in love with it randomly at an antique store

My dear parents

Kaitlin and I...oh how I love her (almost as much as that platypus)

*Gerber Christmas*

Modeling her new headband collection

Designed and crocheted by Javon

Also a Javon original

Such a sweet picture of Grandpa Carol and Grandma Louise

*Immediate Steffen Christmas*

Papa and Nana making Poppy smile really big

And Poppy enjoying her homemade quilt from Nana for the nursery

Five Months

2011-01-25T14:39:00.000-08:00

Recent Accomplishments:

+ Rolling from back to stomach and scooting herself just the tiniest bit on the ground

+ Getting to know her Sophie giraffe toy and nearly ripping its poor head off (thanks Jenny, she loves it!)

+ Playing with our faces and touching our lips so we'll kiss her fingers...so sweet!

+ Getting more social, giggly, and interactive all the time. She also has no idea yet that staring is rude, so don't be alarmed if she gives you no personal space.

+ Throwing fits already, which consists of looking straight at us and screaming as loud as she can to let us know that she is not pleased with the situation (yikes--what does this mean for our future?)

Bed Head

2011-01-25T07:22:00.000-08:00

You know you're a loser when...

the door bell jolts you awake at a shameful 9.45, you jump out of bed, throw on clothes, and rush downstairs just in time to catch the plumber who takes one look at you and asks, "Did I wake you up?"

Heh heh. I thought I was getting "beauty" rest but apparently not.

Nursery Love

2011-01-21T07:21:00.001-08:00

Poppy finally has a real nursery! After almost five months of being stuffed in a car seat and toted around the ends of the earth, we made sure her room was first on our list of house projects. It's not completely done, but she actually has a room of her own...with a crib. Gasp.

It was definitely a group effort. For starters, the crib

was a free gift from a friend at church. (Thank you, Carrie!)

Bry's mom made the beautiful quilt and bedskirt. She also helped paint...doing the painful trimming while I worked on the damask designs.

And Bryan installed the light all on his own. I was impressed.

Her toy box bench. I wish you could see the glass knobs better in this picture. I may just have to do another post (lucky you).

The homemade star mobile...don't look too close at the sketchy and somewhat hazardous construction.

The antique carousel rocking horse, and of course the circus trunk changing table that I insisted on dragging home in the snow three years ago because it wouldn't fit in our car and I just had to have it for my imaginary little girl's room...And look, here it is.

The beginnings of her library. I hope she'll love books as much as I do.

Dear 2010

2011-01-17T09:13:00.000-08:00

Before January is over, I wanted to acknowledge 2010 in some way. It was a very special year and I have many, many good memories. Some people came up with the brilliant idea to post their top 12 pictures from the year so I'm going to do something similar.

Here is my list of 12 BEAUTIFUL THINGS I SAW in 2010...

-JANUARY-

Poppy is on her way!

-FEBRUARY-

Luke and Jen bring home my new nephew Avo from Ethiopia

-MARCH-

Celebrating my birthday at one of my favorite Broad Ripple places--the Jazz Kitchen

-APRIL-

Exploring Cumberland Island, GA with Bry

-MAY-

My family trip

-JUNE-

My baby garden party at my sister An's

-JULY-

Mackinac Island with Bry's family

-AUGUST-

Seeing Poppy's face for the first time

-SEPTEMBER-

The love of family helping us move

-OCTOBER-

More time with family while waiting for our house to be built

-NOVEMBER-

Poppy getting lots of love on her first vacation

-DECEMBER-

The magic of a first Christmas

Thank you 2010 for being such a breathtaking year. Best wishes to all for 2011!

I can crochet!

2011-01-09T14:32:00.000-08:00

My first crochet project (that I actually finished). I started out making leg warmers for Poppy and wound up with tiny toy fruit. I guess the yarn decides what it wants to become.

So we have a strawberry...

a persimmon...

and some cherries

Aww...my little bitty basket of fruit.

Four Months

2010-12-27T20:53:00.000-08:00

Oh where has the time gone?

Recent Accomplishments:

+ Making all sorts of strange new (and loud) noises

+ Drooling, drooling, drooling and chewing on everything within twelve inches of her mouth...which hopefully means teeth are on the way

+ Getting more control over her busy little fingers and grabbing onto whatever she can (including my hair)

+ Discovering her new favorite toy...her pacifier on a ribbon

+ Going crazy grinning, laughing, and wiggling her whole body whenever people give her the slightest bit of attention

+ Rolling over from stomach to back

Merry Christmas to You!

2010-12-25T09:40:00.000-08:00

We wish you an especially Merry Christmas and a beautiful new year!

All our love,

Bryan, Ashton & Poppy Louisa

New Keys!

2010-12-23T20:02:00.001-08:00

We closed on our town home yesterday. Hooray, it's finally real! We have our own keys to the front door. I'm so excited to get settled again and make a new place our home.

But truth be told, there are some things I will miss about being homeless.

Seeing things like this while staying with my sister, for example...

Yes, that's my nephew Christian's head popping out from the side of the wall. (he may have had a little help from Bry.)

We also learned a lot the past three months. Things like...

Our family is amazing
Our friends are amazing
It's good to be flexible
Living out of a suitcase for months on end is possible (though not ideal)
We want to open our house and hearts to others like people have for us
Don't drink kombucha tea next to other people's laptop computers (Yikes...ask my sister Andria about that one)
We are so blessed to actually have somewhere to call home

Thank you, thank you to everyone that let us stay with them and helped us get through this transition time!

There may be some before-and-after decorating posts to come. Bring on the paint! And stop by any time, we'd love to see you.

The Little Angel

2010-12-13T09:32:00.001-08:00

My nephew Adrian looked at Poppy the other day and crooned in his sweet, talking-about-babies voice, "Aww...she's a little angel."

As soon as he had said this, Poppy decided it was a good time to spit up all over.

Shocked at this rather un-angelic display, Adrian replied in surprise, "Hey, I didn't know angels could puke!"

Hah. Don't be fooled by the innocent face.

My Favorite Couples Group

2010-12-08T17:01:00.000-08:00

I was looking through pictures and found some from this summer when our couples group got together for a picnic and some Vivaldi at Symphony on the Prairie. Spending time with those couples every month has been so much fun. I'm very thankful to have such a great group at our church.

Chad and Heather--a few months before adorable little Beckham Eli joined them

Makoto and Anna and Ben and Suzanne--such awesome people

Three Months

2010-11-26T21:09:00.000-08:00

There was a new something--or rather someone--to be thankful for this Thanksgiving. I think she's going to make the holidays even more fun.

Recent Accomplishments:

+ Giggling back at us

+ Being too busy, distracted, or grumpy to eat

+ Finally outgrowing her newborn clothes

+ Chewing on her hands (her two middle fingers are her favorites)

+ Keeping us on our toes with her opinionated little self

Mom of the Year Award...

2010-11-24T07:59:00.000-08:00

...goes to me!

So it all started when I realized that it had been a very long time since I had given Poppy the Vitamin D drops that I'm supposed to give her every day. Being the responsible mother that I am, I decided that I should probably get around to that. I filled up the dropper and as Poppy was finishing it off I realized with a sinking feeling that I had just given her a whole dropper full of Tylenol, not Vitamin D.

I hate giving babies medicine under any circumstances, let alone when they aren't in the least bit sick and I've just given them about four times as much as they need. Therefore, I was starting to feel a little stressed. Thankfully before I got too sick about it, I remembered that my brother-in-law is an ER doctor and nervously dialed his number.

Meanwhile, it was getting closer and closer to the time when I was supposed to pick up Bryan at work to meet his parents. I was scurrying around trying to pack things up and load Poppy into the car seat while my brother-in-law was reassuring me that she would survive. (FYI: It takes 11 droppers of infant Tylenol for it to be lethal to a 12 lb baby)

I got outside before I realized that I had forgotten yet another thing in the house. I set Poppy down next to the car and rushed back in for just a second. Still on the phone, I hopped into the driver's seat and took off, noticing that Bryan was now popping up on call waiting, no doubt wondering where in the world I was.

Several minutes later I started noticing that Poppy was being unusually quiet in the back seat. Great, I thought to myself, she's probably passed out from her drug OD. I glanced back to check on her, and to my horror I saw that she was NOT IN THE CAR! Awesome.

I swerved across a few lanes of traffic and ended up awkwardly in the middle of the intersection with cars zooming around me. I waited an agonizingly long time for a green arrow to let me finish my U-turn and rescue my abandoned child. If I was lucky, I would get in a wreck first. I sped back as fast as I could and sure enough, there's Poppy in the driveway with big eyes, looking very small and helpless and a little confused about why she has been left out there by the road. (I think the Tylenol had sedated her enough to keep her from crying.)

Oh goodness...

Florida, Baby!

2010-11-19T12:47:00.001-08:00

Vacation with Bryan's family. Sun, pools, piña coladas, tennis, whole days spent with family, and too many pictures of Poppy...Good time. I love vacation.

This look is one of Poppy's favorites and has been dubbed the "cheerio mouth" by Mimi

Jenny came to visit for a day and brought Luca and Avo. At one point, we looked over and saw this: Luca at the bar, ordering a drink and chatting with the bartender. Hilarious! (he decided to stick with a water since they had to drive home that evening)

This is the "Luca stance." What a little stud.

Precious Avo.

I love the chaos of this picture, even though we really did have a wonderful, relaxing day together.

Aunt Javon and our little Sun Shine. (yes, she has a slight black eye. She had a fight with the shampoo bottle in the bathtub.)

I think she's a natural at this vacation thing.

Working on her tan...she's a bit pasty. (don't worry, she's wearing spf 70+)

And back home again in the airport. Poppy and her first pair of wings...I think we have a little world traveler in the making.

Looking for Gift Ideas?

2010-11-17T18:37:00.000-08:00

Check out Jon and Amy's blog here for good Christmas gift ideas. Bonus: It's a great cause!

sigh

2010-11-12T08:39:00.000-08:00

It's enough to melt your heart into a big puddle.

I love these two. A lot.

Covered Bridge Festivities

2010-11-09T08:47:00.000-08:00

Every October in Southern Indiana there is a festival near an old covered bridge, hence the name Covered Bridge Festival. For a week, the place is filled with booths of food, antiques, crafts, and whatever else you can imagine. This was my first year to attend and I was not disappointed. Who doesn't love pumpkin ice cream and people-watching?

It may have been more fun because I was with some of my very favorite people...my mom, Kait, Mia, and my crazy aunts. The changing leaves and the perfect fall weather were also an added bonus.

Two Months

2010-10-26T10:15:00.000-07:00

Two months have sailed by already. Enough time to half-way figure out a new normal and start feeling like our own family, but not enough time to quite believe that we actually have a little baby girl for real.

Recent Accomplishments:

+ Sprouting more blonde-red fuzz on her head

+ Babbling and cooing in the most adorably social way

+ Standing up (with a little assistance for balance)

+ Proudly sporting a few new rolls on her thighs

+ Sleeping up to seven hours at night (hallelujah!)

+ Going ridiculous amounts of time without sleep during the day

+ Studying everything around her with tireless intensity

+ Being an all-around passionate little fireball

The Next Steffi Graf

2010-10-19T15:00:00.000-07:00

Based on that smile, I'd say she likes tennis.

Watch out Wimbledon.

Birthday Boy!

2010-10-14T11:10:00.000-07:00

Bryan turned 27 a couple weeks ago. Hip-hip-hooray! Too bad it was in the middle of closing on our house and moving.

But we did manage to get away for a little birthday surprise. First was a quick stop at Fresh Market where I told him to pick out whatever he wanted, and then I acted as his mysterious GPS guide as we headed south to Oliver Winery for wine tasting and a picnic lunch.

It was a beautiful fall day and a much-needed break from packing boxes.

Orphan Sunday

2010-10-08T12:02:00.000-07:00

Check out Jon and Amy's blog and see what you can do to help orphans on National Orphan Sunday. It's a very cool idea.

Just go to their address here (http://jonandamyg.blogspot.com) and click on the "are you here for the giveaway" link at the top of the page.

(And no, I'm not just posting this to win a cool shirt)

Here's a picture of Jon and Amy's little twin girls that they adopted this year from Ethiopia. So stinking adorable.

Delicious

2010-10-06T11:36:00.000-07:00

To make you smile if you haven't already seen it...or even if you have...

For Poppy's birth announcement cards I had the vision of a scrumptious little frosting-topped treat on a cake stand, and so my dear photographer sister Andria made it happen. Mmm. We are definitely having fun with our girly little fluff of sweetness.

And It's Done

2010-09-28T14:10:00.000-07:00

(our actual sold sign this time)

We did it! We closed on our house today. Officially. The papers are signed and the keys have been handed over. What a good feeling.

And we finished moving everything out last Saturday...after a haphazard week of living with piles of boxes and without most of our furniture. The house is completely empty now, and I have to admit that I got a little teary walking one last time through the rooms we've come to know so well. It was a good home and I'm going to miss it.

Now we have our things scattered between a U-store, Bryan's parent's house, my parent's house, and our suitcases. Our life is probably going to continue to feel a little disorganized for a while (can't wait to move all over again in a couple of months), but it will be fun staying with friends and family for a bit.

Here is a glimpse of some of the moving chaos from the weekend.

Poppy was completely bored by the whole moving business

Our superhero moving crew (plus mom, Andria, and Kait).

One last family photo in front of our first home.

Goodbye House.

One Month

2010-09-23T11:19:00.000-07:00

Our little Poppyseed is one month old already! Oh my...I don't think I want her growing up so fast!

Recent Accomplishments:

+ Smiling at us when she's awake, not just in her sleep

+ Spitting up in surprising amounts

+ Being delightfully grumpy for no explainable reason (particularly after dinner)

+ Drinking from a bottle with her daddy

+ Insisting on holding her head up on her own...I don't think she knows she's a baby yet

+ Sleeping five hours at night (unfortunately she has not decided to make this a habit)

+ Getting decidedly round and chubby

+ Making her mom and dad very happy!

Big Deal!

2010-09-21T09:21:00.000-07:00

We have an exciting new addition to our front yard (besides the tomato worm that obliterated our bountiful harvest).

I'm talking about this much-anticipated sight...

In the three months we had the house on the market, we only had ONE offer. But I guess you only need one.

We passed inspection and appraisal (phew), so it looks like we're all set for moving out on Saturday and closing on Monday. The timing is a little crazy with a new baby, but we are so excited and thankful. We really weren't sure how this was going to work out, but everything seems to be coming together.

Now we can start to really look forward to our new townhome. They've already started framing, and construction is scheduled to finish in December (good Christmas present). So what are we going to do until then?

"Um...mom...dad..."

That's right. We're moving back in with my parents for a couple months. I'm pretty excited. I think it sounds like fun. And they seem to be OK with it too. Maybe Poppy helped sweeten the deal.

Here's our new little family of three in front of our new little lot two days after Poppy was born. Happy day. Can't wait until it's "home" for real.

First Photo Shoots

2010-09-14T11:36:00.000-07:00

My sister Andria and my mom did a fabulous job on Poppy's first two photo shoots. Andria especially had to put up with all my crazy picture ideas and did her best to make them turn out like I had imagined in my head. We definitely didn't make it easy on her.

Thank you to both of you guys. I love having talented photographers in the family!

There were so many good shots but here are a few of my favorites...ones that make me smile really big. (I tried to pick some that weren't on their blogs)

By Mimi (my mom...DeLisa Photography):

By Aunt Andria (Francis Nora Photography):

Meeting Poppy

2010-09-07T19:13:00.000-07:00

What an experience...

Labor was the hardest thing I've ever been through, but also the most amazing and the most beautiful. It brought me closer to Poppy, to Bryan, and to God. And so I am thankful for every hour of that day.

I'll always remember the unexplainable sense of joy and peace I felt, even through the toughest moments.

I'm also so thankful for the support I had from our family and from my husband. My sisters and mom were there with me through it all (lots of walking, massaging, and encouraging), and Bryan was absolutely perfect. I don't know where I would have been without them, and I almost cry every time I think about that day and what they helped me get through. I am so lucky to have people like this in my life.

And now we have Poppy.

Our hearts are very full.

She's Here!

2010-08-30T09:30:00.001-07:00

Introducing...

Poppy Louisa

August 26th~1.41am

7lbs 5oz

19in

We are so happy...PRAISE GOD for such a perfectly beautiful little miracle!

Growing, growing, growing

2010-08-22T13:08:00.000-07:00

OUR LITTLE BABY AT 9 WEEKS

AT 20 WEEKS

AT 37 WEEKS
...look at those chubby cheeks!

Kaitlin's Home!

2010-08-11T06:42:00.001-07:00

My sister Kaitlin was gone all summer in India for an HR internship and I missed her like crazy! But she's home now (flew in yesterday), so the world is right again.

She came back with henna and bangles of course and also an impressive supply of gifts for us.

Here is Kurt modeling his new shirt from one of the hip Indian cities she visited.

And this is Mia with her new scarf and necklace...We had her doing some crazy poses and because it was one o'clock in the morning and she was all animated and hyper she was more than willing to amuse us. She's so cute.

So welcome back Kait! We love you!

The Newest (and maybe the sweetest) Bahler

2010-07-30T13:04:00.000-07:00

So I have an adorable new little twelve-year-old sister!

My parents just brought her home from China last Saturday, so we're still getting to know her of course, but I can tell already that she's something really special. I have lots of stories I could tell about her sweet personality, but I'll just say for now that God has blessed us above and beyond!

Meet Mia...

Mackinac Island

2010-07-22T10:45:00.000-07:00

What a beautiful place! We went with Bry's family over 4th of July weekend and had such a good time. There are no cars on the island and it was a very nice change of pace...the sound of horse's hooves on brick streets is one of my favorites.

There are millions of pictures I want to post so this is going to be hard...

My hotty husband on the ferry ride over

Every day they fly kites over the island at this lookout. For some reason I loved the idea.

There were tennis courts high up on the island in the middle of the woods...it was a good hike and probably the prettiest place I've ever played tennis.

Miniature golfing (matching outfits not intended)...again, probably the prettiest place I've ever mini golfed. Not your average putt-putt course with giant plastic zoo animals.

Dinner on the lawn at The Carriage House with the harbor behind us. Very fun...I liked the antique china and silverware.

We visited the local library and it was absolutely adorable...this is the view from their back porch. I love libraries anyway so I was pretty happy here.

We stayed at the Island House Hotel so this is a fun picture. It was a very cute place with a big front porch full of rocking chairs and little fires on the lawn at night for people to roast marshmallows.

One of my favorite places on the island. Rolling green hill with beautiful trees and white stone benches. Bry and I spent a few heavenly hours here lounging and reading in the grass.

Fireworks over the lake on the 4th...amazing!

Our last morning. Waiting for the ferry to take us back to the real world.

My Husband, The Stud, Takes Out a Fridge

2010-07-01T13:18:00.000-07:00

While trying to prepare our house to go on the market, we had a lot of "fun" little projects that needed to be done. Things like mulching, painting, caulking, planting, weeding, cleaning, organizing, fixing the malfunctioning garage door, fixing the malfunctioning toilet, replacing the non-working air conditioner, replacing the outdated appliances...

Unless little more than decorating is involved, home improvement projects are not on my list of favorite things to do. I'm even less thrilled when they don't go as planned...and of course they never do.

For example, when trying to replace our stove and refrigerator, we ran into a problem. A big problem. Literally. The old fridge was too big to fit through our doorways and was therefore stuck in our kitchen.

In the words of the encouraging Lowes delivery guy, "This fridge isn't going anywhere." Thank you for that.

Apparently someone had built cabinets after the fridge was in place, or something like that. Interesting predicament. So for a few days there it sat, looking ugly and daunting in the middle of our kitchen while we tried to figure out what to do with it.

And here's the solution my brave husband dared to attempt. (despite the many warnings of the dangers of freon)

Yes, that's our fridge in these pictures (half of it anyway)...though it's barely recognizable after Bryan got done with it. We could have tried to rip out our cabinets, but that didn't sound exciting enough for us. Actually, it just sounded a lot harder and messier. So instead, Bryan rented a saw and cut our fridge in half. For real. I have to say, it was pretty impressive. And no, we were not melted by freon in the process.

And there's our new refrigerator. Worth every bit of the effort it took to get it there. (right..?)

What I should have taken a picture of is the two pieces of our fridge sitting out on our front porch, waiting for the Lowes guy to come back and pick them up. Or me, six months pregnant and ridiculous looking, lugging the fridge halves out with Bryan. Hilarious. It was pretty ghetto looking, but at that point we didn't care one bit.

Moving On...maybe

2010-06-24T08:49:00.001-07:00

Here is our little house...

And here is what is now in the front yard...

So of course we're hoping to see one of these soon...

We're excited about the possibility of moving to a townhome (yay for less maintenance) on a quieter street (yay for less traffic), but what I didn't expect is how sad it is to think about moving out of our first home. I've really loved it here. There are so many memories and little things about the house that make it special, and I'm appreciating them more than ever now that we may soon be leaving. Plus, there's just something about living in an old home that makes me very happy.

But considering the fact that we've only had one showing so far, we may be here longer than we planned...which wouldn't be so bad.

Family Vacation!

2010-06-11T10:50:00.000-07:00

Hilton Head 2010

So what did we do?

Bryan and I tried our first "low country boil" at a cool crab shack in the marsh

...with real alligators.

We went on a sail boat ride

...and the boys steered.

Adrian took his turn at the helm with our seaworthy captain from Greece showing him the ropes.

Side note: I'm still pregnant (29 weeks). It looks like I'm loving it in this picture, but things aren't always so blissful (such as today at my appointment when I had to get my blood drawn AND get a shot).

Jude turned three.

And of course we went to the beach.

There was much more to our crazy week, but all in all we had a grand time together!

Road Trip!

2010-05-06T09:41:00.000-07:00

To get us through tax season 2010, Bry and I planned a road trip down to Florida. We left as soon as he had finished his last day of busy season and drove through the night. (probably not smart, but we did survive.)

First stop was Jekyll Island off the coast of Georgia, one of my favorite places (and one I've blogged about before). It was Bry's first time there and my my first experience staying at the historic Jekyll Island Club Hotel. It was a short stop but we had time for golf on the oldest course on the island (created in 1926 for the Rockefellers who used to spend summers at the club house) and for a dinner of southern shrimp and grits in the hotel's Grand Dining Room. We wished we could stay longer and decided that we would definitely be going back someday.

Next was Cumberland Island. This place was incredible! You have to take a ferry to get there and once you do, it's nothing but natural landscapes and trails (and camp sites for the adventurous). At one point, there was a mansion that had been built there by the Carnegies but after the Great Depression it turned into the crumbled ruins that are on the island today. We wandered around discovering wild horses, moss-draped forests, armadillos, salt marshes, dunes, and empty beaches. Absolutely beautiful. And Bryan was hilarious. He was in heaven...running around like a little kid at Disneyland, telling me to take pictures of everything. (Random cool fact: Gen. Robert E. Lee's father is buried on the island...we found his tombstone)

From there, we headed to Luke and Jenny's for the night for some good family time. And after that it was all relaxing in the sun and sand of Florida with our friends, Chad and Heather. Ahh...lovely trip.

Steffen Stuff

Bad Hair Days

Baby, It's Cold Outside

2011...In Photographs

Holiday Cheer!

A song to celebrate Jesus...

Merry Christmas 2011

The Things I Don't Want to Forget...

Best Day of My Life

The Patient

Friends in Town

A Golden Tea Party

Two cool people...

Happy Halloween!

Eek!

Caught on Video

Rain, Rain...

Another Good Couples Night

Ye Olde Renaissance Faire

A Happy Little Survey for Jen

To the Zoo, To the Zoo!

Serenity

Hilton Head Island

My Beautiful Friend

It's a Party!

One Year!

Snapshots of Italia

Eleven Months

Picnic at the Lilly's

Ten Months

Memorial Day Festivities

Nine Months

Easter

Away on Holiday

Eight Months

Blue Skies Ahead

Wild Thing

April Showers Bring...

This is How We Roll...

Around the World for Dinner

Seven Months

Grandpa

Babies, Babies, Babies

House Projects Continued

Spoiled Rotten

Just Saying...

Six Months

Candy Land Extravaganza

Surprise!

Be My Scottish Valentine

Love at First Sight

Winter Blues...and Reds and Greens

Five Months

Bed Head

Nursery Love

Dear 2010

I can crochet!

Four Months

Merry Christmas to You!

New Keys!

The Little Angel

My Favorite Couples Group

Three Months

Mom of the Year Award...

Florida, Baby!

Looking for Gift Ideas?

*sigh*

Covered Bridge Festivities

Two Months

The Next Steffi Graf

Birthday Boy!

Orphan Sunday

Delicious

And It's Done

One Month

Big Deal!

First Photo Shoots

Meeting Poppy

She's Here!

Growing, growing, growing

sigh