We've had such a fun weekend, but this evening Will is playing the original mario on the wii (don't ask me how he did that) and I've got some random thoughts running around in my head ...
- I've been such a clutz lately! seriously, its like i'm 13 again - bruises all over and this afternoon i spilled some hot stuff getting it out of the microwave and now I've got a pretty nasty burn on my wrist. shoot!
- Judging by the tenacity with which it clings to clothes, dishes, and Benjamin's hair, I think I'm going to use baby food the next time I need some super glue.
- I thought I'd start sharing an occasional list of some of my favorite articles/posts that I've read recently. I know we all have way too much to read already, but what the hay - I appreciate this on other blogs I read, so why not? Here goes the first little list of linky-do's...
The Middle Class is Quickly Disappearing
Great article on sun safety
Don't these look utterly delicious?
Showing posts with label random. Show all posts
Showing posts with label random. Show all posts
Sunday, August 1, 2010
Monday, July 26, 2010
The Kitchen
Well, the cold I had last week has been passed on to Will ... poor man! In spite of an "under the weather" kind of weekend though, it was really good! On Saturday, I got to spend most of the day in the kitchen, and Sunday we were able to stop and really rest for the first time since we've moved (Benjamin's three hour morning nap really helped that :)
Speaking of working in the kitchen, have I mentioned how much I love my new kitchen? Well, let me just say, I do! First of all, its absolutely palatial in comparison with our former kitchen. Our former was ... shall we say, convenient (read: so small that everything was within arms reach). Now, I have to walk 10 steps to get from the counter to the pantry ... imagine the space! I actually have drawers and cabinets that are [cue fanfare] not full!
Now, honestly, when we moved in, the kitchen was one of my least favorite rooms. Walking into it was like walking into a really weird lemon icebox pie ... and by that I mean that everything was painted yellow... really lemony yellow ... and by everything, I mean everything - walls, trim, window frames, doors, even hinges! Now, I'm OK with yellow in more buttery shades or in small doses, but the kitchen was just about more than I could take. To make matters worse, all my kitchen accessories are red - which looked awesome with my deep blue Jackson kitchen, and fine with my beige kitchen when we first moved to NY. But red with yellow? I felt a little McDonalds' coming on...
But Aunt Mattie and a two-hour trip to Hobby Lobby helped me whip it into shape with some well placed black-and-white accents, and now I absolutely love it! (There's actually a little bit of a "love" theme as well...)
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
I ask you!
Why should I crawl, when I can do this?!?!
(Note: I was planning to edit the beginning of this video where Will is setting up the camera, but the look on Benjamin's face when he sees it was just too funny to cut - such a mixture of fear and wonder!)
Things have been busy around here at the Trautman house ... and not just Benjamin's antics!
On Saturday morning, Will rode in a bike race to support our local ministry to the homeless, the Rescue Mission. He did a great job, and its not too late to support him if you'd like ... just click here.
Then we spent Saturday afternoon hanging stuff on walls around our new place ... yahoo!
Sunday morning was church, then lunch with friends, and finally a pot-luck dinner at "our farm." In case I've neglected to share on here, we are part of a CSA this year - we get a box of fresh veggies from them every week! It's been lots of fun (lots of work too - all the peas to shell! :) but its really encouraged us to branch out in the selection of vegetables we eat and for me to find new recipes of what to do with things like fennel, fava beans, beet greens, and bok choi.
Anyway, so we had a potluck dinner at the farm, which was in an absolutely beautiful area of Central New York ... the nearby town of Skaneateles is now on our "must visit" list for any out-of-town visitors we have.
After such a busy Sunday though, the Little Man was quite exhausted and napped for a total of 5 hours yesterday! whew! Hopefully, we'll be able to slow down a little this week and enjoy just hanging out on our new area rug (featured in above video :)
(Note: I was planning to edit the beginning of this video where Will is setting up the camera, but the look on Benjamin's face when he sees it was just too funny to cut - such a mixture of fear and wonder!)
Things have been busy around here at the Trautman house ... and not just Benjamin's antics!
On Saturday morning, Will rode in a bike race to support our local ministry to the homeless, the Rescue Mission. He did a great job, and its not too late to support him if you'd like ... just click here.
Then we spent Saturday afternoon hanging stuff on walls around our new place ... yahoo!
Sunday morning was church, then lunch with friends, and finally a pot-luck dinner at "our farm." In case I've neglected to share on here, we are part of a CSA this year - we get a box of fresh veggies from them every week! It's been lots of fun (lots of work too - all the peas to shell! :) but its really encouraged us to branch out in the selection of vegetables we eat and for me to find new recipes of what to do with things like fennel, fava beans, beet greens, and bok choi.
Anyway, so we had a potluck dinner at the farm, which was in an absolutely beautiful area of Central New York ... the nearby town of Skaneateles is now on our "must visit" list for any out-of-town visitors we have.
After such a busy Sunday though, the Little Man was quite exhausted and napped for a total of 5 hours yesterday! whew! Hopefully, we'll be able to slow down a little this week and enjoy just hanging out on our new area rug (featured in above video :)
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
So crazy, so exciting (alternately titled, "We love Craig's List")
I've drafted like six blog posts in my head over the last week, but before I could ever sit down to type one out, something else would happen, and I couldn't figure out how to tie the new happening into the old draft, so I'd have to start over again.
This past week was definitely the busiest, craziest week we've had since Benjamin was born. I know I've talked about being busy several times over the last few weeks, but this seriously topped them all. I can't even remember everything in order, so we're just gonna go with stream-of-consciousness...
Benjamin ate his first vegetable - sweet potatoes. Which means, I also made my first baby food... go me! :)
I would post pictures and/or video of Benjamin eating said sweet potatoes, except that the child just sat there and ate them with very little reaction at all. Typical boy, I suppose... "Com'on, Momma! What are you so excited about? Just feed me already! I'm hungry!"
On Saturday morning, I enjoyed the beautiful weather while getting an inside tour of our Farmers' Market with a friend. I scored the awesome locally grown/made whole foods you see below, plus some great Mothers' Day gifts (not pictured for obvious reasons :)
Saturday afternoon, we took Benjamin for a walk at an area state park and enjoyed all the spring greens. Such a welcome relief after so many months of snow and ice. This Southern girl needed some foliage, yall!
Not to mention the fact that we all were outside that whole time with ... wait for it ... our arms exposed! Nope, I'm not kidding, we wore short sleeves! I think Will and I even perspired a little! yahoo!
So, why is this post alternately titled "We love Craigs List"? Because last week, we completely scored on the good ole CL! We got a breadmaker and a Kitchenaid stand mixer at huge bargains! It was like Christmas! (I would post pictures, but I feel that would be the ultimate standard of dorkiness, and I'm not willing to stoop that low quite yet).
But wait, you ask, where are you going to put those in your tiny kitchen? Well, we also found an awesome new apartment on Craigs List last week, and put down the security deposit on Tuesday! Now, we're not exactly excited about the whole moving process - though it has to be better than our last move (1,000 miles + six-months-pregnant + 100-degree fever = miserable) - but we are super excited to be in our place, which is bigger, cheaper, and much closer to our church and friends! God is so good!
There were other exciting things that happened last week, but that'll have to wait for another post. You see, its 10:30 and another new development around here is Benjamin's cool new trick - waking up at 4:00 am ready to start a new day. So g'night everybody!
This past week was definitely the busiest, craziest week we've had since Benjamin was born. I know I've talked about being busy several times over the last few weeks, but this seriously topped them all. I can't even remember everything in order, so we're just gonna go with stream-of-consciousness...
Benjamin ate his first vegetable - sweet potatoes. Which means, I also made my first baby food... go me! :)
On Saturday morning, I enjoyed the beautiful weather while getting an inside tour of our Farmers' Market with a friend. I scored the awesome locally grown/made whole foods you see below, plus some great Mothers' Day gifts (not pictured for obvious reasons :)
Saturday afternoon, we took Benjamin for a walk at an area state park and enjoyed all the spring greens. Such a welcome relief after so many months of snow and ice. This Southern girl needed some foliage, yall!
Not to mention the fact that we all were outside that whole time with ... wait for it ... our arms exposed! Nope, I'm not kidding, we wore short sleeves! I think Will and I even perspired a little! yahoo!
So, why is this post alternately titled "We love Craigs List"? Because last week, we completely scored on the good ole CL! We got a breadmaker and a Kitchenaid stand mixer at huge bargains! It was like Christmas! (I would post pictures, but I feel that would be the ultimate standard of dorkiness, and I'm not willing to stoop that low quite yet).
But wait, you ask, where are you going to put those in your tiny kitchen? Well, we also found an awesome new apartment on Craigs List last week, and put down the security deposit on Tuesday! Now, we're not exactly excited about the whole moving process - though it has to be better than our last move (1,000 miles + six-months-pregnant + 100-degree fever = miserable) - but we are super excited to be in our place, which is bigger, cheaper, and much closer to our church and friends! God is so good!
There were other exciting things that happened last week, but that'll have to wait for another post. You see, its 10:30 and another new development around here is Benjamin's cool new trick - waking up at 4:00 am ready to start a new day. So g'night everybody!
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Can't Help It
I just can't help myself, I think this shirt is absolutely, roll-on-the-floor hilarious...
A sweet friend gave it to Benjamin for his six-month birthday. I've laughed every time I've looked at him today ... which is miraculous, since we've been up since 4:30 this morning. It also may have something to do with Monday night's poop-of-the-century that ended in all 3 of us yelling and a very long bath. Rice cereal evidently does wonders for the digestive system.
Also, I realized that I neglected to post a picture of my anniversary red roses...
Ok, so forgive the horrible picture ... I was trying to catch the afternoon rays streaming through the window but didn't think about all the clutter on the counter right behind the vase. But then, I guess that's an apt metaphor for six years of marriage ... beautiful blooms in the midst of the daily grind?
I suppose it's also an apt metaphor that I talked about anniversary flowers in the same post as the poop-of-the-century. Poetic, yes, very poetic. :)
Also, I realized that I neglected to post a picture of my anniversary red roses...
I suppose it's also an apt metaphor that I talked about anniversary flowers in the same post as the poop-of-the-century. Poetic, yes, very poetic. :)
Friday, April 16, 2010
Kitchen Therapy
After a delightful time at Bible Study this morning (delightful except for the two very loud dirty diapers that Little Bit produced - one during prayer, the other during a quite serious discussion of 1 Cor. 13), we came home only to find the construction at our apartment complex in full swing.
Now, I am a person who needs to be surrounded by order and beauty. (I mean this in a general sense ... i can ignore dirty dishes in the sink for far longer than is responsible).
Anyway, so for my little heart that longs for order and beauty, imagine my excitement to find this outside my kitchen window ...
Yes, that would be rain and construction. Then, to make matters worse, they rammed the outside of our wall with aforklift backhoe large construction vehicle which caused all my collectibles to fall out of the cabinet they were stored in. TGIF. So, desperate times call for desperate measures.
There are any number of needful chores I needed to do this afternoon - laundry, the aforementioned dishes, ironing ... but instead, I did this ...
Chocolate-dipped coconut shortbread. Desperate measures, my friends, desperate measures.
Now, I am a person who needs to be surrounded by order and beauty. (I mean this in a general sense ... i can ignore dirty dishes in the sink for far longer than is responsible).
Anyway, so for my little heart that longs for order and beauty, imagine my excitement to find this outside my kitchen window ...
Yes, that would be rain and construction. Then, to make matters worse, they rammed the outside of our wall with a
There are any number of needful chores I needed to do this afternoon - laundry, the aforementioned dishes, ironing ... but instead, I did this ...
Chocolate-dipped coconut shortbread. Desperate measures, my friends, desperate measures.
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Tennessee Recap
I've come to the conclusion that there is no way I can sum up our trip to Tennessee last week. It was so full of love, tears, friends, family, memories (both remembered and made) and we are still exhausted! It was profoundly refreshing to be in a familiar place, surrounded by familiar faces. It was bittersweet, knowing that we would have to leave so quickly, and this week I have grieved last year's losses all over again.
Oh, and we managed to eat at Chick-fil-A a total of four times throughout the week ... or was it five? :)
Benjamin was again an awesome traveler, making it way easier on Mom and Dad than we deserved. He was, however, a little road-weary by Easter Sunday morning, resulting in expressions like this...
...for our pictures in our cute outfits. In spite of the exhaustion, he did manage a smile or two...
Precious little thing! Anyway, all I can say is ... sweet sweet times! Here are some of our favorite pictures from the week...
Benjamin's first visit to my parents' house held several surreal "full-circle" moments... like walking in the park with him in the stroller ... the same park I played at when I was a little kid...
So this week we are slowly getting adjusted to being back home ... wearing sweaters, restocking the pantry, talking on skype and via email instead of in person. And I'm so grateful that, even here and now ...
"You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways...
You hem me in behind and before, and lay Your hand upon me...
Even there Your hand shall lead me, and Your right hand shall hold me...
In Your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them"
Ps. 139:3,5,10,16
Oh, and we managed to eat at Chick-fil-A a total of four times throughout the week ... or was it five? :)
 |
| At our favorite Jackson Chick-a-la - it was a little windy! :) |
Precious little thing! Anyway, all I can say is ... sweet sweet times! Here are some of our favorite pictures from the week...
 | ||
| Soakin' up some Grandpa love! |
 |
| Nuthin' like gettin' kissed 24/7! |
 |
| Benjamin even made a new friend or two! Sweet little drooly boys! |
 |
| Just chill-axin' in Grandma's sink, Mom! What's the camera for? |
 |
| Aw, man! Just because we're back in NY, I have to be all wrapped up in blankets again?!?! |
"You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways...
You hem me in behind and before, and lay Your hand upon me...
Even there Your hand shall lead me, and Your right hand shall hold me...
In Your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them"
Ps. 139:3,5,10,16
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Several random thoughts and a video
Well, my springtime allergies are acting up today, so my writing skills are reduced to a quick list of thoughts which seemed witty and well-tied together when I was up feeding Benjamin at 4:30 this morning, but now seem rather random and somewhat mundane ... but then, you're all used to that by now, right?
- I love Daylight Savings Time! Everyone was complaining about the time change in Facebook statuses at the time, but there is just no happiness like eating dinner when its still light outside!
- I miss my college roommies ... roomies ... room-ys - anyone know how to spell that word? The only alternative in the spell-checker is "roommates" but the formality of spelling the whole thing out just doesn't fit our friendships! Anyway, I miss my E31 girls today - such sweet times and hilarious memories.
- I've been cooking A LOT lately, but how can you blame me, when this cuteness is going on in the kitchen?
- Ok, listen to that video again, because I need help - do you hear the tune that the bouncer plays at the beginning? WHAT IS THAT?!?!?! I know I know it, but we can't figure out what it is! Plus, its continually stuck in my head these days - I find myself humming it in the grocery store, in the shower, etc., but I have not a clue what song it is I'm singing - please help!
- Also, on a video related note, I was clearing off the memory in our video camera today so a friend could borrow it, when I realized that we have all sorts of 60 second clips where we were obviously trying to catch Benjamin doing something cute, but when we got out the camera he just sat there and looked at it. But I can't bring myself to delete them, because, my gracious goodness, he's too stinkin' cute even when he's just sitting there breathing!
And with that, I say goodnight. I'm going to go blow my nose, and you need to go read some of the millions of more interesting things that are available out there on the crazy internets.
- I love Daylight Savings Time! Everyone was complaining about the time change in Facebook statuses at the time, but there is just no happiness like eating dinner when its still light outside!
- I miss my college roommies ... roomies ... room-ys - anyone know how to spell that word? The only alternative in the spell-checker is "roommates" but the formality of spelling the whole thing out just doesn't fit our friendships! Anyway, I miss my E31 girls today - such sweet times and hilarious memories.
- I've been cooking A LOT lately, but how can you blame me, when this cuteness is going on in the kitchen?
- Ok, listen to that video again, because I need help - do you hear the tune that the bouncer plays at the beginning? WHAT IS THAT?!?!?! I know I know it, but we can't figure out what it is! Plus, its continually stuck in my head these days - I find myself humming it in the grocery store, in the shower, etc., but I have not a clue what song it is I'm singing - please help!
- Also, on a video related note, I was clearing off the memory in our video camera today so a friend could borrow it, when I realized that we have all sorts of 60 second clips where we were obviously trying to catch Benjamin doing something cute, but when we got out the camera he just sat there and looked at it. But I can't bring myself to delete them, because, my gracious goodness, he's too stinkin' cute even when he's just sitting there breathing!
And with that, I say goodnight. I'm going to go blow my nose, and you need to go read some of the millions of more interesting things that are available out there on the crazy internets.
Friday, March 12, 2010
The week flew by...
I can't believe it's Friday already! I guess the warmer, sunny weather just made time fly this week! So, in honor of the soon coming Spring (we hope!), Benjamin wore his "sunshine hat" today (even though today was actually cloudy and cool).
I can't decide if we should call this picture "Mr. Sunshine" or "Little Squash Baby" ... it kinda makes him look like a Veggie Tales character! :)
I can't decide if we should call this picture "Mr. Sunshine" or "Little Squash Baby" ... it kinda makes him look like a Veggie Tales character! :)
Saturday, March 6, 2010
A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood
After enjoying a morning full of challenging reflection at our church's late-winter retreat, the balmy 38 degree temperatures drew us outdoors to enjoy the glorious sunshine. Benjamin napped cozily while tucked away in his stroller, and Daddy and I savored some time just to chat and breathe deeply the crisp air blowing off the frozen lake. Happy Saturday to all!
Friday, February 26, 2010
TGIF!
Well, it has been one of those days around here ...
It all started at 12:30 am ... and 2:30 am ... and 4:00 ... and finally at 7:30.
But I am so grateful that our baby is healthy enough to cry and fuss and wake up in the middle of the night just because he wants to see us!
Then, when we did get up and get going, we discovered 17 inches of newly fallen snow outside, which necessitated the cancellation of the ladies' Bible study ... major bummer!
But I am so grateful for the team of six snowplows that came and cleared our parking lot!
As the day has continued, it has proven to be a very messy day ... projectile spit-up, explosive poops, and the like, creating a massive amount of laundry in a shockingly short span of time.
But I am so grateful for OxiClean stain treater and the washer and dryer in the basement!
Benjamin's poor little chapped cheeks have been bothering him today ... a consequence of continuous drooling in such a cold, dry climate.
But I am so grateful for his precious little face ... one big smile makes it all better!!
Thank goodness its Friday! Happy Weekend to all!
It all started at 12:30 am ... and 2:30 am ... and 4:00 ... and finally at 7:30.
But I am so grateful that our baby is healthy enough to cry and fuss and wake up in the middle of the night just because he wants to see us!
Then, when we did get up and get going, we discovered 17 inches of newly fallen snow outside, which necessitated the cancellation of the ladies' Bible study ... major bummer!
But I am so grateful for the team of six snowplows that came and cleared our parking lot!
As the day has continued, it has proven to be a very messy day ... projectile spit-up, explosive poops, and the like, creating a massive amount of laundry in a shockingly short span of time.
But I am so grateful for OxiClean stain treater and the washer and dryer in the basement!
Benjamin's poor little chapped cheeks have been bothering him today ... a consequence of continuous drooling in such a cold, dry climate.
But I am so grateful for his precious little face ... one big smile makes it all better!!
Thank goodness its Friday! Happy Weekend to all!
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Ups and Downs
Well, this week has been kind of a mixed bag of great moments and not so good ones. The "downs" have mostly involved my lingering cold and Benjamin's lingering sleeplessness. When I sat down to write this post, I was gonna list out specifics of the negatives ... but really, who wants to read that? and why would I want to rehearse it? So, moving on to the great parts of the week!
- the Olympics! I am a total dork when it comes to the Olympics - I love it! I love the stories of the athletes and admire their tenacious perseverance. Even though I know next to nothing about the vast majority of the sports (who in the world knows about curling anyway? i thought that was something you did with a curling iron), I find myself cheering right along and even joining in with the commentators, "98 meters! whoa!" "Oh, 48.6 seconds will put her out of the medals." I have to take a step back and laugh at myself sometimes.
Also, when exactly did I reach the point that most of the athletes are younger than me? But i digress...
- Comfort foods. There's nothing like comfort foods when you have a cold, and this week I've enjoyed taco soup, countless cups of hot tea, and oatmeal for breakfast. My new favorite hot tea is Celestial Seasonings Mandarin Orange Spice and my new favorite oatmeal recipe is a dash of salt, a pat of butter, and a dollop of orange marmalade - you've gotta try it!
- Celine: The Movie! Yes, that's right folks - right now, in limited release! And we were lucky enough to have one showing here! So a sweet friend went with me last night (we were so excited to find out that we had a love of Celine in common!) and we thoroughly enjoyed it!
- Benjamin's antics. Evidently second only to Tigger in comedic appeal is the sound of velcro ripping open. I kid you not - he thinks its hilarious! Also, he's started this new wiggle which looks almost like he's trying to breakdance. I don't know if he's just trying to work out some gas or what, but its so cute...
(note: he's normally grinning when he wiggles, but he was distracted by the camera. And yes, that's Celine you hear in the background... I'm training him young :)
Finally, on two unrelated notes:
- I've played with the settings for our blog to make it possible for anyone to leave a comment, not just google-account holders.
- Lest you think that the "Book Nook" sidebar is any sort of recommendation list, rather than just what I'm currently reading, I have to tell you that I was not impressed with the book Julie and Julia at all. The movie was much better!
- the Olympics! I am a total dork when it comes to the Olympics - I love it! I love the stories of the athletes and admire their tenacious perseverance. Even though I know next to nothing about the vast majority of the sports (who in the world knows about curling anyway? i thought that was something you did with a curling iron), I find myself cheering right along and even joining in with the commentators, "98 meters! whoa!" "Oh, 48.6 seconds will put her out of the medals." I have to take a step back and laugh at myself sometimes.
Also, when exactly did I reach the point that most of the athletes are younger than me? But i digress...
- Comfort foods. There's nothing like comfort foods when you have a cold, and this week I've enjoyed taco soup, countless cups of hot tea, and oatmeal for breakfast. My new favorite hot tea is Celestial Seasonings Mandarin Orange Spice and my new favorite oatmeal recipe is a dash of salt, a pat of butter, and a dollop of orange marmalade - you've gotta try it!
- Celine: The Movie! Yes, that's right folks - right now, in limited release! And we were lucky enough to have one showing here! So a sweet friend went with me last night (we were so excited to find out that we had a love of Celine in common!) and we thoroughly enjoyed it!
- Benjamin's antics. Evidently second only to Tigger in comedic appeal is the sound of velcro ripping open. I kid you not - he thinks its hilarious! Also, he's started this new wiggle which looks almost like he's trying to breakdance. I don't know if he's just trying to work out some gas or what, but its so cute...
(note: he's normally grinning when he wiggles, but he was distracted by the camera. And yes, that's Celine you hear in the background... I'm training him young :)
Finally, on two unrelated notes:
- I've played with the settings for our blog to make it possible for anyone to leave a comment, not just google-account holders.
- Lest you think that the "Book Nook" sidebar is any sort of recommendation list, rather than just what I'm currently reading, I have to tell you that I was not impressed with the book Julie and Julia at all. The movie was much better!
Friday, February 12, 2010
Deja Vu and other random happenings
Unfortunately, I have a cold and Benjamin hasn't slept well for 5 nights running, so pulling thoughts together in a logical flow is a bit out of my reach today. A list is so much less taxing mentally...
- It's deja vu all over again, as my dad would say. Guess what I'm doing? Stuffing a mailout! I tried to estimate, as I was folding invitations, how many mail-outs I worked on during my years at Union ... all I could come up with was "a whole lot." Anyway, I am working on a mailout for a local crisis pregnancy center.
It's been on my mind ever since I became a stay-at-home mom, "I should find somewhere to volunteer." After all, I do have some skills that might be useful - efficient envelope stuffing being among them. Also, I know my tendency to get wrapped up in own little world and I need reminding sometimes of the lost and hurting people that need the Church to be the love of Christ to them. So, last week, I finally got around to it ... and Suzanne at New Hope took me up on my offer. So, here I am ... labelling, stamping, folding, etc. It's kinda fun actually!
- Supersize Me. I've been wanting to see this movie ever since I saw the McDonald's burger and fries from 2007 that Meah has. Seriously yall, the stuff hasn't molded or decayed at all - and its not even refrigerated! Anyway, just watching the movie will make you feel fat and disgusting. If you haven't seen it - watch it! Did you know that one McDonald's burger probably has meat from over 1,000 cows from more than 5 countries? I want to say that I'm never eating fast food again. I know that at some point in the future, I will probably be forced to take advantage of a coupon or something, but really, right now, I don't ever want to eat fast food again. (And, for the record, Chick-fil-A does not count as fast food).
- Valentine's Day! As you can tell from our blog header, I am super excited about Valentine's Day this year. Hopefully, this cold will be gone by then and I'll have my voice back, because ... (cue fanfare) ... Will and I are going to lunch just the two of us! A sweet friend has offered to keep Benjamin so that we can enjoy a Valentine's date ... don't worry all, she's a mother of four - Benjamin will be in most capable hands - and Will and I are SO EXCITED!
- And finally, here is Benjamin with his two favorite things of the moment - a cloth "taggies" book and his Tigger rattle ... precious!
- It's deja vu all over again, as my dad would say. Guess what I'm doing? Stuffing a mailout! I tried to estimate, as I was folding invitations, how many mail-outs I worked on during my years at Union ... all I could come up with was "a whole lot." Anyway, I am working on a mailout for a local crisis pregnancy center.
It's been on my mind ever since I became a stay-at-home mom, "I should find somewhere to volunteer." After all, I do have some skills that might be useful - efficient envelope stuffing being among them. Also, I know my tendency to get wrapped up in own little world and I need reminding sometimes of the lost and hurting people that need the Church to be the love of Christ to them. So, last week, I finally got around to it ... and Suzanne at New Hope took me up on my offer. So, here I am ... labelling, stamping, folding, etc. It's kinda fun actually!
- Supersize Me. I've been wanting to see this movie ever since I saw the McDonald's burger and fries from 2007 that Meah has. Seriously yall, the stuff hasn't molded or decayed at all - and its not even refrigerated! Anyway, just watching the movie will make you feel fat and disgusting. If you haven't seen it - watch it! Did you know that one McDonald's burger probably has meat from over 1,000 cows from more than 5 countries? I want to say that I'm never eating fast food again. I know that at some point in the future, I will probably be forced to take advantage of a coupon or something, but really, right now, I don't ever want to eat fast food again. (And, for the record, Chick-fil-A does not count as fast food).
- Valentine's Day! As you can tell from our blog header, I am super excited about Valentine's Day this year. Hopefully, this cold will be gone by then and I'll have my voice back, because ... (cue fanfare) ... Will and I are going to lunch just the two of us! A sweet friend has offered to keep Benjamin so that we can enjoy a Valentine's date ... don't worry all, she's a mother of four - Benjamin will be in most capable hands - and Will and I are SO EXCITED!
- And finally, here is Benjamin with his two favorite things of the moment - a cloth "taggies" book and his Tigger rattle ... precious!
Sunday, January 31, 2010
A Quality Weekend
This was a weekend to be savored, enjoyed, for every moment it brought. Nothing particularly exciting happened, and the frigid temperatures kept us home a good bit (when we woke up on Saturday morning the temperature was -2!) so maybe it was more my heart attitude that made the difference, but we - all 3 of us - seemed aware that these days are fleeting and should be treasured. Also, the sun came out for the major part of both days, so that certainly didn't hurt! Here are just a few of the highlights...
- Long naps. Benjamin took a couple 2+ hour naps on Saturday and Sunday, leaving Mom and Dad time to take naps themselves or discuss the new adventure on the horizon for the Trautman fam - graduate school. Yes, folks, it does indeed seem that yet more schooling is in our future ... this probably comes as no surprise to those who know us well. But anyway, after such long naps, Benjamin awoke smiley and happy and gurgle-y and ready to enjoy fun family time ... things like watching his mobile while Mom and Dad just stand and watch him watching it. :)
- Church fellowship. Have I mentioned lately how grateful we are for our sweet church family here? This Sunday, as we sang together of God's blessings, with my husband beside and our son cuddled in my sling, I felt that being in the midst of this fellowship was a real taste of what heaven will be like. I couldn't stop the tears that this brought, and when the friend behind me pressed a tissue into my hand, I cried all the more for the concrete evidence of what I was already rejoicing in!
Here's a picture of my men sporting their match-y stripes for church this morning...
- Julie and Julia. Though certainly no Sleepless in Seattle, I truly enjoyed this movie. My husband was gracious to watch it with me, too, and even chuckle at parts! I was able to relate to the main themes of the movie 1) cooking - since I've so enjoyed cooking lately and 2) blogging - since as you may have gathered by now, I have a blog :) My favorite line of the movie had to be from Julie, as she waved her butcher knife animatedly at her husband, "I could write a blog! I have thoughts!" On an unrelated note, I loved how the movie celebrated lifelong marriages - having fun together, working through issues together, moving to new places together. Such a refreshing change from the normal Hollywood depiction.
Anyway, we are sad for Monday's arrival, but looking forward to God's faithfulness in this week.
- Long naps. Benjamin took a couple 2+ hour naps on Saturday and Sunday, leaving Mom and Dad time to take naps themselves or discuss the new adventure on the horizon for the Trautman fam - graduate school. Yes, folks, it does indeed seem that yet more schooling is in our future ... this probably comes as no surprise to those who know us well. But anyway, after such long naps, Benjamin awoke smiley and happy and gurgle-y and ready to enjoy fun family time ... things like watching his mobile while Mom and Dad just stand and watch him watching it. :)
- Church fellowship. Have I mentioned lately how grateful we are for our sweet church family here? This Sunday, as we sang together of God's blessings, with my husband beside and our son cuddled in my sling, I felt that being in the midst of this fellowship was a real taste of what heaven will be like. I couldn't stop the tears that this brought, and when the friend behind me pressed a tissue into my hand, I cried all the more for the concrete evidence of what I was already rejoicing in!
Here's a picture of my men sporting their match-y stripes for church this morning...
- Julie and Julia. Though certainly no Sleepless in Seattle, I truly enjoyed this movie. My husband was gracious to watch it with me, too, and even chuckle at parts! I was able to relate to the main themes of the movie 1) cooking - since I've so enjoyed cooking lately and 2) blogging - since as you may have gathered by now, I have a blog :) My favorite line of the movie had to be from Julie, as she waved her butcher knife animatedly at her husband, "I could write a blog! I have thoughts!" On an unrelated note, I loved how the movie celebrated lifelong marriages - having fun together, working through issues together, moving to new places together. Such a refreshing change from the normal Hollywood depiction.Anyway, we are sad for Monday's arrival, but looking forward to God's faithfulness in this week.
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Road Trip!
This weekend, Benjamin went on his first road trip ... to Boston! He was a trooper once again, and did great in the car and with a busy weekend schedule. We had great fun hanging out with our sweet friends, Meah and Evie...
and we also got to eat at Chick-fil-A!!!!! Oh, how we've missed those waffle fries and chicken sandwiches! :)
We also enjoyed a beautiful walk at a park on Saturday - sunny and 40 degrees - like springtime!
Also, if any of you out there are expecting a little one and wondering what kind of stroller to get, we love our Graco Metrolite travel system ... the walking paths at the park were gravel and sometimes quite bumpy, but the stroller held up great and Daddy was proud to take Benjamin on his first off-road adventure :)
Next time we go, Benjamin will really enjoy the selection of animals who call the park their home...
All in all, a most memorable weekend!
and we also got to eat at Chick-fil-A!!!!! Oh, how we've missed those waffle fries and chicken sandwiches! :)We also enjoyed a beautiful walk at a park on Saturday - sunny and 40 degrees - like springtime!
Also, if any of you out there are expecting a little one and wondering what kind of stroller to get, we love our Graco Metrolite travel system ... the walking paths at the park were gravel and sometimes quite bumpy, but the stroller held up great and Daddy was proud to take Benjamin on his first off-road adventure :)
Next time we go, Benjamin will really enjoy the selection of animals who call the park their home...
All in all, a most memorable weekend!
Monday, January 4, 2010
A Whole New Year
Just because it's already January 4 doesn't mean I can't still do a New Year's post, right?
glad you agree :)
I've been procrastinating a New Year's post primarily because 2009 was such a momentous year for us ... we took on basically every major life transition in one year. We both changed "jobs" - Will from student to engineer, me from full-time work to stay-at-home mom. We moved - not just houses, but states, nay regions even. And we jumped into the wide, wonderful, terrifying world of parenthood. 2009? You were one for the record books.
Surprisingly, though, as Will and I have reminisced about the past year, we haven't talked about it negatively. Sure, there were stressful days - when Will was traveling each week to another city for another job interview, when we were two weeks from moving across the country with no place to move into, when we walked into the hospital to have a baby ... and when we walked out of the hospital with said baby in tow ... holy cow, i still can't believe they let us out of there with him! They clearly didn't know how scatterbrained I am.
But, he's doing OK for himself ... almost 3 months old and no limbs are missing :)
As I look back over the past year, I am overwhelmed at the grace that God has poured out on us. Grace to walk through change with open hearts instead of resentful ones. Grace to grow in our marriage instead of alienating each other. Grace in tangible provision and intangible ... provision we may not see the full picture of till we get to eternity. Grace all bottled up in this amazing little boy we get to call our son.
And that Grace of all Grace, Mary holding Jesus in a stable - God WITH US - that promise is ours - that yes, no matter what, GOD IS WITH US! Happy New Year, holding tight to that promise.
glad you agree :)
I've been procrastinating a New Year's post primarily because 2009 was such a momentous year for us ... we took on basically every major life transition in one year. We both changed "jobs" - Will from student to engineer, me from full-time work to stay-at-home mom. We moved - not just houses, but states, nay regions even. And we jumped into the wide, wonderful, terrifying world of parenthood. 2009? You were one for the record books.
Surprisingly, though, as Will and I have reminisced about the past year, we haven't talked about it negatively. Sure, there were stressful days - when Will was traveling each week to another city for another job interview, when we were two weeks from moving across the country with no place to move into, when we walked into the hospital to have a baby ... and when we walked out of the hospital with said baby in tow ... holy cow, i still can't believe they let us out of there with him! They clearly didn't know how scatterbrained I am.
But, he's doing OK for himself ... almost 3 months old and no limbs are missing :)
As I look back over the past year, I am overwhelmed at the grace that God has poured out on us. Grace to walk through change with open hearts instead of resentful ones. Grace to grow in our marriage instead of alienating each other. Grace in tangible provision and intangible ... provision we may not see the full picture of till we get to eternity. Grace all bottled up in this amazing little boy we get to call our son.And that Grace of all Grace, Mary holding Jesus in a stable - God WITH US - that promise is ours - that yes, no matter what, GOD IS WITH US! Happy New Year, holding tight to that promise.
Saturday, January 2, 2010
Christmas Recap
Our Christmas trip to Sunny Florida was a resounding success! Benjamin proved to be a sweet trooper through airports, car trips, Walmart craziness, and being the center of attention for a whole week! We so enjoyed spending time with grandparents, great-grandparents, and Aunt Mattie - we are truly blessed! Not to mention how much we enjoyed the 60 degree temperatures and bright sunshine (as I write this, it's 15 degrees here and snowing like crazy)
Christmas Eve in our Christmas jammies!
Christmas morning! so excited!
Christmas Eve in our Christmas jammies!
Christmas morning! so excited!Tuesday, December 1, 2009
It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!
We woke up this morning to snow on the ground for the first time this winter! I guess it was fitting since it's December 1st, but I just cried! It took so long for the snow to come when I had been geared up to be snowed-in since October that I think I had lost my preparedness. It wasn't a lot of snow and it all melted before noon, but it signaled the end of "carefree errands" and such for me... ah well - May will come soon enough (hopefully)!
When Mom and Dad were here for Thanksgiving, they helped us decorate for Christmas! So, on these dreary winter days, I will turn on all my twinkle lights and watch little Benjamin be mesmerized by them :)
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Various and Assorted
I did enjoy the "bloggy break" last week and was certainly busy getting ready for Thanksgiving, taking care of Benjamin, and enjoying Mom and Dad, but all week I kept thinking "I should blog about that ..." I guess I'm addicted :)
The picture above is Benjamin enjoying resting in his Bug-a-roo sling. I joke that this sling must have "magic dust" in it because it calms him like magic! He's slept completely through church services, prayer meetings, and even a pretty rowdy game night we had for Will's birthday. On this day, I was trying to get some cooking done, but the little man was fussy - Mommy had the answer! just put him in the sling - I did end up getting icing on it, but hey, the cookies got iced! :)
When preparing food for Mom and Dad's arrival, I realized it was the first time I had really cooked since Benjamin was born! (almost 7 weeks!) Sure, I had defrosted meals from the freezer, or mixed up some cornbread to go with soup, but, thanks to people all over the country, we had food that lasted almost two months! So, a HUGE THANK YOU to all who sent food - our friends from our church here, our Northbrook friends in TN, and of course, my mom who made sure the freezer was stocked :)
However, I did miss cooking and baking. So, on the Tuesday before Thanksgiving, as Mom and Dad were making their long drive up here, I got busy in the kitchen! (I could either have cooked or cleaned, and I would so much rather cook :) I made cheddar corn chowder, pumpkin cookies, and orange oat scones.
Don't they look yummy? The texture of the scones didn't come out exactly right, but i thought they tasted good - everyone else's comment about them was "hmm...interesting..." so try the recipe at your own risk :) You can find it here. (I replaced the dried currants with chocolate chips :)Here are links to the other recipes as well (which everyone loved and we would highly recommend)
Cheddar Corn Chowder (I used a whole pound of bacon and 4 cans of corn)
Pumpkin Cookies (I doubled the cinnamon and nutmeg)
As Thanksgiving was approaching, I did struggle a bit with how far away we are from our families. And it didn't help to look at friends' pictures on Facebook of their babies with all their grandparents, aunts, uncles, etc., and to know that Benjamin has only met one set of grandparents so far and neither of his aunts or his uncle ... so sad!! I just felt very far away. I know New York State isn't the moon, but sometimes it seems like it might as well be.
It happened that this was also the day I was planning to do my marathon grocery trip to prepare for Thanksgiving. We were planning to make Paula Deen's corn casserole, but needed Jiffy cornbread mix, which I've never been able to find here, so Mom has brought me several boxes to stock our pantry. Anyway, to make a long story short (as my dad would say) guess what I found at the grocery store???
I guess it really is "America's Favorite!" Maybe God knew I just needed one little thing to make me feel not quite so far away.
Saturday, November 28, 2009
Happy Thanksgiving!
Happy Thanksgiving to one and all! I've taken a "bloggy break" this week in order to soak up every possible minute with Mom and Dad who graciously drove up to celebrate Benjamin's first Thanksgiving with us! We had a wonderful time and were all sad to part again.
Our time was mostly spent enjoying Benjamin, resting, and of course, cooking and eating! All of us (all four adults anyway :) took turns concocting delicious foods for our Thanksgiving feast - we enjoyed Dad's special citrus-infused turkey and homemade cranberry sauce and Mom's amazing chicken-and-dressing (I paid careful attention so that I will be able to take up this torch :) Will made corn casserole (thank you Paula Dean for blessing us with that recipe!), and the meal was rounded out with green beans, coleslaw, deviled eggs, and sweet potatoes, with pecan pie and pumpkin cookies for dessert.
We agreed that it was our family camping experience which allowed us to prepare such a magnificent meal in such a small kitchen :) As we enjoyed the fruits of our labor, Benjamin slept soundly through his first Thanksgiving dinner...
Each year, celebrating Thanksgiving reminds me of the multitude of things I have to be thankful for, but this year, I have been especially overwhelmed by God's graciousness to us. Last Thanksgiving was such a special holiday, with sweet memories of harvesting thousands of pecans in our backyard, soaking a 20 lb. turkey in a 5 gallon bucket in the basement overnight , and a table FULL of food to share with Mom, Dad, and Mattie. But if you had told us last year how different our lives would be in just twelve short months, I don't think we would have believed you. We had a vague idea that change was coming ... of course Will would be graduating, and we were wanting to have a baby, but holy cow! God has been faithful in each and every detail - a healthy pregnancy, Will's job, a (relatively) smooth cross-country move, the blessings of church families who have stood beside us both in TN and now in NY, families who have supported us in countless ways, and of course, an absolutely beautiful baby boy (who is now sleeping through the night pretty consistently!!)
There just aren't words to express how thankful I am for all He has done!
Our time was mostly spent enjoying Benjamin, resting, and of course, cooking and eating! All of us (all four adults anyway :) took turns concocting delicious foods for our Thanksgiving feast - we enjoyed Dad's special citrus-infused turkey and homemade cranberry sauce and Mom's amazing chicken-and-dressing (I paid careful attention so that I will be able to take up this torch :) Will made corn casserole (thank you Paula Dean for blessing us with that recipe!), and the meal was rounded out with green beans, coleslaw, deviled eggs, and sweet potatoes, with pecan pie and pumpkin cookies for dessert.
We agreed that it was our family camping experience which allowed us to prepare such a magnificent meal in such a small kitchen :) As we enjoyed the fruits of our labor, Benjamin slept soundly through his first Thanksgiving dinner...
Each year, celebrating Thanksgiving reminds me of the multitude of things I have to be thankful for, but this year, I have been especially overwhelmed by God's graciousness to us. Last Thanksgiving was such a special holiday, with sweet memories of harvesting thousands of pecans in our backyard, soaking a 20 lb. turkey in a 5 gallon bucket in the basement overnight , and a table FULL of food to share with Mom, Dad, and Mattie. But if you had told us last year how different our lives would be in just twelve short months, I don't think we would have believed you. We had a vague idea that change was coming ... of course Will would be graduating, and we were wanting to have a baby, but holy cow! God has been faithful in each and every detail - a healthy pregnancy, Will's job, a (relatively) smooth cross-country move, the blessings of church families who have stood beside us both in TN and now in NY, families who have supported us in countless ways, and of course, an absolutely beautiful baby boy (who is now sleeping through the night pretty consistently!!)
There just aren't words to express how thankful I am for all He has done!
The Lord has done great things for us; we are glad!
Ps. 126:3
Ps. 126:3
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)