Merry Christmas!

Pictures By The Lovely Natalie Hilliard

We recently were able to have a mini family photo shoot, and a great baby photo shoot with David's cousin, Natalie (check out her work here), a professional photographer out of Seattle. She did a great job, and I've been excited to share these pictures with you all!

Isn't David just so handsome?! And Micah's head looks kind of funny because of the angle he has it turned but he looks like he really loves his dad.

Video Catch-Up

We've taken quite a few videos of Micah lately, and haven't been good about getting them uploaded. Today might not be the best day to do it, since Micah had his 4-month shots yesterday and is still crying them off, but right now he's happy in his bouncy chair. We'll see what I can get up!

 (Micah got to have his Christmas present a week early, since we'll be out of town on Christmas... and i don't have any patience to wait for surprises. I want it now! He loves his new jumperoo!)

(Micah's such a sweet little guy! We just love to play with him, and he sure loves his daddy!)

(This is from our first snow, back in November. Isn't he cute?)

And right now, while I'm posting this....

Crafts Galore

Marci and I went shopping in Tri-Cities last Saturday, and discovered a new store! Hobby Lobby is now open, (apparently I missed the memo that it opened a month ago...), and they have SO many different kinds of craft supplies. We spent a little while there, and then I went back on Tuesday with my friend Heather. I've been having so much fun making some Christmas gifts, like fun necklaces and flower pins. Plus, I made plans for many more crafts to come.

Heather and I are hoping to have a booth at Hermiston's Farmer's Market this summer (are we really the farmer type?), so I've been getting excited to have items to sell there. Here is a look at a few of the things I've made so far:

These are necklaces made from crystals and fabric.

And flowers made from fabric.

There is a lot more in the works, but I can't show it on here yet. :)

Friday Fun

Just a quick, very cute video of Mr. Micah!

Standing Up!

He's able to stand up now, with a lot of help balancing!

Christmas Decorations!

I've been excited for a while to get our Christmas decorating on, and had a great plan to get it all out on Black Friday. David and I both got food poisoning though, (we think it was at least... we felt awful, and then suddenly better) so the decorations were forgotten in the shed.

I FINALLY was able to start decorating on Sunday, and we got our Christmas tree! It still had snow on it though, so we let it dry out overnight in its stand, then I got to decorate it on Monday. It's kind of a strange tree, because all the branches look freally full and green, but then on the inside there are TONS of dead pine needles. And I mean tons! I vaccummed up nearly an entire canister worth, and then tossed nearly the same amount out the front door... so strange! I think I got most of them out now, but we won't be leaving the tree lit when we're gone any time soon.

So, I know you're dying of anticipation to see what we've done with the place!

Our beautiful nativity scene... I could have sworn we lost Joseph, but there he is holding a staff and wearing a robe that matches Mary.

Sorry, the sun is really bright, and you've probably figured out already that I'm not a very good photographer.



Our tree is really large, and too tall for our beautiful star to fit on the top, so I put this pretty bead wreath on it instead. It's kind of different, but I like it, and it matches a lot of the ball ornaments.



We already have a few presents, and strangely, all of them (except the huge one, which is for Micah) are for my sister... we must really love her a lot. :)



The snowman quilt my mom made for us, which I really love, and a few decorations on the shelf. Plus, we updated our pictures, so Micah's the focus of our wall, not just our wedding.

There are a few more little decorations around the house that I didn't get a picture of, and I'm enjoying the warm Christmas-y feel of it all!

Craft Night at the Wattenburgers'

Tonight I got started on my Christmas crafts! I've been wanting to do something crafty lately, and haven't gotten the ambition to begin, but I had an empty space on the wall next to David's and my stockings, and it was just waiting for Micah's! So, I got out my sewing machine and supplies, plus the fabric I bought this weekend, and got to work. I tried to chronicle my project by taking pictures, but towards the end I forgot to keep taking them at each step... you could just imagine what I did in between!

My fabrics, purchased from JoAnn Fabrics. (I bought way more than I needed. It only took about 3/4 yard of the polka dots and less than an 1/8 yard of the red and green)



First I cut out the stocking pattern (4 of them, so that the inside is lined to match), and 2 of the same shape out of batting. (Well, it's technically a chunk of thin fleece because I didn't have any batting)



I then sewed all around the outside and quilted the stockings with a diamond pattern (below). I like the stockings I make to have some dimension to them, which is why I use batting and fabric on the inside. It could be done with less fabric and probably less work if you skipped the quilting and just had a single layer of fabric.



 

This is what Micah was doing while I was working on the stocking, and David was doing the dishes. (He does them on his own all the time! I have the best husband!)



Then Daddy was done with the dishes and Micah got to hang out with him! (Plus we took a break for some dinner and a trip to Wal-Mart to get thread when I ran out)



His finished stocking! I hope he likes it and doesn't think it's too girly looking when he's all grown up!



These are the three stockings that I've made for our family. The green one is David's, which I made him when we were still dating. The red is mine, made for the first Christmas we had as a married couple. Each one is a little different, because I've tried a few different styles of the top cuff. Which one is your favorite?

 Now my excitement for craftiness is renewed! And it was so simple and fun to get a project finished in an evening. What should I make next?

Happy Thanksgiving!

What a wonderful Thanksgiving day we've had! David, Micah and I spent the day with David's side of the family, relaxing and eating a delicious turkey dinner. Now we're home, relaxing some more. David and Micah are both taking naps while I watch The Office.

This Psalm was a favorite of mine throughout college, a psalm of thankfulness:

Psalm 100
Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth.
Worship the LORD with gladness;
come before him with joyful songs.
Know that the LORD is God.
It is he who made us, and we are his[a];
we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.
Enter his gates with thanksgiving
and his courts with praise;
give thanks to him and praise his name.
For the LORD is good and his love endures forever;
his faithfulness continues through all generations.

Some of the things I'm thankful for:
Our wonderful baby boy
My loving and kind husband
A warm house
Snow!
A long weekend
Family
Salvation!
That Micah's taking a nap right now... my arms sure are getting strong from bouncing him when he's tired and cranky. :)

And tomorrow, a little bit of shopping and a lotta bit of Christmas decorations!

Visitors! and Micah is Three Months Old!

My sister, Stephanie, and our friend, Peter are here with us this weekend. We're not doing much, mostly just playing games and visiting, but we're having a lot of fun together. :)

And Micah turned three months old last week! He's getting so big, and he's so alert, looking at and taking in everything that is going on around him. He definitely recognizes David's voice, and mine also, and looks at us when we say his name. The last time I weighed myself with and without him to see how much he weighs, it was about 17 lbs! What a little chunk! He's smiling all the time, and laughing too, which is the cutest thing I've ever seen. This morning when Steph and I got him dressed, I picked him up and he looked at her and was laughing and laughing! We love this little guy so much, and while it's been really fun to see how he changes so quickly, I wish he'd stay this little for longer. He's just so sweet!

Also, he's wearing size 6-months now! He's growing like a little weed.

Here are some pictures from last week, and tonight!

This little boy is a Corban fan already!

Things, Things, Wonderful Things?

Yesterday afternoon I was able to have a nice afternoon at home with David and Micah. David was doing the dishes while I watched Oprah (and tried to calm a crying Micah, then swept and vaccuumed). All of her guests were told they were watching a show about meditation, and then were surprised to find out that this episode was actually an "Oprah's Favorite Things" episode. In case you're unfamiliar with The Oprah Show, "Favorite Things" episodes are ones where all of the audience members are given gifts that Oprah loves.

Now Oprah is known for giving back, so these weren't just ordinary people. These audience members were those who helped others: people who had moved to Africa to help locals there, who were nurses that saved babies and children on a daily basis, and others who were considered selfless.

The reaction of the guests is what you would expect: craziness! Men were jumping up and down screaming in the aisles. Women were bawling instanly. One man was kneeling down (crying and rocking back and forth) in the space in front of his seat with his hands clasped, shouting what looked like, "Thank you, Lord!"

So, she starts the giveaway. Each audience member is getting a $3000 diamond watch, a $400 cashmere sweater and blanket set, a brand new DSLR camera (which, I have to say I've been wanting lately...), a tote bag with matching shoes, kitchenware, candles, hair products. It went on and on. And I enjoyed watching it.

David came in half way through and gave me a good reminder as I sat there thinking, "I wish I had that. I wish I had tickets to the Oprah Show. I wonder if I can get tickets to Monday's show." (Yes, I know it's already taped...) And he said, "Oh boy, things."

Things. Why do I need things and want them so badly. From the reactions of those in the audience, and me as well, you would think that the gifts they were given were going to make their lives incredibly better... and maybe for a week, maybe a few months, they will. But things break. They fade. Clothes go out of style and get worn out. You go on a cruise and it's over. They're fleeting.

I thought about this as I watched the second half of the show, including a concert by the Black-Eyed Peas (more about that in a minute), and I felt sad. The Bible gives us warnings about things of this world:

“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." (Matthew 6:19-21 NIV)

"The words of the Teacher,a son of David, king in Jerusalem: “Meaningless! Meaningless!” says the Teacher. 'Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless.'” (Ecclesiastes 1:1-2 NIV)

The first quote is spoken by Jesus, in the sermon on the mount. Our treasure is in Heaven, and yet we search so vigilantly here on earth for treasures to satisfy our hearts. To make us happy and to make us feel fulfilled.

The second is by King Solomon, the richest man who ever lived. (Check out 1 Kings 4.) He had everything he could ever want on the Earth, and yet he said it was all meaningless. The book of Ecclesiastes is focused on the vanity and meaninglessness of the things we find on this Earth.

So why do I (and others all around us) keep looking for these fleeting pleasures instead of seeking out Christ.

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28 ESV)

There is so much that is better, but it's found in Christ.

Okay, now about the Black Eyed Peas... they sang "Time of My Life," which (though I'm not really a fan of theirs) I enjoyed. Then they sang parts of "The Little Drummer Boy:"

"Come they told me, pa rum pum pum pum, A new born King to see, pa rum pum pum pum, Our finest gifts we bring, pa rum pum pum pum, To lay before the King, pa rum pum pum pum, rum pum pum pum, rum pum pum pum, So to honor Him, pa rum pum pum pum, When we come."

All I want to say about this is that they sang it well, but this song is about bringing gifts to Christ! It's not about the things that we get from Oprah, or even the gifts we give to others. Christmas is about Christ!

Shutterfly!

I am a big fan of online photo processing, particularly done by Shutterfly. In the two years that David and I have been married, I've ordered Christmas cards, prints, and two photo books through this site. (One, of course, was a photo book detailing the beginning of Maverick's life in our family!)

I'm excited to order our Christmas cards from Shutterfly again this year, complete with pictures of Micah! I love how many different styles they have, and how beautiful each one is! There's a different style for every family, and we're sure to have some beautiful cards. :)

I'm having a hard time choosing just one design! There are three designs that I have in mind (they all would have Micah, David and I on them rather than their models, of course):

The first is called Retro Kaleidoscope. I love the pretty kaleidoscope flowers!

The second is called Initially Yours, and I think it would look great with Micah's pictures in the four boxes.

Last, but not least, is called Confetti Flowers. I love the different red and green flower stars, and I think this one might just be my favorite.

Which one do you think I should use?



If you're interested in making your own Christmas photo cards, you can do so here. You simply choose your design, upload your photo, and customize with your name and greeting!

You can also make a calendar for 2011, with your photos in it. :)

Bloggers get 50 free holiday cards from Shutterfly… learn more: http://bit.ly/sfly2010

A Trip to Visit Grandma

Micah and I spent a few days away from Daddy this last week, visiting my mom who just had surgery. We were there to help her out and keep her company, but I'm not really sure how helpful we were...

We stayed from Tuesday night until Friday morning, and both of us really enjoyed the chance to spend some good time with my mom. She wasn't able to hold him, but got to play with him while he was in the bouncy chair. The drive there was alright, not including the part where Micah cried and cried while I searched for an exit to get off the freeway... it always seems that when you need to make a stop, there is nowhere to be found! The return trip was much better, with only two stops. He started crying as we were getting close to home, but thankfully we were really close!

I am loving being a mom. It's so rewarding to see him learn something new, and then build on that and learn something else. (Like how this morning Micah figured out that if he kicks his legs up in the air and then drops them both to one side he turns onto his side. Then this evening, he was doing this, and almost rolled over! Yikes!) I love when he smiles and has the CUTEST dimples in his cheeks. I love the cute soft pajamas that he wears, and how when he's in them, he's so sweet and cuddly! I just love this little guy! It's so much better to go on a trip with Micah than by myself.

The difficult part of this trip to see my family, though, was actually while we were there. Micah had a growth spurt. In Everson. Away from home. Away from familiarity. Away from his dad and his dog. He was such a grumpy little guy! All day Wednesday and Thursday, whenever I'd set him down, he'd cry. My legs and arms were aching from walking around carrying him and rocking and bouncing. He wouldn't take a nap, and was so tired! Poor little Micah, I think it was a very difficult visit for him. I hate growth spurts!

Thankfully, during our return drive and when we got home on Friday he was only a little fussy, but pretty tired from his lack of sleep the two previous days. Saturday, he was back to our happy, smiling little sweetheart!  See you in a few months, growth spurt, and I hope you come when we're at home next time so our poor little boy can relax a little!

(He did have a little bit of fun at Grandma and Grandpa's, playing with Geoffrey the Giraffe, which my mom keeps at her house for him!)

This is what he looked like whenever I put him down... I thought this would be cute to remember how he could sit up when he was propped with pillows, but apparently he didn't agree...

The Countdown Begins!

It's coming, and I'm starting to count down to it right now... Only 1 month, 19 days left until Christmas!

When I was younger, say, high school aged, I didn't care too much about Christmas. I enjoyed the holiday season, loved celebrating Jesus' birthday, decorating the tree, wrapping gifts, and giving them away, but I wouldn't have said it was my favorite holiday. (It was probably the 4th of July, got to love the fireworks!) I'm not sure what has changed, but it's most definitely changed!

I LOVE CHRISTMAS! I can't wait to go buy a tree and set it up in the house. I know we'll get it too early and forget to water it, so it's dried out already a week before Christmas, just like we always do... I love putting the lights on the tree, getting out my two tubs of decorations and filling our house with the holiday spirit. I just can't wait!

So here are some Christmas pictures to get you all in the same festive mood I'm in!

diy

diy

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(Also, I love that this picture has the silhouettes of three children and the dog! This will be David and I after two more kids... we love our Maverick! Poor poor Taryn is always forgotten though...)

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And along with Christmas, I'm looking forward to some snow!

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