An Adventure to Remember, Part 2 - Hong Kong Airport

If you missed it, read about the first part of my adventure here.

I don't remember the flight from Cebu to Hong Kong. I remember sitting in the airport in Cebu, waiting. I remember disembarking (is that a word?) from the plane in Hong Kong, and running through what seemed like miles of terminal to get to our gate. Our flight was late arriving, and they were holding the flight to Vancouver for us.
The airport in Hong Kong is enormous. It seems like it goes on forever, and to get from one section to the other, you have to ride a subway for 4 or 5 minutes. It's huge. The group of us, eight in all, ran through the terminals as quickly as we could. We really weren't moving very fast, because we all had really bad sunburns, especially Kayla, my roommate and best friend. So, we hobbled/ran down to our gate, carrying our backpacks, pillows and purses, and praying that we wouldn't miss our flight. I couldn't even imagine what would happen if we missed our flight... hopefully get on the next one, I guess.

Just as they were giving the last call, we made it to the gate! Ah, sweet relief, we were going home. I was second or third in line, and after the attendant checked my passport, I stepped through the gate, but luckily not too far. I think I was waiting for David, hoping we'd have seats together and be able to sit together. I don't kno why I waited, but I'm thankful that I did. Kayla couldn't find her passport.

I walked back out of the gate, and helped her look through her backpack. It was soon discovered that her small purse was missing, which held not only her passport, but also her digital camera. We couldn't find it anywhere. The rest of the group had gotten through the gate, and weren't allowed back out. Peter, our group leader (who also had our money), had already boarded the plane, and I asked David to go get him so we could have the extra money for whatever we might be doing.

Peter returned and handed me the money through the gate. (I'm so thankful that I was able to get out of the gate while Kayla was looking, or she would have been all by herself) David didn't get to come back. They wouldn't let him. Then Peter returned onto the plane, took his seat, and they all left; Kayla and I watched them fly away.

It was a very strange feeling watching the plane that we were supposed to be on fly away without us. We just sat there for a few minutes. Kayla cried a little bit, and I was stunned, not knowing what to do next. Then we both got up, and followed the flight attendant down the hallway.

5 Months Old? Is That Possible?

How in the world is time going by so fast?! It seems like just last week that we had a brand new, 9 pound baby, and all of a sudden he's 17 pounds and trying to crawl! Micah has changed our lives completely, but in such a great way! David and I are amazed every day at how much we love him, and how this tiny little guy has made such an impact in our lives.

Here's what he's doing at 5 months (plus a week, since I didn't get to this sooner).

* He's rolling over - I just watched him roll from his back to his belly a few times in our living room. The first time I actually saw it was yesterday at the nursery, but every time I go to get him out of his crib, he's on his tummy (he sleeps on his back, like a good baby. :)  ).

* He's laughing all the time! We love making faces at him, especially in the mirror, because he's starting to be so responsive. He's ticklish and loves to play with us.

* When he's excited or happy, he kicks his feet. I think he learned this from being in his jumperoo, but when he likes something, those feet just start going and going!

* He can't sit up by himself yet, but he's getting close. He can definitely sit up with help, but I don't think it'll be long before he's doing it on his own. The bumbo has really helped with that skill!

* He's still not sleeping through the night, and we had a rough couple of weeks of sleep over the holidays. When he got his 4 month shots, then a cold, then the flu, and two more colds, our schedule really got thrown off. We're finally back to normal, and last night he was only up once, and that was after a 7.5 hour solid stretch of sleep. It does this mama good, to be sure! I need some good sleep!

* He's eating solids! I have given him rice cereal a couple of times, but he didn't seem to excited about it. He really likes avocado though. I've started pureeing some fruits and veggies, and freezing them, so he'll have a variety of different foods to come.

* We're still using our cloth diapers, and we had to switch them all up to size medium! He's a big guy, and small was just... small. I really like the cloth, but I really struggle to keep up on the laundry, especially since the covers aren't supposed to go in the dryer. I hate having to hang them in the bathroom on the shower rod.... oh how I wish it was spring, and they could hang outside! 

We love this little man so much, and it's been such a joy to watch him grow and learn new skills. It's such a blessing to have him, and we're excited to keep watching him learn!

And, he's extremely cute.



Bathtime!

Fun hair-do before church last weekend

An Adventure to Remember, Part 1

Our church is planning a mission trip to Colombia this summer, which David is planning to go on, and it has gotten me thinking about past trips and adventures David and I have been on. I love to travel, and I feel blessed that God has given me the opportunity to see the places he has. I only hope for more opportunities to present themselves in the future.

One of my most memorable trips was a mission trip to the Philippines, during our junior year of college. We went over Spring Break, to Mandaue City, on the island of Cebu. I wasn't familiar with the islands, and maybe you aren't either, so here is a map:

On the picture on the right, the red dot is approximately where we were.

On the trip over to the Philippines, we had about 35 lay-overs... well, maybe 4, but it felt like a lot! We left from Portland and stopped in Seattle, Vancouver, Taipei, and then had a 9 hour lay-over in Hong Kong. So, like any adventurous college students with extra time would do, we explored! Our group leader, our good friend Peter, had gotten in touch with a local Chinese missionary, Andrew, and he and his friend, Andrew, showed us some of the sights.

 

We rode a tram up the mountain-side, and had an amazing view of the city!

 Finally, we made it to the Philippines, where we spent a week feeling like we were on vacation! We ate delicious foods, made new friends, experienced rides in a jeep-ni, ate at Jollybees, had fresh pineapple for breakfast every morning, went to a dancing and dessert show, and went snorkeling in the most amazing coral reef. I wish we had gotten pictures of the fish - they were incredible!


This is what our snorkeling boat looked like.

We were able to do a lot of different outreach activities while we were in the Philippines. We led a Vacation Bible School in the church our missionary leader worked with. We led a play-time and gospel lesson for some children. We visited with members of the church at their homes, and shared our testimonies with them. We visited a neighborhood that had experienced a tragic fire, and with a donation of $800, three families in that neighborhood were able to re-build their homes. We even were able to give gospel presentations in the public schools - something we'll never be able to do here in the United States! 

This little girl lived in the neighborhood where there was a fire.



Families who were able to rebuild their homes



Friends at the church we worked at in Mandaue City

This trip was incredible, and we were so blessed to be able to go. As we were boarding the plane in the airport in Cebu, I was feeling a little sad to be leaving. I didn't have any idea what adventure was awaiting me in Hong Kong!

There's A First Time for Everything

This evening, Micah got to try eating rice cereal for the first time. I think he enjoyed it. He wasn't smiling, but he was opening his mouth for me to put more in. The cereal got all over! He wasn't really pushing it out, but it was just dripping and messy, so after eating he got a bath.

I'm looking forward to introducing him to more foods, slowly, of course. :)


Maverick, of course, had to help

So cute! When I was organizing my pictures on our computer today, I found some more that should have gone in the post from this morning... so here they are!

He got this sweater vest for Christmas from Aunt Marci and Uncle Daniel. So cute!

This is such a funny face.



This little guy loves to be without clothes. (He does have a diaper on... and socks!)

Quick Picture Post

On Monday Micah will be five months old... oh how he's changing! I'm planning to do another, more detailed post, giving more info on what he's doing these days, but that's going to have to wait. I'm going shopping instead.

But, here are a couple of updated pictures of the little man, who isn't so little anymore!

Ready to watch the Seahawks beat the Saints.... how did that happen?

He LOVES his jumperoo!



And he's figured out  how to stick his tongue out



Check out those chubby thighs! This is the only time in life when that's a good thing!

Not sure I love this picture... My hair is darker now in an effort to stop having to color it all the time.

And lastly, Micah loves his Maverick! He keeps sticking his hands out so Mav can lick his fingers. He has started sitting in his bumbo, which he couldn't do at Christmas (he just kept tipping to the side). (He doesn't drink out of this sippy cup... yet... we're going to try to bypass the bottle, I think, since I can't get him to drink out of it... we'll see if it works.

My Word of 2011: JOY

I love reading other people's blogs, and recently I came across this post by Lisa Leonard, encouraging readers to choose a word that will be representative and significant to them in the year to come (this was actually started by Ali Edwards). The goal for me in choosing a word is to implement it into my daily life, to focus on how I can be better at acting on this word, and to demonstrate it more in my actions.

The word I chose to be significant for me in 2011 is

JOY.

Dictionary.com has this as part of its definition of joy: the expression or display of glad feeling; a state of happiness

This is what I want in my life: the expression or display of glad feeling. I want to be in a state of happiness no matter what my circumstances!

James 1:2-3 - "Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness."

Why did I choose the word joy? Because, daily, I want to choose joy in my life. I have a great life, which God has blessed, yet I am always complaining about and frustrated with my circumstances. I have a job which is perfect for my situation. I have students who are sweet and good learners. I have a beautiful, happy baby, who loves me and his dad, and sometimes needs his diaper changed. I have a house to live in that, though small, is filled with belongings, some of which I treasure and use frequently, some of which I don't.

God has richly blessed my life, and I want to choose to acknowledge that this year, rather than complain about the ways I wish he had blessed me differently. So, I choose joy!

Proverbs 17:22 - "A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones."

Who wouldn't rather have good medicine, a healthy spirit, than dried up bones? I would!

Okay, and I want this too:



found here

No Good, Very Bad Day(s)

Our poor Maverick has been banished from his favorite place.

Our couches.

We never should have let him on them in the first place. I know that now. But maybe you didn't see him as a puppy?

He was irresistable. And he loved to cuddle.

So, we let him on the couch to cuddle with us. And then to cuddle by himself, with his hair getting everywhere! Now, two years later, I can't handle it any more! The hair in every nook and cranny of the couch is driving me crazy. It's gross when you sit down for a minute and when you get up, you're coated with white hair.
 
We had to change the rules, and many times when I have walked into the living room lately I've seen this:

"Do I have to get down?"

Yes, he's laying on Micah's toy... he's not really in it for the comfort, just the privilege.
 
I've been saying, "Get down, Maverick!" over and over. Even in the middle of the night when I'm up to feed Micah. He sneaks out of our room and onto the couch.
 
It is getting better though. Right now, he's laying on the floor by my feet, happy as can be (and asleep as can be). And when he gets really desperate, he finds somewhere else to lay:
 

It's a hard life for a dog.

Hello 2011!

Today is already January 5th! We're into 2011, and I'm excited to see what God has in store for us this year. I'm not one to make resolutions, and in years past, when I have made them, I haven't been one to keep them. Instead, this year I'm going to set a few goals for myself. Not goals which can really be measured tangibly, but just in general there are a few things that I'd like to be better about.

* I want to be better about keeping this blog updated. It annoys me that I go so long in between posts. I'd like to be more regular about keeping this updated, not only with pictures of our cute little Micah, but also my thoughts and reflections on life as a mom, a Christian, and a person.

* I want to keep my house cleaner. And I want Maverick to stay off the couch so we don't have hair all over all the time - it drives me crazy!

* I want to read to Micah often. I'm not sure that in a year he'll be able to read.... but I'd like him to enjoy reading and know how much fun it can be to read. Reading is an activity that I love, and I hope he'll have the same love for it!

* I want to cook some really good food. Lately I've been really enjoying cooking (not really baking), and I've found some really good recipes online. It makes me feel proud of myself to know that I've cooked a full meal for David, and I think I can do it more often.

* I want to buy a new couch!

* Lastly, I want to do crafts like crazy! Well, maybe not like crazy, but regularly. I really like being able to give people gifts that are not only useful and (hopefully) pretty, but hand-made also.

I know that it's going to take effort and some changes, but I really would like to have some change in my life. I know that with God's help I can be a better person, and make a better contribution, not only to my family but to the community around me as well.

Philippians 4:13 - I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.

Thinking Back on 2010

***WARNING: There are a LOT of pictures in this post!

Wow, the last year went by quickly! It seems like not long ago that we were excitedly telling everyone we knew that we were expecting a baby. What a fun year of anticipation, planning, excitement, nervousness, and the joy of meeting a new, tiny person all our own!

Here are some pictures looking back through our year:

We started out the year with a trip to Salem for New Years with our college friends

Starting to look a little bit pregnant in March!

In April, David started playing Latino League soccer, and played throughout the summer.

We took our students to Multnomah Falls and the Oregon Zoo in May. What a fun trip!

My little sister (not so little any more) graduated in June. We were just two months away from having little Micah!

We went camping in July with our college friends. We stayed at Memaloose State Park, near Hood River. We had a great time, but it was really windy!

We spent our last weekend away without a baby in Spokane, where we went to David's cousin Sara's wedding. Our friend Matt lives there, and gave us a tour of the city and Manito Park.

Finally, what we'd been waiting for! Micah Owen Josheb Wattenburger was born on August 17, 2010, at 4:27pm.

One month old!

Two months old! (Our lives are now consumed with Micah, so we don't have any pictures of much else!)

First Halloween, as a scary little lion.

First Thanksgiving, at Gram-B and Papa's house. Uncle Daniel and Aunt Marci were there too, and we found out just before then that Micah is expecting a cousin this summer!

Micah's first Christmas was spent at Grandma and Grandpa TeVelde's house in Everson, with Uncle Brandon and Aunt Stephanie. He had lots of fun!

What a great year full of many blessings! God has provided for us in many ways, and we're very thankful. We're looking forward to an exciting year ahead, full of growing and changes.