Before and After

Things change.

Yesterday morning vs. yesterday later morning:

Last October vs. this October:

Family picture last November vs. Family picture this weekend:

*This will change again soon - and hopefully my belly will be significantly smaller!

Micah in his car seat at two weeks old vs. Micah in that car seat this morning:

Can you tell that I've been thinking about how quickly things change? Just thought I'd share.

Beginning A Project

Way back in June, I mentioned that I wanted to make a quilt for Micah. To set a goal to have a quilt ready for him when he moves into a big-boy bed - in 12 years. I showed the colors I liked, and some fabrics - mostly navy, green and light blue.

Today, I ordered some fabric. Only a fraction of what I'll need in total, so I have much, much more to buy. And somehow, my color palette changed... Orange popped up in there too. When I decorated Micah's room, I used greens, browns, blues and orange mostly, so it only felt natural to put the orange in the mix.

So then I ordered five orange fabrics...

I also drew up a sketch of what I want the quilt to look like. Do other quilters do this? I'm not sure. David asked me this afternoon why I was drawing it first and I realized I wasn't sure. It definitely helps me to have a good idea of what I'm planning to make, and it's helpful for calculating.

My dad is a bit of a perfectionist when he does projects - it's a good thing - he makes beautiful pieces out of wood. He does these perfect drawings of what he's going to make before he makes it. Maybe I take after him in that way? I have to see it before I can really have my head wrapped around it.

So, all that to say, I'm excited to get started when my fabric gets here! Until then, here's the plan and the color scheme:

I'm planning to use five different patterns of each color: blue, green, orange and gray. The background is going to be white. Am I crazy to make a mostly white quilt for a little boy? It's not like he'll be eating in his bed, right?

If you sew or quilt, let me know: Do you draw out your project beforehand? Do you have a computer program that helps you?

Do The Funky Chicken

We've had 'Chicken Dance' mania in our house lately - check it out:

And don't mind the mess - this little boy has a love of all things where they don't belong. Apparently he has a short attention span - he takes things out then tosses them aside after just a few seconds.

One Little Word 2012: What's Mine?

A year ago, I committed to focus on one word for 2011. 

This is what I said about my choice: "Why did I choose the word joy? Because, daily, I want to choose joy in my life." It was a very fitting choice for the year that 2011 turned out to be - I was given many opportunities to decide whether I would choose to be joyful or frustrated. This hasn't been an easy year for my family. There have been many surprises, some of which were good but many that were very difficult. 

I can't say that I always chose to be joyful. There were times that I complained - lots of times, really. Overall though, I think that I have been able to find greater joy in the circumstances I've experienced than I might have if I weren't focused on this idea that it's a choice. 

Even though 2011 is over, I hope to still choose joy in 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." 

I'm now faced with a new choice - will I have a word to focus on this year? 

As I begin to think about possibilities for my word of 2012, the list goes on and on. Ali Edwards, who started One Little Word, has a list that her followers have sent in, sharing their own words. I particularly like 'hokey-pokey' - more dancing? 

So, here are some possibilities: 

I love this verse from Philippians 4:7 - And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. What a great reminder that God gives us peace - that we don't have to worry because we have a savior who will take care of everything for us. I don't handle stress well, and I would love to spend the year focusing on finding peace in Christ.

I am not a very disciplined person. In many ways, this would be a good word for me this year. I'd like to become more disciplined in how I spend time in the Word, our family eating habits, how I spend my money, how I parent Micah, and many, many other areas. I've set myself a goal already to be more careful with our money, to be more disciplined about not buying things I don't really need - like Starbucks - it's so expensive!

Recently, I have really felt a call to show compassion to others. I volunteer at the local crisis pregnancy center, and we support a child through Compassion International, but I want to do more! I know that we live in a culture of excess where we have way more than we need and I've really been reminded lately that many, many people live in places where that's not the case! I want to use our abilities, talents and even our money to show Christ's love to others who could really use some help. I'm not really sure what that looks like for me, but it's something that I have been and will be praying about in the next few months.

So, I'm unsure. Can I have three words? Do I split the year into trimesters and focus on one at a time? I'll have to think about this for a little bit and see what seems right. I don't know if it really makes a difference if I have more than one word - it's not like there are any rules here! 

What I do know is, these are three things that I want more of in my life! 

And to bring a smile to your face - Micah wearing his daddy's new t-shirt:

I guess my word for the year won't matter - I just died from his cuteness.

Some Time Away

Christmas was great this year!

The last few weeks have been extremely busy and really fun for our family. Most of our Christmas break has been spent traveling. We are all really glad to be home and in our own space, especially to our bed! It's great visiting people, and we had a really good time with our family and friends, but Dorothy knows what she's talking about - there's no place like home!

Our first stop, after a terrible, long, disgusting car ride (I'll just say it involves vomit and Micah), was my parents' house, for a week. We spent a lot of time relaxing, and did a family Christmas celebration on Christmas day. My mom is so funny - she made my brother this great chef's hat, apron and oven mitt for Christmas. They're perfect for him because he loves to cook, and talks about food all the time! The hat is really great - all the gathering must have been a pain, but she did a great job.

Micah really enjoyed opening (and playing with) his presents - he just sat down  in the pile of wrapping paper and played with his new Legos!

I made my sister a jewelry holder for Christmas (and a purse gone wrong), and I think I'm going to make one for myself too. I used a picture frame, hot glued ribbon and gray felt onto it, and put nails on it to hold necklaces. I also bought a flower necklace from Laura at Along For The Ride, and included it so she'd be able to tell what it was!

Micah also got a haircut while we were in Everson - here's a before picture:

And an after: 

I think he looks so much older!

I also got to go wedding dress shopping with my newly-engaged sister (I won't include those pictures...), visit with my good friends from high school, and see a lot of friends. I didn't see everyone I'd like to though, it just seems like time goes so quickly - especially over the holidays!

Our next stop, after an uneventful car ride, was Eugene for a couple of days. We stayed with our college roommates and did some shopping, played Just Dance 3 on XBox, celebrated a very low-key (but fun!) New Years, and ate a LOT of sugar. It was really exciting that we also got to meet baby Madison for the first time!

We took Micah to a toy store in Eugene on Saturday morning. He was really happy in there, and walked all around the store picking things up, looking at them, and then moving on to the next.

Everyone got a chance to hold Madison - she was very sweet and very cuddly.

Here's a sign that Micah will be a great big brother. We set Madison on his lap and he wrapped his arms around her to cuddle for 15 minutes or so. He was so sweet to her!

I hope you all had a great Christmas and New Years! I'm excited to see what God has planned for 2012, whether or not it's the end of the world... I'm thinking it's not.

Christmas Is Here!

I've unintentionally taken a few week hiatus from this blog, but I'm back!

My last post was about how I wished we could put up Christmas lights, and would you believe it - we put some lights up!? There aren't many, just a string of white lights wrapped around our front porch railing and front door. Of course, I don't have a picture, but just imagine our front porch with lights around the railing.

I usually am pretty excited about Christmas, and this year was no exception! I've come to realize how much I enjoy Christmas music, and I'm not sure I'll be ready to stop listening to it in just a few days. By the way, how is it already December 22nd? Time sure is flying by!

We put up a bunch of our favorite decorations in our house for Christmas. Micah helped us, and I think he had a great time! Micah helped us decorate everything except the Christmas tree, which we put up after he went to bed. It was really fun to surprise him in the morning when he got out of bed - what is a tree doing in our house?

Here are a 'few' pictures of our decorating process, and some of my favorite decorations:

I think this hat and collar are for a cat?? Micah liked wearing them while we decorated, though.

Eating dinner is even better when it's next to the Christmas tree! 

Our nativity set, complete with a 50¢ star ornament from the Dollar Tree. I put most of our fragile glass ball ornaments into that glass jar, which usually holds candy, and I love how pretty they look! 

Little decorations I've picked up in the last few years, and a cute frame from Monica! The picture is from the first Christmas that David and I were dating, way back in 2005 ~ 6 years ago! 

Even my little owl has a new Christmas-y home! 

When I was growing up, we would get a new ornament each year, and now I have a bunch of special ornaments hanging on our tree. This is a tradition I'd like to carry on with Micah, so he got to pick out his own ornament this year - he chose this stuffed reindeer! Isn't it cute? Maverick really liked it too... 

Micah has some new friends under our Christmas tree! That rolling bear was a decoration at the Hilliard family Christmas brunch, and Micah wanted to play with it right away. Thanks for letting him keep it, Aunt Cindi! He loves it. Unfortunately, it looks a lot like a cat, so it's surprised me many times. I keep wondering who let a brown cat into our house.

I'm very thankful for all the ways that we're blessed this holiday season! I've been reminded of that more each year, as I see how we have a warm, beautiful (though small) home and family that we love, both near and far! I know that the greatest blessing of all is in the gift of Jesus, and I'm so thankful for Christ making the sacrifice to live on Earth as a man. That is the true reason for Christmas, and the reason that we're able to celebrate!

Merry Christmas from the Wattenburgers!

He's Growing Up

Before our eyes, Micah is turning into a little boy. Sometimes it seems like he was just born and I can't fathom how he can be nearly 15 months old. He really is changing quickly, and every couple of days he learns a new word or skill. It's amazing how quickly he absorbs information!

So, here are some recent pictures and some of the things he's up to!

He loves books! He has two small cloth baskets that hold his picture books, and there are many times when both baskets are nearly empty. His books will be spread all across the floor, some open and some closed. Micah loves to look at pictures!

Micah's still not walking, but I'm not worried. He's climbing on everything he can, including Maverick! (Doesn't Mav just look thrilled about it? He may not always love having Micah crawl on him, but Maverick is the most patient dog - he just licks Micah's face and lays there.)

He makes all kinds of animal sounds. His first was dog, then cat, cow and elephant. He's working on more of course, and I think he just figured out monkey but we'll have to try it out a few more times to be sure. I'm amazed at how he has been learning new words so often - he's saying all kinds of things, 'dog', 'ball', 'Hi' (it's kind of like aloha - it means hi and bye!), 'mama', 'da', 'What's that?' is 'isat?', 'Nana or Anana' for Banana or Anna, "Ma' for Maverick, and more. I really think Micah's a smart little boy!

Micah also loves his little cousin Anana, as he calls her. He's always gentle with her and he's interested in what she's doing when we're all together. Soon enough, she'll be on the floor crawling around after him.

He loves hiding under his clothes, and also trying to put them on. In the next picture he's trying to put on his jacket. He laughs and laughs when he does this. He really has a great sense of humor - any time someone is laughing, he starts to laugh too. He's started throwing his head back when he laughs, which is so cute!

Micah really is a sweet, funny little boy. He's changed our lives and we're so thankful! Every day is enriched by his presence, and that just makes me excited for all of the fun times to come. 

A Pumpkin Patch and A Hay Ride

On Friday, Micah and I went on a cousin-outing to Country Mercantile's Harvest Festival to look for the perfect pumpkin, see some animals, and have some lunch. This was the second time I'd been there, the first was a field trip with our students. It's a great fall event, with a hay ride, corn maze and a hay-bale pyramid.

Country Mercantile has a great store, where you can sample salsa and fudge - and it's the most delicious fudge I've ever had! I can't stop thinking about it. We spent a little time in the store, browsing through the shelves, then headed out to the great outdoors. 

Our first stop was the petting zoo. Micah enjoyed seeing the animals, and even tried to pet the sweet little calf.

The weather in Pasco was perfect - it's wasn't hot and sunny, so Micah could wear his sweatshirt, but it wasn't cold at all! And not a drop of rain from the gray-ish skies. We picked out a pumpkin for him, the perfect size for a little guy, and boy did he love it!

Micah also really enjoyed watching his bigger cousin Jonathan, who showed him how to roll pumpkins.

When we made it back to the front desk, we had to weigh Micah's pumpkin, which hit right at half a pound. He wasn't interested in leaving it on the scale though, so we quickly got it back in his hands, and later, in his mouth.

 I wasn't sure how much fun Micah would have at the pumpkin patch, since he's still pretty little, but he really enjoyed it! He was all smiles, especially when he was sitting in the dirt!

A Few Things, Unrelated

We started school two weeks ago, and I feel like we've been in a whirlwind ever since. I'm struggling to get everything done I'd like to, like keep up on housework, take care of Micah without being exhausted, and have a little time to relax. Mix those up with some stressful goings-on in my family, and it's been a busy, tiring few weeks. I'm looking forward to church this morning - I need a good reminder that God is in control.

I keep thinking of this verse, which I know I've shared before: Jeremiah 29:11 - "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "Plans to prosper you and not to harm you. Plans to give you a hope and a future." I need to be reminded of that - that God is in control, and His plans will prevail. Not only that, but His plans are good - no matter what.

Anyway, that wasn't the goal of this post - that's just a thought I had. It's free. I wanted to share a little about what we've been up to - we've gotten to have a little bit of fun in the midst of the craziness lately.

David and I went to Seattle for a night last weekend - we went to the Seattle Sounders v. Real Salt Lake game, then went to dinner and a movie in Bellevue. We left Micah with his Gram-B and Papa for the night, and it was nice to have time away, but we really missed him! On Sunday morning, we woke up at about 7:30, and while we took our time getting up and going, we returned to Hermiston pretty early and got to spend the rest of the day with our little buddy.

Right after the Sounders scored their first (and only) goal. The fans went crazy and threw a bunch of these streamers.
 I love how they were flying in the wind.

We had pretty good seats, behind the south goal. Even though we were up a ways we could still see really well.
Plus, I only paid $15 for both tickets - getting a great deal makes any seats become good seats.

I really enjoyed the game - I thought I'd like it alright, but I REALLY liked it!
I hope we can go to a Portland game too, sometime soon!

Last night, David, Micah and I went to a wedding of my good friend Jennifer, to Kevin, a youth pastor in town. It was beautiful, so much fun, and one of the nicest weddings I've ever been to! The ceremony was at a neighbor's house and the reception was in her parents' backyard. They had a photo booth, with props, and the three of us had a series of photos which quickly have become my favorite family photos yet! I'm hoping to figure out a way to incorporate them into the header of this little blog sometime soon.

Micah wore a bow tie that I whipped up just before we ran out the door. He's getting cuter and cuter every day. And he's getting to be more and more fun! I love that little boy so much - can you tell?

Micah and Me with my beautiful friend Emilee (left) and Jen, the beautiful bride!

God has really blessed us with good friends and family - and I'm so blessed to have such a wonderful husband in David! We're so happy and thankful to be able to celebrate the marriage of our friends, and to know that God has many, many great blessings ahead for them! This is such an exciting time in a relationship, and it makes me so happy and reminiscent to think back to our wedding three and a half years ago.