Categories
Straight to True North

Farewell Great Aunt Wanda

Grandma and Wanda
I found out that my grandma’s sister passed on tonight. Great Aunt Wanda Yinger was almost like another grandma to me because she lived across the field from Grandma and Grandpa Hill’s house, and we saw her and Great Uncle John quite often growing up. We would sometimes walk across the field with cousins and climb through their fence and play over at the Yinger’s place. They had a wooden box with water and live crawdads in it. We always liked to go peek at the odd creatures. Dad told me that when Uncle John opened the lid to get some for their fishing trip, he’d wave his hand across the top and say, “Can I have a volunteer?” The unlucky crawdads would raise their claws.

Categories
Cute-Babays

Sweet Tomatoes

[flv:sweet_tomatoes.flv 470 353]

Categories
52,000 Words for 1 Year

Daffodil

Kadie holding a daffodil

Categories
Daily Rice and Chicken

We’ll See You Again, Uncle Steve

Steve and FamilyI went to my Uncle Steve’s funeral today. He was my mom’s younger brother, the youngest of 5. He had five kids himself, with some grandchildren too. Cancer is what took his life.

He had been diagnosed a couple years ago, and seemed to overcome it. But a while later the cancer returned. He had to stop teaching in September due to the pain, and from then on he battled it out until the Lord took him home last Friday.

Categories
Cute-Babays

Violet’s Birth Story

In this post, I have written, mostly for myself, a detailed account of my second daughter’s birth. Be warned, there’s some nitty gritty stuff (birth is not for the faint hearted!).

Here’s the short version of the birth story.

My labor was 22 hours from the point I was sure I was in labor. I went to a birth center and had my baby naturally in the water on Tuesday, July 14th.

Here is a table with Violet’s birth information and also Kadence’s for comparison.

Violet Kadence
Weight 8 lbs 4 oz 7 lbs 7 oz
Length 21 in 19 in
Head Circumference 13½ in 13¾ in
Labor Duration 22 hours 18 hours
Days Past Due Date 10 days 8 days
Birth Place Alma Midwifery Birth Center St. Vincent Hospital

We are so glad Kadie has a sister, especially since I have all brothers, my mom has all brothers, David has a brother…it’s about time there are some sisters in the family. It’ll be fun to see my girls play together. Kadie already covers her with hugs and kisses.

Categories
Cute-Babays

Due Date Plus One

Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me! For my soul trusts in You; and in the shadow of Your wings I will make my refuge, until these calamities have passed by…

My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast; I will sing and give praise…

I will praise You, O Lord, among the peoples; I will sing to You among the nations. For Your mercy reaches unto the heavens, and your truth unto the clouds. Be exalted, O God, above the heavens; Let Your glory be above all the earth.

Excerpts from Psalm 57

This morning marks the first day past my due date. It’s funny how setting a date brings all kinds of expectations, hopes, and disappointments. In my mind I know that doctors can only predict so much, but that in reality, God has the final say when it comes to our time to be born, much less all the days total we have left to live on earth. And so I’ve decided to take it one day at a time and praise God for all the blessings he’s given me, and rest in the fact that He knows the future, which is good enough for me to know right now.

Categories
Daily Rice and Chicken

Feeling Loved

David gave me one of the best birthday presents I could ask for. And he kept it a surprise too! I’m so proud of him for keeping a secret from me for almost a month! He planned a slumber party for me. No boys. No babies. Just my girlfriends. Awesome!!

Categories
So We Love To Watch Dance

Top 20: Jenni’s Favorites

Since I’m not really danceable at present time, I get my kicks watching others strut their stuff. What a strong start for this season of So You Think You Can Dance!

Being that it’s Thursday, now, and we’ve said good bye to two dancers, I’m sad to see that Paris got cut. I really liked her audition piece, and she seems like a neat person to get to know. I agree with David that she is more interesting as a dancer and person than Asuka, but I also think her solo tonight wasn’t super strong. Bummer. Her partner, Tony, was also cut. He was alright – a fun entertainer, but not strong in dance compared to the others. I sort of wanted to see how much he would grow on the show, but I guess we won’t get that chance. Bummer.

On a side note, there’s one person I’m really sad wasn’t in the top 20; not because he wasn’t good enough (he is amazing!) but because he was bound to his contract with the Miami City Ballet Company – Alex Wong.

Here’s some of my favorites from opening night. Some of the routines are more of a tie for me, but here’s my general ranking.

Categories
Daily Rice and Chicken

My Sewing Project

My Sewing Machine
I’ve decided to do a sewing project for baby #2. Ever since using my cousin’s huge receiving blanket last summer, I’ve wanted some but didn’t want to pay a lot for them. So a $20 trip to the fabric store provided me with four big blankets and some matching burp rags. They sure look homemade, but I’m rather attached to them since the finishing stitch around the edges took me over an hour to sew for each blanket. Granted, most of the time seemed to be spent on trying to refill the bobbin. I guess it was good entertainment for David who kept laughing while hearing me grumble or make strong exclamations at the machine.

Not to complain, though. I’m thrilled to get my Grandma Hill’s old Pfaff machine, which my parents and Rex chipped in to get repaired. It was an expensive Christmas/birthday gift, more money than it costs to get a new cheap machine from Costco or somewhere. But the Pfaff is also worth quite more if I sold it. I don’t know that I will sell it ever. It’s a link to a very dear woman, and I can imagine Grandma sewing the stuffed animals she made for me.

Categories
Cute-Babays

Kadie’s Going To Be A Big Sister!

Cute Babay Number 2That’s right! I’m pregnant! About 10 weeks. Due in the end of June. And NO, we’re not going to find out what sex this baby is either until he or she is born. In the words of Wesley from The Princess Bride, “Get used to disappointment.”