Halfway Home

Football fun concluded last night with a watching of the game and some commercials. We passed on the half time show. Realizing that Madonna and their mom, Donna, are about the same age, it just seemed insulting to both of us. It was the opportune time to make a trip out to the barn to lock up the goats and chickens and to serve some some ice cream with those brownies. Andy is fine with having a mom who bakes (me) versus and mom who spends a lot of time working out (Madonna.) Although I did go to the gym this morning. Perhaps Madonna was home in the kitchen. You never know.

Re: those million dollar commercials. Did anyone else crack up at the Twinkie reference where this was the only food source that made in through the Mayan apocalypse, or was it just me?

…Isabella Joy!

There are cute babies, and cute babies, and then there is this one! A peaceful sleeper, a professional eater (says her dad) and a cavernous yawner (witnessed by me). The cycle of life has turned again with the arrival of Isabella Joy Angell, 4:04 a.m. A peep of a thing at 7 pounds, 20.5 inches, she has the life of love in her pink skin, wide eyes and obvious settled state as the daughter to two young and caring parents. The hospital room was barely big enough to contain their happiness and our eagerness as we arrived to greet her and check in on Allie this morning. Isaac, who was up all night too, looked a little more rested and very sharp too!

I now understand why any 1950’s movie where a baby being born also has women boiling water and men pacing. Not that WE ARE EXCITED OR ANYTHING, BUT Chris and Andy are pacing, I am in the kitchen making ricotta cheese ( an upgrade from just boiling water) and Dale is catching up on sleep. He must know the birthing process can take a while, and is stocking up for all those involved. Good idea!

Baby waiting is exciting! Winter baby preparedness means fun cooking. Soups, sauces, casseroles…”baby food” as I call it, just for mom and dad. Today I received a great crock pot soup which is on its way to Isaac and Allie’s, so, SINCE I HAVE SOME TIME, I’d thought I’d post it!

Slow Cooker Stuffed Pepper Soup

1 lb. ground turkey
1 cup chopped onion
1 tsp minced garlic
28 oz. can diced tomatoes with juice
6 oz. can tomato paste
4 cups chicken broth
3 cups chopped green pepper
2/3 uncooked rice
2 Tblsp. brown sugar
1 tsp basil
1/4 tsp cinnamon
salt & pepper
In large skillet, brown turkey, onions & garlic on medium heat.

Drain any juices and transfer mixture to slow cooker.

Add remaining ingredients.

Cook on low heat 8-9 hours. Add water to thin if necessary.

Long, long ago, in a family very near to you, two soon-to-be parents awaited the birth of their first born child. Three weeks after the due date, with still no delivery, mom and baby underwent an ultrasound. Back then, this was rare! Before the ultrasound, I had to drink 12 ounces of Pepsi and eat a Snickers bar. Fact, not fiction. I understand the significance of upping the energy level of all concerned, but now I look back and say “A Pepsi AND a Snickers bar!” Yikes!

Today, as Allie and baby undergo their ultrasound, I am wondering if times have changed, or “Will that be a Pepsi or Mountain Dew with your candy bar? “

We all await the arrival of “da neice”, Isaac and Allie’s first child! We are confident she will have a different name upon birth, but until then we work with what we’ve got, which is two creative uncles who have come up with their own names, hence, “Da Neice.”

Saturday, January 21st came and went, and still we all wait. Yesterday I “took” Allie for a walk down a long, bumpy country lane, complete with several sloping uphills. She kept pace with me all the way, and we walked even farther than last Wednesday. Neither one of us was too out of breath. I am happy to keep up with a very beautiful and very pregnant and now overdue daughter. She is very thankful to be in the place of her dreams with the man of her dreams. And we all have dreams for the coming few days.

Unlike Allie’s birth, which was a bona fide 21 days past due, I think today’s medical practices do not favor such long waiting periods. Yet we happily wait, we prayerfully wait, and we are thankful for those waiting with us!

Well, a new year has come,and soon many 2012 events will be being written down filling in a fresh calender. Thankfully, we got the chance to move into the new year with our friends the Walkers, shooting off  fireworks at midnight accompanied by Auld Lang Syne being played on the bag pipes(which was pretty awesome). But in the wave of that,  it’s good to stop and look back at the event we celebrated only days before. Funny how we spend weeks preparing for Christmas day and shortly after it is over we soon move on to the next event, so think of this as a Christmas/New Years post!

Around our house pens are problematic. I know we have an abundance of them, and a place to keep them, just not an abundance in the right place. Hmmm….I thought I had something to do with the problem, and the best part was that I was right. The harder part? I “found” nearly a dozen pens in my sewing box accumulated over a four week sewing stint. I knew from home schooling that I cannot think clearly without a pen in my hand; apparently, I can’t sew clearly without a few in my box.

Well, fast as it has seemed to sneak up on us, it is now Christmas Eve day, and between preparing for the church play, visiting with  friends, baking lots of cookies,and all the other Christmas things there are to do, it is safe to say we have had things to keep us busy. But it’s always good  to take time to enjoy this special things of the season and what it is about! So merry Christmas!

‘Tis the season to prepare for many things, one being the Christmas Pageant at church. This is a big deal in our home, because it is the first CP we’ve done which actually reenacts the traditional pageant. Goats, chickens, pony, shepherds, kings, Mary, Joseph, Gabriel, lots of angels and a baby, then two year old Jesus. The boys have waited out many a cantata focusing on other aspects of contemporary drama, wondering when will we do the story as we know it, sing it, read about it?

It was last night when I realized that Chris was lacking in his costume. This is embarrassing, as I am costume coordinator with some very helpful gals. It is good news for Chris, as all fabrics are now available and he can have his pick.

Two months? Two months?!? TWO MONTHS!!!

That’s how long since the last post! I can not quite believe it.

So, we could post lots of mini-posts. Or not. Best to leave it at Dale has been working strange China hours, getting to IBM before 6 a.m. a few days a week. So, we think this is not much, until we realize it impacts all the rest of the day, the sharing of cars, the travelling to soccer games, college schedules, cow milking. Throw in the joy of having Allie and Isaac nearby ( a little weekly visit is so nice!), a baby shower, a big Lego project, hunting season, making many costumes, a few music practices, a faithful Bible study, family conversations that get longer and better, a few downed trees and a large broken drainage pipe, chickens that are on hiatus from laying, and the little secret that Mom likes a Sunday afternoon football game on tv, and there you have many posts all in one paragraph. And a reason why the web-site has been quiet. It has all been productive time with people and projects, and God willing, we see no end of either in sight! So, it shouldn’t be too much to organize and manage our day for a new post a few times a week, should it ?