Dunaway Days

Cupcakes

2011-05-27T17:09:00.000-07:00

I was wondering what we could do today...so we made cupcakes. Rett helped mix the cake batter and put the liners in the cupcake tin. We let them cool and then iced and decorated them. He gave his best try at icing them himself. He said he wanted to ice them like mommy. Then he decorated them with sprinkles. He did most of it all by himself! Whatever profession he decides, he'll know how to make a mean cupcake.
We are excitedly awaiting the arrival of little man Dunaway #2. He's due in less than 2 weeks. I'm feeling pretty good and getting ready to meet him.

Rett's First Race

2011-05-02T17:13:00.000-07:00

We took Rett to his first running race, held by the Illinois Valley Striders Kids series at a race track by Proctor hospital. He was VERY excited all day. He said he was going to be as fast as Lightning McQueen! Brit did the warm-up with him and was also able to run beside him in the 3 years and under heat. Rett ran the whole 1/4 mile and didn't stop. At the end he got a cookie, apple juice, and a ribbon. I'm so proud of my little runner!

Learning

2011-03-22T19:55:00.000-07:00

In a few days I will be 29 weeks along...which means Little Mister Dunaway #2 will be here in 11 weeks or less. I am looking forward to meeting him. I wonder what he will look like and what he will be interested in, what his temperatment will be, what Rett will think about him. I feel I am more prepared in expecting sleepless or sleepy nights/days. I knew pregnancies could be different, but I was not prepared to figure out that I cannot have dairy. My stomach has been upset on and off since the first trimester. I thought this pregnancy was just different. After a while, I suspected that milk might be bothering me, but never thought about yogurt, cheese, cottage cheese, etc. could be upsetting my stomach. I eat it everyday. I stopped drinking milk and dairy products last Monday and my pains went away. I have taken up drinking almond milk for my cereal and an occasional glass to drink. It's not too bad. Here is the latest belly picture, taken a few weeks ago:

In the midst of upset stomachs, Brit and I have been challenged as parents for two reasons: 1) We are taking a class at Northwoods called Spiritual Parenting and 2) Rett has been challenging our authority and trying to exercise his. With #1, we are taking a six weeks series based off a book called "Spiritual Parenting" by Michelle Anthony. It is a wonderful book. It's not about dos and don'ts, but about how we can raise our children with an eternal mindset and fully know who they are in Christ and creating environments for them to do so. It has been good. #2 is getting better. After many days of taking away dessert, DVD time, toys, books, story time....Rett is listening and knowing that we mean what we say. And we are learning to mean what we say and be consistent! I have learned having kids shows you how to be patient, consistent, loving, forgiving, gracious, flexible, and so many other things.

YEAH!!!

2011-02-24T16:46:00.000-08:00

These past couple weeks have been challenging and wonderful. Challenging, because Brit and I are having to take a look at reality: our budget. We are confident that God will provide for our needs, he always does. Wonderful, because God answered one of our insistent prayers during our time of fasting in January. I may not be able to give details yet, but the challenge and the answer go hand in hand. I could not feel more blessed and loved.

Rett is showing his three year old colors. Listening and obedient one minute and screaming and crying the next mintue. It's not all the time. It's just trying our patience! His favorites this week have been "The Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day" book. I have read it for each story time before he takes a nap or goes to bed. I told him I wasn't reading it today. His other favorite has been Shrek 2. Most of the time he only gets to watch the first 30 minutes because I put a timer on how long he can watch it. So I don't lose track of time and he isn't just watching movies all day long. He doesn't like Shrek (the first one) because he doesn't like Lord Farquad.

Looks like we might have one more time to go sledding.....yeah.....

Spring Fever

2011-02-14T12:25:00.000-08:00

As I stepped out the door yesterday I pleasantly surprised that I did not immediately freeze. On my way to the grocery store the road was filled with water; dirty melted snow. There were people with their windows down and doors open to their businesses and wearing no coats. While it was a nice change of pace, I am not quite ready to pull out the halter top. Though, it did make me excited for spring!!

Rett has been sick this weekend with a little bug of some kind. Puking, pooping, and no fever. In total, it lasted about five days. Thankfully, the puking and pooping part was only for two days. He's feeling better now. I do not like the feeling that I cannot do something for him,but I suppose holding him on the couch helps him and me :)

5 Minutes All To Myself

2011-02-05T08:04:00.000-08:00

I had a more than five minutes all to myself this morning, but I love that line from White Christmas. I enjoyed a bath, time to read the paper, started the laundry, and picked the house all the while listening to Dave Barnes and Michael Buble as loud as I wanted and all by myself! Brit and Everett went out for father-son outing to Dunkin' Donuts. Rett had 2 1/2 donuts...but mostly just ate the tops of the donuts.

Then, if time by myself was not enough, I was even more spoiled when Brit brought me a mocha latte from Dunkin' and an early Valentine present; Fannie Mae chocolates! My husband is the best.

Good Day

2011-01-31T18:52:00.000-08:00

There are days when I stay at home that I wonder "What WILL Rett and I do today?" Today was beginning as one of those days. I decided to take Rett to the library. He was very excited because he knew there were Thomas the Train videos there we could check out. He promptly picked one out at soon as we walked in and then went to the computer where he wanted to see the "Magic School Bus" program. I showed him how to click with the mouse and he actually did pretty good all by himself. He listened and there was no whining when I said it was time to be done. We went home and watched Thomas and then played with Play-Doh.

While playing with Play-Doh, I asked Rett what he was going to do this weekend with Brit. "Donuts!" he yelled. They are going out Saturday morning for a daddy-son outing to Dunkin Donuts. He said he was going to get a donut with sprinkles and Daddy is going to get a pumpkin donut (which he got the last time they went). I asked "What if there are no pumpkin donuts? What will Daddy get?" Rett told me that Daddy would cry and come home and lay on his bed...this is what Rett would do. I had to laugh. My little man is a funny one. I enjoyed my morning.

And speaking of a little man, we had a sonogram last Tuesday. Everything looked perfect for our baby BOY! We are very excited. We're just trying to find a name now. I had always thought I would have two boys, and now I will. Being the planner that I am, I have already gotten clothes from my sister who had a baby boy in the spring (I don't think sweaters will work well for a baby in June!). I went through two huge boxes from her and sorted them by size....now for the clothes I already have downstairs. The nesting has begun.

Brit and I are slightly excited by the possibility of a snow day Tuesday or Wednesday. There are a ton of school closures for tomorrow already tonight. We will see! With that said, I am so looking forward to spring.

Birthdays

2010-12-12T13:45:00.000-08:00

Today Brit is 30! We celebrated a month ago by having a small surprise party, but of course we went out for dinner Friday at a new restaurant in town called "309" in Junction City shopping area. It had a great atmosphere and good food and service. Brit says he doesn't feel older and everyone says he doesn't look over 22. They're right. :)

Yesterday we celebrated Rett's 3rd birthday with a party (though he will not officially be 3 until Tuesday). He has been saying since August that he wanted a Thomas the Train cake. We hunted for the pan and he had a Thomas cake. He's talking up a storm and tells little stories about how his cars landed on their heads and said "ouch" or how they crashed into each other. He remembers the littlest things and like things to be orderly (hmmm....wonder where he gets that from?). He loves to be around people. And everything is "me do it Mommy." Here's a few pictures of the party!

What we have been up to

2010-12-06T18:46:00.001-08:00

Cutting down our Christmas tree.

Rett proudly displaying the Mickey Mouse snowman cookie that he decorated all my himself (mostly).

Playing in the leaves in November.
Lining up his Halloween candy.

Our Charlie Brown ghost.

November News

2010-11-28T14:17:00.001-08:00

The past month has gone by so quickly, I must have forgot or didn't have time to blog. Halloween turned out to be very fun for Rett as he trick or treated for the first time as Charlie Brown. I'll post a picture next time. He like walking to the houses and when he got home, as in Everett fashion, he lined up each piece of candy on the floor to see how much he had received.

November was a good month. It seems to have gone by quickly. Flu shots, a few migraines for myself, a few colds, and a few fun sunny days outside. More pictures to come next entry. Yesterday Brit and I celebrated 6 years of marriage. It was been a wonderful and always adventurous time. We have completed graduate school, lived in four different places, had six different jobs between us, and had one beautiful boy....and are looking forward to expanding our family in June with Baby Dunaway #2! We are super excited about this new addition and know God has blessed us beyond what we could have imagined.

In December we are looking forward to celebrating Christ's birth, Brit's birthday, Rett's birthday, chopping down a Christmas tree with our family, decorating our home, seeing family, and baking cookies. Enjoy your holiday season!

A Charlie Brown Halloween?

2010-10-20T13:58:00.000-07:00

Rett has been a big fan of the three pack of holiday "Peanuts" cartoons (Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas). We decided we would take him trick or treating this year. He has a cute little pumpkin costume in the closet so I tried to persuade him that he could be the "Great Pumpkin"; no go. What does he want to be? He wants to be a ghost like Charlie Brown (see the ghost with all the holes, that's Charlie Brown). Here's how the rest of the conversation went:

Rett: Daddy be Pig Pen, Mommy be a witch (Lucy).

Mom: Oh, really, thanks.

So as we're not totally into Halloween and ghouls, we're letting him be a ghost. Rett and I went and picked out a sheet at the Salvation Army; a pretty turquoise sheet he picked out. It was $1.50. We will see how the costuming goes!

Ah, to be a boy

2010-09-16T14:20:00.000-07:00

Last night we visited the Morton Pumpkin Festival and feasted on pumpkin chili and pumpkin ice cream along with our good friends the Garrigus'. Rett did not need to go potty the whole 2 hours we were there and he didn't go before we left the house. I was beginning to wonder if he was going to pee his pants! In the parking lot, before we headed home, I asked him if he needed to potty and he said yes. Thanks to the suggestion from my mother-in-law, I had stashed a glass can in the car for such occasions. I walked him over to the car, pulled down his pants, and held the jar in front of him....and he peed! I was pleasantly surprised that he was not scared of peeing in the jar and eased my fears of a wet car seat and no idea how to clean it. The whole way home he kept saying "Me pee in jar." Yes, yes, you did. Ah, to be a boy.

"Rett" patties

2010-08-24T18:45:00.001-07:00

A direction repeated over and over as I grew up on the farm was "watch where you step." Why? Because walking through the cow pasture you might step on a fresh cow pie (yes, poop).

Rett and I visited my mom and dad this afternoon after our great visit with the Garrigus'. Perhaps the fresh country air "moved" Rett, because he pooped in the potty for pretty much the first time! Personally, I was very excited about this event. Pooping in his pants has been the norm the past month. So, this is an improvement.

After supper, we were playing with bubbles outside in the grass when Rett said "Mommy, me pee." I promptly asked "You need to pee?" His reply "yeah." I pulled his pants down as fast as I could and decided he could pee right there in the yard. It's the country, right? As soon as I pulled down his pants a big turd fell out of his bottom along with a second. Then he peed on the bubble wand in the grass. So as odd as this seems, I was glad he pooped outside and he told me, but watch out where you step in the front yard of my parent's house for "Rett" patties.

Small Town Living

2010-08-02T17:51:00.000-07:00

The past few weeks I have been reminded of why I love having been raised in a small town. My mom pulled a muscle and has had to have someone help her go to appointments, make meals, and simply be company. Neighbors, friends, and church family (in most cases these are one and the same) have stepped in to help fill these needs. I have not been able to be there all the time to help, but I knew they were taken care of the whole time.

I also went to Corn Daze this weekend. Yes, it's a festival of corn (mark your calendars for the first Sunday in Minier next year!). It's always nice to go back home and see familiar faces. Ones that have known me ever since I was born. They have taught me in Sunday school, I've worked alongside them, gone to school with them, and worshipped with them. It's like going to a family reunion. I know that when I really need something, I can ask them for help. And then I thought about Rett. I want him to know have the same sense of community family and that core of people who know him and will be there to encourage him. While we aren't in a small town, I do know we beginning a new community here.

Process

2010-07-16T19:45:00.000-07:00

Process is a good description of our family happenings of the last few weeks.

The process of potty training. He's had many successes and no accidents days which make up for the times when he poops his pants or pees on the floor. For the most part, he is doing very well with it all.

I am learning owning a house is always a process. We have just come to the end stages of completing a project we purchased almost a year ago-staining and hanging cabinet doors in our sort-of remodeled basement. The basement is also in process, but one step closer. We also hung up new curtains in our bedroom which we bought the material for in March. Yep. I used to wonder how you could put off a project so long, but now I know a child delays things (I love him!) and money.

Now as I'm thinking about this, it hit me that life in general is a process. Genius, huh? I am not perfect but work toward it each day with the power of the Holy Spirit. There are a lot of things I need to learn...it's a process.

Dunaway Family Reunion

2010-06-29T17:42:00.001-07:00

Pee in the corner

2010-06-10T19:37:00.000-07:00

Rett was not wanting to get his diaper changed and p.j.s on tonight. We were successful in getting his diaper off, but he was kicking and rolling so much we couldn't get a diaper back on him. We decided that he needed a time out. His usual time-out spot is in a corner in the kitchen. So there he was with his t-shirt on and nothing else. Although a discipline time, he looked cute. As we waited for the timer to go out on his 2 minutes in the corner and I said to Brit "at least if he pees it's in the kitchen on the linoleum floor."

The timer went off....and there was our son stomping his little feet in his pee on the floor. We cleaned up his feet and Brit cleaned up the floor...and then we put on a diaper.

Avanti's

2010-05-20T13:53:00.001-07:00

Rett carefully placed the two plastic toy cows and horse on the end table in the living room. (Keep in mind that Rett likes to go to Avanti's, which usually comes "vanti's" when he says it:

Me: Where are the animals going, the barn?
Rett: No
Me: to town?
Rett: No
Me: To eat?
Rett: Yeah
Me: Where are they going to eat?
Rett: Vanti's!
Me: Yeah? What are they going to eat? Bread?
Rett: Yeah
Me: Salad?
Rett: Yeah
Me: Pizza?
Rett: Yeah

I love these conversations.

Sneaky little man

2010-05-11T06:56:00.000-07:00

Every afternoon I work while Rett naps. We recently moved our office downstairs, though since I just got a laptop, I have started working upstairs. Yesterday I had to do a few things on the desktop computer so I set up shop down there. I left the basement door open so that I could hear if Rett needed anything. I have a fear that someone might come in while I'm down there and I won't hear them or he'll need something and I won't hear him. A little paranoid, I know.

So I began working and after a while I thought I heard footsteps or movements upstairs. After I heard them a few times I decided to go up and check it out. My heart began to beat a little faster as I'm sure adrenaline was kicking in, just in case something was there. As I turned the corner to go up the stairs, Rett was coming down backwards on his knees! It about made my heart jump out of my chest! He had gotten down out of his bed (by pushing his rail down), opened his door, and figured out I was downstairs. Stinker. I put him back in bed, told him it was nap time, and then went back downstairs.

I began working again and a few minutes later I thought I heard water running, like when the toilet flushes. I thought that was odd because I did not go to the bathroom and there was no one else that would have gone to the bathroom. I headed up the stairs to see what was going on. Rett's door was closed, so I assumed he was in bed. I went toward the bathroom door and sure enough, the toilet had been flushed. There was only one culprit I could think of...but he was not in the bathroom. As I stood at the bathroom doorway I could see in our bedroom. I peeked in our bedroom because Rett often likes to "hide" in there. I slowly peeked in and looked at his usual hiding spot, but no Rett. Then slowly from around the corner of the dress (which is right by the doorway) Rett poked his head out. Again, sending my heart racing. I was so surprised I yelled "Rett!" which also scared him too! Then I saw his shirt sleeve was wet. He had been playing in the toilet and flushed it.

I thought there might be something he wanted since he never gets out of bed and rarely doesn't not take a nap. I asked "Is there something you need?" He replied "cracker!" I gave him a graham cracker and told him after he was done he would be going back to bed. He went back to bed after the snack, I moved my working to upstairs, and he never fell asleep.

And oddly he was an energy box last night running around, throwing things, jumping up and down and on and on and on. It was an interesting afternoon and evening. It'll be a funny story to tell him about when he's grown up. And if I work downstairs, I'll turn on the monitor!

groceries

2010-05-01T14:02:00.000-07:00

Who gets excited when their receipt at the grocery store states they have saved more than they paid? Ooooooooo! That's me!

Ice Cream

2010-04-15T18:13:00.000-07:00

We had chocolate chocolate chip ice cream tonight.

April

2010-04-14T16:53:00.001-07:00

Spring has sprung, along with a little taste of summer, thanks to our 80 degree weather. We've been keeping busy with playing outside, getting our garden ready, and doing yard work. Brit has also been keeping busy at work while filling in for his supervisor while she's on maternity leave. He's been doing a good job. I have learned how to complete a Residential Check on new constructions (part of my part-time job). It takes a little time but I do have to say that I am feeling quite construction savvy. Each day Rett says a new word. This week is has been "chair," "bird," "neigh"(for the horse) and has a new way to communicate that he knows who Uncle Tim is. We've been having fun- here are a few things we've been doing.Easter Egg Hunt at Grandma's- ooohhh, candy!
Pajama Head- his pajama pants are wrapped around his head-funny boy!
Sliding at the park.

Big Boy

2010-03-06T12:47:00.000-08:00

We have begun the steps to being a complete "big boy." A few weeks ago Rett transitioned to his big boy bed, complete with Thomas the Train sheets (his favorite part of the bed). He has done really well....and has only fallen out once (he sneaked past the guard rails and fell off the end of the bed-he's o.k.).Last week he noticed me rolling out cookie dough and was very interested in the rolling pin. Last night I made pizza and he rolled a little out. Who else is going to teach him to be a good cook? I know every lady loves a man who can cook.So much fun!

Six Years Ago Today

2010-03-03T18:27:00.000-08:00

Six years ago today, I sat in the front of a gray Bonneville on a cool and rainy day during my lunch time in Lincoln and made one of the best decisions of my life. I said "yes" to marrying Brit. It was one of the most exciting days of my life. We skipped our 1:00pm class to tell everyone and I remember staring at my ring the whole way through my night class. It was sparkly and so pretty! It was perfect and he had it made just for me.

God has blessed me with a wonderful husband. And six years ago, I don't think I could have imagined where we would be and how different and good our life together is with Rett. I love you Brit and wouldn't want to be anywhere else.

Bye-Bye (fill in the blank)

2010-02-09T07:27:00.000-08:00

Everett's latest addition to his vocabulary is "Bye-bye." Not only is it "bye-bye" but then he adds whatever other word he knows to the end of it "bye-bye-daddy,""bye-bye-mommy,""bye-bye-choo choo." It's pretty cute! It seems like each day he picks up a new word and repeats over and over the ones that he already knows.

We also are getting ready to say bye-bye to the crib! We received his new bed and dresser this weekend. The changing table is moved to the spare bedroom and the bed will go in this coming weekend. If anyone has any tricks to keep them in bed, we'll take them! I think he'll do well with the transition and we have bed rails. Since his legs have been sticking out of his crib almost every night, we thought it was time. Bye-Bye!

Sights and sounds of winter

2010-01-22T13:53:00.000-08:00

The most heard sound today? A slow creak of the trees and sheets of ice and snow falling from our roof. The roads, sidewalks, and our house were covered in ice this week. Since it has warmed up to a balmy 36, it's starting to melt. Every once in a while it scares me though because the ice will slide off and I'll think a car is coming up the driveway or rushing by.

With ice and snow, we've been staying inside! This week I have been thankful to have a basement that holds and indoor playhouse! Winter munchies or a growth spurt, Rett has been VERY hungry this week. He keeps saying "eat, eat," about every 20 minutes.

I can't believe it's almost the end of January, though I have to admit, I'm glad. I don't think I've ever looked forward to springtime so much. I would be o.k. if it didn't dump snow again this winter. Light dusting, o.k. Dump, no. Brit and I have started the next series in our parenting classes (http://www.gfi.org/). We have learned so much from this series of classes that comes from a biblically based mind set. We've enjoyed it so much and feel so passionate about equipping parents and helping families, that we hosted our first parenting class by facilitating "Preparing to Parent" with two couples we know that are expecting in March. It was a lot of fun getting to know them. Best of all, we loved sharing with them how their marriage is the most important relationship and their children are welcome members into their family. We hope to host more and see where God takes it.

I'm looking forward to curling up in a blanket later tonight and something warm to drink. And if I'm lucky, I'll get to cuddle up with my guys at the same time!

Bathroom Train

2010-01-05T07:17:00.000-08:00

Christmas was great and the new year is beginning well. Everett received a small Lionel Train set from Nana & Papa Dunaway. He played with it Christmas morning and loved it! We have it set up downstairs so he can play with it. I'm beginning to think he really likes trains because this is what he did in the bathroom yesterday morning (and does in his bedroom on a daily basis).He brought each piece in, while running in the hallway between trips. I think he might have a little of his mother in him since he likes to line things up and make them neat :). Happy New Year!

Birthdays & Snow

2009-12-19T11:23:00.000-08:00

Last weekend we celebrated Brit and Everett's birthdays! This is Brit's new 18 volt drill and circular saw (of course, our remodel downstairs is mostly finished).Brit and I mostly opened Rett's presents. He was especially fond of his new "Bob" DVDs (Veggie Tales) and his toy cows.
"Cow" is one if his favorite words, so I decided for a cow themed birthday. Here he is right before he got to eat cake (I made the cake myself).
We received a light snow last night. Brit decided to shovel the driveway and take Rett outside with him. He likes the snow! Here he is bundled up and ready to go!
"Helping" daddy shovel.
Rett wasn't too happy about coming inside, so we scooped up some snow that he could enjoy inside.
And a funny picture-Rett received this nose last Christmas and picked it up last night and wore it for a few minutes- too cute!

A smile will get you...

2009-12-11T13:24:00.000-08:00

Rett and I ran a few errands today. Among them was getting a new battery for my faub (key entry) for my car. We stopped at Interstate Batteries. A nice gentleman helped me and even went outside in the cold to make sure it was working before I paid for the battery. While he was outside, Rett was roaming the store. He was complete with his tan corduroy jacket and red hat with a poof on top-looking very cute. Another customer was leaving the store and Rett was right by the door to go outside. As the customer opened the door, Rett smiled (as if he was thinking "I wonder if I can get out."). The customer commented on what a great smile he had. So, two very nice things happened within a few minutes.

The man who was checking the battery came back in and said it was working fine. It was time to ring up my purchase. As we walked toward the counter, the man saw Rett was with me and pulled a key chain with a light on the end of it (one of those you push to have the light come on) from the end of a shelf. He was showed him how to use it, though Rett has his hands in mittens. He said " You can keep this" with a smile and let Rett hold it. I paid for my purchase and walked out a very happy customer. The key chain was not necessary, but very nice. So thank you to the man at Interstate Batteries for the great service and fun gift for Rett.

O Christmas Tree

2009-12-05T12:30:00.000-08:00

Christmas tree picking day has brought many memories. Let me tell you about our past five years of Christmas trees.

Year 1- We had a 12" tree that sat on our bookcase. We came back in December from our honeymoon and decided not to get a tree. Plus, we had a small apartment.

Year 2- We borrowed a truck and went to the Christmas tree farm in Mt. Pulaski. We found the tree and Brit cut it down. Once we got the tree into our small 1 bedroom apartment upstairs, we realized the trunk was too wide to fit in the small metal holder we had. Brit wittled on it for about 2 hours our our deck, in the cold, and eventually we got in in the holder, though it was a little heavy. So our solution was to tie it to our sliding glass door so that it wouldn't fall over. We refer to it as our ghetto tree.

Year 3- I was pregnant and we decided to go to a Christmas tree farm near Clinton. It was cold and raining/sleeting and we were in a truck. Let's just say we picked out the tree in literally 5 minutes and were back on our way home.

Year 4- No "live" Christmas tree, but the owners of the home before us left a small 4 foot artificial Christmas tree in the basement. We placed it on our end table (out of the reach of little hands). It was perfect.

Year 5- Today we went to Blank's Tree Farm in Creve Couer. This is where Brit grew up getting his Christmas tree with this parents. We went with Bob & Nancy today and picked out our first Christmas tree as a family. It was a chilly but sunny day. This was Rett's first time picking out a tree. Since it was chilly, we used his puffy coat. He looked like a little marshmallow...and very cute!

On the look for the perfect tree.A perfect Everett sized tree, but too small for the whole family.

"Helping" Nana & Papa cut down their tree.
The Dunaway tree-directly behind Brit.

"Helping" daddy cut down our tree.

5 Years

2009-11-27T12:53:00.000-08:00

5 years ago today I made one the best and most important decisions of my life; I married Britain Dunaway. Even his name sounds dreamy! :) We have enjoyed our time together and each year we say we can't wait to see where God will take us the next year. In five years we have celebrated our first niece, his graduation from seminary, our first child, our first nephew, our first home, his first "real" job, Tim's marriage, a new sister-in-law and the list goes on. I am so proud to be his wife...I made a pretty good decision (and he did too ;).

Time

2009-11-19T18:38:00.001-08:00

I'm finding more often that time slips away so quickly. I have good intentions to blog but then I get tired or want to spend time just sitting on the couch with Brit or play with Rett before he goes to bed. I know these are good choices rather than blogging. And as I think about time slipping away, right now I want it to go faster because Britis gone and I want him home with me.

November has been a good month. Brit and I attended the Love and Respect conference last weekend at Northwoods. We had heard of the book (written by Emerson Eggerichs) and knew a little bit about it, but never have read it. The basis of the book is that in marriage (or almost any relationship, but the book is based on marriage) a man needs respect for who he is, what he does, what he can do, etc. The woman needs to feel loved-spend time with her, thank her for what she does, to hear you are committed to her and treasure her. The goal is that her respect for him motivates his love for her and round and round the cycle goes. When things get off kilter, they call that the crazy cycle. We learned a lot and are putting into practice what we have learned. We also bought their new book "Cracking the Communication Code."

On the "home" front, we are on the last leg of finishing the downstairs. The dry wall was mudded this week and Brit and I need to do the last sanding. Then paint and we're done! Our goal is to have it finished by Dec. 14. And we refinanced, again. I'm super excited because we're saving almost $40 a month! Woohoo!

Rett is a funny little boy. He has learned to pull the chair up to the counter to get what he wants or to "help" me wash dishes (splashing in the water when he can get his hand in there or throw clean dishes back in the water). He has been jibber jabbering a lot. He'll say a mix of jibbers and then "Bob." "Bob" is for Bob the Tomato from Veggie Tales. Yelling "Mom" or "Dad" reapeatedly is a common sound in our house. He likes to build with blocks and stack all sort of things. Throwing anything is also a favorite right now. A big thank you to Nana & Papa for an early birthday gift he was able to play with outside a few weeks ago when it was so nice and now inside downstairs- a little slide with a roof on the platform. I believe it's called the Lookout Treehouse. He goes up and down and throws balls or cars down the slide. It's great fun! And as time slips away, he'll be two in a few weeks. Where does it go? I am so thankful that Brit supports our family with his job and our decision for me to stay at home with Rett. I enjoy spending time with Rett and seeing him change. He's also a pretty good little shopper/errand runner. I am so blessed to have my family.

And as I'm wrapping up, Brit should be home soon and I think our weekend guests (friends of friends from Dallas here for the Missionary Convention) are here. Good night!

Convesations with Rett

2009-10-30T19:21:00.000-07:00

E:"Mom"
J:"Everett" (giggling from Rett)
E:"Mom"
J:"Everett"(giggling from Rett)
E:"Mom"
J:"Everett"
E:"Cake-a"
J:"Yes, that's cake"
E:"Cake"
J:"Yes, that's cake. We'll have some later"
E:"Cake"

Rett must know it's around Halloween because he's been scaring me. He think it's fun to hide and then we come find him but the thing is, that he's so little he can almost disappear behind furniture. When I go to look for him I don't see him and then I hear him giggle (or we say his name and he giggles). It scares me almost every time because it makes me think there's a little gremlin in the room...and I can't see it!

Tim & Jayme's Wedding

2009-10-26T19:14:00.000-07:00

They're married! It was a wonderful day. The whole wedding was totally Tim & Jayme and it showed how much they want to honor God in their marriage. I know there is so much more I could write but I'm not sure what all to include! Here are a few picture highlights

The cupcake tower for the rehearsal dinner. It was pretty cute.

Tim & Jayme with their bride and groom cupcakes.

Tim & Brit before the ceremony.

The getaway car. It is Grandpa Paris' 1952 Chevy. You opened the door by popping a level under the hood.

Here are the cakes I decorated for the wedding. I liked how they turned out.

The moment I think I'll remember the most is when Rett threw his cup at me at the reception right before Brit gave his toast and knock the ice water goblet out of my hand and onto my dress. Yes, it happened. After a quick cry (it had been a long day, good, but long for a 22 month old...and his mom) and a few minutes in the bathroom and cozying up to the hand dryer, it was all good and we partied the night away!

Pumpkin Time

2009-10-20T19:09:00.000-07:00

Tonight we carved our first pumpkin with Everett. I readied him with a big shirt so that if he got dirty we didn't care. It ended up that he did not want to touch the insides and really didn't pay attention to the whole process. The rabbits and his scooter were better...it was still fun! I saved the pumpkin seeds and roasted them-mmmm!Mr. Pumpkin is now happily sitting on our front porch with the rest of his gourd friends.

Smells like Lowes

2009-10-05T12:59:00.000-07:00

Our garage (and now basement) remind me of walking into Lowe's-a mixture of wood and drywall. Without really planning it, the last three weeks have been home improvement weekends. We put a new roof on our garage with the help of my uncles and a good friend. I suppose it looks nice, but I can't really see it. And who enjoys spending money on shingles? But it has to be done.

The other two weekends we have had our friend Ryan help us do a little remodeling in our basement. Below is the before picture. I felt very handy since one Sunday afternoon I took out the fake stone paneling and knocked out the fake brick center (that was actually mortar on wooden paneling). We then added shelves behind the whole wall and are in the process of adding drywall that will have openings for cabinets. It's been fun but tiring.Rett is doing great! We went to one pumpkin patch last weekend are are going to an apple orchard this weekend. He likes pumpkins and every time he sees one he has to point it out. "Cow" is a favorite word right now. I enjoyed watching this morning when we were playing outside. I sat on the bench in our backyard while he "collected" rocks, swung the swing, and picked flowers to put behind his and my ears. I just loved watching him discover new things. I'm enjoying the crisp air and cool temperatures. It smells like autumn outside!

Playing Outside

2009-09-15T13:58:00.000-07:00

Rett enjoyed one of the wonders of fall for a child today: running through a pile of leaves. We were outside when I noticed that there were a bunch of leaves that had fallen and decided to get the rake out. Rett was playing and I started raking. Next thing I knew he was running through the small pile that had begun and giggling the whole time. As the pile got bigger he was about up to his knees in leaves and still ran through or fell into them, still giggling. It was so much fun to see him enjoy them.

As we were outside he also "picked" me a flower (took a bloom off of the pentunias) and handed it to me. I accepted the gift and placed it behind my ear. He then went and "picked" another flower and came over pointing to his ear. So....he left it in for about 10 minutes and then it fell out, but he sure was cute!

My how things have changed

2009-08-29T07:42:00.001-07:00

It seems as though it shouldn't be my birthday because I so vividly remember last year's. I was thinking about how so many things have changed in a year's time.

We bought our first home
Went from being a full time stay at home mom to part-time working mom to full-time stay at home mom
Went from breastfeeding to none!
Had a eight month old, now a 20 month old
Knowing few in Peoria to knowing lots
Learning my way around Peoria to knowing my way around Peoria
Thinking I knew just how good, gracious, and loving God is and a perfect provider to absolutely knowing how good, gracious, loving, and a perfect provider God is
Went through my first community fast with Northwoods- amazing!
Loving and respecting who my husband is and what he does for a living to loving, respecting, and understanding what he does and who he is even more
learning the art of coupon clipping and special deals (saved 14.41 at Kroger this week-yes!)
Getting my first and only sister-in-law

I'm sure there's even more, but this is the list I could think of off the bat. Brit asked me last night what I wanted to accomplish in the next year. It was a good question and I'm thinking about it...I did say to pay the mortgage down so we don't have to pay PMI, but somehow I don't think that's what he meant :).

Organizer

2009-08-18T13:55:00.000-07:00

One of Everett's favorite things to do when the office door is open to him is to take out the DVDs from the standing holder on the floor. This was his activity this morning as I was checking email. When I was done I walked out to the living room where I found this:all the DVDs perfectly placed side-by-side on our TV stand. Would you like him to come over and organize your home?

End of an era

2009-08-06T19:33:00.000-07:00

Perhaps like every little girl, I dreamed of going to prom wearing the most beautiful dress. And my dream came true. I thought each dress I wore to prom was pretty and wanted to keep it forever. It preserved the memory of the day, a time in my life, and well, just feeling pretty. I did wear my prom and bridesmaids dresses a few times after the initial day they were worn and have kept them, all these, oh, ten year, thinking I might have somewhere else to wear them.

Reality has set in. I have no where to wear my prom or bridesmaids dresses. Where will I be going that I need them? Plus, good news, they're too big because I'm smaller now than I was in high school and even college ( I would never have imagined that would happen). The dresses now have good home- I have donated them to The Christian Center, here in Peoria. The dresses will be used for girls who will be attending the Purity Ball with their dads (this Fall I believe is the time of the vent). While it's the end of an era, it's just the beginning of a new one for each dress and each girl who wears it.

$10 Date

2009-07-22T19:54:00.001-07:00

You might think "What could you possibly do for a date with $10?"

Tonight Brit and I went to the Chief's game. It was Peoria Heights Community Night, so our tickets were $5 each =$10. And Wednesdays are all you can eat hot dogs and peanuts night. We were able to take in some drinks (they didn't check my bag with our bottled iced tea). And thanks to grandparents who babysat Rett, we had a date for only $10 which included our meal. Gotta love a cheap date night!

Tomorrow night (Thursday) is dollar night- $1 admission, popcorn, and...something else I can't remember. Every Wednesday home game is free hot dog and peanuts. If you're looking for something fun and inexpensive- see the Cheif's!

July's Bounty

2009-07-14T18:10:00.000-07:00

July has been a great month. We celebrated the fourth with our friends and family. Rett like the fireworks and didn't want me to cover his ears (he's below playing in the baby pool with two other little boys his age-too cute!). Rett and I also had a swim play date with our friends at State Farm park. It was the first time he had worn the floating suit. It looked hillarious (though helpful).

This weekend I weeded our garden. I am very excited about this garden since it's really MY first garden and it's at our new house. I haven't been as vigilent as I should about the weeding. There were little weeds, long rooted weeds, and the least favorite were the viney weeds that had begun wrapping themselves around the tomato cages. As I was unwrapping the viney leaves from the cage I was thinking how annoying they were. They wanted anything they could wrap themselves around and just stay there. And it made me think of the parable of the seeds and how the weeds came and took over the seed so it couldn't grow. They wanted the seed to have no chance to grow. I thought about how Satan creeps in slowly without my paying attention and how he can take over without me keeping a vigilent eye on my heart. And I was thankful that Christ helps me over the weeds, with time.

From the garden, I was reminded of how cool it is that God can make a seed grow. I can take care of it, but only God can make it grow. I picked my first zucchini and two tomatoes this morning.

Vacation

2009-06-29T08:03:00.001-07:00

This year we decided to do a Midwest tour and see our friends in Illinois and Indiana. We saw the Brames, the Barnetts, and the Mezos. We had a great time with them all. It was good to see friendly faces, relax, and have fun. Here are a few favorite pictures.Alex and Rett playing with Mac.

Our tour guide for the trip.Emily, Jess, and me at El Camino Royal in the Haute.Daddy and Rett playing video games at the Children's Museum in Indy.Just a quick "lap" around the track at the Children's Museum.Katie and me in Zionsville

Overheard

2009-06-12T08:20:00.000-07:00

As I walked through the aisles of the grocery store the other day I heard a little girl ask her mom "Mommy, why does God make people different?" I smiled. Then I thought "because God is creative and has a great imagination. The world just wouldn't be the same without people being made different."

A major award...

2009-06-02T19:40:00.001-07:00

This weekend was the Cherry Festival in Washington. Last Monday my mother- in-law saw there was a cooking contest for anyone who wanted to enter. The contest was the following Saturday and the recipe had to have at least 1/2 cup of cherries in it. I thought "why not?" I knew a pie would be too predictable. I wanted to think of something that would be unique and of course, taste wonderful. I knew I would use the cherries from my parent's farm (frozen fresh from last summer and hand-pitted with love). My first thought was to a chocolate covered cherry...but I love pie too. So I decided to try phillo dough with a cherry pie filling and then dip it in dark chocolate (my favorite). It only took two tries to get it down.

I named them Chocolate Cherry Bundles. If nothing else, I thought, it was fun making them. Of course I really wanted a prize but decided not to think about it. I received a call Saturday evening telling me I had won a prize and could I come to the awards ceremony? She said she wasn't telling anyone what they had won. I couldn't go because I was at church and the lady said she would call me later that evening after the ceremony. I called her back around 9:15pm because I hadn't heard back yet and I was anxious to hear. She told me I had received 2nd prize in the adult division and won a $20 gift certificate from the Chamber of Commerce and a free cooking class at the local kitchen store. I was very excited! This is my first win at a cooking contest! So not a major award but a win nonetheless (better than a leg lamp).

Ketchup, words, and oatmeal

2009-05-24T13:23:00.001-07:00

These past few weeks have been so fun with Everett because he's been picking up on words. He can say "duck, truck, cat, dog, milk, more, that (dat), cake, momma, and dada." It's fun to hear him say them. He also has a new favorite item at meal time, or should I say habit: dipping. He loves to dip his sandwich, fries, carrots, celery, whatever he has to eat and then dip it in ketchup, salsa, cottage cheese, or applesauce. He does really well with it and takes his time dipping and getting it to his mouth. I hope we' haven't created a bad habit. We're working on eating with utensils. Each time I give him oatmeal I think "this time he's going to do better, he's not going to eat with his hands"...and then he does. A little oatmeal got in the hair this morning at breakfast, though I assisted with the hairstyle. You gotta laugh.
And here he is riding a friend's tractor last week at a cookout.

Mother's Day

2009-05-10T18:29:00.000-07:00

I came cross this prayer written by a mother and my heart resonated with hers. Her child's teacher one year wrote a "label" in their end of the year folder that stated she was returning them back after nine months, a little taller, a little smarter, more confident and prepared for life. This mother wrote this in response to how she hoped others would see the "label" on her child when they are out on their own.

"God, I am returning this child to your care. Though he is really no longer a child, I hope he will look to you as his Father...I tried to teach him right from wrong..."please" and "thank you"...I have laughed and cried with him, for him, and because of him...Through it all I prayed and probably preached, about the need to trust and follow you. I read my Bible where he would see it..I told him I loved him. God, you know my prayers and love will never stop. I will always worry some and maybe even meddle a little. Help him to feel my love and yours. I am returning him to you to continue to grow, to change the world for you, to someday do the same for his children."

Susan McGrath, Ten Minutes Peace An Oasis for Moms

Love you little man!-Mama

Birthdays and cupcakes

2009-05-02T14:35:00.000-07:00

Last week we celebrated our nephew's 1st birthday. A happy late birthday salute Cale!Rett is getting to be a big and busy boy. Thursday he decided he'd like to try some mud while I wasn't looking (it could have been much worse, little stinker).
Our friends also celebrated the first birthday of their daughter and asked me to do the cake. We went with an all-out cupcake theme. It turned out really cute!Brit and I enjoyed an evening at the symphony last night, the Bradley Orchestra Symphony and then tried the new ice cream place downtown called Emack and Bolio's...I had a scoop of cookie monster and Brit had peanut butter Oreo. If you come around, we'll take you there!

How does He do that?

2009-04-23T10:07:00.000-07:00

How does God place the exact encouragement or message I need at the exact time that I need it? I know, He's God, but how does He do that?

First Wedding Cake

2009-04-04T13:17:00.000-07:00

This weekend was my first wedding cake! Mom helped me deliver it (not enough room in a Saturn...). I think it turned out pretty close to the picture she gave me. I was very excited for the opportunity and hope I can do more in the future.

A spoon, a block, and a charmer

2009-03-26T17:33:00.000-07:00

Today was a good day. This morning we were greeted at 7:30am by the home insulation crew, which came to put more insulation in the attic and crawl space. Becoming an adult comes with unexpected things you get excited about...like more insulation in your home.

I went to put my shoes on and felt something hard in them. It was the block we have been looking for, wondering where it went.

At lunch, Everett ate with a spoon all by himself today and actually ate some applesauce with it! The fork was not as successful at dinner but I'm sure we'll get there. And this afternoon Rett and I ran errands and stopped in at Kohl's to take a look. I found a pair of jeans on clearance for $11.99-great price, plus I had $6 left on a gift card there. My steal of the day: jeans for $6.12. I love a great deal.

We also stopped in at Michael's. Rett walked by himself into the store with me and couldn't help but stop and dance when he heard Earth, Wind, and Fire (the song "September") on the musac. I laughed and danced for a second with him. Every store we stopped in he flirted with the ladies and they all thought he was a charmer. Brit and I may have a handful if this keeps up in the next 12-18 years.

Sunny day, tired boy

2009-03-16T18:12:00.000-07:00

What a great day outside! When Brit got home he took Rett out for a run in our "new" stroller. Here's what happened when he came back from his run-precious.

Congratulations!!!

2009-03-12T12:39:00.000-07:00

Congratulations Tim & Jayme!!! Tim popped the big question last night in Lafayette and Jayme said yes! We are looking forward to having another girl in the Dunaway family. Love you two!

Weekend Warriors

2009-03-10T18:43:00.000-07:00

I felt a great sense of accomplishment this past weekend when I spray painted our inherited curtains rods from gold to silver and hung up our new curtains. Here are a few before and afters.

BEFORE

This one wall was completely pink wallpaper before we painted it, pretty :)

AFTER

A hint of Spring

2009-03-05T13:59:00.000-08:00

A hint of Spring showed itself today with our high to be in the 60s! Rett enjoyed walking around outside and discovering a whole new world. His Cubs hat finally fits and he looks like such a big boy when he has it on. Hope you're getting to enjoy the spring-like weather!

Hip Mom

2009-02-26T13:30:00.000-08:00

I think I might have one hip (you know, with it, up with the times) mother. I just signed up for a Facebook account and my mother had one before me. I think that puts her in the "one hip mom" book.

Haircuts

2009-02-20T18:33:00.000-08:00

Everett got his first hair cut Thursday. It was mostly a trim, but he did a great job sitting in the chair with me and really didn't squirm.
And I got a haircut too! Today was the first day styling the new 'do. I like it!
Rett is now fully mobile! Last weekend he took off across the room and is getting more confident
each day. He really likes to play with his blocks, read books, and play in "his" cabinet in the kitchen. Who needs toys when you have clean, empty sour cream and butter containers?

Funny moments from today

2009-02-08T14:05:00.000-08:00

This morning Brit made a nice breakfast of scrambled eggs and toast. We had just opened a new stick of butter and it was a little hard to spread on toast (I tried but it didn't spread), so we put it in the microwave for a few minutes. I had taken my unspreadable dab of butter off of my toast and put it on my plate. As I was eating my eggs I noticed a large piece of egg that I had not yet eaten. Just as I was going to put it in my mouth I realized it was the dab of hard butter! Maybe I was not quite awake yet...

Then about 2 hours later I was going to the bathroom to get ready for the day. I had taken two steps toward the bathroom from our bedroom and realized I had my purse over my shoulder. What I was planning to do with it, I really don't know. I think the reason for this was that I thought I needed to move my purse and it was just before I thought "I need to take my shower." I laughed.

Movie Theater Chili

2009-02-07T07:53:00.000-08:00

Last night Jen and I went out on a date. We went out for dinner and a movie. (We saw He's just not that into you. Good movie but guys make sure you have a girl with you!) We were standing in line before they let us in to the theater. I saw a sign with a picture advertising for movie theater nachos with salsa or chili. I looked at Jen and said, "Doesn't that picture of chili make ya want to throw up a little. Who want's movie theater chili anyways on their nachos." I wonder who was the ingenious person who that was a great idea.

New Things

2009-02-05T18:31:00.000-08:00

The Saturn is back! We picked it up on Jan. 20, one month and 3 days to the day it broke down. The funny thing is that the day we got it back, we had a flat tire. Thankfully Brit was driving it and was able to pump the tire back up. It ended up that the stem was leaking and it was easily fixed.

Lots of new things are happening in the Dunaway house. Everett is taking more than one step at a time and even walks halfway across the room. It's really cute and neat to see him learn a new skill. He still likes to hang onto the walls and couches. He's also drinking from a cup at every meal. No more bottles for us (which is a little sad because that means he growing up).

We also posted our first item on Ebay. You might think that since we are part of a technolgically savvy generation we would have done this before, but we haven't. It is kind of exciting to watch the interest. We decided to post the console TV that we inherited with the house. It's in great shape (the tube turns on). We just don't want it. Plus it weighs a ton and it's in our basement. And speaking of basement, we're almost done "laying" our "new" carpet. We inherited very retro carpet downstairs with red, brown, orange, and yellow in it. Our friends who just moved into their house and tore their carpet up gave us their remnants and we're laying and cutting it to fit on top of our old carpet. The new carpet is cream and it really brightens up the room. It is satisfying to do your own work on your house. We're not sure how long the carpet will stay but it was free and it looks good for now.

Sunday we begin a new small group with three other couples from Northwoods. We're really looking foward to getting to know some new faces and make new friends.

We're ready for winter to be done! This weekend will give us a little reminder of what we have to look forward to since the temperature is supposed to be in the 40s and 50s-woohoo!

And last weekend we celebrated our niece's third birhtday (complete with a Max and Ruby theme). I didn't know who Max and Ruby were before we recieved our birhtday invitation. Ah, we have so much to learn in the world of child cartoons! We had a fun time. I can't believe how fast time goes.

Off to a running start

2009-01-07T19:58:00.000-08:00

2009 is off and running. Here are a few highlights (or one lowlight) of the year so far...

We brought in the new year with the Fitz family
Long story short, we still dont' have the Saturn (my car) but it is getting fixed and we think we might have it next week around this time
Everett took his first small step yesterday!
We were able to spend time with family and friends over the holiday season.
We're beginning the year in a different way that we ever have before with our church (Northwoods)...we'll tell you more later- it's good
We have power, no ice, a little snow, and a heater than is running
We've started our 3rd parents class "Preparing for the Toddler Years"
We have new carpet (new to us anyway) for our basement
We're enjoying chasing Rett when he quickly crawls away, giggling with him, and hearing him say a few words or at least the beginning of what sound like words

Happy New Year!

Peace amid the storm

2008-12-22T18:48:00.000-08:00

At 4AM Friday morning Brit and I heard a loud pop and then saw the light of our clocks go out. The ice storm had come (see our front yard picture above). We had planned on going to work but just a little late as the news suggested. But then we realized we couldn't open the garage door because there was no power to the opener. Brit figured we could get in the side door and disarm the electric part and pull it up. It was a good idea but the key we received from the owners didn't work (later we found out that the lock was shot and replaced the whole lock on Friday). We thought about breaking a window or the door to get in the but then quickly decided against that. So we were stuck at home with no power...and we called Mom and Dad Dunaway. Bob came and picked all three of us up and took us over to their house. Brit and Bob returned to our house after dropping us off and brought over their generator to warm the house us a little and to get the garage door opened. What would we do without them?!

Though not the Friday we planned, I baked cookies, Rett got to play in Nana's kitchen (which included finding the pots, pans, lazy susan, and measuring cups) and with Gabby the dog, our house was fine, Brit worked at home as did I, and we watched The Christmas Story and ate popcorn. So all was well. Our power came back on around 6:15PM on Saturday night. This weekend was also Dunaway family Christmas and the Paris cookie exchange. Both a little crazy but fun.

Last Saturday (Dec. 13), the sermon at church was about finding peace. The peace that only God can give is what carried us through a week filled with obstacles. Knowing who was going to provide for us gave us peace. We were not always sure how He would provide but He did.

I hope to get my car back tomorrow (we had hoped today but with the ice storm it was delayed)-Merry Christmas to me :) And more snow and possible sleet is scheduled for tomorrow but we know we will have peace amid this weather storm and hope your holiday celebration is full of peace, perhaps amid the storms of your life.

Knoxville, car, and timing chain

2008-12-18T17:55:00.000-08:00

I began my day taking Everett to the babysitter's before I went to work. I take Knoxville (a fairly busy street in Peoria). I even left early just in case traffic was slow due to the snow. I got about half way there (still in town on a busy street...keep this in mind) when I changed from the right to left lane. I noticed that my car slowed down a little but I thought it was just having a little trouble through the snow. Then I looked down at my dash board:no lights. Press on the gas: no go. I thought "if I could just get turned off this street and out of the traffic. The farthest I got was to the turn lane, which I was thankful I wasn't totally blocking traffic. Then I called Brit.

Brit took care of calling a tow truck and I called the police to let them know that my car was stopped, I was fine, and my husband was helping me take care of things. While I was on the phone to the police a man slowed down and gave the look like "are you o.k.?" I gave him the "I'm not sure" but then waved him on. Brit was on his way but I knew that would be at least 10 minutes. Rett had already started crying a little and I thought "I cannot stay in this car and it is going to get cold." I didn't particularly want to walk across a busy street, but you gotta do what you gotta do. Just as I had decided to get out and hopefully flag someone down to take us to the nearest place that was open, the man who had stopped by earlier came back by on the other side of the street and offered to help. He said "I usually don't go this way" and "something told me to come back." Coincidence...I don't think so. He took us up to Panera and we waited in the warmth while Brit and the policeman waited for the tow truck.

Long story short (o.k. a little bit shorter), the car got towed (though it was covered by insurance, yes, that's why you get it), we're getting it fixed this weekend (the timing chain broke), and no one was hurt. It was one of those circumstances that you hear or imagine and think "Oh, that would stink (having your car break down in the winter with a small child in the back). I hope that never happens to me."

The Big ONE

2008-12-16T19:48:00.001-08:00

Everett turned one year old on Sunday. This year has gone by so fast. It's amazing how much a child can grow and change! He's walking along things more, likes to put toys in things (baskets, glasses, etc), likes to read his puppy book, and crawl around with a toy bat from a new play set he got on Sunday. Here are a few pics of the little man.

As you can see, he had no problem downing the chocolate cupcake.

We are reminded each day of how good God is and his perfect plan. In addition to celebrating Rett's birthday, we celebrated Brit's birthday AND he recieved a promotion at work (on his birthday oddly enough). He is working in the same department and most of the same responsibility but he will be supervising a few co-workers and doing a little more paperwork.

Today we received a few inches of snow. It looked pretty falling, but the roads were a bit yucky. We're happy in the mornings when we don't have to scrape off our cars because we have a garage-yeah! Hope you're keeping safe and warm and are able to celebrate the Christmas season with joy.

Goin' good

2008-12-03T16:06:00.001-08:00

Monday began yet another transition for our family; I started my part-time job. I've had a few orientations this week and a few more still next week. The woman who holds my position has been training me and has left good notes. I think I'll be just fine. Rett has been enjoying playing with the other little boys at the baby-sitter's (there are about five or six of them). He didn't even come over to me tonight when I came in the door, just kept playing. The first week is going well.

We had to break a Christmas tradition this year. We decided not to get a real tree since we weren't sure how Rett would do with it. We thought he would probably eat the needles or pull it down since that's what he does with everything these days. Oddly enough, there was a fake Christmas tree that was left in our basement when we moved in. Brit and I pulled it out this weekend and put it together. It's in pretty good shape! It's now sitting pretty on top of our side table in the corner between the couches, where Rett can't touch it.

And in addition to the Christmas tree getting us ready for the holiday season, we have snow! We were surprised Sunday morning to wake up to about 1 1/2 inches of snow. It was pretty then, mostly slushy now. Snowy days remind me that I'm glad to be living in the city where the streets get plowed and life doesn't shut down because you can't get out. You couldn't go much of anywhere in the country, where I grew up, until the township plow trucks came by and cleared the roads. While I love the country, I'm enjoying the city life. Gotta go keep the little one out of drawers and so many other things he shouldn't get into or eat.

Happy Thanksgiving

2008-11-27T09:15:00.000-08:00

Two big things we are grateful for this week are that I will be starting a part-time job on Monday with Children's Home as an Administrative Assistant. A good friend will be watching Rett the days that I work. It's comforting to know he will be in good hands and have some new friends to play with. And, we're refinancing our house. Yes, already. But the interest rate has gone down one whole percent!

Our challenge this past week from church was to write 10 things each day this week for which we are grateful. I've thought of more than 10 each day. I have been reminded that God has blessed us because He is good. A little challenge to give this a try. We hope your Thankgiving celebration is full of thanks for this past year. Happy Thanksgiving (his shirt read "little turkey"-ha)!

Grandma's china

2008-11-23T12:27:00.000-08:00

The other day was the first time I have been able to use the good china that I received after my Grandma Nafziger passed away. The pattern is very simple; a white background with silver trim, one big pink rose in the middle and several more scattered throughout the plate. I really like them. I have had them in storage since January 2001. The other day I carefully pulled four dinner plates, four dessert plates, and one platter out of my china storage cases. I slowly walked up the stairs and carefully placed them on the counter, shortly followed by a quick wash in the sink. As I washed the second plate I saw little bits of food, you know, just those little parts that don't quite get off the plate? I wondered when the last time was we used these plates at Grandma's. I couldn't remember, but I do know that we used them a whole lot during family dinners. Birthdays, Christmas, Thanksgiving, Easter...Grandma cooked a good meal.

After the dishes were washed I dried them and set the table. In addition to grandma's china I also took the glasses that we used to use for family dinners. They are also silver rimmed with leaves etched on the sides. I took four glasses and set the table. And I remembered my Grandma and missed her.

Only took 4 years

2008-11-15T19:48:00.000-08:00

It only took four years but I finally opened up and used one of our wedding gifts for the first time; I used our electric griddle to make sausage and pancakes this morning.

What we've been up to...

2008-11-14T07:39:00.001-08:00

Unpacking boxes (I put this hat on him to see if it would fit and he left it on, funny!)

Playing (he loves to take everything out or just dump it over)

Folding laundry

monkeyin' around

And turning 11 months old!

We have been so blessed these six months that we've been looking for a house to call our own. God has contintually provided for what we have needed and more. We're learning to be content with what we have been given and enjoying the time we have together as a family. With Thanksgiving coming up, we are truly thankful for another wonderful year.

Settled?

2008-11-09T12:35:00.000-08:00

We apologize for the lapse of time inbetween blogs. We are proud to say we are finally in our our first house. We own it (and everything that goes with being a homeowner)! We moved last weekend. The weather was great and we had a lot of good help. This week was umpacking boxes and getting used to sleeping in a new house (mostly what Everett is adjusting to). After a week, a few sleepless hours, no naptimes, and lots of boxes, we're feeling like we are getting on track to our new "normal."

I'm getting used to being home all day by myself. I got used to having someone home by 4:00pm and having a dog around. Rett misses Gabby (Bob & Nancy's bassett/beagle), but no plans for a dog anytime soon in our future. Rett has begun exploring the new house by crawling. He has been crawling but more like an army crawl. He's now going full throttle on all fours...and he's pretty quick. He's also pulling up on anything he can get his hands on. I'm loving our new kitchen because there is counter space and one of my favorite features, a recipe holder. I have used it a couple time already :). We will be getting Internet at our new place this week so we'll put up a few pictures.

Time

2008-10-23T11:16:00.000-07:00

Time constantly seems to slip by so quickly. I remember the day seemed to drag on when I was in grade school, or for that matter college, waiting for class to end or the next big event to come. Now I wish I had more time in a day...Our first week of homeownership has had us busy and excited. We found out that the wooden paneling in our bedroom is glued to the wall...so we'll leave it up and paint over it and put dry walling our room on the list of things we would like to do later. Ah, how that list grows quickly. We were successful in getting all of our wallpaper down thanks to a helping hand from my Aunt Ann (an expert wallpaper-er, sp?). We must have worked ourselves hard because Brit came down with a fever on Sunday night and stayed home sick on Monday. Sleepless nights with Rett also contributed to our tired state. But we are all better and Everett has slept through the nights the past two nights. It's amazing what a full night's rest can do for your body. All of those sleep studies are right.

This weekend we are priming and painting our walls. For the ladies (because I'm sure you're more interested in what colors I have chosen): the kitchen is going to be a soft yellow and I've chosen some vintage looking fabric for curtains that is a pretty blue with flowers and fruit. The living room, bathroom, Rett's room, and our room is going to be Cinnamon toast (a light brown). Don't you just love the color name? It just sounds cozy and relaxing.

Speaking of time slipping away, Rett turned 10 months last Tuesday. Here's the little man:

He's eating mostly finger foods and does a good job feeding himself. He's still not interested in the sippy cup but he does like to sip out of a cup. Just this morning he took a few sips of water out of a cup all by himself and didn't spill. I filled the cup up again and he wasn't as successful. It's a start! And he's everywhere! He likes pulling up on the couch, playing with anything round or that he can stick in his mouth, and playing with his stuffed farm animal set. He's also started waving "bye-bye" and we think signed "more" yesterday. It's such a blessing to see him grow and learn something new each day.

SOLD!

2008-10-17T12:21:00.000-07:00

We have a house!!!! This morning we signed the papers and received our keys (and garage door opener). The process this morning was pretty painless and we were able to meet the sellers. After we left the title company's building we took a tour through our new home. We inaguated the redecoration process by tearing off a strip of the wall paper border in the bathroom. We're going back now to begin taking off some wooden paneling. The process begins!

Home

2008-10-13T08:35:00.000-07:00

There is a quote from C.S. Lewis that I have written on the inside of my Bible. It reads "Our Father refreshes us on the journey with some pleasant inns, but will not encourage us to mistake them for home." Our family had the opportunity to visit some "pleasant inns" this weekend.

Thursday we visited Lincoln "inn" to visit and hear about how God is using our friends the Davenports (see their blog by visiting the Toadie link). They are currently working with Pioneer Bible Translators in Dallas, TX. God is using them to recruit people with a passion to translate the Bible into the native language of the thousands of people groups that have never had the Bible. We also stopped by to see the Fitzgibbons. It was a pleasant inn (though there are many more of you in Lincoln we would love to see soon, time, ah!).

Thursday night through Saturday, Rett and I stayed at the Nafziger "inn" and spent time with Grandma Jo & Papa John. While Rett slept I went through my things that are stored at my parent's house. I happened to find a dollar bill in a stack of old cards I had kept (score!) and threw a lot of them away. Though, I did keep the cards from my parents and grandparents. It was sweet to think about the card I still have from my Grandma and Grandpa Nafziger, though they are no longer here. I helped Mom make cakes and icing, sew, and clean house a little. It was nice to be "home" for a little bit. AND other good news, Brit passed his LPC test on Saturday! He is now officially a Licensed Professional Counselor. Good job! He'll still be working at Children's Home and will be accruing hours toward his next license, a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor. More letters, more credibility, perhaps a little more salary.

And this week we begin to travel to another "inn," our new home. We close on Friday! The house buying process is exciting and exhausting. We are looking forward to this new phase on our lives. Anyone interested in scraping wallpaper, tearing down wood paneling or painting is invited to come on over this weekend :) One more pleasant inn, but we are not home yet.

Apple Blossom Farm

2008-10-04T20:03:00.000-07:00

Friday we visited the Apple Blossom Farm with our friends. It was the perfect autumn day- crisp air, sunshine, fresh apples, fresh apple cider, pumpkin picking, chili and apple pie for dinner, and time with friends. Fall is my favorite season :)

How 'bout them apples?

2008-09-29T12:13:00.000-07:00

The neighbor stopped by Saturday and asked if we would like some apples from his back yard. Do you see how big they are!? Here is one compared next to a peach and a pear. I don't think the picture does it justice, but they are gigantic. He said it would take only 2 apples to make a pie, and he's right. And, it wasn't just this apple, it was a whole tree full of them. I used my new food processor to make nice even slices. I never thought I would enjoy a food processor so much. Do you know how much time it cuts out to put the apples in a food processor to be sliced than by doing it by hand? And best yet about the apples, they taste great. A little tangy and a little sweet, perfect.

One step down, ???? to go

2008-09-26T12:59:00.000-07:00

Today was our home inspection. It was pretty painless. We walked around with Aaron, our inspector, and he pointed areas that were safety hazards and things we needed to be aware of to budget for in the next few years. And yes, we got a pretty good inspection. No major things wrong! There a few minor things that we are going to do that he suggested and we still have the repair amendment to fill out. He said "It looks like a pretty good little house." We think so too! The more I go in it, the more I love it.

Our find of the day in the house was a little cookbook shelf that is secured under one of the cabinets so you can just pull it down, set your cookbook on it and cook away! We are also finding there is storage everywhere. If there is a nook or seemingly wasted space, there's a cabinet or shelf to store things. It's great! I've been busy getting papers to the bank and picking out colors to paint our house before we move in. This process goes quickly.

Changing subjects, last night Rett figured out how to actually get all the way underneath his exersaucer. He had been just going up to the edge and then he would throw a ball in and watch it roll around. This is how he looked:
If you can see, his head fit perfectly into the round spot where his legs would usually go through. I ended up having to scoot his bottom out from the middle and lay him flat to help get him out :). He's working on three top teeth (he already has one on top and two on the bottom). Here he is enjoying his wheat teething biscuit this morning:
We're getting excited to move and have our first home, though it will be a change from knowing there is almost always an adult around to talk with or help watch Rett. We'll keep you posted!

Deal

2008-09-24T12:15:00.000-07:00

I think I'm going to start learning the art of garage sale-ing (sp?). Let me tell you about my find on Saturday....My mother-in-law and I were visiting sales around Peoria. The second sale we stopped at didn't look like it had much but we stopped anyway. I looked up and down a few tables and we chit-chatted with the owner of the home. Then, I spotted IT.

There was a box under the table and I noticed a Turbo Jam DVD in it. Actually, a complete set of Turbo Jam videos. I have grown to love Turbo Jam the past few months but I knew I would sadly have to be leaving it at the Dunaways (where we are now). To pay for my own copy was not an option I wanted, to copy it is, well, illegal (pretty sure), and I could not take it with me.

So I calmly asked the lady, "Are these for sale?" She replied "Oh, yeah. Those are just exercise videos I haven't used yet." Sure enough the DVDs were still sealed up and all three DVDs were in the box, even the user guide and a small measuring tape (which I probably will not use, but it was there). The conversation continued-me "How much do you want for those, $5?" At this point the woman's husband was in the garage and threw his hands up and said "I'm leaving, I can't listen to this." Meaning he knew how much she had paid for the videos. She replied "Yeah, I'll take $5 for them." WOOHOO! I had found my bargain and my workout for the next few months for $5! No paying $90 for it or paying a gym fee, only $5 for me.

This event has excited my interest in garage sales. I don't think I'll be nutty for them but I have experienced the thrill of a good deal.

Accepted!

2008-09-17T18:49:00.000-07:00

In order to keep ourselves and our readers from going through the ups and downs of the housing process, we haven't written about when we have put in an offer on a house. BUT, Tuesday we put an offer in on a house...and they accepted our 1st offer!!!!!!!! We have a house!!!! It is still contingent on inspection but we're pretty sure it will do just fine. If all goes well we will close in about 1 month. It hasn't quite sunk in yet, but we do know we're excited!

I have to say the housing buying process has been like finding that "someone special." You have your requirements and standards, look for personality and ascetics (knowing these things can or will be changed as the years pass by), look past the faults, fall in love with the quirks, get mad or disappointed when things don't work out, and look forward to your future together. You set a date for your lives together and look forward to that day when they (or it) becomes yours. O.K. perhaps a this is a bit too much, but I feel like it's true. We know there are many steps yet to take and we will take them one step at a time.

A "flood" of celebrations

2008-09-15T11:16:00.000-07:00

This weekend we celebrated two lives 1) Our friend Tyler's 1st birthday and 2) Everett's nine month birthday.

Tyler is a miracle. His first few days of life were spent with many tests, incubators, and monitors

in addition to many prayers. But thanks to God's healing hand we celebrated his first birthday. He's definitely a happy, healthy little boy.Tyler enjoying his cake (or mostly frosting)-above.
Tyler & Rett taking a ride in the Radio Flyer-below.

Everett turned 9 months on Sunday. He's recently been sitting up when we come in to get him in the mornings or from his nap. Brit even found him pulled up on the side of his crib Saturday afternoon. He's a strong little guy. He's getting a new tooth and likes to rub his tongue over it. He's been eating new things like cheese and hot dogs (just today) and is getting really good at picking things up with his fingers. He pounces on them like cat waiting for a mouse. Here's the little man:

This weekend also brought rain, lots and lots of rain. About noon on Sunday my mother called and said their basement had about 1in. of water in it....could we come help...some our stuff is stored there. My first question was "Are my pictures o.k.?" We decided to store them at my parent's house to avoid the pictures being in extreme heat over the summer in a storage unit. Thankfully, our wedding album was on top of other things and did not get wet. Our other pictures were in a box and the bottom of the box got wet. All of our and my parent's things were mostly fine. No big losses, just wet items. I figure it's just stuff.

Come to find out their sump pump stopped working. Finding a sump pump in Bloomington Sunday was like looking for the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow...it's not there. He went to every store in Bloomington and they all were out. The current pump is now working but they'll be getting a replacement soon :).

Today is also our friend Sheri's birthday. She has a little weiner dog named Lewis. So, in honor of her birthday I made daschund cupcakes. I found this idea in a book (Hello, Cupcake) my mother-in-law gave me for my birthday. They have tons of cute cupcakes for all occasions and they're made from everyday candies. It was fun to put together. Here is the finished product.

Compliments

2008-09-03T12:54:00.001-07:00

My sister's and my family were together this weekend at my parent's house. Before my sister packed up to leave with the kids, I brought my niece Colby upstairs to put on her shoes. I was squatting down by her in the hallway and here's the conversation we had:

Colby: I like your shoulders.
Me: Thank you
Colby: I like your hair. Do you like my hair?
Me: Yes, it's pretty
Colby: I like your legs. I like my legs.
Me: Thank you.
Colby: I like your big arms.
Me: Thank you ( I think....)

My sister was standing behind Colby as she said this and she started laughing softly as I did too. I guess holding a baby a lot and working out has paid off for my biceps. Kids say the funniest things.

Favorite Things

2008-08-29T12:33:00.000-07:00

Today is my 27th birthday. I feel good. I am happy. I am blessed. A few of the many things I have learned this past year:

I need to be less selfish, more patient, and more flexible
Getting back into your clothes after you have a baby is possible
Being a parent teaches you a lot, and quickly. My mom was right when she said "it's the hardest job you'll ever love."
I am so proud of my husband ( I already knew that, it was just reinforced)
I enjoy Turbo Jam (yes, it works)
I am a high C (DISC Profile test) and I love details
Taking baby anywhere creates a lot of attention
Taking a baby almost anywhere requires lots of stuff to take with you
I can grocery shop with a baby in the cart
Finding a house isn't quite as easy as I thought it would be
I like sleep (and naps when a full night's sleep is not possible)
We have a pretty cute little boy and we love him a lot

These are a few of my favorite pictures from this year:

In 21 Years

2008-08-21T08:23:00.000-07:00

In 21 years one thing has not changed: going back to school. Since the first day I went to kindergarten at Stanford Elementary at the ripe old age of five, August meant going back to school (and my birthday, usually the first one of the year to bring birthday treats :). Every year since I have been going back to school or getting ready for it. Elementary, middle school, high school, college, and then preparing for college orientation at LCCS. This year is different. There's no school to go back to. I am finished with my college degree. I am finished working at LCCS. Brit is finished with his masters degree. No school for us!

This is sort of an odd feeling, though I do not miss preparing for it. I take that back. One thing I do miss is going new school clothes, shoes, and supply shopping. Each year after VBS (until 6th grade and then just the beginning of August) my mom would take me and my sister school shopping. We got new school supplies. Ah, the Trapper Keeper and Five Star folders. I still use those Five Star folders. We would get new shoes but not wear them until the first day of school. I liked getting a new clean pair of Keds to wear. And maybe a pair of jeans from Farm & Fleet. I didn't like to wash the jeans once I got them because I liked the smell of Farm & Fleet. Weird, I know. Could adults get a back to school allowance for new supplies around the house, shoes, or clothes?

I know this new routine will change in about four or five years when Rett starts going to pre-school and kindergarten. Though I'm not going to school I am learning about parenting. That's a whole day of learning without breaks. I think it's the best school I will go to and love.

So, here's back to school, a new start, and continued learning.

8 Months

2008-08-15T12:27:00.000-07:00

Everett is officially 8 months old. To celebrate his 8 month birthday he decided to wake me up at 1:40a.m. and have a little party for a couple hours before going back to sleep at 3:30a.m. Perhaps he was reminding me of what I was feeling 8 months ago to the day..."when is this baby coming out?.".."I'm thankful for an epidural," and joyful pain, I really do mean joyful pain (because you know something good is coming from it). Really, his waking up for a few hours at night is rare. It's only the 2nd time he's done that since he has slept through the night.

He's a good kid. He's very mobile, but not crawling yet. Rett rotates himself around to get what he wants and gets up on his knees only to have them fall out from under him when he starts to move. He'll be crawling soon. He had his first taste of zwiebec toast the other day and loved it. I didn't know it was so messy though. It was fun to watch him eat it. The sippy cup is more of a toy these days. I think he'll realized there really is something to drink in there in a few weeks. He's ticklish everywhere. I love to hear him laugh. Brit does an especially good job in making him laugh and for that case, me too! Rett's starting to notice what's around him more. We went on a walk the other day and he sat up the whole time just looking around. Oh, he can sit all by himself now too! We're enjoying each day. Happy 8 months Rett!

Toothpaste

2008-08-08T13:22:00.000-07:00

Toothpaste. Sometimes it's toilet paper, trash, or how the dishes are done. Yesterday it was toothpaste. I think I'm safe to guess that each couple has different ways they use everday items. We talked about this before we got married- how we like to put the toilet paper on the roll and who would change it when it got empty, how I rolled up the toothpaste tube and how he didn't, how he washed the silverware and glasses before washing other dishes.

I say this all in good fun because our toothpaste tube was down to it's last breath. I mean we were squeezing all we could out of it. Partly to get all we could out of it but also out of laziness to see who would give in first and throw the failing tube away and give life to a new tube, fresh out of the Crest box. I finally squeezed all I could out of it yesterday and gave in. The old tube went in the trash and the new one took its place. Brit saw the new tube in the drawer in the bathroom and looked at me last night and said "I was waiting for you to throw it away." We both laughed because neither of us wanted to throw the silly tube away. I just couldn't take squeezing it anymore, plus there really was nothing left. Do you have things like this happen in your homes?

Swimmin'

2008-07-23T12:38:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was a really fun day! Everett had a play date with Tyler (meaning that I got to hang out with a friend at the pool too!). We met Heather and Tyler at State Farm park and first had lunch in the cool new pool house. Then we all played in the kids pool. The boys mostly splashed around in the water, but Everett did get to run in hand through streams of water spraying of the jungle gym and coming off the water mushroom. It was a perfect day with the right mix of sun and clouds. They both had a good time and were tired when we got done. We hope to go again before the summer's over.

The Snot Pot

2008-07-19T15:35:00.000-07:00

One night last year when I went to Bible study, Chantell was talking about having some sinus problems and her friend Marci gave her a neti pot. Chantell affectionally called it the "snot pot." A neti pot is used by tilting your head to the side while pouring a solution (mostly of water) through your sinus cavity to clear it out. Chantell said it did wonders. And funny thing to mention, it was on the The Office Christmas episode in season 2.

So the reason why I mention this is because I have pretty full sinus cavities (I can feel it and that's what the dr. told me). I thought "why not try to the snot pot?" I didn't have a neti pot but you can also use a bulb syringe. I looked up a recipe for the solution and mixed it up. Not but a few second after, cavities were opening up and I feel better. So here's to the snot pot, Chantell, and Marci.

7 Months

2008-07-15T12:26:00.000-07:00

Our little man is seven months! He weighed in at 16 lbs 7oz. and 26 1/2 inches long when we went to the doctor yesterday. He now has two teeth (one just came through today!) and he likes to show them off in a gummy smile where he sticks out his bottom set of teeth. I haven't been able to catch him in that smile for a picture yet. It's awfully cute! He does well sitting up by himself with the boppy, loves his exersaucer and jumperoo, Daddy tickling him, giving kisses (or sucking on your face with an open mouth), and eating. He's also started pulling down on the bumper of his crib so he can see out which is fun in the morning but not when you peek in to see if he's asleep and he sees you! He's a lot of fun!

Traveling

2008-07-03T17:41:00.000-07:00

Last week was our week to travel. Brit and I caught a Cub's game with my sister and brother-in-law at Wrigley on Thursday. Here's Brit with his free M&M ice cream bar outside Wrigley.

Though the Cubs lost we had a good time and it was a great day at Wrigley. Side note-A word of advice for any nursing moms: If you're going to a major league ball game and think you might have to pump in the bathroom, try the First Aid station first. Brit said "A bad day at Wrigley is better than a day in the office." True. Then we boogied it home to leave Friday morning for Murfreesboro, TN for the Dunaway family reunion. We got to see all the great aunts and uncles and familiar faces. It was a nice time to catch up and relax a little. Of course, Rett was the hit of the party :)

This is Willy (Brit's grandpa) with his 5 sisters.Brit, Rett, and Aunt Ida (one of the hippest 80-some year olds you'll ever meet).I found this at an antique store we visited near Murfreesboro. I thought it was interesting. Good idea if you have any extra horse shoes laying around....

We all traveled well (Rett did great in the 8 hour trip in the car there and back). On Tuesday this week, Rett went swimming in the big pool for the first time at our friends' house. He liked the water and sitting in the floaty (after his initial few seconds of shock).Here's Rett being held by Nana on the raft (just to post for safety purposes, he was in a floaty before this picture and he is perfectly safe in this picture).Rett chillin' on the deck.

We're going back to the pool on the 4th for some more swimmin' and the Dunaway fireworks show. Have a great 4th of July!

The Offer 2

2008-06-24T17:44:00.000-07:00

Long story short, our offer has been declined...BUT the house is still a possibility (like I said, long story short). So we'll keep looking and praying.

The Offer

2008-06-24T08:42:00.000-07:00

Yes, we have found a house that we like and signed the papers for an offer last night. It's in the area we want, price range we want and school district. We're waiting to hear by tonight if they accept our offer.

Brit and I are peaceful about this process and decision. It's either one of two things: 1) God has given us a peace about this house because this is where we will live or 2) ignorance is bliss. I'm hoping for #1.

Celebrations

2008-06-16T13:05:00.000-07:00

We had a lot to celebrate this weekend: Rett turned 6 month, our good friend Jarrod got married, and it was Brit's first Father's Day. Here's our weekend in pictures.

He's the little man with Charly. We think Rett's about 16 lbs. !

I just couldn't resist posting this one.Jarrod & ColleenA bag pipe played during dinner. It was a surprise for the couple since Colleen has a Celtic/Irish background.
Daddy & Rett
Grandpa/Papa Lennie
Papa John playing with Colby & Rett
Papa Lennie has his hands full!
Grandpa Smith/Grandma Dicie with the girls (and boys)

My sister Beth and her little boy Cale with Rett and me.

The Dunaways

New Beginnings

2008-06-06T12:24:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure where to start. It's been a good week and full of learning experiences and new beginnings. One learning experience this week has been house hunting. We thought we found "the one," but weren't sure about it fitting in our budget. We ran the numbers as soon as we came home and it was just a little too much. I felt like we fell in love only to be told that he/she was taken. We were a little crushed but we trust that God has something better. I try to remind myself of the things we didn't like about it. We'll keep hunting.

In addition to our new beginning in East Peoria, I have a new job (in addition to being a stay-at-home mom). I'm a marketing consultant for Ambit Energy. If you live in Texas, New York or Illinois and would like to save some money on electricity or gas OR would like to help people save money on electricity or gas, you can check out my website at www.jdunaway.goambit.com or jdunaway.energy526.com. I'll be glad to answer any questions you may have, just shoot me an email or give me a ring (I'll end my plug now :)

Brit is enjoying his job and learning more each day about scheduling, business politics, and boundaries. He's doing a good job. I'm enjoying Everett each day and I have to say it is nice to have Nana and Grandpa around in case we need to go run a quick errand. The weather has been a little odd with tornadoes popping up all this week, storms, and higher temperatures than normal. There's nothing like going straight from winter to summer, but hey, it's Illinois!

Last Day

2008-05-29T19:45:00.001-07:00

Today was my last day working at Lincoln Christian College and Seminary. It didnt' seem like my last day. I checked my email, went to the business office, and updated THE Chart. It was a usual day in the office. Though, there was a special part to my day. The ladies in my office took me out to lunch at the Blue Stem in Elkhart. I enjoyed a great salad with a light vinegarette, 1/2 ham & cheese sandwhich, and a carmel walnut brownie and some great company. Here are the ladies, though this is not all the ladies from the office (L-R: MK, Cindy, me, Sheri, Mandy, & Caryn).

It didn't feel like "goodbye," just a "see you later." Which is actually true since I'll be going back at least one day to train my replacement (to be named).

Brit and I are finishing packing up. We were thinking of things we are going to "miss" about Lincoln.

The Friday and Saturday nights in the summer when we can hear the RC cars running on a track about 1/2 mile from the apartment and the announcer saying "let's round it up boys"
Drag races on Sunday nights
Cows mooing at the gas station (there was a cow show at the Logan county fair grounds Sunday and when we went to get gas that night at a station there was a cow mooing.)
Karaoke at Wal-mart on a Friday night (we did not particpate, only listened to the interesting tunes and voices singng them)
Three words: Chihuahua Dog Show
Hearing neighbors go to the bathroom
Quarters for laundry
Knowing you'll see at least 10 people you know as you run errands or go out to eat
Channel 5

It has been home and I suppose its the little quirks that make it that way. We probably will miss some of these things. We have made many good friends and memories and none will be left behind. I had no idea when I filled out my only college application (though I had also intended to apply to ISU) to LCC that I would stay here for 8 years and in that time meet my husband, have a baby, and work full-time for the school for 4 years. God has been so good and is so good.

Changes all around

2008-05-15T19:00:00.001-07:00

Our little man is five months old. He coos and gurgles and laughs when we tickle his belly. I love that laugh! He also enjoys his jumperoo (thanks Grandma Jo). I just kept laughing when I watched him jumping in it tonight.

I'm thinking about packing and it's finally hitting me that we are headed to a new place. It's good and it's time, but it's change.

On a totally different matter, did you see The Office tonight? Wow! I won't ruin it for anyone who hasn't had a chance to catch it. It was pretty good.

Brit's Graduation

2008-05-12T13:50:00.001-07:00

Brit graduated from Lincoln Christian Seminary on Saturday, May 10 with a Master of Arts in Counseling. I am SO proud of him! He has worked hard each semester and continued to be a great husband and father. Congratulations! I love you!

It was a bittersweet weekend. It is bitter because the commencement ceremony was another mark in leading us toward leaving a place that is not just where we live but is our home. The people I and Brit work and worked with are not just fellow employees but family, brothers and sisters in Christ. Bitter to see students leave, but sweet to see them go and fulfill their dreams and passions and serve Christ in the world. Sweet to see my husband walk across the stage to receive his Masters to that he can bring hope to those who are hurting. Sweet to know we're continuing on a journey and that Christ is leading us.

Weekend Pics

2008-05-07T15:40:00.000-07:00

Rett played trains with Papa Bob and got to wear the junior conductor hat.

The "Nafziger" boys

A House Hunting We Go...

2008-05-06T06:15:00.000-07:00

Saturday was our first big day of house hunting. We saw a 2 houses in Pekin, 3 in Washington, and 2 in Peoria Heights. We saw a few possibilities but are going to keep looking. It's fun to look and dream about what will happen in that house that will make it our home...Rett playing outside (hopefully someday with a brother or sister), birthday parties, friends over, family dinners. We're excited!

Saturday night we attended a dinner party for our friends Sam & Jessie Draper. Sam is getting ready to graduate this Saturday, also from LCS, and then they are taking off for Laramie,WY to start a church plant (http://www.laramiechurch.com/). I've known Jessie since middle school...and we're still friends :). It's neat to see how God forms relationships that last a lifetime.

Sunday we went and saw the newest member of our family, Cale. He's a keeper! He seems so tiny and when I pick Everett up, he seems huge. Uncle Bwit (as Colby says it) played with Miss Colby while Mom & Dad got a little "rest time" (doing things that needed to be done that couldn't be done playing with a 2 year old :). Everyone is doing pretty good. And alas, I am Aunt Jen again! I have a few pictures of the weekend and hope to post a few soon. This coming weekend is sure to be just eventful as this past one: Brit's graduation, a party, and my first Mother's Day.

River to River

2008-04-21T08:03:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, I (Brit) ran the River to River relay race. The race is in southern Illinois and we ran from the Mississippi River to the Ohio River. The race 80 miles all together, but I only ran a little under 9 miles. It was fun and hard at the same time, but I got to see Kentucky when we finished. My team finished the race in 9 hours. I had a great time and I thank Aaron for inviting me. I also thank Ibuprofen for relief from my sore legs from all the hills.

The Ups and Downs of Life

2008-04-18T05:42:00.000-07:00

The past two days have been filled with many moments of excitement and sorrow. Thursday morning we found out our friends' 6 year old daughter passed away. While our hearts grieve for the loss of this precious life, we also rejoice because she is no longer suffering. I was not around Regan for any long length of time, but I do know that she was strong, a fighter, and joyful. We will celebrate and mourn with our friends tomorrow. What a reassurance to know we have hope that this life is not all there is. That we have a hope of eternal life with our Creator and Savior.

The moment of excitement also happened Thursday when Brit called me and said "So, it looks like we're moving to Peoria." That's right, Brit has a full-time job!!! He begins Wednesday working with Children's Home in Peoria as a therapist. He will train for a few weeks (or months) and then begin his own caseload, which will involve him visiting children and their families in their homes to assess their situation and begin a counseling plan with them.

What does this mean for the Dunaway family? I will be leaving LCC at the end of May and become a full-time stay at home mom! We will be starting to look for a house in the Peoria area and move (hopefully by the middle of June). The next few weeks, and months for that matter, will be a huge time of transition, change, excitement, tiredness...but we are confident that we will be perfectly provided for and guided by God gracious hand.

And in between now and the move Brit will graduate May 10 with his Master of Arts in Counseling, I'll celebrate my first mother's day (a HUGE thank you to our moms-it's hard work but good work-you did a great job), and leave a place that we've called home almost 8 years.

Everett's 4 day weekend

2008-04-15T10:51:00.001-07:00

He played with his friend Tyler.
Caught a few innings of the Yankees/Red Socks game.
Thought about spring and hoped it would come back soon.
Hugged his bear Charly for his 4 month picture (and also saw the dr. and got shots).

He's now 13 pounds, 1oz. and 24 1/2 inches long.