A "New Year" Starts

Today is the first day of school, and although I'm not teaching, and the one class I'm taking at NAU hardly makes me a student, I'll probably always consider this event the start of the New Year. And how different this New Year is than all the previous ones! Instead of trying to make time to write in between class and grading papers and lesson plans, I have to coax my beautiful little baby to nap (sometimes it takes herculean effort) before I can sit down at the computer. And though Blake and I are involved in many of the same things we were before Rory's arrival, my days look so different! So how do I feel about being a stay at home mom and housewife? Like I finally know what I'm supposed to do with my life! Really, I glory in it. I love being there for my daughter, and I love managing our home to make things easier on my hardworking hubbycakes. We may be poor, but it is unquestionably worth it. Still, I'm realizing that intelligent, adult conversation is a crucial component of my sanity, and intellectual stimulation keeps me from feeling like I'm Aurora's peer instead of her God-appointed caregiver. So, these are my out-of-house involvements for the coming semester:

• MOPS! In entering the scary new world of motherhood, I get to join this elite company, and I am so looking forward to it!
• A book club! I love to read so much, and nursing Rory gives me ample reading time, and it's organized by some really cool women, and I'm pretty excited about it!
• Curves! Yes, I'm going to do it. I've always been a little skeptical of Curves, since the crowd it attracts seems rather, well, old, but I think it will allow me a chance to exercise without the intimidation that I feel at a regular gym, surrounded by real athletes! I don't want to be a supermodel, but I do want to be healthy.
• Grad Class! I'm taking one more class towards my masters at NAU, more than anything just to keep up with my academic Spanish and spend a bit of time in my field. It's just one evening a week, so it shouldn't be too taxing.
• Various political involvements! We're contemplating increasing our involvement with the Flagstaff Tea Party, though we cringe at the Tea Party stereotype. The Flag branch has a few different twists than the national one, and we think it's heading in a positive direction and that there are a lot of  neat opportunities coming up...it's been infiltrated by some awesome libertarian friends of ours, and we're working to convince people that parties are overrated and that individual and states' rights should be universally emphasized. I'm also hoping to help start a food co-op with some other members.
• Bible study! We go to two Bible studies, studying Matthew at the Millers', and young marrieds at the Korns' (which we've decided is more of a fellowship than a Bible study). They're both awesome and challenging and I learn a lot.

A New Year also means New Year's Resolutions, which I always make intentionally vague to allow me to reinterpret them as necessary. This year my focus is on self discipline. I need to have more discipline in just about every area of my life, so expanding on that would take far too long. Basically, I need to be more intentional about my actions, in everything from daily time in the Word to healthier eating and exercise habits to being more committed to staying within our budget. Pray for me if you think of it, and I'll post occasional reflections and updates.

I'll leave you with a recent picture of Rorykins, aka the most amazing baby in the world! I'm completely smitten with her!

Oh, and I made up a joke the other day! Here it is:
Q- What is ghost's favorite food?
A- Ghoulosh!
I feel like I should submit it to a Popsicle company to be printed on the sticks, along with all the eight and nine year olds!

our story.

Under the "pages" link at the right is Blake's and my story: how we met up through our wedding day. If you're bored sometime, check it out! I also have a printed version coming that I published through www.blurb.com if you'd rather not read it off the computer :-)

Summer

Beautiful Rory is nine weeks old today!

Going to a party a couple weeks ago

Playing with Dad at church on Sunday

• She has toe jam. Lots of it. I have no idea why, or if it is normal.
• She likes to sleep in...I assumed that when mama gets up, baby gets up. Apparently she disagrees.
• She has a favorite toy! It's her fun peacock, and she'll grab on to it and bring it to her mouth to suck on! She loves to watch her "friends" that hang above her bouncy seat too.
• I'm very impressed with the sun...it bleaches stained cloth diapers completely white!
• Everyday brings more smiles and new sounds...we have so much fun laughing with her!

What else (other than baby raising) have we been up to lately?

• With the primaries coming up the end of the month, we're re-involving ourselves in local politics, and are contemplating the best means of influence.
• We're packing and moving!
• I've been loving the rainy Seattley days...so beautiful! Perfect for cuddling with husband, baby, and pooch with books or a movie.
• Blake and I had an awesome date night on Saturday: dinner at the Himalayan Grill (lamb korma...mmmm), and home to watch Leap Year, which was an awesome movie...Blake even thought so!
• Speaking of movies, Toy Story III was so good...I'm impressed that they've kept the quality going through the whole trilogy!

For the past 20 years of life, this time of year meant getting ready to go back to school, as a student or a teacher. I still, in fact, consider Aug./Sep. as the start of the year, rather than January. It hasn't really sunk in yet that this is the first fall I am not going back. Well, that's not entirely true since I'm taking one class through NAU towards my masters (but that's just one evening a week so it doesn't seem to count!). While I won't really miss teaching and only sort of miss being a student, it's still very strange that this new stage of my life is starting...summer felt like, well, summer. We'll see what autumn as a housewife feels like.

New Home, New Adventures

After trying off and on for a year to sell our home, we got a large check on Saturday that closes the deal...our home has officially sold! God really did a fabulous work to bring us the perfect buyer, and now we are preparing to say goodbye to the first home we shared together.

Two wonderful years here...so many memories!

It was all decorated when  we drove up after our honeymoon!

The view from our deck was consistently gorgeous.

 

Our first Christmas was spent there...we had no tree so we decorated Apollo!

 

 

 

We smoked our First Thanksgiving turkey on its deck.

It was a humble house with a rich view.

It kept us warm during the winter

Our daughter won't remember her first home, but Vlad will never forge the little black poodle next door.

Thank you, House. Now, on to a new chapter!