through the window

2011-04-25T12:29:00.000-04:00

A lot has happened in six months, but that's also the very thing that keeps me from blogging - the growing pile of news to report. So, I'll keep the reporting to the most important item - Cora's birth, now six whole months ago! To the right are the sisters on Easter. Cora could not be more of a blessing to our family. It's incredible how much she and her sister already love one another - without

More changes

2010-10-20T10:55:00.000-04:00

The new baby will arrive in six days, unless she mercifully decides to show up early. At this point I have been reduced to a waddling, shuffling, Amigo-at-the-grocery-store riding mess, having contractions every time I walk anywhere. So, I can wait out the six days until the scheduled C-section, but would not object to an early arrival at all. I am looking forward to the three month hiatus from

August thoughts

2010-08-04T11:37:00.004-04:00

I'm feeling really thankful today, which should not be out of the ordinary, but there it is. It is welcomed nonetheless. I'll admit, it's been quite a while since I felt grateful about anything. Expressing thankfulness and gratitude is one thing, understanding and feeling it is quite another thing altogether. Sitting in my large open first floor last night, I was grateful for the space that will

I spoke too soon...

2010-08-03T14:14:00.003-04:00

So much for the lack of embarrassing public comments. We stayed at a Holiday Inn Express this week on our way back from Boston. In the morning, Ellie and I went down to breakfast and Justin stayed behind for a few minutes to use the bathroom. When he came down to join us in the very busy breakfast room, Ellie saw him walk in and yelled "PAPA, DID YOU GO POTTY?" Needless to say there were quite a

Smells like WHAT?

2010-07-20T12:01:00.003-04:00

Ellie has so far not said much that would prove to be too embarrassing in public, but I get the feeling that's about to change. The constant commentary in public bathrooms is pretty normal for a three-year old and is usually pretty innocuous. Lines like "Mommy, what's that lady doing? Is she peeing? Why?" even get an anonymous chuckle from the next stall once in a while. However, she has been

Last day in Limerick

2010-03-31T12:32:00.007-04:00

The interplay of light and clouds on the distant hills today has been really breathtaking. Also breathtaking, and a little bit stinging, was the hailstorm I got caught in while walking back to my hotel from King John's Castle. When I left, the sun was shining, and not five minutes later I was being pelted mercilessly with ice granules. By the time I got back to the hotel 15 minutes later, the sun

Discobrarians

2010-03-31T02:30:00.002-04:00

Being wined and dined in a castle is apparently standard treatment at conferences here; it's quite posh. Listening to slightly tipsy librarians giggle uncontrollably at the long-windedness of a British awards ceremony was actually pretty funny.Dromoland Castle was the the site of our conference dinner last night, and while I was disappointed that I didn't get to wander around in the much older

Rain, scones, sausages, and Riverdance

2010-03-29T16:12:00.003-04:00

It's been raining all day here, but as a London librarian told me it's good "working weather." It's nice, the moss is greening up everywhere and seems to be waiting patiently for the sun to come out again. The light here has been amazing, peeking in and out of the clouds, absolutely perfect for an HDR photo, which I have no idea how to take, nor could I with my iPhone.My stomach has not been

A flexible day

2010-03-28T15:48:00.001-04:00

Dear rental car company, when your car battery dies twice in two days, you may want to double check your car. Thanks. Needless to say, we didn't get to the Cliffs of Moher today, which was really disappointing, but we did discover a lovely new part of Limerick. Near the bus station was a beautiful park full of daffodils and an art gallery, as well as some lovely older buildings. I wasn't feeling

A very Irish day

2010-03-27T18:17:00.002-04:00

Having a bus barreling at you on the right side of a narrow road and a sheer rock wall on your left is a little disconcerting, to say the least. Although I really did enjoy the Irish countryside driving challenge today. I don't want to count the number of times that Nancy or I hit the windshield wipers instead of the blinker, but it was a lot. Overall, I think these Americans did pretty well and

Welcome to the Emerald Isle

2010-03-27T04:48:00.002-04:00

So here we are in Ireland, after a very long overnight trip via Lansing, Chicago, and Heathrow airports. Heathrow was pretty insane - we must have walked at least a mile to get through the maze of metal tubes - very gerbil-like - to get to our connection. I've now "been to" London (I think seeing Parliament, London Bridge, the Thames, and that bridge that the dementors snap in Harry Potter from

frozen in february

2010-02-26T15:54:00.003-05:00

If there's one thing you learn living in a cold state, it's how not to set yourself up for disappointment. Nevertheless, we do it all the time. I know that we here in Michigan tend to get secretly hopeful for spring around the end of February, although we squelch it with our sure knowledge that yep, it will still be snowing in April. Every year I think back to previous Marches, trying to remember

that's my girl!

2010-02-08T10:59:00.001-05:00

During the Superbowl last night, one of the ads came on where there were a bunch of guys running around in their underwear. Ellie's comment: "Mom, they're not being modest." I'm so proud. :-)

the tundra

2010-01-27T10:33:00.002-05:00

Students that experience an MSU winter soon discover the frigid windy-ness of the "tundra" which is the tree-challenged south campus area. I'm getting ready to trek across campus this afternoon, and realizing how spoiled I am in the nice warm, cozy library all day. Days like this give one a different take on the Beatitudes... blessed are the cold, for they will be warmed up. I'm really thankful

Honesty...

2010-01-24T17:58:00.001-05:00

Me: "Do you want to poop in your pants?" Ellie: "No." "Do you want to poop in the potty?" "No." "Where do you want to poop then?" "I want to poop on the floor."

Latest Ellie-ism

2009-09-26T18:47:00.003-04:00

Last night was clear and the stars were starting to come out. Ellie looked up and said "I can not reach." I said, "That's right, only God can reach that high." She said, "Actually, I can use a stool."

It's fall again

2009-09-21T11:43:00.004-04:00

I guess I'm continuing to roll with the technology punches, as my blog updates have been usurped mainly with the ever-convenient Twitter. I never thought I'd use it when it first came out - you can tell from comparing the frequency of tweets to actual blog posts how that hunch crashed and burned. I'm wondering if that's a subtle hint to me to say more with less.Our summer was lovely. We closed on

odds and ends

2009-04-29T09:35:00.004-04:00

We've had insane weather here in mid-Michigan - snow in the beginning of April, and 85 degrees at the end. Looks like we've settled back in to the 60s for a bit. It's that time of year where one tries to decide what the optimum temperature is for putting away the socks. Is 55 still too cold? How about 60? What if it's freezing in the morning and 70 in the afternoon? Ah, the agony of decision.

house update

2009-04-14T15:46:00.007-04:00

I know the blog posts have been sporadic at best, but that's largely Facebook's fault. OK, blame laid, now for news.So, for those of you who may not be caught up with our house hunting adventures (cue Suzanne Whang and the doorbell) we have moved from seasoned hobbyists to actual buyers. Our realtor is breathing a sigh of relief. We've found a house in DeWitt (just north of Lansing) on which

spartacular

2009-02-06T11:16:00.005-05:00

Ellie was very excited to see the photo of Mommy & Sparty. I ran into him at the Study Abroad fair yesterday.In other news, we're putting new fixtures in the bathroom this week. We replaced the wall sconces, the faucet, and the ceiling light/fan unit which hasn't worked since we moved in. We've been working on the bathroom little by little for the past 6 1/2 years and it's come a long way from

mad hatter

2009-02-05T10:50:00.004-05:00

I finally managed to get at least one fitting, warm hat made for each member of our family. Here's Ellie wearing all of them at once, as she loves to do. There's a certain satisfaction in seeing all of us with a nice warm handmade hat - I suspect it's the (very elusive) Proverbs 31 woman coming out... "When it snows, she has no fear for her household; for all of them are clothed in scarlet..."

A deep breath...

2009-02-02T13:39:00.005-05:00

... at least for one or two days. It seems like we have seasons of busy-ness at chez miller, one of which is thankfully ending. I just got back from Denver and the ALA Midwinter conference (lots of librarians, for the acronymically-challenged). Photos here. Justin and I treated each other to iPhones for Christmas and have been glued to them ever since. I've just discovered the photography apps.

What Real Baptists Should Look Like...

2008-10-14T12:55:00.006-04:00

I LOVE www.yearbookyourself.com... Brother Preacher Pastor J.D. Miller and Mrs. S. D. Miller, piemaker extraordinare, from the glory days when the balcony was full!

fall again

2008-10-09T18:54:00.003-04:00

Time again for chilly nights and warm wool. Although it looks like we're in for a week of Indian summer.I bought my first skein of pricey yarn today. It's a silk and merino wool mix. It's soft and lovely, will make a nice Christmas gift, and I only bought 1 SKEIN. That should be plenty for a neckwarmer. I still need to buy the bulk of my stuff at Hobby Lobby if I don't want to go bankrupt.I had a

Obama rally

2008-10-02T11:33:00.004-04:00

Wow, there is a huge line stretching way past the library to who knows where. Obama is scheduled to speak this afternoon at 2:30 and it's like someone declared a campus holiday. It reminds me of 1992, my freshman year, when Ol' Bubbacakes Clinton (as I fondly refer to him) came, except that the crowd wasn't nearly like this. Also, I was behind him in the bleachers in an MSU sweatshirt. (Yes, that

vocabulary

2008-09-19T15:36:00.002-04:00

It's such a fun surprise when I hear Ellie say something new. Her latest favorite words: "belly button" and "chocolate milk." We got her a new kitchen set, and she's been "cooking" up a storm for us. In the fake food set that we got to go with the kitchen, her favorites are the broccoli, donut, and aforementioned chocolate milk container. She was especially delighted with the mini colander, as

street preaching

2008-09-17T12:27:00.004-04:00

Along with the changing leaves and chill in the air, a sure herald of fall is the official opening of the "preaching corridor" by Wells Hall. I'm always interested to see who is out each year. In the 90s when I was a student, there was a guy who called everyone fornicators. I got called a fornicator once and thought it was funny. Glutton, liar, prideful, lustful, sure.... but despite being in

learning to sing

2008-09-13T12:11:00.004-04:00

Ellie loves "Row, Row, Row Your Boat." She has no idea what she's saying yet, but it's pretty cute nonetheless. She also loves eating yogurt, which is pretty obvious here as well.It's a lovely, rainy Saturday and Ellie is not wanting to take a nap, no matter how much Mom might want to. She's currently playing hide and seek in the new cupboards we have in the basement. I'd like to have an

a long stretch

2008-09-12T15:54:00.002-04:00

I've gotten the blogging bug again. It's been a full summer since I last posted, and Ellie is now running around the house saying things like "spatula" and "awesome." We've had a busy past few months, including a trip to New England where we all got sick, lots and lots of weddings, and new things to do at work.In addition to the blogging bug, the knitting bug is back as well. Christmas is just

The Scowl...

2008-06-17T16:45:00.002-04:00

Sara and EllieOriginally uploaded by sfaalum2000Stephen got a picture of Ellie's famous face. :-) He and Stacey were up for a visit this past weekend. It was great to see them. This picture was taken inside the MSU stadium entrance, where they have the original Sparty statue. Ellie didn't like Sparty very much. He was a little large and freaky for her taste. She was showing her displeasure here.

walking!

2008-05-07T15:08:00.005-04:00

Miss Elinor began her journey on foot last Tuesday, April 29. She's up to about five steps on her own now, and can get up and walk from sitting without holding onto anything. And yes, the cabinets are being baby-proofed as I write. Her vocab now includes "all done, all gone, ball, glasses," and I even made out "bye-bye Carolyn" the other day (after Carolyn was long gone, of course.)We spent last

74 degrees

2008-04-23T14:31:00.002-04:00

Another beautiful spring day on campus.

restoration

2008-04-21T14:26:00.005-04:00

I read a great word from Chuck Colson today, in response to an extremely interesting and revealing dialogue on evangelicalism and politics (found here). "My one prayer would be that Christians would understand better what they really believe — the core of their beliefs, why they matter, why we believe them and how to present them winsomely in a world that is so polarized and divided and alienated

round the bend

2008-04-18T08:56:00.003-04:00

This week has been the one where you can finally exhale after holding your breath waiting for Spring. The magnolias are starting to peep out and it's been over 60 degrees for more than two days in a row. Ellie had her first picnic out on the front lawn last night - a feast of bread, cheese, cheerios, and baby food. Ellie now has three teeth - one bottom and her two front ones. After her

the very first sign of spring

2008-03-27T09:58:00.007-04:00

I haven't even noticed any crocuses yet (maybe because we still have snow on the ground) but I did see the very first sign of spring yesterday - the tree in the picture is just beginning to bloom. It's still in the 30s and 40s here with snow showers on and off. I'm waiting for the proverbial lamb of the end of March, but I don't think we will see it this year.We are going to see some warm

Finished!

2008-03-05T16:03:00.005-05:00

For the last month or so, I've been going gung ho on a paper that I'm presenting on Friday. It's done. The relief is palpable. I still need to prepare my presentation, but that's what tomorrow is for. sigh...It's early spring here - Spring Break is upon us and the students are all off to various exotic locales. We used to refer to the week following Spring Break as "Baked Potato Week," as one can

break dance...

2008-01-31T10:36:00.000-05:00

Another dance you'll never see in real life...Don't send a lame Starring You! eCard. Try JibJab Sendables!

spartan snow

2008-01-24T21:44:00.001-05:00

I got a chance to go up in the new MSU stadium tower this morning . I was poking around on the 8th floor and found the press box. It was kind of surreal and peaceful to see the field and stands covered with a blanket of quiet, undisturbed snow. Behind me I had a fantastic view all the way out to the West Side of Lansing.

Fun at the doctor's office...

2008-01-23T12:52:00.000-05:00

Ellie usually hates visiting the doctor, but she's old enough now to really enjoy the endless supply of paper on the table. This was a special treat... before they stuck that thing in her ear! I would highly recommend a cellphone with a video camera to any parent by the way!

catching up

2008-01-17T11:44:00.001-05:00

With Thanksgiving, Christmas, and the new year all passing by in a whirl, I have a few pics to post and catch up with day-to-day life here. We had about a foot of snow before Christmas, as you can see in the first pic, which melted all at once during a freak 60-degree day, as you can see in the second pic, and then I went on a very brief excursion to Philadelphia for one day of the ALA Midwinter

adventures in opticianry

2008-01-16T13:00:00.000-05:00

Just when you thought it was safe to go into the optical profession... In the over 30 years my dad has been in business, I have to say this is the strangest thing that's ever happened at his shop. Luckily, no one was hurt... but I think someone is about to lose a driver's license.Original story from the New London Day

15 minutes...

2008-01-09T08:54:00.000-05:00

Stephen and Stacey's dog is not the only one who is a "local celebrity." This little blurb ran in our campus paper, the State News, this morning. Good thing you can't see the picture!Hello, my name is Sara Miller

Ellie's First Christmas Video

2007-12-29T13:37:00.000-05:00

a young diva

2007-12-03T19:32:00.000-05:00

second coming

2007-11-26T11:06:00.001-05:00

I love this pic! second comingOriginally uploaded by amandajane

imitation

2007-11-20T09:02:00.000-05:00

Ellie has been learning for about a month now how to play peek-a-boo herself, by holding up the blanket in front of her face. It seems that Daddy has taught Ellie how to clap now! She has been imitating him by banging her hands together... it's the cutest thing. Seeing her being able to physically imitate us now feels like a whole new stage. It's also bringing into focus for me the fact that she

the wheel

2007-11-19T12:38:00.000-05:00

This photo was actually taken a few months ago. For all you Navigators, I thought you would enjoy seeing Ellie's first exposure to the Wheel illustration. She demonstrated that she is an "Obedient Christian in Action" by promptly tearing the sheet in half and trying to eat it. After, of course, praying, reading our bible, witnessing, and fellowshipping. :-)

more dada... and starting to pull up

2007-11-14T21:15:00.000-05:00

dada...

2007-11-12T19:42:00.000-05:00

Ellie is definitely a daddy's girl...

in the cart

2007-11-10T16:15:00.001-05:00

Ellie sat in the cart for the first time today when we went to Meijer for groceries. She did so well! It was great not having to lug her car seat into the store, and the cart cover that I bought has a shoulder harness so she won't tip over to the side. Mom will be proud that I didn't get BABIES' DIAPER GERMS on the seat, nor did I let any existing ones get on Ellie or any of our produce!

Mr. & Mrs. Kidd

2007-11-03T13:31:00.000-04:00

Here is a photo of the happy couple from their Oct. 13th wedding. You can't see in this photo but they're both wearing matching red and white Nike Shox sneakers. It was very cute.They cruised to Bermuda for their honeymoon and are now firmly ensconced back in the booming metropolis of Bath. It's very nice to have Kadee around during the week now!

playing on halloween

2007-11-01T19:49:00.000-04:00

Ellie and Jackson... learning to share???(Sorry about the extra photo - I think it's the fault of my old-school template.)

for locals only :-)

2007-10-22T13:38:00.001-04:00

There is actually a quiz for people from Mystic. It's pretty funny. I was a little surprised I didn't score higher, but it HAS been 15 years since I lived there (yikes!) I scored a 86% on the "How Mystic, Connecticut Are You?" Quizie! What about you?

Mama, Dada... Poop?

2007-10-17T09:47:00.001-04:00

It seems like Ellie will stay the same for a while, and then all of a sudden she's hit so many milestones it's hard to keep track. For about a week now she has been saying ma-ma-ma and da-da-da nonstop. I could swear that she said "poop" the other day too which would be quite fitting for our household. It might be my imagination but I think I've heard "Ellie, Doggie, and Baby" in there too. I

the latest

2007-10-12T09:43:00.000-04:00

I'm busy today - but I need breaks so I'll be typing on my post throughout my morning. I'm getting progressively more ADD with work as I get older - I used to be able to focus and go for hours but now I need a constant stream of distractions. Maybe it's Facebook's fault. :-)Tomorrow is Matt and Kadee's wedding. Justin is performing the ceremony, I'm singing, and Ellie is wearing a pretty red

Riley's Here!

2007-09-10T09:24:00.000-04:00

Riley Khensani Ngubeni arrived Sunday morning at 2:30 AM! What a beautiful little girl - measuring in at 7lb 14oz and 21" long, with a VERY full head of beautiful, soft black hair! Denise and Bambi are doing great. Ellie is so happy to have a girl friend... she let me know this by trying to grab the little bow out of Riley's hair. :-)So far in 2007 Brenna, Jackson, Ellie, Joel, Gavin, Danielle,

Disco Preacher....

2007-09-06T13:07:00.000-04:00

Watch at your own risk!

words

2007-09-05T14:28:00.001-04:00

It's always interesting to me to observe the different eddies and swirls in the flow of life with God. I never talk enough about Him, and it's partly because all the words that we're used to hearing and speaking to describe Him are precisely that - we're used to them, and they tend to lie flatly in my mouth. Terms like spiritual growth, living water, revival- all precisely descriptive, but it's

pic of the tornadic storm, from the south

2007-08-27T09:34:00.000-04:00

Click the link for a fantastic pic of the storm on Flickr.Barn Storming on Flickr - Photo Sharing!

tornadicism

2007-08-27T09:17:00.000-04:00

At about 5:30 PM on Friday night we had a tornado come right through Lansing. I happened to be working late that night and was at the International Center on campus, and got herded into the basement with everyone else who was there. Of course I was freaking out as my cell signal cut out in the basement and Justin and Ellie were at home, about a mile north of the damage. There were a few hundred

the end of an era

2007-08-21T11:19:00.001-04:00

It's official: last night I packed up the oboe, went to the UPS store, and sent it off to RDG in Los Angeles to sell on consignment. I have to admit, I did feel a sentimental twinge although it's been sitting in my closet for the past 10 years. There's nothing like that distinct oboe smell when you open the case... although the romantic sentiment rapidly turns south when I start thinking about

dad is hilarious!

2007-08-11T22:17:00.000-04:00

Here's a video Justin made while I was gone last week... I'm glad Ellie was having such a good time. http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=8544935170061197192

catching my breath

2007-07-23T10:42:00.000-04:00

Ellie napped a lot Saturday and Sunday which gave me snippets of time to finish reading Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Quite a satisfying conclusion, although I wish we had seen whatever happened with Hagrid and Madam Maxime...This month has been a whirlwind. I'm taking a short breather to write a blog entry - will probably randomly type on it most of the day before posting, as I'm sitting

Ellie's first "swim!"

2007-07-17T20:44:00.000-04:00

Taking a dip in Traverse City...

as if I needed a quiz to tell me this...

2007-07-12T08:30:00.000-04:00

What Be Your Nerd Type? Your Result: Musician Doo doo de doo waaaa doo de doo! (<-- That's you playing something.) Everyone appreciates the band/orchestra geeks and the pretty voices. Whether you sing in the choir, participate in a school/local band, or sit at home writing music, you contribute a joy to society that everyone can agree on. Yay! Welcome to actually doing something for poor,

talking

2007-06-16T21:48:00.000-04:00

Click play for a video of Ellie "talking"... with a surprise ending!

2007-06-12T11:36:00.000-04:00

Ellie is asleep, tentatively, in her baby seat for the moment so I'm taking advantage Iof the time. The speed with which she is growing and changing just floors me. This week she's been "talking" to us... babbling and making the cutest sounds back and forth. As soon as I get a good video I will post it. She's also a lot more interested in her toys and is awake for longer periods.I'm starting to

Ellie Live...

2007-06-08T21:48:00.000-04:00

Ellie loves to have her diaper changed... you can see her smile at the thought of it!

how time flies...

2007-06-02T16:48:00.000-04:00

Yesterday, if you can believe it, Ellie turned 8 weeks old. She is just now starting to do well if i put her down in her bouncer or bassinet for a nap so I can get a few things accomplished, hence the lack of blog postings and the poor correspondence with many of you. She is finally beginning to act a bit more like a normal baby! Her reflux is much more under control, and she is having much

She's Here

2007-04-12T12:10:00.000-04:00

Sorry for the late post but it has been just a little hectic!Elinor Ann Miller, otherwise known as Ellie, was born at 6:33 PM, Friday, April 6. She weighed 7 pouns 13 ounces and was 20.5 inches long.Photos here:http://www.flickr.com/photos/praise711/sets/72157600063233155/More to come soon!

latest update

2007-03-26T20:26:00.000-04:00

Today Ellie weighed in at 7 pounds 3 ounces, according to the ultrasound. Her head is getting farther down and much more difficult to see. Good news.

the beginning of a long break

2007-03-26T09:58:00.000-04:00

Today is the first day of my 14-week vacation. I guess it will really only be a vacation until Ellie gets here but I am enjoying these last few days, however many there may be. It's shaping up to be 75 degrees here today - extremely warm for March, and Ive already got all of the windows open.It's a nice luxury to sit, sip my coffee, have my quiet time, and plan out what to do for the day... or

counting down

2007-03-23T09:26:00.000-04:00

I have pictures of the church shower to post, which will occur as soon as I get to my laptop. The shower was last Saturday and a wonderful time. I have been really overwhelmed by everyone's generosity and their excitement for Ellie to be born. This is the hardest waiting I have ever done. I thought it was hard to wait for Justin to get back from Cambodia before we were married, but at least I

healthy baby

2007-03-13T12:44:00.000-04:00

Ellie passed her non-stress test today with flying colors. She even kicked the little monitor to make some noise for our benefit. I also had an ultrasound and she is currently 6 lbs 10 oz and right on target. I got to see some shots of her little face today! She has beautiful lips. :-) She is also head down (hence my waddling) and should be right on schedule if not early.

showering and gigging

2007-03-12T16:33:00.000-04:00

Thursday was our first baby shower. It was at work, and I was frankly overwhelmed! There were tons of people, food, and generosity going around. I'm glad Justin got to come and meet everyone who he hears me talk about all the time! Photos, courtesy of Peng, attached at the end.Saturday we had Shower #2 at Marie's house. It was, again, a great time and I got some very cool books for Ellie,

scary smokestacks

2007-03-06T08:17:00.000-05:00

I can't find a decent video of this, just bits and pieces, but the stills are scary nonetheless. I have always had this strange fear of smokestacks (and other tall things) falling down since I was a kid. They're continuting to demolish the old GM plants here in Lansing and they blew up the smokestacks the other day. Scary. Click here for the pics from the Lansing State Journal. If I find a

wake up and smell the... bouquet

2007-03-01T16:01:00.000-05:00

Matt's bump on the head must have knocked some sense into him... kind of like the proverbial holy 2X4... because since his little stint in the ER he has managed to buy Kadee a ring, propose to her, and even gotten her to say yes! We are all very excited! The future Mr. and Mrs. Kidd are currently basking in the glow of betrothal. Of course poor Kadee is now resigned to a life of firetrucks,

the last straw

2007-02-19T20:36:00.000-05:00

I've been filling some of you in on our floor saga. To make an extremely long story short, we have had tile disaster since we tore up our kitchen and dining room floor in September. From contractors who didn't show at all, to one who disappeared in the middle of the job, to Justin and Matt learning how to cut tile and getting covered head to foot in slate mud, to the grout not coming off the

frozen

2007-02-05T09:19:00.000-05:00

Just had to say as my car very reluctantly started this morning I noticed that the thermometer said -5. We are definitely paying for 60 in December.

Jackson Pics

2007-02-04T10:16:00.000-05:00

Here are some brand new family photos thanks to Kadee. Matt and Jill are proud parents!

Welcome Jackson!

2007-02-02T10:50:00.000-05:00

I am happy to be the first to report that Jackson Matthew Cobb was born this morning at 4AM, weighing in at 7 lbs. 8 oz. and measuring 20.3" long. Jill had to have a C-section and will be in the hospital until Monday. I'm so excited to welcome the firstborn of Immanuel's newest 2007 generation baby boom! I'm sure the proud parents will have photos up ASAP - check out the Cobb Family blogs for

the inevitable

2007-01-31T13:56:00.000-05:00

So Justin and I went to our first of 6 childbirth classes last night. I didn't realize it was his first time seeing a video of a live birth. I guess in Oklahoma it's illegal to show that kind of thing in public school, or at least it was in the 80s. He did very well! No leaving the room or turning pale or barfing, even when the nurse gave the poor guys in the room a vivid analogy about the pain

return of the man-pit

2007-01-24T11:43:00.000-05:00

I am so excited, our basement, otherwise known as the man-pit, is almost done. Justin painted a very manly stripe along the wall the other night and we're getting ready to have the new carpet put down tomorrow. The men will be able to return to their lair of TV, movies, and snacking soon, and Justin's new office/storage will be ready too. We'll even have a new table for studying and space for the

Our Winter "Vacation!"

2007-01-17T16:30:00.000-05:00

We had a very unexpected extra four days in Oklahoma. The gorgeous, 68 degree weather which we enjoyed on Thursday turned into a much more Michigan-like setting an hour before our flight was scheduled to leave from Tulsa on Friday. Justin's parents lost power first, then phone, then water... you can see why in this photo! Luckily we had a propane heater to keep us warm. With the house being at

week of calm... sorta

2007-01-03T15:50:00.000-05:00

We've returned from a New England Christmas - although snow and sleigh bells were replaced by all this warm weather it was still nice to be home. The grand tour took us to Niantic, Pawcatuck, and Boston, with a stop at the Mystic Seaport for a lantern light tour - one of those cool things I haven't done since I was kid. It was like a live version of the History Channel. Good to see family as

holiday ramblings

2006-12-19T11:02:00.000-05:00

I'm getting just as bad as the guys thinking explosions are cool. :) Here is yet another video of a bridge blowing up from cnn.com.The rush is on! Counting down the days till Christmas. We've had quite the packed December so far. We had our church staff dinner at the English Inn earlier this month and had a fantastic time talking to our waiter for almost an hour. He heard us talking about "church

a flight of fancy?

2006-12-06T09:38:00.000-05:00

Sorry I just had to post this one... from abcnews.comFlatulence Forces Plane to LandPlane Forced to Land After Passenger Passes Gas, Lights Match to Cover ScentNASHVILLE, Tenn. Dec 6, 2006 (AP) - An American Airlines flight was forced to make an emergency landing Monday morning after a passenger lit a match to disguise the scent of flatulence, authorities said. The Dallas-bound flight was

thanksgiving

2006-11-28T13:44:00.000-05:00

We didn't get to travel for Thanksgiving this year, but the weather was gorgeous and we made the rounds first to Nelia's house and then to Marie's. We had plenty of turkey and stuffing and all the fxins...but we did have to miss out on the festivities in Providence. Here are Ariana and Alison posing at the Rodrigues family gathering, photo courtesy of Mom. Can't wait to see everyone at

she's coming!

2006-11-21T14:32:00.000-05:00

So I had my 20-week ultrasound yesterday, and... send in the pink, it's a girl! It was so cool seeing her little hands and feet squirming around. She has all her fingers and toes and is healthy, praise God, currently weighing in at just 12 ounces. Justin is particularly excited as he was hoping for a girl. Stephen W. has already offered to buy him a shotgun for when she starts dating. :-) Now

weekend houseguests

2006-11-13T15:29:00.000-05:00

On Friday night, as we opened the garage door on our way over to church, we heard the smallest little meow and in ran a tiny little orange and white kitten! It couldn't have been more than eight or so weeks old.I scooped it up and it was purring like crazy and so, so cute. We decided to leave her in the garage until we could run to Meijer for some kitten food. As we shut the door, we heard

a breather

2006-11-06T09:40:00.000-05:00

The last few weeks have been some of the busiest I think I've ever had. This week the pace should slow a bit, thank goodness - it will be very nice when holiday breaks come around. I made my bass debut last night for evening church! Garrett lent me his formerly closet-bound bass and I spent a few hours practicing yesterday afternoon. Nothing funky yet, I assure you, but I did manage to produce

I couldn't resist...

2006-10-26T21:26:00.000-04:00

I've been at work since 8:30 AM and am running on fumes at this point... so for my last hour at the desk I've decided to see for myself why Justin is so addicted to YouTube. And I think I found my answer... this is the most incredible tornado video I have ever seen!

mom is flickr famous!

2006-10-23T13:34:00.001-04:00

Mom made it onto the flickr Explore page today! Congratulations... she is getting more and more famous!We had a fantastic weekend. Sunday we were treated to Matt Cobb's worship leading - and the best part is he and Jill are not going anywhere! Worship felt alive, exciting, real, and fun for the first time in I can't remember how long. It's exciting to see and feel like we are really turning a

first of many, many pictures!

2006-10-20T09:58:00.000-04:00

Welcome, Luke, into the world! Xiaolei had her baby last night. Not too many details yet but I'll post as I hear. I have a feeling that Luke will be able to compete with his peers Suri Cruise and Shiloh Jolie-Pitt for most (attempted) photos taken! Peng is going to have to buy another camera to keep up with them all. I don't think I could resist either though, he is such a cutie pie...

emerging

2006-10-16T15:33:00.000-04:00

I finally feel like I'm emerging from the "sick" stage of things. Yesterday I actually had energy, which felt wonderful. It's been several months since I felt any "get up and go." Thanks all of you for listening to all my kvetching about feeling sick! Today begins my 15th week of pregnancy. I'm kind of at that in-between stage where I can tell that I'm showing but I'm not quite ready for the

new arrivals!

2006-10-09T14:14:00.000-04:00

Yes, it's true, our prayers have been answered and Matt and Jill Cobb are coming! I'm so excited. They are moving up to Lansing from Monroe as soon as they can find a place to live. It will be great to have a new, godly couple in church. Also Jill is pregnant and due about two months before I am, so more babies... and Matt is going to be our new worship leader! Praise God for that one. We badly

Mattie caught chilling...

2006-10-05T20:04:00.000-04:00

So Dick Cheney came to Bath today, and guess who got to stand guard in case someone decided to set the golf course on fire! The Lansing State Journal caught these two basking in the"glow" of VPOTUS this afternoon. I was wondering if they were anywhere near the "undisclosed location."In other news, I just got the most awesome computer I think I've ever used... a tablet PC. I'm currently

more wedding photos

2006-09-19T16:50:00.000-04:00

The compilation of wedding photos links - updated!:Proofs from wedding photographer (e-mail me for the password)Alexa's pictures (Need to activate free Snapfish account)Mom's pictures (on Flickr)My pictures (also on Flickr)

tile?

2006-09-19T09:52:00.000-04:00

Our refrigerator is now sitting in the midde of our living room next to the stove, which is strangely disconcerting. We finally finished tearing up the floor in our dining room and kitchen. We had a bit of a history lesson.. instead of just pulling up a carpet and pad like we thought we would be doing, we ended up finding a layer of flooring from each decade, one on top of another! We started by

clouds have lifted

2006-09-15T13:29:00.000-04:00

Finally, the rain has stopped here after a solid grey, wet week. September is here in all its glory. On the right are some type of lily that is planted frequently in the gardens all over campus, and they turn these beautiful shades of orange and yellow. They were especially striking by the Natural Science courtyard fountain today, where the benches are in danger of being gloriously overrun with