Joy in the Journey

M, K & B

2012-02-17T10:10:00.000-05:00

This past weekend was fantastic because we had visitors! Our friends, Mike, Kara and Ben paid us a visit down here in Florida! Lots of Fun!

Mira got to meet her pal Ben! He was so sweet looking after her all weekend.

Go Marquette!

There was orange and grapefruit picking!

Ben inspects the grapefruit!

Mira tries to grab one!

Mira loves to swing!

Checking out the water!

There was delicious Thai food!

There (of course) was rope climbing!

And strawberry picking!

And there was lots and lots of book reading!

:-)

Valentines

2012-02-15T15:40:00.000-05:00

Hope you all had a Happy Valentines Day yesterday!

Owen is Here!

2012-02-02T10:08:00.000-05:00

Our newest nephew was born yesterday! Isn't he precious?! Welcome little Owen Bennett! We love you J, H, A, M and O! :-)

Mira Mae 11 1/2 months

2012-02-01T15:55:00.000-05:00

Mira Mae is just over 11 months! Just a little longer and our little gal will be 1!

Mira Mae continues to be as laid back as can be! She is very adaptable. We can take her along anywhere and she does just fine. She will give a little grunt and kick her legs when she doesn't like something (most often when she is getting dressed) but that doesn't happen too often! She continues to be very active. Her new favorite thing is to jump up and down in her crib! And eating her crib... she is teething like crazy and the crib is showing it!

Mira is eating well, she has tried lots of new food the past month, I can't really keep track. She'll eat anything - just like her mama and daddy! She still is a little funny with textures though. Mira loves to feed Ace. We have to keep our eye on her otherwise she'll feed half her meal to him! We continue to put different spices in her food... a little curry here and cumin there, etc. and we'll hope she continues to be a good eater. She's drinking about 4 bottles a day (7 or so oz each.)

I don't know what her weight is. We will see at her 1 year appointment. I do think she has grown taller! All of her pants are floods on her now! She is pretty much in 9 month size now, though some 6 month and some 12 month fit her!

Mira's fine and gross motor skills are coming along. She can easily turn pages, feed herself and grab objects. She is also moving all over. She stands unassisted and will take a step or 2 on her own. She dances and jumps around. She is climbing on everything. We have found her climbing up Ace's crate, on the baby gate up and up on anything that she can. She has shown me that she can squeeze out of the little belt and stand up in the shopping cart too. I can't take my eyes off of her for a second! She is also clapping her hands, giving high-fives, waving and mimicking lots of our behaviors. At night before bed (and often when she is getting over-tired) she likes to jump around and throw herself all over the couch. Daddy has saved her from a fall multiple times. She is quite fearless! She sure has an adventurous spirit like her daddy!

Mira is sleeping pretty well. She goes down around 8 and is waking around 8. Her naps are usually around 10:30 and 3. She sometimes wakes with her daddy around 6 and he'll give her a bottle and spend a little time with her. She'll go right back to sleep. We think she's been waking just to see him before work. :) That's our Mira Mae!

Gramma and Bapa!

2012-02-01T15:26:00.001-05:00

Last week we were so lucky to have a visit from Gramma and Bapa! A wonderful week it was. Here are a few pics!

Mira sure loves bath time! Especially when Gramma gives her one!

Mira's first taste of cotton candy! Yum!

More please :)

Bapa climbing our rope in the back yard. So much fun to watch!

Snuggling with Gramma!

At the strawberry patch!

Inspecting the strawberries!

Mira approves of our picks!

Exploring the strawberry patch!

Come back soon!

Tarzan

2012-01-18T08:59:00.000-05:00

I think Mira Mae might just get this...

...from this!

Mira and her crazy daddy. I think she'll get a kick out of these pics one day!

10

2012-01-11T11:50:00.000-05:00

Mira is 10 and a half months(ish)!

Mira continues to be a pretty easy going little gal. She seemed to fall right in with her cousins when we were in Ohio for Christmas and New Years. She seems to like playing with others but also enjoys her time alone. She will sit and seemingly study her toys. She also loves books. I love finding her sitting in her room flipping through her books.

Mira is not stingy with smiles. She will smile when she sees a familiar face. In the evening when Justin arrives home, she will crawl right over to him with a huge smile on her face. Usually Ace is right there with her! We are the funniest people in the world to her and she gives us lots and lots of giggles! Speaking of Ace, she continues to love him more and more. Every morning he comes trotting into her room when I am getting her up and she throws a huge smile on her face and goes right for him. He bumps her around a bit and she could care less!

Mira is saying Momma and Dadda and babbling a lot. She knows who we are talking about when we say Ace and will look over to him. She is still pulling up a lot and will stand for a few seconds here and there, but doesn't seem the slightest bit interested in walking yet! She sure is all over the place though! We can't turn our heads for a second!

She has three teeth still. Two on the top and one on the bottom. It appears that there is another one about to break through on the bottom, we shall see. Mira has stopped nursing. Just refuses to now, so she is getting about 6 bottles per day... when she'll take them. She has been a goofy eater lately. She continues to eat fairly well as long as the texture is smooth. She is still funny about textures. If it is too thick or chunky for her she sticks out her tongue and grabs the food out with her hand. She likes to feed herself and has the pincher grasp down well. She enjoys cheese and her puffs the best!

Mira was at the doc last week and weighed in at 16 lb 3 oz. They still want me working on her weight gaining, we are doing our best, but I think she is just a little peanut for now!

Sleep... hmmm. Our fabulous sleeper has become a little difficult since the holidays. She's also still fighting off her first cold/cough and probably teething, so I'm chalking it up to that for now! Lately she is having a hard time going down to sleep and waking in the night. Sort of all over the place!

Check out my tooth on the bottom!

Giggles

2012-01-05T15:25:00.001-05:00

Merry Christmas

2011-12-23T23:33:00.000-05:00

We celebrated our Christmas down here in Florida yesterday and today! Our church had a Christmas Eve service for those headed out of town, so we celebrated last night at church! Sort of weird to go to Christmas Eve service in nearly 80 degree weather!

Today, Mira went to meet Santa. She was quite intrigued with him!

She also enjoyed a viewing of Rudolph!

Now we are enjoying Glüwein and Love Actually! So, so looking forward to seeing our families up in Ohio!

C is for...

2011-12-20T22:53:00.001-05:00

Captiva Island!

We headed to beautiful, beautiful Captiva Island on the gulf side of Florida, the weekend before Thanksgiving to vacation with my sis, bro-in-law and their girly, girls. We'll definitely be heading back in the future!

A trolly drove us around the resort. How fun!

Mira Mae loved playing on the beach with Naomi!

Sunshine!

Out to dinner on the island! Delicious seafood!

After a few days in Captiva, we headed back to Orlando. We go to spend a night with Justin's brother Tobin and sister-in-law Veronika and kiddos. They helped us get settled in our new home! We celebrated Thanksgiving (a couple days later) in our new place.

Ace loved all the cuddles!

C is also for Citrus! And there sure is enough of it down here. We spent an afternoon picking oranges, tangerines, grapefruits and lemons! Yum!

Meredyth is not so sure about the alligator! :)

Mira doesn't mind this guy!

C is for cousins too! There sure was a lot of cousins loving Mira this week! She can't wait to see more cousins at Christmas!

9 (and a half) Months

2011-12-13T21:22:00.000-05:00

Mira Mae is 9 (and a half) months!

Her personality is starting to show more and more! She seems to be a bit soft spoken, not a big talker, but sure can be feisty. She continues to move all around! These pictures were very difficult to get!

She went for her 9 month well check last week. She is doing well, but hasn't gained a lot of weight again, so we are on mission: weight gain with her! Good thing it is holiday time. :) She weighed in at 15 lb 2 oz last week.

She has been teething like crazy lately. She has 2 teeth coming through on top and 1 on the bottom. The top two came in first so she looked like a little vampire. She continues to be a pretty good eater, though seems to have some texture issues and makes lots of funny faces when she doesn't like something!

Mira seems to be starting to have a little bit of stranger anxiety. She occasionally cries now when we leave her in the nursery. We'll see if it develops any more.

Our little cricket!

Round and Round

2011-12-03T11:49:00.001-05:00

We finally have internet! Here is Mira taking her morning walk about. :)

Daddy's Girl

2011-11-18T10:58:00.000-05:00

Fun with Daddy!

2011-11-10T22:13:00.000-05:00

Playtime with daddy! And a bit slap happy before bed. :)

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-31T23:49:00.001-04:00

The World's Finest: Batman & Superman

Since we are still in an apartment, we went to a friend's to take Mira trick or treating!

She loved it!

Mira Stalling Bedtime

2011-10-29T21:04:00.000-04:00

8 Whole Months

2011-10-26T21:27:00.000-04:00

Mira is 8 months and a few days!

And she is all over the place! I can't turn my back for a second! She is pulling herself up on everything! She is starting to get risky and will let go and stand for a split second. Everyone that sees her down here tells me she will walk early. I am really okay with her taking her time though! Because of her new skills she now has quite a few bumps and clunks on her head!

She continues to be more vocal and jabbers away - when she is in the mood. She is not a huge talker, but certainly will when she feels like it. We have heard mama and dada already!

Mira loves books and being read to and loves being sung to. She can be fussy and if we start to sing to her a big smile will spread across her face! She is also mimicking our actions - waving and opening and closing her hand!

Mira will occupy herself well and sit and play with her toys, but lately prefers those things she is not allowed to play with - chords, outlets, Ace's toys, etc. I can almost guarantee that if she is sitting quietly she probably is chewing on Ace's toys! Mira also loves playing with others. When we go to get Mira from the nursery after church or Bible study, the gals in the nursery routinely tell us that Mira seems to really enjoy herself and playing with the other babies.

She is becoming a good eater and will eat anything we give her! So far avocado has been the only thing she doesn't seem to like! We have been mixing it into other things and she'll eat it just fine!

Her sleeping is still the same - in bed around 7:30 p.m. and waking about 7:30 a.m., 2 naps - a morning nap around 9:30 and an afternoon nap around 1:30. Every so often, Mira decides to have a no sleeping day. I will put her in her bed for her nap and she will just role around and play for an hour or two. She won't cry but just won't go to sleep! She must like her alone time - like her mama!

Chunky cheeks - also like her mama :)

One of her classic looks - tucking her lower lip in!

The Trick Again

2011-10-08T22:06:00.001-04:00

Girly-girl can now do the trick on one foot! And in the video you can see she's able to do it without Justin holding onto her foot...she stands on his palm. She's crazy! :-)

Avocado

2011-10-08T09:29:00.000-04:00

Surfin USA

2011-10-05T20:16:00.010-04:00

Getting the hang of it :)

NYC -> ORL

2011-10-04T17:07:00.001-04:00

Orlando...

When Justin first told me about this opportunity in Orlando, I believe I said "hmm," audibly said "hmm."

Hmm.... Orlando???...

Probably not the first place on our list of places to move. I was sorta, kinda hoping for a move back to Chicago... Or maybe even a move abroad again...

But, Orlando, okay. Well let's see what happens. That was our attitude.

When the opportunity really became a possibility. Justin asked me again. For real now, would we move, actually move to Florida? Would I live in Orlando? Move to a place that might be close to the exact opposite of New York City.

We always wanted to move south. Was God saying, okay, well here you go, here's south.

See, New York was not the easiest. It was a hard year for us. A great year, but a hard one. Regardless, our little Mira Mae was born in New York City. How cool is that? She will always be a little New Yorker. For that I am grateful. We can always go back and show her where her life started and navigate the city, no problem. But it didn't seem to be quite the right fit for us at this time. Who knows, maybe sometime we will find ourselves living there again, but for now, we wanted out and were becoming quite determined to get out.

But get out to Orlando, a place that is an entire flip in lifestyle? Hmm...

Our time in New York was purposeful. I completely believe this. I would not trade the year for anything. We lived in New York City. I love that. It was part of a plan that God has for us. A plan that continues to shape who we are. God was teaching us things over this year, reminding us to look to Him for direction, to put our trust in Him and step out of our comfortable little world. It seems that so many people are going through difficult, difficult times lately and if there is anything the last few months have reinforced for me, it is just that. That God has a plan. He put outstanding people in our lives. People that really made our time in New York. We so quickly met wonderful friends and I am so, so thankful. We miss them dearly.

And I must say, that despite at times getting beat up a little by NYC, it is a wonderful place. The energy of that city is like nothing else. If you haven't been, you must go. I miss it. I really do.

Justin and I married just over 7 years ago. In these 7 years, we have moved 8 times, living in 5 different cities. The 8 will soon be 9 when we find a more permanent home here in Orlando.

Moving has become a part of our lives. Many times I have been asked how I feel about moving so often. Well, it has just been how life is for us. I do not particularly enjoy the physical act of moving. It is sort of the worst. But living in new places and meeting new people is pretty fun! My introverted self continually having to meet new people shows that God does have a sense of humor. And He is preparing us. Every move, every experience has been preparing us for what was and is ahead. I believe this.

And our paths have crossed with so many people from all over, and that is pretty special.

The opportunity in Orlando has turned into a reality in Orlando. Our hmm turned into yes. We prayed that God would take control and somehow the decision became quite easy for us. See, with how often we have moved, the choice to move once again is not such a big, huge, life altering decision. Yes, it is a big decision, but we know that we can do it and meet new people and make a home. Plus we made it in New York City, so supposedly now we can make it anywhere. :)

Our life has completely flipped. We are getting acclimated down here. And we like it. We do miss fall. But the weather is awesome. We spent both this past Saturday and Sunday at the beach. An hour drive and we were at the ocean. Justin is getting addicted to surfing and I am itching to give it a try. We have started meeting some great people already and we are on the hunt for a home.

So for now, we have left bustling, energetic city life and have arrived in the land of palm trees and Disney World and sunshine.

And for now this is pretty great.

Oh and the kiddos did super on the drive down!

Mira Mae Month 7

2011-10-02T20:06:00.001-04:00

Mira Mae is just over 7 months! The last month sure has flown by. Mira had a month of firsts. She went on her first plane ride (up to Ohio), took her first dip in a swimming pool (many, many more to come for our Florida gal) and started eating solids.

At Mira's 6 month doctor's appointment, she weighed in at 14 lb 1 oz and measured 26 inches - still long and lean!

Mira continues to be a mover. She crawls all over (usually following after Ace.) She is loving Ace more and more. Mira is also pulling herself up to a stand. Mira has found her voice and is becoming more vocal. She is squealing and jabboring a lot! When she is over tired, she gets a bit slap happy and will squeal and squeal and flail her arms and kick her legs. It is quite humorous.

She has started to tuck her bottom lip in, it has become her classic look. Here it is tucked in a little. :)

Mira is eating fairly well. She has had peas, carrots, apples, bananas, avocados, sweet potatoes, squash and of course oatmeal. She usually makes one big mess and has become Ace's best friend while she is eating!

When she wakes up she often has just a little bit of bed head - see it on the side of her head?! :)

Her sleeping is pretty much the same, though she has started waking in the morning a bit earlier (usually around 7:30.) She usually just hangs out in her bed for a while when she wakes - rolling around and playing a little.

Mira Mae! How are you 7 months?!

Psalms 23

2011-09-10T09:25:00.000-04:00

My new song addiction!

5 and 6

2011-09-08T16:51:00.008-04:00

I am so, so behind on blogging! The summer is just flying by and we have sure been busy! Here’s a little update on Mira!

Mira has been scooting and crawling all over for the past 2 months. She pulls up on her feet in a sort of downward dog position too. She is now officially crawling and is all over the place – often crawling after Ace! She just loves Ace and will watch him and smile and giggle. Mira is also sitting up unassisted. She's pulling herself up to her knees and sometimes will get a foot under, but not pulling herself up to standing yet! She loves her jolly jumper and will jump away squealing and laughing. She is very, very active and often is flailing her arms and legs all about, twisting and turning and moving all over. It has become quite "fun" to change her clothes and diaper! She usually turns right over and starts crawling away!

Mira is getting used to riding in the car. She has taken some long car rides! Some rides are better than others! She let me know she was not too happy to be in the car on our rides to and from North Carolina. She did pretty well on the drive down to Florida.

Speaking of North Carolina, Mira took her first trip to the beach for the Sikora family vacation! She seemed to enjoy the water. We know there will be many, many more beach trips for Mira Mae!

Mira also had her first slumber party away from mommy and daddy! She spent a weekend with Aunt Jenna, Uncle Andrew and her cousins while we had a weekend away for Uncle "Map" and Aunt Erin's wedding. :) She did great! Thanks guys!

Mira began eating solid food last week and she’s been doing pretty well. She made lots of funny faces the first time, but is getting the hang of it. So far she has had rice cereal, oatmeal and peas!

She’s going to bed around 7:30 or 8:00 and usually wakes around 8 in the morning. She takes 2 naps, a morning nap around 10:00 and an afternoon nap around 2. Though she seems to have been teething for quite a while, I think she actually may be teething now. She is chewing on everything and has been a bit fussy and waking up through the night this week.

Mira has her 6 month doctors appointment next week. I am not sure how much she weighs right now. A couple weeks ago she was about 14 lbs. So we shall see! She's pretty much in size 3-6 months now!

Mira, Mira Mae!

Best Buddies

2011-09-01T19:13:00.000-04:00

Mira sure loves her Ace and finds him quite humorous!

Staycation

2011-07-29T23:29:00.001-04:00

Our Liptak family "staycation" last weekend turned into a good ol' fashioned family cook-out!

Justin doing the trick with Mira. Meredyth kept her safe :)

Magster!

Madelyn taking care of Mira!

Adelaide and her Uncle Justin!

EC!

Nay-Nay and Sis!

Yummy food!

Pa is so funny!

Loving Uncle Scott and Pa!

Dancy, dancy!

Getting so tired after a long day of playing!

Movie watching!

Some Euker playing!

Cousins!

J4 2011

2011-07-09T21:45:00.008-04:00

This 4th we were not with family - the first in a long while. So we were a bit bummed. But still had a great weekend!

We started Friday by grabbing a zipcar, packing a picnic lunch and heading up to Nyack - a great little artsy town on the Hudson a bit north of NYC.

Hudson River

We had a picnic at Nyack Beach State Park, with beautiful views of the river

Tuna salad on greens, yum!

Sleepy eyes took a cat nap!

While we took a long walk on the path along the river.

That evening we roamed around the town and grabbed dinner at a great little Mexican restaurant. Delicious margaritas!

The weekend also included a trip to Brooklyn for a baby shower! Mira is becoming a pro on the subway!

Sushi for dinner! Yum!

Mira dressed in her red and white starred onesie and hung with her pal Ace on the morning of the 4th!

Here it looks like she's reading him her book :)

That afternoon we packed a picnic and headed to Central Park with some friends.

Fruit, sausage, cheeses, home made limeade coolers, and guacamole salad - our latest addiction! I made it twice last weekend and tonight again! All on Thanksgiving plates - our only paper plates. Thanks to mom :-)

Oh and of course Pirates Booty - need something snacky!

MM showing off!

Blue eyes

Tuesday we had another picnic in Central Park.

These days, Mira is loving chewing on her toes...

is also loving her doggie..

rolling over...

and hanging with her daddy!

The weekend also included lots of play time...

and morning snuggles!

Hope you all had a great 4th!

Another Video :) Mira Swinging

2011-07-06T12:52:00.000-04:00

Careful, this one might make you a little dizzy. Sorry!

Kicker

2011-06-29T17:11:00.000-04:00

Mira has been rolling over for well over a month now. Here she is kicking around and rolling over.

Mira Mae is 4 Months

2011-06-22T14:38:00.003-04:00

Mira Mae is 4 months today! Her personality is sure developing. She is very vocal and will stare into our eyes and talk away. She is very active and right now her favorite thing to do is stand. She really enjoyed the bouncers and exersaucers at our families homes while we were in Ohio. She is constantly moving her feet and rubbing them together. She even got a little blister on her toe from rubbing. She has been rolling over from her back to her tummy for about a month. She is now starting to continue her roll from her tummy back to her back.

She continues to be one strong cookie and takes Ace bumping her around. She does not go for her 4 month appointment until next week, so I am not sure what her weight is currently. However, last week she weighed in at about 11.5 lbs.

The last few nights she has been sleeping through the night, so we'll keep our fingers crossed. She goes to bed around 9 and has been waking in the morning around 9. I am not sure if this is from exhaustion from being in Ohio and not napping much, or a start to some sleep for us at night! We'll see! She takes a morning nap around 11 and an afternoon nap around 2. Every once in a while she'll take an evening cat nap.

Everything is going in her mouth these days (including her feet) and she has been finding her thumb quite often lately. Mira is an easy going baby and occupies herself very well. She loves to watch us talk too. Often, in the evenings Justin will be holding her and I'll be talking away to him and look over at her staring and smiling at me. It doesn't take much to make Mira smile just a smile to her or a funny sound and she will light up!

Our Mira Mae in a nutshell!

Fun with Gramma and Bapa!

2011-06-12T22:11:00.001-04:00

Bapa and Gramma were in NYC last week!

Bapa makes me smile!

Hanging with Gramma!

Gramma makes me smile too!

Out for Italian!

The Ipad is so intriguing!

I took my first subway ride and Bapa carried me home!

Thanks for a great week, great meals, walks and just hanging out! Miss you!

3 Months

2011-05-23T15:49:00.001-04:00

Mira Mae is 3 months (and a day!)

She's growing more and more! This month she has grown out of her newborn clothes and is going strong in 0-3 month!

Mira has started holding toys in her hands. They usually go straight into her mouth. She will take a pacifier every once in a while, but usually finds her hand to suck on. She reaches up to play with her toys on her play-mat and gets very excited looking up into the mirror.

She is always moving her arms and kicking her legs around. She kicks her legs up and rolls from side to side. She also rolled from her back to her tummy for the first time just this past Saturday. She waited so that both Justin and I could see it! She gets a bit feisty when we put her on her tummy and doesn't really love tummy time, but still has a very strong neck! She loves her ab exercises, which we have named "so strong." She gets a big grin on her face when she is doing them. I think she is proud of herself :).

She continues to be very vocal and squeaky :) She also started laughing this month! She makes lots of funny faces too, especially with her eyes! Papa gave her the nickname Little Cricket (after Jiminy Cricket) because of her little expressions and we think that fits her!

Mira took her first car ride this month and did very well. Though she did not like stopping! Good thing most of the trip was highway!

We are still swaddling her since she tends to sleep better swaddled, but she has started to break out of it and we usually find her with one or both arms out in the morning. She usually goes to bed around 9 and sometimes will sleep through until 6 or 7 and other times will wake once for a feeding. Though last week we had a few nights of her waking often through the night. Hoping it was just a growth spurt and that she is over that!

That's our Lil Cricket!

Not Forgotten

2011-05-22T11:41:00.011-04:00

Yes it is true that since having Mira, Ace has been getting a bit less attention (though he seems to have taken it in stride.) And since having Mira, the Ace duties seem to be a bit more of a hassle (especially when Justin is traveling.) Yes, he sometimes wakes Mira with his barking and running around and our tiny place seems so much smaller now with a baby and Ace. And yes, I will certainly welcome the days when he looses some of his puppy energy!

BUT we don't love Acey-Face any less. He has been so great with Mira and is becoming quite protective of her too. When she cries you can often see Ace running over and laying by her. Despite my moments of frustration with him, I am sure glad Mira will get to grow up with a doggie like Ace! AND Justin sure loves his Ace so much.

When I was going through our videos I found these of Ace as a puppy. If you so oblige, you can humor us by watching them :).

These videos also make me miss our home in Chicago even more than I usually do :)...

Justin showing Ace some jiu-jitsu moves

Cuddling after wrestling around

He has always loved his cuddling

Running up and down our hallway

Hi Everyone!

2011-05-17T23:13:00.000-04:00

Boxing

2011-05-16T22:01:00.000-04:00

Mira's first boxing lesson.

Superhero in the Making

2011-05-02T14:31:00.000-04:00

2 Months and 1 Week

2011-04-29T16:30:00.006-04:00

Mira is 2 months and 1 week! Where has the time gone!

She had a doctors appointment today and weighed in at 9 lb 14 oz and 23 in, so she is gaining very well! The doc said she's about 20th percentile for weight and 70th percentile for height. Our little lady is long and lean. :)

Mira has been all smiles lately and very, very talkative! A few days in a row she lit up with a huge grin when she heard Justin's voice as he came in the apartment after work!

She still loves to look at her mobile. She will occupy herself for quite a bit of time just staring up at it and grinning! She also LOVES bath time. Justin usually baths her and she stares up at him the entire time. We have started giving her a bath each evening as part of her routine and also because she loves it so much! She also really enjoys being outside. We go for lots and lots of walks and she just loves it! We will see if she likes car rides when she goes for her first non-cab car ride soon to Ohio!

Mira is looking forward to meeting more aunts, uncles, cousins and friends very soon!

TV

2011-04-28T17:23:00.001-04:00

Sometimes I like to watch TV with my daddy!

Happy Easter!

2011-04-24T23:28:00.001-04:00

So excited for her Easter basket!

"...Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; He has risen, just as He said..."

Matthew 28: 5,6

Surprise Shower and Small Group

2011-04-20T18:30:00.002-04:00

Most Saturday mornings since the fall we have gone to couples small group - organized through our church. Every couple months a new book is picked and we read and discuss and hang out with one another. Our group is super great and has helped us tremendously as we have really stumbled around settling into NY and not so much loving it. We just finished reading The Reason for God by Timothy Keller who pastors the phenomenal Redeemer Presbyterian Church here in New York City. Though I am a bit behind, the book is really, really good.

This past Saturday the group had a surprise shower for Mira, me and another woman in the group who is pregnant and due this summer with her first. It was a lot of fun!

Midwest

2011-04-12T13:35:00.000-04:00

is best :)

"Song for My Sons"

2011-04-08T15:42:00.000-04:00

As you all know, I really love the music of Sara Groves. Her lyrics really speak to your spirit. I have enjoyed this song - "Song for My Sons" even more now. But I suppose it would be Song for My Daughter :)

"This is a song for my sons for when they understand it
You know how life is full you know we couldn't plan it
your dad and I prayed for strength and understanding
for things we couldn't see or comprehend

This is a song for you, to carry in your pocket
take all our love with you in all the paths you walk in
I can't say your life will always go like it should
but I can say that God is always good

and when the cold wind blows like I know it will
and when you feel alone like I know you will
and when the cold wind blows like we know it will

Don't let your love grow
Don't let your love grow
Don't let your love grow cold

This is a song for my sons for when they understand it
You know how life is full you know we couldn't plan it
your dad and I prayed for strength and understanding
for things we couldn't see or comprehend

This is a song from my heart a small refrain to hold you
for times when we're apart and I cannot console you
Be honest with yourself and don't forget to pray
and read your bible everyday

and when the cold wind blows like I know it will
and when you feel alone like I know you will
and when the cold wind blows like I know it will

Don't let your love grow
Don't let your love grow
Don't let your love grow cold

This is a song for my sons for when they understand it
You know how life is full you know we couldn't plan it
your dad and I prayed for strength and understanding
for things we couldn't see or comprehend

This is a song for you, to carry in your pocket
take all our love with you in all the paths you walk in
I can't say your life will always go like it should
but I can say that God is always good

and when the cold wind blows like I know it will
and when you feel alone like I know you will
and when the cold wind blows like we know it will

Don't let your love grow
Don't let your love grow
Don't let your love grow cold

This is a song for my sons for when they understand it
You know how life is full you know we couldn't plan it
your dad and I prayed for strength and understanding
for things we couldn't see or comprehend

This is a song from my heart a small refrain to hold you
for times when we're apart and I cannot console you
Be honest with yourself and don't forget to pray
and read your bible everyday

and when the cold wind blows like I know it will
and when you feel alone like I know you will
and when the cold wind blows like I know it will

Don't let your love grow
Don't let your love grow
Don't let your love grow cold"

- Sara Groves

Glo Worm

2011-04-02T21:30:00.001-04:00

Our little glo worm, ready for bed!

Mira Lately

2011-03-30T17:29:00.000-04:00

Mira is just over 5 weeks! We can't believe it. Here are a few pictures of the last couple weeks.

Cozy in my bear snowsuit. Keeps me warm when I am out and about in NYC.

Heading out for a walk with daddy.

Concentrating!

Daddy decorated the apartment for mommy's birthday and put this hat on me!

I am 1 month today!

Uncle Tobin, Aunt Veronika and my cousin Gabi came to visit me. Gabi was the first cousin I got to meet! She was lots of fun!

Hi Dad!

I had a photo shoot with Aunt Veronika. Thanks for taking so many great pictures Aunt V!

I love to be held!

My Uncle Brad, Aunt Sarah and cousin Adelaide came to visit. They surprised mommy for her birthday. They made lots of yummy meals and spoiled mommy and daddy!

Hanging with my cousin Adelaide. I love her!


Sound asleep in daddy's arms!

The month has sure flown by! At Mira's 1 month appointment she weighed 7 lb 13 oz. We have been working hard the past week to get her weight up and at this week's appointment, she weighed in at 8 lb 6 oz! Justin kept reminding her she needs to eat big to get big :).

She is one strong gal and has been holding her head up for a few weeks. Justin likes to do lots of tricks with her. She is very active and loves to kick her legs and move her arms. She is feisty too and will grunt and kick her legs when she doesn't like something. Mira has also started smiling and loves to lay on her changing table and look at her mobile.

We can't wait for Mira to meet more family and friends!

The Trick

2011-03-22T13:17:00.001-04:00

Ready

Steady

Go!

CP

2011-03-16T11:25:00.000-04:00

Mira's first walk in Central Park. Ace showed her the ropes, although she slept most of the time :)

Nannie and Papa

2011-03-15T13:52:00.000-04:00

Nannie and Papa came to visit me!


Relaxing with my Nannie

Hi Nannie :)

Pa came for the weekend to meet me!

So cozy!

Girlie

2011-03-08T12:10:00.000-05:00

In This Corner...

2011-03-02T23:35:00.002-05:00

Guest Post by Justin

Mira "The Miracle" Mae

Tale of the Tape

Height: 19 1/2"

Reach: 21"

Weight: 6 lbs 10 oz

Age: 8 days

Fighting out of New York, NY

This is the pose Mira struck as I was bathing her. I'm impressed by the form. Hands held high, protecting the jawline. Fists clinched firmly with thumbs in the right place. Chin tucked tight. I'm really pumped to see she's a natural southpaw. She'll be one tough little fighter.

Meeting My Gramma and Bapa!

2011-03-01T18:52:00.001-05:00

I snuggled all day long!

I even wore my cozy froggy outfit for them!

I miss them so much already!

Our First Days with Mira

2011-02-26T17:28:00.001-05:00

6 lb 10 oz

Cozy with daddy

So tired!

Meeting Uncle Scott, my first visitor!

Napping with daddy

Hello World

2011-02-23T21:15:00.000-05:00

Mira Mae Sikora

February, 22 2011

6lbs, 10oz

19 1/2 inches

40 Plus

2011-02-17T14:14:00.000-05:00

Come on Baby Sikora :)

And a few pictures of the nursery/spare bedroom :)

Ace's Valentine

2011-02-14T22:20:00.000-05:00

Guest Post By Justin

This is how I found my family when I got home.

Needless to say, Ace loves Mary.

These pictures just crack me up.

And 38...

2011-02-02T11:15:00.001-05:00

38 and a half weeks!

Snow

2011-01-30T21:19:00.000-05:00

We have been hit with a few snowstorms lately. Trudging through the streets has not been the most fun. But Central Park is quite beautiful!

Here are some views in Central Park.

Sure don't envy those who have been digging out their cars!

36 and 37

2011-01-25T16:25:00.001-05:00

A little over 36 weeks

And a little over 37 weeks (yes in the same shirt)!

I am feeling very big and getting very ready. Sleep is hard to come by lately. I had an appointment with my midwife yesterday and she said everything looks good, the baby has dropped down a bit and I am measuring at term, so theoretically I could have the baby at any time. Though I have had a feeling I will go late (but hope that doesn't happen!)

We have the spare room set up a bit as a nursery. We are trying to be as minimalist as possible in our tiny apartment, trying to keep to getting things we only "need." I think we are pretty much ready and getting very excited for this little one to arrive :)

35 Weeks!

2011-01-11T16:14:00.000-05:00

Not much longer now!

Shower

2011-01-03T20:05:00.004-05:00

While in Ohio for the holidays, we were spoiled with a baby shower for baby Sikora. We feel very overwhelmed with the generosity and thoughtfulness of our family and friends. Thank you to our families who worked so hard to prepare for it - on the day after Christmas no less. We can't believe our little guy or gal will be here in a little over a month!

Christmas

2011-01-02T17:25:00.000-05:00

Hope you all had a very merry Christmas and happy new year. As always we had a great time visiting family in Ohio and had a hard time coming back to NY.

33 weeks

Weekend

2010-12-16T22:18:00.000-05:00

This past weekend we had a wonderful time with Justin's parents - seeing the tree at Rockefeller Center (Justin and his parents even went ice skating,) trips to Times Square, China Town and Little Italy, walks in Central Park and lots of delicious food!

And a huge thank you to Mom and Dad S who helped us so much when we were both hit with the flu while they were here!

Thanksgiving

2010-11-30T23:48:00.000-05:00

Hope you all had a very happy Thanksgiving. We were so lucky to have visitors again this year. Here are are a few pictures of our wonderful weekend with Justin's brother Tobin, his wife Veronika and their 3 sweethearts.

Parade floats at the end of our street

Macy's Day Parade

Thanksgiving dinner - picnic style :)

Walking in Central Park

Justin and His Buddy

2010-11-24T22:16:00.000-05:00

27

2010-11-23T11:43:00.001-05:00

27 and a half (ish) weeks

Views in Central Park

2010-11-18T16:00:00.002-05:00

Thanks to Matt's photography skills, enjoy some pictures of Central Park in the fall!

2 Weekends in NY

2010-11-17T12:40:00.000-05:00

The last two weekends we were so lucky to have visitors. First my parents. We went down to ground zero, took a carriage ride in Central Park, went to the dog park, hung out and played games. It was a wonderful weekend!

Cozy carriage ride!

This past weekend our friends Matt and Erin came to surprise Justin for his 30th birthday! We had a beautiful weekend and saw lots of sites around the city.

Times Square

Lion at the New York Public Library

Radio City Music Hall

Rockefeller Center

The tree is going up!

Celebrating Justin's birthday and Matt and Erin's engagement!

We love visitors!

Birthday

2010-11-16T10:28:00.001-05:00

Happy 3-0 to my guy :)

The Lion King

2010-11-01T16:00:00.002-04:00

Justin surprised me this weekend with tickets to The Lion King on Broadway for Saturday night! It was quite the fabulous show!

The Scar costume

And some shots of Times Square from the theatre

Happy Halloween

2010-10-31T20:51:00.000-04:00

We keep seeing pets dressed up for Halloween and think it is just a bit weird. But thought we would join in. So Ace dressed as Justin this year - in a bandanna and tommy-tuffy :)

Visitors!

2010-10-27T16:01:00.003-04:00

We were so lucky to have our first visitors this past weekend! My sister, Jenna, brother-in-law, Andrew and four sweetie-pie nieces came for the weekend and spent Saturday with us!

Hanging-out outside our apartment

Outside of our place

Just hanging out - she was so, so good all day long!

Heading out for the day

Subway time!

Waiting for the subway

Packed in the train

New Yorkers :)

Statue of Liberty

Back in his old stomping grounds :)

Such a sweetheart

A stop at the playground in Battery Park

I love this shot!

Dinner out in Little Italy!

Heading back

Thanks Andrew for sending along the pictures! Come back soon, we miss you already!

24

2010-10-26T11:30:00.006-04:00

24 Weeks

It seems like over the past week I've really started to show a bit more. I finally broke down and bought some maternity clothes! My appetite seems to be back, so that has been nice! Baby Sikora sure is active lately too - especially in the morning!

2010-10-25T13:12:00.001-04:00

I like this explanation from a book we are reading right now -

"... the Christian life is not based on high-level performance but on quiet faithfulness, not on impressive works but on deep relationship."

- Charles Swindoll

Past Weekend in a Nutshell

2010-10-18T20:25:00.002-04:00

- About 17 hours (and a little bit) driving to Ohio and back

- Somewhere around 14 hours sleeping

- And let's say 16 or 17 hours visiting family

So, so, so great to see our families and meet our newest nephew and niece - Grayson and Adelaide!

Very much looking forward to our visitors in the coming weeks!

Life in NYC

2010-10-09T09:55:00.005-04:00

Here are some pictures of our quirky place that I took the other day before dropping and seemingly breaking our fairly new camera. That was very special of me.

Pictures of the living area taken from our loft area that we are using as our bedroom. Notice our area rug that covered just a small part of our living area in Chicago, now covers nearly our entire living room :)

Next to the couch is a door that leads into the spare bedroom

The loft area - our bedroom

The spiral stairs that lead from the loft area to the living area and continue down into the kitchen

So this is where I am spending a lot of time! With many 12 plus hour days for Justin and a bit of traveling, the weeks can be quite long. But I seem to be finding things to fill my days! I am trying my best to just enjoy this non-working time, though I am driving myself quite crazy. I had hoped that I would have been able to find something quickly and that we would figure out what we would do later. That hasn't happened so we are still trying to figure out what will be the best plan for us both now and once we have the little one! I figure what is supposed to happen will happen! For now I'm trying to make this little place our home and learn all I can about what it might be like to have a little one in NYC!

21

2010-10-06T19:28:00.000-04:00

21 weeks and a day or 2

Apple Picking

2010-10-03T11:12:00.001-04:00

On our way up north we stopped at a little apple orchard to pick some apples.

It was an unseasonably hot day as you can see Ace panting!

Justin and his buddy

Now I need to come up with more recipes for apples!

It's a Girl!!!!!!!!!

2010-09-30T19:29:00.001-04:00

Congratulations to Sis and Brad!

We have a new niece - my younger sister had a little girl yesterday! Isn't she so precious?! We're going to go crazy until we can meet her.

Welcome beautiful, little Adelaide Iris. We love you so much.

Catskills

2010-09-29T19:05:00.002-04:00

The Catskill Mountains are just a couple hours north of the city. I think we will be heading up there many times during our time here in New York. Since we have been living in the hustle and bustle of NYC (different from Chicago as we keep saying), getting out was especially nice. One of Justin's favorite weekends in his life - he mentioned (and mine too.)
While the leaves are barely changing in the city, they sure were changing up north. We did quite a bit of hiking around, enjoying the beautiful fall scenes!

Here are a few pictures of fall in the Catskills!

Justin and Ace check out the sheep!

6 Years

2010-09-28T12:36:00.000-04:00

To celebrate our 6 year wedding anniversary, we went upstate into the Catskill Mountains and rented a cabin for a long weekend. Actually it is an old renovated school house, super cute. The weekend was so nice and relaxing. The trees were changing colors so the views were beautiful. We cooked lots of good meals, Justin kept the fire going each day, we hiked around, read a lot (no tv in the cabin) and enjoyed our time outside of the city!

The red schoolhouse and yard

Justin (and Ace) working on the fire

Enjoying a cigar by the fire

Sitting patiently by the door waiting to go in

Hot chocolate, yum!

Ace just loved being in the country away from all the noise!

Tuckered after a day of running around and playing :)

Our anniversary night feast!

19 Weeks

2010-09-23T23:05:00.002-04:00

For those of you bugging me for a picture - 19 (and a half) weeks :-)

Central Park

2010-09-23T10:41:00.008-04:00

This past Saturday, we took a picnic and roamed around Central Park for the afternoon. It is so nice to live so close to it. Ace and I walk in the park nearly every day and there is always lots and lots of activity!

Belvedere Castle

The Great Lawn (with Manhattan in the background)

Street

2010-09-02T10:00:00.001-04:00

I love this view looking down our street :)

Juice

2010-08-31T21:11:00.006-04:00

So there is still a bit of a battle between me, food and my stomach. I have never, ever had a problem eating ever in my life and this pregnancy is making eating quite the battle. Yesterday I met with my midwife and talked about how even water is difficult to get down. And I would drink water all day long before I was pregnant. She said this happens often.

So I've been a bit frustrated that I have been eating like a 5 year old and feeling quite unhealthy lately. So I have busted out the juicer. We bought this when we were first married and would use it all the time a few years ago, but have not used it in quite some time. I thought now is the perfect time to get some much needed nutrients.

It is so worth it, if you are thinking about getting one. We juice all sorts of fruits and vegetables and they turn out really good. It is especially useful for those fruit or veggies that aren't quite the best - that mushy apple, bad orange etc. The juicer is quite the pain to clean, especially without a dishwasher, but it is worth it!

This one had carrots, apple, grapefruit and half the banana I couldn't get down earlier today :) Yum!

Tonight I'm making a watermelon and carrot juice!

Expecting!

2010-08-10T21:00:00.001-04:00

Yes, it is true! We are adding to the baby boom in our families and we are thrilled. Our little guy or gal is due in February.

I am just through the first trimester and very ready to move out of the nauseated-all-day-long state! We have had a couple ultrasounds already and have been able to hear Baby S's heartbeat! We plan to wait and be surprised, so we won't find out if the little one is a boy or girl until the big day in February :)

Joy

2010-08-04T10:53:00.008-04:00

My mother-in-law recently returned from a mission trip in Zambia with Family Legacy (http://www.legacymissions.org.)

I encourage you to read about it at http://bwandall.blogspot.com/. (Also located on my sidebar - Always Room 41 More.)

NY, NY

2010-08-02T19:13:00.007-04:00

We have been in NY a little over three weeks now. It has been a bit crazy, a bit stressful. I spent the first two weeks hunting for an apartment. Many days I spent parading around Brooklyn on the hunt for a two-bedroom that allows dogs… any relatively decent two-bedroom that allows dogs. Finding a dog-friendly apartment in Brooklyn ready for an August 1 move-in, became a seemingly impossible task. After multiple break downs on my part, I changed the search to the Upper West Side and we found a place.

Of course we found a place, because this is where we were supposed to be all along. I was so stressed, so sick of dealing with shady brokers here in NY, I think my introvert self had about reached my limit and I was about to lose it. I tried to remind myself of the words that my mom had said: "God has already picked out the place. He already has it ready. Just trust Him."

That was not happening for many days. Then one evening, back from another long, fruitless day in Brooklyn, amongst tears, I emailed Justin, "What about the Upper West Side? Should we look there?" It was as if the thought just came in my head. I know it was God.

So within days, we had found a place and signed a lease and here I sit in our apartment. -a sort of two-bedroom, dog-friendly apartment. It's small, it's quirky, it has about the oldest and worst kitchen ever, but it has character, it's less than a block from Central Park in a great location and we’ll make it home for now. And everyone keeps telling us that you don’t live in NYC for the apartment.

We moved in this past weekend with suitcases, an air mattress and a few other things. Now we wait to hear when the movers will arrive with our things. Each time I talk with them I get a different estimate for when they think they will arrive. I am really trying to remain patient, but it is getting quite difficult. I am praying it arrives this week and quite sure we will never use these movers again.

But, Sunday we walked to church a block and a half away. Yes, a block and a half away. We really enjoyed the service and I think we may have just found our home church. You know what else? The name of the church is Journey. It is as if God is just giving me a little gift, reminding me how He is right alongside us leading us on our journey.

So as I am sitting on our hard floor wishing it was our couch, I remind myself that I have both the luxury of normally having a couch to sit on and of how God is so faithful and has continued to take care of us.

Congratulations Damian and Katie!

2010-07-28T09:07:00.003-04:00

Welcome to little Grayson - our new nephew. We can't wait to meet you!

Oh NY

2010-06-21T20:46:00.003-04:00

Tonight I have a second to breathe. So I am sitting on the couch, thinking and typing. Our home is spotless after having a showing today, Justin is out tonight at dinner with clients. I sit here looking at Ace as he is drifting off to sleep. So I am taking a second.

We are moving forward. Despite everything in me crying out to just stop, to just rest, to remain safely where we are, content and settled. We are moving forward.

We were in NY a few weekends back searching for apartments. We are in a bit of a precarious position because we do not quite have a plan for our current place in Chicago. But yet we have to move forward.

So playing it safe we set out on the hunt for a reasonably priced 1 bedroom in Brooklyn. Reasonably priced? Hmm, I’m not sure that is possible in NY, but we hunted and hunted. Something we could afford if still paying our mortgage for a while… This was a difficult task.

Everything is certainly give and take… A horrible place in a decent location, a pretty good place in a bad location. After seeing the first couple places, I was near tears. Fighting back the tears, I thought - what are we giving up to move here? Second guessing our decision. And this is me. I generally do not care about homes, how big or how small, how great or not great. I hate stuff. Stuff makes me anxious. And also, I love NY. I really do. Yet, this experience was almost too much.

My emotions have certainly gotten the better of me lately. I try to keep them in check, but it seems too difficult. To be honest we are not feeling the best about our move right now...

You know, I find myself almost pleading in my praying – please help us figure this all out, please let something happen with our place in Chicago…

How selfish of me. How much I need to be humbled, to give up how much I want to control this situation. And instead pray – Your will be done in our lives.

I know that I am very fortunate in life. I thought about this as I rode the bus home from work the other night. Sometimes there is nothing more humbling than living in the city and recognizing what I have been given in my life - a wonderful family, a great career, the greatest husband, my health, lots and lots of privilege. I am determined to stop throwing a pity party for myself. To stop looking back and saying “if we would have just not done or done this..” If we just wouldn’t have bought, if we wouldn’t have got Ace, if we would have signed with that apt…. if, if, if. I know Justin is sick and tired of hearing it. And I must move forward.

I often have lyrics from Sara Groves songs. We have such a love fest for her in my family… it seems she so often has a song that speaks to real life situations. It’s Going to be Alright is that song now.

It's going to be alright
It's going to be alright

I can tell by your eyes that you're not getting any sleep
And you try to rise above it, but feel you're sinking in too deep

I believe you'll outlive this pain in your heart
And you'll gain such a strength from what is tearing you apart

When some time has past us, and the story if retold
It will mirror the strength and the courage in your soul

It's going to be alright
It's going to be alright

I remind myself of this because Brooklyn was so great. So alive and vibrant, so active, so much going on. Cute boutique streets, with all sorts of restaurants. Great parks, so much to do. So even when we are living in an old shoe box of an apartment. We will make that place our home. We will be together on an adventure living in one of the greatest cities in the world. And gosh will it make us so much stronger. And really, I wouldn’t change that.

A devotion I read recently:

Psalms 29:11 - God makes his people strong. God gives his people peace.

"When God plans to use us, He puts us through the paces. He allows a certain amount of suffering. God may use the strong, stubborn, independent individualists in the world, but not long-term. He much prefers the humble, even the crushed. He works much more effectively in the lives of people who've learned they can't make it on their own, especially those who acknowledge they desperately need God and others." - Charles Swindoll Paul: A Man of Grace and Grit

We certainly cannot make it on our own. We do desperately need God and others. This is certainly teaching us that even more. We try, I try. We really, I really like independence. I really, really do not like to ask for help and really would much rather figure it out on my own. Just maybe this is one (of the many) lessons God is working on with me.

We all have our battles. Many much greater than just moving to NY. But I am certainly hoping there is a little reprieve in this battle very, very soon! And as my mom recently said - sometimes God is the God of the 11th hour. Maybe we just need to take this step in faith and move forward. Knowing that God has a plan.

Congratulations

2010-06-20T22:15:00.004-04:00

Congratulations to Kateri and Paul on the birth of little Chloe Ann, our newest niece!

We can't wait to meet you sweetie!

Ace's Buddy

2010-06-07T23:38:00.009-04:00

Over Memorial Day weekend we had some friends visiting that we have not seen in a long time. Their little daughter is the sweetest and loved, loved, loved Ace.
Ace was a trooper too, letting her pull on his tail and climb all over him. She has a bigger dog at home, so Ace was nothing for her. Good training for Ace too :)

Yangshou Cooking School

2010-06-07T22:07:00.001-04:00

We continue to relive our trip to China. The evening after our bike trip (see previous post) we attended cooking school. It was so, so fun.

Watching the demonstration

Getting to work!

Afraid?

Dumplings - Yum!

Admiring the beautiful view

Enjoying the delicious meal!

I tried one of the recipes at home a couple weeks ago - Eggplant Yangshuo Style.

Ingredients - Eggplant, peanut oil (I used canola oil), red pepper, ginger, garlic, green onions, salt, soy sauce and oyster sauce. We like spice, so I also added the optional red chile pepper mix.

I have made eggplant in recipes quite often. It would seem to be a bit mushy at times. The trick here seems to be the high temperature of the wok and pushing down on the eggplant against the hot wok.

Pretty good!

Biking in Yangshou

2010-05-20T22:36:00.001-04:00

One day (actually on Lynne's birthday) while in Yangshou we spent the day biking. The scenery was beautiful as we biked through the karsts, small villages and rice fields. The work-out was pretty great too!

There are so many great pictures, I just could not decide. So enjoy lots of pictures from our time biking through the karsts in beautiful Yangshou!

About to get started!

Views along the way -

We keep reliving this trip. What a fantastic time!

2010-05-20T19:03:00.001-04:00

Hello Lord by Sara Groves

"Hello Lord, it's me your child
I have a few things on my mind
Right now I'm faced with big decisions
And I'm wondering if you have a minute, cuz
Right now I don't hear so well
And I was wondering if you could speak up

I know that you tore the veil
So I could sit with you in person
And hear what you're saying but
Right now, I just can't hear you.

I don't doubt your sovereignty
I doubt my own ability to
Hear what you're saying
And to do the right thing
And I desperately want to do the right thing
But right now I don't hear so well
And I was wondering if you could speak up

I know that you tore the veil
So I could sit with you in person
And hear what you're saying but
Right now, I just can't hear you.

And somewhere in the back of my mind
I think you are telling me to wait
And though patience has never been mine
Lord, I will wait to hear from you
Oh Lord, I'm waiting on you

Right now I don't hear so well
And I was wondering if you could speak up

I know that you tore the veil
So I could sit with you in person
And hear what you're saying but
Right now, I think you're whispering"

You can hear it here

Naomi

2010-05-18T21:19:00.006-04:00

Some new pictures of our niece - sweet little Naomi

Our Home

2010-05-14T15:37:00.023-04:00

We have been spending many, many hours getting our place ready to sell or rent. We have decided to put it up for both and to see what happens. As many of you know, we just closed on our first place in November and it will be quite tough to leave it. Here are a few pictures with all the work we have done - painting the living room, hallway, master bedroom and kitchen, painting nearly all the trim and doors - big time undertaking with it a dark wood before (thanks to a great friend who helped us do a lot of it) changing of light fixtures and hardware throughout. Justin surely does not want to change another ceiling fan anytime soon and really missed the help of his brother Jeremy when he changed the ceiling fan in our bedroom!

Here are some pictures of our place -

3 Bedroom, 2 Bath on the top floor of a 3 unit Greystone walk-up a few blocks from the lake in wonderful Chicago - any takers? :-)