for Ellen

Sunday Summary - turkey edition

Helping Gramps Steve cook bacon
Norelle advising Grandma Liz that for moister turkey, baste often

Back to work tomorrow? Can't be true but then again I am organizing a big graduation reception on Thursday at Eastcliffe so I have caterers to talk to and name tags to make. Hmpff.

Laughing at... er... with Papa MichaelNori jams with Uncle Dunkel

We had a super visit to Winona, grandparents and great-grandparents alike where happy to spend time with Nori (Megan who?) witnessing her new found love of giraffes and pointing. So much happened since Tuesday, here are the highlights: baby hams it up late at night after crying all car ride, lunch at Acoustic Cafe with Char, dreadlock discussions with Elle, emotional meeting with Pastor Schoen and family about saying goodbye to Grandma Audrey (he made a great point that blood is not what binds us but rather the emotional bonds are what make a family), lots of family time, hang with Hol, delish turkey, cranberries and Parkerhouse rolls, Papa sees doctor and gets on right meds for heart and other issues, coffee at Blue Heron with Fluffy, Abby & Case, Emily's surprise baby shower, turkey sandwiches, Sarah's 30th birthday, Makenna's dedication, Andy's monkey bread and a Sunday afternoon to get ready for another week.

Makenna is dedicated to God!

'Tis the season to be jolly and joyous!

It's that time of year again and like everyone, we are trying to be wise about what we buy. I want Nori to connect with the holy significance of Christmas, not the commercial. Have you heard of the Say YES to NO campaign? I really want to be deliberate about not spoiling her with material things but rather with love and experiences. Since she can't read or log on to the Internet yet, I think it is safe for me to share what we plan to gift her with. When shopping for her, we followed this rule: something you want , something you need, something to wear, something to read

So here is what we bought...
want: push & ride toy for walking skills
needs: 18 mo onesies
wear: cream sweater dress
read: art board books I picked up in Seattle

And maybe Santa will drop off something too...I can not help what he does with his polar money. Our family gift was having our photos taken and framed. It is such a joy to be a family as last year at this time it was just a hope with an uncertain timeline!

Happy Thanksgiving!

gratitude

I am thankful for so much. This is has been the BEST year of my life and I can not want for more. I give thanks...

For Norelle and the daily joy she brings to my life and for Jake, my BFF and husbo. For my family, our parents, grandparents, brothers & sister, aunts & uncles, cousins, and this year, the new birth family in our lives. My dog, Dororthy. For friends, old and new and their little ones, too. One last Thanksgiving with Grandma Audrey. Good health and sound minds (more or less). Our jobs, may we keep them! A warm home, enough food to eat and clothes to wear. Freedom and hope for the future. God's blessings and His abiding love & comfort.

Tip!

Unless you actually want to bleed to death, never buy generic razors.

weekend update

3 amigos go for a run ( not pictured, amigo number dos)

Here is what I did this weekend, if you care. You must care, you are reading this. (BTB I miss you, why don't you call?)

Friday
killer workout at YMCA with Mendota moms
nap
cleaned all three bathrooms
baked penne & cheese pasta dish
watch DVR shows

Saturday
Bruberry's with N, J & Hol
Christmas shopping at Target
cleaned room and organized clothes
more errands & laundry
Papa Murphy's pizza party, Casey joined us
Famous Jake's warm cookies
Dexter, ep 1

Sunday
oversleep for church
fireside coffee
blog
chillax
workout
pack for Winona

MTV Cribs: Tot Editition " And here is my sweet toy closet"

I am really focusing on all my blessings and feeling so thankful for all the wonderful people in my life! This will be a very special Thanksgiving as I am so grateful for my life with with my baby girl.

Nori & Dorothy standing on the wall

The bad news is that getting the basement insulated does not seem to have helped the heat loss problems but the good news is that my feet are going through menopause so they love walking barefoot on the ice rink floor.

Her new hangout

New Year's Resolutions

I had to start mine early this year so I can get good at it by Jan 1. In 2009, I resolute to moisturize! I usually skip the lotions because I hate that gooey feeling and dislike perfumed things. But I also hate cracked, scaly, dry, sore, red skin. So I bought some quality scent-free Eucerin cream to apply daily after every shower, added a humidifier in my bedroom, stocked up on Carmex for my lips and now use Aquaphor for elbows and feet. I am already feeling better. Usually at this time of the year all my skin hurts but not now.

My other resolution is to be more fun. Not to have more fun because the things I think are fun (going to bed early, staying home cleaning, reading, etc.) do not make me fun. My husband has been coaching me on how to make people think I am fun (specifically my family who thinks I am dull as a whistle). He says I should say things like "Hey, who want to go bowling after a card tournament?" or "Let's go out for dessert on me after the late late movie" or " Wii Marathon!". I should just think of what I would really hate to do and then do that. Probably the moisturizing thing will go better.

Emergency!

Help! I just realized that Nori does not have a Christmas stocking! Where can you get a cool one with her name on it? We need it shortly!

10 months old!

I can not believe how much this little girl has grown and changed in such a short time! It seems like just yesterday I was pushing and pushing her into the world (emotionally). Norelle is all personality and she has an amazing sense of humor. I bet she spends 25 minutes a day just laughing her head off. She loves to get tickled, play jail (you know, peek-a-boo behind the stair spindles) and even get yelled at. I'm not kidding, nothing makes her chuckle more than us saying "Excuse me, Ma'am? You are in BIG BIG trouble".

On her first attempt she scaled the stairs up to the second floor so I am wondering if I have been accidentally using GNC protein powder instead of Similac in her bottles? Pulling up and standing are her favorite things but she she cuddles lots so that is sweet.


She is amazing, beautiful, silly, smart and just a joy to have in our lives. A true blessing from God and we are so thankful He brought us together the way that He did. We would not have wanted to create a family any other way! We love our Nori!

On a roll...

things could not get any better unless we got paid $100 to be videotaped and interviewed by the Early Growth & Development research study. Oh wait, that happened. Friday was fun because Jake & I got to pretend like we were on our own reality TV show, talking to the camera about our life. We were supposed to ignore it but we could not resist looking into the lens and making faces or saying awkward, inappropriate comments like when I explained that what I like best about him is that "I can wear my pajamas, pop my zits and he still loves me" or that this footage should go into the "anals" of research. I expect a call from TLC any day now.

We dropped Nori off at Papa & Nana's for the night where had she had a ball playing with Mekensie & Buster. Jake & I took our embarrassing selves out for sushi at Sakura and then met Wendy, Tracy & Fluffy for Abby's high school production of OKLAHOMA! were she played a very annoying yet sexy & gorgeous Gertie Cummings. Great job Ab!!



Saturday we went to Bread & Chocolate for scones and coffee before picking up Norelle. She was not feeling so great as she went from Tootie McStipation to Tootie McRhea in hours. It was a rough night but she is really cuddly today as she just wants to be held while her tummy hurts. We bought her the next stage of car seat, The Britax Marathon (Ho tested and approved) and let's just say she loved the box. After watching her play in it for so long time, I had to decorate it and make it into an official chick-fort. It's so weird that she is big enough to play alone now!



Today we will all get our workouts in and Uncle Paldunkle even invited himself over for dinner tonight so we will have apps, Oktoberfest beer, baked potato soup, bread and more apple crisp.

Oh yeah, I totally was out clubbing all night too, I forgot.

Soon to be Mr. & Mrs. Jana Severson!

Congratulations on your engagement Jana & Tyler! We have all been waiting so long to hear the good news and I am so thrilled for you guys! You are a perfect match! It will be a Spring 2009 wedding and yours truly will be the Matron of Honor! Free chiropractic care for life! Happy day!

Speaking of stalkers...

and I was, I can't remember if I ever posted about my stalker? Have I? If not, let me fill you. I'm proud of him.

Sorry if this is redundant but here’s the story…

Dawn (my roommate junior/senior years in college) and I kind of had a stalker. He was a professor at UNI who taught this basic Intro to Computers class we took. He was goofy, addicted the Ghostbusters movie the same way a 7-year-old in 1984 would have been. He liked to use the expression “churn the butter” to refer to how he thought we would dance. Our friend Schmitty was also in the class and we got the Prof to use embarrassing Schmitty pictures when demonstrating the many features of Photoshop. We sensed another opportunity when we talked him into letting the class watch Ghostbusters instead of taking a final. Things started to get really weird when one day he saw me in the lab but I snuck out without saying hi to him. He chased me down the stairs and across campus just to say “hi”. Mainly, he was harmless and provided much entertainment. Somehow he was invited to my graduation party. I distinctly remember him still being there with only my 3 roommates and Jana after all the guests had left. He wrote me a letter later saying how excited he was to come to my wedding. Huh?!! While he pestered Dawn and my other roommates for awhile, he eventually faded away. Oh except for that one time we met him for pizza at the OP.

Where's Joey?

Speaking of that show Blossom (and I was), I stumbled across this article about Mayim Bialik. Turns out she had baby recently, just like me. In fact, I pretty much look exactly like her. Notice the bum foot, granny shoes, outdated wardrobe and sassy hair. In case we have never met in real life, just look at this photo and picture me.

I'm a souper cook!

Every fall I get on a soup kick. This year I have already made chicken tortilla, turkey black bean chili, butternut squash and yesterday I made creamy chicken wild rice. Tonight bro Casey & sis Ellen will join us for soup, salsa bread and homemade apple crisp. I had a Martha Stewart (pre-jail) weekend, what with the cooking, organizing (I made a toy closet and re-did our pillow/blanket closet...yes, we have one of those) and general homemaking joy I exuded. We also took a long family walk yesterday, see my baby catatonic in her snowsuit & blindness inducing hat.


I also had coffee with my friend Angela at this little coffee shop we call "The Goodwill Place" because it looks the owner made a quick run to Goodwill and picked up whatever tables & knickknacks were there. It's called Polly's Coffee Cove and it's a real hot spot for community on the East side. Polly the bird is also entertaining. So, Angela's oldest son has a form of autism called PPD and she was telling me about the wonderful free services for families. Every Thursday night, the whole family can walk up to the local school (which her son attends for pre-K programs for children with autism spectrum disorders to help prepare them for Kindergarten) for dinner, play for the kids and a parent group for moms & dads to support each other and discuss their childrens' issues. Isn't it cool that they have amazing support & services within walking distance of their home? Programs like this not only help kids be ready for school despite special needs but help keep the parents engaged and healthy, too.

We still watch...

...90210 is finally getting good! They are cutting the major family drama and getting back to the basics: house parties and make-out scenes. Jake has a prediction that the main teacher Mr. Ryan Mathews will turn out to be Annie & Dixon's dad's long lost son. I think he's right...

Hot Foot Day

So what's new? Oh yeah, other than that?!!!

Me? I am having a hot foot day. It is some kind of weird side-effect of my foot maladies where my feet overheat and hurt. I have been having more of them lately because I have been overdoing it in my Spinning classes and my feet just never seem to cool off. I walk around the office barefoot and wonder why I never get that promotion (that a lie actually, I just got promoted despite by uber-unprofessionalism). So, back to the pool for cold water workouts it is. I am tempted to flush my feet in the toilet as my aunt Tracy once did when preggo with Fluffy. At least parts of me are looking forward to a cold winter.

Gloria says "VOTE for my guy"!

Oh my, it's finally election day. I just voted and the line wasn't too bad. I wonder if we will know anything by tonight (like in the old days) or it will takes days/weeks to find a winner? By the by, I have started calling Norelle "Gloria" like in the song "Gloria, Gloria.... calling Gloriaaaaaaaaaaaa" and I think she likes it. She also answers to Ma'am and Tootie.

In other news, it's summer again which is great for me because I can break out one of my three pair of identical MBT sandals. Did you know I only have one pair of winter shoes? It's sad but true. And they don't even have backs so snowy feet are the norm. See how hard it is being tender-footed? If you think this is a travesty, email my husband at jakeseltz@comcast.net and tell him his wife needs more than one pair of winter shoes, no matter how ridiculously expensive they are. Anyway, there are some new $tyle$ of MBT's out there and I hope to buy a new pair, in the brown family, one of these days. Not a great selection but here are my front runners...

Real boots but very clunky and $390 !

Cute style but not very brown?

Brown and kinda cute, all things considered...