parsonage projects

As you probably remember, we live in a parsonage - a really sweet and awesome parsonage to boot. I love the layout - how it's all on one level and the big, loud room is far away from the bedrooms, the great fenced in back yard, the close proximity to parks, the bigness factor for entertaining, having a guest room, 3 bathrooms. Man, we have all the room we could use. It's a great place.

However, there are a few things though that need renovating - my point being to show the before shots and the work that will be going on here, not to complain =).

When I was looking into painting our guest room a few weeks back, Terry mentioned to his work out partner the flaking of the dry wall tape above our bed. Kevin used to dry wall so he said he'd come by and have a look. His look confirmed that the wall needed some work, but mostly, the window needed replacing - it's single pane glass and it drips...and are a few others in the house. I'm guessing this adds to the low efficiency of the house, though I'm told it's better than it used to be.

Flakes

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Another single pain...er, pane window. This is our front bay window. Like my feet?

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The view from outside. Anytime the temperature drops, condensation builds up on the windows and then freezes, like on this particular morning.
Also, the mortar between the bricks needs putting in.

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Single pane windows = melting mess a couple hours later as the temp increases outside. It makes a nice place for Noah to float his toys though, as you can see =)
You'd think there was some damage going on to the structure of this window, right?

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Our old stove. It works but the microwave doesn't. It broke like our second day in the house.

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Our wedding gift microwave. It takes forever to heat stuff up, especially if it's leftovers for the whole family.

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So, there are the projects awaiting attention. But we have a great church that wants to take care of us so we'll git-r-dun. And actually, the stove is my responsibility to call on and I still haven't done it...

independence

Look mom, no hands!

inappropriate chew toys

How annoying is our dog. This is like the 4th pacifier he's ruined!

poor Evie

Notice anything strange here, besides Terry's sweet Wii bowling follow-through?

How about here?
And now...?

Now it's unmistakable...

This afternoon was a lazy one for us, such as is our Sunday custom. Terry was asleep on the floor, worn out from a cold, Noah was playing w/his cars and ramp, Evie was cruising around by the back garage door and I was awaiting a high school girl for our small group and hence I was located in the living room checking facebook... The student arrived and as we walked towards the big room, we heard a noise like the door slamming and then Evie crying. When I walked in the room and saw Terry wide awake, holding Evie w/something red on her forehead. At first I thought it was just something that was stuck on there off of the floor, like one of those Indian things, but as I got closer I realized it was blood.

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Poor Evie. She fell and bonked her little head open - quite a little gash. We think she fell and hit the hinge on the back door since that's where she was at, but we didn't see it... I feel really bad about that. Our house is pretty kid proof, or so I thought.

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So I gave her some motrin, cleaned it up and put her to bed. She had a poor nap and when she got up her band aid was soaked through. I went to Pamida to fetch some butterfly band aids but they didn't have any! So I grabbed some steri-strips which worked well to pull the cut together. I called the ER doctor on call and he thought that would be fine. But I'm gonna have Dr. Hult look at it tomorrow.

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Sigh.

Snap-dog is lost - help us find him!!!

I took this post from the facebook note that I wrote about our little escapee dog, Snap dog. Yes, I just said dog twice b/c we hardly ever refer to him as just Snap - usually only when he's in trouble. It's always Snap dog. So there.

Anyway, Snap was lost but now is found. Read on.

"Sooooooo, Snap is lost [when i figured that out, I said, Oooooooh snap]. I had him chained up in our front yard this [Wednesday] morning but he somehow got off the line. The line is like 15-20 feet long so you'd think that would make him be kinda conspicuous, trailing that around... Or else he's trapped somewhere.Terry left the house at 1030am and Snap was still there but when I looked next at 1pm he was gone.Terry and I drove around town, seperately, calling his name, but to no avail. I've called the police and given them his description so hopefully someone will find him.Please keep an eye out for our Snap-dog. Call our home at ___, my cell at ___ or Terry's cell at ___. Thanks all!

Okay, never mind. I just got a call from the police who got a call from someone on ___ who found him! Thanks anyway!"

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That's what happened. We live on ___ and when the police officer called me to tell me that a good samaritan on ___ found him I was surprised b/c that's the street directly behind us, to the south. Yeah. They were like 3 houses away. Turns out Snap ran that way, found their puppy, got wound up in his own chain he was trailing behind him and they took him in. What's crazy is that when I was first walking around calling his name I thought I heard him barking to the south and thought I must have imagined that. I never saw or heard him after that though.

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We were so thankful someone found him. Go figure. The dog that drives me crazy I was sad to have missing. Oooooh snap.

February heat wave

Last week it snowed. We got about 6 inches of heavy white stuff (two high school boys, Chris and Seth, came over and shoveled our large driveway just to be nice, but they also got hot chocolate and dinner out of it) that supplied fun times in the back yard w/daddy. Of course, Terry took Noah out back and rolled snow around to make a snow man. What you see to the left is what remains of that snow man. =) As I was lining this shot up, the head, or middle body piece, fell off. Seriously. I was just about to take the shot and it totally fell!

I'm not sure how warm it is outside, but it's WARM. If Noah had asked to get his swimming pool out and put water in it, I might have let him...

Needless to say, we headed OUT.

Peek-a-boo swinging baby! It's too bad you can't see her first tooth in this shot - it sprouted a week ago.

A favorite pastime - chucking things in the lake.

Noah on the bridge that separates the two ponds that make up Lake ___.


Watching the water. Don't worry folks, Noah is very familiar w/the rules that go along w/the bridge and Evie is strapped in. =)

The boy, me, our shadows and some nasty brown water. I explained to Noah WHY the water is gross...ahem, wintering geese.

Cheese

A sweet video I spliced together of Noah chasing geese. This way you can see how many hundreds there are. Perhaps even thousands...

"N - O - A - H, Noah"

I've mentioned before how Noah knows how to spell his name. Well, it used to be that he would only spell it out to us but now he's doing it to everyone.

It started a couple weeks ago when Terry took Noah to story hour at the library. Terry was just dropping him off when the librarian came up to greet him and sort of startled him. He jumped and seemingly randomly said, "N - O - A - H, Noah!" She was like, okay, come w/me Noah. When Terry came back to get him and he was standing in line to check out his books he did the same thing again.

Since then, if anyone greets him, he kinda yells "N - O - A - H, Noah" at them.

Yesterday morning, he found all the correct letters off the fridge and lined them out on the kitchen table and proudly told us, "I write word Noah!"

prayer and praise

Two weekends ago, when Terry's parents were visiting, Terry led the youth band on Sunday night. Well, to speak truly, he also led them that morning for church. But this was different. The kids helped to organize this event with it's purpose to bring the church together to praise God and lift up some needs in prayer, hence the title.

We were concerned w/one family in particular. A girl named Aubrey who's come to youth group only a couple times but whose parents are more involved, was in a car accident a couple months ago. She rolled her car in the middle of the night and layed in the ditch for 5 hours before she was found (it was below freezing out too). She is currently in Denver undergoing rehab but she is paralyzed. We're not sure if she'll ever walk again. So, we took a free will offering. We've been praying for Aubrey's recovery, but mostly for her heart...

Anyway, the band did a great job. =)

Terry leading the band. Left to right: Terry, Chris, Emily, Leah, Kelsey and Levi is behind the girls playing the electric.

A favorite silly shot of mine. The boys being silly.

Terry is looking for somewhere to sit in the crowded ORC.

Us.

did i forget? yes i did.

It's been like a month since Adam and Krista came to visit. I meant to put these pics up but kept forgetting. So here they are.

Terry met Adam at Moody. They were both Culby 10 trouble makers. Well, at least one of them was. =) I know Adam b/c he lived and worked w/the Biers for a while - summer of 02 and 03 and for a while afterwards. Ernesto was supposed to come for that first summer but couldn't so Adam came. This was the same time that Terry and I started dating. Adam even led our college church bible study that facilitated Terry and I getting to know one another. Good times.

Krista also went to Moody. She started dating Adam sometime after that first summer. They got married just a few months after us and then moved to Mexico. Adam had lived there before but Krista didn't even know Spanish. Lets just say she learned. They're missionaries.

Golfing it up on the Wii. They're quite good.

Their son, Alistair. He's sitting on me and I think he just licked me...

Alistair is the most laid back kid ever. He's driving our couch.

sleeping beauty II

You know, I usually fold Evie up in her burrito blanket for her to go to sleep. She always gets out and rolls around though. This particular nap found her as you see above. How sweet.

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Actually, this morning I went in at the usual time and she was just OUT. I touched her back (of course to make sure she was breathing - never fails to freak me out) and couldn't find her legs. She was sleeping folded in half. Similar to above except with her legs flat out in front of her and her body folded down over them, as if she was still in the womb. Funny girl. Before I could run and get the camera Noah came in to inform me that I forgot his vitamin, using his loud voice (really that's all he has) and woke her up. But you get the idea.

Noah's stick...

I can't even remember precisely where Noah found the stick but I think it was during a walk or something. I was feeling generous when we got home and allowed him to bring the stick that he found outside, into the house. Yeah, I must be going soft b/c prior to this incident I allowed him a rock. Now that is back outside but the stick is a pretty popular toy. Go figure.

Noah freaks when Snap takes it to chew on. Evie even likes to play w/it but this doesn't stop Snap snatching it away from her. Actually, he's better at sharing than Noah is. As you'll see in the video, Snap permits Evie half of the stick. How sweet of him! He also shares his raw-hides chew toys w/her. Yes, several times I have found her gumming up Snap's chew toys. In fact, there is also a squeaker ice cream cone that they both chew on. I even put it in her toys b/c she likes it so much.

In Shari's words, God made dirt and dirt don't hurt. My mommy motto.

new moves

Just a couple posts back I detailed how Evie is capable of holding herself up on her hands and knees, and even crawling if she had a mind. And yet she prefers walking by holding on to hands.

Well, it seems that some of what I tried to teach her is sinking in...

She still loves to stand but she is scooting on her belly. It's SO cute. Noah never ever did anything of the sort so it's very exciting for us - he just walked and didn't even know how to pull himself back up when he fell.

Here is the girl holding her own weight up - another new thing.

Smacking the table.

Evie's nice wide stance. She can almost do the baby splits.



She took Snap's bone from him...not really though.

Evie hanging out on daddy's head while we played Settlers w/Shari and Jesse

The lovebirds who came to visit for the weekend...but really to see each other and order wedding invitations.

Here's a long-ish video of Evie scooting on her belly. It's cute if you don't mind listening to her whine. She's trying to crawl to me and is upset that I won't just pick her up. Pretty good incentive, eh? =)

imitation

Noah is starting to imitate us more and more. Last week when daddy came home for lunch and said he was tired, Noah took care of him mommy-style. He put daddy down to sleep in Noah's bed, turned off the lights and said good night. He then came back out to the living room and retrieved his little play laptop. He sat down on the love seat w/the fake computer on his lap, banged away at it a few times, closed it and then went to get daddy up. ... Apparently this boy knows what his mommy does once he goes to bed! Too funny.

Another thing he's done is imitate our reading habits. When we're sitting at the table reading he goes and gets a paper or book and reads there w/us too. Today he wanted to eat lunch at his little table and read "his" Bible, which is actually Terry's. It was quite cute.

This that video won't work, go here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2jXb_gz2yOw

Also, I tried to fix the "Evie scoots and Noah sleeps" video. Go back and try it again. Or else just visit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CDTRSpcWvZ0

restoration

Our guest room has been less than ideal of late. Well, "of late" means ever since we've had one.


It's been great being able to offer guests their very own private room, their very own bed and their very own bathroom but there have been a few problems. The bed was a little small (a full), old (used to be at Terry's grandparents house) and bendy (think dog-pile) and the toilet was almost miniature and on the fritz. Terry liked to compare that toilet to one you'd find in an airplane, just to give folks warning. And the bed was difficult, especially if you were pregnant and here w/your tall husband. His feet hang off and you both roll to the middle of the bed...


Enter Terry's dad, Jerry. He likes to take care of things.


We asked him to keep an eye out at home want-ads for lightly used mattresses and we did the same here in our paper. We also had plans to replace that toilet, but since it's a parsonage, we had to go through the right channels which delays us b/c we forget...


Jerry and Alice happened to visit last weekend and they brought w/them a brand new queen size mattress in the back of his truck!


Then, after the first service of church (we had to stay till after Sunday school and second service) he drove to Menard and picked up a small, new toilet! He even installed it for us!
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Thanks Jerry!

They even gave us that sheet/comforter set for Christmas since they knew we were looking.

See that TV in the closet? It happens to be there on purpose and it's hooked up to our basic, safe, 20 channel cable. Yeah, we treat you right at the B"s B&B. Please come and visit!!!


The sawww-eet new, squeaky clean toilet! Noah was the first to use it... =)

thumb and all-fours

Evie likes her pacifier but only to get to sleep. She also likes to be wrapped up tight, but again, only to get to sleep. When I go in to get her in the morning, the pacie and the blankets are done for:

What a cute thumb sucker!

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I am growing tired of Evie yelling at me every time I set her on her bottom to play. For some reason, yesterday was especially bad. I would set her down w/her brother to play w/her toys while I went to do some things. She immediately cried and held her arms above her head. She doesn't wish for me to pick her up. She only wants to take my hands and have me lead her around. I'm like her leash - only this leash is strictly for balance.

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This morning I was making our bed and I set her in front of our mirror which is usually a really great distraction for her. Not today. She sat there yelling w/her arms up - even when Noah went by she looked at him for help. In theory it was quite cute but I was irritated. So I insisted she try to crawl. I think she could do it, and would be happier if she figured it out, but she won't. If she's on her belly she just rotates in circles. If she's on her bottom she just pivots and somehow moves slowly around. She reaches for things while on her bottom but just won't put her arms down to support herself. So I've been doing this today:

Forced exercise. She's crying although this shot doesn't show it.

She's happy here b/c I picked her up.

Upset again. Oooh, you can see her mohawk nicely in this shot.

See?!!! She could do it. Little squish just doesn't want to though. She knows what she likes. Oh. She's also outgrowing baby cereal now too, wants "real" food. Whatever Evie. You're my baby FOREVER!

new things my kids did today

If you know Noah (or me) at all, you'll know that we don't rock. That is, we don't rock to sleep. It's just not me. I prefer to just lay him down and have him get himself to sleep.

Well, this cloudy Sunday afternoon Terry was reading Thomas to him and Alice (Terry's parents are visiting) realized Noah had fallen asleep! Adorable. After a while Terry carried him to bed b/c he had some things to do. Noah was a little confused when he woke up as Terry laid him down but went back to sleep. =)

While he was still rocking the boy all Terry requested was his Coke. Classic Terry.

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Here is video of Noah falling asleep, but first up is Evie scooting on her hand-me-down toy. We didn't know she could so I recorded it.

Or click here to go to youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CDTRSpcWvZ0