Girls Weekend!

My college friend, Lisa, and I packed up the car and Mirabel and headed up to the Wisconsin woods this past weekend. We had a great time just hanging out in the room and hitting the outdoors. We went on a little nature walk, drove to Spooner (highly recommended if you like poking around small towns with cute little shops), and took in some absolutely breathtaking fall colors. I've uploaded a few pictures of Spooner...a cute general store (I'm showing off my new lip gloss with my pouty lips), Look painted on the downward ramps at curb crossings, and note the "wobblin duck saloon" sign. I love girls weekend getaways. Dave had fun at home with a football party and he also was a champ and did some stuff around the house. I didn't even ask him to do it, I figured if I was having fun he could, too.

In other news, Mirabel has discovered how to string rolls together and she traverses our living room quite adeptly now. Yesterday she made it over to the tv stand and was kicking up at the VCR from the floor. We need to babyproof...I'm guessing it won't be long until she starts scooting around on her stomach and then it will be crawling and right now we are sorely un-babyproofed.

Goodbye summer, hello fall....

Just like that- September hit the calendar and it turned cold up here in the northern tundra land of MN. I like a lot of things about fall- pretty colored leaves, fall harvest, Thanksgiving...but I'm not so excited about the colder weather. I swapped out Mirabel's clothes today to get the warmer things ready. And I have to admit a certain sadness to putting away some of the super cute clothing she's worn this summer since I know she won't get to wear it again. (I felt the same way about my favorite maternity clothes...since I went early I didn't feel ready to be done being pregnant and it was like I never got to say goodbye to my faves.) Oh, well, I guess that's part of life. A cycle that continues on. I like how God has a predictability but yet has differences. Like sunsets. They happen every day yet none of them are exactly the same. What a creative God we have!

Happy fall.

Looking for some DJ referrals

My little sister, Tirzah, is getting married in January 2009 and needs a DJ. I told her I'd post and see if my reading audience has any recommendations for DJs in the Twin Cities. They want someone who can create their own playlist. She said to me, "We'll give them our first song, my song with my dad, and a song with my close friends. No rap, no profanities, and just play things that people will dance to and have fun. And no schmaltzy pleas to get people on the dance floor. Just a nice, normal person."

So...have any recommendations? Heather, if I remember correctly, your brother was doing DJ stuff at some point, right? I don't remember your phone number. If you have a recommendation that is a phone number or email and don't want to list it online, you can send it to me at my full name at hotmail. (That's my address in code...don't want spammers to get ahold of it!!) Or contact me the other methods...or post a comment and let me know to get ahold of you!

Thanks for your help!

The Summons

So, I went to get the mail today (I've never gotten over the childhood glee of getting the mail). And I go through it...a credit card bill, some election literature, a piece of junk mail...and...MY NAME IN CAPS with a very official government document informing me I've been selected for jury duty. Now, I'm 31 years old, registered and voted in nearly every election since I turned 18, and win all kinds of drawings (everything from a Cabbage Patch Doll when I was eight to a mountain bike to gift cards at my work picnic). But despite this winning-ness, I've never been selected for a jury until now. The irony of it all...while I think it would be pretty interesting (as long as I'm not on some murder case or something that would really gross me out) they scheduled me for my first full-time week back at work. I don't think I have any option...so I guess the beginning of October will find me in a jury pool rather than at my workplace. I'll let you know if I get selected (if I'm able to, that is...I'm sure they will tell us rules of whatever we are or are not allowed to say outside of court).

Going for the Gold

It's been Olympic fever here. We hardly ever watch TV, but we've been tuning in pretty much every day since the games started. With all the furor over the young Chinese gymnasts at the Olympics, Mirabel told us she was old enough to go for the gold. She has been practicing on the double arching bars and is working really hard to stick her landings. We told her it would help her scores if she could stand on her own and she assured us she was working on it. Her practice was cut short by a round of spit-up, but we've been very impressed with her work ethic. Go for it, sweetie!

Wonderful Mirabel...

I'll chunk out my entries. Going back to work has gone pretty smoothly, but I'm so glad I'm easing in. Three days at work, four days at home makes the week easier to take than if I'd jumped right back to full time. Our little peanut is growing fast! I weighed her today by getting on the scale with and without her, and she's somewhere in the neighborhood of 15 lbs. Her 4 month checkup is coming up the end of this month, so we'll get the official measurements then. Mirabel is a really happy baby. I'm thrilled to be done with the crying that permeated weeks 4-6. She smiles, vocalizes, and has started to entertain herself. She is very interested in what is going on around her and studies patterns and people (including herself.) She found her thumb last week, though it's not a regular habit yet. She doesn't really nap consistently, but does usually sleep through the night. I guess I'd prefer that vs. napping and up lots of time during the night. We're looking forward to getting to know more and more about her as she grows and reveals her personality!

I took these pictures of Mirabel and Dave this past week and posted my favorite one here. (I uploaded the series online and will add more pics when I have time. Probably later this week.) Mirabel August Pics

Whirlwind week...

For those of you who haunt our blog (mom and Heather...at least...) we've been busy over the past week! Mirabel has been growing and discovering new things, we went up north to a cabin for a week with Dave's family, and upon returning home Mirabel and I traveled back to the 1860s at Fort Snelling for the past two days. I have one day to recover before starting back to work 3 days a week this Tuesday. So, I have pictures and things to say, but the details are going to have to wait just a bit. (How's that for tantalizing?) :) More soon.