move forward

The big news around our house is our new housemate... Peter! Peter is my little brother who just transfered from a school in Florida to Calvin. Despite the blizzard outside right now, he seems to be adjusting back to Michigan nooooo problem. He's going to be the best student at Calvin because the poor kid has to wait around ALL day (meaning, 9 am to at least 9 pm most days) for me and Daniel, so he's getting lots of homework done. Today was the first day of classes and he's already done all his homework through Thursday.

We are so excited to have him here. Now it's me and three boys... Daniel, Peter, and Conrad. I need Katy, Ellie, and Laura to come visit and revive girl time.

This semester is going to be a good one, I can just feel it. I'm responsible for WAY less weekends than any of my time at Calvin so far. That means I can actually have time to do other things than work at Calvin and work at home. All of Daniel's classes are at night, which may be a good thing... this way he can get a lot of work on his documentary done during the weekdays and weekends can take a break.

For now, it's a quiet beginning. I'm working on a baby blanket for my friend, Emily, who is expecting (for now, we're saying it's for "bean")!! Daniel set-up an office in the basement (our old office is now P's room). We've been eating our canned tomatoes, peaches, and pears and WOW... I'm so glad I did all that work! My favorite is a recipe for a crunchy almond topping over the fruit and you bake it for about 30 minutes... it's so good, someone usually eats the whole tray by breakfast the next day.

favorite things

oh I am dreaming of these blankets from Jacaranda! Each one is a work of art, taking 3 months to make. Maybe someday... if we EVER meet our savings goal, I'll get one. The yellow or orange? or maybe red? It would make our bedroom so bright and spring-like in this snowy white winter. (Thinking like this will never get me to my savings goal...)

bookin' it!

Ah yes... I've found my new preferred mode of transportation. Well, actually, I don't think it moves when someone is sitting in it. But isn't this the funniest chair? It can hold up to 80 books! If Daniel and I have kids we won't buy them jungle-gym sets (or zungoo sets, as Eddie used to called them). They'll get this for hours of reading adventures! :) I say now, not remembering how much energy 2 year-olds really have. (from Nils Holger Moormann)

coughing-in the new year

I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday! Daniel and I had such a great time. We went to Stevensville for Christmas, and it was amazing to have everyone back together this year. What a blessing. After the 25th we went to Chicago for 3 days just to have a little vacation. The weather was pretty cold and snowy, but we had a great time. Highlights included cajun food from Heaven on 7, a rock and roll exhibit at the Contemporary Museum of Art, and a wonderful used bookstore. It was great to just get away and rest. Our first afternoon there, we walked from the train station to our hotel (the Allerton - an old Chicago hotel), and ended up just watching a movie on TV and talking and sleeping. At one point Daniel said to me... "look around. There's nothing you need to do!" What a relief.

We spent New Year's eve at our friend's house here in Grand Rapids. For the first time I experienced the amazing taste of Oli Bolli (I have no idea how to spell that). It's sort-of a Dutch doughnut with currants and powdered sugar. Delicious!

But the last 3 days, I've been sick with a flu/cold. Now poor Daniel is sick too. so we've watched a lot of TV (NOTHING is on in the afternoon on basic cable), reading, and sleeping like hibernating bears. I totally missed the warm weather we've had here. To be honest, it's nice to have some time to just think and rest, even under the influence of TheraFlu and lots of tea. Plus, I've had a chance to read a bit... my friend Kirsten from work lent me the first book in the Cornish Trilogy called "The Rebel Angels". It's set in the context of a university and has only provoked my longing to go to graduate school.

so I will actually be happy to get back to work after the confines of our upstairs room. This weekend Katy has her Miss Stevensville pageant, so we will be cheering for her between coughs. She'll probably win, because she is the most beautiful, smart, and talented girl I know.