dpp 2012 / 12.14.12 / ready for winter

today we spent some time with my mom, aka nana.  we met at whole foods, ate some lunch, went to target, the mall and ended our time together at barnes and noble with a coffee.  it was nice to spend some time with her and she just loves being able to see and love on james.  he wore his hat for a little while today and i could not resist taking a picture.

dpp 2012 / 12.13.12 / winter hat

paul wanted me to make he and james matching winter hats.  of course i was thrilled.  so i ordered some nice organic wool from lion brand, found a pattern and got ready.  i finished james's hat and it turned out so cute.  now i will start daddy's.  i cannot wait until they are both finished so i can take pictures.  i love my guys!!!

dpp 2012 / 12.12.12 / skyfall

we needed some down time.  paul desperately needed some time away from the circumstances just to be able to decompress.  he loves the movies and we have a huge list of films we want to see while in houston.  aunt sue and uncle bob watched james while we got away.  it was fabulous and just what we needed, especially paul.

dpp 2012 / 12.11.12 / hubby's birthday

today is my husband's birthday.  although it's bittersweet at the moment in the wake of the passing of his dad i am reminded of how lucky i am to be married to such a great guy.  a man who is the best husband and daddy.  he loves me for who i am and is gentle and caring.  he loves to go to the movies and watch tv together.  he loves our little boy so much and i love watching him take care of james and make him laugh.  the last five and a half years of my life have been the best yet married to him.  i cannot wait to see what else God has in store for us.

this is the first ornament that his mom got him.  she actually bought it while still pregnant with paul and his room was bambi themed.  i love it and look forward to her putting it out on display each christmas.

reminder for healing hearts

Trust in Him at all times, O people;
pour out your hearts to Him,
for God is our refuge.
Psalm 62:8

dpp 2012 / 12.10.12 / healing and loving

another day of ticking things off the to do list while resting and taking it easy.  phone calls were made, questions asked---all part of the process of picking up the pieces.  we are being loved on well by family and members of paul's parents church family.  we have been blessed with tons of food, kind emails, cards, phone calls and flowers.  the neighbors had some flowers delivered today and i was taken by one of the roses....white and open.  reminds me of God's promises that each day is new and there is hope.  He has promised us a plan for our lives and will use our lives for His glory.  We have the gift of His grace which covers all our imperfections and helps to love ourselves and others well.

dpp 2012 / 12.9.12 / no picture today

well it was a day to hang out with family and comfort each other in this time of mourning and remembering.  i did not get a picture today.  we spent the day just being together, sharing memories and comforting one another.  that was the most important goal of the day.  we did sit around the table in the evening and share stories.  paul's mom shared many and files of stuff that none of us knew which was fun.  it was a nice evening and i think we all healed from the time together.

remembering a great man, husband, father and grandpa
walter joseph falgout III
nov 14, 1948 - dec 7, 2012

dpp 2012 / 12.8.12 / first road trip in the car

on the road...james did so well riding for the 13 hours to houston.  we weren't sure how he would travel in the car.  his first plane trip was great.  we got a new car seat that's a bit bigger to make the ride more comfy.  considering the circumstances and last minute vibe of the trip, he did fabulous.  i love this shot of him looking out the window watching the world go by.  he's such a special little boy and brought great joy to grandma when we finally arrived last night.

dpp 2012 / 12.7.12 / sleeping baby boy...

what an evening....the dreaded phone call that a close family member has passed away.  we started packing instantly and loaded up the car headed to houston.  we slept in a hotel in a king size bed with james in the middle.  it was nice even with the circumstances.

a few of my favorite things....

i love that i am blogging again.  it feels nice and i think the december photo project has made me more motivated to keep up with it.  i am toying with the idea of doing a pic a day in 2013 just as way to keep me blogging.  we'll see....

here's a few of my favorite things at the moment....

• fun, festive holiday flavored coffees
• my new hair cut
• crocheting with nice, soft, yummy wool that is the real deal (no acrylic here as of late)
• reading books
• growlers of local tasty beer
• napping with james during the day
• snuggling under the down comforter
• staying in my pajamas all day more than once a week 
• spending time with paul and james on the weekends
• being able to celebrate and enjoy the lead up to christmas
• the cooler weather
• wearing layers 
• orvieto white wine
• india (our cat) being more friendly and snuggly
• holiday smelling candles
• our christmas tree with it's three ornaments
• wrapping presents

for the first time in a while i am the last one to bed this evening.  i wish i could stay up reading or being crafty, but i know my little one will be up and hungry sooner than later, so i should sleep when i can.  

dpp 2012 / 12.6.12 / family picture

we haven't had a family picture since james was two weeks, so i thought it was time.  we went to dinner with friends and i had one of them snap the photo.  i love my little family!

dpp 2012 / 12.5.12 / james is 6 months!

our baby boy is 6 months old.  where did the time go?  he had his six month check up and it went well.  he's growing and so healthy.  we are thankful.  he also tried banana for the first time.  i need a pause button....he is growing up too fast.

dpp 2012 / 12.4.12 / james the christmas elf

grandma found these jammies at a sale for $1 and we love them.  he just looks so festive and happy.  he's on our little elf!

dpp 2012 / 12.3.12 / favorite meal

it was chilly outside, i did not feel great and i wanted one of my favorite meals---grilled cheese and tomato soup.  at the moment panera bread has this cool pick 2--big kid grilled cheese and tomato soup. the sandwich has nice cheeses and bacon on it.  it's really like heaven.

christmas lead up...

it's been an adjustment being back in the states to say the least.  i remember the grocery store gave me anxiety when we first got back when i had to go alone.  so many choices and options.  after living in asia with very little choice, it was overwhelming.

the cool part is being able to celebrate and have fun in the weeks leading up to christmas.  normally we would have arrived jet lagged after 30+ hours of travel around a week before with a giant list of things to go and shopping to complete before family festivities got underway on the 24th.  this year i have been able to do my shopping at leisure and really wallow in the holiday season.  yes, i consumed my fair share of some form of a pumpkin like latte from various coffee shops.  :)  i got a tree for our apartment, wrapped all the pressies in fun coordinating graphic like paper, and made my own gifts tags from card stock.  not even to mention the fun it has been to take james to see santa and take pictures with jolly old saint nick.  our tree is sparse since many of our ornaments are still in texas, but i am growing to like its simplicity with all the white lights and a few (read: 4 ornaments) ornaments.  james's first christmas ornament is on there and really that's all that matters this year it seems.  i bought a fun, festive christmas scented candle to burn in the evenings when we are home.  paul has queued up the christmas music on spotify to listen to in the car and at home.  we are ready and seriously enjoying being "home" for the holidays.  we're nerds, we know.  we are proud.

all the shopping is completed, most of the pressies are wrapped, and we're just waiting on a few more pressies to arrive.  oh, we also received our first christmas card.  so fun!  thinking of way i can display them in our house since we hope to get more (hint, hint).  maybe string them up on the door in the kitchen....still not sure.  i might just pinterest some ideas in all my free time...right.  did i mention i have an active 6 month old?

dpp 2012 / 12.2.2012 / two because i could not decide

i took two pictures today and just could not decide, so i am posting both. 

our little "jameserito" just out of the bath

 yummy Indian rice pudding

dessert after a lovely Indian meal

dpp 2012 / 12.1.12 / james & mama

james & mama out trying a new vietnamese restaurant for dinner

thankfully daddy agreed to take our picture

december photo project

trying something new this year....figured it would be a fun way to celebrate the christmas season....

Thanksgiving

We have so much to be thankful for.....we are blessed and thankful today.

Jo Jo is here visiting us from Korea and we are delighted and thankful for her.  She arrived late last night.  Today we woke up, had coffee, and caught up on each other's lives.  We ate lunch at Whole Foods which was good.  We all were able to fill our tummies for food in the ways we wanted.  James slept through lunch.  The best was NO dishes!  We did some shopping after we ate and meandered around the store taking it all in.  James was quite happy to be carried around by Aunty Jo Jo.  We were also shopping for nibbles for dinner.  After finishing at Whole Foods we made a pit stop at Starbucks so Paul could get his fix.  We watched some Chopped on tv once we got home and just got to hang out some more.  It was nice and low key which was just what I wanted.  James napped here and there.  Paul, Jo Jo and I got out nibbles to snack on while the oven heated up for pizza.  It was a great day and I am thankful to be alive and well.  Thankful for an amazing husband, the cutest and most awesome son, James, and a friend who travels from far places to love on us.  We have been super blessed this year and so thankful for our families and friends near and far.

baby blanket #2 is being repurposed...

so after attempting to stitch the pieces together it became obvious that it was not going to be pretty or work.  so i ripped out the middle bit and now have two burp cloths or whatever they might be used for.  it's sad, but also happy that i can use them for something other than chalk them up to a fail.  now to sort out how much yarn i need for the next blanket in which i will be using a pattern.

i just need to weave in the ends

43 days...

back in the states and driving again i have a small, minuscule fender bender.  ugh!  i gently tapped the rear end of another car today at a stop light.  the damage was 4 small circles on her bumper from the four screws that hold our license plate in place.  this kind of stuff just stresses me out and i instantly burst into tears.  i have never dealt with car type stuff well, ever.  thankfully, the lady was kind and understanding.  the police did come, but did not issue me a ticket, thank goodness.  i went to barnes and noble after (where i was going anyway) to have a coffee and soak up some of my favorite things on the planet, books, and calm down.  i am blessed to be married to a super patient and understanding guy that does not yell, get mean, or nasty with me over situations like this.  he wanted to make sure i was okay and, although not ideal, said it would be okay.  the lady called me a few moments ago to check on me since i was so upset at the accident and also mention that we might be able to take care of the damage without getting insurance involved.

i still don't like driving and wish there was another way to get around.....nashville tuk tuks would be fabulous, but somehow i think i might be the only one buying into that idea.  

pictures of baby blanket #1

i finished it up last night....just had to weave in all the ends.  i still need to wash it and block it a bit, but here it is:

the whole blanket--about 24" x 30"

up close detail - three yarns crocheted together

bit by bit...

our house is finally coming together...little by little, bit by bit.  it's been a wild and crazy ride, but things are starting to settle down and become more normal, whatever that may be.

our apartment is mostly complete except for our shipment from cambodia which hopefully will arrive closer to the end of march.  we also still need art work up on the walls, but some of that is in our shipment and a few pieces are in houston.  the most important members of our family, the cats, are still in houston visiting with nana (my mom).  they should arrive via friends late next week.  i cannot wait.  i miss them a lot, but i know that nana has enjoyed their company and crazy ways.

paul is settling into his job and finding ways to make it exciting for himself.  he enjoys the folks he works with and seems to enjoy walking to work.  it's been so nice to close to his work.  he has a few projects that he is working on for otterball stuff, but that is winding down.  he might do a bit here and there, but nothing too time consuming or stressful.

i am adjusting to being at home.  it's been weird, but good.  i feel so blessed to have a husband that supports my staying home.  there are days when i don't do much and i feel guilty, but there is really nothing to do.  i have cleaned, finished laundry and the dishes are all put away.  i have been doing some reading, although the book i am reading is not gripping me at the moment.  i have been working on crochet projects (read baby blankets) some as well.  i go the chiropractor once a week which is in cool springs area (about 20 minutes from our house south on I65).  on those days i also make a trip to target since there is a nice one on the way.  i also like the tj maxx down there too.  depending on errands i need to run, i usually organize them by area of town and make a larger trip of it.  finding things/shops to check out in the area while i am out.

baby is doing well, as far as i know.  i feel good.  i need to do some walking on the treadmill in our fitness center to help with my lower back pain.  the adjustments at the chiro have been helping manage my pain too.  my sacrum likes to get out of line and than cause soreness.  it's all that relaxin my body is producing to loosen things up, but it's starts so early that adjustments don't hold as long as they should.  it's a bummer, but i am managing.  lots of flutters and movement happening inside.  it's a nice affirmation that our baby is well and moving.  i go back to the midwives on march 28th and i will be 28 weeks then.  not sure what's on the docket to happen at this appointment, but i am sure it will all be well.  at the moment, we are trying to figure out a birthing class to take so we can learn about all the ins and outs of what we will happen or could happen.  they aren't the cheapest in the world, so i have been doing some research to find a deal.

i am going to houston mid april for a visit.  there will be a baby shower which will be exciting and my brother has a birthday to celebrate too.  i cannot wait to see family and friends one last time before the baby arrives. we were able to use miles and get a deal on a plane ticket.  this will most likely be my last flight before birth. crazy to think about that.

there are pictures up on my flickr site of our new place...i am working on catching up on getting more photos up.  click here to see photos of our new place in nashville.

my next crochet project....

i think.  i have 95% finished baby blanket #1, just need to weave in the loose ends.  i am about 2/3rds finished with baby blanket #2, a pattern i created in my head.  i have been using baby's first yarns from lion brand.  i chose three colors--honey bee (soft yellow), beanstalk (soft pea green), and pixie dust (cream/off white).  both #1 and #2 are made with these three colors.

i am thinking this might be baby blanket #3.  i have never ventured into anything that is off the path--i stick to stripes and straights lines--but i really like this pattern.  i may even use the same three colored yarns for #3 to provide some consistency.  i got this patternfrom blogger, lisa, i follow.  she is a crocheter too and has lots of great ideas.

i will keep you posted how it goes....must finish #2 first.  

here we are....

after living in asia for five and half years we have landed back in the states.  it's exciting, scary, emotional, uncertain, but also good.  it's really the best for us right now and that's what matters most at the moment.

we felt a move was inevitable, but was not sure when/where/how, etc.  we made the decision jan 10th that the states was where we should be and sooner than later.  paul had been looking for a job and it seemed more advantageous to be in the states rather than in cambodia.  before we left he had offers which was reassuring, we just had to move us and all our things to the states to secure such offers.  in three weeks time, we packed up our life in phnom penh, bought one way flights to houston, said goodbyes to friends, and got in a plane (barely) with our kitties in tow.  after 32 hours of travel, we landed in houston with no return ticket to asia.  it was weird and surreal.  the next day we bought a car and spent the rest of the week sorting out details for our life back in the states before loading up the car (very full with wedding presents and stuff) and driving to nashville.  we stopped over in memphis for the night before arriving at our r & j's house where we would stay until we found our own place.

paul accepted a job one month after we made the decision to leave cambodia and we found an apartment the day before.  God was making a path we just needed to follow it and be obedient.  a week and half later we moved in what he had to our new apartment which we love.  we bought a bed and had it delivered too.  we just had to order some furniture from a local company that makes trips to IKEA in atlanta every few weeks.

so here we are....beginning a new chapter in our journey in nashville, tennessee.  it's been just over a month since we said "see you later" to asia and left many good friends behind, but God promises hope in obedience to His plan.  it was hard and bittersweet, but we are looking forward to what's next as we follow Him.