a classy eater

This is my niece Madeleine, thoroughly enjoying her meal. Its almost a bummer we grow up and out of this phase of playing with our food ... it looks like fun ... and probably does wonders for the skin.

So much for the effectiveness of a bib.

the shower

As is custom in any family gathering of mine, too many pictures were taken at my shower. I'd actually like to send out a special thanks to my friend Donna for manning the camera during the shower, or I wouldn't have had any of my own pictures from the day. Thanks Donna!

As I mentioned already, the shower was a complete success. And that is due in part to my mom and sister and aunts for putting it on, and to all those who came or sent gifts. I felt truly honored and blessed and assured that Josie will soon enter a world full of too much love. It was truly a spectacular day.

My sister took care of most of the theme for the party, which was western. When I got the invitation in the mail (which is honestly the most awesome baby shower invitation I've EVER seen), I had to call her and tell her how awesome it was. And she told me that ever since I got married she couldn't wait for the day she could throw me a western baby shower. Well, she had to wait almost three years, but her dreams finally came true! And I loved it! I've always been a cowgirl at heart, so the theme was perfect. And who doesn't love pink gingham?

Below are a smattering of the nearly 160 pictures taken on the day. I need to take a few quality photos of some of the handmade gifts I received from my family. They are truly some beautiful items. But, that will have to wait. In the meantime, enjoy the photos below!

Mom and Amy, finishing up the food prep. Don't you love the pink gingham? And that picture in the middle is of me when I was 3 or 4, one of my dad's. I got to bring that home as well.

Juice and wine glasses, for a classy party.

My sister Amy finishing up food prep ...

Mom, also finishing up food prep ...

On a clothesline in the family room hung some of my own baby clothes from when I was little. The crocheted number in the middle was made especially for me by mom's Aunt Dotty (Grandma's sister, I think). I guess it was too big when she first received it, so she put it away ... and didn't remember it until I'd outgrown it! So I never wore it, but what a precious handmade item!

Opening gifts ... the truly best part of any baby shower, if you ask me. These two pieces came from my friend Darcy who lives in Florida, and therefore couldn't make it to the shower.

OK, not sure what the look on my face is about, but these burp cloths were handmade by my sister-in-law Julie. They're so awesome! These are one of the gifts I need to take good close up pictures of. You, too, will be impressed and jealous.

I just thought it was funny how excited I seem to be over burp cloths.

Amy and I talking to an off-camera computer, where my sister-in-law Rachel had joined us via video conference. This gift was from them both.

The quilt top my mom had finished for Josie. She'll finish the rest soon. But I love the colors! And all those little tiny "postage stamp" size pieces! I'm so amazed by my mom's talent. And the colors of the quilt match perfectly in Josie's room. Can't wait to have the finished product.

Talking with David and Rachel after all the gift frenzy. They live up in Washington, but I love that in today's world they could join us anyway.

Not sure what was so funny ... but SOMETHING sure was .... (me, cousin Molly, cousin Joy ... all prego)

My niece Madeleine. Such a classy eater.

Amy, me, Julie and Maddie. We missed you Rachel!

Cousins Maddie and Josie. They'll be just ten months apart, and we're hoping, of course, they'll be the best of friends.

It was a fantastic shower everyone. Thanks again!!!

i'm confused

We just watched Cool Hand Luke, and, uh, I didn't get it. I now have context for phrases like "What we have here is a failure to communicate," and Luke's famous boast that he can eat 50 eggs in an hour ... but otherwise, I didn't get it. There doesn't seem to have been any purpose to Luke's life, other than to inspire fellow convicts to brash and brazen behavior. Anyone want to explain it to me?

33 weeks

This was taken at my family baby shower today ... I'm 33 weeks along and all is well. The waist is now 43 1/2". Baby weighs approximately 3 1/2 - 4 pounds ... and her main job right now is to gain half a pound a week ... which should just help that waist diameter to keep climbing. Good times. More pics from the baby shower to come!

Me and my cousins Molly and Joy ... Molly is due in late July, Joy in late December. If only my cousin Kelly could have been here too! She's due in late September. Babies abound in the Lindley clan!

Josephine, clad in polka dots. My oh-so-sensitive sister-in-law's first comment was "you look like a dalmation that's pregnant."
Thanks Rachel.

pregnancy update

I'm tired. So very very tired. Which is why you haven't seen much new on this blog lately ... I even have stuff to post! But it'll just have to wait until I'm not so tired ...

Other than tired, I feel pretty good. Josie moves around ALL the time now, and with just 7 official weeks to go (though I'm hoping for just 4-5), we're in the home stretch! And boy do I mean STRETCH. My belly grows by inches every week! And I've decided waddling isn't such a bad walking gait after all. Its the universal symbol of a pregnant woman, right? I have a right to waddle.

I'm looking forward to my family baby shower this weekend. I think it'll be another step toward reality, a truly fun step. If you're in the family, can't wait to see you Saturday!

Guess that's news for now. I hope to get updated pics this weekend and, if we're lucky, I might even post them!

Caleb's Office

Here are a few before and after pics of Caleb's office wall in the baby's room. As I've mentioned before, organization is going to be KEY in making this nursery-slash-office really work. The office wall still needs a little cleaning up, but we have managed to get all of Caleb's essential stuff onto one wall and one desk. Yay! I must give a HUGE shout-out to my brother Jon for coming up from San Diego to help design and hang the shelving arrangement. I could not have done it without him. Pics of the rest of the baby's room are going to have to wait, as its still not completely cleaned up yet. I'm hoping to get some of that done this weekend, as next weekend is my family baby shower, and I'm going to need a place to put stuff. Until then, infer what you can from these pics about the nursery part of the room ...

"BEFORE" PICS:

This was Caleb's desk before we started cleaning. It wasn't always this messy, honest. But sometimes it seemed like it was ....

This is the broader view of the area. Notice the pale yellow walls, the giant Star Wars posters, the bulletin board and white board to the left ... All gone. (Don't worry, the Star Wars posters are just in the attic, awaiting a new wall on which to display their glory.)

"AFTER" PICS:

After we finished repainting, and Caleb left for Liberia, I invited Jon and Julie up for a day to help me get Caleb's office finished while he was gone. Organizing isn't his favorite weekend project, but it is mine. So I figured he wouldn't mind. And that "office" wasn't going to work without shelves. Lots of shelves. So, after Amy and I spent an entire afternoon at IKEA getting all the supplies, Jon helped get everything on the walls.

Later that same day Amy, Julie and I worked at putting everything ON the shelves that needed to go. There is still a Star Wars theme, an Angels baseball theme, and an art theme. I found a small bulletin board we were able to fit there, so he can still display current art he's working on. I also got him a new lamp (as the old one had died about a month after we bought it ... trust me, its worth spending more than $7 on a lamp). He's also got all his essential art books, journals, and toys necessary for creative thinking.

Close up of the shelves. One of the things we found in the attic as we were going through it several weeks ago was a box full of his grandpa's old photography equipment. So I pulled some of that out for display as well.

And here he is, in his bearded glory, at his new desk. Happy working Hunky Hubby! And, actually, with the recent change in his work hours, this was done at the right time. Now he can spend those Fridays at home working in a comfortable work space, with all his tools close at hand. (And look! There's even an extra shelf left over for Josie.)

a good reminder ... even if it does come from CNN

I read this article today, and was encouraged by it and its reflection of the new growing mentality of Americans. Having recently been faced with our own financial crisis of sorts, I have started to really look at how there's joy and happiness, and maybe even MORE of it, to be found when we have less. We're brought back to the basics of life, reminded of what truly matters in this life ... enough to eat, a roof over my head, my husband, my family, my coming baby, my church. I am reminded that I am rich, despite my financial status. Click on the link below and read the article ... its encouraging, no matter your current financial situation.

"Don't Confuse Money with Happiness" by David Bregman

another sorely underrated film, this time for girls

While Caleb was gone I rented a few movies that he wouldn't really mind not getting to see, one of which was Penelope. I didn't have super high hopes for it, as movies like this tend to annoy me, but I'd had a couple people recommend it so I thought I'd give it a shot. And surprisingly enough, I found it rather enjoyable. Christina Ricci does a great job as Penelope, a girl born with a pig's nose because of a generations-old curse on the family.

Her parents fake her death as a baby and then raise her secluded in a mansion. The curse states that as soon as someone loves her the curse will be broken, so the task becomes to find a suitable suitor who will love her and marry her. This, of course, causes all kinds of havoc to ensue, and eventually Penelope runs away, longing to see the world and make real friends.

Eventually, while out in the real world, her true identity is discovered, and she finds that people like her for her, despite her hideous nose. There is a small love story woven into the plot, as well as a few other fun characters that come and go from Penelope's life. And of course, it has a happily ever after ending, including lesson about the power that can be found in loving ourselves, just the way we are.

I'd recommend this one to most girls, pre-teen and teen, and bet their mothers will get a kick out of it too. Enjoy!

category: sorely underrated

Movie: Speed Racer
Starring: Emile Hirsch, Matthew Fox, Christina Ricci, Susan Sarandon and John Goodman
Released: 2008

Caleb had wanted to see this movie since it was released last year, so its been in our Netflix queue for a while. And, it just so happened to be the last movie that came before we canceled our account (one of the easiest things to cut in an effort to save $$). I didn't know much about it, and wasn't that interested, but found it to be a highly entertaining, and family friendly, movie.

The graphics alone are worth the watching. The car races and chases are practically cartoon-like, and yet real life. My understanding is the special effects were done by the same folks who did The Matrix. The colors are vibrant and lively, like a comic book (which it actually was, first). It captures the imagination by its sheer visual effects.

The story line is clean, about family sticking together and doing what's right even when doing what's not so right might make you rich and famous; about loving your kids whether or not they win first place. And there's a pet monkey that's randomly never really explained, but funny nonetheless. I imagine it was part of the original comic book series.

I would highly recommend this movie to anyone, but especially families with boys ages 8, 9, 10ish. Just beware ... it may make them want to start driving soon. Enjoy!