The power of prayer

I have been blessed recently by an amazing group of mothers who have dedicated time each day to lift up our husbands and our families in prayer. They have taught me so much even in this short time, and although we are all across the country the down to earth conversations seem like they could be over the back fence. As a new wife about to be a mom, this neighborly wisedom is my lifeline. Thank heavens for the internet.

Except when it turns on you, like today and this close to labor I don't want to cause anyone alarm. We're still here (or the lack thereof) thanks for understanding.

Happy Birthday Karianne!

When I was in the first grade I moved down the block from
Karianne, we didn't stay there for long but we always seemed
to find eachother again. I love your intensity and your flair.
I can't imagine life without you! 

Little Man

This is my little brother Dana, at least that's what he looked
like the last time he was in Kenya. Today Dana should be landing in
Nairobi for the first time in twelve years, he is going back to work with
Africa Inland Mission for the next several months. He is also going to find
a piece of himself, probably his earliest memories, our history. 

From this day forward. . .

Newlyweds become oldyweds, and oldyweds are the
reason familes work. -Author Unkown 

Insecurity and Intimacy

Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 1but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.
And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love. 1 Corinthians 13:8-13

There is something about marriage that makes me feel like such a little child.
As an adult I have always strove to be rationale, gentle, a problem solver, for Nate and I the strangest part of being married is to have your messiness spill over onto one another.

And now living so close to this wonderful man I feel like I am opening doors in myself that I have never seen before. I wander in an look around amazed and astounded, I never knew this was here, what do I do with it? Where did it come from? As I struggle with the words, I am suddenly an adolescent choking to find the words that match the emotions. There is nothing pretty or elegant in my words, instead they seem to jab, and poke. I hear myself in horror, the words flop around and sound like attacks on the one I love.
Not long ago deep in prayer I was confessing how undone I felt to God and like a window opening in the back of my mind the explanation was divinely dropped into my reality. These are new places in our souls and my floundering is simply immaturity.
God I don’t want to be immature with my husband, I respect him, I love him, immaturity seems so selfish? But have you ever been here before? Do you have any real experience to draw from? The opposite of mature is immature; you are immature simply because of the newness of your state.
But in my immaturity I seem to be so reckless as I grope for the words, I am afraid I will cause hurt as I try to decipher this new language. To discover what is going on in my soul I am thrashing around and it comes out like complaining, like I am pushing him away when I am truly just trying to totter forward, to understand where we are and where we are going?

This is beautiful and precious even as you grow. Your responsibility is not to be perfect the first time intimacy does not come from perfection, but from trust, growth, together, next to each other. Love wouldn’t be so amazing if it wasn’t poured out over our ruff patches, if it wasn’t given freely, if it didn’t risk all. The strength of love is found in the journey, someone next to you refusing to let go, someone who wants to be there for you when you’re weak, who desires to see you live and thrive but doesn’t demand performance. In life you are adults but in love you are still youths and your commitment to each other is being cemented through the wild storms of your springtime and will build the foundations for your life together.

Thunder Snow

Monday-Light jacket sunshine
Tuesday-50 degree’s, flip-flop’s, sunny walk in the park
Wednesday-Gray chilly-coat necessary
This morning-I woke to the sound of thunder, which should be a nice sign of spring right, not when the clock radio is announcing school closings on account of snow.
As if it’s not bad enough that the weather is psychotic! But snow and thunder!

In the words of my favorite comedian-Lewis Black:
“In the morning I saw thunder and snow! They didn’t even have this in the Bible! I think if someone in the Bible saw snow and thunder at the same time they would’ve written about it. So I called into work and told them I couldn’t come in because I knew what the next season would be LOCUST!”

At the end the biggest craving for a pregnant women is NOT to be pregnant.
Unknown 

Lightening

Last night Nate and I heard a strange sound that we hardly recognized, my stomach growl. For the last several months our little girl has been sitting very high and my stomach has been about an inch deep to make room for baby.Until Saturday night, I spent about an hour and a half in “false labor.” I didn’t end up going into the hospital but it definitely got our attention so we stayed up late finalizing all the last minute details. I admit that when I woke up Sunday morning I was a little disappointed that labor had never truly started. But it was very obvious that she has dropped down well below my ribs, great for breathing bad for the bladder. But I was sure my Heartburn days were over. Oh how wrong I was, and last night I found myself without antacids nursing a bottle of Pepto. (Not a pretty sight)

For Posterity

Craving for the day:
Egg salad sandwich

Strangest food craving:
Banana’s and tater tots (at the same time)
Ice-It has to be in every drink. I have never been an ice chewer until now.

Most common craving:
Milk. Before I got pregnant a half gallon of milk would go bad in our fridge.
Now we can’t keep enough of it in the house
I also love Raisin Bran Crunch

Other cravings:
One day it was white cake, when Nate stopped to get a bottle of wine, you better believe I got some cake.
One day it was chocolate, which I rarely crave but Nate didn’t hesitate to run out and get it. I tried to restrain myself and only ask every so often, Nate was great and I didn’t want to take advantage of it.
Apple Laffy Taffy
Chips and salsa but that could be any day.
Asian Noodles
Curry
Ice Cream-really just to sooth the heartburn. Ohhhh the heartburn.

Other than that I realized I was very open to suggestion, if I saw somebody eating it on TV, I wanted it. Including, chex mix, popcorn, hot dogs, macaroni and cheese.
For the first several months though I couldn’t keep much down. I spent part of the summer on the couch before and after work. I discovered CSI, which is always on somewhere. At that point if I went into the kitchen I would throw up, but I could watch the goriest CSI and be fine, much to Nate’s consternation.

Of course I wasn't the only one having cravings, Nate's been experiencing much of the same phenomenon. Something that never happened to him before, at least that's what he swears.
The best part was we'd usually have the same craving at the same time. Talk about empathy!

And the Dove Award goes to. . .

StellarKart! Well at least we hope, StellarKart a Christian
punk band (think Audio Adrenaline) has been nominated for
best new musician by the Gospel Music Association
Why should you care? Well the kid on the right in the middle
is Brian Calcara, who is a home-town Cedar Rapids boy.
The Calcara's have been friends of ours for years and we're incredibly
proud! Check em out www.stellarkart.com 

Cousin Kelly

The shiny headed one in the middle has always
been one of my favorite people growing up, but take a close
look at that head, the Wollschlager head is literally round and large in our family.
A fact that has me very frightened this close to labor. 

Lost Addict

For those of you that can't help yourself when it comes to the Wednesday night TV
show Lost, well then you understand Nate and I. And you'll love this clip:http://abc.go.com/fsp/index.html?channel=Lost

But I have to brag a little on my cousin Kelly Wollschlager
who is the executive producer of all these clips and lets just say he
rose to the SuperBowl level expectations.

You can also blame Kelly for those clif hanger trailers that keep us in suspense all week.

News Flash

From the New York Times
There is also a longer-term concern that the video game business is not growing beyond the subculture of hard-core gamers. The number of consoles in use continues to grow, but at a November investors' conference, Nintendo's vice president of sales and marketing, Reggie Fils-Aime, said that the number of United States households with a video game console had not risen significantly in more than a decade.

And several major games fared below expectations, including True Crime: New York City and the new James Bond game from Electronic Arts. In December both Electronic Arts and Activision, two of the biggest game publishers, warned that their sales would be below initial projections.

Are we really worried about this? In my book this may actually be good news.
We get all the obesity stories, and video game violence stories.
This should be headline news: Americans curb the urge to

37 Weeks

Time to pack the bag and officially full-term!
Personally I think I have about four or five more weeks.
My mother was 20 days late with me and 17 days late with my brother, so the chances of me going on March 3rd well we’ll have to see.

Personally I am getting tired of being two people, I am ready to be one person again.
And the more she moves the more she feels like a full-size baby. Kicks and jabs are still magical but I am getting impatient to meet the little one who seems to be getting the hiccups at the strangest time. Right now if you see me from the side I'm almost all belly, look out coming at you! But the oddest part about being this pregnant is when people are making plans or chatting about seeing you. Hearing “we’ll see you next week, maybe” like any day now I am going to spontaneously combust and am living my last few days on earth.

Superbowl Surprise (and thankfully I don’t mean any “costume malfunction”)

They say necessity is the mother of invention. Last night about 20 minutes before our guests were scheduled to arrive, I reached into my cupboard to for a stash of Rotelle tomatoes, to make a handy tasty chip dip. (thank you Katie and Shaun, Super bowl 2000)

The problem with buying things in bulk is you get so used to having a TON of stuff you don’t realize you run out of something. Suddenly I needed to make chip dip fast.

The result:
Velveeta cheese
Diced Tomatoes
1 Package Taco Seasoning

Melt tomatoes and cheese (adding seasoning too early it may cook on the top not in the dip) mix in a couple teaspoons of taco seasoning to taste.
Makes a mild yet flavorful nacho dip. It was a surprising hit last night so I though I’d share.

Speaking of last night, was anyone slightly disappointed with the commercials. A couple of good ones, but I actually ended up watching the game. Go figure.
And thankfully none of us wanted to see any exposed parts of Mick Jagger. But Naomi said it best “Is it only me or does it look like he wore that in Junior High?"
Worst Commercial: Easily the dancing hamburgers, toppings and the stupid Burger king guy.
"I don't think I can ever eat a whopper again." And that's saying something for Nate
Don't believe me check out www.whoperettes.com
For more commercials http://video.search.yahoo.com/?fr=06-sb

Army Teaches Troops How to Pick a Spouse

By PAULINE JELINEK, Associated Press Writer Sat Feb 4, 7:15 AM ET
WASHINGTON - They are the Pentagon's new "rules of engagement" — the diamond ring kind. U.S. Army chaplains are trying to teach troops how to pick the right spouse, through a program called "How To Avoid Marrying a Jerk."

The matchmaking advice comes as military family life is being stressed by two tough wars. Defense Department records show more than 56,000 in the Army — active, National Guard and Reserve — have divorced since the campaign in
Afghanistan' name started in 2001.
Officials partly blame long and repeated deployments which started after the invasion of
Iraq in 2003 and stretched the service thin.Troops also are coming home with life-altering injuries.Many come back better people, others worse-off — but either way, very changed from who they were when they wed.
"Being in the military certainly raises the stakes when you choose a mate," said Lt. Col. Peter Frederich, head of family issues in the Pentagon's chaplain office.
The "no jerks" program is also called "P.I.C.K. a Partner," for Premarital Interpersonal Choices and Knowledge. It advises the marriage-bound to study a partner's F.A.C.E.S. — family background, attitudes, compatibility, experiences in previous relationships and skills they'd bring to the union. It teaches the lovestruck to pace themselves with a R.A.M. chart — the Relationship Attachment Model — which basically says don't let your sexual involvement exceed your level of commitment or level of knowledge about the other person.
Maj. John Kegley, a chaplain who teaches the program in Monterey, Calif., throws in the "no jerk salute" for fun. One hand at the heart, two-fingers at the brow mean use your heart and brain when choosing.Though the acronyms and salute make it sound like something the Pentagon would come up with, the program was created by former minister John Van Epp of Ohio, who has a doctorate in psychology and a private counseling practice. He teaches it to Army chaplains, who in turn teach it to troops. It also is used by social service agencies, prisons, churches and other civilian groups. Commanders once discouraged troops from starting a family while serving. Thus the old saying: "If the Army wanted you to have a wife, it would have issued you one."Today, the military supports families more than any other employer, Frederich said.
The Bush administration proposes to spend $5.6 billion in the next budget year for quality-of-life services for troops and their families. That includes help with child care, education, spouse job hunting, legal assistance, commissaries, relocation counseling — programs on every family issue imaginable — to promote stability, and thus troop readiness. Such support notwithstanding, "not everybody is cut out" to marry into the military, said Army spokeswoman Martha Rudd. Some 740,000 people — or a little more than half of all troops in the active-duty armed forces — are married. Of those, some 96,000 had spouses also in uniform in the 2004 budget year, according to Pentagon figures. The Army hopes the "no jerks" program will help couples decide if they are ready for a long-term commitment and can cope with the unique stresses of military life. "Settings like military bases are incubators," said Van Epp, of Medina, Ohio. "They try to hatch ... relationships extremely fast," leading to higher divorce rates and more domestic violence. The program teaches troops not to cave in to the pressure of a ticking clock — like rushing to marry before shipping out for a deployment, or too soon after homecoming.
Last month, Van Epp sent 200 program workbooks to troops in Iraq.

Feeling a little left out

Angel hasn't quite known what to think of all this baby prep.
While I packing up clothes for Goodwill she decided she
needed some attention and strategically placed herself on top
of what I was working on. 

INTERVENTION

Although I always think he looks handsome, I wasn't as nearly concerned about Nate's folicle presentation as most of his friends were and so last night it all came off.
In his own words: "I guess its pretty bad when your white friends think you need a hair cut" 

ALLNATURAL

We needed to have some record of how LONG it was, funny how his
hair cuts always coincide with his father coming into town. 

Trusted Friend

Taylor, is one of Nate's coworker's who gladly stepped in
to do the dirty work . Look at all that hair! 

A place for baby

Our first project was the chair rail, and my crazy idea to use
knobs as hooks for little clothes. 

Progress

Thanks to my little brother's diligence we have instructions for the crib and most of it put together. However it seems a vital piece was connected to the absent instructions.