Houston, We Have a Thumb Sucker

It's true. After weeks of trying, Addie has latched on to her thumb. For weeks she would get it in her mouth only to gag herself or simply slobber all over her hand. Yesterday it seems it all came together for her. She can now get it in her mouth and curl the rest of her fingers into a fist and suck away. She will do this while laying on her wiggle worm toy, legs stuck straight out.

I really don't mind it. In fact, she will still take her pacifier and so far sucks her thumb just occasionally. Sabian was hoping she would solely stick to the pacifier, thinking that eventually we would at least have the option of taking it away. We'll just have to see, but for now, she looks pretty cute. I'm sure I will think otherwise when we're telling her to stop so we can get a decent wedding photo. Ha.

Happy (Bonsai!) Father's Day!

What's the first thing you think of when you hear Bonsai? Chances are, at least if you're like me, you think of Mr. Miyagi. Wax on, wax off...


When we moved here a year ago we passed by a place on the side of the road that sold what we thought were Bonsai trees. Sabian stirred up the thought of getting a Bonsai and several months later we went back to get one but were there too late and they were closed. When it came time to celebrate his first Father's Day and I was contemplating gift ideas (er, I mean Addie was contemplating...), I immediately remembered the Bonsai place, but couldn't remember exactly where it was. I knew we saw them en route to Wewa, but now that we come a different way my memory was really fuzzy. At the same time, I didn't want to ask Sabian about it because I wanted it to be a surprise.

Since I knew we'd passed it somewhere along the way between here and Illinois (that narrows it down, right?!) I got directions via Mapquest and Friday we went on our way in search of trees. Sabian still didn't know where we were going but I assumed he would figure it out on the way there. He did, but it was still a surprise.

Speaking of surprises, we were under the assumption that Bonsai was a type of tree. Rather, it is an art form, not an actual tree. There were juniper, elm, pine, and other types of trees cut in the Bonsai manner. It is really the way you cut and care for the tree, which was a lesson for us. After walking through the rows of trees we came home with a small juniper and directions for how to care for it. Addie sure did a good job of choosing a gift for Sabian's first Father's Day.



The actual day was pretty relaxing. Since we'd done so much running around in the days before (family in the area - those posts to come), we came home, I made lunch (cornish game hens!), and we had some refreshingly cool dessert in an attempt to bring the temp down a notch (it has been sooo hot here). Our Sunday evening service was canceled so we were able to hang out at home and enjoy Addie, who is now laughing once in a while. Still all smiles, now we're just working on getting more laughs. Something tells me it won't be too hard...

I am thankful for Sabian, who continues to prove himself a devoted, loving father and husband.

Side note: This tree we bought is supposed to be kept outside and only brought in on "rare occasions" per the instructions. That was another thing I'd always assumed - that they were inside trees. We've been following the directions and were promptly rewarded with a disturbed pot this afternoon. Seems the squirrels are taking a liking to the new addition. Ugh, these Wewa critters.

SPF 30

Lucky for me, this was my view this afternoon. Sabian took Addie for a couple of hours so that I could spend some time by myself at the beach. It was a much needed respite and I enjoyed being able to sit and read while soaking up some rays.

What's funny is that while I was at the beach, 20 minutes away in Wewa it was storming. I was so glad it hadn't moved to where I was for the afternoon.

Even after just those couple of hours, it was good to get home and see my girl. Before heading off to the sun and sand I got to hear her laugh for the first time! It was such a sweet surprise, one I hope to catch on video soon. If we can, we'll be sure to share it.

Today I am thankful for how close we live to the beach. While I tend to take it for granted, I do realize how fortunate we are.

The Many Faces of Addie

I don't have too much to say today, but I wanted to post some pictures of Addie in "her" chair. We have a chair in our living room that we purchased not long after we moved down here. We were out looking for a desk one day because the one we had was too big and wouldn't fit in the house (not even through the front door!), so it sat on our front porch for several weeks.

Side story - we had the desk on our porch and then not long after that our refrigerator went out so we had to put that out on the porch before it was hauled off, so essentially we could have added a couch and rented out our porch.

While we were shopping for a desk we came across this chair. It had been priced at somewhere around $1000 but the store was having a major sale and the only reason we bought it was because we got it at a ridiculously low price.

When we brought Addie home from the hospital we started taking pictures of her in the chair and it has stuck. I'm hoping we'll always have it so we can always take her picture in it. We had a little fun yesterday and got some cute shots, so we're sharing them with you!

Bear with me, I'm still learning Photoshop...

Today I am thankful for Dreft stain remover. We've had some real blowouts around here the last couple of days.

Wiggle Worm

Addie got a new toy last week that features a bar hanging over her with toys dangling from it. We got it so that when she's just hanging out she will have something to look at and it is also supposed to help her strengthen her neck muscles. She does a great job with holding her head up when she is on her tummy (although I'm not sure she's too keen about actually being on her tummy) but this should help her learn how to lift her head while on her back.


Aptly named the "Wiggle Worm," Addie herself is a wiggle worm, always on the move. It is fun to watch her discover the toys and she even got really excited when she saw herself in the mirror. However, as cute as the toys are and as cute as it is to see her playing with the toys, once she gets her legs going, she figures out she can do this:


And so it goes - I put the bar back up, and she knocks it down. I put it up, she knocks it down. I suppose this is the precursor to her sitting in her high chair and throwing her sippy cup/food/toy until someone picks it up. Hmm, we'll see about that!

Today I am thankful for a strong, healthy, silly girl.

Ants in Your Pants

Since it is a slow news day, how about another post?

Surely, at some point over the years, you've heard the expression, "He/she has ants in his/her pants." Typically it refers to someone who is particularly antsy (oh, hey, is THAT where that word comes from?), fidgety, etc. You may not really think about the literal "translation" of this saying.

It is hard to tell from the photo, but this is the home of some fire ants that live in our yard. Actually, it is one of many ant hills in our yard. That's one thing about living here - ants. I quickly learned to wear shoes whenever I step outside or else I am sure to receive an ant bite right in between my toes or on my ankle or in some other hard-to-scratch area. It is depressing, the amount of ants we have in our yard. You may have seen the size of our yard in earlier posts - it is a good size, yet I hesitate to spend a lot of time out there and while in the Midwest I might throw out a blanket and lounge in the yard, I wouldn't dare do it here. Sigh.

The other night we got home late and as Sabian got out of the car he inadvertently stepped on a fire ant hill. There's one thing about fire ants - by the time you discover them, it is too late. He made it into the house only to realize what had happened and by then, well, you know the rest...ants in his pants. Trust me, you never want to fully realize the reality of this seemingly lighthearted saying.

That day I was thankful for Raid.

Slow News Day

NEWS FLASH: There's not much going on in Wewa today.

Thought I would share something small that keeps slipping my mind.

Sometimes it is the small things that make you feel a little better. Right around Easter I found a tablecloth I really liked. Sabian bought it for me for Easter and while it isn't a big deal, I like it a lot. I've never been a "tablecloth person" but somehow it does make the house a little cozier.



Here's to hoping your day has a little more news. After a jam packed weekend, we're taking it easy today.

I am thankful for leftovers! It's what's for dinner.

Home Again, Home Again, Jiggity Jig

I should call this post "Trip Report #1" because I've not yet written about our trip home and because I'd like to post more pictures once I get them together, thus probably requiring an additional "#2" post. The real reason is that tonight I played around in Photoshop for the first time in a while in my attempt to reduce the number of individual photos I post and the above photo collage is the result of my haphazard, quick study of how to accomplish that. So, really, I would like to hone the skill a little more and post some more photos.

We've been back in Florida from visiting home for a couple of weeks and I am just now feeling like we are pretty much settled. Sabian did a bang up job as far as cleaning up the house for our arrival, and my mom had wonderfully kept up with our laundry, so about all I had to do was get the mess from the trip put away and take care of a few more things around the house. But, combine that with the routine moping that comes in the days following a return from home and everything takes a bit longer.

This was a special trip home, as it was our first visit since Addie's arrival. She met grandmas, a great grandma, aunts, uncles, cousins, and all sorts of new friends. It was extra special since I was able to spend my first Mother's Day with my mom (see photo above of Addie with the beautiful flowers she sent me, wink wink). Addie was a hit with our families and friends and is anxious to get back to get to know them all better.

Overall, the trip was pretty relaxing and as always it was good to spend time with mine and Sabian's families. Also, as always, it is difficult because I don't get to see everyone I would like to see. Addie and I were without Sabian while we were there, but when he came back into town we were able to have Addie dedicated at my home church. She wore a yellow smocked gown that my Aunt Shell sent to her not long after she was born.

My girl did so well on the whole trip, even sleeping most of the 12 hours on the way there and back. We have been blessed with a very good baby girl.

Today I am thankful for the generosity of others and for God's forgiveness.