Four Months

I am about four months {16 weeks} and feeling more energetic with each passing day.

Baby flutters are becoming more and more common.

My mind is beginning to turn to nursery decorating.

A trip to Ikea may be in order soon. : )

We have spent our second Michigan summer enjoying a lot of down time.

We have spent a few afternoons swimming and Harbor  really enjoys the water.

Summertime is not my favorite season, but I am enjoying the easy care-free days.

I am looking forward to Fall and walking the downtown with a scarf wrapped around my neck.

In fact, the weather has turned off cool here the last few days {upper 70's} and yesterday, I wore a long sleeved shirt. It was pretty blissful. We are hoping for more cool days and a chance to head outdoors without sweating as much as we have been here lately.

Our garden has taken off! We are officially having a hard time eating what we pick everyday.

We average 20 cherry tomatoes a day, which are easy eats, but 15 cucumbers a day means we have been giving much away to friendly neighbors.

It feels nice to pick our snacks fresh everyday.

Harbor and I both enjoy veggies for breakfast in our eggs or on bread for lunch.

We have received around five care packages this summer, and Harbor always looks forward

to the little treats and trinkets he can unwrap.

We recently took him to Toys R Us and he chose the game Mousetrap.

Though he doesn't always want to play it by the rules, he enjoys making up little games on his own for trapping mice.

A few upcoming events weighing on my mind make winter seem much closer:

1. Harbor turns four this November. Moving 1,000 miles from friends and family means no more big birthday bashes, which makes me sad because there is nothing I love more than a big party. However, I love the challenge of making the day special and have a few ideas for Harbor's 4th.

2. I have decided on a theme for my Christmas cards. When I taught full time, I always made the bulk of them in the summer since I had the time off. That habit is still ingrained in me, for sure. I've not yet ordered paper, but I know the direction I am heading in.

3. I have been asked to lead the craft portion for our women at church in our MOPS program this Fall. I am really excited about the chance to meet other ladies and serve in some capacity.

4. David is as busy as ever with work and has only had three days off in the last three weeks. Harbor and I miss him, but do what we can to make his time at home easy and relaxing. As a treat to himself, David bought a Harley a few months back and has enjoyed riding it to work. When the weather gets bad, I know he will miss it. We enjoy hearing the rumble of pipes at the end of the day and rush to the window when he comes home to wave. : )

5. This school year marks the second year I have stepped out of teaching to stay home full time. I love being Harbor's "first" teacher and have no doubt I am doing what is right for our family, but this time of year makes me daydream. My very first group of students graduate from high school this year. I love knowing I was a part of their education.

6. With a new baby due in January, my mind can only conjure heavy Michigan snow and whirling winds.

Perhaps placing the rocking chair by a big window in the nursery to watch the snow fall in sheets is exactly what I need this winter so far from home.

I hope all is well with you!

Jessica & Judith Take Detroit | {Day 1-Belle Isle}

This weekend sure flew by in a hurry. I'm not complaining though. It was a bit hard to go back to a quiet house with Judith flying home to Arkansas last Thursday. Staying busy is sometimes what keeps my mind from noticing just how quiet it is and how far away from home we really are. The remedy is to walk out our front door. The city is hustling and bustling with business men and engineers working for Ford and Chevrolet, the river is full of fisherman and steel freighters, the seagulls are stealing french fries from the parking lots, and the yellow taxis are zipping down the freeway. Nothing is quiet in the city.

My camera chip is busting at the seams and to blog day by day of her visit would require a lot of stamina on your part, so I thought it would be far more enjoyable to journal the places we visited per day. I don't want to forget all the little moments. These pictures tell a story in my heart.

Judith flew in on a Delta flight and landed Saturday night at 10:00 p.m. The airport is a 30 minute drive from our house, so getting there wasn't a problem, but it is a huge terminal and finding her was another issue. We were so relieved she could fly in Saturday night and not Sunday, since David would be off Sunday and could chauffeur us around Detroit the next day. With David working every Saturday, eight hours a day, having guests can sometimes require a bit of strategic planning. With David being in a supervisory position here, this is just a season in our lives where we count our blessing for financial stability and grin and bear it.

David parked and I ran into the terminal, looking for Judith. Judith is a really special person to me. Having taught together on the same team for three years, she knows me better than most. She has seen me at my best and worst, personally and professionally. With wisdom {she has been married 15 years and has four young children} that I happily accept, she has my utmost respect. Her husband is a pharmacist and I love to email her my health questions. Lovely, isn't it? Ha, ha! I keep offering David's engineering talent, but apparently they have no need for David to value stream their personal life. Friends like Judith are hard to find. I trust her completely with all of my faults and insecurities.

In looking for Judith, she wandered outside and found our car and David first. It felt like a Lifetime movie when we spotted each other amidst the crowd and ran full speed down the sidewalk, screaming and crying. We chatted nonstop{Judith beside a sleeping Harbor in the backseat} and I gave her the quick version of the tour of the house and got her settled.

The next morning, we loaded the car and headed into the downtown for a full-force, don't blink tour of the city. I already feel pride when I explain the buildings, the architecture, the history, the culture of this place. We started off the morning with a trip to Belle Isle. Feel free to visit this link if you are a nerd like me and want to read up on it yourself {and get a visual map for where we are}.

Belle Isle in a an island on the east side of the Detroit, located between Windsor, Canada in Ontario and Detroit. It is a fantastic place to see Detroit's skyline and the Ambassador Bridge. The bridge connects the two towering cities in nothing less than drama and "Ahhhs!" Great place for photogs! The island itself is spacious, with a beach for swimming, a marina, yacht club, flower conservatory, water park, nature zoo, fountain, and a train to ride. It truly is the closest you can get to this side of Windsor without a passport {and border patrol on the island are aplenty.} It is actually the largest island park in America, comprised of 985 acres.

Our porches, {both front and back} were decorated to celebrate Judith's arrival. I also had a little basket on her bed for when she arrived full of snacks {peanut butter eggs, beef jerky, and peanuts}, a Detroit tourism magazine, and a map of Lake Erie {so she could read up in her down time before bed.} I also included a card {handmade} with a message.

This one reads, "We love Judith!"

And off we go....

Windsor on the left and Detroit on the right

In other news....

Tonight, after dinner, we drove to our downtown to let Harbor play in the fountain. This area has no shortage of public water features meant for cooling off. The Detroit News said today that Detroit was experiencing a "heat wave" since it had officially reached 90 degrees. We both got a good chuckle out of this. I'm sure the joke will be on us in September when they officially begin to cool down and the October/November snow looms in the near forecast.

David tried to show Harbor how much fun the freeee-zzzzzzzing cold water was and I just laughed at those two because Harbor was not convinced.

Have a great week!

Splish Splash

We have had one of those weekends that when someone asks you Monday morning what you did over the weekend, you literally can't remember what day you did what, where, with whom. : )  It has been a fun, fun weekend.

Friday afternoon, Harbor and I met a family from school- a teacher I teach with- to swim at our local aquatic park, but I left my camera at home and didn't get to take any pictures of her and her cute kids. She has four sweet kids- I just admire her so much. She is one of those moms that makes me want to try harder, do more. She is so real and honest about motherhood- gorgeous and godly and just a great mom. Thanks for inviting us, Jude!

Saturday, David and I spent several hours at his mom's house celebrating her 70th birthday. It is hard for me to believe David's momma is 70- wow! She is still super active, working full time as a nurse, and totally and completely self-sufficient. She has more energy than anyone I know. David was born, the last of six babies, when his mom was 40. My parents and David's momma are a good 14 years apart in age. It is funny to talk about our parents' experiences because they really were raised in different times. They had a Hawaiin themed party with close to 70 people visiting in and out, with lots of out of town company. They had lots of swimming, a watermelon eating contest, a scavenger hunt, a mumming wrapping station, and lots of food. Happy Birthday, Joann. Thanks for giving me such a strong, hard working husband. You raised him right! And I love you for it! Ha!

Saturday afternoon, we headed over to the local pool to meet up with the Foshes to swim for a few hours. Harbor was already exhausted from playing with cousins all morning, but he did really well and we enjoyed our time with the Foshe family. They are just the most sincere, genuine people and we always leave feeling so lucky to have them as our friends.

Harbor crashed in the jeep on the way home... even with the doors and top off,  he fell asleep. He was just so tired. : )  After we got him home and in bed, we headed out to catch the 10:00 p.m. showing of Robin Hood. It was so good- I love time period flicks. Maybe it is my background in literacy, but they are probably my favorite movies. We got home really late, but it was a great date. I even ate Taco Bell at about 12:45 a.m. Oh well.  : ) I love nights like that.

Another teacher I teach with recently came back from Vegas with a fun little Elvis shirt for Harbor. I cracked up when I saw it and, yes, Harbor has been sporting it around town. The King lives!

Harbor continues to contort himself into comical sleeping positions nightly. We find ourselves quietly gathered at his crib side to giggle and admire him while he naps.. the trick is not letting him hear us and wake!

Helping Gigi with the laundry while mommy finished up her school year... Thanks to Jamie for passing along Gage's outgrown clothes.. Harbor has already claimed his favorites!

Friday morning, mom and I took Harbor to Barnes and Noble to look at books and play with the train they have set up in the back. Harbor has a real obsession with a few things lately: fish, trains, and ladybugs. He really loves "ladies" as he calls them. I would love to do a "lady" birthday party for him, but think a train or fish party may be better for a little boy.  : ) The Train at Barnes and Noble almost makes him hyperventilate. It is the funniest thing. Mom picked up a few new books for her home collection- thanks Gigi!

A future doctor? I'm pretty sure my doctor's signature is a dead ringer for that scribble!  : )

Today, Sunday, we visited the Compton Gardens and walked the path to see how the work is coming along for the Crystal Bridges Art Museum. Boy, O, boy that museum is going to be a big one! The trail is so, so pretty. I would love to have some family pictures taken there soon. Except I doubt I could con anyone into going at 6:00 a.m. or 8:00 p.m. because those are the only times it is not 90 degrees here. We were sweating like Texas heat!

 

I hope you had a nice weekend with your family. The weekends pass so quickly- make them count!