C & A

Gonna Have to Keep My Eyes on This One...

2011-12-15T13:07:00.000-05:00

Anyone who knows my daughter, knows that she loves to be loved on.

In fact, if you are holding her, and she wants you to love on her, she will arch her back and turn her face to the side, giving you the maximum cheek surface area wherewith to plant your kisses.

Well, the other night, Clint took the kids and I out to Jockamo's, a fun little pizza place in Irvington. After we ate, I was holding Ellie, when I noticed that something had caught her eye.

I turned my head to see what she was looking at. And there he was. A tall male server. She watched him clean off a table, stop by another -- never taking her eyes off of him.

It suddenly became apparent to both her and I, that within 30 seconds, he would be passing by our table. She kept watching and as he neared, she arched her back, turned her face...and then, much to her dismay, he passed right on by. She jerked back up into sitting position, and watched him walk off. She seemed apparently stunned that someone could resist kissing her cheeks.

Oh boy... here we go :)

Sights and Sounds

2011-07-29T08:33:00.001-04:00

So here we are at 5 months and two teeth later... It's fun watching Greyson and Ellie study each other. Greyson watches Ellie closely and smiles at her a lot. Sometimes, I think that he thinks she's a toy. He'll wrap his fingers around her ear and try and chew on her. She's not a big fan of that move...

Here are a couple of video clips of life around here. And no, we're not always this "happy" :)

I love to watch Greyson watch this video of himself. Whenever he sees/hears himself laughing, he breaks into a smile. It's adorable! (PS...It's kind of hard to throw a ball up into the air with one hand while videotaping with the other :))

Happy Father's Day!

2011-06-22T07:08:00.000-04:00

Marcelle the Shell

2011-06-05T21:39:00.000-04:00

A tale of two children...

2011-05-24T14:57:00.000-04:00

Today is Greyson and Ellie's 3 month birthday. And it has been so fun watching these two grow! We most definitely have two different children living with us.

One is curious, always looking around, sometimes too social to eat...

the other is more calm, pretty peaceful, and is more content just sitting on your lap...

but both love to be outside and have the most the most beautiful smiles!

They really seem to be noticing each other now. When they are in the crib together, they seem to study each other. Almost always, they end up cuddled into each other. On different occasions, I've found them holding hands or linking arms and once I even found Greyson's fist in Ellie's mouth!

Here are a couple of pictures from this morning.

And the answer is...

2011-04-27T14:37:00.000-04:00

Clintdawg! (as Joel loving referred to him)

Several of Clint's aunts thought Ellie looked like Clint when she was born. We couldn't see it until we pulled out Clint's baby picture and saw a resemblance. Still, I think our kids are a good mixture of our two families. Here's Clint holding Ellie when she was just a few weeks old.

Any guesses?

2011-04-18T10:28:00.000-04:00

We often get asked...who do your kids look like? And honestly, they are such a mix that we don't know how to respond. When we stumbled across this baby picture, however, we couldn't help but notice some similarities between this baby and Ellie. Any guesses as to who this? I'll limit your options by saying this...it's either Clint, myself, or one of our siblings.

Baby Photo

Ellie at 1 week

3 Weeks

2011-03-17T20:14:00.002-04:00

I can't believe Greyson and Ellie are already 3 weeks old! I feel like every other parent who says "where does the time go?!" Clint and I are adjusting to a new normal.... a new normal that doesn't allow for a lot of sleeping, but is still wonderful. We continue to fall deeper and deeper in love with these two amazing gifts.

Greyson's favorite place to sleep is on your chest and Ellie, who's sporting a head full of hair, has quite the wake up routine. She yawns, stretches and then stretches and yawns again. (and again and again) She is definitely my child :)

The other day, I had such a sweet time with the Lord. As I stood by the crib and watched our kids sleep peacefully, I just thanked Him for being so abundantly good to us and for giving us far more than we deserve. I'm learning so much more about His love for us.

You asked...and at long long last, I delivered

2010-12-22T10:14:00.000-05:00

Here are a few maternity pictures that Andria took of Clint and I, taken at 28 weeks. Have a wonderful Christmas!

My, how time flies!

2010-10-14T22:48:00.000-04:00

Clint and I had a 19-week ultrasound this week. I can't believe we're almost halfway through the 40 weeks!! Anyways, here's our little kiddos...from this angle, it looks like Baby B is much more comfy than Baby A. (you can only see the top of Baby A's head) Getting kicked in the head may get old, after awhile :)

Oh, and by the way...although Baby A and Baby B don't have names quite yet, we DO know that we'll get to enjoy this brother and sister team as they grow up together!

Thanks be to God for our two healthy children!

New Beginnings...

2010-08-23T08:39:00.000-04:00

Well, I've written and re-written this post several times...trying to come up with the most creative way to share our news. Needless to say, none of my creative attempts were successful (oh well, some things are like that :)).

With that being said...

Clint and I wanted to let you know that we are expecting! On March 8, we anticipate meeting this new life God is creating. We are so excited and feel so humbled that God would grant us such a gift. Thanks so much for all of your friendship, support and prayers. We are so grateful for our friends and family. (And like Clint mentioned on Sunday, once the baby's born, he may just assign pagers to everyone...ha ha :))

There is one more thing, though...

We get the double bonus of bringing TWO new lives into this world!

Sad state of affairs...

2010-07-29T17:49:00.000-04:00

So, apparently I don't have much of a green thumb. :)

It was all going so well...I was reaping some great cucumbers and zucchini. Now both of my zucchini plants are dead and this is a picture of my bloated and pathetic cucumbers.

That being said, does anyone have a good recipe for canned dill pickles? Why not try my hand at that?

HHI 2010

2010-06-04T15:07:00.000-04:00

Enjoy a few photos from our recent trip to Hilton Head Island!

From President of the German Club to...

2010-05-18T10:16:00.000-04:00

...college grad!

Dustin, not exactly sure how the sleeves on his gown worked.

We always teased Dustin because he was voted in as German Club President on the platform of "we're going to have a lot of fun." And that's who Dustin is...he's a lot of fun. He can make me laugh like no one else. Once he got to college, he really channeled some of that energy into school (I have no doubt that he still had plenty of fun)

Last weekend, he graduated from U of I with his master's in architecture. Clint and I drove out and met everyone for the big day. It was so much fun being with everyone and being back on campus.

Dustin, we love you so much! We're so proud of you and can't wait to visit you in the big city!

My favorite men!

Eating out at Radio Maria's. Mert, G&G, and Jennifer all met us for lunch.

We wore poor Tehya out!

Stacks of energy drinks lined the window of one of the architecture rooms

Sad day...

2010-04-13T14:39:00.001-04:00

Hey Guys:

Believe it or not, I will no longer be driving a Ford Contour. As of noon today I sold my Contour ($200) as it is once again in the shop.

Yup, as long as I've been driving I've had a Contour. You might remember the run-out-of-gas spree when I was 16. Three times in one week and yet I always made it to a gas station (rocking the car back and forth and driving on the shoulder buys you at least 2 full miles). I'm not trying to brag, but who else would have made it to a gas station every time. Not to mention the lock-keys-in-car-while-running-in-ghetto episode that ended up in a broken window...that nearly made it 4.

You might remember the running into the ditch episode. It wasn't really my fault cuz I've heard a lot of people have missed that left hand turn on rainy days like mine. That crazy car flipped on it's side and the horn got stuck on. Andria said I was in some state of shock when I called, but I remember having no problem locating the horn (its under the car, but remember the car was on its side) and tearing it out. The police did make me sit down for awhile citing me for altered mental status and incoherent responses. Yes, I remember staring at him when he asked me questions, but I just couldn't think of anything to say. And my chin was numb (I think it hit the stearing wheel). I still drove that Contour with a garbage bag tapped over the window and the air bags cut off for awhile. Can't believe I sold that one for $500.

That other time I ended up in the ditch was kind of scary, but only because there was lots of telephone poles on that side of the road. I did turn the car off and take the keys out of the ignition while cruising at 60MPH, but a car should know not to lock its stearing wheel if it's still going really fast. I had to decide real quick if I was going to slam on the breaks or try to restart the car. I just decided to do nothing and before I knew it we drove off the road, through the ditch, in between two telephone poles, and into the field. I thought Jeremy Schietlin was going to really give it to me, but he didn't say a thing. It was very nice of him. He must have been thinking about something else because he just kind of starred out the window for some time. Or maybe it was like the time I ran into the ditch like I just mentioned and he couldn't think of anything to say.

So many memories.

I'm missing some events, but I'll let you remind me of them. I would appreciate a note or something because my wife is not providing the sort of support I hoped for. I mean, when I called to tell her I sold the Contour you would have thought the Cubs won the World Series. whew. This contour isn't as nice as the first (more like a cuisinart toaster on wheels the way it floats around), but that's no way to treat a Contour. Either way it's gone and for the first time I'm not driving a Contour.

Clint

What we've been up to...

2010-03-24T11:13:00.000-04:00

Well, Clint is on a new rotation...and it's given him a bit more time to catch up on life. The other day, I walked into his office and saw him doing this...

...suturing a hole in his sock.

I have to admit, I found this hysterical. He looked up at me smiling and said, "What? I don't see you as the mending type..." How true. (Just don't tell my grandma) For the record, I didn't even know he had a hole in his sock.

A few weeks before that, I caught him fixing more things...

...like suturing the large hole in his jeans....

...and fixing his light stand...

Since I haven't been too busy sewing or fixing light stands, I thought I'd show you a photo of how I've been spending my free time.

Have a wonderful day!

Obamacare Is a Budgetary Disaster - James C. Capretta - Critical Condition on National Review Online

2010-03-07T22:04:00.000-05:00

Obamacare Is a Budgetary Disaster - James C. Capretta - Critical Condition on National Review Online

Family Time

2010-02-26T10:35:00.005-05:00

A few weeks ago, Clint and I went to Chicago to pick Luke, Jenny & Avo up from the airport when they arrived home from Ethiopia. We were so excited at how well it all worked out and our opportunity to meet little Avo! (Check out An and Jenny's blog for pictures) He is cute!

Because Clint had a vacation week, we were able to go up a day early and spend some time with Lucas & Angie. Of course there was coffee and Settlers and Lucas calling out my Settlers game and me getting mad at him, and me teaming up with Clint to prevent him from winning, and Lucas winning regardless,... but what else can you expect? :) It was a great couple of days. Lucas & Angie are such good hosts.

Here are a few pictures of Tehya. She seems to be determined, social and very much loved. So fun watching her grow up! Isn't her one little dimple the cutest? I wish we lived closer to each other... Oh well.. I'm so glad we live close to our four (of our six) little nephews.

The Inevitable is Coming

2010-02-19T12:54:00.003-05:00

Yesterday as one of my running songs began playing on my iTunes, I was taken back to a time last spring. I was up in Carmel, on the Monon Trail, the sun was shining, the runners were out in full force, each of us feeling each other's pain, and I was really enjoying my jog. (must have been one of my shorter ones :))

As I sit here today, it's gray outside, it's cold, and there's supposed to be more snow next week. Under these conditions, it's quite hard to get psyched to start training for this year's Mini-Indy.

But the inevitable is coming. The race is only 11 weeks away. And frankly, I really need to get out and run. Even if it's cold. And there's snow.

Spring come quickly, please! please.

I know, I know...

2010-02-16T18:15:00.003-05:00

this blog has gotten pathetic!

I hope do better at updating this little thing.

To the one lone reader still out there, let me put a plug in for one of our favorite Thai restaurants in Indy... Sawasdee. We went there again for Valentine's Day. Sweet and Sour Chicken and some Drunken Noodles are great for the soul.

The owner is great. One time when we came in, he was so excited to tell us about the time Peyton & Ashley Manning came for dinner. He knew exactly where they sat and what each of them ordered. (If you're curious, Peyton ordered three meals)

When went in this past weekend, the owner actually waited on us, so, of course, we asked if Peyton had been in recently. He said no, but that some Colts we sitting on the other side of the restaurant. Well, at least that's what I thought he said. (Quite honestly, through his accent, he's a little hard to understand.)

He chatted with us about the Super Bowl and told us how next year was the Colts' year. Then Clint asked him if he thought Bob Sanders would play next year. He didn't think so, but he'd go ask.

He left and Clint and I sat there enjoying our evening, talking through some new goals we had.

And just as quickly as he'd left, our friend was back with a status report. I have no idea who he was talking to on the other side of the restaurant, for all I know, it could have been just "some dude", but yes, Bob Sanders will be back next season...probably somewhere mid-season.

Clint and I just smiled. Hope you had a wonderful weekend.

A New You Resolution

2010-01-20T09:21:00.003-05:00

The other day, I was listening to Andy Stanley's message titled "A New You Resolution" and as I was listening, a few of his thoughts really struck a chord with me. As we mull over our New Year's Resolutions and how this year will be better than the previous one, I think it's crucial focus on who we want to be before we focus on what we want to accomplish.

From Andy Stanley...

"If you decide what you want to accomplish before you decide who you want to be – eventually --

Your talent, your drive, your tenacity, your desire for progress has the potential to sweep you past the rewards of progress…

Your desire, your talent has the ability to take you to a place where your character cannot sustain you.

Your position, your network may enable you to get to a place where your name is known, but your character will determine what people associate with your name."

Andy Stanley, A New You Resolution

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-22T17:58:00.003-05:00

Well, Clint and I didn't exactly send out a Christmas photo this year...but before we take off for Illinois, we wanted to take a minute to wish you all a wonderful Christmas.

With Love, Clint & Alesa

About that silent night...

2009-12-16T10:47:00.002-05:00

I was talking with my brother about Christmas last weekend, and all of the sudden, I began to get quite anxious. Christmas is less than 2 weeks away and I had...count 'em... a whopping total of 1 Christmas present purchased! I could feel my heart rate speed up as I feverishly began to make my lists. Oh my, so much to do, and literally, so little time.

I confess, I didn't even realize what was happening to me. That moment caused me to completely lose sight of that calm, peaceful night 2000 years ago. It's the silent night that I treasure most about Christmas.

Anyways, in the midst of all of this, I came across song by Straight No Chaser. It put a smile on my face because it expressed so well the anxiety that was building up inside of me.

Have a wonderful Christmas, Everyone. Enjoy the wonder of the silent night.

Two Cheeseheads and the Governor

2009-11-19T17:03:00.006-05:00

So yesterday I had the awesome opportunity to meet Mike Huckabee as his "A Simple Christmas" book tour rolled through Indianapolis. It was fun seeing his bus pull into the Barnes and Noble parking lot, watching in earnest for him to get off the bus.

I have to tell you, the atmosphere at Barnes and Noble was really neat. The people in line were polite, patient and we all sort of became friends, brought together by this common bond. Of course we also stood there discussing current events and our hopes for the future. I have a sense that people are getting more involved in the political process than ever before. The people I talked to are quite motivated to have their voices be heard.

Amist all these conversations, Gov. Huckabee signed books, shook hands, and looked people in the eye as he thanked them for coming. I had him sign one of Clint's copies of "Do the Right Thing." (I thought about giving it to Clint for Christmas, but I couldn't contain my excitement...so I gave it to him last night. I must say, I think he liked it :))

Just as I was kicking myself for forgetting my camera, I remembered that I had Andria's in my car (even better :))!

I ran out to get the camera and who should I see coming in the front door, but my wonderful friend Julie! We laughed as we saw each other. "I should have known you'd be here," we said to each other. Us two cheeseheads even managed to get a photo with Gov. Huckabee before the event was over.

I think he got a kick out of it because both of us had already been through the line and all of the sudden we were back... together, like junior high girls mushing over some teenage pop star, wanting our picture taken with him. "So I guess you know each other," he smiled and said.

Julie & I...cheesin' it up big time

Keepin' the dream alive :)

Biking in South Haven

2009-10-27T13:53:00.010-04:00

At the end of September, Clint had some time off so we took a few days and went up to South Haven, MI.

We stayed at a Bed and Breakfast that gave us free usage of their bicycles as well as a gift certificate to a Clementine's, a downtown bank built in 1897 that was converted into a restaurant. It was really neat...the inside had a lot of exposed brick and heavy woodwork. This was taken outside of Clementine's.

Downtown South Haven

Along Lake Michigan

Our first full day there, we biked around South Haven and along Lake Michigan. As we were biking back to our B&B, we came across the the Kal-Haven bike trail. The Kal-Haven trail runs E/W and connects South Haven, MI to Kalamazoo, MI. I believe it's 34 miles long.

We met two couples who had just biked in from Bloomingdale, a small town along the trail. They told us that they were staying in South Haven and had biked to Bloomingdale for lunch and then biked back. It was obvious that all 4 of them were in pretty good shape. As we were talking I heard them say something to the effect of biking "around 17 miles."

These were the bikes we tooled around South Haven on. Thankfully, we had better ones for our Kal-Haven Adventure.

The trail sounded like a lot of fun, so Clint and decided to bike it the next day. If you know Clint and I, you'll appreciate this difference between us.

He wanted to get up at 6am, bike to Bloomingdale and back before our breakfast at 9am. I, on the other hand, did not think that sounded like so much fun. There was no way we'd get off in time and be back in time for breakfast. Plus, the mornings were FREEZING and we didn't have a lot of warm clothes. "Let's go after breakfast," I convinced him. He agreed. And when we woke to pouring rain, he knew we had made the right decision.

By the time breakfast was over, the sky somewhat had cleared up. So we decided to risk it.

We rode into town to buy me a sweatshirt and we were off. Our host had graciously told us that as we rode east, the trail would gradually incline. So here we go.

Biking.

Uphill.

By about mile 6 or so, I'm really feeling the burning. But, no big deal. If we're only biking 17 miles, the halfway point is coming up. I mention this to Clint and he get's a big smile and says, "no, it's about 17 miles ONE WAY." You've got to be kidding me. I just might die. I haven't biked for probably 10 years! I couldn't believe it.

Pride can take you a long way.

I kept biking.

And biking.

By the time we reached Bloomingdale, my legs were on fire. And I felt like a jell-o man when I tried to walk. Bloomingdale wasn't that impressive. But we had lunch and as we were eating, we noticed that the sky was looking quite dark. Again...you've got to be kidding me.

We start biking back to South Haven, and really noticed that the trail was at a gradual decline. Which was so so nice.

Somewhere around 8-9 miles into our journey back, it began to spritz. The spritz turned into drizzle and the drizzle into rain. And at times, the rain turned into heavy rain.

By the time we got back, we were soaked, tired and sore, and ready for a warm clothes and soup! But Clint and I had so much fun being together and chalking up another memory in our journey together. And the trail was quite pretty. :)

My 5 Things...Quick before they change...

2009-10-13T08:33:00.004-04:00

Last night, I was laying in bed thinking about my 5 favorite things and before I knew it, I had nearly 10 favorite things. So I decided only to share my initial five favorites.

1. Aveda's Smooth Infusion Glossing Straightener
This is the best product I've found for straightening hair. Love it, love it, love it.

2. Honey Crisp Apples
Delicious!! How did I not know about these apples?! I've always been a golden delicious/granny smith fan, but my allegiance has quickly changed.

3. Total Energy Exhilarating Body Wash by The Body Shop
A great (but somewhat expensive) way to start my day. Every once in a while I treat myself and by a bottle of this.

4. My Fireplace -- wood burning, of course.
I don't think I could survive the winter without it. It makes the long, dark wintry nights so much cozier.

5. Anthropologie
Absolutely in love with this store. Everything about it. And keeping my eye on one fabulous gray shirt...

Miller Time

2009-10-05T08:00:00.005-04:00

Last weekend, Kendra, Holly, Tami and I had a small baby shower for Arlan and Katie. My grandma even got in on the action, letting us host the shower at her house.

Tami and Heidi put together the cutest diaper cake, decorated with toys from the '80s. And Holly brought quite the entertainment. In plastic cups, she froze small plastic babies in ice. The first guest to unthaw their baby won by exclaiming that her water broke. It was a great way to spend a Saturday morning. Congrats again, Arlan and Katie. We're looking forward to meeting your little girl.

Tami and Heidi's diaper cake

Arlan seeing how many pieces of clothing he can put on a clothes line while holding a baby and talking on a cell phone.

Each person was given a tub of play-dough and told to make a baby. Kate picked Tami's as the winner (the blue "baby" above). I think that's Jami's "turtle" baby behind Tami's. Love ya, Jami. :)

All of us at the shower, well, except for Arlan who graciously took our picture.

Flash Mob and the Black Eyed Peas

2009-09-28T12:33:00.002-04:00

Ok. I have to be honest. Before last night, I hadn't even heard of a Flash Mob. But Dustin and Randi showed us this video of Oprah's Season Premiere which was taped in downtown Chicago. Apparently, Michigan Avenue was closed down for the taping of her opening show and part of the show included a concert by the Black Eyed Peas.

Anyways, this crowd of 20,000+ people surprised Oprah by taking part in a choreographed dance to "I've Got a Feeling." Check it out!

Perpetuum Jazzile

2009-09-09T09:41:00.002-04:00

Mom and Dad shared this video with us...and I have to say, it is AWESOME! Enjoy!

Exactly!

2009-09-05T11:04:00.003-04:00

You have just been treated to another guest post from Clint.

September 2

2009-09-03T21:12:00.004-04:00

Yesterday, September 2, was Clint's 28th birthday! As he mentioned earlier this evening, his birthday's been sort of a week long celebration. On Saturday evening, I surprised him by taking him to meet his whole family (except Luke & Jen...we missed you!) at the Beef House.

Here's a picture of my "kidnapped" husband on our way to meet up with Luke & Andria and Bryan & Ashton. He had no idea where we were going or who, if anyone, we were meeting along the way. Once we got to the Beef House, Kurt, Kait and Dad & Mom all met us there. Thanks you guys for making the evening so special for Clint.

There are so many things I love about my husband, but one that sticks out right now is his ability to make me laugh. I was looking back through recent pictures, and came across these that I took at the Taj Mahal. Both Clint's parents and my parents came over to India while Clint and I were there, and the six of us did some sightseeing together.

One of our first stops was the spectacular Taj Mahal. That day was the hottest day of my life!

At one point, Mom, Clint's mom and I were standing around talking, obviously not moving fast enough for Clint. So he tried to get our attention. The three of us were standing at the end of a long corridor of doorways and Clint decided to pass in front of a door ways doing really dumb. He probably walked past the doorway at least 10 times doing 10 different things. Needless to say, he got our attention...He had us laughing so hard!

I love you Clint, and feel so blessed to be on this journey together!

Marriage: What Matters by Robert W. Patterson on National Review Online

2009-08-31T22:25:00.001-04:00

Marriage: What Matters by Robert W. Patterson on

National Review Online

Shared via AddThis

Girls Night Out

2009-08-24T15:12:00.004-04:00

Last Friday, Karla and Julie hosted a Girls' Night Out Tapas Party. We were each assigned an ingredient and asked to bring a Tapas dish using that ingredient. There was a lot of laughing, really good food and friendship building. Such a great night. Thanks again, girls! (And thanks Mark, Ireland, Easton and Milo for letting us take over your house for the night :))

Heart of the King

2009-08-19T08:35:00.004-04:00

Last night at Small Group, we were reminded of this truth:

The king's heart is in the hand of Lord, Like rivers of water; He turns it wherever He wishes.
Proverbs 21:1

Such comforting words.

Wish I would have thought of that...

2009-08-10T15:20:00.003-04:00

The Windy City

2009-08-05T20:36:00.003-04:00

Last week, I spent a lot of time up in Chicago. Joy, Sheryl, Katie and I went up on Monday for a couple of days. On Monday, after some deep dish pizza and shopping, we met up with a bunch of friends for a light supper and a Cubs game. Kate left Monday night for the Dominican.

So, on Tuesday, the three of us participated in a Food Tasting & Cultural Walking Tour through Gold Coast, Old Town and Lincoln Park. I have to tell you, this was so much fun! I highly recommend it! Basically, it is a 3 hour walking tour that takes you to 7 local, off the beaten path restaurants and shops. At each place, you stop and learn about the restaurant and get to sample some of the foods they are famous for. Our food ranged from ruben sandwiches to homemade hummas to varieties of balsamic vinegar/oil combinations. Along the way, we'd stop and learn about local architecture and famous buildings. Like I said, it was so much fun!

Good friends, Joy & Sheryl

One of our stops in Old Town

A variety of architecture on the tour...

She's Here!

2009-08-03T12:36:00.007-04:00

Last night at 9:16,
Lucas & Angie welcomed
Tehya Danielle
into their family!
She was 8 lbs 10 oz., 20in.

I'm headed up soon to meet our newest little neice!

Girl Time

2009-07-24T17:10:00.006-04:00

Last Saturday, Kendra Knapp, Heidi Rinkenberger, Tami Inoue, Holly Plattner, Katie Miller, Lindsay Gramm and I all flew down to Ft. Myers for a short vacation together. I had such a great time catching up with friends that I don't see often enough.

So many fun memories...Holly & Kenz feverishly working on their tans, dessert fondue at the Melting Pot, a diet coke (not mine) exploding all over the kitchen, walking along the beach, carmel apples, meeting up with John Eberhart, shopping and of course, our beloved therapy sessions. Thanks girls for such a great time. Looking forward to next year's trip! Love you all.

PF Changs for Kate's Birthday

...and then dessert at the Melting Pot

Holly (who has been getting rave reviews on her tan, by the way :))

Linds, Holly, Jonathon, myself and Heidi

I love this one of Heidi and Tami

So much fun...so few pictures

2009-07-16T11:26:00.002-04:00

So much has happened in the past week, but sadly, I have no pictures to show for it. Last Friday and Saturday, I was up at Family Camp. It's always good to catch up with friends (and family... Kait :)) that we don't get to see that often.

Saturday afternoon, Arlan & Katie and I rode back to Indy together and they spent the rest of the weekend with us. After naps and showers, we made the official trip to Crate and Barrel (a must do, when the Millers are in town) and then out to eat at Bazbaeux, where I ordered my favorite "Spring" pizza. Delightful. After church on Sunday, we were able to catch part of the Cubs/Cardinals game, which to my joy and pleasure, the Cubs won.

On Tuesday, my cousin, the lovely Jacqueline Lee spent the evening with us. After dinner, we strolled along the canal...which was absolutely beautiful. Wednesday morning, we had brunch at Taste Cafe and then walked around Broad Ripple.

Now I'm getting ready to leave for Florida with a bunch of friends (and I think Clint's starting to dread my absence :)). Hopefully I'll remember to take my camera...

Until then...

Worth Repeating

2009-07-06T12:32:00.002-04:00

I recently came across this quote on another Mike Huckabee's HuckPAC blog. It really struck a chord with Clint and I, so I thought I'd pass it along. (empahsis mine)

"The earth belongs to each of these generations, during its course, fully, and in their own right. The 2d. generation receives it clear of the debts and encumbrances of the 1st. The 3d. of the 2d. and so on. For if the 1st. could charge it with a debt, then the earth would belong to the dead and not the living generation. Then no generation can contract debts greater than may be paid during the course of its own existence."

- Thomas Jefferson

Finishing Up Clint's First Year in Residency

2009-06-29T10:05:00.004-04:00

On Wednesday, Clint officially starts his second year of Residency. I'm so excited for him! Surprisingly, this past year has gone really fast. Sure, there were long days and some very long weeks, but overall, it's hard to believe that the first year is behind us.

Many of you have asked... "What is life like during Residency?"

Well, some days look like this...

and others like that...

and then we have days of this sort...

and occasionally, days such as that...

but days like this aren't all that uncommon either

The Makings of an Empty Nest

2009-06-09T15:28:00.006-04:00

Just a few weekends ago, Spencer became the last Knapp to graduate from the beloved halls of Normal Community High School. And as I write this, the NCHS fight song is floating through my head (too bad I don't remember any of the words...just the semi-annoying tune... did you want to hear the 1st clarinet part, or 2nd :))...

Below are pictures from Spencer's Open House. I can't put into words how much this guy means to me. What 18 year old will drop whatever he's doing if he knows I'll be home...just so we can be together?! Each of my brothers is amazing. I love sharing life with them.... They are truly some of my best friends!

Spectacular kitchen crew A. Connie & A. Mert

Cousins: Crystal & her daughter Molly, Jodi, and Kay & her daughter Kelsey

Aww..this just makes me smile :)

Spencer & his girlfriend, Laura

I love this picture because it portrays such common expressions from Dustin and Lucas. Dustin is probably talking about this crazy Europe Adventure we're dreaming about and Lucas is probably wondering how in the world it would be possible to do all that Dustin is talking about doing :)

To there and back

2009-06-05T21:01:00.004-04:00

Last week, Clint's family made its annual trek to Hilton Head island. And amazingly enough, we were all able to make it!

It goes without saying that we had a great time playing tennis, basketball, eating dinner together, walking and jogging on the beach, shopping, eating out, celebrating Jude's second birthday, playing with the boys at the beach, getting caught up with Luke & Jenny and just being together. All in all, it was great week! (even though there was a snake that slithered by my lawn chair at the pool...eww... and there was an alligator spotted in the lagoon behind our house...and I'm kind of mad at myself for not taking more pictures...) Minor details...minor details... :)

Below are a few pictures... (a few of them were taken by Andria)

first night on the beach

throwing around the football

Noah & Adrian finding "treasures"

Luca anticipating the next wave

Jude and Adrian having an icing war using the frosting from Jude's birthday cake

And last but not least, Jude caught wearing Mimi's hat

Had I known

2009-05-19T14:09:00.003-04:00

Had I known that we would be staying in an awesome Bed & Breakfast while in Louisville, I would have brought my camera. Instead, these photos I found on the internet will have to suffice.

Clint and I came to Louisville Sunday evening, so he could take Step 3 Boards. Clint was in charge of lodging and he surprised me with this Bed & Breakfast -- The Inn at Woodhaven. It was great! The house was built in the 1850's and had all of its original woodwork. Our room was actually in the carriage house behind the original house. The inside was mostly exposed brick and the ceiling peak was probably about 20ft high. It was really beautiful...

Even though Clint studied some, took exams on Mon-Tues, and I worked some, it still felt like a mini-vacation (sort of :)). The weather was perfect, and the Inn was in this older residential area. I recommend it!

Day of Reckoning

2009-05-04T20:16:00.005-04:00

Well, as many of you know...Saturday morning was the Mini-Indy which I have spent the last 10 weeks my life training for. And I have to admit, it was a lot more fun than I thought it was going to be. I may even do it again sometime...(I can't believe these words are coming out of my mouth!)

As you can see, we had quite the fan club. One side of the poster boards said Abby and Alesa and then when you flipped them over, it said Jennifer. At one point, when the Jennifer side was flipped out one of the runners shouted out to Clint, "Go Jennifer's husband! You're so cute!" Too funny.

Anyways, we had a great time. The training was worth it. And it was super fun to run with friends. (Well, I didn't know Abby all that well before the race, but you can really get to know a person when you spend 2+ hours running together!)

"But I love my dress MORE"

2009-04-26T21:02:00.003-04:00

I love teaching Sunday School. Kids are so unpredictable. And so honest.

Today we were talking about Jesus' ascension to heaven and how He was so excited for us to be with Him in heaven someday. "What do we need to do to go to heaven?" asked one teacher. Answering her own question, she went on to say "Love Jesus more than anything else." The room was silent.

Then one girl popped up and rather distraughtly said, "But I love my dress MORE than Jesus!"

We then spent a few minutes trying to explain why it was important to love Jesus the most.

The girl thought a bit. And then goes, "OK. I love my dress AND Jesus!"

Success.

I had to smile because she was so honest. Us grown-up Christians aren't so ready to admit when we "love" someone or something more than Jesus. Maybe we don't even know that something has taken his place in our hearts. Today was a good reminder for me to evaluate my life. Am I loving anything/anyone (including myself) more than Him? Are you?

Happy Sunday!

This is kind of random...

2009-04-19T21:05:00.003-04:00

...but someone sent me this video clip and while it was completely different than what I expected it to be, I found myself mesmerized by it.

It made me think of Isaiah 43:1-2 "But now thus saith the LORD that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name thou art mine. When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee."

The Greatest Transformation

2009-04-15T10:04:00.005-04:00

As many of you know, Clint and I have spent a lot of time updating our house. The room that receives the "Biggest Improvement" is our kitchen. Here are some before and after pictures. We changed almost everything in this room... floors, counter tops, cabinets, hardware, sink, walls, rotating the island 90 degrees, and even widening the doorway between the living room and kitchen. It's been well worth the work!

Entryway to the kitchen -- Before

Entryway to the kitchen -- After

Kitchen -- Before

Kitchen -- After

Breakfast Nook -- Before

Breakfast Nook -- After

A trip down Herbertpur Lane

2009-03-27T17:20:00.005-04:00

Yesterday I was browsing through some pictures of our time in India. It so was fun watching the video clips...reliving the sights and sounds of India. I had forgotten about that bird... that one that we heard calling at all hours of the day... help me out Cameron and Cosy... what was your name for it...? Or Tami, do you remember? (grrr...it's driving me nuts that I can't remember it...)

It was so special how each picture brought back a different emotion/feeling/memory. We had the chance to meet so many neat people from all over the world.

Anyways, I thought I'd post a few of my favorite pictures. The first 5 were taken along the little road that leads back to the hospital, 1 is from Mussourie and the remaining 4 were taken during our travels to Agra/Jaipur/Dehli.

March Madness

2009-03-26T15:26:00.007-04:00

Just wanted to give you a glimpse of what we've been up to...

First Round: March 6-13

Jenny and Luca were home for a week! It was so great having them around. Jenny and I got little running in (and I thought I'd spice things up by getting sick at the end of our run...not cool, but Jenny was awesome about it) And, as you all know, our little nephew Christian Beckett was born March 6!! It's so fun to have another little boy running around... well, he's not running YET, but, oh, he will be. :)

Barcelona's

We also went to Barcelona's for Ash and Jenny's birthday on the 10th. I've been wanting to go there for quite some time, and hope did not disappoint. Last but not least was Jenny and An's playdate up in Lafayette, which was really fun.

Second Round: March 13-15

Since I forgot to take pictures with Joy and Sheryl, I thought I'd post this one from Kate's wedding

Clint had a Saturday night call shift, so I jumped at the chance to head back to Bloomington. I stayed with Mom and Dad on Friday evening and then spent the day with GREAT friends on Saturday. Mom, Katie and I had lunch together, did a little shopping and got pedicures. Then Kate and I met up with Joy and Sheryl for the afternoon and evening.

The four of us went to a restaurant called Destihl and played some mighty rounds of CatchPhrase. Whenever we play CatchPhrase together, at some point, I end up laughing so hard my side hurts. "Pedro!" Ah yes, I'm sitting here laughing as I think back on it...

It was great being back in Bloomington for Sunday. There are so many great people there!

Round Three: March 20-22

Clint had the weekend off so we headed up to Chicago for Lucas' 27th birthday. It was awesome to have our whole family together for the weekend. We stayed up SO late, played a lot of Settlers and did our best to "stimulate the economy" by shopping at the outlet mall. Also, Lucas and Angie had just found out that they are having a little girl! So great!

You Never Let Go

2009-03-24T15:09:00.013-04:00

Here are the lyrics to a song that has become very special to Clint and I recently.. Just wanted to share it with you.

You Never Let Go
by Matt Redman

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death
Your perfect love is casting out fear
And even when I’m caught in the middle of the storms of this life
I won’t turn back
I know You are near

And I will fear no evil
For my God is with me
And if my God is with me
Whom then shall I fear?
Whom then shall I fear?

Chorus:
Oh no, You never let go
Through the calm and through the storm
Oh no, You never let go
In every high and every low
Oh no, You never let go
Lord, You never let go of me

And I can see a light that is coming for the heart that holds on
A glorious light beyond all compare
And there will be an end to these troubles
But until that day comes
We’ll live to know You here on the earth

Yes, I can see a light that is coming for the heart that holds on
And there will be an end to these troubles
But until that day comes
Still I will praise You, still I will praise You

My Respite in the City

2009-03-05T16:37:00.004-05:00

The Monon Trail. It's a wonderful thing, really. Anytime I'm on it, I feel like I'm back home on the Constitution Trail. I forget that I am in the middle of a large city. It's peaceful. It's quiet. The people are friendly. And...it will be my constant companion for the next 8 weeks as I train for the Mini-Indy.

I've made a few observations while jogging on the Monon, and I'd like to share them with you. (Running gives you a lot of time to think :))

People like dogs.
Pay attention to the weather man before you go out and run. If he says there will be 20-30mph gusts of wind, you'll probably feel it when you run.
You feel an instant bond with anyone who is out putting themselves through the same torture you are putting yourself through. You'll probably find yourself waving and smiling at them as you pass.
As you're jogging, pay attention to the people running towards you. If they look to be running slowly, they are probably running against the wind. Mind that...that will be you once you turn around.
No matter which way you run, somehow it always feels like you are running into the wind.
Note to self: when you are driving, and you come to an intersection with the trail, stop and let the poor people cross the street.
If you don't push yourself to run the complete distance you've set out to run, you'll never know if you can really do it.
Running outside is much more difficult than running inside on a treadmill. So, no matter how far I was able to run on a treadmill, my confidence is quite low with regards to how far I can run out doors.
Last but not least, you can always find at least SOMEONE who is slower than yourself. :)

My Amazing Family

2009-02-26T20:23:00.003-05:00

Last weekend, Dad & Mom, Dustin and Spencer all came out to Indy to spend time with Clint and I. (well, in all actuality, they came to help us paint our living room...but we had plenty of great bonding time :)) We painted, played Would You Rather?, ate at Canal Bistro and spent a lot of time laughing... My family is the best!!

To make things even better, my mom stayed out through Tuesday afternoon! It was SO nice having her around.

Now that everyone's gone, Clint's back at work and the house is quiet, I realize how much I miss spending time with my family. They bring so much joy and energy into my life. Thank you guys for coming out. It meant so much to me! (And I can't wait to see you in a few weeks!!)

Here are a few pictures of our painting... I'll try and post some "Before and Afters" of the living room soon....

Playing the Accountability Card

2009-02-20T21:17:00.005-05:00

So...Clint and I spent the afternoon looking over our previous credit card statements....and, I've come to a conclusion....

I need to fast from Target.

No, really, I do.

Last fall, our Bible Study group did Beth Moore's "Daniel." At the beginning of the study, Beth encouraged us to fast from something for the duration of the study. Most of us chose to fast and it was really fun to see what everyone was giving up... as we all chose different things.

We were supposed to give up something that reminded us that we have to be INTENTIONAL if we are going to guard against the consumerism that surrounds us. (one friend loves fancy coffee drinks, so for 12 weeks she decided she could only drink regular coffee, another drank nothing but water for the 12 weeks, and I chose to give up going to Target, etc.)

Well, I'm afraid I've been sucked back in. That's why, once again, I must fast from Target.

So, from now until March 31, I will not be spending any hard-earned money at Target. (Oh, you should have seen Clint smile when I told him of my plans :))

Do you have any tips on guarding yourselves from accumulating more and more "stuff"? It's so easy to spend money without really thinking about it. Am I alone in this struggle?

A Block Party...of sorts

2009-02-06T10:35:00.003-05:00

So last week, Clint had a call shift on Tuesday night. I had heard that we were going to have some snow/freezing rain, but I decided to run some errands anyways. Because of the weather, the errands took me 2-3 times as long as usual...but hey, I had the time. When I went to bed that evening, it was pretty quiet outside. There was a bit of snow on the ground...and that was about it.

I awoke to the beautiful sunshine and began my day...looking forward to Clint coming home. I don't remember at what point I looked out my back window, but to my utter shock and dismay, this is what I saw...

Out of control! Sometime during my peaceful night's sleep, we had received 10 inches of snow!

As I was pondering this, I heard some music, but I couldn't tell where it was coming from. It sounded like it was coming from outside.

I opened my front door just to realize that my next door neighbor was blasting her stereo while many of my neighbors were out shoveling their driveways, all chatting together and having a good time. Not long after that, out came Himan. Himan is our neighbor with all of the "big toys." Before long, he had snowblowed himself out of his driveway and was systematically bailing out all of my neighbors who were still trying to shovel ALL THAT SNOW off their driveways. It was actually a pretty sweet sight to see.

Still Alive....

2009-01-27T20:12:00.002-05:00

Hey Everyone, just wanted you to know that Clint and I are alive and well...even if our blog has been grossly neglected. Here are a few highlights of the past month...

Arlan and Katie - These guys came out just before Christmas. We had so much fun making Christmas cookies, playing Settlers, shopping, and just being together. Kate...I love you and love being with you!!
Christmas - Clint had the whole weekend of Christmas off!! We drove out to Illinois for a few days and then spent the remainder of the week/weekend in Lafayette. I loved hanging out with our families. Such a wonderful and relaxing week. We are so blessed!
Barry & Christi - Clint's cousin Barry Koehl was recently married. Ed & Annette had a wedding reception for them on Sunday, Jan. 4. It was a really great time to catch up with the Bahler family.
Girls Night Out - What a hoot! (my gosh, that sounds like my MOM!!!) Many of us girls from Indy spent the evening together at Karla Aberle's. Karla made up a game where we had to answer questions about other people in the room and we had to see how well we really knew each other It was such a great evening! I'm already looking forward to the next one... (hint, hint)
NHS - I'm working with Nancy Witzig in starting a National Honor Society for some local kids who are homeschooled. Our first meeting is scheduled for next week
Residency - Clint is working at the county hospital, Wishard, in the ICU. The hours have been AMAZING!! I think he only worked 40-50 hours last week. It's SO nice! We're only beginning the 2nd week of his 6 week rotation.
Becky - Becs came out last weekend and we spent most of our day wandering around Broad Ripple, eating at a great Meditteranean place called Canal Bistro. We've been friends since seventh grade! It's pretty special to share life with someone like that.
Mini Indy - Last but certainly not least...I have signed up to run the mini-marathon in Indianapolis on May 3. I'll be running with my good friend Julie Rupprecht and my cousin Jennifer. Somedays when I'm training, I think this is the craziest thing I've ever done. Other times I think it's not THAT bad... :) My deciding factor was when I read Jeff & Janet's blog and saw that Jeff, Cameron and Cosette had all been running. I think the kids had just run 3K. That's when I KNEW I had to push myself to run the Mini Indy. (I mean, I can't be out done by a couple of kids :))

Charlie Bit Me

2008-12-22T12:02:00.001-05:00

Each time I watch this, I think it gets funnier and funnier! I love the boy's little British accent.

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

2008-12-17T18:06:00.004-05:00

Ahh...Christmas...the nostalgia. A time when all is peaceful. There's a fire in the fireplace, the candles are all lit and Christmas music is gently filling the room. It's cold outside. The snow is gently falling. It's time to gather the kids and go sledding or ice skating and come back for hot chocolate. So perfect...

Well, I went ice skating today...

in my subdivision...

in my car...

almost into my neighbor's yard.

Funny, that wasn't supposed to happen.

Thankful Hearts

2008-12-04T19:41:00.004-05:00

Here are a few photos from Thanksgiving. Clint had the day off, so we met up with some couples for church for Thanksgiving Dinner: Jerry & Doreen, Scott & Abby, Greg & Lisa, John & Sandy and Peter & Penny. It was really nice spending time with these guys!

On Thursday evening, I drove up to Chicago to spend time with my fam. Lucas and Angie had both families over for the day, so I was able to catch the tail end of the Thursday fun. On Friday, the whole Knapp clan had fun shopping and watching Spencer trying to win an iPod from an arcade game! :) We also had the chance to meet Jason's girlfriend. So fun. Lots of laughing, of course!!

The beautiful hosts and parents-to-be

Angie's brother Carlos (with David and Joei in the background)

lots of ping-pong...hey Spencer, why are you the only kid out?!

Jennifer and Danielle (Angie's sis)

All four of us crammed into the backseat of Angie's car on the way to the mall

Spencer STILL trying to win that iPod

The lovely Ralph & Verena

Carlos Spencer Knapp

2008-11-29T09:19:00.002-05:00

This is the name that Angie's youngest brother, Carlos, proposed for Lucas and Angie's little one that is due in August!!

Unfortunately, I missed the actual announcement made at Thanksgiving...sounds like there was a lot of joy, happy tears and smiles! (especially from Angie's mom) Congrats, guys! We are so excited for you and look forward to meeting your little one!!

Christmas at the Biltmore

2008-11-23T21:03:00.007-05:00

Let me just say, this has been a fantastic week! Clint had his first time off since beginning Residency and it has been a much welcomed break (for both of us). I have so much fun with him!! :)

The previous week, we spent time with Luke & Jenny as they were home for Luke's break. With Luke & Jenny being home, we were able celebrate an early Thanksgiving/Christmas together. It was really great to spend time with everyone.

Back to this week...Clint had told me to keep Tuesday-Thursday open because we were going somewhere. His parents had given us a Bed & Breakfast gift certificate for Christmas last year, so I had a feeling we'd be using it. That's all I knew. Oh wait....I also found out that we would be heading east out of Indianapolis and that he had bought tickets for something. That doesn't tell me too much...

So we start driving...and 7.5 hours later, ended up in Ashville, North Carolina! Clint had gotten us tickets to visit the Biltmore Estate. The Biltmore is a 175,000 square foot French chateau, built and owned by the Vanderbilt family, just south of Ashville, NC. When you're there, you have to keep reminding yourself that you're in North Carolina, not Europe.

On Tuesday night we went to a special "Christmas at the Biltmore" tour. We were able to tour the Biltmore, which was decorated for Christmas and had various music groups playing/singing Christmas music. Then we came back to Ashville and ate tapas at a restaurant called Zambra's. What a fun night!

Biltmore Estate

Wednesday morning we went back to the Biltmore and toured the gardens and winery, then came back to Ashville for dinner. Ashville reminded us of a large Broad Ripple (for the Indy-familiar readers in our group). It's a very artsy community with lots of unique shops/restaurants and is nestled just on the east side of the Smokies.

Downtown Ashville

We also stayed at a fun Bed & Breakfast, The Chestnut Street Inn, and got to know our hosts pretty well. (we're pretty sure we stayed with the only Republicans in Ashville :)) Anyways...it was such an awesome, relaxing little trip. When your husband is in Residency, you really appreciate the time you have together. Such was the case this week! Thanks again, Babe! You really are the best.

Chestnut Street Inn

2008-11-18T09:19:00.003-05:00

Mindy Anliker!!

Congrats, Mindy! I was very touched by comment about never going to bed mad. If you email me (anbahler@gmail.com) your address, I'll get this card right out to you! Thanks for everyone's contributions.

"Conflict"

2008-11-07T17:29:00.003-05:00

As I was painting our some trim today, I was reflecting back on a story told to me by a good friend. This was a conversation that took place early in my friend's marriage. It didn't take long for my friend, whom I will call "Spouse 1," and my friend's spouse "Spouse 2" to realize that they approached conflict very differently.

One evening, Spouse 1 was trying to settle an issue with Spouse 2.

Spouse 2 was quiet, contemplative, thinking of his/her response.

Spouse 1 was getting frustrated with the lack of/slowness of Spouse 2's response.

Finally, Spouse 1 said, "This is what we call a conversation. I talked and now it's your turn to talk."

Clint and I got a good laugh about that one because there have been times where he has felt like Spouse 1. I, one the other hand, could sympathize with Spouse 2. As another friend once shared, "my husband (used to) want to know what I was thinking right then and there...but I didn't even know what I was thinking!"

All of this got me thinking...surely there are some good stories out there about conflict in our lives. So, if you have advice on dealing with conflict or a story about conflict (maybe one that seemed SO serious at the time, but that you laugh about now) and don't mind sharing it, you will be entered in a drawing for a

$10 gift card to Starbucks.

Woo-hoo! I look forward to hearing from you...

Digital Conversion Day

2008-11-06T10:53:00.002-05:00

Hee...hee...Hope this brings a smile to your face, as it did mine! (I think some of us technology-challenged folks can relate:))

Pretty sure I won't be able to walk tomorrow...

2008-10-29T15:22:00.004-04:00

Yep. It's true. Thanks to my (navy-seal-wanna-be-workout-trainer) man Clarance.

All I wanted to do was to start running again. I confess, it's been awhile. I was doing great...until we went to India. One of our first days in India, I asked our EHA representative what I should wear when I ran. (I was intending on running while I was there) She gave me a puzzled look and finally responded with,

"I have never seen an Indian woman run."

Needless to say, I didn't run once in India. (And over the course of our two months there, I only saw one Indian woman run, and that's another story for another day)

Well, the problem is...I never quite started back up again once we came home. (funny, that was the plan :))

Now it's cold...I don't like being cold... and in all honestly, running in the cold weather just wasn't going to happen.

My solution:
pay for a gym membership, so I'd run out of obligation. :)

Well, in signing up, I got a free session with a trainer. It didn't take long to figure out that his goal was to tear you down enough so you think you NEED to sign up for future sessions with him. (Each session is an additional $40 on top of the monthly payment and you are supposed to have SEVERAL sessions a month) Yeah right, like that's going to happen.

Well, even though I knew I wouldn't sign up for a personal trainer, I still tortured myself with my free workout with him this morning. And now? Pretty sure I won't be able to walk tomorrow...

Genius, Alesa, real genius. Enjoy your pain-free walking!

I've been tagged...

2008-10-15T09:11:00.004-04:00

Round two....let's see what I can come up with.

8. I've never had a speeding ticket (and yes, I get made fun of for this one...but I think behind the teasing lies a great sense of respect, awe and wonder... :))

9. I'm almost 30 and still don't like coffee, however, I love the smell of it.

10. I love to travel and think Bed and Breakfast's are particularly fun. Clint and I have dreams to travel both New England as well as Northern California.

11. I don't care for fake Christmas trees. It's always worth the effort for a real tree.

12. When I'm deep in thought, I tend to twirl my hair around my pointer finger (my husband does the same... our poor children are doomed!).

13. I've always wanted to sing in the choir of Les Miserables.

14. I really enjoy snow skiing. Maybe someday I'll tackle greater slopes than those in Michigan and Wisconsin.

Boiler-Up!

2008-10-09T10:45:00.009-04:00

(oh how it pains my orange and blue heart to even mention those words)

I wanted to post a few pictures from last weekend. Clint and I went to Milford for an afternoon with his former Apartment 2 roommates: Joel & Amber Virkler, Mark & Angie Reinhard, Nate & Natalie Virkler and Rob & Kim Schlipf. It was a great day catching up with friends (and family, in our case)...

This first picture was meant to bring a smile to Rob & Kim. Here's the story...the last time Clint and I were with them (Sept 06), Clint had recently been given a wrong dose of Atropine, which caused his eyes to dilate for a whole week. Yes, you heard me right. A week. A very long and painful week. It was during that week that our visit to Milford had been scheduled. So our last trip to Milford has been widely remembered for us sitting in Rob & Kim's living room...in the middle of the afternoon...with the shades pulled...and with the lights off...so Clint could take of his pairs of sunglasses. Yes, pairs of sunglasses. It was too much, but we still get a pretty good laugh out it!

Mark introduced us to a yard game called Cup. Here are the guys playing.

Team 1 (the team with kids)
Rob, Nate, Mark

Team 2 (the team w/o kids)
Joel & Clint

Faithful cheerleaders Amber, Natalie and Portia

Kim and Brenner

Brenner

For any Purdue alum that are reading this...you should know that Rob's piranha, the piranha that ate Clint's Angel Fish, has officially died. Apparently he accidentally froze to death and is now in the freezer. But if he was still in the business of eating other people's beloved fish...maybe his death wasn't so accidental after all. :)

Before and After Take 2

2008-09-29T11:09:00.006-04:00

Here are some Before and After pictures of our guest bedroom. It originally had white walls and white carpet. We removed the carpet, acid stained the concrete, painted and began furnishing it...giving the room a whole lot more life. (sorry about the glare on the floor)

Before

After

New Blog...Lifesong for Orphans

2008-09-25T18:25:00.003-04:00

Hey Everyone, I just wanted to let you know that Lifesong now has an official blog: www.lifesong.squarespace.com. It's a really neat way to keep updated with what is happening in precious lives touched by God. To learn more about Lifesong, visit their website at: www.lifesongfororphans.org. Be sure to listen to Gary's interview with Crown Financial on September 18. God Bless.

Quote of the Day

2008-09-23T13:39:00.004-04:00

Just earlier this morning, my little nephew looked up at me and said..

"I love you, Alesa (how sweet...isn't that music to anyone's ears?!) . . . but, I would love you the MOSTEST if you'd take me on a walk!"

Somehow, I wasn't quite feeling the love I had just felt before. :)

Stuff Dreams are Made Of

2008-09-18T12:04:00.004-04:00

When Clint and I first got married, every once in awhile, I found myself having a recurring nightmare. It was something along this nature...

It was a gorgeous day... Actually, it was my wedding day! The guests were in church, family was here, everybody seemed so happy. My gown was on, and sometimes I was beginning the long walk down the aisle...but instinctively, I knew something was very wrong. While I couldn't pinpoint what it was, a number of questions were running though my head.

Why am I here?!

Aren't I already married?

Can I call this off?

Where's my real husband?

This is not who I am in love with!

I don't want to marry "this guy"! (the funny thing is, "this guy" was never a specific person... I just somehow knew I was about to get married and I DID NOT want to. Plus I was pretty sure I was already married and happy!)

Every once in while, while these questions stole my peace, Clint would show up in my dream...and when I saw him, I would gleefully shout..."That's him! That's my husband! See, I AM already married! I knew it!"

Other times, the stress wouldn't pass until I managed to wake up, and see Clint sound asleep next to me. Oh, words can't express how happy I was to see him there.

Happy Thursday!

Is There Not a Cost

2008-09-15T18:16:00.005-04:00

Last week I heard a series of messages on Nehemiah by Ravi Zacharias. Ravi said we will never be moved to act in a situation, until we feel a heavy burden in our own soul. In Nehemiah's case, when he heard about the broken down walls of Jerusalem, his heart was broken...so broken, he was moved to approach the king and ask for time and resources to rebuild the city walls. Listen Here

The quote I took home from the message was the following:

You will never lighten any load until you feel the pressure in your own soul.

As I've thought about it, I've really found is to be true in my life. Where I feel a burden for someone, some cause or some situation, that is where I act. I don't act (as quickly, if at all) when I don't feel strongly about something.

A pressure I feel so strongly is for kids who've been orphaned. The heartache, the broken lives and hearts, the loneliness, is too much for me to know and not do something about.

What about you? Where do you feel the pressure in your soul? Is it for your family, ...or for single moms, ...or for the church,... or...? I'd love to know where your "pressure" is. What need(s) stirs your heart above all else?

Spades, Cornhole and a French Press

2008-09-08T20:20:00.005-04:00

Last weekend, Spencer and Lucas came out for the weekend. Angie was out in Boston and Clint had a call shift on Friday night, so Lucas and I took the chance to spend some time together. I tell you what, I love spending time with those guys (and Dustin, of course)! On Saturday, Luke, Spence and I went downtown to see the Lucas Oil Stadium and, thanks to Spencer, all got free Frostys at Wendy's. Got to love that :)

We came back, played some bags, and when Clint woke up...well ,er... when I finally managed to WAKE him up, we grilled out and played some games. The most humorous of the games was when we raced to see who could unwrap Starburst in his mouth the fastest. I was laughing so hard at the absurdity of the moment, that I lost every time. So...I took to video taping the other three. Who knew there were rules in order to win, such as: the wrapper couldn't be torn and the candy could at NO POINT drop out of one's mouth. Too funny.

Clinton David

2008-09-02T13:29:00.004-04:00

Today is my husband's 27th birthday! To say Clint has brought so much joy into my life and has taught me so much about loving people, are gross understatements. It continues to amaze me how Clint truly is what I wanted in a husband, as well as exactly what I needed. Happy Birthday, Babe...I love you so much!

Quote of the Day

2008-08-27T21:06:00.003-04:00

"Oh...you're home from church...you should be nicer now."

Clint ever so lovingly said to me when I got home from Wednesday night church. Funny thing is, we hadn't seen each other all day!

Standing for Those who Cannot Stand for Themselves

2008-08-27T19:12:00.000-04:00

Hey everyone, I just wanted to let you know that I will be participating in our local Walk for Life in just a few weeks. The girls in Sunday School have formed a team called the Lifesavers. (how great is that name?!) We are competing with the Sunday School boys by trying to raise more money than them. The money will go towards for Life Centers, here in Indianapolis.

Thank you so much for considering this. So far this year, over 12,000 women have visited the centers seeking help and someone to care. Life Centers has provided them with free services such as counseling , pregnancy tests, ultrasounds, maternity support, health referrals and more. Our counselors have shared the truth about life... and hundreds of unborn babies were saved. With your gift, we can save more lives from abortion and share the gospel message of Christ's love. Your gift will be a blessing for the cause of life... because life matters!

You can make a donation by clicking here: http://lifecenters.ewalk.org/anbahler. God Bless.

Something New

2008-08-21T19:53:00.013-04:00

As I was out jogging earlier...(well...er...maybe it was more like "wogging"), I took the time to observe people, houses, etc. around me...not just suffer though the jog. I'm sure this not is a novel concept to some. Maybe it was because I was out while it was still light...there's a lot more to see when it's light out. :)

Anyways, I thought...there are so many interesting things going on right around me. Doesn't everyone out there want to know my random thoughts? Hence, the beginnings of "Stories from Spindrift."

I could tell you about the house that has bright green trim, or the Indian family that lives nearby...instead I thought I'd share one of our first experiences in our new home.

We'd been busy at work...tearing lots of things out of our house...collecting LOTS of garbage. But when you move into a new house, you're not quite sure when garbage gets collected. So you begin watching...when do the neighbors put out their trash...not Monday...not Tuesday...but Thursday! Fantastic.

We haul our minor landfill sized mound of garbage to the road and leave to go back to our apartment (for the last 2 weeks in May, we would work on the house, but continued to live at our apartment). Done. The garbage is out. It will be gone in the morning.

Friday morning comes around, and we are back at the house. What is waiting our arrival? Yes, a large mound of garbage at the side of the road. But something is odd. Our neighbor's trash on the left has been collected...so has our neighbor's on the right...in fact, it seems as if everyone's trash has been collected. Seriously? Were we supposed to call someone or something?

The more we observe the situation, the more we realize the SOME of our garbage was taken. What? Why in the world would only some bags be taken, while others not?

Puzzled. That's what we are.

Then Clint realizes something.

All of the garbage bags that remain in front of our house are partially open. What?!

Apparently...when we signed the BAJILLION papers at our closing, we signed something that said...garbage bags will only be collected if closed. Seriously. I'm not sure if that's exactly what it said...but that's what it meant.

I couldn't get over the fact that the garbage collectors took the time to pick through our garbage to only gather the CLOSED garbage bags. It would have taken them less time to take it all. Unbelievable.

Needless to say...our bags have been henceforth closed...and thus been collected.

For a long time, I've know that there is some deep spiritual analogy to this situation. Still haven't come up with one that fits just right (everything only partially fits). But if you have a great analogy, feel free to post it here!

There you have it. A Story from Spindrift.

Last of the Videos - India

2008-08-15T12:28:00.007-04:00

OK...this is it. The last of the videos. :)

Here are some pictures from the week our parents spent with us in India. They flew into Dehli and we traveled "The Golden Triangle," which is Dehli, down to Agra (where the Taj Mahal is), over to Jaipur and back north to Dehli. Oh yeah...and in between Jaipur and Dehli we stopped for a night at Neemrana Fort Palace. (google that, if you get a chance). I've never stayed anywhere like it!

Once we returned to Dehli, we then took a train up to Dehradun and a taxi over to Herbertpur. This gave our parents a chance to see where we had lived for the previous 7 weeks and meet the Lemans and a handful of other people we became close to.

Europe Trip

2008-08-12T15:24:00.004-04:00

This is a little video of some pictures from Clint and my trip through Germany, Italy and Switzerland. It's funny how each country evokes different memories and emotions.

When we landed in Munich, we had just come from Dehli. Dehli has LOTS of people and LOTS of horns. Therefore, many parts of the city are quite loud (by American standards). Once we got off the plane in Munich, the first thing we noticed was how QUIET everything was. There were people, going about their daily business, but not much noise was made. Clint and I enjoyed the peacefulness so much that we didn't even talk! We just savored the calm.

Southern Germany was very quaint, but efficient and well organized. We spent some time in Munich, also visiting Dachau and Nuremberg before driving further south to Fussen. I'd go back to Munich in a heartbeat. I loved the little cafes and cobblestone streets.

From Fussen, we traveled south through the Alps to Italy, where we visited Trento, Florence and Rome. We also stayed overnight outside of Milano on our drive back north to Switzerland. We found Italy to be pretty hospitable, especially the smaller towns. Everything seems to be done with an artistic flair, which was really cool. Tuscany was beautiful. If you're going anytime soon, I'd recommend the Villa la Malva. Pretty hard to find, but well worth it! It was up in the hills and at night, you could see the lights of Florence.

In Florence, we met a couple from Midland, TX, Jay & Mitzi Percy (I'm pretty sure that's spelled right). We had so much fun with them, that once we left the Duomo, we all went to lunch together and then to another museum. They are committed believers and it was neat to see what decisions their family is making in attempt to stay close to each other and close to God.

After Italy, we drove north into Switzerland. "God's country," as Clint and I called it. The country is absolutely beautiful! Clint's pretty sure he'll be "needed" there as a missionary doctor someday.

We stayed at Interlaken at a fun bed and breakfast. It was hysterical because the man and woman that ran the B&B were as different as the day was long. The woman was as Swiss as Swiss could be. She was very helpful, but always to the point and no fluff. The guy, on the other hand, just received his Swiss passport, making him a citizen. He's originally from California. He was a "live life to the fullest" type guy, pretty care free. He had been to India several times, so it was fun swapping stories.

In Switzerland, we had a chance to visit Weinfelden, where my mom's family has roots, and Kirchenthurnen & Wattenwil, where the Bahler family is from. We also had a chance to meet up with a distant cousin of the Bahlers. Oh yeah! And we got to catch up with Daniel and Kasey Messner in Zurich...which was great! Thanks again for everything, guys.

Giordano's...Giovanni's...Ghirardelli's...

2008-08-08T19:05:00.008-04:00

So, Monday and Tuesday I was back in Chicago with some AWESOME friends (Katie, Joy and Sheryl). It was the best time "Eh-Ver" (hand motions included). I tell you what, I'm always laughing when I'm with them...even when my miniature golf game at The Greens has gone bad. Oh wait, I think they were laughing at me laying on the green. Yes. Yes. Now I remember...

Anyways, we took the train up from Bloomington on Monday morning, checked into the Hyatt and hit Giovanni's...er, wait...Giordano's for some good 'ole deep dish Chicago style pizza.

Katie's dream job in Chicago (you're not surprised, are you? :))

Then we hit the city. By evening, we managed to evade the tornadoes and some of the rain. Yes, the sirens signifying a tornado warning, the frequent torrential downpours, the rushing fire engines and the 70 mph wind gusts made the evening a bit more exciting, and wet. But we had so much fun.

Why do I keep trying to take pictures where I'm not supposed to (here...Wicked...sheesh)

Hey...we didn't expect it to rain...we had to be resourceful ;)

Saturday was hot. We started at The Corner Bakery where we met Eric. Eric, our Corner Bakery memorable employee, didn't like us so much...but all we wanted was for him to do his job. Didn't seem like that big of a deal. We were even pleasant about it. I guess the customer isn't always right.

After a late breakfast, we took a stroll through Millennium Park and then went miniature golfing at the notorious Green at Grant Park (well, I'm not sure if it's that notorious, but watch out for hole 12..it'll get you... "Holy Pajamas!!"). It was great. Kate kept wanting to ride one of those scooter things through Chicago, but I kept nixing that idea. :) There's a little outdoor restaurant at The Green, so once we finished playing mini golf, we sat awhile and got something to drink.

Brutal brutal Hole 12

Around 6, we headed back to Union Station to catch our train home. There were all kinds of interesting people to watch there. And all of those interesting people were on OUR train! We even had to stop in Joliet for a police officer to board and escort one of the passengers off of the train. I tell ya...interesting folk! And at one point, both Katie and Joy thought a man was pulling out a gun...which turned out to only be a glasses case. (whew)

Thanks for the great time guys! I'm so excited that this has become an annual event. Go JACKS go! Love you so very much!

India 2008

2008-08-01T09:27:00.003-04:00

Here's a little slide show I put together of our India trip in April-May. It doesn't include the week our parents came over...that deserves a whole video in itself! Looking back, the first seven weeks and the last week (with our parents) feel like two different trips. The experiences were vastly different. Enjoy!

Guest Bathroom -- Before and After

2008-07-30T09:06:00.005-04:00

This is the first in a series of "before and after" posts of our house. Unfortunately, there's still a lot to do, so this series may stretch out over time. :)

As I was digging though our photos, I realized that the "before" photos that I have of the bathroom are pretty blurry...oops. Nonetheless, here you are... We basically changed everything: tore out the linoleum and put in tile (Clint's mom did this for us), replaced the old vanity with a pedestal sink, replaced the toilet, changed the light fixture over the sink, painted and added our own touches. We still need to replace the mirror over the sink and finish trimming the room...but it's getting close.

Before

After

Who Are We Becoming?

2008-07-23T11:44:00.007-04:00

"Now unto him who is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy… " Jude 24

I came across this quote today and it really challenged me to reflect on who I am really becoming. Enjoy.

“Most of man’s psychological makeup is probably due to his body. When his body dies, all that will fall off him and the real central man, thing that shows the thing that made the best or the worst out of this material will stand naked. All sort of nice things we thought our own, but which were really due to a good digestion will fall off some of us. All sorts of nasty things which we thought were due to complexes of bad health will fall off others. We shall then, for the first time, see everyone as he really is. There will be surprises.” CS Lewis, Mere Christianaity

Pettrino's and The Corner Bakery

2008-07-21T13:58:00.007-04:00

Since Arlan and Katie still do not have their blog up and running,* "the opportunity has afforded itself" for me to tell you a little about what Arlan did for Kate's birthday.

Arlan planned a surprise birthday weekend for Kate in Chicago with a few of her friends. We stayed at Hotel Allegro on Randolph and Wells. It was a great place. Lindsay kept trying to figure out how to steal the wallpaper.

Surprises 1&2:Lindsay flew in on Thursday evening and the three of them took the Amtrak up to Chicago.

Surprise 3: I took the train up to Chicago and met them at Shedd Aquarium Friday afternoon.

Surprise 4: Tami came in late Friday evening...around midnight, actually. We had all fallen asleep and when Kate heard someone rattling the door room handle, she went to the bathroom, hoping Lindsay and I would take care of the "some drunk" trying to break into our room.

Surprise 5: After some shopping on Michigan Avenue, we returned to the hotel, where Holly was waiting for us.

Surprise 6: Arlan had purchased tickets for Wicked on Saturday night. While Kate acts like she "knew" some of the surprises, she had no idea about Wicked. (see below) For dinner, we went to a fun restaurant called Pettrino's. Many of our other meals were spent at The Corner Bakery.

It was so much fun spending time with good friends in Chicago, seeing how happy Kate was. Love you guys!

*A&K, I think this should give you the inspiration to get things going... :)

Sullivan Ballou

2008-07-21T12:10:00.000-04:00

To most of us, Sullivan Ballou is just another name. He is someone I've never met, and yet his words have touched my life. Union Major Sullivan Ballou of the Second Regiment, Rhode Island Volunteers wrote this letter to his wife Sarah on July 14, 1861, just one week before the Battle of Bull Run. He was killed in battle, just one week later...147 years ago today. He was 32 and his wife, just 24.

Below is his letter, made famous by the television series, "The Civil War," produced by Ken Burns.

This video clip is nothing to look at but worth listening to. Here are the words, if you'd like to read along:

14 July 1861
Camp Clark, Washington [D.C.]
Dear Sarah:
The indications are very strong that we shall move in a few days -- perhaps tomorrow. Lest I should not be able to write again, I feel impelled to write a few lines that may fall under your eye when I shall be no more....
I have no misgivings about, or lack of confidence in the cause in which I am engaged, and my courage does not halt or falter. I know... how great a debt we owe to those who went before us through the blood and sufferings of the Revolution. And I am willing -- perfectly willing -- to lay down all my joys in this life, to help maintain this Government, and to pay that debt....
Sarah my love for you is deathless, it seems to bind me with mighty cables that nothing but Omnipotence could break; and yet my love of Country comes over me like a strong wind and bears me unresistibly on with all these chains to the battle field.
The memories of the blissful moments I have spent with you come creeping over me, and I feel most gratified to God and to you that I have enjoyed them so long. And hard it is for me to give them up and burn to ashes the hopes of future years, when, God willing, we might still have lived and loved together, and seen our sons grown up to honorable manhood, around us. I have, I know, but few and small claims upon Divine Providence, but something whispers to me -- perhaps it is the wafted prayer of my litle Edgar, that I shall return to my loved ones unharmed. If I do not my dear Sarah, never forget how much I love you, and when my last breath escapes me on the battle field, it will whisper your name. Forgive my many faults, and the many pains I have caused you. How thoughtless and foolish I have often times been! How gladly would I wash out with my tears every little spot upon your happiness....
But, O Sarah! if the dead can come back to this earth and flit unseen around those they loved, I shall always be near you; in the gladdest days and in the darkest nights . . . always, always, and if there be a soft breeze upon your cheek, it shall be my breath[;] as the cool air fans your throbbing temple, it shall be my spirit passing by. Sarah do not mourn me dead; think I am gone and wait for thee, for we shall meet again....

4th of July

2008-07-06T16:16:00.005-04:00

When we were growing up, the Knapp family, which is sort of known for its traditions, would always go on vacation together over 4th of July weekend. It was one of the 2 times of the year that my Uncle Stan would come home from Texas, so we would travel somewhere together for 2-3 days. For us kids, it was so much fun! We knew that there would be plenty of time in the pool, a ton of euchre and LOTS of laughing.

Now that we've grown up, it's not quite as easy to all go on vacation together, so it was only fitting that we all met at Keith and Kay's for a post-4 of July party. Cornhole has replaced euchre and boccee ball has replaced the pool time (although one year, we did create our own version of SPOONS...called SPOONS in the pool)...but the laughing remains. And now that some of us are married, we just get more people to laugh with...or wait...maybe they're just laughing at us. By the way, Dustin and I were the Cornhole tournament Champions. That's right. Don't mess with us. :) Hee...hee...

Very intense game of Boccee Ball...which Angie won (go girls :))

Lucas courageously sporting that terrible red shirt

Jason's home!

What a man...what a man... :)

Glass Houses

2008-07-05T09:03:00.004-04:00

At our 4th of July gathering last night, someone shared this article with Clint and I. We found it so unbelievable, we wanted to pass it along. In a sense it really challenges me to strive to live a life void of hypocrisy.

Look over the descriptions of the following two houses and see if you can tell which belongs to an environmentalist:

House 1:
A 20-room mansion (not including 8 bathrooms) heated by natural gas. Add on a pool (and a pool house) and a separate guest house all heated by gas. In ONE MONTH ALONE this mansion consumes more energy than the average American household in an ENTIRE YEAR. The average bill for electricity and natural gas runs over $2,400.00/month. In natural gas alone (which last time we checked was a fossil fuel), this property consumes more than 20 times the national average for an American home. This house is not in a northern or Midwestern "snow belt," either. It's in the South.

House 2:
Designed by an architecture professor at a leading national university, this house incorporates every "green" feature current home construction can provide. The house contains only 4,000 square feet (4 bedrooms) and is nestled on arid high prairie in the American southwest. A central closet in the house holds geothermal heat pumps drawing ground water through pipes sunk 300 feet into the ground. The water (usually 67 degrees F) heats the house in winter and cools it in summer. The system uses no fossil fuels such as oil or natural gas, and it consumes 25% of the electricity required for a conventional heating/cooling system.

Rainwater from the roof is collected and funneled into a 35,000 gallon underground cistern. Wastewater from showers, sinks, and toilets goes into underground purifying tanks and then into the cistern. The collected water then irrigates the land surrounding the house. Flowers and shrubs native to the ares blend the property into the surrounding rural landscape.

Who do these houses belong to?
House 1: is the abode of that renowned environmentalist (and filmmaker) Al Gore.

House 2: is on a ranch near Crawford, Texas. Also known as the "the Texas White House," it is the private residence of the President of the United States, George W. Bush.

This article was originally collected on email, and confirmed true by www.snopes.com.

True Promises

2008-06-30T18:41:00.004-04:00

Isaiah 41:10
"Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.

It was roughly 10 years ago when God comforted me with this verse. I know exactly where I was standing when I read it. I know exactly which situation I was about to encounter. Now here I sit, 10 years later on the night before Clint begins Residency, clinging to that same verse. Tomorrow begins a new step in our journey. A step we've watched others take...a step that is not for the faint of heart...and a step into the unknown.

I've always disliked the unknown...probably to a fault. So here we are, bringing this giant unknown of Residency to our Father who promises "...When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee."

Clint's Residency is a 5 year program. I'm so so so proud of him...it's been quite the journey, but God continues to show Himself faithful. Clint is one amazing man and has worked so hard. I am so excited that he is able to use his gifts to serve others. I feel so blessed...

Brent & Staci's Wedding

2008-06-13T18:25:00.003-04:00

Last weekend, Clint and I drove down to Rome, GA for Brent's wedding. On Sunday evening, we got to catch up with Arlan & Katie...it was so much fun to see them again! Love you guys!

The house that's taken us captive...

2008-06-12T22:14:00.003-04:00

We are crazy people. There's no other way to put it. When we first bought this house, we had all kinds of great ideas to make it "ours." Since the day we returned from India, we've been working on this house...well, ok, we've taken a few breaks here and then...weddings...family time...etc.

For some reason, we thought it would be best to tackle all of our floors at the same time...maybe not the WISEST move out there...debatable, I guess. Now, 3.5 weeks later, our floors are nearly done. WOO-HOO!!! We can stop living out of the boxes in our garage and actually move in! So happy...

Anyways...we owe a HUGE thank you to everyone who's come over to help up: Our MOMS, Luke Schafer, Dad, Kaitlyn, Spencer, Chad, Matt Overly, Eric Frantz, Grandma & Grandpa, Ash & Bryan, Andria for making us food, Nancy for making food for Clint :), and our neighbor Steve. We love you guys and are so grateful for your friendship and help. We wouldn't be "moving in" tomorrow without you!

Tomorrow we get a welcome vacation in Hilton Head...that sounds so nice right now...

More than words

2008-06-01T21:09:00.000-04:00

The other night, Clint and I were looking through our India pictures and video clips, and I came across this little clip I took of the room we lived in at Herbertpur Christian Hospital. I thought we had really good accommodations. As you will see, Connor came along for the tour. Also...if you listen closely, you will hear the "Brain Fever" bird in the background. The entire campus could hear this bird day in and day out...just one bird...day in and day out...day in and day out... :)

Quote of the week...

2008-05-23T20:49:00.001-04:00

"It feels like a Cuisinart toaster on wheels!" (Clint - having been spoiled by driving a BMW in Europe said in reference to his blue '99 Ford Contour)

Funny and not so funny....

2008-05-15T17:41:00.000-04:00

Clint and I got home around 5:30 last night. It's so nice to be home. It's funny though...over the past two weeks, we found ourselves noticing every Indian we passed on the street...every Indian accent we heard...every smell of curry...every Indian restaurant. And it seemed like nearly everyone we talked to had been to India themselves. We have ourselves quite the collection of stories of people's travels to India.

It was so odd and so comforting, all at the same time. Even this morning, when I went to WalMart at 6:30 (yes, jet lag will do this to you...waking you up at 3:45 and refusing to let you go back to sleep), I saw signs of India everywhere. Later on, in Target, I was walking around, minding my own business, and there it was. Garlic Naan. You can buy Naan right in Target. Out of control. Of course I bought some home for Clint for a good laugh.

Speaking of laughing...or NOT laughing...here's a little video clip for you to enjoy.

In all of the movies, and in all of our dreams, vacations (especially vacations to Europe) are supposed to be perfect. Everyone is happy...all of the time...happy happy happy. Well, here's a glimpse into our lives...when we're not happy. Imagine that! :) We rewatched the video last night and laughed so hard at ourselves! Enjoy. (sorry the quality isn't that great)

Vatican City

2008-05-08T04:05:00.000-04:00

Clint and I are heading out to see St. Peter's Cathedral. While reading a bit about Vatican City, we came across some of Rome's tour guides most favorite comments and had to smile! (taken from Rick Steve's Italy 2008 book)

1) Is the Pope Catholic?
2) Oh to be here in Rome where our Lord Jesus walked!
3) Is this where Christ fought the Lions?
4) Whose the guy on the cross?
5) This guy who made so many nice things-- Rene Sance--who is he?
6) Was John Paul II the son of John Paul I?
7) What's the Sistine chapel worth in US dollars?
8) How did Michaelangelo get Moses to pose for him?
9) What's Michaelangelo doing now?
10) (upon seeing the arrow pierced Saint Subastian) Oh you Italians had problems with the Indians too.

The Sounds of Silence

2008-05-03T10:00:00.000-04:00

Hey Everyone...sorry its been so long since you've heard from us. It's been a big week! Acutally, it's been a big 2 weeks. Last week, our parents and us traveled through parts of N. India...seeing the Taj Mahal and Amber Fort as well as the Neerana Fort Palace. Then we all traveled up to the hospital where Clint and I spent the past couple of months. It was so neat having them meet the people we've come to know and love. (Hey Janet, Clint and I LOVED the video clip of Conner!...we really miss you guys...)

At the Taj

Then on Monday, Clint and I said our hard goodbyes at HCH and we all took a train down to Dehli. Our parents flew out at midnight and Clint and I left at 9 the next morning. As I write this, I can't believe we were in India just a few short days ago.

We flew into Munich, and the very first thing we noticed was how quiet the airport was. There were plenty of people, but no one was making any noise. Coming from Dehli, that was quite the culture shock! The airport was so quiet, neither of us even dared to break the silence!

This is Clint watching an ad for BMWs at Munich Aiport.

We spent a few days in Munich, which, might I add is an awesome city. We loved everything about it. Over the next couple of days, we visited Dachau and Nuremburg and then traveled south into the German Alps. This morning, we drove through the Alps into Italy. We're staying at a little hotel in the foothills of the Alps. I can't believe how beautiful it is here. In Germany, the landscape was especially rolling...flowers, hills, trees, mountains and little towns all tucked away within it all.

In the town of Dachau

Nurenburg

Also, Clint has been fulfilling his lifetime dream of driving on the AutoBahn!

Tomorrow, we plan to travel to Tuscanny and then on to Rome...

Much love, Clint & Alesa

The time has come

2008-03-04T11:53:00.000-05:00

Hey everyone! I just wanted to let you know that Clint and I leave for India tomorrow. Tomorrow afternoon we fly from Indianapolis to Washington DC. From there, we fly to Munich, where we have a 12 hour layover, and then we fly to Dehli. We will stay in Dehli for a couple of days before heading up to the hospital. If you're interested in hearing about our experiences, you can visit our blog at northindiacalls.blogspot.com. With love, Clint & Alesa

I Saw What I Saw

2008-02-28T11:47:00.001-05:00

My cousin sent me the link to this song by Sara Groves. As Clint and I prepare to leave for India, it's my prayer that we will learn/grow/change as God sees fit to change us, so we can say "I saw what I saw and I can't forget it. I heard what I heard and I can't go back."

Here's to you, Jami

2008-02-24T18:41:00.000-05:00

So, here are 7 random facts about me, take them for what they are worth. :)

1. My favorite story of all time is Les Miserables. I've read the unabridged version of the book, seen the musical multiple times (and counting, hopefully) and listened to the book on CD more times than I can count. I can't get past the heart of the bishop of Digne, the tragedy and pitiful sorrow in Fantine's life, and the strict moral code that ultimately forces Javert to choose between mercy and what he believes to be true justice.

2. When I sleep at night, I have to cover the top of my shoulders, or I get cold. (I just realized this over the past few months)

3. In High School, I was a proud member of the Marching Ironmen. Our most exciting moment was in the fall of 1994, as we competed at the State Championships at ISU and we placed 4th in the state...oh man, that was awesome. For those of you in Central Illinois, I highly recommend going to the State Championship competition in October...it's pretty awesome. (I can already forsee getting a lot of flack for this one)

4. For as long as I can remember, I have been a die-hard fan of the Chicago Cubs. Although it hasn't shown up in the human genome, I'm pretty sure it's genetic (on my paternal side). Every year, I wait with anticipation for Opening Day and listen faithfully to Pat and Ron as the Cubs take on the new season. My hope in their ultimate victory doesn't wane until the All-Star game. It's usually at that point where I re-evaluate my priorities. If the Cubs look like they have any chance at all, I will continue to listen. If not, well then, "there's always next year." And if you think I'm bad, you should meet the rest of my family.

5. I don't have many pet peeves, but here's one... It drives me absolutely crazy when people drive the wrong way in parking lots. Especially, when the rows are designed for cars only to go one way. Don't they see the havoc they are reeking?! Can't they see the arrows?!!

6. I have never received a speeding ticket. Go figure. It's not like I haven't deserved one.

7. Finally, and probably most importantly...I have a huge burden for orphans. I've been on so many service projects and work teams, but nothing breaks my heart more than spending time with orphans. It is my favorite thing to do. I don't know what this means for our future or how this burden will play out in our lives...but I am excited to see. Meanwhile, I will continue to do what I can.

Our First House...

2008-02-18T10:06:00.001-05:00

Clint and I just signed the Purchase Agreement for our first house! We won't close until we get back from India, which is so awesome because it means we won't have to pay on two places at the same time. We are so excited!! It's close to church, not far from IU and 2 miles from Ashton and Bryan. Can't get much better than that! Here are a few pictures for you to see.

On this Valentine's Week...

2008-02-11T13:33:00.000-05:00

My journey at CPC has been an interesting one. I came on board at the same time the previous president was leaving, and for my first 4 months at CPC we had interim leadership. Then, in April 2007, CPC announced Brian Boone as the next president. At his first all staff meeting he shared with us this quote and I've never forgotten it. He said...

"Love is the commitment of my will to your needs and best interest regardless of the cost."

Wow...How profound. When I say "I love you" to anyone...Clint... my family... my friends... I want to sincerely mean "I have committed my will to your needs and best interest regardless of the cost." Easier said than done. Any thoughts as to how you try to show selflessness in your relationships?