2012 in the Rear-view Mirror

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you all! We didn't do a Christmas letter this year, but I thought I would do a synopsis on the blog for anyone who cares. Our Christmas cards looked just like the one above. In fact if I overlooked you and you would like one, let me know because we have many left over and would love to share. 

Brent: Brent continued to work at his office in Wichita 3 days a week (Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday). He also worked in the Wichita west mall on some Monday, Wednesday and Fridays (about 4-7 days a month). This has been a huge blessing. Also, Brent was added to the Evangelism and Outreach committee at church. Brent and I both work on Wednesday nights with the 5th and 6th grade kids. In the Spring/Summer Brent plays on a softball team with some of his high school friends and church guys. In the Winter he plays on a 5-on-5 basketball league with many of these same guys. He really enjoys this. Some highlights this past year: first KU basketball game, flying with a baby to Colorado, Wertenberger family vacation to Branson, Eli saying "da-da", smiles from Eli when he gets home from work, and working at the farm with Dad.

Cindy: I stay home with Eli every day and love it. I have gotten more involved in church this year by working on Wednesday nights with the 5th and 6th graders, children's church once a quarter, being on Worship & Music committee (which included planning the Christmas Eve service this year), playing piano for the choir, and being on worship team on occasion. This has been so wonderful for me to get to know people in our church and feel like I have an identity outside of just taking care of Eli (even though I LOVE that). This fall I did a Beth Moore Bible study with some ladies in the church. It was the study of James called "Mercy Triumphs". It was so fantastic and I can not encourage you enough to join a study if you're able. Also this fall I started cleaning my brother's house twice a month- and I really love it. Parents As Teachers comes once a month to play with Eli. Some highlights this past year: going to Colorado, Wertenberger family vacation in Branson, Eli saying "ma-ma", date with Brent to Lion King in Wichita, celebrating 5 years of marriage with my love, and Christmastime with family.

Eli: Most of this blog is dedicated to Eli, so if you keep up you know what he's been up to this last year. He took his first plane ride to Colorado. He likes toys that sing or make noise and likes his new toys that he can ride (turtle, rocking horse, and car). He likes to take blocks and puzzle pieces out of there places (which drives daddy crazy). He has 9 teeth and likes to crawl everywhere. He hasn't really tried to walk much, although I think if he tried he could. He loves looking at books and splashing at bath-time. As of late, Eli has become quite a good eater- trying new foods and loving them. 

We are so blessed by our LORD. He is so good to us and gives us much more than we deserve. We are thankful for his provision in all areas of our life in the year 2012 and look forward to serving Him in 2013. 

Pneumonia

On the Friday before Christmas, Eli woke up with a cough. Not a bad one, just a cough. By that evening his breathing was weezy and somewhat short. By Saturday morning his breathing was much more labored and shallow. I decided to take him in to Immediate care in Newton. After getting there at 9:07 and finally getting seen at 11:30, the doctor decided to have some lab work done and a chest x-ray. I thought it seemed a little extreme, but decided to trust that this doc knew what he was doing. After the results came back, the doctor came in and said "Well, it's just as I thought. Your son has pneumonia and he'll probably need to be in the hospital. I've called his pediatrician to come in and decide what he wants to do." Well, I of course started crying. When Dr Jantz got to the clinic he took one look at the x-rays and Eli and said I'll walk you over to the hospital (this was about 3:00). We got checked in and Brent was able to be there right after they got his iv in (go figure). We spent the night Saturday and went home around 12:30 on Sunday. We praise God for healing our little boy. By Monday he was back to almost normal. He still takes breathing treatments and antibiotics everyday. It is something we certainly don't want to repeat but are thankful to the Great Physician for his healing.  

Santa came by to visit on Saturday evening. 

We thought we'd try the crib for Eli. He thought it was a jungle gym. I thought it looked more like a jail. 

Feeling much better on Sunday. :)

Firsts

A few days before Eli's 1st birthday he got his first hair cut and his first taste of cow's milk. He did really well for both. I warmed up the milk and put it in his bottle. He DOWNED it so I added some cold milk and he drank it too. The next day we tried milk in his sippy and just like that, no more bottles. Kind of bittersweet for this momma, but I'm happy it wasn't a battle. 

Before

Before..pretty whispy but not much there.

After...big boy!

After...still happy!

Cow's milk. Grandpa Rixey would be proud.

1 YEAR!!!

Yesterday my baby turned one. I can't hardly believe that he has been with us for a whole year. We love him so much. We especially love his smiles, laughs, and cuddles. 

In the last month...

-Eli celebrated his first Thanksgiving (with the Willems family, Wichert family, and Wertenberger family).

-Started waving bye-bye and hi! 

-Says ma-ma...FINALLY! :) It is like music to his mommy's ears. 

-Started clapping- the first time you did it was at Uncle Ben's basketball game. Go lady broncos!

-Took 1 step- only one and only 2 times total...but we're getting there. 

-One day Eli was saying "mmmm" for more craisins but hasn't repeated this.

-Had cousins Drew, Tyler and Megan over for a slumber party.

-Last bottle and started drinking whole milk out of a straw sippy.

-First haircut- daddy distracted you while mommy cut it.

-First eye exam- compliments of daddy.

-First BIRTHDAY!!!

Eli loves: straw sippy cup, bathtime, walking behind his walker, having mommy hold him while she's trying to cook, bouncing the racket ball, eating- especially anything sweet ie fruit, cereal bars, multi-grain cheerios, eating table food- he's not a fan of baby food anymore, playing chase with mom, when daddy throws him in the air, playing peek-a-boo, he doesn't like when daddy leaves for work and cries, music, certain songs from the t.v. (a new puzzle sound on Wheel of Fortune, National American University commercial, and the weather sound on KWCH), does not want to practice walking while holding mommy or daddy's hands, making a strained noise/face when he wants to be picked up, when he is smiling on purpose he scrunches up his nose, still does his fake cough, "so big" and kisses are less now but he will still do them, he loves to be in the bathroom when mom or dad are otherwise occupied, mommy calls him little bear and daddy calls him bubby, and he now loves cupcakes!

We love you, Eli.

So the chalk board didn't work so well this time...

Happy boy!

It snowed on my birthday!

Drinking milk in my straw sippy like a big boy!

We had a small party after Brent's basketball game. Brent's parents, Cody, Misty, and Grace, and my parents skyped in.

Sweet tooth...he ate the whole thing!

He even licked his fingers.

Then washed it down with some milk.

Not our best picture, but I wanted one with my boy on his birthday. :)

30 Days of Thanks

I have been loving all the "thankful" Facebook posts I have been seeing from my friends. I didn't think I would stick with it for 30 days, so I decided to put all my 30, in one post. I know I might be the only one to read through all of this, but I think it's important to make my thanks known to the One who pours them out. Here it goes...

1. My Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Without Him, the rest is meaningless. He saved me from my sin and delights in me. I don't deserve Him (or anything) but He continues to be faithful and pour out the richest blessings. The kind of blessings money can't buy and "the world" doesn't understand. I am forever grateful and owe my life to him.

2. My husband. I love him with all my heart. Every year truly gets better- and I'm not just saying it. He loves me. I love him. It is a beautiful thing, orchestrated by God alone. 

3. My son. I always knew I wanted to be a mommy. I had no idea how wonderful it really would be. He melts my heart when he smiles at me and when he says ma-ma (which he did for the first time yesterday). He has helps me realize just how selfish I am. When he's asleep I want to go in and pick him up just so we can snuggle. He is one of my favorite blessings from God.

4. My parents- they really are 2 of my best friends. I love them. I am thankful for the way they raised me. I would rather spend time with them than do most anything else. 

5. The brothers- all 4 of them. They are all different and I love them for it. They all relate to me differently and I love that too. When I was younger I wondered if we would all survive living with each other. Now, I can't imagine what life would have been like without them. Again, some of my very best friends.

6. The in-laws- both the ones my brothers married (my first real sisters) and the ones I married into. In-laws are somewhat odd at first (suddenly they are there at every family gathering) and then you wonder how they were ever not a part of your family. I really truly love them all. 

7. Nieces and Nephews- I love my role as Aunt Cindy. And now that I have my own, I feel like I don't spend as much time as Aunt Cindy. But I have no less love for these precious little ones. 5 nephews 3 nieces. Love them much.

8. Sabetha, KS- Small town. 13 years of school. 20 years of residence. My favorite place to be. 

9. Growing up around my extended family. I grew up 2 blocks from my Grandma and 7 miles from my other grandparents. All of my aunts, uncles and cousins were within 30 minutes (most closer than that) of each other. I'm sure that my childhood memories are a little more "Mayberry" than it really was, but I think most of it was actually that great. I really love(d) my grandparents and I know that it is a blessing from God that I was able to grow up this way.

10. Being able to stay at home with Eli. 

11. Old friends- the ones that know me because they knew me from the beginning. These are sweet friendship that have long dry spells (because of distance mainly) but when the rainy seasons come, they are sweet.

12. Music- it is good for my soul. I am thankful for this way I can praise God. 

13. Tahlequah, OK- Never did I ever think I would be thankful for this place when we moved there. Boy, was I wrong! God knew what he was doing when he placed us in Oklahoma for 4 years. We went through some of the toughest times we've seen so far, but some of the greatest too. It is so great to look back and see how God provided. We grew spiritually and as a couple. The friends we have from this time are the kind that know us really well. They don't know just Brent or just Cindy- they know us as a couple. We consider them family.

14. Athletics- played such a significant role in my growing up years and taught me many things that I could't get anywhere else. Basketball is my favorite and I will always love it. I love competition.

15. A Home

16. Photos- I love remembering good times. I'm glad we have digital cameras to capture the moments. 

17. Newscasters/Sportscasters- this is kind of a silly one but I really like these people and their abilities to pass on information: Brian Williams, Bob Costas, Chris Collinsworth, Savannah Guthrie, Al Michaels, Gus Johnson- I could go on.

18. Vehicles- they aren't pretty or fancy but they have been faithful.

19. College friends- always a good time and a good laugh. Some of my favorite memories. Love these friends. 

20. Evenings in- I love not having to be anywhere and just relaxing. 

21. Cell phones- convenience, connection, handy.

22. The seasons- although they seem to be not-so-defined, I like a change of pace, temperature, and landscape.

23. Crafting and being creative

24. New recipes

25. Our church family

26. TV- I know most of it is trash, but I really enjoy watching it!

27. KU basketball- currently watching

28. My grandmas- they were/are about as opposite as two people can be. One tall, one short, one outgoing, one shy- but they both played a significant role in my life. I am the woman I am today in large part to them.

29. Tabor College- played the biggest role in Brent and I getting married. Without it, we wouldn't have met. Loved my 2 years there. 

30. The many teachers/coaches that invested in my life. I truly had some of the best teachers a person could have. I could start listing them, but it would take a long time. 

I AM BLESSED FAR BEYOND WHAT I DESERVE. Thank you, Lord! 

11 months

My baby is 11 months old and is approaching 1 year a little quicker than I would like to admit. He is such a great boy. It is fun to see his little personality develop. 

Eli hasn't too many traditional "firsts" this month, but he is doing more and maturing everyday. 

In the last month Eli...

-had his first Halloween- he was a cute little lion.

-is weaned- mommy just decided it was time. He has taken to formula very well.

-started doing the "SO BIG" when asked "How big is Eli?" 

-crawls correctly all the time.

-learned how to climb stairs :S

-still hasn't shown much interest in walking. He cruises and will occasionally let go, but hits the floor pretty quickly after.

-still does his fake cough. We ask him "Does Eli have a big cough?" and he proceeds to cough.

-started roaring when we do it to him.

-eating more table food. 

Eli likes...baths, reading "I Love You Through and Through" among other books, listening to mommy sing, playing the piano, doing "so big", climbing stairs, "helping" mom unload the dishwasher, getting in the fridge every time it is opened, playing with doorstops- you know the ones that make noise, going on walks or just being outside, ripping/crinkling paper, cheerios, eating cheerios off the floor, getting into the trash can, cups, paci/bunny/taggie at bedtime, pushing all the dvds over and just being a little explorer. 

Love this boy!!!

SO BIG!!!

Roar!!!

Look at those baby blues.

Tasting some grass. 

Eli was really cooperative after his nap today and showed most of his tricks. He growls, does his tongue trick, does "so big" and shows his big coughs. Enjoy!

Favorite Pinterest Recipes (Part I)

If you're like me you have fallen on and off the bandwagon that is known as "Pinterest". I go through phases where I love it and then some when I don't look at it for weeks. Recently I did some "Pinterest" spring cleaning and organizing and thought I would share a few of the recipes that Brent and I have both liked from the site. 

Chicken Makhani- yummy. When Brent and I visited his brother in Colorado, we went to an Indian restaurant and I had this dish and wanted to eat it when we got back. So I pinterest-ed the recipe and found this and it was so good. It's spicy so if you don't like spice, maybe don't have this. We had it with jasmine rice. If you haven't discovered jasmine rice yet, try it. It is so fantastic, it will change your life. Okay, that's a little extreme but it really is so much better than regular white rice.

Recipe HERE

Crunchy Frostbite Cookie- in my opinion is the best cookie ever. It is the perfect combination of a soft cookie, crunchy corn flake pieces, white chocolate, and overall yumminess. They are a little time consuming, but worth the end result. 

Recipe HERE

Copycat Applebee's Hot Artichoke and Spinach Dip. Need I say more? This was a delicious dish that was very little work. I mixed all the ingredients in the dish that I baked it in- I love that. It tastes just like Applebee's- I baked it a little longer than it called for but other than that I did everything just as it suggested. The only negative is that the ingredients are a bit pricey- so this dish is probably just for special occasions. Don't tell Brent that there is 4oz of cream cheese in this recipe. He hates cream cheese (and mayo, sour cream, cottage cheese- I know, I know), and he didn't say anything about it being in this dish so it went undetected. A small victory in my book.

Recipe HERE

Colorado

On October 20th, our family of 3 flew to Colorado to visit Uncle Eric and Aunt Megan. When we sat down and looked at the reality of going to Colorado- we decided it would be more economical for us to fly- I know it sounds weird but it worked. So after much planning to pack for a 10 month old, we were off. 

Waiting in the airport with Dad.

In the airplane. This is the last picture of bunny. Mommy might have taken it a little harder than Eli, but no worries Aunt Erin has already made a replacement- she's great. 

We got there of Saturday and ate at an Indian restaurant- it was delicious. On Sunday we went to church at Garden Park MB in Denver and then went to Red Rock Ampitheatre outside of Golden. 

Ampitheatre- people were running the stairs. Apparently if you run all the way across each level  from the top to the bottom it's 5 miles. We didn't try it.

Eric & Megan

Our fam

Megan's an avid rock climber...or something.

Monday our family plus Jeff (our college friend) went on the Coors brewery tour. Coors is located in Golden (where Eric works) and from what we could tell pretty much is the life blood of the area. The tour was interesting.

In the brewery.

Eli was captivated by the process...

And then we went to an antique store and Jeff picked up this dandy...

That evening everyone but Eli and I went over to the Hiebert's house for pizza- Eli was a little sickly and they had a brand new baby. 

Tuesday morning we had breakfast with Eric and Megan before going to the airport.

Uncle Eric, Aunt Megan and Eli

We had a great time and look forward to the next Colorado trip.

Latest Project

This is one of my latest projects. I like to craft and since I was pregnant with Eli, I have been into making canvases- mainly for kids rooms but this one has been in my head for awhile. Now I finally have it on canvas. It is located above our couch. I have been wanted a world map there for the longest time, but since those are expensive (at least to frame) I thought this could be a temporary hold. I think it may stay awhile. 

I'm a Lion Hear Me Roar!

Eli and his church friend, Averett. 

Not too happy at this point.