Atticus' First Snow

Yesterday we had big eyelash catching snowfall. Atticus and I took a walk in the splendor. He fell asleep 10 minutes in not knowing what to make of the flurry, furry whiteness and his mother's giddy enthusiasiam.

December has been a breath-catching whirlwind this year, but we've just about made it to our holiday: tonight we leave for Brad's folks and then on to my parents later next week. A whole week with my two favorite boys and families I just love so much it hurts. And the house will stay clean and the sink empty and all Victor's fur will be in our car and (sorry!) in our parents' houses. I am so thankful for Christ sustaining me with very little time for contemplation or rest. I am weary but "whole".

This year my favorite Christmas verse has been even more tangible with my dear baby boy in our midst. Emmanuel, God with us: "And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen His glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth." John 1:14

Merry Christmas all you dear people!

Cozy Stripe Boy

Atticus Opening His First Advent Calendar

Recovering with My Momma

So this weekend Brad and I were hit by the Ick Plague -- the apprently ubiquitous stomach flu that's been making its rounds. I had the double honor of being hit by (what they think was) a kidney stone attack simultaneously. We spent the entire last Friday in the clinic and hospital getting tests to find out what I had -- They thought appendicitis or gall bladder problems or even cysts, but though I am much recovered from the flu, they still haven't definitively found out if it is a kidney stone still making its way out. Tonight I have another CT scan to make sure. Thanks to the help of the Millers and Gollihers and my mom coming all the way up to help, Brad, Atticus and I made it through the weekend. We are so grateful to you all.

Shorn!

The Lilly Ackland Debut

Lilly Catherine Ackland enters the scene Saturday November 11th. My mom and sister were down visiting Aaron and Lindsey in St.Louis for the Monty Python play Spam-a-lot. Friday night the girls attended the show. Later that night, Lindsey went into labor and the next morning Lilly arrives. Now Brad and I are an Uncle and Aunt and Atticus has his first "First Cousin". Congratulations to my brother and sister-in-law!! We already love Lilly and are jumping on our toes to meet her at New Years!!!

Sunday on Thanksgiving Weekend

Not only did we enjoy Sunday service at my dad's church with my cousins but my Uncle Danny and Aunt Donna drove out from Illinois just to have Sunday lunch with all of us in Dubuque!!!! A lovely benediction to a weekend full of people we love and miss greatly.

Thanksgiving with my Family

My cousins Lisa, Jason, and Ian traveled from Chicago to spend the night in Dubuque to visit with us and have Ian and Atticus spend some time together. My brother Jonathan spent much of the visit working but we were able to spend a little time together...

Rrrrraaaaa-rrrrrghhhh....

Thanksgiving with the Acklands

Well, the weekend before Thanksgiving we spent at Brad's folks' in Altoon, IA. I had some sort of weird shoulder injury from carrying Atticus around too much. I ended up in the emergency room -- received a shot of morphine and then was on vicadon for two days. I was so thankful for Brad and Nancy caring so ably for Atticus and giving me time to recover. A few days after returning to Minneapolis we left for Potosi, WI. The next day we drove to northern Illinois for the Ackland Thanksgiving. As a kid, when all of the oldest generation was still with us, we would meet in homes, rotating from year to year. There was easily 50-60 people who crowded into homes. In recent years, the dinner has moved to a church fellowship hall and the attendance has been sketchy as families work to co-ordinate in-laws and the holiday-sharing. This year was a fairly large turn out. We were able to see my sister for the afternoon -- she was unable to drive back to my parents' following due to her work schedule. Aaron and Lindsey could not make it due to the arrival of their daughter Lilly (look for her in following posts) just prior, and my closest cousin, Lisa, was with her in-laws in New Jersey (but she and her family made a special trip out to Dubuque to be with us for a day!!! -- see previous non-sequential post). The visit was good -- as usual, I was only able to talk with a handful of people and not nearly as long as I would have wished. This was the first meeting between Brad and many of my cousins. He did well and made me proud.

Atticus Meets His Cousin Ian

Over Thanksgiving weekend, my cousins Lisa, Jason, and Ian Carriere came out from Chicago to visit us at my parents in Potosi. Atticus and Ian had met once before at A.'s Illinois baby shower, but this their first meeting where they noticed each other. Ian greeted Atticus by trying to find out what this guy was made of -- He tried tasting him. This resulted in the dads staging a mock brawl. Having this day and a half with my cousins...I am so thankful to their sacrifice of time especially after just returning from Thanksgiving out in New Jersey.