Goofy angle -- doesn't look good on much of anybody -- but it's the only way I could get a good picture of his teeth -- he laughs all the time and shows them, but the camera is too slow to capture it and also distracts him (-:
Two top teeth broken through...a bottom tooth working its way up....
The Snodgrasses: Nathan, Shelley, and Nora
Some of you knew some friends of ours from church stayed with us for the month of April. The are missionaries to Central Asia (publicly undisclosed country), but were delayed by Visa red-tape. Out of their rental lease and needing housing for the indeterminate last leg of their departure, they moved in with us. They traveled quite a bit while here -- making last visits to their homes in Owatonna, MN and Ames, IA, as well as trips to supporting churches, etc. It was a good growing thing for me, being tidy and routined orientated. Not only were they in a completely tumultuous era of existence but they are entirely the right sort of people to move to disorganized, unpredictable very non-American country. I was utterly convinced by their stay that God makes people for specific places. I mean, there are people made to be able to flex and "go with it". Not only are they moving there not knowing either language spoken but with a one year old and another baby on the way (medical services? hospitals?). Shelley told me that there are no supermarkets there -- everything is purchased in hodge podge markets. No one (except the very rich) tries clothes before buying them because there are no places to try them on. Everything there takes many times the effort and time it does here. Lines everywhere. ALL the water must be boiled -- even the cooking water. There are no movie theaters. And I think about Shelley: She will be learning two languages full time, teaching English part time, and raising a one-year old, and learning how to take care of a household all the while starting this all off in her first trimester of pregnancy -- which is generally exhausting and nauseating. Aaaaahhhhhh!!!
Well, their visas came through and after a marathon week of packing they left the third weekend of April. I've gotten the house halfway back in order -- the refrigerator and cupboards back into my "system" and now have only the shipping crates pile awaiting departure in our living room. Every time I look at the "mountain" there, I thank God for putting me here, where I am and remember to pray for these bold, and slightly insane friends of ours.
In the new jacket my mom sent...
Last weekend in honor of Brad's Birthday (coming up May 1st) we traveled down to Chicago to see a Cubs game at Wrigley Field. Friday we relaxed at my cousins' Lisa, Jason & Ian Carriere's in Bartlett (a north Chicago suburb). Brad, Atticus and I drove over to a small zoo on Friday afternoon. Atticus walked by himself everywhere. 
Then we came back and played with the boys...Ian and Atticus got along very well despite poor Ian getting a yucky flu which kept him and his parents from coming with us to the game on Saturday. Everything came together for Ian and walking this weekend. We got to be there when he took off walking across the kitchen and then spent a lot of time practicing. It was so interesting seeing what different personalities our two boys have even as tiny people. They play differently and approach situations differently. You can almost see them thinking differently. I love the variety God builds into us.
Bekah drove over Friday night for supper and to hang out and see her nephew. 
Saturday morning Lisa & I went to a nearby town to look through a neat bookstore and have lunch at the attached deli/coffee shop. We had fun leaving the boys at home and having long uninterrupted stretches of conversation. (-: When we arrived back at the house, Bekah was there ready to go and we all headed to Addison for the ball game. On our way we got caught in a horrid traffic jam caused by the seriously wrong Illinois toll system -- due to work on the toll booths, traffic was reduced to two lanes and for what seemed like about two weeks we were stuck inching along. Meanwhile Ian threw up in Lisa and Jason's car right ahead of us. They pulled over and decided to abort the mission -- headed back home to get Ian cleaned up and in bed. Bekah, Brad, Atticus and I continued on our painfully slow way. We got to Addison around the second inning of the game, took a shuttle over to Wrigley. Bekah had fun with the sunblock in Atticus' hair. (-:
About five minutes after sitting down, a bird pooped on Bekah's head -- down the back of her hair and shirt. I went with her to get her cleaned up and made it back in time to see a home run hit.
Did you know that there are REAL people inside the Wrigley Field score board?! They change all the numbers and names manually. Isn't that cool. Do you know what isn't cool? The entire game I thought I was following so closely (as closely as you can when you get there late, you leave for an inning to help your sister get bird droppings cleaned off her head, and you are trying to maintain the happiness of your 11-month old son), only to find out I was reading the "hits" not the "score" the entire time. Well, anyway, the Cubs totally won 6-0 against their rivals St.Louis. Brad was happy even though he had a guy from St.Louis on his fantasy baseball line-up for the week.
The game day was so fun. They weather in the 70's. We left end of the 8th and had fun riding the bus back to our car -- I'd never been to that part of Chicago -- it is SO CHICAGO...super thin, tall houses with like 3 feet in between them -- no lawns. It was like a cross between Sesame Street and maybe Big Fat Greek Wedding in some undefined way. It was very festive with all these people celebrating the game on their front steps, in the streets, on roof tops. 
Sunday. My handsome Bradley....We went to church at Lisa & Jason's church -- College Church in Wheaton. It is also where my friend Jeff Wencel and his fiancee, Emily, are members. So we were able to meet Emily (for the first time) briefly (she had a previous commitment she needed to leave for) after the service. And then our friend Anna Englert drove in from Dekalb and we all had a long lunch at a nearby restaurant.
Goofy angle -- doesn't look good on much of anybody -- but it's the only way I could get a good picture of his teeth -- he laughs all the time and shows them, but the camera is too slow to capture it and also distracts him (-:
Two top teeth broken through...a bottom tooth working its way up....
Calvin descending...
Last week the Millers and Atticus and I trekked over to a recently discovered (thank you, Aunt Donna!!!!) wildflower sanctuary: Eloise Butler Wildflower & Bird Sanctuary. We only spent a short while there and did a quick loop on one of the many trails. Just absolutely beautiful, even before full glory of Spring. There were some good paper guides. Bloodroot, Trillium, and Trout Lilies were in bloom. And we saw a glimpse of some yellow finches. The moss was just lovely. And some ferns were beginning to unfurl. 
Atticus being silly, silly. Laughing, almost running. Right after this he fell (rolled) down a dip-ditch right in front of him.
Me trying to get Calvin to be as fascinated with Moss and I am. I wished so badly my dad was with me. I miss him informally teaching me and being able to ask him questions. My mom and dad have always been so good at teaching me (by example) to notice things, to SEE things...little treasures, tiny surprises all around us. I am so thankful for them "infecting" me with this "disease" of curiosity. I wished I remembered more of what I've read and heard and studied. I forget so much. I've been thinking how I'll need to start relearning big chunks of stuff to arm myself for questions from Atticus. It will be so so exciting to be here with him as his world continues to unfurl before him.
Last weekend in honor of Brad's Birthday (coming up May 1st) we traveled down to Chicago to see a Cubs game at Wrigley Field. Friday we relaxed at my cousins' Lisa, Jason & Ian Carriere's in Bartlett (a north Chicago suburb). Brad, Atticus and I drove over to a small zoo on Friday afternoon. Atticus walked by himself everywhere. 
Then we came back and played with the boys...Ian and Atticus got along very well despite poor Ian getting a yucky flu which kept him and his parents from coming with us to the game on Saturday. Everything came together for Ian and walking this weekend. We got to be there when he took off walking across the kitchen and then spent a lot of time practicing. It was so interesting seeing what different personalities our two boys have even as tiny people. They play differently and approach situations differently. You can almost see them thinking differently. I love the variety God builds into us.
Bekah drove over Friday night for supper and to hang out and see her nephew. 
Saturday morning Lisa & I went to a nearby town to look through a neat bookstore and have lunch at the attached deli/coffee shop. We had fun leaving the boys at home and having long uninterrupted stretches of conversation. (-: When we arrived back at the house, Bekah was there ready to go and we all headed to Addison for the ball game. On our way we got caught in a horrid traffic jam caused by the seriously wrong Illinois toll system -- due to work on the toll booths, traffic was reduced to two lanes and for what seemed like about two weeks we were stuck inching along. Meanwhile Ian threw up in Lisa and Jason's car right ahead of us. They pulled over and decided to abort the mission -- headed back home to get Ian cleaned up and in bed. Bekah, Brad, Atticus and I continued on our painfully slow way. We got to Addison around the second inning of the game, took a shuttle over to Wrigley. Bekah had fun with the sunblock in Atticus' hair. (-:
About five minutes after sitting down, a bird pooped on Bekah's head -- down the back of her hair and shirt. I went with her to get her cleaned up and made it back in time to see a home run hit.
Did you know that there are REAL people inside the Wrigley Field score board?! They change all the numbers and names manually. Isn't that cool. Do you know what isn't cool? The entire game I thought I was following so closely (as closely as you can when you get there late, you leave for an inning to help your sister get bird droppings cleaned off her head, and you are trying to maintain the happiness of your 11-month old son), only to find out I was reading the "hits" not the "score" the entire time. Well, anyway, the Cubs totally won 6-0 against their rivals St.Louis. Brad was happy even though he had a guy from St.Louis on his fantasy baseball line-up for the week.
The game day was so fun. They weather in the 70's. We left end of the 8th and had fun riding the bus back to our car -- I'd never been to that part of Chicago -- it is SO CHICAGO...super thin, tall houses with like 3 feet in between them -- no lawns. It was like a cross between Sesame Street and maybe Big Fat Greek Wedding in some undefined way. It was very festive with all these people celebrating the game on their front steps, in the streets, on roof tops. 
Sunday. My handsome Bradley....We went to church at Lisa & Jason's church -- College Church in Wheaton. It is also where my friend Jeff Wencel and his fiancee, Emily, are members. So we were able to meet Emily (for the first time) briefly (she had a previous commitment she needed to leave for) after the service. And then our friend Anna Englert drove in from Dekalb and we all had a long lunch at a nearby restaurant.
Here is my lovely, laughing friend Liz Soon-to-be-Berget at her wedding shower...This post is part of my continuing realization that I have not shown my dearest Minneapolis friends on this blog. Liz and I met this winter when she returned from Sudan where she taught ESL for a semester following graduation from Northwestern. 
We were going for second grade cheeseball smiles.
Eric Berget & Liz -- they're both in our small group from church. Eric is also in Brad's fantasy baseball league this year. Both these guys Victor-sit for us from time to time.
Can't get a smile from Atticus )-: He always misses his morning nap on Sundays.
Atticus playing with the big boys, Calvin Miller & Sammy Rodriguez....
Handsome Isaac
