Busy Boy

Just wanted to share a few pictures of what Noel has been up to. In April we visited the Collins family, and Noel had a great time hanging out with Jude and Mattie.

And he is all about cars. At first it was our cars that he loved to play in, but now, thanks to the Cole family, Noel has his own wheels to ride around and pick up the ladies.

He is also learning to enjoy all different kinds of foods, especially those dipped in ketchup, as you can tell by the above picture. Hope everyone is enjoying spring!

I'm learning

Things I have learned recently:
*NEVER leave a bottle of bubble soap open, even if you think it's out of reach
*toys never compare to real "grown up" stuff
*A cow says "boo" (according to Noel)
*there are a few downsides to Daylight Savings, such as Noel getting up with the sun at 6:30 a.m. instead of 7:45
*weekend tv stinks once college basketball is over
*sometimes I have unbelievably high expectations of myself and others, which always leads to disappointment
*If you miss the Kohl's sale that's going on today, don't worry. There will be an even bigger one next week
*However I think Noel is going to act in front of other people, he does the exact opposite
*The book of Judges has some great stories! I can't wait to read them to Noel when he's a little older. Tent pegs through the head? Fat kings getting stabbed in the belly? Come on, that's good stuff!
*We are sooooo glad that spring is here!!!

Traveling Clan

Well, we all made it back from Texas safe and sound. After reading the news yesterday about American Airlines, I'm glad our trip was last week and not this week. YIKES!!
We had a great time with the Collins family. Noel did really well traveling and loved playing with Jude and Mattie. He loved their toy room! And David's flight back to Indy was on time, despite the Brownsville airport losing power. We met up at the airport and headed home without any trouble. We are very blessed!

I'd love to post some pictures right here of Noel, but, as expected, I left my digital camera in Texas. So the pictures will have to wait. I always leave something. Anyway, Noel is doing well. He is talking up a storm. One of the funniest words now is "hawlo" which is what he calls the phone ("hello"). Anytime he sees one, he says it. He has also become the "all gone" police, as we like to call him. If he sees anything that has been emptied (glass, plate, trash, etc.) he shouts out, "All gone!!" Not too much gets by him nowadays.

Because everything is bigger there. . .

Texas, here we come! Noel and I are leaving Sunday for Ft. Worth to spend the week with the Collins famiy. And David is leaving Monday for Mexico, but will be staying in Brownsville. We are almost as far away from each other in Texas as we would be if David stayed home, that's how big Texas is. Anyway, I'm looking forward to seeing Matt, Jenni, Jude, and Mattie, their new home, the warm weather, and a little break from Kokomo. You can really have only so much Kokomo at one time. Then you kind of overdose.

Also, we are happy to report that David is kidney stone free and feeling very good. It was a long 2 weeks, but the worst is behind us, thank God.

Winter Pictures

If you are interested, click here to see pictures from this winter.




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YEOUCH!!!

That is the theme around our house this week. We found out on Monday that David has 2 rather large kidney stones trying to work their way out. David is going to the hospital on Friday to try and get them crushed. They are not sure if they can reach them, but they will try. Say a prayer for David when you can.

Stuck!

Noel was playing around in the kitchen today, and ended up sitting in a mixing bowl. Then he couldn't get out! So David ran and got the camera. Is it bad to take pictures instead of helping him out of his dilemna?

New words now in Noel's vocabulary:
"No" (his favorite!)
Cookie
cheese
Tee

New animal sounds:
horse
cat
sheep

It's like Old MacDonald around here.

We were robbed!!

All year I have been following my Illinois State Men's Basketball team. They did so well this year, finished 2nd only to Drake in the MVC and got 2nd in the conference tournament. But, alas, they were not chosen for the big dance. I was really disappointed, but I will get to see them play on tv since they are a 2nd seed in the NIT (whatever. . .) Go redbirds!!

Puffcorn to the rescue

To anyone out there who has small children, someone introduced me to these things called "Puffcorn Delites" and Noel is officially in love with them. They aren't as messy as cheetos and don't have the hulls that popcorn does. We might buy stock in them!

Reason #43 why I avoid Wal-Mart

So Noel and I went to Wal-Mart to get a few things today. I got a wicker basket to replace one in our house that had broken. When I got up to the checkout, I said to the cashier, "You can just put the rest of the items in the basket." I have been really trying not to be wasteful with those plastic bags. So she proceeds to put all of my items in a bag and THEN in the basket. I told her I didn't need the bag. She got all huffy and said, "Well, why not??" I told her I was trying not to be wasteful. I got the eyeroll and the items were put in the basket, sans bag. You would have thought I'd asked her to recycle or something, the way she reacted. You gotta love it.

Snowed In!

Last weekend, as part of our Christmas, David and I had planned a getaway to Ohio. First, we were supposed to drop Noel off with David's sister. Then we would head to Columbus, Ohio to stay at the Hyatt downtown, have some fun exploring the city, taking our nephew out, and finally watch our Michigan State Spartans play Ohio State.

As most of you know, however, Columbus had the biggest snow in years, over 20 inches. When we left Saturday from Findlay, we thought the weather shows were exaggerating. Not the case at all. After a couple of hours of driving very slowly and cautiously, we ended up stranded in Marion, Ohio, about 45 miles from Columbus. When we got off, we couldn't see anything. David found a Fairfield Inn and went in to talk to someone about the conditions. By then, the police had blocked off the exits and closed the highway completely. Our romantic getaway had just been moved to lovely Marion, Ohio!! Long story short, the evening consisted of hanging out in the hotel room and a trip to Walmart (the only store open in the whole town) for microwave popcorn and poptarts for dinner. But we were safe and thankful for that.

Fortunately, we did make it to the game on Sunday. The Spartans gave away the game at the end, but we had a good time and got to take Aaron out for lunch afterwards. So our plans didn't go quite as expected, but it was an adventure we will not soon forget!

Thoughts about faith

I have been thinking that I can use this blog as more than just an outlet for sharing pictures of Noel, as precious as his little cheeks are.

Faith is on my mind today, and how roller-coaster-y mine is, depending on the circumstances. Right now I'm going through the book of Numbers (I know what you're thinking, "thrilling") and although there are lots of boring parts, it struck me today how the Israelites moved according to God's presence in a cloud. They had no idea how long they were going to be in one place. Could be a day, a month, or more. Whenever the cloud moved, they had to pack up and go. But packing up and going meant soooo much work, because they had the tabernacle with all of its specific details in the tearing up and setting down. The Israelites had to have faith that where God was leading them was worth all of the effort. I long for that kind of faith. The kind where I wake up every day and let God lead, not worrying about tomorrow, a month from now, 10 years from now, etc. The kind where I make the most of every opportunity (Eph. 4?) and still think eternally. May my head be in the clouds today.

Who killed our snowman?

On Friday, David and Noel made a snowman, and now he is losing his girth at rapid speed. Am I sad about this? Not at all!! Welcome, spring! We will miss the skiing, but bring on the warm weather!!

Get to know me!

I saw this on a blog post and thought it was a cool way to get to know someone. Here are my answers. Feel free to add yours and/or comment on mine.
By the way, I could answer the Bible to almost all of these, but since that is kind of a given, I'll exclude that book.

One book that changed my life: The Hiding Place by Cory Ten Boom. Amazing book about surviving the Holocaust and using everything for God's glory.

One book that I have read more than once: Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller. If you know me at all, you know I am a huge Donald Miller fan. This is the best of his books. A great book about God that's not "religious"

One book I would take with me on a desert island: probably one of the classics that I've never read, like The Brothers Karamozov or War and Peace.

One book that made me laugh: A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson. He and his friend try and conquer the Appalachain Trail. Soooo funny in parts.

One book that made me cry: Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom. This book could go in several other categories as well. But I distinctly remember finishing it sitting in a hallway before a class in college and just crying my eyes out. People were walking by thinking I was having a breakdown.

One book that scared the you-know-what out of me: I'm a pretty big wimp about scary books. I've started some Dean Koontz books and had to stop reading them because of nightmares!

One book I wish I had written: Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte. One of the best female-written books of all time. Love, love, love it.

One book I wish had never been written: Tie between Moby Dick and Johnny Tremain. I know they are classics, but I can't stand either one of them!

One book I am currently reading: Wild at Heart by John Eldridge

One book I intend to read: The Shack by William P. Young

Stir Crazy

So it was about 4 degrees all day today. Stir craziness got the best of us and Noel dressed up in all the winter wear we have. He stomped around the house in his boots for a couple of hours before I made him take them off. What a funny kid.

What Noel's up to

*almost 20 pounds

*lots of climbing--piano bench, kitchen chairs, bed, stairs, Tee, whatever he can

*animal sounds. His lion is especially mean and scary :)

*eating with utensils. He can't get the food on the fork, but once I hand him a fork with something, watch out!

*playing peek-a-boo

*wearing mom's sunglasses

*opening every door, drawer, container possible

*plastic bottles with lids (why do we buy him toys again?)

*being about the cutest little kid in the world

Why I love Kokomo

I'm not sure how long this link will be available, but this story is amazing.

http://www.kokomotribune.com/local/local_story_015084453.html

Christmas Highlights, part 3

On the day after Christmas, the Wittenbach Family all met up at Boyne Mountain in northern Michigan for 3 days of skiing, eating, water park-ing, and family time. We had such a good time. The skiing conditions were amazing, (especially since I got to try out my new ski blades that David got me for Christmas). It snowed most of the time, so there was always fresh powder for the slopes. And on the last day some of us went to the indoor water park at the resort. Noel loved being in the water, and although he struggled with sleep, he had a good time being loved on by his big family. Yet another reminder of how much God has blessed us.

Christmas Highlights, part 2

Our second Christmas celebration was on Christmas day itself. We had Christmas at our house in the morning, and then at my grandparents' house in the afternoon. I think Noel's favorite gift is his new toy vacuum. He drags it all over the house. After lunch with the family, we headed up to Michigan to spend Christmas night with David's parents, David's brother and family, and David's grandmother. Noel was a little overwhelmed with all the people, but we thought it was really cool that he got to see every one of his grandparents and great-grandparents on the actual day of Christmas. This is a rare occurance, especially when they live in different states.

Christmas Highlights, part 1

Our first Christmas celebration took place at my parents' house. Noel didn't really understand the whole present thing, but enjoyed the food and family. Our highlight was playing Guitar Hero III with the whole fam. Everyone got in on the action.

Let the fun begin!

Since we have snow now we realized that Noel needs snow boots! We found a pair that not only light up, but they have snowboarders on the side! So we took a few pictures while Noel gave a fashion show, sans pants. Who doesn't love those legs???

Snow Day!

Just wanted to put some pictures of us enjoying the season. Noel got to really experience snow for the first time. He loves being outdoors, just like his dad. Just wait until he can ski/snowboard!

And our little Christmas tree looks so cute! I'm amazed that Noel hasn't bothered it. . .yet. Looking forward to more fun this month.

Pictures from our broken camera

Here are some pictures from the Creation Museum and one from the Air Force Museum. We bought another camera on ebay, so the pictures can continue. We had a great Thanksgiving with all of our family. Noel's big achievement was mastering the stairs at Aunt Christy's house. Tonight we learned that he will sway back and forth and clap his hands if we play Transiberian Orchestra. He's a rock star already!

Happy Thanksgiving!!

We probably won't be posting any pictures for a while, since I dropped our camera on a cement floor and broke it!! But I will tell you that we have been enjoying David being home for the last week. He had last Friday off, then took Monday thru Wednesday off as well. For the weekend we went on a mini-vacation visiting The Creation Museum, our friends Brian and Ashley Craw, and the Air Force Museum. All three stops were so much fun. We really enjoyed the Creation Museum. If you are ever around Cincinnati, take the afternoon to see it.

We are thankful this year for so many things. Here are just a few:

*Health and Safety for everyone. Noel has been sick twice in the 13 months of his life!

*Beautiful Fall weather

*Family

*Friends

*Music

*Laughter

Mostly we are just so thankful for each new day and all that it holds. Every day is an adventure, a chance to learn, to give, and to become more like the One who gave us these days. We hope you all have a great Thanksgiving!

Revision from last blog entry

Noel did NOT find Pac-Man on my cell phone. He BOUGHT Pac-Man and had it installed on my cell phone. This makes me lean towards the boy genius side.

Boy Genius? or Clueless Mother? You Decide

So David is gone with the youth group and I decided that Noel and I would go to Indy to do some Christmas shopping and have dinner with the Cole Family. After an afternoon of being contained he was not very happy about being in the car seat all the way home. He literally cried and screamed for almost the whole trip. I had finally had enough, and when we hit the first stoplight in Kokomo, I turned around and told him to stop. Then I handed him my cell phone to occupy him.


Silence.


I look back, and he is staring at the screen of the phone. Then I hear music coming from the phone. I take the phone back a couple of stoplights later only to find that Noel has found Pac-Man on my phone.

I've had the same cell phone for 3 years, and I've never seen Pac-Man. Noel has it for 3 minutes, and he's on his 2nd level (okay, not really, but come on!!) I said a quick prayer of thanks for lightening the mood. What in the world will this kid figure out next?

Always on the go

These days, Noel is into everything! It's pretty entertaining. If we can't see him for a few minutes and it's quiet, we know there's trouble! Yesterday we found him inside the closet inspecting our paper supply. Then it was quiet later in the night and he had pulled about 50 baby wipes out of the dispenser, one by one! The other picture is of Noel cheering the Colts on (even though they lost) in his Colts jersey. The funniest thing about this picture is what you can't see. He is standing on my guitar case. He stood on top of it and watched the game for about 15 minutes, trying to walk up and down. He is so into climbing right now. And falling doesn't even seem to bother him. What are we in store for next???

Dragosaurus?

Okay, so Noel had a great Halloween, despite the fact that it took his parents most of the night to realize he was a dragon, not a dinosaur (oops). Attached is a link to some pictures from Halloween as well as some other funny/cute ones.



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Harvest Time!

We just got back from a trip to Michigan to see David's family. All of the Wittenbach siblings were there, which is unusual, so we had a great time being together. Here's a link to the pictures:

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Birthday Goodness

Just wanted to share a few pictures from Noel's birthday party. He had a really good time. Liked to make a mess with the cake, but didn't care too much about eating it. Never quite understood the idea of opening presents, but loved everything he got. He got a wagon, which he is especially pumped about.

First of many

So Noel not only had his first birthday yesterday, but had his first big accident. He was walking around outside and fell on the pavement. Immediately he had a huge purple goose egg. He cried for a while, but was very brave. In fact, by the time David got the camera to take a picture, he smiled for him! He never ceases to amaze me. The accident itself was much harder on the parents. We finally put a bandaid over it, not necessarily to heal anything, but so we wouldn't have to look at it and be reminded that our little man had a big hurt. Other than that, he had a fun day. We are so blessed to have Noel, and this year has been amazing. Let the adventure of the second year begin (gulp!)

What a difference a year makes!

October 4, 2006

October 4, 2007


Happy Birthday, Noel!!

Success!

Well, our camping trip was a huge success! Everyone, including Noel, had a great time. Some of our favorite parts included:
*hanging out with friends
*s'mores
*going on bike rides
*Saturday afternoon hike
*time with our small group, including a pitch-in breakfast that was fabulous
*Playing Phase 5 (we get bored easily)by the campfire

Some of Noel's favorite parts included
*other kids
*dirt
*rocks
*grass
*food
*dogs
*hanging out with mom and dad
What more could a kid ask for?

Below is a link to all the pictures from camping plus some others from September. Enjoy!!

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Get ready to camp!

So this weekend Noel is embarking on his first real camping trip. We are going with the Pagingtons, as well as 160+ people from our church, to camp at Brown County. I'm a little nervous how Noel is going to do in the tent, but whatever the outcome, it will make a good story, right?

The walking is getting better and faster every day. It's hilarious! He plays with his best friend, Tee, all day (even though Tee could do without him sometimes).

We will be sure to share any good camping stories when we return.

Happy 11 months, Noel!

Noel is officially a (struggling) walker. This past week he has gone from one or two steps to walking about 6-7 feet at a time. It is so crazy watching him! Now he is getting into even more stuff (like toilet paper!).


We went to Ohio over Labor Day weekend to see the Dean family. Noel had fun playing with his cousins and Aunt and Uncle. He tried to walk everywhere he went. He especially liked playing outside with Becca

And playing on the cornhole board that Jacob made. He was born to compete!!

We are looking forward to celebrating Noel's one year birthday. Does anybody have any good party ideas??

Good Reads

If you look at the right hand column on the blog, you will find a list of what I am reading and books I have recently read or reviewed. My friend Jodi Flowers sent me a link to this amazing website where I can see what other people are reading. I love books and reading, and I am really excited about getting some good book recommendations, because right now I can't seem to find anything I like. So please, comment and let me know of any books that you think I should (or shouldn't) read!

10 states in 10 months

In case you didn't know, Noel is quite the traveler. In his 10 months of life, he has been to 10 states. Although it was not his first time, this weekend we went on an excursion to Illinois to see my friend Jill Dicken.

We had a really good time hanging out, and Noel thought Jill was funny (take that, Joel Craig! :) ). David was super dad and watched Noel so Jill and I could spend some time together and go to the movies. We are loving watching Noel grow and change. His new things are playing peek-a-boo and being chased around the house. It's quite the show.