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Wednesday, December 23, 2009

These are a few of my favorite things...

1. Wonder-Under!

I am just beginning to experiment with this fun crafting tool but I am finding that it's very versitile and I love trying my hand at new things. Wonder under enables... Appliques. Yay!! Which has helped me with a couple stocking stuffers for some little tots that I will be surrounded by this Christmas- yes.. My tot is one of them!


2. Bath time!!

Staying home with Riley has been such a joy and I just love the little parts of our days and weeks that are filled with laughter and smiles!! Bath time is one of these times!!

... which leads me to my next favorite...

3. My Camera!

I got it for Christmas last year from my wonderful husband, but that gift just keeps on giving!!! For those who wonder, I have a Canon Rebel EOS XSi and I am still unlocking all the possibilities of what this camera is capable of. The limiting factor is without a doubt ME! And on top of the camera, I love the editing software I use- Corel PSP! Too bad it bogs down our crappy PC... but not for much longer!!!

4. Bumps, Jumps and Kicks

I love the point in pregnancy when you can actually feel the tiny life inside moving around! I've been feeling the quickening for the past few weeks, but it's finally getting strong enough that John can have a shot at feeling our daughter too!!! One of these days he'll get lucky!

5. Christmas!!!

What a beautiful event to celebrate God coming down as man to save us from our sins. I LOVE the lyrics to this song "I celebrate the day" from one of my favorite bands, Relient K.

And with this Christmas wish is missed The point I could convey.
If only I could find the words to say to let You know how much You've touched my life,
Because here is where You're finding me, in the exact same place as New Year's eve
And from a lack of my persistency, We're less than half as close as I want to be

And the first time That You opened Your eyes did You realize that You would be my Savior
And the first breath that left Your lips
Did You know that it would change this world forever

And so this Christmas I'll compare the things I felt in prior years

To what this midnight made so clear
That You have come to meet me here
To look back and think that This baby would one day save me
In the hope that what You did
That you were born so I might live
To look back and think that
This baby would one day save me
And I, I celebrate the day That You were born to die So I could one day pray for You to save my life

I hope all of you are enjoying this miraculous season and are able to spend it with family and loved ones!

God Bless and Merry Christmas!!!!

Tuesday, December 8, 2009

Family Photography- The Battema's

I've always thought that the best job is something you enjoy doing and oh by the way, you get a little cash thrown your way too!! Well I feel extremely blessed to be dabbling in my hobbies and making a little on the side! Since September, my Flybagz site has been going nuts (which is a pretty cool problem to have) and has me sweatin' this holiday season trying to finish bags!!! Aside from the bags, I was asked to take family portraits for a friend of mine and fellow air force wife.... and we actually picked a time and did it! It was a lot of fun for me (and quite a bit of learning too) and I am pleased with the shots (of course I had an obscene amount to choose from). Here are a few of my favorites of their beautiful family!






Wednesday, December 2, 2009

IT'S A......





That's right!! We're having a little girl!!!

I am thrilled (someone to do crafts with me!!!) but John is absolutely terrified!

And since I love when my preggo friends post updated pics of themselves and their growing bellies.. here I am at 19 weeks.


P.S. I hate the "chubby" stage!

Monday, November 16, 2009

Pine

Alright. This is horribly late but I find myself putting it off because I just don't have the time to tell my tale of a trip to Pine. So, I'm not going to tell much tale and just do what I do best... throw up some pictures.

These two are some of my favorite pics.. Friend, Carolyn was tossing Ri around and I love the way the sun hits and just the candid moment it captured!

Cliff Notes Version:
Our Life Group (church friends) headed up to Pine and stayed at a woman from our church's cabin. She is an older lady and a widow since last year so we took on a little work project to clean up her yard. After a hard day's work, we (by we, I mean Tiffany and Emily) planned a Halloween "murder mystery" which we all dressed the part (theme: literary characters) and acted out during a delicious dinner.

Here's our work party at work.

Mid-work break into song... Thriller came on. What can you expect?!
First attempt at Thriller- pathetic.

In sync!

The guys kept busy by cutting down dead trees on the property. They stocked the fire wood pile and even made a beautiful fire ring!


Snow White and Pippy Long Stocking
The Hood's- haha
Robin Hood and Red Riding Hood.. oh and the butler, of course.

The Madd Hatter and Alice in Wonderland

Big shoes to fill.

Saturday, November 7, 2009

Water Baby

I have a post to do about our amazing Halloween/Birthday trip to Pine, AZ... But that one requires thought and, well... writing.
Here is a picture post. Thought I'd pass some smiles along because these pictures bring such a smile to my heart!

"Hmmm.. What is this?"

"Whatever it is... IT'S FUN!!!"

"A LOT OF FUN!.. WHOOO HOOO!!"

"Let's take a closer look..."
"gulp. gulp. gulp"
"Hehehe."

How can a person really be so smitten??? It's beyond words.

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

What 'cha think??

Soooo... my last pregnancy, I KNEW right from the beginning that we were having a BOY! Maybe it was my husband's constant comments or just my own hope to have a boy first... I have one older brother and he was my protector and guardian and once we were both in High School, we got along pretty famously. Whatever the case, I just knew that my Riley was destine to be my little boy!

But now this one.. I'm kinda baffled. John (and my whole church group friends) is (are) convinced that this time is definitely a girl. John's reasoning is because this time I felt queasy earlier (last time had the blahs from weeks 10-13 and this time it started around week 6) and because I was an emotional basket case- breaking into tears at absolutely NOTHING and ANYTHING.
...But... I'm not so sure because the blahs still only lasted 3 weeks for me and were gone by week 9 and although I may still get teary at commercials (who doesn't when pregnant, or even sometimes just being a "woman"), all in all I feel normal. Just like last time.

So what do YOU think??

In the Right column, I'm putting up my poll for you to vote whether you think I'll have a BOY or GIRL this time. I should be finding out in just under a month, so get your vote in!!!

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

No Crud for Me

Last Friday came and went one of the bi-annual Women's Crud Tournaments at the O-club. Oh how I love Crud. But sadly, I was merely a spectator at this event since it can be a kind of rough game and I'm carrying precious cargo. Our squadron had to plan and throw the event since last tourney we brought home the big "V"!






"Congratulations! You won the Tournament. Now you have to go through the huge butt pain to throw the next one!".... Huh?


Anyhow, the amazing Squadron Commander's Wife (kinda known as our head wife in our little wives group), Colleen planned quite the event. Not just a crud tournament, as it's been in the past, but a multi-event "Old School" party. We had 4-5-6, beer pong, a cigar and scotch room, we bussed in single chicks for our single pilots (which since 9-11 is virtually unheard of getting a bus full of civilians on base), quite the food spread, live music with the Juvat Boys Choir and even ended the night with a good ol' piano burning!



Good times! I was just excited to get into my Flight Suit Jumper that I made before I won't be able to!

Monday, October 19, 2009

Sweet and Sour

John's big 3-0 was Friday! Happy Birthday Honey!! Now he's officially old- although he doesn't feel too bad about it since he is in better shape now then when he turned the 2 decade point. Instead of buying gifts, we celebrate by cooking.

He picks the elaborate menu and I prepare it all. We have friends over to celebrate (since we both enjoy entertaining) and then I am responsible for all of the clean-up. Don't worry.. When it's my birthday, I get the same top notch treatment.
The Menu:

Course 1:
Honey Pecan Roasted Brie
Platter or Salami, Brie, Crackers and Grapes
Fruit arrangement
Course 2:
French Onion Soup from scratch,
topped with homemade french bread and Gruyer cheese

Course 3:
Bacon Wrapped Chicken stuffed with Boursin Cheese
w/ Creme Frische sauce
Carrots Promenade
Pesto Zucchini and Roasted Peppers
Course 4:

Orange Almond Mousse

And a whole lot of dishes to clean!


Not to bring the party down, but sadly our weekend of celebration had a pretty stained overtone to it. There has been just tragedy after tragedy within the F16 community lately. I don't know if I'm more aware of it since my hubby is a part of that community or if it really has been especially rough these past couple of months. If you're the praying type, please remember these families:

The Sullivan's
Sara passed away of breast cancer only weeks ago after giving birth to Chloe, their first baby.

The Giglio's
F 16 collision in the Atlantic Ocean caused a fatal crash where Nicholas Giglio is leaving behind his wife, his 15mo old daughter and one on the way.

The Friedman's
After delivering their second child, Katie passed away due to bleeding complications leaving Jon behind with 2 young boys.

The Houghton's
Fatal crash in Utah leaves a young widow behind.

It's very humbling to see this breaking news and realize that there is so much more going on that what is inside my tiny little insignificant bubble. I really believe that God is in control and has a plan and my prayer is that He is somehow glorified in each of these tragedies! It definately makes you happy for each moment we get to spend with our loved ones!!!


Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight --Proverbs 3:5-6

Sunday, October 11, 2009

Mission News

John and I are very excited to announce that he will be going on a mission trip to Ghana from January 13-24, 2010!! I was planning to go but the little bug inside me is holding me back.. Love you lil' bug. Although I'd love to go, I am thrilled that John will be representing our family and serving the Lord!

We are looking forward to God working through us to accomplish His will in Ghana!

If you are willing and able, we prayerfully ask that you consider supporting us financially on this trip. A large portion of the proceeds goes to building a church. More importantly, we are seeking people to be praying for him and the group as they prepare for this trip and as they minister to the people of Ghana. If you would like to support in prayer or financially, please print and mail this form (This opens a PDF document that you can print).

Tuesday, October 6, 2009

Occupied!

You may be wondering... what is occupied?

Lots of things!!!

My life- I keep thinking after one busy season that things are going to finally slow down but they don't! It just rolls right into more busyness! Summer is coming to a close (ok.. i realize it's October but remember I live in Arizona and the temps here are still in the 9o's) and we had a lot going on over the summer.. Trip to Texas, California, tons of Squadron functions, John's job change, the launch of my business website, and then squeezing in camping/hiking and rock climbing when ever we could! Now it's finally cooling off at night which is just lovely. Around this time is when I do love living in Arizona... Sure, I really miss the leaves turning colors and the smell of fall, but you really can't shake a stick at the always sunny and comfortably warm days with the cool evenings here. Now that fall is in sight, there are upcoming things that have already got us Wilson's spinning! Sigh... I guess busy is the new normal.

My occupation- Homemaker/Seamstress (kinda). The month of September really was a record setting month for me and my little sweat shop. I typically get a couple orders a month, which that and watching my Ri' keeps me busy enough. The month of September brought me twelve purse orders!!!! 12! I am going to be SUPER busy- we're talking work on weekends busy! I'm not complaining at all!! I just have to stay focused!

My uterus. That's right. Riley's going to be a big brother- if only he could understand how much his world will be turned upside-down!! I am somewhere between 10 and 11 weeks pregnant and am due late April/early May. John's convinced we'll have a Cinco de Mayo baby which he wants to name Pedro (or Pedrita prospectively). I had my second ultrasound today and got to see the baby's profile and the strong heart beat!! Here we go again!!!

I love being occupied!

Here's the 7 week blip. This is the picture mail that John got while he was up in Flagstaff hunting.

Here's today's US image. May not be very clear to you, but I can see the whole profile, jaw bone, arms, etc! The baby was very active for the camera- which is so fun to see!!

Monday, October 5, 2009

Meat Market!

Warning: If you're the type of person that has a super weak stomach or became a vegetarian because you found out you were actually eating dead animal... This is not the post you ought to be reading.. Check back in a few days.. Maybe I'll have a different post up for ya!


It all started a couple Christmas' ago when John really wanted a Bow- which I had awaiting him under the tree. He decided to pick up Bow Hunting after a friend got him interested in Ohio and when we lived in Utah, the outdoor mecca he just had to have his own bow! Anyway, it's a relatively new hobby and John gets loads of enjoyment out of it. He's thus far had moderate success. I mean, I think he's done great, but I think that he has had some disappointments along the way. Last year, for example he got a deer tag and came home empty handed. Imagine how discouraging that would be. But this year, he got drawn (kind of like a lottery ticket) for a VERY desirable Elk tag. What made it so desirable is the fact that it was in the section of Arizona where all the HUGE trophy bucks have come from.

This Elk trip was partly why I was so unsuspecting of the surprise anniversary trip John planned. The day before our anniversary, he was stressed out and when I asked him about it he admitted that he was stressed about vacation. Naturally I assumed the elk hunt since he has been target practicing, packing and planning for this trip for a good 9 months and it was only a week away! After we got back from our Cancun trip, John had a day and a half before he left for his two week Elk adventure.

And he's off! He drove up to Flagstaff and met up with his cousin's husband, Chris and Chris' father, Dan. They, between the two of them have 50 years of Bow Hunting experience so just for that fact alone, John was extremely appreciative that they allowed him to tag along (Dan had the same Elk tag that John had)! Not only was he in the presence of greatness but they had quite the set up- trailer, shower, microwave, 4-wheelers! Sure beat John's plan to camp out in his tent and eat dehydrated meals for 2 weeks! And so it went... the guys found a watering hole where the elk (and other inhabitants of the land) were sure to visit to rehydrate and cool off and it was there that John set up a "blind" (basically a fort he could hide behind so he was unseen by the visiting wild life. He sat that by night and let out some bugles by day which kept him quite busy for the first week. He had days were he didn't see much and days where he would see all kinds of elk but just didn't get a good shot or they were too far away. He passed on a couple of "Spikes" in hopes of an opportunity on a bigger guy later. The guys kept talking about the Rut which they predicted would happen any day!!! Apparently, when this rut happens, the bull (male) elk throw caution to the wind and their sole mission becomes to find them a woman!! Needless to say, hunting becomes much easier during this time since usually they are pretty cautious animals and do well at being quiet and keeping out of harms way.

I drove up to visit John after a week of his hunting pursuits. He had taken off two weeks total and it may have been another week without Riley seeing his father and me seeing my best friend. He was beginning to feel the time crunch since he was half way through his hunt and hadn't had the perfect shot yet. I stayed the night and left before he went out for his evening hunt the next day. It was during this evening hunt, as I was driving back to Phoenix that John was sitting his water hole, as was now his routine. Just as the sun set and the darkness was becoming too thick to see anymore, John heard some lapping at the little pond. It sounded different though- not like the deer and elk that he had seen/heard previously. This sounded like a cat lapping up water... A really BIG cat. He caught a glimpse of a silhouette through the darkness and sure enough, he was a few yards away from a mountain lion!!!!! Imagine yourself, helpless with no weapon but a bow and arrow, in the dark in the woods near a MOUNTAIN LION!!!! His pulse raced and his brow began to sweat. He sat tight and didn't move for fear that any movement would be heard by this unexpected predator. Eventually, when the darkness would no longer allow sight he heard the lion stalk away, headed into the woods- BEHIND HIM!!! So he waited in fear until he thought it was far enough away that the rustling of leaves and pounding of dirt would not be heard. He quickly ran to his quad and sped back to the camp with quite the story to tell the guys!!

The next morning he awoke and still remembering the night before, he grabbed his loaded gun (only for mountain lion protection) along with his bow before leaving the camp for the morning hunt.

Turns out that he got within 17 yards of a nice sized bull elk. I'll end here maybe partially for you, but mostly for myself. I am an animal lover and I turn away when watching the Discovery channel during an attack. I will say that the elk did not suffer- John is a very good shot.

And we'll soon have 150 lbs of Elk meat (pending the pick up)- which I've heard is among the most tasty meat in the wild game category.. well between elk and buffalo (I'll let you know once I cook some up)! Guess we won't need to buy any beef for a while!!

This picture shows off the Bow, in case you were wondering what it looks like.

Keep in mind that my husband is gleaming with pride and I, as his wife am just thrilled for his success with his big Elk hunt this year.