Becoming home

If the first set of home pictures were a "before" - take this as an "in between"

After the clock fell to its death from above the laundry door, we got a bigger one and changed its resting place.

After hours of pulling a rug doctor around and waiting for the carpet to dry, it sure is nice to have the table and chairs out of the middle of the kitchen!

After 3 trips to the furniture store to collect our new things, we have our new living room furniture set up (minus the maroon and green curtains like those in the dining room which should be coming next week). It was all brought together by the rug Mary Jane and Randy found in MI - look where it took us!

The lamp shades really aren't pink... they are maroon.

Toby approves

Ozark goes to Oz & the Valentine's Masquerade

On Saturday night we went down to watch the Senior class' 2nd production of the musical Wizard of Oz. I was amazed at their acting, singing, costumes and backdrops - so I thought I'd put up a few pictures. These pictures are from the Ozark website (courtesy of Mr. Fisher probably) from their 1st production 2 weeks ago.

Winston, Sam, and Vinny as munchkins

"We're off to see the Wizard!"

The Tin Man - (Min Su Kim, who is really Japanese, but did a great Tin Man) - and the Wizard. The Wizard's hot air balloon said "Senior Trip or Bust" on it.

Then today was the Valentines banquet. Ryan helped them set up the gym this morning. It was a masquerade theme. They made chandeliers to hang from the ceiling. The floor was covered with a massive tarp to protect it.

Ryan sang Oh My Darlin' Clementine as 1st Tenor with a faculty quartet.
L to R: Leandro Bizama (music teacher), Ryan, Charlie Barber (VP and history/social sciences), & Kevin ? (taskforce chaplain and Ozark alumnus)
There was a part in the middle where they went into a minor key when Clementine dies and they all turned around and acted like they were crying. It was quite funny! I tried to take a video of it on my camera but it didn't work out.

And Toby's reaction to the weekend?
"Please say you're not going to leave me here alone again!"

Happy Valentine's Day!

Happy Sabbath Valentine's dinner: corn, green beans, bread, wild rice, and oatburgers with gravy. And vegan cheesecake with the Butterfingers he got me crumbled on it for desert! See the tulips Ryan brought me?

He also gave me a book called Lost and Found.

Randomness from the days of our lives

We've survived the weather yet again this week but we did get a little blown around as you can see!
Campus is still looking a little battered from the ice storm. This tree gets the award for most devastated.

Mr. Mason made a huge pile of most of the debris on faculty hill resulting from the ice storm. I see a large bonfire in our future!

Walking by the creek down at the field - you can see branches down all over the place behind us

Toby's favorite evening spot

Toby's favorite morning spot

Ryan grading health tests while Toby naps

25 Random Things about Me

Its a Facebook thing... but I thought some of the rest of you might want to see this randomness too. If not, skip to the posts with pictures. ;-)

1. I collect penguins... only really cute ones and not so many that they overwhelm my house, but are randomly scattered.
2. I am the most productive and the most happy before 11 AM; my brain becomes a ball of mush after 11 PM. (This is difficult because MOST people in my life are NOT this way!)
3. To continue #2 - I have slept past 8:30 AM less than 10 times in my whole life (and when I did I was probably sick or was kept up until an ungodly hour in spite of my own wishes).
4. Being in a large group of people (even if I know all of them) is very rarely a low stress situation for me. I am much happier in small groups.
5. One of my biggest pet peeves is not being able to find something - which is happening to me a lot right now because of our move!
6. My mother (and the show Wishbone) instilled a love for terriers in me. Since I was young, I've wanted a White Highland Terrier named Duncan. (My cousin Lindsey had one named Laddie and he stole my heart.) However, I got Toby the Terrier Mutt and I'm perfectly happy!
7. The first people I want to meet when I get to heaven are my grandparents: the 3 I never really got to know (because I think they were amazing people who hold some of the secrets as to why I am who I am and where I came from) and my Grandma because I want her to meet Ryan (I think she will LOVE him).
8. I enjoy meeting new people but I like old, lifelong friends the best!
9. I love reading true stories about people - especially historical figures from the revolutionary time period and good true life experiences.
10. My favorite hymn is As Water To The Thirsty - Hymn No. 460 (read the words sometime!)
11. My favorite meal is biscuits and gravy! (yeah, I know a lot of you knew that one)
12. The person that probably understands me best in the whole world is my sister - even though we are very different!
13. I like Kawai pianos first, Yamaha second... Steinway... not so sure what the buzz is about...
14. I like Gala or Braeburn apples best.
15. Some leaders from history that I really respect are: John & Abigail Adams, Abraham Lincoln, and George H.W. Bush.
16. I love black and white pictures, especially ones with shallow depth of field and lots of contrast.
17. Since morning is my favorite time - three of my best early morning memories are: watching Grandma cook breakfast in the kitchen in Afton, doing camera experiments with Dad (I was usually holding a gray card very still or I was the subject), and playing the organ in the dark at Southern.
18. I shy away from challenges - unless I can see that nobody else is stepping up to the plate to do it, because then, no matter what I do, it will be better than nobody doing anything.
19. I LOVE pina coladas (non-alcoholic silly)
20. My favorite piece of classical music is The Moldau by Smetana (listen to it - its WONDERFUL!)
21. My favorite channels are: TV Land, Discovery, TLC, & Animal Planet. And even though I rarely watch it, my favorite TV show is House. (Also, I've been watching a lot of Its Me or the Dog since my recent acquisition of a furry friend.)
22. I like to find nice things to do for people - things that either help them or show them that I understand what they like/don't like or who they are. And I guess when people do things like that for me, it makes me feel loved too, which is probably why I like doing those things for other people.
23. If I could have any car I would get an Infiniti G35, 4 door, 6 speed manual, if they make it...
24. My ultimate dream would be to play the biggest tracker organ in the world flawlessly with a massive symphony orchestra.
25. My best buddy in the whole world is Ryan Knight and I love him so much more every day I'm married to him!

Toby's 1st haircut

Ok, ok, so I'll let you guys see his haircut... now that I've had a few days to get used to it, maybe its not so bad after all. I'm sure he likes all of the hair out of his eyes.
I know I'm like a proud parent but hey, I love this little guy!

Can you see his girly eye lashes?

My two favorite boys

Ok... enough pictures already...

Crikey!

Look what Toby and I found in the field across the street from our house!
Never thought I'd share a yard with these guys.

Rockabye Toby

This is pretty much how he goes to sleep every evening. I'd like to know what he dreams because his little legs kick and sometimes he makes noises. Have you ever heard a little dog snore? ;-)