This Week

These were the big and small things that made up our family life this past week:

• A skype call with my 89 year old Grandma who lives in an assisted living home in Portland, OR. Her heart is weak and hospice has been called in, so she is likely living her final days. It was a sweet, memorable conversation, speckled with the marks of her Alzheimer's. It warmed my heart and broke it all at once.
• An utterly horrid experience with Chili's "To Go" service. I wrote a letter and was told we will soon be mailed a gift certificate to use at our leisure, though I can tell you we won't be inclined to use it anytime soon.
• A sweet moment, shared with our older neighbor, standing in the backyard chatting over our fence. We shared some personal life stories and struggles, but we mostly bonded over our shared love for Jesus Christ.
• Excitement that I did not have to report for jury duty this week
• Rediscovering my love of amaretto-flavored coffee creamer
• The moon shining directly down onto my pillow through our skylight for a few nights. It was actually really lovely.
• The victory of Makenna finally asking me "please" {eeez} when she wants something, after months and months of prompting her to use this phrase! She also started saying "Peppa" {paw pa} to request her favorite show "Peppa Pig"
• Feeling fall weather upon us but a few lingering warm spots still to be enjoyed
• Another health hiccup for Makenna--this time a cold with lots of congestion. I'm choosing to believe that we will get all this illness out of the way before actual cold and season hits, rather than believing this is a foretelling of all the illness that will befall us this winter
• Enjoying one of our favorite dinners: taco salad and homemade guacamole, also two of Makenna's favorites
• And finally, because we had free tickets, a trip to Michigan's Renaissance Festival: 

The Summer Fun Begins

Life has just been full of fun lately. We've had great visits with family in the last several weeks and we celebrated my birthday, which is always delightful for me!

Even though we've had travels and lots of fun activities, even the quiet days spent at home seem to be filled with such lovely things.

Here's a bit of what we've been up to lately...

Lots of eating out at restaurants and cafes, and that's always much more exciting (and crazy) with this little lady:

Makenna just turned 16 months old and we are loving this age! She has lost her baby look and is definitely a full-on toddler, running here, there, and everywhere. She is still very social and loves to be the center of attention. In fact, when she knows she has an audience, she starts acting downright goofy. What a little ham! And her hair....SO. MUCH. HAIR. It is wild and out of control. I hardly know what to do with it anymore. It's so hard to keep her food out of it or from it sticking to her drooly mouth {lots of teething happening right now}. It's already grown past her shoulder blades. This little wild-haired lady of ours is so happy, a little bit mischievous, and very loving and affectionate. The joy she adds to our days is immeasurable!

I recently attended a staff retreat for my job at MSU and it was such a lovely event. Our luncheon was exceptionally elegant. I was thinking to myself that it looked like a dinner at Downton Abbey, when another coworker commented aloud the very same thing.

As the days have been getting warmer, I've been enjoying lots of iced lattes.

A day at a theme park, just Matt and myself. Sun, roller coasters, pizza, and water slides. It was such a fun, perfect day.

Makenna's first trip to the zoo. It is so fun to watch her discovering the world.

Yesterday I made a strawberry rhubarb cobbler. I realized it fell perfectly on the day of the full moon, and I recently learned that June's full moon is called the "Strawberry Moon." A dot of fresh whipped cream and a cup of coffee made this the perfect treat.

So many great memories already this summer and we've got lots more upcoming fun to share!

The Pregnancy Details

My last post announcing our Big News was quite short and general, and you may be wondering some things, so I thought I'd answer the general questions that we've gotten thus far.

1. How far along are you?  13 weeks and 2 days, to be precise.

2. When is the due date?  February 15th, 2013 {but we all know babies don't usually stick to those}.

3. How are you feeling?  Better these past few weeks. I've been one of those very lucky ones who hasn't been throwing up with morning sickness. However, that is NOT at all to say I haven't been feeling sick. Since about week 5, I've been extremely nauseated twenty-four/seven. That has really only let up a bit in the past two weeks or so. And though I am eternally grateful to not have actually thrown up {no one hates it more than me!}, it's almost just as miserable to feel like I'm on the verge of needing to for weeks on end. Food has begun to actually sound appetizing to me lately, though my appetite has far from fully returned.

4. Are you showing yet?  Maybe just a teensy bit. My pants are definitely quite snug now, but when I examine my stomach in the mirror, I feel pretty sure that anything sticking out is just my being very bloated. {oh the joys of pregnancy!} So no bump picture for you quite yet....maybe next week!

5. Are you planning on finding out the gender?  Absolutely! Matt and I have both always felt strongly that we wanted to know the gender up front. There may be a possibility for a "gender reveal" party, as well. But of course we would be thrilled with either a boy or girl!

6. Do you have names picked out yet?  No. We have a nice list going for each gender, but nothing has been decided yet. Once we do make our final choice, we plan to keep the name a secret until he or she enters the world.

7. Any cravings?  At this point, it's still just food aversions. For example: coffee. This is crazy for me since I'm such a huge coffee lover! {Apparently my mom also couldn't stand coffee during her pregnancies}. I also haven't been eating too many sweets because they just don't sound good at this point. {I swear...offer me a piece of chocolate and I'll turn it down!} What does sound good at this point are salty things.

*I include this next question because although many people don't ask it, they still wonder.*
8. Did you get pregnant on purpose/was this planned?  Yes! {I wonder this with others sometimes but never ask it. It's one of those "none of your business questions." As my cousin recently put it, getting asked this question is basically the equivalent of getting asked, "So.....business or pleasure?" Haha! Right?} In all seriousness, though, Matt and I are so eternally grateful that God has blessed us with this little one on the way.

9. Any other pregnancy symptoms?  Well, there's the extreme exhaustion. And the going to the bathroom much more frequently. And the aforementioned bloating. My second least favorite {after the intense nausea}? I am breaking out everywhere like a hormonal teenager. My face is a wreck and I'm having a hard time covering it up with makeup. I'm also breaking out like crazy on my shoulders and back.

10. What have you done as far as doctor's appointments go?  We had our first ultrasound at 10 weeks 4 days, and just last week we heard our little one's heartbeat for this first time! Everything looks great so far--Praise the Lord!

I sure am happy to be transitioning into my second trimester now. All the other ladies tell me it's the best part of the pregnancy!

Let me know if you have any other questions and I'll be sure to respond!

Easter Weekend

Easter was here and gone in the blink of an eye. It was really wonderful though--we went to Matt's parents' house and we were long overdue since we hadn't been there since Christmas!

I am so mad at myself that in the midst of all the packing and prepping for our little weekend, I forgot to pack my camera. It really was a shame--we went to a friend's farm to hold tiny five-day-old kittens {which would melt anyone's heart, even if you're not a cat-lover} and the weather was sunny and bright {albeit cold} so I majorly missed some good photo ops.

We had so much delicious home-cooked food and had wonderful times with family.

I've talked before about how blessed I am to have married into the Perry family. And let's be honest...one part in particular has me absolutely giddy: us "kids" still get Christmas stockings and Easter baskets stuffed with goodies! Seriously, it's the best.

Matt and I had a combined "basket" this year:

It was pretty clear that the little gifts were mostly geared towards me, so I let Matt have most of the chocolate.

The "basket" was also clearly intended for this travel-obsessed girl.

And as if the Easter gifts weren't enough, we received another slew of gifts, brought back by Matt's Dad on his recent mission trip to Guatemala. {What generous parents we have!}

This round "brick" of dark chocolate is going to make some incredibly delicious cocoa, indeed.

We received two bags of Guatemalan coffee, this one being whole beans for my French Press.

Coffee beans....mmmm.




The beans smell incredibly rich and delicious. I haven't tried them yet but am about to! And I think it might be a brilliant idea to add a few small shavings of that dark chocolate to my coffee. Yes, perfect.

A Number of Things

1. Nothing feels so deliciously cozy as a rainy spring day. These rains feed the colorful flowers that have graced us with their presence to brighten up the dreariest of days.

2. My list of books I'd like to read is ever-growing, and at a rapid rate. I can't seem to keep up, especially when work days leave me feeling so drained.

3. Easter is almost here! I wish I had more time to make as big of deal out of Easter as I did St. Patrick's Day this year. It certainly is much more deserving of celebration--nothing on this earth deserves more celebration than the resurrection of our Lord Jesus!

4. My uber-guilty TV pleasure? The show Dance Moms. It's shameless, but I can't stop watching.

5. I've been indulging in a super-sugary-sweet treat a few mornings this week--Caramel Mochas. Sadly, I don't think ordering it with non-fat milk makes up for all the sugar.

6. For whatever reason, my OCD tendencies have kicked into overdrive. I can't stop obsessively cleaning the inside of my new car and I am making to-do lists like no one's business. Plus, my inability to fall asleep unless everything is picked up/put away has intensified. I'm just too left-brained for my own good.

7. I have been feeling very artsy lately. I'm journaling more, writing poetry, and feeling inspired to draw and paint. I'm also really, really missing my favorite form of artistic expression: dance.

8. Another thing I'm really missing--my hometown, St. Joseph, Michigan. My parents don't live there anymore and I am rarely back there for visits. It is an utter and dire shame. I knew I always took it for granted, growing up on Lake Michigan and gorgeous beaches, but now it's a severe reality to go without the endless beauty of that small town.

9. I'm very tired. And my thoughts are a total jumbled mess. {Can you tell?} These numbers are my weak attempt to organize my brain. Now for a hot shower and then bed...

Life Lately

The other afternoon brought the slightest dusting of snow...

...and then we had heaps of it by the following morning.

As ever, I've been warming myself with steaming cups of coffee {sometimes topped with a little fat-free whipped cream}...

...and keeping away the chill of these frosty winter nights.

We've been eating simple, yet delicious meals...
{my version of Chipotle's Burrito Bowl}

...and there's been a bit of muffin-baking, too.

Now on to Valentine's Day...such a lovely day, isn't it? I've always loved this day {remember the Valentine's parties in grade school?}, even when I was without a significant other. To me, Valentine's Day isn't just about romantic love but rather LOVE in general. It's a day that serves as a great reminder of how we should all be telling the special ones in our lives that, "Hey...I love you." We should all be doing that as much as possible! There's no such thing as too much love, am I right?

Matt got me the sweetest card. Here's the front:

...but what he wrote inside was infinitely sweeter. I won't be showing you the inside--those words are just for me. :)

Even though we had reason to make this an ultra-special Valentine's Day {with our being separated by thousands of miles last year}, Matt and I both desired a low-key day. I made a mouth-watering, scrumptious meat loaf {trust me, this isn't your average meat loaf}, creamy mashed potatoes, and a side of strawberries. We ate sparingly, saving room for dessert, because we went out to get some Cold Stone Creamery Ice Cream! {thanks Mom & Dad Perry for the gift card!}

We're planning to go out this weekend for our "Valentine's Day" dinner; we just didn't feel like fighting any restaurant crowds this year. Actually, a Valentine's Day spent in the cozy comfort of our home seemed like the most romantic thing to us.

I can't help but reminisce a bit about my Valentine's Day last year, trading little pillow-treats with my Hungarian sisters. I still miss Hungary every day, and my dreams lately have been filled with visions of returning and falling into the arms of my "family" there.

Hoping you all had a delightful Valentine's Day, too!

European Honeymoon Cruise, Part 3: Pompeii

{Read part one here.}
{Read part two here.}

Stop number two on our cruise was to the lovely Italian city of Naples. A stop at this location allowed me to fulfill a lifelong dream--to visit the historical site of Pompeii.

Most people have heard of Pompeii and its disastrous history. In the year 79 A.D., the volcano Mt. Vesuvius erupted, wiping out the nearby ancient city of Pompeii. Not only were the city's inhabitants killed within a span of mere minutes, but the city itself was buried completely under layer upon layer of volcanic ash. This ash preserved Pompeii exactly as it was when the volcano erupted, and it layed undisturbed for hundreds of years. It is now one of the most-famous archaeological sites in the world, largely due to the amazing extent to which it was preserved.

The tragic story of Pompeii instantly fascinated me when I first heard of it as a young girl. Ever since then, the archaeologist-enthusiast in me has longed to see this place. So as Matt and I were looking over our cruise ship's land excursion options, the Pompeii tour was the first one we booked.

Our excursion included a 45 minute bus ride from the Naples port to Pompeii, and then a guided tour of the whole archaeological site. I was pleased that our cruise kept our tour group to a small size, so we didn't have any problems with crowding to see something or hearing our tour guide's in-depth and fascinating commentary. 

It was the most beautiful, warm, sunny day--one that made it hard to imagine the horrors that happened here when this city was lost to the world for so long.

Here's a great view with Mt. Vesuvius in the background:

One famous, yet rather morbid aspect of Pompeii is that not only did the ash from the eruption perfectly preserve the city, it also preserved the people who died such horrible deaths.

The bodies of these people did indeed decay, but because the sediment from the eruption was so compact, a cavity remained in the sediment in the exact shape of the human form. Archaeologists were able to locate these cavities below the surface, drill a small hole into them, and then fill them with a type of plaster. This resulted in molds showing humans exactly as they were in the moment that the volcanic eruption overtook them. Exact body positions and even facial expressions are visible, and I must tell you, it is an utterly chilling sight. 

These forms make the horror of that day come tragically to life. There are molds of individuals curled up in tight fetal positions, trying to shield themselves. There are couples gripping one another, or families huddled together. These scenes are beyond heartbreaking, and in the saddest way, offer an emotional bridge across the years to these humans who lived so long ago.

We toured one of Pompeii's many bath houses and were in awe of the mosaics and vivid paint colors still adorning the floors, walls, and ceilings.

Outside on the city streets, one can still see the juts left in the stones by all the cart wheels of this once-bustling city.

Here our tour guide is pointing out a mosaic on the ground in front of an entrance to a home:

The statue below was part of a fountain adorning the courtyard to one of Pompeii's grandest homes.

Below is a bakery that once provided Pompeiians with fresh bread daily. Archaeologists even found some perfectly-preserved, carbonized loaves of baked bread in the ovens here.

This was a cafeteria where locals came to dine. Little fires were lit in the holes to keep dishes hot:

This was once someone's lovely home...

It's funny, in a way--two thousand years later, Pompeii's city streets are still bustling with activity. Instead of city inhabitants, however, this time it's tourists.

Here we are about to go in and tour a brothel. You read that right--a brothel. Turns out Pompeii was filled with them, actually.

The outer city walls:

This is probably one of my favorite pictures of us from our honeymoon:

Seeing Pompeii firsthand was everything I'd imagined it would be. It was incredibly surreal to walk through the well-preserved city and get a real feel for what life was like for the citizens of Pompeii. The story stopped being just a story to me--it became personal. Walking the streets of Pompeii allows for visitors to experience history in a way few other sites can offer. I now feel I have a personal connection to the history here and the impressions it left upon my heart run deep.

After our experience at Pompeii, we had just enough time left to wander the streets of Naples near to the port. We really had just one goal in mind--to find a quiet little cafe where we could enjoy some authentic Italian cappuccino. I'm happy to report that we were successful!

As our ship sailed away from Naples, we saw the most beautiful sunset on the horizon. It seemed like the absolute perfect way to end our memorable day at Pompeii.