tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-331750572011-12-03T12:26:29.171-05:00Sameer Yadavhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18275584304263103224noreply@blogger.comBlogger1401100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33175057.post-82224808320831896552010-04-13T21:41:00.008-05:002010-04-13T22:14:07.677-05:00

On Wednesday we decided to take a weekend trip up to DC to meet our friends Lance and Cassie (and baby Charlie!) from New Haven. We are so proud of ourselves for being spontaneous and fun! It was probably the first time since Noah was born. Charlie is only 5 weeks old so Lance and Cassie are obviously way more adventurous than we are - and their drive was much longer than ours.We had a

Whitneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08827755753218954259noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33175057.post-11388360522304042572010-03-27T21:22:00.002-05:002010-03-27T21:24:46.841-05:00

Eh! This is Noah's favorite thing to say. It is his way of saying "hi" or "hey"! He's discovered that when he says this to people, they respond. I was putting him in the baby seat of a shopping cart the other day and another shopper approached. Noah looked right at her and said "Eh!" and she smiled and said "Hey!" back at him. He was delighted by the interaction and continues to greet us

Whitneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08827755753218954259noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33175057.post-9216695706019277672010-02-15T21:47:00.026-05:002010-02-17T22:08:39.394-05:00

It's been way too long. Noah is walking (kind of) and talking (kind of) and he has his first tooth!But first, a review of our holiday adventures (in Noah's words):Well first of all, we went on this thing called a plane. We were on there for a really long time. I actually slept for a couple hours and everyone around us kept saying I was so good. What was the big deal?Then, I got to see Grandpa

Whitneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08827755753218954259noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33175057.post-27592784142869867142009-11-21T21:49:00.003-05:002009-12-12T15:53:28.514-05:00

Whitneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08827755753218954259noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33175057.post-30925397125138262522009-11-21T21:43:00.004-05:002009-11-29T08:05:24.168-05:00

Whitneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08827755753218954259noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33175057.post-46583400715471595222009-11-19T21:41:00.011-05:002009-11-21T21:28:17.655-05:00

I have a whole set of fabric blocks but mostly I just like to drag this one around. It has a flap I can use to hold it so I can easily take it with me wherever I go.Have you guys seen these door stopper things? Endless fun!This stepstool is the best. It also functions as a drum.Then there is my high chair tray. I love to push it around on the floor. I can't believe my mama lets me do this.

Whitneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08827755753218954259noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33175057.post-55770062147671036942009-11-19T20:57:00.012-05:002009-11-19T21:40:31.263-05:00

Fall...it goes by quickly.Pumpkin patch with Grandma Sue:FIVE year anniversary: We had dinner at Rue Cler and then went to see Built to Spill the next night.Fun visit from Kasey:Noah: "I finally got to meet this nice girl who sent me my favorite shoes!"Halloween:Don't laugh - it was free!Another visit from Grandma Sue: Cows:that about wraps it up.

Whitneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08827755753218954259noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33175057.post-69597824459266514882009-10-08T19:58:00.006-05:002009-10-08T20:43:43.362-05:00

7 months and lots of changes for Noah:-He started sleeping in his own bedroom at night. I didn't want him to ever leave the pack n play by my bedside but one early morning at 4 am, Sameer picked him up and moved him to his own room where he promptly fell asleep. So did we. He had been babbling (LOUDLY!) in our room since 2 am that night. I thought his first night in his own room would have

Whitneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08827755753218954259noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33175057.post-54610855132109067612009-09-27T10:51:00.007-05:002010-07-08T19:44:30.222-05:00

In early March of 2009, I watched all 9 SEASONS of Coach in 2 weeks. Impressive, right?!?I don't have much of an attention span for TV or movies unless I'm really sick and tired but unable to sleep. That is exactly how the first several weeks of Noah's life were. He was so colicky and had to be held upright constantly; I was so afraid of falling asleep while holding him.So, I resorted to

Whitneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08827755753218954259noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33175057.post-7251420283988402832009-09-05T19:10:00.005-05:002009-09-05T19:20:57.295-05:00

Do all babies just really dislike having their portraits taken? Today we went to Target for Noah's 6 month portraits and while he didn't cry the whole time like last time, he wasn't too happy about being there either. It took dozens of "peek-a-boos" to get 1 real smile and a couple half smiles. Our normally cheerful boy was so skeptical of the whole process! There are still some pretty cute

Whitneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08827755753218954259noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33175057.post-90601816148649331282009-08-21T19:37:00.001-05:002009-08-21T19:42:51.009-05:00

Whitneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08827755753218954259noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33175057.post-83778844658569367612009-08-21T19:32:00.002-05:002009-08-21T19:35:42.787-05:00

Noah playing with his new friends who visited us last week:

Whitneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08827755753218954259noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33175057.post-54268947420508542522009-08-04T20:38:00.004-05:002009-08-04T20:59:57.768-05:00

Our big boy is about 5 and a half months now. The two compliments he receives most frequently are: "Wow, he's so big!"and"That hair is amazing!"So he's a good size with a decent amount of hair...but there's so much more to love about him.He's a sweet boy and loves to talk and laugh with us. Lately he's been saying a lot of "Ah-ya-ya" and "Ah-ga-ga". It's very cute but we can't capture it on

Whitneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08827755753218954259noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33175057.post-60822215657403514662009-08-03T20:52:00.003-05:002009-08-03T21:15:45.126-05:00

-pretty much the best weekend ever-

Whitneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08827755753218954259noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33175057.post-38249573072469552192009-08-03T20:45:00.000-05:002009-08-03T20:47:14.065-05:00

Whitneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08827755753218954259noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33175057.post-52969808871577181512009-06-28T14:04:00.010-05:002009-06-28T15:58:05.979-05:00

Noah is over 4 months now and is at such a fun age. A few weeks ago, he seemed to turn into an "easy baby", almost overnight! He actually sleeps much more now than he ever did as a newborn. In addition to taking a few decent naps everyday, he also sleeps through the night most of the time. Sometimes he'll wake up at 1 or 2 am but even that is easy because he eats for 20 minutes and then goes

Whitneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08827755753218954259noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33175057.post-37055086752900521642009-06-14T12:46:00.002-05:002009-06-14T12:55:21.944-05:00

Today Noah went to the nursery at church for the very first time. He did great - or at least that's what they tell me! While there, he took a nap in a swing with a reclining seat...........makes me wonder how much easier his first 3 months would have been on us if we had only invested in a swing! (We had borrowed a take-along swing that has a very upright seat that does not recline at all so

Whitneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08827755753218954259noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33175057.post-68954448131698376482009-05-27T05:59:00.003-05:002009-05-27T06:02:31.484-05:00

Hi, I'm Noah and now I get to wear a bib nearly constantly since I drool so much. Fortunately, I have several dozen from all my mom's baby showers. You can't tell by this picture but I get SO excited when my mom starts to put the bib on me. I start laughing and smiling and I can hardly contain my glee because wearing a bib is SO FUN AND EXCITING.

Whitneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08827755753218954259noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33175057.post-6432939657421920392009-05-21T16:39:00.011-05:002009-05-22T04:56:24.846-05:00

Noah is now 3 months old and we can hardly believe it, although he himself seems indifferent…. Most of the time he is a very happy baby, but there is one thing in particular that draws his ire. He doesn’t like it when Whitney eats anything that tastes good. Apparently he can monitor her milk supply for the minutest hint of flavor, and reacts to it by working up a heroic amount of intestinal gas

Whitneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08827755753218954259noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33175057.post-87178341550925841112009-05-18T14:59:00.004-05:002009-05-18T15:23:17.960-05:00

Dear Baby Boy,Thank you so much for working on sleeping in longer stretches. The 4 or 5 hour stretch per night that you are regularly blessing us with does not go unnoticed. Feel free to experiment more with the 6 hour stretch. Even 7...seriously - go for it! Now I just want to clarify one thing because I think there may have been a slight misunderstanding. When we talk about "4-5 hours" as

Sameer Yadavhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18275584304263103224noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33175057.post-12044791236133393072009-05-04T15:45:00.005-05:002009-05-04T15:52:49.700-05:00

Whitneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08827755753218954259noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33175057.post-71410756870997145062009-05-04T15:34:00.000-05:002009-05-04T15:37:10.793-05:00

He was pretty pleased with himself when we propped him up like this!

Whitneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08827755753218954259noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33175057.post-69928765664124434892009-04-29T17:12:00.006-05:002009-04-29T21:29:42.903-05:00

So, it has recently been the case that when we get Noah up from a nap, he awakes only to give us a big smile. When we pick him up and talk to him, we get another series of smiles, from smirks to half smiles to full smiles to open-mouthed grins. During diaper changes? More smiles. So you're saying to yourself, "I've seen people smile before - big deal!" But this kid has a real *winning smile* I

Whitneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08827755753218954259noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33175057.post-77911351092656860712009-04-27T17:00:00.002-05:002009-04-27T17:05:09.699-05:00

cooingand smiling

Whitneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08827755753218954259noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33175057.post-60715208426698705602009-04-22T20:17:00.004-05:002009-04-23T06:37:13.902-05:00

Today our little Noah had his 2 month check-up. He is now exactly 2 feet tall, weighing in at 11 pounds, 14 ounces. His weight gain has slowed down recently but he's still delightfully chunky with impressively large cheeks. His height is in the 87th percentile for his age, which is hard to notice most of the time because of how he tucks his legs up to his butt, even when you pick him up.He

Sameer Yadavhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18275584304263103224noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33175057.post-81940342590258869162009-04-14T15:37:00.005-05:002009-04-14T15:44:14.259-05:00

First bath without screaming the whole time:First time wearing "big boy pants": (I always forget that he has clothes other than sleepers and onesies - he's growing so quickly we had to try these on!)First time we caught the new pout face on camera:

Whitneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08827755753218954259noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33175057.post-18161664640237334752009-03-31T14:50:00.004-05:002009-03-31T15:23:02.213-05:00

Last week at Noah's one month appointment he was 9 pounds 11 ounces and 23 inches long. (up from 7 lb. 12 oz. and 21.5 inches at birth)I don't remember the percentile but he is really long for his age according to the doctor! Today I took him to the doctor for something else and he weighed in at 10 pounds 9 ounces. So he gained almost another pound in 8 days! What in the world?!? I thought

Whitneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08827755753218954259noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33175057.post-54290891866716141072009-03-21T19:37:00.017-05:002009-03-21T21:42:03.848-05:00

Today Noah is one month old - I can't believe it. In some ways this past month has really flown by...it kind of seems like it's just been one reaaaaaalllllllyyyy long day. Noah is quickly outgrowing lots of his clothes and was 9 pounds 5 ounces at his last weight check. He had dropped about half a pound in the days right after birth but quickly regained it - he gained a whole pound in a week

Whitneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08827755753218954259noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33175057.post-1513518807946651852009-01-27T22:17:00.001-05:002009-01-27T22:19:27.910-05:00

this one's for my mom...

Whitneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08827755753218954259noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33175057.post-45019229170988760692008-12-24T15:05:00.003-05:002008-12-24T15:16:22.415-05:00

We think little trees are the best...and for the record, our tree was labeled "LARGE table-top tree".We're spending our first Christmas without either of our families. We miss them so much but are enjoying a very relaxing holiday with no travel involved. The only real excitement we've had this season was the other night when Sameer lit his pants on fire while lighting the Advent candles. These

Whitneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08827755753218954259noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33175057.post-9171531471185912192008-12-21T19:30:00.014-05:002008-12-24T15:05:23.370-05:00

Because this blog serves as my journal/scrapbook of our days, I hate that I never posted pictures of our time in CA back in October. So before Christmas comes or our baby is born, I must highlight some good times we had over 2 months ago. I know it's a little silly.We got to spend a whole week in California leading up to Doug and Tracie's wedding. It was a wonderfully special and busy week....

Whitneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08827755753218954259noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33175057.post-70889834903584575072008-12-06T20:13:00.008-05:002008-12-06T23:04:09.904-05:00

Beautiful, isn't it? Read on to find out how it ended up in our living room. The story of this piano is special to me, so to make a short story really really long:When we bought this house we knew exactly where the piano would fit. It was always the plan to bring my piano over. When we looked into the cost of moving it from CA to NC, I realized it would cost more than the piano was even worth

Whitneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08827755753218954259noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33175057.post-88992046031681594052008-11-19T19:43:00.004-05:002008-11-19T20:08:07.061-05:00

Doug and Tracie got married. It was the most beautiful wedding...and I can hardly believe it's been a month!You can see their professional pictures here.

Whitneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08827755753218954259noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33175057.post-44874567040333068362008-11-08T13:57:00.004-05:002008-11-08T17:31:34.751-05:00

On the way home from work I'm usually listening to the local classical station and every day at 5:30 they play a waltz. I'm noticing a pattern here - baby boy is quite active day and night but he seems to get particularly wild during the 5:30 waltz. Now it could be that I'm just extra hungry at 5:30 or this could just be pure coincidence....or maybe the baby and I have very different tastes in

Whitneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08827755753218954259noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33175057.post-63485327418555361132008-11-01T15:31:00.001-05:002008-11-01T15:32:31.343-05:00

Help! We are sharing our home with several dozen lady bugs. We're not sure when we invited them in but they don't seem to want to leave. Any ideas?

Whitneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08827755753218954259noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33175057.post-17117644505495454852008-10-31T17:05:00.003-05:002008-10-31T17:09:42.611-05:00

Would you believe that we still have Halloween candy leftover from last year? Last year we had SO many trick-or-treaters (is that a word?) that I had to go out and buy more candy because we ran out. Unfortunately, once I returned with the second round of candy our doorbell only rang two more times. SO, we had so much leftover candy that even I couldn't finish it in a year. We have a bag of

Whitneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08827755753218954259noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33175057.post-43944340493516540712008-10-29T19:14:00.001-05:002008-10-29T19:14:33.963-05:00

There's this stupid mindless wasteful thing that I accidentally do occasionally...and this time I did it twice in a few short days. When I'm in the kitchen, I'm always cleaning up as I go and I often get ahead of myself. I love lemons and juice them often in my hand juicer for recipes or to make hot lemon water (a favorite now that it's colder and I'm afraid of most herbal teas since I'm

Whitneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08827755753218954259noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33175057.post-30141650080872367662008-10-25T10:48:00.003-05:002008-10-25T10:55:54.769-05:00

I rarely like movies - I can rarely even stay awake for a whole movie...but I really liked this one. Maybe you will too.

Whitneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08827755753218954259noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33175057.post-28832984024713804362008-10-21T19:38:00.001-05:002008-10-21T19:38:33.692-05:00

Whitneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08827755753218954259noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33175057.post-12301736178527759242008-10-05T21:28:00.002-05:002008-10-05T21:29:02.887-05:00

I just read the baby ticker and the part that says "I wiggle lots & wake mommy up at night..." -- that is so true right now! Those ticker makers really know what they're talking about! I can't remember the last time I stayed asleep for more than a couple hours. I suppose I should get used to it - in between the leg cramps I'm still getting way more sleep than I will once February comes! I'm

Whitneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08827755753218954259noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33175057.post-4228590006202322102008-08-10T19:23:00.006-05:002008-08-10T19:59:59.559-05:00

Well it's been a while since we've updated....because we've had a secret to keep.Any guesses?Whitney's pregnant! We found out on Father's Day and we are overjoyed. She is now 12 weeks and the due date is February 21. Baby's first picture: (Taken last month at 7 weeks)

Sameer Yadavhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18275584304263103224noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33175057.post-25100353857233079632008-06-08T12:50:00.001-05:002008-12-09T14:08:41.961-05:00

Delicious, hot or iced.

Whitneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08827755753218954259noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33175057.post-158447577698919872008-06-05T19:27:00.001-05:002008-06-05T19:28:29.813-05:00

Really I do. I highly recommend them. (If you need one, that is). My teeth haven't felt this good in years.

Whitneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08827755753218954259noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33175057.post-27340334959048917882008-05-31T13:48:00.002-05:002008-12-09T14:08:42.253-05:00

Whitneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08827755753218954259noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33175057.post-63303475493321157812008-05-29T18:27:00.004-05:002008-12-09T14:08:42.898-05:00

This Saturday my brother and sister-in-law (Danny and Lindsay) will be featured on HGTV's show Over Your Head. From HGTV's website, the show appears to be scheduled for Saturday, May 31st at 11:00 am (PT and/or ET). Others in the family say 8:00 am. Who knows. We don't have cable. Hopefully we'll get to see it at some point. But what we did get to see was their bathroom. HGTV helped them turn a

Whitneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08827755753218954259noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33175057.post-4318372956377083892008-04-13T13:54:00.020-05:002008-12-09T14:08:44.700-05:00

My parents came to visit us and we had an absolutely lovely time. We showed them around Durham, they got to see our daily routines, and...they were each appointed seats to the House of Representatives!! Just kidding. We actually just went on a fun weekend trip to Washington D.C.Roosevelt once said, "Speak softly, and carry a big stick." D.C. is in fact the home of America's largest and pointiest

Whitneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08827755753218954259noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33175057.post-18382423942968024362008-03-29T17:22:00.003-05:002008-12-09T14:08:45.134-05:00

Engaged to be married, that is.Congratulations, Doug and Tracie!

Whitneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08827755753218954259noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33175057.post-79738073771633321332008-03-27T19:38:00.006-05:002008-12-09T14:08:45.457-05:00

We bought this beauty last Saturday. It doesn't match our house AT ALL but Sameer convinced me to settle on it anyway, since designer lawnmowers are so expensive these days. Sameer put this ugly orange thing to work and mowed the lawn today. If only we had taken "before" pictures....you would have been impressed with the height of our (mostly crab) grass. A week longer and we'd have had to go

Whitneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08827755753218954259noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33175057.post-21216467025325267692008-03-23T14:55:00.005-05:002008-12-09T14:08:45.957-05:00

Said the angel, “He is risen!”Tell it out with joyful voice:He has burst His three days’ prison;Let the whole wide earth rejoice:Death is conquered, we are free,Christ has won the victory. Come, ye sad and fearful hearted,With glad smile and radiant brow!Death’s long shadows have departed;All our woes are over now,Due to passion that He bore—Sin and pain can vex no more.Come, with high and holy

Whitneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08827755753218954259noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33175057.post-79768101143527692802008-03-17T21:50:00.001-05:002008-12-09T14:08:47.397-05:00

These attractive people before you are Danny (Whitney's brother), Lindsay (Danny's wife) and Tracie (Whitney's sister). They came for a weekend visit and we had a smashing good time! That is, if you consider "having a smashing good time" to be thrashing about with a wonky plastic guitar the size of a ukileli and rocking out in public to Guitar Hero III on the X-box!!! Thankfully, that is pretty

Sameer Yadavhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18275584304263103224noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33175057.post-30515168492604047762008-03-13T20:13:00.005-05:002008-12-09T14:08:47.885-05:00

We've had some visitors recently...and what a joy it was! Heather and May took a long train ride to visit us for a few days while they were on this side of the country. Thanks Heather! We miss you!

Whitneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08827755753218954259noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33175057.post-72657877058678591742008-02-29T19:31:00.002-05:002008-02-29T19:53:55.280-05:00

Um, since it's February 29 I thought I'd post so we could at least have a post under Feb. 2008 (ridiculous, I know). Unfortunately we're too tired to think of anything to write. Or maybe it's just that it's been so long that we don't know where to start. Anyhow, if you haven't already seen the video below, welcome to the world of "Charlie Bit Me". This blog is pathetic. But here you go:

Whitneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08827755753218954259noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33175057.post-31845632757449368252008-01-28T21:37:00.000-05:002008-01-28T21:44:02.605-05:00

The guy who coined the euphamism "like a deer in headlights" had to be kicking himself after he saw this...

Whitneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08827755753218954259noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33175057.post-63463002920033437702007-12-17T21:02:00.001-05:002008-12-09T14:08:48.664-05:00

For those of you back home we thought we'd finally put some pictures of our furnished home up here. What I've realized after putting all these pictures on the computer is that our home is very beige. I guess we are the kind of people who need to be more adventurous with color. Up until Saturday (2 days ago) we lived in this house with no blinds or curtains. We put a navy blue sheet on our

Whitneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08827755753218954259noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33175057.post-64283690330692257892007-12-15T09:22:00.001-05:002008-12-09T14:08:49.430-05:00

Our newest niece: Sophia

Whitneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08827755753218954259noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33175057.post-79518337917011557442007-12-15T09:17:00.000-05:002007-12-15T09:20:07.249-05:00

The other day Sameer sent me an email that said only this:"You've never seen a burrito as big as the one I am about to eat. Pray for me."The humor broke the monotony of a very dull day.As it turns out, he survived the burrito.

Whitneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08827755753218954259noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33175057.post-53408267793582731842007-12-03T19:43:00.000-05:002007-12-03T19:46:14.477-05:00

Let all mortal flesh keep silence,And with fear and trembling stand;Ponder nothing earthly minded,For with blessing in His hand,Christ our God to earth descendeth,Our full homage to demand.King of kings, yet born of Mary,As of old on earth He stood,Lord of lords, in human vesture,In the body and the blood;He will give to all the faithfulHis own self for heavenly food.Rank on rank the host of

Whitneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08827755753218954259noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33175057.post-12008024859424998052007-12-01T09:28:00.001-05:002007-12-01T09:51:46.557-05:00

Last night we went to hear Handel's Messiah at Duke Chapel. Thanks to my parents who played recordings of this quite often during my childhood it is very near to my heart. It is also extremely long and after it was over I had to promise Sameer that in the future we will only go to performances of "selections" or "highlights" of the Messiah. In spite of the uncomfortable pews it was a perfect

Whitneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08827755753218954259noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33175057.post-13731689352962955282007-11-27T18:38:00.000-05:002007-11-27T19:02:39.733-05:00

After our puppy sleepover (that involved more playing than sleeping) we had to put him in the neighbor's back yard in his make shift house with our blanket. It was so sad. We hated to leave him out there but the neighbor said someone was coming to pick him up that day. We worried about him the whole rainy day while we were at Duke but we hoped someone really had picked him up. We found out

Whitneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08827755753218954259noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33175057.post-40458443898944548102007-11-25T22:22:00.000-05:002008-12-09T14:08:49.752-05:00

In the late afternoon we put him back outside with a blanket for a couple of hours. When we saw lights on at the neighbors' house we went over and talked to them. She said someone was coming to get him tomorrow and she had forgotten he was still in the backyard. We asked if we could keep him for the night and she heartily said yes.

Whitneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08827755753218954259noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33175057.post-63271768813446130322007-11-25T15:16:00.000-05:002008-12-09T14:08:50.809-05:00

So we have this adorable puppy wrapped in a red blanket sleeping on the kitchen floor right now. Over the weekend we noticed that there were 3 adorable puppies learning how to walk in our neighbors' backyard. There is no fence between our yards so it seems more like we share a backyard. Last night I saw the three little ones cuddling and this morning they were there too. It's getting kind of

Whitneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08827755753218954259noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33175057.post-24781481426824836482007-11-12T18:45:00.000-05:002008-12-09T14:08:52.120-05:00

Roadtrip to New Haven. Little traffic. Many tolls. Sermons and Music. View of Manhattan. That smell in New Jersey. Crazy drivers in CT. Bakalava from Sahara. Christ Pres Coffeehouse. Happy reunions. Friendly faces. Buffalo wings from Archie Moore's. Tropical Storm Noel. Suddenly broken umbrella. Cold fingers. Beer at Richters. Lance and Cassie. Claire's Lithuanian coffee cake. The Wine

Sameer Yadavhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18275584304263103224noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33175057.post-66772153377545558592007-10-27T10:54:00.000-05:002007-10-27T13:18:49.211-05:00

From 8 to 5 on weekdays, at least. My "corner" of the office is almost completely surrounded by windows. I love that I face a wall of windows and that I can see the sky and trees. To my left are another 2 large windows that face an inside hallway of the Divinity School. A few times a week one of the people from Admissions will be giving visitors/prospective students a tour and they'll come

Whitneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08827755753218954259noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33175057.post-67007758200303910812007-10-27T10:45:00.000-05:002007-10-27T15:40:40.096-05:00

The first Sunday morning that we lived here I saw a yellow school bus pull up to the house across the street from us and pick up a few kids. A man in a suit went up to the door and knocked. Then the kids came out. My first thought was, wow, what personalized service and isn't 9:00 kind of late for a school bus? Then I remembered that it was Sunday and we were getting ready to go and visit a

Whitneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08827755753218954259noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33175057.post-34060437059370297032007-10-24T21:28:00.000-05:002008-12-09T14:08:52.916-05:00

Everyone in our neighborhood seems to have a home-alarm system installed, with the reassuring little sign out front warning any prospective no-goods that they had better not come-a-thieving, because "This House is Protected by ADT!!" or some such. A guy from an ADT competitor company - "Vector" - had come by and talked to Whitney before about getting one installed, you know, because he was

Sameer Yadavhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18275584304263103224noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33175057.post-34862718862745204462007-10-24T21:03:00.000-05:002007-10-24T21:37:51.201-05:00

There are lots of things in North Carolina that make us go "hmmm..." I'd like to share with you this morning's "hmmmm...". I was driving to work and listening to some random radio station that did NOT happen to be a Christian radio station. In between songs some church has a commercial slot where they share "wisdom and encouragement" with listeners. Today's went something like this (with soft

Whitneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08827755753218954259noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33175057.post-17638094675836842072007-10-24T20:02:00.000-05:002007-10-24T20:04:26.225-05:00

One of the reasons that our home qualified as a "Green Home" is because we have one very special toilet. When we had our "walk through/homeowner orientation" with the builder, they pointed out that our toilet has two flush buttons. One for "solids," one for "liquids." It took me a second to understand what the guy was saying. It's a very special toilet indeed.Our agent suggested we label the

Whitneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08827755753218954259noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33175057.post-79164779889013946052007-10-20T20:29:00.000-05:002008-12-09T14:08:53.163-05:00

**I wrote this last Saturday but didn't post it because blogger wasn't allowing me to upload pictures for some reason.....so I'm posting it here even though this picture is awful. (as if the other pictures on our blog are great) What is that bright light in our freezer? It's kind of creepy.**A picture of the happy fridge, as per Catherine's request. I guess the freezer doesn't look very

Whitneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08827755753218954259noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33175057.post-27413365382071189442007-10-20T12:16:00.000-05:002008-12-09T14:08:53.398-05:00

So, I was thinking that maybe I should go grocery shopping today. Not sure. We could always heat up that frozen spinach, sprinkle some lemon juice on it and wrap it in an old whole wheat tortilla. I'm sure that would be fine for dinner.

Whitneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08827755753218954259noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33175057.post-33071419337171738282007-10-20T09:13:00.000-05:002008-12-09T14:08:53.592-05:00

Our water restrictions are now pretty severe. Back in August, we could only water every other day - then it went to 2 days a week (Wednesdays and Saturdays) - then it went to Saturdays only (between 5 and 8). As of last Tuesday, we can no longer water our lawns AT ALL. People can water vegetable gardens with a hand held container on Saturdays between 5 and 8. That's it. No washing cars, no

Sameer Yadavhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18275584304263103224noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33175057.post-65114001667866564472007-10-17T18:45:00.001-05:002008-12-09T14:08:55.135-05:00

Happy anniversary to us (yesterday). We went out and enjoyed a delicious dinner at Rue Cler in the strangely desolate downtown Durham. The weird thing was that while there was nary a soul walking about on the streets, looking into the windows revealed that the patronage inside the shops and restaurants was quite lively! How did all those people get in there, if they're so afraid of the streets

Whitneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08827755753218954259noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33175057.post-18821423846418878012007-10-10T18:49:00.000-05:002008-12-09T14:08:55.390-05:00

Sometimes Sameer likes to make fresh squeezed juice. I like it when he does this - especially when he shares.

Whitneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08827755753218954259noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33175057.post-86199917850976152852007-10-07T22:02:00.000-05:002008-12-09T14:08:55.544-05:00

We don't love our yard yet (although we like the view) - it mainly consists of hard clay, tons of rocks and black beetles that hop. How do you like our patio? It's a little small.

Whitneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08827755753218954259noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33175057.post-64915549746783861222007-10-06T18:49:00.000-05:002007-10-07T08:14:48.737-05:00

Well, we just returned from a long unproductive day of car shopping. It seems that for the past few weeks, we have spent every minute of our free time -- plus stealing several hours of NON-free time from more important things -- trying to find our first good car. By "good" I mean something with fewer than 160,000 miles on it with an engine that doesn't sound like a boot in a washing machine,

Sameer Yadavhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18275584304263103224noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33175057.post-41721929111516477012007-10-06T08:24:00.001-05:002008-12-09T14:08:55.756-05:00

1 point for Durham - good Farmer's Markets! We should have just left the eggplant on the table; it was much prettier there. I'll leave the eggplant recipes to the experts.

Whitneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08827755753218954259noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33175057.post-62847746276125213402007-10-06T08:14:00.000-05:002007-10-06T08:19:15.974-05:00

Yay! Catherine has a blog!

Whitneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08827755753218954259noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33175057.post-55639586851724426662007-10-06T08:12:00.000-05:002007-10-06T08:18:06.357-05:00

Some people shouldn't drive while talking on a cell phone. Apparently I shouldn't walk while talking on a cell phone. Yesterday morning as I was making the long trek from the parking lot to the Divinity School I was talking to Sameer on the phone. I had just been telling him how tired I was when I started flying forward. I tried to stop and catch myself and figure out what has happening and

Whitneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08827755753218954259noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33175057.post-84200227768291361072007-09-30T14:04:00.000-05:002007-09-30T13:04:37.708-05:00

Rejoice, the Lord is King!Your Lord and King adore;Rejoice, give thanks and sing,and triumph evermore;Lift up your heart, lift up your voice;Rejoice, again I say, rejoice!Jesus, the Savior, reigns,the God of truth and love;When He had purged our stainsHe took His seat above;Lift up your heart, lift up your voice;Rejoice, again I say, rejoice!His kingdom cannot fail,He rules over earth and heav'n,

Whitneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08827755753218954259noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33175057.post-46517106031485197222007-09-29T08:24:00.000-05:002007-09-29T08:25:02.608-05:00

Well - lucky me - I didn't have to choose. I was subjected to both situations at once - inane pseudo-intellectual conversation between two people who punctuate their sophomoric babbling with inappropriate displays of affection...

Sameer Yadavhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18275584304263103224noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33175057.post-27724025378635567692007-09-24T17:57:00.000-05:002007-09-24T17:59:57.852-05:00

Maddy liked to play the game "Would You Rather...." (affectionately known as "Wooja Radder?") with us when we were in Idaho this summer.Here is a real life "Wooja Radder?" from school today.While attempting to study, and forced to sit next to acouple of college freshman -- would you rather:1) that they are having what they think is a deepdiscussion about, like, philosophy, and stuff, where,like,

Sameer Yadavhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18275584304263103224noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33175057.post-40813711056156370382007-09-24T17:37:00.000-05:002007-09-24T18:04:32.897-05:00

There is a bad drought going on throughout the Southeast. When we were staying with friends who had cable we heard about it on the news a few times and learned that it was illegal to water your lawn more than every other day. Before we moved into our house we did hear that Raleigh was enforcing drastic water restrictions but we still thought it was legal to water every other day in Durham.We

Whitneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08827755753218954259noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33175057.post-20775612743635705202007-09-16T20:19:00.000-05:002008-12-09T14:08:56.990-05:00

Well after quite a tiring summer we closed on our home and moved in the same day - August 31st. It has been a relief to settle down and we are loving our place. It is much bigger and nicer than our last 3 apartments and sometimes we have a hard time believing that we actually get to stay here. I guess it feels like we're house sitting or renting or something. It's just plain luxurious after

Whitneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08827755753218954259noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33175057.post-89142140051663953042007-08-25T14:02:00.000-05:002007-08-27T10:36:16.407-05:00

The house where we're currently staying doesn't have internet access so we're at "Coffee World" catching up on email and all things internet. The coffee at this place reminds me of my college days when I would make a pot of cheap coffee and just let it sit there and then microwave it and drink it a few days later even though it was disgusting - I just needed the caffeine and I didn't care how it

Whitneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08827755753218954259noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33175057.post-9722536164145794982007-08-25T13:45:00.000-05:002007-08-25T13:46:57.377-05:00

We've added 3 new blogs under "Friends and Family" - Chris & Heather Pelczar, Phil & Megan Camp, and Liz Ingham. Enjoy.

Sameer Yadavhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18275584304263103224noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33175057.post-27861869198284510222007-08-21T15:33:00.000-05:002007-08-22T11:19:17.075-05:00

Jesus Cast a Look on MeJesus cast a look on me,Give me sweet simplicityMake me poor and keep me low,Seeking only Thee to knowAll that feeds my busy pride,Cast it evermore asideBid my will to Thine submit,Lay me humbly at Thy feetMake me like a little child,Of my strength and wisdom spoiledSeeing only in Thy light,Walking only in Thy mightLeaning on Thy loving breast,Where a weary soul can

Sameer Yadavhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18275584304263103224noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33175057.post-32525858522464278162007-08-14T19:49:00.000-05:002007-08-14T20:00:39.914-05:00

All praise to God, who reigns above,The God of all creation,The God of wonders, power, and love,The God of our salvation!With healing balm my soul He fills,The God who every sorrow stills,--To God all praise and glory!What God's almighty power hath madeHis gracious mercy keepeth;By morning dawn or evening shadeHis watchful eye ne'er sleepeth;Within the kingdom of His mightLo, all is just and all

Whitneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08827755753218954259noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33175057.post-16424567866638735102007-08-13T19:25:00.000-05:002008-12-09T14:08:57.334-05:00

We're sitting here in our Hampton Inn Hotel room that we credit to our 3rd successful Priceline experience. (We credit the above picture to a fun night out with Danny, Lindsay, Tracie & Doug - someone was bragging about being able to hold a spoon on their nose, so Sameer one-upped them, promising he could hold one with his forehead...) We've been living with people since July 2nd - first with

Whitneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08827755753218954259noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33175057.post-66985739171747819032007-08-11T16:52:00.000-05:002007-08-11T16:53:55.450-05:00

Pictures of our week in Idaho:Idaho Summer 2007

Sameer Yadavhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18275584304263103224noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33175057.post-77283123560151758062007-08-11T15:16:00.000-05:002007-08-11T15:21:34.680-05:00

We're staying in a hotel and Sameer's watching a Jet Li movie (not really my thing) so I suppose I'll organize our pictures and update the blog this afternoon.Click on the photo if you want to see our "house" album.THE HOUSE

Sameer Yadavhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18275584304263103224noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33175057.post-50219937027603123052007-08-11T13:20:00.000-05:002008-12-09T14:08:57.881-05:00

6 weeks down, 3 weeks to go.We've been living out of suitcases for 6 weeks now. If everything goes smoothly we'll be in this house by August 31st.

Sameer Yadavhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18275584304263103224noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33175057.post-70987453992971763062007-07-23T19:36:00.000-05:002007-08-11T13:47:34.250-05:00

when you hear one syllable words (ex: "hi") lasting over 8 seconds long.

Sameer Yadavhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18275584304263103224noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33175057.post-8680990772874368012007-07-23T05:11:00.001-05:002007-07-23T05:22:37.720-05:00

After a wonderful three weeks between Idaho and California we have arrived in Durham, NC. We got here around midnight on Saturday - as we pulled into the neighborhood where we're staying we saw two deer crossing the street....what a treat. The weather was gorgeous on Sunday and the views of the sky and trees were beautiful. These things ease the pain of leaving New Haven a bit.I (Whitney) am

Sameer Yadavhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18275584304263103224noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33175057.post-52147887834892945882007-06-30T10:02:00.000-05:002008-12-09T14:08:58.121-05:00

Well most of our stuff is packed into the truck thanks to several kind friends. We just have to gather up a few more boxes and clean the apartment now. We're hoping to finish by this evening and then perhaps spend one last fun night in New Haven. Tomorrow we'll savor our last time at Christ Pres and in the evening we'll head off to Hartford. Here we are enjoying some delicious New Haven pizza

Sameer Yadavhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18275584304263103224noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33175057.post-5055124800878603902007-06-30T09:51:00.000-05:002008-12-09T14:08:58.227-05:00

(no, it's not snowing in June - this is a winter picture of where we go to church)When we arrived here last August we happened upon the best thing that has happened to us this year - Christ Presbyterian Church. We had never been to a Presbyterian church before and we weren't sure what to expect. We wonder if we'll ever find another place like it - the combination of the rich liturgical worship,

Sameer Yadavhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18275584304263103224noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33175057.post-72586270829716829992007-06-30T09:08:00.001-05:002008-12-09T14:08:58.890-05:00

So the next Indiana Jones movie (can you believe there's actually going to be another one?)is filming a scene or two in New Haven. It's all anybody has been talking about at work the past few weeks. Several people from the office actually went to the casting call and are determined to be extras. The craziness started the other day and downtown New Haven has been transformed into a town called

Sameer Yadavhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18275584304263103224noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33175057.post-59884367345001977942007-06-29T08:11:00.001-05:002007-06-29T08:15:36.649-05:00

After 3 awfully hot and humid days the weather has changed and we are actually so cold we're wearing sweaters and socks again. Yesterday was my last day at work so today is the day we need to finish all of our packing. Last night we were so miserable in the apartment (no air conditioner...) we could barely stand it. The oppressive humidity was almost making me sick - I had no idea how we would

Sameer Yadavhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18275584304263103224noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33175057.post-67243685992277983492007-06-26T21:11:00.000-05:002008-12-09T14:08:59.505-05:00

I LOVE New Haven. When we first got here we heard so many warnings about the danger and crime and poverty. We were honestly nervous to walk down our own street at night. We were skeptical, suspicious and scared. Now, I feel intimately acquainted with this place and I love that. I love that we don't have a car and that we need to walk everywhere. I love taking the city bus to run errands and

Sameer Yadavhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18275584304263103224noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33175057.post-855423002469361272007-06-26T21:10:00.000-05:002008-12-09T14:08:59.853-05:00

So we got together with our small group for ice cream in the courtyard and we ended up spending the evening playing on children's play equipment anywhere we could find it - 5 different locations to be precise. Our only regret is that we never discovered the cool one person "merry-go-round" sooner.We started with the small stuff and ended up at an elementary school an hour later. Haven't felt

Sameer Yadavhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18275584304263103224noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33175057.post-83579807278657353662007-06-23T08:27:00.001-05:002008-12-09T14:09:00.084-05:00

Sameer Yadavhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18275584304263103224noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33175057.post-17184530150627607252007-06-22T22:20:00.000-05:002007-06-23T08:37:27.729-05:00

I never thought that having a "normal" job working with adults could provide as many funny moments as teaching piano lessons did. My students used to say the weirdest things. Sometimes I would write their hilarious quotes in my day planner because certain things should not be forgotten.Now I work in a large office with dozens of people. We have enough characters for a whole new version of The

Sameer Yadavhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18275584304263103224noreply@blogger.com0