Hello! We are in Aspen, Colorado, well technically Snowmass, CO. This really has been a vacation of a lifetime and we are are only half way through! Here is a journal of our trip so far.

Luckily D helped with some of the driving.(edit: before you think I am like B. Spears please know that this was at a gas station while the car was off!)
Stretching our legs in North Texas.
Our condo in Santa Fe!

Reading some theology...

Our hike through the Bandelier National Monument,

Climbing up to the cliff dwellings...
...where the Ancestral Pueblo people lived.
On the hike.
So, I tried carrying her but look at the shoulders, it doesn't really fit me.

Re-hydrating Dorothy Jean after a long hike. Look at our hair!

More pictures to come!

Hey Friends!!!!
We are in amazing Santa Fe, New Mexico. I don't have the ability to post pictures right now but I will when I can! The food weather art and sights are such a wonderful experience!

Also I just received a bunch of comments through blogger that got lost in my email filter so I just "OK'd" them all. Sorry about that.

Also, Ashley asked... the red t-shirts I posted two posts ago say "I love Mrs. Huff". My mom's class made them for her and were wearing them one of the last days of school.

Picture of the Day

Standing up all by myself!

Picture of the Day (yesterday)

Picture of the Day

Cosper & Montgomery Annual Strawberry Picking at Huber's

(Yesterday's) Picture of the Day

D had her first swim in a pool yesterday. I took about 2o pictures and I had it set wrong, so they were all overexposed :( Soooo, I tried to fix it and I like it because it looks kind of like an old film picture instead of a digital.

Pictures of the Day: Watching Radiohead with Daddy

What I've been working on.

Gifts
Originally uploaded by findingcontentment

Yeah, Yeah, Yeah! Our camera is up and running. Here is some stuff I made a couple weeks ago. A few baby gifts (patchwork and embroidered onesies and bibs) and purse for Tera.


I am so very confused. I am trying to post my Flickr photos to this Blog. What I have done in the past is load my pictures to Blogger and Flickr at different times often negleting one account or the other, but that seems like a lot of work so I am trying to do it different. BUT if I post from Flickr to Blogger then I can only have one photo and no editing tools. And if I try to paste the Flickr URL into the Blogger post then the photo doesn't show up. Have I confused you yet? Oy! If you have any advice on this, please let me know!


Sarah

Love these People

Love these People
Originally uploaded by findingcontentment

Booo. Still no pictures from me so I'll give you some pictures of others.

Courtney told me about bighugelabs.com which is a really fun waste of time! You can create these great photo mosaics with your flickr photos or others flickr photos. I chose some of my favorite photos that friends have taken and here it is!


1. Sojourn Music 028, 2. Kate and Neil lead the discussion, 3. Good friend Jamie, 4. i love this. esp. how ruby is all :D, 5. maternity (3).JPG, 6. Brian&JoJo, 7. Trying to read the paper series, 8. big bite!, 9. Gettin registered

Much thanks to Bobby G, Tom B, Alex O, Leesa, and Courtney for these beautiful photos of these beautiful people I love!

I can't find the charger for my camera, when I do I'll be able to load up my pictures.

Until then. What did you think of LOST?!?!
Last seasons finale I knew "he" was in the coffin. But then I changed my mind and didn't think it was him, and now we know it is. I have a theory I like but I never like hearing others theories so I'll spare you. The only show we have left to finish is Battlestar Galactica. Yes I know that sounds nerdy but it is a total science fiction soap opera that we are seeing through 'til they find earth and the last cylon.

Come back for pictures soon!

I am loving this age. Dorothy has such a personality, but it is very busy chasing after this kid... and she is not even walking yet:)

Welcome to my blog, again. Again.

Dorothy's nasty cold is over. We threw a baby shower for some of our dearest friends. If you want to see them play some music, here it is (if you watch the overview video you'll notice my very own husband [wearing a hat and plaid shirt] playing guitar!) . I also sewed a lot, cleaned a lot. Spent some quality time with friends, family, and my loves Mike and D.


Best of all, I am getting back into the swing of spending time with God. It has been quite a challenge. I really struggle with prayer time and reading the bible as just a thing I check off my list. Lately though, I have been able to move beyond that a bit and really just try to be, actually enjoying prayer and bible.
I think as a new mom a lot times we feel guilt when we don't check that "quiet" or "devotion" time off our list everyday. But as a couple of me friends had advised me my prayer time has moved from a sit down time to prayer throughout the day. When something pops into my head I try to pray for that. Before, I would think, "Oh, I need to pray for that later". When someone is on my heart, I can really turn my time thinking about them into a time of worry, and where does that get me or them? So my new approach has been to take that moment to pray for those needs, focusing on that scripture I always talk about:

Philippians 4:6-7

6Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (bold type emphasis mine)

So I guess I want to say, let's do this together. Next time we are tempted to worry about something let's net be anxious about it, let's present our request to God, and his peace which we can't fully understand will guard our hearts and minds, in Christ Jesus.

See you tomorrow faithful friends and readers!

Come back soon...

I'll post more again soon: some makings and pictures of our wee one. She is sick and I am spring cleaning...I'll get back on track. See you soon.

Praise God:

Lord I thank you that we are in a country where I can freely worship you and thank you for all you give me.

*Fried Green Tomatoes and Garlic Parmesan Mayonnaise from Lynn's

*Hand me down clothes and toys from friends and family

*Dorothy's cold is just a cold (I pray it stays that way)

*Our Church is helping take care of people

*My husband loves me well, and that's not just he sent me flowers though I am thankful for those too

*In less than a month both sets of our parents will live just across the river again

9 months

Thanks Emily, Bret, and Jennie for telling me why you visit. That was so encouraging!

So, Dorothy is now 9 and half months old. I have taken these pictures almost every month. I think I missed month 4 and 8. I've said this before but I try to take a "month" picture with the same quilt and teddy bear (which were the presents we gave D when she was born, I the quilt and Mike the bear)... Anyway each month I get her doing something that she couldn't do the month before. This month her trick is not holding still :)

I am posting just because I really attempting to post every weekday. I have nothing to say and so much to say. I suppose I am just worn out. Also I am noticing that so many more are visiting this site and that is encouraging but it makes me wonder, who are you all? I love this blogging world and I am blessed and inspired by many blogs I read. So I ask you, why do you come here? I am curious. Peek out, don't be shy.

Cultivate Beauty: Homemade baby food

Check out this cool site: Gourmet Baby Food. Some recipes are intimidating/ridiculous but I think I'll try some of them. Dorothy can now run her fingers through her hair, can you tell?


Oh and this is my one hundredth post!

And the first winner is...

...Alice Huff. My Aunt Alice! She won this medium sized shoulder bag that is a version of the beach bag I made for Melinda's show! It is made with two decorator fabrics, lined with interfacing, quilted straps and a magnetic snap.

Thanks for everybody's comments and keep them coming! All who were left in the drawing will go on to the next drawing. You can post as often as you like.

Cultivate Beauty: Mother's Day

A sweet day.

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Check back later today to see which of you won the first drawing AND what you won!
You still have hours to post and participate.

Cultivate Beauty: A game of Red Rover

Red Rover: A game to entice her to crawl. So far it's been working!


Don't forget to comment to be a part of the drawings! See my last post for details!

Cultivate Beauty 2

We bought a lawn mower and I think I'll kinda miss our fuzzy dandelions.

I'm keeping the fuzzy dandelion in the back though, you know the one wearing pink polka dots.

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In other news...I have many faithful readers but few who post. Ceece is of course my most faithful poster, but sometimes she's my only one. Sooo, guess what! If you start posting then I'll enter you in a drawing for something handmade! Starting today, anytime you post I'll enter your name into a hat that I will periodically draw from and award you with a prize! I think this first drawing will be a purse so you better get posting!!!
I'll announce the winner next Monday, May 12 (Hey that's Carrie and JQ's anniversary)


My rules are this:
1. This month comment, on cultivating beauty, ie. what are you doing creatively to worship God
2. Make sure to put your name so I know who you are!

Cultivate Beauty

This is one of my favorite parts of spring, our annual Cultivate Beauty Festival/Kill your TV at my church, Sojourn. The whole idea is to challenge everyone to make space for beauty in our lives by turning off our TVs and cultivating beauty around us. God is creator of all things and he has given us the ability to be creative ourselves. It is a way we can worship God by enjoying in his creation and being creative.

I personally have the goals/inspiration to watch MUCH less TV and spend MUCH MUCH less time on the Internet. I am planning on sewing, gardening, be more creative in playing with Dorothy, and reading more. I am also trying to learn how to use our camera beyond snapping pictures, but really taking care to take nice pictures. Hopefully you'll see evidence of my photography here.


So I challenge you to cultivate beauty, turn your TV or computer for example, just take a break from whatever keeps you bound up and not engaged in creativity.
Draw, write, sing, bake, garden, take pictures, go for a walk, go see a game, write a hand written letter, sew, paint... anything! Just cultivate beauty and thank God for all his beautiful creation.

Graditude on Fridays...

Dorothy is 9 months old today!
Here she is as we take her home the hospital at 5 days old.

God I thank you for...

• Mike's safe travels...
• Clothes to wear, bed to sleep, food to eat...
• The option to eat healthy is getting easier around town...
• Dorothy dancing to anything that has a beat...
• A sweet but very protective dog...
• Good friends...
• That our baby girl is growing healthy and strong and is 9 months old today!

OK, this is D back at oneish month (I think). I can't seem to get a picture of her currently making this face, but this is the face that she makes when surprised or concentrating. I blog about these things as a way of remembering. There are so many cute things she use to do that seem to have faded from her repertoire :( I will miss them so I write about them and you can read about it or just look at cute pictures of my awesome kid. :) you choose!

Dad, mom, me and D.

This is for all of my fellow FCHS alumni. Click here. You are welcome for that bit of nostalgia.

I went back to that old tan brick structure yesterday for my mom's retirement party. She and Mr. Marsh are both going to retire this year. It was crazy to see some of my old teachers.

Even more crazy has the remodel they are doing. Most of A hall is gone and there are lockers up and down what is left of A and B hall. My mom's new and last German classroom is in what use to be the Jr. High Commons. There are several classrooms set up there. You know where we had all of our awkward Jr. High Dances. Weird. It will be cool to see it when it's done. Oh and the cafeteria still smells the same.

Anyway, back to my mom. I spoke spur of the moment about her as a teacher. I think I said a lot of nonsense but I tried to communicate that I know she is one of the best teachers out there. She is one of those teachers where you had to work hard from the beginning to the end of each class period. But, man you knew your German after that. Can I just boast more and tell you that my mom can speak German, French, Russian and a bit of Spanish! And she was a math teacher as well! She has taught 26 years and was a stay at home mom for 11. My dad, Mike, and I found a Seinfield term, really describes Sue Huff, "Unbridled Enthusiasm". If you ask her she will sing you just about any song in German, but her specialty is "Stop in the Name of Love". In addition to all that mom was a WHAS 11 ExCEL award winner and the Indiana German teacher of the year in 1994. That is amazing. HAPPY RETIREMENT MOM!

What I've been working on.

Here is another project I tried recently. I have a lot of t-shirts that are worn or have spots or holes in them. I have been saving them for sewing. I took a shirt from Old Navy. You know those great thick cotton shirts they use to sell before they stated all this "tissue weight" t-shirt nonsense where it is now essential to wear a shirt layered, never can you just wear it by itself. Sigh.

Anyway. I have seen around the web instructions on making kids pants with old t-shirts. I wanted to make a dress. So I traced a dress (the one that Miss Jennie V got her) that D has been wearing lately and added some length and seam allowances and made the bottom flair out. Mom coached me over the phone on how to sew jersey material. She said I had to use a ball-point needle and suggested a zig-zag stitch. I lined it up so the hem of the original shirt was now the hem of the dress. I left the neck and arms raw edges so they raveled kind of cool. I also added the ribbon across the waist. She (obviously) wore it over a white shirt and jeans in this picture.

We took several pictures of Dorothy in the dress and this was the only one that turned out! She kept lifting her feet and marching. Also keep in mind this is the end of a very busy day, so that explains the blur and the random spots on her new dress.

God, I am thankful for:Mike and Dorothy: baby dedication September 07
I heart them so much.

• Remembering our baby dedication last fall. It was a sweet day with family and friends.
  
• Spring weather
  
• Sewing and crafting
• Reconnecting with friends and family
  
• My church
  
• Getting to know people better over this "web" (this means you Ceece :)
• One of Dorothy's three emerging teeth popped through yesterday!

Praise God for all these things.

Since on my dearest friend Carrie's birthday this past year I had a 9 day old baby, I didn't get to make her the purse as I intended. Anyway the one I started once Dorothy was a little older was packed away during our move and is MIA, somewhere in the garage. She'll get it someday. In the meantime... I thrifted a belt that reminded me of Carrie AND it just happened to go with my leftover fabric from the bag from earlier this week. Soo here is her "in the meantime" purse. It is made with two coordinating decorator fabrics, interfacing, and a recycled belt! I am getting the hang of this sewing thing again. I was telling Carrie earlier, I think God is blessing me by helping me keep my sanity through these creative endeavors.

I can't believe that I haven't shared this with you. If you have a few moments go visit my dear friends at Winters Photography. Look under proofing, see Little ladies album and type in littleladies for the password. And there are the beautiful Huff grandkids! Enjoy!

During my quiet time today I read this. In Linda Dillow's book "Satisfy My Thirsty Soul" she quotes A. P. Gibb's from his book "Worship":

"In prayer we are occupied with our needs, in thanksgiving we are occupied with our blessings, but in worship we are totally occupied with God himself".

Let's all meditate on that.

What I've been working on.

I dusted off the sewing machine! My sister-in-law Melinda invited me to make a beach bag for her room in a decorator's show-house up in Indianapolis! I am so excited! As you may know she is an amazing custom painter, muralist and overall artist. Here is what I came up with...


So I am getting encouragement from those around me to sell these little projects. I am working on that. Pray that I would do God's will in this little business venture. I love sewing and creating but I don't want it to become a hindrance to loving my family the best that I can.

Besides sewing and raising up little Dorothy, loving Mike and all, I have been spring cleaning. Also rearranging the house to make it more functional, which reminds me... Look what my mom found and refinished for us. It was caked with layers of paint and look what she did! This is now in our bedroom as my dresser. I love it!

I Thank God For...

God, I thank you for...

my backyard

the yellow sparkles in my husband's and daughter's blue eyes

encouragement from my husband and parents when they see what I have sewed

that cutting out sugar from my diet seems to keep down RA flair ups, a bit

the book Philippians

Wendell Berry's writings

CSA starts soon

a dog who submits to a squealing, clawing 8 month old baby girl

a vacation with family

First Swim

Remember how Mike and I got those awful sunburned stripes? Well, that is what prompted Dorothy's first swim to be in a plastic box, in her Nana and Papa's backyard. It sounds a little funny but it was perfect. Here they are in order...

Yesterday, while restocking our groceries at Kroger, Dorothy sat upright in her shopping cart. She has done this many times, but this was the first time she did it sitting up well. Not once did I have to prop her back up. She had a hat on and she kept taking it off. It struck me how big she is! Two weeks ago she couldn't reach her hat, much less pull it off (over and over again:).

And here are some of my favorite vacation pictures...




There was a crowd around them looking at the chimps and they were just looking at each other.



Sitting in Papa's truck.



Chihuly glass at Fairchild Gardens
(we have seen his art in London, Indianapolis, and now Miami)

...with Nana on a tram ride.



...and my girl and I.

Good Morning Louisville.

Good morning Louisville. I have the song "Good Morning Baltimore" going through my head you know from Hairspray? Only I really missed my little big town (or would you call Louisville a big little town?) So I am humming "Good morning Louisville". One thing I learned on my trip is that my Father -in - law agree that the original Hairspray movie is the best of the two. I really like the new one one but I LOVED the the original. It might be because it is a childhood staple and therefore I owe it my loyalties. I'll have to watch both of them back to back and really decide.

We had a nice 15 day trip. I checked emails some and got a sitereader update while there and I just wanted to thank all of you who check this blog whether I write anything or not!

Anyway, we drove to Miami via Atlanta, where Mike's grandma and uncle's family met Miss D for the first time. A wonderful visit! Then we went to Miami. Total driving over two days was about 20 hours to and from. D did great on the way down, she slept about the same times that she would have during her naps and talked to us (babbled :) and sang along with Alison Krauss and Robert Plant. She prefers music much more than books on tape (we listened to two David Sedaris, a Dave Barry, and the original unedited manuscript of Karouac's "On the Road")

We did a lot of seeing, sunning, and resting. Pictures are coming.
A few favorite things were:

• taking D to Papa's work were she charmed the ladies at Miami International Airport.
• Our days at the beach though, Mike and I were both so thrilled to be there the first day we applied sunscreen (spf 45) quickly and became striped for the remainder of the trip. Seriously it was stripes of pale right next to stripes of blistered sunburn. This prompted us not to take D to the beach on this vacation because the Miami sun is so brutal, luckily Nana and Dorothy had several days playing and bonding together while M and I were off getting sunburns!
• We met Bert and Jessica and their girls for lunch and walk in the waves. It was great! (we love meeting friends when they are vacationing close to us- We missed you Noltemeyers).

On the way home we came through Gainsville and visited with Aunt Jean, Uncle Hubert, and Wayne's family. It was more sweet time with family as D met them for the first time. D had a harder time coming home but still was pretty entertained in the car. I will still take vacationing advice from anyone who has travelled with kids as we have Mike's sabbatical coming up (!!!). One thing that was essential was having a big container on the floor under her seat where we had diapers, food, wipes, and toys so that the items were easy to grab when we stopped for breaks on the road.

Sigh, so hello Louisville, green rocking chair, mom and dad, friends, my own bed, and of course Ginger-dog. I missed you all. Very much. Drop me a line. I want to catch up.