Springtime in GR

Our peonies in the backyard. What a beautiful God we must have that He would create something so delicate and so lovely.

Micah's tower in the basement. I think he surprised himself with his success :)

Savannah at 3 months. Our little ray of sunshine.

The weather has warmed up and it seems all those wild and fierce storms have mostly blown through. Everything is green and still moist from the week long drenching. Today I took the kids to a nearby park and enjoyed the beauty of the blue sky and varying shades of green foliage. Micah wanted endless underdogs on the swing (thank you, Uncle Jonathan) and Savannah snoozed in the stroller. Yesterday was just as breathtaking...one of those days that makes your soul sing. Mine did. Here's an except from my journal...a Psalm to our Creator King I wrote as I sat on the back deck meditating on the life around me:

"Oh, beautiful day! I want to wrap myself up in it. The wind blowing through the towering trees moves my mind to dwell on your Spirit...blowing over, in and through me; The sun, of your power and boundless Energy; The rich greens and songs of the birds of new life that You alone can give; The fresh air rushing into my lungs, the pristine blue sky, of what it truly means to be alive in You. My source. My breath. My life. My song. Oh! Glorious day...Glorious God!"

More Micahisms

Here are a few new Micahisms for ya'...

"Hey - cool shirt, Mom" (I had on a Notre Dame long sleeve T with the Fighting Irish guy on it)

"That's an idea." or "That's not an idea" (i.e. "That's a good idea (or bad idea)")

That's "dweedo?" (for Guido on Disney's "Cars" movie. I like to point at the character and have him say the name over and over just because it makes me laugh when he says it :)

"My poo poo is like hot dog" (Gross, I know, but he said it out of the clear blue yesterday and it cracked me up. Since he's potty training he is intrigued by his bowel movements.)

"Mom, are you sure that's a cargo plane (sea plane, jet plane?)" (As I was reading him and airplane book and telling him the names of the different airplanes.

"Hey Dad, how's my stick forest doin'?" (He asked that question to Greg on the phone yesterday in reference to his stick forest he left on the beach in Traverse City.)

"Ummm...actually..." (not sure where he learned the word "actually" or even how to use it?!)

"Hey sweetheart. It's OTay." (Spoken in a high tone when he's talking to Savannah)

"Can I watch my noovie now?" (for "movie")

Big and Little Traverse Bays

The fam at Traverse City Beach State Park

Our little sweet pea (just had to throw this one in there)

Cool little waterfall at park in Petoskey

View from Petoskey city park on a clear day

View of bay from a park in Petoskey. The high "mountain" through the clouds is either Boyne Highlands or Nub's Nob ski resort areas.

View from our hotel balcony
(http://www.crookedriverlodge.com/)

Micah making his "stick forest"

Greg had a business trip with Marketplace that took him up to the Traverse City area, so we decided to make it into a mini family vacation. We had a wonderful time experiencing the pristine views of the Traverse Bay areas and spent time in Harbor Springs (http://www.harborspringschamber.com/), Petoskey (http://www.petoskey.com/) and Traverse City (http://www.traversecity.com/). The northern part of MI is unbelievably beautiful. It's one of those places where you find yourself saying, "Oh my...look at that!" around every bend. It's a rich green rolling country loaded with evergreens, aspen, orchards, wineries, beaches, ski areas, trails, harbor towns, you name it. It's a bit of a challenge to pack a lot in when you're travelling with little ones, but it's also a great lesson to take things a bit slower and see things from the perspective of a two year old. We had some great, much-needed family time, which was the goal. Here are some pics from our adventures that might tell the story a bit better than words.

It's a Poo Poo Party!!

At last!! A week ago I sat Micah down on his little potty to see what would happen...and what do you know? He finally went poo poo! He was so proud of himself. He ran to me saying, "Mommy! Mommy!! I went poo poo in potty!" So from there we began a day long celebration culminating in the first ever Duvall Poo Poo Party '08, complete with a cake (with sprinkles on the icing), toostie rolls (the appropriate candy, we thought), party hats, balloons and singing. Micah made up a song based on the children's tune, "I like to eat, eat, eat, apples and bananas"...He says, "I like to poop, poop, poop, poo poo in my potty." And we also sang a fitting variation of "Happy Birthday to You". I know, I know...sounds like we're a bit overboard and on the edge of crazy around here, but hey - you've got to enjoy great moments in life when they come and make the most of them, right? He is proudly bouncing around the house in his new Thomas the Train undies and hasn't had an accident...yet :)

Today marked day #2 of going #2...so maybe we're really on a roll.

Nurse Maids Elbow?!

Well, Friday night Micah underwent a rite of passage when he had his first ER experience. Yes, he's fine :) At bedtime, Greg went to pick him up off the floor by the wrist and Micah resisted, going limp. Greg heard a pop and Micah started screaming and crying that his arm very, very, very, very hurt. Poor little guy. We took him in for x-rays, praying it wasn't broken. When the x-ray tech put his arm in a certain position, micah cried out loud, and then was all of a sudden a happy little boy, bouncing around the ER room at 11:30pm. He had what is called "Nurse Maids Elbow", apparently having to do with a tendon and the elbow and common with little kiddos. When the arm was twisted for x-rays it popped it back in place. SO...note to selves...no more picking up a toddler by the arm or wrist :) Micah is no worse for the wear. He is back to his active little self. When we left the hospital that night he said, "Mommy, I was vewy, vewy, vewy, VEWY, Bwave." Yes, honey. You were very, very brave. We are so proud of you :)

And...another month flew by

Very content on 5/5/08

Micah blasting off in his spaceship with Uncle Jonathan and Uncle T

A kiss to build a dream on (Micah's going night night)

A blurry smile on 5/3/08

As of 5/5/08

So much has happened in the past two months. Yes, Savannah is two months old on the 11th. So here are some updates on what's been going on in the Duvall small world.

1) Visitors!! We have loved having family in and out of our doors. It seems our living room has been a permanent spare bedroom for the past eight weeks. They all say the pull-out couch is comfy. I hope that's the case :) I think I mentioned in the earlier post about my Dad coming. Then my Mom and Aunt Chrissy. Following that, Greg's mom was here. Then Uncle T, Uncle J and Aunt Chrissy came. Right now Greg's Dad is here until Tues. Needless to say, Micah has loved all the attention and getting to know his family better.

2) Greg is busy at work. He took a five day marathon trip to IN, KY, OH and back to MI last week to visit various distribution centers and oversee the chaplaincy efforts in those locations. A wave of relief overcame me when he finally walked in the door :) He's also getting excited about all the endless possibilities out in the lawn now that it's warmer and things are blooming. More power to ya', says this black thumb. Just keep it LOW maintenance :)

3) I am moving about almost like normal. If you ever need a good recovery program after surgery, you can borrow Micah. He'll get you up and moving in no time flat. I fill my days, filling and unfilling the dishwasher and washing machines, filling and unfilling the minivan, filling and unfilling the toy box and my inbox, filling empty tummies and changing filled diapers. That's kind of humorous now that I think of it :) Makes me more aware of my desperate need to keep my soul filled with Life, Love, Joy, Peace and Truth from the Eternal Source. Otherwise, I am sure to have a dry well.

One cool thing is that Greg let me have a night out with a couple girlfriends and we went to Holland (Michigan, that is) to see Christopher Williams in concert. It was sweetness for the soul. I loved it. I highly recommend checking him out if you like folk acoustic with a bluegrass flair. http://www.christopherw.com/. His music automatically starts playing on his website.

4) Savannah - Eat, Poop, Play, Sleep...Repeat. Eat, Poop, Play, Sleep...Repeat. Interject some fussiness and occasional smiles. And she can do all of that looking cute 100% of the time. Unbelievable :) She has stolen our hearts.

5) Micah - Did I mention we have two very different children on our hands? Here are some recent Micahisms for you:
- "Bye Daddy! Just call me on my cell phone!"

- "That was sweet of her, huh, Mommy?" (Because the librarian gave him a stamp on his hand)

- "Blast Off!!" (Many things get thrown through the air after this one, so take cover if you're around.)

- "I have to work." "Where's my hammer, screwdriver, wrench, pliers, sander, drill, saw, toolbelt, Bob hat, etc..."

- "Look Mom, a skylift!" (That's a big bucket that lifts construction workers in the air for those of you, who, like me, did not know that until I started reading truck books.)

- "I need to fix the fire hydrant" (When we go on walks, he takes his tools in his Bob the Builder bag and stops to "fix and paint" every fire hydrant. I'm should let the fire department know things look good.)

- "Jesus make rain"

- He came running in the house with some dandelions for me. When I asked him why, he said "'Cause I want to do you special." (Yes, my heart melted.)

- "I no like..." (Many things.)

- Finally, he sings nonstop. I love it :) I am amazed at his repretoire. He knows words to songs I sing with him that I have forgotten. I pray music is always a big part of his life. What a gift.

So there you go...a much needed update. As I always say, I will try to post more. My dream is to be able to post some more writings from my heart. Hopefully soon now that I feel I'm getting more in the groove. For more really great pics of the kids and of our time with my brothers and Chrissy, you can visit their shnazzy blog at http://www.jonathanandchrissy.blogspot.com/. Chrissy is the blog queen, while I am a mere blog jester.

Love to you all!

Savannah's Debut Post

Announcing the arrival of Savannah Kay Duvall!!

What a sweet little blessing of a baby girl..

She was born March 11th, 2008 at 5:11pm weighing 8lbs. 4oz. and 20" in length. After a couple days of recovery in the hospital (she was born via c-section) we came back home on the 14th and have been slowly adjusting since. We've had an overwhelming amount of support from family and friends in the form of gifts, meals, cards, prayers, phone calls, emails, and time spent helping us at the house. I am so very grateful.

Micah is not too sure about all this new baby sister stuff. He is very sweet with Savannah and like to give her kisses, but sharing Mommy is just not his favorite thing to do.

Savannah is such a sweet baby. She's sleeping well, eating well, going potty well, and growing way too fast. At three weeks old yesterday she is already lifting up her head and focusing on bright objects. I feel like we're getting into a routine as we figure each other out.

As for me, recovery is a bit slow, but I do feel progress, thanks to family members who have allowed me to rest well and let's not forget to give a big shout out to pain killers that have made me very "happy" :) I am so thankful for my Dad and Margo who helped with Micah in the first few days of Savannah's life, then my Mom who was a lifesaver for ten days around the house. Now Chrissy, my sister-in-law, is here helping all this week. I seriously don't know how things would have been without them. Praise God for family.

Greg is back at work and not getting much reprieve as he comes home and has to give full attention to a toddler for the evening. People said that having two is like going to man-on-man defense. Very true for us, thus far. Shawna feeds Savannah and Greg wrestles with Micah :)

Anyway, here are the pictures that I know you really want to see more than reading my long-winded commentary...I'm working on getting them loaded on Snapfish as well, but have run into some technical difficulties with our computer.

Thank you again for all your love, encouragment and shared joy in the arrival of our precious little gift, Savannah Kay. What a miracle.