NHWolff's Xanga

Easter Already?

Wed, 19 Mar 2008 14:45:16 GMT

Judah always asks to go for a walk when it's raining, one of the many "inconvenient" things about him that I love. We bundled his little sister into her purple fleece bodysuit and crammed her into the bjorn, . Rubber boots, camo rain jacket, out the door. It had stopped by the time we made it out the door, excepting a few tardy droplets. We did the usual thing - checked out the bird bath (more full of pebbles placed there last year than water), watched the cars, walked down the sidewalk toward "D" street and Judah's favorite puddle (tubble) which returns with every rain. Not too many signs of the (supposedly) coming spring. Then, true to form, the request to go in the backyard.

We kicked the tigger ball around, went down the damp slide, ran around in circles. In between requests to "goin' down the s[l]ide?" and "run circles, Mama?", I looked around at the flower beds and garden boxes, taking inventory of what needs to be done to get them into shape for the growing season. I was surprised at what I saw. Namely, signs of life. The leaves of some of the perennials have already emerged, pushing their green fingers through the earth to receive whatever sunlight there is. There are the beginnings of buds on the cherry tree, some of the twigs on the pear tree have greened.

All of this, right when it seems spring will never come. More than that, all of this has been on its way since everything browned, bowed and died in the fall. The bulb's leaves were planning their return before I had even tired of winter. The cherry buds were thinking about their resurrection while covered in snow during Advent. For all of my complaining and impatience, it appears that I didn't begin them nearly soon enough for them to be timely. The flower beds and fruit trees are more eager than I am for the resurrection and renewal. They anticipate Easter before we enter Lent. And their impatience out strips mine; they cannot contain their desire to be reborn.

Monday, March 17, 2008

Mon, 17 Mar 2008 04:35:44 GMT

A Little Bit of This and That

Winter is almost gone, we hope. Although we awoke to a dusting of snow, it was gone by the time we left for church this morning. Some of the braver bulb flowers have worked their way through the ground, crocuses mostly. Let's hope they make it long enough to bloom.

We've got big plans for the garden(s) this year. Kitchen herbs, flowers and hydrangea in front, vegetables in back. Apparently, Idaho has been changed to a zone 5-6 from a 7-8. Exciting news for us Moscow gardeners. However, its been a cold winter, so I'm not sure that we'll actually get a longer growing season.

The kiddos are wonderful. Ada finds her older brother very entertaining. And he is. The other day, Judah asked Nathaniel to peel an orange for him. Nathaniel did, and when he was done, he called to Judah in the next room and told him his orange was ready. Judah responded, rather casually, "Don't care, don't want it." He changed his mind after his father made him eat a couple slices. Judah is very fond of serving "cake" (whatever happens to be in his hands at the time) to everyone. When it runs out, he says "Make more," walks into the kitchen, and returns seconds later proclaiming "Back, more!" Ada is still a sweet little thing and is working on rolling. She's very interested in everything that goes on around her and laughs at her big brother when he chatters at her. I think they're forming an alliance . . . a little people alliance.

Monday, February 04, 2008

Mon, 04 Feb 2008 02:10:29 GMT

Sunday

Today at Church, Judah opened the bulletin he was holding and very piously said "Bible. God. Amen." He then closed the bulletin and continued eating the goldfish he had placed on his chair.

P.S. There are some new photos and videos on the photoblog. Enjoy.

Monday, January 07, 2008

Mon, 07 Jan 2008 22:00:09 GMT

Could Be Worse

Okay, so it's been two months since my optimistic post . . . two months is better than nine.

We had a wonderful Christmas in PA with almost the entire Stevenson clan, excepting the Josh Stevensons. Twelve out of sixteen - not bad. No snow. Nathaniel bemoaned yet another missed opportunity to have his first white Christmas. It's bound to happen one of these times.

Here's a quick update:

Judah is active, happy, healthy and adding to his vocabulary daily. He is steadily working his way toward complete sentences, mostly squishing several words into one: "puddindat" (put in that), "goindat" (go in that), "wherego?" "I no know,""hold you," "hold Judah," and so on. He loves looking at his alphabet cards and says "A - Apple" when he sees someone He's a big fan of Ada.

Ada recently weighed in at 13 pounds . . . mostly in her cheeks, although her legs are starting to plump up. She is very smiley and appears to take a rather comical outlook on life - a trait she inherited from her father. Christmas was very good to her wardrobe.

We hope you are all well and that you receive God's blessing this next year.

Love, The Wolffs

P.S. There are some new pictures on our photoblog. Enjoy!

Saturday, November 10, 2007

Sat, 10 Nov 2007 19:16:20 GMT

It's Been A While

We've been busy/lazy/are just now recovering from a freak accident which left all twenty of our fingers broken, rendering us useless in all forms of web communication. Take your pick.

Ada Marie is four weeks old tomorrow and Judah Kenneth is 18 months today (Uncle Seth's 9th and Grammy S.'s . . . we won't say). We are healthy, happy, and hoping to start paying attention to this site again. We'll see. Does anyone even read blogs anymore, or have they been left in the dust for MySpace and Facebook? Whatever. This requires the formulation of sentences, something some of us need to do with more regularity. Besides, the grandparents need pictures of and anecdotes about their grandchildren. Here's to the old folks on the coasts. We love you guys.

3/4 Of A Birthday Is Better Than Half A Birthday

Sat, 10 Feb 2007 02:24:13 GMT

Tomorrow is Judah's nine month birthday. Send him cash. Cash is like Miracle-Gro for babies.

The house is getting homelier all the time. There are whales on the wall, tusks on top of the television and bookshelves by the fireplace. Paint is still drying in the kitchen, but the hallway looks nice. The little bundle of joy is sprouting teeth like a hammerhead.

It seems as if the groundhog was right after all. It is getting warmer. There is rain where there was snow, water instead of ice, puddles have replaced piles. It is easier to get up in the morning (for some). The walk downtown is less treacherous now because the sidewalk no longer wants to kill you when you aren't looking.

The Pharisees brought a woman before Jesus and accused her of adultery. Jesus bent down and wrote into the ground as if he did not hear.The children of Israel wandered in the desert. The Word was raised up on the cross and then was written into the earth. The Lord God brought Moses up onto the mountain and gave him the law, written into stone. The Word fulfilled the law. "Neither do I judge you. Go and sin no more."

Tuesday, January 16, 2007

Tue, 16 Jan 2007 20:43:10 GMT

Warmth is Relative

In the misdst of Moscow's extreme January cold, we awoke this morning to a 15 degree Tuesday. Mmmmm . . . fifteen degrees . . . balmy.

Wednesday, December 20, 2006

Wed, 20 Dec 2006 19:50:16 GMT

Christmas

We are headed for California in two days. We are very excited. Christmas in the Sunshine State will be a first for some of us and a welcome return to the norm for others. We hope you all have a wonderful holiday, wherever and with whomever you spend it.

          Blessed is the Lord God of Israel,
          For He has visited and redeemed His people,
         And has raised up a horn of salvation for us
         In the house of His servant David,
        As He spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets,
        Who have been since the world began,
        That we should be saved from our enemies
        And from the hand of all who hate us

Here are some pictures of our little Christmas Elf. This is the dorkiest thing his mom has done thus far, so we hope you enjoy them. His shirt says "Elf," in case any of you were wondering. There are a few more on our photo blog.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Monday, December 18, 2006

Mon, 18 Dec 2006 16:58:13 GMT

Dream, Dream, Dream

We have punctuality problems. You could say we're challenged. It's a hurdle ... our children have no hope. They are doomed to tardy arrivals at play-dates and birthday parties. Forever. I've been attempting to improve in this area lately; at least, it's been on my mind. I wasn't aware, however, that the situation warranted subconscious fixation (or divine exhortation?), which became apparent last night.

It's finals week. Somehow, I'm taking two classes instead of one. In addition to history, I'm enrolled in music. Again, somehow, I get my schedule mixed up and realize I've missed, not that I'm late, but that I've actually missed my history final. This is bad enough. Mr. Schlect sitting in his office ... no me. Worse, in my opinion, is what I decide to do next. I decide that I will do . . . nothing. I don't call, I don't stop by, I just continue on with my day. No one from the school calls me. No one e-mails me.

My day, it just so happens, involved going to work at Terramark, where Nathaniel works. Apparently, my day also involved (what else) forgetting to go to my music final. Since it worked so well the first time, I opt to follow the same course of action ... I don't do anything about it, I just keep working. This time, however, my final comes to me. A gentleman from town stops by. He isn't teaching music this year, he isn't even a musician, as far as I know. We start talking. I'm not even aware that this is a final. He asks me about some dates. I tell him what events in the life of J.S. Bach occurred on each of them. He's very impressed. During our conversation, I am fully aware that I have no idea how I know any of the information I'm giving him. He leaves and that's it.

I have taken this as encouragement to amend my ways, to strive for punctuality and organization. These are not "shadows of what will be, but only of what may be"; the necessary end of my path if I do not depart from it. May it never be said of me "Lo, the one who causes her teachers to seek her out when it is time for her to sit for academic examinations. It is an abomination. And even if she receives good grades, her guilt will continue with her, for she has not taken care to prove that she is capable of acting as an adult." It is a Christmas miracle.

Saturday, September 30, 2006

Sat, 30 Sep 2006 21:15:49 GMT

Words, Not Pictures

This is a disappointment. We don't have new pictures that show our varying degrees of cuteness, or our extreme good looks. Rest assured that we will have some more soonish.

Fall is overhead and underfoot. The days are fluctuating between autumnal briskness and springlike afternoons. Yellow leaves falling through sun-speckled branches. School has reconvened and we've already skimmed thousands of pages. Our translating skills are being dusted off, our fingers readjusted to the keys and our attention is still trying to wake up from the soporific summer.

The town has filled up to capacity once again, all the students have returned with their fading tans and academic reluctance. And the amount of coffee consumed on any given day in this town has become more and more impressive. We need our stimulants, badly. The first term of school is almost done and it still doesn't even feel like we've really started.

Something that stuck in our thoughts recently is the fact that there are so many good things in this world that it's impossible to write them all down. There is simply too much. But we still try to cram it all into these little black markings that run across the white expanse of our page. Trying to capture meaning in words seems like trying to pack too many clothes in a suitcase. No matter how many times it gets jumped on, sat on, or pushed down, there is always a sock, sleeve or pant leg hanging out, demanding that the whole thing be reconsidered.