Congratulations Ashish!

Ashish reached a huge milestone today! He graduated from nursing school and participated in his pinning ceremony today! It's been a grueling year for him but he has persevered and pushed through some huge obstacles. Priya loved seeing her daddy up on stage and was especially enthusiastic when he walked across the stage. She kept calling out "Daddy! Daddy! Daddy! Sheesh! Sheesh!" It was adorable.

We are so proud of you Ashish! Way to go!

Happy Thanksgiving...

Better late than never, right? :) I've been meaning to get this posted for a while but we didn't get them loaded onto our computer until last night.

On Thanksgiving morning Dad, Jon, O and I participated in Redding's Turkey Trot. O ran the 1/4 mile race for her age group and did a fantastic job! I wish I could show the video but it shows her face too clearly. So you'll just have to take my word for it. We then went over to see Jon begin his 6 mile race and cheer him on before heading over to the 2-mile course that Dad, O & I walked together.

Here are Dad and O cheering Jon on as he ran by. Unfortunately we missed him in the picture.
O made friends with some Storm Troupers who were a part of the event for some reason. Random yes, but fun. :)
Then later that afternoon we enjoyed Thanksgiving dinner with family and friends. There were quite a few kids there so the girls of course had a wonderful time.

Time for an update!

It's time for a long-overdue update! I have more pics that have yet to be uploaded onto our computer but i thought I'd start with this for now...

For Thanksgiving this year we were visited by my brother Jon and SIL Jenetta. They brought their daughters O & L for the week and we had a wonderful time together.

We took L and Priya to a park one evening to take some professional pics. These are no where near the quality of the pics that Jenetta took but here's a little sample.

We took the girls to play in the snow up at Mt. Lassen. We still can't show face shots of O & L until the adoption is finalized so I'm not able to show some really cute pics of L enjoying the snow. My cousin Holli joined us for the adventure.

All Sorts of Fun!

We had quite the fun-filled Halloween this year! We started out by visiting a nearby farm/pumpkin patch and got to enjoy seeing Priya experience all sorts of firsts! Some good friends, the Petersons, joined us for the morning.Ashish's dad had goats as a boy so he especially enjoyed the petting zoo! :)
Priya was a little reluctant at first but ended up making all sorts of new animal friends.




They had a small kids play area (it was free too!) so Priya, of course, had a blast! This was her first attempt ever at riding a bike (well, tricycle)!

Then we took a train ride around the farm. Priya loved the bumps and rattles of the car!
Priya's first lollipop!


What a face!!! This is one of my new favorite pictures!
Cheese!!!!!
Priya's very good friend, Beth.
Ah, family photo time. What do you think? Should this be our Christmas card photo? ;)
Seriously...precious!!


Then in the evening, Priya and I took Ashish's parents to a Harvest Carnival put on by one of the churches in town.


After a long day, Priya took a little breather in the bouncy castle. :)

Happy Halloween

We enjoyed a really fun Mom's Group yesterday! The kids got to dress up in their costumes, make fun crafts, and have fun playing together while the mom's had a chance to catch up. It was a blast!

They're here!

Ashish's parents arrived from India this week! It's been so much fun to see them experience and get to know their granddaughter all over again! Priya was 6 months old when they last saw her and was a very different little girl! She was a bit shy at first but by the end of the 1st day she was hugging and kissing them and thoroughly enjoying having them here!

Day 1:

Day 2: They spent some quality time alone with Priya and babysat her while Ashish and I were in class/working.
Day 3: We went to a Family Festival here on campus this morning/afternoon. Priya got to jump in 2 different bounce houses, slide on bouncy slides, and even got her face painted for the 1st time. We enjoyed watching it all unfold. :)

Family Fun!

Ashish had a more less-rigorous schedule this week so he had some free time this weekend. The result: a fun-filled family morning at one of Redding's gymnastics locations. It was great to be able to have some good, quality time together! :)

Who does this remind you of?

I haven't seen Monsters Inc. in a long time. But I stumbled upon this pic tonight and it reminded me so much of Priya! What do you think? All she needs is a chipped front tooth and it'd be perfect! :) The funny thing is that Priya is REALLY into Monsters right now too (not in a scary way). I think I need to find this movie for her! :)

Way to go, Priya!

Priya began a new journey today - potty training! We've been getting ready for this for a while. She's been role playing with her dolls and stuffed animals - going back and forth between changing their diapers and having them use their little potty. Priya has become increasingly interested in the subject and sitting on her potty has been a game for her. But she's had never actually gone potty in it - until today!

I have a long weekend (Columbus Day) so I have Friday and Monday off. I've been waiting for a solid stretch of time where I could be consistent with her and this was it. So our adventure began this morning. And finally, just before putting her down for her nap, she took the plunge! And boy oh boy was she ever proud of herself! Her mommy was pretty proud of her too!

Way to go, Priya!

Happy October!

The weather has finally changed and the heat has become a thing of the past. WHOOHOO!!! Yes, I am VERY happy to say goodbye to the 100+ degree weather. It's been simply gorgeous here the past 2 weeks or so - varying from being in the 70's to 80's. How perfect is that?!

Life has settled into a more predictable routine as well. That is also something that I look forward to. The months of August and September are so crazy so October is a welcome blessing.

Next week, however, will bring about some new changes for our family. Ashish's parents will be moving here from India!!! :) For now they plan to stay in one of the dorms on campus. This will make life much easier for them as they adjust to a new culture and won't have to worry as much about transportation. They will be helping to watch Priya while Ashish and I are working so it will be a wonderful blessing to have them so close. How lucky is Priya to have the opportunity to have both sets of grandparents nearby (at least part of the time). I'm so excited about what it will mean to Ashish's parents and to Priya to have this time together. It'll also be an amazing opportunity for her to learn more about her heritage - learning to speak Gujarati, eating more Indian dishes, learning songs and games from India, etc. We are so thankful that everything has worked out to make it possible for them. Of course it will hold its share of challenges but overall I think it'll be a blessing.

We are thinking a lot about the big transition that it will be for them - moving to a new culture, learning a new language, looking for work, and not having the support system & comfort of being known that they are used to having back home. It will be all "wine and roses" for a while but eventually the challenges of culture shock will kick in for them and they will deeply miss their life back in India. I know that they would really appreciate your prayers as they prepare for this huge transition. I can't imagine doing what they are doing at the age of retirement! It takes a lot of courage in my opinion!

On a totally different note and as a little bonus, I've included 2 cute videos of our very social and expressive little girl. To give you some background, one of our students came out of her room. Priya kept calling "I love you!" to her again and again and again (I caught just the tail end of this in the 1st vide0). The student eventually left the dorm and Priya ran after her continuing to call out to her trying to get her attention. It melted my heart and had me cracking up all at the same time. I just love the sound of her voice as she calls out in the 2nd video. Could she be any cuter?! :) (yes, I'm a proud mommy, I can't help it!)

Jacob Greg Penner Has Arrived

Priya has a new cousin! Jacob Greg Penner was born this afternoon to Joel and Emily. He was 7 lbs, 9 oz and 20 in. long. Congratulations to Joel, Emily & Ella! We're so excited for you!! Priya has been oohing and aahing over his photos on Facebook and keeps saying, "Jake? Jake?" She is happy for you too! :)

New Nephew Almost Here!

Exciting news! Emily went into the hospital this morning in labor! Our little nephew is finally on his way!!! I'll be sure to update as I hear more! We are praying for you, Emily & Joel, and for your son's safe arrival!

Happy 2nd Birthday Priya!

Today was a special day for little Priya - she turned 2! We celebrated with a small birthday party at a great park in our area. Priya had a blast and we loved watching her enjoy herself.

Happy Birthday sweet girl! We love you!

In the afternoon after Priya's nap we enjoyed a bit more time with Grammy & Pappa at their house. They will be heading back up to Canada tomorrow so we wanted to get in some extra time before their departure. Below Priya performs her new favorite song as she tears through Grammy's book collection.

Priya has also been enjoying the table set that Grammy and Pappa got her for her birthday. She also showed off her growing knowledge of colors. Well, it's hit and miss but she's getting there... :)

A Long Overdue Update

Yes, yes, I know. I am usually so good about keeping this blog updated quite regularly. Well, I have a good excuse. I've been working like a mad woman! Today is the first day I've had off in 3 solid weeks and I am rejoicing! We survived 2 weeks of intensive training with our student leaders and are now one week into the fall semester.

The overall tone of this new year is extremely positive and I'm excited to see what the Lord has in store for Simpson this year! I personally have gotten a running start with my new position (Residence Life Coordinator/Student Conduct Administrator) and have found myself neck deep in a rather intense and serious disciplinary situation with one of our students. But the pressure to resolve the situation has resulted in an acceleration of the development of our new discipline program. I am feeling much more prepared to work with the situations that will continue to arise throughout the school year. So despite the craziness I'm thankful.

My parents have been in town and have been our personal heroes during this busy time. They have given so much of their time and energy to watch Priya and have given me great peace of mind knowing that she was safe in their care. Thank you SOOO much Grammy & Papa for being such a tremendous help to us these past few weeks!!

Priya is just a week away from her 2nd birthday. She continues to amaze us with her rapid growth and development. Our baby is gone and in her place is a lively, fun-loving, intelligent, & loving little girl. Her favorite things these days are going outside anytime she can, singing songs (ABC's and Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star are two of her favorites), counting to 13, swimming, snuggling, reading, climbing stairs, swinging and sliding at the park and playing with friends. She hugs everyone and everything she meets and is thrilled to have our campus full of students again. There is never a dull moment with little Priya around. Here are a few pictures that capture her ever-emerging personality.

By the way, the first two pics are of Priya in an outfit that she received as an anonymous gift in the mail this week. We have no idea who sent it (and the other adorable items that came with it), but if the giver is reading this, THANK YOU!!

This last photo was taken on Tuesday evening at Simpson's Annual Toga Party. I used one of Priya's baby blankets to make a toga. She had a blast, as always.

Never a dull moment in Student Development

One of the things that I appreciate about working in Student Development is the fun that we have together. We had our staff retreat on Tuesday and Wednesday this week and on one of the days were asked to give a brief presentation for the rest of the team. We decided to spruce it up a bit by dressing up in crazy costumes with no real purpose. It was hilarious and we created a special memory. And in case you're wondering, yes, that is a penguin beak on my face!
We had to take a staff photo for Univeristy purposes and are a little afraid that this is going to come back to haunt us - or end up in one of our publications or something.

"Snug!"

Ahhh...there's nothing like some "snug" time with Daddy! Priya has become quite the snuggler these days (she cutely calls it "snug") and has LOVED the special time with Daddy now that we are home again.

Home At Last

We finally made it home! The day went well for the most part. We left Steinbach at 5am and arrived at the airport by 6am. I had no problems getting through customs in Winnipeg and sat at the gate for about 45 minutes before boarding. When I checked in they told me that there was almost no chance of there being an open seat on the 1st flight to use Priya's car seat. But it definitely worked out in our favor and we ended up with an extra seat! Priya slept for a whopping total of 30 minutes! But hey, it was better than nothing. :) She was an angel on the flight so I didn't mind.

We had about 2 1/2 hours in Denver to kick around (we had a minor delay there) and then hopped on our 2nd flight for nearly 3 hours to San Francisco. The flight was totally full so we didn't have an extra seat. But we survived. :)

In San Francisco we encountered a delay that kept us there for 3 1/2 - 4 hours. That was pretty brutal but again we made it through. We lucked out on the last flight at the last minute and ended up getting 2 seats as well! I think a stinky diaper may have helped but that's another story... :)

Ashish greeted us at the airport and Priya's reaction to him brought tears to my eyes. He enthusiastically called out her name, she turned around, squealed very loudly, and then ran to him with her arms outstretched. It was a beautiful sight to see father and daughter reunited. We were pretty happy to see each other too. :)

So after 16 hours of traveling we are safely back at home. Ahhhh...I had a wonderful time in Manitoba but there really is no place like home!

Oma's Big Day!

Today was another terrific day! Both Tanya's, Emily, Judy & I got together in the afternoon for coffee at an adorable little place here in Steinbach. We had an amazing time sharing stories and getting to know each other better. Before the end of our time together every one of us had teared up (in a good way). Ahhhh...female bonding at its best! :)We then got together with everyone for Oma's 85th birthday party celebration. There was no end to the fun we all had together today!






Oma received a digital photo frame as her birthday gift today. Everyone gathered around to see the photos that everyone sent to be included on the frame.
We also celebrated my parents' 40th anniversary today too.

Flying Hot Dogs and Tacos, Oh My!

On Friday morning we attended the Pioneer Days Parade in Steinbach (boy did that ever bring back memories from when we attended the parade as kids!). The weather was pretty bad (it rained through most of it), but we enjoyed it nonetheless. I remember candy being thrown at these parades as a child but this far surpassed anything I had ever seen! They threw candy, freezie pops, water bottles, sodas, hot dogs, dog food packets and much, much more! Well, some of it was handed out, but still... They even gave out soccer balls! It was quite the party!



In the evening, Greg and Tanya had us over for a fabulous Mexican Fiesta Night! This had to be one of the funnest nights I've had in years! We played Wii (my first time), Rock Band, Telephone Pictionary (and wow did we ever laugh!), had a fabulous meal (thanks Tanya) and had an all-around wonderful time together!

We Pulled It Off!

Oma's great surprise was priceless! Oma never saw it coming. :)

And here are the promised pictures of the fun-filled night: