Phil

Our future brother-in-law, Phil McCutcheon, and his mom arrived in Redding this week. Ashish's sister, Ami, has been living in Argentina for the past couple of years and met Phil was he was there with a YWAM team. They recently got engaged and Phil is now moving to Redding! We're excited to have him here and also about what this means for the future - that Ami will soon be following. :)




A special service was held at my parents' home just prior to the departure of Phil's mom. Ami was on Skype and was able to be a part of this special time despite the many miles that separated us. Both Phil and Ami had a chance to share about their relationship and to tell the story of how God brought them together. And then Ami's parents and Phil's mom had a chance to share about their kids, their upbringing and gave their blessing for their coming marriage. It was a beautiful service filled with a lot of tears and laughter.

Reno Trip

Earlier this week we enjoyed a trip to Reno, Nevada with both sets of parents. We stayed at a timeshare and did our best to stay warm despite the snow that was falling outside (quite a change from the 70's and 80's weather we'd been enjoying back home).

Circus Circus was just a few blocks away so Priya got to have some new experiences...


We visited Reno's mall one afternoon and Priya had her first Build A Bear experience. Well, more like Build A Chipmunk (which she's obsessed with these days)...

Playing Dress-Up

Priya has been getting into dressing up lately. The other night she put all of this together. Oh how she melts my heart. She is so much fun and such a joy to have in our lives! Priya, you are an unbelievable gift from God!

He finished!!

My phone rang today at 2:10pm. I saw Ashish's name as the caller and eagerly answered. He was finished with his NCLEX exam! He finished at around question 95 (out of a possible 205) and felt really good about it. The test will continue to give options if you aren't answering correctly so the fact that he ended as early as he did was a good sign. Now we have to wait about 6 weeks to find out for sure whether or not he passed. But for now we're ready to celebrate. Congratulations Ashish! I'm so proud of you!

Thanks so much for all of the prayers! We are so grateful! I'll be sure to post as soon as we get the official word.

Big Prayer Request!

I am happy to say that we are rapidly approaching the conclusion of Ashish's efforts to become a nurse (LVN)! He graduated in December and has been studying madly to prepare for the state board exam (NCLEX) that will take place on Tuesday, March 23 at 11am PST. He has come such a long way and has overcome some huge obstacles. I am so proud of all that he has accomplished.

Please pray for him as he spends these last few days studying and for peace, clarity of mind, for test questions that don't throw in words that may confuse him and that he will ultimately pass. Thank you so much! We'll be sure to keep you posted!

Our Little Organizer

I got some really cute videos recently that I just had to share! The first is of Priya Skyping with her cousins O & L. I'm so thankful for the ways we are able to stay in touch with family who is far away!

Next up is a funny scene that I discovered last night. Priya and I came home and she went to take her shoes off and put them back with her other shoes (a usual routine around here). I went into another room for a minute or two and when I came back out I discovered my little girl taking her shoes out one by one and lining them up in a neat row. She ended up pulling out old shoes as well (sizes that no longer fit her) and went about organizing them all. She proudly exclaimed, "I cleaning Mommy!" Do I possibly have an arranger on my hands? How wonderful would that be since I am definitely lacking in that area. ;)

Spring has sprung!

We've been enjoying some absolutely fabulous weather lately. The rain has given us a break and we've been enjoying the outdoors quite a bit more! Sorry to those who are still dealing with snow... I'm not trying to rub it in. ;)

Priya's Big Girl Bed!

The day has finally come for Priya's crib to be converted into a big girl bed! She is almost 2 1/2 years old and has shown signs that she is ready for the transition. She has been escaping from her crib and also climbing back in quite frequently. Both activities have been cause for alarm and concern (she usually lands on her head when she crawls/falls into her crib and I've been terrified that she'd end up breaking her neck or something), so now that we have a long weekend in sight (President's Day is on Monday and I have the day off) I figured we would have a consistent stretch to help Priya make the adjustment to a bed that allows for greater freedom and independence.

Quite honestly I expected a battle tonight, but I'm happy to say that she only made one escape! She isn't keen on sleeping under blankets or using pillows. We have tried multiple times but she throws a fit when any blanket touches her body and usually throws pillows out of her bed. We started with her under the covers and her head on the pillow, but it was very clear that she wasn't going to stay that way. So I decided to keep with one transition for now. At least she kept the pillow in her bed...

Here's another fun picture that I've been wanting to share for a while. I came home from work a couple of weeks ago to a cute site - Priya living it up in her baby swing (she barely used it as a baby but LOVES it as a toddler - go figure!). She was snuggling with "Drewey", her beloved monkey blanket, was sipping on milk and snacking on some almonds and Cheerios. She was also doing something that she rarely does during the day - sucking her thumb. It's common practice to find her with her thumb in her mouth while she's sleeping. But it's really not something that she does much during the day...

Update

Ashish's dad was released from the hospital yesterday afternoon. His reaction to the morphine had subsided and his breathing was under control again. The doctors have told him that he'll be wearing a sling for about 6 weeks (they weren't able to put it in a cast because of the location of the break).

His employer has been very understanding and has told him that they would gladly hold his job for him and that they'd love to welcome him back to work in about 2 months time. So that is wonderful news! It's a big relief for all of us!

He is in good spirits and is resting comfortably back in his room. He needs to be elevated when sleeping so we're working on getting a reclining chair in his room. We currently have a bunch of pillows stacked up under his mattress and a few more above it to keep him comfortable. But a chair would definitely be easier for him to get in and out of.

Thanks for your prayers! We all appreciate them tremendously!

Prayer Request

I just got back from visiting my father-in-law at the hospital. Yes, you read that right...

This morning he was on his way over to our place to babysit Priya and he slipped and fell, hitting his head and then the right side of his body on a stone pillar. Our campus nurse went to check on him and encouraged Ashish to take him to the hospital. She thought his shoulder/arm was probably broken.

A couple of hours later he was seen by a doctor. He was given a couple of stitches on his forehead and an x-ray revealed a broken humerus (upper arm bone). They did 2 CT scans to rule out any head/brain trauma and also rule out the possible need for surgery on his shoulder/arm. Fortunately both tests were encouraging and made it clear that there would not be need for surgery and that there was no additional damage to his head/brain.

They gave him morphine and he had a pretty bad reaction that resulted in complications with his breathing. It was scary to see him fading in and out of consciousness (he would snore and be unconscious with one eye open or both eyes partially open). They have him on oxygen and Ashish and his mom were working hard to try to keep him awake (anytime he'd fall asleep his breathing would decrease further). They also have him on oxygen to assist him in his breathing.

His doctor has admitted him and will be keeping him overnight because they are still concerned about his breathing. Ashish will be coming home soon for food and a shower and then plans to go back for several more hours. His mom is planning to stay overnight.

We would really appreciate your prayers for Ashish's dad and mom. This experience has been scary for them. My father-in-law recently (2 weeks ago) got a job but is now concerned that he will be unable to work for a couple of months and may end up losing the job altogether. We just celebrated his first pay check last night! Ironic, isn't it?

I'll be sure to update as I have more information. We are grateful for your prayers!

Jenetta would be proud!

My sister-in-law is the queen of freebies. If you haven't already, check out Frugal Freebies and Deals. She always finds such fantastic bargains, not to mention the free stuff...

Today was a special day (my...gulp...34th birthday) and I mustered up all the wisdom I have gleaned from Jenetta over the past many years and set out on a freebie-finding birthday bonanza! I'm proud to say that I scored about $30 in freebies as a result!! I walked away with a number of free coffees (Starbucks, Dutch Brothers, YAKS - some are still stored in my fridge for Ashish and I to enjoy tomorrow), a free meal from Red Robin (take-out which I brought home and shared with the fam) and a free burrito from Chipotle (not something they typically do so this was an extra special bonus). I know there were many other deals to be had, but I called it a day after gathering these goodies. I just might have to see if I can top it next year...

Pure Cuteness!

Priya is doing so many cute things these days! And I haven't been as good about capturing them on video lately. So tonight I decided to try and capture some of the cuteness again. :)

She has mastered doing sommersaults now. I wish I had gotten videos during the weeks that she was trying so hard but couldn't quite get it. It was hilarious! ;) The first video caught a perfect sommersault at the end. She was also pretending to have her special monkey "Drewey" color on our door! She did this recently and thought it would be fun to role play the scenario. Silly girl! The 2nd video is of her singing one of her favorite songs - The ABC's. Such cuteness! :)

Earthquake!

We had an earthquake here today at about 4:30pm! It took a while to realize what was going on as I've never felt an actual earthquake before. I heard what sounded like a garbage truck moving dumpsters outside our apartment (but no garbage truck) but was surprised by the swaying and rattling that we felt/heard inside as well. Priya and I were over in the space next to her room in our apartment when it happened. We felt the swaying for about 5 seconds and then it seemed to stop and start up again for another 5 seconds or so. It scared Priya and the result was a pretty clingy and fussy girl for the rest of the day! Ashish was visiting his parents in their place here on campus and they felt it strongly as well. It brought back a moment of fear as they recalled a horrific earthquake that they had experienced a number of years back in India.

Apparently today's quake was a 6.5 and originated on the coast of Northern California near Eureka. Crazy! It's just not something we're used to experiencing here.

Here's a link with more info: http://www.redding.com/news/2010/jan/09/earthquake-felt-redding/

Christmas Lights!

Last night we ventured out to look at Christmas lights - this was our 3rd or 4th trip! I think we've found another family tradition that we all really enjoy.

Mom and Dad Penner told us about an impressive light display that they had recently discovered so we went to check it out. Surprisingly enough we ran into the Brown clan who had also gone to look at the same light display.

Mom and Dad, these videos are for you... :)

Christmas Day

We enjoyed Christmas morning with both sets of parents...

*WARNING, ADVERTISEMENT AHEAD* ...By the way, the bib that Priya is wearing in the pic above has become our all time favorite! If you are on the hunt for a bib that not only protects the front of your child but also his/her sleeves then check out Ikea for the best bibs ever!

Ok, advertisement over. Let's get back to CHRISTMAS!

Sharing Christmas with a 2-year-old was a whole new ballgame this year! We were inspired by Joel and Emily's discovery of a unique way of sharing the true meaning of Christmas with little ones and picked up What God Wants for Christmas. The story was a bit advanced for Priya but she definitely enjoyed playing with the figures from the nativity set and we saw the beginnings of the laying of a foundation in her little heart.

She definitely had a whole new perspective on gifts as well, thinking that she needed to have a part in opening every single gift and that somehow they were all for her too. She is only two, right? ;)

I think Dad enjoyed his gifts even more than Priya this year - and that's saying a lot!

We moseyed on over to the Meredith home in the afternoon for some quality time with the extended family...

In the evening we enjoyed some Indian-style entertainment. We listened to Gujarati Christmas songs online, called family and friends in India and had a little dance party of our own...

Merry Christmas!

Just wanted to wish you all a very Merry Christmas! We'll be back with updates soon!

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.