showered and celebrated

This past Saturday I was so blessed to have a baby shower thrown for Joel, baby Draper, and myself! (granted, it was really all about the baby...I didn't really get anything to use that doesn't involve that new little bundle!)

Kim headed this all up (she's amazing!) with Brittany's help (she's amazing too!)

My mother-in-law made a great cake to go along with our polka-dot theme

Baby Draper got to celebrate with Grandma Karen, Grandma Kari, and Great-Grandma Phyllis

Also Aunt Leslie (with baby draper's cousin in there!) and Aunt Roni too

And all the Merkle aunts, Jayna, Dawn, and Jill

Lastly, George and Karen's family of almost 18!!!

We are so blessed!!!

its a beautiful day!

is that a U2 song?

this monday has been joyous so far!
1. made oatmeal for the first time ever - not bad, but not my favorite thing to eat either
2. cleaned and organized around the house
3. got my hair into a ponytail (any girl who has ever had short hair and grown it out, or has a layered haircut knows how exciting this is!)
4. went on a 2 1/2 mile walk and didn't pee my pants! (meaning i made it home just in time...)

now i'm at school working...so...not as joyous as earlier, but the day started off with me NOT having to be here at 7:45am...so i'll take what i can get!

i currently can't fall in love with any of my pandora stations today - anybody have a great one they want to share?!

catching up on a month

i am sad that my last post was a month ago.
i am even more sad that i feel like i have nothing to share on my blog - and that is why i did not post!

this all began because i was going to put up pregnancy photos of how we (baby and i - not daddy) have grown through the last 26 weeks (can you believe its been that long!?!) BUT our camera card is dysfunctional and would like to erase those pictures and not load them on to our computer...
i am still bitter about this - but trying to get over it and look on the brightside of purchasing a new camera to use for the new member of our family arriving soon!

in addition to that i've had waves of some pregnancy/grad student blues this semester (remember my post about my busy schedule?!)
luckily - spring arriving is helping me overcome these blues - but i still battle them weekly
i am so blessed to have such a loving, supporting, encouraging, and happy best friend/husband that let's me talk over these blues again and again and again - and then he helps me deal with it and feel good about myself and life in general!

since my semester is mere weeks from being finished (YAY!!!!) - i am looking forward to the summer and what it holds for continuing my education and balancing life with the unpredictability of our new draper bundle's arrival...
i am SOOO thrilled to be doing my first internship of my program at our faith community, Life, in Bluffton (also 10 blocks from our house...)
This has been an earnest prayer of ours for months, if not over a year
I can't wait to begin ministering in this way to our community - i am nervous and very excited for what God has in store for me there!

i will also be taking a class that meets one weekend a month all summer - let's see how exciting a baby arrival will make my class attendance and ability to complete the work!
If all goes well and as tentatively planned - in a year i will be just weeks from graduation and an MA in Counseling!

i hope it isn't too long before i reflect on life again - fellow bloggers - keep inspiring me by your recipes, testimonies, house projects, exercise plans, funny stories, and insight!!! i love it!

kicks!

baby draper is on the move!
two weeks ago i was so excited to finally feel her/hims flippin around!
each day the movements seem to change and transform as i'm getting used to her 'awake' cycle
last night as joel and i were watching FRIENDS (we've started season 1 and are on a mission to watch all 10 seasons all the way through!) i had him laying his hands on my belly
we've been doing this ritual each night as we lay in bed - willing the movement to be strong enough for daddy to feel
it finally happened!
he felt one really strong kick and could hardly believe it!
he was just beaming :)
we hurried and got ready for bed and laid there for several minutes as our little bundle put on a show for us!
joel was in disbelief - and said he just couldn't stop smiling

now we really feel like there are three of us and we are all bonding!
we are getting soooo excited to become parents and start cuddling with our sweet little lover

this has been a great milestone!

sacrifices

this semester i am privileged to have a graduate assistantship at huntington university to aid in our tuition costs!
i work in the learning center with undergraduate students on academic probation
this experience is teaching me a lot that is and will be helpful to me in my counseling career

i have also began my practicum on our campus clinic this semester
this means that i am actually doing real counseling!
God has been so faithful to surround me with encourging classmates, an intentional and gracious director, and an extremely loving and supportive husband for this process

between classes, counseling, my assistantship, homework, being pregnant, and normal life...i am thoroughly exhausted by my schedule!
on Mondays i leave around 7:00 am to head to campus, not to return until 9:30/10:00 pm
on Tuesdays i am at home to do homework and housework and also run a group for young women at wells county's alternative school
Wednesdays brings a day of leaving the house by 8:00 am and returning around 5:30 - on these evenings i alternate between going to a discipleship class at church (that's right - i volunteered to be a student in another atmosphere!) or attending our midweek service with Joel
Thursdays i leave by about 7:30 am - getting home around 9:15 pm to fall into bed exhausted once again!
Fridays i am at home again either scramling to complete my tasks, taking a coveted nap, going to a prenatal appointment, or spending time with my mom.

now, you, reader, may not care about my weekly schedule...but the point of this post is that while i did not realize how exhausted i would be this winter/spring, there is a light at the end of the tunnel
this is a one-time, small sacrifice i can make in the grand scheme of things: to help my family financially for a few short months before i take a break to give birth to and begin becoming consumed with our first child
speaking of, our bundle of joy has begun to perk me up periodically this week by letting me know he/she is there and moving around!
these first movements and head butts (thats what it feels like...) are amazing!
what a wondeful reminder God has given me to know His plan is perfect and my family is being cared for
:)