It sure feels like fall outside.  I had to dress Audrey in long sleeves and pants this week.  We've had a few windows open, but it's getting too cold in the house.  It seems like cool weather came so quickly.  Usually it's very gradual.  But I"m sure, sandals and warm weather aren't over just yet.

Audrey is drooling like crazy these days.  She jabbers all the time.  Last week she learned how to scoot from one end of her crib to the other.  She can also turn 90 degrees in her crib.  Wierd thing is that she can turn around all swaddled up.  I discovered she could turn 90 degrees when I heard her crib aquarium turn on and off early one morning.  When I went into her room, I found her kicking her aquarium. For those of you who don't know what I'm talking about, Fisher Price sells a cute toy that attaches to the side of her crib.  It plays music, makes bubbly sounds, has fish swimming, and has a little fading light on it.  It's really a groovy gizmo. I can only hope that someday they make a similar product for adult beds!

I guess we've decided to go buy a new washing machine and dryer.  It's a huge bummer to go out and spend a wad a cash like that, but it'll be nice to have something new, reliable and something that actually holds a decent size load of laundry.  We were so blessed when we first got married to have the machines given to us free.  We knew the day would come when we'd have to fork out the cash and buy a new machine.  I just hate spending money.  It just sickens me everytime to buy anything over $100.  Really.  I just can't let go of money.  Part of the reason that it particularly pains me right now is that we have several major purchases on the horizon.  We need new flooring in our bathroom.  I need a dining table that can seat more than 4 people.  We really need a new car.  Praise god that both are running right now and both were given to us.  I mean really, how many people do you know that have had 3 cars just given to them?  But, one car is a 1987 Sable.  Frankly, it's a piece of junk.  It gets me around most of the time, but it's time for something new.  Something reliable, something with air, something with room to transport our little family (Sadie, included, of course) and all our junkwhen we go out of town. 

One of my best friends has left the country for 6 months.  Stephanie has been my friend for about 10 years or so.  She's been friends with Doug for even longer. She was in our wedding and has lived right down the road from us the last 3 years or so.  She left Tuesday to go to Greece to do some mission work.  I'm really excited to see her pursuing a new opportunity and following God's leading in her life.  I give her a lot of crefit for going over there and leaving all her friends and family behind.  I give her credit, too, because when she comes back to the states whe will be coming back to no job, no house, no car -- just a storage unit of clothes and furniture.  I'm going to miss her a whole bunch.  She is a great friend.  It's hard to imagine that when she comes back Audrey will be crawling around and will have changed so much. 

Our fabulous friends, Mike and Jeanelle, will be coming to visit us this weekend. Unfortunately, it's a really short overnight visit.  We are SO EXCITED To see them, but hate that it'll be for such a short time.  They are just two of the greatest people I know.  Since we've been married, we have not had the opprtunity to connect with any married couples.  Mike and Jeanelle totally fit the bill for type of friends we want and need.    We have similar interests and we have the ability to just sit and talk about deep issues, debates, God, etc.  I wish so much that they didn't live in Michigan.  We rarely get to see them.  I think if they lived close by, we'd want to hang out with them all the time.  It's amazing how long Doug and Mike have been friends.  Mike was a great friends to me at college - even ate lunch with me on Wednesdays while Doug has at choir.  When we moved away, Mike, Doug and I always kept in touch.  When Mike married Jeanelle, we were so excited to see him with a girl that made him really happy.  I figured it would be awkward for Jeanelle to get to know us and feel as if she were the odd man (well...woman) out.  But Jeanelle worked hard to get to know us and was so friendly to Doug and me.  Doug and I instantly liked her and felt at ease with her.  Barely even knowing me, Jeanelle has been so good to send me cards and to send us a big package of stuff when Audrey was born.  These friends are the same friends who gave us our car, the Corolla.  I'm telling you, mike and Jeanelle are just some of the most generous, friendly people. We can't wait to see them!

I'm a bad mom!  Ok, maybe a little exaggerated, but somewhat true.  At the ripe old age of 11 weeks, I have gotten Audrey used to taking her naps during the day in her swing.  Dumb, I know.  So I am trying to get her to learn to sleep during the day in her crib.  So far, not working out very well.  It's crazy and frustrating.  I don't understand how she can sleep there at night for 10 hours and never fuss, but during the day she acts as though I've layed her on a bed of nails.  I make sure she's fed and burped and has a clean diaper.  There is nothing wrong with her, I know.  When she is falling asleep I set her n her crib and she'll wail for so long.  Huge tears, red face, thrashing about.  I go in about every 15-20 minutes to burp her -- she takes in so much air during her fits.  She'll fall aleep while I am burping her and so I put her in her crib again.  MORE CRYING.  But, it's my fault for getting her into this pattern.  So, I'll have to deal with the crying for while until she learns she WILL sleep in her crib during the day.  I will win this war.  I am the mom!!