Hello everybody!

Here is a picture of little Gracie Elizabeth! She likes to show off her sweet little smile just after she's done eating and just before she is about to drift off to sleep.

We're so happy to have Gracie home. She makes me smile even when she's screeming her lungs out--like when I am changing her diaper. She's decided that she must protest violently to this procedure. But she fills her little newborn diaper EVERY time I feed her and sometimes inbetween! Oh the woes of a newborn's mom...

Gracie will be waking up soon. I wanted to share this pic before she does. I'm off to feed her again. Love you all!

Schmells

Finally! I feel like I have so much to catch you all up on. I want to tell you about our great road trip to Montana/Colorodo, tell you about the science projects we have going out on our porch, and tell you many more things you probably don't care to know too (but I'll tell you anyway). HA! I don't think I will be able to tell you about the Montana trip today.

We have three science projects in process out on our porch. Today, I gathered some pictures of the the #2 science project we have going out on the porch, but I'll tell you about #1 science project first. I must say that most of the work on these science projects must be attributed to my diligent and inquisitive husband. But I have assisted some as well (even if a bit skeptically).

The #1 science project we started just doesn't look as pretty, previously stunk very badly, and attracted bugs we didn't know existed in CA! So, I'm sure you are wondering what we have going on out there. We have worms--a worm farm to be exact. They ferociously eat of all the natural waste we go through (peelings, egg shells, stems, ect.) and turn it into beautiful black dirt! We have two plastic containers full of worms and compost. The plastic containers have holes punched out the bottom to drain the "tea" out. This tea makes great fertilizer for our #3 science project-our little herb garden (our infant herb garden is more like it...they're just popping their little heads out of the dirt now)

So, I'm sure you are fascinated right?! You should be. So, if and when you start your own worm farm, make sure to cover your compost with a fresh layer of shredded paper every time you add more compost. Because, if you don't, your whole porch will be infested with fruit flies of the nastiest sort! We found that the shredded paper allows air to get through, but also heads off the bugs. Also, make sure you order enough worms to work through all the waste you will create. If you don't, your neighbors might think that you have a dead animal on your porch! This is how we discovered one takes care of a worm farm with bug and stink problems!

Our #2 science project started with my curiousity and fascination with a tray of really green grass in a local farmers market. The label called "wheat grass" and demanded a ridiculous sum of 2.50 for a 4x4 inch tray. Since I thought it would look cute in a fun container on my window sill, I grabbed the cheaper packet of wheat grass seeds to take home with me.

Back home, Matt planted the grass for me, and researched wheat grass on the internet. We found that it is pretty much a superfood. Once planted it grows like wildfire and then it is juiced and people take shots of it to stay or get healthy!

So, we've come a long ways from just growing just a nifty container of it on our window sill to growing whole trays. We aquired a manual juicer off of craigslist from a local hippy for 20.00. We juice the grass and mix it with orange juice for a super shot after the grass is ready for harvesting. We are still perfecting the whole process. We recently found out you don't even need dirt to grow it, just non-dyed paper towels...


Whew! Well, now I know you all think we're crazy. Better not ever come over or we'll make you drink some wheat grass juice!!!! To be honost, you may be surprised to know that it doesn't taste bad at all, in fact you might like it! It has the same effect on me as a cup of coffee does. Every time I drink a glass one little girl kicks like crazy!

Well, I better get going. I have to figure out how to install a car seat before this baby girl decides it is time to come! I will let you all know when we clear all paths to the hospital. Till then, know I think about each of you and pray for you daily. I love you very much and will hopefully talk to you soon.

(girlie just kicked...I think she loves you too)!

Just thought you might get a kick out of this picture like I did. Preanka is a little Indian girl from our church that I babysit every week. She gives me these kind of looks sometimes;) Her sister's name in Anita (in the picture below).

Are you ready to welcome a new member into the family?! An amazing gift in a precious bundle of pink, Lord willing, will be arriving home sometime in the next 5-7 weeks. I try not to succum to sheer terror as I think about all I am and will be responsible for. Of course, now I am responsible for things like drinking lots of rasberry tea, eating massive ammounts, preparing girlie's room, attending birthing classes, rolling out of bed sideways, and telling Lenny and Yeti they will soon be very low on the totum pole. Matt makes sure that I am responsible in taking those gigantic pre-natal pills everyday too. I like to think that I'm just as responsible to sleep long, long hours too, as it seems that will no longer be the "responsible" option when our baby arrives home.


If there is anyway that any of you would want to come be here during the first and tiniest days of your grandchild's/neice's life we want you to know that we would love to have you share this time with us! If you are not able to be here, know that there will be a void that could not be filled by anyone else. Hopefully, sometime very soon, I'll be able to introduce "her" to each of you.


Matt will soon be done with his training at "Sharpshooters" training squadrun and we will be transitioning to real military squadrun life after next Friday. Before reality sets in though, we'll be able to a little over a week of "leave" time and we're headed North to Montana (particularly Missoula)to explore at the possibility of becoming resident mountain people in there after military life.

Don't worry! All precautions are being taken; We'll be three hours from a good hospital at all times, I'll have my medical records with me, and I'll have plently of pillows along.We'll be making up for missed birthing classes on the way by reading the chapters covered and we're also reading a book by a Christian doctor called "Husband-Coached Childbirth, the Bradley Method of Natural Childbirth." and a book about breastfeeding and schedules called "Baby-Wise." Uff dah! We'll be busy. I have to be back here by the seventeenth of February for a baby shower that the ladies at the church are putting together, so I'll be flying back to CA early that morning!

I bought a little dresser recently that I thought has alot of potential. I got it off of craigslist for 15.00!! What a steal! I'm assuming it is an antique since the grandma I bought it from said it was her grandma's dresser. I think I'll strip it and paint it all one color, put new hardware on it, and then sand down ("distress") the grooves on the edges so that the cute little "boxes" stand out but not as much as they do now. I hope to paint the crib, the rocker, and the dresser we got to match one day when we actually have someplace to do that kind of stuff! ( I don't have the crib yet, thus, no picture)

Well, I better run, I have to make Chicken Pot Pie for another very pregnant lady at church. She's due the same time as I am but has had three other kids. They just moved, they've been sick, one boy just had a bad seizure...it seems to be alot for anyone to handle...

I love you all, and I miss you. Dad and Mom, I'll try to call home soon to talk...

Danielle

Hey there!

Thank you all for showing you care and talking to me. I love to be able to talk some and at least know what is going on with your lives. Cyrus, sorry I haven't been able to talk to you, I miss your jokes.

We made some wild rice on Saturday night. Which-I might add-was everything I expected it would be!!!! Thank you Mom for thinking to put that in our Christmas box. We made a mushroom sauce to put over the wild rice and some grilled chicken. The chicken wasn't the best, but we couldn't get enough of the rice and the mushroom sauce!

Today I registered at Baby's R Us. I'm thankful to have that pretty much all taken care of. Now I have to start cleaning all the junk out of the "office" so I can start making it look like we're about to bring home a baby girl!

Well, I'm off to bed. I need to get up really early tomorrow. I'm off to take care of kids from 7:45 to 12 p.m. They're not going to be happy that our girlie now occupies most of the lap they like to sit on when I read books to them!

Goodnight everyone!

Missy and Kaylea, good job on passing your boards!

I love you,

Danielle

Hey everybody,
I just thought you'd like to see what all those Christmas cookies has done to my belly. Here is a picture of girly and me.

I also took a picture of the flowers you sent. They are so beautiful! The room I took them in is the "office." The room I also would now like to paint pink!

Dad and Mom, I'm praying that you'll be feeling better soon!

I love you.

Danielle

By the way, the link I told you about Mom and Lindsey is Smartflix.com (I'm not sure if you capitalize it or not though)

Thank you Mom and Dad for the beautiful flowers! I was not expecting them...I was just surprised by the disgruntled looking delivery lady at my door. I almost felt I should take a flower out and gave it to her, hoping that might help whatever made her day go sour!

The flowers are sitting on my the coffee table. I'll take a picture of them and send it maybe tomorrow. It is raining, cold, and blustery here today making it too hard to take nice pictures. Thank you so much! They brightened the day and they're almost as good as getting a hug from you!

Now I have the family picture up on the fridge and the up north picture up too. We nearly polished off the cookies already. By the way Mom, the cranberry bread was the best! It wasn't too sweet, it was a little tangy, nutty, and had a yummy orange hint to it. Thank you for sharing your butter cookies with us Dad. I am feeding "girly" well. I hope she won't go into a fiesty frenzy when I attempt to cut out most sugar after the new year...


Hope you are feeling better Dad. Did you get the espresso machine working yet? A really yummy treat is an esspresso in frothy cream.

Love you guys,

Danielle

Ps. Cyrus, I'm sorry I didn't get to talk to you on Christmas.