A fun memory from last fall

Just remembering a fun moment last fall when Mom and Dad were visiting and we took a walk around campus...

See you in 3 DAYS!

HB to Katie!

Happy 33rd Birthday, Kate!

A Newsy Top Ten list

Can you guess the meaning of the following photo?

Ten Sure Signs

1. You actually find yourself thinking, "Wow, I could really go for a McDonald's hamburger right now."
2. By 4 PM you start to lose stamina quickly; if you had an afternoon nap, you might make it to 7 PM.
3. You see moms with newborns and smile & sigh; "That will be me in ____ months", you think with amazement.
4. You start shaking and grumbling with hunger if you don't have a snack every two hours, so you keep stashes in your purse, the car and the pockets of your coat.
5. When your husband leans in for a kiss, you move back a bit and say, "Have you been eating peanut butter?"
6. For a special treat on Friday night your husband offers to order pizza, but you can't even bear to look at the menu; words like "sausage" and "onions" and "artichokes" and "sauce" (things you normally love) make your stomach turn over.
7. Going to the grocery store is no longer fun or interesting; too many sights and smells assault your senses, and you are exhausted when you get home.
   
8. You begin to have more vivid dreams at night, and most of them end with a scene of you urgently looking for a bathroom.
9. You keep turning and bending in front of the mirror: "Is that bulge new?" and "Do these pants look tighter?"
10. At a doctor's appointment, you hear a heartbeat (that's not your own) going 140 beats/minute!

Yep, it's true - baby Gieser is on the way! We are still 'reeling' a bit with amazement and wonder. Newby Gies is due around Sept 2nd - 6 months to go! Thanks to Aunt Elaine for our 1st baby gift!! A very soft teddy bear.

And to Susan (a new friend here in B-town) for this first baby outfit! It says "Captain Adorable" - of course.

Birthday Meals for Jul!

A food post!! As many of you know, Jim and I certainly enjoy food, and we also enjoy celebrating our birthdays over multiple meals and occasions. My birthday (ah-em, 31st) was on Monday the 8th, so we started out on Saturday the 6th with whole-wheat waffles for breakfast... delicious with plain yogurt and homemade peach sauce...

For Saturday dinner Jim fixed up a delicious surprise meal of new recipes (our b-day tradition): Jamie Oliver's lentils with sausage and tomato salsa, and maple-caramelised carrots... plus sparkling apple cider...

And chocolate tart, very rich and tasty...


Then on Sunday the 7th after church we went out for brunch/lunch at a restaurant - so many to try in downtown Bloomington - and since church meets in a gym nearby, we were able to walk over. This restaurant has funky 'trendy midwestern' decor and prides itself on using foods from local farmers.

The biscuits with apple butter were a Big Hit, in my opinion. As was the chai latte served in a German-label beer stein.

Welcome, new nephew!

Wesley Everett Welty, born 3rd February

Congrats to the proud parents of Welty child number 3, Kyle and Katie! (And to siblings Lillian and Jack, who hopefully will transition well to having a baby in the house.) We are thankful that Wesley arrived safely and healthfully. Love that wispy blond hair and little chubby cheeks. Here's sending you a kiss, Wes!