Renewed Appreciation

A few months ago my dad's cousin wrote and asked if she and her husband could come visit as they traveled across the country in an RV. Her only request was to hike in our mountains and to meet Jim. Easy peasy!

As they stepped out of the car at our new abode, both of them could not stop raving about the beautiful view, the colors, the weather, and oh, you know, that beautiful view. The view really is extraordinary. Three of the four sides of the house offer gorgeous landscape vistas of the mountains, with hardly any houses or barns within eyesight. There are sheep on a hill side far away, cows low in the valley, and horses right in our front yard.

This doesn't do it justice. Here's just one picture of
the many needed for a panoramic view.

When I first started working at the farm, I marveled at the view every minute I could. I still find myself following the clouds as they travel across the sky and watch their shadows dance across the mountains across the valley from the house. Rain and snow storms are my favorite. But I do think that I have started taking it for granted, just ever so slightly.

With Becky and Mahlon's enthusiasm, I again felt a renewed appreciation for just how fortunate and spoiled we really are to see this view every single day. We've only been sleeping and living here for a week, but I hope I never ignore the view to rush out in the morning. I cannot wait to cuddle our baby and drink tea or coffee every morning, while gazing out our front windows.

The view is really never the same twice.

To fulfill Becky's requests, we decided that The Cascades was the best place to take them for their one hike in "our" mountains. The trail meanders its way along the stream, past small swimming holes and little waterfalls, and up to a magnificent waterfall. It's beautiful every season of the year. From the leaves changing, to the frozen falls, to the budding flowers, to the natural airconditioning of mist off the stream that combats the sweltering summer heat, it is the place to go.

Well, I thought that the trail would be enough, but Becky marveled at the farms along the way, the beautiful yellow of the homes, and the colors of the Eastern Red Buds. She soaked it all in and prompted me to look with new eyes on our beautiful surroundings.

Once on the trail, Becky kept remarking, "This is my kind of wonderful." A beautiful trail, awesome weather, and a pack of three dogs moving with us up to the falls... she was right; it was wonderful.

Afterward we took them to one of our favorite burger & beer joints in town, The Rivermill, and then finished off the evening with carrot cake in our unpacked apartment. It was a great day.

Thanks for renewing my love for our new place and our area, Becky & Mahlon!

Love, 

Käthe, Jim, Baby B, & Leif

MIA

Where've I been?

Packing, driving, moving and unpacking. Oh, and cleaning. A lot.

At an amazing and life-changing conference for one week. Having great conversations.

Charlotte, North Carolina for a glorious IKEA run! Love that place.

Mourning the loss of innocent lives and the suffering of the many injured at the Boston Marathon Bombing. Remembering the horror of the VT Massacre as its anniversary was the day after the bombing.

Moving, packing, driving, cleaning. Oh, and unpacking. A lot.

Visiting with family for a nice evening. Thanks for stopping by Carla, Sam, Alex, and Logan!

And eating, sleeping, and reading Ina May Gaskin's Guide to Childbirth! Thanks for the recommendation, Julie, Joi, & Laura!

Babe Update: We're 18 weeks pregnant and Baby B is growing, growing, growing! People are actually telling me I look pregnant now, while insisted I did at eight weeks. Ha! Last week I felt as though a rolling pin was turning inside of me and realized that it must be our sweet babe! How exciting to share this moment with the 5.5 inch baby living inside of me. Feeling this sensations makes the pregnancy that much more real; there's really a person living and growing within me! When I tell Jim that the baby's moving, he comes and places his hand on my stomach to feel. So far he hasn't felt him/her, but one of these days or weeks he will!

Living at the farm has been wonderful so far. We wake up to a beautiful view that changes each day, we gaze at the horses and humorously watch Leif navigate these new relationships. The apartment has two bedrooms, which is a really nice perk! One serves as our bedroom while the other is the nursury/craft room. We do have an extra bed for guests, so feel free to stop by sometime :)

One Down!

Well, somehow we are already through the first trimester of pregnancy!

It has not always been easy, but it sure has been exciting! The insatiable hunger that led me to wake up once or twice a night for a snack has finally taken a leave of absence. This past weekend I felt a curtain of exhaustion lift and allow me to get more done. And the nagging and persistant nausea has subsided, for the time being. Those three things, admittedly, made me irritable and uneasy.

The joys have far out-weighed the adjustments, though. It's all worth it... our sweet baby is growing inside of me! We have gotten to see our baby and its heartbeat and we received our first ever pictures of Baby B!! In our most recent appointment we heard the thundering hooves that was our baby's heartbeat, strong and healthy. The midwife says that Baby B is active... who would have imagined?

The First Trimester is Complete!!!

I've started taking Prenatal Yoga classes, which are really enjoyable, relaxing, and strengthening. Other than that we do hikes and walks in the area throughout the week and on the weekends. Last weekend was the first in a while where I've had the energy for a big hike and so we did McAfee's Knob (8 miles). Hopefully we'll be able to keep hiking and active right up until the end.

This weekend I was reading through my pregnancy journal, which has lots of information on the baby's growth and what's happening to my body as well as places for me to write, and it said that my first trimester would be ending in a day. Other women have told me that it's almost like a switch goes off (or on, depending how you look at it) and you have more energy than you did before. I realized that my switch occurred almost a day before the second trimester began. They have this down to a tee!

All women are different, though. I am learning this quickly. I am more interested than ever before in the pregnancy experiences of those around me, gleaning every word I can from their stories. If I haven't spent time with you yet, get your birth stories ready! Haha :)

Baby B, we cannot even begin to express how excited we are about being your parents. We are enjoying each of the little moments so far, and you are still very small in my womb. Even though I am so eager to meet you and hold you, I want to cherish each day you are within me. What a joy to be able to protect and carry you for the first nine months of your existence. We'll have the rest of our lives to  see and hold each other. Dad loves to hold & rub my belly and kiss you. His beam is ever-present and only you can bring that out of him.

First one down, two to go!!!

Oh Baby!!!

We are very excited & thrilled as can be,
because our family of two will soon become three (err, four)!!!

Yes, it's true! We are pregnant and due in September!

The two of us could not be more excited about welcoming a baby into this world during the year 2013. I'll never forget the beam of Jim's face when the pregnancy was confirmed by our doctor. Just when you think you know someone really well they surprise you by showing you a whole new emotion and expression. It's those moments that make my heart leap; I cannot wait to see him as a father.

We're so grateful for this new journey.

"Otto" Bear

This past week I received the best package! My grandma and aunt had some of my grandpa's shirts made into teddy bears and here I am with mine. It's blue, of course. And by that I mean that it's blue because it's my favorite color and not because my grandpa only wore blue shirts. Honestly, he probably had many blue shirts because my grandma's favorite color is blue, too. Let's just say that almost all of the Krumich women love blue; it's in our genes.

                                      

Well, this started me searching through pictures to see if he had worn this shirt in any events that were "documented." I found it many times! Here are a couple of the pictures...

I'm so grateful for this sentimental and thoughtful gift. I'm quite a nostalgic person and I just love having this bear to cherish.

I think I'll call him Otto, after my grandpa's middle name.

__________________________________________
I believe these were made by the American Cancer Society.
These were made by seamstresses at the local hospice.
Grandpa had esophageal cancer.

Happy 21st Birthday!

Happy birthday (one day late) to Phoebe!!!

My sister was on my mind all day yesterday as she celebrated her twenty-first birthday.

The little sister who I could NOT wait to see and hold on January 24, 1992. I remember watching out the window of a babysitter's house and waiting to go home and see my baby sister. She was born two weeks early.

My sister who was content to sit and wait for family members to move her from room to room. The baby who did not crawl, but scooted across the floor in a very odd position. One leg would be bent in front of her while the other would be bent behind her and that would be how she'd inch her way around the house. Often she'd fall asleep with her head bent down on the front leg. It's amazing how flexible babies can be.

The sweet girl who charmed every heart she met. Even the kindergartener who asked her to marry him, was refused, and then threw a chair at her. She was always wise beyond her years, too. The hearts of others don't get past her very easily. But she really does know how to befriend everyone, at any age and from any background.

The first time Jim met her we went on a canoeing trip and
dropped her off in this tree! January 2007

It's quite remarkable that she survived her first swim. While learning how to swim, my parents bought her a floaty that goes around your chest and back. Gradually, you are to remove slender flotation pads from the vest and eventually the child can swim on their own. Well, Phoebe went through the motions and one day, in a hotel swimming pool, she realized she was swimming. Her eyes got huge, her laugh followed suit, and she almost went under, drinking so much water with each giggle. A fond memory for the rest of us.

There are so many stories to tell, but I'll stop there (she breathes a sigh of relief!).  So, here's the skinny... she's hilarious, intelligent, and talented. She loves to play ultimate frisbee, read, learn languages, to travel and she's a phenomenal writer. She's been an au pair in France, worked at a winery and a fitness program for children, and studied abroad in Senegal. She rocks.

Senegal!

We have our moments, as all siblings do, but I am grateful to share this life and so many memories with her. A wonderful friend that I can call my sister.

Senegal,  2012

I'm looking forward to the next time we can sing away in the car...

Here's to a great twenty-first year of life, Pheebs!

We love you.

Shed a Little Light

A day marked by Martin Luther King Day and Obama's second inauguration is truly wonderful. I don't write about my politics or talk about them much, but today I am thrilled to have our president return to office.

No matter what you believe or which side you're on, the lyrics from this song are strong and poignant for us all. A friend of mine reminded me of this song today and it was incredibly significant to me.

After finding it on You Tube, Jim and I may have jammed to it in our kitchen :)

If you'd like to hear the song and watch a video tribute to MLK, then click this link: Martin Luther King Video with Lyrics. Or, this one has James Taylor singing it: Shed a Little Light. Enjoy!

Let us turn our thoughts today
To Martin Luther King
And recognize that there are ties between us
All men and women
Living on the Earth
Ties of hope and love
Sister and brotherhood
That we are bound together
In our desire to see the world become
A place in which our children
Can grow free and strong
We are bound together
By the task that stands before us
And the road that lies ahead
We are bound and we are bound

There is a feeling like the clenching of a fist
There is a hunger in the center of the chest
There is a passage through the darkness and the mist
And though the body sleeps the heart will never rest

(Chorus)
Shed a little light, oh Lord
So that we can see
Just a little light, oh Lord
Wanna stand it on up
Stand it on up, oh Lord
Wanna walk it on down
Shed a little light, oh Lord

Can't get no light from the dollar bill
Don't give me no light from a TV screen
When I open my eyes
I wanna drink my fill
From the well on the hill

(Do you know what I mean?)
- Chorus -

There is a feeling like the clenching of a fist
There is a hunger in the center of the chest
There is a passage through the darkness and the mist
And though the body sleeps the heart will never rest

Oh, Let us turn our thoughts today
To Martin Luther King
And recognize that there are ties between us
All men and women
Living on the Earth
Ties of hope and love
Sister and brotherhood

I am also thrilled that Christoph, a dear family member of ours, was recently granted citizenship to the United States! We have gained a phenomenal new citizen in our country. He now has dual citizenship between Germany and the United States, like his daughter, Annaliese. Congratulations, Christoph!!!