a day at the beach....

....yeah right!

last week it was like 90 degrees and so i was itching to get home from work so that i could get malin into her little bathing suit...and bring her down to the beach for her fist dip in portage lake. we got changed, put on sunscreen and headed on over....and....malin absolutely hated it!!! i mean, this girl was miserable! she is such a happy go lucky, easy-going kid....but THIS she did not like one bit! we ended up staying for a little bit...and then going home...

... but, oh, you have not seen then end of us portage lake...we'll be back...

5 1/2 months old...

so....malin actually turned 6 months old yesterday...but....i have fallen behind on my "monthly pictures"....so i am just posting some 5 1/2 month pics that i took a week or so ago.... enjoy!

this one is so sad...but also funny. she was sooo tired when i decided to take these....

i love sweet potatoes....

projects...

malin turned 6 months old today.... i can't believe it! she is getting so big, way too fast!

i'm totally laughing as i write this post because back when i was pregnant...and we didn't know the gender of our little peanut, i remember nonchalantly explaining to many people that i wasn't worried about decorating the nursery....because "i would have plenty of time to do that after the baby was born...and it would be easier because then we would know the gender...."

HA! .... it is safe to say that i now see the naivety in this once blissful dream....of creatively and energetically decorating a nursery while my beautiful babe nestled and napped for hours on end... yes, veteran moms, the joke's on me! : )

...ah...well... a few months ago matt and i (and malin) finally began some projects for her room....and now...months later....have finally finished them. better late than never, right?!?!
so here you go... i still haven't put anything on the walls, but the curtains are up, the mobile is hung...and matt built a little desk for when malin gets big enough to color and paint!

first...curtains... got this sweet fabric when i was out in portland at the biggest and most incredible fabric store ever....

my mom deserves ALL the credit for putting the curtains together...i only sewed them where she told me to and then she made the awesome pleats!!! thanks for all the help mom!

the mobile.... before....


...and after....

....

malin's desk....




...a nap after all the work...


....before....


.... and after...

...the little red stool fits underneath!

and finally...the bookcase....before...

...and after...

ahhhh....done!

graduation....

last thursday, i graduated from grand valley state university with my long awaited masters in social work!!! well, kind of... i walked in the graduation ceremony and i received a diploma that promised the university would mail me a real diploma as soon as i finish up my internship hours. regardless of the fact that i will not finish these hours until the fall, the graduation felt real and was alot of fun... fun to celebrate with so many of the individuals who i completed the program with, so fun to know that i am done paying tuition, so fun to share my experience with matt...and malin, and lastly so fun to know that i could potentially be hired for a job in the near future.... fingers crossed. thanks so much to those of you who have supported, followed and encouraged me along the way. i appreciate each of you so much!

4 months....

quick... before malin turns 5 months old... here are some of the pictures i took when she turned 4 months old... also, much credit should be given to jenny mecher.... whose idea i stole in taking these pictures with the sign, chair, etc. thank you jenny for sharing your creativity and... letting the rest of us copy you! : )

Rice Cereal!

we went to the doctor yesterday for malin's 4 month check-up....and got the a-okay to start some rice cereal. so malin had her first "taste" last night! enjoy.....