A Presidential & Pneumonic Update

As many of you know, it is cold and flu season. After about 3 weeks of a nasty head cold and encouragement from my family, I finally made an appointment to see the doctor and was diagnosed with pneumonia. Immediately, I began a medicinal regimen and was put on bed rest until my breathing improved. My wonderful husband stayed with me the first half of the week, then my parents for the latter. I am so thankful and grateful for all of their help, support, and "gentle" reminders to rest.

Lord willing, my breathing will be much better by the time I am finished with my medicine (it has already greatly improved) and my strength will return soon. Please pray for patience and discernment as I attempt to return to a normal schedule. Many have advised that pneumonia can involve a long-term recovery and I want to be careful of doing too much too soon.

On a lighter note, it is Primary season, and I thought you would enjoy a little update from a previous post. I was gifted with a Barack Obama Chia Pet for Christmas, and finally have grown the seeds. As promised, Barack has grown! Here are some recent photos that I thought would make you smile...."Yes, We Can!" And remember, get out and vote in your state's primary!

After 1 Week



After 2 Weeks



After 3/4 Weeks - it looks as if he is starting the growing process again (there are new seeds at the bottom)

Losing the "Leap List"

Around the new year, Honda started publishing commercials geared at 20-30 somethings. Most of you have seen these commercials, which feature the idea of a "Leap List", or, a list of things you want to do before you take the next big "leap" in life (i.e. get married, have a baby, graduate, etc.) To backtrack a little, when I started our family blog, I decided to, for the most part, stay off my soapbox. However, Honda has pushed me up on my soapbox - at least for this post.

To put it bluntly, these commercials irk me. Or, as they say in Kentucky, "they burn my biscuits." Mainly because they feature couples where one of them turns to the other and says, "I want to get married" or "I want to have a baby." Immediately, time stops and the listener says, "Get married/Have a baby? But there is so much I want to do first." Can you guess why I am perturbed?

As a Christian, my first and greatest joy in life is my salvation in Christ, which can never be taken from me. However, my next greatest joys in life are being a wife and a mother. Why? Because you can't look into the face of your children for the first time without experiencing a joy that dwarfs any trip to Everest, robot-building experience, cave spelunking, or trip to see the Northern lights (all referenced in the commercials). Is there anything inherently wrong with wanting to do these things? Absolutely not. My problem is the inherent selfishness of the idea that "I need to fulfill all of my needs before committing to another person (through marriage or parenthood.)" Not only is this the mark of a person you wouldn't want to marry or parent with, but it also asserts that you need to do all the "fun stuff" before you get married and have children, as if getting married and having children is a sort of humor-less prison where you immediately cease doing anything different or adventurous. Marriage and parenthood are incredible blessings from God and it bothers me to the core when they are presented as a burden.

So, why my sudden need to write about a Honda commercial? These commercials have been on since December of last year. Well, Ethan has been quite sick these past weeks with Croup and wheezing and is exhausted because he struggles to breathe the most at night. Today I was getting dressed when I heard a whisper come from Emma in the living room, "Mooohhhm, mohm!" As I quietly peeked around the corner, I saw my beautiful daughter holding my sweet sleeping son in her lap, smiling and gently stroking his face - he had climbed up in her lap and fallen asleep as she held him. As I looked at my children, I realized that my 4-year-old daughter grasps a concept lost to Honda - looking out for the needs of others can bring infinitely more joy than looking out for yourself. She was so pleased and happy that her brother was finally able to sleep, and that she was able to help.

Is it good to have goals for yourself? Yes, and you should! Just make sure that your goals aren't rooted in a desire to fulfill your selfishness. And FYI Honda, marriage and parenthood have been some of the wildest, funniest, exciting and most challenging times of my life. So, next time you see a "Leap List" commercial, press the mute button and go hug your kids, kiss your spouse, or tell someone in your life what a blessing they are to you!

The Sweetest Thing

"Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others."

Philippians 4:3-4

Old Man Winter

A few days ago, we finally got some snow. Not just a dusting, but an actual, cover-the-lawn, snow. No one was more excited than Emma (although I came in a close second) about the accumulation, and, as soon as Daddy got home, she was decked out in her winter gear - complete with pink snow pants! She has seen snow before (yes, Kentucky does get some of the white stuff), but this was really the first time she has been old enough to actually want to play in it.

Shoveling some snow!

So, as Ethan and I watched from the comfort of the warm house, Emma and Chris headed out to make the first snowman of the season. As you can see from the picture below, it wasn't the good packing snow. Chris is a great improvisor, though, and they ended up with a type of snowman they named "Old Man Winter".

Old Man Winter

Unfortunately, about two days after it snowed, the temperatures rose into the 40s and the squirrels found the Ritz Cracker eyes pretty delicious, so there is not much left of Old Man Winter. Still, they had a great time building him and throwing snowballs at each other, so I am sure that next time it snows, there will be another snowman in their future!

Daddy and Emma!

Holiday Nights

You may remember a blog post from a few months ago, called, "There's No Place Like Home". In it, I referenced one of our favorite Detroit spots, Greenfield Village. To refresh your memory, Greenfield Village (GFV), was founded by Henry Ford and is an 80-acre site divided into seven historic districts - Railroad Junction, Working Farms, Edison at Work, Porches and Parlors, Liberty Craftworks, Main Street, and Henry Ford's Model T. It is truly an incredible and fun place to visit when it is warm, but during December and January, it transforms into nothing less than an historical winter wonderland as they host their Holiday Nights program.

Holiday Nights is, "complete with candle-lit paths, live entertainment, costumed presenters, horse-drawn wagon and Model T rides, delightful holiday shops, Santa and live reindeer, ice skating, a spectacular fireworks display and more" (description courtesy of GFV). Sounds pretty exciting, right? I thought so too, and thus asked my Dad if we could go on a Daddy-Daughter date to Holiday Nights. I get my love of history and learning from my Dad, so I was very excited to experience this with him.

The big night arrived, and after waiting in the Will Call line for about a half and hour (apparently everyone there that night had a last name starting with A-D), we headed straight to A Taste of Michigan, one of Greenfield Village's eateries. This may seem like the most boring part of the evening to you, but it was one of the highlights for us. Why, you ask? Because of the bread bowl. They make the most amazing bread bowl, consisting of bread, roast beef, mashed potatoes, and gravy. The carb-packed dish was a great source of energy to Loggers who would eat during the winter months. See? Delicious and historical!

A man and his bread bowl!

We spent the rest of the evening touring the Village, and there was a lot we visited that I have never seen, including the Cotswold Cottage. The Cotswold Cottage was built in the early 1600s in Chedworth, Gloucestershire, England, and is the second-oldest building in the United States. Due to its age, it is rarely open during the year, but during Holiday Nights, they open it to visitors because docents (dressed as United States WWI soldiers) are present to tell about its history and supervise visitors.

Inside the Cotswold Cottage

We finished the night with a Christmas sing-along and fireworks (the first I have ever seen in December)! Overall, it was a wonderful evening with a wonderful person. I love my Dad very much and it was so nice to be able to spend some time with him. We shared more than a few laughs at some of the things we did and saw, including accidentally trespassing in The Henry Ford museum and a woman we passed who looked at her daughter, quite annoyed, and loudly asked "Where are all the lights? This is called Holiday Lights, isn't it?"

But the truth is, my dad and I could have taken a walk down our non-historical street back home and we probably would have had just as great of a time because my Dad is a wonderful father who loves me very much and I am incredibly blessed to be called his daughter. Love you, Daddy!

Click HERE for more info on Greenfield Village or Holiday Nights.

The Top 11 of 2011

Another year has passed for the Dilleys. This blog post has been a bit delayed due to sickness, but 2011 was a year that brought a lot of change for our family, and here are the top 11 things (in no particular order) that happened in 2011:

1. After 9 years of living in Louisville, KY, we moved to Michigan (Read Blog Post).



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2. Emma turned 4-years-old (Read Blog Post).

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3. Chris transferred to Detroit Baptist Theological Seminary to finish his Master's degree.



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4. Ethan turned one (Read Blog Post).



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5. Emma began preschool (Read Blog Post)




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6. Chris and Stephanie celebrated 5 years of marriage (Read Blog Post).



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7. Emma was a flower girl for the first time in her Aunt Heather's wedding!



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8. We became members of Cornerstone Baptist Church.




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9. We became a proud aunt, uncle, and cousin to a new baby girl born to Stephanie's brother.


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10. Ethan and Stephanie became well acquainted with the Urgent Care and ER, with 3 Urgent Care visits and 3 ER visits between them (See Blog Post).



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11. After 6 years of working nights at UPS, Chris was offered a new, day-time position with a marketing firm in Dearborn.

Happy New Year!

Going Viral

This past week, our little Ethan has been battling a virus that has held a tight grip. Last Friday, Ethan developed a mild fever during the day, which rose and rose to above 105 and we found ourselves sitting in the ER. After being given some medicine, his fever dropped a bit and they told us it was probably a virus and sent us home. By Sunday, it was completely gone. Monday morning came, however, and his high fever had returned - even on the medicine, it was still around the 103-104 range. On Thursday, we discovered that, in addition to the virus, he has a double ear infection.

So, as I sit here writing on Friday, I would love to report that this virus has passed and his fever is gone, but we are still waiting for our little guy to get better. We are so thankful that his ear infection is starting to heal and are hoping that by tomorrow most of his ear pain will abate. This virus has lasted for longer than any we've ever experienced, and we are still hoping that his fever will break soon and are trusting that God will give us all grace until it does. While we hate to see him struggle, we cherish every moment that we get to care for and love on our baby boy - even at 3:00 in the morning!

We have also been so blessed by our "baby" girl (I use quotes because I can't believe how big she is). She has cared for and looked out for her brother in such a motherly and tender way. Even as he was getting tested at the doctor's and he was crying, she said to him, "Ethan, look at me. It's o.k. I'm here. Your Emma's here. You don't need to be afraid." Talk about melting a mother's heart! She has been so sweet and helpful and truly concerned about her little brother's well-being, and has been a great encouragement to us as parents.

I would also be remiss if I did not thank my constantly amazing parents who never cease to care for and help us. My mom was a tremendous help in the ER, and my dad who manned the home front with Emma in the middle of the night. They have made Gatorade runs, given countless hugs, and even ran over their Popsicle supply at 11:00 at night!

Here are some photos and a little video from our recent ER visit for you to enjoy. One thing we love about Ethan is his happy and joyful temperament, even when he is sick. He always manages to put a smile on our faces!

Ethan singing, "No More Monkeys Jumping on the Bed"

We are eternally indebted to Nani for coming with us, and for bringing her iPad for distraction!

After being poked and prodded, a very upset Ethan calmed down with a pond app that moves and sounds like water when you touch it - it even has fishies!

White Elephant Gold

Last Saturday, we were privileged to host our Sunday school class Christmas party. And, just like all good church parties, we held a white elephant gift exchange. For those not familiar with this game, you either buy or re-gift a ridiculous present that you would not wish upon anyone. This year, I received the greatest white elephant gift . . . . EVER. Don't believe me? Take a look for yourself:





No, you do not need to adjust your computer screens. That is indeed a Barack Obama Chia Pet. Many, many kudos to my friend Becky for this amazing gift! And if you thought this couldn't get any funnier, check out the actual commercial for this gem.

So, this year, if you are stuck for gift ideas, give the gift that says, "Liberty, Opportunity, Prosperity, and Hope."

Merry Christmas!