The Best Husband In The World!

The front porch of the Byrn-Roberts Inn.

In front of one of the (I think) 11 fireplaces, all with original early 1900 wood and tiles...Amazing!

In our room just hanging out!

On March 15, Derek and I celebrated our 5 year anniversary! It was a wonderful weekend. When I was gone to Virginia with Emily, Derek finalized our plans to stay at the Byrn-Roberts Inn here in Murfreesboro. When I came back home, Derek surprised me with the news. I was so excited! Of course, I looked forward to it all week and it was as wonderful as I could have imagined. When Derek was making the plans, he found out that our anniversary weekend was the last night that the owners were going to operate the Bed & Breakfast. We ended up being the last paying guests to ever stay in our room! We thought that was a pretty memorable occassion. We were also the last guests to ever get the tour of the house...it has a lot of history. It was a beautiful place with so many luxuries. I'm sorry that we won't be able to go again and that I can't recommend it to friends.

We had an incredible time away together and I am so thankful that we did it! It was so fun and romantic! Thank you Derek for a wonderful weekend that I will always cherish and remember!!! I love you and look forward to as many decades together as the Lord blesses us with. You are an AMAZING husband and father! As Emily would say "Thanks Babe!":)

Emily's Antics Caught on Video!

I caught Emily, finally, singing on video. Derek has been encouraging me to try and capture her being silly and singing. I finally just got out the camera this morning and asked her to sing and she honored my request. She actually sings it a little more accurately most of the time, but I thought this was so much cuter. She LOVES to watch videos of herself right now and so it was hard to get her to stay in front of the camera! Oh and to explain the Thanksgiving bib...Emily informed me that she needed to wear it so she wouldn't get dirty. I then asked her if she would share her bibs with the new baby and she abruptly told me no and that the baby could just wear a shirt! Hope that changes before August.:) Anyway hope you enjoy...

Trip to Virginia!

We had a great trip to Virginia! Emily did really well on the flight and traveling in general. She slept great in a different bed and with fewer naps than usual...I was really proud of well she adjusted to new surroundings. One thing is for certain and that is that we have definitely entered the age of 2 and all of the independence that comes with it!
Emily and I got to spend time with family and were able to spend a lot of time with her great-grandmother (Derek's g-ma) that just had surgery and is just not able to travel anymore. She was loving every minute that she was able to spend with Emily. It was so sweet seeing them together! Unfortunately we didn't have the camera yet and I didn't get any pics of them on the digital. Emily also loved seeing her cousins and of course the bittersweet story there is that we just don't get to see them much.
We had such a wonderful time and am thankful that we had the time to spend with everyone. I can't wait until we can travel again, hopefully with Derek the next time.

Kissing Halmi goodbye!

Explaining Elmo to Grandpa

Fun times with Aunt Rachel and cousins.

Loving on Elmo in the bathtub!

Tagged...Again!

Well, I have been tagged twice now and have yet to respond to either of them, so I am going to attempt both. Bear with me! Rebekah, I'm with you...this telling of my soul might make a few people never contact me again...hehe!

10 Random Things About Me:

1. There is a word in the English Language that literally makes me shudder, cringe, want to vomit, etc... I will go to any and every length possible to avoid this word. For obvious reasons, this word will remain a mystery to many of you and to those of you who already know it, if you let the cat out of the bag, just remember I am really okay with revenge and it will be oh so sweet!:)

2. Gross but true...you know the smell of fresh rain on warm cement or the smell of fresh soil? I LOVE that smell and actually crave eating dirt when I smell it. SO weird I know. I ate dirt when I was younger and the doctor said my body must need some mineral that it isn't getting otherwise. There was actually a group of Native Americans that used to eat clay for the same reason...that provides me comfort when I think I am a complete weirdo!

3. Seems strange after my admission in #2, but most everyone knows that I am a germ freak. Rebekah and I can really understand each other! Lots of people kept telling me that it would fade after our first child....ummmm....no, it didn't. If anything, now I have a whole other person to try to keep free from the cruel germs waiting to permeate her little body! Oh and Rebekah...the airport bathroom thing...just wait until Caroline is potty-trained and has to use the public restroom...gag!!!

4. I absolutely love to cook and try new things. I frequently will look in our cabinet and just make something up. I think that is the most fun, figuring out what flavors and textures go well together. I have trouble following recipes b/c I always want to do something to them, although I do still use many recipes. My love for cooking definitely has been handed down from g-grandma, to grandma, to my mom...we all love to cook and I never see them measure anything or rarely follow a recipe. I have to say it makes it a bit hard to make the favorites my grandma made...no recipes..uggghhh!

5. I clean when I get stressed out. I find that when I clean, I don't have to think about the thing that is on my mind. I also clean when I want to relax. I have trouble relaxing knowing that I have things to clean...the problem with this...there is ALWAYS something to clean. I have gotten better about letting things go.

6. My husband, the king of hypotheticals, will appreciate this one. If I was stranded on a deserted island and could only have one food for the rest of my life, I would choose sushi. One of my first meals after Ems was born was sushi. After this baby is born, I'm going to eat sushi until I go crazy...for now I'll be sticking with different types of non-fish rolls...bummer!

7. There are two children that I met in Honduras almost 8 years ago (and have not seen since) that I pray for all of the time. Whenever I am not feeling thankful, I think about when I met them. I think about what they might look like now and what they are doing. I still have a ring that the little boy gave me and a sticker that the little girl put on Derek's nose. I hope to see them in Heaven someday!

8. I love to do creative things! I love to paint and do things that I can look at later knowing my hands did that. Someday I would love to have a room just for my crafts and sewing. I would also love to take classes for painting and sewing. I also have a secret dream of writing and illustrating a children's book someday.

9. My original desire went I went to college was to become a pediatric surgeon. After weighing the pros and cons of time in college, money spent on college, the demand on my future family etc...I changed my mind. I had to do some major soul searching, but eventually decided that I still wanted to work with children and decided to teach. Truth be told, I enjoyed the actual teaching, but most of all, I just LOVED being with the kids I taught and building relationships with them.

10. I have a weird and very real fear of falling and knocking my teeth out! Whenever I trip, which is quite often, I immediately get scared and think I am going to knock out a tooth! I hated the idea of playing softball b/c of this. I got braces in college and had to have 1 tooth pulled. I was totally fine and then Derek and I got in the car and I looked at the hole in my mouth and just cried and cried...it was so awful seeing that hole between my teeth. I am in for a nightmare if I have to ever get dentures!

I'm sure that I'll think of a bajillion things later that I could have said or not said, but for now, I'll leave it at this! Now onto Tag #2 (sheesh)

I was tagged by Laurie Vinson, so here goes! Here are the rules:

1. you have to post the rules before you give your answers.

2. you must list one fact about yourself beginning with each letter of your middle name. (If you don't have a middle name, use your maiden name).

3. after you are tagged, you need to update your blog with your middle name and your answers.

4. at the end of your blog post, you need to tag one person for each letter of your middle name. (Be sure to leave them a comment telling them they've been tagged and that they need to read your blog for details).

PAIGE:

P--perfectionist...unfortunately! But wow the Lord is REALLY showing me the weaknesses in this area of my life.

A--a lover of life and people! I get my energy from being around others. I love to spend time with people and find out who they are and what their stories are. It is awesome to see the hand of God in other's lives! And, in general, I just love life. Who doesn't have yucky days? I sure do and I struggle with lots of things, but I feel so blessed when I think of the life that God chose to give me!

I--independent...and here again, I am constantly learning from the Lord that I cannot do things apart from Him. (And I wonder where Emily gets this from...hehe!)

G--go-getter! I love to try new things and tackle new obstacles!

E--energetic! Well, no shocker there...if you have known me for at least 30 seconds!

There you have it! Now, if you are up for it, I tag the following people to do one of the tags(or both:):

Judy, Laura Watson, Nicole (if you ever read this), and Laurie...a tag back at you for the 10 Random things about yourself! I can't wait to see what you guys write!

Update!

Just a little news to share. Emily and I just returned from a trip to VA to visit family. We had a great time and we sure missed Derek. I wish that I had pictures of Emily seeing Derek at the airport last night for the first time in 10 days! She began running and (very loudly) yelling Daddy as everyone around us laughed in amusement. It was too sweet and funny!

I came home to an immaculately spotless house (thanks to my sweet husband) and we ate pizza and spent some fun time together before putting the stinker to bed.

So more on our trip later...I just wanted to let everyone know that we got to hear the baby's heartbeat this morning and it was amazing. Our doctor told us that the baby is VERY active...not sure how that makes me feel right now...thankful obviously and a little nervous:) Next month we will find out whether to begin thinking about boy or girl names. We can't wait!

A quick shout out to sweet Judy for posting some pics for me on her blog...but good news, the camera situation has been resolved and as soon as I get settled, I will post some VA pics. That is all for now...we'll be back in a few days!

Growing Up!

Big news here! Emily is in a real big girl bed now. We (ahem...Derek) moved the bed into her room a few nights ago. It is so cute seeing her climb into it, and frustrating at times, seeing as how little Miss Independance MUST do it on her own! We can read books with her on the bed now without the fear of collapsing her poor little toddler bed.

The bad news is the mess that is now in the baby's soon-to-be-room. It is a bit scary so the door is staying shut until I muster the stamina to tackle that organizational nightmare. I figure after we find out the gender, I'll feel a bit more motivated, although I'm sure I'll get in there and begin organizing before April.

So, just thought I would share about Em and her new big changes that she always seems to embrace like a champ. Sorry no pics again...hope to remedy that soon.

Sweet Boy!

Okay so with the exception of Emily, I am pretty sure this is the most beautiful baby ever! I know I'm a bit biased, but oh my goodness, Noah Christopher is so pretty...ummm, I mean handsome! My sister-in-law just sent me these pics and I had to share them. I didn't even ask first!:) I am so proud! I will get to hold this sweet little toot in about a week and I can't stand it. This is what makes being away from family such a major bummer! I am an aunt again...now I just need my oldest brother to get on the ball...hint hint!!!

Quick Baby Update!

We had an appointment for Baby#2 this morning and wanted to let you all know that I think we have a dancer on our hands!

Our doctor had scheduled us for another ultrasound to double check some things and we had no idea that it would be as in-depth as it was, but what an absolute and unbelievable blessing it was to see that little miracle move. I am not kidding when I tell you that the baby was bouncing up and down. Derek asked me if I had caffeine that morning. I hadn't even had much sugar, much less caffeine. So we don't know what was going on, but I really think that it was just a sweet little unexpected suprise and gift from the Lord. I just can't describe this little one's movement...it was amazing!

Everything checked out great. The baby seems to be healthy and thriving. I feel pretty good and can't complain at all. I just wish that I had a way of posting the little munchkin's pictures.

On a side note...some people have asked if I have an idea of the baby's gender. Everytime, I would think that's crazy...how would I have any idea. I had no clue with Emily until they told us. Thus far, I have been referring to the baby as "Baby." Occassionally I would say "she" but I think that is b/c of Em being a girl. Today, as soon as I saw the baby on the screen bouncing around, I thought, "wow look at HIM move!" Now this could mean absolutely nothing and probably does, but it was weird that Derek had the same thought. I'm sure this means it is a girl! HAHAHA!!!! We'll find out in April...or maybe not:):)

That's it for now. Looking forward to hopefully finding a way to share pics of the baby soon!

Happy Day of Love!

I love how well Lauren captured Emily's personality in this picture!

...And this one, she looks so mischevious!


Although these photographs were (obviously) not taken by me and are a couple of months old, I am posting them for two reasons: the first being that I finally printed some out the other day off of the disk from our amazing photographer Lauren Gill (link to the left;) and was reminded of how absolutely beautiful the photos are, the second reason is that I believe our camera has bitten the dust. I cannot express how bummed I am about that. I didn't want to post without some pics...I thought it might be a bit too blah! Anyone that has any camera suggestions, feel free to share.

It has been a while since we posted. Besides being surrounded by sickness by pretty much everyone we know, it has been pretty chill around here. I got a nasty stomach virus and then Derek got the flu! Emily has been good thus far, but I am definitely holding my breath. So, we have been recovering from all of that and just laying low.

Emily is a hoot these days! Her verbal skills are really taking off and she blows us away with her memory. It scares me thinking of the future. She is a dancing and singing machine and is throwing some wonderful 2 year old fits. She loves to pretend and laugh. She helps me cook, is so compassionate, very independant, and is still such a cuddlebug. It is so fun to continually see her personality develop. These days she loves to ask Baby #2 how he/she is doing while patting my tummy and kissing it. We keep telling her she is going to be such a wonderful big sister and that she will always be our baby...we think she will take on the role like a champ! Soon she will be moving to a full size bed and her toddler bed will go back to being a crib. I asked her the other day what color sheets she wanted for her new big girl bed and she very matter of factly responded, "Umm...pink with flowers!" The next day it was purple with polka dots and just yesterday she said black! Go figure, she is an indecisive girl!

And for an update on the potty thing...it is going great so far. I was amazed myself! She is using the potty like a big girl and is of course enjoying the benefits of the sugar high from the Smarties and suckers. For a kid not accustomed to candy, this was a BIG deal for Em and she has loved every second of it! I know that there will be tons of skeptics, but I have other friends that have done it as well, and would highly recommend the 3-4 day potty training thing to anyone who has a toddler that is showing potty readiness signs. I will admit it is a lot of work in the beginning and it means staying in for about 5-7 days. But if you are in a position where you can do it, it is really worth it. The first couple of days were tough but it quickly got much better! We encouraged and praised her a ton and we very animated throughout the whole process, but it really has paid off. Anyone with any questions please feel free to ask!

As for Baby#2, everything seems to be going well. We have another ultrasound on Feb. 19th and would love your prayers about hearing a heartbeat and seeing a healthy baby! I am showing a little bit and a couple pairs of pants are getting a bit snug. I feel much better than even a couple of weeks ago. Right now we are getting close to the end of 12 weeks! It is going by so much faster than with Ems. To answer some of the questions that some of you have posed: No, we haven't even considered any names...Yes, we most likely will find out if this is a boy or girl (I just don't think I can wait, but we'll see)! I am getting more excited and less anxious every day. I am finally beginning to rest in knowing that I have to rely on God to give me strength. I know that sounds so trite, but it is so easy for me to try and do everything outside of Him...and then I realize I can't! Many hard lessons have been learned b/c of my trying to go at it alone! I know that I can only be the wife and mom and friend and servant that He desires me to be through Him. Resting in that has really brought me much peace over the last few weeks! I also began reading I Samuel and meditating on how Hannah so trusted God with her son! The history that came from her trust and reliance on God encourages me so deeply! I am sure I will struggle more in this area but thank God for His Spirit in us!

On other notes...Derek and I had a fabulous time at the Predators game the other night. The only downer was that our friends that we went with were Red Wing fans. I was so bummed for them...I kept telling Heather that she was turning me into a Red Wing fan b/c they were getting killed so badly that I felt sympathy. It didn't help that the Predator fans seemed a bit more harsh with their verbal banter than normal. It was such a fun night! And of course, I am so excited about tonight! Yes, I get to spend the evening with my wonderful hubby (who already hooked me up with candy this morning), but isn't it wonderful that VDAY is on Thurs. this year....the same night as LOST!!!! What better way to say I Love You!!!! I have a fun evening planned for us as a family and it of course is made all the better by LOST being on...I can't wait! I know some of you just don't understand and I feel very sorry for you...Really!:)

On that note, I will leave you with a big "Happy Day of Love"!!! I hope you all get to spend some great time loving on others and feeling loved yourselves! Enjoy it!

(Keep scrolling down for some more cute pics of the stinker!)

More Fun Pics!

Running Around in Undies...Elmo Style!

Potty-training has officially begun at the Kramer's! Emily and I ventured out to Target on Thursday to select new underwear (sorry, I don't say "panties"...I grew up with 3 boys) and of course Ems picked out the Elmo and Zoe pack! She was so excited that it was a struggle to get her to stop taking them out of the package. She held them the whole way home in the car.

So we were in full swing yesterday morning and it was difficult at times...I had to clean up some pee pee a few times, but after her nap she started going to the potty like a champ. She thankfully made it through her nap yesterday and all night last night without any accidents. I really couldn't believe it! This morning she went multiple times and even climbed onto the potty by herself. I think the next hurdle will be the poop issue. I am sure it will be a little freaky to do this action into a big white hole when she has pooping in her pants for the past 2 years! I could totally tell that she was feeling the need to poop this morning. So, I waited and waited and still nothing. We'll see how it goes this afternooon. Either she will take on the big scary white hole and get a sucker or Elmo will be needing a serious bath. Either way, I am so very proud of her for being such a big girl! If this whole potty-training in 3 days thing works, I'll let you guys know.

Onto other Kramer happenings, Baby #2 is getting ready to go into his/her 9th week of development (really 7 weeks). I feel very similar to how I did with Emily. I have lost my appetite a bit and certain foods, while not making me actually toss my cookies, really sound gross to me. Although, I told Derek right before we went to bed the other night that I was craving fried chicken. Not just any old fried chicken, but the chicken from my grandma's restaurant in VA. I don't guess I'll be fulfilling that craving any time soon!:) I am seriously considering calling Cracker Barrell for take-out tonight! The other thing that is really strange, keeping in mind that I am pregnant in the completely opposite season, is that I cannot get warm. I feel like I am constantly freezing. Last weekend when Derek and I got home from church, I put on thick velour pants, a long sleeve t-shirt, sweatshirt, and got under 2 blankets and was still cold. Ridiculous!!

Well...the stinker is due to wake up soon and until she retreats for the night, I'll be following her like a magnet to be sure that we really follow through on the potty thing. I never thought I would be so animated about pee and poop...ahhh, a mom's life...it's a beautiful thing!:):) I am thankful for every second of it!

Lots and Lots To Catch Up On!!!!

Yes!! The Kramer's are still alive and blogging! The last couple of months have been CRAZY with activity. There is so much to share with everyone. We really had a wonderful Christmas! We missed family that couldn't be with us for sure, but we enjoyed our time with our little family and thankfully we did get to spend some time with my mom, brother, and sister-in-law. Christmas morning of 2007 will always be VERY memorable for the Kramer's. We had a cozy fire, watched Emily open a few gifts, read the Christmas Story together, and as most of you know by now, I gave Derek some really surprising and wonderful news! Derek's Christmas present will arrive a bit late, hopefully a week or so before August 31, 2008. I know it is a long time to wait but I think the crying, pooping, bundle of joy will be well worth it!!!

So, yes, we are expecting Baby Kramer #2 in August and we are thrilled!! I promised lots of friends that I would never announce this type of news on the blog for the first time, so most of you already know, but for those of you hearing it for the first time...Surprise!!

We had our first appt. last Mon. and everything went very well. It was just as amazing and emotional to see this little one's heartbeat as it was to see Em's. I never get over how miraculous life beginning truly is! God is so amazing!! We are really looking forward to this wonderful new season of our lives. I have already had my freak-out moments when pondering two kiddos instead of one, but I am already dreaming about the face and hands and toes of this little miracle. It seems like so long from now, but I know August will be here before we know it. Emily keeps telling me where the baby is by patting my lower belly and then puts her fingers together to show us how tiny the baby is...too sweet!!

So, besides the baby news, we have had lots of visits with friends from all over. The Moore's from Cali came for a few days and the Baker's drove from Texas. Both families are in seminary and we miss them like crazy. Within a year, both of these dear friends moved across the country and being able to catch up face to face was a huge blessing. It was so fun to catch up with Rebekah and Ginny!! As usual, saying good-bye was so hard, but the laughs that we had while together made it so worth it!

We also got to hang with our great friend Nick, also from Cali, and his girlfriend "That One" according to Emily. For some reason, Em kept calling Nick "Nit" and Steph was "That One." Good thing that Steph has thick skin! It was fun getting to meet Steph and always a blast catching up with Nick.

Another big event, I celebrated my 32nd birthday!...Man I'm getting up there! My friend Nicole organized a birthday lunch with just girlfriends and it was so special to me. I have never had just girlfriends get together for my birthday. It will be a memory that I always cherish. Derek was creative and sweet as usual and gave me a booklet, that he made:), full of a day of the things I love like a massage, a lunch date with a girlfriend, and coffee. Now I just have to find the time to do it! Later that night, we went to dinner with another couple and then Derek surprised me with a very rich chocolate, chocolate cake with strawberries. Overall, my day was such fun and I felt so special!

One last visitor to the Kramer pad was my sweet friend Judy and her hubby Brett. They came in just last weekend and got to be here on Em's 2nd Birthday. They brought her the cutest ROOTS shirt from Canada...of course it was pink with gitter...that was more for me from Judy:) I think Emily actually prefers blue:) We had some time to catch up and unfortunately no time for spades...ahhh, one day...I can only hope!

And...as for little Em's turning the big #2, it was lots of fun. Her buddies came and they all decorated their own cupcakes. All of the kids did such a great job. I was so surprised that there were no major catastrophes or spills! Most of all, it was a fun day with family and friends celebrating the life and miracle of our sweet little Emily Paige!

One last thing to celebrate is the birth of my new nephew, Noah Christopher! I can't wait to get my hands on him. This is what makes being far away from family so difficult...the big moments that you inevitably miss out on! Hopefully I will see him very soon.

That about sums up the last month or so. I am sure that I have left out some stuff, but this post will have to do for now. I need to get some rest because we start potty-training tomorrow!!! Woot! Woot! We'll see how that goes!:) I'll leave you with a couple of pics at the bottom. As usual, when I go forever without a post, I did some major updating to the photo album. Just click on the link to the left of this post for the Kramer Photo Album....oh yeah and there is a video of the munchkin blowing out her candles...pretty funny! You'll see that she had a little help...thanks Gabe!;)


Christmas Night

Derek opening up his "GIFT" from me! hehe!!! I believe he said, "Are you serious?" Emily was absolutely clueless...Derek may injure me for posting this, but I love that I was able to capture the moment he found out!

I Can't Stop Blogging!

I don't know what has gotten into me tonight! I promise this is it for the night. Actually, I have been meaning to post the pics below of Em goofing off since Thanksgiving. I figure a 1 month hiatus from blogging was more than unacceptable so I felt the need to play catch-up.

Below you will find multiple posts that show Emily being her typical self...completely goofy and hilarious! I also updated the photo album.

But most importantly, the Kramer's finally had some professional photography done and let me just say that it was so worth the wait! I have to give huge props to Lauren Gill, an amazing photographer out of Franklin. She is so talented and wonderful to work with. If anyone reading this needs photos taken professionally, you really should contact her. Even if you don't know me personally, I would love to fill you in on her work. She has taken photos of at least 5 families that I personally know and they are all incredible...so enough rambling, you can see them for yourself. Lauren absolutely captured Emily's personality in these photos...so priceless!

Check them out at http://www.laurengillphotography.com/ Once on the homepage, Enter Site and then click on Clients. The code to enter is K120807

Lauren also took our family photos at the end of October so there is a separate code for that. I believe it is K102707. If you are family, you might be getting these as gifts so if you have a favorite, let me know!:) Enjoy...hope you like them!!

What Can I Say?

I just don't even have words for this one! It makes me laugh every time I see it!

Daddy's Girl...

Words just can't express how much I love that Emily is her Daddy's girl! Derek loves her so much and they are just too sweet together. On a funny note, I emailed Derek at work today to tell him this cute story. We had been at the grocery store and had just gotten home when I went to get Ems out of her car seat. About the time I picked her up, the neighbor turned on his lawnmower (yeah, I know its December) and Em's eyes shot open so huge. She started saying Daddy, Daddy. So sweet...she thought Derek was home and mowing the grass. Poor baby has no concept that today is Monday. When I told her that it was our neighbor and not Daddy and then showed her the neighbor, she looked so sad. I definitely burst her bubble! It took her a few minutes to get over it. How wonderful to have a Godly husband and father that loves us so faithfully! We truly are blessed beyond measure. Thank you Lord for my sweet Derek!

My Silly Girl!

She really cracks me up...I don't know where she gets her energy and crazy antics! Hehe! These were taken over Thanksgiving and she was too funny!

What in the World????

Okay so I don't know that I have ever blogged about cultural or social topics before, but this moment I feel compelled.

So I was just changing our sheets while my sweet hubby was outside washing my gross car and I decide to flip on the television in our bedroom for some background noise, bad habit:( I turn to my favorite HGTV, nothing. Then I check out Fox News, again nothing, so I make the bad choice of channel surfing when I come across VH1. I notice that it is a concert, don't know who is singing at this point, but see that there is a big Christmas house in the background..."awww a Christmas Concert" is what my naive mind imagines. AND then I realize who and what I'm watching, and just what a complete atrocity, sickening display, gag-me, revolting display of shredding to pieces Christmas and the WHOLE point it exists truly is. I know that I am making so little sense as I vomit out my disgust!

I actually watched the rest of this spectacle to try and actually hear the words that Kid Rock was spewing out and it was appalling to say the least. I don't normally consider myself to be very naive, but I was shocked at the lyrics to the song he sang (if you can call it singing). I have no idea what the name of the song is...the lyrics contain lines such as, "I'm your rock-n-roll Jesus," "sex, drugs, rock-n-roll," "testify"! Okay so you get the point, and yes I very purposefully listened to the words to be sure that I wasn't misconstruing what he said.

So picture it...Kid Rock all dressed in white surrounded by girls with silver "band-aids" across their butts and chests dancing on poles and back-up dancers wearing pretty much the same, drummers and guitarists wearing cross necklaces, a huge house for the backdrop with Christmas lights glowing like crazy, and of course thousands of fans screaming for Kid Rock! And all I could think was "what in the world????" Then the best...they cut to commercial and they show the name of the concert "Larry the Cable Guy's Christmas Concert"....WHAT??? Are you kidding me?

And then I just became sad as I thought back to this morning and what I experienced at our church. 40 plus Christian men, women, and children that have fled their home country of Burma because Christians, including their own families and themselves, have experienced and endured things that my mind cannot even fathom. People that have watched their loved ones, their husbands, their children be raped, murdered, and tortured for their faith in God. Our God that sent His own son to die for us, to experience torture and pain like none of us will ever know...that same Son is the only reason that "Christmas" came about in the first place.

Why do so many people use Christmas as their opportunity to make money? Maybe I am taking this to heart way too hard...maybe I am just being my usual passionate self, but I think God wants us to be angry about things like this. I think it should stir something deep inside of us that screams how wrong it is! I just know that it solidifies even more my longing to "do Christmas" very, very different this year. I want to be radical for the God that came to save me in human form and suffered dearly for my sin. I want to celebrate Jesus Christ, the one that sets us free and loves us graciously and pardons all our sins!

The good that came from this is an increase in prayer for those that don't know Him, those that openly mock Him, and those that are today laying down their lives for Him in places where worshipping Him is not a freedom. I pray that those of us, including myself, that do know Christ as King will take seriously what we celebrate at Christmas and start walking in reckless abandonment for the One that saved our souls. May our God in heaven be lifted up by the worship of His people!!

Long Time, No Blog...No Computer!

I finally had a chance this weekend to catch up on our blog with some of the happenings of the past month. Most of you may already know this but our computer totally crashed about a month ago leaving me computer-less at home. What a bummer it was! Thankfully our good buddy Austin has ninja-like computer skills and was able to bring it back from the dead. (Thanks again Austin!) We lost some pictures but thankfully my wonderful hubby had already backed most of them up on the external hard drive. Thank goodness!

Now we are up and running again. This last month has been very busy so I have posted up some of the highlights below. One thing that I didn't post was that Emily is now in a toddler bed. We converted her bed a little over a month ago and she has done really well...that is until the weekend of "falling back" an hour. She is just beginning to sleep a little longer in the morning. I keep telling myself when she runs into our room at 6am that she really still thinks it is 7am! This morning she FINALLY made it until about 6:50am. She is also getting her 2 year molars which has been made all too obvious as she has been asking us for medicine and her teething rings ("ice" as she calls them).

All in all, things are going pretty well around here. We are really looking forward to Thanksgiving and Christmas. As most people do, I absolutely LOVE this time of year. I am also excited about maybe doing things a bit different at Christmas this year. Over the past few years Derek and I have really tried to simplify the "production" of Christmas. It will be so fun to see what God will do in our family this Christmas and how He will continue to pull our minds and hearts closer to the true reason we celebrate. I just can't wait!

I am excited to be back in the world of blogging. I really look forward to posting up anything now that the computer is fixed. That old saying, "You don't know what you've got 'til it's gone" is so true. When the computer was undergoing surgery, I would think of the dumbest things ever and be convinced it would be a fabulous read on our blog! It is probably a good thing that I didn't put my thoughts in print!

Looking forward to catching up with everyone, so until next time, I'll leave you with the posts below...

**I also updated the web album with lots of new pics**

100% Poly-es-ter!!!!

Okay so the title of this blog means absolutely nothing to some of you, but for others, you know exactly what I'm talking about! Our first Fellowship Bible Church Women's Retreat was AMAZING!!!! I can't say anything else that would describe how awesome it was. There are countless testimonies of how the Spirit of God moved in so many women's lives. Our speaker was unbelieveable and the times of singing God's praises were just so sweet and awesome. I could truly feel the Lord's presence in our midst.
I am so thankful to be surrounded by so many God-fearing women that love the Lord with their whole hearts and hold nothing back when giving all glory to Him!
I was part of the skits with some dear friends and we had such a blast. I love you girls...it was so much fun to do that with you! Below are the pictures that I am sure may come back some day to haunt us!


Lovely hair, don't you think?

...in full costume!

...in full action!

Halloween Fun With Old (and New) Friends

Halloween was fun this year. Emily was dressed as a soccer star, not your typical girly-girl costume. But, hey, it was last minute, adorable, and free...thanks again Uncle Sean! We really had a great time with all of our friends. After taking this first photo, we headed out into the dark of night, knocked on stangers' doors, and not only accepted but asked for free candy...everything that we tell our children to NEVER, EVER do! Isn't Halloween strange? Nevertheless, we had lots of laughs watching these little ones experience Halloween all together...we were quite the herd walking around the neighborhood. There were 9 adults and 7 children ranging in ages 1 year to 4 years. The funniest part of the night for me had to be when sweet little Caleb would knock on the door, say trick-or-treat, receive his candy and then proceed to enter the person's home. It was hilarious! He did it over and over again. He is so sweet...most kids just take the candy and run but he wanted to stay and visit awhile!

I included a picture of the kiddos last year on Halloween. We want to try to do this each year, assuming that we are still living near one another. It is so fun to look at last year's pic and see how they have all grown and changed. I pray that these friends will be those that Emily has sweet, sweet memories with. We can't wait until next year!


Halloween 2007

Halloween 2006

My First Haircut!!!

Emily finally had her first haircut about a month ago. She kept waking up from her naps and in the morning with the biggest fuzzball ever on the back of her head...it was long overdue! She was really great. A friend recommended (was it you Laurie?) cutting her hair in the bathtub and it worked so well. She was completely distracted and wasn't covered in hair when I was finished. For those of you wondering why I attempted this feat myself; let's just say that when you have curly hair and have a daughter with curls, you learn to be VERY cautious with the scissors!!!:) Most hairdressers are NOT cautious enough with scissors. I wasn't willing to risk it. I hardly cut any length off but it made the ultimate fuzzball less afroish and much easier to comb through. Derek was a bit concerned with my skill level though after his scalping a few years back...I still vehemently stick to my guns that he moved during the trimming and I was not at fault. (hehehe:) Incidentally he still lets me trim his hair every now and then (i.e. when he is absolutely desperate)!!!

Before


After

Hayrides and Pumpkin Patches

Holding hands with my best buddy!

It was difficult to get a picture of everyone "having fun," but aren't they all so cute?

This was Em's first hayride. I couldn't believe how long her legs look in this picture.
A couple of days after we took this picture, Emily kept grabbing her feet and saying "Mommy, Oww!" I took her to see if just maybe she needed new shoes...in this pic she is wearing a 5 and three days later she was wearing a 7...WIDE!!!! Nice...good job Mom! No guilt feelings here:(

Thanks Uncle Sean!

Let me just begin by stating two things: #1 Em REALLY wanted to tuck the shirt in, #2 Em REALLY wanted to put this denim hat on with this outfit!

Okay, so with that out of the way...let me explain! Derek's brother was too sweet to send Emily her very first soccer uniform. He was living in Amman Jordan this Summer and on his travels, he picked this up for Emily. I think he bought the smallest one he could find but it is still too big. One day last week, I was going through Emily's clothes (nothing fits her legs anymore). As the pile of things that no longer fit grew and grew, I decided to see if this get-up would work as her Halloween costume. I mean how cute would that be with a pair of tiny cleets? Unfortunately we discovered that it was more than a bit too big. The shirt came down mid-calf length. But Emily decided that she wanted to play in it for awhile, so I let her have her wish. She ran around like crazy in her little uniform. It was so funny. That is when she found this random hat that she has never even worn and started dancing around saying "Mommy, hat, hat! Emmy, hat, hat!" I grabbed the camera and took a pic of her lovely outfit complete with healing-green-purple-stage-back-eye (see previous post). What a lovely sight she was!!! To top it off...I am fairly sure I had yet to comb her hair that morning as well!

Emily's First (and hopefully last) Black Eye

This is how it went down (literally)...Emily grabs the tray of her WOODEN high chair and pulls it over which results in the entire high chair crashing to the floor. The solid wooden tray hits the floor, pops off, and hits her square in the eye. All this while I am standing about 1 foot away. It was like it all happened in slow motion...I just couldn't get there fast enough! By the time I reached her, she was laying on the kitchen floor with the tray and chair somewhat on top of her. She cried and cried...I did too! We knew she really was hurting because she usually is pretty tough and doesn't cry when she falls...she gets up most of the time and literally brushes herself off. After lots of ice and some sweet time with Daddy holding her, she was okay. The worst was when she would scrunch up her eye and say "Ow, Owie." That pretty much made me feel like the worst mom in the world, but thankfully her eye is all healed now. It definitely looked a lot worse before it got better!

Pictures...Finally!!!!

Playing with water at the Discovery Center
Me and my best buddy Caleb!!
Eyes of Admiration:)
I love this picture of my little fireman-"woman"!

I forgot!

Because of our traveling, Emily's 18 month visit was about a month behind so I forgot to post about her appointment. She was much more aware of what the doc was doing, of course, which lead to some tears when we very first walked in the exam room. But, after she was weighed and measured, I think she actually had fun. Dr. Eastham is really terrific and let her play with the monkey on his stethescope and allowed her to use his pen which she loved. (She loves to write with pens these days!) She checked out well and weighed 25lbs 2oz and was 33 and 1/2 inches tall. We are very thankful for our healthy girl!

And...I don't know how I forgot this one, but Emily grabbed her diaper today, then went in the bathroom, picked up her potty seat, brought it to me, said something completely unintelligible and then put the seat on the toilet. Being the genius that I am, I took the hint. So...she peed in the potty for the second time. But then after getting completely soaked by the water hose at Laurie's today, I removed her pants and diaper for the stroll home and she peed in her stroller! So, I think I can hold off on the potty training for a bit longer!

Bummer...

I will be posting without pics for awhile. Unfortunately our computer is so full that I can't export any pics. I'm still going to try and figure out another way, but until we purchase another external hardrive, I think I am out of luck!

We have had a really great last couple of weeks. Emily had her first trip to Chucky Cheese's and she had a ball. I got to go to the Discovery Center for the first time with her (she went with her daddy a few weeks ago). We have had lots of visitors, which is why I haven't blogged as frequently. Emily spent some really sweet time with her Halmi and Grandpa and one of my dearest friends, Judy, spent last weekend with us. We also had some awesome overnight hang time with some of the youth girls. One of them is Ana whom Em dearly adores. Her name is actually the first name besides Momma, Daddy, and grandparent's titles that she has uttered. It is so cute...it sounds like "Ano".

Speaking of talking, she is talking up a storm. I wonder where that gene came from!!:) Haha!!! She is saying all kinds of things. It has really been so fun to see her speech developing. Even though we definitely have our moments of frustration (i.e. screaming at the top of her lungs) and drama (i.e. throwing herself onto the floor and crying), we have an immense amount of fun in our home. One of my favorite things is when we eat dinner together at night. Emily absolutely is mesmerized by anything her sweet daddy does. She laughs so hard sometimes that I think she will get sick! I just love watching them play with each other. I really feel so blessed by her little spirit. She is so independant and so sweet.

Today we played with Laurie's boys outside and just had a blast. There were tons of interruptions of course, but who cares when the time is filled with beautiful sun, bubbles, water, and sweet friendship. I love knowing that these friendships are not only mine, but Em's too. I hope she will still know these boys ten years from now, no matter where life takes us! If her affection for Owen endures, we might be seeing them for a long time!:)

On another note, two sets of friends had their babies and we are so thankful that the Lord blessed them with healthy little ones that are thriving! What an exciting time for them! We went to the hospital on Tuesday night to see Karleigh Hope and she is beautiful!! She has been desired for a long time and it is so sweet to see her finally here with her mommy and daddy! Emily was very well behaved at the hospital. I had tried to prep her about not touching the baby, but hello, she is 20 months old...what could I expect? She surprised me and actually listened and obeyed. She was very curious about Karleigh as she was when we visited little Baker at the hospital last week. I am so thrilled for our friends!

That's about all I've got for now. I am going to try to post some pics...we'll see what becomes of that attempt!