An Aussie and a Georgia Peach

Long over due from the Outback...

2009-07-03T10:23:00.017-04:00

I know that I have failed to post pictures. However, I finally got them off of the camera and thought... hmm... if anyone is interested!?! So, I do apologize for the lack of clarity in some of them. We decided not to take our nice camera but be content with the video camera's shots. So, enjoy!

Playing in the sand!

Walking with Daddy

Checking out water temps --- brrr!

Surfin' truck!

View from the top -- check out those waves. Sean caught quite a few despite not so wonderful conditions.

Birds and Scenery

Seaweed -- Pewee!!!!! :-(

Fishin' --Clem and Sean

More fishing... and check out those sand dunes. They stretched on and on. The camera we had simply could not do them justice. (We actually walked up one -- talk about a bun and thigh workout -- Yikes!!!)

View from the front porch of our 'shack'!

View in the other direction from the porch...

Sorry to be so "post-cardish" -- could not resist.

Cold and windy with Nana

Tuckered out from all that surfin' and fishin'

Family photo time!

Since the above photo took a rather unsightly picture of the most important member of the family, let me introduce: Bessie the dog! :) Oh yeah... and Charis!

Speaking of...!!!

2009-06-30T21:53:00.001-04:00

Well, I have no really recent pictures of my little girl, other than ones here or there. I thought I would briefly post a few of her most recent verbal escapades, however.

As of last night... Charis decided that she needed more juice. Sean and I have been somewhat diligently telling her one word at a time how to request politely for more. So, out she comes with, " May I please have some more juice?" Wow! I was quite impressed. It was obviously thought through and stated somewhat haltingly, but...

She is pretty decent at saying her numbers 1-10 and pretty much sings her ABC song. It sometimes can be hit or miss, but... I have been quite impressed.

What else... Well, she informed a Lowes employee today that a mess was made when the lady attempted to scan my full coffee, Starbucks mug. I was sort of happy since I was thinking exactly that, and not oh so happy to have the desired contents deposited on the floor.

And then there are the many times when I am called to attention by "honey, ...mummy, ...Katie." Or:

Me: Charis are you sick?
Charis: Medicine, please?
Me: (opening to the cabinet door for a little ease the pain relief -- of which she gets a very minimal dose -- and then putting in her dropper)
Charis: Mum, close door, close door!
Me: Thinking... just give me a break. Here I am attempting to help you, and you are obsessed with the fact that things are not as neat and orderly as you might desire. LOL!

And then there are the times when Charis completely overwhelms me with her seeming smartness. There is this book that she loves to read. It is basically a picture, children's dictionary. We can spend hours in there exploring. I asked her the other day about a particular bird as to its name. Charis' answer: "Macaw." What? Even I would not know that off of the top of my head.

I have to attribute much of this to Sean's attentions. I really don't even think to teach her such things, but am getting slowly better with time. It just amazes me when I attempt to fathom the handiwork of God's creation!!!

Oh yes! And we are attempting to step into the new and wonderful world of "undies." No more diapers!!! So, after many little pairs of undies being hand washed, and a few spots on the carpet being scrubbed... Charis is learning! Yeh!

I think the 'paci' removal and big girl bed will have to wait for a while! All in good time. :)

Shocking!

2009-04-30T21:42:00.000-04:00

OK.... so I know the picture below is rather small, but I just wanted to share that it pays to have a family member who works for Lowes. In the last two days Sean has brought home a $266 dollar carpet cleaner for less than a quarter of the price in comparison and then today.... The lamps shown below for ... can you guess!?! JUST $7!!!!!! We have had, since we were married, second-hand lamps as well as two (one of which gave up the ghost a long time ago) that I have had since I was a teen. I am still appreciative for the old but very much overwhelmed by God's providence in regard to the new lamps.

No need for response!

2009-04-10T13:21:00.001-04:00

This is nothing monumental, but still I found it amusing. It just shows, once again, that my little baby is growing:

So, I walked into the hallway to find that Charis has gone in the pantry and taken the box of zip-lock bags off the shelf. She was joyfully distributing them all over the hallway. While I was contemplating the best means of approach I heared her state, "Chaar --rees, Chaar --ees!!!" in a rather dramatic fashion as soon as she saw the look on my face. Charis than began shoving the bags back (rather neatly if I might add) in the box as fast as she could and then handed the box to me with her typical, "Here ya go."

Hmmm... I didn't need to say a word! :) She played, reprimanded herself, cleaned up, and gave me what was rightfully mine. Parenting is getting easier and easier. LOL!

AND.... growing!

2009-04-07T12:38:00.000-04:00

So, for those of you who knew we went to Australia for the month... it was a wonderful time to relax and visit and visit and visit family/friends. Last time I went, we did not have the luxury of getting to meet so many of Sean's old acquaintances. Perhaps, it had something to do with the newness of our own. One can be a little stingy on their honeymoon right? :)

Anyhow our days were filled with barbies (having to do with grilling food not the blond bimbos with impeccably, impossible bodies), seeing animals, surfing (just Sean), fishing, going to the beach, etc. Unfortunately, I do not have too many pictures but a lot of video. I will post what I can off of the video camera the first chance I get!

I do have to say that Charis loved the sand, but a close second if not first was her frenzy over horses. She loves them and has absolutely no fear of them. She did also like this little push car that played music that her Nana had picked up for her. Both of her Aunties were attempting to teach Charis additional dance moves. Not sure if she learned anything though.

Anyhow, Charis seems to be adding new things to her repertoire daily.

She loves to point to and attempt to pronounce the following body parts:

~Eyebrow
~Eyelashes
~Hair
~Head
~Shoulder
~Back
~Elbow
~Wrist
~Hand
~Fingers
~Tummy
~Belly button
~Knee
~Ankle
~Toes
~Foot

The last two she is still having some difficulty learning:

~Thigh (keeps pointing to her hip)
~Calf muscle (she keeps getting confused with Sean's accent and actually coughs!)

Other than that, Charis is getting 4 new teeth on the bottom front and keeps us in sympathy with her by her constant desire to be held.

She is getting quite proficient with, "Up, please ( the last word sounds more like 'peas' with her own modification of scratching her chin while saying the word)." She has certain question or phrases down such as:

~Where is it? -- she loves to hide stuff and then ask this question and then when we find it....
~There it is. -- quite slurred together...
~What's that? -- thankfully, this question is not so much used these days!!!
~Here ya go. -- The way in which this is stated is usually so sweet that one would actually think Charis is giving something away. However, it is usually a demand for something. Like, "here ya go..." you can have my juice cup but fill it up right now!

Otherwise, all is well! I can't believe how long it takes to get over jet lag when you have a youngster. It is a much slower process, but one of these days, I will get my energy back!

Just a couple pictures of our growing girl. Hopefully, some more Australian scenery will accompany my next post!

Charis loved sitting on Bessie -- my mother-in-law's old dog!

Contemplation of...???

Getting Bigger

2009-02-18T12:02:00.000-05:00

Charis is such a joy, as those of you know who either have children or are at least around those little tots growing to maturity. She is daily learning new things and keeping us hopping with her random bursts of naughty behaviors and silly acts. We took Charis to play on a type of playground at the mall for younger children. She first just stood there and looked around in silence. She then adopted a few followers who she mostly ignored. They would get right in her face, and she even shook her head rather violently side to side. Though she would get a bit flustered if she could not find either Sean or myself every minute or so, she seemed otherwise pretty independent. Charis, at the end of the play time, just walked around looking exactly like a "head bang-er." Who knows where she get these random but amusing ideas!?!

She is getting a bit more adept at speaking. Her vocabulary is:

- u-bow (elbow)
-knee
-nose
-eyes
-pease (please) -- she mostly refuses to say this word in particular!
- bup (up)
-daddy
-mama
-click (when she is put in her carseat or anything with a harness device which makes noise)
-pee-pee
- snap (when I put on her never ending layers of onesies... :)
- chair
-keys
- nu nu nu noooo
- bu- oon (balloon - forgot to add this earlier)

Hmmm.... She knows so many more words, but these are the only ones she really likes to say. We are attempting to remove the grunts and sighs from her vocabulary slowly but surely.

The most recent event in her life was her first haircut which happened almost five weeks ago. I know.... speak about lazy posting:

Charis loves playing with shoes --specifically the laces

Before...

After... The hair down the middle is not as long as the sides and since I didn't want to cut it too short, I just attempted to make the sides approximately the same length. Not great, but better!

Potty Time!

2009-01-27T12:21:00.000-05:00

Ok... so I admit. I was a little camera happy, but Charis is developing this amazing, goofy personality. She loves to laugh, smile, be silly, etc. AND... I just happened to be able to catch my often serious little girl in one of her quirky moods... on the potty! :) Which makes it just a little bit cuter in my estimation. So enjoy!

"Uh oh! Mom's got the camera!"

"Uhm.... I am not sure this is a good time."

"So, I guess I'll just play to the camera."

"Hey, you wanna see my goofy lip?"

Little concentration going on...

"Phew-wee!!! You guys did not tell me about the smells involved with this whole potty thing."

"I love you mum, but could we be done now!"

The Color Blue!

2009-01-08T17:43:00.001-05:00

This is Charis' newest dress and present from Grandaddy and Grandma in GA. So, I thought I might just post a few pics primarily for them but also for others to enjoy if desired. I thought this color looked particularly good on her. She certainly seemed to like it. :)

Charis walking

I just love these shoes!

She just loves sitting at the piano!!!

Not quite the right form but... It is a modern arrangement! :)

Yeah.... "How many pictures has this been now... 30 and counting???"

I just love the little hands and feet!

I had to post this pic as this is a very typical face of Charis when she has had enough!

Now for the comfy clothes and Daddy's hat!

You know that you are a "parent" when...

2009-01-02T13:21:00.000-05:00

WHEN.....

1) You lean down to tie your shoe and without thought, double knot the lace.

2) You fix a meal for yourself (finally...) and give half or all of it to your ever eating, and particularly adorable at the moment child.

3) You are showered in smelly substances and do not give a shriek of alarm.

4) You are not upset by the the little cries emanating from the bedroom announcing that the "long morning of rest" you were cherishing is now over.

5) You are cooking a meal and suddenly there are little arms wrapped around your legs, seeking to stop all movement, and almost succeeding as you fly towards the floor.

6) You are trying to take that much needed, restful, warm shower only to have the shower curtain opened again and again... so much for the warm-part of the shower. :)

7) You find amusement in watching your small child perform the same antics again and again.

Well, the list could go on... if any of your readers can give input as to their experiences. I would love to hear from you!!! : -)

Have a wonderful NEW YEAR!!!!!

2008-12-30T15:08:00.000-05:00

Hmmm... my baby daughter is growing like a weed. So much for the "small compared to everyone else" stage. I have posted pictures here and there without doing too many at a time, especially when it came to pictures of our trip to GA. So, here are some outside ones of us enjoying:

Charis getting ready for her first horse back ride!!!

Wow! That does look like fun.

Charis and Mummy

All done already.... "please, can I get back on???"

"Maybe one of the horses passing by might just let me on... anyone, please?"

Riding with Daddy... Woohoo!!!

Still riding...

Patting the horse

Yep...now it is my turn to drive... hold on!!!

"And... back to watching, again."

What's new!

2008-12-20T13:42:00.000-05:00

I don't have much to share other than a couple of semi-important events. My baby is growing up and despite the lack of communication on her part -- or at least intelligible communication -- it is comforting to know that she does understand.

Our biggest news is that Charis actually walked a couple of days ago. Sean has been working and working with her, and then my dad came for a visit and bought her some adorable shoes that seem to lend just a tiny bit of needed support. So, I came back from teaching violin to hear that she had been walking. I did not really believe it until I saw her walk not just one toddling step but up to ten!!! Let me not shout forth too joyously as Charis has since decided that walking is not really her thing quite yet. It seems that only Starbursts induce sudden desires to walk. :)

Secondly, Charis never, and I mean never, sleeps in our bed. In fact, I have had to work on actually making her rest in my arms recently. However, we had an incident of "paci gone missing" last night. So, around 5:00 am she awoke, and Sean who was getting up for work brought her upstairs. I went back down to look for paci and could NOT find it. I searched and searched only finally to search Charis and find it down in her jammies!?! :) Tired, sleepy, and Charis a little emotional, I took her up to bed with me. We both slept happily until about 8:30. Yeah!!! :) Charis of course woke me first and insisted on getting out of bed. I placed her on the floor and explained that until I got some pants on we were not going anywhere. She looks around and then grabs the first article of clothing on the floor and hands it to me. I was impressed!!! The object was not exactly pants, but it showed that Charis was comprehending my needs by my words alone, not actions or guestures needed!

So,... we will keep working!!!

Thanksgiving!

2008-12-06T14:59:00.000-05:00

When I reflect over the past days, months, years... I am always comforted to see the hand of God working in my life. There are times when I become disgruntled and yes, upset, and think that I could perhaps do better myself, but... just about then, I am given a "lovely" view of the end result of situations that I attempted to micro-manage. These images are not oh so lovely! :) While this is difficult, at least it serves as a reminder to trust in God above all else.

Anyhow, I am so thankful for a loving, supportive family, and thought... I might just share a few pics with you from our family gathering. So, off of my soap box I jump! Enjoy! :)

Getting stuff ready!

Boys will be ... boys!?! :)

Mom and Martha

Martha and Me

Charis and Alex

This little/big man has the ability to light up any room with his infectious smile!

Kids, Babies, and Bigger Kids!

Belated Happy Thanksgiving from Mine to Yours!!!

News

2008-12-04T14:31:00.001-05:00

I do hope that everyone had a wonderful thanksgiving. My family, though busy, thoroughly enjoyed the time that all siblings, children, and parents had together. The only unfortunate event was that everyone seemed to have some variation of a cold and which was passed around. Some of us were able to ward off the sickness, but most of us succumbed to illness eventually, despite the numerous safeguards taken -- and believe me... I took everyone possible one!

Anyhow, I will be posting those pictures at a later time taken at our family gathering. I am even contemplating posting a link to the professional pictures made of the 23 of us, but ... We'll see.

Instead I thought I might just post a few of Charis' newest antics.

Charis seems to like attention, especially mummy's attention when mum talks too much to someone else. Charis reminded me of this quite some time back when she made the most awful eye bulging, nose scrunching, body shaking, face reddening, and noise growling gesture I have ever seen at my mom, who was discussing some upcoming music plans with me. I have never seen anything like it!!!!

Other than the occasional tumble backwards, Charis seems not to get hurt too often. Sean did find her yesterday (and I would give anything to see a picture of it), after hearing a rather distant, as if in a box, cry emanating from the living room. Somehow, Charis when reaching into her box of toys had fallen head first. By the time Sean noticed the peculiar cry for help, though rather muffled, her little bum was poking straight up, her head in her box, and her body bent at a rather odd angle. I just keep laughing every time I think of it, though full of sympathy! :)

Otherwise, Charis loves to grab my cell phone and chatter away while holding next to her ear. It is rather odd, as I really don't talk on it very often in front of her.

AND.... she seems to be addicted never to learn any new words other than .... "Waz-dat?" This question at times is used as a question, but more than often it if employed to point out something desired, or rather demanded. My little girl has not yet mastered the technique of polite requests.

AND.... Charis cannot seem to respond to our emphatic, ... "NO!" Still working... maybe one day.

Well, perhaps by the time I post next Charis will have come across a new interests like... Walking!!! One step so far unassisted, but...

Until next time... God bless!

Project and Picture!

2008-10-31T01:24:00.000-04:00

Well, I had a long explanation of what I have been up to recently written out, but as it is quite late, and I just erased everything!!!... A brief summary will have to do. Suffice it to say that piano moving, banister building, car brakes changing (now for the third time due to faulty info), curtain hanging, leaf raking, closet organizing, storage room and door painting, A/C unit removing, etc. have been just a few of my activities. When you add on private violin lessons, 6-7 suggested hrs of practice daily (except that I have only had time for 3-4 hrs daily because Charis sleeps lightly in the early morning and Sean sleep lightly late night :), and oh yeah, did someone say something about family time and FOOD! :) Needless to say, I don't exactly have too much time to sit around. Providentially, I have also been getting quite a few students here and teach Mon/Wed evenings and Thurs/Fri afternoons. So, here are just a few pictures of Charis recently and the of a past project of which I promised pictures ages ago but due to a slight battle with blogger's idiocy failed to perform.

So... enjoy!

Massage time which follows each shower seems to produce a trance-like state...

And then sleepiness...

An then... back to reality! -- "Mom, did you get water in my ear???"

Below are a few pictures from my moment of temporary insanity when I attempted, somewhat effectively, to make a pattern from my car seat to produce a new cover for my oldest sister's car seat. I attempted to choose fabrics that I best thought blended with her personal taste.

Happy Birthday!!!!!

2008-10-16T09:40:00.000-04:00

Family Portrait

Charis and Daddy having fun!

Opening gifts very seriously with Daddy!

"Honestly, if you take one more picture!!!"

A book!

My trial Strawberry Cake

Since my blog will not let me insert text at the beginning... I will write at the end!

Well, it seems that my darling daughter is one year old already. I cannot believe it. It seems to me that she is not quite mature enough to have reached that mark, or perhaps, I have just a preconceived, entirely faulty notion in regard to the grand old age of one year. :) I think the latter thought must be correct.

Anyhow, it seems that I am a poor gift giver and love to give gifts early, especially when the gifts are "needed, necessary" gifts. So, poor Charis did not get to open too many presents. I thought that all babies liked the paper the best. However, Charis seemed to be more infatuated with the gift itself and really would not participate in tearing open the gift (despite her joy in pulling the whole roll of TP off the wall and shredding part of it into teensy-weensy bits...).

Anyhow, that is about all for now... so until next I feel able to post! Have a good day!

Finally.... old pictures...

2008-09-27T12:06:00.000-04:00

Ok... so yes, I am so incredibly ignorant. I decided to try one last time and just decided to hit post despite the numbers and letters and guess what??? Out popped my pictures! So, thanks to Amy who gave a helpful tidbit of info. and Rachel who asked if I had the "Edit Html" tab open rather than the "Compose" tab, things are back to normal, and I am back to posting somewhat more regularly. :)

Anyhow, below are a few pictures out of many over the past months. Charis is growing so quickly! I can't believe how mature she is getting, and I can't believe that she is almost a year old.

She loves to talk and points at everything saying, "Whaz dat?" Her other words said at random according to her pleasure are: tree, dog, daddy, mama, tick (for clock), teddy, etc. She also loves to give hugs and kisses (which are accompanied by the sounds mmmmm-mwa!) She is crawling up stairs for quite some time now but has not quite accomplished the down part sometimes going backwards, rolling head over heels, or length-wise. She has been pulling up on everything. Strangely enough, she doesn't seem to like pulling up on tables unless it is an object which is waist height, but rather will "pull up" on flat surfaces or chair legs. Charis absolutely adores playing with everything but her toys, minus any toy toss-able. She will sit for quite a while throwing her tennis ball, rubber ball, or pretty much anything back and forth. We tease that she must be preparing to be a tennis player because she has the grunting down pat which accompanies most throws. She also loves sticks. I will post some pictures later which particularly display this adoration on her part.

So, until next time... Enjoy!

Helping mummy with laundry as well as displaying the dangers of sitting for a professional photographer on her left cheek. All pictures thereafter where taken from the right side only.

Having fun looking "outside." Whazdat? ... a doggy? Nope, just mommy! :)

Watching Baby Einstein and playing in a box. The best!!!

She absolutely loves the color blue and her ball!

What me?

Long Overdue

2008-09-23T17:47:00.001-04:00

I really am trying to post some long overdue pictures of Charis. However, I cannot seem to get them posted in a manner which would be of any appeal unless some of you computer geniuses out there know how to transmit to mind dozens of numbers and letters and turn this into a picture that makes sense. I certainly do not have the capability and am quite aggravated about the situation. Does anyone have any suggestions why all of the sudden the pictures will not post correctly??? The chosen "to post picture" comes up in the box before I push "done" but then upon looking at the actual blog... again... masses of numbers and letters. :( I would appreciate any wisdom given!

Thanks,

Katie

Jeannette Update!

2008-08-27T20:45:00.000-04:00

Thank you all for your prayers. There is not too much to say other Jeannette is in somewhat stable condition, for which we are grateful. She was on an extremely high dose of steroids which kept the doctors from being able to run necessary test to discover why Jeannette experienced such terrible side effects after pregnancy. They are in the process of weaning her slowly back from almost 200 ml. to 30 ml. in order to do tests. Lord willing, those tests once done will shed some light on the situation. She is just resting at this point while my sister, Rachel, graciously agreed to take baby Samuel and breastfeed him with the intention of gradually teaching him to take a bottle. Rob and Jeannette hope to pick up Samuel early next week if all goes as planned, and my sister, Martha, will be going up to SC for a couple of months to assist. We are all doing whatever is possible to be of assistance, but we must primarily wait on God to do His perfect will. Thank you all again for your prayers and thoughts!!!

Need for Prayer

2008-08-18T23:13:00.000-04:00

Please find below a prayer request from my brother-in-law, Rob in regard to my oldest sister Jeannette. The family would deeply appreciate this request being passed on in your churches:

Dear Congregation,

We would appreciate your prayers for Jeannette today. She was experiencing some difficulties last night, which became more severe this morning. The symptoms seem to indicate that she is having an Addisonian crisis, which means her adrenals are crashing after coming down from the high doses of IV soluble cortef before and after surgery. She has blurred vision, difficulty breathing, nausea, acute weakness and a list of other symptoms. We have been on and off the phone today trying to reach the right doctors. Jeannette's baby doctor is actually out-of-town at present. We finally got a referral to an endocrinologist, but they are unwilling to see her right away. Consequently, we are having to go to the emergency room to get treatment, which may result in the same endocrinologist seeing Jeannette in the ER. Little Samuel appears to be doing fine. Jeannette's parents were here today, and her dad is staying with the other children at our house. We would appreciate your prayers for Jeannette and the doctors who will be seeing her.

Warm Regards,
Pastor Rob McCurley

P.S. They did go to the ER, and by the time they arrived Jeannette was unconscious. Thankfully, they were able to reverse some of the symptoms and pumped her full of steroids which will hopefully serve her through the night and until she is able to go to a doctor tomorrow!

Funny Moments

2008-08-16T00:36:00.000-04:00

Ok... So, I began to post a few pictures of Charis and then discovered that the supposed photos just become streams of letters and numbers. So... I thought that I might, until I get the dilemma sorted out, just post a few funny incidents that have occurred in the last couple of weeks. Nothing over the top, but simply amusing to me personally. If you do do not find them to be so. Please, by all means, do not feel obliged to read or comment! :)

1) So, I went to the bank today and decided rather than going in and seeing how long our credit union can take to deposit funds that I might see if things progressed more quickly outside. Sean was with me as we went just prior to a family outing, and He was awed by the chutes outside into which one can pull out the canister, slide open the top, place in the desired paper, push the button, and "bingo" ... the transaction is complete with a little help from the lady who pops up on the screen to the right of the the chute to answer any questions and to complete the transaction. Sean's comment was something like he felt as if he had stepped into the future like on the "Jetsons" show." I had to laugh! He really was impressed and never even knew that such outside banking existed!?!

2) Ok.... so I LOVE cooking with herbs, especially fresh herbs... Sean came in rather upset because the parsley had died the other day and had the whole plant in his hand which he had just pulled up. Thus, I consequently decided that dried parley would have to suffice until Sean came inside the from the garden again a couple of days later to state that the parsley must have spread seeds because it was now sprouting up all the way across the garden. I was delighted and then began to chop up the new "parsley" without ado or consideration. The moment I dropped it into my pan Sean pipes up, "I do not think it is parsley." He then asked me a very important question before which he had already discovered the answer. What looks like parsley just a little bit and could possibly be ready to spring up "all over the garden?" My answer was after some thought was... CARROTS!!! So... at least some of our carrots will serve as fertilizer since the tops which indicate their position is missing and we... well,... I am most likely the first to use carrot tops as herbs in my food! :)

3)Lastly but not least... I was traveling home from a conference last weekend when Sean and I, ever on the lookout for the cheapest gas prices, stopped at this little hole-in-between-two-mountains place at which the gas attendant didn't even have a cash register but gave me the correct return amount out of the wad of bills in his pocket!?! Anyhow, it was one of those mostly auto shops, so I overlooked this oddity, especially as we where in West Virginia and then proceeded to the bathroom in the back to wash out Charis' bottle the best I could while holding her in my arms. As the juggling act was not working I went to drop her off with Sean who was inside getting directions from the gentleman with the "wad of bills in his pocket." As I hand Charis off and prepare to go back to wash the not-very-clean bottle again... I turn around to see an old friend from UGA, who I knew that I knew quite well but absolutely couldn't remember a thing about him. Next thing I know, he had swept me into quick hug while my brain was racing through past history trying to reacquaint myself. During all of this, my innocent husband, the bystander, apparently exclaimed in mid-sentence the first thing that came to his mind when his wife exclaims in disbelief and hugs the first guy she comes to in the gas station... " that's weird!!!" This statement from Sean, as I after discovered sent the "guy with the wad of cash" to whom Sean had been talking racing into the repair half of the shop to tell all of the other guys about Sean's rather shocked response as he couldn't hold himself together. Anyhow, I did get a first name to this post UGA grad and previous friend. His name was Terry! We weren't great friends all throughout my undergrad but mostly during my last semester at UGA, and I have not seen him in over 5 or 6 yrs. Yikes! Even then, I would only call us good acquaintances... and then to see him in some random gas station at which most people wouldn't choose to go in WV???
Too odd! (Hey Jen... I know that you knew the guy to! I think he played a wind instrument and was getting his masters at the point I was getting my undergrad... he may have even been the orchestra manager at one point... Just can't remember a last name or anything. Anyhow, Terry had just finished his PhD and was head to Indy to teach... let me know if you come up with anything)

Well, that's it. I am headed bed!!!

Newest Addition in the Family

2008-08-14T11:31:00.001-04:00

Well, as some or most of you know, my sister Jeannette was pregnant with her fifth. We have been very excited for her as well as concerned for both her and the baby due to Jeannette's health concerns. However, I am pleased to announce after some rather nerve-racking events (inducement, emergency c-section, etc.)Mr. Samuel Rutherford McCurley and Mommy are doing fine! He was a little tike compared the the usual McCurley babies but appears to be quite healthy. I do not have his measurements, but he was about 6 lbs. 8 oz. So far, he is just sleeping and enjoying not having the usual cone head and blotchy face. :) Thank you all for your prayers during this time!!!

Lovely Carrier!!!

2008-08-13T09:44:00.000-04:00

You guys just have to check this carrier out if you have not already done so via Kelley's website. I just loved the color schemes available as well as the certain attributes specific to this carrier: waist support, color schemes, back or front wearing,and especially, the ability to pass the baby without completely taking the baby out of the apparatus!!!

http://www.alongfortheride.biz/Win-a-Free-Beco-Butterfly-and-
-Beco-Toy-Carrier-s/49.htm

Thank you Kelley for sharing!!! I will most definitely keep my eyes open in regard to this possibility for another child or... We'll see!

Charis' Newest Antics.. first time ever!

2008-07-26T11:04:00.000-04:00

Funny Motherly Instincts!

2008-07-21T09:55:00.000-04:00

Ok... So this will be brief, but it is a situation that Sean and I found quite amusing, despite the fact that I woke him from a sound sleep. If it had been a reverse role... Yikes! He probably would have had a bloody nose, or at least be hurting somewhere still. Anyhow, due to traveling and messing Charis' sleeping schedule up, my Sunday morning began quite early, and Charis decided that she had to eat much more often and sooner than normal. After her second feeding at only 7:30 am, I decided to go back to bed. I wake up suddenly to see/feel something rolling, from my perspective "off" the bed, and I lurched rather urgently to grab (to Sean's chagrin) and keep Sean from rolling over in his sleep. Of course, the last thing I remember was feeding Charis, and I awoke quickly thinking that it was her who had fallen asleep beside me and that she was about to land on the floor. Sean, thankfully, responded with only, "What are you doing???" There were no other repercussions, surprisingly. I, of course, got into a giggling fit and could not stop for some time. BUT... to end this story, Charis was safely in her bed downstairs, and I was able to sleep for a bit longer. :) Has this happened to anyone else?

Happy Birthday to...

2008-07-12T11:29:00.000-04:00

We recently took a trip over to my brother's home to enjoy some family time as well as celebrate their oldest daughter's birthday. Sean had to stay at home and work, but the rest of us had a good time anyway. Here are just a few, and I mean a few, of the many, many pictures taken... Enjoy!

I just couldn't get over their wild roses outside!

What is a party without presents!

Grammy fixing the birthday girl's hair!

Just thought I would have some fun with some
different angles: looking into the mirror, through
the presents and...

Ren picked some flowers for the center piece! Did someone mention Dora???

With all of the rest of us working, Lauren thought that she might just kick back for all of us combined! :)

Presents, paper, smiles, and CAKE!

Last but not least... the smallest member preparing for bed from her hard day's labor by taking a nice warm bath! Can anyone guess with that loving, happy little face at whom Lauren might be looking?

Family Fun

2008-06-28T15:18:00.001-04:00

Well, I have not much to say yet again. However, I thought that I would just share with you these impromptu poses of our little family. We were having fun and appreciated having my sister, Martha, here to snap some shots. So Enjoy!...

Having a good time!

A little more serious!

Goofing around but still... this was the only photo that Charis actually looked at the camera.

Beware of the hair pulling baby!

Notice the beautiful color scheme of greens and blues... OK so, I should have cleaned up a bit first. Sorry! AND whoever thought of calling it bath tissue. Why not just good old toilet paper? Because that is what it is. Of course, bath tissue does sound a bit more stately and refined. However, I am sorry, but the purpose for which bath tissue is used is certainly not... I will say no more. Just one more thing... Perhaps, the name generates from the fact that is just a generic brand??? :)

So, who does Charis look like?

Movies !!!

2008-06-27T17:41:00.001-04:00

I do not have much to write as not much has happened here. However, I did want to mention to all of you moms or aunts or... out there that the Baby Einstein videos are amazing. Well, at least the particular one I have is quite worth while. I do not appreciate the attempt to teach different languages at such an early age, however, the musicality and brain activities they do employ seem to be perfect for Charis and those other babies or young children around her age. Charis sings, laughs, claps, waves, and interacts with every scene that comes up. Of course, she does seem to have her favorite puppets that engage her interest more than others. Anyhow, I thought I would just mention the movies to those who might be interested. Does anyone else have any favorites? I am really not into the merely "silly" things that contain no means of education, or even worse, emphasize behaviors or beliefs to which I do not hold.

Bath Time

2008-06-05T19:33:00.000-04:00

My Dear Charis finally received her first bath since we arrived in MI. We have just been sticking to showers, but today (with all of this extra time on my hands :), we dug out her old bath tub and had a good old time! Charis was a little hesitant and instantly wanted to be picked up when I first put her in, but she quickly decided splashing wasn't too bad. Despite the pools of water everywhere which were caused by her recently acquired ability to scoot around on her backside -- honestly, she sort of sings and "dances" in such a bouncy, sitting manner that she moves! This caused quite a few near calamities and ruined our soapy, bubble head shot, but here are some of the rest that were not upset. Prepare for the photo onslaught! I was not very decisive. :)

Bath time might be fun after all!

WATER!!!

Hey can I get some more water in my cup?

Wow! This wash cloth is difficult to handle!

Shown to the right is the art of scooting on one's backside!

Time to towel off while looking cute!

Hey I could stand a little coverage, Mum!

Adults, Dogs, and Babies

2008-06-02T10:34:00.000-04:00

So, I could post a few posts or just one and cover the desired info. So, I will choose the lazy route. Before the pics though, I just thought that I would share some tearfully happy news. I am now officially done teaching in Dayton!!! I will miss my students dreadfully, but I am so glad to be done with that long, weekly trip to and from OH. I will also miss the time spent with some friends of mine who were so incredibly gracious and continually opened there home to me 3 days out of the week, every week! Wow!

I am currently contemplating what avenue to travel next, musically speaking. There are two areas of interest: an artists diploma at Univ. of MI or auditioning for the Detroit SO. I believe that I will pursue the latter as the audition dates are the end of July. Whether or not I get in... Well, I am just not sure about the required time if I get in and then there are issues with my refusal to work on the Sabbath. So, I am fairly positive if God wants me there, that it will be very clear with so many doors that must be opened. In the mean time, I am not holding my breath and would be shocked if I actually made it to the second round. Primarily, I just want to make sure that my music will not intrude on the necessary time I spend with Charis. Our situation is somewhat different from most, however, as Sean works from home and has very flexible hours. So... all in good time!

Well, here are the pictures... Enjoy!

My favorite and most recent picture of Charis

Serious photo time over... time to play!!!

OK... guys control the baby!

(For those concerned mothers... I did wash her hands. :)

Just resting...

What a look of adoration!

I am rather bummed that there are not more pictures of the time spent with my brother and his family, especially of their newest... Lauren as she is such sweet, petite, tiny little thing... but... She must have been sleeping during photo time. As for the rest of us, we had just gotten up, and well, just use your imagination! :)

Speaking of imagination... Meghan thought it might be a good idea to use my potpourri for a "doggy tail." Cute huh? (Actually, I think it might have been her Daddy's idea!)

Have a GREAT day!!!

Sunsets and Travels

2008-05-19T15:00:00.000-04:00

Well, I have been quite busy of late. I know that I am not as busy as those of you who have more than one child, but still... I cannot wait for the time two weeks from now when I will no longer be traveling to and from OH. It is not that I don't like being there, but the 8-hour round trip is becoming so tedious. I do love teaching those students in OH, though, and will be much saddened at the thought of leaving them.

I want to share a story which might inspire some of you not to follow my example. I had just finished a full day of work on Saturday and was just starting my drive home when I decided to stop at my favorite and cheapest place for gas. Charis was sleeping, and as I was staying with the car and not going in I thought I would just leave her be. This would have been fine except that after pumping the gas, I decided to place my keys on the seat in the car while washing the window. I did have a small inner voice that said, "This may not be a wise thing as your car likes to lock randomly." However, I continued blindly ahead thinking that all of the doors were unlocked and surely... As I placed the washer in its assigned location after finishing a 30 sec. ordeal, the car locked right before I reached for the door handle. 45 minutes later along with a soaking wet baby due to tears and perspiration, the locksmith finally arrived and opened the doors. I felt sooooo horrible!!! Two things learned... Do not trust your car to behave in a rational manner, and listen to that inner urge. :) Thankfully, it was not an overly warm day, and other than hurt feelings because "Mummy" would not pick her up, Charis is fine.

Side note: I am not entirely sure that babies should not get somewhat of a choice in the whole birthing matter. Some parents... :)

I was somewhat soothed by the following sunset that urged me to the side of the road:

How can one wonder if there is a God when they see such a glorious creation! Every time it is different and every time just as marvelous and enjoyable.

Wonders of Creation

2008-05-14T09:59:00.000-04:00

Well, I have been a rather negligent "poster" as of recent. However, I was looking back at slightly older photos seeing what events I forgot to mention and these photos in particular stood out to me. For those of you who do not like reptiles (can you tell which sex took the majority of photos?... although I actually really do like reptiles, just not spiders!), there are a few pics of other types of animals and one human! Enjoy!

Charis really just appreciated the human variety found roaming the zoo!

I just love the various colors of green

throughout this post! I love spring!

Ok... So, no wonder I am gaining weight from eating lettuce. I always had a sneaky suspicion that one couldn't stay thin from eating the stuff! Just look at the reptile to the left below! My suspicions are confirmed!

The healthiest turtle's salad actually looks better than my fare at times. :)

A lesson to mother's everywhere! Watch how this mother croc watches her young. Ain't nobody messin with her youngsters!!!

Almost 7 months!

2008-05-07T09:04:00.000-04:00

I cannot believe how time flies. I am immensely enjoying watching Charis grow but then I have to remind myself that this also means I am doing the same, not exactly growing (hopefully) but getting older. Everyone I meet tells me to treasure these days. There are always words of advice about how it gets more difficult,... the terrible two's, the terrible three's, etc. How is it that that "terrible" list seems to keep getting longer!?! I, however, am looking forward to these ages. With careful, biblical training these ages only become more fun and interesting because one's child is now able to understand and respond in a loving manner. Anyhow, enough of my soap box speech! :) I just wanted to in this post tell you a little bit about my ever-maturing daughter.

1) Charis just started to roll from back to front, something that she has done in her sleep which wakes her up, but never on the floor while awake. She has yet to discover that this is a form of mobilization. I assumed that rolling would be a relatively easy task for her since she rolled to her side consistently to sleep since day one. She has been rolling from her belly to her back since she was 6 weeks old.

2) The only direction that Charis seems to be able to move is either by pivoting around on her belly or by pushing with her arms back. Since backwards is never the direction she intends to move, she merely becomes very upset and insists that she must be picked up.

3) Charis has been sitting for about 3 weeks though still falls over occasionally. She has learned to tuck her head while also squeezing her eyes almost closed waiting for the inevitable bump on the head.

4) She has been eating little bits here and there and seems to love about anything we give her. As far as daily eating... I still have not been too scheduled with this because she only seems to demand food when watching us eat. While becoming very vocal if her wishes are not granted, Charis rarely seems to want food at other times. She gets a small portion of bananas and rice cereal every night, and I attempted to start butternut squash, but... She actually seems to like foods with a stronger taste.

5) She has learned to love her daddy after some early on issues (at about 3 wks.) of being quite upset when he took her. Last night, Charis actually cried whenever he left the room.

6) Charis is quite the well-traveled baby. She goes back and forth with me from OH to MI weekly and enjoys watching me teach to a certain extent. She does get upset if the student does not sound good or if the music is minor or too dramatic. She prefers the happy, upbeat variety of music. Though she does well with most people, unfortunately, she has taken a distinct dislike to one of the fathers who at times accompanies his daughter to lessons. Thankfully, he is not usually able to stay in lessons. I say this not because he is not nice, for he is a very kind, gentle man, but because Charis now screams every time she sees him. She smiled and "waved" at him when
he first came until the point when he went to touch her. From that point on, she now refuses to even look at him, and last time, she actually hid her face on my shoulder while sobbing, though eventually calmed enough to peak back around to see if he was still there. When she realized that he was, she burst into genuine tears again. This process repeated itself numerous times.

8) Thankfully, Charis has become quite the easy baby at bedtime. We have no set ritual other than I pray with her at night. However, I made a point of putting her to bed whenever she became fussy sometime back, and she now goes down without a peep as long as she has her pacifier and her bear. What a blessing! There are the moments when she cries or needs to be soothed while in her bed, but otherwise, if I hang around at all after I put her down, she just looks at me as if to say, "Why are you still here?"

9) Charis has said different words repeatedly at different points. Right now, her only words are "da-da," "nu-nu" (which means tired or hungry), and sometimes, "ma-ma." She did say "hello, hi, and woof." She recognizes certain things and will actually look around for them if you mention them -- clock, fan, light, dog, etc.

10) Charis' new favorite "games" besides reading or chewing on her books is having Daddy chase her or kissing herself in the mirror. She does occasionally see fit to give others kisses too, but she without fail always leans forward to give herself a peck. :)

Finally, there is not much more to say! I am sure that all of you, whether having watched your own children in time past, whether watching friends' or relatives' children at present, or if you have your own, can appreciate the little things babies/children do, that bring such joy to others around them. What lessons we all can learn from such small, dependent happy children!

Fun in the Sun

2008-04-22T21:55:00.000-04:00

I was down in KY and TN recently and enjoyed the chance to see Rachel and her family again! We had a lovely day just sitting outside and enjoying the sun, cool breeze, and... Below are some pics of the fam -- mostly just the babies and Rachel. I couldn't pass posting the cousin pics though as the colors turned out so vivid and cheery!

Luke loves the outdoors but not the grass, hence the right elbow being held as high above the grass as possible. :)

Aunty Rachel and youngsters (I did mention it was breezy didn't I? Of course Luke and Charis seem to have somewhat of a benefit from such short hair styles... not a hair out of place.)

Aren't they a beautiful/handsome pair?

Come on Luke, Charis isn't that heavy.... or maybe it is the toes!?! Sort of hard to have a picture taken with some one's toes in your face!

The smallest of the cousins enjoying their time together.

Juicy Tidbits!?!

2008-04-15T19:56:00.000-04:00

So... here it goes. I have been tagged and will attempt to conjure up something halfway interesting! Try to Enjoy! :)

Here are the rules:
1. Link your tagger and list these rules on your blog.
2. Share 7 facts about yourself on your blog, some random, some weird.
3. Tag 7 people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their blogs.
4. Let them know they are tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

Here are the 7 weird and/or random or not so weird or not so random facts about me:

1) I have the ability to cut a deck of cards into almost perfect halves. If I miss, it is only by one card. I have also managed (and I only tried it once) to split two decks into three equal parts during a game that required such a task.

2) Along the same lines as comment number one: It has seemed that I have been able to foretell the future at times. Here are two examples:

A. When I was a teenager, I went over to visit my friend, Rebecca, who at the time had a pet gerbil. I happened to mention that I thought it would have been dead by that time as it was getting advanced in gerbil years. Rebecca called me the following day to say that her gerbil was dead! I am still sorry, Rebecca!!! The power of persuasion! :)

B. I was playing Scrabble with Sean just yesterday when we were deciding the order of players by drawing out of the bag a letter. I happened to remark how amusing it would be if I pulled out the letter "z". For those of you who do not know there is only one "z" while there are multiples of almost every other letter. Guess what??? I after shaking the bag and waving my hand around in it before pulling out a block, pulled out the letter, "z".

3) I have do not own and have never let Charis sit any any kind of walker, chair, etc. that would encourage walking prematurely due to my pediatrician's advice, except on two separate occasions when at my sister's house. Apparently, my ped believes that such devices are the reasons for joint problems... I have not made up my mind, but it has definitely saved us money!

4) I have never permed or colored my hair, ever! Dear me!

5) For the first time in my life when I was pregnant with Charis... I ordered fries!!! They were quite yummy.

6) I jog/run and have since I was 16 years old, and I can say that I have not enjoyed one single step.

7) My tongue actually quivers when I am tired and somehow this relaxes me in turn allowing me to go to sleep at night. This random body function is actually what caused my bad under-bite when younger. Thus, I ended up getting a retainer which, though the doctor probably never knew and thought his own inventions worked, ended fixing my bite only because it kept my tongue from pulsating against the back of my lower teeth. (At the time, however, I was not aware of my tongue's abilities (age 7) and only knew that I was not able to sleep with my retainer in... Thus, I attempted to throw it away at every occasion, which ended in my mom and older sister digging through the garbage bin outside of Wendy's. YUCK!)

~The END~

I will not tag anyone else as all of my friends via blogsites as they have already been tagged!

Amusing?

2008-04-02T10:31:00.001-04:00

This will be brief, but I thought that I would just mention that I have a biter on my hands, not just once, but many times over. I have heard that the first time usually so shocks the mother that they scream which in turn scares the "beegeebers" (OK... so maybe it is not a word!) out of the baby, and "bingo" all biting is thereafter terminated. This, however, does not seem to be the case with us. While vacuums, sneezing, sudden noises, sad music, and mommy's refusal to allow her hand to become completely numb while attempting to pacify a baby who loves holding my hand while I am driving and she is in the back seat (Wow! I almost beat out some of the Puritan's extended phrases :), my sudden screams seem not to phase Charis. I even tried flicking her lightly on the cheek and saying firmly, " NO, Charis; do not bite." While I waited in suspense worried that I had caused my precious little girl too much pain, she looks at me with one eyebrow cocked and then... smiles! Dear me! I am out of ideas.

Anyhow, enjoy the pictures of my little, ever-growing girl and have a wonderful day!!!

Yes, Charis thinks that this is a silly outfit too.

"Hey mum, wait a sec. I don't have any clothes on."

One more photo...

Confused

2008-03-18T09:26:00.000-04:00

I am not sure exactly how to fix things... Not that Charis was ever the queen of relaxed, quiet feedings, however, now feeding seems to be more complicated than ever. She fusses before I feed her unless I am already "prepared" prior to her even thinking about eating. She fusses and kicks during her feeding and after usually. There are happy times when she does finish contentedly, but... I can't tell whether or not she is just teething or actually hungry. I am just hoping that my milk supply is OK. I feel that I am keeping diligent about not doing and doing those things suggested!?! I would appreciate any helpful hints or bits of wisdom from those moms who might have or are experiencing similar situations!!! Should I just begin Charis on cereal??? She is 5 months and 1 week, AND she grabs at everything we eat. (She has even pitched a small tantrum when we didn't give her some.)

Of course, the whole problem could be because my little girl is very opinionated, it seems, about everything. I am surprised she has not yet intimated her feelings about the outfits I put on her! :)

Snow Day!!!

2008-03-10T10:14:00.000-04:00

I can't believe how time flies. My dear little girl is already 5 months!!! So, I thought that I might just post some more pictures. I do know that I also promised some pics of the home to those folks in GA and elsewhere who requested that I do so, but please understand that we have not been here very long. I wouldn't want to embarrass myself too much with the disarray. It is difficult attempting to put things together when I have only been present less than half of the time since we moved to MI. So, at present you must be content with the outdoor shots... :) Enjoy!

Mummy's Favorite!

The Many Faces of Charis

Posing with Daddy

My Dear Little Snow Angel

Posing With Mummy

P.S. Many thanks to Grandma who allowed this snow day to be possible! :)

Curse or Blessing!

2008-02-26T23:34:00.000-05:00

I have realized that certain acquired abilities are not so wonderful in time... such as: perfect relative pitch, strength, etc. I do bewail, yet also thank God, for all with which He has blessed me. However, I was thinking how much nicer it would be if I simply was not strong enough to lift sofas, tables, love seats, etc. My body feels like someone used it as a punching bag, bike ramp, or... I am not certain. However, I am grateful because we simply did not have the "man" power and thus had to improvise (side note: who needs a stair-stepper when they have three flights of stairs and lots of boxes and heavy furniture... woohoo, perhaps I will patent this idea???). We will be officially moved into our house as of tomorrow. I will have to come back and do some cleaning later in the week, but this will not be too much of a hassle as I will have to travel to work on Thurs, Fri, and Sat at least for the month of March. Some friends of ours are being very gracious and allowing Charis and I to "crash" there two nights a week!!! The main object of my prayers at this moment are that Charis would please sleep for a whole night. She has had a bit of a nasty cold and has allowed Mommy to sleep only about 7 hrs in the last two nights, if that. :( Oh yes, and the weather here is not exactly suitable for moving at the moment. So, please also keep in your prayers our safety as we transport belongings across slick surfaces and drive in not so wonderful conditions. Thank you all, once again, for listening to my chatter!!!

Home Sweet Home!!!

2008-02-18T17:26:00.000-05:00

After living in an apartment for what seems likes years, Sean, Charis, and I are so excited to finally live in a location with a large yard, large kitchen, .... Well, everything seems large comparatively. :) Anyhow, we drove by today just before leaving MI and took some snap shots of the outside as we do not have a key for the indoors yet. The indoor shots will be sure to come, depending on how long it takes me to unpack!

Our Front Yard

We are on a main road, but these rather beautiful trees serve as a great barrier!

Our Cozy Home!

Play yard and ready made dog pen!!!

The Large Back Yard

News!

2008-02-14T15:46:00.001-05:00

Dear All,

I cannot believe how time flies. Charis is almost four months old! I guess that is my new way of measuring time around here as most of my time is centered on our sweet little girl. Anyhow, I thought that I might give a brief update on what is happening here in Dayton, OH. I currently teach Tuesday from 2:30 -- 9, Thursday from 4-9, and Saturday from 10-4. Every other week or at least once a month I have been traveling to Indy, IN to teach some college level students -- not the easiest task when caring for a baby!!! As Sean has accepted the invitation to pastor a small church plant outside of Detroit, MI (don't worry Canton it is one of the top 20 safest cities), we also travel there Sunday morning and don't arrive home until sometime Monday evening. Sean and I are both currently using our Mondays to locate work, hand out resumes, meet with perspective employers, and in the past, look for housing. We just located a remarkable home, sitting on a one acre lot for a very reasonable price!!! We are so excited, and I am SICK of living in an apartment between school and marriage. God has really blessed in answering prayer in this area, and we are confident He will also provide financially upon our arrival if not in the next couple of weeks before the move!

Thus, I do ask for all of your prayers with such a busy schedule only to become more so with moving and tying up any loose ends here in dayton. I just realized today how soon we are actually moving. Next week I have my regular teaching plus rehearsals from 7-10 every night along with a trip to Indy on Wednesday. The following week we plan to attempt to move most of our belongings mid-week. Yikes!!! Oh yeah... one does have to put things in boxes at some point, right??? :)

Well, I do hope all is well with all of you. Thank you for posting all of the juicy tidbits on your lives. I appreciate it more than you know!!!

Love in Christ,

Katie

Question or... Wondering...

2008-02-08T09:33:00.000-05:00

Hmmm... So last night I awoke horrifically over-heated and shaking. I don't remember a bad dream, but I do remember those times right after having Charis where I awoke quite warm. Last night I actually had to get something to eat and cool down. Btw I always wear light clothing, turn off the heat at night (it gets down into the early 20's and or teens), and only have one cover on the bed. So, I am not sure what happened last night but pray that it will not happen again. Any thoughts from those who have had children? Is this common? Just thought I would share and ask! Thanks for contemplating! :)

Photo Shoot!

2008-02-04T18:49:00.001-05:00

Ok, so, I am just a little proud of my little girl despite certain aspects of babyhood. She is definitely strong willed and not exactly quiet about her likes and dislikes. She in fact can be quite defiant, and at this age... well, there is not too much to be done other than not to "hop to" her every desire. We decided to take more pictures of her, and here is the product:

Charis desires to post a disclamer stating that these hats were not her idea!!!

"Phew! They finally took those awful things off!" (Honestly, Charis really seems not to like hats unless it is her fuzzy, pink hat that feels exactly like her blanket, even then...)

"Come on guys!"

Just one more pose! Sorry it is a bit grainy.

Family Time

2008-01-31T09:47:00.000-05:00

I have been quite delinquent in posting these pictures -- Sean, Charis, and I went down twice to GA for various reasons. We had a lovely time, and after each visit I was that much less enthusiastic about returning north, but it seems that God's will is for us to be living even further north as we will be shortly preparing for a move towards the suburbs of Detroit, MI at the end of February. Thankfully, it will put us quite close to my brother and his family but further away from everyone else. :*( Nevertheless, I am grateful for God's leading and am learning to be content within His will for me. What a blessing it will be finally to have a supportive and loving church home despite other geographical disappointments!!! ~~~ Please enjoy in no particular order:

"These toys are so heavy. How do you release again?"

How sweet!

Aunt Martha and Lukey's favorite gift -- wrapping paper!!!

Family Portrait Time -- Just "Gardners"

McCurley Family

Everyone!!!

Waiting sweetly for everyone to get in their places!

Charis and Grandaddy playing after her baptism.

Australian?... no!

2008-01-21T19:41:00.000-05:00

My dear husband recently drove Charis to work in order for me attend to her desires during my scheduled break. He commented that it was most odd, but he actually had to honk at a long line of cars who just ran the red light. Sean mentioned that he pulled forward to go assuming that they would get the idea and then decided to honk before weaving in between two of the slowly moving vehicles. I laughed for quite a while once I figured out at whom he was honking, but felt also a little bit horrible! Can anyone figure out why?

Ever Growing!

2008-01-07T22:50:00.000-05:00

My dearest little girl is getting soooo big. OK, I do know that this might seem somewhat amusing to those of you whose children are much larger, but to me, Charis seems to be maturing by leaps and bounds. She loves to play with Daddy, and her eyes light up especially when he sings her the "ABC" song. AND mommy, well, I am her food source, what can I say.

So, posted below are some pictures of Charis. Enjoy!

Bathing time and... Fun facts!

2007-12-19T11:02:00.000-05:00

Well, It is difficult to choose out the photos we have been taking, but I decided to post a few during her bath time which I find pretty cute, though Sean wasn't as taken with them. :) We will let you decide!

I think that I might have surprised her on this one...

I had to be somewhat amused though the below picture does not do her justice, but Charis really LOVES to have something in her mouth to suck on at almost all times. She started to fuss while "sleeping" in her swing. I assumed it was because she had lost her pacifier. However, by the time I reached her to amend the situation, I found her furiously sucking away at the end of it. I found it even more amusing because it was pulling at the side of her mouth like one of those dentist tools they use to keep your mouth open during cleaning...

To complete this post, I thought I would give some details about Charis (and ME) that you might find somewhat funny.

1) I cannot seem to spell her name on these posts. It always comes out as: "Chairs."

2) Charis likes to sleep with me, even if she is the only one sleeping... The antics that keep me awake: punching me in the eye (which actually was slightly painful), pulling my nose, kicking me in the stomach repeatedly, etc.

3) I was sitting, feeding her the other day only to find the process somewhat painful after a period of time. Looking down I found that she wasn't even latched on correctly. Far from it... !!!

She was simply attached to me on the "side" which left a large red mark! :) This was not the only time, as I also found after one nap together, a few red marks on my arm. Charis simply loves to suck on .... well, anything! :)

4) One of her most recent, favorite pastimes is to look at the drawing we have of an Australian coastline on our wall. If I am sitting anywhere near the drawing, she cranes her head at any direction required to stare at it and smiles and talks to it! Hmm...

Reading already???

2007-12-10T13:11:00.000-05:00

Well, we decided to begin Charis early in regard to her theological reading. We sit her behind these books for at least five minutes daily... one never knows what she might take in!?! Right? Just kidding, she did look awfully cute though, and we thought we might share the pictures with you. Sean chose her reading material. :)

This is our favorite!!!

Hmmm....

"I think that this might be a little over my head, Daddy!"

"Woohoo, finally, a concept I can grasp!"

"This Bible seems to be a little heavy!"

Oops... Apparently, Charis has not yet arrived at the portion of Scripture which explains that women cannot be pastors or teachers ... or very little girls for that matter. We will have to enlighten her.

I LOVE My New Bouncer!!!

2007-12-04T17:18:00.001-05:00

Thanksgiving!

2007-11-27T17:36:00.000-05:00

AND.... it is turkey time!!! Doesn't it look fantastic??? Ruth, my brother's mother-in-law was gracious enough to let us all hang out there and eat to our hearts' content on Thanksgiving day! We had a great time eating, playing games, eating desert, playing games, and just hanging out!

What a beautiful turkey! To bad I completely forgot to have some during the actual meal. :) Oops! I got to the end of my ability to place anything else in my mouth and than realized, I FORGOT to have turkey!

Sean enjoyed playing with some one's digital device. Others of us sat around, cooked, opened the much anticipated sparkling, Welch's grape juice....

What a gorgeous spread. Well... it looked better in person. Sorry about my camera skills.

Here we are playing "forgot-the-name". Sean is supposed to be the human tool with which my brother moves arms, legs, etc. in order to get his team mates to guess: changing a diaper. As one might anticipate from the below picture. Sean was not exactly comfortable with the proceedings and did not quite move correctly.

Above, and to the right is Sean's attempt while blindfolded to draw a kilt. His team guessed it. Hurrah!

Having a good time!

The day after Thanksgiving we went back over to Ren's mother-in-law's house and played more games, ate more, and even played some music together. I played a little violin but had more fun attempting to play the piano accompaniment to some cello repertoire. Ren did an awesome job, especially as he had not played since last Thanksgiving!!! Meghan loved it too. She tried to peer in the "f" holes and asked her Daddy," What's in there?" The next cute remark was her surprise at the size of Daddy's "violin." She was even more amazed at my "baby violin!"

Meghan even willingly shared her beloved Pooh sofa with Charis. When we first got to MI, Meghan was so sweet. I had to laugh. She asked me, during a diaper change, if Charis needed to borrow her "bootie cream" so that Charis would not get a "sore bum." :)

And last but not least a couple more baby pictures!!!

Hope you all everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving!!! May God bless.

Rolling?

2007-11-26T12:39:00.000-05:00

I hope all had a wonderful Thanksgiving!!! Here is one picture that I just fell in love with, and the rest will have to wait until later. We had a lovely time up in MI with my brother and his family! What I was most impressed with, though I did not get to see the action is that Charis rolled to her back twice just prior to this picture for Sean. He was going to get me and let me see, but she rolled again for the second time as soon as he put her back on her tummy! :) Oh well, maybe next time we will get footage, and I will get to see her in action.

She is Growing!

2007-11-19T17:09:00.000-05:00

Though Charis does not quite match her cousin Luke in size, I was quite proud of her growth. It is encouraging for a new mom who sometimes worries whether she is sufficiently eating to note that she is growing! I, of course, thought that she was, but it is exciting that the facts validate my own opinions! She is getting to be quite the little woman. Though her smiles are not overly frequent, both Sean and I are able to entice a few from her every day! They are so cute. There are the little smirks and then the wide, open mouth, beaming from ear to ear smiles! How precious!

At birth

~Height: 19 1/2 in
~Weight: 7lbs 6oz (but dropped 5 oz by the following day)
~Head circumference: 12 1/2

At 4 Days

~Height: ?
~Weight: 7lbs 7 oz
~Head circumference: ?

At 1 Month

~Height: 22 inches
~Weight: 10 lbs
~Head circumference: 15

Pictures!

2007-11-16T13:31:00.000-05:00

Well, I have been very busy, but I did promise to post pictures and am now doing so. There will be quite a few as we both have been rather camera happy over the last couple of days! :) Enjoy!

I'm so sleepy

Oh so sleepy...

But now that I am awake... It is time to practice my dance moves!!!

Posing and Smiling

Looking Cute!

I love my Daddy and he loves me!

Time for some more sleep! However, sleep time would not be quite so easy if not for the pacifier and blanket. I did call Charis' beloved blanket "miss chick" blanket due to the cute, fuzzy yellow bird in the center, but then discovered that the "chicken" has webbed feet, as one might notice in the second picture from the top (haha). Hmm... so we now call it her fuzzy blanket. If her blanket touches her face allowing her to snuggle against it, she is out in seconds/minutes.

P.S. "Thank you Mrs. Hurley for the blanket!!!" ~Charis

Family Fun!

2007-11-07T13:28:00.000-05:00

Well, it is that time again... to post more pictures. Thankfully, these pics
are not just of the baby Charis but also a few of her favorite relatives. :) It was so wonderful to have my brother, Ren, and his family along with Rachel and her family. They overlapped their visits by about 3-4 hrs. which made it that much more enjoyable. For those of you whose siblings live quite a distance away, you know how difficult it is to get even a few of you in the same place at the same time, especially when some like Ren and Patrick have such busy schedules! I would have loved to have them all here at the same time, but my little apartment was bulging at the seams with only one family at a time present, especially as the second bedroom is Sean's study and has quite a few books in it. The only disappointment was that Sean was absent almost the entire time due to some Church business! :( Anyhow, enjoy!

What an adorable chunk!! He's huge compared to his cousin Charis. Who ever thought that 12wks. could make such a difference!!

Let's all sit on Sean-time!!!

These boys are all going to make wonderful daddies some day! You should have seen them all with Charis and then their brother. They were rather tickled that Aunt Katie couldn't even get Luke to quiet down.

Aunt Michelle and Charis

Uncle Ren, Meghan and Charis
P.S. Sorry, Sean and Drew! I had some cute pictures of you and the baby but they erased on accident, and I couldn't get them back in the right places! :(

~Birth Story ~

2007-10-29T15:16:00.000-04:00

As some of you have requested a more detailed account of what transpired during Charis' birth, I hope to fill in the blanks with this post, but before that... I have to say that I have learned a few things that I did not know before:

1) I never knew that baby's made sooooo much noise when they sleep. It is as if they decide to keep you awake whether awake or sleeping.

2) I never knew that a baby could manage to use the restroom (to be delicate) in three different directions -- on the wall, the changer, and me.

3) I never knew that breastfed babies gained both weight and height so quickly. Charis was 7lbs. 6oz. at birth, but dropped 5 oz. and is now 8lbs. 9oz. She was 19 1/2 inches at birth and is now 20 3/4 inches.

4) I never knew, but am delightfully surprised, to find that postpartum moms can lose weight so quickly. :)

Now on to the birth story...

Signs that early labor was beginning started on the 8th of October. I really believe that I could have urged my body into active labor, but as I had been advised to sleep if tired, I managed to force myself to sleep and then enjoyed the following day walking at the mall with Sean and resting. The evening of the 9th after having painless contractions all day, contractions became definitely more noticeable. I managed to doze for a couple of hours but then awoke around 2 am, and thought, "finally, this is the real thing!" I used "contraction master" via the internet in order to count the minutes between and the length. Around 6 am I decided that a trip to the hospital was sounding more and more inviting. I woke Sean up, called family members, and then called my doula about quarter to 7 (attempting to allow her as much sleep time as possible! :). She arrived about an hour later, and we then headed to the hospital after contacting the necessary people: doctor, attending nurse, etc.

Upon checking in at the birthing center (one of 9 birthing centers actually attached to a hospital in the States, and we providentially live at the other end of the street...), they took me straight up to the birthing center and even allowed me to choose my favorite room! For some reason, I really did not feel up to decision making and asked which they would suggest.

I wish I could say that I immediately assumed my most comfortable position, but I simply could not find a position remotely comfortable or relieving, as I had been led to believe was possible. :) I think this is what surprised me most about the whole birthing experience. I honestly thought that there would be a position that would somewhat suppress the pain I experienced whether on the birthing ball, sitting in the glider, relaxing in the jacuzzi, etc. This was not to be. The nurse did check me upon arrival (about 9 am), however, and I was already fully effaced and 6-7 cm dilated -- a wonderful answer to my prayers after hearing of other friends who took so long to reach that point. After sitting in the jacuzzi, walking the halls, and then leaning on Sean, I finally thought maybe pushing was the next item on the agenda. I do have to point out that again, despite what I had been told, I did not experience the internal desire to "push." I think those who were assisting simply knew based on my rather emotional responses!!! Two thoughts kept rushing through my head during this final stage... "This is just like one of those horrible rides at a theme park that you want to abort but cannot!!!" And secondly, " I wonder if I just held my breath and passed out if they would be forced to just get this baby out of me!!!" My doula along with Sean and the attending nurse made sure, however, that I did not get the chance to "hold my breath."

I must interpose at this point, how exceedingly gracious and loving our God is to provide such a hospital so wonderfully staffed. I am not certain about my doctor's beliefs but the nurse, my doula, and of course, Sean are believers, and I could not have asked for better support during this time!!! Sean was the one upon whom I leaned, quite literally for about 6 hours, my doula put up with my nonsense and continually massaged and talked me through contractions, and if it had not been for the attending nurse during the last hour, I think I would never have made it. She politely got right in my face and told me exactly how to push and even accompanied this advice with facial expressions. My doctor was the one who kept everything calm, asking that the computer noises be turned off, telling the nurse that she did not have to check me yet again with the fetal, heartbeat monitor (which for some reason was driving me "crazy"), applying hot compresses, telling me when exactly and how much to push, etc. I would drive straight back to this hospital without hesitation in order to have any future baby(ies) with his assistance, if possible! One hour and fifteen minutes later at 12:57 pm, Charis Bobbett Humby made her appearance.

Though I am not the most quiet of birthing moms, apparently, I am quite polite. I asked if I could "please" push a number of times, and even apologized to my doctor for accidentally almost spitting in his face (My aim was true, but he quickly dodged.).

In closure, Sean and I are both so grateful for everyone's prayers, encouragement, and gifts. God has provided for us in every possible way, and we have been richly blessed!!! Much love to all...

~Katie

Pictures, pictures, and pictures...

2007-10-25T11:06:00.001-04:00

While some of you may be tiring of pictures (and no, I have not yet forgotten about the need to post a birthing story for those of you who requested... ), I do not have anything else too exciting to post at present. Also, those many friends of ours who are overseas really enjoy the photo update! So, the rest of you at home and close by will have to endure the photos. Believe me, there are many, many more that I/we are not posting! :)

One, now larger, happy family!!!

"With which hand do I pledge allegiance?"

Growing prettier every day! :) (don't tell mommy
if you do not think so!!! )

"This tongue simply will not do what I tell it to... "

Daddy and I

Last but not least... My mother came in to assist for about a week, and we loved having her here!!! It is so nice to have some extra helping hands who are willing to do whatever is needed!!!

Grandma and Charis just getting back from a "cold" walk.

Update!

2007-10-17T12:00:00.000-04:00

Dear all,

I seem to find myself doing three things primarily and trying many more things that one simply does not think of until having been pregnant, laboring, delivering, etc. :) I won't elaborate on the latter. However, the former three are as follows: feeding Charis, sleeping, and drinking water (or juice at times). The sleeping is definitely not top priority these days! Oh well!

Overall, these new tasks in life are going well. I have to "laugh" at the sin nature that becomes so evident early on. Charis is rather uhm... stubborn! (I can't imagine from whom she learned that!?! :) Feeding time is a battle. Yes, she is hungry, but it has taken almost an hour at times to get her to eat! If I attempt to force the matter, she either becomes quite angry me or melts into a sleeping puddle of baby, instantaneously! There is no awaking her from these sudden fits of "dead to the world" behavior. It is a wonderful example, though, of the need to train children up from the very beginning "in the way that he should go."

Brief prayer request... I was just notified Monday that the small symphony in which I have been playing just lost their concert master. The conductor was hoping that I would be able to audition for the vacant seat. The audition is tomorrow (Thursday) in the evening. My mom is flying in (yeh!!!) shortly after lunch and then will be driving me to the audition while Sean attends a business meeting. Lord willing, she will arrive on time as I am supposed to leave here late afternoon. Needless to say, I am completely unprepared. I found two orchestral excerpts that seemed somewhat familiar and then will perform part of the first movement of an old concerto. I am just praying that God will bless my efforts and display much grace. The conductor is being quite lenient and is willing to assist as timing might be somewhat crucial with Charis, who is not quite on any kind of schedule yet! :) Anyhow, I would really appreciate your prayers!!!

Well, Charis is calling. So, I must run! Have a wonderful day!

PS

2007-10-13T22:04:00.001-04:00

... Here's that last shot in color.

Charis' 3 Day Old Photos

2007-10-13T20:57:00.000-04:00

Hi everyone!

Here are some more photos of me (Charis). This time I'm three days old...

that's right, it's literally my third birthday.

I love my Mommy's kisses... she's so soft and cuddly!

As you can see, I'm not always asleep now. I manage to find a little bit of time to check out what's all around out there in this big world. I find it all pretty fascinating!

This is me in black and white. (Daddy was playing around with the photos a bit).
Well, I might go and have another feed and rest for now. Lord willing I'll show you more of what I've been up to some time soon.

Bye for now.

More photos!!!

2007-10-11T19:15:00.001-04:00

Dear all,

Thank you so much for your support and prayers. Charis' arrival has been a great blessing and testimony of God's goodness, despite the pain and discomfort! :) We wanted to share a few more pictures with you. While you enjoy these, I will attempt to get a birthing story written, although I am not sure it will be as good as yours, Kelley! Again, ENJOY! ...

Woo hoo! I am finally going home!

Sleeping...

Mommy enjoying taking photos...

Sleeping...

Let's see... sleeping again!?!

Snoozing away... Mommy and Daddy both hope this is a developing habit

Mommy is about to try the sleeping thing too... :)

Charis Has Arrived!!!

2007-10-10T17:41:00.000-04:00

Hey guys,

This is Sean just back from the hospital to do a couple of things, including filling in for Katie in posting a new post just to say, that haris was born after about 12 hours of labor at 12:27pm, weighing in at around 7lbs 6oz and 19.5" long. Mother and baby are doing well (I'm sure Katie can tell you a little more about it when she gets the chance.) We're both so thankful for the Lord's abundant mercies!!! Psalm 127:3 Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward.

Anyhow, we've already had a request from Rachel for photos, so if I can work out what to do I'll put some up. Charis has a couple of red spots on her eyelid and face, but only temporary.

Sorry about the layout, but these photos just won't go where I intend to put them!

Odds and Ends ...

2007-10-08T19:24:00.001-04:00

Well, I decided to post, as previously requested quite a while ago, some pictures of random baby items. This task also supplied me with the energy to do some cleaning. The most exciting area of cleaning I have accomplished thus far in my pregnancy was the task of borrowing a friend's carpet cleaner and cleaning our apartment's carpet. I know that there was a supposed professional brought in prior to our arrival almost two years ago, but... If there was a way to wrinkle one's nose in horror and disgust, I would most certainly be expressing my distaste at how horribly dirty our carpet turned out to be. Apparently, daily to every-other-daily vacuuming does NOT solve the problem. Wood floors are sounding more and more appealing! Anyhow, on to the pictures...!!! LOL! I am not sure that you will even see the carpet! Oh well, you can imagine. :) I just finished our bedroom floor about an hour ago. Woohoo!!!

Below is our car seat, granted a very unbecoming picture. I am so happy with the quality!!! I was also excited to receive, without requesting, a snugly, ever-so-soft, Koala Baby-over the top carrier cover. Found above is the "fuzzy" picture to display the last mentioned item, btw.

To the left is our lovely swing, and no, we have not tried it out despite it's alluring sales pitch and ever so enticing rocking system -- cradle or swing. AND below is Charis' bed -- sweet and simple. Yes, I am aware that those cuddly animals in the corner will have to be removed. :(

This beautiful piece of furniture is the changing station. I really like the design and was even happier with the color once seen in real life, not via the internet. It was quite simple to put together and really seems sturdy unlike other dressers at name brand stores!

How Big am I?

2007-10-08T10:15:00.000-04:00

For those of you who so graciously attempted to make my size seem not quite so huge by your kind words, which I really did appreciate... this is a photo taken on the same day just prior to the "holding up my belly" picture. So, what do you think... am I really that big? :D

At Jen's Request... smiling! :)

2007-10-05T17:20:00.000-04:00

A Few Requests...

2007-10-05T13:37:00.000-04:00

Dear Friends and Family,

I just wanted to send out a brief note requesting prayer for my upcoming recital tomorrow. Due to an unusually difficult couple of weeks with my teaching, I have quite a few students who will unfortunately not be performing, despite all of the effort on my part which has been rather depressing for me. I am attempting to be satisfied with God's obvious working in this matter and not allow myself to feel completely worthless (I am know that many of you teach and can empathize... !). Anyhow, I am accompanying on piano as well as performing the 3rd movement of a violin concerto. I am not entirely sure what possessed me to play myself, but I would greatly appreciate your prayers that all will go smoothly. I am getting rather tired at this point and need a sudden burst of ... well something! :)

As always, though I don't say it, thank for listening!!!

Baby Requirements ...

2007-10-01T17:02:00.000-04:00

I thought that I might shed some light on some accessories that are apparently absolutely necessary for the arrival of a baby! :)... at least from a guy's perspective. Here are our newest additions. (It seems like there might be a couple more filters that might be required: a protective lens filter and a "softening" filter to make the photo details less sharp.) Please take notice of the Rode microphone which has the ability to filter out unwanted noises and record clearly the voices/music/baby noises that are wanted from all angles to the camera AND the beautiful 52 mm lens on the front which allows one to zoom in more clearly on the desired image. Together these items create an end result of perfection both audibly and visually!!! :) So, how was that for a sales pitch, especially from one who may not exactly be soooo sold on the product!?! :) Thankfully, we already had the camera!!! (I am not sure that I like Ebay anymore. Shopping online seems to be an extremely dangerous pastime.)

Spell check! :)

2007-09-28T10:39:00.000-04:00

First paragraph... "chance" not "change"!

Third paragraph... "rearing" not "raring"!

SORRY! I am really attempting to do better. Sean gets rather amused/horrified at my
blogging posts at times. :)

Feel free to correct as you see fit in regard to the rest of the post!

Update... and ramblings!

2007-09-28T10:15:00.000-04:00

Well, I missed my change to beat Kelley Collins!!! :( Oh well! No, I am so excited for her that her little one was born. Babies seem to be flying from all corners! It is a wonderful time, and I am so happy for you guys who live close to enjoy each other's little ones and see them grow. For the rest of us... blogging will have to suffice! :(

As everyone knows, I do quite a bit of violin teaching. I believe my private student number is up to about 20 + at the moment. I plan to take only two weeks off from my teaching schedule when the baby is born!?! We shall see how it goes. Since everyone I know seems to be running late according to their birthing date, I have a recital planned for the 6'th and am even "planning" on teaching my students from Indianapolis on the 10'th, granted they are traveling here! Anyhow, I am straying from the topic. I have just now fully realized what a blessing it is for kids to grow up with Christian parents who raise them in a godly manner (I know I am a little slow), after having taught the kids that I am currently instructing. Not that each parent doesn't love their child and strongly desire to bring them up well, but there is a difference between a parent whose goals are Godly development and one who does thing only because that is what is socially best for their child. I was contemplating these thoughts after an unusually rough day yesterday, and thought... What is their goal? Why should the child not throw a tantrum? What end benefit is there? For those of us who know Christ, we can point our covenant children to the Word and teach them that they must in all things glorify God. They can in turn see the love that He displays to us in all things throughout the day. But... what about these other children? It is indeed difficult to minister to them, and I would covet your prayers as I attempt to do so.

Not that I am the one strongly desiring a "ton" of kids :), but it is exciting even more so to me to watch those parents whose kids are well-behaved, thoughtful, polite, obedient, etc. What an encouragement and how it increases my appreciation for those parents of small/large families who have done such a wonderful job of raring godly offspring!!! I can only hope to emulate such examples.

Now on to some photos which were not exactly taken for the enjoyment of the public, I had just gotten back from the gym, my hair is a bit mussed, and ... Well, they speak for themselves, but I can't believe how large I have gotten!!! AND these were taken a few days ago!!! :) Enjoy!

Side -on

Front-on

Who's right!?!

2007-09-11T23:00:00.000-04:00

Well, I went to the gym today despite the internal groanings of discouragement which whispered, "you need to rest; just stay in bed a little longer." Anyhow, I found a few of the comments somewhat amusing. As the weeks of pregnancy have turned to months (which are beginning to feel like years :), the bigger the eyes become of my fellow gym members. So, enjoy from first to last....

1) An acquaintance, Michael, who I usually attempt to hide from, commented that certain work-out machines I employed were just like "pushing" and that I really should just go home. This was after having exercised for a period of 3 min!?! Really! I honestly would have a serious complex by now after all of the times he rolls his eyes at me and tells me how large I have become! :) I just laugh at him. One would think that he has a degree in birthing babies and has had many himself. [You have to get the picture in your head of a big African American, who has had a stroke which causes him to look like he is strutting more than usual, shaved head, and not quite a handle bar mustache!] In no uncertain terms, Michael is confident that I will make my labor that much harder!!!

2) Just after that... a woman tells me how easy all of this exercise will make things... ( I am getting confused!)

3) A guy I don't know who apparently remembers me due to my weekly growth, tells me he gets more and more scared every time I show up in the weight room.

4) The last guy, again who seems to take notice of my size, says, "Noooo, you gotta be kiddin' me. There's no way you've grown that much. What'd you do; blow something up in there? You were small last week and now you are .... well, you must have stuck something in there! "
(Take into consideration the inner-city accent along with the slightly louder, let-the-whole-gym-know tone of voice!)

Anyhow, I was going to get a new photo and post it along with these comments, but didn't get a chance. So, you will never know... perhaps, I am really that much bigger this week!?! :)

Short and Encouraging!

2007-09-10T10:05:00.000-04:00

Sean and I were able to attend an OPC church yesterday evening, and I was blessed to hear a sermon on divorce! Though it covered the ins and outs of divorce and when it is sanctioned, there was one point in particular that really encouraged me!!! The pastor was mentioning that two people who are believers are Biblically required to work things out when presented with an unseemly insurmountable difficulty! Moreover, he mentioned that really any issue that arises is really not just "his" or "her" area in life to fix, but "ours." He addressed the fact that problems do arise and that after marriage they become the other spouse's as well. If we acknowledge our "one-ness" in all things we are then able to look upon them in a much better light! For example, I might always leave my shoes lying around (which drives Sean crazy). He would not approach this as merely MY problem but OUR problem that we together must work out. From this perspective, Sean is then able to think more rationally and even have more patience, knowing that, though I am the one causing the mess under foot, he would not insist on perfection immediately from himself nor would he loose patience with himself... AND he might even see fit to condone a behaviour from himself if conceding that there really were more important things with which to deal! (Now I am sure that do much worse things that annoy him... but, you will just have to be content with this as an example. AND I am doing better... !!! )

Laughs and ... one more question!?!

2007-09-07T22:40:00.000-04:00

Ok... So, I do not know how much you guys enjoy listening to talk show hosts... But, I find
myself listening rather frequently on my way to work as the ride is not really long enough to
absorb any other more edifying choices. Two stories shared today on the Rush program I found quite amusing:

1) It seems that a school located on Madison St. (I don't remember the particulars.) thought it would be cute as well intellectually-wise to name their brand-new public school after our fourth president. Please forgive me for not knowing exactly what grades were covered, but let's just say for the story's sake that is was a middle school... the name was: James A. Madison Middle School. Unfortunately, upon the opening people began to realize that the president did not even have a middle name! :) OOPS! No one seemed to know how the middle initial came to be.

2) There is an Asian elementary school who was interviewing children for pre-school.... There were restrictions placed on the hopeful applicants... any child who desired to be accepted must have a found head/face!!! LOL! (Dear me! I would never pass!!!)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Now for the question, and I will make it short.... For those who have slings, sorry..., what particular kind do you like best. I think that I will attempt to make mine as Rebecca so kindly suggested and gave patterns for... BUT, I cannot even begin to know which one to make: padded, pocketed, etc. There seems to be way too many options, and how would I know which one is best!?!

Requesting Information

2007-09-05T15:55:00.001-04:00

From those of you who have experience or an opinion... Please feel free to post a reply. Sean and I are looking through possible carrying options. We tend to prefer the top example of a sling, but... I wasn't sure if anyone had any preferences or advice. Of course, I am a little reluctant to pay the 56 dollars for the top Maya brand... couldn't one just make one easily enough???

~Doctor's Visit~

2007-09-05T14:33:00.000-04:00

No,... I am not posting pics this time... wonders never cease. However, I was just going to give a brief update on the baby. I got to see the male doctor in my medical care group (who seems sooooo nice and has 8 children of his own!), and he was quite encouraging. I guess, though I feel rather large, I am right on target. My stomach is measuring exactly 35 centimeters to match my 35 week mark as of today (They do measure in centimeters, right? Well, I just measured with a not-so-helpful tape that only does inches, and it is certainly some smaller increment!!! ) He said that "Charis" seems to be right on target. He was even impressed that I actually had gained some weight, even if it was only two pounds! I guess, unknown to me as I had not been paying attention, I had registered exactly the same weight for last three doctor's visits -- which spanned over the last 2+ months. Of course, I think I gained quickly at the beginning. So, I think that this was a good thing not to continue weight gain at the same rate. :) Charis' heart rate was the normal 150-155. So,... all is well, Lord willing!

Last Week!

2007-09-03T10:39:00.000-04:00

I was so excited to arrive home after a very long day of teaching to find that two rather large boxes had arrived from an unexpected source. I dear couple who attended the Free Church conference (the denomination Sean and I are a part of), decided to mail us clothes, diapers, wipes, and other various items. I was shocked by their generosity! Apparently these were just a "few" things since they had not been able to buy girl clothes in the past only having had boys!

I just marvel at the ways in which God sees fit to bless our family. Sean and I really have not been required to purchase anything which has been wonderful considering the state of our bank account! :) Ok... it is not that desperate, but since the church is not going too well here at the moment, we have been relying predominantly/entirely on my income. (My studio size just recently has gone up to 21 students, I think. I am praying all will go smoothly and that I will be able to return to my teaching very quickly after the arrival of the baby!!! )

Anyhow, I simply loved all of the clothes sent to me, and I was just reminded of how we, as God's children, really do not have to worry about anything. He will provide, even when we do not necessarily ask!

One last photo which is not about baby clothes. My nephew, Thomas, decided to accompany his Dad up to a wedding in OH that we all attended last Friday evening. I was teaching when they arrived on Thursday, but enjoyed the time we spent together Friday morning and early afternoon, building castles out of my pathetic attempts to create toys out of board games (Sequence), making cookies with Thomas, and etc. We even took some of our baked goodies to our land lady who was quite impressed by Thomas' abilities. :) (I just think that it is refreshing for people not accustomed to small, well-behaved children to meet them every once in a while. AND definitely a reminder to us moms or soon-to-be-moms of how even the seemingly "little, unrealized tasks" we do every day or even when we sit for other people's children can be a blessing to those around us and may create even an opportunity to share God's plan of redemption and His grace to us!)

Attempts at Furniture Recovering

2007-08-28T21:00:00.000-04:00

Some of you might prefer the fabric as shown in the swatch below, but when one has furniture already in the same room whose primary colors are navy, maroon, and hunter green... the swatch below REALLY doesn't go. It had been bothering me greatly for quite some time. So, this morning I had had enough. I marched off to Walmart (the service was horrible!) and got some plain, navy upholstery fabric and then used some odds and ends fabric my mom had sent up along with the furniture they kindly gave us a few months ago (which served to make the piping). AND... after working all day (well, from 1:30-6:15 straight, finishing right before my students arrived). I am sooo excited with the results. I had absolutely no idea what I was doing nor how the picture in my head would actually look when finished. At least, it now matches the other furniture and does not have to hide under a throw rug anymore!!! :) (This ambiguous "furniture" is an ottoman, I think. I am really not sure what to call it!?! Any suggestions at the proper title?)

I should have taken a before-shot. The entire ottoman was covered in this fabric with a tiny piping of the same colors in place of my rather larger choice for piping.

The finished look... Please forgive the books stacked below. You should have seen our living area before Sean did a quick cleaning!!! The left over books and boxes simply had to be slid under the ottoman until later, and with my back feeling the way it currently does, I simply did not have the energy to pull them out prior to the photo shoot!

2007-08-23T11:22:00.000-04:00

We have really been blessed by a young couple with, now, two beautiful kids who live in the same apartment complex as us. They have faithfully been attending the Bible study we hold weekly and have been such an encouragement spiritually and relationally. Unfortunately :(, they have to move back up to Cleveland at the end of this month, and we will be extremely sorry to see them go!!! So posted below are some pics of them at the last official Bible study.

I love his smile. He bestows it quite often but never quite when you are quiet camera ready!

Chat time after our study!

Ok... So maybe someone wasn't listening too intently, but... that ok! We love him anyhow! Or perhaps... he is just in deep mediation in regard to some thought!

Creation Science Museum

2007-08-15T00:06:00.000-04:00

We had a lovely time with my

sister Martha today visiting the

Creation Science Museum!

I can sympathize with Eve!!!:) as seen below...

The life-like scenes were very well done. I am not sure exactly what the figures were made of but they seemed at times quite life-like!

The beauties of the botanical garden were almost as enjoyable as the museum as we chose a rather crowded day to be touring the facility!

Of course... the beauties of God's creation always far surpass man's attempt to mimic it.

I hope that the brief glimpse of the museum pics was enjoyable to all... Now all of you will have to come up and visit us in Ohio, as there is

now a reason to do so! :)

First Baby Shower!

2007-08-13T10:26:00.000-04:00

Charis just had her first baby shower over the weekend. Quite a few kind friends contributed to the wonderful food, of which only a small sample is shown below, but the majority of thanks must be given to the Frasure family for all of the their hard work. We had a wonderful time opening presents, eating, talking, playing volleyball, pool, and a myriad of other activities.

The theme for the party in case you can not tell is ducks!!!

The most amusing gift was a "work" belt for Sean containing, glasses, ear plugs, coffee (for the many late nights), wipes, pacifier, bottle, rattles, face mask, and a few other items!!! :) We all had quite a laugh. What an inventive idea!

So, I did request quite specifically for not too much pink. I think everyone did a great job!!! I do hope, however, that Charis likes yellow!?!

Speaking of inventive... notice the diapers on the left of the next photo. My friend Carmen put that together to look like a cake. I was really impressed!

And yes,... Some brave soul gave me a hot pink sun dress with embroidery on the bottom. AND, I absolutely love it! It is so cute. Of course, she will have to wait a while... unless she is as big as Luke (Rachel :)!

Lovely Complexion

2007-07-28T13:05:00.000-04:00

I seem to remember speaking with someone about the broken blood vessels in their face after having been ill with the flu (I think it was Rebecca...) Anyhow, I just wanted to show that this seems to be, at least for me, a pretty common experience with a more violent illness. The pictures below actually look better than in real life. And yes, Rebecca, I can now empathize a little bit with your recent family, flu crisis, but at least, I didn't have any little ones to encourage my gag reflex!!! :) I somehow managed within one day to wake up with a severe migraine after which I discovered that I also had the flu on top of that! Thankfully, I am somewhat better today! (For those ladies who have gone through childbirth... Did any of you have this problem? I cannot imagine what I might look like after the upcoming birth!?!)

Who is Bigger Now !?! :)

2007-07-19T12:40:00.000-04:00

Sean thought it would be fun to show off the diference in belly size now that Rachel has lost her baby belly! And... I just have to say that Rachel really looks amazing for just having such a huge baby. This particular shirt just does not show her off properly!

~Cute and Somewhat Amazing~

2007-07-19T11:08:00.000-04:00

Ok... So, I usually do not pass on stories unless I can verify their authenticity... However, this one does seem to come from a reliable source; thus, let us begin.

I was on a massage table attempting to receive some relief from a rather, terribly strained back muscle when the therapist announced that she had a funny story to recount, and that I would be
wise to learn from the event as I will have a child of my own with which to deal in the near future, DV. (by the way... I now can empathize 100% with those who use the phrase, "I put my back out." I simply could not understand prior to my own sufferings how one could do seemingly nothing injurious and then be flat on their back for days on end, finding that a trip to the bathroom was almost more than endurable.) Apparently, a close relative decided to take a trip to the Newport aquarium deeming their young son (5 or 6 yrs.) old enough to appreciate the animal life and etc. While in a viewing room for sharks and penguins (the exhibits being adjacent to one another), the relative/mother suddenly realized that her young son was nowhere to be found. She and her husband frantically scoured the area to no avail. Finally, when the whole aquarium had been locked down for 45 min. and the police were basically on their way, the little boy came ambling up with his hands in his pockets. The mother and father attempted to question the boy, but he refused to speak, would only look at the floor, and kept his little jacket zipped firmly up not wanting even to be touched. The parents eventually took him home promising to call the aquarium and authorities if the little boy revealed any further information once home. As soon as they got in the door (after the hour long trip home), the boy rushed upstairs, raced to the bathroom, and slammed the door. The parents then heard the shower turn on. At this point, the mother went rather frantic telling the father to break the door down as her little boy must have been molested and now felt dirty, which was why he was attempting to take a shower by himself. I am not sure exactly how the door was opened, but the parents were able to get in somehow to find their young son in the bath playing rather happily with his baby penguin! :) I can't remember exactly how the little boy explained himself, but it was something to the effect of look mommy, now I have a baby like in Happy Feet -- for those of you who have seen this film. Unfortunately for the little boy, "his baby" had to be returned to the aquarium instantly.

So... the moral of the story. Check your child carefully for any "accidentally" acquired items before leaving an aquarium, zoo, or other establishment of interest to your child. AND of course, keep your eye on them at all times!!!

Trip to KY!

2007-07-19T11:01:00.000-04:00

I just had to show off a pic of my new nephew! He is soooo sweet, and he already smiles when you make eye contact with him! Honestly, it is not in reference to air bubbles or while sleeping as do most infants. He will respond repeatedly smiling again and again (well, at least with mommy! :)

Bragging rights!

2007-07-11T19:41:00.000-04:00

Ok, I do know that every one's husbands, wives, or friends as it

may apply are thoughtful!!! However, Sean and I had both chosen a particular style of stroller and car seat along with the color scheme I desired. (Now for those of you who are pink addicts and wonder how I can put a little girl in this seat... back off! :) I was especially desirous of this exact travel system as it could, in my humble opinion, suit either a

boy or a girl. Now we are definitely planning on this baby being of the female sex, but... after all of the mistaken identity stories I have heard, one must not rely completely on the absolute accuracy of the ultrasound pics. Anyhow... I took too long to decide whether to purchase a new system, as I had been offered a used stroller and car seat, and then when deciding to go ahead and buy this Graco system anyhow, discovered that the discount as well as color was "indefinitely" out of stock. Well, Sean went on line, when I was at work, and managed to find another store which offered this particular pattern/color and ordered it for me!!! I am soooo excited!!! He was going to attempt to keep his purchase a secret, but I caught him coming out of his study with a rather "guilty" looking expression and his wallet. :) So... sorry for the lengthy story, but I just had to share.

Work, work, work!

2007-07-11T19:15:00.000-04:00

I had hoped to drop by my Rachel's house and see their new addition as well as see my Dad, Mom, and Martha (my youngest sister) who are up visiting and assisting. However, I did not quite think of it soon enough, and though we could turn the drive down into a day trip... almost 8 hrs. of driving is better done when one leaves before 2 pm.

So,... we did some rearranging of books, bookshelf, office space, etc. Where does all of the trash come from??? Does anyone else have that problem. No matter how often "spring cleaning" occurs, there is always more garbage! I was excited that I discovered two corners in my dining area that had become stacked with excess boxes, unpacked dishes (yes,... I know... but they were Christmas gifts, and I honestly am a wee bit concerned that my ever-so-lovely and "well-built" cabinets may not be able to handle the weight), and other odds and ends.

Along with this update... I thought that I might enclose a photo of our dog, Aussie. Though he is looking excited enough because we mentioned the words "go out" and "treats," he seems to really despise my cleaning frenzies and looks as pathetic as possible.

One just has to love his under bite. Poor dog! Hence, the crooked row of bottom teeth protruding!

God's Creation

2007-07-07T23:46:00.001-04:00

I just had to share these pics with you guys. No matter how often I look at the sky, I just can't get over the variation, colors, cloud formations, and etc. There is always something different and unique. How can one question the glory, power,
and divine nature of our God!?! How truly blessed we are!!!

I know that these pics are similar, but I just couldn't decide which one I preferred. So... please enjoy both of them. They are both just snapshots from our apartment balcony.

Ramblings yet again!

2007-07-06T14:26:00.000-04:00

Well, I have nothing to say of any consequence, no pictures to share, or funny stories... BUT, we had a wonderful 4th of July celebration to which we completely forgot to take our camera. So,.. until next year! The fireworks were amazing, and I have never experienced such a grand finale. I had to wonder if it was good for Charis (baby-to-be) as my entire body felt as if it were vibrating at the end. My chest area and lungs actually felt like they were rattling! :) Rather odd sensation...

In regard to Charis... I just had a check-up today unexpectedly as there were some rather odd events occurring, but everything seems to be fine. Just me being overly anxious. I have just heard too many stories about too many horrible endings to what was/could have been a healthy birth. So, ... better to be safe than sorry, right? I did have have to laugh when my midwife checked Charis' heartbeat. The baby seems to hate this device and really had not been moving much at all prior to my appointment. However, the second they placed the monitor on my stomach, there was a rather large explosion of of movement from a well-placed foot or limb which almost made my midwife drop the device. Haha! I guess Charis has been paying attention when I work out on the heavy bag at the gym. :)

Well, that is all for now. I hope that everyone has a beautiful day!!! AND belated happy 4th of July!!!!!!!!

Woo Hoo!!!!!!!!

2007-06-27T23:53:00.001-04:00

Well, I just had to announce that I won in Scrabble!!! I am not very adept when it comes to word games, as is my husband, and I if I win, it is not by a large margin -- 1-10 points at the most. However, I just seemed to get great letters, which has nothing to do with my skill level as I know. And bingo... I can't believe that I kept him at bay throughout the entire game! Now I am sure that some of you guys get huge scores at this game, but I at least, am entirely new. I have always refused to play it in the past and now am worried that perhaps I am becoming um... attached, enthralled, fixated, ... Oh dear!

Notice the Score!!!

Uncle Sean's Big Idea

2007-06-27T23:44:00.000-04:00

Well, the guys didn't do too much as far as decorations for my nephew's party recently. Not to slight them, however... They were great when the kids came -- helping feed, playing games (in the HOT sun), being sprayed with silly string, assisting with crafts, and etc. I have to sort of brag on my husband though as he created the decoration which, I believe, claimed the most "oohs" from the kids. You know the game, pin the tail on the donkey? Well, my sister, Rachel, came up with a version of: pin the mask on spider man! Very inventive! AND Sean came up with the web shooting up from spider man's hand. Who has a spider man without the web, especially when he is obviously striking a flying pose???

The Sister Duo

2007-06-27T23:39:00.001-04:00

Ok... So this was Sean's idea and Rachel's pose. Notice Rachel's nice thin arms and my "Popeye" sized ones. Hm.... I have not really gained that much weight! Perhaps, I better begin some upper-arm, slenderizing exercises for pregnant moms!!!

Desiring Everyone's Honest Opinion

2007-06-21T20:31:00.000-04:00

Ok.... So, I was teaching a violin lesson to a new student today. We will not discuss how the lesson went, but in the midst of it, the little sister of my pupil seemed to me to desire her own chair and was squirming around in her mother's lap. I thought, well, if she wants her own chair, I can go get her one which I suggested to her mother. Her mother replied by stating that the little girl (3yrs.) had been begging to nurse all day and asked if I would be alright with her nursing her. Of course I said yes.

BUT... what do ya''ll think of the whole issue... Nursing until what age??? I have never been a huge advocate of breast feeding but believe it is healthier for both me and the little one. However, I am not altogether sure about the age argument. Everyone believes a bit differently, and then there are the children that simply quit early! So... the floor is open for debate... Say on!

Answers....

2007-06-18T09:08:00.000-04:00

Dear Friends,

In answer to you dilemma regarding the T or F post!?! Number One is actually the false statement. I may play violin decently, but not that well! :) Sorry! Everyone guessed well.
I actually had never really listened to Bob Marley before marrying Sean, but sort of
enjoy his music (only... not his ethics, beliefs, or etc.) now. I believe Rachel is entitled to the winners prize, whatever that may be! BUT, congrats to all who participated!!!

NEWS ALERT!!!

2007-06-15T14:42:00.000-04:00

Just one more comment... I must respectfully state (so as not to embarrass my husband) that there is a spelling error in statement 1 of my true/false list. Yes, I do know and will not blame it on pregnancy, that I meant "accepted" NOT "excepted." I apologize profusely and will attempt not to make such an error twice. (I believe Sean is often more amused by the spellings on my friend's blog sites than by the information.)

True or False... You name it!

2007-06-15T14:19:00.000-04:00

Ok... so, I wasn't completely aware that I would have to make up my own list of statements, but I will do the best possible. This is going to be difficult!!! If I am correct, only one statement is false, and you must determine the error. I have been made aware, however, that being "tagged" by my sister, Rachel, means that I must in turn develop a list of my own. Enjoy!

1) I was excepted into 4 major conservatories when preparing to pursue a master's degree.

2) I am the local pool expert at my apartment!

3) I have a birthmark on my inner, right ankle which vaguely resembles the shape of a violin.

4) I have four siblings.

5) I spent three consecutive summers --for two weeks each trip -- in Peru.

6) I detest dead animals and will come to the point of crying if forced to deal with them.

7) I am an admirer of Bob Marley's music.

8) I have never put nail polish on my fingernails and left it for any period of time.

9) I do not like scary movies.

10) I always dreamed of being an opera singer when younger.

Charis Bobbett Humby's Coming Out...

2007-06-15T13:46:00.000-04:00

Well, we will just get the embarrassing image taken care of first! Perhaps, there can be a mutual vote on whether everyone agrees I am a girl!?!

On to better footage... Yes, my spine is looking very nice as is my heart!!!!

Now for a beautiful side profile!!!

Last but not least.... a frontal view! The doctors promise that I will begin to

look a bit more human and little less alien-like. Well, we certainly hope so!!!

Having a just 3 year old!

2007-06-13T09:40:00.000-04:00

Well, I was asked by some friends yesterday if I could watch their son for a few hours. We had a great time, eating dinner, playing cars, coloring, and etc. We even had a chance to bake some cookies. Lani was more consumed with eating the chocolate chips and wondering why Sean could not talk to him and be on the phone at the same time. But... it is just a good reminder of how easy things are when the child goes back to his parents... :) Hmm... in the days to come, I am going to be that parent!!!

Our Trip to the UK

2007-06-06T18:46:00.000-04:00

For those of you interested... Sean and I recently arrived home from a delightful trip to the UK (Scotland and Ireland). Despite a not-so-wonderful journey home, only to find a package with its
contents stolen AND a house reeking due a fridge full of rotten food because our power company mistook us for another tenant (and NO, there will be not footage of this brown, repulsive slime which came gushing out of the freezer door when Sean bravely investigated), --Oh yes! On to the end result -- We had a lovely time spent with close friends of Sean's! The following are just a few photos out of our many:

Ok... So I really do not know how to put the photos
were I want them... but enjoy anyhow!

2007-06-05T19:23:00.000-04:00

My first attempts...

2007-06-05T18:34:00.000-04:00

I cannot imagine posting my thoughts, nor would I imagine that anyone would have the slightest personal interest in my daily, rather droll, affairs. However, as my little one is fast approaching her arrival, I am certain that she at least will create a diversion far more interesting than myself. So, I take comfort in that fact!

Yes, I do know, from a rather revealing photo that we will not show to the public so as not to embarrass, that the child within my womb is most definitely not of the male sex. However, as soon as "mom" figures out the mechanics of scanning and posting photos... Charis (this is the name chosen at this point) would be more than happy to show off her profile!

Until then... adieu