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Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Teaching and Learning
I quickly mentioned in one of our older posts that I've had the privilege of taking a class at SEBTS while Matt has been working on his MDiv. I wanted to write a little bit about what I've been learning. That first sentence alone shows the great change that's gone on in our hearts regarding school, especially for me. While I've always loved information and learning, I've never really been a person that enjoyed or thrived in the traditional schooling system, and that lead to lots of frustration (that eventually became bitterness) in trying to figure out what kind of degree to pursue, etc. I've been so thankful that God opened up this opportunity and provided a class that was just exactly what I needed, and so applicable for right where I am. I wanted to share some of the things I've been learning from some incredibly awesome women, because I feel like it is universally helpful, whether you're Baptist or not, or even whether you consider yourself a Christian or not. Really, these are just some highlights- a few notes on the topics that I have found really helpful for me personally. It's a little long, but I like having it in a place I can come back and read through it easily!
1. Forgiveness.
This has been huge for me- I'm learning that forgiveness is such a crucial part of life. It's what we're supposed to do as believers, but there are very few times that it's easy or simple, maybe even never. Especially as Christians, we tend to separate "Bible land" in our lives from "everyday land"... Bible land is where we live and who we are at church or in front of other Christians, and everyday land is who we are when we try to live our lives in our own strength, without God's help.
In Bible land, we know that we're supposed to forgive, that we should forgive, we might even say we have forgiven or want to, but then we don't live it out in everyday land. We bring it back up and dwell on it. It becomes a bitter root in our lives (Heb 12:15). We have to choose to do it, even when we don't want to, don't feel like it, feel like we can't, and haven't even heard an apology. We do it out of obedience to God- repeatedly, everyday if necessary, not because it's easy or because the person deserves it or because we're a doormat to be walked all over.
Real forgiveness is realizing how much you have been forgiven of in Christ, and forgiving others. When it's ourselves that we struggle to forgive, our forgiveness comes from Christ and can never be taken away from us. There's probably no greater way to be Christ-like than to forgive. The world says retribution, God says forgiveness. Forgive fully and specifically for the hurts you've felt- they will have names and faces. It's not easy, but God who loves justice, will make everything right someday (Heb21:12). God orchestrates forgiveness- He changes your heart!
2. What is the Purpose Of My Life?
How do you see who you are and why you are here in this life? I think everyone wants to feel like they have a purpose and a reason to be alive. The answer is in the heart- the real inner you, the control center for all you do- we live out of what is in our hearts (Prov 12:23). We should protect what goes into it, and what things we chose to think about often or dwell on (Phil 4:8).
Things that are out of your control can influence your heart (parents, upbringing, finances, job, marriage, your past, children, culture, sickness or loss), but they can't control you. That's because God is sovereign over your life, meaning he designed your life and circumstances to make you the best you you can be for his glory. That last part is SO important! Especially when hard times arise- we have to have the faith and trust that God is in control. If you are a Christian, everything you go through has meaning and purpose. God lays a claim on every part of you. This means there is no area of life off-limits to God's mercy, grace, love, power, and redemption!
You may think of Christianity as some long list of rules to be kept, or be asking yourself, if God is in control then why do bad things happen at all? That would be another post entirely (which Matt is great at explaining!) but in short- God is all about his glory, but he gives us choice. We get to chose whether or not to love him, whether or not to seek him, and whether or not we live for him or for ourselves. BUT, that also means we have the power to make wrong choices, choices that hurt us or that we regret.
When we chose to live our lives for him, and to want his will for our lives rather than trying to figure it out by ourselves, that's where real joy is found! (1 Cor. 10:31). We can stop living in the fear of what people think of us, and instead live in the forgiveness and love of a merciful God who knows even the deepest thoughts of our hearts and still loves us anyways! What's even better, is then he starts giving us everything we need to be able to obey him and give him the glory, even through those difficult things (2 Pet 1:3). He doesn't even ask us to do it all on our own- he helps us every step of the way!
3. How Do I Talk to God?
It's so easy for me to forget to talk to God. Sometimes when you pray you can feel like you are just talking to the ceiling- wondering if anyone is listening. Prayer is really just abiding in the Lord, talking to him every day throughout your day, just like you would call your mom or best friend every day. It helped me to look at prayer not as something about me, but as something about God. I would never have called my mom and talked about nothing but myself for 2 hours and then hung up the phone. It's the same way with prayer. Tell God what you're really thinking and feeling. Tell him what's really going on. But also thank him for the good things you have, and the things that have made you happy. Those are all blessings he's given you! When we're choosing to live for him and trying to do what he wants us to do, we can know that he hears and listens to us (Prov 15:29).
How you pray is usually the best indicator of how close you feel to God. When we feel far away, it's easy to feel stressed, frustrated, discontent, angry or bitter about pretty much anything in our lives, even the little stuff that probably shouldn't really be all that stressful. Praying throughout the day really helps me keep things in perspective because it reminds me that God is in control, and he gives me his peace even when it doesn't make sense for me to feel a peace- because God's peace doesn't depend on our circumstances.(Phil 4:6-7) Praying a bible verse is a great way to pray and know that you are praying God's will and that he hears you- without God's word, we are praying out of our own limited and weak knowledge (1 John 5:14-15 and Rom 8:26-27).
The most important thing about talking to God is to remember to listen- he answers! Take some time each day to be still and listen for what God is telling you. (Psalm 46:10). He's God and he loves you! The more you talk to him, the more you will want to talk to him!
4. I Am a Work In Progress.
I am someone who loves crafts and ALWAYS has an unfinished project (or two, or ten) and a work in progress in the process of being made. If you don't believe me, ask Matt who is constantly tripping over a half-crocheted scarf in the living room or moving the glue gun out of the way on the kitchen counter! We (believers) are in the process of being made more like Christ. I find such a comfort in knowing He's not finished with me yet. He has a plan for me, and for my life. That's so reassuring to me- I am so far away from perfect!
1. Forgiveness.
This has been huge for me- I'm learning that forgiveness is such a crucial part of life. It's what we're supposed to do as believers, but there are very few times that it's easy or simple, maybe even never. Especially as Christians, we tend to separate "Bible land" in our lives from "everyday land"... Bible land is where we live and who we are at church or in front of other Christians, and everyday land is who we are when we try to live our lives in our own strength, without God's help.
In Bible land, we know that we're supposed to forgive, that we should forgive, we might even say we have forgiven or want to, but then we don't live it out in everyday land. We bring it back up and dwell on it. It becomes a bitter root in our lives (Heb 12:15). We have to choose to do it, even when we don't want to, don't feel like it, feel like we can't, and haven't even heard an apology. We do it out of obedience to God- repeatedly, everyday if necessary, not because it's easy or because the person deserves it or because we're a doormat to be walked all over.
Real forgiveness is realizing how much you have been forgiven of in Christ, and forgiving others. When it's ourselves that we struggle to forgive, our forgiveness comes from Christ and can never be taken away from us. There's probably no greater way to be Christ-like than to forgive. The world says retribution, God says forgiveness. Forgive fully and specifically for the hurts you've felt- they will have names and faces. It's not easy, but God who loves justice, will make everything right someday (Heb21:12). God orchestrates forgiveness- He changes your heart!
2. What is the Purpose Of My Life?
How do you see who you are and why you are here in this life? I think everyone wants to feel like they have a purpose and a reason to be alive. The answer is in the heart- the real inner you, the control center for all you do- we live out of what is in our hearts (Prov 12:23). We should protect what goes into it, and what things we chose to think about often or dwell on (Phil 4:8).
Things that are out of your control can influence your heart (parents, upbringing, finances, job, marriage, your past, children, culture, sickness or loss), but they can't control you. That's because God is sovereign over your life, meaning he designed your life and circumstances to make you the best you you can be for his glory. That last part is SO important! Especially when hard times arise- we have to have the faith and trust that God is in control. If you are a Christian, everything you go through has meaning and purpose. God lays a claim on every part of you. This means there is no area of life off-limits to God's mercy, grace, love, power, and redemption!
You may think of Christianity as some long list of rules to be kept, or be asking yourself, if God is in control then why do bad things happen at all? That would be another post entirely (which Matt is great at explaining!) but in short- God is all about his glory, but he gives us choice. We get to chose whether or not to love him, whether or not to seek him, and whether or not we live for him or for ourselves. BUT, that also means we have the power to make wrong choices, choices that hurt us or that we regret.
When we chose to live our lives for him, and to want his will for our lives rather than trying to figure it out by ourselves, that's where real joy is found! (1 Cor. 10:31). We can stop living in the fear of what people think of us, and instead live in the forgiveness and love of a merciful God who knows even the deepest thoughts of our hearts and still loves us anyways! What's even better, is then he starts giving us everything we need to be able to obey him and give him the glory, even through those difficult things (2 Pet 1:3). He doesn't even ask us to do it all on our own- he helps us every step of the way!
3. How Do I Talk to God?
It's so easy for me to forget to talk to God. Sometimes when you pray you can feel like you are just talking to the ceiling- wondering if anyone is listening. Prayer is really just abiding in the Lord, talking to him every day throughout your day, just like you would call your mom or best friend every day. It helped me to look at prayer not as something about me, but as something about God. I would never have called my mom and talked about nothing but myself for 2 hours and then hung up the phone. It's the same way with prayer. Tell God what you're really thinking and feeling. Tell him what's really going on. But also thank him for the good things you have, and the things that have made you happy. Those are all blessings he's given you! When we're choosing to live for him and trying to do what he wants us to do, we can know that he hears and listens to us (Prov 15:29).
How you pray is usually the best indicator of how close you feel to God. When we feel far away, it's easy to feel stressed, frustrated, discontent, angry or bitter about pretty much anything in our lives, even the little stuff that probably shouldn't really be all that stressful. Praying throughout the day really helps me keep things in perspective because it reminds me that God is in control, and he gives me his peace even when it doesn't make sense for me to feel a peace- because God's peace doesn't depend on our circumstances.(Phil 4:6-7) Praying a bible verse is a great way to pray and know that you are praying God's will and that he hears you- without God's word, we are praying out of our own limited and weak knowledge (1 John 5:14-15 and Rom 8:26-27).
The most important thing about talking to God is to remember to listen- he answers! Take some time each day to be still and listen for what God is telling you. (Psalm 46:10). He's God and he loves you! The more you talk to him, the more you will want to talk to him!
4. I Am a Work In Progress.
I am someone who loves crafts and ALWAYS has an unfinished project (or two, or ten) and a work in progress in the process of being made. If you don't believe me, ask Matt who is constantly tripping over a half-crocheted scarf in the living room or moving the glue gun out of the way on the kitchen counter! We (believers) are in the process of being made more like Christ. I find such a comfort in knowing He's not finished with me yet. He has a plan for me, and for my life. That's so reassuring to me- I am so far away from perfect!
Think of yourself as a house... when you become a believer, God starts with the major renovation: floors, walls, a rebuilding that is sometimes unpleasant, but necessary. Then you think you’re “pretty good” and you realize He’s not done. Stuff comes up you thought you had gotten rid of. You thought you were a pretty nice little place, but He’s building a mansion, a palace where He can live!
But rest assured, He won't walk away and leave you unfinished... "being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion..." (Phil 1:6). Wherever God takes you, wherever you are, he is at work! He's up to something! He will complete it!
If anything you're reading here is confusing or you want to know what I mean when I say "believer" I would absolutely LOVE to talk to you more. I haven't always been a person that finds it easy to talk about God and how much he has done in my life, but that is changing for me. These crazy lives we have, beautiful and painful, are only part of the journey. Where does the journey end? The eternal destination of the soul is the most important part, where your soul goes when the body is done. If you seek truth, you will find it, and if you knock on God's door he will answer! (Matt.7:7). A huge thank you to the following professors/wives who have taught me so much this semester: Sharon McDill, Mindy Williams, and Charlotte Akin, among others!
Also, if you've made it this far (yay!) I want to invite you to leave your comments and thoughts here (just click 'comments' right below and it will prompt you). You've always been welcome to do that, but I'd especially love to hear it them!
But rest assured, He won't walk away and leave you unfinished... "being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion..." (Phil 1:6). Wherever God takes you, wherever you are, he is at work! He's up to something! He will complete it!
If anything you're reading here is confusing or you want to know what I mean when I say "believer" I would absolutely LOVE to talk to you more. I haven't always been a person that finds it easy to talk about God and how much he has done in my life, but that is changing for me. These crazy lives we have, beautiful and painful, are only part of the journey. Where does the journey end? The eternal destination of the soul is the most important part, where your soul goes when the body is done. If you seek truth, you will find it, and if you knock on God's door he will answer! (Matt.7:7). A huge thank you to the following professors/wives who have taught me so much this semester: Sharon McDill, Mindy Williams, and Charlotte Akin, among others!
Also, if you've made it this far (yay!) I want to invite you to leave your comments and thoughts here (just click 'comments' right below and it will prompt you). You've always been welcome to do that, but I'd especially love to hear it them!
Sunday, November 1, 2009
P.S....
This is what we brought back from the State Fair for the little girl who had to stay home:
Actually, she was at her Nana B. and Granddaddy's house, getting spoiled just a little more rotten!
Actually, she was at her Nana B. and Granddaddy's house, getting spoiled just a little more rotten!
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Hold Me Closer, Tiny Dancer
For Kenna's first Halloween, I was planning on keeping it simple and just making a little costume for her... like a collar of "icing" made out of felt for a cupcake costume, or a red onesie with black dots to be a strawberry (she has a strawberry hat too). But at the last minute Matt said he wanted her to have a real costume, and of course, I was ok with that!
So one quick trip to Target later we had a skirted leotard, plus some hand-me-down pink tights and her polka dot leggings:
A tiny dancer. I was so excited about getting her all dressed in her costume and taking pictures, you would have thought I was sending her out to the prom!
We took her last night to Bayleaf's Fall Festival, which I had been excited about for weeks! We had volunteered to run one of the games and were assigned the David & Goliath bean bag toss. We had so much fun! Matt chased after bean bags for all the little kids, and Kenna and I admired all the costumes and handed out candy. She sat on my lap for 45 minutes straight, completely enthralled by all the action around her!
There were tons of people and lots of great food, and games for the bigger kids! We all had a blast hanging out and watching the kids stuff themselves with all the good stuff... hot dogs, cotton candy, cookies, soda, and candy!
Bayleaf's family life center was completely packed with people!
Nana B, Kenna, Granddaddy and Beckley... busy getting spoiled, of course!
Little cousin friends, Beckley the alligator, Ansley the pumpkin, and Kenna the ballerina!
Group picture- me, Matt, Kenna, Leanne, Beckley, Sandy, and Ansley
Kenna was not so thrilled about sitting on the hay with the scarecrow. She sat and pouted and then started melting down shortly after! We didn't even make it home before she completely crashed out:
What a good time we had! Happy halloween!
So one quick trip to Target later we had a skirted leotard, plus some hand-me-down pink tights and her polka dot leggings:
A tiny dancer. I was so excited about getting her all dressed in her costume and taking pictures, you would have thought I was sending her out to the prom!
We took her last night to Bayleaf's Fall Festival, which I had been excited about for weeks! We had volunteered to run one of the games and were assigned the David & Goliath bean bag toss. We had so much fun! Matt chased after bean bags for all the little kids, and Kenna and I admired all the costumes and handed out candy. She sat on my lap for 45 minutes straight, completely enthralled by all the action around her!
There were tons of people and lots of great food, and games for the bigger kids! We all had a blast hanging out and watching the kids stuff themselves with all the good stuff... hot dogs, cotton candy, cookies, soda, and candy!
Bayleaf's family life center was completely packed with people!
Nana B, Kenna, Granddaddy and Beckley... busy getting spoiled, of course!
Little cousin friends, Beckley the alligator, Ansley the pumpkin, and Kenna the ballerina!
Group picture- me, Matt, Kenna, Leanne, Beckley, Sandy, and Ansley
Kenna was not so thrilled about sitting on the hay with the scarecrow. She sat and pouted and then started melting down shortly after! We didn't even make it home before she completely crashed out:
What a good time we had! Happy halloween!
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Very Fall-ish Things
In addition to going to the pumpkin patch a week or two ago, we've been able to do some other fall-ish things recently too... like going to the NC State Fair and a corn maze!
NC State Fair:
Going to the fair is a special tradition if you live in Raleigh... lots of people even take a day off work to be able to go spend a whole day there with their families! This year, Matt and I planned our afternoon at the fair around two Christian bands that came that night, Tenth Avenue North and Jeremy Camp. Grandaddy and Nana B. agreed to keep Kenna while we went so that our afternoon was relaxed with no time pressures! It sounds silly, but just having no diapers to stop and change all day was such a treat!
One of my favorite things is collecting all the stickers and wear them with pride... we brought extras of all of them home for Kenna this year too.
Every year we ride the Ferris Wheel together and take a picture at the top. Our picture this year was a little awkward since we weren't actually sitting next to each other. The little door to get in and out of the ride was right between us! Luckily we didn't fall out. It's beautiful to see the entire fair from the top of the ride.
Mercilessly, we didn't take photos of all the ridiculous amounts of fair junk food we ate... which honestly is why everybody goes to the fair. My favorites this year were the NCSU ice cream (which somehow I had never had before! Delicious!) and the awesome apple cider slushies (I had three and literally could have eaten dozens more. They were incredible!). Matt's favorite was the ice cream too, McBride's polish sausages, and the elephant ears (he loves the elephant ears, and I love the funnel cakes!)
For a fun comparison, here is the one we took on top of the ferris wheel in 2006, right after our second anniversary! I remember being bitter that my sunglasses had just broken and it was so sunshiney that day! Isn't Matt's smile is adorable? We look so much younger!
The Corn Maze:
We went to a corn maze in Morrisville with our Sunday School class, and we had a great time even though it was a little chilly and tried to rain on us a few times! There were a couple of fun things besides the corn maze (which was extremely detailed and partially shaped like a picture of Kay Yow from above) such as a corn kernel sandbox, a "cow truck" (a tractor pulling sideways barrels on wheels that were decorated to look like cows... they looked like an awesome, bumpy ride!), a hayride, and my favorite... a corn husk chucker gun. I'm sure that's not the official name, but imagine those "guns" they use to shoot out tshirts at football games, then imagine shoving a corn husk into it and shooting it out into a field, trying to hit a round hay bale with a target painted on it. Awesome! We all shot it a couple of times.
They also had duck races (our class is competitive!):
We were laughing that Kenna has already been on two hayrides in her short life! She was turned around looking at another little girl who was screaming bloody murder... apparently not so much a fan of the hayride. Kenna loved it! They started playing music over a speaker right after this, and she started clapping along and laughing.
We tried to get Kenna to crawl through the hay tunnel, but she wasn't so sure about it, and I started wondering how we would get her out if she crawled into the middle and then stopped! But it made for a cool picture:
We ate a great lunch at Smithfield's barbeque before calling it a day, and all the kids left with balloons with a bag of cookies tied to the string. We love our Sunday school class and have had such a great time getting to know these incredible families! Hayride, corn chucker, barbeque, and balloons... if that's not a successful day, I don't know what is!
NC State Fair:
Going to the fair is a special tradition if you live in Raleigh... lots of people even take a day off work to be able to go spend a whole day there with their families! This year, Matt and I planned our afternoon at the fair around two Christian bands that came that night, Tenth Avenue North and Jeremy Camp. Grandaddy and Nana B. agreed to keep Kenna while we went so that our afternoon was relaxed with no time pressures! It sounds silly, but just having no diapers to stop and change all day was such a treat!One of my favorite things is collecting all the stickers and wear them with pride... we brought extras of all of them home for Kenna this year too.
Every year we ride the Ferris Wheel together and take a picture at the top. Our picture this year was a little awkward since we weren't actually sitting next to each other. The little door to get in and out of the ride was right between us! Luckily we didn't fall out. It's beautiful to see the entire fair from the top of the ride.
Mercilessly, we didn't take photos of all the ridiculous amounts of fair junk food we ate... which honestly is why everybody goes to the fair. My favorites this year were the NCSU ice cream (which somehow I had never had before! Delicious!) and the awesome apple cider slushies (I had three and literally could have eaten dozens more. They were incredible!). Matt's favorite was the ice cream too, McBride's polish sausages, and the elephant ears (he loves the elephant ears, and I love the funnel cakes!)For a fun comparison, here is the one we took on top of the ferris wheel in 2006, right after our second anniversary! I remember being bitter that my sunglasses had just broken and it was so sunshiney that day! Isn't Matt's smile is adorable? We look so much younger!
The Corn Maze:
We went to a corn maze in Morrisville with our Sunday School class, and we had a great time even though it was a little chilly and tried to rain on us a few times! There were a couple of fun things besides the corn maze (which was extremely detailed and partially shaped like a picture of Kay Yow from above) such as a corn kernel sandbox, a "cow truck" (a tractor pulling sideways barrels on wheels that were decorated to look like cows... they looked like an awesome, bumpy ride!), a hayride, and my favorite... a corn husk chucker gun. I'm sure that's not the official name, but imagine those "guns" they use to shoot out tshirts at football games, then imagine shoving a corn husk into it and shooting it out into a field, trying to hit a round hay bale with a target painted on it. Awesome! We all shot it a couple of times.
They also had duck races (our class is competitive!):
We were laughing that Kenna has already been on two hayrides in her short life! She was turned around looking at another little girl who was screaming bloody murder... apparently not so much a fan of the hayride. Kenna loved it! They started playing music over a speaker right after this, and she started clapping along and laughing.
We tried to get Kenna to crawl through the hay tunnel, but she wasn't so sure about it, and I started wondering how we would get her out if she crawled into the middle and then stopped! But it made for a cool picture:
We ate a great lunch at Smithfield's barbeque before calling it a day, and all the kids left with balloons with a bag of cookies tied to the string. We love our Sunday school class and have had such a great time getting to know these incredible families! Hayride, corn chucker, barbeque, and balloons... if that's not a successful day, I don't know what is!
Monday, October 26, 2009
11 Months Old!
This past week our little peanut turned 11 months old! Time really feels like it is just speeding by. I love to snuggle her at night before bedtime and whisper in her ear "don't grow up." It's hard to imagine Kenna as a little kid or even as a toddler instead of a baby... even harder to imagine that someday she will be school-age, and a teenager, and in college, and wanting to get married!
She is of course, completely oblivious to how quickly she is growing. For now, she is loving being an almost-toddler and all the perks that come with it...
pulling up and able to get into more of her toys:
sitting forwards in a big girl car seat:
helping Mommy and Daddy "clean up":
scootching around the furniture:
hanging out with her best friend Toufa:
telling everyone when she's awake and we need to come get her:
wearing awesome footie jammies:
keeping Mommy out of trouble at Target:
and getting our winter weather accessories ready!
This little one plays hard and crashes harder. I can't believe she'll be a year old in just a month!
She is of course, completely oblivious to how quickly she is growing. For now, she is loving being an almost-toddler and all the perks that come with it...
pulling up and able to get into more of her toys:
sitting forwards in a big girl car seat:
helping Mommy and Daddy "clean up":
scootching around the furniture:
hanging out with her best friend Toufa:
telling everyone when she's awake and we need to come get her:
wearing awesome footie jammies:
keeping Mommy out of trouble at Target:
and getting our winter weather accessories ready!
This little one plays hard and crashes harder. I can't believe she'll be a year old in just a month!
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Pumpkin Patch
The day after our anniversary, we were invited by uncle Jason, and Alisa, and Evan to go to the pumpkin patch to get our pumpkins! Matt and I suggested Hillridge Farms in Youngsville, since we had gone there for their annual Haunted Hayride right after we got married, and had remembered them having lots of fun things for kids. We had no idea they had changed so much over the years, they now have tons of fun things for kids! We picked up Kenna from her Grandaddy and Nana's house since they kept her overnight for us for our anniversary date, and headed out to the farm.
The Deans
Kenna was a little bit small to enjoy some of the activities, but we had a blast watching Evan play and we all enjoyed the farm! They had some really creative things set up such as a huge slide made of corrugated plastic tubing, a hay bale jump house, and a corn kernel sandbox (I'm not sure whether Evan, Jason, or Matt loved the slide best!) Matt's favorite was, of course, feeding the goats, and I loved seeing the little baby ones hiding under the shed for shade. We somehow managed to find the one 80 plus degree weather day to go to the farm in a week of weather that had us convinced it was finally fall! Hillridge also had bouncy houses, a maze, a train (similar to the one at Pullen Park), other animals to see, duck races, a general store, and a hot dog stand for lunch! Everything except lunch was $10 per adult (Kenna was free) and we each got a pumpkin!
Feeding the goats:
The giant slide!
We went on a tractor hayride through the whole farm to get to our pumpkins. (It counted as a "real hayride" to me since we actually sat on hay bales during the ride. That's an important detail for it to be real!)
At the end, we were deposited in a bright sea of pumpkins. Kenna and Evan weren't sure what to think or which one to pick!
I think we like this one. (Kenna kept making this crazy face most of the time. I think she was just amazed at all the pumpkins!)
Kenna and Daddy with the winner!
Even though it was too hot to wear her pumpkin shirt (since it was long sleeved) we took a fun family picture amongst all the pumpkins to remember Kenna's first fall. It's so hard to believe that this time last year we went to Boone for the fall leaves and pumpkins, and we were still 8 months pregnant and hadn't even met her yet!
October 2008:
What a great day with family and a fun tradition! My favorite part, of course, was bringing our little "pumpkin family" home and putting them on the porch with our gourds from the farmer's Market and our fall twig wreath on the door.
Welcome, Fall!
The Broglis
The Deans
Kenna was a little bit small to enjoy some of the activities, but we had a blast watching Evan play and we all enjoyed the farm! They had some really creative things set up such as a huge slide made of corrugated plastic tubing, a hay bale jump house, and a corn kernel sandbox (I'm not sure whether Evan, Jason, or Matt loved the slide best!) Matt's favorite was, of course, feeding the goats, and I loved seeing the little baby ones hiding under the shed for shade. We somehow managed to find the one 80 plus degree weather day to go to the farm in a week of weather that had us convinced it was finally fall! Hillridge also had bouncy houses, a maze, a train (similar to the one at Pullen Park), other animals to see, duck races, a general store, and a hot dog stand for lunch! Everything except lunch was $10 per adult (Kenna was free) and we each got a pumpkin!Feeding the goats:
The giant slide!
We went on a tractor hayride through the whole farm to get to our pumpkins. (It counted as a "real hayride" to me since we actually sat on hay bales during the ride. That's an important detail for it to be real!)
At the end, we were deposited in a bright sea of pumpkins. Kenna and Evan weren't sure what to think or which one to pick!
Orange pumpkins everywhere!
I think we like this one. (Kenna kept making this crazy face most of the time. I think she was just amazed at all the pumpkins!)
Kenna and Daddy with the winner!Even though it was too hot to wear her pumpkin shirt (since it was long sleeved) we took a fun family picture amongst all the pumpkins to remember Kenna's first fall. It's so hard to believe that this time last year we went to Boone for the fall leaves and pumpkins, and we were still 8 months pregnant and hadn't even met her yet!
October 2009:
October 2008:
What a great day with family and a fun tradition! My favorite part, of course, was bringing our little "pumpkin family" home and putting them on the porch with our gourds from the farmer's Market and our fall twig wreath on the door.
Welcome, Fall!Friday, October 2, 2009
Five!
Today we're celebrating 5 years of marriage!
Dating:
Wedding:
1st Anniversary:
2nd Anniversary:
3rd Anniversary:
5th Anniversary!
5 ways we're celebrating- eating 5 doughnuts for breakfast
- looking back over pictures and cards we wrote for our last 5 anniversaries
- watching 5 movies?
- picking 5 family traditions
- we stayed up until 5 am last night talking like we did when we were dating!
5 goals for the next 5 years
- keep losing weight and staying healthy together!
- keep following Christ's purposes in our lives together.
- raise children that know God's love and serve others through it!
- learn a second language together
- memorize a book of scripture together
I love that when someone asks what your favorite dessert is, there is one answer and I know it for sure... and when someone asks what my favorite dessert is, there are about 15 answers and you know them all. I'm so proud of the way God is growing us, closer together and for his purposes! Life with you makes perfect sense, you're my best friend!I love you!
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
September Birthdays!
On September 10th our sweet nephew Beckley turned one year old! We spent Saturday afternoon celebrating our little buddy and spending time with our family.
Kenna apparently decided that the best gift for her cousin would be that when he leaned over to smootch him, she would give him a nice big smootch right back on the lips! They spent most of their time together either trying to hug/pinch each other or squealing happily at each other.
The funny part was when, at church the next day, a very sweet lady asked me if "those cute twins" were mine- I laughed and said no, they are just cousins 2 months apart!
On the 22nd, Matt's Mom had a birthday as well. Doesn't she look good for 42 years old? Kenna was excited to celebrate with her Nana B, especially when there was cake involved!
These grandbabies love these grandparents! Happy Birthday Beckley and Nana B!
Kenna apparently decided that the best gift for her cousin would be that when he leaned over to smootch him, she would give him a nice big smootch right back on the lips! They spent most of their time together either trying to hug/pinch each other or squealing happily at each other.
The funny part was when, at church the next day, a very sweet lady asked me if "those cute twins" were mine- I laughed and said no, they are just cousins 2 months apart!
On the 22nd, Matt's Mom had a birthday as well. Doesn't she look good for 42 years old? Kenna was excited to celebrate with her Nana B, especially when there was cake involved!
These grandbabies love these grandparents! Happy Birthday Beckley and Nana B!
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Little Stinker
Kenna thinks it is hilarious to unfold diapers...
loves to crawl around and pull out all her toys...
and played on a swing for the first time at the park today!
loves to crawl around and pull out all her toys...
and played on a swing for the first time at the park today!
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Family Pictures
We have hit the ground running for a super busy month of September. Matt, on top of his class schedule and looking for a job, agreed to fill in preaching for for two Sundays for a family friend, another pastor who is on a missions trip to Kenya right now. So last Sunday and this weekend, Matt and I have had the opportunity to visit Good Hope Baptist church in Wake Forest. The congregation was very hospitable and welcoming, and we appreciated the chance to meet them! After service last week, we went to eat lunch with Matt's parents and attempted a family picture, since we have very few recent pictures of the three of us. Let's just say that the combination of a windy day and a post-naptime baby did not a very good picture make! Here's the closest we came to a good one (can you tell how windy it was?):
And this one just makes me laugh. It is just so us.
Me: "Geez, it is really windy."
Kenna: "So then I said..."
Matt: "Ok, we can take another one."
Doesn't Kenna look like a toddler? Man alive.
We've also been busy having two yardsales for the posessions my Dad brought from the house in Orlando, most them were my Mom's. It has been a huge and emotional project of sorting, deciding which things to keep, deciding what to do with items we can't keep, and finding a few family treasures- that is another story to come soon. I've had two craft shows, and the remaining weekends of this month are each full of friends' baby showers! Our sweet nephew Beckley is turning one this week, my Dad and Jana are coming back to visit next week as they prepare to move to Geneva, and I have had the blessing of taking a class on Thursday nights through Southeastern's Biblical Women's Institute. Even though I balked at the idea of a formal class structure, and Matt had to strongly encourage me (haha) to agree to it, I willingly admit now (3 classes in) that it was a great idea. The course is taught by the Seminary president's wife, Mrs. Aiken, and several guest speakers. The information they are covering is incredibly helpful and on very applicable subjects such as missions, Godly parenting, and the development of women's ministries in the church. Other SEBTS students even provide childcare that Kenna goes to, since Matt is in class at the same time as well. Even though it's a little past her bedtime when we get out of class, she has done really well.
Sweet Kenna bear is on the move and growing much more quickly than her Daddy and I are comfortable with! I love to take these kinds of comparison pictures (especially fun when they happen to be in the same outfit, several months apart!)
Kenna at 6 weeks:
Kenna at 9 months:
She has taken off crawling in the past week or two... suddenly, overnight it seems, she is now chasing the dog and mobile enough to get into all kinds of trouble! She has also been teething, which has made for some sleepless nights for our poor babe, and for us as well. But God is good, and provides the patience we need and the mercy that this too is only a stage! She has started making a new face that is cute, sweet, hilarious, and a little sassy.
I love that gummy, scrunched-up nosed little grin! It is so amazing to see her little personality blossom, and boy is she full of it! She has never met a stranger (I keep waiting for "separation anxiety" but it hasn't happened yet!) and seems to love new people and new experiences. What a huge blessing in our lives, even on the trying days! Her new favorite thing is taking Pontouf for walks in her red wagon.
We are enjoying the last little bit of summer and loving this almost-fall weather we've had recently!
And this one just makes me laugh. It is just so us.
Me: "Geez, it is really windy."Kenna: "So then I said..."
Matt: "Ok, we can take another one."
Doesn't Kenna look like a toddler? Man alive.
We've also been busy having two yardsales for the posessions my Dad brought from the house in Orlando, most them were my Mom's. It has been a huge and emotional project of sorting, deciding which things to keep, deciding what to do with items we can't keep, and finding a few family treasures- that is another story to come soon. I've had two craft shows, and the remaining weekends of this month are each full of friends' baby showers! Our sweet nephew Beckley is turning one this week, my Dad and Jana are coming back to visit next week as they prepare to move to Geneva, and I have had the blessing of taking a class on Thursday nights through Southeastern's Biblical Women's Institute. Even though I balked at the idea of a formal class structure, and Matt had to strongly encourage me (haha) to agree to it, I willingly admit now (3 classes in) that it was a great idea. The course is taught by the Seminary president's wife, Mrs. Aiken, and several guest speakers. The information they are covering is incredibly helpful and on very applicable subjects such as missions, Godly parenting, and the development of women's ministries in the church. Other SEBTS students even provide childcare that Kenna goes to, since Matt is in class at the same time as well. Even though it's a little past her bedtime when we get out of class, she has done really well.
Sweet Kenna bear is on the move and growing much more quickly than her Daddy and I are comfortable with! I love to take these kinds of comparison pictures (especially fun when they happen to be in the same outfit, several months apart!)
Kenna at 6 weeks:
Kenna at 9 months:
She has taken off crawling in the past week or two... suddenly, overnight it seems, she is now chasing the dog and mobile enough to get into all kinds of trouble! She has also been teething, which has made for some sleepless nights for our poor babe, and for us as well. But God is good, and provides the patience we need and the mercy that this too is only a stage! She has started making a new face that is cute, sweet, hilarious, and a little sassy.
I love that gummy, scrunched-up nosed little grin! It is so amazing to see her little personality blossom, and boy is she full of it! She has never met a stranger (I keep waiting for "separation anxiety" but it hasn't happened yet!) and seems to love new people and new experiences. What a huge blessing in our lives, even on the trying days! Her new favorite thing is taking Pontouf for walks in her red wagon.
We are enjoying the last little bit of summer and loving this almost-fall weather we've had recently!
Saturday, August 29, 2009
It's Already Here!
Our little red wagon is already here! The UPS man dropped it off yesterday, so this evening we opened up the box! Kenna and Matt got to work right away, with lots of very satisfying hammer banging.
Kenna made sure Daddy was properly supervised, and helped him out with the hard parts:
All done... ta da!
We took a practice roll through the dining room... I'm pretty sure the squealing means she loves it.
Practicing her princess wave already!
Some other fun things we've been up to recently... last weekend we drove out to Cary for Lazy Days, an annual street festival/craft show that we went to last year and had a blast! Even though it was raining off and on, we had a good day strolling through all the vendors. Kenna liked watching all the people go by, and even liked the rain dripping on her toes from beneath the stroller shade.
The bakery that made our wedding cake (almost 5 years ago!) is right on the street where the festival is held. The last time we went, we stopped in for a bathroom and to get an air-conditioned break from the heat. This year, we stopped in to escape the rain! It was really fun to have Kenna with us, and we all indulged in one of their absolutely delicious cupakes. If you need a special occasion cake, we highly recommend Blue Moon Bakery!
This week, she also had her first taste of goldfish crackers (one of Mommy's favorite snacks)...
... and had a blast bathing in the kitchen sink!
Kenna made sure Daddy was properly supervised, and helped him out with the hard parts:
All done... ta da!
We took a practice roll through the dining room... I'm pretty sure the squealing means she loves it.
Practicing her princess wave already!
Some other fun things we've been up to recently... last weekend we drove out to Cary for Lazy Days, an annual street festival/craft show that we went to last year and had a blast! Even though it was raining off and on, we had a good day strolling through all the vendors. Kenna liked watching all the people go by, and even liked the rain dripping on her toes from beneath the stroller shade.
The bakery that made our wedding cake (almost 5 years ago!) is right on the street where the festival is held. The last time we went, we stopped in for a bathroom and to get an air-conditioned break from the heat. This year, we stopped in to escape the rain! It was really fun to have Kenna with us, and we all indulged in one of their absolutely delicious cupakes. If you need a special occasion cake, we highly recommend Blue Moon Bakery!
This week, she also had her first taste of goldfish crackers (one of Mommy's favorite snacks)...
... and had a blast bathing in the kitchen sink!
Monday, August 24, 2009
Little Red Wagon
We have been able to find some really great deals this week! At Target, 8 count Juicy Juice juice boxes are on sale for $1.97 each... if you register on their website (juicyjuice.com) they will give you a $1 off coupon on two making them $2.94 or 18 cents per juice box! Yay!
Also, if you ask at the CVS pharmacy counter about their automatic refill program, they will give you a booklet of really good coupons, like $4 off a $20 purchase. If you combine these with the CVS "bucks" you get on your register receipt (if you have a CVS card) you can get $20 worth of products pretty cheap! (Especially if the items you're buying are also on sale!)
My genius husband, in the process of paying our credit card bill, realized that we had some credit card points that were about to expire. Now granted, the points are ridiculous compared to how much you're spending on your credit card to get them, but they still can be redeemed for fun and useful stuff basically for "free." We've used them in the past to get things such as a set of decent kitchen pots and pans. This time, since we finally have a baby on board, we are waiting for this to come in the mail:
a little red wagon! I'm not sure who is more excited, me or Kenna! I am having happy thoughts of pulling her around the fair or the flea market or a craft show in our little wagon. What a blessing!
Also, if you ask at the CVS pharmacy counter about their automatic refill program, they will give you a booklet of really good coupons, like $4 off a $20 purchase. If you combine these with the CVS "bucks" you get on your register receipt (if you have a CVS card) you can get $20 worth of products pretty cheap! (Especially if the items you're buying are also on sale!)
My genius husband, in the process of paying our credit card bill, realized that we had some credit card points that were about to expire. Now granted, the points are ridiculous compared to how much you're spending on your credit card to get them, but they still can be redeemed for fun and useful stuff basically for "free." We've used them in the past to get things such as a set of decent kitchen pots and pans. This time, since we finally have a baby on board, we are waiting for this to come in the mail:
a little red wagon! I'm not sure who is more excited, me or Kenna! I am having happy thoughts of pulling her around the fair or the flea market or a craft show in our little wagon. What a blessing!
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