Roll Tide!!

A Pumpkin...

Emma lasted about 10 minutes in the costume (on loan from our neighbors) before she wanted nothing more to do with it. Enjoy!


She was much happier after we took the pumpkin off...

Goings On...

Well, I've finally been able to upload some pictures from the past few weeks so here they are. Since a pictures is worth 1,000 words--I'll let them do the talking (well, almost).

Emma is pulling up on almost everything:

Since Maddie and Chapel spend most of their time outside these days, Emma likes to watch them from behind the blinds--well, and also eat the blinds (don't panic, they are wood not metal so very little risk of cutting her mouth).



Emma used to fit so well in this swing:


Emma will give "sugars" now:



Nanny and Dad (Jason's grandparents) with Emma, enjoying their first great-grandchild:




Roll Tide!!!

Where Have We Been?

Well, that's an excellent question. I could make up some good stuff that we have been busy with exciting and educational activities, but well, it's just not that true. Actually, my reluctance to blog lately stems from our over-tired and almost retired computer. We have maxed out the memory on this machine with i-tunes and programs. Even after deleting as much unneeded information as possible, there is still not enough memory to upload any pictures. SO, I'm left with posts comprised of mere text and internet links only. In the midst of such a sad sob story, we did get some good news this week! Thanks to those mysterious (and somehow always quirky) computer geeks, my old Dell laptop is being revived from the technological graveyard. For a mere fraction of the price of a new computer, they can fix what we once considered "beyond repair." Hopefully, by the end of next week it'll be up and running again--at least until Christmas when we hope to acquire a new box of plastic containing our gateway to the outside world and foregoing this Barney Rubble machine.

In lieu of pictures, I'll just give a quick update on Emma. She is really growing fast and we can now see her first two teeth coming in. They are on the bottom and don't seem to cause her too much pain, well, yet anyways. She is crawling everywhere, utilizing both the "army comando dead leg" crawl and then more and more on all fours. She is also pulling up on just about everything, which means she is also falling down lots. Maybe somehow we can escape without any major scars on her face (or anywhere for that matter).

That's about it for us. And just since we are inside 3 weeks until the election, please take a few minutes to watch the following U-Tube video concerning the reason for the current economic crisis. You can get to the video by clicking here. It takes a few minutes, but is worth it.

A Chance to Give Hope

Lots of family and friends know that we have talked for a few years now about possibly adopting a child from China at some point. Among other holdups right now is the fact that both parents have to be 30 just to submit any paperwork to begin the process. That said, I am always keenly interested in ways that we can help Chinese children and in organizations that provide Gospel love to the millions of orphans found there. Today, I came across a new organization so I thought I'd post a link to the website and encourage people to check it out. In a nutshell, the organization is called "Bring Me Hope" and it is made up of christians who provide a type of summer camp for Chinese orphans. You can learn more about it by clicking here or visiting www.bringmehope.org. There are lots of opportunities to give money, sponsor a child or even be a camp volunteer for a week or two.

Also, as a follow-up to my rants about the Chinese government during the Olympics, I was thrilled to hear that despite being displaced during the Olympics (in order to house Chinese soldiers for security), the camp still continued their activities--albeit in neighboring towns. They were even able to take kids to see the games-and had a number of Olympic athletes volunteer time with the children. To top it off? The camp even received press coverage from NBC! Just when I thought the media was all liberal propaganda--the Lord reminds me that He is at work everywhere and in everything!

Finally, as a disclaimer, I have not "vetted" this organization, so please do your own research to find out all the details about it!

Falling, Falling, Falling Asleep

With so many world events going on, the economy, government bailouts, and not to mention the "freedom forum" granted Mahmoud Ahmadinejad at the U.N. today, it was a good time to escape with a nap. Unfortunately, since we returned from California, Emma has yet to nap on any kind of regular schedule. She has adjusted her nighttime sleep really well, but daytime is another story. After 45 mins of frustratingly listening to her just "play" in her bed instead of napping, I went to watch her from the crack in the door. I grabbed the camera so I could see her better, hopefully without her seeing me. And praise the Lord, I actually watched her FINALLY (and somewhat suddenly) fall asleep! At that moment, it felt like my own personal miracle. Here's what I shot for those that are interested... (sorry the video is sideways part of the time...)

Seven Years Later...

Well, we're mostly packed and relaxing enjoying the reviews of the Presidential Forum tonight. It is pretty amazing to think that it has been 7 years since the horrible tragedy of 9-11. Like many Americans, I remembered where I was when the planes crashed into the towers. My brother, Rob, was stationed at the Pentagon at the time, but miraculously, he was out of the office that day. It was a few hours before we knew he was safe and unharmed. My prayers continuously go out to those families who received different, devastating news.

Seven years later, however, I can see a bit more Hope. I am reminded of the story of Joseph when his brothers came to Egypt to apologize for selling him into slavery. Joseph responds to his brothers that "You meant it for harm, but the Lord meant it for good." Somehow, I feel there is good to come out of this massacre. It is certainly a good at a high price--the incredible loss of life--but I pray those families and friends grieving lost loved ones today find solace and comfort in the Lord's redemptive and sovereign plan for each of them, our nation, and the world.

Now, what you've all been waiting for (or just skipped to). I thought I would post a few more pictures from this past weekend. We're looking forward to coming home--back to a RED state!! :)

Emma is checking out Uncle Rob (don't worry Emma, you're not the only one who thinks he's funny looking...):



Grandaddy finagled himself onto the floor and read "The Priest with Dirty Clothes" to Emma. It is a bit "over her head" right now, but she made it through about half the book before drooling on it... (nice legs Grandaddy...)

Yeah, the camera caught me. I was crawling. I just wanted to check out that electrical outlet...

Lipstick and Pigs...

Ok, well there are neither of those items/animals in this post, but it has certainly made for interesting television watching these days. Dad had a post-op followup visit today and received a good report. He's cleared to exercise, drive and resume life as he knew it. What is more scary is that he says he feels like he has more energy now! While he's committed to taking off this entire week from work, he's already called the office to warn them of his newfound (or refound) energy!
Here are some pictures of Emma, et al.--we ate lunch and dinner outside today and it was so nice to enjoy the beautiful weather and fresh air. If only I could bottle it and bring it back!






We've finally finalized a flight home and we'll be arriving in Birmingham, Friday night at 11:30. We'll see how Emma does flying at night this time...more on that later, I'm sure.

Praise and Thanks...

A quick update---Dad's surgery went very well. Modern medicine is pretty amazing. His pacemaker is set to regulate his heartbeat at a steady 60 beats/minute. So far he is feeling good, but is having some chest tightness. Hopefully, the doctor can evaluate this symptom at his follow up visit this week. He still has to be very careful with his left arm and cannot lift much and shouldn't be driving. As of now though, he has been a very good patient and following the rules (which is an amazing feat in and of itself.. :)) Thank you for all the prayers and Praise be to the Lord for his mercies, grace, and provisions!

Emma is doing well. She has finally adjusted to West Coast time--just in time for us to come home, right? The weather is great--with a high of just 78. We've turned off the A/C and have the windows open for fresh air. There is no humidty and barely a cloud in the sky (after the fog burned off though--which made it a chilly 50 degrees this morning!) We don't have much on the agenda for the rest of the week, except to help out here--doing laundry, etc. Not much different than I would be doing at home. Apologies all around for the lack of pictures, hopefully Emma will pose later on today and I'll post them.

Greetings from Cali...

Emma and I made it to San Fransisco on Wednesday to help out before and after my Dad's surgery. The flight was interesting--to say the least. Emma did really well, but it was pretty rough. I am already dreading the flight back--but maybe it will give me lots of time to think about ways airlines can improve traveling with children! Anyways, after we learned Dad's surgery went well and he was in recovery, I snapped some pictures of Emma around the house. We also went to the park where she enjoyed the swings for a few minutes.

Oh and just because I can't not mention it (excuse the double negative)---Go Sarah Palin!

Greetings from the Beach

Well, 3 duffle bags, 5 tote bags, 1 inflatable kiddie pool, 1 exersaucer, 1 sound machine, 2 monitors, 40 diapers, 1 can of formula, 1 stroller and 1 highchair later, we've made it to the beach. We arrived late yesterday afternoon (after spending a night with the Fountains in Dothan) and the weather was beautiful. This morning we woke up and our view from the balcony looked like this:

So we checked the radar and it looks like this:

So we're hanging out inside, where Emma looks like this:

Stay tuned...

And we're off...

An Olympic sport it's not, but yesterday Emma certainly got into the spirit of the games with her own movement: the one legged crawl. Since a picture is worth 1,000 words, here's a video:





And while I'm into posting as many videos as possible these days, here's one more. Emma was in a fantastic mood when she woke up from her nap this morning. I sat her in the bathroom while I got ready and we played some good old fashioned "peekaboo." Her laugh was too funny not to preserve!

Emma's Babbles and Head Shaking

I happened to be near the digital camera this afternoon and captured some good Emma moments. The video below is of Emma doing her "head shake." For some time now, Emma will occasionally (and rather violently) shake her head side to side. I'm not sure if she means "no" or just enjoys shaking it. I hope this doesn't mean we're in for raising a female head banger! Regardless, I got a bit of it on video.




Next, Emma was babbling this afternoon so I recorded some of it. It was also really funny to watch her while I played the video on the computer. I promise she talked back when she heard herself through the computer! Too funny! She is really growing fast! Enjoy if you're interested (sorry parts are kind of slow--and this one is over 4 mins. long...)




Oh, and p.s. I think she's pretty close to crawling--maybe a week or more away!

Sad News from China

Just when I began to feel a bit guilty for being outspoken about the injustices of the Chinese government, and just when I truly wanted to commit myself to the idea that good can come from the Olympics in Beijing, Jason emailed me this story. It seems that the little girl (age 9) who sang in the opening ceremonies during the presentation of the Chinese flag was (at the direction of the Chinese government) lip singing, Milli Vanilli style. The voice heard by billions, was another Chinese girl (age 7) who won a competition. At the last minute the government decided she wasn't "cute" enough, citing her buck teeth as a problem. The article explains:

"The main consideration was the national interest," [The Musical Director] said. "The child on the screen should be flawless in image, in her internal feelings, and in her expression. In the matter of her voice, Yang Peiyi was flawless, in the unanimous opinion of all the members of the team."

But she wasn't "flawless in her looks." The article continues:

"So we made the choice. I think it is fair to both Lin Miaoke (the girl on camera) and Yang Peiyi (the actual singer) - after all, we have a perfect voice, a perfect image and a perfect show, in our team's view, all together."

My heart is so sad for both of these girls--and for the millions like them--the girls who are "chosen" as "perfect" and those cast aside as flawed. How desperately this nation is in need of Christ's love, grace and salvation and HIS offer of unconditional love, regardless of performance or appearance. I have often thought critically of our own media for spawning rampant eating disorders by barraging us with air-brushed pictures of the "ideal" image of beauty. I can't imagine living in a culture where the government dictates it.

But what is possibly the most heartbreaking is Yang Peiyi's own thoughts about being rejected to be on camera. Only 7 years old, she reportedly said that "she was happy to have been chosen to sing at all." Even if this is a heartfelt statement of extreme maturity beyond her years, my heart still goes out to her.

Despite such disappointing news, however, the best solace is certainly God's sovereignty and that He remains at work. Another interesting twist is simply that the story was actually reported--and the music director of the opening ceremonies felt the need (and supposedly the freedom) to tell the story in an interview to a Beijing radio station. It might not be much, but it is something!

Botanical Gardens

Thanks to a wonderful offer from a great friend to borrow her nice camera, we took Emma to the Botanical Gardens Saturday morning for a "photo shoot." I know, I know, it was hard to find time for the photo session with the Communist "Freedom Facade" masquerading as the Olympics and the confirmation of John Edwards' affair (despite his wife's terminal cancer), competing for our attention, but somehow we made it work. Below are some shots (unfortunately, the nicer camera did not miraculously transform me to a better photographer--go figure, right?). Thanks Kitty!

I'm Just Hot...

All of my republican family will probably disown me, but props to Paris Hilton for her recent response to McCain's campaign ad. You can check it out here. In the midst of what is surely going to turn into a nasty race for the White House, why not laugh a little (or a lot)?

I'm Back...

I knew once I started a blog, my biggest problem would be posting regularly. That said, we have been busy since my last posts. Emma was baptized in a blessed and wonderful service on June 29. We were so excited for family to travel and be with us to celebrate the joyous sacrament. Next to the days Emma accepts Christ (which we continue to pray comes early!) and gets married, this was probably the third biggest day in her life (at least for Jason and me) so we were thrilled to have family share it with us and celebrate with a brunch afterwards!!

Before the Service...

An extra special touch to Emma's baptism is that she wore the dress my mom ("Nana") made for me. Emma's bonnet is made from a handkerchief I wore at my baptism and then carried in our wedding. The dress is so beautiful (and extremely well made--for any of you who know the perfectionist that is my mother!) Thank you so much Nana for doing such wonderful work and creating such a treasure to pass down to our children!

A family picture before brunch! (compliments of Kipp photography..:)


After Emma's baptism, things have remained a "good amount" of busy. Emma's been hitting some milestones. Lately, she's mastered sitting up. It is pretty nice to sit her down with some toys and come back to find her in the same spot! I'm enjoying it while it lasts! Below are some recent pictures of her newly acquired "skill." Enjoy!

Our Daily Bread...

Reflecting this Sabbath on the word of the Lord as meditated on by our pastor Bob Flayhart today, a new concept was presented to me that has plagued me most of the day. As Jesus instructed his disciples in Matthew 6 on "how to pray" (i.e. The Lord's Prayer) we are to corporately pray for our "daily bread." Not bread for next week, next year, the bread of retirement, or the bread that will get our children through college but what we need this day--today's bread. How much of my time is spent worrying whether we have adequately prepared for the future, whether we can "afford" to do X, Y, or Z in the future? Am I not much more valuable to the Father than the birds of the sky? Matt. 6: 25-27. Why then do I engage so often in such disobedient behavior by not trusting that manna will continue to flow each and EVERY day to fulfill my necessities. Further, will He not have the same favor on my children? Why do I feel as I am the ultimate authority for my child? In a few rare and silent moments of solitude, His grace directs me that the buck stops not with me but with HIM. Lastly, as I continue in my quest to yearn for "daily bread," I am awe struck by the question (posited by Bob) "what if all of our excess--i.e. everything we do not need for today--grew worms and stank" as did the manna from Heaven (Exodus 16:20)? I fear if such a scenario rang true, when I awoke tomorrow morning, the worms would take over and revolt against me.

I Hate Blogs

Let me begin by reiterating that I hate blogs. Or rather is it that I have just developed and maintained a strident disdain for most bloggers? Since learning of the rampant popularity of these cyber-placed personal yearbooks, I have found that many blogs are devoted to recounting everything about one's life and family for the general population to see and read on the World Wide Web. For those who refuse to place any restrictions on their blogs, mere acquaintances (and even strangers) will know as much of your life as you feel inclined to divulge. Consequently, with the rise of blogging popularity I have also seen a direct increase in "cyber-stalking" leading to terrible cases of "keeping up with the internet Joneses." For example: Planning your next vaca? Got a new car? Posted it on your blog? I bet your ninth grade boyfriend whose heart you broke at the homecoming dance when you made out with the JV football captain as the DJ serenaded you with GnR's "Patience" is now going to one-up-your new SUV purchase he learned about after reading it on your blog. Of course these problems inherently assume one vital piece of information: that anyone else cares about your life or reading it on your blog. Hence, I have been "reluctant" to jump on the "blog bandwagon."

That said, I have come to understand the value of many of the blogs I read (and/or skim) . It is a good way for family to keep in touch with grandchildren, nieces, nephews, etc. I have also been exceedingly encouraged and inspired by a few blogs--one by the mother of an extremely ill daughter which chronicles her prayerful journey for her daughter's recovery, and several introspective and thought provoking blogs which promote the exchange of intelligent (and some not-so) ideas. Thus, as I find myself with an idea now and then and few people to share them with during the day (since my five month old has yet to master vocabulary), I have succumbed and entered the blogging world as part of the pursuit of my Domestic Degree. I don't operate under the guise that this blog will be similar to those I find inspiring and well written, but I do hope it is informative, fun and at times thought provoking to those interested. I make only mild apologies for my tongue-and-cheek attitude and the likelihood that I will at some time offend every reader. Please know I am an equal opportunity offender and am much harder on myself than anyone else. And of course, I welcome comments (laudatory preferred). So for now...stay tuned...