Christmas for the Ladies

Well, it's November 2nd, so you know what that means! Time for the blog carnival of Christmas ideas! Sheila (from Momfessions) had a great idea for a gift idea exchange, and today is Day 1: Gifts for HER (women in general, not just my sweet friend Sheila!).

1. Immersion Blender: This is one of my all time favorite kitchen gadgets. The immersion blender has several attachments, depending on what you're making. I especially love it for when I need to mix something, but don't want to use my enormous mixer. I don't have a hand held mixer, so this works really well! A mini food processor/chopper also comes as an attachment... Make smoothies, quick purees, or even brownies! The best part is that you don't have to dirty any other dishes- use the immersion blender right in the bowl you're already using!

2. James Avery jewelry: I love James Avery jewelry. I'm pretty sure one of the first volunteers in my youth group got me hooked on Avery's designs. (Thanks, Karey Garrison!) My favorite is the crosslet ring. It's so simple, yet makes a profound statement about what I believe. I wore this ring on my left ring finger until the day I received something more beautiful and sparkly to take its place! ;) It comes in silver or gold, so you can take your pick for your favorite lady! James Avery makes all sorts of gorgeous pieces- and not all are religious. I just happen to prefer the ones that are! Check out his website: jamesavery.com

3. Massage: Be sure that your gift receiving girl even LIKES massages- I know of several who don't want to be touched at all! You can really find some great deals on massages (and still receive quality treatment)! For example, the YMCA where we belong offers a deal to members: $60 for an hour. That is a DEAL compared to going to a spa! They have a room set up that is very cozy- candles, music, dim lighting- with a very comfy massage bed! Of course, the masseuses are all certified, so rest easy! Another option is booking an appointment at a massage school. My sister did this with some friends, and even determined the best time to go. Training at the school lasts for a certain number of months. If you can figure out when their training is coming to a close, go then! They will have learned a lot and had lots of practice by this point. It's not quite as glamorous as a spa or anywhere else, but I've heard the quality is still good!

Head over to Sheila's blog to see what suggestions she has. I can't disagree with any of them! And, if you feel so inclined, link up on her blog to your own page and share some more ideas with us!

http:jonandmollie.blogspot.com

Boonetown!!

OH MAN. What an awesome weekend. We left town late afternoon on Thursday to make the trek to Boone, with a stop in Durham on the way. We were able to meet up with Jon's parents, his sister, and our nieces and nephew for dinner before heading the rest of the way. It was fun for Kate to be able to meet her other aunt and her other 2 cousins. She'd already met her oldest cousin this summer and she LOVES her!! We didn't get to Boone until 11:30 or so on Thursday night, which is when the adventure began. I fed K and tried to put her down around midnight. That was not a part of her plan. She was awake (and super fussy) until 3 am!!!!!!! We decided that it was a combination of being super sleepy, a new place, and a new bed (pack n play). Then she slept for 2 hours and was up again. Heaven help us. Jon and I were crazy people at this point. By the time 8 am rolled around, we had all slept for about 3 1/2 hours. So, when she went down for a nap at 9:30, we did too!! Around noon, we started our day. Remaining true to Boone weather, it was raining and cold on Friday. We got Tucker's for lunch (praise God from whom all blessings flow), and went up to the outlets for a bit. Dinner was with Meridith (Daniel, it's true. Sometimes your family seems to like the person you're dating more than they like you.) at Woodlands- SO yummy!!!

Saturday and Sunday were spent with our favorite Hinch family!! Tucker's and Dos Amigos fed us on Saturday... Is it bad that much of our trips to Boone revolves around eating? Especially at Tucker's.... We went to the game (Black Saturday) in the afternoon and Kate slept until the first touchdown. Then she wanted to watch! Or entertain the people around us. Church on Sunday, of course, and we got to see our beloved Andrews family while we were there. Macado's for lunch after church, then quick goodbyes to our sweet friends so we could hit the road. Lots of fun to run into old friends unexpectedly- the whole Chasteen crew at our hotel, Lisa, Pat and Lucy, Candace, and more.

One last stop in Durham on the way home for some more family time and an awesome dinner made by my sweet mother in law. It was nice to sit on the couch and chat for awhile, and especially to break up that trip! Kate was glad to get out of her carseat too! Pictures of the weekend to come later. Thank you, Lord, for such a wonderful place to visit with such DEAR memories!!

http://jonandmollie.blogspot.com

Crisp weather and blog carnivals

It looks like it will be a pretty nice weekend in Boone... well, at least not as cold as last weekend. A late afternoon football game will still be pretty chilly, but Kate is in luck because she has this to wear:

She will be one snuggly girl, thanks to Gram!!

On another note, I've been thinking about Christmas gifts. Already. Mostly because I need to budget differently this year, now that I'm not teaching anymore. It won't work to cram in all of my shopping in the last 2 weeks before Christmas! I've had some pretty fun idea for gifts for my sweet hubby in the past, but I often get stumped on what to buy him. Men like the expensive toys and my creative juices get frozen in the winter. My dear friend Sheila is hosting a blog carnival for people to share gift ideas. During the week of Nov. 2-6, there will be different ideas for the different folks in your family. Check out her blog to learn more!




http://jonandmollie.blogspot.com

Blogs and numbers

I follow one particular blog because it's all about sweet stuff- cookies, cakes, breads, etc. YUM. Baking vs. cooking. The most recent post has 3800 comments. Ummmm, seriously?? I think I have 2 followers on my blog. Maybe. 3800 comments, though?! Holy smokes. Perhaps yummy desserts are more interesting than my subject matter. Oh well. I'm pretty okay with that. I love my cupcake who is taking her nap right now far more than a cupcake that will make me gain back this weight that is finally gone!!!!

Boone, NC

We leave in one week and 2 days for a long weekend at our favorite place on earth, and this time we get to introduce our favorite little girl on earth to God's country. I cannot wait!! Fall leaves and colors, Appalachian football, Valle Crucis Mast General Store, Tucker's, Alliance, and a weekend with Amy, Brian, and Noah. Here are some pictures that really capture what makes me excited...

What's next?

For the first 4 months of Kate's life, I must have been living in an alternate world. I was never the typical exhausted new mom and was ready to do anything at most any time! I was never sleepy during the day, therefore could not ever nap while Kate napped. I was certainly ready for bed when it was time, but I wasn't dying by the end of the day (as many of my friends have been). I didn't dread feedings every 3 hours- I didn't look forward to them either, but I didn't dread them. It just wasn't a big deal to get up and take care of my sweet girl. I got up each morning and worked out most days of the week for awhile. And then she started sleeping through the night at 4 months. Yes, I knew that this "simple" life of being a mom was too good to be true. I'm not stupid!

Now, it's all caught up to me. I feel like the dead walking. Maybe it was just adrenaline at the beginning. It's hit me like a truck now, though!! I have zero energy to go work out or anything! I'm happy to just sit around the entire day. Adding to the mix- Kate no longer sleeps through the night (this could be the reason for my zombie-like behavior). And she would like to eat at 1, 2, 3, or 4 am. And she eats a LOT then! Fortunately, Kate goes to sleep immediately after eating at one of these ungodly hours. Although it's been proven that babies don't wake up because of hunger, I still was convinced that it was time to start some rice cereal (pediatrician said to start around 5 months). What a disaster! See pictures below of first attempt... My list of things to attempt is turning out as follows:

Rice cereal with water (dumb idea to begin with, but didn't have milk ready)

Rice cereal with milk (from a spoon)

Rice cereal with milk (from a bottle- she's not a big fan of bottles PERIOD.)

Nursing right before bed (feeble attempt, though studies show that feeding before bed does not prolong sleep)

Add something w/ more flavor to the rice cereal (she's not old enough for anything else yet)

First bite and permanent reaction...

She doesn't actually wake up in the night- she just cries and cries with her eyes closed until she gets totally carried away. She can't be soothed by anything, and when we pick her up, she opens her eyes and we are greeted with enormous smiles.

So, any new ideas for me? What did you do to help your kids sleep through the night??

http://jonandmollie.blogspot.com

Weddings and such

This weekend seemed to be a weekend of weddings. We were fortunate enough to attend one of some sweet friends, Andrea and Ian. I've known Andrea almost my entire life, and we've LOVED getting to know Ian over the past several years. Both sets of their parents celebrated anniversaries this week, and they finished out the anniversary trend by getting married yesterday! What a sweet time to spend together! I've seen a "count up" ticker on someone's blog recently, and after the wedding yesterday evening, it got me thinking... How many days have WE been married? 1,954! Wow. How about my parents? 12,461. Amazing. And with that, I'm off to rescue the crying girl in her crib.

Want to laugh out loud like I did?

Check out this link to my friend Kirsten's blog today. Oh, the woes of being a beautiful pregnant woman.

In Christ Alone

Last week, the choir sang an awesome song during the offertory. It's one of my favorites, and they did a beautiful arrangement of it. Here are the lyrics, which I've been pondering (and singing) for the last week or so:

In Christ alone my hope is found,
He is my light, my strength, my song;
This Cornerstone, this solid Ground,
firm through the fiercest drought and storm.
What heights of love, what depths of peace,
when fears are stilled, when strivings cease.
My Comforter, my All in All,
here in the love of Christ I stand.

In Christ alone, who took on flesh
Fullness of God in helpless babe.
This gift of love and righteousness
Scorned by the ones he came to save.
Till on that cross as Jesus died,
The wrath of God was satisfied -
For every sin on Him was laid
Here in the death of Christ I live.

There in the ground His body lay
Light of the world by darkness slain.
Then bursting forth in glorious day
Up from the grave he rose again!
And as He stands in victory
Sin's curse has lost its grip on me,
For I am His and He is mine -
Bought with the precious blood of Christ.

No guilt in life, no fear in death,
This is the power of Christ in me;
From life's first cry to final breath,
Jesus commands my destiny.
No power of hell, no scheme of man
Can ever pluck me from His hand;
Till He returns or calls me home,
Here in the power of Christ I'll stand.

The little lady

I suppose it's time for an update on our sweet girl, since we have many friends and family out of town/out of the country, and verbal communication is not always possible.

At Kate's 4 month appointment, which was actually closer to 5 months (thank you, slow insurance company), she weighed 15 pounds, 10 ounces. She measured 23 3/4 inches, but the doctor thinks she really is 24 inches and that the nurse didn't stretch her out as much as she could have. So, little lady is 2 feet tall! She got another round of shots, and she did really well! She is all smiles, so the doctor enjoyed our visit! Kate helped the doctor as she listened to her heart- she will grab anything in front of her, and this time it happened to be the doctor's fingers that weren't holding the stethoscope!

Our sweet pea is always looking around, with huge eyes, taking everything in around her. She wants to learn so badly! She prefers to look out the window during car rides instead of snoozing. It's been a long time since she let us cradle her like a baby. She wants to be up on someone's shoulder, so she can look around- even when she's being rocked to sleep. I guess she's wanted to be like the grownups from the very beginning... she wouldn't flip when I was pregnant with her, remember?? Grownups do NOT stand on their heads, and she was not going to either! A reclining position is much better. Her comfort in reclining also extends to football watching. She LOVES to watch football and Sports Center. This makes Daddy happy.

She has figured out how to roll over (my birthday present from her) and she's trying hard to crawl. She pushes herself so far up and tries to pull her legs up underneath her, but it doesn't work quite yet! This mama is okay with that for now. ;) She scoots a lot, so when we put her to bed, we start her at the far end. Come morning time, she has scooted all the way up and often has an arm sticking out of the slats of the crib! Since she loves to grab things that she sees, that also means the pacifier. She's AWESOME at taking it out of her mouth and looking at it and playing with it, but she can't figure out how to get it back IN her mouth... at least not in the direction it's supposed to go!

She loves to laugh and she loves to talk. She comes by it pretty honestly. Kisses from Daddy are her favorite, and we always greet him at the front door when he gets home from work. She's always SO excited to see him get out of his car and walk across the front yard.

We went to Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardens the other day with my mom and our dear friend Agnes to check out the butterfly exhibit. I was amazed at how attentive Kate is. Her attention span is far greater than I anticipated or even knew was normal for someone her age. She was enthralled with the butterflies and followed their every move. We just walked around the room and she jumped and kicked in my arms as butterflies fluttered past her face. Such a fun day!

I think that's enough of an update for now. Maybe a future post will include some of our nursery sagas. It's been an interesting ride, and it's only just starting!

**Just waking up from naptime**


**Wait... how did I end up like this?**





**Butterflies!**

Boy or Girl?

The number of friends who are expecting seems to keep increasing! And many are due around the same time! Blogs are being updated today, because today is apparently THE day!! Two boys, so far... Which leads me to my experience at the post office today. A month or so ago, I entered the world of half.com- this time as a seller. I have books from grad school to get rid of, and you can get good money for those! That, of course, sent me on a hunt around the house (at my husband's prompting) to see what other stuff I could sell. Especially since some books net $75! Poor Jon might come home one day to an empty house... But, I digress. At the post office (while shipping a book that had been sold), I was greeted by the kind lady at the counter. Really, she is kind. Surprisingly. I was carrying Kate in my arms, so she could look around and not be trapped in her seat. Here is the conversation that ensued:

Clerk: "Awwwwwww!!!!! Is it a boy or girl?"

Me: "She's a girl."

Clerk: "Oh, you confused me because she's wearing blue."

Well, I made Kate stand on the counter so I could make my point without speaking another word. Kate had on a bluish-turquoise onesie today with a slice of PINK watermelon on the front, and BRIGHT PINK shorts. All of which could be seen even before I perched her on the counter. I suppose girls are only allowed to wear pink and purple... Come on, people!!

Rest

Is it time to go to Boone yet? I'm exhausted and ready for a vacation.

Sexiest Men Alive?

Today I learned that you can add any of the following gadgets to your blog, if you so choose: Swine Flu Prevention Tips, Twilight Quotes, or Sexiest Men Alive pictures. We are pretty well protected against Swine Flu, I think Twilight is one of most absurd pandemics/fads/foolishness to come our way, and I will just check out this picture of the "Sexiest Man Alive," if I want that. I might also call it the "Jon and Kate" or "Dad and his Girl"gadget. Go Appalachian!

Back to School

Tomorrow is the first day of school. Here is the real reason I'm glad I'm not going back. And yes, this is one type of foolishness that high school (and middle school, I suppose) teachers deal with every day.

Mums and Football

It seems as though fall has arrived here in Richmond! So, I decided to autumnize my blog a little. Yes, this English teacher just made up that word. I've always loved fall and fall colors, but I'm especially enjoying it this year... It doesn't usually cool down quite this early (in the 80's... ha, ha!), but it gets in the low 70's at night, which makes this air feel much cooler! I ran by school to return my keys last week and the drum line was out front practicing. Praise God!! There's something about that deep sound that resonates through my soul, and gets me giddy for football. And I'm not even a huge football fan! Kate's eyes were huge as she took it all in. Each season brings new sounds and sights for her and I'm so excited to watch her learn even more.

Fall also means mums and I can't wait to go get them. I'm crazy like that, but I do love a few pots of mums perched on the front steps- gold, maroon, and orange. Such great fall colors!

Fall means football. My poor ASU Mountaineers couldn't quite pull it off this past weekend. Pirates are so mean. But as a college friend said, "Turned out to be a pretty good game - I still hate losing! But I can promise you this....I would rather lose a ballgame and ride back to BOONE than win and have to stay in a dump like Greenville." True, true. I don't really care too much about other football. I'll definitely cheer on the Panthers with my hubby and the Steelers with the rest of my family, but other than that... football makes for a good nap!

School starts here on Tuesday. And I'm not going. So weird! I've found myself thinking about it a ton lately, and almost literally crying in thanksgiving to Jesus for making it so I can stay home with my sweet pea. I will miss my friends, for sure, but check out my alternative!! Nothing beats those kissable cheeks and a huge gummy grin!

Enjoy the weather as it gets crisper, relax as football season kicks off, take in the smell of the fall air, and snuggle up in your favorite pair of jeans. God is so good to us!!

The Star of the Summer

It was brought to my attention that I haven't done a very good job of updating pictures of Kate on my blog. :) So, here are some pictures of my sweet girl from this summer, particularly from the beach...

What a guy!

Happy birthday to my sweet fella! He might be that much closer to 30, and terrified of it, but I sure do love my groom! He is a godly husband and father, he has the BEST sense of humor, and I fall more in love with him everyday. Thank you for working hard so Kate and I can be home together everyday. She adores you and I do too...

Another job that doesn't pay...monetarily.

In my previous life, I was a 10th grade English teacher at my former high school. That paid me fairly well. In April, I embarked on a most precious journey. My new occupation is Kate's mom. I'm no longer rewarded with a paycheck, but that's definitely okay by me. There remains yet another job that I claim as mine, that also does not come with a paycheck! I am a pastor's wife and have held this position for 5 years now. And that, my friend, is a job in itself! I love being married to a pastor. And most days I love this job. But other days, it can be really tough. I've been working on this post for days (I've been a little distracted), but here are some of the harder things that I have wrestled with this summer:

• Beyond Sunday mornings and Wednesday nights: MUCH time is spent between services. Pastors don't just show up on Sunday morning and Wednesday night! Hours aren't typically constant because every week looks different. Meetings with staff, meetings with students or other members of the congregation, and planning time consume time during the week. Pastors are on call 24/7... literally. If one of the youth is having a rough night or needs some help, a phone call at an obscene hour is not uncommon!
  
• Long hours: It's a beautiful thing when my dear hubby doesn't have to go to work until noon. But, he's going to work at noon because he won't be coming home until 8 or 9 that evening. Sometimes, though, he leaves for work at 9 to make it in time for staff meeting. Then Bible study is that evening. Before I know it, he's been gone for 12 hours and we miss spending any time with him. Or, meetings last well into the evening (he arrived home at 10:30 one evening last week). For two weeks in a row, two separate nights held the 12 hour work days. Baby (kids, for some) is in bed and Mom is ready to crash too. It's not easy.
  
• Watch your mouth, young lady: As a pastor's wife, I represent my husband and my family. Of course, I represent the Most High as well and I'm very aware of this. But church life is not perfect. If I disagree with something going on in the church, I have to be extremely careful when/if I open my mouth. Unfortunately, what you say at church can and will be used against you at some point in time. And people talk. Oh, how they talk. You have to know how to play the game. And it can be pretty exhausting at times.
  
• People are watching... and talking: Sometimes it feels as though I have to be "on" all the time. Feeling the need to appear perfect will wear you down! And rumors often run rampant. I try to remember that people need to see an example of a healthy marriage. So, I aim to keep my actions and words about (and to!) my hubby as encouraging as possible.
  
• Scheduling: By the time we pencil in church events, deacon's meetings/budget meetings/quarterly meetings/youth team meetings, we don't have many evenings left in the week. Throw in a date night (super important) and getting together with a friend, and we're down to one night at home. Not quite as terrible when it's just two of you, but add a child to the mix and it's hard to NOT be home.
• Did the church hire me, too??: This is a hard concept for some churches (especially in regard to the youth pastor). I am extremely blessed at our current church because no one EXPECTS me to do anything in relation to his job. They are certainly grateful when I do, but no one assumes that my calling is exclusively to the youth. I adore my high school girls and cherish my time with them, and I'm thankful that I was able to choose that for myself! Although it's not in my current plan, my role may change as Kate grows, and as I grow in my relationship with Jesus.
  
• Taking it personally: If anyone has anything negative to say about my man or his ministry, LOOK OUT! Just kidding. Well, kinda. If anyone knows the faults of my fella, it's me. I know them better than anyone. (Yes, it does go both ways... He has lots of dirt on me and knows all the ugly things about me!!) But anyway, it's really hard to hear someone talk negatively about your husband. As a woman, my feelings are pretty sensitive. And it hurts my feelings when someone is harsh- even if it's not toward me!!
  
• Friends: This one is really tough for me. Unless you are starting a new church (and pretty much chose the staff members with whom you'll be working), it can be difficult to make friends. Especially when going to a new church. For some reason, people aren't jumping at the chance to be friends with a pastor and his wife! ;) It can be hard to be transparent (and I'm all about some honesty and deep conversations) with church members. You have to be guarded in the things you say (for example, prayer requests have to be very vague when related to hubby's job). Plus, people already have their own circles of friends. When your life is engulfed in the church, how can you find solid fellowship with those who don't necessarily GO to your church??
  
• Contentment: I'm reading a book with a dear friend right now entitled, "Calm my Anxious Heart." The book starts out addressing contentment, so I've really been focusing on Philippians 4:11-13 lately. Life in ministry is not life in luxury. And I don't think that it should be. It's not about the love of my life being appreciated (although it sure is nice when it happens!). It's not about owning all the things that people around me own (I really have to check myself when I wish for bigger and better). And I will eventually have to learn that it's not about Kate being happy all the time. We live our lives for Jesus and not for ourselves or anyone else.

Being content isn't always easy. But He is the most important aspect of our lives and when we are solely focused on Him, "... the things of earth will grow strangely dim, in the light of His glory and grace." What a joy it is to develop relationships with teenagers and to encourage them and challenge them in their walks with the Lord. How precious it is to stumble through the rocky teenage life alongside our awesome youth. And what a sheer honor and privilege it is to serve them, pray for them, laugh with them, cry with them, and grow closer to our heavenly Father with them!!

Urgent Care and the beach

Yes. That is how our trip to Emerald Isle began this year. Here are the events of Friday night and yesterday:
-Around midnight on Friday night, Kate woke up and started screaming like a banshee...like she was in severe pain... and NOTHING could console her.
-2 am, Jon put her in the car and drove around the neighborhood.
-Once she was asleep, they came home and he put her in her bed.
-Totally fine in the morning.
-Jon, Daniel, Kate, and I left for the beach yesterday morning. Mom, Dad, and Gretchen came late last night after a wedding.
-On the road to NC. Kate slept like a champ until we stopped for lunch and I tried to feed her.
-Howling commenced.
-Kate refused to eat anything and would not stop shrieking.
-We shoved our food down our throats, calmed her down, and got back on the road.
-Arrived in Emerald Isle, Kate finally ate at 5 pm (had not eaten since 9:30 am).
-Conveniently, urgent care places around here are closed on the weekends.
-Head to Morehead City to BEACH CARE.
-Cute little place with a sweet receptionist (big hair and lots of makeup- who also gave us directions on the phone, "It's across the street from Hooters.").
-They don't take our insurance. Sweet southern receptionist tells me that the ER is the only place open that can't turn us away.
-Don't even really have any symptoms to tell them, so we decide to stay.
-Receptionist says that doctor is the "fairest" person she knows. He probably won't charge us too much out of pocket- between $98-$138
-In and out of BEACH CARE within 40 minutes.
-Diagnosis: She looks fine! Cost: $98.

So, I had my maternal instincts challenged yesterday for $98. The doctor was very kind, and it turned out that he really did charge as little as possible. Mom knows best, though. And something was not right with my sweet girl. No clue what it was, but I KNOW that something was off. She was not herself. But how do you tell the doctor, "She's crying a lot."?? That's what babies do! But mine doesn't. And he made me feel like an idiot. Like I couldn't handle a little crying. Like I don't know my own daughter. Whatever. Anyone who heard it would tell you that it wasn't just "a little crying." He did tell me that if nothing changed, that I could bring her back today for no charge.

Our first full day at the beach is halfway over. And we have yet to set foot on the sand! Dad, Daniel, and Jon set up the cabana this morning to stake our territory. But storms have threatened the rest of the day. We got all set to head down just a few minutes ago... despite the wind, clouds, and rough waves. As soon as we set foot on the walkway to the beach, I got nailed with a raindrop on my forehead. So, we turned around and came back up! I was not trying to run up stairs in the pouring rain with this chica!

Kate and I were in our pajamas until about 2o minutes ago (2:30 pm!!), we ate tomato and bacon sandwiches for lunch, and we're meeting up with Dad's college roommate and his family for dinner (2:30 pm!!). I love vacation...

Here is what the 3 month old beach babe looks like. It's a picture from the pool the other week, but she has the same gear on here at the beach! Anyone can look cool with sunglasses on top of her head! Once we get on the beach, we'll snap some more!