Six months old

Here are the stats-
Weight: 18 lbs.
Height: 27 in.
Favorite toy: Raggedy Ann doll or dad's waterproof Swiss Army Watch
Favorite pastimes: Bathtime, cow tipping (more on that later)
Favorite people: Dad and Mom (who else ?)
Favorite noises: mammama, babbaba, loud squeals
Favorite food: Milk and ...milk. (Nora says, "Now that I'm a big girl, maybe mom and dad will let me sample all the yummy-looking stuff they eat.")

Birthday, Birthday!!!

Happy 14th Birthday, Melanie.
I've been thinking about you. I love having you as a sister. Thanks for all your kindnesses to me and for being there for me when spiders are falling :)
xoxox
Sarah

Bathtime

Nora enjoying the suds and her rubber ducky...

Fondue

I had the very rewarding experience today of using an appliance that has sat in a closet since we were married. I had never used a fondue pot when we received ours as a gift. It is stainless steel model-truly beautiful. It took me all day to make and clean-up from dinner (which in itself lasted 1.5 hours), but it was worth it. It is one of those work-intensive projects that are very fulfilling. Stephen was so appreciative of my efforts and commented the meal was a good de-stresser. I wouldn't want to have to put as much time/money into every dinner as I did today, but I sure am a fan of the slower-paced meal with good conversation.

Barnes and Noble pick-me-up

This morning I was having a case of the Monday Blues. The week stretched before me promising little variation and little hubby company as he is in a crunch time at work in addition to looming deadlines for grad school applications. This afternoon I began organizing my boxes of photos from the past five years -an overwhelming, but-fun-nevertheless project. I have a lot to catch up on there...college experiences, my wedding, a number of moves, first baby. Then there was editing work, laundry, dinner prep, etc., etc. By the time dinner was over, I was ready to bust out of our apartment. (Let me interject praise here -Stephen did watch Nora when he got home so I could go workout by myself. I really look forward to that part of my day, and Stephen consistently makes it happen.) But anyway, back to wanting to escape the apartment complex... I bundled Nora up and we headed off to Barnes and Noble. It was so much fun! Now that Nora is babbling and mimicking more, our outings have an aura of camaraderie. We walked all through the children's section stopping at the board books section. I passed slowly by the shelves, and when I determined that Nora was particularly interested in a book, I picked it up to read to her. I discovered I really liked the books by Eric Carle. To top the evening off, I popped into the adjoining Starbucks for a Vanilla Latte. Nora's constant cooing buttered up the cashier who gave me a Venti for the Tall price. Nice.

Having a bad day?

I know I use that excuse to legitimize a bad attitude or self-indulgence far too often. So, when I came upon this quote from Jonathan Edwards the other day, it was very convicting to me. Our entertainment culture and inborn laziness often keep me from Biblical self-examination, the very thing God calls me to do when I am having an "off day" or feelings of "restlessness."

"Resolved, whenever my feelings begin to appear in the least out of order, when I am conscious of the least uneasiness within, or the least irregularity without, I will then subject myself to the strictest examination."
-Jonathan Edwards

Read all of Jonathan Edward's "Resoultions."

"Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me, and know my anxieties; And see if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting."
-Psalm 139:23-24

Rachel weeping...

"More than 10m girls may have been lost to abortion and sex selection over the past 20 years in India, according to research published in The Lancet, a British medical journal. "
The Economist, January 14

I can't even imagine that number -10 million- and that in just one country. I pray the hearts of doctors, politicians, mothers and fathers worldwide, starting with America, would repent of the sin of killing our children.

End of the Spear

I cried just watching the trailer. I can't wait to see the movie (opening Friday) and plan to obtain the documentary, Beyond the Gates of Splendor, through Netflix.

Read more here.

A blue-eyed Eskimo child

Mammaamamaa

Does my beautiful daughter know what she is saying?!? I haven't decided. I think she's just happy to have another sound in her repertoire.

A little competiton

So, tonight at dinner, Stephen and I talked about what books we want to read this year. Stephen told me how one of our former professors challenged his son to a race to see who would read all the books on a designated library shelf first. He suggested a similar competition to motivate us to read more and then have the benefit of being able to discuss them. We each chose three books -one fiction, one non-fiction Christian, another non-fiction history or philosophical. Here's our list : (Stephen's followed by Sarah's)

All the Kings Men -Robert Penn Warren
Orthdoxy -G.K. Chesterton
Witness -Whittaker Chambers

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone -J.K. Rowling
Messiah the Prince -William Symington
Liberalism and its Challengers -Alonzo L. Hamby

The competition starts mid-Feb. Hopefully, it won't take all year to get through them...

A day made for denim

Thank you. This mother/ daughter moment was brought to you by Hallmark.

Swing me upon its hanging tire...

To celebrate Northern Virginia's glorious (albeit, brief) heat wave (60 degrees, baby!) Nora and I made a trip to a nearby park yesterday and again today (this time with a camera). Nora loved her first experience in the deep rubber baby swing. She even tried out the rocking cars on coils and the slide with my help, but those manipulated attempts at play didn't really seem to thrill her as much as her independent experience in the swing. She also seems pleased with her "big girl" umbrella stroller -a Christmas present from momma and daddy. She has discovered how to arch her back and start to push herself out of it. I'm afraid my days of strolling with a dependent infant are numbered.

My sis

This is my sister, Kate. (one of several sisters-I'm blessed that way) She looks so grown up in this picture! It was from a youth event she attended recently. She's dressed up like a doctor - a look that suits her well :) I just wanted to take a moment to say how happy I am to see the Lord working in her life. Keep trusting Him, darling!

-Sarah

A thousand words and more from Miss Nora

Christmas is here, Grandma and Grandpa!

Here I am sleeping on dad. Being the center of attention is hard work. That's my Uncle Nathan. I like to hold his hand.

These are my girl cousins, Lydia and Ellie, and my Aunt Jenna is holding me. I know. We're cute.

Aunt Melanie, me, Aunt Abby and Aunt Kaitlyn. They pretty much love me a lot.

I got really good at unwrapping my gifts...

Lift me up higher, PawPaw!

This is my momma's grandma. She's fun :)

Do you have to go, Aunt Lauren and Uncle Matt?

The end of a great year

Christmas 2005 was the longest holiday season I've enjoyed in my lifetime. The festivities began on the 22nd with our family of three Christmas here in VA. It was so special to share our first Christmas with a child. When we helped Nora get a grip on the paper, she would hold on while we pulled the gift out of the wrapping. By the end of Christmas -four parties later- she was becoming quite the pro. Still, her favorite things were the paper, bows and boxes rather than the actual gifts. I think her favorite gift was a package of socks...so easy to please at this age.

We were able to be in Indiana for a week celebrating with not only my family in Marion, but also Stephen's immediate and extended family (on his mother's side) at his Aunt and Unlce's home in Indianapolis. It was great to spend a little more time this trip with James, Elizabeth and their kids (Nora's cousins :), too. On the 31st, we got together with my mom's family (11 brothers and sisters!) -the inaugural year of the talent show, which, in my opinion, should become a tradition.

We rang in the New Year as we unpacked and prepared for the visit of good friends from college, Matt and Lauren Brownfield (so convenient they married each other :) They flew in on New Year's day (their 1st anniversary!) We had a great time! Texas is just too far away...They gave us like 500 (give or take a hundred) reasons to move there. The only really compelling reason being that's where they are and the University of Dallas sounds like an excellent school. Who knows...

Well, it's impossible to recap the whole holiday season. Yesterday was my first normal day. It will take a few more before I become perfectly content with normal again. (Being with Stephen through the day and having family showering Nora with constant attention was quite NICE -for then anyhow.) I think it will help if I make some New Year's resolutions and start working toward them. Oh, that and having Nora get through this intense teething stage.

2005 brought a lot of change into my life...I wonder. What will 2006 bring?