BEN and I spend a lovely weekend in JEKYLL ISLAND, which is very close to where we live. We called it our Vision Getaway, which really sounds like more than it was. But we had some decisions to make, some things to talk about regarding the upcoming year, and things to pray about, and thought a weekend away from home would be the ticket. Sometimes the will of the Lord is as clear as an autumn day. Other times you walk forward in what you think is His will only to have it be stopped completely. We’ve had some of those “stopped completely” experiences lately. So, we tell the Lord we want to trust Him, and ask Him for strength and wisdom and further guidance. And patience as we wait for guidance…

THE weather over the weekend was overcast but not cold, and we walked for miles and miles along the beach, much longer than we intended to actually, because on the way back it seemed like we’d never reach our hotel. But it was a wonderful weekend together. Different dynamics having a 5 month old baby along, instead of just the two of us like we used to, but it was so good. Sometimes things like that are just plain good  –  good for the soul, good for the marriage, refreshing for the heart…

AFTER we got to our motel, I sat Zoe on the bed while we unpacked. She was so happy I couldn’t resist a few pictures to capture her charm.

A few of daddy and mama at the Island… I took my tripod along to take some really fun shots along the beach [because, yes, this girl has joined the world of digital cameras... Canon Rebel XTI anyone??], but alas, this same girl forgot the hi-tech world of digital cameras needs to recharge batteries. And even greater alas, I forgot to take the charger. Disappointed isn’t even the word when I realized I couldn’t take all the pictures I had already designed in my mind! So, therefore I shall the few shots I took. Cherish them, please.

 
//handsome daddy//

//mama and the schnuckums//

//and the happy couple themselves//

//piggy toes//

//the camera died before I realized the baby should have been on the *other* side of me…//

// zoe had on the most adorable white and brown dress, which you can hardly see on these pictures//

//the dearest child I ever have known//

AND among other things…

BEN has given his answer to the school board that he will not be teaching again next year. That means changes for us, a new job for Ben, among others. And, might I say too, that the house we were going to buy is not working out. Folks, this is the THIRD HOUSE we have tried to buy since we’ve moved here. We’re wondering if we’re really supposed to be in this area????

BECAUSE I was so excited about painting a house and really being about to decorate and be creative, and now that outlet is gone [we aren't allowed to paint or put anything other than a nail in the walls here - oops about the screws!!], I’ve pulled out my scrapbooking for the first time in a while. I need some creative outlet for this stifled soul. So far I’ve been working on Zoe’s baby book, which is ever so much fun. And she’s only 5 months old, so it’s not overwhelming – unlike some other projects… I was at a store buying some supplies the other day and saw little jars to store brads and things. The only problem was that they were rather expensive, and seems rather large for such small objects. Ben was with me and suggested I use baby food jars. At first I thought the idea was ridiculous and very homemade. But I tried it at home, spray-painted the lids silver, and — voila! They are quite adorable. I think I shall buy more baby food jars just for the jars. And I can brag on them because it wasn’t my idea. So, just a tip for all your scrapbookers out there.

[I tried to upload the picture but it said it would take 300 minutes, so that'll be for another day]

AND just for a smile – can you imagine being so tiny you can sit in your daddy’s shoebox?

//I think she had just woke up. She has that dear-in-the-headlights look// [yes, the pun was intended]

FROM MY CRIB TO YOURS

Well, I just thought I should try n remember all that’s been happening these days. I have such a wonderful life, and want to remember it all. My memory is still not very long, since people say it only starts when you’re born, so that means I haven’t had much practice yet. I’ll show you some pictures of me too, so you know what’s happening.

I do know some things though, like when mama says, “Come to mama.” She says that every time she picks me, so I get all excited when she says that cuz I love when she holds me. Sometimes she gets all mushy and kisses and kisses my cheeks and the tippy-tip of my nose. It’s okay sometimes, but sometimes I’m glad when she stops and lets me look around too. She tells me all the time that she loves being my mommy and she’s so glad I’m her little baby girl, and that makes me feel all cozy inside. I try to tell her that I like being her little kid too, but all I can do is smile and make cooey sounds. Mommy talks all grown-up to me most of the time, and I like that best. Some people talk all funny and I can’t understand them at all. I try really hard, but I still don’t know what they’re saying.

Here I am drinking Starbucks coffee. Just kidding! It’s an empty cup but I tried to suck the last drops of coffee out of it.

Here I’m really chuggin’ it down.

I know when mama says, “Daddy’s here!” because then I know when I look around I’ll see that Daddy’s home, and that my bestest part of the day. I get all excited then, and always save my biggest smile for Daddy. Then he gets all mushy too, and calls me, “Daddy’s honeys” and all kinds of stuff like that. Silly Daddy. He can sing all kinds of funny songs to me. Mama sings to me too, but she just sings quiet songs, but I like Daddy best because he’s makes his voice all funny-like, and makes funny faces at me, and I just have to giggle. One time he was singing a song in the kitchen and I was in the living room, and he tickled my tummy all the way from there – and I couldn’t even see him! Daddy makes me giggle too when he leans down and rubs his goatee on my hand or my face. It’s all scratchy-like and it makes my eyes blink really fast when he does that. Last night I heard him tell mommy that it’s the bomb having a child. I love it that they like me so good.

This is Daddy and me. We have so much fun together.

Mommy is teaching me something else too, and I’m learning what it means when she says, “potty.” She sits me on this huge white thing with a hole soooo big at first I was scared I’d fall down and even mommy couldn’t get me out again. But now I feel safe because Momny holds me reaaaaaallly tight and I’ve never falled in. But when mama says, “potty” I know I’m supposed to push reaaaallly hard. Then mama starts laughing cuz she says I look so cute when I’m grunting and my face gets all red and I’m pushing hard. I don’t know why she laughs because she’s the one who told me to go potty anyhow. Most times I can go poopers in the potty, then mommy gets all excited and acts like a cheerleader. Silly mommy. But she tells me I’m a big girl and that makes me feel good. But when we were in PA for Christmas, Nana and all the aunties wanted to watch me go poopers, and that made me all embaressed. I mean, every time one of them goes potty they go in by themselves and close the door. Then they all want to watch me. It’s like they never saw anyone go potty before. I had a really bad accident today and pooped up my sleeper reaaaally bad, and then I cried and cried cuz now I hate having poopy diapers. But mama said it’s okay cuz I’m still a little girl and am just learning about big girl things.

This is all my my family.

We all went to PA for Christmas. Mama was telling me about something really pretty called snow, and told me she wanted to take pictures of me in it, but it never did snow, so I still don’t know what she was talking about. But PA was pretty fun. I mean, I got held most of the time, so that’s pretty much fun for a little kid like me. Uncle David can make me laugh so hard, he makes such funny faces and I just giggle at him. And Uncle James always calls me, “BABY, BABY, baby,” louder, louder, then quiet, like that. Doesn’t he know my name isn’t Baby? It’s Precious Love. And all my other aunties wanted to wake me up from my naps to hold me and put kisses on my cheeks. Sometimes mommy let them, but sometimes she said I needed to sleep cuz I was tuckered out. And I loved seeing Papa and Nana again too. They watch everything I do and think it’s the greatest thing, and it makes me feel so yummy inside that I just smiled and cooed at them the best I could.

This is Uncle David who can make me laugh so much. I look like a Persian kitty in this picture.

This is me and mommy and Aunt Jana and Aunt Ervina at a Christmas Service. I didn’t like it because all we did was sit, and Daddy and I got to have the most fun and went out and walked around while everyone else just stayed sitting for a long time.

I got to go to Central Market with mommy and the aunties, got to be with Nana and Aunt Claudia while mommy went shopping to Pottery Barn and other places she loves to go, got to see my friend Esther and my other bigger friend Jason, got to see my new little cousin Mariana. I can’t wait to play with Mariana cuz we’re almost the same age. I’m a little bigger, but we came out of our mommy’s tummies at almost the same time, so I like to try to touch her and reach for her. She’s pretty little, and can just look at me, so I can’t wait till we can play toys and stuff. Maybe I can share my pacifier or teether with her. She’d prolly like that cuz they taste so good.

This is mommy and me at Central Market. I got to be all snuggled up with her.

Here is a close one of me all snuggly.

‘nother one

This is me playing the piano at Nana’s house

I got to open my own presents at Christmas. At first I wasn’t sure about it, cuz mommy usually doesn’t let me rip paper, but for some reason she just smiled real big at me and told me I could. It’s good I did it that time, because it was soooo fun, and now  I’m not allowed to rip paper anymore. It’s kinda confusing sometimes, you know, for a little kid like me, like what I can do and what I can’t. Like then I could rip paper and now I can’t.

 
This was my Christmas outfit, but I’m a little embaressed cuz my legs really look fat

This is me opening my presents

See, here I am ripping paper and eatin’ it, and mommy just smiled at me. I wish she’d still do that.

This is me with aunt Claudia on Christmas Day

The most awfullest part about the trip was my carseat. Me and my carseat usually get along okay, but it took a reaaaaallly long time to get to Papa and Nana’s house (13 1/2 hours, mama said), and I just cried and cried at the end. We finally got there and I didn’t go many places in PA, but we were just there for not many sleeps at all when we turned around and went right back to GA! And I got stuck back in that awful carseat, with straps over my shoulders and between my legs and everywhere! It was terrible. Daddy and mommy traveled over sleepy-time cuz they thought I might not mind the straps as bad, but it was still pretty bad. One time mommy was driving and I just cried and cried cuz I was tired of that seat and it was dark and I couldn’t play with my toys or anything. Daddy held on tight to my hand and that made me feel a little better, but I still cried. I thought for sure mommy would feel sorry for me and take me out and hold me tight. I  heard her talking to daddy, saying I had never cried that hard before and she couldn’t stand it anymore. But daddy said that’s what they had to do, so mommy held on tight to daddy’s hand too. I finally squeezed my eyes shut and went to sleep cuz they didn’t get me out, and when I opened my eyes again I was back in my crib at home. I was so happy to have that over with.

I just got over  my first bad cold. It was awful, all kinds of stuff in my nose and I couldn’t breathe right. Mommy used a blue squeezy thing to get some of it out, and at first I liked it cuz it made me feel so much better. But then daddy tried it and stuck it all the way up my hose and halfway into my brains, and I was afraid he was trying to suck them out, and ever since then I cry when they use that squeezy thing. I’m all better now, and I sure am glad, cuz I was ‘fraid I wouldn’t have any brains left.

Here is Aunt Jana with my ‘tiny hands’

I can sit pretty good by myself now, but most times mommy still puts the Boppy around me just in case I take a tumble. Mommy says I’m getting pretty strong. I like to reach for things too, especially big handfuls of spaghetti at suppertime and salad and stuff like that. It’s fun to hear mommy gasp and act surprised that I’m a big girl already. She’s teaching me my colors and stuff too, like when I get dressed she’ll tell me what color shirt I’m wearing, what color my washcloth is, and I like it when she does that. She counts my fingers and my toes when I have a bath, so I know I have 10 fingers and 10 toes, and it tickles when she counts my toes. I can’t wait ’til I can really talk, cuz I try so hard but it doesn’t come out right. Mommy and I will have so much fun together.

Well, I guess that’s all. I’d say I have a pretty exciting life, at least for a little kid like me. When I’m bigger maybe I’ll tell you more, but this was a lot of work because mommy had to help me with everything. So, that’s all for now.