Frosty

I found this snowman gel kit and knew Caroline would have fun putting it on our front window. She loves it. She rearranges the snowflakes 100 times every day.

Finding just the right spot

Putting the nose on Frosty

It's snowing!

OK, not really. But making these "paper" snowflakes almost makes me wish it were snowing. (Almost - Remember, I'm a summer kind of girl!) There won't be any paper to pick up when you're done, either!

Make-a-Flake

Or, if you really want to play with some snow, go build your own snowman from the comfort of your heated living room!

Snowman Builder

Jingle bells

If this doesn't put you in a holiday mood, I don't know what will! (Sorry for the dim light...)

And some bonus footage for you...

Little eskimo

Happy Thanksgiving

We are so thankful for the gift of grace we have received through our savior, Jesus Christ. We pray that you and your families will also be overflowing with thankfulness this Thanksgiving holiday!

So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in
him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.
-Colossians 2:6-7

Tuck-tuck

We love watching Caroline treat us (and her babies and animals) like we treat her. One of her favorite things is to tuck us in. Blankies are a favorite play item around here these days.

Tuck-tuck, Daddy

I love you!

The Evergreen State

Kevin recently decided that he wants to pursue a career in pediatric radiology. He'll do a one-year fellowship in 2009 and it's already time to start interviewing for it. His first interview was at the children's hospital in Seattle, WA.

My parents graciously kept Caroline for us. Caroline and I missed each other quite a bit. We were so glad to be together again.

Seattle is one of the prettiest places we've ever visited. The trees had all changed for fall and the colors were spectacular. The evergreens are beautiful, too. It is so lush there - ferns and moss and beautiful vegetation everywhere. I imagine that you don't have to try very hard to be a good gardener there.

We went up to the top of the Space Needle. We visited Pike Place Market, where we bought fresh salmon and halibut that was packed for us to bring home with us. We drove over to Snoqualmie Falls and after hiking down to the river had lunch at the lodge there. We took a harbor cruise. We ate a wonderful meal at Ray's Boathouse. We couldn't see out over the water because it was after dark, but I don't think we'll ever forget the glass of Washington wine that accompanied our diner!

The most beautiful thing about the city is Mt. Rainier. You drive around a corner on the interstate and all of a sudden, there it is. Fantastic. The pictures do not do it justice. It is absolutely stunning. Apparently, it's rare this time of year to see the volcano. It is usually hidden by clouds in the winter. We were lucky: on our last day in Seattle, the view of the mountain was clear.

Most importantly, Kevin had a great interview at the hospital. He has 4 more interviews coming up. I am so proud of him and the career choice he has made. I know he'll do great on his upcoming interviews.

It really was a fun trip and there were so many things we wanted to do but didn't have time. Maybe we'll be back someday...

More playground fun

The playground was such fun, we did it again this past weekend!

Prayer request

Please pray for our dear friends, David and Brittany Spence. Their sweet son Forrest died last night. They are praising God for His mercy, love, and compassion. They were able to cherish 55 blessed days with him. They know Forrest was a gift from God and has returned to rest with his Father in Heaven. Pray that God would bring them comfort and peace.

38For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
-Romans 8: 38-39

Picnic

Caroline thought last Friday was a perfect day for a picnic. She was right. The sun was glorious. With a full tummy and the warm sun on her back, it was hard for this mommy not to fall asleep!



Tigger doing what he loves - jumping after bumblebees.

From the rising of the sun to the place where it sets, the name of the LORD is to be praised.

-Psalm 113:3

Happy Halloween!

The playground and fall festival

The weather was wonderfully sunny on Saturday morning. So in celebration, we decided to take a bike ride. Caroline patiently waited in her carriage while we got everything ready - taking a bike ride is not the spontaneous event it used to be! We rode up to a school nearby and played on the playground there. It was great - we had the whole place to ourselves. Caroline had the best time on the slides. So did Daddy! Then we had lunch at Holiday Ham, where Caroline ate like a champ. All that sliding makes a girl hungry.

Saturday night was our church's Fall Festival. I didn't get many pictures - I was too busy chasing a running toddler. She and Elizabeth enjoyed the moonbounce for a total of 30 seconds, and I did get a picture of that. We had dinner with Elizabeth and her mommy and daddy. The girls haven't stopped talking about each other since. Then it was home for a fun scrub in the tub and a cartoon before bed. I doubt that toddler life gets any better than that.

Sweetie

Here's my girl modeling her new pants and a fall shirt I appliquéd.


She is such a good little buddy. Kevin spent Sunday at the hospital. Caroline and I went to church and then we had girls' lunch together. It was a really sweet lunch - just one of those special together times I'll always remember. I'm so thankful to have a little friend to keep me company!

More soon on our fun Saturday!

Jumping on the bed

Pants and a purse

Kevin ripped a pair of his khaki pants and there was nothing to be done to save them. So I used them to make Caroline pair of khaki pants.


When I finished, they looked a little plain, so I added this eyelet ruffle trim to the hem. Pretty cute and girlie, don't you think? Pictures of her modeling them coming soon... (She runs away squealing in terror when I approach her with fabric. It's sad, so I try not to terrorize her before the project is complete.)


And this is Caroline's Halloween "purse"! She loves it and I'm pretty proud of it, too. It will be perfect for all those Halloween goodies from the neighbors. I think there's another one coming...maybe something feline? I got instructions from this website: J Caroline Creative.

Fall fun in Memphis

We had some very fun times this weekend. We met some friends Saturday for breakfast and then headed over to the Midtown pumpkin patch. And the weather Saturday night was perfect for dining alfresco and running around in the backyard. We are so thankful for the opportunity to enjoy God's creations!

The earth is the LORD's, and everything in it,
the world, and all who live in it;
-Psalm 24:1

Embroidered fall napkins

Happy fall! I made these napkins several years ago and I love pulling them out every fall.


You'll need:

• cloth napkins
• embroidery floss to coordinate with your napkins
  
• needle
• fall clip art (I use Microsoft office clip art) - stick with a simple design
• blue water-soluble fabric pen
• knowledge of basic embroidery technique - French knot and backstitch

The embroidery stitches are really very easy. Here are helpful links:

• French knot
• Backstitch
  

1. Choose clip art and print out desired size.
   
2. Cut out clip art.
3. Use the fabric pen to trace your clip art onto the napkins. Add easy details (like the leaf veins). Don't be a perfectionist here.
4. Thread needle. Embroidery floss consists of 6 strands. I usually use 3 for my French knots. If you like your knots bigger or smaller, increase or decrease your threads accordingly.
5. Knot the end of your thread.
   
6. Embroider your image using the stitches. I outlined my leaves with French knots and did the veins with a backstitch. You could use all backstitches or all knots. Anything goes!
   
7. Wash your napkins in cold water to erase the blue pen markings.
   

There are so many possibilities for this little project. You could embroider napkins or a table runner with your monogram. I've done monograms on pillows, too. Be creative and good luck!

(I promise to get some photos of Caroline on here soon!)

Back to normal

We had a tough week last week. Caroline ran a fever every day. I had one sad little girl. She just wanted to be held and cuddled and I was thankful I could provide her with that comfort.

I'm so happy to report that she is feeling much, much better. Her illness last week makes me especially thankful for all the wiggling, giggling, dancing, coloring, jumping, bouncing, smiling, tickling, running, talking, playing going on. What happy, happy times we've shared together this week!

Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these."
-Matthew 19:14

Low country

I was born in Charleston, and although we moved when I was little, the love of all things low country runs deep in me. I love magnolias, hot summers, sea breezes, sweetgrass baskets, spanish moss, palmettos, and shrimp and grits!

I remember the cafeteria at Methodist served shrimp and grits one day for lunch and none of my co-workers had ever heard of it. They thought it sounded weird.

This was my first attempt at shrimp and grits and I impressed everyone here at my house (even myself).

It's hard to believe something so delicious was so easy to make.

2 pounds frozen, peeled and deveined large shrimp
2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning
1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon paprika
1/4 cup butter or margarine
2 garlic cloves, pressed
1 cup chicken broth, divided
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon hot sauce
2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
Hot cooked grits

Thaw shrimp according to package directions.
Combine Cajun seasoning, Italian seasoning, and paprika; toss together seasoning mixture and shrimp.
Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat; add garlic, and saute 1 minute. Add shrimp, 3/4 cup broth, Worcestershire sauce, and hot sauce; cook 5 minutes or just until shrimp turn pink. Remove shrimp with a slotted spoon, reserving broth mixture in skillet.
Whisk together remaining 1/4 cup chicken broth and flour until blended; whisk flour mixture into broth mixture in skillet, and cook, whisking constantly, 2 to 3 minutes or until thickened. Add shrimp, and cook 1 minute. Serve immediately over grits.

Makes 4 servings

Southern Living, NOVEMBER 2001

Still here

I have not intentionally abandoned the blog - busyness, 2 colds (one for Caroline and one for me - boo), weekend trips, weekend visitors...and the list goes on.

We've been praying more frequently and fervently around here, too. Our friends have a 3-week old little boy, named Forrest, who is in the ICU. He is battling a long list of complications from an infection he developed at birth. Take a minute to pray for them, please. They so desire and covet these prayers.

So in following little Forrest's set-backs and successes, we've immersed ourselves in some comforting words from our Father. Here are my current favorite words:

The LORD will guide you always;
he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land
and will strengthen your frame.
You will be like a well-watered garden,
like a spring whose waters never fail.
-Isaiah 58:11

I love to be reminded of who my guide is, who provides for me, who strengthens me, who quenches my thirst, who creates a garden in me, who refreshes me. What is your favorite comfort verse?

And, in closing, a very cute picture of my sweet nephew Ian. He's smiling at a taggie ball that I made for him!

Shoes

Aunt Emily brought Caroline these very fancy shoes from Morocco. Caroline loves them! They are very sparkly and, most importantly, they slip on. It took her a while to get the coordination right, but now she slides them on with no problems at all! She's so proud of herself and can hardly take her eyes off of her feet. One of my favorite things is that she puts them on, grabs a purse, and says, "BYE!" Thanks, Auntie Em! The shoes are a hit!

A lesson

OK - so maybe Caroline has inherited more from us than our love of books. I think she's also very talented musically! Check out her posture. I'm impressed. I know my posture isn't that good!

Reading

We really aren't surprised that Caroline has inherited her parents' love of books. She loves to read. She loves looking at books by herself and "reading" the parts she knows. I am looking forward to hearing her read to me someday. And I can't wait to read some of the classics with her - The Hobbit, The Secret Garden, Stewart Little, The Wind in the Willows...

Reading to bunny

A new blanky

I got a neat little sewing book called Bend the Rules Sewing and it had a pattern for this simple lap quilt. I think I did pretty good, considering it was first attempt at quilting. So now I'm wondering if this has whetted my appetite for quilting? Or squelched it? I'm not sure... Caroline likes it - and that's what's really important!

Richmond and vacation's end

This is the last post about our vacation and the end of the pictures... Hope it hasn't been too boring for you!


(Julie took these pictures - I am in awe of her photography skills!)

September 1, Day 8 - We all woke up to unbelievably nice weather in Richmond! We drove down to the James River and walked along some nature trails there. The river is beautiful and so accessible - people were sunbathing on rocks and swimming. It was really nice. We ate lunch at a local pizza place. The girls took naps while the guys vegged out on college football. When we woke up, we took Caroline to the park to slide and swing and run around a bit. Andy and Julie live in a great community. It has pools and parks and running trails and all kinds of amenities that I can only dream of here in midtown! The girls ran to the grocery store for dinner supplies. We had barbeque chicken while watching some football. Then we headed back out to the community center for a fireworks display. Wow! We certainly got 5-star treatment at the Melton's!

September 2, Day 9 (vacation's end) - We said goodbye to our friends this morning. It was only a little sad: they are coming to Memphis in a few weeks, so we'll see them soon. We got on the road back to DC. Kevin saw Caroline and me safely through security at the airport and then headed his way west in the truck. The plane was nearly empty and we had 3 seats to ourselves. Other than Caroline's displeasure at having to sit in Mommy's lap during take-off and landing, it was a good flight. My friend Ellen was waiting for us at the airport. It was good to get home and even better to take a nap while Caroline took hers. Now we wait for Kevin to come home tomorrow! The laundry marathon begins... It was a great vacation - one we'll always cherish.

DC to Virginia Beach (Days 5-7)

August 29, Day 5 - We decided that we should pay homage to President Lincoln this morning. We climbed the stairs to his monument and read some of his words. I was particularly struck by a sentence from the Gettysburg Address: "The world will little note nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here." We remember what was both done and said there! We said fair well to DC and headed down to Virginia Beach. First order of business - find good seafood. And we did. Caroline loved her fried shrimp again. We ate at the Lynnhaven Fish House. We walked a bit on the boardwalk and then called it an early night.

August 30, Day 6 - Time for the beach! After a dosing up with sunscreen and packing a lunch, we headed for the beach. Caroline was hesitant in the sand at first, but once we showed her how to dig and sift and rake, she was grabbing handfuls of sand and saying, "Whee!!!" She loved the waves, too. After every one hit us, she would say, "More! More!" Her giggles in our ears was such a sweet sound. We must have played in the surf for an hour - Caroline running back and forth between the two of us. We also saw some dolphins playing out beyond the swimming area. How neat! We played and played and Caroline was cranky and worn out by the time we headed back to the hotel. We let Caroline take a little nap while we enjoyed watching some more dolphins from our balcony. We headed for a local restaurant, Tautog's, for some excellent seafood. We took a walk on one of the fishing piers. On the way back, we splashed in the surf, getting sufficiently sandy again. Kevin and I admired our sunburned spots and contemplated Caroline's nice tan. (We did reapply her sunscreen but not our own.) Where did she get that complexion? If she's a sungoddess, it's not from one of us! Pooped out from a hard day of fun, Caroline asked to go to bed and we heard no fussing after we laid her down. Wow.

August 31, Day 7 - Another quick trip to the beach was in order this morning before we headed to Richmond. The tide was coming in and the current and waves were strong! We didn't have to get very far out to be pummeled with waves. We had no shade: the wind kept picking up our umbrella. I have no idea where our sand anchor is... We were amazed that after about 2 hours, Caroline kept saying, "Go. Go." We asked if she wanted to dig. "No." Did she want to swim? "No." Did she want to go back to the hotel? "'Kay." Since that's all the time we had to spend, we were okay with taking a cue from our girl. Caroline napped on our way to Williamsburg, where we stopped at an outlet mall. I got some things for Caroline to wear this fall and a couple of things for myself, too. Even Kevin found a pair of shoes that suited him! Getting back in the car was not on Caroline's agenda and she cried most of the way to Richmond. It was definitely the "low" in our vacation! But she was all smiles and giggles when we arrived at Julie and Andy's house in Richmond. It was so good to see our dear friends again. There was much to catch up on: Julie is newly pregnant and Andy just finished his second Iron Man. We were their first "non family" overnight visitors! We had some of Andy's fantastic venison burgers for dinner and enjoyed each other's company before going to bed.

DC - Day 4

August 28, Day 4 - We got in the car this morning and went to Arlington Cemetery, where we took in JFK's grave and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Caroline was respectful, which pleased us so much! Arlington is such a solemn place. It really reminded me that those who serve and protect our country give a magnificent gift to all of us. We headed over to Great Falls to see the Potomac in a more natural setting. It was fantastic and beautiful! We needed a bit of nature. We headed back to town and took in the National Cathedral. Caroline was a bit tired and cranky at this point, so we did an abbreviated "self-tour". The cathedral is just breath-taking. We took Caroline to the children's chapel, where everything was just her size. There was the cutest little pump organ there. It was in terrible shape, though. Caroline really wanted to play it (so did Mama!)! When we exited the cathedral, we took a leisurely stroll through the Bishop's Gardens. Wow! The plants and flowers and herbs there were almost as beautiful as the cathedral! God certainly does some amazing things in gardens. We then took the bus to Georgetown and had dinner at Clyde's. We window shopped in Georgetown and then headed back to the car. We stopped at the Cheesecake Factory to satisfy our late-night sweet teeth (for after a little one's bed time) and then called it a day.

DC - Day 3

August 27, Day 3 - We woke up early, had breakfast together, hopped in the car and headed to the Baltimore Inner Harbor. We went to the National Aquarium. We were thrilled that Caroline loved the dolphin show. She was mesmerized. We saw lots of fish and some frogs and birds, too. I have to admit that the highlight of the trip for Caroline was the gift shop. Do they put everything soft and cuddly down on toddler level on purpose? She went nuts! Every time we turned around, she had a new "friend". We settled on an adorable plush seal that has been her constant companion ever since. We ate lunch at Phillip's Seafood - crabcakes for Kevin and me and fried shrimp for Caroline. She loved them! We walked around in the harbor area. It was such a lovely day. We came back into town for a rest period and to freshen up for dinner. We met our college friend Russ and his girlfriend Adna at the Old Ebbitt Grill for a great dinner. Caroline had a good time coloring with Adna. Great idea for moms - they served a finger food platter on the children's menu, which consisted of peanut butter, celery sticks, carrots, apple wedges, and string cheese. She loved it! We had the crabcakes (yes, again!). How could we resist when the waiter said they were the best in the area? He didn't lie. They were delicious! The company was the best part of dinner. We miss Russ and it was great to get to know Adna better. We viewed the White House at night and then headed back to the apartment.

DC - Day 2

August 26, Day 2 - We all woke up feeling refreshed and ready for more adventures. The morning was slightly overcast and relatively cool at 74 degrees. We decided it was the perfect opportunity to take in some monuments. We walked past the Washington Monument, but decided not to venture to the top. We went to the World War II memorial, which was the nicest memorial I've ever visited. It was so inspiring and lovely. My grandfather was a POW, captured on Wake Island, so the memorial holds special meaning for me. It was so wonderful to see such an emphasis on our country. We visited the information center where there were computers set up to view honorariums/memorials written for the WWII veterans. What he did for our country amazes me. God certainly has His hand on my grandfather's life. We trekked over to the Tidal Basin and picked up a paddle boat. We paddled over to the Jefferson Memorial. Caroline did not enjoy the boat ride as much as we had hoped, so we cut that excursion a bit short. We walked past the White House and took the obligatory photo. We were desperate for some lunch, but all the restaurants in the business district were closed because it was Sunday! Argh! We walked back to the apartment for a bite to eat and everyone wound up taking a short siesta. We took a bus over to the mall in the afternoon. We stopped at the National Archives, with which Caroline was not impressed. We were, though. We headed over to the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History and Caroline had a large time. She especially loved the mammals exhibit and we loved watching her explore. It was truly exciting and wonderful to hear her exclamations and see her expressions. Toddlerhood is certainly a time of magnificent discovery and we felt very blessed to be able to see just a bit of the world through her eyes. We popped in to Gordon Biersch for dinner on our way back to the apartment. We all played and giggled on the bed before bedtime. Caroline was pooped and so happy that bedtime came and we didn't hear a peep out of her.

We're back!

So, we've been on a little vacation this last week in August.

Kevin spent the month of August in Washington, DC, studying at the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology at Walter Reed. It was a great learning experience for him and he had a wonderful time (despite missing his two best girls). I was glad that he had this opportunity through his residency program. We missed him and are happy to have him home again!

Caroline and I traveled up to DC after his courses were finished. We spent a few days in DC, a couple at Virginia Beach, and a couple more in Richmond visiting close friends.

Ready for all the photos? I kept a running journal of our days there, so I'll just do the pictures a day at a time. I really should have taken more pictures (as usual!). Here are the photos and commentary from our arrival and first day. I've put in some links to some of the things we did - for your future reference and ours!

August 24, Arrival - Bryn and Elizabeth took Caroline and me to the airport. The girls were totally enamored with each other in the back seat. Plans for a road trip were tentatively made! Caroline had a large time pushing her stroller and waving at the airplane crews on the tarmac while we waited to board. Right before takeoff, Caroline fell asleep in my lap - so sweet! I was kind of surprised that she took a little nap. When she woke up, we shared a Pepsi, played with some new and special toys, and passed the time quite nicely. For her first airplane trip, she did very well. Kevin (Dada) was waiting for us at the airport. Caroline started squealing when she saw him. We were so happy to be reunited! We had dinner at a Chili's and then moved in to Kevin's very nice apartment. He had a great location and it felt like we had the whole building to ourselves. It was quiet and I think I could count the number of people we saw during the week in the building on one hand. I love that Kevin had cleaned and shopped and prepared for our arrival. Caroline's "habitat" (pack 'n' play) was already set up, as was her highchair. Caroline had a hoodie towel and some of her favorite snacks waiting for her, too. Those little things meant so much to me. I have a really great husband.

August 25, Day 1 - We went to the National Zoo first thing this morning. What started out as a not-so-hot morning quickly turned into an almost unbearably humid midday. Caroline loved all the animals, but especially liked the birds. After hitting the main attractions (elephants, tigers, lions, etc.), we headed back to the apartment for a bite of lunch. Caroline refused her afternoon nap, but played quietly in her habitat for about an hour. We visited the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum in the afternoon. It was disappointingly busy, but we were able to find some quiet exhibits. Some of the treasures from the American History Museum were on display, so we were able to see Kermit the Frog and Dorothy's ruby slippers and Jerry Seinfeld's puffy shirt. Caroline specifically liked Kermit and the first Teddy Bear. On our way back to the apartment, we stopped at "Five Guys" for some delicious hamburgers and fries. Apparently, Five Guys is a chain east of here and are famous for their hamburgers - think Steak 'N' Shake, but better! Those were delicious burgers!!! We ended the day with baths and feet rubs for everyone.