tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-91188840603503504172024-02-18T22:33:28.082-06:00Growing Up SharpOur family tree is branching out, one little leaf at a time.Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07611346109361854732noreply@blogger.comBlogger201125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9118884060350350417.post-80122388152206549552011-05-20T21:31:00.000-05:002011-05-20T21:31:47.989-05:00Four Sharps in a bathroom...Hello, Friday! We welcomed the weekend - and celebrated Susannah's half birthday - with a gluten-free pizza dinner, then hit the streets for a family bike ride. In between the two, all four of us crammed into the upstairs bathroom to brush our teeth (can't ride a bike with pizza breath, now can we?).<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYVhUhHWVU6AdbWwp3JOi2zbn74FxIxUEsgE3OzbJ70h5SIRp-iaoJEU4CixBw-XC-gqNT0hB9RkJBIrVN2XcvfxNjL9fJr7qeNjgcCzDw1FBd21KVgdZvPAI8BA7ByCEWDTfg7Jp8/s1600/bathroom2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYVhUhHWVU6AdbWwp3JOi2zbn74FxIxUEsgE3OzbJ70h5SIRp-iaoJEU4CixBw-XC-gqNT0hB9RkJBIrVN2XcvfxNjL9fJr7qeNjgcCzDw1FBd21KVgdZvPAI8BA7ByCEWDTfg7Jp8/s640/bathroom2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
And the minute I saw us in the mirror, my mind went straight to this photo, taken just about a year ago:<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">My, what a difference a year makes. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Where did my babies go? </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Sigh.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div>Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07611346109361854732noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9118884060350350417.post-20057768503788559382011-05-07T10:01:00.005-05:002011-05-16T13:45:25.150-05:00I think this vintage photo means I'm genetically flawed... (iNSD 2011blog train, too!)Hello, friends! Mostly this little blog of mine is about family stuff, but every now and then, I get to share part of my other life as a creative team member for <a href="http://www.scrapmatters.com/">ScrapMatters</a>. Today is you're lucky day, gentle reader, as I have both something family AND something digi scrapping related. Are you excited??? I'm guessing about three of you might be - and the rest have absolutely no idea what digi scrapping is. Read on...<br />
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Here's the family stuff: in honor of Mother's Day, I dug out this vintage photo for your viewing pleasure. Please try not to giggle too loudly...<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicR8L09ps6Nf163lsMKFMWC0sAhNswFeVbjATVUEqyc4c9aJgVOHy_TG8OucX6YoC4moSnBZ-Qq1PKEKNfJFtPGQNUjkGstIEJPrwIjzsmBk77qqK3T7k30CcHQYDaxzCtksE8nStr/s1600/IMG_0009.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicR8L09ps6Nf163lsMKFMWC0sAhNswFeVbjATVUEqyc4c9aJgVOHy_TG8OucX6YoC4moSnBZ-Qq1PKEKNfJFtPGQNUjkGstIEJPrwIjzsmBk77qqK3T7k30CcHQYDaxzCtksE8nStr/s640/IMG_0009.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Fun, right? You know what I notice first about this photo? Our super-spiffy matching outfits. It's clear that coordinating family duds for photos is something I'm genetically predisposed to. Case in point? My family's recent matching Easter outfits. My mother taught me well.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7gDjWIXRDWs30likLfflEahhLt-M3djOxbYcF6Ecgd7D7o4kga6PnaAvwvQEYbajIuwwZXRhE6Hrd1CDEVXidqktqmruyVXAf5kgWVJX9GJY4OloJ4aAJ5kSaEx_YlfwZ0xLxhjQI/s1600/Easter+family.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7gDjWIXRDWs30likLfflEahhLt-M3djOxbYcF6Ecgd7D7o4kga6PnaAvwvQEYbajIuwwZXRhE6Hrd1CDEVXidqktqmruyVXAf5kgWVJX9GJY4OloJ4aAJ5kSaEx_YlfwZ0xLxhjQI/s640/Easter+family.jpg" width="456" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Now for the digi scrapping hoopla (and welcome to all you ScrapMatters blog train riders!) Today is (inter)National Scrapbooking Day! In honor of the celebration, let me show you a little something the ScrapMatters Design Team whipped up:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;">There's a huge party happening over at <a href="http://www.scrapmatters.com/">ScrapMatters</a> today with challenges, chat, games and prizes (not to mention a monster of a sale.) With any </span>$20 purchase in the store during their sale (May 6-12), you'll get the collab for FREE. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I used the kit to make this little card...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiELTjSH21VB-Ru_WeCYFdQyU7r4cz8fENTl_uj-SNee8xtreLwxskIEOcqbfY7y5Y_q22-VVbe6cPUXagMfRIVl-cwjwN6Xl1eC1Qecipwzeo6wAskbdQducDayP-odWCN63eaTsYK/s1600/Thinking-of-You-%2528butterfly%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiELTjSH21VB-Ru_WeCYFdQyU7r4cz8fENTl_uj-SNee8xtreLwxskIEOcqbfY7y5Y_q22-VVbe6cPUXagMfRIVl-cwjwN6Xl1eC1Qecipwzeo6wAskbdQducDayP-odWCN63eaTsYK/s1600/Thinking-of-You-%2528butterfly%2529.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">...and now you can, too. Here's a free printable version. <i>Sorry, this download link has expired.</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.4shared.com/file/e3-syyt9/sm_SS_Timeless_blog_freebie.html?"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKYOFkMrVtVX6bDG1wYMON96OHdhqDtLRvBNtObhEIMz37qnvzcVZJwnGsN6o_ohm7LNgShIHFtslsXCBz8lwjpFd1fqojSvC7jxeH-IOYR9G3smhcl0RpBnmUYvrBoBp94Q-e9BJj/s640/folder.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">To visit the next stop on the blog train, head over to <a href="http://caraolsondesigns.blogspot.com/">Cara's blog</a>.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Lost? Don't fret! The <a href="http://scrapmatters.com/wordpress/">ScrapMatters blog</a> will help you find your way.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div>Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07611346109361854732noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9118884060350350417.post-80570033559239800242011-04-14T12:32:00.001-05:002011-04-14T14:56:33.839-05:00Oh, the shame!Do you see my head hanging in shame over not blogging for an ungodly amount of time? Trust me, it is. It's not that stuff isn't happening around here, it's just that... well, stuff is happening around here.<br />
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We've been enjoying the longer daylight hours and being able to open the windows and doors to get some fresh air. The winter was long, and we're embracing spring wholeheartedly. A few days ago, the sun was shining through the front door in just the perfect way, so I grabbed my camera and snapped a few of the kids.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj26eRstjdt1Q44wkv8i9DlSHBIQfkiM4-J7OXUhMApDNcMfjGzPqDD-5HPZvW01PmHog5JiDWWB4KmE8NkelrRCPdKUj27TFfUBDdrHdcBX89x2pk-khXRAVkAkqAZn9TG1-UOoo5V/s1600/Aaron.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj26eRstjdt1Q44wkv8i9DlSHBIQfkiM4-J7OXUhMApDNcMfjGzPqDD-5HPZvW01PmHog5JiDWWB4KmE8NkelrRCPdKUj27TFfUBDdrHdcBX89x2pk-khXRAVkAkqAZn9TG1-UOoo5V/s1600/Aaron.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtQCFhiKPlCuYRXH1KSymxfN-DaBbFyjdNg8jiLRpcxXa0xc7jyO4KSE3XjcJQAZKJ8-O-uHRej7flhPcYwd6bsgZPgD-tODnMPAgDOiF23OSBH71VoPE7y3N8ai4UR7scYAyP6GOk/s1600/Susannah.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtQCFhiKPlCuYRXH1KSymxfN-DaBbFyjdNg8jiLRpcxXa0xc7jyO4KSE3XjcJQAZKJ8-O-uHRej7flhPcYwd6bsgZPgD-tODnMPAgDOiF23OSBH71VoPE7y3N8ai4UR7scYAyP6GOk/s1600/Susannah.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">(you can't really see it too well, but she has a HUGE bruise and scab on the right side of her head from taking a nasty tumble on the neighbor's deck. That's what happens, I guess, when you're outside enjoying so much fresh air.)</span></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGMXC3yrCCPGSbM1_SniKXpxYmXWE8ny7BrW2EYieQoYG9e_1QPeIrbh_npCD4RpWyT0ls3gMcivtWmPOx5B8jLOwNMjHQ9xve8QDnH3JFmF01Zo43SSbmgOkSHMYYEl_SYyIhZumQ/s1600/Aaron-smirking.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGMXC3yrCCPGSbM1_SniKXpxYmXWE8ny7BrW2EYieQoYG9e_1QPeIrbh_npCD4RpWyT0ls3gMcivtWmPOx5B8jLOwNMjHQ9xve8QDnH3JFmF01Zo43SSbmgOkSHMYYEl_SYyIhZumQ/s1600/Aaron-smirking.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">And then, of course, because he's becoming a photo geek like his mom, Aaron had to have his turn behind the lens. Most of them looked like this, and were fired off at about 142 frames per second...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii8_yyVBodCSdJgG9pseumDeWcEZRTl2fq0uR9-GNZH6x1zrh6uIwERzIX4vhPfAddkwqPblSr5cRjogyJx25a2s7eOdCzaT3cF0X0okam2nEHHG0jlmAdxNF-GQY_tn8YCmcyHOY-/s1600/blur.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii8_yyVBodCSdJgG9pseumDeWcEZRTl2fq0uR9-GNZH6x1zrh6uIwERzIX4vhPfAddkwqPblSr5cRjogyJx25a2s7eOdCzaT3cF0X0okam2nEHHG0jlmAdxNF-GQY_tn8YCmcyHOY-/s1600/blur.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div>But every now and then he captures something really wonderful, and it makes me so proud.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5aPitW7NhZJZbP8jxDppQRm_BSKuO_UtYD3ZGRhNYt70T5Op036rWW3aADuPg2USGijIEL4j-De7k3KBw0dKWtils5IGzDMNa938xSdHnPcQK7tRRR9lourwigUFEY_yLEYzYJ3BO/s1600/Mama-%2526-Zannah.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5aPitW7NhZJZbP8jxDppQRm_BSKuO_UtYD3ZGRhNYt70T5Op036rWW3aADuPg2USGijIEL4j-De7k3KBw0dKWtils5IGzDMNa938xSdHnPcQK7tRRR9lourwigUFEY_yLEYzYJ3BO/s1600/Mama-%2526-Zannah.jpg" /></a></div><br />
The boy loves his camera, and it's fun to see what the world looks like through his three-year-old eyes. Of course, we had to do a self portrait, too.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTnH5Mv4Ogk6I36nwpwSWUsPEejuZ-fi8Y0NyMOR4wzFmkN1NOeUQIpjnFQ3vKBz1xl2ToTk22osNzkMxenzif1tkby-lR2LuPVvXMec6Ub5zENVBZ6l4jFCS6_BmCF_qsOQdabgsn/s1600/IMG_9790.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTnH5Mv4Ogk6I36nwpwSWUsPEejuZ-fi8Y0NyMOR4wzFmkN1NOeUQIpjnFQ3vKBz1xl2ToTk22osNzkMxenzif1tkby-lR2LuPVvXMec6Ub5zENVBZ6l4jFCS6_BmCF_qsOQdabgsn/s1600/IMG_9790.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">And there you have it. A blog post from me! Nothing earth-shattering to report from our little corner of the world (except maybe that my hair is really starting to go gray - do you see it in that last photo? Oy!), but sure glad I popped in to say "hi!"</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Hope you have a great weekend!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div>Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07611346109361854732noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9118884060350350417.post-84659128923084527762010-11-20T10:22:00.001-06:002010-11-20T21:14:46.511-06:00Happy Birthday, Susannah!<div style="background-color: transparent; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span id="internal-source-marker_0.04363745730370283" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">To my Gorgeous Girl, on her first birthday-</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I CANNOT believe how quickly this year has gone! It’s been a wonderful adventure, Susannah, and I’m so thankful for the 365 days we’ve had together. You have been such a gift to our family - in more ways than you can imagine.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">You are a gift in and of yourself. Your sweet disposition, laid-back attitude, and unique sense of humor have added light and life to our family. Everything is more fun because you are here. You’ve made Aaron a big brother (and continue to teach him some important lessons about sharing and being kind). You’ve given dad a little girl to spoil endlessly (he’s been wrapped around your little finger from those first moments). </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">You’ve been an extra special gift to me, dear daughter, and one I didn’t expect. As I awaited your arrival last year, and even in the first few months of your being, I felt a lot of apprehension about having a daughter. After all, my experiences in the mother-daughter relationship have been rocky at best. I feared I might be doomed to repeat the mistakes of the past, or that I would be inadequate to be your guide into womanhood, but this year has put my mind at ease. Your birth was the most empowering experience of my life, and it birthed in me a new kind of faith in myself. In becoming your mother, I have become more confident, more assured of myself, more attuned to the still, small voice within me, and more certain that, with God’s help, I can be the mom that you deserve. It has been profoundly healing to be part of such a positive mother-daughter duo. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br class="kix-line-break" />There has been precious little time that you and I have been apart during this year. “I love it,” said one man at our church, “that wherever you go, that kid is right there with you!” It’s true. You’ve been in my arms or riding in a sling in almost every place imaginable, from singing in the church choir to swimming in the pool and everything in between. We might get some funny looks as I walk the aisles of the grocery store wearing you on my back, but I love every minute of having you close, knowing you’re safe and comfortable.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Here are a few things that are “so Susannah,” and make you our one-of-a-kind girl:</span><br />
<ul><li style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Your “scrunchie face” - you wrinkle your nose and breathe in and out loudly. This face means your happy or feeling humorous. It always get a laugh!</span></li>
<li style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Trucks and cars are your favorite toys. You’ll zoom them along the top of the train table and make a little motor sound. Only a girl with a big brother would master this kind of play. </span></li>
<li style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">When you sleep, you need it to be really, really, really dark. You’re so used to sleeping in my closet that you have a hard time in a new setting.</span></li>
<li style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Your ivory blanket with satin edging is a must when it’s time for bed. I’ll lay it over my shoulder, and you reflexively lay your head down and start sucking your thumb. This is one of my favorite times of the day, when it’s quiet and just the two of us.</span></li>
<li style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">You can sign “more” and “all done” at the dinner table. You certainly aren’t shy at telling us either of those things!</span></li>
<li style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Though you know how to crawl on all fours, you still prefer your crazy belly scoot to get somewhere really fast.</span></li>
<li style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">You’re a mama’s girl through and through. When you’re fussy and sqirmy, one hug from mama usually settles you down. I love that!</span></li>
</ul><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Thank you, Susannah, for all the ways you’ve blessed our family this year. We’re so thankful that God made you a part of our family, and we’re looking forward to all the adventures ahead of us.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Lots of love, <br class="kix-line-break" />Mama</span></div><div style="background-color: transparent; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br />
</span></div><div style="background-color: transparent; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Here's a look back at Susannah's one wonderful year:</span></div><div style="background-color: transparent; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br />
</span></div><div style="background-color: transparent; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: small; white-space: normal;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOUtrkF8JqFB0EpAyYP_wRV5vL1Ag1-Q2Vl7gg-q_zNbFxJWS0hkUzdWfGWcRjj-juVU9hbSztoYllRiS4FtQaqyWDfo27BqgEMIPFj98wuxh_pjQ38VxJkj4YUkel8x4UoKI1HyUh/s1600/november1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOUtrkF8JqFB0EpAyYP_wRV5vL1Ag1-Q2Vl7gg-q_zNbFxJWS0hkUzdWfGWcRjj-juVU9hbSztoYllRiS4FtQaqyWDfo27BqgEMIPFj98wuxh_pjQ38VxJkj4YUkel8x4UoKI1HyUh/s1600/november1.png" /></a></span></span></div><div style="background-color: transparent; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br />
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</span></div>Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07611346109361854732noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9118884060350350417.post-16989755051795821462010-11-17T14:18:00.000-06:002010-11-17T14:18:00.450-06:00Better Late Than Never!I finally got my act together last week and snapped a few frames of our girl before the big birthday. I know we're way closer to the 12-month mark than 11, but better late than never, right?<br />
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She's now a crawling and cruising machine and, as usual, had no interest in sitting still for my camera.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFK6afihyphenhyphenBmw-NxwTF1t0_xR3DacoOtiARxhBX6ls9A0R094p_t3-cYozC5aDm-pIdxgG_VIYcLgg6bDgrfANOhS-P-ZpqeRDGJZNjwe8I0Yo_wFHNtCUySpJWVaaCCUlyW6cHro9y/s1600/Susannah---11-mos.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFK6afihyphenhyphenBmw-NxwTF1t0_xR3DacoOtiARxhBX6ls9A0R094p_t3-cYozC5aDm-pIdxgG_VIYcLgg6bDgrfANOhS-P-ZpqeRDGJZNjwe8I0Yo_wFHNtCUySpJWVaaCCUlyW6cHro9y/s1600/Susannah---11-mos.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">(made with Be Inspired: Heidi v2 by WM[squared] and All Fall Down and Early Bird by Erica Zane)</span></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">What a gift this precious girl is to our family. It's shaping up to be a wonderful week of celebrating Susannah and all the ways she's blessed our lives.</div>Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07611346109361854732noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9118884060350350417.post-33038012782615007672010-11-06T08:00:00.004-05:002010-11-13T10:32:29.165-06:00Happy Digital Scrapbooking Day!Hello, friends! Some of you regular readers know I'm a little bit of a scrapbooking nut. And today there are lots of you visiting here for the first time (you're my fellow scrapbooking nuts!!) as you ride the ScrapMatters blog train. Welcome, all!<br />
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The month of November and the Thanksgiving holiday took on a new meaning for me last year. On November 20th, our family welcomed our daughter, Susannah. That meant I ate last year's turkey dinner with a teeny little babe in my lap. Here's a page I created about that day:<br />
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</div>I'm so thankful for the gift this girl has been to our family - and totally shocked at how quickly her first year has gone by. In just a few days, we'll be having her first birthday party. Oh, my!!! Here's a look at my big girl and me as we trick-or-treated last weekend. Isn't she the cutest little cow ever?<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicsnIa58sQ5UjWhf5wZB0zaIKNrie5_wVF9i57w4db9vKgyRm88SsSTpwE78mtNVi3V5D3rW3SIyiG9IZ8TgR736sazhyphenhyphenPGdhaMbRdg4hIZAdWm4Mv_mawRenvjLopj_O976lh0gcj/s1600/trick-or-treat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicsnIa58sQ5UjWhf5wZB0zaIKNrie5_wVF9i57w4db9vKgyRm88SsSTpwE78mtNVi3V5D3rW3SIyiG9IZ8TgR736sazhyphenhyphenPGdhaMbRdg4hIZAdWm4Mv_mawRenvjLopj_O976lh0gcj/s1600/trick-or-treat.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Why all the talk about Thanksgiving and being thankful? Because of this kit!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://shop.scrapmatters.com/images/cache/601da00bcc5a5bf137667213cd870d87.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://shop.scrapmatters.com/images/cache/601da00bcc5a5bf137667213cd870d87.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The <a href="http://www.scrapmatters.com/">ScrapMatters</a> Design Team whipped this up to celebrate today's holiday, and you can get it free with a $20 purchase in the store. There's a huge party happening today with challenges, chat, games and prizes (not to mention a monster of a sale.) To keep the festivities rockin', I made you a little something...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5nyQeGvKcfm0HLA9wFts9D2_EoywUAPNcx3H3glwq4eINlrvUeoyJlUm9rtiE8D5iV7dLHa7MIlqcDUu4_2_x-wlnmOZatJjumcSUvllefH593N3Y1MUzZlTl5RWin-FK5s4wKis-/s1600/DSD-2010-Packaging.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5nyQeGvKcfm0HLA9wFts9D2_EoywUAPNcx3H3glwq4eINlrvUeoyJlUm9rtiE8D5iV7dLHa7MIlqcDUu4_2_x-wlnmOZatJjumcSUvllefH593N3Y1MUzZlTl5RWin-FK5s4wKis-/s400/DSD-2010-Packaging.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div>Sorry, bottle of wine not included. ;-) <i>Download link is no longer valid.</i><br />
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Your next stop on the blog train is <a href="http://hodgeypodgeblog.blogspot.com/">Becky (Hoo-Rah)</a>. Are you lost? Don't worry, the <a href="http://scrapmatters.com/wordpress/">ScrapMatters blog</a> will help you find your way.<br />
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Happy Scrapping!Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07611346109361854732noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9118884060350350417.post-80182040378847861232010-10-27T19:08:00.000-05:002010-10-27T19:08:01.011-05:00SHE'S CRAWLING!!!If there was any shred of doubt that our commitment to family chiropractic care was paying off, this morning's appointment erased all doubt.<br />
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I'd been feeling concerned that Susannah wasn't sitting up independently or crawling, so we started seeing <a href="http://www.premierwellnesschiro.com/">Dr. Tony</a> once or twice a week to go after the problem. There had been good progress before today: Zannah was pulling herself into a sitting position and - as our last update told you- pulling up on the furniture. But the crawling wasn't happening yet.<br />
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Dr. T put our baby girl on the table, wiggled here her and pushed on her there. "Hmmm, that's interesting," he mumbled under his breath. One more small adjustment. Then he put on on the floor and...<br />
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SHE CRAWLED AWAY.<br />
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The entire office heard me squeal with delight.<br />
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Here's a quick sample of her new mobility:<br />
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<object height="385" width="480"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Z4Ttd7oPLdU?fs=1&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Z4Ttd7oPLdU?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object>Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07611346109361854732noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9118884060350350417.post-75142079046594940182010-10-22T09:52:00.000-05:002010-10-22T09:52:57.570-05:00Did I say she wasn't standing yet?I had just posted the last entry when I looked over and saw this. I think she's trying to make a liar out of me.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWa-euvu_8_RtmvWAggHZaUccNWJoIEVkyKzTEUD1BnW552W6ODxfbpI4xhXpyd8evykEFmx0_ArLSib0YuiZqSjNC9O6vhhrH15BiuWd8TwJCnocIEvqcb3q4guorLkPIzF80aKhS/s1600/Susannah-standing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWa-euvu_8_RtmvWAggHZaUccNWJoIEVkyKzTEUD1BnW552W6ODxfbpI4xhXpyd8evykEFmx0_ArLSib0YuiZqSjNC9O6vhhrH15BiuWd8TwJCnocIEvqcb3q4guorLkPIzF80aKhS/s1600/Susannah-standing.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNa8JP_6Jxj5xiurp6PedMZfJy4pDqXiybjUS3UWhqbkVP9NNA2MPFGjMH8Rf2Dp2NuZKRpX5093eyulAJKhT4F_61gD_bBcJnb9BLWxtMBYcbXk-oIe8lDDopX_h4VdOGlEufM3gi/s1600/playing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNa8JP_6Jxj5xiurp6PedMZfJy4pDqXiybjUS3UWhqbkVP9NNA2MPFGjMH8Rf2Dp2NuZKRpX5093eyulAJKhT4F_61gD_bBcJnb9BLWxtMBYcbXk-oIe8lDDopX_h4VdOGlEufM3gi/s1600/playing.jpg" /></a></div><br />
Her smile in that second photo is so undeniably Susannah. More of a smirk, really. You can just tell how pleased she is with herself. I love this girl!Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07611346109361854732noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9118884060350350417.post-84104625594861884222010-10-20T09:20:00.033-05:002010-10-22T09:34:02.450-05:00The birthday countdown begins!It's totally impossible that we're just a month away from the big birthday. I still think of her as a little baby, but she's clearly speeding towards toddlerhood. Check out the new skill she learned today:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0BWhmabqu4oXzjRL3SjvVCFR-99NO8APxkH_hziht-JH2ElYMx42zmRnBdSHWJUWD2uci5sFeQOStPpcfstBimcQ0X38WKP5Gp6izdbHZWwg2ZVMtFrYEh5xsQQLsjF4_UNio13zG/s1600/susannah's-toys-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0BWhmabqu4oXzjRL3SjvVCFR-99NO8APxkH_hziht-JH2ElYMx42zmRnBdSHWJUWD2uci5sFeQOStPpcfstBimcQ0X38WKP5Gp6izdbHZWwg2ZVMtFrYEh5xsQQLsjF4_UNio13zG/s1600/susannah's-toys-1.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSWNXoCqbYdwmPJDKv-TOVO3nttrRsPDwsWOQ0EU853HCdiY6ElcELvjM7rIeErjQM2UJ6gO4E9hBzicz_RV11nBEk-8f4sDWg0u2dEh7EDushacQygp0qtaONxVCEeOV0xdwewcxH/s1600/Susannah's-toys-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSWNXoCqbYdwmPJDKv-TOVO3nttrRsPDwsWOQ0EU853HCdiY6ElcELvjM7rIeErjQM2UJ6gO4E9hBzicz_RV11nBEk-8f4sDWg0u2dEh7EDushacQygp0qtaONxVCEeOV0xdwewcxH/s1600/Susannah's-toys-2.jpg" /></a></div><br />
She's climbing up on everything now - the couch, the train table, the dishwasher... She doesn't pull up onto her feet yet, but as long as she can reach whatever object she's after, she's a happy camper. Poor Aaron is having to find a new spot for his treasures. He used to be able to put things on the train table a know they were safe from Susannah's reach, but that's no longer the case. I think we're in for some lessons on sharing. :-)<br />
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And just for my own memory, we weighed her at Dr. Tony's this morning: 17 pounds, 10 ounces. For being such a chub in her first few months, she's really turning into a skinny-mini! By comparison, Aaron weighed 19lbs on his 1st bithday. Tony commented this morning that he thinks she'll be tall, too. Her legs are getting loooong. We've made quite a few trips to his office in the last two weeks, trying to get her left hip working well. She's still not crawling on hands and knees, and I was beginning to worry. But she's making good progress, and will now sit up to play with a toy as well as bend her left leg more while she scoots across the floor. Won't be long now and she'll take off!<br />
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30 days to go! I'd better start planning a party.Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07611346109361854732noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9118884060350350417.post-62138533753510222452010-10-08T11:39:00.000-05:002010-10-08T11:39:01.488-05:00Chef AaronAaron's third birthday has come and gone, and he was gifted with some REALLY wonderful presents. One of my favorites was an apron and chef hat made by Auntie Rebo. I just LOVE the fabrics she chose. Isn't it cute?<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJKVRlmgXLRrjMyGb6B8DC1fbGEbNo_OMkIwL4GIs7ECIqB91Frak2sNV-ZUZaDM8WAbnss_u20Ap3vGwb7JkLUvkpa_Ra8fSnnXGJCBDen73jR1qCeaxICqwssrnge7PHAT2TfSAM/s1600/Chef-Aaron-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJKVRlmgXLRrjMyGb6B8DC1fbGEbNo_OMkIwL4GIs7ECIqB91Frak2sNV-ZUZaDM8WAbnss_u20Ap3vGwb7JkLUvkpa_Ra8fSnnXGJCBDen73jR1qCeaxICqwssrnge7PHAT2TfSAM/s1600/Chef-Aaron-2.jpg" /></a></div><br />
I emailed this photo to her so she could see her handiwork in action, and, of course, she made a scrapbook page about it. Wanna see it? And wanna see the one I made? Head over to <a href="http://reboscraps.blogspot.com/2010/10/two-takes-on-chef-aaron-september-25.html">Rebo's blog</a> today to see what happens when two scrappers use the same photo and the same supplies to make two very different (cute!) pages.Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07611346109361854732noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9118884060350350417.post-78240518412739361402010-10-05T21:23:00.000-05:002010-10-05T21:23:35.398-05:00Susannah's official ten-month portraits<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCbyWw-heRLkQ9mRAriaL2UCTr3OkysltiRpokSQnPhuxuuclu0DyXbQtrDIKB0UHE7GGRr3qhnbwyfOInmtARAmYmV6fpKiVwwvFsFdqOZJEJcNkNmMeJQ1kX1RgBG88BmN_YyheyDLo/s1600/Susannah-in-frames.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCbyWw-heRLkQ9mRAriaL2UCTr3OkysltiRpokSQnPhuxuuclu0DyXbQtrDIKB0UHE7GGRr3qhnbwyfOInmtARAmYmV6fpKiVwwvFsFdqOZJEJcNkNmMeJQ1kX1RgBG88BmN_YyheyDLo/s640/Susannah-in-frames.png" width="640" /></a></div>Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07611346109361854732noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9118884060350350417.post-3508959810767739292010-09-23T14:38:00.000-05:002010-09-23T14:38:18.008-05:00Happy 3rd Birthday, Aaron!Dear Aaron,<div><br />
When Dad and I welcomed you into our family three years ago, we had absolutely no idea what we were in for. No idea that the sweet little baby face we stared into that night would grow into a bouncing ball of energy that could not be contained. No idea that you would so quickly learn the art of temper tantrums and parental manipulation. No clue that it would be such a battle to train you to listen and obey what we asked of you. We also had no idea how wonderful it would be to hear you call us Mama and Daddy, and to watch you grow into such a spectacular little boy.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMTh60AFZpgl_SoTYH8jZtVL2d0dUMnHiHpiK_Q1WofcTqoTbTipHDFqkSMAQ8QNopEEQfG5drS0EmWHRuXW2M2KzvuFTSY2mfpPDuj7VC6-BLfhv5L2HjmmRU93zu62xg-Ts1s3GN/s1600/IMG_9716.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMTh60AFZpgl_SoTYH8jZtVL2d0dUMnHiHpiK_Q1WofcTqoTbTipHDFqkSMAQ8QNopEEQfG5drS0EmWHRuXW2M2KzvuFTSY2mfpPDuj7VC6-BLfhv5L2HjmmRU93zu62xg-Ts1s3GN/s400/IMG_9716.jpg" width="267" /></a></div><br />
I asked you a few questions after dinner last night in an attempt to capture Aaron at three. Here's what you said:<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"></span><br />
<div><ul><li>My best friend is: James and Eli and Jakey and Tyler and Myles and Molly and Sam...</li>
<li>My favorite food is: Mastacolli and mapyle syrup and pancakes.</li>
<li>My favorite color is: blue</li>
<li>For fun, I like to: cook and play guitar</li>
<li>My favorite song is: Get Back Up (by Toby Mac)</li>
</ul></div><div>And as I though more about the things that make you you, here's the list I made:</div><div><div><ul><li>You love diggers and dump trucks and anything else that's big and has wheels.</li>
<li>Your sense of humor is second to none. Your giggle alone can make me laugh, but when you're doing silly dances or making up your own funny words, you can get the whole room rolling with laughter. </li>
<li>Spicey Cat is your sleepy time friend, and you're still "borrowing" your sister's pink blanket, plus a white one of your own.</li>
<li>You're a super fast runner, and athletics, like most everything else, seems to come easily to you.</li>
<li>You have more energy than we know what to do with.</li>
<li>You love his sister like crazy. It's been a big transition for you this year, going from only to oldest, but you have surprised us all with your genuine affection for Susannah and the way you care for her. You're an AWESOME big brother!</li>
</ul><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4qBhWiPsE9pW95V8n9pFa6tYRg4qtRQP4hX2U7lPzH5avevza7cSdJMOkiCChCOCrht7SGaDsJ4SXaQ_Gcim6ATQK-5Rtz8RgW35B9A1e5833Fal1sptRTG7fQaY999U0MvUeetyB/s1600/IMG_9521bw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4qBhWiPsE9pW95V8n9pFa6tYRg4qtRQP4hX2U7lPzH5avevza7cSdJMOkiCChCOCrht7SGaDsJ4SXaQ_Gcim6ATQK-5Rtz8RgW35B9A1e5833Fal1sptRTG7fQaY999U0MvUeetyB/s400/IMG_9521bw.jpg" width="267" /></a></div><div><br />
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There are so many special things about your three-year-old self that I would like to bottle up and keep forever, but I know that I can't simply describe you with a laundry list of your likes and habits. You have a spark, Aaron, and I see it every time you smile and your eyes light up. There is something deep inside you that's just beginning to take shape, and I'm so very excited to have a front row seat to watch you grow.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsH2LL5ik1MlRDUZhbCVT8hKk__YqjMmMktBppJfH3I1pgX8QcDsY9o1eCjjQb8rzuU2jkKmm3PRsguMY-716hYf7U7N1YRWAda_MTdtuEqOIT9Ax3xu-Oo9mT9PkGZUDIkrkQc7bV/s1600/IMG_6082cc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsH2LL5ik1MlRDUZhbCVT8hKk__YqjMmMktBppJfH3I1pgX8QcDsY9o1eCjjQb8rzuU2jkKmm3PRsguMY-716hYf7U7N1YRWAda_MTdtuEqOIT9Ax3xu-Oo9mT9PkGZUDIkrkQc7bV/s400/IMG_6082cc.jpg" width="267" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
You are loved, little Bear, more that you can ever imagine. Being a super sentimental mom, I know I'd better stop now before I get all weepy over this birthday. I am so thankful for the privilege of being your mama, and excited to see the adventures that await us in the year ahead. Happy Birthday, Aaron!!!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJOu5H1myDNVP7HptORL2eaKOGY1OX8jaLHBitdWudzrISKq40_IEqDQSkWY4KUIt2T7fn-jcGD2hbJ_U3zotuQRhbjhuWmNu0d9w-t7KUvP4YXKugcGYlCAmKRk5-Elwq9TVYOXdl/s1600/IMG_5941cc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJOu5H1myDNVP7HptORL2eaKOGY1OX8jaLHBitdWudzrISKq40_IEqDQSkWY4KUIt2T7fn-jcGD2hbJ_U3zotuQRhbjhuWmNu0d9w-t7KUvP4YXKugcGYlCAmKRk5-Elwq9TVYOXdl/s400/IMG_5941cc.jpg" width="267" /></a></div><br />
</div>Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07611346109361854732noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9118884060350350417.post-19433678073809532822010-09-20T08:21:00.001-05:002010-09-23T08:51:40.383-05:00Susannah update: ten monthsYou'll have to forgive my "just-the-facts" post here. I'm trying to get some of this down before I forget, but there's no time today to be witty. If you can hang with my stream-of-consciousness, I'll reward you with a cute photo of the sweet girl. :-)<br />
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It's been a big month for our Princess Peach. She cut her first tooth on Labor Day, and a second quickly followed. She's getting up on her hands and knees, and I know any day now I'll look down and watch her crawl away. Her vocabulary is now up to two words: mama and baby (what a wonderful pair to start with!!) And it became painfully obvious she'd outgrown her co-sleeper last week when she climbed right out of it. She's now graduated to a bigger bed, but still sleeps in my closet. We're joking that we've turned our 3 bedroom into a 4. Ha!<br />
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I weighed her yesterday and found she's still trimming down: 17 pounds on the nose (down about 1/2 a pound from last month). This is no cause for concern, as she came into the world with some - <i>ahem</i> - extra, shall we say? As she gets more mobile and is better able to regulate her body systems, she's shedding the superfluous poundage. The upside is that she isn't flying through clothing sizes quite as quickly. It's been nice to have her wear some outfits more than twice before outgrowing them!<br />
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"She's just a beacon," our friend Dr. Tony said when he saw her earlier this week, and that's a perfect way to describe our gorgeous girl. She has a sparkle all her own, and it's a lot of fun to see her personality unfold. She's playful and opinionated and so easy going. She's a lovely girl, inside and out.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU6pRsO5Y_zEs08o1lqdBY2Ir3J_TI-P76ZtBn6EJuereCv-XEXRm5GW5bHcE2CJVN5fW0z8aJ1BGJTEwn6FzIR-A2_bZn9g09sBlU553FvRZ0su_oZKmPUlXMyzwpqEmIO7yZQ9fo/s1600/IMG_1330.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU6pRsO5Y_zEs08o1lqdBY2Ir3J_TI-P76ZtBn6EJuereCv-XEXRm5GW5bHcE2CJVN5fW0z8aJ1BGJTEwn6FzIR-A2_bZn9g09sBlU553FvRZ0su_oZKmPUlXMyzwpqEmIO7yZQ9fo/s400/IMG_1330.jpg" width="267" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">She's playing with her baby and I'm playing with mine!</span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3ONkS-m_tQj87K3b52pnlseXoZghQDHSYbmS7zS0dbj4KhIDDp7J4OoIKqGTp71qI2pkt6E_kAijsZk_i647JnrMucu2_gYIB0rWf6IOZpXIxwWgLyQJpf82gRBzgeBoO5k4gOifr/s1600/IMG_1050.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3ONkS-m_tQj87K3b52pnlseXoZghQDHSYbmS7zS0dbj4KhIDDp7J4OoIKqGTp71qI2pkt6E_kAijsZk_i647JnrMucu2_gYIB0rWf6IOZpXIxwWgLyQJpf82gRBzgeBoO5k4gOifr/s400/IMG_1050.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Daddy sure loves his girl. She's soooo kissable.</span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></i></div>Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07611346109361854732noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9118884060350350417.post-38074501873607609222010-08-28T22:10:00.000-05:002010-08-28T22:10:47.927-05:00Today was...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>A boat ride in a box...</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYkuM1oL4n4l8EFUCzS7d4xGRLsm8aZwJi0BNkV6MgkEc8LBk0DTF_F5mvgt-fDUiiiwOuLCPcvLf5L0szu1DEtB8jOk1ZJIsVltn1kLLLmW8Kybohzj5b8HDip2pqEKOKtH4Q27Ca/s1600/boat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYkuM1oL4n4l8EFUCzS7d4xGRLsm8aZwJi0BNkV6MgkEc8LBk0DTF_F5mvgt-fDUiiiwOuLCPcvLf5L0szu1DEtB8jOk1ZJIsVltn1kLLLmW8Kybohzj5b8HDip2pqEKOKtH4Q27Ca/s400/boat.jpg" width="267" /></a></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"><br />
</span></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>A family dance party with our little rock star...</i></div><i><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimEGB5zKVZaoUaAb_L3m51F9R3KQIISMoUo4lGOFw7nWvKeLkWfdLCk3VOIf3_yq0cqwNGf1dBNiS_w8KxUbhRmyibNYJ4-hZBzHn5AHMyzyTlo3tEIOB_v3cAWcQ4h3JRZsfXYljE/s1600/rock+star.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimEGB5zKVZaoUaAb_L3m51F9R3KQIISMoUo4lGOFw7nWvKeLkWfdLCk3VOIf3_yq0cqwNGf1dBNiS_w8KxUbhRmyibNYJ4-hZBzHn5AHMyzyTlo3tEIOB_v3cAWcQ4h3JRZsfXYljE/s400/rock+star.jpg" width="267" /></a></i></span></div></i><br />
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</span></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Some scooting around on the floor...</i></div><i><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF9IpcS_BF5jjh6UWv46Z-p3MkobBicFfltKnPFF0iGimsKMkGQHMkrgj4mnY-LzWtyr0Seq8VryMQ1jWXeobGSdvDvwVFAZ5ebSz4GknAyJ-AXSoV1G3EPfslnCGtaxIy4SCUCezQ/s1600/scooting.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF9IpcS_BF5jjh6UWv46Z-p3MkobBicFfltKnPFF0iGimsKMkGQHMkrgj4mnY-LzWtyr0Seq8VryMQ1jWXeobGSdvDvwVFAZ5ebSz4GknAyJ-AXSoV1G3EPfslnCGtaxIy4SCUCezQ/s400/scooting.jpg" width="400" /></a></i></span></div></i><br />
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</span></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>A run through the sprinkler...</i></div><i><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSQJIyWr54KuZt9MhecDm2j2PYkX5eIqJHcuvbSHgHb8Af3XqvrYZgNTHJI3wdqqJGm-gZ7sYpJoJ_CUhBe88TgMo07aWwLDxkRqV0ufB9FTp5f8HpAyLo2SXNTFkHrL4mO66Q6Kjo/s1600/sprinkler.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSQJIyWr54KuZt9MhecDm2j2PYkX5eIqJHcuvbSHgHb8Af3XqvrYZgNTHJI3wdqqJGm-gZ7sYpJoJ_CUhBe88TgMo07aWwLDxkRqV0ufB9FTp5f8HpAyLo2SXNTFkHrL4mO66Q6Kjo/s400/sprinkler.jpg" width="267" /></a></i></span></div></i><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>And a snack on the deck...</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0dtjp8uVEfYV03KJuapw9jsC3FKHRdfQD34AJ62HfSXy8wU9G_zQnQDircf9UgVhArvY2XX_dcyCRQ230s7eB5lMZbqPAE-8ElVgLUxi5-HyHRwNHVkdGltN5vjsg2BIWrT76qMOE/s1600/pear+snack.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; color: black;"></span></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0dtjp8uVEfYV03KJuapw9jsC3FKHRdfQD34AJ62HfSXy8wU9G_zQnQDircf9UgVhArvY2XX_dcyCRQ230s7eB5lMZbqPAE-8ElVgLUxi5-HyHRwNHVkdGltN5vjsg2BIWrT76qMOE/s1600/pear+snack.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><i><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0dtjp8uVEfYV03KJuapw9jsC3FKHRdfQD34AJ62HfSXy8wU9G_zQnQDircf9UgVhArvY2XX_dcyCRQ230s7eB5lMZbqPAE-8ElVgLUxi5-HyHRwNHVkdGltN5vjsg2BIWrT76qMOE/s400/pear+snack.jpg" width="267" /></i></a></div><br />
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</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Finished off with a bonfire and s'mores with the neighbors.</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtO2SdrDgTBVR5WQLKLfUSbQELAPvnYOMbChXg2Surk6RQPPPU4v7idnmZSHaHCHF6N4PYQe4Dypx-H2_g3QmAO0_b3Fk3KfgXlKUmU4uaknVKdyjM0U3e8W_89kds8axdQcL18_7W/s1600/campfire+family.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; color: black;"></span></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtO2SdrDgTBVR5WQLKLfUSbQELAPvnYOMbChXg2Surk6RQPPPU4v7idnmZSHaHCHF6N4PYQe4Dypx-H2_g3QmAO0_b3Fk3KfgXlKUmU4uaknVKdyjM0U3e8W_89kds8axdQcL18_7W/s1600/campfire+family.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><i><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtO2SdrDgTBVR5WQLKLfUSbQELAPvnYOMbChXg2Surk6RQPPPU4v7idnmZSHaHCHF6N4PYQe4Dypx-H2_g3QmAO0_b3Fk3KfgXlKUmU4uaknVKdyjM0U3e8W_89kds8axdQcL18_7W/s400/campfire+family.jpg" width="400" /></i></a></div><br />
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</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>In other words, a wonderfully ordinary day. Hope you're having a great weekend, too!</i></div>Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07611346109361854732noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9118884060350350417.post-88963064424889320112010-08-17T22:03:00.000-05:002010-08-17T22:03:12.137-05:00He said something funny, and I remembered it long enough to write it down!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnNmpzSXOva5_QBSoW4Nb9xim7V3k4ZmxipACuUVjih-tdwf0rAT58dBX1a1E0pMuzCQanls5lXx7kl-2867KupYiNGtam1uZXjltQxKkGLaEIoyhXHGdooRjz0aWmpQExmOGkeC4b/s1600/Pirate-Cooker-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnNmpzSXOva5_QBSoW4Nb9xim7V3k4ZmxipACuUVjih-tdwf0rAT58dBX1a1E0pMuzCQanls5lXx7kl-2867KupYiNGtam1uZXjltQxKkGLaEIoyhXHGdooRjz0aWmpQExmOGkeC4b/s400/Pirate-Cooker-2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">credits:</span></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Say No To Piracy by Pretty in Green, MandyMade, and Wyld Web Designs</span></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">"I'm a pirate cooker!" you loudly proclaimed, pulling a chair up to the stove to help me stir the morning oatmeal. I love your imagination, Aaron!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07611346109361854732noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9118884060350350417.post-68021491007304513072010-08-14T12:17:00.002-05:002010-08-14T12:17:56.826-05:00Two Beautiful Faces<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">I had a photo session here at the house this week, so of course had to have my two favorite faces test out my backdrop and lights to be sure everything was just right. I love these beautiful little people!</span></span><br />
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</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7Gc8T2HrUrQPCxdom_RySZtkgYT6ZUagNaaPvgCxZr85twwMRiPo7LBuc2BBJIRduyioZk5dXOr8fAEVbRRg4epp5QZ3EkKas2OR57gSQeRivsgEaln0NyzQI06vqbieNxuOlj-GMOqw/s1600/Aaron---August-2010.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7Gc8T2HrUrQPCxdom_RySZtkgYT6ZUagNaaPvgCxZr85twwMRiPo7LBuc2BBJIRduyioZk5dXOr8fAEVbRRg4epp5QZ3EkKas2OR57gSQeRivsgEaln0NyzQI06vqbieNxuOlj-GMOqw/s400/Aaron---August-2010.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgArrovf16-VbeOj0II7dHDeEH32IpawaBFhCkz015rFBFu3avsevXdHmwYZbf-CSCe7hCu3JoCkYKzeoQDa6W3aVSkMye8JrtP23-bWc-IW6v4_EwuphCgM7q5NCD3oZaF4yG5hH_bLgI/s1600/Susannah---August-2010.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgArrovf16-VbeOj0II7dHDeEH32IpawaBFhCkz015rFBFu3avsevXdHmwYZbf-CSCe7hCu3JoCkYKzeoQDa6W3aVSkMye8JrtP23-bWc-IW6v4_EwuphCgM7q5NCD3oZaF4yG5hH_bLgI/s400/Susannah---August-2010.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07611346109361854732noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9118884060350350417.post-72932895874613340282010-08-06T06:19:00.005-05:002010-08-06T09:10:06.626-05:00A Day at Navy PierOffice life can get a little stressful, so Mike decided to take last Friday off and get some R&R. We had a long wish-list of all the family outings we wanted to cram into a few short days - days lounging at the pool or a trip to the beach at Lake Geneva - but when we woke up on Friday morning, it was overcast and slightly chilly. Definitely NOT swimming weather. Instead, we headed downtown to Navy Pier, to meet up with a few of Mike's family members in from out-of-town. When we told Aaron we were going to ride on a big ferris wheel, his immediate reply was "I'm probably going to be scared!" But he wasn't at all! In fact, Mama was the only one who's slight fear of heights was triggered (don't ask me about the sleepless night I had, thanks to nightmares about falling from high places). But all in all, it was a spectacular day of family togetherness. Hooray for taking the day off, Daddy!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdC7WgK3VCNdu_RWhEw73zRSofd1-10f1TB5e7CG9IILsKPGrsEw3UKo2p24TI8ahu7Zouj1B2d2qWEpKWbCn1CJiNL4M7J5p5KJYqVcbZrqWrhHpUjKKsTTIxQSqAaqKTepvaFJ39/s1600/Navy-Pier.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdC7WgK3VCNdu_RWhEw73zRSofd1-10f1TB5e7CG9IILsKPGrsEw3UKo2p24TI8ahu7Zouj1B2d2qWEpKWbCn1CJiNL4M7J5p5KJYqVcbZrqWrhHpUjKKsTTIxQSqAaqKTepvaFJ39/s400/Navy-Pier.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">credits:</span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">P365 Cluster Frames and Capture Words by Scrapmuss Designs</span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Boys of Summer by Britt-ish Designs</span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">date tab by Katie Pertiet</span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">journaling:</span></i></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">A day at Navy Pier! It had been years (decades!) since either Mike or I had visited this Chicago landmark, so when Mike’s Aunt Stephanie, cousin Nick, and Grandma Maz said they were headed to the lakefront, we jumped at the chance to join them.The highlight of our day was riding the gigantic ferris wheel and taking in the gorgeous views of downtown. A walk to the end of the pier and dinner at the Billy Goat Tavern (where Aaron had a great view of the tall ship coming in and out of the dock) rounded out this fun-filled day.</span></i></div></div></div>Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07611346109361854732noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9118884060350350417.post-46847184096640032962010-08-04T20:09:00.000-05:002010-08-04T20:09:57.500-05:00It's been one of those days...Apparently there's sassy juice in our town's water supply. Everyone's acting up around here! My dear friend, Rose, posted this on her blog today, and it's an appropriate sentiment:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKn7P6FIENlqPHEQrvPlnUGLJGaNshoMpuPs72lkdLkThvcNOF9bmGUlFkHtViwtWtTonU-Q-eousplDWg7JnZ1ObLBfrUrS7i-c8IiRcf9aSdXoEnDOWsCl864U1qTvvQmB5uli46/s1600/Keep+Calm.....jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKn7P6FIENlqPHEQrvPlnUGLJGaNshoMpuPs72lkdLkThvcNOF9bmGUlFkHtViwtWtTonU-Q-eousplDWg7JnZ1ObLBfrUrS7i-c8IiRcf9aSdXoEnDOWsCl864U1qTvvQmB5uli46/s320/Keep+Calm.....jpg" /></a></div>Thank goodness Daddy is putting our little monster to bed. Here's hoping tomorrow is a better day!Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07611346109361854732noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9118884060350350417.post-47170319980905108532010-07-25T20:38:00.000-05:002010-07-25T20:38:08.019-05:00[overheard] no. 4I <i>must</i> start writing things down more. I know there have been three or four moments this week when I collapsed in giggles at what came out of Aaron's mouth, but darned if I can remember most of it now that I'm sitting at my computer to get it recorded. Here's a little taste of his hilarity.<br />
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Before lunch, the prayer went like this:<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Aaron:<i>"Dear God, </i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"><i>Thank you for food,</i></span></i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"><i>and our bodies,</i></span></i></span></i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"><i>and Rosie,<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"><i>and Anderson,<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"><i>and James and Eli</i></span></i></span></i></span></i></span></i></span></i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"><i>and all our blessings.</i></span></i></span></i></span></i></span></i></span></i></span></i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"><i>Amen."</i></span></i></span></i></span></i></span></i></span></i></span></i></span></i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">Mom: "Is James a blessing in your life?"</span></i></span></i></span></i></span></i></span></i></span></i></span></i></span></i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">Aaron: "Yes, he's a <span class="il">gentleman</span>!"</span></i></span></i></span></i></span></i></span></i></span></i></span></i></span></i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"></span><br />
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</div><div>A new favorite expression: Holy Moly Cow!!!</div><div><br />
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</div><div>And from the pool this afternoon: "Susannah is getting baptized again!"</div><div><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmrqka-KXlxwKm_T0N5ijO54uX0WWo8AkN2FnL-2t-JuXzBg16Pfw6q5wgLRoBn9YJy1_eaYIf8CBy1CzvMvaLTDY7Uo3Q5gxYaZwlnq2STvSk2NjP0j3O2tSifosktNXg-bGAsEZk/s1600/IMG_5592-pool2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmrqka-KXlxwKm_T0N5ijO54uX0WWo8AkN2FnL-2t-JuXzBg16Pfw6q5wgLRoBn9YJy1_eaYIf8CBy1CzvMvaLTDY7Uo3Q5gxYaZwlnq2STvSk2NjP0j3O2tSifosktNXg-bGAsEZk/s400/IMG_5592-pool2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjboOuOXOnYTmRiyY4hV5Ks_u2HJigaVrhNxvsVqpc1A4Zpw_pfoNCeeZwTUC0opO0cd_SHXE81r09GGYZeKb5rB5xsVm6HyhjwMbiw83lTrLeL3QnAgFbLWRYbqxlM1EB_euTVAnBs/s1600/IMG_5577.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjboOuOXOnYTmRiyY4hV5Ks_u2HJigaVrhNxvsVqpc1A4Zpw_pfoNCeeZwTUC0opO0cd_SHXE81r09GGYZeKb5rB5xsVm6HyhjwMbiw83lTrLeL3QnAgFbLWRYbqxlM1EB_euTVAnBs/s400/IMG_5577.jpg" width="265" /></a></div><div><br />
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</div></div>Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07611346109361854732noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9118884060350350417.post-89033965950281059842010-07-04T05:08:00.000-05:002010-07-04T05:08:00.780-05:00Happy Birthday, America!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Our town's July 4th parade is becoming an annual tradition for our family, and it's fun to look back at photos of years gone by and see how small the kids were. Look at these pics of Aaron and Jacob on their very first Fourth...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXyuOvL1u7JDFKV_pc4bAy3RSzWi15CoLX_ubX5Wf7k_oY2cdQy1HD9B-le8CYZ5nzzf5w204iazqcuHAZ1Hr6fmdDlv46I6eIiMM1T350uBrZ2P6WlDi3-U3c6dL5cAGkhNI_e0-h/s1600/I-Love-a-Parade.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXyuOvL1u7JDFKV_pc4bAy3RSzWi15CoLX_ubX5Wf7k_oY2cdQy1HD9B-le8CYZ5nzzf5w204iazqcuHAZ1Hr6fmdDlv46I6eIiMM1T350uBrZ2P6WlDi3-U3c6dL5cAGkhNI_e0-h/s400/I-Love-a-Parade.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
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It's so unbelievable that Susannah is now this age, celebrating her first Fourth. Time is flying!!<br />
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This year we joined a few other families from our church and hiked to the parade route together. We found a great (shady!) spot, and the kiddos collected tons of candy. I'll probably post a few photos later on, but will share this one with you today:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBqmTAYGGEPLaaOE73Gj7OQo0Yhjgntk5w0uvzTx614LwK8y1Uf293MSMuyeEUldFzSqKgN6JhA3R23S-KfSCAkPYSfGxp0EpB38KT00n54YLMr_SFjucFrdjbQnJmpIwVokbJVm4N/s1600/Family-on-the-Fourth.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBqmTAYGGEPLaaOE73Gj7OQo0Yhjgntk5w0uvzTx614LwK8y1Uf293MSMuyeEUldFzSqKgN6JhA3R23S-KfSCAkPYSfGxp0EpB38KT00n54YLMr_SFjucFrdjbQnJmpIwVokbJVm4N/s400/Family-on-the-Fourth.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
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Our weekend is full of cookouts and fireworks and celebrations with friends. Hope yours is, too. Happy Independence Day!Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07611346109361854732noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9118884060350350417.post-5960730152674011642010-07-03T16:17:00.001-05:002010-07-03T16:17:35.857-05:00Summer's half over already???Hello, July! The holiday weekend has always seemed like the unofficial half-way point of the summer, and I just can't believe it's here already. I kind of feel like our summer is just getting started! Every summer, I talk about making a list of things I want to do before the warm weather disappears, and a day at the beach is always near the top of that list. Whether it's the shore of Lake Michigan, the beach at Crystal Lake, or one of our long treks north to Cedar Campus, there's something about spending some time on the sand that makes it <i>really</i> feel like summer.<br />
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Here's a look at two of our beachy moments from the past:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqIFB9VcuiBfzvhbGy_g6EM-9s85UkSZLtB2jFu6gC4er4QyBJ8gEqXo3-pEL5voA7Vrt8Yy13TzxhLJsX8SB9RTXMmS96XlvvXCIQr1AKXdAZs_m-2eELWHA6wrLEBwb5qdk_TI1f/s1600/prentiss-bay.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqIFB9VcuiBfzvhbGy_g6EM-9s85UkSZLtB2jFu6gC4er4QyBJ8gEqXo3-pEL5voA7Vrt8Yy13TzxhLJsX8SB9RTXMmS96XlvvXCIQr1AKXdAZs_m-2eELWHA6wrLEBwb5qdk_TI1f/s400/prentiss-bay.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">credits:</span></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><a href="http://shop.scrapmatters.com/product.php?productid=5208&cat=0&page=1"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Drift Away</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> by Graham Like The Cracker and By Becca</span></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Gold Rimmed Alpha by Trixie Scraps</span></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><i><br />
</i></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><i><br />
</i></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWDzj50KhBh1Mv5aOU3T71ayS3oIPxqEeC65rdsStryvYXkO64BzOLx6KZOFPR7bU7jrKpKNSzQrEGPyM54n6RWw3V54R6FmQ94w9AfijbmMkxX2KDsHnyV6XsrC6JvBABEkN6uX93/s1600/Racine-Beach.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><i><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWDzj50KhBh1Mv5aOU3T71ayS3oIPxqEeC65rdsStryvYXkO64BzOLx6KZOFPR7bU7jrKpKNSzQrEGPyM54n6RWw3V54R6FmQ94w9AfijbmMkxX2KDsHnyV6XsrC6JvBABEkN6uX93/s400/Racine-Beach.jpg" width="400" /></i></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">credits:</span></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><a href="http://shop.scrapmatters.com/product.php?productid=5208&cat=0&page=1"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Drift Away</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> by Graham Like The Cracker and By Becca</span></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Stash Staples Solids paper pack 1 by Britt-ish Designs</span></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">And just so I stop talking about it and actually write it down somewhere, here's my summer activity wish-list:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><ul><li>a day trip to Lake Geneva (we found a really fantastic beach last year - can't wait to go back!)</li>
<li>a few trips to the zoo (must make good use of the membership we purchased)</li>
<li>a day on the Lake Michigan shore. We wanted to do this last summer and never got around to it, so it's a carryover from last year's wish-list.</li>
<li>a trip to Portage Park pool (Mike's old neighborhood pool)</li>
<li>a neighborhood fest or two, complete with ice-cream cones and pony rides.</li>
</ul><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">What makes it feel like summer for your family? I'd love to hear about some of the fun things you have planned for the second half of the season.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></i></div>Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07611346109361854732noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9118884060350350417.post-6258870048228577532010-07-02T06:43:00.002-05:002010-07-02T08:27:30.153-05:00Just a peek into our lives...Two short videos that capture so well what's happening at our house right now. First, a moment from the dinner table:<br />
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This just makes me melt! Aaron is the best big brother I could have hoped for, and he has such a genuine love for his sister. I love that he's so excited by her success - and I'm praying that this kind of enthusiastic mutual encouragement gets woven into the fabric of their friendship for a lifetime. (I also love that he wears a firefighter hat at the dinner table. What fun to be two!)<br />
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And here's a little clip I caught of Susannah's new mobility. Again, starring the red hat. :-)<br />
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Lookout world, she's on the move!Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07611346109361854732noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9118884060350350417.post-21409010511680000542010-07-01T22:13:00.002-05:002010-07-01T22:26:14.322-05:00Goodnight, Sleep Tight<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Getting up in the middle of the night is just a way of life these days. Whether it's for a midnight feeding or to soothe a toddler after a bad dream, someone is always waking me up. So it was a bit of a shock when I woke up yesterday morning and realized I hadn't heard from either child since bedtime the night before. Even more shocking was that it was 9am! (update: the shock continues... today's wake-up time was 10:15, when I went in to get both kids up. They would probably have kept right on sleeping without the mommy wake-up. CRAZY!!)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Ironically, I had just finished a scrapbook page about Susannah's sleep habits.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigYz7q6kl0tjnlb7k_1yj2Gma0apRfiEdrxZkc7bo_EQ0YcTGgmhuI9Ej3s4WbgCVG1YYPiFqFCnEt0hRrggeo_N3mFqnlujQp_Dcm09m3wbrHj8khx7XhAMcoUyflYcAZloWPHGAz/s1600/Goodnight,-Sleep-Tight.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigYz7q6kl0tjnlb7k_1yj2Gma0apRfiEdrxZkc7bo_EQ0YcTGgmhuI9Ej3s4WbgCVG1YYPiFqFCnEt0hRrggeo_N3mFqnlujQp_Dcm09m3wbrHj8khx7XhAMcoUyflYcAZloWPHGAz/s400/Goodnight,-Sleep-Tight.jpg" width="400" /></a><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><i>credits:</i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><i><a href="http://store.gingerscraps.net/Train-to-Dreamland-by-Wyld-Web-Designs.html">Ticket To Dreamland</a> by Wyld Web Designs</i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><i>template by Emily Powers</i></span><br />
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<div style="text-align: left;">So maybe there's hope that I'll make inroads on my sleep deficit. Goodnight, all!</div></div>Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07611346109361854732noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9118884060350350417.post-43135736436794010002010-06-25T14:01:00.006-05:002010-06-25T16:16:51.177-05:00From the archives: Happy Birthday Emma!Emma has always had a special place in my heart. Remember <a href="http://growingupsharp.blogspot.com/2009/02/happy-birthday-emma.html">this blog post</a> about her sixth birthday?<br />
<div><br />
</div><div>She and her family joined us this past weekend at Susannah's baptism, and it was fun to watch this little girl turn into a lady. Amidst all the business of the afternoon, I did get a few moments to chat with her, and it's clear that she's moving full speed ahead into a more grown up version of herself. It made me feel kind of old, to be honest! With images of baby Emma floating fuzzily through my head, I decided to reminisce a bit and dig up some old photos of her. Of course, then I had to make a scrapbook page!</div><div><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpHWMF1ednG5oTU86npyRSOs1F1t1zPzYuMDo8ysHYsq50LT26B0MB2Fm5cq_YQBj8SEymTuYaZAsIoGFD2bVTfOYss0c-EH61TWSx17dbX5ymOFICC3wHAz7wsE1dF4bAx06wbYrX/s1600/Emma's-first-birthday.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpHWMF1ednG5oTU86npyRSOs1F1t1zPzYuMDo8ysHYsq50LT26B0MB2Fm5cq_YQBj8SEymTuYaZAsIoGFD2bVTfOYss0c-EH61TWSx17dbX5ymOFICC3wHAz7wsE1dF4bAx06wbYrX/s640/Emma's-first-birthday.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><i>credits: </i></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><i>All For One templates by Britt-ish Designs</i></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><i><a href="http://scrapmatters.com/shop/product.php?productid=5073&cat=0&page=1">Another Candle on the Cake</a> by Graham Like The Cracker and Michelle Batton</i></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">It won't be long before my own little girl is smashing birthday cake in her face, which means that she'll turn into a big girl like Emma before I even know it. Thanks, Emma, for being a special girl, and for being a special part of our family. :-)</div><div></div>Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07611346109361854732noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9118884060350350417.post-88599511111826834702010-06-23T13:16:00.003-05:002010-06-23T15:03:58.835-05:00From generation to generation...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinqBAcj37_CC9u5JrFa1od0MlT5_GnshthXWKXHkAZXuYP9saQqCzxP9fNBzTBYZNRyPPhi0d4ei13-tHsz9Oi6WARdwoPQ_KaN4VQte4vejNvIQzZe1LOHbIndOuTtPbvRUelWUER/s1600/Sarah's-baptism---parents.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinqBAcj37_CC9u5JrFa1od0MlT5_GnshthXWKXHkAZXuYP9saQqCzxP9fNBzTBYZNRyPPhi0d4ei13-tHsz9Oi6WARdwoPQ_KaN4VQte4vejNvIQzZe1LOHbIndOuTtPbvRUelWUER/s320/Sarah's-baptism---parents.png" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh903goUKBlXSn1TsbSIKFIctG9UmczcXUp6bu5kNwePspJqI1-5kxtmWfxRNLZEkiqZRZ-3axqN_l1bZe9wgQmodx4qbeZuCJl8OEZPZA4fVoNuMF-s8I6BkDyuTLOip5g96ZYy2zl/s1600/Sarah's-baptism---Janet.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh903goUKBlXSn1TsbSIKFIctG9UmczcXUp6bu5kNwePspJqI1-5kxtmWfxRNLZEkiqZRZ-3axqN_l1bZe9wgQmodx4qbeZuCJl8OEZPZA4fVoNuMF-s8I6BkDyuTLOip5g96ZYy2zl/s320/Sarah's-baptism---Janet.png" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>June 18, Father's Day 1978 - My baptism day.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFn_hTbGD_pY2Zop0g2lmQ7mSAeUhzRupW5VH99f8gY0oZ5V5-i1VMG7opn44FxtXvtUTjLRqUmXI6dCDwUdfUlsPlJqhwerhLmB0Z6_589UV0NgSQYbD4lw6npseioNJitLptnmdo/s1600/baptism-324.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFn_hTbGD_pY2Zop0g2lmQ7mSAeUhzRupW5VH99f8gY0oZ5V5-i1VMG7opn44FxtXvtUTjLRqUmXI6dCDwUdfUlsPlJqhwerhLmB0Z6_589UV0NgSQYbD4lw6npseioNJitLptnmdo/s400/baptism-324.png" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>and June 20, Father's Day 2010 - Susannah's day to be marked with baptismal water.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: left;">What a special moment to see God's faithfulness from generation to generation. My mom, dad, and sister (who are pictured above circa 1978) plus many other family and friends sat in the front rows of our church, joining our covenant church family, and promising with Mike and I to raise Susannah in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. </div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFjvQGsTqyCu6hhnHQIaJVNXl85L9NguHmqirzoKfaWsWuc4qFc0uxwW6FYMsL2OEj0bcy1jAEI33Rz21Jf7_qvToN-0Ymr9ld_RdvsmCKBy4TroJXIU7app7S8kp9nOgIj9sV9RWK/s1600/baptism-212.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFjvQGsTqyCu6hhnHQIaJVNXl85L9NguHmqirzoKfaWsWuc4qFc0uxwW6FYMsL2OEj0bcy1jAEI33Rz21Jf7_qvToN-0Ymr9ld_RdvsmCKBy4TroJXIU7app7S8kp9nOgIj9sV9RWK/s400/baptism-212.png" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Taking our baptismal vows.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyNFhlyLGHbMmp-M1Xc7Et0i2Vs5U8jCo9UWL6ihhhVS2kyhuoPlec1BoW_XQRlM-tdE40J_novL-pkWI5PhJEOvEjvAPJLTYJ9jiWJWRMK1UHgEWAVDjByKBGWtOkbLT1FokI1emP/s1600/baptism-229.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyNFhlyLGHbMmp-M1Xc7Et0i2Vs5U8jCo9UWL6ihhhVS2kyhuoPlec1BoW_XQRlM-tdE40J_novL-pkWI5PhJEOvEjvAPJLTYJ9jiWJWRMK1UHgEWAVDjByKBGWtOkbLT1FokI1emP/s400/baptism-229.png" width="267" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Aaron and Mike pour water into the baptismal font. This pitcher was a wedding gift to Mike and me.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY0cl5dDOdYZvYu9A-w0OLtVMh9d76yd-Br1Ufh4BUTg3N08r28wYbTBfPPQ5KPx66NL3JL96DieLmqxdvmbOs1W0AYNgt1EcoQYIH_26PD6S3UM1i-isOjfviTLN5JOmtZll3GfcR/s1600/baptism-240.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY0cl5dDOdYZvYu9A-w0OLtVMh9d76yd-Br1Ufh4BUTg3N08r28wYbTBfPPQ5KPx66NL3JL96DieLmqxdvmbOs1W0AYNgt1EcoQYIH_26PD6S3UM1i-isOjfviTLN5JOmtZll3GfcR/s400/baptism-240.png" width="267" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Pastor Dave marks her with the water of our identity, </i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisRce_IEl4-fcpPWTn1QNKntyEKA4q1WSWDF5kngULOrCwR8J703_8H8QXE3j2K9rKOPHQf9thMFQRNR_uiusehGVwzHZKGUXyeg8-LDllFmw5YLWLQc_0Z9Nb7OcIIhyGFkHK_YIp/s1600/baptism-244.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisRce_IEl4-fcpPWTn1QNKntyEKA4q1WSWDF5kngULOrCwR8J703_8H8QXE3j2K9rKOPHQf9thMFQRNR_uiusehGVwzHZKGUXyeg8-LDllFmw5YLWLQc_0Z9Nb7OcIIhyGFkHK_YIp/s400/baptism-244.png" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>and prays that God would use all things in her life to bring her to know and love him.</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGFJbhSUmUGwiQ7FQYkoCGkp7iN7ySW1DNUYy1CXTzHf03frvFdlR9yxWIysNTZcz4LWJiJD_haBanqMkRqqLu1Jm1_b99dzOpA_U8n-Fa2Njq_Pwwq4HecGTTunzyNgNmK9O7V4Uj/s1600/baptism-264.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGFJbhSUmUGwiQ7FQYkoCGkp7iN7ySW1DNUYy1CXTzHf03frvFdlR9yxWIysNTZcz4LWJiJD_haBanqMkRqqLu1Jm1_b99dzOpA_U8n-Fa2Njq_Pwwq4HecGTTunzyNgNmK9O7V4Uj/s400/baptism-264.png" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>The choir sang a special hymn while Rose walked Susannah through the congregation. So many commented after the service about how well she handled all of this - not a single tear or whimper.</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG9qpJFdRK0reeOATzIC-PDJDUpqc3KMqlkme3yicMoyWjmUk2lymSQTV_uanUV6qth2cXukGysAhGSU07djq8BsdY8OEyQT1C-GU8lTnCoCxcpciyL_7jUwx_6vnLe7TngkmUtr0r/s1600/baptism-267.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG9qpJFdRK0reeOATzIC-PDJDUpqc3KMqlkme3yicMoyWjmUk2lymSQTV_uanUV6qth2cXukGysAhGSU07djq8BsdY8OEyQT1C-GU8lTnCoCxcpciyL_7jUwx_6vnLe7TngkmUtr0r/s400/baptism-267.png" width="267" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsB2C5e9nbMJ7GZ5PHlQ1e96gOJfaiq8gdv4INXIT8HkFQik2TGgfj2CoqhNrRrCeo9BSvvIZMVSO6aHNbWRQDwAMBDmHCJANzBCy3Etav76B4yrI-GLno-78NaZ9wmeQSHASoqIuO/s1600/baptism-290.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsB2C5e9nbMJ7GZ5PHlQ1e96gOJfaiq8gdv4INXIT8HkFQik2TGgfj2CoqhNrRrCeo9BSvvIZMVSO6aHNbWRQDwAMBDmHCJANzBCy3Etav76B4yrI-GLno-78NaZ9wmeQSHASoqIuO/s400/baptism-290.png" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>The Porter family.</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiua8xb2iVCrnJa1agqSdblR95OlUFa82ZCPvMGZ9J_-KCGmHO7_GomYQR0kgCXM0AwdvG_kGvxoQ5yOIWOXPnJOd0FRdPCRhbMsvhSUjMKZoX3uaW-p7WBRIBOARc_s2rIi7raZweQ/s1600/baptism-309.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiua8xb2iVCrnJa1agqSdblR95OlUFa82ZCPvMGZ9J_-KCGmHO7_GomYQR0kgCXM0AwdvG_kGvxoQ5yOIWOXPnJOd0FRdPCRhbMsvhSUjMKZoX3uaW-p7WBRIBOARc_s2rIi7raZweQ/s400/baptism-309.png" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>And the Sharps.</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho-l7NEBkLcjexOb825ENuy_RFDg75QE8xVIPlaUB4UDMhGoLpGm8Q6dxUcMcZKm7QOWFCFdmQfcnuveaeQYpT_ONLSAlGw19DatJ4rlg-FWLB2rJmz3YyH9ik9jFotosGCi8KTqVH/s1600/baptism-297.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho-l7NEBkLcjexOb825ENuy_RFDg75QE8xVIPlaUB4UDMhGoLpGm8Q6dxUcMcZKm7QOWFCFdmQfcnuveaeQYpT_ONLSAlGw19DatJ4rlg-FWLB2rJmz3YyH9ik9jFotosGCi8KTqVH/s400/baptism-297.png" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho-l7NEBkLcjexOb825ENuy_RFDg75QE8xVIPlaUB4UDMhGoLpGm8Q6dxUcMcZKm7QOWFCFdmQfcnuveaeQYpT_ONLSAlGw19DatJ4rlg-FWLB2rJmz3YyH9ik9jFotosGCi8KTqVH/s1600/baptism-297.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipDET2gT0XZZfjETViJVoBUDovl7ExE7Qg4GQoE3LTTPWwcBugHAg-jg3_YmCpwT0BtOFhN22b84BHTJaTShMZM-m7Gh32onnlSLIDIav6IlLhNBYns9Op_-BOT5a4nZC3FxjzMF_o/s1600/baptism-089.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipDET2gT0XZZfjETViJVoBUDovl7ExE7Qg4GQoE3LTTPWwcBugHAg-jg3_YmCpwT0BtOFhN22b84BHTJaTShMZM-m7Gh32onnlSLIDIav6IlLhNBYns9Op_-BOT5a4nZC3FxjzMF_o/s400/baptism-089.png" width="267" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Grandpa Lloyd looks happy, but not so sure about Susannah. It was way past nap time!</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWaWf2GavLYYfroO8wq1jtILPE08hyDAAkHS7mSLVK6cFr19errA5AtazhSKhsFMXEI2Q9RAM-EpfkCNiXUwN-EhUST8aFHBc-zAb3Po3glNxUvXDh3NaVcUWyoZimALWBHf9Zo0iP/s1600/baptism-193.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWaWf2GavLYYfroO8wq1jtILPE08hyDAAkHS7mSLVK6cFr19errA5AtazhSKhsFMXEI2Q9RAM-EpfkCNiXUwN-EhUST8aFHBc-zAb3Po3glNxUvXDh3NaVcUWyoZimALWBHf9Zo0iP/s400/baptism-193.png" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Then we headed home, praying the rain would hold off so we could enjoy lunch on our new deck.</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinITt5qECHv9mQBa67cuMw7nATjZMUtW5IpoQaM6z2tsrSSouOv7tf4d2-_Qh0hyphenhyphenCMPKMDi1RJsSNff2fAgXqBYejMfADQjkOYuxGzQLQD6nGeMQzYelWQmgYl8ToRpsmVMAcDkchz/s1600/baptism-096.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinITt5qECHv9mQBa67cuMw7nATjZMUtW5IpoQaM6z2tsrSSouOv7tf4d2-_Qh0hyphenhyphenCMPKMDi1RJsSNff2fAgXqBYejMfADQjkOYuxGzQLQD6nGeMQzYelWQmgYl8ToRpsmVMAcDkchz/s400/baptism-096.png" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Aaron and one of his best buddies, Jacob.</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDfNTYOF4v0D5QvYz2F1yJWxvjYV3M8o_i2eMWsqWLnm3pdIBlfaotf4n9NHoXcKRkPJ85lsNAms7NC0EtOyC0jZeB7pz0e2IeX4rRd8hNlfNeoBK7SQYBE7P-ajh4ORGkgUW8_4gU/s1600/baptism-333.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDfNTYOF4v0D5QvYz2F1yJWxvjYV3M8o_i2eMWsqWLnm3pdIBlfaotf4n9NHoXcKRkPJ85lsNAms7NC0EtOyC0jZeB7pz0e2IeX4rRd8hNlfNeoBK7SQYBE7P-ajh4ORGkgUW8_4gU/s400/baptism-333.png" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSDiwf08w_lPKf4VQJLZnj73P_YzlCQCysNRnhN6iSBytOIHTZdBPB6_UkHJvwSldRr0Ja3o0v6o4dURkjFy356Sj49aiAc3L-3MjGdVUHq374iunG2uAFjlEKl9h9H1TaRtyKWbG9/s1600/baptism-339.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSDiwf08w_lPKf4VQJLZnj73P_YzlCQCysNRnhN6iSBytOIHTZdBPB6_UkHJvwSldRr0Ja3o0v6o4dURkjFy356Sj49aiAc3L-3MjGdVUHq374iunG2uAFjlEKl9h9H1TaRtyKWbG9/s400/baptism-339.png" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>No party is complete without a cake from Costco. :-)</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-WlanZxVxMB3zHJkVF9jvgXVfQLpndCzw-s9XS1R7bfrsYGOK8BDH1SazyFsLflJf_-OoJlquRcgEth2l_RLIO3lIwvxoyauaRWeDni8ig7mIzC5ioQ8ltukOjQCDZttmebsui-yb/s1600/IMG_5882.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-WlanZxVxMB3zHJkVF9jvgXVfQLpndCzw-s9XS1R7bfrsYGOK8BDH1SazyFsLflJf_-OoJlquRcgEth2l_RLIO3lIwvxoyauaRWeDni8ig7mIzC5ioQ8ltukOjQCDZttmebsui-yb/s400/IMG_5882.png" width="267" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>We made a lot of special keepsakes to remember the day. This photo has the words "We do, God helping us," which was our answer to the baptismal questions, around the border. As a way of affirming their promise to partner with us in raising Susannah, each person present at her baptism was encouraged to sign this photo. It's hanging in our dining room now, and is a wonderful reminder that we're not on this parenting journey alone.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: left;">There were so many special details that went into this event, and it all came together even better than I could have imagined. The banner that stood behind the baptismal font was a special project I created as a gift to the church, and I'm excited to see it again and again with each baby welcomed into our covenant family. It couldn't have come to life without the help of Rebecca (my sewing tech support) and LeAnn, who came to my rescue on Friday night when I needed help with the finishing details. And Susannah's dress was expertly crafted by "Oma" Ligtenberg - Rebecca's mom. Because they live in California, they weren't able to join us, but each time I received a compliment on that beautiful gown, I felt a little hug from them. And without a lot of help from my sister, mom and two nieces, who did everything from dusting and vacuuming the house to preparing sandwiches and assembling name tags, I could have never gotten it all done. I love that it was such a community event!</div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: left;">Finally, I wanted to share the video of Sunday's service. It runs about 10 minutes, and you may have to turn the volume up to hear everything that is said. But I know Susannah is loved by many, and lots of you don't live nearby. So consider this your front row seat. :-)</div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><object height="385" width="480"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/cjFsXzP6zcA&hl=en_US&fs=1&rel=0&color1=0x006699&color2=0x54abd6"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/cjFsXzP6zcA&hl=en_US&fs=1&rel=0&color1=0x006699&color2=0x54abd6" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object></div></div>Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07611346109361854732noreply@blogger.com2