The Welty House

I didn't post these correctly... start from the bottom and go up.

2009-07-18T16:23:00.012-04:00

Our first trip (of many, so far) to Six Flags Fiesta Texas - Erin was so brave on the Log Ride!! It's so good to be here in Texas, hopefully this will be home for a while :-)

Family Dinner Night at the Warrens' - Nathan was interfering with family kisses.

And I didn't get a clear picture of the Welcome to Texas sign, but this was just as good - the Taco Cabana in Ft. Worth Texas!!

We made it to Oklahoma... yay!

This Arthur Bryant's in Kansas City - Yum again!!

We started a roadtrip that revolved around BBQ - this was at Central BBQ in Memphis... Yum!!

We went to the playground ALL the time....

We went swimming a few times...

Since I last posted, here's what we've done.... Caleb graduated from Virginia Tech!!

think of every town you've lived in, every room you lay your head...

2009-05-02T11:23:00.004-04:00

In which the Mom had recently remarked to the Dad, "It's rather quiet in here..."

2009-04-22T20:07:00.005-04:00

A Small Boy (no more than 17 months old, mind you) had, for the second time in one day, helped himself to a rather large scoop of petroleum jelly. This might not have been such an entirely bad thing, for the Small Boy does have patches of eczema that can benefit from such a substance in reasonable doses, but said Small Boy didn't apply it to said affected areas, instead focusing more on places like his tongue, lips, and eyelids. The Mom, upon discovering her greasy Boy (and scarcely recognizing him), yelled for the Dad to come straight away and take the Boy to the bath. With no concern for the mess his parents were facing, the Boy found a bathtime hobby with which to amuse himself. Despite her great irritation, the Mom took a few moments away from the fury of cleaning the greasy carpet and greasy pacifier (which must be suitable for use by bedtime) to document the Boy as he entertained himself. The Small Boy is now clean, dry, dressed for bed, and still slightly greasy. The Mom is inclined to believe that this was all a plot devised so that the Small Boy would slip easily from her grasp when being pulled away from forbidden objects.... Nah.

you've gotta fight for your right to [protect the constitution]

2009-04-07T11:58:00.002-04:00

We interrupt this regularly scheduled display of kid cuteness to inform you of your rights. If you watch no other news segment today, watch this.

With all this talk of Big Bad Obama, keep in mind that these particular rights being trampled are courtesy of none other than (your favorite politicians and mine...) - neoconservative Republicans. We can thank them for the Patriot Act and other such constitutional nightmares, all enacted in name of "Homeland Security".

Benjamin Franklin knew what he was talking about - anyone who trades liberty for security deserves neither liberty nor security.(my paraphrase)

blue for the sky, and the color green...

2009-04-04T14:44:00.003-04:00

For some reason, blogger is no longer uploading pictures for me. I'm not sure if its the movies I've posted lately or if the system is just fruitlooping. Either way, I've posted new pics on Facebook and you can see them there.

The weather was beautiful today, and Virginia Tech had their big international festival this weekend so we took the kids over to try some exotic food and just enjoy being outdoors. Caleb got a plate of red curried rice and vegetables at the Thai booth (VERY good) and I opted for sweeter fare - Guarana and brigadeiros at the Brazil booth. Gotta represent, right Dad? It was a fun afternoon and the kids got plenty of time to run around and wear themselves out.

Caleb is still plugging along at school and doing very well, and I'm working part time at the University for the Crop and Soil Environmental Sciences department. There's about a month left before classes end, and hopefully by then we'll have a better idea of what we're doing next. Life is always exciting!

In which the Judeman displays his sin nature.

2009-03-27T20:35:00.003-04:00

Yes he usually gets "disciplined" for this kind of behavior, but I needed to document this for posterity's sake. He may or may not have been provoked by the camerawoman.

heart of this world... or something like that.

2009-03-23T20:37:00.004-04:00

this is her rendition - i claim no responsibility for lines like "ripe young women, nekked swimmin', ready to stand!"

test video.

2009-03-07T16:28:00.004-05:00

my kids are silly, and i happen to capture a tiff on camera. really i'm posting it because i've never posted a video before and am unsure how to do it. hopefully this works!

honey, we're all resplendent.

2009-02-14T12:37:00.004-05:00

Coming home to a place they've never been...

2009-01-18T19:17:00.002-05:00

We are at home in Blacksburg! It took awhile, between the long season of packing and cleaning, to the month-long vacation while staying with Caleb's parents, but we're finally moved into our little apartment and completely unpacked. The kiddos love their new (shared) room and have already happily rediscovered all of their toys... so happily, in fact, that I think from now on I'll always keep one third of their toys packed away, and then rotate so there's always something new and exciting. Christmas all year long!

And speaking of, it was a good Christmas. As I mentioned, we were staying with the Weltys for the holidays so we got to share Christmas morning with them. Judah and Erin were sick but still managed to enjoy the new toys and goodies. We had a low-key New Years, and even went to bed early.

So college life starts in earnest this week - I'll be hunting for a job and Caleb will start class on Wednesday. Abby (Caleb's sister, who will be living with us for the semester) starts classes next week and will job hunting as well. Should make for a full and fun 5 months!!

I will post some pics in the next few days. No, really... I promise.

if the exception proves the rule, i guess its true.

2008-12-16T16:40:00.002-05:00

Notes to myself for next Christmas (because if I jot it down somewhere, I'll never find it again):

1.) Don't buy cheap wrapping paper.

2.) If you can't resist buying cheap paper, make sure to buy DARK paper, so as not to expose the gift inside because the cheap paper is tissue thin.

3.) Whether cheap or quality, buy paper in solid colors or in patterns that won't dictate how the gift should be wrapped (case in point: I bought paper with snowmen on it... Half of my presents now have upside down or sideways snowmen. ugh).

4.) Don't put the bows on until right before placing gifts under tree. Bows WILL be lost.

5.) Only buy symmetrically-shaped presents. Otherwise have them wrapped professionally.

Count all the bees in the hive, chase all the clouds from the sky...

2008-12-08T14:15:00.003-05:00

Our little man is one!! Judah is always busy getting into stuff, taking his sisters toys, and making us laugh with his sour faces :-) He's walking more often than crawling now, and even trying to run to keep up with his Erin. He's drinking from his cup most of the time now, and eating pretty much everything we eat. He says Uh-oh, Dada, Mama, Cuh cuh (for cracker), and a few other things that we're not sure about right now... and he loves to play Dad's guitar!

I wish this picture didn't include the pacifier (for some reason I shudder at non-sleeping children sucking pacifiers!!) but evidently Erin found it for him right before I got the camera out.

walk away, walk away, i will follow...

2008-11-21T09:04:00.008-05:00

So my little man is now walking... He's been taking a step here and there for awhile now, but just today I saw him standing up at one piece of furniture, and then take 6 steps over to his toy box.

He's a toddler now! And so while he's still a late bloomer, he managed to beat his sister's walking age by a couple months.

These pictures are from my Grandmother's swank new penthouse apartment in downtown Ft. Worth - the view is ama-za-zing.

My two big kids! Seems like just yesterday we were bringing Jude home, and now he's almost one. Time just keeps flying!

so rid yourself of vanities and just go with the season.

2008-11-17T19:01:00.010-05:00

So I feel like this blog is dying a slow, painful death. I'm not purposefully avoiding it, I just don't have the time to devote anymore. I'm shocked as I look back through the archives and see that I used to (gasp) post twice a month - who has time for that??

Between these two children who, for some strange reason, seem to need me, and our impending move which consumes every other second of my time, I can't seem to put together intelligent enough thoughts worth posting here.

We are mostly packed up (our storage unit is full, anyway) and we'll be out of here by December 20th. Hopefully. Maybe. If I can ever get my act together. Sheesh.
The kids, I'm sure, are wondering where all their toys are going, and why we've rearranged their rooms several times in the last couple months. They're also suspicious of the strangers traipsing through the house inspecting every corner and measuring the windows for new drapes.
Poor kids. They have no idea that someone else will be sleeping in their rooms in just a few short weeks. It kinda makes me sad that while Erin might always have vague memories of this house, Jude won't remember any of it. Our first house as a family of three. And then four.
So anyway, while I drown my sorrows in this bottle of orange coke (soda or pop for your northerners), enjoy the Halloween pics!

what has been and what's to come

2008-09-10T09:30:00.002-04:00

I think we have finally recovered from the post-vaca funk, and now life is returning to normal... Fall is almost here!! Football is in full swing, our fantasty football teams are taking up all of our free time, the weather is getting (slightly) cooler, and I'm ready to start stocking up on Halloween candy. I love this time of year!

Our life and routines have changed so much in the last year... Last fall, Erin was still in diapers. This fall she's potty-trained and is learning her two- and three-letter blends in phonics. Last fall, Judah was a bun in the oven. This fall he's crawling everywhere, pulling up everything, and cruising along any furniture within his reach. If he's bored in his bed he pulls up on the railing and scoots around the edges. What happened to my colicky newborn? Oh that's right, he's now a colicky 9 month old...

Since Caleb has a couple of classes to finish up for his bachelor's degree, we'll be heading down to Blacksburg for the spring semester. This will be a nice change of pace for all of us, and we're looking forward to new possibilities.

I'm also hoping that THIS year I'll finally get an early start on Christmas shopping since the holiday season will also be filled with moving chores. We'll see.

Next post will have pictures, I promise.

three little girls.

2008-08-20T10:16:00.008-04:00

photographs...

2008-08-01T13:23:00.005-04:00

in the army now.

2008-07-08T14:37:00.002-04:00

Its official... the J-man is crawling. Army crawling, that is. For awhile he was using a combination of rolling and scooting and twisting to go places (and oh, the places he would go!). But now, as I sit here and type, he's pushing off with his little feet and pulling himself arm over arm to reach his toys... In a straight line, at that. How did this happen?? He can barely sit up by himself, and very unreliably at that. His accomplishments are very disorganized, much to his mother's chagrin. Maybe he's aspiring to be like his sister... Until 2 months ago, I was convinced that she'd be reading before she ever agreed to be potty-trained. We've narrowly avoided that catastrophe...

In other J news, he continues to chow down on his sweet potatoes, carrots, and occasionally some sweet peas (disguised with a little applesauce, because Jude doesn't go green without coercion). He is drinking from his sippy cup at lunchtime, and even gnaws on leftover pizza crusts when available. Any food within reach is fair game, according to Jude... he lunges for whatever he can get and tries to stuff it in his mouth before we have a chance to react. Yep, we stay busy.

It's the Free Market, stupid!

2008-06-19T08:22:00.003-04:00

On Thursday, June 12th, John McCain was in rare form...again...when he said:

"I'm very angry, frankly, at the oil companies not only because of the
obscene profits they've made, but their failure to invest in alternate
energy."

Thank you, John McCain, for your rousing rendition of that timeless
liberal agenda we fondly call socialism! How dare these companies
commit the cardinal sin of making a profit. Don't they understand that
true patriots work for free? Maverick certainly does, he's spent a
career fighting to keep patriots laboring for the government as long
as possible. (Don't let his latest flip-flop for tax cuts deceive you,
that sly devil is trying to win an election!)

And thank you, John McCain, for your righteous anger over companies
having the gall to follow a mission statement. How dare Exxon-Mobil be
the "world's premier petroleum and petrochemical company"! A company
trying to focus on what they do best...yes Maverick, that is an
obscene travesty for a big government lover such as yourself. Too bad
you weren't around to give the Wright Brothers a good verbal thumping
for their failure to invest in bullet trains!

It's becoming apparent that if John McCain wins, the Free Market loses.

summershine

2008-06-12T14:13:00.003-04:00

Time for the monthly blog update - for some reason I can't seem to muster anything more frequent...

Erin is taking swim lessons with her cousin Carrie, and they are loving every minute of it. For picture of the two bathing beauties, see here. Erin is still growing like a weed and is already wearing a few size 6X dresses (courtesy of cousin Abigail), and has already outgrown the summer sandals I bought her in April. Her latest obsession is bicycles and wondering when she'll get her own... I think next summer will be the perfect time, and maybe this way we can avoid the whole tricycle stage and move straight to something with removable training wheels.

Judah is growing fast as well, although he hasn't been quite the chunk that his sister was at this age. He is moving around quite a bit (rolling, scooting, etc) but still seems to be resistant to sitting up (the one thing I need him to do!). His grumpy nature hasn't won him many friends among family yet, but we love him, frown and all :-) I have a feeling he'll grown into a fiercely loyal and protective young man.

Caleb and I are gearing up for the Warren family vacation this August... Us Virginians are meeting up with the Warren and Russell Texans for a week in the Tennessee mountains - a welcome vacation for all of us. Erin is looking forward to a week of playing with cousins, Caleb plans to get his fill of fishing, and I plan to RELAX. We're not sure how Jude will fill his time, but I'm sure it will involve demanding lots of treats from the Papa... and I'm sure the Papa will indulge him. We can't wait!!

Apprehension.

2008-06-08T11:40:00.001-04:00

For some reason, this reminds me of Eloise Wilkin's "Where Did the Baby Go?"

Fun with friends

2008-06-08T11:18:00.001-04:00

Morning playtime

2008-06-08T11:16:00.001-04:00

Polygamists

2008-05-15T13:04:00.003-04:00

I will admit it’s hard to have sympathy for the FLDS polygamists in Texas.

Their behavior appears to at least be socially unacceptable and at most morally reprehensible. Their homemade clothing, compound lifestyle, large birth rates, strange religious beliefs and train of wives…inspire most of us to imagine that they are the type of people we expect to break the law and in turn expect the government to reign in. At least that’s what the media believes and in turn that is what most of America has come to believe.

Maybe this explains the lack of conservative outrage…the subconscious opinion that “weird people don’t have rights”.

How else do you explain the lack of outrage when hundreds of children are taken from their homes, given unauthorized pelvic examinations, and indefinitely placed in state foster homes without any convictions or filed charges?

How else do you explain the lack of outrage when a government uses military tanks and weapons to seize and search personal property, sequester children and imprison adults based on an anonymous tip from a person who had been previous accused of making false reports? Even though the state law CLEARLY says that the court must have an “affidavit sworn to by a person with personal knowledge” of the abuse (of course there is always that pesky Bill of Rights issue too…)

How else do you explain the lack of outrage when the government justifies their behavior by suggesting there was “possible abuse” of children as well as evidence of broken bones? Don’t confuse possible to mean they actually have any evidence. And while some of the alleged abuse is sexual the rest of it is described as “beatings”. Could it be possible that “beatings” is a CPS codeword for spanking? Oh and since when do children never break bones?

How else do you explain the lack of outrage when the government justifies their behavior by claiming they have pregnant minors…only to have multiple warrants quietly rescinded when the government admits these women aren’t really minors?

How else do you explain the lack of outrage when the government tells a new mother that her infant is now under the state authority and if she leaves the hospital she will no longer be able to see her child?

Have we forgotten that the Government does not own our children, it does not own our families and it does not own our land? No matter how much we dislike these people’s behavior, they are innocent until proven guilty! And even if they are found guilty, why are we punishing the women and children when allegedly they are the victims of these crimes?

On a side note, when was Texas' government hijacked by big-government Republicans? Forced vaccinations and GPS units on truant students have just been the latest attacks on freedom to hit the news...something I would expect from Massachusetts, but Texas?

ah, the sentiment of love...

2008-04-24T17:17:00.003-04:00

I married this man (the bearded one) 4 years ago today, and it has been the happiest, funniest, and most wonderful 4 years of my life. I love you, Caleb!!

children get older, i'm getting older too...

2008-04-19T16:58:00.002-04:00

OK I guess its time for another Judah update... He's 4 months old now, and getting more fun and sociable by the day. He and I traveled to Texas last weekend (pictures soon) which entailed his first plane ride, and he was such a trooper! He was a little nervous meeting the family but warmed up enough to show a few of his sweet smiles :-)

As for his tricks, he's been rolling from tummy to back for a couple months now but is finally in the last couple of weeks rolling from back to tummy. He thinks this is SO cool, as he can pretty much get to whatever toy he sees while playing on the floor, and is already WAY more mobile than his mother wants him to be right now! On the plus side, it has made nighttime a little easier since he can now find whatever sleeping position that suits him all by himself, and thus has no more excuses to have me running in there 3 times a night. Poor kid. He also loves to suck on his fingers and is now working on getting his toes which are still proving to be elusive. And while he's still a big-time Momma's boy, he loves to be entertained by Erin (so long as she doesn't "pat" him too firmly on the head) and gives his biggest smiles to his Dad when they play together each evening.

All in all, he is growing up too fast and I only hope I'm getting all the pictures necessary to successfully document his childhood. I need to clone myself a few times (without so many of the hormones) so I can keep up!! :-)

i'll think of a mermaid lagoon, underneath a magic moon...

2008-03-31T12:01:00.010-04:00

Here are a few snapshots of Erin's birthday party... the theme (if you can't tell from the pictures) was "Tinkerbell Princess Party". She invited her two cousins (and two helpers - thanks Molly & Mary!!), and the girls had a fun time of games, hair glitter, hot dogs, and cake.

Erin and Carrie

Caroline, Erin & Carrie

Little Jude wasn't about to miss out on the action, and the girls made sure to keep him entertained...

The Tinkerbell cake

Blowing out the candles!

Her Tinkerbell doll with matching dress :-)

i built my life around you...

2008-03-18T15:14:00.004-04:00

Waiting for her 'friend Dad' to come home...

Showing off some birthday presents...

Today my sweet girl turned 3. I have wracked my brain trying to figure out where the last 3 years went, and didn't I JUST bring her home from the hospital?? Erin Grace made us parents. She showed us what 'love at first sight' felt like. Her presence in our lives has given us yet another reason to give God thanks... and cry out for His wisdom and grace. Watching her discover her world and listening to her articulate her thoughts on that world is like being given a second childhood. I can't imagine life without her, and I barely remember life before. We love you, Erin!

everybody had a kite, they were flying everywhere...

2008-03-08T14:42:00.006-05:00

take a glance at the fancy ants...

2008-02-02T15:51:00.000-05:00

I love these kiddos!!

The last two months have been a blur, but only blurry enough to obscure the bad days. Its hard to remember having any time to myself (reading a book with no pictures is a thing of the past) and yet in my solitary moments I immediately miss these two sweet children. Jude is still trying to learn the whole sleep-through-the-night thing, and Erin has just started potty-training. Yes, we figured we'd get all the difficult stuff out of the way now :-)

Tagged

2008-01-28T09:39:00.000-05:00

So my mother has tagged me, which means I'm actually gonna have to complete a meme without being sarcastic about it ;-) I hope my compliance is duly noted...

And the rules are.... 1.) Show some cyber-love to the person who tagged you (check). 2.) Post the 5 Meme Commandments on your blog so no one cheats (check). 3.)Share six non-important things/habits/quirks about yourself without grossing anyone out (working on that one). 4.) Punish, er.... tag 6 random people at the end by linking to their little piece of cyber-real estate (coming soon...). 5.) Let the lucky winners know by commenting on their blog (oh just hold your horses!).

And now for the 411 on Anne:

1.) I am the world's pickiest eater.
2.) I love true-crime tv shows and books.
3.) When I was 3 y/o, I drove my grandfather's van all by myself.
4.) I still think of myself as the baby of the family.
5.) I have always wanted a golden retriever.
6.) I love having my hair brushed.

Tagging... Vanessa, SEM, Missi, Shelley, Janelle, and Carrie.

its a human sign when things go wrong...

2008-01-20T17:23:00.000-05:00

Well this was supposed to be a fun, photo-filled post about our visit so far with Mom this week... but instead we're all in the throws of (or recovering from) a nasty little virus that struck the day Mom arrived :-( All of the Slaughters succumbed, and Erin and I followed suit - only Caleb and Judah have dodged the bullet! So no pictures or good stories this time.

In other news, Judah had his one month check up last week and seems to be progressing nicely. He weighed in at 9 lbs 12 oz (25Th%) and is measuring 23 inches (90Th%). In between his fussy times he is constantly winning us over with his sweet smile and frequent attempts to 'talk' to us. Erin still loves to kiss him and insists that she's his primary caregiver ;-)

And speaking of Erin, she has been such a joy in this whole adjustment-to-new-baby phase. Despite initial reticence about having Judah come live with us, her little personality has blossomed in ways I never would've imagined. She is so much more personable and welcoming to guests than before, and is much more cooperative about completing daily tasks (getting dressed, brushing hair, etc). Yesterday after her bath she let me give her a manicure and pedicure (that NEVER would've happened a few months ago) complete with pink nail polish, and proudly showed them to her Dad and her Granny. I love having a little girl!

Our visit with Granny will continue until Tuesday (the days fly by too quickly!) and on Thursday Aubrey will come spend a long weekend... Sadly, this will end our post-baby visitors for awhile and I'll be left scrambling to figure out how to care for and entertain TWO children. Maybe one of these days I'll be brave enough to venture out with them!

the days are hastening on

2008-01-05T21:51:00.001-05:00

I know its been WAY too long since the last post, especially considering I have a newborn that I'm supposed to photograph constantly, but the holidays definitely got in the way. So here are a few of the family... Judah is sleeping in all of his shots - maybe next time I'll catch him awake!

Christmas at church

Erin, wishing she had more of my attention...

Judah sporting his Christmas gift from Pawpop & Grandma...

a closeup.

and waving to the camera.

i've seen the paths that your eyes wander down, i wanna come too...

2007-12-20T09:40:00.000-05:00

Here's a few recent pictures of Judah.... He is recovering from pink eye which is why he looks like a pirate in most of these ;-) Judah is such a sweet guy and we love discovering more of his little personality each day. Erin is being a wonderful big sister, and loves covering him with kisses :-) More pictures to come!

nothin' you'd confess could make me love you less...

2007-12-09T12:01:00.001-05:00

Judah Knox Welty
December 6, 2007
6 lbs 13 oz
20.5 inches long

The exhausted but happy family!

The little man just chillin'...

His proud Aunt ChiChi...

And his sweet big sister!

After 22 long hours of labor, we were so blessed to meet our Baby Judah! He arrived in the middle of a peaceful, snowy night and captured our hearts just like his sister did almost three years ago... and that's about where the similarities of our children end :-) Judah is a sensitive little guy who prefers being wrapped tight and held pretty much all the time. Erin has taken to him well for the most part, and loves to kiss and hold him. She's still not convinced that he's here to stay, though, and keeps asking where Judah's mom and dad went (poor kid!!). We are happy to be home and we're ready to help Judah settle into life with our family!

Hiphopopotamus vs. Rhymenoceros

2007-11-11T09:36:00.001-05:00

You're the pride of Ol' VPI!

2007-11-08T12:53:00.002-05:00

Erin was a Virginia Tech cheerleader for Halloween (can you believe it??) and loved showing off her costume :-) (There are several new posts today - you'll have to scroll down to see them all)

Eagerly anticipating the impending candy gorge!

Trick or Treat!!

Our Jack-o-lantern family :-)

The sacrifice of one's soul

2007-11-08T09:55:00.000-05:00

Allegedly there was a time when Pat Robertson was considered a leader of the evangelical movement and according to the news networks he still is a leader. I for one would have thought his repeated heretical statements (not to mention the claim of being able to leg press 2000lbs) would have disqualified him but apparently Christian leadership is determined by how many TV shows you own and/or how many people attend your church. Interesting.

Regardless, I must concede that even though I disagree with many things Pat Robertson says and does, I respect that he has always defended the biblical truths. He has not been afraid to say that homosexuality is a sin or label abortion as murder. Bravo! So I was surprised to learn that on Nov. 7th Robertson announced that he was endorsing Giuliani.

What exactly is happening to Christian Republicans these days? What could possibly posses people to throw their support behind a candidate who has shamelessly supported abortion, homosexual rights and repeatedly broken his marriage vows? Don't think that shameless is an exaggeration...the man has voiced support for partial-birth abortion, is famous for marching in New York’s June Gay Pride parade and publicly brought mistresses into New York Mayor's mansion while married. That is the short list.

So why are Robertson and so many other "conservative" Christians supporting Giuliani? I believe that it is born out of an intense (and irrational) fear of Hillary Clinton as the next President. Not a fear for our nation's children or otherwise people wouldn't support Giuliani, instead it is a fear for our money...the fear that Hillary's socialist agenda will tax us into poverty.

We should be ashamed by Christianity's eagerness to discard the pro-life agenda in exchange for their pocketbooks. Is it worth trading the lives of infants for acceptable tax rates? Or should the question be phrased, is it Godly/Righteous/Christian to trade the lives of infants for acceptable tax rates? No. As Pat Buchanan said, a Republican nomination of Giuliani is a “retention of power at the price of one's soul.”

The Pumpkin Patch

2007-11-01T09:46:00.000-04:00

These are from our trip to the Pumpkin Patch a few weeks ago...

You can't tell, but she's kissing her "Baby Pumpkin"

Erin and her Daddy after finding the perfect "Daddy Pumpkin"

Caleb, the only one strong enough to hold such a huge gourd!

Our pumpkin family

Picking the "Mommy Pumpkin"

On the hay ride back!

Get rid of Microsoft Windows

2007-10-29T08:19:00.000-04:00

I wrote this a few weeks ago but I waited to post it since Ron Paul was more important ;)

*************************************

Having spent too many years in the tech industry I feel that I am qualified to say that it takes a fair amount of hubris to insist that for personal use a PC is better than a Mac. There was a time when Microsoft Windows was superior to anything Apple offered, but that time has passed and people should begin to realize that it isn't in their best interest to blindly embrace the past. Instead we should strive to buy the best product on the market and right now there isn't anything better than what Apple offers.

Last year Anne and I decided that our next computer would be a MacBook Pro. This decision was born out of a frustration with Windows and my corporate experience with Apple products. We choose the MacBook Pro because a) we only buy laptops now and b) I needed to be able to use the laptop for work purposes.

My experience has been that what I want in a work computer is completely different than what I want in my home computer. As a Network Administrator I wanted a computer that I had complete control over as a home user I want a computer that works without any effort on my part. There is no question that Apple has a clear advantage as a home computer, because of their attention to details that really make their product shine.

So without further ado, here are a handful of those superior “details” found in a Mac.

Hardware:
1. Magsafe Power Adapter.
On a typical laptop the power jack uses a physical "pinch" method to hold the power cord in place. There are two problems with this method, first over time that "pinch" wears out and the jack no longer establishes a firm connection with the cord. Second, if you or your children should trip over the cord than the entire laptop crashes to the floor. The Macbook uses a magnet, all you have to do is bring the end of the power cord close enough to the side of the laptop and "presto" it snaps into place. The beauty of a magnet is that the "strength" does not fade and the magnet is strong enough to easily hold the power cord in place but weak enough that it releases before your computer is pulled off your desk.

2. Illuminated Keyboard
Once you have used a keyboard that gradually illuminates as your environment darkens, you'll never go back. Simple as that.

3. Two-finger Trackpad support
Drag one finger to move your cursor, tap one finger for a left click, drag two fingers to scroll a window, tap two fingers for a right click…never use your trackpad buttons again.

Software:
1. Stable
Because Apple doesn't have to worry about thousands of possible hardware configurations, they can design their operating system to work perfectly with their hardware. The result is no more crashes, no more restarts and no more hassle. Seriously.

2. Authority
Have you ever installed a spyware off the Internet, without even knowing it? Well if you had a Mac it wouldn't be a problem, because software can't install without a username and password! Why Windows didn't have this option before Vista is beyond imagination (although even in Vista it isn't properly implemented).

3. Simplicity
Mac OS X is frankly far simpler than Windows. An example of this is plugging in a USB mouse. When I'm on my Windows laptop, I get three pop-up messages when I plug in my mouse "USB device detected", "USB Human Interface Device Detected" and "Your new hardware is installed and ready to use". When I plug the mouse into the Mac a grand total of 0 message are displayed…the only thing that happens is that the mouse works and that is all I care about! OS X does an excellent job of only alerting you if there is a PROBLEM. Not so for Windows, I can't even count how many messages you receive when you first use Windows that give you some pointless information plus the option to never display that message again. Apple has the mindset that if the information doesn't need to be displayed "ever again" than it didn't need to be displayed in the first place. Bravo!

4. Ease of Use
The location of everything on a Mac makes sense. Preferences are all stored under preferences. Applications are all stored under Applications. Documents are all stored under Documents. You are never left wondering where something could be. How about searching? Can't remember what you named that document with the chicken recipe? Begin typing recipe into the search field on the title bar and results begin to instantly appear, no more waiting for that timer to stop spinning…

Macs are far from perfect yet and some differences are particularly annoying if you are a Windows user (Hello, no delete key?!?), but the overall Mac experience is FAR superior to anything else available! In the past finding applications for the Mac was one of its biggest
detractions…that isn't an issue now, not only can you run Windows programs on a Mac there are also many MANY more native Mac applications available! (ie. there is a nifty recipe program that operates like iTunes, automatically scales any recipe for any size
group, creates custom shopping lists based off the recipes you choose, will export that shopping list to your ipod and will respond to voice commands by reading your recipes out loud to you while you are in the kitchen! Nice!)

Plus with the new version of OS X coming out October 26th, why waste your money on a Windows PC? Do yourself a favor and try something new!

Republicans

2007-10-23T13:32:00.000-04:00

I've been intending to post this for a while...because Anne never would ;) But it is about time people started to consider what it means to actually be a conservative. Here is a simple point system...if you think of Ronald Reagan as a conservative, you get points but if you think George W Bush is a conservative, you lose points...lots and lots of points...every point you ever had ;)

Anyhow, the lack of conservative principles in the current "first-tier" Republican presidential candidates is amazing. Although the eagerness of evangelical conservatives to embrace an apparent nominee in the name of "beating Hillary" is also amazing. If we actually want to reform the Republican party, why not take a look at some of the second-tier candidates? For that matter why not take a look at Ron Paul? It would be nice to once again have a President who actually thinks the Constitution is more than just an ancient document. Don't let neo-conservatism bias your opinion of him..below are links to his speech at the Value Voters Summit...it should be educational.

Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aGu-da6XvJQ
Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Swkqhsp1syo
Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sTRWqJvBm9U

- Caleb

i woke up from a strange rain and it was dreaming outside.

2007-10-19T21:52:00.000-04:00

~ I went in to Erin's room the other morning and she said (in a calm voice) "Mom, there are monsters in this bed - get me OUT of here." She has taken to theatrics and seems to know how to maximize the affect.

~ When Erin wants something that Caleb or I am eating, she sits really close and says "Mom/Dad, I love you so much!" This is occasionally accompanied by patting or holding our hand.

~ She won't often acknowledge that she's gonna have a brother (I guess impending doom is not something she likes to dwell on) and will only talk about him in her prayers. I've been trying to get her to call him by name (Judah) but she'll have none of it. She still thinks his name is "Sister", probably from the pre-ultrasound days when we'd say "Do you want a brother or a sister?"

~ I am still behind on getting ready for Judah, with stacks of hand-me-down clothes still unsorted and unwashed. The guest room (that is being transformed into the new nursery) looks like one big closet and every time the door is opened I am instantly exhausted just thinking about the organization that needs to happen. I need Dok, Mom or Aubrey here to boss me around!

~ Caleb is still my hero, helping with dishes, meals, laundry, and taking Erin off my hands in the evenings so I can put my feet up and rest. He is graciously accompanying me to birthing classes (something we both opted out of last pregnancy), and has even offered to do the grocery shopping this weekend while I go with a friend to get a pregnancy massage. He's the best!

~ College football has been welcome respite from the mindless blather that seems to plague television these days... Is no one turning out creative programming these days? Come February I'd be ready to give away my TV if it weren't for the Food Network and The Simpsons (don't gag, Mom).

~ I am already behind on Christmas shopping, since I had pledged to have it all wrapped up by November. How many days do I have? AHHH!! Shouldn't I be able to opt out of Christmas this year???

round here we're carving out our names...

2007-10-11T16:18:00.000-04:00

I've got to get better about updates! Last month seemed to fly by and this month is shaping up to be the same - too bad the pregnancy doesn't seem to go as fast ;-) I'm now 31.5 weeks and counting down. I've gone from feeling like it will never end to wondering if I have enough time to get my pre-baby checklist done! I also don't feel prepared AT ALL to be a mom to 2 children and feel overwhelmed just at the thought... I got so lucky with Erin in so many ways (perfect nurser from day one, born with perfect circadian rhythm, etc) that I'm bracing myself for a real challenge this time. I figure pessimism will prepare me for the worst, and if I'm wrong I'll be pleasantly surprised :-)

Last month we made it to a VT game (well, to Blacksburg anyway - go Hokies!!) with Caleb's family, went to Bethany Beach for a fun/relaxing weekend with friends, and got another home improvement project completed. This month we've been to a Redskins game and already (probably prematurely) carved our Halloween pumpkins (pics to follow soon). This weekend we'll head to a local vineyard for a chili and wine tasting festival with some friends.

The weather has finally turned cool, although for how long I'm not sure. But we're enjoying it while it lasts and look forward to having open windows and a break from running the A/C.

Erin continues to push the boundaries AND still surprise us with her capacity for absorbing new information. These last few weeks she has mastered the sounds of all consonants and the short vowel sounds. I'm still trying to decide whether I should spring for teaching her to read, but then what fun would first grade be? :-) And there's also the other matter of worrying that we'll be sending her off to school still wearing diapers... Despite a great attitude and willingness to sit on the potty for hours on end, she still doesn't seem to be getting the concept of 'letting go' while up there. Ah well, we'll try again closer to 3. I don't see myself coping well with a newborn and a semi-potty-trained toddler!

That's it here, all else is quiet on the eastern front.

and they jumped at the snow with long rakes and red bats...

2007-09-05T09:33:00.000-04:00

Erin's latest fascination is rhyming words... She begs me constantly to play the "rhyming game" and can usually find a rhyming word to match mine. Occasionally she comes up with a non-word word, but for the most part she's getting it. So now in the car instead of listening to Barney or some other incessantly annoying kids' CD, we rhyme. Can't wait to see what the next phase will be :-)

if you forget my love, i'll try to remind you...

2007-08-18T08:36:00.000-04:00

Here's a couple of recent Erin snapshots... She wasn't too happy about the second picture :-) These days, her Dad and I are in wide-eyed wonder at her stamina and will. She has given us a run for our money regarding daily (seemingly constant) discipline and doesn't seem to have intentions of letting up anytime soon. If I let my guard down, she capitalizes. If I'm tired, she knows it. If I'm tempted to laugh at some act of disobedience, she hams it up. She knows all my buttons and has declared war. Good thing we're bigger and smarter than she is... I'm just hoping we can match her in energy :-) Honestly, we have seen improvement since we've tightened up on our tactics and I know in time her will can be bridled! She really is such a treasure to us and I am constantly surprised at what she teaches herself... hopefully she's as willing to teach her little brother when the time comes :-)

Playing under the table and dreaming

2007-08-10T17:04:00.000-04:00

I figure its time for an update, not that there's much to report.... We spent last weekend with Caleb's family at Ski Liberty for the annual Welty family reunion. The weather was great for hiking and swimming and Erin loved having tons of play time with her aunts and uncles.

The week prior Erin was pretty much down for the count with a nasty intestinal virus. We did lots of laundry and she lived on water and crackers for the better part of the week but managed to recover in time for the reunion.

I keep expecting to recover from morning sickness one of these days, but no luck so far. I have finally put on 2 lbs which keeps the midwife from lecturing me but I'd love just to wake up and get through a whole day without feeling nauseated and drained... I mean come on, this is week 23!! In any case, at least I know it'll be over by December :-)

Dok is here visiting this week and we are so happy!! We haven't decided yet if we'll let her go back since we're always so sad when she leaves... Kristen and I readily admit that our lives are boring without her. We love our Dok!!

Thats all for now...

its hard to explain how a few precious things seem to follow throughout all our lives...

2007-07-27T08:56:00.000-04:00

Looks like we're having a boy!!

"People smile and tell me I'm the lucky one,
We've just begun, think I'm gonna have a son..."

The best of the rest in Red River

2007-07-15T12:17:00.000-04:00

I wasn't the best at getting good pics everywhere we went, but this'll have to do:

They put the 'red' in Red River :-)
Erin being shy (yeah right)

Waiting for dinner...

Caleb relaxing

Hmm...

Still waiting for dinner....

Me and Nate being stupid

IDK, my BFFs Jack and Shelley?

Timmy being tortured, still waiting for dinner....

Nathan, playing hard to get

The Sandovals in Truchas, NM

2007-07-15T11:57:00.000-04:00

In the middle of our Red River vaca, Caleb and I (and Erin) drove out to Truchas, NM to visit Caleb's great-aunt Ruth and her husband Luis. They live out on a mesa in a 200 yr old Adobe home with a beautiful view.

Aunt Ruth out on the porch
Caleb on the well. This well was dry, and up until last year Aunt Ruth and Uncle Luis were collecting rain water from the roof. They now have indoor plumbing!

Erin on the porch waiting for breakfast - we were treated to homemade walnut pancakes, fresh fruit and piping hot bacon. Yum!

The Sandoval's Adobe home

The front door

Side view of the house

The guest house where we stayed

The chapel on the grounds

The corral... There was also a bunk house that I didn't get a picture of because it was too far back on the property.

The Rio Grande Gorge

2007-07-15T11:50:00.001-04:00

For those of us who haven't seen the Grand Canyon, the Rio Grande River Gorge was pretty impressive. I was a scaredy-cat and didn't look over the side of the bridge for too long, just long enough to get a few pics...

The Gorge
John Caleb and Shelley

Erin and Daddy

Me, right before I panicked :-P

Red River

2007-07-15T11:36:00.000-04:00

On July 5th we hopped a plane to Dallas, slept for two hours, and then piled into the caravan headed for Red River, NM with my side of the family - 24 people in all. The drive was long, but it was well worth it. The views were breathtaking and the weather was incredible!! These were taken at the top of the mountain after a 30 min ski lift ride.

Independence Day

2007-07-15T11:02:00.000-04:00

Our 4Th of July was spent celebrating with our friends Michael and Millie Shipe as they tied the knot. We finished the evening with a trip to downtown DC for some T-Coast tex-mex (yum!) with friends and then back to the hotel where us girls crashed and the guys played poker for most of the night. It was a whirlwind couple of days! Here's a couple of pics from the wedding:

The Happy Couple!

The handsome groomsmen and his family :-)

The cutest girl at the party!

Me and Naomi in our matching dresses - no, we weren't in the wedding party.

the shape of things

2007-06-26T08:39:00.000-04:00

Erin's latest: "Look mom, its a red octagon. S-T-O-P spells 'stop'"!

Meme?

2007-06-16T14:37:00.000-04:00

that word sounds contrived, but so does this game.... 7 things you don't know about me - here goes:

1.) I am obsessed with real life crime, and am consequently always planning the "perfect crime".

2.) I collect bugles.

3.) I have false teeth.

4.) I used to sell vacuums for a living.

5.) I can name and sing almost any 80's pop song.

6.) I use the words "down yonder" and "darn tootin'" as much as possible.

7.) I can't seem to muster the narcissism necessary to take these seriously.

someday when my heart exhales i'll tell you everything.

2007-06-04T13:36:00.000-04:00

throw a stone and watch the ripples flow

2007-05-05T21:21:00.000-04:00

so i thought i'd return from the depths of morning sickness long enough to revive my blog, but i see that my husband has tended to it along with all the other chores he has taken on in my "absence". he's so wonderful!!

yes, pregnancy is just as hard the second time around (if not harder) and i find myself struggling to keep from losing too much weight. so far i've lost 8 lbs and i'm entering my 10Th week. we'll see if i break last pregnancy's record of 14 lbs lost. i'm on a steady diet of crackers and juice, and have at least managed to stay hydrated so as to avoid a hospital stay. my consolation is reading about other women who lose 20+ lbs and have 4 or 5 kids in their care... it could be much worse.

erin has struggled to adjust to this change in lifestyle, but is so blessed to have aunts, uncles, and grandparents who take care of her when i'm not able. and as i stated above, my sweet husband makes sure that all the dishes and laundry are done (even after a long day of work!), and sees to erin's needs all evening long. i know he's exhausted but i don't ever hear him complain. i couldn't make it without him.

my brother nathan is visiting this week, and it has been fun catching up/having company around the house. we've watched a lot of "A Baby Story", "What not to Wear", and "The Simpsons"... he's very patient to sit through those first two :-) this afternoon, he and caleb went with caleb's brothers to see "Spiderman 3" and now he's in the middle of a Halo 2 tournament with caleb and two of his friends. i hope he's enjoying his time here!

well that's about all i can muster. i have no new erin pictures to post... there will probably be an eight month void in her photograph collection

:-)

A Survivor's Story

2007-04-25T10:12:00.000-04:00

Here is a link to a VT survivor's blog. It goes into great detail on what happened inside one of the classrooms.

It makes me ponder what I would do if I was in the same situation.

http://colmanfamilyupdates.blogspot.com/index.html

In Remembrance

2007-04-23T10:26:00.000-04:00

Saturday, April 23rd, I took a trip down to the 'burg with some of my fellow Tech friends. I'm not sure why I felt the need to see the campus or be a part of the memorial events, but all of my Tech friends had the same urge...so I didn't fight it. It was a shame that Anne couldn't have come too, but the combination of 8 hours in a tight car plus the rolling Blacksburg mountains would have ruined the day for her.

Anyhow I thought I'd post some pictures and thoughts...

Norris Hall, the classroom building where 30 people were killed. The police have put crime tape around the entire building, which created about a 50 yard buffer zone. This buffer zone, designed to keep people from interfering with the crime zone also helped protect the public from the "carnage" of the event. Forensic cleanup crews were constantly entering and leaving the building, usually they were carrying out cardboard boxes filled with student's personal effects. Some of the boxes clearly contained clothing items...a few people next to me speculated that they must have been cut off the injured by EMTs. The second floor windows of the building were all open...I was told that on Thursday there was a strong odor emitting from them. Fortunately it was gone by Saturday as was the blood on the sidewalks. A friend told me that previously there had been paths of blood created when the police hurriedly dragged bodies out on Monday.

Constant streams of people were walking by the building while I was there. Flowers, lit candles, poems, letters, pictures were all left in remembrance.

Tents like these have been setup on the drillfield, which separates the academic buildings from the dorms. All of them followed this general theme...this one was unique because President Bush signed the giant "VT". There were people around who seemed to have taken it upon themselves to make sure that the candles were constantly lit.

Another collection of items people had left, these items were not meant for any particular person so that is why they are clumped together. Behind me were 32 separate piles of flowers, poems (a surprising number of original poems were placed throughout the campus), etc. for each of the victims. There was also another pile for the shooter…which included flowers and some letters, none of them expressed “ill will”. There were also a few letters for Cho’s family. In the background of this picture is Burruss Hall the college's administrative building...Norris Hall is immediately on the left of Burruss Hall.

Here is the picture of the pile left for Emily Hilscher:

I was pleasantly surprised to see that most of the mainstream media has left. On the other hand there were many freelance photographers and writers running around trying to drum up a new story or take on the situation. Most of them were a terrible nuisance. Crying students usually would have at least one photographer following their every step. I was interviewed by one group who asked me something about which celebrity I felt should come to campus and speak out regarding the events. It was pointless, clearly demonstrating that the media has run out of real questions. I also saw what appeared to be a South Korean news organization asking people if their opinions of South Korean people as a whole were damaged.

One picture that I failed to take was of the media circus around a funeral at Blacksburg Baptist. While the press was not allowed on the church property, they effectively surrounded the church with the constant flash of cameras. Sometimes a free press can be a nightmare.

In the evening the campus catering service and about 15-20 local restaurants hosted a free dinner. It is no small thing to feed at least 10,000 people but there was plenty of food for everyone.

I was unable to visit the dorm where two people were killed. Even though I lived there for one year… only students can enter the building.

Not only am I not very good at taking pictures, but the zoom was also acting up on our camera, so this is the best "crowd shot" of the drillfield that I have. Note that the groups of people are at locations where people have put memorials:

And lastly a picture of an exhausted Hokie fan:

2007-04-17T07:11:00.001-04:00

they told me to go back to the beginning... so i have.

2007-04-11T18:19:00.000-04:00

pencil marks on a wall, i wasn't always this tall...

2007-03-22T08:56:00.000-04:00

Sunday was Erin's 2ND birthday! It seems like yesterday we were bringing her home, and yet I also can hardly remember what life was like before she arrived. She is so special to us! I took her to the Doc for her 2 yr check up - she is 38 inches tall and weighs 30.2 lbs. The pediatrician asked if she has a vocabulary of at least 20 words... ha ha!! I told him that Erin never stops talking at home and would be surprised if it was less than 100 words. She has also memorized several of her favorite books and consequently can "read" to herself when I'm busy with other things. This helps me out a lot because when I read to her, she likes to have the same book read 3 or 4 times before moving on to the next, leaving me little time to finish laundry and dishes before the next meal. How did my mother do it????

Today (if the weather holds out) we'll be off to the zoo with Vanessa and crew. Erin enjoyed the zoo last spring, and it should be even more exciting now that she can talk about it. Her favorite animals are elephants, monkeys, and lions. Hopefully at least one of those will be out and about today :-)

I am so relieved that spring is here. All my life I thought I was a winter person, but I'm starting to realize that I was just a summer person who needed winter in order to fully appreciate summer. I don't like the sedentary feel of winter, especially with a daughter who loves to be outside on the swing as much as possible. She's already been asking when she can go to the pool! I wasn't even sure she'd remember the pool, but I guess she's a summer gal too...

time keeps moving from a crawl to a run...

2007-03-14T12:18:00.000-04:00

A few weeks ago I went to Dallas for a conference with my Mom and sisters... Since my grandparents live in Ft. Worth, my Dad drove the rest of my siblings up from San Antonio and I got to see all of them in one place for a couple days. It was good. I'm not sure how long its been since just the 11 of us spent some time together (or if it'll ever happen again) but gosh it was great to be a family again for a day. Dad took us all out to Pancho's Mexican buffet (famous for their fabulous sopapillas) and even though there wasn't a table big enough to accommodate the whole group, it was a great time of laughing and reacquainting. I sat with Nathan, Shelley, Aubrey, Timothy, and Bethany, and I don't think I've laughed that hard in a long time. We took turns quoting lines from "The Office" until our sodas were in danger of spewing from our noses. Gross, I know. But it made for good memories. I realized sitting at that table that I hardly know my little brother Tim. He takes Tai-kwon-do, is a pickier eater than I am, and is way taller than he has any right to be. It seems like yesterday he was a one-year-old and I was carrying him around everywhere - we shared a room and I fed him all his meals. Now he's 10 and loves to sword-fight. Where have all these years gone?? Now I'm a real mom with my own baby, and time moves even faster. There are sweet moments with Erin when I think "I'm gonna remember this forever" and a few days later I can hardly recall the circumstances... life goes on and we're too busy living it to document everything. But there are moments with my daughter and husband that I will remember forever, pictures or not. And I'll always remember the weekend in Dallas with my family. It WAS good.

I've been here before, I've seen it before...

2007-02-07T15:36:00.000-05:00

I guess all bad things come in threes... We're currently at two and I'm not anxious to see what's next :-) Erin recovered quickly from her stomach bug last week. In fact, that very evening she was jumping up and down on her Daddy and begging for some of his dinner! But last night she went to bed with a fever and this morning woke up with an earache too... So, we're off to the doctor tonight to make sure its nothing serious. I don't buy into the whole "cold weather makes you sick" but lately I'm starting to wonder :-)

In happier news, we got a few beautiful inches of snow last night!! We woke up to a soft blanket of white this morning and have been enjoying the view all day. Its already melting but that's ok - snow is best in small doses...

these fragile dusty frames

2007-02-01T08:33:00.000-05:00

Today my little princess woke up with a stomach virus :-( After throwing up several times, she is finally sitting in my bed covered with towels and pretending to watch Little Einsteins. She won't cry or talk, and she's very hesitant to drink her water... I can tell this will become a battle as the day goes on. Please pray for her!

its been a quiet week in lake wob... er, lovettsville

2007-01-18T19:31:00.000-05:00

Well its been a month and since I'm a slacker, I have no new pictures to share. I got a really cool camcorder for Christmas (from my wonderful husband) and have consequently abandoned our digital camera. Who has time for both??

So here's an Erin update:

Her favorite phrases are "Oh no, something's happening!" (Yes, she's paranoid just like her mother), "I go Carrie's house?" (her cousin next door is her best friend), and "Mommy I'm happy!"

Her favorite pastimes are naming all her shapes and colors, singing her ABC's, counting to twenty, and the newest: guessing the songs that Chi Chi hums to her. She'll be on a game show someday.

She has us somewhat startled with her height as she is taller now (at 21.5 months) than her Daddy was at 24 months. At the doctor's office they measured her at almost 38 inches but when I measured it was closer to 36 (sigh of relief!) inches. Either way, she's definitely off the charts in height! This puts me at an obviously disadvantage as I didn't expect her to be opening bedroom, oven and refrigerator doors at this age!

Last week the three of us accompanied Caleb's family on their annual ski trip to Timberline in West Virginia. Despite the warm weather down here, it was a different story up in the mountains and there was plenty of snow. We had such a good time and a relaxing week. The lodge was beautiful (and huge!!) and we kept ourselves occupied with board games, the pool table, hot tub and of course lots of skiing. Too fun!

That's about all I can think of... maybe I'll dust off the camera this week and take some pictures :-)

Christmastime

2006-12-19T22:25:00.000-05:00

Well here we are looking as Christmas-y as we ever do. I can't really believe that my favorite holiday is less than a week away (and almost over!!), especially since yesterday topped out at about 73 degrees. I keep telling my husband (see handsome man pictured above) that this is why I left San Antonio! And speaking of, we are so sad that we won't be going home for Christmas this year. It'll be the first non-Texas one in a long time and I can't help but feel a little blue. Its been a year now since I've seen any of my grandparents or cousins, and that is WAY too long! My cousin Matthew is getting married this weekend - this will be the first Warren cousin wedding I've missed :-( Hopefully we'll make it out there next summer though...

I hope everyone has a Happy Christmas full of family and fun!!

the lights on my tree, i wish you could see...

2006-11-26T19:30:00.000-05:00

I am thankful for...

2006-11-22T17:03:00.000-05:00

My wonderful husband ~ he has worked tirelessly at painting the house, repairing what's broken (or hiring someone if he can't do it), making money so we can pay bills, and consistently reading the Word to Erin and me each evening.
My sweet daughter ~ Erin says "love you!" to Caleb and me each night, and it only gets more precious each time I hear it. She's growing up so much and every day she amazes me with what she knows! She can sing "Twinkle Twinkle", "Jesus Loves Me", "You are My Sunshine", and a few others :-)
My sister Kristen ~ I was just telling her the other day that I don't remember what I did before she moved here. Its been almost a year since their moving van pulled into Lovettsville and we've had so much fun ever since! We take turns making bread for both families (thanks to Sis for teaching us how!!) and on rainy days we fuss about how our other sisters left us.
My family ~ We've seen every one of them this year, and had at least one person visiting every month since January! I know it won't happen every year, but I'm thankful it happened this year!
Notre Dame football ~ Ok well, football in general is something to be thankful for but this year our team has done particularly well and barring an embarrassing loss to USC (doubtful) we'll be cruising to the Sugar Bowl... Not too shabby.

Obviously this is not exhaustive list but I'm trying to get in the Thanksgiving mindset before the Christmas madness consumes me completely!

I may be climbing on rainbows, but baby here goes...

2006-11-09T15:57:00.000-05:00

I love this man.... isn't he handsome? And he looks so good holding his newest nephew too :-) We are blessed to have him!!

Tears and fears and feeling proud...

2006-10-30T13:57:00.000-05:00

This morning the last of the Warren family left.... CJ and Aubrey drove away at 645a leaving Kristen and me alone our doorsteps wondering how we will fill our days. Since Bethany arrived in July we've had a constant stream of visitors through the warm summer days and we made the most of it by swimming, hiking, picnicking, or just laying around enjoying the sunshine. But now we're left to face the winter on our own. I'm gonna need a lot of eggnogg and pumpkin pie to make me feel better...

Erin is talking up a storm now, and I'm constantly amazed at her communication skills. She understands everything and can usually tell us what she wants and what's bothering her. She loves to read books, she loves to watch Dora the Explorer, and she still loves playing outside. We're still working hard on improving her attitude in certain circumstances... Its funny - when I tell people that she's strong-willed and often disobedient, the usual response is "Oh, she's just expressing herself" or "Wow, she's full of personality". I'm sure these are just meant to make me feel better about the struggle, but does that mean obedient and well-mannered children are completely devoid of personality and incapable of expressing themselves? I can't imagine that's the case. I choose to believe that while she is expressing a part of herself (her sinful nature), we press forward to make sure she's not overcome by that nature. May God grant us wisdom as we have no earthly idea what we're doing :-)

you know you're the best thing to ever come out of this place

2006-10-16T21:26:00.000-04:00

At Aubrey's request, here are some recent pictures of Erin. Yes she has grown, but she's not driving quite yet. We've had Granny here visiting, Dok making bread (I finally learned how too!) and a new little Slaughter boy to round out the family (pictured below with Erin). Liam is such a cutie and is already too old!! Kristen and Dave already wonder what they did without him :-)

Since my last post we've been to the beach with a bunch of friends (see Cindy's blog for pics) and to Virginia Tech for the first football game of the season. Hopefully we'll make it down for one more this year. The leaves are changing here and to celebrate autumn, we've carved pumpkins (pictures in the next post) and eaten our weight in apples (no pictures available). Christmas is already too close and I'm feeling the anxiousness of being behind the curve in the shopping world. Oh well, nothing new there. Thank goodness for cooler air!

i wanna soak up the sun...

2006-08-31T20:36:00.000-04:00

Ok ok, here are some Warren pictures. This is not an exhaustive list so I'll TRY to post some more...

a month in the country, a day by your side...

2006-08-07T11:34:00.000-04:00

The Weltys, Russells, and Slaughters all took a picnic to Washington Monument State Park and hiked up the trail to the monument. It was a breezy evening with perfect weather. I'll post more pics once the Warrens roll in!

Here's Jonathan outside the monument.

Caleb and Erin about to walk the winding stairs up to the top - it was so dark inside!!
The whole group (or most of them anyway) having a picnic after the hike.
Annie, Joshua and Bethany at the top of the monument.
Wes relaxing with a beautiful view behind him.
Isaac on the stone wall.
Molly showing us how big the view was!

it would be so fine to see your face at my door....

2006-07-21T10:47:00.000-04:00

I just have to say.... We are SOOOOOOO excited to see the Russells in less than two weeks!! I didn't have pics of all of them, but here are a few of the faces that will be at our Virginia door pretty soon!!

oh i wish i was in the land of cotton...

2006-07-07T11:30:00.000-04:00

Hey, good-lookin'... Whatcha got cookin'?

2006-06-18T21:03:00.000-04:00

Erin made her first batch of chocolate cookies the other night when we had a cookout with the Ridleys. Mostly she just stirred the batter (occasionally flinging it onto the counter and stove), but she loved every minute of "helping" her Aunt Vanessa bake!

Hello, yeah its been awhile...

2006-06-05T08:48:00.000-04:00

Wow, we've really let this thing get stale... So here's a quick overview of May: 1.) Mom came for a visit which was supergreat. We got pedicures, ate fabulous food (chinese and Chipotle), and obsessively watched American Idol (woohoo, Soul Patrol!!). 2) Caleb and I went with his family for an action-packed weekend in Baltimore, complete with a visit to the Baltimore Aquarium and an Orioles game. Here's me and my handsome husband at the game:

3.) A couple weekends later we celebrated with friends at two weddings, both grooms being Caleb's childhood friends. We made it to the ceremony of one wedding and the reception of the other. Congratulations, Kenny & Courtney and Josh & Amy!! 4.) We rounded out the month nicely with a fun Memorial Day weekend. After lots of hard work fixing up the rental townhouse (Caleb, the Weltys, and Dave S. did it all, I just watched Erin), we had a BBQ with friends from church. The weather was great and it was fun catching up with the friends who have moved out of state.

And of course here's the little angel... Erin is such a hoot these days, and even more of a challenge each week. We're finding out (through the rod of correction) that even 100% consistency doesn't produce a perfect child immediately :-) Too bad I believed all those Michael and Debbi Pearl lies!! But we're chipping away at her, determined to train her to obey the FIRST time and EVERY time. One of these days we'll see the fruit of our labor, but until then we'll enjoy the journey - she is such a blessing!!

EDIT: I've been trying for about two weeks to post this entry... Blogger is so frustrating!!

she's going for distance, she's going for speed.

2006-04-24T13:19:00.000-04:00

So roughly two months after taking her first steps, Erin has finally put crawling away for good. I was surprised to see her walking (or trying to walk) at 11 months since she was such a late crawler, and now she toddles all over the place looking like a drunken sailor. Blessedly, this has slowed her down somewhat... and if she tries to run away when she knows she's in trouble, she usually topples over pretty quickly. Now we enter a LONG season of bruises and skinned knees...

resurrection sunday

2006-04-18T15:43:00.000-04:00

We are blessed this year to have my sisters Beth and CJ visiting us for the holiday weekend (see family blog for that pic), and we had a great time visiting with the extended Welty family for Easter dinner. This is Beth's first time in Virginia, so we'll take her downtown this week to see all the monuments and whatnot. More pictures to come!

it takes some work to make it work.

2006-03-30T15:38:00.000-05:00

I love this time of year... After playing with Erin outside for awhile, I laid her down for a nap and then planted a whole row of pansies. The weather has been perfect and sunny, and I got the flowers done just in time for some good rain this weekend. Last night Caleb and I started on our spring cleaning, and its also about time to dust off the grill and start enjoying hamburgers, hot dogs, and shrimp kabobs. This is the life.

there's no time like the present...

2006-03-28T09:19:00.000-05:00

Waiting for her guests to arrive...

Cupcakes!

Erin loves chocolate.

One of her new baby dolls!

Opening a present.

Her dad decided she needed her own cell phone and car keys... She loves them!

i'm so much older than i can take.

2006-03-18T21:52:00.000-05:00

Today is my 1st birthday, and my parents took me to Grand Rapids Michigan to celebrate! We attended the Mangione/Bechtle wedding, played with a lot of new friends, and ate a lot of good food... and my favorite new friends are Travis and Lelia Mangione. What a great weekend!

this is as close as you and i will ever get to the ocean...

2006-02-24T08:27:00.000-05:00

The Welty family went to Hilton Head Island last weekend for a family reunion. Here's Erin admiring the ocean.

Here's Erin before being traumatized by the icy waters...

Erin and Luke

Her adoring fans.

And finally, being rescued by Grandpa after Daddy stuck her feet in the cold Atlantic waters.

Who am I to say this situation isn't great?

2006-02-03T15:55:00.000-05:00

Carrie Ellen has been over to play quite a bit since she moved in, and now Erin Grace is not content without her playmate. Although they don't necessarily play together, they play well *beside* each other. And this is good enough for their moms. What sweet girls!!

There's the moon asking to stay.

2006-01-21T18:41:00.000-05:00

January is like I imagine post-pardum depression must be. Taking down decorations, throwing out the tree, and seeing the Christmas lights slowly disappear from the lane is torture for me and I'd just as well sleep through the entire month so as not to be reminded daily that my favorite season is being packed away. I even dread this time well before Christmas even arrives. I dwell on how sad it will be when it is over - how sick is that? Anyhow, we're back to normal non-holiday life. Life where Caleb heads off to work every morning, Erin and I read books and visit our newest neighbors, and I get reacquainted with my kitchen and daily food preparation. Yep, this month is like the flu...

Erin is working on her second ear infection of the year. I hate the idea of keeping her drugged but I hate the idea of oozing and burst eardrums even more. She's a trooper though and I'm always surprised at how she's able to go about her normal routine despite the chronic pain. Her curiosity is growing by the day, and she is into everything faster than I can chase after her sometimes... And apparently she thinks she's more capable than I do - I find her trying to stand up in the middle of the living room with nothing to steady herself. She gets up on her hands and feets, looking much like an upside-down "V" and then fusses when she realizes she can't go any farther. Hopefully she'll be toddling soon and I won't have to worry about finding her stuck like that.

We had a fun ski trip to West Virginia with Caleb's family last week. It was warmer than normal and even rained one day, but they still got in their fair share of skiing. I only went a couple of times but because I ski so infrequently I'm not talented enough to stay upright on slush and ice. It was just as well, because our cabin was fabulous and I did a lot of resting and reading by the fire. Erin loved exploring the place and had all the attention and affection that a little girl could want. Unfortunately, we forgot the camera so you'll have to check Emily's Xanga for pics...

No sleep til Brooklyn!

2005-12-30T11:32:00.000-05:00

Two great smiles! Erin loved all the attention she got from her Texas family, not to mention all the candy and cookies :-)

Fighting off the volatile grey skies...

2005-12-30T11:22:00.000-05:00

It was such a blessing to see the progress Dok made from Thanksgiving to Christmas. I'm sure she'll find out more about what happened to her when she sees the specialist next month, but its obvious to everyone that the Lord is healing her and it makes us happy to see the light in her eyes again. We love you, Sis!

Don't drink the water...

2005-12-30T11:09:00.000-05:00

Ah yes, having babies seems to run in the family... but then again, I guess it runs in every family. This is Kristen and me with our cousin Allison and her daughter McKinley. We had such a good time fellowshipping with my dad's side of the family in Ft. Worth and its always amazing to see how everyone changes (and multiplies too!). More pics to come...

Tradition, tradition!!

2005-12-21T20:25:00.000-05:00

Carrying on yet another treasured Warren tradition, it is Erin's turn to wear the family bonnet that graces the top of our Christmas tree every year. It originally belonged to our cousin Michelle who wore it to her father's (Dad's brother Bill) funeral in September of 1976. It was then passed to my oldest sister Aubrey and has been worn by every Warren girl since.

Tiny tots with their eyes all aglow...

2005-12-19T20:39:00.000-05:00

This is Erin having her first taste of Granny's buttercream frosting.... She liked it.

Here's Erin wearing her Mom's new hat - 9 months old and already borrowing my clothes! Frosting my first cookie and looking much more ghetto than I intended, which I blame entirely on the brother beside me.

Dok, looking cuter than ever... We're so happy she's feeling better :-)

Today was Cookie Baking Day at the Warren house!! We frosted about 10 dozen cookies and most likely ate half of them on the spot. The kids had ohso much fun with red, green, blue, yellow, and white frosting, and so many sprinkles and red hots it should be illegal.... actually, having this much fun in one day is the real crime. Hooray for cookies!!

Heedless of the wind and weather...

2005-12-13T20:06:00.000-05:00

Here we are with our humble tree - just the right size for the amount of ornaments we have -and this is us getting ready for a church Christmas party. It was a nice break this year not to have any formal affairs to attend! Erin had TWO babysitters (Steph and Vanessa) and did very well despite being nervous about the new experience...

We're heading back to Texas this week and hoping like crazy that there are no new mutant viruses making the rounds again :-) If you're reading this from the Lone Star state, we hope to see you while we're there. Drop us an email or just stop by the Warren house and say hello!

You don't need money with a face like that, do ya?

2005-12-06T12:01:00.000-05:00

So here's proof of thanksgiving with the Warrens/Russells/Slaughters in Texas... Abby loves her Uncle Caleb! We had a great time visiting, but eventually all of us fell victim to at least one of two viruses that ran their course over the holiday week. Caleb was tossing his cookies from Texas to Virginia (literally), Erin had the aches and fever of the flu, and I suffered the same fate after returning home. Our friend Trish ended up in the hospital with an IV and poor CJ succumbed to BOTH bugs simultaneously. Hopefully we got it all out of our systems - we're headed back at the end of next week for our Christmas visit!

winter just wasn't her season...

2005-11-20T11:54:00.000-05:00

I'm not sure how I feel about my new winter wardrobe... Mom keeps telling me that I'll get used to feeling bulky. I reluctantly agreed to the coat and hat, but drew the line at mittens. I am obsessive about my hands (I HATE it when people touch them) and couldn't bear to have them squeezed into furry pouches that keep me from holding my toys. Mom says I can leave them behind for now but when it snows, they aren't optional. I don't know what snow is, but it better be good.

someone saved my life tonight...

2005-11-09T12:24:00.000-05:00

Introducing Caroline Welty!! She is the newest member of our family - my sister-in-law - and she arrived on a plane from Guatemala yesterday evening. We are so excited to finally meet her! She is about 12 lbs and still feels so small and fragile, but maybe that's just because Erin is at the top of the growth charts :-) Anyway, it is such a blessing to have one more in the Welty fold and more importantly one more in the Covenant family! God is good and we know that He has plans to prosper this little girl. Welcome home, Caroline!

...I'd buy you a green dress but not a real green dress, that's cruel.

2005-11-01T10:21:00.000-05:00

So the kitchen is finally complete... I had no idea I'd derive such joy from gaining two extra inches in sink depth, and two lazy susans (I'm pretending like we're rich), and the thought of buying new kitchen towels and oven mitts its more excitement than I can take. Sweet fancy Moses!

Its too good to be true, like a whole new you.

2005-10-27T11:40:00.000-04:00

Well now I know for sure that my daughter takes almost all of her features from her father, with her "prominent" ears being the only exception. My best estimation is that Erin and I are roughly the same age in these pics and I couldn't resist cutting and pasting... now if I can only find one of Caleb :-)

Don't you put me on the back burner...

2005-10-25T11:50:00.000-04:00

After more than seven months in our townhouse, we're finally replacing the "unique" cabinets, countertops, and sink that are probably original to the place. Not only are they ugly, but falling apart as well. One of the drawer faces fell off within one week of us moving in. To save money, we are disassembling the old cabinets ourselves which means dividing up the work. Caleb got to wield the manly saw and hack through the countertops, and I was left sweeping up sawdust. Not that I mind - hey, I'm getting a new kitchen. And my sweet husband already replaced my stove and dishwasher. What more could a girl want?

To one thing constant never.

2005-10-24T08:54:00.000-04:00

I'm a last minute person. Several months ago I had highlights added to my dull brown hair and now they're grown out and I'm tired of them.... So for some insane reason I decided that Sunday morning (when we were already running late and there was no time for anything unnecessary) would be the perfect time to dye my hair. I had a box of plain brown that looked about my color, so I grabbed it and headed to the shower where I took more than my share of hot water waiting for the dye to take hold. Upon rinsing, towel-drying and brushing, I came to realize that the brown was much TOO brown and a whole lot darker than I had intended. But I'm an optimist, so I decided to use this as a teaching moment for my beloved husband. I promptly dried and styled my hair, trimmed my bangs and went in search of the poor soul who had no idea that he was beat before he even opened his mouth. The following conversation ensued:

Anne: "Do you notice anything different about me, honey?"
Caleb (glancing all over, but mostly at my clothes): "Hmmm...."
Anne (only slightly impatient): "No honey, above the neck."
Caleb (with mild trepidation showing through and looking intently at my face): "Hmmmm..."
Anne (really impatient): "No honey, AROUND my face!"
Caleb (just downright scared and frantically scanning my hair): "Oh, did you cut your hair?"
Anne (deflated, and knowing that he was partially right but choosing to ignore it, because its the principle that counts): "NO, I DYED IT - ITS DARKER!!!"
Caleb (just relieved that its over): "Oh yes it looks good!"

Caleb marched straight into the bathroom to brush his teeth and discovered my hair clippings in the trash... At that point my lesson was lost as he rejoiced (foolishly) over having guessed the "right" answer.

So much for optimism.

The rings of saturn.

2005-10-19T08:54:00.000-04:00

This is my Saturn. She has been faithful to me for three years, and now we're getting her ready to sell. As I was taking pictures of her yesterday to post on the web, I was reminded again of how the Lord provided so much through my father when I was single. Dad went with me car shopping, test drove it for me because I didn't know a manual transmission yet, gave me the confidence to get a loan on my own (why in the world someone wanted to loan ME money at that time still baffles me), and sat with me while I signed all the papers and whatnot. What should've been a daunting and stressful experience was made so much easier - Dad never made me feel like I was on my own because I was an "adult". And I know that if I had been single at 35, he would still be doing the same for me. Its just a silly car, I know, but the significance is worth way more than anything we'll get for the car on autotrader.... Now Caleb is taking care of me (and my transportation needs), and now HE is my reminder of God's providence. How blessed I am to have men in my life who take their responsibilities seriously.

Come on babe, why don't we paint the town?

2005-10-12T15:37:00.000-04:00

Caleb, Catie and I took Erin to her first football game last weekend - Virginia Tech hosting Marshall. In accordance, Tech cleaned up nicely and enjoyed a festive Homecoming weekend. We couldn't resist buying a VT sweatshirt for Erin... she says "my colors are maroon and orange" (no, papa, not agent orange). We also had a good visit with the Borgquists and Andersons in Charlottsville where we dined on wonderful italian food and played quite a bit of Texas Hold 'Em. How thankful we are for good friends and great fellowship!