The Ultimatum

Hadleigh Claire is most definitely her own little person. She is very sweet and cuddly and loving. She always gives kisses and hugs to us, but she has her own ideas about things. Things like, where she wants to go and what she wants to do. At the beginning of July, at 16 months old she took her first steps (unassisted by fingers or other stable objects). Ever since we have been trying to encourage her to walk from Dave to me, or to who/whatever...but to no avail. She LOVES holding onto things. She will walk for days holding onto my hand, but won't take more than two steps otherwise.

All of this hasn't really concerned me, it is just more of an irritation. As I continue to get bigger it is harder and harder to carry her, or get her from one place to another. Our doctor was totally unconcerned with her lack of walking, and I was grateful that he just let her be and let her get there on her own. But I have still be wondering...when in the world is this going to happen???

While we were in CA Mom and I took her to Stride Rite to get her first (non-hand-me-down) pair of shoes. I remember being little and when my brothers got a new pair of shoes they always thought they would run faster. So, I thought maybe a new pair of walking shoes, especially for Miss HC would encourage her. I was assured by the salesman that the shoe would last a good 3 months, thank goodness! And I wrote of the ridiculous cost of the shoes because I never buy her anything. She only wears Washburn and Carr clothes, along with the wonderful stash we have received from both grandmas. So a splurge purchase of good walking shoes was a reasonable expense.

The shoes seemed to help a little and she has become increasingly interested in walking while holding my hand. Finally, yesterday Hadleigh and I had a little heart to heart. I Just let her know my situation and informed her that she had 3 more months of crawling, but she had to absolutely be walking on her own by the time our little Georgia Peach comes. I cannot carry two babies!

She seemed to understand that as a big sister she is going to have certain responsibilities...namely walking so that mama can carry her little sister.

Wouldn't you know that last night, one week before her 17 month birthday she stood up on her own and took about 10 steps to me while we were in the kitchen. I was astonished. She did it several times in a row and ended the walking spurt with a long trot from the kitchen into the living room to show Dave. We have lift-off!

On the Dental Side of Things

Dave is now in his second week of having his own schedule, and seeing his own patients. We are so thrilled! We have been back from Germany for 10 months now, so it is nice to have more of a feeling of permanency. He worked really hard to find this dental office and we are so thankful for the Lord's provision and timing of it all. I know he loves where he works and he loves being able to do good dentistry with good people.

No More Green

While Hadleigh and I were in California last week, Dave took on a little project. He LOVES working around the house, and even though we are only renting, he enjoys fixing things. Fortunately the landlords also appreciate him fixing things, so it is a good situation.

Dave's project last week was to rip up the green carpet in our living room and dining room. So now, the 30 year old green carpet is gone and we have beautiful hardwoods. They do need a little work, but overall it looks so much better in our house. Dave is going to put in a couple new boards that had termite damage, but overall we are now a hardwood house. It will certainly make cleaning a lot easier! Now if we could just do something about the linoleum.

Miss Hadleigh Claire Goes to Sonoma

We just returned from our crazy, insane and fab California vaca. We had quite an adventure!

We flew into San Francisco on Friday, July 6, and Saturday Dad, Mom, Chris and Rubie picked us up from our hotel and we drove onto Healdsburg, CA which is in Sonoma County in Wine Country. Later that Saturday night Dan, Karina and Matt arrived.

We rented a little house on the Russian River and had a great time tasting all kinds of wine in Napa Valley, as well as the Russian River Valley. Dave came home with a case! We tried everything from Zins to Syrahs. My personal fav (not that I had any more than a smell and a small taste) was a Syrah made in the Russian River Valley by a Vineyard called Longboard. I think that bottle might be a good wine to open up after my little Georgia Peach makes her appearance in October!

Along with much wine tasting, which was done mostly by Chris and Dave, though Rubie and I did a lot of accompanying. (Dad and Mom were gracious enought to keep Hadleigh Claire for a whole day for me and and Dan and Karina pooped out after one day of tasting), we also enjoyed sitting on the porch, jumping in the kayak, sitting in the river, and Dave even caught a couple fish.

We also just enjoyed relaxing and being together as a fam. The last time we were all together was at Chris and Rubie's wedding which was three years ago. This was our first time to meet Matt and for Dan and Karina to meet Hadleigh Claire. It was somewhat uneventful meeting as they pretty much ignored each other the whole week. We did get a couple of cute pictures with them together. However I think Dan and Karina took the pics, so I can't post them.

After our week in Healdsburg, Dad and Mom drove us back to San Fran where we put Dave on a plane back to GA, and Hadleigh Claire and I drove with them for another couple of days in Cambria. While there we introduced HC to the elephant seals.

Finally after a couple of days in Cambria we made our way to Newbury Park. I was able to hang out with my buds, Erica and Emily. Erica and I took Hadleigh to get her first view of the Pacific Ocean. It actually wasn't her first view of the ocean, but the first time she put her feet in the water. She was hilarious and charged right into the waves.

This past Friday, Dave flew back out to CA and Dan and Matt flew down from OR and Chris and Rubie came in from Hemet to surprise Dad. The church was throwing him a surprise retirement party and wanted us all to be there. It was pretty much a whilrwind weekend. Dan, Chris and I shared stories about Mom and Dad in each of the three services, and they had a meal reception after each. We actually had to leave before the last service was over to get back on a plane and back to Atlanta. We flew in late last night.

So that is an overview of how I spent the last 2.5 weeks. It is good to be home and now I am working on cleaning the house and washing clothes and all of my normal routines.

Here is a guide to the pics:

Dad and HC

Mom and HC blowing bubbles

Rubie, HC, Ami, Mom, Karina at Beringer Estate

Chris and Rubie

Dan, Karina and Matt

Uncle Chris and HC

Ami and HC and the elephant seals (that pile of "rocks" behind us)

Ami and HC at Leo Carillo

Chris and Rubie, Dan and Karina (and Jack), Dave and Ami (and our little GA Peach)

Can You Spell Clean

Our 7 favorite house guests just left after a fun whirlwind visit. Dave went to college with David Stoddard who is now a missionary in Berlin with MTW. David was the best man in our wedding, and also baptized Hadleigh Claire last summer. He and Eowyn have 5 children, Jesse is 8 and the oldest, and Ethan is the youngest at 14 months. We camped out all over our little house. They all went to visit Dave and got their teeth cleaned (except Emma and Ethan). They paid a visit to First Baptist's missionary clothes closet and scored some awesome clothes. We walked around the corner to our fav breakfast hang-out the Waffle House, and also took a trip to Chastain Pool.

Let me tell you am I ever tired. Today we rearranged the house back to normal, letting all the air out of the air mattresses and doing several loads of laundry...sheets and towels. The house is mostly in order again, and I just finished cleaning the kitchen.

As I was cleaning I pondered three things.

1. I do not feel like my kitchen is clean unless all the counters and sinks have been wiped down with Lysol Antibacterial Kitchen Cleaner. I love the smell and it just makes me feel really clean inside. I was thanking God for Lysol as I wiped everything down.

2. Whoever created linoleum flooring should be reprimanded. It is the nastiest stuff I have ever encountered in my life. I cannot keep the darn floors looking clean. Just two weeks ago Dave and I got on our hands and knees and used Cascade (which works the best) to scrub every inch of the floor until it looked like new. I kept thinking that if I vacuumed and waxed it everyday it might stay clean. No luck. Within two days it was looking horrible.

3. I love Pine Sol. Original Scent Pine Sol. The problem is the only place in my house that is tile is the bathroom. Pine Sol is useless on linoleum. Pine Sol is the other cleaner that spells clean for me. I think because my whole house in Germany was tile and when I would finish mopping my whole house would smell of Pine Sol. I think I might need to go take a smell of it right after I finish typing.

So, there you have it. My fav cleaners.

On an entirely separate note, Hadleigh Claire took her very first steps (unassisted) in church this past Sunday. It was great, especially because a whole load of our friends were standing around and witnesed the whole thing. Hopefully by the time this new little one comes HC will not need to be carried as much.

I have also officially made it to 24 weeks prego. I met the other midwife in the practice, and she is super nice. I was able to hear the little one's heart, and I was measured for the first time. All went well with the measuring...I am still trying to understand that phenomenon, but it was fun to finally experience it.

A Short Emergence...

I just wanted to post again quickly about some interesting things I have had the chance to ponder on the last couple of days. First, thanks, of course to my bud Lisa...totally agreed, if a church is preaching the gospel and people are brought to repentance...in some ways...who cares? When my buds Brian and Elaine were down here visiting a couple weeks ago we had an interesting discussion too. Ya know, Wesleyan Theology is not the antithesis of Reformed theology. We are all playing for the same team...with some different thoughts and points of view, but overall the same team. I have also enjoyed reading a book recently that has pointed out the many similarities between the crazy Reformed folks and the crazy Wesleyans...good word.

I also have received a couple of good book recommendations. "Velvet Elvis" by Rob Bell, and then "Radical Reformission" by Mark Driscoll.

Our buds the Stoddards are here visiting for a few days and Dave just finished the book by Driscoll. I also found an interesting article about Driscoll's book that made me even more anxious to pick it up. But I am sure the Family Christian Bookstore won't have it, so we will see if I can find a copy of either of these books before we leave on vaca.

So, It Is 1145...

and for some insane reason I haven't been able to sleep for the last couple of nights. So trying to blow off some steam and calm my mind down I have been surfing...I know that is really a way to calm down the mind!

So I have been pondering this whole Emergent Church idea. Honestly I have no idea what it really is...and from what I can tell, no one really knows. It is a whole lot of everything and a whole lot of nothing. It seems to range in spectrum from denouncing preaching, and removing anything that might be dated pre-2006, and theology...forget it...to looking at how to be more missional and relevant to the community.

Intown's old pastor, Scot Sherman always used to ask us if Intown disappeared from Lavista Road would anyone care? I know that Intown has also kept their bulletins with the order of worship, including have all the liturgy and even the Lord's Prayer written out for people. Does this count as being an Emergent Church?

Dave visited a church this summer that was emergent. There was no sermon, but only a fellowship and "story" time. I am sure the church serves its purpose, but I would probably want to shoot myself in the head if I had to go there.

There are times when I think it is appropriate to look at how we do things and try to figure out what needs to change. When I was in charge of PWOC in Baumholder I always wondered why am I doing this? Even the Women's Ministry at Intown I feel some of the same way. I know it is meeting a need, just like PWOC was meeting a need. Women were coming...but PWOC just never did anything for me. It has been nice to be back at Intown and not have to a dang thing for the women's ministry here. All I have to do is show up. I enjoy it, but I just wonder if there is something more...

But I could just be weird too. In fact I do know that is true. I am a bit different. I mean, I don't even really like play group...which I know is like a sin. I do go to playgroup now...mostly because Kris admonished me that it would be best to go. And it isn't death.

All these are just weird ramblings now...Bottom line. I like going to a church that feels like a church. I like singing hymns, hearing a sermon and having communion every week. Is it even crazy that a CA girl could like attending a somewhat liturgical church? But I haven't quite figured out where I fit in the whole...Woman...Mom thing. I guess that is why we have become involved in the Singles Fellowship...er...ALF...at Intown.

OK, I guess I better read up some more on the emergent church thing...if anyone has a book to recommend that would be great. Preferably not one written by Brian McLaren...I think he is kind of fruity with the whole...I am a Calvinist, Arminian, Anglican, Catholic...blah...blah...but maybe I am wrong about that as well.

An Interesting Progression

Why not make a toy basket a toy?