The Ritchie Family

The Arrival of Baby Rex

2010-04-30T14:26:00.005-04:00

It's true what they say - everything about a second pregnancy is different. Instead of spending hours poring over our Pregnancy Week by Week book, Jeremy and I were still mostly focused on every new and adorable Avie moment. The odd symptoms that had me rushing to the computer to research barely got a moment's notice this time around. I do not have a single picture of my baby belly progress. And it's not that the sweet baby kicks and hiccups weren't amazing, it's just that I was often too tired to stop and contemplate the miracle taking place inside my body.

One thing, however, remained the same. There is nothing as amazing as seeing your newborn baby for the first time. The miracle of birth was no less amazing the second time around. We are so thankful that God blessed us with an "easy" (I say that hesitantly...), complication-free delivery and a beautiful, healthy baby boy. Here is the story of how he entered our world...

I read about "Braxton-Hicks" contractions when I was pregnant with Avie, but I don't remember having any. At least not any significant ones. This time, however, the contractions were noticeable (although not predictable) a few weeks before baby Zeke actually made his entrance. I convinced myself that this baby was going to come at least a week early. Although I had planned to work until I actually went into labor (I think I was making my students a little nervous), I decided that my body could use some rest and took off a week early. I did some nesting, but mostly spent as much time as possible with my daughter during her last days as an only child.

After several nights of going to bed in hopes of waking up in labor, I finally gave up. This baby was obviously not coming early and would probably be a week or two late. At my last prenatal visit with my midwife we made an appointment for six days after my due date. She believed that it would be a post-partum visit; I was not convinced.

On my actual due date (April Fools day, just for fun) I went about life as usual and even made a major shopping trip to Wal-Mart. I ran into some old friends there who asked if I was expecting another baby. They were a little shocked when I said, "Yes, I'm due today." That night I went to bed expecting nothing. Ezekiel arrived less than 6 hours later.

I woke up around 11 with a strong contraction. I knew immediately that this was the real thing. Since Jeremy is not the easiest person to wake up, I left him and Avie sleeping and went to the living room. I called my mom right away because I wanted her to be there for Avie. I walked downstairs to unlock the door for her and discovered that stairs are very unpleasant in labor - even early labor.

I ate some cereal, grabbed Jeremy's cell phone to time contractions, and laid down on the couch. My mom and Steve joined me a few minutes later and the three of us sat in the mostly dark living room waiting for the action. My contractions were about 5 minutes apart, so around 12:15 I called Kathy (our AMAZING midwife)to let her know what was going on. She of course told me to try to go back to sleep so that I would be well rested later. I told her I would try, but I knew there was no way I could sleep at this point. I was too excited about meeting Baby Rex!

I tried to rest on the couch, but as the contractions quickly became more intense I wanted to use the handy-dandy contraction timer website we had found. The computer is in our bedroom, so I decided it was time to wake up Jeremy. Avie gets worried if I say "Ow" when I stub my toe, so I certainly didn't want her waking up to mommy having contractions. I woke up Jeremy and asked him to take Avie to her room, or to Grandma, who was in the living room. Did I mention he doesn't wake up well? He was confused and thought I just wanted more room in the bed, so he left Avie and got up to give me his spot. I gave up trying to argue with him and went to the desk to time the contractions myself.

The contractions were pretty painful at this point, and I soon zoned out everything except a spot on the wall beneath our window. Jeremy took Avie out of the room (I'm not sure when, because I was still screaming for him to get her out after she was already gone, lol) and came to help me. Throughout the rest of my labor he let me pull on his arm (he was standing and I was kneeling) through every contraction. He tried comforting me in other ways, but I informed him (in a not-so-nice-tone) that I wanted to be left alone. Just having him there and holding his hand was a comfort that I wouldn't trade for anything in the world.

At some point (again, I was zoning out here), I asked him to call Kathy back and let her know we were progressing. The website we were using kept data on the timing of the contractions, so he called her and gave her the info on how they were going. Hearing me in the background, she decided to start driving this way. I'm guessing she arrived around 1 or 1:30, but again, it's a little fuzzy.

I was trying to remain as calm as possible throughout the labor. One of my goals was not to scream. When a contraction began and I started to scream I would stop and tell myself over and over again, "Don't scream. Don't scream. Don't scream." That worked some, but what worked the best was recalling scripture about God's love and care for us. I mostly just repeated Psalm 23 and Philippians 4, but I cannot put into words the peace that flooded through me by just saying the words over and over, "Be anxious for nothing...be anxious for nothing." It was then that I realized anew that God was with us and that He would take care of me and my baby. It was such a blessing to hear Kathy quietly praying in the background for God to give me the strength I needed.

A few minutes later Kathy asked me if I felt like I needed to push. I didn't realize (or didn't remember) that I could push before my water broke. "Sure," she said. "Sometimes the water doesn't break until the head is coming out. I won't rush you. You just push whenever you feel the urge." She had barely completed the sentence when I felt the urge to push. Jeremy offered to help me move to the bed, but the thought of moving anywhere made me shudder, so I stayed kneeling on the floor, one hand pulling on him and the other on our poor desk chair (which held up remarkably well!). As Steve told my mom, he heard me from downstairs murmuring (or screaming...) the familiar words, "I can't do this! I can't do this!" and figured we must be getting close. The next thing he heard was, "My baby boy!"

The pain vanished almost instantly. I saw my beautiful baby boy in front of me and actually asked if I could pick him up. "Of course!" Kathy replied, and she and Jeremy helped me pick him up and get settled so I could hold him close. The time was 2:25 am (and I thought Avie had come quickly!). The next hour or so was filled with snuggles, kisses, and an introduction to one of his big sisters. When Avie and Grandma heard "Baby Rex" cry, they came to wait outside the bedroom door. When Avie came in and saw me holding Zeke, her face lit up and she said, "Hi baby!" (Later she would shake his hand and say, "Nice to meet you!" No joke.) She of course just wanted to hold him!

Kathy cleaned up Zeke, weighed him (7lbs, 130z), and measured him (22 inches). She helped me clean up and made sure I was eating and drinking. Then she went to the kitchen to work on paperwork while our family bonding time began.

I know most people reading this think we are completely insane for having a baby at home. A few years ago, I am sure I would have agreed with you. I can tell you sometime about all the reasons we chose to have a home birth. I could explain to you in great detail about the research we did both before Avie was born and with this decision. But statistics and reasoning aside, one of the most beautiful moments of Ezekiel's birth was resting in my bed, with my husband sleeping next to me and our daughter sleeping in the next room, nursing and snuggling our new baby and watching the sunrise outside our bedroom window. God is so good.

20 months and all grown up!

2010-02-06T19:43:00.003-05:00

I know EVERYONE tells you that kids grow up way too fast, but I don't think you can ever really understand what they mean until you have your own. I find myself amazed over the "simplest" things - my baby girl can wipe her own hands and face now? When did that happen? While I am thrilled that Avie enjoys playing on her own now, I still love it when she comes to me with arms held up and that sweet, "Mommy, hold you?"

As she informed me last night, however, she is "All done Mommy!" Mommy is no longer in charge of rocking chair duty (I can't say that I'm too sad)! I have almost always been the one to put Avie to bed, but lately, she is very much a Daddy's girl. As soon as she's done nursing, she looks up and asks for Daddy. And if he doesn't come immediately (as was the case last night), she becomes a little frantic, "Daddy? Daddy?" Daddy was on the phone last night, so I tried to offer my services. "Do you want Mommy to rock you?" "No! All done Mommy!"

And then there was the scene at Grandma's house this morning. She used to cry when I left her ANYWHERE, but thankfully she's improving (slowly, but surely). I wasn't planning on leaving her at Grandma's this morning, but she certainly wasn't ready to go to the store with me! When Grandma asked her if she wanted to stay, she nodded. Just to make sure, Grandma told her to tell Mommy bye. She kissed, waved, hugged, and said "bye bye!" with not a hint of a tear.

It is impossible to describe the feeling of being so excited at your daughter's newfound independence, but so sad that her "baby" days are almost over. I can only imagine that there are many more exciting (yet sad) chapters to come in this journey through motherhood!

A few of my new favorite things

2010-02-01T09:14:00.008-05:00

Since the weather outside lately has been pretty frightful (not that I'm complaining since I'm home for the FOURTH snow day of the year!), I have spent quite a bit of time painting and sewing. I am probably the LEAST artistic person I know, but I love the relaxing feeling of shutting out the world and making something new. Here are a few of the projects I have been working on this winter...

Not exactly painting or sewing, but Elizabeth, Avie, and I had fun making these little gifts. They smell yummy, and make Avie's skin super-soft after her bath!

Christmas present for "Baby Noah." (If I ever get to see him again to give it to him!!)

Scented rice pillows. Quite a learning experience. The first one I made (handcrafted for my Dad) ended up wrong side out on one side. I think I finally got the hang of it...well, sort of anyway!

Avie's apron. She loves helping me cook and has always been fascinated with my apron, so I thought she might like one of her own. I made it after she went to bed one night, so when she woke up, Daddy told her I had a surprise for her. She now thinks that "surprise" is just another word for apron! Avie putting her apron to good use in her kitchen!

Avie's room: a work in progress. We painted Avie's room blue (my dad thinks we're a bit crazy) because I wanted a background to paint on. Of course, that was in June and it's now February and the room still isn't completely painted, but that's ok, right??

This is over Avie's bed (English translation: In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth).
Above her door (I love my baby!)
She loves the stars! Mommy's favorite are the elephants of course!Her too-cool magnet board Daddy made for her:
I am sure that once I have a toddler to chase after and a newborn to feed, change, and clothe this hobby will be a distant memory. So in the meantime, I love naptime and early bedtimes so I can have some Mommy's quiet time!

From the mouths of babes

2010-01-31T11:06:00.004-05:00

Since it has been FOREVER since I posted a new update, there's no way I could remember everything that's happened. Instead, I thought I would share a few of her favorite (or at least most used) words and phrases. Here's what life at our house sounds like...

- Watch Bob?
- Help Mommy laundry
- Daddy rock?
- ________ (insert favorite person of the minute: Mommy, Daddy, Grandma, Gigi, Mimi, Mingo, Whatsi, Caty, Tad, Deacon, Lolli, Elliot, Aria Gail, Bro. Bryson, Chris, Uncle Bryan...) hold you?
- More strawberries?
- S'il vous please
- Merci
- Pray Jesus
- Baby Jesus!
- Jesus lotion? (long story...)
- Amen!
- More strawberries?
- Drink mulch (I promise this means milk. We do NOT feed our kid mulch!)
- Ice water
- Clip nails
- Color pen
- More strawberries?
- Mommy all done? Daddy all done?
- All done crying (usually said while still crying)
- I'wan go Grandma's house / Mingo's house
- Sit Mommy's lap
- Change diaper
- More strawberries?
- (If Mommy or Daddy is on Facebook) I'wan find ________ (again, this could be several names...usually Mingo, Whatsi, Aria, Noah, Bekah)
- (If Mommy or Daddy is on the phone) Hi Gigi? Hi Grandma? Hi Mingo?

We are blessed to have a happy, healthy family and are looking forward to the arrival of a new blessing in April!

Bare walls and empty desks

2009-05-20T13:39:00.002-04:00

It's 12:40 p.m. and I have another hour and a half of "work" to do. In reality, all the work is done (at least until two more classes come and take their exams tomorrow), and I am killing time and staring at an empty classroom. It almost makes me miss having students in here so that I could hear their nonstop chatter and buzzing cell phones (I said ALMOST!).

I told Jeremy last night that I feel like I have missed some important opportunities to tell these students about the Lord. It seems that every year I get so wrapped up in teaching lessons and standards that I forget about the real reason I'm here. Am I excited that all of my students passed their Gateway exams? Of course I am. But is any of that going to matter when Jesus comes back?

Some of my students have been through more in their short life than I will ever see or understand. Some of the are surrounded by drugs, gangs, violence, sex, and everything else imaginable. I'm glad I can say that I taught them something this year, but how much sweeter would it be to see them saved?

Many of these kids are going through life trying everything they can to fill the void in their hearts. Many of them have no idea that there is only ONE way to fill that void. I pray that God will help me to be more bold in sharing His love with them, and that I would always remember what is truly most important in life.

Amazingly humbling

2009-05-12T10:46:00.005-04:00

I am amazed every day at the new things Avie is learning. A few weeks ago, she started putting my phone to her ear and saying "Hiiiii." Last week, she figured out that a comb is supposed to somehow go in your hair (although she's still mastering the motor skills for that one). This week, she has learned how to say "more" in sign language. She also tried her hand at applying make-up early one morning as she was watching Mommy.

Amazing, and also humbling. I was reminded (as I watched my eleven-month-old daughter try to figure out how to wear lip gloss) that I have an awesome responsibility. This tiny person is watching every move I make and listening to every word I say. Good, bad, or ugly, my words and my actions will be imprinted in her ever-developing mind. I am reminded of the words to a song many of us learned in childhood, "Oh be careful little eyes what you see..." I am praying that God will help me to be careful what I see, say, and do, so that the little eyes watching me will have a Godly example to follow.

149 New Douglas Loop

2009-05-02T23:49:00.004-04:00

I can't believe our house is finally starting to look like a house! I had almost grown used to thinking of it as just a lot with some concrete blocks. We LOVE the view, and are so excited that you can see out from the kitchen and the master bedroom. We can't wait to finish up and move in!

Thoughts on parenting...

2009-02-22T18:53:00.001-05:00

I thought when my husband and I got engaged that I had never received so much “helpful” advice from so many different people. Little did I know what would happen when we had our first child! Once you become a parent, everyone from family and friends to strangers in Wal-Mart feel the need to share with you the wisdom they have learned along their own journey. The only problem is, very little of it actually comes in the form of useful wisdom. Most of it is passed around as gossip and ends up sounding much more like criticizing than advising.

I believe that, for the most part, parents love their children. I teach in a public school, so I am certainly aware that there are some parents out there who do not have their children’s best interests at heart. Generally speaking, however, I believe that parents want their children to grow up to be happy, successful, well-adjusted people. They go about achieving this goal in many different ways. Some parents are stricter than others, some are more affectionate than others, but each parent has his or her own style. As I begin the journey of parenting my own child, I realize that finding what works best for our family is going to be a long, but rewarding process.

Most importantly, we want our daughter to grow into a godly young woman. We know that the only way that will happen is with God’s help and His leadership. There are so many decisions to make, both large and small, and we need His help with every one. With each day, I want to strive to please HIM, rather than worry about what others around me may say. With that being said, I feel the need to share a bit of my own (very newly developed, of course) parenting philosophy…

- While my daughter is a baby, I plan to hold her as often as I possibly can (for several reasons). I know that one day soon, rather than snuggling up against my shoulder, she is going to be running out of my lap and into the world. She will be little for a very short time, and I want to soak up every moment. After all, I don’t know any parents of grown children who say, “I sure wish I hadn’t held her as much when she was a baby.”

- Babies are supposed to be attached to their parents. Again, different parents form attachments in different ways, but the bottom line is still the same. Most babies would rather be with their parents than with anyone else in the world. This is not a fact to be criticized, but a natural and beautiful part of life.

- Yes, I want my daughter to be independent. I do not, however, believe she should reach that goal anytime in the near future. I believe that it was God’s plan for babies (and children) to depend on their parents, in much the same way we must depend on Him. It is only under the watchful eye of loving parents that children can safely learn to navigate the world on their own (with the help of the Heavenly Father).

- Children can be used of God in amazing ways. Before I had my own daughter, I saw God work through children to reach people who seemed unreachable. I am still amazed at the way God can use such a tiny person to bring such joy to the lives of others. It is my prayer that God will continue to open my eyes as I watch Avie grow. I can only imagine the lessons that are in store as she begins to talk! May I always be found seeking approval from Him.

The wonder of a child

2008-09-08T21:32:00.005-04:00

Avie has only been with us for three months, but I cannot remember what life was like without her. I have vague memories of sleeping for eight hours (OR MORE!?!?) at a time, but that seems like a lifetime ago! I guess I would be lying if I said I had loved every minute (those long screaming car rides come to mind...), but I can say that these have been the most amazing months of my life.

I have often heard God speak through "small" things, so it's no surprise that He has used this tiny person to teach me so much already. I love watching Avie learn about God's creation. When we are outside, she stares up at the trees, taking them all in with wonder and awe. I've walked by those same trees countless times without stopping to take note of God's amazing handiwork, but with her, each new venture is a time to enjoy what the Lord has made. I pray that she will always take time to be in awe of God and His amazing works.

Yesterday as I watched her sleep, God reminded me of His presence in my life. Sleeping on her side, Avie would sometimes stir and reach out her arms, as if she was checking to make sure I was still there. She would wiggle and whine, but as soon as I took her tiny hand in mine, she was soothed back to sleep. Doesn't God do the same thing for us? If we truly reach out, we will find that He is always there, and He will never leave us or forsake us. Although our life may be filled with the stress of this world, He will take our hand and fill us with the peace that passes all understanding.

One day, Avie will discover a pain inside that only God can soothe. I pray that on that day, she will reach out to Him, knowing that He is the only one who can provide the peace she needs.

Avinell's Birth Story

2008-07-01T18:15:00.002-04:00

When Jeremy and I found out that we were going to have a baby, we were extremely excited (and slightly overwhelmed!). We immediately began to discuss the very important decisions that lay ahead, beginning with where we would have the baby. My sister, Sacha, who is pregnant with her sixth child, had her first four children in hospitals, with doctors, and with medication. Her fifth child, however, was born naturally under the care of a midwife. When I told her I was pregnant, she advised me to do some research on midwifery, natural birth, and hospital births before making any decisions. Based on what I had seen from her pregnancies, I was already leaning toward using a midwife instead of a doctor, but I wasn’t completely prepared to make a decision.

Since this was my first pregnancy, and since we live in a small apartment with neighbors close by, I wasn’t quite ready for a home birth. At the same time, based on what I had seen, I didn’t want the highly technological, “medicized” hospital experience. As I was looking through our insurance options, I found the Labor of Love birth centers. Jeremy and I visited the website and were immediately struck by the welcoming, home-like atmosphere. We were even more impressed during our first visit. The atmosphere was relaxed and friendly, and Kristi was amazing! She answered our questions before we even knew what to ask! We knew right away that this was where we wanted to bring our baby into the world.

During our prenatal visits, we were able to establish a personal relationship with Ricci and Bea. They answered our questions competently, gave us sound advice on dealing with the ups and downs of pregnancy, and most importantly, gave us their complete attention. We never felt rushed during our visits.

Finally, it was the week of Avie’s due date. I was starting to get a little anxious, but nothing was happening. Two days before her due date, I spent the day with my mom and stepfather who were visiting from TN (waiting for the baby to arrive). We swam for most of the morning, and then went grocery shopping. By the time I went to bed that night I was exhausted. At 2:30 that morning, I woke up with back pain. My back had been hurting throughout the last part of the pregnancy, so I figured it was more of the same. Then I noticed that the pain seemed to be coming in waves – every five minutes or so. I couldn’t get back to sleep, so I got up, took a bath, ate some cereal, and tried to research back labor on the internet to see if that’s what I was feeling. I was too distracted by the pain to finish, so I went back to bed. Sometime around 4:30 I decided to start timing the contractions. I couldn’t find my watch, so I had to use my cell phone just to get an idea of how far apart they were. They came every five minutes until 5:15, when I finally tried to wake up Jeremy.

Having not gotten much sleep himself, he was a little confused when I tried to tell him I thought it was time to call my sister (who would be driving in from Jacksonville), and the midwife. He kept reminding me what we had heard at our childbirth classes – that most first-time moms come to the center much earlier than they need to, and many say they would have rather stayed home longer. I understood why he was stalling, but I was pretty sure this was “the real thing.” (He was also a little fuzzy on timing the contractions… “Aren’t they supposed to be five minutes long?” he asked…)

I finally convinced Jeremy to call Ricci. He talked to her for a minute, then handed the phone over to me. She reminded me to relax and breathe through the contractions. Just talking to her on the phone immediately calmed me down. The conversation was choppy because we kept getting interrupted by contractions (which were coming every three or four minutes by this time). She asked me to pick a time to meet, and suggested 8:00 (it was now about 5:45). By the time I hung up with her, we had changed the time from 8:00 to 7:30 to 7:00.

All of a sudden, Jeremy realized that this was for real. He (along with my mom and stepfather) started running around the apartment getting everything ready while I continued to deal with the contractions. I was more scared than anything – worried about how I would be able to handle the contractions during our 30-minute car ride. When everything was loaded up, I made it down to the parking lot and into the back seat. Jeremy managed to cut our drive time in half, and ignored the strange looks we got from neighboring drivers. He tried to help as best he could, but I was pretty difficult, going from “Stop talking to me!” to “Honey, I need you” in the space of a few seconds.

Since the drive didn’t take as long as normal, we were the first to arrive at the birth center. Glenda came soon after (it was almost 7:00 now) to let us in and get everything prepared. The room was quiet, and I felt a little more at ease now that we had arrived. Jeremy relaxed me by running a cool washcloth across my neck during and between contractions. I had a couple of contractions before Ricci arrived and said she needed to check me. I was so excited when she said I was 8-9 centimeters! I knew the baby would be here soon. Ricci suggested I get up and walk around and make a plan for the next contraction. I didn’t have much planning time, because the next one came as soon as she said that. I had just gotten on my knees, resting on the birthing ball, when my water broke. We moved back to the bed and all of a sudden it was time to push!

After my first couple of “pushes,” I told Ricci I didn’t feel like I was pushing anything. “You’re not,” she replied calmly, “you’re just making noise.” She and Glenda reminded me to relax and focus on pushing, not screeching. Even during the process, I was amazed at how calm and relaxed they both were, and that made me feel confident that everything was going well. They checked the baby’s heart rate several times, and assured me that she was fine. When I complained that I couldn’t do this, Ricci calmly reminded me that I already was doing it, and that we were almost done. Finally (although it didn’t take that long), the baby’s head was out (along with the hand that she brought out across her face), and the rest of her came soon after. I couldn’t believe I was finally holding my baby girl!

The rest of the day went fairly smoothly. Jeremy and I were able to hold our daughter, and spend time getting to know her. After a few hours, we were able to go home as a family and begin our new life together.

Later that week, my stepfather asked me what I thought about my experience at the birth center (he was intrigued by the way things were done there). I told him I don’t think I could ever have a baby at a hospital after my experience at Labor of Love. It was safe, natural, and relaxed – everything I wanted, and everything I think God intended birth to be. Jeremy, Avie, and I are moving out of state soon, and although I am excited to go, I told Jeremy we may need to move back next time I’m pregnant so our second child can be a Labor of Love baby too!

She's finally here!

2008-06-17T16:53:00.002-04:00

Avinell Grace arrived at 8:25 a.m. on June 10th after a very short labor (YAY!). She weighed 7 lbs, 11 oz, and was 20.5 inches long. We were so excited to finally meet our daughter, and we are amazed every day by God's blessings. Every minute with her is a gift!

Still growing!

2008-05-23T17:56:00.003-04:00

This picture was taken May 8th, so Avie is even bigger now! She's almost ready to come out and meet us! Better finish packing our bags for the birth center...

She's almost here!!!

2008-05-03T09:18:00.004-04:00

We can hardly believe we only have 6 MORE WEEKS until we get to meet our daughter, Avinell Grace! She is already extremely active and ready to meet the world! As the time gets closer, I am overwhelmed by God's grace and providence. It is amazing to think of how He creates new life and allows us to care for the tiny baby that will soon be with us.

We were very thankful to be able to spend some time with family and friends over spring break. It was definitely a much-needed vacation! (And Aunt Mingo threw the best baby shower ever!) Now we have just a few more weeks to get everything ready for the big day! We can hardly wait!!!

It's a.....BABY!

2008-01-27T12:32:00.001-05:00

We finally got to see Lil' JZ for the first time this week! We were amazed and humbled to see our baby for the first time. It was an incredible experience! The ultrasound tech is 70% sure that the baby is a girl (Jeremy is still holding out hope on that 30% chance...), so we are going back March 14 to get another look. We do know, however, that our baby is healthy and active, and that is all that matters! Good luck interpreting the blobs....

PICTURE #1
This is a nice shot of our praying baby (kneeling with the head to the right and the feet on the left).

PICTURE #2
And this is...well, I can see the head on the right, and after that, you're on your own!

Our first Christmas

2008-01-21T09:45:00.000-05:00

After much thought and discussion, Jeremy and I decided to stay in FL and spend our first Christmas together in our own home. We missed being with our families for Christmas, but we were blessed to be able to spend time relaxing together! On Christmas Eve, we decided it was time for a little cold weather! We headed to Orlando to see the ICE! exhibit (kept at 9 degrees). The sculptures were amazing, and it was fun to go from a winter wonderland back to the warm FL sunshine!

My mom and stepfather decided to drive down to see us New Year's weekend. We enjoyed spending time with them and taking them to the beach! They took this picture for us. I know it looks like we are dressed for Easter, but it really was New Years! (Gotta love that FL weather!)

Fall and Winter at the Beach

2007-12-18T17:07:00.000-05:00

My how life can change in a year! Last year at this time I was up early every morning to scrape ice off my car and bundle up in my heaviest coat before going out in the below-zero temps. Now, I'm lucky if I get to wear long sleeves, much less a jacket! Although it is taking a little bit of adjusting, I must admit it's been nice to be able to hang out at the beach in November and December!!!
Jeremy and I were blessed to have the Woodard clan come to visit us for Thanksgiving. We had fun playing with the kids, staying up late cheating at....I mean playing board games, and eating lots of food!

At the beginning of December, Jeremy and I went to visit my dad's apartment (we did see Dad for a day), and played on the beach at Fort Lauderdale. The sunset was amazing!!

What I love about Florida

2007-09-24T15:21:00.002-04:00

If you know me very well, you know that I absolutely LOVE Alaska. I didn't always enjoy scraping mounds of snow and ice off my windshield at 6 a.m. in below-zero weather, but looking up at the mountains almost always made up for it. When Jeremy and I decided to move to FL, I was excited because I know this is where God wants us to be. Even so, I was a little hesitant about leaving the mountains. After all, other than the beach (which is AMAZING), what is there to see in FL? We have been in FL for about a month now, and I have learned that God's creation is beautiful - mountains or not. And so, I've decided to take stock and share just a few of the reasons I love the Sunshine State...

1 - Palm trees everywhere! (Not to mention all the other kinds of trees!)

2 - BEAUTIFUL flowers! The colors are so bright and unique!

3 - Sitting on our balcony and watching the ducks, turtles, cranes, birds, snakes, geckos, fish....

4 - Being able to see storm clouds and blue skies in the same lens (this was taken just before I got DRENCHED on the way back from the mailbox!)

5 - CLOUDS, CLOUDS, and more CLOUDS

6 - Spiritual "picnics" under the moss trees (I don't have any pictures of this one, but it's a wonderful story about God's providence!)

7 - Being with the man of my dreams and living the life God has prepared for us

-Andrea

God is so good!

2007-09-10T16:25:00.001-04:00

If you had asked me four months ago, I would have told you that this September would be filled with grading papers, writing lesson plans, and preparing for another cold winter in Palmer, AK. Little did I know that God had other plans! I am now living in the Sunshine State (where winter is a foreign word) with my new husband, and I couldn't be happier. God's ways are not our ways, but they are certainly MUCH better! Patience is never easy, but when we wait for His timing, it's always worth the wait. Please pray for us and our new life in FL, as well as for our church (Cedars of Lebanon Missionary Baptist Church) and our pastor and his family. Stay tuned for more exciting details :-)

-Andrea